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BC’s winter sports teams bring the Sochi Olympic Games to campus, B10
Students performed the annual show, ‘The Vagina Monologues,’ over the weekend, A10
Jabari Parker and Duke out-class the Eagles down low in secondhalf rout, B1
www.bcheights.com
The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College
HEIGHTS
THE
established
1919
Monday, February 10, 2014
Vol. XCV, No. 7
Congressman criticizes BC, other schools for unclear FAFSA policies BY CONNOR FARLEY News Editor More than 100 U.S. colleges and universities have been accused of misleading students about financial aid application policies, specifically regarding the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Boston College is one of the 111 universities in question. On Monday, Feb. 3, U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), who heads the Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued a letter to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan claiming that more than half of the 200 schools reviewed in a Congressional study on financial aid application policies have either explicitly required ap-
plicants to submit forms other than the FAFSA or failed to make clear that students only need to submit the FAFSA for federal student aid consideration. “Instead, these institutions appear to be establishing additional requirements for students to complete costly additional forms, including the fee-based PROFILE form developed by the College Board, to be considered for any financial aid,” the letter reads. “Congress banned this practice in 1992 because it creates undue hurdles for students seeking federal student aid.” On Boston College’s official financial aid information page for prospective students, which was updated on Feb. 6, three days after Cummings’ letter, there is currently a para-
graph that explicitly clarifies the purpose of the FAFSA. The University’s statement regarding the FAFSA on its current website for prospective students is as follows: “To apply for federal and/or student aid, you need to complete just the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA),” it reads. “Federal aid includes Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Directs Loans, both subsidized and unsubsidized, Perkins loans, Nursing loans, and Work-Study. State aid varies by state. Once the FAFSA is completed, you may be selected by the Federal Processor for a process called verification, which means you will have to provide your actual tax data on the FAFSA through the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.” The site continues, clarifying that the pro-
cess for institutional aid is separate and requires different forms. “Please note that by completing only the FAFSA, Boston College is not able to determine your eligibility for institutional needbased grants,” the webpage reads. “In order to be considered for all institutional need-based aid as well as al federal and state aid, you must complete the FAFSA and the forms listed below, if applicable to your situation.” Prior to Feb. 6, 2014, however, that same webpage did not include those paragraphs. The archived webpage, which was last updated in April of 2013, consisted of only a list of eight forms required from the University without a written explanation as to which forms were necessary for federal aid and how individual documents were used as criteria for University-
based or other institutional aid. To be considered for federal student aid— including federal grants, loans, and work-study programs—prospective college students in the U.S. are only required to submit the FAFSA, which can be done online for free. Cummings identified in an evaluation of 200 universities that 111 of them were in breach of the Higher Education Act by neglecting to make clear that extraneous forms and the fees associated with them are not needed to qualify for federal aid. The Higher Education Act was originally created in 1965 to establish federal student aid programs and is the defining piece of legislature
See FAFSA, A4
CEO of SAP talks innovation at BC Chief Executives’ Club BY CONNOR FARLEY News Editor
With its rapidly expanding presence in the startup industry, Boston College is no stranger to “disruptive innovation”—a set of business strategies aimed toward restructuring existing markets or technology, and the topic of SAP—a German software development company—co-CEO Bill McDermott’s talk at BC’s Chief Executives’ Club of Boston luncheon last Thursday, Feb. 6. The event, in association with the Carroll School of Management and hosted by Chairman and CEO of EMC Corporation Joseph Tucci, welcomed nearly 300 Boston-area CEOs to the Boston Harbor Hotel’s Wharf Room, where the BC CEO Club meets between six and eight times per year. Before Tucci—who oversees $21.7 billion in revenues and leads more than 60,000 employees globally at EMC, an American software solutions company, introduced his longtime friend and colleague McDermott, the Chief Excutives’ Club of Boston awarded Nazifa Subah, CSOM ’17, its annual scholarship. The scholarship, which was established in 2002 by Patrick T. Stokes, BC ’64 and former CEO of Anheuser-Busch
Companies, recognizes an outstanding undergraduate within CSOM and is made in honor of corporations and their CEOs whose business leadership lines up with the educational mission of the University. This year’s scholarship was made in honor of McDermott. “The scholarship will provide invaluable financial resources to an undergraduate student throughout her four years at Boston College,” said Warren Zola, executive director of Corporate and Government Affairs and sports law professor at BC. After Tucci concluded his opening remarks, McDermott led the discussion on the concept disruptive innovation by first harkening back to his early, more humble days as a young entrepreneur. McDermott’s road to SAP began when he traded in three jobs he’d been working to buy his own delicatessen business not long after graduating from high school. He made it the forefront of his focus to understand the demands of his consumers and foster personal relationships with the shop’s patrons. It was at this local deli, McDermott claimed, that he cultivated a thorough sense of customer interaction—lessons
See CEO Club, A4
NATHAN MCGUIRE / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Three teams kicked off their campaigns for the UGBC presidency and vice presidency at Sunday’s elections commencement event.
UGBC COMMENCES CAMPAIGNS BY NATHAN MCGUIRE Asst. News Editor
EMILY FAHEY / HEIGHTS EDITOR
After what initially could have been an uncontested election, the Elections Committee (EC) officially commenced the campaign for UGBC president and executive vice president in an invigorated kick-off event in the Cabaret Room on Sunday night. This year’s campaign season will last from today until next Wednesday. With only 10 days to hone their messages, the candidates rallied their supporters and gave a broad overview of their platforms
last night. Attendees supporting Lucas Levine and Vance Vergara, both A&S ’15, donned blue t-shirts, while those supporting Nanci Fiore-Chettiar and Chris Marchese, both A&S ’15, wore red t-shirts. Michael Moazampour and Robert Watt, both A&S ’16—the only sophomore team in the race—had green t-shirts to pass out, but few of their supporters turned out to the event. This year, all t-shirt orders were placed through the EC and the cost was deducted from the teams’ $300 spending limit.
Rachel Fagut and Ross Fishman, both co-chairs and CSOM ’14, hosted the event and introduced the candidates to an audience of about 200 students. Fiore-Chettiar and Marchese, who currently serve as UGBC senators, were first to introduce themselves and their general platform. “We believe that UGBC needs to be an advocate that actually delivers on the promise the candidate makes,” Marchese said. “So, we’ve been disappointed with the organization this year. We’ve been
See UGBC Elections, A4
Co-CEO of SAP Bill McDermott spoke to a group of 300 corporate leaders at the BC CEO Club.
SASA hosts 17th annual culture show ‘Apna Zamana’ in Robsham BY BRIAN THUROW For The Heights Robsham Theatre exhibited an array of vibrant colors last Saturday night as it hosted the South Asian Student Association’s (SASA) 17th Annual culture show, Apna Zamana. Minutes before showtime a SASA alumnus announced to the audience that the venue was officially sold out. Following the announcement, masters of ceremonies Caila Quinn, CSOM ’14, and Wesley Mather, A&S ’14, formally welcomed the audience to the organization’s show. The SASA culture club represents the nations of South Asia, namely India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, and its culture show is the biggest yearly forum at Boston College in which the association is able to foster crosscultural understanding and promote the
uniqueness of South Asian culture. The show commenced with a presentation from the Saheli Charity—an organization dedicated to supporting South Asian women and families in the Greater Boston area—that highlighted statistics regarding domestic abuse in South Asia and among South Asian immigrants. Although the charity’s presentation engaged the audience about pressing socio-political issues rooted in South Asian culture, the night proceeded by welcoming the first dance troupe with enthusiasm. Masti, SASA’s premier dance group, bolstered the performance with its mix of contemporary and classical dance, infusing Bollywood-style grace with groovy disco moves. This musical fusion would prove to be the theme of the night, with every dance and musical performance innovatively combining
the modern with the traditional. A group of freshman SASA members then took the stage to showcase their dance routine. “This dance has made us closer— helped us bond,” said Isra Hussain, A&S ’17, of the dance’s difficulty. The freshmen were followed by four female students who combined dance styles from Northern and Southern India, performing with bells around their ankles. The choreography added a unique flare to the group’s take on the popular Beyonce song “Deja Vu.” After ward, the event shifted its tone from playful to competitive with a dance battle between the all-male dance troupe and the all-female ensemble. The friendly competition generated substantial applause for both teams, but ultimately leaned in favor of the
See SASA, A4
DREW HOO / HEIGHTS STAFF
SASA combined dance, song, and cultural identity in its performance of ‘Apna Zamana.’