Heights 10-21-10

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Vol. XCI, No. 35

THE HEIGHTS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2010

Columnist offers views on leadership WSJ’s Noonan speaks in Robsham

BY DANIEL TONKOVICH AND MORGAN HEALEY For The Heights

Peggy Noonan, columnist for The Wall Street Journal and best-selling author of eight books on American politics, history, and culture, addressed the Boston College community on Tuesday as part of the Winston Center’s Clough Colloquium speaker series. Noonan shared her views on leadership characteristics and flaws as exemplified by five presidents of the United States.

Noonan began her speech with tales of her time as a writer for President Ronald Reagan, speaking of the former president as a man capable of public speaking and engagement. Noonan said that although he publically showed interest in the issues at hand that provoked reaction, he was a person of

occasional detachment and was best in small groups.

“In my view, Reagan was the last genuine man of American politics,” Noonan said. “He had great personal grace and public warmth. He never treated others as help. He employed old school courtesy.”

Noonan contrasted Reagan with President George H.W. Bush, whom she praised for his diplomacy and engagement in personal matters, but criticized for his failure to attend to public matters and recognize the importance of major events and opportunities. “[Bush] was a diplomat, sensitive to the position and predicament of the Soviet leaders when the Berlin Wall fell,” Noonan said. “He didn’t want to rub it in, but he should have given thanks to the American people for funding almost 50 years of war, cold and hot, and the heroes of policy.

With Bush, there was a failure of historical imagination, a failure to see the impact of major events in the context of history.”

Noonan used Bush’s failure in these

www.bcheights.com

SPECIAL REPORT

Campus culture may deter assault reporting Some sexual assaults might go unreported

BY MOLLY LAPOINT Heights Staff

The following is the first part of a three-part series on the issue of sexual assault at Boston College.

ANDREW POWELL / HEIGHTS STAFF

Peggy Noonan, columnist for ‘The Wall Street Journal,’ spoke on past American presidents. respects to stress awareness and innovation. She asserted that successful leaders at all levels must not only be intelligent, but creative, intuitive, and in tune with the needs of the people at the time of their leadership.

“A great political leader has more in common with an artist than an economist,” Noonan said.

Related to her views on the importance of creativity in leadership, Noonan again used Reagan as an illustration of

See Noonan, A4

Between 2006 and 2009, there were 44 cases of sexual assault reported by Boston College under the Clery Act. Under the act, institutions of higher education that receive federal funding are required to make public statistics regarding violent crimes that occur under their respective jurisdictions.

However, varying statistics cited by a number of University officials indicate that nationally, between 20 and 25 percent of women attending college will be sexually assaulted before they graduate. This discrepancy between reported and perpetrated assaults is caused by a number of factors, some of which may be particular to BC’s campus, those officials said.

“There’s definitely a stigma just gener-

UGBC fields Homecoming complaints from students

BY DANIEL MORRISON For The Heights

A number of students who attended Saturday’s Homecoming have criticized the manner in which the House of Blues staff handled the admittance of more than 1,500 students.

The majority of student complaints were regarding the staff’s management of a line that was packed with students squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder across the length of the sidewalk and down Lansdowne Street.

INSIDE

Students who arrived first at the House of Blues around 8:45 p.m. said they did not find the line of students waiting outside to be unusually long.

“The line was not that bad when we got there,” said Sarah Hamilton, A&S ’12. She said that there were no more than 100 students in line.

Twenty minutes later, after several more buses had arrived, a line of students stretched down the sidewalk, blocking the entrances to the restau-

See Homecoming, A4

ally in society, in that there’s a tendency to blame the victim,” said Kaitlin Vigars, Forensic Nursing Program coordinator and BC ’08. “Victim-blaming attitudes are a big reason why people don’t report.”

Alison Rhodes, director of the Sexual Assault Network (SANet) and GSSW ’17, said she agrees that victims on campus often do not receive the support they should.

“Sometimes the perpetrator is supported more than the survivor,” she said.

Often, victims are blamed by others because of how they were acting or how they were dressed at the time of their assault, Vigars said. This may cause some to be hesitant to report their assault, and is an attitude that must be changed in society, she said.

“People should be able to go out and do whatever they want and not be assaulted,” she said. “If there were a better social environment that was more supportive of people

See Assaults, A4

LOCALCRIME

Student struck by car near Upper Campus

BY DANIEL TONKOVICH For The Heights

DANIEL TONKOVICH / HEIGHTS STAFF

A student was hospitalized after being struck by a car while crossing at the Hammond St. (above) crosswalk.

Margaret Evangelakos, 50, of Newton, has been issued citations

by Newton Police for striking Adejire Bademosi, A&S ’14, with her vehicle on the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 12, and for leaving the accident scene.

Evangelakos was cited for allegedly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident with personal injury and

failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Bademosi has since recovered from her injuries and has returned to Boston College.

According to the police incident report, Bademosi was hit by a vehicle while crossing Hammond Street in a marked pedestrian crossing just north of Beacon Street. She was transported via ambulance to

See Hit and Run, A4

WALL ST. TO BE ADDRESSED AT BC

CAMPUS POLITICS

SPORTS

Men’s soccer rallies for 2-1 win against Harvard, A10

THE SCENE

Economy a key issue at annual political debate Dems face off against Republicans in Murray Room

Busting the Myth: Presidents can be on TV, B1

MARKETPLACE

BY ADRIANA MARIELLA For The Heights

Afghan government holds talks with Taliban, B10 Classifieds, A5 Crossword, A5 Editorials, A6 Numbers to Know, B10 Police Blotter, A2 What We’re Watching, B2 Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down, A7 Forecast on Washington, B7 Weather, A2 On the Session, B4

KEVIN HOU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The College Democrats and College Republicans of BC held their annual debate last night.

Last night, the College Democrats and College Republicans of Boston College (CDBC and CRBC, respectively) hosted a debate that included issues in the upcoming midterm elections and the American political scene. The debate was aimed at educating student voters and giving them information to effectively participate in the election.

The debate covered topics such as the economy and its future, immigration, health care reform, the U.S. public school system, and the politics of the midterm elections.

In their opening statements, CDBC representatives said that the Democratic Party has continuously been committed to college students. They said that Demo-

See MBTA App, A4

AP FILE PHOTO

Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) will be joining former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker in a panel on campus next Monday that will address Wall Street reform. crats promote fiscal responsibility, have successfully implemented an economic recovery act, and seek to continue with their policy of rational politics.

CRBC representatives said that the Republican Party is the party more aligned with the cause of college students. They said that Republicans are fiscally conservative, wish to implement practices that encourage job growth, and want to move away from the failed economic stimulus package.

The Tea Party Movement, new taxes on businesses, tax cuts for citizens, and the effectiveness of the stimulus package were also discussed when the floor was opened up for audience questions.

“In today’s political climate, it can

be somewhat difficult to gain a full understanding of the issues at hand,” said Kristoffer Munden, president of the CDBC and A&S ’11. “A debate such as this presents the perfect opportunity to hear from both sides.”

Tomas Castella, president of the CRBC and A&S ’11, said the economy is among one of the most important issues for students.

“Absolutely, the economy,” Castella said. “The economy’s future, fiscal responsibility, and job growth are all very important to students. I, personally, am concerned with getting a job in coming months.”

See Debate, A4

TopFive

Thursday, October 21, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

things to do on campus this week

Financial Aid Panel

1

Lebanese Culture Speech

Today Time: 5:30 p.m.

Location: Cushing 001

Three panelists will discuss the Student Aid and Financial Responsibility Act (SAFRA), including how it was passed and what it means for college students.

Today Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: O’Connell House Samy Gemayel, who at age 30 is one of the youngest members of the Lebanese Parliament, will speak to students in his lecture, “Culture of Violence vs. Culture of Peace.”

2

How to Be Straight

3

UGBC Regatta Shuttles

An Evening with bOp!

Today Time: 8 p.m.

Location: Devlin 221

Allies will hold a panel discussion as a part of Ally Week, “How to be Straight: Stories of Being An Ally.” The group will also be collecting signatures for its ally pledge in McElroy today and Friday.

FEATURED ON CAMPUS

Hospital promotes awareness

Friday Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: O’Connell House The bands department presents the BC bOp! jazz ensemble in its first on-campus performance of the fall semester. The event is scheduled to last from 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.

4

5

Sunday Time: 10 a.m.

Location: Conte Forum

The Undergraduate Government of BC will provide free shuttles to and from the Head of the Charles Regatta on Sunday until 2 p.m. Races last from Saturday morning until Sunday afternoon.

IntheNews

FOUR DAY WEATHER FORECAST TODAY

60° Showers Likely 38°

FRIDAY

50° Mostly Sunny 33°

SATURDAY

58° Mostly Sunny

University Student donations to Democrats far outweigh contributions to GOP The Center for Responsive Politics reported yesterday that college students have contributed far more to Democratic campaigns than to Republican campaigns during the current election cycle. The Democratic National Committee has garnered $428,600 from students, roughly 20 times more than the Republican National Committee, which has thus far collected $18,400 from students. The report also stated that Charlie Crist, running as an independent for Florida’s open U.S. Senate seat, has received more money from students – $96,300 – than any other individual.

44°

SUNDAY

59° Mostly Cloudy 45°

SOURCE: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

A Guide to Your Newspaper The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467 Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223

Local News Annual regatta expected to draw 300,000 spectators over two days

JEN SCHIAVO / FOR THE HEIGHTS

St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center held its second annual Chocolate and Roses event to spread awareness of breast cancer.

BY LEA HUANG AND JEN SCHIAVO

offered free breast assessments, as well as mammograms by apFor The Heights pointment that were conducted by nurses or physicians of the St. Elizabeth’s Medical medical center.

“We want to get the word Center held its second annual Chocolate and Roses breast out to women to get a clinical cancer event Tuesday. The breast exam (CBE) yearly,” said event, held in Conte Forum’s Sheryl Stelmash, a nurse at St. Shea Room, was open to all Elizabeth’s Medical Center. women in the St. Margaret’s Stelmash said that the event Center for Women and In- organizers hoped to increase fants. awareness of the issue of breast The stated mission of the cancer.

“It is not e v e n t wa s necessarily a to spread lack of knowlawareness of “It is not necessarily edge that breast cana lack of knowledge women have cer, the most of breast cancommon that women have of cer, but many cancer in febreast cancer, but women simmales and the many women simply ply don’t have second leading cause of don’t have the time or the time or to death in motivation to receive motivation receive cliniwomen next clinical checkups each cal checkups to lung caneach year,” she cer. year.” said.

According “Our main the Amerto —Sheryl Stelmash, goal is to ican Cancer nurse, St. Elizabeth’s spread awareSociety, there were about ness. We also Medical Center 207,090 new want to procases of invamote healthier sive breast cancer, and approx- lifestyles for women. We enimately 39,840 deaths from the courage visitors to read the cancer in women in 2010.

American Cancer Web page to The annual Chocolate and find out more statistics about Roses breast cancer screening breast cancer.”

Women were also encouraged to attend, if they were not being tested, in order to learn more about breast cancer and to spread further awareness of cancer in general.

After a screening, attendees were taken to a separate conference room where they were given a box of chocolate and a rose to take home.

Patients were also given pamphlets that discussed the best defenses against breast cancer, as well as different ways to detect early signs of cancer as reported by the American Cancer Society.

The event also aimed to encourage general female health by promoting a healthier lifestyle. Nurses and attendees wore pink in order to celebrate the cause, as October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

The Boston College community has also been holding events to raise awareness during Breast Cancer Awareness month by holding a breast health awareness workshop this Wednesday.

Attendees of the event were greeted with pink ribbons and awareness hats to take home.

The hour-long presentation included a Powerpoint explaining the basics of the causes, detection, and prevention of breast cancer. 

This weekend, over 8,000 rowers hailing from at least 19 countries will converge on the Charles River for the annual Head of the Charles Regatta, the largest twoday regatta in the world. The weekend will feature 59 events, with the three-mile course starting at Boston University’s DeWolfe Boathouse, located in Cambridge, and passing the Harvard University campus before finishing adjacent to the Artesani park in Allston. Races start at 8 a.m. on Saturday, and are expected to draw in excess of 300,000 spectators.

On Campus Boston College given a “B” overall grade on sustainability report card Boston College received a “B” as its overall grade on the most recent “College Sustainability Report Card.” The report, which was published by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, examined and graded 300 public and private colleges and universities in nine categories, including Climate Change and Energy, Food and Recycling, Student Involvement, and Transportation, among others.

The overall grade was up from last year’s “B -.” While BC received a “B” or higher in six of the nine categories, it was given an “F” in Endowment Transparency.

Editorial General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Marketplace Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823 Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753 EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call Michael Caprio, 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 Zach Wielgus, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0189, or e-mail sports@bcheights.com.

Court grants U.S. temporary hold on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ruling

Arts Events The Heights covers a multitude of events both on and off campus – including concerts, movies, theatrical performances, and more. Call Kristen House, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or e-mail review@ bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the Arts Desk.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday temporarily granted the U.S. government’s request for a freeze on a judge’s order requiring the military to allow openly gay troops. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals instructed lawyers for the gay rights group that brought the lawsuit successfully challenging the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy to file arguments in response by Monday. The judges would then decide whether to extend the temporary stay while it considers the government’s appeal of U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips’ ruling that the policy was unconstitutional.

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 Matthew DeLuca, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com.

National

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Police Blotter 10/16/10 – 10/17/10 Saturday, October 16

will be forwarded to ODSD for review.

12:01 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated party in Walsh Hall.

The party was transported by ambulance to a medical facility.

9:21 p.m. - A report was filed regarding several disorderly, intoxicated parties at an off-campus location who were refused entry to a BC event due to their intoxication. A report will be forwarded to ODSD for review.

1:40 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a BC student who was arrested for being a disorderly person in Walsh Hall. The party was booked and processed at BCPD headquarters.

2:44 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a party operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol near Campanella Way. The party had their motor vehicle keys confiscated and a sober adult party later responded to take custody of the motor vehicle.

7:41 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated party in Walsh Hall.

The party was transported by ambulance to a medical facility.

2:00 p.m. - A report was filed regarding vandalism to 66 Commonwealth Avenue.

A detective is investigating.

8:13 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a party of legal age at Alumni Stadium who was refused entry to a BC event due to possession of an alcoholic beverage. A report

Sunday, October 17 1:44 a.m. - A report was filed regarding the confiscation of a controlled substance from a party in Edmond’s Hall. A report will be forwarded to ODSD for review.

1:55 a.m. - A report was filed regarding the confiscation of a controlled substance from a party in Fitzpatrick Hall. One party was transported by ambulance to a medical facility. A report will be forwarded to ODSD for review.

Voices from the Dustbowl “Do you feel that Boston College’s recycling practices are effective?”

“The school as a whole could do more to promote recycling.”

—David Cho, A&S ’14

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) 2010. All rights reserved.

“I do think it’s effective.”

—Taylor Norton, A&S ’13

CORRECTIONS

7:16 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an intoxicated party of legal age in Alumni Stadium who was unable to care for himself. The party was transported to a medical facility by ambulance.

— Source: The Boston College Police Department

Delivery To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact John O’Reilly, General Manager at (617) 552-0547.

“There are recycle bins everywhere – it’s impossible not to recycle.”

—Roger Larach,

CSOM ’13

Please send corrections to editor@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.

A3

The Heights

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Discussions continue for anti-bullying legislation

By Rebecca Kailus Heights Staff

Congress has recently stepped up discussions regarding several proposed bills that aim to create a safer environment for GLBTQ students in schools.

This increased attention comes in the wake of a number of suicides by GLBTQ teens over the last month that have been connected to bullying.

On Oct. 6, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) announced that he was drawing up legislation that would compel colleges and universities receiving federal money to adopt a code of conduct prohibiting harassment and bullying, and to establish procedures to respond to allegations of this type of bullying, according to a release from Lautenberg’s office. Under the proposal, schools would also be required to recognize cyber-bullying as a form of harassment.

In addition to Lautenberg’s new proposal, two other bills are pending in the Senate and the House of Representatives: the Safe Schools Improvement Act and the Student Nondiscrimination Act, which are both targeted at ending harassment and discrimination of students on the basis of sexual orientation in primary and secondary schools.

The new bill will also propose that the U.S. Department of Ed-

ucation establish a grant system to help colleges and universities create programs that deter the harassment and discrimination of students, according to the release.

R. Shep Melnick, professor of political science, does not believe that the bill will receive the support it needs to pass.

“Almost everyone recognizes this as purely a symbolic piece of legislation,” Melnick said.

“Nothing the federal government does will have much of an impact on children and students. Therefore, people are going to be more sensible about it and not get the federal government involved in something that won’t have a direct effect.”

Last May, the Massachusetts State Legislature passed what many experts have heralded as one of the toughest anti-bullying pieces of legislation in the nation. This legislation attempts to curtail bullying, cyber-bullying included, of students by guiding school districts in the identification, investigation, and response to such bullying instances. With the passage of this legislation, Massachusetts became the 42nd state to approve legislation designed to stop bullying in schools. Absent from this Massachusetts legislation, though, was a provision that addressed the bullying of GLBTQ students.

Melnick said that the state

level would be a more appropri“We need to cope with bad ate arena to introduce legisla- behavior, not condone it,” he tion aimed at curbing the bully- said. “To say ‘don’t do that’ is ing of GLBTQ students. not an effective way to prevent “It’s [the state level] a bet- this.” ter place to start than at the Kelsey Gasseling, GLBTQ federal level,” Melnick said. “I Leadership Council (GLC) presidon’t know the legislation well dent and A&S ’11, said this enough to know the effects. legislation would be a positive But to the extent that schools step for the GLBTQ community. now know that bullying is going “I think it’s a long time coming, on, they should especially bebe doing things cause of all the “I feel that most about it.” things of the [bullying] is negative Ye t Me l n i c k happening such remains skeptical verbal. It’s not always as the suicides that a law at any the past few targeted. You hear of level would have m o n t h s ,” s h e an effect on hu- guys call each other said. man behavior.

She said faggot, and it’s not “There is less that bullying of always directed at GLBTQ students they can actually do to control the a gay person. But it is happening at behavior of kids Boston College, outside the class- can be damaging to a and that by takroom,” he said. person’s self esteem.” i n g m e a s u re s “The best examto prevent such ples of something cases, BC would — Kelsey Gasseling, similar to this are be fulfilling its GLC president, and anti-drug proJesuit mission.

A&S ’11 grams. All the “I feel that evidence I’ve most of the [bulseen of these programs is that lying] is verbal” Gasseling said. they don’t work. There is some “It’s not always targeted. You evidence that they actually in- hear guys call each other faggot, crease drug use.” and it’s not always directed at a By studying the effects of gay person. But it can be damagsuch programs, Melnick said ing to a person’s self esteem.” that lawmakers could get a bet“I’m not sure a lot of things ter sense of what tactics are suc- would change, but hopefully with cessful, and that those lessons time and education it will. It’s could be applied to bullying. important to BC because BC is

Jesuit, and they want to make sure everyone is cared for,” she said.

However, some BC students and faculty have questioned the real impact of federal legislation on this issue. Carolyn McCrosson, a member of GLC and A&S ’12, said she does not think redefining the definition of bullying will have a particular impact on the GLBTQ community.

“It feels like a band-aid solution,” McCrosson said. “I don’t see it as a miraculous healing power for the country at large.

I feel the way I’ve heard it described in the news is Congress is redefining bullying at schools, but I don’t see that as a revamping of how we deal with bullying. I’m not really confident of schools taking the initiative of using the new definition of bullying and enforcing the consequences.”

However, McCrosson said the legislation is a step in the right direction. “It will allow people to understand what bullying has evolved into,” she said. “Bullying used to be getting shoved in a locker. But with the Internet, it’s very anonymous and crueler because people are better able to speak their minds. People need to relearn the Golden Rule and realize what they’re saying to other people.”

Ricco Siasoco, a professor in the English department, said that federal legislation on this

topic would be a good resource for GLBTQ students.

“It creates more of a resource for the community to be involved,” Siasoco said. “It doesn’t do anything different, but it sends a clear message that resources are available and not to feel so isolated. For lesbian and gay teenagers, it’s a pressing issue. If you’re a gay kid, it’s even harder to talk about bullying because you may be confused and questioning.”

For the GLBTQ community at BC, Siasoco is skeptical whether the legislation would lead to actual progress. “The GLBTQ undergraduate body at BC may not feel as supported as they would at other universities,” he said. “I don’t know if federal legislation will impact that. Let’s hope it does.”

Historically, however, Siasoco said that BC has been slow to incorporate polices aimed at the nondiscrimination of GLBTQ people.

“When same sex marriage was passed in Massachusetts, there was a lag time between the passing of the state bill and BC incorporating a nondiscrimination policy for sexual orientation,” he said. “This definitely has to do with the Jesuit Catholic tradition. It doesn’t reflect everyone at BC. But the administration adheres to the policies of the Catholic Church. There is an inherent tension here.” n

Financial reform panel to be held

By Taylour Kumpf Asst. News Editor

On Monday, Oct. 25, a panel of leaders in the financial marketplace will evaluate the impact of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, a comprehensive overhaul of financial rules, at Boston College’s Robsham Theater.

U.S. Representative Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and co-sponsor of the reform legislation, will be joined by Paul A. Volcker, chairman of the Obama administration’s Economic Recovery Board and former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve System, and Sheila Bair, chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Cliff Holderness, a finance professor in the Carroll School of Management and a recognized expert on corporate finance and governance, will moderate the discussion, after which the panel will take questions from the audience of leading business and financial executives, economists, and students.

The Dodd-Frank Act, approved

by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in July, tightens regulations across the financial industry in an effort to prevent a repetition of the fiscal crisis that began in 2007 and is still affecting individuals and industries across the nation.

The forum will address the effect of the legislation on the financial world both now and in the future.

Frank represents the Fourth District of Massachusetts in the House of Representatives, where he has been chairman of the Financial Services Committee since 2007.

In addition to his co-sponsorship of the Dodd-Frank Act, he

has been an advocate for numerous efforts to spur recovery from the economic crisis, including the American Housing Rescue & Foreclosure Prevention Act, intended to protect thousands of homeowners from foreclosure. He also was instrumental in the passage of the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2008.

Frank began his career in the Massachusetts State House, where he served for eight years before winning a seat in the U.S. Congress in 1980.

Volcker served in the U.S. federal government for almost 30 years, culminating in two terms as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, following service at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Treasury Department, and Chase Manhattan Bank.

He was named chairman of the Federal Reserve by President Jimmy Carter in August 1979, was reappointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983, and served until August 1987, after which he became the chairman of New York investment banking firm J. Rothschild, Wolfensohn & Co. In November 2008, then-president-elect Barack Obama chose Volcker to head the president’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board. His proposal to restrict U.S. banks from certain investment activities – known as the “Volcker Rule” – became a major component of the Dodd-Frank Act. Bair was sworn in as the 19th chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on June 26, 2006. She was appointed chairman for a five-year term, and as a member of the FDIC Board of Directors through July 2013.

As FDIC chairman, Bair has presided over a tumultuous period in the nation’s financial sector.

Her work has included programs

AP FILE PHOTOS

that provide temporary liquidity guarantees, increases in deposit insurance limits, and systematic loan modifications to troubled borrowers, as well as consumer protection and economic inclusion.

Prior to her appointment, she was the Dean’s Professor of Financial Regulatory Policy for the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, during which time she served on the FDIC’s Advisory Committee on Banking Policy.

In 2009, Bair was named one of Time Magazine’s “Time 100” most influential people. She has received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award and the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award, and, in 2008, topped The Wall Street Journal’s annual 50 “Women to Watch List.”

That same year, Forbes Magazine named her the second most powerful woman in the world. n

On Oct. 25, Barney Frank, Paul Volcker, and Sheila Bair will participate in a panel at BC discussing financial reform.

Allston-Brighton Crime Reports 10/12/10 – 10/18/10

Baseball dispute results in assault and battery On Saturday, Oct. 16, at 2:11 a.m., a Boston police officer was approached by a victim of assault and battery on Harvard Avenue. The victim, wearing a New York Yankees hat, had been walking toward the corner of Harvard Avenue when an unknown man approached him and asked, “Why are you wearing that hat around here?” The suspect allegedly proceeded to punch the victim in the face, knocking him to the ground, and then fled the scene.

Victim robbed in local McDonald’s restroom On Friday, Oct. 15, at 10:52 p.m., police officers responded to a call regarding an armed robbery at the McDonald’s on Harvard Avenue. The victim was in the bathroom when he dropped his wallet. As he was picking up one of his credit cards that had fallen, the suspect approached him and said, “You are being robbed.” He allegedly took $100 from the wallet and left the scene, but was later identified and placed under arrest. Officers said they then found a green, leafy substance in the suspect’s underwear.

Customers scammed by Stop and Shop employee

O’Neill laptop fire resolved

On Tuesday, Oct. 12, at 11 a.m., police officers were called to Stop and Shop to investigate an employee. The manager of the store had received two calls regarding gift cards that had a zero balance before ever being used. After viewing the surveillance video, it was determined that both gift card transactions were handled by this employee. She allegedly scammed the customers by making the transaction but keeping the loaded gift cards for herself. Police placed the employee under arrest for larceny by scheme, and the two victims were reimbursed.

News Editor

Intoxicated suspect defaces property

By Michael Caprio

In response to an incident last week in which a student’s laptop battery suddenly combusted in O’Neill Library, University safety officials advise students to use caution when buying spare parts for their computers.

“The reason that there was a fire is that it was a third-party battery,” said Mary Corcoran, associate vice president for Information Technology Services (ITS).

Corcoran said that the student, Kevin Howard, CSOM ’11, had purchased the battery for his Dell from a non-vendor seller online.

Purchasing such batteries could lead to incidents such as last Wednesday’s, she said. “No

reputable computer company would approve of a third-party battery in its system. It is sometimes more expensive to buy the vendor batteries. They test and certify those batteries as opposed to third-party batteries.”

The situation could have been different if the laptop hadn’t combusted on the hard surface of the O’Neill desk and had exploded on a mattress or bed comforter, Corcoran said.

“It could have been a different outcome,” Corcoran said. “It is a teachable moment for good practices around laptop safety. I think people forget that laptops can get quite hot and there are a few things to use it the right way and keep it cool.”

Tom Keough, fire safety officer in the Office of Health and Environmental Safety, said that if

students find themselves in such a situation, they should immediately unplug the device from the wall if possible.

Purchasing batteries from a reputable source could also help to prevent such incidents, he said.

“The idea is to prevent this from happening. You do that mainly by buying the right replacement parts,” Keough said. “When you start going to that third-party vendor, you could be taking risks.”

Safety hazards involving laptops are remarkably common on campus, Keough said. “We do random safety inspections throughout the dormitories and I don’t know how many times we’ve found laptop computers turned on, plugged in, and left on mattresses or comforters. It’s not good for the computer, and it’s certainly not good for safety.” n

At 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 14, police officers investigated a report of a man with a painted face walking in the alley behind Kelly’s Roast Beef in Brighton with a crowbar. Officers recognized the suspect from previous encounters, and they observed him trying to pry apart the back platform of Toro Japanese Sushi Restaurant. When questioned, the suspect said that he was damaging the platform because the owner had instructed him to do so. Officers found a half-empty bottle of Jim Beam Whiskey and arrested the suspect for drinking in public and the destruction of property.

Break-in results in theft, assaulted victim On Monday, Oct. 18, at 2 a.m., police officers responded to a robbery in progress at a residence on Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton. After two suspects knocked on the front door and were refused entry by the resident, a third suspect entered the house through the kitchen window.

The victim, a friend of the resident, was blocking the suspect’s path from the kitchen to the front door. The suspect allegedly grabbed a frying pan, struck the victim in the face, and proceeded to open the front door for the other two suspects. The three suspects then assaulted the victim, stole money, keys, and an ID, and fled the scene. They were allegedly chased down by the police and arrested.

– Courtesy of the Boston Police Department, District 14 Gathered by Kendall Bitonte & Adriana Mariella for The Heights

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Heights

A4

Victims not always supported, officials say Assaults, from A1

who experienced [sexual assaults] and more education about what comes after, they would be more likely to report.”

It may be difficult for victims to classify what happened to them as a sexual assault, because often the offenses are perpetrated by people they know, said Paul Chebator, senior associate dean for student development in the Office of the Dean for Student Development (ODSD).

“We have not had really any forceful offenses, as in a person jumps out of the bushes and attacks a victim,” Chebator said.

“I really cannot think of any case recently where that has happened.”

Because of this, many victims

may choose not to report. “One difficulty we have is that so many survivors don’t want to take action,” Chebator said. “This is a particularly close-knit community. If you don’t know someone, chances are your friends know that person. There is a lot of peer pressure against reporting sexual assaults.”

One explanation for this tendency, Rhodes said, is that there may be a perceived threat that the details of their assault would be spread around campus. “What I hear anecdotally is that there is the feeling that this is a very gossipy campus,” Rhodes said.

Sometimes, this pressure may be due to the perpetrator’s prominence on campus. “Sometimes the victim may not want to cause trouble for the perpetrators, espe-

cially if the perpetrator is a visible figure on campus, like an athlete,” Rhodes said.

Victims may worry that they would be forced to press charges if they reported their attack. However, victims are held to no such requirements. “That’s something we make clear right away – there’s no obligation, no expectation,” said BC Police Chief John King.

“That decision should be driven by the victim’s desire, not something in which the victims are feeling compelled by anyone else to proceed in one direction or another.”

Additionally, those who report incidents through SANet are not obligated to go to the police. “If a survivor said, ‘I don’t want to go to the police,’ we’re not going to make them go to the police,”

Rhodes said.

There are a number of routes through which victims can report a sexual assault. SANet, a confidential hotline that can be reached at the phone number 617-552-2211, is the principal one, and is available 24/7 for emergency situations. In addition, all RAs and RDs have been trained to handle such cases, and Health Services, BCPD, and the Office of Student Affairs also provide services, Chebator said.

“In terms of the process, I will attempt to meet with the victim,” Chebator said. “I won’t force this. SANet generates reports without the survivor’s name for the federal reporting services.”

Students who do wish to

prosecute cases may choose to either have the University conduct the hearing or to go through BCPD and the district attorney’s office. “We encourage and support the student to do either,” Chebator said. “If they are willing to speak to the police, one of the sexual assault investigators and the victim will make the decision on how far to go.”

If the student decides to go through the University disciplinary system, a conduct hearing takes place with the alleged perpetrator and a panel present, Chebator said. The panel includes five people – three administrators, one faculty representative, and a student.

“Sanctions may be imposed on the perpetrator, including sus-

pension or dismissal from the University, if it is found that the alleged assailant committed the crime,” he said.

However, this route can only be taken if the assault takes place on campus. “If something happens off campus, that’s not a reportable offense at BC,” Chebator said.

SANet received nine calls last year, and typically gets about 15 calls each year, Chebator said.

Often, these are not calls to report an assault. “Many times when SANet gets calls it is for information,” Chebator said. “For example, SANet might get a call from someone whose sister was assaulted at a different university in a different state, and that person just wants information on how to deal with it.” n

Noonan analyzes U.S. presidents as leaders

Andrew powell / Heights staff

Columnist Peggy Noonan of ‘The Wall Street Journal’ spoke on different leadership types using U.S. presidents as examples.

Noonan, from A1 creative response to criticism.

“He took sting out of the attack, but not in defense,” Noonan said. “He accepted criticism while adding humor to the situation.”

Noonan also recalled the presidency of Bill Clinton to provide examples of success in leadership. Acknowledging Clinton’s ability at appearing natural in his energetic engagement with the public, she recalled her attendance at the annual National Prayer Breakfast in 1998, held during the same time as the Clinton impeach-

ment proceedings before the Senate. She recalled his speech advocating for the forgiveness of others for transgressions.

“The speech was powerful, but it was too masterful and clever,” Noonan said. “Many left the room not stating that they got the message, but that the message delivered was clever and sly. Leaders are not sly. They must have honesty and integrity to get people to follow.”

Noonan said that she does not think students should be concerned with being sly or clever. Those behaviors may become habits, she said. “Habit becomes you,” Noonan said.

“We are creatures of habit.”

Noonan also incorporated leadership views of figures outside of American politics, mentioning the leadership philosophy of Queen Elizabeth II, recounting an anecdote of a visit

by Al Gore with the Queen.

“She surrounds herself with intelligent people and allows them to do, with freedom, what they do well,” Noonan said.

The formal lecture concluded with Noonan offering her analysis of President Barack Obama.

“He has gone from top of the world to bottom of the heap,” Noonan said.

She said Obama’s downfall is due to a failure to properly position himself. She said that his positioning failure will assist the Republican Party in gaining seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate in the upcoming November election.

“Pushing Obamacare, merits aside, when Americans were concerned with rising unemployment, was a political disaster,” Noonan said.

While she said that she admires Obama’s personal story, she also said that Obama’s process of self-development might negatively impact his

ability to lead.

“He is focused on individual interests, relying on his own thinking,” Noonan said. “You need others’ input in a democracy.”

Noonan closed the lecture on leadership with a period for questions, during which she was asked if she continues to believe that there exists a spirit of America.

“In the America I was born into, you simply breathed in that, here, in America, you can become anything and accomplish anything,” she said.

“We have to prove to ourselves that we can rescue Amer-

ica [from the economic crisis],” Noonan said. “Protect your peace, protect who you are. Pay a lot of attention to your soul.

Don’t let them remove your soul from you.”

Charles Clough, chairman and executive officer of Clough Capital and namesake for the Clough Colloquium, said he was grateful for Noonan’s insight into the development of her published opinions.

“This is a time when most political columnists are predictable, but Peggy Noonan always offers interesting insight, a different perspective,” Clough said. n

Newton woman issued Debate aims to increase citation for hit-and-run interest in midterm election Hit and Run, from A1

Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton for the treatment of her injuries, sustained to her right leg, and later released.

A BC employee working near the crossing at the time witnessed the incident and was able to provide police with the license plate number of the suspected vehicle.

Newton Police contacted Evangelakos soon after the incident at her residence.

According to the police report, when questioned about

the incident in her home, Evangelakos said she saw Bademosi in the crosswalk, but said that she believed she had already crossed the street when she passed. She also claimed the sun was in her eyes, impairing her vision. Evangelakos told officers that she had no knowledge of having hit Bademosi and said that there was no way she crashed into the pedestrian.

The accounts of the incident by Evangelakos conflict with the statement of the BC employee who witnessed the

incident. The witness said Bademosi was three quarters into the crosswalk when the vehicle struck her and continued traveling without stopping. The witness said the driver put her hands in the air after continuing her travel, stopped briefly at the intersection of Beacon St. and Hammond St., and then proceeded to travel.

Newton Police have completed their investigation of the incident and no additional charges in addition to the two citations will be issued to Evangelakos. n

Debate, from A1

This debate, which is an annual tradition, aims to clarify each party’s general stance on pressing issues, concerns that may directly affect students in the near future, organizers said.

“This is a traditional event that we’ve been putting on every year now for about the past three years,” Munden said. “We really enjoy working with the College Republicans and hope to work with them more after Nov. 2.”

Some students in attendance said they found the debate helpful

in deciding which party to align themselves with, should they choose to do so.

“It definitely helps,” said Katie Tsantes, a member of CRBC and A&S ’13. “There was a clear divide between both sides.”

Although both parties were arguing for their own platforms, the goal of the debate was to better inform all students in attendance so that they may make, in their opinion, the best decision on Nov. 2, organizers said.

“It’s important to educate and inform students, especially in such an important election,”

Castella said. “Both sides have their merits.”

Students at the event said that they will be voting in this year’s midterm elections.

“Yes,” Tsantes said. “I already sent in my ballot.”

Representing CRBC were Castella, Lara Barger, A&S ’11, and Elizabeth Ellerhorst, A&S ’11. Representing CDBC were Munden, Dylan Roberts, A&S ’12, and Andrew Slade, A&S ’13. Moderating the debate were Nick Doffek, A&S ’13, of CDBC and Daniel Sologuren, A&S ’12, of CRBC. n

Organizers look to amend next year’s Homecoming plans Homecoming, from A1

rants and a parking garage located down the street from the club.

“Under their direction, everyone was packing forward,” said Kelley Durham, A&S ’12.

“I thought it was kind of a mob scene when we were out there,” said Julia O’Brien, A&S ’12.

The condensing of students within the line created pushing from the back of the line that caught many off balance.

“At one point, I had to apply resistance backward to keep people from running over my friends,” said Colin Wasinger, CSOM ’12. “You were getting pinned against people.”

Students found it peculiar that the House of Blues had trouble managing the queue of students.

“As a major concert venue, you would think that they were accustomed to dealing with long lines,” Durham said.

Upon reaching the front of the line, a few students were annoyed with several of the House of Blues staff who acted as bouncers.

“I thought that they didn’t need bounc- nation,” Hunzeker said. “People were er-like security guards,” Durham said. arbitrarily told to go back to the end of It took Jake Hunzeker, A&S ’12, and the line.”

Durham more than one Many students reand a half hours to join ported having similar ““I think that the their friends, who arexperiences. complaints that we rived at the same time Students who were but were already inside. received from students told to move to the back Near the front of the the line, like Hunthis year will just serve of line, Durham, wearing zeker and Durham, or high-heels, tripped after as an extra driving force denied admittance to being pushed from the contactto make the UGBC be Homecoming, crowd behind her. “My ed the Undergraduate heel got caught, and I even more creative next Government of Boston tripped,” she said. year in what we do with College (UGBC).

Durham and Hunze“We have received Homecoming.” ker were told by a House a few e-mails and calls of Blues staff member to from students conleave their spot near the cerning Homecoming — Michael Kitlas, front and take a place at and we have responded Executive Director of the end of the line. to them in a supportive “We were already on Campus Entertainment for and considerate manthe periphery of the line ner,” said Michael KitUGBC and A&S ’12 when she told us to go to las, executive director the end of the line,” Durham said. “It was of campus entertainment and A&S ’12, not alcohol-related,” she said. “I would in an e-mail. have been honest if it was.” “ O ve ra l l s t u d e n ts h ave b e e n “That one lady offered me no expla- very understanding,” Kitlas said.

“We truly appreciate their support.”

Complaints about the lack of a bar at this year’s event were compounded by a rumor that BC was required to pay the House of Blues to close its bar the night of Homecoming, UGBC organizers said.

“BC did not pay to close the House of Blues bar on the night of Homecoming,” Kitlas said. “The House of Blues would have liked to have the bar open to generate extra revenue.”

The administration did not want a bar at an off-campus event that included members of every class, he said.

“UGBC did submit proposals to the administration and met with them on several occasions to discuss allowing a bar at the event. However, even after our efforts, the administration did not change their stance,” Kitlas said.

In light of student complaints, the UGBC is considering alternate transportation options for next year’s event.

“One thing we are looking into with the administration is the possibility of making buses optional for the event, allowing students to take other forms of transportation,” Kitlas said. “This

would help stagger arrival time therefore alleviating the chaos that comes with long lines. We are also looking into staggering the buses even more, allowing for more time in between bus arrival at the venue.”

The UGBC aimed to stagger the buses, but the buses managed to arrive at the House of Blues at roughly the same time, Kitlas said.

In addition, organizers are considering adjustments in the security screening process.

“We are also looking into having more staff for the screening process in general, whether it is BCPD [BC Police Department] or the security staff for the venue,” he said. “Ultimately, I feel that a combination of these things would dramatically reduce the line congestion that was experienced at Homecoming,” he said.

“I think that the complaints that we received from students this year will just serve as an extra driving force to make the UGBC be even more creative next year in what we do with Homecoming.” n

CLASSIFIEDS

A5

The Heights

Thursday, October 21, 2010

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 1-877-841-3748, or visit our Web site www.roseanneandtim. com. Please be assured all conversations are held in strict confidence.

With gratitude, Roseanne and Tim. BABYSITTER NEEDED. Looking for an experienced babysitter on Thursdays for a 1 1/2 year old now through November. Hours approx. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. with some flexibility. Ten minute walk from campus in Newton Centre.

BABYSITTER. Need mature and responsible older student or grad student to pick up two great girls, ages 15 and 11, from school, drive to activities and home (near football stadium), make easy dinner. Must be excellent driver (SUV provided). Hours approx.

2:00/2:30. until approx. 7:00 MonThurs (hours vary). Some help with groceries, laundry, errands ideal, if possible and if/as time permits. Girls are responsible and sweet. Golden retriever at home. E-mail nfbaskin@ baskinfamlaw.com.

AFTER-SCHOOL CARE HELP. Responsible person to help with after-school care for middle school twins. Car needed for short local rides. Time to study. $15/hour. Jan, 617-964-4405.

Real Estate BRIGHTON HOUSING. By owner.

NO FEE Avl., 12/1/10 or 1/1/11 Modern Large 1 Bed., Condo off Comm.

Ave; Hardwood floor, A/C, Heated.

1 Parking included $1,500. CALL (617) 256-3306.

TOWN ESTATE. 10 min walk to BC Starts 9/1/11 NO FEE, By Owner Modern 3 Bed, 2 bath, 2 Parking spots, swimming pool, a/c, heated $2,500. Call (617) 256-3306.

MISCELLANEOUS Interested in blogging for The Heights? Contact Dara Fang at fangda@bc.edu for more information or to submit a tip.

Hey, D.J. See you at 10:30, sir.

A6

The Heights

Editorials

Etymologies

Homecoming in retrospect

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Agoraphobe (a•gor• a•phobe) (n) 1: A person who avoids the Agora Portal Web site out of fear of stumbling across a dismal GPA or course grade.

Example: He has no idea what he got in Micro last semester, that guy is a total Agoraphobe.

The University should take the complaints from this year’s Homecoming into account when planning the event for next year.

Over the past week, the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) has fielded numerous complaints from students regarding Saturday’s Homecoming at the House of Blues. Some students were denied entry into the venue on the night of the dance for allegedly being overly intoxicated. Others were dissatisfied with the management of the buses that transported students back to BC. The Heights feels that, despite the good intentions of University officials and the UGBC, the dance simply did not transpire as planned due to various errors in conduct and planning, some of which were unforeseen. Furthermore, we believe that the University should move the dance back to its less glamorous, yet more traditional, venue – the Mod parking lot.

The change of venue came as a result of troubled neighborhood relations following last year’s dance, as conceded

by UGBC officials. The new location at a club on Lansdowne Street, however, offered more opportunities for error.

The UGBC clashed with House of Blues officials over how to handle seemingly intoxicated students, some students were denied entry after having waited for hours to buy tickets, and some students who were turned away were left to wander the alleys behind Fenway Park in search of transportation back to campus.

The majority of these complications could have been alleviated if attendees had not been – or had not appeared to be – as intoxicated as they were upon entering the House of Blues. But we think that the University and the UGBC should take a lesson from this event and recognize that students will, more often than not, drink prior to large campus events. Organizers should therefore plan accordingly.

Next year, the UGBC should push the

administration to use its clout to maintain the tradition of holding the dance on campus. That way students will be only a short walk from their respective residences, and medical attention can be readily available for those who, albeit irresponsibly, overindulge in alcohol.

Last year’s Homecoming was held at a point when tensions ran high between the University and its Brighton neighbors, due to developments in the finalization of the Institutional Master Plan.

Given the context, it is understandable that there were a number of noise complaints surrounding last year’s dance. But the administration should assert its position in the community while working to create positive relations with neighbors. Rather than move every supposedly noisy event off campus, the University should work toward compromising with its neighbors, within reason. BC is a top university located in a dynamic community, and it should function as such. Moving popular on-campus events to flashy clubs in response to a few opinionated neighbors is not becoming of such an institution.

We understand the reasons for moving the event to the House of Blues, and they were well-intentioned. The fact that the change of venue was able to accommodate 100 more students was a positive outcome, and the UGBC should be applauded for keeping the interests of those additional 100 students in mind.

We hope the University realizes that, in the court of student opinion, the negative aspects seem to have outweighed the positive in this recent move, and that the overall outcome would be more positive if the UGBC were to move the event back to its original location, nestled between the Plex and Corcoran Commons within the confines of our Alma Mater.

Green report provides goals

Although we have improved our Green Report Card score, we should not stop thinking creatively about new ways to conserve.

Based on the 2010 evaluation by the College Sustainability Report Card, Boston College received a “B” as its overall grade in the general category of sustainable practices. This is an improvement from last year’s “B -” grade.

Just as the academic grading system serves as an incentive in the classroom, the Report Card’s grading system seeks to encourage sustainability as a priority on college campuses by offering independent yearly assessments of progress. The focus is on policies and practices in nine categories, including Food and Recycling, Student Involvement, and Investment Priorities.

The Heights commends the efforts of student groups on campus such as EcoPledge, RealFood BC, and the EcoReps program – as well as Dining Services, which received an “A” on the report card. Their combined efforts have tangibly impacted BC’s overall progress.

However, students should be reminded that there is still much that can be done to further cultivate green awareness on BC’s campus. The period surrounding the annual NRG Games cannot be the only time students are really conscious about their conservation and recycling efforts. Green awareness should not just be about achieving a certain score on a report card, but must be a daily effort on the part of individual students to conserve.

As students, we see the campus every day, and are aware of how “green” it re-

ally is. There is still more we can do to improve our efforts relating to campus, dining, and student initiatives, as well as innovation in sustainable technology development.

When looking at BC’s grade on this report card, Endowment Transparency is something to consider, as BC received an “F” in this category. Access to endowment information is intended to foster constructive dialogue about investment in clean energy and in community development, as well as about sustainability considerations in shareholder voting. The Heights encourages University administrators to work toward providing more information about the environmental quality of its investments which does not necessarily mean that they must make the endowment entirely transparent.

The Green Report Card is the only comparative evaluation of campus and endowment sustainability activities at colleges and universities in the United States. It evaluates the 300 colleges and universities with the largest endowments, plus 32 schools that applied for inclusion.

The Report Card’s goal is to provide accessible information for schools to learn from each other’s experiences and establish more effective sustainability practices. By researching how other universities incorporate green practices into their campus life, BC can integrate some of these changes into its own system.

The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Matthew DeLuca, Editor-in-Chief John O’Reilly, General Manager Darren Ranck, Managing Editor

Matt Laud/ Heights Illustration

Letters to the Editor Misconceptions about Boston College Students for Sexual Health Ten Misconceptions about Sexual Health / BC Students for Sexual Health (BCSSH) 10. SuperSafe Sites deviate from BCSSH’s original mission.

SuperSafe Sites provide male and female condoms, lubricant, and dental dams, resources that are inclusive of diverse sexual experiences and the LGBT community.

9. The materials offered at SuperSafe Sites do not address sexual health concerns.

Sexual Health 101: Lubricant, dental dams, and female condoms all help prevent STI transmission and / or pregnancy. SuperSafe Sites also have sexual health brochures and information about Boston-area resources.

8. BC students should buy sexual health materials for themselves.

BCSSH is not comfortable making assumptions about students’ wealth. The cost of prophylactics remains a barrier for many students.

7. BCSSH promotes promiscuous and risky behaviors antithetical to health.

SuperSafe Sites materials are for the benefit of LGBT students. We politely assume it was not The Heights’ intention to imply that all non-heterosexual sex is “promiscuous” and “risky.” BCSSH refuses to further marginalize the LGBT community by ignoring their sexual health needs.

6. BCSSH does not respect BC’s Jesuit-Catholic tradition.

Our understanding of the Jesuit tradition is men and women for others – including those who are sexually active.

5. BCSSH does not work with the school administration.

BCSSH meets with Health Services, ODSD, ResLife / Peer Ministers, the upcoming Office of Health Promotion, VPSA, University Counseling Services, FYE, the WRC, and many faculty members.

4. BCSSH shouldn’t “merely [talk] about sex as a facet of life on campus.”

Sex is a facet of life on campus. Members of the student body are engaging in sexual activity. We wish to promote a healthy approach to that.

3. The majority of students do not support BCSSH’s tactics.

We are currently advocating for a survey of sexual health attitudes and behaviors on campus. Unless The Heights has already surveyed students, please refrain from printing assumptions as fact.

2. BCSSH fails to encourage students to learn more for themselves.

This statement ignores BCSSH’s educational programming and the information we include at distributions, on our Web site, and at all Safe Sites. BCSSH encourages students to learn about sexual health, but we are not an officially recognized organization and The Heights itself reveals the depth of misinformation on campus (see #9). So you can see we’ve got our work cut out for us.

1. Sexual health is not an important concern at BC. This is the inherent message that is sent when we question the legitimacy of sexual health and its place on our campus. Understanding sex and sexuality and making informed decisions about our health is important. So if it’s okay with you (and, frankly, even if it’s not), we’re going to keep doing what we do.

BCSSH Executive Board

Respect is necessary when critiquing classmates Kailey Kramer’s article “Students Against Sweatpants” was full of judgment, an occasion for her to diminish people who are not as look-conscious as she is.

BC has always been known for having a good-looking, well put-together population, but her article stigmatized the students who do not fit into her narrow view of what style is. She snapped a few pictures of students whom she found aesthetically pleasing, fine, but she also made the point of relating her stress level to how other people dress, which was bizarre and brazen. If other people’s fashion choices affect you, your job, and your stress level, I suggest seeking help, because the way other people look should not affect the way you function or operate on a daily basis.

To promote fashion and style is one thing, but to tell students on campus how to dress and then scrutinize those that do not fit into Kailey’s own constricted view

of fad-friendly trends and name brands is an embarrassment to this school. Fashion is a privilege, a luxury that not all can afford or attribute vast quantities of time to. We are supposed to be a school that promotes diversity, philanthropy, and leadership. We go to this University to get educations and empower ourselves so that we can go out into the world and change it for the better. Clothes can be beautiful, but to encourage a message that devalues students because of what they are wearing (or not wearing) while also failing to recognize or praise the educational achievements and accomplishments that our scholars work so hard to attain, is a socially ignorant, superficial, and misguided attitude to have.

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 email to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.

Lesli DuBose LSOE ’11

Business and Operations

Editorial Kaleigh Polimeno, Copy Editor Michael Caprio, News Editor Zach Wielgus, Sports Editor Jacquelyn Herder, Features Editor Kristen House, Arts & Review Editor Daniel Martinez, Marketplace Editor Hilary Chassé, Opinions Editor Ana Lopez, Special Projects Editor Alex Trautwig, Photo Editor Margaret Tseng, Layout Editor

Michael Saldarriaga, Graphics Editor Christina Quinn, Online Manager Laura Campedelli, Multimedia Coodinator Brooke Schneider, Assoc. Copy Editor DJ Adams, Asst. Copy Editor Patrick Gallagher, Assoc. News Editor Taylour Kumpf, Asst. News Editor Maegan O’Rourke, Assoc. Sports Editor Paul Sulzer, Asst. Sports Editor Kristopher Robinson, Asst. Features Editor

Contributors: Kevin DiCesare, Molly Pekula, Brennan Carley, Krysia Wazny, Dan Siering, Greg Joyce, Karn Khunger, Michela Gachioch, David Cote

Zachary Jason, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor Allison Therrien, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Matt Palazzolo, Asst. Marketplace Editor Kevin Hou, Asst. Photo Editor Lindsay Grossman, Asst. Layout Editor Rachel Gregorio, Asst. Graphics Carrie McMahon, Editorial Assistant Zachary Halpern, Executive Assistant

Joelle Formato, Business Manager David Givler, Advertising Manager Brynne Lee, Outreach Coordinator Brendan Quinn, Systems Manager Madeline Demoulas, Local Sales Manager Daniel Ottaunick, Collections Manager James Gu, Asst. Ads Manager Dara Fang, Business Assistant

The Heights

Thursday, October 21, 2010

A7

Opinions

Let’s talk about prison

Thumbs Up O’Neill – The library has obviously been stepping up it’s game lately: open until 3 a.m., on Facebook, allowing self check-out of books (because the old process was such a lengthy hassle). As much as TU/TD appreciates these updates to the system, we’re afraid that it’s slowly morphing into a 7-Eleven. We’re just hoping they don’t install a burrito bar.

HOTC – The annual Head of the Charles Regatta is happening this weekend, and the BC club crew teams will be taking to the water both Saturday and Sunday. Head over to Cambridge to support the Eagles, if you can pick them out of the bevy of maroon colored teams competing, that is. Gotta love that dirty water.

Grounds Crew – TU/TD was puzzled this week when, scanning the landscape of campus, we were sure we had seen leaves falling, but there was no evidence of them on any walkways or lawns. BC Facilities have outdone themselves with keeping the ground completely bare, we just hope they don’t wear themselves out before the snow begins to fly.

Cleared – Speaking of newly navigable pathways, TU/TD is happy that the path to the Plex is once again accessible now that the wild overgrowth has been tamed. Hydrangeas are a many-headed beast, hopefully they won’t grow more heads from the ones that have been freshly hacked off.

Thumbs Down Campanella – TU/TD has been on this campus for a while, but this building is still as confusing as our first week on campus. Something about the rows and rows of identical cubicles is reminiscent of lab rats in a maze, except there is no cheesy reward at the end of the hunt, just a T.A. with a midterm grade.

Mixed messages – Looking at the student body this week, an observer might be extremely confused about the day’s temperature. Uggs and flip-flops should never coexist simultaneously. It’s time to bid farewell to your Rainbows and start hiding your now numb and blue toes, for all our sakes.

Immobile – When enjoying a seat in some of the many dining halls, it’s completely acceptable to linger over your meal, do a little work, chat, etc.

It is not acceptable, however, to stare into space alone at your table for four, while the line for seats stretches out the door. We’re living in a society here, Hillsiders!

Commute – When TU/TD arrives bright and early, coffee in hand, for the bus, we don’t appreciate ending up at class late because it takes 35 minutes to get from Cleveland Circle to Lower. We never claimed to be math geniuses, but somehow it seems that a half an hour to go 1.6 miles is slower than the average threetoed sloth’s pace.

France – Ah, mon pays, pourquoi? Continuing their proud legacy of providing their own punch line, the people of France have been striking this week in protest of the proposal to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62. Because it’s already seen as such an industrious nation, how dare they try to suggest working to save themselves from bankruptcy?

Tim O’Connor I went to jail once. It was for a Boy Scout field trip, and I thought it was awesome. The guard showed us his gun, and we got to get locked in a cell, and go to the bathroom in the cell toilets, and see where the guards eat lunch. My understanding of prison has evolved over the last 15 years or so, and I no longer think it’s quite as cool. In fact, I have an overly-paranoid, irrational fear in the back of my mind that someday, I’ll end up there. Not for any fault of my own, mind you, just a case of mistaken identity on some witness’ part, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

You are innocent, and you’re found guilty. Wonder what awaits you on the other side? Let’s find out.

Unfortunately, you were arrested in Maricopa County, Ariz. – under the jurisdiction of “America’s Toughest Sherriff,” Joe Arpaio. Before you even appear before a jury of your peers, you’ll get to have a nice stay in Maricopa County Jail. If you are lucky, you’ll get housed in the main facility, where you’ll have mandatory access to the prison’s radio station, KJOE, for four hours a day, featuring classical music, opera, Frank Sinatra hits, patriotic music, and educational programming. Unfortunately, the jail, like most in our country, is overcrowded, and you may have to stay in “Tent City,” located next to the main facility. You’ll enjoy sunny, 110 degree weather in the summer, and if you really want to experience that wondrous Arizona desert, volunteer for the chain gang! All guests receive two free pairs of Arpaio’s infamous pink boxer briefs.

Of course, there are downsides to the glamorous prison life. Pregnant guests are cautioned to avoid this attraction, as they may be forced to give birth while shackled to a bed, as was the case for Alma Minerva Chacon, a suspected illegal immigrant. At least the guards did the sensible thing after the birth, and refused to allow her to hold her newborn child. Best get the kids away from those dangerous criminals, I suppose, which

is why Chacon was warned that unless a caretaker claimed the child within 72 hours, the infant would be turned over to state custody.

Maricopa County may not be handicapped-friendly, as Richeard Post found out in 1996. The paraplegic man was charged with possession of marijuana and trespassing. During his time at Maricopa County, he requested a catheter that was necessary for him to urinate. In response, the guards put Post in a restraint chair for his “unruly behavior.” He spent four hours in this chair, begging the guards to free him because the restraints forced his legs into a position that exacerbated his condition.

So the guards did the sensible thing: They tightened the restraints as much as they could. They broke his neck, requiring Post to undergo spinal surgery and leaving him with very limited arm functionality.

Don’t get me wrong. Maricopa is certainly an extreme case, but these inhumane, destitute conditions are becoming more common as for-profit prisons engage in a race to the bottom.

In Morgan County, Ala., Sherriff Greg Bartlett took advantage of a prison code that allowed him to pocket any money left over from the prison’s food budget.

Even though the state allotted only $1.75 per prisoner per meal, Bartlett took home $212,000 between 2006 and 2009, leaving his inmates in a constant state of hunger. Georgia facilities recently instituted a policy of two meals per day, from Friday to Sunday, in an effort to cut costs.

In 2008, 37 percent of male African-

American high school dropouts were incarcerated, and if the trend holds, 68 percent will spend time behind bars during their lifetimes. In addition, those who do spend time in prison are very likely to return. As of 2005, the average rate of recidivism in the United States is 60 percent. Those who do come out of prison make, on average, 40 percent less annually than someone with a clean record, and some states permanently disenfranchise ex-convicts. A stay in the U.S. prison system is a veritable blackmark, an unforgivable transgression for which the offender is permanently marginalized.

I won’t go so far as to say our system should be entirely rehabilitative – there is a retributive aspect to justice, and if you commit a crime you should certainly pay your debt to society. What we have created, however, is a corrupt and flawed system of private prisons that do not rehabilitate, but instead demoralize, demean, and destroy. Haunted by memories of violence, gangs, rape, and abuse from guards, many men and women simply cannot adapt to a life outside and end up repeating the mistakes that landed them behind bars in the first place. We need to ask ourselves what our prison systems are supposed to be doing, and enact appropriate reforms that will allow prisoners to receive the services they need to rehabilitate and reintegrate into society.

Tim O’Connor is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

Rachel Gregorio / Heights Illustration

Forget the punch line Hayley Trahan-Liptak Are you ready to restore sanity to our society? Nightly, Jon Stewart of The Daily Show has been persuading his viewers to march down to Washington, D.C., on Oct. 30 and advocate for the opinions of the average, non-radicals among us. It’s a rally, Stewart declares, about rationality, and an attempt to, for just one day, overpower “the loud folks” who capture our attention by crazily shouting at TV cameras, overpowering the everyday people who are caught up in their personal lives.

To illustrate his idea, Stewart has shown examples of signs that range from “I disagree with you, but I’m pretty sure you’re not Hitler” to “I’m not afraid of Muslims / Tea Partiers / Socialists / Immigrants / Gun Owners / Gays … but I am scared of Spiders.”

Each sign speaks to the fear mongering many see behind political processes today, and calls for the everyday nonactivists among us to just once show themselves in one large rally, to “take it down a notch for America.” Yet, as our society clambers for the next joke and the most lighthearted stories receive the most coverage, the rally faces a trap that could turn its mission upside down. Too easily, the humor of its organizers could carry the rally into a solely comedic routine, a funny event with no ultimate meaning.

The trap has been created by our own demands. Everyone likes a good joke. The priest with the funniest stories attracts the most congregants, the professor with the best punch lines also has the best PEPs, even the politician with humorous quips gets our attention fastest (if necessary, refer to Senator Al Franken for clarification).

Comedy can catch our attention and give us a break from boring lectures, but when all the words are in the form of punch lines, the lecture can come off as just one big joke.

Remember Steven Colbert, that guy with the funny head tilt and quizzical look who always follows The Daily Show?

His sarcastic, yet strangely patronizing musings on his nightly show are continually misconstrued by conservatives and liberals alike, who never seem quite able to pin down what he believes politically. But at least we all get a laugh out of it. Colbert’s show gives the viewer a bit of modern education shrouded in layers and layers of comedic relief, a rare but successful combination on The Colbert Report. When that bundle is moved to a more serious environment, such as a Congressional hearing, any chance at a successful message is lost under the layers of sarcasm. Sure, Colbert’s testimony last month in front of the committee hearing on “Protecting America’s Harvest” drew attention to the issue of immigration, but the video cameras were trained solely on Colbert, and the audio picked up his satirical comments rather than the message he intended to convey. The event was hard to miss, as 24-hour news networks streamed live video and the media talked it out night after night, but even

Party Time

BY BEN VADNAL

after watching a clip of the testimony, I still had to search the Web for the point behind Colbert’ssarcasm.

Incidences like Colbert’s comedic testimony have the potential to draw us to important causes and even closely examine society’s multi-faceted message.

Shows like SNL satirize everyone from politicians to singers, letting us analyze our actions in a new light. Outside of the media, jokes or off-color remarks may allow a professor to gain a class’ attention when discussing an important subject. Today, however, the laughter is beginning to drown out the facts, as the jokes are increasingly drawing us away from the point rather than toward it.

Our love of humor has sparked a growing dependence on comedy. Whether or not a newspaper article, lecture, or event is funny becomes a determining factor of how we pay attention.

Given our comedic needs, the rally to restore sanity has real potential. It will likely be televised on most news channels, surely the humor and intonation of the signs will spark more punch lines, and ultimately the event will be remembered, at least for a few months. But how it will be remembered is up to the organizers and the people who attend.

Will comedy hold sway over the rally, or will its overtures attract followers who will readily see beyond the humor to the real point at issue? If he really wishes to restore sanity, Stewart will need to draw the crowd in with laughter, but be ready to leave his own insanity behind to allow for the true punch line to be heard.

Hayley Trahan-Liptak is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

Rational fandom

Janine Hanrahan “You’re a Yankees fan?!”

I cannot even count the number of times I have been asked this question.

It is not really a question as much as an exclamation of shock and horror.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, causes more confusion for Red Sox fans than meeting a Yankees fan from Massachusetts. When members of “Red Sox Nation” meet one of these rare individuals, their reaction strongly mirrors the Five Stages of Grief: denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance (except they never reach stage five).

In the first stage of the cycle, those grieving deny that a loss has taken place.

Similarly, Red Sox fans react in the same way, exclaiming, “There’s no way you can be a Yankees fan!” They just do not understand how a member of their “nation” could defect in such a way.

Then comes anger. The Red Sox fan is furious at the Yankees fan for offending his sense of what is right, and then becomes angry with himself for being unable to prevent the tragedy.

In the bargaining stage, the Red Sox fan tries to understand the Yankees fan’s allegiance. He asks questions like, “Are your parents Yankees fans?” “Did you ever live in New York?” When the answer to both of these questions is no, the fan then enters depression. The Red Sox fan is numb, unable to cope with this seeming offense to logic. But the Sox fan never comes to accept the Yankees fan.

Instead, he screams “Yankees Suck!” at almost every sporting event he attends.

In fact, “Yankees Suck!” is the Red Sox fan’s favorite phrase. It is a bumper sticker on his car, a t-shirt on his back, and a way of life. To scream “Yankees Suck!” is his greatest delight – it is an expression of his essence.

The problem, however, is that the Yankees do not suck. With 27 World Series titles, the Yankees are the winningest team in baseball history, and the most successful franchise in sports. In acknowledging this reality, one sees that Red Sox fans are living in a constant state of denial. Living in delusion causes an internal division within the Red Sox fan, and as Abraham Lincoln so eloquently stated, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” The roof tends to cave in on Sox fans during the month of October, when the Yankees are in the playoffs and the Red Sox are golfing.

At this point, Sox fans inevitably say that the Yankees should be the best team in baseball because their payroll is so high. This is a fair point, but following that logic, one has to assume that the Red Sox would be the second best team since they have the second highest payroll. Unfortunately for Red Sox Nation, money cannot even buy them the runner-up position.

Another facet of Red Sox Nation’s constitution is to question the sexuality of Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.

Aside from the fact that these men have dated some of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, it says a lot about the character of Red Sox fans that this is their response to athletic greatness.

But enough about Red Sox fans.

Let’s get to the question we all want answered: How does one become a Yankees fan in Massachusetts? My journey toward enlightenment was very simple. I grew up in a Red Sox neutral home, where my mother is a fair weather Sox fan (like many members of Red Sox Nation), and my father is not a baseball fan at all, and often makes statements like, “Baseball players aren’t athletes.”

In this environment, I used the process of deliberation and decided to support a team on its merits, rather than geography. The Yankees were the logical choice for a number of reasons, including their winning ways, the professionalism of the organization, and the fact that they never call themselves “idiots” or allow their players to look like biblical figures.

With the exception of 2004, it has been great to be a Yankees fan.

But what is the point of all of this?

Is it to say that all Red Sox fans are “philistines” and “obnoxious” (as one Urban Dictionary entry described them) and that Yankees fans are at the pinnacle of excellence? Of course not – there are bad apples in every bushel. It is merely to say that to be a Yankees fan from Massachusetts is not only possible, it is wonderful. Red Sox Nation is a constant source of amusement up until October, when the Yankees do the rest.

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

A8

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Heights

Boston college Vs. Maryland football notebook

Offensive line retooled for Terps contest

By Jake Burg Heights Staff

Dave givler / heights editor

Luke Kuechly and Donnie Fletcher break up a pass attempt in last weekend’s loss at FSU. BC will try to contain the Terps’ potent running game this weekend.

Noel shines in debut as starter Maryland Preview, from A10

who never complains, never abandons guys, just been waiting for his opportunity.”

Even Davis, though, did not expect Noel to turn in the performance that he did on Saturday.

“So did I expect 10 tackles and two picks from him?” Davis asked himself. “No, but I expected a solid game out of him.”

What sparked the spectacular debut, including an interception that he returned for a critical touchdown to cut the Eagles’ deficit to one point, 19-17? The answer is one that could only come from a player that describes himself as “soft-spoken.”

“Staying focused,” Noel said. “Coaches always say you have to stay focused every

play, no matter how bad you are hurting or how tired you are, because the next play can determine the game, and it showed Saturday.”

Heading in to this week’s match-up, Noel is once again listed as the starting safety, with his performance in Tallahassee proving to be more than enough to earn him another start.

With the Eagles taking on the Maryland Terrapins, Noel will have added motivation.

Not only was Noel once deciding between attending Maryland, Penn State, or BC, but his brother, Rodman, will be enrolling at Maryland in January as a member of the Terrapins football team, also as a safety.

“He called me last night,” Noel said. “He told me that I better watch out because the Maryland boys don’t play, so I told him it

was going to be a good game, so we’ll see what happens.”

With the Eagles in the midst of their longest losing streak since 1998, Noel, who also identified himself as “hardworking and motivated,” understands that he cannot rest on his outstanding performance against the Seminoles. “[After watching the game tape], I just felt like I needed to improve on my game overall,” Noel said. “Every player needs improvement in the game. There is no player perfect in this world, so there is always room for improvement.”

If he is able to improve upon a stellar starting debut, Noel will be able to call his brother back after the game on Saturday, delivering a little trash talk of his own. n

The Boston College football team (2-4, 0-3 ACC), coming off four straight losses, will begin the second half of its season in search of some consistency.

The quest begins on Saturday against the Maryland Terrapins, and the microscope will specifically be on the offensive line, which has gone through multiple incarnations over the first six games of the year.

Against the Terrapins, the Eagles will present yet another slightly different variation in their front line. Nate Richman will move from center to left guard, Mark Spinney will slide from right guard to center, and Thomas Claiborne will retake his starting right guard spot.

The offensive line will look to take advantage of a Maryland defense that has allowed over 90 yards rushing in four of their six games, including a tremendous 412-yard effort by Navy in the Terrapins’ season-opener. The defensive unit as a whole has also let up over 400 yards of total offense in four of their six games.

Meanwhile, the Eagles started to hit their stride in the running game last week against Florida State. Montel Harris rushed for a season high 191 yards on 26 carries, thanks to a solid run-blocking performance by his offensive line.

“Any time we run the ball, we think that we can break one,” Spinney said. “We think that we have the ability to have those big runs.”

Terrapins’ Ground-and-Pound Approach Maryland will also rely heavily on its running game. The Terrapins have amassed 809 total yards, which is good enough for an average of 134.8 yards per game, and 4.2 yards per carry.

The Terrapins have run 39 more plays on the ground than through the air. That is the third largest disparity in favor of the run, behind Virginia Tech and

Offense must begin finishing Finishing Drives, from A10 The Eagles’ two second-half drives that ended in field goals similarly fizzled out. BC failed to get much positive yardage on first or second down, forcing Rettig to become a playmaker. It’s just not realistic to expect a freshman quarterback to convert in long-yardage situations, especially against an athletic, dynamic defense like FSU’s.

He’s not ready for that role yet. Admirably, he didn’t turn the ball over once. But he didn’t make enough plays for BC to score a single touchdown, either.

Offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill has been a pinata for BC fans and critics this season, but it’s tough to blame him alone for the team’s red zone woes. He could have called more short-tointermediate routes to wideout Bobby Swigert, who again remained underutilized despite his obvious playmaking ability. Swigert was targeted five times on 24 passes, catching two. One of those receptions, though, was the most electric passing play of the day – a 29-yard gain when Rettig escaped FSU’s ferocious pass rush.

Play-calling issues aside, Tranquill can’t make the receivers catch the passes when he does call their number. Phifer dropped the ball on the first drive, as already mentioned. Chris Pantale also had a bad drop, on second down, that could have given the Eagles a much more manageable third down during the third quarter red-zone drive.

Also, the receivers didn’t run very crisp routes.

They didn’t force the Seminoles defensive backs to commit by cutting sharply when changing direction. Many of Rettig’s incompletions could have been caught if the receivers had created more separation.

The good news, if you’re an Eagles fan, is that these issues are all minor. They can all be corrected easily in practice this week. Tranquill can mix up the red-zone calls, Rettig can throw the ball with a little less heat, and the receivers can run crisper routes. The defense they’re going up against this weekend, though, is just as talented as the one they faced last weekend. Maryland has the No. 4 red-zone defense in the country.

The Eagles have to make the most of their chances.

Paul Sulzer is the Assistant Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

LM Otero / AP Photo

Even though Oklahoma isn’t No. 1 in the country, the BCS will give the Sooners a chance for the national championship.

Everyone wins if a playoff system is finally installed Nick Loury Year after year, college football fans clamor for the national champion to be decided by players on the field instead of esoteric formulas on a hard drive. It is not just the fans who want a revamped college postseason – President Obama is on board, as is a growing number of coaches and players.

An ESPN poll of 135 Division I football players revealed that 62.2 percent of them were in favor of a playoff, with only a minor disparity between players from BCS and non-BCS conferences.

Legendary coach Joe Paterno is also among those in favor of a playoff, having abstained from voting in the coaches’ poll since 2004 when he was forced to vote for BCS title-game winner USC instead of undefeated Auburn, who was not given an opportunity to play in the championship game.

That Auburn team featured future first-round picks Cadillac Williams, Ronnie Brown, Jason Campbell, and Carlos Rogers, as well as future Pro-Bowlers Marcus McNeill and Jay Ratliff.

On their way to a 13-0 record, the Tigers beat five top-15 teams, but were ranked third in the final BCS standings, forcing them to watch that

season’s other two unbeaten teams, USC and Oklahoma, play for the National Championship.

This clearly demonstrates one of the BCS’s most glaring flaws: It only allows two teams to compete for the title.

Keeping this in mind, it is interesting, if not ironic, that the BCS would choose to release the first edition of its 2010 rankings right in the middle of the MLB playoffs. If baseball used a similar ranking system, the Phillies would be playing the Rays for the World Series. Instead, the Rays were eliminated in the ALDS, and the Phillies are locked in a close series with the Giants. It does not take a genius to tell which of those two scenarios is more exciting.

BCS supporters generally argue that the current system creates a very exciting regular season, because each game has tremendous value. History has shown this to be misleading.

In 2001, Colorado dominated top-ranked Nebraska, 62-36, in the last regular season game before going on to win the Big XII championship game against No. 3 Texas the following week.

Nonetheless, the Buffaloes were ranked .003 behind No. 2 Nebraska in the final BCS standings, and were denied a chance to play for the national

Florida State, of teams that the Eagles defense has faced this season. So, the Terrapins’ favoring their running attack is not news to BC. “Maryland is a physical team on offense,” said free safety and team captain Wes Davis. “They like to run the ball. They have two good running backs who, watching them so far, are physical running backs.”

Those two running backs are Davin Meggett and Da’Rel Scott, who together have accounted for 631 of Maryland’s 809 total rushing yards. Meggett is averaging an impressive 6.0 yards per carry while Scott carries with him an average of 5.0 yards per rush.

In order to stop the Terrapins’ tandem, the Eagles will need their formidable rush defense to show up. Despite allowing 141 yards on the ground to Florida State, BC enters Saturday’s game with the 10thranked rush defense in the nation, and the top-ranked unit in the conference.

Freshman Quarterback Showdown Chase Rettig will not be the only starting freshman quarterback on the field in Alumni Stadium. Maryland will start freshman Danny O’Brien, who, after three starts this season, holds a 126.9 passer rating, which is fifth in the ACC, and fifth in the nation among freshman quarterbacks. O’Brien is also coming off a game against Clemson in which he set a number of career highs, including completions (24) and yards (302).

Rettig, on the other hand, enters the third start of his career with only 14 completions for 167 yards and a 41.2 completion percentage to his name. Despite the lackluster statistics, Rettig feels himself improving with each game.

“I learned a lot from the tape [of the game against Florida State],” Rettig said. “I’m just trying to make those corrections this week and use them towards Maryland.” n

title.

If the regular season were so important, a team should not be able to lose its division and the head-to-head matchup but still be ranked ahead of the conference champion.

One only needs to look at the NCAA’s other cash cow, basketball, to see how volatile numerical rankings can be. There is a reason the NCAA tournament is nicknamed March Madness – truly anything can happen to any team. Just last year, afterthought Northern Iowa upset the top overall seed, and tiny Butler came within a half-court 3pointer of beating perennial powerhouse Duke.

In fact, since the tournament expanded to its current format in 1985, only once have all four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. Similarly, 2009 was the first and only time all of the one, two, and three seeds reached the Sweet 16.

The March Madness tournament contradicts the football decision-makers’ claims that a football playoff would become an academic issue for the players. It is hard to believe that a set of games played mostly during winter break would be more of a problem than two-and-a-half weeks of games in the middle of the semester.

Under the current system, conference championship games are played during the first week of December, and the BCS Championship game is scheduled for the first week of January. The NCAA could give teams time off for finals and still have about a month before classes resume.

The last remaining issue is that of money. Each conference that puts a school in any BCS game gets a multi-million-dollar payout that is shared by each school. Also, each individual bowl game acts as its own company, generating revenues through ticket sales and sponsorships.

A simple solution would be to keep the conference payout structure intact for those schools that make the playoffs, and use the existing bowls as playoff sites. For example, in an eight-team playoff, the Rose, Orange, Fiesta, and Sugar Bowls would each have a first-round game, and then rotate who gets the subsequent match-ups, much like the current National Championship game alternates between the four BCS bowls.

This way, the non-championship games would capture the national attention, instead of being relegated to second-tier games as they are now.

Those teams that do not qualify for the playoffs could still play the lesser bowls, meaning that there would only be a difference for the eight best teams.

Ideally, the powers in college football will realize that they are hurting the product by refusing to implement a playoff. Football is inherently exciting because, on any given Saturday, any team can win or lose.

The BCS moves the suspense from game day to Monday, when results are released. It’s time to return the drama to packed stadiums.

Nick Loury is a guest columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

THE HEIGHTS

EDITORS’ PICKS

Thursday, October 21, 2010 The Week Ahead

Standings

Women’s soccer travels to Duke, while the men’s team hosts Virginia Friday night. Hockey heads to South Bend for the frozen Holy War. Football looks to stop the losing skid against Maryland. We can’t wait to see the Ice Jam slam dunk contest.

A9

Recap from Last Week

Maegan O’Rourke

15-15

Heights Staff

15-15

Zach Wielgus

14-16

Paul Sulzer

12-18

Football stayed with Florida State but couldn’t upset the ’Noles. Hockey swept No. 6 Denver. Women’s soccer gets back on track with a win over Clemson, while the men’s team tied UNC. Auburn rolled over Arkansas in the game of the week.

Guest Editor: DJ Adams Assistant Copy Editor “I whip my hair back and forth.”

BCnotes Men’s Hockey On Monday, Jimmy Hayes was named the Hockey East Player of the Week for his play in BC’s non-league weekend series at Denver. The junior forward netted two goals, one in each game.

On Friday night, Hayes scored his first goal of the year in the second period, marking the 50th point in his college career and helping the Eagles to a 6-2 victory. In BC’s 3-0 win on Saturday night, the Dorchester native scored the first goal of the game, just 1:28 into the first period.

It was an unassisted goal for the six-foot five Hayes, who was named the game’s second star. The game-winner was Hayes’ 23rd collegiate goal in 81 games.

Men’s Cross Country Zach Wielgus Sports Editor

This Week’s Games

Maegan O’Rourke Assoc. Sports Editor

Paul Sulzer Asst. Sports Editor

DJ Adams Asst. Copy Editor

Women’s Soccer: Boston College at Duke

BC

BC

BC

BC

Men’s Soccer: Boston College vs. Virginia

Tie

Virginia

Virginia

Virginia

Men’s Hockey: Boston College at Notre Dame

BC

BC

BC

BC

Football: Boston College vs. Maryland

BC

BC

BC

BC

Ice Jam: Slam Dunk contest champion

Corey Raji

Cortney Dunn

Reggie Jackson

Corey Raji

The Boston College men’s cross country team placed eighth out of 13 teams at the Princeton Invitational on Saturday. Each member of the BC lineup ran at or below their personal records, and the team as a whole finished a spot better than they did at the event last year.

Over the eight-kilometer course, sophomore Luis Serafini led the way for the Eagles, running a 25:08’4. This PR placed Serafini 25th in a field of 143 runners. Serafini’s classmate Jordan Hamm completed the 8k in 25:24.3, placing him 40th in the field. Hamm has now finished second for BC in each of the last two meets.

Holy War hits the ice as BC aims for 4-0 start

BY ANDREW KLOKIW For The Heights

Last season, the Boston College men’s hockey team skated away with trophies from the Beanpot, the Hockey East championship, and most notably, a national championship.

But it was the little known fourth trophy that actually jump-started this historical run of silverware, back in October of 2009 in South Bend. For beating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a score of 3-2, behind a Joe Whitney goal halfway through the third period, the Eagles earned the Lefty Smith-John “Snooks” Kelley Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the victor in the BC–Notre Dame hockey match-up.

“It’s a nice trophy for us,” said head coach Jerry York. “It’s one more thing to play for, and now we’ve got an annual non-conference opponent in Notre Dame. I think it’s a great little addition to the rivalry.”

Following a tough 2009-2010 campaign, which saw Notre Dame go from being ranked in the top 10 teams in the country to missing the postseason NCAA tournament, this year’s No. 19 Irish team (3-1-0 overall, 2-0-0 CCHA) is coming off back-to-back victories over conference foe Lake Superior State at home.

This ND team has a much younger look than last year’s squad, listing only 10 upperclassmen on its roster. That youth has not hampered the team much this season, though, as it defeated Holy Cross, 6-3, and was barely beaten in the final minute of the Ice Breaker tournament championship game by No. 8 Boston University, 5-4.

ANDREW FIELDING / DU CLARION

Paul Carey registered his first point of the young season when he assisted on Tommy Cross’ goal, which put BC up 2-0 on Saturday night.

“This year they seem to be revitalized. Even though they lost some of their better players, they return some of their top forwards from last year,” York said.

“They have a great group of incoming freshmen, so it should be a pretty good contest.”

The Irish’s high-octane offense has netted an impressive 19 goals in four games, in part due to freshman Anders

Lee’s hat trick in his first collegiate game against Holy Cross.

Returning senior Calle Ridderwall, the only member of last year’s Irish squad to notch double-digit goals with 19, has found his rhythm recently, scoring a goal in each of the victories against Lake Superior State.

The way the Eagles have played lately, though, they should be ready for

the Fighting Irish attack. BC tallied nine goals against No. 6 Denver over the weekend, and leads the Hockey East with only two goals allowed.

Before the series, York noted specifically that his team needed to tighten up defensively if it hoped to be successful in Denver, and the blue line responded in a big way.

After allowing 35 shots on goalten-

der John Muse in the season-opener at Northeastern, the back line stifled the Denver offense, holding them to 27 and 20 shots on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

The result has been a mere two goals allowed in three games, and this is in no small part due to the play of both Muse and backup goaltender Parker Milner, who earned his first collegiate shutout on Sunday.

York had high praise for the pair.

“The play of the goaltenders has been outstanding,” he said. “It’s a great asset for us. A lot of people think it’s a problem when you have two good goaltenders, but we view it as an asset, and we think that this position is going to be one of strength all year.”

When asked who would start Saturday night against the Irish, York was characteristically coy.

“I can tell you that they are both in contention.”

Though the Eagles showed progress in many areas in Denver, York was not completely satisfied by his team’s trip out West, as he cited the large amount of time the Eagles spent on the penalty kill, as well as a lack of execution on the power play, as key facets of the team’s game it needs to work on. They will also play a key role in this weekend’s match-up.

“Those are probably the two main areas [needing improvement], cutting down on infractions and also just getting more dangerous on the power play,” York said. “If we can achieve these two goals, we will be successful this weekend.”

And that means adding to their trophy collection very early in the season. 

Battered soccer team grabs win Soccer Rallies, from A10

goal of the season with a well-placed free kick from 20 yards out, keeping his shot on the ground and banking it off of the left post, to give BC a 2-1 lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

BC’s forward tandem of Karl Reddick and Charlie Rugg were also integral parts of the offense, drawing attention from multiple defenders and wearing down Harvard’s back four with run after run.

“We showed a lot of character today,” Kelly said. “We looked flat there for a few minutes, then we started putting in the work. Karl was trying real hard the entire game, and Charlie worked hard up front.”

After the offense did its part in getting the Eagles the lead, an inexperienced but tough defense held off an increasingly desperate Harvard attack.

Defenders Dave Dale and Myles Gerraty played in just their fourth and sixth games, respectively, but played very ef-

fectively in the back.

Afterwards, Kelly praised Gerraty’s recent contributions.

“Myles did some good work for us today,” Kelly said. “He’s been here four years, and he’s basically been a walk-on.

It was excellent for him to get out here.

We’ve needed him the past three or four games.”

In all, the defense allowed just six shots on goal, although goalkeeper Justin Luthy was forced to make a few acrobatic saves in order to pick up his seventh win of the season.

The victory was the team’s first road win since the second game of the season, and with its final two regular-season matches coming on the road, winning away from home is a trend the team needs to follow.

“Everyone’s trying to stay positive,” Bekker said. “Everyone’s trying to get healthy heading into the ACC and NCAA tournaments. We’re trying to put ourselves in the best position possible.” 

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Senior captain and libero Kristen Baader was a star soccer player in high school, and nearly chose to give up volleyball as a sophomore.

Baader sets example on court Baader, from A10

What makes Baader a good captain might be as simple as the example she sets. She practices what she preaches.

Perhaps most importantly for a team that has lost nine straight matches, Baader shows up every day ready to play, a mindset head coach Chris Campbell has been trying to get his whole team to embody.

“Most players want to work at the stuff they’re already good at, and mask and gloss over their weaknesses,” Campbell said. “They’re weak because they don’t like to work on it. Baader has no fear about addressing her weaknesses.

[Addressing the weakness] was uncomfortable, but change is never comfortable.”

Campbell noticed that Baader rarely missed a serve, but was not challenging the opponent to return it, either. After he discussed it with her, Baader focused on that one area, and now leads the team in aces.

Serving is the only way that Baader can score points. As a libero, she plays defensively, and is responsible for first touch on most balls over the net.

Baader has to cover most of the court and make up the extra ground for any teammate who may be out of position, no matter how far away the ball is.

With all that work devoted to playing defense, Baader relishes the opportunity to actually add to her team’s points.

“Getting aced never feels good,” Baader said about the downside of the position. ”But there’s no need to talk about that. Our coaches call serving targets to set the team up for success. But of course, when someone aces you, you always kind of want to go after them.”

While she is finding ways to improve every week, Baader has just 34 days left in her volleyball career.

It’s not much time, but it’s 34 more days on a team for which she never would have expected playing back in high school. 

SPORTS THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, October 21, 2010

A10

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2010

Short-handed soccer team gets back on track

BY TIM JABLONSKI For The Heights

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Playing their fourth game in 12 days, with s e v e ra l k e y Boston College 2 players sitting 1 Harvard with injuries, the No. 20 Boston College men’s soccer team could easily have suffered a setback on account of exhaustion. But at this point in the season, as the days get shorter and wins are at a premium, missing out on a W isn’t really an option for Ed Kelly’s squad.

“It was a pressure game in that we needed to win it,” Kelly said. “We had to stop with all of these ties.”

The Eagles had tied two of their last three matches, taking away one point instead of three in the pair of ACC match-ups. Kyle Bekker and Amit Aburmad made sure that trend was over.

After Harvard took a second-half lead, Bekker and Aburmad each scored less than five minutes apart, and BC held on for a 2-1 victory.

It appeared as though the Eagles wouldn’t even come away with a tie.

Close, but not close enough

After a scrappy and scoreless first half, Harvard forward Connor McCarthy put the Crimson ahead off a cross at the 51-minute mark.

The Crimson immediately went into the soccer version of a prevent defense, dropping four defenders back deep and keeping at least three midfielders on defensive duty at all times.

But the move also provided the Eagles with more room in the midfield. The newfound space, combined with a hint of urgency, allowed BC to get several quick attempts on goal.

“Once they scored, we knew that we

couldn’t lose this game,” Bekker said.

“We had to get after it,” Eleven minutes after relinquishing the lead, the Eagles broke through.

A nifty give-and-go with defender Patrick Chin allowed Aburmad to find Bekker in the box with a sharp cross, which the midfielder calmly one-timed into the right corner of the net.

A few possessions later, in the 67th minute, Aburmad found himself with a scoring chance, and made the most of it. The midfielder notched his second

See Soccer Rallies, A9

A DEFENSIVE FRAME OF MIND

PAUL SULZER After not moving the ball at all offensively for three games, Boston College finally found a rhythm against Florida State last weekend. They drove deep into FSU territory four times, but they had to settle for a field goal in each instance, leaving 16 points on the board. If the Eagles are going to snap their four-game losing streak Saturday against Maryland, they must start finishing drives.

In the red zone, the Eagles lacked focus. After Montel Harris reeled off a 72-yard run to the 13-yard line on the first drive, they cost themselves points with careless play. On first down, Chase Rettig mishandled the snap, losing four yards. Sterlin Phifer dropped a pass when he was wide open on third down. A completion would have been a huge confidence boost for BC’s freshman quarterback.

The Eagles came away with a field goal and an early lead, but a touchdown would have changed the whole complexion of the game.

BC wasted a similar opportunity on the next drive after Harris ran 65 yards on three carries, including a 48yard draw to the FSU 20. Rettig called a timeout to talk things over with the coaching staff, killing the team’s momentum. Getting on the same page so close to the end zone was important, but this was a critical chance to catch FSU off guard. Why waste it? The Seminoles were ready for the stop-and-go route the Eagles called to Shakim Phillips. Rettig threw into double coverage anyway, and was lucky to have the ball swatted harmlessly away. FSU snuffed out the zone read to Harris on the next play, so BC was once again forced into a thirdand-long deep in Seminole territory.

They failed to convert, settling for another field goal. The Florida State defense then adjusted, keeping BC out of the red zone for the rest of the half.

Even though the Eagles outgained the Seminoles by 52 yards in the first half, the ’Noles took a 14-6 lead into the locker room because their offense was more clutch at the end of drives.

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

“Most players want to work at the stuff they’re already good at, and mask and gloss over their weaknesses. Baader has no fear about addressing her weaknesses.”

Baader’s choice to return to volleyball the right one

BY DIANA C. NEARHOS Heights Senior Staff

Libero Kristen Baader didn’t always play volleyball. In fact, she almost decided not to play volleyball at all.

Up until middle school, Baader could only be found on the soccer pitch. Though she picked up volleyball as a teenager, soccer remained her primary sport, and she quit volleyball her sophomore year of high school to join a renowned club team, in hopes of playing college soccer.

All of a sudden, she realized soccer was not quite right, and returned to volleyball, joining a high-caliber club team.

Baader won a national championship while playing for Sky High Volleyball, which secured her attention – and earned her collegiate recognition.

“I liked the atmosphere of volleyball more – there’s a point every ball,” Baader said. “It’s more scoring and seems more positive. I noticed how much I missed it and how it was such a big part of my life and fit in so well [with my personality].”

The excitement and energy of volleyball appealed to Baader, as did the camaraderie on the court. Every player needs to be a part of every play in volleyball. Even if not actually touching the ball, when the team is working well, everyone moves as a unit to cover every hit.

“With soccer, you’re on the field together, but with volleyball, every touch and every move you make really affects your teammates,” Baader said. “If I make a bad pass, the setter can save and make a great set. It’s all working in tandem toward a common goal.”

As team captain, Baader is very aware of the importance of teamwork.

As a libero, her position demands that she be. She is the one who needs to keep everyone focused and moving in the same direction.

Baader says she tries to regulate the emotions on the court, bringing in high energy during moments of disappointment and a sense of calm in times of panic. She recognizes the need not just for energy, but especially for positive energy. On a team that has had its difficulties and frustrations, and is still seeking its first ACC victory, that distinction is key.

“I’ve tried to do that in the past, regardless of having the name of captain, or whatever,” Baader said. “I believe that captain is just any other player that happens to facilitate conversation with coaches. That’s the type of player I am, and that’s why I was drawn to volleyball, because of the emotional aspect of it.”

See Baader, A9

–Chris Campbell, Head Coach

See Finishing Drives, A8

Injuries brough Myles Gerraty into action. For the story, www.bcheights.com/sports

Noel ready for an encore

BY IAN BOYNTON For The Heights

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Jim Noel (23) had been splitting time with fellow safety Dominick LeGrande, but will start exclusively at strong safety for the second straight week after two interceptions Saturday.

I NSIDE SPORTS THIS ISSUE

After the Boston College football team took a lead into the fourth quarter for the first time in a month, the Florida State Seminoles delivered the final blow last Saturday, scoring on a decisive four-play, 52-yard scoring drive capped off by a 42-yard reverse to wide receiver Bert Reed.

The loss was the fourth in a row for the Eagles, but for the first time during the losing streak, the team showed resilience, turning in arguably its best defensive performance of the season.

One of the brightest spots on defense was the play of safety Jim Noel. After a freshman season in which Noel appeared in all 13 games in back-up duty,

Trophy at stake for hockey

The No. 1 Eagles head to South Bend to extend their winning streak over the Irish..........A9

Noel was given his first opportunity to see the field as a starter last Saturday against the Seminoles.

With the daunting task of facing one of the most explosive offenses in the ACC, in one of the most hostile environments in the nation, Noel was fully aware of the challenges that he would encounter in his first action as

Saturday, 1 p.m.

Live blog on bcheights.com/sports

Reopening the playoff debate

Now that the BCS rankings are out, let’s revisit the playoff vs. computers debate...............A8

a starter.

“I was just thinking that I have to be ready at all times, because this is my first time, Florida State knows its my first start, so I knew they were going to try to come at me,” Noel said.

Fans may have been surprised by Noel’s performance Saturday, but senior captain and fellow safety Wes Davis said that he had long expected Noel to make a contribution on the field.

“I was very happy with the way Jim [Noel] came out,” Davis said. “He is someone who does the right things day in and day out, and those type of people, good things happen for them. He has been waiting his time, he’s someone

See Maryland Preview, A8

Editors’ Picks..............................A9 BC Notes.....................................A9

EDITORS’ CORNER

MYTH-BAMA

OBAMA CRACKS ARCHIMEDES OLD MYTH, BUT CAN HE CRACK THE ECONOMY? PAGE B2

DRINK

ON THE SESSION

THE VOLATILE DANGERS OF MIXING ALCOHOL AND POLITICS PAGE B2

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2010

SPECIAL MIDTERM ISSUE

THE VALUE OF SMALL SCREEN PRESS LIVE ON YOUR TV, IT’S THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

BY KRISTEN HOUSE | A R T S E D I T O R ZAK JASON | A S S O C . A R T S E D I T O R ALLISON THERRIEN | A S S T. A R T S E D I T O R

enjoy being myself. I’m not going to change who I am just because it’s Halloween.” Our commander-in-chief said this on Saturday Night Live nearly to the day two years ago. In the skit, Obama attends Bill and Hilary Clinton’s Halloween party donning a Barack Obama mask. He intends it as a means of lightening his image as a hard-boiled, Ivy League lawyer. The stunt, performed just a couple of weeks before the presidential election, probably helped him. But it also symbolized what happens in every national television appearance presidents make: They wear a mask of themselves.

With the midterm elections less than two weeks away, we examine presidents’ appearances on television shows, a bizarrely American phenomenon. From Bill Clinton’s sax solo on Arsenio Hall to Tricky Dick’s gags on Laugh-In, the American president has exploited television to improve his image. Is this good for the president? The country? As we will see, it depends both on the program and the president’s intentions.

SEE TV, B3

MIKE SALDARRIAGA / HEIGHTS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Heights

B2

+Editor’s Corner

Barack, the mythbuster It has recently been reported that President Obama is due to appear on the popular show Mythbusters on Dec. 8.

Kristen House Whenever I’ve told this factoid to anyone, they always look flummoxed and ask, “Why? Doing what?”

It seems Obama has taken time out of his busy schedule to find out if Archimedes really could have “set fire to an invading Roman fleet using only mirrors [each held by 500 soldiers] and the reflected rays of the sun.” Meanwhile, millions of Americans are wondering if these self-same mirrors could show Obama the crippled economy or the foreign policy conflicts around the globe. This is not meant to be a diatribe about any of Obama’s politics. However, it would be nice if the leader of the free world would get his nose out of Discovery Channel fare and continue handling the bevy of obligations that come with being the head administrator of our 50 states.

I was supportive of his Saturday Night Live appearances during the presidential race, laughing alongside everyone else when he came to a Halloween party at the Clinton house dressed as himself. I raised my eyebrows when he agreed to an appearance to talk health care and his daughter’s summer activities on David Letterman. But why Mythbusters? It’s a glorified Zoom for the older crowd. It only draws in an average of 13 million viewers.

What the hell is he doing committing so much effort into expanding his IMDB profile when his approval rating is evenly split at approximately 46 percent? Is he looking to increase exposure? President Obama, I’m well aware of your existence, trust me.

Modern presidents have likely considered the meaning of celebrity in American society at some point.

Physical appearance has always been a decisive factor in determining a candidate’s future success.

Look at John F. Kennedy or former actor Ronald Reagan. Charisma, the ability to pithily connect with the youth voters on MTV (I’m looking at you, Bill Clinton), and your attractiveness in the eyes of Marilyn Monroe hold a considerable amount of weight in the eyes of people who read US Weekly more than the daily paper.

Television appearances have been the downfall of politicos like Richard Nixon and communist hunter Joseph McCarthy, but those occasions have involved political committee hearings and presidential debates, not sketch comedy.

It’s not cute to have a raging debate over whether Obama knows who Snooki is.

Here’s the probable reason for Obama’s publicity spree: Gallup polls report that the overall enthusiasm of 18-29 year olds is at a low.

This is a normal trend considering the usually small amount of youth voter registration or interest. But with the 2010 midterm elections coming up, Obama’s looking to use his image to galvanize younger voters to come out and vote for Democratic House and Senate candidates.

Perhaps he’ll catch the eye of 18-29-year-olds in the Mythbusters demographic. Or maybe he’s done the trick by appearing in a Town Hall question and answer session in front of 250 teens on MTV – the same format that produced the Clinton “boxers or briefs” moment.

Whatever his motives, it will be interesting to see if a successful foray onto Saturday Night Live becomes the decisive factor for political relevance.

In this week’s spread, we look into the relationship between popculture television and our nation’s presidents. It turns out George Bush was on Deal or No Deal.

Richard Nixon was on Laugh-in.

Bill Clinton showed the world his saxophone prowess on MTV. Do you appreciate presidential cameos on TV? It’s a free country. Decide for yourself.

Kristen House is the Arts & Review editor for The Heights. She can be reached at houseka@bc.edu.

An independent frame of mind

arts events calendar, october 21–24 thursday

friday

saturday

sunday

Chile 1810-2010 Burns Library

BC bOp! Jazz Ensemble O’Connell House

Chile 1810-2010 Burns Library

Chile 1810-2010 Bapst Library, 4 p.m.

Music in the afternoon Gargan Hall

Literary Lives McMullen Museum

Literary Lives McMullen Museum

Literary Lives McMullen Museum

The Books Somerville Theatre, 7 p.m.

Phish Providence, RI, 7:30 p.m.

The Black Crowes House of Blues, 7:30 p.m.

Disturbed House of Blues, 7:30 p.m.

Langhorne Slim The Middle East, 7:30 p.m.

The Black Crowes House of Blues, 7:30 p.m.

Kid Cudi Paramount Theatre, 7 p.m.

The Rocket Summer Harper’s Ferry, 6 p.m.

What we’re watching

Survivors of another season survivor: nicaragua

While most of what’s good on TV these days won’t be categorized as “reality,” Survivor, now in its once-inconceivable 21st season, remains a mustsee program. For 10 years, Jeff Probst has watched as people of all different backgrounds struggle in a physical and psychological challenge for a million dollars. This season, its young versus old theme and new twists, including an unprecedented Medallion of Power, will make for another compelling competition. wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS

photo courtesy of flikr user mcdrim71k

photo courtesy of hbo

eastbound and down With the return of Stevie Janowski and the promise of many South-of-the-Border exploits by our favorite drug-fueled, irreverent, allAmerican former baseball star, the premiere of Eastbound and Down could not have done much more to get its fans pumped for its outrageous (albeit condensed) second season. The loss of seemingly every major character from the first season did nothing to slow down Kenny Powers, or his ability to make us laugh even as we cringe.

It would be near-impossible to not tune in and see how Kenny’s determination to earn back his career and his self-respect has gotten him into trouble again. Sundays, 10:30 p.m. on hbo

it’s always sunny in philadelphia Now in its sixth season, Always Sunny has by now matured into a popular, wellwritten show, but has never strayed from its original absurd sense of humor. In the season premiere, Mac’s ex-girlfriend finishes her sex change and marries a man.

Inspired by this, Mac becomes adamantly anti-gay marriage. Charlie and Frank, also inspired, seek a domestic partnership of their own, or, as Charlie puts it, to be “friends with benefits.” Meanwhile, Dee unwittingly discovers she is the mistress in an affair. Unafraid to write about controversial topics without ever spiraling into seriousness, the show continues to satisfy with its hilarious cast and their antics. thursdays, 10 p.m. on fx — Sean foarile

photo courtesy of fx.com

fashion blogs

A survey of the blogs’ trendiest finds Carrie McMahon Over the past few years, online retailers have carved out a very important niche for themselves within the fashion world. Shopbop.com is a top sites that not only supplies shoppers with the latest designs from top brands, but also is influential in its own right. The designers that Shopbop decides to sell, the items that they pick from each line, and the trends they lay out with their editorials and their blog, shape the fashion world almost as much as do the designers themselves. Other major presences in the online world that assert their power either through their own blogs, online magazines, or Twitter, joined the Shopbop team last week to celebrate Club Monaco’s debut on the Web site.

Thanks to a photo booth at the event, the faces that are usually shielded by an Internet connection had the chance to come to life. All were dressed in Club Monaco for the pictures, but just like in every article written by these tech-savvy fashionistas, personalities shined through brightly.

Many will have no idea as to the identity of the blonde staring straight at them when opening up the latest Celebrity Feature post on Who What Wear. The model, Ari Graynor, may not ring any bells, but look long enough and one’s sure to find that this face does seem slightly familiar.

Graynor has been making her way into the public eye over the past couple of years by appearing in a series of films such as Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Youth in Revolt. The film Conviction is her latest project and has been out since Oct. 15. Who What Wear sits down with the rising star to talk style icons and trends to try, and the accompanying pictures evoke a ’50s schoolgirl look, one that not only is catching the eye of editors and retailers right now, but that Ari claims fits right in with her daily style.

Any party covered by Vogue.com is bound to make any unfortunately uninvited observer sick with jealousy, and the Anna Wintour-hosted celebration of a CFDA / Fashion Fund challenge winner this past week was no exception. A recap of the event, which explained that contestants were charged with creating a modern, workappropriate outfit for Ann Taylor, was featured along with photos from the event. Big-name editors, models, and designers were all in attendance, such as Hamish Bowles, Coco Rocha, and Zac Posen.

Lace has been popping up on everything from dresses to skirts to even shoes lately, and the popularity of this delicate fabric shows no sign of slowing down. For those who haven’t given the trend a chance, College Fashion breaks down the easiest ways to integrate the style into everyday outfits. From an oncampus, to a date night, to a night out on the town look, the post shows how anyone can work with lace, to create an outfit appropriate for any occasion.

This can mean choosing white lace over black for a more demure look, or using only accents of lace such as on a bandeau bra. For more tips and for example outfits complete with accessories, be sure to check out this post.

Just because an outfit is fashionable, doesn’t always mean it is attractive. Such is the burden any fashion follower must carry, and Leandra Medine at The Man Repeller does so with a wit practically unparalleled in the world of fashion blogs. Recently, thick-framed, bookish-looking, and usually unnecessary glasses have been the topic of conversation on her blog.

Due to their astonishing power to act as virtual stop signs to any men within a close radius, Medine so aptly deemed them “birth control glasses.” True, the specs have been showing up on street style blogs practically forever, as the post points out, but as interesting as they may be aesthetically, they are definite man repellers.

Oscars already?

A couple of years ago, I decided to see every Oscarnominated movie of the season, a fairly daunting task at the time.

Brennan Carley My quest took me to a tiny theater in New York’s Chelsea, where I sat through the uncomfortable but riveting The Reader all by myself, before I dashed uptown to catch Daniel Radcliffe in the play Equus with my English class, to make an emotionally draining night indeed.

I tried to coax a group of friends to see Slumdog Millionaire with me before it blew up the awards circuit, but my proposal was shot down by a nameless party who, weeks later, came to me raving about how good it was.

Luckily, a good friend had agreed to come, and ended up dancing in the aisles during “Jai Ho.” While the city was blanketed with snow, I was in a theater watching both Milk and Doubt.

Introducing a friend to the indie scene with Rachel Getting Married was a true treat.

The next year, I tried to get a jump on the Oscar nominating committee.

It was difficult, because in freshman year of college, who wants to go see a movie about incest (here’s looking at you, Precious) with someone they’ve only known for a few months? Luckily, I found someone who stuck with me

In freshman year of college, who wants to go see a movie about incest (here’s looking at you, Precious) with someone you’ve only known for a few months? through a double showing of Crazy Heart and A Single Man in Cambridge, laughed with me during Up in the Air, and cried with me during Avatar (although that was because I had the flu of the time ... I promise).

This summer, I tried to get a bigger head start on the Oscars, but this past Monday I was doing my daily examination of Entertainment Weekly’s web site when I saw that the nominees for the Gotham Independent Film Awards had been announced. Sure, the awards usually hone in on obscure movies, but I was surprised to see that out of this year’s nominees, I have thus far seen a grand total of … one. It’s a testament to the selectiveness of this year’s committee, a very small group of film critics. In my defense, two as of yet unreleased films round out the Best Feature category.

Last week, the trailer surfaced for film festival darling Blue Valentine, starring the always reliable Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, no stranger to the Gotham Awards (she took home the Best Ensemble prize for 2008’s stunning Synecdoche, New York). Valentine centers on the relationship of Williams and Gosling’s characters, and its trailer certainly looks promising. A few weeks ago, the movie was dealt a blow, as the MPAA “awarded” it with a kiss-of-death rating of NC-17, formerly known as X. Only time will tell if Valentine will have the opportunity to reach a wide audience.

The second unreleased movie that was nominated is Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, one of the movies I have been most looking forward to ever since a brief synopsis of its plot found its way to IMDB last year. The film, no stranger to the pages of this newspaper (see “Posters Under the Knife” in The Scene two weeks ago), follows the day-to-day life of Nina (Natalie Portman), a ballerina in the New York City Ballet Company chosen to replace the lead actress in a performance of Swan Lake. Trouble is stirred by the introduction of Lily, who, judging by the trailer, is played with petrifying passion by Mila Kunis.

The movie seems to follow Nina’s descent into madness as her rivalry with Lily grows stronger. It looks to be one of the films to beat in this year’s Oscar race.

Thus we begin another period when the temperature turns, the leaves change color, and period dramas invade our movie theaters. With my discount cards, free screening passes, and girlfriend at my side, I feel completely ready to conquer the movies that lie ahead. Look out world, it’s awards season.

photos courtesy of vogue and shopbop.com

Carrie McMahon is a Heights editor.

She welcomes comments at review@ bcheights.com

Brennan Carley is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at review@bcheights.com.

B3

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, October 21, 2010

OUR TELEVISED PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON ON ‘ARSENIO HALL’ (1992) Come election season, presidential candidates desparate for exposure engage in a battle for television spots, but, as then presidential candidate Bill Clinton proved in June of 1992, we should not underestimate the effectiveness of thinking outside of the box, when dealing with the American public. Clinton, who at the time was trailing in the polls, made a surprise appearance on the The Arsenio Hall Show, a talk show that ran from the late ’80s to early ’90s. Donning a suit and dark glasses, Clinton showed a new soulful side of his personality to a viewership largely exposed to the hyper-dignified, conservative nature of most politicians, and managed to pull off a saxophone rendition of the classic “Heartbreak Hotel.” Notably, many have suggested that this performance proved to be a turning point for Clinton, though what was so charming about a politician playing a saxophone is still a mystery to many. Still, something about this television spot did wonders for the man we now know as our 42nd president. To all those who champion the alluring powers of a man and a guitar, behold the saxophone.

BUSH ON ‘DEAL OR NO DEAL’ The game show circuit is always fraught with once-in-a-lifetime trips to Honolulu, plasma televisions, and millions of dollars. But in 2008, the glitz and glam of the game show world as seen on Deal or No Deal was considerably kicked up a notch when President George Bush filmed a message for one of the contestants. Captain Joseph Kobes, recipient of the Purple Heart for his service in Iraq, in the midst of a whirling guessing game and elegant ladies with briefcases, received a message from Bush that wished him well and thanked him for all his service to the country. However incredible this experience must have been for Kobes, I’m sure he was probably extremely smitten with the free trip to Los Angeles and $78,000 in total winnings, as well. Many scratched their heads when Bush chose to appear on the NBC show.

Why bother? But the morale boost for this soldier was gratification enough. On the Army’s Web site, Kobes responded to the president’s surprise, “For him [Bush] to recognize one soldier in particular … was an honor of a lifetime … Knowing that support is coming all the way through the chain of command right to the very top is amazing.”

BILL CLINTON ON ‘TOWN HALL’ ON MTV (1994) Presidential briefs took on a whole new definition in a Town Hall that aired on MTV in 1994. Famously, Bill Clinton was posed a question by 17-year-old Laetitia Thompson that asked, “Is it boxers or briefs?” Without missing a beat, Clinton responded, “Usually briefs.” This moment was a veritable cultural phenomenon, repeated in U.S. history classes that discuss Clinton as one of the more accessible, people’s presidents, unafraid to face the frank questions of the teenage crowd. He was the suave, saxophone-

playing charmer from this moment on. In fact, many have noted that Obama’s own version of the Town Hall meeting on Oct. 14 lacked the “boxers or briefs” moment. What exactly made this into a moment, we will never know. Perhaps it gave everyone the honest, “presidents, they’re just like us” comfort that we so rarely connect with in our “credibility gap” era. After all, it is nice to know that the leader of the free world has to wake up every morning and get his day going, one brief at a time.

AP PHOTO

NIXON ON ROWAN AND MARTIN’S LAUGH-IN (1968) Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, a sketch-comedy program that aired on NBC from the late ’60s to the early ’70s, brought everyone from Henry Gibson to Lily Tomlin to participate in comedy skits, and – reminiscent of the old-school Nickelodeon days – often became the subject of on-show pranks. Judy Carne was repeatedly tricked into saying the phrase “sock it to me,” for which she was then immediately doused in water. (“It may be rice wine to you, but it’s still sake to me!”) In 1968, Richard Nixon became one among the long list of celebrities to make a guest appearance on the show, though only for a brief moment.

While on camera, he took on a serious, almost frightful expression and said the classic phrase, though with a different inflection: “Sock it to me?” Would these prank-playing comedians dare to empty a bucket of water on a presidential candidate? Of course not, and Nixon was fully aware of this. Still, his brief appearance on the show demonstrated the politician’s sense of humor, and when Nixon’s opponent Hubert Humphrey declined a similar invitation to appear on LaughIn, the public turned its eyes to Nixon. Humphrey

said afterward that not appearing may have cost him the election.

Merrill Matthews of Forbes Magazine spends the length of almost 900 words imagining the content of a hypothetical episode of the Discovery Channel hit Mythbusters, focused entirely on busting the potential “myths” of Obama’s health care plan. “That would lead to some serious mythbusting,” Merrill says. (Will ObamaCare control health care costs? Myth: busted!) His detailed imagining of this theoretical episode is, of course, inspired by the quite real Mythbusters episode, anticipated this coming December, which will feature Obama himself helping to prove or disprove the achievability of the “Archimedes Solar Ray.” According to the president, the appearance is his effort to encourage education and interest in math and science. Having already taped the show, the president recently joked that he was disappointed that the episode didn’t allow him the opportunity to blow something up. (Just what we like to hear from our president, right?)

By no means is this the first time Obama has appeared on a television venue outside of the

realm of major news stations and debate settings.

In fact, Obama has set a record for television talk show appearances during his presidency, appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, 60 Minutes, and The View. His involvement with talk shows has inspired a mixed reception, especially when it means that Barbara Walters is given an opportunity to call him “sexy” to his face on The View. Our president has danced with Ellen and joked with Leno, and during one appearance with Letterman, he named off a joking list of his top 10 campaign promises, two of which were “Two words: Vice President Oprah” and “If you bring a gator to the White House, I’ll wrassle it!”

Sure, Obama has a sense of humor, and he’s not afraid to show it. It’s been proven that humorous presidential television spots have the potential to be scale-tipping maneuvers come election season. But at some point – especially as we move toward an even more televised, media-pervaded age – we have to draw a line between the proactive use of television as a venue for politicians the meaningless one. Talk show hosts – particularly

comedic ones – have the unique ability to poke fun at their guests, and even tread in conversational waters not appropriate to most debate settings. When Ellen DeGeneres brought to the table in an interview with John McCain her very personal ideas on gay marriage and challenged his, a unique moment between politician and talk show host was had, one that might not have been as meaningful or as candid in any other setting.

Here is where the politician and the talk show host can shine. But when an hour that could be put to good use is spent discussing the stuff of Barbara Walters’ Obama fantasies, we’ve probably long abandoned the realm of dignified, high-quality television. It becomes a waste of our time.

Are we eager to see our president either prove or disprove the feasibility of a legendary weapon?

Probably not. Whatever his excuse, we can see the difference between desire for exposure and desire for meaningful discussion. So as we look toward the inevitable future of television as an increasingly significant campaign tool, keep a critical eye. Let’s make sure our president isn’t wasting his time, or ours.

“ WHEN AN HOUR THAT COULD BE PUT TO GOOD USE IS SPENT DISCUSSING THE STUFF OF BARBARA WALTERS’ OBAMA FANTASIES, WE’VE PROBABLY LONG ABANDONED THE REALM OF DIGNIFIED, HIGH-QUALITY TELEVISION ”

RACHEL GREGORIO / HEIGHTS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

B4

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Heights

+Fashion and Culture Chronicles of Campus Fashion

Lovely finicky fall fashion

I

By Kailey kramer | For The Heights

f you wake up with pesky indecision like I do every morning, then odds are you probably love and hate – mainly love – fall as much as me. ’Tis the season – to wear essentially anything you want! (Also, for butternut squash and mulled cider, but that’s an entirely different column altogether.) While seasons overlap, options for outfits present themselves in the dozens as my indecisiveness rises above its already unusually high levels. Although at the end of the day, I do quite enjoy the

room for interpretation that all the options allow for, making the head games all worth it.

Allow me to explain further. I like to imagine that if fall were a person, he

Jessica proudly displays her tribal-inspired jems.

or she would resemble the likes of my brother when he was six-years-old. Only a knee-high, toe-headed child, there was a period in his life when Kevin would change his outfit a minimum of five times (socks included) per day. Terrible news for whoever was doing laundry, as it would all end up in the hamper after two hours of wear – if that. With each new look came a new season. Turns out Kevin was just an antsy kindergartener with a short attention span and too many clothes, but I see his dilemma reappear every year come autumn. His short tale personifies the versatility that fall fashion gives us with every day, and our ability to vary looks from day-today. Simply walking around campus from Carney to Devlin, I’ve seen a range of misfit seasonal pieces. On any given day, some cling to what little remains of summer in shorts, while others are looking ahead to winter in wool coats. So, I suppose Kevin isn’t alone in his battle with season vertigo. It seems we all have the bug and are getting our money’s worth of those cutoffs and denim vests we may or may not have bought this summer. Might as well, seeing as we’ll probably be asking ourselves, “Why?” in five years.

I spotted Jordan Choptovy, A&S ’14, outside of the Chocolate Bar on Monday.

The work of art hanging on her back made her extremely hard to miss. Pieced together from a variety of colorful rice

bags, this piece is extremely functional, fair trade (purchased at a fair at Brown), and adds catchy details to any outfit.

Jordan also sports a colorful turquoise pea coat to compliment her satchel.

John sports keeps it clean with a tailored look.

Although not pictured, the bottom half of her outfit is just as good as the top half. Pairing denim shorts with lace up boots, Jordan serves as Exhibit Kailey kramer / for the heights A for season-vertigo and is Jordan keeps summer alive with vibrants pops of color. making the best of it.

John Costa, A&S ’14, has jewelry making. It’s tough stuff, people – trust me. Jessica herself was also clearly abandoned all thoughts of sumlooking rather stylish in a chunky, knit mer and is ready for the coming months.

Looking razor sharp, John sports mainly cape-sweater with an oversized neck and of course, one of her designs. Her Zara with an Armani Exchange belt and leather loafers. Not exactly intended for pieces all espouse a general tribal theme, while featuring a multitude of materistyle purposes, finishing touches like his als spanning from pearls to feathers and Ray-Ban glasses, portfolio, and drawing supplies make his outfit quintessentially wooden beads. Jessica also displayed her technical skills by showcasing a few college-chic. John’s refined look is also a good example of the polished-gentleman different types of silhouettes in the form of earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. and prep trend that’s making a grand And guess what? She even sells them! comeback this fall, especially in the world of menswear.

If you’re interested, stop by the WRC in Mac and get her contact information While enjoying the performances and poetry at A Room of Our Own, an event from the A Room of Our Own coordinators. Support student endeavors while sponsored by the Women’s Resource adding Jessica’s one-of-a-kind piece to Center (WRC) honoring women in the your jewelry box! arts, I couldn’t help but notice the board Enjoy the season-vertigo and fall of jewelry adjacent to the stage. Despite weather before it’s too late and cutoffs the fact that I have a bit of a jewelry with tights aren’t even an option. And fetish, these designs distracted me a bit looking to the nearer future – Happy for the remainder of the show. After the Halloween costume brainstorming! fat lady sang, or rather after the lovely ladies slammed, Jessica Dunston, A&S ’12, graciously allowed me to take some Kailey Kramer is a Heights contributor. photos of her work, and we chatted She can be reached for comment at arts@ a bit about the underrated labors of bcheights.com.

A frame out of cardboard

Classic meets contemporary I have a brilliant have the patience for it. The majority of videos idea for when I’m an that I have seen were only at the insistence of my unemployed English much trendier friends. That being said, I cannot major and have nothing deny the importance of YouTube in our culture. to lose. It’s a workYes, the Louvre is bursting with important things out program, crafted that you should try to see before you die – after specifically to train one months of training naturally – but right now, right for effective visits to the this minute, as you read this in The Rat with your Louvre in Paris. Paris? lunch, there are some videos you must watch now.

They do say that ViAbout a month ago, Dan Savage, along with enna is the Paris of the The Trevor Project, started an online video camEast (Actually, a little paign in response to the recent string of suicides Kristin Canfield research reveals that in the GLBTQ community that has come to be the same distinction known as “It Gets Better.” This campaign prois given to Bucharest, Romania, and Budapest, vides links to anti-suicide resources, with videos Hungary among other cities), but I’m talking by celebrities and common folk alike. It reiterabout Paris, France: Land of croissants, merlot, ates one message: it gets better. It. I first heard crepes, waffles, and people who consume these about the campaign on a memorial site for one things daily and somehow manage to stay slim. of the recent victims. The campaign comes at a It is also home to two of my favorite museums on time when we as a nation, and Boston College as Earth: Musee d’Orsay and the Louvre, and it is a community, should be reflecting on how we treat where I spent the weekend. members of the GLBTQ community.

You don’t need me to tell you how amazing What I really think is great about these videos these museums are. Go there. The Louvre also is how they are true democratic forms of art happens to be the most exhausting place on and of political expression. All it takes is a few Earth. A few hours there minutes to create an and it feels like you just ran account and anyone the Boston Marathon (or can leave a video more accurately, how I would without leaving home. imagine you’d feel after the The result is that after Marathon – I consider myself watching Tim Gunn, a top-shelf observer, hence, Chris Allen, or Perez the art column, and runHilton speak about ning on concrete is strictly their experiences as forbidden for my 80-yearyoung GLBTQ men, old knees) but I’d wager the one can also watch the exhaustion is similar. What story of someone you the Louvre has going for it have probably passed is scale. This was my third in the hall a hundred visit, and I do not feel like times without lookI have even made a dent in ing twice. Moreover, what it has to offer. What I the videos are giving need is a new workout plan. a voice to suicide, an No matter how much I schlep issue we tend to shroud an overstuffed carpetbag in darkness in today’s around the city without society. complaint, when I enter the Every few weeks, a Louvre my tiny, cross-body column appears quesmessenger purse feels like it’s tioning the value of the filled with bricks. I have even Western Canon in our considered, although I have ever-changing society. never been able to, submitOftentimes, the debate ting myself to those dreadful is presented as an all or mall-walker approved shoes nothing problem, but photo courtesy of visitingdc.com in the hope that I would not I find myself wonderThe Louvre in Paris boasting its famous pyramid. hobble out feeling every pain ing why the two can’t known to feet. Don’t say I haven’t suffered for art. coexist peacefully. Why can’t we continue to view Nonetheless, one does not have to traverse the Louvre with reverence and see the same level oceans or stoop below what I consider acceptof importance in these videos? After all, if these able public dress to find art. With the advent of videos manage to save one life, that life could things like YouTube, you can experience art and be the one of the next Delacroix or da Vinci, or not even be forced to don real pants. Revolutioneven your best friend. The videos are right - it ary, I know. Except if you’re like most people of gets better, and in the meantime, in light of BC’s Generation Me, and haven’t been living under a recent “LGBT-Unfriendly” ranking, I think we rock for the last five years, then YouTube is old can strive to do better as well. news and you’ve watched “Drinking Out of Cups” and bawled to “Christian the Lion” so many times you have them both memorized. I’ll confess that Kristin Canfield is a Heights contributor. She can I have never been much of a YouTube fan. I don’t be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

rachel gregorio / heights illustration

on The Session

Politics & drunk language To keep the homicide rate down, Americans can discuss politics openly for only two weeks of the year. The time begins now, and the forum is at Boston’s most historic pubs.

My 95 -yea r - o l d g rea t grandmother has two rules of dinnertime etiquette: (1) Don’t wear hats, and (2) don’t talk politics. If we trust the Zak Jason anyone’s laws, we may as well trust someone who survived two world wars and lost family in those wars, who endured a handful of recessions, Watergate, Cuban missiles, roller-skate burger joints, The Bee Gees, No New Taxes, and Mike Ditka – someone who’s raised four generations of children through some of the nation’s most tumultuous and mundane years. If you want to approach the century mark, it’s not just a matter of eating healthy; it’s a matter of thinking healthy, a mattter of plucking out all the weedy thoughts and fertilizing the mind with simple formulas. So when my nanny says “don’t talk politics,” she speaks the truth.

Look at what happens when politics arise at your pregames, during your happy hour visits to Roggie’s, in your Thursday night powwows at An Tua Nua. Like putrid flatulence, a political debate drains all merriment and extracts the worst in people. One night during my freshman year, a pregame turned into a two-hour dispute on the merits and flaws of the Electoral College. By the end, we were all too agitated and exasperated to make the trek to Walsh, and we missed out on what proved to be some Grade A jungle juice. And what did we, as 19-year-old students in a cocoon of infinite food at the swipe of a card, know about the nuances of the electoral processes? What do we know of global warming, beyond what we learn in environmental geoscience class and The Washington Post? Nothing new.

Talking politics with anyone is exhausting.

Talking politics with drunken college students is volatile. Because at this tender age, talking politics is less a matter of discussing policy and reaching comprehensive conclusions and more a matter of affirming the self. Chances are, when you hear a

student proclaim a new stance, they’re repeating something they read in a New York Times column or a Politico blog or something they heard from their professor. By and large, if you want to enjoy yourself at a bar with your friends, avoid political discussion. You will enjoy your company more, the air will feel warmer, and your drinks will taste sweeter.

But if we never discussed the issue, we wouldn’t be citizens. I’m not saying we shouldn’t discuss our nation’s most pressing issues. But when we do, we should do so in the proper setting. Contrary to popular belief, Jefferson and company didn’t write the Declaration of Independence in the Mods whilst sipping Four Lokos. To do our part, when we want to debate issues in a civic and dignified manner, we should debate in civic and dignified places. Boston hosts scores of them.

In a couple weeks, we will face a pivotal midterm election. What better excuse to visit perhaps Boston’s most historic bar?

The Green Dragon Tavern, the Hub’s oldest pub, marks the most proper forum for discussing the future of both the Commonwealth and the nation. Founded in 1654, the Green Dragon Tavern looks less like a North End bar and more like a weathered watering hole in Diagon Alley. During the Revolution, Paul Revere, Sam Adams, and the Sons of Liberty convened in the pub to concoct eavesdropping operations on the Redcoats, and the place soon earned the nickname “The Headquarters of the American Revolution.” In 1788, founders met in the tavern to organize the Federal Constitution. Though it has moved a few blocks from its original location, the Green Dragon invites you with a warm wood finish and a bevy of classic cocktails. Staples include their own Green Dragon brew and homemade pie. It is a tavern rich with decision and precision.

If you feel compelled, take a political opponent or two to The Green Dragon Tavern and resolve your differences. But if you’d got an ax to grind, chug a few Nattys and berate your rommate about why his views on healthcare are wrong.

Zak Jason is a Heights editor. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, October 21, 2010

B5

+Music & Notes

OUT NEXT WEEK

Shakira tries, fails to bare her ‘Sol’

BY THERESE TULLY

S For The Heights

hakira’s new album is entertaining, though probably not in the way she intended. Her ninth studio album, Sale el Sol, or “The Sun Comes Out,” is nothing if not the most puzzling and musically confusing album I have ever heard. For anyone out there who is a new Shakira fan, I do not recommend you look to this album to discover her true flavor as an artist. The listener is left questioning whether Shakira’s work is from one artist, or is a compilation of unrelated tracks. The album seems to lack any sort of continuity or fluidity. Despite these things, I desperately search for the good in Sale el Sol. Shakira brings so many different sounds to her album that it loses its distinctive Latin feel. She includes Latin, pop, rock, rap, techno, and reggatone influences, just to name a few.

Consequently, Shakira becomes lost on the tracks. As a longtime Shakira fan, I was left very disappointed. Shakira would greatly benefit from returning to her Colombian roots and sticking to her lively dance beats, like in “Hips Don’t Lie,” that have brought her such great success in the past. As Shakira strays farther from these roots, she risks becoming white noise in the already cluttered music industry.

Despite the musical confusion, the album is not a complete failure.

The clear standout hit of the album is the ever-popular song “Waka Waka,” featured in both English and Spanish.

I am sure few people can claim that they have still not heard this favorite that was made popular during the World Cup. The song is lively, upbeat, and the video provides a set of

TAYLOR SWIFT SPEAK NOW

SALE EL SOL SHAKIRA

MARK SALLING PIPE DREAMS

PRODUCED BY SONY U.S. LATIN RELEASED OCT. 19, 2010 OUR RATING 5/10

CHART TOPPERS SINGLES PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM AND FLICKR USER DONNA LOU MORGAN

The usually ambitious Shakira strays from her roots on ‘Sale el Sol,’ substituting subpar and unoriginal tracks for her typical Colombian dance beats. dance moves that are just begging to be learned. “Waka Waka,” sounds like classic Shakira in every way possible, and both versions are “pump-up” songs that I want to blast when I am getting ready to go out on a Friday night.

The Colombian native includes numerous versions of the same track performed in both Spanish and English, and each takes on a totally different feel. For example, her song “Loca” appears on the album three times: in Spanish, English, and an English remix. The Spanish version of the song, which features el Cata, whose sound simply works on the track, is by far my favorite. The English version contains a painfully cheesy rap section by U.K. rapper Dizzee Rascal that takes away from Shakira’s presence on the track.

The more upbeat, remixed version is only a slight improvement, though the speed does successfully draw attention away from the rap section. “Loca” will definitely become a party and club favorite. With catchy lyrics like, “I’m crazy but you like it, loca loca loca,” you can’t help but sing along. This song was stuck in my head all day, and made me wish I knew how to Latin dance.

Despite the few good tracks, the album is riddled with strange sounding songs and unoriginal tracks. For example, “Gordita” was a painful, wannabe techno track that barely featured Shakira. I desperately wanted to move on to the next song after about 30 seconds. Her slower ballads are definitely a snooze, as not one of them has that distinctive, passionate Shakira flavor. I

had very high expectations for this album and was definitely disappointed. I hope that Shakira chooses to return to her glory days of hits like “La Tortura.”

Shakira is largely known for her incredible dancing and hip shaking, but ironically, there are few tracks on Sale el Sol that would allow for any sort of dancing at all. Compared with Shakira’s earlier albums, I definitely found Sale el Sol to pale in comparison. To her credit, Shakira took a risk.

Unfortunately, it does not seem to have paid off. In the competitive music industry, Shakira made an extremely bold move and should be respected for the audacity she always exemplifies.

This bold move gives me hope that Shakira has not lost all of her spunkiness, and that we may see it again in the near future.

1 Just the Way You Are Bruno Mars 2 Like a G6 Far*East Movement 3 Just a Dream Nelly 4 Teenage Dream Katy Perry 5 DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love Usher feat. Pitbull COLLEGE ALBUMS

1 Teen Dream Beach House 2 Transference Spoon 3 One Life Stand Hot Chip 4 Contra Vampire Weekend 5 ODD BLOOD Yeasayer Source: Billboard.com & CMJ.com

Kings of Leon come around to a solid sound

BY KATIE LEE

For The Heights Nashville’s Grammy award-winning foursome is back with its fourth and newest studio album, Come Around Sundown. Kings of Leon, one of the increasingly rare rock groups in a music culture currently dominated by hip-hop and R&B, play with classic rock sounds to create something modern, edgy, and distinctive. And in the past few years, the band has proven that it is a COME AROUND SUNDOWN KINGS OF LEON PRODUCED BY RCA RELEASED OCT. 19, 2010 OUR RATING 8.5/10

force to be reckoned with. Southern brothers Caleb, Nathan, and Jared Followill, along with their cousin Matthew Followil, emerged on to the indie or alternative music scene about half a decade ago before breaking into something a bit more mainstream. Then, suddenly, the group’s 2008 album hit the jackpot. Only By the Night was KOL’s great leap forward, at least commercially, selling 6.5 million copies worldwide. The album was full of massive hits such as “Sex on Fire,” “Use Somebody,” and “Notion.”

Now, the newest album, produced by Angelo

Petraglia and Jacquire King (the same producers for Only By the Night), continues the trend the band began in its previous effort. It’s full of lush production, massive hooks, and sing-along melodies. As always, despite the use of some of these popular techniques, Kings of Leon continues to fashion something grand, bold, and utterly unique.

The album opens with the track “The End,” and despite the title, it only has the listener begging for more. Caleb’s unique and recognizable voice repeats the words, “This could be in the end,” in a convincing and almost melancholy manner. The track is filled with typical Kings of Leon elements such as cavernous drums, booming bass, and an eerie guitar line.

It only continues to gets better. The next track, “Radioactive,” is the first single off the album.

As a single, this track is the closest in the set to rock radio, yet nothing compared to Only By the Night’s well-known “Use Somebody.” Other notable tracks in the set include “Pyro” and “The Immortals,” both filled with emotion and some darker thematic elements.

Emblematic of Kings of Leon style is a southern influence that is fully expressed in many of the newest album’s tracks through Caleb’s voice, guitar sounds, and distinct melodies. In this way, the group goes back to its roots in many ways that it did not explore in previous efforts.

One track that fully exemplifies this is “Mi Amigo,” which explores a dark, southern sound.

Building on their southern influence, this track is one of the strongest in the set.

Critics may be quick to categorize Come Around Sundown as an album that plays it en-

PHOTO COURTESY OF DONNA LOU MORGAN

After experiencing success, Kings of Leon stick to the same satisfying formula on ‘Come Around Sundown.’ tirely too safe. Some think that this new album sees the Kings fully embracing the mainstream, as the rough edges of their early albums have been smoothed away to create a softer, more accessible and restructured sound. However, the personality of Kings of Leon is far from being lost in the fame and stardom. Although there may be some popular elements to the album as a whole, the band continues to tweak and play with style. For example, “Mary” is unlike any

song the band has ever recorded, a pop-like anthem straight out of the early ’60s, complete with an exceptional guitar solo.

Overall, Come Around Sundown thrives off the unexpected. Admittedly, some tracks may take a few listens, but the album as a whole should be anything but overlooked. Even though it may not seem to reach the caliber of Only By the Night, fans can be sure that they will not be disappointed in the least.

Bo Burnham’s funny ‘Words Words Words’

BY BLAKE MCLAUGHLIN For the Heights

A

wkward teenage sex, Helen Keller’s physical disabilities, the Ku Klux Klan, and his own personal shortcomings were among Bo Burnham’s muses in his self-titled debut album released in March 2008.

This week, Burnham is back with his new 16-track album Words Words Words, which was released by WORDS WORDS WORDS BO BURNHAM PRODUCED BY COMEDY CENTRAL RECORDS RELEASED OCT. 19, 2010 OUR RATING 9/10

Comedy Central Records Oct. 19. The album is a verbal storm on which Burnham makes everyday ideas novel and hilarious through a mastery of pun and paradox. Although this is only his second album, Burnham has been an online phenomenon

since his work received more than 60 million Youin studio, some are live performances, which shed Tube hits as a high school senior. The 20-year-old light on his strong ability as a performer and enartist attended St. John’s Prep in Danvers, Mass., tertainer. However, the song bearing the album’s but his music is perhaps the last thing one might title, “Words, Words, Words,” is over the top. expect the wholesome, all-boys high school to inBurnham flaunts his skill in an arrogant way and spire. His early fan base loved to watch Burnham is not so funny in doing so. His best work is subtle perform his original and not filled with exaglyrics, pseudo-stand-up gerated overstatements [Burnham’s] humor is unsuppressed about his life. comedy acts, and play an electric keyboard, The best track on by social norms and strengthened by all from his childhood the album is “Ironic.” his understanding that what makes bedroom. His fan base In the song, Burnham people unfomfortable can make them illustrates the irony today praises him for much of the same. Burnthat saturates everyday laugh, too. ham’s appeal comes experiences. He sings from having his finger about taking his sick dog on the pulse of young to the veterinarian, but adult humor. His lyrics are politically incorrect how he runs over a cat on the way there. He referand absolutely hilarious. His disclaimer is that if ences adopting a child from overseas to save it you make fun of one group of people, you have to from working in factories, but on its first birthday make fun of them all in order to put everyone on he takes the baby to a Build-a-Bear-Workshop. an equal playing ground. Burnham uses this creed He describes his animal-rights-activist girlfriend to prove he is not a racist or a homophobe, as who “Got really pissed when she saw [him] eating some of his critics claim, and fuel his right to sati- veal wrapped in PETA bread.” The chorus is truly rize the most sensitive subjects in today’s society. spot on when Burnham describes the irony of a Overall, the album is a sweet flow of songs and water park burning down, a tow truck breaking stand-up comedic performances by Burnham. down, and how he ”Always used to cry when [he] Although most tracks on the album were recorded laughed until [he] got raped by a clown.” He ends

by singing to us about the irony of getting his girlfriend pregnant on his sterile uncle’s couch.

While his entire album is rich with college humor, other hits include: “What’s Funny,” “OH BO,” and “Men & Women.”

In 2008, The Boston Globe’s Joseph P. Kahn summed up Burnham’s musical style as, “Simultaneously wholesome and disturbing, intimate in a folksy-creepy sort of way.” I would go further than Kahn in describing Burnham’s skill. His humor is unsuppressed by social norms and strengthened by his understanding that what makes people uncomfortable can make them laugh, too. Recently, Burnham has attracted the attention of every college kid’s favorite movie director, Judd Apatow (Anchorman), with whom he is co-writing a movie script. His next album, called Sin Bin, is due to release in 2011. If you are looking for musical influences on Burnham’s style, think Eminem meets Ben Folds. His music is lighthearted and inappropriate like that of Folds, but discusses politically charged topics in an occasionally abrasive way like Eminem.

Burnham’s music is intellectual, inappropriate, and self-described as “comedic inertia meeting poetic friction.” Check out Words Words Words for a non-stop laugh that conjures childish jokes compounded by smart word construction.

B6

Thursday, October 21, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

Moral line needs to be drawn

ON THE flip side

CHRISTOPHER OSNATO

THE ISSUE:

Westboro Baptist Church is an independent religious group known for its strong anti-GLBTQ stance. In 2006, members of the church picketed Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder’s funeral. Snyder’s family sued the church for defamation and infliction of emotional distress.

A U.S. district judge sided with Snyder’s family and ordered the church to pay punitive damages, but an appeals court reversed the ruling and ordered the Snyder family to pay the church’s legal fees. The case is currently being examined by the Supreme Court. Is the Westboro Baptist Church’s protest protected under the First Amendment?

Freedoms must come first

protected by the root of our nation’s laws – the Constitution. That one document has laid the basis for our nation’s Freedom of speech is a framework and is the document fundamental value of our that distinguishes us from the society and one of the greatest numerous totalitarian and oprights of its citizens – a right pressive governments around that sets our nation apart from the world. Without the authormost nations around the world. ity of the Constitution, the U.S. The First Amendment to the just wouldn’t be the U.S., so U.S. Constitution states that, abandoning it is not an option.

“Congress shall make no law On a similar note, a rulrespecting an establishment of ing against the church could religion, or prohibiting the free greatly alter the course of our exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech ... ” In its nation’s history by setting a precedent for future rulings. picketing of military funerals, Our Founding Fathers laid the Westboro Baptist Church down the laws of freedom of (WBC) exercises its right of speech and religion to enfree speech as set forth in the courage democracy, to allow Constitution. citizens to speak out and argue The church’s frequent for what they believe in. If demonstrations are attempts to the Supreme Court were to capitalize on the pain of dying rule against the actions of the soldiers to attract attention to sickening messages of doom be- church simply because they disagreed with its ideas or were ing brought down on the United States for a number of “crimes,” enraged by its tactics, it could very easily set a precedent of such as being anything but denial whenever a dissenting Protestant (and even that opinion is expressed. In doing sometimes isn’t good enough) so, the Supreme Court could and being tolerant of GLBTQ limit free speech in numerous persons.

In 2006, the church picketed a other areas, such as governMarine’s funeral, toting signs that ment censoring of the press.

Our nation was read, “Semper founded on the Fi, Semper F -gs, The best way to idea that the Coming Home in combat such displays government Body Bags” and “Thank God for of hatred isn’t through should not interfere in those Dead Soldiers.” a court ruling. It areas – that it is The picketing of an organization is through simply Ma r i n e L a n c e C p l . M a t t h e w ignoring its frequent that was built to protect the Snyder’s funeral demonstrations. right of freedom by the church, all citizens have. though horrifyingly insensitive and downright Despite the vileness of the appalling, is considered an ex- church’s actions, it is imperaercise of free speech and must tive that the Supreme Court therefore be protected by the rule in favor of it to continue First Amendment to maintain the to encourage the free spirit of standard of freedom our stipu- America.

For many Americans (espelated by our Constitution. cially the politically-minded), The argument that the this might bring up a sense WBC’s tactics are horrible, of hopelessness and despair. while absolutely valid, is insufClearly the church is in the ficient to deny them the rights wrong, but the Constitution of the Constitution. The very still defends it. Does that make concept that the church celour Constitution wrong? It does ebrates the deaths of soldiers not. In order to prevent such who died for them to be able disgusting hate groups from to speak freely is quite simply disgusting and obviously wrong. being successful, laws need to be made limiting their protests.

Unfortunately, the concept of Our Constitution allows for doing the wrong or right thing this. In Illinois, a law entitled doesn’t apply to legal disputes. the “Let Them Rest in Peace Though most every American Act” has already been passed, would agree that the church is making it a felony to protest in the wrong when it pickets within 200 feet of a funeral or military funerals, its actions memorial service. are not illegal and must be

DAVID COTE

For the public, the best course of action against the church is a classic cold shoulder. The church’s antics are desperate attempts at attention, created through the most horrifying means imaginable.

This column itself is proof that its attempts are working.

The best way to combat such displays of hatred isn’t through a court ruling. It is through simply ignoring thecChurch’s frequent demonstrations.

In purposely outraging people, the church gains the attention i t wa n ts from the media and American citizens.

By ignoring them, we similarly ignore their senseless messages.

In a world where all Americans did the right thing, this column wouldn’t be necessary. But in that world, neither would the Constitution. Our nation is based on the fundamental idea that people are allowed to believe in different things and express that belief openly, no matter how outrageous it may be. In order to be awarded the rights of the Constitution, it’s necessary for Americans to accept all applications of those rights, even in situations they don’t agree with.

David Cote is a staffer for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights.com

I consider myself a fairly understanding man. I have my beliefs, and will stay true to them, but always will take time to hear any positions that people may have and consider my reaction to their opinion.

However, I am not quite as understanding when it comes to the stance of the Westboro Baptist Church.

The Westboro Baptist Church is, in my mind, an utterly despicable institution. Its notorious for its views regarding soldiers, GLBTQ, and the Jewish community, and its aggressive protests displaying these views. While protests and demonstrations are proper, and legal, ways to voice opinions, the church’s protest of Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder’s funeral most assuredly crossed the line. I applaud Snyder’s family with the highest regard for taking legal action against the group.

The main issue in this case is whether the First Amendment protects the church and its protests. While an entirely fair argument, I’m not willing to give it too much credit. The Westboro Baptist Church should be able to express its opinion, and it should be able to have legal protests because, despite their offensive nature, the church should be allowed to voice its opinion.

The question that I pose to readers is this: Where do we draw the line?

There is no institution that I have more respect for than the U.S. Armed Forces. They are men and women who volunteer to put their lives on the line for our freedom and safety.

While I understand people having a problem with the reasons for our country going

to war or why people join the ous, disgraceful comments.

Armed Forces, once they join Furthermore, the case would the military I have a hard time only upset the already prewith people who speak against carious balance within groups the soldiers. Therefore I have a between verbal and physical problem with what the Westabuse. If someone is protected boro Baptist Church does. by saying whatever they want, I don’t know if I could pos- what is to stop them from sibly think of an action that is gradually thinking that they as disrespectful could do whatThe Supreme Court is ever they want. as protesting at a funeral. A fumore than within its This issue is a neral is a sacred slippery slope right to appeal to a time at which that the Court people get to higher moral standard, has to avoid. say their final The United and that is what it goodbyes to the States of departed. should do in this case. America is a The emoproud countion of the event is amplified at try. We pride ourselves on a military funeral since, oftenour history, our cultures, and times, the deceased will have most importantly, our various died at a significantly younger freedoms. However, there are age than expected. Given the certain cases where there is circumstances surrounding a a line that has to be drawn in funeral, it is hard to imagine regards to how much freedom someone saying something out we allow. of line, let alone going so far The opposition may state as to chant, scream, and hold that the limiting of free speech signs that say “Thank God for would lead to a slippery slope IEDs.” The emotional strife that results in a gradual stripthat Cpl. Snyder’s family was ping away of our freedoms. I under was probably immeasursay that this argument is popable, and then only amplified pycock. This is not an issue of by the presence of the WestConstitutional interpretation, boro Baptist Church. or of a limiting of the freedoms Ultimately, the Westboro that we are provided. It is, Baptist Church caused mental instead, a fundamental issue harm to Cpl. Snyder’s family. of what is right or wrong. The It overstepped a boundary, and Supreme Court is more than is ultimately responsible for within its right to appeal to that action. The Snyder family a higher moral standard, and has the freedom to bury their that is what it should do in this son in peace, just as the church case. has the freedom to practice its The way in which the Westbeliefs as it sees fit, and the boro Baptist Church conducts line is crossed is when the two itself is a disgrace to the values conflict with one another. that every American holds him Think of the can of worms or herself to. The Supreme that this case could open if Court should not and cannot the Supreme Court ruled in allow these people to get off favor of the Church. Every without a punishment. Sometime there was tension between one needs to give this church a two groups, the more aggresslap to the head and tell them sive would go out of its way to that, in America, we don’t shame the more vulnerable. insult or degrade our fellow Moreover, it would be encourcitizens, we lift them up to new aged to do so. It could go back heights. and reference the infamous “Westboro Baptist Case” and Christopher Osnato is a guest colhave a legal precedent that umnist for The Heights. He welprotects it from a lawsuit even comes comments at marketplace@ when its members say slanderbcheights.com

11%

44%

ONLY HOMICIDES

CERTAIN NON-HOMICIDES AND HOMICIDES

44%

NO CRIMES WARRANT THE DEATH PENALTY

DAVE MUNCH, THE CARROLL COUNTY TIMES / AP PHOTO

Jacob Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church is confronted outside the Supreme Court building after a hearing Oct. 6

Anti-Japan sentiment sweeps over China

BY MICHELA GACIOCH Heights Staff

“Love China, Boycott Japan Products!” read banners as thousands of Chinese protestors charged toward Japanese-owned department store Ito-Yokado this past Saturday in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan. After last month’s seizure of a Chinese fishing boat by Japan, relations between the two countries have been strained. Catalyzed by a weekend report stating that a Japanese demonstration was to take place near the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo, massive protests were staged in at least three provincial Chinese cities over the weekend.

As riotous Chinese protestors, most appearing to be in their 20’s, stormed the streets chanting anti-Japan slogans, some broke windows in Chengdu’s Japanese department store and hung a Chinese flag with the aid of the leftover, fragmented glass.

Demonstrations began after f liers were distributed in the Sichuan capital, calling for the Chinese to “oppose the Japanese invasion of China’s Diaoyutai.”

The Diaoyutai, unpopulated islands in the East China Sea, were claimed by the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of China on Taiwan, and by Japan under the name Senkaku. On Sept. 8, Japan detained the captain of

a Chinese fishing boat near the disputed islands, accusing him of purposefully ramming his boat into a Japanese coast guard vessel. He has since been released.

Chinese citizens were furious over the arrest. The demonstration in Chengdu alone attracted 35,000 people. Smaller protests took place in Xian and Zhengzhou, the capitals of Shaanxi and Henan, as well. The official New China News Agency stated that approximately 7,000 people took part in the demonstration in Xian.

These protests formed the largest anti-Japan demonstration in China since 2005, when dissidents vandalized Japanese businesses across China in response to the approval of a Japanese history textbook and a proposal that Japan be granted a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.

Among the 2005 rebels, the slogan “Patriotism is not a sin” gained popularity, and became a driving force in the lives of anti-Japan Chinese citizens. People’s Republic of China (PRC) president Hu Jintao, who assumed office in 2002, received much criticism for his less-than-active role in ending the violence and rebellion. While the PRC policed the demonstrations, an effort to stop the protests or rein in violence was never made.

While the Chinese govern-

ment has shown minimal interest in the issue, it is trying to turn such patriotism into productivity for China. “China and Japan are important neighbors. We uphold a proper resolution of the existing sensitive and complicated issues between the two countries through dialogue so as to jointly safeguard the strategic relationship of mutual benefit. It is understandable that some Chinese

people expressed their indignation against the recent erroneous words and deeds of the Japanese side, but we believe patriotism should be expressed in a rational and lawful way. We don’t approve actions either irrational or against the law. We believe the majority of the Chinese people can translate their patriotic passion into good performance at work for the overall interest of China’s reform,

development, and stability,” Ma Zhaoxu, China’s foreign minister spokesperson told reporters.

Since 1980, Japan’s economy has been on the decline. Oddly enough, in 1991, economists predicted that Japan would overtake the United States as the world’s largest economy by 2010. Despite such lofty expectations, Japan’s economy remains the same size it was in 1991, with a domestic

PHOTO COURTESY OF AP CHINA

Anti-Japan protestors demand a boycott of Japanese products in the Hubei province capital of Wuhan on Oct. 18.

product of $5.7 trillion. This year, China overtook Japan to become the world’s No. 2 largest economy, a possible factor on the list of disputes between the countries. For an economy that has not been growing significantly in prosperity for the past two decades, a boycott by China, the current second largest economy in the world, is not an ideal prospect. Loss of Chinese patronage means significant loss of profit for Japanese-owned businesses such as Ito-Yokado. In addition, Japan certainly does not want its archenemy holding the economic power of the country.

While long term economic effects have yet to be determined, a boycott of Japan could catalyze serious problems for the former second largest economy in the world. While Chinese protestors are acting in the hope of stifling the growth of Japan’s economy and well being, most of their efforts are based on emotion. As thousands came to the centers of Chengdu, Xian, and Zhengzhou Saturday to begin the protesting, the air was full of passion for the Diaoyutai and passion for their country. About 35,000 Chinese citizens demonstrated such passion in Chengdu, yet it was reported that 2,000 Japanese natives themselves protested in front of the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo. 

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, October 21, 2010

B7

MARKET REPORT

A new image of the American Dream AMEET PADTE Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines the “American Dream” as “an American social ideal that stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity.” In other words, it is the idea that all people are socioeconomically equal and that the power of the mind triumphs over all others. The American capitalist system is unparalleled in its facilitation of social mobility, that people from the “lower classes,” through effort and diligence, can become rich. The rich, through carelessness and negligence, can lose their wealth. Indeed, a cursory examination of the Barnes & Noble self-help section reveals a multitude of get-rich-quick books, nearly all of which advocate the same platitudes: Differentiate your product, build a brand, cut costs, look for opportunities, and make your business your life.

However, if this is true, why do Americans resent the wealth people and corporations have with such vehemence?

There are some instances in which the sentiment is obvious.

For instance, the vitriol against the “big banks” can be attributed to the well-publicized bonuses. In the eyes of a battered and bruised public, these were rewarded to organizations which caused the financial meltdown and received tremendous aid from the taxpayers. There’s no bailout for people struggling to pay their mortgages. That being said, if these companies performed better, those people wouldn’t have had mortgages in the first place.

Media and activist groups enjoy portraying corporations as vast, faceless entities driven

by Uncle Pennybags, singlemindedly pursuing profits and expansion. A case in point for the paradoxical sentiments felt toward corporations is WalMart. A true story of American capitalism, Samuel Walton started Walton’s Five and Dime store in Bentonville, Ark., about half a century ago. For the fiscal year 2009, the empire that he started achieved revenue over $400 billion. Today, the company faces opposition when attempting to enter new communities because of its tendency to displace local businesses.

A corporation is subjected to criticism because they do their job too well.

The starving artists’ favorite hang-out, Starbucks, now encounters similar antagonism.

Because local coffee shops cannot compete with Starbucks’ brand image, culture, and product line, the company has begun opening their locations without Starbucks branding.

They sell similar products and have a similar ambiance, but are marketed as a local coffee shop.

It’s almost as though we enjoy corporations that become big, but not too big.

A point I’d also like to bring up: In the “comments” section on technology blogs such as Gizmodo and Engadget, Apple fanatics, or “fanboys” as they are known, refer to the subject of their hatred as “Micro$oft.”

What does that dollar sign mean? Is Microsoft unique among companies in pursuing its fiduciary duty? It’s almost as though they believe that Steve Jobs, like, only wants to make cool stuff, man. These people conveniently ignore the recent tragic suicides of workers at Foxconn, the supplier which builds Apple products.

I saw Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps a few weeks ago (I don’t recommend it). There was one scene in which Shia LeBouf’s character implores his hippie girlfriend for her $100

HEIGHTS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION / MICHAEL SALDARRIAGA

DANNY MARTINEZ

MATT PALAZZOLO

MAEGAN O’ROURKE

ZAK JASON

Why does House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have such a low approval rating (29 percent)?

She’s like your crazy grandmother: 70, botoxed, and thinks she can do whatever she wants.

The “Fire Pelosi” bus has been a success, unlike everything else associated with Michael Steele.

She’s the first one people blame for the inefficiencies of Congress.

Why did The OC get canceled after four seasons?

Eyebrows. Pelosi is the new Peter Gallagher.

If Afghanistan negotiates a peace deal with the Taliban, is that a defeat for the United States?

Absolutely, the comparisons to Vietnam will come quickly, to the detriment of the Obama administration.

As long as bin Laden remains safe in his luxurious Pakistani cave, the war will continue.

That may be the best solution they have.

Is it a loss to Elmer Fudd to negotiate peace with Bugs Bunny?

Name the enumerated rights of the First Amendment.

4 / 5. Apparently I need to study more for my Constitutional Law class. Sorry, Professor Kersch!

4 / 5. Petitioning is overrated.

5/5. Me > Christine O’Donnell

5/5. It pays to be an English major.

In the Pennyslvania Senate race, who will be victorious: Sestak or Toomey?

Toomey. It’s amazing how Republicans have come up with zero new ideas, yet are ahead.

Whoever books a trip on the Tea Party Express first.

Toomey, because Ethan Stevenson, A&S ’11, says so.

Toomey. He leads by 9 points in the Marist Poll.

The Marist Poll never gets it wrong. Never.

Marketplace Editor

million trust fund to invest in an alternative energy company that will “make a difference.”

She retorts “and a huge profit, I bet.” So what? The concepts of making money and doing good aren’t incompatible.

It may also be that CEOs epitomize the supposedly ruthless and profiteering nature of corporations. Indeed, a recent NPR segment featured a study which claims to have proved that the use of certain words in press releases indicates corporate dishonesty. This brings me to my next point. Besides the corporations, the recession has revealed a latently ugly resentment felt towards the wealthy by those in lower income brackets, particularly in regard to income inequality. From 1980 to 2005, more than 80 percent of our national income increase went to the top 1 percent of earners.

Today, as a result, the richest 1 percent of Americans account for 24 percent of the nation’s income.

Policymakers like to cite that figure when pushing for tax increases to the wealthy.

The antipathy has been more and more parasitic, and those who advocate this move fail to realize the concept of opportunity cost, taxing the wealthy appropriates income that they would otherwise spend and inject into the economy. This concept forms the basis of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, a book which evangelizes the virtues of the entrepreneur, the capitalist, and the greedy. The industrious, according to Rand, embody all that is good and American.

However, when attempting to connect with working-class

Asst. Marketplace Editor

Assoc. Sports Editor

Assoc. Arts & Review Editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF WALLPAMPERS.COM

‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,’ a sequel directed by Oliver Stone, stars Shia Labeouf (left) and Michael Douglas (right). In the film, the concept of making exorbitant money and doing good for the community are not incompatible. voters, politicians castigate and demonize (in addition to big corporations) the wealthy.

What they are really inducing is the deep-seated resentment and jealousy felt toward those with by those without. People who envy or resent the wealthy would more often than not like to trade places with them, or possibly rob them of their assets.

But are the wealthy the targets of this chastisement, or the supposed “elite” of America? Sarah Palin spouts ideas about “protecting the American Dream,” but simultaneously scorns Barack Obama for being a “professor standing at his podium.” Christine O’Donnell

memorably begins a campaign ad with, “I didn’t go to Yale. I’m you.” Not me.

If anything, they should be celebrating the Obamas.

Barack Obama encapsulates the American ideal. Brought up by a single mother and an esteemed a graduate of Columbia and Harvard Law School, he is now president. Perhaps, then, this disdain lies with the altering of the status quo, that the “old rich” has been replaced by the “new rich.” It may be that those who aren’t wealthy “fell through the cracks,” and in a system which values meritocracy, those who were simply unlucky feel as though they lacked some indefinable quality that the success-

ful possess.

I don’t buy into this notion, however. Despite being a Hindu, I possess a staggering amount of “Protestant work ethic” and believe that success and effort are directly correlated, an equation with inputs and outputs. If you aren’t successful, then you did something wrong.

We’ll end with a quote from Homer Simpson’s destitute brother, who aptly stated, “In America, all you need is an idea ... and money to get it off the ground.”

Ameet Padte is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights. com.

A regular sleep cycle improves academic performance Sleep, from B10 lowing information is a more collegerelevant summary and interpretation of their explanation.

The sleep-wake cycle, “which consists of roughly eight hours of nocturnal sleep and 16 hours of daytime wakefulness in humans,” is governed by sleep homeostasis and circadian rhythms. Homeostasis is the body’s way of keeping internal conditions, such as temperature, fairly constant, and scientists know that sleep is also controlled in a homeostatic manner. Essentially, once you wake up, your body begins to accrue a drive for sleep. The longer you stay awake, the greater this drive becomes. At a certain point, it grows so strong that you cannot help but close your eyes.

It’s similar to spending time at your favorite pub. The longer you sit at the bar, the more your tab increases, and eventually you must pay back what you owe. Just like the monetary value on your bill is a measure of your debt, it is believed that the amount of the chemical adenosine in your blood may help your body to monitor your “sleep deficit.”

Circadian rhythms refer to the physiological and behavioral changes that occur over a 24-hour cycle in the human body. The biological clock responsible for overseeing these rhythms is a group of neurons located in the hypothalamus called the suprachiasmatic nucleus. This clock is affected by environmental signals as well as lifestyle and scheduling choices. But the presence

or absence of light is the biggest factor determining how it is set, which then impacts our desire to awaken or to sleep. Anyone who has ever experienced jet lag can appreciate the power (and fury) of disrupted circadian rhythms.

As the NSF explains, “Thus the homeostatic system tends to make us sleepier as time goes on throughout the waking period, regardless of whether it’s night or day, while the circadian system tends to keep us awake as long as there is daylight, prompting us to sleep as soon as it becomes dark.

Because of the complexity of this interaction, it is generally agreed that sleep quality and restfulness are best when the sleep schedule is regularly synchronized to the internal circadian rhythms and that of the external light-dark cycle – when we try to go to bed and wake up at around the same time each day, even on days off and weekends.”

Now that we have an understanding of the physiological underpinnings of sleep, it is time to explore its significance and influence. What issues arise when you skimp on sleep? Is there any scientific support for the importance of a good night’s rest before an exam? In an e-mail, Joe Burdo, a professor in the biology department, said, “Even though sleep has been intensely studied for decades, we still don’t know exactly why we need to sleep. We do know that a lack of sleep causes memory, attention, and coordination problems, similar to those seen with

alcohol intoxication. It does appear that sleep is crucial for memory consolidation, which means that the signaling pathways between our neurons that encode our important memories from that day grow stronger. This has practical implications for students trying to learn new and complex information. If you try to stay up all night and cram for a test, by skipping sleep altogether or just getting a few hours, you’ll end up forgetting a lot of what you tried to learn. You’re much better off ‘sleeping on it’ for a full night to let those memories

solidify in your mind,” he said.

In addition to memory consolidation and attention difficulties, a lack of sleep has also been associated with a wide array of negative side effects.

The NSF cites a variety of studies showing that sleep deprivation causes increased stress, anger, and mental burnout, along with alterations in hormone release that are believed to be linked to obesity and diabetes.

Even our immune systems are not exempt from the consequences of a lack of sleep, as revealed by another study which reported that the effec-

Sleep-related facts from Dr. Burdo:

1

During REM sleep, the body is completely paralyzed except for the eyes and the diaphragm (which is a good thing if you want to keep breathing!).

Occasionally, when people wake quickly from REM sleep they will still be paralyzed for a short period of time, and literally be unable to move even though they are awake.

2

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrolled sleep attacks during the day. Intense emotional feelings can sometimes trigger the attacks, so a sufferer can one second by crying or laughing, and the next be in a deep REM sleep.

3

Many of the negative effects of sleep deprivation are determined from voluntary sleep deprivation studies. The world record for sleep deprivation is believed to be 264 straight hours (11 days).

Joseph Burdo is an adjunct assistant biology professor at Boston College.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSEPH BURDO

tiveness of flu vaccines was drastically delayed in sleep-deprived men when compared to well-rested individuals.

If this is not enough, cardiovascular disease is also thought to be influenced by sleep loss. Thus, examining the repercussions of sleep deprivation has led scientists to believe that a good night’s rest is necessary for the body’s proper functioning and overall health.

So how much sleep should you be getting each night? “Individuals have widely varying sleep / wake patterns, meaning that some are night owls who are more productive at night, some are larks who are more productive early in the day, and many people fall somewhere in between,” Burdo said. “This pattern also changes with age. In general, college age young adults tend to be night owls, but still need around nine hours of sleep a night to be most productive and keep memories the strongest.”

Sleep and its physiological foundations are a truly interesting and rather mysterious topic of scientific research. Although this article does not delve into the stages of sleep or “sleep architecture,” which details the events and patterns of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and nonREM sleep, I encourage any interested readers to visit the NSF’s Web site to learn more about this subject and a number of other related matters.  Rachel Newmiller is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights.com.

B8

The Heights

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Heights

Thursday, October 21, 2010

B9

Netanyahu: Lebanon ‘satellite state’ of Iran

By James Havel For The Heights

On a trip to Lebanon last week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed, once again, to wipe Israel off the map.

“The whole world knows that the Zionists are going to disappear … The occupying Zionists today have no choice but to accept reality and return to their countries of origin,” he said. These comments prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call Lebanon a “proxy state” of Iran, bent on destroying Israel.

He also added, “This is a tragedy for Lebanon, but we in Israel will know how to defend ourselves and will continue to build our country.”

Tensions between Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon reached a boiling point in 2006 when a 34day war broke out after Hezbollah attacked armored humvees along the Israeli-Lebanese border. During the conflict, the United States Congress voted overwhelmingly that Israel had every right to “defend herself ” and strongly condemned the actions taken by Hezbollah.

The Obama administration has had somewhat of an icy and hostile relationship with Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu, drawing criticism from every major Israeli and Jewish lobbying group on Capitol Hill, most notably the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. However, the Obama administration’s relationship with Lebanon is mixed.

John Brennan, assistant to the president on issues regarding homeland security and counter

terrorism, has called Hezbollah “an interesting organization” and claimed they have evolved from a “purely terrorist organization” into a political organization that has members within the Lebanese parliament and cabinet. However, the official stance of the United States is that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, responsible for several high-profile bombings, kidnappings, and killings of United States citizens, soldiers, and political appointees throughout the 1980s.

Upon Ahmadinejad’s departure from Lebanon, the U.S. State Department’s chief Middle East representative and former ambassador to Lebanon, Jeffrey Feltman, flew to Beirut on Sunday to hold talks with the country’s president, Michel Suleiman. He stated the U.S. wanted to calm the tensions between Hezbollah and the pro-western majority in the Lebanese parliament.

The U.S. further condemned Ahmadinejad’s visit to Lebanon when U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters in Washington, “His travel to southern Lebanon … is solely to rally Hezbollah, which continues to serve as … Iran’s proxy in Lebanon ... his presence there we think is a provocation that continues to undermine the sovereignty of Lebanon and the security of the region.”

How will the U.S. and Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements affect our relationship with Lebanon? Many regional experts agree that sectarian violence would surge in the country if Hezbollah broke away from the fragile united government, and that would have

Dalati Nohra / ap photo

On a trip to Lebanon last week, Ahmadinejad vowed again to destroy Israel.

a negative effect on Israel or the U.S. Yet, Netanyahu’s comments shed more light on our relationship with Iran than with Lebanon. For the last year, the U.S. has led the effort to isolate Iran with sanctions and a continuing persistence to stop the Iranians from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Hezbollah gives credit to Iran for its rebuilding after the 2006 war mentioned above, and considers Iran its primary ally in the region and world. If Hezbollah were to somehow gain a stronger hold in Lebanon and overthrow the prowestern government, the entire region would certainly be destabilized, and Israel would have an additional enemy to worry about.

It would almost certainly break down any sort of relationship the U.S. has with Lebanon, as it has consistently been opposed to Hezbollah in its doctrine and its actions. The daily Al-Anwar reported, “The Americans are being told: ‘If you isolate Iran, Iran will corner you in Lebanon and elsewhere.” This notion further suggests Iran is making a power play for control of the region and is interested in destroying anything it perceives as pro-Western.

It is in the U.S. interest to see that Lebanon will maintain its democracy and the current regime can hold on to power, despite the provocations of Ahmadinejad and Hezbollah. Several western European governments, and many Lebanese politicians, newspapers, and citizens, condemn Hezbollah, and did not approve of the Iranian president’s visit. However, one Lebanese politician told reporters, “We agree with Iran and Hezbollah on being against Israel, but we disagree with them regarding ways to confront (Israel).”

While on the campaign trail, Obama promised to improve relations with Iran, but that idea was shelved after Ahmadinejad won a contested re-election in the summer of 2009, sending the country into political turmoil,and initiating a brutally violent crackdown against the protesters. U.S.Iranian diplomatic relations have also been frozen since the 1979 hostage crisis, and Congress has increasingly become alarmed with the intentions and actions of Iran.

On Monday, members of Congress suggested the U.S. can no longer support Lebanon militarily, as it continues to align itself with Iran and Syria. However, the Obama administration has stated military aid to Lebanon has helped the country stay out of Iran’s orbit. n

Angela Merkel Chancellor of Germany

By Matt Palazzolo Asst. Marketplace Editor Angela Merkel was born on July 17, 1954, in Hamburg, West Germany. Her father was a Lutheran minister, and shortly after Merkel’s birth, the family moved to his pastorate in Templin, East Germany. She studied physics at the University of Leipzig, graduating in 1978. Merkel worked and studied at the Central Institute of the Academy of Sciences in Berlin-Adlershof, eventually earning a doctorate. While studying at the Academy she married a physics student, Ulrich Merkel, but divorced after only five years.

She met her current husband, Joachim Sauer, at the Academy in 1981, but they did not marry until 1998.

Angela Merkel did not become involved in politics until the fall of the Berlin Wall. In 1989, she joined the newly formed political party Demokratischer Aufbruch, or Democratic Awakening, and became the deputy spokesman for the pre-unification interim government. In the first unified general election, Merkel was elected to the Bundestag from an electoral district including Nordvorpommern, Rugen, and the city of Stralsund. Her party merged with the

ruling Christian Democratic Coalition, and she was appointed Minister for Women and Youth in Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s cabinet. In 1994 she was appointed Minister for the Environment and Nuclear Safety, and began to become a visible leader of the CDU. Following the defeat of the CDU in the 1998 elections and a 1999 financial scandal that forced the retirement of many party leaders, Merkel became head of the opposition to the ruling Social Democratic Party. She struck a pro-business stance on economic issues and clashed with Chancellor Schroder by supporting the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Following the CDU’s victory in the 2005 elections, Merkel became chancellor of Germany.

As chancellor, Merkel maintained her probusiness stance by reforming health care and easing corporate taxes. However, during the 2008 economic crisis she oversaw the bailout of mortgage companies and pledged to protect private savings deposits. She has maintained warm relations with Israel and traveled to the country to mark its 60th anniversary in 2007.

Recently, Merkel has generated controversy by stating that multiculturalism has failed and disparate peoples cannot coexist. Her party does not face re-election until 2013.

Gero Breloer / ap photo

Angela Merkel and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan watch a Euro 2012 group qualifying match.

Long road ahead for Afghani peace With Tea Party, Afghanistan, from B10

be led by the Afghan government, not NATO, and that they were willing to accept militants who decide to put their weapons down.

The U.S. government has also thrown its support behind such a cause. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters, “We have always acknowledged that

reconciliation has to be part of the solution in Afghanistan and we will do whatever we can to support this process.” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also voiced her approval, but said it was too early to decide what the outcome would be.

The U.S. State Department has laid down some boundaries.

For one, officials have stated that Mullah Mohammad Omar, the

Modern Day Philosopher

leader of the Taliban, will not be playing any “constructive” roles in future negotiations. This is because of supposed ties between Omar and Osama bin Laden.

State Department spokesman Phillip Crowley told reporters that Omar “had many opportunities during the ’90s and even after Sept. 11 to disassociate himself from Osama bin Laden, but chose not to.” More so, Omar

By Gregory Kita

did not meet the “criteria” established to join reconciliation talks (these conditions being the renouncement of violence, the end of relations with Al Qaeda, and obedience to the laws of Afghanistan). Thus, there is public skepticism on whether the talks will succeed. But with a failing military operation in Afghanistan, the possibilities of other alternatives are dwindling. n

remember the past to see future Tea Party, from B10

debt and intervention of government into areas they believe unsuitable. The methods the Tea Party suggests to combat the government’s ills include mixed calls for tax cuts and decreasing government spending, and each “populist” calls to remove the strain that many believe the government has put on the people at large.

The Tea Party has a national figurehead and voice, a person of strong conviction who claims to speak for the interests of the movement, Sarah Palin. Her influence among the Tea Party cannot be denied, as her endorsements have been significant in the nomination of some underdog Republicans in primaries already.

To Robert Frost, the following is attributed: “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.” From these comparisons, I only wish to show what some may already be well aware of, but is nevertheless important to understand about the current state of American politics finds itself in at present: This has happened before. I do not mean this in a skeptical way. Instead of being inundated with the repeatedly stated line that we are in times of great change, Americans should look to their past and see how events comparable to the

times at present were handled.

We have a wealth of information to fall back on in our own very short history that at the very least can encourage us. It can assure us that throughout all of American history, controversial movements and polarizing issues have threatened to tear apart consensus and desire to reason in America.

Dangerous men entrusted as leaders in politics, business, or any number of positions of social import have threatened to bring ruination to our country through failed policy or selfishness. Yet, in spite of all of these trials, great and small, the nation has made it this far, the nation has survived.

We have faced similar times like our current predicament – a massive debt. We have been tried by war. We have seen in our past periods when our governing bodies were so wrought with political division that our political process was at an impasse. And then these times passed. To be sure, other crises sprang up and demanded new solutions, yet on and on we’ve gone. When thinking of the present, remember the past, for in doing so we might gain confidence in knowing how the nation has made it here to begin with.

John Glynn is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights. com.

MARKETPLACE THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, October 21, 2010

B10

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2010

Afghanistan begins negotiations with Taliban

BY KARN KHUNGER Heights Staff

GEMUNU AMARASINGHE/AP PHOTO

ALLAUDDIN KHAN/AP PHOTO

DAN KITWOOD, POOL / AP PHOTO

Afghanistan began the peace process in hopes of ending the nine-year war with the Taliban. Both Afghan President Hamid Karzai (bottom left) and NATO commander David Petraeus (bottom right ) have voiced their support for initial negotiations.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai recently came out and confirmed reports that his government was engaging in informal talks with the Taliban insurgency “for quite some time.”

Karzai went into further detail on Monday, when his interview with Larry King was broadcasted on CNN. “We have been talking to the Taliban as countryman to countryman,” Karzai said. “Not as a regular official contact with the Taliban with a fixed address, but rather, unofficial personal contacts have been going on for quite some time.”

Afghan Presidential Spokesman Waheed Omar claimed he was already aware of Karzai’s talks. According to Omar, Karzai had been open in addressing his office about the discussions. “He has talked about it in the past as well. It’s not hidden from anyone,” Omar said. The president’s office previously confirmed there were informal talks with different levels of Afghan Taliban over the past couple of years.”

Beyond the Afghan government, NATO’s top commander, General David Petraeus, has also been told of the conversations. Discussions are serving as a backdrop to the war, which is entering its 10th year. U.S. public support is dwindling and President Obama’s troop surge over the summer has accomplished little of its desired effect. Violence is still prevalent around the countryside and security continues to be suspect.

A Taliban ambush on Monday in the Qarabagh district resulted in the death of eight insurgents and injured two Afghan security contractors. Furthermore, six militants were killed by Afghan forces in southern Helmand province’s Marjah and Greshk districts.

Because of the repeated violence, the Afghan government has decided to attempt to shift talks into a more “formal” discussion.

This could mean the potential setup of a peace council, such as the one headed by former

President Burhanuddin Rabbani in the 1980s.

Rabbani was part of a coalition that fought against the Soviet Union. He later served as president of Afghanistan from 1992 to 1996, at which point he was removed by Taliban forces. “I would like to say we should not see these processes with sunglasses. Taliban have never rejected the peace talks utterly, rather they have expressed some reservations and pre-conditions, and it means they also believe in negotiations,” Rabbani said at a press conference with the head of joint secretariat of the Peace Council, Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai.

Omar, too, pressed his hopes for such a panel. “We hope that the signals that have been sent from the different representatives of the Taliban, and the kind of contact, direct and indirect, from the past, will materialize into substantive talks led by the High Council of Peace,” Omar said.

Despite the Taliban’s insistence that they will not negotiate without the removal of foreign influences, Taliban leaders have reached out several times to high ranking officials in the Afghan government. Despite its best intentions, Afghanistan’s efforts to promote talks have been met with criticism from countries such as Saudi Arabia. Karzai spoke to Saudi Arabian officials hoping for them to kick off peace negotiations. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal refused though, citing Taliban ties to perennial enemy Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda as too controversial for the kingdom to overcome.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, however, was ready to accept and facilitate talks between the Taliban and Afghanistan. At a NATO meeting in Brussels, Rasmussen stated, “Our position is that if we can facilitate this process through practical assistance, then why not? If we get a request, then we are prepared to do that.” He also told reporters that the reconciliation talks should

See Afghanistan, B9

HEALTH & SCIENCE

ELECTION CENTRAL

Current political climate similar to a preceding decade: the 1890s

See Tea Party, B9

HEIGHTS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION / MICHAEL SALDARRIAGA

Who needs to sleep?

Apparently, everyone RACHEL NEWMILLER

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

U.S. political leader William Jennings Bryan

POLITICS

ECONOMICS

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

The U.S. Agriculture Department unveiled a plan to compensate Native American farmers who were unfairly denied loans. The settlement will cost an estimated $760 million.

News Corporation, the owner of FOX, instituted a blackout of cable programs on both television and the Internet in the New York area. Fox is involved in a contract dispute with television company CableVision.

Microsoft chief software architect Ray Ozzie announced he will retire from the company. The position was previously held by Microsoft founder and chairman Bill Gates.

Attorney General Eric Holder asserted that the federal government will continue to arrest people for marijuana possession even if the California legalization law passes.

The Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force began an investigation of potential fraud by mortgage companies in the current foreclosure crisis. The Force can pursue both civil and criminal penalties.

Facebook blocked 10 popular applications, including Farmville, after it accidentally leaked personal information to advertisers and Internet tracking companies.

I NSIDE MARKE TP L A C E

THIS ISSUE

On the flip side

For most students, college life is a balancing act among academic demands, social pursuits, and employment. And it often seems that there is just not enough time in the day to get everything accomplished. Thus, many of us steal time from one of our most important daily activities in an attempt to shorten our lengthy “to do” lists. This daily “necessity” has been shown to impact cognitive performance, mood, cardiovascular

health, hormone secretion affecting metabolism, and the body’s immune system. While browsing my Facebook newsfeed the other morning, I came upon a status update that seemed to best embody the relationship between the overworked college student and this frequently undervalued physiological requirement – “Sleep is overrated. Who needs sleep anyway?”

It’s a good question, and perhaps in order to answer it, we should begin with a discussion of sleep regulation. The National Sleep Foundation (hereafter NSF, not to be confused with the National Science Foundation) has released a booklet entitled the “Sleep-Wake Cycle: Its Physiology and Impact on Health.” The fol-

See Sleep, B7

2

Number of total Internet users in the world in billions. The number has doubled in the past five years.

39

Seats in the House of Representatives the GOP needs to regain a majority. John Boehner would succeed Nancy Pelosi as Speaker.

This week’s On the flip side will explore both sides of the issue of freedom of speech in regards to the Westboro Baptist Church ............................ B6

IN QUOTES

IN THE NEWS

If I had to pick another time in America’s political history that most closely resembles today’s, I would have to say the 1890s, of course. Without equivocation.

The 1890s were a time of great economic crises. The panic of 1893, brought on in part by a burst bubble in railroad speculation markets, did much to create what many historians believe to have been the worst economic recession America faced prior to the Great Depression. Some modern estimates say the downturn brought about unemployment rates as high as 12 percent in the mid-1890s. Cries went up from the populace for a reform of America’s business and political cultures. “Eastern” banking interests, especially in New York City, were vilified for being schemers bent on amassing stockpiles of wealth to no one’s benefit but their own. Farmers in the Midwest urged that the government inflate the currency by using silver in valuing the dollar,which would in the short term help in paying backbreaking debts on farm loans.

Regarding the political landscape, the previous several election cycles had seen power in Congress swing back and forth between Democrats and Republicans, every two years, seemingly.

Added into the fray of American politics at this time was the People’s or “Populist” Party. While not repre-

IN NUMBERS

JOHN GLYNN

sentative of an overwhelming portion of America, the Populists succeeded in organizing a mass of distrustful Americans that sought change in the scene in Washington. They were a force to be reckoned with, a legitimate third party for a time. Democrats eventually extended their party and took in the Populists.

Beginning in the mid-1890s, the spokesman for Populist sentiment was William Jennings Bryan, an iron-willed, visceral, religious man, and soon-to-be perennial presidential candidate, who preached for aid to the beleaguered farmers and working poor against the wealthy financial interests of the nation.

To draw a litany of parallels, in present-day America, we find ourselves immersed in economic stagnation. Unemployment is at its highest in decades and people are wildly distrustful of the banking and financial services industry.

The last two election cycles have been viewed as representing the fact that Americans wanted significant change to the political scene in Washington, as something in the status quo was not right with government. The year 2006 witnessed the Democrats’ takeover of Congress after a decade of Republican control, and 2008 saw the enlarging of Democratic majorities to points not seen in decades. With it seeming more and more likely that Republicans will gain control of the House again, as well as make significant gains in the Senate, another wild swing in the opposite direction may be expected.

The Tea Party movement has emerged to direct the manifold opinions held by a significant and discontented portion of America. Among the issues they raise are the nation’s staggering

“

Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state?

”

– Christine O’Donnell Delaware senatorial candidate speaking at a recent debate

Market Report....................................B7 China protests Japanese products..........B9