The Heights February 5, 2018

Heights

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The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College

EST. 1919

www.bcheights.com

Monday, February 5, 2018

POWER SVRGE SCENE

BEANPOT PREVIEW SPORTS

SVRGE, the opening act for Cheat Codes at Plexapalooza, speaks about his work as a DJ.

Boston’s historic hockey tournament gets underway this week, with games on Monday and Tuesday.

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Students for Sexual Health Surveys BC 4.2 percent of the undergrad population answered the survey.

By Abby Hunt Copy Editor In December, the Students for Sexual Health (SSH) conducted a survey, created by Connor Kratz, MCAS ’18, that gathered information on Boston College students’ attitudes, habits, and behaviors regarding their sexual health.

The survey, posted in each of the four class Facebook groups, asked 60 questions and anonymously recorded responses. A total of 393 students participated, with students from each class year represented—the largest amount coming from the class of 2018, which accounted for 33.3 percent of

responses, and 73.8 percent of the total participants were female.

Kratz said that his motivation for creating the survey was to provide the first piece of empirical evidence regarding sexual activity among students at a Catholic university. In his research, he said he couldn’t find a record of any data collected on this topic at other Catholic schools.

“I thought that was problematic in itself, that we don’t really even understand the full nature of the issue, because we haven’t even asked the question,” he said. “What kind of sexual behaviors are our students engaging in, and how do they feel and what are their views about sex?”

“The administration hasn’t really looked at any of these questions,” Kratz said. “Their assumption from their policy is that students are abstinent.

However, the results of my survey show

that that clearly wasn’t the case.”

The results of Kratz’s survey indicate that 79.9 percent of students are or have been sexually active while enrolled as a BC student, and 45 percent report having had two or more partners in the last year.

According to the University’s Code of Student Conduct, all students should adhere to the Catholic Church’s teachings with respect to sexual activity—incidents of sexual intercourse outside of marriage are subject to punishment via the Student Conduct System.

Of the respondents, 70.2 percent stated that they either disagree or strongly disagree with the statement “I feel comfortable reaching out to my university (administrators, counselors, health services) with questions and concerns regarding my sexual health.”

See Survey, A3

SEXUAL HEALTH SURVEY RESULTS 79.9%

HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY ACTIVE WHILE AT BC

[OF 393 RESPONDENTS, 73.8% WERE FEMALE]

44.3%

42.4%

DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY CAN ACQUIRE CONTRACEPTIVES NEAR CAMPUS

ALWAYS USE A CONDOM DURING SEX

NICOLE CHAN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Investment Guidelines Still in Effect The ethical investing webpage is down for web redesign.

By Cole Dady News Editor A subdivision regarding investing endowment funds ethically appeared on the Boston College endowment webpage in 2016, but does not appear now. Pointed out on Facebook by a student last week, this apparent omission raised eyebrows among some students, who suggested that the University no longer followed these guidelines.

But despite its absence from the site, the guidelines are still in full effect.

“The University is engaged in a web redesign effort that began in 2015,” University Spokesman Jack Dunn said in an email.

“The Ethical Investment Guidelines remain in full effect and will likely be a component of the new Treasurer’s Office website when it is launched.”

In 2016, BC provided more disclosure into its practices online.

“In the management of its investments, Boston College reflects the ethical, social, and moral principles inherent in its mission and heritage,” the page read. “In particular, the University is firmly committed to the

promotion of the dignity of the individual, personal freedom, and social justice.”

At this time, the webpage solely describes the mission of the endowment to support the long-term operations of the University, as well as programs and activities like financial aid, faculty chairs and research funds, and student formation programs.

It is standard practice among institutions of higher education to follow ethical investment practices to strengthen the student experience, as evidenced by countless universities, such as Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of Southern California. n

KEITH CARROLL / HEIGHTS EDITOR

In a 41-33 upset, the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LII, their first championship win.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

NEWS: TEDx Talks

On April 22 this year, students will host TEDx event in Fulton 511............................A3

METRO: Bagel Table

A new bagel shop, Bagel Table, has replaced the famous Rosie’s in Newton......................A4

CELINE LIM / HEIGHTS STAFF

This year’s Plexapalooza featured the EDM DJ trio, Cheat Codes, B8.

Voute Language Houses End After This Semester Students were told of the program’s end in late Janurary.

By Anthony Rein Assoc. News Editor The romance languages and literatures department and the Office of Residential Life have decided to end the Vouté Language Houses after this semester concludes. Consisting of the Maison Française and the Casa Hispánica, the Language Houses are Living & Learning Communities that immerse students in French- and Spanish-speaking living environments.

In a letter to the residents of the Language Houses, Franco Mormando, the chair of the romance languages and literatures department, outlined the concerns about the program that ultimately led to its discontinuation.

Reasons include the limited number of students in the department that the program benefits, a lack of participation in Language House events, the belief that the resources put into the program could be better used in a way that benefits students, and that the two graduate students who serve as resident assistants would be better served professionally if they were Teaching Fellows in the classroom.

“I have had due discussion with my colleagues this past semester and it is my firm conviction that while deeply regrettable, the decision to close the houses was entirely reasonable and indeed inevitable, given the aforementioned enduring problematic issues that their continuance have long presented,” Mormando said in the letter.

Mormando went on to express his sorrow at the programs termination,

See Language Houses, A3

Newton Mayor Stresses Partnership With BC Ruthanne Fuller is the first female mayor of Newton.

By Isabel Fenoglio Asst. Metro Editor It was 6 on a Tuesday night, but the second floor of Newton’s City Hall was alive and buzzing. More than a dozen residents gathered in the hallway and quietly chatted as they sipped on coffee and nibbled cookies, eagerly waiting to meet their city’s new mayor.

On Jan. 1, Ruthanne Fuller made history as she was sworn in as Newton’s first female mayor. She won by a mere 344 votes in an extremely tight race against Scott Lennon, and succeeds Setti Warren, BC ’92, who served as the city’s first African American mayor for eight years and is currently seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.

In her inauguration speech, Fuller stressed the importance of maintaining a constant dialogue with the community.

“As I serve, I promise that I will

INDEX

never stop listening,” she said. “Regardless of where you live or who you are, your voice will count at City Hall.”

As part of her first 100 days in office, Fuller announced a schedule of 12 events where residents can “Meet the Mayor.” The meetings are split up into two categories: public office hours held in City Hall and “Mayoral Meet-Ups” held throughout the city, ranging in location from the Boys and Girls Club to a senior living center.

The purpose of these events is to increase outreach while also providing an opportunity for residents to voice their opinions, offer suggestions, and get to know Fuller.

“One of my main goals is to make myself really accessible to people,” Fuller said. “It has been great so far.

Lots of people are showing up and sharing ideas, and we are listening hard.”

Last Tuesday marked the second time Newton City Hall opened its doors for office hours. People came to discuss a variety of issues. Topics ranged from what’s changing in

See Fuller, A3

NEWS.........................A2 OPINIONS................... A6

Vol. XCIX, No. 3 METRO........................ A4 SPORTS......................B1 © 2018, The Heights, Inc. MAGAZINE..................A5 SCENE.......................B8 www.bchelghts.com 69

The Heights

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things to do on campus this week

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On Monday at 3 p.m., the Undergraduate Government of Boston College will host this year’s presidential election kickoff event in the Vanderslice Cabaret Room. Candidates will present key points of their platforms and discuss their motivations to run.

Monday, February 5, 2018

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On Tuesday at 12 p.m. at 10 Stone Ave., Room 201, Liubomir Toplaff, an associate professor of political science and economics at Meiji University, will give a talk titled “The Political Economy of Populism” through the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy.

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Willie Jennings, an associate professor of systematic theology and Africana studies at Yale Divinity School, will talk as part of the Lowell Humanities Series on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Devlin 101. The talk is entitled “To Hear the World Again: Giving Christians an Actual Doctrine of Creation.”

NEWS Mansfield Examines Origins of U.S. Government BRIEFS

By Jaehun Lee

Lynch Gives to Public Schools

A program that is being offered through the Lynch School of Education is helping a group of science teachers from underserved Boston-area schools enhance their students’ educational experiences.

Last year, Lynch was awarded a $27,000 grant courtesy of the Jhumki Basu Foundation (JBF). Its intention is to host and support the foundation’s 2017-2018 Sci-Ed Innovators Fellowship, a nine-month-long teacher education program that began in August.

The foundation is named for the late Jhumki Basu, a New York University professor who advocated equity in science education, particularly in urban schools. The California-based JBF seeks to help students from under-resourced schools learn science.

According to a recent National Science Foundation-funded report from the National Research Council of the National Academies, science and mathematics achievement gaps among racial, ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic lines have widened substantially over the past 20 years. But when students from non-mainstream backgrounds receive equitable learning opportunities, they can achieve science outcomes comparable to those of their comparable peers.

The initial six-hour Sci-Ed Workshops take place on Saturdays and are conducted by three Boston-based lead teachers under the supervision of a teacher trained in Basu’s “Democratic STEM Teaching Framework,” The Chronicle said. The fellows will then present and publish a brief digital story recounting their experience.

“We believe this is a very important mission, and a promising partnership with prospects for growth and expansion,” said Jim Slotta, Lynch’s associate dean for research, to The Chronicle.

BC Seeks Intl.

Growth A new Boston College initiative is working toward increasing the University’s international presence.

Launched by the the Global Engagement (GE) Committee, appointed last fall by University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., the program aims to assess the scope of BC’s current international activities, identify the best methods of growth, and determine the resources and structures necessary to fulfill these opportunities, according to The Chronicle.

This semester, the 25-person GE Committee will broaden its outreach to the University community by hosting two town hall-type events in February and April, as well as unveiling a website dedicated to global engagement.

When the committee completes its task this October, it hopes to have a solid plan to go about expanding BC’s global presence.

Alberto Godenzi, former dean to the BC School of Social Work and special advisor to Leahy for global engagement, indicated that he and his colleagues have gathered various insights into how to boost BC’s international presence.

“Success in global engagement is a matter of investing resources, but more than that, of being intentional and far-sighted in how you craft that engagement,” Godenzi said to The Chronicle. “It means, for example, integrating global education into curriculum, research and outreach programs for undergraduate, graduate, professional courses and programs. It also means making sure all stakeholders—staff, as well as administrators, faculty, students, alumni and friends of BC—understand the impact global engagement will have on the institution.”

Heights Staff

Harvey Mansfield, a political philosopher and professor at Harvard, gave a talk on Friday afternoon as part of BC’s John Marshall Project, which studies the citizenship and statesmanship required by a constitutional republic. Mansfield’s talk focused on The Federalist Papers and the way in which James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay formulated their argument for America’s current system of government.

Mansfield noted that the Federalists set up a form of government aimed at defending the state against foreign and domestic enemies. In response to the failed Articles of Confederation, Madison, Hamilton, and Jay—who collectively wrote under the pen name Publius—attempted to address several problems with the American government under the Articles and provide an alternative set of ground rules through The Federalist Papers.

“The Federalists made liberalism popular and republicanism viable,” Mansfield said. “On the one hand, [they] refashioned the ideas of Locke and Montesquieu to accommodate the American republican genius. But on the other, they gave lessons in prudence to naïve republicans, enthralled by utopian theory and unable to learn from a sad experience.”

One of the major problems faced by the government was that of factions, which constitute “groups of citizens who hold beliefs that impede on the rights of other citizens or go against the common good.” To prevent factions from imposing on others’ rights, while also maintaining liberty for every citizen, Madison argued that the United States should be a large

KAITLIN MEEKS / PHOTO EDITOR

Harvey Mansfield discussed the Federalists’ impact on America’s current system of government on Friday afternoon. republic. This would decrease the probability of one particular faction gaining majority power and impeding citizens’ rights.

“If men were angels, no government would be necessary,” Mansfield said. “Ambition must be made to counter ambition.”

In the second half of the papers, the Republican-minded thinkers vehemently opposed the idea of a single executive branch, arguing instead for a “plural executive,” which would distribute the power usually associated with the President among many elected political leaders.

Publius settled these concerns with a defense for the need of a single executive in Federalist No. 70.

“Publius had to refute the ‘idea that a rigorous executive goes against the genius of republican government,’” Mansfield said. “Publius advanced the … view that a single executive was more responsible

because he is unable to escape criticism by deflecting it to his colleagues.”

In addition, each branch of the government must have an equal amount of power so that they can prevent a single branch from becoming too powerful. The interrelated nature of the three branches of government was also important to Publius, who saw this as the most effective way to enforce a system of checks and balances.

The contemporary criticism of the Constitution centers on its ambiguity, and Mansfield believes this was an intentional decision that Publius made. The vagueness of the text grants its interpreters a degree of freedom, which Mansfield said allows for “a society to excel.”

“A republic needs its guarantees for survival,” Mansfield said. “But it also needs its promises, necessarily optimistic to survive with honor.”

Using lessons from Publius, Mansfield sees an opportunity to understand how the U.S. government works and why the Founding Fathers deem it most effective for it to work in this fashion. In doing so, the government may be more effective in protecting its citizens’ rights and liberties.

While many criticize the Constitution and the Founders for designing a government whose goal was not to be efficient, Mansfield encouraged the audience to view it differently.

“Despite the wearing away of [Publius’] prized invention, new circumstances suggest that legislative usurpation is no longer the main danger: the loss of understanding that intends veneration is,” Mansfield said. “In the hostility of some scholars, the Constitution remains mainly intact, and to understand politics as of now, hardly if any source exists than the author of The Federalist.” n

Women In Business Discusses ‘#MeToo’ Movement

By Colleen Martin Copy Editor On Thursday afternoon, Boston College Women in Business (WIB) hosted a talk that discussed the Time Person of the Year for 2017: “The Silence Breakers.”

Every class year was represented among the attendees, and certain members of the faculty were invited by students who thought they might have an interest in talking about women’s issues in the workplace. In total, about 30 people were present at the talk.

“All of these conversations going on in the media is what inspired WIB to bring the conversation to BC’s campus,” said Nicole Robertson, director of marketing for WIB and CSOM ’20.

The Time article shared the stories of women and men who survived assault or harassment, and conveyed the backlash and struggle that they faced for sharing what happened to them. The piece opened with the experience of Ashley

Judd, an actress who accused Harvey Weinstein of inappropriate behavior in 1997—the first of many women to share similar claims. She described the “whispers” spoken throughout Hollywood after an inappropriate incident—the instinct to warn other women about a dangerous perpetrator while never taking legal action to correct the problem.

Her tale was similar to the countless told afterward, but it was Judd’s willingness to sit with The New York Times in October that sparked the revolutionary “#MeToo” movement this past year.

The discussion was prompted by questions related to that Time article: How do we see this revolution making an impact (or not making an impact) at Boston College? How can we make breaking the silence the norm? If sexual harassment training has been shown to backfire, how do we improve it for the future?

The audience later broke into small groups of about six women, which

touched upon topics like workplace culture, BC’s social climate, and the mental effects of disclosing an assault or inappropriate behavior.

As the conversations progressed, people began exchanging names and emails as they made connections over the issues at hand. Professors offered their services to those in need of mentors and asked probing questions in an effort to catch a glimpse into the student world that they aren’t always privy to. The professors often remarked that they hadn’t thought of something in the way that a student had just explained it and were receptive to hearing more about their viewpoints before responding. This was exactly what Robertson had in mind.

“The goal was to have faculty, who have a broader perspective and obviously more experience in the workplace, come together with students to have a conversation about what goes on on-campus,” she said. “I hope that everyone has heard some stories today that inspired them

and gave them the confidence to go out and continue these conversations.”

Robertson aspires to host more events like this through WIB, especially after such a positive turnout at this event. In addition to faculty members from CSOM, there were others from the communication department and the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics in attendance.

Beyond hosting these discussions, WIB also offers professional development events, healthy living outings, job opportunities, and a mentorship program between upperclassmen and underclassmen. According to its website, WIB is “an organization, network, and community of undergraduate female students dedicated to their empowerment and education. WIB is committed to the growth and expansion of professional and personal opportunities for its members, with a focus on business, leadership, and female celebration and innovation.” n

POLICE BLOTTER: 1/30/18 – 2/02/18 Tuesday, Jan. 30

Wednesday, Jan. 31

7:06 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical incident.

9:56 p.m.. - A report was filed regarding an intoxicated person of legal age.

6:19 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm acivation.

12:02 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation.

9:54 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical incident.

Thursday, Feb. 1

6:53 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation.

2:32 a.m. - A report was filed reagarding an underage intoxicated person.

11:37 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical incident at Fenwick Hall.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

2:29 p.m. - A report was filed regarding property confiscated.

10:02 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a traffic crash.

Friday, Feb. 2

CORRECTIONS Who do you want to win Super Bowl LII? “Eagles. I don’t want the Patriots to win again.”

—Sarah Strauss, MCAS ’18

“Eagles. I’m from Jacksonville, and the Pats beat the Jags.”

“Eagles. I’m a Jets fan, and I hate the Pats.”

—Ashwin Prakash, CSOM ’20

“Patriots. We’re in Boston, and it’ll be crazy if the Pats win.”

—Antonio Oshiro, MCAS ‘21

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

The Heights

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Survey Results Released Survey, from A1 “I think this really highlights the issue that it’s become so taboo that there isn’t even discussion on the topic,” Kratz said. “Even if administrators want to adhere to abstinence as their official position, they should at least try to foster an environment where students are comfortable reaching out.”

Kratz stated that he thinks the relatively absent discussion on sexual health on BC’s campus has contributed to riskier behaviors among students—therefore, he believed it was important to provide some sort of demonstration to the administration that sexual health is a real issue for students.

In Kratz’s survey, only 42.4 percent of students indicated that they always use a condom during genital or anal sex, and 94.3 percent of participants said that they never use a condom or dental dam during oral sex. 44.3 percent responded that they are not aware of any locations where students can access contraception and sexual health resources proximate to campus.

Additionally, 48.5 percent of respondents indicated that they have never been tested for HIV or STIs, and 42.5 percent indicated that they are not aware of any locations students can be tested for HIV or STIs proximate to campus.

Kratz said that he hopes to distribute the information from his survey data to students in some sort of concise report in the future, as he believes it concerns them and therefore wants to make it more accessible.

On Tuesday, Kratz, who is a member of the Student Assembly (SA) of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College, presented a resolution on the question of whether UGBC would affirm that SSH should be permitted to meet on campus and distribute contraceptives without University funding or recognition, which passed with 18 votes in favor.

Currently, SSH receives all of its funding from external grants that it applies for from health advocacy groups, and it distributes primarily on College Road, which is public property. According to Kratz, this can be an issue because a large portion of the student body doesn’t usually travel through that part of campus—and even then, it’s hard to reach those who do, as the group only distributes contraceptives

once every couple of weeks.

“Our hope is that we can be a little closer to students so that they don’t have to go so out of their way to protect themselves,” Kratz said.

To host a student body-wide referendum on an issue, the BC Elections Committee must vote to accept the question, which in this case it has.

The next step for SSH is to collect signatures from 1,170 students—one-eighth of the student body—on a Google form.

If it succeeds, the question will be put on the elections ballot—the same one where students will vote for UGBC president and vice president.

Nevertheless, even if a majority of the students vote “yes” on the referendum, the administration can still decide not to change its policy.

“That is an important consideration,” Kratz said. “However, we believe … just having the vote in itself will be a victory for us—that we’ve actually, finally discussed the topic.”

In Kratz’s survey, 92.9 percent indicated they believe that sexual activity is safer in a college environment when the university provides students with contraceptives and other forms of STI protection, and 78.5 percent indicated that they would use sexual health resources if they were provided by student organizations allowed to distribute on campus.

The last time there was a referendum on the topic of sexual health was in Feb. 2009, when almost 90 percent of the students who voted affirmed that BC should improve its sexual health education and resources by allowing the availability of condoms on campus and offering affordable testing for STIs and prescriptions for birth control at Health Services.

According to Kratz, this referendum is trying to be more compatible with University policy, as it encourages the administration to allow SSH to provide sexual health resources, rather than asking the University itself to provide them.

“It’s really about trying to find middle grounds, trying to find a way to respect the cultural heritage of the University, while also being cognizant of just realities of student behavior and student life, and making sure that they’re cared for,” Kratz said. n

Language Houses to Close Language Houses, from A1 and expressed the department’s commitment to find other means of advancing the studies of language students outside the classroom.

The residents of the Language Houses were told about the decision upon returning to campus this semester, and many have tried to prevent its ending. They have also expressed anger at not being consulted in the decision to end the community they live in and planned to live in in the future.

“What really bugs, not just me, but everyone in the program is that they didn’t ask us, they didn’t say like, ‘Hey we’re thinking about discontinuing, what are your thoughts about this?’” said Jonathan Afonso, a resident in the Casa Hispánica and MCAS ’19. “ ... But they didn’t talk to us, they didn’t send out a thing.”

On Jan. 24, 14 students residing in the Language Houses sent a letter to administrators detailing why they believed the program should be saved. They argued that it is unique to BC, with few universities in the Boston area having a similar program.

They also said that interest and participation in events has surged in the past year, and that the termination of the program would constitute denying students “the opportunity to immerse themselves in a unique cultural experience.”

“This decision wrongly perpetuates a

stereotype that BC is a monocultural institution, and denies students the choice of a close-knit community and support system not seen in ordinary dormitories,” the letter reads. “Students seeking to expand their cultural enrichment through the program will no longer have the opportunity to do so.”

The letter ended with personal statements from residents on how living in the Language Houses has enriched their time at BC. A follow-up letter was also sent on Jan. 29 after the students had not yet heard a reply, and contained the names of 31 students committed to applying for the Language Houses. As the room selection process is underway, the residents are seeking to reverse the decision in time for applications.

“I’m not sure, because I really found my place in this community, and I thought ‘Oh this is great, I found my place at BC’ and then it’s kind of, like, taken away,” Afonso said about his plans for next year.

Many of the residents are deeply saddened by the decision, and have reflected on what the Language Houses mean to them.

“They fostered a community, but also they’re a support system as well, for people who may not fit into the BC culture,” Afonso said. “So it’s really more than a community, it’s more of a family. It’s really good for people who don’t feel like they fit into the BC culture and it gives them an outlet and a place to feel welcome.” n

KAITLIN MEEKS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

TEDx Event to Come to Campus in April

By Cole Dady News Editor

For experts and innovators, this is the holy grail of achievement. Giving a TED Talk can turn one from an expert to a thought leader, representing the highest level of success in one’s craft.

For BC students and faculty who have exciting new ideas to share, their chance to spread them has come via TEDxBostonCollege on April 22, a TED event independently organized by students on campus.

One student will have the opportunity to speak at the event by taking part in the Student Speaker Competition on Feb. 15, for which applications have closed. The organizers are currently in the final round of interviews for individuals from the wider BC community who will give a talk, according to Jacob Kozhipatt, the lead curator and CSOM ’20.

“A personal campaign of mine is to make the event BC related,” said

Elizabeth Kopec, the lead organizer of the event and MCAS ’18. “I think that would make TEDxBostonCollege unique as compared to other TEDx events happening.”

The event will be divided into three separate sections, each including two to three speakers. TEDxBostonCollege is looking for individuals who can discuss cutting-edge ideas and potential solutions to societal issues, all with the aim to address TED’s three central focuses: technology, entertainment, and design. Kopec also said that BC’s event will specifically focus on the theme of bringing people together.

“I’m personally interested in talks about cool designs, new ways of approaching problems, and making people passionate about some niche technology or design element,” she said.

All of the talks will be uploaded to the TED website, giving speakers a chance to go viral. To appeal to a full audience of members of the BC community, speakers need to have

excellent rhetorical skills, or else their presentations will not be effective.

“Someone could have the most compelling story, but if that person doesn’t have the execution and delivery, it’s not going to be a good talk,” Kopec said.

The half-day speaker series can accommodate up to 198 people in Fulton 511. Tickets initially went on sale last Friday at the TED Talks Marathon in the Vanderslice Cabaret Room.

Although one TEDx event was scheduled to occur at BC in 2013, it was cancelled due to the Boston Marathon bombings occuring that same week.

Kopec said that the response on campus has been really great so far, and that she expects it to gain more popularity as April 22 grows closer.

“Let’s celebrate an exchange of ideas in the spirit of having a positive impact on those inside and outside our own communities,” the event’s press release said. n

Fuller to Meet with Leahy This Week Fuller, from A1 neighborhoods to snow-clean up, which has been a hot topic.

“Especially after the 16-inch blizzard that hit Boston four days into office,” added Fuller. “It was quite a first week.”

In addition to residents, Fuller has also began to reach out to Newton’s major partners, including Boston College. Fuller said that she is excited to work even more closely and collaboratively with BC during her term and that she will meet officially with University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., sometime this week.

“I have such great respect for Father Leahy and the leadership he provides,” Fuller said. “Boston College in the last two or three decades has just continued to blossom. It’s truly a world leader and we are lucky to have you in our backyard.”

She continued to stress that BC is an invaluable partner to the city and essential to Newton’s continued growth and dynamism.

“Not many people know this, but BC is one of the three largest employers in Newton,” Fuller said.

She added that partnerships with faculty members and students have contributed important research that has influenced reform ranging from early education to income inequality.

“You sometimes thankfully use us as a laboratory and we are so grateful that you do,” Fuller said.

In addition to outreach, Fuller has laid groundwork on putting some of her campaign promises into action.

Fuller said that her ultimate goal is “to make this city an even better place for everyone—for our young people, for our students, for our empty nesters, and for our seniors. We live in a fabulous city,” she added, “and I want to keep us moving forward and to continue to improve the quality of life.”

Fuller’s major plans for office include increased investment in education, updated zoning ordinances and access to affordable housing, expanded services to seniors, improvement of public transportation and city streets and sidewalks, and

the adoption of a Climate Action Plan, among others in an extensive agenda.

“We have to do all of that and keep the city financially sustainable,” Fuller continued. “It’s very important that we proactively decide what the future of Newton is going to be, so we are trying to get out in front of the developers and create our own master plans.”

On being the first woman mayor, Fuller identified the significance of her victory and the example it sets for Newton’s youth.

“The agenda changes and the status quo changes when you have a woman in a leadership position for the first time,” Fuller said. “You immediately think about the impact on girls, but I think the impact on boys is just as important, for all the sudden they are seeing that a woman can be a leader too. It changes how people perceive the world, which is really nice.”

The door to Mayor Fuller’s office opened, and her assistant motioned to his watch. Our time was up. It was nearly 8 p.m., but the hallway was still full of residents. n

Two Teams Oficially In UGBC Race

By Cole Dady News Editor There will be two teams in this year’s race for Undergraduate Government of Boston College president and vice president. They are Taraun

Frontis, CSOM ’19, and Aneeb Sheikh, MCAS ’20; and Reed Piercey, MCAS ’19, and Ignacio Fletcher, MCAS ’20.

Teams were required to declare their intent to run, and collect 250 signatures from the student body on Jan. 31. On Monday afternoon, the

teams will participate in a campaign kickoff event in the Vanderslice Cabaret Room, and campus-wide campaigning will officially begin following this event. Debates between the teams will be on Tuesday and Sunday. Voting will start on Feb. 15. n

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Monday, February 5, 2018

Forum Sparks Conversation About City Resilience Planning

By Chloe McAllaster

Assoc. Metro Editor

As a coastal city, Boston is particularly susceptible to the potentially devastating impacts of extreme precipitation. City planners have been devising strategies to cope with these challenges for years, but the public has not always had the opportunity to actively participate.

On Feb. 1, the Museum of Science hosted “Weathering the Storm: Building Resilience to Extreme Precipitation,” an interactive event aimed at informing the public of the resilience planning strategies that are being developed across the United States.

The materials used were part of a national project funded by a National Ocean and Atmospheric Administra-

tion environmental literacy grant. The grant supports building community resilience to environmental hazards.

According to David Sittenfeld, forum program manager at the Museum of Science, four modules were created for the project: extreme precipitation, sea level rise, heat waves, and drought.

These modules are being used at eight science centers across the country.

“The goal of the project really is to just get people understanding that these resilience planning conversations are happening around the U.S., and they’re hard,” Sittenfeld said.

The science centers send data based on participants’ responses to resilience planners around the country in an effort to inform them of public opinion. By participating in the modules, the public also gains a better

Chloe Mcallaster / Heights Editor

At the forum, discussions were guided by resilience planning workbook activities.

understanding of the role resilience planners have in preparing communities for the impacts of climate change.

By carrying out the project in a diverse range of cities, resilience planners are able to see how priorities and social implications differ across regions.

“It’s important to do a multi-site project, which this is a part of, because we know that resilience planning in Boston looks very different from resilience planning in Honolulu or Mobile, Ala.,” Sittenfeld said.

The evening began with a speech

by Nathalie Beauvais, a project manager, architect, and climate change planner at Kleinfelder, an architecture, engineering, and science consulting firm.

Beauvais introduced the topic of extreme precipitation, emphasizing that a mere evaluation of the risk is not sufficient to safeguard communities against the potentially devastating impacts of extreme weather.

Beauvais’ speech sought to spark a conversation regarding the question of how to make decisions that will be effective and meet the needs of the diverse stakeholders involved.

“How do you translate climate risk into planning and design? There’s the science of it, but then what do you do with it?” Beauvais said.

Throughout her speech, Beauvais used the resilience strategy of Cambridge, Mass. as an example of the various techniques that can be used to mitigate the impacts of extreme precipitation.

Kleinfelder worked on a climate change vulnerability assessment for

the city, some areas of which are particularly vulnerable to flooding due to their prior conversion from marshland to developed land.

“We harnessed water and we thought we would control it, but it was controlled with certain design standards that are not valid anymore,” Beauvais said. “So I think water is back with revenge in some ways.”

Beauvais also drew upon current extreme precipitation events, such as Hurricane Harvey, to illustrate the cost of doing nothing and its social implications.

“Some neighborhoods are devastated and they can barely recover, while the rest of the city is doing just fine,” Beauvais said. “And that’s starting to create inequalities within the city.”

Rather than focusing solely on the risk associated with extreme precipitation, Beauvais also emphasized those aspects of resilience planning that are promising.

“One of the dangers of working in climate change is you are just talking about risk, about fear and there’s not a positive outcome in the near future,” she said.

The first step of resilience planning is performing a vulnerability assessment, which determines the climate risks that leave the community most vulnerable. These risks could include flooding, drought, or extreme heat.

The assessment also evaluates the impact an extreme weather event will have on people, such as the economic impact of businesses shutting down due to property damage.

The next step is the development

of resilience strategies. The four main areas are prepared community, resilient infrastructure, resilient ecosystems, and adapted building. Plans are devised for all areas of the city, including public health, telecommunication, utilities, and energy.

After Beauvais’ speech, participants worked in small groups to design a resilience plan for the fictional city of Rivertown. During the simulation, participants read the concerns of various community stakeholders, such as a city planner, floodplain resident, public health official, farmer, and historian.

Upon assessment of the needs and concerns of these stakeholders, participants decided which of the three plans they believed Rivertown should choose to implement. The first plan, “keep it out,” used funds to build a new wastewater treatment plant. The second plan, “soak it up,” focused on building green infrastructure to absorb floodwater. The third plan, “inform the public,” installed microgrids for hospitals and invested in emergency services.

Participants discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each plan, and chose a combination of the three plans to implement.

After the selection, participants watched a simulated video that showed the community impacts of their decisions.

One of the main goals of the project is to demonstrate to the public the wide range of factors that go into resilience planning, and the challenges that can arise while attempting to devise solutions. n

Pop-Up Turns Permanent: The Bagel Table Replaces Rosie’s

By Isabel Fenoglio Asst. Metro Editor Back by popular demand, the bagel pop-up that left Chestnut Hill, Mass. residents mouths’ watering has returned for good, but this time with a new name.

The Bagel Table opened its doors on the first day of spring semester classes and has been serving Boston College students and Newton residents ever since.

Located on The Street, Chestnut Hill’s open-air shopping strip, The Bagel Table first introduced customers to the irresistible bagels in 2015 when it operated for seven weeks as the pop-up OMG! Bagels.

The pop-up was hugely successful and since then, OMG! Bagels has sold its bagels at farmers markets and restaurants throughout Boston and the MetroWest.

The pop-up was the first ever to grace The Street, and “almost as soon as we closed we were asked again and again by customers to come back permanently, but the timing was just never right,” said co-owner Ed Eglitis.

But when Rosie’s, a bakery that had served The Street more than 40 years, unexpectedly announced it was closing last November, the distributors of OMG! Bagels jumped on the

opportunity and opened their first permanent store called The Bagel Table.

“We moved really fast and were able to convert the space in just six weeks from the old Rosie’s to the new Bagel Table,” Eglitis said.

The closing of Rosie’s Bakery came as a major shock to Newton residents, and Eglitis said that it was a priority for The Bagel Table to honor the sweet shop’s legacy.

“That’s why we added to the menu something called ‘Best of Rosie’s,’” he explained, “so customers don’t have to worry about missing Rosie’s signature desserts.”

The Bagel Table bakes Rosie’s cookies fresh all day long, and it will offer a continuous assortment of the bakery’s famous rugelach, bars, and cakes.

But even Rosie’s most loyal customers won’t be able to resist the delicious bagels that The Bagel Table is known for.

“OMG! Bagels are true New York bagels,” Eglitis said. “[They’re] boiled and baked in the traditional way, in small batches. That’s what makes them so irresistible.”

The Bagel Table offers more than 14 signature flavors, ranging from traditional sesame to jalapeño sriracha cheddar.

In addition to bagels and Rosie’s

Isabel Fenoglio / heights editor

Isabel Fenoglio / Heights Editor

The Bagel Table’s extensive menu features more than 14 signature bagel flavors, served up fresh daily to hungry customers. sweets, flakey croissants and buttery muffins are made fresh daily, and a wide variety of sandwiches and fish is also available.

In addition to the food, Eglitis also wants to highlight the interior decor of the store. “Everything, from the stools to the tables, has been repurposed or upcycled,” Eglitis said.

The tables are old shipping pallets from the Harbor, one bench is made from a tree that fell in Hopkinton, Mass., and another comes from an old

house in Wellesley, Mass.

These vintage materials from in and around Boston give the store a relaxing aesthetic, while at the same time pay tribute to the city’s rich history.

Although the store has been open for less than a month, Eglitis said that there are already clear customer favorites.

The “Freddie from Chelsea” bagel sandwich, which combines freshly sliced lox with cream cheese, tomato,

onions, and capers, has already become a bestseller.

For the customers who first tasted OMG! Bagels at the pop-up in 2015, Eglitis assures them that the “Chestnut Hill Bagel,” which is made out of Challah bread, is back on the menu.

“We are currently in the works of coming up with a bagel to honor BC,” added Eglitis. “I would love to take a suggestion or two, but I don’t want to make it a major contest or anything.” n

Coming Home: My Unexpected Encounter With a Stranger

Alessandro zenati His figure drew into focus as the waning afternoon light silently sunk below the courtyard wall where he was now consulting the day’s edition of La Repubblica.

The dark tint on his aviator sunglasses hid his eyes, but not the bolded headline regarding the annual venetian gondola race.

He wore a light blue Oxford button-down, plagued with wrinkles indicative of a quintessentially collegiate approach to a domestic responsibility, such as laundry.

The young man was alone, accompanied only by a faded denim backpack and an inescapably curious visage—; I often caught glimpses of him admiring the chromatic

intricacy of the marble tile mosaic running along the courtyard perimeter.

We looked about the same age, inasmuch as the red scabs that peppered his chin signaled a Pyrrhic victory against the grooming razor.

The sun was now offering its final rays and the visitors rolled up their maps en route to the exit.

He lingered, as if he were expecting someone to enter into frame. If we make eye contact from across the courtyard, then I’ll take that as an invitation to approach him.

A breeze rolled in from the laguna and picked up some files stored in a manila folder that he held beneath his arm, scattering them in every direction.

I reached the island of San Giorgio Maggiore this morning without any particular expectations.

Time became a beautifully ephemeral concept.

I was searching for something that

had become frayed over time and was symptomatic of an ill-constructed disposition.

I had experienced being alone before, despite having two older brothers who consistently intruded on my personal space.

Yet, I struggled with the feeling that this was a different sensation, one that dug deeper and questioned the type of friend, brother, son, and confidant I was to the people around me. In many ways, I was “stuck,” unable to budge from a persona made static by habit.

As I looked back across the courtyard, the young man offered an opportunity for me to pick up the pieces of myself, residue washed up in the wake of a complacent adolescence.

There was room for self-discovery, and he held the door wide open.

In one swift maneuver, he lifted his head and removed his sunglasses to accept my outstretched hand.

He was a university student in

nearby Padova visiting Venice for the day. Alone, just like I was.

He lived with his parents and had older brothers, just like I did. As he proceeded to damn the wind that had made him lose an important page of reading a few moments earlier, I could only think about all that I had found in him.

I wasn’t expecting anything that day but I was, in fact, looking for a great deal. That shift in perspective made all the difference and led me to Nicolo. Meaningful connection? A warm embrace? Perhaps simply a set of ears to receive my words?

I couldn’t exactly put my finger on just what I sought that day, but, in many ways, this came as an unexpected relief.

Theis elusive, intangible sensation I was after would grow over time, eluding definition and the rational workings of my mind.

The conversation continued right up until the security guard began

making his rounds about the courtyard, sweeping up the dead, splintered twigs on the marble tiles and shooing away the daily feline visitor.

I wondered if there was a part of me left in the guard’s dustpan, sloughed off to expose a new version of myself.

Yet, it felt as though I was growing into the person I was supposed to be, returning rather than redefining. For all I know, these feelings could have easily been unidirectional—; Nicolo might have preferred to remain in his own world rather than let me in, but the further I explored beyond my ill-constructed radius of comfort, the more exposed I became to the very aspects of life that I had been blind to for so long. It just takes a bit of courage to trust that all is well that ends well.

Alessandro Zenati is the metro editor for The Heights. He can be reached on twitter @Zenati_Heights.

THE HEIGHTS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2018

A5

Unafraid of Crossing Oceans, Una O’Hanlon Says Hello

BY COLLEEN MARTIN Copy Editor There are three good things about Boston College’s dining halls: the omelettes, the muffins, and Una O’Hanlon.

If you’ve ever eaten in Mac, you know who she is—the cashier who greets people by name, asks about their weekend, and smiles at each pre-caffeine zombie student that comes to her line. Her friendliness and happiness are unrivaled, and her Irish brogue makes her impossible to miss.

Born to farmers in a small town called Carnmore just outside of Galway, Ireland, O’Hanlon is no stranger to hard work. She was a middle child, and the only reprieve of a daughter among nine sons. After her mother fell ill following the birth of her youngest, O’Hanlon became the de facto mother to her siblings.

She cooked, cleaned, and babysat as a young teenager, while her father worked on the fields. Although O’Hanlon’s mother was called a stay-at-home mom, she did all of the work that the men did, and more. It certainly wasn’t always easy, but O’Hanlon feels incredibly fortunate to have been part of a close family.

“I was lucky to come from a family that was very happy,” O’Hanlon said.

O’Hanlon recalls always having friends and family over to their home, as

her parents had family living across the country who needed a place to stay when they came to visit. Her parents’ devotion to faith, family, and friends is what made them who they are, and what O’Hanlon and her brothers try to emulate in their own adult lives.

O’Hanlon observed that while other families around her had falling-outs because of land or other familial issues, hers endured and stayed as tight-knit as an Irish wool sweater. In 1985, O’Hanlon decided to take a six-week trip across the United States and Canada. She traveled to Chicago and New York, ending her trip in Brighton, Mass., where five of her brothers already lived.

While leaving her lifelong home for the U.S. was a big decision, it was also an easy one. When O’Hanlon first came to the U.S., it was to visit her five brothers who had already immigrated. 1985 brought O’Hanlon to Canada, Chicago, New York, and ultimately Brighton, which already felt like home.

“I knew this is what I wanted,” she said. “I loved the life here.”

On Monday night of Labor Day weekend, O’Hanlon went out to the bar where her brother worked. She wandered into a bar filled to the brim with Irish people, including Jack, a man that she had never met despite him living a short distance away from her in Ireland

TAYLOR PERISON / HEIGHTS STAFF

Smiling while swiping your ID card, Una is a friendly face in McElroy Commons.

(think: Newton to Brighton). Although O’Hanlon went home shortly after, she returned back to the States the following year and began dating Jack seriously after that. They now have three kids and are happily married.

When O’Hanlon arrived in Massachusetts, she had no idea what she would be doing for a living. She left behind a stable, but monotonous, job as a secretary at a car dealership, where she missed being able to interact with all different kinds of people. She never questioned her decision to move to Massachusetts—while other people came with the idea of eventually returning home, O’Hanlon never planned on going back. She was excited and happy about the endless possibilities before her, knowing that America could give her the freedom to pursue things that she actually wanted to do rather than what she was expected to do.

O’Hanlon felt a strong social pressure in Ireland—people talked, and you were supposed to listen. People who worked jobs that weren’t considered “professional” by the status quo were often looked down on, and it seemed that you couldn’t live freely without people gossiping and judging. O’Hanlon felt that when she came here, she could do whatever she wanted—get a job, go out for the day—without facing the whispering of her neighbors.

“That’s one of the things I liked,” O’Hanlon said. “Anybody could do anything.”

O’Hanlon took advantage of being able to do whatever she wished without judgement—she worked odd jobs as a nanny and house cleaner before she had children, at which point she took off so that she could spend time with them at home. When her youngest was 5, she went back to work part-time, alternating hours with her husband so that her kids never had to be left with a sitter or uncared for.

While she was working at a sandwich shop, she met a Frito-Lay distributor that she became friendly with. He always told her that she should apply to work

in the dining hall at BC. He promised that it was a great opportunity and said that she should give his name if she ever changed her mind. O’Hanlon wanted to wait until her kids were old enough, but she applied to work at BC in 2000.

BC can feel like the most Irish place in the U.S. at times. I’ve never met so many Jacks and Shannons and Kates.

It seems that every other person seems to have a claddagh ring on, and “I’m Shipping up to Boston” by the Dropkick Murphys plays at every football game.

It makes sense, considering the roots of BC’s founding. And while BC is no longer a school only for Irish immigrants, the culture is still very much present.

O’Hanlon says that working at BC is the best thing she’s ever done. The pace, the people—it all caters directly to her passion for talking to people. She did notice, however, that working for a large company was very different from what she was used to at home, where everyone knew everyone. She felt that there wasn’t a personal aspect to the job in the way that she was used to. Instead of feeling downtrodden or overlooked, O’Hanlon made some changes of her own to feel at home at work.

As time passed, she grew friendly with students, asking them about their day, learning their names, and making conversation with anyone who was willing. She loves that she’s running around all day—you can often see her leaving the register to fi x the toaster or running back to the kitchen to grab something for a student or coworker. What might be stressful or overwhelming for someone else is what O’Hanlon thrives with.

She just thinks never a dull moment and carries on with a smile on her face.

O’Hanlon is so content that she wants to remain here until she retires—although she thinks she would consider taking a part-time job after that.

O’Hanlon believes that working is one of the most important things you can do. She doesn’t want to become the common retiree in Ireland—spending most of her time at home, forced out of work, expected to be mostly sedentary.

“I think you need to socialize,” she said. “You need to interact with people.”

O’Hanlon does have other plans for retirement beyond working—she hopes to spend as much time as possible with her children, and their families. Her daughter is engaged, planning to get married this year, and O’Hanlon is excited for when she decides to start a family. Ideally, she would be able to split her time between Ireland and here, keeping in touch with her family as her parents did.

Her three children have all finished school: Rory graduated from BC in 2013, Sarah graduated from the University of Maine in 2014, and her youngest, Laura, just finished at the University of New Hampshire and is planning to work in fashion merchandising. O’Hanlon believes that her children are incredibly lucky—even though they grew up in the U.S., they are very familiar with their Irish heritage and spent summers on the farm back home. They were incredibly close with their grandparents, but didn’t know any of the hard times that O’Hanlon and other Irish immigrants did while they were growing up.

O’Hanlon always reiterates how lucky she and her family are. She sees herself as lucky to have decent and good parents, lucky to work at BC, lucky to not know the hard times that other people did. O’Hanlon is above all things grateful—she has the ability to enter any situation and make it better because of her own incredible personality and ability to love others. She acknowledges that she got to where she is because of hard work. She believes that people shouldn’t be afraid to work hard, and that’s something that she and her husband made sure to encourage in their children. They never skipped school or acted irresponsibly—O’Hanlon taught them that there are some things you just have to do. She thinks that her values come from her upbringing.

“That would be the one thing that made me who I am: my parent s ,” O’Hanlon said. 

A Column About Patches, Bean, and Everything In-Between

BROOKE KAISERMAN I can’t be the only one jealous of the certainty with which everyone else seems to plan for their futures—the premeds who’ve dreamt of being doctors since they were seven, the private-equity-bound business majors of C$OM, and the poli sci majors taking practice LSATs are all throbbing reminders of my own indecision. My uncertainty shouldn’t be confused with a lack of enthusiasm: throughout my childhood I can recall a series of obsessions and a multitude of ever-evolving career aspirations—I’ve probably had twice as many career dreams as my friends.

When I was younger, the possibilities felt endless—and all of them were exciting. One day I wanted to be a Jelly Belly factory tour-guide, the next an old-fashioned ‘Soda Shoppe’ owner in Mountain View, Ark. My first big-deal aspiration was to become a teacher. I couldn’t have been more than 6, but I loved the idea of getting to impress my passions upon other people. I bought pointers, stickers, maps, and mini American flags, rifled through teacher supply catalogs I somehow got my hands on, and wondered how long it would take to save my pennies, nickels, and dimes to buy cots for my future students to nap on.

I subsequently decided that the primary expertise would be in giving “roly-poly lessons,” because under a browning shrub in my grandparents’ backyard lay hundreds of crawling “roly-polies,” or pillbugs. My obsession with them grew quickly: I built them habitats and racetracks, and even maxed out my library card on five books all about the armadillidiidae species. To many, they are an ordinary phenomena or even a nuisance, but I couldn’t learn enough about their 14 wiggling legs or what exactly made them curl up into pea-sized balls.

When I was 8, I adopted from my

third-grade classroom a crayfish that I named Heater-Hopper. Unfortunately, it died after a few days, but I couldn’t help my wandering daydreams of adopting a hundred more. I spent weeks trying to convince my mom to bring home just a few of the pincherclawed, scarlet crustaceans, which went for $3.50 per pound at the local seafood market. I wasn’t even discouraged after walking into my bathroom to find that the lobster had crawled out of its plastic tank and was standing in a very menacing position, pinchers poised, ready for attack on the tiled floor.

Not long after, I came up with a new idea: guppy breeder. I spent hours researching tank sizes and the best breeds, as well as keeping detailed checklists of all the equipment I would need. I had little experience conducting my own business beyond selling tepid 25 cent lemonade to relenting neighbors who passed by my house, but I applied my limited knowledge to brainstorm possible price points. I learned so much on the subject that I very well could’ve self-authored wikiHow’s How to Breed Guppies: 11 Steps (with Pictures) article at age nine, and perhaps used the commission to purchase my first filtered tank.

After getting my first real pet— meaning the first that wasn’t carried in grocery stores, a roborovski hamster named Bean (middle name Nut Butter), I was disappointed that she did little more than sleep, escape from her cage, and bite me, no matter how many freeze-dried banana slices I gave her.

But that didn’t make me cry any less when she died. In sixth grade, rather than throwing a birthday party, I handmade dozens of invitations with coral felt-tip marker, sprinkled them with glitter, and gave them to my classmates, to invite them to my hamster’s funeral.

I was worried about people feeling excluded, since I only invited about 20, but it turns out that wasn’t an issue.

Despite the catastrophe, it was a great time for the three people who came. Stuffed with chocolate cake, swinging lilacs above our heads with Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You” blaring in the background, we buried Bean in the front yard and

marked the gravesite with a popsicle stick. Sometimes I wish I was making this up.

When I later adopted my guinea pig Patches (middle name Pecan), I was again always looking for ways to go beyond the typical role of pet-owner. I bought the healthiest foods to shine his coat and boost his energy (tangerines and romaine lettuce), played the most calming music to relax him (Celtic flute), and deciphered the emotions behind each of his squeals (high-pitched wheeking meant he was hungry, while purring could have meant he was either content or perturbed.

I also frequented Petco, spending what little I had not on clothes or candy for myself, but on small animal walking harnesses. I decided my future was in the field of small-animal veterinary care when Patches got a thick piece of hay stuck in his eye and I nursed him back to health by feeding him antibiotics and yogurt through a syringe, and of course, playing him Celtic flute music while he lounged on my American Girl Doll’s bed. And after the Celtic flute, it was on to the chocolate factory.

One of my most memorable childhood trips was to Hershey’s Chocolate World in Pennsylvania. I still remember one of my first rides, on a 2 mph buggy on the Chocolate Tour, as well as the Hershey’s Kiss-shaped nickel necklaces sold in the gift-shop. But most of all, I remember the Jelly Belly-shaped hamburger I ate in the cafe. I went on a wild expedition to find the phone number of the magical Jelly Belly factory, which was quite a feat at that age and during that time. I brainstormed new ideas for flavors, hoping to mail them to the people in charge and win myself a seat at their taste-testing table.

Jelly Belly could do little wrong in my mind, besides the licorice and buttered popcorn flavors, and I thought that if I learned enough history, I could impress them on my trip to the factory and snatch up a job on the spot. Of course, I assumed the only rational employee benefit would be free jellybeans for life. Although I never made it to the factory, my passionate spirit and boundless imagination lead me to a much more significant journey for my

ARKANSAS

NICOLE CHAN / GRAPHICS EDITOR

golden birthday, 10 on June 10.

It was a rainy day, and I’d taken refuge in the library. I began to browse a series of state books on one of the shelves and randomly grabbed Arkansas’. Coming from California, I had almost zero knowledge of the state at the time, but as I skimmed the glossy pages I found myself marveling at its scenic, mountainous beauty. I decided Arkansas was going to be my favorite state. Less than a week went by before I knew nearly every Arkansas fact, from the state flower (apple blossom) to the dazzling state park devoted to diamond mining (Crater of Diamonds). On the surface, these appeared to be nothing more than trivia answers, but to my young self, they opened up a plethora of possibilities.

All of my classmates knew I was obsessed with Arkansas—I rarely let a day go by without talking about it. At lunch, instead of discussing times tables or the bouncy chicken nuggets, I would wax poetic about Arkansas’ water parks. I also found ways to make every creative journal prompt about Arkansas. I could be asked, What is something you want to learn to do? and I would respond, “how to go to Arkansas.”

Crazily enough, on the day of my birthday my mom surprised me with an end-of-summer trip to the Natural State. We flew into Little Rock and had a week to go all over the state. Hot Springs, Fayetteville, and Mountain View were all pins in our map. We stayed in quaint bed and breakfasts papered with rosette wallpaper. Every morning, I would try to cram more and more sugar cubes into my teacup, which stopped tasting like dirt to me around cube number four.

Mountain View was my favorite stop on the trip, and one that I’ll never forget. We drank milkshakes and caught blinking fireflies under the slipping sun. The next day, we went canoeing and coaxed dragonflies onto our fingers, and finished the day by eating elk burgers at a joint on the side of the road. The career possibilities for this trip were endless—I could see myself in every possible occupation and never working a day in my life.

When something piques my interest, it’s nearly impossible for me to leave it and walk away. These obsessions and aspirations have continued up to today, spanning topics such as the Gettysburg Address, Party City, golden age Hollywood cinema, and astrology, to name just a few.

I don’t understand exactly what about something fascinates me, but if something does, it holds my attention until I hold every fact about it, and uncover every truth—I only stop when I devote my mind to a new muse.

It’s scary to think that I don’t know exactly what I want to do, but the most important part is having a passion for whatever it may be, because passion makes life not only interesting, but worth living. Well, that and my new football obsession. After living my whole life thinking the NFL was flag football without the flags, I can now outfact anyone who tries to challenge my new Steelers obsession. I’m just saying, if #19 Juju ever wants to hire anyone to find out who stole his bike, I’d be the first to apply for the job.

Brooke Kaiserman is the Assoc. Magazine editor for The Heights. She can be reached at magazine2@bcheights.com.

The Heights

A6

EDITORIALS

Monday, February 5, 2018

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Student Survey Shows Need for Sexual Health Referendum

“Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.”

- Arthur Ashe

In December, a survey con- that only 42.4 percent of students strict stance on sexual interducted by the Students for Sexual indicated that they always use a course. Since the University Health (SSH) was available to condom during genital or anal adheres to Catholic values restudents in order to retrieve data sex. garding sexual activity, violations about Boston College students’ These numbers, although not of this policy are subject to punsexual practices. The survey was completely representative of the ishment via the Student Conduct posted in each of the class Face- student population, reveal that System. book pages so that it could circu- an alarming number of students In an attempt to provide more late among as many students as do not practice safe sexual activ- resources to students, UGBC is possible. It revealed the attitudes, ity. Although the sample is not holding a referendum asking stuhabits, and behaviors regarding scientific and therefore cannot dents their opinion on whether the sexual health of nearly 400 be called representative of the SSH should be able to distribute BC students, approximately 4.2 general student body, the survey contraceptives on campus. For percent of the undergradthe referendum to reach the uate population. student body on the UnderAbout one third of the “...students should add their graduate Government of students that participated Boston College presidential signatures to SSH’s proposed in the survey were memelection ballot, the SSH has bers of the Class of 2018. to collect 1,170 student sigreferendum.”

The gender ratio was even natures on a Google Form. more unequally representStill, if the referendum were ed, with about 74 percent to ultimately pass, it does of the participants identifying as should encourage students to not require the administration female. According to the results, be more mindful of their sexual to change its policy on the topic.

79.9 percent of respondents activities.

The SSH does not request that have been sexually active since As for the resources available BC provide the resources, but arriving at BC, 44.3 percent of to students now, SSH periodically merely allow the organization— participants do not know a place distributes contraceptives from funded completely externally—to near campus where they can re- their inconvenient location on distribute contraceptives to stuceive sexual health resources or College Road. University Health dents regularly and conveniently. contraception, and 42.5 percent Services provides birth control In light of the alarming rate of reported that they do not know pills only for non-contraceptive their peers who appear to not where they can be tested for sex- purposes, thus restricting stu- practice safe sex, students should ually transmitted diseases near dents’ options for safe sexual add their signatures to SSH’s procampus. The survey reported practices due to the University’s posed referendum.

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EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call Cole Dady, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or email news@bcheights.com. For future events, email a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk.

Metro Events Something going on in Boston that you think needs to be covered?

Have an event that BC students might be interested in? Contact Alessandro Zenati, Metro Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or email metro@ bcheights.com.

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Features Stories Is there a person at BC you believe has a story that should be told?

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A Reponse to “The Beatles are Overrated” I was incredibly disappointed to read a recent column for the Arts section titled “The Beatles are Overrated.” As a diehard Beatles fan, I tend to get very passionate about the subject. When people tell me they simply aren’t fans of the Beatles’ music, I (usually) manage to hold back explaining why everyone should be a Beatles fan. But overrated? It’s impossible to remain silent on that.

The Beatles are not overrated. Not by a long shot.

I will ignore the columnist’s most developed argument—that Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr as individuals are not as talented as other individual artists—because I don’t think that argument correlates to the “overrated” question.

The Beatles completely changed music and the way the public consumed it. Unusually for the time, they wrote their own music, initially by supplementing covers with original songs, but eventually churning out albums full of original material at a remarkable rate. They released 13 albums in seven years, and each album contains iconic, original songs.

McCartney, Lennon, and Harrison each earned reputations as prolific songwriters over the course of their careers—and rightfully so! I strongly disagree with the assertion that Beatles songs had “insultingly simple” lyrics with “little depth.” Indeed, over

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time, their songs became increasingly developed and profound. Some of my personal favorites are “Let It Be,” “Yesterday,” and “Here, There, and Everywhere”—but if you ask me next week, I’ll give you three completely different songs. That’s the magic of The Beatles. They experimented with so many different sounds over their (all things considered) short tenure as a band, making it easy for people with a variety of musical tastes to find something special to them in the Beatles’ catalogue.

I cannot overstate The Beatles’ inf luence on other bands . They paved the way for British groups like The Rolling Stones to come to America, ushering in the British Invasion. They set the bar for their contemporaries—a friendly rivalry between McCartney and The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson inspired Revolver, Pet Sounds, and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club, three influential and highly-regarded albums.

The Beatles completely changed the music industr y. The y b oth opened paths for other bands and set an impossibly high standard.

They influenced musicians across the globe and continue to influence current musicians. The Beatles’ impact in music—and in culture—is still felt today. In no way are they overrated.

Annabel Steele Heights Senior Staff

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The Heights

Monday, February 5, 2018

A7

Stereotypes in Oscar-Nominated Film Conserving on Campus 69

69

Robert Walmsley

Going to the movies alone - I don’t think people give this enough of a chance: Going to the movies by yourself is an enlightening experience and an underrated occurrence that many folks do not respect.

The freedom that comes with being alone at the movies parallels absolutely nothing that I have yet to experience in my life. Completely alone, I went to the West Newton Cinema yesterday to see a movie at 10:30 a.m.—I also give a hearty thumbs up to matinee shows because of the cheaper ticket prices and the elderly crowd that tends to go to the movies in the morning—and enjoyed the comfortable atmosphere of a theater filled with people that wouldn’t be asking me to explain the parts they missed because they stopped paying attention for five minutes. If you find it necessary to purchase snacks at the theater despite the fact that they’re overpriced, you can buy any snacks you want without worrying about your cheap movie-going companion. People might say independence comes when you go to college, or move out of your parents’ house, or buy your own car. I think these people are wrong: True freedom is only achievable once you’ve gone to the movies alone.

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I sat cramped in a small theater ready to indulge in Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy drama The Shape of Water. The film’s aquatically lyrical soundtrack filled the room in the title sequence, and the stage was set.

A few scenes later Elisa, the protagonist, and Giles, her neighbor, turn on the 1935 Shirley Temple flick The Little Colonel on a small TV set. A patented Temple dance number is shown, where her butler, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, teaches her to tap dance up a set of stairs. The scene is fun and exhilarating, and sets the stage for a film that touches on the magic of cinema and the power of defying conventions.

There is, sadly, another meaning hidden beneath: Robinson was an oft-stereotyped actor who began his career performing in minstrel shows. He danced and talked in a way that perpetuated the racist image of the black community that white America saw fit. Just last year, I would have glanced over this small detail.

I grew up in the small, white—like, 97 percent white—farm town of Stratham, New Hampshire, where I barely connected with anyone that didn’t look like me. When I came to Boston College, not much changed—well documented by many a meme on a certain social media page. I simply wasn’t experiencing diversity, nor the dialogue that comes with it. It was Stratham all over again. At least it was, until the racial incidents on campus showed me what can happen in a white-washed environment.

The discussions that followed altered my perspective tenfold. I worked through the issues with my professors and friends, but talking with classmates of color truly brought the reality home. There are racist incidents like the ones that occurred on campus, yes, but there is also an institutionalized, subtle racism. It’s quiet, hidden, and ingrained in the American psyche. Now I’ve discovered this is still evident in the whitedominated industry of Hollywood, not just in older films like The Little Colonel.

I have loved and analyzed films ever

since I laid eyes on the silver screen. I tracked my favorite stars, monitored when the the next PTA masterpiece would arrive, and always, always followed the completely arbitrary, vain award show season. Safe to say, I was excited to see del Toro’s latest Oscar contender. After Bill Robinson’s inclusion in the first few minutes, however, I kept a watchful eye on the rest of the film’s portrayal of black characters. The Mexican maestro’s films are known to have a political backbone behind the fantastical imagery, and I learned, thankfully, that his new Oscar frontrunner is no different. He comments on the racism and homophobia of the 1960s. His most important call for equality, however, is through the creation of a fully developed black character in Zelda Fuller (Octavia Spencer).

Zelda works as a janitor alongside Elisa at a secret government laboratory in Baltimore and serves as the voice for the mute protagonist. But she is anything but a mere mouthpiece. Zelda is tough, smart, and funny due to her own wit, not at the expense of a joke. She is also given added depth through her relationship with her husband, who she finally stands up to in the end. Most importantly, del Toro wrote a black character who is not a slave, criminal, or domestic—roles disproportionately given to black actors. Yes, she is the only central non-white character, but Zelda stands on her own, with her own character arc, which is a rarity that should be commonplace.

The next film on my list of Oscar favorites to check off was Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, written and directed

by Martin McDonagh. This film depicts a small Missouri town upended by Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand), whose daughter was raped and murdered without a single arrest. I adored McDonough’s previous efforts, and his trademark acerbic wit was evident throughout. I was surprised to find, however, the infused political subtext: There is an actual beating at the hands of an officer, and many characters allude to past hate crimes, including the torturing of a black man. ‘Ok,’ I thought, ‘He’s a skilled playwright, he can manage these different themes and tones.’ But I found, using the same newfound scrutiny I utilized while I watched The Shape of Water, that the politics infused in the film were a facade: McDonough crafts one-dimensional black

characters that are thinner than the pages on which the Irish scribe wrote this hypocritical morality tale.

The first two black characters introduced in Three Billboards are Jerome and Denise, although their names are hardly mentioned. Jerome helps put up the titular billboards, twice, with the second having added dramatic heft. Denise is a co-worker of Hayes, and seemingly her only friend.

Her sole impact comes when she is arrested for possession of marijuana offscreen, which is just a narrative tool to increase Hayes anger. It’s also a comment on mass incarceration, no doubt, but I never thought about her because I didn’t know her, so the connection was not earned. I kept thinking, drawing from my experiences in October: ‘Does this really count as inclusion?’

Toward the end of the film, a black replacement police chief, Abercrombie (Clarke Peters), is introduced out of thin air.

His only purpose is to turn the proverbial tables on the racist police force by forcing them to see a black man in charge—he operates as a convenient stand-in.

The black characters in Three Billboards are used as canvases to paint the maladies of the current political landscape of America, but lack the multiple dimensions that are representative of real, diverse people.

The Academy of Motion Pictures established itself as a forward thinking association by voting Moonlight Best Picture in 2017 and delivering a diverse group of nominees this year. Both The Shape of Water and Three Billboards attempted to meet these progressive standards and were rewarded with 20 combined nominations.

But do not fall for the armchair liberalism of the latter. When you watch a film, political or not, think about how each minority character is portrayed. Do they have an arc? Do they go beyond a stereotype? We marched in October for equality on campus and should also take steps to recognize the inequality that plagues the most prominent visual medium. Guillermo del Toro understands the issues of black characterization in film, while Martin McDonagh extends the objectification that plagued Bill Robinson into the 21st century.

Robert Walmsley is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

Reflecting on Micro-Bravery big groups of people in small spaces - @plexapalooza. I’m more unsatisfied with the crowd than the event itself. I just don’t understand why people actually want to be in such close proximity to so many people at one time. In all honesty, there was absolutely no reason for so many people to have been near the front of the stage—there was more than enough extra space in the back where absolutely no one stood. I understand that many people do enjoy the atmosphere of general admission concerts, but they can enjoy it without being on top of the people around them. The crowd’s hot, it’s uncomfortable, the people around you will step on your toes, your arms can’t move from your sides but they’re also probably pressed against someone else’s gross, sweaty body. I’m not the kind of person that enjoys physical contact of any sort, so when I’m surrounded by seven strangers who are all involuntarily touching me, I feel strongly inclined to flee immediately. Life in general would be significantly more agreeable if everyone was required to stay approximately a foot away from others at all times.

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Marta Seitz As you may have heard, the Office of Health Promotion invited speaker Rachel Simmons to campus this past Friday for her talk called “Braver in 75 Minutes.” My wide-open schedule on Friday left me looking for something to do, and the title of her talk was intriguing, so my friend and I decided to test out the assertion and see if Rachel Simmons really could really make us feel braver in 75 minutes.

Simmons talked about self-criticism, our fear of failure, and taking ourselves out of the running before we even give ourselves a chance to compete because we automatically assume we are not good enough. I found all of her anecdotes and diagnoses of our society resonated with me, especially at a school like Boston College, where students strive for an unwavering competitive edge. Have you taken the dry, easy A over the class where the subject genuinely interests you but the workload or intimidatingly brilliant professor may scare you away? As much as we might like to deny it, who here isn’t guilty of having taken the path of least resistance at one time or another? It isn’t just our precious GPAs that we prioritize at the expense of trying out challenging, rewarding classes.

I’ve seen—and experienced—this phenomenon with job applications, tryouts, and even friendships, where we fear exposing ourselves too honestly and vulnerably. We become too afraid to admit we’re earnestly trying at something that may reject us.

Simmons’s solution? She calls it microbravery. It is not necessarily fearlessly going after the biggest, most glittery accomplishments we can muster up the courage to pursue, but merely attempting the little goals that may—or may not—be successful.

Your first throw of a football was prob-

ably in a game of catch with Dad in the backyard, not an NFL playoff game. Why should our ambitions and goals be any different? Our sense of courage and ability to fail, like our capacity to play sports, are traits we learn and build up over time.

They must start small and be practiced.

So I decided to put Simmons’s theory to the test and try out some of my own moments of “micro-bravery.” I walked down the hall in Ruby and introduced myself to a room full of neighbors I hadn’t met yet. I volunteered to do a reading for the morning liturgy in St. Mary’s chapel. I struck up a conversation with a classmate I had never spoken to while we were in line for salads in Eagle’s. While none of these acts were resume-worthy, Simmons was right: There is an addictive thrill in taking risks, no matter how small. Maybe nothing more will come from these microbraveries, but sometimes we ourselves can’t predict the beneficial outcomes of even the tiniest acts of small-scale courage.

Haven’t we all experienced one of those little moments that turns into something more? My moment occurred on July 4, 2010. It was the summer before my freshman year of high school, and I was at a Fourth of July party full of semistrangers at a cabin in Wisconsin. I felt a hand grab mine and found myself getting dragged by my mom’s family friend over to an unfamiliar face. “Marta, this is Ann. Ann, Marta. You guys are both going to Visitation for high school next year.” And with that brief introduction, she left us to try and fill the awkward silence her absence created. I’m not even going to try and sugarcoat it: We stumbled through our forced engagement pretty clumsily.

Nevertheless, we both silently ignored the urge to retreat back to our respective families at the first polite opportunity and summoned the courage to keep talking.

Was it pretty awkward? Oh, incredibly. But we gave each other a chance. And guess what? We both recovered. Certainly neither one of us acted like a shining

example of courage, but it was just enough micro-bravery to lay the foundation for a friendship that neither one of us could have foreseen.

That girl from the Fourth of July party eight years ago? We ended up becoming best friends over the next four years of high school. I guess we even liked each other enough that we consented to sharing a college and ended up here at BC together. Fast forward four more years, and we’re about to walk on stage together at our graduation ceremony in May with four years as roommates, eight years as classmates, and more than eight years as friends. Had it not been for the forced encounter and our microbravery that day, I may have never met the girl I now consider to be one of my most permanent and cherished friends.

So what is the point of it all? Simply put, society will likely always ask us to bring forward the best version of ourselves in college applications, sports, job interviews, and friendships. But we need to change our mindset to realize that “best” is not synonymous with “perfect,” and that a little stumble here and there is all part of the process. If I stopped trying with Ann because she saw me at my most awkward, imperfect, pre-high school self, I would have missed out on a friendship I now can’t imagine my world without. Micro-bravery doesn’t mean entering the game with perfect performance to guarantee you will win.

It means putting yourself out there even when your blemished track record means you might lose.

So go ahead and pursue your own micro-bravery. You just might be pleasantly surprised by the outcome. And if that’s not the case and you end up falling flat on your face, let me leave you with one of my favorite quotes: “A mistake that makes you humble is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant.”

Marta Seitz is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

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

Mahima Menghani Over the weekend, I came across a popular tweet. It disappointed me, but also got me thinking about the importance of individual change in tackling the complex problem of climate change.

It reads, “When are we gonna stop pretending that it’s regular people’s fault the planet’s dying because they won’t go vegan or take 5 minute showers and start actually blaming corporations that produce astronomical pollution and dump toxic waste directly into the mouths of great whales?”

I recognize that the corporation’s pursuit for cost minimization necessarily ruins the biosphere. Corporations contribute enormously to greenhouse gas emissions and thereby exacerbate the process of atmospheric warming. The tweet frustrated me, however, because it appears to minimize the significance of personal lifestyle changes in mitigating the causes of climate change. Are people not capable of reducing their own carbon footprints while also fighting to hold corporations accountable for environmental injustice?

Avoiding either option would prove hypocritical and ultimately ineffective.

After reading about the lack of animal welfare regulations in the factory farming industry, as well as the high percentage of greenhouse gases emitted by meat production, I became vegetarian during my sophomore year of high school. The collective impact of dietary shifts, either by reducing red meat consumption through the practice of “reductionarianism” or cutting meat out of one’s consumption patterns entirely, could reduce humaninduced greenhouse gas emissions by over 20 percent. Adopting a more environmentally friendly diet leads to biodiversity conservation and reduced reliance on the water-intensive livestock industry.

Despite the many benefits of cutting back on a meat-based diet, vegetarianism is not the only solution and is not a perfect one. Making such changes in daily habits requires patience, commitment, and is difficult for those with other dietary restrictions or a limited budget. Countless other ways of reducing one’s carbon footprint can be incorporated into long-term lifestyle changes. Basically, doing something is better than doing nothing.

There are simple actions that can result in substantial decreases in luxury emissions: avoid travel by car when possible, turn on the heat only when necessary, consume less palm oil, and switch to the use of energy-efficient appliances. Most importantly, we should educate ourselves regarding the (un)sustainable corporate practices, support businesses that do not damage the environment, and generally aim to become more aware of our own contributions to climate change.

In college, making such lifestyle changes can seem impossible. In spite of our apparent inability to control our current consumption habits, we can make small decisions that, together, can cut total university emissions significantly. So yes, we can try to take less time in the shower and turn off the faucet when we brush our teeth. We should also take the extra 30 seconds to separate our food scraps into the appropriate recycling, compost, and landfill bins, and make better meal choices in the dining halls. Although the effects of these small steps seem negligible, the collective reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that results from using fewer resources each day and making more conscientious choices cannot be understated.

At the same time, we should encourage local leaders to take action by making political statements and advocate for better energy efficiency, alongside transparency from both politicians and those responsible for the prevalence of harmful business practices. We can bring about the institutional change needed to make sustainable lifestyles more affordable and commonplace. Above all, we should take the time to research the causes of climate change and to fight against this threat to the environment we live in by making progress towards lowering emissions in any way possible. The advantages of making small, personal changes should not be disregarded as part of the solution to climate change.

Mahima Menghani is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

THE HEIGHTS

A8

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2018

No Longer a Headline: Salvaged Stories from Puerto Rico Long after journalists put their pens down, Puerto Ricans at BC reflect on how their lives have been irreversibly changed.

BY BRENDAN RUBERRY

For The Heights

Ignacio Fletcher, MCAS ’20, hasn’t seen his home in five months.

The world he left may be lost to him forever.

Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico last September as a Category 4 hurricane. It spent the next 24 hours wreaking unfathomable destruction on the island. Infrastructure was wiped out. Damage estimates top nearly $100 billion, making it not only one of the costliest storms in United States history, but a human catastrophe.

The students here at Boston College, an ocean apart from their home, can only watch from afar as life in Puerto Rico trudges on without them. Family and friends are migrating to the mainland as the recovery effort has not made the meaningful strides that had been promised by U.S. leadership. Nearly half a year into the rebuild, many remain without a reliable source of drinking water. Roughly 40 percent remain without electricity.

The process is simply not moving quickly enough.

It’s easier for many to pick up whatever survived the storm, gather their families, and move to the mainland rather than rebuild at home.

Aside from occasional visits, many will never return to live there again.

“I’m kind of a little bit scared of going back home, because obviously I’ll see my family, and they’re OK, but not seeing my friends, not seeing where I grew up the same,” Fletcher said.

“It was just in a day that everything changed. Just a day.”

Born only days before the landfall of Hurricane George in 1998, he finds a sort of cruel irony in his recent absence from the island as it faces its greatest crisis. Obviously he couldn’t help when he was only a newborn, but he was there.

He suffered with them.

“It’s shocking because I was not even there, to be with my family,” he said. “Sometimes you say I prefer to be there with them and suffer with them, rather than to be here in a safe space, to be here, OK.” Many Puerto Rican families send their children to the United States be-

cause of its opportunities, economic and otherwise. They are U.S. citizens in name, but go without meaningful congressional representation. They do not have senators or representatives.

Puerto Ricans cannot vote in federal elections unless they claim residence on the mainland. At the national level, they largely go without a seat at the table.

Some of the Puerto Rican students at BC consider their home’s place within the country as utterly imperial, and divisions of opinion regarding self-determination run deep.

“People have joined together to move forward, but I don’t think that is enough,” said Mariela Casellas, MCAS ’18.

To illustrate her political leanings, she points to a prominent mural splashing a wall in the Old San Juan section of the capital. It reads, “Welcome to the Oldest Colony.”

Casellas’s frustration is common.

“Politically, it’s very divided,” said Gabe Emanuelli, CSOM ’20. “And our leaders have not been up to the standard.”

Puerto Rico’s current situation— American, but not a state; desperately in need of funds to rebuild, yet massively in debt—could hardly be less conducive to rebuilding in the wake of historic disaster.

Fletchr considers it Puerto Rican students’ job here at BC not to scold their classmates, but to wake them up. If people can’t be bothered to learn about Puerto Rico and its ills, how can they be expected to make the meaningful decisions regarding its determination?

He asks not that you harass diners at Lower for donations, or that you petition your state representatives or even the administration here at BC, but rather that when you have a decision to make with possible ramifications for Puerto Rico and those toiling to rebuild it, that you make it consciously. Also, he asks that you consider from time to time, whether you’re jogging the track in the Plex, ascending the Million Dollar Stairs, or taking the bus back from Agoro’s, that you stop to consider what’s happening in Puerto Rico.

“You just want other people to know what’s happening to your home,” Fletcher said.

The roads were ravaged in the days after the hurricane. News from the far

SAM ZHAI / HEIGHTS STAFF

Fletcher, who has not seen his home in five months, said that he is scared to go back to a home so different than the one he grew up in.

reaches of the island came slowly. Some students waited longer than a week to hear from family members. Andrés De La Cruz, CSOM ’20, would tag friends in videos on social media, hopefully giving them small glimpses into the conditions their families might be facing in those darkened regions.

Carolina Tiru, MCAS ’20, couldn’t verify her parents’ safety until seven days after the storm. It was another 72 days until her mother had power. Even then, Tiru could only communicate with them via landline. When she returned for Thanksgiving, it was apparent that the slow stream of aid to the island had barely trickled South.

Each day’s first task was finding water.

“We couldn’t even cook,” Tiru said.

“You would go to McDonald’s and wait in line for two hours to be told ‘Sorry, we only have chicken nuggets.’ So it was hard.”

But things looked better when she returned for Christmas. She spent New Year’s at her grandmother’s home in the coastal mountains of Ponce, Puerto Rico.

She had been miraculously spared much of the carnage dealt to rural homes.

It was on New Year’s Eve that Tiru and her family looked upward and watched as fireworks lit up a night sky

that had been, for lack of electricity, dark for months.

For the first time during those weeks that she had been back, Tiru felt enveloped by the old Puertorriqueño spirit that had been missing amid the destruction dealt by Maria.

It was a small but significant blessing.

As much of the island was still without power, those with it compensated by adorning their homes with even more festive lights than would normally mark the Christmas celebration from December to February.

Those without power simply fired rockets into the sky.

Despite the challenges of the present and those that lie ahead, Tiru and other students have found a thread of optimism and grasped it tightly, proving that hope exists among the still-empty shelves, bare palm trees, and obsolete traffic lights of their communities.

The grave issues besetting Puerto Rico, however, are varied.

Devastating as its effects were, Hurricane Maria exposed the island’s many vulnerabilities: its egregious lack of federal representation, its general lack of opportunity, and its glaring infrastructural concerns, including an energy authority not only massively in debt, but

also plagued with corruption. Just as it so callously leveled many of the island’s institutions, it exposed those that were rotten to the core at the outset.

De La Cruz wears a black hat, its logo a stylized, vertical gold icon of the Puerto Rican flag. He is, foremost, a realist.

According to De La Cruz, the cost of the recovery effort coupled with the island’s massive debt—$74 billion—has the island “between a rock and a hard place.” It needs a strong leader now more than ever.

“This is a time we need someone to step up,” De La Cruz said. “Someone we can point out and say, ‘That guy helped us move forward.’”

It remains to be seen, however, if the challenges facing Puerto Rico at home, as well as in Washington, D.C., will prove surmountable. For the help it needs, Puerto Rico will likely have to look within to move forward, and Tiru, Fletcher, and their classmates’ sights remain fixed on a brighter future for the island whose crippling was met with indifference.

“You can’t look at the past, and look at home, like, this is how it was in the past, you have to look at the future and how you see your home brighter than it ever was before,” Fletcher said. 

‘SNAP Card to Ride’ Supports Equitable Bike-Sharing

The program discounts subscriptions to Boston’s Hubway bike-sharing network for low-income individuals.

BY ALESSANDRO ZENATI Metro Editor On the street below the seventhfloor office of the Boston Department of Transportation (BTD) adjacent to City Hall Plaza, busy Bostonians are seen rushing across the street, hailing taxis, and checking their phones for the next bus to arrive. A row of bikes docked at a nearby station promises an ecologically friendly way to get from point A to point B, yet only a few passersby decide to take them for a spin.

Boston is special in its demographic diversity, but oftentimes the benefits of living in the city are shared disproportionately. Today, according to a report presented by the BTD, only 1 percent of residents utilize Boston’s bike-sharing program for their commute, but this may be due to their inability to pay rather than their disinterest in the service.

With the SNAP Card to Ride, the

City of Boston hopes to establish an equitable transportation modality that allows for low-income individuals to access discounted subscriptions to the city’s Hubway bike-share network.

Rolled out on Jan. 19 of this year after a trial run in December, the SNAP Card to Ride program is the first phase of a larger objective to expand access to alternative transportation options.

In this process, the Department of Transportation has partnered with the cities of Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, the town of Brookline, the State Department of Transitional Assistance, and Motivate, the city’s bike-share operator, to expand the service.

The new initiative consists of a streamlined online form that will allow verified income-eligible residents of the region to qualify for discounted $5 monthly or $50 annual Hubway memberships. While the intention is for the process to be easy to use for

B

everyone, the Department of Transportation has established an open door policy in the event that users have questions about the process.

The annual rate for a Hubway membership is regularly $99 for the general public, but the cost can be a real barrier for many families and individuals that are living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to make ends meet.

“Income inequality is increasing in the country, and we know that rents are very expensive here,” said Stefanie Seskin, the active transportation director for the City of Boston. “What we can do to help them is bring that cost down a little bit more so that they have the opportunity to use bike-share to help them get around.”

Moving forward, Seskin and the team behind the Go Boston 2030 mobility plan hope to expand the number of Hubway stations to 195 within the next few years. Ultimately, their vision is to implement bike-share-

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ANNA TIERNEY / HEIGHTS EDITOR

specific infrastructure that protects the consumer and upholds its stance as a public service. As it grows as a hub for innovation and economic opportunity, the City of Boston expects this expansion to support the transportation needs of the people that make it special.

“From the very beginning, the city heard loudly that equity is a big concern in transportation and making sure people have access to reliable transportation that is also low-cost,” Seskin said.

The implementation of the SNAP Card to Ride as part of the Go Boston 2030 mobility plan was informed by lots of collaboration and an extensive civic engagement effort that gathered information regarding the exigencies of citizens through different events.

For example, the city deployed a series of “What’s Your Question” trucks into various communities as a way for people to voice their opinions.

These clear-walled, repurposed food trucks welcomed visitors, allowing city officials to catalog the over 5,000 questions that were brought up. From there, the city has continued to organize workshops, community events, and in-person rides to incorporate as many people as possible into the planning process.

Despite requiring a good deal of time and energy on behalf of city officials, this transparent approach resulted in a series of project and policy ideas. Throughout the process, Seskin has stressed the importance of establishing effective communication lines between all those involved.

“We want to make sure that it’s as easy as possible for folks to know that this is out there,” she said. ‘The next phase is finding all the partners, getting them on board, and telling them about the program. It’s worthwhile to do, but it does take time.”

One of the main criticisms of the

public Hubway bike-share system in Boston is that supply has yet to meet demand. Since the bikes are located at static stations around Boston and neighboring communities, interested users who don’t have a station nearby are cut off from the service.

In this context, foreign bike-sharing companies such as Ofo, Limebike, and VBike—to name a few—have introduced the concept of dockless bike-sharing for general use.

Seskin is cognizant of the competition presented by private bike-sharing services, but contends that the Hubway platform servicing individuals validated through the SNAP Card to Ride system is far superior in terms of quality, reliability, and equity.

To create a more inclusive ecosystem, the City of Boston is offering a $5 a year membership to anyone that is a client or guest at any of the city’s homeless shelters or transitional housing centers. Additionally, all the bikes are maintained by a union shop that receives benefits and the support needed for the employees to perform their jobs safely.

“We have a minimum rideability standard for all of our stations,” Seskin said. “We work to make sure that the hiring process is as inclusive as possible ... to help [employees] get into a regular job with regular pay and benefits.”

The objective of Go Boston 2030 is to reimagine Boston’s transportation system by expanding the menu of services available to residents of the city.

Ultimately, the report is not just a vision, but also an action plan that will provide policymakers with a clear roadmap for the next 15 years and, ideally, beyond. The hope is that the improvements outlined in the plan will promote equity, economic opportunity, and climate responsiveness in the city. 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2018

Transfers Merit More

SPORTS

B1

@HEIGHTSSPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

BRADLEY SMART A year ago, Pittsburgh men’s basketball forward Cameron Johnson averaged 12 points and five rebounds and was slated to be the top returning scorer for a team that had limped to a four-win ACC campaign.

Instead, Johnson—a tremendous student who graduated from Pittsburgh in three years—opted to transfer. He picked North Carolina, immediately drawing anger from the Panthers’ athletic department. Pittsburgh’s ensuing statement said that any transfer within the conference would have to sit out a year, which would cost Johnson one of his two remaining seasons.

Johnson, though, was classified as a graduate transfer—which meant that he was allowed to play immediately at the school he transferred to, a move made famous back in 2011 when Russell Wilson left NC State to star at Wisconsin. The ACC’s rules additionally exempt graduate transfers from its intra-conference transfer rules, which require players not only to sit out a year, but lose a year of competitive eligibility.

This meant that Pittsburgh’s in-house rules were in opposition to the conference, and the backlash led to them relenting— flashforward seven or so months, and the forward is now averaging 13 points a game for the Tar Heels, since returning from an injury.

What Johnson’s story highlights is the significant imbalance between student athletes and the coaches and athletic departments they play for.

His story isn’t unique, and the frequency of such transfers is increasing. Boston College has had plenty of help in that department. Just this year, the much-touted Teddy Hawkins arrived from Illinois State to play basketball, while Jordan Chatman (BYU), Connar Tava (Western Michigan), and Mo Jeffers (Delaware) all arrived the year before.

See Transfers Merit More, B4

On Sunday afternoon, men’s basketball erased Georgia Tech’s lead and forced overtime for the second-straight game, only this time the Eagles pulled out the win.

BY BRADLEY SMART Assoc. Sports Editor When Jerome Robinson fouled out with three minutes remaining and Boston College men’s basketball trailed visGeorgia Tech 72 iting GeorBoston College 80 gia Tech by three points on Sunday afternoon, Conte Forum let out a collective groan. Without one of their three sharpshooting guards, the Eagles couldn’t space the floor nearly as well as they have all season. All that was left for the Yellow Jackets was to shut down the duo of Ky Bowman and Jordan Chatman.

They did that, but forgot about freshman Steffon Mitchell—who was left wide open in the right corner and buried a game-tying 3-pointer with 27 seconds left.

Then, it was Bowman who refused to let the Eagles lose their secondstraight overtime game—and fourth overall in a row. The sophomore guard danced, darted, and faded away for

eight-consecutive points in the extra period, guiding BC to a crucial 80-72 win over the Yellow Jackets (11-12, 4-6 Atlantic Coast).

Bowman, who was held scoreless for the entirety of the second half, elevated his game when the Eagles (14-9, 4-6) needed him most.

“He has an innate ability to understand and have confidence to take the moment,” BC head coach Jim Christian said. “There’s nobody else in the country, in my mind, that I’d rather have shooting that ball than him.”

Bowman finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Robinson and Chatman led the way with 19 apiece. Johncarlos Reyes turned in an impressive outing off the bench, scoring 10 points and pulling down four rebounds in the win.

The Eagles were down by as much as 13 with five minutes left in the first half, but came alive after the intermission. Chatman led the way with 16 second-half points, hitting 4-

See MBB vs. GT, B3

BY MARC OCCHIPINTI For The Heights What do Boston College men’s basketball and the New England Patriots have in common? On this Super Bowl Sunday, more than one would think. Hours before the Patriots are set to take on those other Eagles from Philadelphia in Super Bowl LII, Conte Forum hosted a thrilling opening act that saw BC (14-9, 4-6 Atlantic Coast) take down Georgia Tech (11-12, 4-6) in overtime 80-72.

The contest featured a remarkable resemblance to last year’s big game, seeing the New Englandbased Eagles taking on the Yellow Jackets who call Atlanta home. BC did not quite have to surmount a 28-3 deficit, but Georgia Tech took its largest lead of the game in the first half by going up 28-15. BC worked back to cut the deficit and sent the game into overtime, just as they did Wednesday night versus Virginia Tech. The Eagles, how-

ever, like last year’s Patriots, came out on top after a stellar overtime period on Sunday afternoon. With Ky Bowman doing his best Tom Brady impression, Jim Christian’s crew snapped its three-game losing streak, doubling last year’s conference win total with its fourth ACC victory.

Three Up 1) Ky Bowman The sophomore guard stepped up when his team needed him most on Sunday, after his partner-incrime Jerome Robinson fouled out with 3:12 to play in the second half.

After connecting on three triples in the first half, Bowman was held scoreless in the second half, but he elevated his game and took over in overtime. He scored eight of his 17 points, pulled in three rebounds, and added a steal in the extra frame.

Bowman took great care of the ball throughout, committing zero turnovers in overtime and just three

See Note vs. GT, B3

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

At North Carolina State, Eagles Fall Apart in Second Half

BY MIKE MALLEY Heights Staff Boston College women’s basketball was already on a downward spiral before taking on one of the toughest defenses in the conference Boston College 54 in North CaroN.C. State 72 lina State—and things went as well as expected. The Wolfpack (19-5, 8-3 Atlantic Coast), known for its height and rebounding ability, completely overpowered the Eagles (6-17, 1-9) on Sunday afternoon.

Not the biggest team to begin with, BC was limited even further by an injury to forward Emma Guy, and by the end of the

onslaught, it was dealt an eighth-consecutive loss by a final score of 72-54.

N.C. State’s size was the biggest difference in the game, especially in the second half where it had a plus-11 advantage on the boards. This allowed it to pull away emphatically, outscoring the Eagles, 47-29, after the break.

Wolfpack forward Kiara Leslie finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, her third double-double on the season, while Akela Maize, stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

BC’s Taylor Ortlepp and Georgia Pineau each put in valiant efforts, with 18 and 21 points respectively, but even that kind of output was not enough to overcome the

size and strength of N.C. State.

The first quarter started off slowly, with both teams struggling to score initially, but the game eventually got going. The Eagles and Wolfpack brought very different approaches to their offensive game plans: N.C. State looked to use its size inside, while BC wanted to stay on the perimeter and fire from 3-point range.

The Wolfpack was very successful in the paint in the first quarter, scoring 12 points inside. The Eagles, meanwhile, struggled to connect from anywhere on the floor, especially behind the arc—they converted just two of their nine 3-point

CELINE LIM / HEIGHTS STAFF

See WBB vs. N.C. State, B3

Despite only scoring six points, Andie Anastos was BC’s third-leading scorer on Sunday.

MEN’S HOCKEY

UConn Avoids Season Series Sweep, Upsets BC in Hartford

BY NICOLE PLA Heights Staff

LIZZY BARRETT / HEIGHTS SENIOR STAFF

Julius Mattila lit the lamp twice on Thursday, logging his second two-goal game this year.

INSIDE SPORTS

In its last game before the Beanpot, Boston College men’s hockey traveled to Hartford, Conn. on Thursday night with Boston College 3 four-game win Connecticut 5 streak over the Huskies on the line and a lot to prove.

After a decisive win over Massachusetts Lowell last weekend, the Eagles were determined to show that their previous offensive explosion wasn’t just a fluke.

But for the first time in four years, UConn got the best of BC. The Huskies jumped out to a two-goal lead less than seven minutes into the first period and never looked back, hold-

ing on for a 5-3 victory—the Huskies’ fourth in a row.

UConn (12-16-2, 9-11-1 Hockey East) dominated the first 10 minutes of play, quickly clearing the puck from its zone and capitalizing on scoring opportunities. Even though the Huskies frequently infiltrated Eagles territory, they were the first ones to go the box, as Kasperi Ojantakanen was called for high-sticking four minutes into the game.

No. 16 BC (13-11-3, 13-6-0) struggled to generate scoring chances during the first half of the power play.

Luckily for the Eagles, they were about to get a little bit more help: Less than two minutes later, Adam Karashik was issued a holding penalty, gifting BC a 5-on-3 advantage. Still, even that

MHOK: Eagles Stumble Against UConn WBB: BC Falls Short of Comeback Vs. Wake

wasn’t enough to get the Eagles on the board. Instead, the Huskies drew first blood.

As soon as Ojantakanen exited the box, he tracked down the puck and sprinted toward Eagles netminder Joseph Woll. With Corey Ronan to his right, Ojantakanen rifled a shot on net. Woll made the stop, but soon after, Ronan came swooping in, rebounding the shot and scoring a shorthanded goal to give UConn the lead.

All of 28 seconds later, the Huskies lit the lamp again. This time, Benjamin Freeman beelined for the point, alongside a few of his linemates.

Rather than whipping a shot on goal,

See MHOK vs. UConn, B3

SPORTS IN SHORT............................... B2

BC conceded at least one goal in all three periods of Thursday’s The Eagles outscored Wake Forest, 42-36, in the second half on MEN’S HOCKEY................................ B3 loss to the Huskies, its second in the last three games..............B3 Thursday, but, ultimately, the Demon Deacons prevailed......B2 BEANPOT PREVIEW................................ B4

The Heights

B2

Monday, February 5, 2018

VOLLEYBALL

Kennedy Hires Dartmouth’s Marissa Prinzbach as Assistant Coach

By Bradley Smart Assoc. Sports Editor

Boston College volleyball head coach Jason Kennedy made his first move in his new job on Thursday afternoon, announcing the hiring of assistant coach Marissa Prinzbach.

Prinzbach spent the last season with Dartmouth, where she had

a hand in the Big Green’s offense and led the program’s recruiting effort. She played two years at both UConn and SUNY-Buffalo before moving on to become a graduate assistant coach at Franklin Pierce.

“Marissa has all the tools I was looking for in an assistant coach and is someone that I’m excited to be building this program with,” Ken-

nedy said in a press release issued by BC Athletics. “Her background and coaching philosophy fit in perfectly with what Boston College is all about and I have no doubt that she will help to foster a culture and create a positive experience for our athletes.”

Kennedy is looking to rebuild a program that went just 73-176 over the past eight years under

Chris Campbell. The longtime Eagles coach resigned after a dismal 7-23 record this past fall, as BC won just two of its final 14 games. “[Marissa] is an excellent and efficient communicator,” Kennedy added. “[She] takes the time to get to know her athletes and cares about their development on and off the court.”

Prior to being hired as the Eagles’

head coach on Jan. 9, Kennedy spent eight years at University of Southern California, three of which he served on the Women of Troy’s coaching staff. Most notably, he was promoted to associate head coach for the final two years of his tenure.

Now, Kennedy and Prinzbach will be tasked with pushing BC out of the ACC’s cellar. n

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Against Wake Forest, First-Half Troubles Squander Eagles’ Chances

By Michael Bacon For The Heights

Moments before Boston College women’s basketball ran out onto the Conte Forum floor to face Wake Forest on Thursday night, Wake Forest 67 head coach Boston College 59 Erik Johnson warned his team that the game was going to come down to rebounds. His prediction proved prophetic: The Demon Deacons outrebounded BC, 47-22, and—despite a resurgent second half inspired by sophomore guard Taylor Ortlepp’s 16 points—handed the Eagles a 67-59 loss, their seventh-straight defeat.

Wake Forest’s duo of Alex Sharp and Elisa Penna—both players of inter national p e dig re e—dominated the glass, collecting three more rebounds than the entire BC team.

Sharp was a thorn in the Eagles’ side all evening long, ending the game with an impressive 22 points, as well as seven offensive rebounds. Throughout the course of the night, Wake Forest scooped

up 19 of its 34 missed shots—this was the number that irked Johnson the most.

“Getting outrebounded by 25, you have to be perfect in every other phase in order to overcome that, and clearly that’s a pretty tall order,” the sixth-year Eagles coach told reporters following the game.

BC got off to a slow start, scoring an underwhelming seven points and shooting 28 percent from the field in the first quarter.

Stumbling out of the gates has been the Eagles’ Achilles’ heel of late, being outscored by their opponent in the opening half of their past seven games, which have all resulted in defeat. During that span, they have gone on to win the second half on four occasions.

The trend continued on Thursday night, with BC heading into intermission down by 17. Johnson pleaded with his players to cut out the “sloppiness” that was seeping into their game, and they did, committing just three turnovers in the second half, after coughing up the ball nine times in the first half alone, five of which occurred in the final 10 minutes of the second quarter.

Now, with improved ball security, BC began to find its rhythm, almost doubling its field goal percentage, converting 52 percent of its shot attempts in the back half of play. This lift was due in large parts to Ortlepp.

“Taylor is a great example of our team,” Johnson said. “She’s never going to punk out, quit, stop trying, [or] stop listening.”

Her resilience was most evident in the fourth quarter, when she hit four 3-pointers, drawing the Eagles to within four points of the Demon Deacons, right around the two-minute mark. The last of the four, however, was answered by Penna.

On the offensive end of the court, the junior tracked down a loose ball and immediately tossed it up for a well-timed layup—a poetic if not brutal indication of BC’s game-long interior struggles.

This latest loss drops the Eagles to 14th in the ACC standings. Competitive as the conference may be, Johnson and his team undoubtedly must be disappointed with how they have fared in ACC play thus far this season. BC will be clutching at straws for good

Young kim / heights staff

Milan Bolden-Morris tied her career high, scoring 18 points on Thursday night.

news, but it may lie in the fact that there remain seven more opportunities with which it can pull itself up the table, all against conference opponents.

When prompted to look farther along the l ine, Johnson was candid with reporters.

“Unfortunately our record reflects

our inability right now to be able to string a 40-minute game together,” he said. “I know our team can play, but I also know our team can have those bad stretches—we’ve got to reduce those bad stretches and make them just a blip here and there, rather than an entire half.” n

Big 12’s Transfer Proposal is What Student-Athletes Deserve Transfers Merit More, from B1 In the Eagles’ cases, the players were released from their prior programs without a problem. Johnson’s path to Chapel Hill, however, is more common—both at the graduate and undergraduate level. It goes as follows: A player wants to transfer, and the coach grants permission, but then restricts where the player can go.

Eventually, after the player reveals the list he’s been limited to, the coach usually caves into pressure.

This pressure to free a player comes up time and time again, like when wide receiver Corey Sutton sought to transfer from Kansas State last season. Wildcats coach Bill Snyder was frustrated that Sutton was leaving after the wide receiver handed him a list of 35 schools he was interested in. Snyder blocked every single one, but later relented in the face of a media firestorm. Shortly later, Sutton left for Appalachian State University.

I’ve always felt that coaches shouldn’t be able to put restrictions on what schools a player can transfer to. Snyder’s display of initially blocking 35 schools was a show of power, simply flexing the control that coaches in the NCAA have.

Sutton’s struggles to get out are an alltoo-common experience.

Take Miami’s Evan Shirreffs, who is currently mired in a battle of his own.

The Hurricanes’ backup quarterback finished his business finance degree in three years, posting a remarkable 3.9 GPA. He submitted a list of some 18 schools, including several in the ACC—all with top graduate programs—that piqued his interest. Even as a graduate transfer, the Hurricanes are limiting his immediate

eligibility within the division, refusing to let him go to the likes of Duke, Virginia, North Carolina, Wake Forest, and BC—schools that feature renowned MBA programs.

Shirreffs has a hearing on Monday in an effort to overturn it, but currently, Miami unfairly has all the leverage.

People argue that the transfer limits are put in place to keep coaches from trying to raid their rival’s cupboards, yet the rules make it easy for coaches to penalize players for changing their minds or wanting better opportunities. With coaches constantly leaving—there were upwards of 40 new head coaches in D1 men’s college basketball this season—it’s not fair for the schools to curtail the player’s opportunities.

Enter the Big 12, whose conference committee announced at the end of last year that it’s seeking to correct the imbalance—drastically.

The graduate transfer rule would remain unchanged, but coaches and athletic directors would no longer be able to block athletes from transferring to specific schools. Additionally, undergraduates who transfer would still have to sit out a year, unless they met one of three exceptions: 1) An undergraduate could transfer and immediately play if the player’s head coach was fired or left the program. If they chose to follow the head coach to his next job, however, they’d sit out a year 2) An undergraduate could transfer and immediately play if the player’s program was sanctioned.

3) An undergraduate could transfer and immediately play if that player was a walk-on.

The proposal makes sense. It erases much of the NCAA’s rules that are unfriendly to athletes, placing them on a more level playing field. As millionaire coaches come and go, they leave their players in difficult positions—suddenly playing under a coaching staff they weren’t recruited by.

The public outcry over the Big 12 proposal has been swift, with the loudest criticism coming from coaches, as expected. Their complaints paint a picture of coaches worried about job security and their own success.

“We are getting ready to be a farm club system,” Southern Illinois men’s basketball head coach Barry Hinson said during the Missouri Valley Conference coaches teleconference last week. “If you think these guys aren’t going to be contacted, you’re living in a world that has fairies. And I’m telling you right now Tinker Bell ain’t in college basketball.”

“Which I think would be tragic,” SMU’s Tim Jankovich told SportsDay in response to the quote. “It seems like we would turn college athletics upside down.”

The thing is, college athletics need to be turned upside down.

I don’t believe in pure free agency, where student athletes have complete freedom, or in coaches being allowed to recruit players away from other programs. But I do believe that when talking about the new transfer proposal, you have to approach it with common sense—they’re just kids who signed letters of intent that unfairly restrict them from dealing with changes out of their control. The system is antiquated and punitive—coaches have too much power

over the young men and women within their programs.

Another knee-jerk reaction to the proposal is thinking that once a coach is fired, the incoming coach will have an empty roster after a flood of departures.

Some are also concerned that student athletes might use the rule change to transfer several times over their college career as a product of impulses, impatience, and indecision—after all, they range from ages 18 to 22. Take quarterback and wide receiver John Franklin III, for instance. He spent two years at Florida State, one at East Mississippi Community College, one at Auburn, and then a post-graduate year at Florida Atlantic.

The majority of arguments against the proposal throw their weight behind examples like this—with immediate eligibility, a student athlete could theoretically play four seasons at four separate schools.

Baylor coach Scott Drew described the potential future to ESPN as the “wild, wild west”—inferring that ­at the start of every season, preseason contenders would be filled with transfers from other programs and that any semblance of continuity would be gone.

Would it be, though?

Changes would bring more transfers, yes, but transfers don’t make up the majority of any rosters. Programs are built through recruiting, and that means that each year a coach wouldn’t be able to just completely rebuild the roster through this hypothetical “free agency.” Coaches still have to recruit, and it seems unlikely that it would be constant, dramatic roster turnover.

Additionally, the vast majority of college athletes don’t play at the next level, implying that choosing their school is about more than just the team they’re joining. Student athletes pour impressive amounts of time and energy for the opportunity to be recruited, then look to leave their mark at the next level. The motivations vary, but overall, it’s a chance to play at a higher level. What they do with it is up to them—they find homes, fresh starts, and potential to accomplish lifelong dreams. The program they’re part of is powered by them, so the idea that players would just automatically transfer constantly seems overly simplistic.

Yes, student athletes will have to exercise maturity—transfer rates are climbing already—but it’s the same accountability that coaches should be held to.

High-level college coaches come and go constantly, leaving behind a large portion of their players. It’s only fair that student athletes have the same liberty.

Some also believe that it would be difficult to keep tabs on everything, and that there’s potential for mid-major schools to feel the hurt. Maybe. But the Big 12 proposal is a step in the right direction in evening the playing field for collegiate athletes.

It’s hard to imagine that this proposal will be implemented in its entirety. More likely, it will only eliminate coaches’ ability to restrict, but that’s still progress. The NCAA transfer rules have always favored helping schools instead of players, so any change is a step in the right direction. n

Bradley Smart is the associate sports editor for The Heights.

He can be reached on Twitter @bradleysmart15

SPORTS in SHORT Hockey East men’s hockey Conference

overall

Boston College

13-6-0

13-11-3

Northeastern

11-5-3

15-7-5

Providence

10-6-4

17-9-4

Boston University

10-7-2

14-11-2

Maine

9-7-3

15-10-4

UMass Lowell

10-8-0

15-12-0

UConn

9-11-1

13-16-2

New Hampshire

5-9-4

10-13-5

Vermont

5-9-4

8-15-5

Merrimack

5-12-2

8-16-4

Massachusetts

5-12-1

11-16-1

Numbers to know

89

Minutes played by men’s basketball guard Ky Bowman in the past two games, both overtime contests.

48

Goals scored by women’s hockey in the second period this season, 17 more than any other team in Hockey East.

11

Losses for men’s hockey this season, the most before the Beanpot since 2001-02 when it finished 15-19.

QUote of the week

“ ...Nobody else in the country that I’d rather have shooting the ball.”

— Jim Christian on Ky

Bowman’s late-game performance against Georgia Tech.

The Heights

Monday, February 5, 2018

B3

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

With Loss to Wolfpack, BC’s ACC Skid Hits Eight Games WBB vs. N.C. State, from B1 attempts. Ortlepp hit both of them, leading all scorers with six points in the quarter. Still, BC trailed by seven at the first intermission.

The second quarter got off to a fiery start, when Eagles head coach Erik Johnson received a technical foul for yelling at a referee after a foul was not called in his favor. He had to be held back by assistant coaches and was visibly upset.

This exchange seemed to fire up BC, as the Eagles went on a 8-1 run after the incident—including a third 3-pointer from Ortlepp. Her shooting, along with an array of N.C. State fouls, allowed BC to make a comeback, eventually taking the lead for a period of time. N.C. State’s defense responded, and both teams went cold toward the end of the half. Neither team shot

the ball particularly well, with both sides making less than a third of its attempts.

The early run by the Eagles was enough to pull the game back within their reach, and the half ended in a deadlock at 25 apiece. Ortlepp starred for BC, and led all scorers in the first half with 14 points, including shooting 3-for-6 from 3-point land.

The second half featured lots of of back-and-forth play early on, but, in due time, the Wolfpack strung together a pair of lengthy runs. They went on a 9-0 run with about six minutes left to play, then added a separate 8-0 stretch just two minutes later. BC simply could not stop anything N.C. State threw at it, as the Wolfpack scored from inside, outside, and mid-range.

Leslie continued to lead the way for N.C. State, who extended its lead to 15 after three—the Eagles were outscored

29-14 in the quarter.

The fourth quarter was relatively uneventful, as BC continued to be outplayed, but N.C. State had its own shooting blunders too. There was a period of about three minutes in the quarter where neither team made a field goal. The Wolfpack coasted down the stretch, though, eventually winning by 18.

A big struggle as of late for the Eagles has been the lack of depth of scoring. During the losing streak, all of the scoring has seemed to come from one or two players, and there has been little output from role players. On Sunday, Pineau and Ortlepp accounted for over half of the team’s total points, which is problematic in any game. This will need to change quickly if BC wants to get back on track after an eight-game slide and start putting up numbers in the wins column. n

37.3

field goal percentage

15

points scored by players not named Pineau or Ortlepp

47

second-half points allowed

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Against Georgia Tech, Bowman Guides Eagles to Overtime Win MBB vs. GT, from B1 of-7 from 3-point range. The junior guard couldn’t be contained, knocking down both open looks and heavily contested ones.

The lead for GT quickly dwindled. It sat at seven four minutes into the second half, but a Reyes putback and Robinson fadeaway set up Chatman for a gametying 3-pointer at the 14:31 mark. The Eagles seized the momentum, building a seven-point lead over the next seven minutes or so.

“We just started executing a little better,” Christian said of his offense. “We didn’t move the ball against the zone well early on. We really emphasized getting the ball where we wanted—we were too stagnant early.”

BC couldn’t stay ahead, though. Costly turnovers set up a run for the Yellow Jackets, who tied it back up at 59 apiece in a span of just three minutes. The teams traded blows for the next four-and-a-half minutes before Robinson’s exit. But, just a minute later, GT lost its best scorer too.

Talented guard Josh Okogie, who had scored 12 points on the day, fouled out, leaving head coach Josh Pastner without his primary offensive weapon for the game’s closing seconds and, eventually, overtime.

After Mitchell’s equalizer, the Yellow Jackets had a shot to tie, but freshman guard Jose Alvarado was called for a traveling violation. Bowman wasn’t able to convert a layup as the clock wound down, but more than made up for the missed shot in overtime.

Despite shooting almost 60 percent from the field in regulation, GT went on to miss seven of its eight shots in overtime, as they were outscored, 11-3. It was a tough loss for the Yellow Jackets, who had chances early to put the game away but couldn’t pull it off, despite having six scorers in double-digits.

GT led 36-28 at halftime on the strength of its post presence. The Yellow Jackets consistently slashed their way inside, feeding big men Abdoulaye Gueye and Ben Lammers, or scoring layups as Brandon Alston and Okogie worked their way to the rim.

The lead stretched to as much as 13 with five minutes left in the first, thanks to a struggling Eagles offense. Chatman missed his first six shots, including four

from 3-point land. Luckily for BC, it was bailed out twice by 3-pointers at the shot clock buzzer. Still, the Eagles didn’t score for a pair of three-minute stretches, enough to set them back.

When they finally did get going, it was solely on the shoulders of Bowman. The guard knocked down a corner 3-pointer and then one from the top of the key, cutting the lead in half over the course of just two possessions. That was as close as they’d get in the opening 20 minutes—a layup inside from Alston and an emphatic fast break dunk from Okogie created further separation.

With Popovic struggling inside, Christian turned to Reyes off the bench—and got an inspired effort. The sophomore scored six of his 10 points in the opening

half, rolling off ball screens well to finish at the rim.

“This was a good game for him because of how they were playing,” Christian said.

“He’s a really good roller and they stayed on the wings. He’s our best finisher of our big men and gave us great minutes.”

On Wednesday against Virginia Tech, the Eagles didn’t hit the shots they needed to. They made just one of their five shot attempts in the overtime period, en route to the five-point loss. This time around, Bowman and Co. didn’t let the game slip away. BC drilled four of its last seven shots on its way to a pivotal conference win, proving that it does have what it takes to close out games when the stakes are high, even without Robinson on the floor. n

Improved Ball Security, Perimeter Play Paves Way for BC Victory Note vs. GT, from B1

Tiger Tao / Heights Staff

The Eagles snapped their season-long, three-game losing streak with Sunday’s victory.

in the game. With Robinson sidelined, he attacked the hoop and drew defenders.

Bowman’s athleticism helped him finish in traffic with the points that BC needed to pull this one out. The point guard impacted the game with more than just scoring, grabbing eight rebounds and improving on the outstanding 7.0 rebounds per game mark he entered Sunday with. He shot 6of-13 for 46 percent from the field, which isn’t phenomenal, but it is higher than his season-average. It marked just the second time in his last five games that he eclipsed 36 percent on field goals.

2) Perimeter Offense and Defense Jordan Chatman struggled on Wednesday night, hitting just one of his five 3-point attempts and finishing with just six points.

On Sunday, though, the marksman returned to his normal form, catching fire from deep in the second half. He connected on four 3-pointers after missing his first six shots, enabling the Eagles to storm back and cut the deficit. The team shot an exceptional 11-of-23 from beyond the arc, an advantage it desperately needed. Steffon Mitchell hit a timely 3-pointer with 35 seconds left to play, tying the game at 69 and sending the game to overtime. The Eagles also played much better 3-point defense than they have in the past couple games. BC has struggled with closing out on shooters, a product of chasing penetration and leaving the arc open. GT, however, was not able to get up many open triples in this one, making just five of 14. BC was able to put together

possessions where it played strong defense for 30 seconds and forced contested threes at the end of the shot clock.

3) Turnover Margin The Eagles turned the ball over 13 times on Sunday, matching their season average. The Yellow Jackets also coughed up the rock 13 times, giving the Eagles a turnover margin of zero. It may not seem like it, but this is both significant and encouraging for BC fans because negative turnover margins have plagued the Eagles all season. Coming into this game, they’d lost the turnover battle in 15 of 22 games. They were able to overcome these struggles against lesser competition, but they are just 2-5 in the ACC when losing the turnover battle. In ACC play, every possession is valuable, and the Eagles did a good job on Sunday of controlling the ball and forcing GT turnovers down the stretch.

Three Down 1) Interior Defense The Eagles struggled to contain the Yellow Jackets’ interior attack all afternoon, as they were outscored in the paint, 22-8, in the first half, and 38-26 overall.

The drawback of BC protecting the 3point line is that it left numerous driving lanes open. GT’s talented group of guards was able to work its way into the paint for easy finishes or dishes to open big men underneath the hoop. Too many layups went uncontested for a Yellow Jackets frontcourt that matched up practically equally in size with BC’s. GT big men Ben Lammers and Abdoulaye Gueye often had

strong post position, which led to more easy buckets in the painted-area. The Eagles need to improve at making big men catch the ball in the post further from the basket, making these shots tougher.

2) Falling Behind BC is a much stronger second halfteam than a first-half team, and its streaky shooting can always create quick runs, but this kind of double-digit deficit is becoming an all-too-familiar story. Today’s game marks the fourth time this season that the Eagles have come back from a 10-plus point deficit to win a game, which is impressive and displays the team’s never-saydie mindset. But if they could take these prolific runs and use them to extend leads instead of cut into massive deficits, they’d have a better chance at pulling out the close games that they’ve lost in this fashion, such as the nail-biting games against Clemson, Louisville, and Virginia Tech.

3) Fast Break Failure BC scored zero fast break points on Sunday, which is certainly an area where it can improve. Few people can keep up with Ky Bowman and Jerome Robinson in the open court—both are speedy guards that enjoy crashing to the rim. This, along with Chatman’s ability to spot-up and Mitchell’s speed as a stretch four, seems to constitute a formula that would create more easy baskets in transition. While BC has had issues with turnovers as mentioned before, pushing the ball in transition while the defense is not set presents plenty of scoring opportunities for the Eagles, especially because it suits Christian’s team’s skill set. n

MEN’S HOCKEY

Led by Ronan, Huskies Beat Eagles For First Time in Four Years MHOK vs. UConn, from B1 the sophomore dished the puck to Spencer Nass, who wristed one past Woll. Despite the deficit, the Eagles weren’t deterred. In fact, they fired back in just 19 seconds. After receiving a pass from Christopher Grando, Julius Mattila ripped a shot that hit off UConn goaltender Tanner Creel and trickled past the goal line. In the last eight minutes of the period, BC took charge of the puck and kept it in UConn’s zone, but it couldn’t get past the Huskies’ defense to tie up the game and headed into the locker room trailing by one.

The second period was rife with penalties. Right off the whistle, Gra-

ham McPhee pushed the puck behind Creel, only to be checked into the boards by Derek Pratt, who was promptly called for charging. The Eagles’ one-man advantage was shortlived, thanks to a David Cotton holding penalty, his 10th of the kind this season. Neither team could make a move on the other, and the game returned to full strength. It wasn’t long before BC was back on the power play, though. After Casey Fitzgerald took a spill, Joseph Masonius was sent to the box for tripping. Less than 30 seconds later, Brian Rigali joined his teammate for interference. Despite the two-player advantage, BC continued to come up empty on the offensive end of the ice.

As the Eagles were playing out the second penalty, they finally found their mark. Following a back-and-forth exchange, Michael Kim set up Mattila for a one-timer goal, his second scoring play of the game. BC controlled the puck for much of the second period, but it couldn’t beat Creel. Eventually, UConn tipped the scale, and Max Letunov pocketed the Huskies’ third goal of the night, right before the end of the frame.

The Eagles had a one-player advantage heading into the final 20 minutes of play after Nass was flagged for UConn’s seventh penalty of the night in the waning seconds of the second period.

But it didn’t matter—BC’s power-play magic was gone. The Huskies quickly

killed the penalty and snapped back into their first-period form.

Like it has been of late, the final frame proved difficult for the Eagles.

Kim was sent to the box for playing with a broken stick after falling on the puck in a scrum a few minutes into the period. Fortunately for BC, the Huskies’ power play was short-circuited when Alexander Payusov was caught in the act of tripping. The late penalty didn’t faze the Huskies though, and Ronan tallied his second goal of the night with a wrister from the circle just six seconds before Kim was due to return to the ice. The Franklin, Mass. native used McInnis as a screen, shielding Woll’s line of vision, as he delivered the shot.

After a UConn turnover, J.D. Dudek cut the Eagles’ deficit to just one with seven minutes left to play.

That said, the late goal hardly swung the game’s momentum, and BC found itself playing catch up the rest of the way. The Eagles took out Woll with under two minutes to go, but the extra reinforcement backfired, as UConn recorded an empty net goal to complete the upset.

With the Beanpot and a rematch with UMass Lowell on tap, the Eagles needed to steal this game on the road.

Now, a loss to Northeastern on Monday—essentially a two-point swing in the conference standings—could severely threaten the Eagles’ first place hold atop Hockey East.” n

THE HEIGHTS

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2018

HOCKEY

TROPHY

SEASON

H 2 0 1 8 B E A N P OT Once again, the college hockey world will focus on four Boston-area teams as they battle it out in the annual Beanpot tournament, which includes eight total games from Feb. 5-13.

Women’s: Eagles Look for Third Title in as Many Years

BY ANDY BACKSTROM Sports Editor For the second season in a row and the third time in the past four years, the women’s Beanpot Championship featured the new and the old: a Boston College unit that had strung together seven-straight 20win seasons and taken home five of the last 10 Beanpot trophies, and a Northeastern program—one that has claimed 16 Beanpot titles, two more than any other team in the field—that had been dominating the midseason tournament since the late 1970s.

But unlike the 2016 matchup, last year’s championship bout at Matthews Arena went down to the wire. And for a while, it appeared as if the Huskies were bound to hoist the trophy for the first time in four years. Following two periods of scoreless hockey, Northeastern’s Kasidy Anderson corralled Andrea Renner’s clearance pass near the red line and sprinted toward BC goaltender Katie Burt. With no one else to beat, Anderson went top shelf, handing the Huskies a one-goal lead, just over a minute into the final frame.

All of a sudden, the Eagles’ offense came back to life. Approaching the midway point of the period, Delaney Belinskas relayed the puck to Kristyn Capizzano, who then rifled an equalizer past Northeastern netminder Brittany Bugalski. Less than four minutes and a Heather Mottau penalty later, Erin Connolly muscled a shot through traffic and into the back of the cage, propelling BC to a 2-1 lead—one it would hold for the rest of the game.

With the victory, the Eagles defended their Beanpot title for just the second time in program history. BC will get a chance to do it again this time around, only now it’ll be on its home ice. That’s assuming that the Eagles advance to the championship, of course. There are three other teams that are just as capable of pulling off an upset and leaving their mark on Kelley Rink—maybe not during the regular season, but during the Beanpot, when anything is possible. Here’s what to expect from this year’s field: Harvard Aside from Northeastern, Harvard (912-2, 7-9-2 ECAC) is the only team to have won 10 or more Beanpot championships over the course of the tournament’s 40-year existence. That said, of late, the Crimson haven’t been putting up too many banners inside Bright Hockey Center. Interestingly enough, Harvard has only won two Beanpot titles this decade. The lone ECAC representative might have to wait another year to get back in the running.

So far this season, the Crimson have been anything but consistent. Since starting the 2017-18 campaign 3-0, Harvard has only strung together one win streak.

What’s even worse is that four of its nine wins have come against two teams: Princeton and Dartmouth. Since the beginning of January, the Crimson have been on the decline, losing eight of their last 11 games.

Out of all the Beanpot teams, Harvard has only played BC this year—and it hasn’t been pretty. In both matchups, the Eagles torched head coach Katey Stone’s team by

a combined score of 14-3. BC’s scoring duo of Daryl Watts and Caitrin Lonergan made the most of the Crimson’s 27th-ranked defense. Offensively, though, Harvard isn’t too shabby. Streaky as any unit the country, Harvard has logged five or more goals on five separate occasions this season.

Boston University By far, Boston University men’s hockey has won the most Beanpot championships of the tournament’s four participants. Its women’s team, on the other hand, can’t say the same—in fact, its fortune is quite the opposite. The Terriers have reached the final a mere five times and have only brought the trophy home once in program history. That fateful day was 37 years ago.

From then on, despite making six NCAA Tournament appearances and booking two trips to the Frozen Four, BU has had no luck in the Beanpot. It came close to turning the tables back in 2012 when it forced overtime in the championship game.

Ultimately, though, Northeastern prevailed, 4-3, sending the Terriers home with yet another second-place finish.

Currently, BU (10-14-6, 6-11-5 Hockey East) is on pace to finish the year with a losing record for the first time in eight years.

The Terriers have one of the best offenses in the nation, cracking the the top 10 in goals per contest. Thanks to Victoria Bach and Rebecca Leslie, BU joins BC and Clarkson as the only three teams to have multiple players rank inside the top 10 in scoring.

The problem is, the Terriers’ defense doesn’t do the team any favors, allowing an average of 2.83 goals a game. Luckily for BU, it’s

played some of its best hockey against the Beanpot’s top two teams: BC and Northeastern. Although it is a combined 0-4-2 against the conference’s best, it’s given them a run for their money, taking both the Huskies and Eagles to overtime this season.

Boston College Ever since Katie Crowley took over for former head coach Tom Mutch, the Eagles have owned the Beanpot. Over the past nine years, BC has been crowned champions on five separate occasions—three more than any other team in the field. Not only have the Eagles ended up on top on a regular basis, but they have typically done so in a dominant fashion, outscoring their opponents a combined 16-3 in those five title games. Not to mention that two out of the four years that BC has failed to win the Beanpot during Crowley’s tenure, the Eagles have still reached the championship game.

On paper, BC is all but a lock for the final. The No. 2 Eagles (24-2-3, 17-1-3 Hockey East) who have already clinched the Hockey East regular season title, are the only team in the competition with a winning record. What’s even crazier is that the Eagles have won at least 11 more games than each of the other schools participating. From top to bottom, BC’s roster is lined with talent, starting with Watts and Lonergan. The two lead the NCAA in scoring, both having eclipsed the 60-point mark before anyone else in the nation. A couple spots below the pairing lie Makenna Newkirk (seventh) and Toni Ann Miano (15th). But BC isn’t just an offensive jug-

gernaut—it also has the country’s all-time winningest goaltender. In her four Beanpot Championship games, Katie Burt has conceded just four total goals.

Northeastern It’s been five years since the Huskies last won the Beanpot, which seems like an eternity, considering that Northeastern took home 10 of the tournament’s first 13 championships. Each of the past two seasons, head coach Dave Flint’s team has been primed to end its title drought, surpassing the 20-win mark both years. But as soon as the Huskies got to the final, they choked. In 2016, Northeastern swallowed a 7-0 shutout to BC—one in which it allowed five goals in the final frame. Last year, the Huskies’ third-period collapse was even more gut-wrenching. No matter what happens, Northeastern won’t have to play the Eagles in the championship this time around—that meeting is reserved for Tuesday’s first round matchup.

If there’s any team that can beat BC, it’s the Huskies (13-13-3, 9-10-2 Hockey East).

After all, they’ve already done it once this year. On Jan. 12, Northeastern rode a trio of goals in the third frame to a 4-2 upset, snapping the Eagles’ 12-game unbeaten streak—one that practically spanned two months. Then, one day later, the Huskies erased a 3-1 first-period deficit, scoring three goals in the ensuing frame. Unfortunately for Northeastern, Watts and Miano rescued BC, forcing overtime and notching the game-winner, respectively. The weekend series set up a dramatic Beanpot showdown and showcased just how potent the Huskies’ offense really is. 

JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS SENIOR STAFF | TAYLOR PERISON / HEIGHTS STAFF

Last season, Harvard men’s hockey pulled off the improbable, winning it’s first Beanpot title since 1993. Meanwhile, Boston College women’s hockey continued to dominate, winning for the second-straight year.

Men’s: Northeastern Poised to Win First Beanpot in 30 Years

BY BEN THOMAS Asst. Sports Editor

Nine, eight, one, zero—these numbers represent the number of Beanpot championships in the twenty-first century for Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, and Northeastern men’s hockey, respectively. This lopsided statistic has shown just how dominant the Eagles and Terriers have been in recent years, but it was only last year that the Crimson were able to claim their first title since 1993. In the past three years, these three teams have all won the Beanpot. You have to go back to 1988 to find the last time the Huskies were able to boast the same achievement. But, as the only USCHO Top 15 team coming into the Beanpot, Northeastern is the favorite to win it all. Despite this, all four teams rank within the Top 25, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see this being the most exciting Beanpot since 2015—a tournament that featured three overtime games and another title for BU.

Boston College

With no true star—or a lot of experience, for that matter—on the team, the Eagles (13-11-3, 13-6-0 Hockey East) have been led by play from their younger starters.

Sophomores Graham McPhee, Julius Mattila, and David Cotton are the three leading goal scorers on the team, and freshman Logan Hutsko has certainly done his part with five goals and 12 assists. Overall, BC has 13 skaters currently with double-digit points, a sign of great depth. However, this hasn’t produced consistent results. The Eagles have allowed more goals than they have scored this season and have a goals-for average that currently ranks in the bottom half of the NCAA. BC is uncharacteristically just two games above .500, and has yet to win a game on neutral ice this year. With just one win their past three games, the Eagles come into TD Garden searching for momentum.

BC was knocked out of the Beanpot in 2015 by the Huskies the last time the two faced off, but was also victorious in the title game against Northeastern the year prior.

Northeastern The question all Husky fans are wondering is if this is finally their year. Northeastern (15-7-5, 11-5-3 Hockey East) suffered devastating Beanpot title losses in overtime in 2005, 2011, and 2015, and has lost the last nine times it has have been in the championship round. Before getting there this year, though, it must beat the Eagles. To do so, the Huskies will rely on goaltender Cayden Primeau, who ranks eighth in the country with a 2.01 goals against average.

Primeau has started 11 games allowing one goal or fewer and has been a huge factor in the Huskies’ success this year. On offense, Northeastern is led by Adam Gaudette and Dylan Sikura. Gaudette is tied for the most points this season with 39, and Sikura is just three points behind him at 36. Gaudette has scored eight of his 19 goals on the power play, and he is the key reason why the Huskies are one of the best with a manadvantage in the country. Their conversion rate of 26 percent is tops in Hockey East, and if the Huskies are to win their first title

in 30 years, the man-advantage will be the reason why.

Boston University With six skaters above the 20-point mark, the Terriers (14-11-2, 10-7-2 Hockey East) boast some of the most consistent forward play in all of college hockey. Bobo Carpenter’s name may not strike fear into the hearts of his opponents, but his 16 goals in 26 games certainly does. BU’s leading scorer has an impressive shot conversion rate of 19.5 percent, and has five multi-goal games. If the junior from North Reading, Mass., can get just one goal early on against Harvard, he’s more than likely to stay hot the rest of the way. Along with Carpenter, Shane Bowers has had an incredibly successful season. The freshman has 13 goals this year, tallying in each of his past three games. As a team, the Terriers have not lost in their past seven games, riding a five-game winning streak into the Beanpot.

BU has a 1-3 record against the rest of the field, but certainly has the chance to do some damage.

Harvard

Despite being the defending tournament champions, the Crimson (10-8-4, 9-5-3 ECAC) come into the tournament as the underdogs. They have the lowest ranking of the four teams, and are certainly not the same team as last year. The only player who has played at a high level since that win, however, is Ryan Donato. The junior leads the nation with 21 goals and has nine assists to go with it. Other than Donato, though, Harvard has struggled to generate an offense. Donato’s 124 shots this season are 59 more than anyone else on the team, and the team has just an 14.8 percent conversion rate on the power play. To make matters worse, Donato will be playing for Team USA in Pyeongchang, South Korea—he will not be able to play in the second round on Feb. 12. Just like BC, Harvard comes into the Beanpot having lost two of its last three.

BU isn’t the most formidable first round opponent for the Crimson, but it seems more likely that they’ll be in the consolation round rather than returning to the title game. 

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2018

Timberlake Channels Southern Roots on New Album

BY AUSTIN HORD Heights Staff

It’s pretty much impossible to fit the complex giant that is Justin Timberlake’s style under the umbrella of any one particular genre. Pop and R&B probably come the closest to covering it, but there’s so much more to his music.

It’s also equally impossible to listen to Timberlake’s latest album without dancing along. It’s titled Man of the Woods, and he released it on Friday as the culmination of much teasing and marketing. The album was also released in preparation for his appearance at the Super Bowl halftime show.

He teamed up with The Neptunes and Timbaland to produce the album, but their collaboration is nothing new:

both contributed to Timberlake’s 2002 album, Justified, as well as various other works throughout his career. Essentially, the new record incorporates folk and southern roots into his already well-established R&B style.

In an interview with VEVO, Timberlake describes this unique blend as “modern Americana with 808s,” a combination that Timberlake hasn’t really experimented with until now.

Timberlake released “Filthy,” “Supplies,” and “Say Something” as singles on Jan. 5, 18, and 25, respectively, and they’re clearly some of the highlights of the album.

Though Timberlake experiments with new sounds in Man of the Woods, he uses “Filthy” and “Supplies,” as well as “Higher Higher,” to adhere to the signature R&B style that has worked

MUSIC

MAN OF THE WOODS JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE DISTRIBUTED BY RCA RECORDS RELEASE FEB. 2, 2018 OUR RATING

RCA RECORDS

so well for him in the past. Timberlake features Chris Stapleton in the natural, open-sounding “Say Something,” which provides for quite a powerful duet—in fact, Stapleton just took home Grammy Awards last week for Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Song, and Best Country Album.

In songs like “Flannel,” “The Hard Stuff,” and the title track “Man of the Woods,” Timberlake asserts the rustic, mountain-man vibe that he seems to want to associate with the album—a very different look from his previous works like “Suit & Tie” from The 20/20 Experience.

For these songs, Timberlake let his Nashville country music influences come to the forefront: “Man of the Woods,” for example, features happy, twangy guitar bends, as well as a IIV-V-I chord progression that you’ll recognize from other popular feel-good songs.

Another noteworthy aspect of Man of the Woods is the energetic funk that makes many of the tracks so easy to dance to.

Timberlake puts this aspect on display in songs such as “Midnight Summer Jam” and “Sauce.”

In “Midnight Summer Jam,” he demonstrates his pride in his southern roots as he sings, “Y’all can’t do better than this … act like the South ain’t the shit.”

There’s also a refreshing harmonica interlude that plays on top of itself, and

the song’s funky rhythm guitar conjures the sound of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” which is probably due to Pharrell Williams’s behind-the-scenes work in producing and recording both of the songs. “Sauce” takes a slightly different approach by inserting a fuzzy-sounding guitar riff under the vocals, and the chorus features a funky chromatic walk-down that feels like a breath of fresh air in the context of pop music.

His wife, Jessica Biel, seem to be another influence on the album. He samples her voice in the interlude track called “Hers.” In the bluesy, sweet-sounding track “Morning Light,” he begins the song by singing, “Every time there’s a new sunrise, I open up my eyes / And I say to myself, ‘In the whole wide world of guys, I must be the luckiest alive.’”

This song is one of the standout tracks on the album—it features Alicia Keys, whose voice fits the song perfectly, and she and Timberlake both execute some intricate and beautiful falsetto runs.

Not all the songs give a positive or memorable impression—for instance, the reggae of “Wave” feels out of place, even within Timberlake’s diverse repertoire, but Man of the Woods still gave me yet another reason to be a Justin Timberlake fan.

The combination of his ever-socool R&B vibe and his feel-good songs make for a very admirable and consummate record. 

‘Dirty Money’ Sheds Light on Corporate Scandals

BY DAVID SULLIVAN For The Heights

In Wall Street, Gordon Gekko famously declared “Greed is Good.” While this idea might go against Boston College’s Jesuit values, Netflix’s new documentary series Dirty Money proves that greed at least makes for good television.

This new show has six episodes investigating a matter of corporate greed and malpractice. Each episode is a standalone event directed by a different person, so each of them has a unique feel, and you walk away from the series with a broader perspective than if they all had the same director. Each director connects the scandal to the bigger picture, so in conjunction with the fact that all the episodes cover recent events, the show surges with a sense that it is urgently relevant, and not just a historical examination of the old days.

The six episodes follow the stories of Volkswagen’s emission scandal, the rise of Trump Inc. and how it helped Donald Trump get to where he is today, predatory loans, big pharma price gouging, cartel bank laundering, and a multi-million-dollar maple syrup heist. These stories might sound more or less enjoyable based on the interests of the viewer. The absurd lengths that these companies go to for profits and their subsequent attempts at coverup creates a show that is riveting for everyone. It

is impossible to look away.

The series benefits greatly from Netflix’s guidance, as the show is expertly and enjoyably made. For a show where the climaxes are usually reporters or regulators finding discrepancies in files, the viewing experience is always visually interesting. The directors do a great job of interviewing everyone and anyone they can find, of splicng court or news footage, and even displaying documents in an eye-catching way. These flourishes make the series stand out from many other documentaries that focus on simply getting the information out, rather than telling a story for the viewer.

The aesthetic of the show sets the tone for the series early, with the title sequence being displayed over Run the Jewels’ “Lie, Cheat, Steal.”

This chorus brings about an interesting aspect of the show. It does not always villainize the people making the decisions, but rather shows that the system they are placed in allows them to get away with such behavior without having to face consequences. One CEO in an interview summarizes this idea of social and business Darwinism: “Whenever there is war, fewer remain in the end. There are always winners and losers, and I intended … to emerge victorious.” For them, it’s a game they are trying to win, not the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of their employees. The show makes the point that many of these scandals

are not even illegal, just wildly unethical, and there is nothing in place to stop many of them from happening again.

When examining these billion-dollar cases it can be hard to put these numbers into perspective. One thing Dirty Money does well is it puts a personal face on these high octane corporate scandals, whether it be people who can’t pay for the newly priced medicine, those affected by the increased pollution, or victims of Trump’s shady deal-making and lies. It’s moments like these where the viewer is reminded that this is a documentary where real people are being affected.

Dirty Money is less a series and six independent documentaries that are loosely connected by the idea of greed and its consequences.

The season is remarkably consistent, as every episode is enjoyable and hard to take your eyes off. The episodes will stick with audiences, leaving with a sense of unease similar, in a way, to The Big Short, where you realize that some of the smartest people in the world making billion-dollar decisions are unconcerned or oblivious to how it affects the average citizen. These six episodes are perfect examples of what business can be without morals. 

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‘Here Come the Runts’ Drops Dead on Arrival

BY TRISTAN ST. GERMAIN Heights Staff

Aaron Brunto, better known by his moniker Awolnation, impressed on previous records with candid vocal delivery and horse-like stamina, cooking up emo-saturated pop that is as innocently forward as it is uninventive. This wasn’t a bad thing—working within a barren rock landscape, plagued with pop-posers like Fall Out Boy and Imagine Dragons guilty of inspiring a watered-down rock-electronica hybrid, Brunto at least brought his vaguely alt/indie style a safe distance from the music that inspired him, gleefully basking in what amounted to radio jingles with angst-filled nursery rhymes.

Unfortunately, Brunto seems to have

run into a wall with Here Come the Runts, on which he conforms to some trending alt-rock stereotypes that ambivalently muddle whatever last ounce of passion was perhaps still present in his music. It’s ironic, considering the second track is literally titled “Passion,” on which Brunto whines the word over a grating drum and guitar pattern that never seems to go anywhere, banging into the ear with incessant and monotone ecstaticism. The inert repetition of “passion” continues into the third track, “Sound Witness System,” which employs a rap verse one could easily imagine on the recent Macklemore record. Bordering on elementary school-rhyme schemes—and definitely not in the cool way that Rakkim did it in the 80s—one feels a tangible cringe emanating from the terrible GarageBand-

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RED BULL RECORDS

tier computer-produced instrumental.

Some of the worst lines on the album are present in this first verse, where Brunto nasally compares his jock to “militia troops” and coos, “She wants to add a friend and I’m a gifted mathematician.”

“Miracle Man” is perhaps the biggest offender of Awolnation’s tendency to repeat irritatingly hurried and monotonous choruses. Brunto’s stutter affirms the epileptic party anthem that’s extended to a dizzying duration as an electric guitar mimicking the fuzzy awfulness of a Nine Inch Nails synth grates over the headacheinducing drum pattern. “Jealous Buffoon” falls into a similar problem, trapping the listener in a series of guitar edges that never expand beyond their irksome base melody. While repeating these quirky and parodically simple catch-phrases to oblivion worked well with ’80s bands like Devo, from which Awolnation has probably taken influence, the product here is rather lackluster and inspires nothing we haven’t heard already. Further evidence of Brunto’s inability to handle the character of a slick and stealthy romantic hero is “Seven Sticks of Dynamite,” where a slowly paced guitar-slap like something from a Bon Jovi record mimics the airy desert environment of cowboy westerns. In his obnoxiously thin voice, Brunto coos some odd, saloon-styled advances that come off as desperate rather than enticing. As in many other cases, he switches from

this innocuous presentation to a strained and angst-filled howling, which worked terrifically on previous singles like “Sail.”

Here the effort is in vain, now that the lyrical content’s inspiration has drastically dwindled. Despite the issues with Awolnation’s emasculated musical performance and unavailable lyrical content, the record maintains a undeniable consistency.

A few standouts that would pass for decent alt-radio listening include “Molasses” and “Table For One,” the latter of which achieves a satisfactory combination of melancholic and pop-friendly tonalities.

We get a sense of wistful wondering as opposed to chauvinistic insecurity.

It is probably fitting that the ending lines of the record are Brunto screaming “I want to get off!” in the context of a speeding train that is a metaphor for his relationship. But the sentiment is equally valid for the audience’s listening experience, after enduring some obnoxious and tastelessly trite cross mix between rock, EDM, and whatever combination of indie-aesthetics is, at the moment, popular.

Tiny blips and musical quirks do occasionally surface, recalling the impressive lack of boundaries that animated Awolnation’s previous output. Unfortunately, these moments are few and far between the tiresomely uninteresting barrage of thinlywritten and poorly mixed pop anthems that reach for animation but achieve only a headache. 

SINGLE REVIEW LUIS FIALHO

‘PRAY FOR ME’ THE WEEKND

At first sight, the appearance of both The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar on a song brings with it certain expectations. Fortunately, this song meets them with aplomb.

The Weeknd’s vocals are as crisp and mellow as usual, helped greatly by an intriguing tribal-techno beat beneath them.

Kendrick’s verse and flow add that slight edge that the track needs to balance itself out, creating a sting on the beat that creates a powerful rhythm. His verse mirrors that of The Weeknd, and together their emotional lyrics underline this track well.

Despite such great aspects, the song overall slips into the mainstream a shade too easily, threatening to sink under the weight of the similarity around it.

Thankfully, the talents of The Weeknd and Lamar are enough to steadily carry this track. 

MUSIC VIDEO JACOB SCHICK

‘FOR YOU’ LIAM PAYNE, RITA ORA

In anticipation of the inevitably horrible and hopefully last—if there is anything good that will come out of 2018, please let it be that this is the last—of the Fifty Shades movies, Fifty Shades Freed, Liam Payne and Rita Ora have released the music video for “For You.” This song is featured prominently on the soundtrack for the upcoming film and is—much like the previous movies were and Fifty Shades Freed will be—terrible. The song itself is much as one might expect from a “film” such as this, which is to say, bad. It’s pseudo-romantic, it’s a duet, it’s generic, and worst of all, it’s dumb. But even putting lyrics and song quality aside, the music video is still terrible.

“For You” features the two singers, Payne and Ora, singing in isolated settings. Ora, replete in flowing red dress, yearns for the one she loves as she romps and plays through an extravagant garden, hedge maze, and large bed of flowers—places very similar to those the rest of us go to when pining for our lost loves. Payne, for his own part, looks adequately sullen and contemplative in his perfect suit as he sits in a exorbitant mansion. You know, just like the rest of us.

The two sing in solitude for a while as the music video feigns subtlety by interjecting shots of meaningful objects to signify a rekindling of their sexual attraction. Blooming flowers and actual fireworks are shoehorned into this music video in a blatant abuse of poetic license. The two are even shown floating—in the clearest use of wires outside of Cirque du Soleil—to slam viewers in the face with a metaphor about the weightlessness of love.

Instead of using the visual and auditory medium to convey some sort of deeper meaning about the nature of love, or even something visually interesting, “For You” does this. The very recently aforementioned “this” is bad and generic music, bad and generic visuals, and bad and generic “hidden” meaning. At the very least, “For You” is a bad song for a movie that cannot—it’s entirely outside of the powers of human imagination—be good. So take solace in the fact that a better song was not wasted on Fifty Shades Freed. For that matter, take solace in the fact that a better movie was not wasted on “For You”. 

The Heights

Monday, February 5, 2018

B7

Contemporary Theatre Astounds in New Comedy The Beatles Revisited

By Jacob Schick Arts Editor

Contemporary Theatre has successfully crafted a performance that is likely the funniest event that has even taken place in the small auditorium of the Theology and Ministry Library on Boston College’s Brighton campus. While some may argue that the bar was not set especially high, as the side auditorium is usually reserved for musical performances or lectures, Contemporary Theatre’s Beyond Therapy show has exceeded expectations by huge margins.

Succinctly, Beyond Therapy is fantastically hilarious, perhaps made even more so by the dull off-white color of the concrete bricks that comprise the space.

The show focuses on the romantic trials and tribulations of Prudence (Lindsay Hyman, Lynch ’20) and Bruce (Brett Murphy, MCAS ’18), two adults living in Manhattan trying to find love. They are assisted in their quest by their respective therapists, Dr. Stuart Framingham (Alex O’Connor, MCAS

’20) and Dr. Charlotte Wallace (Natalie Maine, visiting BC research assistant). A small cast of additional characters also appear, but they will be discussed later.

Beyond Therapy begins in a restaurant.

Prudence and Bruce are meeting for the first time on a blind date. Prudence is answering a personal ad that Bruce had placed in the newspaper. Both are clearly nervous and awkward as they settle in at the high-top table. The two converse, covering a number of topics. Bruce reveals that he has a male lover that he lives with at home, but that he is a bisexual man looking for a relationship with a woman. Prudence acts, for the most part, as the “straight face” of the scene—and of the play. She is taken aback by Bruce’s exorbitant personality, and finds his romantic life disconcerting. Bruce cries often and openly, as Prudence reacts negatively to his many comments. As the conversation progresses, it becomes apparent that both parties are enjoying themselves—and the other—less and less until Prudence finally throws her water in Bruce’s face. Bruce re-

kristin saleski / Heights staff

Contemporary Theatre shows off their diverse comedy skills in ‘Beyond Therapy.’

sponds accordingly and the scene ends.

At this point in the play, the audience was already very warm, having laughed throughout the first hilarious scene. The next two scenes present a duality in the lives of Prudence and Bruce. Prudence first meets with her therapist, Dr. Framingham.

After this, Bruce is shown meeting with his therapist, Dr. Wallace. The styles of the two could not be more different—and funny. Dr. Framingham minces no words as he expresses his desire to sleep with Prudence, while also tossing out a few clearly horrible bits of professional advice.

Dr. Wallace attempts to counsel Bruce, but she is constantly halted by her inability to remember the correct words—or anything else for that matter.

As Beyond Therapy progresses, Prudence and Bruce somehow form a relationship, in spite of their initially acerbic encounters, and begin to see each other with regularity. Prudence, and the audience, is introduced to Bob (Dustin Uher, MCAS ’19), the male lover who Bruce has been alluding to. Bob, as would be expected, does not take kindly to Prudence’s intrusion on his relationship with Bruce.

In between calls to his mother and swigs of any available alcohol, Bob hurls passive aggression at Prudence and the situation.

Rounding out this cast of characters are the waiters and waitresses at the restaurant (who double as the secretaries for Dr. Framingham and Dr. Wallace, as well as the set changers between scenes). Andrew the waiter, along with Bette and Marcia (played

by Peter Dunn, MCAS ’19; Anna Livaccari, MCAS ’20; and Isabelle Walkey, MCAS ’21, respectively), all introduce even more humor into the show.

If it can be possible, every single actor

in Beyond Therapy steals the show. Each person brings a unique and welcome brand of humor to the production and each person had the audience in stitches multiples times throughout the night.

Hyman and Murphy played off each other wonderfully, bringing laughs through their facial expressions alone. O’Connor’s silent gestures to his assistant as the scene was changed got laughs at times when there was no dialogue at all. To her credit, Livacarri held her own comedically with O’Connor, shooting meaningful looks his way as she moved the furniture around on stage.

Maine exclaimed and declared her lines boisterously, but her character’s brand of humor never seemed tiring over the two hours. Walkey’s small gestures and on-stage presence as one of Bruce’s maids provided bright spots of laughter in the gloom of the scene changes. Dunn’s ever-absent waiter provided a wonderful foil for the characters in the restaurant, an aspect of the show that was bolstered once he solidified his presence on stage. Uher’s biting aggression and incredulity at his romantic situation, along with the way he interacted with his “mother” on the phone, highlighted the hysterical absurdities of the play and of his own character.

Beyond Therapy is a tour de force in comedy, as well as one in direction and staging, for the theatrical arts at BC. There was no part of the show that even approached causing boredom. It speaks to remarkable ability when the actors and the show can keep an audience highly entertained across a runtime of two hours. Contemporary Theatre has made an incredible addition to their catalogue, and any member of the audience is sure to be waiting in anticipation for their next performance. n

DOBC Displays Dance Talent in ‘Strut’ Show

By Isabella Dow Heights Senior Staff

The Dance Organization of Boston College (DOBC) presented Strut from Feb. 1 to 3, which featured a stunning collection of performances directed by Elizabeth Takash, CSON ’18. The unified dance group carried out aesthetically varied numbers and conveyed an atmosphere of fearlessness that inspired and entertained viewers.

The show opened to Britney Spears’s iconic “Toxic” and showcased a dazzling assortment of synchronized pirouettes and silhouette sections with choreography

by Kristina Major, MCAS ’19. The routine was followed up by an effervescent dance to Zara Larson’s “Sexual.” Choreographed by Audrey Ballard, MCAS ’19, the groovy beat accentuated a flurry of leaps and blended a playful style with a sophisticated one.

Several numbers brought exciting visual components to well-known pop songs. With EZA’s cover of “Shape of You,” the dancing on the moodier tempo track contrasted swaying walks with frenetic limbs. Choreographed by Alexis Hamill, MCAS ’18, the dancers expertly hit the synth beats for a routine that reinterpreted the style of the popular song.

The group transitioned into a conceptual number with simulated fight sequences to Ruelle’s “Game of Survival.”

Choreographed by Arisa Viddayakorn, CSOM ’20, the dance reminds people not to let negativity stand in the way of living their best lives. The conflict of the dance was highlighted by half the dancers wearing taupe dresses and half wearing black, one side often physically inhibited by the other. The two sides ran across the stage, throwing mock punches at each other and using strong, insistent movements to carry out the scene.

Sexual Chocolate (SC) appeared for a guest performance and crafted an amusing skit to complement its rhythmic step dancing. One dancer filed onto the stage to inform the audience that he was there to secretly try out for DOBC, and he even had a bright pink “I heart DOBC” muscle tank on to solidify his conviction. When some of his SC friends showed up to run their skilled routines of claps and stomps, the dancers decided to collab with DOBC sometime and perhaps even try ballet or jazz dancing. Presenting Africa to You (PATU) also appeared with a rhythmic, vibrant African dance number. The full-bodied, bouncy choreography brought an upbeat energy

Katherine Mahoney / Heights staff

DOBC brings a refreshing and unique performance to Robsham with ‘Strut’ show. to the stage and contributed a refreshing performance to the evening.

Still other dances brought a beautiful tranquility to the stage. Choreographed

by Alyssa Rao, MCAS ’18, “Until We Get There” by Lucius opened with one dancer posing with mermaid vibes. The contemporary dance brought full body rolls and waves of outstretched movement, and the track’s peaceful acoustic sound highlighted the harmonious performance.

For fans of La La Land, the sweet, vintage vibes of “Someone in the Crowd”

proved to be an effervescent dance number. Choreographed by Katherine Tague, MCAS ’19, the dance displayed a wide circle of jump turns that made for a beautiful coverage of the stage. During the quiet, sparse section of the song, the dancers sprawled on the stage and kicked into the air, and the audience was completely silent in response to the magnetic moment. The finale number, “Strut” featured a medley of firecracker tracks and boatloads of confidence and fist pumps to bring the cohesive show to a close. n

‘1984’ Exhibits Talking Heads Through Art

By Kaylie Ramirez Assoc. Arts Editor

Tucked away into a back corner of the third floor of O’Neill Library is the Boston College art department’s eccentric exhibit 1984: Stop Making Sense, a colorful collection of paintings on paper hung humbly by white tacks on the grey wall.

Professor Hartmut Austen and two studio art majors, Sara Chung, MCAS ’20, and Lucas Mockler, MCAS ’18, took inspiration from the 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense, a recording of the Talking Heads’ performance at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, Calif., for the pieces.

The Talking Heads, famous for hits like “Once in a Lifetime” and “Burning Down

the House,” are a New York City based band associated with the new wave and pop art movements of the ’70s and ’80s. Portraits of the band members from the concert film are included in the collection in various abstract styles to depict the Talking Heads’ eclectic sound. One such piece shows a blue and green man holding a microphone while staring intensely into the shelves of dull books across from the exhibit. The polychromatic head is contrasted by a bright cherry red background.

Adding a multimedia element to the collection, one piece includes thin red lines over a black-and-white photograph of an androgynous woman. A similar piece uses the upside-down portrait of an older, plump man as the background for a light

Kristin saleski / Heights staff

‘1984: Stop Making Sense’ showcases artistic talent of ’80s band Talking Heads.

blue and red misshapen enlargement of the man’s wrinkled bald head.

The first portrait in the line of paintings spanning the greater part of the large wall depicts two white suit-clad torsos without heads standing side by side under a stripe pattern of shades of green, pink, and purple.

The white suit and color stripe combination appears again for a side profile painting of a man with long hair against a black background.

This tricolor stripe scheme is borrowed throughout to contribute to other pieces throughout the collection, including for the skin of a man’s tilted-back head with his mouth agape behind a black microphone.

Again the print appears in the form of a boxed head man’s vision, which recalls images of rock art contemporary Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album cover: Greyish light originates from a point on the box to separate into the pink, purple, and green stripes, which are accented by yellow boxes and black overlay.

Certain paintings include elements of music, an appropriate addition to the already busy collection. A Picasso-esque cubist piece painted in shades of grey and blue is dotted by bouts of adjacent black lines that suggest the black keys of a keyboard, an essential instrument for the upbeat grooves of the Talking Heads. Another uses thin horizontal lines as an overlay, mimicking the neck of a guitar.

The collection also includes symbols

specific to the New England area—one painting is a landscape of a sailboat in a blue bay lined by Cape Cod-style abodes and lush foliage. Austen and company still manage to incorporate elements of the nonsensical art pop theme into the otherwise traditional painting: black shapes accompanied by white shadow copies overlay the scenic bay. The same painting appears throughout the collection with various overlays, as does a painting of a large white ship and Boston’s iconic Fenway Park.

Two variations of the large white ship painting act as complements for each other.

One painting is obstructed by harsh black lines that seem to be the outline of some technical equipment, while the other uses a black overlay to create the same outline from the underlying painting. From the vantage point of the third-base side of the 106-year-old baseball stadium, the painter peers into the night game environment at a bright green field and the neon signs erected from the stadium walls. Perhaps the artist is commenting on the contrasting elements of old and new in the New England area: the artificial glow from neon moons lighting up a symbol of New England tradition.

Using flamboyant colors, abstract images, musical motifs, and New England elements, Austen, Chung, and Mockler offer a lively account of director Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense and capture the artistic vision of the Talking Heads. n

Kaylie Ramirez It seems as though the world is made up of two types of people: those who worship The Beatles and those who don’t. I fall into the latter category. I was raised on the records of the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, and my walls are covered with Rolling Stones albums and Bob Dylan posters—I am no stranger to the colorful world of classic rock. Despite my periodic attempts to understand the universal appeal of The Beatles, I always come to the same conclusion: The Beatles are overrated.

The Beatles’ individual musical talent is surpassed in almost every regard. I surmise that it is simply impossible to hear the opening chords of “Stairway to Heaven” and not immediately feel a sense of familiarity, even if you can’t name the song—Jimmy Page is memorable in ways that Beatles guitarist George Harrison isn’t. His playing also lacks in the wildly entertaining energy and intricacy of Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower.”

The mimicking manner of Harrison’s guitar playing is most prominent in “Here Comes The Sun,” a song in which you can practically hear Harrison’s hands singing along.

On the drums, Keith Moon’s manic musings eclipse even Ringo Starr’s most daring beats. The Who’s hits like “My Generation” would not be the same without Moon’s unrelenting assault on his massive drum kit, which was twice the size of Harrison’s. Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham plays with a consistent tightness that makes me almost never want to listen to another drummer again. Starr never ventured out into the depths of drumming as Bonham does on Zeppelin’s acid trip sequence of “Whole Lotta Love,” where he experiments with primal sounds and winds down to provide the perfect ticking clock beat for Page to measure his guitar strokes against.

While Paul McCartney’s bass playing often takes a backseat for Beatles tracks, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers makes his unbelievable talent known. A funk bassist thrown in a rock band, Flea provides the backbone of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ best hits, including “Under The Bridge.” Flea’s bass weaves in and out of the track about loneliness and addiction to walk listeners through the hills and back under the bridge alongside Anthony Keidis’s vocals. Flea consistently creates an experience while McCartney simply manufactures beats—although I don’t doubt McCartney’s significant role in “Come Together.”

To the collective voices of Lennon and McCartney, I present Freddie Mercury.

The lead singer of Queen displays his unmatched range on “Bohemian Rhapsody,” proving his voice truly is worthy of A Night at the Opera. Meanwhile, imagining the static voices of Lennon and McCartney try to nail Mercury’s perfect pitch in “Somebody to Love” is actually amusing.

Perhaps if it isn’t raw, unreplicable musical talent of the individual Beatles that propels the band’s popularity, it is the lyrics of their songs. While many find enjoyment in singing along to “Hey Jude” or “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” I find the vast majority of Beatles’ lyrics insultingly simple. “All You Need Is Love” is full of phrases devoid of meaning such as “Nothing you can see that isn’t shown.”

It goes without saying that Bob Dylan is a far superior songwriter—the folk icon won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature for his life’s work. Dylan tells the story of a girl’s fall from riches to rags in “Like A Rolling Stone” using eloquent terms like “chrome horse with your diplomat” and “Napoleon in rags.”

There is one aspect of The Beatles’ legacy that is indisputable—The Beatles paved the way for many of the aforementioned musicians, and they continue to be cited as a source of inspiration for many present-day artists. It is undeniable that The Beatles laid an unshakable foundation for these bands to build on and expand the rock genre. While I rest my case that The Beatles’ music itself is not worthy of its untouchable status, I concede there is something mystical about the British band’s everlasting legacy.

Kaylie Ramirez is the assoc. arts editor for The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

ARTS

B8

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2018

@BCHEIGHTSARTS

Svrging Into Plexapalooza Sergio Farina, CSOM ’20, opening act for Cheat Codes at Plexapalooza, talks about his work as a DJ.

BY EMILY HIMES Asst. Arts Editor Some kids want to take over their parent’s business. Others want to follow in their footsteps. Career paths, talents, aspirations—very often, they run in the blood. Sergio Farina, CSOM ’20, experiences this in an unexpected way. His father, a Boston College alum, was a DJ during his college years and frequently performed sets at BC events. Now, Farina is able to follow his father’s example, but on a much larger scale: On Saturday, he opened for Cheat Codes at Plexapalooza in front of his biggest audience yet.

Farina started mixing when he was just 10 years old, when he was visiting California with his brothers. It was when Swedish House Mafia had just appeared on the electronic dance music (EDM) scene, and Farina was instantly intrigued. Santa pulled through big time that Christmas when he was gifted a DJ board—and the rest is history. He began researching and started mixing. Only a few short months later, Farina had already begun producing.

Farina admits that one of the main reasons he became a DJ was because he had a crush on a girl. She asked him once to make her a mixtape and he accepted, of course. The only thing standing in his way was learning how one would go about making one. To his surprise, she ended up liking it.

Around the same time, Farina started a nonprofit with his cousins to help an

impoverished school in Puerto Rico.

Thinking he had it figured out (as 16 year olds frequently do), he confidently told the principal of the school that he and his brother could financially assist the school with its needs. He was just in high school, but he went ahead and met with the contractor, who told him he would need $15,000. Suddenly struck by the enormity of that sum in the face of his meager teenage savings, he wondered how he would come up with it all. His grandmother asked him goodnaturedly as to whether this “DJ thing” he did would help. Farina decided to give it a shot. He had to take his job as a DJ seriously to make that much money, and he had to do it fast. He began booking gigs around Tampa, and all his proceeds went straight to the school in Puerto Rico.

Farina’s music is a blend of everything, from disco to organic (using regular instruments) to what he calls “tropical house.” His first songs were very synthetic and electronic, but he has since branched out and incorporated hip-hop, mumba, and Latin music samples into his songs.

“The coolest thing about producing is taking an idea you have in your head and making it new,” he said.

That is what Farina loves about being a DJ—he can take a song that the crowd knows well and turn it into something completely new. One thing he has learned in his years as a DJ is how to read the crowd. One of Farina’s stylistic traits is the rate at which he transitions from one song to another.

Most DJs mix around 15 songs per hour,

but Farina averages at about 40 to 45, so the crowd doesn’t get bored. Farina explained the reason behind this practice.

“I mix a lot of songs in order to cover a lot of genres,” he said. “They only give me 40 minutes, so I want to make the most of it.”

Another way to keep the audience interested is to have ups and downs during the set. If you play only slower songs, or “downs,” the audience gets bored. If you play only fast bangers, or “ups,” the audience will tire too quickly. Farina likes to mix different genres and find something that everyone knows, and then mix it with something that they probably don’t. He says that seeing people pull Shazam up on their phones is almost as rewarding as seeing them singing along and dancing.

“I get to see the entire crowd, from a single angle,” he said. “It’s crazy to see them dancing and singing as an entire mass … I get to control the fun.”

Sometimes, if the crowd gets bored, Farina is forced to play some sing-alongs that he doesn’t love (although he tries to avoid playing The Chainsmokers at all costs).

When asked what his guilty pleasure song is, he instantly pulled up “Crazy In Love”

by Beyoncé. Farina said that some songs never fail as crowd-pleasers, and anything

by Beyoncé always works. And the most unexpected song the crowd always loves?

“Fergalicious” always does the trick.

Playing these songs help him to reach his favorite part about being a DJ: making sure everyone has a good time.

For inspiration, Farina looks to Swedish

CELINE LIM / HEIGHTS STAFF

Sergio Farina, as SVRGE, warms the crowd up for Cheat Codes with quick and diverse music mixing at Plexapalooza 2018.

House Mafia (citing its high production value), early Daft Punk, Flume, and Galantis.

He really pays attention to how a song is made and often finds himself in the depths of SoundCloud searching for good music.

Farina is very adept at mixing and producing his own music. He uses a software called Ableton that allows him to layer different sounds to create a coherent song. He also uses a site called Splice, which is a database from which producers can take songs and samples. In any given song, Farina weaves together multiple bases and instruments and creates layers of percussion and guitar. These layers give his music a “full sound.” While complicated, it is evident Farina truly loves mixing and making music: He has a repertoire of over 30 demos that are either unfinished or unposted.

SoundCloud is where listeners can find Farina’s music, listed under his stage name, SVRGE. His music is also on Apple Music, but the road to this caliber of exposure hasn’t been entirely smooth. Some of his early mixes got taken down from SoundCloud—both his Adele and Drake remixes were removed from the popular music-sharing site. In fact, after his Adele remix was removed from SoundCloud, he was forced to delete his account.

These legal issues are common among producers who make feature-based music.

Farina explained that there is a huge gray area when it comes to bootlegs and royalty issues. It forces him and other producers to figure out different avenues to mix music, and so far he’s doing all right. His Adele and Drake remixes might have gotten pulled from SoundCloud, but he has countless other songs featuring famous sing-alongs (one of his most popular uses Salt-N-Pepa’s 1990 hit “Let’s Talk About Sex”) that have somehow managed to remain online.

Farina is especially thankful to his parents for allowing him to pursue his musical passions: first, for buying him the DJ board for Christmas, and then for allowing him to go to Ultra Music Festival in Miami (not once, but twice) when he was just 12 years old.

Farina looks back almost incredulously at his parents’ decision to allow him to go, especially now that the music festival has instituted an 18 or older rule.

“It takes a lot of trust,” Farina said.

But these experiences at Ultra Music Festival in successive years were formative for the young Farina. One year, he got to see his favorite DJ group, Swedish House Mafia, perform at Ultra. He looks back on that time very fondly, claiming that it was one of the best days of his life.

At BC, Farina doesn’t DJ quite as much as he did in high school. He laughs because his friends here refer to him as “DJ Svrge,” although “DJ” was never part of his stage name.

“The biggest thing here at BC is people calling me DJ Svrge, thinking that me opening for Plex[apalooza] was a joke, and then them realizing, ‘No, seriously—he’s actually DJing,’” he said.

Farina enjoys his work as a DJ and is rather good at it, but he doesn’t anticipate pursuing it in his future. Right now, he is just going with the flow. He’s not expecting a career in the EDM industry, but is staying aware of the possibilities.

“If it takes off, it takes off,” Farina said.

“Say I kill it on Saturday, and [Cheat Codes] says, ‘Hey, keep in touch,’ then that might become a consideration.”

As for now, Farina is busy preparing for Plexapalooza. It’s possibly his big break, his launching point, and something he’s been looking forward to for months. Not too long ago, during Farina’s freshman year at BC, the DJ was not so successful or anticipatory.

He couldn’t find a venue, but still loved to produce. He submitted a mixtape to the Campus Activities Board (CAB) in hopes of opening up Plexapalooza the following year. He nearly forgot about it, after months passed with no response. Finally, he got a call asking if he was still interested in performing at Plexapalooza. Farina was ecstatic: He would be able to play for all his friends and classmates at BC, just as his dad had done years and years before.

Worst case scenario, Plexapalooza is his peak (his biggest crowd thus far has been just 800 people). Best (and most likely) case scenario, it’s his breakthrough as an artist. Either way, he is getting the chance of a lifetime, and he will undoubtedly make the most of it.

Farina is no stranger to making the best of situations. The artist shared the story of his most fun gig.

“Definitely an eighth-grade graduation party,” Farina said. “I was probably a sophomore in high school—we all had a blast.”

If you missed Svrge at Plexapalooza this year, he’s going to upload the whole set to his SoundCloud. And if you want to see Svrge performing anytime soon, you might be in luck. He’s looking around for a venue, but it’s hard to book gigs at clubs when you’re only a sophomore—a testament to all Farina has accomplished at a young age. If all else fails, his friends are living at 62 Kirkwood Rd. next year. Maybe a residency at Club Kirk is in his future. 

Cheat Codes Fills Plexapalooza with Concussive EDM

BY GRIFFIN ELLIOTT Technology Director

Following in the footsteps of last year’s performance by Marshmello, Cheat Codes—this year’s headline act at Plexapalooza—brought tangible energy and excitement to a rowdy crowd that was ready to party. The band, who self-identify under the genre Anthem House, has grown to popularity primarily through a small number of single hits, such as its collaboration with Demi Lovato, “No Promises.”

This year ’s Plexapalooz a was opened by DJ SVRGE (Sergio Farina, CSOM ’20), who did a good job at amping up the crowd for the concert and for Cheat Codes. SVRGE managed to cram a multitude of various popular songs, from many genres and eras, into the admittedly small allotted time slot. This music provided a great opportunity for the members of the audience to get into the state of mind necessary for the upcoming performance by Cheat Codes, as well as to settle into their preferred spots in the Plex.

While not straying very far from the established practice of most Boston College DJs—remixing popular songs—the performer was a welcome

INSIDE SCENE

addition to the concert.

The trio that makes up Cheat Codes is currently on a world tour, but it played without any of its collaborating acts through the course of the night. This meant that the concert didn’t feature the likes of Lovato or Fetty Wap. As a result, the three DJs had to rely on a combination of remixes, hard bass drops, and most surprisingly, a lot of crowd interaction.

Over the course of the night, one of the three members, Trevor Dahl, stepped out from behind his digital, LCD-infiltrated podium to delight the overly imbibed BC audience, which consisted primarily of underclassmen.

Dahl crowd-surfed, held students’ hands, and tossed dollar bills into the audience. Whenever Dahl’s presence was imminent, the crowd reacted by flooding into the area. The experience can only be described as feeling like being in a can of sardines.

Cheat Codes’ sound in this live performance varied from their studio recordings. Their recorded music has a distinctively clean sound, one that mixes in mild but pleasing drops in with an upbeat vibe. It’s easy to listen to.

When the y performed live at

Beyond Therapy

Plexapalooza, however, they amped up the stage presence by relying on much harder drops and remixes of popular songs. Throughout the night, in between playing their own material, they played remixes of popular songs, such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, “Peanut Butter Jelly” by Galantis, and “Mask Off ” by Future.

Ironically, mixing in hit songs like these made the crowd cheer and jump much more than when the trio played its own hits.

The energetic Dahl was sure to introduce the upcoming song to the crowd, before the band played one of its own hits, “Sex,” by screaming it from the stage: “If you like to have sex make some noise!”

The members of Cheat Codes were there to facilitate fun, which they definitely did. At one point, close to the end of the show (which, unfortunately, ended rather early), Dahl shot dollar bills into the crowd by means of a dollar cannon, to the roaring approval of the fans close enough to catch them.

This was a rave, not a concert.

The reputation of Plexapalooza, to no fault of the performing acts, has been tarnished.

The early spring semester event has become an over-crowded scene

BC’s Contemporary Theatre keeps the audience laughing throughout its production of ‘Beyond Therapy’....................B7

CELINE LIM / HEIGHTS STAFF

Cheat Codes pumped up the crowd with hard hitting dance music at Plexapalooza. of underclassmen, who treat the “concert” not like how most of the world would imagine a concert, but as a rave. While mosh pits can be very enjoyable, the crowd behavior, particularly close to the front of the audience, was uncomfortable to all but those who were the drunkest, as it was they who were causing the disaster in the first place.

To those who were Plexapalooza veterans at the show, this came as no surprise. Several other students, however, seemed less than thrilled.

Unless upperclassmen have a particular affinity for the musical act performing at Plexapalooza, it seems

DOBC ‘Strut’ Show

The Dance Organization of Boston College stunned the crowd with coordination and style in ‘Strut’..........................B7

they would rather spend their time partying at their off-campus houses, or chilling in their Vouté townhouse.

It seems strange that the Campus Activities Board would not entertain the idea of a more commonly popular act, that would perhaps entice more of the BC student body to attend and facilitate a perhaps more enjoyable crowd experience for all who came.

With that being said, regardless of the underclassmen who didn’t know how to handle their booze, Cheat Codes played a fun, loud, crowd-involved set that was sure to entertain those who made it through the performance without enduring a concussion. 

‘Man of the Woods’.......................................... B6 ‘Dirty Money’................................................... B6 ‘Here Come the Runts’.................................... B6