The Heights 02/21/2013

SECOND WIND

CITY PANHANDLING

OSCAR PREVIEW

SPORTS

METRO

SCENE

BC puts up a big second half for an ACC win over Maryland, A10

A City Council committee is set to address panhandling on Boston streets, B10

The Scene predicts who will take home the big awards in this Sunday’s ceremony, B1

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HEIGHTS

THE

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College

established

1919

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Vol. XCIV, No. 10

Faculty develop interdisciplinary minor in medical humanities Members plan to present proposal for a new health sciences minor this spring

BY ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT News Editor Medical Humanities, Health, and Culture (MHHC) may soon be joining the list of interdisciplinary minors at Boston College.

Professor Amy Boesky of the English department said that an array of faculty members, while conversing about their respective courses, realized that in some

cases there was significant overlap in subject matter. The group realized that courses on topics such as the representation of the body and the history of illness in narrative could potentially fit into an interdisciplinary program in the medical humanities.

Last spring, Boesky, who has an interest in narrative medicine, applied to the Institute for the Liberal Arts (ILA) at BC for a grant to fund a series of development lunches in the fall of 2012. Her proposal

was approved, and a group of about 16 faculty members from a wide array of academic fields—multiple departments from the College of Arts and Sciences, the Connell School of Nursing (CSON), and BC Law School were all represented—met monthly at the ILA. “We have been holding a series of workshops in which we talked about how could we come together from different disciplines to think about interdisciplinary approaches to health and health-care,” Boesky said. “What would it mean to approach these questions through different disciplines?”

The group considered these “big ques-

tions” about health and medicine through multiple lenses—sociological, historical, theological, and through the natural sciences—to see how a medical humanities minor might take shape. According to Boesky, the group discovered that a significant selection of courses already offered at BC would fall under the umbrella of medical humanities. She mentioned courses on HIV/AIDS in both CSON and theology, along with courses on end of life decisions in sociology and psychology, as examples of subject overlap that already existed across disciplines.

“We have talked with people in the

growing companies

BY BRIGID WRIGHT Heights Staff

EMILY FAHEY / HEIGHTS STAFF

Dick Hoyt, one half of the “Team Hoyt” duo, spoke in Devlin 008 on Monday.

Hoyt stresses perseverance, acceptance

BY GIANNI MATERA Heights Staff

Assoc. News Editor “I’d like you all to think of three small words—yes you can—because for 51 years, everyone has been saying no you can’t.”

Dick Hoyt, father to Rick Hoyt and member of “Team Hoyt,” spoke these words to a hushed audience on Monday night in Devlin 008. Students, faculty, and members of the Boston College community filled the lecture hall to hear Dick’s inspirational story of a father-son team.

Dick and his son, Rick, compete in marathons, duathlons, triathlons, and Ironman competitions. Since the spring of 1977, the two have participated in 1,090 events and traveled over 3,770 miles across America. Together, they form “Team Hoyt.”

Fifty-one years ago, Team Hoyt’s accomplishments seemed unimaginable.

Rick was born in the winter of 1962. As a result of oxygen deprivation to his brain at the time of his birth, Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. He could not use his arms or legs to function and was unable to speak.

“Doctors told us he would be nothing but a vegetable for the rest of his life,” Dick said. “They told us to put him away and leave him in a home.”

The Hoyts did just the opposite.

Dick and Judy realized that although their son could not walk or speak, he was cognizant of his surroundings and astute to his parent’s actions. They began to homeschool Rick, teaching him the alphabet and numbers. Determined to give their son a normal upbringing, the Hoyts fought to integrate Rick into the local public school. At the age of 11, and with the help of a skilled group of Tufts University engineers, Rick was fitted with an interactive computer. For the first time in his life, Rick could communicate with others. His first spoken words were “Go, Bruins!” Two years later, at the age of 13, Rick was admitted to public school.

“Three years later, in the spring of 1977, Rick told me he wanted to par-

See Team Hoyt, A4

The Heights Room was filled with both aspiring entrepreneurs and Boston-area tech firms this Monday during the Boston College Venture Competition’s (BCVC) first annual startup career fair.

Companies, some of which were founded by recent BC alumni, had the chance to meet students who were eager to work in innovative and fast-paced tech companies.

Mike Russo, A&S ’13, attended the fair to meet members of the local startup community and to learn about startup job opportunities.

“I’ve had a great time,” Russo said.

“There’s a bunch of cool companies here and a lot of them were founded

by BC grads. It makes it kind of relatable. You know they were in our

See New Minor, A4

BC prof awarded NIH grant

Fair brings in

BY DEVON SANFORD

pre-med office,” Boesky said. “We are working across disciplines and schools, with faculty from the professional schools as well as A&S—faculty from nursing, and also Dean Hashimoto from the Law School, who works on healthcare law—in order to bring together many different kinds of perspectives, and different kinds of students.” Boesky said that while students in the pre-med track and in CSON would be expected to express interest in the minor, the group was also considering students in the liberal arts—those who might be inter-

shoes back only a few years [ago].”

BCVC, along with hosting its annual competition, has become a major promoter of entrepreneurial awareness on campus. Sophia Papastamelos, CSOM ’13, is a member of BCVC and was the head coordinator of the startup fair.

“Our mission as an organization at Boston College is to get more students involved with entrepreneurship, involved with the innovative startup community in Boston, and so we’re really trying to put on more types of events to facilitate that,” Papastamelos said. “We have our elevator pitch competition, we have speakers come in, we have this—

we’re re ally tr y ing to build it up.”

BCVC’s initiatives are similar to many at universities across the country. Academic institutions are establishing programs to teach students entrepreneurial skills and to recognize business opportunities.

Ryan Traeger, BC ’03, is the founder and CEO of Achvrs, an achievement interface that helps people track personal goals and connect with their friends.

“I’m really happy with what Boston College is doing with this,” Traeger said. “In Boston specifically, this town is just filled with

See BCVC Fair, A4

JORDAN PENTALERI / HEIGHTS GRAPHIC

Tricia Burdo, research associate professor and biologist at Boston College, was recently awarded a $1.9 million grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH).

The Research Project Grant, the original and most historically known grant given by the NIH, is used to supplement and support health-related research that investigates cures and causes of diseases, as well as human development and the environment as they pertain to physical wellbeing. Burdo plans on using this grant to further her study in AIDS-associated peripheral neuropathy, which is a tingling, numb sensation or pain that begins at the toes and spreads throughout the feet, legs, and arms.

Burdo, who completed her doctoral dissertation at Pennsylvania State University, has spent much of her career studying central nervous system (CNS) diseases, specifically human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Burdo has focused in her doctoral work and post-doctoral fellowship research on HIVassociated illnesses, including dementia, and their effects on the immune system.

The NIH Research Project Grant could provide a massive breakthrough in several areas of Burdo’s interests and research in peripheral neuropathy. With this grant, Burdo plans to continue her research at BC to use non-human primate models of neuroAIDS to study the virus’ role in peripheral neuropathy and how the inflammation of dorsal root ganglia (DRG), located near the spine, is connected to it. Previous research has indicated that DRG and macrophage traffic is most likely associated with the painful disease, and Burdo’s research will attempt to discover the definitive connection between the two and how it drives the disease. As of right now, according to past research, mac-

See Burdo, A4

Segal discusses Econometric Society, academic journals

BY ANDREW SKARAS Asst. News Editor At the end of 2012, economics professor Uzi Segal was elected a fellow of the Econometric Society, the learned society for economists around the world. He joined fellow colleagues, Arthur Lewbel and Tayfun Sonmez, who were elected fellows in 2003.

Founded in 1930 by a Yale economics professor and a Norwegian economist, the Econometric Society serves to promote the study of economics and bring together the theoretical and empirical aspects of economics. Its primary work includes holding regional meetings every year and publishing economic journals, including its most prominent, Econometrica.

In addition to this work, the society also elects new fellows every year, one of the highest honorary distinctions in the field of economics. Each election, approximately 20 names are presented to the Society, and those who receive at least 30 percent of current fellows’ votes.

Segal began his involvement with the

society in 1995, when he began serving as an associate editor of Econometrica. In 2005, he became one of the initial associate editors of Theoretical Economics, one of the first open access journals.

“It makes no sense today that journals cost almost nothing to produce and they cost $2,000 to $3,000 per year,” Segal said.

“There are more and more free journals in the business, and Theoretical Economics was one of the first to do such.”

One of the reasons Segal was excited for these changes was the access that academics gained through open access journals. He described the old system, in which authors had to transfer all copyrights to the journal and were unable to put papers on their own websites.

“We are the people who are producing the knowledge and we cannot always access it,” Segal said. “Publishing companies refused to let go and charged more and more.

When Theoretical Economics was launched, there was a nominal submission fee, which is now replaced by membership with the Econometric Society—$100 per year. Now,

once [the article] is published, it is free. Not everything is money. I want what I write to be accessible to other people.”

For his own research, Segal has been dedicated to decision theory and social justice. His decision theory research has focused on risk and uncertainty and how

people make decisions.

“People don’t always obey the law of multiplication of probabilities of independent events,” Segal said. “Quite often, people act differently—when confronted with a lottery

See Segal, A4

CHRISSY SUCHY / HEIGHTS STAFF

Econ professor Uzi Segal was named an Econometric Society fellow at the end of 2012.

TopTHREE

THE HEIGHTS

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

A Guide to Your Newspaper

things to do on campus this week

1 2 3 Lowell Humanities

Mental Health Talk

Today Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Devlin 101

The Lowell Humanities Series is hosting Teju Cole, who will speak about his two books today at 7:00 p.m. In addition to being an author, Cole is also an art historian and a street photographer. Born in the U.S., Cole was raised in Nigeria and is currently a Distinguished Writer in Residence at Bard College.

The Art of Dating

Today Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Cushing 001

As a part of Silver Week, a week focused on mental health in the Asian and Asian American student community, the presidents of the Asian Caucus culture clubs are hosting a conversation on mental health that will include trust, disappointment, and addiction.

Today Time: 6:00 p.m.

Location: Murray Function Room

Sponsored by the Council for Women of Boston College, Kerry Cronin, associate director of the Lonergan Institute and fellow of the Center for Student Formation, will be speaking about dating in the college environment and how students can sustain relationships.

FEATURED EVENT

Panel discusses state of Catholic periodicals

BY QIAN DENG Heights Staff “The demographics are frightening,” said Paul Baumann, editor of Commonweal, reflecting on the readership of his magazine.

“It’s very … mature, and 98 percent are Catholic.”

Are older individuals the only audience that Catholic magazines still attract, or is there a way to inject fresh blood into their audience? Panelists discussed this question at length on Wednesday evening at “The Future of Catholic Periodicals: Faith, Finances, and the Digital Age,” an event co-sponsored by the Church in the 21st Century Center (C21) and the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life.

Perhaps a primary reason that Catholic periodicals appear less accessible to younger generations, according to the experience of Rev. Matt Malone, S.J., editor-in-chief of America, is that it is no longer safe to make assumptions about their knowledge.

“I was speaking at a parish to people between the ages of 20 and 35, who had all gone to Catholic schools and had 10 to 12 years of CCD, but when we got to the Q&A portion, the questions grew more and more basic,” Malone said. “People asked things like ‘Do you think Muslims are going to Hell?’ when they realized that everyone else in the room was just as ignorant as they were.”

The moderator of the discussion, Tom Roberts, editor-at-large of National Catholic Reporter, had a similar experience with one woman who referred to her

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Paul Baumann, editor of ‘Commonweal,’ explains the demographics of his readership. perspective on Jesus in terms of “butterflies and rainbows.”

Meinrad Scherer-Emunds, a native of Germany and executive editor of U.S. Catholic, said his publication has a section called “Glad You Asked,” filled with comprehensive answers to basic questions regarding the Catholic faith.

A key strategy has been a shift from pure print media to a more “cross-platform approach,” said Malone, who explained that when they see the articles, the young “do understand, as long as the content is excellent, relevant, and accessible.”

However, that content must be relayed in an understandable form, through “translating

theology, ethics, and other topics into language that any reasonably educated reader can understand,” Baumann said.

Between “Glad You Asked” and SchererEmunds’s goal of avoiding jargon, Baumann’s goal of being “not authoritative for the church, but open to people of any faiths or no faith,” and Malone’s allusions to St. Ignatius’s innovation in “bringing the order from the outskirts to downtown, at the center of human activity,” all the panelists concurred in the mission of bringing their message to a larger audience.

Roberts asked, “Why does it matter that our periodicals still exist 20 years later?” The panelists noted the importance of the Catholic

POLICE BLOTTER

2/16/13-2/19/13

Saturday, February 16 12:10 a.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a BC student who was transported to a medical facility from Campanella Way. 12:21 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance in Xavier Hall.

3:13 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a traffic accident on the Middle Campus roadways.

8:14 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an activated fire alarm in Stayer Hall.

Sunday, February 17 12:31 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated BC student on Campanella Way. 1:59 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an activated fire alarm in Vanderslice Hall.

2:02 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated BC student in Gonzaga Hall.

2:23 a.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a BC student who was transported to a medical facility.

2:42 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a BC student who was transported to a medical facility from Gonzaga Hall.

3:02 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a student who was transported to a medical facility from Walsh Hall.

5:05 p.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a BC student in Edmond’s Hall.

Monday, February 18 2:05 a.m. - A report was filed regarding larceny from a motor vehicle off campus.

College Corner NEWS FROM UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

BY ANDREW SKARAS Asst. News Editor In the winter issue of Emory Magazine, James A. Wagner, president of Emory University, cited the “ThreeFifths Compromise” in the U.S. Constitution as a good example of how to reach an agreement between differing viewpoints. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, this was met with outrage and indignation by faculty, students, and others, who saw the comment as racist and inappropriate.

Wagner’s column emphasized the importance of compromise to further political progress. He used the “ThreeFifths Compromise” to illustrate an attempt to find a middle ground on a contested problem in order to further a goal that everyone shared.

After the column was published, there were a number of angry readers who objected to the comments. Some demanded Wagner’s resignation and over 30 faculty members signed a for-

perspectives they represented.

“The people have a right to know,” Roberts said.

Defining the role of his publication, Baumann said, “Since Catholic periodicals do not always have the reporting resources to get on top of the story, we aim to write more reflectively, to say something that hasn’t already been said, and the issues are often bigger and deeper than the secular media makes them seem.”

“We can’t simply conform to the categories of secular media and politics, when Christianity in itself is radical,” Malone said.

“When I told a reporter that the first thing I looked for in the papal election was holiness, he said to me, ‘Father, I can’t write ‘holy!’’”

Erik Goldschmidt, director of C21, said, “The periodicals featured here tonight have each played a key role in thoughtfully framing very critical issues with serious implications for Catholic communities.”

Still, the night was not without lightheartedness. Scherer-Emunds elicited many laughs as he read, “America is read by the people who want to run the Church, National Catholic Reporter is read by the people who don’t want to run the Church, never wanted to run the Church, but want to let the people who are running the Church know how it should be run. Commonweal is read by the people who are entertained by people who run the Church, and like to drop the names at cocktail parties. U.S. Catholic is read by the people who think the lay people are ready to run the Church, and have been ready since the Second Vatican Council.” 

mal response that the student newspaper, The Emory Wheel, published online. In the letter, the signers said that they did not believe any insult or harm was intended, but that it was offensive nonetheless to the descendants of enslaved people.

Although Wagner issued a long apology on Sunday, some faculty members think it is inadequate. In his apology, Wagner tried to justify his usage of the analogy, while explicitly stating his belief that slavery was heinous. While the faculty does not have a specific request for Wagner, they think that he does need to do more.

Mark A. Sanders, chairman of the department of African-American studies, was one of the primary drafters of the letter. He said that the faculty was not calling for Wagner’s resignation. Sanders said that he believes a full retraction and apology would be appropriate.

On Tuesday, Wagner addressed the faculty council and acknowledged his lack of judgment and sensitivity. 

Tuesday, February 19 9:10 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance in Lyons Hall.

1:17 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a BC student who was tranported to a medical facility by ambulance from Bapst/Burns Library.

4:00 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a larceny from Corcoran Commons.

9:08 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in Cheverus Hall.

9:39 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious person in Conte Forum.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

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

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

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

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

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

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

CORRECTIONS The following correction is in reference to the issue dated Feb. 14, 2013, Vol. XCIV, No. 8.

The article titled “BHM panel discusses issues of skin color, ‘N word’” should have stated that the director of African and African Diaspora Studies and member of the second panel was Rhonda Frederick, not Fredericks.

VOICES FROM THE DUSTBOWL “If you could be any type of sauce, what would you be?”

“Mama OC’s marinara sauce.”

—Mike O’Connell, CSOM ’16

“Hollandaise sauce.”

—Kelli McBee, A&S ’13

“Balsamic vinaigrette.”

—Julie Kim, A&S ’16

“Special sauce.”

—Mike Pigula, A&S ’16

The Heights

Thursday, February 21, 2013

A3

A donation dilemma

CSOM student joins VFA

By Gabby Tarini Heights Staff

Matt Palazzolo “Sesqui and I Know It.” As graduation comes terrifyingly closer, this rather annoying tagline has become a frequent trespasser inside my inbox.

These emails all contain the same theme: please donate to the senior gift fund. Though I haven’t contributed yet, I have still formed a strong opinion about these emails.

The Boston College Alumni donation organization is a smoothly run operation. Various members of the senior class, alumni, and even a Board of Trustees member have all sent emails through the Senior Gift Fund, praising their BC experience and encourage our graduating class to donate. Most importantly, donations can be funneled into a specific program or organization.

I would hesitate before donating into a general BC fund, as I could be unwillingly financing nefarious actions like building a new, frappe-less Chocolate Bar (yes, I’m still bitter).

This group-specific donation method is an appealing alternative.

Despite these positive aspects, Sesquicentennial donation emails still make me uncomfortable. I remember watching PBS pledge drives in between Cyberchase episodes, where a network executive would solemnly inform viewers that without sufficient donations, PBS could go out of business. I remember going to Broadway musicals and chuckling at the benefactor titles that became increasingly pretentious with each successively higher donation level. Finally, as a politics junkie, I have seen the dark fundraising underbelly of political campaigns. My inbox is still regularly ambushed by emails begging for donations. Even supposedly frank emails, where a candidate apologizes for repeated donation requests, have an underlying financial motive.

The email’s crafter hopes that this disarming honesty will inspire supporters to contribute—after all, even these remorseful emails contain a donation link at the bottom.

I have no doubt that Senior Gift email authors are completely genuine and benign in their love of BC and their gentle request to donate.

However, their solicitations contain the same guilt trip tool that infects every fundraising organization. An alumni email that claims their donation honors their experience at BC begs the question—am I ungrateful if I don’t donate? An email that proudly cites the huge percentage of seniors that have already donated unwittingly makes me shameful for not donating already. Although the Senior Gift Fund has pure intentions, it still utilizes the same twin imperatives of any large fundraising organization. Donate: and you’ll receive a reward or title, and donate: the group needs you and as a current or former member you are obligated to help.

In my opinion, Senior Gift solicitation should abide by the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) principle. A catchy slogan or colorful sticker will not inspire me to write a check to the Alumni Fund. A personal narrative explaining why an alumnus donated will only make me feel guilty for not contributing myself.

The Senior Gift webpage has a superb FAQ about donations. It explains how University rankings are affected by alumni donation, and how tuition and athletics revenue alone is not sufficient to cover University expenses. This FAQ presents a logical rationale for why I should donate to the Senior Gift Fund, and more importantly, does not employ the carrot and stick, reward and shame tactics of most fundraising organizations. While I admire current seniors for sharing their personal motivations for donation, a simple email with links to both this FAQ page and the online donation portal would have been equally if not more affective in convincing me to contribute. I have loved my BC experience and intend to contribute once I have successfully sold my soul for a law degree and huge salary.

Please don’t make me feel guilty for not donating before graduation.

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

Andrew skaras / Heights editor

The director of the Fiscal Affairs department of the International Monetary Fund spoke on Monday to the BC community.

Cottarelli discusses fiscal accounts

By Andrew Skaras Asst. News Editor “The fiscal accounts of many advanced economies are now in the worst shape ever,” Carlo Cottarelli said. “In 2008, the IMF was calling for an expansionary fiscal policy for the first time ever. The recession was not an ordinary recession—[it] turned into a demand recession.

The monetary lever was not working. We called for a fiscal expansion when others had not recognized the full impact of the crisis.”

At Boston College on Monday as a part of the International Economic Policy and Political Economy Seminar, Cottarelli came to speak about the situation of public finances in advanced economies. He has served as a director of the Fiscal Affairs department of the IMF since 2008, which gives advice on public finance to approximately 100 different economies and publishes the Fiscal Monitor, a bulletin that tracks the progress of national fiscal adjustments around the world.

Cottarelli began by explaining how many advanced economies came to be in the situation where they needed significant fiscal restructuring. He traced it back to a surge in public debt in the 1970s that continued into the crisis that began in 2007. Looking at both the gross debt and the deficits, he showed that both increased further through the crisis, especially the structural deficit.

“At the end of this year, the gross debt [of the U.S.] is expected to exceed 110 percent of GDP, near the historic high at the end of the Second World War,” Cottarelli said.

“However, four factors suggest that the fiscal account is worse than it was at the end of the Second World War.” The first factor that Cottarelli talked about was the type of fiscal cuts that were employed—military cuts—and how they were easy to implement. Moving to demographic concerns, he explained how there were not pressures on pension and health care systems, due to the relatively young population. He then discussed higher labor force growth rate in the 1950s. Lastly, he described how the financial sectors of most advanced economies were repressed in the post-war period and how that facilitated the financing of government paper.

Turning to the present situation, Cottarelli grouped the 25 most advanced economies into three groups. The first included those with declining or stable debt, most of which had a surplus before the crisis. Examples of these countries were Switzerland and Sweden. The second group included countries with small increases in debt at low levels. None of these countries currently have a net debt-to-GDP ration above 60 percent. The third group, which included the U.S., was made up of countries with a debtto-GDP ratio of over 90 percent.

Cottarelli stressed that these 10 countries represent 70 percent of the advanced economies’ GDP and 43 percent of the world GDP. “How difficult will it be for these countries to bring [their] fiscal accounts under control?”

Cottarelli asked. “This depends on two things. First of all, what do we mean by ‘bringing public finances under control?’ Second, it depends on the assumptions of the interest rate-growth differential.”

Focusing on the first question, Cottarelli talked about bringing down the debt-to-GDP ratio. One of the goals that he described was bringing down public debt to 60-70 percent of GDP by 2030 by some combination of lowering spending and increasing taxes tailored to each country. He then explained a graph that showed the different situations of the different “Group 3” countries and how much fiscal adjustment they needed to achieve the necessary budget surplus to meet the goal.

“Many countries will have to swim against the tide because they will have to implement fiscal adjustment at a period whe n demographic and other forces will lead to an increase in spending for pensions and health care,” Cottarelli said. “The United States is the second largest in entitlement spending. Given the magnitude of the adjustments, one could wonder if there are short cuts.”

The two potential shortcuts that Cottarelli discussed were increasing inflation and debt restructuring.

Regarding inflation, he described two ways that inflation helps. The first was seigniorage, the amount of money that the government would gain simply by printing more money. Cottarelli said, however, that this was not large in advanced

economies. The second was the decrease in the value of public debt in circulation. Although Cottarelli admitted that this would have a larger impact than seigniorage, he also thought that it would be difficult to control and that it would not do enough to solve the fiscal problems.

“How about debt restructuring or, in plain English, not paying your bondholders?” Cottarelli asked next. “This is not a cost-free option. After default, when a country goes back to the market, it will have to pay a higher risk premium.

We should not forget that default is a tax on the bondholder and therefore has the same deflationary effects on the economy as any tax. I think that the cost of debt restructuring is quite high.”

Cottarelli then turned to two requirements for governments to navigate their fiscal adjustments succesfully. The first was structural reforms to raise potential growth. “[Structural reforms] are important because it affects the debt-to-GDP ratio,” he said. “Also, it is easier to run large primary surpluses when an economy is growing a lot. If there is an increase of growth per year, it will lower the debt-to-GDP ratio.”

The second requirement was that countries implement a strategy to keep interest rates under control. Cottarelli described four aspects of this requirement. The first was a “medium term fiscal adjustment plan.” The second was determining the appropriate pace of fiscal adjustment, which depended on the market circumstances facing each country, as well as the amount of fiscal adjustment necessary.

The third was defining the appropriate balance between increased taxation and decreased spending for each country. He noted that it would be better in the long term for European countries to cut spending, while the U.S. and Japan had room for raising taxes.

The fourth aspect of the strategy was relaxed monetary policy.

“In several advanced economies, the fiscal accounts are in really bad shapes,” Cottarelli concluded. “It will take decades to lower [them] to sustainable levels.

It is not impossible, but there are not good shortcuts.” n

Max Walters, CSOM ’13, was recently offered a fellowship with Venture for America, a competitive two-year program that offers a pathway to startups and entrepreneurship right out of school for recent college grads.

Max will join Sean Lane, BC ’12, as the second student from Boston College selected to join the ranks of this unique program.

Venture for America (VFA) is modeled after Teach For America.

The organization trains the best and brightest college graduates and sends them to early-stage startup companies in lower-cost cities. Students spend two years growing those companies and learning how to become entrepreneurs.

“Sending recent college grads to low cost cities where local economies are struggling but on the rebound and developing a mutually beneficial relationship between the firms and the cities, that’s really the ‘for America’ part,” Walters said.

One of the main goals of VFA is to restore the culture of achievement in America to include value-creation, risk and reward, and the common good.

For Walters and a lot of other students in VFA, the “for America” part is one of the most powerful aspects of the program.

“What’s powerful about VFA is that it is designed to make our country better in a time when we critically need it,” Walters said.

“What’s powerful about VFA is that it is designed to make our country better in a time when we critically need it. ” - Max Walters, New inductee to Venture for America and CSOM ’13 “With the recent economic deterioration and rise of pessimism, it is refreshing to be involved in something that creates optimism.”

VFA’s mission of hard work and genuine ideas has earned the company a place in the national spotlight.

L ast month, founder and president of VFA Andrew Yang was one of 12 past White House Champions of Change who were invited to meet President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. A little over a year ago, the White House created the Champions of Change program to recognize Americans across the country who are doing extraordinary work in their communities.

Yang had the opportunity to sit down with the president and explain how Venture For America works.

While the “for America” part of the program is designed to stimulate economies nationwide, the “venture” part of VFA is where the ideas and minds of talented individuals are put to work in a rather unconventional way.

Many college students, particularly business students, are looking for different ways to make the transition from college into the real world in a way that will inspire them and put them on a path to developing their own ideas.

“Kids think they have these certain paths that they are supposed to follow after they graduate college—go to grad school, law school, or work at some big name firm,” Lane said. “Increasingly though, kids are realizing that if they go to these smaller cities with smaller markets and smaller teams, they have the ability to make an impact on day one.”

“Everyone in the program is exposed to early hands-on experience in a protected way,” Walters said.

The organization places students with startups that look like they are on the brink of taking off. The firms then take the students completely under their wing, though VFA remains a constant thread throughout the entire process.

Lane was placed with a company called Swipley, based in Providence, RI. The company’s mission is to help local merchants succeed by democratizing tools and powerful data that were once reserved only for big businesses.

“So far, my year and a half with Swipley has been the prototypical startup experience,” Lane said. “Six months ago we had about 26 employees, now we have 40—the company is growing quickly.”

Swipley was started in 2009 and was named one of “America’s Most Promising Companies” by Forbes. The company was the first in Rhode Island to ever be named to the Forbes List.

Lane said that his biggest challenge at the firm was learning to “learn on the go.”

“They kind of throw you into the fire and you have to figure things out for yourself,” Lane said.

“The credit card processing industry was not exactly something I ever took a class on at BC.” Both Lane and Walters say that BC is beginning to catch the tailwinds of some of the ideas surrounding startups and entrepreneurships.

BC held its first ever “StartUp Fair” this past Monday, which brought some of the best tech startups in Boston to campus.

“I think it’s really cool that BC is moving in that direction, because quite honestly, the entire city of Boston is moving in that direction,” Lane said.

The University also sponsors the Boston College Venture Competition (BCVC), a University wide business plan competition designed to promote and support entrepreneurship.

“Seeing the school encourage startups and entrepreneurship is really great,” Lane said. “I only hope that it will draw more students to new and exciting organizations like VFA.”n

Syria Deeply aims to boost awareness of ongoing civil war

By Jennifer Heine Heights Staff For most Boston College students, the civil war in Syria seems, quite literally, half a world away.

For seven international studies and political science majors, though, the conflict has become a personal one.

The founding members of the BC chapter of Syria Deeply, an international news platform dedicated to disseminating information concerning the Syrian situation, these students, including Kathryn Turlo, A&S ’13, call the endeavor an attempt to educate the public on a war that has gone largely unnoticed in the American media. “Most of us did this out of frustration,” Turlo said.

“We know what’s going on, but we know a lot of people don’t.”

For Turlo, the decision to join Syria Deeply is also a personal one.

While studying abroad in Jordan, the site of many Syrian refugee camps,

last semester, she witnessed firsthand the escalation of the refugee problem. “When I was there, the refugee situation was just starting to become a real crisis,” Turlo said. “My host mom, among others, would say, ‘We don’t want the refugees here.’ They recognized that they needed help, but Jordan is still a poor country, and it doesn’t have the necessary resources.

People also worried about the possibility of radicalism in the camps.

These were political refugees, fleeing an oppressive regime, and the people in Jordan worried about what they might do.”

“As an outsider, it really made me think,” she said. “Where are these people supposed to go? From then on, I became involved in following the Syrian crisis.”

Joining Syria Deeply offered Turlo the opportunity not only to follow the crisis, but to become involved in educating others as well. It began as the launch program of News

Deeply, an initiative of journalists who recognized the need for a more comprehensive circulation of foreign affairs. As she explained, “It is the only place you can get all the information on Syria in one website.” The goal of such a news source is twofold: “We seek to combine information and knowledge with engagement in order to effect faster change than would occur in the normal news arena.”

Even so, the organization does not actively support one side or another in the conflict. “Syria Deeply isn’t a political organization,” Turlo said. “They’re not backing any political platform or focusing on one particular group. They’re just trying to spread awareness and get facts from the ground.”

The leap to college campuses makes sense, given the age group’s technological advantages. “They feel that young people are the most able, and the best equipped, to spread

awareness about an issue like this,” Turlo said.

The organization held its first fundraising event on Tuesday, Feb. 12 to support one of Syria Deeply’s campaigns, Caravan Aid, in conjunction with El Pelon, which donated 15 percent of its sales that night to the organization. “All proceeds will go to the Zatari Refugee Camp in Jordan. Our fundraising will go towards building warmer, more stable, and more comfortable housing for them,” Turlo sad.

Having come into existence only this semester, Syria Deeply has yet to attain official status as a BC organization, which makes fundraising difficult, as the group cannot advertise on campus. Still, says Turlo, “It was a good start. It was the first event we had, and now we’re really going to focus on raising awareness around campus.”

Building this awareness remains the focus of Syria Deeply’s mission.

“The situation there is so complex that it’s very easy for people to brush the conflict off and say it doesn’t matter,” she said. “But regardless of how it ends up, Americans need to be paying attention. Whoever ends up in power, it will have major international repercussions, and it will affect American interests. That’s why it’s so frustrating that people don’t know what’s going on.”

But even more importantly, Turlo emphasizes the need for awareness to stop the violence. “It has been almost two years since the start of the conflict,” she said. “Over 70,000 people have died, mostly civilians, and there are over four million in need of assistance. These facts are staggering. This is a civil war, and it’s teetering on the edge of ethnic cleansing.

“This is an extreme humanitarian crisis, and every day that goes by without something being done, more people are dying.” n

The Heights

A4

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Member of ‘Team Hoyt’ shares story Team Hoyt, from A1

darren lee / for the heights

Students gathered in the Heights Room on Monday afternoon for the Boston College Venture Competition’s first Startup Fair. Respresentatives from 25 startup companies attended the fair.

Startup fair brings young, innovative companies to BC BCVC Fair, from A1 startups, absolutely filled with startups.

And you have MIT and Bentley, and all these universities and they’re all doing this and we’re finally getting on the bandwagon, and we’re doing it really well. These are a lot of great Boston-based startups. I’m just so excited to see this happen.”

Chris Bolman, BC ’06, is co-founder of ZoomTilt, a media technology company that delivers social video marketing solutions to brands. He said BC’s startup fair was one of the better things they have done to recruit talent.

“I’m actually really impressed, I’ll just flat out say it,” Bolman said. “I was a BC grad, I graduated class of ’06—when I was here this was just nonexistent. There was no innovation community, no tech community, the computer science major was

pretty underdeveloped and, by comparison, seeing what Professor Gallaugher and BCVC have accomplished, it’s just really impressive. I think this is a really good first step in terms of building this as a real tradition.”

The Carroll School of Management has major strengths in finance and accounting, so much so that BC students often shy away from the more unconventional career opportunities that exist in smaller startup firms.

John Gallaugher, associate professor of information systems, is a BCVC advisor and has been a mentor to many of the entrepreneurs that have come out of BC. “If a student wants to go into finance or accounting, I want to increase the skids for them and help them do that and be a success,” Gallaugher said. “But I think one of the things that concerns me is that a

number of students come in and they have blinders on. There’s a lot of mythology around ‘the very best job for any student is going to be on Wall Street,’ and that’s simply not true. By exposing students to the breadth of opportunities that exist, I think we help students in that life discernment outcome that we want Boston College to deliver.”

Alex LoVerde, BC ’11, is the co-founder and CEO of Wymsee, a young tech company that makes software for the TV and film industries. Their production software is being used on the sets of Anchorman 2, Bones, Boardwalk Empire and 30 Rock. He admitted that the startup world is not for everyone.

“It depends on the person, what you want to make of your career,” LoVerde said.

“I mean, if you want stability, then there’s nothing better than going to a big Deloitte

or something like that. But if you’re not really worried about that, and you know that you’ll always work hard at what you’re doing, and you just want to do something that you love, finding a startup that fills that passion for you is probably the best use of your time—because you’ll actually have a big impact. Like our company, we only have six people.”

BCVC is excited about the entrepreneurial future at BC. They expect the startup fair to happen again next year and encourage students to learn more about entrepreneurship.

“If this is something you want to get involved in, go out there, meet companies, go to startup events in Boston, get involved, come to more BCVC events,” Papastamelos said.

The deadline to apply to the BC Venture Competition is Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. n

Health minor in the works New Minor, from A1 ested in different aspects of health, such as healthcare advocacy, scientific journalism, and the economics of healthcare and global health. “We’ve really been trying to imagine, across the University, what kinds of constituents can best be served by this kind of program, by thinking about the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the liberal arts together, in conversation with the professional schools,” she said.

At the group’s second meeting, Sarah van den Berg, a professor at Saint Louis University (SLU) who has been working in the fields of medical humanities and disability studies for over 20 years, spoke to the group. Van den Berg helped to launch a medical humanities minor at SLU, and shared her experience with structuring that program. “[Sarah van den Berg’s talk] was enriching for us, because it enabled us to come back together afterwards to think about how we might imagine a program at Boston College, drawing on our strengths and the mission of BC—and the larger ethical issues that matter to us as a community,” Boesky said.

Boesky stressed that the minor is still in the very early stages of development.

The group hopes to present their proposal to the Education Policy Council (EPC)—a 12-member council in the Lynch School of Education that helps to plan, develop, coordinate and supervise changes to curriculum and courses—for approval this spring.

Should the proposal gain approval, the group plans to launch a small pilot minor with a limited group of students. The pilot phase would be an opportunity to reach out to the student population, in order to ascertain their needs and interests. “It’s our sense that students are looking for interdisciplinary models for thinking about difficult but relevant questions—about healthcare, about the range of approaches to ideas about health and illness across many cultures,” Boesky said.

She went on to address possible reasons for recent interest in a more interdisciplinary approach to health science.

“Medical humanities began back in the ’70s and ’80s, but has been importantly revived in in the last five to 10 years,” Boesky

said. “There’s been very strong interest in this approach that has been coming from different programs and different parts of the country, and the world.” She discussed the changes to the MCAT that will take effect in 2015 as a driving force behind this revival in the medical humanities, saying that the exam’s new components reflect medical schools’ desire for a more well-rounded approach to the study of medicine. Boesky also stated that, while formulating an outline for the program, the group looked at similar movements that she’d noticed at Vanderbilt University, SLU, and the University of Oregon, as well as programs in human biology at Brown University and Stanford University. They also considered programs within medical schools, such as Columbia University’s program in narrative medicine and the overall emphasis on humanities courses within medical schools.

Boesky also briefly addressed the upcoming revisions to the University core, and how the new minor might dovetail with those changes. “One thing that’s exciting about the direction of the core discussions is the potential for interdisciplinary connections,” Boesky said. “A number of Core courses could potentially fall into this new minor, and linking courses would be interesting. I feel like this is where the energy and excitement about undergraduate education is—in relevance, and in engagement with the big, important questions.”

While the exact timeline of the minor was not yet known, Boesky said that there is a significant amount of enthusiasm among faculty members, and she expects enthusiasm from students as well as the minor develops. “We’re eager to hear what students are most interested in,” Boesky said. “We’re clearly interested in tying interdisciplinary study into existing programs, whether they’re local, domestic, or even overseas programs. We’re really interested in forming bridges of different kinds—bridges among departments and schools, bridges between the University and the wider Boston community, as well as bigger bridges out to the world. These are critical issues, and they’re really engaging to us as faculty.” n

photo courtesy of the office of news and public affairs

Tricia Burdo (above right) was recently granted $1.9 million by the NIH for her research.

NIH to fund Burdo’s research Burdo, from A1 rophage traffic and DRG macrophages as a viral reservoir is speculated to be related to the progression of the disease, but Burdo’s research will attempt to confirm that.

Burdo’s research has two aims: first, to define the role of monocyte traffic as it relates to peripheral neuropathy and how the DRG plays a role, and second, to study the systemic viral suppression in hopes of slowing or stopping peripheral neuropathy and managing macrophage traffic to the DRG. According to Burdo’s grant abstract, her studies will play a huge role in determining how HIV-associated peripheral neuropathy is caused and ways to prevent it or preserve quality of life in those affected by it.

“HIV-associated peripheral neuropathy is the most common neurological complication of HIV infection with prevalence as high as 69.4 percent in infected patients,” Burdo said. She also explained what techniques she plans on using to conduct her research.

“We use a rhesus macaque model of AIDS to study monocyte/macrophage traffic in peripheral nerve pathogenesis,” Burdo said. “The study will conduct research help to define the mechanisms causing the

disease and test how effective some courses of antiretroviral therapy are.”

Burdo’s public health statement explained that research in these areas will help define several of the mysteries associated with diseases affecting the nervous system.

“Studies in this application will allow us to define mechanisms of DRG pathology, monocyte/macrophage immune regulation during peripheral nerve system disease, and the ability of effective antiretroviral therapy to stop monocyte traffic and to clear DRG macrophage reservoirs,” the statement read.

Burdo explained that receiving this grant was a huge step in a progressive direction for BC’s research department.

“Our research is cutting-edge and is public health related,” Burdo said. “Our work will help put BC on the map for research. If the institution is trying to move forward as a powerhouse research university, having major NIH funded grants will aid in this.” Burdo also commented that many students are excited about the opportunity to work on AIDS-related research. Other faculty studies in the biology department have included research in bioinformatics, cell cycle biology, molecular cell biology, and infection and immunity. n

Econometrics fellow considers actual power of market Segal, from A1 over lotteries they don’t just compute the probabilities. Rather, they consider it a lottery over the values of these lotteries. This can explain behavior patterns that otherwise seem to be crazy. For example, people sometimes prefer not to know the true probability of certain events.”

For his social justice research, Segal worked on the problem of what markets

could solve.

“The problem is that we say markets will solve everything,” Segal said. “This is not true. For example, abortion rights are not for markets to decide.”

Segal described his work in terms of the choices a society has to make and how members of that society make those decisions.

“There are different views of what to do and we want to reach an agreement,” Segal said. “What is the meaning of compromise?

We must think of other people. The question is how much empathy should we have for other people. An extreme case is to be indifferent between yourself and everyone else—this is essentially the ‘veil of ignorance’ argument. This is too strong because you know who you are. What is the minimum level of consideration? We must all agree that dictatorship is bad regardless of who the dictator is. In a way this is very little. It still turns out that this leads to the possibility of

a lot of cooperation.”

Another economic problem for social justice that he described was something that could not be divided. He used college admittance as an example. Segal suggested that, when two candidates are very similar, the one who is a little better should not necessarily be accepted all of the time. He proposed that the one who is almost as good should also get a chance of acceptance, albeit a much smaller one. n

ticipate in a five mile run for a lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident,” Dick said. “Now, I was no long-distance runner, but we went out and we did it.”

At 37 years old, Dick pushed his son in a wheelchair through the benefit run.

They finished the race, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, “Dad when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”

The rest, you could say, is history.

Dick began running every day with a bag of cement in Rick’s wheelchair.

With training, his endurance grew and speed quickened to the point that he was running with Dick at a personal record of a 17 minute 5k. “Team Hoyt” soon began competing in races across the country.

The more they ran, the more people grew to accept and acknowledge the father-son team.

“People were finally starting to come up to us in races,” Dick said. “They were seeing that Rick had a great smile when we ran and a great sense of humor.

They were seeing that he was just a normal guy.”

Five years later, and with many miles under their belt, “Team Hoyt” applied for the Boston Marathon. They were turned down due to Rick’s disabilities. Unfazed by this obstacle, the father-son team chose to run without registration.

“I hit my wall at mile 22 and I felt terrible,” Dick said. “I walked about the last 100 yards to the finish.”

In their first ever marathon, “Team Hoyt” finished the race in an astonishing three hours and 18 minutes. For the next two years, the team applied and was denied official entrance into the Boston Marathon repeatedly.

“We were told we didn’t have the criteria to compete in the marathon,” Dick said. “What they really meant was they didn’t want a disabled person competing … They were using Rick’s age to determine the qualifying time, which meant we had to qualify at two hours and 50 minutes. So that fall, we went to the Marine Marathon in Arlington, Virginia, and we ran.”

Dick and his son crossed the finish line in Arlington in two hours, 45 minutes, and 23 seconds. While pushing his 95 lb son in a wheelchair, Dick completed a marathon running at a 6 minute mile pace—a pace that many men half his age could not sustain.

“We took our certificates, we went to Boston, and we registered as official runners in the marathon,” Dick said.

This was only one of many obstacles “Team Hoyt” would overcome. In 1992, the team completed a full 3,735 mile race across the country in 45 days.

Against all expectations, they not only completed the race, but finished it without taking a single day off. The next morning, the team was on the road again, headed off to complete a marathon in Vermont. Dick was determined not only to run, but bike and swim with Rick. He soon began preparing for a triathlon, starting at the key fundamentals: learning to swim and ride a bike.

“At the time, I didn’t know how to swim, I had not rode a bike since I was six, and here we were, signing up for a triathlon in nine months,” Dick said.

Ag ainst imp o ssible o dds , Dick completed the triathlon with his son, pulling Rick in a boat with a bungee cord attached to his vest while he swam, riding with Rick in a special two-seater bicycle, and pushing him in a custom made running wheel chair.

The team has since competed in over 270 triathlons, including six Iron Man triathlons.

“Rick was the first disabled person to ever compete and finish an Iron Man triathlon in the world,” Dick said.

“Now, because of his efforts, there is a physically challenged division in the triathlon.”

“Team Hoyt” is now averaging between 20 and 25 races per year. This April, you can find the father-son team passing Linden Lane as they run down Comm. Ave. in their 31st Boston Marathon.

“I almost forgot!” Dick told the audience, after receiving a rapturous standing ovation. “My vegetable has become a bronze statue.”

Thirty-six years since “Team Hoyt” began, a bronze statue is now being erected out front of Hopkinton’s Center School, honoring the father-son team. The statue can be seen at the starting line of the Boston Marathon, which “Team Hoyt” has now crossed 30 times. n

CLASSIFIEDS

THE HEIGHTS THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Thursday, February 21, 2013

COMMUNITY HELP WANTED Personal Assistant needed to organize and help.

Basic computer skills needed good with organization. We are ready to pay $840 per week interested person Should Work flexible hours with the potential to earn six figures. Clean driving record, drug test required, Email your resume for Conisderation: markthompson147@aol.com.

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

Cash for Onetime Study Participation Participate in a Psychology research study for cash. Use the Sona Systems link (http:// bc.sona-systems.com) to access our studies. You will need to click “Request an account here” and then sign up using your BC email address.

Directions: The Sudoku is played over a 9x9 grid. In each row there are 9 slots, some of which are empty and need to be filled.

Each row, column and 3x3 box should contain the numbers 1 to 9. You must follow these rules: · Number can appear only once in each row · Number can appear only once in each column · Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box · The number should appear only once on row, column or area.

A5 A5

The Heights

A6

Proposed minor would be flexible, relevant

Thursday, February 21, 2013

QUOTE OF THE DAY Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.

-C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), novelist and lay theologian

The Medical Humanities minor would explore healthcare from a global and ethical perspective Boston College has a long list of interdisciplinary minors, ranging from American Studies, to Faith, Peace, and Justice, to Psychoanalytic Studies. Recent work by English professor Amy Boesky and a group of 16 faculty members may result in the addition of another to the list—the Medical Humanities, Health, and Culture (MMHC) minor.

Such a minor would incorporate classes from several departments, including theology, philosophy, sociology, psychology, and nursing, giving interested students a variety of classes from which to choose.

The goal of the minor, Boesky said, is to attract a wide range of stu-

A medical humanities minor would capitalize on both the strengths of BC faculty and the growth of interdisciplinary study at the University. dents and provide a background for considering the “big questions” of healthcare through a variety of lenses—scientific, historical, theological, and sociological.

An MMHC minor at BC would likely be immensely popular. A large number of students at BC plan to attend medical school post-graduation, and many medical schools look favorably on students who have experience with the questions of medicine beyond the physical and biological sciences. During the 2011-12 academic year, more than 1,800 students—almost 20 percent of the student population—were enrolled in the pre-medical program. While this minor would undoubtedly be popular among these students, its relevance doesn’t end with students interested in attending medical school.

Perhaps the most appealing part of an MMHC minor, in fact, is its

flexibility and broad applicability.

It would include a variety of topics, ranging from end-of-life issues and medical lawmaking to healthcare law and economics. Many students who come to BC with the intention of studying pre-med change their mind during the first or second year. An MMHC minor would offer another option to these students who may lose interest in the science of medicine or the prospects of medical school, but who still have an interest in the dynamics of healthcare.

A prime example is students who are interested in pursuing a graduate degree in public health. While there are a vast number of resources for students interested in medical or dental graduate school at BC, there are not as many resources for students interested in going on to study for a master’s degree in public health. An MMHC minor would allow these students to focus in on issues of global health and ethics, giving them practical experience that would help greatly in graduate school applications. Even economics or CSOM students particularly interested in healthcare may be interested in an MMHC minor.

A medical humanities minor would also capitalize on both the strengths of BC’s faculty and the growth of interdisciplinary study at the University. Particularly in the theology department, BC is well known for faculty who are experts in ethics and moral theology.

Bioethics is a strong suit of several of these professors, and their work is widely cited in a variety of areas related to medical humanities. Offering an MMHC minor would draw students to their classes who otherwise might not have the course space or interest to take them.

Recent analysis of the core, as well, has resulted in plans to increase the interdisciplinary nature of core classes. An MMHC minor would go along with this theme—educating the whole person on big questions in the field of healthcare from a variety of different perspectives.

BCVC meets a need, hosts successful startup fair The first annual startup career fair offered internship possibilities to young, entrepreneurial students The Heights Room was home to a different kind of career fair this Monday as Boston College Venture Competition (BCVC) hosted its first ever startup career fair. Smaller and less formal than the semi-annual internship fair, BCVC’s event provided students with the unique opportunity to learn more about a variety of local startups by talking to the individuals who work at and, in some cases, founded them.

As an organization devoted to getting BC students more involved in entrepreneurship, BCVC served its mission well by capitalizing on BC’s location in one of the startup capitals of America. With over 1,600 companies, Boston provides a fruitful landscape for those hoping to make their way into the startup scene. In addition, many of the companies that were represented at the fair had been started by BC alumni. By drawing upon the rich resources of Boston’s startup community and the alumni that populate it, BCVC was able to create a successful career fair.

BCVC’s fair provides a nice complement to the already popular internship fair by catering to students with a more specific interest and presenting opportunities to students of all years. Some individuals prefer to enter the business world via a smaller company, where they are more likely to play a larger role early on in their career and have more contact with

those who run the business. Additionally, startup companies are more likely to hire younger interns than larger, more well-established businesses—they often take on students who have just finished their freshman year. This is a great opportunity for young people who are interested in entrepreneurship because it allows them to gain real experience while still having several years of college ahead of them. The world of startups can be a risky one, and internships allow students to learn from and contribute to a company without assuming much risk.

Finally, startups, to a greater extent than large businesses, look for students with creativity, and offer them an outlet through which they can express it. Job descriptions in newer businesses are often less prescribed and allow for more sharing of ideas as the company strives to improve and make a name for itself.

An intern at such a company may find him or herself contributing in a way that would be impossible at a large business.

BCVC realized the unique advantage being in Boston offers for those interested in startups and capitalized on this, meeting a need for the BC community by catering to creative and talented young students looking for a productive and interesting way to spend their summers, and perhaps their lives.

Heights

The

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 David Cote, Editor-in-Chief Jamie Ciocon, General Manager Joseph Castlen, Managing Editor

Editorial

Kendra Kumor, Copy Editor Eleanor Hildebrandt, News Editor Austin Tedesco, Sports Editor Michelle Tomassi, Features Editor Sean Keeley, Arts & Review Editor Tricia Tiedt, Metro Editor Mary Rose Fissinger, Opinions Editor Samantha Costanzo, Special Projects Editor Graham Beck, Photo Editor Lindsay Grossman, Layout Editor

maximillian adagio / Heights Illustration

Letters to the Editor The following letter is in response to “Enforced Equality” by Ryan Giannotto, originally published on 2/18/13: In his column entitled “Enforced Equality,” Ryan Giannotto contrasts his understanding of the views of university faculty on “grade-grubbing” students and “money-grubbing” welfare recipients. Setting aside the implicit generalization about the ideological inclinations of those who make a living in academia, I would like to challenge the writer’s overriding arguments about the nature of welfare and economic justice in the United States.

Most striking to me, given the title of this piece, is the argument that an individual’s success in a decentralized, open economy is limited only by a lack of willpower.

This relies on the assumption that all are entering the game at the same starting point, but fails completely to acknowledge that the efforts by government to “enforce equality” have been necessitated largely by persistent, substantial disparity of income and wealth that imposes practical limitations on the opportunities available to those who grow up with limited financial means. I should note as an aside that equality is not actually being enforced by government—even the most progressive tax regime proposals leave high earners with much higher levels of post-tax income than is taken home by earners at the opposite end of the spectrum. So for some minority of Americans born into great wealth, Giannotto might be right that individuals are free to “pursue any opportunity they deem most attractive in any fashion they so please,” but for most Americans, this degree of autonomy is little more than a dream.

Even after controlling for differences between individuals’ backgrounds, there remain potential barriers to economic success. While hard work and willpower are sure to increase one’s likelihood of realizing prosperity, we all at times encounter circumstances beyond our control. Sometimes these chance happenings improve our economic well-being, as might be the case for one who stumbles upon a job or investment opportunity that proves highly lucrative. But sometimes, through

no fault of our own, individuals are made to face the negative economic effects of factors outside our realm of influence. Is a worker who was laid off by his or her employer to blame for resultant personal financial struggles? Should parents raising a child with special needs be expected to fend entirely for themselves?

Surely there is a place for a social safety net on which even the hardest working, most diligent individuals might someday rely.

Giannotto closes with a question of the long-run impact of welfare spending, including in this category Social Security and Medicare. These are typically viewed as distinct from other forms of welfare as they are mandatory entitlement programs into which all workers pay with the expectation that they will receive benefits in retirement without a means test, and so they are not inherently redistributive. Nevertheless, he notes that in spite of decades-old welfare programs “it is almost as if people stubbornly insist on not being made equal. Imagine that.” If the implication here is that welfare recipients are simply opting to rely on government support rather than strive for self-sufficiency, I would argue that such conservative stereotypes are almost completely unrepresentative of the realities of life for welfare beneficiaries today. The writer claims that welfare is not earned, but neglects to mention that in addition to lifetime caps on benefits for welfare recipients, work requirements have been in place since President Clinton signed into law comprehensive welfare reform more than 15 years ago. Democrats believe in providing a social safety net to ensure that certain essential needs are met to help those who have fallen on hard times—those who are willing but unable to fully support themselves—not out of a sense of defeatism, but rather a realistic view of the inequities that underlie American society.

Andrew Slade A&S ’13

Where are the Superfans?

As a Boston College freshman, I thought it was essential to buy season football tickets for this coming year. I knew BC students prided themselves on being Superfans and I thought every student went to every game. The first few couple of games felt this way, as every kid on my floor went to each game. However, this was before classes actually started. Once more home games came, I realized that not every student goes to football games. In fact, I saw hundreds of students try to sell their tickets online before each game. At first, I thought it was realistic to attend every football game all four years “just like every other student.” I soon realized that most students do not care about our football team, and most kids that do care are willing to sell their ticket for the right price.

I was baffled about this issue until I saw a few games

in person. I realized our football team is terrible, and even our own students did not care for it anymore.

The fact is, our football team is not very good, and this is clearly affecting student attendance. We may be Superfans, but we sure cannot root for much when our football team is 2-10. BC football was at the top of the world 5 years ago, when we had the likes of Matt Ryan and B.J. Raji. Now, we have a fired head coach, a new athletic director, and no fan support. There needs to be a change of scenery for our football program so that the school can bring their Superfans back. I want to see a winning football program so we can all be proud of BC and become committed to watching our team again.

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Gaurav Majmudar A&S ’16

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The Heights

Thursday, February 21, 2013

A7

The Church’s chance

Evan Goldstein Happiest Time of the Year - Once again, we are all reminded why America is the best country in the world: Girl Scout cookies. For those of you who gave up cookies for Lent, the Girl Scouts of America’s sweet smiling faces in Mac above the brightly colored boxes containing some of the tastiest delights this planet has to offer may seem like a cruel temptation (but c’mon guys, WWJD?), but for the rest of us, it is the surest sign that God exists during this cold midterm season. Only thing that would make this better? If Girl Scouts took Eagle Bucks.

You’ve Got Mail! - Like all personalities that have, through great skill or genius, earned renown in their own realm and, having mastered their craft, look for another outlet for their talent, the United States Postal Service is launching a fashion line.

Called “Rain Heat & Snow,” the line will consist of “smart apparel” and accessories, and will be initially geared toward men. Needless to say, we anticipate this trend sweeping the BC campus. At this time next year, Sperrys and Vineyard Vines pullovers will be virtually obsolete. Men praised for “dressing well” will be those who most closely resemble the man who dropped your BC acceptance letter in your mailbox all those years ago. Visitors will mistakenly assume that our colors are light and navy blue, maybe with some bright red accents. Dogs everywhere will be overwhelmed and confused. But rest assured, this deserves a thumbs up. For we can guarantee that the shoes will be good for walking, and the spring line will contain a wide-brimmed floppy hat with a string you can secure beneath your chin. Can you say sexy?

Last Monday, I awoke to the news that Pope Benedict XVI would become the first pontiff in history to resign his post for reasons of health. This unprecedented resignation has reenergized the ongoing discussion about the direction of the Church in the modern era and sparked a debate about what Benedict’s legacy as pope will be. Plagued by scandal and controversy, Benedict’s papacy will perhaps be remembered more for its ending than its substance, but his exit has ironically offered the Church an opportunity to atone for the sins of its leaders and to chart for itself a forward-looking course.

There has been much discussion in the past week regarding Benedict’s decision and its ramifications for the papacy as an institution. While I think there is legitimate and important debate to be had about the precedent set by this action, it is abundantly clear that Benedict’s resignation is good for the Church. Benedict is 85 years old, and the prospect of a JP2-esque decline, an old man confined to a bed, unable to effectively execute his duties as the Vicar of Christ, was very real. Benedict has been declared medically unable to fly, taking him off the global scene when the Church most needs a global face. At a moment in the Church’s history when she is dealing with multiple crises, internal and external, the need for a competent, engaged pontiff has perhaps never been greater. Put simply, the Church is in dire need of true, meaningful reform, reform that will require strong spiritual and political leadership from a capable steward.

The most fundamental obstacle to reform stems from a basic flaw of organizations whose legitimacy is dependent upon a set of principles: they don’t like to admit it when they’re wrong, for fear that change could compromise their most basic, foundational

The Next Big Thing - A man was arrested for manhandling a manatee in St. Lucie County, FL a few days ago.

Though you may think us animal-haters based on the previous Thumbs Down, we are horrified by this man’s actions. However, it is comforting to know that Florida has a Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act, which prohibits harassing manatees in any way.

In addition, it would be wise to note that this man was caught because he had posted photos of his actions on Facebook. So, for all you job-seekers out there who may have scoffed at advice-givers who warn you to be careful about the pictures you are tagged in, it’s time to eat your words. This is what they were talking about.

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contemporary Gallilean establishment for an undue emphasis on purity at the expense of justice. Catholicism is about social justice, not moral superiority. It’s about saving the poor here on Earth as much as it is about getting ourselves to Heaven—the next pope should make this clear. The next pope should talk less about eradicating condoms and more about eradicating poverty, less about the evils of abortion and more about the evils of economic and political injustice.

The next pope should recast in modern terms the parable of the rich man found in Mark’s Gospel, chapter 10: responding to a man who has smugly asked how to inherit eternal life, Jesus lists several easily followed commandments (haven’t killed anyone?

Salvation for you!), before casually adding one last stipulation: “Sell all you have,” Jesus says, “and give to the poor.” The message is clear: Christianity isn’t about rules or arcane behavioral codes, it’s about service. It’s not about being saved by God but about saving His children from injustice and strife. The next pope should be a traveler and extrovert in the mode of John Paul II, crossing the globe delivering precisely this message.

The College of Cardinals stands, now as ever, at the precipice of history—it could very well fail to rise to the task. It could easily elect a pope who will continue to lead the Church down a road of corruption, crisis, and failing confidence. But I have hope that the Cardinals will put forth a fresh face, a steward able to see the writing on the wall and lead the Church out of a historic rut.

Now more than ever, the Church needs a bold leader to reemphasize her founding principles of service and love, to shift its focus toward social justice. Benedict XVI was not this leader—his papacy has failed to meaningfully combat the internal and external problems leading the Church into error.

But with his resignation, he has afforded the Church an opportunity to make a bold change and meaningfully pursue the arduous but necessary task of reform.

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

Some time in the mind Bud O’Hara

How do you like your horse? - In case you haven’t heard, it turns out everyone in Europe has been eating horse on accident. While this situation can be considered legitimately problematic on several levels (mislabeling food is bad, for sure, and the “bute” that is found in horses can have serious health effects if consumed in very large quantities), but we have to question the outrage a little. If you’re freaking out/horrified with yourself because what you thought was a dead, cleaned, prepared, frozen cow from hundreds of miles away was actually a dead, cleaned, prepared, frozen horse from hundreds of miles away, we’re a little skeptical of your reasoning of the situation/perspective on eating.

Also, if the worst problem you’ve encountered recently is that you unknowingly ate a little bit of Black Beauty that made it into your lasagna, we think you’re doing okay.

values. But change is good—change would allow the Church, an organization with important messages to share with the world, to be truly effective in spreading goodwill, peace, and justice. Of course, some aspects of the Church can never change—the belief, for example, that Jesus was the Son of God. But surely, church leaders could step forward and say, for example, that contraception is not morally objectionable or that women should perhaps be ordained as priests, without threatening the sacred principles of love and justice upon which the Church was founded. Indeed, prudent measures like the retraction of Humanae Vitae, which most Catholics don’t follow anyway, and the ordination of women would lend the Church credibility in the eyes of believers and observers alike without altering the timeless theological structure that has profoundly defined the lives of billions. But more importantly, simply admitting the need for reform will bring the Church into the 21st century and allow it to spread its core message effectively.

I don’t expect these changes to happen under the next pontiff. But surely, the next pope can admit that the Church made a gravely consequential error in covering up rampant sex abuse allegations and protecting nefarious characters like Marciel Maciel Degollado. Surely, the next pope can seriously continue dialogue with Islam, echoing the words of Nostra Aetate to, “work sincerely for mutual understanding and … social justice.” Surely, the next pope can more effectively define the true duty of the Church as serving the poor, the true meaning of Christ’s command to “take up the cross” of discipleship.

Moreover, the next pope should affect a shift in the Church’s message from controversial social issues to fundamental theological duties of service to the poor. The Church’s conservative positions on social issues have lead to a widespread perception that Catholicism is little more than a short list of purity laws: Go to church, don’t be gay, don’t get abortions. Jesus, however, not only eschews entirely the subject of sexual propriety, but indeed condemns the

The universe is really so big all of the time. Microwaved hotdogs are satisfying even if they may deliver you cancer in 12 plus different ways. I am always wasted.

My laptop doesn’t even cooperate any more. It has Alzheimer’s, or dementia.

Maybe it’s just a virus. You’ve heard, right?

That people are getting computer viruses these days. F—ing Steve Jobs.

What’s it like to be thinking all the time? What does it mean even, to just be “yourself?” Because don’t you also have to find “yourself?” And if I’m digesting all of this media geared toward my demographic all the time, e.g. watching and reading about HBO’s hit, voice-of-ageneration TV show Girls, then my “self ” appears to have been prescribed exhaustedly. 20-something—that’s what I am/you are, and there are plenty of advice-giving think pieces on what it is to be 20-something, what it means to be 20 something.

So many feelings, so much consternation, so much thinking about what you are to become—followed by more thinking about that thinking on your becoming.

Eventually, everything is okay though, because your life will move forward and you’ll get older, and you’ll have new and interesting experiences. Do I even believe that? Do you?

This is who I am—this is who you are.

We’re always getting wasted and we’re so self-aware. We’re the most self-aware. It’s part of our historical hard wiring. I am post-post-modern, meta everything. Who constructs meaning? Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, The OC, and Laguna Beach were self-fulfilling prophecies, but maybe also perfectly reflective of culture’s historical development. Philosophers get hired to do that, right? A zeitgeist forms from the trickle-down effect from a grand contem-

Imbroglio

porary philosophers’ brain trust. But really, Twitter accounts are more significant than they are given credit for.

I need to buy things. But I also need money, a lot of it, and at the very least an upper-middle class existence. Upward mobility is for the birds nowadays. No social security. But I am still entitled to artisanal goods and gluten-free everything. Glutenfree iPhone cases made from rice and Japanese ingenuity.

Everything mainstream is mind-numbing and soul-killing, but I love it. JK. Maybe. Entertainment value triumphs, so too does reliability. We must be entertained. I’m looking at my phone so I can pretend that I’m not listening to you, but am engaged only in my own anxieties. Job markets are impossible. But remember, you and me, we are tastemakers. We know social media—which is profitable, ultimately.

We cannot be freed from contexts and milieu. Milieu is such a great buzzword, and categories and genres are so important.

Climate change, gun control, pipelines, sustainability. The Chinese are going to take over everything with their pollution and manufacturing economy, and this world is totally post-American, Fareed Zakaria. Pop songs and base-dropping electronic music and substance abuse makes you feel whole again—on weekends.

Nothing is sustainable. Definitely not beef, not even a Prius. We need change.

All this technology leads a sad existence that is doomed for planned obsolescence.

Pay off debt. Save. Retire. Lol. I sent zero snapchats yesterday but received three. I had one tweet that was twice retweeted and three times favorited, which I thought was pretty good. All-time highs in Instagram likes have a positive affective influence on my mood and confidence level. I can’t even be sure if that’s pathetic.

America.

So f—ed up that we can’t just talk face to face, mano y mano anymore. Tindering to meet people—people of the opposite sex just to bang them. Where have traditional family values gone? Bill Gates is going to live forever and Warren Buffet will have given away all his money. Robber

barons are corporate raiders and Internet moguls—the men and women who build America. I want McDonald’s. I do not care what’s in a Chicken McNugget. My body will process, then poop out whatever that stuff is. Which is fair and fine by me. I signed the receipt.

I am/you are inundated by media.

Popular culture defines me and my friends, and you and your friends. We’re always hipsters, right? Which is a bad thing. I should go to Brooklyn and experience youthfulness, art, craft moonshine, and Fair Trade bicycle tires. We’re on the verge of something, you and I—we just need a few more years, and a startup and a few angel investors. George Bush paints pictures of himself in bathtubs now. Barry O shoots hoops, smokes cigs, and orders drone strikes.

You, me, I, we have attention deficit disorder and should be consistently medicated. That way we can focus on boring and important things like work and school, and reading and Xbox, and improving real estate markets. And Syria and Libya and the Arab Spring—we’ll not forget about those.

Anything goes, everyone is amoral, and everything (including this … I think) is ironic. It’s okay. It’s 2013. The future is luminescence amidst vast darkness.

We’ll say goodbye to the last of an analog species. Google used to be a curiosity. I’m all over the place because I have to be. I am recycling platitudes and things that I have heard, which are now my own. I am disinterested, yet totally concerned.

This is what it means to be self-reflective. This is what it means to be alive and confused. This is the world right now, but we’re not caught up. Everyone is always younger. Maybe this helps, maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it makes sense, maybe it doesn’t. Taylor Swift is both wrong and right—22 is newfound teenage angst.

Text me, it’s important. I think we’ll get through this.

Bud O’Hara is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.

BY KALEB KEATON

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

Not so guilty pleasures Monica Sanchez Whether they have to do with fashion, music, films, TV shows, or foods, we all have guilty pleasures. The feeling of guilt that accompanies these pleasures implies that we view them as base, low quality, or unworthy of our appreciation. I have my fair share of guilty pleasures that I absolutely love indulging in, but would likely feel embarrassed or self-conscious to some degree if someone were to catch me in the act. This may sound a bit vague, so, for the sake of clarity, I’ll confess one: the ABC Family show, Pretty Little Liars.

Set in the fictional town of Rosewood, PA, the series follows the lives of four teenage girls whose clique falls apart after the disappearance of their queen bee, Alison.

They begin receiving messages from a mysterious figure using the name “A,” who threatens to expose their deepest, darkest secrets. At first the girls think “A” is Alison herself, but after she is found dead, they realize that someone else knows their secrets and suspect that the mysterious figure had something to do with Alison’s murder. Undeniably, I am attracted to the scandal, drama, and unrealistic scenarios—however, I cannot help but feel guilty for watching the program. For a young woman in her third year of college, the majority of the drama that these teenage girls face may seem a bit trivial and juvenile, to say the least. Moreover, nearing the end of the show’s third season, the plot has become predictable and gives off the impression that the writers are simply dragging out the overlying situation to keep the show on air. I feel as if I am mindlessly absorbing images flashing on the screen instead of being engaged in a quality production. Despite these reasons, I continue to make my weekly appointment with PLL. Why do we indulge in such activities in the first place if they make us feel guilty?

Well, maybe our guilty pleasures help to relieve some stress, offering us opportunities to escape from harsh realities, or just reality altogether. For example, many engage in stress eating, not-so-“reality” TV, and retail therapy as means for taking a breather and alleviating stress. Maybe our guilty pleasures help us to structure our complex world into a more convenient framework. For example, films can simplify real-life, complicated situations in less overwhelming or convoluted terms.

Guilty pleasures serve as valuable outlets, especially for us as college students as we progressively take on more responsibility and independence.

If guilty pleasures have such benefits, then maybe we shouldn’t feel so guilty about them. When done in moderation, indulging in guilty pleasures can actually be good for you. Anything in excess can be a bad thing—yes, even water. There’s such a thing as water intoxication. Don’t believe me? Google it! Guilty pleasures can actually help us stay healthy and live longer. If you need some convincing, let’s consider a few common ones: Procrastination: While our parents and professors preach to us that procrastinating with social media sites like Facebook and Pinterest is an unhealthy, timewasting habit, use of such outlets allows us to take a breather and recharge so that we can eventually be productive again. Briefly checking your notifications every 50 pages read provides you with a comforting reference point that might help alleviate the heaviness of one’s workload.

Shopping: There’s a reason why we call it retail therapy. Shopping is exciting for the experience itself, allowing us to explore our interests and tastes, not necessarily for the buying. Material things only maintain their luster for so long.

Since we tend to buy things that reflect the traits and qualities we appreciate in ourselves, treating ourselves once in a while, like after nailing an interview or being healthy all week, can boost our self-confidence and make us feel gratified.

There is no sense in feeling guilty for a treat well-deserved.

Giving into our food cravings: Back in high school, I used to have a strengthand-conditioning trainer for basketball.

He taught us that people who allow themselves to give into their cravings once in a while lose more weight and stay more fit than those who try to suppress their cravings. Depriving yourself of foods you enjoy only makes you want them more.

Our guilty pleasures don’t have to be embarrassing or shameful, so long as we indulge in them in moderation. We just need to set the pleasure free from the guilt to reap the lifetime benefits.

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

The Heights

A8

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Maryland vs. Boston College Key Stats

Boston College 21: Made foul shots on 22 opportunities 26: Points from the bench 4: Rebounds more than Maryland team which is ranked fourth in rebounding

Maryland

16: Points allowed off of turnovers 25: Less points scored against BC than Duke 24: Percent shooting in the second half, going 7-29 from the field

Top performers

boston college Olivier Hanlan 26 points 7 rebounds 5-6 free throws Career high point total.

Hanlan, Odio take center stage in statement win Men’s Basketball, from A10

opponent came storming out of the gate, as both teams combined for a mere total of four points off of 2-of-15 shooting over the matchup’s first five minutes. Offense was particularly hard to come by for the Eagles, who tallied a field goal percentage of just over 34 percent for the half while missing nine of its 11 three-point opportunities.

Though BC was able to scratch out enough production to stay even with the Terrapins for much of the half, dominant outside shooting from Maryland’s Logan Aronhalt resulted in a trio of 3-pointers in under a minute. Before BC’s defense could find an answer to its opponent’s outside attack, the half closed with the Terrapins on top by seven.

The second frame, however, would soon prove to be one of BC’s most complete efforts of the season.

Hanlan catalyzed the Eagles’ offense by drilling a three from the corner to start the half, leading to a 17-5 run that put the home team ahead by five points with 10 minutes to play. A BC offense that appeared stagnant during the first 20 minutes started to click at an opportune time, as the Eagles benefited from two Hanlan drives to the net and triples from Joe Rahon and Lonnie Jackson. Continuing to form a presence around the rim, forward Eddie Odio contributed a timely put-back after battling for an offensive board against Maryland’s looming presence down low.

Despite BC’s rally, a Terrapin offense that picked Duke’s defense apart for 83 points on Saturday refused to go down silently. Propelled by a 3-pointer from Massachusetts native Jake Layman and a relentless and-one drive by Dez Wells, Maryland claimed nine of the next 12 points on the scoreboard to take back a one-point lead at 50-49.

Yet the Eagles took command of the floor by turning an Achilles heel into an asset—execution from the free-throw line. Donahue’s squad drilled 21 of 22 foul shot attempts in what was BC’s best performance from the charity stripe since 2004.

Jackson and Odio sparked the Eagles’ run from the line by knocking down two pairs to give BC an advantage it never relinquished.

“We’re a very good foul shooting team,” Donahue said, “but the first five games of the ACC schedule, I think we got to the line more than anybody in the

league and we missed 50 foul shots in five games.

Four of them could have been pretty easy wins and now what would we be talking about?”

Though the Eagles’ execution from the line was crucial, it shared the late-game stage with what was arguably the best half of Olivier Hanlan’s career.

During a 20-minute span, Hanlan notched 19 points and contributed nine points—including all three field goals—to BC’s second 17-5 run of the night.

Hanlan fittingly supplied the game-clinching dagger in the heart of the Terrapins’ comeback attempt—a turnaround bucket that put the Eagles up by nine with just over a minute to play.

“Every time it was tough, I thought he got himself squared at the last second and got a really good look,” Donahue said of Hanlan’s composure while shooting from the field. “The game was really going slow for him.”

Hanlan provided the flare on offense for BC, but the Eagles were also propelled by Odio’s electric play on both sides of the ball. The dynamic sophomore brought Conte to its feet once again with an impressive eight-point effort off the bench that included a dunk over Maryland’s defense late in the first half. Eleven Odio boards also contributed to the Eagles’ victory on the glass against a Maryland team ranked fourth in the country in rebounding.

Ne vertheless , his successful silencing of Maryland’s big man Alex Len was perhaps the biggest factor in BC’s win, as Odio managed to hold the seven-foot-one center to only four points while making a late-game rejection despite the six-inch height disparity. Odio’s late-game stuff of Len, which drew thunderous chants of the Eagle forward’s last name from the Conte faithful, was part of a six-block effort.

For the Eagles, Tuesday night’s game was marked by strong individual performances. Yet the squad’s successful job of closing out a big game through flawless foul shooting and relentless rebounding is a major turning point in BC’s overall maturation.

To translate a perseverant effort into a statement win is a realization of what Donahue has seen all along as the inevitable.

“I think we’re playing good basketball,” Donahue said. “It’s close. We haven’t come in and just been not ready, like, ‘Where was that effort?’ We haven’t done that once this year. I thought we competed every night.” n

Graham beck / Heights Editor

Hanlan was BC’s top scorer in its victory over Maryland.

Freshman guards bring confidence and composure

Eddie Odio 8 points 11 rebounds 6 blocks Career high in rebounds and blocks.

Freshmen, from A10

Maryland Logan Aronhalt 26 points 1 rebound 3-4 free throws Only Terrapin to score in doubledigits Dez Wells 9 points 3 rebounds 2 assists 33 minutes played

Plays of the game

to be ready to knock down shots, especially when it really matters like it did against Duke.”

Perhaps most impressively, the tandem has started all 26 of the Eagles’ games this season, a rarity for a backcourt duo in a power conference like the ACC. To date, Rahon leads the team in minutes played with just more than 35 per game, while Hanlan is a close second with 34.

Donahue’s team has come to depend on consistently solid performances from the pair. One need only consider the Eagles’ four ACC wins to comprehend the role that both play in the fortunes of BC basketball’s present and future.

In the team’s first ACC victory, which came over Virginia Tech, Hanlan filled the box score with 17 points, eight rebounds, five steals, and four assists.

Not to be outdone by his counterpart, Rahon posted a career-high 26 points in a win over Clemson, in addition to hitting the go-ahead free throws with just under eight seconds remaining against Wake Forest.

As if not wanting to fall too far behind Rahon, Hanlan contributed his own 26-point effort in the Eagles biggest win of the season Tuesday against Maryland.

As their freshman season progresses, “Joe and O” have endeared themselves to BC fans tantalized by the idea of watching them together for years to come.

“I think we’re starting to show people that we’re a backcourt that is going to have to be reckoned with and be mentioned as one of the top backcourts in the league and the country,” Rahon said. “Moving on, we’re going to keep getting better at playing together, at our individual games and look to do some big things in the future.”

Through the growing pains, the pair has kept their heads up and the Duke game served to help both of them realize that they belong at this level. When

Graham beck / Heights Editor

Hanlan has been a consistent scorer and ball-handler for BC, something Donahue’s squad missed last year. prompted to recall the moment when he realized that he and Rahon belonged in the ACC, Hanlan replied, “Probably after the Duke game, because coming in they were ranked pretty high. Everybody thinks Duke is amazing, but once we were out there we realized that we could play with these guys. They put on their shorts just like we put on our shorts.”

While the narrow loss against Duke will be referred to often in this season’s epilogue, it was another tight loss that gave Hanlan and Rahon the

Odio’s block on alex len Despite standing six inches shorter than Len, Odio stuffed Maryland’s center on a layup attempt at the basket to thwart a late Terrapin comeback attempt.

Hanlan’s turnaround clincher

To cap his career night, Hanlan hit a turnaround jumper right before the shot clock expired in the game’s final minutes, putting the Eagles up by nine points on Maryland.

Graham beck / Heights Editor

In addition to his strong decision-making skills, Rahon has proven to be a durable catalyst, leading BC in minutes.

belief that they could surmount any challenge that the ACC, and their own mistakes, could throw at them.

In January, the Eagles hosted a Miami squad that has since climbed the national polls to its current perch at No. 2. With the clock almost reading zeroes, Hanlan stood at the free-throw line with his team down one point and one shot remaining. His final free throw would go begging off the rim, sending Miami home victorious. “[The Miami loss] taught us that we can play with anyone in the country,” Rahon said. “Coaches really broke down the film and told us that the bottom line was if we had gotten the stops, we would have won despite everything else. It paid off against Wake Forest, because we were down seven with two [minutes] to go and held them scoreless in the last two minutes.

That allowed us to come back and win. It’s the kind of mistakes where you can learn from them.”

Watching this duo interact, it is clear that a healthy dose of confidence and strong belief in themselves and each other is what sets them apart from other freshmen. They each have Donahue to thank for instilling this confidence into their game and personalities.

“He wants us to play our game and be aggressive,” Hanlan said of his coach. “That means not thinking too much on offense or defense. He wants us to be loose out there and not be afraid to make mistakes.

Even when we make mistakes, he leaves us out there just to learn from it. He puts us in big time situations, like against Duke down the stretch and playing almost the whole game against Miami.”

With a trip to Duke up next and the ACC tournament approaching, this young Eagles team will need big contributions from its backcourt tandem.

As Hanlan and Rahon brim with growing confidence, it won’t be surprising to see some of those last second shots finding nothing but net. It is perhaps with this in mind that prompted a bold prediction on the part of Rahon.

“Teams know what [Olivier and I] are capable of and that we’re dangerous,” he said. “For us as a team, we can be the best team in the ACC.” n

THE HEIGHTS

EDITORS’ EDITORS’PICKS PICKS

Thursday, February 21, 2013 The Week Ahead

Standings

Women’s basketball faces Maryland on Thursday night in Conte. Women’s hockey travels to Vermont for games on Saturday and Sunday. Women’s lacrosse is in Columbus to take on Ohio State on Saturday. Men’s hockey takes on UMass Lowell on Tuesday. BC will take on the Red Sox in a spring training game on Thursday.

Heights Staff

11-9

Marly Morgus

10-10

Chris Grimaldi

10-10

Austin Tedesco

7-13

A9

Recap from Last Week

Game of the Week

Women’s basketball picked up a commanding win over Virginia.

Men’s basketball fell to Florida State 60-69. Men’s hockey ended in a 4-4 tie with New Hampshire on Sunday. Women’s hockey beat Connecticut twice, 6-1 and 4-0.

Indiana edged Michigan State 72-68.

Women’s Hockey

Guest Editor: David Cote Editor-in-Chief

“Please do not use whimsical fonts.”

This Week’s Games

Austin Tedesco Sports Editor

Chris Grimaldi Assoc. Sports Editor

Women’s Basketball: BC vs. Maryland

BC

BC

Women’s Hockey: No. 2 BC at Vermont

BC

Women’s Lacrosse: BC at Ohio State

OSU Lowell Red Sox +11

Men’s Hockey: No. 4 BC vs. No. 12 UMass Lowell What will the run differential be in the BC/Red Sox game?

Marly Morgus Asst. Sports Editor

David Cote Editor-in-Chief

Maryland

Maryland

BC

BC

BC

OSU

OSU

BC

BC

BC

BC

Red Sox +5

Red Sox +7

Red Sox +10

In their game against Providence on Tuesday, the women’s hockey team matched the school record for wins in a single season with its 24th. This weekend, the Eagles’ sights turn to Vermont as they look to build on their momentum from three straight wins going into the Hockey East Tournament. Vermont has struggled so far this year, holding an 8-19-3 record as they move into what are also their last two games of the regular season this weekend. In contrast to BC’s current streak, the Catamounts have lost their last two games to BU. The teams have met once before this season, when BC came away with a commanding 7-2 win.

Saturday and Sunday, Burlington, VT.

Eagles remain unbeaten

BC remains on top of Hockey East

Lacrosse, from A10 of 26-4.

Regardless of what the visiting team planned to unleash for the second frame, the Eagles made it clear that they had control of the matchup’s momentum.

The dynamic trio of Stanwick, Mallory, and Blue accounted for BC’s first three goals of the half and fought their way to a 10-6 lead. Another strike from Schonk interrupted the Eagles’ run, but Mannelly provided an immediate response by netting another two goals in under a minute, one of which came off of a highlight-reel spin move that showcased the freshman’s explosive athleticism. She eventually capped her attention-grabbing performance with an assist to Moira Barry for a second-half insurance score.

The Commodore offense managed to

BY MATTY PIERCE Heights Staff

The Boston College women’s hockey team looked to complete a season sweep against the Providence Friars Tuesday night in Providence. The Eagles (24-5-2, 16-2-1) were able to come out victorious on the back of sophomore Alex Carpenter. With a 5-2 win over the Friars (14-13-5, 8-8-3), the Eagles were able to tie a school record for most wins in a season with 24.

The first period was a hard-fought battle with both teams hoping to strike first. The Friars and the Eagles were both unable to convert on a power play, leaving the game scoreless for most of the first.

BC got on the board first, as Carpenter scored off a rebound from a shot by junior Melissa Bizzari. The goal marked Carpenter’s 28th of the season and sent the Eagles to the break by with a 1-0 lead. Senior goaltender Corinne Boyles recorded 10 saves for the Eagles in the first, while freshman Sarah Bryant recorded nine saves for the Friars.

The scoring picked up in the second period, as sophomore Emily Field put the Eagles up 2-0 just under four minutes into the second with her 14th goal of the year. The Friars responded just 32 seconds later to make the game 2-1, when sophomore Beth Hanrahan converted a loose puck in front of the net.

The Eagles later responded with 8:24 left in the period, when Carpenter was able to net a rebound off of a Field breakaway for her 29th goal of the season.

Carpenter’s goal marked her 50th career goal as an Eagle, and put BC up 3-1. The Friars were able to cut the deficit to 3-2 when, with 4:36 remaining, senior Nicole

Boston College

Vermont

produce two more goals in the second half than it had in the previous fame, but BC’s sophomore goalie Emily Mata fended off any legitimate Vanderbilt comeback attempt with sound play in the net. She posted four saves and her second victory of the season, looking to build on a quick start following strong a second half to her rookie season last year.

The 13-7 win was another step in the right direction for the Eagles with Walker at the helm. Including her two seasons with the BC squad as an assistant, the former U.S. women’s national team star has played a role in 10 of the last 11 NCAA tournaments both on the field as a player and along the sidelines as a coach. If yesterday’s victory is any indication, Walker’s winning pedigree will continue to inspire the Eagles to reach their greatest potential in a competitive ACC. 

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

In their third meeting of the season, BC finished off its sweep of the Friars with a 5-2 win.

Anderson rebounded a shot by freshman Brittney Thunstrom for a goal. This sent the Friars into the third trailing by one.

Boyles recorded 10 saves in the second period, while Bryant was able to record 12. The Eagles were not able to convert on their lone power play in the period, while the Friars were able to convert on one of two power play opportunities.

The Eagles opened up their lead 35 seconds into the third Carpenter netted her 30th goal of the year to record a hat trick. BC remained on top 4-2 until with 11:24 left in the contest when freshman Dana Trivigno was able to convert. This goal was Trivigno’s 13th of the season

and put the Eagles up 5-2.

From here until the end of the game, no more scoring took place. Boyles recorded six saves in the third, while Bryant recorded 12. Both teams had one power play in the third, but failed to convert.

With this win, the Eagles maintained their lead in the Hockey East, with Boston University a close second. Boyles collected 26 saves in the game, while Bryant collected 29. The Eagles had the advantage of shots on goal by a count of 34 to 28. The five goals scored by BC made the goal-count for the year 146 surpassing their previous high for goals scored in a year was 143. 

EMILY FAHEY / HEIGHTS STAFF

The women’s lacrosse team stayed undefeated early in the year with a win yesterday.

Success is on the horizon for Donahue and a young BC basketball team Column, from A10 same satisfying post-season performance.

For the first two years of Donahue’s coaching career at Cornell, the Big Red finished seventh out of eight teams in the Ivy League. The next two years, they settled for fifth. Then, in Donahue’s fifth year, a secondplace finish vaulted Cornell into contention.

As of now, BC sits second to last in the ACC standings. So many times, it has appeared that the Eagles would follow through, that they would pull off an ACC win, but as the final seconds wind down, human error leaves BC with another tally in the loss column.

Many of the same sentiments that I was feeling during Cornell’s tournament run came back.

A win over Miami? Maybe in some strange alternate reality.

Olivier Hanlan barely misses his third free throw. Top-ranked Miami comes away with the 60-59 win.

Over Duke? Never.

BC leads for much of the game until the final minutes, and Hanlan’s jumper hits the back rim as the clock winds down — 62-61 Duke.

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Donahue has a lot of experience building a basketball program, and with a young team, he has what he needs for success down the road.

Wake Forest takes the first meeting between the two by three. A five-point loss to NC State. Another fiver goes to Maryland. Three points to Florida State. Six close conference games. Six losses. A total deficit of 18 points—one 3-pointer per game.

It’s a storyline that BC has become almost used to over the course of the season.

Each loss still stings, but each is enhanced with an unpleasant sense of familiarity.

m. hockey

scoreboard

BC UNH

Chestnut Hill, MA 2/17

4 4

m. basketball

BC FSU

60 69

It is not, however, time to lose hope in the Eagles. They’re not going to win the ACC. They’re not even going to finish in the top half, but the experience that this young team is gaining in these near losses will prove valuable down the road.

There is not a single senior on the team.

Apart from grad student Andrew Van Nest, only two players are in the latter half of their time at BC.

m. hockey

Mullane 1 G 1 Asst BC 1 Downing 1 g 1 asst Merrimack 2 Tallahassee, FL 2/16

m. basketball

Hanlan 19 pts 3 reb BC Snaer 21 pts 6 reb MD

69 58

Some of these players have already made a strong impact early on in their careers.

Sophomore Lonnie Jackson has become a go-to for shots from outside the arch.

Fellow classmate Ryan Anderson leads the team in scoring and is shooting 48 percent on the season. Freshman Olivier Hanlan is in contention for ACC Rookie of the Year.

The other rookie, Joe Rahon, remains cool behind the free throw line and managed to

Storrs, CT 2/17

Chestnut Hill, ma 2/17 w. Hockey

Milner 40 saves BC Marotta 39 saves UConn

4 0

Chestnut Hill, ma 2/19 w. basketball

Hanlan 26 pts BC Aronhalt 26 pts UVA

61 49

carpenter 2 g Chuli 36 SV chestnut hill, ma 2/14

turn the tables against Wake Forest, tallying two free throws in the last minute to give BC the go-ahead.

Not only does this mean that the players themselves have time to grow and to improve, but it also allows for a close relationship between the sophomore-heavy team and their sophomore coach, Donahue.

In his time at Cornell, Donahue showed that he can build a program, bringing it from the bottom of a conference to the top. In his sophomore season at BC, he is already showing signs of a similar ascendancy.

While the Eagles’ schedule shows an ugly ACC record of 4-9, a closer look finds a young team on the verge of success in a competitive conference. This is a group that doesn’t like to lose. With a favorable bounce here or there, they could have downed Duke or Miami. Those wins wouldn’t have come during the NCAA tournament, propelling an unlikely team into the Sweet Sixteen. But if sometime during the next couple seasons they do come, you can bet they’ll make a lasting impression.

Marly Morgus is the Asst. Sports Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

Providence, 2/19 Boston, MaRI11/11

w. hockey

BC prov.

5 2

w. basketball

shields 21 pts BC Imovbioh 15 REB Miami

54 79

Carpenter 3 g Anderson 1 G Newton, MAFl 11/09 Coral Gables, 2/17

brown 10 pts Stroman 17 pts

SPORTS The Heights

A8

A10

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Hanlan’s 26 points lead Eagles past Terps Future lottery-pick Alex Len held to four points against BC

By Chris Grimaldi Assoc. Sports Editor

After Tuesday night’s thrilling victory over Maryland, the Boston College men’s basketball team took away a vital lesson—success is not necessarily defined by quick starts, but rather strong finishes.

“I think we got some fortunate timing as well,” said head coach Steve Donahue,

“but we took advantage of it.”

A dominant offensive performance

by Olivier Hanlan led the Eagles through early ineffectiveness and toward a 69-58 home win over the same Terrapin squad that knocked off Duke last weekend. The freshman standout contributed a careerhigh 26 points after drilling nine of his 14 shots from the field.

“His confidence brings everybody else up as well,” Donahue said of his young point guard. “It’s not just him out there, we all trust him. You believe in what he does.”

Yet neither BC nor its formidable

See Men’s Basketball, A8

Freshman guards aim to be ACC’s top backcourt

By Andrew Klokiw Heights Staff

The men’s basketball team has seen significant improvements in a few key areas this year. All stats are from ACC play.

’11-’12

making progress

See Freshmen, A8

Scoring Margin

Field Goal PCT

Asst/To Ratio

Scoring offense

TO Margin

FT attempts per game

’12-’13

Graham Beck / Heights Editor

The final minutes of the Boston College game were never supposed to matter to Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his No. 4 Blue Devils. With the Eagles within one possession, BC head coach Steve Donahue diagrammed two plays that ultimately put the ball and all the pressure in the hands of his two freshman guards: Joe Rahon and Olivier Hanlan. The first possession resulted in a corner 3-pointer that clanged off the backboard, while the game’s final shot would miss the rim altogether, sending BC to its fourth loss of the year by fewer than three points.

As that sequence makes clear, Do-

nahue’s rebuilding project is not yet where he wants it to be, but the coach has handed the keys to the future, and perhaps his job, to Hanlan and Rahon. For their part, the two freshmen understand the burden that has been bestowed upon them and are learning from their mistakes as they go.

“The season started off a little rougher than we hoped it would,” Rahon said of his and Hanlan’s trial by error. “Now we’re starting to play a lot better as a team, offensively and defensively. We’re also learning how to win close games and that’s really going to help us down the line. It really comes down to making one play or making a shot. You’ve just got

Scoring Margin

Field Goal PCT

Asst/To Ratio

Scoring offense

TO Margin

FT attempts per game

-11.0 -2.6

40.6

42.9

.8

1.1

57.2 PPG

65.9 PPG

-2.9

16.7

+1.3

21.4

The New guard

Olivier Hanlan

Joe Rahon

Head coach Steve Donahue relies on strong ball-handlers in his motion offense, and the two freshman guards, Olivier Hanlan and Joe Rahon, have stepped into the role better than he could’ve expected. All stats are from ACC play this season.

Points per game: 16.0 Minutes per game: 34.5 Assists per game: 2.7 Asst/TO ratio: 1.5 Field goal PCT: 45.1 Steals per game: 1.4

Points per game: 8.7 Minutes per game: 35.0 Assists per game: 3.0 Asst/TO ratio: 1.5 Field goal PCT: 36.3 Steals per game: 1.1

Among all of the ACC rookies, Hanlan is the only freshman ranked in the top five for points, assists, and rebounds.

Rahon has only logged fewer than 30 minutes in a game three times this season through 26 games, with his lowest minute total resting at 27.

Graham Beck / Heights Editor

Graham Beck / Heights Editor

Donahue shows promise

Lacrosse

Eagles top Vandy at home

By Chris Grimaldi Assoc. Sports Editor

For the Boston College women’s lacrosse team, yesterday’s game against Vanderbilt was more than just another home opener. It marked a new beginning on the Eagles’ home turf under the leadership of first-year head coach Acacia Walker.

BC continued to embrace its new beginning, as it topped the Commodores by a score of 13-8 and improved its record to a perfect 2-0 on the young 2013 season.

In an afternoon dominated by offense, the Eagles’ scoring barrage was a combination of veteran contributions and another breakout performance.

Walker’s squad was sparked by a prolific home debut by freshman midfielder Sarah Mannelly, who notched four scores and five total points on the afternoon. The former Connecticut Player of the Year had a tough act to follow after setting the bar high in her first-ever collegiate game on Saturday, in which she scored four goals and contributed four assists.

Yet Mannelly managed to duplicate her first performance yesterday against a befuddled Vanderbilt defense.

Despite Mannelly’s heroics, the first half ’s initial stages made no promises of an easy cruise to victory for BC. Sopho-

more Mikaela Rix picked up right where she left off after her historic 43-goal rookie season last year by tallying the contest’s first score, but Vanderbilt was quick to respond. Kelly Chandler and Carly Linthicium rallied with back-to-back goals that were only 48 seconds apart, briefly handing a lead to the Commodores.

Vanderbilt’s threat to take control of the game was short-lived, however, as the Eagles appeared poised to defend their home turf. Almost six minutes after surrendering a pair of goals, BC senior captain Brooke Blue connected on an unassisted score that opened up the offensive floodgates for the Eagles.

A 6-0 scoring run that began with Blue’s drive also included scores from Kate Rich, Mannelly, Rix, and defending ACC Rookie of the Year Covie Stanwick, whose two goals during the barrage sent her en route to a hat trick after posting six scores last weekend.

After being held scoreless for nearly 26 minutes, the Commodores finally responded right before the half with a Mallory Schonk goal—the first of her four scores on the afternoon. Yet by the time the dust had cleared, BC had staked a commanding 7-3 lead while outshooting Vanderbilt by a dominant margin

See Lacrosse, A9

i nside S ports this issue

Marly Morgus

Emily Fahey / Heights Staff

Senior captain Brooke Blue notched two goals and one assist in BC’s win over Vanderbilt.

BC completes season sweep of PC

The women’s hockey team moved to 3-0 this year against the Friars after a win Tuesday........A9

Game Of The Week: BC at Vermont

Women’s hockey looks to build momentum heading into the postseason...A9

The year that Cornell advanced to the Sweet Sixteen stands out in my memory among 10 plus years of painstakingly filling out brackets. A win over Temple? Maybe in some strange alternate reality. Over Wisconsin? Never. But there they were, written in red over my surefire picks, more than 10 points separating the Big Red from their opponents in those big post-season wins.

At the helm of that effort was now Boston College basketball head coach Steve Donahue who, in his 10th year at Cornell, killed many a March Madness dream. The team had been on an upsurge for the past three seasons, managing to make the first round of the tournament by winning the Ivy League each of the two years before their Sweet Sixteen berth. Before those strong years, however, the Big Red didn’t have the

See Column, A8

Editors’ Picks........................A9 BC Notes...............................A9

A2Column

Keeley’s corner

exploring a love-hate relationship with the oscars page B4 critical curmudgeon

kurt cobain

looking at ’90s music in light of cobain’s birthday, page B2

The Heights

Thursday, January 17, 2013

album review

‘Confessions’

buckcherry delivers an early contender for the worst album of the year, b5

OSCAR WILD The 85th Academy Awards are airing on Sunday, and discussion is already heated.

Will Steven Spielberg win for a third time with Lincoln? Will Ben Affleck be able to transcend his lack of a directing nomination to win Best Picture for Argo? Will Anne Hathaway’s show-stopping performance in Les Miserables be recognized? The Scene has all the answers—read on for our editorial board’s Oscar poll, and the editors’ picks for who should take home the gold.

SEE B3, OSCARS

MAGGIE BURDGE / Heights PHoto illustration

THE HEIGHTS

B2

WILEY’S FOLLIES

Chasing the great Corvette

Thursday, February 21, 2013

SCENE AND HEARD

BY: JOHN WILEY

JOHN WILEY On June 30, 1953, a small group of engineers saw to the completion of the first Chevrolet Corvette, working out of a modest garage in industrial Flint, MI. Although far from the cradle of civilization at face, the Midwest town of Flint did serve as the birthplace of both General Motors and the era of unionization, in 1908 and 1937 respectively.

Developed by GM industrial designer Harley J. Earl, the Corvette was one of the earliest “concept cars”—a vehicle serving an ideal. Curvy fiberglass contours and a jagged toothlike grill gave the early Corvette a heroic stature, and certain capacity for turning heads. But beneath the hood, the Corvette’s engine was weak, unrefined and could only producing a scrawny 105 horsepower, leaving the car a mere allusion to grandeur.

Moreover, the introductory model was available only in white.

But as the decades passed, each successive generation of Corvette boasting a stronger engine, a sleeker profile, a remastered vision. Some changes worked. Others didn’t.

The quality of the car fluctuated. So did its public perception. At times, the stylistic assertions of the car, formalized in 1963 by Corvette Sting Ray, were emboldening. Other times, they felt exhausting. But however besmeared, belabored, and questionably established the Corvette seemed at points, 60 years later, it stands as a sonorous, resilient, and altogether pervasive national icon.

And in the crudeness of its beauty and the beauty of its crudeness, the Chevy Corvette is one of the most effectual and endearing representations of the American dream.

If Thomas Jefferson penned our political destiny with the Declaration of Independence, Henry Ford penned our social destiny with his declaration, “I will build a car for the great multitude.” And while most American art stems from our Eurocentricity, the art visions manifested in the automobile are distinctly American in this character.

There is magnificent correlation between the rise of the automobile and the expansion of our liberal democracy, as we follow them through the 20th century. I’m not entirely certain Ford could have anticipated “a car for the great multitude” meant the spread of ideas leading to the civil rights movement, or women leaving the domestic sphere to go to work. But I’m inclined to believe, in no small way, that’s precisely how it worked. Cars represent the social fluidity, geographic mobility, and power of the individual in a society. And although this argument in fullness demands more length than this column can provide, I need only point to the dreadful driving practices, inadequate safety regulations, and cryptic highway systems of the developing world to establish my case.

So why the Corvette? After all, every car’s design language is an important statement on the American lifestyle. Why not choose the minivan, for safely delivering children to soccer practice for six decades?

Why not the Prius, for curtailing fuel emissions at only a nominal cost of dignity?

Well, we must differentiate the American lifestyle from the American dream. The Corvette is something we aspire to, rather than something we strictly need. It’s an intimate, visceral two-door coupe, not a clunky, sliding-door transportation bubble. It’s powerful, expensive, but notably not in the astronomical price range of European super cars. It came from humble beginnings, was established in a rich social context, and began as an idea of a car, rather than something stemming strictly from need. It’s bullet-like in form, and its tapered rear and curvaceous hood are strikingly artificial, a manipulation of earthly material into a heavenly form.

The funny thing about cars is, in essence, we model them after ourselves—we give them two headlights for eyes, four “limbs” to travel with, coverings for their intimate inner workings, and then we manipulate these characteristics, playing with shape and proportion, to give them a personality.

And as time progresses, our cars become superhuman, taking on characteristics of God. The modern car can interact with us, keep us in lane, give us direction, listen to our prayers, take lives, and otherwise protect them.

The seventh generation of Corvette is expected in dealerships this fall. And it’s got 450 horsepower, too. This Corvette isn’t just a “concept car”, and it comes in many colors now, not just white. It’s not perfect, but it has come a long way over the past 60 years.

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

1. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

In response to a public demand, inspired by Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, the state of Mississippi ratified the 13th amendment this week, which abolished slavery in 1865. One hundred and forty eight years late to the punch, Mississippi officials blame a clerical error for it not getting ratified in 1995, in response to a similar public push. The state of Mississippi has thus expanded the paradigm of arriving at the party fashionably late.

2. CONAN CONQUEST It was announced that late night personality Conan O’Brien will host this year’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner on April 27. The annual event gives Washington journalists and President Barack Obama the opportunity to exchange jokes, jabs, and otherwise mingle with each other. O’Brien hosted the event once before in 1995 when Bill Clinton was the guest of honor. Conan airs Thursday at 11 p.m. on TBS.

4. CHANGING TIDES

After winning two out of five of his Grammy nominations, Frank Ocean announced he is working on a new album that he described as “bordering on a concept record.” Ocean says that the new work is partially inspired by “Golden Girl,” the last track on Channel Orange which is setting the tone for the new record. The announcement follows Ocean’s suggestion a few months ago that he might not record a follow-up album at all. Clearly, the tides have turned for Ocean.

3. BONNAROO 2013 LINEUP

5. LAWRENCE LOVE

On Tuesday, the line-up for the 2013 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was announced. The annual festival takes place in Manchester, TN, and will span four days this year, June 13 to 16. Headlining the event are Paul McCartney, Mumford & Sons, and Tom Petty, and the Heartbreakers, along with featured performers including R. Kelly, the Wu-Tang Clan, Wilco, Bjork, the National, the Lumineers, A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Grizzly Bear, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.

Fresh off the critical and commercial success of Silver Linings Playbook (and potential Oscar wins come Sunday), director David O. Russell has again cast Jennifer Lawrence in a movie: The Ends of the Earth, the story of an oil tycoon who gets caught up in an affair with his own adopted daughter. The movie will actually mark the third Lawrence-Russell collaboration: the two will soon begin shooting an untitled project about a controversial FBI sting operation in the 1970s.

THE CRITICAL CURMUDGEON

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Kurt Cobain would have been 46 this week, and his birthday reminds us of the grunge movement and the larger musical legacy of the ‘90s.

Kurt Cobain? Smells like ’90s spirit MATT MAZZARI Yesterday, Feb. 20, marked the birthday of the late Kurt Cobain, who would have been 46 this week. Can you imagine? The Nirvana front-man and pioneer of grunge was considered by many to be the voice of his generation by the time he was 24. In just a couple years, the group went from a Seattle garage band struggling to find a steady drummer to a creative powerhouse launching their genre into the mainstream with Nevermind, which sold more than 30 million records worldwide. Even after his tragic suicide, his all-too-short life continued to have a chilling effect on the youth of the nation. He’s been immortalized, not just by his participation in the notorious 27 Club, but by an explosive, brief, and revolutionary career that helped to shift what people were listening to, coloring “’90s Music” an entirely different hue from the prior decade.

So now, on the day after Cobain’s hypothetical 46th birthday … I still can’t get over that. Seriously, Cobain has a daughter as old as I am. Kurt Cobain would be almost as old as my dad.

Man. Well, anyway, on the day after Cobain’s 46th, let’s take a moment to talk about the ’90s and the eclectic musical legacy surrounding our most impressionable years. Wouldn’t you like to know why you’re so screwed up? Surprise! It’s because the girl from across the street who babysat you when you were five had the radio on full blast playing Beck’s “Loser” on repeat.

The anthems of the decade were frequently rather dark: a new interpretation of punk had dawned, and Cobain was neither the first nor last to bend the rules on what a distorted guitar could do. The Pixies, Pearl Jam, and a number of other Seattle groups under the prolific Sub Pop label were churning out grunge even truer to its type than Nevermind, which was more experimental in twisting alternative and pop tropes. Also, the nebulous category of Alt. Rock was surging into the limelight at around the same time, with bands like Weezer, R.E.M., and the aforementioned Beck putting some truly wild material into that catch-all. That’s all not to mention the hip-hop/rap scene, which was a different matter altogether.

It was at the turn of that decade that the hardcore stuff originally classified as New School finally broke out of its cage with Public Enemy, Eminem, and N.W.A. hitting their stride. At first glance, it’s a big ol’ mishmosh of anger and casual-chic trainers. But looks can be deceiving.

What was actually happening for music in the ’90s was deeper than it is often given credit. The unifying theme is a chronic rebelliousness, young musicians tearing away at the junk rock and disco cluttering up the mainstream ’80s. The rampant successfulness of Nirvana signaled a new, engaging sound for young people to hang on to, certainly, but it also meant something far more important: hair metal and all of its spawn, the flashy, demographic-less dingbats churning out softcore pop-rock and “rock-ballads” (whatever that even means)

were finally through. The young people with a message to get out were back, love ‘em or leave ‘em. What the artists of the ’90s were really doing, genre-tagging aside, was redefining the Hell-if-I-care mantra, which had been rendered phony and glittering by ’80s rock for so long, into an attitude they could call their own.

And here’s where I have to admit: ’90s music is not necessarily always my favorite sort of thing to rock out to. For instance, groups like The Offspring and Bare Naked Ladies are a ton of fun, but when punk-pop gets boiled down to Blink-182 and Smashmouth, the fun gets seriously called into question. Still, at the end of the day, even if I might think Radiohead gets a bit pretentious at times, I have to say they have a tone and style that was utterly and admirably novel.

Sure, Green Day made a lot of Baby’s-FirstPunk stuff, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have been lumped into Classic Rock by know-nothing DJs tired of playing the same 20 Doors songs all day. But you’ve got to admit that the ’90s had a unique, standout sound, even if it isn’t your personal fave.

Cobain and his contemporaries had their own idea of what great music sounded like, and they overthrew a generic norm to get it there. That’s a class-act movement, right there. Makes you wonder if we aren’t just about due for a movement like that ourselves.

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

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THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, February 21, 2013

OSCAR WILD

B3

BY: SEAN KEELEY | ARTS & REVIEW EDITOR, ARIANA IGNERI | ASSOC. ARTS & REVIEW EDITOR, AND JOHN WILEY | ASST. ARTS & REVIEW EDITOR

BEST PICTURE

BEST DIRECTOR

In the crowded field of Best Picture, one film stands as tall as its subject: Lincoln, which emerges with 45 percent of our vote as the clear frontrunner. It’s not a huge surprise that a movie on such a prominent historical subject and backed by such Oscar heavies as Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis should take home the big award, but it does face some serious competition. Ben Affleck’s Argo, coming in with 22 percent of the vote, could certainly cause an upset, especially given the hefty slate of awards it’s been racking up this season.

Les Miserables is the third-place contender at 19 percent, while our poll also showed marginal chances for Django Unchained and Zero Dark Thirty, which are nonetheless likely too controversial to win. Meanwhile, Oscar hopefuls Life of Pi and Silver Linings Playbook seem to be crowded out, and for the lesser-seen Amour and Beasts of the Southern Wild, the nomination is the real achievement.

Two-time Best Director winner Steven Spielberg—who’s previously won for his serious historical efforts Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan—is —is set for repeat Oscar success with Lincoln,, garnering 70 percent of the votes in our poll. The runner-up seems to be Ang Lee at 15 percent. Though his Life of Pi seems to have little chances in the Best Picture race, the Academy may recognize Lee for the impressive feat of turning a seemingly un-filmable book into a dazzling display of seamless computer generated animation and tactile 3D. For their smaller-scale efforts, Michael Haneke, Benh Zeitlin, and David O. Russell earned a handful of votes—but this race seems to belong to Spielberg, with the distant possibility of a Lee upset.

SEAN’S TAKE:

SEAN’S TAKE:

I predict that Spielberg will be unstoppable again with a Lincoln victory, and given how good the movie is, I’m fine with that. But I also love the riskier Amour, Django, and Zero Dark Thirty, and would love to see the Academy recognize any one of these films with the big award.

Call me crazy, but I predict a massive upset as fresh-faced newcomer Benh Zeitlin wins for Beasts of the Southern Wild.. Such a surprise would be just the kind of feel-good Oscar story that Academy voters love. As for who deserves the award, I go with the consensus in handing it to Spielberg for his masterpiece about politics, compromise, and character.

ARIANA’S TAKE:

Though Lincoln seems to be the popular choice for Best Picture, I actually think that Les Miserables should take home the Oscar. With its impeccable direction, cast, and music, it made a strong impression on me, that I think, without a doubt, is worthy of the Academy Awards’ recognition.

ARIANA’S TAKE:

Already a winner of three Academy Awards, Steven Spielberg is no stranger to the Oscars. In Lincoln, he presents the complex subject matter of the Civil War with mastery and apparent ease. So he’ll probably win another Oscar, and honestly, I think that he should.

JOHN’S TAKE:

Whatever Lincoln has in brains, Les Miserables has in heart—this masterwork reinvented the musical film genre entire with its unprecedented recording techniques and cinematography, and features the year’s best collective acting effort.

ARGO

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

DJANGO UNCHAINED

LIFE OF PI

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

ZERO DARK THIRTY

AMOUR

22%

0%

LES MISERABLES

19%

0%

0%

0%

22%

JOHN’S TAKE:

Michael Haneke tells the story of old age and death no audience wants to be told with Amour, and in the heartbreaking capacity of its portrayal of fleeting humanity, Amour establishes itself as the best directing effort of the year.

PROJECTED WINNER: LINCOLN

MICHAEL HANEKE

45%

4%

7%

BEST ACTOR

PROJECTED WINNER: DANIEL DAY LEWIS

77%

4%

15%

EMMANUELLA QUVENZHANE RIVA WALLIS

4%

7%

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

The Oscar nomination of Robert DeNiro, for his role in Silver Linings Playbook, is actually the actor’s first in 21 years.

It signals the return—a return that the Academy probably supports—of a firmly established and long loved actor.

He’ll probably win the award, but, logistically speaking, it’s questionable whether his poignant, heartfelt performance is enough to entirely discount the possibility of another outcome: Django Unchained’s Christoph Waltz and Lincoln’s Tommy Lee Jones are both, in their own right, solid contenders. Ultimately, it will probably come down to DeNiro or Jones, but as our poll suggests, the Oscar should go to Waltz, who leads with 40 percent. Already winning both the Golden Globe and the BAFTA, it really wouldn’t be too surprising if he took home the Oscar as well.

SEAN’S TAKE:

Waltz may well win again, but his performance is something of a rehash of his turn in Inglourious Basterds Basterds. More surprising, and more worthy, was Jones, who energized Lincoln with his turn as the rabble-rousing radical Thaddeus Stevens, relishing every delicious line delivery.

ARIANA’S TAKE:

PROJECTED WINNER: CHRISTOPH WALTZ

40%

With such strong contenders, it’s hard to say who really deserves the Oscar for best supporting actor, but as a committed DeNiro fan, I must admit—my loyalty lies with him. His role in Silver Linings Playbook was, indeed, a smaller one, but he definitely made a huge impact on the film. At least for me, his incredibly emotional scenes with Bradley Cooper were enough to merit him winning the award.

JOHN’S TAKE:

Jones’ portrait of radical Republican congressman Thaddeus Stevens in Lincoln was perhaps the most important performance of the year, bringing forth a vibrant perspective of civil justice.

ALAN ARKIN

15%

ROBERT DENIRO

15%

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN

4%

The hype surrounding Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty is definitely due, in part, to its lead actresses, and though I like both Lawrence and Chastain, I think that it’s Amour’s Riva who made the best impression with her honest, authentic, and entirely original performance.

9-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis is the youngest Best Actress nominee ever, and through her high spirits, fresh perspective, and utterly authentic performance in Beasts of the Southern Wild, we are reminded precisely what the acting profession should be.

DENZEL WASHINGTON

0%

ARIANA’S TAKE:

JOHN’S TAKE:

Although Day-Lewis’s performance in Lincoln has proved a magnet for accolades, Jackman’s breakthrough portrayal of Jean Valjean dug to the emotional depths of the character with unrivaled technical capacity, as an actor and vocalist.

JOAQUIN PHOENIX

TOMMY LEE JONES

26%

4%

NAOMI WATTS

4%

SEAN’S TAKE: Hathaway may have stopped the show with her big song, but Adams deserves the award for her quiet, menacing, and all-too-neglected work in The Master.

ARIANA’S TAKE: To me, the choice pick for Best Supporting Actress seems obvious: Hathaway. Granted, her appearance in Les Miserables is fairly brief, but her performance, singing and acting included, is a vital aspect of the film as

JOHN’S TAKE:

Anne Hathaway, by no small distinction, is deserving of the Best Supporting Actress honor, for immortalizing herself in the already iconic role of Fantine.

AMY ADAMS

8%

SALLY FIELD

11%

HELEN HUNT

0%

CONNOR FARLEY

TRICIA TIEDT

LINDSAY GROSSMAN

MARY ROSE FISSINGER

“Lincoln because it’s the only one I saw.”

“Daniel Day-Lewis all the way for everything he’s ever done ever, except for Nine.”

“I don’t think either Silver Linings Playbook or Les Mis has what it takes to win, but they’re my favorites.”

“Not Anne Hathaway because she will forever be Mia Thermopolis from Princess Diaries and she can never shed that role.”

“Daniel Day-Lewis.”

Assoc. Copy Editor

CHRIS GRIMALDI

Assoc. Sports Editor “Les Mis. Les Mis. Les Mis. Les Mis.”

37%

We could dream no dream of a Best Supporting Actress title going by Anne Hathaway this time, for her role as Fantine in Les Miserables. Her blaring, impassioned portrayal of a woman at the depths of despondency in oppressive nineteenth century France proves just how far the 30-year-old actress has come from The Princess Diaries.. Hathaway’s 5-minute aria, “I Dreamed a Dream,” shot from a single angle focusing strictly on her face, surely will be remembered as one of the greatest emotional appeals in modern film. Sally Field’s work in Lincoln and Amy Adams’s work in The Master are the most likely upsets for Sunday evening.

HENRY HILLIARD

Metro Editor

PROJECTED WINNER (TIE): JESSICA CHASTAIN AND JENNIFER LAWRENCE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

VOICES FROM ‘THE HEIGHTS’ WHO ARE YOU ROOTING FOR AT THE OSCARS? Asst. Copy Editor

4%

Lawrence has all the momentum, and her performance carries plenty of charisma, but I prefer the age-worn wisdom of Riva’s devastating performance in Amour.

JOHN’S TAKE:

HUGH JACKMAN

15%

SEAN’S TAKE:

Day-Lewis will win this contest, hands down, and deservedly so. He turns our most iconic and revered president into a real person, and he masters every nuance of the performance, from the high reedy voice to the long gait, without ever upstaging the outstanding ensemble cast around him.

BRADLEY COOPER

4%

DAVID O. RUSSELL

When Silver Linings Playbook premiered at the Toronto Film Festival this past September, Jennifer Lawrence surprised audiences with her moving and eccentric performance. Playing the mysterious, troubled love interest of Bradley Cooper’s character, she instantly became a strong contender for an Oscar nomination.

Lawrence faced steep competition, however, when Jessica Chastain appeared in Zero Dark Thirty a few months later. Though quite different, their roles were equally captivating—in fact, in our poll, they both received 37 percent. With such results, its seems likely that either Chastain or Lawrence will take the win, but if the numbers are discounted, the Oscar will likely go to Emmanuelle Riva, the 86 year old lead actress in the French film, Amour.

SEAN’S TAKE:

Though I can’t deny that Bradley Cooper displayed a new level of acting skill in Silver Linings Playbook, I don’t think that his performance deserves an Oscar. The award should go to method actor Day-Lewis, who essentially became Lincoln incarnate.

If that’s not deserving of the title Best Actor, I don’t know what is.

ANG LEE

70%

BEST ACTRESS

In the category of Best Actor, we see Daniel Day-Lewis as the clear favorite for his work depicting our 16th president in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln.. Day-Lewis has twice before received this very honor, once starring as Christy Brown in My Left Foot (1989) and again as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood (2007). Few actors are as immersive in their craft as Day-Lewis—he requested a year of preparation for the role of Lincoln from director Spielberg before Lincoln started filming. The resulting performance was nothing short of iconic, erecting a new monument for the great president. Hugh Jackman is most likely of stirring an upset in the Best Actor category, for his consummate portrayal of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables.

ARIANA’S TAKE:

BENH ZEITLIN

PROJECTED WINNER: STEVEN SPIELBERG

Layout Editor

Opinions Editor

ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT News Editor

“Not The Master because I hated it.”

PROJECTED WINNER: ANNE HATHAWAY

81%

JACKI WEAVER

0%

THE HEIGHTS

B4

Thursday, February 21, 2013

KEELEY’S CORNER

NETFLIX NEXUS BY RYAN DOWD

Sing along with Whedon’s ‘Dr. Horrible’ on Netflix TITLE: Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog YEAR: 2008 CREATED BY: Joss Whedon STARRING: Neil Patrick Harris WHY: It’s a unique and hilarious musical spin on the superhero genre that enlivened the 2008 writer’s strike

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES

Joss Whedon has emerged as a creative force ever since he helped pen Toy Story in 1995. Nestled between his time as a prodigious show runner from 1996-2004 on three successive cult series (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly) and his recent emergence as a box office breaker (Avengers), Whedon, in the dark days of the 2008 writers’ strike, produced, of all things, a sing-along blog. And this sing-along blog, to the benefit of the general viewing public, has been available on Netflix almost ever since.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog stars Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) as Dr. Horrible, an aspiring super villain, who schemes and sings his way toward acceptance into The Evil League of Evil. Dr. Horrible, though, is continually foiled by his arch nemesis Captain Hammer, played

by Nathan Fillion (Castle). Hammer is a vain, egotistical superhero to Dr. Horrible’s more empathetic villain. The two continue to butt heads when they fall for the same endearing volunteer Penny, played by Felicia Day (The Guild).

A product of the writer’s strike, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog was by and large the only silver lining to the stunted year that became 2008. Told in three separate acts, it runs just over two hours. It’s part comedy, part tragedy told through some sweet songs. It’s also available on laptops across campus. 

FASHION FORWARD

Ringing in the spring in New York New York fashion week previews spring fashion trends

ELIAS RODRIGUEZ As you may already know, New York fashion week took place last week, offering a preview of what’s to come this fall. The colors to be seen once the leaves start falling will be a mixture of bright mustards, oranges, reds, and dark blues, greens, and burgundies. On the bright side of the spectrum, examples of mustard were seen in Todd Snyder’s leather jacket and turtleneck, and J. Press York Street’s sweaters and pants. Bright orange and red were prevalent in Lacoste and Marc Jacobs’s trench coats, as well as Nautica’s sweaters. The darker hues of green and blue were showcased in Elie Tahari and Marc Jacobs’s shows, along with burgundy, also featured in Band of Outsiders, Bespoken, and Perry Ellis by Duckie Brown’s collections.

In the midst of this polychromatism, the most common color was gray—in all 50 shades. All of the collections featured the color in many pieces, especially Todd Snyder’s, with the great majority of models clad in gray from head to toe. Gray was also particularly popular in the collections of Nautica and Band of Outsiders, but overall it was the common denominator in all of the shows. Come fall be sure to sport the blend of white and black—it never goes out of style, and in six months it will be the color of the season.

Menswear tends to be consistent—which is a good thing, because good articles of clothes can survive for years and still be wearable—but the pieces that stood out most last week were shawl collar and leather jackets, the former being a staple in the collections of Gucci, Diesel Black Gold, and David Hart earlier this year. Another interesting (and questionable) trend was the mixture of oversized jackets and coats and flowing ’70s-esque pants in Marc Jacobs’s collection, which also featured plaid, a pattern that prevailed in Tommy Hilfiger’s show.

Now that the worst seems to be over (I’m looking at you, Nemo) and the temperature is starting to go—and hopefully stay—up, it’s time to start thinking about spring. Come the new season keep things simple and wear solid pieces (i.e. no

patterns). Color wise it will be all about pastels aka chalky, pale hues. Think pistachio green, baby blue, vanilla yellow, etc.—basically the entire color scheme of Robert Redford’s wardrobe in the 1974 version of The Great Gatsby (available on Netflix).

A great source for pieces in these tones is Vineyard Vines, the pastel pro. Another good place to find pale pigments is J. Press—they offer many options of shirts and sweaters in those tones.

Now, pastels may sound boring, but bright, light colors can definitely help you stand out. Using electric solids can help take an outfit to the next level.

Pair a light gray jacket, with a bright, pistachio green solid shirt and you’re in business. If minimalism isn’t your thing, adding a little bit of print to your ensemble can definitely spice things up. You can do this by incorporating a printed tie or pocket square to your otherwise color-blocked suit.

As you say goodbye to layers upon layers, snow boots, and the overall terrible weather, you might consider trying new things. The piece believed to make its comeback in spring is the cashmere polo.

It has an elegant casualness to it—especially the long-sleeved version—reminiscent of mid-20th century style. Another classic and casual option worth giving a try is loafers. Get them in versatile colors like camel, brown, or black and they will carry you through the seasons, as they go with everything and are never out of style. You can wear them sockless, but if you absolutely must wear socks make sure they match your pants color-wise.

Whatever your choice, do not wear them with white gym socks. The same goes for boat shoes— sockless is the way to go. Remember: white socks are the sartorial version of the devil—avoid them at all costs. The only time wearing white socks is acceptable (emphasis on acceptable) is when working out.

On an unrelated note, I have started to notice a general upgrade in people’s style around campus.

To those of you who make an effort to dress properly, congratulations. It’s hard enough waking up in the morning (anything before noon is ungodly in my book), let alone pulling something together and pulling it off. I can testify that those people who put effort into their ensemble truly stand out in a sea of sweats and running shoes. It used to be like playing Where’s Waldo, but now it’s like playing Zitch Dog (shout-out to HIMYM). Not only does it allow you to realize that style isn’t dead, but it makes you wonder “where did you get that? I need it.” Keep it up guys.

Elias Rodriguez is a columnist for The Heights.

He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES

Men’s fashion trends for the upcoming spring season were on display at this year’s New York Fashion Week, with outfits that strike a balance between everyday casual style and a more refined elegance.

THIS WEEKEND in arts

BY: ARIANA IGNERI | ASSOCIATE ARTS & REVIEW EDITOR

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

1. TRUCK TURNER (FRIDAY 2/22, 11:59 PM)

3. FROG POND ICE SKATING (SATURDAY 2/22, 7:00-10:00PM)

4. PENTATONIX CONCERT (SUNDAY 2/23, 8:00PM)

Part of the Coolidge @fter Midnite film series, Truck Turner is a 1970s action film starring Isaac Hayess. Bold and bloody, the movie tells the story of a bounty hunter in pursuit of a bail-jumping pimp. Tickets are $9.25 at the Coolidge Corner Theater.

UGBC’s BC2Boston Program is hosting an ice skating excursion to the Frog Pond in the Boston Commons. For the first 50 people, admission is free to the event—however, skate rentals are $9.

A five-part a capella group from Arlington, TX, Pentatonix is most well known for winning the third season of The Sing-Off in 2011. In addition to recording their latest album release, the band is on tour—they will be playing a show this Sunday at the House of Blues. General Admission tickets are $25.

2. OLAA PRESENTS AYER Y MANANA (FRIDAY 2/22, 7:00PM) Highlighting the brilliance of Latino culture, OLAA’s annual culture show will feature both individual and group performances, thematically exploring the past and future of the Latino heritage. Tickets are available through Robsham.

5. NEW BLUE AND WHITE (ONGOING)

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA

The Museum of Fine Arts’ latest exhibit, New Blue and White, opened Sunday. It features a vastly diverse collection of blue and white, pigmented, porcelain pieces. Presented together, the hued ceramics investigate the cultural, personal, public, and aesthetic influences that the worldwide production tradition has had.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

SEAN KEELEY Ah, Oscar season. A time full of endless talk-show chatter about who will take home what awards, onslaughts of studio-promoted “For Your Consideration” ads, and annual complaints that the Academy’s taste is old, tired, and not reflective of public tastes. A time to anticipate the spectacle of awkward pre-scripted banter between presenters, overlong and dramatic acceptance speeches, and the inevitable dead people montage in which the recently departed members of the film industry are saluted with a glorified PowerPoint. The nominees, hosts, and outfits may change, but year after year the basic pattern is the same.

For me, it is the best of times and the worst of times, for I have always cultivated a love-hate relationship with the Oscars. As someone who has been a cinephile since the age of six, I can hardly do otherwise.

At their best, the Oscars serve to highlight unheralded work, and draw audiences’ attention to films they might otherwise ignore. The two shining examples from this year are Amour and Beasts of the Southern Wild—the first, a French-Austrian co-production about an aging couple’s enduring love, and the second, an independent feature that filters the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina through the fantastical vision of a six-year-old girl. Neither is exactly a sure-fire commercial prospect, and without their nominations they might languish in obscurity. But the Oscar boost will surely introduce these two worthy films to a new audience, and that’s a good thing. It’s what the Oscars should be all about: exposing people to good movies, and encouraging a national conversation about them.

Unfortunately, most people tend to tune out this conversation, because of the impression that the Academy’s taste is backwards and old-fashioned. They’re often right. If you’re looking for questionable Academy selections, there’s plenty to choose from. Would anyone still argue that The Artist was the best movie of 2011, or that its director deserved to defeat Terrence Malick, Martin Scorsese, and Woody Allen for Best Director? Two years later, can anyone justify giving the Best Picture Oscar to The King’s Speech rather than David Fincher’s thrillingly vibrant and modern The Social Network? Going back even further, let’s address the fact that in a 54-year career, Alfred Hitchcock never once won a Best Director Oscar, and that his Vertigo, recently voted the greatest film of all time by the prestigious Sight & Sound poll of movie critics, was all but ignored by the Academy.

The truth is, the Oscars are rarely a prediction of long-term cinematic significance or greatness. It’s more accurate to say that they present a picture of how the industry wants to see itself. Sometimes the Academy chooses to reward “socially conscious” films like Crash or Slumdog Millionaire, sometimes they go for contemporary relevance (The Hurt Locker), and sometimes they indulge in nostalgia about their own past (The Artist). If Argo takes Best Picture this year, don’t be surprised—it’s a movie in which the power of Hollywood solves a Middle Eastern political crisis. How comforting.

Yet even as I indulge in this cynicism about the Oscars and the kind of movies that win them, I also resist it. Becoming too jaded about the whole process can obscure the better qualities of the films themselves, as well as the work that the ceremony helps to highlight. It is certainly understandable to argue that Argo and Lincoln are classic Oscar bait, carefully tailored by the studios to rake in the gold, but to argue that they are nothing more is reductive. I have lots of sympathy for those who say that the Academy’s methods for nominating foreign language films and documentaries squeeze out many worthy contenders, yet those categories also introduce people to great movies like A Separation and How to Survive A Plague. And you can complain all you want about the predictability of the Academy’s choices, but there are always surprises: who would have predicted that Amour, a great but bleak French-language film about two octogenarians, could garner four major nominations?

So even as I settle in to watch the ceremony on Sunday, grumbling that Moonrise Kingdom and Bernie and Skyfall were snubbed, even as I roll my eyes at the ceremony’s excesses and all the attention paid to fashion, I will also be watching it unironically. Part of me will always be the nine-year-old kid who stayed up past his bedtime on Oscar night to see who the big winner was. I hope someone else out there is watching it that way, someone bursting with a love for movies and eagerly hoping to check out the films he didn’t know about.

If so, then the imperfect institution of the Oscars will have done its job.

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

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, February 21, 2013

B5

‘Wishbone’ exhibits bluesy, Americana influences

CHART TOPPERS TOP SINGLES

BY RYAN SCHMITZ For The Heights The old standard genre of the blues is making a definite come back to popular music in the form of alternative rock and country groups. Bobby Long is one of the select few artists who is willing and capable of carrying the bygone blues back into the spotlight. And with a new album titled Wishbone, his audience should have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Long delivers a collection of songs with all the longing and heartache of a veteran American blues wailer.

However, the Brit, out of Manchester England, keeps a relatively fast paced alt-country theme to his record, bringing the blues into the 21st century.

The entire album screams Americana, starting at the very first note. The electric guitar and dobro act as a jarring musical backdrop to Long’s raspy vocals.

For the rest of the album this would be the standard: tough hard hitting electric guitar with the country twang of a dobro and the pained singing often associated the blues genre. Though the music is enjoyable, most of the songs sound pretty much the same. Even the acoustic tracks conform to the same sort of musical structure. In many ways this album meets the exact specifications of the classic

modern independent blues album, which is nice and absolutely a great genre of music. The issue is the songs have a bit of a stock feel to them, as if the listener has heard them before somewhere. The songs themselves, while enjoyable, are strikingly formulaic and do not show a lot of experimentation or growth.

What is surprising about the lack of diversity in the album is just how different this album sounds compared to its predecessor. A quick search of Long’s name on YouTube yields pages worth of videos of a man holding an acoustic guitar, certainly not a highly featured instrument on this record. Long’s roots are that of a more romantic songwriter strumming an acoustic six string and singing songs about heartache.

Though he has certainly matured on this new album, it seems he stuck with one type of song.

If the listener looks past the one sidedness of the music then they can recognize the real high point of the record, it’s lyrics.

After listening to Wishbone there is simply no doubt that Long is an incredibly talented singer songwriter (a not so common trait in popular music today). He sings about lost love, heartache, and the willingness to sacrifice for someone, pretty common themes on a folk record. In one song spe-

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

WISHBONE BOBBY LONG PRODUCED BY ATO RECORDS RELEASED FEB. 19, 2013 OUR RATING B-

PHOTO COURTESY OF ATO RECORDS

Though enjoyable, the latest album from British singer songwriter, Bobby Long, is formulaic, lacking diversity. cifically his words reflect just how much he was ready to do or give up just to keep this person safe, there was a clear reflection of Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend” which provides a heartwarming change of pace from the darker loneliness motif surrounding the rest of the tracks.

Fans of the alt-country genre will absolutely enjoy this little

piece of Americana, with a sound reminiscent of Ry an Adams and even a little bit of Bruce Springsteen mixed in, Long truly hits the mark when it comes to putting together a blues record.

Though all of the songs on the album proved to be an enjoyable listen, they all sound a bit too similar which makes the album somewhat boring. There was no

real standout track that defines this album. Instead, the musical theme really gives Wishbone its definition. The album is somewhat forgettable, but the music is consistent and the lyricism is profound. Long certainly has come a long way, and he has plenty of potential. Though it isn’t a hit, it is definitely a sign of great things to come. 

TOP ALBUMS

1 All That Echoes Josh Groban 2 Two Lanes Of Freedom Tim McGraw 3 Now 45 Various Artists 4 Babel Mumford & Sons 5 Passione Andrea Bocelli Source: Billboard.com

Overly stylized, ‘Push the Sky Away’ ultimately falls flat

BY MATT MAZZARI Heights Staff This latest release from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is niche listening to the extreme. Each song sounds like a poetry slam, and it achieves its rumbling, gritty feel

with slithery bass grooves, lowdown electric guitar, and the front man preaching free verse over the whole shady affair. That said, you may want to hold back on your finger-snapping, at least until you’ve listened in on some of Cave’s lyricism for long enough to see past

the heavy stylization. Beneath the viney summer times in the swinglow valley of the Poconnos, Cave is like a stir-fry with no nipples, a sun with no erection. And if you think that last sentence didn’t make sense, you’ll see why Push The Sky Away can dazzle tempo-

PUSH THE SKY AWAY NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS PRODUCED BY BAD SEEDS LTD. RELEASED FEB. 18, 2013 OUR RATING D PHOTO COURTESY OF BAD SEEDS LTD.

Despite its overzealous grandeur, ‘Sky’ disappoints with its heavily poetic lyrics and electric rock and roll sounds.

rarily, but under closer scrutiny will consistently fall flat.

Straight from the gate, the Australian group sets the atmosphere for a mellow jam-out with the works: long rests between highhat rattles, dark keyboard chimes and, of course, Cave speaking as if he’s gritting his teeth all dangerous and mysterious like. “We No Who U R” starts off with the hook, “Tree don’t care what the little bird sings / We go down with the dew in the morning light,” which might have been forgivably vague if it was followed by any shadow of substance.

Similarly, the third track “Water’s Edge” actually has a pretty killer riff, but it’s let down by lyricism that doesn’t recognize how farcical it sounds: for example, “As the local boys … / Think long and hard about the girls … / Who dance at the water’s edge, shaking their asses” somehow lacks the subtlety of conventional poetry while at the same time falls short of Ginsberg punch, doomed to the unimpressive middle-ground. Gwendolyn Brooks’ fans might be excited by what appears to be a reference

to her poetry on the sixth track titled “We Real Cool,” but they’ll be soundly disappointed when they find that the only material the song gleans from the poem is the title phrase. Either Cave has read the poem and really didn’t understand it, or he saw the words in a magazine somewhere and convinced himself he’d written them.

All in all, beneath the pretentious stream of consciousness verse and the occasional, half-assed slant rhyme, Cave doesn’t have much to say. When you get past the scene that the Bad Seeds are setting for you, you basically wind up with a small poet behind the curtain and not much else.

Cave’s inspirations are obvious: he’s going for the slick, cool, rambling tone that Jim Morrison and Tom Waits had so down pat.

His songs follow that same sort of badass vein as Dylan’s “Cold Irons B ound,” wrought with nonsense imager y and cruel, sullen refrains. The problem is that Cave can’t holler like Mr. Mojo Risin, nor can he ramble as gruffly as Waits, and God knows

he’s far from writing like Dylan.

No, Cave’s attempts at darkness are more likely to pan out like the ill-fated “Higgs Boson Blues,” which betrays no insight into the particle or its significance but rather tries to mash together cultural references in attempts to seem pertinent. Possessed by some blind hack of a muse, the track leaps from Robert Johnson to Hannah Montana, and guess what: it just doesn’t freaking work. The whole thing comes off as muddled free-association with nothing to stand on.

In the title track, which Cave saves for last, all the self-aggrandizing beatnik stuff fades away, and the listener is left with what reads like a blander version of “I Gotta Feelin’” by the Black Eyed Peas. Fittingly, the intended grand catharsis is as meaningless as the rest of the album. By the final line, listeners will wonder how Cave has the gall to say you feel rock and roll “right down to your soul” when it’s so devastatingly apparent this man ain’t got no “soul” at all. 

Buckcherry descends to a new level of awful with ‘Confessions’

BY DMITRY LARIONOV For The Heights

It took me about four hours of staring at the wall to press the play button on Confessions because the dull scream of my dying brain cells seemed more comforting than even a little Josh Todd. I finally decided it would be easiest to shotgun the album and chase every two songs with something listenable.

There is no such pain as Buckcherry pain.

Buckcherry’s performance on Confessions wouldn’t have turned heads at a middle school talent show, but as their sixth studio release, their efforts are inexcusably ineffectual. The group is a product of that ’80s L.A. rock scene, and yes, they’re still greasy, they still have long hair, but the raw attitude—the over-sexualization of society and the rejection of anything mom-approved—is gone. Buckcherry has become a parody of the genre it emulates and, what’s worst, I’m pretty sure the band

has no problem being the nightmarish radio-soundtrack on every family road trip ever.

Half of the song titles relate to the seven deadly sins, which would make for an interesting concept album if Buckcherry pursued anything with integrity, but mindless thrashers like “Nothing Left But Tears” and “Air” have nothing to do with the theme even nominally. Every song on the album plays out as a love letter to some vague feminine being regardless of topic, and none of these tracks have anything to do with their associated sins beside a title-drop in the chorus.

On “Gluttony,” Todd pushes out “I want it, I want it, I need it, I need it” with all the weight of a Commandment, and after a while I begin to appreciate the art of lobotomy. But this isn’t the mindless drivel of a band too busy rocking out to worry about what they say. Confessions is absolutely cluttered with senseless lyrics over worn-out melodies.

“Water,” a soulless garage romp,

is cut off with a massive twenty seconds of feedback. Seriously, Buckcherry? Who do you think you are? What do you think you just did? Feedback is earned, not deserved.

To be fair, there are a few confessions on this album. For example, we learn that Todd hates suicides, as evidenced by the lyric, “I’ve always hated your suicide.” Rather, Todd hates a particular suicide, and America agrees. Buckcherry is the thinking man’s Nickelback. Kudos, Todd. Kudos.

The best part of the album is Keith Nelson’s guitar solos, which are sparse and predictable, but Todd isn’t able to sing through his nose over them, so they are a welcome relief.

While every song on this album is commercial enough to storm the stations you hit ‘scan’ through, the mastery as a whole is dysfunctional—“Wrath” sounds like it was recorded on GarageBand while “Lust” is professional studio-crisp.

Also worth mentioning is

that L.A. hard rock is such a visceral experience that it almost never translates well to recorded material. Even so, you wouldn’t even be able to see Buckcherry in their intended dingy setting, because they’re too busy breaking in their pre-ripped designer jeans on some arena stage.

It appears that when Buckcherr y cornered the trailer market, they must have needed something for the love-lost Kiss crowd. Thus was born “Dreamin’ of You,” a song that speaks for itself: “You could never turn away / When you fly so high / And you might as well stay /

There’s no limit to the sky / Believe in yourself / Stand up tall / It’s our time to shine.”

There is actually a two-minute-long video of goats that sound like screaming humans circulating the Internet that is much more worthwhile. Check it out. 

CONFESSIONS BUCKCHERRY PRODUCED BY CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS RELEASED FEB. 19, 2013 OUR RATING F PHOTO COURTESY OF CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS

Buckcherry’s latest release is utterly devoid of interest, a barren wasteland of generic rock and inane lyrics.

SINGLE REVIEWS BY CONNOR FARLEY Drake “Started From The Bottom” Following suit with the banality of its title, Drake’s “Started From the Bottom” limply and unnecessarily falls short of any conception of a stirring musical composition. The song’s vague lyrics and uninspired hook, clumsily rhymed over a lifeless piano loop backed by a dull 808 bass, make for a trite attempt at the overused theme of the “self-made man.”

Tyler, The Creator “Domo 23”

Rick Ross “Box Chevy” The sole release from his anticipated sophomore album Wolf, Tyler, The Creator’s “Domo 23” wittily delivers. Despite the usual (and occasionally tiring) references to swag and the whole Wolf Gang/Golf Wang crew, the “Yonkers” star continues to relentlessly plow his way through criticism with a barrage of controversial pop culture commentary and Ludarcris-esque speed.

Not that any song—especially within the realm of rap—has to, but Rick Ross’s “Box Chevy” does little to make structured, logical rhymes, or basic grammatical sense. We get it, you hustled and drug-dealt your way out of the ghettos of Florida in your “box chevy” (“like a f—ckin’ boss,” of course), but when you start rhyming “Lexus” with “Lexus” three times in one song, I worry.

B6

The Heights

Thursday, February 21, 2013

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, February 21, 2013

B7

THIS WEEK IN...

BY RYAN TOWEY | ASST. METRO EDITOR

MISBEHAVIOR

POP CULTURE

During Tufts University’s annual Winter Bash at the Westin Copley Place, several students were hospitalized due to excessive intoxication after having vomited and urinated in the lobby of the hotel earlier this month. Tufts’ Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitm++an reprimanded the students in a letter in The Tufts Daily on Tuesday. “Clearly, the vast majority of those of you who attended the event were able to enjoy each other’s company and the setting,” Reitman wrote. “But I have to tell you that an alarming number of students were in no condition to enjoy anything and spoiled it for others.”

According to Reitman, 15 to 20 students were hospitalized and many other students were rude to employees at the hotel. “We have to do better,” Reitman said. An administrative review regarding the behavior at the Winter Bash with insight from several departments is still underway.

Matt Damon app e are d in a mo ck press release video b y Wa t e r. o r g , a n environmentalist organization designed to raise awareness regarding the world’s water crisis.

In the comedic awareness video, Damon promises not to use the toilet until after the water crisis is resolved. “In protest of this global tragedy, until this issue is resolved, until ever ybody has access to clean water and sanitation, I will not go to the bathroom,” Damon said jokingly in the video. While the nature of the campaign video was comedic, it also presented statistics regarding the availability of clean water. On behalf of Water. org, Damon said in the video that “780 million people lack access to clean water” and that “2.5 billion people lack access to a toilet or basic sanitation.”

MUSIC SPORTS The artistic movement “Play Me, I’m Yours” plans to place stre e t pi ano s randomly throughout Boston come this September. Residents of the city are permitted to play the pianos, which are usually located in public squares and parks, at their leisure. Luke Jerram, a British artist and the creator of “Play Me, I’m Yours,” designed the artistic movement when pianos first sprouted in the United Kingdom’s Birmingham in 2008. According to a website dedicated to the project, streetpianos.org, over 700 pianos have been placed in 34 cities across the globe, including London, Ne w York , Paris, and Los Angeles. Jerram said that he hopes that the installation of pianos in cities around the globe will act “as a catalyst for conversation and changing the dynamics of a space.”

Grad launches Kickstarter campaign

BY DANIELLE DALTON For The Heights

Current medical school student at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA, Paul Leonard, BC ’09, isn’t your typical apparel company owner. Then again, UnderRepped isn’t your typical t-shirt company.

UnderRepped features the faces of the unknown people behind great ideas. Leonard and his father, John Leonard, were walking one day when they lamented the lack of unique t-shirts. The same celebrities and athletes are featured on shirts repeatedly, and the father and son felt that it was time for other interesting, though forgotten, people to have their shot. Thus, UnderRepped was born to “Rep the UnderRepped.”

Adolph Rickenbacker (inventor of the amplifier and electric guitar), Rene Laennec (inventor of the stethoscope), Ronald Amundsen (discoverer of the South Pole and leader of first voyage to the North Pole), Victoria Woodhull (first woman to run for President in 1872), Nikola Tesla (scientist who created alternating current) are the five faces of the first collection’s under-represented icons of history.

The vintage-inspired t-shirts are not stuffy and reminiscent of lengthy history lectures. Rather, they harbor a laid-back, indie vibe.

Each t-shirt’s front, available in both crew and V-neck styles, features an illustration of one of the individuals as well as the icon’s last name. The images are screen printed onto 100 percent cotton shirts. Currently in the midst of a campaign to raise $6,000 on Kickstarter, the online crowd-sourcing funding platform for emerging projects from a variety of backgrounds, UnderRepped will begin selling shirts in May. The genuineness of each of the five individuals portrayed on UnderRepped’s shirts is mirrored in Leonard’s motives for launching the clothing line.

“This is a project created from a genuine interest in spreading an idea without any huge motive for profit. I

want people to buy the shirts because not only do they love what UnderRepped is trying to do, but they also love the story,” Leonard said.

On what has been the most surprising thing about starting UnderRepped, Leonard said, “I was really worried about how difficult it would be to balance a med school schedule and continue working on UnderRepped.

I realized though that if I viewed UnderRepped as ‘work’ I definitely would’ve given up by now. I would’ve chosen sleep over researching and following up on emails long ago. Now it’s become something I look forward to working on at night.”

His desire to go to medical school originated at Boston College when his sophomore roommates convinced Leonard to take a night class for an EMT-B certification, arguing that the certification would be useful for his summer job. Leonard, however, enjoyed the class so much that he began the pre-med track the fall of his junior year. Diverse broad interests like medical school and a t-shirt company are emblematic of his choice to pursue his true interests. As an undergrad, Leonard was a math major and music minor with a pre-med concentration.

He participated in the Brazilian Club throughout his four years, where he served as Treasurer his junior year and President his senior year. In addition, he ran the Boston Marathon as a junior and joined Sexual Chocolate, BC’s all male step team, his senior year.

Leonard reflected on how an education at BC equipped him with the tools needed to achieve his goals, whether they be related to his career as a medical professional or his hobby as a t-shirt enthusiast. “I think college as a whole taught me that you’ve got control over your outcome,” he said. “BC provided several avenues to undergo interests and also connect with people who have great ideas. I was able to learn what it takes to work on a project with a team and appreciate the legwork necessary to see a project through. All those experiences gave me the skills to think on my feet and solve problems on my own.” 

HOUSE AD

FAIRY TALES

The Boston Bruins did not use their day off on Monday for a vacation. Players and coaches on the hockey team journeyed to Newtown, CT, the site of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting in December, which left 20 school children and six adults dead.

Some players joined coach Claude Julien in Newtown. The Bruins hosted several events for children at Sandy Hook, including a street hockey clinic and a presentation of the Stanley Cup. According to masslive.com, the players also handed out framed, team-autographed jerseys to the first responders in Newtown’s tragedy as well as Bruins t-shirts to the 1,300 attendees at the Bruins visit. On March 3, Sandy Hook vice principal Natalie Green Hammond will drop a ceremonial first puck when the Bruins host the Montreal Canadiens at TD Garden.

While Boston C o l l e g e s tu d e nt s struggle to find contraception and birth control at distant pharmacies or from the hands of fellow students, Boston University students patiently await a visit from what has become known as the “Condom Fairy,” which, according to Boston Innovation, places contraception in the mailboxes of BU students on the Charles River Campus at their requests. BU’s Student Health Services launched a website that allows students to order up to three male condoms, among other contraceptives, per order.

While an ordering student is made to supply his or her name and address information, all transactions remain confidential. The delivery takes five to seven business days and the website makes efforts to keep students informed on the different kinds of contraceptives available.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Italian out of the North End

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES

BY KATHERINE BU For The Heights

While many people rely on the North End to satisfy cravings for Italian food, Boston has much more to offer than just the cluster of restaurants around Hanover Street. The Fenway neighborhood is home to a great variety of restaurants, ranging from quick and cheap Thai food to upscale Italian. To find the latter, stop by Trattoria Toscana on 130 Jersey Street. Simply take the D line to the Fenway stop, and an indulgent dinner will be just a 10-minute walk away. Head Chef and owner, Zamir Kociaj, presents his customers with authentic Tuscan food in his homey restaurant.

This small, Italian restaurant is perfect for special occasions. It offers a cozy and even romantic ambience as well as a delicious meal.

From start to finish, Trattoria Toscana is sure to impress even the most particular diners. The service is friendly and quick to offer their recommendations, as will the occasional enthusiastic fellow customer.

The menu offers several different antipasti starters, including the classic bruschetta, salad, and cold cuts options. The optimal way to begin your meal is with the dynamic Crostini Misti ($9). This starter comes with four crostini—little toasts—each crunchy slice offering a different combination of flavors. The argument for which of the four is best will never be settled, as they are all tasty, perfectly proportioned small bites.

The chicken liver pate is deliciously rich while the tomato topping is simple and fresh— the mushroom piece offers a depth of flavors and textures, and finally, the olive piece, while less exciting, is still satisfyingly tangy. Crostini Misti is the perfect start to a dinner because the range of flavors among the four variations is sure to excite one’s taste buds, and is not too filling. The restaurant will accommodate groups by offering to serve portions of this appetizer according to how many people there are, and then set a fair price. On a cold, winter day, one would do well to try one of their soups.

The main dishes range from pastas to meats. Among the pastas, the menu will vary

throughout the seasons. Of these, the gnocchi is consistently popular. While the sauces will change, the gnocchi itself is filling without being overbearingly heavy or starchy. A simple option is their spaghetti with olive oil and garlic. Their homemade pasta is perfectly cooked and firm, making even the less exciting dishes memorable. A simple dish well done should not be overlooked. Be sure to pay close attention to their specials—the fish of the day is a lighter option and dependably fresh. The meat options include grilled pork chops and beef steak, or for a more adventurous option, there is the beef liver in a sage and marsala sauce. Accompanied

LOCATION: 130 JERSEY STREET CUISINE: Italian SIGNATURE DISH: Gnocchi ATMOSPHERE: 7/10 AVERAGE MEAL: $30 OVERALL EXPERIENCE: Aby oven-roasted gold potatoes, this dish is rich and unique. While after the first bite one may wonder how one could possibly finish the entire dish due to its decadent and heavy nature, there is no need to worry. Diners should not only finish their meat, but should also enjoy the real pleasure of soaking complimentary bread in the delicious sauce remaining on one’s plate.

Trattoria Toscana’s charming ambiance comes at the small price of having to wait for a table. While some restaurants in the North End are notorious for hour-long lines flooding out the door, eating at 6 p.m. just before the dinner rush at Trattoria Toscana’s can allow one to avoid the brutal Boston weather. The food, however, comes at a higher price—averaging at around $30 for a starter and a main dish—tax and tip included. Considering this in terms of a college budget, Trattoria Toscana is best saved for special occasions. 

THE HEIGHTS

B8

BOOKISH BOSTONIAN

Taking a seat at the good table

RYAN TOWEY Dinner with my family is a bit of a workout.

Do not misunderstand me. I was ecstatic that my family drove up to Boston from Jersey for my mother’s birthday dinner at the delicious steakhouse Grill 23 on Berkeley Street, but the Towey family is what you might call “indecisive.”

And that indecision carries with us every step of the way. Should we check our coats? Is this table too close to the kitchen? To the cold drafts from the door? To the entrance to the bathroom?

To other tables? We are not a spoiled bunch, but all of us agree that we are insufferable brats when it comes to seating.

Luckily, the parts of our brain not dedicated to indecision are occupied by contentment, the part of the brain that helps us to decide that we are better off sitting at the table we were seated at than making the hardworking staff go through the trouble of moving us.

Someone has to sit there, and we are happy to do it.

Regardless of our eventual contentment, I was left particularly worn out by our meal this past Saturday. I had just trudged through a particularly hard week, and the walk back to our Boston hotel from the restaurant was bitingly cold.

I ended up walking a bit ahead of my family, as I knew the way, only to happen upon the Boston Public Garden and Boston Common, of which we had a view from our hotel room. The wind was still whipping down the line of lit trees along the Commonwealth Mall, but I was feeling intrepid. I told my family I was going to walk through the Boston Gardens, as I had yet to do so with snow on the ground. My mother and sister were having absolutely none of that, but my father jumped on board.

As my father and I passed through the entrance of the Garden, I looked up at the Boston skyline rising above the Common. We walked to the foot bridge, where my dad looked at me, patted my shoulder, and said, “This is a great town.”

Though this column is typically dedicated to the written word, there are some moments so brief, so fleeting, that only the visual arts can capture them.

When my father’s hand landed upon my shoulder, I was reminded of a painting that I had admired months earlier in the Museum of Fine Arts.

Childe Hassam’s “Boston Common at Twilight,” completed in 1886, is Hassam’s impressionist depiction of a mother and her children walking along a snow-covered Boston Common as the sun sets. Hassam was born in Boston to a hardworking Dorchester family, and therefore would have known how to depict a family enjoying the outdoors even in the winter. “Boston Common at Twilight” is worth seeing in person. If you do take the worthwhile trek to the MFA to see this favorite work of mine, I hope that you will feel a sense of security and serenity similar to that which it provides me.

Juxtaposed against the gentle wintry surroundings in Hassam’s work, the painting’s characters appear impervious to the cold, as if shielded by their being together.

Before returning to the hotel, my father and I enjoyed some light conversation on the foot bridge, the contents of which I will never remember.

What I will remember is standing at a window in the hotel room after the rest of my family had gone to sleep. I looked down at the Public Garden, the snow glowing from the street lamps.

I felt as if I could still see my father and me on the foot bridge, just as Hassam may have painted us there if he had witnessed it.

Our lives are filled with endless indecision, but when I looked back at my sleeping family, I considered myself lucky to have been seated at my table in life.

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

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Kerry’s vacant seat contested in Democratic party Senate Election, from B10 looking to fill.

The poll also noted that Markey and Lynch garner roughly equal ratings on favorability and statewide name recognition. Among registered Massachusetts voters, 29 percent view both candidates favorably, while 19 percent have unfavorable views of Markey and 12 percent have unfavorable views of Lynch.

As the primary nears, Markey and Lynch look to participate in a series of debates, though the two candidates are in dispute over their number and nature. Markey has proposed two general debates and four issue-specific debates, as opposed to Lynch, who has advocated for at least four debates on wide-ranging issues.

Some special interest groups have begun aligning with a Democratic candidate: Markey has earned the support of teachers unions and Lynch is being backed by firefighters. Lynch also hopes to win over more blue-collar voters as a result of his background as an ironworker.

Though each has gained support from special interests, both Markey and

Lynch have agreed not to let these outsider groups influence the election financially. Last week, the candidates signed a “People’s Pledge” to keep outside groups from running ads and sending out mailers on behalf of either man—the deal seeks to hold candidates accountable for all communication to voters.

This arrangement, similar to one signed by Scott Brown, BC Law ’85, and Elizabeth Warren during their Senate race last year, doesn’t explicitly prohibit ads funded by outsiders, but rather strongly discourages them through a unique provision: if a group runs an ad on a candidate’s behalf, that candidate must donate 50 percent of the ad’s cost to a charity of his rival’s choosing.

The question remains now whether the Republican candidates will follow suit and sign a similar agreement, an action for which both Markey and Lynch have advocated.

“Outside money has no place in the Massachusetts Senate race,” Markey said in a statement. “This election should be focused on issues, not outside-group attack ads. I urge all candidates in this race to join us in committing to the people’s pledge and say no to the outside

special interests who want to influence this election.”

On the Republican side, two more candidates have come forward to join the primary ballot that already includes state Representative Daniel Winslow and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez.

Former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan, BC ’79, is seriously exploring a run, while Norfolk-born businessman Sean Bielat has filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission.

Sullivan, also a graduate of Boston College High School, served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1991 to 1997 and was acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives under George W. Bush from 2006 to 2009. He has said he will run if he can collect the required number of signatures himself without hiring an external firm to help.

Bielat is no stranger to Massachusetts elections, as he has run for Congress and lost twice, first to Barney Frank in 2010 and then to Joseph Kennedy III in 2012.

When surveying the GOP field as a whole, Republican strategist Rob Gray noted that the Republicans could gain

an advantage since it is a special election and voter turnout is lower—meaning fewer Democrats will be voting—though the party still faces an uphill battle.

“The political landscape is pretty good,” Gray told FoxNews.com. “The college kids are home for summer, and a lot of them are often campaign volunteers. It’s just very difficult for an unknown candidate to establish himself statewide and raise money in a limited amount of time. … I’m disappointed that Brown didn’t run. A case can be made it could have been a lay-up for Scott Brown.”

Brown, who recently joined Fox News as an on-air commentator, told WFXT-TV Monday that he is considering running for governor next year, matching rumors of a run that have been circulating since he announced he would not partake in the Senate special election.

“Of course I’m thinking about it,” Brown said. “I’m thinking about a lot of different things. But right now the best thing I can do for myself and for my peace of mind, and I think for the people of Massachusetts, is just to hang tight and recharge and be active.” 

CampusTap to centralize life at Suffolk University CampusTap, from B10 from private investors to reify CampusTap. Carpinito has bridged the gap between social networking and education, as CampusTap fulfills needs for students, members of the faculty, and administrators.

For students, CampusTap centralizes campus life on a single newsfeed, increasing student engagement. The platform also allows for simplicity when working on group projects or when collaborating, as it is significantly easier to contact partners.

For members of the faculty, CampusTap offers ways to track attendance and

participation, as well as send automated emails to students reminding them of assignments. More importantly, it turns the biggest classroom distractions—cell phones and laptops—into tools.

And for administrators, CampusTap can track trends among students, offering more insight into their desires. Making decisions based on better knowledge of the students, it is hoped, can increase student retention. Administrators can also prompt automatic teacher evaluations, which may be more efficient than sending several reminder emails to the student body.

In effect, CampusTap could potentially allow Boston College’s Agora Portal, email, and Blackboard to be connected to social

networking sites like Facebook, allowing everything to be connected under one technological umbrella. Such a connection could reduce the panic surrounding overdue assignments, as students could receive automatic emails reminding them of an impending assignment. Additionally, professors may be more inclined to keep laptops and cell phones in the classroom, as opposed to banning them, for they will have become important tools to integrate technology and education.

CampusTap achieves all of this through cloud computing. Although the Cloud at first may sound vague and intimidating, it’s much more familiar than one would initially imagine. Cloud computing is

used in everyday life. For example, Apple uses the Cloud to back up information on iPods, iPhones, iLives, and other technologies. Essentially, cloud computing is an extensive network of services, accessed normally through the Internet, such as GoogleApps. Members of the Cloud can access any and all software, which is all in one place, resulting in the centralized and mobile nature of CampusTap. With the rise of sites like CampusTap, the relationship between students, their educators, and businessmen has been altered, with students able to create technologies to fit the educational needs of their own generation—so long as businessmen are willing to fork over the cash. 

MassChallenge aids startup ventures MassChallenge, from B10 -nology in Space.

In addition to launching programs in Israel, MassChallenge is in the process of expanding to Colombia, Mexico, and the Russian Federation. In order to accelerate the growing startup sensations in those regions, MassChallenge has facilitated “strategic partnerships” to bring in local entrepreneurs. This expansion will implement the company’s first actions toward global expansion.

Each year, the accelerator selects between 100 and 125 startup companies to compete in their accelerator program.

The 2013 application for the competition, set to begin in June, went live last Wednesday, Feb. 13. Those accepted into the four-month accelerator program will be provided with 27,000 square feet of office space, access to the best market and media resources, and experts in the professional field—all in the city of Boston. Through MassChallenge, over 300 mentors will be available to the startups, although no

money will be given to any startup until the awards ceremony in October. As a non-profit organization, MassChallenge accepts no equity and therefore holds no restrictions on the entrepreneurs entering their competition.

At the end of their four-month accelerator program, MassChallenge awards $1 million in grants to the competition’s top 10-20 companies, in amounts of either $50,000 or $100,000. With the mission to “Catalyze a start-up renaissance,” MassChallenge accepts applications from any startup in any industry from anywhere in the world.

The 2012 competition saw over 1,300 applicants, a large increase from their 446 applications for the initial MassChallenge accelerator program just four short years ago. When not hosting their accelerator competition, MassChallenge provides a number of events throughout the year geared toward young entrepreneurs. Although the majority of participants in the competition are older than college age students, these events provide a venue for budding startups to make the connections

necessary for success in the university business realm.

NBD Nanotechnologies, a startup company named a 2012 MassChallenge finalist, uses biotechnology to enhance water condensation, collecting water from the most arid environments in the world. Two of the four co-founders of NBD Technologies graduated from Boston College, with Miguel Galvez and Deckard Sorenson, both BC ’12, having entered NBD Nanotechnologies in the MassChallenge competition during their senior year.

According to Galvez, the accelerator met the needs of their college startup, providing the founders with office space, legal advice, and connections to future investors. When asked for his reflections on his relations with MassChallenge, Galvez said, “I think MassChallenge is effective in stimulating growth of companies. By creating a large class of 100 companies, there is a lot of room to get feedback for your project and get important resources for your company.

It also motivates founders to work hard and know that they are not alone in their struggles or triumphs.” 

PHOTO COURTESY OF NBD NANOTECHNOLOGIES

Miguel Galvez of NBD Nanotechnologies improves water condensation technology.

PERSON TO WATCH By: Danielle Dalton | For The Heights

Remember when Saturday mornings consisted of Nickelodeon’s Rugrats, Doug, and Spongebob Squarepants? Do episodes of Doctor Who or Dancing with the Stars stream on your Netflix account? Both the nation’s children and adults can thank Herb Scannell, BC ’79, for his contribution to television.

Currently the President of BBC Worldwide, America, Herb Scannell is in charge of managing BBC’s brand and business in the U.S., bringing quality British programming to American audiences. In an exclusive WHO: Herb Scannell, BC ‘79 WHAT: President of BBC Worldwide, America WHERE: New York City WHY IT MATTERS: Scannell shows that interests pursued during college years can transform one’s life, such as his involvement with the WZBC radio program. interview with World Screen Newsroom in January, Scannell said, “The BBC will always be the British Broadcasting Corporation and represent the good work of the UK. What our audience [the American audience] really likes is that British drama continually innovates—just the fact that there are so many series

that come and go means that they are always coming up with something new and different.”

During Scannell’s time at BBC Worldwide, America, the popularity of shows such as Doctor Who, the science fiction show about a time traveller, and the 1860s drama Copper have skyrocketed. Doctor Who earned the title as the most downloaded show on iTunes in 2011, defeating Glee and Modern Family in the process.

Before entering the television industry, Scannell worked at WHN Radio after graduation. A passion for radio has defined Scannells life for years. In 2009, Scannell reflected about his time at and since college with writers at the Boston College Alumni Magazine. In response to the question, “What is one thing everyone should do while at BC?” Scannell responded, “Join an activity that you love. For me, that was managing the student radio station, WZBC. I’m proud that we helped usher in some new music from local artists and punk bands.” His love for radio still holds true today, as evident by his current position as Chairman of New York Public Radio, one of the numerous boards he serves on related to his passion for television and public affairs.

Scannell’s career in television began in 1981 after he joined The Movie Channel (which later merged with Showtime). He left the position he had attained as Director of Program Promotion at The Movie Channel/Showtime to join Viacom’s Nickelodeon in March 1988 as Director of Programming. He held other posi-

tions such as Vice President and helped develop Nick Jr. and Nicktoons before being named President of Nickelodeon and TV Land in 1996. Among the shows, Scannell helped launch during his time at the network was the widely-acclaimed Dora the Explorer. In 2003, he was named President of Nickelodeon Networks and Vice Chairman of MTV Networks.

After resigning from the positions on Jan. 5, 2006, Scannell co-founded and served as CEO of Next New Networks with four other media executives in March 2007. A web-television company, the network was later acquired by YouTube/Google in 2011.

In the 2010 press release announcing Scannell’s current position, John Smith, CEO of BB C Worldwide commented, “Herb has a tremendous track record of success in developing and extending innovative brands…” If his success is any indicator so far, Scannell will continue to innovate and develop hit television shows for many Americans.

The Heights

Thursday, February 21, 2013

B9

Menino proposes safety Determining measures for panhandlers futures at Mind Yo’ Business

Panhandling Proposal, from B10

Boston to become next reality hotspot Reality TV, from B10 Niedzwiecki said, “Some shows try to insult the viewer and pretend it’s not [staged]. We blow right through that stop sign and try to focus on getting laughs.”

This staged, comedic feel to the show was the not the producers’ original plan, however, and was rather accidental. The initial focus was the tension between Southie natives and newcomers in a kind of “turf war,” but this changed when the producers saw how funny the family was and ultimately chose to make the show a comedy instead of a drama, after essentially filming two different shows. Gentrification, or the restoration of run-down urban areas by the middle class, was more of an issue for native South Boston residents a decade ago, and the family admitted that they are not angered by newcomers to the neighborhood.

While the producers were able to avoid making caricatures of the Southie residents, the setting is criticized for not being as prominently featured as suggested by the title of the show. Some critics argue that the show could take place anywhere. A few cliches, however, including Irish music, overly emphatisized Boston accents, and subtitles for said accents, do exist.

Surfacing as a potential competitor of Southie Rules is another Boston-based reality show produced by 495 Productions, of Jersey Shore fame, called Wicked Single. Last week VH1 announced the Saint Patrick’s Day premiere of the show, which will follow six 20 to 30-somethings who party, worry about their futures, and transition into adulthood, all while fulfilling typical Southie stereotypes. VH1 has described the cast as being loud, being real, and having “awesome accents.” Cast members span from Chrissy, 27, a tough and hard-working Southie girl, to Chubs, a 30-year-old who still flaunts a frat-boy attitude. In an interview last Thursday with The Boston Globe, Jeff Olde, the show’s executive producer and the Executive Vice President of Original Programming and Production at VH1, said that he chose the Boston location because it is full of distinct characters, adding, “It felt like it’s not overexposed as a location. I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of sick of seeing New York in everything. It’s not fresh territory. Boston provided a breath of fresh air. It hasn’t been seen a lot. It’s fun, and I think that flavor is definitely in the show.”

Boston.com has recently published a slideshow satirically suggesting pitches for other Southie-based reality shows, such as So You Think You Can Step Dance? featuring former Senator Scott Brown and Governor Deval Patrick as judges, and Survivor: Castle Island. While the reader poll might not definitely decide the fate of Southie’s next reality show, ideas involving this location as the new television hotspot are just beginning to flourish. n

debated among Boston officials, the ordinance, if passed, would place a restriction on where beggars can and cannot panhandle. The old ordinance, that is now out of effect, stated that beggars would be fined $50 for a first time violation for soliciting motorists through traffic or passerbys within 10-feet of an ATM machine or bank entrance in the city. The ordinance clarified that limiting solicitation to motorists includes restricting panhandling in bike lanes, exit ramps, and shoulder areas. If an individual had subsequent offenses for panhandling, a court would determine whether the individual would receive community-service hours or a $100 fine.

Officials are currently debating whether the new ordinance is necessary at all, citing that panhandlers are not often too aggressive or violent, and don’t deserve to be restricted.

Other concerns include the question as to whether or not a fine, like in the old ordinance, of $50 or $100 will be in place and if it is “fair” or “too high.” Councilor Daniel F. Conley raised a question in 1998 of whether the penalties were reasonable that is still considered a point of contention today: “How are we going to impose a $50 fine on somebody who’s out collecting quarters on the street?”

Likewise, in 1998 Boston City Councilor Thomas M. Keane, Jr. responded to Councilor Conley in The Globe in a statement that would express support for the ordinances renewal, “The goal is not to put people in jail or pay $50 fines—it’s that they stop.” Other councilors point out that the option of community service is in place for those who cannot afford the fine.

Some officials are concerned that the ordinance would not only be ineffective, but unconstitutional in that it would give too much power

to Boston’s police force. Others are concerned that the ordinance would be a limitation on freedom of speech. Opponents also argue that, while the proposal strives to solve a problem that needs attention, it fails to execute a reasonable solution and could potentially negatively target the homeless community in its efforts to aid public safety should it be passed.

Sheila Dillon, director of the Hub’s Department of Neighborhood Development, disagreed. She noted that the goal of the ordinance is to help people and keep them safe, and not to add more difficulties in the daily routine’s of those who must resort to panhandling.

The Mayor’s office emphasized that its goal is not only to strictly limit panhandling through fines and legal consequences, but also to help the homeless community. While the safety of the general Boston population was the inspiration for the formation of the committee and the proposal, aid for the panhandlers themselves are also considered in the proposal.

The Mayor’s office hopes to decrease panhandling through public donations to outreach organizations.

Dillon also clarified this point that the proposed ordinance will not only help the safety of the public, but also the safety of the people panhandling. “The police are very aware that there is a lot of people panhandling at busy intersections and it’s very dangerous for them,” Dillon said. “We don’t want them to be hit.”

City Councilor Ayanna Pressley proposed making donation stations out of old parking meters that are no longer in use. Here, Pressley suggested, people could get rid of spare change that would collect and then be donated to organizations that would help Boston’s homeless community. Dillon spoke highly of the mayor and committee’s efforts, “The mayor is a champion of homeless individuals and families and has worked his whole career to get people houses and services.” n

policies.”

Zero tolerance policies treat small children as adults who understand complex issues many adults have trouble grasping.

Is it really fair to think a four or five-yearold would be able to first understand what a school shooting is and then make the connection to their play with Legos?

These zero tolerance policies are robbing children of their innocence and the imaginative play that is so crucial to their development.

Our nation has seen far too many school shootings and preventative measures need to be taken. Children should not have to grow up where their sanctuary of learning is plagued with the fear of gun violence. Energy should be focused, however, in more productive directions.

The “troubled teen” stereotype persists for a reason—most gunmen entering schools have been in their teens or 20s. Suspending kindergarteners will only create more controversy around this already complicated issue; it will not bring any momentum to stopping the issue of gun violence in schools. Personally, I never want to live in a world where I have to explain to my son that he cannot go to school with his friends because of something he made out of Legos.

Maggie Powers is an editor for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.

Marc Francis is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at metro@ bcheights.com.

Photo courtesy of google images

Some Boston officials are questioning the effectiveness and ethics of the proposal against begging.

In the wake of the Newtown tragedy, it’s no surprise that senses are heightened towards gun violence in our country. As of late, some school officials have begun a “zero tolerance” policy, suspending or threatening to suspend children in elementary schools who act in what is deemed potentially violent or unacceptable behavior in relation to gun violence. Is “zero tolerance” proactive, or a hindrance on childlike imagination?

Stop violent behavior now Allow the kids to be kids Although in the past a zero-tolerance sanction like this for adolescents may have seemed extremely restrictive and hypersensitive, it is increasingly relevant and necessary as the unfortunate reality of school shootings becomes clearer and clearer with each life lost. Of course, it is mostly likely that a rowdy child feigning gunplay is simply doing what kids do— fooling around with his or her friends.

But after tragedies like Aurora and Sandy Hook, the last thing we should do is be lenient and understanding toward what may well be either indicators or catalysts for future involvement with weapons, especially when the aggression is repetitive and directed specifically at fellow students or authority figures. Schools in particular are historically common targets for shootings, and therefore the administrations at many schools—particularly since the horrifying events at Sandy Hook—are understandably on edge about any possible threats to the safety as well as the feeling of safety in the school environment.

Take, for example, a 5-year-old student at Hyannis Elementary School in Hyannis, MA: he was warned and threatened with a two-week suspension by administrators after he repeatedly refused to listen to his teacher’s requests that he stop chasing his fellow students

with a “gun” made of plastic building blocks. Of course, it can be presumed that he intended no real harm, and had no concept of the fear that has been circulating and causing a heightened sensitivity to gun violence due to the frequency and severity of school shootings. But there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be reprimanded severely for disobeying his teacher and likely making his fellow students feel intimidated and afraid. Our society will only benefit from nipping things like this in the bud, and sending the message while children’s minds are still developing that guns and other weapons cannot and will not be taken lightly.

Many parents have responded to the rule by protesting that children should be able to play at a young age, and that this zero-tolerance policy has the effect of making them grow up faster than is necessary, but this is not the case. It is a sweeping statement to say that children cannot possibly have fun and enjoy childhood without pretending to use guns—they can still laugh, play games, go on the monkey bars, and do everything that might make an adult feel nostalgic. The only effect this rule has is to prevent naughty behavior from transforming into destructive behavior that is beyond society’s control.

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

Maggie Powers As a child, many hours of play were spent in my backyard. I have vivid memories of being chased by my younger brother with gun noises spewing from his mouth and a stick that vaguely resembled a gun in hand. If that very scene had taken place in 2013 rather than 2000, and at school rather than in my backyard with my brother enveloped in his fantasy world, he could have faced two weeks of suspension.

Yes, suspension, as a preschooler.

According to Boston.com, this very situation happened to a five-year-old boy in Barnstable Public School in Hyannis, MA. During playtime he made a “gun” out of Legos and proceeded to point it at other children and make pretend gun noises.

School officials told the boy’s mother that if this ever happened again he would face two weeks suspension.

In the wake of Columbine, Virginia Tech, and the most recent Sandy Hook shooting, I recognize that the parents, teachers, schools, and the nation simply want to do everything possible to protect the children. Zero tolerance policies are not the answer, however.

There is much debate as to whether or not zero tolerance policies are actually effective. According to the American Psychological Association, “Schools are not any safer or more effective in disciplining children than before these zero tolerance

Marc Francis As high school students, we were fed the idea that life’s possibilities are endless and that one test could not possibly harm our chances at success—regrettably, this is far from the truth. I had not realized until recently that every class I have taken since my first year of high school has affected my future career path. I am currently frantically devising a 150-credit plan to acquire my CPA, and I am left in constant awe at the importance of AP tests. Frankly, I do not believe that a test I took at the age of 14 should bear any relevance now. Yet, AP tests, along with each of my work experiences, will affect my future professional life.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?,” asked my second grade teacher to each student on “Career Day.” My response to her was “How the heck am I supposed to know, Mrs. Barra? I am seven years old.” Although I was scolded for my offhand response, my reply today would probably be very similar if asked the same question. The modern youth are expected to have a very clear idea of their potential future careers and paths of academic study.

As a high school senior, I fortunately was able to figure out that my core intellectual strengths do not lie in the sciences or the arts, prompting me to apply to several business schools.

Although I cannot accurately predict my future profession, I am fortunate that an accounting degree will allow for many different career opportunities in many industries. But, my heart goes out to all those college students who spend over a year focusing their energies on a particular topic of study, then only to entirely switch majors the following semester. As much as I resent the fact that we are forced to commit ourselves to one or two major areas of study at such a young age, we must conform to such a practice or suffer the lifelong consequences.

I recall my feelings of pure agony as I sat through the plethora of discussions at my freshmen orientation session. In addition to the unnecessary topics discussed, I grew especially irate at the talk of “pursuing your dream.” I could not believe that I was hearing the speaker encourage students to spend their first couple of years at college “discovering” themselves and their true interests—was that not the purpose of high school?

If I had spent my first two years at Boston College switching my areas of study every semester I would not be able to complete my credit requirements by my predetermined graduation date, and therefore have to spend another year in college—a financially promising situation for BC. Nowadays, it is unfortunate that if we do not enter college with clear-cut goals in mind, we very well may end up wasting thousands of dollars. If BC were a tuitionfree university, then I would have no problem with “discovering yourself,” but when time and money are at stake, every single course selection matters.

I recently read an inspiring article in Fast Company magazine, a publication that combines creativity and personality with the business world. Writer Amber Rae shared her personal story of self-discovery and how thinking about who you want to be is linked to deciding what you want to be: “When I look back on my experiences over the years, every single opportunity gave me exactly the lesson I needed to learn at the time.

With every experience (and I had a lot of them in a short period of time!), I changed. I evolved. I was pushed way the hell outside my comfort zone. I developed a new theory on work: I realized it’s not about what I want to do with my life—it’s about who I want to be.” Rae touches on the important topic of building character and finding your passion—it is our responsibility to perform a cost-benefit analysis and decide if it is worth the time and money to discover and exploit our passions.

THE ISSUE:

Maggie Maretz

fourteen

metro The Heights

B8

B10

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Breaking Boundaries

Day in, day out

Panhandling Proposal title here here

Tricia Tiedt Alright y’all, I have a confession to make: I lead a double life.

In addition to working for The Heights, I lead a weekly forum for a student club called Word of Mouth, affectionately known throughout campus as WoM. We WoMmers (yes, that’s a thing) market ourselves as a public speaking and communications club. To me, the purpose of WoM is to find your voice, and make lifelong friendships in the process.

On Tuesday evening, I attended Joanne Connelly’s (A&S ‘15) WoM forum.

Each week, the forum leader (i.e. Joanne) sets a topic and invites their forum members to give a speech pertaining to said prompt (or not—in WoM, you can talk about whatever you want, whenever you want). The topic Tuesday night was one of the most open-ended WoM topics I had heard in my two years in the club: Speak with Conviction. A freshman stood up, introduced himself, and proceeded to tell the other 25 people in the room why the Boston College’s oft-referenced mantra “Set the World Aflame” was a lie on our campus.

Further, he connected the lack of conviction in our daily lives as the reason we do not, in fact, set the world aflame.

As we race through life on campus, what are we really accomplishing? In his eyes, nothing of value.

I could hardly enjoy the next hour of Joanne’s forum as this bold speech spun around my mind. “Set the World Aflame,” “Men and Women for Others,” “Ever to Excel.” In just those three statements, you can supposedly capture what BC is all about. But he was right.

May I pose a question? What did you do last week to set the world aflame?

If someone had asked me that question, I would have instinctively reached for my calendar, my crutch in the daily grind. As if whatever meeting I attended last Monday or party I went to on Saturday would be an adequate answer to such a life-sized question. BC students live by their iCals, Lilly Pulitzer planners, and email accounts. We run around this beautiful campus in every color of corduroy pants J. Crew offers (mine are salmon), always looking the part. We “clip our conversations” and implement the everuseful BC lookaway as we shuffle from classes to meetings to events to avoid any real sentiment. Tell me, what part of this is setting the world aflame?

The official title of this column is “Breaking Boundaries.” Originally, it was intended to convey the challenges that I, as the ‘informed’ one, would impart on you, the ‘reader,’ to utilize more of what Boston has to offer. I still fully intend to bring those opportunities to light in this little strip of the paper. However, as of today I’m choosing to break another kind of boundary. The boundaries we set for ourselves, the reasons that justify our “to do” lists, the unsatisfying answers to the daunting challenge of “setting the world aflame.” This is just as much (let’s be real—probably more) of a challenge for me as it is for you.

When was the last time you were silent? No phone, no laptop, no friends, no agenda. As BC students, we are fortunate enough to be at one of the best universities in the country. Further, we are fortunate enough to become immersed in the Ignatian spirituality and Jesuit education this school was founded upon. In a place centered on ‘cura personalis,’ care of the whole person, when was the last time you practiced the reflection methods of Ignatius himself?

All I ask is this: Don’t be so busy planning your life that you miss it in the process.

By writing this column, will I set the world aflame? Probably not.

But I am speaking with conviction, and that’s a start.

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

New proposal questions the safety of panhandling on Boston’s busiest streets

By Parisa Oviedo Heights Editor

See Panhandling Proposal, B10

For years, Boston’s panhandlers have been begging locals and visitors for change, and now city officials are, too.

After numerous calls to Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s community hotline, the Boston City Council formed a committee to tackle “aggressive panhandling” in the Boston area.

The committee responsible for drafting an ordinance is composed o f n e i g h b o rhood

police, development, and members of the department of public health. The effects of their proposal were first reviewed in January.

The ordinance would regulate and place penalties on panhandling and soliciting in certain areas of the city. A previous proposal that was signed by Mayor Menino and put specific fines and regulations into place for panhandling, and this new one would have similar effects.

The order was recently brought up for review last Tuesday in a public hearing by the City Council’s Committee on Government Operations. Currently being

See Panhandling Proposal, B9

maggie burdge / heights graphic

Accelerator opens app for 2013

Reality TV features Bostonians

MassChallenge announces global expansion to Israel

By Lauren Totino Heights Staff

current positions and significant financial advantages, would seemingly be able to overcome any potential Republican challenger come the general election in June.

Markey currently holds a six-point advantage over Lynch, according to a poll by public radio station WBUR. This margin, however, is slimmer than expected, based on the fact that Markey has earned the endorsement of many influential Democrats, including former U.S. Senator and current Secretary of State John Kerry, BC Law ’76, whose vacant Senate seat the candidates are

The debut of reality television show Southie Rules on A&E at the beginning of the month launched a new era for the South Boston neighborhood, one that pushes the local urban area even further into the pop culture spotlight.

South Boston seems to have attracted such attention due to its rich and distinctive heritage, as well as its impending transition to an up-and-coming neighborhood.

Southie Rules is publicized as a serious drama about a Southie family, the Niedzwiecki’s, battling the gentrification of the neighborhood. The show, however, is not entirely reality, and is more of a hybrid between a reality show and a sitcom. Categorized under this ambiguous new genre, the show is instead best described as an unscripted comedy about an extended family living in a triple-decker apartment house in Southie. The family members, plus freeloader Devin Mahoney, who sleeps on the family’s couch, developed as actors when the cameras started rolling.

The situations that the family encounters are all staged, according to Southie Rules star Jon Niedzwiecki, 28, one of the brothers in the family. The family performs while giving a nod to the artificiality of the reality genre. In an interview with The Boston Globe,

See Senate Election, B8

See Reality TV, B9

By Tricia Tiedt Metro Editor MassChallenge, the largest startup accelerator in the world, announced its plans to expand to Israel last week as the company opened its application for the 2013 competition. Bob Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, partook in MassChallenge’s Opening Day ceremony, announcing he will fund the expansion to Israel during his keynote speech. Kraft has signed a four-year commitment with the acceleration company to replicate their program overseas. According to a press release by MassChallenge, the expansion will encourage “expert partners to identify the most promising Israeli startups and help them access key customers and resources in the U.S. market via a specialized program within the MassChallenge accelerator.”

The company geared toward start-ups is also hoping to ‘start up’ somewhere else: outer space. MassChallenge has recently confirmed a partnership with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) to begin testing startups for efficiency to work in the International Space Station.

In addition to this facilitation, CASIS has offered a new $100,000 prize in the MassChallenge competition for Tech-

See MassChallenge, B8

Photos courtesy of google images

United States Representatives Lynch, left, and Markey, right, graduated from BC Law.

Mass. Senate election heats up as reps declare intentions

By Julie Orenstein Heights Editor With one week to go until the Feb. 27 deadline for candidates to collect the required 10,000 signatures to run in the primaries for the United States Senate special election in Massachusetts, the candidate field has finally begun to take a more definite shape.

The Democrats have, from the start, established a notable set of contenders to compete in their April 30 primary, putting forth U.S. Representatives Edward Markey, BC ’68 and BC Law ’72, and Stephen Lynch, BC Law ’91. Either Markey or Lynch, with their prominent

Student brings CampusTap app to Suffolk University

By Alexandra Hadley For The Heights The idea for CampusTap struck Suffolk University senior Remy Carpinito when he was working at a condo complex.

He watched how the residents swiped into the building with “proximity cards,” and wondered if he could use that kind of technology for students. In his research

i nside Metro this issue

of educational technology, he discovered that there was no truly centralized software for all the services that educational institutions offer. Trying to bring several educational functions under one umbrella, Carpinito plans to launch his new site, CampusTap, in March, for which he has tested a demo version on 80 students and faculty members.

It seems that in this day and age, the

On the Flip Side

best and the brightest are those that not only understand, but know technology.

And who is more familiar with the rapidly changing world of technology than the kids that grew up with it, those who evolved alongside it? In the digital age, the “kids” have taken power from the “grownups,” in a sense. It is the college students and the recent graduates who are the most innovative and the most able to

Is the “zero tolerance” policy necessary to be implemented in elementary schools across the country? ..................................................B9

utilize evolving technology, and thus take control of the future.

The grownups, however, still have some of the power—they have the money. This means that only those with the best ideas are awarded the funds needed to make dreams reality. Carpinito achieved just that when he received half a million dollars

See CampusTap, B8

Restaurant Review: Trattoria Toscana..........................................................B7 Person to Watch: Herb Scannell.............................................................B8