The Heights 02/20/2012 by The Heights

The Heights endorses Osnato-Taziva for UGBC President and Vice President Making it Big

KSA/CSA SHOW making history

features

ARTS & rEVIEW

sports

BC Alum has successful writing career in Hollywood, B10

Prominent cultural organizations unite for an electric showcase, A10

Hockey head coach Jerry York becomes only the second coach to reach 900 wins, B1

Monday, February 20, 2012

Vol. XCIII, No. 10

bc idol raises funds for st. columbkille

42 students vie for 15 UGBC Senate positions 14 freshmen, 9 sophomores, and 9 juniors will run By Samantha Costanzo Asst. News Editor

Despite the focus on UGBC presidential and vice presidential elections the past two weeks, Senate campaigning started in earnest last Saturday. Elections for the 20122013 Senate will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 20, and Wednesday, Feb. 21, the same days as the UBGC presidential elections. “In the coming weeks, Senate will be looking at ways in which to have a closer working relationship with the Student Organization Funding Committee (SOFC), and this is something that really needs to be worked on,” said Vanessa Gomez, vice president of Senate and A&S ’14. “Senate should also work a lot more on addressing

the fact that students do not feel as though their voices are being heard.” The candidates for the Class of 2015 are George Fabrikarakis, A&S ’15; Daniel Jung, CSOM ’15; Christopher Marchese, LSOE ’15; Sean McBride, A&S ’15; Brock Menard, CSOM ’15; Alexander Moore, CSOM ’15; Erich Mosley, A&S ’15; David Peters, A&S ’15; Brian Riccio, CSOM ’15; Michael Rosella, A&S ’15; Katherine Scully, CSOM ’15; Jennifer Sidney, CSOM ’15; David Velasquez, CSOM ’15; and Ann Weber, CSOM ’15. The candidates for the Class of 2014 are Matthew Alonsozana, A&S ’14; Gordon Callender, A&S ’14; William Coughlin, A&S ’14; Kent Coleman Gay, A&S ’14; Ricky Knapp, A&S ’14; Joseph Manning, A&S ’14; Nate Schlein, A&S ’14; Stephen Wu, A&S ’14; and Coleman Younger, A&S ’14. The candidates for the Class of 2013 are Matthew Flynn, CSOM ’13; Rohan

See Senate Elections, A4

natalie blardony / for the heights

Ricky Scheiber and Julianne Quaas, both A&S ’15 (above), won this year’s BC Idol charity music competition. See page A10 for the full story.

Rev. Michael Himes gives lecture on sacraments Popular lecturer brings crowds to Gasson 100 By Andrew Skaras For The Heights

“Why does the universe exist? In short, because God loves it,” said Rev. Michael Himes on Thursday, Feb. 15 in Gasson 100. The Irish Room was standing room only, as students, faculty, and many guests were drawn in to hear Himes speak about why Catholics are sacramental people. Ordained in Brooklyn in 1972, Himes is a professor of theology in the College of Arts and Sciences. A recipient of the Phi Beta Kappa Award for Outstanding Teaching, Himes is known especially for his engaging teaching style and his Introduction to Christian Theology class. After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, Himes served as the Dean of Studies at the seminary in Macklin, N.Y., and as a professor of theology at Notre Dame before coming to Boston College. Sponsored by the Church in the 21st Century (C21), this lecture was the first in the center’s spring series. Founded in 2002, the center strives to stimulate the renewal of the Catholic Church in the United States in the wake of the sexual abuse scandal. It addresses four main issues: the role of different people in the U.S. Catholic Church, Catholic teaching on sexuality, passing on the faith to

the next generation, and the Catholic intellectual tradition. This lecture introduced the theme of the sacraments that this semester’s program seeks to explore in the coming months. An easy answer to the question of why Catholics are sacramental people is that the whole universe is sacramental, but Himes was not about to leave the subject at that. He described everything in the universe as possibly sacramental, with some key things being explicitly so and the rest being so only implicitly.

Stressing the question of the universe’s existence, he dismissed some possible answers such as an exhibit of God’s glory, power, or justice, because they implied that God gets something from the universe. “It’s not that the universe gives something to God, but that God gives something to the universe,” Himes said. “God doesn’t need the universe—He is

See Himes, A4

daniel lee / heights editor

Students sampled Mardi Gras themed food and purchased beer and wine in the Rat on Thursday.

Themed pub night brings the Rat back to its glory days By Joseph Pasquinelli Heights Staff

andrea lanza / for the heights

Rev. Michael Himes (above) gave a lecture on Thursday about Catholics as sacramental people.

Thursday evening, the Rat was home to po’ boy sandwiches, jambalaya, Creoleinspired music, and reasonably priced beer and wine for an early celebration of Mardi Gras. The 21+ event was sponsored by UGBC Campus Entertainment and was their second Pub Series event of the academic year. Despite limited methods available for publicizing the event due to the serving of alcohol, over 100 students attended the event. Kristen Mount, co-director of campus Pub Series and A&S ’12, said the advertising obstacle was overcome by students telling each other about the event. “Students found out about the event through word of mouth because of the 21+ restriction,”

Mount said. “The University is strict about [how we advertise].” The event also had a Facebook page. Joseph Bini, A&S ’12, said that he had a great time at the event but wished that more students were in attendance. “It was fun, but they need to publicize the event better so more people will come,” Bini said. Mount was pleased that so many students were in attendance, especially considering the limited success of last academic year’s pub series events. “At the first event, we had 600 people for the first time,” Mount said. “I’m happy people are here.” Mount thought the food offering was a significant factor in the number of students attending. “The increase in attendance is great. People respond well to

See Pub Series, A4

Wall brings years of experience, positive attitude to BC libraries By Devon Sanford Heights Editor

photo courtesy of bc libraries

Thomas Wall, above, has served as University Librarian at Boston College for three years.

Thomas Wall, the University Librarian of Boston College, has never been afraid of an adventure. Since his four years as an undergraduate at Richard Stockton College in New Jersey, Wall has traveled the country as a student, teacher, and librarian. His office walls are decorated with an eclectic collection of posters, pictures, and paraphernalia that capture his many adventures. A classic Steelers end zone picture hangs next to an iconic Lonesome Dove movie poster. A John Deere hat sits beside a large stack of

classical texts. A family photo sits next to university degrees. Wall’s adventures as a student and librarian have brought experience, knowledge, and great passion to the BC campus. March 1 marks Wall’s three-year anniversary as Boston College’s University librarian. Wall has been working as a librarian for over 20 years. After receiving an undergraduate degree in philosophy and religion from Richard Stockton College, Wall went on to obtain his graduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His adventures continued as he traveled back north. Wall studied philosophy at Duquesne University in

Pittsburgh, Pa., where he received his master’s degree. He then joined the Chicago Public Library staff as head of research under the Harold Washington Administration. Wall went on to receive his Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh, where he worked as the head of public services for 13 years. With his wife and family, Wall returned to the south, where he worked as the associate university librarian for public services at Duke University for eight years. As the associate university librarian for Duke University, Wall renovated the campus libraries and modernized their facilities. His goal was to connect the

student body and faculty with Duke’s libraries, and he was extremely successful. The campus’ main library had an average gate count of 600,000 students when he began working. After eight years working at Duke, the gate count had reached over 2 million. “The student body saw the library as an important part of the academic campus,” Wall said. “We were innovating, building, and really listened and responded to the students and faculty. That’s what we want to do here at Boston College.” For the past three years, Wall has

See Wall, A4

TopTHREE

The Heights

Monday, February 20, 2012

things to do on campus this week

BC bOp! Performance Today Time: 8 p.m. Location: Gasson 100

Come see the BC bOp! Instrumental and Vocal Jazz Ensemble perform one last time on campus before it departs for the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Moscow, Idaho. The group will play through the repertoire that it will perform at the festival.

Joseph Joyce Economics Lecture

Today Time: 4 p.m. Location: Higgins 225

Joseph Joyce, professor of economics at Wellesley College, will present a lecture titled “The IMF and the Global Financial Crisis: Phoenix Rising?”

What’s Your Story? Narratives of Immigration

Tuesday Time: 7 p.m. Location: Murray Function Room A panel of BC students, faculty, and staff will discuss their experiences with immigration. Student panelists include the president of the Asian Caucus.

the

University

In ws e N

The scope of the MCAT to be broadened starting in 2015

On Campus Four Boston College professors awarded 2012 Sloan Research Fellowships The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has recently honored four Boston College professors with two-year, $50,000 grants to support their research: assistant professor of biology Michelle Meyer, assistant professor of physics Ying Ran, assistant professor of chemistry Dunwei Wang, and assistant professor of psychology Liane Young were four of the 126 researchers recognized by the foundation, which rewards early-career scientists and scholars identified as the next generation of leading researchers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and economics. BC won more Sloan Fellowships than any other university in Massachusetts, including Harvard and MIT, which each won three grants. Stanford University won the most grants nationally, with seven. Fifty-one different universities were awarded in total. “It is unprecedented for a university of our size, without a medical or engineering school, to receive four Sloan Research Fellowships in one year,” said Cutberto Garza, provost and dean of faculties.

The Association of American Medical Colleges approved broad changes last Thursday for the Medical College Admission Test that the organization administers. The changes, which are the first since 1991 and will take effect in 2015, will force prospective medical students to answer questions about the social and psychological elements of medicine, as well as the traditional scientific elements. The MCAT will be lengthened by two hours to a total of six and a half hours due to the changes. The AAMC believes the expanded test will prepare students for the changing health care system and aging patient population.

Local News Woman hit by truck and killed while crossing the street in Brighton A woman was hit by a tow truck last Thursday night while crossing Market Street in Brighton Center. The crash occurred at the intersection of Chestnut Hill Avenue and Market Street at about 6:20 p.m. The woman was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital with serious injuries, and has since passed away. A passenger in the tow truck has told media outlets that the truck had a green light turning onto Market Street from Chestnut Hill Avenue. The passenger also said the driver of the truck tried to stop, but ended up hitting the victim while skidding.

BC teams up with SALT financial program By Samantha Costanzo Asst. News Editor

Joseph Castlen / Heights editor

The SALT program will host financial courses, and gives students tools to keep track of their college loans. vides webinars and Money 101, self-paced financial education courses that teach students and alums about paying student loans successfully and creating a feasible budget, for example. Communication is an important element of SALT. To this

end, it e-mails, calls, and sends direct mail to students throughout the repayment process and at other critical moments in their financial processes, including repayment reminders in an effort to prevent delinquency on loans.

In addition, SALT provides students with the professional resources they need to discuss loan options; search for scholarships, jobs, and internships; and create a repayment plan. Because it is geared toward getting students interested and

more actively involved in their financial futures, SALT also works with schools to design a comprehensive ad campaign that is specific to each unique student body. Its Money 101 classes, for example, come with customizable activities so that administrators can implement a program that will have the maximum effect on their students. Money 101 also provides administrators with instant feedback, allowing them to see what students find most important and track their progress in the course. SALT is also highly personalized on the student side. Each student gets a dashboard that keeps track of all of their student loans in one place as well as access to financial counselors. BC students should be receiving access codes within the next week, after which they will be able to sign up for an account. The program is part of ASA, one of the leading student debt management organizations in the country. “We believe the tools and information available through the SALT program will help BC students become financially literate for a lifetime,” McGranahan said. n

Police Blotter

Voices from the Dustbowl

2/15/12-2/16/12

“If a movie were made about your life, who would play you?”

Wednesday, February 15

later located.

9:12 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a larceny of personal property from a BC student at Claver Hall. The incident is being investigated.

1:56 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding damage to a motor vehicle off-campus.

3:25 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding unauthorized charges on a BC ID at the BCPD station. The incident is being investigated. 4:48 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding assistance provided to an off-campus student. The student was located and is safe and sound. 6:56 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a fire alarm activation at the Mods. The cause for the activation was determined to be smoke from burned food. 8:41 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding fire alarm activation at 90 St. Thomas More Road. No cause for the alarm was discovered and the alarm company was contacted to investigate the cause for the activation and reset the system. 11:45 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding assistance provided to a BC student at Voute Hall. The student was transported to a medical facility in a police cruiser.

Thursday, February 16 12:45 a.m. - An officer filed a report at Cushing Hall regarding a cell phone that may have been stolen. The cell phone was

“Tom Hanks.” —Thomas Larsson, LSOE ’14

2:46 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a suspicious letter at Williams Hall. A detective is investigating. 4:35 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a stolen cell phone at the Plex. A detective is investigating. 7:14 p.m. - An officer filed a report at McElroy Commons about a student who is receiving harassing e-mails and telephone calls. A detective is investigating. 7:38 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding an injured student at the Plex. The party was transported to a medical facility by Armstrong Ambulance.

“Steve Carell.” —Garrett Kingston, CSOM ’14

8:10 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a student who was feeling ill at the Newton Lots. The party was transported to a medical facility by Armstrong Ambulance.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

“Amanda Bynes.” —Rachi Saunders,

A&S ’14

42° Partly Cloudy 24°

Tuesday

48° Partly Cloudy 39°

Wednesday

56° Mostly Cloudy 35° 54° Showers 33°

Source: National Weather Service

A Guide to Your Newspaper The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467 Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223 Editorial General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Marketplace Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823 Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753 EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call David Cote, 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 Greg Joyce, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0189, or e-mail sports@bcheights.com. Arts Events The Heights covers a multitude of events both on and off campus – including concerts, movies, theatrical performances, and more. Call Brennan Carley, 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 Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE Delivery To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact Dan Ottaunick, General Manager at (617) 552-0547. Advertising The Heights is one of the most effective ways to reach the BC community. To submit a classified, display, or online advertisement, call our advertising office at (617) 552-2220 Monday through Friday.

The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year by The Heights, Inc. (c) 2012. All rights reserved. “Tina Fey.” —Danielle Cecchini, A&S ’14

8:54 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a missing juvenile at Conte Forum. Other police agencies have been notified. 11:47 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding an ill student on Upper Campus. The party was transported to a medical facility by Armstrong Ambulance.

Today

Thursday

featured story

On Thursday, Boston College announced its new partnership with the SALT program in an effort to help students and alums better manage their finances. “ We’ve partenered with American Student Assistance (ASA) in this initiative so that BC students, both current and alumni, will have access to a robust debt management and financial education program,” said Mary S. McGranahan, director of financial aid. SALT has seven major goals. Its first goal is to promote ASA’s resources to universities in order to achieve its other goals, including enhancing schools’ existing resources to allow staff to address other issues, improving relationships between financial offices and students and alums, and increasing alumni contributions by helping alums become more financially stable. In order to improve the image of each school enrolled, it aims to raise the graduation rate by preventing students from dropping out for financial reasons and lower the default rate. As part of this financial literacy program, SALT pro-

Four Day Weather Forecast

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

The Heights

Monday, February 20, 2012

Bus2Alps makes Europe accessible Born lucky? Be responsible. By Cathryn Woodruff Heights Editor

Joseph Pasquinelli With the exception of Valentine’s Day, a (some would say) controversial statement about homosexuality by Father Himes, and the anticipated redoubling of campaign efforts by UGBC presidential hopefuls, it has been a rather slow week in campus news. Weeks like this give me an opportunity to reflect on Boston College and our culture more broadly, rather than through the lens of a particular newsworthy event and its implications for our student body. When I arrived at a meeting early Sunday evening, I noticed a leopard print pencil case, Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee, an economics text book, and an Apple computer that likely cost somewhere around a thousand dollars. I knew these couldn’t belong to my roommate, who would be presiding over the meeting and arrived thirty minutes before the rest of us had—the items had been there when he arrived. Thirty minutes into the meeting, the girl returned with a large bag of food, seeming upset that we were holding our weekly meeting in a classroom in Gasson, and that we were the reason she would have to find another space to study. While this student’s confidence to leave an expensive computer unsupervised for over an hour speaks to the safety of our campus, it also speaks to the great privilege at BC. When I was in high school, we couldn’t leave our hundreddollar graphing calculators under our desks when going to collect a quiz from the teacher because inevitably another student would steal it. This happened to me, and I never did get my calculator back. Leaving our valuables unattended for any period of time—let alone an hour—reveals two things about the privilege of many BC students. First, few people here steal because they simply have no need to. If they want a MacBook, all they have to do is ask mommy or daddy for one, present some half-baked reason for why they “need” it, and voila, their shiny new Apple product is being overnighted to them. This incident also reveals that privilege teaches us to devalue valuables. Part of the reason for this is that students with such privilege know how easily their MacBook is replaced if it is lost or stolen. Another reason, though, is what they do not know. They do not know that, while many people here can afford one MacBook, some people here cannot afford to replace one. I imagine it is equally unfathomable to them that in some places there are people who cannot even afford a Gateway laptop. Another privilege we take for granted, and perhaps would not even consider a privilege, is clean tap water. Students at BC consume enough bottled water during a week to supply a small village, when the water from their tap is probably the least toxic liquid they could put in their body during that week. Some students here have become aware of their privilege and are taking steps to help those who have not been born rich. There are several Newtonites who will soon be walking from their residence halls to Main Campus for class in an effort to raise money for and awareness of people who cannot simply turn on the faucet for clean drinking water. Admittedly, I find it very difficult to not begrudge my fellow Eagles their immense privilege, but I also need to remember that I am incredibly privileged to be at BC. What is important for anyone with any type of privilege is that they first not take it for granted. Once we recognize our own privilege, we must use it to help improve the lives of others rather than stand on their backs to raise our own selves up.

Joseph Pasquinelli is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at news@bcheights.com.

Begun in 2003, the Bus2Alps program has absolutely exploded. A Tour Operating company, Bus2Alps organizes and operates tours for students studying abroad, whether it is for a weekend, a week, or in the case of the summer tours, two weeks. Bus2Alps provides students who are living temporarily in a foreign country with the transportation to spend a weekend in another nearby city. The beginnings of the company stem from a man named Simon O’Keefe, who was living in Interlaken, Switzerland. When a large group of students who were studying abroad came to Interlaken for a weekend and there was a train strike, O’Keefe had the idea to organize a bus for these students to reach their destination. It became apparent that this idea could spark a successful company, and from there it snowballed. In 2003, Bus2Alps began as a series of ski operator bus trips from Florence and Rome to Interlaken, which explains the program’s title. After the first year of this, however, the company expanded drastically. Bus2Alps now offers trips to numerous European hot spots such as London, Paris, Vienna, Salzburg, Interlaken, and, their most popular, the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy. This Amalfi Coast trip is offered every weekend from the first weekend in April until the first weekend in October. The trip attracts an average of 150 students every weekend. Other unique trips include a

Greek island hopping adventure, a trip to Prague during Oktoberfest, and a Saint Patrick’s Day trip to Ireland. Although trips are preplanned and students can sign up on their website, Tour Operator and U.S. Operations Manager Mike LaPorta noted that when strong interest formed in attending a Dave Matthews concert in Rome one weekend, they created a customized tour for this. Although advertised as “Europe’s Award-Winning Student Travel Agency,” Bus2Alps is more than just the transportation organizer. On their website, Bus2Alps advertises the “Florence 2 Interlaken” trip, which includes “skiing, snowboarding, night sledding, snowshoeing, skydiving, paragliding, hanggliding, canyon jumping, scooters, funcars, ATVs, mountain bikes, mountain hikes, lake hikes, and partying at Balmers Metro Bar.” All trips include round trip transportation, local transportation, a guide, a trip leader, an itinerary, and a reservation for commodious living in its most raw form—the top rated hostel in the city. “We’ve tailored the trips in a way so that we include everything that people would want to do,” LaPorta said. “We include activities in the itineraries that everyone should do at that location. If it’s mapped out that far, people will wake up and do it.” An average weekend trip costs around $260, a Spring Break trip around $800, and a two-week summer trip about $1500-$1600 (relative to the exchange rate). These prices do not include flights. Although the guides are there to direct travelers and be hands-

on, LaPorta emphasized that they are not babysitters and that travelers have the freedom to choose what they would and would not like to do. Perhaps the biggest perk of traveling with Bus2Alps is its connections with local attractions. They offer exclusive discounts on special activities and VIP entries into select clubs and restaurants. Although 95 percent of the clientele are American students abroad looking for a new and exciting experience for a weekend away, this year Bus2Alps has found a way for trips to be possible for all. The company is trying to expand its horizons to focus on everybody—especially for the spring break and summer trips, for those who did not or are not planning on going abroad for a whole semester or summer. A surprisingly small percentage of U.S. students study abroad, despite what seems like the majority. LaPorta’s job is not only to guide trips, but also to spread awareness to students about going on these trips. LaPorta recently visited a student at Boston College who had toured with Bus2Alps in Europe. “It’s great to go back to schools where we can reconnect with students who went abroad already who now reflect on it,” LaPorta said. “Our staff is so passionate about what we do because it’s an incredible feeling to be told that because of your work, someone experienced the greatest moment or weekend of their life.” Thus, it is not surprising that through the success of the company and the power of word of mouth, Bus2Alps continues to expand rapidly. n

Photo courtesy of bus2alps

Bus2Alps helps students studying abroad or on vacation experience places such as the caldera in Santorini, Greece.

R E D I S N O C Shhhh- you’re in a library: BC is home to three very impressive libraries. O’Neill is home to over 1.3 million books, Bapst has recently been named one of the top 25 most beautiful college libraries in the country, and the Burns Art Library contains a fantastic collection of original Irish artwork. In addition, resources like the CTRC help make BC’s libraries a perfect example of what a college library should be like. Here’s a look at some other colleges and universities that really know how to hit the books: -The Harold B. Lee library at Brigham Young University was ranked No. 3 in the nation by the Princeton Review this year. Students gave it high marks for its twice-monthly meetings and ability to implement change, like adding an entire floor dedicated to music, a “snack zone,” and the installation of hundreds of electrical outlets for powering laptops and other devices. Its parody of the Old Spice commercials, called “Study Like a Scholar, Scholar” has also been a big hit in its campaign to get students to utilize library space. -Duke University students have access to eight libraries, including one for law, one for medicine, and one for marine biology. Its reference librarians are experts in a variety of topics. Its alumni association also co-hosts the Duke Reads online book club with the libraries. -Harvard University is currently in the process of completely overhauling the way its libraries operate and relate to the academic needs of its students. The University is also working with Google to digitize books within its collection whose copyrights have expired and are now part of the public domain.With over 70 libraries, it boasts the fourth largest collection of books in the U.S., after the Library of

Congress, the Boston Public Library, and the New York Public LIbrary. -Boston University’s 11 libraries include ones dedicated to African Studies, Astronomy, and rare books. Like BC, it gives students the opportunity to request materials from other libraries and ask questions to librarians 24/7. In addition, its Digital Common system gives people all over the world, not just BU students access to documents and publications written or co-written by BU students, faculty, and staff. Here’s looking at BC: In days gone by, BC students didn’t have to rely on the Pub Series to enjoy a good pint or two. According to a 2006 article in Boston College Magazine, Welch Dining Hall, affectionately known as The Rat by every BC student, used to be BC’s very own bar. The dining hall was created in 1951 and was celebrated for being the first sit-down dining area on campus. Formerly a commuter student hot spot, The Rat became the Rathskeller beer hall, named after a German term to describe a bar or restaurant in the basement of a city hall, every Thursday night. In the 1970s, The Rat became a daily operation. Hailed by administration at its opening as “the most relaxing place on campus,” The Rat officially opened as a beer hall on May 11, 1973 on a two-week trail period. In the 1974 edition of Sub Turri, a short piece celebrated The Rat’s transformation into a full-time operation. That year The Rat played host to the Career Center’s “Beers and Careers” events as well as two semi-formal dances and weekly concerts. The Joe Perry Project, started by Aerosmith’s lead guitarist, played its first gig in The Rat in 1979. -Samantha Costanzo n

The Heights

Monday, February 20, 2012

Wall hopes to modernize and renovate the BC library system Wall, from A1 worked to bring the BC libraries from “good to great.” He has developed a strategic approach to improving and renovating the campus libraries. Under his leadership, library facilities have been modernized, new technology has been installed, and library study rooms and lounges have been refurbished. “We want to make the library a part of BC’s transformation from good to great,” Wall said. “The libraries should have a leadership role in such a wonderful city and great community.” Since March of 2009, Wall has tackled a major project every summer. During his first year, the Educational Resource Center in Campion Hall was completely renovated. During his second year, the entrance to O’Neill library on the first floor was opened. Under Wall’s leadership, the entire first floor was modernized. Study booths were built, technology

monitors were installed, and the student art gallery was created. This coming summer, Wall plans to renovate part of the first floor in O’Neill by taking down the blue stacks and creating a reading room for students. And while Wall has led significant renovation projects, he continues to face the challenge of maintaining the his-

“Every good university has a great library. I’m committed to making Boston College libraries great.” -Tom Wall University Librarian tory of BC’s libraries. “The challenge of Boston College is to not lose the traditional values and feel of libraries,” said Wall, “but at the same time, move ahead in ways that are good for

our student body and faculty … we’re trying to bring the tradition and future together in a way that’s great for Boston College.” Since joining the BC community, Wall has worked hard to connect with the student body and faculty. He has developed monthly student advisory meetings and encourages students to reach out to the library faculty. After three years at BC, Wall feels there have been significant improvements in the BC libraries. “Every good university has a great library,” Wall said. “I’m committed to making Boston College libraries great. The staff is doing a really great job with that goal … they’re listening to students more than ever before, the faculty is engaged, we’re all making strides.” Wall has big plans for BC’s libraries, and he’s confident in the future. “The library isn’t just about taking out a book and leaving. It’s more than that,” he said. “And we want to make the Boston College libraries the best they can be.” n

daniel lee / heights editor

UGBC sponsors Mardi Gras pub event Pub Series, from A1 food,” he said. Preston Landers, CSOM ’12, confirmed Mount’s theory on the appeal of offering food. “I love being with my friends and eating free food,” Landers said. He also thought this pub series event was an improvement from the previous one. “This one was better because they dimmed the lights. Also, holding it on a Thursday is a good idea.” Other students echoed Landers’ sentiments. The free food and the novelty of serving beer and wine on campus appealed to Mary Kate McAdams, A&S ’12. “The free food is great, and I think it’s amusing

there’s alcohol in the Rat,” McAdams said. While students were enjoying themselves, Mount said she thought it would be unlikely that they would extend the event longer than two hours in the future. “An event any longer wouldn’t sell,” Mount said. “People usually don’t stay more than 45 minutes.” Students expressed their desire to see more events of this kind and having the Rat go back to being a bar as it was before the drinking age was raised to 21. Thomas Kotlowski, A&S ’12, said he would attend more pub series events if they had them. “I had a great time, and I wish they had more of these,” Kotlowski said. “I heard that the Rat

used to be a bar where students and faculty could mingle.” Mount did say, though, that she would like to see more events of this kind. “We’d like to have one once a month,” Mount said, “but people aren’t necessarily here all the time because of breaks.” Katherine Corteselli, LSOE ’12, attended the event because she wanted a shared experienced with her mother who also went to BC. “When my mom went here it was a bar,” Corteselli said, “and I wanted the same experience.” Landers also thought the experience was important to BC tradition. “I would like us to return to those glory days when the Rat was a pub.” n

daniel lee / heights editor

Erik Goldschmidt (above), director of the Church in the 21st Century, introduced Rev. Michael Himes before his lecture.

Himes shows modern perspective Himes, from A1 complete, whole, and absolute. Everything exists because God loves it. God calls everything into existence so that God can give God’s self to it.” Describing grace as a sort of “theological shorthand for God’s gift of God’s self outside of the Trinity,” Himes gave a philosophical twist to the common Christian conception of the soul’s immortality. He posited that the reason a soul does not die is not because of its inherent nature, but because God loves it so much that it is held in existence. Explaining the sacramental principle, Himes said, “What is always and everywhere true must be noticed and celebrated somewhere at sometime.” He

compared this to a heartbeat—it is only noticed when something, such as exercise, calls atten-

“If it is true that there are people who are irretrievably homosexual, then it is vicious to tell them they can’t get married. To tell someone they have to be celibate is absolutely mad.” -Rev. Michael Himes tion to it. The absolute self-gift of God can be just as easily overlooked and so he held that

sacraments are simply occasions that can get people to notice and celebrate it. “Augustine, as quoted by Aquinas, said ‘Sacraments effect what they signify,’” Himes said. “[They] bring us to recognize the presence of grace by pointing. It is we who need to change, not the world. We are called to notice the world. The point of spiritual discipline is that you stop looking in the world long enough to see the world outside.” After the lecture, Himes was drawn off the topic of sacraments by an audience question inquiring about gay marriage. “If it is true that there are people who are irretrievably homosexual, then it is vicious to tell them they can’t get married,” Himes said in response. “To tell someone they have to be celibate is absolutely mad.” n

daniel lee / heights editor

21-year-old students ate free food and sampled beer and wine in the Mardi Gras Pub Series event sponsored by UGBC.

Woods Schoolers have difficulty finding representation Candidates Because they do not pay activities announced fee, WCAS students often miss out By Molly LaPoint Heights Editor

The Woods College of Advancing Studies ( WC A S), a school within the University through which students can take night classes, earn professional certificates, bachelors and masters degrees, and enroll in non-degree programs, lacks a representative in UGBC Senate. Students are also unable to vote in UGBC elections because they do not pay the $298 student activity fee other undergraduate students pay. The college, which is comprised of approximately 750 students, 150 of them in the masters program, caters mostly to commuter students in their early 20s, according to Rev. James A. Woods, S.J., dean of the WCAS.

a of these students have attended other institutions and have different needs than a typical Boston College undergraduate. “We serve the metropolitan Boston community,” he said. Undergraduate students in the other colleges at BC pay a fee that allows them to participate in and help fund organizations on campus. The restriction of WCAS students from voting and running in UGBC elections is a rather specific one, contingent upon the fact that they do not pay this fee. “In general, we wouldn’t prohibit students from participating [in other clubs],” said Mark Miceli, associate director of the Student Programs Office (SPO). The restriction would not necessarily extend to appointed positions within UGB C. Al-

though Miceli said he did not belie ve there was a student from the WCAS in UGBC at the moment, he could see a case in which a student in one of the traditional undergradu-

“If there were students in the Woods School who wanted to have a fuller experience, we’d have to look into that.” -Mark Miceli Associate Director of the Student Programs Office ate programs who had already been in UGBC but transferred to the WCAS might continue to be involved. “We don’t necessarily keep track of that,” Miceli said. Miceli explained that one of

the issues is that students in the elected positions, such as those of UGBC Senate, are elected based on class year, and sometimes WCAS students are not easily defined within the fouryear college system. In addition, students in these positions are deciding what to do with the funds provided by the fee. “ We don’t want student s who don’t pay the activity fee to represent students who do,” Miceli said. Students running must fill out an intent form with their BC ID number and class year, so a WCAS student would not be eligible to apply at the moment. “We do a check on anybody who runs for office. If you join a club, there’s no kind of check,” Miceli said. Students are generally encouraged to participate in what they would like to be involved in. “As a rule, we don’t want to limit participation in any of our activities,” Miceli said.

Miceli said that this is a relatively old rule, and that no one has looked over it in a while. He could envision the possibility of creating a seat for WCAS students, and having those students pay the fee. “We haven’t had a student approach us about running,” he said. “It just hasn’t been an issue in the past. If there were students in the Woods School who wanted to have a fuller experience, we’d have to look into that.” Woods mentioned that a former Woods School student, Robert Anzenberger, who now teaches economics in the Woods School, was involved in UGBC during his time as a student about 40 years ago. Since then, the campus has become much more residential. Miceli said that, in his time at BC, WCAS students have not been able to vote or run for office. “The demographics of the school have changed dramatically,” Miceli said. n

Senate Elections, from A1 Ganti, A&S ’13; Tim Jablonski, A&S ’13; Scott Monaco, A&S ’13; Katie Moore, A&S ’13; Rory O’Hanlon, A&S ’13; Constantine Schidlovsky, CSOM ’13; Jonathan Spillane, CSOM ’13; and Brian Raab, A&S ’13. n

“Senate should also work a lot more on addressing the fact that students do not feel as though their voices are being heard.” -Vanessa Gomez Vice President of Senate and A&S ’13

CLASSIFIEDS

The Heights

Monday, February 20, 2012

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The Heights

Editorials

QUOTE OF THE DAY

‘The Heights’ endorses Osnato-Taziva The Undergraduate Government of Boston College is often criticized for being an elitist, self-serving organization. Fortunately, this stereotype is one that both of this year’s final two presidential teams are aware of and plan to alter. After only about 20 percent of the undergraduate body voted in the primaries, The Heights feels this is a legitimate concern, and asked the candidates how they plan to reach out to the 80 percent of students who did not vote and are less involved on campus. While their approaches to the issue differ, each candidate team recognizes the need for the student government to reach out to non-UGBC students. With the slogan “Because YOU Matter,” the presidential team of Chris Osnato and Kudzai Taziva, both A&S ’13, plans to utilize their enthusiasm and charisma to reach out to students and answer the question that so many undergraduates ask, “What can UGBC do for me?” Similarly, Vanessa Gomez and Jennifer Wanandi, both A&S ’13, want to go “To New Heights” by making UGBC more accessible through a restructuring of the organization into one that is more aware, approachable, and productive –bringing UGBC back to its mission statement, which identifies its purpose as meeting the needs and desires of the BC student. After much deliberation and thought, The Heights has decided to endorse Osnato and Taziva for president and vice president of the UGBC. We believe they are in sync with the student body and will make their students’ concerns a top priority. As members of the undergraduate government, the president and vice president must be student leaders who represent the pulse of the campus, as they have the privileged and unique ability to speak on behalf of the student body, a quality which we believe Osnato and Taziva embody. With a platform that centers on collaboration, school spirit, and re-establishing the connection between the undergraduates and the undergraduate government, Osnato and Taziva have the capability and vision to lead the student government effectively and to reverse the UGBC stereotype. They have demonstrated a realistic understanding of their prospective roles as leaders of the UGBC and the initiatives that can be realistically enacted via those roles. When speaking with The Heights, Osnato and Taziva presented certain facets of their platform that particularly resonated with our board members. To

address the low voter turnout in the primaries, they have adopted an ambitious approach to reaching out to the remaining 80 percent of the student body. The team has included in their platform a “Dorm Representatives” initiative, which will allow individuals from each residence hall to be resources for students and to communicate to their dorm the initiatives that UGBC is pursuing and the events UGBC offers. This is the kind of tangible interaction we believe is necessary to encourage more students to be involved in student government affairs. In forming campaign platforms, it is easy to be overly ambitious, but the Osnato-Taziva duo has coupled their “Dorm Representatives” campaign with a series of realistic platform points that, if implemented, would have direct and immediate effects on student life. Among these points is their desire to establish a fair where all of the majors and minors offered by the University will have stations set up to explain the intricacies of course requirements. The fair will be coupled with peer advising opportunities, where students can hear about the experiences upperclassmen have had in the respective majors and minors. Osnato and Taziva have also included in their platform ideas to increase school spirit, especially concerning sporting events, and establish as a tradition the fall and spring concerts. The Heights feels that these two areas are representative of the concerns of the average student. With these platform points in mind, The Heights wishes to impart some advice to Osnato and Taziva if they are to be elected. Though we laud your enthusiasm, we want to remind you of the challenges you will face when translating students’ concern into action. In order to bring your initiatives to fruition, you will need to build relationships with administrators immediately and tackle the learning curve you will face head on. These are areas where the GomezWanandi team have incredible strength. The Heights would like to praise Gomez-Wanandi for their passion and hard work. While we have decided not to endorse the team, we feel that their experience and professionalism should be commended, and we hope that regardless of the final decision for UGBC president and vice president, Gomez and Wanandi continue to stay as involved as they are now within the organization, and work to help press initiatives to fruition.

York’s 900th win an exemplary milestone The legendary BC hockey coach should be applauded for his success, both on and off the ice On Friday night at Kelley Rink , Boston College head coach Jerry York recorded his 900th career win when the men’s hockey team defeated Merrimack by a score of 4-2. The win made York just the second college hockey coach to get to the 900-mark, a highly esteemed class in the world of sports. While the amount of wins says a lot about the talent of his teams, it also shows that York has been able to establish great programs at all three schools he has coached at. After attending BC himself, York became the head coach at Clarkson University and there recorded 125 wins. He went on to coach at Bowling Green University, where he turned around the hockey program and won a national championship in 1984. When he came to BC, York encountered a struggling hockey program, and within four years had turned it into an annual national title contender. While York has led the Eagles to

win national championships in 2001, 2008, and 2010, his character off the ice has been even more astounding. The Heights has seen the impact he has had on his players, past and present, in addition to the student body and the surrounding community as a whole. York’s humble approach to the game focuses on the importance of a team. He continually makes sure his players are performing to the best of their ability on the ice and in the classroom. His coaching style is one that should be emulated by other coaches, as his success is evident in all areas of the game. After Saturday night’s win, York now stands at 901 wins for his career. With the record standing at 924, The Heights hopes to see York’s success continue throughout the end of this season and for many years to come. Congratulations, Coach York, on a great milestone for a class act.

The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Ottaunick, General Manager Lindsay Grossman, Managing Editor

Contributors:

Monday, February 20, 2012

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” -Walt Disney (1901-1966), producer, director, screenwriter, and entrepreneur

Woogeon kim/ Heights Illustration

Letter to the Editor The following letter is in response to the Feb. 13 letter by Bobby Wengronowitz: First, I would like to thank Robert for raising some important issues. I do, however, have to point out that his characterization of the GSA is misguided. Our core mission is to advocate on behalf of graduate students. This year alone we have engaged or addressed several substantive issues relating to the quality of life and experience of graduate students. I would like to share a few examples with you. Through the monthly meeting of the Graduate Library Council, which is open to all graduate students, we have secured dedicated graduate student space in O’Neill. When rumors surfaced that plans for Stokes Hall didn’t include cubicle space for TAs/TFs, I met with College of Arts and Sciences Dean, David Quigley, to discuss this issue. I learned that in addition to the cubicle space, there would be common space and lockers reserved for graduate students—a net gain in graduate student space on campus. As part of a two year exploration of graduate student advising, we held focus groups and began working on a survey instrument. Following our presentation of the proposed survey at the September meeting of the Provost’s Advisory Council meeting, it became clear that we needed to engage faculty more and collaborate with the University offices responsible for institutional research—a process that takes time. This project, in particular, has been sidelined by the current vacancy in the Vice Provost for Graduate Education position. While some advocacy issues, such as library space, are able to be resolved rather quickly, others cannot be settled in one academic year. Many of the issues Robert raises are perennial issues. To suggest that he is the first to name them and garner consensus on these “core issues” is naive. Rather than see our work as “going along silently with the administration,” I encourage you to consider the interrelated factors that go into decision making at a complex institution with multiple stakeholders. Some issues must be addressed at the school level, such as tuition, health insurance premium coverage, and stipend compensation, while others, like insurance premium costs, can be addressed at the institutional level. There are different ways to engage the administration to be sure,

but an approach that cultivates positive working relationships as part of a commitment to collaboration, recognizes reasonable timeframes in which issues can be addressed, and respects that we are one subset of a larger community, is the one I have chosen to adopt. Future presidents may take a different approach. Lastly, the point that elections for the executive board will not be taking place this year is only partially correct. Over the last year we have decided to step back and thoughtfully evaluate how we do things. We have strong collaborative relationships with the school governments, the Office of Graduate Student Life (OGSL), the Provost’s Office, the library, and many others who do important work for graduate students. We also have limited resources, so to avoid overlap, we’ve tried to identify our niche—those things that graduate students are not or cannot get elsewhere. In the interest of maximizing our limited resources, both human and financial, we have chosen to strengthen our collaboration with the OGSL through more co-programming and more professional support for the exec board members. We realize that the inherited structure of the GSA does not allow us to meet the needs of graduate students effectively. Therefore, we are increasing the expected commitment for exec board members from 10 to 20 hours per week and increasing the stipend. We recognize the need for greater skills and a process by which we can evaluate someone’s ability to meet the demands of the positions. So we are actively developing a selection process that incorporates input from all graduate students with a traditional application/interview model characteristic of the processes for getting other graduate assistantships. There are challenges to this approach, but I feel that its worth trying. The end goal of all involved is still advocating on behalf of graduate students. Information about the process for seeking an exec board role for the 2012-2013 year will be available in the coming weeks. I encourage you to be in touch with me to discuss any or all of this. Jillian Maxey GA&S’14

Have something to say? Send a letter to the editor. editor@bcheights.com The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 200 words and column submissions that do not exceed 700 words for its op/ed pages. The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and to prevent libel. The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces submitted

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

Business and Operations

Editorial Eleanor Hildebrandt, Copy Editor David Cote, News Editor Greg Joyce, Sports Editor Therese Tully, Features Editor Brennan Carley, Arts & Review Editor Charlotte Parish, Metro Editor Elise Taylor, Opinions Editor Molly Lapoint, Special Projects Editor Jae Hyung (Daniel) Lee, Photo Editor Maggie Burdge, Layout Editor

Woogeon Kim, Graphics Editor Katie McClurg, Online Manager Michelle Tomassi, Assoc. Copy Editor Chris Grimaldi, Asst. Copy Editor Andrew Millette, Assoc. News Editor Samantha Costanzo, Asst. News Editor Chris Marino, Assoc. Sports Editor Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor Alexandra Schaeffer, Asst. Features Editor Taylor Cavallo, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor

Dan Siering, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Marc Francis, Asst. Metro Editor Graham Beck, Asst. Photo Editor Mary Rose Fissinger, Asst. Layout Editor Joseph Castlen, Asst. Graphics Editor David Riemer, Asst. Online Manager Devon Sanford, Editorial Assistant Cathryn Woodruff, Executive Assistant

Jamie Ciocon, Business Manager James Gu, Advertising Manager Adriana Mariella, Outreach Coordinator Borui Wang, Systems Manager Amy Hachigian, National Sales Manager Daniel Arnold, Local Sales Manager Natasha Ettensberger, Collections Manager DJ Terceiro, Asst. Local Sales Manager Christina Quinn, Project Coordinator

The Heights

Monday, February 20, 2012

Opinions

Eagles sort of on the war path– BC has had, to put it nicely, a “meh” sports year so far. In honor of yesterday’s Duke game, TU/TD finds it wonderful that we can look beyond our suckiness and celebrate anyway. We mean, BC looked like a Pee-wee team with no legs next to Austin Rivers and the rest of his cronies, but it’s nice to see that we can accept that fact and support our boys regardless.

Thumbs Up

n i v c e n o o c ur selves e W “ that s w e d o o h o me t i a g v f e o to me s to d o a l ot do

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Woogeon Kim / Heights photo Illustration

Woogeon kim/ Heights illustration

One month countdown That’s right, spring is just around the corner. We know we’ve had a mild winter in all, but in little over a month the temperatures will really start soaring. Is it too early to talk about the smell of Mod grills? L i n d s a n i t y - We k n o w, you read that too fast and thought we were going to talk about Jeremy Lin. But no! We’re talking about everyones favorite crazy Lindsay Lohan! She’s back and ready to host SNL, and TU/TD could not be more excited. We’ve got our money on her breaking something in the cold opening. York’s 900- Congratulations to the man, the myth, and the legend for his 900th win this past weekend. Your coaching has not only brought honor to yourself and your players, but our school as a whole. You stay classy, Jerry York. New England Classic- The comedic newspaper graced us with its presence last Friday, and we loved it. TU/TD likes to think we are sporadically funny, but we have to give major props to a paper that makes us laugh with every article.

Thumbs Down The calm before the stormWhen starting our homework last night, TU/TD noticed something–our schedule was quiet, too quiet. Then we flipped the page of our planner, dropped to the floor, and cursed the day we were born. That’s right, midterm season is readily approaching. Gone are the days where you can sit in your bed and watch three episodes of R evenge, and here are the days where you say “why the F– did I watch three episodes of Revenge instead of taking Econ reading notes on the last three chapters?” Racist Headline- After the Knicks lost last night, ESPN published an article titled “Chink in the Armour.” What genius over at ESPN thought that was a good idea? Like, hmm, racial slurs have gone over real big in the past, maybe we should publish a blatant one on a website that has a multi–million person audience.

Recipe for grandeur

CJ Gustafson “I wasn’t high. I wasn’t wired. Just clear. I knew what I needed to do and how to do it,” Bradley Cooper explains in the movie Limitless. At college, many times I wish I could induce myself into some sort of lucid hyper drive. Instead, I end up drinking three too many iced coffees from Hillside, a Red Bull from City Convenience, and a Mountain Dew from my fridge. This last-ditch effort ends with me conveniently crashing like a bad X-Games clip before the test that I stayed up all night studying for. My friends tell me that I have an addiction to caffeine, but I classify it as an addiction to getting stuff done. I don’t even like the taste of coffee. I’d rather chew sawdust. But I’ll exchange the terrible taste for half an hour more of jittery awareness. As students in today’s fast-paced world, we’re taught

that there aren’t enough hours in the day, so you’d better move faster. Even if the tank is on empty, we keep our foot on the gas. Yet to my knowledge, there isn’t an engine out there with the power and speed of a Ferrari and also the road trip gas mileage of a Prius. “It’s not a real drug,” my friend explained. “Don’t think of it as cocaine, think of it as drinking Diet Coke with a little extra kick.” That’s when I realized that there is perhaps more illicit drug use in the library than in dorms. In many respects, it’s easy to see why so many students can convince themselves that other people’s prescription drugs, such as Adderall, aren’t bad. After all, it is a medicine prescribed by doctors, doctors who seemingly fill Express Scripts like the crates of Easy Mac piling up in dorm room pantries. Why should I think twice about taking a stupid pill if my friends, who are so similar to me, have the permission to tackle efficiency with Ray Lewis-like voracity just because some guy scribbled his name with the legibility of a Richter scale? It seems a lot more productive to throw a roommate a fivedollar bill for an Adderall and bang out a paper, than to walk to Reservoir Liquor Store and get buzzed after legally buying a pack of beer, which is also a drug, with

the same money. At a competitive school, we all strive to be invincible, both inside and outside of the classroom. And to feel on top we look for any edge we can get. It’s apparent that we live in an environment where we are constantly measured up against our peers. These comparisons don’t stop when we leave the halls of Gasson. Most people can point to a friend who thinks he can drink beer like water, does six keg stands, screams while jumping on a table, and then passes out by 10. Since he’s only human, his body can’t keep up with what his mind urges him to do. I once knew that guy, until he became a combination of a machine from IRobot and an overzealous Howard Stern, looking to discuss any and everything. But the next night, he was back down to earth. “Dude, if I had taken Aderall or Vivance, I would be talking to so many girls right now,” my friend reasoned. The benchmark he had set for himself for a good time, or a successful night, was now much higher. He wanted to be back on his game, even if he had to take some sort of party steroid to do it. To reference Limitless again, Cooper says, “All my fear? All my shyness? Gone!” That’s probably why Adderall and other prescription drugs appear on Spring Break packing

lists next to sunglasses and shorts. What started out as a pill that looked like an Advil is on the table in a million pieces and in a straight line. It doesn’t look like the same Diet Coke my friend told me about. Perhaps the use of non-prescribed prescription drugs is downplayed because the results seem so overwhelmingly positive. We convince ourselves that sometimes to do a lot of good we have to do a little bad. Who doesn’t want to boost their GPA? Who doesn’t want to be alert, lively, and engaging at a party? Those attributes are hard to turn down. Plus, it’s easy to blend into society while using these drugs. Taking Adderall is not like your typical recreational drug, such as Ecstasy, where no matter who you are it’s illegal. If it’s readily available, it’s extremely difficult to get caught, and there are tangible results proving success, no wonder why the negative side effects are negated. Bradley Cooper sums it up best by saying, “I don’t have delusions of grandeur, I have an actual recipe for grandeur.” CJ Gustafson is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

A reflection on housing

Dineen Boyle Few college experiences arouse more stress, anxiety, and hurt feelings than the housing selection process. As a senior, I’ve seen it all. I’ve lived in doubles, a single, a suite, and an apartment. I’ve lived in a haunted dorm, a tiny room, an apartment with an ant problem, and a gorgeous new suite. I’ve had roommates who were awesome, roommates who drank too much, roommates who were close friends, and roommates who were disagreeable. If I’ve learned anything from my four years living at college, it’s that life doesn’t care about your plans. And sometimes the most unexpected things, over which we exert the least control, turn out to be the absolute best things. During the past few weeks, I’ve overheard countless students fret over the housing selection process. “We need one more person for our

eight man!” “There’s no way I’m living with her!” “Can I live with you?” “Soand-so wants to live in 2000, but we want to live on Foster!” “They denied my appeal for housing!” These worries are linked by an underlying theme — a desire for control. Unfortunately, even our best efforts are apt to fall short when we attempt to impose order on things that are fundamentally uncertain. For those who are disappointed or nervous about next semester’s living arrangements, take comfort. In my experience, the living situations that were the most calculated, the most planned, the most what I thought I wanted, turned out to be the worst. The arrangements that were completely outside of my control and that I was initially most concerned about turned out to be by far the happiest and healthiest. Over the past four years of campus living, I’ve learned the following: Living with close friends can be overrated. While it might seem ideal to live with your best friends at college, ultimately, it can sometimes hurt and (in the worst case scenario) irreparably damage friendships. The appeal of living with close friends fades when quips arise over silly

Bazoomie Wagon| BEN VADNAL

things like music preferences, whose turn it is to take out the trash, and how early or late people wake up or go to sleep. Some of my best friends are people with whom I would probably not be conducive to live. And that’s okay. The housing process also underscores the importance of honesty. Too many times, I’ve witnessed people doubt whether or not they want to live with someone and wait until the last moment–or not at all–to voice their apprehensions. This inevitably causes drama and hurt feelings. In this situation, as in most else, assertiveness and transparency are vital. It is best to take a deep breath and share your concerns as kindly and decently as possible. Arguably, I have learned as much, or more, about life from living at college than I have from attending classes.I have learned that living with others teaches a tremendous amount about the nature of relationships, and that there is value in every experience—both positive and negative. If you have had a less than awesome time living with a roommate, reflect on it. What have you learned about yourself? Is there anything that you wish you had done differently? How

will what you have learned influence your future decisions and relationships? The college housing process is quite the ride. It simultaneously highlights our deepest insecurities and provides us with opportunities for lifelong friendships and incredible fun. As I am about to alight from the ride, I have gained some clarity and perspective. Where and with whom we live defines our college experience only if we want it to. While I feel great excitement and relief that I am about to graduate, and that the next place that I choose to live will be entirely my choice, I hope this proves to be a good thing. I am optimistic that four years living at college and 22 years living on this planet has taught me how to meaningfully co-exist with others. As for you? I suggest embracing the housing process. Relish in the chaos and uncertainty of it all. The sooner we make peace with this, the sooner we make peace with life. Dineen Boyle is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

The Heights

Monday, February 20, 2012

‘War’ unable to overcome or outwit an overdone genre By Carolina Del Busto Heights Staff

The spy against spy concept has been done many times over–but never quite as cleverly as the original Spy Vs. Spy blackand-white cartoon series from the 1960s. In the film This Means War, two spy best friends, Tuck (Tom Hardy) and FDR (Chris Pine), fall for This Means War: the same McG girl. Lauren, Overbrook played by Entertainment Academy Award winning actress Reese Witherspoon, falls for both men and does the only reasonable thing: dates two people at the same time. She has no idea that Tuck and FDR are friends, so she proceeds to date them both until she can make a decision about whom she likes better. FDR is the playboy type who meets girls at clubs, and the extent of his relationships are one-night stands. Tuck is the sweet, boyfriend-material kind of guy who is respectful and, according to Lauren, a “safe” bet. Now here’s the ironic part: these three people are extremely hot and extremely

C+

successful, and yet they can’t seem to find dates on their own, so they have to resort to online dating–only in a movie, folks. Lauren’s friend Trish (Chelsea Handler) sets up an online profile for her, where she ends up meeting Tuck. While she meets Tuck via an online dating website, Lauren and FDR meet at a video store. When they discover that they are dating the same girl, they forge a gentleman’s agreement to stay out of each other’s way until she makes a decision. Naturally, though, they cannot resist the temptation to find out how it’s going between the other man and Lauren. Since they are both spies, they utilize their resources to, well, spy on the other’s dates and conversations–and if need be, sabotage a little here and there. The movie had its funny moments, and the whole concept of two spies dating the same girl has a comedic edge. However, the overall feel was very predictable and cliched. There are only so many stories to be told, but what makes one stand out is an original touch. This Means War was a full serving of mediocrity. The villain of the film, if he could even be called that, appears sporadically through-

out, and it seems that his only real purpose is to entertain Tuck and FDR. In spy movies, the villain is supposed to play a major role in the plot, but Heinrich (Til Schweiger), is a very minor, almost unnecessary character. Pine and Hardy made a good, spy-tastic duo, but their energy was not enough to save the film. On the other hand, Chelsea Handler, the only real comedian among the actors, saved the film with her usual carefree and dirty funny-girl antics. Every actor in Hollywood makes mistakes in choosing roles—it must be like a rite of passage to star in a bad romantic comedy. Chris Pine did it when he starred in Just My Luck with Lindsay Lohan, and Reese Witherspoon has had her share of bad choices, but this is the first for Tom Hardy. Witherspoon already did the whole girl-who-dates-two-guys-and-can’t-makeup-her-mind thing in the 2010 flop How Do You Know. She should have learned her lesson then. We all know Witherspoon can be a serious actress (Walk the Line, Rendition) and also a funny girl (Legally Blonde, Four Christmases), but when it comes to This Means War, Witherspoon was more generic

Sequel highlights series’ mediocrity

allmoviephoto.com

‘This Means War’ lacks the substantial comedy to set itself apart from the cliched genre. than anything else. Her character was the only one who didn’t get a good laugh from the audience— it’s no surprise that Handler got the most positive response. The movie had big spy-worthy stunts and explosions. There was action, romance, comedy–all good elements to have. Yet it was lacking that certain charm, the type of charisma that entices an audience and

leaves it in good humor when the credits roll. This Means War is that type of movie you watch at home, maybe on Netflix, but it’s not worth a trip to the movies. Hollywood has been in a rut lately, spewing out a string of bad romantic comedies–lacking in both romance and comedy. This Means War is just another film to add to that list. n

Box Office Report title

weekend gross

weeks in release

2 photos courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

1. Safe house

24.0

2. the vow

23.6

3. ghost rider 2

22.0

Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com

The sequel to ‘Ghost Rider’ proves to be just as farfetched as the first installment, as it lacks a rich plot and a compelling main character. By Alex Peterson For The Heights

Nicholas Cage returns in Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance, along with none of his previous cast mates. Even the devil himself has been recast as Ciaran Hinds due Ghostrider 2 to a conve Mark Neveldine n i e nt p l o t Columbia Pictures p o i nt th at declares that the devil is so evil he cannot assume just one human body. The story resumes years after Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider (Cage), leaves all he knows to better understand his hellish affliction. Blaze has traveled to Eastern Europe to escape his curse and is quickly sought out by Moreau (Idris Elba), a man who offers Blaze a deal to rid him of his curse in exchange for saving a young boy’s soul. When Blaze first transforms into the Ghost Rider, we get the first glimpse of the hellish bounty hunter’s new look. Instead of the old CGI flaming white skull and clean-cut outfit of the first movie, the flaming head and jacket have been replaced with more realisticlooking burning clothes and a charred skull. To go along with this change from the first movie, the story of how Blaze originally sold his soul to the devil has

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been changed, which confused the viewer due to the amount of times the same incorrect flashback of the first movie is shown. The re-filmed scene of the original uses different actors for Blaze and the devil, both in an entirely different setting and situation. In addition to dropping the old look, Cage’s southern accent seems to have all but disappeared for the vast majority of the film, but for some reason returns whenever he is talking to the young boy. The film seemed to lack any sort of script—perhaps all the actors were given the general plot and told to adlib as best they could. As with the first movie, much of the plot is revealed through comic book-style animated asides narrated by Cage in the second person—he even breaks character to narrate the story at points. The film isn’t all corny, though. Those looking for a classic Cage experience that will very soon be made into a laughable YouTube compilation, look no further. For some reason, instead of being a levelheaded southern man (like he was in the first movie) he is now a crazed, neurotic lunatic who jerks his head around like a crack addict. Those looking for an unpredictable plotline will also be pleased, although this may mostly be due to the fact that it doesn’t make any sense at all and several facts

from the previous movie have been changed with no explanation. So many aspects of the Ghost Rider’s abilities were altered, as his character basically can do anything by the end of the movie. Within the first five minutes of the film, the entire issue could have been remedied with the swift hand of the Ghost Rider, but he simply does not kill any of the bad guys … for no reason. His character is completely invincible and can burn anyone to dust with a simple touch, but for some reason he absolutely refuses to deliver the pain. Where is the annihilation? While these newfound powers aren’t used to eradicate his enemies, Ghost Rider does use his abilities to transform every vehicle into his own personal ride from hell. Also, anyone looking for a good laugh will be more than pleased with Spirit of Vengeance—beyond Cage’s hilariously unfortunate acting skills, images of the Ghost Rider pointlessly urinating a flamethrower in several scenes brings about a chuckle from just about anyone. Also, the filmmakers cannot be blamed completely—they didn’t write the story, they simply chose a poor comic book character to model a feature film after. If nothing else, at least now we know why Cage movies keep getting made. He sold his soul to the devil. n

4. journey 2

20.1

5. this means war

17.6

6. star wars: phantom menace 3d

7.9

7. chronicle

7.5

8. the woman in black

6.6

9. the secret world of arrietty

6.4

10. the grey

3.0

bestsellers of hardcover fiction 1. kill shot Vince Flynn 2. Defending jacob William Landy 3. Catch me Lisa Gardner 4. Death comes to pemberley P.D. James 5. private: #1 Suspect James Patterson

6. 11/22/63 Stephen King 7. Home front Kristin Hannah 8. The girl who kicked the hornet’s nest Stieg Larsson 9. Taken Robert Crais SOURCE: Publisher’s Weekly

With original artistic style, ‘Arrietty’ entertains for all ages By Joe Allen Heights Staff

When going to see an animated movie, we walk into the theater expecting an action-packed experience. Not highstakes action, of course. But anyone who has grown up on Disney movies and Looney Tunes knows that much of the fun The secret world of of cartoons comes from arrietty: their ability Hiromasa to stretch a Yonebayashi story in diStudio Ghinli rections of which no live-action movie could dream. In these films, toys can fight for each others’ lives in a dump. Ogres can travel to a fairytale kingdom that resembles Hollywood. Aside from avoiding nudity and F-bombs, there are few rules in an animated movie. For this reason, it’s rare to see a cartoon film that takes place in one setting, letting its story unfold at a leisurely place. But this scaling back of the narrative to focus on characters and details is what makes The Secret World of Arrietty such a treat to watch. The film was made by Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio behind the recent classics Ponyo and Spirited

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Away. Unlike those films, Arrietty tells a story that should be familiar to most American audiences. The movie follows the adventures of three little people living under the floor of a house. When the youngest of the miniature family, a teenage girl named Arrietty, befriends a human boy who lives in the house, she places her family in danger of being discovered and tormented by the other humans in the household. For those who don’t know, this is the plot of The Borrowers, a children’s novel from the 1950s that has seen a few lighthearted adaptations over the decades. Studio Ghibli, along with director Hiromasa Yonebayashi and writers Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa, had their own innovative take on this old story, making a film that surpasses any big-screen animated endeavor of 2011. Stripping the movie of subplots and immediate conflict, the animation crew at Studio Ghibli allows the first half-hour of the movie to unfold as the whimsical journey of one 10-centimeter-tall girl exploring the gargantuan world around her. In these quiet segments, which account for most of Arrietty’s runtime, the artistic collaboration comes together

impeccably. As Arrietty makes her first trip to the human family’s kitchen with her father to “borrow” tiny amounts of supplies, the audience, seeing the world through her eyes, is overwhelmed by the innovation and beauty on display. The two tiny characters grapple down a seemingly mammoth-sized cabinet, appearing as two ants making their way across a detailed, colorful portrait. People could sell still shots of this film to art museums, such is the beauty of the animation on display. Adding to the sense of being a small person in a big world is Arrietty’s expert sound mixing. The soft patter of Arrietty’s feet on a walkway of nails as rain falls gently in the background only enhances the impressive visual. Another applause-worthy aspect of Arrietty is the careful dubbing. Walt Disney Pictures, which hold distribution rights of Studio Ghibli’s films in North America, has chosen a great voice cast including the likes of Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, and Disney Channel stars Bridgit Mendler and David Henrie. While this quiet movie demands scaled-down voice acting, these four lend subtlety to their characters that is rarely seen in an animated movie.

The only factor holding Arrietty back from being an animated masterpiece is its irritating villain. The rising conflict in the movie involves the human boy’s maid, Haru, discovering the existence of the little people and making it her obsession to eradicate these “thieves.” As she screeches to herself incessantly instead of caring for the boy, who is about to undergo heart surgery for a potentially

fatal disease, one increasingly wants to “boo” her off the screen. Even when its story strays into the dark and depressing (and occasionally annoying), the painting-like animation and well-crafted characters keep it afloat. With this addition to Studio Ghibli’s history of masterful storytelling, I can barely wait to see what the studio triumphs over next. n

Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com

Careful dubbing, beautiful animation, and dramatic plot make ‘Arrietty’ unique and fresh.

Monday, February 20, 2012

The Heights

SC’s spoofs entertain packed Robsham Sexual Chocolate, from A10 contemporary Indian dance moves, as they twirled beside their talented, vest-wearing male partners. BCDE performed next—clad in leggings and clunky combat boots, the troupe choreographed a dance to Beyonce’s “End of Time.” Every step was sharp, in sync, and full of attitude. As they stamped around and clapped their hands, they pumped up the crowd for FISTS’s sassy performance to follow. FISTS, BC’s all female step team, not only entertained the crowd with their unique and precise step moves, but they also elicited a few laughs with a funny and clever skit. With their matching, festive red blouses and their short, trademark wigs, the girls tied their dance moves into a John Tucker Must Die themed sketch. They clapped, slapped, stepped, and stomped all over cheating “John’s heart,” and they flaunted their FISTS pride. Finally, a well-dressed young man came prancing out on the stage. He announced that the theme of SC’s “Big Show” would be The Bachelorette, featuring all 19 of SC’s members competing to win true love. The men were broken into and introduced as separate groups for the contest. Outta’ ‘Sync, a take on the classic ’90s boy band, came out first to the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way.” The boys promised to bring “passion,

pain, and pleasure” to the competition, and they knew how to “keep it smooth,” with their synchronized steps and pop harmonies. The second group was comprised of Basketball Husbands. Married to and then divorced by rich wives, these men had grown accustom to the finer things in life. They modeled designer Burberry scarves with their sports jerseys, and they even called the host out for wearing a suit from the Men’s Warehouse. “A bunch of Neanderthals” in camouflage cargo shorts were presented next as the cast of Survivor. Their presence on stage was brusque and unrefined—they ripped their shirts and constantly fought, drawing a roar of laughter from the audience with their barbaric antics and jokes. The cast of Jersey Shore, who was almost as unsophisticated as the Survivor crew, came out soon after fist pumping and chanting “GTL.” SC went all out, making one of their members dress in a tight, animal skin dress, leggings, and a long black wig with a poof, to be the infamous Snookie. The last group to be competing in The Bachelorette included boys from “Teen Dad,” and they were arguably the funniest. They had plaid button-downs tucked into their khaki pants, backpacks on their backs, and babies awkwardly in their arms, while they step danced and contested to win the prized

heart of the mysterious bachelorette. The five groups vied for her love during a round of hysterical questions, a battle of sex appeal, and even a session of comical speed dating, and in between each challenge, every time the competitors were asked by their bachelorette to “step it up,” the members of SC broke into an incredible step number, demonstrating their idiosyncratic, rhythmic moves. In the end, when the bachelorette revealed herself to select the lucky winner during “The Rose Ceremony,” the audience gasped and burst into laughter upon discovering that the secret woman was, in fact the mother of a member of SC. To further complicate the matter, the bachelorette mom, who really did steal the show, chose the host as the winner of the competition. To end the entire night, and to soothe their broken hearts, the members of SC invited 19 lucky girls onto the red backlit stage for a personal performance. During their sexy, sensual dance, the boys showered the girls with rose petals, poured water on their heads, and ripped off their shirts, provoking screams from the females in the audience and uncomfortable sighs from the girls’ male dates. All in all, though, the theater enjoyed each of their jokes, steps, and innuendos, and it seemed as if everyone would agree that nothing could have been as satisfying and indulgent as SC’s performance. n

daniel lee / photo editor

KSA and CSA stunned the audience with martial arts, dance routines, and catchy songs.

KSA/CSA present a fun and energetic cultural showcase KSA/CSA, from A10 discs flew up and down. When the theater went black and the yo-yos became glow-in-the-dark, flashing and blinking different colored lights, the audience was truly mesmerized by the electrifying performance. The Dragon Lantern routine was thrilling too. Glowing red lanterns on long poles illuminated the ebony theater as the performers arranged them into intricate, precise patterns and designs. After charming audience members with radiant lights, KSA and CSA stunned them with their expertise in the martial arts. First, a group of boys in tight, yellow jump suits exhibited their skills in Kung Fu. Bryan Cheng, A&S ’15, the choreographer, synchronized all of the moves to the music, making the demonstration extremely intense and gripping. A presentation of Tae Kwon Do followed next. The boys kicked and flipped and chopped wood, with their feet, their hands, and even with their heads.

Aside from showing off their dangerous side with their self-defense moves, the culture groups revealed that they could sing and dance too. With both a Chinese music act and a Korean music act, they sang in their respective native languages and performed several fun dance numbers. The girls were sassy and sweet, and the boys were classy and smooth. Full of energy and spunk, all of their routines were pleasurable to watch. They ended Two Cultures One Dream with an all inclusive modern dance routine. It was really incredible to see so many people on the stage at once, all so different and unique, yet all synchronized and in-time together to perform a single dance. The dance encompassed the sole purpose of the entire evening: to both highlight and appreciate the individual magnificence of the Chinese and Korean traditions. In the end, KSA and CSA’s show—witty, entertaining, and genuinely authentic—proved to be a successful blend of two of the distinctly beautiful, thriving cultures on BC’s campus. n

New stars anticipate fame ‘Project X,’ from A10 with excitement as you become a reckless bystander at “the most epic party ever.” The plot drifts off as the party rails on for twothirds of the movie, the expected ensues, and everything turns to shambles, but you barely notice that there is a lack of movement in the script because you are too busy enjoying the party from the first shot of tequila until they literally burn the house down. Yes, I am not kidding. Thomas’s entire neighborhood gets toasty as you, the viewer, are forced to leave the party, exit the theatre, and regrettably recollect that you were not standing alongside Thomas, Oliver, and JB. Last Friday afternoon, I was lucky enough to sit down alongside the three young actors at Lir, a cozy bar in Boston. Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper, and Jonathan Brown are casual and composed, unlike their awkward cinema personas, but they exert the same affable wittiness witnessed on-screen, with the exception of Oliver–he is nothing like Costa, the two-faced terror he portrayed in the film. Cooper is surprisingly calm in comparison to the film, and confident, with an essence of maturity. Project X, officially released to the masses on Mar. 2, is the big screen debut for the young actors and hopefully just the start of an abundance of success in Hollywood. Cooper, Brown, and Mann started off their acting careers performing stand-up comedy, sketch, and acting in supporting film roles respectively. They are normal people who work aggressively to pursue their passions of comedy and acting, which is starting to pay off. Mann is sprinting toward success, and will be seen next starring in the film Fun Size, which will be released this October, and then as a lead in Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, scheduled for release in January. Cooper and Brown have yet to figure out their exact plans, but they do know that they refuse to give up on acting just yet. It is particularly intriguing that Project X has possibly the longest and most obscure R-

rating tag line that Hollywood has seen in a while. The fine print on every advertisement reads that this film is “rated R for crude and sexual content throughout, nudity, drugs, drinking, pervasive language, reckless behavior and mayhem—all involving teens.” When asked what each actor thought of this and how it made them feel to be in a film holding such a negative connotation, they responded with brilliant efficacy. Brown immediately announced, “I feel like we’ve accomplished something.” It seems like he is satisfied with the lengthy and dangerous appeal of the rating, but also proud to be a part of something genuine. No one has successfully portrayed an entire party on film until Project X. On the contrary, Mann’s answer was less prideful and more logical. He stated, “[The rating] is better advertising than any trailer.” Mann is right—once people see the elaborate rating, they will be intrigued and incapable of eradicating something so extreme from consciousness. Much to my surprise, Cooper pulled out a joking line I would have imagined his character Costa saying seriously. “It’s a great ‘Eff you’ to them,” he stammered, regarding anyone who has a problem with the rating. Still, there might be truth in his statement. For most young adults, there is a persistent thrill in recklessness, and Project X manages to get this on film accurately for the first time ever. We closed out our interview with a few last laughs over goofy subjects such as a potential sequel to Project X. This is the plot summary the boys created. It’s about the adventures of a homeless dude who is a massive baker. Of course, none of that has anything to do with the movie, and there is no actual talk of a sequel at this point, but this comment is just an example of the entertaining and eclectic conversation I was absorbed into for about 45 minutes last Friday. It is safe to assume that Mann, Cooper, and Brown have foreseeable futures in the field of comedy and will reach much deserved new heights with the release of Project X. n

sara davey / for the heights

With performances ranging from step routines to comedy sketches, Sexual Chocolate’s “Big Show” made for a rhythmically captivating night.

Students shine in BC’s annual Idol show BC Idol, from A10 performance was commented on by a panel of three “Jesuit Judges”—Rev. Don MacMillan, S.J., Rev. Michael Davidson, S.J., and Rev. Mario Hall, S.J. The trio had some witty color commentary that kept the audience involved, yet they also were very pleased with the talent showcased by the competition. The performers showcased their talents, as some bolstered their performances by musical instruments and others choose to do a cappella performances. To start off the night, Ally Norton, A&S ’13, performed a soulful original medley of “Feelin’ Good,” and “I Put a Spell on You,” that started the night off with a bang. Next up, Alex Proie, A&S ’15, took on an a cappella version of Adele’s “Take it All,” rocking the audience with her powerful voice and strong projection. Kristina Rex’s performance of “Listen” had serious passion and emotion in a moving performance. Two duets were also featured, including a medley of “Chariot” and “Kids” that was sung and played on guitar by Brian Stamm and on piano by Rachael Glassman, A&S ’12. Ricky Scheiber and Julianne Quaas, A&S ‘15, who would end up winning the competition, performed a medley of “Next to You” and “Don’t Matter.” Their performance was not only fun and joyful, but also had the whole crowd bouncing along to their lighthearted acoustic version of Akon’s hit.

Not to be outdone by the female soloists, the male solos rose to the occasion and were equally impressive. Alex Layton, A&S ’13, who would go on to place third in the competition, opened with an introductory electric guitar solo by Stevie Ray Vaughn. If that wasn’t enough to display his talent to the audience, he followed it with an original song titled “I Met Grace,” which was exceptional and slightly reminiscent of John Mayer. Singing probably one of the more unique song choices of the night, Connor Hutchinson, A&S ’14, took on Etta James’ “At Last,” which turned out to be quite well done due to his vocal range. Monica Wright, A&S ’14, brought the crowd back to Woodstock with her energetic performance of Janis Joplin’s hit “Piece of my Heart.” Her soulful, spunky attitude gave the audience a taste of Wright’s own sassy flavor. Her laudable confidence and terrific hair made her performance hard to forget. Andrea Alonso, A&S ’14, showcased her tremendous vocal talent and paid homage to the fallen singer with a stirring tribute to Whitney Houston in “I Look to You.” The performances put on by the youngsters from St. Columbkille included two dance numbers. The first was a traditional Indian dance by one brave girl, whose costume and choreography were very impressive. The second was a large group number, a very cute and well-done Irish step dance. Both of these performances were greeted with

extra applause and high praise from the judges, as well as a stuffed BC eagle for each performer. After the performances, Bill Gartside, the principal of St. Columbkille, came onto the stage to express his deep gratitude for all that BC has done and continues to do for his students. He showed a short video outlining the different areas where BC has helped within the school. After the audience voted, the winners were presented with cash prizes for first, second, and third place. Alex Layton and his electric guitar took home $100 for third, Andrea Alonso took home $200 for second, and Ricky Schieber and Julianne Quaas took home the grand prize of $350 for winning the competition. “I never though I’d be able to sing in front of people and make them happy with our music,” Shieber said. “I’m so lucky to be able to play music and make others feel good.” “I’m so thankful for all of our friends who came out to see us tonight,” Ouaas said. “It was just so great.” The judges also seemed very impressed and didn’t offer any criticism due to the extensive talent of the performers. “Every year, it gets harder to be critical of these guys because of the level of talent and heart they have,” MacMillan said. The night was a fun event that proved how much serious talent there is here at BC. All of the acts were fantastic and, most importantly, it was all for a great cause. n

natalie blardony / for the heights

Despite the stiff competition, Rickey Scheiber and Julianne Quaas swayed the majority of the audience and went home with the first place prize.

A10

arts&review Monday, February 20, 2012

Csa & KSA embrace diversity

An Eye on Culture

Music has a hold on me Taylor Cavallo While perusing Twitter the other day, I stumbled upon the “Uberfact” page, which tweets fantastic fun facts multiple times a day. One tweet said, “Only humans shed emotional tears.” Naturally, I retweeted. I have no problem admitting certain things about myself. I am borderline obsessive-compulsive about being punctual, and I have obnoxiously strong opinions about perhaps a ridiculous amount of things. I can’t touch cotton balls or towels that are too dry or stiff. One thing I have to be candid about is that I am also very emotional—it’s a part of myself I can never avoid, no matter how hard I try to suck it up. That, paired with my deep love for music, is at times a deadly combination. Put two and two together—you know where I’m going with this. Music can stir up real, raw emotions in me and, get ready for it: I cry while listening to certain music. And frequently, I might add. Some might cringe at the thought of admitting that fact to the readers of this lovely publication. Honestly, I feel no shame. Music is such an amazingly powerful yet intangible force that can move you in ways that nothing else can. It hits hard on two different levels, the music itself and the memories attached to it, and the beauty resides in the fact that those nostalgic feelings penetrate everyone differently. The first time I remember crying at a song for no apparent reason (although my subconscious was probably hard at work), was a very long time ago. It was “Pale Blue Eyes” by the Velvet Underground that did it. I was probably nine at the time, and something about that lethargic voice, the gentle melody and those simple lyrics plucked on my heartstrings, and I started to cry. I couldn’t figure out why, but I felt that I knew exactly what Lou Reed was talking about in those seemingly amateur, but truly fantastic lyrics about his sweetheart Shelly Albin and her pale blue eyes. While my nine-year-old self really couldn’t relate to this phenomena of young love at all, the fact that I thought I could was magical. It’s a song that, to this day, mesmerizes me and still makes me shed a tear or two. Or many. No one probably wants to admit this about themselves, but since things got real a while ago anyway, I might as well. There are multiple songs that I can hear on an average, not particularly traumatic or emotionally distressing day, and cry—whether it’s from the beauty of the lyrics or the memories I have that involve those songs, I’m just helpless. Each song I love reminds me of a moment, a person, or a memory that I hold close. The songs don’t necessarily have to be sad, either, although that admittedly helps the tears flow. These aren’t always tears of sadness, though—they’re nostalgic tears that long for a moment and a memory that once was but won’t ever really be again. As cheesy as this sounds, the only way that the memory can ever really be alive again is through the song. There may or may not be a playlist on my iTunes dedicated to these sentimental songs. It’s not just a collection of sad songs, it’s a compilation of memories. “Into the Mystic” by Van Morrison throws me back in Walsh last year, with my closest friend, who made a playlist for me because I couldn’t sleep. “Wild Horses” by the Rolling Stones reminds me of my first two years of high school—I listened to it every day on the subway. “Bookends” by Simon and Garfunkel is a song that I frequently played during the second semester of my senior year. The list could go on and on, but you get where I’m going with this. Music is one of my most reliable friends—it’s been at my side through thick and thin, offered soothing words of advice or motivational pep talks when necessary. There’s no shame in that sad song playlist on your iTunes that deters you from using Mojo because you don’t want people to see it. I’m here to tell you that you should be embracing those songs that make you cry. They’re real and they’re raw and they’re necessary. Plus, everyone need a good cry sometimes.

Taylor Cavallo is the Associate Arts & Review editor of The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

Daniel lee / photo Editor

In this year’s KSA/CSA show, ‘Two Cultures One Dream,’ an Olympics theme ran throughout and tied together the two sides as they danced and sang their way through their ‘rivalry.’

Robsham floods with students ready to be dazzled by the organization’s spectacular styles By Ariana Igneri Heights Staff

A brilliant fusion of talents, customs, and traditions took place in Robsham Theater this past Saturday night as the Chinese Students Association (CSA) and the Korean Students Association (KSA) presented their 12th annual show, Two Cultures One Dream. The organizations’ joint presentation included a diverse assortment of entertainment, such as dancing, singing, and even martial arts. To tie all of the performances together, the show had an Olympics theme that ran in between each act. As China and Korea competed against each other to win the most medals, the two sides bantered back and forth with incredibly cheesy yet memorable puns. In the midst of their rivalry, though, a forbidden, Romeo and Juliet-esque love springs up between a couple of opposing competitors. They learn, by the end of the show, however, that their

cultures need not separate them, and in a touching, final act of acceptance, the two individuals exchange their countries’ flags. With steady pounding drums, the show began when students demonstrated the Chinese Lion Dance, a celebrative custom “meant to spread joy and good fortune.” The two glittering green and silver lions shook across the stage, angry and fierce, symbolizing both beauty and strength. An amusing Korean dance called the Talchum was performed next. The dancers wore colorful masks and used long scarves during their routine. Light and playful, the dancers hopped, waved, and jumped around the stage, teasing the audience. They brought out the drums once again for the Samulnori, a Korean tradition featuring the percussion sounds of four instruments to represent the natural elements: thunder, rain, clouds, and wind. The resounding, rhythmic pangs of the drums were powerful, and somehow, the contrasting tones actually

complemented each other. Two Cultures One Dream also featured calm, thoughtful performances as well. For example, the Chinese Ribbon Dance was emotionally evocative and aesthetically pleasing. The girls twirled about with their long silk ribbons, mirroring the splendor of a colorful rainbow and the movements of a “wandering dragon.” Similarly, the Korean Fan Dance, choreographed by Esther Lee, A&S ’14, and Dasom Yang, A&S ’12, presented dancers in bright red and pink flowing skirts with peony blossom fans. Graceful and elegant, they aligned themselves to fluidly form patterns and designs with their fans. A highlight of the show was the Chinese Yo-Yo act. Vivid colored discs, spinning on a string with two sticks tied to its ends, were launched up in to the air for the other yo-yo-ers to catch. The crowd held its breath as the

See KSA/CSA, A9

‘Project X’ parties on the big screen By Kira Mulshine For The Heights

“Let’s go find a party to go to, man,” and “I’m going to that club down the street,” are two of many eager exclamations I overheard while exiting the premiere of Warner Brothers film Project X at Lowes Cinema last Thursday night. I cannot lie to you—after the epic affair we all just witnessed, I was also impatient to put on my highest heels and head out for a wild night. Project X in-

vites you to the party of a lifetime hosted by three high school nobodies who attempt to reach a whole new level of “cool.” Costa (Oliver Cooper) and JB (Jonathan Brown) take advantage of protagonist Thomas’ (Thomas Mann) birthday and parent-less house, desiring to be noticed by coercing their naive friend into hosting a “chill get together … 50 people max.” What was expected to be a night of high hopes lost, and unsuccessful girl pursuits, turned into to the “rager” of all blowouts, the chief of all bashes, and an uncontrollable celebration of bad behavior. It became a night of victory over adolescent insecurity and the ultimate “game-changer” for Thomas, Oliver, and JB in all future social pursuits. The film is less of a movie and more of an experience. Your eyes dilate

See ‘Project X,’ A9

BC Idol showcases grand plethora of student talent By Miika Groden For The Heights

The eighth annual BC Idol competition was held Thursday night at Robsham Theater. This year’s event featured a total of 10 acts, with the audience choosing the winners. In addition to the Boston College competitors, the night also showcased the dance skills of some very talented elementary school students from St. Columbkille School. All of the proceeds from BC Idol went toward St. Columbkille, adding to the extensive work that BC has done to benefit

its partnership school. The night was made possible by its sponsors, which included the Emerging Leader Program, the Student Programs Office, the Office of Community and Governmental Affairs, and the Lynch School of Education Senate. The proceeds from the event went directly toward developing the music program at St. Columbkille. The night’s acts were comprised of several different styles of music, which ranged from Adele to Janis Joplin. Each

Sara davey / for the Heights

Sexual Chocolate got things heated in their spring show, a showcase full of stellar dancing.

See Idol, A9

Chocolate excites crowds

Audiences marvel at the group’s sharp skills By Ariana Igneri Heights Staff

Natalie blardony / for the Heights

Contestants explored new melodic highs as they tore through renditions of popular tunes.

i nside Arts this issue

Romance flails in bland This Means War Reese Witherspoon makes a grand return to the screen in this otherwise lifeless comedy, A8

With Valentine’s Day just past, you would expect most girls to be sick of chocolate, but this Friday’s sold-out Robsham Theater show revealed a different story, as eager fans, in for a sweet treat, waited to see Sexual Chocolate’s “Big Show.” Leading up to SC’s greatly anticipated performance

Animation excels in lovely Arrietty

Disney scores a hit with its almost perfectly animated and dubbed film The Secret World, A8

were routines by other Boston College dance groups, including MASTI, the Boston College Dance Ensemble (BCDE), and Females Incorporating Sisterhood Through Step (FISTS). After a brief introduction by the show’s two humorous hosts, MASTI took the stage first, captivating the audience with their Indian-style choreography, Bollywood music, and Western beats. The female dancers, in their vibrant, purple skirts and jingling, metallic bangles, exhibited their mastery of

See Chocolate, A9

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

The Heights

Monday, February 20, 2012 B4

SPORTS

Monday, February 20, 2012

900 wins

“When you sign up for a team sport, whether you’re coaching or you’re a player, it’s never about individual awards or accomplishments. So I’ve never thought, going into a game, ‘Hey if I can get this win, I can get 50 wins, or I can get 100 wins.’ It’s something that just doesn’t really motivate me. We try to win trophies. When you’re in a team setting, that’s gotta be your goal. Boston College has provided all of us here with an opportunity to really chase some trophies. It’s important for us at BC to do that. There are a lot of factors that go into it. But I am exceptionally proud that I’ve lasted this long in the business, ’cause it’s hard to do.”

-jerry york

Alex Trautwig / Heights Senior Staff

i nside S ports this issue

Eagles can’t keep up with Duke

Despite a strong start to the game, BC eventually lost to the Blue Devils last night........B3

Baseball hot to start the season

In their opening weekend, the Eagles beat three quality teams in a tournament in South Carolina........B4

Spring Football Notebook.........B4 Quote of the Week.........................B2

The Heights

Monday, February 20, 2012

Softball starts season right with successful tournament weekend By Henry Rodophele For The Heights

It was a successful season opener for the Boston College softball team, which went 4-1 in the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament, giving up only 12 runs in the five games on the weekend. The tournament for the Eagles began with a 3-2 win over Delaware. BC took a comfortable lead after a three-run inning in the third. Ali Lynette-Krech,

a senior tri-captain, began her final season with a single to right field and was later driven in by Nicole D’Argento, who tossed a complete game striking out five and walking none. Howe ver, it was Lynette-Krech who was turning heads. In addition to Lynette-Krech’s strong support on the offense, head coach Ashley Obrest found the senior to play a “flawless center field” and saw her tri-captain to have really stepped up.

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS senior staff

Catcher Brittany Wilkins had a great performance on Saturday, knocking in four RBIs.

The Eagles followed the opening win with a tough loss to Binghamton. Amanda Horowitz pitched a competitive six innings, allowing only two hits and two runs, in addition to a careerhigh seven strikeouts. The Eagles were unable to score any runs against a tough Binghamton pitcher, and lost the game by a close 2-0 score. In the final three games of the tournament, BC responded by beating Saint Louis, Florida Gulf Coast, and UT-Martin, outscoring its opponents, 18-8. Lynette-Krech continued her strong start to the season with a 2-RBI game against St. Louis, while going 3-for-3 at the plate. She had support from Chelsea LoBue and Andrea Filler, who combined for three more RBIs, sealing a close, 5-4 victory in extra innings. The game ended with a collision at home plate, as Filler was sprinting home to be the winning run, and did so to secure a win for the Eagles. Brittany Wilkins had a stunning game later on Saturday against Florida Gulf Coast University with four RBIs and a run scored. D’Argento finished strong in the sixth and seventh, letting up a hit and a walk and striking out three, clinching the 6-3 win. Horowitz got the victory on the mound, while D’Argento picked up the save. BC finished the tournament with a commanding 7-1 victory over University of Tennessee at Martin. Tory Speer, the 2011 ACC Freshman of the Year, seemed to be all the Eagles needed in this game, driving in three runs and scoring twice herself. D’Argento and Morgan Kidd put together seven strong innings, allowing only two hits, with D’Argento striking out four of

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEights senior staff

Amanda Horowitz (4) was a workhorse on Friday, pitching a complete game against Binghamton. her own. This fourth win sealed the championship for the Eagles. Obrest described the triumphant weekend as “a total team effort.” She was especially proud of the strength BC put into this tournament, saying, “They’re all working hard,” which was clearly evident in their success this weekend. The great start to the season can only mean good things to come for this talented Eagles softball team. n

Tournament Results BC 3, Delaware 2 Binghamton 2, BC 0 BC 5, St. Louis 4 BC 6, Florida Gulf Coast 3 BC 7, Tennessee-Martin 1

Doherty leads basketball past Clemson By Kim Schroer For The Heights

Graham Beck / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Despite a solid performance, Kriten Doherty was unable to lift her team past No. 20 Georgia Tech.

BC’s winning streak snapped By Steve Principi Heights Staff

SPORTS in SHORT

The recent hot stretch for the Boston College women’s basketball team came to a screeching halt on Sunday afternoon, as the Eagles were 85 Georgia Tech blown out at Boston College 48 No. 20 Georgia Tech, 85-48. The Eagles fell behind early and never threatened to get back in the game, losing one of their most lopsided contests of the season. The loss ended the Eagles’ two-game winning streak and gave the Yellow Jackets hopes for a top three finish in the ACC. The game started poorly for the Eagles, who fell behind 6-0 in the opening minutes and were unable to get anything going offensively. BC could not break through the Georgia Tech defense, and the Yellow Jackets often found themselves with open looks on the offensive end. The Eagles managed to cut the deficit to 9-5, but would not get any closer for the rest of the game. Georgia Tech dominated the remainder of the half

and went into the break with a commanding 35-16 lead. Coming out of the break, BC experienced more of the same, with nothing coming easy on offense and too much being let up on the defensive end. Georgia Tech continued to extend its lead until it was close to 40 points, and the Eagles never showed signs of coming back. The Yellow Jackets dropped 50 points in the second half and ran away with the game 85-48. The loss ended the Eagles’ two-game winning streak, dropping them to 7-20 on the year and 2-12 in ACC play. Georgia Tech, meanwhile, climbed to 20-7 on the year and 10-4 in ACC, momentarily moving it past Maryland for third in the conference with just two games remaining. The Eagles shot just 39 percent from the field while the Yellow Jackets shot a remarkable 52.5 percent. BC was lead by Kristen Doherty, who put up 11 points to go along with four assists and five rebounds. Shayra Brown was the only other Eagle with double-digit points on the afternoon with 10. n

Men’s Hockey East Standings Conference

Boston College UMass Lowell Boston University Maine Merrimack Providence New Hampshire Massachusetts Northeastern Vermont

15-7-1 15-8-0 14-8-1 13-9-2 11-8-4 10-10-3 10-12-2 7-12-4 7-12-4 3-19-1

Overall 21-10-1 20-9-0 18-11-1 18-10-3 15-9-6 12-14-4 13-15-3 11-14-5 11-14-5 6-23-1

Sophomore guard Kristen Doherty led the Boston College women’s basketball team to a thrilling 56-53 comeback victory against ClemBoston College 56 son on Thurs53 Clemson d ay nig ht at Conte Forum. The Eagles clinched their second ACC victory in a row and improved to 7-19 on the season. The Eagles trailed most of the game before a jumper by sophomore Shayra Brown tied the game at 51 with just 1:15 remaining in the game. Following a Clemson timeout, Doherty came up with a huge steal and breakaway layup to give the Eagles a critical 53-51 lead. Clutch free throws by junior Kerri Shields and sophomore Tessah Holt sealed the game for the Eagles in the final seconds. Head coach Sylvia Crawley was proud of the resilience her team showed throughout the game and its focus down the stretch. “I thought we really persevered,” Crawley said. “There were times when things really weren’t going well, but instead of dropping our heads, we fought back. I was very pleased with how we executed the game plan tonight, especially at the end of the game.” BC needed a total team effort to overcome a strong game by the Clemson Tigers on Thursday. Crawley was pleased with the performance of her bench and emphasized how critical its contribution was to the victory. “The biggest key to our victory was our points off the bench,” Crawley said. “We had 21 points to Clemson’s six, and that has really been the key for us in the last four games. We’re playing more together as a team, and when people come off the bench, they’re focused on their assignments and they’re contributing to the team.” Doherty had a great overall game for the Eagles, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds, and five steals in 35 minutes of play. Crawley emphasized how critical Doherty’s performance was to the victory. “Kristen was the cure for a multitude of mistakes tonight,” Crawley said. “If someone made a bad pass, she would make a play to prevent a turnover and keep possession. She just really did a lot of good things besides just scoring. I thought she was a key

for us tonight.” The Eagles also improved their performance on the boards, which has been a weak point for the team for most of the season. They limited Clemson to just nine offensive rebounds and six second-chance points. BC finished with 12 offensive rebounds and 12 second-chance points, a testament to its determination to become a stronger rebounding team. A recent lineup shift has energized the Eagles in recent games. Crawley has been playing a smaller lineup, starting three point guards: Shields, Holt, and Tiffany Ruffin. A stronger emphasis on ball handling has helped the Eagles lower their turnovers, a problem that has plagued the team for most of the season. BC had just 15 turnovers on Thursday, while forcing Clemson into 21 turnovers. The smaller lineup has also allowed the

Graham Beck / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Head coach Sylvia Crawley has been utilizing a smaller unit led by senior guard Kerri Shields.

Numbers to Know

901

The number of career victories for men’s hockey head coach Jerry York after this weekend’s series with Merrimack.

The shot differential in favor of the women’s hockey team, as it beat Vermont, 2-0, on Friday.

.571

Eagles to press more on defense. Crawley has been trying to push her team to be more aggressive in order to disrupt opposing offenses. “Sometimes the press forces teams to throw it right to us,” Crawley said. “Even if we don’t get the turnover, they’re rushing and the press takes time off the clock. By the time they get the ball down the court, they only have about 10 seconds left on the shot clock to run their plays, and that’s an advantage for us.” The Eagles hope to finish the season strongly and build some momentum for next year. With only one senior graduating and several young players on the rise, the future looks bright for the BC women’s basketball team. The Eagles will look to help their younger players become more confident as they enter the final two games of the season. n

Sophomore outfielder Tom Bourdon’s batting average after this weekend’s Caravelle Resort Tournament.

Quote of the Week

“The two points in the standings are very important, but also getting Coach his 900th at Kelley Rink at an important time in the season was very important.” — Tommy Cross on Jerry

York’s 900th win

The Heights

Monday, February 20, 2012

Eagles sweep Merrimack to get lead of Hockey East Special night at Kelley Rink By Chris Grimaldi Heights Editor

Greg Joyce I was all set to write about the men’s basketball team’s upset of No. 5 Duke last night in Conte Forum, but it was not meant to be. There will be a time and place for that column, because I do believe the Eagles will be shocking opponents often next season. They have turned heads this season with their exciting play, but Boston College was just not ready to keep up with the Blue Devils for a full 40 minutes last night. Instead, I want to write about a more important, historic event that occurred in the same building this weekend. Friday night, of course, was head coach Jerry York’s 900th win. The milestone win put York in an incredible class of just two coaches who have hit the 900-mark. I think Tommy Cross said it best, when asked about getting the win for his coach. “That’s a lot of wins,” the captain candidly said with a grin. That is a lot of wins. That’s nearly 40 years of coaching, 40 years of getting the best out of his players, on and off the ice. It was a special night to be at Kelley Rink, to see the Eagles get another W, to hear the chants of “Jerry! Jerry!” as the final minutes drained off the clock. Following the game, BC had set up a small ceremony for York on the ice, but he wanted no part of it. And for people who know his personality, that was really no surprise. But it wasn’t for any negative reason. It was because York prefers not to bask in the spotlight, even if he truly deserves it, like he did on Friday night. He thanked the crowd for their applause and support, even though what he wanted was to get off the ice as quickly as possible. That humility continued at the press conference following the game, when York knew that all the reporters in the room just wanted to know his thoughts on No. 900. “I’ll address it real early, and then we’ll leave it behind,” York said with a smile, before talking momentarily about the historic win. Just a minute later, York moved on to talking about the game and how his team played, because to the humble coach, that is what truly mattered. He’d rather talk about how hard his team worked and what they did well, while also noting the strong play of the opponent, a staple of his postgame press conferences. It was all talk about how important the two points were for the Hockey East standings with the regular season winding down. Later on in the press conference, a reporter got York to take a few seconds to again think about No. 900 and some special wins along the way. But again, within the minute, he was back on the subject of his players, and talking about the most notable players he’s had the privilege of coaching at each school. If only those players had the chance to voice their support for their former coach. I can only imagine the great things they would have to say about York. Maybe that chance will arise next year (let’s hope) when York breaks the record, which stands at 924. When deciding on the picture to use for the front cover of today’s sports section, we decided that the photo we used was most fitting. There was another one with York by himself and the “In Jerry We Trust” banner waving in the background, a great artistic shot. But that photo would not be representative of York’s coaching style. Instead, we chose the picture with York behind his players, an appropriate illustration of where he likes to be. He’s behind his players on the bench, but he’s behind them outside Kelley Rink as well. It’s easy to see that he really cares about each of his players, past and present, which translates into the team’s success year in and year out. So congratulations, Coach York, on No. 900 and 901 this weekend. Here’s to chasing 925, and more importantly, the trophies that may come on the way.

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

alex trautwig / heights senior staff

Only days after defeating rival BU to take home its third consecutive Beanpot trophy, the No. 3 Boston College men’s hockey team headed into this Boston College 2 past weekend 1 Merrimack with a couple of vital tasks in mind: continue the recent momentum against Hockey East rival Merrimack and earn head coach Jerry York his historic 900th career victory. In the second game of a home-and-away set, the Eagles took on a formidable Merrimack Warrior squad in enemy territory, looking to seize control of the conference. A combination of sound defense and timely execution on the offensive end allowed York’s BC squad to capture a hard-fought 2-1 victory on Saturday night, earning the Eagles a crucial series sweep. The win was BC’s seventh in a row, and, most importantly, gave them sole position of first place in a competitive Hockey East. “From my perspective, the game itself had a real playoff feel to it,” York said. “The intensity of the game, the close checking, the physical play, the goaltending on both ends–it all felt like a … playoff run. It was that type of game.” After netting four goals the previous night, the Eagles were off to another quick start against the Warrior defense in Saturday night’s matchup. Halfway through the first frame, BC’s Chris Kreider and Johnny Gaudreau assisted junior defenseman Brian Dumoulin, who sent the puck past Merrimack goalie Joe Cannata to give BC an early 1-0 lead. It appeared that the offensive floodgates would open once again, but the game settled into a defensive struggle, marked by solid play from BC goaltender Parker Milner and Merrimack’s Cannata. The one-goal deficit remained unchanged until Warrior forward Jessie Todd beat Milner to tie the game, interrupting a sudden lack of offensive execution from both sides. Although the Eagles managed to outshoot their opponents by a margin of 18-7 in the second frame, they came away empty-handed. After Todd’s score, a two-way defensive battle continued to control the contest. The Eagles remained persistent on Merrimack’s end of the ice, once again outshooting their opponents by a wide margin. With just over five minutes to play in the third period, however, BC displayed its characteristic ability to capitalize late in a game. After a missed shot from teammate Edwin Shea, senior forward

alex trautwig / heights senior staff

Barry Almeida (center) scored his 18th goal of the season on Friday night at Kelley Rink, en route to head coach Jerry York’s 900th career win. Paul Carey corralled the rebound and fired a shot into the net to give the Eagles a 2-1 advantage. The game-winning goal was Carey’s second in two nights, and BC’s second power play goal of the evening. “Paul Carey made a very good play in the goal,” York said of the game-deciding goal. “It was an exceptional play by one of our seniors.” The Eagles’ second consecutive weekend series sweep provided them with added momentum heading into the last stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs. With the top three spots in the Hockey East separated by a mere three points, consistent execution may prove to be the only viable formula for a conference championship. Saturday’s victory, however, was preceded by monumental night that marked a turning point in the illustrious career of BC head coach Jerry York. Looking to continue its late-season hot streak after an emotional Beanpot championship victory earlier last week, the Eagles looked to make a statement against Merrimack at Conte Forum in the first game of this crucial weekend series. Thanks to three periods of physical play and aggressive offense, BC took the first game by a score of 4-2 on Friday night. Though the Eagles successfully continued their winning streak against a Hockey East foe, their hardfought win earned York his 900th career win

in front of an ecstatic home crowd. With this monumental victory, York became only the second head coach in collegiate hockey history to reach the 900-win plateau, adding another to a career of record-setting milestones and ensuring an impeccable legacy. Despite his tremendous personal achievement, the humble BC legend remained focused on his team’s cohesive effort. “When you sign up for a team sport, whether you’re coaching or you’re a player, it’s never about individual awards or accomplishments,” York said after the game. “I never thought going into the game that, ‘Hey, if I can get this win, I can get 50 wins, or I can get 100 wins.’ It’s something that doesn’t really motivate me.” The Eagles came storming out of the gate, poised to put the game out of reach early on. Halfway into the first period, BC’s Steven Whitney made a beautiful cross pass to defenseman Patrick Wey, who snuck a shot past Warrior’s Cannata for the first goal of the game and of the junior’s season. After missing significant time due to a severed tendon in his foot, Wey was glad to be back on the ice and contribute to a key victory. “It was a great feeling,” he commented. “I don’t get many opportunities [to score], so I really enjoyed it.” The Eagles’ offense, however, would strike again only three minutes later when freshman standout Johnny Gaudreau scored off

of a rebound near the goal, notching his 14th goal of the season and putting BC up 2-0. The Eagles’ first-period offensive onslaught saw them outshoot Merrimack 17 to 5. Throughout the second period, goalie Parker Milner and the BC defense stifled the few attempts the Warriors made near the goal, allowing the Eagles to continue capitalizing on the offensive end. After a series of good puck movement, captain Tommy Cross set up Barry Almeida for a deflection into the net, completing the senior connection. Ten minutes later, Carey shot an impressive fade-away wrister through heavy traffic that somehow scooted past Cannata and the Merrimack defense, putting BC up by a score of 4-2. The goal was Carey’s tenth of the season, making him the sixth Eagle in double-digit scoring for the year. Although the Warriors feigned a comeback with two goals, it would be silenced by a late defensive stand from the Eagles and deafening chants of “Jerry, Jerry,” that erupted from the Conte faithful in the game’s closing minutes. When the final horn sounded and the Eagles clinched a 4-2 victory, the fans rose to their feet to cheer a perseverant BC squad and express their appreciation for a beloved coach. “It’s an incredible milestone,” Cross remarked. “The two points in the standings are very important, but also getting Coach his 900th at Kelley Rink at an important time in the season was very important.” n

Eagles dropped by Duke Bright future ahead for BC BC comes out with strong start, but can’t hang with Blue Devils By Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor

Not a whole lot can be done when shots just won’t fall. The men’s basketball team fell to the No. 5 Duke Blue Devils at Conte Forum last night 75-50 75 Duke despite starting 50 BC off 5-for-5 from the field and building a 13-7 lead early. The Eagles played solid defense in the first half against an offensively skilled Duke squad, and kept running their motion offense well as they found good shots that kept rimming in and out. “I thought we continued to execute through most of the first half, and then we just went on a dry spell missing open shots, and that just crushed us mentally,” said head coach Steve Donahue. “You can’t let that happen, but that’s what a young team allowed to happen tonight.” Although the Eagles couldn’t finish off their solid offensive possessions with points, they stayed in the game for most of the first half because of their defensive effort. “I was very proud of the way we played defense that whole time,” Donahue said. “We guarded what I think is the best offensive team in the country, holding them to like 18 points with three minutes to go in the first half. I thought we did a great job.” Boston College played incredible team defense for the first 15 minutes of the game, holding Duke to 17 points. The Eagles eventually let the mental fatigue of missing so many shots get to them, however, as they allowed Duke to close the half on a 13-4 run. BC was unable to come back from the deficit in the second half, with the offense still finding trouble getting the ball through the hoop. “It’s always frustrating when you execute well offensively and it just doesn’t go down for you,” said freshman forward Ryan Anderson. “We were just unfortunate that we couldn’t get it go down for us, and I think build up in us a little bit.” Anderson led the Eagles with 21 points and eight rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field. It was his second straight game with at least 20 points. . “We always say, next play, no matter if it’s good or bad, and tonight I feel like we got away from that, and we let our last play affect our next play,” Anderson said. Senior guard Matt Humphrey chipped in 12 points to help out Anderson offensively, but the rest of the Eagles had trouble getting going against the Blue Devils. “I thought Duke did a very good job making sure Lonnie [Jackson] got no good looks, and I thought they corralled Jordan [Daniels] really well,” Donahue said.

Duke guards Austin Rivers and Seth Curry were all over Jackson all night, not allowing one of the Eagles’ best threats to get going. The offense also struggled because Daniels faced pressure from Andre Dawkins and Quinn Cook the second he touched the ball, sometimes being denied so hard he couldn’t even touch the ball on certain possessions. BC was outrebounded 45-21 and gave up 13 offensive rebounds while only tallying two of their own, but Donahue didn’t consider that a huge key to the game. “I don’t think they dominated the offensive boards when you look at how many misses we had tonight,” Donahue said. “It’s just a percentage game.” With more maturity, better conditioning, and solid bench production, the Eagles will have the ability to pull off this kind of upset down the road. “We allowed mental fatigue and stamina [to hurt us] because we guarded really well during that long stretch,” Donahue said. “The younger kids were kind of gassed, and we don’t have a real deep bench. When you play this kind of offense, you actually have to work real hard to make it work.” Donahue’s motion offense thrives off of constant cutting and screening that drains the defense’s energy, but also requires a great deal of stamina from his own players to execute well. “I think what you see is guys going through the ebb and flow of their first year, and they’re not as confident as you would hope every single game,” Donahue said. “They just don’t have the pedigree of success to give them that confidence sometimes.” Sometimes the shots don’t fall, and there’s really not much anyone can do. n

By Chris Marino

Assoc. Sports Editor Last night the Boston College men’s basketball team faced off against No. 5 Duke. The teams were two ACC foes with very different seasons. Under the leadership of Blue Devil head coach Mike Krzyzewski, Duke is making another run to March Madness. The Eagles are in the development stages of their program under second-year head coach Steve Donahue. Donahue, who has started four freshmen consistently this season, has seen the challenges of inexperienced players in the ACC this season. Yesterday’s matchup proved no different. Krzyzewski applauded the efforts of Donahue and his program after his team won 75-50 in a packed Conte Forum. “Steve’s done a great job with this team,” he said. “With all these young kids, he kept them up all year long. He’s come up with three huge conference wins. The last one, 11 days ago against Florida State, was a remarkable game. I watched that a couple of times in preparation for this, because their offense puts pressure on our big guys to put it out on the court. The first four minutes, we didn’t handle that well.” The Eagles came out firing early, hitting their first five shots. This included 3-pointers by freshman Ryan Anderson and junior Matt Humphrey. However, the home team went on to go scoreless for just over nine minutes. Duke took advantage of this lost momentum, and went on to push out to a nine-point lead at the half. There was definitely a difference in maturity seen in last night’s contest, as Anderson, Humphrey and freshman guard

graham beck / heights editor

Anderson was able to fight through a tough Duke defense for 21 points, in addition to eight boards.

Jordan Daniels were the only Eagles to score for the majority of the game. The inability to move the ball and create opportunities was something that hurt BC in the long run. Krzyzewski called Donahue’s offensive scheme “unconventional,” and praised his players for holding the Eagles to 50 points. He did not want to take this team for granted, especially after their upset of ACC foe Florida State. “We respect them,” he said. “We came in here respecting Boston College, which we should.” He went on to explain that experience does have a factor in games like these— however, maturity can have a negative impact if relied upon. He said that this was evident in BC’s win over FSU. “I think [Donahue]’s done a really good job with this team, because his kids are up. They’ve gotten better. Really, one of the huge wins of all the conference games was their win against Florida State. Florida State can go to the Final Four. Florida State has six seniors and two postgraduates. And they beat them. You can’t let experience let down, and not show up. Like our experience tonight, we showed up, and that’s going to be an advantage over them.” With this in mind, Krzyzewski does believe that his team has certain advantages that can only come through game day experience. “Physically. Emotionally. The whole thing. We’re more physically mature than they are right now, but [Donahue]’s done a really good job with this team. I’ve watched about eight of their games. This game worried me so much. I watched that Florida State game twice. I said, ‘These kids can beat us.’ I wasn’t just trying to tell myself fairytales, or anything like that.” As one of the veteran coaches in the ACC, Krzyzewski sees a new group of coaches developing younger programs around him. He said that BC is certainly a group to watch down the road, due to great coaching and a strong team attitude. “I think, as long as Steve is coaching, [they’ll be strong down the road]. We have really strong coaches in our league. That’s the thing about this new wave of coaches. None of these teams are going to give up. They’re building. All of them are building. We had to do that, and I know we never gave up. I think it’s been a good league. It’s a lot better than people anticipated it to be. That’s a result of how good all these coaches are, and the good jobs they’ve done.” While this season was all about the Eagles beating the learning curve of college basketball, Krzyzewski sees this team’s attitude as a strong indicator for the future. “Most teams with almost 20 losses would’ve packed it in a long time ago. They’re far away from doing that, because they’re building something really nice here.” n

The Heights

Monday, February 20, 2012

Baseball

BC earns three quality wins in opening tourney to start season hot By Chris Marino

Assoc. Sports Editor This past weekend, the Boston College baseball team (3-0) swept its first series of the season in the Caravelle Resort Classic in Conway, S.C. The team played three games in two days, due to inclement weather. The Eagles faced off against several strong programs in No. 17 Virginia, James Madison, and Coastal Carolina. “It sounds kind of weird because we had three wins, but I don’t think we did anything spectacular this weekend,” said head coach Mike Gambino. “We just played good, clean baseball. Guys threw

tournament results BC 5, No. 17 Virginia 3 BC 8, James Madison 5 BC 8, Coastal Carolina 3 strikes, we caught the baseball for the most part, and we had really good at-bats throughout the weekend. We had good situational at-bats when we needed to. It was just good, solid baseball.” On Saturday night, BC beat Coastal Carolina, 8-3, behind solid performances by starting pitcher Hunter Gordon, shortstop Anthony Melchionda, and sophomore outfielder Tom Bourdon. Gordon, who saw a lot of action as a relief pitcher last season, threw five innings in which he walked three, struck out six, and didn’t give up a run. Melchionda and Bourdon each hit a homerun, adding to the Eagles’ six extra-base hits. BC scored first when Melchionda hit a towering home run over the leftfield fence with Bourdon on second. Bourdon added to the lead with a two-out solo home run in the third inning. The Eagles made a major impact in the fourth inning. Designated hitter Marc Perdios and first baseman Spenser Payne led off the inning with back-to-back doubles. Then several fielding errors gave the Eagles an opportunity to add some insurance. With the bases loaded, Bourdon knocked in three runs with a double. Melchionda added another RBI with a grounder to short. This put the Eagles up 8-0. The Chanticleers would not go down without a fight, however, as they scored

alex trautwig / heights senior staff

Anthony Melchionda had a monster weekend for the baseball team, hitting .429 with six RBIs and one home run in three wins to start the season. three runs in the bottom of the final frame. In the morning game, the Eagles faced James Madison University. The team looked to sophomore Matt Alvarez for the start, and he delivered with 5.2 innings of work. He did not allow a hit until the sixth inning. He finished the day by giving up one hit, six walks, and one unearned run. “He had a really good outing,” Gambino said. “He ended up throwing 97 pitches, but I didn’t want him throwing that many pitches. I didn’t want him really going above 90. I gave him one more batter twice, and all of a sudden he was at 97 pitches. That’s on me, but his stuff was really good. He needs to command the zone a little bit better, and he knows that. He’s getting better. When his stuff was in the zone, he was dominant. He didn’t give up a hit until the sixth inning, and it was a bunt hit. That was the only hit he gave up. When he’s in the zone, those guys can’t touch him.”

Offensively, the Eagles gave a full team effort with five different players recording two hits. Once again, Melchionda led the way with two doubles, and junior Rob Moir hit his first career three-bagger. The team’s scoring began in the first. With the bases loaded on two walks and a single, Bourdon scored on a wild pitch. Matt Pare followed with a walk, and Perdios brought home the second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to right. In the second inning, the Eagles’ patience at the plate prevailed again, as two players walked to start the inning. After both players advanced on a balk, junior outfielder Matt McGovern singled to drive in a run. He then stole second, putting two runners in scoring position for Melchionda. The shortstop delivered with a two-RBI double to center. A misplay in center allowed Melchionda to reach third, and he was driven home on a slow roller in front of the mound by senior Andrew Lawrence, giving the Eagles a 6-0 lead.

Eagles drop a tough loss on the road at Maryland

football notebook

Spring practices underway

By Stephen Sikora Heights Editor

After an overhaul on the coaching staff, the Eagles begin football again By Greg Joyce Sports Editor

Amidst a handful of coaching changes in the past two weeks, spring practice kicked off on Saturday for the Boston College football team. After the Eagles failed to reach a bowl game for the first time since 1998, head coach Frank Spaziani decided to move up the start of practices. “We haven’t been on the field since Thanksgiving, so we had plenty of time off,” Spaziani said on Thursday. He also noted that the calendar had an effect on the decision. Since Easter is early this year, the usual spring football schedule would have been broken into two segments, forcing it to drag on. “So [it is a combination of ] those things, and having more time to heal after spring ball, get ready for the season, which is an important season. All of those factors went into it.” After a disappointing 2011 season in which BC finished 4-8, Spaziani said he is excited to get the new season going by building off of last year’s momentum. “I think the future is bright,” Spaziani said. “There are a lot of guys that gained some experience last year. We have a whole new staff on offense with a lot of energy. Change can either smother you or excite you. I think the latter is what’s going on around here. We’re moving forward, and it’s a chance for us to start moving in a better direction than the last one.” One of the most notable changes personnel-wise for the upcoming season is five new coaches on the sideline. Doug Martin will be the new offensive coordinator, Jim Bollman the new offensive line/running backs coach, Sean Desai the new running backs and special teams coach, Aaron Smith the new wide receivers coach, and Al Washington the new assistant special teams and defensive line coach. “Yeah, we’re excited about [the coaching changes],” Spaziani said. “Sean Desai comes highly recommended as a special teams [coach], and he coached outside linebackers at Temple. Very astute football mind, and adds some youth to us. Al Washington of course played here. He bleeds

BC added a run in both the third and fourth innings. After hitting a triple to lead off the inning, Moir was brought home on a single by John Hennessy. In the next inning, Lawrence doubled and scored on a double by Pare. This brought the score to 8-0, a BC lead that would last until a few sloppy plays by the Eagles led to three runs for the Dukes in the sixth. Then, in the seventh, the Dukes scored two unearned runs after a throwing error to first, though they would not score another run on the day. In the team’s opening game against No. 17 Virginia, the Eagles achieved the 5-3 upset behind the bat of Payne, who carried the Eagles with a three-run shot in the fourth. The Cavaliers took the early lead, scoring three runs off pitcher Eric Stevens, but the Eagles exploded in the fourth inning. Bourdon once again acted as the catalyst for the offense, leading off with a double. Pare followed with a walk, and both run-

ners advanced on a two-out passed ball. Next, Lawrence reached on a third-strike passed ball, and Bourdon used his speed to cross the plate. Payne followed with a huge shot over the leftfield wall. This put the Eagles up by one. BC would score one more run on a single by Melchionda in the fifth. From that point on, Stevens settled down. On the day, he threw six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits. The bullpen held the lead, as the Eagles saw action from Nate Bayuk, Matt Brazis, and Gordon. “Eric was really good on Friday night,” Gambino said. “He was in a situation where he honestly didn’t have his best stuff. He didn’t have a good feel for his changeup. He had that sink on his fastball going like he always does. It’s a really good fastball. He didn’t have his best stuff, but he grinded and competed and really battled through it. He gave us a really good start.” The Eagles finished the weekend on the right track. Melchionda was dominant, batting .429 with six RBIs. “I think Melch is one of the best hitters in the conference,” Gambino said. “I honestly don’t even think he was hot this weekend. It was just him. He can really hit, and you look at what he did this weekend, and he hit over .400. One of his outs was a situational at-bat with a man on third base. He hits a hard groundball to the short stop and drives in a run. Two of his other outs were absolute rockets right at people. I really think he’s one of the best hitters in the conference.” Bourdon also finished strong with a .571 average. He hit out of the two-hole, and ended up scoring four runs for the weekend. “Tommy has really good hands and wrists,” Gambino said of the sophomore. “The ball he hit out against Coastal almost went as high as it did far. His hands are so strong.” Gambino also applauded Gordon for not only starting against Coastal Carolina, but also saving the team’s first game on Friday. He said that his player had “a real workman-like performance.” Gambino sees this weekend as a solid gauge for his team moving forward. “I think the biggest thing that we took from the weekend was that all we need to do is go out and play clean baseball. We need to throw strikes, catch the baseball, and have good at-bats, especially situational at-bats. If we do that, we can play with anybody in the country.” n

alex trautwig / heights senior staff

Spaziani will be joined by five new coaches on the sideline, as spring practices began Saturday. Boston College. He’s been coaching for five years now, and it was time for him to step into the role that we have for him. And then Aaron Smith had worked our camp for us. He was a receiver at Connecticut and coached at the Coast Guard Academy and of course Columbia. So he adds some youth to us, and we had known about him. So we’re happy about it, and it’s adding a lot of excitement.” Spaziani said that there was not a reason for concern with the overturn in coaching staff because of the typical short life of a college assistant coach. “Well ... let me say this: You’re never caught off guard completely like this,” Spaziani said. “The average term of an assistant coach at a college is some stat under two years. I think people read too much into it. Wisconsin lost five coaches, Notre Dame [lost] three, USC [lost] three, Tennessee [lost] six, Alabama [lost] two, Washington [lost] five. You know what I mean? It hasn’t happened around here like this for a little bit. But those guys left for coordinators jobs and some other reasons, a couple personal reasons.” QB Competition Sophomore Chase Rettig enters camp as the incumbent quarterback, having started every game of last year. Toward the end of the year, though, his classmate Josh Bordner saw an increase in snaps, typically as a dual-threat quarterback. Spaziani said the competition between the two quarterbacks will make each of them better, benefiting both for the upcoming season. “Chase is obviously an incumbent, and we don’t like to have the starting quarter-

back looking over his shoulder,” Spaziani said. “But just like we tell everybody, no jerseys are tattooed on you. It’s all about production. [Chase] is the incumbent, and he’s got to make some progress, and we’re looking forward to the other guys making some progress too and giving us some healthy competition.” Injury Comebacks Running back Montel Harris will be coming back this year as a fifth-year senior after missing most of last season due to a reoccurring knee injury. After he received a medical redshirt for the year, Harris will look to rebound this year to be an elite running back, and so far, so good. “Montel looks like he’s 100 percent, but he’s looked like he’s been 100 percent before,” Spaziani said. “He’s running around, working hard, and we’re anxious to see him get out there and do what he does in the spring. The spring is about players improving and stuff, so we’ll monitor how Montel does. Right now, he looks like he is 100 percent.” Meanwhile, Ifeanyi Momah is another offensive threat who missed most of last year due to injury, but he is still held up appealing for another year of eligibility. Momah was cleared to receive a medical hardship waiver, but he was denied a medical redshirt year by the NCAA. BC submitted an appeal to the NCAA’s ruling, but has not yet heard back about the final decision. “As a matter of fact, I was going to make a call today,” Spaziani said Thursday. “I’m not sure where they are on the appeal. I know Carly [Pariseau, associate athletics director of compliance] is on that.” n

Coming off of four games decided by five points or fewer, the Boston College men’s basketball team went into its game at 81 Maryland Maryland with a 65 BC realistic chance to capture an ACC road win. Unfortunately, the Eagles couldn’t keep it as close as those prior contests, as they fell to the Terrapins, 81-65. BC never recovered from a 29-4 Maryland run that featured seven threes in a row by the Terps, including four by guard Terrell Stoglin. Stoglin came into the game as the ACC’s leading scorer and certainly showed why, finishing with 24 points and five threes on the night. “That is why Stoglin is dangerous: he can get hot,” said head coach Steve Donahue. “He got in a rhythm. We allowed him to get a couple of catch-andshoots, and that is the best thing that the kid can do.” The Eagles jumped out to a quick 10-4 lead and looked confident early on. Ryan Anderson, who finished the night with 22 points and 10 rebounds, contributed five points to begin the game, including a turnaround jumper and three-point play. But BC’s offense then proceeded to launch deep threes and turn the ball over, leading to both open looks and transition opportunities for Maryland. In a span of 1:37, at six minutes into the game, Stoglin scored 11 points and the Eagles gave up the ball twice. At the end of their run, the Terps were up 33-14. “We started man-to-man,” Donahue said. “About the 14 minute mark, I switched it up to zone. They were carving us up and hitting shots. Switching it up worked for a little while, but then they hit a couple of threes and got hot.” The Eagles didn’t give in, however, and finished the half outscoring the Terps 13-8. This was aided by Lonnie Jackson, who hit two threes in a row in the midst of an 8-0 BC run. Jackson finished with 19 points, hitting 3-of-8 threes and continuing to look comfortable and poised on the court. The same could not be said of fellow freshman guard Jordan Daniels, however, as the 5-foot-8 point guard finished with a mere two points, missing all six shots he took from the field.

The Eagles came out with a quick six points in the second half, cutting the Terps’ lead to single digits. Unfortunately, it was the last time they were that close until three minutes left in the game. Anderson scored four of those, including two on a great fake from beyond the arc, followed by a one-handed baseline shot off the backboard. He made those types of plays all game, going 9-of-16 from the field and showing an arsenal of moves, whether it was a fantastic up-and-under or a lefty hook shot. “I think the basis for the game was just us not coming out ready to play,” Anderson said. “They took a huge lead on us in the beginning, and from that point on, we played better basketball the last 30 minutes of the game. The first 10 [minutes] just made too big of a deficit for us.” The Eagles kept it moderately close in the second half, and got within seven at the three-minute mark of the game. After Lonnie Jackson made two free throws to pull BC to 63-56, Maryland closed on an 18-9 run. The Eagles’ offense calmed down in the second half, helped by a game plan that called for the ball down low to Anderson and especially Dennis Clifford. The Eagles turned the ball over just twice in the half as their offense execution vastly improved. Clifford finished 3-of-12 from the field, including a couple of missed dunks, but was extremely close on a number of shots. “As his strength and experience catch up to him, he will be good,” Donahue said. “He was an inch away on five or six shots. If they go, then he had a great game. He played well in the beginning of the season and was freshman of the week, but you hit a couple of bumps in the road when you are a freshman going against older guys.” Unfortunately, Matt Humphre y didn’t shoot well for the Eagles again, finishing 2-of-8 from the field. He drove to the hoop a number of times but was well-defended, including a couple of failed attempts in transition. The Eagles shot 32 percent from the field for the game, and only 4-of-15 on threes. Excluding Anderson’s performance, the Eagles shot 10-of-42. “For the first time in a while, we didn’t compete as well as we have been,” Donahue said. “We just didn’t have a good body language going. We didn’t play the way that we have for the last couple of months.” n

The Heights

Monday, February 20, 2012

BC closes regular season with sweep By Steven Principi Heights Staff

Stingy defense, timely offense, and solid goaltending allowed the No. 4 Boston College women’s hockey team to wrap up its regular season with two wins and send the senior class out on a high note. The Eagles swept Vermont in a weekend series with wins of 4-0 on Saturday and 2-0 on Friday, ensuring themselves a first-round bye in the upcoming Hockey East Tournament. Head coach Katie King Crowley was very pleased with her team’s effort over the series, and was happy to end the regular season on such a high note. “I thought they did a great job,” Crowley said. “It’s tough to come into the last weekend because it’s so emotional for the seniors, but I thought the kids played great. It was really a great way to end our regular season.” The Eagles dominated Vermont in Saturday’s matchup, controlling the puck for long stretches of time and winning the shot battle by a margin of 56-19. Emily Field scored first for BC, Alex Carpenter had two goals, and Kate Leary had a goal and two assists as the Eagles defeated the Catamounts 4-0 in the second game of the series. The win came on the Eagles’ senior day, which saw eight seniors play their final game at Kelley Rink as the second winningest class of all time. Crowley spoke very highly of the senior class, and admitted she was happy to be able to send them out with a win. “They’re the second most successful group we’ve had at our program,” Crowley said. “They’ve won two Beanpots, so far they’ve gone to two national tournaments, and they’ve just done tremendous things for the

growth of our program and for where we’re at today. I give them a lot of credit. They’ve worked extremely hard to get to this point, and they’re good representatives of where we are now.” Friday’s game was much of the same story. The Eagles outclassed Vermont for large stretches of the game, but were unable to break through in the first period. Midway through the second, senior Danielle Welch scored the eventual game-winner off a big rebound before Ashley Motherwell doubled the lead with just 10 minutes left in the third. Once again, the Eagles held a significant advantage in terms of shots with a 63-20 edge. Corinne Boyles made all the stops en route to her fifth shutout of the season in a win that guaranteed the Eagles a first-round bye in the upcoming Hockey East Tournament. “We told them that it’s important to make sure you take care of the puck, whether you’re in the defensive zone or even gaining the offensive zone,” Crowley said. “Make sure it gets deep, make sure you chip it and get to pucks before them and I thought we did a really good job of that. They took Vermont’s six away from in front of the net and made sure they couldn’t get a second shot on. That’s something we were focused on a couple games ago and it’s been one of our focuses, so to take away the second shot and their second rebounds was great.” The two wins gave BC a total of 15 in Hockey East play on the season, the most the program has ever had under Crowley. With their regular season over, the Eagles will be off until the Hockey East quarterfinals. They will be either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the tournament and will be looking to defend their title after defeating Northeastern in the championship game last year. n

Graham Beck/ Heights Editor

The women’s hockey team closed out the regular season with a sweep of Vermont and will be off until the Hockey East quarterfinals.

Lacrosse opens season with win By Vince Tague For The Heights

The No. 13 ranked Boston College women’s lacrosse team (1-0) opened the 2012 season on a high note Friday night, defeating the Holy Cross Crusaders (0-2) 16-5 at Holy Cross Field. Scoring came from a host of Eagles, with junior Brooke Blue and freshman Michaela Rix leading the way with four goals apiece. Graduate student Kristen Igoe, a 2011 first team All-American midfielder, picked right up where she left off, scoring three goals and assisting on another. Freshman attacker Covie Stanwick contributed in a big way, tallying six points (two goals, four assists) to lead all in scoring. Senior midfielders Sam Taylor (two goals) and Brittany Wilton (one goal) also added to the potent Eagles offense. On the defensive end, senior goalie Catherine Conway stood tall in cage as she notched her first win. The keeper made five saves on 15 shots, and cleared the ball with 87.5 percent proficiency, including a perfect 7-for-7 on clearances in the second half. The Eagles opened strong, with Rix and Wilton scoring within the first minute of play. Three minutes later Taylor added her first goal of the game, assisted on a nice feed by Stanwick. Holy Cross’s Taylor Zebrowski scored with 22:43 left to put the Crusaders on the board, but Blue answered with a goal of her own moments later to bring the game to 4-1. An Eagles penalty gave Holy Cross another opportunity, which they capitalized on to cut the lead to two, before BC returned with a 3-1 run to finish the half, posting a 7-3 lead going into the break. Holy Cross came out firing in the second half, scoring twice to make it 7-5 with 22 minutes left in the game. This is the closest that the Crusaders would get, as Rix reignited the Eagles’ side with a blistering shot to make it 8-5. A gritty groundball pickup by Taylor led to a Stanwick transition goal three minutes later, and suddenly the rout was on. Igoe, Taylor, Blue, Rix, and Stanwick all scored in the final 15 minutes, as the Eagles dominated the tempo and possession to seal a 16-5 victory in the season opener.

After the game, head coach Bowen Holden was quick to praise the efforts of her upperclassmen. “Certain people stepped up and made big plays at certain times,” Holden said. “Whether it was Brooke Blue diving for a ball out of bounds, or Igoe taking a big charge at midfield, those are the kind of plays we need all the time.” While upperclassmen like Igoe and Blue were essential to BC’s early season victory, perhaps the biggest factor in the game was the performance put on by Rix and Stanwick. When asked about their contribution, Holden was pleased, but not surprised about their play, “They don’t play like freshmen. They fit into their roles nicely and really contributed tonight”. Much of BC’s success could be attributed to the fact that they dominated possession for much of the game. The Eagles won 16 of 22 draws, a feat that Holden said was a major priority for the team heading into this season. “If you don’t have the ball, you’re not going to win the game,” Holden said. “We really work on it a lot in practice, and it shows in games like tonight.” Holden was quick to credit assistant coach Acacia Walker with the Eagles’ success at the draw circle. “She’s the mastermind behind our success,” Holden said. “It’s a lot of extra work, but it pays off for us.” The Eagles dominated in other possession stats as well, outshooting the Crusaders 37-15 and outworking them on groundballs 19-10. Not all went well for the Eagles on Friday though, as Holden was frustrated with the team’s slow start. “Its tough to tell from the box score, but I don’t think we played as well as we could have in the first 45 minutes” Holden said. “There were a lot of first-game jitters. We need to come to play from the start, not 45 minutes into the game.” With another big non-conference matchup looming this Tuesday at No. 12 Syracuse, where the Eagles will take on a formidable Orange squad, the coaching staff will be focusing on starting much faster. “We’ll be back to work on it tomorrow, we cannot afford to start this slow on Tuesday,” Holden said. n

With the help of a former Eagle, Boyles makes the transition to elite starter By Robert T. Balint Heights Staff

Kicking around a soccer ball, having a dance party, and snacking on Starburst candy and fruit snacks. Sure, it sounds like a kindergartener’s dream day, but that’s how Corinne Boyles , Boston College’s starting goaltender, prepares for 60 minutes between the pipes. A little unorthodox, sure, but the routine remains consistent throughout the entirety of the women’s hockey team’s six-month season. It’s this standard procedure that Boyles draws on to be the rock of consistency that a goaltender has to be for her team. The junior from Wheaton, Illinois learned this lesson from a master. Molly Schaus graduated in 2011, but her name still has a place at BC—specifically, right next to the school records for career saves, goals against average, and wins. The world champion taught Boyles a

number of important lessons, the most important being how to keep the trust of one’s team. “We talked about everything that goes into being a consistent goalie,” Boyles said. “Keeping a level head, and staying consistent for your team to trust you.” Having an All-American goalie ahead of her on the depth chart did not mean a slow freshman year. In 2009, Boyles’ first season on the team, Schaus had temporarily turned in her Eagles sweater for the stars and stripes of the US national team, having been selected along with fellow BC star Kelli Stack to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Boyles and Kiera Kingston split time on the ice over the course of the season in the starter’s absence, filling the sizable spot left empty in front of the net. Boyles called this first year a “big jump” in terms of competition. She had won a pair of U19 national championships with her Chicago Mission team,

Graham Beck / Heights editor

Boyles has been a star for the women’s hockey team this season as a solid netminder.

but the Hockey East conference comes with a steep learning curve. The freshman came away with a 5-10-7 record, but the talent was there, clearly visible in the four games in which she made 40 or more saves. The next year, Schaus came back with some Olympic hardware, a silver medal, to begin her final campaign at BC. Boyles and head coach Katie King Crowley decided that the sophomore would redshirt the season. Doing so gave Boyles an extra year to prepare and learn from a veritable goaltender sensei. “Being around Molly, you can just observe and learn from her,” Boyles said. The benefits were clear, but sitting out for an entire year is tough on any athlete. Boyles and her coach, however, agreed that it was the right move. “It was the best decision for her at that time,” Crowley said. So Boyles, not having to worry about staying fresh for games, hit the weights. She worked out all year, building up the necessary strength for the position. Goalies often are on the receiving end of contact from opposing players trying to knock a puck loose. “It was important for her to get physically stronger,” Crowley said. It was this preparation that Boyles credits for getting the starting job this season. She and Kingston had split time in 2009-10, but the junior impressed the coaches early on in this year’s schedule. “Corinne had a little more fight in her. We let her have a couple more games in the beginning,” Crowley said. The pair works together closely, “two goalies in their little goalie world,” as their head coach puts it. The two are close friends who push each other day in and day out at practice. “She’s been a great goalie partner,” Boyles said of her senior teammate, who will be the first to offer words of encouragement or advice. Currently, Boyles holds a 1.93 goals against average, a .929 save percentage, and a .721 winning percentage, and stands in the top three amongst Hockey East goaltenders in each category. Seven

Graham Beck/ Heights Editor

Following in the footsteps of legendary Eagle goalie Molly Schaus has been key for Boyles. shutouts and multiple 40-plus save performances have proved her an elite goaltender. Even the elite, however, can struggle and be pulled from the ice. Boyles has only been yanked a few times throughout the season, and though that risk is always there for a goalie, the junior doesn’t dwell on it. Her confidence is a must in her line of work, as goalies are held responsible for each and every puck they let by. That responsibility can cause endless stress, but Boyles stays cool. “I’ve never seen her all that rattled,” Crowley said of her netminder. “People can blame a goaltender for a goal to go in when it’s not necessarily their fault, but she’s been doing it long enough where she understands that situation.”

“For me, I just build off of the good things you do,” the junior said. “You have to let it go, and not get ahead of yourself.” When a ske d ab out the up com ing Hockey East tournament, Boyles shrugged it off, as the team had yet to play this past weekend’s two-game series with Vermont. “It’s in the back of my mind, this weekend’s more important,” she said on Thursday. Boyles lives in the present, which is just where a goalie needs to be. The focus pays off, too—the junior earned her sixth and seventh shutouts of the season this past weekend in wins at Vermont. Pass the fruit snacks, please. n

The Heights

Monday, February 20, 2012

The onset of eye disease may not be as visible as the appearance of new wrinkles. An eye doctor can spot the early warning signs of vision problems like glaucoma and macular degeneration, as well as other serious health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Early detection is key. For men and women over 40, it might be wise to look into your eyes. For more information, visit checkyearly.com. A public service message from Vision Council of America and AARP.

The Heights

Monday, February 20, 2012

Students hopelessly devoted to seeing ‘The Bachelor’ Weekly viewings of ‘The Bachelor’ draw a huge crowd on campus, each with their own unique viewing styles and lively conversations that follow By Caroline Kirkwood For The Heights

It’s that time of year again, when 25 single and available ladies vie for the attention of one lucky man. In the 16th season of The Bachelor, the object around which all the obsession, backstabbing, screaming, fighting—and yes, even skinny dipping—revolves is the sensitive winemaker and previous Bachelorette contestant, Ben Flajnik. Although the success rate of the Bachelor franchise has been slightly less than stellar, with only two out of the 22 couples who became engaged on the show remaining together today, millions of women around the country, and a devoted cult of Boston College followers, tune in every Monday night at 8:00 p.m. to see what drama will unfold. This season especially, as more than

a few dedicated viewers were slightly disappointed when mild-mannered Ben with his universally disliked haircut was announced as the Bachelor, many BC devotees have come up with their own way to spice up this year’s season. Megan Zink, CSOM ’14, and her friends, decided to make a Fantasy League on Facebook, devising a system around the classic components of every Bachelor episode, including the coveted one-on-one dates, the overdramatized yet always nerve-wracking rose, and the guaranteed mental breakdown of at least one girl every episode. Zink explained the breakdown of their system, stating, “We pick three girls a week to be on our Fantasy Team, and gain or lose points depending on if they go on a one-on-one date, get a rose, or break down crying, along with other criteria that changes from week

to week. We can also pick a girl that we think will be sent home that week for bonus points, although we lose points if we are wrong.” While not all groups are quite as creative as Zink and her friends, almost all followers of The Bachelor agree that the show is best when watched in groups. Walk through almost any dorm on BC’s campus on a Monday night, after a rough first day of classes immediately following the weekend, one can often hear the high-pitched screams and universal laughter of a group of females crowded around their television watching The Bachelor. Girls often find themselves commenting on the unbelievable behavior of certain contestants, like the dreaded Courtney, whose model appearance hides one of the most manipulative personalities in The Bachelor’s history. She even used skinny dipping to catch

Courtesy of ABC.COM

The season’s cast of ‘The Bachelor’ has students creating fantasy teams comprised of three girls they think will make it to the next round.

Alum takes writing world by storm Biegel, from B10 so the actors feel a sense of ownership with the characters they play. As the seasons go on, they have more and more input regarding their characters, and everyone on the show wants to make their character better, which is an awesome thing. As far as improv, some actors on the show do it more than others. Ian Gomez, for example, comes from an improv background, so he is more comfortable with it. But everyone is always very respectful of what’s on the page. DS: How do you go about keeping the storyline, dialogue, and plot fresh each season? KB: It’s hard [laughs]. You kind of don’t. There’s a joke in Hollywood: there’s only really 20 stories that you can tell, you just have to shift them around. But, on the show, every single writer brings in stories from their own lives, and that turns into stories on the show. I do it. Bill does it. All the way down to the staff writers. Hopefully, you can take even the most hackneyed stories and assign a specific personality to it and make it sort of fresh. We try to steer away from the generic stories and try to make it really specific, but I think we’re more a character-heavy show. If we can get the characters and their voices down, we can do anything and it seems fairly rich. But it’s hard. Plot is the worst thing in the world. If it was just writing jokes, it would be easy. The tough thing is coming up with a plot and keeping people interested. DS: Is there any particular character on the show that you enjoy writing the most? KB: I like them all. But I’m from Florida, and I have this weird love of hillbillies. It’s almost like a weird psychosis thing, so I love writing for Bobby. I love writing for Travis. Laurie is always fun to write for because you can write the most complicated monologue and give it to her and she’ll have it in two

minutes. Courtney’s also fun to write for because she enjoys the work that is put into it. It’s cool. It’s like being a cook when someone likes your food. DS: I read in a interview you did with The Huffington Post where you said that this season would end with the wedding of Greyson and Jules. Did you find it easier with that goal in mind? KB: It was so much easier to lay the season out. We kind of figured out early on that the first episode of this season would be the engagement and the last would be the wedding. In that way, you kind of know what the end goal is going to be. The first season, we honestly didn’t really know what the end of the season was going to be. Then last year, we had them going away to Hawaii. It’s good to get away because it’s kind of a nice trip for everyone who has busted their butts all season. But this is long-winded answer, so yes, it was easier to plan the season. DS: In your first two seasons, Cougar Town really accumulated a pretty diehard fan base. Have you interacted with any of these fans? KB: All the time. We’ve been doing these screenings to showcase new episodes and between that and the whole social media thing, we’ve really interacted with a lot of fans. It’s crazy. Our set is kind of this microcosm environment, so to go out into the world and meet people who like and appreciate the show is pretty cool. There has been a handful of fun nut jobs, but there hasn’t been a ton of those. Our fan base seems to be a pretty cool group of people. The majority of the people I’ve met, I can see myself interacting with them in a social atmosphere. DS: So I have to ask what it was like to work with Trey Parker and Matt Stone? I can’t imagine what it would be like sitting at a table trying to think up an episode with those guys.

KB: Okay. I’ll do a quick summary. So they liked this little comic book thing I wrote, and they wanted me to come in for an interview. It was nerve-wracking enough to have to go and meet with them. Then I heard that’s not how they interview. I guess they don’t do this anymore, but back then if you wanted to work for those guys you used to have to go on a writer’s retreat. You and however many other writers were flown out of a private airport with Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They flew you to Steamboat Spring, Co., where they had just built this giant house out of old railroad ties. I proceeded to hang out and ski with them and go to dinner with them for a solid week. I’m thinking to myself, what the heck is going on here. They said, we’ll meet every morning and night and do story stuff, but during the day you can do whatever you want. So I was going skiing with Trey Parker, who’s like the nicest guy, then at night we would drink beer and make up stories. In between story stuff I would just talk to Matt about music or do Star Wars role-playing with Trey. Trey loves role-playing. I think the whole reason I got the job was because I played a convincing Darth Vader. I remember listening to them planning out the heavy metal episode with the cat pee and I was like, wow, this is hilarious. So that was how I got interviewed for the job. Then I drove Matt back to his house when we got back and he said, “Alright man, see you soon.” So I thought, I guess that means I got the job. It was insane. It was like something out of a crappy Entourage episode. DS: Do you have any funny stories or memories from your time at BC? KB: I just can’t believe that the mods are still there [laughs]. But the truth is that every memory I have from BC is a good one. My wife is from Quincy, so I’m always back in that area. I love BC. It was a cool place to go to school, and it still seems likes it’s doing well. Although the football team sucks nowadays. n

Courtesy of ABC.COM

‘The Bachelor’ has a good portion of the undergraduate population tuning in every Monday. Ben’s attention early on this season, but now seems uninterested to keep the Bachelor intrigued and on his toes. Kristen Diblasi, A&S ’15, explained, “The ridiculousness of this year’s season with psycho Courtney and Ben’s always amusing hair is best enjoyed in the company of others.” Although the Bachelor himself may seem to be lacking in the personality department this season, viewers can’t seem to get enough of the outrageous antics of the contestants and the mystery behind Ben’s dog-like shaggy and everchanging hair. Zink says that during her gatherings to watch The Bachelor, she and her friends “know it’s completely ridiculous, and usually end up making fun of the staged ‘spontaneity’ of the show, or Ben’s hair, or how blatantly drunk most of the girls are the whole time.” Margaret Fahey, A&S ’13, when talking about why she and her friends watch the show week after week, stated, “I know what keeps us watching is the absurdity of it. It’s a great social experiment in a lot of ways to watch objectively, or as objectively as possible. How women act

with a man that they are all sharing, and with one another when he’s not around. I think it says a lot about people, and it is interesting, as staged as it is.” All in all, the general consensus is that here at BC, when the academic and extracurricular pressures can seem extremely overwhelming at times, many girls feel that the “reality world” created in The Bachelor is a well-earned escape. So as the much-anticipated “hometown dates,” where Ben will go to the hometowns of the final four remaining contestants to meet their families, air this Monday, place your bets as to which lucky ladies will receive a rose, and cozy up on the couch with a group of friends and preferably a box of chocolates to enjoy The Bachelor. Zink explained that, “More than anything, I really just enjoy watching The Bachelor with my roommates each and every week. It’s the one two-hour break that I schedule out for myself during the week, and I like being able to relax and enjoy watching the show with my friends. It’s great for roommate bonding.” n

The Heights

editor’s column

Gaining some persepective

Kerry Cronin takes a blunt approach to hooking up For years Cronin has been refining her incredibly accurate definition of the hook-up culture By Rachel Rudder For The Heights

Therese Tully As the many-week-long midterm period rolls around, it is hard not to be consumed by stress. The libraries are packed, and with this unseasonably warm winter weather, it can be more difficult than ever to stay focused and in a great mood. It seems that everyone is moving just as fast as they can to complete an insurmountable amount of work. It seems impossible to actually finish each assignment, and the stress of prioritizing and falling behind is definitely heavy on my own mind. Amid the chaos of my life, it can be difficult to keep my priorities straight. Do I actually have time to nap, what about shower, or actually sit down and eat a meal? These everyday occurrences begin to look more and more like luxuries as I hustle through my day at a sickening pace. Boston College is a school full of incredibly talented students, and I know I seem to say this every week, but it’s absolutely true. I happen to be an English and communication major. English is my true love, and communication seemed like a practical second major to add on, especially in the awful job market we are all likely to be stuck in post-graduation. I found myself commiserating with a fellow Comm. major, expressing the desire to just drop this second major that I find I am not quite passionate about yet. At this moment, over a butter rum muffin in the Rat (my favorite), I found myself saying, “Well then, I couldn’t just graduate from BC with an English degree, employers will wonder what I did for four years!” After these words came out of my mouth, I immediately challenged them, asking my friend why I felt this way. She informed me that was just BC for you—it gets under your skin and makes over– achieving feel like the norm. This attitude has definitely affected someone as Type-A as myself. It struck me just the other day that maybe I am moving just a bit too fast. While at work, I passed one of the service trip tables— yes, the ones that are always heckling freshmen to fork over their meal plans. As I do live on CoRo and have the joy of eating in McElroy daily, I find myself having to donate to them as well. But honestly, the same service trip is usually there for hours at a time, and I do donate once, but did I really have time to stop each subsequent time I passed to explain that I already donated, which they probably wouldn’t believe anyway? As I rushed past the table, I couldn’t find a moment to stop and explain myself. Some annoyed student, who had surely been dealing with a lot of students ignoring her all day, said something as I passed, and I realized that I was moving too quickly to make time for even a short conversation, and one about something as important as volunteering and donating. I seem to make time for class, for office hours, and for the library, but not for my fellow students. I am sure many of us are feeling the same way right now, but maybe we are at fault. Throughout Mac, there are a lot of different people asking for our help and our donations. These people are dedicating their time, something I seem to be short on lately. I really should find some time to carve out in my schedule to take it a bit slower. Relay For Life seemed to be permanently stationed in the lobby during the past few weeks, and they don’t take dining money, trust me, I have asked. And in this mid-semester rush, they stand as exemplary trendsetters on campus. We are all busy, but taking two minutes to acknowledge those looking for help for their service trips, or offering you baked goods in exchange for a few dollars as support for cancer research, is a beautiful break to take in your day, even if you don’t have time to get personally involved in any of these great projects yourself. Even if service isn’t your thing, getting a little perspective is definitely something that I should have trending in my own life. Though it is apparently still winter, we should all take some time to smell the figurative roses. We overachieve, we participate, we donate, we volunteer, and I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am simply exhausted. If we don’t all take some time to renew, then we won’t be doing our best in any sector of our lives. Thank goodness spring break is only a few weeks away. We could all use this time to organize our life, our thoughts, our goals, and our priorities, some very important life decisions that really warrant some deep and considerate thought. Quite simply, make time for what is important in your life this semester.

Therese Tully is the Features Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Kerry Cronin was entertaining, engaging, and authentic in her talk, “Dating, Friendship, & Love.” At the beginning of the talk, she asked who had heard her “Hook-Up Talk,” and about half of the attendees raised their hands. She began giving the reasons behind her exploration into Boston College’s hook-up culture and finding student opinions, feelings, and reactions to it. When she asked some of her senior students about their relationships and how they would play out once they graduated, the students all looked around at each other uncomfortably and explained that they weren’t dating anyone, just had casual hook-ups with people. This spurred Cronin to create rules that surround the hook-up culture, which all revolve around the principle of having no emotional attachment. Another crucial aspect of participating in the hook-up culture is to “be chill.” Since we are all so afraid of being awkward, it is key to just be laidback. It breaks the rules to stay the night. If by any chance one finds him or herself in someone else’s room in the morning, that person should know where his or her shoes are. If the person knew she was planning on staying, she should fold everything in a very neat pile to ensure a quick and stealthy exit in the morning. Regarding the post-hook-up text, it has to be nonchalant and can’t be more than a phrase at most. It is much more acceptable if it is a text sent on a weekend night

at 2 a.m. As was mentioned earlier, the most important thing about hooking up is being chill, bro. She said that one must always hook up with someone who is as drunk as they are, or at least act it, to prevent him or herself from seeming creepy. At one point in the lunch, Cronin referred to an imaginary pie chart (she didn’t have time to write on the board) in describing the categories of people at BC and their roles in the hook-up culture. The biggest group at BC consists of those that opt out of the hook-up culture, and to fill the void get very involved in every club, whether it be Appalachia, UGBC, 4Boston, or a plethora of other activities. They get extremely passionate about whatever they chose to participate in as a form of release from the sexual tensions that have built up inside of them. The next group, which consumes a smaller portion of the pie, is the pseudo-married couples. Everyone has that friend who is inseparable from his or her boyfriend or girlfriend, and anyone around them just wants to throw up. They are ridiculously obsessed with each other and ditch any plans with anyone else to be with the other. Lastly, there are those who participate in the hook-up culture. They lead the discussions at brunch Saturday and Sunday mornings, and spill intricate details—with girls giving excruciating details. Those who participate in the hook-up culture experience one of five types of hook-ups. A few of these include the random hook-up with someone you probably won’t see again. If you do, you may briefly say hello, completely ignore each other, or stop and chat. Typically the stop and chat post-hookup would have been a hookup with hope for one of the participants. One of these hook-ups is when someone generally hopes it will lead somewhere, but is unclear as to what the other person is thinking.

“I think a lot of students, girls especially, hook up with the thought that things could turn into something more. Everyone wants companionship. I just want someone to take me to Chipotle,” said Chloe Rossin, A&S ’14. Another crucial rule of hooking up is never talking about your feelings or “what it is.” This is especially important for the friends-with-benefits hook-up … the classic hook-up where you ignore any feelings toward each other and focus on a strictly physical relationship. Cronin also asks students at the other schools she visits about their opinions on what types of hook-ups there are. Some that stuck out to her as especially shocking were the birthday hook-up, the rebound hook-up, the revenge hook-up, and the bored hook-up (hopefully not with someone who’s having a hook-up with hope!). “I think that BC is becoming progressively more of a hook-up atmosphere, although in comparison to other schools of comparable size, BC is still very much dating-oriented. This might be due to the different kind of nightlife? Or that BC has no Greek life? Or the location of the school itself?” mused Jina Moon, CSOM ’14, who is currently in a relationship. Cronin had a sarcastic tone throughout her talk, but managed to get her point across and successfully described the hook-up culture and relationship atmosphere at BC. She managed to induce laughter, and confront the topic in a relaxed but comical manner, and without shame. Her accuracy was astounding to the audience at points, and made one think that if she’s able to clarify it so well, BC kids really do have the whole hook-up culture down to a science. n

professor profile: Robert Meyerhoff

Meyerhoff creates a unique niche in the math world By Cathryn Woodruff Heights Editor

Perhaps his office resembles a typical mathematics professor’s, complete with diagrams, textbooks, and problem solutions scribbled on a chalkboard. At first glance, professor Robert Meyerhoff ’s cramped Carney office looks simply cluttered with papers, books, and geometric figures. Behind the confusion, however, is even more organized chaos. His bookshelf is jammed with spines of all colors and ages. Despite its apparent lack of organization, his bookshelf, Meyerhoff assured me, is actually in some sort of order meaningful to him. A majority of his books had been given to him by his father. One ancient book he opened had a big “$4” stamped on the inside of the cover, a hardcover price unheard of today. Sometimes, he acknowledged, he looks through them to solve difficult problems—a more old-fashioned approach, despite the accessibility of the Internet. “A lot of these books I learned geometry from, and so it’s a fairly frequent occurrence that I need to look back in these books to understand particular concepts that I once knew.” Meyerhoff ’s passion for math is innate, and has persisted throughout the different stages of his life. With a natural aptitude for math and a clear path to fulfill this natural affinity, he went on to graduate school and received his Ph.D. at Princeton University. In a sense, he admitted, he always left other options open, but in the end, it was clear that math was his strong suit and his passion. He always felt most comfortable with geometric reasoning, he said, and “throwing numbers around.” Numbers have always been something that spoke to him—something that he could practice enough that it became second nature, but also something that will always perplex him with their air of mystery. In conjunction with his own talent for math, his father also influenced the path he eventually took. A very good electrical engineer, Meyerhoff ’s father showed him

Graham Beck/Heights Editor

Ever since he was a young child, Meyerhoff has pursued his passion for mathematics. how a passion for math could be applied to a profession. His father eventually quit electrical engineering to pursue his Ph.D. in math, however. This revealed to Meyerhoff the possibility that math could be used in an academic environment—an appealing application to his studies. His mother taught high school students, and her specialty was the Constitution. Having grown up around dinner discussion about the legal system, he debated once about becoming a lawyer. In the end, though, he ended up following the “inevitable,” pursuing the very field that “to abandon it would have been impossible.” When asked if he thinks he made the right choice, he responded with a joke by Woody Allen. Laughingly, he remarked that he knows he made the right decision. “When Woody Allen was asked if he had any regrets, he responded that his only regret is that he wasn’t somebody else.” Meyerhoff looks upon this as profound, yet he’s very comfortable with where he is and what he has accomplished. As a graduate student, Meyerhoff found himself in his first real teaching position. This experience helped to solidify what he already felt as a passion for

teaching math. After graduate school, he says he was fortunate to be accepted for a position at Boston College, amidst the “fluky math job market.” He’s been here teaching for 18 years now. This semester, he is teaching two graduate classes, one on smooth manifolds and another on Fuchsian groups. Meyerhoff ’s passion for teaching became apparent through his enthusiasm to show me his shapes. When he began talking about geometry, his favorite class to teach, his countenance changed. He became enthralled in the sheer joy of explaining to me the convoluted logistics of geometry and its deeper significance beyond the tangible 3-D plastic shapes. He meticulously showed me the perfect symmetry and pristine pentagon to vertex ratio of the Platonic solids. “What happens when you use squares?” he asked me, as if in an interactive classroom discussion. Laughter was the only noise I could make to compensate for my embarrassing inadequacy in math, yet I could see how important to him it was that I grasped what he found so invigorating. Meyerhoff also talked about the support his co-workers give him. “We have

an unusually good and collegial group of mathematicians here at BC. It’s a very great department to be in,” he noted. When a concept or problem slips his mind, or his bookshelf can’t offer him any direction, he is able to talk to his fellow math professors. One project he’s working on now has a missing puzzle piece. “I know exactly who I can ask here in the department, and I’m very excited to get the answer,” he said proudly. Meyerhoff ’s success in the field of mathematics beyond the classroom is undeniable. He focuses on what he considers “fairly simple problems,” which he finds most motivating and comprehensible. Simplicity is misleading, however. Meyerhoff has published over 15 influential articles and papers in his lifetime. One of these includes a collaborative piece he worked on, “Minimum Volume Cusped Hyperbolic Three-Manifolds,” published in 2009—which solved a 30-year open problem in math. When asked about a hobby he has outside of the world of math, he responded, not surprisingly, with a very numberoriented pastime. He harbors a passion for sports statistics and analyzing them. Focusing on basketball, he is able to gain a fair understanding of the game by using stats. In his free time, he tries to come to some understanding of the significance of specific players on a team. He finds these individual stats most intriguing, in coming to know the game as a whole. “It’s hard to see how home life has influenced my teaching, except that I think it’s more patient. Although I do think early on I was understanding of the difficulty in understanding math.” Father of an 11- and a 16-year-old, Meyerhoff has learned to be as patient as a meticulous math student, struggling with the most cumbersome of problems, as well as how to be a patient father. The epitome of the clash between his home life and his job is the Rubik’s dodecahedron that sits on his desk. His daughter gave it to him for his birthday. Math genuinely permeates his life. n

he said, she said I’m a sophomore and most of my close friends and I don’t have fake IDs, so we don’t really go out on Thursdays. I always hear about people having fun at bars, though. Are we missing anything by not going?

The fact of the matter is, as soon as you reach the arbitrary age of 21, you’ll be able to go to as many bars as you like, as often as you like. Until then, I wouldn’t push it. Yes, I can say that going to the bars on Thursdays is fun, and it’s something to look forward to, but truthfully, why ruin that? It might seem like everyone else is going, but the reality is, they aren’t. Boston is a tough city for fake IDs, and Alex Trautwig just because yours works one place doesn’t mean that it will everywhere else. Not to sound like a broken record, but there are lots of other things you can do on a Thursday night to still make it fun. As my counterpart astutely points out, not everything needs to revolve around drinking. Honestly, the rush to start drinking and going out is natural, and obviously there are a lot of people who do it, but you shouldn’t feel left out. It does get more difficult as a junior when other people are turning 21 and you aren’t yet (summer birthdays, such as myself ), but that’s part of it. Mary Ann’s and White Horse are fun, but it’s way more enjoyable when you know the majority of people there, as opposed to just a small group that you go with. Once you’re of age, though, you’ll take for granted the fact that you can go wherever you want on the weekends.

As a senior, I can attest that going to bars on Thursdays is lots of fun. That being said, you definitely aren’t missing out on anything by not having a fake ID. It does appear that more and more underclassmen are obtaining fake IDs, but this is always a risky endeavor. Just the other night, I was with someone who is underage, and he had his ID taken at Mary Ann’s. It might seem that having a fake ID opens up a whole new social Madeline demoulas scene, but it actually just brings on a bunch of new worries. Bars are cracking down on underage drinking, and I have witnessed several incidents this year where students have had to go to court for having fake IDs. You can get in trouble not only with Boston College, but also with the city of Boston. As a sophomore, I think I went to a bar once all year. I spent most of my weekend nights on campus in Walsh or at off-campus parties. I’m sure you and your friends will turn 21 within the next year, and you can spend your junior and senior years going to bars. Since most of your close friends are in the same boat, you should plan to do some other fun things on Thursday nights. You can go out to dinner or go to the movies. Not everything in college needs to revolve around drinking. Trust me, you will be 21 soon enough, and you’ll forget all about your underage problems.

Alex Trautwig is a senior staff writer for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

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

The Heights

Monday, February 20, 2012

HUmor

How-To

Eagle Dates

The ferris wheel can be scarring

MEET THE DATERS:

Set up your own virtual pinboard Allie Bowman

Eagles this March, the team continues to work hard in hopes of building the team up for the upcoming years. As we have seen in college basketball, you can never be quite sure who will be showing up in your bracket. BYU anyone? The disciples feel their support has definitely had an impact on the team thus far. Mucci and Dunn say it’s a form of mutual respect between them and the players that specifically showed in the last upset against FSU. Looking towards the future, the disciples hope to continue road trips to local away games, have game watches at Roggie’s, and even have a Donahue’s Disciples t-shirt to be sold at the BC Bookstore. However, they stress that a lot of this will depend on general interest. Being an Eagles basketball fan for most of my life, I’ve seen first hand that the fans play a large role in the success of their team. Although we may never amount to the Cameron Crazies or boast a chant as good as “rock chalk jayhawk,” we are in the process of building on our own traditions. With the guidance of the disciples and help from the fans, it is hopeful that the Eagles have big things coming their way, and when they do, the disciples will be ready. After all, no one wants to be a bandwagon fan.

Whenever I open Safari, whether I mean to or not, the first thing I do is click the Facebook link on my Favorites bar. After checking my three notifications and creeping on friends from home, I get bored and move on to Twitter. I catch up on daily updates from Uberfacts, Wiz Khalifa, and the rest of my favorite tweeters. As I move on to StumbleUpon for 10 more minutes of Internet entertainment, I suddenly remember that, oh yeah, I’m supposed to be downloading that PULSE article from Blackboard Vista. Enter Pinterest—my new favorite academic distraction and social media website. Though the site was launched in March of 2010, its popularity has recently flared up on college campuses across the country. The site is exactly what it sounds like: a virtual corkboard on which you can “pin” your “interests.” Users create their own page, which contains categorized, digital spreads of literally anything. The “pins” are shrunken images of things like clothes, beautiful places, food, and more. When clicked on, the pin takes you to the site it was uploaded from. Whether you want to discover new websites or just organize groups of pretty pictures onto a flowing Tumblr-like page, Pinterest is the perfect site. To begin pinning, potential users must be “invited” to the site, which can be done by a personal request or a recommendation from someone who already has an account. I thought the same thing: “Who is this Pinterest god that has the power to invite me?” In my mom’s case, this invite took two days to arrive. In my case, it took two weeks, so it’s safe to say I have no idea what criteria its acceptance is based on. While waiting for the invite, soon-to-be users can still browse through pins to get acquainted with the site. Though the exclusive nature of the website is slightly degrading, it makes getting the invitation e-mail that much more exciting. Finally, after days, or in my case weeks, of anticipation, potential users will receive an e-mail with the subject “You’ve Been Invited to Join Pinterest.” From there, users will be asked to check off the standard social media site to-do list: username, password, full name, profile picture, and autobiographical blurb. Once completed, the site asks users to choose from a list of 28 topics so that they can suggest certain user boards to “follow.” Pinners can then search and follow their peer’s boards. Every time users log in, they’re welcomed by a “Pinners You Follow” page so they can view and “re-pin” their friends’ pins. Pinterest sets you up with five standard boards like “My Style” and “Products I Love,” yet most people alter those right away. This is by far the coolest part about Pinterest—your boards can reflect your exact personality. Being a Virgo, I like things to be organized into categories that make sense to me, which is probably why I have 21 boards, each specifically titled and kept uniform in lowercase text. Whereas a fellow pinner may put all of her beauty-themed pins on one board, I have one for “hair,” “makeup,” and “nails.” While some of my boards are common among all my friends, like “style” or “crafts,” others are catered toward my passions and quirks, like “summer,” “vintage,” and “cats & other amusing things.” Just when I think things I love, like summer, can’t get any better, I find a sunshine-filled photography pin of a hammock swinging over the Tiffany blue ocean. Adding a pin to a board is painfully simple. Users scroll over the pin, highlighting it so that a small “Pin” button appears in the top left corner. After clicking it, a pop-up appears that asks which board users wish to add it to and if they want to change the caption. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Under the “Add +” tab, users can upload files from other sites or their computers. When I felt my “celebs” board was naked without at least one picture of the blue-eyed beauty Chris Pine, I uploaded a Google image of him to my page. I could go on for days about why Pinterest is the coolest social media site available to web-browsers today, but the proof is in the pinning. Since I’ve joined Pinterest, I’ve purchased a continuallycomplimented pink iPhone case that looks like a retro cassette player. I’ve discovered my favorite new singer and girl-crush Lana del Rey. I’ve even pinned enough European photography to my “travel the world” board to convince myself to spend a semester in Florence away from my beloved Boston College. I might be over-exaggerating in saying that Pinterest has changed my life, but it definitely has shown me more interesting things than my friend’s Facebook pictures of the latest Who’s event and Kim Kardashian’s pointless Twitter updates.

Jenn Lavoie is a contributor to The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.

Allie Bowman s a contributor to The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.

David Riemer You would like to believe that at any death trap of an amusement park, the Ferris wheel would be the best bet for a safe, relaxing, and certainly not life-threatening ride. They seem innocent—the teddy bears of the theme park bully-coasters. My experiences with these heinous contraptions, however, speak to the contrary. I am a survivor. What happened that one June afternoon would forever define my outings to any amusement parks. It was an ordinary day, but the days that seem the most mundane are the often the ones which ache to murder you most. In any case, the day bore no other significance other than a church Youth Group trip to Canobie Lake Park in New Hampshire. After having been spun, flipped, and dropped in every conceivable direction, my stomach was ready for a break. A break, I thought, would involve a serene ride on the Ferris wheel with a few of my equally nauseous friends. The worst that can happen on a Ferris wheel is that some idiot rocks the carriage, right? Clear skies heralded a marvelous view of the lake and the vomit-laden boulevards. At the top of the wheel, I could not help but notice a deluge of ominous clouds flooding the distant sky. The black mass shot bolts of lightning haphazardly into the fields below. As the wind began to pick up, I was relieved to feel the Ferris wheel turning once again. The ride would soon be over and I could take appropriate shelter in Auntie Em’s storm cellar. Much to our surprise, however, our little compartment just kept on a-swinging, even as we pleaded with the attendant to let us off. By this point, I would have thought that the horizontal rain, or wildly swinging chairs, or rampant lightning, or general Armageddon atmosphere, might have tipped the Canobie staff off to the fact that it was anything but safe to have people suspended over 100 feet above the pavement, surrounded by metal. So, as we inched our way back to the top of this forsaken wheel of sorrow and strife, I did what any reasonable, sane individual would do—I instantly assumed the role of a doomsday soothsayer and began to shriek about the 50 different ways the wheel would inevitably collapse or how we would be flung to our deaths from its apex. This coherent, verbal shrieking was accompanied by a healthy amount of utterly crazy, deeply disturbing, blood-curdling screaming, the likes of which surprised not only me and my friends, but also everyone else on the Ferris wheel. For no fewer than 20 minutes, I had every single person convinced that they were never going to see their families again. Before my hysteria had the opportunity to irreparably unravel everyone it had touched, the storm dissipated as quickly as it had set in, and we were safely ferried back to the ground. While I kissed the ground in a residually fearful haze, I made an oath never to set foot on a Ferris wheel ever again. There is just too much at stake. Beware the wheel. David Riemer is an editor for The Heights. He welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.

Cover, from B10

NAME: Christine Zhao YEAR: 2014 MAJOR: English FAVORITE HILLSIDE SANDWICH: North End FAVORITE MOVIE: Mystery Science Theater 3000

NAME: Jake Bajada YEAR: 2014 MAJOR: Economics FAVORITE HILLSIDE SANDWICH: Baja Chicken FAVORITE MOVIE: A Walk to Remember

Eagle Dates continue to expose students to college dating HEIGHTS: How did your date begin?

Heights: Where did you go on your date?

CHRISTINE: We met outside Walsh and we were waiting for a cab to go to the Union Street Grill. It was kind of awkward because the cab was late and I had to call the cab company. The guy who answered the phone was really high and didn’t know what was happening with the cab so we bonded over that.

Jake: Union Street Grill in Newton Center.

Jake: I was pretty nervous. I haven’t been on a date in a while.

HEIGHTS: How did you prepare for this date?

Heights: How did the conversation go?

CHRISTINE: I asked my roommate what I should wear. He texted me from a different number because he lost his phone, so that was a little confusing, but he was good about communication and gave me a good description of what he was wearing to find him.

Jake: It was pretty good—we had a lot to catch up on.

HEIGHTS: What did you guys talk about? CHRISTINE: We talked about a lot; the conversation went well. We talked about what we do on campus, our interests. He talked about Appa and how he was a big basketball fan and goes to all the BC games, and how he lived on Newton. HEIGHTS: What was the most surprising thing you learned about your date? CHRISTINE: I was surprised that BC wasn’t his first choice school because he seems to really like it and fit in well. HEIGHTS: What was the highlight of your evening? CHRISTINE: Walking to Newton to take the Newton bus back to campus. The food was really good, too, at the restaurant. HEIGHTS: Would you call the evening a success? CHRISTINE: I thought it was a pleasant date. It was a good experience because it went better than I thought, because I was really nervous about the blind date aspect. There weren’t any awkward silences and we always had a lot of stuff to talk about. HEIGHTS: What does the future hold for you two? CHRISTINE: I don’t know. We might be Facebook friends soon.

heights: How nervous were you for this date?

heights: What was the most surprising thing you learned about your date? Jake: That she is in the Honors Program. Heights: What does the future hold for you two? Jake: No one can tell for sure. Heights: How did you end the date? Jake: With a kiss, just kidding, with a hug goodbye.

RATE YOUR DATES NAME: Jake Bajada

NAME: Christine Zhao

RATE THE DATE ON A SCALE OF 1-5 (5 BEING BEST)

5.00 3.00

Campus Chronicles

‘Donahue’s Disciples’ give a long-time fan hope Jenn Lavoie Growing up only 20 minutes from Boston College with an extreme love for college basketball, Conte Forum was naturally where I spent a good amount of my Saturday and Sunday afternoons. It’s safe to say I’ve seen my favorite college basketball team endure all kinds of highs and lows. From Troy Bell’s 42-point game against Iowa State, to witnessing the closet thing to God on a Jesuit campus with the recruitment of Sean Williams, BC has certainly been a team that has never ceased to surprise me. As the peak of the 2011-2012 season arrives, fans and players have been preparing themselves for what has always been an interesting—and my personal favorite—matchup, Duke. Despite the lovable Coach K, it has always been easy for BC fans to love to hate the Duke Devils. I think the exact moment was back in 2006 when J.J. Redick and Sheldon Williams took the floor in Conte with their bold blue uniforms that it became clear: we simply don’t like Duke. It was then a matter of minutes until the “Sheldon’s ugly” chant began to echo from the depths of the student section. While some years the unspoken rivalry has accumulated more buzz than others, this year a new level of anticipation has been reached as Donahue’s Disciples host Camp-Out Conte. Being

present for nearly every home game and a number of away games, the disciples began preaching the good word from Conte Forum during the 2010-2011 season. Having sparked the interest of the man himself, Steve Donahue, as well as Ice Jam host Steve Levy, the disciples have certainly made an impact on the BC campus. The camp-out is their biggest event to date. The all-day tailgating camp-out, designed to build excitement and hype around the game, is arguably one of the most witty and clever plans brought forth by students in a while. While some may argue the disciples were inspired by Occupy Boston, Shea Field during football season, or the wait for Kid Cudi tickets that had faculty and passersby wondering what building was burning down, the disciples explain it was rather a revival of the glory days. In a recent conversation with two of the disciples, Will Mucci, A&S ’14, and Ryan Dunn, CSOM ’14, the two explained that back when basketball tickets were first come first serve, students would camp out over night for the weekend games. Originally they planned for the camp-out to be only 10 or 12 students, however, BC marketing approached them with the idea of turning it into an event to give the team, as well as the big game, publicity. Naturally the disciples accepted in hopes of creating true home court advantage. In the weeks leading up to the camp-

out, the disciples’ main goal was to show students, alumni, and fans that basketball games can ultimately be a great time. Both Mucci and Dunn agree that they want to show the young team that the BC community has their backs and that, although attendance hasn’t been great this year, they are our team and we support them. Within the past years, the team has undergone some significant changes, first with their move to the Atlantic Coast Conference back in 2005, followed by the introduction of new coach Donahue in 2010. Now, during the current season, the team is undergoing somewhat of a rebuilding year as they take on the ACC with nine freshmen. This, however, has only inspired the disciples to expand and continue their support as they have contributed a large effort to the rebuilding process. Like their team, the disciples agree they’ve had their ups and downs this season, but the response has continuously been positive. They agree there is still room for improvement and hope that as the team grows and improves, the fans will make Conte a great place for their home team to play and tough one for their opponents. Despite their rocky season, the team has so far won three ACC games shutting down the very bold prediction by some that they would win less than one conference game. Although a trip to the sweet 16 may not be in store for the

B10

features The Heights

Monday, February 20, 2012

Apathy reigns victorious post-UGBC primaries Low voter turnout initiates a probing conversation about politics on campus By Alexandra Schaeffer Asst. Features Editor

Woogeon Kim/ Heights photo illustration

Alum finds success in Hollywood after BC career Interview with BC grad gives insight into screenwriting By Dan Siering Heights Editor

Dan Siering: Thanks a lot for taking some time out of your afternoon today. I’m sure you’re busy with season three coming out in a couple days. Let’s first talk about your journey starting at Boston College, then going to Scrubs then the stuff with South Park, and finally co-creating Cougar Town. Kevin Biegel: I was a communication major at BC, and I was kind of dead set on going to New York to write for a magazine when I graduated. At the same time, I had always been a huge film nerd. So I found Aintitcool.com my sophomore or junior year at school, and it was kind of in its infancy. It was like right as the Internet was starting to write about movies. So when I was writing for The Heights I was able to parlay seeing an early screening of a movie into being the person to write a review for Ain’t It Cool. I was doing that for about a year and then one day I was on campus and I saw a flyer that said “come

see a screening for a new movie way before it comes out.” I was like, okay, I’ll go see it. So I went to the screening and it was literally the Farrelly Brothers showing, There’s Something About Mary. That’s what filmmakers used to do: they went to colleges around New England and showed movies to kids, and they would try to get ideas of how they could make the movie better. I happened to be in the right place at the right time and I saw an early cut of There’s Something About Mary, and then a month later I wrote a review of it. I wrote this big, 10-page review for Ain’t It Cool and I was wrote all this technical stuff like “they should cut this and keep this,” like I knew what I was talking about. Then I woke the next morning and my phone rang and it was Pete Farrelly. And he was like, “what the heck, man, why are you bad-mouthing my movie?” But then he said all the cuts and stuff I told them they should make were the cuts that the Farrelly brothers wanted to make themselves. So the studio thought that Pete Farrelly was writing a review under a different name or something. Then during that phone call they offered me a job to come out to California. So instead of going to New York, I went to California and started working with those guys. I always wanted to write, so I spent every waking hour holed up in my dumpy little apartment, for four years, just writing and writing. Writing terrible script after

i nside FE ATURES this issue

terrible script. Then I ended up getting a job as a writer’s assistant for The Tracy Morgan Show, which was on for like two seconds. Some people there thought I was funny, and the Farrellys thought I was funny too, so we did round table punch-ups on their scripts. I was a 24-year-old kid and I was with Patton Oswalt and Jeff Ross and they literally say, “Okay, guys, make some funny jokes.” So you sit around a table for a week and you punch up a script. I thought it was super fun, so I began thinking, how do you make this a living? That’s when I figured out that TV writing was basically the same thing. You sit around a table and come up with jokes. After years and years of trying to write scripts, Bill Lawrence, the creator of Scrubs, read my stuff and he liked it and I got hired there. So I worked on Scrubs for a couple years. Then at one point I got a job for South Park, so I was working for Scrubs in the morning and South Park in the afternoon. Then from there it was nearing the end of Scrubs, and Bill had been talking to Courtney Cox, who wanted to develop a show for ABC. So he asked me if I was interested in doing this show with him and I said “yeah, sure, why not.” So we began talking, and we had this running joke about what would be the dumbest show you could possibly do and actually sell. We said jokingly, maybe Cougar Town, which would have like a claw ripping through the screen as we passed from theme to theme. Then a month into talking with Courtney, Bill and I said, well, what if that was actually the show. Then it kind of evolved from there. Originally, it was going to be a dirty version of The Wonder Years. It would have been the kid’s perspective of his mom becoming this woman about town and then

The World Record

The UGBC primary elections passed this year with very little to-do about the whole event. Occasionally, students could be seen around campus sporting a green shirt, or a red shirt, and there was even the occasional purple shirt. The shirts apparently made very little impact on the Boston College student body, however. Few students seem to have any idea about the campaign platforms of each team, or of even a single team for that matter. “There didn’t really seem to be that much campaigning this year,” said Ami Trivedi, A&S ’14. “Last year, as a freshman, I remember the candidates had tons of banners and signs and came around to dorms to talk to us about the elections. That didn’t happen at all this year.” That sentiment seems to be widely felt among the students, who felt less cluedin to the election process than usual. “To be honest, I didn’t even know how to vote. I mean, I’m sure if I really looked into it and wanted to I could have, but it just wasn’t very accessible and I didn’t feel the need to go out and search for a way to do it,” explained Kayla Morse, A&S ’14. Though an e-mail was sent to students at the start of the primaries explaining to them how to vote, it did require more than a passing glance, as students had to follow a link and then vote on a separate website. In a technological age, when all processes are instantaneous, this can seem grueling and unnecessary to an already apathetic voter. Apathy seemed to be prevalent among the student body during this past primary, as fewer than 2,000 votes were cast. That number does not even comprise an entire class at BC, and it represents a significant decrease from the more than 3,200 votes that were cast in last year’s primaries. Though little senior participation is generally expected, the other three classes still lagged compared to previous years. “It felt like they started the campaigning process a lot earlier last year. This year I only just barely noticed campaign paraphernalia a week before the elections. I felt like it lasted for several weeks last year,” Trivedi noted. The opacity in the campaigning process led to a lack of information about the candidates among the general population of students. “I only really knew anything about one candidate and that’s because I’m in QSLC with him. Otherwise I had no idea what the other candidates stood for,” said Rebecca Kelly, A&S ’14. Other students who did report that they voted seemed to have very little knowledge about not only the teams they didn’t vote for, but they also often knew very little about the teams for which they did end up casting their ballots. “I voted for the team that I did because a boy in the lab I work in wore their t-shirt every day and asked me to vote for them,” said Casey Brodsky, A&S ’14. The lack of the mom’s perspective of her son going through it. But then it turned into what the pilot was and after about three or four episodes of what was the pilot was, Bill, Courtney, and I kind of looked at each other and said, we really don’t want to write this anymore. We don’t care about her chasing younger guys. What’s fun to write about is this group of people hanging out, so then we shifted totally what the show was about and turned it into what it is now. DS: You said television is a lot about just sitting around a table and coming

communication between candidates and their constituents seems to play a key role in the lack of voting, and the arbitrary voting practices that defined the primaries this year. “I just voted for the only team that came to my door and asked if they could put their poster on it. I figured if I had their poster on my door, I should probably vote for them,” laughed Megan Zink, CSOM ’14. Minimal campaigning among candidates made it easier for efforts by more prominent teams to gain recognition among the non-freshmen voters. “I heard from one person that the best campaigning strategy is to put all of your resources into wooing Newton Campus. It’s rumored among the candidates that the only people who vote are freshmen, so if they can get that solid block of Newton residents, they’ve essentially got the election in the bag,” said Justin Smith, A&S ’14. This could explain general confusion among the sophomore class as to the apparent lack of campaigning among this year’s candidates in comparison to last year’s pace.Freshmen this year don’t seem to be much more cluedin to the candidates than upperclassmen, though. “I didn’t vote in the primaries because I didn’t feel that I was adequately informed about the candidates,” said Kate Wysocki, LSOE ’15. “I didn’t really know what I would be voting for by casting a ballot.” Though attemps are made by the Elections Committee to inform students—especially through the primary, students often find little time in their day to devote to something that they feel never ends up impacting them. “I don’t notice any change whenever the UGBC government changes. Regardless of who’s in office, it doesn’t affect my life here at BC, and that’s really why I didn’t vote,” explained Morse. This sentiment seems to be more widely felt among students than UGBC would hope. “It really doesn’t matter who’s in office because there’s only so much they can change and do,” said Molly Cummings, A&S ’14. The feeling that each team is replaceable as leaders of UGBC makes it all the more important that the final teams clarify and promote their unique stances. “I initially only voted for the team I did because they came to our door and talked to us quickly, but after I voted I heard about how they are planning on putting more emphasis on AHANA. As a part of SASA, that’s really important to me, so I’ll probably vote for them again in the later elections,” Trivedi said. For candidates to stand out and win, they need to make their presence, as well as their proposed initiatives, more well known. The student body is generally uninterested in going out and getting this information for themselves, and unless it is present and persistent, they are content to go uninformed, putting the fate of UGBC in anyone’s hands. n up with jokes. Is there is a lot of improv on Cougar Town, or is it mostly scripted? Does the cast have any input on what goes into the show? KB: Courtney definitely does. She’s the executive producer so she, Bill, and I are kind of like the big three running it. But we wrote the show literally in her voice. We hung out with her for a solid month just to get her mannerisms and voice down in order to make this just for her. It’s the third year of the show,

See Biegel, B7

Courtesy of Google.com

BC alum, Kevin Biegel, talks about his entrance into the world of writing post - graduation.

Hype, excitment, and lots of emotion among viewers surrounds this year’s popular season of ‘The Bachelor’ ............................................................................................................B7

How-to Column...............................B9 Kerry Cronin Luncheon....................B8