BC Twitters
no ‘doubts’
features
ARTS & rEVIEW
sports
From CheeChees to Boston College, popular twitters examined, B10
The parable proves that certainty is difficult to posses, A10
Eagles prepared to defend tournament title, B1
BEANPOT PREVIEW
Monday, February 6, 2012
Vol. XCIII, No. 6
Candidates elaborate on platforms and plans The Heights recently sat down with the candidates for UGBC president and vice president. For the rest of the interviews see page A4, and our website at www.bcheights.com. GOMEZ - WANANDI
Interview conducted by Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief The Heights: Why are you running? What made you decide to run? Vanessa Gomez: I decided to run because, from an experience standpoint, I think I’ve gained a lot of experience with administrators and with managing the budget. I’ve been able to look at the Senate, and this year I’ve been able to speak to the other presidents and vice presidents a lot about their branches in UGBC and what we can do to integrate them. I’ve gotten to know the entire organization, and I think I’d be able to give a lot to this community in
OSNATO - TAZIVA
Interview conducted by David Cote, News Editor The Heights: What motivated you to run for UGBC president and vice president? Chris Osnato: I know for me at least, I have a really big passion for BC. I love going wild at the football games, I’m front row in the end zone every single week with my face painted, going nuts. My passion for football here really flows over into my passion for everything else. I’ve been involved in UGBC, QSLC, my radio show, and I really have a passion for all things BC. I think that passion is really something that I want to see brought back to a lot of different things at BC
SEE OSNATO - TAZIVA, a4 UGBC a lot more to the student body and to make it an entity they feel they can rely on and go to. The Heights: What would you hope to accomplish? MS: Like Ben said, make the UGBC more representative of the student population as a whole, and also more real, more of a real governing body that deals with the big issues, and is focused on the main concerns, and addresses those issues with reason. The Heights: How would you go about implementing your ideas/what are your plans for the job? BD: Well definitely one thing is the issue forums. In order
Interview conducted by Molly LaPoint, Heights Editor The Heights: Why are you running? Mike Salerni: We’re running basically because we’re avid readers of The Heights and other media on campus and we see the editorials and the articles and the issues being brought up on campus and we feel that the UGBC should play a bigger and more fundamental role in addressing those issues. Ben Donovan: Essentially underlying our campaign is that we want the UGBC to be more connected to the people and our goal as potential vice president and president would be to bring the
SEE SALERNI - DONOVAN, a4
SULLIVAN - TONKOVICH
Interview conducted by Samantha Costanzo, Asst. News Editor The Heights: What’s on your platform? Conor Sullivan: Our slogan has been “including U in UGBC.” So like Dan says, after speaking with lots of student leaders on campus, and administrators, we really came together, reflected on our experiences, and decided that the most important part of our platform is including the undergraduate student body in student government. That means the undergraduate population as a whole, and the undergraduate as an individual. One of our biggest things that we want to do as soon as we get elected into office is advertise
Interview conducted by Andrew Millette, Assoc. News Editor The Heights: What first inspired you to run? Robert Veiga: We’ve been thinking about running since freshman year. One of our friends is in the UGBC Senate and has always kept us updated on everything going on and is always telling us that we should run. Now it’s our last chance, so we decided we had to do it. We’ve also just had a lot of ideas. In the past a lot of campaigning has just been looking at t-shirts and flyers and seeing what colors they are. A lot of people don’t really understand the issues, so we’re hoping we can get our ideas out there.
SEE GOMEZ - WANANDI, a4
other than just football games and Marathon Monday, and I think that passion should come from the undergraduate government. I think that’s what they’re there for, to be representatives for the undergraduates, and when you have a government that’s not exciting students, that’s not hosting things, there’s no reason that students should be excited themselves. It’s the UGBC’s responsibility to go out and instill passion in students and help them find what they want to do and what motivates them, and that energy and excitement that I bring to everything I do here at BC is why I decided to run. Kudzai Taziva: I’ve been involved with UGBC since freshman
SALERNI - DONOVAN
VEIGA - COLONNESE
that way. Jennifer Wanandi: My reasons for running were a little different. During my time at BC, the University’s changed a lot, and I think that my experience not only with culture clubs, but within the Cabinet itself, has been extremely beneficial to my understanding of the University. I just really felt that it was important for us two, and for me in particular because I’m so passionate about public service and representing those who don’t feel comfortable talking to administrators. That there is someone who’s going to tell the administration exactly what is going on with the study body, and
the Create your Own Directorship program and the UGBC Startup Fund. Right now in UGBC you can apply for a directorship that’s already established. And while UGBC is already established and really good at looking at students’ needs, there are a lot of passions that students have that aren’t really being addressed. It’s kind of hard for students to get involved right now, so what we’re saying is, if you have an idea, come to UGBC, and we’ll help you do it. Splash is the example that really came to mind. I was fortunate to get involved with UGBC through Splash. We started a program that got a lot of success and now it’s a successful RSO on campus,
SEE SULLIVAN - TONKOVICH, a4
Jeff Colonnese: A lot of ideas many people are campaigning on aren’t the important issues on campus. I’ve seen candidates talk about transparency a lot. Never once have I talked to a student who says, “I really wish I could see where the money goes and how much money is the president spending on this and that,” because no one is worried about them embezzling funds. No one is worried about them cheating the system, which is what transparency is really concerned about. If you’re running for national office then that’s a hot button issue. But for BC president? It’s not really a concern. The day-to-day quality of life elements are the parts of a campaign that will really
SEE VEIGA - COLONNESE, a4
Admins alert students of Belfast project Students on the Isles notified of legal case By David Cote News Editor
Due to recent developments in the Belfast Project, Richard Keeley, interim director of the Office of International Programs, and John King, director of public safety and chief of the BCPD, sent a letter dated Jan. 30 to Boston College students studying abroad in Ireland and England, cautioning them from overtly displaying BC paraphernalia during trips to sensitive areas in Northern Ireland, and informing them on the details of the case. The Irish media has been heavily covering the subpoena of the Belfast Project, an international legal drama that could threaten the delicate peace in Northern Ireland. Though participants signed contracts that promised them privacy “to the extent that American law allows,” project supervisors Ed Moloney, an Irish journalist, and Anthony McIntyre, a former IRA member, have been harshly critical of the University’s stance in international media. “While Boston College clearly informed the project director that confidentiality could be guaranteed only to the extent that American law allows, [Moloney] and one of his interviewers have chosen to attack the University in the media for complying with the government subpoenas,” the letter to students abroad read. “We wanted you, therefore, to be aware of the situation and to follow the same common sense guidelines that we recommend to all students who study abroad.” The letter went on to list several recommendations for BC students to follow while abroad on the British Isles. “Specifically, we suggest that you: avoid political discussions regarding Northern Ireland in public settings such as restaurants and pubs, avoid wearing clothing that overtly depicts American or Boston College logos during trips to sensitive areas such as Belfast,” the letter read. “Do not feel compelled to discuss the matter with those who may raise it. This case is a complex legal issue further complicated by the politics and history of Northern Ireland, and it is best to simply decline to discuss it.” University Spokesman Jack Dunn pointed out that letters to international
See Letter, A4
Offices at St. Thomas More moved to new Brighton campus building 2121 Comm. Ave. ready for occupants By Sara Doyle For The Heights
With the final touch-ups being made and the last of the new furniture being brought in, the newly renovated building at 2121 Commonwealth Avenue on the Brighton Campus is almost ready for the approximately 185 Boston College employees who will be moving in on Feb. 13. The new building will be the site of offices and conference rooms for University Advancement. One wing of the building is completely new, with two others being renovated in preparation for the move. Currently, University Advancement, which works with BC alumni, is located in St. Thomas More Hall, across from St. Ignatius Church. One of the long-term goals of the relocation is to use the site of the old University Advancement offices at More Hall in order to construct a new student residence hall. 2121 Commonwealth Avenue was
purchased from the Archdiocese of Boston in 2007 and had previously been a vacant building on the BC Brighton Campus. Built in the 1960s, the building had some safety issues that needed to be changed based on more current safety codes. The renovation will not only correct any health concerns, but also feature environmentally friendly changes such as energy efficient windows and new water conserving plumbing fixtures. The new building features a more modern style than most of the academic buildings at BC. According to Steve Connors, the construction project manager, this is something different from the typical interior design of most of the buildings on campus. “There are not a whole lot of buildings at BC that look like this,” Connors said. The new wing and the two renovated wings consist of three floors and a basement level. These floors feature a main atrium and spaces for business offices and conference rooms. “The whole process with the design is quite lengthy,” Connors said, “but the construction was just over a year.”
See Brighton, A4
daniel lee / heights editor
Approximately 800 students attended the ALC Ball Saturday night at the Copley Weston Hotel (above). 900 tickets were available for sale.
ALC Ball draws 800, event a success, organizers say Students attend dance at the Weston hotel By Joseph Pasquinelli Heights Staff
On Saturday evening, approximately 800 students gathered at the Copley Weston Hotel for the 16th Annual AHANA Leadership Council (ALC) Ball. Food from several different cultures represented in the acronym
was served, and students danced the night away to the bumping beats of a local DJ. For the first time, bussing service to the event was not offered due to a new policy instituted by the Student Programs Office (SPO). The policy was designed to curb student drinking before events, especially those that are T accessible. Bus service from the event was offered. Ronnette Seeney, co-director of ALC Programming and CSOM ’13, disagreed that not providing bussing would deter
students from drinking too much before an event. “We had a discussion when we were planning for the ball that [not bussing students] might not be the best bet, so that was a concern,” Seeney said. Visible hotel security, bag searches, pat downs, and two BCPD officers were employed to prevent students from consuming alcohol. Only a few students were found attempting to sneak alcohol into
See ALC Ball, A4
TopTHREE
The Heights
Monday, February 6, 2012
things to do on campus this week
.
1
Children and Conflict Today Time: 7 p.m. Location: Gasson 100
Ishmael Beah was drafted as a child soldier during Sierra Leone’s civil war in the mid 1990s. Today, he will speak about his experiences in the army and the abuses of human rights that happened during the war. Beah is also the author of A Long Way Gone, his memoir.
Fair Trade at BC and Beyond
2
Today Time: 5 p.m. Location: Yawkey Center
The kickoff event for BC’s first ever Fair Trade fair will feature free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and presentations by various on- and off-campus groups.
Film screening of the movie Trade
3
Wednesday Time: 8 p.m. Location: Higgins 300 Trade is a fictional account of a very real problem in our world today: sex trafficking. Sponsored by the AHANA Leadership Council as well as the AHANA Caucus and R.E.A.C.T.
the
University
In ws e N
Assoc. of Catholic Colleges and Universities counters healthcare law
On Campus Sloan Center on Aging and Work says staying active isn’t enough any more According to a study done by the Sloan Center on Aging and Work, merely being active and working does not have the health benefits that have been associated with it for years. The study shows that in reality, a high level of engagement — feeling challenged, dedicated, and happy as a result of the activity — is the key. The study surveyed people of all ages about four common activities: paid work, volunteerism, continuing education, and caregiving. Researchers involved in the study found very few differences in the well-being of people who were involved in a type of activity and that of people who had nothing to do with the activity. By contrast, those who were happy with what they were doing had much greater well-being. The study showed that while being engaged was beneficial to all age groups, the gap between people over age 65 who were active compared to those who were engaged was much bigger than any other age group, suggesting that a “working retirement” might actually be the best option for retirees, rather than a more traditional retirement.
Michael Galligan-Stierle, president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, is speaking out against the healthcare law that now requires all universities, including Roman Catholic ones, to cover government-approved forms of birth control in their insurance plans. “We view this law as an unconstitutional way to advance a noble goal, in this case, women’s health,” he said in an interview with The Chronicle of Higher Education. Galligan-Stierle said that as of now, the ACCU is considering three options: find a way to conscientiously comply with the law, which is unlikely to happen; ask Congress to reconsider; or file a lawsuit.
Local News Senate to consider passing law regarding safety of circus elephants On Feb. 13, the The Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development, part of the Massachusetts State Senate, will hold a hearing to discuss passage of a law that would require circus owners to refrain from using bullhooks and chains on their elephants. Opponents of the law claim that the tools are necessary for training the animals and that existing animal abuse laws already apply to elephants. Supporters of the law argue that bullhooks, which are sharp hooks inserted into the skin of elephants, are a dangerous form of abuse and should be banned as soon as possible.
Campus School seeks to become bigger part of BC life By Darren Ranck Heights Senior Staff
Alexandra Gaynor / Heights staff
The Campus School Volunteers of Boston College help students with special needs learn important skills. spreading awareness of the program and the Campus School to the greater community. “Campus School is part of BC, but a lot of people think it’s separate,” Perreault said. “We want to integrate it more into the campus and make more people aware of it and make students more aware of the volunteer opportunities, because even though we do have a ton of volunteers, it’s great whenever we have these special event parties if actual BC students could come and get
involved and see that there is this great school on campus that does these great things for students with special needs.” The organization boasts a wide array of events with volunteering opportunities, but perhaps the most popular and well-known of these events is the yearly Boston Marathon effort. With the Campus School’s status as a non-profit school, the student participation in the marathon serves as a fundraising effort to raise money for the
school. “I think we have over 300 BC students planning on running this year for the Campus School,” Perreault said. For students planning on running for the Campus School, there are certainly benefits. “The school brings in a nutritionist, they organize group runs, and put on other events, like a fitting with Marathon Sports for sneakers,” Perreault said. “We do the Mile 21, where Campus School students and their families cheer
the runners on.” A particular tradition keeps the runners’ goal in mind, though. “Students will wear a picture on their shirt with their Campus School student or their buddy on it.” While the marathon may be the most recognizable of the CSVBC’s programs, it is certainly not the only one. They host events for both the BC community and the Campus School students. Events include a broom hockey tournament and a golf tournament, which both serve to raise money for the Campus School, a number of holiday parties, and a Campus School semiformal. “It’s really great to see BC students go [to the semiformal],” Perreault said. “It’s really like prom for those s++tudents. It’s for the high school kids, so it’s really trying to allow them to have the whole high school experience.” The opportunities CSVBC offer provide a service to an often unrecognized community on the BC campus, but the volunteers agree the rewards are mutual. “I speak on behalf of everyone at the Campus School when I say you get so much more out of this than maybe even the student,” Perreault said. “You get such a feeling of joy and pride in what you’re doing. Seeing them laugh and seeing them smile is so rewarding." n
Police Blotter
Voices from the Dustbowl
2/1/12-2/3/12
“Would you rather be a Jetson or a Flintstone?”
Wednesday, February 1 11:39 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a party that was trapped in an elevator in O’Neill Library. The party was freed without incident and repairs were made. 11:41 p.m. - An officer filed a report on a past larceny of a laptop which had been left unsecured in a public lounge. Several hours after filing the larceny report the student contacted BCPD and stated that his laptop had been located and returned to him. 4:13 p.m. - Officers and EMTs provided assistance for an employee in Fulton Hall who was experiencing a severe nose bleed. The party was transported to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital by Armstrong Ambulance. 10:19 p.m. - A report was filed regarding found property in Conte Forum. The item was secured for safekeeping. 11:56 p.m. - An officer filed a report on an ill student at the Plex who was transported to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital by Armstrong Ambulance.
Thursday, February 2 6:08 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an ill party at Conte Forum who was
transported to a medical facility via a BCPD Police Cruiser.
“A Jetson, because they have all the conveniences of modern life.” —James Fox, A&S ’15
10:34 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation at 110 St. Thomas More Road. The cause of the alarm was a result of burnt cooking. The area was ventilated and the fire alarm system was reset.
Friday, February 3 12:04 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance. The matter will be investigated further. 1:56 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a physical altercation that took place on a Boston College bus while in the area of Cleveland Circle. Units responded and learned that both parties involved had fled the scene prior to their arrival. There was no information on either party other than a very basic description. A detective will review the on-board video camera. 4:08 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an intoxicated student of legal age who was unable to care for herself due to her level of intoxication. The student was transported to Boston College Health Services in a BCPD cruiser.
—Source: The Boston College Police Department
“A Jetson, because they have flying cars. —Nancy Stolze, LSOE ’14
49° Sunny 30°
Tuesday
44° Mostly Sunny 25°
Wednesday
37° Mostly Cloudy 28°
“I’d rather just be me!” — Michel Adjieodou,
44° Partly Cloudy 31°
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. “The Flintsones, because they’re old school.” —Michael Rudden, A&S ’15
A&S ’14
Today
Thursday
featured story
Despite its status as the smallest academic building on campus, the most learning happens within Campion Hall. Campion serves as home to the Campus School, a school for students ages three to 21 with special needs. The school operates outside of the Boston College administration, but it offers opportunities for BC students to honor the Jesuit motto of men and women for others through working with the students of the Campus School. The Campus School Volunteers of Boston College (CSVBC) hosts a number of yearly events to provide support to the Campus School. Composed of seven student committees, including committees for publications, the annual broom hockey tournament, literacy buddies, the Boston Marathon initiatives, special events, the a cappella group, and the Eagle Eyes effort, CSVBC bridges the gap between BC and the Campus School. “We [CSVBC] are the people behind the planning of the different events, and then there are the volunteers for the Campus School as a whole,” said Nici Perreault, a chair of publications and A&S ’14. With a new calendar year upon them, CSVBC plans on
Four Day Weather Forecast
CORRECTIONS Please send corrections to editor@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.
The Heights
Monday, February 6, 2012
Hop off of your Barstool
Joseph Pasquinelli No one has ever accused me of being a feminist, but it is certainly a label I would welcome. A feminist is simply someone who wants equality, nothing more and nothing less. There is a certain negative connotation attached to “feminist,” and most definitely a slew of derogatory terms for women and men who demand equal protection and treatment for all people. It does not take a feminist, though, to have qualms about rape and sexual assault. A threeyear-old could tell you that taking and touching something that does not belong to you is inappropriate, and, in some ways, that is just what sexual assault is. The difference, though, is that Little Johnny will one day laugh about his reaction to his mother taking away his teddy bear, but a victim of rape will not be able to laugh. Why, then, does El Presidente, Boston Barstool’s head editor and publisher, feel the urge to make light of the victimization of women who have had too much to drink or perhaps have worn jeans that are too tight? Perhaps the humor is an attempt, albeit a poor one, to cope with the atrocity that is sexual assault. Considering his other contributions to the site, such as Smokeshow of the Day and Guess that Ass, which promote the objectification of women that makes it possible for someone to degrade another human, it seems unlikely that his nonchalant humor is a coping mechanism. Maeve Kennedy Gormly, A&S ’12 and gender politics banter partner of mine, wrote a letter printed in last Thursday’s issue of The Heights. She called upon the student body to be responsible men and women for others by boycotting a Barstool event and instead attending Take Back the Night that evening. She is absolutely correct to ask us not to pour money into the coffers of a man who makes money off the victimization, or, at the very least, the satire of the victimization of women. But allow me to take this one or three steps further. El Prez, you should not be promoting this sort of behavior. Although it is most certainly not ideal, it is often men who have power in our world, and even more so men who have a following as large as yours. You have an obligation to model proper behavior to those who read your blog. I get it, though. I chuckled for about half a second before I asked myself, “Joe, what’s wrong with you?” My adolescent self got the better of me—but only for a moment. A good man has no business printing jokes about violence against women. El Prez, you are a grown man, and a married one at that. You have no business publishing objectifying images of women, allowing similarly minded adults and adolescents to suggest that rape will deter women from wearing clothing that does not fit, and then quipping about the way some men treat women who mistakenly chose to drink too much around men who have boundary issues. E l P re z , g ro w u p . B e a n adult. Young men who read El Prez’s blog, feel free to have the cheap laugh he provides, but when you go out, respect boundaries. You’ll be able to live with yourself in the morning, and you won’t end up a middle-aged creep living in a basement, publishing degrading pictures of co-eds. Boston College students, especially our genuine men—boycott BC Blackout and demonstrate solidarity with those who have been the victim of sexual violence at Take Back the Night on Mar. 28.
Joseph Pasquinelli is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at news@bcheights.com.
A3
Boston College won’t save on snow despite mild winter By Andrew Millette Assoc. News Editor
At this time last year, Chestnut Hill had experienced 77 inches of snow. This year, only eight inches have fallen. Cities across the northern United States learned their lesson from last year’s intense snowfall and greatly increased their snow removal budgets for this winter. They are now faced with the decision of what to do with all of the extra money that they will not have to spend due to the mild winter. Boston College, however, does not expect to have this problem. “We don’t have a budget to handle a year like last year,” said Regina Bellavia, associate director of grounds. “We start out with a budget every year that is based on averages. When we have a rare case like last year, I have to go back to the budget office and they pull from other
places to find the money that is needed to support our operations.” Bellavia’s budget is designed to handle 40 inches of snow. Despite having 32 inches left to work with this winter, she is not optimistic that she will go under budget. “This year, we’re on pace to be under budget; but that’s not my expectation with the whole month of February ahead of us,” Bellavia said. “If we did go under budget, the money would go back to the budget office and general funds and would then be given to an area of the budget that may be underfunded.” Though a good portion of the winter is over, Bellavia cannot be optimistic that she won’t spend the rest of her budget when even a minor storm is extremely costly for the University. “I would guess a two inch storm probably costs us $30,000,” Bellavia said.
Students from cold areas of the country may not think much of two inches of snow, but when the safety of students is at hand, Bellavia and her crews take all measures necessary to protect students. “We do whatever it takes to get the job done, to make sure BC is open and safe,” Bellavia said. “The students are the first priority. They go from their dorm to their dining hall, and then they go from the dining hall to the academic buildings. These areas must be cleared for them. Sometimes there will be an athletic event that will throw a wrench into our plans, but the areas where students most commonly go are the first priority.” Whenever Bellavia sends her first crews out to start shoveling, she knows she has started a lengthy process. “When you push snow to make piles, and then those piles freeze, maintenance can go on for three days in a row,”
she said. “Once you start the process, you really have to do the whole process. We would love to not clean the snow up when there has been a very small storm and not start this process, but slips and falls can occur anywhere. The safety of our students is our number one priority, and the University also wants to avoid any lawsuits due to injury.” The high cost of clearing up even a small storm is due to BC’s complicated geography and separate campuses. “We have 215 sets of stairs that all have to be shoveled by hand,” Bellavia said. “Our inhouse staff concentrates on all of the sidewalks, staircases, and the entrances to buildings. We have contractors for each of the three campuses who use their heavy equipment to clear the roadways and parking garages. We rent smaller equipment as well.” Bellavia’s job requires her to be flexible, and occasionally she
loses sleep. “Our strategy is always the same, but our planning changes,” she said. “It depends if it’s a weekday or a weekend, or if there’s an athletic event going on. We look at a bunch of different forecasts far ahead of time. Our staff comes in generally from 7:30 to 4, but if snow is expected to start at midnight, I have to let them go at 4 and tell them to be back here at 12. It’s a tricky process. I try to go to sleep at night knowing that there’s a plan and that we’re comfortable with the plan. Otherwise, I’ll be up all night looking out the window.” Many students only have one snow-based interest: snow days. The immense amount of effort Bellavia and her crews put into keeping the University safe and open makes school cancelations a rarity, but they do occasionally happen. What does it take for BC students to get a day off? “That’s an act of God,” Bellavia said. n
BC Celebrates Black History Month
Daniel Lee \ Heights Editor
A group of students take part in the “Corcoran Commons: Celebration of Soul Night: I Strive for Respect” celebration. BC Dining Services hosted the event that featured a DJ and soul food. Multiple Boston College student organizations were involved with the cultural event. This celebration was one of many BC has planned for Black History Month.
‘NRG’ Games begin charity: water kickoff event to on more visible note raise awareness for water shortages By Anson Petrick For The Heights On Jan. 30, the Office of Energy and Engineering began its second Energy Challenge. The “NRG” Games, the colloquial name of the challenge, pits the residence halls against each other to see which one reduces its energy consumption the most. “The ‘NRG’ Games competition is meant not only to lower electrical consumption but also to really get people thinking about how they use certain resources,” said Robert Pion, sustainability program director and one of the project’s lead organizers. Among the main goals of the fiveweek competition is to emphasize the need for energy conservation on campus. To achieve this goal, organizers hope to reduce the electricity consumption of residence halls in comparison to electricity use during the same time last year. “This year, we have a lot more organization behind [the competition] than in previous years,” said Meg Lister, EcoPledge President and A&S ’12 . We’ve been having ‘NRG’ Games since my freshman year, but this year there’s more visibility.” “Last year’s competition didn’t get off the ground,” Pion said. All of last year’s UGBC presidential candidates, however, promised more attention for the “NRG” Games in their platforms. The “NRG” Games have been getting particular attention due to the placement of promotional posters in all of the residence halls. Also, many students are spreading the word around campus. Groups of students have been appointed as Eco Reps and are assigned to encourage others of their respective residence communities to be aware of their energy consumption. These students work alongside resident advisors, who have been trained to help lower electricity use.
“At winter training, [Pion] came to speak to us about how to get people on our floor involved and how to conserve energy ourselves,” said Christian Helleberg, a resident advisor in Gonzaga Hall and WCAS ’12. “We went over the point of the ‘NRG’ Games during our floor meeting, and I posted about it on the bulletin board.” Students are encouraged to keep the lights off in their room and leave any electronics unplugged whenever possible.
“We’ve been having ‘NRG’ Games since my freshman year, but this year there’s more visibility. —Meg Lister, EcoPledge President and A&S ’12 As an incentive, there are weekly prizes for the residence hall that keeps its electrical use the lowest, and it will receive a plaque that the hall will keep for that given week. A grand prize will be given to the residence hall that uses the least amount of electricity for the five-week period. “The champions will get a pizza party, t-shirts, and they keep the plaque. We also want the Eco Rep for the winning community to wear the green mustache,” Pion said. The green mustache is a reference to the promotional posters of St. Ignatius and BC Band leaders sporting green mustaches in support of energy conservation. These posters are part of the energy campaign that has been advertised around campus for some time, and is responsible for the “NRG” Games. n
BC’s chapter of national organization will host first event this Wednesday By Brandon Stone For The Heights The non-profit organization charity: water was founded in 2006 with the goal of bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. This year marks the launch of Boston College’s own charity: water branch. BC charity: water will be holding its kickoff event next Wednesday, Feb. 8 in Gasson 100. Those who attend will enjoy food provided by Roggies, Cityside, Boloco, Bangkok Bistro, and performances by a cappella groups, including The Sharps. The event will take place from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. There will be no entrance fee, but suggested donations start at $20. Kimmi Vo, CSOM ’14, is responsible for bringing charity: water to BC. After attending World Youth Day in Spain, where she spent seven days hiking in high temperatures and rugged terrain, Vo came to appreciate the fundamental necessity of water and gained the motivation to bring charity: water to BC. C har ity : w ater work s by f unding water proje cts and technologies in schools, villages, medical centers, and hospitals throughout Latin America, subSaharan Africa, and Southeast Asia. Thus far, charity: water has helped over 2.5 million people without easy access to clean water. The facts are disturbing . Diseases from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation kill
more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. In Africa alone, people spend 40 billion hours every year just walking for water. A mother loses one of her children to a water-related illness about every 19 seconds, which adds up to
“I believe that once the student and faculty body is educated about the global water crisis and how it affects so many things, rather than just health, everyone will want to be part of the solution.” —Kimmi Vo, Founder of BC charity: water and CSOM ’14 4,500 children a day. BC charity: water is seeking to heighten awareness about the global shortage of water, and raise funds from the BC community to combat the dire situation. “I believe that once the student and faculty body is educated about the global water crisis and how it affects so many things, rather than just health, everyone will want to be a part of the solution,” Vo said.
Feb. 8 is a big day for BC charity: water, and not just because of the kickoff event. BC charity: water’s YouTube campaign video will be released on that day as well, and a prominent display will go up outside of Hillside Cafe. The display will be updated to mark how close BC charity: water is to reaching its goal of $20,000 in donations by March. Currently, donations have totaled about $4,000, but BC students will have plenty of opportunities to help. Students can donate online with a credit card at http://mycharitywater. org/bostoncollege-2012. Additionally, BC charity: water will be selling Boloco burritos in the Quad on Thursday, Feb. 9. BC charity: water is also raising funds through the Penny Pledge, in which a growing number of BC professors (as well as some students) have pledged to donate one penny for each dollar raised (hopefully $200 if the goal of $20,000 is met). More f undraising e vent s for BC charity: water include the BC South Asian Student Association’s (SASA) fair on Friday, Feb. 12 and a charity ball on Mar. 29. B C students should have plenty of opportunities to donate to this worthy cause, where just a little goes a long way. In fact, just a $20 donation is enough to provide someone with clean water for the rest of his or her life. As Matthew Quinn, A&S ’14 and a member of BC charity: water’s executive board said, “Boston College charity: water started as a small group of friends just trying to make a difference. But now it’s time to include the rest of our fellow students.” n
A4
The Heights
Monday, February 6, 2012
UGBC candidates solidify positions, emphasize priorities heading into primary week gomez - wanandi, from a1 how the students really feel about certain policies. I think my experience in Cabinet has been surreal. It’s been amazing—I’ve had such a great experience with all those that I’ve met, and I really hope to continue with a clear vision, and I think that’s why I’ve decided to run. The Heights: Is this something you’ve been working toward since freshman year or has it simply developed into a goal? VG: For me, I think it was something I thought about a little bit freshman year, but I think it’s definitely been my experience within UGBC that has brought this about, just because right now, throughout my entire time at BC, I’ve done Senate work way before I’ve done school work, and so clearly that’s the one thing I am passionate about at BC, and so it’s one thing I’d really like to take even more time with because of this passion. JW: I had no idea that I’d be sitting where I am right now ... at all. I think freshman year I always thought that once I got really involved with culture clubs that by my senior year, I would have been on an e-board for a culture club or on PULSE council or doing something that is completely unrelated to UGBC. I guess I was very lucky with the people I surrounded myself with freshman year, Cushing. We have a lot of great people that came out of Cushing, and they were kind of like, hey you should try this out. So, I guess it was a culmination of my experiences from the past three years that made me realize I actually do care about all of these things, and I think Vanessa and I have a very clear vision as to where we want to take the organization if we are able to have the opportunity to lead it. The Heights: What is your vision for next year? VG: One of the things that we would like to do more of next year is just facilitating conversations between UGBC and other RSOs because I feel like right now we’re viewed as this elite organization, and that’s not what we’re here for. We’re here for other students, and so before we do our budget over the summer it’d be very good to see what RSOs would like to see as far as programming, and maybe have our directors speak to them and really cooperate, not just have a transfer of funds, which is what is done a lot on campus nowadays, just because we ....
Osnato - taziva, from a1
salerni - donovan, from a1
sullivan - tonkovich, from a1
veiga - colonnese, from a1
year as a senator. I was in the cabinet sophomore year, and this year I’m director of PR for ALC, so I have a good perspective on how the organization works and functions. At the same time, I don’t think UGBC defines my experience here or who I am, and I think that’s important in the sense that a good government has a balance of people who are involved and dedicated to things going on in the government, and also people who are involved in other things outside UGBC and can pick up on what the campus climate is. Senators are elected individuals, and through my experience with that, I noticed I was well-connected with the student body, and I think that’s what we want to do with our campaign: connect everyone on campus, answer the needs of all students, and help students find their passion here at BC. UGBC puts on great events, but the turnout is questionable sometimes. It’s usually just UGBC kids, and during dorm walks, it’s really interesting to hear what people have to say. We want to increase collaboration with other organizations on campus because that’s a good way to get our name out as well as help those organizations with things like publicity and funding. The Heights: An important part of the campaign is your platform. Can you explain what your key platform points are and what you would accomplish if elected? CO: Our platform really lines up into two general ideas: the grander concepts from year to year and then actual steps we’re working on for next year. The undergraduate government gets a third of all student activities fees, and they’re supposed to put on events for the students. Every semester since I’ve been at BC there’s been a concert, and last semester that didn’t happen. I think that’s unacceptable. I really think the undergraduate government should be doing more things, but things like that that I know students want and that they have fun with, that’s something we’re working to bring back. I work in SPO so I’ve been along with the discussion they’ve had so far, and that’s something we’re definitely looking to bring back. While that’s more of a fun thing, the rest of our ideas are about building up students and building up passions. A lot of students come into BC with no idea what they want to study. We want to have a major ....
to really make sure that we know [their opinions], they’ll be open, a student wil pick a topic to discuss that night, for instance, like a recent issue that I read about in The Heights,smoking, for example. And we’d just have forum where students could come and be free to ask us questions, we would ask them to see what the student body feels, where they stand on particular issues, and in that sense, instead of just pretending we know what the student body was thinking or what we think they might want we’ll actually know what they want and how they feel about things MS: And these issue forums will be, to reiterate, about real issues. Not nonissues, they’ll focus on the big things on campus. We’re not talking about what TV station you want added to the BC cable program, we’re talking about the fact that BC might be compelled to distribute contraceptives. The second big thing would be our directorship. Power of the executive lies within the power to make appointments, and our plan is simple – just four new directorships, freshman, sophomore, junior, senior class. They would basically act as conduits and bring the student opinion right to us, report to us directly. The positions would be built up with esteem and respect. We want the best person possible in these appointments that is going to be able to get on the ground and see what the student population wants. The Heights: And how would you find people for those positions? MS: That’s something we would have to go about, as simple as putting up fliers up, like I said, building esteem for the position, really sell it, because it really is something that would be the most important part o f the executive cabinet. BD: Right, and in potentially interviewing people, we’d really want to make sure that these people are really in tune with their specific class, and the problems, the issues of their specific class. The Heights: What makes you qualified for the job? BD: One of the things that is a strength is that we’re outsiders to UGBC. We’re not really held by any of the red tape that other people are. We’re running because we’re focusing on the issues here. The campaign we’re running is purely substantive. We want people to elect ...
and it wouldn’t have been possible without UGBC. Now I want other students to have that opportunity. Dan Tonkovich: The undergraduate government has an immense amount of resources at their disposal, from the human capital side with people, from an experience in policy side, from a management side, from a financing side—all of the elements you need to run a successful program. When you come up with a new idea, you need that sponsorship, that full support behind you. That’s the confidence and reassurance that this program provides. You have that open avenue. You can apply and have the full support of a wellorganized group behind you CS: The other thing is, UGBC has arguably the best student leaders on campus. Why not let students that have these ideas get that mentorship of people who have already done it before? So you get that directorship, you get put into a department, now you have that support network to help you put out the idea. DT: We also have the Startup Fund, so when you have that new idea, that passion, we’ll have an allotted set of money to help you with it. It’s an open application, so you can either apply in the spring with the traditional application process or during the school year. We’re thinking a lot about the freshmen and sophomores that maybe didn’t get a chance to get involved. So what we’re saying is, if you’ve got an idea in October and you missed the deadline, you don’t have to wait. Apply now, and if it’s a good enough cause and it’s a good enough idea we’ll take you on right away. A common student grievance is that a student will meet with a faculty member and pitch a new idea, but the common response is, “You find the money and I will fully support you.” This gives them a forum where that financing is readily available. CS: One of our really big things is a program called Let’s Talk. Something that came up in conversations with students and other student leaders is that there are a lot of things that get discussed in small groups, like in residence halls, and there are a lot of RSOs set up to discuss certain issues, but there’s no public forum where students can say, “This is my view on this controversial topic, and I want to discuss this.” How we envision the program happening: we use O’Neill Plaza in ....
affect students. The Heights: What are your qualifications for the job? What skill sets have you developed that will allow you to be successful UGBC executives? RV: Right now I’m the treasurer of Real Foods. Jeff is on Real Foods too and we’ve both been event coordinators, so we have experience working with people and planning events. We also have experience handling money, which is a big part of being president, allocating different funds across the campus. Definitely too one of the aspects is teamwork. JC: One of the things that CSOM really teaches well is how to work well in a group setting. I think that we really have enough experience in being team players, knowing when to speak up and knowing when to let someone else take the lead. We also know when we have to stand up and take charge. RV: We can also present our ideas clearly. A lot of people have good ideas but if you don’t put them out there right then people won’t really listen. The Heights: What will your actual campaign be like? How do you plan to influence voters during this process? RV: We’re not buying t-shirts because we’re sticking to fiscal responsibility. We’re doing a lot of work on Facebook and we’re doing a lot of door-to-door campaigning, just going around campus and meeting people. JC: I’m sure we’ll get a banner because you have to play the game a little bit. RV: We really want to win this presidency based on our ideas and not really buying votes. JC: Kids are spending 400 bucks on t-shirts and you get 30 or 40 kids walking around everyday with these shirts. You see the color and you see a name, but did you ever meet that person? Do you even know what they’re running for? For most people the answer is no. They’ve seen whatever color all the time so they think those candidates are the best. They’re just the ones willing to spend the most money and they’re not really backing up their campaign with ideas. We’re just hoping that the word spreads on campus. Both of us have talked to a lot of people in the past couple days and they say that they’ve heard about us from one of their friends. So the word is catching on and we hope it continues to keep going. We said ....
READ THE REST OF EACH INTERVIEW ON OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.BCHEIGHTS.COM
ALC Ball highlights AHANA culture and unity ALC Ball, from A1
daniel lee / heights editor
The large sunlit atrium at 2121 Commonwealth Ave. welcomes visitors to the newly-renovated office building in Brighton.
2121 Commonwealth Ave. will host offices for 185 University Advancement employees Brighton, from A1 This renovation is part of several construction projects being performed at BC, including the work being done on Stokes Hall and the renovation of 10 Stone
Avenue. These projects are part of a mission at BC to continue to improve its academic excellence and foster an intellectual community, known as the Institutional Master Plan. BC adopted this plan in December of 2007 after
the event, and even fewer students were escorted from the ball after it had begun. A good deal of planning went into the ball, beginning last May when the Programming Department submitted their budget, and during the summer as they searched for venues to host the event. More formal planning of the event began after the boat cruise in September. The new bussing policy did impact the planning of the event, but the ALC was unable to adjust ticket prices to compensate for the lack of bus service. Seeney cited issues with the bussing company and poor communication between the administration and student groups for ticket prices remaining the same despite the removal of the service. “When we planned for the ball, it was back in May so we planned around the ticket being the same price of $25. We didn’t know about the bussing policy until November so there was no way to renegotiate things, especially since we already had a contract with the hotel and the bus company requires a four hour minimum,” Seeney said. “Our budget proposal came before the new policy. The BC administration needs to work more closely with student groups and organizations
so they can be aware of changes that will affect budget allocations and ticket prices.” Despite the minor hiccups that are anticipated while planning an event and selling only eight hundred of nine hundred available tickets, Gururaj Shan, ALC president and A&S ’12, considered the event a success. Seeney said the goal of the event was for students to come together as a community, dress up, and have fun. “Our mission is really just to support the AHANA community and also the bigger community at BC,” Seeney said. “We’re looking to bring the rest of the community together. We really are trying to create a community feel.” Students did indeed dress to impress, and enjoyed themselves at the event. Kelli McBee, A&S ’13, said, “I love getting dressed up and any excuse to put on a dress and heels.” Madi Tanzi, A&S ’14, was attending the event for the first time. “It’s fun to spend time with friends in a classy venue,” Tanzi said. There was also a somewhat political and cultural aspect to the event that was important to some students. Clifton James, CSOM ’12, expressed the importance of the event being hosted by the ALC but not limited to AHANA students. “It’s dedicated to AHANA students
but not only for AHANA students, and that’s a nice thing,” James said. Some students, though, did not believe that the fact that ALC hosted the event was particularly significant. Sudheer Akella, A&S ’12, was one of these students. “I’m here to have a good time,” Akella said. “This event is not any more significant than any other off-campus ball.” Whether students saw importance in the ALC hosting the event, or were present simply so they could dress up and dance, many students agreed that the event was the best way they could have spent their Saturday evening. Zane Crute, CSOM ’12, expressed surprise at how much fun he had. “I was shocked at the high quality of the event,” Crute said. “My expectations were very low because they didn’t sell out of tickets and the low quality of the boat cruise this year. I’m very glad that I gave the event a chance and was very impressed with how it turned out.” Maxine Cooper, CSOM ’14, also enjoyed the event and seeing BC students come together as a community. “I had a good time not only with the AHANA community but the BC community as a whole,” Cooper said. “It’s great that we can appreciate each other not only for our similarities but also for our differences.” n
several years of strategizing. This ten-year plan will cost approximately $1.6 billion in total, and consists of ideas for both moving BC into the 21st century and maintaining the history of the University. n
Letter gives students advice for trips to Ireland Brighton, from A1 students studying abroad in sensitive areas are not uncommon, and serve to alert students to conflicts they might not be aware of. For example, the University sent letters to students in Chile and Japan when earthquakes struck those nations, and in Egypt when nationwide protests against Hosni Mubarak were underway. “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 emphasized that the students studying abroad were not in danger, but that they should be aware of the difficult political situation in Ireland. “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.” In an e-mail, Keeley commented on the motivations of the letter. “Boston College students are rightly proud of the University and not reluctant to show their colors or voice their pride,” Keeley said. “Since we know that students on the continent travel widely and that the controversy wasn’t on the radar screen of most students, we thought it prudent to advise them to conduct themselves with discretion.” n
daniel lee / heights editor
Students danced the night away at the ALC Ball, hosted in Boston this past Saturday by the AHANA Leadership Council.
CLASSIFIEDS
The Heights
A5
Monday, February 6, 2012
Community Help wanted Have you thought about ADOPTION? Loving and devoted married couple hoping to adopt. We hope you will consider us in your options. To learn more, please call us toll-free at (877) 8413748, or visit our website www. roseanneandtim.com. Please be assured all conversations are held in strict confidence.
Study buddy needed. BC freshman looking for study companion for Literary Themes. Will take any available assistance, not particular. Open to help from freshmen to seniors. Inquiries may be sent to: jennlamonca@ yahoo.com
Used bicycle wanted. Mild to moderate use preferred. A bright paint color is desired. Willing to pay variable price but will also take it off your hands for free. Please contact carljones@yahoo.com if interested.
Check out the B-Line at theb-line.tumblr.com
Directions: The Sudoku is played over a 9x9 grid. In each row there are 9 slots, some of which are empty and need to be filled. Each row, column and 3x3 box should contain the numbers 1 to 9. You must follow these rules: 路 Number can appear only once in each row 路 Number can appear only once in each column 路 Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box 路 The number should appear only once on row, column or area.
92% OF WOMEN CARRY LIP PROTECTION. 10% OF WOMEN CARRY
HIV PROTECTION. .org American Foundation for AIDS Research
A6
The Heights
Editorials
QUOTE OF THE dAY
Barstool ‘rape’ comments inexcusable In light of the recent Barstool controversy, students should consider the hands they are feeding On the evening of Mar. 28, survivors of rape and sexual assault at Boston College will be speaking out about their experiences at Take Back the Night. Simultaneously, hundreds of BC students will be on their way to the Barstool Blackout Tour at the House of Blues, the proceeds of which will help fund the blog Barstool Sports–a blog that has said that some women “kind of deserve to be raped.” Since Barstool is a satirical website, some have said that this comment should not be taken as seriously as it has been. In fact, the men behind Barstool Sports are known for this kind of crude commentary. But, it’s all in good fun, right? Perhaps it is, until you realize that the blog degrades women and promotes negative discussion concerning rape culture. The Heights feels that although Barstool intended the comment to be in jest, it crossed a line. El Presidente may have been kidding, but the comment was tasteless and, if condoned, encourages the objectification of women. While we’re not telling students to skip the Barstool Blackout event–that
Monday, February 6, 2012
I define nothing. Not beauty, not patriotism. I take each thing as it is, without prior rules about what it should be. -Bob
Dylan (1941–), musician, songwriter, poet
decision is their own–we would like to remind students who they are giving their money to–in this case, a website that demeans women and reinforces sexual stereotypes. The Heights encourages students to think about this in the future and to consider, instead, ways to support those victims of rape and sexual assault on our campus. Due to several student reactions about the Barstool Blackout event and its scheduling on the same day as Take Back the Night, the Women’s Resource Center is organizing a student-led petition signing today in the Quad from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Heights urges students to join in this movement in support of sexual assault survivors and to pledge to lead by example, by not condoning Barstool’s behavior. Some students are shocked at what Barstool has been able to get away with, especially when the site posts comments such as, “Even though I never condone rape, if you’re a size 6 and you’re wearing skinny jeans, you kind of deserve to be raped right?” The use of rape as humor normalizes the idea of the act. Laughter is acceptance.
Black History Month is educational for all February is a month to celebrate black heritage and attend BC-related events This past week in Corcoran Commons, many students were taken by surprise when they came in looking for dinner and found special cuisine, musical entertainment, and a performance by Sexual Chocolate. However, word of mouth quickly let students know that this was the debut event for Black History Month. The Heights would like to commend the festive spirit of the event, and recommend that students take advantage of all of the academic, artistic, and
cultural events that the Black History Month planning committee, together with AHANA Student Programs, is putting on to celebrate black heritage. The only downside to the event is that it was not highly publicized, thus many students who would have been interested in attending may have missed it simply by accident. With publicity about this month’s activities, all members of the Boston College community can take part in these important celebrations.
Belfast letter necessary for those abroad Jan. 30 letter leaves students studying in the UK and Ireland better informed In a letter dated Jan. 30, University administrators informed students studying abroad in Ireland and England about the ongoing legal drama surrounding the Belfast Project, and gave students recommendations to follow while abroad in an area with high political tensions. The Heights feels that the Universi-
“Now that they have received the letter, students are better-informed, and can be prepared to decline to comment on the subject if approached.” ty made the right decision in informing students about the Belfast Project and its associated legal problems. Many students abroad are unaware of the case’s complexities, and would be very surprised if approached unexpectedly, and perhaps angrily, by someone referring to the case. Now that they have received the
letter, students are better informed, a n d c a n b e p re p a re d to d e cl i n e to comment on the subject if approached. Though many may have been caught off guard by the letter from administrators, it is far better for them to be caught off guard by the letter than by an angry Irish national, accusing the school of betraying the interests of Irish citizens. On a separate note, The Heights applauds the University for fighting the subpoenas while simultaneously respecting the enterprise of oral history and the memory of Jean McConville, whose murder was mentioned in as many as seven of the 24 Belfast Project tapes . Asking Judge William Young to review the tapes and choose which were most pertinent to the investigation was the best way to protect the interests of those who gave interviews while assisting the investigation into McConville’s murder. It would have been wrong for the University to destroy the tapes if they could help end a murder investigation, and it would have been nearly as wrong to release the tapes without discretion. In this case, the middle ground was the best course of action.
The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Ottaunick, General Manager Lindsay Grossman, Managing Editor
Contributors:
Mary Kate McAdams/ Heights Illustration
Letters to the Editor Fair Share Alliance wants Boston College students Tough economic times lead to innovation. Industries are forced to adapt or die off, and whether they do or not can mean the gain or loss of countless jobs. The burgeoning alternative energy field provides both the opportunity for increased employment and a cleaner America. It’s not often that two goals can be achieved with one effort, but Boston College students who want to work to make a positive impact on both the environment and in the state of Massachusetts’ economy should head to Gasson 310 this Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m., to the Fair Share Alliance kickoff meeting. Fair Share Alliance is a nationwide organization dedicated to the preservation of fair opportunities for American citizens. Through grassroots, community-based efforts, Fair Share’s goal is to provide a fair shot at anyone willing to work hard and play by the rules. This year, the organization is open-
ing up an office in Newton to raise awareness about the renewal of the Federal Production Tax Credit for Wind Energy. The tax credits allow wind energy companies to keep electricity rates affordable by reducing costs by 90 percent, which has led to 10 million homes’ worth of energy—zero carbon emissions, zero gallons of water used. The PTC is designated to expire at the end of 2012, and its removal from the budget would stall growth in the American wind energy sector. If the tax credits are allowed to expire, the industry will suffer a huge blow as investments and innovation are smothered by rising costs. This lack of funding would translate to the loss of thousands of jobs—electricians, welders, construction workers, etc. Indeed, layoffs have already begun as investors hesitate due to the threat of expiration. The renewal of the tax credit is vital to the continued growth of the American wind en-
Church should not deny basic healthcare rights As I read the articles in The Heights about the healthcare reform that requires nonprofit organizations (regardless of religious affiliation) to provide insurance coverage of contraceptives to employees, I felt there was a rather large elephant in the room. Why is the Catholic Church anti-women’s health? Why is the health of women who work or attend Catholic universities not as important as the health of everyone else in this country? Why should these women not have the same rights to affordable health care? There is a seemingly obvious answer to these questions: the Church preaches the sanctity of human life and contraception is an unnatural way of preventing life. But, as we know now from the BCSSH Executive Board, contra-
ceptives contribute to healthier women and healthier babies. Is this not something the Church values? We also know that 98 percent of sexually active Catholic women have used contraceptives. Do women really want to be part of an institution that condemns their way of life and denies their access to reproductive health services? Contraceptives are also used by people who are not sexually active for medical reasons unrelated to pregnancy prevention. Catholic institutions do not always follow social teachings so closely. Boston College is not an anti-capitalist institution even though a few Popes and many Church officials have condemned capitalism as an unjust system. American capitalism is a system in which politics and economics
The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 200 words and column submissions that do not exceed 700 words for its op/ed pages. The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and to prevent libel. The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces submitted
are controlled by the interests of a very small part of the population while a great number of Americans suffer and have little political power. Regardless, institutions with religious (Catholic/Jesuit) affiliation, including Boston College, decide to exist in this type of society and encourage capitalistic values among students. And even so, these universities refuse to budge on the issue of reproductive health. To me, this says that money trumps health, and this is sickening. As to the constitutional defense, if freedom of religion now means the freedom to deny basic health care rights, we need to take the time to seriously reevaluate the values of our country. Katherine Boyle A&S’14
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 Daniel Lee, Photo Editor Maggie Burdge, Layout Editor
ergy industry, and BC students are in a unique place to help ensure that growth. Massachusetts senator Scott Brown is one of a few swing voters in an increasingly polarized Senate, and his support is necessary. Massachusetts Fair Share’s goal, then, is to raise awareness for the PTC and build grassroots support to lobby Senator Brown. The Alliance is looking for interns and volunteers to help bring this issue to the attention of the Newton community. To reach its goal of a PTC renewal, the organization needs students to help with community efforts, the building of coalitions with other environmental groups, and promotion of the cause through local media. Putting people back to work while helping the expansion of clean energy technology—it’s an easy cause to support. Robert Balint A&S ’13
Woogeon Kim, Graphics Editor Katie McClurg, Online Manager Michelle Tomassi, Assoc. Copy Editor Chris Grimaldi, Asst. Copy Editor Andrew Millette, Assoc. News Editor Sam 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 6, 2012
A7
Opinions
Kardashian Triple-Double
Thumbs Up Lower Unemployment- The U.S. Labor Department announced that unemployment is at its lowest point since February 2009. There is hope everyone! Now we just have to deal with the whole preeminent collapse of Europe. And the growing nuclear prowess of Iran. And the end of the world 2012. Then we’re totally good. Super Bowl- Nothing quite says “Amurica” like the Super Bowl. The rest of the world can blab about soccer all they want, but give us a game of helmet crunching and brute force any day. Not to mention the food—buffalo wings, beer, seven layer dip, and $26 Super Bowl cake from BC Dining services that because of its price must have chocolate-gold frosting. Right? Beanpot- Anyone who rem e m b e rs Ji m my Haye s ’ t h r i l l i n g ove r t i m e go a l against Northeastern knows this is not an event to be missed. The Eagles are working for their third straight Beanpot title at TD Garden starting on Monday, and we all know that the third time’s the charm. Here’s to a (hopeful) hockey dynasty.
CJ Gustafson For decades, the social circles of athletes have overlapped with those of music and film stars. A baseball player may work under the lights of Fenway Park, and a female pop star may earn her living under the lights of a crowdfilled concert arena, but despite their professions, they can find similarities in their respective limelights. Babe Ruth was known to hang out with Manhattan socialites, rubbing his elbows and oversized biceps with the city’s elite. While they sipped martinis, he chugged cases of beer. Joe DiMaggio ran the bases with Marilyn Monroe. The Kardashians have dated enough athletes to fill most fantasy rosters. But more recently, it appears the rich-lationship, one in which wealthy celebrities bond over where and what they spend their money on, has evolved to a whole different level. I’m no longer specifically referring to monogamous relationships between certain male and female celebrities. Bromances between actors/singers and athletes litter headlines. Spike Lee is a pioneer of the richlationship. He literally believes he is the New York Knicks’ sixth man. At every home game, the film director is on his feet nearly as often as the players on the court. ESPN did a documentary on Reggie Miller and the Pacers defeating the Knicks in spectacular fashion in the 1994 NBA playoffs. Besides Miller, Lee, who was heckling from the first row, was the other central person of focus in the documentary. Miller and Lee had a nearly identical volume of commentary, even though Lee simply purchased a
Brian Palumbo
Punxsutawney Phil- Three straight weeks of weather in the mid 40s and this groundhog has the guts to tell us that we’ve got six more weeks of winter? Not to claim we’re smarter than an oversized rodent (we’ve gotten some nasty Letters to the Editor lately so we’re not taking any chances), but we’ve got global warming on our side. Spring, here we come! Bon Iver- Although Bon Iver is known for their laid back sound, their refusal to play at the Grammys is anything but. According to their front man, they did not want to perform because they didn’t like the fact they had to collaborate with other artists and not play their own music. Sounds pretty divaish to us.
Follow us on twitter @BCTUTD.
equally petite rap buddy Lil Romeo, son of Master P, was dropped from the USC basketball team after one season. Growing up, rapper Nelly actually had an opportunity to play professional baseball, instead choosing to pursue a career in hip-hop. In rare fashion, he scored the athlete/musician/actor triple play by performing on the soundtrack and acting the part of a running back in The Longest Yard. This yearning to have one foot on the stage and one on the court is perhaps best demonstrated by the following relationship. Rapper Drake texts his friend Lebron James before each Miami Heat game, “Tonight is your night.” The two have been known to paint the city
red, running up bar tabs that could pay the mortgage on Mary Ann’s hours before last call. Drake explains, “I always let him know that it’s his night. Let’s get it, let’s go out there with a clear mind and forget all the other stuff going on and just stay focused on the task. That ring .…” I’m a bit confused. Does Drake get a lot of playing time? Is Drake even from Miami? What’s the weather in Toronto like at this time of year? I’m not opposed to famous people hanging out with other famous people. They don’t tell me who to hang out with at a Mod party, so why should I care what clubs their American Express Black Card-carrying-posses attend? What does frustrate me however is the modern state of ESPN and the larger world of sports media. As a child, I would wake up each morning, pour a bowl of cereal, and flip on the TV to be mesmerized by highlight reels from the night before. SportsCenter still features homeruns and dunks, but has taken on a split personality, at times characterizing US Weekly and People Magazine. Kris Humphries can barely make a layup, but gets coverage on a sports network because he was featured on the Entertainment Network. Jack Nicholson, known as “Uncle Jack” to the L.A. Lakers players, is always shown on the sideline, and Lil Wayne was documented partying with the Mavericks on the night they defeated his so-called favorite team for an NBA title. But sports, movies, and music do not necessarily have the same audiences. Grammy artists may introduce ESPY winners, but besides these award nights, I go to ESPN for a particular blend of news. Just as my mom doesn’t look for news on Super Bowl matchups in her magazines, I’m not looking for tabloid coverage at halftime. CJ Gustafson is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
Beyond awareness
Thumbs Down
Gingrich blasting the elitesTU/TD would first like to apologize about always posting a thumbs down about Gingrich. He’s just like a roommate’s nasty cough, reoccurring, never ending, and always there when you’re trying to sleep or watch Modern Family. Anyway, he recently blasted the “elites” in Manhattan who live in high rises and ride the subway. The New York Subway System as elitist? Pretty sure last time I rode that thing a homeless man peed on a seat next to us and then said we’d make beautiful babies together. So one percent we can’t even handle it.
ticket. Maybe it’s because athletes wish they could leap to stages with microphones and movie cameras, and actors and singers dream they possessed a jump shot. As for athletes, Shaquille O’Neal made his crossover to acting in the 1996 film Kazaam, playing a seven-foot-something genie that is released from a mysterious boom box. Former Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown has starred in and directed over 30 movies. Boxer Roy Jones Jr. established a record label and has since released songs with multiple gangster rappers. On the other side of the coin, overrated and undersized rapper Lil Bow Wow has appeared in a host of NBA Celebrity All-Star games, and his
This past Sunday, the Super Bowl was preceded on Boston College campus by the induction of selected students to BC’s oldest and most prestigious honor society, the Cross and Order Society. Before this weekend, I had never heard of this high honor bestowed onto students, and the only reason I eventually did was because of the induction of some close friends. As I learned at the ceremony, the Cross and Crown honors students who have excelled both in the classroom and in service. The service done by the Cross and Crown members is the service St. Ignatius of Loyola preached when he started the Society of Jesus and lived by the words, “men and women for others.” The students selected are exactly these people. Dean Quigley, the master of ceremonies, declared these students the cream of the crop of BC for living in the ideals of the Jesuits. That statement is completely objective. It is not a hypothesis or opinion, it is a fact. The point I want to make lies in the speech given by Chief Marshal of the 2012 Cross and Crown Class, Dan Kennedy, BC ’12. Most students at BC will experience service in their four years on the Heights. How they will carry it with them? That is a question only individuals can answer for themselves, but I feel it needs to be addressed for everyone who has done work through PULSE, gone on a trip through the Volunteer and Service Learning Center, and experienced every other form of service at BC. In his speech,
Bazoomie Wagon
Kennedy concluded by emphasizing the last meditation of St. Ignatius, in which Ignatius basically says to express love in action not words, or as Kennedy preferred, “stirring love through actions.” I think that translation can place an emphasis on the micro level of action and interactions within the experiences of each BC student. I also think that in these trips and experiences, it is easy to lose sight of the one-on-one experience and affix one’s self on “setting the world aflame.” This recently happened to me after returning from my winter break immersion trip. I was frustrated that our program preached
a message that was unobtainable and unrealistic, but it took until Kennedy’s speech to once again put this trip in perspective. We did not go on the trip to “set the world aflame” or to change the structure of the globe. We went to learn and raise awareness amongst ourselves, while attempting to live in solidarity with the people of
BY BEN VADNAL
the trip. We were “stirring love with action.” In my eyes, solidarity and the stirring of love became synonymous in that speech. The message I struggled with, and that remains hard to accept, was how were we even coming close to solidarity by going to a foreign country for a little over a week and hearing people talk? Now, though, I think the solidarity or stirring that we strived to reach, was or, could become, a product of our awareness. Our action was awareness and the learning of people’s stories. The action was not protesting and somehow influencing some large change in the world, but rather the small instances of interaction and acknowledgement. I could be missing Kennedy’s point by my application of his speech to my limited personal service, being that I am not the most active member in the service community, but I have a feeling it kind of works. I think the last five minutes of Kennedy’s speech can apply to the undergraduates who have done service and are frustrated at everything, similar to my frustration three weeks ago. Maybe it will bring them back as it has for me. Nonetheless, the ceremony was beautiful, and the reception leftovers provided the platters for our Super Bowl. I hope it is my naivete not knowing about the Cross and Crown Society rather that poor advertisement, because there were a lot of impressive people honored on Sunday afternoon. Both speakers, including Sarah Ross, a history professor, were awesome, and I apparently had a small revelation. It was incredible to see close friends get honored for their achievements, especially when I know how passionate they are about service. Brian Palumbo is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
A Twist to Title IX
Kameron Bain Any rational person would agree that when it comes to college sports, men’s and women’s sports (and their athletes) should be treated equally. Title IX, passed in 1972, states that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance....” However, is Title IX really that equal? By simply looking at the amount of men’s and women’s varsity teams here at Boston College, we can begin to see some discrepancy in the true “equality” of Title IX. The reason behind this lopsided amount of varsity teams — thirteen men’s teams versus sixteen women’s teams — is football. NCAA Division I football teams give out 63 athletic scholarships. When assessing the revenue that college football programs bring to a school in comparison to any other sport, however, we see that football programs deserve all 63 scholarships and then some. Take our rival Notre Dame for example. Notre Dame football finished with an 8-5 record, and with that record, a whopping $64 million in revenue for the school. After expenses are taken out of that amount, Notre Dame made over $34 million in profit thanks to its football team. No other sports, male or female, can come anywhere close to making that kind of money for their school. Yet, despite the monetary gains from having a football team at a university, it detracts from other men’s sports as a result of Title IX. BC has a women’s varsity volleyball, rowing, and lacrosse teams, but no men’s varsity teams in these sports. Instead, the men’s teams for these sports are at the club level. The logic behind this ostensibly unfair representation is the result of athletic programs desperately trying to make up for the 63 scholarships offered to football, an only male sport. So because of Title IX, as long as a school has a football team, they will be unable to support men’s programs in smaller, less well-known sports. Not only is the lack of varsity programs unfair due to Title IX, but so too are the distribution of scholarships. By looking at schools that have both a male and female varsity volleyball and water polo team, we can recognize that this system does not make sense. Division I men’s volleyball teams are allowed to give 4.5 scholarships per team, whereas women’s volleyball teams are given 12 scholarships per team. Division I water polo teams face the same issue, with men’s teams allotted 4.5 scholarships and women’s teams 8. Why should the same sport, with the same amount of players, be given different amounts of athletic scholarships simply based on gender? I am not some male chauvinistic activist (I actually take more interest in following the USA women’s soccer team than the men’s team), but I do not see a reasonable answer to this question other than that Title IX was ignorantly passed without looking at the effects it would have for all sports, both male and female. As evidence from the Notre Dame football example shows, a football team supports itself economically. For this reason, a change should be made to the Title IX system— it should stay the same, but exclude football from the equation. If Title IX was amended to do so, BC (and all other D1 athletic programs) could support the same number of men’s and women’s varsity teams, as well as restructure the athletic scholarships to make sure both men’s and women’s teams receive the same amount of scholarships for the same sport. This amendment would kill two birds with one stone, bringing new men’s varsity programs such as lacrosse and rowing to BC, as well as providing more scholarships for the men’s teams already in existence. The idea of Title IX is entirely valid, but so too was the concept of affirmative action. The University of Michigan case in 2003 decided that affirmative action was not indeed necessary. Like affirmative action, Title IX is a great idea for the past that no longer positively impacts college sports. We do not need to do away with Title IX, but schools must challenge the status quo and demand for true “equality,” which would come by removing football from the Title IX equation. Kameron Bain is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
The Heights
A8
Monday, February, 6, 2012
Radcliffe rushes to rewarding conclusion in ‘Woman’ By Carolina Del Busto For The Heights
The Woman in Black tells the story of a small town that has the misfortune of being haunted by—you guessed it—the ghost of a woman dressed in black. When she was alive, the townspeople took her son away, and now her revenge entails taking away all of their chilThe Woman In Black: dren. When th e l aw y e r Arthur Kipps James Watkins UK Film Council ( R a d c l i f f e ) goes into town to put some paperwork in order, she strikes again. The film opens with three young girls playing tea with their dolls, when all of a sudden they appear to be hypnotized and simultaneously walk toward the window and jump out. Like many other horror films, for example Nightmare on Elm Street, the children are the ones paying for their parents’ mistakes. But who exactly is the woman in black? We all know who Freddy is and why he goes knife-happy, yet there’s not much to be said about this woman. The only information comes halfway through the movie, when
B-
Arthur is shifting through some paperwork in the old house. He finds some angry letters that briefly explain what happened inside the house and why the woman would be haunting the town. Arthur’s wife lost her life during childbirth, and throughout the film he is haunted by an image of her dressed in her white wedding gown. The ghost of Mrs. Kipps, all in white, is a stark contrast to the ghost of the woman dressed all in black. For this particular type of scary story, there was very little development. The characters’ relationships were briefly touched upon, the whole story with the actual woman in black and her relationship to the town was summarized in one sentence in a letter, and every other element was just condensed—which was not a good thing. It was not until the middle of the film when the story started to get interesting: the first 45 minutes were wasted. The filmmakers were probably trying to keep everything under 90 minutes, but even just adding 30 minutes would have made quite a difference in this film. I use the term “scary story” lightly, because The Woman in Black was more of a thrill than a scare. Some scenes created tension in the
audience, but it was soon relieved by a shadowy figure in the background. The scare factor heavily employed the element of surprise, or the overdone pop-up sequence. One second he is looking right, then the music starts up, and when he looks left … pop! It will make you jump, gasp, and maybe even scream, but it won’t scare you as much as thrill you. The ending, however, will come out of nowhere, like a speeding train. The aesthetics of the film, though, were very much what you would expect of a thriller set in the early 1900s—the setting, clothes, and scenery all added to the mood of the film, and the soundtrack really helped to add to the little scare. In his first post-Harry Potter film, Radcliffe shows audiences and fans alike that he can do more than just cast spells and save the Wizarding World. It may be strange to see Radcliffe not wearing glasses, and acting alone without his usual sidekicks, but once a leading man, always a leading man. There is no denying that Radcliffe carries the picture perfectly, although it is a bit difficult to believe that he’s a widow and has a four-year-old child. Luckily, there are less than a handful of scenes where he has to interact with either his son or the ghost of his
Barrymore flops ‘Big’ in this whale of a tale
Courtesy of allmoviephoto.com
Radcliffe saves the day in the initially hurried, but ultimately enjoyable, ‘Woman in Black.’ wife. Although Radcliffe is all grown up in this role, he is still quite the hero. The main reason I would recommend this film is to get a chance to see Radcliffe in something other than Harry Potter. He is a talented actor, and he proves this by saving The Woman in Black. CBS Films, Crosscreek Pictures, and Hammer Films have been advertising the film as “too scary to see alone” and using the phrases
“haunting,” “terrifying,” and “don’t watch it alone” in TV spots. The truth is, that is all wasted hype. The Woman in Black should not even be considered a horror film—“thriller” is the more appropriate genre. For those who enjoy all types of scary movies, The Woman in Black is a fresh choice amidst all the typical romantic comedies coming out this month. n
Box Office Report title
weekend gross
weeks in release
3 photos courtesy of allmoviephoto.com
1. Chronicle
22.2
1
2. The woman in black
21.0
1
3. The Grey
9.5
2
Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com
Not even Drew Barrymore can save ‘Big Miracle’ from falling apart into an over-emotional, swampy mess, complete with cheesy CGI effects. By Nathan Rossi For The Heights
Very few movies about whales have made their mark on pop culture history. In fact, only the Free Willy film series has had a remarkable impact. Simply put, whales are incapable Big miracle: of carrying mov ie s , in Ken Kwapis Universal Pictures the way that dogs , cats , or even penguins can. For this reason, in Big Miracle, director Ken Kwapis smartly chooses to focus his movie mostly on the humans involved in a whale rescue, rather than the whales themselves. Unfortunately, in this case, the humans are just as uninteresting as the whales. The Office’s John Krasinski stars as Adam Carlson, a news reporter for a station in Anchorage, Alaska, who is waiting for his big break while reporting on public interest stories. His career has seemingly hit rock bottom when he’s reporting on the opening of a Mexican restaurant in Barrow, Alaska, one of the northernmost towns in the world. Set to return to Anchorage, Adam decides to do one last story in Barrow, about snowmobiling. While shooting footage of snowmobilers in action, he catches the spout on a gray whale coming up through a hole in the ice for air. Startled,
B+ D
Adam takes a look and discovers a family of three trapped whales. His report on the story soon becomes national news, and a rescue mission begins. The person behind the rescue mission is Rachel Kramer (Drew Barrymore), head of Greenpeace. Rachel is determined to save the whales and will stop at nothing to ensure their escape. Along the way, she manages to anger a long list of people, including Alaskan governor Haskell (Stephen Root) and oil company CEO Liam Peterson (Ted Danson). The plot may sound like your typical cheesy family film, but trust me, it is much worse. Not only does the screenplay suffer from a number of horrible cliches, but also the acting is just terrible. Barrymore takes a page out of her own life and brings crazy to a whole new level as the head of Greenpeace. Instead of portraying a woman passionate about animals, Barrymore comes off as a woman who is mentally unstable and on the edge of a serious emotional breakdown. Really, watching her spiral closer and closer to insanity is the only entertaining aspect of the film. Kristen Bell is also uniquely horrible in the movie. Her desperate news reporter Jill Jerard is way over the top. I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself every time her character attempted to sound empowering and smart, because each time it came off as fake and shrill. Even Krasinski, who has
proven his acting chops on The Office, falls flat in his role. Of course, the real problem is that both Bell and Krasinski weren’t given much to work with. The biggest flaw of the movie is the screenplay, which is literally sleep-inducing. The dialogue fails to bring any sense of drama or urgency to the film. There’s no charm or wit to be found, either. Basically, the screenplay is both uninteresting and uninspiring. Furthermore, the whales themselves, which were created using a mixture of CGI and animatronics, are unimaginative and fake-looking. Animatronics were used in the scenes where the whales came up to the surface for water. However, instead of being cute, the animatronics were creepy. The CGI, used in scenes when the whales are fully immersed in the ocean, is better, but still comes off as a little cartoonish. The only things that keeps Big Miracle from being a total failure are its political undertones. The whales represent the Earth and all of nature’s beauty. The message, although draped in cliches, is simple: humans are not the only inhabitants of this planet, and it’s important that we fight to save the Earth’s natural wonders. We do this, not for the benefit of us, but for the benefit of all living creatures. It’s an important message, but it’s one that deserves to be told in a much better movie than Big Miracle.n
6
8
4. Big miracle
8.5
1
5. Underworld: awakening
5.6
3
6. One For the money
5.3
2
7. Red tails
5.0
2
8. the descendants
4.6
12
9. mAN ON A LEDGE
4.5
2
10. eXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE 3.9
7
bestsellers of hardcover fiction 1. Taken Robert Crais 2. Private: #1 Suspect James Patterson 3. The Girl Who Kicked The hornet’s nest Stieg Larsson 4. Believing the lie Elizabeth George 5. Death comes to pemberley P. D. James
6. 11/22/63 Stephen King 7. The litigators John Grisham 8. Raylan Elmore Leonard 9. Death of kings Bernard Cornwell 10. Darker after midnight Lara Adrian SOURCE: Publisher’s Weekly
Telekinetic teens blast competition aside in ‘Chronicle’ By Miika Groden For The Heights
As another attempt at the “found film” genre, Chronicle is a unique twist on the classic superpowers-type movie. The film revolves around Seattle suburbs teenager Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan), who begins documenting his life with a high quality camera. Andrew’s mother is dying of a lung Chronicle: disease and his father is Josh Trank Davis a drunk who Entertainment beats him constantly, which leads Andrew to be a very troubled and introverted kid. Through his camera, we are introduced to his cousin Matt (Alex Russell), and high school overachiever Steve (Michael B. Jordan). At a barn rave, the three teenagers discover a glowing orb in an underground tunnel, which explodes with a massive reaction. After that night, the three boys learn they have the ability to move anything with their minds as a sort of Matilda type telekinesis. The “found footage” or amateur video genre can be very tricky, and is definitely a hit-or-miss style of film. Some movies, like The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal
A-
Activity, were able to make it work, but others, like Cloverfield, just succeeded in making people very nauseous. Due to the nature of the story, the amateur video is actually pretty impressive. The camera that Andrew is filming with throughout the movie is a high quality camera, which helps make the filming style less severe. Because Andrew and his friends have the power to make objects move with their
The camera that Andrew is filming with throughout the movie is a high quality camera, which helps make the filming style less severe on the eyes ... The compilation of the different film mediums helps it seem more like a story than just a video. minds, the camera is often meant to be floating around them when they are just talking. These revolving shots offset some of the more shaky parts when there is a lot of action. The majority of the film comes
from Andrew’s camera, but other parts of the story are done through different cameras in the story. The audience can see the story through any recording device, other angles provided by people who are filming around him, news cameras, cellphones, and security cameras. The compilation of the different film mediums help it seem more like a story than just a video. The entire movie was extremely interesting and could only be described as “really cool.” The amateur-style footage makes the short 84-minute film look like the most amazing YouTube video ever. After they gain their powers, most of their time is spent learning and trying new things they can do with their new powers. All of the things that they were able to do, like building Legos without touching them, or moving parked cars, look so incredibly real because of extremely well done special effects. The movie also does not follow the Cloverfield style of not showing the crazy stuff that is happening in order to create a mystery. This is because Andrew tries throughout the movie to make a beautiful film rather than just trying to get something on tape. The film’s plot is minimal, but powerful because of the realistic ways their discovery is portrayed. After they gain their powers, which they decided to keep a secret, the
three teenagers are inseparable as they try all sorts of stunts. Every fantasy involved in telekinesis is documented throughout the story, and the acting of the three teenagers really adds to the amateur footage concept. Throughout the whole movie, there was nothing done by the actors that pointed to a Hollywood movie. The acting was very impressive and really sold the whole candid
concept of the film. There was a bit of slightly confusing psychology jargon involved in the story, which was somewhat strange, but they didn’t focus too much on that in the story. The movie was definitely not your average superpowers or shaky camera film and is worth checking out, if even for the cinematic value alone. n
Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com
Michael B. Jordan and other small-time actors make ‘Chronicle’ a truly believable story.
A9
Monday, February 6, 2012
The Heights
Mannequin returns to HOB Mannequin, from A10
Sara davey / heights staff
Performing songs like “Dream On” and even Robyn’s dance track “Dancing On My Own,” both groups showed a cohesive comraderie.
“Holiday From Real,” as the entire crowd screamed its infamous chorus in unison. When McMahon left his piano bench for the song “Bloodshot,” the energy was just as high, and during the song “Spinning,” a catchy, pop track with an irresistible hook, everyone couldn’t help but jump and dance along. Such performances clearly allowed McMahon to demonstrate his ability to rev up an audience, but other songs that he played were poignant and emotional and touched the audience’s hearts. The song “Lullaby,” for example, a simple, beautiful song, gave McMahon the opportunity to reveal his vulnerability to fans and to relate to them in a sincere, personal way. He also played the single “Swim” off The Glass Passenger, a powerful, encouraging song about “swimming for brighter days, despite the absence of sun.” One of the most touching performances of the evening, though, was when the band played “Hey, Hey, Hey (We’re All Gonna Die).” Perhaps because it was one of the most difficult songs for McMahon to write it was incredibly emotional
to see him play it live. As the crowd sang along to McMahon’s gentle, crooning voice, it was almost as if everyone had become just a little bit closer. After 90 minutes of nonstop piano rock, the band left the stage, leaving the audience to beg and plead for an encore. McMahon, being his ever generous and kind self, returned alone and sat in front of the crowd. He continued by thanking Boston from the bottom of his heart for making everything possible, and he explained that they had included all of the songs that they were going to play as an encore in the set. Because this was the largest stop on the tour, however, he promised three more. For the diehard fans, he played “Dark Blue” and “La La Lie,” basic set list requirements of any Jack’s concert, and refreshingly, he chose to perform the acoustic song “Restless Dream,” which was a lovely way to end the night. There are few bands that consistently put on an amazing show, but Jack’s Mannequin never ceases to please, and McMahon, with his relatable lyrics, musical talent, and gentle spirit, does so—all from behind his piano. n
MUSIC MAKES THE WORLD GO Stix and Stones, from A10 the song definitely added to the overall force of the arrangement. A rendition of Robyn’s song, “Dancing On My Own,” followed. Not only did they harmonize impeccably and hit every note in the song, but they even choreographed several dance moves, as they broke out of their a cappella huddle and into a line, moving in sync. Elliot Smith, A&S ’14, of The Acoustics, soloed next. The group did a commanding interpretation of old-time classic “Dream On” by Aerosmith. Smith took control of the song with his fairly raspy voice, but truly amazed the audience with his high-pitched falsetto. As the song progressed, built, and neared the end, Smith’s voice became even more impressive, and he proved his mastery of a wide vocal range to a crowd of applauding fans. When The Bostonians accompanied The Acoustics once again for Taylor
Swift favorite, “Mine,” the audience couldn’t help but sing along with soloist Michelle Meyer, CSOM ’12. Her voice was sweet and fit the song perfectly. The next performer, Erin McKenna of The Bostonians, A&S ’12, sang a rather different kind of song, which, nevertheless, fit her vocal style just as well as the song before had suited Meyer’s. McKenna’s smooth and sensual voice sounded flawless with their arrangement of Feist’s version of “Limit to Your Love.” The highlight of the show was easily when Joe Nicholson, A&S ’12, and the rest of The Bostonians did “All of the Lights,” by Kanye West. Flashing strobe lights and loud beatboxing added to its overall intensity. The harmonies based on Rihanna’s part in the original version of the song accompanied Nicholson’s seemless rapping and created an excellent contrast. The Acoustics performed another well-known classic next: “Who Are You,” by The Who. Fronted by Robby Vogel,
A&S ’12, The Acoustics once again pleased the audience with their take on the familiar CSI theme song. Keeping the energy up, they performed “You and I,” by Lady Gaga. Monica Wright, A&S ’14, conquered the song with her soulful, smooth voice, as every note was backed by incredible power and range. To close the show, The Bostonians and The Acoustics shared the mics again, as Gabriel Shirley, A&S ’12 and member of The Bostonians, led the two a cappella groups in singing the song “Bullet and a Target,” by Citizen Cope. Together, they demonstrated their accomplished skills one more time as they stomped, clapped, and harmonized, forcing the crowd to nod along with the irresistible rhythm. They ended Stix & Stones on a high note, and they left everyone in Gasson wanting more. Though the performance was only an hour long, students certainly would have been willing to sit longer for this amazing merge of talents. n
Lisa Czech / for the heights
Andrew McMahon bounced back from disease and promptly hit the road with the band again.
McCourt leads a strong cast in a thought-provoking performance ‘Doubt’ more than lived up to strong audience expectations thanks to wonderful costumes and acting ‘Doubt’, from A10
Kevin Hou / Heights senior staff
Tim Kopacz portrays Father Flynn, a priest suspected of illicit goings on with a student.
the audience and truly stay in character throughout was one of the best features of the performance and was not limited to Kopacz. Sister James’ character, played by Kasey Brown (A&S ’12), offered a stark contrast to the harsh and rigid Sister Aloysius, with her naive innocence and idealism. Brown remained in character throughout the performance—even when not the focus of a scene, her facial expressions and mannerisms were true to her character, and welcoming warmth could be truly felt from her tone. Nzinga Williams A&S ’12, who played Mrs. Muller, the mother of the young boy, also portrayed her role realistically and strikingly, and did it so convincingly that the audience somehow started to believe something so uncanny: that she could possibly not care about the rumors of misconduct about her son. McCourt gave a wonderful performance as Sister Aloysius. Not only did she stay true to her character throughout, but she was also able to
portray such strikingly different sides of the character: the rigid and straightforward, spitfire of a nun, and, at the very end of the play, the unsure, emotionally drained, questioning woman faced with dealing with the reality of her decisions. After watching Streep play the same role in the film Doubt, I truly felt that McCourt did the part a great justice. The set was staged aesthetically, but realistically, which added to the intensity of the performance. One set allowed the audience a view of Sister Aloysius’ office from the inside, which presented extreme detail, from the photographs of the pope and President John F. Kennedy right alongside one another to the effect of what seemed to be water damage to the upper walls of the office. Another set was staged in the garden, which, as the mood of the play became more tense and ominous, featured the spooky sound effects of the howling wind and cawing crows to amplify the dark and foreboding tone. These scenes were truly eerie and chilling, and oftentimes felt like a horror scene of sorts. What
was truly breathtaking, even before the start of the play, was the stained glass piece hanging above the stage itself. The light bounced off these colors beautifully, and this piece acted as a source of vivid color amidst the dreary and muted tones of the rest of the set. The costumes, which included mostly vestments, were unquestionably authentic, and even the Sunday-best ’60s pillbox hat and skirt-suit of Williams, the only character who wasn’t wearing vestments during the play, was true to the setting of the performance. An interesting choice for the BC theatre department, given the recent child sexual abuse scandals within the church, Doubt: A Parable was a wonderful rendition of the play that had the audience captivated from the first moment of Father Flynn questioning, “What do you do when you’re not sure?” which set the stage for the rest of the story to unfold. This was an amazing example of the theatre department performing a truly fantastic play just as brilliantly as it was written. n
The ability to stream videos online is both inviting and annoying Joe Allen As recently as three years ago, I would spend an hour driving to the local Blockbuster with friends, argue over which one movie to rent and watch that night. If we were lucky, our friend with the Netflix DVD service would have a delivered movie that wasn’t completely out of left field (Without a Paddle, anyone?). Once a movie decision had been reached, there was no turning back. Now, we have Netflix Instantly, and everything has changed. I more often use the only remaining Blockbuster near my house to buy a box of Snow Caps than to check out the New Release racks. One week ago, Reed Hastings, the chief executive at Netflix, declared that “[they] expect DVD subscribers to decline each quarter forever.” The 2011 days of optimism for the company’s disc-delivery service seem far off after the disastrous Qwikster service, and the ever-increasing amount of content available to “watch instantly” via a wirelesscapable device certainly doesn’t help the fate of on-hand DVD’s. When this rapid conversion from disc-to-digital-media began, it seemed like a childhood dream of mine had
come true. For less than 10 dollars a month, I could watch unlimited hours of media from a vast collection of movies and television shows. My days of wrestling someone at the library for a season of How I Met Your Mother were over. Catching up on my television shows and brushing up on my B-movie knowledge online in three-hour chunks, life was good. The common line anytime my friends and I flipped on Netflix was “Who needs DVDs anyway?” Two years since I began this online revelry, I’m realizing that there is enough silver lining surrounding the Netflix “Watch Instantly” service to fashion into a cross and slay vampires with (okay, Netflix has every season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I can’t help myself ). As it turns out, there might be too much of this hypothetically great thing. First off, watching Netflix with other people often makes only one person happy. Unlike the days of single-movie rentals, when the lack of other options eliminated prolonged grumbling, Netflix contains so many different titles that everyone will inevitably have a different preference. With my family, I always suggest WALL-E, but as others blurt out films like Three Days of the Condor, Arthur, and The Swan Princess, my PIXAR
craving is never satisfied. Usually, choosing a movie on Netflix involves increasingly vicious arguing until we all grow tired and watch a re-run of The Office, or something equally crowd-pleasing. But even The Office grows less satisfying once you begin thinking of how many other shows Netflix offers that you would rather be watching. Of course, Netflix’s vast library becomes a lot more inviting when I’m
alone and able to choose my own program–a bit too inviting, which brings me back to my fifteen-year-late obsession with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Over Christmas break, I spent a week indoors, too sick to do anything. Did I take this time to be a social and productive member of my house? I did, until I wandered onto Netflix and found the Buffy pilot. After that, I created a sick bay in my basement and spent my days cough-
Courtesy of google.com
“I can’t help myself. As it turns out, there might be too much of this hypothetically great thing.”
ing and living adventurously through Sarah Michelle Gellar. I became more dependent on my television that week than I did on Advil. All to say, Netflix’s seemingly unending catalogue of television shows can completely halt productivity and become more addicting than anything else on the Internet. There’s a reason that its “Instantly Streaming” service pulls in almost a quarter of all Internet traffic. To me, the most aggravating part of this would-be TV paradise is that it takes me away from my favorite form of art: movies. Netflix’s movie selection is everything that its television catalogue is not: it’s abysmal. For every classic the service has, there are 10 movies that no one has ever heard of, such as Titanic 2. A movie night on Netflix grounds any hopes of finding “the perfect film,” and often ends with settling for something disappointing. With all these hidden problems with the service piling up, we can only hope that its flaws are ironed out before DVDs become completely obsolete.
Joe Allen is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at arts@ bcheights.com.
A10
arts&review Monday, February 6, 2012
An Eye on Culture
DOUBT: A PARABLe
Eric Clapton is a true icon Taylor Cavallo By the end of this article, I promise I will have you saying, “I wish I was Pattie Boyd,” and “Eric Clapton and I are more similar than I thought!” As unlikely as it is that these phrases might come out of your mouth, take my word for it, male and female readers, you do in fact wish you were Boyd and that you shared things with the legendary musician. Any time “Layla” by Derek & the Dominos comes up on shuffle, I’m never disappointed. It’s one of those classic songs that will never get old. It’s one of those songs I remember listening to as a kid with my parents, and it was one of the first songs on my old-school green iPod mini. (Warning: If you’ve never heard this song, put down this paper slowly whilst hanging your head in shame, and make your way to the nearest computer, listen to the song, and then pretend that whole ordeal never happened, because it is a song that should certainly be known). Back to what I was saying. “Layla” is seven minutes in heaven, if you will, of pure, musical genius with lyrical simplicity that flirts with the lines of pop perfection (really, it’s 7:05). With Eric Clapton wailing out the name “Layla” relentlessly throughout the song, one can’t help but wonder who this fantastic abstraction of a woman is. That woman is none other than Pattie Boyd. Don’t worry, one of the best love songs ever written has a debatably juicer and more dramatically romantic backstory. Clapton wrote “Layla” about a woman named Pattie Boyd who was married to George Harrison (some people get it all, right?). Clapton and Harrison had a beautiful friendship based on a love for music and an appreciation of each other’s genius. Clapton contributed some ideas and work to Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and Harrison co-wrote and played on the Cream hit “Badge” under a pseudonym. While this was all happening, Clapton was harboring a love for his co-worker, fellow legendary musician, and friend’s wife. Who can’t relate? We can’t help who we love. Sometimes things just happen. We’ve all been there. Sucks to like your best friend’s girl. So, in typical guitarist fashion, Clapton started writing. He named the song after a Persian poem about a woman who gets married off, while the man who is desperately in love with her is left by the wayside to watch her be with someone else. So, being the casual and relatable man he is, just like you and me, Clapton went to a party. And, of course, Murphy’s Law: George and Pattie were there. Everyone hates it when that happens, when the two people you don’t want to see (but kind of still want to see), the couple that turns your stomach from lovesickness, are, of course, at the party you’re at, cramping your style, ruining your drink, your dance moves, and your overall happiness that night. At this party, according to the one and only Pattie herself, Clapton stole her away for a minute, played “Layla” for the first time for an audience, and finally confessed to Harrison that he was in love with his darling wife. We’ve all been there: getting a little loose-lipped at a party isn’t new for anyone, although there isn’t much serenading going on at parties on Foster Street. Maybe this is where the analogy starts to limp … And so the story goes—Pattie and George stayed married for a while and he even apparently stayed friends with Clapton, but they eventually got divorced. And, what a surprise! Pattie and Clapton married five years later, and now it’s easier to relate to George. I guess if the way to a man’s heart is his stomach, a way to a woman’s heart is to be Eric Clapton and write a song about her. Unrequited love. It sucks. However, it’s comforting to realize that even Eric Clapton experiences it sometimes, too. Except when he falls for someone who doesn’t fall back, he writes “Layla.” We cry, eat ourselves into a chocolate coma, and watch (500) Days of Summer. How do I know all this you might ask? Well, it turns out I am Pattie Boyd. Just kidding. I wish.
By Taylor Cavallo
Assoc. Arts & Review Editor The Boston College theatre department’s production of Doubt; a Parable, performed in the intimate setting of Bonn Studio this past weekend, offered viewers a suspenseful and thrilling rendition of the play by John Patrick Shanley. Directed by John Houchin, associate professor of theatre at BC, and featuring a cast of only four students, the play investigates the suspicions of a Catholic elementary school principal, Sister Aloysius, played by Deirdre McCourt (A&S ’12), who accuses the parish priest,
Father Flynn, of misconduct with a young African-American student. The play itself is brilliant and voluminous, and although quite short, it delves deeply and quickly into the secret, potential scandal. The audience was immediately drawn into this drama, and remained attentive for the length of the play, the few moments of sheer silence and utter darkness during the performance were particularly striking. Upon leaving Bonn at the end of the performance, whispers and talk of “if Father Flynn was actually guilty” could be heard. The play opened with a sermon by Father Flynn, played by Timothy Kopacz
(A&S ’13), about certainty, and its inevitable counterpart, doubt. Later on, after being accused of misconduct by Aloysius, the danger of gossip was a sermon topic. While the two sermons themselves were written beautifully, these monologues by Kopacz were truly his outstanding moments. Kopacz captivated the audience, taking on the character of a parish priest with a calm, smooth voice and a comforting demeanor, and in turn, transforming the Bonn audience into the 1960s Bronx congregation, listening to a Sunday sermon. This ability to captivate
See ‘Doubt,’ A9
kevin hou / heights senior staff
Jack’s Mannequin comes to life at House of Blues By Ariana Igneri Heights Staff
Sara davey / heights staff
The Bostonians and The Acoustics combined their respective talents for a collaborative showcase.
Groups join in harmony for joyous Stix and Stones By Ariana Igneri Heights Staff
Two of Boston College’s premier a cappella groups, The Bostonians and The Acoustics, recently joined together in perfect harmony for Stix & Stones, a dual concert event. Gasson 100 was packed this past Thursday evening as cheering BC students filled the room eager to see the much-anticipated performance. For about an hour, the talented groups sang 10 songs: some old and some new, some jointly and some sepa-
Taylor Cavallo is the Associate Arts & Review editor of The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
rately.
After introducing themselves, The Bostonians, elegantly clad in black from top to bottom, and the Acoustics, dressed in all the brightest colors of the rainbow, took the stage for their first, exclusive performance. Their ensembles certainly made it easy to tell the two groups apart, but as soon as they began to sing a blend of some of the greatest pop songs, it was clear that they were both equally talented, and their voices, in fact, complemented each others’. As members soloed lines from hits such as James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful,” Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved,” Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” and Katy Perry’s “Firework,”—just to name a few—students shouted in excitement at hearing their favorite songs. Appropriately, they ended the medley with the chorus from “Graduation Song (Friends Forever),” by Vitamin C. The Bostonians took the stage alone for the next song. Ally Norton, A&S ’13, performed one of their new arrangements, “Rolling In The Deep,” by Adele. Her voice was strong and raw, capable of conveying deep emotions, and in a way, she sounded like Adele herself. Her brilliant solo balanced well with the heavy percussion and rhythmic effects of the rest of The Bostonians, and the handclapping breakdown during the bridge of
See Stix and Stones, A9
Sara davey / heights staff
i nside Arts this issue
Barrymore flails in Tale’s open water
Not even The Office’s happy-go-lucky John Krasinski can save this floundering story, A8
As part of the second leg of their People and Things tour, piano-rock band Jack’s Mannequin played a completely sold out show this past Friday night at the House of Blues in Boston. The evening began with a performance by the Allen Stone Band. The lead singer, with his long, blond, West Coast hair, wrinkled flannel, and big, black, plastic-framed glasses, won the audience over with his smooth, soulful voice. Though it certainly wasn’t the kind of band fans expected to see opening for Jack’s, they were entertained nonetheless as the band sang their songs “Celebrate Tonight,” “Sleep,” and “Satisfaction.” After a half hour of groovy, soul music, the band Juke Box the Ghost took the stage next. Characterized by crazy piano riffs, funky synth sounds, and steady drumbeats, Juke Box made the whole crowd dance to their spacy-piano rock tunes. With eccentric energy and quirky style, the band performed several of its’ new songs as well of some of its singles, including “Schizophrenia,” “Empire,” and “So Let Us Create.” Finally, the venue went dark . The anxious anticipation of the crowd was tangible, as everyone awaited Jack’s Mannequin front man, Andrew McMahon, to take his seat at his baby grand Baldwin piano. With luminous paper lanterns, warm, glowing lamps, and two scintillating, giant disco balls, the venue was intimate and
The Woman in Black serves up scares
Daniel Radcliffe adequately proves himself as an actor in a post Harry Potter world, A8
personal. Bright blue light bulbs hung individually in the air, twinkling and making the set light up beautifully. All of a sudden, a recognizable rift could be heard, and the audience screamed enthusiastically, as McMahon began the show with the song “Bruised” from the band’s first album, Everything in Transit. Throughout the night, Jack’s played a well-thought-out selection of songs from all three of their records, rather than just performing the entirety of their newest release, People and Things. With six songs from each of their first two albums and eight songs from their last, every fan was sure to be content. Fans definitely loved hearing tracks from the new album live, as they were fresh and novel, and it was evident that McMahon enjoyed playing them. He performed the popular ones, such as “My Racing Thoughts,” and “Amy I,” but he also played some of the smaller tracks off the record, like “People Running.” The song “Television” was interesting to see live because it relies heavily on synth effects, unlike the rest of their songs, but somehow, Jack’s rose to the challenge. Two of the best songs the band played from People and Things were “Release Me” and “Amelia Jean.” Both tracks have powerful, rhythmic hooks, a quality that makes those songs perfect for performing live. Even with a 20-song set list, McMahon never tired—he was the epitome of vitality and animation, banging away on his keys and jumping off his piano. McMahon’s liveliness truly was infectious, especially during old- time fan favorite
See Mannequin, A9
Bestsellers...............................A8 Box Office Report........................A8
SPORTS The Heights
Monday, February 6, 2012
B1
Monday, February 6, 2012
Creating a space for the in between
Looking for a three-peat
Greg Joyce Saturday’s painful game at Georgia Tech goes down as another notch in the loss column, the 16th of the season for Boston College. But the optimist in me prefers to see it as much more than that. If only there were a third column next to wins and losses, a space for a third kind of game to be recorded—the building-block games that end up paying major dividends somewhere down the road. You know, the BB column, if you will. BC has had a handful of these games this year in losses, and so the win-loss column is not doing this team any justice. It could be easy to look at their 16 losses so far this season and write them off as a young, inexperienced team that has not been able to survive in the ACC. While the Eagles certainly are young and inexperienced, they are not struggling to survive in the ACC. With the exception of their game at UNC, all of their conference matchups have been decided by a play or two gone wrong. Maybe one fewer turnover, one more made free throw, or even one more rebound could have turned any of those losses into huge ACC wins. One could make the argument that any game could be changed by a play or two. While this is true, BC’s downfall in its losses has usually come in the final 10 minutes of each game. The Eagles play 30-35 minutes of great basketball and keep up with bigger, older, and tougher competition, but lose it in the final minutes. This theme can be incredibly frustrating for fans and players alike. But it’s important that these losses mean something for the future, and I think they definitely do.
See Column, B4
alex trautwig / heights senior staff
The Eagles ended last year’s Beanpot with a huge celebration after a 7-6 overtime win against Northeastern (above). The two squads will face off tonight in the first round game at 8 p.m. By Chris Marino
Assoc. Sports Editor In last season’s prestigious Beanpot Tournament championship game, the Boston College men’s ice hockey team faced its toughest scoring game of the season with a final score of 7-6. After three back-and-forth periods with the Northeastern Huskies, the
Eagles prevailed on an overtime goal from then-junior Jimmy Hayes. This season, the two-time defending champions will face the Huskies in the opening round tonight. It will be the fourth time the two Hockey East teams have faced off this season. All three matchups saw the Eagles win by a one-goal margin, including the highlyanticipated Frozen Fenway game.
When asked about how this game should compare to the others, senior captain Tommy Cross was certain that it would be another tough contest. “It’s going to be the same thing,” he said. “It’ll be a tight game. It’s going to be a battle. They have a very strong team, and they compete very hard. We’re looking forward to playing them, and we’re going to do our
best to prepare for the game.” Head coach Jerry York shared this sentiment when asked about the two teams’ tough play against one another. “Northeastern’s given us all kind of trouble this year when we’ve played them,” he said. One element necessary for the team to
See Beanpot Preview, B3
Eagles suffer another loss at Georgia Tech Donahue’s squad has another shot to get ACC win, but comes up short By Stephen Sikora Heights Staff
The Boston College men’s basketball team went into Saturday’s game 51 at Georgia Tech Georgia Tech on a five-game Boston College 47 losing streak. In a number of those games, however, the Eagles hung with their opponent for the
majority of the contest. Facing a Georgia Tech squad that came in with a 1-7 ACC record, it was a great chance for BC to pick up its third ACC win and stop the losing streak. Unfortunately, the Eagles once again lost a close game, falling by just four points to the Yellow Jackets. The Eagles came out of the gate strong, taking a 12-6 lead eight minutes into the game. Lonnie Jackson showed some great passing early on, assisting on two 3-pointers by Matt Humphrey. Jackson did a nice job of not shooting when covered, and instead finding open teammates. Yet, on some of the ensuing possessions, he tried to do too much,
including firing up an air ball and passing inside for a failed alley-oop. Head coach Steve Donahue echoed that sentiment when discussing the Eagles offense. “We kept the ball on one side of the floor, over-dribbled, and tried to make plays that weren’t there,” Donahue said. “I give them credit though. I thought they were very aggressive.” After the Eagles went up 14-11 with 10:42 left in the first half, they didn’t hit any field goals until Jackson hit a three with two seconds left in the half. The Georgia Tech 20-19 halftime lead was
See Men’s Basketball, B4
John Cahill (right) and the Eagles battled through an ugly game at Georgia Tech on Saturday.
Women’s hockey stuck in rut after dropping its third straight
Women’s Basketball
Tenth straight loss for BC
By Steven Principi Heights Staff
By Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor
The Boston College women’s basketball team fell to 0-10 in conference play yesterday afternoon against Wake Forest, but there were 73 Wake Forest plenty of positives for this Boston College 60 young Eagles’ squad even in the loss. BC lost 73-60 to the Demon Deacons, but the game was a lot closer in the final minutes than the score suggests. After opening the game strong, turnovers and offensive struggles allowed Wake Forest to fight back into the game. The Deacons switched to a full-court press while trailing 10-7 with 13 minutes left in the first half, and it sparked a 12-2 run that the Eagles couldn’t fight back against in the first half. BC went into the half trailing 44-26 mainly due to its eight
david goldman / ap photo
graham beck / heights editor
Katie Zenevitch (left) had 20 points and 10 boards in the loss. turnovers and shooting 0-for-7 from behind the arc. None of the Eagles had more than six points in the first half, and things were starting to look bleak. Rebounding also hurt BC in the first half. Although
i nside S ports this issue
See Women’s Basketball, B4
The No. 4 Boston College women’s hockey team continued its recent struggles, dropping its third straight game in a 6 Providence 6-2 loss to Providence on Boston College 2 Saturday afternoon. The Eagles looked dominant for stretches of the game, but were once again undone by failing to play a complete game. The Eagles came out strong in the first period, creating scoring chances almost every time they had the puck. Providence goalie Genevieve Lacasse was forced to make a number of difficult saves early on, including a few on odd man rushes for the Eagles. Despite dominating the first half of the period, BC fell behind when Providence managed to draw a penalty and bang in a loose puck with just its second shot of the game. The Eagles continued to look like the more
Coach’s Corner: Mike Gambino
The Heights sat down with the baseball head coach as the season nears..........B5
BC-BU: Swimming edition
dangerous team, but were unable to find the back of the net before the period ended. Despite holding a 17-4 shot advantage, BC went into the first intermission down 1-0. Head coach Katie King Crowley didn’t think the scoreboard reflected her team’s play, and mentioned how crucial scoring first is to her team. “It’s important, it’s very important,” Crowley said. “I think if you look at our stats when we score first, it’s probably a drastic difference than when we don’t. That’s something that mentally we’re trying to work on with our kids and letting them know we can come back when we let one in. But it’s tough when you’re down on their end and they come back and pop one in on the power play.” The second period started out much differently, with the Friars controlling play in the opening minutes. Another goal off a rebound saw Providence double its lead just three minutes into the period.
The men’s and women’s swim teams faced off against BU this weekend...............................B2
See Women’s Hockey, B2
Point/Counterpoint.....................B3 Quote of the Week.......................B2
The Heights
B2
Monday, February 6, 2012
Providence dominates women’s hockey in late-game blowout
Graham Beck / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Corinne Boyles was unable to slow down a high-powered Friar attack, as she gave up six scores.
Women’s Hockey, from B1 The Eagles fell even farther behind just five minutes later when the Friars converted on a great rush with a slap shot from the top of the circles that beat Corinne Boyles. Down 3-0 and in danger of falling out of the game, the Eagles got a goal back when Mary Restuccia finished off a nice solo effort on a 2-on-1 play at 13:14 in the period. Less than two minutes later, BC managed to cut the lead to one when Taylor Wasylk stuffed home
a rebound to make the score 3-2. Both teams generated some chances in the latter part of the period, but both goalies stayed strong, and the Friars ended the period up a goal. “I thought we played pretty well,” Crowley said. “I think we got stuck with the officials making some calls I thought were a little weird, but I thought our team played well. I thought they came out hard and competed hard on every shift, and that’s what you have to do.” The third period went about as badly
Graham Beck / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Freshman Alex Carpenter and the Eagles could not keep up with Providence’s late scoring attack. The Friars scored three goals in the third period. as possible for the Eagles, with Providence scoring three goals to put the game out of reach. After an early rally to make the lead 4-2, Wasylk took a five-minute penalty for hitting from behind that left the team shorthanded for an extended period. The Friars failed to convert on the extended power play, but the Eagles seemed tired after getting back to full strength, and were unable to fight themselves back into the game. Providence added two late goals and ran away with the game, 6-2. Crowley mentioned the obvious fatigue late in the
game, explaining the need to shorten the bench in the third period. “We tried to cut it down to two lines at one point,” Crowley said. “We were trying to get some goals, so that’s a tough situation. We tried to put out the people we thought were going to get us some goals there, but you know you’re going to get tired there in the third period, especially with those penalties and the five-minute major. I though we did a good job killing them off, but then we have to get back on offense.”
The Eagles will return to action in the consolation match of the Beanpot on Tuesday night, against No. 8 Harvard in a nonconference game, before playing a home-and-home with UConn in Hockey East play over the weekend. Crowley was quick to point out the importance of Tuesday’s matchup and stress the need for a quick turnaround. “This next game on Tuesday is a huge game for us in the national picture and for where we’ll stand at the end of the season.” n
Men’s and women’s swim teams unable to defeat rival Terriers By Stephen Sikora Heights Staff
Both the men’s and women’s swimming teams faced off against BU on Friday in a dual meet against the Terriers. This was the last home meet for the 23 seniors on the teams, and fans and family packed the mezzanine seating. Unfortunately the Eagles were defeated on both sides. The men lost by a margin of 169-128, with the women falling 196-102. Head coach Tom Groden deemed the meet successful, however, as the Eagles swam some great times while facing a scholarship program, something BC is not. On the women’s side, the Terriers started off the meet with wins in each of the first six events. Both their A and B relay teams in the 200-yard medley beat BC’s best effort, and BU opened up with a 59-15 lead. The Eagles captured their first win in the 50 free by senior Shannon Landers. She swam a time of 25.14 seconds, besting BU’s Alexsa Savage by .18. The team came through again in the 200-yard breaststroke, taking three of the top four spots in a stroke that Groden noted was deep for the Eagles. Mikki Morr won the event with a time of 2:29.60, and Melissa Merwin was second, registering a time of 2:31.40. Kell DiStefano finished fourth for BC, and with her and Merwin both being freshmen, the Eagles should be set at the event for the next few years. In the 100-yard breastroke, Morr, Merwin, and DiStefano finished 2-4, respectively. On the men’s side, it proved to be somewhat closer. In the second event, BC’s Jimmy Boretti captured a win in the 1000 free, finishing just under 10 minutes at 9:55.07. BU started pulling away after the 200-yard freestyle, as they placed three of the top four in that event, with BC’s Nick Henze finishing third. In the 100-yard iteration of the
same stroke later on, BU again placed three-of-four. Henze finished third, his time of 48.69 being just over a second slower than BU’s Daniel Kempf. BC dominated the 100 butterfly, taking the first two spots and three of the top four. Timothy Corrigian came in first with a time of 51.72, ahead of Nick Sung, who swam a 52.78. A big reason for Sung’s success is his ability to stay underwater and kick after turns longer than his opponents. Groden said that Sung had been improving his time staying
underwater due to a drill at practice, and recently began implementing the strategy in meets. It’s worked out extremely well for Sung, who set personal bests over this meet and the team’s Saturday contest against Providence. The men also demonstrated depth at the breastroke position, with four of the six top finishers in both the 100 and 200-yard events. With none of the swimmers above the age of 20, BC should continue to do well in those events in the coming years.
As the Eagles who have qualified look to the ACC Championships held at Virginia Tech, they’ll start tapering off in practice in order to achieve their best possible times for the meet. As BC is the only non-scholarship program in the ACC, it’s a testament to the hard work and coaching tactics that BC qualifies swimmers for the event. Unfortunately, BC couldn’t come up with a win against BU, but if they continue the way they’re swimming, they should find success at the ACCs. n
ALEX TRAUTWIG / heights senior staff
Despite solid team performances in the 100 meter butterfly and both the 100 and 200 meter breaststroke, the men’s team could not stay afloat against Boston University.
SPORTS in SHORT
joseph castlen \ heights photo illustration
Hockey East Standings Team
Conference
Boston University Boston College UMass Lowell Maine Merrimack Providence Northeastern New Hampshire Massachusetts Vermont
13-6-1 13-6-0 11-5-3 12-7-1 11-7-2 8-10-1 8-11-1 7-11-2 5-10-4 2-17-1
Overall 16-8-1 18-7-0 15-6-5 16-10-1 16-8-3 10-14-2 11-14-2 11-11-3 9-12-5 5-21-1
Numbers to Know
1
The margin of victory for the men’s ice hockey team in each of its matchups with Northeastern this season.
6
The number of consecutive losses for the men’s basketball team after Saturday’s loss at Georgia Tech.
27
The number of stops Corinne Boyles needs to reach the 1,400 mark for her college career.
Quote of the Week
“It’ll be a tight game. It’s going to be a battle. They have a very strong team, and they compete very hard.” — Head coach Jerry York
on the men’s hockey team’s first round Beanpot matchup with Northeastern
The Heights
Monday, February 6, 2012
B3
“It’s important not to take it for granted, because you realize that there are so many people in New England and all around the country who would love to be a part of something this special.” -Tommy Cross, on the Beanpot
Eagles ready for Beanpot Beanpot Preview, from B1 take its third straight title will be senior leadership. The team has relied on a strong mix of young talent and a veteran presence. York has definitely seen this dynamic, and he credits the importance of the strong seniors to the team’s success this season. In particular, he applauded Cross for his role on the squad. “I think it’s been very good,” he said of the leadership. “It’s been led by Tommy Cross, who’s an outstanding player, but more importantly a valued leader in our program.” Cross, for his part, realizes how great of an honor it has been to not only play in the Beanpot, but having a chance to win it in three of his four years on the Heights. “You just try to enjoy it and understand what a great privilege it is to be here,” he said. “It’s important not to take it for granted, because you realize that there are so many people in New England and all around the country who would love to be a part of something this special.” Another player who has stepped into a strong veteran role for the Eagles is fellow senior Paul Carey. Carey has racked up 13 points, but York was quick to point out that his biggest attribution comes from the confidence he gives his team as a leader. “He’s having his best year with us,” York said. “I think the ‘A’ on his sweater has helped him. I feel like he’s developed into real leader for this team. I think that’s had an effect on
his game, defensively and offensively. I really like how he’s playing this year. “We ask him to be a role model for the younger players. I think he’s developed that leadership. He’s watched other captains, but right now he’s been an excellent leader for us.” BC is coming off a home-and-home sweep of conference foe New Hampshire, and has had the whole week to prepare for its first round with the Huskies. This season has proven to be one of the most competitive in Hockey East history, and York emphasized that the league has definitely seen a dramatic growth this year. “I think it’s a very unusual situation,” he said. “The dynamic has usually been two, maybe three teams. Now, there are a whole host of teams in contention.” York further pointed out that it doesn’t necessarily take a specific type of team to win the Beanpot, although he said that goaltending and special teams were vital to tournament success. “Each year’s different, and each team’s different,” he said. “We like our team. We think we’re getting better.” The Eagles look to win their 17th Beanpot title in a historic tournament season. It is the first year in which each team’s head coach is leading his alma mater into the game. As the 60th tournament in Beanpot history, York and his team respect this as one of the premier competitions in all of college athletics. n
alex trautwig / heights senior staff
Last year, the Northeastern Huskies were forced to watch as the Eagles celebrated their Beanpot victory. The two teams will meet again tonight.
Point / Counterpoint: Will Boston College win the Beanpot again? Yes, BC has what it takes to three-peat
No, the Eagles will have too much trouble
By Chris Grimaldi
By Andrew El-Hayek
Heights Editor
If there is one quote that could define the season thus far for Jerry York’s No. 5 Boston College Eagles, it would be the old adage of “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” In fact, there isn’t a team in the Hockey East like BC. After all, which other squad surprises its fans with a different goalie nearly every night, endures maddening inconsistency, and still only sits two points out of first place in the conference? It’s clear that there haven’t been many dull moments for the Eagles this year, but the excitement of overcoming a score of obstacles and momentum shifts has undoubtedly resulted in a more resilient BC squad heading into the 60th installment of the famed Beanpot tournament. So when the final whistle blows in the championship game at TD Garden next week, the Eagles will be crowned this season’s undisputed hockey powerhouse of Boston. One of BC’s greatest assets heading into the tournament is its battle-tested perseverance. Even during some of their most difficult stretches, the Eagles have consistently been able to bounce back from defeat, whether it be splitting a backto-back series with rival BU or responding to a sweep at Maine with a two-win weekend against UNH last week. Obviously, a loss in the Beanpot means elimination, but the mental and physical toughness BC has acquired during an odyssey of ups and downs will be key in a short series. Ultimately, the team that has developed an unshakeable ability to rebound from a rough period of play or a missed opportunity will come out on top, and this is where BC has a pivotal advantage. Looking ahead to Game One of the series and the eventual championship contest, BC will have no reason to worry about which opponent faces them on the other side of the ice. The Eagles have been able to contain Northeastern–their first test–thus far, though by a margin of three goals in three matchups, while both the Crimson and Terriers have enjoyed impressive stretches of their own. Any way you chalk it up, the BC Eagles will have their work cut out for them. Yet, the next two Mondays will not be decided by conference records or previous winning streaks, but resilience, experience, and proven depth–all of which the Eagles possess. Team veterans Barry Almeida, Chris Kreider, and Tommy Cross bring multiple seasons worth of Beanpot experience and success to the table. For senior captains Almeida and Cross, the prospect of closing the book on their collegiate careers with another Beanpot championship in the final chapter will serve as an inspired driving force behind two BC victories. Now shift your attention to the youthful spectrum of the Eagles’ roster. Though freshmen such as Johnny Gaudreau and goaltender Brian Billett have yet to prove themselves in the raucous confines of TD Garden, the proverbial lion’s den of Beanpot hockey, these and other young Eagles have shown flashes of brilliance during an obstacle-ridden season that’s hastened their maturity. Youth, once seen as the BC squad’s biggest concern coming into the season, will prove to be the secret behind their impenetrable depth during the tournament. As much as the Eagles’ deep roster and unquestioned resiliency will factor into the Beanpot, one force left out of their control will serve in their favor: scheduling. While all three of its Beanpot rivals played this past Friday night, the Eagles enjoyed a much-needed weekend off
from action after a trying stretch in their season. Having over a week to purely focus on tonight’s Game One against Northeastern will work in a well-rested, well-prepared BC squad’s favor. So whether it’s a huge defensive play from Cross or a last-minute wrister from Gaudreau, the Eagles will be hoisting the Beanpot trophy for the third straight year and the 17th time in their history next Monday night. Rest assured, Superfans–luck wins games, but BC toughness wins Beanpots. n
For The Heights
On the heels of the Super Bowl, Boston sports fans will attempt to shake off their football-induced hangovers and take in the premier event of the city’s winter sports schedule, the Beanpot. In last year’s edition of the tournament, the Boston College men’s hockey team won a pair of thrillers against rivals Boston University and Northeastern to bring home the trophy. This year, the reigning Beanpot Champions
alex trautwig / heights senior staff
will find that defending their title against a hungry field will be a tall task, starting tonight. After beginning the season on a roll, Jerry York’s squad has been relatively inconsistent for the last month or so. What started out looking like a routine march to another Hockey East title for the Eagles has turned into a heated race for the top spot. Since December, this hockey team has played .500 puck and relinquished their once-solid lead in the league standings. What is somewhat troubling is the penchant for BC to play to their level of competition. Look no further than their last four games for evidence of this dangerous tendency. The Eagles dropped both games at Maine, losing the first in overtime and giving up seven goals in a sloppy second game effort. Returning to Kelley Rink, they narrowly avoided a third straight loss, needing a late third period comeback against a weak New Hampshire team. The next night, they traveled to New Hampshire and needed overtime to pull that one out. It may just be a case of a young team demonstrating its immaturity as the season drags on, or it could be a typical cold streak that happens as a team weathers the doldrums of a long season. Whatever the case may be, the Eagles are not playing their best hockey heading into the biggest two-week period of the year. Awaiting BC in the semi-final are the Northeastern Huskies, the team the Eagles defeated in last year’s Beanpot final. So far this season, NU has had some difficulty picking up wins and currently sits in seventh place. However, this is not a team that should be taken lightly, especially not by the Eagles. It seems that every game between BC and Northeastern is a nail-biter that is decided late in the third period or overtime. In three games this season, the Eagles have come away victorious each time, but only by one goal in each game, even needing an overtime period in the first meeting of the year. Something about this matchup brings out the best in the Huskies, as they fight tooth and nail with the Eagles and match their physicality and hustle every step of the way. If the Eagles do get by Northeastern, we all know who will be waiting for them in the championship game. Sure, there is no guarantee that the first-place Terriers will take care of business against Harvard, but it is hard to imagine BU not putting forward its best effort in the Beanpot, especially following last year’s first round defeat at the hands of the Eagles. You can be sure they will have revenge on their minds, and they couldn’t have asked for a better matchup for themselves or for their Comm. Ave. rivals. If the Terriers are to face the Eagles in the final, they can be sure their opponent will have invested a good deal of emotional and physical energy to overcome a tough Northeastern club, leaving BC vulnerable as the Terriers attempt to enact their revenge. In the season series, the Terriers hold a twogames-to-one advantage, both wins coming at Kelley Rink. In both wins, BU took advantage of its strong special teams play, converting on four of their nine power play opportunities while holding BC to only two successful power plays in 19 chances. In fact, in all three games this season between the two clubs, the Eagles are an anemic two for 25 on the power play. While this is a battle-tested group with strong leaders in the coaching staff, as well as at captain, BC should not go into this thing expecting a first place finish without a real dogfight. The Eagles will have to shake their recent woes and match the intensity of their hyped-up opponents. Should BC get by the always-tough Huskies in the semi-final, BU will likely be waiting for them in the final, looking for a little revenge for last year’s heart-wrenching defeat. The Eagles always have a shot, but this year things are just not falling their way. n
The Heights
B4
Monday, February 6, 2012
The wins will come soon Column, from B1 What Steve Donahue has been able to do with his young squad is very impressive, to say the least. Before the season began, many pundits were expecting this team to be winless in the ACC and get blown out in the majority of its games. While the Eagles’ two ACC wins thus far speak for themselves, the losses have been important, too. It’s evident that Donahue is laying down the foundation for a terrific basketball program, similar to the one he built at Cornell. These losses are the building blocks for potentially great success as soon as next year. Few coaches buy into the “moral victories” idea, but I think that Donahue might have to in a season like this. While it is evident that great strides of progress have been made so far this season, it’s tough for a young team to see that improvement if the wins aren’t coming with it. After a while, you need to see substantial results to show you that your hard work is paying off. BC’s two ACC wins against Clemson and Virginia Tech are a step in the right direction of seeing that progress. It can often be tough to see improvement in losses though, and this is where that
imaginary third statistic, the BB column, could come in handy. Now, Saturday’s loss was by no means a heavyweight battle. It was actually one of the uglier games of the season for BC, but remember that ugly games were somewhat expected for this year. There was a stretch of nearly 10 minutes in which the Eagles didn’t score. Ten minutes. And they still almost won. I know a loss is a loss, and Georgia Tech is another struggling team this year, but if BC can go 10 minutes without scoring and still only lose by four points, you have to like its chances going forward. This team is getting so close to pulling off a big win. Early on, the Eagles showed flashes of their true potential before turning back into a team with nine freshmen. Now, BC has been sustaining longer periods of great play, with the poor play only coming in a few plays or the final minutes. If you build it, they will come. I know, different sport and completely different context. But Steve Donahue is building a successful program. The wins will come.
Greg Joyce is the Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@ bcheights.com.
graham beck / heights editor
This season, Steve Donahue has been building the foundation for a successful Boston College basketball program, even without the wins.
Yellow Jackets down Eagles on the road Men’s Basketball, from B1
graham beck / heights editor
Tessah Holt ran the BC offense in the second half, bringing an effective rhythm to the court.
aided by its 9-2 run during BC’s drought. Over that period for the Eagles, they turned the ball over eight times and had 10 at the half. Donahue talked about what led to their struggles. “I think it was a combination,” Donahue said. “Georgia Tech did a very good job defensively, and we weren’t really confident with the basketball. [They] blasted ball screens and blasted any kind of screen, making us really have difficulty passing the ball.” The game was close all throughout the second half, as the largest lead by either team was Georgia Tech by four. After Dennis Clifford made 1-of-2 free throws to put BC down one with 1:07 left, the Eagles had two chances to tie on 3-pointers by Danny Rubin and Ryan Anderson. They were both off the mark, and Tech came through with the fourpoint win. Donahue talked about how BC played when it was close. “They executed a little better than we did down the stretch,” Donahue
noted. “They made plays and key shots. I thought we had a couple of open ones down the stretch that we didn’t make.” Humphrey single-handedly kept BC in the game in the second half, and was the best player on the court for either side. He finished with 15 points to lead all scorers, and also led the Eagles with three assists. During the second half, it seemed that Humphrey was in every play, whether it was knocking down a deep-step-back three with the shot clock winding down, coming up with a strong block or steal, or hustling on the defensive end. Humphrey also had a number of nice drives in the game, which proved to be a big help to BC’s subpar offense. There were many possessions when they looked stagnant on the perimeter, and the Eagles ended up taking 27 threes, more than half of their field goal total. They only made eight of them, shooting 29.6 percent from three, and 34.7 percent overall. Jordan Daniels and Jackson combined to go 3-of-14 from beyond the arc. “Unfortunately right now, neither
team is a very good offensive basketball team,” Donahue said. “We have got to get the ball hot, we never really had those opportunities.” BC grabbed 26 rebounds in the contest, one less than Georgia Tech, which came into the game averaging five more rebounds per game than the Eagles. Anderson once again recorded doubledigit rebounds for BC with 11. This was all done despite the fact that the Eagles only got 18 minutes from Clifford. He recorded his fourth foul a minute into the second half, so Donahue looked to KC Caudill, who finished with 17 minutes, his second highest total this year. Although it was another loss for the Eagles, once again they were in it up until the final buzzer. The experience can only help BC as they look to the future. “This is not the end of the world. This is part of the process of building a program,” Donahue said. “At some point, you hope everything clicks with this group, and further, as we will build this program, additional guys to help these guys.” n
BC falls to Wake at home Women’s Basketball, from B1 the battle of the boards finished about even at the end of the game, Wake tallied 10 offensive rebounds while BC only had one leading to a margin that was too great to come back from in the second half. Sophomore forward Katie Zenevitch and freshman Joy Caracciolo boxed out much better and even snagged a combined seven offensive rebounds in the second half, but it wasn’t enough. Refusing to give up, BC found a spark from its young forwards and sophomore point guard Tessah Holt. With Holt running the show, the Eagle offense finally found a smooth rhythm and flow. After being limited to just four points in the first half, Zenevitch erupted for 16 in the second. She forced her way inside, and the Deacons had a tough time defending her close to the basket. Zenevitch also proved her range, knocking down a few elbow jumpers while making her even more difficult to defend. Her offense opened the game up for the rest of the Eagles, and almost every player fared better offensively in the second half. She also notched 10 rebounds on her way to a double-double, with five offensive rebounds during BC’s second half run. Caracciolo had a solid game throughout, finishing with 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field. Her size was consistently too much for Wake to handle.
She thrived off of pushing her way through the Deacon defense, and finished at the rim with ease. Everything started to click for BC in the second half, but the 18-point deficit was too much for the young team to overcome. With nine minutes left, the line-up of Holt, Zenevitch, Caracciolo, Tiffany Ruffin, and Kristen Doherty cut the Wake lead to eight, but that was the closest the Eagles would get. Ruffin did a great job attacking the rim and drawing fouls, while Doherty complimented Caracciolo and Zenevitch with solid inside scoring. Conte began to erupt as the Eagles drew closer, but Wake finally found its groove offensively again while BC’s offense stalled, unable to answer. For a team stacked with freshmen and sophomores, it’s difficult to come back from that type of halftime deficit. Almost every Eagle player showed flashes of great play, but the team had trouble getting everyone to play well at the same time. The chances of this squad getting a conference win this season are fairly slim, but the future of the program doesn’t seem to be in jeopardy. BC’s best players are young forwards who will learn to better use their size as their careers progress. The fact that the team fought hard the entire game and refused to give up is a good sign that it is at least headed in the right direction, even if the wins aren’t coming with that progress. n
david goldman / ap photo
Humphrey (left) and Rubin (right) were both a part of a sloppy game on Saturday at Georgia Tech, with lots of loose balls and turnovers.
After 13-point first half, women’s basketball drops game at Maryland By Dave Groman For The Heights
The Boston College women’s basketball team dropped its ninth consecutive game 86 in an 86-44 loss Maryland at No. 9 MaryBoston College 44 land last Thursday night. The Eagles (5-17, 0-9) are now on their longest losing streak since the 1994-95 season, when the team underwent a 10-game losing skid. Maryland, who entered the game on a two-game skid of their own, came out firing, going into the half leading 51-13. While Eagles hung tough in the second, the vast score differential proved too difficult to overcome. Early on, the Eagles were able to cut the Maryland lead to just three on consecutive
three-point shots from Tiffany Ruffin and Kat Cooper. However, Maryland then went on a devastating 38-3 tear. BC outscored the ninth-ranked Terps 20-7 in the first eight minutes of the second half, cutting the lead to 58-33. The vastly more experienced Terps, however, managed to pull away. The 25-point deficit would be the closest the Eagles would get. Terps forward Alicia Thomas, who had been out in Maryland’s upset loss to Virginia Tech on Jan. 26, scored 14 points and pulled down eight boards in her return. Guard Lauren Mincy also recorded 16 points and three assists in 24 minutes. As a team, the Terps shot the ball incredibly well. They converted on 47 percent of their field goal attempts. The team also sunk 10 of their 18 three-point attempts,
eight of those coming in the first half. BC, however, continued its struggles, shooting a modest 21.1 percent from the field. The Eagles converted on just four-of31 field goals in the first half. Joy Caracciolo led the Eagles with 10 points in 17 minutes. Katie Zenevitch flirted with a double-double, putting up eight points and grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds. Despite the loss, head coach Sylvia Crawley emphasized the positives. Specifically, that the fight and effort BC displayed in the second half against one of the nation’s top teams will provide many lessons heading forward. The Eagles will look to pick up their first ACC victory Feb. 9 when they head to Durham, NC to play No. 6 Duke (18-3, 9-0). n
gail burton / ap photo
Shayra Brown (left) and BC ran into a tough, physical Maryland team in Thursday’s loss.
The Heights
Monday, February 6, 2012
B5
A silver lining to mask the heartbreak Andrew El-Hayek The two-week-long euphoria of the Super Bowl has once again swept up sports fans across the country, all over the world, and especially here in Chestnut Hill. In addition to the rooting interest of the large contingent of both Giants and Patriots fans on campus, students at Boston College have added incentive to pay close attention to Super Bowl XLVI due to the many ties both participating franchises have to BC, particularly its football program. But what may have come as the biggest surprise to Superfans was BC’s player representation in the Big Game. Between the Patriots and Giants, six players spent their collegiate days on the Heights, making BC the most represented college football program in this year’s Super Bowl. This marks the fourth straight year a former Eagle has played in the Super Bowl. Familiar names such as Mathias Kiwanuka, B.J. Raji, and the inspirational Mark Herzlich have found themselves on the biggest sporting stage in America only a brief time after they had taken the Alumni Stadium field as members of the Eagles. For some, this impressive showcasing of player development is merely a tease, drawing up a longing for the past days of success, days that were merely a few years ago but now feel long gone. Fans remember fondly the seasons Matty Ice was under center, competing for ACC titles. They hold on dearly to the proud reputation of “O-line U” that BC had earned for its consistent production of quality NFL offensive
linemen. They yearn for the days of stingy defenses that lifted BC Football to earn 12-straight bowl game berths. Following a 2011 campaign that can be described as disappointing at best, pitiful at worst, the Eagles have left little confidence in their fans that their run of success on the professional level will avoid the same letdown that the current squad has endured. This has been reflected in fan attendance, particularly that of students, at football games. As the season wore on, fewer and fewer folks were showing up to the home games at Alumni and understandably so, as students felt the time and energy commitments were not worth watching the team lose on a weekly basis. A similar lack of enthusiasm has carried over to basketball games, leaving hockey the only major sport immune to falling student attendance. While it is easy for Superfans to lose interest as these teams struggle to pick up wins, we as sports fans must understand and appreciate the privilege we have to witness some phenomenal athletes compete both for and against our teams. Though both the basketball and football programs are going through some rough patches, we as fans have still been able to see some great college players come through. Though one would be hard pressed to name a former Eagle that has become a star in the NBA, as part of the ACC, BC plays host to perennially great teams each year, giving fans the opportunity to watch guys like Harrison Barnes of North Carolina and Austin Rivers of Duke, both sure-fire lottery picks who will be superstars on
the next level. With Syracuse and Pitt set to join the ACC in the coming years, fans are guaranteed even more access to strong programs with exciting players. This also brings about the greater possibility of witnessing an upset at Conte Forum and getting to experience the exhilaration of rushing the court, arguably the greatest moment a college sports fan can experience. While the football team may have frustrated fans in the fall, there was a silver lining among the proverbial dark clouds of an eight-loss season: Luke Kuechly. This past season was the last chance Superfans had to see Kuechly flying across the Alumni field, racking up tackles and making plays. The past two impressive years have earned him national attention, as he was a unanimous choice All-American and was named the winner of the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker. Although BC has produced many quality football players over the years, it is rare for an Eagle to gain national notoriety. Kuechly joins legends such as Herzlich, Matt Ryan, and Doug Flutie in becoming a household name nationally. Entering the NFL draft in April, Kuechly is a projected first round pick, and will likely become a difference maker right away on the next level. In the next few years, do not be surprised if he, like many of the athletes that have played here, will be representing BC as a world champion. Andrew El-Hayek is a guest columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.
Alex Trautwig/ Heights senior staff
Many Superfans miss the days of “O-line U,” but there are still plenty of things to be proud of this season.
C oach’s o r n e r hEAD BASEBALL COACH
Featuring
MIKE GAMBINO
This is the first in a series of sit-down conversations with Boston College head coaches. The Heights will also be producing its first ever Spring Sports Preview on Mar. 15. The issue will be packed with a full outlook on the baseball, softball, and lacrosse teams. Interview conducted by Greg Joyce, Sports Editor The Heights: How was the offseason?
Gambino: It was good, it was really good. The fall went really well. Our upperclassmen did a really, really good job of helping bring these freshmen along and kind of shorten that learning curve. A lot of our boys did a really good job this summer, came back ready to play. So the fall went well. That time from when our fall season ends to really when they come back, it’s kind of the offseason. But with the way college baseball is now, your preseason, like what would be considered in big-league baseball your Spring Training-our Spring Training is so short we almost have to be ready to go when we start. I think for the most part our guys came back ready. There are five weeks when they’re home, away from school, with no classes, that we look at as a chance to beat other people. A lot of people might take some time off over the holidays, but we look at it as a time to kind of make some strides and beat people and pass people. I think our boys came back ready to go. The Heights: How have practices been going so far?
Gambino: They’re going well. We’re getting into our scrimmaging right now. The guys are really on their first two times through facing live hitters, and hitters facing live arms. With that bubble, there’s so much we can do. We can really do a live scrimmage, minus the outfielders. It’s been going really well so far—really good, focused work.
The Heights: Is it tough practicing in the bubble?
Gambino: No, I think it’s great. Other than fly balls for outfielders—there’s nothing that we can’t simulate in there. We can actually
end up accomplishing a lot, because we can have two diamonds and five cages all going at once. So there’s a lot of times when, in two hours, you can get so much accomplished because you can have so many things going on at once. That’s such a huge advantage, that bubble.
Gambino: Depends on the weather, and it depends on how that side takes, in terms of when we’re going to get out there. Really, our first time on a baseball field is when we get down to Myrtle Beach in a couple weeks. We’re gonna head over to the turf field this weekend just to get some fly balls, have some guys get some balls in the air and see some balls out of the sky. And we’re probably gonna do that one or two other times before we head down [to Myrtle Beach]. We just kind of have to see how these next couple of weeks go with the weather, and see when that side’s going to be ready.
ground ball after ground ball after ground ball. He’s such a competitive kid. He can pound the strike zone. And then I’d probably tend towards Hunter Gordon in one of those other starting roles on the weekend. The third one is up in the air. Kyle Prohovich, Matt Alvarez, and Nate Bayuk are all kind of in the mix. Pro would be really, really good. He’d be really, really good in any role. I trust him so much that I love the idea of having him starting, but I love the idea of having him at the back end of a game, knowing I have him coming in to get three, six, or nine outs, whatever it is, in a tight ballgame. ‘Yuk, we’re kind of waiting to see how his arm is. He had a little bit of elbow problems over the summer. How his arm is able to recover will somewhat decide what his role is going to be. Alvarez has the best pure stuff on the team. He’s got big-league stuff. It’s a matter of him being more consistent and commanding the zone better, and he knows that. He’s turned himself into a really good worker. So I think all those guys are probably in the mix for that other spot.
The Heights: How ready are you guys, with two weeks left until first pitch?
The Heights: The pitching staff wasn’t too healthy last year. Overall, is the staff pretty healthy this year?
Gambino: We’re not ready yet, but we don’t have to be ready yet. We’ll be ready in two weeks. I think we’re close. We did some fundamental stuff, some bunt-defense stuff [Wednesday], and we’re still probably about a week away from that. Our pitchers are building their arms up. Our starters are up to 75 [pitches] right now, so they’re still another two outings away from being ready. I’d say we’re not ready now, but we don’t need to be ready now. We need to be ready in two weeks. I think we’re right on pace to be ready to go day one against Virginia.
Gambino: Yeah, there were a bunch of guys injured last year. We were really, really thin. [This year] we’ve got some depth, it’s young depth. We’re getting close to being healthy. We’re dealing with Taylor Lasko—he threw off the mound the first time [Wednesday]. He’s, I think, three weeks away from pitching in a game. Eric Stone, a freshman, is throwing off a mound hopefully at the end of next week. So he’s about a month away. Tyler Hinchliffe had mono over the break. So it’s not an arm issue, but he’s getting close to being healthy. He’ll be ready day one. Bayuk, he’ll be ready to go, it’s just a matter of how he’s going to respond. Brazis is healthy, ready to go. Andrew Chin is out for the year–he’s not going to pitch for us. He had Tommy John last April, so he’s not going to factor in at all for us. We’re going to redshirt him and get him ready for next year. So other than those guys, we’re healthy. We’re healthy and ready to go. Jay Jeannotte was one of the guys who had arm problems last year, and he’s throwing right now, he’s healthy. So I think we’re pretty healthy going in. I like our depth, we’re just young. So there’s going to be some young guys that we’re going to have to ask to have some pretty big roles.
The Heights: Do you have a game plan for when you move outside?
The Heights: How tough is it to start pretty much for a month on the road?
Gambino: It’s tough. But we kind of take pride in that. We know that we have to deal with stuff in our program that nobody else, definitely in our league and not many places in the country, have to deal with. We kind of take pride in that. We know that our first five weeks are probably the hardest first five weeks in the country. But the way we look at it is that that prepares us for the postseason, when you’re flying all over the country, playing in front of hostile crowds, sleeping in hotels—all these things that seem kind of cool for one weekend, but when you do it for five, it’s a grind. Well, that’s what we’re going to do when we go to the ACC tournament. It’s a week away, a week in a hotel, playing in front of hostile crowds. Going to a regional, we’re going to be flying all over the country, going some place with crazy schedules. So it’s really, really difficult, and it’s great preparation for when we get into the postseason to be able to make a run deep into it.
The Heights: How close are you to finalizing the pitching rotation? Any idea of who the weekend starters are going to be yet?
Gambino: We have a little bit of an idea. I know Eric Stevens is gonna be one of them. That kid’s going to be really, really good. He has a really good fastball. He’s got a running sink. Remember Derek Lowe? It’s not quite Derek Lowe, but it’s getting there. And he might be that type of kid. It’s gonna be really hard to get the baseball in the air off of him. It’s just
The Heights: The ACC is tough every year, but how is it looking this year? Gambino: It’s going to be good this year. It’s arguably the best baseball conference in the country. It’s really good. Virginia’s kind of been the juggernaut the past couple of years. Some people are saying they’re down—but they’re not down. They’re still really good. Georgia Tech’s going to be really good. Miami just got a catcher that got drafted in the second round who transferred in that they just ruled eligible last week, which really helped out their lineup. They’re going to be good. Clemson’s going to be good. [North] Carolina was young and talented last year. They’re going to be really good [this year]. And some of these teams that were a little bit down last year—Virginia Tech was 12th in the country the year before. They were down last year a little bit. They’re going to be good this year. Maryland’s getting better, Wake Forest is getting better. So this league is really, really deep this year. For a league that’s always good and deep, it’s even deeper this year. That’s what makes it fun. n
B6
The Heights
Monday, February 6, 2012
The Heights
Monday, February 6, 2012
B7
The students whose alter egos get us in shape at BC Student instructors keep the Plex crowded
HUmor
Let happiness pursue you
Julianne Wojno, A&S ‘13, is a communications major who doubles as a Plex personal trainer and group fitness instructor.
By Devon Sanford Heights Editor
This past January, the Plex has been swarming with determined gym rats hoping to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions. Boston College students can be seen in the gym at almost every hour of the day, working out, running, and lifting weights. As students work to lose those few extra pounds before spring break, the group fitness classes have increased to disturbing proportions. Spin classes have been filled, yoga rooms are packed, and the basketball courts are overflowing with group fitness attendees. And while most students are panting like dogs and sweating copiously after a demanding workout, there are others who never seem to tire. These remarkable students can lunge, sprint, kick, and spin without breaking a sweat or losing their breath. They are agile, strong and alarmingly flexible. They are known as the BC Plex instructors. As the second semester gets underway and students work to keep up with their schedules, classes, and fitness, The Heights has taken a look into the lives of some of the infamous Plex instructors who inspire burning jealously and pure awe in the best of us. BC’s Plex instructors and trainers are among the most physically active students on campus. They are trained to condition bodies, build muscle, and help students lose weight. Their fitness classes are exhausting, rigorous, and often beloved by BC students. Gio Trilleras, CSON ’12, is a personal trainer and group fitness instructor at the Plex. The BC senior started working at the gym his junior year. A year later, he is now AFFA certified as a personal trainer and specializes in extreme fitness, obstacle course training, and total body transformation. Trilleras began working out and training in high school. A member of his school’s wrestling team, he competed for four years and was appointed captain of the team his junior and senior year. His position as captain taught him how to be a strong leader and set examples for others. “I was leading the workouts for other kids, so I always tried to lead by example,” Trilleras said, “Being a captain pushed me to set good examples for my teammates.” As he began his freshman year at BC, Trilleras continued to work out on his own. During his junior year, Lauren Scheinfeldt, assistant director of BC Flynn Recreation Center, took notice of his unusual workouts and offered to pay for his personal training certification. Trilleras started private training later that year, pushing students and faculty members through rigorous workouts. During the summer, he continued to work at the Plex as a personal trainer and was certified as a group fitness instructor last semester. While working over the summer, Trilleras designed and created BC-X, a high intensity class that leaves students with shaking limbs and sweat-drenched clothes. “BC-X is my baby,” Trilleras said. “I love it. I’m training a student now who will take my place next year as the BC-X instructor.” While he’s not leading workouts or completing his nursing major, Trilleras can be found training for his next Spartan Race. The Spartan Race is the world’s leading obstacle race series, inspired by Spartan training, the Navy Seals, and American Gladiators. The race tests participants’ strength, endurance, speed, and agility in over 12 obstacles that include a mud pit, an 8-foot wall climb and a barbed-wire crawl. Trilleras competed in his first Spartan Race this past August and finished No. 30 out of 8,000. He is now training for his second Spartan Race, a 10-mile course in Miami, Fla. that takes place on Feb. 25.
David Riemer
Graham Beck/Heights editor
Julianne Wojno, A&S ‘13, is a communication major who doubles as a Plex personal trainer and group fitness instructor. “My weakness from the last race was upper body strength—strength to body weight ratio,” Trilleras said. “So I’ve been doing a lot of high intensity training. I’ll do 200 pushups, run two miles, do 100 pull ups, run another two miles. I just keep moving … It’s fun. I love the challenge of accomplishing something that seems impossible.” Julianne Wojno, A&S ’13, shares Trilleras’ passion for fitness. A communication major and health advocate, Wojno is a personal trainer and group fitness instructor at the Plex who specializes in weight loss and strength training. Wojno started working at the gym as a fitness attendant. Her sophomore year, she was certified as a group fitness instructor and began teaching Chiseled, a total body conditioning class that tones and builds muscles. This past March she began training clients, and over winter break she created “spinlates,” a new BC group fitness class that combines 40 minutes of cycling with 20 minutes of strengthening core Pilates. “I am absolutely in love with training and instructing,” Wojno said. “It has brought me so much happiness. I was able to stay over the summer and work full time at the Plex. I really developed my passion for health and fitness.” Wojno grew up as a swimmer and dancer. Throughout high school she focused on dancing and began going to the gym, where her love for fitness grew. As a freshman at BC, Wojno stayed active and fit. She began studying to be a personal trainer the summer before her sophomore year. The health and fitness advocate can now be seen smiling in the Plex most days of the week. Her endless enthusiasm and words of encouragement help lead students through exhausting spin classes, training sessions and X-Fit or Chiseled workouts. Wojno works hard to not only change student’s physiques but also change their mentalities of weight loss. “There is such a skewed perception of what it means to be healthy, especially amongst college and high school age,” Wojno said. “People don’t realize that being healthy isn’t about being a size. We all have different bodies and it’s about getting the best, healthiest you. For some people that’s going to be a size eight and for others, it will be a size zero. But what matters is not getting sucked into this culture that says you have to be stick thin to be healthy … I want people to rethink what it means to be healthy.” Meredith Malm, a Plex Instructor and CSOM ’12, helps get BC students into shape through a different kind of training:
Pilates. Malm has been teaching Power Pilates classes since her junior year. She danced ballet and contemporary dance for 16 years. With experience and training, her flexibility, strength, and coordination grew. Malm’s experience as a dancer helped her become a BC Plex instructor. “Pilates is often coupled with dance, especially ballet,” Malm said. “I grew up doing Pilates to compliment my ballet … As a BC instructor, I teach Power Pilates, which is a little different than regular Pilates. We add more accessible moves for the common person.” As a BC student, Malm no longer dances. Her sophomore year, she turned her energy to running. The Power Pilates instructor normally spends six days a week in the gym, sometimes seven. “I have to force myself to take a rest day,” Malm said. On average, she works out two hours a day. After a Pilates class, she does an hour of cardio. While her schedule may appear unattainable to the normal BC student, she recommends making healthy food choices and focusing during exercise. “Eating well and working out helps you attain that goal but in a good way, a beneficial way,” Malm said. “Make sure you’re fully present in your work out. A lot of students just read or prance on the elliptical for a half hour, but I think if you really try to focus, it is more effective and you’ll get better results.” While these Plex instructors’ extensively healthy habits can seem somewhat impossible to achieve, Wojno puts it best: “all in moderation and variation.” We may not all be able to run a Spartan Race or complete 200 squats just yet, but with effort in the gym and healthy food choices in Lower and Mac, students can expect to see results. And as a comforting reminder that we are all human, these Plex instructors admitted that they too have their weaknesses. “I love good bread,” Malm said. “Pizza, bread, any kind of carbs.” “Diet Dr. Pepper is my ultimate weakness,” Wojno said. “I’m addicted.” And yes, the man who placed in the top 1 percent of a Spartan Race has a weakness too. “My weakness, something I can never say no to, is Oreo froyo from White Mountain,” admitted Trilleras. “If someone asked me to go right now, I would do it. It’s game over. I will not say no to it, ever … There was a month period last year when I ate it every day.” It seems that there may still be hope for us after all. n
Graham Beck/Heights editor
Gio Trilleras, CSON ‘12, teaches several classes at the Plex, though he says that he is partial to his position as instructor of BC-X, a high intensity class that leaves students drenched.
Though under-reported, sexual assaults are frequent Sexual Assaults, from B10 system. The vast majority of students choose the latter option. As far as how BC compares to other schools in terms of the number of sexual assaults on campus every year, is difficult to determine. This is in part due to the lack of transparency within the whole process, as well as the inestimable number of assaults that go unreported. Statistically speaking, though the reported rates are much lower, in a school of approximately 10,000 students, about 350 are sexually assaulted annually. BC provides its students with a variety of options as far as how to report a sexual assault and where to seek help. The WRC offers an array of counselors and volunteers who are trained and available to help survivors of sexual assault. “The WRC oversees SANet (the Sexual Assault Network), which is a 24-hour/7day-a-week hotline that is staffed by faculty and staff advocates who are trained to serve the unique needs of survivors and to provide information about campus and local resources targeted at those needs,” said Katie Dalton, director of the WRC. Additionally, there are a variety of events and forums sponsored by the WRC, often in relation with University Counseling Services, geared toward helping students who have been sexually assaulted. These include HEAL, a bi-weekly support group for survivors of sexual assault (a student-led initiative that is currently going through a staffing transition), C.A.R.E.
(Concerned About Rape Education) Week, Take Back the Night, and, more immediately, a forum for survivors of sexual assault, friends of survivors and concerned parties to discuss how to best address survivors’ needs, this Monday at 12 p.m. in McElroy 115. Dalton attended a 40-hour training session this past summer through the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center and is now a certified survivor responder. “The recovery process is different for each survivor. It is important to take time to listen to and understand where an individual is in their personal healing process, what their needs are at that particular moment, and respond to those needs,” Dalton said of victims’ recovery processes. She stressed that the WRC can help survivors at any point in their recovery—all they need to do is seek the help. Students can also choose to approach University Counseling Services if they prefer to take that route. “Creating a safe and comfortable atmosphere for reporting crimes will likely result in more victims coming forward. Not all colleges and universities have the same level of resources as we do at BC,” said John King, director of public safety and chief of the BCPD. However helpful these various methods of coping and recovery may be, the ideal route is to prevent the assault to begin with. Bystander Education, a part of the WRC, is the group on campus that works to train students in the ways of being a proactive bystander in sexual assault situations. Students teach these
methods of prevention to other students after completing requirements to become certified to do so. There is an application process that begins in early April, which includes a written portion as well as an interview, and is followed by an extensive training process where students are taught the definitions of sexual assault and bystander and the prevention methods that bystanders should take. This extensive training process culminates with the certification of these students to then go out and give bystander education presentations to various groups on campus. The presentations they give are only about an hour long, though they are required of every registered student organization on campus. Bystander Education is working to extend its reach, and it has succeeded as of late. “We have seen an increase in the number of students involved,” said Molly Kocher, a graduate student in mental health counseling who volunteers with Bystander Education. “Last semester we trained over 700 students through the hour-long presentation. It’s important because statistically, 1 in 4 women will experience some form of sexual assault in their life.” This is a staggering number, and its prevalence on college campuses is inarguable as it is reported that 1 in 5 women will be sexually assaulted in college. Many of these women never seek help. “Unfortunately, in college culture in general there’s almost this idea of ‘It’s just a crazy night, it happens, it’s college.’
Bystander Education is trying to make it clear that if you feel uncomfortable you should seek help,” Kocher explained. “Our hope is to create a community of students that help prevent this from happening.” Students at BC should feel comfortable and enjoy themselves without fear of falling into a dangerous situation. Should one feel uncomfortable with the route a night
“‘Unfortunately, in college culture in general there’s almost this idea of ‘It’s just a crazy night, it happens, it’s college.’” -Molly Kocher
took, it is advised that he or she seek help with at least one of the variety of resources available on campus. Experiencing sexual assault can be traumatizing and debilitating, and the last thing a person needs is to go through it alone. Students are encouraged to seek help and assistance through BCPD, SANet, ODSD, Health Services, the Counseling Center, or the WRC. None of the groups will push a student to take legal action, or not to: they are simply there to offer support in a time of confusion and need. All groups stress that the decision about how to proceed will always remain that of the student. n
Happiness—we all strive for it. The pursuit of it is written into the Constitution. Will Smith was in a movie that spelled it wrong. Suffice it to say, almost everything we do as a species, we do to experience a flood of particular neurotransmitters. By saying that, I do not mean to trivialize the happiness of mankind—I only want to point out the very strange and stupid things we do to force-feed ourselves smiles. We are so addicted to our own happiness that we completely forget that it is natural, even healthy, not to be elated at all times. Actually, there is a word for someone who is uncontrollably happy; psychologists call it “mania” and as fun as it sounds, it is still, in fact, a behavioral disorder. In our insane race to bliss, we have created some of the most frighteningly ironic professions and institutions I believe to ever have existed. Clowns. Amusement parks. All-day pancake parlors. These are the things that haunt my dreams. Clowns are (supposedly) living, breathing testaments to the cruelty of the world. Somewhere along the course of human history, someone found reality to be so unbearable that they, no doubt through some horrifying sacrificial ritual, flung part of their mind over to some sort of sinister plane of existence which imbued them with the dread powers of balloon art and parlor tricks and the ability to fit into improbably small vehicles (at the expense of a normal complexion and nose). They then returned to our dimension with the sole purpose of reminding everyone how unhappy they truly are, or at least this is the only way I can rationalize their incredibly creepy, perpetually happy demeanor. No actual human being can be so happy, which begs one of two conclusions. The first, I already elaborated; the second is far worse: they are only pretending to be happy. If they are indeed human (and this is still up for debate), and are only happy for show, what are they actually thinking about when they are honking their noses or riding their unicycles? Not knowing what lies beneath that powder-caked facade is truly chilling, I know. I personally am going to stick to them being inter-dimensional harbingers of horror, because frankly it is the less terrifying alternative. Many people will disagree with me on this, but I have found amusement parks to be reservoirs of pain and sadness. Patrons of amusement parks like Six Flags actively seek a brush with death, and mistake their statistically subsequent survival for conquest. What could be more morbid than a group of people that willingly pays to spend the afternoon in a place engineered to almost kill them? The smiles, however, fade quickly. Strolling down the vomit and cotton-candy-covered sidewalks—even at Disney World, the “happiest place on Earth,”—I am bombarded by haggard, beleaguered frowns and scowls from publicly discontented families taking pictures with bobbleheaded mascots with transfixed, unblinking eyes and frozen smiles. The juxtaposition is pitiful. These people are trying so hard to have a good time, but that is simply not how happiness works. As for the personnel: angsty teens. Enough said. There is no sorrow, however, quite like the poignant gloom that can exist only in an all-day pancake parlor. I cannot recall an experience quite as uncomfortable as my family’s outing to Polly’s Pancakes. Maybe it was the mediocre pancakes or the deserted early-afternoon atmosphere, or the still-deserted parking lot when we drove by it again later that evening, but I could not help but feel as though some terrible tragedy had taken place there. It felt like the hotel in The Shining, only markedly spookier. Little did I know that tragedy had been its construction. “But it’s breakfast all day,” one might say, “and everyone loves breakfast!” That is exactly what Polly wants you to think. Polly is in league with the clowns. Polly knows that we have problems, that we experience adversity, but she feeds on our worldly woes. It is for this reason that an all-day pancake parlor is less so an eatery than it is a mechanism for disheartening its customers. Something about life just seems so unfair when I see a place like Polly’s. It seems unfair that possibly-interdimensional clowns, just-shy-of-death amusement parks, and soul-siphoning pancake joints can try so hard to be happy when they clearly are not, and pressure people into feeling like they need to be drowning in laughter at all times. Spare yourself the hysterical asphyxiation, sit back, and let happiness pursue you.
David Riemer is an editor for The Heights. He welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.
The Heights
B8
editor’s column
Networking is trending at BC
E-books form a niche A look at the growing popularity of e-books and their effect on the students of Boston College By Cathryn Woodruff Heights Editor
Therese Tully I recently met a new transfer student who lives in my building. He needed help connecting his computer to the Boston College network, a confusing process to say the least. He stood helplessly in my hallway looking for some assistance, and a few girls swarmed out to help him. So I introduced myself and shook his hand, as did my roommate who came out to help as well, and ended up saving the day. In his New Zealand accent, he commented that everyone at BC gave him such formal introductions. And this got me to thinking, was this strange? Did most college students perform this ritual? It was somethign I had never really thought about before. During my freshman year Courage to Know class, we took a little field trip over to the Career Center, and though I felt mildly overwhelmed by the talk of resumes, internships, externships, and my future in general, it was extremely helpful and I picked up a lot of tips. One of them was to always introduce yourself by your first and last name and with a firm handshake. While this isn’t really a casual way to meet someone when you are standing in your sweatpants in your dorm in the middle of the night, I did still shake his hand. I refrained from using my full name though, that felt a little out of place This exchange student had noticed something that I had never noticed before about my own campus. We are a campus of networkers—BC students know how to meet people and make connections, and in this way, we are quite ahead of our times. It is ironic that this exchange student discovered this while trying to literally connect to the BC network, but I swear it’s the truth, I have witnesses. After this brief episode, I was on high alert for all instances of BC networking happening on campus, and really, I saw it everywhere. People often look at our generation and all they see is Facebook-addicted, video game-playing, energy drink consuming loads who won’t do anything that involves more effort than signing a petition online–one click action. We are the lazy, inactive generation that will never amount to anything. These generalizations often get me down, but walking around campus looking for these networking occurrences has really lifted my spirits. We know how to communicate in person still, though people often assume that all we do is text each other. We still know how to make face to face interactions. Networking, making meaningful and useful connections, and actively working to pursue our dreams are trending at BC right now—I know, pretty impressive right? As an undergraduate population, we are already networking, a skill that will be so vital in our post-graduate future. Walking across O’Neill Plaza the other day, I saw two students introduce themselves, shake hands, and exchange contact information. Even this simple act of connecting is a valuable skill to have in the real world. A firm handshake is everything, we are told, and an important start to a solid relationship. Though we may not always have the best romantic connections on campus, we do know how to conduct ourselves professionally. Whether it be the hordes of CSOMers walking around campus in business suits-doing what? I don’t know-or students flocking to the Career Center to have their resumes critiqued, BC students are interested in securing themselves good internships and jobs, and know how to do this. It is important to find a balance in your life. Though college is a ton of fun and a lot of work, it is worthwhile to carve out a part of your day to dedicate to planning for the future. Our futures are ultimately in our hands, and seeing students take time to and dedicate some serious thought to the future shows that we are capable of being responsible, and even act that way sometimes. Sometimes it takes a little bit of outside perspective to realize who BC students are. If we take a moment to look around at the people around us and all of the steps they are taking to be responsible and adult-like, it is quite encouraging. Being a part of the BC network is definitely a valuable thing, and one that will connect all of us during our undergraduate time here and beyond. It is worthwhile to connect with people while you are here, and also to continue to foster relationships with the members of our own BC network long after we leave Chestnut Hill.
Therese Tully is the Features editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com
Monday, February 6, 2012
Jumping out of bed for your 9 a.m. class, you scramble to throw your books for your full day of classes into your backpack. You sloppily pile your seemingly relentless stash of Perspectives books, clunky bio textbook, clicker, and calculator into your bag and run. By the end of the day, your back and neck ache–not only are you mentally exhausted, but also physically sore from the cumbrous backpack you hauled up and down the endless stretch of stairs we call our campus. Your books swallow you not only in sheer mass, but also in expenses. Every college student feels the stinging pain of reaching into his or her pocket for cash and coming out empty handed. On top of exorbitant tuition fees, the cost of college textbooks is just another expense to pull a student even farther into the depths of debt. A fairly new alternative that costs students less, however, has made its mark at Boston College: e-books. Not only do e-books lessen the cost of textbooks, but they also substantially lower the weight that students need to lug around. Many colleges around the country are now giving students the option to purchase inexpensive e-books, which can be stored on “readers” such as Kindles or Sony PRS e-readers. E-books are lightweight, with the Kindle DX weighing a little over one pound. Of course investing in a “reader” is the biggest cost incurred in this alternative option. The Amazon Kindle starts at $79– a substantial expense, yet only a fraction of the cost of books for a full school year. E-books are increasingly recognized as having certain crucial benefits over print books. They can be used to search for encyclopedic information, for individual chapters in a multi-authored book, and for a multimedia experience (inclusion of audio or video clips). Publishers are hoping digital discounts will make stu-
dents convert, as e-books can be up to 60 percent less than traditional texts in some cases. For example, at the MIT Coop, the “Technology Ventures’’ business textbook costs $151.40 for a new copy, $113.55 for a used copy, and $83.90 for the e-book. Students can save even more by renting the e-book, which costs $65.60 and expires in 180 days. Douglas Finn, a professor in the theology department at BC, gave his Perspectives students the option of purchasing his required books in e-book form this semester. “It seems that an increasing number of students are doing their reading with digital media, which can save a lot of money, space, and time, so I thought it would only help to increase their options for acquiring the assigned reading material,” Finn said. It seems that many others have followed suit. Generally, there has been a boom in digital titles this year, despite the fact that college textbooks have been available digitally for about a decade. Yet, within the last year, e-reader technology has improved drastically, and prices have dropped. Nonetheless, the industry still has far to go, since only 25 percent of the books college students are looking for are available in digital form. BC Bookstore director Bob Stewart said, “We have recognized that the digital world is becoming increasingly strong. It is still not yet significant, but it is starting to grow.” From April 1 of last year, the start of their fiscal year, to date, the Bookstore saw a 250 percent increase in digital offerings. The bookstore, which introduced its rental program in the fall of 2010 to help students save on books, is also trying to augment its number of e-book offerings to also take the edge off of the students’ academic expenses. The BC Bookstore has developed its own e-book platform called “CafeScribe,” which works with publishers to get them to agree to allow them to utilize their textbooks in a digital format. Of course, the publishers have the say as to whether or not a specific textbook can be digitally produced, and whether they will allow their textbooks to be sold on “CafeScribe” or not. “The CafeScribe platform is growing,” Stewart said. “It is almost like a social networking platform in which students can highlight their electronic books and take notes in the margins. Students can also communicate with profes-
woogeon kim / heights illustration
E-books are becoming a viable option for students at BC.
sors and other students taking their course on campus, as well as with students at different universities.” Stewart added that he could see the amount of ebooks offered at the Bookstore growing rapidly in the future, as technology continues to evolve. “It helps in the paper cost and the green initiative. There are definite advantages to e-books, but it also will never replace the printed copy totally.” The Bookstore website advertises that they have over 40,000 e-book titles, including audiobooks, and over 1,000 textbook titles. The Bookstore strongly promotes these space saving, money saving devices on its website with a bolded statement: “eBooks: The Future is Now!” n
professor profile: Caroline Bicks
Bringing a modern twist to teaching literature Professor Caroline Bicks makes English exciting for students By Marye Moran Heights Staff
Watching Sex and the City in a classroom? The idea sounds as absurd as Carrie’s season one hairstyle, but with Caroline Bicks, nothing is out of the question. “In class, we read ‘gossip texts,’ satirical works showing groups of women sitting in a bar talking about how their husbands are terrible,” Bicks says. These writings are paired with parallel scenes, produced over a century later on Sex and the City. Students then discuss how these issues have endured throughout time, and Bicks explains, “It allows me to introduce the ideas and give them more contemporary resonance.” Bicks began her career as a college professor 14 years ago, and has been at Boston College for 10. Immediately after leaving Harvard with an undergraduate degree, however, she said that, “I wasn’t sure at all that I wanted to be a professor.” She decided to pursue a career as an actress, but after a year decided that she needed a change. She taught in a high school for a year, and the experience made her realize that she was meant to be in a classroom, not on a stage. She went on to pursue her Ph.D. at Stanford and then became a professor, first at Ohio
Courtesy of Brendon reay
Bicks inspires students in all of her classes. State University and then at BC. Bicks teaches in the English department, currently leading an Advanced Topic Seminar called Making Sex in Early Modern England. The course explores gender constructions by reading texts ranging from plays to anatomy books from the 16th and 17th centuries. With the course capped at 15 students, Bicks said, “It has been wonderful to have a focused small group, and the size has allowed us to go in depth and have fabulous discussions.” Yet, Bicks has enjoyed the entire range of classes she taught over her years as a professor. She often instructs on issues of gender and femininity throughout time, saying that, “I don’t think these problems have ever gone away. It’s interesting to see the same issues at play in a different time period.” Bicks makes unexpected but apt comparisons between time periods, looking at the public opinion and struggles of
Queen Elizabeth I, for example, and comparing these circumstances to those seen today for female leaders like Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin. Bicks encourages students to follow her example and make these wide mental leaps, hoping that they will develop their own critical way of thinking. “Students often come into something like Shakespeare and think, ‘What can I discover or contribute?’ I try to help them take ownership of something, and find something new that’s theirs,” she said. The assignments that her students face are crafted to bring this out, and in the past, she has had classes find unusual texts and primary sources, reading about courtship rituals through an authentic handbook or reading satire from the period to understand the mindset of the
“Students often come into something like Shakespeare and think, ‘What can I discover or contribute?’ I try to help them take ownership.” -Caroline Bicks
time. Another unique project was in her Shakespeare course, where groups staged and filmed controversial Shakespearean scenes. “They came up with stunning
interpretations, and it allowed students to show me a different kind of thinking than the standard five-page paper,” Bicks said. After over a decade in the classroom and exploring these texts, what truly made the project a success according to Bicks, she personally learned much from what her students put forth. As a professor, director of the BC masters program in English, wife, mother of two, and writer, Bicks certainly has much to balance. She finds, however, that “you find time for the things you love,” and has even discovered that the multiple foci of her life reinforce and inspire each other. The seminar that she leads is related to her outside writing, as she is currently working on a book on the Stages of Girlhood in Early Modern England. Yes, such a major undertaking dominates much of her time, but she notes, “Students come up with ideas that get me thinking about my work in new ways.” Bicks’ laidback and innovative outlook is marked by what she identifies as her favorite week in the classroom. “Last year when we did those Shakespeare films with the students, we dedicated a week of class time to watching their scenes,” she said. ”I have never laughed so hard, and was so honest-to-god entertained by what they produced.” Bicks went on to explain, “This is why I do this, because even if a play is 400 years old, there is still something new to find.” After years of repetitive lectures and literature analyses, her students echo her happiness as they find something new and exciting each time they enter her classroom. n
he said, she said All of my roommates have recently gotten involved with someone, but I’m still riding solo. I’m starting to get a little angry though because every time we go out I feel like they leave me. What should I do?
I feel as though this happens way more than one would think, and truthfully, it can really suck. Feeling left out just because you’re not involved with anyone in particular is tough, and to be honest, it is also highly likely that your friends haven’t taken notice not because they’re insensitive: It’s just hard to put it in context. In this situation, I think the best thing to do would be to bring it up with your group of friends and explain that you’d like to make time to do things with just them. If Alex Trautwig this doesn’t change anything or it’s only temporary, there’s no problem with explaining why you’re feeling left out. As I mentioned, it’s possible they just don’t see it, and it could be especially hard to see how the entire group dynamic has changed since it’s not just one person, but all of them. It can be even more difficult if these are new romantic interests, as that is when they are often spending more time with each other. When it comes down to it, though, as with almost all of the situations we address in this column, communication is always the best route to go. People tend to underestimate the value of honest conversations, which often lead to the clearest and most successful solutions to the problems that we encounter in college. Nobody likes to feel left out, and your roommates will understand that if you explain the situation. It’s also important, though, to not make it an attack on them for ditching you, but just emphasize that you miss the way things were.
I completely understand that you are feeling a little left out. It is very hurtful when you feel neglected due to romantic interests. That being said, you cannot be too upset at your friends for pursuing some flings. You should temper your expectations and realize that your friends are not purposely doing this to you. It is hard to balance everything in college. I agree with my counterpart in the fact that you Madeline demoulas should try to talk to them and tell them you miss how things were before. You can even suggest a roommate night out so you can all be together. I also think that your roommates should be sensitive to your position and not leave you stranded at night. College should be a time to be with your friends, so it is natural to feel upset. If you feel like nothing changes in the next few weeks, make a point of broadening your horizons and meet up with some new people. Boston College is a big school with lots of fun people, and you are bound to find some likeminded friends who will enjoy hanging out with you. I can promise you that some of your roommates will regret their decisions in leaving parties early to be with a significant other. They will realize that they are missing out on some of the most memorable moments in college. Friends are important—maybe your roommates need a little reminder.
Alex Trautwig is a senior staff writer for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.
Madeline Demoulas is a senior staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.
The Heights
Monday, February 6, 2012
Twitters capture daily life at Boston College
B9
A capella groups strike a cord on campus
Eagle dates
MEET THE DATERS:
A Cappella, from B10
BC Twitters, from B10 worth following. These, along with the dozens of other BC-related ones not mentioned specifically,will be sure to break up the monotony of the Twitter world with their little bits of comedy catered to life on campus. It is always fun reading tweets that are pertinent to our lives here on campus. In the midst of UGBC election season, candidates have created Twitter accounts to campaign and spread their messages. Vanessa Gomez and Jennifer Wanandi use the account @GomezWanandi, with their info stating, “WanaGo to New Heights?” to tweet about campaign events, promote their ideas, and generate excitement for the upcoming election. They tweet about events, from a lunch with the candidates in the Rat, to meet ups in the Quad. Due to the large following that Twitter and other social media sites have, they have proved to be a great resource for those who are campaigning. Other UGBC hopefuls Chris Osnato and Kudzai Taziva are also utilizing Twitter in their campaign. There Twitter handle—@ChrisAndKudzai —takes a slightly different approach to their Twitter campaign, incorporating hashtags to trend phrases significant to their campaign such as #BecauseYouMatter and #LimeGreenLifestyle. All of the candidates have taken full advantage of the social media world to get the word out to a huge percentage of the BC population. One unique promotional use of Twitter at BC was the @Mile21 account used on Marathon Monday last year. This account gave its followers tips on locations where volunteers were distributing free marathon gear such as pinnies and rally towels, and continually tweeted throughout the day. Using this method, the Mile21 campaign successfully achieved its mission of strengthening support for BC marathon runners and getting spectators even more excited for the event. Besides these student-run accounts, BC also employs Twitter to reach out to the student population through @BostonCollege. This account which tweets everything from cheerful greetings such as “Morning all! Happy Friday!” to tweets promoting relevant events happening on campus. They combine these informative tweets with pictures of things happening on campus. With 18,240 followers, @BostonCollege appears to be the most widely followed Twitter account associated with BC. The extensive use of this wide variety of BC Twitters provides a great example for the website’s popularity and success at getting information to a large audience. Whether someone at BC is looking to make students laugh, or spread awareness about an event, Twitter is becoming one of the most efficient and easy ways to achieve that mission.Twitter proves to be a great distraction for students, that can be informative too. n
PHOTOGRAPHER
Daniel Lee / HEIGHTS EDITor
Cover,Lauren from B10 NAME: Ghazal YEAR: 2013 MAJOR: Economics FAVORITE ETHNIC CUISINE: Lebanese FAVORITE MOVIE: Bridesmaids
NAME: Aldoron Villena YEAR: 2013 MAJOR: Philosophy and Psych FAVORITE ETHNIC CUISINE: Chinese FAVORITE MOVIE: Adventureland
Eagle Dates continue to expose students to college dating HEIGHTS: How did your date begin?
Heights: Where did you go on your date?
LAUREN: We ran into each other on the T before getting to the restaurant, and knew we had met before. So after a little discussion of what retreats/activities we had done or were involved in, we finally remembered we were on last year’s Halftime together! For dinner we went to Brown Sugar for some delicious (and spicy!) Thai.
ALdo: We went to Brown Sugar-it was a Thai restaurant
HEIGHTS: How did you prepare for this date? LAUREN: My lovely roommates helped me pick out my outfit and did my hair and makeup. Then they went through a list of topics I could not discuss, being as it was my first date ever. Yes, I know, I just admitted that in The Heights. HEIGHTS: What did you guys talk about? LAUREN: A lot. I feel like I talked Aldo’s ear off the whole night, but that’s just because he was a great listener! Hmm … we talked a lot about our roommates, family, and classes we were taking. HEIGHTS: What was the most surprising thing you learned about your date? LAUREN: He’s Peruvian! And he just came back from a service trip over winter break in New Orleans. HEIGHTS: What was the highlight of your evening? LAUREN: I ordered something way too spicy for me. Aldo noticed, and let me have some of his dish. HEIGHTS: Would you call the evening a success? LAUREN: Definitely. I had a great time with Aldo, and he was such a gentleman! HEIGHTS: What does the future hold for you two? LAUREN: I really enjoyed the date, we’ll see what the future holds ….
heights: How nervous were you for this date? aldo: I wasn’t that nervous. I just thought it would be, like, two seconds of awkwardness and then it would be pretty cool. I figured for someone to sign up for this, they would have to be pretty outgoing. Heights: How did the conversation go? aldo: It was good. We talked the whole time. We switched subjects a lot because there is a lot to get to know about someone you don’t know. There wasn’t a moment of silence. heights: What was the most surprising thing you learned about your date? aldo: I found out that we were on the same Half time retreat, and she had an incident playing manhunt. That was pretty funny. Heights: What does the future hold for you two? aldo: I get along with her well, but I don’t know. She is really nice, so the sky is the limit. Heights: How did you end the date? aldo: Well, I live off the B-Line, and we were coming back on the B-Line, so we said goodbye on the train really quickly because I had to get off. Plus, we were both going out later that night.
RATE YOUR DATES NAME: Aldo Villena RATE THE DATE ON A SCALE OF 1-5 (5 BEING BEST)
4.81
NAME: Lauren Ghazal RATE THE DATE ON A SCALE OF 1-5 (5 BEING BEST)
5.00
Campus Chronicles
How students are celebrating Super Bowl Sunday Jennifer Lavoie One thing I’ve come to realize that Boston College students do very well is partaking in the celebration of underappreciated holidays. From Marathon Monday to Cinco de Mayo to Columbus Day, it seems that we’ve come to accumulate our own traditions for pretty much everything. However, in the past week, as the shock of Billy Cundiff ’s missed kick wore off and the excitement that my home team was going to the Superbowl finally settled in, I came to realize that unless you were a Patriots or a Giants fan, there seemed to be little excitement built up around Superbowl XLVI around the BC campus. In a way, it makes sense. If the Jets were in the Superbowl, I’d probably watch just about anything over them. But considering that much of our student body is from New England or New York, there really is no excuse as to why we can’t celebrate to the best of our
abilities. In examining the different ways students choose to celebrate the famous game, I realized there truly is no right or wrong way to watch. While some students opt for the more laid-back approach, consisting of posting up in the eight-man and enjoying the multitude of comedic commercials and Madonna’s halftime performance, others choose to push homework off until Monday night and fully devote their time to all 60 minutes of the game. I’ll give credit where credit is due and say that I strongly admire those who are brave enough to host both Giants and Patriots fans together for the intent of a Superbowl party. Although we are not the biggest rivalry in sports, it is still Boston versus New York, which, as we’ve seen in the past, is always entertaining. Additional props go to those willing to enter the heart of Boston during the game. Photo Courtesy of gOOGLE.COM From the numerous
e-mails we’ve received warning of us of the dangers that lie downtown amongst the most intense of all football fans, I can only encourage fans at this point to go in armed. As for me, I’ll be taking my second trip back to Indiana this year to visit a place possibly more exciting than South Bend. Although I won’t be able to comment on my favorite commercial with my friends or enjoy my roommate’s homemade buffalo chicken dip, I will be able to say I was within 20 feet of what, at this point, has the potential to be one of the most exciting games to date. Although the celebrations leading up to and of course during the game never cease, most true sports fans know the best part of any victory is the post-game celebration. After proudly being a part of four Boston victory parades, I can only hope the week of Feb. 6 gives Bostonians another reason to cue the duck boats, and myself a legitimate excuse to miss my 9 a.m. class. Either way, we know a victory will be taking place somewhere on the east coast, but is it worth it for Giants fans to make the trek home for a parade? If you’re a devoted enough fan, absolutely. While some may argue that this year’s matchup is overplayed and not worth the tune in, BC students will most likely not oppose the pregame or postgame celebration. Ultimately, what I’ve learned in the past two years is you can truly never have enough reasons to dress in odd clothing, postpone homework, and celebrate something that at the time can seem a bit arbitrary. Whether you are a Patriots or a Giants fan, or even a Jets fan, Superbowl Sunday, like all our other favorite holidays, is the once-a-year occasion for which we should find ourselves counting down the days. All in all, it’s a tradition worth adding to the rest.
says. ATC members also spend time together outside of practices to maintain this sense of care and friendship. “We bond over New Hong Kong,” Skarka says of one of the group’s fun social activities. In addition, ATC goes into Boston over spring break to volunteer, which further exemplifies its dedication to music and serving the community through its faith. While the aforementioned groups are all co-ed, BC also has two a cappella groups dedicated solely to perfecting the sound of all-female and all-male musical ensembles. The BC Sharps are the only all-female a cappella group on campus, founded in 1990. The group’s repertoire includes a vast array of musical genres, such as rock, alternative, R&B, pop, jazz, and country. Tiia Groden, the Sharps’ business manager and LSOE ’13, explained in an e-mail how the group achieves the perfect harmony. “What we really emphasize, both during auditions and as we learn, rehearse, and perform our repertoire, is blending,” she said. This “one voice” effect is very important for members of the Sharps, so those who audition are asked to blend their voices with a few current group members to make sure that their voice will smoothly fit in with the others. The Sharps also arrange their own music, and Groden explained how “the best part of this group is everyone’s genuine love and passion for what [they] do.” To cultivate this friendship inside and outside of rehearsal, the Sharps have several group traditions and fun activities. For example, Groden noted how one of the favorite group traditions is to take a picture whenever all of the Sharps are in an elevator together. To celebrate the welcoming of new members, the group shares all of its favorite memories and prepares for the many more to come. The Height smen are B C ’s only all-male a cappella group, which was established in 1990 and continues to entertain many BC students with their cool sound and diverse repertoire. Sam Efthim, a current sophomore in the Heightsmen, spoke highly of the group, explaining how the guys have “cultivated a great brotherhood” throughout the years. This strong bond can be seen through their relationship with past alumni, who are invited to sing the Heightsmen theme song at each cafe. The Heightsmen have traditions of their own as well, including frequent meetings with University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., the group’s advisor. For those who have yet to attend a Heightsmen cafe, it is well worth it. The freshmen also have a tradition of their own—one that involves dancing. For every cafe, the freshmen put on a hilarious dance for the audience, which is always a “huge crowd pleaser,” as Efthim said. The Heightsmen know how to connect with their audiences with fun and exciting performances, while still displaying their musical talent. A cappella is a great aspect of music and the arts here at BC, and the groups continue to grow to this day. BC even has more recently established groups, such as the Dynamics, a pop co-ed a cappella group founded in 1998, and the even younger group, Black Experience in America Through Song (B.E.A.T.S.), the only R&B and soul a cappella group on campus, created in 2009. These groups have helped bring a cappella into the current music scene at BC as well, through their current Top 40 repertoire and songs of African-American roots, respectively. Students here at BC are very fortunate to have such a vast array of groups to listen to, and each one adds a new dimension to the a cappella scene on campus. With several groups to audition for, and possibly more in the future, singers, beat-boxers, and performers alike are sure to find some outlet for their musical talents. n
Sarah Davey/Heights Staff
Jennifer Lavoie is a contributor to The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.
A capella groups love to serenade the students of BC in shows throughout the year.
features The Heights
B4
B10
Monday, February 6, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
The many voices of BC a cappella
@BCC
By Michelle Tomassi You probably know at least one person who spent several days last semester agonizing over the stressinducing, nerve-wracking process of auditioning for one of the several a cappella groups on campus. Despite their incredible selectivity, these organizations truly become an integral aspect of life on campus, as well as a second family for each of the members. So what exactly distinguishes the groups from each other? Of course, each group looks for outstanding vocal skill, demonstrated by the ability to match pitch, have a vocal range, and sing solo. However, there is so much more to each group, as they all have their own individual twist on the traditional a cappella sound. They also have collective traditions, both inside and outside of the rehearsal room, that add to the diversity of the music scene at Boston College. The Bostonians are BC’s oldest a cappella group, founded in 1986, and recently celebrated their 25th anniversary with former Bostonians from all around the nation. The group performs pop, rock, and R&B music while still maintaining a more classic vibe. “We in the Bostonians pride ourselves on balancing professionalism and hard work with fun times and great friends,” says Ally Norton, music director of the Bostonians and A&S ’13. This hard work and dedication has led to great success for the group, as their album Flipping Out was nominated for Best Mixed Collegiate Album of 2010 in the national CARA awards, or “the Grammys of a cappella,” as the Bostonians’ website explains. The group has received several other recognitions, and similar to the other a cappella groups on campus, the members feel very connected to their second family. One group that seeks diversity within itself is the Acoustics, BC’s “crazy co-ed a cappella” group, founded in 1993. The “Stix” pride themselves on being the fun, theatrical group on campus, and can often be seen wearing colorful shirts during performances to reflect their quirky personality. The Acoustics have committed themselves to providing entertainment, as displayed by their energetic performances and their SNL-type comedy skits at shows. Matt Johnson, the business manager for the Acoustics and A&S ’13, explained how, most importantly, the group seeks diversity—musically, culturally, and through personality. The Acoustics perform a wide range of music, so they wish the group to reflect that sense of uniqueness. For example, Johnson explained how last year, one of the linebackers on the football team was part of the group, which shows how the Acoustics represent all types of students here at BC. The Acoustics also have many group traditions that add to their sense of family. They sing for new members to welcome them to the group, as well as invite alumni to sing for the freshmen. The Acoustics continue this relationship with alumni, and they have already begun the process of planning for their alumni weekend to celebrate their 20th anniversary next year. “Our babies … we shower them with love,” Johnson says, illustrating just how dedicated the Acoustics are to keeping the bonds among members strong well after graduation. The group that embodies traditional BC Jesuit values is Against the Current (ATC), BC’s only Christian a cappella group, initiated in 1998 as a means of uniting music and faith in God into one group on campus. The group sings inspirational songs with a positive message, including both religious pieces and more current music, such as a recent mashup of Jessie J’s “Price Tag” and the Black Eyed Peas’ “Where is the Love.” “Our mission is to be a light for God on campus,” says Zack Skarka, current ATC member and A&S ’15. Rachel Gottlieb, another ATC member and A&S ’15, explained the group’s rehearsal routines. “We start with a Bible verse, have practice for about an hour and a half, and end by breaking into ‘fun buddy’ groups to talk about our lives and pray for each other,” Gottlieb
For the Heights
heeChees
Heights Editor
By Ashley Newsome From waiting in endless lines for steak-and-cheeses, to finding an elusive power outlet during finals time, Boston College students encounter a number of typical annoyances during their daily lives. Looking for an outlet to vent their frustrations, many people turn to Twitter. Twitter is not just for sharing irritations, though. It is also a powerful tool to get out information to a broad audience. As the social media website’s popularity has soared over the past few years, it has become a medium for its users to voice their opinions, explore their interests, and stay connected with their friends. Twitter users can tweet at each other using the @ symbol, followed by his or her username, to respond to a tweet or simply to draw his or her attention to something interesting or relevant. Twitter users often use hashtags, a word or short phrase following the # symbol, to indicate a trend that other people may also have tweeted about. Twitter has flourished at BC, where all of those daily encounters and observations on campus have led to the creation of many humorous accounts that speak to many students. Some cater directly to a specific audience, such as @TheRealBCGirl, whose sarcasm-tinged tweets about going out, hooking up, and working out are tailored to entertain her 852 followers, most of whom are female BC students. On the first day of classes this fall, The Real BC Girl tweeted, “Remember when we used to be excited for the first day of classes? I need a hillside coffee to get me through this #bcgirlproblems.” Many members of the BC female population could probably relate to this sentiment as they slowly made their way to Middle Campus for 9 a.m. classes after a schoolwork-free summer of sleeping in. @TheRealBCGirl is comically shameless with tweets about BC social life, such as “How many weekends of continuously hooking up counts as a relationship? #bcgirlproblems,” but the account would not be so popular if the blunt and sardonic tweets were not relatable. For the men of BC, @BrostonCollege, the Twitter account for the popular BrostonCollege blog, is here to entertain with witty tweets mostly about BC life and sports written “by the BC bro, for the BC bro.” Despite this tagline, many of this popular account’s 1,980 followers are girls, suggesting that @BrostonCollege’s clever sense of humor appeals to a large portion of BC students and is not gender-exclusive. @BrostonCollege turns everyday observations at BC into witty one-liners, such as the following tweet about the woman who gathers up cans from the recycling bins outside of The Mods: “If I had half the work ethic the can lady has I would probably know where Harvard gets us by now.” Anyone who has walked through The Mods on a Sunday morning to see her diligently and cheerfully piling massive heaps of discarded Natty Lights into her shopping cart would definitely agree with this tweet. For jokes about BC nightlife, a favorite Twitter account is @BCCheeChees, which takes on the persona of the infamous sausage vendor stationed outside of Main Gate on weekend nights. With deeply philosophic quotes such as, “If you give a BC student a fish, he’ll eat for a day, but if you give him alcohol he’ll eat Che Chi’s for the rest of his life,” @BCCheeChees never fails to disappoint his 563 followers with crude yet hilarious sausage-related humor. Even the library scene has its own Twitter, dedicated to spicing up BC’s study life: @ONeillProblems. This fairly new account began tweeting only this past November and has already accumulated 369 followers. These tweets supply good material about the user’s awkward library encounters and quality people-watching observations for that quick study break that many Twitter users take fairly often. The library routine of @ONeillProblems may sound familiar to those people who suffer from the common weaknesses of social media addiction and procrastination: “First I do some laps to see who’s here, then I pick a good table, then I Facebook for a few hours, then I start my homework #ONeillProblems.” With so many options for BC Twitter accounts alone, it’s a wonder students manage to ever get to the homework stage, since new tweets crop up constantly to provide even more distractions. For those Twitter users sick of the barrage of dull and tedious tweets that make up the majority of their timelines, these popular BC accounts are
FIRST I DO SOME LAPS TO SEE WHO’S HERE, THEN I PICK A GOOD TABLE, THEN I FACEBOOK FOR A FEW HOURS, THEN I START MY HOMEWORK #ONEILLPROBLEMS
See A Cappella, B9
See Twitter, B9
wOOGEON kIM/hEIGHTS ILLUSTRATION
Though not considered by many students, sexual assaults do occur By Alexandra Schaeffer Asst. Features Editor
With the annual Vagina Monologues performance coming up this week, the topic of sexual assault on campus has been more prominent than usual. The play has a lot of light-hearted, humorous monologues, but it also contains some thought-provoking tales of abuse
and rape. Rape and sexual assault, especially on Boston College’s campus, are topics that are kept under wraps and rarely discussed, most often because the people involved feel guilt or shame regarding the entire affair. Though most students don’t necessarily think that their night is going to end in a criminal act such as sexual assault when they begin drinking, alcohol is almost always a significant player in sexual assaults on campus. There
Photo Courtesy of Natalie Blardony
BCPD strives to keep campus safe, and is a valuable and sympathetic resource to utilize in cases of sexual assault.
i nside FE ATURES this issue
is also a fine line between what constitutes sexual assault and merely “hooking up.” Under contractual law, a person who consents to an agreement or contract while under the influence of alcohol has the ability to void that contract once sober, under the pretext that he or she was incapable of consent and unfairly taken advantage of. This same concept can be applied to sexual encounters. Even if someone agrees to engage with someone in a sexual act, regardless of the intoxication of the person who made the suggestion, the one who consents to engage is considered incompetent of making that decision if he or she is impaired by alcohol or drugs. The annual security report published by the BCPD defines rape as “sexual assault which includes lack of consent, the threat or use of force, penetration,” and “also includes situations where the person is unable to give consent due to being unconscious, alcohol or drug intoxicated, mentally impaired, or under the age of 16.” Though most students at BC probably don’t think about it too much, sexual assaults occurring on campus are not entirely unheard of. BCPD reports that in 2009 there were 14 forcible sexual assaults reported and that number decreased to seven in 2010. It is estimated that the vast majority of sexual assaults go unreported for a variety of reasons, including the victim’s inability to remember it, the guilt or shame of the victim, or the victim’s desire to somehow protect his or her assailant.
The Advent of E-Books
In every reported case, the victim and the assailant either knew each other prior to the crime, or were familiar with one another and traveled among the same group of friends. Due to this familiarity, many of the assaults go unreported, though every once in awhile BCPD is called and it is dealt with as a criminal matter. “If it’s not a late report, meaning the assault recently occurred, one of the first things we do is encourage and offer to take the victim to the hospital for a physical exam and for evidence collection. We explain all their options and give them information on resources on and off campus. Once there, he or she would meet with an advocate who will support them through each process if the victim wants them to, and informs them of their options and resources,” said Sergeant Laurene Speiss, BCPD’s sexual assault investigator. “Students may feel reluctant to report to the police, but can use such resources as the Women’s Resource Center (WRC), SANet, the Infirmary, or BARCC for support and guidance.” Once students are hospitalized, legal evidence is kept for an extended period of time, in case the victim chooses to take legal action against his or her assailant. For students, the legal process can take one of two forms. The student can either meet with a district attorney and prosecute through the Massachusetts judicial system, or they can choose to deal with it through BC’s judicial
New options are becoming available for students purchasing their textbooks............., B8
See Sexual Assaults, B7
Humor Column.................................B7 Campus Chronicles...........................B9