The Heights 02/14/2013

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FOUR STRAIGHT

SNOWED IN

GRAMMY GOLD

SPORTS

METRO

SCENE

Men’s hockey claims its fourth straight Beanpot title, A10

Winter storm Nemo landed in Boston last weekend, closing schools and public transport, B10

Our editors look at the highs and lows of last Sunday’s Grammy Awards, B2 and B4

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HEIGHTS

THE

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College

established

1919

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Vol. XCIV, No. 8

Faculty members weigh in on pope’s resignation

BY ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT News Editor After Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would be stepping down from the papacy at the end of February, Catholics across the world began to process the information.

Considering Boston College’s Jesuit, Catholic affiliation, and the areas of expertise amongst the BC community, a number of University faculty members have already been contacted by major news organizations, including The Boston Globe, Fox News, the radio station WGBH, and The Boston Herald—to share their opinions on the situation.

“I think that it’s good that the Pope re-

signed,” said Stephen Pope, a professor in the having recognized his failing energy for this theology department. “It’s an onerous job, most demanding of all Christian ministries,” and you need to have all your faculties fully Groome said in an email. “He said that he operational—and it’s clearly worn him down ‘examined his conscience before God’ in … It takes some humility on the part of the making the decision—a good model for all of pope to say, ‘I’m starting to deteriorate—or us in making the important decisions of life. decline—and I don’t have the In resigning he has ‘raised capacity I had in the past to the bar’ for his successors, do the job.’” leaving them free to make The olo g y profe ss or the same good decision.”

Thomas Groome, chair of “It’s important, espethe Religious Education and cially for precedent, for Pastoral Ministry departthe future,” Pope said. “It’s ment at the School of Thetricky, though. What we ology and Ministry (STM), have now is someone who echoed that sentiment. “I resigns out of a sense of AP PHOTO greatly admire Pope Benehaving done what he can dict for deciding to resign, POPE BENEDICT XVI do, and a sense of his own

limits, and a freedom to let go—and I think many men, put in that same position, would have none of those three traits. They would have an overwhelming sense of duty.” Pope also noted that supporters in the Vatican might exert pressure upon a sitting pope not to leave.

Rev. James Weiss, director of BC’s Capstone Program, agreed that Benedict’s resignation is a positive occurrence. “[Benedict] was a good, gentle, holy, extremely intelligent theologian who saw the long-term problems facing the Church and put things in place to address those long-term problems,” Weiss said. “Unfortunately, he was blindsided by short-term crises that were other people’s

See Pope, A4

MATT LIBER / HEIGHTS STAFF

Francis Fukuyama, renowned political scientist, lectured at BC on Tuesday night.

Army ROTC INTERNMENT SURVIVOR SPEAKS Fukuyama examines recognizes world order student feats

BY JULIE ORENSTEIN

Awards for academic, physical prowess given

Heights Editor

BY DEVON SANFORD Assoc. News Editor On Wednesday afternoon, Boston College Army ROTC held an award ceremony for BC, Regis College, and Framingham State University ROTC students on the second floor of Stokes Hall. The event acknowledged the accomplishments, both academic and physical, of 20 ROTC students.

The Liberty Battalion Army ROTC program comprises 16 schools in the greater Boston area, including Northeastern University, University of Massachusetts, and Emerson College. BC students participate in the ROTC program while attending college full-time. While many students join on scholarship, others participate in the ROTC basic course, as a non-scholarship cadet, without military obligation during their freshman and sophomore years.

ROTC students train on campus in military leadership classes, physical fitness training, and leadership labs. In exchange for a paid college education and guaranteed post-college career, the ROTC students commit to serve in the military after graduation.

BC Army ROTC was instituted in July 1947, and in 1950, cadets were added to the program. Over 30 years later, in 1984, BC established a cross-enrollment agreement with Northeastern University. Since the inception of the joint program, the Liberty Battalion Army ROTC program, more than 1,700 officers have received their commissions from the BC Army ROTC program, according to the BC ROTC history site.

Lt. Col. Blaise L. Gallahue, a graduate of the Aviation Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, and Battalion Commander and professor of Military Science of the Liberty Battalion, presented the awards to the ROTC students.

“Today we are gathered to celebrate our cadets’ outstanding achievements,” Cadet Capt. Spencer Heggers, A&S ’13, said to the presiding cadets and military officers.

The award ceremony began with the presentation of the Dean’s List Award.

Five BC ROTC cadets were awarded for their academic achievements of a 3.5 GPA to 4.0 GPA. Following the Dean’s List presentation, nine students were awarded the Cadet’s Honor Award, for receiving a 3.2 GPA to 3.49 GPA, and after, three students were awarded the Cadet Scholar Award, for a 2.9 GPA to 3.19 GPA. A total of 10 students won the ROTC Honors Award for a perfect ROTC semester grade point average of 4.0 during the last semester.

The next awards were presented for the cadets’ physical prowess.

“The excellence [the cadets] demonstrated in physical activity is indicative of

See ROTC, A4

CHRISSY SUCHY / HEIGHTS STAFF

Yutaka Kobayashi, a survivor in Japanese internment camps in the U.S. during WWII, spoke Tuesday night in Higgins 300.

Japan Club of Boston College hosts Day of Remembrance event

BY GABBY TARINI Heights Staff Almost 70 years ago, on February 19, 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced relocation of 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry.

For the past three decades, Japanese American communities have commemorated this and the events that followed by hosting Day of Remembrance events in February with the hope of spreading

awareness of internment during World War II. At Boston College, the Day of Remembrance was commemorated Tuesday night with an event sponsored by the Japan Club of Boston College (JCBC): a presentation by Yutaka Kobayashi, who was interned in camps in Utah and California during World War II. Kobayashi lives in Wellesley, Mass. and holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry.

Kobayashi was only 17 and living in San Francisco, California around the

time that internment started.

“In high school, we talked about the vitality and the strength of U.S. democracy,” Kobayashi said. “I truly believed all of this, so when rumors started circulating that we were going to be evacuated, I did not believe them.”

After Kobayashi graduated high school in 1942, he signed up for the draft.

“I volunteered with the army, but

See Remembrance, A4

After Hurricane Sandy cancelled his scheduled visit to Boston College in October, renowned political scientist Francis Fukuyama finally made it to Chestnut Hill Tuesday night, narrowly avoiding more meddlesome extreme weather in winter storm Nemo.

Fukuyama, who has authored or edited 22 books on political science, lectured as part of the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy’s John Marshall Lectures.

A senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, Fukuyama spoke on the topic of his latest book, The Origins of Political Order, which was published in 2011. The book, the first in a series on political development, lays out the foundation for modern state building from the very beginnings of political order through the French Revolution.

At the heart of his examination of political development, Fukuyama discussed three central components of modern political order. When these elements are integrated, a state can accomplish what Fukuyama calls “getting to Denmark,” referring to that nation’s desirable combination of prosperous, modern, non-corrupt, and democratic characteristics.

The first component is a strong and capable state, or a “legitimate monopoly of force over a defined territory.” This

See Fukuyama, A4

BHM panel discusses issues of skin color, ‘N word’

BY ANDREW SKARAS Asst. News Editor Within the context of a single racial community, what is the significance of different skin tones? What does it mean to have light or dark black skin? What is the historical significance of the “N word?”

How is the word used in American society today? Why shouldn’t people use it?

As a part of the Office of AHANA Student Programs’ Black History Month events, two panels of Boston College professors addressed these questions on Wednesday night, one titled “Battle of Complexions: The Significance of Skin Color in the Black Community” and the other titled “Why can’t I say the N word?”

The discussion of the first panel was centered on the differences in how black people of various skin tones are perceived in American society and how they are treated, primarily by other black people, but also by other races.

“There are several black communities,” said C. Shawn McGuffey, associate professor of sociology. “I think the historical

context is a serious issue. There are places where you can see lots of solidarity. You see more solidarity particularly on the West Coast.”

“Cities saw the development of a black elite during the antebellum period,” said Martin Summers, associate professor of history. “There was a freed class of Af-

rican-Americans who were biracial that accumulated more wealth and proliferated to create an elite class in places like New Orleans and Charleston, S.C.” “The question of class is very important and perhaps more significant than the question of color,” said Akua Sarr, associate dean for the freshman class. “The black

MATT LIBER / HEIGHTS STAFF

Panelists addressed social issues during a discussion held as part of Black History Month.

elite just happened to be lighter skinned.”

While addressing how different communities responded to the issue of skin tones, the panelists also discussed the origin of “colorism.” Drawing on European history, Summers suggested that it originated in the initial contact between Europeans and Africans and that it was related to the perception that white skin is the standard of beauty. McGuffey referenced the fact that European elites were known to powder their faces to appear even more white, as it signified the fact that they did not have to engage in manual labor.

“House slaves did tend to have lighter skin,” Summers said. “The domestic servant was seen to be a reflection of their masters—the more beautiful looking slaves, who were often lighter, would make a better impression on people who were visiting.

There was also an assumption that darker skinned slaves were healthier. Slaveholders would even enhance darkness when they went to auction.”

One of the factors that the panelists

See BHM Panels, A4

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THE HEIGHTS

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Thursday, February 14, 2013

A Guide to Your Newspaper

things to do on campus this week

1 2 3 Don’t Skirt the Issue

Relay for Life

Today Time: 10:15 a.m.

Location: The Quad

The Allies of Boston College are holding a demonstration in the Quad to protest sexual assault and are calling men to fight against the culture of blaming survivors of sexual assault.

ALC Ball

Friday Time: 6:00 p.m.

Location: The Plex

In conjunction with the American Cancer Society, BC is hosting a Relay for Life to raise money for cancer research. It runs from 6:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m and includes entertainment all night.

Saturday Time: 9:00 p.m.

Location: The Westin Copley Place

The AHANA Leadership Council is hosting their annual ALC Ball in Boston. Dinner is included and tickets are on sale in the Robsham Box Office and online.

Petersen presents on emotion in conflict On Monday afternoon, professor Roger Petersen of MIT gave a presentation on the findings he gathered during his time in the Balkans. The presentation, titled “The Strategic Use of Emotion in Conflict,” discussed how he analyzed specific emotions to predict how things would transpire between the Albanians and the Serbians.

Petersen, a professor of comparative politics at MIT since 2001, has written three books on violence and conflict in politics and was recently awarded the Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science Award.

His book, Western Intervention in the Balkans: The Strategic Use of Emotion in Conflict, has won three awards since its publication: the Joseph Rothschild Prize in Nationalism and Ethnic Studies, the Marshall Shuman Book Prize, and the Ethnicity, Nationalism, and Migration section Distinguished Book Award from the International Studies Association.

Petersen’s lecture outlined the main arguments of his book, which theoretically examines how emotion integrates with conflict, specifically in the Eastern Balkans. Petersen explained that he looked at several different cases of Western countries intervening during crisis to restructure and used that to compile his argument. Peterson also mentioned that a lot of his field research

ALEX GAYNOR / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Roger Petersen, an MIT professor, discusses conflict between Albania and Serbia. took place in Yugoslavia to study the act of “ethnic cleansing,” and get a better idea of the feelings of both Serbians and Albanians in the region and understand what prompts acts of resistance and violence.

Petersen described “ethnic cleansing” as attempting to eliminate or alienate certain groups of people from a specific region. In the case of the Balkans, Petersen explained that opposing ethnic groups would anonymously burn houses and even whole villages, and commit assassinations to mark their territories.

Petersen then outlined the primary question he tries to answer in his book,

by examining what these feelings could explain about the political atmosphere of a region.

“The emotions become resources for political entrepreneurs and this is really the whole idea about this book,” Petersen said. “What if we were to treat emotions as resources in the same way that we treat guns and money in our models? What are we going to be able to explain then?”

Petersen then explained that the main emotions he examined were anger, fear, contempt, hatred, resentment, and spite.

Petersen worked these emotions into the rational cycle used to solve political prob-

POLICE BLOTTER 11:14 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a larceny that took place in the Plex.

3:27 p.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance being provided to a BC student in Cushing Hall who was transported by ambulance to a medical facility.

10:07 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated BC student who was transported to a medical facility by ambulance from Duchesne Hall.

Saturday, February 9 12:14 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a BC student who was transported to a medical facility by ambulance from Kostka Hall.

3:27 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a BC student

who was transported to a medical facility by cruiser from the Lower Lots.

Sunday, February 10 1:56 a.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance that was provided to a BC student in Rubenstein Hall.

2:26 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in Rubenstein Hall.

12:12 p.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a BC student who was transported to a medical facility from Medeiros Hall.

College Corner NEWS FROM UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

BY ANDREW SKARAS Asst. News Editor Megan Thode, a former graduate student at Lehigh University in Belthlehem, PA, filed a lawsuit against the University in protest of a C+ that she received in a graduate counseling course. Her lawyer, Richard J. Orloski, claimed that Thode was the victim of a breach of contract and sexual discrimination. He said that the grade was given to force her out of the graduate program and that it ended Thode’s dream of becoming a licensed professional counselor.

A student in the College of Education, Thode was in her final year of her master’s in counseling and human services degree in 2009, when she received the contested grade in a fieldwork class. She needed a B to satisfy that part of her degree requirement and progress on to her next fieldwork course.

Orloski claimed that Thode would have received an acceptable grade,

lems, and had interesting results.

“The game I set up for myself is if I could specify which of these emotions were at play, then I could make predictions about the type of provocations that were made during the intervention,” Petersen said.

Petersen found that when emotion was placed into the rational cycle, which is ordinarily ordered and transitive, the emotions changed the preferences and functions and ultimately effected decision-making. He found that the emotions of fear created the desire for safety, and that anger was associated with punishment, for example, and that the emotion of spite was specific to the case of the Balkans due to the way their culture and society is composed.

Petersen eventually proposed the question of his study, asking, “Are emotions the same for human beings everywhere—or if you change the region or the political system, are emotions really culturally framed?”

In his book, he outlines 13 different predictions for his case study, and admits some of them work out and some of them do not. He explained that if the emotions are available, then predictions can be made about what the outcome of the intervention might be. He attributes the success of his study and his research, however, to the fact that his work found a way to integrate emotions into social science, and using emotions to create hypotheses about political situations of unrest. 

2:33 p.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a BC employee who was transported to a medical facility by ambulance from Corcoran Commons.

had she not been given a zero in class participation, which he said stemmed from the professor’s bias against Thode. Allegedly, the professor, Amanda Carr, was biased against Thode for her support of gay and lesbian rights, which the University’s attorneys denounced, as Carr counseled gay and lesbian people. Lehigh’s lawyers also cited improper conduct, such as swearing in class and an outburst of crying.

While a student, Thode received a free education, as her father was a finance professor at Lehigh. The University’s lawyers also emphasized other benefits Thode received from Lehigh, such as jobs, during her attendance. Though she was forced out of the counseling and human ser vices program, she ended up earning a master’s degree in human development.

Thode filed her lawsuit for $1.3 million, representing lost potential wages as a licensed counselor, after her internal appeals were unsuccessful. 

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.

Sports Scores Want to report the results of a game? Call Austin Tedesco, Sports Editor, at (617) 5520189, or e-mail sports@bcheights.com.

Arts Events The Heights covers a multitude of events both on and off campus – including concerts, movies, theatrical performances, and more. Call 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.

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

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

The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year by The Heights, Inc. (c) 2013. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, February 12 6:48 a.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to an underage intoxicated BC student who was transported to a medical facility by cruiser from Welch Hall.

6:03 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a violation of a University Stay Away Order in Greycliff Hall.

Monday, February 11 10:49 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in St. Mary’s Hall. The Newton Fire Department responded.

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

EDITORIAL RESOURCES

2/8/13-2/12/13

Friday, February 8

Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223

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

FEATURED EVENT

BY BRIGID WRIGHT Heights Staff

The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

CORRECTIONS The following corrections are in reference to the issue dated Feb. 11, 2013, Vol. XCIV No. 7.

The article titled “BC alum runs ultramarathon for fundraiser” should have been attributed to Gabby Tarini, not Jennifer Heine.

Photos #1,3,4, and 5 of Brighton Campus in Features should have been attributed to Gary Wayne Gilbert (#1 and #4) and Lee Pellegrini (#3 and #5) in the Office of Marketing Communications.

VOICES FROM THE DUSTBOWL “What are you giving up for Lent?”

“I’m giving up my morning lattes.”

—Courtney Capistran, CSOM ’16

“Late night.”

—Nick Grieco, CSOM ’15

“My Coke addiction.”

—Alex Hawley, A&S ’16

“I’m giving up meat.”

—Zack Moore, A&S ’16

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Finding love in a Mod

SLC brings romance to sophomores

BY MICHELLE TOMASSI Heights Editor

MATT PALAZZOLO In my Capstone class last semester, I was assigned a letter to my future son or daughter, advising them on how to find love.

I wrote an eloquent letter to my future children, backed up with absolutely zero personal experience, explaining how to meet people and determine if they are that special someone. As I was proofreading the letter though, I realized that my amazing advice would become useless if my children read the letter at the same age that I wrote it.

My Biblically infused analogy is this: it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a Boston College senior to find love. The hook-up culture is love’s chief nemesis, but seniors face an even more daunting obstacle: graduation. By September, the Class of 2013 will be spread out across the U.S. and beyond. While lust at first sight occurs in the Mods every weekend, love takes time to develop. As professor Kerry Cronin explained at her famed “Bring Back the Date” lecture, seniors have an immovable December deadline to ask people out, since Senior Fives and relationships are mutually exclusive.

I recently confronted this reality at a stoplight party, where people wear green if they’re single, red if they’re taken, and yellow if it’s complicated. As I pushed and shoved my way through a typically loud, dark, and packed Mod party, I suddenly stumbled into a conversation with a girl, wearing a green shirt like myself, who I had considered asking out in the past. In this critical moment, my first thought was, “What’s the point? We’re both graduating in three months anyway.” So instead, I foolishly chose my go-to conversation topic in any situation, and suggested she watch The Wire. Within minutes, the opportunity had vanished and she had left the party. I felt like the Trix rabbit, surrounding by people taunting not that Trix are for kids, but that dating is for postgraduates.

Despite this setback, I still see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Before the Notre Dame game, I tailgated with my brother, a BC alum, and his college buddies, none of whom I had seen since my brother’s wedding 10 years prior. As I greeted them in my temporarily clean Mod common room, I had a sudden flashback to the rehearsal dinner before the wedding. My brother’s best man, as well as his former freshman year roommate, was regaling my table with the story of how his parents met. It was a lengthy and mesmerizing story, but I unfortunately only remember the core details.

His father was a theology student in Rome, studying to become a priest, and his mother was a foreign exchange student, only in Rome for the semester. Even at 10 years old, I knew enough about the birds and the bees to understand that his parents faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Yet there he was, sitting at the table, living proof of the power of love.

Ten years, two wars, and six Boston sports championships passed between that night and the Notre Dame game. That incredible story gradually faded from my memory. However, as I greeted him for the first time since the wedding, his parents’ story jolted back into my consciousness. I was eager to hear the unabridged version again, but alas, tailgating debauchery intervened. Now, as I sit here on Valentine’s Day wearing my metaphorical green shirt for the 21st consecutive year, his story gives me hope. Instead of drowning in self-pity, I am confident that I will eventually find my special someone. I remain skeptical that it will happen before graduation, but if a potential priest and foreign exchange student can find love in Rome, perhaps it may exist at Mod parties after all.

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

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ROBYN KIM / HEIGHTS STAFF

Sophomores particpate in the second annual Dating Game last night.

Love and laughter filled the room of McGuinn 121 on Wednesday evening during the second annual Sophomore Dating Game, sponsored by RHA’s Sophomore Leadership Council (SLC). Hosted

by SLC members Peter Trainor and Ted Raddell, both A&S ’15, the event provided entertainment for students in an informal setting in honor of Valentine’s Day. After the success of last year’s Dating Game, SLC began plans to host a second event at the beginning of the semester, and used social media extensively to reach out to Boston College students.

Starting in January, students had the option of nominating their friends through a Facebook page created by SLC, and contestants were selected based on the amount of nominations received as well as information provided by their peers. Amani Teshome, CSOM ’15, and Ashley De Cicco, CSON ’15, were selected as the bachelor and bachelorette, respectively.

The event consisted of three parts: two bachelor and bachelorette interviews, with a “Couple’s Challenge” in between. First, De Cicco had the opportunity to ask four questions to three male students who were introduced to the audience previously, but were unknown to De Cicco at the time.

Marc Mannara, A&S ’15, Mark Stanley, CSOM ’15, and Harrison Shoffner, A&S ’15, were the three students nominated to partake

in the game and were given the challenge of answering De Cicco’s questions, such as, “If you could be any animal, what would you be?” and “Explain to me your worst date ever,” which garnered some unique and varied responses. Ultimately, with his bold and crowd-pleasing answers, Mannara was selected by De Cicco as the winning contestant, and they were rewarded with a gift certificate to White Mountain.

The next portion of the event was based on the American television show The Newlywed Game, which first aired in the ’60s and allowed married couples to test their knowledge of each other.

Wednesday’s event featured three BC couples competing for the chance to win a $30 gift card to Roggie’s. The couples included Cassandra Poulis, A&S ’15, and Brian Miller, CSOM ’15, who have been dating for about six months; Malone Plummer and Phil O’Connor, both A&S ’15; and Emily Goforth, LSOE ’15, and Adam Murray, A&S ’15, who have been dating about a year. Plummer and O’Connor attempted to prepare beforehand by practicing responses to some of the questions from the original television series. “We YouTube-ed some old episodes and didn’t get too many successes,” Plummer said.

“So we just decided to wing it.”

While the male students left the room, hosts Trainor and Raddell asked the girls a series of questions about their boyfriends and recorded their answers, then welcomed the guys back to the room to see if their answers matched up. Ques-

tions included, “Who was your boyfriend’s last girlfriend?” and “What is his most annoying habit?”—of the three contestants, only one of the girls knew the name of her boyfriend’s last girlfriend. The roles were reversed and the males were asked questions while the females left the room, answering questions such as “Where was your first date and how much did you spend?” as well as “What is your girlfriend’s favorite condiment?”

While none of the guys were able to guess the latter question correctly, the couples generally had matching responses for their first date, although the details were sometimes disputed. Poulis and Miller ended up winning this round, despite the fact that Miller incorrectly guessed his girlfriend’s favorite condiment to be “chickpeas.”

In the final section of the Dating Game, Teshome asked questions to three female contestants: Shabuu Lee, A&S ’15; Cathryn Woodruff, A&S ’15; and Kelly Caprio, A&S ’15. Teshome chose to keep his questions fun and aimed to elicit laughter from the audience, asking questions such as “What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you?” Teshome selected Woodruff as the winner, handing her a rose and ending the event on a high note.

While it is uncertain whether or not these dates will develop into something more, SLC surely created entertainment for the time being and had a considerably successful turnout for their first event of the semester. 

Cronin keeps the conversation going

BY JENNIFER HEINE Heights Staff J ust in time for Valentine’s Day, professor Kerry Cronin presented a lecture entitled “Dating and Relationships: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” Part of the “Be Well” lecture series, in conjunction with the Boston College Office of Health Promotion, the talk sought to provide an overview of the dating culture and state of relationships on campus.

An associate director of the Lonergan Institute and a Philosophy Department Fellow, Cronin is perhaps best known at BC for her talks on dating, relationships, and the hookup culture. Her insights have made her a popular speaker not just at BC, but at other schools as well.

“When I talk to students at BC, they find themselves in one of three positions: the pseudo-married couple, those who opt-out, and those hooking up and hanging out. ” - Kerry Cronin Associate director of the Lonergan Institute As Cronin explained in her lecture, she considers three general classes of college students’ relationships. “When I talk to students at BC, they find themselves in one of three positions: the pseudo-married couple, those who opt out, and those hooking up or hanging out.”

Each comes with its own baggage. “People find the pseudomarried couple boring. Another problem is that they find themselves in more intensely than they want to be. They might not be entirely ready for this kind of relationship,” Cronin said. “When you opt out, you’ve got to find something to keep you busy.

What you’re really doing is filling up your calendar.”

Cronin finds the third category the most problematic. “I used to call this the ‘hooking up’ category. But talking to students, I’ve realized no-

body wants to call it that anymore.

Leave it to BC students to come up with a whole new category—if you don’t ‘hook up,’ you ‘hang out.’”

The major drawback to such an informal designation, she explained, is the lack of clarity. “You’re hanging out with people, spending time and getting to know the person. One of the most important rules of the hookup culture is you don’t talk about it when it is happening. In ‘hanging out,’ you’re also not supposed to ask what’s going on” Added Cronin, “It’s like the CliffsNotes version of actually dating someone.”

What makes such an arrangement appealing, she noted, is the lack of emotional risk. “When you’re hanging out with someone, you’re trying to substitute for dating without the awkwardness or the vulnerability,” she said. By the same token, though, the individuals involved obtain no emotional satisfaction. The phenomenon of “hanging out” only heightens this lack of gratification. “In a hang-out, it rises to the level of expectation, but none of these expectations can be articulated help—not to the person we’re hanging out with, nor ourselves.”

In response to this trend, Cronin challenged the audience to the “dating assignment,” a task she traditionally assigns her classes.

“Everyone in this room now has the dating assignment. Here are the rules: it must be a daytime date, with no alcohol,” explained Cronin. “You should ask the person in person. If you ask, you should also pay.”

In spite of all her instruction, Cronin admitted how difficult dating can be. “These are the basic rules, but they take a lot of courage,” she said. “We can laugh about it, but I know what it takes, especially in a culture dominated by hooking up and hanging out. You risk feeling awkward.”

“People get freaked out,” she said. “You’re not asking me to coffee, you’re asking me to two golden retrievers, kids, and a house in the Hamptons. It’s not the fault of the people, it’s the fault of the culture.”

But Cronin emphasized the importance of taking that risk.

“Aristotle says you need to know some important things about yourself, and one of these things is what you really want for yourself, what you really desire. Hooking up and hanging out don’t allow for any of these questions.” Furthermore, concerning the dating assignment, “I’ve never had a student tell me that it was a terrible experience or that they wouldn’t do it again.” 

ROBYN KIM / HEIGHTS STAFF

Amani Teshome, CSOM ‘15, questions three lucky contestants during the final section of the Sophomore Dating Game.

The Heights

A4

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Benedict’s resignation raises questions Pope, from A1 fault—namely, cardinals in high office, including his secretary of state and his predecessor. John Paul II managed to keep a lot of problems covered up.”

“This is an historic event—it has not happened for 600 years,” said Rev. Robert Imbelli, an associate professor in the theology department. “And for the pope to do it of his own volition … it came as a great surprise to most people—is I think a sign both of his love for the Church … and an act of real humility—it’s not often that people step down from positions of importance—and I think it’s also an act of courage.”

Weiss also drew parallels back to the last pope who left the papacy before death, Gregory XII, who stepped down in 1415.

“Gregory XII recognized that the administration of the Church was falling apart,” Weiss said. “In Benedict’s case, when he says his health is not up to the job, what he’s reflecting upon is that the Vatican has fallen apart under his rule.”

“I think in the future, we can now talk about whether there should be term limits for the papacy,” Pope added. Currently, bishops must resign on their 75th birthday, and cardinals cannot vote in a conclave after age 80—the papacy is the only position that serves for life.

Imbelli noted that Benedict’s self-imposition of a term limit was not wholly unexpected. “I think it was a surprise in the sense that it happened now, with no forewarning,” he said. “What is not a surprise is that he was contemplating retirement … he said that, in effect, back in 2010. I myself thought—and this is my own speculation—that he would probably step down in November, at the end of the ‘Year of Faith,’ which began in October and will end in this coming November.”

Even so, Weiss pointed out that the proximity of Ash Wednesday to Benedict’s announcement of resignation was likely not coincidental. “Lent is a period of reflection and atonement for sins, and the Church has reached a point where everyone … is reflecting on the defects of the Church,” he said. He emphasized the symbolism of ashes: Lent signifies giving up one’s old life, and as the Vatican has announced that a new pope is expected to take over by Easter, the Church will begin anew just as Catholics celebrate the rebirth of Christ. “I think that Lent is a particularly good time for having a conclave,” Imbelli said, following the same line of thought. “I think the hope—the expectation—is that the new pope will be installed in time for Easter, and the celebration of

having a new pope can join the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.”

In Pope’s opinion, speculation on Benedict’s successor was largely unproductive—as he pointed out, very few people predicted the appointments of either Benedict XVI or his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. Pope did say that, although he doubted the chances were very good, he would like to see a non-European pope next. “The advantage of having a pope from the developing world is that most Catholics live below the equator,” he said. “It would be a way of signaling that the Church really is of the people—and the Church really is a global church, it’s not just a European church.”

For the Church to address its globalization, however, a number of issues need to be tackled. Pope stressed that the governance of the Church—transparency, use of power and accountability—must undergo significant reform. “The concern that Benedict had was primarily with secularization in Europe and in the developed world,” Pope said.

“His mission was to try to re-Christianize Europe. It didn’t work—the forces are huge for secularization.” Pope said that this trend away from the Church worsened under Benedict’s governance, in part because of the clerical sexual abuse scandal, which surfaced under his leadership. “He was not really a promoter of transparency in the Church, and he did not really hold bishops accountable for protecting sexually abusive clergy,” Pope said.

A change in leadership may also be the optimal time to address issues in terms of how the Catholic Church is perceived. “From a North American perspective, there’s the issue of sex and gender,” Pope said. “I find that the biggest hurdle for young Catholics … is the Church’s attitude toward sex, generally, and especially toward gays. People at BC—students I’ve spoken to ... many, many regard the Church as homophobic and as impossible for them. Not the majority, but many.” He noted that the Church has a tendency to send out mixed messages about homosexuality—saying, on the one hand, that sexuality was a gift, and on the other, that homosexual people could engage in no sexual conduct whatsoever. “What we need is a constructive sexual ethic, that allows people to be responsible, committed, and sexually intimate,” Pope said.

Apart from the Church’s social teachings, Imbelli said that fighting a decline in followers was a problem of great significance, and pointed to questions about evangelization in the face of increasing secularization. Especially in the West, he said,

Catholic leaders are examining the question of “how to proclaim the gospel—how to present Jesus Christ—in a way that is both faithful to the tradition and yet attractive to the men and women of the 21st century.”

Pope concurred, discussing the issue of vocations in the Catholic Church, and the declining number of men entering ordination. “Parishes are lacking priests—that means there’s no Eucharistic celebration … you can have the Catholic faith diminishing because of that lack of access,” Pope said.

“How do you deal with the crises of clerical vocations?” Ordaining women or married men in an effort to increasing the number of priests who can serve, Pope said, are questions the new pope will have to take under consideration.

Additionally, Imbelli noted that, especially in the U.S., the issue of collegiality in the Church has been brought up—people are looking for more participation in the Church, rather than just a top-down mentality. In addition to a call for more accountability and transparency, desire for collaboration is a significant structural issue that the Catholic Church faces.

Pope also pointed to relationships with the Islamic world as an important area upon which the new pope should focus. “The pope has got to be someone who can reach out to Islam and help promote an understanding of Christianity among Muslims as nonviolent, and as … cooperative, as respectful—and communicate to Christians in the world a reverence for Islam, and a commonality with Muslims as monotheists, and as all part of the family of Abrahamic faiths,” he said. “That’s something this pope was not very good at.”

The legacy that Benedict will leave behind, therefore, is mixed. “[Benedict XVI] is probably the most theologically sophisticated pope that we have had in hundreds of years,” Imbelli said. He said he thought that Benedict’s writings, even those completed prior to his appointment to the papacy, would continue to influence the Church.

“The sermons that he preaches—the homilies—I think are just magnificent. They have great spiritual depth, and I think they will be a lasting legacy.”

On the other hand, administrative issues may be what is most significant about Benedict’s term, at least in the short run.

“I personally think God gave the Church a poor administrator precisely so that these problems could come to the surface,” Weiss said. “[These problems] cry out to be dealt with … Benedict’s poor administration was God’s gift to the Church.” n

eun hee kwon / heights staff

Lt. Col. Blaise L. Gallahue presented awards to Army ROTC students during a ceremony in Stokes Hall on Wednesday afternoon.

Army ROTC students receive accolades ROTC, from A1 their hard work and determination to be a physically ready solider,” Heggers said. “This is a significant achievement and reflects positively on themselves, the Liberty Battalion, and the United States Army.”

Students were given awards based on their Physical Fitness Training test scores from last semester. The awards—the Platinum Medal Athlete Award for a perfect score of 300 points, the Silver Medal Athlete Award for a score of 290 to 299 points, and the Bronze Medal Athlete Award for a score of 270 to 289 points—were granted to seven students.

After the academic and athletic awards, a

small group of students were recognized for their dedication to the ROTC program above and beyond what is asked of the cadets.

Three students were awarded the Color Guard award for their participation in the Color Guard, a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection and presentation of regimental colors. One student was given the Ranger Challenge Award. This award recognizes a student’s participation in the Ranger Challenge Team, an inter-battalion competition that graded cadets on a physical fitness test, land navigation, weapons and assembly, and a commander’s written exam.

The challenge takes place over two weekends at Camp Smith, NY.

Following the cadets’ award ceremony, Gallahue congratulated the ROTC students for their achievements and reminded them of award ceremony’s purpose.

“Why do we give awards in the army?”

Gallahue asked. “In the army, we want to recognize soldiers that put in hard work.

One day, you will all be platoon leaders and you will have to grant awards to others … It is important to not ever forget your soldiers. Just as we want to recognize you for your achievements in school and ROTC, you will need to recognize your soldiers for their hard work …

So I’ll ask you again, why do we give awards in the army? To try and encourage you to do the best you can in ROTC.” n

matt liber / heights staff

Boston College faculty members participated in Wednesday night’s BHM panel series.

Panel explores tough topics BHM Panels, from A1 thought influenced societal beauty ideals was social media. Sarr believed that social media perpetuated the idea that lighter was more beautiful, citing Beyonce as a prime example.

Comprised of Rhonda Fredericks, associate professor of English and director of African and African Diaspora Studies, and Chauncey McGlathery, adjunct professor in the African and African Diaspora Studies program and director of Voices of Imani, the second panel addressed the historical significance of the “N word” and its modern usage.

“The phrase, the ‘N word,’ is a copout,” Fredericks said. “If you want to talk about it, you have to say ‘n—ger.’

If we are going to truthfully engage the word and its use, we must use the word.”

The panelists each had a slightly different take on the difference between “n—ger” and “n—ga” and how they

responded to the different words.

“The difference is in the ways in which the person is trying to engage me,” McGlather y said. “If they use ‘n—ger,’ they are trying to engage me as an adversary. If they use ‘n—ga,’ they are trying to engage me as a colleague.

In no way is it appropriate to engage me with this.”

“I don’t care what way you say it, it is something I don’t use and don’t like,” Fredericks added. “It’s all the same word for me. The word has a lot of historical baggage.”

One of the issues raised was how generational differences impacted different people’s reaction to the word.

McGlathery relayed stories from his childhood and how his grandmother had a vastly different reaction to the word’s usage than his cousins. Both of them stressed that people don’t consider their usage and that they need to think about how they engage the complicated historical and social baggage that comes with usage of the word. n

Fukuyama talks rule of law Fukuyama, from A1 element is absolutely essential to establishing political order, since, without a strong state, effective nation building and democratization cannot occur.

Fukuyama exemplified this idea by pointing to American efforts to turn countries such as Haiti, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo into “Denmarks,” only to discover that we had no idea what we were doing to establish states where order had collapsed.

True rule of law, the second main point in Fukuyama’s outline of political order, “expresses the general consensus of a community about the rules of justice, and it must be binding.”

“If a powerful leader can make up rules as he or she goes along, then it’s not the rule of law,” Fukuyama said.

He also explained how the rule of law arose from organized religion in various regions of the world, from ancient Israel to the Christian West and the Muslim and Hindu worlds. Moral rules espoused by different religions turned into codified laws that were then presided over by institutional hierarchies not controlled by the state.

Using China and Europe as example s , Fukuy ama dif ferenti ate d the development of these two areas through his focus on religion. China, without a transcendental religion, but rather, only ancestor worship, did not have rule of law. This fact, according to Fukuyama, is particularly interesting since China successfully established a state boasting a modern, efficient organization and a centralized, meritbased bureaucracy.

Europe, on the other hand, was strongly influenced in its political development by the autonomy of the Catholic Church. With an internal hierarchy, the Church became an independent political player. In Europe, Fukuyama said, law came first, and was

followed by ambitious kings wanting to create centralized, modern states.

Their power, though, was limited by preexisting law that served to prevent tyranny as the rulers tried to concentrate power.

The Church was also crucial in breaking nepotistic ties and reducing corruption, two essential factors that lead to Fukuyama’s third component of political order, accountability. Accountability, said Fukuyama, involves a “state taking into account the interests of the whole body of citizens and not just the interests of those ruling the state.”

“A modern state concentrates and uses power and is able to use power to get things done. It can build bridges, infrastructure. It can deliver services such as education and health. It can enforce laws,” Fukuyama said. “Both the rule of law and accountability are limitations of the state, so these are constraints on state power to make sure it is not used arbitrarily.”

Political development is not the only a sp e ct of nation building in general, however. Economic growth, social mobilization, and development of ideas are also crucial dimensions of development that must be considered as well.

For Fukuyama, modern politics is essentially the practice of overcoming powerful forces of human nature.

Agreeing with Aristotle in believing “men are political animals,” Fukuyama asserted that, when institutions such as rule of law and accountability break down, people will naturally turn to those closest to them for socialization, bringing dangerous nepotism to the forefront of conversation.

“There was never a period in human history when people were not social by nature,” Fukuyama said. “Friends and family are the forms of human social organization to which people will default in the absence of powerful incentives to behave otherwise.” n

Survivor of Japanese internment reflects on experience during WWII Remembrance, from A1 was denied,” Kobayashi said. “After Pearl Harbor, myself and all the other Japanese Americans who signed up for the war were denied and classified as ‘4C.’” During World War II, 4C was used to refer to “undesirable aliens.”

Kobayashi’s plans to attend college were put on hold when soldiers came to San Francisco to implement Executive Order 9066.

“They tacked up notices all over town— we had three days to take care of our affairs and leave town,” Kobayashi said. “We could only take the things that we could carry on our backs.”

Kobayashi and his family were taken to a temporary internment camp in Tanforan,

Calif., until the permanent camps being built around the country were ready.

The Japanese Americans forced to live in the camps stayed in converted horse stalls. They used sacks filled with straw as mattresses. There was one light bulb and one outlet.

“The worst part about it was the overwhelming and constant smell of horse manure,” Kobayashi said. The camps were deemed unfit for human habitation by various boards of health. Barbwire surrounded the camps. The guard towers were equipped with soldiers with machines guns. Kobayashi remembers men being shot down for getting too close to the fence.

Kobayashi remembers that there were two attitudes toward the U.S. in the camps.

“Some thought that the Japanese Americans should shed their blood to prove their

loyalty to the country, others thought that the notion of sacrificing for a government that kept them cooped up in horse stalls was absolutely absurd,” he said.

Kobayashi recalled the bravery of the men of the 442nd infantry regiment during the war, whose attitudes were along the line of the former sentiment.

The 442nd infantry regiment was composed entirely of Japanese American soldiers who volunteered to fight in the war even though their families were subject to internment. The 442nd fought with uncommon distinction in Italy, France and Germany. The battalion is considered to be the most decorated infantry regiment in the history of the U.S. army.

As for Kobayashi, he was given a chance to leave the camp and go to college on a scholarship as part of a program through

the National Japanese American Student Relocation Council.

“Educators became concerned about the future of many Japanese American students enrolled in colleges and universities who had to put their plans on hold because of internment,” Kobayashi said.

Efforts to immediately transfer these students to academic institutions outside the restricted areas on the West Coast were led by the YMCA-YWCA , the Pacific College Association, and college presidents such as University of California’s Robert Gordon Sproul, and University of Washington’s Lee Paul Sieg.

“I was given a scholarship to Alfred University in New York,” Kobayashi said.

“I was shocked initially when I saw the price of the tuition because I could go to a California State school for much less, but

the NJASRC assured me that everything would be taken care of.”

Kobayashi wants students to remember that these events like these are not anomalies.

“The same thing almost happened again after 9/11 with the Muslims—or rather anyone who looked Muslim,” Kobayashi said. “The Patriot Act of 2001 allowed the government to tap phones, monitor web activity, and jail people without warrant.”

Kobayashi reminded young adults to get involved, to follow the issues, to question the government, and most importantly to vote.

When asked about his views on the U.S. today, Kobayashi gave an answer that may surprise many.

“It’s a great country, I’ve been very lucky to have such a wonderful life,” he said. n

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Relay organizers promote awareness, involvement

Thursday, February 14, 2013

QUOTE OF THE DAY Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.

-Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), American author, philosopher, and naturalist

The twelve-hour nighttime event helps foster an environment of caring, consciousness at BC This Friday, hundreds of students will gather in the Plex for Boston College’s largest non-sporting event on campus: Relay for Life. Over 100 teams have registered to partake in this year’s fight against cancer, and

‘The Heights’ would like to recognize the successful planning behind the event, as well as the efforts of the committee members to increase the presence of Relay for Life on campus through fundraisers, fliers, and social media. participants have been preparing for the event for several months. The Heights would like to recognize the successful planning behind the event, as well as the efforts of committee members to increase the presence of Relay for Life on campus through fundraisers, fliers, and social media.

The Heights also encourages students to attend the event on Friday and lend their support to the many people in our community who have been affected by cancer in some way. We hope students will take this opportunity to

join their peers in tomorrow’s ceremony, which has several objectives: to celebrate survivors, remember those who have passed, and contribute to the necessary funds for cancer research and raising awareness.

The event, which will commence at 6 p.m. on Friday and continue until 6 a.m. on Saturday morning, features plenty of entertainment for students throughout the night. A cappella and dance groups, such as the Heightsmen, the Acoustics, and the Dance Organization of Boston College, will be performing at various times during the evening. In addition, there will be opportunities to win raffles and play games. Most notably, however, the Luminaria ceremony and presentations from cancer survivors will culminate into an incredibly powerful and moving experience, which is one of the main reasons that Relay for Life has gained so much support throughout campus and throughout the country.

Students who have not yet registered for a team can still sign up through the BC Relay for Life website through the day of the event. Even those who are not attending can still support the organization through donations and help the Relay committee reach their goal of raising $150,000 to donate to the American Cancer Society. From bake sales to collaborating with other student organizations, the teams have been raising funds in many different ways, which is a testament to their hard work and immense amount of dedication.

Eagles’ hard work earns fourth Beanpot in a row Monday’s championship allows seniors to boast an impressive undefeated Beanpot record The Heights would like to congratulate the members of the Boston College men’s hockey team for their notable achievement of winning four straight Beanpot championships, marking the first time BC has attained such an accomplishment. The men’s hockey players and coaches have put in countless hours this season, and their efforts were rewarded on the ice this past Monday with their 6-3 victory over Northeastern University.

The victory marked the Eagles’ 18th Beanpot title and their seventh under coach Jerry York. The hockey senior class—Patch Alber, Brooks Dyroff, Parker Milner, Pat Mullane, Pat Wey, Steven Whitney and manager Tom Maguire—deserves recognition and praise for its fourth Beanpot championship title. The seniors have led the BC hockey team to four straight victories and The Heights congratulates them for their impressive 8-0 Beanpot record. Despite their success, however, the captains made sure to share the praise—they seemed to be more excited to pass on a streak to the underclassmen than to celebrate one of their own.

It goes without saying that York has played a massive part in the history of BC hockey. As a player on the BC hockey team in the mid 1960s, York had a key role in the 1965 win that gained the Eagles their first ever third consecutive Beanpot championship. Then a sophomore, he scored the goal in overtime that would catapult the Eagles to victory.

This year’s Beanpot championship marks York’s ninth silver trophy ever and seventh as a coach. The win is just one of many accolades York has

achieved this season, including his title as winningest coach in NCAA hockey history and his recent induction to the Beanpot Hall of Fame.

York has established the BC men’s hockey team as an athletic powerhouse. His hard work, enthusiasm, and humility serve as an example for other leaders on BC campus.

The hockey senior class deserves recognition and praise for its fourth Beanpot championship title.

The seniors have led the BC hockey team to four straight victories and ‘The Heights’ congratulates them for their impressive 8-0 Beanpot record.

Finally, The Heights would like to recognize the loyal BC Superfans.

While the Eagles skated to victory, BC students filled the TD Garden during both the semifinal and championship game to cheer on their team. Before leaving the press conference after the final game, Mullane made sure to comment on how much motivation the team gets from looking at the upper deck at the TD Garden, packed with maroon and gold. With the support of the Superfans, the hockey team won Boston schools’ hockey bragging rights for another year.

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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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brennan power / Heights Illustration

Letter to the Editor An Open Letter to ‘The Observer’ Upon reading The Observer’s recent piece, “Open Letter to Fr. Leahy,” I was appalled but unfortunately not surprised. This is not only because of The Observer’s reputation at Boston College of publishing clumsily contentious pieces of writing, but also because of the way that this university approaches feminism and sexuality as a whole.

The Vagina Monologues is a widely celebrated episodic play written by feminist Eve Ensler in 1996.

The performance of this play has, over the course of 15 years, grown into the ‘V-day movement’ and has raised over $90 million for groups that work to end violence against women. However, because its title contains the word Vagina and the monologues talk candidly about feminine sexuality, this performance piece makes some people uncomfortable despite all the good it does for the community and the world.

Each time the monologues are performed, at BC and at the thousands of other college campuses that put it on each year, a move is made to break the taboo of talking about female sexuality in a healthy, normal way, and not being made to feel lewd or unfeminine in doing so. It pushes actors and viewers, male and female, out of the comfort zones in which they are used to living with respect to conversation about vaginas, clitorises, and the sexual awakenings and experiences of real women. This is not movie sex,

this is not porn sex. This sex is not always agreeable or sexy. Some sex is scary. Some sex isn’t legal. Some sex is rape. Some sex is just plain good. Good or bad, these stories come from the real lives of real people.

Ensler interviewed hundreds of women for the play, and has taken their narratives and placed them in a context where they can be retold in such a way as to benefit others. Therefore, each story deserves respect and should not be dismissed simply because it seems inappropriate or makes you feel something you can’t understand.

The play does not “reduce the female person to her sexual organs” as Canniff and Mack contend in their letter, but rather embraces the female as a whole person including her sexual organs and sexuality, important and very real aspects of the woman as whole that are often ignored or dismissed by men and women alike.

Let’s clarify: the Vagina Monologues is not a “controversial exploitation of human sexuality.” Rather, it is free and open expression of female sexuality that is rare in its honesty and lack of inhibition, and to take that from BC would be an enormous step in the wrong direction.

Marie McGrath A&S ’14

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The Heights

Thursday, February 14, 2013

A7

Let’s talk about love!

Ain’t No Shake Like a Harlem Shake - Here we were, thinking Mardi Gras was going to pass by quietly (a disappointing but pretty unsurprising fact), when a beautiful thing happened. A man in a robe with a bucket on his head got up and started wiggling on a table in Bapst. Now BC has their very own 30 second Harlem Shake video, which we think is a symbol of all that is good about the Internet, college students, and Bapst. Hats off to the orchestrators for realizing that there is no better way to welcome Lent than to dance on your hands in a metallic body suit in America’s prettiest college library.

Farewell, Beans, Creams & Dreams - Before you all rush out in a fit of passionate loyalty to stage a sit-in at everyone’s favorite dining location, Beans, Creams & Dreams, to prevent it from being transformed into the Waffle Hut, let us here at Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down try our very best to convince you that, contrary to the pervading sentiment on campus, life can survive without the legendary BCD. Here are the reasons to accept the Waffle Hut in its stead: 1. The Waffle Hut has a name which actually gives us a good idea of what it sells: waffles. Beans, Creams & Dreams, on the other hand, conjures up images of … well, we don’t even know. If we had to venture a guess, we’d say coffee. Some research tells us that BCD does, in fact, sell coffee, in addition to ice cream and hot dogs. The obvious question: what qualifies these hot dogs to be placed in the “dream” category… ? 2. The Waffle Hut at least has a grammatically correct name.

Where, we ask, is the Oxford Comma in Beans, Creams & Dreams? How can we patronize an organization that dismisses the most sensible grammar convention of all time? 3. Face it, if you’ve ever even had BCD, it was at freshman orientation. It’s time to leave that person behind. Embrace the Waffle Hut. forty days later - It’s that time of year again, when all the Easter Catholics come out of the woodwork, suddenly filled with the spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ who has graciously imbued them with the courage to swear off soda for 40 days. We’re promising a Thumbs Up to anyone who sticks with their Lenten resolution all the way until Easter. If eternal salvation wasn’t motivation enough, there ya go.

Good-Bye To The Pope - First of all, we’re giving a Thumbs Up to Pope Benedict XVI because we deem him a boss for deciding to do what no pope has done in six centuries. Maybe his brief foray into the realm of Twitter introduced him to our favorite saying “Do you,” thus giving him the inspiration to finally make his move. But also maybe not. Anyways, this situation also deserves a Thumbs Up because we now get to witness rituals that literally haven’t changed in hundreds and hundreds of years. If we manage to block out of our minds the fact that we’re watching it on television, reading about it on the Internet (possibly via our smart phone), and probably enjoying the luxuries of running water in some way, shape, or form whilst observing it, it’s almost like we’ve been teleported back a millennium or so.

It’s Getting Hot In Here - Despite the fact that it’s causing all the snow to melt, which is in turn causing massive puddles to form which can be slightly annoying, we are happy about the heat spell we are in the midst of. It’s a nice little post-Nemo detox session.

And, considering the groundhog was unable to spot his shadow a couple weeks ago, maybe these pleasant temperatures are a teaser for what’s to come in the not-too-distant future?

We don’t know about you, but we’re ready for skirt day.

Alexia LaFata What is it about being in love that makes us think in poetry? That makes us want to sing songs and dance and jump off of rooftops, grow wings, and fly to the stars? That burns holes in our hearts while simultaneously making them feel fuller and brighter? That transforms all of our rational thoughts into mush and makes us want to say “forever” over and over again like a lyric stuck repeating on a broken CD? That turns menial activities like doing homework, going to CVS, and walking to class together into grand adventures? That makes us literally feel colors when our loved one is in the same room as us? I don’t know, but it sure is weird sometimes. So, I’d like to talk about it.

I apologize in advance. Writing today’s column about any other topic besides love would seem too contrived. I know you’re trying to avoid knowing it, but today is Valentine’s Day. Not talking about it won’t make this day exist any less. It will probably just make it exist more, like that giant pink elephant in the opinions section of a student newspaper that just so happens to come out on Feb. 14 where people seem to have something to say about everything except love. Or, like the sole female opinions columnist for this particular Heights issue (me) purposely doesn’t have an opinion on love today. Don’t worry, she does.

It’s really easy to become jaded when it comes to love. Some people have had their hearts severely broken and claim never to want to get involved in another relationship ever again. Others passionately throw themselves into new relationships and find themselves completely devastated or pleasantly surprised at the outcome a few months later. Others are good at staying above the surface of extremely deep emotional waters when they enter a new partnership. Regardless of the situation, the truth is that we’re going to continue getting hurt until we don’t—that is,

until we find the person who wants to spend forever with us. And even then we’ll probably still get hurt sometimes.

It is said that people’s levels of happiness remain pretty steady throughout the various happenings of their daily lives. Some events cause happiness to temporarily skyrocket, while others cause it to temporarily plummet.

In the end and after a bit of time, though, a person will always level out back to their default level of happiness. I’d like to compare this to how I feel about love. Regardless of whether something devastating or beautiful happens in my love life, I will be temporarily affected but will soon level back out to my original view of love. I’m happy to say that I’ve remained unjaded, relatively optimistic, and hopeful.

I’ve been on a Sex and the City kick lately, soaking in the love lives of four of the most fabulous women in television history. I think I’m the most like Carrie Bradshaw, weaving in and out of the Aleksandr Petrovskys and the Aidens and the Mr. Bigs and staying positive (and writing a column about it), despite the way-high ups and the way-low downs. In the final episode of Sex and the City, Carrie finally snaps at the cold and semi-heartless Petrovsky, the Russian artist with whom she flew to Paris to live and with whom she eventually has a failed romance, and says, “I am someone who is looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can’t-live-without-eachother love.” In a perfect world, I’d like that, too.

I think anybody would, really. I completely admire that level of idealism and positivity, and I’m still trying to figure out how that kind of love can mutually exist between two people for forever. I am also still trying to figure out the lesson in the fact that, no matter how many times Mr. Big was a huge heart-breaking jerk, Carrie ended up with him anyway. HBO, does love really conquer everything?

While self-proclaimed idealists like myself want to believe that love is the thing, we should also appreciate the Mirandas of the world—the slightly cynical realists who keep the Carrie-type dreamers from soaring too high without a safe way down. We, the Carries, need those. It’s really easy to get caught up in a new romance or in those intensely passionate butterflies-in-your-stomach feelings and lose your ability to think about a situation

rationally. Then again, “It wasn’t logic. It was love.” Thank you, Carrie. I knew I could count on you.

If you think about it, love is just a series of hormones being released into our bodies one after the other after the other. Our bodies are well-oiled machines, systems of complex processes and mechanical operating systems that follow a pretty rigid set of procedures.

It’s the ultimate paradox, however, how these allegedly “typical” hormonal processes cause such atypical behavior. How many of us have ever done something particularly crazy or irrational in the name of love, including but not limited to masochistic Facebook stalking, throwing our iPhones across our dorm room as if it’s the phone’s fault that our texts are going unanswered, spewing an intense drunken love confession, creating a pathetic iTunes break-up playlist and sobbing hysterically to it, or standing outside of somebody’s window in the rain (tossing pebbles not required or encouraged, Taylor Swift)? Even the strongest of strong feminists and the manliest of antiemotional manly men go weak at the knees for their loved ones.

Now that today is Valentine’s Day, we must celebrate these natural bodily functions and use them to make our boyfriends buy us nice things and take us out to fancy dinners in the North End. (I’m kidding. Or am I?) Better yet, take this day to thank everyone in your life for just being there. Eat dark chocolate and think about red and pink a lot. Watch romantic comedies because they’re fun. Listen to music that makes the air around you shift. Whether you’re waiting for that text from you-knowwho, in a happy and thriving relationship, continually waking up next to your exclusive/ non-exclusive “thing” on a Saturday morning after a night off-campus, recently going through a bad break-up, perpetually single and stuck in your room watching, rewinding, and re-rewinding the sex scenes in Game of Thrones, heavily considering getting back with your ex, or using Tinder and feeling sufficiently awkward about it, I hope you have a fantastic Valentine’s Day.

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

The possibilities of a new pope Matt Beckwith Monday morning the whole world was shocked by the news that Pope Benedict XVI would become the first pope in almost 600 years to resign. Benedict said that his failing health prevented him from being able to carry out his duties any longer, and that he would officially leave the Papacy on Feb. 28. Upon his resignation, a Papal Conclave will be held to decide who the next pope will be, and the Vatican has indicated that it hopes to have a new pope selected by Easter.

When I first heard about the resignation, for a split second I was surprised, and then I felt a visceral surge of hope run through me. A new pope, and the uncertainty and possibilities that accompany it, ought to be received

by Catholics all over the world as a chance for Catholicism to redefine itself in the world.

Benedict (formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) became the pope after the death of the beloved Pope John Paul II. John Paul II was one of the most important and beloved figures of the second half of the 20th century.

For Catholics, he helped to retain orthodox views while simultaneously enforcing and supporting the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. On an international stage, he was an integral part of the effort to bring down the Soviet Union, and he vastly improved Catholic relations with other major world religions. His funeral in 2005 was the largest gathering of heads of state in history, and one of the largest Christian pilgrimages ever. To become pope after John Paul II was an unenviable task, and one to which Ratzinger had repeatedly said he did not aspire.

Benedict came to the Papacy known more for his scholarly abilities than his administrative skills. His conservative defenses of Church doctrine had earned him the nickname “God’s Rottweiler,” and he had been a major player in the College of Cardinals for nearly a quar-

Imbroglio

ter century before his election as Pope. But Benedict’s Papacy has been filled with scandal and obstacles, not only for him, but Catholics worldwide. He made controversial comments on Islam, and took a hardline orthodox approach when it came to ordaining women and dealing with women’s religious orders. Of course the most notable scandal of his Papacy was the horrific church abuse scandals and cover-up that rocked the world in 2010. The scandal was one of the lowest moments of the Catholic Church in centuries. Benedict was unlucky enough to have his time as pope overlap with these scandals, and he deserves to be credited for meeting with the families of the victims, and for striving for justice in those cases. Benedict also deserves credit for stepping down as gracefully as he did, rather than having his health force him only to be able to carry out his duties in a limited capacity. It is too early to determine how history will judge Benedict, but the odds are likely that he will be known as a profoundly important and respected intellectual thinker, who became pope in the most unfortunate of times. But that is a job for future, and the present presents a great opportunity for the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church still has not recovered from the sexual abuse scandals. And the generation that was most affected by the scandal is mine. Too many young people only associate Catholicism with ribald priest jokes, or with the stigma of child abuse, or even with staunch conservative dogma. If the Church does not do something to combat these generalizations, they run the risk of ostracizing the youth.

But I am filled with hope about the future of the Church. The election of a new pope promises a new day for the Catholic Church.

The next Papal Conclave will elect a new pope, and that pope will define Catholicism for not only the next 10 to 15 years, but also define it in the minds of a whole generation. The number of Catholics worldwide totals one billion, and they need a Church and a pope they can believe in.

If the Church wants to move away from its current image, it can signal that very strongly by electing a pope from somewhere outside Europe. Benedict was from Germany, John

Paul II was from Poland, and before John Paul II we had 400 years of Italian popes. But the world’s Catholics are a truly international demographic, and it is time that the Church’s leadership reflect this. Places like Africa have developed enough that candidates from those places ought to be strongly considered. Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana is seen by many as one of the leading candidates in the field of possible popes. A black pope in the modern era is an incredibly exciting idea, one that captivates the imagination of both Catholics and non-Catholics. Turkson’s mix of orthodox theology and emphasis on the role of social justice within the Church make him a very appealing choice for the College of Cardinals.

Latin America also has a strong pool of candidates, including Cardinal Oscar Mariaga of Honduras. Mariaga may be the most liberal of all the realistic papabili (unofficial term for possible candidates for Pope). He has made criticisms of capitalism and is a prominent leader in the fight for social justice in Latin America. In addition, Mariaga possesses the administrative organization and people skills that many found Benedict to be lacking.

The next pope will have a variety of issues to face in the coming years. They include gay marriage, the possible ordination of women, determining the Church’s role in social justice fights worldwide, and deciding on whether the Church ought to follow Benedict’s conservative model, or move more toward the views held by its liberal minority. But more than that, the pope must reintroduce the world to the fundamental tenants of Catholicism, and re-establish the Church as a benevolent force in the increasingly secular public eye. At its roots, Catholicism has always been an inert statement of principles proclaiming Christ the Son of God, and following his teachings of universal love and humanity. In several weeks, when white smoke appears over the Vatican, signifying that a new pope has been chosen, make sure you pay attention, because that man will be the one who guides the Catholic Church into a new day in its history.

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

BY KALEB KEATON

Happy Campers - Thumbs Up to ourselves for being in such a good mood that we couldn’t think of a single Thumbs Down. If you have something you want to Thumbs Down, though, tweet at us! @BCTUTD.

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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.

Embracing change Patrick Angiolillo It was a warm April day about six years ago. I was still a growing boy, as it were, and not unfamiliar with what it means to be a youthful, if puerile, young man at an all-male Catholic prep school in New York. But I was not alone that day. I was certainly among my peers at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie.

Hosts of parishes brought their youth to gather on the seminary’s back field to be a select crowd of young people whom the Pope had planned to visit as part of his trip to the U.S. that year. But in my youth and immaturity, I and my friends were perhaps more concerned throughout the day with finding snack foods, purchasing silly merchandise, and passing our time in horseplay. Even when his Holiness appeared and we all sang him “Happy Birthday” in German (my first and last foray into that linguistic challenge), I was busying myself with petty tomfoolery.

There was at last, however, a saving grace—a moment of revelation for which I am still grateful. As the pope offered a short speech on matters relevant to someone more sophisticated than my 15-yearold self, I noticed among a crowd of youth sitting, lying, and milling about the field, a solitary Franciscan friar, his eyes closed, his head bowed, his hands clenched in prayerful attention, grasping for the pope’s every word, straining to hear over the hustle and bustle of my peers, and I being preoccupied with things far less real. Now, I’ve no regret for my boyhood—I did, after all, very much enjoy those formative years, and even that warm spring day—but now I see how I have definitively grown. I am not the prayerful friar, but I certainly have a deeper, richer, fuller understanding of my faith and my church, and my place in all of this (that is, the mess of humanity and of God’s love of his creation). I’m no theologian, either—though hopefully my tuition and these theology and philosophy classes at Boston College will help me receive the honor one day—but as a man of still-deepening faith, I can see how my life has transformed vis-a-vis my God and his Church.

I’m sure you’ve gotten the idea that this column is timely published, the pope having recently announced his resignation.

But maybe you’ve yet seen the point. It is a simple one, so bear with my rudimentary musings. We all change—a topic I’ve written on before, though, granted, with a little more comic flare and no lack of anecdote—and not least among us, the pope. Whether it is physical, emotional, or mental change, we all undergo transformation in our lives. And often it is a rather fitting change, even if undesired. As my time for youth and wanton foolishness was then (though I confess I may time and again require some reminder that such a time is passed), so my time for collegiate academics is now—just as my time for professionalism and a family will come next in my life (God willing). So is the case for everyone—times come and go, seasons change, and we all march forward, ever toward our ends (that’s a good thing, by the way, and not meant to be macabre).

But as we all face these times in our lives—and even great leaders and authorities like our Holy Father face such times— men and women of faith can rely on, even cling to, the fact that God is unchanging, immutable, and eternal. (Granted, not everyone concedes the premise of God’s existence, but to those I’d ask whether you hold or can hold a comparable standard in your worldview, and then I’d point to that.) God’s immutability is an anchor to the fast-paced, constantly crumbling-andrising-again world we occupy. We live day in and day out through storms and gales, springs and summers, mourning and pain, celebration and happiness—everything under the sun. But each of these is made bearable, if not infinitely better, because we know they are neither the final nor eternal word on the matter—there is a loving God undergirding it all who gives drive to everything. And the big challenges, huge changes, giant questions in our lives—mountains over which it seems we must crawl—are made low. The real graces, then, appear to come in our daily doings, or perhaps more profoundly in those rare momentary whispers. Change is necessary in this world, but that’s not the end of things—there’s more (there is always more). Pope Benedict XVI knows this and, acting not afraid, takes this step in his life with good faith and sound judgment.

Maybe we could all do well to follow his example. I know I could.

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

A8 The Heights

A8

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Northeastern Huskies repeat as women’s Beanpot Champions Women’s Hockey, from A10 The Eagles were unable to overcome a slew of penalties and successful power-play execution by the Huskies, failing to obtain their fifth tournament title by a narrow margin of 4-3.

Less than two minutes after the first puck dropped, it looked as if BC would be the recipient of the contest’s lucky bounces. A shot from freshman Dana Trivigno ricocheted off of two Northeastern defenders and snuck past goalie Chloe Desjardins to give the Eagles an immediate 1-0 advantage.

Throughout a physical first period that saw the Eagles take five of the game’s first six shots, Crowley’s squad looked poised to improve to 13-0 in games that it’s led after the first 20 minutes.

“We like to score first,” Crowley said. “Our kids get a little confident.”

Yet the Huskies were not intimidated by an early Eagle lead. With BC’s Lexi Bender and Blake Bolden exiled to the penalty box eight minutes into the second frame, Northeastern capitalized on its first five-on-three advantage of the night. Left wing Paige Savage fed a pass near the corner to teammate Brittany Esposito, who fired an equalizer past Boyles.

The score was Northeastern’s first of two power-play goals in the period, and catalyzed

a scoring barrage that transformed a defensive stalemate into a shootout.

BC’s Emily Pfalzer responded by leading a charge down the ice, dishing the puck behind her for a Melissa Bizzari one-timed slap shot from above the point, putting the Eagles on top 2-1.

Penalties refused to stop haunting BC, however, as another 5-on-3 disadvantage resulted in a backhanded power-play score from

Northeastern’s Casey Pickett. Less than a minute later, wing Paige Savage skated through traffic created by Eagle defenders, cleaned up a loose puck, and ripped a line-drive past Boyles for a 3-2 Huskie advantage.

By the time the Eagles woke from their second-period nightmare, they had suffered five penalties and spent a combined 10 minutes in the penalty box. Meanwhile, Northeastern made the most of its opponent’s

frequent short-handedness, tallying 10 shots on second-period power plays en route to a 3-1 scoring run. “[Northeastern] had 13 shots on the penalties and 10 in that second period,” Crowley said of the game’s fateful second frame. “So if you take 10 shots away from 19, it’s a 9-8 game, shots on net. Those were all penalties.

“I just think it’s hard. You’re asking the

Emily Fahey / Heights Staff

The Eagles evened the game at 3 goals apiece in the third period, but the Huskies captured the Beanpot title on a late MacSorley goal.

kids to kill 5-on-3’s and then go and try to score goals too. I just think it gets tough, it gets hard. You get a little tired. That second period, it takes a lot out of a team to kill that many [penalties].”

Despite the Eagles’ penalty-induced collapse, BC battled back midway through the third period after a clutch save by Boyles on a Pickett breakaway. Forward Emily Field skated through a swarm of Huskie defenders and beat Desjardins at the net, single-handedly drawing the Eagles to a 3-3 tie with their opponent.

Yet if the Huskies’ power-play execution couldn’t halt the Eagles, their quick responses on offense did. Just over a minute after Field’s goal, Katie MacSorley snuck the puck past a heavily screened Boyles right in front of the net, giving Northeastern a 4-3 lead it never relinquished.

The Eagles’ valiant effort to draw even once more during the game’s closing minutes fell short, but the resiliency they displayed through penalties and lead changes will be an asset during a late-season run at the Frozen Four.

“One thing about our team this year is that we never get down when we’re down by a goal or two,” Crowley said. “I think our kids battle pretty well when they’re in that situation. I was really proud of the way they battled back.” n

Seniors prove their worth Column, from A10 seniors in his usual wise conciseness: “They are model citizens of BC hockey.”

York couldn’t have put it any better.

Since arriving to the Heights, this core group has won three conference tournament championships, three conference regular-season championships, and two national titles in addition to their Beanpot glory. Even for arguably the country’s most prolific college hockey program, this year’s senior class has set the bar incredibly high.

Yet just like the class before them, Mullane, Milner, Whitney, Wey, Alber, and Dyroff face a fact as certain as the long-term success BC has enjoyed: their four-year window is approaching its end.

Sure, that’s not the most upbeat thing to bring up while the Eagles enter trophy season for a chance to defend their national championship. But it harkens back to my original question—will the end of these four years mean the end of a BC dynasty?

Here’s my answer for you: no.

Credit it to either York’s greatness at the helm or the raw talent BC has boast-

ed out on the ice, and you’d probably be correct either way. Together, however, they’ve created an environment in which a winner can always be bred and a torch can always be passed down.

When goalie John Muse and the seniors of 2010’s national title winner left BC’s tradition in the hands of Mullane and company, the current Eagle seniors made the most of it. An impressive win on Monday night was fittingly backed by goals from the team captain and his classmate Whitney, serving as a testament to their accomplishments. Yet a goal from sophomore Johnny Gaudreau was a reminder that there is a future for the Eagle dynasty just as bright as the present.

But there’s something you have to remember about a dynasty: in order to be maintained, complacency cannot be a part of its vocabulary. Knowing this current bunch of BC vets, the only way to go out is with a national championship trophy clutched in their hands.

Chris Grimaldi is the Assoc. Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

Graham beck / Heights Editor

Goalie Parker Milner and the other Boston College men’s hockey seniors raised their fourth Beanpot trophy in four years on Monday night.

Roy can’t keep up with BC offense

BC persists against Huskies Men’s Hockey, from A10

Roy, from A10 felt inevitable, but then there were loud “Oh”s from the other side of the stadium.

The puck bounced away before Roy could make a decision and the Huskies remained down by one. BC scored two more goals before the game ended, including an empty-netter by Pat Mullane, to seal a fourth-straight Beanpot title.

The Northeastern rookie went on to win the MVP award for the tournament, but he and his teammates couldn’t stop BC’s senior class from sweeping the event during their careers.

“For our seniors, we’re all so excited,” Whitney said. “This is awesome for us. It’s awesome that we all got to do it together. “ No matter what combination of players the Eagles shifted onto the ice, there were always scoring threats to attack Northeastern goalie Chris Rawlings, who ended up facing 30 shots on the night. On the other side, all the Huskies could do offensively was put their hopes in a freshman who was playing on that stage for the very first time.

Four years of Beanpot domination by BC left no room for other senior classes to experience the championship experience.

“I said to our seniors that I’m proud of the way they played and how hard they worked, and I felt sorry for them that they didn’t get the opportunity to experience a Beanpot championship,” said Northeastern head coach Jim Madigan.

This BC senior class shutout of senior classes from the other three schools came partly came as a shock to the Eagle leaders.

“I could’ve never imagined this happening,” said senior captain Patrick Wey of the four straight championships. “It’s a testament to our coaches and the culture that’s bred here. I’m so fortunate to be a part of this team and I feel blessed.”

More importantly for the seniors, though, they gave the underclassmen a chance to start their own perfect four years.

“We’re excited that our freshmen got a Beanpot and that we gave the rest of the guys a chance to go four in a row too,” Whitney said.

Roy will assuredly do his best to stand in their way, but it will take more than one standout player to slow down a dynasty. n

Graham beck / Heights Editor

Northeastern freshman Kevin Roy won the Beanpot MVP award despite a Huskie loss to BC.

The teams traded chances during the first two minutes, but BC failed to put shots on net. The closest attempt was a shot from Isaac MacLeod that clinked off of the crossbar.

Five minutes in, Northeastern was given its third power play of the night when Michael Matheson was put away for tripping, despite protests from the BC bench. This Huskie power play was different. Where BC had been able to control the puck even a man down during the first period, Northeastern managed to maintain the BC zone and create multiple chances. Milner, however, kept the huskies scoreless.

Four minutes after regaining full strength, the Eagles stepped up on offense.

The Arnold goal put the Eagles on the scoreboard 11 minutes into the period.

It did not take long for the Eagles to strike again. This time, less than two minutes later, it was Johnny Gaudreau, last year’s Beanpot MVP, whose wrap-around through the crease slipped by Rawlings.

Northeastern did not stop fighting, however.

Soon after the second BC goal, Huskie freshman Kevin Roy took a pass from Vinny Saponari that he brought forward to just inside the goalie’s right circle and fired on net. The shot went just above Milner’s glove, and the Huskies were finally on the board.

Minutes later, Roy had a chance to tie the game on a breakaway, but this time Milner didn’t budge, maintaining the BC lead. Time was running down in the second, and it looked as though the two teams would head into the locker rooms separated by only one, but once again rebounds got the better of Rawlings.

This time, the goalie’s failure to hold on to Patrick Brown’s shot resulted directly in a goal as it trickled off to his left. His last second dive for the puck was not enough, and the Eagles went up by two.

The last 10 minutes of the second half had been an offensive storm, but the Eagles were not done. As the play clock approached zero, Steven Whitney fired another on the shaken Rawlings, scoring with just .4 seconds to go in the period.

Northeastern head coach Jim Madigan thought the last minute crumble was crucial.

“To get out of the second 2-1 I thought we would be in good shape,” he said.

“They’re just too good of a team to give

goals to and we gave them two at the end of the second period.”

Off of the opening faceoff of the second period, Roy gave the Huskies hope.

Saponari won the opening drop, which was scooped up by Garrett Vermeersch who then passed the puck off to Roy. From there, he sped up the left side and just eleven seconds in, he flicked another over Milner’s glove, narrowing the margin to 4-2.

Soon after Roy’s goal, a power play finally paid off. With Whitney in the box on a tripping minor, Braden Pimm, a sophomore center for Northeastern, tipped Saponari’s one timer from inside of the crease, fooling Milner and bringing the game to within one.

Northeastern nearly tied it up when Roy fumbled a pass from Saponari in the crease, but it was the Eagles who were back on the board next.

Matheson held the puck as he entered the Northeastern zone, lingering in the right hand circle as he waited for the play to develop around him. Like clockwork, the Huskie defenders were drawn to him, leaving a gap for him to slide the puck through, rebounding off of Rawlings to Gaudreau who put it away for his second of the night.

BC head coach Jerry York knew that his team would not be disheartened by the Huskies’ sudden surge.

“We took a pretty good hit,” he said.

“Then we gave one. Mike Matheson–the play that he made on Johnny Gaudreau’s goal for our fifth goal was something special.”

BC finished off its 6-3 win with an empty netter by Mullane.

Milner had 20 saves on the night, winning the Eberly Award for the best save percentage in the tournament.

York praised his work, both that night and throughout his BC career, after the game.

“I think he’s been a back bone to our team,” he said. “You can’t win a tournament without outstanding goaltenders …

He’s the glue to our team when you look at our whole club.”

This was the fourth straight Beanpot win for BC, and York applauded the undefeated class of 2013 after the game.

“I’m so incredibly proud of our club but specifically our senior class and then our captains for what they have done during their careers,” he said. “They really are model citizens for Boston College hockey.

They reflect all of the intrinsic values of our team.” n

THE HEIGHTS

EDITORS’ EDITORS’PICKS PICKS

Thursday, February 14, 2013 The Week Ahead

Standings

Women’s basketball hosts Virginia tomorrow night. Men’s basketball is back in action against Florida State on Saturday. Women’s hockey plays a home and home with Connecticut this weekend. On Sunday, men’s hockey takes on New Hampshire at home.

Indiana and Michgan State meet in an NCAA top-10 matchup on Tuesday.

Heights Staff

13-8

Marly Morgus

12-9

Chris Grimaldi

11-10

Austin Tedesco

8-13

A9

Recap from Last Week

Game of the Week

Both men’s and women’s hockey were postponed over the weekend due to Winter Storm Nemo.

Women’s basketball fell to Wake Forest 61-59. Men’s basketball lost a last-second 62-61 thriller to Duke.

Men’s hockey defeated Northeastern to capture its fourth straight Beanpot Championship.

Men’s Hockey

Guest Editor: Maggie Powers

New Boston vs.

Hampshire College

Asst. Layout Editor

On Sunday afternoon, two top-five hockey teams meet.

BC is fresh off of its Beanpot victory going into the weekend, tallying its third straight February win against Northeastern. BC will be at Merrimack on Friday night hoping to keep its unbeaten streak alive as they prepare for the Wildcats. After a hot start, New Hampshire slowed a bit in the month of January with only a 3-3 record. They managed to hold onto their top-five position, though, and started February with a win over Northeastern. The last time the two teams met was the weekend of Jan. 11, when they split a series, BC taking a 5-2 win and UNH responding with a 2-1 victory of their own.

“It’s never any better at the end of the night than it is in the beginning” Marly Morgus Asst. Sports Editor

Maggie Powers Asst. Layout Editor

This Week’s Games

Austin Tedesco Sports Editor

Chris Grimaldi Assoc. Sports Editor

Women’s Basketball: BC vs. Virginia

Virginia

Virginia

Virginia

Virginia

BC

BC

BC

Florida State

New Hampshire

BC

New Hampshire

BC

BC

BC

BC

BC

MSU

Indiana

Indiana

Indiana

Men’s Basketball: BC at Florida State Men’s Hockey: No. 4 BC vs. No. 5 New Hampshire Women’s Hockey: No. 2 BC vs. Connecticut (series) NCAA Men’s Basketball: No. 1 Indiana at No.8 Michigan State

Joe Rahon clinches late BC victory

BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK

BC gets over the hump

BY CHRIS GRIMALDI Assoc. Sports Editor Despite salvaging a 66-63 victory last night against Wake Forest, the Boston College men’s basketball team had to first survive a 40-minute marathon of highs and lows on both sides of the ball. As head coach Steve Donahue admitted, the Eagles’ third conference victory of the season was not without growing pains.

“Some of our better players didn’t play well tonight,” Donahue said, “especially defensively.

Other guys stepped up and did little things to get us over the hump.”

Men’s Hockey, from A10 “Stuff has this way of evening itself out,” said BC head coach Steve Donahue, harking back to a missed five-second call in the Eagles’ failed upset-bid against then No. 4 Duke on Sunday. “But I didn’t think it would be this quick.”

The turnover led to, after a few failed attempts and one extra timeout, Rahon running a pick-and-roll with sophomore forward Ryan Anderson on the left side of the court.

The same spot that fellow freshman guard Olivier Hanlan initiated an identical screen with Anderson three nights earlier.

Then, Hanlan came off the screen and halted for a jumper that sailed wide-left, ending the game in heartbreak. On this night, Rahon flew past the spot Hanlan pulled up from and assaulted the rim as hard as he could, but two Deacon players collapsed on him, forcing the freshman to desperately toss the ball up at the rim from outside the lane. The ball hit the side of the backboard, not much different than the whiffed 3-pointer Rahon clanked off the top of the backboard against the Blue Devils before Hanlan’s miss.

The whistle blew, though, as Wake’s Codi Miller-McIntyre forced Rahon to the floor and into the cheerleaders.

Rahon swished the first shot to tie both teams at 63 apiece. All he had to do now was sink the game winner, but Donahue didn’t consider that the most important free throw

Defensive Lapses Nearly Cost BC the Game

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Jackson gave Rahon confidence to sink his free-throws that gave BC a lead late in the game. of the game.

Two minutes earlier, the Eagles trailed 56-63 and Wake’s C.J. Harris was tearing through the BC defense on pick-and-rolls.

No one, not even BC’s best defenders in Hanlan and Rahon, could check him. He had just scooted past the Eagles for a layup, but Hanlan answered by driving on Harris and forcing a foul. Donahue called a timeout before Hanlan’s two free throws.

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Donahue was frustrated with his team’s defensive effort, but was relieved that BC got the win.

W. Basketball

scoreboard

Sunday at 4:00 p.m.

BC UNC

52 80

W. basketball

BC 59 Wake 61

Chesnut Hill, Mass. 2/7

“I thought they were the biggest foul shots of the season,” Donahue said.

He told his team that games like this are never over, down seven with two minutes to play. The Eagles saw that against the Blue Devils, letting a five-point lead slide through their clutching hands against an elite opponent.

Hanlan made both, and then Donahue switched his defense to a full-court man which dropped back into a zone in order to slow down Harris.

The Deacons didn’t score another point the rest of the game.

Rahon swished his second free throw to put BC ahead 64-63. The freshman who Donahue had trusted so many times before in those seven last-minute losses finally came through for his coach with the game on the line.

“We’re learning how to close games and it’s starting to pay off,” Rahon said.

Bzdelik called a timeout and did everything he could to set up Harris for a potential game-winner. Harris inbounded the ball from the baseline and then got it right back, streaking down the floor past midcourt and through BC defenders. No one cut him off, and it looked like Donahue might be right.

Things might not even out until later.

But before Harris could get off a shot, he shuffled his feet and was called for a travel.

The Eagles then inbounded the ball safely to Jackson, who sunk two free-throws of his own to put a cap on the BC rally.

There was no serious celebration as the clock expired. Nothing close to the storm that would’ve ensued if Hanlan’s shot had fallen three nights before, but a few fist-pounds among teammates was all Donahue’s players needed.

“It wasn’t beautiful but we got it done and that’s what we’ve got to do every game,” Jackson said. “It’s the little things. I think our team is maturing in that sense that not worrying about what they’re doing individually.

It’s about the team. It’s about winning and being competitive and that’s where we’re going.” 

m. basketball

After a gutsy performance on Sunday in which it held Duke’s top-ranked offense to just 62 points, the Eagle defense suffered from inconsistencies against a far less prolific Demon Deacon squad. BC squandered an early 17-6 advantage after giving Wake Forest too much freedom around the perimeter, as the visiting team took off on an 18-6 run of its own and shot 55 percent from behind the arc in the first frame.

The Eagles’ main nemesis on the night was Wake Forest guard C.J. Harris, who netted a game-high 23 points off of 8-of-10 shooting from the field. His quickness off the screen led to free looks at the net that a sluggish BC defensive unit had difficulty keeping up with.

Had the Eagles not rallied in the final minute of play, Harris’ explosive drive to the net past a swarm of Eagle defenders with under two minutes left could’ve been considered the game’s final dagger.

“I think in particular what we had problems with tonight was C.J. Harris on the ball screen,” Donahue said. “He gives us fits, he’s given me fits now. I think we’ve played him six times since I’ve been here, and I think he’s such a good scorer. We were trying to trap it and were late on the screen. He’s crafty, he’s good with both hands. I think that was really the problem.”

Heckmann Ignites the Eagle Offense Yet the Eagles were able to respond to their defensive woes by making the most of their opportunities with the ball. A particular standout

Winston-Salem, NC, 2/10

m. Hockey

Despite starting for the second straight game, BC big man and captain Dennis Clifford once again saw his minutes on the court limited by a chronic knee condition that has plagued him all year long. Clifford saw just 12 minutes of playing time the entire game after contributing 18 against Duke. Though the Eagles might have benefited from the presence Clifford provides down low when healthy, Donahue was reluctant to jeopardize his center’s health and future.

“It seemed like it was a hard game for [Clifford] to play, and then I worried about him stiffening up,” he said. “He was trying to do the bike if you saw him there. I just didn’t feel comfortable putting him in again. It’s day by day.

“Honestly, I think the progress is going to come after the season when we shut him down for maybe a couple months and figure out what’s going on with his knee. It’s a condition he’s had for a while. It didn’t act up for a while—it did in high school a little bit and got better. Now we’ve got to get him better so he has two more great years of his career and he doesn’t have to go through this.” 

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Boston, MA 2/12

Chesnut Hill, Mass. w. hockey

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Boston, Mass, 2/11 M. Tennis

6 3

Clifford’s Knees Limit Him to Cameo Appearance

Sophomore forward Patrick Heckmann contributed an offensive spark for the Eagles.

61 hanlan 20 pts 4 reb BC Boudreau 16 pts BC McDaniel 15 pts duke 62 plumlee 19 pts 10 reb nu zenevitch 24 pts 7 reb BC Hamby 22 pts 9 reb nu

in this area was forward Patrick Heckmann, who made the most of his start. After catalyzing the game’s scoring with a quick cut to the net that resulted in a layup, the sophomore played arguably one of his best offensive games of the season. Heckmann posted a total of 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a few impressive drives to the basket that showed another dimension to his game beyond solid play around the perimeter. After tonight’s performance, Donahue realizes that a confident Heckmann can be both a sizeable and prolific asset on a young team in need of depth.

“Patrick goes in there and gets us off to a pretty good start, and then stays and plays well the rest of the game,” Donahue said. “We need Patrick to continue to play with confidence.

He’s another guy who’s a good offensive player, he’s a good size, and we got to get him back playing well for us to get there. Especially in a game like tonight, I just felt like we were in a rut, weren’t moving the ball as well as I’d like. I think you need another player like him to step up.”

Gaudreau 2 g 1 asst BC roy 2 g bing

3 4

hanover, nh,11/11 2/10 Boston, Ma

M. Tennis

boyles 37 saves desjardins 36 saves

BC dart.

Hanover, nh, 2/9

skiing

McGinnis W singles dartall doubles wins mouth

0 7

Darmouth sweep Newton,nh, MA2/8-2/9 11/09 hanover,

1st place: uvm 13th place: bc

SPORTS THE HEIGHTS

A8

A10

THURSDAY,

FEBRUARY

Thursday, February 14, 2013

14, 2013

Eagles close out Wake

BY AUSTIN TEDESCO Sports Editor

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Joe Rahon and Lonnie Jackson both sank game-clinching free throws against Wake Forest last night as the Eagles topped the Deacons.

Joe Rahon came crashing down directly on the arm he needed to save his team.

“Don’t shoot them if you can’t,” his teammates told him, as they scraped Wake Forest defenders away and helped him up off the Conte Forum floor.

He ignored them and made his way to midcourt, bending and extending that precious shooting arm again and again, mixing in attempts at a shooting motion.

“I’m not coming out,” Rahon thought.

“That isn’t an option.”

Lonnie Jackson rushed to Rahon and told him to forget what everyone else was telling him.

“Go up there and knock them down,” Jackson said. “You’re not hurt. You’re fine.

See Basketball, A8

WATCH THE THRONE

BC seniors capture fourth straight Beanpot Championship trophy

BY MARLY MORGUS Asst. Sports Editor

Just go put them in.”

With seven seconds left and the Boston College men’s basketball team trailing Wake 62-63, Rahon stood at the line, staring down the Eagles’ eighth crunch-time loss of the season if the freshman guard couldn’t knock down the two free throws he had earned on a late drive. Both shots would fall, lifting a nearly season-long weight of not being able to close games off of this young team’s shoulders, and Rahon’s squad went on to win 66-63.

Moments earlier, BC had forced a Deacon turnover on a five-second inbounds call.

Wake coach Jeff Bzdelik was screaming for a timeout as the official’s outstretched arm struck five, but no one saw him, and the Eagles caught a break.

From the blue line, Bill Arnold glided into the Northeastern zone midway through the second period.

To his left, Kevin Hayes entered the zone as well. With a smooth motion, Steven Whitney flicked the puck into Hayes’s waiting hands, increasing speed, charging at the net. For a moment, it looked like Hayes was going to shoot. Maintaining a solid stance, he glided toward Chris Rawlings, who waited in the Northeastern net. He didn’t take the shot though, and instead sent the puck flying back to Arnold, who was ready and coming up the middle.

With a roar, there was a flashback to last year’s overtime thriller ended by the same hands that scored the first for the Eagles. After 30 minutes of scoreless hockey, Arnold opened the floodgates, leading the Boston College men’s hockey team to a 6-3 victory over Northeastern and the Eagles’ fourth straight Beanpot title.

In the fourth meeting between both teams in the tournament final, the Huskies and the Eagles did something that they had not done over the last 20 periods of play— they held each other scoreless.

Although the first period lacked in scoring, it did not lack intense play. Over the course of the 20 minutes, six penalties were taken, four by Northeastern and two by BC. Both penalty kills did their jobs, however. Despite 12 minutes of penalties, the teams stayed even heading into the first intermission.

Northeastern freshman Kevin Roy earns MVP award despite Huskie loss

BC wasn’t without chances.

In the first period, the Eagles attempted 24 shots, 10 of which were on net. The Eagles weren’t disheartened by their lack of follow through on their early attempts, though.

“We knew that the chances were there, which is a positive for us,” Mullane said. “We knew that if we continued to work around the net they would go in.”

Though the scoreboard showed even teams, Northeastern didn’t have a shot on net until more than halfway through the period.

Even as the buzzer rang signaling the end of the period, tensions ran high between the two teams. Hayes and Northeastern’s Mike Gunn lingered behind the net exchanging words, eventually needing to be separated by the referees.

In the second period, the excited energy that had converte d i nt o so many penalty minutes persiste d, but it was converted into offensive ferocity.

BY AUSTIN TEDESCO Sports Editor

BOSTON COLLEGE 6, NORTHEASTERN 3

See Beanpot, A8

They were all alone. The freshman sensation, carrying an entire Northeastern team on his fancy feet, skated closer to the senior national champion, touting an absurd number of star players in front of him both on this night and every night.

The Huskies’ Kevin Roy had beaten Boston College’s Parker Milner for a wrist shot that cut the Eagle lead to 2-1 just one shift earlier, and now he had a perfect breakaway opportunity midway through the second period. Roy moved to the right of the net and fired a backhand attempt at last year’s Frozen Four MVP. It looked just as good as his four earlier goals in this Beanpot tournament, but Milner somehow snatched it out of the air with his left glove, slowing down the Northeastern rally and allowing his teammates to recover.

“I had a lot of time and he ended up making a good save for his team,” Roy said. “It was definitely a turning point in that game.”

It was that kind of night for the Huskies, as they failed to upset No. 4 Boston College during the 61st Beanpot Championship game in a 63 loss Monday night at TD Garden.

Every time the Eagles tried to pull away, Roy would bring them back, giving them hope of a comeback, but he never brought them quite far enough.

BC followed Roy’s missed opportunity with two goals in the final minute-and-a-half of the second period, including one from senior captain Steven Whitney with just .4 seconds on the clock, to extend the lead to 4-1. That margin, though, meant nothing to Roy. “We believed in our chances between the second and the third,” he said. “We wanted to go out and score an early goal to get some energy, and I think we did and we were really close to getting back.”

It only took 11 seconds for Roy to answer. He slid past every Eagle in his way and, this time, got the best of Milner to cut the Huskie deficit to two points. Minutes later, the freshman got some help from senior captain Vinny Saponari who one-timed a puck that Braden Pimm defelcted past Milner for the score. With Northeastern within one, the game came down to Milner and Roy yet again.

Roy, directly in front of Milner and only a few feet from the net, stopped a puck that came in from the right side with his stick. The puck continued to bounce back and forth as Roy tried to control it with his stick. The moment silenced the Garden, as a Huskie goal

See Roy, A8

BC earns dynasty label CHRIS GRIMALDI One could argue that the term “dynasty” is used far too loosely in sports.

Sustained success is always at a premium, particularly at the collegiate level in which a core group of talent can play for four years together, at most. Time waits for no one in sports, and a championship squad can find itself forced to rebuild overnight.

Yet if Monday night’s win in the Beanpot Championship game is any indication, the Boston College men’s hockey team has found a way to cheat the hourglass and achieve a sort of hockey immortality.

Dynasty may be an overused label, but it might be the only word appropriate to describe York’s Eagles.

At a packed TD Garden, BC trounced Northeastern to tally its 18th Beanpot title in program history and its seventh during the York Era. The Eagles outscored their two tournament opponents by a 10-4 margin en route to clutching another silver trophy and watching another banner bearing the University’s name ascend to the rafters. Seem like deja vu? Considering it’s the team’s fourth consecutive

Beanpot Championship, I’d say yes.

In the usual flurry of impressive stats and accolades that follows the Eagles everywhere they go, however, there’s one number that stands out the most: four.

Four seasons ago, veterans Pat Mullane, Steven Whitney, Patrick Wey, Parker Milner, Patch Alber, and Brooks Dyroff won their first Beanpot as freshmen on a 2009-10 team that went on to win a national championship. Two more Beanpots later, the Eagles lost a senior class that boasted the likes of captain Tommy Cross and New York Ranger Chris Kreider.

Despite it all, the fab-six stayed together, and in a year feared to be a time of transition for the defending national champions, they won a fourth Beanpot trophy together.

Six players, four years, four Beanpot titles. I’m no math major, but it’s easy to see that those numbers speak louder than words.

“For our seniors, we are all so excited,” Whitney said after the game. “This is awesome for us, and it’s awesome that we did it all together.”

Amidst the excitement and adulation of winning the city’s most coveted prize, the calm and collected York summarized the accomplishment of BC’s

See Column, A8

I NSIDE SPORTS THIS ISSUE

EMILY FAHEY / HEIGHTS STAFF

Penalties plagued the BC women’s hockey team on Tuesday night as Northeastern defeated the Eagles in the Beanpot Championship game.

BC women fall short in Beanpot final to NU

BY CHRIS GRIMALDI Assoc. Sports Editor

Before Tuesday night’s Beanpot Championship game, a first-period lead meant inevitable victory for the Boston College women’s hockey team. Yet in a hard-fought matchup against Northeastern for the coveted tourna-

Eagles Battles Ups and Downs Heckmann’s strong performance sparks BC offense despite defensive struggles......A9

ment trophy, the Eagles and their late-game prowess could not avoid an unlikely arch nemesis—the penalty box.

“That was a tough one,” said head coach Katie King Crowley. “I thought our kids played pretty hard. It’s really tough when you have to kill off two 5-on-3’s and a 4-on-3. To get yourself in that situation is pretty tough.

Game Of The Week: Men’s Hockey

The Eagles look to build on their Beanpot success as they host New Hampshire Sunday....A9

Some of our kids were saying they don’t think they’ve ever had a 4-on-3 before. When you get into a load of those penalties, it’s tough, and they capitalized. I thought their team played well, played hard. It’s a tough outcome for us.”

See Women’s Hockey, A8 Editors’ Picks.............................A9 BC Notes...................................A9

A2Column

Fashion Forward back in black page B4

column

wiley’s follies

An editorial address on the state of pop music, page B2

The Heights

Thursday, January 17, 2013

album review

darwin deez

the indie rock group offer cool beats and witty wordplay on ‘songs for imaginative people,’ B5

all you need is love

SeeB3

Sean Keeley, Arts Editor | Ariana Igneri, Assoc. Arts Editor | John Wiley, Asst. Arts Editor MAGGIE BURDGE / Heights PHoto illustration

THE HEIGHTS

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WILEY’S FOLLIES

A State of the Union Address

Thursday, February 14, 2013

SCENE AND HEARD

BY: HUNTER GAMBINO

JOHN WILEY Mr. Timberlake, Mr. White, Members of fun., distinguished guests and fellow musicians: today marks my first State of the Grammys address to you.

It’s no secret that the house of music has been divided over the last decade.

The struggle for radio time has been contentious. The very medium of our music has been challenged—from CDs to iTunes, from iTunes to Spotify—the industry is at war.

At stake at the Grammys this year was not simply LL Cool J’s future employment, nor the integrity of Marcus Mumford’s quasi-beard, although those certainly were two important questions of the evening. Rather, at stake was everything we value going forward, whether the integrity of an art form may endure.

So what made the 55th annual Grammys any different from the 54th? To start, although it drew some visible disapproval, namely from Katy Perry’s neckline, the “wardrobe advisory” issued for the event did wonders. Some would argue distasteful side-boob is far from a musical concern, and others (of questionable motivation) would go so far as to claim such is the true reasoning for the night.

But when we start to look at the wardrobe advisory from the context of Lady Gaga’s arriving in an egg at the 2011 Grammys, or Nick Minaj’s dressing as a jungle creature the same year, it makes sense.

An occasion for music, about music, honoring musicians, not sensationalism: this certainly seems a worthwhile aim for the night.

And generally, the evening lived up to this standard. Apart from Taylor Swift’s bizarre Alice In Wonderland fantasy sequence opening the show, the acts themselves were exceptionally classy.

Timberlake’s return to the stage with “Suit & Tie” and “Pusher Lover Girl” took on the opulence of 1920s big band, with him and Jay-Z both performing in tuxes, cummerbunds, and floppy bow-ties.

When the Grammys can establish itself as a black-tie affair, the attire can simply fall into place, and the music can flourish.

As for the winners of the night, they too suggested a heightened purpose for the occasion. When Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” trumped contender Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” for Record of the Year, there was a nearly audible sigh of relief. Two breakup anthems, fairly akin in content, but worlds apart in maturity.

Granted the nominees this year, anarchy has never been closer to the Los Angeles stage. “Call Me Maybe” was even recognized as a possible Song of the Year, cause enough for panic. And when indie pop group fun. won instead, they were not the only winner, so to speak—I like to believe humanity was.

Perhaps the best indicator the right people won this year was their attitude—for the most part, they didn’t seem too surprised. Humble, yes. Grateful, of course. But it wasn’t like previous years, when Taylor Swift would come up in tears, with this terrified look as if to say, “I didn’t expect this. You picked the wrong person.” Instead, the two bands receiving the night’s highest honors, Mumford & Sons and fun., took up a tone far more enlightened than Swift’s, suggesting, “This is wonderful and we’re honored, because we worked for this.” There’s only this subtle distinction between humility and disrespect, but nevertheless, it’s an important one.

And so, for another year, music endures. I recognize the difficulty in claiming there’s an integrity to music, that something so reliant on change, can be praised for constancy. It’s an art like the weather, changing by the month, by the season, by the year. But while it’s unreasonable to claim a single irregular year constitutes a climate crisis, 10 consecutive years might. For me, this is why the Grammys still exist. We cannot judge music on time-honored principles.

We cannot expect it to stay the same, and much as we cannot hope it’s always different. All we truly can control is where it goes, not over a year, perhaps not even over a decade, but in due time. The integrity of music is not a set path, but rather a wise direction, not precisely how it gets there, but rather where it takes us.

And I’m happy to report that after 55 years of the Grammys—and the many thousand years before the Grammys—the state of our music is strong.

John Wiley is the Asst. Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

1. GRAMMYS GALORE

2. THE RETURNING DEAD

With a stacked line-up, the 55th Grammy Awards was as much about the performances as the awards handed out. Mumford and Sons led a heart-warming tribute to the Band’s Levon Helm before taking home Best Album for Babel, while the late Bob Marley received an ovation of his own. Even with a “no breasts or buttocks” memo issued prior to the evening, the Grammys saw its share of wardrobe infractions, but that couldn’t stop a magnificent evening for musicians everywhere.

Your favorite post-apocalyptic zombie thriller is back on Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC. The ninth episode started the continued third season off with a bang.

With Daryl trapped inside Woodbury, Rick and the gang caused anarchy in the Governor’s once peaceful village. Back at the prison, we see the entrance of a new group. Are they to be trusted? No matter the turmoil, The Walking Dead always brings its

4. A NEW POPE

For the first time in 600 years, a Pope will be resigning from his position atop the Roman Catholic Church. From the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI announced his intention to step away, jolting Rome and sending shockwaves throughout the world of over one billion Catholics followers.

Citing age and waning health as a hindrance to carrying out God’s will, his stepping down has brought up some questions as to why he would choose now to vacate.

3. DEATH OF A WILD THING

5. WHO’S THE TOP DOG

Last Monday, lead singer of the Troggs, Reg Presley, passed away at age 71 at his home in Andover, England. Most famously known for his robust vocals on the rock hit “Wild Thing,” the brick mason turned singer has battled lung cancer and a series of strokes. His growl in the classic song helped to propel the Troggs into mainstream popularity as it became a symbol of youthful lust through the late 1960s and ’70s.

Monday and Tuesday this week, the Westminster Kennel Club returned to NYC for the 137th annual All Breed Dog Show. The world’s most prestigious platform for animals introduced two new breeds this year, the Russel Terrier and the Treeing Walker Coonhound.

The council has also increased the playing field to 3,200 dogs, the highest total since its establishment in 1877.

Behind only the Kentucky Derby, the WKC is America’s second longest continuously held sporting event.

THE CRITICAL CURMUDGEON

@BRENNAN_CARLEY (BRENNAN CARLEY, FORMER HEIGHTS ARTS EDITOR)

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE

“T-SWIFT: THAT GIRL @ THE SCHOOL DANCE WHO’S DANCING BY HERSELF BUT WHEN PEOPLE LOOK @ HER SHE SMILES AND ACTS LIKE IT’S THE BEST NIGHT EVER.”

The Beatles’ film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ was one of the precursors to the modern music video, but the genre’s legacy is dubious.

The imaginative limits of music videos MATT MAZZARI “Remember when MTV played real music?” It’s one of the FAQs of modern pop culture, an overused joke as well as a surefire way of guesstimating people’s ages.

Reality TV rearing all of its unsightly heads basically did away with that brief era of music television, a rather ironic death when you consider that the start of the trend was “Video Killed the Radio Star.”

Yet nowadays, thanks in large part to YouTube, music videos for singles and pre-releases have made a major rebound in visibility. The competition it generates between groups trying to invent more memorable videos has made a major impact on how listeners absorb their fresh jams. An entire subset of jobs in the music industry is created just by the writers and directors who set up these videos, the dancers and actors who star in them, and the behindthe-scenes folk who take ugly musicians and transform them into faces you’d look at for two minutes and 50 seconds. It all begs the question: what is this zany medium’s effect on the music itself? Sure, artists have been setting films to pop music since A Hard Day’s Night and Tommy, but how does the phenomenon of a major single having a video accompaniment impact the art?

The concept of a “music video” itself is intriguing for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the extra stimulation question: who first thought it was necessary? Personally, when I listen to music, I’m generally

content doing just that. That’s why I have several bones to pick with the typical music video and its intrusion into the art form.

“Intrusion, you say? But surely you could simply turn the video off!” Well, fancy-pants hypothetical reader guy, it’s not that simple.

A bad music video can totally derail a good song. When you hear a melody, your mind immediately begins making associations.

Great songs will evoke a sensation, conjure up a face, or express an idea to you that you may not have been thinking of when you flicked the dial. But those associations can go very awry. George Harrison’s tune “Got My Mind Set on You” always made me think of summer, sunshine, driving by the shore and blasting the radio to a catchy jam. Then I accidentally saw the music video: it’s four minutes of Harrison awkwardly bobbing around a stuffy living room, the antique furniture dancing along. Now I can’t even hear it without thinking of that goddamn moosehead! A listener’s imagination is a powerful but impressionable thing—shouldn’t artists just leave it to them to interpret music and the scene it’s setting for them?

Maybe I’m too sensitive. Still, the more important question still remains: what can a music video say that the song itself cannot?

When the White Stripes make their video for “Fell in Love With a Girl” entirely out of Legos, it’s neat, but does it add anything?

When Beck films himself wandering around finding fold-in puzzles, how does that relate to the feel of Guerro? What does a Rube Goldberg machine contribute to OK Go’s “This Too Shall Pass?” What do ginger kids

stepping on landmines have to do with M.I.A’s “Born Free?” Setting your song as the backdrop to someone doing something wacky doesn’t heighten the art form any, it’s just sticking a key into a creative outlet that doesn’t apply to you. Musicians aren’t filmmakers, they’re musicians, gosh-darnit.

But I won’t generalize all music videos as tripe. In fact, many are actually done quite well! For instance, Harrison redeems himself with the video for “When We Was Fab,” a nostalgic and clever piece filmed with just one camera angle, where George plays a street performer letting the world pass him by. Lots of musicians have a vivid idea of the story they’re trying to tell when they set out on a project, and that type of vision often translates to a great and fitting vid. Besides, it’s all a matter of opinion anyway: you may feel a video perfectly captures the tone of song, and someone else might have had something totally different in mind. That’s the beauty of music! Everyone gets to let their mind’s eye go exploring.

So yes, musicians are intensely creative people capable of doing great things with video as well as sound. My only suggestion might be to let the listeners imagine on their own what a song might “look like” before making attachments. There’s something very special about how good music lets you figure out the rest for yourself.

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

@KIMKIERKEGAARDASHIAN (‘KIM KIERKEGAARDASHIAN,’ PHILOSOPHICAL HUMOR)

“AWWW KANYE WON 3 GRAMMYS!! THAT MAKES A TOTAL OF 21!!! SOOO PROUD!! BUT IT AVAILS NOTHING, BEING ONLY A HIGHER AND MORE GLITTERING ILLUSION.” @THEONION (‘THE ONION,’ HUMOR)

“[IN FOCUS] POPE REACHES OUT TO CATHOLIC YOUTH BY JOINING TWITTER, GIVING UP ON CATHOLICISM” @FRANK_OCEAN (FRANK OCEAN, MUSICIAN)

“I HAD FUN LAST NIGHT. COULDN’T HEAR MY KEYBOARDS DURING FORREST. KINDA BUMMED ABOUT THAT. BUT MY MOMS WAS PROUD. SHE’S TIGHT. I’M GRATEFUL.” SUBMIT YOUR FAVORITE TWEETS OF THE WEEK FOR CONSIDERATION TO ARTS@BCHEIGHTS.COM

The Heights

Thursday, February 14, 2013

B3

loveAll you neeD is

Valentine’s Day is certainly a divisive holiday, but even those who dub it “Singles Awareness Day” cannot deny that it has its perks—who doesn’t like candy hearts and chocolates? Valentine’s Day also provides an excuse to treat yourself to classic artistic romances, from movies to music to literature. This week, The Scene picks our favorites, from Tolstoy to Taylor Swift.

Sean’s Take Ariana’s Take John’s Take

Sean Keeley

Ariana Igneri

John Wiley

Choosing my favorite movies, music, and literature on the theme of love is a daunting task. After all, love is surely the most universal theme of all art, and the variety of great art on the subject is truly dizzying. Take this as one guy’s preliminary effort at an impossible task. If your Valentine’s Day prospects have got you down, you could do worse than dive into these artistic romances.

Any discussion of romantic movies must begin with Casablanca, which still reigns as the ultimate movie romance due to the incredible chemistry between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, its endlessly quotable script, and its classic black-andwhite sheen that exemplifies old Hollywood style.

Another classic is The Apartment, Billy Wilder’s comedy about the tensions between work and love, in which a workmanlike drone in a massive advertising firm falls for the elevator girl. Think Mad Men mixed with an urbane, sophisticated romantic comedy and you’ll have some idea of the movie’s charm.

1994’s Before Sunrise is based on a supremely romantic premise: an American boy meets a French girl on a train, they make an impromptu decision to get off in Vienna, and they fall in love over the course of a day wandering the city’s streets. Director Richard Linklater reunited the film’s characters nine years later for the Paris-set Before Sunset, and a second sequel, Before Midnight, debuted last month at Sundance. Together, the films present an uncommonly insightful look at the nature of love, both in its youthful idealistic phase and its more tempered grown-up variety. Finally, the 2006 Irish film Once is one of my favorite movies of recent years, showcasing a blooming romance between two wounded souls who find each other through the power of music. Recasting the movie musical in a realistic and independent aesthetic, Once is a true romantic gem.

Speaking of Once, its gorgeous Oscar-winning tune “Falling Slowly” would surely be at the top of my Valentine’s playlist. Close behind is a new favorite, “Adorn” by Miguel, with its smooth R&B rhythms punctuated by Miguel’s exquisite falsetto howl, crying, “Let my love adorn you.” After that, it’s all about the classics. No one has better captured the joyous enthusiasm of meeting someone new than The Beatles with “I’ve Just Seen A Face.”

The Dire Straits’ “Romeo and Juliet” has one of the loveliest guitar riffs I know, and the group’s sterling musicianship serves a complexly layered song that potently evokes fundamental notions of love. Finally, for this Bob Dylan junkie there is no song more romantic than “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands,” Dylan’s 11-minute ode to his muse and wife, Sara Lownds. Dylan’s poetic capabilities were never sharper than on this elusive, mysterious, endlessly rewarding track, and he’s never been backed by more sublime musical accompaniment than he got here.

The greatest love story in literature, for me, is Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. Do yourself a favor: forget the gaudy Keira Knightley movie and plunge into the original book. The story of Anna’s passionate, reckless affair with Count Vronsky is compelling stuff, but for me the heart of the book lies in the parallel story of the imperfect but always loving relationship between Levin and Kitty. Tolstoy derived the details of their courtship and marriage from his own life, and their relationship has the unmistakable ring of authenticity and truth.

Sincere, earnest, and sentimental, some of the best songs ever written are those about love—and, really, there’s no time more fitting than on Valentine’s Day to take a moment to appreciate some of those songs. If you’re in love, then their sweet lyrics will only make a good thing better. And if you’re not, well, then their tender words are an encouraging reminder that love really does exist.

So, regardless of your relationship status, indulge yourself.

Start with a classic or two: Nat King Cole’s trumpeting “L-O-V-E,” with its elegant lyrical simplicity, and The Temptations’ “My Girl,” with its honeyed, harmonized vocals, are long established love song favorites. Arguably the most beautiful song ever written, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley is another necessary, timeless addition to any romantic playlist. Next up: boy band ballads. Tracks from the ’90s, “As Long As You Love Me” by the Backstreet Boys and “That’s When I’ll Stop Loving You” by N’Sync are two stunning testaments of unbounded love.

The recent, heartfelt hit, “Little Things,” by One Direction is a perfect follow up—as is Ron Pope’s song “Perfect For Me.” Keep with the mellow, acoustic vibe and round out the playlist with “Kiss Me” by Ed Sheeran, “Only Love” by Ben Howard, and “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5. End with U2: either “With Or Without You” or “Sweetest Thing,” depending on your mood. But regardless of how you’re feeling, there really is nothing like a good playlist to make you feel the love.

If the reality of love simply doesn’t cut it, though, turn to film—after all, everyone enjoys a good romantic comedy and a happily ever after, especially on Valentine’s Day. A brilliant representation of love, 2005’s Pride & Prejudice is a pick that couldn’t possibly disappoint. With lines such as, “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you,” there really is no chance of failure. The rendition of Nicholas’s Sparks,’ The Notebook, is a cherished favorite as well. However, if you’d rather watch something less serious and more silly, 27 Dresses with Katherine Heigl and James Marsden is literally the best romantic comedy ever made. 16 Candles, an ’80s, Molly Ringwald classic, is another excellent choice—with lots of laughs and a cliched, but beloved, ending.

And if you’re in for a total fairytale, no one does it better than Disney: Tangled is the way to go—the scene with the lanterns will inevitably make you fall in love, I swear.

But, if you’d rather spend your Valentine’s Day with a book, turn to any one of the six Jane Austen novels—I’ve recommended her way too many times, I know—but seriously, you won’t find a better love story. Atonement by Ian McEwan comes pretty close though. It’s a heart wrenchingly touching book, but without a doubt, it will make you cry. If that’s your thing, however, just read Anna Karenina—900 pages of love and tragedy.

I’ve given you 12 songs, five movies, and eight books, so no matter how you choose to spend your Valentine’s Day, it really shouldn’t be too hard to find something about it to love.

“To a skeptical bunch, declaring it Valentine’s Day at Boston College is no different from deciding it Unicorn’s Day, or Sasquatch Awareness Month for that matter—granted unicorns, the Sasquatch, and relationships are equally prevalent in college life.” In the words of the venerable Sweet Brown, “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”

However, I believe this skepticism is downright incorrect, as publicly affectionate couples in Bapst library have been properly displaying I’d reckon since its construction in 1922, or at least since 1970, when BC became fully coeducational.

But whether your studies are graced with true romance or awkward Monday encounters, it’s healthy to spend a day acknowledging these very relationships—and who better to spend it with than the artists to blame for them?

The day starts. As you prepare for your 9 a.m., you plug your iPhone into the speaker, and blast some 2 Chainz. As you brazenly spit out your favorite verse of “Birthday Song” in the shower, your floormates get a better understanding of your dysfunctional relationships.

But surely you’re more than just that, right?

On the way to class, you fondly recall your own adolescent stirrings with a Taylor Swift playlist.

In fact, you’re so fond of this particular playlist, several strangers even catch you mouthing the lyrics to “I Knew You Were Trouble” on the bus.

You are not ashamed.

In all your craftiness, you sneak The Great Gatsby into a fairly irrelevant lecture on supply and demand. As your classmates haplessly take notes on market tendencies, you instead imagine yourself as Jay Gatsby. You stare at an attractive stranger in the front row, and suddenly, she’s Daisy, her iPhone the green light, a few rows of classmates the bay between East and West Egg. But alas, her Tom Buchanan meets up with her after class. He is large, most likely an athlete. The 45-minute love affair ends respectively.

In quiet despair, you walk to Mac. In the lobby, an unidentifiable club attempts to bludgeon you with a Valentine’s Day fundraiser of a sort. You suspect it’s for a service trip, and look away accordingly—you sympathize with their cause, of course, just not today. You pick a discrete table in the old Chocolate Bar, open your laptop, and begin watching Midnight in Paris. Owen Wilson finds a beautiful French girl, and it makes you happy, because he has a strange nose and still does alright. Overcome with hope, you begin the next movie on your Netflix queue, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Marriage is blissfully obscure in this stage of your life, and you therefore find a movie about it funny and ironic.

In high spirits, you continue your day. On one particular study break, you come across Justin Timberlake’s new single “Mirror.” It’s substantially romantic, and equally appropriate for workouts at the Plex. You approve.

Then, inspired by the plethora of romance in the day’s music, movies, and literature, you gather the courage to ask a cute girl from one of your discussion groups on a date at White Mountain. She is fond of frozen yogurt, as well as your insights in class. She accepts.

And to think, at 8:04 this morning, you thought romance was dead.

Yours truly,

the arts editors

THE HEIGHTS

B4

Thursday, February 14, 2013

KEELEY’S CORNER

STAR VALUE BY HUNTER GAMBINO

Grammys: the 13-year old martial arts champ Mati set for success good, the bad and the ugly WHO: Reshat Mati, aka “The Albanian Bear” AGE: 13

WHERE: Staten Island, New York WHY HE MATTERS: Mati is a legitimate phenomenon, trained from youth to be the next martial arts champion

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has never been more popular, but in a sport that seems so seemingly brutish, the sight of a 5-foot-2, 130-lb, 13-year-old may cock some heads as he stands, staring his opponent down from across the cage. The son of an Albanian immigrant, Reshat Mati has had a knack for throwing fists since his birth, earning the nickname “Punch Baby.” Mati’s father Adrian has trained the lean and fleet footed phenom from the time he was able to punch things other then the air. Already an adorned champion in multiple disciplines of martial arts, including boxing, kickboxing, and grappling, the teen has earned himself a new nickname, “the Albanian Bear.” Mati trains at several different gyms across Brooklyn and Staten Island, NY, where his training regiment is intimidating, even for the fittest of adults. Just as astonishing is Mati’s determination to become the best, even as an adolescent. His story just goes to show that technique will continue to beat strength. It may take the triumph of an athlete like Mati to prove this notion to denying spectators. As he stands atop the podiums a champion, Mati continues to push the progressive bounds of MMA. 

FASHION FORWARD

Black is back: re-claiming a classic Black is a bold and versatile color for all your fashion needs

TAYLOR CAVALLO I’m sick of people telling me that black isn’t a color.

I don’t care that scientifically it’s the “complete absence of light.” I’m sorry, if I can see it with my eyes and if I can buy a pair of heels in it, it’s a color. It’s been hard all these years, answering frankly, “black” to the shallow, inconsequential question, “What’s your favorite color?”

It’s as if as soon as the word leaves your mouth, people are wondering if you’re a goth, depressed, or a closeted Elvira, Mistress of the Dark enthusiast. Why should I pretend? I shy away from the bright spring colors that emerge seemingly out of nowhere, just as the trees start mysteriously, yet hopefully blossoming in early April. I feel awkward in bright yellow, and my skin crawls at the thought of bright pink. Eek. Maybe it’s a Manhattan thing. Maybe I’m too introspective. Maybe it’s because I’m cursed with skin that errs on the side of ‘pale’ during most months of the year, with extremely dark brown hair: a lethal combination that has made Wednesday and/or Morticia Addams an easy last minute Halloween costume. Maybe it’s because extremely bright colors wash me out and mostly, as I mentioned before, make me generally uncomfortable.

Whatever the reason, “all black everything,” as Jay-Z would put it, has become a staple of my wardrobe, for better or worse.

Nowadays, black is the color most commonly associated with high fashion—it seems to articulate a sleek, chic elegance that is no doubt conceived from the groundbreaking 1926 fashion moment: Coco Chanel’s ‘little black dress,’ the great equalizer of fashion that was an essential part of any stylish woman’s wardrobe.

The beauty of the little black dress is that, no matter the occasion, a woman could always look flawless. The common fashion mantra that all women look good in black certainly has some truth to it—it’s a flattering color for almost all body types and matches with all other colors.

While black may be a feature of your wardrobe that exists only sparingly, its place will become more necessary as we venture into adulthood. While I write that last sentence with a big knot in my throat, as there are some parts of my ‘young adult’ wardrobe that I don’t ever want to give up (my LF lace corset tops and

cheetah print jeans from New York’s iconic punk-rock boutique Trash & Vaudeville, to name a few), it’s an undeniable fact we all must face. Some days, far from now when we’re exhausted after having to wake up each day at the crack of dawn to commute to work, it might be easier to just throw on a black pencil skirt with a white blouse than to construct a going-to-work outfit that could be seen while flipping through the pages of Vogue (note: I said some days).

There are some black essentials for all female closets: BLACK PUMPS Once you buy them, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. While most people own a pair of black heels, a quality pair is a necessary investment for a young professional woman, or anyone who intends on dressing up even semi-frequently in their adult lives. If you don’t, good for you, but if you do, peruse labels such as Jeffrey Campbell or Michael Kors (two of my personal favorites) for a timeless black pump. A rounded toe, usually between 5 and 6 inches (depending on your talent for walking in heels), in leather or suede are the most basic and functional, yet chic, black heels you could find. I’m all for funky shoes—I’m currently obsessed with black suede, studded wedges with gold studs, (I’ve bought two pairs in the past month) but buy this pair before venturing down that path.

LITTLE BLACK DRESS Channel your inner Coco. A closet isn’t complete without it, as cliched as it might sound. It’s a great option for a last minute semi-formal/formal event that might come up—you’ll never have to wonder if you’re dressed appropriately. This is another item that needs to be an investment piece—I’ve had luck with French Connection and Ralph Lauren, but my personal favorite is Calvin Klein, paired with your new black pumps or a funky colored pair of platform heels (try red, forest green, or grey), an accent necklace or cocktail ring—you’re golden.

BLACK PENCIL SKIRT I’m sure everyone’s mother has urged her to buy this item at one point. Make her and yourself happy, and just do it.

BLACK LEATHER JACKET Just for fun.

I probably take it to an extreme. I am hard pressed to construct an outfit that does not consist of at least one black item. On days I’m feeling adventurous or, dare I say, bright, I am forced to venture into the closets of my roommates. I’m proud of my black wardrobe. Johnny Cash, Elvira, Jean-Paul Sartre, Benedictine monks, and Edith Piaf would be too.

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

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES

From the classic little black dress, inspired by Coco Chanel, to more casual everyday outfits, black is a more adaptable and stylish color than it’s usually given credit for.

THIS WEEKEND in arts

BY: ARIANA IGNERI | ASSOCIATE ARTS & REVIEW EDITOR

Friday

Saturday

1. SEXUAL CHOCOLATE PRESENTS BIG SHOW (FRIDAY 2/15, 7:00 PM)

3. PORTUGAL, JESUITS, AND JAPAN (OPENS SATURDAY 2/16,)

A sweet treat, Boston College’s all male step team, Sexual Chocolate, is presenting their annual Big Show with Fuego del Corazon and BC’s Dance Ensemble in Robsham Theater this weekend.

Tickets are available both at the box office and online for $10.

2. THE BAD PLUS CONCERT (FRIDAY, 2/15, 7:00 AND 9:30 PM) The avant garde band The Bad Plus will be premiering their bold jazz/rock rendition of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring at the Institute of Contemporary Art. An astounding video mix designed by Cristina Guadalupe and Noah Hutton will accompany the concert. For students, tickets are $31.50.

Sunday

Examining the age of exploration of the 16th and 17th centuries, The McMullen Museum’s latest exhibit illustrates the complex exchange of commodities, customs, religious ideas, and artistic styles that merchants and missionaries partook in at the time. Admission is free.

4. TINY FURNITURE SCREENING AT MFA (SATURDAY 2/16, 11:00 AM) Delving into relatable themes such as romantic embarrassment and post-collegiate confusion, Lena Dunham’s film, Tiny Furniture, is both honest and charming. Tickets are available for $7 through the MFA.

5. SAFE HAVEN (SUNDAY) Safe Haven, released this Valentine’s Day, is the most recent film based on the best-selling romantic novels from Nicholas Sparks. Starring Josh Duhamel and Julianne Houghe, it tells the story of a mysterious young woman who is forced to confront her past when she falls in love with a small-town, North Carolina widow.

SEAN KEELEY Last Sunday, in the midst of compiling this paper in a busy Heights office, I watched the Grammy awards with a mixture of distraction, amusement, enjoyment, and confusion. I suppose that’s about the usual range of emotions experienced when sitting through an awards show, but the Grammys are a special case. Most surprises at the Oscars or Emmys are contained to the winners’ speeches, and the rest is all rehearsed monologues and montages. The Grammys, though, are by their nature performancebased, and thus a bit more unpredictable.

Compared to other awards shows, the Grammys always offer some element of surprise.

Sometimes the surprise is unwelcome.

Exhibit A: Taylor Swift’s opening rendition of the ever-popular “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Since she first hit the music scene, Swift has been gradually shifting away from country-pop to just plain pop, and this smash single is certainly her poppiest effort yet. Sunday’s performance—complete with a Mad Hatter outfit, Wonderland-themed clowns, and animals jumping around, and all sorts of bizarre design elements—seemed like an attempt to furnish the image of Swift as a crazy, outlandish pop star along the lines of Lady Gaga. But she’s not. Her entire popularity rests on her carefully crafted persona as a sweet, simple Southern belle. Even for devoted Swifties, it’s hard to deny that her surrealist nightmare of a Grammy performance was a definite miscalculation.

The night certainly had its share of misguided performances—not as hugely wrong-headed as Swift’s, perhaps, but headscratching nonetheless. Who ever thought of putting Ed Sheeran together with Elton John? What do they share, besides being British men with red hair? It’s a classic example of the Grammy producers randomly throwing together a veteran musician with a younger one to try to make some sort of vague cross-generational statement. I have nothing against John, and I think Sheeran has a long and promising career ahead of him, but the pairing was rather unnecessary. Ditto the pairings of Rihanna and Jack White, and Maroon 5 and Alicia Keys. I’d rather see those artists perform on their own, rather than being awkwardly shoehorned in with someone else for ratings purposes.

And there are some artists I’d rather not hear at all. Grammys and popularity be damned, I can’t stand fun.—from their complete disregard for logical punctuation to their shrill, annoying harmonies, they seem designed to annoy me. Kelly Clarkson is a perfect example of a great voice with no personality: she did a technically fine job singing “Tennessee Waltz,” and she nearly put me to sleep in the process. The various country bands chosen to perform were about as interchangeable as you’d expect.

So who managed to actually make a favorable impression? Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z, for one: recently back in the spotlight thanks to “Suit & Tie,” the unlikely duo showcased their effortless star power with that song and the debut of a new one.

White, when given a chance to perform apart from Rihanna, lived up to his high standards with two cuts from his excellent solo album Blunderbuss. And hey, there were even a few unlikely collaborations that delivered the goods. The Black Keys, Dr. John, and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band joined forces for an electrifying take on “Lonely Boy,” and an all-star tribute to the late, great Levon Helm found Mavis Staples, Mumford & Sons, Zac Brown, and others grooving along to “The Weight.”

Finally, I would like to throw in my support for Frank Ocean. There’s been a noticeable backlash against the R&B star recently, as is typical for artists rumored to be the next big thing. Many scoffed at his Grammy performance of “Forrest Gump”—a short, slow album track off Channel Orange that lacks the obvious pizazz of singles like “Thinkin’ Bout You” or “Sweet Life.” But “Forrest Gump” is one of my favorites from Ocean, and his Grammy performance honored the original track while also changing it up—playing with the pace, offering new vocal inflections, and modifying the lyrics.

Perhaps that’s why people didn’t respond well: Ocean simply didn’t deliver what was expected, and ultimately, he lost out on Album of the Year to Mumford & Sons’ Babel.

As much as I enjoy Mumford & Sons, I can’t say they have ever surprised me the way Ocean has. I expect them to continue to deliver more high-quality folk-rock on their third album, much in line with their first two. I genuinely don’t know what Ocean will do next—that, to me, makes him the more interesting artist, and the real winner of the night.

Sean Keeley is the Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, February 14, 2013

B5

Matt Costa dishes the goods with self-titled album

CHART TOPPERS TOP SINGLES

BY RYAN SCHMITZ For The Heights They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well, in Matt Costa’s case there are quite a few people who should be flattered. In his new self-titled album, Costa takes a look back at old tricks used by the great pop musicians of the ’60s and ’70s and dusts them off, adding a shiny new contemporary sheen to the classic sound. With a mixture of psychedelics and disco horns, Costa carefully picks and chooses between genres in order to create the ultimate West Coast indie album that will leave listeners with an excited feeling of musical satisfaction.

The opening track of Matt Costa is an eye opener, pulling the listener in almost immediately without any hope of escape until nine songs later when the album comes to a close. In typical Matt Costa form, the song has an upbeat 1960s pop feel with a backing vocal track that sounds like it was pulled off of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds.

That typical bouncy southern California sound instantly puts the listener on a palm-laden beach, a no doubt pleasant thought for any audience. This song fits into one of three genres found on this album, all intertwining at one point or another, but powerful enough to stand on their own.

While track one acts as an example of the album’s poppy ’60s side, track two seems to hit a more late ’70s sound employing a horn section. The use of brass makes each respective track sound like a Chicago song, a mixture of disco horns and pop rock style. The third genre available is the Bob Dylan folk sound. While the lyrics are beautifully poetic, singing soulfully about lost love and the sadness that comes along with an aging and dying relationship, the music behind it can be pulled off of the B-side of any old Jim Croce record. All of these genres are taken, molded, and placed in a contemporary lens, not unlike what great alternative bands like The Shins have been able to do. With each song seemingly more exciting than the last the album creates a pleasurable easy listening feel.

While he absolutely maintains his artistic identity, Costa keeps his sound dynamic, resulting in a musical experiment gone beautifully right. One of the benefits of making music that sounds like it comes from four decades ago is the ability to pull out the best musical qualities from the decade. One could never see Bob Dylan, Donovan, Chicago, and The Beach Boys on the same stage at once, but pressing play on this new record is pretty close. Costa masterfully mixes and matches

1 Thrift Shop Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Feat. Wanz 2 Locked Out Of Heaven Bruno Mars 3 Scream & Shout will.i.am & Britney Spears 4 Ho Hey The Lumineers 5 I Knew You Were Trouble Taylor Swift 6 Don’t You Worry Child Swedish House Mafia 7 Beauty And A Beat Justin Bieber Feat.

Nicki Minaj

MATT COSTA MATT COSTA PRODUCED BY BUSHFIRE RECORDS RELEASED FEB. 12, 2013 OUR RATING A

PHOTO COURTESY OF MATADOR RECORDS

’60s and ’70s nostalgia inspires Costa’s album, but his impressive songwriting establishes it as a fresh, contemporary work.

TOP ALBUMS

until creating an album filled with tracks that could headline as the main single.

As the listener takes off his or her headphones at the conclusion of the album a few key things come to mind. First and foremost, Costa has made one of the year’s most enjoyable and easy to listen to albums so far. Second, the album secures Costa as one of this generation’s

1 Believe: Acoustic Justin Bieber 2 Passione Andrea Bocelli 3 Heartthrob Tegan And Sara 4 Love, Charlie Charlie Wilson 5 Pitch Perfect Soundtrack

most talented singer songwriters, with songs that are both beautiful and heart breaking. It is certainly a difficult task creating songs that have an aesthetic and emotional appeal, but throughout the album the listener is shown that Costa is more than up to the task. Flaws on this album are very few and very far between the biggest of which, there simply are not enough

songs to go around—the album is just a little too short. Good news, though—there is a deluxe version available on iTunes that offers four extra songs to keep the fans satisfied. The album should be a great platform to build his fan base, with songs that appeal not only to avid alternative listeners, but to appreciators of classic rock as well. 

Source: Billboard.com

‘Imaginative People’ lacks variety, but compensates with wit

BY MATT MAZZARI Heights Staff Before diving into his latest LP, newcomers to Darwin Deez’s brand of indie rock might be a bit skeptical of this studio-talent-gone-solo.

Darwin has a goofy look, to be

sure, and it also doesn’t help that the title of the album, Songs for Imaginative People, smacks of that unpalatable hipster arrogance that so many independent groups these days succumb to. It’s like naming yourselves “Only Smart People Will Get Us,” or releasing a single called

“I’m So Creative I Can Hardly Put My Pants On.” Plus, it’s off-putting when an obvious solo act like singer/songwriter Darwin Smith tries to convince everyone that the variation on his name means that he can call Darwin Deez a “band,” especially when he’s doing the writ-

SONGS FOR IMAGINATIVE PEOPLE DARWIN DEEZ PRODUCED BY LUCKY NUMBER RELEASED FEB. 12, 2013 OUR RATING APHOTO COURTESY OF RCA

Though muscially uniform, ‘Imaginative People’ is an interesting album, especially when it comes to its lyrics.

ing, guitar, lead vocals, and back-up vocals, in addition to being the only guy pictured on the album cover.

Seeing all of this, you might brace yourself for some excessive uses of “irony”, or a song about how he was the first person ever to appreciate David Foster Wallace.

Yet you’ll need to throw all your presuppositions aside for Songs, because neither the LP nor its maker fit into a mold of any sort. It’s a strange album with a surprising sound, chock full of witty wordplay and crunchy, Kravitz-esque chords strummed with UnKravitz-esque creativity. Ever since he broke into London indie-scene fame in 2009 with his debut single “Constellations,” Darwin’s music has had a fixation with the cosmos and a flair for churning out cool beats.

His voice is reminiscent of the Front Bottoms’ singer Brian Sella at times, except that he frequently dares to break the monotone and do a passionate and passable falsetto. Though every song is grounded in that alternative guitar crunch, the drums and keyboard hold their own, and though his background is

in rap, Darwin’s guitar rock-soloing has impressive soul. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that his machine loops manage never to be dull or uninspired, always bubbly, complicated, and unique.

But the most exciting part about this album is how clever and original the lyrics are, straight from the opening track. “(800) HUMAN” is among a meager handful (if that) of songs that successfully riffs off a prayer, in this case the Our Father.

It was between the lines “Even angels fall for legalese” and “So lead us not into late night TV, but deliver us no CODs” that I realized I was really starting to like him.

Then he ripped out a needle-thin solo, humbly jamming out in the background of improv-vocals and layered-dissonance coda, and that’s when he really blew me away.

The only major problem with the album on the whole is that it’s pretty noticeably top-heavy. The tracks at the front, particularly “(800) HUMAN,” “You Can’t Be My Girl,” and “Good to Lose” have an energy and inventiveness that sort of trails off before the

final tunes. It might not actually be the songs’ fault, per se, but rather the fact that the style lends itself to abbreviated bursts of listening. “Free (The Editorial Me)” sort of picks up what “Alice” dropped in terms of a refrain that gets the blood pumping, but “All in the Wrist” brings the tempo back down for less of that first, memorable kick. All of that said, though, the lyricism persists throughout at being atypically smart and charmingly weird. It may just be that his distinctive instrumental sound has a limited appeal. Once Darwin settled on a tone he wanted to use, it would seem that he did little after that to shake things up. There isn’t anything wrong with sticking to a selection of instruments, but the listener can’t help but feel that the LP could benefit from a bit more variety.

All in all, though, Darwin Deez’s individuality and cunning prevail on this album, which may very well be enjoyable for imaginative and unimaginative people alike. 

Though fairly forgettable, ‘How I Knew Her’ is a pleasant listen

BY ARIANA IGNERI Assoc. Arts & Review Editor An album of quirky, light, and earthen folk tunes, Nataly Dawn’s How I Knew Her is caught somewhere in between innovation and inconsequence. Its music is pleasant enough—at times, granted, overly eccentric—but it’s actually Dawn’s introspective and therapeutic lyrics that set her solo debut apart from other similar records that are quickly classified as coffee shop white noise.

The daughter of a pastor and a member of the YouTube duo sensation Pamplamoose, Dawn was quite obviously influenced by her past, both lyrically and musically, in the creation of How I Knew Her. Her tone is markedly spiritual, using her record as a cathartic liberation of a sort, but her style is purposefully distinct from her former project. Bright, airy vocals and bouncing acoustic melodies juxtaposed beside deeply reflective and religiously troubled words result in a sound that is most simply described as

“girlishly mature.”

The songs “Still a Believer” and “Caroline” illustrate Dawn’s stylistic intentions best. For example, the former track is bubbly and fun, with skipping trumpets, a gamboling bass, and a frolicking piano strain, but the sound seems odd considering the track’s lyrics, as she sings: “Grandma says I’m going to hell / Cause I met a boy and we make rock music / And the trouble is I know she means well … And that’s why I’m still a believer / So if you ever meet my grandma / Don’t believe her.” Her frustration with her traditional upbringing is blatantly apparent here, as it is on “Caroline.” Her sprightly vocals sing about a girl who used to be “clean,” and who, now, is seen as “Something tarnished / Something borrowed, something used.” Nevertheless, Dawn says, “You look just the same to me / Yeah, I don’t see what they see.”

There are certain facets of the record, though, that are notable for more than their lyrics—songs like the title track and “Even Ste-

ven” are far from musically forgettable. “How I Knew Her” builds slowly—it’s essentially barren in the beginning, but by the end, the song is both menacing and thrilling, with sharp, twanging violins and persistent, bluesy chords that emerge after nearly two minutes of anticipation and suspense. In “Even Steven,” however, Dawn wastes no time in leaping into a frisky, dogged, and slightly intimidating rock progression.

On these last two tracks, as well as on others, Dawn’s style is influenced, to varying degrees, by the blues. How I Knew Her’s “Please Don’t Scream,” for example, has an incredibly jaunty and vintage rock sound, complete with sliding guitar riffs and licks.

“Back to the Barracks” has a comparable vibe, but it’s a wholly different song. Stripped down and bare, its somber, serious tone fits well with its ominous, deep, and uneven guitar line.

Similarly raw, the album’s closing songs are stunningly poignant and emotive, despite their melancholy character. With waltz-

ing pianos and swelling strings, Dawn’s “Why Did I Marry,” finds the singer-song writer at her absolute best—she’s sweet even when she’s entirely serious. The last piece of How I Knew Her, “I Just Wanted You to Get Old,” is just as lovely. A tender apology to a loved one who has passed away,

the song is little short of flawless and beautiful. It’s the perfect end to How I Knew Her, showcasing Dawn’s delicate, gentle vocals, honestly unembellished, style, and meditative inquisitive lyrics.

With its unavoidable oddities and patent philosophical bend, some listeners, ultimately,

may be turned away by the very features of How I Knew Her that make it especially unique. It’s the sort of record that’s so musically pleasant that forgetting it is easy, almost, natural—at least, though, it challenges listeners to think and reflect a bit before they do. 

HOW I KNEW HER NATALY DAWN PRODUCED BY NONESUCH RECORDS RELEASED FEB. 11, 2013 OUR RATING B

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES

Questioning her traditional, religious upbringing through her lyrics, Dawn releases a poignant, reflective debut.

SINGLE REVIEWS BY DAN LYLE Justin Timberlake “Mirrors”

James Blake “Retrograde” This smooth track features outstanding vocals from an underrated UK artist. It cleverly tells the story of a girl who has gotten into some trouble and is without her friends. But he will take their place. The music gives the right amount of subtlety and dominance to each piece of the song. It’s a trick that tends to transcend great lyrics to great songs, and it has done so here.

Kenny Chesney “Pirate Flag” Hours after delivering one of the best Grammy performances Sunday night, JT went on to give fans more music off of The 20/20 Experience.

This eight-minute track has Timbaland’s handiwork all over it, and frankly, it is the only thing that might keep a person listening for the entire length of the song. The vocals given are average, and lyrically, there is not much depth.

A true legend, Kenny Chesney is back at it providing one of the standout country songs of the year so far. This song is really catchy and upbeat, and proves to be consistent with the body of work that Chesney has done over the years. His latest album will be coming out later this year, and from the single we can see that he hasn’t lost the touch.

B6

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, February 14, 2013

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, February 14, 2013

B7

THIS WEEK IN...

BY TRICIA TIEDT | METRO EDITOR

POP EDUCATION CULTURE

WORLD POLITICS

BEER PONG

Miss B oston and Miss Cambridge were crowned at the Park Plaza Hotel on Sunday evening. UMass Boston undergrad Morgan Berg, 22, won the title Miss Boston, while Charlestown native Carrie Sunde took the Miss Cambridge title. Sunde, a 20-year-old currently studying at Syracuse University, beat the former Miss Boston (Kelsey Beck of Harvard College) for the Cambridge crown through her volunteer organization ‘Lend a Helping Hand.’

Berg is studying to become a nurse practitioner at Boston Children’s Hospital, winning over the judges with her ‘Fit for Success’ platform. The two titles are crowned by the Miss Boston Scholarship Organization, which supports women ages 17 to 24 in their educational endeavors in Boston. The new Miss Boston and Miss Cambridge will go on to compete for Miss Massachusetts in June.

On Monday morning , Pope Benedict XVI announced during a routine meeting with cardinals that he will be stepping down. The Pope, leader of over one billion Roman Catholics worldwide, will be the first pope to step down in six centuries. His statement first shocked the Vatican, then reverberated around the world. According to The New York Times, it is one of the most dramatic acts in papal history. The Pope, formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now 85, cited health concerns as the reason for his resignation. The Pope will preside over the Church until Feb. 28. The cardinals will begin the process of electing a new pope on Monday.

Vatican spokesman Rev. Franco Lombardi has released a statement that a new pope will be crowned

by Easter.

Boston University researchers have recently released a report concerning the consumption of alcohol by underage drinkers according to Boston Innovation. BU’s School of Public Health teamed up with Johns Hopkins Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (a branch of their own School of Public Health) to conduct research on the influence of brand names on underage drinking. Over 1,000 students ages 13 to 20 were surveyed to find which brands of alcohol those under 21 drank most. Bud Light took first place with nearly 30 percent of underage drinkers admitting to consuming the beer in the past month. The top 10 list included multiple kinds of alcohol from the Smirnoff brand, Budweiser, Jack Daniel’s Bourbon, and Captain Morgan Rum.

NBC’s The Today Show will leave their post at Rockefeller Center in New York City to film live from Faneuil Hall tomor row, Feb. 15. The show announced its trip to Boston on Monday per the Faneuil Hall’s Facebook page. Today Show broadcasters Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie will be hosting the popular morning show live, from 6 to 9 a.m. Specifically, Lauer and Guthrie will broadcast from the West End and Upper Rotunda at Faneuil Hall. All Bostonians are invited to attend the live filming and be a part of the audience.

Participants are encouraged to arrive with their coats, coffee, and homemade signs beginning at 6:30 a.m. The Today Show aired from Baltimore, MD, on Feb.1 in preparation for the Ravens’ appearance in the Super Bowl.

Author Otsuka visits Emerson

BY RYAN TOWEY

Asst. Metro Editor With light streaming in from the windows with a view of the nearby Boston Common, author Julie Otsuka politely shook hands with those that approached her in Emerson College’s Charles Beard Room before lending herself to a question and answer segment as part of the Ploughshares Reading Series on Feb. 7.

Steve Yarbrough, a professor in the department of writing, literature, and publishing at Emerson, led the discussion of Otsuka’s career, which includes her acclaimed first novel When the Emperor Was Divine (2002) and her most recent novel The Buddha in the Attic (2011).

The Buddha in the Attic earned Otsuka the 2012 PEN/Faulkner Award, for which Yarbrough was a judge. Both of her major novels follow Japanese Americans, emphasizing the effects of World War II and Japanese internment.

Otsuka’s original training was as a visual artist.

“That’s how I learned to look and see,” she said of sculpting, an art form that she later left behind in favor of painting during her 20s.

Though she eventually chose the art of words over the visual arts, Otsuka said that the skills she learned as a painter stayed with her in her writing career. “My first novel came to me very much in pictures,” she said.

Nine years passed between her first novel and her second, which she considers to be more “sounddriven.”

Explaining the large gap between her major works, Otsuka said that she spent a year “kind of floundering” after her first novel before the “conception came together” for her second, adding that her second book required more extensive research than her first.

“I do all of my best work in the Hungarian Pastry Shop. It’s always the first place I go when I come

home,” said Otsuka, a resident of New York City.

Because the Hungarian Pastry Shop has no internet or music, Otsuka considers it an ideal spot to work on her writing. At the cafe, she knows many of the other regulars, who will gladly give up their seats so that that she might enjoy her favorite spot in a corner of the cafe.

Otsuka’s relationship with New York began when she was a graduate student at Columbia University, when she would often spend time at the Strand Bookstore. Ironically for a writer of dramatic and intense literature, Otsuka said that she entered Columbia as a writer of comedic stories before a professor of hers guided her toward the early inspirations for When the Emperor Was Divine, which follows a family’s experience in a Japanese internment camp.

Though Otsuka knew that her Japanese mother had been interned at Topaz, Utah, she chose not to visit the camp until after she had completed her novel, so that the depiction of the internment camp could develop organically from her own mind, and found that the characters she wrote about were more important than their immediate environments.

“I really thought of it as being my mother’s story,” Otsuka said. “You sensed as a child growing up that, you know, something had happened to mom, but it was never really talked about too much.”

Of her writing process, Otsuka said that she often has an idea for where a story will end up, but prepares herself for the idea of “false endings,” where she might arrive at a “much more interesting ending.”

“I feel like each book has its own organic structure,” Otsuka said, describing how she wrote a middle chapter of The Buddha in the Attic, titled “The Children,” after the rest of the novel, allowing her research to guide her literary choices.

After the research, however, and after all of the distractions, Otsuka said, “You let things settle, and you forget, and you just start to write.” 

HOUSE AD

President Barack Obama delivered his fifth State of the Union address on Tuesday night, the first since his re-election last November. Speaking before a bitterly divided Congress, the president called for new gun safety measures, citing the Newtown tragedy and the importance of keeping the country’s children safe. His primary statement concerned the military and domestic programs cuts, known in Congress as the ‘sequester.’ Scheduled to be cut as of March 1, Obama strongly discouraged Congress from making any cuts to social programs like Medicare. The president advocated for women’s rights by mentioning the recently passed Violence Against Women Act, as well as immigration reform for the 11 million people living here illegally. Obama briefly discussed foreign policy, announcing the removal of 34,000 troops from Afghanistan in the next year.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

A Chinatown menu close to home

KATHERINE BU / FOR THE HEIGHTS

BY KATHERINE BU For The Heights

Happy Lunar New Year! Although transportation was difficult with the 30+ inches of snow that Nemo dumped on Boston this past weekend, many people still managed to celebrate the New Year with friends, family, and, of course, food. While Chinatown is the go-to destination to satisfy cravings for Chinese food, Brookline houses the delicious destination of Sichuan Gourmet.

Located on 1004-1006 Beacon Street in Brookline, Sichuan Gourmet is a great option for those who lack the time to venture all the way into Chinatown. Only a four-minute walk from the Fenway stop on the D-line, this restaurant offers the same great food you would expect in the heart of Chinatown without the hassle and crowds. Sichuan Gourmet has three other locations in Mass., located in Billerica, Framingham, and Sharon. Despite its multiple locations, however, this restaurant definitely does not have the typical Chinese restaurant chain feel. Like most Chinese restaurants, the decorations and ambiance are traditional and nothing special. The food, however, is what makes this particular restaurant stand out: it is flavorful, varied, and sensitive to the college student budget.

Sichuan is a province located in southwest China, and its food is known for its rich and spicy flavors. The dishes are prepared in a variety of methods including stir-fry, pressure cooked, roasted, boiled, braised, sautéed, steamed, baked, grilled, and more. Needless to say, one can never become bored when dining at a Sichuan restaurant. Sichuan Gourmet has embraced both ancient and modern cooking styles, giving it a diverse and impressive menu.

They offer a huge array of appetizers, main dishes and all of the classic soups. Among the appetizers, the Dan Dan noodles are a must. For only $5.25 you are served a heaping plate full of noodles with spicy chili oil, Sichuan pepper, minced pork, and scallions. While you can order the level of spiciness according to your taste, the Dan Dan noodles is recommended to be spicy because the Sichuan spice and chili oil is where most of the flavor comes from in this dish. In Chinese tradition, noodles represent longevity and are usually ordered for birthdays in order to guarantee a long life.

One thing I love about Sichuan Gourmet is how great it can accommodate large groups, including the restaurant’s willingness to reserve a table for 15. With the

lazy susans and a sense of adventure, Sichuan Gourmet is the perfect place to celebrate birthdays or other special occasions. Private function rooms are also available.

Another noteworthy dish is their Ma Po Tofu with minced beef ($10.95). This spicy tofu dish can also be requested vegetarian and is full of flavor either way.

The tofu is fresh and soft, cut into small pieces and smothered in a chili and black bean based sauce. What makes Sichuan food unique is the characteristic numbing sensation the peppers induce, and this dish will definitely give you a taste of that sensation.

A fun Chinese New Year tradition is ordering fish.

Trying the fish filets with Spicy Chili Sauce ($14.50) is a great way to honor this tradition. If you follow tradiLOCATION: 1004-1006 BEACON STREET CUISINE: Chinese SIGNATURE DISH: Dan Dan Noodles ATMOSPHERE: 8/10 AVERAGE MEAL: $15-20 OVERALL EXPERIENCE: A

tions—despite how tasty the fish is—you must resist finishing the whole dish. The fish represents surplus and abundance, as the mandarin words for the two sound similar. The saying goes that, if you finish the whole fish, there will not be any surplus in the upcoming year.

If you are planning to pay a visit to Sichuan Gourmet soon, make sure to order Tangyuan, written on the menu as “Chengdu sweet rice flour balls” ($4.50).

This glutinous rice flour dessert is traditionally eaten for the New Year and during the Lantern Festival, a celebration of the first full moon of the New Year. It symbolizes togetherness, as the dessert is as delicious as it is sticky.

Sichuan Gourmet offers a vast array of fish, seafood, beef, pork, chicken, and vegetarian dishes. The best way to do this restaurant justice is to go in a large group and try various dishes family style. For about $15-20 per person after tax and tip—depending on how hungry you and your friends are—you are sure to have an exciting meal full of flavor and variety. 

THE HEIGHTS

B8

BOOKISH BOSTONIAN

Thursday, February 14, 2013

be my valentine

Renting out an entire city

BY MAGGIE POWERS HEIGHTS EDITOR

Last minute Valentine’s Day dates in Boston

RYAN TOWEY Unlike our livelier cousin to the South, Boston can lay no claims to being the city that never sleeps.

Certainly, Boston sleeps, but that does not necessarily mean that you have to.

With the T closing down just past midnight even on weekends, it is easy to become frustrated. But I believe that there is a certain quality to this nightly quiescence that is significant.

If one ever has the privilege of walking around Boston after the daily machinery of the city quiets, I recommend that you do so slowly. Look around the place, and it is almost as if an entire city landscape was crafted for the solitary walker, as if the city had rented itself to the lonely.

Darcie Dennigan captures this feeling in her poem “Eleven Thousand and One,” which follows a narrator as she watches a group of girls in “this bar in Boston they were in.” She watches the undulations of their social interaction with college boys in the bar, who had just “come back to town.”

While Dennigan’s poem operates mostly through a juxtaposition of the girls in the bar to the martyrdom of Saint Ursula, the portion pertinent to this column arrives in the final two verses.

As the speaker’s night of viewing draws to a close, she notes that “the streetlights were turning the sidewalks / into islands.” To her vision, “everything looked like stars over a black sea.”

The imagery of Boston being broken up into islands of light allows one to exist on several planes. You have seen what it is like to look down at the ground while walking beneath streetlights, the way your shadow struggles to keep up only to disappear and run ahead. And though you may take this walk under the streetlights of Boston, when you look at the light and your shadow upon the ground, you can be anywhere—even the streets of your hometown, quiet suburban homes passing by outside your range of vision while a small voice in your head tells you to run the last leg of the journey to your home for fear of the inevitable evildoers lurking in the shadows. But you arrive home to see that there was nothing frightening in the first place, and you laugh at yourself.

But when you remove your eyes from the pavement, there is no mistaking where you are, swimming through the lights towering above you.

“Boston / had a curfew. Bright windows died early. After that, if you were still trying / to look in, you’d just see your reflection,” Dennigan writes.

That is what happens in Boston at night, one million versions of yourself reflected back at you as you make your way, your only company being your shadow and the army of selves reflected alongside you.

For some, it is possible to get lost in this vacuum. Even the speaker in Dennigan’s poem issues a final plea aloud to the night: “I need to make love to something.”

Even with the company of the buildings and streets around you, even though you know that there are thousands ending their days and falling asleep just within their apartment windows, it is easy to feel alone.

But one spends so much time sharing Boston with the hundreds of thousands that inhabit it that sometimes it is okay to walk it alone and lose yourself in the speckled darkness.

When you f inally fe el that you have been alone enough, take another second.

Turn back to the vastness and place your hand on a nearby building. You might walk by that building—or one just like it—a thousand times in your life, but you will almost never touch it, will only rarely ascertain that it is real.

All day, that building belongs to Boston, belongs to everyone.

In that moment, it belongs to you.

Ryan Towey is the Asst. Metro Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.

tay In—Since Valentine’s Day is on a weeknight this year, the easiest (and cheapest) option for many students is staying in. Order in from one of the many restaurants located around BC—Fins, Angora Cafe and Pino’s are all student favorites that are relatively inexpensive. After dinner, cuddle up and watch a romantic movie. Many of the “Top 50 Romances of the Past Decade,” according to IMDb.com, can be found on Netflix and iTunes. Stick with the classics such as A Walk to Remember, P.S. I Love You, or The Notebook.

Or, branch out a little and watch something slightly more unexpected like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Pride and Prejudice.

est Friend Date—Everyone knows the best part of Valentine’s Day is chocolate. For those who would rather spend the day with a dear friend as opposed to dealing with the drama of romance, take a quick ride down the Green Line to the Copley stop. From there stroll down Newbury St. and indulge in an afternoon shopping trip. Finish the “date” at L.A. Burdick Chocolate shop, located at 220 Claredon St. (right off of Newbury). The rich and delicious hot chocolate is perfect for a February afternoon. For the real chocoholics, there is a variety of truffles, cakes, adorable chocolate mice, and other indulgences to pair it with.

nti-Valentine’s Day—While the assumption is that Valentine’s Day dinner needs to include an expensive dinner, heels, collared shirts ,and roses, Ducali’s Pizzeria and Bar offers an alternative to those who want to celebrate—just in a more casual manner. Located in the North End, Ducali’s will be serving pizza, appetizers, beer, and wine. The classic Jim Carey movie, Dumb and Dumber, will be shown in order to provide less traditional entertainment. For any couple that does not want the pressure of “the perfect Valentine’s Day,” Ducali’s offers a wonderful alternative.

ingle’s Awareness – Anyone who is still left feeling angsty and unloved on Sunday can share their feelings on the Valentine’s Day themed open mic night, presented by Write on the DOT at the Savin Bar and Kitchen in Dorchester. Located off the Red Line at the Savin Hill stop, Savin Bar and Kitchen will be offering appetizers such as mac and cheese fritters and egg rolls starting at $4. Anyone can go and share any (positive or negative) Valentine’s Day related poetry or short stories and eat delicious comfort food.

raditional Valentine’s Day – For all the romantics out there looking for a more traditional Valentine’s Day, head over to the Gaslight Brasserie in the South End. Each entree costs around 30 dollars which is a definite splurge but not totally unreasonable for a Valentine’s Day dinner.

Possibly the most appealing perk is that, according to Boston Innovation, Gaslight is one of the “14 lastminute Valentine’s Day dinner reservations that are still available.” Finally, for any movie buffs (or TED lovers) this is the perfect date—this is the restaurant where the date scene with Tami-Lynn was filmed.

on-Traditional Date – The Improv Asylum’s improve comedy shows, offered at 7 and 9 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, provide a perfect activity for a Valentine’s Day date night. Conveniently situated in the North End, the show could make for a full evening of fun. Grab dinner before or top off the night with a cannoli from Mike’s Pastry. This option would be fun for all couples but is especially appealing to newer couples.

It provides a light-hearted evening with a designated activity that removes some of the pressure from a Valentine’s Day date.

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Scott Brown prepares for his role as correspondent Brown, from B10 have fared better running for statewide office than Congress—Republicans, among them former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, held the governorship from 1991 to 2007.

“You don’t have all that national gunk on you” in a gubernatorial election, former state Senate minority leader Richard Tisei told Politico. “People tend to look at you more as an individual. The national brand is hard to overcome in the state.”

Voters viewing candidates as individuals, rather than a talking puppet for a party line, should be a plus for Brown, a moderate who has never fallen into a definitive partisan category. This independent standing won him high in-state approval ratings while serving in the Senate.

In the short-term, however, Brown appears to be turning to the private sector to occupy his time and decompress from his failed 2012 Senate campaign in which he lost to Democrat Elizabeth Warren. Last week, he joined the board of directors of Kadant, Inc., a Westford, MA based paper

manufacturing company.

On Wednesday, Brown added television to his resume, with Fox News confirming that he will join the national network as an on-air political commentator. He made his debut Wednesday night on Hannity, where he commented on Tuesday’s State of the Union address.

President Barack Obama proposed “things that we can work on, but the key is to do it together,” Brown said.

In the interview with CBS-3 Springfield, Brown expressed his excitement at the prospect of spreading his moderate views to a national television audience.

“Having an opportunity to get out there and be the only moderate voice, really, on national TV—who else is there?” he said.

“Who else has the ability to not only battle against both sides and do it with credibility based on my voting record—the fact that I was there as the most bipartisan senator.”

GOP insiders warn, though, that joining Fox News could potentially be risky for Brown’s future political endeavors.

“To be a good commentator, you’ve got to take a controversial position on the

issues of the day,” Republican consultant Rob Gray told The Boston Herald. “That could be dangerous if you want to run for political office.”

The fact that Brown is not running and the uncertainty surrounding his political future sums up the general sense of disinterestedness among Massachusetts Republicans with regard to the upcoming special election.

With other high-profile potential candidates aside from Brown also declining to run—among them, former Governor William Weld and Romney’s former Lt. Governor Kerry Healey—few expect the Republican nominee to win against a more prominent Democratic challenger.

In the meantime, Republicans are trying to pass off little-known candidates who, upon initial review, seem like they would almost certainly be steamrolled by either U.S. Representative Edward Markey or Representative Stephen Lynch in the June 25 election as young, up-and-coming prospective nominees.

“The current group of Republicans taking a long, hard look at this race are going to be a

stark contrast to the mediocre congressmen currently vying for the Democratic nomination,” Massachusetts GOP spokesman Tim Buckley told The Globe. “What better way to offer a fresh face and new direction for the voters of Massachusetts than with this group of potential candidates?”

The two biggest names Republicans are offering at the moment are state Representative and former Romney aide Daniel Winslow, who announced his candidacy last week, and private equity investor Gabriel Gomez, a former Navy SEAL, who declared his intention to run Tuesday.

Gomez and Winslow have both called for Massachusetts voters to send a Republican to Washington to break the stalemate.

“As I look at Washington I see a lot of unproductive noise and bickering, and I see two parties attacking each other at all times over every issue. I see gridlock,” Gomez said in a statement. “I’m running because I refuse to be cynical about America or about America’s future.”

Any other prospective candidates would have until Feb. 27 to collect 10,000 signatures in order to join the race. 

PERSON TO WATCH By: Danielle Dalton | For The Heights

From sporting the name of your college to your favorite vacation destination, t-shirts can be found in countless designs and say a lot about an individual. This has never been truer than for Claudio Quintana, CSOM ’16. In 8th grade, he became interested in screen-printing t-shirts, a medium in which the designs of t-shirts are burned onto mesh screens, allowing ink to flow through the mesh and onto the shirts in the original design’s pattern. Quintana’s enjoyment in designing his own t-shirts led him to create A New Origin, LLC in 2011.

WHO: Claudio Quintana, CSOM ‘16 WHAT: Founder of A New Origin, LLC WHERE: Portland, OR WHY IT MATTERS: Quintana has brought his business skills to BC, exemplifying the impact that can be made when one is passionate about their work.

With the motto, “Better for the Earth. Better for Humanity,” A New Origin is sustainable lifestyle company that creates eco-friendly apparel and accessories, with a portion of proceeds going toward a number of social initiatives. The t-shirts are produced from cotton milled in the Carolinas and sewn in Los Angeles, CA.

The designs on the shirts are then printed in Portland, OR, Quintana’s hometown.

Social initiatives are important to Quintana and can be found at the core of his business. “I think all businesses can be social,” Quintana said. “If you look at where change comes—innovation-wise—it’s from entrepreneurs more so than policy. The successful entrepreneurs that are in any society, especially those in third world countries, are all trying to accomplish something social.” In the past, a portion of the proceeds from a particular shirt sold (the “Fly”) were donated to the Build a School in Africa Foundation, a non-profit that builds schools in Mali.

When asked what his favorite part of managing his business has been, Quintana responded, “It’s fun coming up with ideas and then making them happen.” This sense of creativity permeates through Quintana’s work.

Portland is home to many coffee shops, which regularly receive burlap bags filled with coffee beans. When Quintana noticed that many of these bags were being thrown away, he contacted a small sewing operative in Portland to recycle the burlap sacks into wallets. Because each wallet is handcrafted, no two wallets are the same in color and design.

Some wallets feature the word “coffee” across the side, while others showcase identifying numbers from the bags they were repurposed from.

Sol—the Spanish word for “sun”—is the most

recent product line at A New Origin. Hand-crafted from bamboo, the sunglasses are more sustainable than those made with plastics. Because bamboo floats, the sunglasses are perfect for those who enjoy water activities. Bamboo doesn’t stop with sunglasses, though. Soon, natural bamboo watches will be available for purchase.

Moleskine brand journals stamped with hand-carved stamps of iconic images, such as Portland bridges, and burlap laptop cases (“burlaptop cases”) are also in the works. Currently, items are sold in Portland boutique shops and online at www.aneworigin.com.

Running a business is challenging, but it is clear that passion encompasses everything related to A New Origin by the thought and creativity found in each unique product and the social impact the company is creating.

“It has to be fun,” Quintana commented on spending your time doing things you truly enjoy, before adding, “It has been fun.”

The Heights

Thursday, February 14, 2013

B9

Farm owners look to grow in Boston

MassEDchusetts

Governor to expand school plans

HGF, from B10 growth: roof space can now be rented and there is an increased opportunity for job creation.

Stoddard said that he and Hennessy “hope that the first rooftop is successful” and that they hope to have about five farms within ten years in order to have five acres of production.

HGF cites five specific societal benefits.

1. A decrease in the urban heat island effect: Cities are hotter because the roofs of skyscrapers radiate heat absorbed during the day, which results in higher energy costs for buildings, but a green roof can reduce the temperature of the surrounding air and thus reduce the energy costs (and usage).

2. Stormwater management: More rooftop farms means less runoff, which means less sewer overflows, which means fewer tax dollars going toward pollution in the waterways and flooding.

3. Reduction of carbon and improved air quality: As mentioned before, green roofs reduce the energy consumption of their buildings, which in turn reduces carbon emissions. And because the food is grown locally, there is less worry about carbon emissions from transportation.

4. Increased access to fresh, healthy food: This one is self-explanatory—HGF’s main priority is the freshness of their products and the happiness and health of their customers.

5. Other benefits: The creation of a rooftop farm makes use of a previously unused space, which is incredibly efficient. This space could potentially provide habitats for displaced animals and increase the biodiversity of the city.

This idyllic vision, however, comes with a price tag. HGF is still in the process of raising the funds necessary to begin construction: in addition to private grants and potential corporate sponsorship, they have launched a Kickstarter.com campaign, aimed at raising $20,000 by the end of February, and they are hosting a benefit concert on Feb. 17. Despite the rapidly approaching deadlines, the team remains optimistic and plans to be operational by the summertime, even if it means the farm is not entirely developed at that point.

Ultimately, HGF wants to spread to other rooftops across the city—one of the most crucial components to the success of their ultimate vision is citywide participation, as more farms means more communal benefit. n

Jacqueline Parisi

Moreover, many fear the possibility of what is known as a “schism,” which is a conflict of allegiance between the two living popes that will coexist in the Catholic community, especially in the case that the newly elected Pope differs ideologically from the staunch conservative that preceded him. In the past, Pope John Paul II declined to resign even after he endured multiple assassination attempts as well as bouts with cancer. He feared that the Roman Catholic Church would be troubled by the existence of a living “ex-pope” while another reigned.

It seems that this fear will in fact become a reality as liberals call for a more modern, youthful pope who is open to reform. Leading the crusade is the Women’s Ordinance Conference, who is pushing for the female right to become a priest, which they were never given during Benedict’s time as head of the church. By resigning, he not only shied from the responsibility as leader, but also invited conflict into the Catholic Church between conservatives who will continue to support him and liberals who will support what may be a forward-thinking replacement.

It is certainly not news in the world of education that there is a persistently expanding achievement gap leaving behind students from lower income families, students still learning English, students with disabilities, and many minority students.

When I read statistics that claim that only 38 percent of black third-graders and 36 percent of Hispanic thirdgraders are proficient in reading and writing, it is very disheartening.

The newest proposal for a solution that would close this gap has come from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick who, just last month, unveiled a school investment plan he says will expand access to education for students from birth through high school. Patrick claims that this series of changes will provide “universal access to high-quality early education for all infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.”

In theory, the plan would provide universal access to early education from birth through age five, fully fund K-12 education, allow for extended school days, and make college more affordable by allowing for extra financial assistance for certain students showing the greatest need.

The plan would also provide extra training for teachers, offer educational programs for parents, and dedicate new funding to help school districts offer preschool for four-year-olds.

This all sounds promising, but I think the important and realistic questions to ask are: how much is it going to cost, and where is this money going to come from?

This plan certainly comes with a high price tag. In total, its projected cost is $550 million in its first year.

The costs would increase to around $1 billion annually over the next four years. This money will come from an increase (5.25 percent to 5.66 percent) in the state income tax, which would generate $1 billion annually.

Does this mean that we should get ready to see diaper-clad children sitting at desks? Not so fast.

A group of anti-tax activists are pushing back against the call for new taxes.

They claim that reforms and better management should come before an increase in the income taxes.

In opposition, a coalition of unions, service groups, and municipal officials called for higher taxes to avoid budget cuts. This group of organizations includes the Massachusetts Teachers Union, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, and several City Councils and boards. Together, they are advocating for an increase in the state income tax to 5.95 percent along with higher tax rates on investment income.

“To those who say we cannot afford this, I challenge you to show me which one of these four year olds should be left behind,” Patrick said.

“Some of those folks say the timing is never great. But you know, we’ve got to stop asking third and fourth graders and pre-schoolers to wait until some magic, perfect time.”

Well, when you put it that way, who could possibly object?

I definitely think the proposal has the potential to make sweeping progress in terms of closing the achievement gap, which has been known to start early. Additionally, if Massachusetts wants to accelerate their growth, they must invest and take risks.

There comes a time when talk must be translated into action, and I commend Patrick for spearheading this effort. That being said, most sweeping proposals of this nature are very appealing on paper.

The specific logistical and financial elements of the proposal that follow are what unfortunately may curtail this effort.

Maggie Maretz is a staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.

Jacqueline Parisi is a staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.

photos Courtesy of AP photos

Bostonians partook in the fun due to the blizzard, bringing out their skis, making snowmen, and admiring the city blankteted in snow.

Nemo closes schools, public transport Nemo Blizzard, from B10 The large number of attendees, however, led to an intervention by the Boston Police Department as the snowball fight soon turned violent. Allegedly, some students were detained for throwing snowballs at police and for fighting. The police effectively brought the Snowbrawl to an end late Friday evening.

Most of the snowfall ceased by late Saturday morning, leaving Boston residents to shovel themselves out from more than two feet of snow.

The 24.9-inch snowfall total made Nemo the number five Boston-area snowstorm in terms of inches of snowfall, according to the National Weather Service. Power outages left more than 400,000 residents in the dark on Saturday across the state of Massachusetts.

Plowing crews spent most of the day Saturday working to clear streets and restore power to the residents of Boston.

“Our number one priority today is getting to the side streets,” Menino said of the cleanup effort in Sunday’s update to the Boston media. “Residents have been very patient as we work to recover from the fifth largest snow storm to ever hit the city of

Boston. We are doing everything we can to get additional pieces of equipment into residential areas, including coordinating with MEMA to get federal and state resources. As our crews work, I’m urging drivers to continue to stay off the roads.” The city’s equipment was augmented by 40 additional pieces of equipment from MEMA, 30 pieces from Vermont and seven pieces from local contractors Mario Susi & Son, Inc. The motor vehicle travel ban was not lifted by Patrick until 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, and the MBTA remained closed all day Saturday and into Sunday as crews used plows and other equipment to clear the tracks. Logan airport was the last major Northeast airport to clear runways and reopen, sending their first flights out around 11 p.m. on Saturday evening.

Many Boston residents spent another day enjoying their personal winter wonderland, including ambitious residents who attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the world’s biggest snowball fight in the Boston Common. The fight began at noon on the corner of Beacon Street and Charles Street and had an impressive turnout, but fell short of the record by a few thousand people.

Due to the large amounts of snow still on roadways and many residents

still without power, Boston public schools remained closed on Monday as well.

Most power in the city was restored by the end of the weekend, when most roads had been cleared.

The MBTA began running limited service on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. with lines running mostly underground.

Full ser vice resumed on Monday morning, but transportation officials warned commuters of certain delays.

Nemo claimed two deaths in Boston over the weekend, a 14-year-old boy and a man, both of whom died from carbon monoxide poisoning from sitting in cars whose tailpipes were covered by snow. In a press release from Saturday, Menino expressed his condolences to the grieving family: “My heart goes out to the family who lost a loved one today.

Our public health, public safety, and public school officials are providing support to the victim’s family. We are doing all we can to ensure the loss of life stops here, and ask everyone in our city to help us in that pursuit.”

Boston will continue to recover from the aftermath of the storm in the coming week as Menino continues to urge residents to be patient and cautious around the city due to the increased snowfall. n

THE ISSUE:

Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday morning in a cardinal meeting that he will be stepping down as leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Benedict cited health concerns as reason for his resignation, becoming the first pope to resign from the papacy in over 600 years. The Pope’s announcement shocked the Catholic Church, from the members of the Vatican to the entire world. Was Benedict’s resignation wise?

Respect the Pope’s decision Resigning causes conflict Kelly Coleman The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI was a good move. Many sources cite that the Pope felt he was not healthy enough to continue his papal duties sufficiently. When in a position such as his, when a large body of people rely on your every word with unshakable faith, you must be sure that you yourself are confident in the words you preach. If Benedict allowed himself to continue his usual duties as the Pope even though he felt he was no longer fit for the job, he would be doing the entire Catholic Church a disservice.

There is no rule or law against the resignation of a pope—it was done 600 years ago by Pope Gregory XII. We actually should admire Benedict’s courage in stepping down. He was strong enough to admit that he was no longer strong enough. Another little detail to note is about a different rule within the papacy: cardinals, who elect new Popes, must be under the age of 80. Doesn’t it seem a little strange that the people who elect a leader must be under a certain age, but that elected leader can have his body and mind wither away as he makes some of the most important decisions for an entire faith?

We have all seen the hilarious tweets about this news such as, “For Lent, the Pope gave up...” Although the irony of this comment is humorous, we must review what Lent is. It is a 40-day period in which we are supposed to make a sacrifice in order to gain an appreciation for the suffering Jesus Christ endured wandering the desert for 40 days and nights. So maybe the Pope did give up the papacy for Lent (partially kidding, but you get the idea). Even so, it must have been a sacrifice, but it was a sacrifice necessary for the safety of the Church.

According to the Huffington Post, Benedict, before elected to the papacy after the death of Pope John Paul II, had apparently been “planning on retiring…to spend his final years writing in the ‘peace and quiet’ of his native Bavaria.” Benedict stepped up to the plate even when he had no intention of doing so.

He is a smart enough man, however, to recognize when enough is enough and that his resignation is directly for the benefit of the Church that he loves.

Kelly Coleman is a staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.

Maggie Maretz Pope Benedict XVI somewhat ironically told his temporary successor, Reverend Federico Lombardi, that the decision was not out of concern for his health, but instead was “spiritual.” Of course, this presents the contradiction that lies in the fact that, traditionally, the commitment that carries the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church through the papacy until the end of their lives is a spiritual one. There can be no denying that Pope Benedict XVI’s papacy was not flawless—he was reluctant to accept the position in the first place, presided over the scandal involving the molestation of children by Catholic priests, and his extremely conservative stances on issues like a woman’s right to become a priest and the use of condoms to prevent AIDS were met with great opposition. But as a leader of 1.2 billion devoted religious followers, the last thing this man should be doing is stepping down.

He disappoints his religious community by declining to be accountable for the commitment he made to so many, and attracts the attention of the non-Catholic world as well, who are equally shocked at the decision.

METRO THE HEIGHTS

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Thursday, February 14, 2013

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

BREAKING BOUNDARIES

Ooh La BOSTON BURIED UNDER NEMO La, LuLu Blizzard shuts down the city with record snowfall last weekend B Y B RENNA C ASS For The Heights

Happy Valentine’s Day! Now, when I say that to you, Metro readers, I mean it. I grew up with a serious love (pun intended) for this Hallmark holiday. As an only child, my family made Valentine’s Day just that—about the family. Personally, I use today to celebrate those in my life that I love, no matter their title. Father, mother, best friend, roommate, that really nice classmate in your 9:00 a.m.— to me, all those people are just as important on Valentine’s Day as a significant other.

And no, that is not some copout because I’m forever alone in February—I’ve had my fair share of Valentines over the years.

It’s no secret that Cupid isn’t exactly present on the Heights. The hookup culture has been criticized, analyzed, publicized, and ridiculed time and time again. And guess what? That changes nothing. No matter how many times Kerry Cronin challenges us to ‘Bring Back the Date,’ we just won’t.

I wholeheartedly agree with Cronin that hooking up is not what leads to fulfilling relationships—but does anyone really think that anymore? Frankly, I do not believe we, as students, have been given an effective formula to change our hookup culture.

In this day and age, can you blame us?

Half (okay, more than half) of our lives have gone wireless. Jesuits post assignments on BlackBoard. LinkedIn serves the business world as a venue for online resumes.

Everyone can be a professional photographer thanks to Instagram. (Please, continue to snap shots of your lunch, I beg of you.)

SnapChat, to some extent, has replaced texting—because why not send a selfie instead?

Our grandparents own Apple products. It’s obvious that the romantic realm, which, as earlier stated, we weren’t so great at to begin with, would translate to social media too. … And cue Tinder. According to Wikipedia, Tinder is an easily combustible material used to ignite fires by rudimentary methods.

To college kids, it’s the newest dating app.

Sounds about right.

A glorified version of ‘Hot or Not,’ Tinder has made it socially acceptable to judge people solely on their best look (like you didn’t do it before). Tinder collects users’ latest Facebook profile pictures, allowing others to ‘like’ or ‘pass’ on those the app suggests you ‘connect’ with, determined by your geographical location. When two users ‘like’ each other, Tinder notifies both parties.

If you’re lucky, the guy seen in the Rat every Monday could be your next match! And, in case you’re wondering, yes—this is just as creepy as it sounds.

But Tinder is nothing compared to Lulu, the new female-only app that launched nation-wide last week. Lulu allows women to take control of their dating experience by profiling their men—ex-boyfriends, friends, colleagues, etc. for other Lulu girls to see.

Users can add photos, descriptions, and opinions of their male Facebook friends to give other ladies a heads up … how courteous, right? In addition to classifying him by aesthetic categories, women can add hashtags to a man’s profile—#StinkyFeet, #trekkie, #RudeToWaiters, are some of the prime examples. I wish I were making this up. I really do.

So, back to my original question: can you blame us? With the vast expanse of technology literally at our fingertips, it shouldn’t shock anyone that this is what our dating culture has come to. I don’t partake in either app, nor do I agree with the college hookup culture: but I understand how we’ve sunk to where we are today. And you know what?

I don’t care.

I did not come to Boston College for my MRS. degree. Had I wanted a ring by spring, I would have stayed home and joined a sorority in Texas. I came to Boston for a world-class education, one I’m receiving from those wonderful Jesuits who have learned to use email. College teaches a lot of lessons in life outside the classroom. But if I miss a few lessons in love along the way, I think I’ll be alright.

Tricia Tiedt is the Metro Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.

On Friday, Boston was hit with one of the biggest blizzards in recent history. Winter storm Nemo dropped a record 24.9 inches of snow on the greater Boston area, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents snowed in and without power. The city worked tirelessly to restore public transportation and clear roadways of the historic accumulation of snow.

In preparation for the storm, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino urged Bostonians to stay off the roads. “This is going to be a very serious storm,” said Menino in a press release concerning city preparations last Thursday. “Safety is our number one priority. I want to stress that the best thing everyone can do Friday and Saturday is to stay home.”

All public schools in Boston had been cancelled

by Thursday evening to encourage parents to stay home, and many businesses closed for a long

still on the roads. The MBTA shut down all train, subway, and bus service at 3:00 p.m. on Friday as snow began to accumulate on above ground tracks.

Logan Airport began to cancel flights as early as Thursday evening, and cancelled more than 6,000 total flights over the course of the weekend. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick issued an Executive Order at 4:00 p.m. that banned all motor vehicles excluding necessary workers from being on the roads in the state of Massachusetts. Those who did take to the roads risked fines and possible jail time. Many Bostonians chose to snowboard, sled, and ski on the city’s carless streets.

Boston residents, especially college students, took advantage of the long weekend void of school, work, or responsibilities. On Friday night, more than 2,000 Boston University students attended a massive “Snowbrawl” on the Esplanade, organized through a mass Facebook event.

See Nemo Blizzard, B9

JORDAN PENTALERI / HEIGHTS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

TRICIA TIEDT

weekend or stayed open for only half the workday on Friday. On Thursday night, Menino also instituted a parking ban that went into effect at noon on Friday.

Boston’s Public Works crew boasted a fleet of more than 600 active pieces of snow clearing equipment.

“Our teams are working around the clock before, during, and after storm to clear our roads and keep our residents safe,” Menino said in another press release on Friday. “We want to give residents a look at what’s being done on their behalves, and this technology takes them right into the command centers of our public works yards.”

The mayor announced the timely launch of SnowOps Viewer, a website which shows the location of all public and private plows, available at cityofboston.gov/snow. Another new technology which helped Boston residents stay informed dur ing the stor m is ALE RT Boston, which keeps residents informed about the weather and other emergencies via text message or email.

As snow began to fall heavily during the day, transportation became increasingly dangerous for those

Higher Ground Farming “sprouting” up in city Second largest rooftop farm in nation to open in Boston

BY ALEXANDRA HADLEY For The Heights

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES

The former Mass. Senator will continue working in politics for the Fox News network.

Brown says he will not run for Senate re-election

BY JULIE ORENSTEIN Heights Editor Two weeks after announcing that he will not run in the special election to fill new Secretary of State John Kerry’s vacant Senate seat, former U.S. Senator Scott Brown, BC Law ’85, has been left to mull over his future in and out of politics.

Brown cited several reasons for his decision not to run, one of which was the extreme partisanship that is prevalent in the Senate. His philosophy, rooted in his moderate stance on many issues, is to contribute to across-the-aisle compromise, something he said is simply not happening.

“That big-tent moderation on both sides is missing because there’s extremes on both the left and the right folks, and we’re in trouble,” the former Republican senator said Sunday in an interview with CBS-3 Springfield.

I NSIDE METRO THIS ISSUE

Another factor leading Brown away from another Senate campaign was the prospect of running four campaigns in five years—if he had won his seat back this spring, he would be up for re-election next year. That amount of campaigning, aside from being physically exhausting, would have been draining on his donors as well.

Passing up on the chance to regain his seat in the Senate does not mean Brown is leaving politics for good, however. Many have speculated that he is gearing up for a bid for the Massachusetts governorship in 2014, fueled by the fact that Governor Deval Patrick is not seeking a third term.

With no Democratic heir-apparent to Patrick, the GOP might be willing to concede the Senate seat to the Democrats with the hope of retaking the governorship.

Historically, Massachusetts Republicans

On the Flip Side

What’s trendier than a rooftop garden? A rooftop farm, that’s what.

This spring, Higher Ground Farm (HGF) is launching Boston’s first rooftop farm on top of the Boston Design Center. Their farm will occupy 55,000 square feet, making it the second largest rooftop farm in the world, just behind a similar farm in Brooklyn. This project sprouted from the minds of Courtney Hennessey and John Stoddard, former classmates at the University of Vermont.

After college, Hennessey relocated to Boston while Stoddard ended up across the country in Portland, OR. Both pursued the agricultural career path, and John’s eventual return to the east coast resulted in the birth of HGF. “We’ve both worked in re st aurant s and are connected to the Boston food

See Brown, B8

Did Pope Benedict XVI make the right decision in his resignation?

How will it affect the Catholic community? ...........................................B11

scene,” Stoddard said.

Although HGF is focusing their efforts on growing fruits and vegetables now, the sky is the limit—literally. Ultimately, they want their rooftop to house not only vegetation, but animals as well.

However, HGF also strives to cultivate more than just food: they want the community to prosper—physically and mentally—as a result of their project.

They want to provide a portion of the city’s culinary needs, supplying fresh, homegrown food as an alternative to the manufactured, artificial food sold in traditional supermarkets. Even further, they want their farms to be a center for education, where members of the community can learn culinary skills, as well as more about green architecture.

HGF happens to be a leader in green building design. Their green roof is composed of a series of layers—including structural support, insulation, drainage, a growing medium, and vegetation—which serves as a triple threat. The innovative roof extends the life of the existing roof, while reducing energy costs. Green roofs can also contribute to future economic

See HGF, B9

LINDSAY GROSSMAN / PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

Restaurant Review: Sichuan Gourmet..........................................................B9 Person to Watch: Claudio Quintana.............................................................B10