SEXUAL CHOCOLATE
The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Vol. XCII, No. 8
JACKSON TAKES CHARGE ROMANTIC COMMUNICATION
arts and review
Sports
FEATURES
Valentine’s Day comes early with Boston College’s hottest step team, A10
The junior forward exploded for 31 points in BC’s 76-72 win over Maryland Saturday, B1
The changing face of 21st century technology is changing relationships, B10
The Heights Monday, February 14, 2011
www.bcheights.com
Committee hopes to add scholarships By Taylour Kumpf News Editor
andrew powell / heights staff
UGBC presidential and vice presidential candidates participated in this year’s primary debate, immediately followed by the ALC-GLC debate.
Election season in full swing
UGBC teams participate in primary and ALC-GLC debates By Daniel Tonkovich Heights Editor
And Adriana Mariella Assoc. News Editor
The UGBC presidential and vice presidential teams gathered for the primary election debate yesterday in Fulton Hall, immediately followed by the AHANA Leadership Council (ALC) and GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC) debate. The candidates responded to ques-
tions submitted by The Heights, The Gavel, UGBC, and those in attendance. Mike Joyce and Justin Portes, both A&S ’12; Nick Domino, A&S ’12 and Katrina Lutfy, CSON ’12; and Mike Kitlas and Jill Long, both A&S ’12 were all present to represent their campaigns. David Lalonde, A&S ’12, and Ryan Tierney, CSOM ’12, were not present at the debate. Questions ranged from their views of the most important issue on campus to personal leadership experience to their
response to negative views of the UGBC outside the organization and related entities. When asked to name the most important issue on campus from the perspective of the student body, the candidates had varied responses. Domino and Lufty said that programming coordination between the over 200 registered student organizations and clubs
See Debate, A4
Tuition increases remain modest By Molly LaPoint Asst. News Editor
For the past two years, Boston College’s tuition and fees have increased, though increases remain below the national average, and financial aid increases have been significantly higher than the increases in tuition. “While we recognize that any tuition increase set by our Board of Trustees affects the families of our students, over the past decade, BC’s tuition increases have been consistently below the national average of private universities, and on par
with our competitors,” said University Spokesperson Jack Dunn. For the 2010 to 2011 year, tuition was $39,880, a 3.2 percent increase over the previous year. Private universities saw an increase of 4.5 percent, according to the College Board. This increase was the second lowest at the University in the past 35 years. The lowest increase in this period was during the 2009 to 2010 year. Tuition increased by 3 percent at BC, compared with 4.4 percent nationwide. Financial aid for the 2010 to 2011 year increased by 7 percent to $79.3 million, according to a March 30, 2010 letter to the
CSA-KSA show mesmerizes
BC community from University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. “At a minimum, [financial aid is] always budgeting the same amount of increase as the increase in tuition, and for the last several years it’s been significantly more because of the economy,” said Bernard Pekala, director of student financial strategies. “We’re trying to keep awards as reasonable as possible. We don’t want to lose students because of financial aid reasons.” These increases do not encompass more loans, though this coming year workstudy awards will be increasing due to this year’s salary increase. Freshman awards will increase from $2,200 to $2,400, and upperclassmen awards will be increased from $2,400 to $2,500. “This year, we will be adding a little bit more to work study,” Pekala said. “This year everyone got a bump in their salary, but we didn’t increase work-study because we’d already sent [financial aid] awards out.” Sometimes the University makes cuts
See Tuition, A4
Last Thursday, the UGBC Senate voted unanimously in favor of moving forward with an initiative to commission a select committee to explore options to expand merit scholarship aid to undergraduate students. Nick Domino, A&S ’12 and Lizzie Jekanowski, A&S ’13, who co-sponsored the proposal, said the intent behind this initiative is to be able to reward students for exceptional work done while at Boston College. “Currently, BC offers no merit scholarships [during your time at BC],” Domino said. “We want to organize a committee to ask the University to look into merit-based scholarships in the hope that this will motivate each class of around 2,500. This will encourage more
and more students to do better during their time at BC. It’s an incentive to work harder.” “The Senate recognizes the opportunity to explore additional and/or alternative means of extending merit scholarship aid to undergraduate students at BC, thereby promoting strong incentives for exceptional academic achievement and easing the financial burden currently incurred by many BC students,” states the Senate resolution. “All we want to do is expand the Presidential Scholars Program to students who are already here,” Jekanowski said. “This will reward students for the hard work they have done.” The chair of this scholarship committee will be appointed by the Senate president and its membership will be
See Scholarship, A4
‘Vagina Monologues’ performed on campus By Elise Taylor Heights Editor
First performed in 1996, Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues has enjoyed much controversial success across the globe. Covering topics such as first-time sexual experiences, profanity, rape, and violence, The Vagina Monologues has been both praised and criticized for its brash and open demeanor. Last weekend, the show was performed on campus, co-directed by Allison Russell, CSOM ’12 and Margaux Labaudiniere, A&S ’12, and enjoyed a three-night run in a packed McGuinn 121. Under the direction of Russell and Labaudiniere, the show mixed some of the more comical monologues such as “My Angry Vagina,” with poignant ones concerning violence against women such as “Crooked Braid” and “My Vagina Was My Village.” This is the show’s eighth year at Boston College. As the serious nature of some parts of the performance denotes, The Vagina Monologues has largely meant to expand beyond pure entertainment to raise awareness of abuses against women. The Vagina Monologues has long promoted action towards improving treatment of women, with an apparent larger social context embedded into many of the monologues, said Sharlene Hesse-Biber, program director of the Women and Gender Studies Program. “The Vagina Monologues is more then just a
kevin hou / heights editor
Eve Ensler’s controversial show seeks to raise awareness of abuses against women. play. The things mentioned happen in real life, the dialoguing around these monologues are real experiences,” she said. Responding to the controversy that has surrounded the Monologues, HesseBiber said that it is important to take the monologues for what they are. “We can’t cherrypick them,” she said. “Life’s messy. There’s violence and there’s evil. It says this is the way the world can be, and we
See Monologues, A4
CEO Club hosts DuPont executive By Ana Lopez Heights Editor
kevin hou / heights editor
This year’s CSA-KSA culture show featured a variety of dances. For more, see page A10.
Ellen Kullman, CEO of DuPont, addressed the members of the Chief Executives’ Club of Boston last Thursday, underscoring the necessity to bolster global food production. Kullman said that, as the world’s population reaches nearly nine billion in 2050, the percentage of persons without food, which currently stands at 14 percent, will only rise exponentially. To curb this issue, Kullman said DuPont is investing in research of new seed technologies. “We’re looking to pioneer hybrid technology,” she said. “Food productivity goes beyond agriculture.” These hybrid seeds will aide farmers
in increasing overall output and growing more crops per acre, which is necessary to feed a world that is becoming ever more industrialized and wealthy. “The rising middle class puts a burden on the food supply,” she said. “With diet shifts, more protein is consumed and the majority of animal protein consumes grain as fuel, so famers must produce more grain.” Currently, Kullman said, farmers worldwide are failing to produce up to their capacity because of inaccessibility to the proper technologies. On average, U.S. farmers produce about 150 bushels of corn per acre. “We should easily be able to get this country to 200 bushels per acre easily with these seed technologies,” she said. “That 200 plus per acre is conceiv-
able within my lifetime.” Kullman mentioned that her time spent abroad in developing nations, such as India, gave her insight into the agricultural demands abroad. “Sixty percent of the population [in India] is reliant on agriculture for their livelihood,” she said. Most of these people would leave the agriculture business if they could because they are only subsistence farmers. “They need to be able to make it into a business.” Right now, nearly half of DuPont’s research budget in this area is going toward championing sustainable agriculture practices in these nations, so their populace can not only eat, but be
See CEO Club, A4
TopFive
The Heights
Monday, February 14, 2011
things to do on campus this week
“Sex Battle in the Brain”
Moving Past Divisive Labels
Military Religious Freedom
The War on Terrorism
Film Festival Viewing
Monday Time: 4 p.m. Location: Cushing 001 Catherine Dulac, a professor from Harvard University, will be presenting a lecture entitled “Sex Battle in the Brain.” The event is a part of the Psychology Colloquium Speaker Series.
Monday Time: 7 p.m. Location: Devlin 101 Come listen to Rev. Mark Massa, S.J., dean of the School of Theology & Ministry in his talk about removing the labels of “liberal” and “conservative” from the Church.
Tuesday Time: 7 p.m. Location: Devlin 101 Stop by a lecture by Mikey Weinstein, founding president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, about military freedom and the dangers of blurring the line between church and state.
Wednesday Time: 4 p.m. Location: McGuinn 121 Check out a lecture called the “Progress Report in the War on Terrorism,” by Daniel Byman, a professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
Wednesday Time: 7 p.m. Location: Devlin 008 Bring your friends to a viewing of Mar tin Provost’s 2008 drama “Seraphine,” which will be included in this year’s Tournees Film Festival.
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IntheNews
featured on campus
Sustainability discussed
Yale University has agreed to return 4,000 artifacts taken from Machu Picchu by Hiram Bingham III, a Yale researcher, between 1911 and 1916, according to a report by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The dispute was settled in the fall and, according to a recent report, the artifacts will be housed in a new research and education center run jointly by Yale and the National University of St. Anthony Abbot, in Cusco, Peru. There will be faculty and student exchanges between the institutions.
Local News Andrew powell/heights staff
Panelists at the 2nd Annual Sustainability Symposium spoke about the importance of water in modern society. also explained the water cycle and cycle. DeSantis advocated for more By James Gu This past Friday, the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics’ Leadership for Change program hosted its 2nd Annual Sustainability Symposium and Public Conversation focusing on the issue of sustainability by emphasizing the imperative role of water in society. The Leadership for Change program is composed of 15 students from different backgrounds. Rebecca Rowley, director of the program, said the program is a “hybrid interdisciplinary program for students and professionals to focus on the concept of shifting the paradigm of accepting change from the top down to a grass root movement of change for the common good.” Rowley said she drew inspiration for the symposium from the collaborative forums that Leadership for Change sponsors with Fondaca in Italy. “We created a model for public discourse so we can bring 100 people together and engage both the audience and the expertise of our panelists in conversation. This model provides an open dialogue and level of inquiry that allows the audience and the experts to remain engaged.” Ken Morris, an adjunct faculty and a communication consultant in the energy and water sector, opened the symposium with a presentation on the issue of sustainability, focusing on the role of water. Morris spoke about the importance of water to society and the symposium’s goal of promoting systematic thinking, environmental responsibility, social justice, corporate responsibility, and triple bottom line analysis, which is a technique of building a company not only on profit, but on its social and ecological impact. Morris
water’s unique ability to carry pollution with it and clean the world, but also noted that industrialization has changed this cycle. Morris included various statistics that demonstrate the negative effects of ignoring the necessity of water. These include that 0.3 percent of the water on Earth is drinkable, 2.6 billion people around the world lack proper sanitation, 1.1 billion people have no access to drinking water, and 1.6 billion people die from diarrheal diseases, of whom, 90 percent are children. The symposium offered a set of morning and afternoon panels. The morning panel focused on public policy regarding the issue of water through a global perspective while the afternoon panel discussed the local issue of the Mystic River Watershed. The morning session featured Elisa Speranza from CH2MHill, Sally Yozell from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and David Brooks from Friends of the Earth – Canada. The panelists fielded several questions, including the difficulties of maintaining clean water in developing countries and the difference between tap and bottled water. The afternoon session featured Patrick Herron from the Mystic River Watershed Association, Dan Driscoll from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Andrew DeSantis from the city of Chelsea, and Ted Tye from national Development. Morris said that those specific panelists were featured to show that despite the groups’ different ideologies, all still had respect for the topic of water. A panelist for the afternoon session, Andrew DeSantis, assistant director for public works in the City of Chelsea, discussed the different uses of water and the water
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University Yale University returns artifacts to Peru, begins research center
Heights Editor
Four Day Weather Forecast
education on the subject of water. “People can’t live without drinking water. The most important goal is to educate people about the value of water,” he said. “People don’t know what happens to the water when they flush the toilet or spill something on the street and the eventual connection with drinking water supply,” he said in an e-mail. Discussions with the themes of infrastructure, environmental justice, public and private collaboration, grass root activism, and other similar topics were discussed by the panels. Many of the people in attendance responded positively to the symposium. Daniel Blustein, a graduate student at Northeastern, said that he found the symposium helpful in getting the public aware of the issue. “Environment is the future of humans’ well being and the symposium employs the strategy of combining experts who know the field and those who have fresh and new ideas.” Anne Nunziata, LSOE ’11, said that she attended the symposium in hopes of making changes to the status quo. Having returned from an Arrupe trip to Pueblo, Mexico, Nunziata said that she found a new appreciation for water and its importance. “You never think about it, you reach for the tap and just turn it on. Going on Aruppe, and in Mexico, people value the things we take for granted.” Rowley said that she hopes that the attendees at the symposium were made aware of the importance of taking personal action. “Students are in an even greater position to take action since they are just beginning their careers,” she said. “ Instead of following the path of least resistance, they are more apt to focus on, ‘How do I serve the world?’” n
Department of Public Safety Investigates unprecedented roof collapses This month has seen an unprecedented number of roof collapses, prompting state regulators to collect detailed information about the damage to implement stricter standards for new construction, according to a report byThe Boston Globe. There were 183 roof failures, and 80 percent of these collapses were in buildings built before 1975, when the statewide building code went into effect. Since then, it has become progressively more stringent, but old buildings are rarely required to update because of the high cost to
On Campus BC professor uses rust to advance the creation of clean fuels Dunwei Wang, a professor in the chemistry department at BC, along with his clean energy lab, developed the concept of Nanonets in 2008 as an economical way to facilitate the process of watersplitting. Water-splitting, a fairly new process, involves harvesting hydrogen from water. Wang and his team reported that by coating these Nanonets with hematite, a more readily available form of iron oxide, it could still allow them to absorb light but avoids the costlier process of treating the material with an oxygen evolving catalyst.
National Man accused of stabbing spree claims to be victim of “set up” NEW YORK (AP) - A man accused of going on a 28-hour stabbing rampage through New York City shouted that he was the victim of a “set up” as he was led from a police station. Maksim Gelman was awaiting arraignment Sunday in Brooklyn on charges that he hacked three people to death and killed a pedestrian with a car. A group of Brooklyn residents taunted Gelman as he was escorted out of a police precinct. He yelled back that it “was a set up” as he was led to a vehicle. He was scheduled to be arraigned on charges including murder, assault and robbery.
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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 Taylour Kumpf, 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 Paul Sulzer, 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 Darren Ranck, 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 Michael Caprio, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE
Police Blotter 2/07/11 – 2/09/11 Monday, Feb. 7 9:19 a.m. – A report was filed regarding a roof that had partially collapsed on BC property. A report was forwarded to Facilities Management. 11:46 a.m. – A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in the Gate. The alarm was determined to have been caused by a hair dryer being used. 5:57 p.m. – A report was filed regarding a suspicious subject in 90 St. Thomas More Hall. The subject was identified. 5:59 p.m. – A report was filed regarding the confiscation of several dangerous weapons from Walsh Hall. 10:12 p.m. – A report was filed regarding found property. The property will be stored at BCPD headquarters. 11:22 p.m. – A report was filed regarding the confiscation of a controlled substance from an individual in Edmond’s Hall. A report will be forwarded to ODSD for review.
Tuesday, Feb. 8 4:37 p.m. – A report was filed regarding a motor vehicle accident that resulted in property damage only in the McGuinn Hall
parking lot. An officer assisted parties in exchanging paperwork. 7:14 p.m. – A report was filed regarding a pary feeling ill in the Flynn Recreation Complex. The party was transported to a medical facility by Armstrong Ambulance. 7:23 p.m. – A report was filed regarding past larceny in 21 Campanella Way. A detective is investigating. 9:34 p.m. – A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation at 3 Lake St. The Boston Fire Department arrived on the scene and the cause of the alarm was unfounded.
Wednesday, Feb. 9
Voices from the Dustbowl “What is your favorite thing to do on Valentine’s Day?” “I don’t really do anything different.” —Artie Heitz, A&S ’13
—Source: The Boston College Police Department
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) 2011. All rights reserved.
“Spend time with friends.” —Doris Chen, A&S ’13
CORRECTIONS
1:57 a.m. – A report was filed regarding found property. The property was later retrieved by its owner at BCPD headquarters. 3:53 a.m. – A report was filed regarding a suspicious motor vehicle on Newton Roadways. The operator of the vehicle was identified.
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.
“Going to the hockey game with my Joycie.” —Christian Galdamez
A&S ’14
Please send corrections to editor@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.
The Heights
Monday, February 14, 2011
Vote to make a difference Joseph Pasquinelli It’s election season on the Heights. Soon, students will be voting for the next president and vice president of the UGBC. Well, some students will be voting. For most of us, this election, like previous ones, will pass without our giving much thought to who we elect. If we are voting, we will be voting for our friends hoping they will remember us when they get to the top. Some of us do not particularly believe in any candidate or any of the platforms and those who are helping candidates campaigns are probably doing so in hopes of being appointed to a Cabinet position in the new administration. The sentiment seems to be that we don’t care because, quite frankly, we don’t think it matters. I would like to remind everyone that voting does matter. We can make a difference if we elect the right person to the job. If we pick a candidate that best represents our vision for the campus, then our vote actually does matter. We must help to shape the future of Boston College. We have an obligation to empower ourselves through the vote. Apathy among young people has been well documented and commented on by many scholars and journalists. The future of our campus, and indeed our world, is dependent upon the students of BC caring about a cause, an issue, anything. If we do not begin to demonstrate that we care, we may become apathetic about things that would make a normal person’s blood curdle. A fairly simple first step that we can all take is to vote in the upcoming UGBC elections. What do you care about? Does going to the bathroom in O’Neill Library to find that all the stalls are occupied really get your goat? Ever wish that there was a system like LaundryView that let you view which stalls were occupied? If this matters to you, then you might want to consult your candidates. Demand that they work to implement this system or to solve any other issue that you care about before you agree to give them your vote. After all, they cannot improve our quality of life if they do not know what we want. Research the candidates. Find out what their positions are. A look at their Facebook groups will help you determine the candidate who best represents your needs and interests. Mike Joyce and Justin Portes, both A&S ’12, will be “Achieving Our Capabilities;” Nick Domino, A&S ’12, and Katrina Lutfy, CSON ’12, want us to “Think Big;” Mike Kitlas and Jill Long, both A&S ’12, are “Building Community;” and the dark horse candidates David Lalonde, A&S ’12, and Ryan Tierney, CSOM ’12, are asking the student body to “Vote Against Growth.” Let’s use this election season as an opportunity to take back our campus for the average BC student. Few students besides those who have been involved in UGBC or wish to become high-ranking members of the organization take the three minutes that is required to vote for president and vice president. The majority of the student body does not vote in the election, but it is the entire student body that is impacted by who wins the election. It is time that we return the campus to that majority who has never cared enough to vote. This campus belongs to all of us, not just those that have been involved with UGBC for three and a half years. If we remember this, we will go to the polls and select the candidates who will best serve us, the undergraduate students of BC.
Joseph Pasquinelli is a columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at editor@bcheights.com
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Newton Campus residents walk for water
Students walk to main campus to raise awareness for the world water crisis
By Katherine McClurg
“I was able to see the powerful change that a clean water source provided for the school and entire comEach year, 3.5 million people from munity,” he said. “I knew a lot of kids around the world will die from water at BC who were looking for ways to related diseases. From Feb. 14 to Feb. give back, so I thought doing a Walk 25 students will be for Water at BC walking from Newton wo u l d b e p e r Campus to the Chest- “It’s definitely going to be fect.” nut Hill Campus to The avercold, but our goal is to raise awareness for age temperature shed light on what these o v e r t h e n e x t the world water crisis and to fundraise for kids go through on a daily t w o w e e k s i s the Longa Secondary expected to be basis to get water.” School in Tanzania. in the 30s, and Students from even colder early Boston College have in the mornings —Chris Olmanson partnered with the wh e n st u d e n ts Volunteer and Ser- Student leader, H20 for Life and will be walking. A&S ’14 vice Learning Center These conditions (VSLC) to work with intensify the sacthe Minnesota-based organization, rifice of both comfort and time for the H2O for Life, which partners schools volunteers. from the United States with schools “It’s definitely going to be cold, but in impoverished areas throughout the our goal is to shed light on what these world. kids go through on a daily basis to The main student leader, Chris get water,” Olmanson said. “This will Olmanson, A&S ’14, had already change the lives of the students in Tanworked with H2O for Life through a zania and their community, so it’s worth similar benefit program at his high it for us to bundle up and face some school. The Wayzata Walk for Water mildly cold weather for two weeks.” was a fundraiser in which high school The walkers are trying to draw atstudents from Wayzata, Minn. walked tention to the long and arduous trek to and from school every day for the that children in some parts of the world month of December. make each day to get water. Olmanson’s program they raised St u d e n ts a t Lo n ga Se c o n d a ry $ 3,0 0 0 fo r Ka ps o iyo C e n t re Pry School often have to spend half their School. day retrieving water. This takes away Heights Editor
from the time they could be spending surrounding neighborhoods. in school, and since the water is often The three other student leaders, Du contaminated, many students have to Park, A&S ’14, Kelsey Stuart, CSON end teir education due to illness. ’14, and Jon Geary, A&S ’14, heard The objective of the program is to about the fundraiser from Olmanson raise enough money to build a rain and immediately wanted to get incatchment system, hand washing sta- volved, they said. They’ve been worktions, and provide hygiene education to ing with the VSLC to make this event the students at Longa Secondary School as big as possible, they said, and they and the surrounding community. The have been trying to emphasize that it’s rain catchment system, made up of a not just for freshmen living on Newton series of pipes and gutters that capture Campus. rain water and fill a tank, will provide “I joined when I realized how someclean and easily accessible drinking thing as simple as walking to campus water. can change entire communities lives As of Feb. 8, they raised $855 forever,” Park said. “Once people beof their $2,500 come informed on this goal. Currently, issue and the challenges m o re t h a n 3 0 “I joined when I realized these kids face I’d hope students are everyone would want to off icially reg- how something as simple get involved.” istered to parIt is not a requireas walking to campus ticipate in the ment to walk every day, can change an entire walk and over as there are non-fresh120 have sup- communities lives forever.” men and even a recent ported the event BC alumnus who will o n Fa c e b o o k . be driving to Newton —Du Park Each of the parCampus and then makticipants has a Student leader, H20 for Life and ing the walk to Middle goal of raising at Campus. A&S ’14 least $40 from “The point is to raise friends, family, or community members money and raise awareness for the before the two weeks are up. world water crisis,” Stuart said. “We The walkers may do a shorts and get that it’s not practical for a lot of shirtless day or other themed days in students to get up and take the bus an attempt to draw more attention to to Newton and then walk from there, the cause and get donations from other but there are many other ways to get members of the BC community and the involved.” n
Professor wins grant
MacArthur Foundation awards LSOE professor and research team $900,000
By Molly LaPoint
on how such housing affects children who grow up there. “There is a fair amount of research on housing contexts and housing Rebekah Levine Coley, a professor in the policy,” Coley said. “But relatively little of Lynch School of Education (LSOE), is part it has focused on children and how housing of a research team that received a $900,000 choices influence children’s development. Of grant from the John that research, none has D. and Catherine T. studied housing and reMacArthur Founda“We’re trying to understand lated contexts in a really tion to examine the comprehensive way.” how parents with limited role that housing The data comes from economic resources make plays in the lives of a three-city study of children who grow difficult choices about housing 2,400 families in Chiup in low-income cago, Boston, and San families, according within the context of economic Antonio between 1999 to a recent stateand 2006, in which and social constraints.” ment. Coley and Burton parLevine is workticipated. The project —Rebekah Levine Coley ing with Tama Lewill last three years, and vanthal, a developProfessor in the Lynch School of examine the trade-offs mental psychologist low-income families Education at Tufts University, make when deciding and Linda Burton, on their housing, such an urban sociologist of Duke University. The as physical quality, affordability, and home funding for How Housing Matters to Families ownership, and how this weighs against such and Communities comes from a $25 million factors as neighborhood safety, food, and initiative of the MacArthur Foundation. medical care. “We’re trying to understand how parents Throughout the study, the team will work with limited economic resources make difficult closely with housing policy makers and choices about housing within the context of professionals in the field to examine how to economic and social constraints,” Coley said in better support low-income families, and the a statement. “Many low-income families have connections between housing and issues such to make decisions between access to quality as healthcare and employment. housing and access to decent medical care or Coley is also involved in a study of how to adequate food. We hope to learn more about housing plays a role in the transition from how they make those decisions.” youth to adulthood in low-income individuThough housing policy has been re- als, for which she received $324,000 from the searched previously, no study has focused W.T. Grant Foundation. n Asst. News Editor
“Application deadlines are a key consideration for students deciding whether to take the current GRE or the new one” —Liza Weale Executive Director of Pre-Business and Pre-Graduate Programs, Kaplan Test Prep
GRE to undergo changes Aug. 1 By Molly LaPoint Asst. News Editor
Beginning Aug. 1, the Graduate Records Examination (GRE), a standardized test completed by aspiring graduate and business school attendees, will undergo major changes, according to a statement by Kaplan, Inc. The current scoring scale, which is measured in 10-point increments from 200 to 800, will be replaced by a scale from 130 to 170 in one-point increments. In addition, the quantitative section will include less geometry and more data analysis, and an on-screen calculator will be available to test takers, likely allowing more complex mathematical problem. The new test will include in-context reasoning questions rather than antonym and analogy questions. The current GRE is adaptive at the question level, which means that each question gets successively harder if the previous question is answered correctly. The new GRE will be adaptive at the section level, increasing in difficulty depending on how a test taker performs
on the previous section, and students will be allowed to skip questions and return to them. Liza Weale, executive director of pre-business and pre-graduate programs at Kaplan Test Prep, said that when students need their scores should be a big determinant in whether they end up taking the new test or the old one. “Application deadlines are a key consideration for students deciding whether to take the current GRE or the new one,” she said. “Test takers who take the exam in August, September, or October won’t receive their official scores back until November. This will force many to miss application deadlines, and create undue stress for scrambling to retest if they’re not happy with their scores.” She advises students to take the old test. “Our advice to students: if you can take the current GRE, do so – it’s to your advantage.” In a 2010 survey by Kaplan Test Prep, graduate school admissions officers said GRE scores were the most important factor in admission, ahead of GPA, work experience, letters of recommendation, and personal statement. n
The Heights
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Monday, February 14, 2011
Candidates discuss platforms in primaries
Andrew Powell / heights staff
Debate, from A1 was the most important issue. They mentioned their desire to combine assets and resources from the organizations to create a programming body that pools students, resources, and finances. “A combination would create programs that serve all students and provide an ample amount of funding and resources to interact with all,” Lutfy said. “We know that this is ambitious and more of a two to three year plan, but in the next year we want to start with the combination of late night programming and resources. Encouraging the night program to pull together their resources will create even better and more appealing programs.” For Joyce and Portes, ensuring that undergraduates find a campus organization to be a part of early in their years was their perceived pressing issue. Kitlas and Long cited undergraduate advising. “Undergraduate advising has been an issue at BC for many years,” Long said. “Some freshmen feel they were misguided or take classes that are too hard in their freshman year. We desire to establish an academic advising seminar that teaches students how to go about the advising process and properly approach advisors. We also want to make sure advisors are familiar with the advising process.” Candidates were also posed a question as to their ideas about innovative ways to engage all in the programs, policies, and practices of UGBC. Joyce said that direct and regular dorm walks to hear student thoughts and concerns was his proposed method to engage students and have them actively informed of UGBC initiatives. Portes, Joyce’s vice presidential running mate, also stated his campaign’s desire to create a student leadership council to increase collaboration between all registered student organizations and the UGBC. Domino and Lutfy similarly stressed the importance of dorm walks in addition to the centralization of services and programs at BC, including Volunteer and Service Learning Center (VSLC) programs. Kitlas and Long focused on information accessibility to the public, such as UGBC meeting minutes,
stressing his campaign’s desire to redesign the UGBC website as a platform where information is accessible. The candidates also focused on their individual experiences of taking ideas from proposal to execution. Domino cited his efforts proposing a cafe in O’Neill Library as an example of his execution of proposals. “With the library cafe idea we pulled all the resources we had,” Domino said. “We pulled living quality surveys from the years past to see when the idea first appeared. The idea was negated in committee, but we have continued our efforts on this matter. I think this shows that we are not willing to take no for an answer.” Joyce mentioned the establishment of satellite mail distribution centers. “There used to be huge lines to get packages with lines stretching into Eagle’s Nest,” Joyce said. “As a result of our meetings and work, there are satellite mail rooms across campus to ease students’ mail distribution problems.” Kitlas noted his work as UGBC’s executive director of campus entertainment as a position where executing proposals is constant with annual events such as the fall and spring concerts. He cited his work on planning this year’s inaugural Ice Jam event as evidence of his experience in executing new ideas. As for addressing negative views of UGBC that exist among the student body, Long said that the establishment of a programming caucus under Long and Kitlas’ administration would increase communication and collaboration between the UGBC and other student organizations. “Communication is key,” Long said. “The only way our campus will thrive is if we collaborate to identify issues and share ideas. It is the collective that makes us strong.” For the Domino and Lutfy campaign, Lufty said that her absence in UGBC involvement brings an outsider’s perspective into the organization. Lufty also noted her campaign’s desire for a registered student organization caucus as another way to increase student involvement in the UGBC. Joyce said his dorm walks, along with a student leadership council composed of representatives from a variety of campus organizations, could help increase student participation in the UGBC.
“Dorm walks are extremely beneficial and should occur outside of the campaign season,” Joyce said. “It is the most effective way to tell students what we are doing. It is the most effective way to get feedback from them.” Following this primary debate, the ALC and the GLC held a separate debate to discuss issues pertinent to the AHANA and GLBTQ communities. Moderating the debate were Susan Choy, vice president of the ALC and CSOM ’11, and Natalie Isaksson, vice president of the GLC and A&S ’11. Fielding their questions, within a two minute time constraint, were the same candidate teams that participated in the primary debate. The first topic discussed was the number of hate crimes that occur on campus and concerns about students’ knowledge of reporting protocol. The team of Domino-Lutfy advocated for a more streamlined reporting process to assist students and also the staff who they approach about these issues, as well as a secondary, abridged version of the hate crime protocol in order to make it more accessible to students. Joyce and Portes agreed that the reason for the lack in reporting of hate crimes is a lack of awareness on the part of students. The team of Kitlas-Long also said that accessibility was a large factor in lack of reporting, as well as advocated for a hate crime awareness day or week during the academic year. Widely discussed were the issues facing the AHANA community, especially those relating to the unity and inclusiveness of the BC community. “I think we need to continue to stress that BC is and should be culturally inclusive and these great events that take place on campus are open to all students and have something to offer to all students,” Joyce said. Portes said that BC should also put effort into supporting AHANA faculty and decreasing their turnover rate. Kitlas took the position of acknowledging the increase of AHANA students in the Class of 2014, but said that while this number is promising, BC has not changed the way it regards these students and he advocated for better support and resources for these students as the University becomes increasingly di-
verse. Long also said that there should be some sort of mentoring available for AHANA students to make the transition to college easier. Lutfy advocated for the formation of an AHANA forum to further dialogue on these topics that generally go overlooked. Domino said that the negative feedback on surveys from AHANA students should spark a change in the resources for these students as well as the efforts made to include them. “The student experience survey, which was conducted in 2007, which was given to all of the AHANA students, indicated that 90 percent of students who were asked if they were given a choice to come back to BC, they would not come back, based on their experience here,” he said. “This information should be given to the public.” Another issue discussed was the possible formation of a GLBTQ resource center, similar to that of the AHANA resource center on College Road. All parties agreed that there should be some sort of resource center for AHANA students, however it was agreed that it would not happen within the next year, but steps can be taken in the meantime to achieve the goals that such a resource center would achieve and move toward the creation of a physical center in the future. The candidates also spoke of their own personal stories about their identities and moments when they were challenged in addition to explaining their interactions with AHANA clubs and events during their time at BC. A question from the audience, which asked if the candidates thought that by having two separate debates, one primary and one for the ALC and GLC, the community was further divided, was answered by the candidates with a unanimous agreement that separating the debates not only divides students but fails to reach out to the general population of students in educating them about these issues that affect the entire community, not just AHANA and GLBTQ students. Most of the candidates agreed that there needs to be a stronger focus on inclusion within the BC campus and community, not only by students, but the administration as well. n
Controversial play hosted Monologues, from A1
kevin hou / heights editor
The profits from this year’s performance of ‘The Vagina Monologues’ went towards V-Day’s 2011 Spotlight Campaign.
don’t want to pick and choose these things. We have to talk the whole enchilada.” Russell also noted the significance The Vagina Monologues had on the female population, especially at BC. “For the BC community, I think the show is critical because it allows women to express their sexuality and be proud of who they are,” she said. “The world would not exist without vaginas, to put it simply, so they should be celebrated and discussed as the essence of women.” Despite its attempts to bring light to real world issues, The Vagina Monologues still consistently faces scrutiny worldwide for some of its more risque monologues, Hesse-Biber said. “Some people get pretty bent out of shape,” she said. “It’s a multi-dimensional reaction people have, they may like this and not that. The monologues talk about a range of issues around sexuality, violence, sex, and rape.” These divisive views on some aspects of The Vagina Monologues have made it susceptible to criticism on campus. Those behind the production of the monologues have occasionally faced roadblocks in regards to its content. “It’s a process like anything else,” HesseBiber said. “This is a Catholic college. It has a certain kind of mission. We are mindful and respectful, and
we compromise.” Russell and Labaudiniere also acknowledged the difficulties. “We have grown accustomed to the unique and stringent protocol necessary to be able to perform the show on campus,” Russell said. “We have experienced criticism in the past, but as we continue to perform the show and convert skeptics into supporters, we have developed a strong base of people who support the show and the women who run it. We realize that a lot of the controversy stems from misconceptions about the show, and it amazing to see people’s opinions change once they attend.” The Vagina Monologues at BC has long incorporated a charitable aspect into their production. It has traditionally been associated with V-Day, a global movement to end violence against women and girls. This year, all the profits from the show went toward V-Day’s 2011 Spotlight Campaign on the female population in Haiti, where sexual violence has exponentially increased since the earthquake last January. Russell said that the show has enabled them to donate several thousand dollars to charity. Hesse-Biber also spoke of the charitable nature of the show. “The Vagina Monologues is more then just a play, it’s a linking to social action and charity and that’s very much in line with the Jesuit tradition,” she said. n
Scholarship committee Tuition increases limited to push for merit awards Tuition, from A1
Scholarship, from A1
determined by the chair. Domino said the committee will be an entity outside of the Senate. “It will be an academically diverse committee,” he said. “We want to have a [representative] from all four schools from all four years and at least one Presidential Scholar representative.” Though separate from the Senate itself, the committee will operate under the oversight of the UGBC Senate. “We do want senatorial involvement, and we’ll keep the senate up to date with projects,” Jekanowski said. The select committee will meet from Feb. 15 until April 1, and will report its progress on a regular basis to the Senate. According to the Senate resolution, BC currently offers four types of merit scholarship aid to undergraduate students: 15 four-year full-tuition Presidential Scholarships to incoming students (prior to matriculation to BC); the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Scholarship, which awards a 75 percent tuition scholarship for one year to one student (historically presented to African-American students); the Archbishop Oscar A. Romero Scholarship, which awards a $10,000 tuition scholarship for one year to one student (historically presented to HispanicAmerican students); and the Benigno and Corazon Aquino Scholarship, which awards a $15,000 tuition scholarship for one year to one student (historically presented to Asian-American students).
The total cost of a BC education based on 20102011 costs and including tuition, student fees, room, and board is $52,624 per year or $210,496 for four years, states the resolution. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median U.S. per-capita income is $26,530 per year and the median U.S. household income is $49,777 per year. Furthermore, 14.3 percent of the country lives below the poverty line and the national unemployment rate hovers around nine percent. “The UGBC Senate considers the ability of BC students and their families to afford a Boston College education to be a priority of the highest importance,” the senate resolution reads. Further, these efforts would not affect financial based need in any way, Domino said. The Senate recognizes the financial strain incurred by middle class families who may not qualify for financial aid and face significant pressures to adequately finance a BC education. The main objective of the select committee will be to explore possible options to extend merit scholarship aid to undergraduate students based on academic performance at BC and independent of considerations of race, ethnicity, or any other attribute of identity, according to the resolution. “This is the best course of action to make BC the highest it can be as far as academic standings,” Domino said. “This system will attract a larger, higher caliber group of students.” n
in other areas in order to make the tuition increases stay low. In a letter to the BC community after the Board of Trustees set the 2009-2010 budget, Leahy said that operating expenses were decreased by 2 percent. Employees earning $75,000 or less received a salary increase of 1.5 percent, while those making more than $75,000 a year received no increase. Open administrative positions were cut to save the University an additional $1.5 million. “Administrators are committed to helping the Board to limit tuition increases by reducing costs whenever possible,” Dunn said. “This commitment is reflected in
the ongoing campaigns to cut energy and health care costs by reducing energy consumption and promoting employee wellness, as well as through simultaneous reviews of academic and administrative departments to prioritize spending and achieve maximum efficiency. We are aware of the sacrifices parents are making, and we are doing our best to assist them by helping reduce the costs that drive tuition increases.” Through keeping tuition increases low and increasing financial aid at a higher rate, the University is trying to do their best to make it possible for students to continue at BC, regardless of how their financial circumstances change, Pekala said. “The focus of the administration is always to help students.” n
BC Club hosts DuPont CEO CEO Club, from A1
profitable, as well. “We have to think about this from a humanitarian perspective, but also a economic perspective,” Kullman said. Currently, the organization is training young farmers and teaching them how to use cell phones to get access to better farming practices and implementing herbicides and insecticides that are lower-toxicity and have an “excellent environmental profile.” “These are products that are good for humans, but also get rid of bugs,” she said, stressing that in making food more plentiful, they had to make sure to maintain
its nutrition value, as well. “We are working to make soy protein more tasty,” she said. “And diagnostic technologies are being researched to know ether or not food is viable and avoid recalls.” Kullman, who has led DuPont since 2009, is the first female executive to do so. Both Fortune and Forbes magazines have ranked her one of the most powerful women in the world. The Chief Executives’ Club of Boston runs out the Office of Governmental Affairs in the Carroll School of Management (CSOM). They host executives from the world’s leading companies on a near-monthly basis. n
CLASSIFIEDS
A5
The Heights
Monday, February 14, 2011
Community Help wanted RESEACH PARTICIPANTS Females who are currently bulimic, or have recovered, age 18-45, in stable medical health, not taking medications (with the exception of oral contraceptives), BMI between 1926 kg/m2 [ http://www.nhlbisupport. com/bmi/ ] are sought for a study of behavioral ratings and blood hormone levels. Eligible participants will receive up to $100 for a total of two visits at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT Sandy Hannon-Engel , Ph.D.(c) RN, CS at 508-274-0671 or CCK@bc.edu.
HELP WANTED CS MAJORS WANTED Rewarding P/T and F/T work available in an earlystage high tech company in the North End for talented and skilled computer majors to code in C++, C#, .net, and Silverlight, Oracle, MS SQL, building graphical design, and web-based business applications. Reply with resume to hr@enlabel.com. BABYSITTER WANTED Busy house with four young kids. Jobs include: playtime, homework, dinner, and bedtime routines. Located one mile from Brighton Campus. No car necessary. If you are a
help wanted driver with a car, the job will also include some extracurricular activity driving. Salary negotiable. 617947-9059. 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 tollfree at 1-877-841-3748, or visit our website www.roseanneandtim.com. Please be assured all conversations are held in strict confidence. With gratitude, Roseanne and Tim.
The sodium content is the worst, it makes your face fat!
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.
A6
The Heights
Editorials
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Keeping tuition low, keeping quality high
Monday, February 14, 2011
“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.” — Mark Twain
The price of college tuition has been on a steady rise since the mid-1980s. BC should continue its trend of containing prices
In a study published in 2006, the College Board claimed that the average price for a college education during the 2006 to 2007 academic year at a four-year institution was $30,367. This figure represents a 27 percent increase over a five year period. Though this is an alarming enough figure—considering the amount of students who have to cover this amount with student loans out of pocket—it is already an outdated one, as tuition has spiked almost 10 percent since then and the climb is showing no signs of tapering off. Graduates of the class of 2010, enrolled at private four-year institutions, saw, on average, a spike of nearly five percent in tuition during their senior year. That a student can expect to pay significantly more for their education by the time they graduate than when they first enrolled is not unreasonable,
but rather rational—the increasing price of college is pushing students to the finish line. At Boston College, this trend is evident—to a degree. For the 2010 to 2011 year, tuition was $39,880, a 3.2 percent increase from the previous year. However, this increase was the secondlowest at the University in the past 35 years. Throughout the recent financial crisis, the University made an effort to keep increases in tuition and fees to a minimum, which helped many students to be able to finish their undergraduate careers at BC. We encourage these efforts on the part of the University and its Board of Trustees. By increasing work study grants, expanding financial aid packages, and keeping tuition spikes to an absolute minimum we keep the deserving students studying at this institution.
Merit scholarships meriting attention
Adriana Mariella / Heights Illustration
The UGBC is currently discussing a proposal to expand the Presidential Scholars Program to students who earn the honor Last Thursday, the UGBC Senate introduced a proposal to modify merit-based financial aid at Boston College by reallocating funds within the Presidential Scholars Program to allow freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to receive financial aid based on their performance at BC. The current model for the Presidential Scholars Program awards around 15 to 20 students from each graduating class full tuition scholarships for their four years at BC. While the proposal has yet to be finalized, we support the spirit behind the initiative – a spirit of recognizing the academic achievements of students who demonstrate personal growth while at the University. The goal of the University’s undergraduate programs is to help young adults develop while they are students at BC. An integral part of fulfilling this goal is recognizing the academic achievements of those students who excel in their academic formation and ensuring that no student who demonstrates excellence has to end their BC experience early for
financial reasons. The Presidential Scholars Program in its current form serves an important function in the University and should not be dismissed. But the recognition of solely pre-college achievements in the Program is a subject worthy of debate. We are pleased to see the UGBC honoring this idea in their forum. An important function of the student government is to reassess past policies, introduce innovations and amendments, and then open a debate on the subject. It is inspiring to see this process in action. We understand the difficulties and concerns surrounding such an amendment to an institution as established as the Presidential Scholars Program. If the members of the UGBC Senate conduct the necessary research, it is possible that an effective amendment to the Presidential Scholars Program will arise. But the conversation has to at least start among students – the population that would be directly affected by such a change.
Virtual forum is better than none
The University responded well to students’ desires for better dissemination and presentation of information on campus events Last Friday, Patrick Rombalski, vice president of Student Affairs, e-mailed the student body announcing the launch of the new website, myBC. Rombalski described the website as “a valuable resource for information on programs and services available to Boston College students.” Along with the launch of myBC on Feb. 3 and numerous updates to the BC libraries webpage over winter break, the Student Affairs website represents a growing effort by the BC administration to reach their students more effectively via the Internet. As students who use the Internet more copiously than previous generations, it makes sense that the administration should use a digital route to reach students. While BC lacks a student union which campus news would be physically exchanged, the new initiative is step in the right direction. Even a quick glance at the new Student Affairs website shows that
it actually can be useful for some. BC students would be well advised to visit and become familiar with the new websites. Along with a comprehensive list of student organizations at BC, myBC provides listings of upcoming events, club meetings, and athletic events. The student affairs website provides information from the Career Center that is valuable to pending graduates, while further links to the websites of ResLife and Robsham Theater can help inform students on upcoming events and university policies. We applaud these new efforts by the administration. More resources for students and more information on student organizations begets more involvement, strengthening student involvement and the clubs in which students are involved. In the end, the new websites will strengthen BC’s numerous organizations and allow students easier access to research tools and student news.
The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Michael Caprio, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Ottaunick, General Manager Hilary Chassé, Managing Editor
Contributors: Maggie Burdge
Letters to the Editor Health services can stop the flu in its tracks Patrick Gallagher Allow me to share a conversation that I was recently party to: [Scene: Boston College infirmary] Nurse: What seems to be bothering you today? Patient: I’ve been experiencing headaches and soreness in my neck and back for the past couple of days. Is there any way I could have a touch of the flu? Nurse: Yes, it is possible…. Patient: Is there any test you could run to see if I do have the flu? Nurse: We could do a nasal swab, but I don’t think we need to in your case. Here’s some ibuprofen, and you can be on your way. [Exeunt] To give the staff of BC’s Health Services its due, it cannot be an easy task to deal with the various ailments (self-induced and otherwise) of 9,000 plus college students. This is particularly true in the winter months, when campus becomes a hotbed for the flu and the common cold, among other illnesses.
However, there are certain areas in which Health Services would do well to take a more proactive stance, most especially when it comes to diagnosing ill students. If someone comes into the infirmary with flu symptoms, a doctor must give his or her permission for a nasal swab to be conducted. To be clear: a nasal swab is roughly the equivalent of sticking a Q-tip up someone’s nose and testing it for influenza. It doesn’t involve drawing blood or sticking someone with a needle. So, my question for health services is, why, during flu season, is a student who shows symptoms of the flu not tested for influenza? Why is a doctor’s permission necessary? Maybe the treatment would be to administer regular doses of anti-inflammatory medications – such as ibuprofen – regardless of a positive or negative test. But what is the harm in running a simple test? I have heard of similar experiences from other students who showed symptoms of the flu or related viral infections such as mononucleosis. These students have gone to the infirmary seek-
Patrick Gallagher is a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences.
Calling for classier cheers in Conte “UMass sucks” met the ears of my 11 year-old son and 6 year old nephew as we watched the No. 1 Boston College Eagles (19-6) drub, 5-0, the struggling Umass Minutemen (6-15) at last Friday night’s hockey game. With every goal the maroon and gold decked fans behind the goal taunted the goalie by name, counted out the goals, and repeated the humiliation and name calling. “Sieve! Sieve! Sieve! Sieve! One-two-threefour-five! It’s all your fault!” And for extra measure: “UMass sucks!” What need drives this, and how will it change? It
may be a problem in the culture in general, but the NCAA has a sportsmanship Respect Campaign to promote and encourage sportsmanship. They at least see the need for change. It’s a value I want the kids to learn. As BC is an elite university, it has a role in leading the change. As the most dominate team in hockey, it can help set the standard. You can compete, win, and be number one without your fans taunting and humiliating opponents.
Ray Angelone
Have something to say? Send a letter to the editor. editor@bcheights.com Readers Note: The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 200 words and column submissions that do not exceed 700 words for its op/ed pages. The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and to prevent libel. The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces
submitted to the newspaper. Submissions must be signed and should include the author’s connection to Boston College, address, and phone number. Letters and columns can be submitted online at www.bcheights.com, by email to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.
Business and Operations
Editorial Clara Kim, Copy Editor Taylour Kumpf, News Editor Paul Sulzer, Sports Editor Kristopher Robinson, Features Editor Darren Ranck, Arts & Review Editor David Cote, Marketplace Editor Ana Lopez, Opinions Editor Daniel Tonkovich, Special Projects Editor Alex Trautwig, Photo Editor
ing information and a diagnosis, yet the staff has a policy of waiting for symptoms to worsen before performing a test, rather than performing a test before symptoms worsen. The treatment for many of these viruses is the same: rest, fluids, and anti-inflammatories. However, a student who knows they have mono will likely stay in bed until the worst of the symptoms subside. A student who is told that they don’t need to be tested for mono, on the other hand, might go about their daily routine as if nothing is wrong. The former student will likely be in bed for a week and then be back on their feet. The latter, if it turns out they have mono, could be in bed for a month after they finally succumb to the symptoms. No one wants to make the trip to St. Elizabeth’s because the infirmary staff failed to diagnose them at the earliest sign of sickness. Its time to replace the wait and see policy with a proactive approach.
Lindsay Grossman, Layout Editor Mollie Kolosky, Graphics Editor Dara Fang, Online Manager Therese Tully, Assoc. Copy Editor Chris Marino, Asst. Copy Editor Adriana Mariella, Assoc. News Editor Molly Lapoint, Asst. News Editor DJ Adams, Assoc. Sports Editor Greg Joyce, Asst. Sports Editor Brooke Schneider, Asst. Features Editor
Brennan Carley, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor Charlotte Parish, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Matt Palazzolo, Asst. Marketplace Editor Kevin Hou, Asst. Photo Editor Woogeon Kim, Asst. Layout Editor Alex Manta, Asst. Graphics Editor David Reimer, Asst. Online Manager Elise Taylor, Editorial Assistant Katherine McClurg, Executive Assistant
Margaret Tseng, Business Manager Christina Quinn, Advertising Manager Zachary Halpern, Outreach Coordinator Cecilia Provvendini, Systems Manager James Gu, Local Sales Manager Jamie Ciocon, Collections Manager Amy Hachigan, Asst. Ads Manager Seth Fitchelberg, Business Assistant
The Heights
Monday, February 14, 2011
A7
Opinions
Super (Bowl) market(ing)
Thumbs Up Egypt – Props to the people of Egypt for showing the courage to stand up to the authoritarian rule of President Hosni Mubarak. On Friday, Mubarak caved to pressure from protesters and finally stepped down after ruling the country for 30 years. Surely there are difficult days ahead and no one can predict Egypt’s political future, but the crucial first step has been taken and it deserves to be applauded. Ski Trip – Ask and you shall receive, organize a ski trip and they shall come. The earthy, crunchy, après-skiappreciating, and hardcore skiers and boarders amongst us can rejoice and unite as the Plex has organized a ski excursion to Wachusett Mountain Ski Resort. So, for all of you who didn’t want to skip your Friday classes and freeze your feet off in Montreal for SnowJam ’11, your chance to live the preppy outdoorsy dream isn’t dead yet. Justin Bieber – For even “non-Beliebers,” the pintsized pop star proved his talent in his new feature Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. Forget that he looks like the human embodiment of Alvin from the Chipmunks. Forget that his hair is similar to that of a suburban soccer mom. Forget that the movie features rather unsettling 3-D with The Biebs pointing right at you in the theater. Forget his wardrobe of colored hoodies and matching kicks. Bieber can sing solidly and play the drums like a mad man. Try living up to that, Gen Y. Reggie Jackson – Action Jackson has finally shaken his five-game slump to get the Eagles back on track for the Big Dance. He scored 31 points in Saturday’s win over the Terrapins, getting to the hoop with an array of moves that were worthy of the Top 10 on SportsCenter. With sports anchor and Maryland alum Scott Van Pelt in the crowd, Jackson had the perfect chance to impress one of the faces of ESPN. Celtics GM Danny Ainge was there, too, so the NBA could come calling sooner rather than later.
Thumbs Down Facebook Photo Viewer – Where’s the “like” button? How do I make it my profile picture? Why do I feel distinctly more creepy than before while profile stalking? The new Facebook photo viewer was released in some people’s profiles weeks ago, and for the majority of users in the past week. Seeing as the feedback to the change has been overwhelmingly negative, the jury is still out as to who the oddballs that offered positive feedback in focus groups and forums regarding the viewer were. 2000 – MaryAnne’s doesn’t have anything on the struggle that is getting into BC’s recently aquired (and ID required) apartment building. 2000 Comm. Ave has become the Gringott’s Bank of off-campus housing. The No-More-Than-Four rule (what is it with this city and capping fun at that number?) goes into effect next weekend officially, but the security guards decided to ease students into the transition by making things hard this weekend, as well. How thoughtful.
CJ Gustafson Really, Christina Aguilera? This is the most televised event in American history. According to the Nielson Company, a record breaking 111 million Americans tuned in to watch Super Bowl XLV between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers on Feb. 6. This year’s NFL championship broke last year’s record of 106.5 million viewers, when fans saw the Saints defeat the Colts. To clarify, 111 millions Americans watched Aguilera butcher the “The Star Spangled Banner” like the Peyton Manning cut-that-meat MasterCard commercial. Get it? He played a butcher in that ad … remember? The Super Bowl is supposed to be the most important American sporting event of the year. It’s an international symbol of the United States and captivates an audience across all seven continents. Unlike the NBA, NHL, and MLB, no teams from Canada are included. Yet Aguilera couldn’t even get the lyrics to our nation’s most important song correct. You could say she panicked. You could say she doesn’t care what the lyrics are as long as she gets paid. You could say you didn’t even notice that she messed up because you were busy drooling over her in between devouring chicken wings. But to put things in perspective, her music video for the song “Dirrty” has accumulated approximately 22.25 million views on YouTube since it was uploaded three years ago. This figure is a bit skewed, since I may or may not be personally responsible for 2,487 of these views. But regardless, 111 million people watched her perpetuate the stereotype that Americans don’t care about pastimes
and national identity, and it only took two minutes. That’s a lot of people cringing in a short amount of time. And if they missed it, it’s also on YouTube. With the largest audience in U.S. history watching, she betrayed our ears and pride. Speaking of pride, I still haven’t been able to look myself in the mirror without doubting the decline of Western civilization since I saw Alex Rodriguez feasting on popcorn served from the buttery palms of Cameron Diaz. That was like watching a car crash in slow motion. When you have the an enormous audience watching, you are expected to put on a show. The Packers and Steelers gave us a fantastic game. But with this comes the burden to convey an articulate and powerful message, regardless of the subject, and not screw it up. And if dotting your Ts and crossing your Is is not a major concern in regards to pride, at least do it because you’re being charged $3 million per each 30 second ad spot. Chrysler pushed the limits of how long an ad can go, with their “Imported from Detroit” ad clocking in at two minutes long. This was a risky move, considering it ran up a price of 12 million, and they just finished with a loss for the quarter. Plus, I doubt Eminem did it pro-bono. The cleverest ad from my perspective was the Audi “Escape the Confines of Old Luxury” promotion. It was hilarious, intriguing, original, and, most importunately, incredibly well thought out. Audi demonstrated how it’s possible to keep your audience entertained while simultaneously delivering a poignant message that’s sure to stick. This is in stark contrast to the Pepsi Max commercial. In the ad, an African-American couple argues over what the husband is allowed to eat, as the wife physically abuses him whenever he attempts to consume anything with more calories than a celery stick. Finally, they both settle on Pepsi Max as a tasty, yet
healthy, choice. But when a blonde woman comes jogging by them in the park, the man starts to stare. His wife chucks the Pepsi Max can at his head, missing him and knocking out the jogger. The couple then runs away. I then sent an e-mail to Pepsi asking for thirty seconds of my life back. They have yet to respond. And announcers, yes, you, Joe Buck, should not be excused from criticism. It’s not appropriate to commend Ben Roethlisberger as if he has overcome major obstacles this season. Treating the act of sexual assault as if it were a disease that a brave man must overcome is ridiculous. It’s not as if we should be proud of him because he has taken it upon himself to progressively wean off the act of imposing his will on women in dirty bathroom stalls. Glorifying a selfish man who disrespects women because he put unsolicited hankypanky on hold to throw a football is un-American. I’m not trying to say one should have a particular message. What I am encouraging, however, is to not take it for granted when 111 million people are listening. That’s an opportunity that doesn’t come around very often. Regardless of how you feel about President Barack Obama’s policies thus far in office, Black Eyed Peas singer Will.i.am changed the lyrics to “Where is the love” to say, “In America we need to get things straight / Obama, let’s get these kids educated / Create jobs so the country stays stimulated.” Besides learning that there is a Native American fellow in a Tron outfit in the band, what Will.i.am said really resonated with me. Not for the meaning of what he said, but for the audacity to recognize and utilize the world’s biggest stage effectively. And because of Dorritos hilarious Super Bowl commercials, I’m off to the supermarket. Peace. CJ Gustafson is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
iCare? I don’t think so
Hayley Trahan-Liptak The bodies started falling a few days before the iPad was introduced. First there was just one suicide, then as the weeks passed another and another. By the time the iPad was released on April 3, 2010, four employees at the Foxconn factory that produces Apple products had jumped from factory buildings, three of them to their deaths. As orders poured in for the new technology phenomenon, eight more workers jumped from factory dormitories. Today more than 16 people have jumped and over 20 have been stopped by plant officials while preparing to kill themselves. The suicides have all occurred at a Foxconn factory, a company that Apple contracts to produce parts of Apple products, including the iPhone, iPad, and iPods. Foxconn’s most troubling factory is in Shenzhen, China and employees between 300,000 and 400,000 laborers. Workers, many of them originally from rural China, sleep, work, and eat in the Foxconn factory complex, which is heavily guarded by security details. An undercover reporter from ABC News found that as many as 10 workers sleep in 10-foot-by-10-foot “concrete cells” and that though the company offers two swimming pools and tennis courts, few employees have time to enjoy the facilities. Over 120 hours of overtime are spent on the factory lines per worker each month, contributing to a workweek of 70 plus hours. Now, the new Verizon iPhone has hit the stores, the next big demand on
Party Time
BY BEN VADNAL
the Apple suppliers. Despite Apple’s pristine producers, the suicides at the factories show a hint of tarnish on the company’s shiny apple. As orders for Apple products increased last year, Foxconn sped up its assembly lines to meet the demand. Employees reported spending hours making the same repetitive motions only to leave the production line with their hands continuing to twitch in the same fashion. Talking is prohibited on the assembly lines or during breaks, so workers lack a community or ability to commiserate. The increased stress on workers and the rash of suicides can hardly be a coincidence. Last month Steve Jobs acknowledged the problem as a “difficult situation,” yet has announced no solutions nor have there been any rumors Apple may be switching suppliers. Still, we line up for the newest iPhone and marvel over the iPad. Apple consumers expect a high quality product from the second they open the box to see the “Designed by Apple in California” instruction book to the shiny computer with a glowing apple on the top or the slick phone envied by wireless carries everywhere. We ask questions about the product and its technology, but fail to ask what is behind the pretty packaging. Instead we clamor for a new product, a faster production, a cheaper model, all while ignoring what our demands are doing. On the bus last week I overheard someone lamenting over her cell phone. “I am so mad at my dad for not getting me the new Verizon iPhone!” she told her friend. “I’m still hoping it will be my Valentine’s Day gift.” It doesn’t matter that our clamoring for products has resulted in working conditions halfway around the world that force workers into
depression. What matters is what we want—the new phone, the new computer, the shiny, yet poisonous apple. Sure, we all know sweatshops exist. Many of the most popular clothing companies, including stores like Express, Nike, and Victoria’s Secret, use low paying factories as suppliers of their clothing lines. But Apple? From the company lauded for its excellent service, environmental efforts, and good treatment of its American employees, we expect better. Foxconn may not be owned or controlled by Apple. They produce products for HP and Dell among others, yet their contract with Apple is one of their largest, responsible for their most renowned products. Apple is a technology giant. It is time for them to enforce their own contracts that limit overtime hours and tell suppliers they will not stand for 70 hour work weeks, no matter what company the people work for. We all love Apple. I wrote this on my MacBook Pro with an iPod Touch inches from my right hand. I’ve long awaited the arrival of the iPhone on the Verizon network and hope ownership is in the not too distant future. If Steve Jobs thinks I am going to continue buying products despite several suicides at a supplying factory, he is right. But that does not mean Apple has an unlimited license to ignore how its products are made. As one of the biggest technology producers of the day, Apple has the power to choose a supplier with responsible business practices, or they can select the gradually rotting apple and turn their shiny image into a picture of stress filled factories and pressured workers. What apple will they pick? Hayley Trahan-Liptak is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
The Irish expectation
Benjamin Key On Wednesday night, in a halffull lecture hall at Boston College, a writer stands at the podium for a book reading. The novelist is Anne Enright, a Booker Prize winner and recipient of the Irish Book of the Year Award. And here, already, is the most apparent facet of Anne Enright: she is from Ireland. More specifically, she herself is Irish – although the two are not necessarily the same thing; I knew an Italian who lived in Ireland. He was neither Irish nor even remotely a good person, but that’s really a story for another column. Anne Enright is Irish. She is, in fact, everything a person could ever want in an Irish writer. She speaks in the most charming lilt, she has spunky short hair, she lives in an artist community, she cracks jokes easily, she writes about sex and uses naughty words. Speaking at a university that mythologizes all that is Irish, Enright quite literally had her audience at “hello”. Her accent gives her literary authority before getting through the first predicate of her reading. In the United States, certainly in Boston, the Irish accent is foreign enough to draw attention, but familiar enough to evoke emotion. It has also somehow managed to cuddle up with literature within the zeitgeist. This is not unfounded, the number of readily identifiable Irish writers does seem disproportionate to the island nation’s population, but that’s not to say that every Seamus O’Something is the next Beckett. It’s not just the Irish; our society seems keen on racial pigeonholing. We pre-assign identities and are disappointed when these groups do not live up to our cultural expectations. UNESCO, the cultural and educational arm of the United Nations, provides funding to indigenous peoples in places like Latin America and Africa. The funding can help these people survive in a world in which the indigenous tend to be the poorest of the poor – that is, unless the natives have the audacity of adopting the habits of the larger society. Growing corn and wearing Tshirts instead of painting your face and catching wild boar with blow guns? No funding for you. The implication being that we can proctor a distinct group of people’s culture, or even worse, hinder its natural progression. It is one thing to defend an indigenous society’s culture from the pressures of the modern world; it is something very different to force it to stay the same. Enright lived up to the expectations of her accent. Her paragraphs were electrified with life. Her prose is conversational and natural, and she is a gifted and theatrical reader. A listener could forget for a moment that a Booker Prize-winning writer was reading and, instead, find himself in a restaurant in Dublin with the woman at the table next to you speaking too loudly. You’d be annoyed if what she was saying weren’t so interesting. It’s the kind of conversation you, if you’re a writer, would jot down on a napkin to put in a story. That is, until you realized that it’s been done, it already is in a story, and that’s what you’re listing to. On Wednesday, she reads one story and one selection from her forthcoming novel. They are both exceptional. Subtlety crafted and gracefully read, Enright later admits she has experience writing pieces for the radio. But it’s clear that she’s not necessarily writing about Ireland. She does not fetishize Dublin as did Joyce nor lyricize it as does Heaney. She writes characters that could quite readily exist in any Western nation. She is a writer from Ireland, but mostly, she’s just a writer. After her reading she remains at the podium for Q&A. A student asks if she is hyper-aware of her “Irishness” while on a book tour. Enright responds that she often gets sick of being Irish in America. Probably because that phrase; Irish in America, seems weighty, as if it should be hyphenated. She seems to want to dodge the construct, ditch the anticipation that follows her lovely lilt. Enright wants to be considered for her craft and for who she is, not taxonimized geographically based on American presuppositions of what it is to be Irish. It seems to me, and not only because she is a writer of talent, that her wish be adhered to … even though her accent is adorable. Benjamin Key is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
The Heights
A8
Monday, February 14, 2011
Surprising and enchanting, Bieber wins hearts By Mollie Kolosky Heights Editor
Justin Bieber is the real deal. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, if nothing else, is proof that Bieber is way more than his adorable hair cut and wide variety of purple zipped hoodies. Cheesy 3-D effects, lack of plot, and an obnoxious cameo appearance by Miley Cyrus aside, the movie is heart warmjustin bieber: never ing and entertaining. say never T h e : Jon Chu movie folAEG Live lows a loose plot line of Justin’s adventures during the 10 days leading up to his sold out Madison Square Garden performance. Lucky for director Jon M. Chu, Bieber has been in front of the camera since the ripe age of two. The amount of footage from Bieber’s young life is extensive. The audience is brought through Bieber’s childhood, how he was discovered, and his quick rise to extreme fame. He begins by tak-
B+
ing viewers to his small hometown in Canada, where they meet his adorable grandparents. Most impressive is when Bieber returns to the steps outside the local mall where he would sing for the masses and talks to a girl about how she can follow her dreams to become something. Home videos are mixed with interviews of Bieber’s closest family and friends. Through these interviews, moviegoers meet the Bieber crew: the managers, family, and friends from before he moved to the States. The film thoroughly explores the solid support system that made his incredible fantasy life possible. Although the Bieber rise to fame is interesting, the real entertainment is a product of the songs from the Madison Square Garden show. He sings a variety of songs from his latest album, My World 2.0. Jaden Smith, Miley Cyrus, Sean Kingston, Ludacris, and, most impressively, Usher, are all interviewed about Bieber then perform songs with him at the show. The crowd was electric while Bieber performed “Somebody to Love” with Usher. His energetic and
smooth dance steps, paired with his signature hair flip, caused both the girls at his concert and fans in the movie theater to go wild. Electrifying and theatrical, these performances make the movie worthwhile in itself. Though the music was entertaining and Bieber’s rise to fame is both interesting and inspiring, there lacked real feature film qualities. Most notably, there was no real plot. Viewers are taken through Bieber’s childhood by his cute family films, but there was no real connection to the Never Say Never title. The theme is lost when we are taken back and forth through his concert in 3-D and memories of when he was not so famous. Although the audience leaves inspired, Bieber’s story itself is barely long enough for an hour-long made-for-TV documentary, let alone a 105-minute long 3-D movie. The 3-D sections of the movie were distracting and unnecessary. Although the teenie-bopper audience was love-struck by Bieber coming to life, there was no real purpose. The movie is evidence that Justin
‘The Eagle’ fails to get off the ground
Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com
Despite unsettling and superfluous 3-D effects, Bieber creates a heartwarming experience. Bieber is one of the most talented singers, dancers and performers of his generation. Without a doubt, this young heartthrob has captured the hearts of millions of girls both young and old from around the world.
The movie takes the audience on a whirlwind journey through his fairytale life, but leaves them wanting so much more. Surely, after fans watch this movie, Bieber should have no trouble finding “Somebody to Love.” n
Box Office Report title
weekend gross
weeks in release
1 photos courtesy of allmoviephoto.com
1. Just go with it
31.0
1
2. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
30.2
1
3. Gnomeo and juliet
25.5
1
Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com
Sweeping landscapes make ‘Eagle’ cinematically stunning, but Tatum fails to bring vibrancy to his role as a stoic Roman commander. By Paul McCane For the Heights
Visually stunning, The Eagle is an action-packed adventure film with an intriguing plot that ultimately fails to live up to its true potential. It’s A.D. 140 and young centurion Marcus Aquila (ChanThe eagle: n i n g Ta Kevin Macdonald t u m ) h a s Toledo Production j u s t b e e n assigned his first command as the leader of a cohort of Roman legionaires stationed at a remote outpost in the wilderness of Britain. Marcus is the embodiment of a perfect Roman soldier. Strong, disciplined, and brave, his sole focus in life is to protect the men under his command and to uphold the honor of Rome. He is driven by his desire to restore honor to his family’s name, which was lost 20 years previously when the ill-fated Ninth Legion and their eagle standard, under the command of Marcus’ father, journeyed into the north and were never heard from again. In an attempt to regain his family’s honor, Marcus decides to set out on a journey to discover what happened to his father and the Ninth Legion and to recover the legion’s eagle standard and return it to Rome. He is accompanied
B+ C
on his journey by Esca (Jamie Bell), extravaganza, but instead introduces Marcus’ slave, and a Brigantian Prince some interesting themes such as the who, because he is a native of Britain, true nature of honor and the need to knows how to survive in the unforgiv- experience life from someone else’s ing lands north of Hadrian’s Wall. perspective. The only problem is that, The most memorable aspect of this although these themes are introduced, film is the harsh but t h e f i l m n eve r stunning and beauseems to arrive at While the movie is tiful scenery of the any satisfying revScottish Highlands elations, instead definitely exciting and that Marcus and Esca relying upon timeentertaining, it does not journey through in tested Hollywood search of the lost ea- live up to its full potential. cliches to lend the gle. The audience is film a semblance The film does not want transported back to of a satisfying to be a blood and gore ancient times as the emotional conextravaganza. film fully immerses clusion. Tatum is the viewer in Roman somewhat wooden Britain. In addition, in his portrayal of the fight scenes were incredibly re- Marcus, and while this may have been freshing and realistic, depicting his- intentional to depict his characters torically accurate portrayals of ancient strict obedience to the characteristics warfare in lieu of cartoonish battles that define a Roman soldier, at times populated by thousands of CGI cre- Marcus is hard to like and sometimes ated soldiers. The film is full of pure even seems like he is just a soldier-exand simple adventure storytelling that tra rather than the hero of the movie. does not have to resort to slow-motion Jamie Bell, on the other hand, delivers fight scenes or excessive amounts of a strong performance as a slave who blood and gore to convince the au- has to come to grips with his own idendience that it is being entertained. tity and personal conception of honor. While the movie is definitely exWhile the movie does not succeed citing and entertaining, it does not outright as a thinking man’s action-adlive up to its full potential. The film venture story, it is definitely entertaindoes not want to be a blood and gore ing and worth the price of admission. n
3
8
4. the eagle
8.6
1
5. the roommate
8.4
2
6. the king’s speech
7.4
12
7. no strings attached
5.6
4
8. sanctum
5.1
2
9. true grit
3.8
8
10. the green hornet
3.6
5
bestsellers of hardcover fiction 1. tick tock James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge 2. the girl who kicked the hornet’s nest Stieg Larsson 3. strategic moves Stuart Woods 4. the inner circle Brad Meltzerla
5. shadowfever Karen Marie Moning 6. the help Kathryn Stockett 7. the sentry Robert Crais 8. dead or alive Tim Clancey with Grant Blackwood SOURCE: Publisher’s Weekly
Bardem crafts an incredibly ‘Biutiful’ performance By Joe Allen Heights Staff
Walking in, one would expect a movie called Biutiful to be a feel-good movie that explains its spelling error along the way. While this Inarritu-directed film clarifies its spelling mistake, it is far from a happy movie. With a two and a half hour running time, this film becomes a draining exbiutiful: perience as Alejandro Inarritu w e wa t c h the main Menageatroz c h a ra c t e r attempt to sort his life out when he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. The length inevitably causes this film to feel scattered. However, with ‘biutiful’ cinematography, a calm score, and a powerhouse performance from Bardem, this foreign language movie warrants a viewing, although not as a Friday night pick-me-up. Set in an overcrowded, dirty Spanish city, Biutiful tells the story of Uxbal (Javier Bardem), a family man who manages shady businesses including street peddling and Chinese sweatshops in order to put food on the table. Aside from his work-related stresses, Uxbal must look
B
after his two kids, Mateo (Guillermo Estrella) and Ana (Hanaa Bouchaib), while cautiously dealing with his psychologically unstable wife, Marambra (Maricel Alvarez). Add on top of this an irresponsible brother (Eduard Fernandez), and a less-than-trustworthy business partner (Cheng Tai Shen) and Biutiful already has more conflict than the average film. And within the first few minutes of the movie, viewers will agree that this movie is far from conventional. On top of all his day-to-day problems, Uxbal is diagnosed with advanced cancer in the beginning of the movie, which puts an impending expiration date on his life. Ultimately, this film is the story of a man who tries to put his affairs in order before his untimely death. Even with this downer premise, the cinematography in Biutiful is inspiring. Rodrigo Prieto, the film’s cinematographer, crafts a perpetually gloomy look over the city that Uxbal resides in. No matter where the movie takes audiences emotionally, the quality of the lighting remains consistent throughout. Also, the stunning establishing shots serve as a reminder of how small Uxbal’s problems are in relation to the larger problems plaguing this city. Another source of
consistency comes from the film’s soothing soundtrack, which often makes use of soft guitar playing. These two elements work to ground the film in a unique cinematic reality. Looking past the technical work, Biutiful is very much a Bardem picture. Javier Bardem’s performance in this movie is inspiring. No matter where the plot takes the audience, Uxbal’s unrelenting desperation is always felt. Bardem makes viewers feel for this man, despite his many faults. Although this film is spoken entirely in Spanish, it will be easily understood by people of all languages because it is told primarily through its camera placements and its main actor’s performance, not through its dialogue. The film thankfully doesn’t require audience members to read the subtitles at Inglourious Basterds speed. In the hands of a lesser actor, the film’s emotions would get muddled. The acting strength of Bardem allows the viewer to go through each heartbreak and moment of happiness with Uxbal. Unfortunately, one of the main flaws of Biutiful is that it often picks heartbreak over happiness. For many, this movie may be too unrelentingly hopeless to stomach. Inarritu’s deci-
sion to let the movie run for 150 minutes doesn’t help either. An otherwise simple story often gets muddled by unnecessary subplots (so … Uxbal can talk to dead people?) and uninspired secondary characters. In its worst moments, Biutiful makes the audience forget what the movie is ultimately about. Underneath all of this superfluous story material, Biutiful is a moving tale about a man forced to cope with
impending death. Much credit goes to Bardem for his crushing performance, which serves as a reminder of the film’s main themes, even as the plot strays off the main course. Even though each set is dirty and cluttered, the film’s cinematography and sound make each scene admirably atmospheric. If one has a high tolerance for sad movies, this film is worth seeing. While far from a masterpiece, Inarritu’s new film has elements that are indeed ‘biutiful.’ n
Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com
Spanish ‘Biutiful’ delivers a dark but moving reflection on the ephemeral quality of life.
The Heights
Monday, February 14, 2011
A9
hollywood horizons
‘The Hobbit’ faces rocky road to the Shire Dan Siering
It’s a story that begins with a shift in power structure. It then grows into an intricate storyline that involves mutiny, conflicts over money, and large conflagrations. No, this isn’t the next furious Jason Statham production. This is the story of the upcoming film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s grandiose fable, The Hobbit. Now before the elvish speaking fanatics rise up in collective outrage against the filmmakers’ severe plot distortion, know full-well that the cameras have yet to start rolling. The aforementioned complexities, in fact, involve the pre-production process, a saga that has accumulated enough drama to garner a dramatic screenplay. It seems the conflict in Tolkien’s novel extends outside the pages. Having pushed back the process for over a year, those involved with the gargantuan project have felt like
Bilbo Baggins and his trusty dwarves with their continuous run-ins with trials and tribulations. Our tale begins in the spring of last year. After nearly two years of meticulous toil, the creatively brilliant coalition of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, the three writers of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and Guillermo del Toro, the visionary director/director of Pan’s Labyrinth and Hell Boy, had created a screenplay and a set for Tolkien’s prologue. Perhaps due to the stress or that his pool was already full to the brim with money, Jackson elected to not direct The Hobbit, and the group of writers gave the reigns to del Toro. The filmmakers were set to talk money with the studios when, in a rather shocking turn of events, del Toro stepped away from his subsequent director’s chair citing “conflicting schedules” as a problem. The original time frame of a late 2010 release was pushed back. With the project in dire need of leadership, Jackson finally caved into the
fans’ demands and announced that he intended to return to directing. It soon became apparent that del Toro’s departure was not the only factor delaying the film. MGM Studios, the distributing partner for the film, had accumulated a severe amount of debt during the recession years. The studio had spent the majority of the 2010 testing the market for offers to buy the studio. MGM got bids from several suitors, including competitors Time Warner and Relativity Media, but the debt-ridden company decided to restructure internally. The prominent studio eventually pulled itself out of debtors prison. Because of their financial status, MGM and partnering studio Warner Bros was not able to begin budget talks with Jackson until the fall. Yet as soon as the two sides opened their mouths, another string was added to the web of complexity. This time the troubles came from the actors. A large outcry from several acting guilds reamed Jackson for
his use of non-unionized workers on the set of his films. Jackson, not wanting the argument to get our of hand, appeased the protests by stating that his methods were intended to increase the involvement of local New Zealand actors in his upcoming productions. Jackson also politely threatened to shoot the film in Eastern Europe if the issues we not resolved. The passive-aggressive tactics proved fruitful for Jackson, and the critics of the film’s production process were gradually silenced. Now, if the movie business has taught me one thing, it’s that no story is complete without some full-fledged destruction. This tale is no exception. On the eve of finalizing a budget, an electrical malfunction set fire to one of Jackson’s specialized miniatures shooting facility. While no one was harmed in the incident, the one of a kind facility was burnt virtually to the ground. The uphill battle continued for The Hobbit. After finally getting the funds to go forth with
filming, Jackson enjoyed a few months of relative serenity. This smooth ride was disrupted just a few weeks ago when Jackson underwent surgery for a stomach ulcer. Production was delayed again. Call it the sinister cherry on top of a sundae of misfortune. I’m never one to blame the cosmos, but it seems like some serious voodoo is afoot here. Perhaps after making a trilogy that raked in $3 billion, Jackson was destined for a couple mishaps. Whatever the reason, let’s hope that The Hobbit enjoys smooth sailing in the future. With many actors from the original trilogy reprising their roles and a director that prides himself on detail, the film has a lot of upside. Nevertheless, I won’t believe the hijinks to be over until I see the opening credits roll over the silver screen.
Dan Siering is a columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at review@ bcheights.com.
Christian relics paint a portrait of Middle Ages McMullen, from A10
was the most decorated room, where people were integrated into the church modeling were rather advanced for this through baptism. Interestingly, during civilization’s period. A depiction of the the Sasanian attack of Dura-Europos, “cosmic bull” being sacrificed in honor “… the baptistery was filled with rubble of Mithras is centered on the arch; also, and earth, which buried and preserved hunting scenes and something writ- the paintings for over a millennium.” ten in foreign characters are present. These paintings were very influential The wall description reads, “…[the] since they were the main tool used to presentation of Mithras as a divine teach people of the faith. archer would have resonated with the The synagogue “was built into a Palmyrene archers who worshipped converted house between 165 and 200 the god at Dura-Europos. Another CE …the Jewish congregation interdistinctive feature of the Dura-Europos acted with Christian, Mithraic, and Mithraeum is that pagan commuit was built into a nities within the The paintings from the renovated house; city.” This makes synagogue’s walls were also sense since the m o s t M i t h ra e a were located un- preserved by the military, but paintings from derground.” the three relithis time by the Romans. It The oldest gious buildings known Christian was interesting that the four resemble each house church that other, although copies of wall paintings from they depict comis still intact was found at Dura-Euthe synagogue had a strong pletely different ropos, also consubjects. “Refocus on primary colors. taining the earliligious imagery est baptistery. The This could be due to limited at Dura-Europaintings in the pos often emresources, or an aesthetic church were sprayed phasizes shared technigue.” with cellulose nicharacteristics trate, for preservaamong deities tion purposes, as from different they were thought to be “too water cultural backgrounds.” The paintings sensitive” (they later discovered this from the synagogue’s walls were also was harmful to the paint and sprayed preserved by the military, but this them with polyvinyl acetate to stop time by the Romans. It was interesting flaking). The process of fresco removal that the four copies of wall paintings was very involved and is interestingly from the synagogue had a strong focus captured in photos and a description on primary colors. This could be due on one of the sidewalls. The baptistery to limited resources, or an aesthetic
technique. The upper level also focuses on the authoritative figures of Dura-Europos. A collection of nine coins bearing the heads of various rulers is on display. Most of the coins were found in shops, houses, or soldier’s pouches. Also, certain military accessories are on view in exquisite condition, including a helmet and a decorative military belt plate. On the lower level, there is a focus on how the people of Dura-Europos lived daily. A bill of sale, an incense shovel, a well preserved child’s shoe, some jewelry, and textile fragments are all housed together. Dura-Europos was a multilingual region with many dialects. It also contained many cultures and religious groups. Three depictions of Herakles (more commonly known by the Roman name, Hercules) stand out. He was a popular image for Dura-Europos art, usually shown slaying a lion. Several limestone sculptures flank the walls and seem to come to life, especially the busts all in a row. One piece that truly caught attention was a fragment of a floor tile mosaic. Each tiny colored stone reminded me of the painstakingly placed dots in pointillist works. There are pieces depicting pagan gods and a few funerary sculptures. The Dura-Europos collection is a convergence of religious antiquities as well as practical and secular pieces. This exhibit runs Feb. 5 to June 5, so do not miss this opportunity to go check out a fascinating and mysterious place in this portal to antiquity. n
‘Dance’ showcases CSA/KSA
Cecilia Provvedini / heights editor
Sexual Chocolate, in a collaboration with several dance teams, brings the house down.
Taking the right steps Chocolate, from A10
kisses in their silver and purple A-line skirts. They enchanted the audience with their swirls and twirls while waving shimmering scarves in the air. One could never guess this was a step show, but instead a Bollywood Valentine’s Day celebration filled with leaps and belly dancing. The stage was set up as the restaurant, with the members of the group divided into groups of waiters, chefs, and bus boys. A very attractive young lady entered the restaurant, asking for a seat. The manager spots her, orders the staff to take care of her, and then leaves the scene to watch the Celtics game, setting up the dramatic background of the dance squad. The next routine included more snapping, patting, and clapping as well as signature mottos of the food industry such as, “You can have it your way” or BC’s own “Eat. Drink. Talk. Think.” And “Come hungry. Leave happy.” The waiters took turns wooing her with their smooth talk such as, “Baby, I can provide you all the service you need for the night” or “Darling, you’re looking thirsty!” It seemed that all talk and no walk wasn’t going to get them anywhere and so they displayed their suave swagger with a step routine. Suddenly, the theater became significantly hotter.
Unfortunately, the woman’s nerdy white boyfriend shows up. One of the chefs sings a line from “Ebony & Ivory,” ties up the boyfriend and hides him, receiving many laughs from the crowd. The waiters had decided to take the more crude route in wooing the lady while the busboys were much more chivalrous. They described woman as flowers who are fragile and need nurturing in order to blossom and be beautiful. One of the chefs describes how he can turn the “Mona Lisa into a Moaning Lisa.” Clearly, no one from the staff was actually going to win the lady, and so the staff decided to woo the crowd. Just when the crowd thought the story had finished, therefore the show, it turned out that the best part was yet to come. The members of Sexual Chocolate took off their costumes, walked into the audience, danced in the aisles, and swayed their bodies in what one would imagine the ultimate “sexual healing” Marvin Gaye was talking about. They held plates out and roses to the lucky audience members in the aisle seats, dancing on them along the way. Stepping, stomping, and swaying their way through the evening, the men of Sexual Chocolate were the definition of entertaining throughout their Pre-Valentine’s, sweet treat performance. n
‘Atlas’ prepped for new film version Sang Lee / heights editor
With its prom theme, the CSA / KSA culture show brought the forces of Tae Kwon Do, modern dance, and prop driven dance vividly to life.
CSA/KSA, from A10 and appreciate both how the cultures overlap and how they are distinct. The purpose of the culture shows is to give a broad overview of each culture, with each segment short in length but broad in scope. A theme throughout this year’s show was the marriage between traditional culture and embracing modern influences within each society. The most well-received acts were those balanced these two with care and creativity, such as Talchum, the KSA music act, and Kung fu. Talchum is a traditional dance performed while wearing expressive masks but the KSA performers added a twist to the time-honored dance by updating it with modern music and dance moves. Kung fu also received a modern makeover with a similarly hip soundtrack. The KSA music act showcased several hugely popular hits from the K-Pop genre, with truly astounding vocal talents from several of the KSA members, particularly male soloists. Interspersed between these more modern performances were more tradi-
tional acts, like Korean fan dance and Chinese Lion dance. The contrast between the two varieties of performances showcased differences that might have otherwise been overlooked. The Korean dancers danced to traditional Korean music and created images with the fans, like the impression of waves or a butterfly, using the group as a single dancer. The Lion Dance is a traditional part of the New Year’s celebration and kicked off the show with a reminder that the largest Chinese holiday of the year is being celebrated all over the world. Although many of the acts are annual traditions for the clubs, particularly the Tae Kwon Do and Chinese YoYo have been seen from years before, the clubs definitely left their comfort zones for several of the performances. The Chinese ribbon dance, choreographed by Kaisi Guo, was a foray into a new form of dance for the club and the whirling ribbons spellbound the audience. The traditional Korean drum circle, Samulnori, got an update as well with some more modern music and movable drums. The final act was a huge performance
of modern dance to pop hits from both cultures. The amount of choreography that went into this lengthy act was impressive, but coupled with the amount of performers the feat of synchronizing seemingly over 50 dancers is astounding. The modern dance was along the same vein of the rest of the show, fast paced, interactive, and entertaining. The show left the audience humming the latest K-Pop hits and determined to learn Chinese yo-yo, and the spread of culture to those who were previously unacquainted is the most these shows can hope to achieve. The CSA / KSA show has become a tradition on its own, a time where both cultures celebrate each other and grow from sharing their experiences. The introduction of the two executive boards of each group illustrated just how much planning is involved in the execution of events like this but also how the culture shows are only a minor facet of the programming undertaken by the clubs throughout the year. Support for their efforts shouldn’t end at the exit to Robsham. n
Atlas, from A10
was talk of Angelina Jolie playing the railroad ‘tycooness,’ which would have plus page novel. made Rand turn over in her grave. Even For all of you who are still appre- though it is coming out in two parts and hensive about the book or just a little will no doubt end with a frustrating cliffon the lazy side, no need to worry, there hanger that leaves us screaming at the is still a way that screen (the you too will be able longing at “My biggest hope for the film [of the end of to finally answer the infamous question ‘Atlas Shrugged’] is that Dagny’s Harry Pot‘Who is John Galt?’ ter and the character, played by Taylor (you’ll have to read Deathly the book to catch Schilling ... is properly adapted H a l l o w s that joke). Part I of comes to the film adaptation on screen. Schilling’s Dagny is the m i n d ) i t of Atlas Shrugged will should be only leading lady.” be released on April e m b ra c e d 15 of this year. The for its two trailer was just released on Feb. 11 and part release, not scowled at. Not only is I’ve already watched it about 10 times Atlas Shrugged too long for one movie, and suggest you do the same. but splitting the novel adds to the ‘maMy biggest hope for the film is that jestic’ aspect of the story, which is why Dagny’s character, played by Taylor the film is (hopefully) going to be visually Schilling, (who according to IMDB, striking with vast city skylines and shots has only been in four films) is properly of monstrously loud trains traveling at adapted on screen. Schilling’s Dagny is rapid speeds that pass through magnifithe only leading lady, among a hand- cent, pastoral landscapes. The sleek and ful of male main characters, including modern trains, railroad tracks, skyscrapHenry Rearden, Francisco D’Anconia, ers, and actors will definitively dictate James Taggart and the infamous John the films aesthetics, which is probably Galt. When rumors of the film were be- what I’m looking forward to the most, as ing whispered about a year ago, there that will guarantee to impress. n
arts&review
A10
Monday, February 14, 2011
Wicked Cultured
The Bay State Idol Charlotte Parish
Charlotte Parish is the Assistant Arts & Review editor of The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com
kevin hou \ photo editor
Blending generations of dance By Hilary Chasse Heights Editor
A
lthough Valentine’s Day was still a few days away, romance was in the air on Saturday night in Robsham for the Chinese Students’ Association (CSA) / Korean Students’ Association (KSA) May I Have This Dance? culture show. Audience members were immediately introduced to the romantic theme with the prom inspired decorations throughout Robsham’s entranceway. Another immediate revelation for the audience member was the palpable energy emanating from the packed crowd. The annual show is the product of many months of late night rehearsals and feverish preparation from both clubs that displays the level of dedication from all of their members. The show was both
entertaining and enlightening. The dances, music, and other performances allowed the audience a taste of each culture and brought out both pride and enthusiasm from all in the audience. The show’s theme was centered on a flashback to senior prom 2009 and provided the connection between performances. The skits were brief and generally humorous. They maintained the light tone, but mostly set up the next performance by providing background for the coming performance. This decision was largely appreciated by the packed crowd, who boisterously called out for more dancing during lulls. The performances following the skits were evenly divided between each culture, showcasing similar genres in pairs, such as Kung fu and Tae kwon do. This allowed audience members who were more unfamiliar with both cultures to further understand
See CSA/KSA, A9
‘Atlas’ presents a heavy, but worthwhile endeavor By Taylor Cavallo For The Heights
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, published in 1957, is the story of Dagny Taggart, a woman in a man’s world, watching the government slowly take control of not only her railroad company, but society as a whole. Rand is writing against a system fixed on generating profit and a world in which mankind is subordinate to the wants and demands of the government. She calls
for a humanist approach to life in which people contribute and innovate, propelling the movement of the world. Atlas Shrugged is a staple of classic literature. Reading this book (and planning to complete it without SparkNotes) is definitely a commitment, but it is one worth making. At first, when I held the book in my hands, I had the reaction that any sane person would have. It went something like, “Oh my God. This is a very, very long book. Am I crazy?” As much as the length
of the book intimidated, the read went by quicker than expected. It is definitely one of the longest books I have ever read, but by the end of it, I appreciated the length and realized it could have been no other way. The length allows for a much stronger connection with, and understanding of the characters as it chronicles the lives of a few people who truly come alive through the novel. This would not have been possible if it was shorter – Atlas Shrugged is the perfect example of a story that has breadth
and depth. Another thing to love about the book is protagonist Taggart herself. She is a strong female lead without being the blatant or preachy token feminist that one would expect from her character as the head of a powerful railroad conglomerate. She is empowering, strong, sexy, and has a great dry sense of humor, which is highly appreciated while trying to tread through the 1,000
See Atlas, A9
Step energizes Robsham
Sexual Chocolate brings humor with dance By Jasmine Rebadavia For The Heights
Courtesy oF McMullen Museum
Historical importance blends with aesthetically pleasing arts in new McMullen exhibit.
Spiritual artifacts enliven McMullen By Katie Moore For The Heights
The Dura-Europos: Crossroads of Antiquity exhibit at the McMullen Museum contains various works of art from the second and third centuries. The site was discovered by British troops after World War I in 1920. Most of what was discovered is now at Yale University, but a very interesting collection has made its way to Boston College. The upper level focuses on the spiritual life of the people of Dura-Europos, while the lower level is devoted to other aspects of life, for example, occupation. Immediately
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upon entering, one finds a touch screen display, called “Excavating Antiquity,” which shows various pictures during the excavation process and gives great context for imagining this impressive discovery. Beliefs on ancient religious practices have been overturned based on the religious buildings that were found at the site. Christianity, Judaism, and Mithraism were all observed and housed in Dura-Europos. The impressive archway from the Mithraeum is particularly inspiring and the painting techniques and attention to
See McMullen, A9
Catch the ‘Bieber Fever’ at the movies
The new 3-D flick puts naysayers to rest, proving to the world that the pint-sized singer truly rocks..............A8
Valentine’s Day is around the corner and what better way to celebrate than with some Sexual Chocolate? The dance crew put on a show as part of a month-long celebration of Black History Month and on Friday, Feb. 11, hundreds of students packed Robsham Theater to view the show. Girls dressed to impress, danced in their seats to Usher and Ne-Yo club mixes blasting from the speakers, with hopes that maybe an SC member might notice them. Finally the lights dimmed and a pair introduced the night with a little bit of Valentine’s comedy. Through a clever allusion to Black Power, they commenced the Females Incorporated Sisterhood Through Step (FISTS) performance. FISTS, BC’s all female step group, took the stage with pink berets and gray mini-skirts, embodying French chic. Amidst all the snapping, clapping, and tapping, the step routine was all about swaying and sass. Like a well-tuned military march with perfect attitude, the girls stepped in perfect
Beautiful & boring, ‘The Eagle’ crashes
Even Channing Tatum can’t keep this derivative and messy film from spiralling into oblivion............... A8
synchronization. Mesmerized by their slick snaps and sways, the crowd could only belt out, “Ow, oww!” and by the end of the routine, the audience was more fired up than ever. Next to take the stage was BC’s South Asian group, Masti. Students who attended the South Asian cultural show last Friday were pleasantly surprised to see that more Bhangra was in store. The guys wore purple vests and the girls looked like Hershey
See Chocolate, A9
Courtesy oF Mollie Kolosky
I frequently forget that Carrie Underwood was on American Idol. For some reason, the country/pop superstar always eludes my memory of the show’s decade-long history. Maybe it is because she is the most successful of all the Idol winners (don’t try to tell me that Kelly Clarkson wins overall) and so I put her in a league beyond the meager Idol circles, although Jennifer Hudson is certainly taking her fair share of the limelight recently. So far, this season’s shake-ups with new judges seem to be good ones. Although Jennifer Lopez has yet to bring anything incredible to the panel, she is a solid and respectable judge in a way that Paula lost around season three. Plus Steven Tyler is simply a riot and a stark relief to Simon’s condescension that, although frequently accurate, was grating after a while. But my favorite new addition to the show is the entirely new position of Jimmy Iovine’s as the in-house mentor. Instead of trotting out new musical guests every week who make suggestions and corrections to the contests’ singing styles within the span of one meeting, Iovine will guide contestants week to week. Hopefully this will end the slew of judge comments boiling down to bad song choice – something it is nearly impossible for an amateur vocalist to avoid on their own. The new season’s direction makes me wonder if the Cape Cod starlet, Siobhan Magnus, would have fared better if she were a current contestant. I think she was one of the most underrated contests last year, and although my bias is very centered around my home state, its not simply because she’s only the second contestant from Massachusetts to make the top 24, and the only one to break the top 12 and hit the big stage of Idol. Magnus was already a well-developed performer, one of the best of the season in my opinion. Her big vocals were enough to support the theatrics of her song choices. I loved that this 17-year-old was confident enough to completely throw herself into performances. Randy loves to critique, “I just wasn’t feeling it, dog,” but I defy him to say that of Magnus. She makes the audience feel her songs, and even though Simon frequently critiqued her emotive choices (including the unwarranted dislike of her swan song’s final, up-octave note) he cannot deny her uniqueness and guts. Irate digressions into the unfairness of her early demise on Idol aside, I’m disappointed that Magnus hasn’t made a bigger bid into the music industry. After her visits to David Letterman (who appropriately said, “As far as I’m concerned, you should be our American idol”), Ellen Degeneres, and various Idol engagements, Magnus has all but fallen off the radar. Her return to her band Lunar Valve is completely fine with me, but her lack of albums is not. In the year that saw the rise of Florence and the Machine, clearly the industry is ready for more alternative, vocal powered bands. Magnus’ ability to play with technique, not to mention the wailing notes that absolutely blew me away, and her stellar voice control puts Magnus on the level of many professional performers. All that’s left for the Bay State native is to throw herself back into the ring. In any case, I miss the full body performances that Magnus brought to Idol, and hope that she will come out from whatever rock she has been hiding that amazing talent under. Even though has only been a year since her Idol debut, the best time for her to make herself known is now, when her name is still recognizable in households. Personally, I would love to see Magnus make a bid to open tours for artists like Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, who are coincidentally coming to Boston this spring – maybe Magnus will have a surprise appearance to completely make my night.
The Hobbit...............................A8 Box Office Report........................A8
SPORTS The Heights
Monday, February 14, 2011
Section
B
Monday, February 14, 2011
Jackson returns to form
By Conrad Kaczmarek For The Heights
alex trautwig / heights editor
Jackson drove the lane at will Saturday, creating pull-up jumpers and layups off the dribble.
Give Raji the credit he deserves
Welcome back, Reggie Jackson. It has been several weeks since the junior guard Boston College 76 has looked like 72 Maryland the electrifying player to whom Superfans have grown accustomed. In Boston College’s 7672 victory over Maryland on Saturday afternoon, Jackson looked to be back in form. The battle between two ACC teams vying for an NCAA tournament berth remained tight throughout, but in the end it was Jackson’s Eagles that came out with the valuable conference win. The last time these two teams met, BC edged out the Terrapins for a 79-75 win in College Park. This time, in front of a packed Conte Forum, the Eagles were able to add another quality win to their
tournament resume. Based on past performances from these two teams, the keys of the game for BC were rather obvious. If the Eagles wanted to prevail, they needed to either shut down Maryland’s Jordan Williams or get a big game from Reggie Jackson. As it turned out, they got both. Williams, who leads the NCAA in double-doubles, was held to only 12 points and eight rebounds, roughly half of the 27 points and 13 boards he managed in the last meeting against BC. Following a handful of quiet outings, Jackson exploded for 31 points on 12of-16 shooting, including five-of-seven from downtown. “I’m happy after a [rough] threegame stretch, tonight was my night,” Jackson said. “We’re trying to rack up as many wins as we can and finish off strong.”
When the defense keeps the opposition’s best player in check and a nearly unstoppable Jackson powers the offense, BC is a tough team to beat. An impressive inbound play got Jackson free for a crowd-pleasing dunk at the 8:28 mark in the first half, giving BC a 26-20 lead. He had 13 points through the first 12 minutes of the first half and had yet to miss a shot. It became apparent early on that Jackson was back. “This is all kind of new to him,” head coach Steve Donahue said. “He’s not used to all the attention and it’s hard if you let your guard down, but the past two and a half games, he’s been terrific.” As usual, the Eagles looked to shoot 3-pointers early and often, connecting on five of their first seven. About midway through the first half, however, the
See Jackson’s Back, B3
A Centered Approach By Alex Dripchak For The Heights
Cam Atkinson is the leading goal scorer. Chris Kreider was a first-round draft choice of the New York Rangers. Jimmy Hayes is right behind Atkinson on the leaderboard and is one of the other 10 BC hockey players who have already been drafted by an NHL team. Who’s missing? Perhaps the most consistent player of the past three years: senior center Brian Gibbons. Gibbons is a steady presence who is noted for his tenacity and passing ability. He has also had a front row seat to two of BC’s most prolific seasons. Over those two campaigns, his freshman and junior years, Gibbons missed only one game as he helped the Eagles bring back two national championship trophies to Chestnut Hill. While his contributions were vast, he remains humble about his play. “As a freshman, I did whatever I could to try and help the team and gain the coach’s trust,” Gibbons said. “We had such a great team and I just tried to fit in. Last season, I was an upperclassmen so I tried to lead by example on the ice.” Gibbons has played consistently throughout his career. As a center, he has been able to set up scoring sensations like Atkinson, Brock Bradford, Ben Smith, and one-time Hobey Baker finalist, Nathan Gerbe. “It’s been a pleasure and an honor to center for these players,” Gibbons, an assistant captain, said. “It keeps me excited to come back to the rink every day and play with them. I have learned so much from
Paul Sulzer He’s 6-foot-6. He weighs 218 pounds. Yet Corey Raji somehow always gets overlooked. That happens when your brother weighs 337 pounds and rumbles into the end zone to send his team to the Super Bowl. It also happens when you play power forward against players three inches taller and 20 pounds heavier than you each week. Raji is underappreciated, but he shouldn’t be. His awareness on the offensive end and his ability to guard fours on defense makes him arguably the Eagles’ most important player after Reggie Jackson. He flashed both skills in Saturday’s win over Maryland. Although his numbers (12 points, seven rebounds) fell right in line with his season averages (12.1 points, 6.6 rebounds), it was an outstanding game for the senior forward (three-point shooting excluded). He and Jackson blew the game open during a 4:41 stretch in the second half, when they turned a three-point deficit into an 11-point lead. Jackson had eight of the 16 points, while Raji chipped in six. His fantastic day started on the defensive end, where he was often matched up with 6-foot-10, 260 pound forward Jordan Williams. Williams averages 17 points and 12 rebounds per game, and he went off for 27 and 13 last time the Terps played the Eagles. Raji helped hold the best big man in the ACC to 12 points and eight boards. By positioning himself well, he can neutralize players with more brute strength. When he plays a few feet off stronger players, Raji forces them to settle for jump shots because they are too slow to drive past him. And when he lets his man post him up, Raji limits the number of moves his man can make to get to the bucket by using his quick feet to beat his man to the spot. The more obvious way Raji contributes to the Eagles is with his superior fundamentals on offense. He’s clearly an excellent offensive rebounder. Read any article about him, and that’s a lock to be the second thing mentioned (after the fact that he is B.J.’s “little” brother). Everyone focuses on his rebounding skill with good reason. He creates extra possessions — and easy tip-ins — for a team that is otherwise very poor on the glass. Considering the dearth of true fours and fives on the Eagles’ roster, Raji is invaluable. As well as Raji positions himself down low for rebounds, he’s equally adept at spreading the defense on the fast break. He knows how to space out the floor off the ball in three-on-twos and two-on-ones. His hesitation layup in transition in the second half was beautiful, as he adjusted his body midair for a pretty bucket. He also understands when to pull up for uncontested jumpers from just inside or beyond the arc. Although those shots weren’t falling against Maryland, they’re good
See Raji, B3
See Gibbons, B4
alex trautwig / heights editor
Beanpot Preview
Trophy season starts tonight at Garden By Andrew Klokiw For The Heights
In the past two college hockey seasons, the Beanpot tournament has meant more to the winner than just Boston-area bragging rights. In 2009, the then Beanpot champion Boston University went on to take both the Hockey East postseason title and national championship trophy. Last season, Boston College took down BU in an epic 4-3 contest in the Beanpot, and like BU the year before, went on to take the Hockey East title and, eventually, the national championship. Tonight, BC (21-6-0, 16-5-0 Hockey East) will take to the TD Garden ice against Northeastern University (10-116, 8-8-5) at 7:30 p.m. in an attempt to capture the coveted Beanpot trophy for
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the second straight season, while perhaps beginning to look forward toward the postseason. After suffering a 3-2 defeat to BC last Monday, BU will take on Harvard in the consolation game at 4:30 p.m. BC enters tonight’s game with 15 overall Beanpot titles, while Northeastern has only claimed four, all in the 1980s. In the 59-year history of the tournament, tonight’s match-up will represent only the third time that these two teams have met in the championship game. The other two victories coming in 1980 in a 5-4 Huskies win, their first ever Beanpot, and in 1983 in an 8-2 Eagles win. The two teams have only met once in 2010-11, way back in October in a 2-0 BC victory in the first game of the season. Since then, the Eagles have en-
Basketball Managers
The men and women behind the hoops teams make everything run smoothly.................B5
joyed a series of ups and downs, but has recently been promoted back to the No. 1 ranking in the nation that they began the season with. The Eagles will skate into the championship on a lengthy hot streak, including wins in 13 of their last 14 games. Last Friday, the team went into Providence and had no trouble picking up a 3-0 victory, with goals from junior Cam Atkinson, senior Brian Gibbons and freshman Bill Arnold. Goaltender John Muse, the hero in last week’s 3-2 overtime thriller over BU, registered 24 saves against Providence to earn his 80th career collegiate win. For the most part this season, the Eagles have ridden the outstanding play of Muse to get them to this point. His 1.88 goals against average leads the Hockey
Cahill’s Big Day
The walk-on guard trippled his career high in minutes against Maryland........................................B3
East conference and is good enough for second in the nation, while his 18-4-0 record ranks third among goaltenders. Head coach Jerry York had especially glowing praise for Muse. “He’s been outstanding, especially this season,” he said. “He’s had an incredible four-year career, senior year, sophomore year, it just doesn’t matter he’s been just a rock for us over four years.” At the other end of the ice, the Eagles have not been lacking production, as they have scored three goals or more in 19 straight games. They haven’t been shutout all season. Much has been made of the Atkinson, Gibbons and Joe Whitney connection,
See Beanpot, B4
Numbers to Know......................B2 Quote of the Week.......................B2
The Heights
B2
Monday, February 14, 2011
BC takes one in Classic By Greg Joyce
Asst. Sports Editor
Nick Rellas / Heights staff
Nick Rellas / HEIGHTS staff
Carolyn Swords (left) was held to just six points at Duke, while Jaclyn Thoman (right) scored a team-high 21 points in the losing effort.
Thoman’s 21 not enough at Duke
By Raychel Kruper Heights Staff
The Boston College women’s basketball team (17-8) traveled south to try its luck against the 66 Duke No. 5 Duke Blue Boston College 53 Devils (23-2) on Sunday afternoon. After trailing by one point at halftime, the Blue Devils opened up a healthy lead and left the Eagles in the dust, 66-53. The Eagles took an early lead, yet were never able to open up the game. When the score was 13-11 in favor of BC, the Blue Devils went on a 10-point run, led by four points from Karima Christmas, before the Eagles could break the streak on two free throws by Stefanie Murphy. BC, however, battled back and went on a hot streak of its own, tying the game at 25 with just under four minutes left in the first half. Following back to back jumpers from Krystal Thomas, the Eagles’ Kerri Shields sunk a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left on the clock, sending BC into the locker room up one, 29-28.
The second half opened with both teams neck and neck, and it would remain as such for the first seven minutes of the period. Jaclyn Thoman added seven points early in the second with a three-pointer, two free throws, and a jumper, while Shields added another long-range three. For 24 seconds, the Eagles were leading in the second half, 38-37, before Duke lit up the court. When the clock showed 13:38 remaining in the game, the Blue Devils held a one-point advantage, 39-38. It was at this point when the game slowly started to slip through the Eagles’ fingertips. The Blue Devils went on a 21-7 point rally to take a commanding 15-point lead. Duke converted on three fast break opportunities and dominated down low, scoring mostly on layups and jumpers in the paint. Though the Eagles attempted to rally back with baskets from Thoman, Murphy, Carolyn Swords, and Katie Zenevitch, bringing the score to within nine points, Duke’s Chelsea Gray added six points of her own at the end of the game to push
the win just out of the Eagles’ reach. Thoman led the Eagles in points, scoring 21 on the day, and Murphy finished with 13 of her own. Only four points came from the Eagles’ bench, and BC recovered only eight offensive rebounds throughout the game, compared to the 15 offensive rebounds for the Blue Devils. Duke’s Thomas led the team in scoring, bringing in 16 points, and fellow starters Allison Vernery, Christmas and Gray added 15, 14 and 13 points, respectively. Christmas registered a double-double on the day, recording 11 rebounds. The Eagles had trouble containing such a strong team on the boards and were out-rebounded 39-30. They allowed the Blue Devils to get second and third chances, while failing to create additional offensive opportunities of their own. The Eagles shot 100 percent from the free-throw line, but their 19 turnovers hurt them in the long run, leading to many of Duke’s fast break points. The Eagles return to Conte Forum to take on the No. 20 Miami Hurricanes on Thursday night. n
This weekend, the softball team began its season with a five-game set over three days in Deland, Fla., for the Stetson University Lead-Off Classic. The Eagles emerged with a record of 1-4, splitting the series with Stetson, but dropping two games to Michigan State and one to No. 4 Tennessee. “Overall, I think our record doesn’t show how well we actually played,” head coach Jennifer Finley said. “This team is very young in experience. Not only freshmen, but just young in experience since we graduated seven last year.” In the final game of the weekend, Boston College dropped an 8-0 game to Tennessee, but Finley said that there were some encouraging signs in the game despite what the scoreboard said. “We ended up losing, but we actually played them really well,” Finley said. “We gave up three home runs, so that kind of hurt us a little bit.” The biggest loss of the game came when second baseman and captain Rene Delagrammaticas broke her arm after being hit by a pitch. “She was hot hitting-wise,” Finley said. “She started getting hot [Saturday]. So that kind of puts a little blow to our leadership since she’s our captain.” In Saturday’s action, the Eagles lost 6-2 to Stetson and 8-6 to Michigan State. Against Stetson, Allison Gage started the game in the circle for BC, but only lasted three innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits. Center fielder Maria Pandolfo went two-for-three in the loss, including a solo shot in the sixth inning. BC put up a fight against Michigan State in the first game Saturday, scoring all six runs in the fifth and sixth innings, but
it was too little too late. Freshmen Alana Dimaso went three-for-three with two RBIs in the loss. Friday’s 8-1 win against Stetson was led by catcher Brittany Wilkins, who sparked the offensive attack with two home runs and four RBIs. “She had a phenomenal tournament,” Finley said of Wilkins. “She worked really hard, did a great job, I mean obviously with the home runs. She hit well. She was seeing the ball. She really helped the team out tremendously.” Finley also credited Wilkins for her contributions without the bat. “She called great games for the pitchers, and did a great job,” Finley said. “She played five games behind the dish, so it’s tough but she did it all five games and picked off a couple people [Sunday], which was great, against Tennessee. She had a great tournament. And leadership-wise, she really picked it up when Rene went down.” Also contributing to Friday’s win over Stetson was Nicole D’Argentino. The pitcher only allowed one run over seven innings, striking out seven batters in the process. The Eagles dropped the first game of the weekend 2-0 to Michigan State. The BC offense could only muster two hits off Cassee Layne, the Spartans’ ace. The starting pitcher for the Eagles was Gage, who went the distance in the loss, only allowing two runs. “Overall, the team played great, they fought,” Finley said. “You could see the score [Saturday], we kept trying to come back. This whole weekend, we had runners in scoring position, and just didn’t get it done. And we played against a couple of teams that are riddled with veterans. So overall, I think we’re pleased. You’ll definitely see a difference in our second tournament.” n
Kevin Hou / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Senior Rene Delagrammaticas broke her arm in Sunday’s game, after getting hit by a pitch.
Eagles unable to maintain energy after Beanpot win By Raychel Kruper Heights Staff
It was a rough weekend for the No. 7 Boston College women’s hockey team (19-6-5). After 4 Maine coming off of a Boston College 3 big Beanpot victory over BU, the team played a series against the Maine Black Bears (11-15-5), who sit in the cellar of the Hockey East standings. The Eagles came out with a 1-1 tie on Friday night and a 4-3 loss on Saturday at Kelley Rink. “It seemed to me that they had more energy than we had,” head coach Katie King said. “I think it’s tough, for us, to be coming off of a big win from the
Beanpot, and I think our emotions were so high that we really didn’t have much get up and go.” Maine pounced on the Eagles just 20 seconds into the game, when Myriam Croussette notched the first goal from just outside the crease. It wasn’t long, though, before Danielle Welch buried a puck off an assist from Kelli Stack to even the contest. There was hope for the Eagles as the second frame started with a goal from defender Blake Bolden on a power play at 1:57, also assisted by Stack. Bolden received a pass from Stack and rocketed the puck into the net from far outside on the left side of the ice. The Black Bears and Eagles seemed to
Nick Rellas / Heights staff
SPORTS in SHORT
Molly Schaus recorded 31 saves on the weekend, but it wasn’t enough to get a win either night.
ACC Basketball Standings Team
Duke North Carolina Florida State Virginia Tech Clemson Boston College Maryland Miami NC State Virginia Georgia Tech Wake Forest
Conference 10-1 8-2 8-3 6-4 6-5 6-5 5-5 4-7 3-7 3-7 3-8 1-9
Overall 23-2 18-6 18-7 16-7 17-8 16-9 16-9 15-10 13-11 12-12 10-14 8-17
take turns scoring goals, and the visitors put the next puck between the pipes on a power-play goal of their own. At 6:06, Maine’s Brittany Dougherty received a pass from Croussette and skated with speed down the ice, juking Eagles defenders on the way. She slipped the puck past Eagles’ goaltender Molly Schaus and brought the score to 2-2. “To be honest with you, one of the biggest parts of our team is that we have a lot of speed,” King said. “I don’t think we used it.” Later in the second period, following a penalty on BC’s Andrea Green for body checking, Maine’s Dawn Sullivan went one-on-one with Schaus, yet the puck hit off the pipe. Schaus made five saves in the period. With 25 seconds on the clock, the Eagles regained the lead on a goal from Stack. who sent the puck trickling across the goal line. But the brief lead would not be enough to hold off the energized Black Bears’ attack. At 1:25 in the third frame, Maine’s Kristi King lifted the puck into the top right side of the net. Maine netted the game-winner at 14:24 on a power-play goal after Jennie Gallo blasted a shot from the left of the net that deflected off Schaus’ pads and to the stick of Kelly McDonald, who was ready for the puck. The goal secured the 4-3 win. Friday night’s contest featured fewer goals, even though BC had 38 shots on target. Maine struck first 2:24 into the second
Nick Rellas / Heights staff
Kelli Stack scored the only goal in the 1-1 tie and recorded a goal and two assists in the loss. period. Gallo intercepted a pass at the top of the defensive zone and shot the puck high over Schaus’ head. Despite three BC power plays and 10 shots, the Eagles were unable to light the lamp until the third period. Stack notched the tying goal at 9:01 in the third period on a short-handed goal. After taking a shot and picking up her own rebound, she buried the equalizer, and the last score of the game. The Eagles outshot the Black Bears 38-14, and Schaus recorded 13 saves on
Numbers to Know
31 Points for Reggie Jackson, a careerhigh, in Saturday’s win over Maryland. He shot 12 of 16 on the day.
93.7
John Muse’s save percentage this season, which is second in the nation. He recorded 24 saves in a shutout Friday.
5-6
The men’s hockey team’s record in its last 11 match-ups against Northeastern over the past four years.
the night. King said she hopes to bounce back after an off weekend and use it as a springboard for the Beanpot Championship game on Tuesday night. “There’s a couple of different reasons why it should fire us up,” she said. “Obviously coming off of a loss. Obviously because it’s the Beanpot and its against Harvard, and that’s always a big game for us. We need to come back ready to go, excited, and fired up. Hopefully we will.” n
Quote of the Week “We all know maybe only four teams are going to make the tournament from the ACC. Maybe five, whoever finishes fifth and maybe makes the championship game in the ACC Tournament. So we’re just trying to rack up as many wins as we can, to finish at the top of the conference.” — Reggie Jackson
The Heights
Monday, February 14, 2011
B3
Eagles bounce Terps from the bubble Jackson’s Back, from B1
offense fell into a slump, missing its next six three-point attempts. Powered by freshman guard, Pe’Shon Howard, Maryland held a 40-37 advantage going into halftime. Coming out of the break, the Terrapins appeared determined to get their big man involved in the offense. Each time down the floor, they fed Williams in the post, and each time the Eagles responded with a double team. The impressive defensive effort limited the typically dominant Williams to only 12 points and forced him to commit three turnovers. “I thought we did a great job, trapped him every time,” Donahue said. “I think it wore on them
to have him struggling every time he catches it.” The defense clamped down in the second half, allowing Maryland to shoot just 35.5 percent from the field after shooting at a 48.5 mark in the first half. Rarely do Reggie Jackson’s heroics take a back seat, but the Eagles received a spark from an unlikely source off the bench on Saturday. Walk-on guard John Cahill hit three big shots from behind the arc and played remarkable defense against bigger, more athletic players. Anytime BC seemed to need a boost, Cahill eagerly obliged. Cahill’s efforts do not go unnoticed by his teammates. “He’s a very special player,” Corey Raji said. “I knew he was a good shooter. John is a huge
spark off the bench.” His contributions are not well reflected in the box score, but intelligent decision making and unmatched effort on both ends made Cahill indispensible on Saturday. Drawing two charges down the stretch will undoubtedly lead to more playing time for the walk-on senior in future games. Donahue has been hesitant to use Cahill at some points this year. That will change. “I don’t know why I haven’t played him more,” he said. “I’ve got to get him in there.” BC got solid offensive efforts from Joe Trapani and Raji, scoring 10 and 12 points respectively. More importantly, they locked down Maryland’s Williams defensively. When all was said and done, the Eagles left Conte
Forum with another ACC win and loads of confidence going forward. Explosive play from Jackson and a complete team effort on defense pushes BC one step closer to a berth in the NCAA tournament in March. The Eagles improved to 16-9 overall and 6-5 in the ACC. The Eagles visit the North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill Saturday with hopes of redeeming themselves after being embarrassed by UNC earlier this month. This win against Maryland is nice but there is still much work to be done in order to reach the Big Dance. The most crucial part of the ACC schedule is right around the corner, but if Reggie Jackson plays like he did on Saturday, the Eagles could be dancing well into March. n
alex trautwig / heights editor
Raji gets good looks close to the basket because he knows how to position himself.
The overlooked star Raji, from B1
alex trautwig / heights editor
Joe Trapani (left) and Corey Raji contained Jordan Williams, who scored just 12 points. Reggie Jackson (right) paved the way on offense with 31 points.
looks that he’s bound to hit if he continues to get them. For most of the game, the Eagles ran a half-court offense in which Raji thrives. He reacts quickly, which is critical when Jackson is your point guard. Jackson is so speedy off the dribble that he can create shooting space for his teammates. These spaces close quickly, though, so shooters have to collect the pass and make a decision immediately. Josh Southern cannot do that. Jackson’s passes in the paint bounce off South-
ern’s hands and go up for grabs. That’s not the case with Raji. He rarely bobbles the ball, so he can either shoot or drive around the defender if he comes flying out at him. Raji’s steady hands reflect his play throughout his career. He’s not flashy, but he is Mr. Dependable. He anchors the post for the Eagles on both ends of the floor. Without him, BC would not be on the verge of the Big Dance.
Paul Sulzer is the Sports Editor of The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.
Senior walk-on Cahill rewrites career highs By Greg Joyce
Asst. Sports Editor Before this weekend’s crucial home game against Maryland, John Cahill’s season-high in minutes was eight. In sixteen games, he had played 73 minutes, making two 3-pointers. He had just 11 points on the year. He was mainly used as a defensive specialist – if he saw any playing time at all, that is. On Saturday, the walk-on rewrote multiple career highs, recording 25 minutes, draining three treys, and drawing two charges. Most importantly, he provided the spark off the bench that Boston College needed in order to beat the Terrapins, 76-72. “He’s an intelligent player,” head coach Steve Donahue said. “I know he’s not going to lose an assignment. I know if there’s a loose ball, he’s going to dive on it. I know if there’s a guy who’s driving it out of control, he’s going to draw a charge. And, unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of guys with that kind of understanding of the game. We have some good IQ guys, but not like that.” Donahue first called Cahill’s number with 14:49 left to play in the first. Just 28 seconds later, the New York native connected on his first 3-pointer to put BC up 11-10. Two minutes after that, Cahill assisted on a Biko Paris 3-pointer in transition, and then drained one of his own to bring the crowd to its feet. “He’s a very good shooter, so he spaces people out, and he knows how to play,” Donahue said. “And he defends.” Cahill did just that throughout the first half, but his defense was especially notable in the second half. Two minutes and 33 seconds into the second frame, the 6-1, 170-pounder took a charge on Dino Gregory, who had six inches and 60
pounds on him. Two BC possessions later, Cahill picked up a loose ball in the corner and put it up for three, sinking his third of the day and tying the score at 42. The made shot had every BC player on the bench on their feet, as well as energizing the entire crowd. “John is a huge spark off the bench,” Corey Raji said with a big grin. “The same way you see him on the court is the same way he is in practice. He came in, took two charges, hit three threes. That was huge for us. He’s a very intelligent and smart player. We needed that today, and he came through and delivered.” The second charge came with just over eight minutes in the game, as Cahill stood his spot on Terrell Stoglin. The call set off Maryland head coach Gary Williams, but the cool-headed Cahill just continued on with his game. “We don’t draw charges as a team,” Donahue said. “He drew two.” Though Cahill only had one assist, Donahue noted that he had multiple passes that led to the assist and the points. “He does the hockey assists, the assists that leads to the assists a lot of the time,” Donahue said. “He just knows how to play.” Donahue said he wished he had played Cahill earlier this week at Clemson, but made the right decision on Saturday. “I said to myself, ‘We’ve got to get him in there,’” Donahue said. “He defies what it looks like out there. You’re just surprised by it. You shouldn’t be now, because he’s a good college basketball player. “The guy who probably should be sitting here is John Cahill,” he added, talking about the walk-on’s impact on the game. “He moves the ball. He makes the game simple. Cuts hard, shares it, and
obviously when his feet are set, he’s a very good shooter.” In the first practice after the loss to Yale in the second game of the season, Donahue split up his team into three groups. It was then that Cahill stood out to him, showing he deserved to get some minutes on the hardwood. “His team was kicking everybody’s butts,” Donahue said. “John Cahill’s moving the ball, and making shots, and going by people. I’m like, ‘Why aren’t I playing this kid? Because he’s a walk-on, and he looks like he shouldn’t be able to play?’” Donahue said Cahill reminds him of Jon Jaques, who played for him at Cornell. Jaques didn’t get any playing time for three years, but when he finally did in his senior year, he showed his coach what he could do. Donahue cited Jaques as a major reason for the Big Red’s run to the Sweet Sixteen. “John’s made us a better basketball team,” Donahue said. “I think I knew that [after the practice], but you still don’t know if he’s going to have the poise and what it takes to play at this level, but he just does. He understands it.” Cahill has not only become a better player himself, but has also improved his teammates’ game. And they’ve noticed. “I never knew he was that smart of a player,” Raji said. “He makes the right decisions, he can defend the ball, and he’s a leader in practice. He talks to us. When we’ve got our heads down, he tells us to keep our heads up. “He’s a very special player, and he did a tremendous job tonight.” This time last year, Cahill was playing pick-up at the Plex and was a practice player for the women’s basketball team. Now he’s a fan favorite, and making a difference in BC’s hopes of playing basketball in March. n
alex trautwig / heights editor
John Cahill can hit the three when he’s open, but defensive awareness is still his strength.
ACC Roundup
No. 21 North Carolina 64, Clemson 62: Tar Heels hang on By Ryan Kiracofe Heights Staff
Roy Williams’ Tar Heels were able to do on Saturday what they couldn’t last week against archrival Duke: stop a late rally and hold on after building a sizable lead. No. 21 North Carolina defeated Clemson, 64-62, at Littlejohn Coliseum on Saturday. The Heels led by 11 in the first half and looked to be in cruise control, but Clemson rallied early in the second half and took the lead less than three minutes after the restart. North Carolina’s young core responded to the challenge this time around, steeling up on the defensive end. Leading scorer Harrison Barnes (18 points) carried the Heels down the
stretch. His dunk with 3:01 left put UNC in front for good. The lead swelled to eight in the game’s closing minutes before a pair of 3-pointers by Clemson’s Bryan Narcisse and Demontez Stitt capped the scoring. “I feel a lot better than I did Wednesday night,” Williams said in reference to his team’s 79-73 loss to the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Florida State 63, Virginia 56 The Seminoles’ victory in Tallahassee Saturday was overshadowed by the loss of star Chris Singleton, who fractured his right foot in the effort. The defending ACC defensive player of the year had scored 11 points when he went down just 10 minutes into the contest. Michael Snaer led the way in Single-
ton’s absence, scoring 16 points. None were bigger than the four consecutive free throws he knocked down in the game’s last 20 seconds, stemming a Virginia rally and effectively putting the game out of reach. Florida State, at 18-7 (8-3 ACC), is closing in on its third straight 20-win season and sits firmly in third place in the league. The Seminoles look set to take one of the four opening-round byes in the fast-approaching ACC tournament. NC State 80, Wake Forest 55 NC State’s C.J. Leslie returned from a suspension and scored 19 points as the Wolfpack pounded the hapless Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem. Tracy Smith led the way for NC State with 20 points, helping his side to get
over an eight-day idle period following a demoralizing loss to No. 5 Duke. Leslie had missed the Duke game after being suspended for an unspecified rule violation, but made his presence felt against the Demon Deacons. His seven-of-13 shooting performance led a NC State offensive attack that shot 55.9 percent from the field. The Wolfpack went on a 20-6 run early in the second half that stretched the lead into double digits for good. Wake Forest never led in a game that dropped them to 1-9 in the conference. Virginia Tech 102, Georgia Tech 77 After a dismal performance against the Yellow Jackets in January, Virginia Tech’s Malcolm Delaney stepped up and led the way to an impressive Hok-
ies rout on Sunday in Blacksburg. The senior guard dropped 33 points and added six rebounds and five assists for a Virginia Tech side that has won 12 of 15 and sits alone in 4th place in the league, a half-game ahead of 6th place Boston College. “I worked hard and I played smarter, and I hit shots,” Delaney said after the victory. “I did what I normally do. In Atlanta [against Georgia Tech in January], I just didn’t make shots.” The Hokies scored the game’s opening nine points and never trailed the Yellow Jackets, who have lost five straight. After Georgia Tech narrowed the lead to 9-6, the Hokies exploded on a 33-11 run that effectively ended the contest. They made 14 of their first 17 from the field. n
The Heights
B4
Monday, February 14, 2011
Gibbons provides tenacity to scoring line Gibbons, from B1
guys like Nathan Gerbe, Brock Bradford, and Ben Smith.” While these names will always be remembered in BC hockey history, it is important to note that Gibbons has led the team in assists the past two seasons and is the current assist leader this season. He has also ranked second in points in each of these three seasons. Just recently, Gibbons made his own mark in the BC record books as he surpassed Gerbe in career points. Regarding his individual success, Gibbons points to those who have helped him along the way. “The coaches have been able to put me in a position to succeed,” Gibbons said. “I have been lucky enough to have great linemates all four years. I’ve kind of been the lucky one here. I have to give a lot of the credit to my coaches and linemates.” The respect goes both ways when it comes to Gibbons and his coaches. “Coaching Brian has been certainly something I look forward to every day,” head coach Jerry York said. “He has brought so much to Boston College hockey. He’s the classic example of the really good athlete who is more interested in winning championships than personal accolades.” It comes as no surprise that this humble leader has been the one to sacrifice his body and goals scored for the sake of the team. Gibbons refuses to even take credit for his reputation as the tough guy on the team. “I try to leave it all on the ice every game and give the team all I’ve got,” he said. “It’s not just me doing that, it’s everyone. As a senior leader, I feel like it’s expected of me to lead by example.” However, his dedication and contributions to the team do not go unnoticed.
alex trautwig / heights editor
Brian Gibbons has led the Eagles in penalties over the past two years, including the above tripping call in the Beanpot semifinal Monday night. “He plays with so much courage and for 165 pounds, he’s strong,” York said. “Brian is always improving and continues to improve remarkably so. He’s always been a great player, but he’s a much better player now.” With two national championships under his belt and four years of experience, Gibbons is a great mentor to the underclassmen. “I try to remind them to do a lot of
the little things,” he said. “It’s the little things that win you games and mean the most.” Being on the top team in the country, with the spotlight always shining, it may be tough to keep focused on every small detail. However, Gibbons said that the team is fortunate enough to gain big game experience before tournament play begins. “Here at BC, we are lucky enough
to play in a lot of big games during the regular season,” he said. “Right now, we are in the Beanpot stretch. Playing in front of a full barn with a lot of pressure is an opportunity that not all teams get during the year.” Gibbons is the archetypal BC hockey player — quick, agile, feisty, and good with the puck. Living up to this image, Gibbons has exemplified his passion for hockey and has been the most heavily-
penalized player on the Eagles’ team the past two seasons. While the crowds get rowdy at these moments and usher in a new-found respect for the most passionate players, Gibbons remains harsh on himself. “It’s something I need to work on as it takes away from my game,” Gibbons said. “When someone is holding me or something like that, I have a tendency to lose control. I need to be more disciplined especially down the stretch of the season.” Gibbons is a local product. The Braintree native played two years of hockey at Thayer Academy before enrolling at the Salisbury (Conn.) School. Gibbons said the program’s tradition and the Eagles’ style of play were factors in his decision to come to BC. “I was a big hockey fan growing up,” he said. “Being from Braintree, I was lucky enough to come see some of the games. I was able to get a sense of the tradition here and that’s what made me want to come here from a young age.” The tradition of excellence has continued for Gibbons at BC. One of the most surprising notes about assistleader Gibbons is that he currently tops the team in shot percentage (.216), and he finished second (.200) during his freshman year. As Gibbons comes to the end of his illustrious BC career, he hopes to continue his hockey playing days wherever he can. “Hopefully after this year, I’ll be playing hockey,” he said. “I plan on playing somewhere, wherever that may be. I am more than happy to play anywhere and just try to keep living the dream.” So, next time you are at a game cheering on “Muuussseee” or watching Atkinson score a goal, pay attention to the man in the middle of all the action. Gibbons is guaranteed to be involved on almost every play. n
Flurry of goals in third catapults BC to victory By Robert T. Balint Heights Staff
The Boston College offense had been chipping away all night, and it took just one shot to blow the Boston College 3 opposing defense 0 Providence wide open. Cam Atkinson started a third-period flurry of BC goals to break what had been a scoreless game wide open, as the visiting No. 1 Eagles shut out the Providence Friars, 3-0, on Friday evening. “We were very patient,” head coach Jerry York said on Sunday. “We played a really good road game.” The conference win improves BC to 165-0 in conference play, which is good for first place in the Hockey East, and 21-6-0 overall. The Eagles share their place at the top of the heap with New Hampshire (15-4-2 Hockey East). The Friars came out with fire in the first period, skating hard to keep up with the Eagles and succeeding in matching the visiting team’s pace. Both teams had plenty of opportunities to score. Providence held a 12-7 edge in shots in the first period, but the game’s goaltenders were both on form. “I thought there was outstanding goaltending on both teams,” York said. “It was a classic goaltending duel.” The Friars’ Alex Beaudry had 30 saves and kept the highest-scoring offense in the conference silent for more than two and a half periods. John Muse was his normal brick wall self, making 24 saves for his third shutout of the season despite numerous attempts by the Friars to get into his head by skating into the crease after shots. His save percentage improved to 93.7 percent, the second highest in the nation. “Johnny was sharp, and so was Beaudry,” York said.
The junior netminder stopped 16 BC shots in the second period alone, including a few in extremely close quarters. Only in the final minutes of the third did the Eagles crack the Friars’ defense. With 5:00 left in the game, Brian Gibbons took control of the puck behind the Providence net, and sent a centering pass to Atkinson out in front. The junior forward then scored his 21st goal of the season to put the Eagles up 1-0. “Cam came up with a really good play for us,” York said. Gibbons was credited with his 22nd assist, but found an opportunity of his own with 3:47 left in the game. With heavy traffic in front of the Friars’ goal, the forward faked right, then shot left. Beaudry was screened on the play, and could not make the stop. Gibbons notched his 12th goal of the season and doubled his team’s lead to 2-0, with teammate Jimmy Hayes getting the assist on the play. Two and a half minutes later, Hayes picked up another point when Bill Arnold received a pass from his teammate and scored on an empty net to put the finishing touches on a 3-0 Eagles shutout. BC has now won 13 out of its last 14 games. The victory over Providence completes the Eagles’ three-game series sweep against the Friars and adds another Hockey East feather in the team’s cap. “The two points are critical for us if we’re going to win a league championship,” York said. As the conference tournament is less than a month away, in-conference wins are growing more and more important. “It’s a pretty good logjam,” York said of the conference competition. “New Hampshire and BC are tied in points, Merrimack’s right there, and BU is within five points. It’s going to be a good pennant pace.” n
alex trautwig / heights editor
John Muse turned away 24 shots against Providence, continuing the successful form that has the Eagles on the verge of a Beanpot title.
Eagles skate with Huskies tonight Beanpot, from B1
but it’s worth repeating that the trio has combined for 91 points on the season, led by Atkinson’s 21 goals and Gibbons’ 22 assists. The play of BC’s special teams has been crucial in getting the Eagles into tonight’s final. They have killed an impressive 90.6 percent of the penalties they have taken this year, including two crucial back-to-back kills in the final five minutes of a tie game last Monday against BU. As much success as they have had on the penalty kill, the power play unit
has been equally impressive, with junior defenseman Tommy Cross’ game-winning goal against BU coming on the power play. “Both of our special teams units have been playing very well lately, including against BU,” York said. “We expect them to be really important to our success against Northeastern as well.” Northeastern comes into the matchup just below the .500 mark, and has mostly alternated wins and losses on the year. The Huskies earned their place in the Beanpot championship with a strong 4-0 victory over Harvard last Monday. The Huskies are led by senior for-
wards and linemates Wade McLeod and Tyler McNeely, who have registered 29 and 23 points, respectively, for the season. All things considered, the environment inside the TD Garden is sure to be a raucous one as both sides understand the importance of the Beanpot trophy and how it can transform a season. “The atmosphere is going to be electric and it’s always nice to have a chance to win a trophy,” York said. If recent history is any indication, the Beanpot trophy can be the perfect catalyst for bigger and better things later down the road. n
hockey east Roundup
Merrimack 3, UNH 2: Warriors complete historic sweep By Ryan Kiracofe Heights Staff
Freshman defenseman Jordan Heywood scored in overtime to complete a historic weekend sweep for the suddenly surging Merrimack Warriors over traditional Hockey East power New Hampshire, 3-2, on Saturday. The triumph, coupled with Friday night’s 4-2 victory, pulled Merrimack within three points of first-place Boston College. Merrimack’s Carter Madsen opened the scoring on Saturday night with a seeing-eye slapshot into the far upper corner with 2:24 remaining in the first. The Warriors extended the lead on a Joe Cucci put-back late in the second. A wild fracas in the period’s closing seconds resulted in an astounding 71 minutes of penalties on both sides, leaving the Wildcats with a two-man advantage for over four minutes to begin the third. UNH’s Paul Thompson and Dalton Speelman lit the lamp in a matter of minutes, leveling the score and quieting the North Andover crowd. Heywood’s overtime goal, however, lifted the War-
riors to one of the biggest victories in the program’s history. Merrimack was without its leading scorer, Stephane De Costa, who suffered a knee injury in Friday night’s win.
beat Madore to take the lead for the Black Bears midway through the third. An empty-net goal with 48 seconds to go sealed the victory for Maine.
No. 18 Maine 4, Vermont 2 Junior forward Gustav Nyquist scored twice, including one goal within six seconds of the game’s opening whistle, to lead the Black Bears past Vermont after being humiliated 7-2 at home on Friday night. “Give Maine a lot of credit,” Vermont coach Kevin Sneddon said. “It was a completely different team than we saw last night. I had a feeling that was going to be the case.” Nyquist took the opening faceoff and carried it into the zone, where his wrist-shot from the left side beat Catamounts goalie Rob Madore to record the fastest goal in Maine history. Vermont would score minutes later during a fiveon-three advantage. The Catamounts took the lead on a deflected Chris McCarthy shot later in the period. Maine leveled the score with six minutes remaining in the second, and sophomore forward Joey Diamond
Northeastern 3, UMass-Lowell 2 (OT) Jamie Oleksiak’s goal in the closing seconds of overtime lifted Northeastern to a road victory over last-place UMass-Lowell. It was the Huskies’ first victory of the season when trailing after two periods, giving coach Greg Cronin’s squad a much-needed boost heading into Monday’s Beanpot championship match-up with No. 1 BC. Senior captain Tyler McNeely scored on a rebound 9:40 into the second period to give the Huskies a lead, which was cancelled out just over six minutes later when Michael Budd equalized for the River Hawks. Budd would strike again in the period’s closing seconds, picking up the scraps from a weak Shayne Thompson shot and beating NU’s sophomore goalie Chris Rawlings. NU evened the score at two early in the third period on junior Mike McLaughlin’s transition goal.
Oleksiak scored 2:51 into the overtime frame after a penalty on Lowell’s Michael Scheu. The win temporarily vaulted NU by Maine and into 5th place in Hockey East, although the Black Bears’ Saturday night victory put them back in front of the idle Huskies. No. 14 Boston University 4, Massachusetts 3 (OT) Freshman Garrett Noonan’s overtime goal lifted the Terriers over the Minutemen on Friday night in Amherst. BU is now unbeaten in its last five Hockey East games (4-0-1) and sit in fourth place, trailing conference leaders BC by five points. The teams traded scores in the game’s opening two minutes, and sophomore Alex Chiasson gave BU a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission. The Minutemen would rally with a pair of early second period goals, but Wade Megan equalized for the Terriers midway through the frame. The game remained tied until 3:16 remained in the overtime period, when Noonan fired in from the right post to beat UMass’ Paul Dainton and win the game for No. 14 BU. n
The Heights
Monday, February 14, 2011
B5
Unpaid and overlooked, but a job well worth it By Brad Zak
ginbotham, Chris Nardone, and Charlie Dorn comprise the staff of BC’s men’s basketball managers and keep the operaMany of you reading this have taken tion running smoothly. an unpaid internship at one time or “Our guys respect them, and I think another. It always requires doing a lot that’s important with our managers,” of the dirty work that other employees said Wood Kampmann, director of basof the company are unwilling to do. ketball operations. “Coach [Donahue]’s Whereas you might have been annoyed big thing is to treat everyone the same. I to not receive any compensation for your think these guys are appreciated by the tasks, a very important group on cam- players, and they realize they are putting pus embraces that their own time same exact situaand not getting “Our guys respect them, and I paid to do it. tion. That group is the managers of think that’s important with our After practice, the Boston College a guy will grab managers. I think these guys are a manager and men’s basketball team or as it could appreciated by the players, and they will shoot be more aptly put, around. These they realize they are putting the “glue guys” of g uys s e e m to their own time and not getting have some very the program. paid to do it.” Every basketgood relationball coach wants ships with the their program to –Wood Kampmann, Director of players.” represent a famT h e e n t i re Basketball Operations ily and this Eagles process seems team has a solid to hinge on that group assembled respect because to handle the household chores. Tim a good team realizes the importance of McLaughlin, Walter Graber, Scott every member and sees things as a group Mulloy, Kat Collazo, Brad Fadem, Leslie effort. Many of the managers have been McDonald, Nick Swiggett, Tom Hig- there for at least two years and have built Heights Staff
Alex Trautwig / heights Editor
For the men’s basketball team to run smoothly, its managers must be willing to do dirty work.
relationships with the players with whom they’ve gone through the program. The unique nature of this basketball program takes that even further now, as walkon John Cahill use to be an intramural teammate of McLaughlin’s. The managers are often found behind the bench during games doling out water to fatigued players, passing out towels, mopping the floors, and providing any other help where necessary. They get there about two hours prior to game time and set up both teams’ locker rooms and benches. The duties expand even more when it comes to practice time. The managers are expected to be at every practice about 45 minutes before it starts and facilitate throughout by operating the clock, assisting in drills, and making sure any gear needed for that day is out and ready to go. The managers are also responsible for putting together game tapes and filming potential opponents’ games. Both McLaughlin and Graber expressed a passion for the game as the main reason for their involvement with the program. All of the managers love to shoot around after practice and will play pick up with members of the coaching staff. As former players, they wanted the game to remain a central part of their life and become a part of the basketball team in college. Managing the basketball team is a stepping-stone for many members of the staff who have future aspirations of working in basketball. McLaughlin would like to be a coach in the future and feels his time with BC’s program has given him many connections to the college coaching community. He works camps over the summer to gain experience and has already adopted the transient coaching lifestyle, making camp stops at BC, Babson, and on Long Island. He hopes to one day coach at the college level and continue to devote himself to the game he’s always loved. “It’s fun to get involved during practices sometimes because most of us play basketball and that aspect of it is definitely one of the reasons we got into it,” McLaughlin said. “We make good relationships with the coaches, and I still try to keep in touch with the old coaches. We just try to do whatever we can do to help and if that leads to them helping us out in the future, that would be a huge help.” McLaughlin is the most senior member of the group and was recently named
Alex Trautwig / heights Editor
Being behind the bench is just one of many privileges the managers earn for their efforts. the ACC’s liaison to the National Association of College Basketball Managers. Duke and UNC may be the leaders of the conference but BC is starting to attract first-rate manager talent. McLaughlin helps spread the word about the association’s mission and current objectives. As with everyone in the program, the coaching change last year meant a big change for the staff of managers. When former coach Al Skinner left, there was a complete overhaul of day-to-day operations and how the program would be run. The job remains mostly the same, but the process was still a transition for everybody. “We do a little less film work with the new coaches,” Graber said. “The old coaches use to have us break down every game into individual plays and now they mostly just clip the games themselves. We still help with other facets of the film work but it’s to a lesser degree. We get to help a lot more during practice and in the drills.” Away games are the big payoff for the managers as they get to travel with the team and take their talents along the coast. Road trips are a chance to see what lies outside the humble confines of Conte Forum and experience some of the most prestigious venues in college basketball. McLaughlin shuffled through
pictures in his phone that showed pregame rituals of the Clemson basketball team that was topped off by a 30-foot portrait of a tiger with eyes that ominously lit up bright orange. “We work a lot with Woody on road trips to make sure everything runs smoothly,” McLaughlin said. “We make sure we have everything we need for trips such as food, deliveries, receipts, setting wake up calls. Road trips are definitely one of the big perks of being a manager. There is no way I would have ever gone to Cameron Indoor [Duke] and I’m going to the Dean Dome [UNC]. I’ve been a college basketball junkie since I was a little kid, and it’s so awesome to see those places.” The trips are a huge perk, but they are far from a vacation. Only two managers get to travel with the team on road trips, meaning they have to do the work usually required of the entire staff on game day. When the team takes their talents to South Beach or Tobacco Road, the managers are expected to be there working hard every step of the way. “We don’t get much acclaim,” McLaughlin said. It’s never been about that, though, with the managers of the basketball team. Just a love of the game and the occasional newspaper article. n
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Heights
B6
The Heights
B7
Campus chronicles
Made for television
Alexandra Schaeffer
As those who’ve come before have warned me, the housing process here at Boston College is a nightmare. As many freshmen do, I disregarded these warnings given to me at the beginning of the year, thinking that what the upperclassmen were telling me were isolated cases. I was determined not to fall prey to the same drama that these students alluded to. In fact, I made a pact with myself, after taking advice from several upperclassmen, not to talk about or make any decisions regarding housing until at least after Christmas break. I managed to do that. When people started whispering about it in November, I would simply reply with, “Please, let’s not talk about this now.” Most girls seemed content with taking this same approach, and we let ourselves enter winter break without any plans for next year. Then came the e-mail in January – the Office of Residential Life’s e-mail sent to the entire student body basically informing us to start worrying about housing. It was the beginning of the end. Coming from an unusually close hall, my friends and I were faced with a somewhat uncommon problem. We had too many girls. With 15 of us wanting to live together, it was apparent that there would be no easy way to divide us into content rooms. Everyone had slightly varying requests and ideas for “the perfect room.” The small groups of two or three girls, whispering and scheming about plans for next year, started to form more frequently. Each time, a different combination of girls would come to the presiding conclusion that it was going to be impossible to create rooms for next year. The stress was mounting and the conversations about next year were becoming inescapable. It was as if all of our first semester delaying had created a need to talk the subject to death in the second semester. None of us knew what to do, and these conversations became continuously more draining, as the conversers routinely walked away feeling more stressed and confused about the situation than when they began. On top of it, we really didn’t know what to do. This wasn’t just girls being overly dramatic. Everyone had slightly different preferences, and no one was willing to settle. This is housing after all. With the impression that who we live with next year will have a huge effect on our social lives for the rest of our time at BC, no one was taking this lightly. In addition, the added stress of living in the ‘perfect’ residence hall, and which one that would be, wasn’t helping to diffuse the situation at all. It had gotten to the point, in a period of only two weeks, that every day was stressful and completely consumed with this question of who would live together. Spare thoughts were consistently filled with testing out different combinations of girls, in attempts to stumble upon the elusive ‘perfect’ combination. It was clear that these small groups of two or three girls discussing it were getting absolutely nowhere, and that all 15 of us would need to sit down and talk about it. No one wanted to have this big conversation, because we knew that afterward our hall intimacy would never be the same. This meeting came one night, somewhat unexpectedly when two girls, feeling blindsided by a new proposal, decided to settle this once and for all. As we all filed into their room, faces were white and half of the girls looked like they wanted to throw up from the anxiety of what was before us. It was here that we would somehow have to subtly convey who we wanted in our room and who we wouldn’t mind leaving in the other one. Without getting too specific, this conversation went as would be expected. It was bad. It ended in the tears and hurt feelings that we all knew were inevitable. In fact, this conversation didn’t even yield any sort of conclusion or housing plan for next year, which was its initial intent. Instead, it just created a palpable tension in the hall, and alliances between sets of girls. In fact, we just received a second e-mail from ResLife telling us the housing process has officially begun, and our group still has no idea who’s rooming together. At this point, the topic is taboo and we’re just hoping that it will somehow fall into place in the next few weeks. Regardless, we’ve all come to the conclusion that this housing process is, in fact, horribly set up. Those upperclassmen weren’t exaggerating when they warned us. There is an opportunity being missed by MTV here, as the whole situation would create an ideal reality television show, complete with confessionals, alliances, and frenemies.
Alexandra Schaeffer is a Staff Columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com
Monday, February 14, 2011
How-to
Be an individual, just like everyone else Brendan Kneeland
Like many Boston College students, I find myself questioning my time here and whether it’s all been worth it. “Sure, I’ll have a degree from a respected institution. Sure, I’ve made life-long friends and have learned a great deal about myself and the world around me. But more importantly: Did I look good doing it?” It’s a dilemma that racks the brain, a quandary that keeps many a BC girl tossing and turning at night, debating furiously in her head what shade of Ugg boot should go with which pair of leggings. But amid the sea of North Faces and flat-brimmed, 59-50 bro-hats tilted to the side, it seems impossible to make yourself stand out. A small group of BC students has decided to take a stand, however, and this rag-tag bunch of rebels has evolved into a full-fledged Resistance. Haven’t heard of it? You just wouldn’t understand, man. Move over, Egypt. The Hipster Revolution is upon us. Before I tell you how to sign up for this army of individuals, I should point out from the start that you can’t be a part of it. It is simply too cool, too obscure, and too profound for you to get. If you still want to try, though, I have a few ideas for you. Remember, hipsterdom is not just a look or an attitude. It’s a way of life, and
if you don’t live your life exactly as they do, you will utterly fail at being your own person. First and foremost, change your wardrobe. Nothing gives a hipster more pleasure and fulfillment than to be the “only” one in a group of North Faces walking down the street in a plaid longsleeve shirt with the top button undone, unkempt hair, a scarf, military pea coat, and a beanie you wear indoors. Any BC clothing or memorabilia – especially at a BC sporting event – is simply conformist, cliche, and unacceptable. Take things to the next level by having an obscure major or course load. If you really want to show off what a tortured, brilliant soul you possess, take a three-person seminar course on the History of Ideas or Existential-PseudoDasein-Meaning-of-Life…ism. The more confusing or absurdly vague the course or major is, the better. The key here is being able to cite a few lines of a philosopher or eccentric thinker, casually drop it into conversation as if you were just asking someone to pass the salt, and bask. Bask in the glory of your beautiful, brilliant mind. Before you know it, all shall love you and despair that they cannot be you. Stay off the beaten path. Make sure you avoid any clubs or extra-curriculars that have to do with sports or BC or enthusiasm in general. Join a cultural club, or at least develop a taste for obscure Eastern recipes you can show off to your
friends at parties. By the way, they’re not “parties” anymore, that’s too mainstream. Think of them as “gatherings” or “functions” instead. Serve wine and hors d’oeuvres, and be sure to have a few obscure bands in mind that practice some mixture of ska and acoustic guitar – as long as the lyrics are full of deep feelings and are sung by a particularly whiney singersongwriter “you’ve probably never heard of.” Become an activist on campus. Join a protest or two. Show the BC crowd that you are someone who is going to make a difference in the world. While everyone else is wasting their time playing Frisbee or talking to people, make sure you’re out there fighting the good fight. Whether you are ending starvation in Africa with a sign in the quad while you stand there with a frowny-face, or taking the political world by storm with a particularly sharp blog post, rest easy knowing that you have truly done something, somewhere, for somebody … somehow. The world is your own personal hacky-sack, so take charge. Only you have the courage to stand outside Fulton Hall for 10 minutes, hand out a flyer telling people to attend your event to “raise awareness,” and then go back to your room to blog about it. Also, do NOT, under any circumstances, admit that you like BC. Or anything, for that matter. You don’t like things anymore. You have opinions about
them. The closest you get to real emotion from now on is bored sarcasm. The hardest Jedi mind trick hipsters have mastered is an acute ability to suppress all emotions. At most you will speak about how “ironic” something is. “Ironic” is to hipsters as “like” is to a 14-year-old girl. You can never use the word enough. Sprinkle it over any sentence you say to make it and yourself more interesting. It doesn’t matter what “ironic” actually means or whether it’s grossly inappropriate and pretentious to use it. “This garden salad is awfully ironic.” Say that and watch as your peers nod in approval, because admitting anything is confusing will absolutely destroy a hipster. It’s a fine line to walk, being a hipster at BC. A winding, crowded, ironic line. Many have tried and most have failed to truly be “themselves,” so don’t despair if you feel you can’t carry on. Because in the end, like any ridiculous bro or obnoxious girl at BC, all hipsters need is a little attention. I’d tell you to just be yourself and enjoy your life without caring about what other people think because it’s an easy idea that’s hard to do in practice, but that’s not ironic enough, I don’t want to be too cliche.
Brendan Kneeland is a Staff Columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com
he said, she said I’ve been hooking up with this girl / guy for a few weeks now. I like him / her enough but I’m not sure where I really see things going in the future. I kind of have a boyfriend / girlfriend back home who I think I want to be with over the summer, so I don’t want to start anything serious right now. What should I do on Valentine’s Day that doesn’t send the wrong message? Torn and Confused I agree with my “She Said” counterpart on most of her points, but to me, the first order of business is to evaluate the “romantic ties” you have to the girl at school compared to the possible girlfriend you have at home. I think it’s a slippery slope being even remotely involved with the two of them, so at least give it some thought. You can’t split your Alex Trautwig attention forever, so you might as well make a decision now depending on which path you see having more promise for the future. As for the more immediate Valentine’s Day question, it’s really difficult to say what exactly is appropriate. If you do decide you want to do something with the girl at school, I think it is important to strike an even balance between letting her know how you feel but also not leading her on too much since it seems you’re not fully committed yet. Maybe bring it up casually in a conversation that you might want to do something and try to gauge the reaction and go off that. She might be really enthusiastic about doing something low-key or she might not show that much interest. Although I know it’s hard to believe, some girls aren’t as into Valentine’s Day as you might think. All that being said, I would personally lean toward the girl at school because that has a more immediate impact. It’s difficult to plan for this other girl when you don’t know what her situation is. Maybe she’s got some Valentine’s Day plans of her own. Basically, you should live in the now and have fun. College is not the time to be tied down at home. It’s the time to try new things, to live in the moment, and to develop new relationships. Who knows, maybe getting to know this girl from school is an even better idea. This “holiday” might be the perfect way for you to make things a little more serious between the two of you, if that’s something you might want to do.
Alex Trautwig is an Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com
You have quite the dilemma, my friend. From my experience, guys and girls see your situation very differently. I say that going for flowers instead of dinner is a good call, but many male friends of mine disagree. There’s something about flowers that freaks guys out. I’m not talking about roses – that would definitely send the wrong message – but something more casual like a bouquet of Jack in the Pulpit, Julia Wilson Jacob’s Ladder, or Hellebores (yeah, I just Googled ‘types of flowers’ and those names caught my eye). It doesn’t have to be some serious romantic gesture, just something small that shows that you do care (even if it’s not that much). If there really is a girlfriend back home that you’re planning to get back together with, then you should be honest with this girl about your expectations and where you see your relationship going. Remember that it’s a two-way street. She might not want to have anything to do with you when she finds out she’s playing second fiddle to somebody else. Something else you might want to consider is whether you actually are interested in this girl. The fact that you’re considering what the proper Valentine’s Day etiquette is suggests a certain level of caring that isn’t typical of a casual hook-up. Maybe you should stop pining for a faraway girlfriend and start concentrating on what’s here at Boston College. Either way, you’ve obviously got your doubts so you’re right to be careful not to send the wrong message on what is supposed to be the most romantic day of the year. So here’s my advice: definitely no dinner, but I don’t see a problem with flowers or a casual Hillside lunch. You should at least acknowledge Valentine’s Day, but not necessarily celebrate it. If you want to go off-campus, what about a Beanpot date? Buy tickets off your taken friends and go downtown together to cheer on BC. This ambiguous quasidate is perfect for a more-than-friends but not-quite-there-yet couple.
Julia Wilson is a Senior Staff Writer for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com
the real world
Living in a brave new world of technology Dan Friedman The title of this column is “The Real World” and yet it seems to me that the world in which we live seems less and less real. No one doubts the utility of our “Information Age” society with regard to communication and access to information that past ages would have believed to be simply impossible. Yet one cannot help but notice the absurdity in our modern world that accompanies things like the Internet and Smartphones. Look at the recent events that occurred with Leon Panetta, the director of U.S. intelligence. Testifying to Congress, he claimed there was a “strong likelihood” that Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak would step down from office. As of Friday, he did in fact step down, but Panetta’s remarks came Thursday, just before a highly publicized address by Mubarak. The protestors in Egypt, aware of this testimony, set high hopes that their authoritarian leader of 30 years would finally step down, only to learn Thurs-
day night that he had decided not to. So how was Panetta wrong? This is, of course, the director of intelligence for the world’s supposed last superpower. Didn’t he have access to classified information that would have influenced his decision? Turns out Panetta based his information off media broadcasts. There’s something surreal about the head of U.S. intelligence basing his analysis of a situation off the same reports millions of civilians had access to across the country. Worse, look at New York State Rep. Chris Lee. Here is a married 46-yearold man, who, after flirting with a woman from Craigslist via e-mail (and lying about his marital status and age), was exposed and resigned. Lee sent a rather embarrassing picture to this woman. In it, he is shirtless, in front of a mirror, and, worst of all, the picture was taken with his BlackBerry. I don’t think I’m the only person that thought you were more likely to see this type of photo posted on Facebook by a high school girl as opposed to a congressman. And yet, that part of the story isn’t
even so bad. So what if he wanted to cheat on his wife and send some sexy pictures? He isn’t so different from a good portion of this country (a certain ex(?)-NFL quarterback comes to mind), perhaps even the world. Yet the method in which he was revealed and the ultimate result seem more fitting for a play, or movie. Certainly not real life. The hyper-feminist / leftist New York gossip column “Gawker” “broke” this enticing story, filled as it was with hype and intrigue. So what was the predictable next step? The man resigned. We have become accustomed enough in this country to morally corrupt politicians, though it has always seemed to me that what they do with their time is their business (law permitting). Yet this man didn’t even commit adultery – he just tried to, and failed spectacularly. In years past, something like this could not have occurred for a variety of reasons. First, and most obviously, the Internet did not yet exist. Furthermore, sans Internet, the ability for the masses to learn about what happened
would have been significantly more difficult. Objectors to this point would probably laud today’s “transparency,” but for a country that complains about gridlock and inefficiency, it certainly seems like a waste of time to immerse oneself in stories like these. Is a congressman’s attempt to cheat on his wife really going to be reflected in the bill he passes to cut state spending in New York? Perhaps it is that I am a closet luddite, or maybe just that e-books make my blood boil (a book is made out of paper), or maybe I’m not unique in the least, and am just a part of the ranks of every generation that rail against change and modernization. But if, in the early 1600s, Shakespeare wrote in Macbeth that life is a tale “told by an idiot,” one can only imagine the conclusion he would come to today, in this “goodly frame” we call the real world.
Dan Friedman is a Staff Columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com
The Heights
B8
Monday, February 14, 2011
Exemplifying the hopeful spirit of Relay for Life
After dealing with his own cancer diagnosis, BC student Kevin Porter seeks to promote and raise awareness with passion
By Therese Tully Heights Editor
“I relay for myself, but also because I have had several friends who had cancer. I relay mostly in their honor and their memory,” Porter says. From people he met in the hospital during his own treatment to old high school friends, this disease has affected all aspects of his life. Porter uses Relay to help him keep things in perspective through all of these trials and tribulations. In addition to his involvement in Relay at BC, Porter is involved in Model UN, club Frisbee, and swing dancing. Though he finds these activities fun and enriching, he says that Relay is a different sort of activity for him. “This really makes me feel like I am making a lasting impact,” he says. “Frisbee and Model UN are fun, but this makes me feel like I made a significant difference, raised however much money, and created awareness.” Porter has a wonderful spirit and is truly dedicated to reaching out and doing his part to aid
Relay’s cause. During his sophomore year at BC, which was a little over four years after he entered into remission, Porter ran the Boston Marathon in support of Massachusetts General Hospital Childhood Cancer Centers, and with his team of nearly 30 people managed to raise more than $3,000. He is motivated not by the desire for popularity or glory, but true compassion. “I am glad I survived. Let’s make everyone else survive too,” he says. Porter’s mission is not yet completed, though he says that the response thus far has been great. He continues to send snail mail to family and friends in order to share his mission with those that care about him and hopefully get more donations. He is also interested in continuing his involvement with Relay after graduation, through participation on the alumni board – a sign of the fact that he has never stopped fighting, and he doesn’t expect to now. n Mollie Kolosky / Heights Graphic
“I want it to be the thing that everyone knows about, everyone plans for, pretty much the biggest event on campus,” said Kevin Porter, CSOM ’11. No, he is not referring to the tailgates before the Notre Dame football game, or the latest Mod bash, but Relay for Life, an event he holds particularly close to his heart. “The American Cancer Society Relay for Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease,” according to the official Relay for Life website. But for Porter, it is something much more. Porter received his own cancer diagnosis just one week after Sept. 11, but this was not enough to crush
his spirit. Since then, Porter has transitioned from a patient to a planner, as a co-chair of the event this year at Boston College. He went from playing Nintendo 64 in the hospital ward during his treatment, to leading a student campaign to fight the disease that put him there. In addition to dedicating nearly 20 hours a week to this cause, he puts much of his heart into it. “I’m a cancer survivor, and a lot of people did a lot of good for me when I was undergoing treatment, so it seemed reasonable for me to give back to all of the people who helped me,” he says. Porter’s team, Bros Before Chemos, has a fundraising goal of $2,000, while he has a personal goal of $1,500. While fundraising is a big component of Relay for Life, the event is also about fostering community and raising awareness. Porter says that a focus of the group is remembering, “Why We Relay.”
Student leaders to be awarded for outstanding efforts For The Heights
The Student Leadership Awards of Boston College recognize a certain caliber of student that isn’t always acknowledged. It seems only natural to award someone who holds an actual leadership position, but that’s the key to these awards. They recognize students who are inherent leaders, and not necessarily just the president of the UGBC or the president of the College Democrats. “The awards are one of the few outlets that formally provide a voice for many student leaders, particularly those who are not the head of an organization,” says Alex Hirs, BC ’10 and 2010 recipient of the St. Ignatius Personal Development Award. “I believe the awards are less focused on honoring the most recognized names on campus and more concerned with showcasing students who may not have received the recognition they deserve.” This year celebrates the 33rd anniversary of these 16 special awards. Fourteen of the awards are given to undergraduates and two are awarded to faculty and staff. The student awards are the St. Ignatius Personal Development Award, the Jeff Keith Award, the Nicholas J. Keefe Award, and the Ever to Excel Award, to name a few. The staff awards consist of the Mary Kaye Waldron Award and the Rev. John R. Trzaska, S.J. Award. Looking at a student award in particular, the St. Ignatius Personal Development Award recognizes a freshman coming into college and their transformation to senior year. For Hirs, the 2010 recipient, this meant quite a bit. “I was deeply honored to be nominated for the St. Ignatius Award,” Hirs says. “I think being recognized for any of the awards is an incredibly meaningful experience, as it is one of the few times during the year when our campus appreciates the time and effort put forth by many of our visible and invisible student leaders. I was particularly grateful to have been nominated for my specific award, as I felt that BC and my involvement with leadership positions transformed me as a student and as an individual.” Mer Zovko, the assistant director of
the Leadership Awards, has been a part of the BC community for 22 years. This is her first year serving on the awards committee but she has actively participated in the past. “These awards are extremely important to me,” Zovko says. “They motivate me, there is no greater feeling than watching the students grow and excel.” The nominations end this Thursday, but students are encouraged to nominate their peers, especially those peers who they feel are “committed to the ideals of Boston College and improving lives of other students.” Many students honored are dedicated and devoted to enhancing student life both socially and academically, Zovko says. This year there have been quite a few nominations. The Student Programs Office, however, is always eager to accept more nominations. Some awards naturally accumulate more nominations than others. The office’s goal is to have about 150 recommendations, the more the better. The Leadership Awards inspire a positive outlook on BC student life and values. “After being removed from campus for a year, I appreciate so much of what the Jesuit ideals stand for and how deeply those values have been instilled in my life. The ceremony is always a fun, spirited event,” Hirs says. The event is exclusive to the recipients, their families, and some administrators. “Many of the top administrators attend and support our student leaders, and both the presenters and the recipients of the awards deliver genuine messages of gratitude. The food, alone, is reason to attend the event, and the dinner provided highlights BC Catering at its best.” This year the ceremony will be held on May 5 in the Murray Room. The Mary Kaye Waldron Award is one of the two faculty awards. It was dedicated to Mary Kaye Waldron, a BC student who passed away from a sixyear battle with cancer during her senior year in 1995. This award is dedicated to a professor, staff member, or administrator who demonstrates a particular kind of dedication to BC. This member should have a strong commitment to the ideals of BC and a driving need to enhance the lives of our students. Many
who have been honored in particular are dedicated and devoted to enhancing student life both socially and academically. Some former winners of this award are Donald Hafner, vice provost for undergraduate affairs, in 2010 and Fr. James Weiss in 2007. The Leadership Awards Committee consists of 16 faculty members and two students who decide the award recipients. Zovko says that this process is grueling as there are so many students with incredible accomplishments, it is not easy to choose just one for each award. The way the committee works is with every member as a reader. Each person is assigned to one award, where they read and assess each nomination. If there is not a clear decision, there is a secondary reader as well as the entire committee who helps to decide. “Students win awards who have not had a position per se but who have been leadership oriented in actions,” Zovko says. “We look for students with spirit, drive, passion, determination and strong values.” Zovko says she is very moved by the amount of students who take the time to nominate their peers. “I am so impressed on the speedy response of nominations by fellow students this year,” she says. The selection process is decided by the quality of the nomination letter, not how many nominations a particular student has received. The student’s activities and leadership in relation to the award they are nominated for is heavily considered. As far as self-nominations, Zovko says they could make for an uncomfortable situation. However, with the Ever to Excel Award, they are accepted. The Ever to Excel Award is a group award that praises an outstanding contribution to BC as an organization. In order to nominate a group or an individual log on to www.bc.edu/lacaward and fill out the appropriate award nomination form. Nominations are being accepted until Thursday Feb. 17. “There are opportunities for everyone to take advantage of activities here at BC,” Zovko says. “They are meant for every student. If you got into BC, then you have leadership potential.” n
Mollie Kolosky / Heights Graphic
By Emily Maley
Putting the past in the past and moving forward Taylor Cavallo We’ve all done it. No matter how many times we tell ourselves we’re not going to look at those new tagged pictures, we always do. No matter how many times we delude ourselves into believing we’re not going to read his potentially flirty wall-to-wall with that girl he once talked to at a party (way before we ever started dating, but still .… ), we always do. It is safe to say that Facebook has made getting over an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend infinitely harder. Constant status updates and wall-towall capabilities, especially the creepy, new View Friendship feature, where the wall to wall between your ex and anyone is fair game, plague us. Waking up to those weekend party pictures on Sunday mornings makes our stomach turn. But ironically, we still do it. I would go so far as to say that we live for it. I’m not exactly sure what it is about the rush of anger or pain we get when we engage in a good Facebook stalk, but for whatever reason, we persist. Bypassing a potentially interesting article on the issue of masochism a la Friedrich Nietzsche, I’ll try to make it more relevant, since after all, today is Valentine’s Day. Imagine for one second that you weren’t friends with your ex on Facebook. A scary thought, I know. The thought of not being constantly updated about their lives is frightening. Better yet, imagine Facebook didn’t even exist. After a wash-my-hands-clean-of-this-relationship breakup in a simple world where Facebook or Twitter didn’t exist, the only memories left
of an expired relationship would be material: cards, letters, pictures, or gifts, which can all be hidden (out of sight, out of mind), given away, or burned in a fit of rage. Oh, and I guess you still have your memories, but thankfully, those fade too (think Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Unfortunately for us, we live in a world where Facebook is in fact alive, and along with these material memories, we have virtual ones too. Prom pictures, those cute self-taken kissy pictures, and a wall-to-wall jam packed with inside jokes haunt us as they are always there for us to look at while listening to the ‘FML-Sad Songs’ playlist on our iTunes. Now, here we go … one, two, three … gone. YourTango, a website for relationship advice, has declared Feb. 13 National Break Up With Your Ex Day. There is a strict set of rules you must follow in order to participate in this ‘holiday.’ You must de-friend your ex on Facebook or any other social networking site, delete any songs that remind you of that person, delete their screen name from your iChat account and their number from your phone and urge your friends to do the same, to name a few. If you follow all of these rules and more, you will be completely clean of your ex just in time for everyone’s favorite holiday, Valentine’s Day. Hopefully they included, somewhere in the fine print, “Results may vary,” because, call me crazy, but this sounds extremely idealistic. When I first read a small article pertaining to this sad response to Valentine’s Day in New York Magazine, I had to laugh, and rightfully so, because I truly thought it was a joke.
I understand there is some humor involved in the whole thing, but did people really need this push from an unknown romance advice website to stop stalking their ex’s Facebook? Deleting a picture won’t delete that moment from your head, and never looking at a wall-to-wall won’t let you forget those inside jokes. Pretending as if that person never existed won’t help you get over them. It would actually be more difficult if you completely ripped them out of your mind. This idea is simply counterproductive. Investing so much time in going through your Facebook and computer deleting or untagging every single picture you have together not only throws those happy memories in your face, but it also just shows how desperate you are to get over them, which is something no one ever wants to show. Deleting your ex as a friend only empowers them, because it proves that you aren’t able to maintain this Facebook friendship and that it’s all too much for you. And deleting songs from your iTunes that remind you of them? No music lover would ever dream of this. So for all of you who were planning on participating in National Break Up With Your Ex Day, the witty holiday invented and sponsored by YourTango, think again. I’m aware that almost no one on this campus would actually go along with this ridiculous holiday proposal, but it does speak volumes to the issue of Facebook as a presence in every relationship, which is a very recent development, and a reality that everyone, except those select few who are ‘too cool’ for Facebook, deals with. Being able to keep tabs on someone via the Internet whenever we want is not normal.
Knowing where someone was, who they were with, what they were wearing, and what they were drinking at a party on Foster St., which we didn’t even go to, isn’t normal either. As much as we think it might work to completely erase our exes from our Facebook lives, it doesn’t. Regrettably, the Facebook world is not the real world. Deleting former loves from Facebook does not delete them from reality. They still exist. And one day (hopefully this day will never come), but maybe, just maybe, one day you’ll run into them on the street (or in the new and improved Dustbowl, years from now) after naively assuming they dropped off the face of the planet since they weren’t featured on your minifeed for two weeks. And they’ll still be there. Getting over an ex should be a process, yes, a slow and painful one filled with tears, plans of revenge, and potentially death wishes, but a process nonetheless. There is an elite group among us, those who (get this) have enough self-control to not stalk their exes on Facebook, and I propose that we adopt their ways. Don’t look at your ex’s Facebook today. Remain his or her friend, keep those slightly embarrassing prom pictures up (after all, you know how much your roommates love them), eat chocolate, and look for some new potential boyfriends or girlfriends. Just please, don’t delete any songs. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Taylor Cavallo is a Guest Columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at features@ bcheights.com
The Heights
Monday, February 14, 2011
B9
Humor
An unintentionally unfortunate study abroad experience Dear Office of International Programs, Where was the memo about Algerian men? Did you know that after drinks and before going back to their apartment they expect you to pay for the churros, granted you’re in Barcelona? And what about warning us about Italian dance moves? When I paid the Zak Jason €11 cover charge at Club Maiale Sudore (Italian for “pig sweat”), I only expected to grind with a few Italian men and cajole them to buy me a few mojitos. Instead they groped me in places I wouldn’t even bathe myself. And how about having the decency to tell us about what happens when you agree to run down the Swiss Alps naked with professional dog sledders? I was only hoping to shoot some bracing photos on my Nikon Coolpix s8100 and post them on my travel blog (acrossthepondinmindandbody.blogspot.com); little did I know they
would have me mush the dogs myself. For all girls who travel abroad, Boston College should issue an instructional video. Call it The Dangers and the Delusions of Men in Europe. Let me make myself clear. I’m not one of those Eat, Pray, Love, beret-wearing, travel-toEurope to-find-the-love-of-my-life kind of girls. I simply wanted to experience men from other walks of life, whether it be discussing urban literature with them outside the Vatican, sipping on a €2 bottle of red wine and laughing about how fickle human nature really is on a balcony in Vienna, or just making out with the Swedish guy from my Nazi Politics class in a Munich discotheque bathroom. Europeans are just inherently more interesting than Americans – something to do with socialism and a shared currency and better haircuts. Even Americans are more interesting in Europe. Back at BC, guys just want to talk about who’s the best all around shooter in the Eastern Conference, or which beer has the highest alcohol content or the strongest hops, or about how their summer internship will lock them into an investment banking job next year, or how,
Enrolling in Barstool U By Kris Robinson
The Tall One pursued blogging on his own, seeking the outlet that the hobby gives him. “I started to Last year, the Features sec- blog basically to just amuse mytion of The Heights stepped into self. If other people find it funny, the world of Brostoncollege.com, then good for them,” he says. “I highlighting the lacrosse jerseys, like finding stories and making backwards brimmed caps, and light of situations and blogging’s laid-back attitudes of the “bro” a good outlet to do that.” lifestyle. The blog “by the BC bro, The process for posting likely for the BC bro” is one of a kind, differs from blogger to blogger. but the Internet blogosphere is For The Tall One From BC, it home to a number of other sites involves doing something most making waves and attracting I.P. college students likely do on a addresses. The Barstool Sports daily basis: waking up and going Internet franchise, originally con- on the computer. “I wake up and sisting of BarI go o n l i n e stool Sports and look for Boston, Bar- “The Internet blogosphere stories about stool Sports colleges and is home to a number N e w Yo r k , t ry to f i n d of other sites making and Stoolthat story LaLa, has waves and attracting I.P. that I think made a name college kids addresses.” for itself on can relate to,” the web with he says. What postings “by the common man, he looks to post reflects what for the common man” that exhibit Barstool U aims to focus on as an pop culture both at its absolute extension of Barstool Sports: the finest and its absolute worst. A college experience. “They have few weeks ago, Barstool Sports the same brand of humor, but welcomed a new addition to its Barstool U is more focused on a family, Barstool U, and although lot more college specific stories,” it claims to be “by the C- stu- he says. “If you go on Barstool, dent, for the C- student,” the site you get a lot of pop culture stuff looks to cater to college students and a lot of weird news stories, with all different types of report but we’re not going to do it unless cards. it’s related specifically to a college Prior to the site’s launch, Bar- or the college lifestyle.” stool Sports held a contest to find Although Barstool U is still new writers for Barstool U. Out in the process of forming its of 1,000 applicants, around 10 identity, The Tall One says that were selected. One of them was a it has a focus similar to its father Boston College student. The Tall site, Barstool Sports. “It’s a site One from BC, as is he is known on that’s centered on making people the Barstool U site, has only writ- feel better about themselves,” he ten for the franchise a short time, says. “A lot of the stuff is over but he says he’s found a home the top humor and focused on with the blog that is notorious for making light of certain situabeing decidedly unwelcoming to tions. There’s a certain brand of anything BC. humor. You read it and either you Making the decision to enter get it and it’s hysterical or if you the contest wasn’t a hard one for don’t, you’ll probably think it’s The Tall One. “I’ve always liked the most offensive thing you’ve Barstool,” he says. His love of ever seen.” Barstool, in combination with his Admittedly, The Tall One says affinity for comedy and blogging, that the relationship between is what attracted him to apply for Barstool Sports and BC is rocky, it. Before starting at Barstool U, spurred on by the fact that the Features Editor
founder of Barstool, who goes by the alias El Pres, expresses his dislike for the school in a number of posts. He says, however, that he didn’t let this discourage him from entering the contest or continuing to post. “I was surprised that he picked me, as a BC kid,” he says. “I knew right away, going into it, that people weren’t going to like me because I go to BC. Anything I post, they’re going to comment.” The Tall One says he doesn’t take the negative reaction he gets to heart, instead choosing to view it as a positive confirmation of his presence. “I think it’s hilarious,” he says. “I rather they hate me and know me, than they ignore me and don’t know I exist.” He says that the relationship between BC and Barstool has an element to it that makes it more appealing to the site’s viewers. “The BC thing is nice because it’s controversy and it sells.” Amidst the sea of comments hurled at him through cyberspace, The Tall One finds that he does get encouraging feedback, but the opportunity he has to blog serves as reward enough for him. “It’s nice because I can justify wasting time online, and I basically look at it as a no loss opportunity for me,” he says. “It’s a great chance to write for a hugely popular site and get my stuff out there. I submit a couple of things a day if they get on, great, and if they don’t, so be it.” When evaluating whether or not he’s made it, The Tall One From BC says there’s one surefire way to know. “I’m surprised I haven’t gotten a death threat. That’s when you know you made it—when someone threatens you.” While he says he doesn’t see his job at Barstool U turning into a career, The Tall One From BC plans to keep on writing for as long as he can. “I’m going to ride it for as long as I can,” he says. “I enjoy doing it and and although it’s probably not going to be a career or anything, it’s nice to have the experience doing it.” n
“It’s weird, you know? How everything I was concerned about as a freshman seems so trivial as a junior.” But in Europe, guys will naturally just start talking about books and film and how fickle human nature really is. Oh, those nights when they asked to go for a walk, past the bakery that’s been there since the 18th century, down the cobblestone alley, and we would make out in the moonlight. Infinitely more fulfilling than lurching up a Mod staircase to make out with a guy while his roommate snores in the bed next to us. But in the end, I returned to Chestnut Hill single and withered. After four and a half months, I had experienced in one way or the other 37 men – nine Americans, eight Germans, five Spaniards, four Zimbabweans (all in Zurich), two Italians, two Englishmen, two Irishmen, a Japanese Best Buy employee, a French student, a Polish gym trainer, a South African fireman, and a Canadian. While I still Skype with two of the Zimbabweans (they’re roommates), and maintain a Facebook thread with the Japanese boy (he just got promoted to Geek Squad at Best Buy),
they’ve all evaporated from my interest. I Skype with the Zimbabweans because I like showing my roommates I made a connection with Africa, and I send messages to the Japanese boy when I want to avoid reading for sociology. Too many girls make the same mistakes I make. They grab their friends and jaunt to Paris or London or Amsterdam for the spring with hope in the backburner that hookups abroad will be more meaningful, that they’ll come back with tales of romance and gondola kisses and ski-lift nuzzling and cafe hand-holding. Their parents grant them thousands of Euros to trek the continent only to find the same men they can find at Chipotle in Cleveland Circle, only they dress better and use cheekier pick up lines. You owe it to the girls to show them that beforehand. Sincerely, Back in the BC Bubble
Zak Jason is a Senior Staff Columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights. com
Professor Profile: Couples EdItion
Faculty extends its love beyond academic realm By Jennifer Stewart
Courage to Know to a class on senior theses. Susan Michalczyk has enjoyed Shelves are stocked with can- working with her husband and dy hearts, cartoon cupids line the the accompanying perks such as store windows in Newton Centre, having a companion to drive to and the town has literally been work with in the morning, and painted red. This can only mean knowing that someone will be one thing – Valentine’s Day is available to cover a class if need here. Love is in the air, not just be. The Michalczyks also process among the students at Boston together during commencement, College, but among the profes- and have been known to host a sors, as well. While members of “Table Talk” together. the student body seem to be on a However, even though the perpetual quest to find their soul couple works at the same unimate, many professors already versity, Susan Michaleczyk adhave, and they have brought their mits that they barely see each love to BC. other because they have different Susan Michalczyk and her schedules. “It’s a good balance,” husband, John Michalczyk, are she says. “It’s nice to have a both professors at BC, the insti- frame of reference that is simitution responsible for bringing lar, but it’s important to keep a them together. During her un- separate identity.” dergraduate years at BC, she met Sheila Blair, a professor in the John Michalczyk, who was teach- fine arts department, also works ing at the time. The couple began alongside her husband, Jonathan to date, and eventually, they Bloom, who is a professor in the married. While John Michalczyk same department. was teaching at The pair BC, Susan Mimet while “It’s a good balance. It’s t h ey we re chalczyk was teaching at g ra d u a te nice to have a frame of Harvard Uniat reference that is similar, students versity, where Ha rva rd , but it’s important to keep where they they both attended graduwere both a separate identity.” ate school. studying for Nea rly 2 0 the same years ago, afd e g re e i n -Susan Michaleczyk ter her husAssistant director of the A&S Islamic art, band received and then Honors Program his tenure in married in the f ine arts 1980. department, a position opened Once out of graduate school, up for Susan Michalczyk in the both professors struggled to find BC Arts and Sciences Honors a job, prompting them to turn to Program. She decided to take the writing, helping each other edit position, and thus became one and produce books on Islamic of his faculty colleagues. She is art, for which they received nunow the assistant director of the merous awards. Blair decided to Honors Program, and teaches a keep her maiden name for the variety of classes, ranging from sake of her writing career. Since For The Heights
she had already published under the name Blair, she wanted to avoid confusion by maintaining the same name. Blair and Bloom continued searching for jobs at universities until luck finally came their way and sent them to BC. The couple works a bit closer than most married professors do on campus as they have been co-chairing the fine arts department since its inception, 11 years ago. When the fine arts chair position opened up at BC, Blair and Bloom proposed a plan to split the chair position and share the duties. At first, the administration was dubious, but the couple managed to alleviate its worries and secure the job. Now, over a decade later, Blair and Bloom continue to hold this position. The two have worked out a compromise that allows each of them to teach for one calendar year. This gives the other professor time to write, travel, and conduct research. This keeps the job “fresh,” according to Blair. The department stands firmly behind both of them, supporting their decision of appointing a split department chair. Blair truly loves working alongside her husband. “You need to learn how to squabble,” she admits. But, other than that, co-chairing the fine arts department has been a great opportunity for her. “I have an immediate audience to talk about my ideas with,” she says. Blair has the luxury of a builtin colleague, one with whom she can theorize and brainstorm before taking her ideas to a bigger forum. “It’s natural,” she says. “I always have someone to fall back on. Teamwork is the way of the future.” n
Features
B10
Monday, February 14, 2011
The good, the bad, and the ugly of social networking By Kris Robinson The Good: There are so many options to get in touch with your significant other that the computer offers. Video chatting is the newest technological development. With a combination of viewing, listening, and loving, seeing a boyfriend or girlfriend on the other side of wherever can be intimately connecting. It’s similar to being in their presence, except without the ability to physically touch. However, it can still alleviate the longing to be with a partner significantly, and the creativity involved in making the best of it is remarkable.
The Bad: While phones and letters are universally accepted and generally acknowledged as acceptable forms of social interaction due to their being existence for a longer time, computers are, while rapidly growing in use, still not used by everyone. This seems to be anything but a problem for the younger generation. Unless you’re completely alone at the time of video chatting, privacy is limited - it’s no fun trying to have a nice talk with your significant other and then being interrupted by someone in the background.
The Ugly: Though an argument via Skype is probably not too common, one can only imagine how intense it can get. Damaging personal property out of frustration becomes an option and for what? Miss a video chatting date and it can lead the person anxiously waiting for you to believe you’re up to no good or that, simply and hurtful enough, you’re not thinking of them whatsoever. In actuality, however, that could be far from the actual case. There’s a plus and minus to every technological development.
The Good: Letters are the definition of romance. The amount of love and time it takes, especially in the context of the 21st century, to handwrite (or type) a letter, buy an envelope and a stamp, and bring it to a mailbox is praiseworthy. An unexpected delivery in the mail can bring a smile to the face unlike any other method of communication can. It’s an opportunity to show off calligraphy in the loveliest way and express love in words without the immediate pressures and demands surrounding the world of instant messaging. Ladies can leave another sign of their love through spraying perfume on the envelope or sealing it with a red-lipsticked kiss.
The Bad: Mail isn’t exactly the most time sensitive way to communicate with someone you love. Or the most reliable. Things are bound to happen in the shuffle of transportation. Plus, although it may not be the nicest thing to hear, what you say at one point in time may not be what you feel at another. If your handwriting isn’t the best, you may want to skip the letter writing as well. With letters, it’s not too difficult to impersonate another. Although you may think you’re receiving a secret, nicely decorated letter from the one you most want to hear from, you could be getting it from someone who had their eye on you without you knowing.
The Ugly: While keeping letters during a relationship as a reminder of how much you’re loved, after a rough break-up, letters can be a sad reminder of what used to be. Burning letters can be therapeutic, but it can be painful at the same time. You may want to look at them again at another point in time. The fact of the matter is that as romantic as letters can be, they’re hardly utilized unless it’s the only form of communication available. When one person in a relationship wants to have a letter written for them and the other doesn’t want to bother, it could lead to a nasty disagreement or two. Blame it on the technology.
The Good: For those who have trouble thinking on the spot, dislike holding a device to their ear, or simply like the feel of a keyboard, instant messaging is the way to go. Nowadays, it comes in many forms: BlackBerry Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, and even Facebook chat. It’s never been so easy to use one’s gift of the written word than it is now with instant messaging. Emoticons show expression when the face just isn’t able to. Not to mention the cute phrases that have come out of being too lazy to type out an entire word or phrase. Messaging can be done discreetly while retaining the love-filled intent in letting that special someone know you’re thinking of them.
The Bad: Though some people might love peering at their phone and seeing that they’ve received a message, others may view it as a poor substitute for spending time in person or making a phone call. Also, while words are nice, it’s sometimes difficult to determine the true emotion behind them. Sarcasm is uneasily detected by some, while a happy disposition can be miscontrued for an angry rant. Unlike phone conversations, it’s easy to not pay attention to a message conversation if something else were to come up. Putting the phone down or leaving the computer to do something else could result in hurt feelings. Most importantly, beware of typos.
The Ugly: The deliberation involving in the sending of an instant message can lead to catastrophic results. While some might choke upon uttering out a malicious string of words, it’s easy to type words into a phone or a computer in a fury without thinking twice. Typing something you don’t mean is an unfortunate occurence and the fact that it’s saved somewhere and able to be referenced definitively certainly wouldn’t make a bad situation any better. BlackBerry Messenger makes it so that when a message is read, both parties know so ignoring a person’s message can quickly lead to fights.
The Good: There’s nothing more romantic than staying up on the phone the entire night with your significant other. (Light breathing or perhaps heavy snoring makes for a sweet lullaby.) From rotary to cordless to cellular, the phone has changed and evolved technologically, but its potential to be responsible for the most intimate of conversations has stayed consistent. When distance separates two lovers, the phone has been there to connect them. The sometimes awkwardness of face-toface conversation, especially among budding love interests, is all but non-existent, replaced instead with the possibility of new ideas springing from the individual pursuits of the conversationalists.
The Bad: Bad service anyone? But seriously, the unreliability of cell phones, especially in this day and age, makes phone conversations somewhat of a risk. As beautiful as hearing a girlfriend or boyfriend’s voice is, it doesn’t take the place of seeing their face. With the usage of phones comes the potential for distractions. It’s far too easy to become engrossed in something other than the conversation at hand. This can lead to unnecessary arguments and feelings of isolation and irritation. Phones have limits and as much as one would like to use them at any time and at any place, that just isn’t feasible. They require compromises and sacrifices.
The Ugly: The dreaded hang-up. There’s no bigger act of rudeness than ending a conversation without letting the person know, especially in the heat of an argument. It could very well be the nail in the coffin for a relationship on the rocks. With great technology comes great responsibility. When there are trust issues, phones can serve as further tools of instigation. Looking through a significant other’s cell phone without permission is one of the biggest forms of invasion of privacy. At the same time, keeping the activity on one’s phone clean enough for someone to look at seems to be more of an obligation now more than ever. Where there’s no trust, there’s little room for faith and love.
Mollie Kolosky / Heights Graphic
Features Editor
I most definitely, 110 percent, believe in a thing called love
Brooke Schneider I think I am in love. No, not like that. I’m not talking about the kind of love that exists between two people that merits a date on Valentine’s Day and a bouquet of pink roses and Lindt chocolate outside my door, although that would only be the best thing ever. I am in love with love. Whether it manifests itself in my constantly pestering my non-single friends about their relationships and getting more excited for their dates than they are, or refusing to read anything but romance novels during the summer months, my love for love is plain to see. For my high school friends and me, life updates via Facebook threads and phone calls, generally equate to updates, or lack thereof, on our love lives. More personally though, let’s take the ending of He’s Just Not That Into You, when Justin Long says to Ginnifer Goodwin, “You are my exception.” That may
or may not have made me tear up. There’s also the scene in A Cinderella Story, which is a classic in my sad excuse for a media library, when Chad Michael Murray and Hilary Duff dance in the gazebo to Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be.” That song alone is enough to evoke tears solely because it reminds me of the scene and the possibility that the good girl can win in the end. Hey, maybe this borderline obsession is the reason why half my wardrobe is pink and I cannot stop eating those little candy hearts that spring up around this time of year. That could be a stretch, though. Through all this, I have learned that I’m apparently pretty good at commitment, too, because I have adored love for many, many years – not counting those times in first grade, when I kicked a boy after school because he sent me a love note, and also when I stopped liking my crush because his reading skills were not up to par. Let’s just say that if I were to get a love note now, I would accidentally kick myself with excitement. And although I do admit that I am too picky for my own good, I definitely would not drop a guy at the mispronunciation of a word. When I look at how love is represented all around me, in stores, on the silver screen, or in my iTunes library, I find that it’s nearly impossible
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not to jump on the love train. Limited Too had me on board at an early age when it persuaded me to purchase a Book of Crushes, which I proceeded to fill to the fuzzy, pink cover with descriptions of every boy I had a crush on in middle school. And now we have Taylor Swift talking about fairytales and sparks flying and sitting by the water with your arms around each other for the first time. You can’t even listen to country music without daydreaming about Mr. Right when Brad Paisley is serenading you with, “Now you’re my whole life, now you’re my whole world, I just can’t believe the way I feel about you, girl.” Really, Brad? That’s so sweet. But not as sweet as Bruno Mars, who loves me just the way I am. My problem, though, is that I take all of these glamorized images of love and I adopt them as my own standards for relationships. Yes, I realize that I have probably been setting myself up for failure for the past 10 years, but I guess my heart is too strong and my mind is too weak to provide any resistance. I want the football player to run off the field and spin me around in his arms. I want a guy to surprise me with a date that he planned all by himself. I want the guy who turns back around and decides he doesn’t want to leave just yet. I want to be serenaded in song or even just a few nice words on a card. Most people would probably say that I
Student Leadership Awards
am just waiting for the perfect guy to walk up to my doorstep and that I can’t have these kinds of expectations, but I do know that in reality, they can be realized – just not frequently. The fact that such perfect conditions are quite rare can be very discouraging at times, but that is when my belief in hope steps in. And with it comes the support of my girlfriends and the messaging back and forth of quotes that are really all just different ways of saying that everything happens for a reason and that all will be well in the end. (It’s actually amazing that I have continued to stand my ground with my ridiculously high expectations, considering that I am the least patient person in the world, well, at least in my eight-man.) If I have made it this long with this seemingly unrealistic ideology about love, then I don’t see why I should stop now. So, 2011, go ahead and keep the sappy love songs, the Kay Jewelers commercials, and the romantic comedies coming. There’s nothing along the realm of romance that I cannot handle. In return for the favor, when my mother wishes me a happy Valentine’s Day and asks who the lucky guy is, I will reply, “Well Mom, it’s love.”
Brooke Schneider is the Asst. Features Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@ bcheights.com
Students on campus are being recognized for their leadership efforts by the Student Programs Office...............................................................................................................B8
Humor Column.................................B7 Campus Chronicles.........................B7