The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919
THE HEIGHTS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2010
Vol. XC, No. 30
www.bcheights.com
Four apprehended after senior stabbed in Mods Stabbed student hospitalized and in good condition, police pursue fifth assailant BY MATTHEW DELUCA Editor-in-Chief
Commuter lounge has several uses Lounge serves small demographic BY MOLLY LAPOINT
A Boston College student was the victim of a stabbing in the Mods early Saturday morning. Police arrested four non-BC individuals in connection with the assault and are currently pursuing a fifth assailant. The victim, Jeremiah Hegarty, CSOM ’11, underwent surgery at Beth Israel Hospital after having been stabbed in the abdomen, University Spokesman Jack Dunn said. He remained hospitalized as of Sunday. One of the four detained students was arrested for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and the other three were arrested as accessories, Dunn said. BC Police Chief John King said officers received a call at 2:39 a.m. Saturday regarding a stabbing in the Mods, and arrived on the scene within roughly three minutes. Jenna Erdle, CSOM ’11, is a
resident of the Mod adjacent to Hegarty’s, and said she saw the altercation that led to the stabbing from her bedroom window. She heard sounds of fighting through her open window. The fight lasted no more than a couple minutes, she said. “It was like boom, boom, boom.” The fight, she said, might have involved as many as 30 persons. “Then someone yelled, ‘Someone has a knife,’” she said. She said that she then saw two males flee the Mods. She said that a couple of students might have tried to pursue the assailants, but most stayed on the scene. “They handled it well,” she said. “These are good guys. We were all shocked when it happened.” Erdle said she has known Hegarty since freshman year. Brandon Quinn, A&S ’11, said he was in the Mods and arrived at the
See Stabbing, A5
MICHAEL CAPRIO / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Jeremiah Hegarty, CSOM ’11 was stabbed occured outside Mods 14A and 14B early Saturday morning.
Heights Staff
Room 255 in 21 Campanella Way is home to a commuter student lounge that offers commuters a place to spend time during the day and provides a space for clubs to meet in the evenings. Boston College traditionally has had more commuters than it does now, said Dean for Student Development Sheilah Shaw Horton, in an e-mail. “When BC had a large commuter population, Murray House was the commuter house,” she said. “As the population changed, the house was converted to graduate student use.” This change, however, left those who commute to BC without somewhere to go in between their classes except for the dining halls, Horton said. “The commuter lounge in Campanella Way was created about five years ago in response to several commuter students who brought to our attention the reality that they had no space on campus to relax and regroup between classes,” she said. In addition, commuters did not
See Commuters, A4
INSIDE HOUSING GUIDE
Finding the best off-campus housing for you, E1
SPORTS
University celebrates Hispanic heritage REBECCA KAILUS Heights Staff
AP FILE PHOTO
According to data from the Office of Residential Life (ResLife), 23 students claimed on their roommate housing surveys that they “wouldn’t mind” living with smokers
ResLife data show decline in campus smoking population BY TOM KOTLOWSKI AND JI HAE LEE For The Heights
Boston College is a relatively friendly environment for non-smokers, University administrators said. “Extrapolating from the data that our department has, less than 10 percent of the undergraduates in BC are smokers – and the term ‘smokers’ includes those who
ARTS & REVIEW
Pops on the Heights enchants Conte Forum, B1
FEATURES
See Smokers, A4
Campus hosts parents 1,350 families attend events on campus BY DAN TONKOVICH
Hokies blank Eagles for first time in 12 years, C1
smoke infrequently,” said Thomas Nary, director of BC Health Services. This is a small percentage compared to that of the ’80s, when almost a third of BC students smoked, Nary said. He said, however, that was during the time when smoking was permitted in almost all public areas throughout the United States.
For The Heights
An autumn tradition at Boston College as anticipated as tailgating and the changing foliage, Parents Weekend brought over 1,350 families to campus to partake in a variety of programs and events, including presentations from each of BC’s undergraduate school deans, a concert, and for some, a game of corn hole in the Mods. “From my conversations, parents are enthusiastic this weekend,” said University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. “The parents are delighted to
spend time with their children while gaining a greater understanding of BC, and I am delighted to have the chance to spend time with the families. The weekend allows BC the opportunity to strengthen the bond with families who are members of our great community and who have entrusted their children into our care.” Scheduled events on Friday included time for parents to visit classes, an opportunity to meet with the deans of BC’s undergraduate schools, an open house showcasing programs and services available on campus, and the annual Pops on the Heights. Friday also included a welcome address from Leahy, as well as a presentation about the roots and evolution of BC, University facts and figures, and the goals and plans of the University, including an overview of the Institutional Master Plan.
See Parents, A5
This past month marked Boston College’s second annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, a nationwide event that lasts from Sept. 15 until Oct. 15. While this month has been celebrated nationwide for 22 years, it only began at BC last year through the efforts of Bryan Leyva, BC ’10, and Vice President of Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski, said Eduardo Dorado, co-chair of the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration committee and CSOM ’11. “Its main goals are to get information to BC students about Hispanic Heritage, to celebrate the different achievements in our history, and the effects of Latinos on American history as a whole,” Dorado said. “Hispanics make up a large part of what America is.” Hispanic Heritage Month began as a weeklong celebration in 1968, and was expanded to a month in 1988, according to the Library of Congress Web site. The month of September was chosen because a number of Latin American countries celebrate their independence during the month, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala,
and Mexico. “It gives you the chance to learn about your roots and where you came from,” said Elizabeth Rodriguez, president of the Organization of Latin American Affairs (OLAA) and A&S ’11. The events for the month are decided upon by the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration committee.
See Heritage, A5
HOKIES TAKE THE DAY
ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Boston College lost to the Virginia Tech Hokies 19-0 during Saturday’s game at Alumni Stadium.
Joshua Tree back in business Local bar re-opens door after temporarily losing liquor license for serving minors
Getting to know the Mod’s cutest new resident, D1
BY ROSIE CHANDLER Classifieds, C5 Editorials, A6 Police Blotter, A2 Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down, A7 Weather, A2 Numbers to Know, C2 Box Office, B3 World Record, D4 He Said, She Said, B2 Inside the Locker Room, C2
TAYLOUR KUMPF / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Baldwin donned a sombrero and pancho for the Heritage Month’s kick-off event.
For The Heights
MICHAEL CAPRIO / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Students and parents depart from morning mass on Sunday at St. Ignatius Church
On Monday, Sept. 20, Joshua Tree, a sports bar and restaurant in Allston, Mass., resumed business as usual after having its alcohol license temporarily suspended for serving alcohol to minors. The incident occurred in February, when an investigator for the state’s Alcoholic Beverages and Control Commission (ABCC) discovered four patrons under the age of 21 consuming alcohol on the premises. When asked to produce a form of iden-
tification, two of the minors presented fake out-of-state driver’s licenses, another presented a fake university identification card, and the last presented an out-of-state driver’s license that did not belong to them, according to the ABCC report. All four of the minors said that they had been asked to show identification at the door, which is consistent with Joshua Tree policy, according to manager Jeremy Starr. Although Joshua Tree appealed the
See Joshua Tree, A4