Heights 11-01-10

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919

THE HEIGHTS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2010

Vol. XCI, No. 39

Obama losing favor with college students Study: Students more disapproving of Democrats

BY ADRIANA MARIELLA For The Heights

A survey released on Oct. 21 by the Harvard University Institute of Politics reported a decline in the approval ratings of President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party among college students.

Although the Democratic Party remains the popular choice for college students, the survey said that this decline may show in the upcoming midterm elections.

In February, Obama’s approval rating among college students was reported at 60 percent, but in October, it had reportedly dropped to 51 percent.

The main factor behind this decline is the economy, said David Hopkins, a professor in the political science department.

Because the state of the economy has not noticeably improved, this factor can easily sway college voters, he said.

“The thing about college students and young people in general is that their political ideas are less rigid,” Hopkins said. “They are more sensitive to current events and the nature of the times. Older people seldom change.”

“I think this decline may have happened because college students may perceive that President Obama hasn’t gone far enough on issues such as health care reform, repealing DADT [Don’t Ask,

Don’t Tell], or passing the DREAM Act,” said Kristoffer Munden, president of the College Democrats of Boston College (CDBC) and A&S ’11.

Other students said they agree with these reasons for the decline.

“I feel that he hasn’t really done much as president,” said Tim Hoag, CSOM ’14.

“He hasn’t been able to persuade Congress to pass bills and change the state of the economy.”

“I feel that he promised a lot of things,” said Dan Castillo, CSOM ’11.

“He’s been in office for a long time, and there’s a lot that he said he’d do that he still has not.”

“When he was elected, I expected

See Obama, A4

STEPHAN SAVOIA / AP PHOTO

Students protest for increased AIDS research at an Obama event on Saturday in Connecticut.

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HIGHER EDUCATION

Average student debt rose to $24,000 in ’09 BC places below national average in latest ranking of ‘Best Values’ for U.S. colleges

BY NATALIE SILENO For The Heights

The average undergraduate student loan debt hit $24,000 for the Class of 2009, according to the Project on Student Debt annual report.

The 2009 average is up 6 percent from 2008, and is consistent with the increasing trend of the last four years.

Boston College, with a base semester tuition of $19,940 (excluding all other expenses and University fees), is below the average in terms of debt carried by college graduates.

In a recent Kiplinger ranking, the University placed 20th for “Best Value.”

The reported average debt of BC students upon graduation was $19,514, which was less than Boston University ($30,998) and the University of Notre Dame ($28,371).

As the University is need-blind in admission and dedicated to meeting 100 percent of the full demonstrated need of its students, the process it encourages for meeting that need is a defining decision for students.

BC Financial Services suggests three

types of federal loan programs, as well as alternative loan options, which are non-federal loans from private organizations, according to information from their Web site.

According to a report by The New York Times, federal loans can often be more advantageous for students than private loans. Federal loans offer multiple repayment options and borrower protection, unlike some other loans.

Zac Bissonnette, a senior at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and author of Debt-Free U: How I Paid For an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, and Mooching Off My Parents, takes an alternate perspective on how to finance a college education.

Bissonnette said that students and parents “accept student loans as a given, and don’t really think about just how dangerous they are.”

Alternatives to loans are sometimes routinely dismissed in favor of loans themselves. “Pick an affordable school and recognize that working during college

See Debt, A4

EAGLES BREAK LOSING STREAK

PAUL SAKUMA / AP PHOTO

The University warned against imbibing the caffeinated alcoholic beverage Four Loko.

Health Services’ message to students: ‘avoid Loko’

BY TOM KOTLOWSKI For The Heights

Before this weekend’s Halloween festivities began, Dr. Thomas Nary, director of Health Services, sent out a preemptive campus-wide e-mail on Thursday warning students about the dangers of the popular Four Loko brand alcoholic beverage.

In the e-mail, Nary said that one Four Loko approximates six standard shots of alcohol and five cups of coffee. He said that he strongly urged Boston College students to avoid the drink, which he re-

INSIDE SPORTS

Hockey team celebrates title by raising banner, B1

ARTS & REVIEW

Bonn comes down with ‘Reefer Madness’ on Halloween, A10

FEATURES

ferred to as a “dangerous concoction.”

BC students said they have mixed feelings about the controversial beverage, which has already been banned by two colleges.

“It is truly a diabolical concoction,” said Kevin Hall, A&S ’12. “It’s like an amputated leg. If you have more than one you’ll be on the floor.” Lyz Huh, A&S ’12, also said that she would never drink Four Loko.

“It’s a quick and cheap way to get drunk if that is your goal, but it’s really awful for you,” she said. “It has a ton of caffeine, alcohol, and energy drink ingredients. Every time I see people drink it, they end up really drunk and sick.”

Some students, however, said they do not believe Four Loko is all that bad.

“The effect is like a caffeine high mixed with a hazy buzz,” said Victoria Gonzalez, CSON ’11. “It really isn’t much different than being slightly buzzed from alcohol, but with more alertness,” she said. “It’s obviously not the healthiest thing, but everyone knows that. No one drinks caffeine or alcohol for their health benefits.” 

Classifieds, A5 The Art of..., B4 Editorials, A6 Box Office, A9 Eagle Dates, B9 He Said, She Said, B8 Police Blotter, A2 Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down, A7 Football Notebook, B4 Weather, A2

‘Holy war’ forms on seminary green Sons of St. Patrick hold football game against seminarians

BY MICHAEL CAPRIO News Editor

For members of the Sons of St. Patrick, yesterday’s game to watch was far from any professional football stadium.

Rather, it was on the green of their rival, St. John’s Seminary.

There, on the practice field ajoining the seminary, the trash-talk was laced with references from the Old Testament, the placement of the first-down marker was a legitimate point of debate, and half the players on the field would soon be

changing into Roman collars.

Yesterday, the Sons, a young men’s Catholic group, and seminarians from St. John’s Seminary on Brighton Campus met for the first of what they hope to make an annual matchup.

Bill Cody, senior member of the Sons of St. Patrick and A&S ’11, said that the game was meant to foster more connections between his organization and the seminarians, some of whom are former Sons.

“We have a few friends in the seminary, and we’re very close to them, so it’s a good thing that we get to spend some time together,” he said.

Cody also said that some of the Sons are considering joining the priesthood, and that the game would be an opportunity to create more relationships between the two groups.

The seminarians won the game 9-8 with a strategy that was characterized by their passing game, Cody said.

“They’re pretty straightforward in their approach,” Cody said. “They’ve been throwing a lot of passes, but haven’t really exercised their running game.

We’re waiting for them to throw a Hail Mary pass.”

Seminarians said that the game offered their members the chance to exercise their football skills with people outside the seminary.

The seminary already has an established intramural football league, organized into teams with names like “Ordinary Time” and “Metaxis” that reflect the seminarians’ self-admittedly esoteric humor.

See Football, A4

LOCAL NEWS

Church takes alternative approach to Halloween Day of the Deceased celebrated for first time at St. Ignatius Church Sunday afternoon

BY MICHAEL CAPRIO News Editor

The real motivation for students to attend pep rallies, B10

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The Eagles beat the Clemson Tigers 16-10 on Saturday, bringing an end to a five-game losing streak. For more sports news, See Pg. B1.

Those who took part in St. Ignatius Church’s Day of the Deceased celebration danced outside in ritual Central American outfits as student passersby dashed curious glances yesterday.

The celebration, which was the first of its kind at St. Ignatius, took place on the side of the church near Campanella Way. The Day of the Deceased recognizes the legacy of deceased peoples, and is celebrated in Central America and Mexico.

The holiday is traditionally celebrated on Nov. 2, but was observed on Sunday this year.

“It’s important to remember that we are not performing here,” said Rev. Bob VerEecke, S.J., a pastor at the church.

“These are dances that these people

would have done in their native countries. We didn’t get together to practice these dances.”

Dancers knelt in a circle while a chanter gave blessings in Spanish. The dancers lit candles that were meant to be offerings to the four points of the earth.

The dance included elements from traditions of the Aztec and Mayan cultures, as well as from Spanish cultures, said Jose Mario Lopez, director of Hispanic Ministry for St. Ignatius Church.

Dancers dressed in mock armor and wielding swords circling the crowd were included to represent the Spanish element of Central American culture.

“We include everyone,” Lopez said.

“The dance is meant to be inclusive and has many Catholic elements to it. The KEVIN HOU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

See Celebration, A4

St. Ignatius Church parishioners celebrated the Day of the Deceased yesterday afternoon.

TopFive

Monday, November 1, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

things to do on campus this week

A Ticking Time Bomb

1

Rena Finder speaks at BC

Today Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Cushing 001

Join in as three panelists discuss the planned 2011 Sudanese referendum, in which South Sudan will vote on whether they will secede from the North.

2

Tuesday Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Heights Room

Come as Rena Finder, a Holocaust survivor who was on Schindler’s list, shares her story of survival and honors the late Sonia Weitz, a fellow survivor.

STM Dean’s Address

Alumni Meet and Greet

Wednesday Time: 4 p.m.

Location: Heights Room School of Theology and Ministry Dean Rev. Mark Massa, S.J., will speak on changes brought about by Vatican II and how they changed the American Church.

3

FEATURED ON CAMPUS

Cronin defines ‘the hook-up’

4

Wednesday Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: The Rat

The Career Center invites students to speak with alumni about how they have applied their respective majors in the real world.

National disaster response

5

Wednesday Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Murray Room

Beth Ferris, co-director of the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement, will compare the responses to recent natural disasters in Haiti and Pakistan.

IntheNews Two reports released last Thursday by College Board show that significant increases in federal financial aid for needy students in 2009-10 led to a decrease in what the typical undergraduate student paid for college out of pocket, according to a report by The Chronicle of Higher Education. That academic year, the federal government allocated $41.3 billion to grant aid for undergraduate and graduate students, up from $25.2 billion the year before – an increase of more than 70 percent.

Local News Hundreds of residents protest planned closing of Faneuil library ANDREW POWELL / HEIGHTS STAFF

BY COURTNEY KUHN For The Heights

Kerry Cronin’s lecture “Sex and the Single Student” packed Cushing 001 with students who came to hear about relationships, dating, and the hook-up culture.

Cronin, a professor in the philosophy department who lectures frequently on dating, was inspired to create the lecture series after discussing relationships with a group of Boston College seniors.

Only one out of the eight had been on a date – a finding that led Cronin to examine the hook-up culture.

“I have read almost everything that has come out about the hookup culture,” Cronin said.

During her research, Cronin randomly asked people on campus about hook-ups. Students were willing to discuss their experiences.

Some would even stop by her office a few days, or even weeks later, to talk about their experiences, she said. “Students are willing to tell me a lot.”

Cronin defines a hook-up as a physical or sexual interaction with no perceived intention of a follow-up or no perceived emotional content. Hook-ups can then be broken down into five categories, she said: Pure hook-up, regular hook-up, friends with benefits, mistake hook-up, and hook-ups with hope.

Pure hook-ups are one-time occurrences, whereas regular hook-ups happen multiple times with the same person.

“The regular hook-up includes the 2 a.m. ‘Where are you?’ text,” Cronin said. “Because you know that’s about romance.”

The crowd erupted with laughter when Cronin discussed the mistake hook-up, and sighed when she referenced the hook-up with hope.

“The problem is you don’t know if your hook-up with hope is someone’s mistake hook-up,” Cronin said.

Cronin gave 10 rules for hooking up to drive her point that hook-ups are void of emotion. These rules include: Be chill, do not show interest in the person, observe the principal of least interest, and remove all of your feelings.

Cronin said she believes hookups have become part of the social script and are impacting people negatively.

“The social script is so harsh and crass,” Cronin said. “Hooking up is the social script that is dominant because people talk about it.

Let’s find another person we can consensually use and call it fun.”

Students are either a part of the hook-up culture, are involved in what Cronin defines as pseudomarriages, or are opting out.

“Twenty percent of students are in pseudo-marriages, where they just met somebody and are in love,” Cronin said. “They are happy, joyful, and super intense early on.”

Cronin says a lot of freshmen come to BC intending to keep a long-distance relationship with their high school boyfriend or girlfriend.

“Opting out is some BC students’ response to the hookup culture,” Cronin said. “Some are there because they have no game.”

Cronin said she encourages dating – a concept that she said is foreign to some.

“I’m not saying dating is the best script ever, but it’s a different one,” Cronin said. “It’s not part of the social script. It’s weird to make yourself vulnerable.”

Cronin said there are three levels of dating. Level one dates involve reconnaissance work over 45 to 90 minutes that ends with no physical interaction except an A-frame hug.

“Students quickly put people in the friend zone,” said Cronin.

“You have so many friends! Burn a couple!”

Level two dating means the couple is exclusive. Level three dating is after the couple has defined the relationship.

Cronin said she encourages students to go on many dates, and women should ask just as often as men.

“Females are feminists in every other way except the gender role when it comes to dating,” Cronin said. “Suddenly, we are very conservative.”

Asking someone on a date has now become a requirement in Cronin’s Perspectives and senior elective courses. Students have two weeks to go on a date and write a reflection paper. If the student is in a relationship, they must set two other people up on a date.

“You need to know how to let somebody down with dignity,” Cronin said. “No one likes the ‘I want to be your friend’ cliche.”

As a philosophy professor, Cronin says that she used to think class was the core to a BC education.

“The real BC education happens in the dorm room and through lived experiences in relationships,” Cronin said. 

TODAY

49° Mostly Sunny 30°

TUESDAY

Last Thursday, over 500 Allston-Brighton residents gathered at the Faneuil library branch in a show of support for the library, which is one of four scheduled to close in the spring as a part of downsizing within the Boston library system, according to a report by The Boston Globe. However, library officials reaffirmed that if enough money can be raised to keep the branches open through the end of the current fiscal year, they will recommend that closure discussions be pushed into next year’s budget, according to the Globe report.

On Campus BC places 16th nationally in 2009-2010 Fulbright awardees Boston College ranked 16th in producing Fulbright scholars among all U.S. institutions of higher education, according to an annual report by The Chronicle of Higher Education. Last year, BC had 16 undergraduate students who were awarded a Fulbright scholarship, out of 62 applicants. Topping the list with 40 students selected for Fulbright scholarships was the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, which also had the highest number of applicants at 144, according to the Chronicle report.

National Terrorist strike narrowly averted; vigilance needed, say U.S. officials WASHINGTON (AP) — The mail bomb plot stretching from Yemen to Chicago may have been aimed at blowing up planes in mid-flight and was only narrowly averted, officials said Sunday, acknowledging that one device almost slipped through Britain and another seized in Dubai was unwittingly flown on two passenger jets. Senior U.S. officials met Sunday to develop a U.S. response to the al-Qaida faction linked to the powerful explosives addressed to synagogues in Chicago.

49° Sunny 32°

WEDNESDAY

51° Sunny

University College Board reports show increased financial aid spending

Kerry Cronin discussed relationships, dating, and the hook-up culture in her lecture “Sex and the Single Student.”

FOUR DAY WEATHER FORECAST

43°

THURSDAY

55° Rain 43°

SOURCE: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

A Guide to Your Newspaper The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467 Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223 Editorial General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Marketplace Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823 Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753 EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call Michael Caprio, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or e-mail news@bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk.

Sports Scores Want to report the results of a game? Call Zach Wielgus, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0189, or e-mail sports@bcheights.com.

Arts Events The Heights covers a multitude of events both on and off campus – including concerts, movies, theatrical performances, and more. Call Kristen House, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or e-mail review@ bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the Arts Desk.

Clarifications / Corrections The Heights strives to provide its readers with complete, accurate, and balanced information. If you believe we have made a reporting error, have information that requires a clarification or correction, or questions about The Heights standards and practices, you may contact Matthew DeLuca, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Police Blotter 10/27/10 – 10/29/10 Wednesday, October 27 9:26 a.m. – A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in the Kenny-Cottle Law Library. The alarm was triggered due to accumulated dust in the smoke detector.

12:16 p.m. – A report was filed regarding a motor vehicle accident with property damage only. An officer assisted both parties in filling out a Massachusetts RMV accident form.

11:49 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an injured party in the Lower lots. The party was treated on scene and refused further medical care.

Thursday, October 28 2:30 a.m. – A report was filed regarding found property. The owner was identified and was notified to retrieve their property at BCPD headquarters.

10:34 a.m. – A report was filed regarding a suspicious motor vehicle on Hammond Street. A detective and the Newton Police are investigating.

11:21 a.m. – A report was filed regarding a party who lost their parking transponder.

The party was referred to Student Services to obtain a new one.

1:42 p.m. – A report was filed regarding a party feeling ill in Cushing Hall. The party was transported by ambulance to a medical facility.

6:23 p.m. – A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance. A report will be forwarded to the appropriate department.

7:49 p.m. – A report was filed regarding found property in Cushing Hall. The owner was identified and notified to retrieve the property at BCPD headquarters.

8:18 p.m. – A report was filed regarding a party feeling ill in Cushing Hall. The party was transported by ambulance to a medical facility.

10:25 p.m. – A report was filed regarding the confiscation of drug paraphernalia from several parties in Vanderslice Hall. A report will be forwarded to ODSD.

Voices from the Dustbowl “What significance do Tuesday’s midterm elections hold for you?”

“To me, it affects other policies in the future.”

—Michael Maerowitz, A&S ’14

“Actually, I haven’t heard about midterm elections.”

—Kevin Toro, A&S ’14

Friday, October 29 1:30 a.m. – A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated party in the Lower lots. The party was transported to a medical facility in a police cruiser.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

“To be honest, not very much.”

—Alyssa Cubello,

A&S ’14

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Advertising The Heights is one of the most effective ways to reach the BC community. To submit a classified, display, or online advertisement, call our advertising office at (617) 552-2220 Monday through Friday.

The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year by The Heights, Inc. (c) 2010. All rights reserved.

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

The Heights

Monday, November 1, 2010

A3

A loco love MIT nears end of 10-year development plan for Loko

By Tanner Edwards For The Heights

Joseph Pasquinelli We have all been there. Having one too many drinks and not realizing how drunk we really are until our heads are hung over a toilet or we have woken up next to a complete stranger. These things happen, but why would we consume a beverage that we know is going to get us far too drunk, far too fast, without our realizing it? Why would we ever drink a (or four) Four Loko?

The name says it all. Loko.

A play on the Spanish word for crazy, and someone would have to be crazy to crack a can and drink it. Sure, it is cheap, it does the job, and it does not taste too bad either, but do these positives really outweigh the negatives?

Does our drinking this beverage not play right into the hands of the big executives of the industries and all those teetotalers who think college students should not be drinking?

Yes, a Four Loko is very cheap. Three dollars a can seems like quite the steal. However, what does drinking the most inexpensive form of alcohol say about our character? Do we have to get our fix on such a budget that we cannot spring the few extra dollars to get a case of Keystone? Even though we are college students, it does not seem too much to expect from ourselves to class up our drunken debauchery just a little bit. If we cannot afford to drink a halfway decent beverage, then we probably should not be consuming alcohol. After all, the post-Four Loko damage will probably cost more than the difference in price between it and a 30 rack of Busch.

Drinking a Four Loko gets the partier pretty twisted, pretty fast, but this drunkenness is also combined with the effects of an energy drink. Uppers and downers should not be mixed. No one wins when a really drunk person thinks he or she has the energy to run a marathon, fight two burly bouncers, and then rob a liquor store. Besides, if drinkers want to do all this, they should just buy a bottle of tequila.

Four Loko also does not taste like alcohol. In fact, it tastes like juice. Is this why we drink, for the wonderful flavor of our beverage? Drinking is part of having a grown-up good time. Adults, however, do not drink juice when they are out on the town. They drink adult beverages, and an alcohol that tastes like juice – a child’s drink – does not say sophisticated, moderate drinker who enjoys a cocktail with friends. It does say, “I’m looking to get as hammered as quickly and painlessly as possible.” If this is the way we want people to see college students, particularly Boston College students, we should continue this immature trend of loving Four Loko. If, however, we would like to be seen as adults who know how to drink responsibly, we should perhaps consider switching to Natty, Jim Beam, and Smirnoff.

Finally, what are we really doing when we drink Four Loko?

First, we are putting money in the pockets of executives who are becoming rich because of the immature nature of the way college students drink. They knew what they were doing when they put this product on the market.

We should rebel, just as our hippie parents did, against the establishment that thinks we are too immature and too foolish to understand what this product implies about our generation.

Lastly, the dangerous and sickening effects of this drink also give those temperance movement sober-ites more reason to continue to assert that college students should not be drinking at all. Our mission as Eagles is “Ever to Excel.” Let’s excel, then, at drinking in a mature, responsible manner that shows our community and the world that we, the BC student body, can drink in a manner that is becoming of the men and women of character that we are.

Joseph Pasquinelli is a columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at editor@bcheights.com

As t h e c o n st ruction of Stokes Hall approaches the end of its first month, a nearlycompleted development boom across the Charles River may offer important lessons for the fulfillment of Boston College’s 10-Year Institutional Master Plan.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is in the final stages of its own 10-year development plan, a project that has added 10 new buildings to the MIT campus.

“The physical campus was not keeping pace with the leadingedge research of our scientists and engineers,” MIT President Susan Hockfield told reporters. The $1.4 billion modernization endeavor has “helped lift East Cambridge out of its postindustrial doldrums, turning it into a submarket with global cachet,” according to an Oct. 12 report by The New York Times.

In spite of the success of MIT’s recent projects, credited with helping the Cambridge area recover more quickly from the economic recession by spurring commercial real estate activity, some community members said they are wary of the University’s future ambitions in the area.

“We hope that MIT works closely with every other stakeholder who is developing property in the Kendall Square area to make a lively streetscape to be enjoyed by the workforce and budding community,” said Barbara Broussard, president of the East Cambridge Planning Team neighborhood association. “Past experience has led us to believe that this may not be the case.”

Photo Courtesy of Mark Pelligrini

A major development plan is near completion at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where MIT officials have worked closely with local residents.

Sarah Gallop, co-director of government and community relations at MIT, said it’s important for a university to be receptive and transparent through all portions of the construction process. “We would never go to the [Cambridge] planning board without vetting our plan in the community,” Gallop said. “The expectation is that we would have taken concerns into consideration already.”

“We have changed significant parts of our buildings based on community concerns,” Gallop

“[The Green Report Card] shows a very tangible accomplishment on energy conservation. It shows people that their work is being applied on a larger scale.”

—Mike Jednak, director of Facilities Management

BC earns a ‘B’ on 2011 Green Report Card

By Morgan Healey For The Heights

In the 2011 Green Report Card, published each year by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, Boston College was given an overall grade of a “B.” The survey graded institutions on a number of different categories when calculating the overall effectiveness of their respective sustainability efforts.

Categories that were evaluated in the Report Card included Administration, Climate Change and Energy, Food and Recycling, Green Building, Student Involvement, Transportation, Endowment Transparency, Investment Priorities, and Shareholder Engagement.

Mike Jednak, director of Facilities Management at BC, said that the Green Report Card is only one of the many barometers of efforts to promote sustainability at BC. “We want to keep students engaged,” he said. “[The Green Report Card] shows a very tangible accomplishment on energy conservation,” Jednak said. “It shows people that their work is being applied on a larger scale.”

Among other Boston schools that were graded, Northeastern University received an “A-,” Boston University received a “B,” Harvard University received an “A-,” and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology received a “B+.”

In 2010, according to Jednak, BC came in at roughly 7 million kilowatt hours under expectations, which resulted in nearly $2 million in savings.

Sustainability efforts at BC involve students as much as administrators. EcoPledge, a student group aimed at promoting and raising sustainability awareness, has played a role in reduc-

ing energy usage and promoting recycling – among other activities – over the past several years.

As of this year, EcoPledge has attracted the interest of hundreds of students looking to contribute, which club president Elizabeth Barthelmes, A&S ’11, said is “a statistic that shows, in itself, the fact that the campus as a whole is really taking an initiative.”

The group meets biweekly to discuss sustainability issues on campus, plan and organize events, and to come up with projects that aim to reduce BC’s carbon footprint.

Both EcoPledge and Facilities have teamed up in a number of different areas to increase awareness and student participation in fostering an environment of sustainability.

“Bringing these groups together is going to help with sustainability efforts, as well as Report Card grades in the future,” Barthelmes said. “The administration has been very supportive of these initiatives.”

She said that having academic programs, such as the earth and environmental sciences major within the College of Arts and Sciences, also helps to increase student awareness and participation.

“It’s great, because it connects academics to real life experience for students,” Barthelmes said. “It gives students a real-world understanding of the concepts they are studying.”

She said students and faculty to take the small steps necessary to make a difference, and said that it is as simple as turning off lights, or remembering to recycle. “[The students] are our eyes and ears on campus,” Jednak said.

“If there is anything out there that can be worked on, or any ideas for improvement, we urge students to let us know.” n

said. She gave as an example those issues into account,” she the construction of MIT’s Sid- said. The University has comney Pacific Graduate Residence missioned numerous traff ic, Hall, and said that MIT altered noise, light, and pollution studits design ies to bolster the plans for the “Cambridge citizens credibility of its building based and present have natural concerns, past on community construction proand every single concerns about posals. “The isthe structure project we’ve ever done sues are very well being too reknown to us and f l e c t ive a n d takes those issues into we take these into shiny. account. We’re very account. We’re Gallop said very transparent,” transparent.” it is important Gallop said. for MIT to Gallop said commit itself she would caution —Sarah Gallop, to understandagainst directly co-director of government c o m pa r i n g t h e ing the issues that commu- and community relations at situations of BC nity members and MIT in terms MIT might have of their developwith any construction proposal. ment. “Every town-to-town re“Cambridge citizens have natu- lationship is unique, particularly ral concerns, and every single around development processes,” project we’ve ever done takes she said. n

Monday, November 1, 2010

The Heights

A4

Study: Young voters’ mentality one of ‘despair’ veyed college students said they would “definitely be voting” in change quickly,” said Lauren November’s elections.

Tempesta, A&S ’11. “I feel like I According to the survey, there was lied to.” is a 39 percent approval rating In the 2008 election, Obama of the Democrats in Congress, benefited from the support of the with the Republicans still lower “30 and under” demographic. at 28 percent approval.

However, the economy has not “Congress historically has drastically improved, and stu- lower approval ratings than dents are frusthe president,” “I think Obama’s trated, Hopkins Munden said. said. This dis“That being approval rating is satisfaction may , I think higher than that of sOabi adm manifest itself a ’s a p in the upcoming Congress because of p rova l ra t i n g midterm elechigher than Obama’s ‘cool’ factor. is tions. that of ConHe has worked hard, gress because “The Republicans are going especially over the past o f O b a m a ’ s to do very well,” ‘c o o l ’ fa c t o r.

Hopkins said. month or two to reach He has worked “They’ll prob- out to college students.” hard, especially a b ly ta ke t h e ove r t h e pa st House and come — Kristopher Munden, month or two, close to taking to reach out to President, College the Senate.” college students Democrats of BC This is not with his various an indication of Moving America and A&S ’11 sudden support Forward rallies for the Republican Party, he and appearances on BET and said. Voters have simply not MTV.” seen the change they were lookStill, there is a growing dising for, and the way to express satisfaction with American politheir dissatisfaction is to vote tics among college-age voters.

Republican.

“A generation marked, earlier But not all BC students this decade, by their community agree. spirit and optimism, seems on “I think the Democrats will the brink of a despair similar to still win overall,” Castillo said. their parents, grandparents, and “Massachusetts is a promi- millions of dissatisfied older nently Democratic state, and voters,” the study said.

I think there would have to be To regain support, Obama a lot more wrong for it to go could perhaps sell his policies Republican.” better to the public, Hopkins “I agree, I think that some- said, but the main issue is dething huge would have to hap- pendent on the economy. pen in order for the Democrats “The fact of the matter renot to win in Massachusetts,” mains that the unemployment Tempesta said. rate is at almost 10 percent and The report also revealed the GDP growth is very small,” that only 35 percent of sur- he said. n

Obama, from A1

ap file photo

The study said that this generation of students is showing similarities to their parents and grandparents in their cynicism and dissatisfaction with Washington.

Study: Average student debt increased six percent in ’09 Debt, from A1

won’t impact your performance in the classroom,” Bissonnette said. “In fact, it will make you much more attractive to employers once you do graduate.”

“Students and parents allow the college selection process to become emotional rather than analytical,” he said. “They also dramatically overestimate how much their kids will benefit from attending one college

versus another.”

The repercussions of student loan debt after graduation are what make the financial decision-making process so crucial, Bissonnette said.

He said his biggest warning involves student loan default rates.

“At least one in five federal loans eventually ends up in default, and with that comes trashed credit, garnished wages and, believe it or not, they can garnish your Social Se-

curity if you still haven’t paid back everything by the time you’re that age, but it goes beyond that,” he said.

“Studies show that student borrowers are less likely to pursue service-oriented careers, and more likely to take jobs that don’t interest them just because they offer a higher starting salary. That’s a tragedy, that someone’s career and life plan would be mapped out by borrowing decisions made at age 17 or 18.” n

Seminarians beat Sons in first football match-up St. Ignatius holds celebration

kevin hou / heights editor

Dancers dressed in traditional Central American costumes as part of the Day of the Deceased celebration in front of St. Ignatius Church yesterday, an event meant to unite members of the Hispanic congregation at the church.

Football, from A1

“They’re almost all like inside jokes,” said David Heighington, seminarian and BC ’10.

Jack Schrader, a seminarian from Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, said that the game was a way to build “brotherhood” between the two groups.

“For me, it’s nice to play against the other Eagles and build up both communities,” he said.

At halftime, Nate Sanders, head coach and quarterback of the Sons team and A&S ’13, stood on the sidelines dressed in

jeans, boat shoes, and a Boston College sweater with his arms crossed. The Sons were down 6-4, and Sanders had a strategy for bringing them back.

“We’re having our fast, small guys go up first,” he said as he described his strategy for capitalizing on his team’s speed advantage.

“You see, most of our plays have been based on interceptions, fumbles, and other turnovers,” he said. “We’re hoping to get a few more plays like that – that with maybe a few kick returns and we’ll be good.

Plus, the varying first-down marker has been advantageous for us.”

Following the game, the Sons and the seminarians gathered for a brunch in the seminary.

The pregame events also included a mass held at the seminary that included both Sons and seminarians. “The Sons often join us for mass every Sunday,” Heighington said.

“We're hoping we can do this again next year,” Cody said.

“We just need a little more practice and we'll get them next time." n

kevin hou / heights staff

Yesterday’s football game between the Sons of St. Patrick and St. John’s Seminary was the first of several, organizers said.

for Hispanic congregation Celebration, from A1 dance is meant to not exclude anyone connected with the culture.”

The event differs from U.S. celebrations of Halloween in that the dead are celebrated rather than feared in Latin American culture, rather than feared. “It’s

not about mourning the dead or fearing them,” Lopez said. “It’s about celebrating the presence of the dead. It’s more of a time of rejoicing and hope.”

Lopez said that the church’s congregation includes parishioners who come from Spain as well as different Central American

countries. “Most of the people here are celebrating the Day of the Deceased in a traditional Guatemalan way,” he said.

Lopez said that this is the first annual celebration of the Day of the Deceased at the church, and that he hopes to continue the practice in the years that follow. n

CLASSIFIEDS

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THE HEIGHTS

Monday, November 1, 2010

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A6

Monday, November 1, 2010

The Heights

Editorials

Post-graduate debt and the career path

Many students leave universities with massive amounts of debt, and their career choices are made under increasing pressure.

According to a recent report, the average for student loan debt in the United States is $24,000. For most students, with their dwindling bank accounts and fewer and fewer prospects for post-college financial stability, this is a staggering figure. To many, this perceived “ball and chain” that comes as a result of securing a college education at a prestigious university can be enough to turn them away not only from pursuing their passions, but from fostering their skills, as well.

Students forced to take out upward of $100,000 in loans may decide that a liberal arts education is too high-priced for them, and opt for a course of study that will offer better job prospects.

This, and the fact that they would, in essence, be paying off their semesters with Chaucer and Greco-Roman architecture for years to come, serve as major deterrents and beg the question – are students being priced out of pursuing their dreams?

For an increasing number of the nation’s brightest minds, the criteria for college selection is centering more heavily upon the institution’s resources for and guarantee of job placement. With this desire to be placed on career paths that match students’ interests comes a desire to get the most value for the everincreasing sticker price of college. While studying the humanities under flowering trees amid Gothic buildings is appealing (and worthwhile) for a large percentage of young adults, the reality that it may only slowly translate into a “real job” in

the “real world” is motivation enough to follow a strict pre-professional route at a more affordable university. It can also mean that students who choose to be educated in subjects such as sociology, history, or philosophy will opt to pursue more lucrative and secure careers in the business world, stunting the possibility for post-collegiate education and exploration. After four years invested in a liberal arts education, their intellectual pursuits become but a part-time hobby.

To college professors and administrators, this notion is disheartening, as they are the main proponents and successful examples of the motto “follow your passion.” However, for those who do not wish to make a passion for academia their future, but merely their foundation, hearing this sentiment can be confusing, as it doesn’t seem to be grounded in reality.

It is important to keep in mind that this number is a national average and means different things for different students. For someone attending an in-state college, this may represent a subsidization of their entire four years of college. For someone attending Boston College, though, the number might be far higher. However, with the availability of these loans, today’s students have a choice of where they attend college. The fact that they are willing to commit themselves to years of paying off their liberal arts education stands as a testament to the enduring value that exists in having a degree from an institution such as BC.

A different kind of conversation

Demonstrations during “Respect Life Week,” both for and against abortion rights, showed a move toward a respectful attitude.

The Pro-Life Club was active on cam- The question that this shift in attitude pus this week, celebrating and promoting begets is where are we, as a community the annual “Respect Life Week.” In the and a country, on this issue? Why were past, the club made students aware of this the signs taken down and the anger week simply by setting up hundreds of removed from the message this year? white crosses in the Dustbowl, in remem- Has there been a shift away from the brance of the women and children that sensationalistic protest of the past? Acwere affected by abortion in the United cording to the most recent Gallup poll States that year. Later that week, while on this issue, conducted in May 2009, walking past signs depicting fetuses, stu- the nation is as divided as ever, with 51 dents would need to dodge remarks being percent labeling themselves “pro-life” to thrown between the 42 percent identifyprotesters, bearing ing as “pro-choice.” clothes-hangers and Despite these staThere has been a definite other symbols of the tistics, there has move toward a respectful dangerous era bebeen a definite move approach to discussing this towards a unified fore Roe v. Wade, and those standing approach to discussissue on our campus. We up for the anti-aboring this issue on our have shown that we want tion rights side, who campus. We have to have a more tempered often used religious shown that we want symbols to punctuto have a more temdebate, one that strives to ate their point. This pered debate, one make real and intelligent year, however, both that strives to make the location and conversation possible on this real and respectful tone of the celebraconversation posdivisive issue. tion and ubiquitous sible on this divisive protest was drastiissue. cally altered.

The goal of student groups, both The GLBTQ Leadership Council’s on campus and in their work off cam(GLC) protest of “Respect Life Day” was pus, should be primarily to educate a clear example of students who were women, provide support, and guide interested in fostering a dialogue, not them through this emotional deciusing fear-mongering tactics to make sion. Advocates for both sides of this their argument for them. The members issue have a tendency to lose sight of of the protest gathered in the Quad, the true end goal, the health and happlaying music and handing out cupcakes, piness of women and children, while and despite the signs they were touting, focusing solely on the debate and on they were more interested in conversa- proving their superiority over those tions than grandstanding. The removal with opposing views. We are glad to of the stereotypical, and often intimidat- see the discussion in our community ing crosses and posters of developing move away from this unfortunate avfetuses, was also an indication that the enue. The ability of these on-campus Pro-Life Club is focused on thought- groups to remain focused and on topic fully and rationally explaining its stance is a testament to the value that they, instead of using religious symbols as the and this University, place on educating only means of delivering its message. the whole person.

The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Matthew DeLuca, Editor-in-Chief John O’Reilly, General Manager Darren Ranck, Managing Editor

Contributors: Kevin DiCesare, Diana Nearhos, Molly Kolosky

Robin Miller/ Heights Illustration

Letters to the Editor Response to “Halloween cliches” The column entitled “Halloween cliches” was very interesting to read. It put a new perspective on many aspects of Halloween, although I may not agree with several of them. The whole column addresses the offensive nature of stereotypical costumes and the motives behind collegeaged girls to dress in a provocative manner on Halloween.

I could not help but notice the irony in this column. The columnist that wrote this social commentary was in fact stereotyping all college-aged girls and what they may typically wear on Halloween. There are plenty of people who dress in a non-provocative manner on Halloween, and passing this judgment on this subgroup of individuals is contradictory to part of the point this column was trying to make. It is true that the most popular Halloween costumes are often revealing and designed to create some sex appeal, but people have their own right to dress as they please. I do think you are trying to question why young female adults are attracted to portraying themselves as this type of image on Halloween, but in fact, these very same young ladies are probably the same ones who dress in skirts of questionable length and excessively low cut tops on the weekends when they go out to party.

It has been my personal opinion that teenage girls dress in this manner because they are looking for attention from the opposite sex, and I do not think that Halloween is any different from any other weekend or outing. The only difference I have found is that the attire goes from the standard “little black dress” to more creative and thematic in nature.

When it comes to costumes that the columnist defines as “stereotypically racist outfits,” I have some conflicting views. I do not think that it is offensive to dress up like a Native American on Halloween. Halloween costumes, as stated, are used to portray yourself as

something that you are not. As long as the costumes are not depicted in a stereotypical and disturbing manner, I do not see what is wrong with wearing a “feather head dress and fake bone beads.” I do not understand how this is any different from Americans wearing Indian bangles or oriental inspired jewelry, or even an average American girl wearing a plaid pleated skirt resembling that of a Catholic school girls’ uniform. I do not see how this is mocking the struggles of the Native Americans over time. If a person in Europe were to dress as an American from the South, I do not think anyone from the South would be offended and see that as reflective of the struggles of the southern states during the Civil War. I do agree that Halloween costumes can go to extremes and be disrespectful in the way certain people or groups are displayed, such as a person not only dressing differently but also acting in a way that is disrespecting the attire they are wearing. I think in this case, a costume can be defined as being offensive, but only because of how a person acts while in it. The whole point of dressing up on Halloween is to dress differently than you normally do, not to target and insult a specific social group.

I do agree that when you look back on how you dressed you do not want to be remembered as the girl who was, practically, not wearing anything, but then again maybe some people do. Everyone’s standards for modesty are different, and I do not think you should dress in a manner that you are embarrassed or uncomfortable in. Then again, everyone has a different comfort level, and I don’t think that one should be pushed to reveal more than they would normally want to. I do think this is an important issue to discuss, but I do not think these questions were addressed in a cohesive and objectionable manner.

Anonymous

Demonstrators must show respect during protests Dana Flynn This past Thursday, a group of “pro abortion rights” students held signs in protest of the Pro-Life Club’s “Celebrate Life Day.” It struck me as odd that protestors claiming to be advocates for women would find offensive an event designed to commend and support the women who choose life for their children each day. While they stood with signs reading, “77 percent of anti-abortion leaders are men, 100 percent of them will never be pregnant,” club members (both male and female) handed out quarter sheets detailing the many resources offered to pregnant women on campus. In my opinion, providing women on campus with actual information regarding the different options available to them when facing an unplanned pregnancy is far more conducive to the protestors’ goal of protecting a woman’s right to choose than any loud signs filled only with divisive rhetoric. Furthermore, the protestors illustrated their “concerns” by handing out cupcakes with crossed out coat-hangers depicted

on top, an image utterly offensive to me as a woman, and I’m sure to many others. I found it particularly unsettling that of all the events the Pro Life Club held during Respect Life Week, the students choose to protest the one day designed simply to celebrate life. Had these men and women been truly in support of choice, I should think they would be more than happy to celebrate the joys of motherhood with the women who choose it.

The Pro-Life Club has taken several measures in the past year to ensure that its presence on campus is a positive one. Our primary concern is, and always has been, concern for women. The goal which informs our mission as a student organization is not a political or religious one. It consists only in assuring that women who find themselves in an unplanned pregnancy situation at Boston College are empowered to choose life, free from fear. Over the past couple of years, the Pro-Life Club has hosted Serrin Foster of Feminists for Life, a speaker whose insights antiabortion rights and abortion rights audience members alike have found

Dana Flynn is junior in the Carroll School of Management. President of the Pro-Life Club.

The Heights reserves the right to edit all letters and op-eds so that they conform to Heights style. The Heights uses the terms abortion rights and anti-abortion rights in all instances. This is not meant to change the original meaning of the piece, and was done with the knowledge of the writer.

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invaluable to changing the campus culture for the better. The club also hosted a pregnancy resource forum, a panel discussion with numerous University administrators aimed at assuring that the countless facets of the University are working together to ensure that pregnant students have the resources available to raise a baby while still in school.

I find it frustrating that despite our efforts for the betterment of women on campus, we were met not with constructive, engaging dialogue, but only with sarcasm and disrespect. Such a negative, demeaning response to our work might have been warranted had posters of aborted fetuses been displayed in the Quad, but our club would never resort to such grotesque measures, which serve ultimately to alienate and divide rather than build up. It is my hope that in the future, those who disagree with our methods or mission could do so in a more respectful, tasteful, and thoughtful way.

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THE HEIGHTS

Monday, November 1, 2010

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OPINIONS

Thumbs Up Victory – Finally, just when everyone was too hung over to function, the football team pulls off a shocker, beating Clemson, 16-10. That’s all well and good, being our first ACC win for the year, but TU/TD can’t help but wonder if the team was only selected for this weekend due to their oh-sofestive color pallete.

Open slaughter – The annual pumpkin slaughter, long relegated to some distant corner of the Dustbowl, was front and center on Thursday in O’Neill Plaza, allowing even the palest library dwellers to participate in the carnage. We need a Pro-Pumpkin Club to stage protests next year and help us all respect the lives of these gourds.

Fake news – On Saturday, truthiness and snarkiness took over D.C. as both Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert staged their rallies.

Although many have been wondering where the jokes stopped and earnest appeal to sanity began, TU/TD just wishes Hulu had the rights to it, as Saturday from 1-3 p.m. we were still recovering major motor function.

Your body –In honor of Love Your Body Week, TU/TD would like to tell you all how much we love our body. Actually, no words can describe it. We hope you all feel the same way.

Too soon – Before the cotton cobwebs had been cleared and all the candy corn consumed, stores from here to Topeka have been decking the halls with boughs of holly, radio stations have been slipping in terrible carol covers, and turkeys everywhere are beginning to fear for their lives. Let us digest our horrendous mix of candy and beer for at least one day before shoving more holidays down our throats.

Kanye – Yep, TU/TD is putting it out there, we loved every second of Mr. West’s 35minute epic video, from the giant papier-mache Michael Jackson head to the strategically placed feathers of the phoenix costume, and it blew our mind. Kanye might be a completely narcissistic psychopath, but the man knows how to create a killer hook.

Dustbowl – This TU is not for the crater in the middle of the campus, but rather the creative Halloween revelers who went all out to depict our fallen fellow, from construction cones to copious amounts of actual dust (probably surreptitiously lifted from the construction site).

At least it wasn’t another Chilean miner.

Thumbs Down Defeat – Merrimack, long the forgotten middle child (probably a ginger, too) of Hockey East, put up a stunning show this weekend, throwing our national champion Eagles off their game enough Saturday night to secure a 4-2 victory for the Warriors. As Coach York said, this clearly is not your grandfather’s Merrimack.

No Shave – It’s a sacred time of year for both hobos and lazy bros everywhere. The month of November: Your neck gets a scarf, your hands get gloves, and your face gets a nasty beard filled with crumbs and sweat. What a treat for everyone!

Fewer classes, more learning

DINEEN BOYLE In Plato’s famed allegory of the cave, he describes a scene in which people perceive shadows to be reality and know nothing of the actual, three-dimensional, physical world. The typical Boston College student exists in a world where one is accustomed to taking five classes per semester. One is content with this academic system primarily because it is all one has ever known, until senior year.

What if one was to learn that an alternative world exists in which students enroll in only four classes per semester? In this world, students are able not only to select the courses that most interest them, but also to focus more intently on their classes at hand. (This world also has better dining hall food, but for the purposes of this article, that is irrelevant).

With course registration just a few weeks away, selecting courses will soon be a topic of consideration. Students regularly debate which classes are best to take, but rarely do they pause to question the course system itself. BC students in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) are expected to complete a total of 38 classes in order to graduate. This is generally accomplished by taking five, three-credit courses per semester freshman, sophomore, and junior year, with the typical senior enrolling in four courses per semester. Under a newly-instated system, members of the Class of 2014 are expected to complete 120 credits in order to graduate. This presents a unique challenge, because although the new credit-based system may offer increased flexibility, unless departments begin to offer additional classes worth more than three credits, students who do not take labs may need to complete five classes per semester for the entire duration of their time at BC. Several other well-respected New England universities have moved away from the five-course system in favor of less stringent course requirements. Undergraduate arts and sciences students at Harvard, Tufts, Brown, and Northeastern are expected to complete four courses per semester for the majority of their col-

lege careers, and students at Dartmouth College operate on a four-term system (as opposed to two semesters), in which students are expected to take only two or three courses at a time.

Many BC students admit to relying on taking a so-to-speak “fluff” course each semester, in order to make their challenging course loads more manageable. Instead of being forced to divide their time among many different subjects, students would be better served by focusing their efforts on four thoroughly intensive courses. The saying “You can’t be everything to everyone” holds true in regard to the workload that accompanies five classes, and students are less likely to fully commit themselves to their assignments when they are spread thinly among them.

BC students are self-proclaimed “multitaskers,” and in today’s society of college admissions and competitive job markets, multitasking is undoubtedly a trait necessary for success. In high school, taking five classes was justified because it gave students a foundation in many subject areas. But college is not high school.

The purpose of college is to deepen one’s knowledge, and ideally, to begin to develop a specialization in certain subject areas. Additionally, it has been scientifically proven that multitasking adversely affects the brain’s ability to learn. And what is the purpose of higher education, if not for learning?

It is arguable that a BC education is defined by the depth and breadth of its curriculum. However, its depth has the potential to greatly flourish from the facilitation of a more concentrated

learning environment. Furthermore, it is necessary to question whether a university that prides itself on its rigorous academic credit requirements can begin to alter and improve upon them while still maintaining its tradition of excellence. I believe, wholeheartedly, that this is possible. Like many worthwhile endeavors, education reform is guaranteed to be neither easy nor initially entirely popular.

But it is important. The study of Latin and Greek was once considered absolutely essential to one’s college education.

This thinking has evolved and, therefore, so should the five-course system.

I am in no way suggesting that BC should compromise its standards or give its students less work. Rather, I implore the University to consider the possibility of allowing students the option of taking fewer, yet more intense courses. Education is one situation in which quality is truly more beneficial than quantity. It is imperative that requirements at BC strike a balance between continuing to push its students, “ever to excel,” while simultaneously evolving into an environment more conducive to critical thinking.

Ultimately, we must ask ourselves this – years from now, are students more likely to remember a course in which they went through the motions, devoting minimal interest or effort, or a course that they were allowed the time to fully immerse themselves into and for which to develop a passion? The answer is most resoundingly the latter.

Dineen Boyle is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

RACHEL GREGORIO / HEIGHTS ILLUSTRATION

Flagophobes in a strange land KONRAD PUTZIER In the past two months, I have probably seen more flags than in the first 20 years of my life taken together.

From time to time, I thought that maybe there was some national festival going on that of which I was unaware.

But no, that’s just the way you Americans are. You just like hanging your flag all over the place. In shop windows, public parks, on front porches, and even at the Stock Exchange.

Coming from Germany, I am seriously affected by the national paranoia of suspecting the return of fascism whenever someone cautiously waves a flag. How do you expect me to cope with all those stars and stripes? More importantly, seeing so many American flags can make a foreigner feel quite excluded. If you enter a shop with a flag, you probably feel connected to the shopkeeper in your love for your wonderful motherland. If I enter the shop, I immediately feel the urge to stand straight and present my immigration documents. All these flags made my first few weeks in Boston much more exhausting than they should have been, but how lucky I was to end up at a flag-free college! Or so I thought, until I discovered the crucifixes in the classrooms. Again, here was the intention to unite everyone behind a religious spirit of which I, as an atheist, just couldn’t be a part. By that point, I was just sick

Party Time

BY BEN VADNAL

of being symbolically excluded. So I sat down with my non-American, non-religious flatmates and we thought about finding a symbol for our flat to which we could all relate. Something that could make us feel less excluded and more like part of a community of our own.

We quickly agreed on a giant portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. This was perfect for all of us. After all, she is my Australian flatmate’s head of state, while I study in England and feel accordingly grateful to her royal majesty for letting me live in her lovely country. And somehow, my French flatmates must have remembered the times when England ruled France and felt an instinctive allegiance to the crown. When we put up the portrait in our living room to the sounds of “Rule Britannia” and “Jerusalem,” we felt moved, proud, and somehow connected to one another. Finally, I understood what you Americans must feel like when you walk past all those flags. A few days later, we had a party. At some point the music stopped, someone put on “God Save The Queen,” and exchange students of all imaginable origins sang along with a hand on their heart. It was such a wonderful case of intercultural friendship under the banner of the British monarchy that somewhere, six feet underground, Cecil Rhodes must have had a little post-mortal orgasm.

But then things just went wrong. In the following days someone started to draw things on the Queen’s face, and it turned out my Australian flatmate was not as supportive of the Queen as it had seemed. He repeatedly expressed his wish for the Queen to die so that Australia could become a republic.

These shocking developments immediately caused the split of our flat into

a loyalist and a republican camp and some serious tension. It took us days of silent hostility to finally realize that we were taking the whole thing too seriously. It seemed just as bizarre to worry about the Queen having a moustache as to wish for a nice old lady’s death. We agreed to keep the Queen on the wall, just not as an untouchable symbol of monarchy, but as a friendly face to look at. And to celebrate our newfound accord we hung up a photo of the presidents of the Soviet Union and Eastern Germany, Brezhnev and Honecker, publicly making out (They really did that. Google it!). This, now, was a true example of international brotherly love that we exchange students could relate to. Since then, we have lived happily with these two photos: Two dirty old men enjoying themselves and the Queen of England giving them a disapproving frown from the other side of the room (but it’s kind of hard to take her seriously because she has whiskers and also appears to be sticking out her tongue).

Everyone is happy, and the realization that I don’t have to take symbols so seriously has really helped me with my flagophobia.

Now I calmly walk past all those star-spangled banners and little Jesuses that once made me feel so uncomfortable. I can only encourage you to draw stuff on the symbols that are important to you: It may make you realize that you can perfectly well live without them. A symbol that unites some always excludes others. And Jesus just looks so much better with eyeliner.

Konrad Putzier is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

Upside of downtime

WILLIAM MOONEY SLONEKER It’s nearly impossible to keep track of the seemingly infinite number of extracurricular events which occur on campus every day. Some draw the attention of every University media outlet and have crowds spreading out the door, like when Paul Rusesabagina spoke in the Irish Room two years ago. Many others simply go under the radar, from lesser-known speakers, to casual lunchtime seminars, to seminal club meetings. An event of the latter type occurred on Oct. 16, in 21 Campanella Way, with the official release tournament of Advent.

Advent is a trading card game, like Magic: The Gathering, created by Alex Walker, A&S ’12, and Sara Schul, CSOM ’12, in the summer of 2009. The game features 306 unique cards which all depict a certain figure, entity, or concept derived from the Holy Bible or Christian theology.

Players form decks with the most advantageous card combinations in an effort to defeat one another in a match. The power to unleash the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse against your opponent’s Judas Iscariot is entirely in your hands.

The sheer amount of time and creative energy that Walker and Schulz dedicated to this project will also raise eyebrows all around. Last weekend’s debut was really the culmination of a two-year journey that started with an idea right before sophomore year. What followed was a methodical design phase before classes began, an attentive editing process sophomore year, and a concerted fine-tuning this fall.

Again, the game has both limited interest and accessibility. I personally hold some reservations about any game informed directly by Christian theology – but Walker and Schulz have unwittingly embedded in each Advent booster pack a universal lesson especially relevant to Boston College students.

That is, free time can be good thing.

In fact, it usually is. That’s why it’s called “free time,” and can you name anything better than freedom?

I once had a professor in a seminar tell me and my classmates that oftentimes BC students are afraid of freedom and afraid of downtime (namely, the time not spent in class or studying for class). Thousands of freshmen matriculate each autumn and inevitably stumble upon a greater degree of academic liberty and larger swathes of free time filling the void of highly structured, 40-hour school weeks coupled with extracurricular engagements.

Students assume the responsibility of refilling the void with meaningful and personally rewarding involvements.

Frequently, however, they will simple rekindle the familiar regimentation of their former lives back home and wholly discard the liberty of undergraduate life. They frequently translate this free-time allotted to them by the University into a compulsion to restructure their lives which a host of arbitrary, binding commitments.

This practice can take many forms, whether it be pursuing a superfluous double major, working a job for money not desperately needed, or joining student organizations that inspire only a casual interest. I do not mean to suggest that a double major, part-time job, or additional extra-curriculars are completely devoid of value. Students may have to keep a part-time job to help finance their college experience or join an organization about which they feel very passionate.

I also do not mean that students should contrive less busy lifestyles. An involved student is an engaged student, an active student is a stimulated student, and a student who works hard for most of the day is better than a student who spends their day loafing around.

Nonetheless, the willingness to over-involve and overextend themselves consequently deprives students of the ever-touted spontaneity and sense of unknown possibility offered by the college experience. Obligations breed two forms of discipline: One that pushes student toward excellence, and another that restricts them from the often unnoticed, lucrative opportunities presented by one’s free-time.

Make no mistake, Walker and Schulz are busy students. With commitments to the Marching Band and Madrigal Singers, plus meritorious academic record to boot, neither can be labeled as ignoring BC’s numerous resources. Their development of Advent simply displays the upside of an undergraduate’s downtime.

That youthful curiosity, imagination, and energy are sometimes best left unbridled. Freedom rocks, and we have the rest of our adult lives to box ourselves into some rigid schedule.

William Mooney Sloneker is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

A8

The Heights

Monday, November 1, 2010

A stripper with a heart of gold story? Not quite.

By Dan Seiring Heights Staff

Amid the blood and guts of the Halloween movie weekend comes Welcome to the Rileys, a powerful yet endearing emotional drama. In only his second movie as a director, Jake Scott, son of renowned direcwelcome to the tor Ridley Scott rileys (Alien, GladiaJake Scott tor), pieces toArgonaut Pictures gether performances by three accomplished actors to deliver an interesting exploration into both the tragedy and beauty of family life.

The film begins by showing the dismal marriage of Doug (James Gandolfini) and Lois (Melissa Leo) Riley.

The relationship between the two seems permanently ruptured after losing their only daughter in a car accident years before, and both have their own way of coping with the tragedy. Doug has been having an affair with a local waitress for several years. Lois hasn’t left the house since the accident.

Relatively quickly, Doug’s lover dies of a sudden heart attack, and he mourns his loss by taking a trip down to

New Orleans for a business convention.

Finding the convention to be less than amusing, Doug wanders into a local club and meets a young stripper named Mallory (Kristen Stewart). Mallory throws several offers toward Doug, but he is completely resistant and really just wants to talk to the young girl.

Mallory is initially very suspicious of Doug. The thought of a purely nonsexual and paternal relationship with a man is foreign to her. But over time, Mallory slowly begins to accept Doug’s generosity, and Doug eventually moves into Mallory’s decrepit house to help her straighten out her life.

The relationship between Doug and Mallory is unique and refreshing.

It’s something you don’t see in typical dramas. Scott keeps the story simple and stays far away from anything sexual or grotesque. The film also avoids the overused hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold plotline by maintaining Mallory as a fierce and independent character.

As the film progresses, Scott deliberately unveils several conflicts and tribulations. Finally overcoming her fear of the outside world, Lois drives to New Orleans and discovers what Doug has been doing. While she is ini-

tially confused and somewhat furious at Doug, Lois warms up to Mallory, and the two soon begin to look and sometimes fight like they are mother and daughter.

At times, the conflicts in the film seem trite and predictable. If you attempt to parent a runaway hooker, there’s going to be a few disagreements.

Scott also seems to miss the mark when trying to reach deep levels of empathy.

The relationships in the movie are indeed intriguing, but the development of these relationships seems hurried and, in the end, artificial.

What ultimately keeps the story afloat are the solid performances by the three main actors. Gandolfini maintains his usual tough guy persona, but the veteran actor shows that he is perfectly capable of displaying an emotional side. Leo nails her role as well. The emptiness and emotional turmoil of her character radiates off the screen.

Stewart’s performance, however, is the most noteworthy of the film. The young actress, who is most known for her lead role in the Twilight movies, is fully convincing as the vulgar yet quick-witted Mallory. Despite having an obviously tragic childhood, Stewart

A film stronger than Superman

By Joe Allen

For The Heights At Boston College during the second semester of freshman year, the housing lottery is everything. Students grab friends, classmates, and random kids across the hall to form groups waiting for of eight, in hopes superman of attaining one of Davis Guggenheim those coveted suites Electric Kinney on Lower Campus.

Many refuse to consider the possibility that they could be doomed to live on College Road, with its average dorm rooms, lack of air conditioning, and unfortunate proximity to Carney’s dining hall. When the results come out, the enraged losers usually complain about how the school is unfair for randomizing a decision that seems to be at the height of importance. In the documentary Waiting for Superman, a different kind of lottery is introduced, one that makes the BC housing predicament seem trivial in comparison.

These students are forced to leave the decision of receiving a proper education (to get into college) up to chance. Thanks to the clarity and expert direction of the film, the true significance of this “life” lottery, which occurs close to the end of the movie, is felt by all in the audience.

Waiting for Superman tries to unravel why the American public school system is failing, and hopes to find a solution.

Much of the film follows a few individual kids who are suffering the consequences of poor schooling, as their families try to

find better alternatives. Their stories lend the documentary an effective structure and culminate in the less-than-ideal lotteries at the film’s end. Director Davis Guggenheim also speaks to key figures in the fight for better American education.

Among other prominent people, Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone; Michelle Rhee, chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools; and Bill Gates discuss the importance of a good education and how to remedy a bad situation in America.

The film spends a majority of its time on the question “Which came first: Bad schools or bad neighborhoods?” Many skeptics say that public schools will never work in poor, crime-ridden communities, but the documentary gloriously counters this argument through a cavalcade of shocking facts and true stories. In terms of the quantity and quality of information, Waiting for Superman delivers. The true achievement of this film lies in taking all that information and formulating a seemingly simple, but nonetheless profound conclusion: Effective teaching is everything. For every audience member who knows little about the workings of America’s public schools, the ranges of teaching ability will seem unbelievable.

Some people laughed incredulously when the movie showed a teacher entertaining himself as students played craps and talked instead of working. As the film shifts to the outcomes of good teaching in impoverished communities, it accomplishes its main goal of showing the importance of effective

teachers.

Guggenheim uses his directorial skills to make the audience completely invest itself in the stories of select children that he chose to follow. All of these kids were dealt an unfair hand, being born into a society where a good education often coincides with living in a certain region or with paying a large sum of money. By knowing when to zoom in or move back, Guggenheim makes the kids’ stories so real that their winning or losing in the lottery was actually greeted with cheers or tears in the theater. These boys and girls suffer under a system that allows good educations for only a random few, and the audience suffers by watching them and feeling unable to help.

Waiting for Superman paints a clear picture of why many schools are failing, while still telling emotional stories that parallel the dismal facts that are presented. The film is powerful enough to not only enable viewers to realize the problems of American public schooling, but also to make them want to do something about it. While it often feels profoundly sad, the documentary also offers hope by showing small success stories in urban schools and by assuring viewers that even an individual can help alleviate what appears to be a huge issue. Unlike some films in theaters now (and most of this year’s summer fare), Guggenheim’s documentary will stay with audience members long after leaving the theater. Anyone who has an interest in education should see this movie, because Waiting for Superman has much to teach. n

photo coutresy of allmoviephoto.com

James Gandolfini and Kristen Stewart star in the well-executed drama ‘Welcome to the Rileys.’ is still able to give her character a great amount of vigor. Her tough-as-nails facade occasionally seems over the top, but Stewart ultimately shows that she is quite versatile as an actress. Stewart is able to do more than simply sulk around with vampires and werewolves.

Welcome to the Rileys will most likely not have critics gushing. Scott keeps things very simple and straightforward,

and the plot maintains a well thought out storyline. The simplicity of the film, however, leaves the audience wanting to know more about his characters. The actors’ performances fill most of this emotional void, but there is still more to be desired. The film is welcoming and allows you to enter into some heavy emotional relationships, but you never really feel like part of the family. n

Box Office Report

1 photos courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

title

weekend gross

weeks in release

1. Saw 3d

24.2

1

2. paranormal activity 2

16.5

2

3. red

10.8

3

4

8

4. jackass 3d

8.4

3

5. hereafter

6.3

3

6. secretariat

5.1

7

7. the social network

4.7

4

8. life as we know it

4.1

6

9. the town

2.0

10

10. conviction

1.8

6

bestsellers of hardcover fiction

photo courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

‘Waiting for Superman’ tackles the shoddy public school systems all over America, that often leaves many promising students behind.

1. American assassin Vince Flynn 2. Fall of Giants: First in the century trilogy Ken Follett 3. The Girl who kicked the hornet’s nest Stieg Larsson 4. THe reversal Michael Connelly 5. Safe haven Nicholas Sparks

SOURCE: Publisher’s Weekly

6. Freedom Jonathan Franzen 7. Our kind of traitor John le Carre 8. don’t blink James Patterson & Howard Roughan 9. squirrel seeks chipmunk David Sedaris 10. The HElp Kathryn Stockett

Why ‘Mrs. Dalloway’ might aid your party plan

By Krysia Wazny Heights Staff

Do you sometimes feel that your life lacks meaning? That maybe you shouldn’t spend all of your time brainstorming clever themes for your next rager? Virginia Woolf addresses these very doubts in Mrs. Dalloway and comes to some fascinating conclusions. Her portrayal of a day in the lives of London’s highest society presents relationships from the deepest to the most simple. Seemingly mundane details raise questions of life, death, love, and even religion. Frivolousness and profundity become indistinguishable as the underlying meaning of our lives is brought to the forefront.

THE STORY

Mrs. Dalloway follows the progress of several Londoners as they go through the motions of the day. The action begins and ends with Clarissa Dalloway. Though she might be called the protagonist, Woolf’s style gives each character equal weight in their respective moments. Clarissa is the initiator from which all other connections and relationships in the novel are derived. The characters struggle through the day, sometimes incredibly happy,

and others horribly depressed.

Decisions of the greatest gravity (Should I jump out this window?) are blended with the most insignificant (Lilies or roses?). The resulting story is relatable to the human experience and will make a deep impression upon any reader.

something significant for humanity.

If the partying aspect doesn’t appeal to you, take heart. Woolf provides plenty of social incentives for introverts and extroverts alike. Even the most anti-social individuals must wonder at times WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT what the people around TODAY them are thinking. For In the end, it’s all about parinstance, wouldn’t it be ties. For the social being, this nice to know what Dr. novel is a treat. Sure, some would Thomas Nary, director call this focus on pointless social of health services, really interactions silly, and many of the thinks about Four Lokos? characters do, but relationships I mean, has he ever even photos courtesy of amazon.com are built upon social gatherings. had one? Woolf would Woolf, through Clarissa, acknowlmrs. Dalloway never leave you wonderedges this fact and glorifies it, Virginia Woolf ing. The inner workings even though it is at other points of every single character condemned. It’s nice to hear that there is a good in the book are cracked open for us to examine. By reason we all love to party. So next time you’re the end of the novel, there has not been a person tearing up the Mods, remember that you’re not just mentioned who the reader doesn’t understand to dancing on that couch because it’s fun, you’re doing some extent.

Finally, Mrs. Dalloway displays and encourages a true appreciation of life. In all of life there is death, and so no moment is unimportant. We all have a sort of “love / hate” relationship with life, which is perpetuated in the everyday. However, those things that bring us happiness should not be discounted, even if they seem pointless. So if you find joy in sitting in the Rat and never actually getting any work done, don’t stop just because someone tells you you’d be more productive in the library. Whether small or large, human experience is valuable and not to be discounted.

Without judgment, Woolf privileges readers with the inner workings of a fascinating social network.

Their experiences offer some obvious advice for our lives. For one, if you feel it, just say it. Time is constantly ticking forwards, and there’s no reason to hide your emotions. Secondly, live and love life.

Every experience should be treasured. Keep living and your understanding of the world will deepen.

And while you’re seeking meaning in every experience, remember that we are all human. In humanity all struggles are of importance. There’s no need to feel embarrassed because the greatest struggle in your life is writing a witty Facebook invite. For that, too, bears significance. n

Monday, November 1, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

A9

Distinguished author living on the Heights

BY ZAK JASON

Assoc. Arts & Review Editor Gish Jen, one of our day’s premier novelists, will live on the Heights for three days. Part of the Lowell Humanities Series, Jen will grace Boston College with her presence and her insight from Nov. 9-11 to discuss globalization, Asian-American studies, and her writing.

Jen, an Asian American and New York native, has written four novels, Typical American, Mona in The Promised Land, The Love Life, and World and Town. Her accolades read like a what’s what of the literary awards circle: a Guggenheim Fellowship, membership in the Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fulbright Fellowship, publication in the Best American Short Stories collection three times, including The Best American Short Stories of the Century. Distinguished authors and writers speak at BC every year, but thanks to the newly established Institute for Liberal Arts, Jen marks the inaugural writer-in-residence.

On Nov. 9, Jen will read from her new novel World and Town in the Murray Function Room. Set in 2001 in small-town Vermont, World and Town follows Hattie Kong, a descendant of Confucius who has recently lost both her husband and her best friend to cancer. Kong and her neighbors struggle to preserve a homespun world in the midst of rapid globalization, the Internet, and exponentially expanding chain stores. As the book’s Web site dubs it, World and Town explores “what ‘worlds’ we make of the world.” A questions and answer will follow the reading.

On Nov. 10, students and professors can indulge in the rare opportunity of joining a book club with the author herself present. From 4-5:30 p.m. in McGuinn 121, Jen and English professor Elizabeth Graver will conduct a free-flowing discussion of World and Town.

English professor Min Song will join Jen on Nov. 11 in Devlin 008 from 4:45-6 p.m. for a moderated discussion of Asian-American studies.

Come see a writer of rare talent for a rare three-day experience. 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

Gish Jen will stay at BC for a three-day writer-in-residence, including a discussion of her new novel.

A mad, jazzy romp through the 1930s in Bonn

KEVIN HOU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Pat Connolly, A&S ’11, performs as a soulful Jesus Christ.

Reefer, from A10 safe from the dangers of drug use, and it became a propaganda sensation.

Over time, however, the film has been touted as a camp classic for its over-the-top antics and preachy morals. Two fans in particular, Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney, noticed the comedic potential and decided to pen a musical using Reefer Madness, the 1936 propaganda film, as source material. The result is a tongue-in-cheek, jazzy romp through the ’30s, one that Contemporary Theater presents admirably.

Much like the film, the musical presents the story of Jimmy Harper (Jake Alexander, A&S ’14) and Mary

Lane (Tory Berner, A&S ’14), two young teenagers in the prime of their youth and in love. One day, Jimmy gets smooth talked by drug dealer Jack (Pat Connolly, A&S ’11) to take a drag of marijuana, and he strays down the path of sin, ditching his ne’er do well sheen and his girl, Mary Lane. After he kills a man during a joy ride, Jimmy realizes, “there’s only room for one Mary in my life,” and he chooses to ditch weed for his love Mary Lane. With blood on his hands, though, Jimmy is a man on the run, and he and Mary try to go back to the life they led before the insidious reefer. This story is presented as a play-within-a-play by a lecturer (Ted Moller, A&S ’11) and the high school drama club to the PTA, so throughout the production, the lecturer inserts his own, rather biased, opinions and beliefs on the dangers of marijuana to hilarious effect.

This is a show that’s not to be taken seriously. It’s musical comedy at its campiest, and director Seth Byrum, A&S ’11, fully embraces that fact. Completely random yet comedic interludes, including a racy Greek orgy and a visit from Jesus Christ himself, pierce the proceedings, and as over-the-top as the scenes are, Byrum does right by the musical and does not tell anyone to hold back. Subtlety is not in the nature of Reefer Madness, and Byrum takes a hand in stirring the pot and keeping the tone raucous and comical. There are lapses in pacing, though, that slow the show down, and a little tightening by Byrum would have served the show well, particularly in the second act.

The delightful cast helps smooth the rough edges, though, as they not only possess the talent to perform, but the charm to keep the audience invested.

Alexander and especially Berner are excellent as the musical’s protagonists. Alexander strikes the right balance between caustic, goody two shoes Jimmy and hedonistic, dangerous Jimmy. Berner brings a mix of innocence and Lucille Ball-like comedic timing to her Mary Lane, along with a stunning singing voice that can coo ballads and burst into throaty scatting. This pair of actors did beautifully.

Pulling the comedic heft, Moller brings a cunning wit and a plastered smile to his lecturer and does

an excellent job at filling in for several other roles as well, including a pitch-perfect impersonation of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Connolly fares decently as the central antagonist, Jack. At times, he didn’t seem as connected to the humor as other characters and played the character a little too caustically. His performance as Jesus, with a mix of Jim Morrison of The Doors fame, excels at hitting the right notes, comedically and musically. Allison Russell, CSOM ’12, has similar issues with the humor in her role as Jack’s girlfriend and number one customer, but she brings great physicality to the role, writhing around the floor with gusto during her solo number. It’s Lisa Boccuzzi, A&S ’11, who steals the show, though, as lusty Sally. Her dry delivery served the character

supremely well.

Costume designer Caitlin Berger, A&S ’11, and Byrum’s set design brought nostalgic small town life into the Bonn, and Patrick Brazil’s, CSOM ’12, lighting design perfectly expressed the bright glee of squeaky clean living and the dark, colorful aspect of marijuana-induced hallucinations. The highlight of the musical, though, was the student band led by Steve Bass, A&S ’12. Every song was played with gusto and pizzazz, and the band enchanted the audience with its spirited renditions. A production with this reckless but tailored sort of direction has been missing from the BC theater roster, but the cast and crew of Reefer Madness gave the community a rollicking good time. 

KEVIN HOU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The ensemble looks on longingly at the sockhop in Contemporary Theater’s production of ‘Reefer Madness.’

MFA’s $500 million addition MFA, from A10

improving exhibition space and making the museum more approachable for younger audiences as well as the general public. Through recent efforts, leaders at the MFA have continued to uphold a great artistic legacy, bolstering the museum’s reputation at home and abroad as a premier gallery.

The new wing is itself a work of art.

Composed of granite and glass, the new wing embodies a contemporary minimalist aesthetic. Designed by the award-winning architect Norman Foster, the addition was envisioned as a simple, yet visually striking structure that would be fit to house a whopping collection of world-class artwork. The expanded wing will add 50 new galleries with the capacity to display over 5,000 works. Dedicated to the “Art of the Americas,” the new wing will showcase the works of American artists spanning from ancient South American artifacts to modernist works of the 20th century. Organized chronologically, the new wing travels through time, with ancient relics in the lower-ground floors and more contemporary art in upper levels.

The significance of the “Art of Americas” theme is that never before has such a cohesive approach been taken to organize American art into its own collection at the MFA. Currently, the MFA collection of American art is scattered throughout

the museum, offering no distinct American narrative, but now with the expansion, this American narrative will be visually tangible. Viewers will hopefully glean a new perspective on both old and new works that will lend a greater appreciation to the unique accomplishments of American artists. It is fitting that in our city of historic American roots, the MFA will present the artistic history of our country in a single, complete collection.

The significant expansion of the MFA goes hand in hand with an initiative to make the museum an inviting and engaging center of entertainment for the larger Boston community. To attract younger crowds, the MFA has reached out to the college community, hosting the annual College Night at the MFA this past September. Thousands of students from a variety of different colleges in the area converged on the museum to enjoy the exciting free event. College Night could be best described as a night of fine art appreciation in a youthful and lively environment. The energetic and animated college-age crowd contrasts with the usual silence of the museum setting. With full access to the museum’s collections, students can take advantage of the college night event to appreciate art and socialize with others in a unique venue.

In addition to the obvious bounty of fine art, the MFA puts on a free concert for entertainment at the college night event. The organizers have demonstrated

in their selection of performers that they are keenly aware of our tastes in music. In past years, the College Night concert has hosted a variety of pop-musical genres, ranging from hip-hop to electro and techno. The hype surrounding the past college night concert was palpable, as the musician booked for the event was kept secret until the night of the event. Hours before the event kicked off, it was revealed that the performer was none other than the popular rapper and Boston native Sam ‘Wizzy’ Adams. Although I did not have the privilege of seeing Adams in person, apparently his live performance was incredible, drawing crowds of excited students. All together, the art and free concert make for an unforgettable night at the MFA. College Night at the MFA is an innovative and entertaining program that demonstrates the extensive efforts to bring art and entertainment to college students on our terms. Previous years have attracted thousands of students, and hopefully even more will attend in future years as the popularity of the event grows.

The wide attendance marks the event as a success that helps brand the museum as a center of cultural entertainment for both art enthusiasts, and college students.

Be sure to check out the expanded MFA wing and keep posted next September for details on College Night. The historic new wing will open its doors to the public on Saturday, Nov. 20. 

PHOTO COURTESY OF MFA BOSTON PRESS RELATIONS

The Museum of Fine Arts’ $500 million expansion features a new wing composed solely of granite and glass designed by Norman Foster.

PHOTO COURTESY OF POESDEADLYDAUGHTERS.BLOGSPOT.COM

In the spirit of Halloween, the Burns Library featured the macabre work of Edward Gorey.

Man of Halloween Gorey, from A10

defined by a characteristic darkness. Using simple black and white sketches, Gorey created a somewhat gloomy aura in many of his works. However, his murky illustrations would not be as effective if it had not been for the equally gruesome stories that they described. Gorey’s pieces are not simply “picture books,” and his poetry is not geared toward an audience of children.

Rather, his subject matters are quite adult, and range from death-oriented alphabet poems to subtle pornography.

Many of Gorey’s books certainly seem to target young readers. The Burns collection includes The Dwindling Family, a pop-up book, and Amphigorey, Amphigorey Too, and Amphigorey Also, longer sets of cartoons and caricatures. However, his subject matters are by no means orthodox.

The Dwindling Family is about a family whose members are killed by monsters until the youngest is left an orphan. The Amphigorey series features lessons for children about the alphabet and the dangers of society, but frequently ends with the protagonist dying tragically. It’s tempting to laugh at the ridiculousness of Gorey’s lessons, but you quickly realize that the

books are frankly perverted.

The Recently Deflowered Girl, another of Gorey’s small works on display in Burns is a short compilation of different lessons for a young woman who has just lost her virginity. Gorey’s advice for the girl changes in every different situation in which she is “deflowered.” This simple picture book, in addition to “The Curious Sofa,” a short cartoon series emphasizing the overnight escapades of oversexed couples, and many other tales, portray the strangely erotic content of Gorey’s art currently on display in Burns Library.

In “A Gorey Halloween” Burns Library essentially offers the opportunity for undergraduates to read a collection of freakishly genius and entertaining pieces from one of the most unique artists and authors of the past century. The chance to read these hauntingly absurd stories and experience Gorey’s semi-depressing and semi-hilarious sense of humor should not be disregarded by any student who is looking for an unconventional way to celebrate their Halloween, and the compilation will be featured through Nov. 6. Meant for any member of the BC community who giggles at the perverted and disturbing, “A Gorey Halloween” is a must-see. 

ARTS&REVIEW

A10

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2010

NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Stunned by normalcy ALLISON THERRIEN Come fall semester, one of the first things I notice is that I have completely lost track of many of my favorite television shows. I was knee-deep in Mad Men, Weeds, and even AMC’s new experiment Rubicon as August wrapped up, but these days the only show I manage to catch – though admittedly about three days late – is Glee, which is becoming less and less adept at keeping my interest. (Even Matthew Morrison’s shirtless rendition of “Touch-a Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me” left something to be desired, and that’s saying something.) Still, when I read online that Oprah would be doing a Sound of Music reunion episode, I knew I would be tuning in.

Okay, so maybe I watched it online, but I got more than the gist of the episode from all the material on Oprah’s Web site, which provides actor “then and now” profiles, behind the scenes clips, and exclusive stories told by the cast members about the filming process. Charmian Carr, for example, who played Liesel (at age 21, it is worth noting, not “16 going on 17”), admitted to being completely charmed by Christopher Plummer, the so-called “bad boy actor” who reluctantly took on the role of the Captain. When asked

by Oprah what the most valuable thing she learned from Plummer was, she responded, “He taught me how to drink.” You have to love the irony, especially since Liesel once crooned to her on-screen father, “I’d like to stay and taste my first champagne!” in “So Long, Farewell.” Of course, the Captain responded with a decided “No.” Still, in hearing about the lives these actors have gone on to lead – namely, those led by the actors who played the von Trapp children – I was surprised to notice a palpable trend: None of them exhibited the often striking effects of a grown-up child star.

These were children who were thrust into the spotlight at a very young age and not just in any movie – in the film decided by many to be one of the best of our age and a winner of five Oscars, including Best Picture. It’s a story with all the makings of seven child stars doomed to walk constantly through lines of flashing camera lights and turn inevitably to rebellious behavior, a la Lindsay Lohan, Macauley Culkin, Jodie Sweetin, and countless others.

The fact that the complete opposite is true for these seven seems to suggest that there really was a time when child stars could live healthy, even normal lives. Carr dabbled in show business, but settled on starting an interior design company once her children had grown up. Angela Cartwright (Brigitta) has spent more time as an author than an actress, publishing books on her children, photography, and art.

When Debbie Turner (Marta) finished high school, she went on to become a professional skier, and Duane Chase (Kurt) obtained a masters degree in geology, which he has put toward creating computer software for geologists.

Perhaps the only hint of child star-like rebellion has been seen in Heather Menzies-Urich (Louisa), who tried to counteract her goody-two-shoes image by agreeing to a Playboy spread in 1973.

Oprah seems to share my stunned response to these seven normal, healthy people, all who have managed to either stay in the spotlight if they chose or disappear from it and lead a life outside the Hollywood eye. “Wasn’t it hard?” she asked them during the episode, but they all calmly shook their heads and shrugged. I can’t help but think that if The Sound of Music had been made 45 years later, these people would have had a lot more in common with the Lindsay Lohans and Macauley Culkins of the world, and the fact that they don’t makes them lucky. They are relics of a time without E!, without paparazzi waiting at the end of your driveway, and even without my beloved Perez.

Allison Therrien is the Assistant Arts & Review editor of The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com

KEVIN HOU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Ted Moller (A&S ‘11) brought on the laughs as the lecturer Dr. Alfred Caroll in this weekend’s production of ‘Reefer Madness’ at the Bonn Studio, performed by Contemporary Theater.

Bonn taken over by ‘Reefer Madness’ Contemporary Theater brings marijuana mania to B.C.

REEFER MADNESS

DIRECTOR Seth Byrum, A&S ’11 MUSICAL DIRECTOR Steve Bass, A&S ’11 STARRING Jake Alexander as Jimmy, Tory Berner as Mary, Pat Connolly as Jack, Allison Russell as Mae, Evan Murphy as Ralph, Lisa Boccuzzi as Sally, Ted Moller as Lecturer WHEN Oct. 27-30 at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE Bonn Studio

BY DARREN RANCK

I

Heights Editor

n a weekend of witchcraft, Snooki look-alikes, and intense Natty-induced blackouts, the most horrifying of horrors grew its roots in the Bonn Studio – the horror that is reefer.

Contemporary Theater of Boston College’s fall production of Reefer Madness played in the Bonn this past weekend to espouse the tale of America’s greatest villain, the herbal drug marijuana.

The back story of Reefer Madness is particularly interesting. The musical is inspired by the 1936 film of the same name that tells the story of Jimmy Harper and Mary Lane, who are corrupted by the drug dealers of their small town and fall into a misadventure marred by rape, murder, and suicide. The film’s conclusion urges viewers to keep their own children

See Reefer, A9

MFA expands to fit 50 new galleries

Burns has a ‘Gorey’ Halloween

BY PATRICK WARING Heights Staff

In less than a month, visitors to the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston will have access to an entirely new wing that will showcase both old and newly acquired works in a cohesive new setting. The new wing will increase the museum’s size by almost a third, expanding gallery space drastically. This exciting addition to the already stellar museum is part of an

Edward St. John Gorey is honored with an exhibit

BY TOM LARSSON For The Heights

I

n addition to its physical exhibits such as Scientific Revolutions: An Exhibition of Early Scientific Works and Chile: 1810-2010, the John J. Burns Library of rare books and special collections offers many unique compilations of literary works.

Although such collections are open to all members of the Boston College community, most undergraduates are unaware of the library’s contents.

As part of its recent focus on holiday festivities, Burns Library is currently honoring the many works of Edward St. John Gorey in an exhibit, A Gorey Halloween. Although Gorey did not particularly address Halloween in his several pieces, the Gothic drawing styles and macabre and outrageous book topics he chooses certainly combine for an overall spooky presentation fitting for this time of the year. Gorey’s illustration technique is

I NSIDE ARTS THIS ISSUE

See MFA, A9

“My mission in life is to make everybody as uneasy as possible. I think we should all be as uneasy as possible, because that’s what the world is like.”

— Edward Gorey

See Gorey, A9

‘Welcome to the Rileys’

extensive plan to reaffirm the MFA as the leading center of art, culture, and entertainment in the Boston metropolitan area. Along with other current initiatives, this expansion demonstrates the MFA’ s continued dedication to bringing new and engaging entertainment to our community.

The ambitious $345 million expansion is part of a 10-year plan aimed at transforming the MFA by dramatically

Is there chemistry between James Galdolfini’s grieving widower and Kristen Stewart’s New Orleans stripper? A8

PHOTO COURTESY OF MFA BOSTON PRESS RELATIONS

The impending $500 million MFA expansion will make room for about 5,000 new works.

‘Dalloway’ gets a modern shake up

The party-loving individual will be able to appreciate the social undertones of this classic novel, A8

Gish Jen comes to BC......................A9 Box Office Report........................A8

SPORTS A Banner Night THE HEIGHTS

Monday, November 1, 2010

Section

B

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2010

After erasing two one-goal deficits on Friday night, the Eagles were unable to do the same Saturday at Merrimack, losing 4-2.

The Warriors jumped out to an early lead and never relinquished it, behind two power-play goals and 31 saves from netminder Joe Cannata. For the full story, see B3.

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The Eagles finally broke through when the puck bounced out to Cam Atkinson on the left side. With Joe Cannata lying on the ice, Atkinson flipped it in for a goal.

BY JAKE BURG Heights Staff

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, and if necessary, try again. The No. 2 Boston College men’s hockey team Boston College 3 failed to convert on its 2 Merrimack early power-play opportunities in Friday’s tilt against Merrimack, but it capitalized when it mattered most: in the third period.

In a game with 16 combined power plays, 11 of which were in the Eagles’ favor, it took Merrimack’s 12th penalty, a slash on defenseman Adam Ross, before BC was able to take its first, and final, lead of the game. And despite three penalties whistled against the Eagles during a four-minute stretch late in the third

period, they held on for the 3-2 victory in their home opener.

“I thought Merrimack really battled hard,” said BC head coach Jerry York. “There’s an awful lot of close games that could go either way, and this was another one of those.”

Five minutes into the third period, knotted up at two apiece, Merrimack goaltender Joe Cannata skated to his right, far out of his crease, in order to handle a puck. Kevin Hayes stormed down the ice, managed to get his stick in against a Merrimack defender, and the puck inexplicably ricocheted out to a wide-open Pat Mullane, who easily pushed the puck into the open net.

Merrimack was supposed to have a man covering the net when Cannata went out to grab the puck, said Warriors head coach Mark Dennehy

after the game. But he was tangled up in the neutral zone and failed to get back in time, and the Eagles capitalized on the confusion.

“Merry Christmas, Pat,” York said with a laugh.

Despite the one miscue, Cannata faced 42 shots, 26 of which came on the power play. It goes without saying that he was a big reason why Merrimack was able to successfully kill nine of the 11 power plays the Warriors gave up.

“I thought [the penalty kill] was excellent tonight,” Dennehy said. “I thought we did a great job. And again, it begins and ends with the guy in the net, and he was stupendous.”

Merrimack had to combat seven penalties against them in the second period alone, includ-

See Banner Win, B3

John Muse and the BC defense struggled at times, but stood firm when it counted. The senior goaltender held Merrimack scoreless over four of its five power plays, as well as for the final 39:02 of the game. For the full story, see B3.

Turns out there’s a lot to learn

FOOTBALL

Defense guides BC to first ACC win

BY DIANA C. NEARHOS Heights Senior Staff

Boston College started Saturday’s game against Clemson similarly to many others: by throwing an interception.

On the Eagles’ third play of the game, quarterback Chase Rettig floated a pass to running back Boston College 16 Montel Harris, 10 Clemson but free safety Rashard Hall read the play and stepped in front of Harris, grabbed the ball, and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown.

Once again, BC was down in an early hole. What made this week different, however, was the defense.

“The defense came over and said, ‘They’re not going to score on us. So, as long as you all do your job and get in the end zone, we’ll win the game,’” Harris said The Eagles were able to clamp down on the Tigers offense. The defense kept Clemson out of the end zone, forcing the team to settle for three field goal attempts, two of which sailed wide right, which preserved BC’s first ACC victory of the season, 16-10.

The defense faced uncertainty entering the game, as it was missing three senior leaders due to injuries suffered against Maryland last week. Cornerback DeLeon Gause, safety Wes Davis, and defensive end Alex Albright were all forced to watch the game from the sidelines.

“It’s our job. You have to step up and

fill in the shoes,” said cornerback Chris Fox, who started in place of Gause. “We did it to the best of our ability, and we’re going to keep doing it.”

Fox finished the game with five tackles and three pass breakups.

Okechukwu Okoroha and Max Holloway were also elevated from their backup roles, and meshed perfectly with the rest of the usual defensive starters to shut down both the run and pass.

Clemson typically averages 175.4 yards per game on the ground, but it was held to only 86. Running back Andre Ellington has scored 10 touchdowns on the season, but was held out of the end zone for only the second time.

The Eagles’ success against the run forced the Tigers to all but abandon their rush attack. Clemson typically runs over half of its plays, but rushed less than a quarter of the time against BC. “We’re always able to stop the run,” Fox said. “It makes them put the ball in the air so guys like Donnie [Fletcher] and Luke [Kuechly] can come down with it.”

Fletcher grabbed the first interception of the game at the BC 13-yard line. Tackle Damik Scafe set up the play, stopping Ellington for a six-yard loss on second and 10. On third and long, Parker had all sorts of time, but was unable to make anything happen. He scrambled to his right, then threw the ball across his body to a spot

ZACH WIELGUS In the span of 24 hours, I realized one extremely disconcerting, but somewhat refreshing, fact: I know a lot less about sports than I thought.

One look at the editors’ picks section in Thursday’s issue has readers claiming that they knew that tidbit weeks ago. But I had been chalking my poor (yet first-place) record up to the unpredictability of the Boston College soccer teams and my indifference toward SEC football.

Now, I am officially admitting there is more to my 18-22 record than ignorance about Mizzou and Nebraska (which did add another blemish, to be fair).

The path to my epiphany began in mid-September, when I was working the scoreboard at the field hockey game. One of our players fired a shot from 20 yards out, it beat the goalie, and I naturally stopped the clock and added a goal for our side. “What a shot,” I said. “That’s not a goal! No goal!” more knowledgeable personnel ANDREW POWELL / HEIGHTS STAFF

See Defense, B4

I NSIDE SPORTS THIS ISSUE

The secondary held the Eagles’ second-half lead, forcing Clemson into three key turnovers.

Field hockey finishes strong

Janna Anctil’s late goal lifts BC over Wake Forest on Senior Day.........................B2

Knowlton, Cerrone keep soccer focused

Despite rough patches this season, these two seniors have kept the team from falling apart......................B5

See More to Learn, B4

Numbers to Know........................B2 Game to Watch.............................B2

B2

Monday, November 1, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

Anctil’s final-minute goal sneaks BC by Wake

BY ROBERT T. BALINT Heights Staff

Earlier in the season, when asked about the final stretch of her collegiate career, senior Boston College 3 captain Emily 2 Wake Forest Kozniuk made her desire to win crystal clear.

“If I walk off the field knowing that there’s something more I could have done, it’ll kill me at the end of the year,” the forward said.

Her team embodied those words on Friday afternoon, as the No. 13 Boston College field hockey team battled until the last minute for a 3-2 victory over No. 14 Wake Forest on Senior Day at Newton Campus Field. Friday’s game was the last on the Eagles’ regular-season schedule, and the team brought its 2010 campaign to an end in style, with the game-winning goal coming from Janna Anctil with just a minute left on the clock.

“They were so determined to win this game today,” said head coach Ainslee Lamb. “[That determination] is one of our strengths.”

The Eagles took a two-goal lead during the first half, but then endured the Demon Deacons’ surging comeback in the second, when the visitors tied the game back up.

Anctil, another senior, was determined to make every minute of her last regular season game count. With 1:10 left on the clock, the forward drew in close and fired a shot across Wake Forest goaltender Kaitlyn Ruhf’s body. Ruhf dove, but could not keep hold of the ball, and it bounced in to give the Eagles the go-ahead goal.

The win “is a bit of a monkey off our backs,” Lamb said, as the Eagles had not

won a game against Wake Forest since 1997, with nine losses between then and now.

The goal was Anctil’s 13th of the season, which leads the team, and second of the game.

The offense got right down to business in the first half, successfully converting a penalty corner just 2:22 into the game.

Jessica Roberts and Kozniuk assisted Carla Tamer, who scored her first goal of the season.

The second goal came in the final minutes of the first half on another penalty corner. Jacqui Moorfield took the shot, which rebounded to Anctil, who managed to put it through to double the lead, 2-0.

“At the beginning of the game we were developing the ball, so we had numbers up,” Lamb said.

In the second half, however, the Eagles settled back on their two-goal lead. The lack of offensive pressure gave Wake Forest more room on the field, which it used to its advantage.

“For about 15 minutes, we played not to lose,” Lamb said. “I think we became a little more apprehensive and conservative.”

In the 53rd minute of the second half, the Demon Deacons took possession at midfield and built up steam, driving straight for the Eagles’ goal. Forward Adelaide Knott passed inside the circle to Jess McFadyen, who shot and scored, cutting the Eagles’ lead in half.

Kozniuk took a fall with 16 minutes to go in the game and had to be substituted out for a few minutes. Kozniuk has been playing with an injured right foot, and stayed down on the pitch for a few minutes

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Forward Janna Anctil scored the game-winning goal in BC’s 3-2 victory over Wake Forest. It was the senior’s third game-winner of the year. while trainers examined her, but walked off the field unassisted. She came back in to play a few minutes later and finished out the game.

“We probably would have to tie her to the bench,” Lamb said with a laugh.

“It’s going to take a lot to keep that kid off the field.”

With four minutes left in the game, the Deacons assaulted Eagles goaltender Kristine Stigas with a volley of shots right in front of the goal. Stigas kicked the first away and punched the second, but the third broke through for Wake Forest’s Emily Cummings, who found her way past Stigas and tied the game up.

With a minute left in the game, which appeared to be heading into overtime, it was Anctil’s time to shine. The goal brought the Eagles their first win over Wake Forest in 13 years, and it was Anctil’s third game-winner of the season.

“Janna’s goal, that was playing to win,” Lamb said. 

Cross country scores top-10 finish at ACCs

BY JAKE BURG

the men’s title, its first in school history, with 43 points.

The women’s team fared betFor the first time in school ter, tallying 100 points, placing it history, Boston College hosted fourth overall, and only one point the men’s and women’s cross behind Duke for third place in country ACC championship race, the 6K championship race. The which took place at Franklin Park Florida State women’s squad in Boston, Mass. The No. 25 also won the race, completing women’s team cruised its way to the school’s clean sweep on the a fourth-place finish, while the day. The title was the Seminoles’ men ran to a ninth-place finish. fourth straight, and they finished Both squads finished better than 23 points ahead of their closthey did last year in the ACC est competition, the Virginia Cavaliers. championship race.

Jillian King and Caroline By day’s end, 13 runners on King, the powthe men’s team delivered seasonBoth squads finished erhouse sister tandem, led best performancbetter than they did the women’s es, which helped the Eagles to 254 last year in the ACC team, placing sixth and sevpoints, good for championship race. enth overall, ninth place overand first and all. Louis Serafini second for the finished first for BC in the 8K race, and 35th over- Eagles. The two sisters were all, with a personal record time of only separated by 1.2 seconds in 24:51. The Eagles’ two and three their total time, with Jillian King runners did their best to pack crossing at 20:30.4 and Caroline together to bolster the team’s King finishing in 20:31.6. Both results, as did their four and five finishes were good enough to racers. Daniel Kane and Jordan earn them All-ACC honors. It Hamm finished second and third, was the second time Jillian won respectively, on the team, with the award, and the first time for times of 25:24 and 25:34. Ian older sister Caroline.

Hope Krause, Madeline Thomas and Ted Doyle crossed the finish line in 70th and 71st Wallace, and Elizabeth Hynes place, respectively, with times of rounded out the top five for the Eagles, finishing 16th, 34th and 25:45 and 25:50.

Kane’s time was a personal 37th, respectively. The three best for him, and Hamm and helped secure the team’s 100 Doyle had their best races of the points, which was BC’s lowest point total in a conference chamseason.

BC’s men’s team, with its 254 pionship race since joining the total points, was only 10 points ACC back in 2005.

The BC squads will next behind Maryland (244), and 12 points behind Virginia Tech return to action at the NCAA (242), which finished seventh Regional Championship in Conoverall. Florida State captured necticut on Nov. 13.  Heights Staff

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Senior captain Kelli Stack recorded an unassisted, shorthanded goal in BC’s win over UConn. Stack has scored in every game but one so far this season.

Eagles split series with Huskies

BY RAYCHEL KRUPER For The Heights

SPORTS in SHORT

A tie against the UConn Huskies in Storrs, Conn., on Saturday fueled the No. 6 Boston College women’s Boston College 3 hockey team to take 0 Connecticut down the Huskies at home Sunday afternoon. The Eagles (6-0-2, 3-0-1 Hockey East) were able to take down the Huskies (1-7-1, 0-2-1 Hockey East) by a score of 3-0 to preserve their undefeated season.

“I thought we played really well today,” said Eagles head coach Katie King. “Offensively, we had a lot of opportunities, and our defense played great. We really controlled most of the play, which is something I think our team can do against anybody.”

The Eagles tested the Huskies goaltender Alexandra Garcia from the first whistle, converting just 3:09 into the first period. The goal came from Kelli Stack, who buried the puck on an unassisted, shorthanded goal. Stack has scored in all but one game this season. “[Stack is] an offensive threat,” King said.

“She’s very dynamic when she has the puck.

She seems to always find the net and the right

people on the ice.”

The score stayed 1-0 until the last 20 seconds of play. On an assist from Stack, defender Blake Bolden fired the puck past Garcia to double the Eagles’ lead. The period would come to a close with the Huskies trailing by two.

“We like to get our defense involved in the play, and something that they did a great job of today was jumping up into the play when the offense is going, going down the walls and helping out our forwards,” King said. “They continue to do a good job of moving pucks, and that’s what will help us to continue to be successful.”

The Eagles repeated their trend of striking gold in the last few seconds of play. At 19:39 in the final period, Danielle Welch scored on an open net from another Stack assist, closing the scoring for the day and securing the Eagles’ sixth victory of the season.

The Huskies had multiple attempts to return the favor with a few close calls, but failed in every attempt, even during a 5-on-3 power play.

The Eagles ended the game outshooting the Huskies, 39-23. BC goaltender Molly Schaus recorded 23 saves on the day and secured her 20th career shutout.

ACC Football Standings Atlantic

Florida State Maryland NC State Clemson Boston College Wake Forest

Coastal

Virginia Tech Georgia Tech Miami North Carolina Virginia Duke

Conference 4-1 3-1 3-1 2-3 1-4 1-4

4-0 3-2 3-2 2-2 1-3 0-4

Overall 6-2 6-2 6-2 4-4 3-5 2-6

6-2 5-3 5-3 5-3 4-4 2-6

In the first game of the weekend series, the game played out in a much different fashion.

Following a 15-minute deadlock, the Huskies were first to light the lamp with two quick, consecutive goals to create a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period.

“We got off to a little bit of a slow start, and we have to realize that mentally we have to stay tough, as well as psychically out there,” King said. “We had a couple of lapses, and they got scoring opportunities.”

Despite a disheartening first frame, the Eagles regrouped and fought back. Six minutes into the second period, Stack responded to the Huskies’ early dominance by putting the puck between the pipes on an assist from Meagan Mangene. The second period came to a close, with the Eagles still trailing by one.

The Eagles continued their comeback into the third period following a goal from Melissa Bizzari at 7:32 to tie the game at 2-2, forcing an overtime period. Neither team was able to pot a game-winner.

“I was impressed with the way we came back and scored two goals,” King said. “To be down 2-0 and to battle back and have a tie ends up being a good tie.” 

Numbers to Know

142

Game to Watch Men’s Hockey

Total yards accumulated by Montel Harris in BC’s 16-10 victory over Clemson on Saturday. The junior also caught a 36-yard touchdown pass.

8

Goals scored by women’s hockey player Kelli Stack in BC’s first eight games, including a three-goal performance against Vermont.

3-for-3

Field goals converted by kicker Nate Freese in BC’s win over Clemson. The Tigers converted only one of three.

UNH

vs.

Boston College

The Boston College men’s hockey team enters the November part of its season with a home game against the University of New Hampshire.

The No. 10 Wildcats may have graduated Hobey Baker finalist Bobby Butler last year, but are always a challenging Hockey East rival.

The No. 2 Eagles, coming off a split series with Merrimack, will look to continue their prowess at Conte Forum.

Friday, 7 p.m.

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, November 1, 2010

B3

Eagles unable to mount a second rally at Merrimack

BY CHRIS MARINO For The Heights

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Merrimack goaltender Joe Cannata shined again on Saturday, saving 31 of 33 Eagles shots.

One night removed from celebrating a championship season, as well as a close 3-2 nail-biting 4 Merrimack win, the No. 2 Boston College 2 Boston College men’s hockey team needed to shake off the nostalgia and focus on the present.

But the present found the Eagles on the losing end of a 4-2 score to Merrimack in the second game of the home-and-home series on Saturday night.

In front of a sold-out Merrimack rink, the home team was able to jump ahead and keep the lead from some early second-chance goals. Despite a solid performance from assistant captain Brian Gibbons (one goal, one assist), the Eagles (4-2-0, 2-1-0 Hockey East) were unable to match the scoring of the Warriors (21-2, 1-1-1 Hockey East).

“Final line, goaltending and special teams play were key to Merrimack’s victory,” said head coach Jerry York.

Merrimack’s Jesse Todd opened the scoring in the first period. At 4:14, the forward put back a rebound on a power play. The Eagles responded, however,

as Gibbons scored a power-play goal of his own at 9:50 in the first. The goal was Gibbons’ fourth of the season.

The Eagles’ comeback was short lived, though. At 15:01, forward Shawn Bates netted the go-ahead goal off a loose puck.

Eagles goaltender Parker Milner initially made a great stop off senior Chris Barton’s backhanded shot, but the inability to clear the puck gave Bates the second chance he needed to punch it in.

Merrimack answered any doubts of its ability to play with the reigning national champions for two straight nights when Joe Cucci tallied a goal, bringing the score to 3-1. At 2:36 in the second period, just five seconds into a Merrimack power play, the winger won the faceoff, sending a pass to Stephane Da Costa. Da Costa took a shot, but his attempt was blocked

by Milner. Cucci caught the rebound, burying it for the two-goal lead.

Despite being subdued for the remainder of the second period, a second comeback chance appeared at the start of the third. BC forward Cam Atkinson brought the lead back to one, less than three minutes into the final frame. Merrimack responded within minutes, as Ryan Flanigan scored, making the score 4-2.

The Eagles outshot the Warriors, 3332, but power-play opportunities were vital to the final outcome. Merrimack finished two-for-six in power-play situations, and its penalty kill proved dominant throughout the game, nullifying all but one of the Eagles’ man-advantages.

Second-chance goals also proved a factor, as two of Merrimack’s scores came off rebounds. Milner played well down the stretch, making 28 saves, but Merrimack goalie Joe Cannata had a better performance with 31 stops, including 15 denied shots in the third period.

The Eagles were still missing Steven Whitney, forcing Tommy Atkinson into duty on the fourth line. Whitney should be back for BC’s next game.

“Steve Whitney will be back Tuesday night, which will definitely help our team immediately,” York said.

York isn’t ready to panic, and he emphasized the importance of focusing on their next game rather than dwelling on the past, as well as their true goal of improving throughout the season.

“We’re a work in progress,” he said.

“We keep getting better in all facets of the game. We just need to take another step forward every day.” 

HOCKEY NOTEBOOK

Flurry of shots in second period breaks Cannata

BY ZACH WIELGUS Sports Editor

Following a timid first period in which the No. 2 Boston College men’s hockey team logged 11 shots, it knew it needed to do more. Staring a 1-0 deficit in the face added some juice, as well.

The Eagles responded with 22 second-period shots, including 16 over the course of their six power plays. Joe Whitney and Patrick Wey continued to send shots from the blue line, hoping one would get redirected past Merrimack goaltender Joe Cannata. On one of BC’s 11 power plays, a recurring reel of Cam Atkinson slap shots pelted Cannata, but all were turned aside.

“We thought we deserved more goals, but we just couldn’t get it by him,” said head coach Jerry York of Cannata.

But with the mindset of firing until one beats the goalie, the Eagles finally broke through with 32 seconds remaining in the period, as Atkinson cleaned up a rebound and flipped it top shelf over a sprawled Cannata.

“It was a broken-up play in front of the net,” said Wey, who got the puck over to Atkinson. “I’m not even sure it was a complete pass. It just squirted out to me, and I was kind of off balance, and I was trying to throw it toward the net. It squared out to Cam, and I couldn’t have been happier that he buried it. It wasn’t some great vision I had. It was kind of a fluky goal.”

Flukey or not, those are the opportunities created by operating under an aggressive shot selection. Sooner or later, Cannata wouldn’t be able to recover, and

the Eagles tied the game. It’s a model the team sets up for all its power-play chances, but especially when it needs to erase a deficit.

“It’s always something you want to do,” Wey said. “Definitely on power play, we wanted to stress getting shots through. Playing with pace and getting shots are some of the keys to our power play. It’s something we always stress.”

The 22-shot flurry eventually stressed Cannata, and BC entered the second intermission tied at one as a result.

Cross suffers another knee injury Defenseman and assistant captain Tommy Cross was slammed hard into the boards during the second period, and was barely able to hobble back to the bench.

At the next whistle, he tried to skate, but soon glided back to the bench with a visible limp.

The prognosis isn’t good. Cross has a sprained left knee, the same knee he needed surgery on last year. He will be out three to six weeks.

“He’s been battling these knee problems for three years now, and it looks like three to six weeks for a sprained knee,” York said. “It doesn’t require an operation initially. It’s something he just has to go through again, rehab, and will hopefully get back in the lineup on the earlier side of that three to six weeks.”

To compensate for his loss, freshman Isaac MacLeod, the seventh defenseman, will start.

The Eagles were already down a man with Steven Whitney’s injury. He suffered “a bad bone bruise” at Notre Dame, York said. The team hopes he will be healthy

enough to play tomorrow against UMassLowell, but there is no guarantee.

MacLeod was playing forward in Steven Whitney’s absence, but was moved back to defense with Cross’ injury. York used a patchwork of forwards in the open spot on the fourth line to fill the vacant spot.

Another quiet win When a game finishes with 74 combined shots and 19 combined penalties, it’s easy to forget about the guy who stopped 94 percent of his shots. But once again, that’s exactly what Eagles goaltender John Muse did, picking up his third win of the season by stopping 30 of 32 Merrimack attempts.

“Johnny really came up with some key saves, and he’s been terrific all year for us,” York said. “He was sharp tonight.”

Muse was especially stout against shots that came off Eagles turnovers. In attempts to pass across the zone or clear the puck, multiple defensemen handed it right back to Warriors on the attack.

Muse, however, was there to turn away quick shots.

The first one that got by him was fired through traffic, and it’s likely he couldn’t see the shot with the penalty kill set up in front of the net. The second came on a breakaway, as BC turned the puck over in the Merrimack zone just as a man advantage was finished. Ryan Flanigan raced out of the box and beat the defensemen down the ice and faked Muse, beating him low and stickside.

For the final 39:02, though, Muse denied the rest of the Warriors’ 19 shots. 

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

John Muse held his own on Friday with 30 saves, including a shutout in the final 39 minutes.

“Cannata played extremely well on goal. It was a hard game for us to play because we thought we deserved more goals, but we just couldn’t get it by him.”

–Jerry York, Head Coach

Eleven power plays give BC chance for comeback Banner Win, from B1

ing a 10-minute misconduct penalty on defenseman Kyle Bigos.

“We need to figure out a way to take fewer penalties, no doubt,” Dennehy said.

The result of all those penalties in the second period was 22 BC shots, including multiple rips on the net by Cam Atkinson and captain Joe Whitney.

The only problem for the Eagles was that Cannata was stout in between the pipes the whole night.

“Cannata played extremely well on goal,” York said. “It was a hard game for us to play because we thought we deserved more goals, but we just couldn’t get it by him.”

The Eagles’ first power-play opportunity came two and a half minutes into the game, but only 35 seconds in, Atkinson was whistled for hitting from behind, eliminating BC’s first chance.

Merrimack, on the other hand, took advantage of its first real power play, which came seven and a half minutes into the opening period after Paul Carey was penalized for hooking. Merrimack’s Joe Cucci, who was sent to the box twice himself, passed the puck to assistant captain Karl Stollery, who drilled the shot at the top of the circle to give his team a 1-0 lead.

The Eagles scored their first goal off the power

For a slideshow of Friday night’s game, visit www.bcheights.com/sports

play, too.

In the opening seconds of the second period, BC skated with five on the ice to Merrimack’s three.

Whitney tossed the puck in front of the net, where it found the stick of defenseman Patrick Wey, who deflected the puck out to a wide-open Atkinson.

Atkinson then shelved the puck, hitting the top right corner of the net, to even the game up at one apiece.

“It was a broken up play in front of the net,” Wey said. “It just squirted out to me, and I was kind of off-balance, and I was just trying to throw it towards the net, and it just squirted out to Cam.” Merrimack regained the lead off a Ryan Flanigan breakaway goal at the start of the third period. But a few minutes later, Carey, who had a goal disallowed earlier in the game, lit the lamp off a pass from Atkinson, 3:33 into the final frame.

Less than two minutes later, Merrimack sent its 12th man of the night to the box to serve two more minutes for slashing. At that point in the game, Merrimack had already spent 30 minutes in the sin bin.

BC scored its third goal of the night to secure the victory.

“The game was fractured a lot by so many penalties on both sides,” York said. “It was a pretty gritty win by our team.” 

To watch the post-game press conference, visit www.bcheights.com/sports

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR AND MOLLIE KOLOSKY / HEIGHTS PHOTO ILLUSRATION

B4

Monday, November 1, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

Harris does it all to push offense past Clemson

BY GREG JOYCE Heights Staff

Montel Harris ran early and often on the way to Boston College’s 16-10 upset over Clemson on Saturday. Of the 36 plays BC ran in the first half, Harris ran on 23 of them, accounting for nearly half the total offense, with 109 yards on the ground.

“Every game our goal is to try to run the ball, so I already know going into the game how much work I’m going to get,” Harris said. “It’s just whether we’re successful or not, and I like the work, so it’s no problem.”

The junior from Jacksonville also scored BC’s only touchdown of the game, coming on a 36-yard play-action pass from Chase Rettig.

“They said those are the hardest catches to make, so I was just concentrating on making the catch,” Harris said.

“Once I caught it, I couldn’t believe no one was around me, so I just sprinted to the end zone to try to get in.”

Harris finished with 36 carries for 142 yards, his third straight 100-yard game, much thanks to the recent changes on the offensive line.

“The O-line did a great job all day making holes,” Harris said. “They were just fighting the whole game. They were able to make a lot of creases for me, and also Andre [Williams], to run through.”

Head coach Frank Spaziani and Rettig both echoed Harris’ praise of the front five, which lost right tackle Rich Lapham halfway through the contest.

“I can’t say enough about the job that those guys did on offense, and certainly the offensive line,” Spaziani said. “It was just a tremendous job to go out there and block and do that.”

“Our offensive line does such a good

job with our run game,” Rettig said. “And when you all saw Montel being able to avoid tackles, and make people miss, that’s dangerous to have.”

Harris was named the recipient of the O’Rourke-McFadden Trophy, given to the MVP of each BC-Clemson game.

Guaranteeing a bowl bid After letting his running do the talking on the field, Harris was asked if he thought the Eagles were good enough to run the table.

“Yes,” Harris said. “I believe that.

We’re going to be in the bowl game in December. We can’t go home early.”

Both Harris and Luke Kuechly talked about how much relief was put on the team after breaking the five-game losing streak, and how they think it will lead to bigger things for them.

“The locker room is a way different atmosphere,” Harris said. “Everyone’s happy now. We just have to keep going so we can get to a bowl game.”

“Everyone’s excited,” Kuechly said.

“It’s so much better to come in after a win. Play a little music, everyone’s excited, and it’s so much better than a quiet locker room.”

Asked if he thought his team could run the table, Kuechly echoed his running back’s sentiments.

“Of course,” Kuechly said, adding that the team needs to take it one game at a time.

Rettig gets first collegiate win In the fourth start of his collegiate career, Rettig finally secured his first victory.

The true freshman completed nine-of-16 passes for 136 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Rettig’s turnover came on his first throw of the game, resulting in Clemson’s only touchdown.

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Montel Harris was the toast of the team after generating most of the team’s offense with 142 rushing yards and a 26-yard receiving touchdown.

“That was just a mental screw-up for me,” Rettig said. “The rest of the team picked me up and just let me know the play is over. So I pretty much just started the game over in my head and went from there.”

Of his first collegiate win, Rettig said it definitely helps him experience-wise.

“The game didn’t start like how I wanted to, but I felt a lot more comfortable,” Rettig said. “Every game I feel like I’m growing more and more and understanding what parts of my offense we can utilize more during the game.

“It’s awesome. There’s not a better feeling than winning.”

All to themselves In the first half, BC won the time of possession competition, holding the ball

for 20:19 to Clemson’s 9:41. The Eagles’ scoring drive that resulted in a Nate Freese field goal in the second quarter lasted nine minutes and 32 seconds, BC’s longest scoring drive since joining the ACC in 2005. The Eagles won the overall time of possession battle 34:07 to 25:33.

Davis gives up football for good On Sunday, senior safety Wes Davis announced that he would be ending his football career after suffering the second neck injury of his BC career. A week after

For a slideshow of Saturday’s win, visit www.bcheights.com/sports

he was carried off the field on a stretcher against Maryland, Davis has talked to his doctors and family and decided to call it quits. The co-captain had previously undergone neck surgery in 2007.

Spaziani also announced Sunday that DeLeon Gause will undergo surgery on his injured right knee on Wednesday.

Gause had been forced to come out of last week’s game against Maryland, and after getting an MRI on the knee, it has been decided he will receive surgery. The expected time of recovery will be three to four weeks. 

To watch the post-game press conference, visit www.bcheights.com/sports

Turns out there’s a lot left to learn about BC sports More to Learn, from B1

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Chase Rettig earned his first collegiate win on Saturday by rebounding from his early interception with a solid day.

Defense holds off Tigers Defense, from B1

covered by three BC defenders and two Clemson receivers. The ball was batted into the air twice before Fletcher came down with it, ending the strongest drive Clemson put together all game.

On the Tigers’ final drive, Parker made another mistake, giving BC the ball and the win. He again had time, but his receivers were covered. While Holloway chased Parker toward the sideline, he threw the ball down the line in the direction of tight end Dwayne Allen. Kuechly dove in front of him, grabbing the ball on his way out of bounds.

The interception was Kuechly’s first of the season and first in almost a year.

“I knew they were going to try to isolate me,” said Kuechly, who was afraid that Allen had gotten the first down when he made the hit. “They ran that play on me three or four times, and they got me on

it in the first half. He ended up running it a little bit short and helped me out.”

BC’s defensive success came down to fundamentals, something players have said was lacking in previous games. Earlier in the season, Albright cited missed tackles as a reason BC kept losing, and Davis also mentioned a need to improve fundamentals and focus.

“When it comes down to it, it’s just playing with fundamentals, stuff we harped on all week [in practice],” Fox said, echoing his teammates. “Our defense was just flying around, playing like we did in the second half last week. We knew that’s what we needed to do to get this first win after the series of losses.”

This week, the defense was able to pick up the offense after a mistake and set a successful tone. And that allowed the Eagles to do something for the first time this season: win an ACC game. 

THE ART OF

A BACKFLIP

shouted, and I embarrassedly started the clock again and took a point away as play continued.

Was I missing something here? She used her stick to put the round rubber ball in the back of the net.

Ipso facto, BC had a goal.

“She has to be inside the circle to score a goal,” someone told me. “Besides, it didn’t hit the board in the back of the net, and because it wasn’t a shot off a rebound, it wouldn’t have counted, anyway.”

Come again? The only time a goal isn’t really a goal is in field hockey, so I rationalized that the sport made no sense. I moved on to watching football and hockey and soccer – sports I could take apart and put back together again – and forgot about it.

Friday, though, I was undressed again.

At the suggestion of our ambitious photo editor, we drove out to Dorchester Bay to see just how the BC sailing team practices. We were placed on the boat with head coach Greg Wilkinson, an assistant coach, a member of the team, and a high school recruit, who spoke the foreign sailing language with mystifying ease. I was riding blind. I watched as a dozen and a half boats went out and “did drills,” then huddled around the coach’s tiny motor boat at the sound of a megaphone horn like a kindergarten class. I was given a crash course about race strategy, conveyed with words such as jibe, roll, tack, and hike. I learned that races involve a constant measure of meteorology, as sailors are forced to figure out how the wind changes and take advantage.

By the end of that hour and a half, my brain was exhausted, but I learned more on the Dorchester Bay than in any hour-and-15-minute class I’ve taken this semester. It was a completely new experience, but one that I left happy, fulfilled, and brimming with the knowledge of a new sport.

If I could tackle all that, old faithful football would go just as planned. Clemson was rolling and remarkably athletic, and BC was, well, not. The Tigers held the Eagles to 64 yards in last year’s meeting, and I saw no foreseeable way BC would finally win its first ACC game against this Clemson team.

Once again, I was forced to swallow the bitter pill of inaccuracy, as the offense played a fantastic game of keep-away and the defense, missing three starters, played out of its mind. I still don’t know how we did it, but somehow, the Eagles won.

I’ll admit, I started questioning just how much I pay attention to BC sports (a lot), and ways in which I could increase it to somehow improve my predictions. After all, shouldn’t I have seen football’s win coming? But what I realized was that BC athletics is nothing if not inconsistent, and that’s what makes this job so compelling. The Eagles are just as likely to trash their opponent as they are to lose a surprising squeaker.

I’d like to think I know a very good amount about BC sports, from football to (most recently) sailing. I can now understand that I will never master everything about them. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Zach Wielgus is the Sports Editor of The Heights.

He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

AS TOLD BY

MATT MILANO

KEVIN HOU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

In the starting position, I keep my body tensed and ready in preparation for an explosive jump with a full arm extension.

After the jump, I initiate the rotation by snapping my knees to my chest and keeping my body tense.

After the knee snap, I grab my knees with my hands to maintain the tuck and keep myself rotating through the flip.

As I come out of the rotation, I keep my eyes looking toward my feet, extend my toes, and spot the ground and brace for impact, absorbing the landing with my legs.

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, November 1, 2010

B5

Senior soccer players guide BC through dry spell

BY ZACH WIELGUS Sports Editor

Brooke Knowlton is a budding thespian. In her limited spare time last offseason, she starred in Isn’t It Romantic?, a contemporary production in the Bonn Studio. Usually a forward on the women’s soccer team, Knowlton donned a blond curly wig and tried her hand at theatre.

“I am kind of an acting minor,” Knowlton said. “Ever since I was younger, I wanted to be an actress.”

Of course, that takes a back seat to her first love.

“But I wanted to be a professional soccer player first.”

Hannah Cerrone is the unofficial voice of the No. 14 women’s soccer team. She isn’t always proud of it, though.

“That’s not a good thing,” the captain said with a laugh. “It can be a good thing.

I understand that’s how I’m viewed, and it’s important for a team to have someone like that. I just need to make sure it’s in a positive direction.”

Thanks in large part to these two seniors, Boston College has survived its fall from its position as the top team in the nation to No. 14 without panic. And now the team has its sights set on its original goal: A spot in the Final Four.

On Sept. 23, the Eagles were on cloud nine. For the first time in program history,

they took down North Carolina, a victory made even sweeter by the Tar Heels’ place as the No. 1 team in soccer.

“We were so excited, we were jumping around,” Knowlton recounted. “After you beat UNC, the first time in our history, we thought we won the national championship.”

When the national rankings were revealed the following week, BC was No. 1 or 2, depending on the publication. At 9-0-1, the Eagles were invincible. No one could touch them. That is, until they traveled to Virginia, and then played Maryland and Virginia Tech at home. In a matter of seven days, BC dropped three straight matches, and the team was reeling. “[Beating UNC] was great, and then, reality check, if you don’t focus on the little things, you can lose in the last 10 seconds or in overtime,” Knowlton said.

“With Virginia, that was just the beginning of realizing if we don’t mark our man in overtime, they will score and they will win. The same thing happened against Maryland. We thought that things would come easier to us because we were ranked so high, and that’s just not the case.”

“BC, for as long as I’ve been here, we’ve always been an underdog,” Cerrone said. “And when we beat UNC and were No. 1, we weren’t an underdog anymore, and everyone was out to get us. Normally, we’re out to get everyone.”

Every team was out to get the Eagles, and for that week, everyone got them.

Suddenly, the team was at a crossroads.

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Brooke Knowlton (16) and Hannah Cerrone (11) will lead the Eagles through the ACC tournament.

It found itself in the middle of the ACC, a far cry from last year’s regular-season championship. No longer was the team the best in the NCAA; rather it was back to its underdog status, behind the likes of UNC, Maryland, Virginia, and Florida State in the rankings.

The Eagles could have folded under the pressure of ending the losing streak.

Instead, seniors like Knowlton and Cerrone took the losses as harsh learning experiences and rallied the team.

“All the seniors, we all rallied together and said we had to pick everyone’s heads up on the team,” Knowlton said. “Everyone needs to get excited to play again, because when we have fun and work hard, that’s when we play our best.”

“If anything, you just have to take it as it is, and we gained experience from it,” Cerrone added. “It’s frustrating to go into those games when you should’ve got the result but didn’t, but the way we’re coming back from it now, it’s only going to make us better when it comes to tournament time.”

Head coach Alison Foley opted to make a lineup change in order to shake up her struggling unit. Cerrone moved from the back line to attacking midfielder, and Natalie Crutchfield came off the bench to start as a right defender. As far as Cerrone is concerned, she is pleased with the move, which will remain unchanged, barring injuries.

“It’s so different. It’s almost a completely different game,” Cerrone said.

“I have so much more freedom. Defense is strictly sticking to these guidelines, and offense sort of lets you do what you want to do.”

The team has undergone a physical and mental makeover. The team is playing more as a unit, relying less upon one or two dynamic players and expecting the entire team to contribute. After all, it’s what got the Eagles to the Elite Eight last year.

“You can’t just have a couple people you focus on,” Knowlton said. “Last year, in each game, we had different people score goals to get us to the next round, which is what you need, because other teams are going to key on certain players.”

This renewed commitment to hard work and team-oriented offense will

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The senior duo of Knowlton and Cerrone has been a big reason for BC’s 12-win season. soon be put to the test when it counts the most. The season begins again with the ACC tournament on Wednesday and the NCAA tournament next week. And both Knowlton and Cerrone know that this is their last chance to accomplish their ultimate goal.

“As Coach always says, it’s different for the seniors, and I get it now,” Cerrone said. “Last year, you have things you can learn from, and this year, you’re not

really learning from anything anymore.

You’re not going to be able to make up any mistakes.”

“It stinks not to have an undefeated season, but it’s better because we learn things now that it’s OK to lose, and we’ll be fine because we are in the ACC tournament and will hopefully get a good bid in the NCAAs,” Knowlton said. “I’d rather lose now than when I can’t play anymore.” 

Eagles lose on Senior Day

BY ADAM ROSE For The Heights

With all the accomplishments accrued by the six seniors of the No. 14 Boston Florida State 1 College Boston College 0 wo m e n ’s soccer team, they just barely missed one last feat: beating Florida State.

Amy Caldwell, Hannah Cerrone, Natalie Crutchfield, Brooke Knowlton, Jill MacNeil, and Chelsea Regan each went out with their families before the game as the crowd of 777 fans celebrated their achievements.

But the last regular-season game for this senior class ended in a 1-0 loss to the Seminoles.

“It really was a tough loss for them on their Senior Day, because the seniors played well today,” said head coach Alison Foley.

In the first half, the teams battled back and forth, feeling each other out, with the first real chance finally coming for the Eagles in the 30th minute. Victoria DiMartino corralled a rebound off Knowlton’s shot and attempted to chip it into the goal with her left foot. But Florida State defenders threw themselves in the goal and managed to deflect the

shot out of the net.

Against the Seminoles, Kristie Mewis and Caldwell switched from their normal sides of the field in an attempt to attack a potential weakness in the defense.

“We wanted Kristie to run inside and dribble with her left foot, but she didn’t really get the looks we were hoping for,” Foley said.

With seven minutes left in the half, the two switched back to their usual alignment, Caldwell on the right and Mewis on the left.

Though the Seminoles average 2.13 goals per game, the BC defense prevented them from breaking away and getting a lot of opportunities.

Regan contained Casey Short, though Florida State looked to her repeatedly during the game. Alaina Beyar and Natalie Crutchfield played shutdown defense on the outside and disrupted the Seminoles attack.

In the first half, Florida State tallied five shots, three of which goalkeeper Jillian Mastroianni saved.

The game stayed scoreless until BC committed a significant foul.

On a set piece that followed a Crutchfield foul, Seminole Toni Pressley took a shot, and on the ensuing loose ball, DiMartino ac-

cidentally hit the ball with her hand as she made a play for it. Russo blew his whistle and awarded Pressley a penalty kick. Mastroianni guessed left, and Pressley’s shot easily sailed into the center of the net for the lone goal of the afternoon.

“It wasn’t a great PK, but they’re never in a goalie’s favor,” Foley said.

After the goal by Florida State, the Eagles began to push the tempo and become more physical. Three Eagles earned yellow cards in the last 25 minutes as part of their seven fouls. The increased tempo allowed for seven corner-kick attempts and eight shots in the half, yet the crossbar foiled any attempt at an Eagles comeback. Julia Bouchelle and Mewis both rang shots off the bottom of the cross bar.

“I’ve never seen this many balls hit the cross bar in a season,” Foley said. “We’ve been playing well but just hitting some bad luck, so it’s a good thing it’s the postseason now,” Foley said.

As the conference tournament begins Wednesday, the Eagles will look to accomplish another first for the seniors: win the ACC tournament. 

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Charlie Rugg scored his seventh goal of the season in the 89th minute of Saturday’s 4-3 loss against Wake Forest.

Men’s soccer team snaps streak of ties with a loss

BY PAUL SULZER

Asst. Sports Editor After three straight ties in ACC games, the No. 18 Boston College men’s soccer team went to Wake Fo r e s t 4 Wake Forest Saturday Boston College 3 looking for its second league win. The Eagles left Winston-Salem with a 4-3 loss. Now they must win at Virginia Tech on Friday to avoid having their worst league record since 2006, their second year in the ACC. “I wish I had a simple answer,” said head coach Ed Kelly. “If you look at the other teams in the league, it’s been a few dominant teams and everyone else. Maryland and North Carolina have been the best. Everyone else is beating up on each other. Look at Virginia. They won the national championship last year. Now they only have two wins.”

Injuries are starting to take their toll on the Eagles, who were without Stefan Carter (torn ACL) and Sacir Hot (torn labrum). Hot may need surgery when the season is over, Kelly said, but the sophomore center back is expected to play on Friday.

Center back Chris Ager was also hurt, but he played. Ager aggravated a pulled groin against Dartmouth. It noticeably affected his play against the Demon Deacons, Kelly said.

“We missed Sacir,” he said.

“Chris Ager was playing hurt, too.

The defense has had to deal with a lot of injuries. We haven’t had a run where we had the same lineup for quite a while.”

Forwards Edvin Worley and Charlie Rugg scored secondhalf goals for the Eagles, but the Demon Deacons notched four of their own in the final 45 minutes to send BC home disappointed.

“It could have been an 8-7 game the way both teams played,” Kelly said.

The loss was the team’s first since Sept. 28 at UConn. The Eagles (8-3-5, 1-2-4 ACC) went 4-0-3 over that stretch.

BC opened the scoring in the 43rd minute when Amit Aburmad curled in a corner kick that a Demon Deacon defender inadvertently played into his own net.

Wake Forest equalized five minutes into the second half.

Chris Duvall played a long cross to Luke Norman, whose header beat goalkeeper Justin Luthy to the back post. Eight minutes later, Andy Lubahn gave the Demon Deacons the lead by tapping home a rebound.

Lubahn poached another goal from a teammate one minute later.

Duvall drilled a shot past Luthy that struck the crossbar, and Lubahn was at the right place to score with his head.

Within a minute, though, the

Eagles were right back in the game. Worley, a junior striker, took aim from 19 yards out. His shot deflected past keeper Akira Fitzgerald to give BC some muchneeded momentum.

Almost as quickly as the Eagles got that momentum, they lost it.

Lubahn completed his hat trick in the 71st minute on a through ball from Duvall, who notched his third assist of the game. Lubahn lofted a beautiful chipped shot over Luthy to put BC away.

Rugg scored a consolation goal for the visitors in the 89th minute, volleying a poor clearance from 12 yards out.

The Eagles controlled the first half, outshooting Wake Forest 74, but they were dominated in the second. The Demon Deacons registered a 10-5 edge in shots over the final 45 minutes. Aburmad led BC with four shots, including three on goal. Midfielder Kyle Bekker added three shots (one on target). Luthy made two saves in defeat.

BC needs a win or tie against Virginia Tech to avoid the preliminary round match-up in the ACC tournament. Although the Hokies only have one win and four points in conference to seven points for the Eagles, Kelly isn’t taking anything for granted.

“Look at the Clemson football game [Saturday],” he said, in reference to BC’s 16-10 win. “Sometimes you will be surprised.” 

B6

Monday, November 1, 2010

The Heights

Around Campus

In extracurriculars, its a woman’s world

By Lauren Ruvo For The Heights

From the time they arrive at orientation, Boston College students are told about all of the different clubs that they can join. Clubs foster a sense of community, and for many first year students it gives them an opportunity to find friends who share. However, it seems that lately, women tend to be joining clubs more than men.

In the last three decades, women have come to outnumber men at universities across the country. The fact that at most universities women tend to outnumber men could be a reason as to why women seem to dominate the club culture.

Many students at BC choose to join volunteer organizations as an extracurricular activity. Volunteering is, of course, a great thing; however, many students oftentimes perceive that some groups at BC, such as 4Boston and the Mentoring Leadership Program (MLP), are very difficult for students to get involved in as they can be very competitive. It makes sense that there are some clubs that would tend to lean on the side of exclusivity, and at BC, the general consensus among freshmen is that getting involved can seem a daunting prospect. Many new students want to volunteer, and worry that they won’t be able to, or because of an application process, feel as if they aren’t good enough to give back to the community.

Sarah Finlaw, A&S ’14, says, “I applied for 4Boston and had an interview that I thought went

very well. Unfortunately, I didn’t of men from joining if it’s not get in, which instead of making something they are extremely me discouraged, made me want passionate about.” to try to find other ways to get According to an article in involved at Boston College.” theThe Sunday Times titled “The The fact that Finlaw didn’t want Best Tip For Women Wanting To to give up despite her rejection Have It All Is: Don’t Bother”, shows the determination that by Minette Martin, it is natural most women had when asked for women to want to have it all, about their feelings when they meaning that women may somewere rejected from a club. times take on more than they People join clubs for dif- can handle in an effort to gain ferent reasons. For some, it’s acceptance. Based off this logic, because they want to go find a it seems to make perfect sense club that truly encompasses all why young women tend to graviof their interests. For others, tate towards signing up for as they just want many clubs to find a group as possible. o f f r i e n d s . The majority of clubs at BC W o m e n focus on the Jesuit mission don’t want Lindsey Hoyem, A&S ’14, to be seen of being men and women says, “When I as failures, for others. However, many so it makes came to Boston College, I students oftentimes perceive s e n s e t h a t started looking that some clubs at BC are they would for clubs that be more we re s i m i l a r very difficult for students to likely than get involved in as it is can men to try to clubs I was involved with their hardbe very competitive. in high school. est at joinFor example I ing or, at the chose to join the EcoPledge very least, applying to every club here because it was similar club that interests them. Hoyem to a club I was a part of in high says, “I think that women join school, and I figured I would clubs more than men because meet people like me there. I also a lot of clubs at BC are geared chose to join Relay for Life here toward volunteering, and it because I had friends that were seems like women, more so than involved with it, and I wanted to men, are interested in that kind learn more about the cause.” of club.”

Similar to Hoyem’s view, Even though clubs centered Brooke Stayer, A&S ’14, says, on volunteering seem to attract “I join clubs to meet people and more women than men, men to get involved in the greater are still interested in getting Boston area. On the contrary, involved. Andrew Olson, CSOM I think it’s really difficult to ’14, decided to start his own club get involved because of how because he wanted a political selective some of the clubs are, organization on campus that which I think discourages a lot welcomed all who are interested.

He went to Harvard University for more information, and is now bringing a chapter to BC. The club promotes moderation in the continuously polarized political system and only supports candidates that have a history of reaching across the aisle. The club, No Labels, will be part of the national No Labels organization which is based in Washington, D.C. His group is still in the process of being approved by BC. Olson is hoping for approval by January and plans to start the club in the fall of 2011.

Olson is also in an all-business organization that he says is male-dominated. “I think it depends on the club,” says Olsen. “For example, BCIC (BC Investment Club), College Democrats and Republicans, Finance Academy all have male figureheads.”

According to Nicola Kahale, A&S ’14, more guys join intramural sports, which take up a lot of their time, thus making it diff icult for them to join clubs. “I think it depends on the background of the person.

Some guys are more into volunteering and will do anything to get involved, whereas others are more interested in sports, and some try to find a balance between the two.”

Contrary to Kahale’s view, Finlaw says, “Sometimes it is hard to find clubs that aren’t based on your race, ethnic background, community service, or some kind of musical talent.”

This is a problem that faces many students at BC. The fact that BC has no Greek life is something that some stu-

dents worry about when they erates the association between first come to the University. observation-related social anxiThis worry seems especially ety and hazardous alcohol use. prevalent among women who The present findings support feel that they will not experience theories linking state social a sense of sisterhood. However, anxiety and drinking behavior despite the fact that sorori- through the use of momentary ties were originally created to measurement of anxiety,” says provide college women with op- Casnery in her article “The portunities for personal growth Moderating Effect of Gender and enrichment, many have now on the Relationship between turned into places where young Social Anxiety and Alcohol Use women focus excessively and in College Undergraduates.” unhealthily on their appearanc- The research that Casner did es, according shows that to an article women tend According to The Sunday published by to want to The Huffington drink more Times, it is natural for Post, “Study: in situawomen to want to have it Sororities tions that all, meaning that women Have Negative could poImpact On tentially sometimes take on more Body Image.” than they can handle in an b e c o m e Sororities are socially effort to gain acceptance. It uncomfortequally, if not more, exclusive seems to make perfect sense able.

Getthan the clubs as to why young women tend at BC. Howting into gravitate towards signing v o l v e d a t e v e r, c l u b s , especially the BC is not up for as many clubs as ones that are difficult for possible. popular at BC, students provide women rega rd l e ss with environments to focus on of their gender. It just depends more positive things, such as on how far they are willing to go giving back. By eliminating so- in order to get involved. Sure, rorities from the BC culture and it seems that women are more replacing them with equally se- likely to be involved with clubs lective clubs appeals to women due to their seemingly overbearwho are looking for sisterhood ing presence at meetings, but and a place to belong. this of course does not mean According to Hilary Grace that men do not have an equal Casner of the University of Ar- opportunity to join. Women kansas, research indicates that on campus seem to gravitate social anxiety may be a risk towards clubs and organizafactor for problematic alcohol tions that provide them with use behaviors, and that this opportunities to make friends correlation may be stronger for and exercise their talents. n women than men. “Gender mod-

Spotlight: The Equestrian Club

At BC, Eagles don’t just fly-they ride, too

By Brooke Schneider Heights Editor

Dressed in tan breeches, a polo shirt, and tall boots, members of the Boston College club equestrian team traverse campus on their way to the cars that transport them to their lessons at Saddle Rowe in Medway, Mass. Unlike most of the athletic teams at BC, the equestrian team does not have the luxury of practicing on Shea Field or in Conte Forum, as its members have to carpool to their home barn, nearly an hour away from Chestnut Hill.

But they like it that way.

When they arrive at the barn for their weekly group lesson, each rider is given a horse for the day, as college riding works on a lottery system in which riders are randomly assigned a horse on which they compete.

“The lesson is an hour, but we say it’s about a four-hour com-

“A big part of our initiative is finding the beginner riders because the more advanced people are kind of the ones that seek us out. But then the beginner riders, we seek them out.”

-Kelly Whitaker, A&S ’11

mitment between transportation and getting there, grooming, tacking up, riding, untacking, cooling down your horse, and then coming home,” says Jen Evans, team treasurer and A&S ’11. “I guess you could compare it to running – you warm up, then you do your practice, and you cool down.”

Composed of 30 members, the relatively new equestrian team is largely directed by students under the guidance of adviser Mary Cahill. The club’s officers handle the day-to-day tasks of the team, from creating the budget, to coordinating lessons with the barn and selecting

Photo Courtesy of BC Equestrian Club

FitzGerald has been a member of the equestrian club since her freshmen year.

coaches, to contacting prospective members and planning team dinners.

Through the dedication of the officers, their adviser, and instructors at Saddle Rowe, each year the team is able to compete in about 10 shows, which are guaranteed to be all-day affairs.

When competing in hunters,a category of horses, each of the eight divisions has at least one rider so that a point rider can be selected to accumulate points for the team. “We just finished sixth in our region, which is the highest we’ve finished since our club’s been founded, which wasn’t that long ago – I think it was eight or nine years ago tops,” Evans says. The team is looking to place just as well this season.

Though it is a very costly venture, the officers have their sights set on co-hosting a show of their own. “I think we’re going to try and co-host a show with another school next semester, preferably at our own barn,” says Julia Scobbo, team president and LSOE ’11.

While most of the team members have been riding since childhood, the officers stress that no experience is necessary and that the team is in need of beginner riders for the walktrot division. “A big part of our initiative is finding the beginner riders, because the more advanced people are kind of the ones that seek us out. But then the beginner riders, we seek them out,” says Kelly Whitaker, team secretary and A&S ’11.

Remembering how she sought out the team as a senior in high school, as did the other team officers, Whitaker says, “It was funny because we have all the old e-mails from recruiting people, and mine’s still in there from when I e-mailed them as a senior in high school.”

Though the officers agree that the team is not very well known, they hope to develop a stronger presence on campus through their recruiting at Student Activities Day, the development of their Web site, and word of mouth, Whitaker says.

Photo Courtesy of BC Equestrian Club

Members, like Shannon FitzGerald, CSOM ’11 and Jen Evan, A&S ’11, regularly participate in events outside of riding.

Reasons for joining the team the best part is being able to take are plentiful, as there is no a break from the BC bubble and doubt that horseback riding is get out to the middle of nowhere not the average sport and offers – Medway, Mass. – and hop on a a unique experience to its mem- horse,” Evans says. “It’s just not bers. Many riders are drawn something that people associto the sport, and the BC team ate with your everyday college in particular, be- “It’s so different from schedule, and cause of the opI do it twice, portunity to work running to your finance three times a with an animal class, or an academic week.” and escape the Shannon BC bubble. “It’s club, or the stress of FitzGerald, team n i c e to h ave a finding a job. It’s just vice president sport where you CSOM ’11, a great way to find and have an animal also values the you’re working time to do something time she gets to with that isn’t away from that you’re passionate spend necessarily a perthe chaos that is about.” son who is dealing college. “It’s so with schoolwork -Shannon FitzGerald, different from or distracted by running to your CSOM ’11 something else,” finance class, or says Leslie McDonald, team an academic club, or the stress social / fundraising coordinator of finding a job,” she says. “It’s and A&S ’12. “It [the horse] is just a great way to find time to a living, breathing animal, and do something that you’re pasthey have their own personal- sionate about.” ity, and every day is a different The competitive aspect is also experience, even if you’re riding appealing to many riders, and the same horse.” the sense of accomplishment Though she has always loved that riders feel after a wellthe sport of horseback riding, executed run is very rewarding, Evans particularly likes the Scobbo says. “No matter how fact that she can be a part of an difficult showing is, because equestrian team at BC. “I think you’re given a random horse and

you hop on and go, if you ride well, it’s really fulfilling.”

The team will be taking on new members in January, and the officers encourage interested students not to be intimidated by the prospect of jumping on a horse with no prior experience. What is guaranteed to all members of the team, whether they join just to take lessons or to show at competitions, is that they will experience a great sense of camaraderie. “It’s a fun way to initially bond with someone over liking riding, but then you kind of get to know them more,” Whitaker says. “And we have tons of dinners and social events with our team and just get together a lot.”

Each rider is the other’s number one fan because it is so difficult for BC students to travel to their shows to support the team. “It’s easy for us to go to a football game or to Newton to watch a soccer game, but many people can’t come to our shows in Rhode Island or Holliston, Mass., so it’s kind of a different ball game,” Evans says. And that it is. With a horse as its equipment of choice, the BC equestrian team certainly is a unique asset to the University. n

Monday, November 1, 2010

The Heights

B7

B8

editor’s column

A little vote goes a long way You’ve seen them. They sneak up when you least expect it, and inevitably make you roll your eyes, sigh, Jacquelyn Herder and tap your foot impatiently. You wait for them to be over, but you find yourself not a little bit annoyed when they finally are. That’s right: Political advertisements. And they are everywhere.

Elections – and voting in those elections – are one of those great privileges that we enjoy as U.S. citizens. However, the political ads that we find ourselves enduring do not seem to be a necessary part of the campaign trail, especially when it seems as though the advertisements do little more than bash the other party and candidates. First of all, they always come in the middle of your favorite TV show (as I really only have time to dedicate one night a week to my show of choice, I have to admit that I rather detest the real world sneaking into my one hour of make-believe.) But if we are really honest with ourselves, going from, say, Glee, to being informed that the very future of Massachusetts is at stake and will be ruined if left in the hands of candidate XYZ, casts a bit of a damper on the mood and takes away from the joy that is brought on by song-and-dance routines. Or right before the big mystery in Castle is solved, and Becket and Castle take one more step toward that clandestine affair for which we are all waiting.

Talk about being a kill-joy. Instead of wondering what is going to happen next, all I can think about is if Candidate A is elected over Candidate B, what does that mean for me? And I don’t even live in Massachusetts!

Second of all – the negativity. Oh, the negativity. Seriously, have you heard one nice thing come out of one candidate’s mouth? Nope. They call someone corrupt, then say that someone else is against the people, and that guy over there? He’s just crazy. Don’t vote for him. Vote for me instead (even though I haven’t said a single thing about what I am going to actually do). It’s a turn-off – who wants to vote after hearing people do nothing but spew venom for the last couple weeks?

But we have to. We have to vote. If you don’t exercise your right to vote, then you can’t expect to exercise your right to complain when you don’t like how things are going. Just kidding, kind of. We have this incredible opportunity to act on our opinions, and it is important that we take advantage of it and vote. And we really do have a say in how our country or state or town is run – it’s all a matter of getting out there on Election Day. Sounds easy, right? And guess what – it is.

The advertisements that we have been subjected to do tend to be negative, and they really don’t tell us what we need to know in order to make an informed decision. We are all educated men and women, so take the initiative to Google the platforms of candidates (now even easier with all these new-fangled cell phones with Internet access.) Look into the track records of candidates – newcomers and incumbents, alike. For judges, research what your state’s bar association says and which candidate it officially endorses. You might just learn something useful in the process, and even discover more about your own political leanings than you knew before. An added bonus: It is productive procrastination. You are educating yourself while avoiding work. It’s the best of both worlds! It is genius, really. And you would be foolish not to take advantage of that.

Elections are something that we should not take for granted. There are so many places in the world that do not allow people to have a say in how they can live their lives. Elections can allow you to support an issue about which you feel passionately, and it can give you the freedom to help choose how you want your life and your country to be governed. You don’t have to believe in one party over the other, nor do you have to stick to party lines. Vote for what you believe in. Support what makes most sense to you. And be proud of the fact that you are able to rock that little “I Voted” sticker. It is a privilege.

Take advantage.

Jacquelyn Herder is the Features editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com

Monday, November 1, 2010

The Heights

How they see it: a past generation’s take

By Kris Robinson

Asst. Features Editor Editor’s Note: This is the second in a threepart series on Generation Y’s nostalgia for times barely past.

tress. Pressure. Anxiety.

Uncertainty. They’re terms that are all too familiar to college students, but generally foreign to those still unknowingly basking in the innocence of their childhood. Or at least, they should be. But what if they’re not? What happens when children climb on board the responsibility train a little earlier than they’re scheduled to? Belle Liang, an associate professor in the Lynch School of Education (LSOE), says the result may be a sense of longing for a childhood that was shortened.

“I think that not having enough time to enjoy childhood probably leads to a sense of longing for the past,” Liang says. She believes there are two types of nostalgia, one that is more positive than the other.

A rushed or incomplete childhood can bring on a nostalgia that is more along the lines of a longing for something you didn’t have, as opposed to a fond yearning for a positive past experience. “If you have a nice, whole experience of childhood and you didn’t have to grow up so fast or take on responsibilities as soon as adolescents do today, you might still miss childhood, but in a different way,” Liang says.

This yearning for childhood can sometimes lead to efforts that hope to

S

recapture elements of youth. William Gamson, a professor in the sociology department, says his interest in two of America’s greatest pastimes, sports and video games, emerged in his childhood, and his continued interest in it reflects his attempt to recapture that time in his life.

“I’ve really been using games my whole life,” Gamson says. Gamson started using game simulations in his lessons in 1965. “I sort of saw that as a way of holding onto childhood or extending it,” Gamson says.

He says that by incorporating games into his teaching, he is incorporating play into his work, with play being a trademark of childhood. “Instead of play over here and work over here, it’s play while you’re working. When you’re a kid, play is part of your business. That’s what you do,” Gamson says. “You can easily lose that playfulness aspect.”

A childhood that is beset by so many demands can lead to an unhealthy adult life. Liang says she notices a difference between children who grow up in stressfilled environments and children who are free to live out their childhoods. “I know lots of kids who grow up in environments where they are prepped so hard to be organized and do all these grown up kinds of things, and I feel that there are differences between those kids when they grow up and get to college versus the kids who are allowed to be kids,” Liang says.

“I’m not sure if it’s worth it, all of the stress, because oftentimes, those kids, when there’s that much pressure put on them, they tend to be very anxious, they tend to be scared about life and about failure.” She says these children may or

may not necessarily experience more success than children with less pressured upbringings, who have a great amount of confidence because they’re comfortable with themselves.

Stephen Pfohl, a professor in the sociology department, recalls a conversation with a colleague that highlighted this trend. “I was speaking to another professor and she’s teaching mostly freshmen. The first week, they wanted to know what was going to be on the final.

She didn’t remember that happening before,” Pfohl says. He says this anxiety stems from several places, one being the speed of technology. “This generation is sort of wired communicatively, and that speeds up the sense of everything.

You’re never really able to be at one place in time. You’re always anticipating the future or somewhere else,” Pfohl says.

This level of communication, he says, is something relatively new for the college student generation, and links them to their parents in a new way. “I hear this all the time, that there’s so much more communication among college students and their parents because you can do it so easily. This contact, he says, may remind them of childhood. “Even people my age know that it’s true that when you talk to your parents, they’re still talking to you on child terms,” Pfohl says. “Some of that may be keeping a sense of childhood alive.”

But too much or the wrong type of interaction may have a negative impact, keeping the wrong parts of childhood alive. The phenomenon of helicopter parenting, a term used to describe par-

ents who pay extremely close attention to their children’s lives, is one that’s been researched and documented for its counterproductive effects. Pfohl says that helicopter parenting continues indirectly through college. “They may not be around you geographically, but the geography is broken down when you’re constantly on the Internet, Tweeting, and messaging.”

One of the possible consequences of helicopter parenting is the increase in pressure to succeed. College students exemplify this. “With the economy and everything, it’s very intense for this generation in terms of getting into top elite colleges,” Liang says. “There’s all this competition, which puts greater pressure on kids to set themselves apart from other applicants.” While the college application process may prove stressful for a number of students, college itself can be used as a tool to avoid responsibility, an opportunity that didn’t exist decades ago. “In the ’40s, prolonged adolescence wasn’t really the story. People went to work faster, and not as many people had access to college, which extended the time of not being committed to an economic workforce,” Pfohl says. “It seems now that for this generation, it’s not so surprising that people aren’t getting into a career when they graduate.”

Pfohl says when the future is so unknown, it kind of makes the past a dreamy state, something that contributes to nostalgia. “This general anxiety and uncertainty leads to a yearning for an imaginary time when things seemed more organized, more fixed.”

It leads to a yearning for childhood. n

professor profile: Dale Herbeck

Herbeck brings knowledge, understanding

By Francesca Bacardi Heights Staff

Every communications major has to complete a certain number of classes that are subdivided into clusters, theories, and other categories that enable students to experience different areas of communication. Dale Herbeck, who has been a professor at Boston College for 26 years, teaches a few of these classes to many undergraduate communications and non-communications major students.

Before coming to BC, Herbeck received his undergraduate degree from Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. While attending Augustana, Herbeck was fully convinced he wanted to study law and become an attorney. However, after someone told him that he would make a great professor because he was good at explaining things, Herbeck changed his career path. As is made evident by his position at BC today, he ultimately chose the life of a professor and has never regretted it. “As a professor, I get to live a freer life intellectually,” explains Herbeck. After he graduated from Augustana College, Herbeck continued to receive his masters and doctorate degrees from the University of Iowa, because he realized that all of the great communication graduate programs are located in the Midwest. After receiving both degrees, he came to BC to teach various law classes, clearly never giving up on his dream of a career involving law.

Because Herbeck was a debater during his undergraduate years and then a coach of a debate team for five years

Courtesy of Dale Herbeck

during graduate school, Herbeck arrived at BC and began to coach the nationally ranked Fulton Debate Society, or, as Herbeck would call it “a debate super power.” Herbeck remained the Fulton Debate Society’s coach for 10 years. Eventually, Herbeck was invited to coach the United States’ National Debate Team, and he travelled with his team to Japan for six weeks. The debates in Japan were quite different from those in the U.S., as many of the Japanese debaters use their arguments as a way of learning the English language, so the debates were both instructional and competitive. However, after taking BC’s team across the U.S and flying to Japan with the U.S. National Team, Herbeck decided that the travelling was too much, as he was away for at least 100 days of the year. After retiring from coaching the debate team, Herbeck became the communication department chair for nine years, but as most, if not

all, professors would agree, the best part of BC is its students. Thus, Herbeck returned to his position as a full-time professor.

As Herbeck said, being a faculty member maximizes the time with the students, while running a department requires more meetings and administrative tasks than face-to-face time with the students. As a professor, Herbeck teaches argumentation theory, communication law, cyber law, and every other year a seminar about the freedom of expression. While he was the debate coach, however, Herbeck also taught Elements of Debate. As a professor for many years, Herbeck has learned the ins and outs of scheduling exams (i.e. the proper timing, also known as not the Tuesday before Thanksgiving), grabbing and holding the students’ attention, and even how to keep track of attendance.

Because communication law and cyber law are such large classes, Herbeck

employs the true / false and multiplechoice format for his exams, stating that it is really the only option in classes of those magnitudes.

In terms of teaching style, Herbeck calls upon the philosophical debate that has plagued many teachers and professors: How entertaining should a class be?

Although some professors and teachers employ the method of just teaching the information, however boring or entertaining it may be, Herbeck aims for his classes to be interesting, but intellectually challenging as well. To do so, he tries to find a balance between lecture and audio-visual enhancements, such as video clips and slides with images. Also, because Herbeck mainly teaches law classes, he tries to make the cases studied like small narratives that are easier to understand. As intimidating as the course load of communication law may seem, what with the workload approximating 20 cases per chapter, the class is truly unbelievable from start to finish every Tuesday and Thursday. As for his other classes, check PEPs, because they agree that every class Herbeck teaches is definitely worthwhile. It is without a doubt that his enthusiasm for law is evident throughout each lecture, making every case – even the slightly less interesting ones – entertaining.

With such extensive knowledge of communication and cyber law, it would not be a mistake to think that Herbeck is an attorney. In fact, even though Herbeck is not an attorney, he is available for law school discussions for those students that intend on going into law after receiving their undergraduate degrees from BC. n

he said, she said I’ve written an album-length set of songs for a girl I’d like to woo. I figure, it worked for that guy in Passion Pit, so maybe it’ll work for me. How should I get the CD to her? Should I slip it under her door, or should I distribute them on campus for a nominal fee? - Warbling Romeo

The short answer to this question is don’t do it at all.

Really. If you actually want a chance with her, don’t even burn the CD, let alone give it to her. It might have worked for the guy from Passion Pit, but in the real world, I don’t think it would do very much to help your cause. Maybe, and that’s a big maybe, if things work out you could eventually give the CD to her, but I don’t Alex Trautwig believe that it’s the best way to go about showing her how you feel right off the bat.

Instead of the CD, try a different way to let her know how you feel.

Strike up a good conversation and ask her out. Everyone believes chivalry is dead and that college students don’t go on dates, especially at Boston College, but I don’t know any girl that has said she wouldn’t love to be asked out by a guy. So do it by showing her that you’re different and that you’re sincere (assuming that you really are).

It doesn’t have to be a huge, elaborate plan, but the idea is to spend some time together and get to know each other. After your relationship has progressed and once you know her taste in music you could consider giving her a CD, but casually mention it first and gauge her reaction. I know some girls who would like it and some who would find it a little weird.

Short of joining Passion Pit, I don’t consider an album a good icebreaker, or a good move at any point in the relationship. If you do, magically, become an internationally-known indie rock star, then maybe you could pull it off. Either way, I’d leave it to the professionals.

Alex Trautwig is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com

I don’t think distributing your debut on campus is the best way to show this girl you care. Your best bet isn’t slipping it under her eight-man door either.

Things would surely end badly for all parties involved were your playlist to get into the wrong hands. These two fairly weak options aside, I respect your dedication and your courage. It isn’t everyday that a girl inspires Julia Wilson an album (even that “Hey There, Delilah” singer only dedicated one song to his muse). After all, not many college guys dedicate entire musical repertoires to their crushes. Aside from your Passion Pit reference (I’m a big “Sleepyhead” fan) and the fact that you actually used the word “woo,” I really have only one other comment to make: You must really like this girl.

Unless this is just your attempt to launch a music career, I’m sure the girl in question will find this genuine attempt at love to be very sweet.

Rather than just leaving the CD at her door (and then awkwardly avoiding eye contact when you run into her during Sunday morning brunch at Lower), you should pair this musical preview with a conversation about how you feel. If you can write songs about her, you can certainly ask her out. I’m not saying you need to go for a three-course meal downtown. Hillside coffee would do for some getting-to-knowyou time before you venture off campus together for a real date. Too often, these kind of dating opportunities are foregone for one dumb reason or another. So just give up whatever excuse you’ve been using, and go for it. Plus, if your songs are any good, your “nominal fee” will follow.

Julie Wilson is a senior staff editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com

B9

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, November 1, 2010

HOW-TO

HUMOR

Stay in touch ... with a conversation

Improving athletics

ALLIE BOWMAN

Allie Bowman is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Ice Jam, the first event of its kind at BC, was widely considered to be the best rally to date, thanks to performances by the sports teams and Vanilla Ice.

Cover, from B10 Different events provide support for this theory. The Notre Dame pep rally gave out coveted, free, game-day shirts. Similar shirts caused a frightening stampede in O’Neill two years ago, and will probably continue to heighten emotions for years to come. This season’s first football game featured free “We are BC” sunglasses for those fans who arrived early. Each of these giveaways drew students to support the teams, but perhaps masked the presence of true spirit in the crowd.

The opposite is also possible, however. After all, attendees are not always aware that gifts are awaiting them at sporting events. “I honestly had no idea that Vanilla Ice was going to be there or that I was going to be offered free stuff,” says Karen Karnicki, A&S ’12. “Those were nice surprises, but I really just went to support the athletes and see what’s up for the season,” she says. Comforting words for the cynical, but it’s harder to discern what the student body as a whole is thinking.

Another consideration for attendance is advertising. Ice Jam was thoroughly advertised both on campus and online. It was a new and unique sort of pep rally, rooted in pre-BC traditions, and marketed as a historic event. This alone could have been enough to boost attendance. Creative videos online and on screens during the event caught the

attention of Facebook stalkers and passersby alike, further increasing interest.

Momentum built, and by the date, most people on campus knew what Ice Jam was.

That being said, it is also possible that students are aware of events, but simply feel they have other things to do. The argument for studying over celebrating is not unfounded. As competition to enter BC gets tougher, it seems logical that today’s brand of Superfan has priorities more in line with academics than sports.

Melissa Zaniewski, CSON ’12, confirmed this notion. “I miss sporting events all the time, because I just have too much work to do, and it’s more important,” she says.

Colleen Giblin, A&S ’12, however, has found ways to balance fandom and academics. “My schoolwork is very important to me, but so are BC sports. I believe it is fully possible to manage my classes and still be a good fan.” This ideal may not be attainable for all students, as many must sacrifice entertainment for extended scholarly pursuits. In any case, it is evident that students’ priorities do change with time and academics do play a strong role in them.

Likely there are also many students who would welcome an opportunity to push aside their homework for some athletic entertainment, but the prospect becomes less appealing when the Eagles aren’t winning. In the days of Matt Ryan, attendance at football games was high, and this wave of support carried fans into

at least the next season, but three years later the fair-weather fans are being separated from the tried and true. Superfans are growing accustomed to losing, and they don’t seem to be taking it well.

The reverse of this trend is observable in Ice Jam. BC hockey has won two national championships in the past three years and has a bright future. Regardless of their performance this season, Conte will probably be packed for matches with fans hoping for continued success. Attendees go into a game hoping for one outcome, and are disappointed if the other results. Is it worth the time and money to see one’s team lose? Diehard fans would say yes, while others no. One student was heard saying to another at last week’s football game versus Maryland, “I’m already an above-average Superfan by staying as long as I have.”

Perhaps that is now true.

The role that sports play in the life of BC students varies among individuals from year to year. The real reasons fans arrive early to games and pep rallies or stay home are personal and may never be fully known. However, there are several factors that play an obvious role in student attendance. Ice Jam recently called attention to the advantages good advertising, incentives, and winning bring to any sports event. Conte wasn’t bursting at the seams last Tuesday, but it was certainly fuller than last year’s Spring Concert. There is hope for team spirit at BC. 

COLLEGE CONNECTIONS

Not just loco ... it gets you Four Loko TAYLOR ROSS Just before Boston College students hit the Halloween Weekend grind, Health Services sent out a useful warning to ensure that BC students would be safe during the weekend. In the e-mail, Thomas Nary, director of Health Services, warned the students of the “dangerous concoction” known as Four Loko. Nary informed the students that the drink contains the equivalent of six shots of alcohol and five cups of coffee. This drink doesn’t just get you loco, it gets you Four Loko.

Four Loko managed to combine everything a college kid needs in a drink – excessive caffeine and alcohol. Its makers effectively eliminated the need to have an individual supply of liquor, shot glasses, and chasers.

They just threw it all into the can.

The can looks like a soda

MARGARET TSENG / HEIGHTS GRAPHIC

Let’s face it, our lives as college students are insanely hectic. At a school like Boston College, where the vast majority of the student body is heavily involved in extracurricular activities, it is all too easy to get caught up in school and forget about some of the things that matter most: friends.

Now, I am sure you’re probably reflecting on that Mod party last weekend, or the lunch date you had this afternoon, and thinking to yourself, “What is this girl talking about? I see my friends all the time.” And this is true. Because we choose who we live with, we pretty much constantly see our friends. But these are our BC friends. As time progresses, we tend to get incredibly wrapped up in our lives here on the Heights and, as a result, our home relationships tend to fall by the wayside.

Though it happens to the best of us, this is entirely avoidable. It only takes a couple extra minutes of your daily routine to check in with someone from high school, a relative in a different state, or someone else with whom you’ve lost touch to catch up a bit. Here’s how to do it.

Call people. Believe it or not, the cell phone is actually intended to act as a device for vocal communication – not typed. Shocked? Yeah, I thought so. Although it may seem like a primitive act, a call is one of the best, if not simplest ways to communicate. By choosing to call and not text, you are able to more effectively convey the message you’re trying to send, which is extremely difficult to do when limited to 160 characters. Next time you go to pick up your phone, tell them how much you miss them. Don’t text it.

Keep an ongoing thread through Facebook. Call it “life updates.” This way, while all of you are procrastinating via Facebook, you can at least use your time to let people know what is going on in your life and find out what is going on in theirs. Ask about events around their campuses, see how their athletic teams are doing this season, or ask about their families. It only takes a few seconds and will really help you show them how much you do care.

Send letters. Everyone loves to get mail. There’s really something great about looking in your mailbox, expecting to see it empty, and being pleasantly surprised by a Halloween card from your grandmother or a postcard from your friend studying abroad. It definitely does make a difference to see that someone took time out from his or her day to sit down and handwrite a letter to you. Now, do that either in return or to another person. The next time you’re in CVS, peruse the greeting card section and pick out one that reminds you of someone from home. All you need to do is say “thinking of you.”

Simple, thoughtful gestures like this will help open the floodgates and keep the conversations going, even while miles apart from each other.

Make plans to visit people. Take advantage of the great fares being offered

by Bolt Bus or Southwest Airlines and go to see friends on breaks. Just hearing about someone’s life isn’t enough. To best get a feel for someone’s environment, it is good to make a trip to see it. He or she will be ecstatic to have the opportunity to show off their stomping grounds, and it will be really nice for you to be able to meet all the people you have heard so much about, or see all their favorite places. This face-toface contact will allow you guys to really reconnect and remind yourselves how much you have missed each other.

Skype. Do this as often as possible.

Because everyone is always on different schedules, it is best to coordinate a time with someone to ensure that there are no distractions. Skype is essentially the phone call of the future. It has everything you could possibly need, including instant messaging, video conferencing, audio conferencing, and even phone calls. This is especially great if you have friends abroad, because it allows you to make calls overseas without the hefty fees. You can talk, listen to, and see your friends all in one place. What’s better than that? It’s essentially the next best thing to being with them in person.

It is important to make a solid effort to keep in touch with your friends from home. They are the people who helped you get where you are today. They have been there for you through everything and have seen you become the person you are. If you keep in touch with your friends from home, you will be able to keep yourself grounded within the chaos of your life at school. In the end, it will feel so refreshing and you will undoubtedly be glad you did it.

It’s the same as when my mother told me I couldn’t tend the fire as a kid because it was too dangerous. A visit from the fire department and a smoky house later, Mom was probably right.

But the point is, it didn’t stop me from doing it…

can on steroids, and dares you to try to finish it. Already, students have turned the traditional game “Edward 40-Hands” into “Edward Four LokoHands.”

With various flavors like lemonlime, blue raspberry, watermelon, and orange, the drink attends to the taste buds of all undergraduates. The company has created a drink that combines the college kid’s appetite for binge drinking and caffeine.

I think it’s particularly entertaining that it takes a drink like Four Loko to get Health Services to warn the entire undergraduate class about the dangers of alcoholic beverages. The drink is no worse than the excessive binge drinking that usually takes place at parties.

I feel like it’s far more dangerous to have Rubinoff Raspberry (known on the streets as “Ruby Razz”) squirted out of the bottle into your mouth for no other reason than the fact that the party has run out of Solo cups.

Four Loko is at least less dangerous because it takes so long

to ingest the drink given its brutal, caffeinated, vodka-like taste.

I had actually never had an entire Four Loko by myself – after all, it’s not like I’m Hollywood B-lister Daniel Baldwin before his fourth stint in rehab. But the e-mail got me curious about this “dangerous concoction” of a drink. It’s the same as when my mother told me I couldn’t tend the fire as a kid because it was too dangerous. A visit from the fire department and a smoky house later, Mom was probably right. But the point is, it didn’t stop me from doing it …

We all love doing things that we are not supposed to. That’s the beauty of weekends at BC, and the very idea of college itself. “Enjoy your time son, they’re going to be the best four years of your life,” my dad often tells me. Why is that, Dad? Is it because after you graduate it isn’t socially acceptable to duct tape 40 oz. bottles of malt liquor to both your hands and not take them off until it’s finished? Or because you can’t shotgun a beer anymore without being labeled as a dreg of society? At BC you aren’t an alcoholic, you’re a college student. If you maintain the same level of drinking post-graduation, you are a bona fide alcoholic.

Health Services’ decision to refer to Four Loko as a “dangerous concoction” will most definitely trigger the opposite of what they intended to happen. The idea of a drink as a dangerous concoction causes one to conjure up an image in his head of an undergrad chemist in a lab, brewing up his special “concoction” that he can then drink with his friends.

It probably isn’t the best idea to suggest to undergraduates what they shouldn’t do. Everyone enjoys doing things that they shouldn’t be doing.

Taylor Ross is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com

I love sports. I love all kinds of sports. Sports excite their audiences by blending risk, reward, physical feats, and drama into one form of entertainment. I love sports. But even as a proponent of DAVE GIVLER sports, I realize there are times when sports are not exciting. There are times when nothing is on the line.

There are times when two unpopular teams are playing. There are times when you are just a little sick of baseball (I like baseball, it’s just a looooong season). My question as a spectator is, why let these contests go to waste as boring shells of their potential? Let’s spice these suckers up with a little whimsy and tomfoolery. Here are just a few suggestions.

Hockey: 200-pound men skating on ice, slamming other players into Plexiglas is pretty exciting, but in the mid-to-late second period you start feeling a little sleepy. You lose sight of the puck and have no desire to find it again. The game is getting a little tedious. Now just imagine if at any point during every period the lights were shut off for one minute and the puck glowed in the dark. That would be exciting, wouldn’t it? It might get a little dicey on the ice, but that’s what pads are for.

Football: Getting sick of your team running the ball nine out of every 10 plays? Do you find TV timeouts to be unbearable and detrimental to the flow of the game? Imagine if teams could not punt or kick field goals. Fourth and 10 would be a very exciting down to watch, especially if you are trapped in your own red zone. Also, I think it would be more entertaining if the referees had paintball guns with yellow paint instead of flags. When there would be a penalty, they would simply shoot the player who committed the foul. Coaches would have a paintball gun as well, but they would be armed with only two red paintballs. If they want to challenge the play, they would have to shoot the referee who made the call. If they miss, there is no challenge.

Ready! Aim! Booth review!

Baseball: No other sport can put its audience to sleep more quickly.

Baseball needs some serious help. I think the pitcher should be able to use a trick ball once an inning. Wouldn’t you love to see a batter swing and hit a ball made of flour? Or how about we help the outfielders make their jobs more exciting. What if catching a fly ball with a baseball cap was worth two outs and catching a fly ball with your shoe was three? The innings would move much more quickly. Players who want to steal bases should literally be required to steal the base. If they want to steal second, when they run to third they need to bring second with them.

In addition to the seventh-inning stretch there could be a fifth-inning goose chase. The umpires would release a goose in the middle of the fifth inning. The dugouts would be cleared to try to catch the bird. Whichever team catches the fowl gets a bonus run.

I’m just spitballing here.

Soccer: “The beautiful game” can also be considered “the boring game.”

Speaking from experience, I can think of nothing more frustrating than two teams pouring their blood and sweat into a match for 90-plus minutes and having the match ending in a draw.

Maybe I’m just one that wants results.

Soccer can be made better by initiating a no rules / anything goes minute each half. Players can touch the ball, carry the ball, and tackle other players. No penalties can be called during the minute of mayhem. It might look a bit like rugby, but maybe that’s a good thing.

Basketball: This is a pretty active sport, but it can become a bit slow with fouls and timeouts. If I were to tune up the sport, I would put higher consequences on shooting fouls and calling timeouts. If you commit a shooting foul, you have to allow that player an attempt at dunking over you.

If that player is too short to dunk, you must allow them to use your back as a springboard. If you want to call a timeout, the player or coach needs to give an explanation in the form of a rhyming couplet. For example: “I’m calling a timeout, so at my players I can shout.” These added requirements will reduce the number of fouls and timeouts called and also make the game more entertaining.

I love sports. Sometimes they just need that extra boost. Even if the left fielder can’t get his shoe off in time to make the rare three out catch, the fans will enjoy the attempt.

David Givler is an editor for The Heights. He welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com

FEATURES

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Monday, November 1, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2010

Pump it up

BY KRYSIA WAZNY Heights Staff

“What’s a pep rally?” asked Isaiah Sterrett, BC ’10. He was, of course, joking, but the point made is an important one regarding Boston College’s sports culture. It sometimes seems that we, as a community, are lacking in “pep.” However, many would argue that our University feels deeply connected to its sports teams and their successes or losses. Is the school spirit of the student body languishing or going strong? And for what reasons are these phenomena occurring?

Some have argued that levels of student spirit have nosedived in recent years. Alumni bemoan the emptiness of the student section, and wonder why students can’t put their significantly discounted tickets to good use. The, now legendary, addition of “b—h” to celebratory chants also doesn’t bode particularly well for the state of student morale.

Are students spiteful, overly studious, or just lazy? Whatever the reasons, spirit-related events have been going to greater lengths to overcome the challenges of reaching the BC community.

Despite the lack of a “go get ’em” attitude in the student ranks, the two most recent pep rallies have been reasonably well attended. The Notre Dame pep rally is always an important one for the season. And, let’s face it, if there is

emotion behind any game in particular, it’s this one. Spirit comes out in spades any time that dastardly name “Notre Dame” is spoken, and who among us doesn’t feel proud of the maroon and gold whenever we manage to squash the Irish? However, there might be other factors at play behind improved attendance.

The second significant pep rally this semester, Ice Jam, took place this past week. Conte Forum was divided into half-ice and half-court for a dramatic display of the winter sports teams. The men’s and women’s basketball and hockey teams gave fans a taste of what they hope to see in the rest of the season through various competitions and playful skits.

Ice Jam had all the elements of a basic pep rally, but with some rather extraordinary additions. The event was hosted by sports announcer great Bob Costas. Former Red Sox manager Joe Morgan, Doug Flutie, and other BC sports legends were courtside. Women’s basketball head coach Sylvia Crawley did “the Dougie.” Vanilla Ice performed and then proceeded to judge the competitions that followed. And finally, a BC-themed BMW was given away. This raises the rather compelling question: Were students there to support the athletes, or were the other incentives just too good to miss?

See Pep, B9

RACHEL GREGORIO / HEIGHTS GRAPHIC

EAGLE DATES

Eagle Date horror stories: The best of the worst KELLY MCCARTNEY At every college campus around the United States, there exists a tradition so terrifying and so prone to disaster that only the bravest undergraduates participate in its complex rituals. Despite whatHealth Services would have you believe, that custom is not the drinking of Four Lokos. Rather, it is the college dating scene.

Inspired by the season, this article is going to take a look back at the 10 most terrifying things that have ever happened on an Eagle Date.

Perhaps the most amazing fact is not that these mortifying moments occurred, but rather that the dates still turned out okay. On average, after nearly 20 dates, the average match rating is a 3.8 and the average date rating is a 4.4. That’s really pretty good, considering the stories that we are about to list below. In fact, all of our daters were so nonplussed by these mishaps that after the date they let us publish them in the newspaper for the school to read about.

So what is the worst that can happen if you go on an Eagle Date? Read below to find out!

Coming in at number 10, we have the very familiar and yet always awkward action of going in for a hug when the other person goes in for a handshake. While not as potentially disastrous

as the meeting of the attempted cheek kiss and the side hug, it still is not the ideal way to start an evening. Luckily for Mike and Olivia, any initial awkwardness was soon overcome by the much more interesting Lady Gaga versus Miley Cyrus debate.

Beginning the evening with an immediate mispronunciation of your date’s name comes in at number nine. Thanks to Theron’s smooth handling of the situation, it did not even cause a bump on his date with Amy. Our number eight most terrifying moment was really no one’s fault, other than whoever decided that a curtain over the entrance made for good restaurant decor. While Katelyn was slightly embarrassed by her problems making it into the restaurant, it turned out alright, since Ben had the exact same issues when he had tried to get in.

Number seven brings us back to Amy and Theron, who had a much better night than this article may suggest. Amy had some issues loading money onto her Charlie Card on the B-Line, but Theron kindly stepped in to help.

To anyone who has attempted to drive on Boston’s completely illogical roads, number six makes perfect sense. While Sara was understandably happy to get a ride from her roommate and avoid the pouring rain, she was slightly

I NSIDE FEATUR E S THIS ISSUE

less pleased when they discovered that they were driving in the wrong direction. It turns out that Will was just happy that she made it in the downpour, and the rest of the evening went off without a hitch.

While number five may not seem so bad compared to some of the other debacles profiled here, the sheer number of times that it has occurred moved it up the list. Multiple dates have fallen prey to the awkward side hug that concludes a night when the daters are getting off at different stops on the Comm. Ave. bus.

Number four revolves around a shockingly spicy order of Drunken Noodles on the first ever Eagle Date. The noodles really must have been spicy to so strongly impact Alex, who hails from New Orleans. While Alex didn’t get to appreciate the full value of a free Eagle Dates dinner, Jen was not bothered by his food mishap.

A simple miscommunication with some pretty uncomfortable results is at the center of number three. When going through the “Where are you from” routine, Nate misunderstood Ola’s answer of “Poland” as “Berlin” and proceeded to ask Ola if she spoke German, and Ola’s faith in Nate’s intelligence was restored.

Ironically, number two occured when Jimmy was trying to avoid the same food difficulties that Alex had faced in an earlier Eagle Date.

Spotlight: Equestrian Club

While he stayed away from spicy food, chopsticks proved to be Jimmy’s downfall when his sushi unraveled on his face. His attempts to hide his difficulties were met with a joke from Rachel, who made light of the whole fiasco.

Coming in at number one is a truly cringeinducing dating story with some surprisingly pleasant results. Colleen watched as three T trains passed her by as she waited in the pouring rain. Luckily, a mutual friend between the daters was there to save the day by giving Tony a call and letting him know that Colleen would be late.

She arrived half an hour late, soaking wet, and very stressed out, but Tony immediately calmed her fears and offered her his coat (sparking jokes about wanting to look chivalrous for the paper).

Their night went on to be characterized by an unusual number of favorite bands in common and a shared love for Moogy’s, rather than its inauspicious beginning.

The moral of the story: The worst that can happen is not actually all that bad. Fresh off Halloween’s experiments with different costumes and personas, hopefully a few more Boston College students will try dating on for size.

Kelly McCartney is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments - and Eagle Date applications - at features@bcheights.com

Learn from fellow students and their extracurricular activities. This week, learn about BC’s Equestrian Club..........................................................................................................B6

Humor Column.................................B8 College Connections.........................B8