The Heights December 7, 2015

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DANCING IN THE DARK SLUMP CITY

MEET OLAA FEATURES

ARTS & REVIEW

SPORTS

Campus group is stepping up social action efforts, A4

The dance groups of Boston College come together in Robsham to close out Dance Week in style, B8

The Eagles lost on Sunday to UMass-Lowell, their fifth consecutive defeat, B1

www.bcheights.com

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established

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Monday, December 7, 2015

Vol. XCVI, No. 46

JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS STAFF

Ê@ [feËk k_`eb n\Ëm\ [fe\ Xepk_`e^ nife^Ë Jkl[\ekj dXiZ_\[ XZifjj ZXdglj j`e^`e^ gXif[`\j f] gfglcXi :_i`jkdXj jfe^j kf iX`j\ XnXi\e\jj f] iXZ`jd 9P JFG?@< I<8I;FE ?\`^_kj JkX]] Members and supporters of Eradicate Boston College Racism marched across BC’s campus on Friday afternoon, singing parodies of classic Christmas carols to promote racial equality. At the peak of the protest, there were 50 students singing. Eradicate is a group composed of BC faculty, students, and staff aiming to end racism at BC. The group has led several other initiatives this semester, including a demonstration at Ta-Nehisi Coates’s talk and the distribution of fliers reading, “BC Silences Antiracism.” In response to the protests, the

administration expressed its frustration with Eradicate’s unwillingness to work within the rules of the University. Friday’s event was the fourth day of Eradicate Boston College Racism’s Twelve Days of BC Racism campaign. Each day has a title—Friday’s was “Walking Through A White Man’s Wonderland.” In the first four days of its 12-day campaign, Eradicate held a question-and-answer panel and hosted an Alumni Giving Day, during which BC alumni donated over $1,000 to the group. “The alumni are refusing to donate to the University,” Sriya Bhattacharyya, GLSOE ’16 and leader of Eradicate, said. “Until

they institute our demands with a financial plan and investment, they’re going to donate to Eradicate.” Eradicate also hosted a giving day, where members of the group gave holiday gifts to faculty members who have served as their mentors and have stood up for University changes. “Dear Trustees, are you listenin’? / A real plan you are missin’. / Until you agree, and change do we see, / We’re walkin’ through a white man’s wonderland,” the carolers sang. Eradicate came up with the idea to carol at their monthly potluck dinner, and decided to run with it, Bhattacharyya

See Christmas Carols, A3

8 gifgfjXc ]fi \hlXc`kp L>9:# Kiljk\\j kXcb iXZ`jd Xk 9fXi[ d\\k`e^ 9P 8C<O8E;I8 8CC8D ?\`^_kj JkX]] With a hope to make an action plan public by Jan. 19, Thomas Napoli, Undergraduate Government of Boston College president and MCAS ’16, Olivia Hussey, UGBC vice president and MCAS ’17, and Afua Laast, UGBC vice president of diversity and inclusion and LSOE ’16, met with the Board of Trustees on Friday. At the meeting, the third of four planned presentations, they discussed race, institutional racism, and inclusivity. Napoli said that right now the group has a working proposal for the University to take institutional action. He said the proposal was created by looking at how other institutions are responding, and by looking at requests from student groups on campus. They did this by sending out an email to the student body asking for general suggestions, which got a large response, and yielded the basis of a working proposal. Hussey said that they have planned conversations with administrators and faculty to talk through the details of their plan more before the expected release on Jan. 19. She said that they will be including student leaders from all across campus in these conversations. “Many students of color, at the end of the day, don’t feel like BC’s a home for them,” Napoli said. “You could put a lot of definitions on it like institutional racism, but at the end of the day, BC is not an equal home to everyone.” Hussey explained that their efforts right now are focused on institutional

See UGBC, A8

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ALEC GREANEY / HEIGHTS EDITOR

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8e `ej`[\ cffb Xk k_\ Zfddle`kp ;Aj Y\_`e[ NQ9: 9P 8C<O =CFI<J =fi k_\ ?\`^_kj Tucked away in the back corner of McElroy Commons, the WZBC radio station has been gracing the airwaves with music for over 40 years. WZBC, unlike many college stations, tends to stay away from the confines of mainstream songs. Most of the music aired by WZBC caters to the underground music scene or lesserknown artists, primarily local artists who have yet to enter the mainstream. “The mission of WZBC is to give airtime to the people who need it and wouldn’t receive it otherwise,” music

director and community DJ Maria Jose Cordova, MCAS ’16, said. WZBC stands firm in its commitment to giving exposure to the lesser-known artists—they have a shelf of CDs in the office labeled, “Too Big to Play, Too Good to Throw Away.” The artists on the shelf weren’t popular acts when WZBC first played their music, but they all eventually became so mainstream that they no longer fit WZBC’s commitment to indie. The station broadcasts in both AM and FM. AM is much less regulated, because it is streamed via the Internet. AM is also the more flexible of the two. FM is broadcasted to the Boston area on 90.3

WZBC, and must abide by Federal Communications Commission rules. In order to become a DJ on an FM show, which is called a community DJ, a new club member must complete two preliminary steps: interning with a community DJ and hosting an individual AM show. Once the necessary steps are completed, one can apply for an FM show slot. A few of WZBC’s community DJs are profiled below. Maria Jose Cordova, MCAS ’16 On-Air Name: MJ MJ Cordova started at WZBC in 2013,

during the fall of her sophomore year. “I guess I just missed the table during the involvement fair freshman year,” she said. Her sophomore roommates, WZBC members, introduced her to the station, and she’s been involved ever since. Adhering to the indie mindset of WZBC, Cordova enjoys playing neo-soul, fuzzy garage rock, lo-fi rock, and bedroom pop. She attributes this unique taste in music to her time at WZBC. “You have your set taste in music coming in and you’re paired with a person who has a similar taste, which can help

See WZBC, A8


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THE HEIGHTS

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things to do on campus this week

On Wednesday in the Quad from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., students can pick up a guide that details resources for responding to incidents of sexual assault. The guide is a collaborative effort among The Heights, the Women’s Center, and the Office of Student Affairs.

NEWS BRIEFS >cfYXc =fild `e @i\cXe[

Next fall, the Boston College Chief Executive Club will hold a Global Forum in Dublin, Ireland, on Sept. 2. The forum will be held the day before the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, the Dublin matchup between BC and Georgia Tech. The forum will include current members and alumni of the CEO club as well as prominent business leaders from the United States, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, WCAS ’09, is also expected to attend. They will hold a panel to discuss some of today’s important issues, such as the use of technology in developing a global economy. The club, founded 23 years ago, has established itself as one of the leading business clubs in the country. The event in Dublin will allow the CEO club to make itself known on a global stage. “Boston College began as a small commuter school for Irish immigrants and today is recognized as a leading global university,” Warren Zola, the club’s executive director, said. “ I am thrilled to take advantage of this incredible opportunity on behalf of our members, and to continue to promote the prestige of the Carroll School of Management.” Neil Naughton, chairman of the Irish Steering Committee and deputy chairman of the Glen Dimplex Group, said that the Aer Lingus Football Classic could serve as a means to develop connections and relationships between the Irish and New England business communities. “The Boston College Chief Executives Club luncheon will be eagerly anticipated by the business community in Ireland,” he said.

Gif] ni`k\j fe dfe\p# gjpZ_ Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling Philip Helsel’s most recent book, Pastoral Power Beyond Psychology’s Marginalization: Resisting the Discourses of the Psy-Complex, studies the psychological effects of debt, foreclosure, and unemployment in today’s economic system. In the book, Helsel offers advice to ministers and counselors who work to help those struggling with their place in the working class. “We have seen what you may call a ‘public despair’ in our times,” Helsel said. “We know that economic stress contributes to mental illness and mental suffering. In times of downturn, people are more likely to be distressed and be mentally ill.” Helsel also claims that psychological labels negatively affect those who deal with emotional problems by reducing them to “problem-identities.” Helsel previously worked as a chaplain, congregational pastor, and pastoral counselor-in-training before coming to BC. He now teaches courses including Trauma and Addiction and Introduction to Pastoral Care & Counseling: Narrative. “It’s people who have been through the mental health system who have the central role in changing it,” Helsel said. “In a sense, experts, like myself, should play a background role and provide something like a forum for the concerns or maybe access to institutional resources, but not set the agenda for such concerns.”

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Monday, December 7, 2015

The Boston College Law Enforcement Alumni Network is sponsoring a discussion, Policing in Difficult Times, on Monday at 6 p.m. in the Cadigan Alumni Center. Boston Police Commissioner William Evans will be speaking on the challenges his department faces.

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The Residence Hall Association is hosting Christmas Catwalk, an ugly Christmas sweater auction, in the Heights Room in Corcoran Commons at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The proceeds from the event will be donated to the Boston Rescue Mission.

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B`\]\i fe YXb`e^ Xe[ >f[ Xk 8^Xg\ CXkk\ By Alexandra Allam Heights Staff Last Tuesday, Dec. 1, Karen Kiefer, associate director for Church in the 21st Century and “the genius behind Agape Latte,” spoke at the Christmas extravaganza in a packed Hillside Cafe for the last Agape Latte talk of the semester. Following music, coffee, and Christmas treats, Kiefer told the story of how baking bread brought her closer to God. Kiefer began by noting her time at Boston College. She grew up at BC, first setting foot on campus at age 2, attended school here, worked at the University, and now has two daughters enrolled. Kiefer said that over the years, one of the things BC taught her is perspective. Growing up in a large Irish-Catholic family, Kiefer said she was taught that charity begins at home and, if she had extra time, to go to the church. When she met with Jesuits at BC, however, her paradigm shifted. “[The Jesuits] said to me, ‘The world is your home,’” Kiefer said. “And it changed the way I looked at everything—it changed the way I looked at and lived my life.” After giving birth to her first child and feeling filled with gratitude, Kiefer’s mantra to God was, “Help me help you,” she said. This continued until the birth of her second child, when she began to feel frustrated and unheard. She said that after talking with a friend of hers who is a Jesuit she knew that by living and raising children she was doing right by God, but still felt like she wasn’t doing enough. Finally, when she had a third child and a heightened level of frustration, she spoke again with

the Jesuit who told her she needed patience. He told her God would answer her and she just needed to figure out how he would do so. Kiefer then told the story of an afternoon she spent with her three children trying to bake her mother’s Irish bread. She explained that her mother baked the bread every day when Kiefer was growing up. “The bread became a staple,” Kiefer said. “But it also became, for my mom, a way to celebrate the goodness of the day.” She explained that the bread meant a lot to her mother and it followed Kiefer throughout her childhood and her life. Kiefer said that when she and her children went to make the bread, they would make a lot, wrap it up, and then tie it with a note sending good wishes. They would sign off, “The Kiefer Baking Elves.” They would then leave the bread on neighbors’ doorsteps, telling them to enjoy it and call if they wanted the recipe. Later, she found a baking contest asking how the contestants celebrate the holidays with their baked goods. Kiefer won the contest, which awarded her with baking supplies and resulted in more baking. In response to her husband’s suggestion, Kiefer and her children began baking for veterans in a shelter in Boston. They baked 300 loaves of bread, decorated them, and her husband took them to the veterans. One night, one of her daughters began to cry because she never saw the veterans receive the bread. “You don’t always have to see when you do something good for someone,” Kiefer said she told her daughter. “You just have to know you

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DREW HOO / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Kiefer discussed the ways in which she learned to serve God by baking bread. did it, and then you can hear the little jingle in your heart roast.” She said that that was a God-wink moment for her, and the moment bread became “their thing.” Throughout their future moves, they kept making the bread and kept sharing it. As a result, she connected with another friend who shared her passion and they started a bread drive with the idea that everyone is connected to bread either through culture, religion, or the like. They were going to challenge people to bake bread. Kiefer explained that they got a school involved and were ready to go. Then, terrorists attacked the country on Sept. 11, 2001. “That bread called so many families in our community back into the kitchen,” Kiefer said. “It was an opportunity to have a conversation with their kids and say, ‘Don’t be scared and don’t ever be afraid to reach out and help someone; we bake bread for us, we bake bread for others.’”

The “Spread the Bread Drive” was held about a month after Sept. 11. Participants were asked to bake their favorite bread and wrap it with a note of hope, inspiration, or love. “The next thing you know, the bread was bigger than us,” Kiefer said. “The movement started to spread, and it started to spread into schools and into curriculums, and into churches and communities.” She said that soon enough there was a Girl Scout patch. Next came bread groups throughout the nation, and then it spread internationally. Kiefer noted the numerous ways she saw the bread impact others, through individuals directly receiving the bread, and the ways she saw it indirectly transform her children’s character, ultimately leading to her book publication, The Misfit Sock. “Can one loaf of bread make a difference? Can one prayer to God help me help you? Help us help someone else?” Kiefer said. “You bet.”

=\dXc\ ]fle[\ij X[[i\jj j\o`jd `e Ylj`e\jj By Taylor St. Germain Heights Staff Prompted by inequalities in the world of entrepreneurship—94 percent of venture capitalists are men, and only 10 percent of venture capital funding goes to female founders—Boston College’s Shea Center for Entrepreneurship is encouraging women to form their own startups. With this goal in mind, the Shea Center sponsored a Female Founders Panel on Tuesday night in Gasson 305. Three female entrepreneurs—Katie Martell, Anita Brearton, and Angela Jin, CSOM ’17—spoke about their experiences working in business. The women, who have each successfully co-founded a startup, spoke about discrimination against women in the workplace and how to successfully enter entrepreneurial networks. “Only investing in men leaves out 50 percent of the talent pool,” Brearton said. “That is an extraordinary number of untapped opportunities.” After graduating from Emerson College, Martell started her company, Cintell, where she now

serves as chief marketing officer. Cintell is a consumer intelligence company that aims to help B2B— business-to-business—companies better understand their consumers. While her company remains a small business with only 17 employees, Martell has served members of Fortune 500, and spoken at events such as TEDx, MarketingProfs, and the Business Marketing Association. Brearton has worked in high technology for over 28 years. Her most recent project, CabinetM, is an early-stage marketing technology startup. CabinetM is a discovery platform that connects marketers to marketing technology companies. Jin started her company, 1950 Collective, during her sophomore year. Jin co-partnered with her best friend, a student at the University of Texas at Austin, to create fandom merchandise. The company donates 10 percent of its proceeds to women empowerment organizations. The three women addressed why women are discriminated in the hiring process and business dealings. Martell believes that women are treated unequally be-

POLICE BLOTTER Thursday, Nov. 26 5:46 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a Trespass Warning being issued in Maloney Hall.

Saturday, Nov. 28 6:04 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an alarm problem in the Merkert Chemistry Center.

Sunday, Nov. 29 12:46 a.m. - A report was filed regarding the arrest of Xueju Huang (currently reported as homeless), previously of Med-

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cause of a lack of transparency in the industry. “There is a cycle that needs to be broken,” Martell said. “We, as women, need to get out and break that cycle. We need to start being much more visible.” The women then discussed differences in leadership styles between men and women. Martell referenced studies that prove that women are naturally better at multitasking and have more empathy when dealing with customers. Brearton disagreed—she believes that leadership is characterized by the individual, rather than by gender. “I think you have to be a little bit crazy to be an entrepreneur,” Brearton said. “Male or female, you have to have courage, confidence, and belief in your mission. I think that it comes down to individual traits, and how that then translates into the culture that you create.” Jin spoke about the challenges she faced when balancing academics with her company. The success of a startup depends on how much you love and care for it, she said. Brearton also mentioned that passion for the company is important.

She said that there is never a moment in her day when she is not thinking about CabinetM. Brearton and Martell encouraged young women to venture into Boston and attend networking events, but Martell believes that real-world experience is necessary before creating a startup, and suggests that students wait until after college graduation to launch their businesses. “I would not have been in the right state of mind to start a company in college,” Martell said. “I learned a lot from the real jobs I have had since graduating. Personally, I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything. They prepared me for doing this on my own and gave me much more confidence.” At the end of the panel, the women took questions from students and faculty, and shared advice on how to stand up to men in the business world. They also encouraged men to make a conscious effort to hire women and treat female partners equally. “Have an open mind, treat women as your equal, hire women, and support the women in your network,” Brearton said.

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

11/25/15 - 11/30/15

ford, MA, for Trespassing in Fulton Hall. 2:16 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious person on Commonwealth Ave. 3:21 p.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a BC employee who was transported to a medical facility via police cruiser.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

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THE HEIGHTS

Monday, December 7, 2015

A3

Kf gifdfk\ \hlXc`kp# gifk\jk\ij Z_Xe^\ :_i`jkdXj ZXifcj Christmas Carols, from A1 A group of Eradicate members came up with the lyrics for the carols. The students first tried to carol at the Board of Trustees’ lunch in Gasson, Bhattacharyya said. They were not permitted to enter the room, so they relocated to Gasson’s main atrium. Eradicate also drafted a list of requests for the Board, labeled as a “wish list.” It asked that a faculty member of color, a staff member of color, and a

student of color be added to the Board and be allowed to vote, Kwesi Aaron, MCAS ’16 and a member of Eradicate, said. This idea parallels what other universities, like Ithaca College, have implemented in recent months, according to materials disseminated by the group. The wish list also demands that the Board create a concrete plan to commit funds in the interest of diversifying faculty on campus. Eradicate asked the Board to hold

an open forum where these demands can be followed up in a question-andanswer format. The group recognizes how difficult it is to speak directly to the Board, and they hope that a forum will facilitate dialogue between students and Board members. After previous failed attempts to work with the administration, Eradicate decided not to register the demonstration, Aaron said. “We took the most direct route possible, just to show up to their door and

hand them a list of demands,” Aaron said. “I do not think we’ve done anything wrong.” The group delivered its list of demands to Dean of Students Thomas Mogan, who promised the group that he would distribute the list to the rest of the Board members in their luncheon, Bhattacharyya said. “I hope that the issue of racial justice is more important than any sort of arbitrary procedure for the University, especially considering the national cli-

mate,” Aaron said. The group decided to reach out to the Board because of the power that it holds in making financial decisions and budget plans, Bhattacharyya said. “They are a group of people who really care about the University and care about its well-being, its image, its students,” Bhattacharyya said. “So we wanted them to know how students, faculty, and staff experience this campus so that they could do something to change it.”

@e FËE\`cc GcXqX# jkl[\ekj jkXe[ n`k_ `e]fidXk`fe fe `dd`^iXk`fe By Alexandra Allam Heights Staff

This Tuesday, Dec. 1, students stood together to form a human link on O’Neill Plaza. Despite the wind, the students held signs that cited statistics about the meaningful contributions of immigrants in the United States. The Organization of Latin American Affairs (OLAA) came up with the idea to create a human wall about a month ago, said Luis Torres, co-president and MCAS ’16. He explained that it played off of and alluded to Donald Trump’s idea of building a wall at the Mexico-United States border. “Instead of using [the wall] as a tool of separation, we’re using it as an instrument of one-ness,” Torres said. Torres said the protest was triggered by an anonymous snapchat that was admitted into the Boston College Snapchat campus story in October, in which an American flag located in a dorm room was pictured with a caption reading, “Our wall trumps all walls.” Evelyn Cortes, OLAA protester and MCAS ’18, explained that under the flag in the Snapchat story was Trump’s campaign slogan, “Let’s make America great again.” She said that it brought a lot of anger, in combination with discomfort and sadness, to many members of the student body. She explained that OLAA is dedicated to the needs of Latinos on campus and, as a result, the group wanted to

ALEXANDRA ALLAM / HEIGHTS STAFF

Members of Organization of Latina American Affairs linked arms and created a human wall in O’Neill Plaza to raise awareness about immigration. present its frustration with the events. Cortes said that the group found the protest to be a good way to use their anger to promote dialogue about both Trump’s remark and the resulting snapchat. Cortes explained that through the demonstration, she hopes to show that human connection is stronger than any wall built between the U.S. and Mexico. “I think it’s so emotionally draining to see how students don’t understand a lot of these problems going on, but I’m so glad there’s people on campus

who give me so much more hope and pride to be a BC student,” Cortes said, regarding the students participating in the human wall. After brainstorming , the OL AA reached out to other cultural clubs on campus, including the Asian Caucus, to put their thoughts to action. Though the club members were the first to start the protest, any passerby was welcome to join in holding a sign and creating the bond. People continued to join the chain when the signs ran out. “As you see, some people at the end

aren’t holding signs but they’re part of the human link and that’s just as meaningful,” Torres said. Though Trump’s remark and the BC Snapchat story instigated the demonstration, Torres said there were other reasons the students stood together. He said that the clubs want to debunk common misconceptions about immigrants frequently seen in the media, especially in the presidential race. Jovani Hernandez, co-president of OLAA and MCAS ’16, added that he wants to change the attitudes of many

students here at BC. “A majority of the University’s student body likes to boast about its involvement in Arrupe, 4Boston, and other social justice oriented programs, but when demonstrations and campaigns on issues like immigration and racial injustice occur on campus, it responds with an overwhelming sense of apathy, invalidation, and hostility,” Hernandez said. “Being ‘men and women for others’ should not be confined to service trips abroad or along the Appalachia Mountain Range. It is a process to be carried out on a day-to-day basis.” Hernandez said that he does not expect everyone to agree with every issue he voices, but he still hopes to engage in a conversation. He said that there will be many topics of conversation on social media popping up second semester with the hashtag #TheTruthAboutImmigrants. Jenny Penafiel, vice president of OLAA and CSOM ’17, said that she hopes the protest fosters conversation particularly about what it means to be an immigrant. “There is so much more behind the immigrant experience than moving to a new country,” Penafiel said. “We want people to look beyond the reasons the media gives for immigrants coming to the United States, and listen to the real stories that would make immigrants so much more relatable and one of us, as opposed to being seen as an outside threat.”

GXe\c`jkj kXcb i\j\XiZ_ fggfikle`k\j `e c`^_k f] <c\d\ekjË cXk\jk i\c\Xj\ By Sophie Reardon Heights Staff

Lynn Lyerly, associate professor of history, began the discussion at the Elements panel talk Thursday by encouraging all students to participate in undergraduate research. She said that she knew she wanted to pursue historical research when she was conducting research as a graduate student. She found that all of the texts she was looking at were about women, after a man had previously told her that they were all male-dominated. “New eyes looking at something, seeing new things,” she said. “That was really an ‘aha’ moment.” Elements, Boston College’s twiceyearly undergraduate research journal, hosted a panel Thursday night in the Fulton Honors Library to showcase its fall issue and discuss research opportunities available to BC students. Lyerly suggested history students develop relationships with professors and students find advisers for their theses before deciding on a topic. She

mentioned that doing research is important because it is what students will remember after graduation. Conducting one’s own research and publishing one’s findings in Elements demonstrates independent thinking, drive, and organization, Lyerly said. Publishing in Elements will not only help students when applying for jobs or internships, she said, but it will also help them figure out whether they want to pursue a career in research. Elements highlights the research pursued by undergraduates in various academic fields. Its goal is to showcase to the BC community the research done by students. This year marks Elements’ 10th year of publication. It is now also available for free online. Danielle Nista, MCAS ’16, worked with Lyerly. She studied ways in which slaves in the antebellum South utilized song and dance in the form of self-expression. Her work was published in the Fall 2014 issue of Elements. Nista first met Lyerly when a friend encouraged her to take one of Lyerly’s history classes. Throughout the se-

mester, the two established a relationship—Nista was attentive, participated in class, and went to his office hours. Nista explained that she never felt sure that her work was publishable until Lyerly encouraged her to submit her research findings to Elements. When her work was published, she felt proud and much more confident in her abilities as a researcher, she said. Jaclyn Camuglia, MCAS ’17, worked with Eric Folker, assistant professor of biology, in his lab. Together, they explored the role of the nucleus during muscle development. Camuglia explained that she found Folker on BC’s research website during her freshman year. She learned about his research before reaching out to him to ask if she could join his team. Folker spoke to the science majors, urging them to find a professor not through classes but through BC’s research websites. He said that most of the professors who need help with research teach upper-level classes. If a student waits until junior or senior year to try to get into a lab, they will all be full.

Most labs only accept a few students, Folker said. He currently has ten undergraduates in his lab, which he explained is probably the largest a lab will ever get at BC. He encouraged students to seek opportunities at hospitals and pharmacies in the greater Boston area as well. Unlike the histor y department, Folker said, science departments encourage students to find what they are interested in studying first and then find a faculty member. Folker first knew he wanted to be in the field of scientific research when he was a junior in college. He was watching a professor conduct research, he explained, and was amazed at the enthusiasm the professor had for her work. “I was only providing support, but actually seeing the data come off and seeing her be so excited about the fact that her paper was now done was probably the first time I was really excited and decided that science was something for me,” Folker said. Olivia McCaffrey, MCAS ’17, worked alongside Jennifer Erickson, a White Family Sesquicentennial assistant pro-

fessor of political science and international studies, to examine independent voters in Massachusetts. A friend introduced her to Erickson during her freshman year at BC. Her research was published in the Fall 2015 issue of Elements. The social sciences, Erickson said, offer both quantitative and qualitative sectors of research. It is important for students to find what they are interested in, because professors in the political science and international studies departments are usually flexible in the kinds of student research they oversee. Erickson explained that she usually finds research participants through her classes—she looks for the smart, organized, and engaged students. BC students have many resources available to them, Erickson said, and should therefore take advantage of them. “Elements is an intersection between your research and the community,” McCaffrey said. “It was definitely a great experience that I didn’t see coming.”

Dlig_p Xe[ <c`\ kXZbc\ k_\ Xik f] \[`k`e^ Xe[ k_\ c`]\ f] X aflieXc`jk By Rebecca Reilly Heights Staff Last Thursday night, Dec. 3, Cullen Murphy, the current editor-at-large for Vanity Fair, and writer Paul Elie sat in conversation in Devlin 101 with English professor James T. Lester during “The Art of Editing,” part of a series by the Institute for the Liberal Arts, where Lester is a visiting fellow. The event was co-sponsored by the American studies and English departments. Lester, who has previously worked with both of the editors, teaches a journalism course that is also called Art of Editing. Murphy has worked for more than 20 years as the managing editor of The Atlantic. Elie worked as a senior editor at publishing firm Farrar, Straus and Giroux for almost 20 years, and is a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. “You’re mediating between the writer

and the audience, and two, you’re also mediating between the writer and his work,” Murphy said. “They’re not the same thing, but they both pose different challenges.” Elie discussed how he found editing a welcome venue for making strides in journalism without falling victim to what he dubbed the “journalism machine”—he desires to direct content rather than simply to attract customers. “I felt like I could contribute or do something with it,” said Elie, who graduated from Fordham University. “I was really drawn to the service aspect of it, coming out of a Catholic background.” Murphy said that an important part of being a good editor is understanding the process holistically. Editors have to know how the multiple levels of revision fit together. To him, the process is an effort to manipulate both form and idea. “There’s a lot that you pick up by osmosis and much of this is a matter of hierarchy and being clear about hierarchy,”

Murphy said. “From big issues like who you’re writing for [that are] often lost sight of—what is the basic idea?—and these are very large conceptual blocks, and then they break into smaller components—what is the architecture of this thing?—and then sentence by sentence.” Mediating between the audience and writer does not necessarily mean adhering to expectations, Murphy and Elie said. Murphy shared a story about one author, Eric Schlosser, whose editor helped him create a narrative in his book Fast Food Nation. They experimented with form by reversing the order of events in the book. At the end of the day, the speakers said, editing is really an exercise in mediation: between detail and big-picture, author and audience, and realizing the potential in a book that the author may not have seen. But it also means building a relationship with the author, as well as between the author and his or her work. Elie’s advice for writers, to which Mur-

JULIA HOPKINS/ HEIGHTS STAFF

Cullen Murphy speaks to students about his experiences editing for major publications. phy nodded in agreement, is to treat work like their editor would. But, it should not be all mundane revision, he said. “Reading and editing your own work

is one of the most pleasurable parts of it,” Elie said. “And any trick you can do to…put yourself into that reader’s spot and enjoy it, grab that.”


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MADELEINE LOOSBROCK Christmas without snow is like a camel without its hump: unnatural. Growing up in Minnesota, I’ve enjoyed snow for most of my Christmases. With snow comes cold and with cold comes a host of inconveniences—frozen fingers, dead car batteries, frostbitten cheeks, among others. While I’d never wish minus 40-degree windchill on my worst enemy, a brown Christmas is a sad Christmas, and I’d trade warmth for snow any day. When I think of Christmastime, I think of the cold. I think of my living room windows fogged over as we sit around the fire. I think of the lights lining the driveways of the neighborhood on Christmas Eve. I think of the tunnels my sisters and I make in the 5-foot-tall snow bank left behind by the snowplow at the end of my driveway. I think of sledding and skiing and the snowfrosted trees that make the sub-zero temperatures somehow worth it. People always ask me why anyone would ever want to live in Minnesota.

“It’s so cold,” they say—for the record, I’m aware. But each season, drastic as it may be, brings something new and exciting. Winter is ice skating on the lake and building snowmen, spring is the reemergence of the dormant plants of winter, summer is water skiing and sailing, and fall is apple picking and pumpkin patching. The seasons are important markers in my year, signaling the change of my sports, my clothes, and my pastimes. Each one brought something to look forward to and kept me from getting complacent. Each season was a chance to reboot. It’s easy to love summer, spring, and fall, but it’s really hard to love winter. I never truly realized how bad Minnesota winters are until I moved to Boston. Countless times in high school I ran errands in sub-zero temperatures without a jacket and thought nothing of it. I was shocked my freshman year to find people bundled up when it dropped below 40. The Californians were up at 3 a.m. to videotape the first snowfall, my roommate was frightened by the sound of the snowplow, and the majority of the BC population still seems to think Bean Boots are snow-boots—they’re not. Even though Boston has seasons, they are not as pronounced. It’s still 50 degrees in December and there hasn’t

been an inch of snow. While most wouldn’t complain, I’m starting to get antsy. Fall has grown all too familiar, making me that much more excited for this semester to be over. By this point in the year, we are all in desperate need of a change of pace. Although Christmas music and decorations have appeared all around campus, it feels forced. Not until the temperatures drop and the snow comes down will I feel like the season has changed and that I can move forward. Don’t get me wrong—nothing about the Minnesota weather makes me believe Minnesota is the best place to live.Winters are frigid and summers are sweaty, but the challenges and pleasures that each brings make me appreciate them even more. In the great depths of winter, when it’s too cold to go outside, Minnesotans are too nice to complain and too seasoned for self-pity. It’s a rare camaraderie that I’m so fortunate to have grown up with, and one that I hope my children will experience in the future. As each winter drags on, you learn to appreciate the luxuries of summer that much more. When it comes down to it no matter where you celebrate it, Christmas is about family and togetherness. While for many people the weather makes no difference to the holiday or the values that surround it, for me, it does. I used

to think that I wouldn’t end up back in Minnesota, but the more that I’m away, the more I realize how important the traditions and customs I grew up with are to me. I want snow on Christmas because

it makes Christmas feel like Christmas and I can’t imagine it any other way.

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ABBY PAULSON / GRAPHICS EDITOR

FC88 \[lZXk\j fe CXk`ef Zlckli\ Xe[ j\\bj cXi^\i jfZ`Xc flki\XZ_ 9P A8D<J CL:<P ?\`^_kj JkX]] The scene in O’Neill Plaza during Tuesday’s protest held by the Organization of Latin American Affairs (OLAA) was, in all respects, a poignant one. Unhindered by the cold, December rain, members of OLAA linked arms to create a human wall, and they bore signs with messages echoing dissatisfaction with the direction of the current presidential discourse. Surely, this was a definitive moment for the group. But it is by no means the first time OLAA has taken a stance in defense of its values. OLAA is no stranger to taking this type of action, and it has seen a great deal of institutional success in its 38 years at Boston College. “Its mission was to advocate for Latino students on BC’s campus, but also attempt to attract students from all walks of life,” explained Jovani Hernandez, co-president of OLAA and MCAS ‘16. “Something that was very important at the inception of the group

was to have more Latino students apply and be admitted into BC.” Built on these principles, OLAA has found its stride institutionally and has been a catalyst for change in both the academic and demographic aspects of the University. Its most important accomplishments range from starting the Latin American studies minor to the addition of the Latin America and the World history core class. OLAA also had a large role in establishing the Oscar A. Romero scholarship, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding involvement in and service to the Hispanic/Latino community at BC and in the larger community. Despite the group’s history as a champion for social and institutional change, OLAA has felt in recent years that it has neglected this mission and tended more toward social and networking endeavors. The group’s leaders see last week’s protest as, ideally, a step back to its socially active past. “I think our philosophy for the year as a whole was to restore some of the

history of OLAA,” said Luis Torres, MCAS ’16 and co-president of OLAA alongside Hernandez. “We have that in mind with the event planning and different things that we’re doing.” With this in mind, Tuesday’s demonstration was a step in the right direction in the opinion of many in the group. Going forward, the restoration of OLAA’s original socially aware “outlet” image is a priority of the group. OLAA seeks to serve as a resource to educate others about Hispanic culture and an outlet for students to voice their opinions and concerns. “It’s not a ‘new’ image exactly,” added Jenny Penafiel, Vice President of OLAA and CSOM ’17. “It’s more the old image that we’re trying to get back to. A lot of people think culture clubs are just there to celebrate the culture, which we do–we have events like that, and it is part of who we are, but it’s not all of who we are.” Also central to the issue of raising awareness and making an effective impact in a college environment is the

notion of collaboration, which has been a new focal point of the group after Tuesday’s demonstration according to Hernandez. For example, the group hopes to work with the Asian Caucus, which has, Hernandez said, been one of OLAA’s biggest supporters. “I think that one of the things that our demonstration kind of taught us is that there are other culture groups on campus who are very much interested in these same issues,” Hernandez said. “Now it’s all a matter of sitting down together and planning them.” Though their current shift in emphasis towards seeking active social change at BC and beyond is important to OLAA, there is still a widely recognized importance attached to the social side of the organization as well. In the mass of 9,000+ undergraduate students, it can be difficult to find like-minded individuals at times, and OLAA understands its importance as an agent for building a community as well as promoting ideas. Building an OLAA family is, without a doubt, among the

top priorities for the group. “I would like OLAA to continue to be the tight-knit organization and family that it is,” Torres said. “I think I have a unique perspective in the sense of family because a few years ago my mother and sister came for our Latino family weekend and as a first-generation student—and we do have a lot of first generation students on our E-board and Cabinet—it was very special. It made it seem like what I was doing was important.” This family atmosphere not only shapes the OLAA experience, but also makes the group operationally feasible. From its newest members to the very top of the executive board, the efforts of the organization both socially and administratively are a team effort. “Just seeing how younger students have developed, it’s a very heartwarming thing,” Hernandez said. “I’m very proud of the people we have on our team, something like Tuesday’s demonstration wouldn’t be possible without them and with outside support.”

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KAYLA FERNANDO Organic chemistry. Who knew a little atom like carbon could send books, molecular modeling kits, and let’s face it, some students’ sanity flying out the window. Whether you’ve only heard about it in passing, know from a friend, or are taking the course, there is mutual agreement that orgo’s reputation for being the “weed-out class” for pre-med students is well-deserved. Orgo is the study of carbon-based compounds and their various chemical reactions, one step higher than the standard “acid + base = water + salt” reactions you learned in high school. An important part of orgo is learning about different reaction mechanisms—how electrons move in a chemical reaction, to make different chemical products. But what exactly makes orgo so difficult? Being introduced to a multitude of different reaction mechanisms in a short span of time and having to understand the exact logic behind every step is a Herculean task. It takes hours, and I mean hours, to understand the nuances of a mechanism until you know every single step like the back of your hand. From there, you have to be able to combine all of those principles and apply them in any number of ways to accomplish a goal. You have to be able to instantly “diagnose” a

problem and see which mechanism would get you from a specific reactant to the desired product. You have to be able to know why some reactions don’t work because of the special properties of a molecule. You have to be able to reason your way through a problem. You have to be able to visualize. You have to be able to think critically. Orgo isn’t about the end or even the beginning, but rather the journey that gets you from reactant to product—but don’t get too sentimental. Unfortunately, the beloved phrase “not all who wander are lost” doesn’t apply to orgo—if you find yourself wandering, you’re probably lost. Just as one does not simply walk into Mordor, one does not simply walk into an orgo exam without studying days in advance. Everything I’ve said is abstract to the point where you probably still can’t comprehend exactly how difficult orgo is. You may be lulled into a false sense of security from looking at the pretty shapes you draw on paper, although it is a nice reprieve for students who had trouble grasping the computational aspect of chemistry (I’m looking at you, gen chem). But the truth is, you’ll never understand the complexity of orgo until you’re actually sitting in the class. It may seem like

there’s no point in learning reactions as you fill up pages of scrap paper practicing mechanisms that all seem to work the same way, draw arrows which point to hexagons which point to pentagons which point to triangles, and puzzle out how to synthesize a specific molecule in exactly five steps. But, I believe there is a method to the madness, and I’ll continue to do so if only to maintain my sanity. With the amount of effort that goes into learning orgo, there’s nothing like that feeling of accomplishment when all your hard work finally pays off. Not many people will understand what it feels like when an experiment runs smoothly, when you finally finish a lengthy homework assignment, or when you get a good grade on an exam you devoted your entire weekend to studying for. With the satisfaction of closing your textbook, taking off your safety goggles, and hanging up your lab coat comes the knowledge that you’ve just uncovered a small secret of the universe. As fellow scientist-philosopher René Descartes would say, the very process of conducting an experiment brings us one step closer to being “masters ABBY PAULSON / GRAPHICS EDITOR and possessors of

nature.” It’s comforting to know that at least one person is rooting for the scientists. For example, look at what some scientists are doing: from visualizing subatomic particles, to eradicating the deadliest diseases, to sampling the surfaces of distant planets, our scientific advancements are a testament to what we have done and what we can do to master nature. But before we get there, we students first have to master orgo to understand the basic laws that govern our universe. To end on a lighter note (and to placate my professors, past and present, who may be reading this), I will say this about chemistry: while you can definitely have an existential crisis at the thought that we’re just a bunch of atoms studying other atoms, there’s a certain beauty in learning about how the universe works and becoming a little bit more aware about your place in it. So I begin my time as an editor for The Heights how I began as a contributing writer a year ago: talking about chemistry and trying to view it from a different perspective—just like orgo, actually. Quite a cyclic tale, if you get the pun. No, orgo is not made simple. It simply can’t be—it’s complexity merely reflects how complex we are as human beings, because we are made of the same stuff scientists dedicate their lives to studying in the hope that one day we’ll not only become masters of the universe, but also masters of ourselves. Now if you would excuse me, I have an orgo final to study for.

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<dgcfp\\j f] 9:1 X kXcb n`k_ ?\iXc[f CX^l\ii\ f] <X^c\j E\jk 9P I8PDFE; D8E:@E@ For The Heights In 2014, a plan to renovate Eagles Nest in McElroy Commons received student approval. The renovation changed much of the interior design and also improved the flow of traffic into and out of Eagles Nest. Though the interior design and the formation of lines has changed, one thing that has not is Heraldo Laguerre, who has worked at Eagles Nest for 26 years. Born in Haiti, Laguerre moved to Massachusetts when he was 17. He found out about the job through the former kitchen manager, Paul Reilly. Before starting at Eagles Nest, Laguerre worked at Stuart on Newton Campus for his first six years with BC Dining. During the summer, he would sometimes work at Corcoran Commons on Lower Campus. Laguerre is now the senior supervisor—he manages the cashiers at Eagles Nest. As a result of all his time working at Eagles, many students who eat there know Laguerre as “H-Man.” Laguerre considers Eagles Nest his first home. “I spend more time here than at my house,” he said. “We are family here.” His relationship with his colleagues mirrors his relationship with the students. Asked about his favorite part of the

job, Laguerre recalls moments when he opens the gates at 11, the time that lunch normally starts at Eagles Nest, and is astonished by the long lines of students waiting to eat. “I love opening the gate at 11 and seeing the long chicken parm lines,” he said with a smile. Laguerre also recalls the change that he has seen over his years of working at Eagles. “It has changed a lot since I started,” he says. “The salad line was not as big and students now have more of a choice of what to eat.” He mentions communication among the workers as something that could change. Though they have an internal program called 411 that meets twice a day to inform all the workers about their daily schedule, such as who is closing and who is working certain lines, Laguerre suggests that more communication is needed. “We need to put everybody on the same page,” he says. Although some change may be needed, Laguerre readily expressed how much he loves working at Eagles Nest. “Every time I come here, I am excited,” he said, with a laugh. “I thank the Lord every day I get up for being at BC. That is why I never called in sick.” Much of his love for the job has to

DREW HOO / HEIGHTS PHOTO

Laguerre said that his good relationships with coworkers and students as the reasons which keep him coming back every day. do with his friendly colleagues as well as the strong connections with students developed over the years, he said. Laguerre did not hesitate to mention how much he loves the appreciation that he receives from the students, and how much the job means to him. “It is so special because of the quality of the people, food, workers,” he said. “They love workers because we are so

friendly. They love our smiles—that is why they come back.” Expanding upon what makes Eagles Nest so special, he added some humor. “Maybe it is because of me. They call me H-Man. The students come over–‘H-Man!’ they say,” he said with his charismatic smile and laugh. Regarding the work itself, Laguerre

still enjoys it. He understands that arriving at 8:30 a.m. and leaving after may be a long day, but the appreciation of and relationships with students, along with his friendship with co-workers, are the main reasons he keeps coming back. “I’m 51 and I love where I’m at,” he said to sum up his experience. “I have fun in here.”

;`jkXeZ`e^ pflij\c] ]ifd pfli ki`Y\1 8 jkl[p `e 9: Xek_ifgfcf^p Emily Sadeghian I’ve been able to spend some time with the Selgae community. The families are nomadic, migrating to specific basecamps at designated moments. This process is loosely structured and seemingly arbitrary, yet location within the confines of the larger camp is indicative of an individual’s status and degree of connectivity to their family and larger tribe. When a family first migrates to the larger camp, a series of rituals takes place to initiate them into the culture and welcome them. The body of chiefs delivers their garments on the eve of the ritual and then invites them to partake in their first ceremony. Ceremonies are highly anticipated and also mark one of the few circumstances in which the tribe interacts with outsiders and engages in combat. Members of the tribe prepare for combat their entire lives, and they are celebrated for this feat. That’s us—the Selgae tribe, or Eagles spelled backwards. This is an exercise of trying to distance yourself from your hardwired reality. Freshman year, I read an article from an anthropology journal titled “Body Rituals of the Nacirema”– or “Americans” spelled backwards. The author described our customs using a lot of the academic jargon often implemented to explain what we do not understand. It was like getting an aerial view of my

own life. As I read it, I realized that taking a step–or a couple of strides–away from myself can be helpful and humbling. “Othering” myself stresses a distance that disorients and confuses but also brings me clarity. I become hyper-aware of the ways I use my own life as the benchmark by which I

derstanding comes from “putting yourself in their shoes” or “thinking about how this could’ve been you.” Is this is the best practice of empathy? To find ways to bring everything back to myself? Can I only validate others’ reality as long as it’s applicable to my own life? What if I have never experienced any-

the center of the universe,” and lately I’ve become hyper-aware of all the narcissistic activism that surrounds us. Putting a filter on your profile picture to show that you care is noble but also dangerous. What happens after that? Using human tragedy to enhance a public aesthetic only pushes

make judgments on the lives of others. We are taught to apprehend from where we stand. In attempts to dissect systemic violence and what appear to be capricious calamities, we are handed a mirror and a journal and are told to “feel for,” “have compassion with,” and “identify with.” Un-

thing close to what someone else is going through—do I just stop there? I worry that in our efforts to be active members of any human community, we look to our own experience but then often stop short. It’s healthy to “disrupt the delusion that we’re permanent and at

individual agendas. How can our reactions face inwards when we are supposed to be made of the same fabric and go outside of ourselves? The fact that people have been unjustly and brutally killed matters for what it is, not because it could’ve also happened to us or because we took a picture at the

ABBY PAULSON / GRAPHICS EDITOR

Eiffel Tower when we were 12. I have been trying to learn to inhabit what I do not understand as well as I what I do, by realizing the value in a life, a body, or an ideology, even if it feels foreign or unfamiliar. When we see clashes in religious ideology, the answer is not that other human tribes become more like us– “more objective” or “less ignorant”—but that we try to view them as equally real. The anthropologist who wrote Nacirema believes that “if all of the logically possible combinations of behavior have not been found somewhere in the world, he is apt to suspect that they must be present in some yet undescribed tribe.” The whole point of the piece is to realize that our body rituals are no less outrageous than that of another far away tribe, and in the end we are really not that different. So the “rest of the world’s problems” aren’t just important in the way that they involve us but in that they will continue to unfold despite us, and we can contribute to some sort of betterment. Maybe if we modestly accept that we are just an othered human tribe, we will move away from the center of the universe and find meaning in its periphery. We must first acknowledge that differences in human-lived experiences are real before we understand how most differences that we impose on others are simply imagined.

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Thomas Chiles, Deluca professor of biology and vice provost of research and academic planning at Boston College, recently joined the Global Commission on Pollution, Health, and Development. The commission is an initiative of The Lancet, the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution, and Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine, with support from the United Nations Environment Program and the World Bank. As vice provost of research and

academic planning, Chiles oversees the entire research portfolio of the University. As a biology professor, he teaches a class called Molecules and Cells. His research focuses on infectious diseases, specifically immunology—how our bodies respond to attacks from pathogens, viruses, and bacteria. Chiles is particularly interested in infectious diseases that cause gastrointestinal distress. “In the third world, enteric diseases account for the majority of morbidity and mortality in young children and infants,” Chiles said. His research is specifically focused on designing diagnostics using

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material science and engineering to improve diagnostic techniques in low- and medium-income countries. “And I am, in part, at BC because that’s what we should be concerned with—with those who are least in a position to take care of themselves,” Chiles said. The multi-nation commission comprises the world’s most influential leaders, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of pollution management, environmental health, and sustainable development. These experts are charged with writing a report that communicates the extraordinary health and economic costs of pollution globally and provides feasible solutions to policy-makers. Chiles was asked to serve on the commission because of his expertise in water pollution, specifically water contamination by man-made pollutants such as bacteria and cholera, and his prior experience in the public health sector. “This group of people has come together because pollution actually disproportionately affects poverty—the two are strongly linked,” he said. “Many countries are ill-equipped to deal with the problem and the people living in

these countries don’t have the resources to protect themselves.” The World Health Organization estimates that, in 2012, household air pollution caused 4.3 million deaths, ambient air pollution caused 3.7 million deaths, and unsafe water, poor sanitation, and inadequate hygiene caused 842,000 deaths. Contaminated soil at active and abandoned mines, smelters, industrial facilities, and hazardous waste sites have killed tens of thousands of people and injured hundreds of thousands more. By contrast, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined kill about 3 million people per year. Chiles noted that developed countries increasingly export waste like asbestos to poorer countries, where the people working with the hazardous material are unaware of the negative impact it can have on their health. One of the co-chairmen of the commission, Philip Landrigan, BC ’63, has spent his life fighting pollution as a public health care official, particularly pollution that disproportionately affects the poor, and Chiles said this is really what the commission is about. “This is a problem I think everyone has a responsibility to recognize and deal

with, so the commission is going to put together a report that really looks, for the first time, at the extent of pollution in terms of the global burden on health,” he said. The commission is supposed to have a document ready to be delivered to The Lancet by December of next year. According to Chiles, commissioners were selected from various areas of expertise to ensure the report is credible. “The commission needs individuals who are experts so that if some say, for example, ‘Here’s a solution for x country’s air pollution’ and it’s not feasible, an economist can provide a reason as to why,” he said. “We need to know this information–otherwise, the report will be immediately disregarded.” In addition to the report, the commission will design a website that includes ways for compassionate people to get involved. Chiles said that one of the commission’s goals is to ensure that the report sparks a long-term debate on the issues. “One of the things we’re envisioning is that the commission will have longevity,” he said. “We’re not going to provide a report and then say our work is done."


THE HEIGHTS

A6

EDITORIALS

QUOTE OF THE DAY

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On Friday, Eradicate Boston College Racism and UGBC both attempted to address issues of racism at Boston College. Eradicate began their protest, titled “Walking Through a White Man’s Wonderland,” in Gasson Hall, where the Board of Trustees were gathered for a luncheon. The protest is part of the group’s “Twelve Days of BC Racism” campaign. After being denied entry into the room where the Board was convened, the protesters began to sing Christmas carols in the main atrium of Gasson. The lyrics had been altered to express the group’s growing discontent with the Board’s lack of a plan with regard to racism. They gave a list of demands to Dean of Students Thomas Mogan, who was standing in the atrium. He said he would pass the demands on to the Board. These demands include adding three members of color (faculty, staff, and student) to the Board and allowing them to vote. They also hope to hold a forum in which their demands can be addressed by the Board, creating a dialogue between the Board and Eradicate. The protesters exited Gasson and marched across campus, singing their carols. The demonstration was not registered or approved by the administration. That same afternoon, Thomas Napoli, president of UGBC and MCAS ’16, and Olivia Hussey, vice president of UGBC and MCAS ’17, attended the Board of Trustees meeting to discuss institutional racism and inclusivity. They showed a slideshow with a timeline of race-related events at BC, personal narratives from students of color about their experiences with racism on campus, and facts taken from the April 2012 Campus Climate Survey. UGBC is working on a proposal, which has not yet been made public, and is planning on releasing a plan of action to address racial issues on Jan. 19. They are also staying away from the term “eradicate racism” due to its provocative connotations. The goal of UGBC and its

Monday, December 7, 2015

“Reading is like thinking, like praying, like talking to a friend, like expressing your ideas, like listening to other people’s ideas, like listening to music, like looking at the view, like taking a walk on the beach.” -Roberto Bolano, 2666

plan of action is to create an inclusive environment at BC and help make every student feel like they have an equal home on campus. Both of these protests addressed the same general issue but went about it in very different ways. By working along administrative channels, it seems UGBC treats the Board as part of the solution to race issues at BC, not as the problem. Eradicate’s protest, with the use of Christmas carols and its unregistered status, has the possibility of placing the Board in a defensive stance. Eradicate’s list of demands would open up a better line of communication, however, especially if the forum they asked for comes to fruition. But, based on the administration’s previous response to protests, it seems unlikely that Eradicate’s method of communication will directly prompt positive change. While UGBC appears more successful in presenting its issues to the administration and moving forward with a plan of action, it is important to note that UGBC has a checkered history on following through with proposals. This past year has seen UGBC and the administration propose and work on changes to the student guide, and students have yet to see many of the proposed content changes. If this meeting with the Board is to mean anything, UGBC and the administration must work together and follow through on their proposed changes. The students in Eradicate were able to bring to light important problems of institutional racism, and have raised awareness of the problem within the student community. Yet, at least on this campus, success comes from a combination of collaboration and awareness. The protests effectiveness in raising awareness of problems cannot do it all. Perhaps UGBC’s more conciliatory approach will help with attacking the problems Eradicate has been bringing eyes to.

FC88 jkX^\j jlZZ\jj]lc# n\cc$[\j`^e\[ gifk\jk On Tuesday, Dec. 1, students from the Organization of Latin American Affairs staged a protest on O’Neill Plaza in which they carried signs citing immigration statistics and promoting a pro-immigration message. The protest was staged in response to a Snapchat added to the BC Snapchat Story that captured an American flag and the Donald Trump quote: “Let’s make America great again,” with the caption, “Our wall trumps all walls.” It was also an attempt to deal with ideas being presented nationally, and in the Presidential race, that OLAA sees as misconceptions and unfair portrayals. The protesters arranged themselves in the grass alongside the O’Neill plaza path, not blocking people’s way and presenting themselves for large groups of passing students and faculties to see. By creating a “human link” and presenting interesting and informative statistics, they gained considerable attention. The protesters asked people if they wanted to hear what they had to say and garnered attention through their creative arrangement. People joined the chain through-

out the protest, even to the point where the group ran out of signs to give out. This method of protest is effective and promotes positive discussion. Instead of angering people and causing frustrated resentment, they were able to get their message seen by many and promoted discus-

The views expressed in the above editorials represent the official position of The Heights, as discussed and written by the

Editorial Board. A list of the members of the Editorial Board can be found at bcheights. com/opinions.

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HEIGHTS

THE

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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.

Letters and columns can be submitted online at www.bcheights. com, by e-mail to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.

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THE HEIGHTS

Monday, December 7, 2015

A7

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ERIC ZHANG

O’NEILL PLAZA CHRISTMAS TREE - As you walk across campus during these last two weeks, head held low, tears dripping down your shame-flushed cheeks, knowing you still have three final papers, five tests and two group projects to deal with, it’s nice to see this occasional reminder that Winter Break is just around the corner. The Christmas tree illuminating O’Neill Plaza in a multi-colored cornucopia of Christmas cheer serves to brighten the spirit and helps you briefly forget your daily struggles. COMFORTABLE SOCKS - If there’s one item of clothing that matters above all others, it’s the sock. High-quality, comfortable socks are the difference between walking around all day with your feet swaddled in the heavenly silk of sweet, sweet, majesty and having your feet slow-roasted over the burning pit of podiatric discomfort and stank. So next time you’re thinking about buying new clothes, forget about pants (no one wears them anymore anyway), and buy some luxurious socks. CLEANING THE LINT SCREEN - Before drying our clothes, we always relish the opportunity to peel away a thick layer of lint from the screen. As we pull the screen from its nest in the underbelly of the dryer and slowly pick away at the lint, watching it fall peacefully into the trash can, it’s almost like a cathartic experience. Our troubles fade away as we grow hypnotized by the pre-drying-cycle process, and we pretend to ignore the other people in the laundry room who are slowly edging away from us.

Over six years ago, one of my closest friends from high school had a chance encounter with Kobe Bryant near our school in Orange County, Calif.. My friend was writing for a magazine at the time, and, unsure of how the basketball star would respond, he warily approached Kobe asking for a chance to interview him for his next piece. Kobe responded that he was in a rush taking his daughter to a tutoring session but that he would be back at the same place at the same time, in exactly one week. Today, six years after my friend’s surprising encounter, Kobe is in his 20th season in the NBA. It will also be his last. He has been struggling so far, making only a third of all his shot attempts this season while still shooting a ton—playing at a level far below even the average NBA player. Some basketball fans using advanced metrics would tell you that this is nothing new, and that despite his superstar reputation, Kobe has always been an inefficient ballhog. Other people will tell you that his skill level allows him to play a more selfish brand of basketball. And perhaps that has been the story of his career as an NBA superstar: you either love him or you hate him. Kobe Bryant, the most polarizing athlete of our generation. Of course, his supernatural work ethic as a professional is already the stuff of legend. There are hundreds of stories, from friends, trainers, teammates—some fabricated, many true. How he often would drive a few hours in the middle of the night off to the deserts of Southern California, pulling tires through the sand as a way to push his physical and mental fortitude to

LYING LAUNDRY MACHINES - The timer said 34 minutes. You’re standing in front of the machine exactly 35 minutes later, expecting to see a big fat zero on the screen, but instead the stupid thing says “4 minutes.” Now you have to stand in front of the machine pretending to look at your phone like a nincompoop until the thing finally stops washing your clothes. My God, life is just so indescribably difficult for a college student.

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No one can dispute that his accomplishments and records are remarkable. We’re left with an image of a complex character, a celebrated, mysterious, almost mystical superstar that has legions of both fans and critics worldwide. Yes, he deserves respect for what he’s done. But is he more hero? More villain? Six years ago, after talking to my friend, Kobe flew to New York to host a televised basketball clinic for inner city kids. A week after initially seeing him, my friend had waited at the same spot, hanging on to the slight thread of hope that Kobe had remembered his promise to return for the interview. And right as he was beginning to lose faith, Kobe showed up directly from the airport—a little late, a little disheveled, but ready for an interview with a high school kid he’d just met. Attentive and friendly throughout, he finished the interview and took some photos with my friend before asking if there was anything else he could do. They fist bumped, and he was gone. To me, Kobe’s a hero. Has he had an incredible career as a basketball player? Yes. Have there been times when he’s pushed people away? Come off as an egotistical maniac to the public? Yes. But he has been there, unwavering, for his team and city for 20 years. He’s been there during championships, been there during tough years when the Lakers suck , like this year. He’s been there answering questions from high schoolers, been there politely taking photos with me every time I see him at Starbucks. These little things remind me that for all his otherworldly accomplishments and inhuman habits, Kobe Bryant is very much human. If nothing else, Kobe Bryant has been loyal. And as a fan of the game, what more can you ask for?

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PAMELA TAYLOR

PEOPLE WHO STARE AT YOU - You’re walking to class, backpack slung over your shoulder, hair streaked and stylized flat against your skull with motor oil and petroleum jelly, and a neutral expression on your face. Then, with no provocation, the poop-mobile-driving-son-of-abun walking toward you stares you right in the eyes for a good three seconds. His mouth curves into a sneer. You fill with insecurity and anger as you pass him. What was that for? What was he looking at? Did I forget to wear pants again? Am I even real? Am I just a ghost? And now you stumble around campus in a reality-questioning stupor, your head aching with the pain of conflicting thoughts, all because of that stupid, wide-eyed, sneering little jerk-turkey.

new heights. How, if he felt like he hadn’t played well in a big road game, he would hoist up hundreds of shots in an empty stadium long after the rest of the team had returned to the hotel. How there was a time when Kobe operated on a segmented sleep schedule, sleeping twice a day for only two hours each and using the rest of his day to train and spend time with his family. His relentless attitude towards basketball and the desire to win has set the bar in modern sports, inspiring athletes at all levels to dare themselves to be better—to sacrifice time, pleasure, and even sleep in the pursuit of perfection. But with this attitude has come much criticism throughout his career. It is well known that many NBA players didn’t enjoy being on Kobe’s team because he was overly competitive, compulsively controlling, and constantly sought to be the alpha dog. Early on in his career, he was called uncoachable and stubborn, constantly alienating the rest of his team by sitting alone at team meals and flights. Kobe himself has admitted that he has been at times too intense, failing to form friendships with many teammates because he was too focused on winning every game. “Friends come and go, but [championship] banners hang forever,” he recently said. A sexual assault accusation from 2006 that has since been dismissed has long cast a shadow over his career and image as a celebrity. Kobe has played the villain well. But following his announcement last week that this will be his final season, the response has been anything but polarizing. Words of gratitude and respect have poured in from fans, peers, sports legends, and other celebrities. That’s what happens when your accolades include scoring 81 points in one game, having 17 All Star Team selections, five NBA Championships, two Olympic Gold Medals with Team USA, and being a Slam Dunk Contest Champion.

A demonstration that might be difficult for today’s Boston College students to fathom is the student body-wide class boycott that occurred in the spring of 1970. According to the April 21, 1970 edition of The Heights, in response to a series of tuition increases enacted by University leaders, “pickets were set up at 16 locations on campus, including all gates and building entrances. Students marched around campus closing classes and disrupting activity in administrative offices…By Friday, every registrar’s office on campus was closed, and nearly every other administrative office was shut down.” The boycott continued throughout the month of April, forcing the University to cancel formal classes for the remainder of the semester, make all final examinations pass/fail, and hold academic reform seminars. Ultimately, the boycott prompted more student inclusion in the University’s budgetary decision making. Yes, you are reading that correctly: There was a time when BC’s student body was able to band together to successfully alter a University policy through protest. The unified front of the 1970s does not seem feasible at BC today, when strict University protest policy makes it difficult for student movements to garner the critical mass of support necessary to incite real action by administration. That said, it seems that student activists, namely the Eradicate Boston College Racism movement, have effectively circumvented the need for a critical mass of participants, instead using tactics that threaten to tarnish the University’s reputation as leverage to have their demands met. In recent years, student activists have experienced difficulty engaging wide participation from students on issues regarding race, and therefore their requests for greater faculty diversity have lacked clout. An active student leader, Daniel Park, MCAS ’16, cites apathy as an overarching problem that leaves people inactive throughout the world and on Boston College’s campus.

In his eyes, the first step to engaging students is informing them that diversity—and racism—exists on campus. In his current position as co-director of policy and political initiatives for the Asian Caucus, Park has conducted extensive research on Asian-American identity at BC, with the goal of dismantling pervasive, racially charged stereotypes. While his educational, studentoriented approach is necessary to foster a more inclusive campus atmosphere, alone it lacks the power to provoke change from the administration. Eradicate Boston College Racism works to educate students about the existence of racism at BC , but has ultimately turned to pressuring leading members of the administration to make change. The group believes that students are afraid to speak out, citing the post-die-in disciplinary action as a looming fear. “The administration has been loud and clear that they think institutional racism is not a thing and that they think nonviolent protest is uncivil, and that they disapprove,” Eradicate representatives wrote. “That doesn’t sound like an environment that encourages people to actively confront these issues.” The constraints and requirements for a student protest were minimal in 1970 compared to those imposed on students’ freedom of speech today. University policy now requires that a group of student protesters be formally registered as a student organization and must apply for permission to hold its protest. If its application is accepted, the student organization is subject to the rules of the administration, which disallow the use of microphone or any voice-amplifying tool, as to not disturb the peace, and require compliance with the assigned protest location and time slot, which seem to be conveniently scheduled during low-traffic periods. Undergraduate Government of Boston College has enacted a comprehensive process whereby groups of students can effectively leapfrog the necessity of being a student organization by organizing protests under UGBC’s sponsorship, but liability concerns begin to surface when the protests are especially controversial. On Friday, Eradicate’s demonstration during the Board of Trustees’ lunch was a violation of University policy.

The group is not a formally registered student organization and was not sponsored by UGBC. Still, dozens of students belted racially charged lyrics transposed onto Christmas carols in Gasson’s atrium and across campus to call attention to institutional racism, and could face disciplinary action for it. Despite the constraints of a lack of student apathy and a fear of protesting, Eradicate still found leverage: the University’s image. The common notion that “there’s no such thing as bad publicity,” does not apply to BC if University leaders decide to take disciplinary action against protesters. With more than 1,000 likes on Facebook and a Twelve Days of BC Racism Facebook campaign in full swing, further action to silence the group’s voice will only hurt BC’s reputation. Times have changed since 1970, and it could be argued that social media is a more effective tool for students to connect than the Quad–and also has the power to reach those beyond the BC community. Eradicate’s Friday protest effectively worked to illuminate two issues through one demonstration. It does not bode well for the University to suspend dozens of students for protesting racism when the protesting policies themselves are absurd and flawed. Rather than inflicting punishments, University leaders should instead feel encouraged to meet Eradicate’s demands, as well as redraft the University’s protest policies. While bold moves such as Friday’s illegal protest gain attention, the power of numbers should not be forgotten. Widespread student participation is not only inevitable, but also respectable. The University may comply with Eradicate’s demands in order to dodge public scrutiny, but it will take involvement from a large student body to bring leaders to internalize the fact that racism exists at BC. As Park suggests, sustained improvement requires widespread, empathetic involvement and student-oriented education. Cultivating a unified, multiracial front requires understanding and action from all students, which might give administrators a glimpse into what the future looks like once it’s our turn to run the show.

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DAN GAZZOLA Freshman year at Boston College, among other things, is about housing. Are you on Newton? Upper? The decision is made before you show up. While these differing housing locations certainly impact day-to-day life at BC—Newton students have to take the bus every day to get to Main Campus, while Upper students have to deal with the much more manageable additional staircase—there are other, less observed, but more important effects: friends, and more broadly, friend groups. Taking the same route back to your dorm after a weekend night out or after class, bumping into each other in the bathroom—no matter where you live your first year, you’re bound to have countless interactions with the people you live around And from these countless interactions, friendships are bound to grow. What I realized after my freshman year is that while I had friends from different dorms, my closest were those who lived in Gonzaga with me. Observing those around me, I realized that many friend groups were formed in a similar fashion, with those who lived in the same dorms. This isn’t to say that all friends are formed in this way—obviously shared interests, classes, extracurriculars, and many other factors contribute to it. But it makes you wonder what would have happened if you had lived in a different dorm or a different campus freshman year. Would the friends you have now still be your friends? Or would you have met a different group of friends that you get along with? What if there is a group of people you would get along with, but you haven’t met, simply because you haven’t lived near them, or because of the large student body? A lottery placed us freshman year and gave us our friends. A similar process happened for sophomore year, with even more stress: Friends are segmented based on the desired living arrangements—eight-mans on Lower—and then further with the nine-, six- and four-mans on Lower when the lottery doesn’t work in one’s favor. But many of the original arrangements of eight-mans are formed based on the assignment people received for their freshman year. It’s almost as if the people you live with your sophomore year are predetermined by the same system which determined your neighbors freshman year, excluding those who chose to go in as singles for a random assignment. The year this all seems to change is junior year. Many students go abroad during junior year, and many live off campus, introducing sublets into the mix. While the houses might initially be filled with the same groups that were formed freshman and sophomore year, the students going abroad usually fill their gap with a sublet. This disturbs the relatively stagnant friend groups from the previous two years. Furthermore, living off-campus is almost like a campus of its own, where you run into other students on the various shuttles to campus. This is bound to influence the friend groups of freshman and sophomore years, as your view widens. Seeing the way that freshman and sophomore housing works, there are bound to be students on campus that you haven’t met by chance of the housing system. While the off-campus mix-up certainly helps juniors meet others who they haven’t met yet, it won’t solve everything. If we want to find the people we get along with the best, we have to actively seek them out. We need to make individual efforts. Get lunch, coffee, dinner, invite them to hang out on the weekends. While the friends we made freshman and sophomore year might be great, they might not be the best friends we could have at BC. There’s no way of knowing—only by following some internal compass can we find people that truly support us and share similar interests and likes. In order to find these friends, we must take part in activities and meet people we share interests with. BC offers an immense range of clubs, and capitalizing on these opportunities is what will help us find the friends we truly get along with.

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THE HEIGHTS

A8

Monday, December 7, 2015

:fddle`kp ;Aj _`k k_\ X`inXm\j n`k_ ]leb Xe[ Õ X`i WZBC, from A1 expose you to a lot of new music,” she said. “In order to stay in line with the mission of the station, you have to be constantly looking for new music, so it pushes you to listen to new stuff.” In addition to its unconventional music tastes, WZBC also has some interesting on-air interactions with listeners. MJ described a recent peculiar encounter with a tweet directed at WZBC, which said: “MJ’s voice is the oral equivalent of laying eyes upon a Veela from Harry Potter.” While flattering, she admitted it was slightly creepy. She stressed that the tweet was an anomaly in most of the encounters with listeners. As a senior heading into her second semester, her time with WZBC is coming to an end. Cordova said she will remember WZBC for the friends she has made, as well as the introduction it gave her to the Boston music scene. Marilyn Shi, MCAS ’16 On-Air Name: DJ Mersh arilyn Shi is a music director and community DJ for WZBC. As a freshman, she wandered into the WZBC studio and asked for an internship. “I think WZBC was the first place at BC where I walked into the room and said, ‘Oh my god, this is ridiculous,’ because of all the pictures on the walls and how every time you looked up you found something different,” she said. Growing up, Shi was a huge fan of alternative music, particularly the band My Chemical Romance. She found herself drawn to the emotional aspects of music. “Lyrics are really important to me,” she said. “Music has to have a lot of raw emotional power for it to move me, which is a criteria I use when listening to songs.” This has translated to the music she plays on-air, which typically consists of future funk, neo-soul, and R&B-influenced electronic music. Her DJ time as a freshman was really a baptism by fire, as she and her friend had to fill in for a regular DJ, Victor Vankus, during the blizzard Nemo in Feb. 2013. DJ Victor Vankus conducted an astrology report, so on top of figuring out how to operate a soundboard, she also had to deal with callers asking for horoscopes. “People started calling into the station for their astrology reports, and my friend and I responded with, ‘We don’t know! We don’t even know how to put calls on air!’” she said. “That was a very stressful first experience.”

M

Ashley Puk, MCAS ’18 On-Air Name: DJ Gnome Chomsky ne of the younger WZBC DJs, Puk is the VBC (AM radio) programmer, as well as the late-night community DJ with a 1 to 3 a.m. set. She said WZBC was not just a resume-stuffer for her—when she saw it at the involvement fair, it genuinely appealed to her because she

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enjoyed listening to and finding new music. “When I came to the station for the first time, I looked around and felt that it was completely different from anything else I had experienced on campus,” she said. Last semester, Puk had a show in which she primarily played rock and electronic music. This semester she has an NCP show, which stands for No Commercial Potential. Typically, NCP music does not air on even college radios. “It is a lot of drone music, or it could be a penny rattling over and over, and that’s why it’s from 1 to 3 a.m.,” Puk said. One of her favorite things about her time at WZBC is its dedicated audience, which includes a regular caller named Rick, who is such an avid listener that he knows the chain of command at WZBC and some of the freshman interns. “He will call almost every time you have your show, and it’s kind of flattering and kind of strange,” she said. “But, it’s nice to know someone is listening.” Puk enjoys when alumni come in and comment on how the station looks and feels the same as they left it. The station is a continuous time capsule, and every new wave of students that comes in adds to the relic that is WZBC. “This place is one of the unchanging parts of this campus, probably,” Puk remarked. “Well, maybe besides Carney.” Aine McAlinden, MCAS ’18 On-Air Name: Aine nother young member on the board, Aine McAlinden is a community DJ and audio production director. She has a rock show called “Organic Beets” from 3 to 5 p.m. in which she mainly plays indie rock and lo-fi music. Next semester, she will have another FM show and plans on continuing the trend of vegetable-themed names. She said one of her favorite on-air memories was when a listener called in to discuss the vegetable garden at his house. He said he appreciated the name of her show because his garden included beets. McAlinden explained the different phases of music tastes she went through growing up. Her mom got her into classic rock, and she eventually transitioned to pop-punk, Warped Tour-style bands because of her brother. “When I came to BC, I just wanted to find an outlet to find more alternative rock,” she said. WZBC fit perfectly. Her favorite part of WZBC is the community. Most of her friends have come from the club, as opposed to people in her dorm or classes. “The pressures of academic life are taken away once I come into the station, because WZBC is like a safe haven,” she said. She also commented on the connecting power of music, and how WZBC club members bond through music. “Just sitting in the station all day, listening to people’s shows, and getting to know everyone present in the station is a really nice part of the day,” McAlinden said.

A

ALEX FLORES / FOR THE HEIGHTS

WZBC plays music from local artists, giving airplay to the underground scene.

8k Kiljk\\j d\\k`e^# L>9: \o\Zj j_Xi\ eXiiXk`m\j f] iXZ`jd UGBC, from A1 support. She said that while there has been a lot of dialogue about race, they believe institutional change is necessary for the University to improve. The three shared a slideshow that started with a timeline of race-related events throughout their time in office, from the “Your UGBC” campaign, which introduced UGBC’s top five issues, to last month’s “Blackout”, through the second protest led by the AHANA Leadership Council. Both protests served as examples of the community coming together in response to instances of racism. Information about national events, like the resignation of the University of Missouri’s president and Brown University’s response to protests earlier this fall, were also included in the presentation. “We really wanted to set the stage

that this is a national conversation going on around everywhere,” Hussey said. “A lot of times people from the outside may think, ‘BC, we’re in Chestnut Hill, things are fine here.’” Laast explained that the timeline made use of a range of sources, including Letters to the Editor published in The Heights, to show the number of people who care about the topic of inclusivity at BC. She said that they stressed to the Board that the letters were from faculty, students, and staff, and that not just one set of ideologies was included, but rather the views of a broad group of individuals. In order to address the issue, the three presented two narratives from students of color to show the concrete impacts racism has on a day-to-day level at BC. Napoli said that the narratives and facts were meant to first talk about the

paradigm of institutional racism and then segue into the proposal for an action plan. They next provided screenshots of three Yik Yak posts written in response to the BC “Blackout,” which they said provided evidence of individual racism on campus. “While there are 300-plus students who are willing to walk out of class and stand in solidarity, there are a lot of students who will sit behind phones and computer screens and say blatantly racist and disrespectful things about their peers,” Hussey said. To further support the issue of racism on campus, the presentation had a slide of facts, one of which noted that 45 percent of the 27 Black student respondents to the April 2012 Campus Climate Survey indicated that in the past 12 months they were the target of threats or derogatory events. “It’s very difficult to say we’re going

to be the ones who end racism, but if we can create a more inclusive environment, create a BC that wants to give institutional support, and ultimately, create an environment where we can attract the best and brightest minds and diverse backgrounds and support them, that is something to strive for,” Napoli said. Laast said that these actions can make the school stronger and make the students who graduate stronger, while changing the racial climate. The three agreed that the Board of Trustees was very responsive to the presentation and were in agreement that they want BC to be as inclusive and safe a space as possible for the BC student body. “Many people noted that this isn’t just a trend,” Hussey said. “Having diversity and inclusivity is in BC’s character, which is by the nature of the fact that we are a Jesuit school and we believe that we should be men and women for others.”

Napoli said that he thinks there’s good intent, and they just have to see what they can do to translate those intentions into messages of support and action. The group created a working document for the board presentation, which they want to turn into an opportunity for the community to come together. There are a lot of different voices involved in the discussion right now, Napoli noted, and they hope that they can offer their input to transform the document into something of a community consensus. “By working together to create that community consensus, I think BC, as a whole, has the opportunity to really be a leader,” Hussey said. “A lot of schools are struggling with how to handle this issue, and I’m hopeful that administrators, different students outside of UGBC, faculty, and alumni can all come together to do something to change.”

ABBY PAULSON / HEIGHTS GRAPHIC


SPORTS

B1

MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2015

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BOSTON—It looked to be the beginning of a bad weekend. After tying last-place Northeastern University Boston College 4 on Saturday Northeastern 3 evening, Boston College men’s hockey found itself down 3-1 entering the third period. The Eagles looked lost offensively, incapable of generating any strong offensive chances despite outshooting the Huskies through the first two periods. That allowed Northeastern to control the puck, continually battering BC goaltender Thatcher Demko and taking advantage of the Eagles’ thin defensive unit, which often played on the penalty kill. But this BC team is not last year’s

RILEY OVEREND Two days ago, Boston College men’s soccer lost in the Elite Eight, ending its deepest run in the NCAA tournament in over a decade. While most of the nation’s top soccer programs had already packed their bags in preparation for a long offseason, head coach Ed Kelly’s unranked team once again laced up its boots on Saturday to attempt a third straight upset on collegiate soccer’s most prominent stage. And the Eagles fought. They were still alive. Even though the eventual 1-0 loss to No. 6 Syracuse University sent players and fans home heartbroken, it was only the end of the beginning. Bolstered by their 12 freshmen, the Eagles are entering a new era. And I’m just in time for it. Growing up in San Francisco, I was cursed with perennial losing seasons for most of my childhood, until recently when I was spoiled with the success of my hometown sports teams. My beloved Giants methodically brought home the World Series trophy every other year during high school, while my 49ers would complement the hardware with deep postseason runs of their own. In most rewarding fashion, I watched the Warriors from the beating heart of Oracle Arena as they endured the growing pains of Don Nelson, matured under Mark Jackson, and transformed into the Association’s undeniable champs under Steve Kerr. Eagle statues aside, BC wasn’t as golden at first for me. The football team’s wellknown woes seemed to sap every ounce of athletic fervor from my veins. The once-celebrated pummeling of Howard University soon faded from memory as we realized the FCS was total BS. It didn’t help that the women’s volleyball and soccer teams didn’t have the talent to make postseason runs, either. Thankfully, covering ACC soccer has made me forget about the shortcomings of other sports. With BC men’s soccer, we saw a team with flair, youth, untapped talent, and chemistry—a team where the sidelines were buzzing with celebrations, not filled with lowered heads and broken Steve Addazio headsets. The winning ways of the Eagles provided me with a perfect medium—a sports team that seemed to toe the line between average and dominant, one that welcomed me into its small yet avid fan base. Here was a group that, despite being counted out at the beginning of the season—the freshman recruiting class was ranked 46th, at best—rattled off five huge

team. Not even close. And just as soon as the Dog Pound—NU’s famously rowdy student section—started shouting, ready to knock off the No. 2 team in the nation, it sat back down, waiting for the clock to run out so it could go watch the Patriots game. Jerry York’s squad came alive in filthy fashion, with three goals in a six-minute span to clinch a 4-3 win for the Eagles (13-1-1, 6-0-1 Hockey East) over the Huskies (2-123, 0-8-3). Before looking at how the Eagles won, it’s important to know that they almost lost. At 6:35 in the first, Northeastern defenseman Eric Williams launched a shot from the blue line. He aimed for a deflection, but the NU forwards in front screened Demko just enough to

See BC vs. Northeastern, B2

IT’S HOW YOU FINISH AMELIE TRIEU / HEIGHTS STAFF

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There was a battle of the birds on Sunday in Conte Forum, and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks came out on UMass Lowell 68 top against Boston College 66 Boston College men’s basketball, beating the Eagles 68-66, thanks to a 19-8 run to close out the game. Sunday’s defeat is arguably the worst of the Jim Christian era, as the Eagles dropped their fifth straight game, three of which have come against mid-major opponents. Excuses abound. BC (3-5) played without 7-foot center Dennis Clifford, who watched the game through a nebulous haze as his stomach churned from food poisoning. He sat uncomfortably on the bench for the first

half but returned to the locker room just minutes into the second period. Freshman point guard Jerome Robinson succumbed to the same stomach bug, and he trudged through a 4-for-12 shooting night from the field to go along with five misses in 10 tries from the foul line. “Jerome, he tried to play,” Christian said in his postgame press conference. “You know, he was sick all day, right up until game time. That’s why he didn’t start the second half, because he was up there throwing up.” Fifth-year transfer Eli Carter, who leads the team with 30.9 minutes and 16.4 points per game, suffered a sprained left ankle during Sunday morning’s pregame walk-through, and he sat for the entire afternoon. The timetable for his return is unclear. ALEC GREANEY / HEIGHTS EDITOR

See BC vs. UMass Lowell, B2

See Column, B2

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DREW HOO / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Freshman Trevor Davock looking distressed after BC’s game vs. Virginia this October.

IN S I DE SPO RTS THIS ISSUE

The dream run is over. After an opening round win over the University of Vermont and two upsets over No. Boston College 0 14 University Syracuse 1 of South Florida and No. 3 Georgetown University brought Boston College men’s soccer (11-8-2, 4-4 Atlantic Coast) to the Elite Eight, No. 6 Syracuse University (165-3, 3-4-1) ended the Eagles’ special season. BC was the last unseeded team left in the tournament when it fell 1-0 to the Orange in Syracuse, N.Y. on Saturday afternoon. The rematch featured two ACC opponents on incredible hot streaks. The Cinderella-like Eagles stayed hot in the NCAA Tournament to reach this stage for the first time since 2002, while the

Men’s hockey: Eagles tie with Huskies BC’s weekend wasn’t perfect, as it tied with Northeastern on Saturday night....B3

Orange were riding an unlikely six-game unbeaten run that started in the ACC Tournament. The last game that Syracuse lost was the final regular season game at BC, a 2-1 tilt in Newton. Syracuse controlled the game from the very beginning, and never let the Eagles into a clear rhythm. In the first 15 minutes, Syracuse controlled midfield play and put the Eagles under pressure, forcing a few giveaways from an otherwise solid BC defense. The Orange did not have many clear-cut chances, save for one low shot that forced BC goalie Alex Kapp into a diving save, and they suffocated the Eagles with possession. With Zeiko Lewis and Henry Balf unable to get much started in the middle of the field, the Eagles’ only option in the first half was Ike Normesinu, who continually received the ball out wide with space to run on the left side. Midway through the half, BC won

Women’s hockey: Down goes Maine Katie Crowley’s crew stays undefeated, winning 5-0 and 7-2 in Orono, Maine..........B2

a free kick in the offensive third for its only true chance of the half, but Lewis squandered any opportunity of giving the Eagles a lead with a poorly taken in-swinging ball. The second half started as the first ended, with Syracuse dominating the play and keeping the ball in its offensive end. With Lewis taken out of the game in the middle, Trevor Davock unable to get anything going on the right side, and Enstrom not getting the ball from those two teammates, the Eagles could not generate much offense. The Eagles could only hope for one moment of magic to break through and had to rely on someone other than their stars to provide the game-defining moment. The only chance that BC had that came close to making that happen came

See Elite Eight Loss, B2

TU/TD...................................B2 Women’s basketball..................B2 Men’s basketball.......................B4


THE HEIGHTS

B2

THUMBS UP ALEX CARPENTER  The women’s hockey star was one of the lone bright spots during an otherwise disappointing weekend for BC sports. The senior’s six points during the Eagles’ weekend sweep of Maine gave her the all-time record for career points in Hockey East play. WINTER BREAK BASKETBALL  BC’s schedule has big-name schools Duke and Notre Dame visiting Conte Forum in early January —but no one will be there. Maybe they’re just sparing us from the pain that comes with watching merciless beatings on your own turf. COMEBACK VICTORY - One day after tying Northeastern 3-3, men’s hockey rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win 4-3. The Eagles netted 3 goals in the third period to defeat Northeastern.

9:Ëj :fcc\^\ :lg _fg\j jhlXj_\[ Yp FiXe^\ Elite Eight Loss, from B1 in the 71st minute. Off a corner from Balf, Abe Bibas launched a side volley that was headed for the corner of the net, but the s h o t c o u l d n’t f i n d i t s w ay through traffic and was blocked out of bounds. An outstanding performance by Syracuse’s big and aggressive backline prevented the Eagles from registering a shot on goal in the entire game, and ’Cuse goalie Hendrik Hilpert was rarely called into the action. In the other net, Kapp was the busiest player on the pitch and kept the game at a scoreless draw. Constantly under fire from the ’Cuse attack, which mostly came from crosses, Kapp commanded his six-yard box, reading balls well and coming off his line quickly to collect them. The only close call was a 50-50 ball in the air that found the back of the net, but was called back for a foul on Kapp. In a two-minute stretch from

the 64rd to 66th minute, Kapp stood on his head for two incredible saves to keep Syracuse off the scoresheet as the Orange fired off five consecutive corners. The first came after Kapp made an acrobatic leap to tip the ball over the crossbar. On the ensuing corner, Kapp had to dive to the near post to keep a dangerous low ball from sneaking in. It wasn’t until the 13th corner of the game, in the 79th minute, that Syracuse finally got one past Kapp. Liam Callanan sent the ball over Kapp’s head to find Ben Polk unmarked at the back post, and the forward converted the open header for his 12th of the season. The Eagles pushed forward in a last-ditch effort to equalize, moving to three in the back and moving Toby Ampadu up to the midfield, but the Orange still controlled the ball enough to dribble to the corner and watch the seconds tick off the clock to seal the victory. While the Eagles had Syr-

acuse’s number the first time around, the Orange were clearly too much for this BC team. Making it all the way to the quarterfinals, the Eagles had a remarkable turnaround in just one year. They won six more games than they did last year, when they finished with a record of 5-8-3, including just one win in the ACC. Even more remarkable is the fact that the Eagles accomplished this feat with a team that consisted of eight freshmen that contributed significantly at some point this year. Throughout the year, the Eagles showcased a potent attack led by Lewis, Enstrom, and Davock that could score in brilliant ways. The young talent brought BC on an extraordinary run that brought the team back in the national spotlight. In the end, though, the Eagles ran into a strong Syracuse team that was on a hotter streak than they were, and the dream run was halted just short of a first-ever trip to the College Cup.

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THUMBS DOWN ANDY TEASDALL - For reasons known only to himself, Clemson punter Andy Teasdall decided to run for the first on 4th-and-15 in the ACC Championship Game against North Carolina. He gained four yards and a very public lecture from coach Dabo Swinney.

THE WAIT FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS - After an amazing (albeit chaotic) Saturday in college football, fans will have to wait an entire month to watch Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma , and Michigan State in the Playoff. By then, “dabbing” could be a thing of the past. Then again, would it really be missed?

SPORTS in SHORT

Like Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down? Follow us @HeightsSports

DREW HOO / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Sophomore point guard Martina Mosetti dribbles the ball up court.

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With just under 10 seconds left and Boston College women’s basketball down a point, Nicole Boudreau hoisted Boston College 58 Purdue 56 up a 3pointer that could reclaim the lead for the Eagles. After watching multiple leads evaporate, the shot needed to go in to avoid wasting a spectacular first half. It did, and the scoreboard read 58-56, BC over Purdue University, with only 7.4 seconds left. The Boilermakers could not get a shot off before the buzzer, and the Eagles left Mackey Arena with another win. The Eagles (6-1) and the Boilermakers (5-2) entered the day with remarkably similar resumes—both teams entered the matchup with the same record and were fresh off Top 25 losses. But only one could win, and in a hard-fought battle, BC came out on top. The first half showcased a spectacular defensive effort by the Eagles.

Purdue made only four field goals in the first quarter and only nine the entire first half. In contrast, BC shot over 60 percent, including 40 percent from beyond the arc. The Eagles also physically dominated the Boilermakers, with 18 of the first 21 points coming from the paint. Freshman center Mariella Fasoula, in her third start, scored 23 points and added nine rebounds and two blocks. Despite a dismal showing from the Boilermaker offense, BC could not generate any separation. Purdue’s excellent offensive rebounding kept them in the game—the Boilermakers grabbed twice as many boards as the Eagles in the first half. They also ran into foul trouble, as Purdue had four times as many free throw attempts as the Eagles. Lastly, BC just kept losing the ball. Steals, shot clock violations, and travels led to 12 turnovers in the first half alone. While the Eagles cut down that number to only five in the second half, this game could have been out of hand by halftime. A second quarter 7-0 run saw BC

burst ahead and finally gain some separation. But in the last three-anda-half minutes of play, the Boilermakers held the Eagles scoreless, pulling them within five points. It was the third quarter that saw Purdue storm back to life, erasing the deficit. Bridget Perry had eight points and two of her teammates reached double digits, as BC did its best to hold off the onslaught. With six minutes left in the fourth, the Boilermakers finally took their first lead of the game. But to their credit, the Eagles clawed their way back, and with Boudreau’s last-second heroics, managed to walk away with the win. Other than Fasoula, no scorer stood out. The Eagles focused more on team play, as evidenced by their 22 assists. Kelly Hughes, the team’s sharpshooter, was held to just nine points and one 3-pointer by an energetic Purdue defense that did not give her many chances to shoot. It was also a very promising showing, as the Eagles beat a favored team away from home despite what might be called a sloppy performance.

=`e[`e^ ]Xe[fd fe k_\ <Xjk :fXjk n`k_ 9: d\eËj jfZZ\i Column, from B1 victories over Top 25 opponents. Despite sporting the youngest roster in the ACC, it held its own with four conference wins. Finishing the regular season ranked 15th in RPI, which measures performance and strength of schedule, BC still didn’t receive a seeding for the NCAA tournament. But being overlooked and underrated are definitely two prerequisites for my sports teams of choice. Perhaps the Eagles prefer it that way, too. They impressed nonetheless, most notably scor-

ing a historic upset against No. 2 Georgetown University in a stellar PK shootout that finished with a Len Zeugner bar-down game-winner (and a less-thanstellar celebration—see Simon Enstrom’s GW goals vs. Boston University, the University of Vermont, or the University of South Florida for tips). Junior midfielder Zeiko Lewis emerged as one of the quickest playmakers in the country. Hometown hero Trevor Davock made headlines with his nose for the goal, and Enstrom, a fellow freshman, injected a Europeanstyle feel to the Eagles’ offense en

ACC Men’s Basketball Standings 8kcXek`Z

DREW HOO / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Zeiko Lewis takes a touch upfield during an upset over UVA in October.

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DOWN GOES IOWA - The previously-undefeated Hawkeyes emerged from their cornfields to give the bad boys of Michigan State a serious run for their money. If it wasn’t for the last-minute, “second effort”redefining lunge by L.J. Scott, Iowa would have prevailed in what may have been the most important sporting event in state history.

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route to a team-best 22 points. Fifth-year defender Atobra Ampadu stood out down the stretch, recording game-saving slide tackles and doing it all with a smile on his face. He complemented Zeugner, a 6-foot-4 center back, who formed a one-man brick wall against the Hoyas last week to lift BC into the Elite Eight. Together, the lineup returned BC Athletics to the national spotlight, even if the attention was brief and small. All signs point to the impending national recognition of the men’s soccer team becoming routine as the fresh crop of Kelly’s foreign and local

Numbers to Know

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recruits grows in the system. Unlike football and basketball, where trusting the process seems more like a depressing annual pastime instead of a hopeful sentiment, men’s soccer made significant strides against elite competition. In a sports climate where the macho bravado of the Patriots has taken over the underdog culture of the infamously drought-ridden Red Sox, I have, at times, felt left out. I needed a team with a magnetic identity. The comebacks, the late-game heroics, even the stunning overtime losses of 2015 BC men’s soccer—they all have made me feel at

home in a chaotic Boston sports culture. In my desperate quest for a local sports team to call my own, I found an answer in Ed Kelly’s melting pot. The Swedish swag, Ghanaian goal-scoring, and Bermudan braggadocio combined for a unique and exciting flavor that made the team so exciting to watch. But the season-ending loss has left me with one lingering, serious question: When can I watch them again?

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Monday, December 7, 2015

B3

K_\ <X^c\j Zfd\ YXZb ]ifd knf ^fXcj [fne `e n`c[ k_`i[ g\i`f[ BC vs, Northeastern, from B1 allow the puck to skirt by him. After a “too many men on the ice” penalty by the Eagles, Williams struck again, this time from the top of the left circle. BC didn’t hide its exhaustion, either. The Eagles, one of the country’s fastest teams, worked hard that period to chase pucks out of their defensive zone. When they finally got a break in the action, they went to the bench panting and looking for water. The first intermission didn’t help the Eagles’ play in the second. Demko was forced to make several key saves in the second frame’s first few minutes, including one where he pushed the puck away with his arm while his belly was on the ground. At one point, Demko caught a puck right in his stomach on a save, throwing the puck back at the referee, disgusted at how hard he had to work throughout this game. Unlike the first period, when BC’s forwards struggled to get any chances, they simply didn’t make good on any of their opportunities. Miles Wood, back in action after

receiving a game misconduct yesterday, whiffed on his first look at a wide-open net before getting stuffed by Northeastern’s freshman goalie Ryan Ruck on a second. The Eagles’ deficit looked ready to grow worse after a cross-checking call sent a livid Steve Santini to the box. Yet Ryan Fitzgerald stole the puck away from NU’s defense, dashing down the ice to slot it past Ruck’s glove side, giving BC a shorthanded goal and, seemingly, the momentum. Or so it appeared. Almost immediately after, the Huskies’ Zach Aston-Reese responded, taking advantage of the power play with a goal on a rebound off Demko’s pads, putting Northeastern up 3-1. And as the Eagles headed to the locker room searching for answers, they yelled at themselves and the referees in frustration. Whatever was said in the depths of the historic Matthews Arena must have worked. As he skated away on the ice, Josh Couturier yelled a couple words unsuitable for print, furious about

going to the box on a borderline hard hit and the PA announcer’s inability to pronounce his name—it’s Cahterr-ee-ay, not Coo-tree-yay. Instead of taking his anger out with a hit, he did it on the puck. Couturier rocketed a shot from the blue line, passing by Ruck to cut the Huskies’ lead to 3-2. Under a minute later, Tuch showed another glimpse of the potential the Minnesota Wild saw when they drafted him in the first round last year. The sophomore drew Ruck out to the left side of the crease, speeding around the back of the net to wrap it in on the right to tie the game. But no one came in clutch quite like Matthew Gaudreau. Last season, Gaudreau, the kid brother of BC’s 2014 Hobey Baker winner Johnny, notched a mere six points—three goals, three assists— while mired on the third and fourth line. Entering the game, Gaudreau doubled his scoring output with four goals and eight assists. He’d get lucky No. 13 on this day. Gaudreau took a bullet from

Scott Savage, tipping it in perfectly to put BC up for good. York has touted Gaudreau’s ability to get stronger over the summer, making plays with the puck in a way he hadn’t in the past. “He’s really surprised all of us,” York said. Fitzgerald lauded his teammates

following the game for their ability to score late and in bunches. BC has outscored its opponents 27-11 thus far in the third period, making no team fully safe. “I’ve been on teams where, you’re down 3-1, you start making excuses, you start gripping the stick a little tighter,” he said. “But at the start

of the third period, there was no panic.” Yet York gave a big hand to Fitzgerald himself, whose goal was a team-leading 11th of the season. “[Fitzgerald] was a force in the game and that’s why he’s got a chance to talk to the media today,” York said.

JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS STAFF

Josh Couturier (22) skates down the ice in Saturday’s game against NU. He had a goal Sunday at Matthews Arena.

D\eËj _fZb\p k`\j n`k_ Efik_\Xjk\ie `e JXkli[Xp e`^_k k`ck 9P D@:?8<C JLCC@M8E Jgfikj <[`kfi

Whether or not you walked over to Kelley Rink on Saturday night to watch Boston College men’s hockey, you could Northeastern 3 guess Boston College 3 what happened. Pessimists milling around the Million Dollar Stairs may immediately think the Eagles lost, judging from the famed hockey rink’s silence during the first 40 minutes of BC’s tilt against crosstown rival Northeastern University. More positive people who stood in the cold waiting for the Comm. Ave. bus around the time the third period rolled around may be refreshing their social media accounts, ex-

citedly expecting @BCHockeyNews to tweet out a GIF celebrating head coach Jerry York’s path toward his 1,000th career win. The truth is that this game ended in the dreaded place in between, the no man’s land where all those in attendance cringe to end up. It’s a place where no one walks away happy or angry, just with overwhelming disappointment. Yes, there was a tie. After 65 minutes of hard play between the No. 2-ranked Eagles (121-1, 5-0-1 Hockey East) and Huskies (2-11-3, 0-7-3), neither could edge out its opponent in a 3-3 final. The Eagles dominated throughout the first 10 minutes of the first period. Miles Wood got BC on the board at 4:25, slotting the puck through the five-hole of Northeastern goaltender Ryan Ruck after

receiving a deflection off his pads. BC’s forwards kept the heat on the freshman goalie, launching several great chances shortly after Wood’s seventh goal of the season. Alex Tuch, BC’s leading scorer from last season—who has yet to get on a hot streak of his own this year—was the only one who followed through on those shots. The Minnesota Wild prospect took an excellent cross-ice pass from linemate Adam Gilmour, deking a couple of times in front of Ruck before slamming the puck home at the top of the crease for his fourth of the year. Just like that, 10 minutes into the game, the Eagles had a commanding 2-0 lead. But Northeastern answered a mere 34 seconds later. Left wing Nolan Stevens took the feed from his

JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS STAFF

Casey Fitzgerald (5) lays a hard hit on Northeastern’s Brendan Collier (16) as Ryan Rosenthal (28) looks on.

brother, John (who would later leave the game with an undisclosed lower body injury), driving in his sixth goal of the year to cut BC’s lead in half. At that point, Kelley Rink halted to a still silence for about 30 minutes. BC lost its stroke on offense, allowing Northeastern to put up a lot of excellent shots on goaltender Thatcher Demko. The best came from NU right wing Zach AstonReese, who held the puck on his stick a bit too long. That extra second of waiting allowed Demko to come around to the other side of the net to deflect the puck with his arm, keeping BC in front. The second period remained uneventful for the first 15 minutes, until a foolish mistake almost killed the Eagles. After getting hit from behind from a NU defender, Wood, a freshman, retaliated by cross-checking his head. Wood’s play earned him a five-minute major, plus a game misconduct which caused him to be ejected—he will be available for Sunday’s game at Northeastern’s Matthews Arena. Following the game, York believed that the call was borderline, but his freshman superstar received it because his hit came as a retaliatory measure. “He’ll learn a pretty valuable lesson,” York said with a smile. But both Demko and the Eagles’ penalty kill stood on their heads. The defense, led by Ian McCoshen and Casey Fitzgerald, prevented Northeastern from taking any good chances throughout those five min-

utes. When the clock turned to the final 20, that same unit had to face much better shots. Tuch and Scott Savage each earned tripping penalties in the first four minutes of the period, but McCoshen blocked several shots with his body. Whatever he couldn’t stop, Demko was there waiting for it. “I thought the only reason we got one point out here tonight was because of Thatcher’s saves,” York said. Then, at around 8:40 in the period, came the screams and shouts. Northeastern freshman Lincoln Griffin, a Walpole, Mass. native, launched the equalizer through traffic and caused Demko to slam over the net in frustration. Immediately after the goal, Josh Couturier got called for a hard board on an NU player, sending him to the box. This led BC’s Matthew Gaudreau to explode with his own anger. Gaudreau had gotten pushed from behind shortly before Griffin’s goal, which usually leads to a penalty. Unable to believe his teammate went to the box for a similar play, Gaudreau slammed his stick against the boards several times and lunged at the refs, earning his own 10-minute game misconduct. And the onslaught didn’t stop there, as 43 seconds later, Ryan Fitzgerald was called for a trip on Ruck, which replays showed did not actually occur. Yet all of that energized both the crowd and the Eagles. And Colin White, BC’s leading scorer, would

make NU—and the referees—pay. He brilliantly stole the puck away from the NU defender, dashing down the ice for a shorthanded goal, giving BC a 3-2 lead and sending the crowd roaring so loudly you would think that the Eagles were playing in a packed Alumni Stadium. Unlike previous games in which they’ve overcome penalties, the Beacon Street Bullies couldn’t hold the lead. Northeastern won a late faceoff and, at 17:46, Stevens scored his second of the game, knotting the game up at 3-3. The fire from the Eagles ended after that—BC couldn’t get any shots off in the overtime period. NU head coach Jim Madigan lauded his team for its ability to come back from early deficits to keep up with a team that is widely considered the fastest in all of college hockey. “It’s not a win, and that’s what we’re measured by, but we’re also measured by points in this league,” Madigan said. “This was a good tie.” But while Northeastern may come away content with this neutral and satisfactory outcome, that same unsatisfied feeling is not shared by BC after a game against an opponent that the Eagles, one of the country’s best teams, should have beaten. “It’s just so hard to look at records to predict how a team will play,” York said, alluding to the Huskies’ streak last year in which they lost eight of their first nine games before finishing 16-8-3 for the remainder of the season. “They’re going to be a dangerous team down the stretch.”

J\m\iXc b\p gcXp\ij jXk `e 9:Ëj Zilj_`e^ cfjj kf LDXjj Cfn\cc BC vs. UMass Lowell, from B1

With 4:28 remaining in the contest, UMass Lowell (4-4) forward Jahad Thomas, who stands all of 6-foot-2, fouled 6-foot-10 BC center Johncarlos Reyes, sending the freshman to the line for a one-and-one. Reyes sank the first shot, pushing the Eagles’ lead to 7. The scoreboard read 61-54, and it appeared that Christian’s undermanned group was set to pull away for the victory. But then UMass Lowell head coach Pat Duquette threw the Eagles a knuckleball, dusting off an aggressive 1-3-1 zone and calling for intense pressure in the perimeter passing lanes from his point man and wings. It worked. The River Hawks’ zone proved a tautly wound Gordian knot, and all BC had at its disposal to cut through it was a flimsy butter knife. “We didn’t have guys in the right spots because we had five guys on the court who hadn’t played those positions,” Christian said. “We had a gameplan coming in, but all the guys who were in the gameplan were on the sidelines.” Time ticked off the clock, but the

Eagles’ tally remained at 61. Freshman forward A.J. Turner bricked a pair of 3-pointers—he was 0-for-7 from downtown on the afternoon—and fellow newcomer Ervins Meznieks clanked both of his free throws with 1:01 to go and the Eagles trailing 62-61. Freshman guard Sammy BarnesThompkins finally broke through with a pull-up triple in transition to bring his team within a point of UMass Lowell with 21 seconds left to play, but it was too little, too late. The River Hawks connected on three of their next four chances at the charity stripe and played lockdown defense on the other end to seal the deal. Players and coaches on Lowell’s bench erupted as though they’d just won a high school state championship. According to Christian, there were no silver linings. “There is no bright side—we lost,” he said. “They should have executed and played better. I mean, there’s no bright side today.” After taking a six-point lead into the break, BC went cold in the second half, hitting only 9-of-34 from the

field, including a measly 2-of-15 from beyond the arc. Christian’s group coughed up 17 turnovers and collected only 10 assists, and the Eagles misfired on 11 of their 23 free throws throughout the game. Injury-plagued sophomore Darryl Hicks contributed 19 stellar minutes off the bench, deflecting a number of passes to the wings on defense and knocking down 3-of-4 from deep. Reyes gobbled up 14 rebounds— five offensive—in 26 minutes against the undersized River Hawks. The center made his first career start in place of the ailing Clifford, and dropped in eight of his 11 points via offensive rebound putbacks. Though his defense is still somewhat of a liability—he got burned twice when switched onto a guard—and most of his boards came over UMass Lowell’s 6-foot-6 forward Tyler Livingston, Reyes flashed a feathery touch near the hoop. Next up for the Eagles is a rivalry bout against the Providence Friars on Wednesday in Rhode Island. “They’re not gonna feel sorry for us,” Christian said of Providence. “We’ve got two days to get ready to play a really good team.”

AMELIE TRIEU / HEIGHTS STAFF

Matt Milon (22) dribbles up the court in the Eagles’ loss. The freshman shot 1-of-5 from the floor with four points.


THE HEIGHTS

B4

Monday, December 7, 2015

E`kkXep C`fej fm\igfn\i <X^c\j Y\_`e[ >Xie\iËj _fk j_ffk`e^ 9P :?I@J EFP<J ?\`^_kj JkX]] A few minutes into the second half of Boston College men’s basketball’s game against Pennsylvania State 67 Penn State Boston College 58 University, two friends in the stands stood up and turned around, posing for a picture with the court in the background. They might have had their backs turned to the action for a minute, if that. After taking the picture, one of the friends turned and refocused his attention on the court. A look of sheer bewilderment crossed his face, his mouth agape. Down on the sidelines, pacing in front of the BC (3-4) bench, the same expression crossed Jim Christian’s face. The unwitting fan had missed a show. A 65-second show to be exact. Down 38-33 three minutes into the second half, Penn State (4-2) sophomore Shep Garner morphed into an incendiary device, staggering the Eagles defense with three triples in just over a minute. BC’s 67-58 loss to the Nittany Lions turned in the blink of an eye, with Garner’s outburst killing the Eagles’ momentum and sending Christian’s team to its fourth straight loss in the past week. “They were transition threes,” Christian said. “We didn’t even contest two of them. It was just bad defense.” That onslaught was part of a career night for Garner, who finished

with 30 points and eight 3-pointers, tying the Conte Forum record. From the opening tip, Garner was in rhythm, knocking down his first five attempts from downtown. Between not picking him up in transition, not closing down his airspace on pickand-rolls and making late closeouts, BC made life easy for Garner. “We gave him that luxury of getting comfortable,” center Dennis Clifford said after the game. Garner’s outburst silenced the momentum BC had built to start the first half. The guard scored Penn State’s first 12 points, but BC answered with a 15-3 run, helping the Eagles take a 38-31 lead. Key to this run was the play of Clifford, who finished the night with a season-high 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Scoring twice in the post and hitting two jumpers, Clifford showed off an improved arsenal and the ability to make quick, decisive moves with the ball. He scored the final eight points of the run, including a pick and roll dunk, on which he was fouled. Clifford attributed his ability to show more explosion to his offseason workouts. “I spent a lot of time this offseason just working on my lower body,” he said. Buoyed by Garner’s sublime shooting, Penn State answered the Eagles with a 15-2 run of their own to take a 46-40 lead. After BC inched to within 48-47 on a Jerome Robinson floater with just under 10 minutes remaining, Penn State used a quick run to pull away for good.

In addition to the 3-point shooting, the Eagles fell behind because of their inability to solve Penn State’s 2-3 zone. For most of the first half, Penn State head coach Pat Chambers stuck with man-to-man defense, sprinkling in occasional zone possessions. A few minutes into the second half, Chambers went almost exclusively zone, with an overall excellent result. BC shot just 1-of9 from beyond the 3-point line in the second half, with the offense stagnating due to its inability to enter the paint. Its normally clean 3-point looks from pick and roll action vanished, with the option removed by virtue of the zone defense. The adjustment made by Chambers forced the young Eagles into a corner, testing their patience and ability to adapt. The finer details of the zone struggles infuriated Christian. He thought that his team handled the zone very well early in the game but struggled late due to laziness. “We were carving the zone up, playing very nicely in the beginning, but we just got lazy with the ball,” Christian said. To a degree, he was correct. When Chambers switched fulltime to the zone, BC’s Garland Owens hit a jumper on the first possession by flashing into the unoccupied middle of the zone and getting the ball after a few quick passes. Later, BC reverted to more isolation play, with Eli Carter and Robinson forced to create their own

DANIELLA FASCIANO / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The Eagles struggled to adapt and gain offensive momentum against the Nittany Lions’ stifling 2-3 zone. shots. Carter struggled mightily in the second half, missing all five of his shots, finishing with just seven points, easily a season low. Many of the looks were forced and out of rhythm. Regardless of players hitting shots, Christian was mostly concerned with the effort his team displayed. “Until we figure out that you’ve got to compete hard for 40 minutes, it’s going to be difficult,” he said. This maxim carries over to both team and individuals. In addition to the late-game stretch of poor offen-

sive execution, Penn State handily won the battle of the boards, 40-27, despite having averaged three fewer boards per game than its opponents over the previous five games. On the individual side, AJ Turner came out with more aggression than he had displayed in previous games, scoring nine of BC’s first 13 points and attempting six first half free throws. In the second half, Turner appeared to lose that aggressiveness and missed all four of his shots, a performance that was emblematic of this team-wide inconsistency.

Christian knows that there’s no excuse for lacking consistent effort. He refused to blame the performance on youth. “That’s not age,” Christian said after the game. “That’s not competing.” If his young Eagles want to break from their slump, they’re going to have to learn to squash those momentum-killing runs before they even happen. After the game, Christian put it bluntly: “We have to understand how to go for the kill in that situation,” he said.

K\dg\ij ÕXi\ Xj <X^c\j ZXeËk fm\iZfd\ g\eXck`\j# k`\ ?ljb`\j 9P J?8EEFE B<CCP ?\`^_kj JkX]] The red light flared again, and suddenly Northeastern University was tied with Boston College. Goaltender Thatcher Demko flipped the net, sending it slamming onto the ice. The frustration and anger was felt throughout Kelley Rink. For an unranked team, the Huskies (2-11-3, 0-7-3 Hockey East) were proving themselves worthy adversaries of the Eagles (12-1-1, 5-0-1). Though the goal set enough of a fire under BC men’s hockey to earn a goal—and three quick penalties—the Huskies answered with the necessary fervor to tie the score again, leading to a 3-3 final. The exasperation Demko felt was warranted. He saved shot

after shot throughout the first two periods, often in fantastic displays of athleticism. He sacrificed his body to the floor, pounding the ice to trap the puck underneath his glove. He extended his legs into splits, deflecting the puck into the glass and far away from his domain. Demko’s work on the ice earned him praise from head coach Jerry York. “I’m pretty proud he was in our net, because otherwise we’d have no points,” York said. The Eagles’ failure to win a faceoff forced a 2-2 tie, as an unprepared Demko couldn’t get to the puck before Nolan Stevens scored his second goal of the night. Instead of a flash of anger, which the crowd saw before from Demko, Northeastern’s third goal only sparked dejection, with

Demko slumped over in between the pipes. Falling Slowly Alex Tuch encountered a few ups and downs during the game. Skating past a defender, Tuch deked the puck back and forth and shot high, past goalie Ryan Ruck’s left arm. The goal, which put the Eagles up 2-0 following a goal by Miles Wood, showed off Tuch’s clean stick handling. Tuch, who was the leading scorer last season, had yet to show the same offensive command. The goal displayed promise that he could be on the up and up, ready to lay claim once again to the title of leading scorer. Later in the game, Tuch was jostled around by an NU defender. The momentum was enough to send him falling, but he did not go

down right away. Instead, it took what felt like five minutes for Tuch to hit the ground, crumbling to his knees in slow motion as the game rushed around him. Waved Off During the second period, Ryan Fitzgerald tried to increase the lead for BC, skating toward the goal at breakneck speed. He barrelled into the left pipe, sneaking the puck in with him. Loud celebration filled Kelley Rink, but the thrill of a two-goal advantage was short-lived. After reviewing the play, the referees called back the goal, citing interference with the goaltender as the reason for the altered decision. Fitzgerald had slammed into Ruck’s glove as he bombarded the net, and the Eagles would pay for it. But York had no hard feelings about

the decision. “That was a good call,” he said. Angry Eagles BC was plagued by penalties in the third period, with five players earning time in the box for tripping, boarding, and even a 10-minute misconduct. The 2-2 score brought out the worst tempers in some of the Eagles, particularly Matthew Gaudreau, who was slammed with a misconduct penalty after repeatedly hitting his stick on the boards in anger when his teammate, Josh Couturier, was sent to the box for a move that was not penalized when replicated by a Northeastern player. The fiery play by the Eagles showed passion and hunger to win, but ultimately failed to get BC the win. Tidbits

The Huskies forced the Eagles into their first overtime game of the season. Though BC has seen several close calls with tied games or near-losses plagued by penalties, the Eagles have always come out strong, even scoring as late as the last 30 seconds to claim a win, like on Oct. 30 vs. Denver. The tie also cut short an 11game winning streak, handing the Eagles one point for their play instead of their usual two. Miles Wood, who was later ejected from the game for cross-checking to the head, still contributed to the Eagles’ lukewarm play by extending his point streak to six games with a goal to start off the first period. Wood showed the power in his shot, slapping the puck far from the goal and evading several Northeastern defensemen.

I\Zfi[$j\kk`e^ :Xig\ek\i c\X[j k_\ nXp gXjk 9cXZb 9\Xij 9P J?8EEFE B<CCP ?\`^_kj JkX]] Over the weekend, a certain Boston College hockey team dominated its opponent, defeating the challenger without any nail-biting plays or a desperate run for a lastminute goal. Anyone who paid attention to the action at Kelley Rink on Saturday knows that men’s hockey didn’t do that, as the team fought Northeastern to a draw. But women’s hockey did, sweeping the University of Maine in a 7-2 victory on Sunday, after a 5-0 shutout Saturday afternoon. Less than a minute into the game, the Eagles (19-0-0, 13-0-0 Hockey East) already had their first goal on the Black Bears (6-13-0, 3-90). Megan Keller took the puck from

a Haley Skarupa shot that rebounded and sent it into the goal, sailing past both Maine and BC players. BC could not find its offensive stride again until much later in the period. The Eagles registered 14 shots between its first and second goals, giving Maine goaltender Mariah Fujimagari plenty of practice. The warmup didn’t do much, as BC scored three goals in three minutes with only five minutes left in the first period. Lexi Bender passed the puck to Alex Carpenter, who scored. A minute later, freshman Makenna Newkirk attempted her own shot but missed. Bender followed up the shot when Fujimagari bungled the save, sneaking the puck past the goalie. But the Eagles had one more goal left in them before the period

ended. Andie Anastos scored off her own rebound, powerfully shooting above the goalie’s arm. It was the second goal that BC scored with each team playing a woman down. Both coaches did a goalie swap to start the second period, with head coach Katie Crowley pulling Katie Burt for Gabri Switaj. It was an unusual move for Crowley, who tends to start Switaj in the second game of a series. The tactic backfired on the Eagles, as Maine scored a minute into the period. The Black Bears managed to put another one in the back of the net 10 minutes later, but BC answered back quickly. Tori Sullivan scored from the post after receiving a pass from Meghan Grieves, widening the score to 5-2. During the final minute of the

second period, Kenzie Kent and Carpenter collaborated for Kent’s seventh goal of the season, putting pressure on Maine’s new goalie Meghann Treacy. The third period saw little action, as the Eagles added yet another goal to their collection, the icing on a six-layer cake. Keller scored a second time, the only BC player to do so in the match. While the blowout didn’t leave the Black Bears scoreless, the Eagles managed to shutout Maine the day before. BC dazzled in all aspects, from the mastery of the offense to the stellar saves of Burt, who gained her sixth shutout of the season. The Eagle defense only allowed 15 shots from Maine, while BC fired off nearly three times that. BC quickly gained the upper hand, as Kali Flanagan scored on

Treacy after only two minutes of play. Skarupa added to the tally, shooting high into the back of the net and giving the goaltender no chance to retrieve the puck. The Eagles focused on getting their shots off early, scoring three of the five goals in the first five minutes of each period. Kaliya Johnson, with the help of Kent and Carpenter, chalked up her second goal of the season. Her slap-shot off a pass from Carpenter earned Johnson her first point of December, as her last came from an assist in a Nov. 28 meeting against Providence. BC’s last two goals came during the third period, both during power plays for the Eagles. The unlucky Black Bears handed Carpenter her 22nd goal of the season, with Kent contributing again to Carpenter’s

offensive success. Kent and Carpenter are paired excellently, making plays as soon as their skates hit the ice. The goal, coupled with her assist in the Eagles’ final goal of the game by Flanagan, was a momentous one for Carpenter. With her performance in the victory, Carpenter surpassed the Hockey East record for career points, with 134. On the way, she eclipsed Kelli Stack, a member of the National Women’s Hockey League’s (NWHL) Connecticut Whale and BC ’11. Carpenter, who won last year’s Patty Kazmaier Award, has led the Eagles to dazzling victories throughout her career, and has been on fire this season. But it seems that recently, every member of the Eagles has.

MICHAEL SULLIVAN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Left to right: Kali Flanagan, Dana Trivigno, and Hockey East record holder Alex Carpenter have all contributed to the Eagles’ successful season, which continued strong with two victories over the Maine Black Bears this weekend.


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Monday, December 7, 2015

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BCHEIGHTS. COM. Directions: The Sudoku is played over a 9x9 grid. In each row there are 9 slots, some of which are empty and need to be filled. Each row, column and 3x3 box should contain the numbers 1 to 9. You must follow these rules: · Number can appear only once in each row · Number can appear only once in each column · Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box · The number should appear only once on row, column or area.

1. Realize that wildfires burn more than 4 million acres every year. 2. Cut along dotted line. 3. Repeat this phrase: “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.”


THE HEIGHTS

B6

Monday, December 7, 2015

DXel]XZkli\[# i\g\k`k`m\ jfle[ Zi`ggc\j :fc[gcXp `e Ê?\X[ =lcc f] ;i\XdjË 9P :?8E;C<I =FI; ?\`^_kj JkX]] It is no small feat for a band to maintain the level of success and social impact that Coldplay has had over the past fifteen years, but with standout albums such as A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) and Viva La Vida (or Death and All His Friends) (2008), th e re i s A HEAD FULL OF no doubt DREAMS that they Coldplay deserve their fame. But as times change, so do musical stylings. While there is some value to be gleaned from the band’s latest album, A Head Full of Dreams, it also marks potential doom for Coldplay’s popularity. From the outset, Coldplay’s deviation from earlier work is extremely apparent. Clearly influenced by the ever-growing field of pop music, A Head Full of Dreams trades strings for synthesizers, relying

heavily on groovy techno beats and an electronic style. It’s a bold artistic choice for Coldplay to deviate from their rocksolid acoustic sound, and, unfortunately, this choice does not pay off in the end. Each song becomes more repetitive than the last, making a full listen-through of the album a very tedious chore. The lyrics do little to alleviate the flaws in the instrumentals—they range from average at the best to facile and inane at the very worst. And sadly, this “very worst” seems to be popping up more and more often. Not every single piece of A Head Full of Dreams falls flat, which earns it at least a small amount of praise. Despite its repetitiveness, some of the melodies are catchy. “Adventures of a Lifetime” is the album’s standout song. With a catchy hook and a decent beat, it succeeds in capturing the listener’s attention. It seems that Coldplay is also seeking to return to ballad-style songwriting in certain cases. The longer tracks on the album, “Army of One” and “Up&Up,” are examples. A number of songs from

the earliest Coldplay albums utilize this method of songwriting and many of those became immediate fan favorites, and the same may be the case in this instance. They are somewhat out of place on this tracklist, but considering the drudgery of much of the album, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Finally, Chris Martin’s vocals, as usual, are well above par. He is an incredibly talented frontman, and though his songwriting is somewhat lacking for this album, his singing redeems the album to a degree. The same can be said of the entire band. If nothing else, they know the fundamentals of music-making better than many artists. Of course, this makes it all the more unfortunate that their work is mostly for naught. The level of musicianship that Coldplay brings to the table rivals the very best of artists, held back only by the shallow nature of their newest work. Examining the progression of Coldplay’s work, two trends become quickly apparent: a deviation from acoustic,

ATLANTIC RECORDS

Coldplay fails to create harmony within their sound when trying to adopt synthetic elements. alternative sounds, and a progression toward manufactured pop-rock stylings. This is not inherently a bad thing—pop-style music infused with other genres is a growing trend, one that stands to define the tastes of the 21st century. The problem lies in the fact that on the resume of Coldplay’s musical strengths, manufactured poprock is at the very bottom of the list. A thousand other artists, from Lana Del Rey to Taylor Swift, produce better pop

music than Coldplay. If the band continues on this path, they will undoubtedly reach obscurity. though the group has contributed volumes to the pop rock genre, this addition leaves too much resting on the heels of its past sucesses. As of now, the release of A Head Full of Dreams shows that one thing has become undoubtedly true: Coldplay must draw from its alternative roots if it wants to remain in the limelight for much longer.

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1 LIONSGATE PICTURES

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE REPORT TITLE

REPUBLIC RECORDS

WEEKEND GROSS

WEEKS IN RELEASE

1. THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PT. 2

18.6

3

2. KRAMPUS

16.0

1

3. CREED

15.5

2

4.THE GOOD DINOSAUR

15.5

2

5. SPECTRE

5.4

5

6.THE NIGHT BEFORE

4.9

3

7. THE PEANUTS MOVIE

3.5

5

8. SPOTLIGHT

2.9

5

9. BROOKLYN

2.4

5

10. THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES

1.9

3

Unabashedly experimental, Cudi leaves some songs feeling unfinished and unhoned, leaving fans to question the intent behind the album. 9P G?F<9< =@:F ?\`^_kj JkX]]

Kid Cudi is a rapper. Or at least people thought he was a rapper. But maybe his listeners should have known from his first single, “Day n’ Nite,” that he wasn’t your stereotypical MC. That song, while bass-heavy and electronic-sounding, never really had him rapping, but rhythmically speaking to his audience about a stoner who frees his mind at night. So it seems fitting that the SPEEDIN’ BULLET TO man who HEAVEN never reKid Cudi ally followed the strict rhythmic confines of rap would come out with an album as unconfined and unhip-hop as his newest work, Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven. Cudi himself does not consider it a rap album. MTV cult heroes Beavis and Butthead make appearances throughout the album. The duo close out the album’s third track, “Man In The Night”, musing that maybe punk rock isn’t dead. But this is not even punk rock, as the aforementioned track draws heavily from the psychedelic rock of the sixties. Its charging bassline, which was played by Cudi himself, drums like the hammer of a blacksmith. The guitar riff is deceptively cool in its simplicity. Lyrically,

Cudi sings self-assuredly, declaring, “This is the time to be in the moment / Ain’t no room for stalling room time for living in the moment.” It’s as cool as anything Hendrix ever did. In other places he references the far-out, psychedelic rock of the sixties that was less Guitar Hero and more acid trip. “Screwed” has him singing with a fuzzed-out vocal effect over a fingerpicked guitar part. Even more out-there is the seventh track on the album, “The Nothing,” which begins with a man whispering for someone to give him candy. This alone would give a child nightmares, but then he continues the song by using a popular nursery rhyme as the base for the lyrics: “Mary, Mary quite contrary / You’re are going to cut it… / No one hears you suffer.” It’s an eerie warning to the child in all of us: In the end, you’re all alone. But just because you’re alone does not mean you have to be depressed about it. Or at least that’s what Cudi thinks, as this album takes many tonal shifts. Cudi seems to be self-aware about how manic the album is. After singing over fuzzed-out guitars, “So fragile and delicate / Handle with care,” Beavis and Butthead reappear. In this sketch they have to see a shrink because Cudi has made them feel too much. Th is does two things successfully: it adds to the overall weirdness of the album and proves that Cudi is hyper-aware of just how weird it is.

The only album that Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven could possibly be compared to is Miley Cyrus’s Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz. Both albums employ psychedelia as their main musical mode—Cyrus gets help from the Flaming Lips and Cudi from Travis Barker. Both albums are mammoths: Cyrus’s album taps out at 23 songs and Cudi’s drones on 26 songs. Both albums, but in particular Cudi’s, feel like a voyage from England to the New World: too long, and you might get sick of it. Unfortunately, quantity is not synonymous with quality. This is mainly because both albums needed to have better-crafted songs. Not necessarily songs that follow the pop song structure, but songs that seemed like they took time to actually review, edit, and work on beyond the first try. After all, three tracks on Cudi’s album have the word “demo” in the title. While it can be said that Cudi is trying to give listeners someting more organic, the notion that he is handing out demos is strange for an artist with a larger following. Listeners and loyal fans don’t want a first try, they want finished perfection, which makes the notion all the more troubling. The main difference between these two albums is the person who is making them. For Miley Cyrus, everything seems like a ploy for attention, while for Kid Cudi, despite the disjointedness within, this album seems like genuine artistic expression.

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2 LEGENDARY PICTURES

3 NEW LINE CINEMA

BESTSELLERS OF HARDCOVER FICTION 1. CROSS JUSTICE James Patterson 2. TRICKY TWENTY-TWO Janet Evanovich 3. ROGUE LAWYER John Grisham 4. THE GUILTY David Baldacci 5. THE BAZAAR OF BAD DREAMS Stephen King 6. SEE ME Nicholas Sparks

7. THE MAGIC STRINGS OF FRANKIE PRESTO Mitch Albom 8. ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE Anthony Doerr 9. THE CROSSING Micheal Connelly 10. GO SET A WATCHMAN Harper Lee SOURCE: New York Times

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Modern Family hits viewers hard and fast. After having been deprived of the show since its stressful spring finale, fans who have tried to keep up with season seven thus far feel the dizzy as if they had had a Long Island iced tea on an empty stomach. Slamming fans with a dramatic coincidence or ironic plot twists too many times in one 30minute MODERN FAMILY period, ABC TV producers Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan served up a strong start to the hit comedy’s fall 2015 season. But last week, ABC handed its weary viewers a relatively uneventful new episode of Modern Family—a much-needed hangover cure for the high-energy episodes that have aired so far in the show’s dramatic seventh season. While maintaining the same witty writing and

bizarre character antics viewers have come to expect from the Emmy-winning series, the eighth episode is a well-placed pause on the show’s escalating drama. The newest installment is satisfyingly simple without having to sacrifice any hysterical hijinks. In this episode, tensions flare when the adults participate in a couples therapy seminar taught by guest star Catherine O’Hara. Playing a mild-mannered marriage counselor, she preaches the cliched tactic to “empty your junk drawer” and express frustrations with one’s life partner. A reflective seminar soon transforms into a cutthroat contest to determine which married couple is most compatible. Secrets leak as characters fail to keep mum about their many spouse-centered grievances. The first seven episodes have served to further develop every plotline leftover from last season. To do this, the show’s writers ambitiously tackled all of the show’s plotlines, all at once. Haley misses her chance to thwart Andy’s proposal plans, but later finds herself forced into a number of intimate situations with him. Mitch and Cam can’t seem to spark the romance in their stale relationship, while Alex mends her broken heart by hooking up

with Luke’s loser friend. Phil adopts ducklings as his own but struggles to gain their trust, and Claire tries a skimpy medieval outfit on for size. A little overwhelming at times, the mockumentary-style episodes switch dizzily from one conflict to another, until the conversation, and character interactions blur together. Though episode eight did not continue the chaos of those that preceded it, Modern Family’s newest installment was not void of all excitement. As soon as the seminar starts to gain momentum, passive-aggressive insults—and some decorative decor pieces from the Dunphy family’s living room—are hurled at heads. In an ironic and unfortunate twist, the therapist carelessly abandons her subject to deal with a problem her “idiot husband” can’t seem to take care of himself. Seeking guy advice, Haley visits Alex at schoo, a seemingly wild concept if it had happened just two seasons ago. Haley’s new willingness to learn from Alex is rooted in a perceptible maturity and genuine attempt to be closer with her little sister. Luke continues his search for girls and beer stealing, indicating he has aged to become a little more complicated

ABC STUDIOS

The cast continues to brandish its quick wit, while airing serious sentiments in later episodes. Season seven shows a drastic maturity shift in the show as a whole, with everything from individual character growth to the language incorporated into the dialogue—new elements not present in previous years. As the Dunphy kids become more mature, so do the subject matter and cleverly cached dirty jokes. And even Jay—family patriarch and historically stone-faced tough guy—seems to learn a thing or two from his grown-up grandkids. Finally letting go of his tight-lipped

refusal to talk about feelings, Jay’s apathetic facade cracks—along with his voice—when discussing his father’s untimely death. Jay’s emotion is infectious, and Modern Family succeeds in hitting us hard and fast. Not straying from the classic Modern Family formula, the new episodes bump up the energy a notch or two. Smart, funny, and fastpaced, this fall season is like the college version of its old, high school self—Modern Family is the fun drunk friend on a Friday night.


THE HEIGHTS

Monday, December 7, 2015

B7

SARAH HODGENS / HEIGHTS STAFF

After a week of programs, dance workshops, and studio classes taught by members of BC’s biggest dance crews, the week-long dance festival culminated in a high-energy Robsham performance on Saturday. night.

N\\b f] ;XeZ\ Yi`e^j jk\g# jn`e^# _`g$_fg# Xe[ dfi\ kf k_\ IfYj_Xd jkX^\ Dance, from B8 forging originality from an older type of dance. Masti, BC’s resident South Asian dance team, used its five-item mashup of pop songs in various languages to display its considerable range in hip-hop and traditional dance,and performed side by side instead of separately. All of this transspired while the women

wore f lowing , ankle-length skirts , making their gymnastics especially spectacular. After Masti, Fuego appeared for the first time to perform selections from last spring’s Showdown. Its Latin partner dancing used almost as many dips as Full Swing and a multitude of stage props. The team kept up with the relentless musical pace, incorporating both bold individual and more intimate

partner movements. The Golden Eagles , B C ’s Game Day dance team, emerged next to Fergie’s “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody ” in an especially dynamic contemporary routine, involving plenty of individual movement but also wider group exchanges across the stage. Two members of male hip-hop and step group Sexual Chocolate came out to joke that their team would not be

able to perform before launching into several full-ensemble riffs, both without music and to “$ave Dat Money” by Lil Dicky ft. Fetty Wap and “Sex You” by Bando Jonez. Synergy closed the show with an exciting, high-energy routine to the impeccable mashup of “Candyshop,” “Lollipop Remix,” “Lose Control,” “Hot in Here,” and “Pony.” The performance, with its unrelenting pace, fast local

movements, and sweeping transitions across the stage, was a nice reminder, more than any that dance counts as cardio. The Robsham Dance Show perfectly displayed the amazing abilities BC’s dance crews possess. It also exhibited the full spectrum of styles and flavors that each team brings to the school’s holistic expression of the artform. Putpatie molore feugait niamcortie

9Xe[j# g\i]fid\ij le`k\ `e :XYXi\k Iffd Music Guild, from B8 together in the back-and-forth duet. Duets, generally speaking, were one of highlights of the evening. The band Whatcha Think About Milk opened their performance with a rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “Tenth Avenue Freeze Out,” enjoyably r e t a i n i n g t h e s o n g ’s j a z z y undertones. Their following pieces featured the vocal duo The Kelleher Sisters , whose voices fused well with the overall sound in two great performances. The first was a cover of Mark Ronson’s “ Valerie,” and the second was Of Monsters and Men’s “Little Talks.” The quality of the second was considerably better than the first, only because they stuck very closely to the sound of the

original, and the weight of Amy Winehouse’s spectacular voice was much too hefty for the band to carry. The rendition of “Little Talks,” although once again featuring almost all of the original tone, was quite fun to listen to and even participate in, as the band requested that everyone join in on the song’s famous lines. The best aspects of the performance were the great keyboard and saxophone solos. Jazzy, authentic, and quite spirited, the solos were engaging and fostere d loud, praising cheers from the audience. The concert also featured Small Talk, Juice, Will Bolton, Phenom V, Funky Giant, Tabitha and the Halos, Got a Whim, and Blackhearted. The performers had an entertaining lineup of exciting covers and a sprinkling of great original pieces. Some of the

most refreshing performances were by Will Bolton and Juice, seemingly two of the premier music makers on campus. The fantastic musical quality and originality of both acts was evident and incredibly fun to listen to. O verall, the Music Guild Concert featured a display of great talent as well as a deep interest and commitment on the part of the musicians. While the concert was certainly not perfect on every note, this imperfection did not subtract from the show heavily. The only true downside was the low attendance. Although the energy was high, the numbers were much too low for such a great event. But this did not seem at all to affect the artists, who put out their best efforts in spite of a few setbacks.

LUCIUS XUAN / HEIGHTS STAFF

The Kelleher Sisters played inventive covers of pop hits of the past at this weekend’s Music Guild event.

AMELIE TREIU / HEIGHTS STAFF

The Acoustics combine comedy with a capella in between performances from new freshmen members.

Jk`o ZfeZ\ik `j X ]leep ]Xd`cp X]]X`i Aca-Wars, from B8 “baby projects” to be showcased over the course of the night. Jeffrey “Gage” Powell, CSON ’18, stepped to the mic with a limited accompaniment to serenade the crowd with Michael Buble’s “Feeling Good.” After Powell sang his final note, all members of the Stix charged the stage to pull him into a huge group hug. Next up was Dan Paulos, CSOM ’19, with a rendition of Adele’s “Hello.” While he stood out as the only male on stage, performing with an all-female accompaniment, Paulos’ exceptional vocals throughout the pop anthem were what really set him apart—especially considering that as a “baby project,” the performance was his first full solo. The performance took a turn for the raunchier when the Stix took a break from songs to perform their first skit of the night. Alex Rougeau and Josh Behrens, both MCAS ’18, took to the stage dressed as Darth Vader and a Jedi, and engaged in a lightsaber battle—only, Rougeau couldn’t activate his weapon. “Am I not diabolical enough for you?” Behrens taunted when his counterpart couldn’t “get it up,” even when encouraged with an evil

speech. His problem was revealed, though, when a fellow Jedi, Alex Cavanaugh, CSOM ’17, jumped on stage and Rougeau’s lightsaber miraculously extended. The Stix returned to their more conventional performances with a solo from Liz McGovern, MCAS ’18. After her flawless execution of Lady Gaga’s “Speechless,” Julia Rourke, MCAS ’19, stepped to the mic. Accompanied by Huelsbeck’s harmonies, Rourke performed Ella Henderson’s “All Again,” and had the audience contemplating the meaning of heartbreak within just a few minutes. Ben Seo, MCAS ’16, refused to let the audience recover from this emotional performance, continuing the show with a rendition of “I Hope This Makes You Love Me” by TANK. The next performance was a project from beat-boxer Tyler Cook, CSOM ’18. Using a recording loop to create his own percussion, Cook sang Ed Sheeran’s “The City,” featuring impressive beat box freestyles. The show then returned to its more scandalous vein with the “Girls’ Project.” The female Stix shed their Star Wars costumes in favor of basketball shorts and flatbrims , preparing for a Lonely Island medley. Audrey Huelsbeck,

LSOE ’16, dressed a little more extravagantly for the performance, instead choosing to play one of the more—ahem—phallic characters from the famous “Dick in a Box” SNL skit. To close the main portion of the show, Josh Behrens and his harmonica took to the microphone for a debut rendition of “Piano Man” by Billy Joel. Clearly a crowd favorite, the Stix nearly had to keep everyone from singing along the whole time. The event closed with Audrey Huelsbeck inviting all present Stix alumni to join the current members on stage to sing their eternal group song: “Climb On” by Shawn Colvin. The sheer number of alumni present proved one thing to be true: The Acoustics are not simply an a cappella group, but a true family. Between the group hugs after every “baby project” and the finale performance by decades of members, it’s clear that the community bond is incredibly strong, and every audience member felt lucky to witness the love between the Stix that night. Amazing vocals and arrangements aside, the show was incredible to watch, simply because of the fun the Stix clearly had while performing. Oh, and the dick jokes were funny, too.

KXb`e^ X cffb Xk k_\ iXZ\ X_\X[1 gi\[`Zk`e^ k_\ )'(- FjZXij efd`eXk`fej GRACE GODVIN Going into Christmas break, the fate of a few films at the Academy Awards has usually already been determined. This year hasn’t followed suit, and for the first time in recent memory the Best Picture category is without a frontrunner. Ten films you need to know this Oscar season: Spotlight Room The Martian The Hateful Eight Carol Creed Brooklyn Joy The Revenant Bridge of Spies Honorary Mentions: Inside Out Star Wars: The Force Awakens Steve Jobs Some say that Spotlight, the story of reporters at The Boston

Globe who uncovered rampant sex abuse by Catholic priests , has become the default lead. Directed by Tom McCarthy, BC ’88, Spotlight certainly is the strongest candidate of the released films, but three of the most-anticipated films of the year have yet to be seen. Those are Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, David O. Russell’s Joy, and Alejandro Innaritu’s The Revenant. It’s highly unlikely that Innaritu will win back-to-back Best Pictures (he won last year for Birdman). The film has already been screened to critics, and while it has been widely applauded for its visual design—he and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubeski made the entire film using only natural light and edited it to be continuous shot—it’s not getting the same rave reviews that Birdman did. Joy and The Hateful Eight recently screened for the first time to critics and Academy members, under the pretense of a review

embargo. Rumors circulating seem to hint that Joy is entirely Jennifer Lawrence’s movie and will certainly get a Best Picture nom, but that it isn’t quite the movie of the year. Tarantino has directed three films that have gone on to be nominated for Best Picture (Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained), but has yet to win. Same goes for Best Director, for which he’s been nominated twice. The two Oscars he has won were both for writing, but there’s a good chance he’ll be nominated for all three this year. For the films that have been released, it seems to be a year of old favorites. Bridge of Spies, The Martian, The Hateful Eight, Carol, Joy, and The Revenant all come from directors who have already had films nominated for Academy Awards. Those who haven’t, Lenny Abrahamson for Room, Ryan Coogler for Creed, and John Crowley for Brooklyn, have all been critical darlings on the indie circuit in years past.

Room has definitely been the surprise hit of the year. Achieving critical success surpassed only by Spotlight, Abrahamson’s film seemingly came out of nowhere. With innovative distributor A24 backing it, Room seems like a sure bet when nominations are revealed in January. The film is about a woman, Brie Larson, and her young son who are kidnapped and trapped in the perpetrator’s woodshed, and Larson has emerged as the clear frontrunner for Best Actress. Nine-year-old Jacob Tremblay is also deservedly in the running for Best Supporting Actor after his heartbreaking portrayal of the son. Another indie with an unexpected following is John Crowley’s Brooklyn. The story of a young woman who immigrates from a small town in Ireland to immigrant-heavy Brooklyn, it’s a heartwarming story with a compelling ensemble cast. Having worked mostly in theater, Crowley manages to keep his film emotionally complex and well-rounded. While

it’s doubtful that it will take the top prize, Brooklyn undoubtedly deserves the Academy’s attention. In predicting this year’s awards, Steve Jobs was touted as this year’s The Social Network. But Danny Boyle’s take on Apple’s highly controversial leader, while greeted warmly by critics, was a heavy disappointment at the box office. It’s a smart, well-made film lost in an unusually packed awards season. While Michael Fassbender is sure to get a nomination for his performance as the neurotic Jobs, the film is losing steam, and fast. One film that surprised this year was Ridley Scott’s (Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, Thelma and Louise) The Martian. The film was expected to be a blockbuster, but had less hopes for awards season. But The Martian has stayed strong not only at the box office, but also in its reaction from critics. It’s not only visually stunning, but it’s also refreshingly funny, something not often seen in serious Oscar contenders. If both

The Martian and Pixar’s Inside Out get nominated, they’ll have almost the same box office return as all of last year’s Best Picture nominees combined. Nominating box-office successes also means higher ratings for the actual ceremony, which will be hosted by Chris Rock on Feb. 28. Chris Rock may be the lone black actor at this year’s Academy Awards. Continuing a trend of little diversity amongst nominees, this year will likely see no AfricanAmerican actors or directors nominated. Unless Creed’s Ryan Coogler finds a directing nom, or Michael B. Jordan gets an acting nom for the same film, there won’t be. There are murmurings about Will Smith’s performance in Concussion, but it’s unlikely he’ll make it to the Dolby Theater. Tune in Thursday for the next half of this piece.

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B8

ARTS& &REVIEW MONDAY , O,CTOBER 19, 2015 MONDAY DECEMBER 7, 2015

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YOU SHOULD BE

SUMMER LIN

We were ready to head back to shore. The last trap sank into the ocean, snapping the buoy off the deck floor. As I began to hose off the rail and cover up barrels, I noticed the sun beginning its descent. The same mid-June, 8 p.m. sunset as yesterday. It was funny seeing the same sun at that instance so often. The tiny green line, representing the horizon, was almost nonexistent. That was kind of intimidating to think about, out in federal waters on a lobster boat, far from anybody else. Surely being six to seven miles offshore was trivial for the captain and other sternman, but to a sophomore in high school, it might as well have been the heart of the Atlantic. All there seemed to be in the world was this boat, the sun, and the flat expanse of sea. It was beautiful. I thought of this as the engine roared, billowing smoke and spraying saltwater. Often, the most beautiful things are right under our noses. It can be hard to see if we don’t step back and look from afar. As Boston College students, we may not be conscious of the beautiful things around us. This space was made for us. We are BC. Not BU or even Boston, but something all our own. A home beyond our homes and an amalgam of our collective thoughts. We see this concept shaped through our campus. We could go to classes in simple boxes, trudging through crowded streets from one concrete square to the next, but we don’t. The monotony of the concrete jungle is broken by strips of grass and stone. Our Gothic-style architecture is as steeped in history as it is in art and expression. These buildings not only serve to house our classes, but to make the landscape, to make BC, more visually stimulating. How we get to class is even different. Feats of engineering, like our stairs, are as much a testament to the minds behind their construction as they are a reminder of harmony with nature as they hug the massive hillside. As we trek to class, planned, planted greenery flanks our sides magnificently with color. The scene feels alive and, with the seasons, ready to embrace new elements. This fall was dominated by red, yellow, and orange leaves, which cracked beneath our feet as we traversed the walkways of campus. In winter, snow transforms this place into something unrecognizably beautiful under a pure blanket of white. Simply put, there is art and beauty framed all around us. All we have to do is take it in. And yet, being surrounded by beauty is both a blessing and a curse. We become numb or indifferent to the simple pleasures around us. We forget the things we pass every day in favor of desultory thoughts and abject grimaces about finals. Wrapped up in studies, phones, or preoccupied with life in general, we forget the world that exists outside our gaze. I often walk through campus with removed eyes, not really seeing. The things around me become visual white noise, boundaries between me and everything else. To break the trance, I often need to leave the place. Going away for vacation or taking a break gives the same kind of perspective that seeing a mundane sunset from afar gave me. It is one of those sad, bittersweet moments when you do not realize what you have until it is gone. On the boat, gulls flocked behind us as the remnants of fish washed off the stern. Now that we were done, I sat on the rail and watched as the light grew dimmer and the world ahead became larger and larger. The other sternman ripped off his gloves, lit a cigarette, and joined me on the rail with his camera. He began snapping pictures of the sun just before it disappeared. “Have you ever seen colors like that before? Come on, you have to take a picture of that, no one else will get a picture like that,” he said, “I thought most looked the same,” I replied. “Not from out here. Stuff gets in the way on land. They’re prettier from out here.” He snapped one last photo before the rays vanished, leaving us with only the lights coming from shore.

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DANCING

SARAH HODGENS / HEIGHTS STAFF

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Saturday night, the Boston College Arts Council and the Robsham Theater Arts Center teamed up to present the final performance of the inaugural Week of Dance. The weeklong celebration, which featured programs, shows, and studio classes, culminated with numbers by twelve campus dance groups that ranged in stylesfrom tap and lyrical ballet to hip-hop and step. Each group offered unique characterizations, mixing dance and music genres to bring something oneof-a-kind to the show. BC Irish Dance led the program with the geographically appropriate “Shipping Up to Boston” by the Dropkick Murphys. The driving, fiddle-heavy music brought the show and audience to life as Irish Dance moved in expert formation to the beat. Irish Dance graced the stage again to perform “The Dawning” by Ronan Hardiman, a decidedly more subdued song that showed the potential not only for power, but for introspection in traditional Irish dance. Even without moving their arms, the dancers had a stunning capacity for expression.

Dance Ensemble followed Irish Dance with another powerful number, Destiny’s Child’s “Independent Woman,” which employed a mix of hip-hop and classical dance. Dance Ensemble reemerged later in red wine-colored dresses for Ben Howard’s “Old Pine.” The lyrical contrast to the ensemble’s previous Destiny’s Child selection served it well in showing the group’s versatility, especially with the more pensive musical selection and the diverse balletic moves it entailed. Dance Ensemble finally danced back onto the stage in a five-song mashup, featuring Calvin Harris and Fetty Wap, for a combination of jazz and hip-hop, with a surprise tap section in the middle. The Dance Organization of BC’s first song, Bastille’s “No Angels,” featured a return to a more conventional style of contemporary dance. The soft-pop tune gave new life to an impressive array of traditional leaps and turns, showcasing the group’s technique. It returned after the intermission to dance to Nina Simone’s “Spell on You,” a well-done jazz number that recaptured the audience’s attention and mixed up the repertoire. Dance Organization’s final display, and the show’s penultimate one, was a

jazzy rendition of “Fever.” F.I.S.T.S., a step team, interwove its dance sections with narrative about a slumber party. The team members wore onesies and pajamas, pounding out their perfectly coordinated step routines in comfort and combat boots. Latin dance team VIP then performed a seven-song mashup with crowd-pleasers like “Let’s Get Loud” and “Bootylicious.” The group transitioned from these more contemporary songs to bachata music. Its dance style changed accordingly, although it all seemed united with the same energy and a smooth transition. Full Swing made its debut with a fourcouple routine set to MKTO’s “Classic.” The song unexpectedly worked extremely well for swing dancing—upbeat enough to carry the choreography, the song still allowed time for a striking amount of well-executed partner tricks. The next song, The Weeknd’s recently popular “I Can’t Feel My Face,” was performed by BC On Tap. The team contextualized excellent tap dancing with new style and black cutout outfits,

See Dance, B7

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AMELIE TRIEU / HEIGHTS STAFF

The Stix brought an engaging performance of song and skits in their ‘Aca Wars’ show.

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On Saturday night, the automatic chalkboard in McGuinn 121, bedecked in Christmas lights and Star Wars decorations, rose dramatically into the view of the audience as the “Imperial March” played over loudspeakers. A screen to the right of the stage cycled through tweets featuring “#TheRevengeOfTheStix,” creating a live news feed between audience members. The members of The Acoustics filed in. Above their heads, a sign emblazoned “Aca-Wars” reached the height of the board and signi-

I N SI DEARTS THIS ISSUE

fied the start of the show. After a short introduction from their general manager, the Stix kicked off the night with a rendition of “Our Own House” by MisterWives—a debut performance of the cover. Olivia Lynch, MCAS ’17, soloed, singing the entire song with full enthusiasm in a Darth Vader onesie. Immediately after, Dominique Alba, CSOM ’17, stepped up to the mic to continue the show with “Ain’t No Other Man” by vocal powerhouse Christina Aguilera. The next song was the first of many

Coldplay

Before Friday’s Music Guild Winter Concert began, only a hum of noise set the stage in the Vanderslice Cabaret Room as the eager audience mumbled indistinctly near the back of the sizeable venue. A lingering sense of excitement seemed to emanate from the quietly chattering crowd as it waited for the show to commence. The concert started fashionably late, but it began with a bang, both literally and figuratively. The lineup consisted of 10 bands and performers, all talented in their own regard. The concert began with MT, a girl and guy duo that was

melodically succinct and enjoyable to listen to. They opened the concert with a cover performance of Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You,” which was performed pristinely, but without much deviance from the original. Notes were not always hit with grace, but at the end of the song it felt like a perfect performance. The exuberant duo followed its cover piece with a more original song, a merry mash-up of Childish Gambino’s “Sober” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” aptly entitled, “Have Yourself a Sober Little Christmas.” Even though microphone issues put a slight dent in the beginning of the piece, the duo’s voices blended perfectly

See Music Guild, B7

LUCIUS XUAN / HEIGHTS STAFF

See Aca-Wars, B7

The legendary British band struggles in trying to evolve from its signature sound, B6

The Vanderslice Cabaret Room played host to the Music Guild’s Winter Concert Saturday.

‘Modern Family’

Full with tension, the latest season of the sitcom exhibits its comedic and emotional duality B6

Weekend Box Office Report.........................B6 Hardcover Bestsellers.....................................B6 Kid Cudi............................................................B6


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