Student smokers
‘Lysistrata’
features
ARTS & rEVIEW
sports
The cigarette habits of Boston College students exposed, B10
Bonn Studio’s production of ‘Lysistrata’ sparkled with wit, A10
The men’s hockey senior class notched their 100th win in a sweep against Providence, B1
senior day success
Monday, February 27, 2012
Vol. XCIII, No. 12
fifth annual relay a success By Anson Petrick For The Heights
By David Cote News Editor
From 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, to 6 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, students packed the Plex for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. This year marks the fifth time that Boston College has hosted the all-night event to raise money and awareness for cancer charities. The event attracted over 1,400 students, who participated in a walk around the Plex track to raise money for cancer research. Organizers set a goal of $150,000 to be raised by participants. This year’s theme was Space Jam, featuring space-themed decorations and including a showing of the 1996 film. American Cancer Society Community Executive for Boston College Whitney Downum commented on the meaning of the theme. “The space theme this year symbolizes a cancer-free future,” she said. Downum has been participating in Relay for Life for 23 years now, and this year’s Relay marks her fifth and final year working with BC. She is being promoted to work in Relay for Life’s Business Unit next year.
Franco Garcia, WCAS ’12, has been missing since Tuesday night and was seen last at Mary Ann’s bar in Cleveland Circle. Garcia’s absence was reported to the police Thursday afternoon after he missed work and class on Wednesday, and neither friends nor family have seen or heard from him since late Tuesday night. Garcia was last seen wearing a white and blue button down shirt, jeans, and glasses. Police reports list his appearance as 5-foot9, 200 pounds. Garcia has been described by friends as approachable and happy. He lived on campus freshman and sophomore year, and then commuted from his home in West Newton the past two years. He is also involved in Boston College’s music program. “He does marching band and the symphonic band, and he’s a member of the executive board of the symphonic band,” said Amelia Zani, A&S ’14. “He is a recognizable person around campus. That smile and his personality, he’s such a great person.”
See Relay for Life, A4
robyn kim / for the heights
Eagles abroad feel no effect from Project
Student still missing since last Tuesday
See Garcia, A4
esm throws masquerave in the rat
Legal case fails to gain attention overseas By David Cote News Editor
Boston College students studying abroad in Ireland and the United Kingdom were alerted last month by the administration to the subpoenas of the Belfast Project, an oral history project undertaken by the University in the early 2000s that has ignited much discussion both abroad and in the United States. Students abroad have stated that they have not felt in danger since arriving in Ireland, and many were unaware of the legal case until receiving the letter. “I was a little surprised by the letter because I hadn’t heard anything about it before and that was the first time our coordinator had contacted us since we arrived in Ireland,” said Julia Krakow, A&S ’13, who is studying abroad in Cork, Ireland. “So I would say [the letter] was definitely more discomforting than comforting. I thought the e-mail was a little over the top. Maybe the situation is more serious in Northern Ireland, but from what I’ve seen in Cork, no one even knows anything about it.” Other students abroad in Ireland made similar comments, saying that they had not experienced any sort of controversy due to the project. “I am currently studying abroad in Cork in the south of Ireland and, despite the area’s historic involvement with the IRA, I cannot even say the whole Belfast e-mail has changed anything at all,” said Molly Moltzen, A&S ’13. At the time the letter was sent, University Spokesman Jack Dunn pointed out that the letter was not intended to scare students or make them nervous about being abroad as BC students. “The letter was our way of reminding students to follow common sense guidelines for an issue that is likely never to materialize,” Dunn said. The letter made specific suggestions to students, which included avoiding wearing BC apparel when visiting cities like Belfast and avoiding discussing the politics of Northern Ireland in public. “I was a bit taken aback that the e-mail advised against wearing BC
See Ireland, A4
photo courtesy of katherine corteselli
Franco Garcia, WCAS ’12 (above), has been missing since late Tuesday night, Feb. 22.
daniel lee / heights editor
Members of the organization Boston College Electronic State of Mind threw a ‘Masquerave’ themed dance party in the Rat on Saturday night. The room was flooded with strobe lights, glow sticks, and electronic music from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. For the full story, see page A2.
Mali Music fills the Plex with gospel music By David Cote News Editor
The Plex basketball courts took on a brand new purpose Saturday afternoon, as hundreds of chairs were lined up in anticipation of Boston College’s first large-scale gospel concert, featuring popular gospel music artist Mali Music. Sponsored by the Multicultural Christian Fellowship (MCF),
the concert drew a large crowd and was the first of its kind at BC. The gospel concert started as an idea at a meeting last October, according to Kadeem Massiah, MCF President and LSOE ’12. “Last year we had a gospel showcase and this year we wanted to take the showcase one step further,” Massiah said. “BC hasn’t been exposed to gospel music at all, and we thought it would be a good
thing for Mali to come to BC and give everyone here a taste of what gospel is,” said Kimberly Addison, head administrator for MCF and A&S ’12. “This is a beautiful opportunity for Boston College,” said Karl Bell, assistant director of the Student Programs Office. “There hasn’t ever been a gospel concert
See Mali Music, A4
robyn kim / for the heights
Popular gospel music artist Mali Music (above right) came to BC for a concert Saturday night, and spoke extensively about his career and faith.
GLC calls for recognition ‘To New Heights’ states GLC’s goals By Andrew Skaras For The Heights
In this year’s UGBC presidential election cycle, both of the final teams met with the GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC) and talked about their goals for the upcoming year. Since the UGBC’s constitution was amended to include the GLC as an integral part, there has been an increased focus on the GLC’s document, “To New Heights,” which outlines their goals for Boston College over the next ten years. Drafted three years ago by a team that included Carolyn McCrosson, GLC president and A&S ’12, and Joshua Tingley, GLC vice president and A&S ’13, “To New Heights” describes what the GLC’s mission is, how they should be incorporated into the University by the administration, statements by students and faculty, and a 10-year plan for the GLC. Tingley described the document as a collaborative effort that included research into how their goals fit in with the Jesuit-Catholic identity of the school. “It is us showing what should be there and the reasoning behind it,” he said. After three years, there has been progress on some of their goals, as well as stagnation on others. At the highest level, the University has yet to acknowledge the issues. “‘To New Heights’ is presented to
See GLC, A4
TopTHREE
The Heights
Thursday, February 27, 2012
things to do on campus this week
..
1
Men’s Basketball vs. GT Wednesday Time: 7 p.m. Location: Conte Forum
Don’t miss your last chance to see the Eagles in regular season action! Boston College looks to get a win in its final home game of the season against a Georgia Tech team that comes in at 10-18. The Eagles are looking to redeem themselves after a bad loss to Wake Forest.
BC K-12 Education Career Fair
2
Today Time: 3:30-7 p.m. Location: The Heights Room
Representatives from over 50 organizations, including public, private, Catholic, and charter schools will be available to discuss the education field.
Chimerica Economics Lecture
3
Tuesday Time: 4:30-6 p.m. Location: Fulton 511 Americans for Informed Democracy and The Economics Association will host a panel of professors to discuss the U.S. and China’s economic relationship.
the
University
In ws e N
Override of NCAA Divison I multi-year scholarship policy fails
On Campus Mayock returns for Football Alumni Resource Group (FARG) program Mike Mayock, BC ’80, current NBC and NFL network sports analyst and announcer, was one of 25 Boston College football alumni who recently returned to their alma mater to speak with current football players about career options after BC football. BC football alumni who represented professions from financial services to law enforcement spoke with players in the Barber Family Auditorium of Yawkey Center about academics, internships, networking, and resume building. Mayock’s visible presence in the football community generated much excitement. Mayock, who was a co-captain of the BC football team as an undergraduate, was recently named “Media Person of the Year” by Sports Illustrated. He also played professional football for two years with the New York Giants prior to his broadcasting career. BC holds FARG sessions once a semester for its current football players. Past speakers have ranged from the senior vice president of operations for PepsiCo to a child psychologist at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Last week, NCAA Division I athletics institutions held a vote to override a policy enacted last October by the NCAA Division I Board of Directors that allows member institutions to offer athletes multi-year scholarships, as opposed to the one-year renewable scholarships that are currently offered. The colleges that were voting fell two votes short of the five-eighths majority they needed to enact an override. Three-hundred and thirty institutions participated in the attempted override. While the new measure would logically favor wealthier athletics institutions, many football powerhouses voted for the override, including Alabama and LSU .
St. Joseph Prepatory High School to open in Brighton in September A new high school, St. Joseph Prepatory High School, will open in Brighton this September. The new school is the result of the unification of two separate high schools: Mount Saint Joseph Academy in Brighton and Trinity Catholic High School in Newton. It will be located at the current site of Mount Saint Joseph Academy on Cambridge Street in Brighton. Faculty and student leaders recently gathered at Boston College to partcipate in a series of community-building activities and to discuss their hopes for the future of the new school.
By Katherine McClurg Heights Editor
Daniel lee / Heights staff
Over 150 students packed the Rat on Saturday to listen to BC student DJ’s and dance in a high energy atmosphere. bers, 30 active producers, and over 300 total BC members. The general meetings allow a forum in which members discuss their shared enjoyment of electronic music. The organization also provides workshops instructing BC students in the art of DJing and music production. “We have some of the most talented student DJs on campus who hold workshops for anyone in-
terested,” said Secretary Patrice Chen, CSOM ’13. The crowd of enthusiastic, fist-pumping students appeared to enjoy the mix of house, dubstep, and electro music with which the four different DJs provided them. ESM’s presidents, Rodaan Rabang, A&S ’13, and Alex Lam, CSOM ’13, the DJ pair ROLEX, spun last and kept everyone dancing till the rave’s
end at 1 a.m. ESM hopes to improve and expand further in the coming months by having professional producers give presentations and teach classes to interested members. “Our goal is to provide a venue in which [DJs] can work on both their technical and performance skills,” Lam said. Publicizing the event through their Facebook page and reaching out to underclassman led to a good mix of members and nonmembers amongst the attendees. Not affiliated with ESM, Ryan Burns, A&S ’15, attended the Masquerave in support of his friend, one of the DJs, Jay Thomas, A&S ’15. Burns was introduced to electronic music by Thomas and has since attended several events. “This is one of the best dances I’ve been to. The music is always awesome and you can tell everyone is having a good time,” Burns said. Lam was pleased with the turnout and is optimistic about the future. “Overall, the event was quite successful. But as we get more established and increase student involvement we will be able to make our events bigger and bigger,” Lam said. n
Police Blotter
Voices from the Dustbowl
2/22/12-2/24/12
“If you could live in any time period, when would you choose and why?”
Wednesday, February 22 9:25 a.m. - Officers responded to a report that a heated verbal altercation was taking place between two males at McElroy Commons. Upon arrival, both parties had separated and were leaving the area. No physical altercation took place. Both parties were identified. 11:54 a.m. - An officer filed a report that several people were stuck inside two elevators that had stopped working in Yawkey Center. A Stanley Elevator employee reported that a power surge in the system caused both elevators to shut down. All of the trapped parties were released uninjured. 7:13 p.m. - A report was filed regarding some utility work that was being done without the authorization of Facility Services at Shea Field. The work site was shut down pending proper authorization. 10:40 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a party who reported the theft of several items which had been left unattended at the Plex. The items had not been stolen and were located.
Thursday, February 23 11:51 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an injured party who walked into the Boston College Primary Care Facility with an injury as a result of an accident at Higgins Hall. The party was treated and released.
3:15 p.m. - A report was filed regarding assistance provided to the Newton Police Department that was attempting to locate a missing person. The party could not be located at this time, and the Newton Police will be investigating further.
“The Victorian Era, because they have cool dresses.” —Malia Allen, A&S ’15
7:36 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a small fire that was contained to a pan on a stove in Edmond’s Hall. The fire was quickly extinguished and the area was ventilated. The cause of the fire was burnt cooking. There was no damage or injuries as a result of the incident. 8:25 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an injured party who was transported to a medical facility via Armstrong Ambulance Unit #38 at Walsh Hall. Eagle EMS Unit #420 also responded to the scene to assist.
“The 1920s, because you could have fun with all the flappers.” —Cate Gamache, A&S ’15
12:14 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an ill party off campus who was transported to a medical facility via Boston EMS Unit #A-14. Eagle EMS Unit #420 also responded to the scene to assist.
—Source: The Boston College Police Department
“The 1940s or 50s because America had a united vision and the spirit of opportunism” —Brendan Kennedy, A&S ’12
“The future, because I’m curious to see what it would be like.” —Anna Carey,
A&S ’14
Partly Cloudy 32°
tuesday
47° Mostly Sunny 31°
wednesday
36° Snow 34° 34° Snow 26°
Source: National Weather Service
A Guide to Your Newspaper The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467 Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223 Editorial General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Marketplace Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823 Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753 EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call David Cote, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or e-mail news@ bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk. Sports Scores Want to report the results of a game? Call Greg Joyce, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0189, or e-mail sports@bcheights.com. Arts Events The Heights covers a multitude of events both on and off campus – including concerts, movies, theatrical performances, and more. Call Brennan Carley, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or e-mail arts@ bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the Arts Desk. Clarifications / Corrections The Heights strives to provide its readers with complete, accurate, and balanced information. If you believe we have made a reporting error, have information that requires a clarification or correction, or questions about The Heights standards and practices, you may contact Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE Delivery To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact Dan Ottaunick, General Manager at (617) 552-0547. Advertising The Heights is one of the most effective ways to reach the BC community. To submit a classified, display, or online advertisement, call our advertising office at (617) 552-2220 Monday through Friday.
The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year by The Heights, Inc. (c) 2012. All rights reserved.
Friday, February 24
1:31 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a dispute between a taxi cab driver and his passenger over the fare that the passenger refused to pay. The fare was paid, and both parties went their separate ways.
52°
Local News
Electronic State of Mind shows off DJs at Masquerave
providing opportunities for BC students to share and explore the dynamic auditory experience produced by electronic music. ESM serves as a vessel through which students can pierce the ethnic and cultural barriers and form a tight-knit community based solely on their mutual interest for electronic music.” ESM boasts 13 board mem-
monday
thursday
featured story
On Saturday evening, over 150 students gathered in the Rat for an electronic “Masquerave.” Hosted by the student group Electronic State of Mind (ESM), the rave showcased four of the club’s own DJs in a belated Mardi Gras celebration. Those who attended experienced a high-energy atmosphere with an air of mystique due to the masquerade theme of the event. Transformed into a club-like setting, the Rat was bumping with electronic dance music, lasers, glow sticks, and students dancing, amped up on energy drinks provided at the entrance. Since its founding two years ago, ESM has been dedicated to establishing a presence on campus and spreading their passion for electronic dance music to the Boston College community. The club hosts DJ showcases and dance events in addition to collaborating with other BC organizations such as RHA and OLAA. According to their mission statement, the purpose of ESM is “to cultivate and promote an appreciation for all facets of a quickly rising genre of music by
Four Day Weather Forecast
CORRECTIONS Please send corrections to editor@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.
The Heights
Monday, February 27, 2012
A3
Law to provide contraceptives without copay By Andrew Millette Assoc. News Editor
On Mar. 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law a bill that extended medical insurance to over 30 million people and overhauled the health care system in the United States. One of the most controversial provisions included in the overhaul was the mandate that employers must give their employees free access to contraceptive care through the insurance plans that the companies or organizations offer. Churches are exempt from this mandate, but religiously-affiliated universities and hospitals are not. Th e co n s t i tu t i o n a l i t y o f
“The one change is that contraceptive care is to be totally free. In my plan, and in the plan we have here, you have a copay. In the proposed new law there would be no copay. -Thomas Nary Director of Health Services
Obama’s bill’s “individual mandate,” which requires all U.S. citizens who do not have government or employer-provided health care to buy private health care or face a penalty, was attacked by 20 states immediately after it was signed into law. The Supreme Court will review the legality of the bill beginning in March. Lawsuits over the preventative care aspect of the bill are now surfacing for the first time. Last Thursday, seven states, in conjunction with three religious
organizations, filed a lawsuit that attacked the constitutionality of the bill’s preventative care provisions. Before these official lawsuits, there were many vocal attacks on the Obama Administration. Boston College endorsed a letter from the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) sent to the Secretary of Health and Human Services last year that stated “compliance with these new rules would force us to deny our religious heritage and identity by helping our students to act contrary to Catholic teaching and belief.” After months of vocal opposition from religious organizations, the Obama Administration in early February offered a concession to religiously-affiliated organizations not exempted from the contraceptive care mandate. Instead of the objecting organizations paying the cost of free preventative care, insurance companies will now cover the entire total. Unlike many other Catholic universities, BC was not especially impacted by the health care overhaul due to its location in Massachusetts. “In Massachusetts, every college student has to have health insurance, and that’s been true for years,” said Thomas Nary, director of health services. “We have had that mandate for a while because of the state law.” Massachusetts passed a bill that required all state citizens to have a basic level of health insurance in 2006. The preventative care mandate has a limited effect on BC as well, since Massachusetts passed a bill in 2002 that forced insurance companies to cover contraception in the way that they cover other health products. BC has had to offer contraceptive care measures in the insurance it offers to employees since 2002, and in the insurance it offers students since 2006. Obama’s recent concession to Catholic colleges and universities will have an impact on BC, however. “The one change is that contraceptive care is to be totally
free,” Nary said. “In my plan, and the plan we have here, you have a copay. In the pro posed new law there would be no copay. If a young woman has a prescription, it will be free.” Nar y worries that people who are uninformed about the insurance industry’s practices will think Obama’s recent concession will actually come at no cost to them. “Nothing is free,” Nary said. “Every year the insurance company BC chooses to offer its plan through comes back to us and sets new fees. If the company’s claims from students are greater than their premiums for a given year, the next year they will come back and increase either premiums or copays. If you’re getting birth control for no copays, that’s going to show up on the claims. The insurance companies aren’t
going to lose money.” Though costs for insurance companies will be increased by the lack of copays for contraceptive care, this may not have a great effect on what students pay for insurance, due to the nature of the products. “Interestingly enough, birth control is not a high cost part of an insurance company’s claims,” Nary said. “The highest-cost medication for college students is actually the new class of antidepressants.” Despite all of the excitement surrounding Obama’s controversial bill and his stance on contraceptive care, BC health services will not be facing any major changes in the near future. “If we were at the University of Nebraska there may be a lot of change, but for us there really isn’t,” Nary said. n
Greening the Heights Welcome to BC’s Green Corner, a weekly spot dedicated to providing students with information, tips and ideas on sustainable living. This is the last week of the NRG Games, which end on Mar. 4. The residence hall community with the best overall electrical savings will win t-shirts and a pizza blast. The week four winner will be announced on Feb. 28. Energy Saving tips before leaving for Spring Break Roughly 80 percent of a building’s electricity consumption is related to lighting and electronic appliances, and heating accounts for the other 20 percent. This means student behavior can have a big impact on energy use in BC Residence Halls! Here are some ways you can help limit your energy consumption. 1. Unplug cell phone and computer chargers. Even if it’s not charging a device,
Woogeon Kim/Heights Editor
Under the new laws, BC faculty and students would get free contraceptives.
a plugged in charger uses “phantom energy.” 2. Turn off lights, computers, and power strips. 3. Close windows. 4. Where possible, close blinds and curtains in dorm rooms. 5. In offices with thermostats, lower the setting to 55 degrees. 6. If a refrigerator is empty, raise the setting to a warmer temperature. Recycling tip before leaving for Spring Break If you don’t do it before you leave, it will be there when you come back! Pick up all used cardboard, papers, bottles, and cans and bring them to the recycling area in your building. Have a terrific week off! If you have a comment, question, or suggestion, or want to share an idea, contact the Sustainability Office at 617-552-0339 or online at www.bc.edu/ offices/sustainability.
A4
The Heights
Monday, February 27, 2012
Band member and student missing since Tuesday Garcia, from A1 “He’s very approachable. He’s one of the greatest people I’ve ever met. He’s so genuine, just a happy person,” said Katya Rucker, A&S ’12. Garcia had made plans to go out with friends on Tuesday night to Mary Ann’s and then stay over with a friend in Edmond’s Hall. His car is still parked on campus. “The plan was we would all leave Mary Ann’s together, and then he would spend the night in my room,” said Katherine Corteselli, LSOE ’12. “His car is parked by the Plex on campus, and he would just drive home the next day.” The group of friends spent time at Mary Ann’s Tuesday night, and had plans to leave together. Corteselli said that she didn’t realize Garcia’s absence until around midnight. “Me and a couple of my friends last saw him around midnight, and then around 1 a.m. or 12:45 we real-
ized that he wasn’t there anymore, and we started trying to call him to see where he went, but he wasn’t answering,” Corteselli said. “The last time I saw him, we were all in a group hanging out, just talking.” Police were able to track the call to Garcia’s phone made around 1:15 a.m., and reported that it showed him returning in the direction of campus. After 1:15 a.m., Garcia’s phone was not picked up by an cell towers. Garcia’s friends do not know why he left early on Tuesday, and are encouraging any BC students who were at Mary Ann’s Tuesday night to send pictures to findfrancobc@ gmail.com. “We’re appealing to anyone who was at Mary Ann’s that night to post pictures even if he wasn’t in them, because we’re just trying to get as much evidence as possible from that night,” Rucker said. Garcia’s friends held a publicity rally on Sunday to alert students and community members of his disappearance. The rally was held
from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. outside Mary Ann’s. Friends handed out flyers for volunteers to post around the area. “Franco is everything you would imagine of a BC student,” Rucker said. “Definitely a man for others, so warm and genuine. I have never seen him say an unkind word about another person. He’s the type of person who is always going to be a loyal friend.” “Usually when there are missing kids, they frame them as kids who have issues, but those aren’t labels that are true,” said a close family friend of Garcia, Genoveva Tavera. The BC community has also been active on social media since Garcia’s disappearance was announced. The Facebook group relating to Garcia’s disappearance has over 2,000 members, and friends have been tweeting at local businesses and celebrities in an effort to spread the word. The University has also been involved, posting on their Facebook changes about Garcia’s disappearance and sending an e-mail to students.
“I know you join me in extending your thoughts and prayers on behalf of Franco and his family during this upsetting time,” Patrick Rombalski, vice president for Student Affairs, wrote in an e-mail. Though friends said it isn’t uncommon for Garcia to fall out of touch with his friends for a few days, they said his family always knows where he is. “He calls his mother four times a day,” Tavera said. Garcia missed work at CVS in Waltham on Wednesday, and friends said this was very uncharacteristic. “He’s a hard worker, he never would miss work,” Rucker said. Friends continue to worry about Garcia as the BC community and multiple police departments continue efforts to find him. “If he is just laying low somewhere, the message we want to send to him is, ‘Everyone cares about you and loves you no matter what. We just want to know that you’re okay,’” Rucker said. n
GLC hopes for Safe Spaces for GLBTQ students GLC, from A1 the Board of Trustees every time [Mike] Kitlas [UGBC President and A&S ’12] meets with them, but they have yet to acknowledge receiving it,” Tingley said. “The president is unreceptive to talking about these things.” At lower levels, the GLC has made progress with the administration. “[Vice President for Student Affairs Patrick] Rombalski has talked with us a lot. He is more willing to have a discussion,” Tingley said. “ResLife has had multiple trainings for the RAs and RDs about diversity of sexual orientation and gender identities. Health Services underwent
training about being providers for GLBTQ students.” The GLC has pushed for these changes through dialogue with Rombalski and the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. Progress has also been made through the Queer Peers program and the Safe Spaces campaign. Functioning as a peer-mentoring group, Queer Peers has expanded its physical presence on campus, and has more RAs discussing it in their hall talks this year. In order to advance the Safe Spaces campaign, the GLC has been in dialogue with the Lesbian and Gay Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Association (LGFSAA) this year. “There would be places on campus where students could
feel comfortable going and approaching someone for information,” McCrosson said. “There would be people who are willing to talk about these issues confidentially.” “We want to show students that this would be a place where they could feel safe and accepted,” Tingley said. “We have a list of professors, staff, and administrators who would be willing to do this. We want to see something on people’s doors. We want an institutionalized program. The administration doesn’t want to imply that there are unsafe spaces on campus because it is bad for the image of the school.” In the long-term, the GLC wants to see the establishment of
a GLBTQ Resource Center that would function like the AHANA Center does. Citing Tufts University as an example, McCrosson and Tingley described the center as having a paid full-time staff, resources for students, as well as a place to meet and get together. They also want to establish a scholarship similar to the Martin Luther King, Jr. scholarship that would be for someone who has contributed a lot on campus and would pay for the student’s senior year. Eventually, they hope to work with the faculty to establish a Queer Studies minor that would be similar to the cultural minors, such as Irish Studies or German Studies. n
Relay for Life raises money and awareness Relay for Life, from A1 She kicked off the night’s events with a speech about her personal connections to Relay and her hopes for the night. After her speech, cancer survivors in the BC community walked a lap around the Plex track as the Relay participants cheered them on. After the opening ceremony, several campus dance and a cappella groups performed for the walkers, who were assembled with their teams on the tennis courts. Set up along the courts were stations for Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths and for a bone marrow drive as well as food stations. “We’re really excited this year for the bone marrow drive and Beautiful Lengths, which donates people’s hair to make wigs for cancer patients,” Relay for Life committee chair Andrew DiChiara, A&S ’15, said. As students gave to these organizations and walked around the track, committee members were setting up luminaria bags around the track in preparation for the Luminaria Ceremony. Each luminaria bag was dedicated in honor of a cancer survivor or in memory of a loved one lost to cancer. At 10 p.m., the dance performances ended and each student was handed a glow stick. Glow
sticks were placed inside of each luminaria bag, and all the students walked a lap around the track with lit glow sticks, placing their glow sticks in bins with words like “celebrate” and “fight back” written on them to symbolize their dedication to end cancer. Throughout the ceremony, a slideshow of pictures of community members affected by cancer played on projector screens. Once the ceremony ended, various sports tournaments and special events were held among the teams. Volleyball, basketball, and touch football tournaments took place on the Plex basketball courts while karaoke, a dance competition, root beer Beirut, a minute-to-win-it contest, and Miss Relay, a male cross-dressing beauty competition, took place on the tennis courts. These festivities lasted into the early hours of the morning, when the movie Space Jam was shown on the projectors. Relay for Life concluded with a presentation on the Astra Zeneca Hope Lodge in Boston and its role in the treatment of cancer patients, and the presentation of awards to all of the winners of each tournament and competition. “It has been the best year we’ve ever had by far. Everyone has been so great,” Downum said. n
daniel lee / heights editor
Mali (above), spoke about his faith in God and his career before the concert.
Mali sings songs of faith Mali Music, from A1 like this at Boston College.” Massiah also stated his hope that the concert would become an annual occurence, perhaps even in Conte Forum. Mali’s act was preceded by two opening gospel music artists, David Metayer and Ashley Nicole. Mali Music, also known as Jamaal Pollard, was born in 1988 in Phoenix, AZ. Growing up in Savannah, GA, he was exposed to music at an early age through his church. “I played keyboard and sang at my church, Faith on the Move Ministries, when I was 11 years old, so my whole childhood I was serving musically in the church,” Mali said. “Since I was so young, my pastor gave me free rein and said, ‘As long as God is doing it, do it.’ It was always my style, it was always my interpretation, but it was always to get us to a deeper place in God and have our church services be a lot more impactful. I never really had to take a lot of time to find myself, because through worship and the freedom of being able to serve, I was able to find my identity at a very young age.” Influenced by artists like Bob Marley, Sam Cooke, and Otis Redding, Mali’s success in music grew as he got older. His success in gospel music has given Mali the opportunity to travel the globe to locations as varied as the United Kingdom, the Dominican Republic, Kuwait, Canada, and Alaska. “I’m amazed at how relevant [my music] is to people who aren’t even from my space or my culture or even my country,” Mali said. “It’s really a blessing.” Mali, a devout Christian, emphasized to a great extent the importance of both faith in music and music in faith. “Music allows [one] to really feel God,” Mali said. “In a scary movie, you wouldn’t be paralyzed in anticipation if it wasn’t for the strings in the background. One thing the music does is it takes you there even if you don’t want to be there. Even the guys in the movie who are trying not to be scared are jumping out of their seat because they’re so sucked in by the music. That’s what I want to do and believe music does. When we can do that for God, when he steps in, no one can deny what happens. I want to be a soundtrack for the move that He wants to make.” Mali also pointed out that many are turned off by the idea of gospel music and the faith of strong believers such as himself. “A lot of people want to only use the gift aspect of it,” Mali said. “They say, ‘Well you can believe what you want, but can you keep it down? Because we love your sound, but this might drive people away.’” Despite some criticism, Mali
said that he will continue to use the gift that God has given him to make the gospel “more relatable.” His faith has been of crucial importance in his career. “When you introduce your faith with your sound, it makes it difficult to separate it,” he said. “My faith has been really important because this allows people to be able to see a believer who’s singing inspirational music and gospel music in a different light. The faith has been big, and it’s been opening doors in the industry and changing stereotypes about us as believers and also allowing people to receive God in a different way.” The concert at BC is not only Mali’s first trip to Boston, but also one of his first with a college audience. “I could not wait to come here,” Mali said. “We were doing a lot of things in churches, but we are just transitioning into the college realm. There are so many souls and so many people in an environment like this, and all of us are kind of disconnected from our families and finding our way. So it’s a blessing to be able to make another suggestion towards Christ with the freedom that everybody has, that none of us are really used to yet.” Mali also noted how scary some mainstream music is becoming, in his opinion. “It’s scary the way that [mainstream artists] are numbing the culture now, with clear and evident demonic manifestations,” Mali said. “And every other week, there’s another exorcism movie coming out. So demons are trying to show themselves strong, and it’s their little time to do that. But they’re not recognizing that the only other things that can come are angels. The only other thing that can come is God.” Speaking before the concert, Mali exuded excitement for the evening’s concert. “This is awesome,” he said. “I’m so excited about tonight. I pray that everyone continues to pray for me. I’m definitely not in this for the same reason that many are—God has called me to be an artist, but I just was another guy wanting to sing my song, was writing music that I wanted to hear. A couple of people heard it, that turns into a hundred, that turns to a thousand, into millions. And now it has done so much for people’s lives that they come out to hear it. I’m so honored, and I’m going to keep singing for what it’s doing in the Kingdom.” The concert had a large impact on students who attended. “Our prayer is that the concert would leave a deposit of God’s spirit on this campus,” Massiah said. Though gospel music has not made its way fully into the mainstream, Mali will always keep the faith. “Just give it a few years,” he said. n
robyn kim / for the heights
Hundreds of BC students participated in Relay for Life to raise money for cancer.
E-mail surprises students Ireland, from A1 clothing, so I asked a few of my Irish friends about the issue and for the most part, none of them had heard about it,” Krakow said. “One friend said he heard something on the news about it, but no one really thinks it’s as big of an issue as the e-mail made it out to be.” Though the letter was disconcerting to some, it was also informative for students who had not heard of the situation previously. “At the very worst, it felt a bit disconcerting, but that’s how a warning or a safety precaution is supposed to feel,” said Peter Tasca, A&S ’13. “Apart from
some friends talking to me about it in private, no one’s approached me.” The letter also stated a firm belief that students abroad were not in danger. “Please know that we do not believe that you are at risk in any way, and that we fully expect that your semester abroad will be an exciting and rewarding experience,” the letter read. “Our intention in writing is to alert you to an ongoing issue so that you will continue to use good judgment in all of your dealings overseas.” Students studying abroad stated that they have not felt threatened, and many have joked about the letter with the Irish friends they’ve made since arriving. n
robyn kim / for the heights
Two opening acts, David Metayer and Ashley Nicole, played before Mali Music.
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The Heights
A5
Monday, February 27, 2012
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The Heights
Editorials
oVErheard at BC
Students should come forward in search efforts
Monday, February 27 2012
Girl: Where can someone find a relationship at BC? Boy 1: Up your butt. Boy 2: In your imagination.
In light of Franco Garcia’s disappearance, we urge BC students to share all information and resources Last Tuesday, Boston College student Franco Garcia went missing after a night at Mary Ann’s in Cleveland Circle. Almost a week later, the search for Franco is still active and ongoing, and The Heights asks all students to do everything they can to help. Updating statuses, tweeting, and volunteering to hang fliers on campus and throughout the surrounding area are all things BC students should continue to do in the days and weeks following his disappearance. In addition, The Heights urges all students who took pictures at Mary Ann’s last
Tuesday to send them. Although they may be unflattering or compromising, they could potentially have vital information to help the police and expedite the search for our fellow Eagle. Any photos sent will not be publicized. If students have any other information concerning Franco’s disappearance or whereabouts, they should immediately call the Newton police. Our thoughts and prayers are with Franco’s family and friends during this tough time, and we hope for his safe return.
GLC document outlines positive steps for BC The Heights supports GLC’s goals for the GLBTQ community and encourages the University to follow suit The GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC) has long fought for more recognition on campus, whether it comes from the student body, the UGBC, or the University’s administration. Successes have come in many areas. The
“At Boston College, we are called to be ‘men and women for others.’ We are not called to be ‘men and women for some.’” GLC is now an equal part of the UGBC, along with Cabinet, Senate, and the AHANA Leadership Council. It holds an annual ball for students, and has begun a Queer Peers program. Furthermore, both ResLife and Health Services have provided training to employees regarding situations involving GLBTQ students. But the GLC has also faced much resistance in other areas. Gaining recognition from the University has been difficult for GLC leaders, and though
proactive presidents like Kelsey Gasseling, BC ’11, and Carolyn McCrosson, A&S ’12, have fought hard for progress, they have often been met with difficulties in getting through to the administration at its highest levels. The Heights fully supports the GLC’s document, “To New Heights,” and agrees with the goals and provisions therein. A GLBTQ Resource Center, like the AHANA center, would give GLBTQ students a safe place to meet and receive support. An expansion of the Queer Peers program would let GLBTQ students feel more comfortable on campus. At Boston College, we are called to be “men and women for others.” We are not called to be “men and women for some.” GLBTQ issues can no longer be ignored by the University at its highest levels. In the modern world in which we live, it is time to remove the stigma associated with homosexuality through acceptance and support. As a Jesuit-Catholic University, we are in the unique position to be able to effect real change on the social landscape and give GLBTQ students the resources and recognition they deserve.
“Double candidacies” must be re-examined Running for two positions creates an advantage, and the Elections Committee should address this issue In a Feb. 20 letter to the editor, newly-elected UGBC senator Tim Jablonski, A&S ’13, commented on the Elections Committee’s allowing a presidential candidate to simultaneously run for a Senate position, saying, “It simply isn’t fair to the other students running for Senate.” The Heights, after much analysis, must agree with Jablonski’s view and urges the Elections Committee to investigate changing this structure. Presidential candidates gain an immense and innate advantage over senatorial candidates simply by their increased visibility, larger budget, and earlier campaign start. Their names are sprawled across campus on t-shirts, banners, and windows; their ideas are showcased in debates and in the press; and their names become household ones weeks before any Senate candidate can knock on a door. For the senatorial elections, this is especially crippling—after all, when you are jockeying for a position in a saturated race, name recognition is everything. We certainly recognize why the Elections Committee allowed this, though. Those students running for
president are usually the best and the brightest of our student government. They have worked hard for years to formulate ideas, connections, and to gain a strong knowledge on how to navigate the bureaucracy. If they lose the election, they also lose their former spot within UGBC, which does appear to be a waste of talent. Without a rule in place, it makes sense for the Elections Committee to have allowed a double candidacy this year. However, this does not eradicate the unjust process outlined above. At first, this may seem unfair to the “double candidate,” who simply wishes to serve the student body. But their choice is unjust to all those vying for a Senate seat who must abide by different restrictions. The Heights urges the Elections Committee to search for a solution to this plaguing issue. Ideally, we hope that the Elections Committee can find a way to allow star talent to remain in UGBC despite a presidential loss, while not infringing on the chances of others. We recognize that this may not be a possibility, and if so, we ask them to change the policy to one that is more fair.
The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Ottaunick, General Manager Lindsay Grossman, Managing Editor
Patrick Hughes/ Heights Illustration
Letters to the Editor Leveraging the arts at Boston College When it comes to business and the arts, I agree very much with Katherine Bell, deputy editor of the Harvard Business Review. In one of her blog posts, titled “The MFA is the New MBA,” Bell recounts how she quit her management job to pursue creative writing and acquire an MFA in fiction writing. When she later returned to business, she found that her MFA proved very beneficial to her career in management. It was the MFA that had taught her about disciplined imagination and innovation, and it was the MFA that had shown her how to manage herself and others. Most people raise an eyebrow when I tell them that I am a double major in business and studio art. Some individuals are surprised to find that there is in fact a studio art major here at Boston College. While I am one of only twelve senior studio arts majors, interest is growing every year. The senior minors have toppled the scale at about thirty, a new record, and numerous other students have told me they wished that they had known more about fine arts at BC earlier in their academic careers. Financially, the fine arts at BC dangle by a thread. The professors are spread thin, the courses are limited, and the equipment is outdated. There is not enough money being pumped into the fine arts department for it to add the enhancement that it could bring to BC’s campus. Below, I’ve listed three major shortcomings, along with solutions that could benefit not only the arts department, but
also the school as a whole: Issue: A lack of teaching staff and deficiency in unity among the fine arts disciplines. Solution: With the coming of Stokes Hall, the fine arts should be reorganized and centralized to one building (Devlin). As of now, geology is sandwiched between film and photo in the basement of Devlin, and studio art on the fourth floor. The senior studio and pottery classes are in obscure locations near Hovey House. Adding more staff and centralizing the arts in one area would bring greater awareness to the department and a sense of identity to the students and teachers who are interested in the arts. Issue: Outdated equipment and a lack of funding. Solution: Currently, there are about two “design” or digital art courses, and the “digital imaging lab” on the fourth floor of Devlin consists of three outdated computers and printers. Adding more design and digital courses, as well as theory courses, which could be cross-listed with business and communications, would bring more creative, “right-brain” thinking to many students who are underexposed to imaginative thinking in their course load. These types of courses would serve not only those interested in design and advertizing, but business students interested in more abstract thories in upper-level management. Issue: Alienation of fine arts students and professors. Solution: Unlike many other
Christie Mealo CSOM ’12
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to the newspaper. Submissions must be signed and should include the author’s connection to Boston College, address, and phone number. Letters and columns can be submitted online at www.bcheights.com, by e-mail to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.
Business and Operations
Editorial Eleanor Hildebrandt, Copy Editor David Cote, News Editor Greg Joyce, Sports Editor Therese Tully, Features Editor Brennan Carley, Arts & Review Editor Charlotte Parish, Metro Editor Elise Taylor, Opinions Editor Molly Lapoint, Special Projects Editor Jae Hyung (Daniel) Lee, Photo Editor Maggie Burdge, Layout Editor
departments, in which professors and students are celebrated for their research and commitment to the school, the fine arts often get the short end of the stick. There are virtually no exhibitions for the professors, and other than the annual arts festival, there are few opportunities for students to show their work. Essentially, BC has failed to market the arts. I say failed because there is very little risk involved in this marketing campaign. There is space in other buildings on campus, and flyers are not that costly. In general, a greater enthusiasm and embrace of the fine arts department could go a long way and attract more students not only to the department, but to the school. Business is an art form. Whether it’s a painting or a business plan, the beauty lies in the constraints. How can I maximize the impact of a blank, rectangular canvas? How can I get the best return with the budget I am provided? To be exceptional in either one of these fields takes skill and creative thinking. Business and the arts should serve to compliment and synergize one another. While Devlin and Fulton are less than 50 feet apart, they might as well be on different planets. I think now is the time to foster exchange, and I think it can be done in a way that is both costeffective and mutually beneficial for both departments.
Woogeon Kim, Graphics Editor Katie McClurg, Online Manager Michelle Tomassi, Assoc. Copy Editor Chris Grimaldi, Asst. Copy Editor Andrew Millette, Assoc. News Editor Samantha Costanzo, Asst. News Editor Chris Marino, Assoc. Sports Editor Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor Alexandra Schaeffer, Asst. Features Editor Taylor Cavallo, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor
Dan Siering, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Marc Francis, Asst. Metro Editor Graham Beck, Asst. Photo Editor Mary Rose Fissinger, Asst. Layout Editor Joseph Castlen, Asst. Graphics Editor David Riemer, Asst. Online Manager Devon Sanford, Editorial Assistant Cathryn Woodruff, Executive Assistant
Jamie Ciocon, Business Manager James Gu, Advertising Manager Adriana Mariella, Outreach Coordinator Borui Wang, Systems Manager Amy Hachigian, National Sales Manager Daniel Arnold, Local Sales Manager Natasha Ettensberger, Collections Manager DJ Terceiro, Asst. Local Sales Manager Christina Quinn, Project Coordinator
The Heights
Monday, February 27, 2012
A7
Opinions
Thumbs Up Katya Rucker Spring sports in swing- In a shocking turn of events, BC spring teams are doing well across the board. Baseball, softball, and women’s lacrosse all have been recording wins, and our sports editors are projecting successful seasons. It is moments like these when we remember that we actually have good sports besides hockey (also, hockey team—please don’t mess up in the Frozen Four tournament. It would break our hearts.)
One-night winter standWinter, we knew you were out there somewhere. This week we get a wonderful f lash of bipolar Boston weather—it will be in the 50s until Wednesday, and then we’re supposed to get a huge storm on Thursday and Friday. Yes, the warm weather has been wonderful, but we’ve kind of wanted one day of waking up to snow -covered Modtops and cancelled classes. Boys sticking around- A few years ago, scientists reported that the male Y chromosome was headed for extinction in about five million years, but a study came out today saying this was highly unlikely. Although we’re sad to think the mystery stairway pee-er in Vandy’s genes will go on, we’re glad the male species is here to stay.
Thumbs Down Being cult cornered- We were walking by main gate today when we were stopped by a group of strangers dressed nicely in black. TU/TD assumed they were going to ask for directions to church, but boy were we wrong. Instead, they asked if we knew about God, the female Mother, and the Second Coming. We ran away before we could hear the rest, which is rude, but we thought they might ask us to drink their Kool-Aid. Flirty, dirty DC-Washington, DC has just been reported as the most cheater -friendly city in the United States. No surprise there, but it is always a bummer being reminded about how slimy our politicians are. Note to all those cheating government officials: if you’re going to cheat, please make it entertaining, because we will find out. More Weinergate, less “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.”
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forth minimal substance in the way of issues that a president should actually be thinking seriously about. Take any issue that really matters at the federal level —energy policy, national debt, and jobs, and consider whether progressive solutions have been offered by a single presidential hopeful. We have Gingrich saying he’s going to get gas prices down to $2.50 a gallon by making America the number one producer of oil in the world. Forget the fact that the price of gas depends largely on the price at which oil is trading in the world market, so no amount of scrambling to extract more oil from America will end instability in the Middle East. We have Rick Santorum saying he’s a “team player” in the “team sport” that is politics, and I don’t think this pitch will take us very far when it comes to change and solutions. In the realm of social issues, he’s probably the scariest: Santorum would conceivably regulate sexual activity that isn’t intended for procreation, because as he said early in his campaign, “God gave us laws that we must abide by.” And Romney is enjoying a position of watching his opponents self-destruct while making sure he doesn’t have a hair out of place on his slicked-back head. I don’t know why political discourse has lost sight of the forest amid the trees in recent debates. Perhaps the best way to distract a nation from actual, immediate issues, like national debt or economic recovery, is to fixate on social “ills” that attract media attention and religious fervor. But if any candidate exists who has the backbone to tackle these bigger, tougher questions, it’s about time he or she came forth.
Noora Bass So far, this semester has had a slew of memorable and fast moving moments. Black History Month’s night in Corcoran Commons showed us that with a little rhythm and music, our student body was able to actually move it ( if you came after 7 p.m., you might’ve missed the cha cha slide). Campaigning for elections was in full swing, and while latte stations in the quad would have been more effective than opening doors with a cheesy greeting, students still voted for their new president and vice president. Boston’s weather even smiled upon us as temperatures rose near 60 last week, welcoming a premature spring wardrobe for many (still cringe-worthy to see plaid shorts being sported around so early). The semester was progressing and life at BC was starting to look up. But just when I thought things
PAI ING
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Potter, More- The author announced that she will be writing a new book for adults this past week. Although there is no way this book will deal with anything Harry Potter-related, TU/TD secretly hopes that it will fill in the gaps postVoldy victory. We’ve been dying to know whose brilliant idea it was to name their son Albus Severus and how much he gets picked on at Quidditch practice.
The high number of social issues being thrown around in recent political banter has made me realize one thing: politicians and everyday citizens alike just can’t seem to leave each other alone. The trend I’m observing is that politicians are introducing bills that are supposed to embody their idea of traditional American values. They do this in the name of preserving the integrity of whatever American morality means to them. Often, legislation based on “traditional values” infringes on the rights of Americans who don’t fit that “traditional” mold, whether it’s women who appreciate their right to choose or children who, despite money and new standards, are still left behind. After this legislation begins to be considered in Senate conferences and behind closed doors, entire campaigns are mobilized in powerful examples of public dissent. Religious interests clash with civil liberty, and the cycle repeats. Thank God for democracy. The way I see it, this puts Americans into two camps: those who want people to live according to some predetermined set of moral standards, and those who think people should be able to live by whatever moral standards they choose to embrace. This is, by no means, a Democrat-Republican division. Control mongers exist on both sides. The basic stereotype that Republicans favor minimal government and Democrats say “bring on the bureaucracy” is being dismantled
before our eyes. The political daggers being thrown over abortion, same-sex marriage, and contraception beg the question of what authority a perfectly homogenous demographic of white, wealthy, male GOP candidates have to assert their opinions as policies they intend to sign into law. My intuition is that the people who unwaveringly defend our second Amendment right to bear arms (in the name of protection) would also defend a woman’s right to use contraception in her own version of protection. But it’s not as simple as a partisan divide over granting more or less personal freedom. To politicians on both sides, freedom is good only as long as it conforms to living their ideal of the American life. But this judgment should never be the rationale for laws backed by religious standing or personal moral convictions. In other words, the ideal life for one American could never serve as a model to govern the lives of all Americans. I think it’s clear that I have opinions. I also have my own standards and processes for making choices in my best interest or in the best interest of people I care about. I value my freedom to carry out these choices. But I also value a system that prevents me or any person from acting in a way that limits the freedom or choices of others. I struggle to fathom the intentions behind, let’s say, a bill in Virginia that would require any woman seeking an abortion to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound. Could Bob McDonnell put himself in the shoes, or in this case, stirrups, of the women whose actions he’s attempting to prescribe? I’d be very surprised if so. This season’s presidential debates are disheartening because they’ve put way too much emphasis on federal intrusion into social issues and put
Growing pains
GROW
Losing sight of the forest amidst trees
Katya Rucker is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
Reframing the role of UGBC
William Mooney Sloneker The incumbent president and vice president of the UGBC are Mike Kitlas and Jill Long (both A&S ’12), respectively. I did not know that until I began conducting research for this column, for I am of the majority of students who are apathetic about our student government. This is nothing new to BC. In the past five years, a UGBC presidential election has not once received turnout greater than 50 percent of the student body. In 2010, the figure was as low as 32 percent. Low turnout does not diminish the accomplishment of Chris Osnato and Kudzai Taziva (both A&S ’13), nor of any UGBC executives past or present. Candidates typically face formidable opponents and often win or lose by razor-thin margins. The perennially low turnout, however, does raise some serious questions. Namely, why do most students abstain from voting, and how does this challenge the legitimacy of UGBC as a sovereign and representative entity of, for, and by the student body? Student apathy can be explained by its very definition—students don’t vote because students don’t care about UGBC. This sentiment is not unique to UGBC. There are hundreds of student organizations on campus, and most students do not have an opinion about most organizations. For some, UGBC is like an a cappella group or service organization about which they have no strong feelings. UGBC’s legitimacy as the power nexus for undergrads is quite tenuous for a number of reasons. For one, the fact that the majority of students have
Bazoomie Wagon
not voted for the major officeholders inherently diminishes their authority. This argument, however, is easily dismissed by the fact that countless politicians rightly hold power on the strength of poor voter turnout. A stronger argument is that UGBC does not represent students or advocate for them more than any other organization on campus. Practically every student group has a formal relationship with the administration, faculty members, Campus Ministry, the Student Programs Office, the local community, et cetera. To be sure, no group besides UGBC endeavors to speak or act on behalf of the entire student body or with the specific aim of enhancing student life. This is not the case for most other organizations, which chiefly represent themselves to ensure the viability of their institutions. How much UGBC actually enhances student life is another question. The cancellation of the fall concert raises serious concerns about UGBC’s ability to meet this end. Moreover, it poses the question about whether a positive BC experience is inextricably linked to UGBC. The answer is a matter of inputs and outputs. What people value from any organization is often proportional to the time and energy they initially invest. Those more closely tied to UGBC can calculate just how the organization truly improves their BC experience. This helps explain voter apathy, too. If students feel their expectations for the college experience are adequately met by their other commitments— both academic and extra-curricular— then what does UGBC matter? Conversely, if member of UGBC derives plenty of joy and fulfillment from that involvement, then what does some dance group really matter to them? Or a club sports team? Or an independent student newspaper? This mentality is emblematic of the selfishness of the college experience. A chief goal for an incoming student at any school is self-improvement.
BY BEN VADNAL
Ideally, students will graduate from a university more intelligent and accomplished than they were upon their enrollment, and it is the individual’s responsibility to achieve this. Student organizations are complicit in this aim of self-improvement. We join them so that we may become better students, musicians, volunteers, writers, and so on. If this were not the case, it would be silly for somebody to join a group that had a neutral or negative effect on his or her disposition. While student life is most enhanced by those organizations with which a person is thoroughly involved, as a community, we are obliged to be supportive of one another. That is partially why we attend comedy shows, culture shows, or programs run by UGBC. UGBC is not some sovereign power acting on behalf of all undergrads. It is really another student organization that provides BC with more opportunities for growth and enjoyment—primarily to those who dedicate their time to make it run. Low election turnout may also be explained by how off-putting UGBC becomes every February. The campaigns are not dissimilar from the advertisements for any other group, but their general style is quite ostentatious. The implication that some stranger whose last name is suddenly blazoned across campus will dramatically alter my student experience is presumptuous and narcissistic, especially when his or her victory is validated by only 21 percent of the undergraduate population. Rebranding UGBC could help reduce these perception issues and promote student engagement. It is not a government that promotes the general welfare of the student body, but a coalition that makes a modest contribution to this University. William Mooney Sloneker is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
were finally moving forward, I was overcome with the sound of a deep wallowing coming from my building’s laundry room. Following the noise, I was soon met with the image of a weeping girl curled up in a ball with a cell phone in one hand and a box of Cheez-its in the other. Upon first thought, I wanted to offer her a subtle kudos for her choice in a comfort snack, but held back. Filled with uncertainty and unsure of my next move, I stopped in my tracks and thought of my options. What was the protocol for crossing paths with a sulking stranger? I could ignore her altogether and continue separating my whites, yet deep down I knew that my $50,000 a year Jesuit education had taught me better then that. All I wanted to do was cradle her with a hug, but I knew that would be close to impossible without being passed off as a total creep. Instead, the unexpected happened, and she approached me asking to use my softener. It took four minutes of conversation to learn all the details of her messy breakup. After comforting her for a good amount of time, I gave her my two cents on the trials and tribulations of long distance relationships, then ironically lent her 75 cents so she could finish her dryer load. Although I may have left 75 cents poorer, I felt like I had done some good, and while I couldn’t quite figure out the full source of her agony, I was able to summarize it best in two words: growing pains. Growing pains, you may ask? And no, this isn’t a chicken soup for the soul-themed column or a brief preach on tough times, but rather a deeper focus on what many students inevitably face during their time here. While it may not be a brief meltdown outside the laundry room, growing pains hit everyone at some point. Our BC bucket list is a lengthy one. We’re expected to follow a successful path while simultaneously setting the world aflame, scoring a great pick time and finding a possible spouse in the process. Yet somewhere between the cracks, growing pains are all part of the process. Our time here is limited, and while we continue to be faced with our own challenges, our success ultimately depends upon how we choose to move past them and focus on the stuff that really matters. I ask that you embrace your growing pains, make friends with them, treat them to a round of martinis, and then bid them a long-awaited farewell.
Noora Bass is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
The Heights
A8
Monday, February 27, 2012
Seyfried shows some acting prowess in thrilling ‘Gone’ By Nathan Rossi For The Heights
Amanda Seyfried just can’t get a hit. Following last year’s moderate misses Red Riding Hood and In Time, Seyfried is clearly struggling to become a huge box office star. Unfortunately, Gone doesn’t appear to be turning her box office fortunes around. It’s a baffling coGone: nundrum, Heitor Dhalia because all Lakeshore three of the Entertainment aforementioned movies are actually compelling thrillers. While obviously not Oscar contenders, they are entertaining. The problem with Gone, though, is that it doesn’t dare do something different—rather, it’s a standard generic thriller, though a well executed one. In Gone, Seyfried stars as Jill Conway, a woman suffering from extreme anxiety after being abducted and thrown down a hole somewhere in one of Oregon’s forests. Jill somehow manages to escape and find safety, but the police don’t believe her story. After the cops close the case, Jill is placed into a
B+
mental institution for six months before moving into a home with her sister, Molly (Emily Wickersham). Now, Jill has seemingly returned to a normal way of life, working as a waitress while remaining protective of both her sister and herself. In between shifts at the local diner, Jill practices martial arts and hikes in the forests, looking for the hole where she nearly died. Upon returning home one morning after work, Jill is surprised to find her sister missing. Convinced that the same man who took her took Molly, Jill alerts the police. The trouble is, the cops still do not believe her and still think she’s crazy. Frustrated that the police refuse to help, Jill is determined to find Molly before she is killed. She follows the path of clues to find the killer, with the aid of her wait staff friend (Jennifer Carpenter of Dexter fame) and Molly’s boyfriend (Captain America vet Sebastian Stan). Throughout the search, there are also flashbacks to Jill’s own abduction. The viewer becomes aware of the horror that Jill went through, but the flashbacks leave the viewer wondering whether or not they are real. Her battle soon becomes about her proving her sanity, just as much as it is about
her finding Molly. The plot continues to twist and turn, building suspense until it comes to a completely lackluster finish. Compared to the rest of the film, the finale is rushed and not given nearly enough time to commit to a satisfying ending. Despite its flawed finish, Gone still manages to entertain and keep the viewer guessing at every turn. The generally generic thriller relies solely on the strength of its lead actress, Seyfried, who, in almost every single shot of the film, does an excellent job of making the viewer care about Jill. Gone’s director, Heitor Dhalia, is smart to capture Seyfried’s mesmerizing blues eyes in many of the shots, because they’re very telling of the paranoia haunting Jill as she searches for her sister. The rest of the casts’ varied acting performances hardly matter, because it becomes easy to tell early on that this film rests squarely on Seyfried’s shoulders. About a third of the film takes places in Oregon’s forests. The cinematographer does an excellent job of capturing the abandonment and beauty of these forests. The views of the forest are almost reminiscent of a Twilight film, but luckily there are no vampires to
No ‘Good Deed’ goes unpunished
courtesy of allmoviephoto.com
Despite a generic script, ‘Gone’ displays Seyfried’s abilties to play a strong female lead. be found. Gone also has an extremely subtle score that is quite successful in ramping up the suspense in the film, but again, nothing in the film really compares to Seyfried’s performance. Over the past year, Seyfried has proven herself an actress extremely capable of carrying films in the thriller and sci-fi realms. At this point, what she really needs to do is step into a bigger role. Ever since her
film debut opposite Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls, Seyfried has failed to choose an interesting role. However, she has recently signed on to a few interesting projects, including director Tom Hoopers’ (The King’s Speech) big screen production of Les Miserables. It will be interesting to see how her career goes on from here. For now, audiences should take advantage of seeing her in Gone. n
Box Office Report title
weekend gross
weeks in release
1 photos courtesy of allmoviephoto.com
1. act of valor
24.7
1
2. Good deeds
16
1
13.5
3
3. journey 2
Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com
Smothered with melodrama and lacking likeable characters, Tyler Perry’s ‘Good Deeds’ fails in its ability to emotionally connect with viewers. By Kira Mulshine For The Heights
Tyler Perry wrote, directed, and starred in his most recent film Good Deeds, which was greeted at the cinema by absent crowds. Far fewer people than usual packed into Good Deeds cinemas to view Perr y Tyler Perry Lionsgate in his most re cent endeavor: a tear-jerking drama unlike his usual comedic escapades. In the past, Perry starred in his films as multiple characters, including the well-known Madea, which added originality to his motion pictures. Any sense of nuance or creativity is lacking entirely in Good Deeds. Instead, Perry’s flick collapsed, perhaps due to the ham-fisted, blatantly melodramatic script complete with a predictable plot line and overpowering tears. Instead of allowing you to develop your own emotional connection to this film, each emotive scene was awkwardly elongated. These specific scenes became tediously apparent, and more frustrating than gripping. To enrich what was already obvious, during these poignant sections an intentionally moving, emotionallyconsuming song would emit from the speakers and force its way into your ears, as if shouting, “here’s how to feel!” The
B+ C-
most memorable was a beautiful but unfitting cover of Cindi Lauper’s “Time After Time” that clumsily wove its way into a pensive passage. Ultimately, if you even found the plot believable, the movie forced you to feel specific sentiments throughout its entirety. Tyler Perry plays the protagonist, Wesley Deeds–a good-hearted, ambitious man who has done everything his parents wanted since he was born. Now, as CEO of his father’s computer software company
Ultimately, if you even found the plot believable, the movie forced you to feel specific sentiments throughout its entirety. and fiance to the lovely Natalie (Gabrielle Union), Deeds realizes that he has never done anything for himself and is irrefutably miserable. Then he meets “the girl.” Lindsey (Thandie Newton) is an ambitious but unlucky single mother of six-year-old daughter Ariel. She lost her husband to the Iraq War and has found herself working as a night janitor, instead of finishing nursing school, so that she can pay the bills and keep custody of her daughter.
Unfortunately, Lindsey and her daughter are evicted from their apartment within the first 15 minutes of the film. Lindsey and Deeds meet accidently when she parks in his assigned work parking spot, and negative first impressions suddenly form—how original! They meet again inside the building where Lindsey is the night janitor. Second impressions override any prior negative feelings and from this point on, Lindsey’s ruthless attitude and reckless nature mold Deeds into a new man. As expected, the predictable ensues and they form an unwholesome friendship. Their unbelievable bond ultimately leads Deeds to leave his fiance, job, and family, because she convinces him to do what he has always wanted: fly to Africa where he will enjoy life and ride around on a Harley Davidson motorcycle. In case you didn’t already surmise it, Lindsey and her daughter leave everything behind to go to Africa with Deeds, a predictable pitfall of Perry’s overwrought script. The admirable understanding shown by his family and Natalie (Deed’s ex-fiancee) at the film’s close was one of the only unpredictable plot swings. It is expected that concerned families would do whatever they could to at least understand a life change this drastic. One can discern that the soap opera feel of Good Deeds earns it the label of a melodrama with a half-hearted script. n
4 4. safe house
7 11.4
3
5. the vow
11
3
6. ghost rider 2
8.8
2
7. this means war
8.5
3
8. wanderlust
6.6
1
9. gone
5.0
1
10. the secret world of arrietty
4.5
2
bestsellers of hardcover fiction 1. private games James Patterson 2. kill shot Vince Flynn 3. the wolf gift Anne Rice 4. i’ve got your number Sophie Kinsella 5. defending jacob William Landay
6. 11/22/63 Stephen King 7. death comes to pemberley P.D. James 8. Private: #1 Suspect James Patterson 9. home front Kristin Hannah SOURCE: Publisher’s Weekly
Rudd and Aniston helm the raunchy yet hackneyed ‘Wanderlust’ By Miika Groden For The Heights
Although an interesting story of two city dwellers that delve into the confines of a hippie commune, Wanderlust falls short in the comedy department. The movie is certainly entertaining, but doesn’t provide any substantially hilarious, Wanderlust: laugh-outDavid Wain loud moApatow ments that Productions audiences look for in a film. Most of the scenes will elicit some smiles, but the comedy seems forced and desperate. It’s safe to say that the funniest moments of this film were all revealed in the trailer. As a working couple living in the heart of Manhattan, George (Paul Rudd) and Linda ( Jennifer Aniston) fall on hard times when George loses his high-paying job, on top of having to pay off the couple’s huge mortgage. In an attempt to start over, the couple picks up and plans a move to Atlanta, where George finds a job working at his moronic brother Rick’s (Ken Marino) port-a-potty business. After things don’t work out with his brother, George
B
and Linda find themselves wandering into a hippie commune in the Deep South, which they initially mistake for a cozy bed and breakfast. Most of the movie’s funny moments stem from the awkward and embarrassing situations brought about by the zany members of the commune. This humor gets old fast, however, as the movie constantly tries to milk laughs from blatant nudity and gross encounters. The majority of the movie’s attempts for humor stem from the extremely uncomfortable situations that cause the audience to cringe at the movie screen. In the end, the film leaves a lot to be desired. It seemed as though Wanderlust was bordering on something potentially hilarious without ever getting to that point. It definitely had the potential to surpass simple silliness, but never accomplished anything extraordinary. David Wain, who co-wrote and directed the film with Marino, is best known for his work with sketch comedy. It becomes clear throughout the film that sketch is his comfort zone, as he resorts to it more often than not. Most of the scenes in the film seem to be a disconnected series of small bursts of funny situations that don’t necessarily
stem from the plot line. The film wasn’t bad by any means, but it just didn’t live up to the expectations that the trailer had set audiences up for. It was just missing some sort of spark. Rudd and Aniston’s respective perfor mances save d the mov ie f rom veering into dangerously disappointing territory. With this movie, Rudd demonstrates vividly that he can play a sarcastic, cynical character, while at the same time still having the ability to go full-on crazy. His role in this movie was just as consistently entertaining as all of his previous work, but he was unable to hold the entire film on his back alone. Aniston’s performance was actually surprisingly funny. Not known for her comedic prowess apart from Friends and last year’s Horrible Bosses, she really shines in this picture by utterly investing herself in her character. The performance of the two leads was not enough to hold up a fairly weak comedic script, though it seems as though the writers should have spent some more time improvising when writing the script rather than during the shooting itself. A lot of the film’s humor was not character-based, but rather a series of moderately funny hippie jokes
that failed to offer anything original or engaging. Although it failed to provide classic comedy, like the films of Judd Apatow (of Knocked Up fame, who actually produced Wanderlust), it’s still more than worth checking out. I wouldn’t advise
paying to see it in the theaters, but it is definitely something to watch when it comes out on DVD. Wanderlust totally deserves its R rating—so as long as you can stomach a large naked man running around on a pretty constant basis, it’s got my seal of approval. n
Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com
While it doesn’t live up to classic Apatow productions, ‘Wanderlust’ still provides laughs.
A9
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Heights
Chorale embraces song Chorale, from A10
Natalie blardony / for the heights
With an even-keeled mixture of classicism and modernism, the raunchy and hilarious ‘Lysistrata’ elicited gales of laughter last week.
Modern ‘Lysistrata’ brightens Bonn ‘Lysistrata,’ from A10 from the Spartan warrior woman (played with incredible confidence by Goldstein) to the motherly Myrrhine (through whom Quigley alternated between whining to the other women and seducing her husband into agreeing to peace). And though they were crawling at the leading ladies’ feet by the closing curtain, the men of Lysistrata were a theatric force to be reckoned with. The Athenian Councilor, played by Steven Kreager, A&S ’12, elicited audible laughter and applause in the scene where he is forced to submit to Lysistrata dressing him up in a flowery apron and leopard bra. Similarly, Myrrhine’s abandoned husband, Cinesias (Robert Scobie, A&S ’13) impressed with incredibly physical comedy that drew out the audience’s schadenfreude as Scobie was repeatedly led on and then denied by Quigley. It was the octogenarian chorus (a trio each of old men and old women), however, who stole the sideshow and kept the plot running smoothly between scene changes. The boisterous Cam Cronin (LSOE ’12) led the Old Men’s chorus, joined by Billy McEntee, A&S ’14, and Eliott Purcell, A&S ’14, while
Juliana Forsberg-Lary, A&S ’12, led the competing Old Women’s chorus, supported by the talents of Taleen Shrikan, A&S ’15, and Alexandra Lewis, A&S ’14. They provided some of the most uproarious scenes in the
The effect was something like the start of the Oscars, when hosts get to point at the nominees and tease them while the camera forces them to put on a smile and sit squirming through the audience’s laughter. play, including a smell-off: a series of insults thrown back and forth while layers of clothing were removed to waft more and more body odor towards the opposite groups. The Old Women eventually won the standoff by pulling up their skirts to drive off the men with their feminine stench. In his director’s note, Lucci points out
that it is impossible for modern audiences to fully appreciate the pointed jokes of Aristophanes because “a significant element of the old comedies [was that] the chorus directly addressed the audience and ridiculed political officials, many of whom were in attendance.” The effect was something like the start of the Oscars, when hosts get to point at the nominees and tease them while the camera forces them to put on a smile and sit squirming through the audience’s laughter. Keeping this in mind, it was a grand task to make all of the jokes coherent for the audience. So although some scenes were more difficult to follow than others, given the rapidity with which the actors spoke and the impossibility of understanding all the references, the cast made up for this historical confusion with fantastic stage presence and physical comedy. The Spartan Ambassador, played by Kyle Brown, A&S ’14, particularly made full use of his hilarious and uncomfortable situation, hobbling around the stage to avoid the pain of his wife’s nighttime neglect. If Lysistrata proves only one thing, it’s that some genres of humor are utterly ageless, as relevant to the ancient Greeks as to Boston College students. n
excerpt from Camille Saint-Saens’s Oratorio de Noel. The Latin verses may have been incomprehensible to the audience, but the majesty of the music rang out loud and clear: the piece displayed the vocal prowess of the Chorale, with its interweaving vocal parts resonating throughout St. Ignatius. Throughout the entire concert, the Chorale maintained its high level of performance, breathing life into music that is unfamiliar to those not classically inclined. The concert moved at a brisk pace, and Chorale director Finney kept the audience informed by introducing each piece with a brief primer on its origin and significance. Highlights from the concert included works by the great composers Mozart and Mendelssohn. Mozart was represented by “Kyrie” and “Gloria”, two excerpts from his Coronation Mass—beautiful pieces given extra power in the setting of St. Ignatius—as well as another work, “Ave verum corpus.” The Chorale also performed an “overview,” as Finney said, of Mendelssohn’s “Lobgesang,” or “Symphony No. 2.” Back in November, the Chorale joined forces with the Boston College Symphony Orchestra for a performance of the entire Symphony, and the intervening months did nothing to diminish the strength of the Chorale’s performance. Some of the Mendelssohn excerpts, as Finney noted, have been translated into English for use as hymns, but the Chorale performed the selections in their
original German. After about 45 minutes of selections from classical European composers, the last four pieces were of American origin. It was a refreshing change, and one that turned the spotlight on our own rich musical tradition. Two hymns by Aaron Copland—who is often referred to as the Dean of American Composers—were particularly stirring, as was the rousing “Every Time I Feel the Sprit.” This traditional African-American spiritual was performed with great energy and, yes, spirit, and left many in the audience tapping their feet. Finally, the show closed out on a reflective and inspiring note with the hymn “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” As always throughout the concert, the Chorale singers were ably accompanied by McPherson, a talented young organist from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. This year’s Chorale Winter Concert may have only been an hour long, but its diverse selections managed to represent a wide spectrum of music, crossing barriers of geography, language, and time. The program included famous names like Mozart and more obscure ones like Charles Villiers Stanford and Maurice Durufle, but the one constant was the consistent quality of the Chorale’s performance. Even for those—like this reviewer—who know very little about classical music, the beauty of the music was undeniable, thanks to the Chorale’s talent. Every high note, low note, harmony, and crescendo spoke to the true campus treasure that is the University Chorale. n
Mortensen receives award Mortensen, from A10 through a post-apocalyptic world facing unforeseen dangers and haunted by memories of their past. The movie, based on the 2006 prize-winning novel, was well received by critics, gaining Mortensen a handful of award nominations and further praise for the originality of his films. While his success as an actor makes his schedule seem anything but free, Mortensen has also established himself as an acclaimed musician, poet, and painter among other talents, lending his vocals to soundtracks for several of his films and having his artwork shown at galleries and exhibits internationally. If there is one thing for certain, it is that Mortensen is one of the most talented artists of our generation, and is more than deserving of the Coolidge Corner Theater honors. n
Courtesy of Google.com
Coolidge Corner Theater honors Mortensen.
Colorful attire and spectacular dancing elevate snappy PSBC show PSBC, from A10 park, where each ride featured a different dance and tradition of Filipino culture. These “rides” were the show’s performances. The cast was lively and grabbed plenty of laughs,
especially the family’s wily grandmother. The majority of the show consisted of traditional dances. The music was largely rhythmic: Drumbeats adorned the dances–at times soft and slow, at others loud and rapid. Accompanying many of the dances was a
graham beck / heights editor
In this year’s PSBC culture show, the organization presented a unique smattering of performances.
variety of sashes, scarves, and other colorful fabrics that were inventively incorporated into each performance. Despite largely featuring dance, variety was one of the biggest aspects of the show. Each performance was unique and memorable. There were solemn and poignant numbers featuring one or two dancers, such as “Asik,” which displayed an attendant girl dancing “to win the favor of her sultan master.” The rendition was simple, yet powerful and elegant. Conversely, the number that followed it, “Singkil,” was fascinatingly complex and cemented itself as one of the highlights of the show. More than a dozen performers took the stage throughout the spectacle. Colorful attire and nimble blue fans collided gracefully with towering bamboo sticks being slammed on the floor. This act was inspired by a 14thcentury epic that told the story of a Muslim princess caught in the midst of a thunderous earthquake, attempting to escape. The intricacy of the choreography and the props was immediately reminiscent of a number straight out of a Cirque du Soleil show. In addition to portraying traditional
Philippine dances, the show displayed performances that revealed foreign influences on Philippine culture. “Carinosa” and “Mantones de Seda” demonstrated the Spanish influence that remained from the colonization of the islands by the European nation. There was foot stomping, castanets, and music with a noticeable hint of Iberian flavor. There was an undeniable liveliness to many of the songs and dances, and some proved to be more popular than others. “Maglalatik,” an all-male dance, was undoubtedly the crowd favorite. The shirtless performers embraced the stage and flaunted their sculpted bodies, causing quite a positive reaction from the crowd. The dance consisted of moving to a fast-paced drumbeat while hitting coconut shell halves worn on the chest, hips, and back. The choreography of the number was dazzling, with each performer intricately dancing and tapping to the rhythm. One of the central goals of the show was to enrich its audience with Filipino culture and display the size of its growing community. In addition to its talented performers,
PSBC invited members from Iskwelahang Pilipino (IP) to perform a number of songs. IP is a nonprofit organization of the Greater Boston area that, much like PSBC, is dedicated to bringing members of the Filipino community together and spreading awareness of its folklore and heritage. The guests enveloped the stage with a plethora of guitars, bandurias, and octavinas, and filled the room with a delectable harmony of exotic sounds. After a heartfelt thank you to all of the departing seniors and members who assisted in the show, a number of performers took the stage and displayed a modern rendition of Philippine dance to tunes from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” and ‘N Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye.” Afterwards, all of the performers and club members filled the stage and the hall’s aisles in a final, festive dance. Needless to say, the event ended on a high note. In short, 20 Years of Magic celebrated Filipino culture with grace, humor, and tradition. More importantly, it proved that Filipino culture is alive and thriving at BC. n
Hollywood Eagles look to bring Hollywood closer to campus By Dan Siering
Asst. Arts & Review Editor Looking to effectively bridge the gap between Chestnut Hill and Hollywood, a new organization named the Hollywood Eagles is currently in formation at Boston College. The club’s primary objective is to expose those interested in working in the entertainment industry to an expansive and growing alumni network that exists in Los Angeles and other major cities. Hollywood Eagles also will aim to aid students looking to produce their own projects by making on-campus resources more accessible. The idea for the club was originally formulated by Will Watkins, A&S ’12, when he was attempting to find an internship within the entertainment industry during his sophomore year. While searching for a position, Watkins realized that the BC Agora databases were sufficiently lacking any contacts within Hollywood. After he was able to attain an internship in Hollywood through other means, Watkins wanted to absolve the difficulties of finding an internship in the entertainment industry by connecting BC students with prominent alumni. Watkins soon met up with Zack Cita-
rella, A&S ’12, and Eddie Mele, A&S ’14, two students looking to form a similar organization, and the trio ultimately developed the idea to establish Hollywood Eagles. The club, which had its inaugural meeting last Wednesday, is still in its infancy and will not be subject for school approval until April, yet Watkins is optimistic that students will be eager to utilize Hollywood Eagles’ service and explore the entertainment industry. “It’s one of those things people dream about doing but they don’t know where to start, especially if they don’t have a connection. We want to make it seem like it’s a feasible thing, which it is, and be able to put people in touch with alumni and also give them a chance to learn about the different kinds of careers that exist,” Watkins said. Watkins is currently working to build a strong alumni database that club members would be able access after attending a specified number of club meetings. “The Career Center has given me a list of about 600 alumni that are working in the entertainment industry that they know of,” Watkins noted. After narrowing this list, Watkins will reach out to the alums and ask if they are willing to be potential career mentors to students and participate in networking events.
The club looks to include such notable be made by club members. “We would all a Boston Beanpot Festival which would be names as Kevin Biegel, co-creator and vote on a script and pick what our produc- hosted by the club in the accompaniment writer of Cougar Town, Tim Stack, writer tion was going to be,” Watkins said. “Also, of notable alumni from BC as well as those and actor from My Name Is Earl, and Tom outside of that, if you, say, had an idea for a from other participating universities,” Condon, a prominent sports agent at Cre- script, you could reach out to the club and Mele said. ative Artist Agency. we would help you get you paired up with Hollywood Eagles will host their next Watkins and company will look to con- a director or production assistants.” event on Friday, Mar. 30, during which nect students with BC alums by hosting Another long-term goal for Hollywood the club will hold a teleconference with guest speakers, organizing teleconferences, Eagles is to organize a Boston student film Andrew Miller, a BC alum and employee and potentially funding excursions to Hol- festival that would include other film clubs at Creative Artist Agency. Details about the lywood. “Ideally, we would like to have net- from neighboring colleges, such as Boston event and forthcoming Hollywood Eagles working trip that the club could run where University, Emerson, and Harvard. “We events will be publicized on campus and people go out to LA and meet with a bunch are currently in the process of organizing via Facebook after Spring Break. n of different alums who could talk about their different careers,” Watkins said. Aside from reaching out to alumni, Hollywood Eagles will also look to organize and promote student filmmaking within the BC community. “Hollywood Eagles aims to facilitate a growing interest in the filmmaking and criticism on campus by providing much needed film related resources to various student organizations and academic departments of Boston College,” club president Eddie Mele stated in an e-mail. “The club will provide student filmmakers with opportunities to practice their craft on campus, as to be better qualified for future employment.” The club also looks to produce at least Courtesy of allmoviephoto.com one student film per semester that would A new BC group, Hollywood Eagles plans to screen graduates’ films including ‘Win Win.’
A10
arts&review Monday, February 27, 2012
An Eye on Culture
The king of pop classics
‘lysistrata’ enchants
An award for Mortensen By Allie Broas
By Charlotte Parish
For The Heights
Heights Editor
The men of Boston College had better beware: the Bonn Studio’s latest production–Aristophanes’ comedy, Lysistrata–is teaching ladies the power of withdrawal. A raunchy and hilarious show, Lysistrata centers on the simple idea that women can control their husbands by withholding from their wifely duties, a truly horrifying scenario for all the characters involved. The women of Lysistrata are pushed to such cruel means of negotiation after they become fed up with the feud between Athens and Sparta that has kept their husbands away for months at a time. So Lysistrata (Allison Russell, CSOM ’12) goes to Calonice (Phoebe Kuhlman, A&S ’13), Myrrhine (Colleen Quigley, A&S ’12), and Lampito (Sarah Goldstein, A&S ’13) and wittily coerces them to join her abstinence war. This plan is not received without resistance, of course. The women of the play are just as frustrated as their male counterparts, laughing, screaming, and fainting when Lysistrata first presents her plan. And even once the women lock themselves in the citadel with the city’s money, they are tempted to escape their self-imposed celibacy, and Lysistrata is forced to invent an edict from the oracle to convince the confederacy to stay strong. Following the traditional form of Greek comedies, Lysistrata ends with reconciliation and vindication for the women who force their husbands to declare peace and admit the importance of their wives’ advice. The most striking aspect of student director Alex Lucci’s (A&S ’12) production is the mix of the ancient with the modern. Lucci retains all of the traditional aspects of the play, including much of the language, the chorus, the costume design, and the over-the-top physical comedy. Yet, Ke$ha, Rihanna, and Avril Lavigne helped draw the play into the 21st century: not to mention characters occasionally yelling “dong” or “s—t.” Although Aristophanes probably did not pen (or even know) those exact words, Lucci’s choices and the phenomenal performances of all the cast gave the play a level of spunk and energy not usually associated with art that is over 4,200 years old. The cruelest of seductresses, the four lead women all shone in their nuanced sexual distress,
Taylor Cavallo People are always very touchy about The Beatles and defend them as the best pop musicians of all time. I’m not here to disprove that claim, as receiving hate mail isn’t something I’d necessarily look forward to, but after a lot of contemplation and a little bit of courage, there is a claim I’m ready to make. Beatles fans, brace yourselves. Pet Sounds, by The Beach Boys, is the best, most perfect pop album ever created. I know you’re skeptical. I know you might be mad, as no one can top The Beatles in terms of pristine pop perfection, and also, it’s very random, I know. But, it’s not really as random as it seems. The Beach Boys seem to be making a comeback of sorts, perhaps more akin to a revival, performing with Foster the People and Adam Levine of Maroon 5 on this year’s Grammys, touring this summer, and headlining Bonnaroo. One of the most classic, timeless pop bands is experiencing this newly-energized, reinvigorated musical rush, calling them back to the stage after many years on hiatus, and it certainly cannot go ignored or unnoticed. As fantastic as The Beach Boys are for their catchy, lighthearted famous hits, such as “California Girls” and “I Get Around,” Pet Sounds is the mature pinnacle of their musical career, having been listed as No. 2 on Rolling Stone’s list “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and Roger Waters, among others, praise the album for its unbelievable sound and artistry. You can’t argue with the masters. Admittedly, Pet Sounds was second on the RS list to The Beatles’ Sgt. Peppers, but in my humble opinion, this is a mistake. Pet Sounds is widely considered to be the first “concept album,” illustrating the personal details of a complicated love affair: a relationship that has gut-wrenching tensions between its highs and its lows, its victories and its anxieties, highlighting the transience of love itself and the instability it brings, juxtaposed against its longing for permanence. The album really does feel like a story, as listeners are brought along on this ride that Brian Wilson, the mastermind behind the album, has outlined for us. Pet Sounds is one of a limited list of albums that I can listen to all the way through, without interruptions, skips, irritation, or boredom, and it is one of my favorite albums of all time. Every song is not only a hit, but also an emotive, wonderful piece of music that, even when heard in isolation, strikingly penetrates both ears and heart. The emotions, words and feelings expressed through these songs and words are real—everyone can relate to what Wilson is saying about the painfully ambivalent nature of love itself. “You Still Believe In Me” talks about the amazement and wonder of receiving love from someone even after a series of mistakes. “I’m Waiting for the Day” is an ode to a woman who is too damaged from a previous relationship to embark on a new one, and the words of the singer come from the position of the man who wants to change it all for her. These overly simplified, one-sentence explanations of these songs don’t do them justice by any means, and perhaps I can’t truly explain, as Pet Sounds is an emotive and abstract listening experience. I’m a lyric fanatic—Wilson’s words on “God Only Knows” are lyrics that have stuck with me, it embodies this ambivalence about the nature of love with the simple but arresting, “I may not always love you / but long as there are stars above you / you’ll never need to doubt it …” and “If you should ever leave me / Though life would still go on, believe me …” that seem out of place in a love song. But that’s just it—it’s the perfect pop album because it isn’t simple. Its words and melodies are deep and voluminous—its lyrics aren’t one-dimensional. In love, you don’t just want to hold someone’s hand and call it a day. This album, Wilson’s masterpiece, captures the true spirit of being in a relationship, as complicated as it may be. Oh, and I forgot to mention, the album cover features The Beach Boys at the San Diego Zoo petting and feeding goats, an all-too-literal, too- much-but-just-enough final touch on the album. Emotive lyrics and a petting zoo? I’m sold.
Taylor Cavallo is the Assistant Arts & Review editor of The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
See ‘Lysistrata,’ A9
natalie blardony / for the heights
PSBC presents colorful show By Allan Guzman Heights Staff
Saturday night was one to celebrate at Boston College. No, there were no thrilling sports victories to cheer about. Rather, the evening was spent celebrating Philippine culture. Hundreds crowded into the Irish Room in Gasson Hall, where the Philippine Society of Boston College (PSBC) held its 20th annual culture show, dubbed 20 Years of Magic. The spectacle was filled with colors, dancing, and music, serving a generous portion of Asian flavor to the eager audience.
Students, relatives, and members of the community packed the room to the point where some of the audience was forced to stand or sit by the windows. But the lack of space did not prevent the audience members from cheering, applauding, and supporting their friends and classmates. PSBC designed the show around a Disney theme–the program featured the company’s whimsical font–which helped give a lighthearted mood to the event. Six PSBC members portrayed a quirky family visiting a Filipino themed
See PSBC, A9
Graham Beck / heights editor
He is familiar to many of our generation as Aragorn, the brooding ranger who fought off orcs and tall, skinny, white-haired men in Middle Earth. But to the entertainment industry, Viggo Mortensen is internationally renowned for his exceptional collection of filmography, a body of work that has precipitated his receipt of the prestigious Coolidge Award at the Coolidge Corner Theater on Mar. 5. He joins the ranks of Meryl Streep, Jonathan Demme, and six other past honorees for being recognized for unwavering talent and an acclaimed body of work. Before he formally accepts the award, the theater will screen a series of Mortensen’s most acclaimed movies, including A Walk on the Moon, A History of Violence, The Road, a Lord of the Rings trilogy marathon, and finally, a screening of Eastern Promises, a Russian gangster movie for which Mortensen was nominated for a bevy of awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actor. Though it seems his career only began after his turn as Aragorn, it would surprise many to discover that his film career began more than 15 years before his breakthrough role in The Lord of the Rings. Born in New York City, Mortensen spent most of his early life traveling and living in both Europe and Latin America before eventually moving back to his hometown to pursue acting. His first film role was alongside Harrison Ford in Witness, a 1985 Peter Weir suspense-thriller set primarily in an Amish community. Though his role was minor, the film was a commercial and critical success, and set him off for the next 15 years starring in supporting roles in over a dozen films, including major ones like Crimson Tide, alongside Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman. Two years before the release of the first of the Lord of the Rings film, Mortensen starred in the well-received movie, A Walk on the Moon, alongside Diane Lane. He plays a women’s apparel salesman who seduces a married Diane Lane in the passionate and musical summer of ’69. While the movie received positive reviews, his much-deserved breakthrough came later that year when Peter Jackson offered him a role as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, a role that would earn him lead parts in many critical darlings of the next decade, including A Dangerous Method, A History of Violence, Eastern Promises, and The Road, the latter three being shown at Coolidge Corner Theater in his honor. For his role in the LOTR films as Aragorn, or Strider, many critics singled out Mortensen for his performance, noting the strength and sincerity with which he plays Frodo’s guide and protector throughout the trilogy. His critical praise and handsome appearance gained him immediate offers for top billing in films such as Hidalgo and A History of Violence, which was his first collaboration with director David Cronenberg. In the thriller Violence, Mortensen plays a restaurant owner who comes face-to-face with his past mob affiliations upon defending his diner from two intruders, killing both in the process. The film was met with universal acclaim from critics, and caused many to urge further collaboration between Cronenberg and Mortensen, which came to fruition with the 2007 thriller Eastern Promises. Mortensen won his first Best Actor nomination from the Academy for his turn in Promises as the driver and hit man for a Russian gang who makes his way up the ranks while withholding a secret of his own. His success in this movie led to the lead role in The Road, in which he plays a man who, along with his son, make their way
See Mortensen, A9
natalie blardony / for the heights
The Chorale of Boston College performed multifaceted and diversified music, ranging from African-American spirituals to Latin hymnals.
Chorale concert displays classical diversity By Sean Keeley Heights Staff
This past Saturday afternoon, St. Ignatius Church was packed very close to capacity as it hosted a free winter concert by the University Chorale of Boston College. The massive group is composed of 98 women and 42 men—140 singers in all—under the direction
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of John Finney and accompanied by Jennifer McPherson. BC has no shortage of musical groups on campus, but the University Chorale, in its size and its style, is truly unique. The Chorale is a classical choir that performs material from oratorios, symphonies, and hymns. Saturday’s hour-long winter concert brought together many of the best voices on campus for a diverse show that included
Hollywood Eagles foster film interest
Newly established club looks to connect students with Hollywood alumni and produce student films, A9
works in Latin, German, French, and English, with composers ranging from Mozart and Mendelssohn to the American pioneer Aaron Copland. After a brief introduction by Chorale president Brenna Kelley, A&S ’12, the concert began with Tollite Hostias, an
See Chorale, A9
Lead actress thrills audience in ‘Gone’
The psychological thriller presents Seyfried as a strong leading actress, A8
courtesy of google.com
Bestsellers...............................A8 Box Office Report........................A8
SPORTS The Heights
Monday, February 27, 2012
B1
Monday, February 27, 2012
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Eagles demolish PC to stay atop standings
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By AJ Pottle
For The Heights
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Barry Almeida tallied a breakaway goal for BC in the first period on Saturday. graham beck / heights editor
The No. 2 ranked Boston College Eagles (23-10-1) defeated the Providence Friars (12-16-4) Saturday afternoon to complete 3 - 7 the season and BC weekend sweep 0 - 0 of the Friars in Providence front of 7,419 fans at Kelley Rink in Conte Forum. The win marked the 100th victory for the senior class and was an absolute domination by the Eagles, who won by a score of 7-0. The victory was a total team effort for BC, as 10 Eagles were able to pick up points in the victory. Senior forward Barry Almeida, who certainly did not want to waste any time picking up his class’ 100th victory, led the way in scoring with one goal and three assists. “It’s a great milestone and, individually, our senior class has had a fair share of success, but it’s all about the team, and you have to keep winning down the stretch to make this year special,” Almeida said of the accomplishment. Joining Almeida in the accomplishment were his teammates Tommy Cross, Paul Carey, Edwin Shea, Chris Venti, and Tommy Atkinson. The Eagles were able to seize the lead just 29 seconds into the game with a goal by junior forward Steven Whitney. Whitney made his way down the middle of the ice on a tremendous skating effort and fired
the puck right around the blue line. The shot found the top left corner of the net, beating Providence goalie Alex Beaudry, blocker-side. The Eagles certainly seemed to have an emphasis on jumping on Providence early and often, tallying five goals overall in the first period. Different players scored all five of the goals, and nine players picked up their first points of the game in the period. “We really capitalized on our opportunities in the first period,” said head coach Jerry York. “I thought our first 20 minutes was as technically sound and as good of hockey as we’ve played over this stretch. We’ve played some really solid hockey over our last eight, nine games. I thought this first period was exceptional in a lot of regards. Defensively, we were very positionally sound, but offensively we moved pucks and created some terrific opportunities, which we buried.” Almeida was able to continue putting pressure on the Providence defense in the first frame when he scored on a breakaway. Sophomore Bill Arnold, who had just exited the penalty box on a slashing call, came into the defensive zone, won a battle along the boards, and got an outlet pass to Almeida. Almeida was off to the races and beat out both Providence defenders before scoring on Beaudry through the five-hole. When asked if they always look for a break coming off of a penalty, Almeida said, “We do practice it. It’s all about clock management and knowing when that guy is coming out of the box. Twice tonight it
See Men’s Hockey, B3
Lacrosse gets upper hand Our March on Hofstra in home-opener is better By Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor
graham beck / heights editor
Kristin Igoe and the Eagles battled Hofstra in their first home game of the season, coming out on top.
BC gets one at UCF in tight series
The No. 13 women’s lacrosse team moved back above the .500 mark on Saturday with a 12-10 win over the Hofstra Pride at the Boston College 12 Newton Campus 10 Hofstra Field. Freshman Mikaela Rix and junior Brooke Blue both contributed hat tricks for the Eagles, combining for half of Boston College’s point total. Although the team pulled out the close victory, there is still room for improvement. “It was nice to get in the win column again after a tough loss on Tuesday,” said head coach Bowen Holden. “But I still don’t think our team is playing at the level we are capable of playing.” Holden’s players echoed that sentiment, saying that while the team played well, there is still room to grow. “We’re climbing right now,” said captain and All-American Kristin Igoe. “We’re still figuring it out, but we’re definitely on the way up, I think. We are just learning each day and improving each day. This is definitely not our best right now, but we have a lot of potential.”
Softball goes 4-1 in tournament
Alex trautwig / heights senior staff
The Eagles won their first four games in the 49ers Invitational before losing 12-2 to Charlotte in the championship game on Sunday. For the full recap of the weekend, see B4.
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BC swept away by Miami
The women’s basketball team had a tough end to the regular season, losing to the Hurricanes..B2
Greg Joyce What an exciting time of the year. The rest of the country is about to be enthralled in conference tournaments and the Big Dance for basketball. And there is no doubt that March is an unbelievable time for college basketball. But here at Boston College, we get to enjoy a different kind of March Madness: the one that happens on the ice. The No. 4 women’s hockey team begins its postseason this weekend as the two-seed in the Hockey East tournament. The semifinal and championship games will take place down the Cape in Hyannis (don’t ask me why), and the Eagles have a great chance of using the tournament as a springboard into the NCAA tournament. Only the top eight teams make it to the
See Column, B5
Wake Forest dumps Eagles BC gets worn out early, as game ends in ugly loss Heights Staff
Heights Staff
See Baseball, B4
See Lacrosse, B4
By Stephen Sikora
By Stephen Sikora The Boston College baseball team faced No. 19 University of Central Florida for a three-game series this weekend, and although the Eagles 6-7-5 UCF lost two of three, 5-8-4 BC all three games were decided by one run. BC continued to look strong to start the season, and brought its record to 4-2. “I really like where this ball club is right now,” head coach Mike Gambino said. “We’re really confident in close baseball games, which comes from our senior leadership. We’re loose, confident, and focused in all these close ballgames, and I love the way we’re playing.” BC lost on Sunday 5-4, as the Knights came through with a walk off two-run single
Igoe showed glimpses of her potential throughout the game on Saturday. She contributed on every part of the field by playing solid defense, passing the ball well, and attacking the net vigorously. Igoe did, however, have some trouble finishing plays. After slashing through the Pride defense multiple times, she finished with two goals, but it took seven shots for her to put up those points. “Our shooting, we can’t be 12-for28,” Holden said. “We’ve got to be about 50 percent in our shooting, so that’s certainly a huge thing. Taking care of the ball in key moments is going to be critical.” As Igoe becomes more efficient at the net, the Eagles should have an easier time putting away teams like Hofstra. “It’s early-on in the season, and we had a pretty tough loss to Syracuse, and some of the things we need to work on got exposed, but I think we responded well,” senior Brittany Wilton said. “The coaches really pointed out what we need to work on, and I think we’re only going to go up.” Holden commented on Igoe’s play of
In a matchup of teams with only three wins in ACC league play, the Boston College men’s basketball team faced Wake For85 Wake Forest est on Saturday. Boston College 56 The similarities ended there, however, as the Eagles were blown out by the Demon Deacons, 85-56 at the Lawrence Joel Coliseum. It was BC’s second worst loss of the season by margin of victory, and the 85 points they allowed were the most since giving up 86 at Holy Cross back in November. The Eagles’ defense wasn’t up to the task against Wake, as they allowed far too many easy layups and drives to the basket. The Deacons shot 55.4 percent on field goals, including 9-of-14 on threes. “I think they just ran some stagger screens that gave us a lot of trouble,” head coach Steve Donahue said. “Guys ran into screens, and unfortunately we just did not have enough ball pressure and resolve to get through screens. I
Breaking down Hockey East
With one weekend left in Hockey East regular season play, here are the scenarios for how it could finish.......B5
thought they got a lot of open looks. I think mental and physical fatigue sets in and we just don’t execute like we should.” The Eagles also gave up multiple baskets on fast breaks off of turnovers. BC had 15 for the game, including nine in the second half. A number of them were due to poor offensive execution, whether it was bad passes or traveling violations. On the whole, BC’s offense never found a rhythm. “We did not give them easy points off bad turnovers,” Wake Forest head coach Jeff Bzdelik said. “That includes efficient offense—we did a great job of taking high quality shots and then we made them.” The Eagles started the game looking competent, getting out to a 14-11 lead eight minutes into the game. But Wake then proceeded to go on a 7-0 run, and the Eagles were down 38-29 at the half. “Our pick and roll defense wasn’t very good in the opening minutes of this game,” Bzdelik said. “They were able to
See Men’s Basketball, B3
Quote of the Week....................B2 Hockey Notebook.................B3
The Heights
B2
Monday, February 27, 2012
Doherty’s gritty play gives BC hope for a brighter future By Adam Rose For The Heights
Kristen Doherty started in 32 games last season as a freshman for the Boston College women’s basketball team, and though only a year older this season, her role on the team has dramatically changed. With the departures of Carolyn Swords and Stefanie Murphy, the young Eagles team needed to look in new places for leadership, and Doherty has filled that role. Despite playing out of position for much of the season, Doherty has led the Eagles through ACC play with 11.3 points per game against conference foes.
With Korina Chapman missing the season after an ACL injury in the first game of the year, Doherty moved to the power forward spot. “I had to move my position to the four spot, and that changed my role as a leader. The freshmen post players, they look up to me and see me out of position and stepping up. If I can do it, they can find it in themselves too,” Doherty said. The sophomore from New York not only leads the team in points scored, but also seldom gets a break from the action on the hardwood. “It’s hard,” Doherty said. “You just have to rest on your off days and take advantage of all the rest you can get be-
Graham Beck/ HEIGHTS EDITOR
In pressure situations this season, Doherty has proven that she can be a reliable scoring option.
cause on game day, me and a couple girls know we’ll be out there for the majority of the game.” Though she missed two games earlier in the season due to a foot injury, Doherty leads the team in minutes played with 31.7 per game. For the Eagles, Doherty’s constant presence on the court means that at any moment, she could go on a scoring run. In some of BC’s biggest games this season, Doherty has increased her offensive output. “I love pressure,” she said. “I feel like I play a lot better under pressure. When the game’s fun and close and the energy’s going, I feel like, as a team, we all step up and play a lot better together and a lot harder.” In her last five outings, including two wins against Virginia Tech and Clemson, along with hard-fought games against No. 5 Duke and the NC State Wolfpack, Doherty has averaged 14.6 points. Doherty has displayed the ability not only to penetrate the lane, but also hit her mid- and long-range jump shots with frequent consistency. From beyond the arc, the sophomore guard has shot 31.8 percent, despite taking the second most attempts from downtown on the team. From the floor, she has hit almost 41 percent of her shots. “I’d say the corner shots are my weakest point. I like the middle of the floor and driving from the middle, going left preferably,” Doherty, a southpaw shooter, said. As a freshman last season, Doherty ranked ninth in the ACC in total steals with 69, and while her steals have sagged a little bit this season (40 so far), she has begun to find her comfort level in the new defense drawn up by assistant coach Timothy Eatman. “I anticipate really well, and I read the other players,” Doherty said. “Plus, coach Eatman puts me in a position where I can get the steals and I can gamble on plays.” In addition to her defensive prowess, Doherty has 138 rebounds and has become a threat on both sides of the ball. The season has not gone the way Doherty and her teammates thought it would, and the Eagles will enter this week’s ACC tournament with just two conference wins, in addition to having suffered through a 10-game losing streak
ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Graham Beck/ HEIGHTS EDITOR
Doherty was pushed to the four spot this year and has been a leader for BC’s young post players. this season. “When we were going through those hard times,” Doherty said, “the team needed people to step up and tell them everything’s going to be okay. I feel like that’s where I have to grow still as a player.” With the women’s basketball team only graduating one senior after this season, the solid chemistry from this year’s squad will likely transfer over to next year’s team. This continuity into next season means the sophomore leader will continue to serve as a role model for the team. As a captain in high school, Doherty has experience leading from the front, but she has had to adapt her style of
leadership to the collegiate ranks. Many of this year’s freshmen led their teams in high school, and that might make it more difficult for them to follow a player just a year older than them. Yet, Doherty thinks that by earning the team’s respect, she can become a good leader for this team. “I try to lead by example, but there’s definitely times where I have to be vocal. We’re good at taking criticism as well as giving it,” Doherty said. As the team’s leader on defense and one of the most productive members offensively, Doherty has demonstrated her talent and leadership abilities even during this turbulent season for the Eagles. n
Slow start stunts BC’s comeback hopes By Kim Schroer For The Heights
SPORTS in SHORT
The Boston College women’s basketball team lost a heartbreaker on Thursday night, overcoming a slow start only to fall 73-69 against NC State at Conte Forum in the team’s final home game of the season. The Eagles struggled in the opening minutes of each half, a factor that head coach Sylvia Crawley considered the main reason for the loss. NC State used a 13-0 run at the beginning of the game to jump out to a 15-4 lead with 15:49 remaining in the first half. BC responded with a 12-3, run led by sophomore Kristen Doherty to cut the NC State lead to 34-33 at the end of the first half. The Eagles opened the second half with another sluggish start, however, allowing the Wolfpack to score eight unanswered points and take a 42-35 lead with 17:53 left in the game. Crawley was disappointed in her team’s lack of energy at the beginning of each half. “We got off to a slow start at the beginning of each half, and that forced us to play catch-up and use a lot of energy to get back into the game,” Crawley said. “During those stretches, we just weren’t ready. It’s disappointing because I felt like we played well enough to win the game, but it came down to us not being alert.” BC sprang to life with a 17-9 run that cut the NC State lead to 70-66 with less than three minutes to play in the game. NC State forward Tia Bell sank a free throw that gave the Wolfpack a 71-66 lead to make it a two-possession game with just 22.2 seconds remaining. Doherty hit a huge 3-pointer that cut the lead to two and gave the Eagles one last chance to tie or win the game. Clutch free throws by NC State guard Myisha Goodwin-Coleman in the final seconds sealed the game for the Wolfpack though, ending any hope of a BC comeback. The Eagles used a balanced scoring attack to
make it a close game. BC had four players with double-digit point totals on Thursday, led by Katie Zenevitch’s 18 points and eight rebounds. Kristen Doherty continued her streak of strong performances with 17 points and four rebounds. Sophomore guard Tessah Holt added 13 points, while sophomore Tiffany Ruffin added 10 points and tied a career-high with eight assists. Crawley was pleased with her team’s ability to spread the scoring. “I thought we shared the basketball well, and we did a great job of finding people,” coach Crawley said. “We had 18 assists, which is one of our highest totals of the year. We did a lot of good things tonight.” The Eagles also tallied just 14 turnovers, which marks a steady improvement in an area that has been weak throughout the season. Crawley attributes the improvement to a recent lineup change that has the Eagles starting three point guards and using a smaller lineup to put pressure on opposing offenses. The loss gives BC the No. 11 seed heading into the ACC tournament, which will begin on March 1 in Greensboro, NC. Although the Eagles’ poor conference record sets up a tough first-round matchup against a higher seed, Crawley is optimistic about her team’s chances and remains focused on preparing her squad for their upcoming match up with Miami as well as the conference tournament next week. “We have nothing to lose,” she said. “We’re going to go to the tournament and play our hearts out. We’re just going to keep fighting to play another game.” The Eagles have built some momentum in the past two weeks with a series of strong performances against tough conference teams. BC hopes to use this momentum to spring an upset in Greensboro and make a deep run in the conference tournament. n
Final ACC Women’s Basketball Standings Team
Duke Miami Maryland Georgia Tech Virginia North Carolina Wake Forest Florida State NC State Virginia Tech Boston College Clemson
Conference 15-1 14-2 12-4 12-4 9-7 9-7 7-9 6-10 5-11 3-13 2-14 2-14
Overall 24-4 25-4 25-4 22-7 21-9 19-10 17-12 14-16 16-14 7-22 7-22 6-21
Graham Beck/ HEIGHTS EDITOR
Although BC has shown steady improvement in the past few weeks, it hasn’t been able to get back in the win column.
Hurricanes blow past struggling Eagles By Chris marino
Assoc. Sports Editor The women’s basketball team (7-22, 2-14 ACC) dropped its third straight game yesterday at No. 5 Miami (25-4, 14-2), 88-42. The Eagles were led by Kristen Doherty, who scored 10 points. The Hurricanes came out of the gate quickly. They began the game on a 14-0 run, due in large part to the scoring efforts of Shenise Johnson and Shanel Williams. The pair combined for 25 firsthalf points, which outscored the Eagles’ whole squad for the half. Miami finished the first half with the 45-22 lead, and once again flew out to another strong scoring effort at the start of the second half with
Numbers to Know
0
The number of points allowed by men’s hockey goalies Parker Milner and Chris Venti in BC’s series against PC this weekend.
70
The combined margin by which the men’s basketball team has lost its past three games.
10
Goals scored by freshman lacrosse player Mikaela Rix after a hat trick on Saturday, good enough to lead the team.
an 11-0 run. Williams finished the game with 20 points, and fellow senior Johnson ended the day with 19 points. The Hurricanes shot 55 percent from the floor, while the Eagles committed 15 turnovers. Miami played well off the takeaways, outscoring its opponent 18-0 off turnovers. The team also beat them 12-2 in points in the paint and 9-0 on fast breaks. The loss gives Boston College its worst record in 17 years, unless the team can make a postseason run in the ACC Tournament. BC has lost 25 of its last 32 ACC contests, and has still never been above .500 in conference play. The Hurricanes, on the other hand, are 53-9 over the last two seasons, as they look to make their presence known in the postseason. n
Quote of the Week
“My boy Kuechly with 27 reps #LBeasts”
— Former BC linebacker Mark Herzlich on Luke Kuechly’s performance at the NFL Combine.
The Heights
Monday, February 27, 2012
B3
Hockey notebook
Milner continues his hot streak in net By Steven Principi Heights Staff
Junior goaltender Parker Milner continued his brilliant play of late for the men’s hockey team, turning in two stellar performances over the weekend. Milner made 29 saves on Friday night to give him his first shutout of the season. He played just as strong on Saturday, stopping all 25 shots he faced before being replaced by Chris Venti. Milner has not lost a game since a 5-3 loss to BU back on Dec. 2 and has won nine straight games. “I think the whole weekend, the guys did a great job of keeping Providence to
the outside,” Milner said. “The biggest thing is the second-chance opportunities. If you look at how many we get, I don’t know if there’s a stat out there, but I’m sure it’s a lot to a little.” Milner also has a shutout streak going, as he hasn’t allowed a goal since back in the second period of the game at Merrimack last Saturday. He’s gone 140:18 since he was last beaten for a score, and looks to continue his streak against a Vermont team that struggles scoring goals next weekend. “It’s been a lot of periods now without a goal,” said head coach Jerry York. “I think you have to go back to the second period of Merrimack for the last
one. But we feel like when you try and manufacture individual awards, you can get away from the team aspect. We’re very conscious of the fact that we can’t be so narrow-minded that we only think about individuals.” First Line Dominates The top line of the Eagles continued on its torrid pace, putting up a combined 10 points in Saturday’s game. Barry Almeida had a goal and three assists to lead the team in points, while Bill Arnold and Steven Whitney each had three points of their own. Almeida’s goal also tied him with Chris Kreider for the team lead in goals with 19 so far. “When you get those chances, you have to bury them,” Almeida said. “Over the last few games, we have been burying them. Earlier in the year, we were getting chances, but we weren’t getting the bounces. But you have to keep going hard every shift, and things will eventually go the right way.” 100 for Seniors The win Saturday came as a milestone for the six players in this year’s senior class, as it gave them 100 wins in their time at Boston College. Considering that they won just 18 games as freshmen, the accomplishment seems all the more impressive. “I didn’t even realize it until they brought it up in the locker room,” said York. “But it is a remarkable stretch. They’ll credit their teammates, but they’ve been part of all four classes, and they’ve played an instrumental part. Each of the seniors say this is the best year they’ve had in terms of their play. “Whether it’s Tommy Cross staying healthy and playing so well, Barry Almeida, Paul Carey, [or] Edwin Shea, each has enjoyed a career year in the last year, and it’s pretty gratifying as a coach to see that.” This year’s class will not challenge for the all-time record, however, that was set by the class of 2001, which racked up 124 wins during its time at BC.
graham beck / heights editor
Milner has been stellar between the pipes as of late, going over 140 minutes since allowing a goal.
Sit Injured The news wasn’t all good for the Eagles, who saw freshman Michael Sit leave the game early in the second period. Sit left the ice early in his first shift of the period and immediately went to the locker room and did not return. Sit’s classmate Destry Straight took a number of shifts in Sit’s place on a line with Kreider and Kevin Hayes. n
graham beck / heights editor
Paul Carey and the rest of the senior class recorded their 100th collegiate win in Saturday’s game.
Eagles pounce Friars to gain four crucial points Men’s Hockey, from B1 just happened.” He added that it was simply “luck of the draw.” The other goal-scorers in the first period were Arnold, Danny Linell, and Johnny Gaudreau. Gaudreau extended his point streak to seven games by notching his 15th and 16th goals of the season in Saturday’s contest. He has 14 points (eight goals, six assists) during the Eagles current nine-game winning streak. Meanwhile, junior goalie Parker Milner continued his hot hand in the net, extending his shutout streak that dates back to the second period of last weekend’s game at Merrimack. BC goalies were able to shut out Providence all weekend, thanks to Milner and senior goalie Chris Venti, who took over for Milner with about 10 minutes left in the third period.
The Eagles seem to be catching wind at the right time, as they need to be playing their best hockey going into the Hockey East tournament coming up after one more weekend series with Vermont this weekend (both games are at Kelley Rink). “We put ourselves in a situation. Now, where we’re trying to chase that trophy next weekend, and it’ll be right in front of us. It’ll have to be a good week of preparation [for us] to really go after our two games next weekend,” coach York said. “I really feel proud of how our club is playing. We’re certainly peaking at the right time.” The Eagles also rolled into Friday night’s game against Providence. They were able to blank the Friars thanks largely to Milner, who picked up his second career shutout with 29 saves. Tommy Cross, Pat Mullane, and Paul Carey all notched goals for the Eagles in the 3-0 win. n
“I’m going to go back to mental and physical fatigue for us. With all those freshmen out there, we just weren’t prepared for that type of stuff and I thought Wake Forest really fed off of that with great energy.” -Head coach Steve Donahue
Men’s basketball worn out by Wake Forest on the road Men’s Basketball, from B1 drive down the lane on us, and so we called a timeout and made some adjustments to our pick and roll defense.” Ryan Anderson once again led the Eagles offensively. Anderson was 8of-11 from the field for 18 points and collected nine rebounds. He showed increased strength inside by grabbing offensive rebounds, going for the putback, and driving often against the Deacons’ defense. Anderson executed well the entire game, whether drawing the defense with a ball fake and then driving, or catching passes in the lane from teammates for easy inside points. He finished 2-for-9 from the free throw line, however, and missed the first free throw of multiple one-and-ones that would have helped BC stay in the game. For the year, Anderson is at 76 percent from the line. Lonnie Jackson continued his solid play of late, with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including 2-of-3 on threes. Excluding the Duke game when he was covered extensively by their guards, Jackson is 12-for-23 on threes going back to the FSU win. He showed deep range against Wake, and had a nice turnaround jumper for two. On the other hand, both Matt Humphrey and Jordan Daniels continued to struggle. Since scoring 21 against FSU, Daniels has 16 points over four games, including only two at Wake. He had multiple open 3-pointers that were off, and only shot 1-of-5 from the field. The confidence in his shot doesn’t seem to be there. Humphrey missed six of his nine
shots, and the majority of those came on failed drives. Humphrey often takes it himself inside, though recently those attempts have been missing. It’s a good idea to penetrate the defense, but if Humphrey looked to pass more on his drives, he could most likely either find open teammates on a kick-out, or space the defense better. “I didn’t think their defense was that tenacious, to be honest with you,” Donahue said. “I’m going to go back to mental and physical fatigue for us. With all those freshmen out there, we just weren’t prepared for that type of stuff, and I thought Wake Forest really fed off of that with great energy.” Patrick Heckmann saw his first game action since being out for over a month with mono. He looked rusty on both the offensive and defensive ends, and finished with three turnovers and just three points in 16 minutes. But it was important to have him back on the court, and he showed flashes of some of the solid play he demonstrated earlier in the year. Overall, this was a disappointing loss for the Eagles. They’re now tied for last in the ACC with Georgia Tech, whom they face Wednesday at Conte in another battle between three ACC-win teams. BC needs to bring a better effort than it did on Saturday, a game in which the Eagles were thoroughly outplayed. “Obviously, I’m not happy with our performance,” Donahue said, “but I’ll say that Wake played very good and with great energy. I thought they really competed better than us. They shared the ball on the offensive end and made it difficult on the defensive end.” n
bruce chapman / ap photo
Dennis Clifford (left) and the Eagles were outmuscled by Wake Forest in Saturday’s game, a disappointing 85-56 loss to the Demon Deacons.
The Heights
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Monday, February 27, 2012
Eagles take one from No. 19 UCF in trio of tight, one-run games Baseball, from B1 in the bottom of the ninth. The Eagles had trailed 3-2 going into the top of the inning, but took the lead on freshman Tyler Hinchliffe’s two-run single, the first hit and RBIs of his career. “That kid is one of the most competitive kids I’ve ever been around,” Gambino said. “He works so hard, and he’s so confident in his preparation, there’s no worry or doubt. He’s going to out-compete everybody. He’s going to be a lot of fun to watch over the next four years, both on the mound and in the field. Everybody kind of feeds off his energy.” Although Andrew Lawrence was the losing pitcher, he had a solid game at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs. BC’s cleanup hitter has only four hits in 22 at bats, but Gambino isn’t concerned. “He swung the bat well in Myrtle Beach without much to show for it [last weekend],” Gambino said. “He started to press a little bit, which tends to happen when you look at the scoreboard and your batting average looks kind of funky. He had great at bats [Sunday]. I was never worried about him at all. He’s going to hit a lot for us. I didn’t really consider it early struggles.” Spenser Payne also had two hits, and centerfielder Tom Bourdon led the Eagles with two runs scored. Starting pitcher Hunter Gordon allowed two runs in four innings, and reliever John Gorman limited the Knights to one run over three innings. BC outhit UCF 10-9, and left 13 men on base. On Saturday, the Eagles pulled out the win in a back-and-forth game against the Knights. BC used a six-hit third inning to score four runs, including consecutive singles by freshman Blake Butera, leadoff hitter Matt McGovern, Bourdon, and Anthony Melchionda “Our at-bats were just okay on Friday night, [but] the rest of the weekend, we swung the bats well,” Gambino said. The starting pitcher for BC, Matt Alvarez, pitched three innings, allowing only an
alex trautwig / heights senior staff
Andrew Lawrence experienced better success at the plate this weekend for BC, including a 2-for-3 and 2 RBI day on Sunday in the loss. unearned run. The Eagles’ lead held until the sixth inning, when UCF scored four runs to put them on top 7-5. BC reliever Kyle Prohovich allowed two hits and two walks while only getting one out, and left the game with the bases loaded. Hinchliffe came in and allowed the three inherited runners to score, but shut UCF down after that and in the next inning. Hinchliffe ended up earning the win, the first of his career, after BC scored three runs in the top of the seventh. The two-out rally was fueled by only one hit, as BC used three
bases-loaded walks to go ahead. Butera’s walk proved to be the game winner, and was also the first RBI of his career. “We had really good at bats, a couple guys going deep in counts and spoiling some really good two-strike pitches,” Gambino said. “It wasn’t that they came in and gift wrapped runs for us. Guys battled and battled. That was a really good inning for us against a good arm.” Reliever Matt Brazis closed out the win for the Eagles, throwing 1.2 innings of scoreless ball while striking out two.
“I feel completely comfortable with Brazis closing out the game,” Gambino said. “His stuff was filthy. His fastball was 91-93 mph, it was down, it was located, and it had hop on it. His cutter was filthy. I don’t know that we’re going to go with a specific closer. I have a lot of confidence in Matt Brazis right now.” On Friday night, the Eagles played a close game but eventually fell to the Knights, 6-5. Bourdon’s home run in the first inning propelled BC to a two-run lead, as he knocked in McGovern, who led the game off with a
single. Bourdon is hitting .429 on the year, which leads the team, as do his eight runs scored. “One of the things that troubled [Bourdon] last year was that he was impatient at times,” Gambino said. “He’s shown much more discipline at the plate, and he’s shown that if you make a mistake, he’s going hammer it.” The Eagles continued to have the lead until the 5th inning, when the Knights scored four runs off of starting pitcher Eric Stevens. Although he gave up a run in the third inning, Stevens did not allow a hit through four innings. In the fifth, however, two doubles and a homerun by the Knights chased him out of the game. “[Stevens] threw real well,” Gambino said. “His stuff was better this weekend than it was last weekend. In the fifth, he just didn’t command his fastball as well as he had earlier in the game.” Nate Bayuk relieved him, allowing another run to score by committing an error. Bayuk finished the inning with two strikeouts, and had five overall in his 1.2 innings of work. After UCF took the 5-3 lead in the fifth inning, the Eagles scored two runs in the top of the seventh to tie it up. Third baseman John Hennessy got hit by a pitch and later scored on a RBI single by McGovern, set up after Butera advanced Hennessy with a single of his own. Later, Butera came around to score on a passed ball. In the bottom of the inning, however, UCF used a RBI double to score another run, which proved to be the difference in the game. BC went down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth in its last chance to avoid its first loss of the season. After two weekend series with four wins against teams that made regionals last year, Gambino is more than satisfied with his team’s play to begin the season. “The boys are playing well,” Gambino said. “It’s a good start, and the biggest thing is that they’re playing with some confidence and they’re having fun.” n
Softball enjoys successful tournament with four wins By Henry Rodophele For The Heights
graham beck / heights editor
Mikaela Rix tallied a hat trick in Saturday’s 12-10 win over Hofstra, as the freshman now leads the team with seven goals on the season.
Igoe leads BC to win in home-opener Lacrosse, from B1 late and how the Eagles will improve as she improves. “Kristin obviously has a lot of experience, and she has a lot of talent,” Holden said. “We still need to see more from her, and hopefully that will start to happen sooner rather than later. But we ask a lot of her, we do ask a lot of her. She’s one of our best defenders, one of our best middies, one of our best attackers. She does it all, but we’re definitely hoping to see her level really rise in these coming games.” Every time it looked like the Eagles were going to pull away, Hofstra an-
swered. After opening the first 10 minutes with a 3-1 lead, the Pride began trading goals with BC. Five minutes into the second half when Hofstra pulled within one goal again, freshman Emily Mata replaced Catherine Conway in the net. Mata ended up allowing five goals, the same number that Conway gave up in her half of play. “We needed somebody to step up and I made that decision,” Holden said about the switch at goalie. “[Mata] had done a great job for us in the Syracuse game, so I had faith that she could come through for us, and we needed a momentum shift, and that’s what she provided for us.” With the score at 10-9 after Hofstra
got within one goal for the fourth time in the game, goals from Igoe, Rix, and Blue put the game out of reach. The Pride scored twice in the final five minutes, but the four-goal deficit was too much for Hofstra to overcome late in the contest. The Eagles responded well on Saturday after a tough loss to No. 12 Syracuse, and the combination of young talent such as Rix and freshman Covie Stanwick, who also scored a goal, with experienced players like Igoe, Wilton, and Blue makes BC a tough out for any team. Finding consistent shooting and goaltending will lead to the improvement that Holden and her team are looking for. n
The Boston College Eagles softball team had yet another triumphant weekend, winning four of their five games in the annual 49ers Invitational. Their one and only loss came to none other than those hosting the tournament, the Charlotte 49ers, by a score of 12-2. It was a tough game for BC pitching, which was playing against some of the best hitters in the NCAA, including left fielder Brianna Gwaltney, who had a home run herself. Nicole D’Argento, Ali Lynette-Krech, and Ronnie Mae Ayers all combined for BC’s four base hits throughout the game which struggled against Charlotte’s 12. Chelsea LoBeu and Ayers were able to bring in Andrea Filler and LynetteKrech, which gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead in the second inning. But after an offensive explosion by the 49ers in the fourth inning, the Eagles faced a deficit too large to overcome. Previous to the loss on Sunday were two Saturday games which the Eagles handled with ease. Outscoring their opponents 17-4, the Eagles were in command on Saturday. The first run against Towson came late in the first inning when D’Argento scored off a sac fly by Brittany Wilkins. Just an inning later, pinch runner Nicole Koszowski scored off a ground out by Alana DiMaso. Both teams were quiet the next few innings, until the fifth, when D’Argento came in to pitch against a daunting bases-loaded and no outs situation. The calm junior showed her experience as she was able to get out of the jam without a run scored. The Eagles tagged on another run in the fifth and sealed the deal with a three-run sixth inning, making the final score 6-1 and giving Amanda Horowitz the win. The 2 p.m. against Morgan State game was more of what was seen just a few hours earlier, and then some. Within just two innings, the Eagles were in control of the game with a 7-0 lead. Chelsea Dimon pitched an impeccable three in-
nings before giving up three runs in the fifth. But run support didn’t seem to be an issue for BC, whose offense combined for 12 hits. Wilkins, Filler, LynetteKrech, and LoBeu tormented the Bears, each with a double of their own. D’Argento pelted one out of the park with her second home run and went on to strike out two batters in the fifth to end the early game. She joined Speer with a three RBI game Saturday afternoon, and scoring three times was Filler. All three Eagles helped in BC’s 11-3 victory over Morgan State. On Friday, the Eagles would go on to play the team they would end up losing to on Sunday. However, the result was a much better one for BC. It was a tie game after three innings, thanks to a homerun by D’Argento, bringing in herself and LoBeu. More runs in the fourth and fifth solidified the 6-2 victory over Charlotte, giving Horowitz her second win of the season. The team had faced Morgan State earlier the tournament on Friday with similar, if not better, results. The Eagles started their the game with a six-run first inning. Wilkins began her tremendous game with a three-run homer to left. Singles by CJ Chirichigno, D’Argento, and Speer, LoBeu’s sac fly, and a double by Filler helped add another three runs to the scoreboard for the Eagles. A home run in the second by Speer added three more to BC’s 6-0 lead. And after a double to left, Wilkins came around and scored for the 10th run off yet another Lynette-Krech double. However, the high scoring achievement of the Eagles that game, in part due to the seven RBIs and four run success shared between Speer and Wilkins, was not the big story of the day. D’Argento and Dimon combined for five hitless innings, giving the Eagles their first nohitter of the season. Striking out one batter each, D’Argento and Dimon were able to keep the Bears in check for the five innings. The combination of these two talented pitchers was too much for Morgan State, who left the game hitless and winless. n
King sisters lead track and field teams as host of ACC Championships By Steven Principi Heights Staff
Boston College played host to the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships over the weekend, as both the men and the women attempted to qualify for nationals. The Eagles faced a difficult challenge in facing the ACC opponents that they do not see very often, and never showed much life as a team. Though there were several individual highlights over the three-day event, the two teams were never really factors in the tournament, with the women finishing in 10th and the men finishing last in 12th. Florida
State won the men’s tournament while Clemson blew out everyone and won the women’s side. The stars of the weekend for BC were sisters Caroline and Jillian King. Caroline ran the 800m and seemed poised to take home the gold in the event before being passed by four runners with just over a lap to go. She was not to be denied a medal, however, and she managed to fight her way back into contention by passing three of the runners in front of her. Though she put up a great fight, Caroline was not able to catch up to North Carolina’s Tasha Stanley and settled for second place and the silver. Jillian King ran an outstand-
ing 3000m, also leading at the beginning before settling in behind a small pack of runners. King maintained a steady pace, however, and was able to climb back into second quickly. She nearly managed to overtake Florida State’s Amanda Winslow, but tired a bit at the end and fell back. Like her sister, however, she was able to hold onto second place and take home the silver. Both Caroline and Jillian King were named to the All-ACC team as an additional honor on top of their second-place finishes, which were the best for BC in any events this weekend. The women’s team found success in other areas as well. The distance medley
team that included Caroline King managed to take the bronze after barely missing out on passing the North Carolina team for the silver. Junior Allison Stasiuk ran a personal best in the 3000m and made a great push late in order to move up to third place where she finished. The women finished their tournament with 26.00 points, good for 10th place in a very competitive field. The men’s team struggled a bit more throughout the tournament, but managed to break through in a few unexpected events. The 4x400m team ran a great relay and managed to take seventh place, the first time that the Eagles have
ever scored in the 1600m relay in the conference meet. Louis Serafini also had a particularly strong showing, as he set a personal best by 20 seconds when he ran the 3000m race in the final leg of the men’s distance medley. Jon Bogosian scored the men’s first points of the tournament on Friday when he came in eighth in the high jump, but the rest of the events were not so kind to the Eagles. There were many events that saw no Eagles qualify for the finals, which made Saturday a very quiet day. The men’s team finished with just 2.50 points over the weekend, putting them in last place for the tournament. n
The Heights
Monday, February 27, 2012
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York’s 900th victory testifies to impressive work ethic and focus Andrew El-Hayek Nine hundred wins. Just over a week ago, Boston College hockey fans witnessed head coach Jerry York achieve a milestone of unparalleled greatness. It is only fitting that on the same weekend that Conte Forum hosted Duke basketball’s Mike Krzyzewski, widely recognized as one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time, the same building witnessed York stake his claim to be considered maybe the best coach on the collegiate level in any sport. For York, win number 900 is yet another defining mark in an illustrious coaching career that spans four decades. It has been 40 years of brilliance behind the bench as York has amassed 17 NCAA tournament appearances and eight national title game appearances, winning four of them (three with BC). He trails only Ron Mason, the man whom York replaced at Bowling Green in 1979, on the all-time college coaching wins list. Even Mason, who tallied 924 wins as a head coach, does not have the championship pedigree of the fourtime national champion York. York’s head coaching career began in 1972 at Clarkson. He served behind the helm for seven years at Clarkson before replacing Mason at Bowling Green in 1979, where he would win a national title in 1984. In 1994, York returned
to his alma mater BC (he had been a forward for the Eagles from 1963-1967) with the tall task of rebuilding the proud program. Just three years later, BC was in the NCAA championship game. Over his 17-plus years coaching the Eagles, York has won 433 games, including eight Hockey East tournament titles, six Beanpot titles (including the last three in a row), and three national championships, most recently in 2010. York demonstrates his hockey acumen in every facet of the coaching role. Nowhere is this more evident than in his tremendous successes in recruiting. Too often, coaches will overlook character during the player evaluation process, and athletes are awarded roster spots based mostly on their talent and abilities. When a lot of these talented prospects do not pan out, fans on the outside are left wondering what could have gone wrong, when the answer is quite simple: a lot of guys are just not ready to compete, nor mentally ready to win. Year in and year out, York has brought players to BC with the right balance of physical ability and upstanding character. He finds men who embody the ideals of the University, athletes who will take the coaching and compete in practices and in games, and guys who will contribute to the community both during their tenure at BC and long after it. He has selected
players who have made an impact on the professional level, such as Brian Gionta of the Montreal Canadiens, as well as guys who have had a tremendously positive impact on society, most recently junior forward Brooks Dyroff, whose philanthropic organization CEO 4 Teens works to provide educational opportunities for underprivileged youth. While the other hockey team on Comm. Ave. finds itself mired in an embarrassing scandal, York and his squad are the epitome of class, performing with dignity on and off the ice. The greatest hallmark of success is consistent excellence over a long period of time. Nine hundred wins is certainly a product of this longevity of greatness. But longevity for longevity’s sake is not always a good thing. Many sports milestones have been achieved when players or coaches have just hung on a little too long at the end, hurting their teams for the sake of personal achievement. York, however, shows no signs of slowing down as the product on the ice remains of the highest quality and continues to improve every day. Consider that his first national championship as a head coach came with Bowling Green in 1984 (well before Superfans in the student section were even born) and his most recent championship with BC was won in 2010. That is 26 years between his first and last national title, unprecedented
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for any coach in any sport, amateur or professional. Frankly, there is no better measure of greatness. For York, the goal has never changed. It is always about winning that next game, winning that next championship. It is a formula that has brought York and the program tremendous success for almost 20 years at BC. It is his disregard for complacency, his
desire for victory, and his ability to get his players to buy in to a winning philosophy that make York a consummate winner and the ultimate champion. Nine hundred and three, and counting.
Andrew El-Hayek is a guest columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@ bcheights.com.
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alex trautwig / heights senior staff
York has taught his players valuable lessons on and off the ice for years, and the success is evident.
Joseph Castlen and Lindsay Grossman / heights graphic
Both BC hockey teams in search of a March Madness of their own Column, from B1 national tourney on the women’s side, so the team will need to be playing its best hockey in this weekend’s conference tournament to show the selection committee it deserves a spot in the top eight. Of course, the Eagles could make it easy on themselves by winning the Hockey East tournament outright, which would automatically secure them a spot in the NCAA tournament. That’s how BC got its ticket into the national tournament last year, and this year’s team is absolutely capable of doing the same. The combination of senior leadership and an exciting freshman duo could be a lethal mixture for a successful postseason for BC. It won’t be an easy start for BC, as it will go up against a tough BU squad that is also fighting for a spot in the NCAA tournament. But the Eagles have been playing some of their best hockey as of late, and a win over the highly-ranked Terriers could go a long way in building momentum for a possible NCAA tournament run. I mean, the Frozen Four isn’t in beautiful Erie, Pa. this year, so the Eagles may have to get used to that idea. Then again, maybe that’s motivation to return to another Frozen Four, this time in Duluth, Minn., right? Meanwhile, men’s hockey is preparing for the final weekend of
Alex trautwig / heights senior staff
Graham Beck / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Freshman players like Johnny Gaudreau (left) and Alex Carpenter (right) will have to learn the importance of playoff hockey on the fly this March. regular season play, and in the midst of one of the best Hockey East pennant races of all time. I used to think it was weird that Jerry York always referred to this time of the season
as a pennant race, since I usually reserved that term for September baseball. But now I’ve come to love it. And it’s not just because whatever Jerry says is golden (though I do take
that approach at other times). The final month of this Hockey East race has been heated, and it’s been all BC since the magical Beanpot momentum swing. Slowly but
surely, the Eagles have climbed their way to the No. 1 spot in the conference, and this past weekend’s sweep of Providence further solidified that position. All BC needs to do against Vermont is win. Pretty simple, right? No sweep in the Hockey East is ever simple, but the way York’s squad has been playing of late has been amazing. If they can keep up that same intensity they brought to their series against Providence, the Eagles could have an easy way into the No. 1 seed for the Hockey East tournament. They control their own destiny, and that’s a great thing for York’s boys. Hoping that I didn’t jinx anything through this column, we could all be in for an exciting next couple of weeks for both hockey teams. And although March is widely known for college basketball and the dramatics that come with that, maybe that’s what makes our March more exciting. We don’t have Joe Lunardi breaking down BC’s chances of making the field of eight (women’s) or 16 (men’s). We don’t have the completely ridiculous and overhyped Selection Sunday show on CBS. We don’t have 67 tournament games nationally broadcast. But we do have two hockey teams ready to make an exciting run to the Frozen Four. And that is something special.
Greg Joyce is the Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@ bcheights.com.
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The Heights
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Heights
Monday, February 27, 2012
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Sexual Chocolate aims to please The popular dance group on campus enjoys performing together and always manages to draw a huge crowd to their wild and entertaining shows Taylor Cavallo Heights Editor Sexual Chocolate (SC), Boston College’s all-male step team, is perhaps one of the most sought after, interesting, and popular clubs on campus, with a solid student fan base. Their fun, high-energy shows and captivating step routines are no doubt the reason for this. However, SC is more than what their perception on campus is, namely a group of great dancers and attractive men with undeniably incredible swag. They’re a strong presence on campus, getting involved in various activities and groups whenever they can, and they themselves are a true brotherhood with genuine connections and relationships within their team. Margaret Fahey, A&S ’13, states, “Freshman year I had no idea what SC was, but sophomore year I heard they were a dance group, and then I saw them at the ALC Showdown and they
were amazing.” After seeing SC, Fahey decided to contact them to perform in a fundraising showcase for a service trip to Kenya last year and was happy to see their enthusiasm and willingness to participate. “They were very responsive and contacted me right away. About seven or eight of them came, performed, and definitely stole the show. They were really warm and seemed to care about the fundraiser and the Kenya trip itself.” Meeting with SC was truly an experience, and their genuine passion and love for their team and their teammates alike was strikingly clear. Members themselves belong to other various on-campus activities and groups, such as Eagle Ops, the McNair Exploratory Program, F.A .C .E .S, D.I.O.P, and intramural sports, to name a few. Bernard Homicile, CSOM ’13, states that, “As a group, SC helps out with other organizations and groups, such as the ALC Volunteer Core and C.A.R.E.
Week through the Women’s Resource Center.” Scott Jean, A&S ’14, adds, “We also do small events with Big Brother/ Big Sister. We take time out to teach the kids a couple of steps, and they have a lot of fun with it.” Joking and laughing with one another between interview questions showed their fun-loving side, but when asked questions about the team and their experiences as a part of the brotherhood, their seriousness and dedication was also clearly evident. As fun as it appears to be, being a member of SC is a lot of work. Dedication, stamina, and motivation are all expected from members, and this is tested and pushed to new bounds during the audition process, which lasts for multiple days and is extremely rigorous. President and captain Reynaldo Sylla, CSOM ’12, highlights just how demanding the SC schedule is: “On a regular week, we practice for four hours. But, when we have a show coming up we
Courtesy of Sexual chocolate
Students cannot get enough of Sexual Chocolate’s antics and keep coming back for more, keeping the team busy learning new routines.
Donahue’s Disciples’ dream Joseph McConaughy For The Heights The Boston College men’s basketball team is young, and seemingly unable to produce results in ACC games. Blame can be placed on a variety of things: four freshman starters, lack of basketball support, a rebuilding year, etc. While many students have passed the young Eagles off as incompetent, they have failed to recognize the competitiveness of this team. Considering the expectations, it has been an impressively mediocre year. Nick Fasulo, of the college basketball blog Searching for Billy Edelin, predicted that the Eagles would go 0-16 in the ACCs. Currently, they are 3-9 in the division. Their season was highlighted by a thrilling 64-60 victory against the previously ranked No. 15 Florida State Seminoles. “It was incredible the way the game went,” said RJ Calo, CSOM ’14. “We came back with a huge run and then held it. All the Superfans got into it. A ton of people came to the student section.” They did still have a few embarrassing defeats, though. A 36-point loss to UMass, and a double overtime loss to URI were especially painful. Despite a few early stumbles, the basketball team has shown tremendous potential for a young team during the 2011-12 season thus far. Even though this squad has flashed potential, they are not getting even close to the amount of attention of previous years. Overall attendance for home games, with one home game left, Georgia Tech, averages 4,719. The 2010-11 season, in comparison, averaged 6,545. While overall attendance is down, student attendance is even worse. “There are over 700 student tickets bought for each game. Except for the Duke game, we have never had more than 300 show up,” said Ryan Dunn, CSOM ’14, a member of Donahue’s Disciples. According to this statistic, less than 3.3 percent of BC undergraduate students show up on a given night. The men’s basketball team seems to have generated very little interest this year. Just a couple years ago, basketball was one of BC’s premier sports, with a rowdy fan section. Demand for games used to be so high that a lottery system was implemented, giving students a maroon, gold, or combined package. “It used to be so intense, that students had to show up hours early to get good seats to almost any ACC game,” explains Jon Bogosian, A&S ’12. Prospective high school students looked at BC as a basketball school, as well as a hockey or football school. Times have changed. Steve Donahue was brought in as the new head coach. A few players transferred. The Eagles are three seasons removed from the last March Madness experience. Freshmen, nine total, dominate the roster. Because of these changes, the fallout of BC basketball has been quite drastic. One factor that is notably missing at Conte Forum games is fan culture. The Superfans are able to heckle the opposing hockey teams’ goalies, screaming “sieve, sieve, sieve.” Tailgating alone is enough to motivate dazed college students to go watch the football team on an early Saturday morning. Sadly, this atmosphere has not been carried over to the basketball court in recent years. One can only chant “Let’s go, Eagles” around 20 times before it begins to get old. Currently, the basketball team seems to offer little
to students. “People would rather hang out in their room than support the team. It would not be worth missing something else. It is nobody’s fault, it is just that the basketball team is having a down year,” said Calo. The mentality is if the basketball team is going to lose, students don’t want to shell out $90 for 12 games they won’t go to. A group of passionate BC students has risen up to address this problem, though. Donahue’s Disciples are a devout group of basketball fans looking to invigorate student enthusiasm for the program. Their aims are to shift the current social dynamic between the fans and the team. “We have a physical goal, which is to increase fan attendance, but we also are looking to shift the perception of the team,” explained Anthony Bellitti, A&S ’14. They are looking to create the same kind of tradition that fuels the Cameron Crazies at Duke University. They have hosted various events, like tailgating the Duke game, and traveling to Holy Cross. Met with limited success, it is something to build off of for next year. These are the kind of events that might eventually lead to legitimate school spirit. To address the lack of cheers, the disciples have begun printing off cheering cheat sheets, helping organize the Superfans into a synchronized student section. A crowd of BC fans, led by Donahue’s Disciples, sat down to watch a Thursday night game at Moogy’s. Their excursion to Holy Cross was a success. “The Holy Cross trip was one of my favorite memories of the year. Everyone who went had an awesome time. Even though we didn’t play too well, it was exciting to travel to another school,” Bellitti said. The Disciples are new, and currently trying to gain support. With their enthusiasm for basketball and school spirit, it is tough to disparage their aims. It is difficult to tell how the school has reacted to the Disciples. Many students are willing to cast aside the Eagles because of their performance on the court, but some students are beginning to take matters into their own hands. Calo still goes to many of the games, but he is aware of the correlation between success and support: “I am a fan of the basketball team. If we were better, I’d have different reasoning for supporting them. We have been playing better as of late, so it’s more fun to go to the games.” Fans obviously are interested in basketball, but only if it is against a very competitive team. The attendance for the No. 4 Duke team was 2,000 more than the average during the season. Of the Florida State game Bellitti said, “At the start, we filled two rows of student sections. Once we came back in the second half, the entire stands were full.” Currently, BC fans are more interested in the basketball team if they are successful, or playing against successful teams. Ultimately, the success of the basketball team will decide whether the efforts of Donahue’s Disciples are successful. The team has the ability to go in two different directions. If they become a legitimate contender in the ACC, and NCAA, support from BC will surely increase. Many of their ideas will develop into traditions, creating a unique and prideful atmosphere for BC basketball. However, poor performance on the court probably won’t allure the student body to support its basketball team. If this happens, and the grand idea of a few individuals fails to take root, the legacy of Donahue’s Disciples may meet a tragic end. n
Sarah Davey/Heigths Staff
The boys of Sexual Chocolate have no trouble entertaining a crowd with their fierce stepping. usually practice every day, anywhere from two to four or five hours into the night, depending on how much we need to get done.” Leading up to the their last show on Feb. 17, SC practiced every day since the semester began, and rehearsals for their next show on Mar. 24, the ALC Showdown, will see the same level of practice. SC also performs many shows off campus and at other schools, and has an upcoming show at BU. As expected, the amazingly synchronized and intense choreography of SC is the result of a group effort. Captain and vice president Bryan Denehy, A&S ’12, explains the choreography process as a brainstorming of ideas, steps, and music. “We invite everybody to bring something to the practice room, we’ll kind of give homework assignments at times, but it comes down to the captains adjusting the steps to what we need, but it’s a collaborative effort.” Songs and choreography choices are all open to the team, but captains make the final decision. Unbelievably, considering the clear talent that the group exhibits, no member of the team had previous step experience, although some members had been exposed to other styles of dance. When asked about favorite moments on the team, each member gave a different answer, emphasizing the true enthusiasm and joy that the team brings to its members. Patrick Williamson, A&S ’14, names
the strong alumni involvement in SC as his favorite aspect. “Being a sophomore on the team, I’ve only experienced SC for two years, but my favorite moment is ongoing; whenever we have a show the alumni come back, and it’s crazy to see the emotion that these alumni have for the team. I’ve only been on the team for two years and I see the progress we’ve made in two years, but take an alumni from five or six years ago, and I just love seeing the way they show love for the team.” SC’s alumni still come to watch them perform, making this not only a close group of friends, but a networked community that fosters alumni involvement, support, and encouragement. Denehy cites the rush and satisfaction of performing as some of the more cherished moments on the team. “My favorite moment is right before the curtain opens, after working for two months for a show, and having everything come to fruition right in that moment. There’s no better feeling than that.” While interviewing the team, I realized that being on SC is truly a special thing, as it is not only a talented team –it becomes a foundational set of friendships for its members. “Being on SC has definitely surpassed all my expectations. Unless I had friends within the group, I didn’t see this as something that would stay with me postgraduation,” says Sylla, ”but I’ve ended up having 19 of my closest friends on this team.” n
The Heights
B8
editor’s column
Just worry about yourself for Lent
Alexandra Schaeffer At a Catholic school like Boston College, it was no surprise last Wednesday to see a fair number of people walking around campus with ashes on their foreheads. As a Catholic myself, I felt a twinge of guilt every time I passed someone with the ashes (proof of my Catholic upbringing). At the same time, I didn’t feel it enough to actually make my way over to St. Ignatius. As we all know, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, and if you didn’t know that, I’m sure the brightly decorated “Lenten” menu options posted around the dining halls, or the addition of the San Francisco Crab Melt panini at Hillside, probably clued you in. Most Christian students at BC associate this period of the year with giving something up. A lot of us remake those New Year’s resolutions that we threw to the wayside a couple of weeks ago. I personally don’t usually decide what I am going to give up until Ash Wednesday every year, and for the past three years straight, it’s been the same failed resolution to stop my nervous habit of picking at my fingernails. I was having lunch with a friend of mine though, who, when I failed to order frips with my panini at Hillside, commented, “Oh, did you give chips up for Lent?” Though I hadn’t, I jokingly replied, “Yeah, we’ll see how long it lasts.” This sparked a conversation about the hypocrisy of a lot of BC students during Lent. Many people who not only didn’t make it to church on Ash Wednesday, or any day they’ve been at school, who heartily dig into their ham sandwiches on Fridays, and who have never uttered a word of religious obligation, often end up partaking in the Lenten tradition of giving something up. Maybe it’s an obligation we feel to our parents, or our Sunday school teachers, or maybe to ourselves, but why do so many BC students who don’t partake in any other religious practices give something up for Lent? This friend and I came to the conclusion that during Lent it becomes socially acceptable to diet. It’s no secret that the students here are a very bodyconscious bunch. Yet, there is also a little bit of an unspoken stigma about people who openly count their calories. BC students typically view themselves as an athletic group of people—if you’re not an athlete here now, you most likely were in high school. The general attitude within athletic environments is to eat well, but not really to care too much about how much you consume. It’s fuel for your body, and you need it. Since most of us are no longer practicing athletes who can eat and drink whatever we want all the time without repercussion, however, a slow awareness of consumption dawns during our college years. Yet, we still all feel this stigma about talking about what we eat, and frankly, no one wants to hear people stress about how poorly they’ve eaten that day. Therefore, Lent provides a brief 40-day respite from this concept of holding in one’s body issues. Students use Lent as a time to openly say to their friends, “No, I can’t eat that chocolate.” For many girls, especially, it’s an excuse to turn down every brownie offered to you without fear that people are going to comment on how little you’re eating. I get all of this, and can in part relate to it, but at the same time I see where the truly devout religious constituents of the BC population take issue with this. If these students are going to openly profess their Lenten resolutions, it could be argued that they should also be going to mass every Sunday and not eating meat on Fridays. What I want to say to these students who have voiced this concern, though, is that religion should be something you do for selffulfillment. No one should be monitoring what other people do or don’t do. Just because a girl is going to the Plex a couple more times a week during Lent doesn’t really detract from someone else’s religious experience of this time. Besides, regardless of why someone gives something up or changes some aspect of his or her life for the better, it should be viewed as a good thing. It’s always inspiring to see people change for the better, and even if it’s because “It’s Lent!” at least they’re doing it. Think back to when you were little and you were fighting with your siblings. Your mom said, “Just worry about yourself.” That mantra still applies today.
Alexandra Schaeffer is the Asst. Features Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Lighting up around BC Smoking, from B10 has a positive message that students can quit, and they should not feel like there is no help for them on campus. But for those still using tobacco products, it appears that cigarettes and lighters come out more than ever on weekend nights. This link between drinking, partying, and smoking seems to be one that appears natural to students, and isn’t usually questioned. “Drinking definitely plays a part in it. I know some people who only smoke when they are drunk. I guess this happens because they don’t realize that their judgment is impaired, and because it is a social activity,” said Dutton. In the college world, it appears that two distinct functions of smoking on campus are to relieve the stress of academics and to enhance the nightlife and party scene. But how effective are cigarettes at actually doing this? Are they really necessary? Or do students lean on them as a crutch, or as something they think adds to their personal cool factor. In this picture of a college, students would be smoking at virtually all times, which is simply not true, evidenced by BC’s campus. Perhaps it is the prices of these tobacco products that keep everyone from
constantly puffing, if health risks don’t seem to be a huge deterrent to collegeaged students. Ray Lambert, cashier at City Convenience and A&S ’13, shared that the average pack of cigarettes right now costs around $8, no small sum if you are smoking regularly. According to Lambert’s estimation, “One out of every three purchases includes a tobacco product.” This is a huge amount, but can be possibly attested to City Convenience’s proximity to campus. Though cigarettes aren’t the hottest tobacco product flying off the shelves. “More college kids buy Skoal than anything else,” Lambert says. “Chewing tobacco is cheaper than cigarettes, but they buy both.” Lambert has noticed that, “I have seen people with Skoal on their desks at the library, so it’s definitely not just for recreation.” Cigarettes have the reputation of not only relieving stress, but also helping to curb one’s appetite. On a campus that is as obsessed with physical fitness as BC is, it is no shock that students see this as another excuse to light one up. BC has often been looked at critically as being too obsessed with weight and physical perfection, and smoking to keep from eating only furthers these perceptions. Those trying to find an aid in their Plex workouts and diets are another subset of the smoking population at BC. Whether you crave it, you think it’s
Graham beck / heights editor
Despite significant and well-known health risks, college students continue to puff away. cool, you need it to study, you need it to party, or you need it to lose weight, every smoker has his or her own reason. And it seems that among their college peers, they are hardly alone. The evidence at BC alone is a testament to this. It seems that for now, BC will remain a campus where smoking exists, where it is expected on late nights outside of crowded Mod parties, where groups of people will
huddle around and share a lighter, where students will step outside of O’Neill for a break and a smoke, and where those looking to shed some weight before Spring Break can just head right over to City Co and charge their Eagle Bucks for their tobacco product of choice. It seems that these cigarettes butts will be littering our grounds and revealing our vices to all who tread on campus. n
professor profile: Professors peter and carolyn wilson
The dynamic husband and wife duo rules CSOM By Cathryn Woodruff Heights Editor
The colorful bingo balls swirl haphazardly in the cage for a few seconds, fighting for the tiny escape hole to be released. A green ball emerges, and the number six is noted on the screen at the front of the class. John, the lucky winner, has been chosen to present in front of the class, representing the culmination of his group’s project to the rest of the students. Students trickle in, distraught and disheveled from the long sleepless night they spent preparing their Financial Report for their 8:30 a.m. class, “Financial Accounting.” Many stayed up well into the morning hours researching and preparing their convoluted assessments of the earning releases, financial performances, and expected performance of two major companies: Starbucks and Quantis. Yet, they engage eagerly with professor Peter Wilson, who serves as a mentor for many of them. “I know you’re tired,” Peter begins. “But heck, what’s sleep?” When the presentation is over, Peter directs the class discussion, using the presenter’s points as a platform to leverage interactive conversation. He probes his students on the subtleties in financial reports by these companies, not only pushing them to think deeper into the meaning of terms such as “revenue” and “analyst,” but also throwing hypotheticals at them, forcing them into the shoes of a Starbucks CEO. Perhaps the most unique classroom dynamic at Boston College can be found in this early morning core class in the Carroll School of Management (CSOM). While Wilson drives discussions and keeps the class flowing, his wife Carolyn is in the classroom, managing the advanced technology the duo utilizes and interacting with students. Carolyn has a broad business perspective from her time spent in the corporate world, where she held numerous senior management positions and had experience with an early-stage start-up web-based software company. She also spent some time as a kindergarten teacher, but finding it lacking in intellectual challenge, she got her Master of Science in Information Assurance (M.S.I.A.) from Carnegie Mellon University.
graham beck / heights editor
Peter and Carolyn Wilson are a couple who have a shared passion for teaching and finance. This background and her overall enthusiasm for entrepreneurship have inspired her exploration of technology and its many facets. Carolyn manages the class notes and puts them on Blackboard, along with an audio recording of that day’s class. Peter Wilson, the Joseph L. Sweeney chair of accounting at BC, is also an extremely capable teacher and technology pioneer. His academic history includes Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and Carnegie Mellon. He has given over 200 speeches to academics and practitioners, served as a teaching consultant for a Big-Five public accounting firm, and developed and taught short courses for two Fortune-50 companies. Among many other awards, he has won the Teaching with New Media Award at BC in 2009 and 2010, for innovation and technology on campus–for which he gives full credit to his wife. The interplay between husband and wife in the classroom is effortless and fluid–Carolyn runs the virtual side of the classroom, manages the class blog, organizes the TAs, and makes the tests. Peter called himself the “front man” and his wife the “front lady in the virtual,” or rather, “Mr. Real and Mrs. Virtual.” Together, the duo also has created a unique online project: Navigating Ac-
counting. A 20-year endeavor that is still in progress, navigatingaccouting.com is a “free portal for accounting educational content for global educators and learners.” This website is available to anyone around the world for free, and includes exercises and videos, organized by topic on the Financial Accounting course material. This website not only eliminates the need for a textbook for BC students (there is a link on the student’s syllabi directly to the assignments on the website), but also allows the people of the world, many of whom cannot afford textbooks, to be a part of an interactive learning forum. “There are just not enough chapters yet,” says Peter. “We are slow.” Eventually, however, the goal is for people to be able to use the website to teach their own classes. Carolyn and Peter stress the importance of being prepared for class–an idea one would assume is relevant only for a student. Catching up on reading and completing assignments is vital, yet it is just as important that the professor come to class engaged and prepared to foster learning. The classroom is truly balanced between student-run discussion and input from the Wilsons– mostly allowing students to discover, in the midst of their own words. Preparation is tangible in the Wilsons’ classroom–from conversations to the
meticulous use of technology. Perhaps the most advanced of the technology used is the Blackboard Vista for Financial Accounting. If a student misses a class or cares to review a certain part of a lecture, he or she can simply go to Blackboard and click on the precise minute they care to watch. On a snow day, Wilson simply recorded his class lecture for that day and posted it on Blackboard, which students could watch from the comfort of their own dormitory. Despite the facility with which students could easily skip class, considering the notes and audio of each day is posted online and easily accessible, attendance has not dropped. That is truly indicative of an intriguing class. “If you want a great class, you get out of the way,” says Peter, who views himself as the conductor of an orchestra in the classroom. “You’re kind of leading a jazz ensemble. There has to be music, but at some point you let them play. I usually don’t even have a right answer in mind.” It is through this free-flowing orchestral education method that Peter teaches so successfully: He listens to the music his students confidently produce. Peter compares teaching to a hierarchy of thinking–the first level includes things for which there is a correct answer. The second level includes responses that experts would disagree on, but, there are still good answers. The third and final level is the ability to ask the right questions–probing, creative, and innovative questions. The idea behind the website is to provide students with correct and direct answers in order to cultivate the intriguing questions for class discussions, those of the third hierarchy. Thus, a lot of the technical material is outsourced for the students to learn outside the classroom, where the classroom is a haven for advanced conversation. That’s where the fun comes in, says Peter. Peter stresses the importance of the students’ effort in coming in ready “to play.” According to Carolyn, half of the effort goes to developing content. The other half is about motivating students. Peter noted with a grin on his face, half out of pride and half out of respect, “In the classroom, the students will make a great class. That is the magic of teaching.” n
he said, she said I’m looking for a relationship, and I feel like I am just not going to find it going to Mod parties or Walsh every weekend. I am getting a little tired of the weekend scene, and don’t feel like I am actually going to meet someone this way, but it seems that this is my only option. Where else can I meet a nice guy at BC? I would agree that you’re not going to find that special someone while cramped into a Mod with 70 of your closest friends or while living it up in the splendor of Walsh, but that’s not to say you can’t find a relationship. There are a lot of people who complain about Boston College’s “hook-up culture” as if this is some phenomenon unique to Chestnut Hill, but even with the tendencies of college students, I think you can Alex Trautwig find what you’re looking for. It is entirely possible that you’ll meet someone while you’re out and about, and although less likely, perhaps the two of you would end up seeing each other, on purpose and with the intention of getting to know each other. Being involved on campus is also a great way to not only make friends, but also to potentially find someone of romantic interest. This could mean a club or volunteer organization on campus, so you’re guaranteed to have at least one thing in common with them, which is usually a good starting point for a relationship. Unfortunately, this, too, is not a surefire way to find someone that you’re compatible with on campus. In my opinion, the best thing you can do is just be open to meeting new people and not try and force anything, because you might end up convincing yourself someone is right, when really they’re not what you had in mind. If it’s meant to be, you’ll find yourself in a position to meet someone that you’ll be happy with. It might just take a little time.
Alex Trautwig is senior staff for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.
I completely understand how you feel and agree that it can be very frustrating when each weekend begins to be redundant. You shouldn’t be on the hunt for finding your future boyfriend every night you go out. I think people find a significant other when they least expect it. I agree with my counterpart that a great way to meet new people is through different clubs and groups on campus. If you find something you are interested in and get involved with it, Madeline Demoulas chances are you will meet people who share these same interests as you. You definitely shouldn’t feel that your only option for finding a man is in a party setting. There are so many things happening on and off campus each weekend. If you have friends who attend nearby universities, you should go visit them and meet people in their friend groups. There are so many college kids in Boston, so I encourage you to branch out a little. It is easy to feel as though you have to find a boyfriend in college, but that is not the case for many people. There are so many other places other than the college setting to meet someone. I know girls tend to get down on themselves if they don’t have a boy on the weekends, but don’t let that inhibit you from having fun with your friends. I think it is more important to find a good group of friends, and you will inevitably enrich your college experience. The more people you meet, the more you will expand your network, and I am sure you will find a guy compatible with you.
Madeline Demoulas is senior staff for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.
The Heights
Monday, February 27, 2012
How-To
B9
THE HEIGHTS THROUGHOUT THE CENTURY: FEBRUARY 27
Pull a perfect all-nighter
Taking a look back at significant events and issues covered by ‘The Heights’ from Februaries and Marches of the past Alexandra Schaeffer Asst. Features Editor
Therese Tully
Maggie
It’s the week before Spring Break and all of your semester coasting is catching up with you. Somehow you have a midterm in every single class to complete before you leave to go home, to go somewhere tropical, or to go to your service trip of choice. These midterms are all that stand between you and freedom—it is time to defeat them. So how will you catch up on many weeks’ worth of procrastinating and slacking off, you may ask? It is all about having a plan. One needs to stay confident in the face of distress and not get too frazzled. This can prove quite difficult, for me especially, but one only has to remember that worry is futile, it is a waste of time, and gets you nowhere. So step one is to make a plan. Actually knowing when all of your midterms and assignments are due is key. Ignoring them will not make them go away—trust me, I have tried. It is better to face these demons head on. Writing down on a calendar when each is due will help you figure it all out. Next, it is time to whip out the syllabus for each class and the books (Note: this is assuming you own the books already—if not …well, maybe they are in the Course Reserves?). The library outfit is of the greatest importance. You have permission in this sole moment of your Boston College career to look like complete garbage. No need to shower, put on makeup, brush your hair, or make yourself look relatively presentable. Comfort is of the utmost importance: sweatpants, socks, Uggs, sneakers, sweatshirts, and scarves are all good options. Think layers, you never know when a hot spell or cold flash will hit. Once dressed for success, haul yourself off to Bapst, O’Neill, or your study spot of choice. Choose your spot based off the caliber of the impending doom. Really in deep, deep trouble? Better go hide out in Bapst where even the rustling of your Cheez-It bag will garner deathly glares. In a less dire situation, perhaps? O’Neill or a study lounge should be sufficient. Once you have chosen the perfect location, it is all about the accoutrements. Headphones for optimizing your studying experience and listening to helpful YouTube videos you find, at least two coffees to begin with, and let’s be honest, you may have to resort to drinking the coffee from the vending machine on the first floor of O’Neill (it’s awful, don’t be fooled, but it will get the job done). Next, a few meals to get you through the all-nighter. Think sugar (it is your friend in weary times). Of course, you run the risk of becoming too exhausted in the library and sleeping through the midterm. In this case, your grade would take a serious hit, and would only lead to additional pressures on you for finals. And so the cycle continues. When will we learn not to cram?
S Illust
HEIGHT
/ Burdge ration
Therese Tully is Features Editor for The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.
Looking at the archives of The Heights revealed some interesting quirks about Boston College and its growth into the school it is today. After taking a look at the issues plaguing the school at this time of year, though, it is fairly evident that this is not an overly exciting time as far as dramatic historical events are concerned. Yet, the end of February/beginning of March editions of The Heights revealed a lot about what BC stands for as an institution, and how the students who make up this institution have, or haven’t, changed over the years. On Feb. 28, 1958, the campus was in an uproar—not only did the men’s basketball team defeat Holy Cross for the first time in six years, but they also received a coveted bid for the NCAA tournament in Madison Square Garden. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, can be found in the Feb. 26, 1962, issue of The Heights, where an ad for Old Spice shaving cream was featured prominently within the paper. As far as article content in this issue, there is an interview with a BC professor, Charles H. Savage, who just returned from a BC-sponsored trip to South America. The interview consisted mainly of questions about his experience there and his assessment of the current state of the continent, but he had an interesting quote about South American attitudes. “The high status of being a Castro-ite is on the wane. Now ‘the thing to be’ among students is a faction such as the Christian Socialists. Castro is no longer a rallying point,” he said. Historically, this is very interesting, as it represents the shift from viewing Castro as a good leader to the subtle decline into tyrant. Also in this issue, a front-page topic actually, is a photo capturing a soldier in full uniform falling down an outdoor stairwell. Titled “an unidentified soldier” in the brief caption under the picture, it seems that this unfortunate young man had been having multiple, public, and well-publicized, falls down stairwells lately that were apparently a huge topic of conversation for the school, as embarrassing as it was for him. Three years later, on Feb. 26, 1965, there was concern about an amendment in school policy. It seems that at the time, a rule for students was that they must partake in four religious retreats during their time at BC. An amendment to the rule was proposed, which would reduce the number to two. The school’s president believed this was an essential aspect of a Catholic education, but students apparently were less fond of it. Also in this issue was a significant female student backlash to a previously printed article about the BC girls. The male author commented on the typical BC girl, from her style of dress to her general attitude. In an uproar, the female students wrote defenses in the paper, one saying, “And the emphasis has been changed this year. We’re no longer husband hunters. Now we’re long-haired, boot-wearing, stereotyped prima donnas. At least it’s a new twist.” This male-written review of the female population was an annual ordeal, apparently. Most angry comments focused on the writer’s accusations that the girls all had “patterned stockings,” “long hair,” and “boots.” Five years later, on Mar. 3, 1970, BC released its plan to build a Lower Campus. Plans included a dorm for 550 students (with a $6 million estimated cost), a dining hall, an
infirmary, a parking garage, a central library, a fine arts complex, a theatre, a field house, a swimming pool, playfields, tennis courts, and future space for more expansion. From the model of the proposals pictured with the article, it’s clear that absolutely none of this came out as intended, with the possible exception of Alumni Stadium, which wasn’t even mentioned in the article. That said, who knows what the current 10-year plan will actually end up looking like. Commuter students took a hit five years later, when in the Feb. 24, 1975 issue, it was announced that the EPA would require the number of cars coming to BC on a daily basis to be reduced by 25 percent. Executive Vice President Frank Campanella was pessimistic about this new requirement, and was fighting it vehemently. This not only evidences the slow national awareness of environmental conservation, but also Campanella’s lack of concern for openly fighting environmentalism, something that would be a much more delicate issue these days. It was also at this time that BC was involved in a sex discrimination scandal. Professor Mary Daly of the theology department applied for a promotion and was denied—it became a very big deal, and her lawyers got involved. The official reason given for her promotion denial was “the nature of (her) work and the scholarship.” Apparently there were not enough footnotes on relevant topics in her book Beyond God the Father. Daly reportedly said, “This is a case of sex discrimination. It is a more intensified form of sexism, because it is sex discrimination against a feminist.” She stated that all the full professors in her department were men, the promotion committee was male, and she was a pro-women feminist. In response to this, students signed a petition, held a forum sponsored by the Committee on Women in Higher Education, and angrily wrote to The Heights about it. It was consuming the school at this point, and by 1979 had grown into a fully waged war between the BC administration and Daly, whom they were doing all they could to get rid of. She responded with defiance, calling BC “a tiny little ghetto where the University doesn’t even have an academic senate and where faculty rights are not protected at all. Here they can get away with the most blatant lies.” By the start of the next semester both she and the administration seemed prepared to bury the past and move forward, though. The increased enrollment in her classes due to the publicity was motivation enough. Later, in the beginning of the ’80s, Dining Services noticed that students were wasting over $76,000 in food annually, and an a la carte dining plan was proposed. A year later, in the Mar. 2, 1981, issue, it was reported that a group of Allston-Brighton residents were angrily opposing the construction of a high-rise luxury apartment building at 2000 Commonwealth Ave. Their fears were the potential parking overcrowding that would result from this, and the lack of gas available to support the growing neighborhood. Apparently these concerns weren’t strong enough to stop construction. Finally, in more recent history, seven years ago, excitement was abounding on Feb. 28, due to the recent upset of the men’s basketball team over eleventh-ranked UConn. Once again, some things never change. n
Campus Chronicles
Lenten resolutions can quickly turn into revelations Bridget Norris Though Boston College is no Bourbon Street, it’s safe to say there is something here for everyone during Mardi Gras. What could be better than a day that encourages overindulging in all of your favorite things? Some people embraced the infamous gold, purple, and green holiday as an excuse to put on a glittery mask and drink it down like it’s already the weekend. Others took a more literal approach to Fat Tuesday, avoiding the Plex like it was up in flames, and giving into every one of their sweet-tooth cravings. Corcoran Commons rang in the holiday in accordance with its lesser-known nickname, Pancake Tuesday, dubbing the past several days “Pancake Week” and offering made-toorder flapjacks filled with the fresh fruits and sweets of your choice. Whether it’s another round of shots, an extra Hillside cookie, or double-stack of blueberry pancakes, Mardi Gras lovers indulged while they still could. Because when the clock struck 12 on Tuesday night, the Lenten season began. As a Catholic college, BC’s campus has been buzzing with the question, “What are you giving up for Lent?” Last year, I took a risk in giving up meat for the entire Lenten season. They say college is a time to try something new, right? So I thought, why not try being a vegetarian? I figured, I can’t have meat on Fridays anyway, plus animals are awesome and maybe
I could save a couple of chickens’ lives Lent. Breaking this noxious habit could by putting my carnivorous ways on hold. have more beneficial effects than a just I lasted the entire season with only one clear conscience during the pre-Easter accidental slip-up (on Saint Patty’s Day, weeks. my roommate fed me a honey-mustard So, after a week of getting inspired by disguised chicken nugget from late night. other people’s commitments, I settled on Oops). my three Lenten sacrifices. The first thing This year, I wanted to switch it up, so to go: soda. A classic, I give it up every I did some research among friends to see year. Not much of a challenge anymore, as what everyone else was giving up. Most of I’ve learned to live without it. The second: my roommates are using Lent as motivachips. From Lay’s to Tostitos, I’ve recently tion for their Spring Break diets. Some managed to include these salty snacks into are giving up chocolate, but I doubt that at least one meal a day. Here’s hoping I will last long with the amount of Hershey substitute in a healthy option instead of Kisses and Swiss Miss in our room. Others something with similarly low nutritional are attempting to go without desserts, value. Third and finally, I’m giving up which is a recipe for corner cutting—does the most delicious food known to man: a Blow Pop count? One daring girl claims she’s sacrificing fried food, which should be relatively easy, until an off-campus party is unexpectedly broken up early and she’s trapped in the mozzarella-stick-filled confines of late night at Lower. Other people are using the Lenten season as incentive to break bad habits. Giving up swearing is a common theme around campus. Slightly unrealistic for this population of highly-stressed college students, but hey, it’s worth a shot. Other students are dedicated to deactivating their favorite social media website, such as Facebook or Twitter. With midterm season upon us, letting go of these procrastination-promoting sites is a fantastic way to boost study concentration and test graham beck / heights editor grades. Even more impressive are those Students indulge in sweet treats during Lent. who promise to cease smoking during
buffalo chicken. Six weeks without my favorite appetizer, sandwich ingredient, and pizza topping will undoubtedly be painful, but nonetheless I plan to be faithful to my voids. With all the Lenten buzz around campus, no one could forget Ash Wednesday. BC catered to Catholic students with a variety of mass times in a variety of chapels across campus. As expected, 5:30 p.m. mass was as packed as the third floor of O’Neill during finals week. Seeing everyone out of the usual classroom or weekend setting created a refreshing sense of community that’s hard to come by in a college with over 9,000 undergrads. During his homily, the priest gave some sound advice for the Lenten season. He explained people’s tendency to preplan and over-commit every second of their day, which we dedicated, driven, and involved BC students can relate to. He went on to ask that this Lent, we take time to savor the moment instead of rushing through so we can get as much done as one day will allow. As we push through 40 days and 40 nights without our favorite midnight snack or guilty pleasure, we should remember his advice. We only have four years at this beautiful institution, so we had better savor the moment. Bridget Norris is a contributer to The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.
School spirit and pride found in BC’s intramurals Intramurals, from B10 one marathon runner on the team’s phrase was “Sometimes I Run,” while a girl who rarely attended games was appropriated the quote “Sometimes I Hide.” In addition to their flashy uniforms complete with Britney quotes, they perform Britney sing-alongs before each half of every game, staying true to their team name and intense spirit. Under the surface of the loud and zealous rituals of Team Britney, is a team of extremely close girls. Intramurals serve as a way to unite students. The passion, energy, and dedication that comes with competative team sports forms a bond like no other. Four of the girls on the team even room together this year, and both LeClair and Fung noted that intramural sports have become a bonding experience for them—and a place where they have found many of their good friends. Rachel Rudder, CSON ’14, has joined the intramural program as well, in a much less competitive form. She plays dodgeball and soccer, two sports she picked up on a whim after seeing e-mails about them. Intramurals allow students this freedom to pick and choose and try lots of things. She and her roommates, along with a handful of their male friends, created their own dodgeball team. These teams are a great way for friends to spend time together, who would normally only see each other in class, or on weekend nights. Dodgeball rules require that there has to be at least three girls in the game at all times, but, admittedly, the male members carry the team. Taking a more humorous and fun route with the intramural program, Rudder’s team, “The Blazing Ballz,” sport red t-shirts, red bandanas, and clothing straight out of Space Jam. Their strategy includes intimidating competitors with ridiculous outfits and over-the-top cheers, as well as pregame chants and warm-up rituals. Ryan McGuill, A&S ’14, sees the intramural program from a much different perspective than many. McGuill began as a referee for basketball at the beginning of this semester. Perhaps his qualifications for the job are that he has played basketball his whole life and understands the rules very well. “However,” he said, “you’d be surprised how much more you need to know in order to be a referee. I was under the impression that just because I have played at an elevated level of basketball in the past, I would also make a good referee. What I have found is actually that I am still learning about the game of basketball, but in a more in-depth way than when I was a player.” McGuill noted that being a ref is really about setting the tone of the game. “I would say that basketball officiating involves the most varied level of human judgment out of any sport,” he said, given that everyone has a different perception of how it should be played, and further, how it should be officiated. “A big part about being a ref is just shrugging off the complaints and sticking with your gut. Human error is an unfortunate, but fundamental, part of the game of basketball, and in order to properly officiate, one needs to set aside any biases they may have and just admire the rules of the game,” he noted. An inevitable result of any competition is injury. McGuill reminisced on some of the most memorable moments he’s experienced on the court in his brief career as a ref so far. He once witnessed a kid lose both of his front teeth after taking an accidental elbow to the mouth. He has, however, also witnessed firsthand some inspiring moments on the court as well—such as a player who sent the game into overtime, proceeding to win on a buzzer-beater. Bryan Sun, manager of intramural sports at BC, noted the popularity of intramural sports at BC each year. Last year, 4,166 students participated in intramurals, each playing an average of two sports. Although this number fluctuates from year to year, it hovers around the same number. Field space is always an issue, considering how many sports teams at BC vie for field time. However, the program is always looking to expand, says Sun. Last year, they added the Newton Campus field for freshman soccer, and they are looking to expand their Brighton Campus facilities. To register, students simply enter bc.athleague.com, a website that has completely eliminated the need for the unproductive paper signup method. On this site, students can sign up as a team or join as a free agent, and see their team’s schedule and standings. The prizes for the winning team in the championship are tshirts and a mug—the same one given out since the 1970s. Intramurals are surely a field for competitiveness—the inevitable offspring of a Division I school so devoted to athletics. What BC DI sports lack in extreme school spirit, however, intramurals perhaps make up for in passion. Could intramural sports be the cure for the recurring problem of BC’s lack of spirit? If so, bring it on, Team Britney. This school could use some more of you. n
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Monday, February 7, 2011
Monday, February 27, 2012
College campus smoking still smolders The nicotine-fueled masses demand their fix Therese Tully Features Editor
Walking around Boston College’s beautiful campus, it is not hard to find some traces of litter that can tell us a lot about the students at BC. Most interestingly, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings, these things that were left behind are particularly illuminating of the night that was had. Whether they be a sad pile of fallen mozzarella sticks from Late Night, a crushed Natty can, or scattered cigarette butts, these all are little clues of the happenings on campus. Though the Natty and mozzarella sticks usually are only weekend indulgences, smoking is one habit that creeps into the everyday lives of many college students. Is it something that we notice, or even bat an eye at? Walking across campus, how many smokers do we see on a daily basis? The prevalence of smoking on BC’s campus is widely debated. According to Josh Dutton, A&S ’14, “I don’t think many people smoke on campus.” This seems to be a commonly-held belief. Students don’t often look at BC as a school filled with smokers. It’s just not a way they would categorize their undergraduate population. But it is something that calls for our attention. No one in our generation can claim that they have never heard that smoking is bad for them. There are tons of campaigns geared toward getting this message across to people, and revealing the gruesome diseases and health problems that can come along with this habit. So the question stands: Why, if we know how harmful smoking is, do college students still continue to light up? According to research done by the Harvard School of Public Health, one third of college students reported using tobacco products within the last four weeks, and half reported using them within the past year. What is it about the college atmosphere that seems to permit smoking? “I think that students smoke because they are stressed out and need it to relax and take the edge off,” Dutton says. This seems to be a common belief, and is supported by the fact that there seems to be a larger gathering of smokers outside of O’Neill Library than anywhere else on campus. The library, in the minds of students, is directly linked with stress, and it seems that students sometimes need to slip away from their books for a nicotine fix. Unfortunately, this all-toofamiliar scene poses larger problems than health concerns. The University ’s rules and regulations are
in conflict with these practices, though they seem to continue. According to University Librarian Thomas Wall, “We have had complaints about smoking at the Level Three entrance of the O’Neill Library. In response, we have posted some ‘No Smoking’ signs that are frequently ignored. Patrick Rombalski (Vice President of Student Affairs) has informed me about the 20-ft rule, but we have no means to enforce it.” According to policy, there is no smoking permitted inside BC buildings, or within 20 feet of them, something that Wall clearly struggles with at the library. There is a University smoking policy that dates back to August 2003, searchable on bc.edu that states, “Environmental Protection Agency underscored the health risks of secondhand, or passive, smoke by linking this type of smoke to 3,000 lung cancer deaths per year, and by classifying secondhand smoke as a Class A known human carcinogen. Smoking can also be a cause of annoyance, physical discomfort, and mental stress, particularly for those who suffer allergic or chronic reactions to smoke and other impurities in the air. The purpose of this policy is to provide reasonable protection to the health of all members of the Boston College community from the effects of tobacco smoke.” Wall has pursued different conversations in trying to deal with the problem of people smoking outside of the library doors, which can be a hazard to a passerby and others who have stepped outside the library to enjoy some fresh air or make a phone call. “I have referred the problem to others in the University Administration, suggesting we consider making BC a smoke-free campus. Many universities have taken this approach. To my surprise, I was recently informed that UGBC rejected the idea of a smoke-free campus. So I don’t know about next steps,” Wall said. It seems that the voice of the student body, UGBC, has decided that making B C
smoke-free is simply not an option. According to Dutton, “I don’t think it’s a major problem that needs to be addressed.” “I wouldn’t personally support the all-out ban, but smoke zones,” said Mike Kitlas, UGBC President and A&S ’12. “If students want to smoke, it’s their choice. They have that right, but having certain zones on campus where students can smoke would limit the effects on nonsmokers and would be the best sort of compromise.” University Health Services realizes the prevalence of smoking on campus, and has addressed this issue in its own way. They have a page dedicated to “Smoking Cessation,” complete with tips to quit or cut down, and contacts to reach for support about the process, if one should choose to go through it. Encouraging students to stay strong, the webpage proclaims, “Relapses occur most often in the first week. If this happens, don’t give up, tr y again!” Health Services
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Woogeon Kim/Heights photo Illustration
Bonn Studio’s alternative vibe enhances overall feel Darren Ranck
Senior Heights Staff The recent production of Lysistrata by the Boston College Theater Department caused a ripple throughout campus with its sold-out performance schedule. With people clamoring for tickets, one might wonder why the production wasn’t held in the spacious Robsham Theater, but the Bonn Studio has become a performance space that houses larger-than-life productions despite its smaller proportions. “The Bonn is a more flexible theater space in that it can produce shows in a seating arrangement other than a proscenium stage, like Robsham. The most significant difference between the two, though, is the intimacy with the audience in the Bonn. In Doubt and Lysistrata, for instance, actors were no more than three or four feet away from audience members in some circumstances,” said Tim Kopacz, A&S ’13, who has worked on the production crew of performances at Bonn Studio. The Bonn Studio sits just off the main lobby of Robsham Theater. It opened in 1981, which also marked the opening of Robsham Theater, with an inaugural production of Ulysses in Nighttown by famed Irish author James Joyce. The theater seats nearly 200 people, which does not even meet half of the seating offered by the 600-seat Robsham Theater. The space fulfills a number of different purposes, however. It houses two student-directed workshops each year, along with a faculty-directed show. Performance groups like BC Dramatics Society and BC Contemporary Theater use it for their yearly productions, and theater department classes also use the theater for exercises. During its
slower periods, shows for Robsham Theater will use the space to build sets for main stage shows. Its versatility makes it a particularly valuable facet of the theater program. Much of that versatility is found in the black box theater format. It became a widespread phenomenon in the ’70s with the rise of experimental theater, before it became a mainstay for plays and intimate theater experiences. The limited space for elaborate sets and intricate lighting systems made black box theaters a cheaper way to produce theater. The concept also began rebirth for guerilla theatre. Troupes of the 1970s used to create black box studios from recently vacated locations. Black box studios arose out of shuttered cafes and deserted warehouses. The practice emphasized the creativity and strong-willed attitude of the modern performer. Another beneficial aspect of the black box studio involves the plays themselves. Sometimes a play’s context can be so elaborate that the best space is one that feels unidentifiable. The typical black paint job gives the space anonymity, but also the potential to be classified as anywhere. Similarly, a show with particularly poignant themes can best promote those threads in a black box setting. The intimate feel of the small space, along with the sparse production, can yield a more emotionally resonant response. “The Bonn Theater is an extremely intimate space. A lot of the time, the audience is right in the action. This can be a blessing and a curse. While it can be a bit intimidating to be so close to your viewers, there is really nothing better than being able to experience an audience and work with them as you act,” said Deidre McCourt, A&S ’12, who has acted in productions both in Bonn and
i nside FE ATURES this issue
Student spirit thrives with intramurals Cathryn Woodruff Heights Editor
Kevin Hou/Heights Senior Staff
Bonn Studio offers student performers an intimate canvas on which to stage their shows. Robsham. “Working on both the Robsham mainstage and the Bonn, it’s hard to say which space is my favorite. However, the Bonn is a wonderful space for actors and audiences to experience theater.” “The Bonn, for an actor (especially in a realist drama such as Doubt or The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man In the Moon Marigolds), is difficult to play because every motion, every facial expression is valuable, because the audience will see everything. It takes a lot of focus to stay in the scene with your partner as well as ignore the audience members, who make more noise than you think,” Kopacz said. “The Robsham is difficult in the fact that it takes a lot of energy in order to both project one’s voice consistently, as well as move and maintain a stage presence—a single dropped beat or slip of focus can throw an entire sequence. On the whole, audiences tend to laugh when they can be anonymous, that is, when one can’t see who’s laughing, which means that, and this is by no
means exclusive, comedies tend to do better on the Robsham stage while dramas tend to do better in the Bonn.” Emotional charge has become what characterizes Bonn Studio performances. The past few years ushered in raw and thrilling productions. Some of the most staggering, such as the 2009 production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and this year’s The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, achieve greatness because of the Bonn Studio space. Sure, it may not hold as many people as Robsham Theater does, but the Bonn Studio can achieve something even greater with the right show and the right cast. Kopacz summed it up, saying, “I’ve worked more in the Bonn than I have on the main stage, but I can say that performing on one is no more or less difficult task than performing on the other. It’s like Sprite and 7-Up, same idea, but with different manifestations.” n
A Look at ‘The Heights’ Through the Century
Highlights from February and March editions of The Heights from the past reveal the ways Boston College has grown and evolved.........................................................................B9
Sporting tie-dyed shirts and fierce game faces, Team Britney Spears has a long-standing reputation as champions. “We’re super obnoxious,” admitted the captain of Team Britney, Kaysey Fung, A&S ’12. Fung joined Team Britney Spears her freshman year during “an amazing coming together,” in which many of the girls who didn’t make the club soccer team tried out for Team Britney, a women’s intramural soccer team. The team is apparently so famous that, when traveling in Ireland, Fung was asked by a stranger if she played intramural soccer at Boston College on Team Britney Spears. Although the probability of this occurrence is questionable, Team Britney’s success is not. They had not lost a game in three years, up until last fall—a painful memory for all on the team. “I have a lot of mugs,” Fung said proudly. “I even had to give one away to make room,” she added laughingly. Besides their unusual crop of talent, almost unheard of in intramural history, they also harbor rituals and team spirit unique to their team. Freshman year, all the girls made tie-dyed t-shirts for uniforms, with quotes from Britney Spears’ songs on the backs of the shirts, indicative of each girl’s personality. Their pregame cheer is a Spears’ song. Member Catherine LeClair, A&S ’12, noted that
See Intramurals, B9
Donahue’s Disciples...................B7 Campus Chronicles..........................B9