The Heights 02/11/2013

MUMFORD MANIA FINAL MINUTE FALL

‘BRIGHTON’ YOUR DAY FEATURES

ARTS & REVIEW

SPORTS

An inside look at BC’s little-known third campus, B10

The Grammy-winning folk-rock stars shone at Boston’s TD Garden, A10

Men’s basketball stays close but fails to upset No. 4 Duke in a last minute thriller, B1

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THE

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College

established

1919

Monday, February 11, 2013

Vol. XCIV, No. 7

New UGBC constitution passes, will take effect in fall semester

BY ANDREW SKARAS Asst. News Editor A week after releasing the final draft of the new constitution, the UGBC voted Sunday to adopt it starting in the 2013-14 school year. After spending months assembling the new constitution and weeks debating and amending it, the GLC, the ALC, and the Senate all passed the con-

stitution.

Because of the snowstorm, voting was unable to proceed as originally planned and each branch had to adapt to the circumstances. Since the shuttle system was off-line, they were forced to find alternative methods of ensuring that Newton and off-campus residents could vote. The GLC went ahead with their planned meeting, but allowed absentee voting for members

who could not make it. The ALC canceled their meeting, but held an anonymous online poll voting through the members’ Agora portals. The Senate proceeded with their scheduled meeting and picked up and dropped off freshmen from Newton, so that they could attend. Both the GLC and the Senate votes were closed meetings.

“There are normally 19 voting members [of the Senate],” said Vanessa Gomez, Sen-

ate president and A&S ’13. “We really wanted to get this passed today, so we decided that we were going to hold the vote. Fifteen voting members were present, which met the two-thirds quorum. We took a voice vote and it passed unanimously.”

“The online poll voting ran smoothly,” said Devika Patel, ALC president and A&S ’13. “There were 69 eligible voting members and 51 votes came in. Of those votes, 35

Winter storm Nemo buries BC

were a yes.”

“There are 31 eligible voting members from GLC,” said Joshua Tingley, GLC president and A&S ’13. “We have some freshmen who live on Newton who were unable to make it, but otherwise no real difficulties. We had 24 members vote yes, five vote no, and two abstentions.”

See UGBC, A4

Crane talks digitalized humanities

BY ANDREW SKARAS Asst. News Editor

BY ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT News Editor

T GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Boston College’s campus was covered in about two feet of snow after winter storm Nemo passed through on Friday night.

he Boston College campus was blanketed with snow last weekend as winter storm Nemo dropped almost 25 inches on Boston.

Even before the storm arrived, a significant amount of planning went into the University’s response.

“My office is charged with coordinating University responses to any crisis on campus. We do that by coordinating with key offices—facilities, police, dining, and so on,” said John Tommaney, director of emergency preparedness. He said that his department realized as early as Tuesday or Wednesday that they were facing a potentially serious situation, and thus began internal discussions about how to handle the storm.

“Our focus is really the safety of the students and the administrators and faculty on campus,” Tommaney said. “We also looked at the status of power, and any events on campus that might be affected by the storm.”

Director of Facilites Management Michael Jednak echoed the sentiment. “During the

storm, our primary concern was the safety and security of the people living here,” Jednak said.

“We focused on exits and main doors of our dining and residence halls, making sure they could get into the dining facilities.”

To coordinate the University response, Tommaney and his office were in contact with administrators, including the President’s office, Human Resources, and the Provost’s office. “We were in close contact with Dining Services, Facilities—those that would be affected by the storm—as well as Athletics and Campus Recreation,” Tommaney said. They also checked in with what Tommaney called BC’s “counterpoint institutions”—those similar to BC, including Tufts, BU, and MIT. A decision was made Thursday afternoon to close the University on Friday, and students were immediately informed via email and text.

According to Tommaney, BC Dining also made an effort to determine which workers would be available. “[Dining Services has] a series of emergency procedures put in place,” Tommaney said. “They increase their food

See Nemo, A4

See Crane, A3

‘Vagina Monologues’ elicits laughs, reflection

CSA and KSA present culture show

2013 marks show’s 10th year on campus

BY QIAN DENG

BY JENNIFER HEINE

Heights Staff

Heights Staff Judging by attendance numbers alone, a casual onlooker at Robsham Theater Sunday evening could hardly have guessed the difficulties organizers faced in putting together their culture show. The Korean Students Association (KSA) and Chinese Students Association (CSA) collaborated on the annual event to celebrate the lunar New Year, originally scheduling it for Feb. 8.

The emergence of Nemo delayed the event to Feb. 10, however. With that fortuitous gain came a variety of losses. Now, the show was to occur on a night that preceded classes rather than the weekend, and it conflicted with a basketball game against

“I always like to start by saying that I don’t believe in the digital humanities,” said Gregory Crane, chair of the classics department at Tufts University. “When we say digital humanities, we have people identify it as a separate niche field. From my perspective, it’s not about a separate field, but living in a world that we are a part of. Ideas are now flowing through a digital space—what does that mean for us as humanists?”

Sponsored by the Center for the Liberal Arts and the University Libraries, Crane came to Boston College on Thursday to discuss his work bringing together the study of the humanities and modern technology. A professor of Greek and Latin, Crane also serves as the editorin-chief of the Perseus Project, an online digital library that primarily houses texts and other resources from the Greco-Roman world.

As a background to his work, Crane discussed the German and English intellectual traditions from which the American university system was created.

He contrasted the German tradition of advancing human understanding and the English tradition of the privilege of education.

“University begins with the ability to contribute to and advance human understanding [in the German tradition],” Crane explained. “There is the other thread of Anglo-American education. Education is designed to establish you and give you privileges.”

Crane then turned to the goals of his current work and the challenges that he faces in incorporating technology into the life of the modern university and the intellectual life of humanity.

“How do we help people think about the particular languages and cultures you

EUN HEE KWON / HEIGHTS STAFF

The CSA/KSA Culture Show, originally scheduled for Friday, took place last night in Robsham.

Duke University.

Additionally, many methods of transit were still unavailable due to the blizzard.

“The storm had a serious impact on people outside the BC campus,” said Joshua Li, CSA co-president and CSOM ’13. “We were expecting so many people from BU, Dartmouth, and some of our hometown friends to come, and now they couldn’t be here.”

Nonetheless, Robsham Theater was

filled to near capacity, as hundreds of students braved the frigid day to view a spectacular celebration of cultural tradition and modern identity. “Despite the postponement, we’re really happy with the way it turned out, and we’re grateful for the support at Robsham and everyone at the University. It was a great last culture show for me as a senior,” said Samuel Cho, KSA

See Culture Show, A4

Even the impending winter storm Nemo couldn’t deter the crowds that descended upon McGuinn this weekend for The Vagina Monologues. Although the blizzard shuttered the Friday and Saturday night performances and rescheduled Sunday’s, the audience packed the auditorium both nights in support of the performance’s 10th anniversary at Boston College.

The Vagina Monologues, Eve Ensler’s groundbreaking 1996 play, takes the structure of a series of monologues, based on interviews held with women from a variety of age groups and backgrounds, concerning the female experience and, specifically, their relationships

with their vaginas. The segments fluctuated from the comical, as performers reenacted in humorous fashion the universal irritations and pleasures of femininity, to the serious, as they tackled such topics as sexism, body image, genital mutilation, and rape.

Nicole Laniado, CSOM ’13, took on one of the most disturbing roles in “My Vagina Was My Village,” a monologue based on the testimonies of Bosnian women subjected to gang rape. “This role was definitely a challenge; but I found within it such an empowering presence and powerful personal connection with what it means to be a survivor,” Laniado said. “What was difficult for me was getting out of the character after playing the role, and finding ways to calm myself down. I often felt like I was trembling after going through the monologue.”

She hoped that her performance sheds light

See ‘Monologues,’ A4

TopTHREE

THE HEIGHTS

A2

Beanpot Tournament

Day of Remembrance

Monday, February 11, 2013

Battle of Complexions

1 2 3 Today Time: 8:00 p.m.

Location: The TD Garden

The Boston College men’s ice hockey team will face off against Northeastern in the Beanpot Championship game. The Eagles are looking to build off of their 4-1 win in the Beanpot semi-finals over Harvard.

Wednesday Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Higgins 300

Yutaka Kobayashi, a survivor of Japanese internment camps in the U.S., will speak on the unjust internment of Japanese Americans during WWII for the Japan Club of Boston College’s Day of Remembrance.

Wednesday Time: 5:30 p.m.

Location: Gasson Hall, Room 100

The Office of AHANA Student Programs and Black History Month Planning Committee present “Battle of Complexions: The Significance of Skin Color in the Black Community” and “Why Can’t I say the N Word?” Both discussions are open to the general public.

FEATURED EVENT

BC alum runs ultramarathon for fundraiser

BY JENNIFER HEINE Heights Staff Liz Byron has always done things best in under a minute. The former Boston College swimmer sprinted her way to the school’s 50-free record before graduating from the Lynch School of Education in 2006.

However, the now sixth grade special education teacher at Gardner Pilot Academy (GPA) in Allston wanted a change of pace.

Next spring, Byron plans to run a 155-mile ultra marathon in Africa through the Sahara Desert called the Marathon des Sables to raise $50,000 for 30 new laptops for her school. “If you told me when I was 22 that I would be running an 155 mile race at 28 I would have laughed,” Byron said.

The Marathon des Sables consists of five and a half marathons over six days, in 110-degree heat. All of the runner’s food, water, and supplies must be carried on his or her back.

“I’ve always been ver y competitive and focused my whole life,” Byron said. “So this seemed like the natural way to go about effecting change.”

Byron’s valiant efforts are for a good cause, too. GPA only has three antiquated laptops for 46 sixth grade students. The school used to have a fourth, but it has broken and has not been replaced.

“Middle school students deserve access to working technology,” Byron said. “Our students are the types of kids who can and will succeed, but are more likely to succeed when given the resources they deserve.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF GARDNER PILOT ACADEMY

Liz Byron, a teacher at Gardner Pilot Academy, will run an ultramarathon to raise $50,000.

The school’s demographics alone illustrate the need for the integration of modern technology into curriculum.

87.5 percent of Gardner Pilot students are at or below poverty line, 56 percent speak another language at home, and 21 percent have a disability.

“How can we expect to end poverty when we aren’t educating these kids properly?” Byron asked. “We are trying to train kids to be successful members of society in a world where the presence

of technology is overwhelming—how can we expect them to achieve success without access to crucial resources?”

Byron says that there are a plethora of assets to having technology available in schools, particularly for special needs kids. Specifically, MacBook laptops make curriculum more accessible to students with disabilities with various user-friendly features.

Byron is fundraising through the website www.runforlaptops.org. One

POLICE BLOTTER

hundred percent of the money donated goes toward buying laptops for the school. Byron is funding the race and travel expenses herself. So far, she has raised $20,036 of her $50,000 goal. She has already bought eight MacBook laptops that are being put to good use at GPA. “The school fundraises an enormous amount to be able to provide the programs it does, so I saw this is just filling in another gap,” Byron said.

GPA is a full-ser vice Boston Public School with unique programs and special facilities. The school provides family support, a full-time counselor, a nurse, and adult education. The school also has two stateof-the-art science laboratories and an outdoor science classroom.

GPA also provides enough special education so that students can learn in a general education environment. All of this, however, would not be possible without extensive private fundraising from people like Byron.

Byron says that it is her kids that motivate her and inspire her to keep working toward her $50,000 goal.

She is e ven getting the kids involved in the process in the classroom. She has added elements of the race and fundraising, such as the temperature of the desert, length of the race, and percentage of the money earned, into her curriculum.

“The kids are engaged, involved, and so incredibly grateful, says Byron. “They truly inspire and energize me each day with how hard they work—I couldn’t think of a better cause worth running 155 miles in the desert for,” she said. 

2/6/13-2/8/13

Wednesday, February 6

Thursday, February 7

Friday, February 8

12:21 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a BC student needing medical assistance in McElroy Commons. The student was later transported by cruiser to a medical facility.

1:25 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a BC student needing medical assistance in Vanderslice Hall. The student was later transported to a medical facility.

12:53 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a BC student needing medical assistance on Campanella Way. The student was transported by cruiser to a medical facility.

12:35 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an activated fire alarm in St. Mary’s Hall.

10:34 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a recovered stolen property by a detective in McElroy Commons.

2:33 p.m. - A report was filed regarding assistance provided to another agency off campus.

8:04 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance in Fulton Hall.

3:37 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an activated fire alarm in Stayer Hall.

9:12 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance in Shaw House.

10:16 p.m. - A report was filed regarding vandalism in Gabelli Hall.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

College Corner NEWS FROM UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

BY DEVON SANFORD Assoc. News Editor On Thursday, Duke University’s mens basketball team went head to head against their ACC rival, North Carolina State. During the game, a group of Duke fans heckled Tyler Lewis, a freshman guard for N.C. State.

The Cameron Crazies, Duke’s infamously enthusiastic student section, were reportedly chanting “How’s your grandma?” while Lewis shot free throws in the second half of the game. Lewis lost his 83-year-old grandmother, Margie Campbell Lewis, to complications from pneumonia on Feb. 1, according to USA Today.

The Duke Chronicle, Duke Univeristy’s independent student newspaper, reported that fans chanted “past your bedtime”—not “How’s your grandma?”—in reference to Lewis’ youth as a college freshman. Duke Chronicle also reported that fans heckled the 5-11, 157 pound guard with the chant “Bilbo Baggins.”

Lewis’ father, Rick, told the News-

Observer that he heard a group of fans chanting about the family’s recent loss.

“It was mostly ‘past your bedtime,’ but there was an instant when a brief number of students chanted about Tyler’s grandmother,” Rick Lewis said. “It wasn’t the entire student section, I think a few tried to outdo themselves.”

Nolan Evens, an editor for N.C. State’s student newspaper who attended the game, tweeted that a “handful of dumb college kids” in the student section started the chant. Evans later re-tweeted a message from Richard Howell, an N.C. state forward.

“He lost his grandma and y’all chant that?” Howell’s tweet read. “Cowards.”

“We have looked into the stories that are circulating on the internet, talked to dozens of people who were at the game, and no one we’ve talked to, including several of the 50-plus journalists who were sitting in front of the student section, heard the alleged chant,” Matt Plizga, Duke basketball spokesman told the Daily News in an email. 

1:02 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance in Vanderslice Hall.

A Guide to Your Newspaper The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467 Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223 Editorial General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Metro Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823 Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753 EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story?

Call Eleanor Hildebrandt, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or e-mail news@bcheights. com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk.

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

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

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

VOICES FROM THE DUSTBOWL “If you could perform any song at the Grammys what would it be?”

“‘Juicy’ by Notorious B.I.G.”

“‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

by Queen.”

—Joe Rodriguez, A&S ’16

—Hans Friedi, A&S ’16

“‘Girl on Fire’

by Alicia Keys.”

—Rundell Douglas, A&S ’16

“Pursuit of Happiness.”

—Francis Adams,

A&S ’15

The Heights

Monday, February 11, 2013

A3

Silence in the snow

Burns talk promotes integrated humanities Crane, from A1

Taylour Kumpf Simply because I could, I took the opportunity over the last three days to do absolutely nothing. Feel free to call me lame, but you didn’t catch me playing beer pong on a handcrafted snow table or building a snowman in a bikini. I didn’t climb on top of the Plex or sled down the hill behind Iggy. Instead, I spent most of the weekend in my room (read: my bed) alternating between watching Breaking Bad and finishing a book for class. This extreme laziness even extended to my meals, as mac and cheese and Stacy’s pita chips became my sole sustenance.

Before you go ahead and completely write me off, I will confess that I emerged from hibernation Saturday afternoon—long enough to take in all that Nemo had to offer. And for me, what Nemo offered was silence.

Just as the winds died down and the last snowflakes descended upon Chestnut Hill, I decided to take a quiet walk across Middle Campus. As I made my way slowly, down each crudely carved path, the sun began to peak out from behind the clouds, and the last of the snow settled to the earth. I was left noticing the comfortable stillness of my surroundings.

Have you ever really observed how quiet snow is? The sensation took my breath away, and I began to realize that silence is something you can listen to and learn from. It has a certain quality and dimension all its own. Left alone with only my thoughts and the screaming silence, my peaceful walk through the snow became a practice in meditation, a spiritual experience that I have only recently come to be familiar with.

Under the tutelage of John McDargh, my Religious Quest colleagues and I are growing to understand the power of silence and meditation as we study the Buddhist tradition. Just as I did on this soundless Saturday afternoon jaunt, we begin each class with a centering silence, bringing our minds and bodies to the present moment. At first, the exercise made me self-conscious.

Was I breathing too loud? Did everyone around me have his or her eyes closed, too? Over time, however, I’ve let my guard down and now crave these opportunities to reflect on my day.

My budding relationship with silence has allowed me to know myself more fully, and it has a certain religious quality to it.

The poem “Shoveling Snow with Buddha,” my inspiration for this column, captures the religious essence of the inaudible: “This is so much better than a sermon in church, / I say out loud, but Buddha keeps on shoveling. / This is the true religion, the religion of snow, / and sunlight and winter geese barking in the sky, / I say, but he is too busy to hear me.”

Unfortunately for the speaker of this poem, he’s struggling for small talk with the master of silent meditation.

While I won’t tell you to ignore your friends when they’re talking to you, I do believe that finding time to just stop for a minute or two during a stressful day can make a world of difference. It’s not easy, I agree, and until recently, I would do anything to avoid being alone with my inner monologue. Take my advice though, and give it a try. When life looks like a twisted knot, silence can be the unraveling force you seek, for deep within those pockets of quiet lie the answers to your questions. If any of you seniors out there are, like me, beyond confused about the next step, that tiny shuffle that takes us from our sheltered Boston College lives into the harsh light of reality, I would hurry up and take a silent walk through the snow before it melts.

Taylour Kumpf is a senior staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at news@bcheights.com.

Andrew Skaras / Heights editor

Michelle Soloman, A&S ’15, taught a class on tye-die to high school students during the fall semester’s Splash.

BC Splash to add more group activities, expand offerings

By Devon Sanford Assoc. News Editor This semester, high school students from the greater New England area will learn, play, and experiment with Boston College students during the sixth annual BC Splash. The teaching program offers high school students the opportunity to visit BC campus for the day, and attend courses created and taught by BC undergraduate and graduate students.

Classes range from introductory calculus to Greek mythology to SAT prep to yoga classes in the Plex. BC students have the opportunity to teach classes they are passionate about for high school students who share that very same passion.

“It’s really exciting because the teachers (who we call ‘professors’) for the program can teach about anything they want,” Mike Dolan, a member of the BC Splash executive board and A&S’ 14, said in an email. “My roommate Tom and I have taught two classes called ‘Real Chemistry, True Explosions,’ where we introduced chemical concepts like equilibrium, oxidation-reduction reactions, and temperature with hands-on demonstrations. The high school students really love being engaged and involved in the class, so we brought in liquid nitrogen to make ice cream, froze things with dry ice, and burned salts to see the resulting colors.”

BC Splash hosts students from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and even Long Island. Many of these students come from economically disadvantaged communities. BC Splash allows these students to experience college for a day and, in many cases, become inspired by the talents and passions of BC students. The teaching program started in the fall of 2010 and has since grown into the third largest Splash program in the country. This past fall, BC Splash hosted about 800 high school students and held 215 classes. Dolan expects the program to grow this semester.

“We’re hoping to host about 1,000 students and offer about 250 class sections taught by about 150 teachers,” Dolan said. “So it’s a huge program.”

Last semester, BC Splash began a program called the Splash Leaders.

On the day of the event Splash Leaders acted as Orientation Leaders, pairing with a group of 15 to 20 high school students. The Leaders hosted ice breakers, games, and activities in the Quad.

“As a whole, the Leaders program is designed to make the Splash experience more encompassing and holistic,” Dolan said. “We want the students coming to BC to feel like they have someone they can reach out to not only within the Splash program, but within BC. Some students who come to Splash eventually apply to BC, so the leaders function as a

contact to whom students can direct questions about the school.”

This semester, Splash staff plans to expand the program. More activities in the Quad will be added and high school students will have the opportunity to eat group lunches in the dining halls.

“Sometimes [high school] students come with friends, which is great, but other times their parents drop them off alone,” Dolan said.

“We’d like them to feel welcome and engaged during their time at Splash.

So, group lunches would give them a community they can connect to throughout the day.”

The BC Splash staff has been preparing for the event, which will run on Sunday, April 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., for several months.

This Friday marks the deadline for BC students to register a class. There is only one requirement for teaching a class, Dolan said. Students have to be excited about it.

“If you’re going to teach a class on art history in Renaissance Italy, have a passion for it; if you’re teaching a class on the science of cooking, express your interest in how science and cooking intersect. Obviously, if you’re teaching a science class, it’s good to have some experience in the laboratory, and if you’re teaching a class on villains in literature, you should read the books you’ll talk about. But that’s pretty much it—just be excited about your subject.” n

Foley discusses modern liberal arts education and Augustine

By Gabby Tarini Heights Staff What would St. Augustine say about a so-called liberal arts education in the 21st century?

This is the question that Michael Foley, an associate professor of Patristics in the Honors College at Baylor University, aimed to answer last Thursday night in an event sponsored by the Boston College Lonergan Institute.

Foley received his Ph.D. from BC in 1999. Before arriving at Baylor University, Foley taught at BC and the University of Notre Dame.

Foley’s lecture seemed especially pertinent to BC right now because the University is currently engaged in a reevaluation of its liberal arts core education—a topic that can generate a lot of smoke, fire, and animosity without a lot of reflection.

Before he even began his lecture, Foley admitted that though Augustine is the grandfather of the modern university, the celebrated saint is a rather odd and contradictory ancestor for the university.

“Augustine was a critic of the liberal arts,” admitted Foley. “He realized that there were significant moral, intellectual, and religious limitations to a liberal arts education.”

In Augustine’s time, the liberal arts were considered essential for what it meant to be educated.

While the servile arts were taught to the working class for the pur-

pose of gaining livelihood, the liberal arts were taught to the elite for the purpose of living life well.

Augustine knew, however, that the true order of the living involved a life of virtue, good friends, and a love of the true God. This order of living must precede the order of liberal arts. “ Without the ongoing accompaniment of the liberal arts with the true order of living, Augustine knew that any liberal arts education would fall on untilled ground,” Foley said.

Augustine himself admitted in The Confessions that after extensively studying the liberal arts, he was not successful from dislodging the material mindset that he was deeply mired in.

“Augustine realized that the liberal arts do not necessarily lead to morality and love of God,” Foley said. “They are disciplines directly concerned with facets of knowledge, not the foundations of knowledge.”

Augustine’s stress of the limitation of liberal arts reminds modern universities of the need to foster moral and religious excellence alongside academic excellence.

“In the contemporary context, this no easy task,” Foley said. “Official promotion of modesty on a college campus is sure to bring protest, but standardized unisex bathrooms in most college dorms won’t.”

Foley thought that if universities are serious about knowledge, they must find within themselves

the ability to take seriously the moral condition of its students.

Augustine still held out hope for the liberal arts, however, so long as they were properly practiced.

“The habits of intellectual acuity that the liberal arts provide for gives one a sense for the false—a nose for nonsense, if you will,” Foley said.

Augustine believed that the liberal arts train and broaden the imagination. The liberal arts force students to construct images instead of blindly ingesting them through the media.

“The liberal arts are essential to getting to higher vistas—whether it be science or business,” Foley said.

Finally, Foley asked how all this is relevant to the modern university.

“Augustine’s assessment is relevant today because it bears upon the university’s most acute challenges,” Foley said.

Foley stated that a true liberal arts college will have one goal: “The goal of a liberal arts college is not to earn meat, but to learn the aim of the life which meat nourishes.”

Foley urged the audience to think of this distinction with respect to career ambitions and plans for life.

“What are you going to do with the material conditions that your career provides? What is the real purpose of your life? Only the liberal arts can help you answer those questions.” n

study?” Crane asked. “How do we get more people working with Greek and Latin?”

One of his focuses was the idea of metaphors and how they guide a researcher’s work. He spoke of “sustaining a global republic of letters” and “a dialogue among civilizations.”

As a researcher trained in the days before the Internet, Crane also talked about the transition to online databases and what the purpose of libraries would be in a digital world.

“Those who work for libraries are the only generalists at a university,” Crane said, defending the position of libraries within a modern university.

“In the traditions of library science are the ways of thinking generally.

Faculty cannot organize things crossdisciplinarily without robust library services.”

Describing the work of his former thesis advisor, Crane discussed a three-week project to digitize Byzantine manuscripts of Homer that was accomplished 10 years ago.

These digital files were accessible to everyone, including undergraduates, and had never been translated before.

“When people realize that they are doing something new that no one has ever done, it is different than trying to get 100 percent of a task that has been assigned to them,” Crane said. “They are contributing to knowledge of a manuscript no

one has ever done before. They had excellent retention in their Greek classes.”

As a classicist, Crane talked about how small the audience was for which he normally published and his desire to increase the study of Greek. One of the issues that he said this posed was that of labor shortage. With many classical resources

“Faculty cannot organize things crossdisciplinarily without robust library services. ” - Gregory Crane Classics department chair at Tufts University available online, he suggested that the solution was the work of student research and the citizen scholar.

Crane also recently received the Alexander von Humboldt professorship, a five-year funded position.

He spoke about shifting his research to Leipzig, Germany and the work he would do in such a transatlantic setting.

“This is the first such transatlantic lab,” Crane said. “My task is to help Europe defend against Anglo-American cultural domination.” n

Panel calls intellectual tradition to action

By Eleanor Hildebrandt News Editor “I maintain that there is a center, or a heart, to the Catholic intellectual tradition,” said Rev. Robert Imbelli, whose last year at Boston College is drawing to a close, to a crowd in Gasson 100 last Thursday night.

“One that distinguishes it from a Platonic or an Aristotelian, a Stoic or an Epicurean tradition.”

BC’s Church in the 21st Century (C21) began its schedule of spring semester events with a panel titled “The Heart of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition,” consisting of Imbelli; Marina McCoy, a professor in the philosophy department; and Khaled Anatolios, a professor in the School of Theology and Ministry (STM). Imbelli spoke first, with McCoy and Anatolios giving shorter, follow-up statements. The floor was then opened to questions from the audience.

Imbelli began by referencing the most recent issue of the C21 publication, which he edited. “It is an invitation to explore this inexhaustible reality that is the Catholic intellectual tradition.

Like the facets of a diamond or the threads of a tapestry, I hope in tonight’s presentation to offer a framework for reflection— not the only framework, but a framework for reflection—an invitation to reflect further—to broaden, to deepen, to modify, to add.”

“At its heart, the Catholic intellectual tradition is not a series of ideas, however brilliant and insightful, but a person, who bears a name and has a face … the face, of course, is Jesus Christ,” Imbelli said. “The resurrection of Christ lies at the heart of the Catholic intellectual tradition … It not only inspires devotion, worship and prayer—but then it also gives rise to thought and reflection.”

Imbelli enumerated some of these thoughts. “Does the Catholic intellectual tradition also place us before an existential challenge?” he asked.

“A fundamental choice? I think it does, and to put it starkly, it asks: do we ultimately encounter, in our journey, presence or absence?”

On that theme of presence versus absence, Imbelli went on to recount an experience he had shortly after the Velvet Revolution of 1989—while visiting the

newly liberated Czechoslovakia, he entered a 17th-century Jesuit church that had been destroyed.

“I found there a place of devastation and dehumanization,” he said. “[It] created a sense of total absence, a void … There came to me a personal revelation—so not authorized, not official; private, and therefore not authoritative—that the denial of presence is also a denial of humanity, whether by a totalitarian state, or by everyday bullying and bias.”

Tradition, Imbelli said, is not what is old, or what is past, but a way of life. “Through its sacramental practices, the Catholic intellectual tradition promotes a Eucharistic way of life,” he said.

During Mass, he said, if the congregation does not give thanks, then the Mass should cease. It is the duty of Catholics always and everywhere to give thanks—and that entails becoming the bearers of what he called “real presence,” in their care and concern for the earth, God’s community, and one another. Quoting Pope John Paul II, Imbelli said that Christ gives the assurance, “I am with you”—a promise, too, of presence.

After Imbelli concluded his speech, McCoy responded briefly. She specializes in ancient philosophy and the sophists, and do e s work w ith pr i s on ministry—in her talk, she highlighted her involvement with the PULSE program at BC, referencing the Gospel of Mark, which focuses on Jesus’ mission: to heal, to feed, and to spend time with those who are poor in one way or another. “Jesus acts,” McCoy said. “Our intellectual tradition must never become disconnected from that call to action, especially in solidarity with those who are poor, hungry, imprisoned, tortured, or ostracized.”

Finally, Anatolios, who is a member of the STM’s ecclesiastical faculty, also gave a short response. He noted, in part, the atmospheric differences between ancient and modern worship: “Even loving Christ is much less prominent in our own time,” “The assurance that God loves us is a staple of every retreat and spiritual program— never does one hear much talk about loving Christ … we generally talk of following Christ, of imitating Christ’s love for others—yet rarely do we hear of loving Christ himself.” n

The Heights

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Monday, February 11, 2013

Constitution passes ALC, GLC, Senate UGBC, from A1

graham beck / heights editor

The bubble over Alumni Stadium collapsed on Saturday morning due to increased pressure from the weekend’s fallen snow. Facilities is currently working to assess the damage.

University works to clean up post-Nemo damages Nemo, from A1 stores on campus, in case deliveries can’t come through.” Dining consolidated its service into the three main venues—Corcoran Commons, Stuart Hall, and McElroy Hall—for the duration of the storm. “They did request that some of our workforce be prepared to stay over, which they did,” Tommaney said. In addition, student workers were encouraged to work outside their normal shifts in order to help out the BC Dining employees. Arrangements were made to accommodate those who did remain at BC—not only Dining Services employees, but also grounds staff. “Dining, Facilities, and the police all increased their staff in case others couldn’t arrive—we didn’t want some people going home at 8 or 10 p.m. expecting others to replace them, only to find that they couldn’t make it to campus,” Tommaney said. Additional police forces were sent to the Brighton, Newton, and Upper campuses in anticipation of any mishaps—likewise, Eagle EMS

teams were sent to Upper and Newton so that they would have access in case anything went wrong.

Tommaney said that there were no major emergencies or unexpected challenges during the storm. “There were a few with students who were out sledding, but nothing life-threatening,” he said. “We never lost power on any of the campuses—and like I said, most of the energy was dedicated to keeping dorms and dining open.”

After the snowfall ceased, Jednak said that the focus was on making sure everything on campus opened back up in a timely manner. “After the storm—we brought in a crew today. The big push is to make sure that the buses can get running as soon as possible, that the parking lots and garages are cleared off … as well as all the sidewalk and cleanup work that’s happening,” he said.

On Thursday night, Nights on the Heights sent out an email calling for stu-

dents to work on Saturday shoveling snow.

The first 50 students who signed up worked Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and were paid $11 per hour. “We had them working on stairs and entrances to the buildings—a lot of hand-shoveling work,” Jednak said.

Although the Plex and libraries have already reopened and the University will be running as normal today, Tommaney and Jednak both said that cleanup efforts would continue for the next few days.

“Facilities and grounds crews are working very aggressively right now,” Tommaney said. “The focus is getting key roadways clear … from curb to curb, and working to get facilities restored—we’re working with Newton, and on Lower, around the Plex, those key areas.”

Jednak said that about 50 facilities staff members, as well as contractors from three or four other companies, were on campus for cleanup.

The bubble over Alumni Stadium col-

lapsed on Saturday morning—Tommaney said that there may have been a ripped seam, but that contractors were still working to assess the damage. He did say that no one was hurt by the bubble’s collapse—it had already been shut down at that time.

“We will be ready for the school to open [Monday], but total cleanup could last for a few more days,” Jednak said. “In terms of the students—the ones that helped were a great help, and so far everyone has been very cooperative with our staff, and we’ve been working really hard to get the place clean, so that’s appreciated by everybody.”

Tommaney seemed likewise appreciative of the University community’s response to the storm. “It seems that people heeded the warnings we sent out, via email and through ResLife,” he said. “This, unlike most winter storms, was pretty serious. The community generally did a very good job of heeding those warnings, so we thank them for that.” n

Show greets lunar New Year Culture Show, from A1 public relations chair and A&S ’13.

The performers, too, were disingenuous in their exuberant expressions and nearflawless acts. Few could have imagined that they had a mere three weeks to practice, cut by scheduling issues from the customary five weeks. Many students juggled multiple acts.

The acts featuring dance or martial arts were especially impressive in their synchronicity, as well as in the skill and energy of the performers. True to tradition, certain elements were performed differently according to the gender of the dancers. For example, a graceful, elegant female ribbon dance segment was followed by its forceful, staccato male counterpart.

In addition to exotic traditional acts such as the ribbon dance, the lion dance, Chinese yo-yo, and martial arts, music spanning the last two decades, originating from Asia as well as the U.S., served as the backdrop for a number of different dances and martial arts segments. Even traditional dances were sometimes performed with a modern flair and aided by the imaginative manipulation

of lights.

CSA members produced powerful renditions of classic ballads such as Zhang Hongliang’s “You’re the Only One in the World Who Doesn’t Know,” while the KSA repertoire was more likely to feature up-tempo pieces that served to show off impressive vocals.

The show was organized in two parts, with an intermission honoring executive board members separating the Chinese and Korean elements. The duality was harmonized by segments of a skit parodying conflicts within Asian American families.

Symbolically, the young, rebellious protagonist was the product of a marriage between a Chinese man and a Korean woman, and his struggles with identity functioned as clever transitions between the various acts while simultaneously sharing Chinese and Korean traditions and biases with the racially diverse audience.

As a whole, the proceedings of this year’s CSA/KSA culture show reflected a traditional value of many East Asian cultures: no matter how many difficulties were in the way, one must always display one’s best side—and make it look easy. “I’m glad we were able to pull through,” said Jeffrey Yang, CSA copresident and CSOM ’13. n

eun hee kwon / heights staff

A number of different acts, ranging from traditional to contemporary, took the stage for the annual CSA/KSA Culture Show, rescheduled from Friday to Sunday.

robyn kim / heights staff

Four Boston College students participate in Sunday’s performance of ‘Vagina Monologues.’

‘Monologues’ resonate at BC ‘Monologues,’ from A1 on some of these more difficult issues. “I see the overall message of my monologue as the struggle that survivors have to speaking the truth of their story and the hardship they face when trying reclaim their own truth. The monologue puts together all the unsaid things we have ever wanted to express,” Laniado said.

The project seeks to combat some of these issues directly, by contributing the entirety of its proceeds to two organizations dedicated to these causes. “V-Day is the national organization to help end violence against women, and they provide us with the rights to the show and the new monologue this year, Rising. We also want to support local organizations, so we chose My Life My Choice, a justice resource institute initiative to help girls who are most vulnerable to exploitation and provide them the resources and help they need to get out of that terrible system and lead a productive life,” explained this year’s directors, Charissa Jones, A&S ’13, Rebecca Kelley, A&S ’14, and Lili Chasen, LSOE ’15.

The partnership with V-Day in particular highlights the project’s commitment to raising awareness about these issues. “My monologue shares the pain and trauma that billions of women around the world go through everyday and it relates to the V foundation in terms of bringing awareness and joining the fight to end violence and aggression towards women all over the world,” Laniado said.

That the epidemic of violence against women continues into 2013, according to the participants, necessitates the tradition of this

performance at BC. “As the 10th anniversary we wanted to have a unique take on the performance, which developed into the place settings that were seen before each monologue,” noted the directors. “This group was very special because they came with a completely different dynamic than previous years. Many of the cast members were brand new to The Vagina Monologues experience and were so open to new and different ideas and possibilities. We wanted to remind the audience that these scenes could happen anywhere, and everywhere. Some were obvious places while others were not so obvious.

“Our theme for the girls as we worked in rehearsals was ‘authenticity’. We wanted them to show the character through a raw lens, not necessarily making it a theatrical performance, but to take these characters and make it their own,” they said.

For the audience, this genuine approach resonated. “Although they perform The Vagina Monologues every year at BC and universities across the country, this was my first time seeing it, and it was incredible. The monologues are hilarious, moving, and above all, empowering,” said Laura DelloStritto, A&S ’13.

Given its power, the participants express the hope that this tradition will continue. “The Vagina Monologues is an important event because it forces people to think and reflect on women’s issues, and spotlights how still in society today violence against women persist,” Jones, Kelley, and Chasen said. “It showcases the complexity and beauty of a woman, as well as struggles women go through to be part of an unequal equation in society.” n

After the votes were tallied, the eight presidents and vice-presidents released a statement via email.

“The eight presidents and vice presidents within the Undergraduate Government of Boston College are pleased to announce that the new proposed structure has been passed through all of the voting bodies within the organization,” the statement read. “While we are obviously pleased that the structure has passed, we understand that there is much more work to do to ensure that this new organization can be as successful as possible. We are prepared, along with all of the members of our organization to put in the time necessary, as we have done thus far, to ensure that success.”

Although the constitution passed the GLC, the ALC, and the Senate, due to the current constitution, the Cabinet did not vote on the new constitution. Although some Cabinet members supported the new constitution, there were many that did not. Allison Bowman, executive director of communications and A&S ’13, and Michael Tibbetts, deputy director of communications and A&S ’13, worked with senior Cabinet members to draft a statement expressing their discontent.

“While Senior Cabinet generally agreed that reconsideration of the organization’s structure and function are necessary, it specified important issues with a variety of changes outlined in the document’s most recent draft,” the statement read.

“These criticisms were formed based on the leadership’s experience within the organization over the past four years, a study of how UGBC’s evolution has since made it the organization it is today, and its potential for the future based on its current structure and membership.

“Furthermore, Senior Cabinet based its decision on feedback received from all Cabinet departments and members. The sentiment of disfavor with the proposed changes was circulated, in letter format, to members of the Senate to consider upon voting. Although the final vote did not reflect its stance, Senior Cabinet is fully prepared to assist in the transition process.”

“In the document [Senior Cabinet] sent to Senate, we outlined our three largest concerns,” Bowman said. “These are the structure of the freshman program, the workload and responsibilities in the office of the press secretary, and redundancies and inconsistencies across the organization as a whole.”

Across all four branches of the UGBC, all of the presidents spoke of the importance of the work that needed to be done this semester for the new structure to be implemented next fall. While standing rules for the new Student Assembly have already been drafted, rules for the new GLC and ALC representative boards have not been written. Both Tingley and Patel stressed the importance of educating members about the new structure and how to get involved in it.

“The standing rules for the different vice-presidencies have not been developed yet,” said Matthew Alonsozana, Senator and A&S ’14. “We also need to look into the different details for what needs to be carried over from the old structure to the new.”

Chris Osnato, UGBC president and A&S ’13, echoed this sentiment.

“Obviously I’m happy with the results, but the fact of the matter is that more work needs to be done,” Osnato said via email. “When we were elected, Kudzai and I received an email from Mark Miceli in the Student Programs Office congratulating us, reminding us that the hardest work is yet to come. Now feels similar to then.

There are a lot of things that must happen to ensure a smooth transition, and I’m prepared to do everything in my power to make that happen.” n

Peter Cronan discusses networking, athletics, and leadership at BC

By Devon Sanford Assoc. New Editor “We are all selling something,” Peter Cronan, regional vice president of Merrill Corporation and BC ’77, told students at the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics Lunch with a Leader last Thursday.

Cronan spoke with students about his time as a college and professional football player and how he made his transition from the field to the office.

“When I was growing up, I suffered from a lack of identity,” Cronan said. “Football was the first thing I could be good at. It was the first thing I was recognized for.”

Cronan became “Pete the football player” for the next 17 years. Turning down offers

from Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Holy Cross, he joined the Boston College football team as a starting linebacker. He arrived at Gonzaga 203 in the summer of 1973.

“Soon after I came to BC, my athletic career flourished,” Cronan said. “But it was not without challenges … I only focused on what was in my control. There were times when I was frustrated. But my frustration turned to anger, which turned to action.”

It was at BC that Cronan first began to understand the power of networking. He advised students to take advantage of their peers, faculty, and administrators within the BC community.

“What you should be doing now is collecting the most information you possibly can about people,” Cronan said. “Leverage

your connections. BC alums are vast and loyal. The connections are of tremendous value.”

After graduating from BC with a double major in education and sociology, Cronan was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the NFL draft. As a professional athlete, Cronan learned another valuable life lesson—the importance of being prepared. Training seven days a week, six hours a day during his first preseason, Cronan struggled to keep up with his teammates. Though it was a bleak beginning, Cronan again focused on what was in his control and eventually found his footing within the professional league.

“I learned from my mistakes, and that message is transferable to each and every

one of you,” Cronan said.

Cronan played middle linebacker for the Seahawks for three years, followed by four years with the Washington Redskins. He retired from the game in 1985, after playing as team captain for the Seahawks and Redskins, and appearing in two Super Bowl games. Once in retirement, Cronan created a plan for his life after football. He turned to his BC network to land his first job.

“I joined a TV gig that covered Boston College football,” Cronan said. “It was my entry into broadcast. Two years later, I began working as a radio analyst on the Boston College radio and I have been doing that for the last 25 years … The question looms: Have I made it outside of the football world?

Some days, I still don’t know. But I am happy

with what I’m doing.”

Cronan told students that in order to succeed in business, he used his motivation to improve athletically and transferred it to the corporate world. As the regional vice president of Merill Corporation, Cronan is now responsible for the sales and general management of the company’s Legal Financial Transaction Services.

“Ironically, I always wanted to be a teacher and a coach,” he said. “You know what I do every day? I teach and I coach.”

He left students with his own road map to landing a job.

“Be prepared, convey enthusiasm, remain honest, call on God, and always know your product,” Cronan said. “Most importantly, always, always network.” n

CLASSIFIEDS Monday, January 17, 2013

Monday, February 11, 2013

COMMUNITY HELP WANTED $$ SPERM DONORS WANTED $$ Earn up to $1,200/month and give the gift of family through California Cryobank’s donor program. Convenient Cambridge location. Apply online: SPERMBANK.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.

THE HEIGHTS THE HEIGHTS

A5 A5

THE HEIGHTS

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UGBC makes major step toward significant change With the new constitution passed, UGBC must now capitalize on organizational improvements Last night, the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) passed the new constitution proposed last weekend, marking the start of a new era for BC’s representative student government. The changes that will be made before the start of the next school year are significant—the number of senators will be more than doubled, Cabinet will be modified into an Executive Council, and the GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC) and AHANA Leadership Council (ALC) will be united beneath a single vice president of diversity and inclusion, among other changes.

The passage of the new constitution is an exciting step forward for UGBC, and one that is encouraging for the organization’s future.

Despite its shortcomings, the new constitution has the potential to result in tangible positive change in UGBC, which could lead to better representation of the student body. The Heights applauds the current executives of UGBC for spearheading the campaign to restructure UGBC, and appreciates the effort they have put in up to this point. In addition, congratulations must go to the voting bodies of UGBC—ALC, GLC, and Senate—who demonstrated prudence and dedication to the needs of the students in voting to pass the new constitution.

The Heights was disappointed, however, with the fact that both GLC and Senate held closed meetings while voting on the new constitution.

This lack of transparency did little to dispel perceptions that the UGBC is more than just an organization for insiders.

The work has just begun, however. The new constitution contains many promising elements—more diverse representation in the Student Assembly, streamlined and well-

Monday, February 11, 2013

QUOTE OF THE DAY It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.

-Epictetus (55-135), Stoic philosopher

defined departments, and better inclusion of issues of sexual orientation and race, to name a few. Just because these elements are included in the constitution, however, does not mean that they will be implemented effectively. The current leaders of UGBC and those who will be elected in the next two months now bear an important task: the responsibility to set the tone for how the new UGBC will operate.

It is important to note, as well, that the new constitution contains elements that could potentially have negative effects. For example, it is possible that issues that have traditionally been dealt with separately by GLC and ALC will be neglected now that the two organizations are united beneath a single vice president.

Every effort must be made to ensure that this does not happen. It is also possible that the five appointed vice presidents, who will be receiving stipends paid for by the student body, will not be held accountable due to unclear job descriptions during the transition period.

Especially since these vice presidents are not directly elected by the students, it is imperative that they are selected from a highly motivated and dedicated talent pool, and that they earn the stipend with which they are being paid, rather than receive it undeservedly.

The students are ready for a change to their government, and this restructuring period is a chance for the UGBC to ensure that change occurs. Perhaps with a larger Student Assembly and more streamlined divisions, UGBC will be able to cast aside traditional criticisms of bureaucracy and inefficiency and become a united student government that can respond better and more directly to the diverse concerns of a similarly diverse student body.

BC anticipates and responds to Nemo well

SUZANNE SEVERANCE / HEIGHTS ILLUSTRATION

Staff, administrators, and students stepped up to help when the major storm hit campus As Boston College reopens today, The Heights would like to acknowledge the efforts of all those who worked to keep the students safe over the weekend. The Office of Emergency Preparedness worked well ahead of the storm, evacuating parking lots and coordinating with administrators and University offices to make sure things ran as smoothly as possible when winter storm Nemo hit. Facilities and grounds staff have been working nonstop to make sure that buildings are accessible and to clear roads and parking lots so that regular transportation can resume. A significant number of employees, from both Dining Services and Facilities, stayed on campus Friday night after the roads had closed to ensure that BC would not be short-staffed during the storm.

The Heights also commends those students who contributed their time and effort over the weekend—students volunteered to work extra shifts at the dining halls Friday night to alleviate the pressure on BC Dining employ-

ees; extra Eagle EMS crews were stationed on Upper and Newton Campuses in case of any emergencies; and some students opted to spend their Saturday shoveling snow, making sure that doorways and pathways were clear. Their efforts helped BC run smoothly both during and in the aftermath of the storm.

Finally, we commend the University for communicating consistently with the BC community. Emails informing students of building closures, suspended shuttle service, and cancelled classes were sent out to students well ahead of time. The Boston College Twitter account updated regularly throughout the weekend, and The Heights believes the fact that students were informed was a key factor in their responsible reaction to the storm.

The BC student body handled the storm very well—students stayed safe over the weekend, which meant that emergency workers could focus the majority of their efforts on others in the area who needed help.

Addazio is right to honor commitments

Next year’s recruiting class must be more competitive if BC hopes to regain lost ground in the ACC Head football coach Steve Addazio announced the addition of 17 new members to the Boston College football team last week on National Signing Day. Addazio honored all of the scholarships that previous head coach Frank Spaziani had offered, and most of the athletes remained committed to BC through the coaching change. It is a BC policy not to rescind scholarship offers during a coaching change, and The Heights commends Addazio for following through. It can be a restrictive policy, especially when a program is rebuilding, but it wouldn’t be fair to the recruits to take away those offers, especially this late in the recruiting process.

Other schools with similar policies sometimes run off recruits from transition years by withholding playing time or ignoring the players’ development. The Heights encourages the new coach to treat these recruits brought in by Spaziani just like the players he will recruit himself.

With that said, the 2013 class is not a highly-touted crop. The national recruiting-

rankings services have BC at the bottom of the ACC and among the worst of all BCS automatic qualifying schools—a list of about 90 institutions. Addazio was hired largely due to his energy and enthusiasm, and it is essential that this transfers over to recruiting. He isn’t responsible for the quality of this class, but this needs to be the last year when the Eagles’ recruiting class is so lowly ranked. Stars aren’t exact indicators of a player’s potential, but most of the incoming players weren’t recruited by schools that BC wants to compete with, either.

Addazio and his staff also need to rebuild relationships with the local schools in Massachusetts. This is a necessary step, as only two out of the top 10 Bay State prospects chose BC. BC has taken a nose-dive the past three years in its appeal to talented high-school football players. For the Eagles to get back to a bowl game and once again be competitive in the ACC, it will start with how Addazio and his staff do on the recruiting trail.

HEIGHTS

THE

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 DAVID COTE, Editor-in-Chief JAMIE CIOCON, General Manager JOSEPH CASTLEN, Managing Editor

EDITORIAL

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The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 400 words and column submissions that do not exceed 700 words for its op/ed pages.

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The Heights

Monday, February 11, 2013

A7

Mean what you say

Benjamin Olcott finding nemo - A preemptive thumbs up to all of you for reading through all of our Thumbs Up, Thumbs Downs (just as you do every Monday and Thursday, we presume), even though they are all Nemo-themed. True, there’s not much diversity of subject in this column today, but we felt some commentary on Snowmageddon 2013 was needed. Here are the highs and lows. snow day! - There are some moments during these four years we all spend at Boston College that are distinctly “I love college” moments. The giant cheer that erupted from every dorm hall at precisely 9:42 p.m. on Thursday was most definitely one of those moments. party at pelon- An enthusiastic Thumbs Up to El Pelon for defying all odds and opening Saturday evening.

Nothing warms you up quite like a Pelon enchilada. And if you were one of the lucky people who got there before the guacamole ran out, we admire your survival skills. innovation in sledding - Oh, the joys of sledding. All it takes is a day of classes cancelled and two feet of snow to make thousands of 18-22 year olds simultaneously feel like third graders again. We thank those who tapped into their inner 8-yearold early and slept with their pajamas inside out and a spoon under their pillow—we rose our drinks to you on Friday. And while Brighton Campus is always a solid choice, we especially applaud those who were creative and explored less notable hills—by Voute, next to 66, the sidewalk by White Mountain...

In her essay, “Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Brown,” Virginia Woolf writes of the “appalling effort of saying what I [she] meant.” Her context is a literary one, but as she was in the business of human character, and a master of the business at that, it seems appropriate to consider that statement applicable to flesh and blood humans.

With me, it resonates because it has a lot to do with the way we college kids converse. I’m thinking first of a particular brand of conversation, the type of conversation that begins with stock salutations voiced with easy tones of “kindness,” “gladness,” and general “I’m so happy to see you!!!!”-ness, that is usually had with people we sort of know, but not well enough to warrant any real commerce of ideas or emotions, yet is not limited to that—that occurs in some unwieldy setting like the morning Comm. Ave. bus. As a rule, it seems, the joyfulness in these salutations is exaggerated, and some sort of facial contortion approximating a genuine “I’m so surprised to see you!” or “wow!” accompanies it, as does an oftentimes stressful moment of doubt about which type of physical contact is appropriate, if physical contact is appropriate at all.

Once you’ve gotten past the salutation, the conversation and all its hyped-up speech continues (that is, if you didn’t completely botch this first part), and soon, if not immediately after said salutations, we reach the point at which the question, “How are you?” is asked.

There’s a pause at this point, almost always, and it’s never more than two seconds long, in which we decide what to say. It is incredible how many responses we weigh and veto in this short time, how many pieces of data we’re able to manage nearly instantaneously. We juggle words, intonations, tones, methods of delivery, plus more complicated aspects of the encounter like feelings of trust

bursting my bubble - The Bubble has collapsed. Intramurals are cancelled.

The freakishly athletic population of non-athletes at BC will have nowhere to unleash their competitive urges.

Mundane daily tasks will become sports. Who can create and pay for a salad from the salad bar fastest? How fast can you get from St. Ignatius to Mac? How much cumulative time can you spend on the Comm Ave bus in one day? Watch out, everyone, until these people learn how to use their powers for good. blinded bumper cars - Would anyone judge us if we wore sunglasses outside? Since Nemo, walking out the door in the morning is akin to staring straight into the sun, if the distance between the sun and the earth had decreased from 93 million miles to about 4 yards. OK, we’re being dramatic, but actually. Icy ground plus hundreds of blinded college students does not make for a good outcome.

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qualified (either positively or negatively), it’s “nice.” Aesthetically pleasing things are often just “cool.”

Similarly, saying “dude,” or “bro” before a statement immediately qualifies the statement as unserious, and therefore, even if the content of the statement is serious, it will not be understood as such.

Compare the gravity of these two statements: “Dude, I’m so tired,” and “I’m so tired.” The latter just feels more serious.

Now, again, what I’m not advocating is that we completely remove these easier phrases and words from our conversation. The same point I made earlier about exhaustion and annoyance applies here.

Absolutely no one wants to or can hear and say 100 percent serious, lexicallyexplicit sentences all the time without A) putting everyone to sleep within hearing distance, B) tying your own brain into needless knots. and C) actually sounding insincere yourself.

Here’s the thing: masters of expression are masters of audience, timing, compassion, and awareness. They know that sometimes, sentences riddled with casual qualification are just about the only thing anyone wants or can listen to, that there is far more nuance in politely and enthusiastically saying “good” on the Comm. Ave. bus with a digestible expression than spewing whatever is on your mind in the most highfalutin language accessible—they know that that is simply not the proper stage nor audience. They know, in almost identical fashion, that there are times when you must dig down and find the right words and feelings, and that people, being a highly communicative species, sometimes really need to hear that someone else is thinking and feeling, and thinking hard about it. And they know the correct language to use when communicating like this, and are not afraid to qualify less for the sake of others.

I leave the article with this: everyone needs to work on identifying moments in which real, difficult expression is necessary and appropriate, and when it is not.

Everyone needs to be less afraid of our own difficult selves. Everyone.

Benjamin Olcott is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

Valentines vignettes

Kristy Barnes

slip and slide - This one’s mixed: we thumbs down the fact that the ground will soon become so slippery that your chances of wiping out in front of several people you don’t know at all will become near certain. On the other hand, though, we thumbs up the fact that at some point, it’s likely that half the people who see you fall will have slipped themselves in the recent past, leading to a bizarre, silly, cold bonding-through-suffering sort of thing that we can all laugh about.

toward, friendly or romantic interest in fellow converser, personal fatigue, desire to speak, etc.—and above all, how you actually are.

Yet, despite the immense range and number of these considerations, most of the time, the response we arrive at is, “Good.” The converser replies, “Good!” and that is usually that. Some harmless, enjoyable small talk ensues and speeds the unwieldy moment along—enjoyable because the parameters of the conversations have been set and agreed upon and followed strictly and are easy. We agreed we weren’t going to say what we meant and so didn’t. When one of us reaches our stop, with a pleasant goodbye, and sometimes a half-hearted promise to make future plans, we get off.

These conversations happen because, as Woolf so astutely said, it’s incredibly difficult to say what you mean, and conversely, when something is really meant, it’s difficult to hear and respond to. It is far easier to say and hear “Good” than “sad,” “overworked,” “ecstatic,” or “in love.”

By no means am I saying we should strive to overcome conditions as uncomfortable as standing on the Comm. Ave. bus on a cold morning and always have conversation filled with sentences embossed with deep personal meaning. That is simply exhausting, and really, really annoying.

Speaking of sentences, let’s not ignore the diction of saying what you mean.

Woolf concluded that she could not express herself properly because there was no existing method conducive to her type of meaning, and in fact, the methods in place impinged upon her ability to express. She lacked, in a way, the proper lexicon to do so.

We too have this linguistic problem.

Words like “dude” or “bro” and phrases like, “That’s cool,” “That’s nice,” and “That’s weird” are not the “tools” by which conversers can express meaning. Inherent in the application of these words—at least how they’re used in college-kid colloquium—is an evasion of true expression. Things that are quirky, from off the beaten path, or just flat-out odd are “weird” because it’s difficult to precisely articulate that it rattles you emotionally, or forces you to question reality in some way. If you enjoyed something, but the enjoyment is somehow

The day is upon us. That day where everything is drenched in pink, candy grams are delivered by every service trip on campus, and hearts all over are stolen or crushed. Yes, it’s the day of anticipation and let down that is an ode to St. Valentine. Now I don’t mean to be the morbid writer who refuses to believe in the idea of romanticism—I’ve read my fair share of Jane Austen, and I truly wish I lived in the 1800s, but alas that is not the life I have been given, and that is not the time period I reside in. No, I, along with the rest of you, have been cursed to live in a time of romantic confusion, women’s equality, and a muddled mess that is Boston College dating. So in honor of the Hallmark-created day of sappy cards and oversized stuffed animals, lets explore the different types of relationships here at BC and see if there is hope for all those who secretly wish to be delivered a rose from the Relay Fundraiser.

The Mod Hook-Up It’s a Saturday night, and lets be real, she’s looking hot. She’s wearing jeans that are one size too small—so they basically look great—and its time for the Mods. She’s there for half an hour before she locks eyes with the most beautiful boy ever and 45 minutes before the two are playing tonsil hockey. She’s pretty sure this is it—they’re going to defy the stereotype of the Mod hook up. But then it’s Sunday, and she doesn’t get a

Lecture Hall

text. And it’s Tuesday, still no text. By Wednesday she’s a little down and by Friday she hates the guy who was supposed to be prince charming. But as Saturday rolls around, she throws on that pair of jeans and is ready to do it again.

The Love Birds This is the couple that’s literally joined at the hip. Where one goes the other is bound to follow—it’s like they are literally leashed to one another. They finish each other’s sentences, cuddle constantly, and make kissy noises that make everyone within earshot gag. When they are in the middle of a party they act like no one else is in the room, or in the universe for that matter. The real losers in this situation are the roommates, who are constantly uncomfortable or asked to leave. It’s as if the two are really just one, and not in the romantic way where they share a soul, but in a gross way where they share a toothbrush.

The Not-Dating Daters “We just don’t want a label” is the slogan these lovers chant. This is the couple (or wait, not a couple?) that goes on dates and does homework together in the Chocolate Bar, yet still refuses to admit they are dating. In reality, they are scared to nest as the love birds so freely do, and so they feel that by refraining from adding a label they can avoid becoming so obviously head over heels. These relationships don’t last, for either the sweethearts morph into one person or they become so scared of commitment that they traumatically sever all ties.

The One Dating His Books Who has time for a significant other?

Not this academic all-star, that’s for sure!

Aristotle and a chemistry textbook are enough fulfillment in the life of what every other being would consider a pathetic existence. Social scenes? Not his

thing, he would rather spend Saturday night among the books of Bapst than the people of Iggy. After all, doesn’t everyone think a 4.0 is better than cuddling and watching Batman on a snowy day?

The Never-Going-To-Work Long Distance We all know people in these relationships. No matter how much they argue, it is their love that will make it. They spend most of their time on the phone in fights.

They swear they have true love and it is worth the hassle of a relationship that barely exists beyond telephone wires, but the roommate who hears nothing but sobs and screams may say otherwise.

The Complainer Single and alone, this person claims they are dating themselves for the semester, yet in reality they are simply whining to anyone who will listen. I have one thing to say to this sad soul: get Tinder.

The Successful Relationship This relationship is an endangered species on campus, but as you inch closer to the dreaded day that is graduation, it seems as though what was a rare sighting becomes a bit more regular. In every way, this couple has it down. They know how to handle all social situations, from parties to dinner with the gang, and there is what seems to be the perfect amount of PDA that makes those who witness it murmur “aww” instead of the typical “ew.” This couple makes it seem as though there actually is hope on this campus, and maybe there is. After all they don’t make the cute little cheerleading outfits for nothing—70 percent of Eagles marry other Eagles.

Kristy Barnes is a staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.

BY PAT HUGHES

The opinions and commentaries of the staff columnists and cartoonists appearing on this page represent the views of the author or artist of that particular piece, and not the views of The Heights. Any of the columnists and artists for the Opinions section of The Heights can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

Life-changing experience Matt Auker Once in a generation, a film comes along that captivates the hearts and minds of its audience in ways previously unimaginable. I had planned on writing this column on some important global issue or current event, but instead I am repurposing it to announce to the world that this past weekend I had the good fortune of seeing this generation’s cinematic masterpiece. Equal parts drama, comedy, action, romance, and thriller—this movie left me both wholly satisfied yet simultaneously aching for more. I am speaking, of course, of the Syfy original movie Dinocroc vs Supergator.

The movie stars David Carradine in the last acting appearance of his career along with several relatively unknown actors. Given their performances however, it’s only a matter of time before this instant classic catapults each and every one of them into superstardom. Co-directed by the genius minds of Jim Wynorski and Rob Robertson, it is 87 minutes of art in its purest form.

At the outset of the movie, we see both Dinocroc and Supergator separately escaping from the secret Hawaiian research laboratory of the evil Jason Drake (Carradine). As each breaks free from its captivity, they gobble up fleeing scientists, showing no regard for human life. One thing is clear: the entire island is under threat, and only one band of ragtag citizens can stop them.

This group is made up of a fish and game hunter known as “the Cajun” (who dresses in all black and literally hunts with a crossbow and exploding arrows), a government official who had previously been investigating Drake’s sinister activities, and the hot blonde daughter of the town’s Sheriff who also happens to be a police officer, yet somehow gets away with wearing booty-shorts while in uniform the entire movie. The story of these characters is one of failure and triumph, love and heartbreak. As they find themselves falling deeper and deeper into Drake’s world of lies and deception, they slowly begin to realize that it is up to them to rid the island of these genetically mutated monsters.

As they repeatedly encounter the animals throughout the film, their biggest obstacle seems to be a complete inability to shoot giant animals from less than 10 feet away. During one chase scene, the cop is in the back of a Jeep speeding away from Dinocroc. She shoots what must have been at least 15 rounds from a small revolver-style gun, yet misses every single shot. Let me reinforce the point that this is a trained police officer from 10 feet away, with a gun that should only hold six bullets.

Meanwhile, as both animals are loose on the island, they wreck havoc on unsuspecting tour groups and hotel patrons. By far the most heart-pounding scene occurs as a sweet-talking playboy is in a private resort hot tub with two attractive ladies, only to be snatched up in an instant by Dinocroc. The beast is shown taking two bites, and in those two bites somehow manages to swallow three fully-grown people whole, with nothing left but a hot tub full of blood.

As the movie approaches its climax, our three heroes hatch a plan to lure Dinocroc into the same valley in which Supergator has been lurking and bait the two into a fight. During one heartwrenching scene, the Sheriff sacrifices himself for his daughter by holding off Dinocroc just long enough for the crew to escape. The fact that the father-daughter pair are able to go through an emotional goodbye as they stand directly in front the animal for several moments can only be attributed to the politeness of Dinocroc as it waits to tear the father limb from limb.

The daughter, in a remarkable feat of civic duty, transitions in an instant from sobbing daughter to determined police officer as she lures the beast to their destination. Once there, the epic battle scene between Dinocroc and Supergator finally takes place. Ladies and gentlemen, the ferociousness and utter suspense in this scene cannot be overstated so I will decline to even attempt to do it justice.

This movie has taught me everything I need to know about life and more.

In sum, it was an 87-minute journey, complete with witty one-liners, tragic loss, and romantic make-outs in the face of imminent danger. And you owe it to yourself and all those you love to go along for the ride.

Matt Auker is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.

The Heights

A8

Monday, February 11, 2013

Soderbergh’s ‘Side Effects’ a provocative medical thriller

By Nathan Rossi For The Heights In the past two years, director Steven Soderbergh has made a number of distinct and interesting films. From action flick Haywire, to male-stripper drama Magic Mike, Soderbergh has been quite busy. His latest, Side Effects, most closely resembles 2011’s pandemic thriller, ConSide Effects tagion.

Also set Steven Soderbergh i n t h e Open Road Films world of medicine, Side Effects explores America’s current widespread use of anti-depressants. Lifted by strong performances from Jude Law and Rooney Mara, the film is an exciting look at the power of the pharmaceutical industry and its impact on how patients are treated.

The first part of the film centers on Emily (Mara), a woman who has been waiting for four years for her husband, Martin (Channing Tatum), to be released from prison.

Convicted for insider trading, Martin seeks to regain economic prominence once he returns home. Emily tries to be the perfect wife, but her depression holds her back from having a

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fulfilling relationship. After a couple of suicide attempts, Emily’s new psychiatrist, Jonathan (Law), prescribes her a new drug called Ablixa. Jonathan, who is initially worried about prescribing the new drug, is only convinced after consulting with Emily’s previous doctor, Victoria (Catherine Zeta-Jones).

While taking the drug, Emily sees a lot of progress, and her life seems to be returning to normal. Ablixa, however, has side effects.

Emily begins to sleep walk, which culminates in a “sleep murder.” Her defense is that the medication caused her to kill. Suddenly, Jonathan’s career is being dragged through the mud. Here the film is at its most interesting, raising provocative questions about the role of anti-depressants in our society. The final act of the film is more of classic thriller, and a bit farfetched. Yet, somehow it all fits together.

The audience comes to find out that Victoria may have had a bigger purpose in convincing Jonathan to prescribe Ablixa to Emily. Plus, the big pharmaceutical companies influences in both psychiatrist’s work is further explored.

Mara continues to show acting prowess in the lead role. Her portrayal of Emily as a hurt and confused woman who is just striving to

find happiness steals some cues from her The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo character. Yet, her scenes with Law let her actually open up.

Mara’s expressive eyes and onscreen vulnerability are polarizing. Side Effects would not be nearly as successful if it weren’t for her skill.

Likwise, Law’s performance is striking.

Jonathan is the opposite of Emily, unaware of his unhappiness. Further, he is insistent on perfection, insistent that he remains innocent—desperate to have his name stay untarnished. His hunger is evident and a strong element of the film. He needs a clean name to salvage the disappointment his life is.

Thomas Newman’s foreboding score is another captivating element of the film. The music, never in the forefront, has an ominous quality to it. It’s always lurking in the background, but it never fully lunges forward. The uneasiness it creates is noticeable and relevant to the material. Are we ready to have serious talk about the use of a pill to make people happy? Do our doctors have a secret agenda when prescribing specific brands of drugs?

Soderbergh has been quoted as saying Side Effects will be the last film that he directs. Instead, the visionary filmmaker, who first broke through with Sex, Lies, and Videotape, has opt-

PHOTO Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com

‘Side Effects’ is a twisty medical thriller guided by the ever-versatile Steven Soderbergh. ed to focus on directing TV and theater. While it’s easiest to compare Side Effects to Contagion, the film also has a lot of similarities to Haywire.

Both films are convoluted in some ways. More importantly, both are clearly shot, and feature main characters who must do battle to maintain their innocence. It’s fascinating how both movies deal with the lives of professionals and the pitfalls of each of their respected fields.

Side Effects is not perfect, but it’s a distinct and distinguished film. Soderbergh’s skill at getting instinctual performances from his actors is at its strongest. The energetic cinematography and haunting score further strengthen the movie. It reminds the audience how much we are going to miss Soderbergh, if this is his retirement film—because no other director could have made Side Effects work so well. n

McCarthy in ‘Identity Thief’ disappoints

1

Box office report title

PHOTO Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com

Predictable and dull, Seth Gordon’s latest comedy, ‘Identity Thief,’ fails to entertain with its trite jokes and lagging plot line.

By Ryan Schmitz For The Heights There are a lot of ways to judge a comedy, especially in the theatres when the movie watching experience is so social.

One can judge it by the amount of times he or she laughed out loud, or the quality of the film identity thief itself. More simply than Seth Gordon Universal Pictures t h a t , t h e viewer can judge a comedy simply on the amount of time that they spent feeling bored or checking the time on their watch. Constant entertainment is an integral part of movies in today’s culture, especially comedy.

Unfortunately, the new comedy Identity Thief does not score well in the entertainment department.

Most comedies nowadays follow a pretty formulaic plot which begins with a nice guy or gal, usually with a beautiful, loving family, who is just unlucky and thrown into circumstances that are cheeky and out of control. Well, as expected, star of Identity Thief Jason Bateman was that unlucky guy—a hard-working man living in a small Denver apartment who just wants to provide for his pregnant wife and two adorable daughters. Sadly, his boss does not appreciate him (or pay him) as much as he and his coworkers deserve and as

B+ D

such they leave to start an opposing firm with great prospects and the chance at a better life. In a classic case of Murphy’s Law, this is exactly at the same time Melissa McCarthy’s character, Dianna, decides to take advantage of this poor lovable sucker and steal his identity all the way from Winter Park, Florida. After being falsely accused of all kinds of crazy crimes for which Dianna is guilty, Sandy (Bateman) and a detective from the Denver Police Department deduce that he is the victim of … wait for it, identity theft. With the long process and low conviction rates of this type of crime hanging like a cloud over a financially endangered Sandy’s head, he realizes that the only way to fix this problem is to fly to Florida and take the culprit back to Denver himself. Hilarity was supposed to ensue.

Instead of the laughs expected from comedy icons like McCarthy and Bateman under the direction of Seth Gordon, known for solid work on TV shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation as well as the film Horrible Bosses, the audience got a below average occasional laugh inducer with an unbelievably predictable plot and a car chase. If being bored and giggling once every 20 to 30 minutes is the sign of a good comedy, then this one certainly hit its mark. Nobody really expected this movie to make waves in the comedy world, but it had two very funny costars and a

plot with more than enough potential to get some great laughs out of the audience.

The entire time, however, the blaringly common plot formation resulted in more of an “I knew it!” response than anything else. As the movie dragged on the “I knew its” got less and less enthusiastic and more frustrated.

Even worse than the fact that the movie was painfully predictable was that it simply did not entertain. The random moments of actual comedy were so sparsely intertwined with long periods of boredom that the movie felt twice as long as it actually was.

There were more than a few attempts from the supporting players to be funny but that just came off as annoying and unnecessary, lugging the film along collecting more useless and often nonsensical plot points as it went. Though a willing suspension of belief is common for these types of films, the audience was forced to throw any sort of common sense and understanding on how the criminal justice system worked completely out of the window.

Overall the film is decisively below average. It had a couple of laughs, but nothing too side-splitting as well as a plot that just seemed stupid. The film was a huge disappointment, far from the comedic mastery that the stars are known for. It was certainly no Arrested Development and even mentioning this in the same breath as Bridesmaids seems morally wrong. n

Weekend gross

weeks in release

1. Identity thief

36.6

1

2. warm bodies

11.5

2

3. side effects

10.0

1

4. silver linings playbook

6.9

13

5. hansel and gretel: witch hunters

5.8

3

6. mama

4.3

4

7. zero dark thirty

4.0

8

8. argo

2.5

18

9. django unchained

2.3

7

2

9 3 photos courtesy of Google images

bestsellers of hardcover fiction 1. Until the end of time Danielle Steel 2. Private berlin James Patterson 3. Gone Girl Gillian Flynn 4. Memory of light Robert Jordan 5. suspect Robert Crais

6. tenth of december: stories George Saunders 7. deeper love inside Sister Souljah 8. fifth assassin Brad Meltzer 9. speaking from among the bones Alan Bradley SOURCE: Publisher’s Weekly

Oscar shorts at Coolidge span themes of life, death, and love

By Ryan Dowd For The Heights The Coolidge Corner Theater now hosts an intimate screening of the live action short films nominated for the 2013 Academy Awards. In its 114 minute runtime, this collection of five simple, elegant stories offers poi2013 Oscar-Nominated gnant tales Shorts (Live action) o f l o v e , friendship, depression, Various Directors redempIndependent tion, and coming of age.

The first two films are surreal love stories as much about death as they are about love.

In Death of a Shadow, directed by Tom Van Amermaet, a WWI soldier (Nathan) dies in battle, but a strange collector captures his shadow. The collector gives him two options: death or servitude. Nathan chooses the service of the collector. The collector gives Nathan one silver lining—a second life after Nathan has captured 10,000 shadows. Invis-

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ible to those around him, especially his long lost love Sarah, Nathan embarks on his task.

The film’s innate stillness and sense of quiet tragedy in itself captures the nature of the shadows Nathan collects. The film captures both burning, hopeless love and cold, helpless death. Shadow currently sits as the front runner for the Oscar.

Not far behind, however, is Henry, a French-Canadian production directed by Yan England. The story follows Henry, an aged concert pianist, whose life crumbles around him when his wife Maria disappears mysteriously. England takes his audience on a swerving tale of flashbacks to tell in the end a simple story—a story of growing old. The film bewilders in the beginning, before clue by clue revealing the true nature of Maria’s disappearance as well as the gift and curse of age.

Sandwiched between the love stories and the coming of age tales of Buzkashi Boys and Asad, lies Curfew, a story about just hanging on to life itself. Curfew, directed by and starring Shawn Christenson, is the most fun of all five films—an ironic, Louis C.K. kind of fun.

It is also the only exclusively American-produced film nominated. The film opens with Richie in a tub of blood, having cut his wrists.

He gets a call from his estranged sister asking her bum of a younger brother to watch her 11-year-old daughter for a few hours. Richie tapes up his wrists and reluctantly rises from the tub. The night that just might save his life begins. Fatima Ptacek is a revelation as Sophia, Richie’s niece. She channels an inner Miranda Cosgrove as a kid too smart and fun for her own good. Christenson and Ptacek have an easy, enjoyable chemistry. Death seems to cling to Richie, but amidst his depression shines Sophia’s flair for life, demonstrated in a subtle and ingenious dance number in a bowling alley. The dance is a moment of pure film genius. Curfew stands out among the rest for its elegant and layered narrative, clever dialogue, and abundant heart.

The last two films are both solid short films but lack the pure brilliance of the first three films. Both offer important lessons of boyhood but lack the pin-point focus and structure as the first three.

Buzkashi Boys directed by Sam French

takes place in Kabul, Afghanistan and follows two young boys: one a blacksmith’s son and the other a street rat. The boys dream of fame and Buzkashi—Afghanistan’s equivalent of polo, played with a dead goat.

Bryan Buckley’s Asad takes place in wartorn Somalia and features a cast of exclusive refugees. Harun Mohammed gives as charis-

matic, fast talking performance as Asad, who must choose between life as a lonely fisherman or as a pirate. The quick witted, but pure Asad wants to venture out into the ocean, in apparent high adventure, until he sees the nature of life by the gun. The film rolls from scene to scene with the exuberance of its main character. n

PHOTO Courtesy of Google Images

This year’s Oscar-nominated shorts comprise a truly diverse and international assembly.

The Heights

Monday, February 11, 2013

A9

Mumford & Sons dazzle at TD Garden Mumford, from A10 Although their brand of electric folk-rock was more energetic than Howard’s mellow acoustic sounds, audiences seemed to get antsy as their set extended on. The Felice Brothers played with admirable skill and energy, but they left an all-too-fleeting impression.

After two hours of waiting, the crowd got what they were looking for as Mumford & Sons opened with “Babel.” Hammering on a banjo and howling with the heart-on-sleeve earnestness that is the band’s principle modus operandi, frontman Marcus Mumford instantly won over the crowd. “You’ll build your walls and I will play my bloody part / To tear, tear them down,” Mumford sang as the crowd roared with approval. It was a fitting sentiment to begin a show that found the band tearing down the walls between performer and audience, transforming a massive and impersonal venue into a setting that felt intimate in spite of itself.

Mumford lost no steam as they rolled into “I Will Wait,” the lead single from their latest album. As soon as the first chords were struck, the audience responded with an excited surge of recognition. It was a pattern that repeated itself with each successive song—this was an audience that clearly knew the band’s catalogue, inside and out.

Early highlights included “Winter Winds,” a lovely and expansive song anchored by a vivacious horn section. The concert’s lighting tricks were particularly effective here, sending out wavy, white lights across the floor section that gave the illusion of winter winds rippling through the audi-

ence. A few songs later, such showman-like tricks were reined in for “White Blank Page,” with Marcus Mumford highlighted alone on a dark stage as the song began. The song, with its nakedly confessional chorus (“Tell me now where was my fault / in loving you with my whole heart”) is one of the group’s most powerful, and Mumford’s emotional performance quieted the Garden down in hushed admiration, before the song kicked into high gear with its rage-filled second half.

It’s the kind of thing Mumford & Sons does so well: starting a song off in soft and subdued fashion before working up into a perfectly orchestrated frenzy of mingling banjos, guitars, and various other instruments. The band pulled it off repeatedly with songs like “Hopeless Wanderer,” “Thistle & Weeds,” and “Lover of the Light.”

Still, some of the concert’s best moments came in songs that were content to stay in a softer register. “Timshel” was one such moment, a short and graceful expression of solidarity (“As brothers we will stand and we’ll hold your hand”) which provided the groups’ loveliest harmonies of the night. It was just the thing needed before launching into the crowd-pleasing “Little Lion Man,” the song that first put the group on the map.

Throughout the night, the band engaged the audience with amusing anecdotes and between-song chatter that made the Garden feel like a small-scale club rather than a massive stadium. But for the encore, they literalized this tendency by running to a tiny stage at the back of the ground floor, sending fans on the floor

PHOTO Courtesy of Google images

Mumford & Sons combined big-arena theatrics with the feel of an intimate jam session in their sold-out TD Garden show on Tuesday. scrambling to get a better view. With only one acoustic guitar and three voices, the group played “Reminder,” an exquisite and often-overlooked track from Babel. Then they went completely a capella for “Sister,” an early rarity not featured on either album but a recognizable tune for devoted fans.

Despite some attention-grabbing shouting from drunken audience members, this twosong acoustic encore had the crowd in an appreciative reverie.

It wouldn’t be quite right to end a stadium show on such a note, though, so Mumford & Sons sprinted back on to the main stage for a run-through of the ever-popular “The Cave.” From its unmistakable opening guitar riff, the song elicited screams of delight, and the spirit of excitement never abated. At song’s end, Mumford offered a gracious “thank you” to Boston and both opening acts before leaving the stage.

By the time the lights went up, Mum-

ford & Sons had been playing for about an hour and 40 minutes—shorter, perhaps, than many fans had expected and hoped for. Yet it was hard to find anyone with a bad word to say about the performance itself. They did it right by leaving the crowd wanting more—and considering their steady ascendance in the music industry, it seems sure that Mumford & Sons will continue to deliver more to fans in the years to come. n

Everyone’s talking about the new sounds, baby, but not exactly me Music, from A10

Maggie Burdge / Heights Photo Illustration

snowstorm Nemo hit over the weekend.

Stuck in my dorm and trying to finish an article, I flipped on my iPad, now a replacement for my defunct computer, and hit shuffle. As I started skipping through some tracks, I realized that I knew the words to nearly every song. I had at least mild, and often very strong, associations between most of the songs and memories or places from my past. I checked the playlists, and remembered creating them multiple months or years ago.

And nothing was new. There were no new bands to discover on there that I had downloaded but hadn’t gotten around to playing yet. No new singles to bump repeatedly for days. No new lyrics to memorize. Nearly everything marked as “Recently Added” was a new song or album from all of the artists I’ve been listening to since I was 16.

It was just the same music that has been playing on my Beats for years now.

Music that I love, but music I’ve loved for a long time.

It hit me that I was holding in my hands at least 80 percent of the music I’m going to listen to for the rest of my life. My “512” playlist, bringing me back to my hometown in Austin, Texas, was always going to get the same play that it does now. The “Charlotte” playlist, which I made stuck in a Carolina airport for hours two years ago, would get me through dull moments until, as a craggly old person, my finger slides the wrong way and I accidentally delete it.

A few years ago, I thought I’d never get to this point. I couldn’t comprehend how I could, at any time, stop constantly consuming new music. I couldn’t comprehend how, when music festival lineups come out, my eyes would begin to scan the top for old faithfuls rather than the bottom for new favorites. I couldn’t comprehend being set in my ways, musically, before I turned 20.

Yet, here I am, listening exclusively to LCD Soundsystem while I write this column, a band that doesn’t even exist any more. A band that a younger generation will think is tired and behind the times, even though James Murphy redefined rock

and dance music, combining the two better than anyone else before him. The next Murphy will probably make music that causes my ears to bleed.

I know that when the new Arcade Fire and Kendrick Lamar albums drop, I’ll load up the iPad and download them the day they come out. I’m not giving up on the music I’ve loved, I just might be done letting new music in. At least accepting that will mean I won’t have to figure out this EDM thing, which still feels to me like more of a foreign language, building up to fat drop after fat drop, rather than my generation’s defining form of music.

But maybe it’s better that I won’t be the weird old dude at the rock show, desperately trying to keep up. I’ll just drop my future kids off at the concert, and then when they’re gone I can turn up the music that they think is old and tired, and bump it my whole drive back home.

Austin Tedesco is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@ bcheights.com.

How ‘The Evil Dead’ and ‘It’s Always Sunny’ derailed my Nemo plans Joe Allen Once news hit that classes were cancelled on Friday, I immediately began planning my art-heavy weekend.

I had some big goals for the 72 hours that we were off. So, how’d I do?

Goal #1: Go see mama in theaters Since this semester began, I have wanted to have a Jessica Chastain day, in which I would see Zero Dark Thirty and Mama back-to-back in theaters, fall asleep later that night with The Tree of Life on, and just tell everyone I watched The Help after the fact. If I was with a group of friends and had to pick just one of the above films, I’d pick Mama. I think Chastain is one of the most talented actors in Hollywood, so naturally I want to see her fight monsters. This desire stems mostly from the fact that I’m a horror film fanatic. To me, there is nothing quite as fun as laughing and screaming your way through a movie with friends.

My plan was simple: first, I had to convince those of my friends who disapprove of horror movies that Mama is actually a dysfunctional family comedy starring Betty White and Katherine Heigl. Next, I just had to get them to the theater. The second part of the plan proved to be the most … impossible. I was unaware that leaving BC campus on Saturday was a fool’s game, excepting an afternoon trip to El Pelon, of course.

the sequel to a film in which friends battle the forces of the undead in a remote cabin. Instead of building on that original premise, the sequel essentially redoes the original, but makes it several degrees more insane in the process. This time around, series protagonist Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) ends up all on his own, fighting for survival in the woods, in the first 10 minutes. From then on, the movie becomes a volatile mixture

of zombie hands, evil trees, inventive uses for chainsaws, dancing corpses, and much more.

Goal #2: watch the entirety of house of cards on netflix I feel that this series is essential viewing for anyone wondering whether Netflix’s original programming could change the way we watch television. Apart from the novelty of being

able to watch an entire first season of a new drama show in one sitting, House of Cards is stacked with talent, including Kevin Spacey in the lead as ruthless politician Frank Underwood and David Fincher as the director of the first two episodes.

I planned to start the show early on Friday, when the winter storm was raging outside, and continue throughout the day. How hard could it be to sit in front of a TV for 13 hours?

Pretty hard, it turns out. About 10 minutes into the premiere, my roommate suggested It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the first seven seasons of which were recently added to Netflix. Since I love dark, narcissistic comedies as much as the next guy, I agreed. For the rest of the weekend, any time we sat down in front of the television, It’s Always Sunny was our first, and only, choice. The episodes are short and can largely be watched in any order.

More importantly, however, Sunny is an example of a comedy that loses none of its comedic power in its run. If anything, the creators get a better sense of what works and adjust accordingly. Danny DeVito’s Frank transforms from an aging businessman to a half-crazed animal.

The five main characters only become more extreme in their sociopathic doings, but the show always grounds them with varying levels of stupidity.

In short, I chose the more easily digestible option this weekend and laughed myself silly.

Goal #3: read a classic novel I’m tired of being told that I need to read more of the classics. As an English major, I should be able to find time outside of classes to read a few extra books, right? With the snow storm, and the three days of freedom that came with it, I had no excuse to not curl up with a nice book. what i did instead Sledding across campus, many times, on both Friday and Saturday.

I’m only human!

what i did instead The Evil Dead 2. I had never seen this film before, but I can now say that any self-respecting horror film aficionado needs to see this film ASAP. Written and directed by Spiderman director Sam Raimi, this cult classic is

WHAt I did instead

PHOTO Courtesy of FX

It certainly wasn’t sunny in Chestnut Hill this weekend, but it was easy to forget that with Netflix re-runs of ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.’

Joe Allen is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@ bcheights.com.

ARTS&REVIEW THE HEIGHTS

Monday, February 11, 2013 A8

A10

A9 Monday, January 17, 2013

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013

MUMFORD & SONS STORM THE GARDEN

THE FINER THINGS

Language as an art ARIANA IGNERI

Art, for a painter, is created with rich, colorful hues. And art, for a musician, is composed of varied and complementing notes. Art, however, is not confined to such strict mediums, and art is not restricted to such a limited range of artists—art, actually, is for anyone who has ever spoken or written a single word, because language is art. And the speaker is an artist.

Rather than picking up a paintbrush or flipping through a book of sheet music, the speaker turns to his knowledge of language to craft his masterpiece. For the speaker, sentence structures, grammatical rules, and vocabulary words are no less brilliant and diverse than a palette of paint would be for a painter or a scale of notes would be for a musician. There are well over a quarter of a million words in the English language alone, and there are an infinite number of potential combinations of these same words—combinations that could result in fun, silly puns or beautiful, reflective similes and metaphors. Clearly, the possibilities for creation are endless.

Though the tools, the skills, and even the artist are different—the underlying essence in each form of art is entirely the same.

These components are irrefutably important in their respective mediums, but they are merely vehicles in achieving what makes art, art. The paint strokes, the chord progressions, and even the sentence structures would mean little if they failed to elicit some kind of emotion in their observer, listener, or reader. It’s feeling that makes art.

And even though this indispensable principle ensures that one medium is in no way superior to another, there’s no denying that there is something incredibly special about the art of language. In her book on aesthetics, Kate Gordon elaborates on the idea, saying, “In representing human emotion language has the prime advantage of being able to render literally the speech of the person. Painting can give the visible appearance, music the intonations; but language alone can give exact thought and utterance.”

Language, alone, can do what painting and music can only achieve together: it can evoke both detailed imagery and precise sounds, with nothing more than a strand of cleverly arranged words.

Language, as an art, is an all-encompassing experience of emotion, and although its form changes with different speakers, it’s the sundry and varied styles of language, both oral and written, that make it truly amazing. Martin Luther King, Jr., for example, influenced an entire movement with his emboldening speech, and his words “I have a dream,” though simple, incite hope even decades later. The art of his language rested in his ability to inspire, and the same standard holds true in writing. Two of the most famous American writers of the 1920s, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, possessed wholly opposite narrative styles—the former’s was florid and elaborately complex and the latter’s was raw and bluntly basic—but the two, all the same, are praised for their mastery of language. Despite their stark stylistic differences, their writing appealed, in singular ways, to human emotions, making their literature real works of art.

For centuries, though, it’s been William Shakespeare who has been lauded as the artistic master of the English language.

Lines from his plays such as Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth have been held as the golden standard of linguistic form. In Hamlet, for example, he wrote, “Doubt that the stars are fire / Doubt that the sun doth move his aides / Doubt truth to be a liar / But never doubt I love.” It’s undeniable that such words are some of the most poetic ever written, but it’s also obvious that today no one really speaks or writes like Shakespeare did. Does that mean that the art of language is deteriorating?

It’s hard to say. Fluid and dynamic, language is constantly changing: “Language is an anonymous, collective, and unconscious art—the result of the creativity of thousands of generations.” Edward Sapir, one of the most influential linguists of the 19th century, couldn’t have said anything truer. Even our generation is playing an integral role in crafting, composing, and sketching the art of language for the future. With each word you say, you’re creating it. So choose your words carefully. Say something beautiful—something that will inspire. Make your words art.

Ariana Igneri is the Assoc. Arts & Review editor of The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES

The English foursome, fresh off their wildly successful second LP ‘Babel,’ kicked off their East Coast tour leg on Tuesday with a rousing show at the TD Garden.

From humble beginnings, the folk group has ascended to superstar status with the Album of the Year. On Tuesday, the Grammy winners took Boston by storm.

MUMFORD & SONS

BY SEAN KEELEY | ARTS & REVIEW EDITOR When the English folk group Mumford & Sons first played in the Boston area, it was September 2008, and they were opening for Laura Marling at International Community Church in Allston. Not the most glamorous venue, perhaps, but just the thing for a fledgling band trying to get their foot in the door and drum up some buzz for their soon-to-be released first album.

This past Tuesday, Mumford & Sons was back in Boston, but in slightly different circumstances. This time the band played a sold-out show at TD Garden, enchanting a crowd of 20,000 adoring fans who sang along to every word and strummed imaginary banjos with relish.

It’s been a good few years for Mumford & Sons, to say the least. 2010 saw the release of their first album, Sigh No More, in the U.S. and a steadily growing popularity thanks to hits like “Little Lion Man” and “The Cave.”

Bigger festival and concert gigs, Grammy recognition and hosts of other musical awards followed, leading up

to the release of Babel this past September.

As fans flocked into the Garden on Tuesday, they were greeted by a pair of opening acts hoping to strike it big in similar fashion. First up was Ben Howard, the British singer-songwriter who has ascended in popularity in the UK but is still largely unknown stateside.

Howard unassumingly strode on stage for a laid-back set of folk ballads that showcased his vocal prowess, acoustic guitar skills, and drumming abilities. The audience seemed receptive—especially to Howard’s rendition of his popular “Only Love”—yet many seemed bewildered when he left the stage after a mere handful of songs. Howard’s star is clearly on the rise, but the concert didn’t give him enough breathing room, leaving audiences wanting more.

The opposite was true of the second act, The Felice Brothers, a roots rock group from upstate New York.

See Mumford, A9

WHO: Mumford & Sons WHERE: TD Garden, Boston WHEN: Tuesday 2/5, 7:00 PM OPENERS: Ben Howard, The Felice Brothers SET LIST: “Babel,” “I Will Wait,” “Winter Winds,” “Below My Feet,” “White Blank Page,” “Hopeless Wanderer,” “Timshel,” “Little Lion Man,” “Lover of the Light,” “Thistle & Weeds,” “Ghosts That We Knew,” “Holland Road,” “Roll Away Your Stone,” “Whispers in the Dark,” “Dust Bowl Dance” ENCORE: “Reminder,” “Sister,” “The Cave”

It’s the exact same old song and dance

Battle of the Bands set for an epic return to Arts Fest

BY CHRISTIAN MONTALVO

takes a completely different set of skills to put on a show.

Take the 2011 Battle of the Bands There are many opportunities for winner, for example. The Loose Handle musicians on Boston College’s campus. Band, who won at the Arts Festival and There is BC Idol, where any student got the chance to open for Sugar Ray at with a passion for music has the chance Modstock, was a band born to perform to share that passion with the rest of live. Their set was one of the highlights the student body. There are also the of the mini music festival. Having countless a cappella groups, ensembles, released their first formal release, a and choirs that perform each week. self-titled EP, The Loose Handle Band There are none quite like is starting to build momenBC’s Battle of the Bands, tum. Backed by an upright however. bass, mandolin, banjo, and The Arts Council, UGBC, the twangy guitar of front Music Guide, and Nights on man Jake Hunzeker, the folk the Heights (NOTH) have pop of the quartet fills the teamed up to bring the best energized six-track record. of BC’s bands together to Their sound is comparable compete for the spotlight, to the likes of Mumford & THE LOOSE HANDLE BAND ALBUM COVER opening for a premier artSons, The Avett Brothers, ist headlining Modstock. For all of our or Old Crow Medicine Show: powercampus’ bands, digital music samples fully gritty and fun. are due by Friday, Feb. 22 to arts@ While the band has a natural talent bc.edu, giving the judges ample time to apparent on their record, their true make the tough decision of who will get passion lies in their performances, the epic opportunity to perform in the which was amply demonstrated at Battle of the Bands preliminary. Those Modstock 2011. Their show set the successful enough to wow the judges tone for the entirety of the festivities, once more in a live performance will vamping up the energy levels before get a slot during the Arts Festival Battle Sugar Ray took the stage. Over the of the Bands final. The preliminary is summer the group played a set at the a deciding event for the groups, for it Hard Rock Cafe in Boston, showcasing

For The Heights

I NSIDE ARTS THIS ISSUE

Finding entertainment in Nemo

Joe Allen looks at the entertainment options that carried him through a long wintry weekend.....A9

AUSTIN TEDESCO

PHOTO COURTSEY OF CHRISTIAN MONTALVO

some of their new tracks on their EP, as well as a few covers including “Buddy Holly” by Weezer.

BC has given rise to many other talented musicians, as well, such as Craig Finn, lead singer of The Hold Steady, singer-songwriter Christine Kane, American Idol contestant, Ayla Brown, singer-songwriter Ellis Poehler, and Mike Najarian, drummer for State Radio. For all we know, the next big thing might be performing March 15 in the Vanderslice Cabaret Room.  Editor ’s Note: Bands interested in applying for this year’s Battle of the Bands should send digital music samples to arts@bc.edu by Friday, Feb. 22.

Tatum, Mara experience Side Effects

The unpredictable medical thriller showcases Steven Soderbergh’s directorial talent.................A8

A basketball sailed straight into my computer, and I felt like I aged 10 years.

My laptop was destroyed in early December, covering a women’s basketball game for The Heights when an errant pass knocked the crystals behind the display all out of whack, and I haven’t downloaded any new music since. No singles, no albums, no mixtapes—I haven’t gotten any new sounds onto my iPhone or iPad in two months now, and it’s terrifying.

I started consuming a lot less new music when I got to college. During my senior year of high school, I would pick up at least one new indie album and a new hip-hop mixtape every week. Every morning I’d scroll through a few music blogs to check up on the newest singles and the best up-and-coming bands.

After a few months at Boston College, I’d start checking the blogs once a week rather than once a day, and I’d need serious confirmation from multiple reviews that I’d enjoy a new band before I dropped money on or even attempted to download a new album or mixtape.

I was, or at least my tastes were, getting old, but I hardly realized it until

See Music, A9

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

SPORTS LAST-SECOND HEARTBREAK THE HEIGHTS

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Monday, February 11, 2013

B1

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013

OLIVIER HANLAN’S LAST-SECOND JUMPER MISSES WIDE LEFT AS BC UPSET FALLS SHORT

SOPHOMORE EDDIE ODIO SPARKS THE EAGLES WITH HIGHLIGHT-REEL DUNKS AND GRITTY PLAY

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

BY CHRIS GRIMALDI Assoc. Sports Editor

With the shot clock turned off and the ball in BC’s hands, rookie guard Olivier Hanlan was poised to orchestrate a final play that would send the Eagles soaring above college basketball’s elite. He dribbled into a traffic-filled lane, pulled up, and let a jump shot roll off his finger tips as Conte Forum held its breath. Two points was all BC would need to crush Mike Kryzyzewski’s No. 4 Blue Devil squad, solidifying the program-defining victory Hanlan and his teammates have been fighting for.

Yet fate refused to deal the Boston College men’s basketball team a break in the final seconds of regulation last night, as it fell to Duke by a final score of 62-61.

“You got to take advantage of what [Duke] gives you,” said head coach Steve Donahue of Hanlan’s miss in the closing seconds, “and they’re so aggressive you got to go by them. They switch, and you have Ryan [Anderson] on a post-up. I think [Hanlan] could have went in there, but he takes another freshman off the dribble, he gets in the lane, and gets a pretty good look. He’s pretty good at

those shots. I didn’t feel he was nervous for the moment.”

The Eagles had clawed their way into contention with the Blue Devils for all 40 minutes, catalyzing the nail-biter with a quick 13-5 run to start the game.

When Duke battled back in the second half to claim the lead, Donahue’s squad quickly answered with a 10-1 scoring run sparked by a Ryan Anderson jump shot at the top of the key. After Hanlan converted a one-and-one opportunity at the stripe with 2:15 left to play in regulation, the Eagles had a 61-56 advantage over the Blue Devils and an opportunity to complete a monumental upset at home.

Last night wasn’t the first time BC had taken a superior conference opponent down to the wire, and the Eagles followed the rookie guard’s free throws poised to leave its past struggles with sealing close games far behind.

Despite its efforts, BC couldn’t fend off the late-game resiliency that gives Duke a reputation as a national powerhouse. The Blue Devils’ Quinn Cook drilled a 3-pointer from the corner moments later, drawing the visiting team to within two points of BC’s lead after connecting on only his third shot of the

BC unable to capitalize on a second half rally at Wake

BY MARLY MORGUS Asst. Sports Editor

The Boston College women’s basketball team traveled to Winston-Salem, North Carolina yesterday in search of its fourth ACC win against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Despite a strong individual performance from junior Katie Zenevitch, other Eagles were held to low point totals and were unable to complete their second half comeback, returning the Chestnut Hill with a 61-59 loss.

Z enevitch had a career high 24 points and seven rebounds, many of them coming when the Eagles needed them most.

The Eagles scored first with a 3pointer from Kristen Doherty to start the game, but after that Wake Forest scored nine straight, quickly stifling the early attempts by the BC offense. The Eagles were able reel the game back in and bring the score to within one with just over eight minutes remaining in the half, but from that point on, the Demon Deacons stole the show.

They put up nine straight points, and despite a small push from the Eagles to put four more on the board, came away with a strong lead going into the first break.

At the half, the Eagles were down by 10, trailing Wake Forest with a score of 29-19. Shooting only 29 percent from the field, BC would have to put in an immense effort during the second half to counter balance Wake’s 40 percent shooting.

In the second half of play, Wake scored the first four points, but less than three minutes in, the Eagle offense woke up. Freshman Nicole Boudreau made the first move for BC with a 3-pointer, and from there her teammates followed in her wake.

The Eagles put up nine straight with contributions from Doherty, Zenevitch, and Boudreau, then worked back to within one with just over 12 minutes remaining to play. Finally, with 10 minutes remaining, a free throw by BC’s Tessah Holt put the Eagles ahead for the first time since their 3-pointer started off the game.

But the Wake Forest offense would not be caught sleeping, and as soon as the Eagles took the lead the Deacons responded, snatching back it immediately.

The Eagles were unable to respond, and steady shooting from Wake expanded the Demon Deacon lead once again.

The day was not over for the Eagles,

entire night. After being fouled by Anderson, senior forward Mason Plumlee knocked down a pair of foul shots to tie the game at 61.

Meanwhile, the Eagle offense had suddenly stalled, as misses from Hanlan and Anderson were followed by an inaccurate Joe Rahon 3-point attempt that bounced off of the top of the backboard.

Plumlee, who established his menacing presence down low for all 40 minutes, corralled the untimely misfire and drew a foul from Eddie Odio. Despite watching his first attempt bounce off the rim, the Duke veteran sank his second attempt with 24 seconds left on the clock. To Donahue, Duke’s game-clinching 6-0 scoring run was defined by the Devils’ execution rather than Eagle mistakes.

“As I said to these guys, we didn’t lose the game—Duke won the game,” Donahue said. “They made plays down the stretch. We didn’t play bad down the stretch, they just made more plays than us down the stretch and got it done.”

Yet with 18 seconds to play, BC emerged from a timeout with a chance to win in the contest’s final possession.

BOSTON COLLEGE

DUKE UNIVERSITY

POINTS: 61 REBOUNDS: 28 ASSISTS: 9 TURNOVERS: 12 FG PERCENTAGE: 44.7% 3-POINT PERCENTAGE:

POINTS: 62 REBOUNDS: 28 ASSISTS: 12 TURNOVERS: 13 FG PERCENTAGE: 40.4% 3-POINT PERCENTAGE:

35.3%

SECOND CHANCE POINTS: 4 FREE THROWS: 85%

OLIVIER HANLAN Freshman guard had 20 points and four rebounds in 37 minutes played.

18.2%

SECOND CHANCE POINTS: 18 FREE THROWS: 78%

MASON PLUMLEE Senior forward had 19 points and ten rebounds in 38 minutes played.

See Men’s Basketball, B3

CROWNING THE BEST IN BOSTON

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The men’s and women’s hockey teams both face the Northeastern Huskies for the Beanpot Championship this week. See B5.

See Women’s Basketball, B4

I NSIDE SPORTS THIS ISSUE

Tennis freshman adjusts to BC With a hot start, Kyle Childree is enjoying BC tennis on and off the court.............B2

Hanlan shook up after Duke loss Olivier Hanlan, despite his 20 points, blamed himself for the loss to the Blue Devils..........B4

Basketball Recap.......................B3 Sports in Short...........................B2

The Heights

B2

Monday, February 11, 2013

Childree settles in as only freshman on BC men’s tennis team

By Matty Pierce Heights Staff

For the typical college athlete, freshman year is a time to grow accustomed to one’s new team with other freshman teammates alongside. Being the only freshman tennis player to arrive at the start of the school year, Kyle Childree was not able to experience this luxury.

“It was definitely a little difficult at first,” Childree said. “I didn’t have a teammate to go to practice with, I kind of had to keep up with my own stuff, and had no one to relate to that was also on the team. I actually knew in the summer that I would be the only freshman on the team, but before that I thought that he was bringing in two other guys.

It just ended up being me, so I kind of had to adjust.”

With the support of his upperclassman teammates, Childree has been able to embrace the role as the lone freshman on the team without much trouble. A couple individuals in particular have helped Childree’s adjustment go smoothly.

“It has been good because you get to learn from the older guys and grow up a little quicker,” Childree said. “Christian McKean is a junior on the team, he has kind of taken me under his wing. That has been nice to have someone really go out of their way, especially the first few weeks and months. We hang out during our free time, and he has helped make the whole adjustment to college easier.”

Despite help from his older teammates, off the court Childree has had to learn to balance his time effectively.

“At first it was definitely tough to manage my time,” Childree said. “But you just have to find time to get to the library. You have to put academics and athletics ahead of social life, even though that is hard. You just have to do it.”

The Eagles are off to a hot start in their tennis season. They have won

all three of their matches, defeating Southern New Hampshire, Bryant, and Sacred Heart. Over the course of these three matches, Childree has gone 3-0 in singles play and 3-0 in doubles play.

Being from Georgia, Childree has also had to adjust to playing conditions of the northeast in order to find success.

“There are no indoor courts in Georgia really, because the weather is so nice,” Childree said. “Up here it’s freezing, so you have to adjust to playing indoors, but I feel like it has been going pretty well. That is definitely the biggest tennis adjustment.”

Despite being the lone freshman and experiencing early season success, Childree doesn’t let pressures affect his play on the court.

“I’m definitely pretty relaxed on the court,” Childree said. “I have the southern mindset from Georgia, so I keep it pretty relaxed out there.”

Childree expects that over the course of this season his role will be to focus primarily on doubles play. Having played more singles in high school, the doubles play has given him a chance to develop other parts of his tennis game.

“Doubles is a change, but I definitely love playing doubles, so it wasn’t surprising,” Childree said. “It is definitely different from high school when I only played singles. I have been working a lot more on volleying and serving, not so much ground strokes.”

The coaching staff at Boston College uses a different approach from than that of Childree’s high school coaches. Childree noticed that while in high school his skills were still being developed, here the coaching staff holds players responsible for improving one another.

“The coaches have been good,” Childree said. “It has been a little different than how I did things in high school.

In high school, the coaches did a little more feeding than we do here. But it makes more sense to play matches and play each other during practice since everyone here is good. The players re-

ally use each other to get better.”

While Childree has been pleased with the way he has started the season on the court, he has been even more content with the team’s close off the court relationship.

“The bond is definitely close,” Childree said. “The team goes out to dinner together, we will hang out together, so it is not just an on the court thing. When you have such a small group you have to have each other’s backs, which is really important on our team.”

Because of the close relationship between the players on the team, Childree feels he is able to relax on the court without unnecessary pressure.

“The close bond makes it so everyone cheers on everyone,” Childree said.

“You know they have your back whether you win or lose, so it’s not just based on your results, but it’s friendship.”

The success that he is experiencing on the court is meaningful to Childree, but he makes it clear that the time spent with his team is what has been the most rewarding part since becoming a member of the tennis squad.

“The most enjoyable parts have just been the times spent in the hotels, the times spent in the restaurants, and hanging out on the weekends,” Childree said. “On the court stuff is good, but that has been the most enjoyable.”

Off to a hot start, Childree is not content with the success he has earned.

Looking to improve each day, Childree has goals he wishes to achieve.

“My goal is to eventually go higher up in the singles lineup,” Childree said.

“I want to try to win as many matches as possible and take it a season a time, just get better each year.”

With the season just starting up, Childree looks to build on early success and put in the work that is necessary in order to keep improving.

“The program is what you make it,” Childree said. “The work you put in is what you are going to get out of it. That is the way our coach sets it up.” n

BC sailors make U.S. team

Tar Heel coach earns historic win

By Chris Stadtler Heights Editor

By Chris Stadtler Heights Editor

SPORTS in SHORT

“I’m not a good loser, I am just telling you,” said North Carolina women’s basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell. “I’m not a good loser, and I hope I never become one.”

Hatchell became the third women’s coach to record 900 wins in the Boston College 80-52 loss Thursday night to the Tar Heels.

“She’s a role model for all of us. There’s a lot of women in our game that started in women’s basketball before anyone really knew anything about women’s basketball,” said BC head coach Erik Johnson.

Hatchell began her career in college basketball at Francis Marion, before starting at UNC in 1986. She had a chance for 900 wins last Sunday at Duke, but lost to the Blue Devils. The loss, however, was just one game that stood between Hatchell and the inevitable.

“We wanted everything as a basketball team to push that off one more game.

There’s a reason they’ve won 900 games,” Johnson said.

Being on the losing end of a record set is never easy, especially in a blowout. The Eagles experienced that as the Tar Heels kept them from executing their drive-andkick offense.

“When we’re at our best, we’re able to go play off each other. Drive, kick, and drive again … They were able to stop us …

They forced us into playing their game,” Johnson said.

For BC, guards can make or break a night. On Thursday, they fumbled the ball around the perimeter, working deep into

graham beck / heights editor

Kerri Shields was held well below her scoring average in the Eagles’ loss to UNC. the shot clock. With the buzzer’s eruption at the end of these shot clock violations, turnovers or forced shots defined the night.

“Our issue was really in the half court.

They switched and they switched aggressively. We got back on our heels,” Johnson said. “When you got a big, athletic defender who’s in your shorts, you got a hard time getting by her. She’s got quick hands. Think about how many times we fumbled the basketball on an exchange or just dribbling it ourselves and then had to go recover and have to start over.”

The inability of BC to find a rhythm on offense due to the Tar Heels’ prowess on defense, allowed the game to escape its grasp. After a 15-2 UNC run that led into halftime, BC couldn’t keep up. The Tar Heels had everything going for them.

“They hit shots over us. They were able to go finish inside. They made foul shots.

They hit their three’s well … We’re not there yet,” said Johnson.

ACC Men’s Basketball Standings

Team

Conference Overall

Miami

10-0

19-3

Duke

7-2

20-2

Virginia

6-3

16-6

North Carolina

6-4

16-7

Maryland

5-5

17-6

NC State

5-5

16-7

Florida State

5-5

13-10

Clemson

4-6

12-10

Wake Forest

4-7

11-12

Georgia Tech

3-7

13-9

Boston College

2-7

10-12

Virginia Tech

2-8

11-12

Early in the tilt, UNC relied on 6 foot 2 freshman Xylina McDaniel inside. She shot 70 percent and had 15 points and seven rebounds.

When the Eagles made an effort to stop easy scoring in the post, North Carolina simply turned to its leading scorer on the season, Tierra Ruffin-Pratt. She hit shots from the top of the key with ease and also played well defensively.

“Their switches were disciplined. They were able to take away our back cuts,” Johnson said. “I thought that we learned some lessons, as we started really driving at them and cutting harder. We started opening them up.”

The Eagles will need to open up defenses more, Johnson said. There are seven remaining ACC games. Bigger games from center Katie Zenevitch and Kerri Shields, who were held below their averages, will be instrumental to success.

“Where we are in our program we have to take lessons from this,” Johnson said. n

At first glance, Erika Reineke seems like quite the underdog. She’s a freshman. She lives on Newton Campus. She has just half a season of collegiate sailing at Boston College under her belt.

Despite all this, nobody doubts her. This past fall, Reineke won the single-handed collegiate national championship. Her next goal was simple: make the U.S. national sailing team.

Last week, along with past Eagles’ Annie Haeger and Briana Provancha, both BC ‘12, Reineke competed in Miami at North America’s only regatta for the International Sailing Federation’s World Cup. There were 300 sailors from 35 countries. The regatta is the only one of its kind to include such a variety and talented group of sailors, and as a result the top two American boats in each class qualified for the team that will compete at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Haeger and Provancha participated in the two-person 470 in Miami. The two had a historic career on the Heights capturing multiple national titles. They finished in fifth place despite missing the last race after Haeger dislocated her kneecap. Haeger will be forced to rehab during the spring with the hope of returning for the U.S. team’s tour of Europe in the summer. The pair was very consistent during the regatta, usually finishing in the top 10 boats. They were the top American boat in the two-person 470.

Reineke appreciated their presence at the event. “They’re great. They’re always there to help me. We meet up and go to dinner.

That’s one thing that’s always great about BC’s alumni. They’ve just been really supportive of me, helping me with whatever I need,” said Reineke, who raced in the laser radial, the women’s singlehanded boat.

Reineke continued to demonstrate her skill on the international stage, finishing in sixth place overall with the second-best American performance in her class to earn a spot on the team. Reineke had won the 2012 collegiate

Numbers to Know

17

Previous committments, out of 17, honored by head coach Steve Addazio on National Signing Day.

6 Straight times that the Blue Devils have beaten the BC men’s basketball team.

1

The number of first place finishes that the men’s and women’s swim teams had in their meet against BU.

women’s singlehanded national championship in the same boat just three months earlier.

“Honestly, I was more nervous about this (compared to the national championship),” she said. “It was a determinate whether I was going to get funding or not. Also, I wanted to be a part of the U.S. national team.”

Reineke’s funding allows her to continue to compete on the biggest of stages with the best resources.

Despite being the top collegiate sailor in America this past year, the pressure was hardly alleviated. “I’ve been training a lot for the event, that was always a confidence builder, but as soon as you get there its like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s here I have to perform,’” Reineke said.

In her biggest national event thus far, Reineke said one of her greatest difficulties was “constantly having the pressure of having to make the team. That was something I always thought, which I wish I didn’t because it kind of messed me up.”

The conditions of the event combined with her own nerves hindered Reineke’s performance.

“I’ve never been that great in the breeze and this was a breezy event,” she said. “I still obviously have a lot of work to do, sixth place wasn’t as great as I hoped. I need to get stronger which I can definitely do. It was kind of an eye opener. Kind of just saw where I was at and now I need to build up from that.”

Reineke’s strengths lie in her desire to keep moving forward. The sailing program at BC will be a huge part of that, as she prepares the next four years for Rio de Janeiro.

“I have gotten stronger in the boat by training here at BC,” she said. “I don’t have any doubts about the athletic program or the gym. I’m here and they’re working with me as best I can..”

As Reineke looks forward to the team’s summer tour of Europe, her youth is undeniable, with the majority of the team in their 20s.

But a difference in skill? Not so much.

“It’s going to be kind of intimidating, but I’m on the same level as them … So I’m just hoping to push hard, just like they are.” n

Quote of the Week

“I think it is very important to bring in young men that have good character. It is awfully hard to switch character around.”

—Jerry York on balancing talent and character when recruiting.

The Heights

Monday, February 11, 2013

B3

Graham Beck / heights editor

key stats

.50 .00 .92

3-point shooting rate for Duke in the second half

quote of the Series

3-point shooting rate for BC in the second half

“The thing about Olivier is just that he does this every day. This isn’t just a game—this is his life. He wants to be great and he takes every advantage to try to do that.

- Steve Donahue Men’s basketball head coach

Olivier Hanlan’s free-throw rate

Standouts

Memorable Play After an and-one dunk over Duke’s Mason Plumlee, Eddie Odio skied for an alley-oop off of a baseline outof-bounds play that he aggressively threw down, sending Conte Forum into a frenzy.

Prime Performance mason plumlee

Oliver hanlan graham beck / heights editor

Graham Beck / Heights Editor

Hanlan had 20 points and four rebounds for the Eagles, while Plumlee led the Blue Devils with 19 points, 10 boards, and 2 blocks in the Duke win.

Basketball Notebook

BC’s defense, Odio shine versus Blue Devils

By Chris Grimaldi Assoc. Sports Editor

Despite culminating in a crushing 62-61 loss, the Boston College men’s basketball team’s duel with Duke last night featured two encouraging signs—the solid play of BC’s defense and the electric performance of sophomore forward Eddie Odio.

The Eagles faced a Blue Devil squad that boasts the nation’s sixthbest points per game average, yet recorded one of its most complete efforts of the season against a conference rival.

As part of BC’s early run, a defense anchored by Odio forced its opponent to commit nine turnovers while outrebounding Duke 11-7 on the defensive glass.

“I thought we’ve really made progress each and every game,” said head coach Steve Donahue, “but I think after the Virginia game, we really talked for a while and said, ‘If we’re going to win, we’ve got to be a grind-it, tough, gritty team on defense … we charted way more deflections, we turn Duke over 13 times, and we get 11 steals.

They’re getting better.”

A major reason for the Eagles’ ability to stay competitive for all 40 minutes was their prevention of long Duke runs. On paper, Duke’s 79 points per game and noticeable size advantage led by six-foot-10 forward Mason

Plumlee could’ve reasonably overwhelmed an undersized BC squad.

Yet the Eagles held the Blue Devils to 40 percent shooting from the field, while outscoring the Blue Devils by a total of eight points in the paint over both halves.

“We talked about it quite a bit, trying to stay out of those four or five –basket runs that they go on,” Donahue said. “The guys just had matured a great deal where I think they would have hung their heads and felt that they were letting the game get away where I think the attitude now is, ‘Let’s grind it out, let’s get a good possession here. Worry about the moment and not get caught up in it.’”

The E agles’ impressive effor t against a top-five team owes much of its credit to the energy sparked by Odio on both sides of the ball.

Contributing four points, five rebounds, and three steals off the bench, the forward wreaked havoc while Duke had the ball and generated momentum for BC on the offensive end as well.

In particular, Odio’s slam dunk off of a Joe Rahon lobbed inbound pass under the net brought the Eagles to within one point of a second-half Blue Devil lead.

Despite thriving in a big-game atmosphere, Odio considers performances like today as a part of his role as catalyst.

“I believe that’s why Coach puts me in the game, is to bring energy plays and work hard,” Odio said. [Dennis Clifford] is a big asset, and he’s obviously not 100 percent. I just try to fill the role by playing hard and doing what I need to do.”

Donahue understands that a productive Odio not only adds depth to BC’s rotation, but also realizes a steady player’s potential to be great.

“I think he’s just scratching the surface of where he’s at,” Donahue said. “ When we recruited him, I thought he was a kid that, ‘If we could get a redshirt year out of him.’ You guys probably still think he’s thin, but you’re not realizing he’s put on 25 pounds of muscle. He still has 20 more pounds to go, but he’s got a terrific IQ, a great motor, an unselfish work ethic, and he’s a terrific athlete.

I think good teams have guys like that.

So as we get better, he’s really going to be an asset.”

Between a collective defensive effort and the contributions of Odio, BC can salvage foundations for future success from hard-fought loss.

“It’s not just Duke,” Donahue said.

“This is every day to focus [on] what we’re trying to do. You’ll see it here.

We’ll get there, but that’s how we’ve got to play. We’re not going to be the longest, most athletic team so we’ve got to be really tough, aggressive, and intelligent.” n

Mason Plumlee filled the statsheet with 19 points, 7-of-10 shooting from the free-throw line, over 50 percent shooting from the field, four offensive rebounds, and two blocks.

Eagles surrender late lead Men’s Basketball, from B1 Hanlan tried navigating through a swarm of Blue Devil defenders, waiting for a play to develop. As time dwindled and the openings vanished, Hanlan fired a pull-up jumper that bounced off the back of the rim. Anderson tried to gain control of the rebound, but could neither put the ball back up for a second-chance opportunity nor draw a foul. The final buzzer ended a brief loose-ball struggle, leaving the Eagles to cope with another heartbreaker.

For Hanlan, last night’s conclusion was all-too similar to his last-second miss at the free-throw line against Miami a few weeks ago and a reminder of how tough it is to adjust to pressures of collegiate basketball.

“It’s hard,” Hanlan said, after posting a game-high 20 points in the losing effort. “I’m still kind of getting used to this environment. I could do a way better job in these types of situations.”

Mindful of the freshman standout’s contributions and will to improve, however, Donahue would not let one missed opportunity blemish a gutsy performance.

“I thought Olivier played terrific,” Donahue said. “The thing about Olivier is just that he does this every day. This isn’t just a game—this is his life. He wants to be great and he takes every advantage to try to do that. Obviously he’s extremely disappointed, but a little hard on himself as well.”

Though last night’s loss can be

ridiculed as a missed chance to translate hardnosed play into a trademark victory, Donahue and his squad will take it in stride—as another milestone in their path toward building a contender.

“You have no idea how this tears you up,” Donahue said. “That’s life. There’s a lot of worse things in life. What I try to

“You have no idea how this tears you up.”

Steve Donahue Men’s head basketball coach focus on is that this group is allowing us to coach them. That sounds miniscule, but if this is going to get done here, this game doesn’t really have anything to do with it. It’s more important that they’re doing the things that we’re asking, that they’re willing to do 24/7 around the clock as a program. That’s what I’m encouraged by.”

“I’m extremely disappointed that we could’ve beat an elite program like Duke when we played real well and we had a great chance. This is going to tear me up for a long time, but my job is I got Monday’s practice, we got Tuesday’s practice, and we got to beat Wake Forest on Wednesday.” n

The Heights

B4

Monday, February 11, 2013

Hanlan’s emotional moment gives BC hope after heartbreaking loss

Austin Tedesco A poignant knife cut through the usual press conference in Conte Forum.

At first, Boston College head coach Steve Donahue opened with his regular statement on not wanting to disregard wins and losses.

“I hate to lose,” he said. “I hate to lose as much as anybody. I’m in this to win.”

Nevertheless, he said he had to appreciate all of the progress his team had made this season, coming within one pull-up jumper of defeating No. 4 Duke just 15 minutes earlier.

He repeated the message that he has said, while sitting in the exact same seat, every time his Eagles have come close to that statement win which

Graham Beck / Heights Editor

Hanlan had 20 points against the Blue Devils.

continues to sneak out from under their fingertips. He said he’s seeing everything out of his guys that he needs to see, and it pained him that they couldn’t be rewarded for it on that night.

“That’s why I wanted to win,” he said. “I wanted these guys to get a little reward for a tremendous effort tonight, but more importantly just what they’ve been doing for the last two months.”

But nothing that he said could have communicated how painful that one point differential in BC men’s basketball’s 62-61 loss to the Blue Devils better than the freshman point guard sitting next to him.

Moments later, a question was directed to Olivier Hanlan about stopping Duke’s offense from going on deadly runs.

“I think we broke down a few…”

Hanlan began, in a hushed but hurried tone before losing his words. The heartbreak over the loss couldn’t be hidden from his demeanor.

He shook his head. He hardly resembled the same player that, with less than one minute left in the first half and the Blue Devils erasing BC’s lead, drained a three in the face of Duke’s Quinn Cook, fell on his back, hopped right up, and jawed at the blue-chipper as he back-pedaled to his own bench with a cocky hitch in his step.

“We broke down on defense a few times off a few rotations,” Hanlan continued after the brief pause, “so that kind of…” And then he shook his head again. Hunched over the table with his head down, Hanlan went on. “.. Backstabbed us, in the back.”

The usually articulate Hanlan couldn’t get the right words out. There was no way his mind could’ve really been on defensive rotations in that moment.

Finally, the question came that matched up with his thoughts. It was about the last play of the game. The play that wasn’t even drawn up for him.

The play that could have sent Duke home without an impending No. 1 ranking. The play that could have given BC a hard-earned reward.

“On the last play…” Hanlan started, before taking one deep breath and describing the play in detail, still with the hurried, hushed voice.

Right then, he barely looked like the guy who, after Duke took the lead back from BC with eight minutes left in the game, answered by drilling a two-point jumper and then throwing up a pair of 3-goggles directed at

Graham Beck / heights Editor

Freshman point guard Olivier Hanlan with head coach Steve Donahue after BC’s 62-61 loss to No. 4 Duke last night at Conte.

Cook.

He looked like the guy who, with his team down one and the clock expiring, had missed a shot wide left off the glass that eliminated the potential for an upset. He looked like a guy who saw it all as his fault.

“I’m still getting used to this environment,” he said when next asked about the pressure that came with that shot. “I could do a way better job in these types of situations.”

And then he let in, a little bit, how deep that pain went.

“Same thing when I missed those free throws at Miami,” he conceded, with a third shake of the head, his eyes still down at the table. Donahue looked up from the stat sheet at which he had been gazing and patted his point guard on the back.

It had been 25 days since Hanlan had missed the third of three freethrows that could have sent BC into overtime with now top-ranked Miami.

The same Miami team that blew out this Duke squad by 27 points. It had been 25 days, but Hanlan still wouldn’t

let it go.

“I’ll … I’ll play better in the next game to make up for it,” he said, and then the questions were over and he walked out.

Donahue wasn’t going to let the biggest reason the Eagles even competed with the Blue Devils leave on that note, though. After Hanlan walked out, the first question for Donahue was about Hanlan and that last shot.

“He has a pretty good look and he’s pretty good at those shots,” Donahue said. “And I didn’t feel that he was nervous from the moment. The thing about Olivier is that he just does this every day. This isn’t just a game. This is his life. He wants to be great, and he takes every advantage to try to do that.

He’s obviously extremely disappointed and probably a little hard on himself as well.”

Donahue then shook his head, just like his point guard, but not with the same intent.

“Even the Miami thing—Let’s be honest, the reason that we can play with Duke is because you have Olivier

Hanlan,” Donahue said. “A lot of it has to do with his ability to—when they pressure you, they force you to go by them and he got to the rim, he got fouled, he makes 11 out of the 12 foul shots. I just thought he played great.”

Hanlan did play great. So did Ryan Anderson, Eddie Odio, and the rest of the Eagles, at least in spurts. But their confidence is fragile, and this is the kind of the loss that can derail a group of young players.

On top of all the heartbreak, though, there was strength in that room. Hanlan left assuring himself, his coach, and everyone else that he was going to use the pain to help him improve.

Donahue stood tall, confident in his system and confident in his belief that whether that last shot was wide left or not, he had to appreciate where his team stands.

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

Eagle Roundup

BU Terriers sink both Eagle swim teams Men’s tennis extends winning streak to three, women’s golf kicks off 2013 season in Florida

By Connor Mellas Heights Staff

While these past few days were perfect for sledding and snowmen, it was the men’s tennis team that was perfect last weekend, advancing to 3-0 on the season after downing Bryant and Sacred Heart by a score of 7-0 each. The Eagles dominated, winning every doubles and singles match to drop the Bulldogs and the Pioneers. Off to a roaring start, BC has swept away its first three opponents, led as it is by solid doubles tandems and standout individual performances.

Sophomore Phil Nelson won on court number one in singles and doubles on both days, continuing a quality start to the season.

Far away from the Chestnut Hill tundra, the women’s golf team got its

season swinging in Coral Gables, Florida, on Monday and Tuesday, tying for 13th in the Hurricane Invitational. Led by freshman Isabel Southard, the Eagles recorded a team score of 945, +93.

Southard tied for ninth overall, shooting a three-round total of 222 and finishing +9. The Eagles are back in action again on the Feb. 16 when they head out to California for the Peg Barnard Stanford Invitational.

The men’s and women’s swim teams were sunk by Boston University at BU last Saturday, losing 222-77, and 229-72, respectively. A bright spot in the tough dual meet saw senior Marty Long earning first place in the three-meter diving with a score of 279 along with a second place finish in one-meter diving with a score of 269.47. Connor Stickney swam for third in the 100 backstroke and fourth in the

200 backstroke, and helped the 200 yard freestyle and 200 yard medley relays to third place finishes.

On the women’s end, sophomore Melissa Merwin took second in the 200 yard breaststroke with a time of 2:30.43.

Additionally, Merwin swam for fourth in the 100 yard backstroke and was part of a fourth place finishing 200 yard medley relay team. The Eagles will look to rebound at the UConn Open on Feb. 15.

Men’s and women’s fencing teams were both in action at the Eric Sollee Invitational at MIT on the third, with the women going 4-2 and the men finishing 3-3. The women showed a strong group effort, losing only to Duke and Penn, and recorded impressive wins in sabre, epee, and foil. For the men, seniors Nikhil Patel and Albert Starshak were both dominate in epee, finishing 12-6 each. Senior Denis McGovern had a career day on the sabre, going 10-8. The Eagles return to action on Tuesday to host the Fencing Beanpot at the Plex. n

Graham Beck / heights Editor

A second half comeback gave BC the lead, but they couldn’t hold on against Wake Forest.

Zenevitch’s 24 isn’t enough Women’s Basketball, from B1

Daniel Lee / Heights Senior Staff

The Eagles struggled in a dual meet against BU last week, taking a first place finish in only one event, men’s three meter diving.

however. Despite being down by seven with only a few minutes left to play, the offense snapped into action, this time spurred by top performer Zenevitch.

In the last three minutes, she had seven points, and a layup by Shayra Brown put the Eagles even with Wake one final time.

The fairy tale comeback was nearly complete, but with 18 seconds to go, a jumper by Wake’s Chelsea Douglas put an end to the Eagles’ hopes.

The final score was a close 61-59, Wake Forest managing to edge past the very near BC comeback.

Of Zenevitch’s career high 24, 20 of those came in the second half as the

Eagles pushed themselves back into contention, but her standout performance was not enough to stand up to Wake Forest’s relentless attack.

Wake had a strong individual performance to match BC’s with Dearica Hamby, a sophomore forward, putting up 22 points of her own and taking nine rebounds.

Though it was a disappointing loss for the Eagles, their eighth in conference play, head coach Erik Johnson did not fail to see the high points.

“I thought Katie Zenevitch did a phenomenal job. She really carried us offensively. She was able to score and find open players,” he said. “I’m really proud of our players to be able to come back and continue to battle.” n

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, February 11, 2013

B5

61ST MEN’S BEANPOT CHAMPIONSHIP No. 5 Boston College vs. Northeastern

OVERALL BEANPOT RECORDS BU BC Harvard NU

MOST CONSECUTIVE BEANPOT WINS

85-36 72-49 50-71 34-87

BU BC NU Harvard

PLAYERS TO WATCH

LAST CHAMPIONSHIP GAME MATCHUP

BC: Johnny Gaudreau (2012 tournament Most Valuable Player)

2011 Final Score (OT):

NU: Kevin Roy (NCAA leader in rookie scoring)

BC: 1954 NU: 1980

CHAMPIONSHIPS BU BC Harvard NU

10/3/12 BC 1 10/20/12 BC 3 1/19/13 BC 9

BC: 16-7-2 (No. 1 in Hockey East) NU: 8-13-3 (last in Hockey East)

BC: 2012 NU: 1988

49 33 25 15

NU 3 NU 0 NU 3

RECORDS

LAST BEANPOT TITLE

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME APPEARANCES

29 17 10 4

2012-2013 HEAD-TO-HEAD

BC 7 NU 6 Recap: BC’s Jimmy Hayes sends home a game-ending score six minutes into overtime, capturing the Eagles’ its 16th title.

FIRST BEANPOT TITLE

BU BC Harvard NU

6 3 2 1

35TH WOMEN’S BEANPOT CHAMPIONSHIP No. 2 Boston College vs. Northeastern

OVERALL BEANPOT RECORDS NU Harvard BC BU

45-22-1 43-25 28-36-1 13-46-2

1985 Final Score: BC 0 NU 7

FIRST BEANPOT TITLE BC: 2006 NU: 1979

2012-2013 HEAD-TO-HEAD 11/16/12 BC 6 11/18/12 BC 4 1/9/13 BC 6

NU 4 NU 3 NU 2

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME APPEARANCES Harvard NU BC BU

27 23 12 5

LAST CHAMPIONSHIP GAME MATCHUP

Recap: Despite reaching its third tournament title game in seven years, BC is forced to wait another two decades for its first trophy.

LAST BEANPOT TITLE BC: 2011 NU: 2012

CHAMPIONSHIPS NU Harvard BC BU

15 13 4 1

PLAYERS TO WATCH BC: Corinne Boyles (40 saves in first-round victory over Harvard) NU: Kendall Coyne (Hat trick in first round game against BU)

RECORDS BC: 21-4-2 (tied No. 1 in Hockey East) NU: 15-10-2 (No. 4 in Hockey East)

B6

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, February 11, 2013

The Heights

Monday, February 11, 2013

Health&Science

Embracing an imperfect science

Joseph Castlen The word “science” freaks some people out, but your last name doesn’t have to be “Nye” to recognize that the Earth revolves around the Sun, washing your hands prevents diseases, and that black stuff growing in your eight-man bathroom is actually a family of microscopic critters–cute, right? But as early as 100 years ago, not all of these facts were obvious to the common man, or any man for that matter.

Doctors used to perform surgeries directly after conducting autopsies on diseased corpses–without washing their hands. Despite centuries and centuries of astronomical observation, it wasn’t until the 1500s that someone suggested the Earth isn’t the center of the universe.

At the time of BC’s founding, people still thought that house flies spontaneously grew out of garbage.

Sitting on the shoulders of giants, it is easy for us to laugh at the ignorance of past men. We’ve been bred since birth to wash our hands after using the bathroom, and how many times have we heard, “The world doesn’t revolve around you!” Certainly, however, the end of scientific knowledge extends past the question of how best to practice basic hygiene.

There are certain things we know we don’t know–for instance, there is a bounty of undiscovered knowledge pertaining to outer space. Other hot areas of research: sleep, gravity, and magnets–how do they work?! The real question, and also the question we don’t have the answer to, has to do with what we think we know but really don’t.

In the history of science, many discoveries were made accidentally or by chance. Take, for example, the discovery of penicillin–the first antibiotic to be isolated in a laboratory setting. If a Petri dish containing the bacteria that causes Staph infections had not been accidentally left uncovered, a patch of mold that secreted the “miracle drug” may not have grown on it and we might still suffer from diseases like typhoid fever that used to claim the lives of thousands every year.

Another classic story told in every middle school science class is how Sir Isaac Newton was hit on the head by a falling apple and had an epiphany. The end product of this was the Law of Gravity, a mathematical relationship between the sizes of two objects, the distance between them, and the speed at which they gravitate toward each other. People had known since the beginning of time that things fall downward, but it took a fruity blow to the head—not exactly standard scientific protocol—to realize that there is a science behind it.

I am not advocating against the use of the scientific method. It is a tried and true system for answering the many, many questions of mankind. If we spent all day sitting under apple trees waiting to have an epiphany, then the rate of scientific discovery would stagnate faster than AOL’s monthly revenues after the introduction of high-speed internet.

What I am advocating for, however, is an open mind and a healthy skepticism of what we believe to be true.

Just as we go to doctors for medical advice when we are sick, we go to professors when we are curious about an academic area of interest. Similarly, just as a doctor can misdiagnose a patient, a professor can be wrong in the course of his or her teaching. The philosopher Rene Descartes rejected anything as true that he could not know without any grain of doubt, as should we.

We make certain assumptions for the sake of further learning—can you imagine trying to study chemistry without accepting atomic theory as true?—but keep in mind the fact that these assumptions are not set in stone, and that the assumptions our grandparents were taught to make are not necessarily the same ones we make today. Simply put, the world as it is not quite the world as we see it, and we ought to be mindful of this.

By virtue of knowledge, we are inclined to believe that everything we know is the truth, but by virtue of the truth, we cannot know more than that which we have for ourselves discovered. We live in a dynamic world–there are constants, and there are plenty of variables. Our job is to seek out the constants, and to define the variables in terms of truths that we really do know.

So be skeptical, prove your professors wrong, and keep your eyes peeled for an apple falling your way.

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

B7

Special interest housing provide diverse interactions From Housing, B10 promoting environmental awareness.

Students must be motivated to examine the pressing issues of sustainability.

While most students are aware of these various housing options on campus, the Romance Language floor seems to be the most esoteric. Any sophomores, juniors, or seniors can apply to live in either Maison Francaise or Casa Hispanica. The third floor of Voute offers four-person apartments, each with two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a bath. These two “houses” are considered under the umbrella of “The language house program,” which enables approximately 30 students interested in language and culture to live together. Residents are personally guided by graduate student residents, who are also experienced teachers and native-level speakers. The Graduate Fellow Residents (GFRs) live in apartments on the floor and coordinate with the RAs to facilitate planning and execution of activities aimed at improving the students’ language skills and cultivating their knowledge of other cultures through first hand experience.

Evelin Gamarra Martinez, GFR of Casa Hispanica and GA&S ’18, noted the importance of the Romance Language floor experience for both herself and for the students. Gamarra, originally from Peru, came to the U.S. for a year in 2005 on a Fulbright Scholarship and was placed in Vermont as a foreign language teaching assistant. After a year of teaching, she felt that she still had so much to learn about American culture, and so much potential knowledge to attain. Gamarra took an

offer to work at BC as director of the Casa. Gamarra is in charge of organizing activities that will immerse the students in Spanish culture and ensure that all students on the floor are speaking only Spanish in the residence.

Casa Hispanica and Maison Francaise both offer a calendar full of monthly activities designed by and for the house residents, such as dinners, student presentations, film series, cooking classes, and concerts . Non-language house residents are also welcome to attend the events—some classes even offer extra credit to attend movie screenings or lectures. In addition to these activities, however, Casa Hispanica and Maison Francaise residents are required to speak their chosen language consistently, even with their roommates behind closed doors.

The Casa offers a very direct entrance into Spanish culture, facilitated by Gamarra’s tangible knowledge of Spanish culture. “There is a commitment from me to them, to do my best to provide them a variety of things so they can get a little taste of everything,” Gamarra said. “They have this alien here from Peru who can actually answer their questions, tell them stories, give them anecdotes about what it’s like to live outside the U.S.” Thus, the Language House facilitates an environment similar to the immersion of an abroad experience, which can serve as a replacement for or preparation for abroad for many students. With Gamarra’s commitment to the 20 current Casa students, comes a reciprocal commitment from them to her. They must speak Spanish in their rooms, practice between them and

with her, attend two mandatory events a month, and organize one event per academic year.

The Casa is an eclectic mix of students—ranging from native Puerto Ricans to American students looking to further their language skills before going abroad.

“Each of my residents also brings their own experience to us, and the whole environment is powerful,” said Gamarra, who describes the Casa as a “melting pot.”

Raissa Horimbere, CSOM ’15, applied to the Casa for the purpose of keeping up her Spanish due to the fact that she didn’t have space in her academic schedule to continue taking Spanish classes. She noted that it has been a great substitute to taking Spanish classes, adding, “Of course we have seniors and some students who just want good housing, but if you’re involved, you’ll get a lot out of it.”

Corey Streitwiester, A&S ’13, expressed his content with how his experience in the Casa has been going. “Spanish classes focus on cultivating an intellectual register of the language, and the Casa offers an opportunity to explore the more natural, often messier, idioms of every day life.”

Didem Alkan, GFR for the Maison Francaise and GA&S ’18, expressed similar excitement about the program. Alkan, a native Turk, has been studying French literature as a graduate student for four months at BC. Maison Francaise has the same requirements as the Casa. Alkan has been organizing the calendar for this academic year, catering to the varying speaking levels of residents.

“I’m trying to create a balance because learning a language is really difficult, but

not losing it is even more difficult,” Alkan said. “That’s why I’m trying to combine residents who are natives and those who aren’t natives.”

Alkan did express some initial obstacles she encountered in becoming acclimated to the program. While some residents are more involved in the activities and organized events, others only show up for the minimum requirements. Also, as a 24-year-old, and very close to the ages of her residents, Alkan sometimes had doubts about her ability to implement discipline.

Despite this, however, she noted that the residents have become extremely close, and said, “I feel like I’m with my family here. This is my first time studying abroad for a long period of time, and I really feel that I’m living with my family. During the break, I went back to my country and I really missed my residents and emailed them frequently.”

Scott Masek, A&S ’13, applied to the French House for different reasons than the typical student. He has lived on the third floor of Voute for his sophomore year, and now for his senior year, for practical and personal reasons. Originally from France, he found the living experience helpful for a student from abroad to have some exposure to being home, especially since there are few French students present at BC. Masek lives with one Mexican, one Italian, and one Nigerian student, noting that “even though it’s based around French culture, you get a little of everything. This is supposed to be a sharing floor. If you want to make the most of the experience, you need to share.” n

alex gaynor / asst. photo editor

The Irish Music Center, located in the Burns Library, contains multiple sources of traditional Irish music, and also corresponds with the Center for Irish Programs to plan events.

Gaelic Roots Festival maintains musical tradition Burns, from B10 members of the BC community as well as the general public and are free to attend.

In addition to traditional music, attendees can expect to hear commentary and story telling from Connolly, creating an air of warmth and welcome for every event. Moreover, Sweeney adds, “the performers provide continuity with the past, while at the same time keeping the sound fresh and vibrant.”

The Irish Music Center of the Burns Library is tasked with preserving the rich history of traditional Irish music

in America and houses a number of archives, including sheet music, recordings, and memorabilia. The Center began at BC in 1990 under Michael O. Suilleabhain, then a visiting professor from Ireland, who also launched the Boston College Fiddle Festival. Since then, the Irish Music Center has continued to work toward documenting Irish music in America while also sponsoring, with the Center for Irish Programs, a number of music events on campus.

One of the programs sponsored by the Irish Music Center this year is a perfect accompaniment to the Gaelic

Roots Concert Series: a new exhibit in the Burns Library titled “The Musical Roots of Seamus Connolly, Sullivan Artist-in-Residence.” Before coming to BC, Connolly made a name for himself as “one of the world’s most respected master Irish musicians.” Connolly took up the fiddle at the young age of 12 and soon found himself performing on Irish television and radio. He later traveled internationally performing, lecturing, and teaching. He has appeared on The Today Show, produced and hosted a radio show of Irish traditional music for WNTN-1550 AM and has released

two records.

Both the Irish Music Center and the Gaelic Roots Festival reflect the dedicated work of the Center for Irish Programs. As the University was originally founded for the sons of Irish immigrants, the Center continues this Irish legacy today through its programming. From sponsoring musical events to promoting academic and business pursuits, the Center serves as a representative of BC’s rich Irish heritage while seeking to “support the many Boston College students, alumni, and friends with an interest in Ireland and all things Irish.” n

THE HEIGHTS

B8

VALENTINE’S DAY

The art of the letter BROOKE SCHNEIDER

Until this December, the last time I was eager to open the mailbox was when I was awaiting acceptance letters from colleges.

Everything that had been addressed to me in the interim—bills from loan providers, reminders to take my senior portrait and coupons for Bed Bath and Beyond—did not get me nearly as excited. This December, I had a reason to check the mailbox every single day with as much anticipation as I had in the spring of 2009.

I was awaiting letters from the fellow I met this summer who would be in Illinois for the next three months for Navy boot camp. I met Greg in June of 2012 at a flea market in Long Beach Island, New Jersey.

My friend and I were attempting to sell artifacts of our childhood on this especially humid summer day. My friend and I were the only sellers below the age of 65 until Greg pulled up alongside the spot we carved out for ourselves in the pebbly lot. Greg stole my friend’s chair so he could sit beside me, and he basically never left. It’s a beautiful story, and anyone who knows me or has read my columns knows how much I love a good love story. I just never had my own to tell.

Greg and I began a whirlwind of a summer romance, which lasted until I said goodbye to the Jersey Shore and hello to my senior year on the Heights. Greg and I kept in touch, but there were some complicating factors that kept me from investing myself wholeheartedly in the relationship. The first day we met, Greg told me that he had recently enlisted in the Navy and that he would be going to boot camp in December.

I pushed this information into the back of my mind, choosing to focus on the present, instead. Sooner rather than later, that became the present, and Greg was leaving for Illinois, where his only connection to people outside the base would be through handwritten letters.

Not knowing that Greg would be unable to send letters for the first few weeks, I checked the mailbox every day. Nothing.

Though I was accustomed to being disappointed, I couldn’t help but be hopeful each time I started turning the dial to unlock our mailbox. At some points I even convinced myself that I could see the corner of a white envelope in the tiny window.

I checked the mailbox one last time before I left for Winter Break. Nope, just a jury duty notification for the roommate.

About a week into vacation, my dad woke me up from my mid-afternoon nap hollering, “Brooke, you got a letter from Greg!”

I jumped out of bed quicker than I would have if he had said there was pork fried rice on the kitchen table.

I received a total of four letters from Greg over the next month and a half. I have read each one more than once, and the beautiful thing is that I can read them hundreds of more times if I want. Greg never said anything elaborate in these letters, and they were all brief enough to fit on an 8 by 6 inch sheet of paper with room to spare.

He did not use flowery language, nor did he quote from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116.

Rather, in the simplest of words he told me that he missed me and that he was making friends, and he reminded me that I have one semester left at BC so I better enjoy it. He signed each letter, “Like, Greg.” Each word that Greg wrote down was deliberate. He had the option of scribbling out words he wanted to take back—something you can’t exactly do when you’re speaking. It filled me with such warmth to know that Greg took the time to sit at his desk and write me these letters. And I know that when Greg said it was so good to hear from me that he meant it.

Now that Greg has access to a phone and a computer, he thinks it’s no longer necessary to send letters. But I want Greg and everyone else to reconsider letters’ inferiority as a form of communication. Letters should not just be your last resort. To the couple that lives in neighboring Mods and essentially lives with their significant other, write your boyfriend or girlfriend a little note. It does not have to be anything fancy.

You don’t even need to call it a letter—just a simple note.

Channel your inner fifth-grader and make an acrostic poem for your best friend and slip it under his or her laptop. Send a letter to your best friend from high school who goes to school in your home state.

Get yourself a piece of college-ruled paper, grab your favorite pen from which the words just seem to flow (Staples 1.0 is my pen of choice), and jot down a few words.

You don’t need to view letter writing as an arduous task that you have to “keep up with.” You don’t need to write each other back after every letter, or even write back at all. Just a little note to throw in the mix between text messages and hangout sessions. And men, remember that letter writing is not just for the ladies.

Brooke Schneider is a senior staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Monday, February 11, 2013

CAMPUS CHRONICLES

Curbing the side effects of Netflix addictions ALEXANDRA HADLEY “I finished all my reading from two weeks ago … so I really have earned a break,” the dedicated—and deserving—student thought to herself. “I’ll watch one episode, and then I’ll get started on last week’s homework.”

Almost instantaneously, she was sucked in with little hope of return. “Just one episode” became “I have to see what happens next” and before she knew it, she was seasons deep in Grey’s Anatomy (or Weeds, Parks and Recreation, Lost—you get the point). She missed days of classes and assignments. She resorted to eating Easy Mac and drinking water from the tap (the Brita filter took too much time). She left her bed only to sprint to the bathroom between episodes. She became a statistic, one of the many ambitious students who have become hopeless victims of Netflix.

It’s a common occurrence, a campuswide epidemic, and it’s spreading: students looking for a brief distraction become hooked on Netflix. It’s affordable—one of the reasons it is so attractive to college

students—and the selection of movies and TV shows is unparalleled, which explains the allure. But this is not an endorsement for Netflix, the greatest option for instant entertainment—this is a warning.

The real hook is auto-play—Netflix gives the viewer a mere 15 seconds before automatically playing the next episode. In those 15 seconds, the viewer has to make a very important decision: to watch, or not to watch. This is the ultimate test of self-control, a truly self-defining and life-altering choice.

Is it possible to stop watching after just one episode, especially when the service you’re using practically forces you to continue watching? Could manually clicking “next episode” prompt self-reflection, encouraging the viewer to consider if there are better things to do than watch TV? Are there better things to do than watch TV? Can anyone quit Netflix, and if so, what are the withdrawal symptoms?

But do not worry! There is some hope, especially for those of you that have not subscribed to Netflix just yet. For this group, the best course of action is abstinence—avoid the service as completely and entirely as you

can. Fight the temptation. Do not become one of the Watching Dead. For those of you who have already become addicted, there are some ways to curb your enthusiasm (curb your dependence).

First, cut ties with enablers and people who would not sympathize with your decision to limit your Netflix time. Instead, find a supportive group of people that understand your struggle, people that might be experiencing the same withdrawal as yourself. Some might be jealous of your courage, and this is understandable. Know that their criticism stems from their own reliance.

Stay fortitudinous, especially in the face of adversity. Take pride in your progress, even if your recovery is slow. You can do it.

Second, try not to work in environments where you typically watched in the past, as this can cause Netflix flashbacks. Avoid isolated places, as those might stimulate a desire to start watching again, especially with no one around. Doing homework in the library or in a lounge, surrounded by driven and enthusiastic students, may re-stimulate the hard worker within you. It’s a good bet that if you have used Netflix, you have a hefty pile

of homework to catch up on, so that hard worker will come in handy.

Finally, do not try to quit cold turkey, or quit at all. Especially at Boston College, students need down time and TV is not a terrible way to relax your mind for a little while. It is all about achieving a balance: allow yourself a few episodes every day, but replace some of your old Netflix time with time spent outside in the real world. Maybe take a walk around the reservoir or get a cup of coffee with some friends—the opportunities are endless! You might find that real life is not exactly how it appears in television, and even though that may frighten you, it’s okay. Real life has its perks too.

There is nothing to be ashamed of—like most things, Netflix is not bad in moderation, and it’s easy to get hooked. As a general rule though, it’s good practice to at least try Breaking Bad habits, as difficult as that may be. I wish you a steadfast recovery and a bright future.

Alexandra Hadley is a contributor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

PROFESSOR PROFILE

From saints to survivors, Rhodes studies women’s issues

BY MICHELLE TOMASSI Features Editor “It was a calling,” said Elizabeth Rhodes when asked why she chose her path of study.

It’s a phrase that is often tossed around loosely to describe the reasoning behind one’s career choice or vocation, and over time it may have lost some significance. For Rhodes, however, a “calling” is probably the most accurate way to describe her academic pursuits in women’s studies and religious culture.

Rhodes, a professor of Hispanic studies at Boston College, currently teaches an undergraduate course called Texts of Reflection, which examines the time period in Spanish history when self-reflection became possible, as well as a graduate film class called Introduction to Visual Literacy. Although she studied at two women’s colleges—Westhampton College at the University of Richmond for her B.A. and Bryn Mawr for her master’s degree and Ph.D.—her interest in women’s writings was not fully realized until the end of grad school. She picked up the Norton Anthology of Women’s Literature for the first time as she was finishing her master’s, and holding that book in her hands was a moment when she may have heard that “calling” for the first time.

“It felt like a terrible rude awakening, but it was wonderful on the other hand,” Rhodes said. After being served Sunday dinners by waitresses and living with a curfew of 11 p.m., it came as a shock to Rhodes that she had been surrounded by these women for a large period of her life and was never truly immersed in their literary history.

From a cultural perspective, Rhodes has quite a diverse background—she was born in New Brunswick, N.J., raised in Delaware, and traveled to locations such as Iowa, Seattle, Barcelona, and Madrid for work and research after finishing her Ph.D. She was in London when she received a call from BC asking her to join their faculty, and a very particular occurrence ultimately helped her make the decision to venture to Chestnut Hill.

“I was looking for feminist theology in a bookstore in London, and I found a book

WHO: Elizabeth Rhodes TEACHES: Texts of Reflection in the Hispanic Studies Department INFLUENCE: Provides assistance to survivors of sexual assault FUN FACT: Currently studying to receive her sea GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

by Mary Daly, who is a very famous feminist theologian,” Rhodes said. “[She] taught at Boston College and was very badly treated at Boston College as a feminist. They refused to promote her on grounds that were a little problematic.” As a premier feminist theologian, Daly inspired Rhodes, and after recognizing that she taught at a religious school such as BC, she knew that she wanted to join the campus as well. “Since I do religious culture, it seemed like a good fit for me,” she added.

“And it has been.”

Now, after teaching on campus for 25 years, Rhodes continues to travel throughout Europe to examine original documents as part of her ongoing research. She has traveled to libraries in England, France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy, and is currently invested in following the lives of saints as their images change from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance.

For example, Mary Magdalene, commonly regarded as a prostitute, was not viewed as such during the Middle Ages, explained Rhodes—she was considered a rich and free woman, spent time preaching in France, and had a contemplative life in the desert.

While Rhodes certainly enjoys delving into the historical aspect of women’s issues,

she also became involved in helping young women today with unfortunate circumstances, right as she began teaching courses in women’s studies in the ’80s.

“Students who had unhappy stories to tell about their personal especially rape GRAHAMlives, BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR survivors and domestic abuse survivors, would come to my office and talk about that,” Rhodes said. “And I didn’t know how to help them, and there wasn’t anything back then on campus to help them.” Due to the lack of resources for young women, Rhodes decided to educate herself about women’s issues, and eventually joined the Sexual Assault Network. In 2010, she was asked by two students to become a faculty advisor for a new program called HEAL (Heal, Empowerment, Acceptance, Listening), a support group for survivors of rape and sexual assault that continues to run through the Women’s Resource Center.

Although she is no longer the supervisor for the group, Rhodes continues to meet with survivors individually and is still a member of the Sexual Assault Network.

“I get more educated on the psychology of survivorship and also the textuality of sexual violence against men and women,” Rhodes said, regarding her involvement in both his-

torical writings and present-day stories. “One thing has fed into another.”

Rhodes hopes to step outside of the classroom and start a sailing program for teenage Latina survivors in east Boston—she is currently studying for her captain’s license along with her nighttime sails to islands in the harbor. She has a wide array of other hobbies and interests as well—she spent three years of a five-year apprenticeship learning to become a lace-maker in Barcelona, and continues to knit in her spare time. She also provides foster care for kittens, enjoys yoga and hip-hop dancing, and raises her two children—a 26-year-old daughter who currently works with Doctors Without Borders in South Sudan and a son who is a sophomore at BC. With such a vast expanse of experiences and research background, Rhodes recognizes the importance of connecting these larger topics with students in a way that makes them resonate deeper with the texts, which continues to be the motivation behind her love for teaching.

“Once you’ve been teaching enough, and I certainly have, when I’m standing in class, I can see light bulbs over students’ heads,” she said. “And that is it for me.” 

HE SAID, SHE SAID I’ve been casually seeing this guy, but we’re not exactly official yet. Since Valentine’s Day is coming up, should I plan on getting him a gift, and should I expect him to plan something? Or should I hold off until we define the relationship?

These can be some very tricky waters to navigate and can really alter the direction that the relationship is going, for better or for worse. In my mind, there’s a big difference between “casually seeing” someone and “not exactly official yet.” If you’re casually seeing someone, that means you’re still figuring out whether or not the relationship is going to progress to something more serious, while “not exactly official yet” means you’ve both bought into it and are pretty ALEX MANTA confident that you’re going to be a couple. Whichever of those two categories you fall into is for you to decide, but the good news is I have some advice for both.

If the relationship is still in its early stages, first few dates or casual get togethers, then I would say it’s best not to expect much this Valentine’s Day. If you wanted to get him something small, especially if it has to do with something you’ve talked about or connected on, then that would be fine. However, going overboard in the early stages of things can throw off the flow of the relationship and make him feel uncomfortable if he didn’t feel you two were at that level yet. Also, be prepared for him not to have gotten anything for you, and don’t get upset with him if that’s the case. On the other hand, if the relationship has become close to official, then you’ll probably want to get him something and he’ll probably feel the same. Once again, be careful about going overboard but try to get him something more than a box of candy. You could even talk to him about going out somewhere that night if you’re more comfortable with that then getting a gift. Who knows, maybe Valentine’s Day will be the night you two make it official.

This is an understandably sticky situation, and the solution will vary from person to person. Some friends you ask will always say it’s better to be bold, while others will take the more ‘hard-to-get’ subtle route. I’d have to advise something in the middle of the two extremes. If the terms of your relationship haven’t been defined at all and you’re still in the stage where you don’t fully acknowledge that you’re together, fully acknowledge that you mutually like each other, talk about being together, talk about ‘what you are,’ etc, (don’t worry, a lot of TAYLOR CAVALLO people are in this weird limbo stage), any grand romantic gestures in the spirit of Valentine’s Day are likely to freak him out.

And by ‘freak him out,’ I specifically mean he’ll be forced to talk about you to his friends behind your back about how attached you are to him. While I don’t know the guy personally and he could be a romantic at heart, that’s usually how that hypothetical situation would play out for a girl (or guy) in your shoes. Let’s not personalize a mix CD or leave a trail of chocolate kisses to his bed just yet.

But, if you’re looking for a way to subtly nudge your guy towards a sign that you might want something more from the relationship, this holiday could be the best way to do it. Take a more humorous, friendly approach though. Not to “Notebook” proportions. Get him a bag of his favorite candy or pick up a funny animal themed Valentine’s card with a cheesy, friendlier message inside. These small niceties aren’t anything too extreme, but they’re just a little something to let him know that you didn’t completely ignore him on this unfortunately special day that ‘couples’ and real couples seem to get dragged into.

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

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

The Heights

Monday, February 11, 2013

Hidden gems of Brighton Campus

B9

The Heights throughout the century Campus reactions to winter storms vary in extremity as the years pass

Brighton, from B10

By Michelle Tomassi Features Editor

space, mirrors, a sound system, and ballet barres. Brooke Menard, a member of the Dance Organization of Boston College (DOBC), and A&S ‘16, comments that though it would be more convenient if there were a dance studio on main campus, “The walk to Brighton is not that bad, and the dance facility is great—we [dance group members] bond on the way over and bond on the way back,” she said. The studio is used by all BC dance groups for dance rehearsals, classes, and workshops. A special feature of the studio is that DOBC holds community classes for all BC students every week on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Taught by different DOBC members, the classes help those who want to learn how to dance and those who want to improve their existing dance skills. Anyone can show up and dance.

It seems that Nemo was trying to make up for our very lackluster winter last year, and from the amount of beautiful Gassongrams and excuses to drink copious amounts of hot chocolate, it’s safe to say that we got the message. Boston College has even resorted to hiring student assistance through Nights on the Heights (NOTH) to keep the paths as clear as possible during the “snowpocalypse” that has descended upon us. It’s a known fact that people just love to talk about the weather, and when looking through past issues of The Heights, it is evident that snowstorms never failed to stir up conversation and make headlines.

An issue on Feb. 13, 1920 featured an article called “Boston College Snowed Under,” and the writer did not hesitate to embellish his piece with dramatic emphasis. “Snow, sleet and hail got in their work with such telling effect that it was impossible to consider the holding of classes because of the blockading drifts which paralyzed all transit,” and when cars began to gain mobility again, they “discharged their human cargo into a wilderness of white, and in the swirling, driving blizzard, a jumbled mass of arms and legs nailed their way to shelter under the shed.” It’s almost as if he was writing a movie script rather than reporting the state of the roads in inclement weather. In 1958, Chestnut Hill received nearly 20 inches in a two-day span in February, and The Heights proudly proclaimed, “Snow Or No—We Publish.” Below this caption is a photo displaying a hill blanketed in white, with Gasson in the background. Even back then, students couldn’t help but capture the glorious sight of everyone’s favorite tower dusted with white shimmer.

According to the National Weather Service, between Feb. 24 and 27 of 1969, Boston was buried under 26.3 inches, followed by 27.1 inches in the infamous blizzard of ’78. An issue of The Heights on Mar. 4 contained an article about how dormitories reacted to the blizzard in 1969, describing a very peculiar ritual that involved “renewing the ancient pagan rite of self-immolation to the god of snow.”

This ritual was practiced by residents of Welch and Williams—after one student cried, “Welch is chicken!” a student from that building did a swan-dive from the roof of the threestory building into a snow drift, and a Williams student responded to this challenge with his own dive from his window 30 feet above the ground.

The spectacle was featured by a local TV station, and the competition continued with students performing their own jumps in order to obtain scores from judges (Welch received an 8.7). The event culminated with “a flying Welchman clad only in his jockey shorts,” and, surprisingly, a broken ankle was the only reported injury. “Legend has it that a Williams junior climbed out on his third story ledge Monday night to free a frozen six-pack that was cooling on his window sill,” the article reads, followed by his accidental fall to the ground

All in all, Brighton Campus is a wonderful place for STM students, alumni, dance group members, students with a lot of questions about employment, or just anyone looking to appreciate the large campus that is BC. Our last major stop is the Human Resources Department. The department offers valuable information and guidance to job applicants, new or existing employees, and even managers. The department posts available job positions online and informs applicants about the application, interview, and paperwork process. Students can come here with questions regarding pay checks, direct deposit, and federal work forms. The department also provides managers the resources and information to manage employee recruitment, documentation, and payment.

Though it seems like Brighton is all about work and no play, there are many things you can do to relax and have some fun. For those in need of spiritual grounding, mass is held every day at 12:15 in the STM Chapel (except Thursdays).

If you are looking for a bite to eat, you can walk down with friends to 129 Lake Street (where the Human Resources Department is) to find a small but fantastic dining hall called Cafe 129 that accepts BC meal plan money. The Action Station is especially delicious, with its daily changing cuisine options from tacos and noodles to soul food.

All in all, Brighton Campus is a wonderful place for STM students, alumni, dance group members, students with a lot of questions about employment, or just anyone looking to appreciate the large campus that is BC. Brighton is only a few minute walk or shuttle ride away, and offers a large variety of important services that help brighten the school. n

below. Even a psychology major attempted to explain the reckless behavior as “symbolic of a college student’s sub-conscious desire to escape the womb-like environment of his dormitory.” Although jumping out of windows may not have been the best way to fulfill this desire, there’s no doubt that even over 40 years ago BC students had a “work hard, play hard” mentality.

A main story for the issue of The Heights on Feb. 13, 1978 discussed how BC apparently refused aid to Newton for snow removal. According to the article, BC ignored a request from the city of Newton to lend them snow removal equipment, choosing to plow student residents’ parking lots instead. Newton Budget Director Al DiGregorio had said, “People are running out of oil. They’re running out of food,” and even reached out as far as Worcester in the hopes of receiving assistance. BC did not own snowplows of its own, so the school applied for extra equipment ahead of time and managed to beat the competition to receive this equipment.

BC had also employed a company called Richard W. White and Sons to clear the snow on campus, and when asked why the firm chose to assist BC rather than the streets of Newton, a spokesman for the company said, “We’ve done work for the City of Newton before. The City of Newton doesn’t pay.” While some argued that the campus did not need as much aid as it received, others had the contrary view, evidenced by the fact that “the federal government, the state of Vermont, and the city of Buffalo all sent snow removing equipment to Boston after the storm hit.”

In 1978, employees from health services, dining services, and campus police also worked extensive hours, with some stranded on campus for up to four days. Some even had to spend nights in the faculty dining room, and at least 240 medical transports were reported for snow-related injuries, many resulting from students jumping from windows. With this information, it seems a little skeptical that only one broken ankle resulted from the snow diving competition in 1969. Even one Newton Campus resident was brought to the hospital after being hit by a snowball, which caused him to bleed from the eyes. It seems that theft was also widespread during the storm—students broke into vending machines, and “other disturbances included a tablecloth fire in McElroy cafeteria Tuesday night and the release of a smoke bomb there the following day.” Although mischief was rampant on campus, somewhere in between other students did not forget to be “men and women for others,” as there were several instances when students helped shovel snow in the surrounding community, freed snowbound cars, and made the trip to Kenmore Square to donate blood.

So grab your dining hall trays, build a snow fort, and most of all, remember to thank the people shoveling our staircases and the employees who may have stayed overnight to make sure you have a clean bathroom and meals to eat. And try not to jump out of any windows. n

Your stomach is rumbling throughout class. When class is finally over, to your dismay, your friend acknowledges that she heard it too and suggests lunch at Hillside Cafe. You agree, not only because you need protein fast and Corcoran Commons is much too far, but because Hillside has your favorite at this time of day, the New England Classic.

When you finally walk in, you are unmoved by the absence of tables and enthralled by the smell of cheese. “I’m going to order two sandwiches,” you tell your friend proudly. But then, you see it. In fact, the Germ Farm sign practically jumps out at you. You tried to avoid it, but Boston College places its propaganda strategically.

Your appetite disintegrates, your hands feel balmy, and in an instant the thought of shoveling food into your mouth if you have as many germs on your hands as the sign

of germs building a farm on ones hands.

But then, as if the image one conjures from “Germ Farm” isn’t enough, BC provides the viewer with a complimentary, colorful picture of cartoon germs climbing up a ladder to his or her hands, roping themselves around his or her fingers. Although the sign instructs students to “Scrub’em!” the message is not needed as the image is enough to make those usually not phased by germs overdose on Purell.

“They are disgusting signs, but they are meant to make you feel uncomfortable,” said Alexandra Covelle, CSON ’13, a recent sufferer of the flu and self-proclaimed germaphobe. “My hope is that those who read them will wash their hands.” In fact, the company, Brain Grease, who sells them, argues that they will.

The website, 1st-in-handwashing.com, advertised on the bottom of the sign, says, “Handwashing posters by Brain Grease can help prevent serious illnesses by reminding people to scrub’ em! The site goes on to

Michelle Tomassi

argue: “Studies have shown that people are more likely to wash their hands when they see our posters. The humorous approach gets people’s attention!”

Whether the Germ Farm warnings will stay past the flu season or not, some students believe they have made a difference and welcome their presence. Allie Broas, A&S ’13, said, “For a while at BC, I forgot how important it was to wash your hands.

I’ve just been really busy and the sign really brought me back to reality. Thanks BC!” The flu is not something to be toyed with and universities certainly are the ideal breeding ground for all different types of germs.

As Brain Grease says on their website, “handwashing is a simple, inexpensive way to stay healthy.” Students are always looking for inexpensive ways to do things. Perhaps BC should invest in more Germ Farm signs.

Kathryn Walsh is a contributor to The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Michelle Tomassi is the Features editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

BC dining wields scare tactics to combat germs indicates, makes your knees wobble. “I don’t want to eat a New England classic if I have to eat it with my hands,” you say to your friend.

“Let’s go get a blazing bowl from Lower. You can eat those with a fork.” And just like that, what could have been a charming afternoon in Hillside Cafe, eating the tastiest food on campus while enjoying the company of fellow upperclassmen on Flex plans, comes to a tragic end.

The Germ Farm signs in Hillside are something quite unique. Brought in after winter break, the signs stand as a reminder that BC students should wash their hands before eating their food (or doing anything).

Most institutions stick to the normal sign containing the message, “Please wash your hands before eating.” Uncreative, but to the point. BC, on the other hand, in a valiant effort to prevent the flu epidemic from afflicting the student body, resorts to a scare tactic.

The use of the word “farm” is very effective as it creates an image of a multitude

Dealing with a major dilemma

When it comes to my major, I am simultaneously in the majority (pun intended) and the minority. I am in the majority due to the fact that my English major is among the top 10 most popular undergraduate majors at Boston College, according to the University’s website.

I am also in the minority, however, because I do not fall in the estimated 80 percent of college students who change their major at least once throughout their four years. I have known that I wanted to study English since I was about 14, and I do not plan on changing my mind anytime soon. Despite my unwavering devotion to analyzing poetic verse, studying various forms of narrative structure, and simply being in awe every time I read the final sentence of a novel, there have been times when I experienced a brief moment of panic about whether or not I made the right decision.

Many second semester sophomores feel the need to add on or switch majors due to the impression that it’s “now or never.” The reasons are varied, and all valid in their own ways—discovering a new interest, selecting a major that will have greater economic benefits in the future, or just hoping to try something different. Students are encouraged to take courses outside of their major in order to explore every possibility, which is part of the reason that the University core was implemented in the first place.

Change seems to be the norm, and I’m not resistant to change, but I can’t help but feel as if I’m missing out on something—as if I’m doing something wrong for sticking with my original plan.

I have looked several times at the list of academic departments on the BC website, and scrolled through the requirements and descriptions for each major and minor. Each received one of two reactions: “absolutely not” or a skeptical “maybe.” I took courses in math, art history, and sociology, hoping to find something that would interest me enough to pursue it for the rest of my four years. For every new subject I considered, however, I couldn’t help but find something wrong, or something that made it inferior to my beloved English major. I decided to stick with what I know, and what I love, but there was a voice deep down that kept trying to tell me that I should try to be more openminded. What if I had taken a psych class, or a linguistics course? What if my true passion was lying in one of these unexplored areas, and I didn’t even know it?

It’s times like these that incited me to return to one of my favorite quotes

by John Irving, from his book A Prayer for Owen Meany. It’s a beautiful novel about friendship, coming of age, and the importance of faith, and was one of the highlights of my senior year of high school English. Irving writes, “If you care about something you have to protect it—If you’re lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it.” This quote can easily be applied to college students who are in the process of changing their path of study, since it requires a certain amount of strength and risk. I’m always impressed with people who stray from what they thought they knew and are willing to try something completely different.

However, deciding to stick with your original plan also deserves some respect, since it can be considered a risk in itself.

You’re trusting that the person you were as an incoming freshman made the right choice—and why not trust that person, no matter how young and naive she may have been? If you have known since you were an awkward middle school child that you wanted to teach Spanish, or work in a chemistry lab, or write for a magazine, why not embrace it? Although it may seem like most people are finding new and exciting subjects that they never considered before, don’t feel as though you are making a mistake by not following their lead, even when we live in a society where change is one of the few things people have to hold onto. I know it’s not exactly a new concept, but I have no problem reaffirming it—those of us in that 20 percent are considerably lucky to have something we want to protect, and as Irving says, we just need to find the courage to live by it.

campus quirks

Kathryn Walsh

Editor’s Column

FEATURES THE HEIGHTS

B8

B10

Monday, January 24, 2013

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013

UPCOMING EVENTS IN FEBRUARY Feb. 11-15 o t e m o Welc mance the Ro ge Langua

floor

Interviews for La Casa

Feb. 19 Soiree Film Voute 7:30

Feb. 25

Movie Night!

“Nueve Reinas” Fulton 511 7:00

Feb. 27

Soiree Taboo Voute 5:00

Romance Language Floor offers students unique cultural immersion experience

BY CATHRYN WOODRUFF Asst. Features Editor To an average student, it appears to be just another floor in Voute Hall—spacious rooms, large common areas, and a coveted kitchen. Yet, if one listens carefully, he or she will hear the sounds of French and Spanish echoing through the halls. The third floor of Voute offers a unique experience for Boston College students—the opportunity to live fully immersed in a culture without leaving campus. Residents live in four-person apartments with other students who have committed themselves to speaking the same language—either French or Spanish.

Special interest housing offers a range of unique experiences for all students who apply, and they have six options to choose from. The Shaw Leadership Program is a four-year-living-learning program run through the Office of Residential Life. For the Shaw Program, 20 promising incoming freshmen are selected from a highly competitive pool and reside in the Shaw House freshman year. Students attend weekly leadership workshops, participate in community service opportunities, and engage in a leadership project. Additionally, the Honors House creates an enriching experience for honors students—placing them in a living atmosphere that

allows students to form intellectual as well as social bonds that extend beyond the classroom.

The Multicultural Leadership Experience Floors are open to students of all ethnic and racial backgrounds and provide the residents a window into varying cultures. The mission of these floors works in tandem with the mission of the University—defining and promoting diversity through programming. Students plan and participate in multicultural theme programs that aim to address and evaluate the issues of our society.

The Healthy Alternatives Lifestyle Floors appeal to students interested in living in a residence hall free of alcohol, tobacco, and other potentially harmful substances. Students who apply to the Healthy Alternatives Lifestyle Floors typically are encouraged and motivated to live a life that is conducive to academic success, personal development, and a sense of community and responsibility.

The Sustainable Living and Learning Community, located in Edmond’s Hall, is the newest addition to the special housing options. Rising sophomores interested in sustainable living must dedicate themselves to exploring the topic of sustainability, engaging in service, and

Gaelic roots preserve Irish legacy 4

BY ERIN MAHONEY

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For The Heights

Now, let’s turn our attention to the Cadigan Alumni Center, fondly known as “home away from home” by the multitude of BC alumni, parents, and friends. The center hosts frequent volunteer meetings, seminars, and events for alumni and parents who are always looking for ways to give back to the BC community. They participate in the BC Alumni National Day of Service, volunteer in The Boston College Fund and at the Boston College Neighborhood Center, and support the giving societies of BC. Siegel states the Alumni Center is not only there to serve the interests of the Alumni, but is also “open to helping seniors see how they can continue to be involved at BC after they graduate.”

Our next stop is the Brighton Dance Studio, which contains a basketball court-sized dance

On Jan. 31, Brendan Bulger kicked off the semester’s Gaelic Roots Concert Series in the Walsh Function Room with an evening showcasing his mastery of the Irish fiddle. The first event in a five-part series, the evening was hosted and directed by Seamus Connolly, Boston College’s Sullivan Artist-in-Residence. The series itself is sponsored by the Center for Irish Programs, the Irish Music Center and the Boston College Libraries.

Previously a weeklong summerschool and festival program titled the Gaelic Roots Festival, the concert series took on its present form in 2003 when Connolly moved the program to the regular academic year allowing the BC community to participate in and appreciate the program. The series itself highlights music traditions from Ireland and Scotland and has hosted a number of internationally acclaimed musicians since its inception. Originally from County Clare, Ireland, Connolly himself is a “10-time All-Ireland fiddle champion—a feat still unmatched—and directs Irish music and dance instruction at BC,” Beth Sweeney, Director of the Irish Music Center, said. Over the semester, the series will feature a range of musicians, from fiddlers to accordion players and whistlers, and will conclude on April 17 with an Irish folk dance—or ceili—accompanied by the music of Seamus Connolly, BC students and other local performers.

Concerts in the series are open to all

See Brighton, B9

See Burns, B7

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PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES

1. The Theology and Ministry Library 2. The Brighton Dance Studio 3. Inside Cafe 129 4. The School of Theology and Ministry 5. Human Resources Center 6. Cadigan Alumni Center

An exploration of all Brighton Campus has to offer

BY EUNICE LIM For The Heights There is a special yet little-known place you can go within the Boston College campus if you are up for a little walk and a change of scenery. Walk past White Mountain and Flatbreads, and continue on for about half a mile until you begin to see large buildings and friendly faces. Welcome to Brighton Campus, a 65-acre haven for theology and ministry graduate students, alumni, BC dance group members, and anyone looking for some peace of mind.

First, let’s establish that Brighton Campus serves a wide range of students with different interests and needs. Some major buildings and resources on Brighton Campus include the School of Theology and Ministry, the Theology and Ministry Library, the Cadigan Alumni Center, the Brighton Dance Studio,

and the Human Resources Department.

According to Angela Siegel, STM ’14, the STM is bustling with passionate students who are working toward a Masters and Ph.D. in theology and ministry. The STM has “an incredible group of professors and staff who are dedicated to their research and their students,” she said. The STM serves a diverse body of students who range in age from their early 20s to 70s, come from locations all around the world, and are in different stages of their journey of faith.

Nearby, the Theology and Ministry Library holds an impressive 250,000-volume collection that is especially strong in biblical studies, Catholic theology and history, canon law, and Jesuitica. Even non-STM, undergraduate students can access and request philosophy and theology-related books from the Theology and Ministry Library through the O’Neill Library.

I NSIDE FEATUR E S THIS ISSUE

Valentine’s Day Column A student’s perspective on the importance of traditional hand written letters in the midst of a technological world ................... B8

Campus Quirks..........................B9 He Said/She Said.........................B8