The Heights 12/08/11

Chorale Christmas

#BCProblems Weekend split

Arts & review

Features

sports

Classic hymns and holiday carols fill Trinity Chapel with a festive air, A10

A look at the different aspects of BC life from the drinking culture to body image, B6

The men’s hockey team lost Friday night, but came back big on Saturday, B1

Monday, December 5, 2011

Vol. XCII, No. 46

Hoops for Hope raises money for Jimmy V Seventh annual 3-on-3 charity basketball tournament earns over $10,000 for cancer

By Andrew Millette For The Heights

On Saturday, Dec. 3, the Boston College Hoops for Hope Committee hosted its annual basketball tournament at the Plex. The proceeds of the event went to the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research.

The Hoops for Hope 3-on-3 basketball tournament for charity was inaugurated on Feb. 14, 2004. The tournament was founded by Haven Perkins, a former member of the BC football team. The initial event raised thousands of dollars for the

Jimmy V Foundation, and has been growing every year since.

This year’s tournament featured 21 teams: seven in the men’s bracket, seven in the women’s bracket, and seven in the coed bracket. These three-man teams played from 9 a.m. until the championship round at 2 p.m. The players called their own fouls, but the score was kept by members of the BC Hoops for Hope Committee.

This year’s tournament marked an increase in both player participation and donations.

“This tournament has raised more

money each year since it started,” said Kyle Saunders, president of the BC Hoops for Hope Committee and A&S ’12. “Last year we raised over $10,000, and this year we’re on pace to beat that. There are years with only two or three women’s teams, and this year we have seven. The men’s bracket also has a lot of talent.”

The members of each bracket’s winning team were able to sele-ct from a variety of prizes, including Boston Celtics tickets, a football signed by Eli Manning, and an assortment of BC clothing from the bookstore. Another major contributor was 47 brand, who donated BC baseball caps.

“47 brand has always been great at helping us out,” Saunders said.

See Hoops, A4

sara davey / heights staff

Over 21 teams competed to raise money for the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research.

BC works to assist students in difficult economic times

By Daniel Tonkovich Heights Editor

Editor’s Note: This is the second installment of a three-part series addressing the challenges and role of higher education in the post-recession economy.

At the peak of the most recent recession, unemployment for individuals with less than a high school diploma peaked at near 16 percent. The high figure is juxtaposed with an unemployment rate for those with a bachelor’s degree or greater topping out at just 4.5 percent for the same

sang lee / heights staff

Ross Douthat, the youngest columnist ever hired by ‘The Times’ (above), represents conservative ideology in the paper’s op-ed section.

‘Times’ columnist speaks on election

By Caroline Kirkwood For The Heights

This past Thursday, Dec. 1, the Boston College College Republicans welcomed Ross Douthat, the youngest columnist ever hired by The New York Times, to give a presentation on the upcoming 2012 election and its implication regarding American government up until 2050.

Douthat began his rise as a prominent journalist through his senior editor position at The Atlantic, an editorial magazine that focuses on politics, economics, and foreign policy. He has gained notoriety as

the token conservative voice in the op-ed section of The New York Times. His most recent achievement is his new book, Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics, due to release in April 2012.

Douthat provided a new perspective in regard to the problems facing America with the upcoming election. He noted that his concerns lie in “the deep challenge arising from the crisis in our social fabric,” rather than the specific policy battles between liberals and conservatives over issues like the financial crisis, Medicare, and the welfare state.

Although Douthat himself admitted

christmas comes to o’neill

that this was a pessimistic view of American society, many of the audience members found this atypical view of American politics refreshing compared to the traditional view of politics pitting Republicans against Democrats in an ongoing battle.

In terms of the lurking 2012 election, however, with the more immediate financial crisis, Republican candidates for the presidency have been able to ignore the more fundamental problems with American society, and instead center their campaigns around “talk of bold transi-

See Douthat, A4

By David Cote Heights Editor

Every Boston College student knows the annoying, unsportsmanlike fan that can be found occasionally at games in Conte Forum and Alumni Stadium. The drunk, rude, or uncontrollable fan who yells obscenities blindly at the other team is an annoyance at any sporting event.

A new initiative sponsored by the BC Athletic Department and the University’s Center for Student Formation will work to combat such fans by encouraging better sportsmanship at athletic events on campus.

“Our goal was to take a look at some of the things that go on at games and see how we can proactively promote good sportsmanship,” said Jamie DiLoreto, associate athletic director, external relations.

A video released early last week made

by Sean Casey, A&S ’12, and his brother, Kevin Casey, BC ’04, was the first step in the process. The video featured the words of then United States senator John F. Kennedy in his 1956 commencement address.

In his speech, Kennedy urged those graduating from the “Jesuit Ivy” to be the very best in every aspect of their lives.

See Sportsmanship, A4

Gabriel provides insight on 2012 GOP

By Brigid Wright For The Heights

alexandra gaynor / heights staff

See Higher Education, A4

New video contest to help promote good sportsmanship

In his Be Current lecture, ‘Times’ columnist compares election campaigns to Match.com

The annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony took place last Wednesday in O’Neill Plaza.

University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. spoke at the gathering of students.

period. From the disparity, the nation is beginning to understand that education can be a great equalizer.

Given the trend, however, the question becomes how institutions of higher education have developed practices to ensure that educational opportunities are attainable, especially given growing socioeconomic disparities.

For BC, the process of ensuring that educational opportunities are available for all based upon merit is twofold: the admissions process and financial aid.

On Thursday, Dec. 1, New York Times journalist Trip Gabriel spoke to Boston College students in a lecture sponsored by the Quality of Student Life Committee (QSLC), with hopes to further educate students on the popular issues of the Republican campaign for this coming election.

The purpose of the lecture went beyond commentating on the Republican candidates for the primary elections: Gabriel also spent time trying to educate students on popular issues in the campaign.

Comparing the candidates to prospective dates on Match.com, Gabriel discussed the rise and fall of the popularity of different contestants. He also offered his opinion on the current front-runners during the question and answer session after the lecture.

The Be Current program of QSLC supported Gabriel’s lecture. As Madeleine Haller, event coordinator and A&S ’12, mentioned in her introduction, the goal of the program is to bring newspapers, like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, to campus in order to keep students involved in current events. The QSLC also brings speakers to campus

each year.

“We decided to invite Trip primarily because he is currently covering a topic we thought would be of interest to many BC students,” Haller said. “I think a lot of students would like to be better informed about the Republican primaries, and this event provided a quick, easy, entertaining way to learn about them.”

Gabriel has written for The New York

Times since 1994. He initially wrote and served as editor for the Style section. In recent years, he has moved to political commentary.

Gabriel spoke on several candidates and provided analysis of their campaign strategies. He focused a great deal on why some candidates have fallen from their initial popularity.

Gabriel evaluated what made candidates popular with voters and what made them appear unqualified for the position for which they were running. The lecture

See Gabriel, A4

daniel lee / heights staff

Gabriel, a journalist for ‘The New York Times,’ spoke Thursday about the 2012 election.

TopTHREE

The Heights

Monday, December 5, 2011

things to do on campus this week

1

the

Children’s and Holiday Sale Time: 12 p.m.

Location: McElroy Commons Bookstore

Start your Christmas shopping early. This week only, get twenty-five percent off of select children’s and holiday-themed books in the BC bookstore. The sale will be going on through Friday, so don’t miss out.

BC Hockey vs. Providence

2

Tuesday Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Conte Forum

The Eagles will face off against the Providence College Friars for the first time this season at Conte Forum.

Music at St. Mary’s Christmas Concert

3

Tuesday Time: 4:00 p.m.

Location: St. Mary’s Chapel Get into the Christmas spirit with conductor John Finney and members of the University Chorale as they perform traditional Christmas music.

University

In s w e N

Obama administration introduces new take on affirmative action

On Campus Suzanne Matson, professor and poet, recieves creative writing fellowship Professor Suzanne Matson, chair of the Boston College English department, was one of 40 recipients of the Creative Writing Fellowship in Prose from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) this year. Competition for this presitgious fellowship is considered very intense. This year, Matson was one of 1,179 applicants for the fellowship.

Matson, originally from Portland, OR, received her bachelor’s degree from Portland State University and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Washington.

Matson is the author of two poetry books, Durable Goods (1993) and Sea Level (1990); three novels, The Tree-Sitter, (2006), A Trick of Nature (2000), and The Hunger Moon (1997); and numerous poems and essays.

She also played a major role in the revival of the Greater Boston Intercollegiate Undergraduate Poetry Festival, which is now held annually at BC.

The Education and Justice Departments recently released new guidelines pertaining to diversity in colleges and universities, reported The Chronicle of Higher Education. The guidelines appear to encourage universites to use race as a deciding factor in admissions if necessary to achieve diversity and were met with high praise by civil rights groups. The Obama administration’s guidelines state that “institutions may also reject approaches that would require them to sacrifice a component of their educational mission or priorities,” thereby allowing each university to choose their own course of action.

Local News Allston apartment fire results in evacuation and trolley delays A smoky fire in the kitchen of a third-floor apartment at 1079 Commonwealth Ave. on Nov. 27 led to the evacuation of 150 people from the building and a temporary shutdown of the B line trolley that runs on Comm. Ave. outside the building. The MBTA substituted buses for the trolley from Packard’s Corner and Washington Street in Brighton, reported The Boston Globe. No one was injured in the fire, which caused an estimated $30,000 in damage.

BC groups help raise awareness, funds for the Congo Heights Staff

Robsham Theater played host to the Concert for Congo on Friday night in a lively event featuring some of Boston College’s top performing groups and prominent advocates for change in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Sponsored by BC for Congo, Artists Striving to End Poverty at BC, and the Arts and Social Responsibility Project, the gala raised awareness about human rights violations occurring within the country and funds for Panzi Hospital, a treatment and care center for survivors of rape, located in Bukavu, DRC. The Concert for the Congo weaved informative bits on the Congolese conflict, like statistics on the exceedingly high incidents of rape in the country and discussions on the role of trade in so-called “conflict minerals” like gold, diamonds, and coltan in fueling the country’s civil strife, amongst a bevy of energetic performances. Campus artists like the BC Acoustics, Madrigals, F.I.S.T.S., Synergy, Against the Current, B.E.A.T.S., Fuego del Corazon, Sarah Goldstein and Yuriy Pavlish, and PATU took the stage in support of the event’s awareness-raising mission. They were accompanied by special guests Omékongo Dibinga and Alexandra Hellmuth, a Congo-

Alex Gaynor / Heights staff

The PATU dance group performs at the Concert for Congo fundraiser. lese spoken word artist and Student Youth Coordinator for the Enough Project, respectively.

Dibinga struck a commanding chord with his unique blend of motivated poetry and advocacy.

Through steady, mesmerizing rhythms, the artist communicated his thoughts on the ways in which Western policymakers and media mischaracterize the Congo, the nature of the country’s “forgotten” struggle, the role of foreign enterprise in inflaming the conflict, and his personal desire to have been able to do more for his Congolese compatriots afflicted by war, oppression, and disease.

Hellmuth played the more policy-minded counterpart to Dibinga’s impassioned artistry, describing her efforts with the Enough Project and the steps Americans can take to positively

impact the bitter and deadly divides within the DRC. She emphasized swaying American leaders to take a more active role in working to ensure liberty and security within the Congo and urged the crowd’s technology users to pressure big electronics corporations to clean up supply chains that stem from the Congo’s divisive “conflict mineral” trade. She also stressed the role of young people in spearheading these movements, as well as BC’s opportunity to be at the forefront of the advocacy with efforts such as Friday’s concert.

The event marked the culmination of years of research, organization, and advocacy for BC for the Congo’s members. Kasey Brown, chair of the Concert for Congo Planning Committee and A&S ’12, became a key driver in

the group’s earliest efforts after becoming aware of the dire consequences of the Congo’s internal strife in 2010.

“Two summers ago, I was on vacation with my family, and I saw a report on the news about a massive rape campaign in Eastern Congo that took place just a few miles from a U.N. peacekeeping base,” Brown said. “I was so shocked. I didn’t understand why it had happened, nor did I understand why the international community hadn’t done something about it. When I returned home, I started researching what happened in the village of Luvungi and learned that these attacks were happening all the time. I found out that Congo is the most dangerous place on earth to be a woman, and when I heard stories about the horrific brutality and violence directed towards [women], I felt called to do something about it.”

Brown began to research the conflict in the Congo more thoroughly and connected with other BC students interested in the conflict on campus. After the group presented a documentary on rape in the Congo on campus, to widespread acclaim, BC for Congo was born.

As for current efforts to resolve the conflict and the success of the concert, Brown was upbeat.

“Over the past few years, we have seen some electronics com-

panies take the first steps towards cleaning up their supply chain and investigating where they are getting their minerals,” Brown said.

“We have also seen some exciting efforts from college students, cities, and states to become conflictfree. The more pressure we, as consumers, place on corporations to become conflict-free, the less rebel groups will profit from their conflict minerals.

“I could not have been happier with how [Friday] night’s event turned out,” she said. “We hope that the concert on Friday is just the beginning of a movement here at BC to raise awareness about the conflict and advocate for a conflict-free campus.”

Brown stated that the club is always recruiting new members and emphasized that this status of “conflict-free campus,” or a campus that does not purchase electronics with supply chains that finance war in Eastern Congo, as a top goal of future BC for Congo action.

“Last year, UGBC passed a resolution in support of this effort, and now we are hoping to make our university a leader in the movement for peace in Congo,” Brown said.

“We definitely look forward to meeting with the administration to make this hope a reality, and to publicly show BC’s support for the people of Congo,” she said. n

Police Blotter

Voices from the Dustbowl

11/27/11-12/2/11

“Describe BC athletics this season in one word.”

Sunday, November 27

Thursday, December 1

3:14 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding suspicious circumstances inside O’Neill Library.

4:57 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an on-going roommate dispute in Vanderslice Hall. The AOC was notified and spoke with all of the parties involved.

6:00 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a student who had left property on the MBTA. The MBTA was notified.

Monday, November 28 1:14 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a student who had sustained a nose injury near Duchesne Hall.

The individual was transported to a medical facility by cruiser.

Wednesday, November 30 2:06 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a larceny in Fulton Hall. A detective is investigating.

7:43 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a student who is being harassed by another student. The matter is being investigated.

11:46 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a group of suspicious persons who were handing out flyers on campus.

The group did not have authorization and were sent from the area.

9:47 a.m.- A report was filed regarding a suspicious motor vehicle.

The operator was found to have a suspended license and extensive interaction with law enforcement. He was cited by the Newton Police for operating after suspension, issued a trespass warning and the vehicle he was operating was towed from the area. He was escorted off-campus without incident.

“Embarrassing.”

—Angie Zablotny, CSON ’15

“Upsetting.”

—Mike Kelly, CSOM ’14

12:28 p.m. - A wallet belonging to a BC student was found off campus and turned in as found property at BCPD headquarters. An inventory check of the wallet revealed a fraudulent driver’s license. The matter will be referred to ODSD.

“Indifference.”

—Sullivan McCormick,

A&S ’15

58° Mostly Cloudy 48°

Tuesday

57° Showers 44°

Wednesday

48° Few Showers 35° 46° Partly Cloudy 27°

Source: National Weather Service

A Guide to Your Newspaper The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467 Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223 Editorial General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Marketplace Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823 Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753 EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call Taylour Kumpf, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or e-mail news@bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk.

Sports Scores Want to report the results of a game? Call Paul Sulzer, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0189, or e-mail sports@bcheights.com.

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

Clarifications / Corrections The Heights strives to provide its readers with complete, accurate, and balanced information. If you believe we have made a reporting error, have information that requires a clarification or correction, or questions about The Heights standards and practices, you may contact Michael Caprio, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com.

CUSTOMER SERVICE Delivery To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact Dan Ottaunick, General Manager at (617) 552-0547.

Advertising The Heights is one of the most effective ways to reach the BC community. To submit a classified, display, or online advertisement, call our advertising office at (617) 552-2220 Monday through Friday.

The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year by The Heights, Inc. (c) 2011. All rights reserved.

“Disappointing.”

—Ted Faust, A&S ’15

8:03 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in Edmond’s Hall. There was no actual fire and no fire department response occurred.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

Today

thursday

featured story

By Tanner Edwards

Four Day Weather Forecast

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

The Heights

Monday, December 5, 2011

The Iraq disaster Sean Talia The end of December will be here soon, and I think we all know what that means: all but a handful of the remaining U.S. troops in Iraq will be home within a matter of weeks. No doubt, many will feel that this is a closing chapter in American history, and that soon the nation will be able move on from the shameful debacle that was the 2003 invasion. Iraq will forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.

Or maybe they won’t, because as quoted in a favorite Wu-Tang song of mine, “once an evil deed is done, then it never ends … it goes on, and it goes on forever.” Interestingly enough, though, most of us probably aren’t aware of just how evil a deed our government has been doing to the Iraqi people for nearly two decades.

I recently read an article by George Mason University Professor Hugh Gusterson titled, “How America’s War Destroyed Iraq’s Universities,” an informative and lengthy piece about one of the most tragic consequences of our country’s political and military involvement in Iraq. The gist of the article is as follows: For millennia, Baghdad had been an “unrivaled center of scholarship and cultural exchange,” and Iraq’s universities produced competent doctors, scientists, engineers, and other academics that served as the bedrock of a well-educated society.

As brutal a monster as he may have been, Saddam Hussein placed a high priority on education, creating a system that was “expansive, well resourced, globally connected, secular, and open to women.”

This was all brilliantly undone by the combined efforts of the United States and United Nations, beginning in 1991 with sanctions imposed on Iraq following its invasion of Kuwait. In addition to the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilian deaths that resulted from the sanctions, irreparable damage was also done to the Iraqi education system. There were some five million youths in Iraq in the 1990s, and the U.N. allocated for each child’s education barely eleven dollars per year. Kids went without textbooks, paper, pencils, and bookbags, and parents had to give their children chalk for them to bring schoolteachers. Iraq’s literacy rate fell from 80 to 50 percent, and universities suffered from lack of equipment and supplies. Some 10,000 university professors fled Iraq between 1991 and 2003, while the sanctions were in place.

In no way did the end of the sanctions mean the end of the suffering, however. Following the 2003 invasion, the country was engulfed in chaos, and looting became an enormous problem. Some of the most notable instances of burglary took place at the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad, where the U.S. government quite literally did nothing to prevent such things from happening, resulting in the theft and destruction of priceless artifacts symbolizing Iraq’s cultural patrimony.

In one of the most heartwrenching passages, Gusterson quotes the book Erasing Iraq, saying “The Central al-Awqf Library, founded in 1920, contained 45,000 rare books and over 6,000 Ottoman documents. When arsonists set fire to the building on April 13 or 14, 2003, frenzied staff members managed to save 5,250 items, including a collection of Korans. Everything else was destroyed … the entire library at the University of Basra was reduced to ash, and the Central Public Library in Basra lost 100 percent of its collection … up to one million books and ten million unique documents have been destroyed, lost or stolen across Iraq since 2003.”

That anyone could really believe we have done the Iraqi people a service is laughable. These kinds of horrors are so difficult to imagine because most of us have never had to live in such a nightmare. But others do, and we all have a few drops of blood on our hands because of it. Yes, with December comes final exams and with final exams comes plenty of stress, but let’s try to put things in perspective, no?

Sean Talia is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at editor@bcheights.com.

A3

‘New Yorker’ journalist discusses Pakistan and bin Laden

By David Cote

presentation was a close look at the details of the raid on bin Laden’s Pakistani compound on May 2.

Among the exposed details were reasons for the crash landing of a Navy SEAL helicopter the night of the raid.

According to Schmidle, the original plan took into account a chain link fence around the compound.

At the actual scene, the fence was not chain link, and the helicopter was “caught in its own vortex,” crash-landing in the middle of the compound.

Because of the military technology inside, the pilot destroyed the inside of the helicopter with a hand grenade.

Schmidle explained that, during the raid, President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and other observers at the White House had no audio and only fuzzy pictures from a drone satellite orbiting the situation.

As Navy SEALs climbed the stairs of the compound, bin Laden’s son emerged firing a weapon. He was killed by American forces soon after.

On the third floor, bin Laden was found with three women and bullet wounds to his head and chest.

Upon bin Laden’s death, a Navy SEAL said, “For God and country, Geronimo, Geronimo EKIA (enemy killed in action).”

After extraction, the Navy SEALs confirmed Osama’s identity through

Heights Editor

Though the Boston College campus undoubtedly heard of the daring raid that ended in the death of Osama bin Laden last May, Nicholas Schmidle gave a far more in-depth perspective on the topic last Monday in Devlin 008.

In an event hosted by the Americans for Informed Democracy, the Islamic Civilizations Program, and the Southeast Asian Student Association, Schmidle, a writer covering international and intercultural issues and frequent contributor to The New York Times Magazine, spoke about the events that led to the death of the FBI’s most wanted international criminal.

Schmidle earned a degree in philosophy from James Madison University. He then attended Loyola Chicago and American University, studying Persian at Tehran University later on.

“I always wanted to [do] foreign journalism but I didn’t really know how,” Schmidle said about his early career.

After doing freelance work for The Washington Post and moving several times throughout the Middle East, Schmidle returned to the United States in 2008 and first came into contact with the CIA through a panel at the Council of Foreign Relations with a former CIA Station Chief.

The primary focus of Schmidle’s

AP file Photo

The compound in Pakistan where Osama Bin Laden was found and killed last May (above) by a team of Navy SEALs. measurements and a DNA sample.

They buried him at sea off the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Carl Vinson.

Following his presentation, Schmidle answered audience questions. When asked if there was an attempt made to capture bin Laden rather than kill him outright, Schmidle stated his belief that the mission was always intended to kill him, despite the White House’s insistence that bin Laden be taken alive if possible.

In the article he wrote for The New Yorker about the bin Laden raid,

Schmidle summarized the reaction of a special operations soldier during the raid.

“A second SEAL stepped into the room and trained the infrared laser of his M4 on bin Laden’s chest,” Schmidle wrote. “The al-Qaida chief, who was wearing a tan shalwar kameez and a prayer cap on his head, froze; he was unarmed. There was never any question of detaining or capturing him—it wasn’t a splitsecond decision. ‘No one wanted detainees,’ the special-operations officer told me. The Administration

maintains that had bin Laden immediately surrendered he could have been taken alive.”

Near the end of his presentation, Schmidle emphasized the importance of American success in Pakistan, saying, “The symbolic victory was huge … there’s no way the U.S. could consider really leaving [Pakistan] until bin Laden was dead.” n Editor’s Note: Samantha Costanzo, for The Heights, contributed to this report.

CEO of BNY Mellon addresses financial job market

By Ana Lopez

announcement of a major round of consolidations on Nov. 14.

Hassell said that they would continue to expand their presence in Boston, though growth over the next few years would be slow. Since 2007, BNY Mellon has added over 1,000 employees in the Boston area, mainly in the fields of wealth management, institutional asset management and other financial services.

With regard to the regulation of the markets, Hassell said that regulatory agencies should “hit the pause button” on the formation of new rules and, instead, work for solutions within the regulations already in existence, such as the Dodd-Frank

Heights Editor

Bank of New York (BNY) Mellon, a custodian bank, will continue to be a large employer of those in Boston’s financial sector in coming years, despite turbulence in the markets that the company’s CEO attributes to overactive rumor mills and excessive regulations.

In his remarks last Tuesday to the Chief Executives Club of Boston College, Gerald Hassell, chief executive officer of BNY Mellon, addressed the bank’s plans to expand their employee base in the Boston area, regardless of the company’s

Consider

This...

The Jimmy V Foundation:

The Hoops for Hope charity initiative this year is for the Jimmy V Foundation, which was founded by ESPN and Jim Valvano in 1993.

Valvano inspired people across the country with his famous speech at the ESPY awards, repeating the words, “Don’t give up … don’t ever give up!”

He lost his battle with cancer less than two months after delivering those words, but the sentiment still echoes today as it is carried on by the efforts of the cancer research foundation.

After being diagnosed with cancer at 46, Valvano began to recruit friends, family, and colleagues to lead the Foundation with the mission of supporting research to find a cure for cancer. He invested in young scientists to employ for the research to help establish their early careers.

Eight years after Valvano pastsed away, The Jimmy V Foundation created Translational Research Grants in order to accelerate research and laboratory work in the hopes of helping patients more quickly and finding more answers to curing the disease.

To date, the Foundation has awarded over $90 million to over 100 facilities across the country, and boasts that 100 percent of direct donations and money raised from events goes to cancer research.

Nov. 30 through Dec. 6 marks the fifth annual Jimmy V Week for cancer research.

This year, Jimmy V Week launched by airing Valvano’s 1993 ESPYs speech across all ESPN media channels and will finish up tomorrow with the Jimmy V Men’s and Women’s Basketball Classics. The annual men’s doubleheader, at Madison Square Garden, airs at 7 P.M. and 9 P.M. on ESPN. The annual women’s showdown will start at 7 p.m.

Leaving a mark across the ESPN network, Jimmy V Week will include special elements on ESPN channels like vignettes, public service announcements, chat sessions, content on Jorge Ramos’ talk show, and a Never Give Up marathon on ESPN Classic.

Sportsmanship:

The new initiative to promote better sportsmanship behavior at games, sponsored

by Boston College Athletics, will highlight conscientious participation at sporting events, on and off the court, rink, or field.

In honor of leaving poor sportsmanship behind, let’s pay homage to some of the top worst sportsmanship moments, according to ESPN: • NBA player Dennis Rodman, in a 1977 game, kicked a photographer after falling while trying to catch a loose ball. After landing on the ground, Rodman proceeded to kick the photographer, also on the ground filming, in the leg, and then stood up to give the photographer a few lines of verbal abuse before returning to the court.

• In 1994, the worst scandal in figure skating erupted when Tonya Harding conspired with her ex-husband and two others to attack her skating competitor, Nancy Kerrigan, during practice before the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Kerrigan was hit above the knee with a collapsible police baton, bruising the leg badly enough that Kerrigan had to withdraw from entering the competition.

• Moving on to baseball, Robbie Alomar of the Baltimore Orioles spit in umpire John Hirschbeck’s face, and was carried off of the plate by several team members.

-Anna Patrick n

Wall Street reform law.

Hassell also called for a stop to the financial rumor mills, saying that such rumors are often ill informed and cause investors and traders to act

“The market is spooked and looking for their next victim.”

-Gerald Hassel CEO, BNY Mellon on instantaneous fear, therefore creating for a volatile marketplace and a continuation of the bleak picture that

is the current U.S. economy.

“Rumors undermine markets,” he said.

Given a fragile, sluggish economy on the precipice of a double-dip recession, continuing to undermine consumer confidence will only further cripple much needed liquidity in the markets, Hassell said. He also attributed uncertainty in the European markets to continued problems.

“Confidence is everything,” he said. “The market is spooked and looking for their next victim.” He cited the “breathtaking” rate at which MF Global collapsed in late October as an example of the

devastating effect of rumors and market panic.

However, Hassell did state that, currently, large U.S. corporations and banks are relatively in much better shape than they were at the height of the financial crisis in 2008.

With regard to the allegations of overcharging on currency trades that BNY Mellon faced in Virginia, Hassell stated that they were encouraged by a Virginia judge’s ruling that two out of the three charges should be dismissed. “We were encouraged by the judge’s ruling,” he said. “We certainly felt good with the outcome on those two issues.” n

The Heights

A4

Monday, December 5, 2011

University aims for diversity while meeting full demonstrated need Higher Education, from A1 middle school and place them in “As a staff, we are committed to enrolling the highest quality student body, and diversity is one component of quality,” said John Mahoney, director of undergraduate admissions. “Having students from all kinds of backgrounds enriches the learning environment for everyone. Our philosophy is that the recruitment of students from different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds is everyone’s responsibility.”

One of the ways Mahoney’s staff ensures diversity in race, class, and experiences is through active recruitment activity at a variety of high schools. Mahoney said his staff is encouraged to identify strong inner city schools or programs that serve students from lower income families and engage the institutions during their travel on recruitment trips.

“We strive to have an outcome with high-quality students from various backgrounds,” said Robert Lay, Dean of Enrollment Management. “When we read applications, we are looking at high schools and assessing the environment where the applicant came. Our approach is to assess character and one’s ability to achieve at high levels within any institution they are placed.”

In New York and New Jersey, Mahoney noted that admissions officers have forged strong relations with various nonprofits, such as Prep for Prep, the Wight Foundation, and the New Jersey Seeds program, that identify marginalized yet talented students in

top private schools.

In Massachusetts, Boston College has formed relations with organizations that provide academic enrichment and college prep programs to motivated public school students such as Let’s Get Ready, Bottom Line, and Bruce Wells Scholars.

Mahoney was also quick to point out the success BC has had in Chicago by partnering with the Chicago Scholars Program, providing academic and college counseling support to inner city Chicago students. Marybeth Cheverie, senior assistant director of admissions, has met with 42 students in the program thus far this year.

Nationwide, BC also collaborates with Upward Bound programs and Cristo Rey schools to expand educational access and improve recruitment at a diverse set of high schools.

“We recruit actively in the network of 25 Cristo Rey schools,” Mahoney said. “This network identifies students from poor economic backgrounds and provides them with jobs that allow them to pay their high school tuition.

Students go to school four days a week and work one day to pay their tuition.”

Mahoney himself has visited Cristo Rey schools nationwide, including locations in Houston, San Francisco, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. Once students have met the threshold of admission to BC they benefit from an additional admissions policy: need blind.

Need-blind admission denotes college admission policy in which the admitting institution does not consider an applicant’s financial situation when deciding admission.

“Need blind doesn’t mean we are blind,” Lay said. “It means that the criteria for admission doesn’t systematically advantage the poor, nor does it disadvantage the wealthy. The criteria is about assessing personal characteristics from each individual’s background.”

“If you are from a privileged background, it may be positive, maybe not,” he said. “Whether from a privileged or humbled background, what is important is how you performed in your environment, how you showed personal character and integrity.

We want to see that no matter where, you were working hard, ignoring the distractions of high school. Is wealth an advantage or disadvantage? It really all depends on how one succeeds in their surrounding environment given the opportunities before them.”

However, with undergraduate tuition at BC for the 2011-2012 academic year at $41,480, not including room and board, books, or lab fees, the figure presents a challenge for most students and their families considering BC as an option.

While BC has programs in place to broaden its admission, making the dream a reality becomes yet another challenge for many families.

For students who struggle paying for school, the challenge is eased

by BC’s policy to meet 100 percent of students’ demonstrated financial

need – only one of 63 nationwide to do so, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Meeting full need is no easy task. Last year, the full demonstrated need amounted to $84.5 million, with an average need-based financial aid package of $34,000. BC meets the need through a compilation of need-based scholarships, loans, and work study grants.

“I think our policies and long-term commitment to those policies demonstrates BC’s rise among American universities. It shows that the university is a good sheppard of its resources to the benefit of its students.”

-Robert Lay Dean of Enrollment Management “We take extra effort to find students that will come to BC, and because of that we are going to make it possible for the talented to attend,” Lay said. “With financial aid, we want to make it clear that attending is not a major risk. We want you to graduate. We expect you to graduate. Therefore, our financial aid reflects that - not too much loans or work study. We also have financial aid that acts

as a safety net. Our financial aid policy is to reevaluate at any point, depending on a change in personal financial situation.”

The guarantee to meet full demonstrated need is becoming increasingly rare in higher education as many institutions abandoned their pledges in the wake of the recession due to major hits on endowments which colleges use to support financial aid funding.

“Meeting the full demonstrated need of students is a great thing,” Lay said. “When I first came in 1988, we weren’t doing it. Over time though, we did allocate more money for financial aid, and we supplement regular increases with additional increases during hard economic times. There are still a lot of uncertainties in the market, but we have built in more financial aid in the next ten years to handle a prolonged weak economy.”

Still, the issue of student debt remains with BC financial aid package offerings, and the issue of student debt continues to gain national attention, sparking debate in Washington about how to make college more affordable.

Nationally, the average debt of college seniors who graduated in 2010 with student loans, was $25,250, according to the annual report of the Project on Student Debt. BC student debt at graduation for undergraduates is considerably lower than the national average, hovering at around $20,000 in total, according to Lay. The number does not reflect any parent debt related to education.

However, BC administrators are conscious of the concern about

student debt and its potential to limit plans post graduation. The University is part of the 568 Group — a consortium of American universities and colleges that includes Georgetown, the University of Notre Dame, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology - that practice need-blind admissions and meets to determine an equitable formula for need-based financial aid calculation. The University seeks to minimize debt to a manageable level, but also sees benefits in students having financial liability for their education.

“We want our students to go on to grad and post grad opportunities for service,” Lay said. “In examining our financial aid policy, we thought about if we wanted to follow suit and eliminate loans from packages.

We decided to not go in that direction because it would require more money, higher tuition, and cutting strategic investments in improving education. Also, we find with loans that students should have to have skin in game. The student loans we have in our packages measured against future income is not a big deal.”

The ability to be need blind and meet 100 percent of demonstrated student need, while actively recruiting a diverse student body from a variety of student backgrounds, is a source of pride for administrators.

“I think our policies and longterm commitment to those policies demonstrates BC’s rise among American universities,” Lay said.

“It shows that the university is a good shepherd of its resources to the benefit of its students.” n

Charity basketball tourney nets cash for cancer Hoops, from A1 Each team is required to donate $120 to play, but teams are encouraged to donate more. “Some teams go way above that and donate throughout the semester,” he said.

Some people go above and beyond this figure as well. This year’s top donator was Maggie Kelly, BC Hoops for Hope committee member and LSOE ’13. Her older sister Kaitlin Kelly, BC ’11 was a former BC Hoops for Hope committee member who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in April 2010. She beat this cancer and went into remission after treat-

ment at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City over the summer of 2010 but was recently diagnosed with the same cancer again this past year.

“Watching her go through everything has made me get really involved with the cause,” Kelly said. “It’s important for me to raise money because I’m so involved with this cause.”

As the top donator, Kelly went home with a golf hat signed by Tiger Woods.

The BC Hoops for Hope Committee is composed of 28 members who spend all semester planning the tournament. Committee members say this year’s planning went very well.

“This is a great group of kids who are a lot of fun to work with,” Saunders said. “It is a really rewarding way to have a really fun

“This is a great group of kids who are a lot of fun to work with.”

-Kyle Saunders President of the BC Hoops for Hope Committee and A&S ’12 event.”

BC students showed their sense of humor, athleticism, and class

on Saturday. “Our goal is, through basketball, to raise money for cancer research and have a great time,” said Maegan O’Rourke, Senior BC Hoops for Hope Committee member and A&S ’12.

The committee and all players fully understand this goal.

Teams like “Tune Squad,” “Prestige Worldwide,” and “Da Business,” had a great time while competing at a high level and raising money for a very serious cause.

“I always admire how everything goes on as planned,” Saunders said. “We’ve never had a fight, though these are all very athletic, competitive kids. This speaks to the level of sportsmanship of kids at BC.” n

Daniel lee / heights staff

Gabriel spoke about GOP candidates that have emerged for the 2012 race.

Gabriel gives advice, perspective on politics Gabriel, from A1 looked at the impact most candidates had during their debates, a critical part of the primaries.

Gabriel discussed the various candidates and what impacts their debate performances had, both positive and negative.

For most, Gabriel explained, the debates showed who would end up a front-runner and who would be unsuccessful. He pointed out Michele Bachmann’s and Rick Perry’s issues during the debates, making incorrect historical refer-

ences. However, he also mentioned Newt Gingrich’s success, being prepared and well-versed for his debates.

The lecture was particularly informative for those members of the audience who were not completely up-to-date on the candidates.

Gabriel’s interesting, comical twist on a current and sometimes controversial topic provided a way for students of all different political backgrounds to learn something about the Republican candidates and who to look out for in the coming months. n

sara davey / heights staff

Donations from participating teams raised over $10,000 for the Jimmy V Fund, a charity dedicated entirely to researching potential cures for cancer.

Students will pioneer new initiative Douthat discusses 2012 elections Sportsmanship, from A1 “The goal of the video was to bring the student community together,” DiLoreto said. “We want students to take a look at what it means to be a BC student.”

To accomplish their goal of improving sportsmanship, the Athletic Department will be sponsoring an undergraduate video contest with cash prizes beginning in January. The initiative will emerge in the form of undergraduate-produced videos, centered on the theme “you’re better than that.” Each month, the Athletics Department will choose a video that best embodies the theme, award prizes of cash and BC gear, and share the video on its website.

“Our goals are to highlight the expectations but also incentivize great behavior,” DiLoreto said.

When speaking about the new initiative, DiLoreto mentioned that he hopes the effort will spread through students in a grassroots manner.

“From a marketing strategy, we

wanted to support students to be the leaders as part of the partnership to improve sportsmanship,” DiLoreto said.

When creating the program, DiLoreto and the Athletic Depart-

“Sportsmanship is a universal challenge that’s emphasized more based on the sport or the team that we’re playing.”

-Jamie DiLoreto Associate Director of Athletics, External Relations ment also met with Rev. Jack Butler, S.J., vice president of mission and ministry, and Michael Sacco, director of the Center for Student Formation.

“When we were meeting with

campus ministry and the Center for Student Formation, we realized that there are some opportunities to grow beyond athletics and make [the campaign] University-wide,” DiLoreto said.

Because of this wide-reaching message, the theme “you’re better than that” will apply not only to obnoxious fans at sporting events, but also to the student who loudly answers their cell phone on the fifth floor of O’Neill Library, or the student who spills his or her coffee all over the floor of Hillside Cafe and leaves without cleaning it up.

Though DiLoreto said that there are problems with sportsmanship, he also emphasized that such difficulties are universal to sports.

“Sportsmanship is a universal challenge that’s emphasized more based on the sport or the team that we’re playing,” DiLoreto said. “Our goal is that we want to be a family friendly environment and we want to emphasize the appropriate things that we expect while engaging our students and fans in general.” n

Douthat, from A1 tional change but avoid speaking a lot of specific policies,” making it “possible to run for office with evasive policies.”

Douthat argued that while this next election may not bring about the most drastic changes of American political policies, it is the following four decades that will mark a dynamic shift.

Douthat said that “policies can’t toggle between conservative tax rates and liberal programs for that much longer, unless we want to end up like Europe today,” with countries like Greece facing daunting economic crises.

The most overwhelming difficulty for Douthat, however, when looking at the future of America was the social breakdown that is occurring. Douthat commented on the continued family breakdown, difficulty with assimilating low-income workers, excess in obesity, lagging rates of social mobility, and declining rate of social

gatherings as the most pressing problems in American society.

Douthat said that these problems “don’t have political solutions, but rather more spiritual and theological ones with a need to rebuild our individual communities.” He said that the government cannot hire us an

Douthat argued that while this next election may not bring about the most drastic changes of American political policies, it is the following four decades that will mark a dynamic shift. extra friend to combat the lack of social interaction, but it can redesign our education system and remove barriers to upward

mobility, “reforming government with an eye toward equality and social mobility.”

However, Douthat, made sure to end on a more reassuring note in terms of the state of America.

He said that given the option, “there would be no other country, aside from the United States of America, that you would want to be in during the 21st century,” and said that “no one has ever made money betting against the U.S.” Compared to countries like China, which is having extreme difficulty with its growing elderly populations, and lacks the youth to support them due to the country’s one-child policies, our social security debates take on a different light.

Douthat provided a new insight into the world of politics through his animated and dynamic talk, leaving attendees with a new sense of the broader and more fundamental problems that American politicians should truly be addressing. n

The Heights

Monday, December 5, 2011

CLASSIFIEDS A5

Community Help wanted JOB OPENING Reliable and efficient customer service rep needed to work for our company.

Must have good computer skills, speak English or French fluently, and must be accurate. No job experience is needed as any job experience may apply. You will earn $1,950 monthly. E-mail davej8@ livellc.com if interested.

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 1877-841-3748, or visit our website www.roseanneandtim.com. Please be assured all conversations are held in strict confidence. With gratitude, Roseanne and Tim.

Help Wanted Sperm Donors Wanted. Earn up to $1,200/month and help build families.

Convenient Cambridge location. Apply online: www.SPERMBANK.com.

Italian Tutor Needed Experienced Italian tutor needed one to two times a week to tutor beginning Italian on campus for Boston College student.

E-mail hjmags33@yahoo.com.

Mollie?

Boyfriend?

Hahahahaha hahahha ha haha.

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

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

A6

The Heights

Editorials

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

We only have one reputation, don’t ruin it

Monday, December 5, 2011

“The empires of the future are the empires of the mind.”

Winston Churchill, (1874 – 1965), Former Prime Minster of Great Britian

As a Division I school, we have a duty to learn the true meaning of sportsmanship and display it on an unconditional basis Sporting events are among the most visible examples of the Boston College community coming together in support of a common cause. Fans of BC sports are able to show their passion through their presence at games and by cheering for BC’s teams. As fans, however, we represent the University, and we have a responsibility to do so with a level of class and dignity representative of the ideals of our campus community.

At universities with Division I athletic teams, managing fan behavior poses a challenge for school administrators. Although the majority of fans at all schools show respectful support of their teams, many who attend these games display a level of disrespect that creates a negative atmosphere for all fans and damages the image of the school’s community. While this negative fan behavior

generally involves only a small number of fans, many of whom are attending games while heavily intoxicated, the overall perception of an entire fan base is often determined by a small number of examples of negative fan behavior.

While BC does not have significant problems with fan rowdiness, the athletics department is attempting to curb such behavior by offering students the chance to create videos emphasizing the need for good fan behavior and to win cash prizes in the process. By publicizing the adverse effects of poor fan behavior, BC Athletics is giving its fan base the opportunity to hold other fans responsible for their actions. The Heights commends these efforts and hopes that students at sporting events will do their best to represent BC and its ideals.

Becoming politcally literate Mary Kate Mcadams / Heights Illustration

Although BC students rarely rally around a cause, the Heights applauds groups that promote political discussion The Heights has long condemned the general apathy of the student body.

Often, Boston College fails to respond to controversial events with action, preferring to either stay mum on the issue or speak up with a voice no louder than a whisper.

With our country at a crossroads during the 2012 election, it has become even more imperative that BC students shed this demeanor. As we grow older and gain more civic responsibility, our choices or lack thereof have increasingly widespread ramifications on the future world we will work and live in.

Now, more than ever, we should become knowledgeable and take a stand, as it is our generation’s livelihood at stake.

Certain student groups at BC have begun to try to ignite the political discussion on campus. The BC College Republicans sponsored a talk called

“From 2012 to 2050: The Next Election and the future of American Government” by Ross Douthat, a columnist from The New York Times. The Quality of Student Life Committee sponsored Trip Gabriel, also from the Times, who discussed how the Republican primary race is like Match.com. Next week, the College Democrats of BC will host political consultant David Axelrod.

The Heights praises these groups for undertaking the responsibility of bringing political education opportunities to BC. The more exposure the campus has to this kind of dialogue, the more its students will become educated on the issues.

By giving students the chance, as well as inspiring them to inform themselves, these groups could spark the opinions that will resolve the problems plaguing our country.

Embracing the Boston holiday spirit Amidst the craziness of exams, take time to soak in the holiday spirit in and around Boston This past weekend, the campus played home to an impressive amount of holiday events including the annual

Although we find ourselves swamped with final papers and studying for exams, it is important to take time out of our busy lives to enjoy the holiday festivities.

University Chorale’s Christmas concert and various a cappella performances.

The first weekend after finals begin, Christmas Reflections will fill Robsham

with stories, music, and dances that celebrate the Christmas season.

It is clear, then, that Boston has a wide and varied amount of wonderful holiday opportunities of which students may take advantage. Although we find ourselves swamped with final papers and studying for exams, it is important to take time out of our busy lives to enjoy the holiday festivities. Rather than cozying up with a brainless TV show, join the audience of on-campus events that will keep your mind going at a fast enough pace to return to the hard grind of schoolwork when it’s all over.

More than anything, Boston College is doing its best to get students into the holiday mood sooner rather than later.

All too often, we get swept up by classes and find ourselves rushing to cram in all of our holiday festivities in the three days leading up to the holidays. Take a break, meet up with some friends, and enjoy the holidays.

The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Michael Caprio, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Ottaunick, General Manager DJ Adams, Managing Editor

Letters to the Editor Research before you write In Response to “Understand the Policies,” by Marye Moran: I am writing in response to Marye Moran’s article, “Understand the Policies” (21 November 2011), in which the author laments the fact that BC’s residential policies are, as she says, not available or at least not clearly publicized. I am not an RA, nor have I ever had the occasion to take a close look at any of the Boston College Residential Life polices that Ms. Moran seems unable to locate and consult. I did, however, just do a quick Google search for “Boston College Residency Agreement” and came up a link to the full 2011-2012 Boston College Residency Agreement.

This page appears to provide most if not all of the information that could have assisted Ms. Moran in answering the policy-related questions she poses in her column. The portion that seems particularly helpful runs as follows: “Students under the age of 21 may not host a guest who possess or consumes alcoholic beverages in their room, suite, or apartment, regardless of guest age.” This statement can be found directly under the heading “Alcohol Policy.”

It is unfortunate that the author of this column was apparently unwilling to do any actual research on her topic before writing and publishing a poorly informed condemnation of a Boston College office. It would be

College officials.

Matthew Richley

A&S ‘12

Readers Respond to Recent Columns I n r e s p o n s e t o t h e N o v. 2 1 “Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down”

In the November 21 issue of The Heights, page 7, you mention the “random faces” on the side of Fulton.

There is an article about them in The Heights, September 20, 2010, by Tessa Trainor.

When an article elsewhere stated that these faces are, of course, the likenesses of apostles, it was pointed out that they were

modeled after some BC people.

The sculptures were added during the 1993-1995 renovation of Fulton Hall.

The faces are great fun, and I am glad you pointed them out.

They echo the angels on the corners of St Mary’s.

A rchives

David B urns H ead L ibrarian and M anuscripts B urns L ibrary

In response to “Another Side of Joe,” by Joseph Pasquinelli: Thank you to Joseph Pasquinelli for his honesty and his sharing in his “Another Side of Joe” column. I’m sure a lot of students can relate.

C hristine K amp C ichello C ampus M inister

Have something to say?

Write a letter to the editor.

EMAIL US AT Opinions@bcheights.com

The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 200 words and column submissions that do not exceed 700 words for its op/ed pages.

The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and to prevent libel. The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces

submitted to the newspaper.

Submissions must be signed and should include the author’s connection to Boston College, address, and phone number. Letters and columns can be submitted online at www.bcheights.com, by email to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.

Business and Operations

Editorial Clara Kim, Copy Editor Taylour Kumpf, News Editor Paul Sulzer, Sports Editor Kristopher Robinson, Features Editor Darren Ranck, Arts & Review Editor David Cote, Marketplace Editor Ana Lopez, Opinions Editor Dan Tonkovich, Special Projects Editor Alex Trautwig, Photo Editor Lindsay Grossman, Layout Editor

difficult to argue that there is nothing wrong with BC ResLife or, indeed, with nearly any other office, department, or organization on campus. Information on ResLife policies and procedures, however, is readily available to anyone who knows how to use a search engine. It seems to me as though Ms. Moran could utilize her time and space more effectively if she bothered to engage in minimal research before publishing a blame-shifting piece excusing herself of any culpability in her personal encounters with Boston

Mollie Kolosky, Graphics Editor David Riemer, Online Manager Therese Tully, Assoc. Copy Editor Katherine Doyle, Asst. Copy Editor Adriana Mariella, Assoc. News Editor Molly LaPoint, Asst. News Editor Greg Joyce, Assoc. Sports Editor Chris Marino, Asst. Sports Editor Brooke Schneider, Asst. Features Editor Brennan Carley, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor

Charlotte Parish, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Matt Palazzolo, Asst. Marketplace Editor Kevin Hou, Asst. Photo Editor Woogeon Kim, Asst. Layout Editor Alex Manta, Asst. Graphics Editor Dara Fang, Asst. Online Manager Elise Taylor, Editorial Assistant Katherine McClurg, Executive Assistant

Jamie Ciocon, Business Manager Christina Quinn, Advertising Manager Zachary Halpern, Outreach Coordinator Cecilia Provvedini, Systems Manager James Gu, Local Sales Manager Amy Hachigan, Asst. Ads Manager Seth Fitchelberg, Business Assistant

The Heights

Monday, December 5, 2011

A7

Opinions

Thumbs Up Luke Kuechly- Say all you want about the football program, but the awards sweep by Luke Kuechly shows that Boston College football still has some swag.

The linebacker not only won ACC Defensive player of the year, but the Butkus Award, which is given to the best linebacker in the country.

We can only hope that we are blessed to have him for one more season. Come on Luke, which is harder to turn down, the NFL or another year of Baja Chicken Paninis?

We think the latter.

Houston, we have a NattyEarlier this week Natural Light was the first beer to be launched into space.

Although TU/TD questions the beer taste of the launchers, we can’t help but feel a bit of vindication. No longer are we drinking the drink of poor co-eds, but the beer of the future! Too bad it still tastes like Mexican water mixed with detergent.

Beagles in Sunlight- Yes, TU/TD may be a sucker for sappy animal videos, but this clip of former test lab beagles being outside for the first time will break your heart. If you don’t feel anything, well, then you must be Darth Vader and Hitler’s illegitmate demon child.

Changes– The Heights wel-

comes 12 new members to their board today. The first couple weeks may be tough, but TU/TD cannot wait to see what these newbies can do. Here’s to a year of fresh ideas and suprises.

Thumbs Down How Low Can You GoAh, December. A time of candy canes, snowflakes, and holiday cheer. It is also the magical time where you can’t tell which is lower, your meal plan or your bank account. Mom, TU/ TD knows you’re reading this. Don’t look at my bank statement. You don’t wanna know.

Close, but no cigar – In honor of AIDS awareness month, rapper Lil’ B released the “awareness rasiing” single “I’ve got Aids.” Deep and heartfelt lyrics include “I got Aids, God d— I can’t believe this s—,” and “Yo, motherf— say I’m HIV positive.” Huh. The PSA message is lost on us, and frankly, just makes us laugh about a topic that is not remotely funny. TU/TD is sorry, though, that you “got herpes when she gave me AIDS.” What a double whammy.

Cat Stevens/ Yusuf Stevens – TU/TD was forced to listen to the musical styles of Cat Stevens for two hours today. She (oops, he) sounds like a whiny prepubscent hipster who just got dumped by his online girlfriend.

Follow us at @BCTUTD

The Hidden Cost of Athletic Pressures

Dineen Boyle Last week, The New York Times reported that four college athletes filed a class-action suit against the NCAA. The group’s claim: that the NCAA has been negligent regarding awareness and treatment of brain injuries to athletes, all the while profiting immensely from those same students. The lawsuit is the culmination of a period of increased media and public scrutiny regarding brain injuries suffered by collegiate and professional athletes.

In April 2010, University of Pennsylvania football captain Owen Thomas committed suicide. Results from his autopsy revealed preliminary signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a trauma-induced brain injury that has been linked to issues such as lack of impulse control and depression. In recent years, evidence of the disease has been exhibited by an increasing number of contact sport athletes.

When discussing her son’s death, Thomas’ mother, Katherine Brearsley, told the press, “He put huge expectations on himself and just impossibly couldn’t live up to them.”

What is perhaps most startling about the incident is that Thomas was the second UPenn football player to commit suicide in five years.

Although it is impossible to assign blame or to discern exactly what may have caused these players to

take their lives, the tragedy of their deaths prompts one to examine the immense pressures that face college athletes. In the ever competitive world of Ivy League and Division I athletics, these pressures are many.

To Boston College, a University that places great emphasis on its athletic program, these issues are concerning.

NCAA Division I regulations state that a university’s in-season athletic-related activities and practices cannot exceed a weekly limit of 20 hours. Although these rules are in place to protect the safety of athletes, many schools are found to be in violation of these polices. Early morning practices, workouts, and team meetings, in addition to games and rigorous academics, are enough to leave even the most well-conditioned student athletes feeling overwhelmed and burnt out.

Research has shown that athletes often attempt to relieve this stress in unhealthy ways, such as by turning to excessive amounts of alcohol.

According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health, athletes are the heaviest drinkers in the student population, with half of them admitting to regular participation in binge drinking.

Although data regarding NCAA violations and student athlete alcohol trends is nothing new, this recent string of athletic brain injuries and suicides is deeply alarming. BC athletics are inarguably among the most competitive in the country and serve as a tremendous source of pride for alumni, faculty, fans, and students alike. Accordingly, BC fans can be quick to criticize. Before we diss an athlete or team after or amidst a lessthan-stellar athletic season or single game performance, we must keep

in mind that our Eagles are young adults. They are 18 to 23-year-olds balancing course loads, personal lives, high-profile athletics (perhaps even injuries), and they are doing the best they can. The next time that you and your friends ogle over a YouTube video of an athlete taking a hit, put yourself in his or her position and imagine all we demand from him or her.

If we have learned anything from the catastrophe that is the Penn State football program sex abuse scandal, it is that we must never let the glitz and glamour of big ticket athletic programs and larger-than-life figures cloud the fact that what matters most is the safety and well-being of people.

Sports are an extracurricular activity.

They shouldn’t ruin people’s lives.

I am in absolutely no way meaning to suggest that BC jeopardizes the best interests of its players. Athletes here boast remarkably high graduation rates, and BC has set a precedent of athletic success to which many schools aspire. However, along with these top-level programs and funding come top-level standards of which athletes are acutely aware. In light of Owen Thomas’ tragic death and the growing number of athletes who have ignored injuries in order to avoid disappointing coaches and fans, we must remain mindful of the strain that we place on our players, our people. It is imperative that BC continues to support its athletes in a way that facilitates positive mental and physical welfare, while also striving “Ever to excel.”

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

Cornfields, Keg Stands, and Textbooks tackle the approaching march of reality. I started to laugh. But she continued to say (or Jose Cuervo told her to say), “Don’t take your last year and a half for granted. You have the rest of your life to work. Whenever you think to yourself, ‘I don’t feel like going to a party, a game, or event with CJ Gustafson my friends, just go. It’ll be worth it when you look back.”

When and where can you find a Sitting on the top of my RV after crowd of heavily inebriated college students in a recently mowed cornfield the game, with a handle of Hawaiian Punch, a few burgers, a surprisat 10 in the morning? ingly not poisonous chicken Caesar A few weeks ago, this setting provided the backdrop to an unforgettable salad from Walmart, and a stereo, college experience for a large group of the poignancy of what that senior told me hit me like the dehydration Boston College students. After fixing my fellow comrades were experiencthe flat tire my RV was endowed with ing. Looking out into the middle of somewhere in the middle of Pennsylnowhere, I realized: this is what it’s vania—in between the lesser known towns of East Nowhere and Bad Habits all about. And I don’t mean corn.

That’s all I could physically see. And Are Cheap Here—my friends and I I don’t mean the diploma, which finally reached Notre Dame. And by is the core reason why we all came Notre Dame, I mean the Walmart here. I suppose I was thinking about next to the school, where the toy aisle the overall experience outside of the of Nerf guns and foam swords never classroom. Obviously, I came to BC closes and shopping carts are always to receive an education. Many of us available for high-speed jousting. Defound ourselves making sacrifices spite the memory, and smell, of some idiots emptying their RV septic tank in throughout high school, whether it the parking lot of Wally World, the next be skipping a certain party or trading sleep to study for AP exams. And I’m day’s atmosphere was unforgettable.

It felt as if camaraderie, grills, and surely not equating the entire college experience to alcohol-filled blurs.

Nattys had been instantly teleported What I was noticing, however, was from Chestnut Hill to South Bend. At that once we’ve all made it to this some point throughout the tailgating extravaganza, I found myself talking to school it can be difficult to truly take a senior outside one of the many RV’s, a deep breath outside of the successor-die atmospheric pressure that is which all look the same at the start of permeable in O’Neill Library. I’ve althe day and blend into a parking lot ways had fun at BC, and I’ve also put of what might as well be filled with in a fair share of hours toiling over three thousand identical blue 1997 Honda Civics as the day progresses. As severely overpriced textbooks. I appreciate the reward of hard work. But a junior, I asked what this particular I don’t think I ever really appreciated senior’s plans after college were. She the privilege I’ve had to experience shuddered at the question, explaining all the fun that’s already occurred that this was the one weekend of the year she didn’t want to think about any- and the memories of next year that will soon move from my future to my thing of the sort. Notre Dame served as her last hurrah before attempting to past.

Bazoomie Wagon | BY BEN VADNAL

Even though I was forced to make full meals out of granola bars, watch my roommate consume six Taco Bell soft shell tacos in one sitting (which should actually be really, really impressive by everyone’s standards), and shower with a jug of water for three days, those are the memories and stories I created with friends that I’ll remember down the road. And I’m not just limiting this reasoning to one road trip, as it’s important to cherish the opportunities that we probably won’t have the rest of our lives (cough, cough, I know… cheesier than Chuck E. Cheese’s).

But any other time in my life it will probably be even less acceptable by society’s standards to take a small level of pride in the rodent infestation in my apartment, use my clothing iron to make a grilled cheese sandwich since it was still hot after ironing my suit pants for an interview, decorate my walls with life-sized pinups of Challupas, dance on couches to truly untalented musical artists, and eat cereal out of a red Solo cup (without a spoon).

It’s funny to share a quick look of mutual pain with a fellow student in the library on Tuesday, and then to share a laugh with that same person Friday in a black-lighted basement. At a home game tailgate earlier this season I was talking to a man who was a hardworking BC alumnus and now a successful businessman. My friends and I asked him for the most important advice he could give to a student at BC. He replied, “You earn your degree in the library. And then you meet your wife around a keg. At least that’s what I did.”

CJ Gustafson is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

SeventhEleventh William Mooney Sloneker Dec. 7 is not a national holiday, but it bears a historical significance often overlooked by Americans today. On that day 70 years ago, more than 2,000 Americans were killed in a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The occurrence prompted the United States to finally enter World War II, kicking off a chain of events that would usher the country into the latter half of the twentieth century as the world’s preeminent superpower.

It goes without saying that hardships such as the Great Depression and World War II were integral in the growth and development of those who came of age at that time. These were constituent in the collective conscience of the group Tom Brokaw dubbed “the greatest generation.”

Pearl Harbor was crucial in determining this path that led to this distinction. A few years later, the former power brokers of Western Europe grew battle-weary, and relinquished their positions in the global power nexus.

Meanwhile, the United States was the world’s lone nuclear power responsible for nearly half of global GDP. With that in mind, the seventh of December is a day to pause and solemnly remember all those who prematurely passed away, but also to examine its implications for those surviving Americans who lived through the rapid transformation that ensued.

Our generation—the Millennials, the Echo Boomers, Generation Y, et. al.—should observe this day with its renewed relevance in mind.

We recently exited arguably the most tumultuous decade since the 1930s, featuring an embroilment of pratfalls, snafus and brouhahas kicked off in 2001 by a national tragedy not unlike Pearl Harbor.

9/11 constitutes one of the few, truly impactful experiences shared by people from the ages of 20 to 30, and it happened during the same formative stage of life. Ten years removed from the attacks, and it remains unclear just how we Millennials have processed that moment insofar as it is difficult to grasp just what defines our generation to begin with.

According to some of the limited number of studies issued thus far, many have found that Millennials lean left politically but are somewhat disengaged when it comes to acting on these inclinations. We have pursued higher education in greater proportions than preceding generations, yet we distinguish ourselves by our widespread use of Facebook and Twitter.

We are more diverse and open-minded than our elders, but may lack a cogent or adaptive morality to guide us through life.

For one thing, making generalizations about millions in a generation is arbitrary. A 29-year-old Millennial may be more similar to a 33-year-old member of Generation X than a 20-year-old fellow Millennial.

These profiles of youthful generations also must be taken with a grain of salt due to the variable of (im)maturity. How we think and feel today may not be the best indication of what kind of people we later become.

What’s more, as our generation progressively enters the workforce, it remains uncertain how we will collectively respond to the crippling nosedive that was “The Aughts,” and, moreover, how 9/11 will influence and guide us through our future work.

Riots in O’Neill and Bapst Library following the death of Osama bin Laden manifested in the immense significance the attacks have born on our lives, but while flag waving and cathartic singings of “The Star Spangled Banner” certainly demonstrate our noteworthy patriotism, it fails to answer the more essential question.

For all the apocalyptic commentary and imagery media hinting at unavoidable withering of American hegemony and the imminent extinction of the human race, Peter Warren Singer of the Brookings Institution manages to identify a new ray of hope: “A crucial flaw of so much of the literature about where the U.S. and the world is headed in the next few decades (by authors like Thomas Freidman, Paul Krugman, Fareed Zakaria, Ann Coulter, etc.) is that the authors put themselves in that future, when it is actually the next generation, e.g. their research assistants, who will be running it.”

Our actions in the so-called “real world” will eventually do a better job of characterizing us. That in mind, we should observe the substantiated bias inherent in Brokaw’s “Greatest Generation”—they could just as easily be the “Pre-Boomers” or “Generation P.H.” or anything. Their accomplishments matter more than the period during which they grew up.

While the last decade is history and 9/11 regrettably appears as the tragedy that spurred the nation’s inevitable fall from grace, it is important to remember Pearl Harbor and realize that historical context is fashioned partially by circumstance and partially by will.

It is our responsibility to honor the memory of that day’s victims and heroes through reflections such as these and a hardened resolve to expect from ourselves nothing less than a generation of greatness.

William Mooney Sloneker is a staff cowlumnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.

The Heights

A8

Monday, December 5, 2011

‘The Muppets’ justifies remake genre with this whismsical installment

By Allan Guzman For The Heights

With all of the mediocre movie remakes and comebacks that have been crowding movie theaters in recent years, it’s becoming more and The Muppets: more difficult to get excited James Bobin fo r a ny o f Mandeville Films/ t h e m . I t ’s Muppets Studio only normal, then, that the thought of a new Muppets movie would be met with sighs and groans.

Many thought The Muppets would be an unnecessary addition to its already lengthy movie franchise. All doubters should forsake their apprehension and see the film, because they’re in for a pleasant treat.

The Muppets franchise was brought back to life by actor Jason Segel, who wrote and starred in the film. Segel is a huge Muppets fan himself, and has said that being able to write his own Muppets movie is a lifelong dream come true. He brings back the whole gang of familiar characters, as well as some Muppets that hadn’t been seen since the TV series from the late 1970s.

A-

The main plot seems rehashed from other films: the Muppets have been out of the spotlight for years, and their old theater and studios are now in danger of being bought by an oil magnate unless they reunite and raise the $10 million needed to buy it back.

The story may be recycled, but then again it’s a family movie, perfect for kids who don’t need a complicated plot with twists and turns. The three protagonists, Gary (Segel), his girlfriend Mary (played by Amy Adams), and his younger brother Walter (a new Muppet character who seemingly represents a young Segel and his love for the Muppets) are responsible for bringing them back together in the remake. The film does have some creative additions to the plot, however, such as conflict between Gary, Mary, and Walter, which counters the Muppets’ own troubles. Both groups of characters are given a balanced amount of screen time, so the film never becomes more about one than the other.

The movie is also part musical. From surprisingly well-choreographed, big dance numbers, to a tender duet between Kermit and Miss Piggy, each song has something for everyone to smile and laugh about. Everyone

participates in the songs, from the Muppets to the actors themselves. However, some (like Adams) are clearly more fit for singing than others (Segel), but it’s all in good fun.

As if there wasn’t already a huge cast with all of the Muppet characters, the film is bursting with celebrity cameos – a trademark of the franchise. From young up-and-coming actors of Disney Channel fame to nonagenarians who are still going strong, you’ll find one in almost every scene of the movie, which shows either how far the producers went to give the film relevance, or just how well-loved the Muppets are.

The real stars of the film, however, are the Muppets themselves. They’re as kooky and wild as ever, retaining the personalities that made them memorable. Kermit is the caring and charismatic leader of the pack.

Miss Piggy stays true to her sassy and chic persona. Fozzie Bear continues to tell terrible jokes that somehow still manage to be funny. The rest of the cast, which includes Gonzo, the Swedish Chef, Animal, and too many others to count, is just as varied as it is memorable.

In the end, its heart and earnest sense of humor are what makes The Muppets great.

Scorsese makes Paris come alive in ‘Hugo’

Courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

Veteran puppeteer and funnyman Jason Segel joins many of his felt-friends in ‘The Muppets.’

The movie doesn’t rely on potty humor or unnecessary gags to be funny. It uses simple yet effective jokes that truly make you laugh, and it never feels like it’s trying too hard to be funny. I found myself laughing from the very start of the film, as did the rest of the audience, which included many more adults and teenagers than I expected.

In a way, the plot of the film resembles Segel’s real-life attempt to bring the Muppets

back into the spotlight and remind everyone what makes these characters so memorable.

His efforts pleasantly succeed. Older fans of the franchise will relive their childhood memories, and a new generation of kids will see why the Muppets’ appeal is so enduring.

So, take your family, date, or friends to see The Muppets. You might just come out of the theater talking like Fozzie Bear: “Wocka Wocka Wocka!” n

Box Office Report title

weekend gross

weeks in release

1 photos courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

1. twilight saga: breaking dawn Part 1 16.9

3

2. The muppets

11.2

2

3. Hugo

7.6

2

Courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

In Scorsese’s first attempt at a children’s movie, Sacha Baron Cohen shines as the station inspector who keeps young Hugo in check.

By Carolina Del Busto For The Heights

Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick and directed by Academy Award winner Martin Scorsese, Hugo is guaranteed to take you on an advenHugo: ture.

Martin Scorcese Although GK Films the film stars a large batch of famous names, such as Jude Law, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Lee, Richard Griffiths, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Helen McCrory, these actors gladly take a step back and highlight the magnificent work of the film’s two young stars: Asa Butterfield and Chloe Grace Moretz. There is also a little something for the Harry Potter fan- look out for not one but three appearances of Harry Potter alums.

Because of his propensity to direct movies that deal with the mob, Scorsese is more famously known for some of his more popular films including Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, The Departed, and Shutter Island. Scorsese typically sets his films in New York City, but for Hugo, he goes all the way to the city of love and lights: Paris.

From the moment the movie starts, the audience has no doubt that it will be visually striking. Scorsese does a brilliant job with scene transitions, lighting, camera angles, and the juxtaposition of

B+ A

machines with art. These all add to the overall brilliance of Scorsese’s directing and beautifully capture the moods of the actors.

Hugo, played by newcomer Butterfield, is left with an automaton after his father tragically passes away. This automaton is a machine resembling a human figure, programmed to do various tasks, such as writing and drawing.

The orphaned Hugo lives alone inside the walls of a Paris train station, keeping the clocks working properly, and sometimes stealing in order to survive. Only when he finally gets caught does his unlikely adventure begin.

The story follows young Hugo as he spends his time trying to fix the automaton that his father left him. He meets Isabelle (Moretz), who ends up having the key, literally, to fixing the automaton.

However, Isabelle soon becomes the key to so much more.

Hugo and Isabelle’s adventure leads them to uncover secrets that have remained in the past for many years. One of those secrets is the history of Georges Melies, a Parisian filmmaker who lived from 1861 to 1938.

Melies was one of the pioneers of cinema, but his legacy was forgotten until the late 1920s due to World War I. His work focused heavily on dreams, and his film studio, Star Films, along with his legacy, are justly represented in Hugo.

Scorsese does an excellent job of

bringing real aspects of Melies’ life into the film. For instance, Melies really did build his own camera after seeing the Lumiere brothers’ first film in 1895. He also hand-painted his own film strips to add color, and he directed, produced, and starred in over 500 films throughout his lifetime.

In the film, Hugo’s father tells him about the first movie he ever saw: against a white screen, a rocket shot straight up to the moon and hit the man in the moon right in the eye. That film was called A Trip to the Moon, or Le Voyage dans la Lune, coincidentally by George Melies.

Parts of the original 1902 film were used in Hugo, which contributed to the authenticity of the piece.

The sets, costumes, props, and just about everything in the movie were beautiful, adding to the vintage 1920s feel. It truly made the audience feel like they were in Paris and right in the middle of this adventure alongside Hugo and Isabelle.

The film itself accelerates at a slower pace than most Scorsese fans are used to, but that is because the story he is telling requires him to take his time. Hugo tells a story of friendship, love, passion, art, science, family, and following dreams. It is definitely worth the two hours.

Hugo makes the perfect holiday movie to watch with friends or family—it will leave you filled with hope and with the desire to never stop dreaming. n

4

7

4. Arthur Christmas

7.3

2

5. Happy Feet Two

6.0

3

6. Jack and jill

5.5

4

7. The descendants

5.2

3

8. Immortals

4.3

4

9. Tower heist

4.1

5

10. Puss in boots

3.0

6

bestsellers of hardcover fiction 1. Explosive Eighteen Janet Evanovich 2. 11/22/63 Stephen King 3. The litigators John Grisham 4. Kill Alex Cross James Patterson 5. V is for Vengeance Sue Grafton

6. Micro Michael Crichton 7. The Best of me Nicholas Sparks 8. Zero Day David Baldacci 9. Devil’s gate Clive Cussler 10. The Christmas wedding James Patterson SOURCE: Publisher’s Weekly

‘My Week With Marilyn’ offers up a uniquely framed memoir

By Joe Allen Heights Staff

Sometime after Marilyn Monroe’s untimely death in 1962, the idea of a quintessential Hollywood star/sex symbol died as My Week with marilyn: well. The notion of an enSimon Curtis tire nation’s The Weinstein pop culture Company revolving around one woman is hard for a Generation Y member to grasp. In this context, a movie about Marilyn Monroe could have become a strange, disconnected viewing experience for a 20-year-old. However, My Week with Marilyn didn’t leave me detached. The British drama instead mesmerizes as it recreates Monroe in all of her insecurity-laced glory.

To the unsuspecting: be prepared to fall in love with a woman who still looms larger than life, thanks in large part to this film.

Based on the memoirs of writer and filmmaker Colin Clark (who becomes the film’s protagonist), My Week with Marilyn tells the real-life story of Marilyn Monroe’s trip to Britain in 1956 to film The Prince and the Showgirl with Lawrence Olivier. Hopped up on pills and looked down upon by her playwright husband, Monroe (Michelle Williams) begins to cause an array of problems

A-

for the seasoned, no-nonsense Olivier (Kenneth Branagh). When the whole production seems doomed, Monroe begins spending more time with a young on-set assistant, Colin (Eddie Redmayne). Told through Colin’s eyes, the movie becomes infatuated with Monroe before pulling away.

Of course, a love affair between an actress and the camera can’t exist if the actress isn’t capable of enchanting. As Monroe, Williams steals the entire movie, delivering one of 2011’s best performances. She reportedly spent six months researching the icon, gaining weight to resemble Monroe’s figure, learning to walk like Monroe, talk like Monroe, and to finally become Monroe on screen. Her dedication to the material reaps dividends. Whether familiar with Monroe or not, viewers will be moved by Williams’ portrayal. She communicates Monroe’s struggle between status as an international icon and life as a tortured individual by sweeping herself up in an array of emotions.

One minute, Monroe is ecstatic, eyes twinkling and mouth raised into a warm, innocent smile. The next, she is drugged up in her bed, too numb to cry but wounded nonetheless. These different states of her character wash over the audience in a way rarely seen in film. For 100 minutes, Williams brings Monroe back to life, and her impec-

cable acting illuminates why Monroe was monumentally important in the 1950s.

While this show is all about Williams (and rightfully so), no character in My Week with Marilyn is out of place. As Colin, Redmayne becomes an effective surrogate for any lovesick guy in the audience. While the young assistant becomes more involved with Monroe, he tries to show her that she can live a happy life out of the limelight. His arguments are so genuine, albeit naïve, that viewers can’t help but root for him.

The standout of the supporting cast is Branagh, who initially inspires contempt yet eventually wins sympathy for his take on Lawrence Olivier. His angry outbursts effectively punctuate the budding romance between Colin and Monroe, forcing the couple back down to earth on multiple occasions. While his portrayal of Olivier is often humorous and heartfelt, Branagh also portrays a few of the film’s unfortunate onthe-nose speeches about Monroe.

These detours into “this is what the film is about” lectures momentarily pull the viewers out of their cinematic revelry. Luckily, much of the film ditches voice-over and grand speeches, letting the audience become intoxicated by Monroe’s second-to-none charm, Williams’ tremendous acting ability, and director Simon Curtis’ silent, assured

camerawork.

Naysayers and skeptics might look at the “based on a true story” tag and complain that the whole movie relies on one man’s bold assertion that he had a brief relationship with Marilyn Monroe. Is there any way to prove that Colin was telling the truth?

Probably not, but it doesn’t matter because the film adds up to more than its central

romance. More than anything, My Week with Marilyn should be remembered for immersing itself in the life of one of the most talented, beautiful, and ultimately tragic figures of the twentieth century. In a time when the Kardashians can sustain fame from getting oil enemas on national television, an hour and a half with Marilyn Monroe is a godsend. n

Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com

Michelle Williams leads a talented cast of actors in this interesting yet convoluted biopic.

A9

The Heights

Monday, December 5, 2011

Shovelhead cracks wise Shovelhead, from A10

AleXandra gaynor / Heights staff

The singers spent much of the show alternating between comedic skits in the vein of ‘Saturday Night Live’ and genuinely beautiful songs.

Sharps combine wit with musical pizzazz Sharps, from A10 noteworthy blend of Maino’s “All the Above” and One Republic’s “Apologize.”

Another laudable performance by Ruhl in “Bulletproof ” by La Roux followed.

When Chrissy Patterson, CSOM ’12, approached the microphone to sing “No Scrubs” by TLC, the crowd couldn’t contain its cheers. And it kept clapping while Kristie Dickinson, CSOM ’14, sporting a cowboy hat, sang Lynyrd Skynard’s

hit, “Sweet Home Alabama.” Her gentle, slightly country voice worked exceptionally well in this song, and judging by the audience’s response, they clearly agreed.

The Sharps’ seniors, Patterson, Gomez, and Ali Hall, A&S ’12, took the spotlight as the group ended the night with their theme song, “If I Can’t Have You.” They took a moment to honor their three new freshmen as well. Lucy Smukler, A&S ’15; Devin Carroll, LSOE ’15; and Jenn Dwyer, CSOM ’15; collaborated to cre-

ate a hysterical parody video of “I’m on a Boat.” Their version, “I’m on the T,” was a creative, amusing way to introduce the audience to the Sharps’ newest members.

With subtle comedy and remarkable vocal talent, BC Sharps amazed their audience with their Fall Cafe. Regardless of the musical preferences among audience members, each person certainly left Saturday Night Sharps with a strong appreciation for a cappella. n

out with the rollercoaster-like entrance theme, dubbed over with commentary from Shovelhead members, continuing with a mockery of typical movie trailers.

The highlight of the video came at the end when Flaherty posed as a character with an uncanny talent for darts, mocking melodramatic, sports-centered films.

“You don’t know nothin’ bout darts,” his mother, Andrea Chudzik, said in the film with an over-dramatized voice.

The sketches that especially captured the attention of the audience included campus humor and a mockery of student life at BC. There were the typical jokes about the Mods, freshmen, and, of course, the difficulty of registration. In one scene, Blakeslee plays a student struggling with the BC UIS program. The scene is presented as a hostage situation involving rifle-wielding students and a philosophy professor who is held captive for the purpose of obtaining an “access code.” Yet, by the end of the scene, BCPD interfers and sentences Blakeslee to the horror of an 8 a.m. class meeting on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Another BCcentered sketch poked fun at the Mods by dubbing it a “gated community” that holds fancy parties. Freshman Nate Fisher made his debut on the Fulton stage as a butler for a fancy Mod party, responsible for pouring out each beer in the backyard, one by one.

Perhaps the highlight of the night was the video that played right after intermission. In the video, Flaherty and Blakeslee took to the streets of New York, smack-dab in the middle of Occupy Wall Street. The two mocked the movement by dressing up in full suits and acting as if the demonstration was a job fair. When talking about the aggressive nature of fellow job-seekers, Blakeslee pointed out, “They’re sharks, they’re tigers, they’re shigers.”

Other zany sketches involved a family owning a pet dragon, losing the city of Atlantis, hung-over friends that forget how to read, movie adaptations that should have never become musicals (Sophie’s Choice), and a discrepancy concerning “that’s what she said.” All Shovelhead members were at their best, sporting various costumes and playing ridiculous roles.

For instance, Dionne could be seen sporting a Russian tiger or Blues Clues costume while Showalter played a mermaid who had to be carried around stage. All in all, each sketch was carefully crafted in a way that clearly portrayed a unique range of talented individuals.

Putting on a successful two-hour sketch comedy show is no small feat.

While there were moments in which the humor may have fallen a little flat, the show was still an incredibly successful event. It’s the type of humor that keeps Shovelhead fans coming back time after time: borderline foul and entirely random. n

Apatow fights for Academy Awards to recognize funny films Oscar Comedy, from A10 Franco-Hathaway, which had the mission of getting younger viewers, failed.

Academy members may be baffled by these results, but just look at the show’s movie selection. The winner of Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay (four of the five major categories) was a film described by 99 percent of America as “that British movie that I never saw.” The only films out of the 10 Best Picture nominees that could be even remotely classified as comedies were Toy Story 3 and The Kids Are All Right. With such an inaccessible list of films, the low viewership among younger audiences wasn’t the least bit surprising.

A comedy category, as Apatow stated, could change all that. Wouldn’t the Oscars

be more interesting next year if Bridesmaids, Friends with Benefits, Crazy Stupid Love, and Young Adult competed head-to-head?

Getting back to my Superbad obsession, more reasons than just increased viewership exist for a comedy category at the Oscars.

As Apatow has addressed while discussing Bridesmaids, making an audience laugh can be much harder than making it cry. A fair amount of Oscar movies, such as The King’s Speech or The Fighter, seem to be on autopilot, assured that awards will come if they keep the drama and silent reflection flowing. Not to say that this is a bad thing, but comedies must work much harder to keep audiences entertained.

While decidedly lowbrow in comparison to the Academy Awards, recent comedy classics such as The Hangover, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Easy A deserve some acknowledgment.

While some argue that great comedies are hard to come by due to being hard to make, that argument should not punish those laugh-filled classics that fire on all cylinders.

Bringing comedies to the Academy Awards that have less drama in them than even Juno or Little Miss Sunshine would lighten up the often-solemn award ceremonies while making everyone (including me) more interested in watching them from start to finish.

If Apatow’s proposition is taken seriously, then the post-Oscar conversations of lessfrequent moviegoers could shift toward a discussion of the year’s best comedies instead of focusing on “what the hell is The Tree of Life?” n

Joe Allen is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at arts@ bcheights.com.

Courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

Movies like ‘Superbad’ and ‘Bridesmaids’ make a seriously strong case for a comedy Oscar.

Alexandra gaynor / Heights staff

Trinity Chapel played host to an abundance of musicians and singers who tackled a variety of holiday classics.

Chorale fills Newton with cheer Concert, from A10 unique to the Boston College Chorale, introducing repeat attendees of the concerts to a new and integral part of the Christmas canon. These pieces, which are so well known to the majority of the performers, do not suffer from this familiarity. Rather, both groups perform them with a fervor that indicates their fondness for the tradition.

On the lesser-known selections, the chorale showed its versatile ability through a variety of works—ranging from the modern and sweetly melodic “Candlelight Carol” to the traditional Spanish, up-tempo “Fum Fum Fum,” and an arrangement of “Master of This House” infused with subtle melodic nods to other carols such as “Joy to the World.” Both of the latter pieces were arranged by modern composer Kirke Mechem and were selections from his “Seven Joys of Christmas” composition.

While both “Fum Fum Fum” and “Master of This House” benefitted from Mechem’s creative arrangement and provided a welcome respite from the overly repetitive Christmas canon typically found during the season, his arrangement of “Ding Dong Merrily on High” was one of the evening’s only stumbling blocks. The arrangement, which focused on a cappella style bell sounds from the chorale, in addition to the bells in the orchestra, was overly kitschy and lacked the

original carol’s warmth and energy.

Despite this, both groups overcame this difficult arrangement for the most part.

The orchestra and chorale collaborated on “For Unto Us a Child is Born,” a selection from Handel’s Messiah. Their rendition displayed not only each group’s technical skill and mastery of the work, but also each one’s ability to strengthen the other. The string section of the orchestra had its work cut out for them with this piece and “Trepak” from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. Yet, it executed them with careful attention to timing, tone, and pitch. This provided the chorale with ample support and allowed Handel’s complex and interlocking melodies to shine without unnecessary adornment. However, due largely to the makeup of the chorale, the soprano line tended to overshadow the sound from the other sections.

Such a positive tendency can serve the chorale well in many carols where the melody is held by the sopranos.

Even so, a slight containment of the higher voices would better serve “The Messiah.”

The orchestra was also joined by two solo instrumentalists. Katya Rucker, A&S ’12, was featured on the harp. Jennifer McPherson, Holy Cross’s prestigious organ scholar from the class of ’13, completed the instrumental duo. Both soloists were used for various pieces, but Rucker

particularly impressed with her solo performance of “Silent Night,” adding tranquil glissandi to the chorale’s singing. McPherson’s organ added depth and embellishment to the chorale’s performance of “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” The packed church tended to consume a large amount of the sound put forth from the two instruments. Unfortunately, both would have made a greater impression if they were more individually incorporated.

In this Christmas performance, the usually strict rules of concert etiquette were thrown off, and the festive atmosphere was emphasized above all. During the opening selection, “Joy to the World,” the audience was invited to join in with the chorale, a technique that was repeated for “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” Although the choir, a veritable wall of sound, was more than capable of rousing Christmas cheer throughout the audience, this traditional inclusion of the entire assembly on certain classics enlivened the entire performance.

The evening’s conclusion saw all present alumni of the chorale join the present group onstage for a performance of the chorus from Handel’s “Hallelujah!” This finale delivered a theme of tradition, sending the crowd out into the night with the cheer of another Christmas season on the Heights. n

A10

arts&review Monday, December 5, 2011

an eye on culture

A new kind of protest song

STUDENT GROUPS STIR UP HOLIDAY SPIRIT Chorale, Symphony Orchestra kick off the Christmas season with a bang

By Hilary Chasse

A Heights Senior Staff

Taylor Cavallo Sure, Jackson Browne might not be everyone’s favorite throwback singer, but on Dec. 1 he attempted to solidify himself as the “songbird of our generation,” if you will. In Zuccotti Park, the epicenter of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Browne unveiled a new protest song, apparently inspired by and meant to embody the movement. The crowd seemed to receive his song well and with great enthusiasm, even drawing Browne fans who had never been to Zuccotti Park to mingle with disgruntled masses—although they openly stated they were just there to see Browne perform and wanted nothing to do with the movement whatsoever.

Browne stated that an “impromptu” title for the protest song was “Which Side Are You On?” as he hadn’t decided on one yet … which is interesting because it is probably the most repeated phrase in the entire song (apart from the line “And the river opened for the righteous,” somehow attempting to compare the Occupy protestors with the Hebrew people during their Exodus from slavery in Ancient Egypt, which struck me as a bit overzealous) and seems like a strikingly obvious title. The title Browne uses comes from a 1931 song written by Florence Reece about the struggles of mine unions after she and her children were terrorized in place of her husband, then a strike organizer. The song was later famously adapted as a civil rights movement song, and Browne cites this version as the inspiration for his Occupy title. Perhaps I’m being a bit overzealous myself, but somehow, paralleling the Occupy Wall Street movement with the American civil rights movement in which African Americans were demanding basic human rights seems like a bit of a stretch.

When we think of protest songs, we typically see hippies sitting in a circle on the grass, strumming on acoustic guitars with daisy crowns woven into their hair, singing about peace and love, maybe with that echo-y intro from Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” playing in the background, one of the more obvious protest, unsurprisingly flower child, songs. There is some validity to this mental image however: countless songs during the 1960s were being written in response to the Vietnam War, and came to be sung at protests, as the words and lyrics embodied the sentiments of the people. While the message may have neutralized over time, many well-known songs have roots in the protest era of 1960s America. These songs are wonderful, with or without knowing the message behind them, but having a sense of their meaning adds something more. “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills and Nash was written by Neil Young as a reaction to the Kent State shootings on May 4, 1970, where four unarmed college students were shot down by the Ohio National Guard while protesting the recently announced American invasion of Cambodia during the Vietnam War. CCR’s “Fortunate Son,” Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On,” and Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” (unsurprisingly, as almost all Bob Dylan songs have a strong, profound “below the surface” message), are some of the more surprising songs that grew from Vietnam War activism.

Browne’s version of “Which Side Are You On?” is by no means as good as any of the aforementioned songs, especially as Browne, himself, admitted to finishing the song late the night before. The song for the Occupy Wall Street movement was received well, pulling on the heartstrings of those protestors. The lyrics touched upon their favorite buzzwords and images, such as theft and greed, the future of our country, and general unhappiness. But we shouldn’t anticipate it going down in history as the voice of a generation seeking to make a difference, as was so prevalent in the ‘60s. What the song symbolized, though, could be seen as hopeful, not only for the supporters of the movement, but for youth in general. I guess we have our own protest song now, no matter how slapdash and (slightly) overzealous it may be, and his music brought people together, Occupy protestors and Browne fans alike. If Browne had just stuck with the old favorite, “Somebody’s Baby,” I’m sure the 99 percent would have been just as impressed.

Taylor Cavallo is a staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com

quality that tends to unite and define many seemingly disparate students at Boston College is our collective love for tradition. From the biannual Holy War pilgrimage to South Bend, to the whiteboard messages adorning the Roncalli first floor windows, we’re suckers for carrying a torch. This weekend in Trinity Chapel, students and alumni gathered to celebrate another one of these traditions: the annual Christmas on the Heights concert, featuring the University Chorale and the Boston College Symphony Orchestra. Director John Finney had his eye both on the past and the future in his song selections, but was careful to honor the prestigious, long-standing legacy of the choir throughout the evening.

The songs that stood out most were the beloved chorale classics, including ‘Tollite Hostias,” “O Holy Night,” and “Carol of the Bells.”

These standards appear again and again at Christmas on the Heights but become no less beloved each time. ‘Tollite Hostias” is almost

aLEXandra GAYNOR / heights staff

Selecting both classic and new jingles, Christmas on the Heights filled St. Ignatius with holiday cheer.

See Concert, A9

Sharps shine with an onslaught of pop hits

By Ariana Igneri For The Heights

Saturday Night Sharps, the BC Sharps’ Fall Cafe, was an entertaining evening of a cappella, and even a little comedy.

The Sharps, Boston College’s all-female a cappella group, were preceded by Brandeis VoiceMale, an all-male a cappella group from Brandeis University.

The eight member group, clad in matching blue dress shirts and gold ties, sang three songs, including, “In the Still of the Night.” During the song, the lead singer pronounced his love to an unsuspecting audience member and begged her to say “I love you” in return. The crowd cheered, amused by the group’s clever act. Brandeis VoiceMale also sang an original up-beat song titled, “Ask Myself.” Because they have been working on recording albums recently, VoiceMale said that they have been writing more original songs, similar to the one they performed. Ending on a high note, the boys set the stage for the lovely and talented Sharps.

The Sharps performed 13 songs during their two-act show. Singing both fun pop songs and several older classics, the Sharps captured the audience with their voices and beautiful harmonies. After beginning with “Animal”

by Neon Trees, the group performed their rendition of “Breakeven” by The Script. Because of the unique arrangement and the incredible solo

by Sara Gomez, A&S ’12, the song was definitely one of the highlights of the night.

Wi t h a s l i g h t change of genre, the

Sharps sang a medley of Jessie J’s “Price Tag” and The Black Eyed Peas’ “Where is the Love.” Margeau Frigon, LSOE ’14, and Jen Maraia, CSON ’13, even did a bit of a cappella rap during the song, keeping the show extremely refreshing and novel.

The solo performed by Michaelia Ruhl, A&S ’13, in the Sharps’ fresh mash-up of “Set Fire to the Rain” and “Rolling in the Deep,” was another shining moment of the fall cafe. Ruhl’s voice, both distinctive and brilliant, contrasted well with the harmonies of the rest of the group and was ideal for Adele’s emotional songs. Led by Dilara Eynula, A&S ’13, the Sharps closed the first act strongly with the Whitney Houston favorite, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

During intermission, about four or five clips from the late-night comedy show Saturday Night Live (which the Fall Cafe drew its humorous theme from) were played.

The Sharps even filmed a couple comedy sketches of their own. For example, in one titled “Debbie Downer,” Siobhan Tellez, CSON ’13, played an extraordinarily pessimistic BC student. Her character, though a complete “downer” in the skit, elicited a roar of laughter from those present at the show.

The audience chuckled at the funny SNL segments, but they were even more amused when the members of the Sharps came out for the second act dressed as the absurd, hilarious characters from the SNL sketches. Despite their bizarre attire, though, the girls put on another commendable act. Included in the last half of the show was a

See Sharps, A9

Oscars should expand categories for comedies joe allen

The 2008 Oscar ceremony may have celebrated great films such as No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood, but I always remember that cinematic year by Superbad.

Seeing that high school comedy on opening night with my buddy has come to represent the gold standard of movie-going to me. The jokes came so fast and landed so hard that a good chunk of the dialogue became indistinguishable over the audience’s laughter. The movie was hilarious, heartfelt, and retro-cool, lauded by critics and audiences alike. Yet, no Oscar nods? While not an award movie by any traditional standards, Superbad deserved some form of recognition for its skillful execution. Comedies, however, often go unnoticed by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Two weeks ago, Judd Apatow, comedy giant and producer of Superbad, offered a solution.

At a Los Angeles Times Forum, Apatow shared his conviction that

i nside Arts this issue

comedies should have their own category at the Academy Awards, much like animated features do now.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s screwing up Schindler’s List for Hangover to have its own category,” Apatow said. To put this in context, Apatow produced this year’s Bridesmaids, that raunchy, female-driven comedy starring Kristen Wiig that had everyone talking this summer. While there has been some buzz about a possible Best Supporting Actress nomination for the scene-stealing Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids has largely been neglected from Oscar talk.

Apatow’s easy solution seems like a great quick fix for an awards show that has largely alienated itself from the masses these past few years. Between 2010 and 2011, Oscar viewership dropped 12 percent in its viewership by adults in the 18-49 age bracket, plummeting from 13.3 to 11.7 million viewers. Even more disconcerting is that the majority of the 37.6 million viewers overall were over fifty years old. Operation

See Oscar Comedy, A9

The Muppets remake does not dissapoint

The family-friendly puppets’ jump onto the silver screen sets the bar high for the holiday movie season, A8

Natalie blardony / for the heights

With a steller Senior group, Shovelhead flexes their comedic muscle with “Bacne to Prom.”

Shovelhead lights up Fulton

By Katie Lee Heights Staff

Upon walking into Fulton 511 for Hello…Shovelhead’s Fall 2011 show this past Friday and Saturday night, audience members were handed a program with a disclaimer that read, “By entering this show you have temporarily suspended your right to be offended.” The two-hour show, titled “Bacne at Prom,” set to offend almost everyone, from Occupy Wall Street members, to Russians, to BC professors and field hockey players. Yet the “offensive” nature of the show never went beyond the boundaries of well-crafted humor.

Senior directors Steve Flaherty and John Blakeslee both stole the show and guaranteed laugh-out-loud humor throughout its entirety.

For those who are less familiar with the group, Hello…Shovelhead! is a comedy troupe on campus full of zany, witty, and hilarious performers. Members of the group (Flaherty, A&S ’12; Blakeslee, A&S ’12; Rich Evans, A&S ’12; Rich Hoyt, A&S

’12; Andrea Chudzik, LSOE ’12; Madlyn Dionne, LSOE ’13; Meg Showalter, LSOE ’13; Mo Fry Pasic, A&S ’13; Luis DeArmas, CSOM ’14; Kevin Fabbri, A&S ’14; and Nate Fisher, A&S ‘15) put on two major shows per academic year, with one in each semester. The shows are full of sketch comedy, meaning that the group members write their own scenes and create a show presented in an SNL-like format. The title of this year’s show, “Bacne at Prom,” epitomizes the type of humor that one could have expected to see when walking into Fulton this past weekend: hilarious, awkward, and smart. It’s the type of comedy that seems to push boundaries and discuss some of the most random scenarios one could ever think of.

The show started out in typical Shovelhead fashion with a pre-recorded video introducing its cast members. This particular video closely resembled a movie theatre preview and had the audience roaring with laughter from the beginning. It started

See Shovelhead, A9

A Room of our own

Daniel lee / heights staff

On Wednesday afternoon, members of the Laughing Medusa, the women’s literary and art journal of BC, held “A Room of Our Own,” a night of spoken word and song.

Scorsese makes Paris shine with Hugo

Using dazzling sets, the legendary director channels his inner-child with this children’s epic, A8

Bestsellers...............................A8 Box Office Report........................A8

SPORTS The Heights

Monday, December 5, 2011

B1

Monday, December 5, 2011

BC finally connects against Terriers

Learning life lessons from Jimmy V

By Raychel Kruper

Greg Joyce

Heights Staff

With a rookie goaltender between the pipes and a thirst for revenge, the No. 2 Boston College Boston College 6 m e n’s h o c k e y 1 Boston Univ. team came out firing against its B-line rivals at Agganis Arena Saturday night. The Eagles defeated the No. 13 Boston University Terriers by a final score of 6-1, ending BU’s five-game winning streak.

“I thought tonight we were very solid in all three zones,” head coach Jerry York said. “I think from our defensive core up to our forwards I felt very good about the way we played. I think that [Friday] night was an indicator that we meshed as a club even more as the year went on. We haven’t scored a goal first in the series, but that gave us a good jump when the rookie line of freshman combined for that goal.”

The Eagles struck gold early in the opening stanza on a goal from the allfreshman line of Quinn Smith, Michael Sit and Danny Linell. After BC gained possession of the puck at center ice, Smith ripped a shot at Kieran Millan that bounced out in front of the net, and Linell capitalized on the rebound, notching his first collegiate goal at 5:51.

Despite falling behind, the Terriers were not about to give in just yet, putting home a puck before the first frame came to a close. From behind the net, Corey Trivino directed the puck into traffic in front of the BC goal, deflecting it in for a score to tie the game at 1-1 with 1:04 remaining in the period.

ond period came from Bill Arnold at 18:24. Dumoulin found Arnold just as he jumped off the bench, and Arnold slapped the puck home. The second period came to a close with a comfortable four-goal lead for the Eagles.

After BC’s five-goal parade on Millan, BU made a goaltender change and sent Grant Rollheiser between the pipes.

Despite the change, Rollheiser also had little luck against the Eagles’ blistering attack.

Last January, I began my column as an assistant sports editor, vowing to be a marriage counselor between you and Boston College athletics. Little did I know that a year later, the sports scene on the Heights would be a bit more complicated than it was back in January. Given what has transpired this semester, it now seems that there is no better time for a little bit of counseling.

The issues are obvious, and they don’t need to be rehashed. But my complicated mind usually tries to see the good in everything, and as much as I hate it, I tend to be a bit of an optimist.

For a roadmap to this column, and in the spirit of Jimmy V Week, I’ll start with a quote from the great Jim Valvano in his 1993 ESPYs speech: “I always have to think about what’s important in life to me are these three things: Where you started, where you are and where you’re going to be. Those are the three things that I try to do every day.”

Well, where did this year start? A promising January saw the potential for all four teams to make the NCAA tournament. Or at least that’s what I wrote in that first column. I guess two for four wasn’t that awful? While men’s and women’s hockey made the tourney, men’s and women’s basketball faltered down the stretch and had to settle for the NIT. Back to hockey, the men were shocked in the first round, ending what had once appeared to be another magical year. The

See Men’s Hockey, B3

See Column, B3

alex trautwig / heights editor

Yasin Cisse (left) and Paul Carey (right) saw plenty of each other this weekend, as BC and BU split the weekend home-and-home.

This tie was short-lived, however, as the Eagles erupted in the middle frame, lighting the lamp four times and leaving the Terriers in the dust.

Captain Tommy Cross wasted no time adding his second goal of the season at 1:50 into the second period on an assist from Steven Whitney. Cross buried the puck high into the net, and ignited a flame under the Eagles.

“The next big boost we got was Tommy Cross’s top shelf backhand,” York said. “From the captain, it just lifted the whole bench and I thought we were on

our way to having a very special night, and it turned out that way.”

At 13:53, Chris Kreider added the second goal of the stanza. Johnny Gaudreau whipped a puck to the Eagles’ leading goal-scorer, who beat Millan glove-side on a one-time laser.

Within the next two minutes, Gaudreau tallied his seventh goal of the season, putting the Eagles up 4-1. Brian Dumoulin tested Millan with a shot that deflected back to the stick of Gaudreau, who lifted the puck into the back of the net.

The last scoring effort of the sec-

Donahue’s squad comes up short again

By Alex Dripchak For The Heights

nick rellas / heights staff

Blake Bolden notched the game-winner in yesterday’s 1-0 win at Maine for the sweep.

Eagles get sweep at Maine

By Greg Joyce

Assoc. Sports Editor In two exciting one-goal games, the No. 4 Boston College women’s hockey team pulled off a Boston College 1 sweep of Maine 0 Maine in Alford Arena this weekend, defeating the Black Bears by scores of 4-3 (overtime) and 1-0.

“It was very important,” head coach Katie King Crowley said of the weekend sweep. “It’s tough to win on the road, so two great wins for us on the road.”

On Sunday, the two teams were held scoreless for two periods until the Eagles finally got on the scoreboard with 1:28 left in the third period. After Mary Restuccia

won a faceoff in the Maine zone, the puck went into the corner where Blake Bolden rushed to gain possession. Bolden dished the puck to Restuccia, who then sent it over to Meagan Mangene. Mangene unloaded a shot from the point that was redirected

by Bolden past the Maine goaltender for the win.

“Blake was playing really confident and doing her job and she was playing really aggressive and she got a nice tip,” Crowley said. “It ended up being a tip on Meagan Mangene’s shot. Nice shot, and a nice tip

by Blake, and it just redirected it enough to get by the goalie.”

BC outshot Maine 47-18 in the game,

See Women’s Hockey, B2

The “Rivalry Weekend” match-up between cross-town rivals Boston University and 75 Boston Univ.

Boston College Boston College 61 extended beyond the ice as the two teams met up for their first basketball battle since the 2004-2005 season. The shift from the ice to the hardwood was marked by a particularly fast-paced game for both teams. Despite a 31-31 tie at the half, BU’s high-octane offense proved to be insurmountable for BC as the Eagles fell to 2-6 on the season by way of a 75-61 defeat in Saturday afternoon’s game against the Terriers at Conte Forum.

The Terriers put up a dominant 21 three-point attempts in the opening frame and a total of 36 for the contest.

However, the Eagles were able to offset the barrage of 3-pointers by the Terriers with large contributions from their bench in the first half. Freshman guard Jordan Daniels and freshman forward Ryan Anderson helped to create a spark from behind the arc as they combined for 14 of the Eagles’ 31 points in the first half.

Right from the get-go, both teams surged out of the gates. After an 8-0 run by the Terriers, the Eagles responded by shooting 64 percent from the field and held a plus-three rebounding advantage over their opponent well into the first half. Behind the streak of Anderson jumpers, the Eagles were able to obtain a 22-16 lead with less than eight minutes

to go. Despite its offensive surges, BC was never able to pull away from the Terriers as sophomore point guard D.J. Irving matched the Eagles’ great shooting display with three 3-pointers of his own in the first half.

“D.J. Irving can run any team in the country at that position,” head coach Steve Donahue said. “He’s as good as they get.” Irving proved to be difficult

for the Eagles to handle as he posted 17 points with six rebounds and seven assists in the game.

The beginning of the second half was marked by much of the same from both teams: a prominent bench presence from BC and a construction-project on the three-point line from the Terriers

See Men’s Basketball, B4

Graham beck / heights staff

Freshman Ryan Anderson (left) runs into pressure at the rim from BU’s Patrick Hazel (right).

Women’s basketball falters on the road

By Steven Principi Heights Staff

The Boston College women’s basketball team lost a tough game Sunday afternoon at 69 Dayton Dayton, falling Boston College 60 to the Flyers 6960. It was a choppy game at times, with both teams committing 17 turnovers, but the Flyers were able to make the most of their opportunities while BC could not.

The Eagles opened the game strong and refused to let Dayton run away with

it, but were ultimately unable to overcome an 11-0 run in the second half and lost their second consecutive game.

The Eagles opened the first half with a quick five-point run. They went cold for a few minutes afterwards and ended up allowing the next seven points to fall behind. Both teams traded baskets for the next few minutes and were tied at 12 before the Flyers went on a mini run.

The Eagles went into the break trailing by a score of 27-23, mainly the result of 12 turnovers committed in the opening 20 minutes. The Eagles managed to outshoot Dayton during the half but

i nside S ports this issue

surrendered four 3-pointers while only managing two of their own. Neither team got to the line much either, as Dayton attempted just two free throws and BC just four.

The second half saw Dayton extend their lead in the opening minutes. A quick 7-3 run for the Flyers coming out of the break pushed their advantage to 34-26 before the Eagles went on a run of their own. Deidra Smith and Shayra Brown each had four points as the Eagles fought their way back into the game with

See Women’s Basketball, B4

Quigley leaves his mark

With his college career ending on a high note, Ryan Quigley now looks to what’s next..........B5

alex trautwig / heights editor

Shayra Brown scored 11 points at Dayton yesterday, but it wasn’t enough to pick up the win.

Lessons from the NBA Lockout

How the politics behind the NBA Lockout relate to the BC sports scene.........................................B2

Numbers to Know.....................B2 Quote of the Week.....................B2

The Heights

B2

Monday, December 5, 2011

What are the consequences of Spaz?

Austin Tedesco

Nick Rellas / Heights Staff

Corinne Boyles gave up a goal at the end of regulation, but she held Maine scoreless in overtime.

BC shows resiliency in OT Women’s Hockey, from B1 but the Black Bears were bolstered by the outstanding play of their goaltender, Brittany Ott. “As you get going into the second half of the year, you run into goalies that keep their team in games,” Crowley said. “We ran into a situation like that Sunday and Saturday. I thought our kids continued to make nice plays and get some shots on net. We finally slipped one by [Ott].”

In Saturday’s game, three periods were not enough to decide the outcome of the game, and the two teams were forced to play a four-on-four overtime period. Caitlin Walsh set up the winning goal, as she won a battle behind the net and slipped the puck to her teammate, Melissa Bizzari. The sophomore one-timed the pass by Ott’s left side and into the back of the net for the victory.

Before the overtime period, it was a back-and-forth game between the two teams for all of regulation.

Jackie Young put the Eagles on the board first at 1:01 in the first period, marking the quickest time BC has scored in a game all year. Ashley Motherwell and Alex Carpenter assisted on the goal, which was Young’s fifth of the season.

Maine responded by scoring twice before the end of the period, thanks to Kelly McDonald, who notched her first two goals of the year in a span of under two minutes.

The Eagles battled back in the second period, when Carpenter scored her 10th goal of the season. Fellow freshman Emily Field set up the tally, when she brought the puck up the ice before drawing defensemen and dishing off the puck to Carpenter.

Carpenter now has a seven-game pointstreak, which places 10th in program history.

In the third period, Kate Leary scored her first collegiate goal for BC to put her team back in the lead, 3-2. Leary scooped up the rebound of a Bolden shot and found the back of the net 3:27 into the final frame of regulation.

But the Black Bears did not back down.

With 2:52 left in the third, Brittany Dougherty fired a puck on net, and it deflected off a BC defender to get past goaltender Corinne Boyles.

“One fluke goal and now they tie it up,” Crowley said of the equalizer. “It deflected off one of us.”

The Eagles displayed their resiliency, however, pulling off the overtime victory with a finalizing shot off the stick of Bizzari.

“It was great,” Crowley said of the win.

“We had worked extremely hard and got a lot of shots on net. To be able to come back, and we have a lot of young kids on our team that are working hard and haven’t been in a lot of situations and whatnot. So we were able to come back and score in overtime. It was a great win for us.” n

For all Superfans who blamed the players during the NBA lockout, it turns out that you have a lot more in common with them than you think. No, it’s not a 40-inch vertical, and no, it’s not backstage access to the Watch the Throne Tour. Put yourself in the position of the players and you’ll realize that we, as Superfans, have our very own David Stern (Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo), our own hard-line owner (football coach Frank Spaziani), and our own “nuclear winter” going on right now. Up until a week ago, when the possibility of an NBA season looked bleak, this analogy worked really well. Now that a deal has been reached and basketball is back on, it becomes less of an analogy and more of an example for how this problem can best be solved.

First things first, let me explain the metaphor. Stern runs the show in the NBA the same way that DeFilippo runs the show here when it comes to athletics and, more specifically, the football program. Stern did not start the NBA lockout, the owners did.

He just supported them. DeFilippo has not caused the decline in the football program over the past three years, Spaziani has. And now DeFilippo is supporting him.

The NBA owners were straight up wrong during negotiations with the players. Their demands were both unfair and unheard of in major professional sports. Demanding a restructuring of the league’s system to go along with taking 7 percent of the player’s income was strictly an unnecessary power move. Spaziani is wrong when he blames the 4-8 record on injuries and youth. This team had enough talent to make a bowl game. All year long we have seen the coaching staff hold them back.

For a majority of the NBA lockout Stern stood by his owners. He showed up at press conferences with a smug look on his face and spoke about how the players were misguided and unreasonable. DeFilippo is also standing by his man and talking down to Boston College fans calling for Spaz’s job.

“It doesn’t matter,” DeFilippo told The Boston Herald. “They’re not here every day.

They’re not here all the time. Spaz and I

work 24/7 and they just have to trust us and understand that this program is headed in the right way.”

For proof that the program is not heading in the right direction, check out the SBNation.com blog BC Interruption. They have been beautifully outlining how false that statement is.

DeFilippo claims that Spaz sparked a successful end of the season run, but The New York Times’ Paul Myerberg summed it up bet-

like Vanderbilt.

“We failed you,” Vanderbilt Vice Chancellor of Student Athletics David Williams said after an awful 2-10 season last year before hiring James Franklin, who has started turning that program around this season. “You’re better than 2-10. No matter what anyone else thinks, Vanderbilt is better than 2-10. We’ve got to go find you a coach.”

Those words are all it will take for DeFilippo to fix this. It took the NBA players

AP phot0/Richard shiro

Despite many calls for his termination, Frank Spaziani still has the support of Gene Defilippo (left). ter by calling the first half of the season “an utter disaster” and the second half of the season “slightly less of a disaster. Not a success: less of a disaster. I guess that’s still improvement, based on the meaning of the word.”

More importantly though is the part of DeFilippo’s quote where he says Superfans don’t understand. Trust me, they understand just like the NBA players understood the owners’ unfairness.

All I’ve heard around campus lately is how much of a joke the football team has turned into under Spaziani, and not at the fault of the players. Conservative play calling is criticized far more than Chase Rettig’s arm.

Football players have voiced their frustration on Twitter. High school seniors looking for a good academic school with a competitive football program to support are going to turn away from BC and instead look at schools

a disbanding of their union and the threat of brutal litigation for Stern to give in and convince his owners they couldn’t make the deal so unfair. Stern recognized that apathy for the league was growing along with a likely loss in revenue from season ticket holders and TV contracts. Inevitably, fewer nationally televised games for BC, smaller donations to the Flynn Fund, and worse season ticket sales should be enough of a message to DeFilippo that a change needs to happen. Maybe it’s a new, exciting offensive coordinator. Maybe it’s a new head coach. But settling for what we have and vocally commending it can’t continue. We, as Superfans, cannot allow it.

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

Freshman Alex Carpenter uses strong background to lead Eagles

By Chris Marino Asst. Sports Editor

Tradition is an important element of sports. Legacies are created, and future generations both cherish and mimic the different aspects of their predecessors.

Despite being born into a great pedigree of her sport, Boston College women’s ice hockey player Alex Carpenter is creating her own legacy every day.

The freshman center was born into a hockey family. Bobby Carpenter, her father, played in the NHL for 18 seasons with five different teams. He was the third overall pick by the Washington Capitals in the 1981 draft, and he was the first U.S.-born player to go to the NHL straight from high school. After his playing career, he became the Director of Program Development for the Eastern Junior Hockey League’s Valley Jr. Warriors.

While many would fear falling under the shadow of so famous a parent, Carpenter has created her own identity

and forged her own path in the world of athletics, only using her father’s experience to be the best player possible.

She credits growing up in a hockey family as one of the main factors of her development.

“My biggest strength would probably be how much I know about the game,” she said. “I grew up in a hockey background with my dad playing in the NHL. I’ve been around the game. I just know a lot about it, so it’s become second nature to me.”

Clearly her knowledge of the sport has given Carpenter an advantage over other Hockey East freshmen. As of Sunday, she had registered the most points on the team with 20. She has worked very well at both facilitating her teammates and creating her own opportunities, as she has both 10 goals and assists.

Although most freshmen struggle with their inaugural learning curves, Carpenter has not had too many difficulties. She credits this advantage to her

alex trautwig / Heights editor

SPORTS in SHORT

Carpenter was an important figure at Ice Jam, where she participated in the hockey shooutout.

Men’s Hockey East Standings Conference Boston College 8-3-0 Merrimack 6-2-1 Boston University 6-4-1 UMass Lowell 6-3-0 Providence 6-3-0 Maine 5-5-1 New Hampshire 4-6-1 Northeastern 3-7-2 Massachusetts 2-6-3 Vermont 1-8-1

Overall 11-5-0 9-2-1 8-5-1 9-4-0 8-6-1 6-6-2 6-8-2 6-7-2 4-7-4 3-10-1

high school, The Governor’s Academy in Byfield, Mass.

“It was a pretty easy transition,” she said. “On the ice, I think it was very easy. In the weight room, it was a little different. We didn’t really have that sort of weight room atmosphere at Governor’s. But hockey-wise it was a very good transition. My prep school is a good college transition school, so that prepared me well.”

In high school, Carpenter became a well-known figure, due to her strong play. Playing in the highly competitive Independent School League (ISL), the Reading, Mass. native registered 239 goals and 188 assists for 427 points in only 100 games. For all four years she played, her team won the New England Division II Championship.

The center was named to the All-ISL team for all four years, and she captured ISL MVP honors during her junior and senior campaigns.

Carpenter was also a strong competitor on the diamond. She helped lead her softball team to the ISL championship game in 2008 and 2011. Her play as a strong-batted shortstop earned her All-League honors for four years and team MVP in 2009 and 2011.

One important factor during this period was the support of her family, specifically her brother Robert.

“We were actually pretty supportive of each other,” she said. “There’s a two-year age difference. We were never really competing, but rather helping each other. We’d always go skate in our backyard and help each other with things we needed to work on.”

This hockey-oriented background gave Carpenter the ability to mature into her skills more quickly than most. As a sophomore in high school, she played with the USA’s Under-18 Women’s World Championship team

in Stockholm, Sweden.

At BC, Carpenter has quickly become the top scorer, showing once again that her youth does not affect her confidence. She credits this quick adjustment to her veteran teammates.

“All of the veterans have been very good to us,” she said. “They’ve been very helpful on and off the ice. They’re definitely people we can go to for help.

They’re just really good to us. They’re just very helpful to us. They understand that they were in our shoes once, and it’s kind of hard to be the youngest on the team so they’re very understanding.”

Despite this support, Carpenter did say that she and her teammates were nervous upon taking the ice for the first time in their college careers. However, the class had a quick turn around.

Af ter a 7-2 s e a s onop ening loss to Minnesota-Duluth, three freshmen provided the scoring effort in the second game of the series. Carpenter led the charge with a late-game, shorthanded goal, as the Eagles beat the Bulldogs, 3-2.

“I’d say we lost a lot of the nerves in our second game,” she said. “The first game all the freshmen were k ind of freaked out.

We were out in Minnesota. It nick rellas / was a heights staff

Quote of the Week

Numbers to Know

40

The number of saves for Brian Billett on Friday night against BU. This is the highest number of saves for the program since John Muse’s 45 in 2008.

7

Women’s hockey player Alex Carpenter’s number of consecutive games with a point scored.

13

The number of lead changes in the BC-BU basketball game on Saturday afternoon.

big deal. We were playing a good team.

Then in the second game three freshmen scored. We began to realize that we belong on this team.”

Her early season success has garnered Carpenter a lot of recognition by the Hockey East. For the month of October, she led all Hockey East freshmen by averaging 1.38 points per game. This earned her the Pro Ambitions Hockey East Rookie of the Month honor. During this time period, Carpenter also proved herself a clutch player by scoring one game-winning goal and assisting on another.

Despite this great play, the freshman does not want to let this honor get to her head and is very humbled.

“It was very exciting,” she said. “It was kind of a confidence booster. At the same time, I tr y not to think about it too much. But it is quite an honor.”

C a r p e n t e r, through all the stress of playing for a national contender, has kept a levelheaded attitude, and she remains focused on continuing to put her team first.

“For myself, I just want to be a key contributor and be able to help the team any way I can,” she said. “There’s a possibility with this team to go very far. I just want us to keep working hard and do our best. I want to play for a championship very soon.” n

“There’s no doubt about it that these kids’ heads are spinning because they’ve never really had struggles with scoring the ball.”

Basketball head coach Steve Donahue after Wednesday’s loss to Penn State —

The Heights

Monday, December 5, 2011

B3

Eagles come back to blow out BU on Saturday night Men’s Hockey, from B1 Alternate captain Paul Carey sent the final puck into the back of the net at 3:38 into the last frame, ending the game with a long-awaited BC victory over their Comm. Ave. rivals, even though BU finished with a 41-31 shot advantage. “[BC] had really struggled putting the puck into the net in all kinds of opportunities the first two times we played them, especially in the first two periods,” BU head coach Jack Parker said. “The puck jumped into the net for them to-

night, and that’s the way the game goes sometimes.”

Freshman goaltender Brian Billett came up with 40 saves in the contest for the Eagles, and appeared poised, confident and casual in the net, despite the outing being just his second collegiate start.

“It was unimaginable,” Billett said about getting the start at BU. “Going into the game I was just as relaxed as usual and I knew I had a great team in front of me.

I felt comfortable that we were going to get a win out of it.” n

graham beck / heights staff

Friday night’s 5-3 loss to BU was full of chippy plays, including more than one pileup in front of the net, like the one above with Parker Milner.

BC inefficient against Terriers in loss

By Chris Grimaldi For The Heights

Looking to protect its spot atop the Hockey East standings, the Boston College men’s hockey 5 Boston Univ. team took the ice Boston College 3 in front of a capacity crowd at Kelley Rink on Friday night to duel with bitter rival Boston University in the first game of a heated weekend series.

A week removed from their dramatic road victory over Yale, head coach Jerry York’s Eagles could not stage another comeback against the Terriers, sustaining a 5-3 loss. The defeat marked BC’s second loss to its conference foe in as many games this season, and a disappointing finish to a hard-fought contest.

“I thought our team played very well,” York said of the Eagles’ effort. “It doesn’t result in a win, but I thought our club created a lot of good opportunities.”

Poised for vengeance, the Eagles came out of the gate playing their aggressive style of hockey in a physical battle throughout all three periods. Keeping the puck in enemy territory, BC bombarded the opposition with a rapid fire of shots while preventing the Terrier offense from getting off a single shot for the first eight minutes of play.

Though BC’s spirited play set the tone for an intense matchup, scoring efficiency ultimately proved to be the key to victory.

Despite its limited opportunities on goal, BU struck first blood when forward Charlie

Coyle snuck a power play goal past BC goaltender Parker Milner.

As the first frame drew to a close, Terrier freshman Yasin Cisse followed suit with a breakaway goal of his own to extend BU’s lead right before the close of the first period.

After BU defenseman Garrett Noonan’s goal deep into the second frame widened the deficit to three, BC’s assertive offensive attack finally translated into points on the board when forward Bill Arnold redirected a shot from the point by team captain Tommy Cross to give the Eagles their first score of the game.

BC continued its sudden trend of wellexecuted offense only moments later, when freshman Johnny Gaudreau capped a struggle at the net with what appeared to be his seventh goal of the season, bringing the Eagles to within one. However, a controversial early whistle called the play dead upon further review, silencing the Conte Forum faithful and stunting BC’s momentum.

“I don’t know a real good explanation of the [play],” York said, commenting on the ambiguous call and its profound effect on Friday night’s outcome, “but certainly it was a key part of the game.”

With the Eagles now robbed of a golden opportunity, BU tacked on to their lead with scores from Cason Hohmann and Corey Trivino. Although the Eagles’ Edwin Shea and Barry Almeida led a resilient comeback attempt with their own third-period goals, the final buzzer rang before York’s squad could

muster lasting cohesiveness on the ice.

Even in a losing effort, the same Eagles who were unceremoniously shut out by BU on Nov. 13 played a far more inspired style of hockey that enabled them to consistently generate opportunities on the offensive end.

“We created chances,” York explained, “which [were] so markedly different than three weeks ago when we played previously.”

Looking back on the game, BC’s veteran head coach saw the second period as the contest’s ultimate turning point. In the second frame, BC outshot its opponent 23 to one and produced a dominant 45-15 advantage over the course of all three periods, but was unable to send a sorely needed knockout punch past BU goaltender Kieran Millan. Relinquished chances around the opposition’s goal and a debilitating inability to take advantage of power plays had coach York stressing the importance of his team capitalizing on its opportunities.

“We can’t count shots on net,” he said.

“It’s like yardage in football—you [have to] get touchdowns. We can look at the stat sheet and say this and that, but you got to score goals.”

In a long season of ups and downs, the Eagles must look to forward momentum to maintain consistency and dominance over the rest of their conference. For a BC team headed down the right track, well-executed opportunity just may be the perfect recipe for adding tallies to the win column. n

alex trautwig / heights editor

Though many fans left Friday night’s loss to BU at Conte Forum discouraged, there is no reason to worry about the team.

Trying to see the good in everything Column, from B1 women were the lone bright spot in the postseason, defying expectations and advancing to the Frozen Four in Erie, Pa. Their semifinal match-up against perennial powerhouse Wisconsin ended in a last-second heartbreaking loss.

Where are we now? For the first time since the 1998 season, the football team is not preparing for a bowl game in this first week of December. Fans are unhappy and calling for a mix-up in the coaching staff after a difficult season.

Both basketball teams are young and struggling so far, although it is important to keep reminding ourselves that we expected this coming into the season.

And for the most part, both hockey teams are hitting expectations so far. Jerry York’s squad is currently No. 2 in the country, and the women are holding their own with a No. 4 ranking, despite losing two Olympians from last year’s team. The crowd at Friday night’s game was great, until the Eagles were down 3-0 and fans began bashing their own team. Believe me, the men’s hockey team is the last thing we should be worrying about. They showed their true potential on Saturday night at BU when they got revenge for the previous two match-ups.

Though they may not be the most popular teams on campus, or nation-wide, the hockey teams continue to be the most consistently impressive.

Finally, where are we going to be? It may not seem like it right now, but I really believe that the athletic program is in good hands. The recent string of losses across the various teams is frustrating. But it is so important

to look at where the programs are going. As fans, it is difficult to think about things in the broader context and think rationally when we are caught up in the losing ways of our beloved teams. We expect great things from the Eagles, and wins in virtually every game. These are the high standards that those before us have left. And that is a great thing. Because without these expectations, we’d be a lot worse off.

“It’s so important to know where you are,” Valvano said in his speech. “I know where I am right now. How do you go from where you are to where you want to be?

I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. You have to be willing to work for it.”

The possibility for success in the upcoming year in Chestnut Hill is limitless. There are high expectations, but there are also many people who have set limitations for the Eagles, as my predecessor eloquently wrote in his final column. Limitations are the worst thing you can have, as a player, a coach, or a fan. Don’t set limitations.

Set great expectations, and work your butt off to achieve them. We all have dreams and goals for our teams, and in life. As Jimmy V taught us, you have to have an enthusiasm for life and be willing to work for anything and everything.

This is the mindset I hope to carry throughout the upcoming year in my work as Sports Editor. I hope that players, coaches, and fans alike carry it too. With that attitude, anything is possible.

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

graham beck / heights staff

alex trautwig / heights editor

Bill Arnold (top) and Tommy Cross (bottom) both notched a goal in Saturday’s win against BU.

The Heights

B4

Monday, December 5, 2011

Wisconsin drops Eagles

By Kim Schroer For The Heights

The Boston College women’s basketball team could not overcome a sluggish start on the road 58 Wisconsin against WisconBoston College 50 sin, falling 58-50 on Wednesday night to drop their record to 2-3. The game was a part of the annual ACC/Big 10 Challenge.

Wisconsin quickly jumped out to a 9-2 lead early in the game before BC responded to take a 15-13 lead midway through the first half. The Badgers responded by ending the half with a 30-22 lead.

The Eagles played Wisconsin evenly in the second half, but a strong final 20 minutes wasn’t enough to secure a victory on the road. Head coach Sylvia Crawley was disappointed with the way her team opened the game.

“We got off to a slow start and had to play catch-up after that,” Crawley said.

“When you’re on the road, it’s tough to be in that position. We have to work on getting off to a better start.”

Sophomore Shayra Brown was a bright spot for the Eagles on Wednesday, scoring 11 points and adding three rebounds in the losing effort. Brown’s performance was even more impressive considering she was forced out of practice last week due to illness. Crawley was encouraged by Brown’s play after a difficult week.

“Shayra Brown actually had to miss some practices this week because she was battling a nasty cold,” Crawley said. “We are very pleased with her performance considering she was under the weather.”

Sophomore forward Katie Zenevitch also had a strong game for BC, contributing with nine points and five rebounds.

Zenevitch has been a spark for the Eagles this season, and Crawley was eager to

praise her recent success.

“Katie is a player that just works extremely hard,” Crawley said. “It’s hard to stop her because she has so many different parts to her game. When teams try to stop one part of her game, she finds different ways to contribute.”

Sophomore Kristen Doherty also had a nice game for the Eagles, scoring eight points and collecting seven rebounds.

Sophomore Tiffany Ruffin fueled BC’s strong performance late in the game, scoring 11 second-half points to keep the Eagles in the game.

BC was plagued by turnovers, committing 11 in the first half alone and finishing with 20 for the game. The Eagles also struggled to crash the boards on offense, finishing with just one offensive rebound for the game. However, BC managed to finish the game with a shooting percentage of 43 percent and its defense forced the Badgers to commit 20 turnovers.

The Eagles still have seven non-conference games remaining before they start ACC play against Virginia Tech on Jan. 5.

The team is looking to gain some momentum and pick up a few wins before then.

Crawley hopes that this early season adversity will help them as the year progresses.

“We’ve played some tough teams this season, and we’re hoping that these games will help us mature,” Crawley said.

“Hopefully we can learn lessons from these games and get better and better as we move forward.”

The Eagles hope that their younger players continue their strong play as the team looks forward to conference play.

After last season’s 5-9 record in the ACC, BC is eager to get off to a better start this season. The team is also looking forward to returning home for three straight games later in the month after playing five of their first eight games on the road. n

BC loses fourth straight road game Women’s Basketball, from B1

alex trautwig / heights editor

Kristen Doherty collected eight points and seven rebounds against Wisconsin in Wednesday’s loss.

a 10-4 run. With their lead reduced to just two points, the Flyers went on an 11-0 run that effectively put the game out of reach. Once again, the Eagles did all they could to catch up, but a late surge came up just short, and BC could never get closer than four points. Dayton hit all of their late foul shots, and the Eagles left Ohio with a disappointing 69-60 loss.

The Eagles had three players score in double figures, with both Brown and Alyssa Fressle putting in 11 points, while Kristen Doherty led the way with 12. Poor shooting doomed the Eagles, as they shot just 38 percent from the field and 11-for-20 from the free-throw line.

Dayton also won the battle in the post, outrebounding the Eagles by five and recording six blocked shots while BC didn’t manage one.

Justine Raterman led all scorers on the day with 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting. BC saw its record fall to 2-4 on the young season while Dayton improved to 4-3.

The Eagles will host UMass in their next game on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.

The home game will be the team’s first match-up in Conte Forum since Nov. 27, when it beat Bryant for its second win of the season. n

Tale of two halves for the men’s basketball team against Penn State

By Andrew Klokiw Heights Staff

Much has been made of the men’s basketball team’s roster overhaul that has taken place 62 Penn State this season. For Boston College 54 a team that features 13 players in their first true season with the program, growing pains are to be expected. Last Wednesday evening at Conte Forum, the Eagles let sloppy play and poor execution define an otherwise encouraging performance.

Boston College was handed its fifth loss of the season, 62-54, at the behest of Penn State in a game that was part of the ACC/Big 10 Challenge.

Coming in at 2-4 with some bad losses to the likes of UMass and Holy Cross, the Eagles were the underdog against the 5-2 Nittany Lions.

BC had control of the contest from the opening whistle until only 7:43 remained in the game. However, poor rebounding on the defensive end, costly offensive turnovers, and a scoring drought of almost nine-and-a-half minutes late in the second half all contributed to the Eagles’ fifth defeat of the season.

“I thought our guys competed really hard, but that last quarter of the game, the last eight to 10 minutes, we really struggled getting a good look,” head coach Steve Donahue said. “The margin error for our offense, because it isn’t really efficient lately, isn’t really big. The execution isn’t where it has to be, and I think that’s where you see these droughts.”

For a team that has had such a rough start to the season, BC’s effort against

graham beck / heights staff

Sophomore Gabe Moton had his most impressive outing of the season on Wednesday against Penn State, scoring 10 points in the loss.

PSU had to be encouraging. The Eagles were clearly the better team for long stretches of the first half, taking a 29-26 lead into the locker room at the break.

Freshman center KC Caudill registered the game’s first six points to get the Eagles started. From there, Donahue’s team pushed the lead to 12-4, its largest margin of the evening. Penn State was kept afloat by guard Jermaine Marshall, who contributed 15 points in the first

half to keep the game close.

Most impressively, point guard Gabe Moton was able to bottle up PSU’s leading scorer on the season, Tim Frazier, holding him to just two first-half points.

However, Frazier took over the game in the second half, scoring 20 of Penn State’s 36 points in the period.

“I think we did a good job on Tim Frazier the whole game, to be quite honest,” Donahue remarked. “He’s only made six

threes all year and he made three in this game. Give him credit; he made some really good plays. He’s the only one out there who’s a three-year vet, and I think it showed.”

After what may have been their best half of the season, the Eagles crumbled a bit after halftime. They managed to hang on to their advantage until 7:43 was left in the contest when Nittany Lion forward Ross Travis evened the score at

48. From there, Penn State finished on a 14-6 run.

“It was very frustrating,” guard Matt Humphrey said. “We’re missing guys that are wide open, we’ve got our heads down, and we’re just not making that extra play.

We’ve just got to make sure that the next play is the right play, regardless of the situation. It really came down to who was playing hardest in that last stretch of the game.”

Humphrey led the Eagles with 15 points on the evening, but shot only 4of-11 from the field. Three of BC’s top offensive players Humphrey, Patrick Heckmann, and Ryan Anderson put up a combined 6-of-26 field goals, which contributed to the Eagles’ 16-of-44 shooting (36.4 percent) overall. The only other BC player to score in double figures was Moton, who contributed 10 points.

“I think the kids’ confidence is shot at times,” Donahue commented on his team’s scoring troubles. “There’s no doubt about it that these kids’ heads are spinning because they’ve never really had struggles with scoring the ball.”

More so than the Eagles’ shooting woes, six PSU offensive rebounds in the second half sealed BC’s fate. A lack of rebounding and 18 turnovers in the game reversed all their first-half gains. Both of these fundamental shortcomings looked not to be due to youth, but rather mental breakdowns during crunch time.

Going into ACC play, it is clear that Donahue’s squad will not only need to shoot the ball better and be more efficient on the offensive end, but also make the simple plays late in games if it wants to have any success against teams far superior to Penn State. n

Inability to play full 40 minutes hurts Eagles Men’s Basketball, from B1 as they continued to make the arc their home. From there, the game continued to go back and forth for much of a half denoted by six lead changes and three ties in the first 10 minutes, alone.

However, it was a 14-3 run beginning at the nine-minute mark that put the proverbial nail in BC’s coffin, with BU capturing a 58-48 lead thanks to the sensational shooting of senior guard Darryl Partin.

“If you watched all the tape I had on that kid, the shots that kid makes, the range of difficulty is off the charts,” Donahue said of Partin.

Difficulty was something Partin was able to overcome in the Terriers’ win, leading all scorers with 27 points. What was perhaps most impressive about the play of Partin was his ability to change the game when it mattered most. Of his 27 points, 17 came in the second half.

More impressively, he accounted for 10 of the 14 points during the game-changing Terrier run.

The Eagles fought back behind Lonnie Jackson, their leading scorer for the game. Jackson, who scored 11 points, added eight in the second half, includ-

ing a big 3-pointer that cut the deficit to seven. The lead was cut to six twice after Jackson’s three, but late-game turnovers hamstringed BC and ruled out any attempt at a last-second comeback.

The Eagles committed four turnovers in the moments leading up to the final minute of play, making it much easier for the Terriers to put the game out of reach.

Late-game collapses have become characteristic of BC’s play this year, as their inexperience has surfaced at the end of multiple games. With seven contributing freshmen on the team, BC is up against the odds because of its young roster. With this in mind, Donahue made it apparent that the final score isn’t always indicative of his team’s effort.

“I can’t evaluate my team based on the scoreboard,” he said. “I saw progress, but it’s not 40-minutes [worth].”

While late-game turnovers and inexperience troubled the Eagles on Saturday, the loss boiled down to BC’s inability to stop a fast-paced, veteran Terrier team that thrived on scoring in transition.

“They are a good transition team and I think that’s what hurt us most,” Donahue said. n

graham beck / heights staff

Patrick Heckmann (left) and Ryan Anderson (right) found the rim at times on Saturday, but it was not enough to get the win against BU.

The Heights

Monday, December 5, 2011

B5

After an award-winning senior season, Quigley eyes the NFL

By Andrew Klokiw Heights Staff

In a sport where the participants all wear helmets that conceal their true identities, certain stars emerge by dint of their achievements on the stat sheet.

Players like Luke Kuechly, Chase Rettig and Montel Harris became household names for tackling anything that moves, scoring touchdowns, and breaking longstanding records. The other 90 or so players on the team are thereby marginalized, banished to further obscurity behind the shining stars. Even when commentators speak of the unheralded players, they point to the lesser-known offensive linemen or the secondary.

But none of the aforementioned would even be in the conversation if it were not for the most underrated person on the field: the punter. In his senior season, Boston College’s Ryan Quigley just kept pushing until his name passed the lips of the ESPN announcers more than any other, save perhaps that Kuechly guy.

“The thing with punting that people tend not to understand is that it’s such a different position, that you might go out and only play six plays a game, sometimes even less,” Quigley said of the obscurity fostered by his unique position. “You’re sitting on the sidelines, and you have to go out and be perfect for that one play. It’s different in the way that if you play another position you can make a mistake and still be fine, but for us we’re on such a short leash where we can’t make mistakes. What we do is so crucial to the game through field position.”

There are few in the nation better at the field position game than No. 46, who stands as the school’s career record holder with 283 punting attempts over his four years.

Quigley’s exploits came to the forefront as the Eagles surged down the stretch to finish this season strong. When BC fell to rival Notre Dame in an agonizingly close 16-14 contest on Nov.

alex trautwig / heights editor

Senior punter Ryan Quigley has mastered the art of coffin corners, pinning the ball deep in opponent territtory with incredible consistency this season.

19, Quigley was the most important Eagle in a game that was defined by field position. The senior boomed an incredible six of his nine punts inside the 20-yard line.

In comparison, his Notre Dame counterpart only managed to stick one of eight inside the 20.

The following week at Miami, Quigley once again perfected the art of “coffin punting,” as he placed an unbelievable five of his six punts inside the 20. Constantly backed up in its own zone, Miami only mustered 17 points as BC came away with a victory.

In these last two games of Quigley’s distinguished college career, the Little River, S.C. native was honored as a back-to-back

Point / Counterpoint:

ACC Player of the Week.

Unlike most of the other honorees on that list, in high school Quigley did not quite have his mind made up on his position, or even his sport. All Quigley knew was that he wanted to play a Division I sport in college.

“I knew I wanted to play a Division I sport and these days you have to be really tall or really fast, and that didn’t exactly describe me,” Quigley said. “I got into punting because one day at practice [in high school] our coach asked if anyone could punt. I had played soccer and so he gave me the job.

The rest is history.”

Even then, the newly-minted kicker was not so sure that his

future was going to be in punting.

He is quick to thank those people back home in South Carolina who kept him focused, because it just did not appeal to a high school student as the most glamorous way to pursue Division I athletics.

“Some people back at home told me I had a future as a punter, and I’m very thankful for those people and the people who gave me the opportunity to come here,” Quigley said. “I don’t know if I would’ve pursued it otherwise, but it worked out great.”

“Great” is an effective adjective to describe the early trials and tribulations for Quigley as an Eagle. After choosing BC, he started almost right away as a true

freshman.

Handling kickoff duties as well as punting, he excelled in big games like the ACC Championship Game against Virginia Tech and the Music City Bowl versus Vanderbilt. In a season that he called one “full of learning experiences,” Quigley got a full taste of what it was like to kick in the ACC and on a national stage.

“The toughest thing for me to learn was how to have a bad kick and move on to the next one,” he said of the learning curve. “I’m going to make mistakes as a punter, but the next-kick mentality is the most important thing.”

His performance only improved over the next two years,

under the tutelage of former BC kicker Steve Aponavicius, who is the holder of the program’s alltime points record. Quigley called Aponavicius an older brother-like figure to him and someone who helped mold him into the football player he is today.

In his sophomore year, Quigley received some unexpected attention from the student body. That was the year in which a group of BC freshmen started the “Quigley for Heisman” campaign, with the following mission statement: “We all know that Boston College was way under-ranked coming into the 2009 season, but not everyone knows that their success can be attributed to one man—Ryan Quigley. No. 46 has won BC football games and our hearts and should clearly be winning the race for Heisman.”

While he never joined the likes of Doug Flutie in the annals of New York’s Downtown Athletic Club, Quigley’s punting days may not yet be over.

As a senior this past fall, Quigley grabbed the attention of the NFL. He ranked fourth in the nation for punts downed inside the 20-yard line, and now is faced with the decision of whether to test the professional waters.

“I’ve talked to people and I think I’m going to give it a chance, see how it goes, and see if I can get into an NFL camp,” he said. “It’s nice having Luke Kuechly on your team, because the NFL guys come into practice every day. I think the scouts know about me a little bit and hopefully someone is willing to give me a shot.”

It is an ironic twist that someone who had to be convinced in high school that his future was in punting must now persuade the scouts that he is part of their future. To date, Quigley has not given any reason to doubt that five years from now, the American public will once again be hearing his name on national television.

This time he’ll be in an NFL uniform where he’ll be kicking his way into the national spotlight once again. n

Will football have a winning season next year?

Late-season improvement leads to optimism

Strong finish is no indication of success

By Chris Marino

By Dave Groman

Asst. Sports Editor

With the end of the 2011 Boston College football season, Superfans witnessed the program’s first losing season since 1998. While a 4-8 record would not seem to be an indicator of any future success, a closer look at the Eagles’ season tells a different story.

The 2012 season certainly should see an increase in wins, due in large part to the combination of young talent and the hopeful return of several veteran leaders. Of course, the whole season may rely on the choice of a certain All-American linebacker.

Junior Luke Kuechly will have to make the difficult choice of either remaining at BC for his senior year or declaring himself eligible for the NFL draft.

Named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a Butkus award winner for the nation’s best linebacker, Kuechly has been an omnipotent force for the Eagles. His return would certainly benefit a fairly young defensive unit.

Heading into BC’s season finale against Miami, the Eagles’ defensive depth chart saw only one senior starter in defensive back Donnie Fletcher.

The team is returning a solid core of players, such as sophomore linebackers Kevin Pierre-Louis and Steele Divitto. The return of this seasoned group should mean a significant improvement in play next season.

Offensively, the hopeful return of both running back Montel Harris and wide receiver Ifeanyi Momah could provide quarterback Chase Rettig with the tools necessary to reach the high goals set with his arrival on campus. Harris, who never fully recovered from knee surgery prior to the season, is BC’s career rushing leader. He, along with Deuce Finch, Andre Williams, and Tahj Kimble, would hopefully implement more diversity in the team’s play-calling. Rettig could also benefit from the addition of the wildcat offense featuring redshirt freshman Josh Bordner.

A more strategic combination of passing and rushing plays will give head coach Frank Spaziani a more flexible offense. This past season, the team showed glimpses of success. However, Spaziani struggled to utilize his different options fluidly.

Harris would give the team an established option out of the backfield. Momah, who was lost for the season with a knee injury, could create a formidable matchup lined up across the field from Colin Larmond, Jr. At 6-foot-6-inches and 6-foot-3-inches, respectively, Momah and Larmond would help stretch the field for the running game, as well as shiftier slot receivers like Bobby Swigert and Alex Amidon. Utilizing Swigert and Amidon in short, quick routes will help Rettig find his rhythm and establish confidence. The loss of Momah this season clearly hurt the Eagles, as Rettig was without his top receiving option.

The Eagles won three of their last five games, including a dominant 24-17 victory over Miami in

the season finale. This game saw Rettig throw for two touchdowns on 13-of-17 passing. Kuechly also made his presence felt with a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown. Even in the Eagles’ Nov. 19 loss at Notre Dame, the visiting squad showed signs of life on both sides of the ball. Rettig, for his part, found an impressive groove in which he threw 10 straight completions, as well as a touchdown. The wildcat also proved it could be effective, as Bordner rushed for a score.

There is no doubt that there are a lot of question marks heading into next season. The football program has had its worst season in over a decade, but it has the tools necessary to regain its winning tradition. The learning curve faced this past season was evident in the team’s lack of success. At the same time, Spaziani and his staff were unable to make consistent or effective play-calling until the end of the season.

However, these last few games showed a number of small changes that added up to a couple of victories and some strong individual performances.

The team needs to continue working on these adjustments, and should be able to handle them due to increased experience. Looking forward, this team has the capability for a winning season next year. n

For The Heights

Debilitating injuries, midseason coaching changes, and close losses defined the 2011 Boston College football season. To those of us who witnessed it, however, it will be remembered for a petty four wins, a fifth-place finish in the ACC Atlantic Division, and the end of an era filled with the Eagles participating in the college football postseason.

While we all hope that this year was just an anomaly for a program that prides itself on winning year-in and year-out, all evidence points to the fact that adversity will continue in 2012.

For a team to progress, as the Eagles will ultimately need to in 2012, serious change is needed. Yet, the program appears to be all too satisfied with stagnation. Head coach Frank Spaziani was retained after his team won three of its last five games, including a two-point loss to rival Notre Dame.

Despite the impressive finish, however, it’s clear that the program has been headed in the wrong direction over the past few years. Win totals have declined, and the Eagles recorded

alex trautwig / heights editor

their first losing season in over a decade.

Perhaps more staggeringly, both offensive and defensive statistics declined in 2011. This past year, the Eagles were ranked a mere 113th in in total offense (falling from an already weak 110th last season) and 73rd in total defense (after being ranked 13th just a year ago).

On the offensive side, Chase Rettig will need to make significant progress for the Eagles to return to a bowl game next year. Despite playing well at the end of the season, Rettig never showed the progress he was supposed to make in his second year under center.

Whether it was the loss of offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers, the injury to star wide-out Ifeanyi Momah, or just poor protection up front that led to some hardship for the sophomore quarterback, there is absolutely no guarantee that Rettig will make a leap to the elite status BC needs in 2012.

For the Eagles to be successful, they will need to open up and diversify their playbook. To do so, they’ll need to have faith in Rettig’s decision -making and ability to execute tough throws in key situations. This year, though, they seemed to have neither.

On the defensive side, one major (and I mean MAJOR) question lingers: will All-American linebacker Luke Kuechly return for his senior season? When the defense sputtered, No. 40 seemed to be there to make a much-needed play.

Often, “Superman” seemed to transport from one side of the field to the other to make a tackle on an unsuspecting ball carrier.

However, as a projected first-round pick in the 2012 NFL draft, it seems to make sense that Kuechly will forgo his senior season in Chestnut Hill. Without the heart and soul of the defense (and Eagles’ team for that matter), it will be difficult for those remaining to respond and succeed at a high level. A new leader will need to step up, and as talented as the young linebacking core is, it is nearly impossible to fill the shoes of the best defensive player in the country.

Finally, as daunting as the schedule appeared in 2011, it doesn’t get any easier in 2012. BC will face Northwestern on the road, a team that left the Heights with an impressive victory in the Eagles’ home opener. BC will also play away games against Florida State and Georgia Tech, two teams that will likely be ranked at the beginning of next season. While an exciting home slate will likely fill Alumni Stadium with match-ups against Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Miami, and Clemson, there will be few easy wins to come by.

All in all, there are just too many questions for BC next year. Could they win seven or eight games? Sure. But as long as the ACC continues to improve, the Eagles will, in all likelihood, be regrettably similar in 2012. n

features The Heights

B4

B6

Monday, December 5, 2011

Monday, December 5, 2011

By Kris Robinson, Therese Tully, Alexandra Schaeffer, Juliette San Fillippo, Marye Moran, and Ryan McGuill Features Editor, Heights Editor, and Heights Staff

It seems in today’s world of social media that everyone is at least familiar with Twitter, if not on it himor herself. Even for those who do not actively participate in the live -streaming phenomenon, the term “hashtag” has rapidly become a household phrase.

The # symbol denotes something that is trending at the moment. What is more important to Boston College students than what is trending on campus right now? #BCProblems include: 1. Health and body images; 2. Drinking culture; 3. Hook-up culture; 4. Challenges of Academics and; 5. AHANA and GLBTQ issues. The Features section would like to explore these on-campus issues in this final edition of the semester. We evaluated these issues from a “typical” BC student’s perspective. “We are BC,” and our world view is important and worthy of examination.

Woogeon kim / heights photo illustration

editors’ columns

Cheers to finding what you love Wishing you a very good bye

Kris Robinson With nearly three and a half years of my Boston College career under my belt and a single, solitary semester separating me from that dreaded walk down Linden Lane, I can safely say that I cannot look back at my time at BC without seeing The Heights in my Converse manufactured glasses frames.

Often times, when asked about what they love most about BC, both teachers and administrators alike respond emphatically with a simple answer: the students. Now, obviously, I don’t know every single student on campus nor would I ever be able to if I wanted to have some semblance of a life. Yet, our differences aside, I can’t help but feel connected to each one, if not for any other reason than the fact that we go to the same school. Of course, my connections to some students are greater than others—friends, roommates, and co-workers for example—but it’s through my closer relationships on this campus that I feel a larger-scale bond to everyone else. The single most influential network of relationships responsible for this has been The Heights. Through my involvement with this newspaper, I have found something to belong to on this campus and as a result, when I might not have otherwise, I feel like I belong at BC. It’s no coincidence that I was attracted to the Features section when I first started with The Heights.

At its core, more so than any other section of The Heights, Features is devoted to discovering what BC students think, what they’re interested in, and how they feel about issues that are pertinent to them.

At my core, I’m devoted to discovering what others think, what they’re interested in, and how they feel about issues that are pertinent to them, which is probably why I’m a Human Development major. So it was

only natural that, after serving as Executive Assistant for a year, Features was the section I ended up in.

Honestly, I don’t think working for any other section would have made me happier.

Being the Assistant Features Editor and then being Features Editor were integral parts of my Heights experience, but I can’t say it single-handedly made it what it was. That honorable distinction goes to everyone who I have ever met, worked with, or became friends with as a result of my involvement with The Heights. Like The Heights would be nothing without the students of Boston College, I would have been nothing without them. None of this would have been the same.

The late nights, the disregarding of school work, the meetings, the reading of articles, the writing of articles, and everything else that has gone into my work on this paper would not have been tolerable if it wasn’t for the love, support, and dedication of the other people that I worked with over the years.

They’ve inspired me, motivated me, and guided me in ways that I won’t ever forget. I love and will cherish every single moment spent in the newsroom in the basement of McElroy.

Whether it was reading about students or writing about students, I’ve enjoyed every second of my time spent with the Features section. BC may not be a perfect place and there are certainly things about it that I’d love to see changed. However, I don’t regret a single thing about my time here and I don’t regret a single thing about my experience with The Heights.

As students, we look to make the most out of our four years at college. Whether being devoted to academics, a club, a job, or combination of things, we all seek fulfillment in doing whatever makes us happy. I was lucky to find an organization that made me happy very early on in my BC career, something that I know a lot of other students don’t. For those who haven’t, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to do something you love and be surrounded by people you love. That’s what The Heights has meant to me and what The Heights will always mean to me.

Kris Robinson is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com

i nside FE ATURES this issue

BC and body image

Brooke Schneider Life doesn’t always work out the way you want it to, but it’s not like you really need me to tell you that. I can name plenty of things in my life that have had less-than-perfect endings. I’m not studying abroad as I had hoped to in the spring semester. All my visits to the Plex have not necessarily yielded the results that I was hoping for (maybe expecting rock solid abs was not that realistic in the first place). For those of you who read my Valentine’s Day column and either laughed at or appreciated my love of love, I regret to inform you that I have not yet found that special someone (but as always, I am hopeful). My Spanish speaking skills seem to have hit a standstill after five semesters of study, and my cat still hates me, despite the fact that I am the only one in my household that gives it even the slightest bit of attention.

For all of the things that haven’t worked out the way that I had planned, there are 20 more that could not have been any better. My time spent on The Heights is one of those experiences that exceeded my expectations. I have been fortunate enough to be part of two editorial boards, first holding the position of associate copy editor, followed by the position of assistant features editor.

Features was the section that I had wanted to get involved with from the moment that I picked up a copy of The Heights when I visited campus during my senior year of high school. I wanted to write for this newspaper before I was even sure that I wanted to attend Boston College.

Features has allowed me to explore issues that have personally been of interest to me, like the cost of a BC education and the state of the Plex,

A look into the pressures that students face on a daily basis concerning their physical appearance.............................B7

and then share my findings with others. It has given me the courage to share some pretty personal thoughts in my sporadic editor’s column (I still cannot believe that I told thousands of readers that “I want the football player to run off the field and spin me around in his arms,” which might sound even more silly when taken out of context).

It goes without saying that I have grown immensely as a writer, and that along with my growth has come increased confidence.

During my time with The Heights, I was a part of something that was so much larger than me, and yet, my individual life was so affected. Some of us editors are so different that the only thing we have in common is our dedication to the production of this newspaper – and sharing that one passion is enough to turn two polar opposites into best friends. I met some of my closest friends at BC through my work with this newspaper, and for that I am in debt to this organization.

I won’t forget the day that I opened The Heights my freshman year, expecting to see my first article, which was about regional stereotypes. I remember turning the pages, thinking that it would be on the next one, and then the moment when I realized that it wasn’t in there. That day certainly didn’t work out the way that I wanted it to, and I am so grateful that I was not too discouraged to give it another shot.

I encourage anyone with the slightest interest in writing and with the slightest interest in making 39 new friends to consider working for The Heights. Even if your experience doesn’t start off on the right note, it doesn’t mean that it can’t end on the right one.

I can only hope that every other student on this campus finds an organization to which they feel they belong; an organization that needs them and values them for the individual that they are; an organization that will identify their talents and foster them over time; an organization like The Heights.

Brooke Schneider is an editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com

Drinking culture

Examining the drinking patterns of BC students in comparison to those attending other universities......................................B9

The Heights

Monday, December 5, 2011

B7

BC students obsessed with body image

By Alexandra Schaeffer Heights Staff

Last Tuesday night, it seemed like every student at Boston College tuned in to the “2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show,” an event conveniently scheduled every year just as its audience members are wallowing in post-Thanksgiving depression, with guilt and full stomachs fresh on their minds. There are a handful of reasons to tune in to this spectacle, including a genuine interest in the “clothes,” a genuine interest in the Victoria’s Secret angels, and a genuine interest in comparing oneself to the angels. With figures like these parading around practically naked for the whole world to admire and critique, it is impossible for viewers not to internalize what they see. It comes as no surprise that BC students eagerly absorbed this televised event because of the fascination with body image on campus. Tweets such as “Plex is gonna be crowded tomorrow,” appeared almost instantaneously on Twitter.

Yet, with this television program appearing only once a year, it is hardly the sole motivation behind BC students’ focus on staying in shape. In fact, this obsession has been calculated mathematically. In 2006, Men’s Fitness magazine conducted research to determine the most “fit” college campuses in the United States, and BC placed among the top 25. Additionally, The Daily Beast reported in September that Newsweek had ranked BC fourth in its Most Athletic Colleges category, determined by both varsity and non-varsity athletic participation. It is clear from these publications and rankings that BC is portrayed publicly as a very athletic, body-image conscious school. Most students agree, citing the excessive number of people traipsing around campus in workout clothes and pressure from roommates to go to the Plex.

“In the beginning of the year, everyone in my room was obsessed with going to the gym and talked about dieting all the time,”noted Riley Davis, A&S ‘14. “I don’t think it’s them. It’s the pressure that BC puts on them. BC has a sort of athletic atmosphere, and people are very conscious of their body image.”

Clearly, this is a common sentiment among students. “They think that working out is what they’re supposed to do, and they get bummed when they don’t,” said Alex Schlatter, A&S ‘14. “I guess you could say there’s a lot of pressure to be in great shape here because so many people are athletes.” The number of high school athletes on campus encompasses a far greater majority of the student body than non-athletes. In a recent Business Law class in CSOM, a professor asked the class of 30 students to raise their hands if they played a sport in high school. All but five students put hands in the air.

On Unigo.com, a website that serves as a resource for current students at colleges to convey information about their school to prospective students, “Sports Culture” was cited as the strongest aspect of student life on campus, with a nine out of 10 rating. However, there is concern that this obsession with staying fit extends to a dangerous point. The most common phrases used on this website to describe the BC student body were “exercise obsessed,” “body conscious,” “prevalence of eating disorders,” and “only eat salads.” Yet the majority of the student body feels that they are just trying to keep up with the habits of their peers.

“I grew up in Vermont where no one really cared about working out,” noted Rebecca Kelly, A&S ‘14. “I have always had a body where I have to be careful though. I’m not naturally thin, so I did work out a little and my friends at home would actually make fun of me when I did this. Here, I feel pressure to be in shape with everyone walking around in gym clothes and spending time working out, and I feel guilty if I’m not. There’s one accepted body image here. We’re not tolerant of other bodies.” Who are these students that are applying pressure to everyone else?

Photo courtesy of notyouraveragefitnesstips.com

After watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, BC students were inspired by the models’ svelte figures to work out at the Plex more oftne than usual.

“In high school, I was a three-season athlete, and I worked out on my own during the summers to keep in shape,” explained Olivia Ciardi, A&S ‘14. “I’ve just kept up that same lifestyle, but I think that for people that haven’t been used to that, it could be hard to be here.” According to the Student Admissions Program handbook, 40 percent of BC students attended private or parochial high schools, many of which put emphasis on and had requirements for athletic involvement. Growing up with this mindset, it is natural for students to continue these practices, but the constant proximity of students to one another changes.

“I think the peer pressure increases in college because we eat all of our meals together and live together, so you see what everyone’s doing all the time. Whereas in high school you went home at the end of the day and had no idea who hit the gym after school or ate what for dinner,” speculated Davis. “I also think there’s a correlation between being Type-A and being concerned about your health, and most students here are pretty meticulous.” The large group of competitive overachievers that make up the BC student body creates an atmosphere in which everyone is trying to be the best and look the best. This need to look the best extends beyond exercise routines and is manifested through outfits as well, with the monotony of its students being one of the biggest criticisms facing BC. “Everyone at BC is so skinny,” said Sam Prince, CSON ‘14. “All the girls dress nicely, and there are no sweatpants. Being home over break and just hanging out and seeing my friend who goes to Harvard, I was pleasantly reminded that Boston fashion can be very laidback. It was comforting to see people more relaxed. I will say, though, that being here has affected what brands I like, and I’m more aware of certain brands and can recognize them now.”. These brands include Tory Burch, Longchamp, Vineyard Vines, Burberry, Hunter, The North Face, and Patagonia. More often than not, the typical BC student is wearing at

least one or more of these brands at all times. Especially for girls, the pressure to uphold these standards is high. This raises the question of who is applying this pressure to be fit and dress in the preferred fashion.

“Boys put pressure on girls to always look their best. But I think girls think that guys care a little more than they actually do.,” surmised Megan Zink, CSOM ‘14. “Wearing specific clothing is to impress other girls, but the pressure to wear makeup and be thin is from boys. Culture expects us to be fit. Celebrities are standards for male attention.”

This was proven in a recently rescinded article published by the online blog BrostonCollege.com on HerCampus.com in which ways to impress “bros” were outlined. Among the tips was the advice to wear makeup to class. Apparently “bros” are not impressed by a girl’s self-confidence to go without makeup. “We’re superficial,” was the justification for this.

Although the article was removed because of negative feedback, many girls actually applauded the author’s honesty and humor.

“I thought it was funny and not something to be taken too seriously,” Zink said. “I appreciate the honesty!” Regardless of who is individually applying the pressure to be thin, attractive, and athletic on BC students, a majority appears to be affected. It seems as if everyone is influencing their peers, in part because of their own insecurities.

“You can’t really help what your actual body type is. The people who do actually freak out usually don’t do anything about it. Then, there’s the other end of the spectrum where the people don’t vocalize their exercise habits all the time, but end up going to the Plex for two hours and eating one meal a day. Obviously, there’s a middle ground, but most people fall on the extreme ends of the spectrum,” said Rachel Rudder, CSON ’14. “I think there’s a lot of people who don’t workout a lot, but feel that they should and, therefore, talk about it all the time. That, in turn, puts pressure on everyone around them.” n

BC’s hook-up culture: leaving no stone unturned in relationships

By Juliette San Fillipo Heights Staff

In the Boston College community, there are a handful of apparent truths about our campus that we have been confronted with since our start here, whether or not we believe them to be accurate.

We’ve all heard that BC sometimes looks like a J. Crew catalog, with attractive boys and girls entering left and right. We are also well aware that the weekend activity of choice at BC tends to be drinking alcohol. But another apparent truth—that BC is a hook-up school—is a much less publicized aspect of the school’s social scene but still plays a dynamic role. It deserves a look-over, especially for its tendency to be linked with the prevalent act of drinking.

A lot of people would say that BC does not have a hook-up culture. But those tend to be the people who have a boyfriend or girlfriend at BC. To everyone else, it seems that the social scene here revolves around who you happen to hook up with when you’re drunk, and the subtle hope seems to be that if you drunkenly hook up with that person enough, they will become your boyfriend or girlfriend at some point. However, that time of limbo tends to last for most of a BC undergrad’s time here, as dating tends to be a rarity. That is not to say that relationships are terribly unusual among the student body. It is more that, with everyone tending to be drunk all the time, the window for casual “hook-ups” is always open on the weekends, which leaves little time for actual dating—for example, going out on dates, or spending free time with others in a sober setting—and so actual relationships sometimes get stunted, or they have few solid social encounters to build from.

Although the exact hook-up culture of BC cannot be defined, there is enough evidence of its existence around, whether it be from actual students’ opinions, social media, or even a seminar

Photo courtesy flickr.com

Few BC students report finding long-term relationships.

offered to freshmen. Take Twitter, for example.

Many BC students are active on Twitter, and some may choose to follow Twitter accounts that link themselves to our school in order to stay in the loop and have a laugh over the common BC community. One account that many female BC students probably follow is @TheRealBCGirl, an anonymous Twitter account that claims to tweet for the “every girl” at BC. On the Twitter page where users can post a blurb about themselves, besides hitting the Plex, TheRealBCGirl claims to excel at a “steady stream of halfway relationships.” No matter exactly what a “halfway relationship” is, it is clear from the Twitter account that BC girls are believed to get involved with multiple hook-ups, resulting in a number of romantic or perhaps sexual relationships, but never full-blown, dating relationships. It is clear that the typical BC girl is claimed to be an integral player in a hook-up culture.

This idea of “halfway relationships” makes sense to actual students as well. “I think that [BC] is predominantly a hook-up campus, but sometimes that hook-up culture cultivates relationships,” said Kelly Hatton, LSOE ‘13. “If you’re hanging out with the same crowd, something might start out as a hook-up and then turn into a relationship. But it’s a rare occasion. [Especially because] as you get older, you have a more solid crowd you hang out with, so even if you’re hooking up with someone and they’re not your boyfriend, it’s usually at least someone you know and are friends with, and not a random person.

And that’s how BC is different.” While hooking up on the weekends can sometimes foster a relationship, most agree that BC students leave it at just that. Even if these multiple hook-ups occur among friends, and not strangers, it seems there is not a tendency for them to develop into anything further. The fact that BC students hook up among friends (and not so much random people) may allow them to feel that this condones their behaviors, and thus allow the hook-up culture to perpetuate.

However, there is also the general debate over whether or not drinking has to do with hooking up, or even if it has anything to do with the formation of relationships. Most people would probably say that when they drink, a hook-up is more likely to occur, since alcohol lowers inhibitions and induces riskier behavior. It’s a sort of perfect storm.

Certain BC students agree that drinking and the hook-up culture are essentially linked, whether or not you drink to hook up or if you drink to just let things happen. “I think that drinking fosters the hook-up culture,” Hatton said. “Ninety percent, if not more, of random hook-ups happen not because you’re drunk but because you’re at a party with drinking. I don’t think being drunk is a reason why people hook up, but it definitely facilitates it.”

A lot of people consider alcohol a social

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto.com

Alcohol often plays a key role in initiating hook-ups.

tool—liquid courage, if you will—and with that, these people can feel more comfortable doing things they ordinarily wouldn’t be emboldened to do, such as hook up.

This rings true among a good amount of students at BC too. “[Drinking plays] a huge role, because almost everyone’s motive when they drink is to let loose, go crazy, and make out with someone,” said Anthony Gigliotti, A&S ‘13. “When you hook up sober, that’s like dating, sort of. So it’s more of a big deal. Plus if your aim is to get really drunk on the weekends anyways and that gets you loose, then that’s what’s going to happen.”

It seems that some BC students think alcohol keeps hook-ups casual, and it may even be safe to say that alcohol limits romantic development to a hook-up in this way. The prevalence of alcohol on the weekends at BC therefore could point to why students don’t have the propensity to date.

In fact, many BC students do feel that the presence of alcohol in social and sexual situations is the culprit for inhibiting real relationships from forming. Some females at BC claim that they could not imagine encountering boys without alcohol involved, since BC seems to have a dearth of dating culture.

There appears to be a stigma about sober hanging-out/hooking-up and dating. Many people tend to connect a sober hook-up or hang-out with the act of dating, and they can’t get past the idea that if you are not drunk and you are still hanging out with someone, it means you’re dating.

Girls at BC will often say that it is a big deal to be asked on a date here, and that they feel uncomfortable asking boys out as well. Yet the general consensus is that girls enjoy dating. Sometimes even if they are not looking for a relationship, it is a good way to see if they are really interested in someone. Meeting and getting to know others often takes a very different path when drinking and parties are not involved, and so many girls at BC claim they would feel weird on a date, despite that it might be what they want.

With BC students so busy during the week with schoolwork, sober encounters tend to occur in non-intimate settings, such as the library.

And when the weekend rolls around, drinking is rampant in order to relieve that stress. Such a cycle seems to leave little room for BC students to date in a more serious, perhaps sober situation. It does not seem to be on many students’ minds, and perhaps will not be for years to come.

Guys and girls alike seem to tacitly agree that hanging out and perhaps hooking up sober indicates dating. So rather than deal with that stigma, it appears that BC students just avoid it all together, and contain their hook-ups to casual, social situations. Hence, BC’s hook-up culture reputation.

It is also possible that the student body of BC collectively fosters such a culture. After all, BC is known for being a good-looking campus, and perhaps all the distraction makes people wary of settling down. Both sexes agree that the campus has no lack of lookers, yet some females say they believe this affects the guys’ behaviors more than the girls’ behaviors. With more cute girls, some believe, the guys want to hook up rather than settle with one, in a leave-no-stone-unturned kind of way. Some men, however, believe that this tendency for people to hook up rather than date is more of a “who is going to hook up with who” game right off the bat when one enters college, and that BC’s good-looking reputation is not necessarily a factor.

The hook-up idea even infiltrates academics at BC. Every year, Pamela Lannutti, a professor in the communication department, offers a freshman topic seminar titled “Hanging Out, Hooking Up, and Dating,” a one-credit course that examines in an informal setting different types of college relationships. “We read different articles every week that talked about four different types of dating, articles on alcohol and how that affected relationships and if people hooked up. We would talk about hook-ups we heard about on campus.

Everyone would tell hook-up stories claiming it was about ‘their friend’ but it was usually about the person,” said Chelsea Duck, A&S ’13, who took Lannutti’s class freshman year. “We also talked about how there are so many different backgrounds of students who come to BC. Some high schools you had a hookup culture, some had dating cultures—and so people get to BC as freshmen with all different expectations. We talked about our backgrounds coming in and how the hook up culture here affected our lives. The professor seemed to think that BC was a hook-up culture too,” she said.

It appears that BC’s hook-up culture is something that exists and always will, and some students find it uncommon for their peers, or even themselves, to break the mold and date. While there are relationships on campus, they do not seem to be the norm. Instead, the BC lifestyle keeps things interesting and also keeps daters on their toes. n

B8

The Heights

Monday, December 5, 2011

he said, she said I’ve been dating this girl for just over a month, and with the holidays coming, I’m not sure whether I should be getting her a gift or whether that implies too much. It hasn’t come up in discussion, but time is running out if I want to find something good for her.

- JUST OFF THE MARKET AND READY TO SHOP Gifts are really tricky even if you’ve been dating for six months or a year. It certainly says something about where you think the relationship is going, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but make sure that’s the message you want to send.

Unless it comes up explicitly in conversation or one of her friends mentions she’s getting you something, don’t feel that it’s absolutely necessary. When choosing the gift, whatever it is, I would hedge your bets and get something that isn’t too involved so if she doesn’t reciprocate you don’t feel bad or much more importantly, make Alex her feel bad. It should be something that says you Trautwig were thinking about her, but that doesn’t imply anything over the top. A serious piece of jewelry, for instance, would be too aggressive. As my wise counterpart pointed out, everyone likes to be thought of around the holidays, and there’s really no downside to getting her a present. Just because you’ve been dating for a month doesn’t mean you won’t date for 11 more; but at the same time, if you view it more casually than she does, it might be a little unfair depending on what you decide to get. Choosing something light and funny, not quite a gag gift though, is probably the best bet because it shows the effort but also won’t make her feel guilty if she didn’t get something for you, and is just for fun.

I think it’s really nice of you to even think of doing something for this girl and the fact that you even thought about it probably means things are going well enough that you should get her something. It doesn’t have to be anything big or romantic, just something that shows you care. You would probably consider getting something for a really good friend, so this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re professing your love. Thought counts for a lot when it comes to relationships, and although this hasn’t been a long one, you don’t know where Madeline it will lead or what kind of impact this could have.

In terms of actually getting the gift, I think a gift Demoulas that plays on some sort of inside joke between the two of you is always a good idea, or think back to something that might have some importance to her that you’ve talked about.

As I said, the key to a successful gift is not the cost, but the thought that is put into it, which shows that you pay attention to detail and that it wasn’t just a last-minute purchase. If you’re really stumped, there’s nothing wrong with asking one of your, or even her, friends for some ideas or inspiration. The holiday season is great and nothing means more than when someone thinks of you—it’s a great move even for a good friend, but particularly for someone you’re dating.

Alex Trautwig is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at features@ bcheights.com

Madeline Demoulas is a senior staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Examining BC’s faces of diversity

By Kris Robinson

Features Editor Diversity comes in many different forms on the Boston College campus. After a preliminary survey of their surroundings upon arriving to campus for orientation, some new Eagles come to an indisputable conclusion: BC is the most heterogeneous school they’ve ever been to. Contrastingly, it’s the complete opposite for other students.

From the shallowest, most visible attributes–the tall, the short, the blond, the brunette—to the more substantial and potentially meaningful ones, for all of the criticism that BC receives for being a homogenous community, the differences, both subtle and not so subtle, exist. AHANA students and GLBTQ students have played and continue to play an important role in contributing to the diverse landscape of the Heights.

The Statistics This past year’s admissions statistics indicated a record-breaking amount of AHANA applicants to BC, as reported by The Heights in October. In fact, 29 percent of applicants were AHANA students, marking an 11 percent increase from last year. The overall number of AHANA applicants was 9,692.

The Councils The AHANA Leadership Council and the GLBTQ Leadership Council, which, as of next semester, will be recognized as equal parts under the UGBC, have been instrumental in helping foster a welcoming environment for AHANA students and GLBTQ students. Serving as accessible student-run resources for all, the two councils, through their socially oriented and politically oriented events, have provided ways for students from both groups to immerse themselves in the BC community.

They’ve also worked to create greater unity among all students.

The Controversy The acronym “AHANA,” used to represent people of African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American descent, was coined in 1979 by two BC students: Alfred Feliciano, BC ’81, and Valerie Lewis, BC ’79. The debate over whom the AHANA acronym inherently includes and excludes has been in existence since the acronym’s inception. In the Oct. 2 issue of The Heights, Ines Maturana Sendoya, director of the Office of AHANA Student Programs, said that “the term represents the importance of establishing solidarity, the importance for me to learn about your background, and it emphasizes the individual distinctiveness of each group.”

Russell Bari, A&S ’12, says that being an AHANA student reminds him not only of his identity, but also his culture. “It allows me to appreciate the diversity on campus through various cultural events and activities,” Bari says. “It allows me, for example, to learn about another culture and another race through food and dialogue and broadens my outlook on the different backgrounds of students on campus.”

When it comes to the acronym’s meaning and whom it might or might not include, Bari says that AHANA does not simply just label individuals. “It empowers me and pushes me to not only work harder, but also provides

an opportunity for me to educate others surrounding race and culture.”

Nima Jama, A&S ’14, says the AHANA acronym, at times, has made her feel somewhat disconnected from other students. “Even though where I am from is not that diverse, racial class was not emphasized and I never felt at a disadvantage because I am a person of color,” Jama says. “Although I feel very welcomed at BC, being an AHANA student sometimes unintentionally separates me from others and this has been something foreign to me.”

Only a few short years ago, the GLC was denied permission by the University to host a dance. In 2009, the GLC held its first annual GLC Gala, a celebratory event that has been held since with continuous success.

Bari says that events like the Gala help him to feel the presence of GLBTQ students on campus, but that they are not as frequent or large-scale as others. “There is programming for GLC students, but in terms of events and the frequency of these events, the GLC’s overall presence is in its early stages, and there is potential for it to be improved,” says Bari.

Jama believes that the administration can hinder this at times. “A recent poll has ranked BC as one of the top ten schools that the LGBTQ community does not feel welcomed at,” Jama says, referencing a recent survey from the Princeton Review ranking universities on how “LGBT-Unfriendly” they are. “A large part has to do with the administration shooting down ideas and advances

by GLC. For a more welcoming community, we need a more welcoming environment.”

The Future With the amount of progress that’s been in the AHANA and GLBTQ communities on the BC campus, it is not unjustly optimistic to say that it can continue, but there are still challenges.

BC’s Jesuit and Catholic orientation, Bari says, makes it challenging to have conversations about GLBTQ-related topics. “I feel that religion and sexual orientation conflict, and, as a result, it becomes a sensitive matter to talk about,” Bari says. “It makes it difficult for GLBTQ students to have a greater presence or a greater voice on campus.”

He explains that the similar struggles that AHANA students and GLBTQ students face empower both groups in similar ways. “Like AHANA students, GLBTQ students have the ability and the potential to educate so that people are more aware of their presence and background on campus.”

Khloe Scurry, A&S ’12, says that the notion of mere acceptance can be viewed as disparaging if not expressed in the right manner. “I feel that by saying ‘I accept you just the way you are’ is somewhat of an insult,” Scurry says. “In that statement, there is an underlying notion that there is something wrong, something to accept, when in fact there is really nothing that different.”

Embracing our differences, instead of pretending they do not exist, is key to progression. “Difference should not be treated as something bad. Rather, we ought to accept each other’s differences rather than ignore them,” Scurry says. n

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Boston College is making progress towards having more cultural diversity here on the University’s campus.

The Heights

Monday, December 5, 2011

B9

Alcoholic activities consume the students at Boston College Marye Moran Ask a typical student why they love college, and they will most likely respond with a description of the great friends they’ve made and the newfound independence they enjoy. But if you say to them, “I love college” in a sing-songy Asher Roth voice, they’ll respond with the next line of the song, saying, “I love drinking.” Culture consistently links the two, and even if individuals do not see alcohol as the central part of their college experience, there is certainly a college drinking culture.

At Boston College, alcohol is tied to many central events and activities, making drinking part of the “typical” BC lifestyle. The main events on campus, like football games, Homecoming and other dances, concerts, and Marathon Monday, are not technically alcohol-related. However, in most students’ minds, they involve tailgating, pre-gaming, or drinking at dawn.

This creates a conflict when trying to reduce alcohol consumption in the student body. The administration is “examining mixed messages in the environment, such as tailgating and selling alcohol-related paraphernalia in the BC Bookstore, the Mods, etc.,”

photo Courtesy of FLICKR.com

There is concern that drinking is an integral component of the BC experience.

said Robyn Priest, associate director of the Office of Health Promotion (OHP).

Since drinking is not an isolated event, but a part of a larger culture, removing that single element from the social environment is difficult to do without drastically altering student life and BC events. Attempts have been made, though, through educational, preventative, and interventional measures.

The educational component of the administration’s campaign has, overall, been deemed successful. To try to inform students about the dangers of overconsumption, there is AlcoholEdu, a required online alcohol education program for all freshmen. OHP also has two main campaigns, the Alcohol Poisoning Educational campaign, and the Stay in Your Green Zone campaign, to inform students about the symptoms of alcohol poisoning and blood alcohol concentration, respectively.

These specific programs have received mixed reviews from students.

While some, like Jazmine Estrada, A&S ’14, who said, “I haven’t used any of that at my time at BC,” others value the program.

“I think they’re important, especially to freshmen. There are a lot of things you think you know, but you don’t. Having the alcohol education class at least makes you aware, even if you don’t take away everything from it. For the kid who is sheltered and going away for the first time, I think it’s important,” said Lauren Ruvo, LSOE ’14. The alcohol education campaigns seem to be movements headed in the right direction, realistically encouraging the safer consumption of alcohol, instead of simply condemning any level of drinking.

However, other actions by the administration to reduce alcohol consumption and alleviate the dangers that come with it, have been seen as less successful. Most notable was the

moratorium placed on all large-scale Conte Forum events, including the Fall Concert, which is known to have ended in the hospitalization of several dozen students for alcohol poisoning.

While the intention of providing a safer environment is a good one, many in the BC community saw the event’s cancellation as misguided.

Overall, though, the administration deems the drinking culture on a slow decline. “When I speak with administrators who have been at BC for a long time about the drinking culture at BC, most of them will say it has improved,” Priest said. “In my opinion, much great work has already been done to address the drinking culture at BC, and going forward, it will be essential for students to play a more active role in changing those aspects of the drinking culture they do not enjoy.”

Though students, of course, create the culture that exists, many are unhappy with at least some aspects of it. “I think the drinking culture is more ‘let’s drink to get drunk’ rather than ‘let’s drink to enjoy each other’s company,’” said Katie Woodward, A&S ’14.

Priest raised other downsides, such as “overconsumption leading to friends having to babysit drunken friends, vomit in the common areas in the residence halls, having to sleep and study interrupted by drunk students, having property damaged, vandalism, fights and arguments with friends and roommates, etc.”

These negative events are a result of drinking, and are not unique to this school. Most students agree that the environment, with all of its positives and negatives, is something that all schools have in some form. Erin Gonzalez, Santa Clara ’14, transferred from BC, and found differences, especially caused by Greek life. “I’m pretty sure the amount of people drinking [at Santa Clara] is the same [as at BC], but because there are frats it’s more open,”

she said.

While it is a large part of college life, drinking is not necessarily universal to all college students. However, the overall culture is felt by everyone, regardless of individual participation.

Nick Moffa, A&S ’14, said, “The drinking culture at BC, although typical of college in general, can be challenging and isolating for those students who choose not to drink. However, one of the unique characteristics of the BC student body is that the decision of every student, whether to drink or not to drink, is respected.”

Programs such as Nights on the Heights have been created to provide alcohol-free alternatives to students, and there is certainly a sector of the student body that chooses to spend weekends at a movie or concert rather than a keg party.

The BC experience does not have to be defined by alcohol. While it is linked to many college traditions, and is certainly a part of many students’ lives, there are many who choose to abstain from partaking. However, for better or worse, BC has a drinking culture that impacts the entire University.

It can be combated by the administration and sectors of the student body, but in the end, there will never be a dry Notre Dame football game or Marathon Monday or Friday night hockey game. Its role on campus can possibly be decreased, but to entirely remove the drinking culture, one would have to remove all of the events and traditions that make BC the University that we chose.

Regardless of administrative efforts, it is the BC traditions, in which alcohol plays such a central role, that perpetuate the University’s heavy drinking culture.

Marye Moran is a Staff Columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com

Searching for the elusive freeloaders’ path through Boston College Ryan McGuill I’m officially sick of hearing the phrase “work hard, play hard” used to describe the lifestyles of Boston College students. It’s trite, bothersome, and stuffy. It serves as a reminder that success doesn’t come easy here and suggests that a slavish work mentality is the only justification for shotgunning a beer or two on the weekends. I imagine my pompous cousin, who attends a school in South Bend, sipping a Bud Light Lime at Thanksgiving dinner and using the phrase to describe his college experience to my Nana. “Work hard, play hard” grinds away at the fibers of my sanity like people who still say “winning” in the Charlie Sheen sense.

Our environment is one where an overwhelming culmination of stress, competition, and deadlines aggravates inter-student relationships and social freedom for the first two weeks of December. During this twilight of fall semester, Chestnut Hill turns into an intellectual warzone where an “every man for himself” battle over the Jesuit “men and women for others” philosophy is constantly played out. Vicious skirmishes develop over empty seats in O’Neill, and coffee stains indicate the brutality inflicted. However, students willingly submit themselves to these crazy workloads and 3 a.m. nights so they can maintain perfect GPAs, which will inevitably lead to a high-salaried job, which will inevitably lead to the purchasing of several vacation/leisure islands in Micronesia, which will inevitably lead to the publishing of a memoir in the retirement years. While this might all be written from the cynical perspective of a student frustrated over his roommates having “a ton of stuff they need to get done” on a Thursday night, it’s undoubtedly, and somewhat unfortunately, true that the challenge of academics factors into each aspect of the BC experience.

In pondering BC’s complicated realm of academia, I wondered about the possibility of beating the system.

In other words, I was curious if a school and a major exists where a student could coast by on a maximum of two hours of work a night and still end up with respectable employment opportunities at the end of four years. Do certain students work less than others and still pull off better grades?

How do they accomplish the seemingly impossible?

At the end of the day, is it even worth it to put in all the hours? I knew that attempting to find the “freeloader’s path through BC” would be like searching for a Snow Cone in the Sahara, but some of what I discovered turned out to be surprising.

I asked 10 students from each school to rate the stress level and severity associated with their workload on a scale of one to 10, with one reflecting a nonchalant, carefree persona and 10 equating to a “sleep is for the weak” mentality. I tried not to ask freshmen for their opinion, as most of them have yet to fully venture into the extent of their majors, and simply due to the fact that they’re silly freshmen.

With a whopping, frightening score of 9.5, the Connell School of Nursing (CSON) placed at the top of my list for perceived workload stress. If you’ve ever spoken with a nurse before or watched as throngs of them exit Bapst Library long after the heaters have been switched off in Gargan Hall, it’s no secret that you need to dedicate yourself to long hours inside and outside the classroom in order to don the scrubs.

“We spend an average of probably five hours a day in the classroom,” says Liz Miller, CSON ’14. “The huge in-class portion of being a nursing student really leaves us drained, but the time left in the day is mostly spent in the library with other nursing students trying to get through countless assignments.” In terms of dealing with the stress of the nursing major, Miller also says, “a lot of time is spent working out and keeping healthy, because a healthy lifestyle for nursing majors is an absolute must.”

Other students mentioned the difficulty of nursing exams, which have allowed these prospective RNs to truly realize the value of a test curve. As the educational portion strives to replicate the mandates, workload, and hours of being an actual nurse, it would suffice to say that my “freeloader’s path through BC” does not make any pit stops in CSON. The College of Arts & Sci-

ences (A&S) scored a solid nine on my stress scale, where poli-sci papers and pre-med labs are some of the many burdens that weigh down individuals.

Although A&S is often disrespected by the “College of Arts & Crafts” stigma, the students who I spoke with clearly dedicate a significant amount of effort to their respective interests, whether they involve coloring within the lines or not.

Max Jackson, A&S ’14, described the intensity of being a math major in the pre-med concentration. “It’s crazy. I often have multiple five-hour problem sets due with tests coming up. A big part of pre-med is learning to not go insane over a heavy workload.” Jackson manages his sanity by spending an hour a day doing something relaxing, like playing video games or just watching TV. Mike Judd, A&S ’15, says that skimming or skipping over reading for his English major in favor of more concrete assignments allows him to handle his challenging schedule. “It all has to get done, and it all will get done, but it’s about how I get it done that influences how stressed out I get over my work,” Judd said.

With its mandatory practicums that send students out into the education system, The Lynch School of Education (LSOE) generates a sizable amount of stress with a score of 8.5. Long hours spent teaching at Brighton High School and pursuing another major keeps students like Savi Tuber, LSOE ’13, persistently focused on work throughout the week. “Studentteaching is essentially my sixth class, and since a lot of time goes into the teaching aspect, it makes staying on top of my content area and my double major a whole lot harder,” Tuber says.

Add on travel time and the expectations for LSOE-ers to successfully teach younger students, and suddenly a school that has been called “the Sorority” in the past appears a lot less fun than the name would suggest.

The Carroll School of Management (CSOM) surprisingly placed last on my list of perceived stress, as the undergraduate business program

managed to garner a score of 8.2. While a score of 8.2 would still drive an unorganized student out of his or her mind, one might assume that the “Carroll School of Money” would inundate its students with work in order to set them up for the best internships and employment opportunities in the country. However, there is some justification for the low stress-related scores, as Mike Camus, CSOM ’14, explains. “I don’t ever feel too stressed out in CSOM because we have great advisors that help us through the college process,” he says. “Additionally, our ability to do group projects really takes the emphasis off of the single student and spreads the stress out amongst several workers.”

One common theme binds the four schools of BC together: persistence. Students in A&S don’t let 300 pages of Freud hamper their aspirations toward a Ph.D in clinical psychology, just like students in LSOE don’t allow an hour-long commute to area high schools affect their pursuit of a degree. However, after four years of seemingly endless readings and papers, is it even worth it? In the November issue of Boston Magazine, a national study of institutions of higher learning showed that 47 percent of the public believes the point of college is to “develop work related skills,” while 39 percent thinks that college is for “personal and intellectual growth.” Similarly, out of the 47 million jobs that the United States will create through 2018, only 17 million of those positions will require a college degree.

I’m obviously not advocating for a mass exodus from universities across the country, but these statistics could potentially be reassuring for some of the more intense studiers across campus.

Although some of my findings exceeded my expectations, I have found that the “freeloader’s path through BC” is a myth. Workloads vary from school to school and students of differing mindsets manage stress in unique ways, but the decision to attend BC comes with a commitment to a difficult intellectual environment. How heavily you commit yourself to the challenge of academics can make or break a college experience.

Ryan McGuill is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights. com.

Daniel Lee / heights Editor

B10

The Heights

Monday, December 5, 2011