Heights 09-20-10

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Vol. XC, No. 28

THE HEIGHTS

Conflicting jurisdictions leave students doubly booked

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

www.bcheights.com

Cudi rocks Conte

BY TAYLOUR KUMPF Asst. News Editor

Inconsistencies in on-campus and off-campus policing procedures may lead to double penalties for Boston College students living in off-campus housing.

For drug and alcohol cases, the methods of addressing infractions differ depending on if the incident occurs on-campus or off. Some students have to answer to both the Boston Police and the Boston College Police Department (BCPD).

“If students get arrested offcampus, they will deal with both the criminal and civil jurisdictions,” said Paul Chebator, senior dean for student development.

“For example, if a student athlete were to get in trouble, they would have to deal with the court system, the athletic department, and the dean’s office. They are different jurisdictions, so they are able to enforce different standards.”

Following Massachusetts’ decriminalization of marijuana in 2008, disparities between BC policy and the law have increased, as well as the number of students being caught for marijuana violations.

Since the passing of the Question 2 referendum, which decriminalized

KEVIN HOU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

A backstage look at the 2010 Fall Concert

BY MICHAEL CAPRIO News Editor

It’s 9 a.m. on Saturday. The Fall Concert is 10 hours away. A group of students gather around on folding chairs near the just-constructed stage on the Conte Forum floor. It’s early for a Saturday, but the students have already clocked in four hours and have 17 more to go.

These students are the event staff workers of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC). Their efforts the day of Saturday’s Fall Concert, featuring LMFAO and Kid Cudi, represented a part of the University-wide plan-

See Kid Cudi, A4

See Policy, A4

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Rain alters Freshman Convocation

Plans for anniversary announced

Dan Wolff urges students to be engaged in their educations

BY MICHAEL CAPRIO News Editor

Author Daniel Wolff offered guidance on personal education to freshman students in Conte Forum Thursday night at the First Year Academic Convocation – an event interrupted by rain, which prevented students from taking their traditional march down Linden Lane.

Wolff, whose book “How Lincoln Learned to Read” was the recommended text for members of the class of 2014, challenged students to question their role in college, and in the world.

“I could have stood up and said, ‘What are we doing here?’ and sit down because that’s essentially what I’m saying,” Wolff said. “But they wanted me to talk for 30 minutes.”

Following a cook-out earlier in the afternoon, students made their way

INSIDE

toward Conte Forum, bypassing the traditional procession, in which students march through Middle Campus with students from their respective residence halls.

Vice President for University Mission and Ministry Rev. Jack Butler, S.J., and Vice President for Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski delivered the Jesuit charge, “Go set the world aflame” to students in Conte Forum. The charge is traditionally given in front of Gasson Hall.

“We would like to do this as residence halls, but because of the rain, we can’t,” said Rev. Joseph Marchese, director of the Office of First-Year Experience. “But we can do it as a class.”

University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., addressed the class of 2014 following Rombalski’s and Butler’s remarks.

“We know you bring many gifts to this community,” Leahy said. “We want you to develop them … so that not only this community, but the entire world can benefit from them. Who knows what will happen over the next four years? But I know that Boston College will be a better place because of it.”

During his address to students, Wolff said that for many freshmen, their education up to this point in their lives has been a game that they’ve been very good at playing.

“It’s sometimes a fun game, and it’s sometimes a useful game,” he said. “But it’s a game.”

He said that college offers students the opportunity to take a personal approach to education and to transcend their traditional “schooling.”

“To learn in school is, in many ways, to fail,” he said. “It’s set up for you not

MASS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

ARTS & REVIEW

Kid Cudi leaves audience in pursuit of happiness, A10

SPORTS ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

BC gathered in O’Neill Plaza Thursday to celebrate the Mass of the Holy Spirit.

The men’s soccer team dismantles BU, 4-0, B1

FEATURES

Heights Editor

Classifieds, A5 Crossword, A5 Editorials, A6 Numbers to Know, B2 Police Blotter, A2 Game to Watch, B2 Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down, A7 He Said / She Said, B8 Weather, A2 Box Office, A8

BY MICHAEL CAPRIO News Editor JULIANNE WOJNO / HEIGHTS STAFF

Freshmen crowded Conte Forum, foregoing their traditional procession to learn too much. Now [that you’re in college] you might not be burdened with the machinery of school and have time to contemplate.”

Wolff said that students should also think about their place in the world outside the University.

“The point of all these textbooks and texts are to make the world better, whether you become a good American or not.”

In an interview with The Heights, Wolff explained the research process for his book.

“We all assume something happens in childhood and then these great people arrive,” he said. “I wanted to focus on what are usually the first five pages of what people make a book out of.”

Wolff said that he had researched several American figures who, ultimately, were not included in the book. Included among these people were Thomas Edison and Ulysses S.

See Convocation, A4

In anticipation of Boston College’s sesquicentennial year, members of the BC community have begun preparations for a celebration to last from May 2012 through the fall of 2013.

The sesquicentennial, or 150th year, celebration is scheduled to feature events including a series of speakers, a mass for students and alumni of BC and BC High School at Fenway Park, and the unveiling of historical markers placed at designated points on campus.

The committee is also charged with organizing the University’s first Founder’s Day, which will align with the 150th anniversary of the election of BC’s first president, Rev. Johannes Bapst, S.J. The sesquicentennial celebration will also include a convocation of Catholic college and university presidents to address issues in Catholic higher education, according to information from the Office of News and Public Affairs.

The planning committee, chaired by Vice President and University Secretary for the President’s Office Mary Lou De Long, will be working throughout the next 18 months in preparation for the start of the celebration.

The committee will plan events and work

See Sesquicentennial, A4

State of the Heights now a monthly event

BY ANA T. LOPEZ

Find out what’s in store this year with intramural teams, B10

Steering committee charged with planning

On Friday, students and faculty gathered in the Walsh Hall Function Room for the first State of the Heights meeting of the fall semester.

The semi-annual event, sponsored by the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) and meant to bring administrators into an open forum where students can ask questions regarding a year’s worth of campus issues, will now be a monthly event, with each meeting focused on a particular, pertinent topic.

“It was originally proposed as something that would occur several times a year,” said Micaela Mabida, president of the UGBC and A&S ’11. The event was established four years ago to foster greater transparency between students and administrators regarding major

University decisions. “This will give us the chance to delve deeper into each issue,” she said. “It will give students a chance to have their voices heard more regularly.”

Several dozen students and a handful of administrators were in attendance at last week’s meeting. The topic of discussion was developments on the Institutional Master Plan (IMP), with Executive Vice President of Student Affairs Patrick Keating, Vice President of Facilities Management Daniel Bourque, and Vice President of Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski, representing the University administration.

“Seems like I’ve been talking about planning forever, now I’m talking about action,” Keating said. He then led students through visual models of the new developments and the projected landscape of the campus over an

See Address, A4

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The State of The Heights address, previously held annually, will now be hosted every month by the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC).

TopFive

Monday, September 20, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

things to do on campus this week

Chile: 1810-2010

1

Annual Blood Drive

Today Time: 9 a.m.

Location: Burns Library

In honor of the 200th anniversary of Chile’s Declaration of Independence, the Burns Library will be housing Chilean artifacts.

2

Today Time: 12 p.m.

Location: TBD

Volunteer to donate blood at BC’s annual blood drive. Beginning at 12 p.m., appointments are available every 15 minutes until 4:45 p.m.

Little Town of Bethlehem

3

Freshmen Senate Election

Tuesday Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Cabaret Room

To coincide with International Peace Day, BC will host a premiere screening of Little Town of Bethlehem about the Middle Eastern non-violence movement.

FEATURED ON CAMPUS

Speaker contests death penalty

4

Tuesday Time: 8 p.m.

Location: Higgins 300

With the freshmen senate election in the near future, there will be a mandatory informational meeting for all freshmen senate candidates.

Sexual Assault Awareness

5

Wednesday Time: 10 a.m.

Location: Dustbowl

Fo r S ex u a l A s s a u l t Awareness Day, information about sexual assaults and the resources available on campus for victims will be on hand in the Dustbowl.

IntheNews On Thursday, London’s Times Higher Education released its comprehensive World University Rankings. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the rankings are highly anticipated because they are based on an evaluation system which looks at quantifiable measures of quality rather than subjective values, such as reputation.

Among the criticisms of previous compilations was that they relied too heavily on reputational surveys, based on fewer than 4,000 responses, according to the report.

Local News Boston’s Community Rowing, Inc. to host international rowers

REBECCA KAILUS / HEIGHTS STAFF

BY REBECCA KAILUS Heights Stafff

Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., addressed a crowd of students at Conte Forum about her lifelong crusade against the death penalty on Friday.

The talk by Prejean, the author of Dead Man Walking and The Death of the Innocents, received such an overwhelming initial response from the Boston College community that the location for the event was moved from Robsham Theater to Conte Forum.

“It doesn’t matter when you wake up. But when you wake up, you have to act,” Prejean said to those in attendance. With a nearly 30-year career of trying to overturn the death penalty, acting is exactly what Prejean has done.

The presentation was the first event of the 2010-11 academic year for the Church of the 21st Century.

The center was originally created in 2002 as a two-year initiative in order to explore the issues highlighted by the sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic Church. It has since grown into a permanent center on campus that focuses on four major areas, including handing on the faith to the next generation, the roles of laymen and women, relationships and sexuality in light of Catholic tradition, and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition.

Prejean’s book, Dead Man Walking, became a four-time Academy Award-nominated film starring

Susan Sarandon, who won Best Actress for her role as Helen Prejean, and Sean Penn. In recent years, the book has also been performed as an opera.

A Louisiana native, Prejean grew up in the rich suburbs of New Orleans. She joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille and later moved to a poor black neighborhood in the St. Thomas projects area of New Orleans, along with four other sisters from her order. She became involved with the Prison Coalition Project, working as a pen pal and later as the spiritual adviser to death row inmate Patrick Sonnier, who was facing the death penalty for the rape and murder of an innocent teenage couple in Louisiana.

From her experience working with Sonnier, Prejean spoke of the human being that lies within everyone regardless of the actions they commit. “I was holding a cross and praying,” she said. “I looked into his face for the first time, and I couldn’t believe how human he looked. I thought that if you killed someone you would look physically different.”

She said that fear is one reason people struggle with the prospect of overturning the death penalty. “All the outrage and fear is a struggle when innocent people are ripped out of this world in such a violent way,” Prejean said. “I can understand. And if you struggle with this, I can understand.”

In spite of such fear, grace ex-

ists, she said. In Prejean’s journey, this grace was found in the father of murder victim David LeBlanc. “He is the hero of Dead Man Walking, I am just the storyteller,” Prejean said of LeBlanc’s father. “He didn’t want the death sentence. But they told him he had to want the death penalty because everyone told him if he didn’t, people would think he didn’t love his son.”

According to Prejean, the biggest injustice of the death penalty is the strong racial sentiments that are attached to it. “Out of the 1,200 people that have been killed in this country by the death penalty, eight out of 10 have been African Americans,” Prejean said.

The death of the wrongfully accused was another reason Prejean holds that the death penalty is riddled with injustice. “We cannot have the death penalty in a civilized society because we make mistakes,” she said. “And we are still making mistakes. There are now 139 wrongful deaths off death row. We are so fragile and we are human. When we are under pressure, we make mistakes.”

At the heart of Prejean’s talk was the message of the morality of the death penalty. “Do we have the wisdom to know which lives are so valuable that we can take a life in return?” she asked. “How do we get enough proof to know that you should die? Who are we to say, ‘No, no not a life sentence. It’s the death penalty for you.’ How do we have the wisdom to say that?” 

TODAY

71° Partly Cloudy 44°

TUESDAY

69° Sunny 57°

WEDNESDAY

80° Mostly Sunny

University World University Rankings avoid subjective measures of quality

Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., spoke on the morality and injustice of the death penalty in Conte Forum on Friday.

FOUR DAY WEATHER FORECAST

This month, Community Rowing, Inc. (CRI), based in Brighton and Boston’s largest rowing club, will play host to seven rowers and the coach of the Iraqi National Rowing Team as they prepare for the 2010 Asian Games in China in November, according to a report by The Boston Globe. The team is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday, when they will begin six weeks of training with U.S. rowers from CRI and the Riverside Boat Club, located in Cambridge, that will culminate in an appearance at the Head of the Charles Regatta on Oct. 23 and 24.

On Campus Award-winning actor joins theater department, coaches productions The Boston College theater department recently announced that award-winning actor Karen MacDonald has joined the faculty as BC’s Rev. J. Donald Monan, S.J., Professor in Theater Arts for the 2010-2011 academic year. MacDonald, who won the 2010 Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence, awarded by the Boston Theater Critics Association, and the 2010 Robert Brustein Award for Sustained Achievement in the Theater, awarded by the American Repertory Theater, will teach master classes in acting and improvisation at BC, in addition to acting as a coach for theater dept. productions.

National Muslim groups hold summit over American-Islamic relations in NYC NEW YORK (AP) - A summit of U.S. Muslim organizations is under way in New York City to address the outcry over a proposed Islamic center near ground zero. Spokesman Shaik Ubaid said the Muslim leaders met Sunday in an effort to arrive at a united stand. The organizations also hope to address what they see as a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment and rhetoric that has accompanied the nationwide debate over the project.

Groups participating in the summit include the Islamic Society of North America and the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations.

60°

THURSDAY

68° Partly Cloudy 54°

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 9/15/10 – 9/17/10 Wednesday, September 15 10:18 a.m. – A report was filed regarding a party who lost their wallet in Claver Hall. The party later contacted the BCPD and advised that the wallet had been located.

11:10 a.m. – A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in the Mods. The alarm was triggered due to a hair dryer being used.

12:01 p.m. – A report was filed regarding a party feeling ill in Fenwick Hall. The party was transported by ambulance to a medical facility.

7:20 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an injured party in Edmond’s Hall. The party was transported to a medical facility in a police cruiser.

Thursday, September 16 3:01 a.m. – A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated party. The party was transported to a medical facility in a police cruiser.

7:56 a.m. - A report was filed regarding several abandoned bicycles in the Commonwealth garage. The bicycles were removed and will be stored at BCPD headquarters for safekeeping.

8:00 a.m. – A report was filed regarding vandalism to a Boston College vehicle. A detective will follow up.

4:01 p.m. – A report was filed regarding the odor of a controlled substance in Voute Hall. Officers responded but were unable to identify the source of the odor.

7:10 p.m. – A report was filed regarding the confiscation of alcoholic beverages from two underage parties in Walsh Hall. A report will be forwarded to ODSD for review.

9:28 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an injured party in the Quonset Hut. The party was transported to a medical facility by police cruiser.

Friday, September 17 12:28 a.m. – A report was filed regarding an intoxicated party of legal age who was unable to care for themselves in the Plex. The party was transported to a medical facility by police cruiser.

1:24 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated party in Loyola Hall.

The party was transported to a medical facility by ambulance.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

Voices from the Dustbowl “Can you tell us about a crazy experience you’ve had on the BC Shuttle?”

“One day I saw the same person three times.”

—Alex Amidon, A&S ’14

“I almost sat in throw-up once.”

—Meidema Sanchez, A&S ’13

“There was almost a fight the other night because the bus was really cramped.”

—Courtney Alpaugh,

A&S ’13

Delivery To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact John O’Reilly, General Manager at (617) 552-0547.

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

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

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

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, September 20, 2010

A3

Rallying Runners celebrate the life of fallen hero cry for logic

BY REBECCA KAILUS Heights Staff

SEAN TALIA While it’s immediately obvious that no legal system anywhere in the world is perfect (whatever that might mean), imperfection is not the same as absurdity. Saturday morning, thousands of like-minded people gathered in Boston Common to express their discontent with the current laws regarding the possession and use of marijuana at the 21st Annual Freedom Rally.

Seven hundred and fifty eight thousand, eight hundred and ninety three: that’s how many people were arrested in the United States in 2009 for marijuana possession, according to www.DrugWarFacts.org.

Given that the population of the United States in 2009 was just a shade over 307 million people, some quick math tells us that about one in 400 people in the country were arrested last year for possessing weed.

I find this to be troubling and worrisome – not because of what it says about how many people smoke marijuana in the U.S., but because it speaks volumes about the values our society chooses to espouse. For example, according to a report by the Center for Disease Control, in the U.S. in 2009, it was estimated that approximately 26.7 percent of Americans are considered to be “obese,” and that type II diabetes in children and adolescents “already appears to be a sizable and growing problem.”

I have yet to read a report that presents findings as alarming as these in regards to the detrimental effects that marijuana usage has on one’s health, and yet (in my experience, at least) the crusaders against marijuana make far more noise than do the crusaders against graver and more pressing issues like childhood obesity.

Why is this so? I have no idea. There are a host of cultural and historical reasons, no doubt. But the arguments I hear never seem to hold much water. For instance, a family member of mine once told me he had an issue with marijuana use because it “alters your state of mind.” Certainly. As does going several days without sleeping, falling in love, and praying. But presumably those actions aren’t worth being fined for or arrested.

Another person told me, “You just never know what’s being put in it, all sorts of people handle that stuff.”

Naturally – all the more reason to regulate the production and distribution of it. Naturally, not everyone who opposes marijuana usage brings such vapid arguments to the table, but I have yet to hear an overwhelmingly convincing reason for its usage remaining illegal.

This is a country where it’s perfectly okay for an individual to own a stockpile of guns large enough to outfit a small militia, and yet, in most states, it is a criminal offense for an individual to smoke a cannabis cigarette while reading the Sunday paper and enjoying a cup of coffee.

Put in those terms, our country’s policy toward marijuana usage seems totally laughable, and yet this is, in fact, the case. It’s high time (no pun intended) that something be done about it, and I say “Bravo!” to those who attended the Freedom Rally on Saturday in support of the legalization of marijuana. Hopefully one day soon we will follow in the footsteps of more socially progressive countries, like the Netherlands and Germany, and see marijuana for the largely harmless drug that it truly is.

Sean Talia is a columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at editor@bcheights.com

As the runners crossed the finish line of the sixth annual Welles Remy Crowther Red Bandanna 5K Run, the sun of the warm morning caught their faces. “Welles always arranges nice weather for us,” said Alison Crowther, mother of the fallen hero.

The run commemorates the life of Welles Crowther, BC ’99, a New York City equities trader who worked in the South Tower of the World Trade Center and lost his life on Sept. 11 while trying to rescue people inside the towers from the burning debris.

In the days following the attacks, stories began to surface that told of a young man holding a red bandana over his mouth who helped many people escape from the crumbling edifice. Though the man’s identity remained unknown, Alison Crowther recognized the red bandana as the one her son always carried in his back pocket.

Eyewitnesses later identified this man as Welles Crowther, formerly a volunteer firefighter for the Empire Hook and Ladder Company, No. 1, of Upper Nyack, N.Y. He became the first person in the history of the Fire Department of New York to be posthumously named an honorary firefighter.

This year, 315 participants donned red bandannas and raced around the five kilometer loop that forms the periphery of Boston College’s Chestnut Hill campus. Proceeds from the run benefit a number of charitable organizations, including the Valley Cottage Indians Youth Athletic Association, the Natural

History Museum of the Adirondacks, and the Institute for Educational Achievement, which supports autistic children.

Alison and Jeff Crowther, Welles’ parents, spoke at the run about heroism. “My wife likes to say a hero lies in you,” Jeff said.

“Everyone has the opportunity to be a hero in different ways – some very large and impressive and some very small. Every day we have the opportunity to be a hero. Today you are all heroes,” he said.

Donations fund the Welles Crowther Service award, which grants $1,000 to a select BC student each year to go toward the charity of his or her choosing. Last year’s winner, Charlie Mangiardi, BC ‘10, chose to direct the money to the Cheyenne River Youth Project.

“The run is one of the biggest fundraisers we do. Especially coming this time of year, it just gives us faith,” Alison said. “We love how the students embrace Welles’ story and how it turns them around.”

The run is organized by both the Crowther family and friends and the BC Volunteer and Service Learning Center (VSLC).

Alison credited the VSLC with developing the initial idea for having a charity run in her son’s memory.

After the center’s founding in 2003, director Daniel Ponsetto approached Alison about the idea for a run.

“I came up to visit this new center,” Alison said. “Dan said to me, ‘How can we help you?

We want to do more.’ Everyone at this college wants to do more and thinks bigger.” The first year the run was held was 2005.

Alison said that her son’s love

of BC was a major reason for the run’s location on campus.

“Welles was a student here from the class of ’99. He absolutely loved this college,” she said.

Many BC students, faculty, and alumni come out annually to support the cause. “This year, more BC students ran than ever before,” said Kate Daly, the assistant director of VSLC. After hearing Crowther’s story, many students felt the run was a worthy cause to participate in. “I heard a lot about it and I’d rather run than volunteer. I wanted to participate because I thought it was such a great cause,” said Rachel Rudder, CSON ’14. Rudder finished the race in second place.

Other students saw it as an opportunity to have a fun run with friends, but were later moved by Welles Crowther’s touching story. “I liked to run and my friends were doing it,” said Lexi Schaeffer, A&S ’14. “I didn’t really know what it was for, but the speech Welles’ father gave at the beginning was really motivating.”

Dan Nallen, A&S ’13, was one student who decided to participate after seeing fliers in his dorm. “We saw the poster in our dorms. And we knew it was a good cause and we wanted to come out and support it,” he said.

The VSLC also utilized other mediums to get the word out about the run. “We got the message out through Facebook, since most students use it and it’s more student-friendly,” said student co-director Kathryn Sullivan, CSOM ’12.

“We also spread the word through banners and at football games. Students want to get in-

ANNIE BUDNICK / HEIGHTS STAFF

ANNIE BUDNICK / HEIGHTS STAFF

Participants in the sixth annual Welles Remy Crowther Red Bandanna 5K Run are pictured on Linden Lane at the start of the event on Saturday. volved. They want to remember Welles and what he left us with,” said student co-director Nick Aigner, A&S ’12.

Both the BC women’s and men’s lacrosse teams participate annually in the run in order to remember Crowther, who was a four-year member of the men’s team. “We decided to run because this is such a good cause,” said Kelly McNelis, A&S ’14.

“What Welles did losing his life to save others is so inspiring.”

Other runners participated because their lives were personally touched by Crowther. For Norman Burns and his wife from Detroit, Mich., Chestnut Hill was the final destination on their vacation around New England.

“The run was our destination.

Welles and our daughter, Megan, were soul mates. I considered him a surrogate son. Whenever we’d go to New York City, he always had breakfast with us,” Burns said. 

ANNIE BUDNICK / HEIGHTS STAFF

On Saturday morning, over 300 people donned red bandannas in memory of Welles Remy Crowther and raced around the five kilometer loop that forms the periphery of Boston College’s campus.

BC implements creditbased academic system

BY TANNER EDWARDS

“This was very much a student-led initiative,” he said. “The UGBC and Quality of Student Following a successful initia- Life Committee were already tive led by the Undergraduate urging this as a good idea back in Government of Boston College 2007 when I became vice provost.

(UGBC) that began in 2007, stu- They made a good case, and the dents in the class of 2014 and all more we talked about it, the more subsequent classes of undergrad- sensible it seemed to make the uates will now satisfy graduation change. requirements through a credit“There probably are more unibased academic system. versities in the United States on The policy change, implement- credit-based rather than courseed this semester, marks a depar- based systems, so BC is not alone ture from the course-based degree in seeing the benefits of this apaudit structure familiar to most proach,” he said. students. HowHafner pointever, the courseed to revisions in based gradua“Students can now the department tion system will of earth and enpick from among still be in effect vironmental scifor the classes of a set of two-credit, ences as a prime 2011, 2012, and of the half-semester courses example 2013. benefits of a credThe subtle and combine them it-based strucdifference in ture. according to their measurement “Students can specific interests.” has greater imnow pick from plications for the among a set of future quality of two-credit, half— Donald Hafner, academic life at semester courses Vice Provost for BC, according to and combine University ad- Undergraduate Academic them according ministrators. to their specific Affairs Donald Hafi n t e re s t s ,” h e ner, vice provost said. for undergraduate academic afGail Kineke, a professor in the fairs, said that officials were per- earth and environmental sciences suaded to alter the system given department, said that she found “the possibility of greater in- the prospective changes especially novation and flexibility in course promising given the curriculum offerings.” review and major program revision Hafner said that the coopera- that recently took place in her detion between University officials partment during 2007 and 2008. and student leaders was what “We wanted to streamline the brought these reforms to frui- offerings as well as update and tion. improve the curriculum for the For The Heights

environmental geosciences major,” she said. “Around the same time, we learned of the University’s plan to switch to credit-based requirements, and we saw this as a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the flexibility a credit-based system could offer.”

The department’s environmental geoscience major now asks students to complete a series of six two-credit courses lasting half of a semester in any order they choose.

This template replaces the series of three full courses once needed to satisfy major requirements with the 12 credits now necessary.

Kineke said she is looking forward to witnessing the policy’s effect on student experiences in her department.

“We worked carefully to make sure students have the same rigor as the previous curriculum, will get the needed breadth, but can also focus more in their area of interest within the geosciences,” she said.

Given the longstanding practice of counting graduation requirements by courses, the changes were not always simple. “[The alteration] meant going systematically through all the academic regulations and re-stating them in terms of credits rather than courses,” Hafner said.

Administrators anticipate that maintaining two different structures until 2013 will be difficult but well worth any administrative headaches.

“Things will be a bit challenging for the next three years as we must handle these different systems of requirements, but we are excited about the innovations we are introducing,” Kineke said. 

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Heights

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Wolff addresses discernment in education at Convocation Convocation, from A1

Grant.

“You get some people to talk about themselves,” he said in reference to his research subjects.

“Some didn’t.”

When asked about the stated purpose of his book, to explain how people come to know what

they need to know, Wolff said, “I certainly don’t think there’s a formula, or particular advice that anyone can give. Do we all need to know Latin? No. Do some people really need to know Latin? Yes. And I think that the process of getting there, of figuring out what you need to know, is the point, more or less.”

This was the seventh year the University has held its Freshman Convocation, which the administration hopes to turn into a foundational BC tradition. Former convocation speakers have included Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and President Barack Obama, who, as an Illinois senator, spoke in 2005. n

Julianne Wojno / Heights Editor

Rain prevented students from processing on the traditional route from Linden Lane to Conte Forum on Thursday.

Marijuana, alcohol citations differ by police jurisdiction Policy, from A1

marijuana possession of up to one ounce, the number of BC students processed through the Office of the Dean for Student Development (ODSD) has increased, Chebator said.

While the BCPD and Boston Police Department (BPD) do joint patrols in Brighton, BPD holds primary jurisdiction, said BC Police Chief John King.

A student found in the possession of marijuana will be cited first and foremost with the civil fine of $100. If the same student is identified as a member of the BC community, the BCPD will

follow up with its own written report, which will be forwarded to ODSD. “The BPD may elect to cite the student with a civil fine, but BCPD will still write a report,” King said. “Students off campus must be aware of the expectations of both the BCPD and BPD leadership.”

BC imposes housing probations for f irst-time offenses dealing with small quantities of marijuana. Third offenses can be punishable by University dismissal and a $500 fine, or, the equivalent of being caught five times off-campus.

“I’m not sure if [the Uni-

versity’s policy] is harsher, it’s may be some inconsistencies. just different,” Chebator said. [But, what’s consistent is that] “We have differwith off-campus ent interests as a “I’m not sure if [the ca s e s b ro u gh t living and learnto o u r a t te n University’s policy] tion, students ing community.

We have different is harsher, it’s just may still be restandards.” ferred to ODSD, different,” “Perhaps the but the deciway to look at sion of arrest is this is that the BPD’s.”

— Paul Chabator, conduct is a law The Boston Senior Associate Dean for police are not violation as well Student Development obliged to report as a violation of BC’s student conincidents involvduct requirements, therefore ing BC students to the Univeraccountability will be exercised sity, but they often do. in two venues,” King said. “From “The BPD is not required the students’ perspective, there to refer cases but does so as

part of our ongoing cooperative relationship for various complaints,” King said. “We could be informed by BPD of violations by students either through the mutual patrol program or via fax correspondence sent from District 14 for a case not know

by BCPD.” King said that, regarding on-campus violations, theBCPD tries to avoid arresting students, using the ODSD referral process when possible.

“On campus, we have more resources. We look to referral if possible,” King said. “Being able to refer students to the judicial system without arrest is an ap-

proach we can take.”

For alcohol cases on campus, the BCPD has options for how they might handle a case they encounter, he said. “[The new alcohol policy,] also, is intended to provide support for students,” King said.

“In enforcing underage drinking off-campus, however, the BPD has a no tolerance policy. They are going to make an arrest.”

King said he hopes to maintain the positive working relationship they currently have with greater Boston police officers.

He said he plans to meet routinely with Cpt. James Hussey of the BPD’s District 14 office. n

Keating discusses Master Plan at State of The Heights built on the space currently occupied by Carney Hall.

“The decision to move the 18-year range, and gave a virtual tour of the Stokes Academic new dining hall to the Carney spot was because it is more Building plans.

Keating told students that efficient for dining services to next Friday would mark the last have a two-story facility,” Kestep in the approval process ating said. “We do not intend for Stokes when the Board of to invest heavily in McElroy Trustees votes on the project. once the new dining hall is Regarding the construction built.”

Students’ questions mainly schedule for the Master Plan, Keating said it “was a ques- related to accessibility to the Campus Green and McElroy tion of what we nce the excan afford and “We do not intend opected two year how quickly we to invest heavily in construction of can build Middle Campus.”

McElroy once the new Stokes begins.

“A s t h e c o n He said that building is built.” struction goes Stokes – which on, the camw i l l o f f e r n ew pus green will c l a ss ro o m a n d — Patrick Keating, be closed,” he a d m i n i st ra t ive space, as well as Executive Vice President said.

“Once renew, indoor common areas – will precede the opened, the new green will be construction of a new dining sizable but smaller. It will be hall, as the dining hall must be about the size of O’Neill Plaza.”

Address, from A1

Keating said that the University wants to use the fence that will surround the Stokes construction site strategically, using it to announce events, updates on construction, and a visual of what the building will look like upon completion.

With regard to developments on Lower Campus, Keating said that by the end of this month, faculty and staff will be moved from St. Thomas More Hall to 129 Lake St. to open space for new residence halls. “We want to respect the architectural heritage on campus,” Keating said, referring to the design of the new residence halls. “The design will evolve much like 110 St. Thomas More.”

Mabida said that the time and location of the events is still subject to change, depending on student feedback and what proves to be a time that is convenient for most students. n

Preparation for Kid Cudi concert a University effort Kid Cudi, from A1 ning for the 4,800 students who ran – or stumbled, in some cases – into Conte Forum Saturday night.

The UGBC worked closely with the Boston College Police Department (BCPD) in maintaining security throughout the night.

After the doors opened at 7 p.m., patrons filled Conte Forum and awaited the opening act of CoastConnect, a DJ duo composed of Casey Ruel and Jesse Ramey, both A&S ’13.

LMFAO took the stage around 9:30, playing a setlist that included a rendition of their hit “Shots,” which featured members of the UGBC on stage dancing alongside the rap duo and a dancing robot.

However, trouble struck when Kid Cudi took the stage at 10:45 and was quickly cut short by a technical error.

“We had arranged for a sound engineer to take care of the entire show,” said Michael Kitlas, UGBC executive director of campus entertainment and A&S ’12. “Kid Cudi wanted to use his own men for his set. When he was at the soundboard, his sound technician made a mistake which caused soundboard and the processor to be shut down.”

Following the technical error, Kid Cudi jumped into the barricaded space separating him from the crowd – a premeditated move, UGBC members said.

“He had talked about wanting to move back and forth in the barricade, so it was just a way to interact with the fans,” Kitlas said. “What we wanted to avoid was what happened with Akon, having more than 800 people on the floor.”

Last year’s Fall Concert was

cut short when the main act, Akon, urged students sitting in bleacher seats to storm the floor, creating a fire hazard.

Such situations are the challenge for the Team Ops and BCPD officers patrolling the floor.

It’s 6:30 p.m. and Lt. Thomas King of the BCPD is standing on the concourse of Conte Forum. Outside stand hundreds of concert-goers waiting to fight for the seats closest to the stage.

Some of the people outside have been waiting for hours. Some of them are drinking, or are already intoxicated. King concedes this but he’s smiling.

“I’ve got guys everywhere,” he said.

While the line forms outside Conte Forum, plainclothes police officers from the BCPD watch for suspicious behavior. “We look for people scalping tickets, but mainly it’s for people who are sick,” King said.

Throughout the course of the concert, BCPD officers move toward problematic areas – bathrooms, the arena floor, and the cramped bleachers.

The BCPD has a rule for dealing with students who show signs of alcohol sickness. “If you throw, you go,” King said.

It is 6:45 p.m. The line out of Conte Forum extends back toward the BCPD station. Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) from Eagles EMS prepare the triage center in the Power Gym. The crew hauls EMT bags of first-aid equipment. Ambulances from the Armstrong Ambulance Service are standing by.

Throughout the course of the night, the team of a dozen EMTs work shuttling people from the problematic areas to the triage center. It is at this point that the concert-goers become patients.

The triage center is composed of 11 chairs on a tarp with plastic bags laid alongside and stretcher equipment ready to be mobilized.

“You can guess what the tarp is for,” King said.

For Christopher Faherty, president of Eagle EMS and A&S ’13, it’s not a matter of if someone inside his concert gets hurt, it’s how prepared he and his team are.

“It’s very hectic inside,” he said. “It’s inevitable that you’re going to get sick people.”

Patrons identified as sick by the event staff are brought to the triage center by Eagle EMS personnel and given full medical evaluations. The EMTs collect all information from students, including past medical histories and BC ID numbers, which are forwarded to BCPD for reports.

The only way out of the triage center is in an ambulance. It’s Faherty’s job to prioritize who gets out first.

“It comes with a lot of experience,” Faherty said, regarding to the process of prioritizing patients. “It’s common sense sometimes too, when you’re trying to decide between the kid who is able to stand and is just slurring some words to the kid who is barely standing and throwing up.”

The UGBC sold all of the 4,800 tickets available for the event, creating a sold out atmosphere in Conte Forum – a challenge for the support staff, but a blessing for budget organizers.

“When we forecast for these events, we never forecast a sellout crowd,” Kitlas said. His department now has $20,000 in overflow funds from the concert, which will be alloted toward the Spring Concert, Modstock, or other events that might spring up in between. n

alex Trautwig / Heights Editor

Vice President of Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski addressed students at Friday’s State of the Heights event.

“When we started to talk about what the key theme would be, we kept coming back to ‘Ever to Excel.’”

— Mary Lou De Long Chair, Sesquicentennial Steering Committee

University Sesquicentennial celebration to start in 2012 Sesquicentennial, from A1

around the University’s motto, “Ever to Excel.”

“When we started to talk about what the key theme would be, we kept coming back to ‘Ever to Excel,’” De Long said.

She added that the sesquicentennial celebration will focus on three sub-themes: scholarship, faith and culture, and formation.

In addition to the planning committee, a Sesquicentennial Academic Committee will meet under the leadership of Joseph Quinn, a professor in the economics department. The committee will work to plan interdisciplinary events with the deans of BC’s eight schools.

“Our faculty members are the heart and soul of our academic mission, and are central to the international reputation we now

enjoy,” Quinn said in a recent statement.

“Representatives from each school will convene in the fall to plan a series of events that will illustrate how Boston College research has made this a better world,” Quinn said. “Suggestions are encouraged from all our faculty, to your school representative or to me.”

De Long referred to the centennial class of 1963 as a basis for what the committee hopes to achieve with the class of 2013.

“What struck me was the centennial class is probably the closest class we’ve ever had at BC,” she said. “When alumni from that class give speeches, they start off by saying ‘I am part of the centennial class.’ We want [the class of 2013] to be cognizant of the fact that they are part of the sesquicentennial class.”

Festivities surrounding BC’s centennial celebration included a speech given by President John F. Kennedy. “People still talk about that,” University Spokesman Jack Dunn said. “It was a magical moment.”

Dunn, who also serves on the board of trustees for BC High, said that BC High, which will also be celebrating its sesquicentennial year, is eager to do one big event with the University. “We thought the best idea would be a mass at Fenway Park,” he said. “It is based on the papal mass given in the Bronx at Yankees Stadium during the pope’s last visit to the United States.”

Dunn said details for the mass have not been finalized yet, as the Boston Red Sox schedules for the 2012 and 2013 seasons have not yet been released. n

CLASSIFIEDS

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THE HEIGHTS

Monday, September 20, 2010

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MISCELLANEOUS Friend The Heights on Facebook for breaking news, UGBC updates, and the first look at on-campus announcements on bcheights.com.

Interested in blogging for The Heights? Contact Dara Fang at fangda@bc.edu for more information or to submit a tip.

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The Heights

Editorials

Quote of the DAY

Matrix sanctions

Monday, September 20, 2010

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”

— Marcel Proust

‘The Heights’ suggests that ODSD reevaluate its punishments for marijuana possesion in light of legal disparities.

Recently, and after a long period of review, the Office of the Dean for Student Development (ODSD) instituted a new policy of how to deal with incidents of drinking that require medical attention. The Heights suggests that ODSD also look at the sanctions for marijuana use with a critical eye. In their present form, BC’s sanctions mandate housing probation for a student’s first offense of marijuana possession, while first offense for alcohol possession only carries a sanction of disciplinary probation. Although this is initially a minor distinction, by the third offense the severity of punishments has become completely disparate; marijuana possession carries possible University dismissal and alcohol possession only now enters the realm of housing probation.

Another inconsistency within the University’s judicial sanctions is the possibility of off-campus students facing double penalties, one from the Boston Police Department (BPD) and one from the BC Police Department (BCPD). In the state of Massachusetts, as a result of Question 2 referendum, marijuana is a decriminalized substance, resulting in only a minor fine if one is found in possession of a small quantity. Students caught off-campus with marijuana are then subject to this fine along with University sanctions.

Whether marijuana is a destructive and dangerous drug is not within the scope of this editorial. What concerns The Heights is the fact that the

University’s system of punishments is completely out of sync with the laws of the state of Massachusetts. In the eyes of the law, underage drinking is a much more serious offense than possession of marijuana, which is given about the same criminal weight as a minor traffic violation. If a student ran a stop sign on campus, would housing probation be considered a fair punishment?

Of course, as BC students, we are held to a higher standard of conduct than the average citizen of Massachusetts. We are a part of a community that upholds Jesuit Catholic values and because of this, we are responsible for comporting ourselves as men and women for others, which means creating a safer community. But should students feel that it would be wiser to possess drugs on campus to avoid the double punishments from BPD? One’s status as a BC student should never work against him or her in the eyes of the law.

The Matrix system was created before the passage of the Question 2 referendum, and we suggest that ODSD take this new law into consideration when revising the Matrix system in the future. We also urge students to be mindful of the current rules and punishments when making decisions about substances on or off campus. Even if you consider the current system to be unfairly weighted, always be respectful of the police, whether BCPD or BPD, as their main priority is safety, and we all benefit from this security.

State of the Heights

The UGBC has made the State of the Heights a more informal, monthly discussion among administrators and students.

Last Friday, the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) hosted the first of several planned State of the Heights discussions. This first program featured an update on the current status of the Institutional Master Plan (IMP) and the planned construction of Stokes Academic Building. The State of the Heights program was instituted in 2007 as a formal presentation at which prominent administrators spoke to students about University issues. Over the last three years, attendance at the event has dwindled. Last year’s planned address was cancelled and never rescheduled, with Al Dea, former UGBC president and BC ’10, citing a lack of student interest.

This year, instead of having just one address, the UGBC hopes for the State of the Heights to become a monthly forum that will focus on one particular issue of interest each month. The Heights believes that these changes made by the UGBC represent a significant improvement over the previous format of the event, and fulfill the need for a forum that appeals to both concerned students and administrators.

The Heights hopes that by limiting each event to one specific topic of interest the meetings will take on a more informal nature and will resemble a round-table discussion as opposed to an administrative address. The UGBC won’t feel pressured to pack an auditorium with students, and instead will be able to focus its attention on the students who are concerned with or have a stake in the topic at hand.

Additionally, having a regularlyscheduled State of the Heights will allow for a more diverse group of administrative departments to have representatives meet with students, as opposed to solely featuring University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., and Cutberto Garza, provost and dean of faculties, as speakers. Figures such as John King, BC Police Chief; Steve Montgomery, off-campus resident assistant; and Karl Bell, assistant dean

of the Student Programs Office, are just a few possibilities who would offer students worthwhile perspectives on University affairs.

The University stands to benefit from this new format, as well. Administrators will now be able to speak directly with attendees and consider the ideas of concerned students. In the past, the only students who had regular contact with those administrators tended to be selectstudent leaders. While many administrators are known for being receptive to student concerns, others, understandably, rarely interact with the students on whose behalf they are operating.

While the upcoming decisions regarding aspects of the University’s IMP will occupy the spotlight for the next several weeks, the UGBC and administrators would do well to expand the topics up for discussion at future State of the Heights meetings to include items such as the University’s disciplinary policies regarding drug and alcohol use, efforts at environmental sustainability, and the expansion of new academic centers on campus, among other things.

The Heights would also like to emphasize the importance of publicizing such meetings online and through the use of posters and fliers around campus. While last week’s meeting was well-attended, the present issues up for discussion must be publicized in order for future meetings to remain productive.

The faculty and administrators who are responsible for guiding BC through the coming months and years are regularly faced with balancing the best interests of the student body while protecting the future interests of the University as a whole. The Heights recognizes the University’s need to plan for five, 10, and 20 years down the road, but worries that the concerns of students on campus might fall by the wayside. By expanding the State of the Heights so that it occurs multiple times each semester, administrators will be fulfilling their obligation to the students of today.

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

Daley Gruen/ Heights Illustration

Letters to the Editor Response to “Catholic values in a Modern World” In her opinions piece, “Catholic Values in a Modern World,” Francesca Jung appropriately discusses the important issue of the role of Catholicism at a university, in regards to contraception. Jung, however, misrepresents the vision of the Catholic university in the modern world. Jung claims that the Church does not explicitly prohibit the use of condoms for the purpose of STI prevention. This is false. Contraception is an intrinsic moral evil not because the Church doesn’t care about sexual health, but rather because contraception does not allow sex to be what it should: a sacred act of love. Contraception turns others into mere objects of sexual pleasure and perpetuates the hook-up culture on campus that the BC community has done so much to oppose. To look for “possible loopholes” in Catholic teaching, which Jung suggests, is not only misguided but also, more importantly, contrary to what it means to “go set the world aflame.” The Second Vatican Council calls on Catholics to be “in the world, not of the world,” meaning to bring Catholic values and moral principles into the modern world. It calls us to something higher than the defeatist attitude of “everyone else is doing it so we may as well give in.” The fact that sexual activity exists on college campuses does not change the fact that handing out condoms in the name of “health” encourages the culture of one night stands while cheapening the loving and sacred act of sex, as The Heights editorial board aptly stated in an editorial last year. If BC were to provide information on where to obtain contraception, then it would still be cowardly enabling an immoral and poor substitute for true love.

To hold Catholic values in a modern world is to be called to something higher, especially when it is difficult, and not to surrender to the prevailing culture.

The BC community, through its Jesuit mission of social justice and spirit of service, knows what it means to fight injustice and hold strong to moral principles. This extends to BC’s decision not to enable the culture of instant sexual gratification.

Billy Cody A&S ’11

In “Catholic Values in a Modern World,” Francesca Jung raises the important issue of the role of Catholicism with regard to contraception and STI prevention at universities. Unfortunately, she misrepresents the Church’s teaching. The Church does, in fact, explicitly prohibit the use of condoms, whether as a last-minute safety-measure or simply as a method of contraception. The Jesuits at BC know better than their Augustinian brothers at Villanova: there is no question of “loopholes” when it comes to these prohibitions. Is this because of stubborn adherence to dead tradition, or a killjoy pathology of Catholics? No. Each and every “no” in the Church’s teachings from condoms to premarital sex finds its rationale in a more profound “yes” to human life and true love. We should give this comprehensive Catholic vision of sexuality a fair hearing, while we’re at it.

Catholics inherit a life-giving, love-affirming teaching about sexuality that ultimately shows us how to love truly. In showing us the proper limits of sexuality outside and within marriage, the virtue of chastity empowers us to treat each other with respect. It saves us from the sad tendency to use others selfishly, and awakens us to the other in her fullness as a person with friends, a family, a past, and a future. It makes possible truly humane and happy relationships. Human persons, including those with whom we spend our Saturday nights, are to be respected and never used.

In a discussion like this, we should each be willing to step back and see the situation from a new perspective. For instance, we should all be alarmed that casual sex has become primarily an issue of safety, and therefore, an occasion fraught with fear. Catholic spouses approach one another in love and joy; college students hook up in lust and, nowadays, fear of disease. To which situation should we aspire? In a world that seems to have forgotten how to love, the Church’s sexual morality is something of an oasis for all of us.

Shane Ulbrich A&S ’11

BC should hold itself to a high standard at games The student section at our football games has been absolutely incredible the last couple of years. Alumni and casual fans are noticing, and our University’s name is on the rise locally, as well as nationally, when it comes to fan support.

Unfortunately, many of the underclassmen seem to have begun a tradition that isn’t sitting well with many BC alums and fellow students alike. Since early in the 2009 season, a slow trickle of “Eagles, first down!” followed by an obscenity began somewhere in the student section and has started to spread throughout.

Whether or not you think saying the word in general is a big deal, or highly offensive to women, or kind of offensive to everyone, or isn’t a big deal at all – that’s irrelevant. It is not only audible outside the student section, but also on the television broadcasts.

If you heard any other school’s students screaming

that, we would call it classless. We would make fun of them and say we, being from Boston College, are above that. I’m not saying don’t swear. For all anyone cares, curse up a storm to your friends next to you. But remember, a chant like that affects the perception of our student section both within the stadium and nationally, and it is not something we want attached to us.

Please, take a look at the students around you.

Notice how many fellow students groan at what is being said. Notice how many are trying in vain to get it to stop. In getting carried away with the fun of it, you might be surprised how many there are.

Remember that above all, the name of Boston College exudes class. That’s what we’re about.

.And if in any doubt, ask yourself if the human embodiment of class himself, Jerry York, would approve.

Grant Salzano BC ’10

Readers Note: The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 200 words and column submissions that do not exceed 700 words for its op/ed pages.

The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and to prevent libel. The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces

submitted to the newspaper.

Submissions must be signed and should include the author’s connection to Boston College, address, and phone number. Letters and columns can be submitted online at www.bcheights.com, by email to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.

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THE HEIGHTS

Monday, September 20, 2010

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OPINIONS

Snookin’ for a Muslim

Thumbs Up Parade of Jesuits – A centuries-old Jesuit tradition, the Mass of the Holy Spirit, marched proudly on in O’Neill Plaza this Thursday.

Starting off the school year with the University president speaking in the middle of campus on a beautiful day?

Sounds like a scene from cliche college movies everywhere, but in a great way.

Convocation – Now that the freshman class has been off icially welcomed with all the pomp and circumstance of Convocation, they have been left to muse on how fleeting it all will be.

Welcome to the existential angst that is the college experience!

The Rat workers - There’s nothing quite like getting your coffee with a smile and a personalized greeting for brightening up a 9 a.m. lecture on Buddhist scriptures.

TU/TD wants to personally thank all of these patient and chipper ladies for their lightning-quick hands and effervescent personalities.

CCC – The battle for Cleveland Circle convenience store clientele has a new contender, the three C’s. This newcomer is clearly capturing the hearts and minds of the 711 and CVS faithful, but just wait for their surge. And don’t count out Tedeschi, they’re scrappy.

Just desserts – (Yes, TU/TD is stealing puns from Bravo TV) Carney’s dining hall has always provided so called special desserts for hungry underclassmen, such as Oreo pie or ice cream cookie sandwiches, yet never gets any glory. This underrated dining hall deserves props for finally upstaging its big brother on Lower Campus.

JOHN BLAKESLEE I love Jersey Shore. Despite the show’s utter lack of substance, I find it thoroughly entertaining. I love watching the cast members be total idiots and fail to display even a modicum of responsibility, except, of course, when defending Snooki from intoxicated assailants. My favorite part of the show is when they try to hold a job with a reasonable degree of competence. We all laugh because we cannot understand how the cast members can be so stupid as to be unable to perform as simple a task as scooping ice cream. Yet, this segment has become stale. Anyone can hold a job, even on Jersey Shore. I think it is time to give the cast members something more difficult to do, something that will make the show more relevant: introduce a Muslim cast member.

Consider such a move for a moment. Next season, we would have the usual cast of characters: Pauly D, Snooki, J-Woww, Sammi, Ronnie, Angelina, The Situation, and Vinny. The show would then add a new character, who, for the sake of this thought experiment, we will call Abdullah. Abdullah will be a moderate American Muslim. He abstains from drinking and attends mosque with the frequency that your average BC student attends Mass. He is thoroughly American in dress and personality. He has an excellent sense of humor and is even muscular enough to keep up with Pauly at the gym. He goes out to clubs with the cast members but chooses not to drink and never gets into much trouble.

How would the cast members react?

Would they readily accept Abdullah into the group, or would he be ostracized?

Could Abdullah and the boys go “creepin” while still showing respect

Ketchup – Lower, you’re giving TU/TD a rough week.

Why are you hoarding all the ketchup? Do you really want the late night revelers to have to contend with hundreds of individual packets? That just has monster cleanup written all over it. Let’s be more ecofriendly and keep the pumps well stocked.

Skimpy Stalls – TU/TD is going to tip its cards a little here and comment on the ladies’ bathroom situation in O’Neill. Why is the fourth floor completely lacking yet the fifth floor has a ridiculous amount of stalls? Ladies, get out of line and walk the flight upstairs to find a plethora of facilities.

Mating calls – Freshmen males, we get it, they’re very pretty. But that does not mean you need to revert to your suave fifth grade approach to capturing that lucky lady’s affections. Hair pulling, food throwing, and other playground shenanigans are not the best way to secure a lasting love.

and that any serious critique of the religion is fundamentally un-American. In doing so, these people brush Islam aside without ever really coming to know it. Others spurn Islam and focus solely on the controversial aspects of the religion. These people risk doing irreparable harm to America’s relationship with Muslims worldwide.

It is almost hard to blame Americans for their Islamoignorance. We are just not exposed to Muslims in a significant way. Muslims generally only make headlines when they are the subject of controversy. I cannot think of one Muslim character on a television show who is not at least tangentially related to terrorism. Our reactions to Islam are so strong simply because our knowledge is so weak.

We need to want to learn about Islam, not simply relegate it to platitudes about it being a religion of peace or a religion of war. We need to genuinely engage the Muslim community in a dialogue about faith. In response, Muslims must also make a better effort to answer some serious theological questions about Islam. Is Islam progressive? Can Islam be compatible with Western culture? Why are there Muslims around the world who murder in the name of their religion? This sort of dialogue can take place on a grand scale in the realm of foreign policy, or more simply in your own interactions with Muslims. Until we can have this sort of dialogue, we will be forever stuck in a cultural mimicry of Seaside Heights, N.J.

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

RACHEL GREGORIO / HEIGHTS ILLUSTRATION

Thumbs Down Mic Check – Next time we have a major recording artist on campus, let’s make sure our state of the art soundsystem is up to the task. At last count, the average concert goer had to wait five hours to get tickets, six to see the headliner, and one more for the technical snafu to be discombobulated.

TU/TD isn’t much for math, but that all adds up to a day or nite.

for Abdullah’s religion? Would Angelina talk smack behind his back? I think the answer is clear: They would have no idea what to do.

Some of the cast would probably try to overcompensate by treating Abdullah better than they would the average cast member. They would recognize Abdullah is different, have no idea what to do, and therefore overwhelm him with kindness without ever getting to know him in a substantive way. Others in the house would likely spurn him, inevitably saying something racist or insensitive that would produce a firestorm of backlash against the show. That, and he would almost certainly hook-up with Sammi Sweetheart.

But can’t we, as Americans, empathize with the Jersey Shore cast members? After all, isn’t that exactly what we do? This month TIME ran an article entitled “Islamophobia: Does America Have a Muslim Problem?”

The article cites various instances in which Muslims and Islam have been the subject of debate, such as in the Ground Zero mosque controversy, or the subject of provocation, such as the Floridian pastor who planned to burn theQu’ran. The question of whether Americans are Islamophobic has been debated in the news media and exacerbated by daily headlines. But it is the wrong question to be asking.

Are Americans Islamophobic?

Maybe. Such a question is not the root problem, though. Our affliction does not seem to be one of Islamophobia as much as Islamoignorance.

We (this columnist included) do not understand Islam. Just like the Jersey Shore cast members, we do not know what to do. Some of us overcompensate and insist that Islam is a religion of peace,

The best four years?

MARYE MORAN On the door of every room on the third floor of Fitzpatrick is a bright pink piece of paper – a survey about each resident. For the final question, “expectations for Boston College,” almost every sheet reads, in the bubbly handwriting that could only come from a freshman girl, “the best four years of my life.” This is often followed by a series of one to four exclamation marks, and if particularly festive, a smiley face.

This is a common idea about college, told to incoming students by wistful parents and other adults prone to reminiscing. While I hope that my four years at BC will be the best of my life thus far, the idea that they will be the best of my entire life strikes me as pretty dismal. Nothing about the idea that “it all goes downhill from here” makes me want to draw cutesy smiles and use excessively excited punctuation.

College is definitely four exceptionally great years. People make lifelong friends, learn, do meaningful work, go to sporting events, and have fun

Party Time

BY BEN VADNAL

at parties. However, what I don’t understand is why that cannot continue after graduation. If these are your friends for life, won’t they continue to make each year better, not just the four spent in Chestnut Hill? And can’t we continue to learn, work, go to games, and party?

The only thing, in fact, that I can think of that doesn’t continue in postgraduate life is extracurricular activity.

At orientation, the Orientation Leaders greeted themselves with introductions like, “I play club soccer, sing in an a capella group, and am leading a community service trip to Honduras this spring.”

Can you imagine meeting an adult, and hearing them introduce themselves by saying, “I work in a venture capitalist firm, and in my free time, I write for and lay out a newspaper, tutor inner city children, and play field hockey?”

Where else but college do people work for free, and for fun. No newspaper outside of a school would get its entire staff to work without compensation, only benefiting from the satisfaction of a job well done. And aside from the occasional office softball team, organized sports are few and far between. The idea of doing all of these things without anything in reward is unheard of, yet maybe that is what the post-college world needs.

In my upcoming years as a BC student, I hope to become involved in the community and take advantage of all that college has to offer. However,

I don’t want my diploma to mark the close of my adventure. I hope to one day have a family and children. I know that I’ve entered the state home to the Pregnancy Pact, but I am not, as of yet, planning on that occurring in these next four years. Does that mean that my wedding day, the births of my children, and the years of seeing my family grow will not live up to the days of eating at Carney’s, 15-page term papers, and cheering the Eagles to victory? I love those things so far and cannot wait to continue with the rest of my college career, but it is hard for me to imagine that nothing in my life will ever match this.

I’m not going to lie to you, my survey also ends with “the best four years of my life.” I, however, follow that with “so far.” I have plenty to look forward to at BC – studying abroad, joining clubs, and forming relationships. But I also have much to look forward to after BC – working in another country for a year, continuing to volunteer in whatever community I live in, and further developing those relationships. I, too, ended my response with a smiley face, and a few exclamation points thrown in there, because I really am enthusiastic about these next four years. And the next four. And the next four.

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

A fresh perspective DINEEN BOYLE They are invisible to the untrained eye. They walk among us, sit in our classes, and exercise on neighboring ellipticals in the Plex. They may have even waited in the Kid Cudi ticket line in front of us for five hours, until we cut them. While they do not exude the easily identifiable newness of freshmen, I assure you – they have no idea what they are doing. They are transfer students.

Unlike the freshman, the transfer is a unique breed of college student.

For starters, transfers maintain a somewhat sparse presence on campus. According to information released by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, transfer students comprise less than 3 percent of the student body. Transfers have completed the traditional college milestones: contemplating purchasing additional underwear to get a few extra days out of doing laundry, accidentally wearing flip flops into the shower of their family’s home bathroom, etc. They have been around the block.

Despite their familiarity with college life, there are many qualities that separate ‘trannies,’ as some affectionately refer to them, from seasoned Boston College students.

For example, upon receiving a text inviting transfers to a party at “Foster,” they will first wonder if it is a dorm. After scouring a map of campus and, subsequently, Google Maps, they might realize that Foster is the name of a nearby street. “Cool.

Thanks! If we have time, we’ll try to check it out.” False. They absolutely have time and are trying to downplay their excitement at the possibility of assimilation into the BC party scene. In addition to their openness to making new friends, other distinguishing features include, but are not limited to, valiant attempts to sort their garbage in Lower and clapping their hands a moment too early during Superfan cheers. In these subtleties lies the distinction of a new transfer student.

As a junior transfer, I hope to offer a fresh take on BC through this column. I am excited to begin my time in this wonderful place and to share my opinions with readers of The Heights. For most, BC has been their home for the entirety of their college career. My previous two years at another university will give me a lens though which to view this community, both critically and appreciatively. For now, this column will serve as a social commentary, an open-minded look from the outside.

I hope that, with time, it can become a look from within.

In the meantime, can anyone tell me how to pronounce “Voute”?

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

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The Heights

Monday, September 20, 2010

Ben Affleck basks in his native dirty water

By Carrie McMahon Heights Editor

Directed by and starring Boston’s own Ben Affleck, The Town turns serial bank robbers from Charlestown, Mass. into crowd favorites. Affleck plays Doug MacRay, one of four in a tight-knit criminal ring that has its scent picked up by the FBI after a routine job turns into a minor hostage The Town situation. The Ben Affleck hostage, Claire Warner Bros.

Keesey (Rebecca Hall), is eventually released, but comes back into contact with MacRay. The two begin a relationship, but Keesey stays completely unaware that they have previously met under much more dire circumstances.

FBI agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) is assigned to the case and attempts to track the band of robbers throughout the course of the film until a final showdown at Fenway Park, the criminals’ next target.

With countless location shots of Boston and enough landmark namedropping to make a Kennedy blush, The Town will definitely win over some natives, as well as anyone else familiar with the area. There is undoubtedly fun to be had in being able to pick out certain

locations and to attach one’s own experiences to what is occurring in the film.

Fast-paced and full of action, the audience’s attention is held throughout the entirety of the film, but at times the plot can get a little tricky. Relationships, business and personal, can be difficult to navigate, as many lacked discernible depth and could have used more thorough explanations. For instance, the love connection between MacRay and Keesey seems rushed, and a character named Fergie has practically complete control over the group’s criminal activities, but the reasons for this are a little fuzzy. On top of all that, while the Boston accents are appropriately thick, it can be hard to make out some key words.

Affleck does a fairly convincing job portraying the tough yet highly likeable MacRay. At times, though, he seems almost too personable to be going about in a nun mask with an assault rifle stealing from his own city. The criminal has the audience’s heart from the beginning, making only a slim amount of sympathy for those the group terrorizes possible.

The other members of the ring are definitely outfitted with more threatening personalities, probably better fitting for their particular career choices.

Hamm also does only a decent job

courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner seige Lansdowne Street in the local thriller ‘The Town,’ a film rife with local appeal but a struggling plot. filling the shoes of an FBI agent. His character comes off two-dimensional most of the time. The audience really does not get a sense of the agent’s particular personality or feelings toward the case. Instead, it seems as though a vague description of what

When ‘Easy’ becomes difficult

By Lena Park For The Heights

The trailer just looked so good.

High school good girl turned bad?

Damning Jesus-freaks? Promise of sex or at least talk of? It Easy A looked like it would Will Gluck be an uncontestSony Pictures able, shamelessly satisfying LOLevent.

After all, not since Superbad has there been a high school movie worth drooling over. Not like the late ’90s, when Hollywood was churning out feel-good high school classics like Clueless, 10 Things I Hate About You, Never Been Kissed, She’s All That, and finally peaking with Mean Girls.

But Easy A’s loose adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel The Scarlet Letter had the makings of becoming a classic itself. Take a cleancut, 17-year-old girl and spread a rumor about her wild and crazy, virginity-losing weekend with a quasi-random community college bro. Have her begin her own tower of rumors and inadvertently sell herself as the Sex Savior, saving one chubby, mouth-breathing, high school peon at a time from continued social torment by sacrificing her body, allowing the public

to believe that these bottom-rung bums had their wandering, fondling “fingers” roam her body. Put her in high school.

Give her a bad girl reputation. Then, crucify her.

Let hilarity ensue.

Have Emma Stone woman the helm, throw in the likes of Lisa Kudrow, Penn Badgley, Thomas Haden Church, and anchor it all with Stanley Tucci and chubby-cheeked Amanda Bynes and it’s bound to be a success.

But the movie, one that seemed like it would be given an easy A by viewers, was just so … average.

Sure, the plot had been recycled from a classic work of literature. But so was 10 Things I Hate About You (Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew) and She’s All That (George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion). The real problem is that the quasi-original plot is actually just a self-proclaimed, mismatched compilation of events from other, better high school movies like Say Anything, Mean Girls, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, topped with a little sprinkle of the Bible-thumping cattiness in Saved.

We were looking for a sassy addition to our classic high school movie repertoire, not a sequel to Not Another Teen Movie.

Written by Bert V. Royal, the screenplay was stuffed with gimmicky jokes that were probably intended to come

off as clever or witty. Sewing an “A” on lingerie turned day wear, poking fun at “Jesus-freaks,” general teenage noone-understands-me angst. Been there, done that.

The only saving grace of the film was the husky-voiced, redhead bombshell Stone portrayed, Olive Penderghast. Her quick wit and crisp delivery enlivens the story and encourages viewers to stick with the movie. With a clumsy charm, Stone woos the audience, and for a short while, we forgive her for delivering such campy jokes.

Laugh out loud moments and genuinely witty repartee were only found in the banter between Olive and her father (Tucci). Zany and comically irreverent, Tucci provides the effortless comic relief that the movie so desperately needs.

Easy A isn’t headed for the Academy Awards. But that’s to be expected. We were just looking for a new movie with which to reminisce about high school and how terribly and wonderfully ridiculous it was. Instead, Easy A amounted to a cheap compilation of sex, Bible-thumping, and high school literature that was not easy to swallow.

If you have 12 bucks to spend, don’t waste it on this movie. Pick up an 18-pack of PBR and maybe you’ll get to live the movie and get some easy A yourself. n

an FBI worker should act like was given to Hamm, and he refused to fill in anything more about the character.

Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively gives one of the film’s most persuasive performances as Krista Coughlin, the drugged-out, onagain, off-again girlfriend of MacRay.

Overall entertaining, especially for Bostonians, The Town has its flaws, but in all, is worth the eight bucks. The action is big, the explosions are loud, and the story is engaging, even if it does take a little extra concentration to muddle through the Boston accents. n

Box Office Report title

weekend gross

weeks in release

3 photos courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

1. The Town

23.8

1

2. Easy A

18.2

1

3. Devil

12.6

1

7

8

4. Resident Evil: Afterlife

10.1

2

5. Alpha and omega

9.2

1

6. takers

3.0

4

7. the American

2.7

3

8. INception

2.0

10

9. The other guys

2.0

7

10. eat pray love

1.7

6

bestsellers of hardcover fiction

photo courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

Amanda Bynes and Emma Stone star in ‘Easy A,’ a film that was full of potential as a guilty pleasure but ultimately fails to ignite interest.

1. Freedom Jonathan Franzen 2. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest Stieg Larsson 3. Dark Peril Christine Feehan 4. The Postcard killers James Patterson 5. Lost Empire Clive Cusler

6. The Help Kathryn Stockett 7. The Way of Kings Brandon Sanderson 8. Spider Bones Kathy Reichs 9. Body Work Sara Paretsky 10. Star Island Carl Hiaasen SOURCE: Publisher’s Weekly

‘Alpha and Omega’ shames the wolf pack in this flimsy flick

By Paul McCabe For The Heights

At the end of a summer that featured lauded animated films such as Toy Story 3 and Despicable Me, Alpha and Omega pales in comparison and proves itself the runt of the litter. Produced by Crest Animation Productions and Richard Rich, director of The Fox and the Hound, Alpha and Omega is a romantic comAlpha and omega edy that tells the Anthony Bell story of Humphrey Lions Gate (voice of Justin Long) and Kate (voice of Hayden Panettiere), two wolves at opposite ends of the social chain in Canada’s Jasper National Park. Despite being childhood friends with a mutual attraction for one another, Humphrey and Kate find themselves separated by the laws of the pack. Kate, daughter of the pack’s leader, Winston (Danny Glover), is an alpha wolf who takes her duty to provide for and protect the pack seriously.

Humphrey, on the other hand, is a lowly

omega wolf, who, despite his quick wit and brave mettle, is relegated to playing the fool and horsing around with his fellow omegas.

However, Humphrey’s unrequited love for Kate is not the only dilemma in the film.

Trouble is brewing in Jasper National Park as the population of caribou, which serves as the main source of food for the wolves, has started to decline and the valley is on the brink of war between the rival Eastern and Western wolf packs. The only thing that can diffuse the situation is the marriage of Kate to Garth (Chris Carmack), the son of the Eastern pack’s leader, Tony (Dennis Hopper). However, before the nuptials are solidified and the packs can be united, both Kate and Humphrey are taken from their home by a group of environmental scientists who transport the two wolves to Iowa in order to repopulate the species. The rest of the film follows Humphrey’s and Kate’s journey back to Jasper as they attempt to return in time to prevent any bloodshed between the two packs.

With a basic and tired plot, Alpha and Omega falls flat and fails to inspire any laugh-

ter or genuinely heartfelt moments. Even the CGI animation is poorly executed as the visuals were often lacking both in terms of complexity and attractiveness. While the action scenes flowed well enough, the scenery and characters lacked defining or memorable characteristics, and Crest Animation proved itself not yet in the same league as other, better known animation studios.

Solid voice acting from both Long and Panettiere were not sufficient to give life to this inanimate script. While most of the film’s humor will garner giggles from the under-six crowd, the script lacks any laugh out loud moments, especially for the adults in the audience. While blockbusters like the Toy Story franchise have become world renowned for their ability to seamlessly blend humor intended for children and adults into one warm and sentimental package, Alpha and Omega achieved few laughs from the adults in the audience, and instead provoked awkward and embarrassed silences caused by the film’s unnecessary sexual innuendos.

One redeeming aspect of the film however proved to be the voice acting of Larry Miller,

photo courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

Kate (Panettiere) and Humphrey (Long) have eyes for each other in ‘Alpha and Omega.’ who, as the French goose and avid golfer Marcel, garnered laughs from both children and adults alike. All in all however, these laughs were few and far between and were not enough to redeem the film. Add to this lack of humor, multiple uninspired action sequences, and a plot that lacks any true moments of suspense or sentimentality, and you got one 3D animated film that would be most enjoyable for a babysitter who needs to catch a quick hour and a half of shuteye.

The film does not do anything wrong per se, but it is this fact that seems to be exactly the problem. In a world of animated film companies like Pixar and the constantly improving Dreamworks, animated films can no longer be successful by simply appealing to the six-and-under crowd. Perhaps the work of Pixar and Dreamworks is an unfair standard to be held to, but that’s the reality of the world of animation today, and only the strongest in the pack can survive. n

Monday, September 20, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

iEdit News

Now playing on Pat Gallagher’s iPod “Walking in Memphis,” Marc Cohn “Drops of Jupiter,” Train “Bright Lights,” Matchbox Twenty “Gimme Shelter,” The Rolling Stones “Grey Street,” Dave Matthews Band “Rosalita” (Come Out Tonight), Bruce Springsteen “Warning Sign,” Coldplay “Hotel California,” The Eagles “New York, New York,” Frank Sinatra “Beautiful Day,” U2

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The Music Behind the Man If money weren’t an object, Pat Gallagher would spend his life warming the streets of New York with his sax, and maybe playing a little for a late night TV band on the side. A saxophonist from childhood, associate news editor Gallagher still plays his alto when he and his roommates are in the mood. But in this world money is an object, so Gallagher hopes to harness his political science degree and become POTUS, an MLB relief pitcher, a firefighter, or, ideally, a combination of the three. To calm such stratospheric ambition, Gallagher zones out to the likes of Charlie Parker, U2, and Bon Jovi. – ZAK JASON

Kid Cudi brings the house down, literally Cudi, from A10

an electric crowd with the rhythmic “Revofev,” a song from his new album Man on the Moon II that has a slower tempo than some of his more party-favorite jams. Even still, Cudi showed good stage presence, continuously moving around on stage and grooving to the beat of the song.

As soon as Cudi went into “Already Home,” his hit collaboration with Jay-Z off the Blueprint 3 album, the sound system struggled to fill Conte Forum with the song. Much to the dismay of the crowd, Cudi continued the song without recognizing the problem with the speakers. The audience tried to get his attention with boos and chants, but he still began to play “Soundtrack 2 My Life” before realizing the technical glitch.

At that point, Cudi jumped down off the stage and into the barrier where the first row of students were sitting, igniting a rush to the stage that left most of the audience confused and frustrated. The concert was temporarily halted to give the crowd a chance to return to their seats and to fix the sound system.

When he was finally able to take the stage again, Cudi delivered the performance that most students had anticipated. Unfortunately, by then, some students had left early and many that remained seemed deflated by the length of the delay.

Even still, Cudi powered through and got the crowd back on its feet for “Soundtrack 2 My Life.”

Cudi pulled “Man on the Moon” out of his arsenal, from his 2008 mix tape A Kid Named Cudi. The song is an early

Cudi gem, and he didn’t disappoint with his live version. Cudi sang the last chorus and rapped through the last verse, ending with an innovative freestyle as the music ended before going into “Can’t Forget That Tree.”

One of the highlights of the concert was the crowd-pleasing “Up, Up, and Away” from Cudi’s first album Man on the Moon. The rapper had the whole crowd jumping on its feet for the chorus, keeping the energy in the arena high.

Cudi then debuted “Mr. Rager” and “Trapped in My Mind” from Man on the Moon II, which will be released on Nov. 9. Both songs, while underscored compared to “Up, Up, and Away,” showcased Cudi’s exceptional skill, and his live performance of both songs was full of emotion.

Cudi concluded his set by bringing the crowd closer to the stage and feeding off the electricity of the audience. He performed “In My Zone,” “Memories,” and “Erase Me,” (another new collaboration with Kanye West from Man on the Moon II) consecutively.

Cudi then took his leave with one of his best songs, “Pursuit of Happiness,” one of the most upbeat jams of the night.

Aside from the technical malfunctions, Kid Cudi’s actual performance was one that both die-hard Cudi fans and the people just looking to dance could appreciate. Cudi is one of the most animated and inventive rappers to play at BC in recent years, and his emotion was evident throughout his entire set.

Whether he was dancing to the beats of his song in his own whimsical style or engaging with the crowd, Cudi was a

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Kid Cudi jumped onto the floor to galvanize the crowd. It also galvanized security to pull the headliner offstage for forty-five minutes. masterful performer.

The two opening acts for Kid Cudi were CoastConnect, the student DJ competition winner, and LMFAO, the eccentric group best known for the party favorite “Shots.”

CoastConnect, which is made up of BC students, Jesse Ramey and Casey Ruel, both A&S ’13, started off the night with an enticing array of jams that got the

crowd out of its seats and set the stage for LMFAO and Kid Cudi. Ramey and Ruel were lively and energetic, dancing along with the crowd as they mixed tracks like Fabolous’ “Holla Back” and Mystikal’s “Shake Ya Ass.” After Coast Connect, LMFAO was then welcomed to the stage by an audience that wanted to continue the dance party. The group happily obliged, pro-

viding the audience with its hit, “I’m in Miami,” and other less-known songs like “Rock The Beat” and “Yes.” LMFAO’s performance was one of the surprises of the night, as their constant upbeat dancing was exhilarating.

LMFAO then ended their set by thrilling the entire building with their mega-hit “Shots,” a BC party staple that everyone in attendance enjoyed. 

Live your life with McMullen literary legends McMullen, from A10

KRISTEN HOUSE / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Drop by Devlin Hall to visit ‘Literary Lives.’

and depth to the overall experience.

The poems, manuscripts, novels, and more, come to life through the portraits, sketches, and busts of the authors. One does not merely experience the power of the literature, but also the power of the presence of the authors.

The exhibit is divided into six sections — Irish Literary Revival: Yeats and His Circle; The Counter-Revivalists; A Lost Generation?; Contemporary Literary Lives: The Celtic Tiger; The Troubles, and Feminism. Each has a brief description of the period or movement that those authors are from. Marjorie Howes, professor in the English department, among others, contributed the information on the walls. In the first section, Yeats is the focal point, but other famous authors, like Jonathan Swift, hold their own, as well. The piece’s description illustrates it well: “The Irish Literary

Revival sought to foster the development of an authentic Irish culture, one that would be clearly different from England’s and would demonstrate that Ireland deserved nationhood ... For them, a writer’s life was not an isolated, ivory-tower affair; it involved nation-building, political campaigning, collaboration, and debate.”

Henry Marriott Paget’s “Portrait of John O’Leary” is startling and surprising. The subject’s eyes, clothes, and background are all faded by black; all one truly sees are his face and beard. His eyes seem to be an open book that one could fully peer into and explore.

Louis le Brocquy painted a few of the main authors: W. B. Yeats, Samuel Beckett, and James Joyce. His style for all three features a white background with many small, differently colored sections to make up the face; nothing else is shown. Perhaps Le Brocquy wanted to focus on the author himself, and not on his home or his clothing, merely the man

A cappella debuts in festival A Capella, from A10 The show moved along at a quick pace, transitioning smoothly through each of the eight groups performing. The program began with the Acoustics and concluded with the Dynamics, two of the most well recognized coed groups on campus. The Heightsmen, Against the Current, BEATS, Madrigals, Sharps, and Voices of Imani each made an appearance and delighted the audience with a song or two of their choosing. New members were introduced and many appeared in the show after only a couple days of preparation. The transition was seamless. Fans can rest assured that their favorite groups will continue in their tradition of excellence.

With so many groups on campus, it is a wonder there isn’t more overlap of genres. Luckily, each group has made an effort to distinguish itself from the rest of the pack. Time after time, the phrase “BC’s only (insert interesting distinction here) a cappella group” was emphatically stated as the next troupe of singers took the stage. Each has its own niche on cam-

pus, and they hold it close to their hearts.

Be it Christian, R&B, or Renaissance / Classical.

The thing that unites these various groups is their desire for growth. Though never lacking eager vocalists, they want more recognition and a stronger voice on campus. Liz Peter, member of Against the Current (“BC’s only Christian a cappella group”) and A&S ’12, said their hope is to be better at reaching out to the BC community. They hope to become more popular on campus in order to fulfill their larger goal of “bridging a gap” and spreading their message. The Dynamics’ Chris Battaglia, A&S ’11, put it more simply. Their goal for this semester – “selling more tickets at their cafe than Kid Cudi.”

Luckily for the a cappella community, BC provides a solid foundation of support upon which it can grow. BEATS president Mike Matosic, A&S ’11, expressed his gratitude for the support of the student body. The R&B group, whose name stands for Black Experience in America Through Song, has only been around for three se-

mesters, and they already feel accepted in the a cappella community. Of course, this support is well deserved. They had the entire audience grooving to their beats. The Madrigals expressed similar sentiments. These classical singers have watched their group flourish in the past couple years. According to Katie Weintraub, A&S ’12, and Rob Duggan, A&S ’11, they are expecting the release of their first CD and they may perform in New York City this semester.

BC is fortunate to have such a rich a cappella tradition, which springs from its great appreciation of vocal talent. Kate Harrison, A&S ’12, captured this atmosphere in her comments on the show. “I’m proud to be from a school that gives the art of a cappella such respect and support,” she said. It is a reciprocal relationship that guarantees students will still be singing for the enjoyment of peers years down the line.

The community supports the musicians, and in return we continue to have a diverse range of musical entertainment for every audience. After all, in how many concerts can you hear both Sinatra and Mario? 

and his identity. These portraits are very powerful and emotive.

In the second section, the CounterRevivalists were “rejecting myth in favor of reality.” Many of the authors, such as Joyce, wrote of the harsh conditions of urban areas. This raw truth from the authors appears to be paralleled in the portraits rendered of them. One feels the intense pain of the Irish people and understands their many struggles throughout history in the entire exhibit, but especially in the Lost Generation section.

Thanks to the artists who rendered the authors, the viewer truly understands the writers’ messages and outlooks. One begins to step into the world of the writer by looking at the desk, typewriter, coat, hat, and cane of Flann O’Brien.

Each picture, sketch, portrait, bust, or engraving shows the author naturally. A certain truth of how the author actually behaved. Each piece either has a strong emphasis on color, or com-

pletely lacks color. Authors analyze and interpret their society; in this collection, various artists have analyzed and depicted these author-analysts. The point of these portraits and depictions is not to paint an amazing portrait, but to capture something of the authors. By capturing even a bit of each writer’s soul, these painters have achieved brilliance.

While walking through this exhibit, one does not merely encounter art, but also literature, history, sociology, psychology, and the human story of a people.

On the lower level, a small area houses a tiny cinema with three movies that continuously loop. The Museum is open every day, so you have plenty of opportunities to check this out. If you have any questions, the security guard, Walter Durrane, is very helpful; or you can speak with Diana Larsen. Don’t miss this opportunity to see some of Ireland’s most celebrated authors brought to life through art. 

What’s the difference between you and Roger Ebert?

Roger Ebert never wrote for Arts & Review.

If you haven’t written for us yet, you may as well be Roger Ebert.

Distinguish yourself from Roger Ebert and write for us. review@bcheights.com

ARTS&REVIEW

A10

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Leotards on a plane ALLISON THERRIEN I always feel a little strange when I see pictures of famous people in airports. For some reason, the idea that someone like Lady Gaga could be just a few rows up from me on any random flight seems comparable to walking onto the T and seeing George Clooney flipping through The New York Times.

There’s something about airports, too, that allows for a particular amount of drama. Did those two just come back from a secret trip? Did she really just wear that for a six-hour flight?

Whether the result of jet lag or a bit too much complimentary champagne, airport paparazzi manage to catch some celebrities in particularly belligerent states following lengthy flights.

Kanye West trashed a photographer’s equipment at LAX before a flight to Hawaii in 2008. A stumbling Jonathan Rhys Meyers once challenged police at Charles de Gaulle airport on his way to a flight, and then caused a scene again in May for using racist language against airport workers. These two “tough guys” look like pansies compared to Bjork, who, after a particularly rough flight to Thailand, clocked a photographer for saying, “Welcome to Bangkok!”

Russell Brand is in hot water for an incident that occurred last Friday at LAX, in which he hit several photographers for trying to take pictures of him and his fiancee, Katy Perry. Perry claims that the photographers were trying to take photos of her from inappropriate angles, later posting on her Twitter, “If you cross the line and try and put a lens up my dress, my fiancee will do his job and protect me.”

I am constantly astounded by what celebrities decide to wear on flights – probably because I’m known for rocking the yoga-pants-and-hoodie look – and by far, the queen of outlandish airport attire is Lady Gaga.

Her greatest hits include platform dominatrix boots, floor-length tulle skirts, leotards, fish nets, black veils, and the Diet Coke hair rollers from her “Telephone” video. Based on her footwear alone, it seems doubtful that she would be able get off her seat at all. It’s impressive enough that she managed to get up on the VMA stage in her McQueen Armadillos, and that’s without the added affects of airplane turbulence.

“Oh gosh, I can’t even count how many times I’ve gotten on a plane for love,” Cameron Diaz once said, and it’s true that there is something inherently dramatic and romantic about the idea of getting on a plane.

Love Actually captured perfectly the magic quality of an airport, where people are coming and going, parting and reconnecting with loved ones. “Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world,” says Hugh Grant’s voiceover, “I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion makes out that we live in a world of hatred and greed. I don’t see that. Seems to me that love is everywhere.”

Though Love Actually does contain one of my favorite airport scenes – 11-year-old Sam outrunning airport security in a mad dash toward the “love of his life” – it is certainly not the only dramatic scene that has taken place in an airport. Most of Ross and Rachel’s greater romantic episodes seem to happen in airports, and in one of film’s most memorable moments, Humphrey Bogart bid goodbye to Ingrid Bergman on a rainy airport tarmac with the line: “We’ll always have Paris.”

I’m going to take a cue from Grant and note that airports might just be a magical thing after all, because they really do bring us all together – stumbling drunk Jonathan Rhys Meyers with scantily clad Gaga with me and my yoga pants. Oh, and perhaps Rush Limbaugh and some suspicious carry-on items from a particularly frisky Palm Beach excursion, but that’s a story for another venue entirely.

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

UP, UP, AND AWAY

KEVIN HOU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Campus-wide excitement brought throngs of students to Conte Forum for a night rife with jamming beats and a few technical malfunctions.

W

BY M A EG A N O ’ R O U R K E | H E I G H TS E D I TO R

hen Kid Cudi came to Boston College to perform in April 2009, most people had never heard of the rapper from Cleveland, Ohio. The people that attended his first concert in Chestnut Hill mainly went because he was “that guy who that sings ‘Day ‘N’ Night’” and tickets were only $10.

Fast forward a year and a half, and Kid Cudi is the headlining act of the Undergraduate Government of UGBC’s Fall Concert. Two albums and numerous collaborations with the likes of Kanye West, Jay-Z, and MGMT later, Kid Cudi is on the top of his game. The highly-anticipat-

ed, sold-out concert demonstrated Cudi’s rise in popularity to become one of popular music’s most well-known rappers and how he managed to avoid being a one-hit wonder.

On his second go-around at BC, the start of Cudi’s performance was marred by problems with Conte’s sound system and fans rushing the stage, reminiscent of last year’s Fall Concert featuring Akon. But when the show finally restarted, Cudi didn’t disappoint, and managed to redeem the show with engaged performances of his most popular songs.

Cudi took the stage in his trademark Cleveland hat and opened to

See Cudi, A9

Festival kicks off season

Bringing literature to life Literary lives thrive in McMullen’s newest exhibit

BY KATIE MOORE For The Heights

Literary Lives: Portraits from the Crawford Art Gallery and Abbey Theatre, Ireland is a sensational exhibit in the on-campus McMullen Museum. The show, which started Sept. 4 and ends Dec. 5, features a few works typically displayed in the Burns Library. The museum’s curator, Diana Larsen, arranged the walls and the pieces, and selected the paint colors for the walls. The first floor holds por-

I NSIDE ARTS THIS ISSUE

A homecoming for ‘The Town’

traits and works of iconic Irish writers, presented on walls of various shades of brown framing these works. The lower level holds the work of more modern writers, from the 20th century. These works are shown before a grayish-blue wall. The earthy tones of the first floor make one consider how important the land is and has been to the Irish. The somber blue of the second floor could parallel the hard times of the last century.

This exhibit is unique because the worlds of art and literature converge. The power of the written word is just as important as the power of the image.

Neither overpowers the other; both add dimension

Boston-based The Town was penned by a Boston College alumnus Chuck Hogan. How did he do? A8

The annual a cappella fest brings a new wave of sound

BY KRYSIA WAZNY Heights Staff

B

oston College’s a cappella groups rang in the new semester with an afternoon of auditory indulgence. They welcomed new members, set fresh goals, and captured the interest of their fans. There can be no doubt that BC appreciates its tunes (anyone see that Kid Cudi line last week?), and that appreciation is perfectly evidenced by the numerous and diverse a cappella groups on campus. Robsham was packed with adoring listeners excited to see what BC’s best crooners will come up with this fall.

See McMullen, A9

‘Easy A’ not as easy as it looks.

Movies like Easy A have had astounding success (10 Things I Hate About You, anyone?), but will this one? A8

See A Capella, A9

iEdit...........................................A8 Box Office Report........................A8

SPORTS THE HEIGHTS

Monday, September 20, 2010

Section

B

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

Fearsome Foursome

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Four different players help bury BU with a flurry of goals

BY DANIEL POPKO Heights Staff

Coming into Friday night’s match against Boston University, the No. 13 Boston College 4 Boston College men’s soc0 Boston Univ. cer team had gone nearly 360 minutes without scoring from open play. That streak is finally over.

Thanks to a quartet of goals in the final 15 minutes of the first half – including the final two just 14 seconds apart – the Eagles were able to romp to a comfortable 4-0 victory over their green line rivals.

“You score four goals in a short period of time, that put the game away,” said associate head coach Marco Koolman. “It was a little unexpected, but our finishing today was clinical.”

Four different Eagles found the back of BU goalkeeper Brandon Briggs’ net, including junior Edvin Worley, who scored the Eagles’ final tally in his first action of the season after missing the first four games due to undisclosed team violations.

Adding the speedy forward to the lineup allowed the Eagles to deploy a more dangerous offensive formation, pairing Worley up top with sophomore Charlie Rugg. Earlier in the season, Rugg had been forced to fend for himself for long spells of time as he was the lone forward, but the return of his strike partner saw a much more creative and flowing attack that sent 15 shots at Briggs’ goal in the opening 45

minutes.

“With [Worley] and Charlie Rugg, you have two of the nation’s top forwards, and everybody else today contributed and got the ball where they needed to have it,” Koolman said.

The two combined nicely on the final two goals.

Worley controlled a long ball before laying it off to Rugg, who then calmly tucked the ball inside the post and just out of the keeper’s reach for the third score.

Rugg returned the favor after BC quickly stripped the Terriers on the ensuing kickoff. A quick build up saw Rugg with possession in the final third of the field before playing a beautiful ball to Amit

FOUR IN A FLASH

(Clockwise from top left): Conor Fitzpatrick, Karl Reddick, Edvin Worley, and Charlie Rugg all scored within 10 minutes of each other. Two spells came in 47 seconds or less, and the four-goal jump sealed the win for the Eagles over BU.

33:18: Conor Fitzpatrick makes it 1-0 BC. 34:05: Karl Reddick quickly adds another.

42:45: Charlie Rugg joins in for a third goal.

42:59: Edvin Worley caps off the deluge.

For more photos of the men’s soccer team’s win over BU, check out www.bcheights.com/sports

See Fantastic Four, B3

Glad to get the bye out of the way

FOOTBALL FEATURE

A bright return

Injuries can’t bring down Alex Albright

BY GREG JOYCE Heights Staff

ZACH WIELGUS I love the bye week. Well, let me be more specific. I love getting the bye week out of the way.

It’s the awkward elephant in the season. You know it’s coming, you know that it serves a purpose – allowing the team to tend to its bruises and take a breather – but you’re annoyed that it exists. As soon as the team has a good thing going, it sneaks up and drags the players away for an extended period of time. It’s as if the football season abruptly ends.

The season “ended” after two weeks, but it will restart with the real football season. Playing Weber State and Kent State was fun. They put up a decent effort, Boston College prevailed as we all knew it would, and the team even struggled in areas we knew it would.

Dave Shinskie still stands in the pocket

See Bye Week, B5

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Midfielder Emily Kozniuk scored her fourth goal of the season at Towson, adding some insurance to the four-goal victory.

BC splits games on the road

BY ROBERT T. BALINT Heights Staff

The field hockey team showed grit this weekend. After a discouraging loss to Boston College 5 Maryland on 1 Towson S a t u r d a y, the Eagles maintained their composure and came away on Sunday with a mollifying 5-1 blowout victory over the Towson Tigers, splitting the road trip 1-1.

I NSIDE SPORTS THIS ISSUE

On Sunday, the BC players hit the pitch running, scoring three goals in the first half alone. Midfielder Jacqui Moorfield began the offensive show of strength during a penalty corner in the eighth minute, scoring off an assist from midfielder Emily Kozniuk for her third goal of the season. Tiger Tabi Hatch evened the score soon after, though, beating out BC goaltender Kristine Stigas and putting Towson on the board.

From then on, the Eagles took

Soccer as an art form

Striker Charlie Rugg is an craftsman not only in the game of soccer but also in the world of art.........B3

firm possession of the game. Freshman Nicole Schuster scored for the second time in as many games, followed by teammate Paige Norris, who sent a close-in shot straight over Towson goaltender Whitney Clugston’s shoulder.

Janna Actil and Kozniuk added two insurance goals in the second half, putting the game out of reach of the Tigers. The two Eagles led

A broken left forearm. Spinal surgery to fix a disk in his neck. And now a nagging ankle injury that has been lingering for almost a year. To many, these injuries would be devastating to one’s athletic career. To Alex Albright, they are just small obstacles on his way to being a standout defensive end for the Boston College football team.

The fifth-year senior has had only one complete season of football, his freshman year, but Albright’s injury-plagued career has not stopped him from being the most dependable defensive player on the field.

“I can’t say enough about Alex,” said head coach Frank Spaziani. “Here’s a young man that’s had numerous injuries since he’s been here. You get chills when you go ‘Oh, that’s what he did to play football?’”

“The main thing is I’m willing to do whatever it takes for the team,” Albright said.

“If the team needs me to come back, then I want to come back. I want to be a guy people depend on.”

See On the Road, B5

It’s only the beginning

Harsh critics of football’s 2-0 start need to remember the season isn’t won when it’s warm out......................B4

See Bright Spot, B4

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

B2

Monday, September 20, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

Unbeaten Eagles cruise past Scarlet Knights

BY JOSEPH BILOTTO For The Heights

The No. 4 Boston College women’s soccer team has had the recent pleasure of beating up on Boston College 3 clearly inferior 1 Rutgers opponents. An away match against No. 24 Rutgers was supposed to be a tougher test, but one that the Eagles still passed, snagging a 3-1 victory over the Scarlet Knights.

Forward Stephanie Wirth got the scoring started for the Eagles (7-0-1) with her goal at the 30-minute mark of the first half off an assist from Victoria DiMartino.

The Eagles took the 1-0 advantage into the locker room at the end of a first half, during which they outshot the Scarlet Knights (5-4-0), 13-1.

It didn’t take the Eagles long to double their lead early in the second half, thanks to a goal by forward Brooke Knowlton in the 49th minute. Knowlton’s goal was her fifth in three games, and it marked the beginning of a 40-minute goal drought for both sides.

The hiatus was ultimately broken by Amy Caldwell’s goal in the 86th minute.

Caldwell’s tally gave the Eagles a 3-0 advantage very late in the match to secure the win. A goal by Rutgers midfielder Kelsey Dumont in the last minute of regulation prevented the shutout.

As has been the case for much of the season, the Eagles dominated their opponents on the offensive side of the ball. The Eagles outshot the Scarlet Knights, 26-8, registering 13 shots in each half of play.

BC’s defense was once again solid,

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Boston College sophomore forward Victoria DiMartino (left) assisted on the first Eagles goal. Senior forward Brooke Knowlton (right) has five goals and one assist in the last three games. ranging from a tight back line and another sterling performance from goalkeeper Jillian Mastroianni, who recorded three saves in 90 minutes of play.

Head coach Alison Foley credited her team’s steady backline with alleviating much of the opponent’s offensive pressure, but she wasn’t happy they couldn’t keep the shutout.

“We need to keep focus until the end of the game, especially games that we dominated, to eliminate late goals by our opponents,” she said.

The win over Rutgers comes at an important period in the Eagles’ season.

The Eagles head out for three consecutive ACC road contests, beginning with a meeting against No. 1 North Carolina

Thursday night.

Foley said she recognized how good the Tar Heels are, but also pointed out the talent of her team.

“They travel really well and actually bond on the road, avoiding many distractions,” Foley said. “UNC is a very deep team and has a lot of speed and talent, but I think that we are one of the few teams

good enough to beat them.”

Following the Tar Heels on the Eagles’ schedule will be the North Carolina State Wolfpack and the No. 8 Virginia Cavaliers, two vitally important opponents on BC’s quest for an ACC title.

Proving they can beat a Top 25 opponent should only make the impending three-game stretch easier to swallow. 

How to find true friends at Newton Campus Field DJ ADAMS

SPORTS in SHORT

Ever since I can remember, I have hated the sport of soccer.

It’s because my dad first placed a plastic bat in my hands as a young boy, not a ball at my feet. It’s my annoying friends, who, every four years, somehow believe that mediocre performances by the U.S. national team in the World Cup will give the sport a special place in every American’s heart (it hasn’t yet, and sometimes I wonder if even a fallen stone from Gasson to the head could bring these futbol fanatics to reality). Seriously, the only memories still lingering from my playing days consist of Capri Sun juice packs and orange slices.

Let’s be honest, I never really gave the sport a chance.

Yet here I am, occupying this column space with a digression on the pastime that seemingly everyone in the world but me can find time to enjoy.

Why am I writing about soccer? Because it’s about time I quit complaining, and maybe begin to thank whoever devised this incredibly boring game.

Upon arriving at Boston College as a freshman last fall, I was uncomfortable to say the least. As a native Minnesotan, I thought a change of scenery to Chestnut Hill would help me forget passive-aggressive mannerisms and freezing winters. Early on, though, all I found were even colder personalities.

Then, there was the soccer team. As if the Newton bus rides hadn’t already made me want to set the world aflame – and not in that inspirational St. Ignatius sort of way – the home pitch was just a few steps down from Duchesne. It was Welcome

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of soccer games on Newton Campus Field, even for non-fans, when surrounded by friends and making new ones.

Week, the Harvard Crimson were taking on our men, and everyone who was anyone was going.

Everyone, of course, except me.

I marched alone to Stuart Dining Hall, determined to fight against the Hurricane Earl currents of yellow T-shirts that were slowly making their way

ACC Football Standings Atlantic

Wake Forest NC State Boston College Clemson Florida State Maryland

Coastal

Georgia Tech Miami Virginia Virginia Tech Duke North Carolina

Conference 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0

1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-1

Overall 2-1 3-0 2-0 2-1 2-1 2-1

2-1 1-1 1-1 1-2 1-2 0-2

down the hill to catch the match.

Luckily, though, I didn’t quite make it to dinner. I ran into a girl whom I had met the day before. She had no one to accompany her to the game, and asked if I would oblige. She was a soccer fan, but it was a friendly invitation nonetheless.

I accepted, and thank God I

did. The Eagles might have lost to the Crimson that night, but I won. That girl is now one of my best friends here at BC. The next weekend, a few guys on my floor invited me to hop on the B line with them and watch the men’s team take on our Comm. Ave. counterparts, Boston University. They said

Numbers to Know

0-9

the rivalry was intense, and that I wouldn’t be disappointed.

Lightning can’t strike twice, I thought. The Terriers were heavily favored, and I didn’t know how much more soccer I could take before I lost all sanity.

Of course, I took the chance anyway, risking my misery for

the possibility of making a couple friends. What I witnessed was a thrilling 1-0 victory that firmly established my hatred for BU and, more importantly, instilled in me the belief that these guys were worth my attention.

Almost a year later, several of them continue to share plentiful memories with me in our sixman in 90. The ones not with us, I have no problem taking the trek to see on College Road.

I realize that I could have created these relationships regardless of the soccer team’s involvement, but it was involved, and it’s something I refuse to ignore.

The team gave me everything I could have asked for at this University, and this year, I only hope to replicate it.

So there I was, at the Newton Soccer Field the past two Fridays, cheering on my nationallyranked BC men’s squad against Maryland and BU. I might not be able to give them courage in the form of life-lasting friendships, but I can give them my support.

And you should, too.

BC men’s soccer has plenty of fans this year, with an attendance boom most likely due to the team’s promising future (for anyone at the convincing 4-0 win over BU on Friday, you know what I mean). But for those who don’t particularly enjoy soccer, there are so many other reasons to go.

If my attendance can teach anything, it is that going to games has nothing to do with the sport itself. That’s what makes all sporting events great.

You don’t have to love the game; you can love the company, the memories, and the camaraderie it creates.

That was enough for me to slightly change my opinion of the sport I love to hate, and I hope it is for you, too.

DJ Adams is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

Game to Watch Football

The ACC’s record against ranked teams in football. While the Eagles were on bye, Wake Forest, Clemson, Maryland, and Duke all fell to Top 25 opponents.

15

Shots by the men’s soccer team in the first half of its 4-0 win over BU. The Eagles snapped a three-game streak without a goal from the run of play.

10

Wins for the men’s soccer team in its last 11 meetings with BU.

Virginia vs.

Tech

Boston College

Tailgating may be starting two hours too early, and Virgina Tech may not be the team it used to be, but this one is still a must-watch game. The Hokies saved their season against Dominique Davis and East Carolina on Saturday. They can’t afford a 1-3 start, so they’ll be ready to play. Be there for kickoff if you want to give the Eagles a true home field advantage on Parents Weekend.

Saturday, 12 p.m.

The Heights

Monday, September 20, 2010

B3

Fitzpatrick’s shift back to the midfield has offense rolling

By Andrew Klokiw For The Heights

Often in soccer, the fortunes of an entire team rest on the shoulders of its midfield play, specifically the central midfielder. He has the ability to either carry the team to victory or allow defeat, and he is asked to keep a level head during the good and bad.

No. 13 Boston College’s 4-0 trouncing of cross-town rivals Boston University on Friday night was a full team effort, but the individual work of junior center midfielder Conor Fitzpatrick was the catalyst for the big win.

For a team on which the much-heralded sophomore class receives the lion’s share of the publicity and acclaim for the Eagles’ recent success, Fitzpatrick has managed to find his niche and make a consistent impact.

Having started nearly every game of his BC career, Fitzpatrick has been fundamental to the team’s increased success since his freshman year, when the Eagles finished 11-7-3, to now finding themselves consistently ranked in the Top 15 nationally.

Friday night’s contest served to further validate head coach Ed Kelly’s decision to place Fitzpatrick in the central role next to senior captain Karl Reddick.

The opening 30 minutes of the game were

played sluggishly by both sides, with neither able to muster a solid scoring opportunity, aside from Edvin Worley’s shot that was stopped by BU goalkeeper Brandon Briggs in the eighth minute.

But as a good central midfielder is expected to do, Fitzpatrick singlehandedly created something out of nothing.

Thirty-three minutes and 18 seconds into the match, he received a throw-in from left fullback Patrick Chin, took two touches inside, and unleashed a 35-yard rocket that sailed over Briggs’ head and into the back of the net.

“Chin was taking the throw-in. He tossed it inside to me, and I noticed there was no one around me for a few yards, which allowed me to take a couple touches inside,” Fitzpatrick said of his team-leading third goal of the season.

“The ball was bouncing perfectly, and I was able to get a good strike on goal.”

After recording an identical stat line of one goal and one assist in each of his first two seasons, Fitzpatrick’s third goal in five games was a welcome jumpstart for the Eagles. Less than 10 minutes later, the Eagles led 4-0 off goals from Reddick, Charlie Rugg, and Worley, and the Terriers were effectively finished by halftime.

Fitzpatrick’s strike woke up a dormant BC team, which had not scored in the run of play during the past three matches.

alex trautwig / heights editor

Conor Fitzpatrick (8) must do it all as a center midfielder, including fighting through traffic.

The only goals BC had came from Fitzpatrick with two scored from the penalty spot, including a game-winner against Quinnipiac in the 88th minute.

The junior, however, has not always been a center mid for the Eagles. Coming in as a high school All-American from East Catholic High School in Connecticut, Fitzpatrick was immediately slotted in his current spot as a freshman, starting all 21 games. With the injection of the talented sophomore class last year, the versatile Fitzpatrick was moved by Kelly to outside defender, where he started all but one game, including all eight ACC contests.

The shift didn’t bother Fitzpatrick.

“I feel pretty comfortable in most positions on the field, and I’m happy to help out the team in any way possible,” he said. “I feel most comfortable in the center of the midfield, though, and I’m definitely happy to be back there.”

The Eagles are certainly happy to have him back in the middle, as well.

Though not named a captain for this season, Fitzpatrick can routinely be seen directing the midfield around him, organizing his teammates as they go forward and regroup on the counterattack. The leadership role seems to fit him just fine.

“I definitely see myself as one of the leaders on this team,” Fitzpatrick said.

“Obviously, with our big sophomore class, I’m one of the few upperclassmen, and I like to think of myself as a leader along with the other guys like Eddie, Karl, Chin and Amit [Aburmad]. I like being the catalyst for our offense going forward, and hope to help out the younger guys as much as possible.”

Often, it’s the little things that count in a close soccer game, and in this year’s powerhouse ACC, the Eagles will need Fitzpatrick to continue to shine for a full 90 minutes, as he did against the Terriers; he was only one of four to do so Friday night.

Fitzpatrick isn’t looking too far ahead, though.

“We just have to keep getting better each game,” he said. “The big thing for us as a team is to make the important run when it counts in the tournament.”

Spoken like a true center midfielder. n

alex trautwig / heights editor

Another rowdy BC crowd had plenty to cheer about following Conor Fitzpatrick’s score.

Four speedy goals push BC past BU Fantastic Four, from B1

Aburmad. The junior winger was quick to find Worley’s run for a one-timer from just inside the box that flew to the top right corner, leaving the keeper helpless.

Worley remained dangerous in the second half, exchanging flashy flick-ons with Rugg and nearly getting his second goal off a free kick, but his volley at the back post was well saved by BU’s backup keeper, Trevor McManamon. In his first game action of the season, Worley was unable to go the distance, walking off gingerly 15 minutes from time.

“For [Worley] it was his first full game so you can expect it, all his anxiety and energy but it was just cramps, nothing major,” Koolman said.

Though the second half was mostly academic, the victory wasn’t always so certain.

Despite failing to test Eagles keeper Justin Luthy until he was forced into a diving stop in the 66th minute, the Terriers looked the more dangerous team.

Defensive errors by the Eagles were compounded by a slippery pitch, forcing head coach Ed Kelly up on the touch-

line just 20 minutes into the match to straighten out his back four. After a shaky first 20 minutes of play, BC settled down and showed its class.

“We started off, obviously in a rival game like this, maybe a little nervous but after that we took care of business,” Koolman said.

Kyle Bekker tested Briggs with a free kick in the 25th minute and Kevin Mejia fired another set piece from 28 yards out over the bar just six minutes later.

Showing themselves the superior team, BC opened the scoring in the 34th minute. Junior midfielder Conor Fitzpatrick took a Patrick Chin throw in from the left sideline and headed toward the middle of the pitch. With the backline for BU hanging off, Fitzpatrick took advantage of the space and fired a sublime effort from 30 yards that dipped just over the leaping Briggs.

Just 47 seconds later, a Kyle Bekker free kick from the half line found senior captain Karl Reddick unmarked at the back post where he easily volleyed it in to double the difference and open his account for the season. n

Rugg crafts masterpieces on the pitch and canvas

By Paul Sulzer

All-American and Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year.

With its blend of academics and socA painter looks at a canvas and imag- cer tradition, BC was the perfect place for ines the possibilities. Likewise, a striker Rugg to hone his craft. He hasn’t been able looks at a defense on the soccer pitch and to take any art classes yet because they take up too much free time, so his self-exvisualizes the path toward the goal.

Boston College sophomore Charlie pression is mostly restricted to the pitch.

“It sounds corny, but they call it The Rugg can do both.

Beautiful Game,” he said.

Rugg, a 6-foot-tall forward who led the Eagles “It sounds corny, “Trying to achieve that is probably the main goal in scoring as a freshman, is adept with a pencil in but they call it The – getting wins, playing his hands and a ball at his Beautiful Game. beautifully.” soccer players feet. Because his mother Trying to achieve loveMany expressing themselves is an architect, Rugg has been exposed to drawing that is probably the with elaborate celebrations they score. Rugg, from a young age. He bemain goal – getting after though, resists the urge to gan doing pencil drawings wins, playing celebrate most of his goals. before moving on to oil He doesn’t do much more paintings as he got older. beautifully.” than run in front of the fans As a student at the and rile them up.

Rivers School in Weston, “I’m known for not doing celebrathe Roslindale native won first place at the Small Independent School League tions,” Rugg said, laughing. “Whenever Arts Show for a drawing of Jay-Z he did I score a goal, I feel like it’s not good entitled “The Blueprint.” A self-portrait enough to do a celebration. I won’t do he drew won a silver medal in a national anything real dramatic.”

Rugg was true to his word when he competition.

Rugg did all this while leading the ISL scored the third goal in BC’s 4-0 slaughin scoring on his way to being named an ter of Boston University on Friday night.

Asst. Sports Editor

courtesy of charlie rugg

“The Blueprint,” a drawing of Jay-Z done by Charlie Rugg, won first place at the ISL Arts Show.

After a fight for the ball at the top of the 18-yard box, he turned around and sent a bouncing shot with his right foot that skipped past keeper Brandon Briggs and into the net. The sophomore smiled, hugged his teammates, and quickly jogged back to midfield for the restart.

The goal wasn’t a masterpiece, but they all count the same. Of course, when the team has been struggling to score, each goal becomes that much more meaningful. Before pummeling BU, BC had just two goals (both Conor Fitzpatrick penalties) in its previous three games.

Without forward Edvin Worley, who was suspended two games for violating team rules, Rugg had been forced to play out of position as the lone target striker.

The sophomore is at his best as a winger or as a center forward in a two-striker setup.

Even with Rugg playing outside his comfort zone, the Eagles weren’t failing to create opportunities. They were just failing to convert them. They had 19 shots against Maryland (a 1-1 tie) and 17 against Fairfield (a scoreless tie).

“We had tons of shots, tons of chances,” Rugg said before the BU game. “I think we’ve just had bad luck. I hit the crossbar twice in the last two games.

Once we start to get them, we’ll be pretty good.”

Pretty good was an understatement.

Worley returned against BU, and BC played its two-striker formation to perfection in the 4-0 win. Worley and Rugg were dynamic. The Terriers could not defend them. They repeatedly won 50/50 balls, outmuscling an undersized BU back line.

After falling from No. 5 to No. 13 in the NSCAA rankings last week, the Eagles played with purpose against BU. They could have made a similar statement in the home-opener against Maryland a week earlier.

The Terrapins rallied to tie the game early in the second half before the Eagles came frustratingly close to scoring several times. In front of a capacity home crowd, Rugg had arguably the best chance to score in extra time when he beat Maryland goalkeeper Zac MacMath with a powerful right-footed shot that hit the bottom of the crossbar in the 95th minute. The ball landed just in front of the goal line. Rugg was willing to break his celebration rule for that one.

“I was planning to just go crazy,” he said. “I was going to take my shirt off and everything.”

Rugg has always been talented, but even he has been surprised by how quickly he has become a star. From the beginning, he has flashed all the tools that make

alex trautwig / heights editor

Charlie Rugg has served well as BC’s leading striker, using a combination of size and speed. him such a threat. Forwards with his “It took a little while to get into the combination of size, speed, and athletic flow of college soccer,” Rugg said. “Toability are almost unstoppable, as he has ward the second half of the year, the routinely proven against overmatched nerves were gone. I started getting to the competition. right places at the right times.”

“My high school coach told me that Getting to the right places at the right you always have to fight times is only part of the “My high school for your spot,” Rugg said. equation, though.

“I started playing faster coach told me that Rugg readily admits than I expected.” his game is imperfect. you always have He still needs to improve He didn’t need long to make a mark. his technical skills and to fight for your The turning point of his his passing. He has been spot. I started freshman season was in Ocworking on both since tober against UNC, when playing faster than I the end of last season. he scored twice against the He looks noticeably more expected.”

No. 2 team in the country. comfortable with the ball Although Rugg was the at his feet. team’s leading scorer heading into the Plus, he’s only 19. His time at BC has game, he hadn’t scored against a team as been a rough sketch of his potential on good as the Tar Heels. the pitch. As Rugg continues adding He credited that game for giving him to his palette of skills, just wait for the the confidence he played with throughout unveiling. the rest of the year.

It will be spectacular. n

B4

The Heights

Monday, September 20, 2010

Albright outlasts injuries to captain defense Bright Spot, from B1

“What they did is they just went in and they scraped out the disk in between Albright’s sophomore year was cut two of the bones, and they fused them short with two games remaining when he together with other pieces of bone,” broke his left forearm, yet he still earned Albright explained. “Then they plated All-ACC Honorable Menand bolted them together tion and had a team-high “That’s the kind of until they could heal.”

8.5 sacks. After starting Last season, Albright guy Alex is. That’s the first two games of his started seven games, with why they elected 32 tackles and eight tackjunior year, Albright sat out the rest of the season him captain. He les for loss, which ranked because of a “neck insecond on the team. jury.” At times, he would needs to be out there Now, Albright is batlose feeling in parts of his every week, every tling a right ankle injury, body, so he was forced to though he has started both shut it down, with reports day, not because he games so far in this young saying he would be out for needs practice, but season. His current injury, six months. has forced him to he wants to do it.” however, “It was kind of a birth miss numerous practices defect,” Albright said of during the week; the pass his season-ending injury. rusher practiced only on -Frank Spaziani “My neck was too flexThursday the week before Head Coach ible, which is not somethe Kent State game, yet thing they find too often. recorded two tackles for It was causing me to bruise my spinal loss and his first career interception in cord a little bit.” the game.

The Cincinnati native knew spinal “I actually came up to Spaz after surgery was controversial and that it that practice and said I was pretty could cause problems down the road, but upset because I had had a pretty terchose to have it done anyway, as it was rible practice,” Albright said. “I kind his only option if he wanted to continue of apologized, I felt like that wasn’t my playing football. character to have such a terrible practice

the day before a game.

“He told me, ‘You’ve been sitting out for a while, it’s only natural.’ But I expected more of myself. I really took that to heart, and came in and had a great game.”

The head coach took notice.

“That’s the kind of guy Alex is,” Spaziani said. “That’s why they elected him captain. He needs to be out there every week, every day, not because he needs practice, but he wants to do it. He has that sense of urgency.”

Albright has certainly taken on more responsibility as a captain this year, serving as a team leader both on and off the field.

“If practice is down, we can’t fall into the trap of getting down with everyone else,” Albright said. “Wes [Davis] and I, and Anthony [Castonzo] and James [McCluskey], all have to be up all the time. We have to consistently be leaders because we have to realize all eyes are on us. We have to set great examples.

“It’s a little bit difficult because, the past four years, everyone else has been doing it, and now it’s our turn, so we have to kind of pick it up ourselves.”

Looking at the difference between the defense’s showing in the first and second games, Albright’s effects are evident.

alex trautwig / heights editor

Alex Albright has endured a spinal injury and is currently battling a nagging ankle sprain, but he is refusing to lose any more time to injuries.

The start of the college season is just that – a start Nick Loury Seasons are not made or broken when the weather is warm. After a lackluster win over Weber State and an uninspired game against Kent State, it would be easy to lower expectations for the football team’s season.

Instead, fans must accept the first two games for what they are – glorified tune-up games, roughly equivalent to the NFL preseason.

The Indianapolis Colts have gone 12-23 in the preseason since 2003, but that has not stopped them from being a dominant team in the games that count. The Colts have won at least 12 games in every one of those years, and also appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one.

The Colts’ lesson is not that early games don’t matter, but that they must be viewed in a different light.

College football, once the realm of dynastic powerhouses, is moving toward the parity in which the NFL prides itself. In Bear Bryant’s day, there were no scholarship limits, which allowed big name schools to stockpile talent, leaving smaller teams to pick from the leftovers.

The NCAA began regulating scholarships in 1977 and cut the limit to the current 85 in 1994. Consequently, the talent began to distribute much more evenly across the country as teams were forced to pick and choose their recruits.

Technological advances have also played an equalizing role in college football.

Online scouting services, like Rivals.com, allow coaches to access film, combine numbers, and rankings for recruits all over the country with a simple click of the mouse. While coaches do not only rely on third-party information, these Web sites have made it much harder for players to slip under the radar.

Once a coach targets a player, it’s easier than ever before to contact recruits. Cell phones and e-mail allow coaches to get in touch with a player instantly, a luxury not available in the days of snail mail. Even the regular mailing process has been made more efficient, with many coaches sending out photocopied letters to hundreds of recruits at a time.

Revolutions in offensive strategy have also helped bring parity to college football. The spread offense, used by both small schools like Utah and storied

programs like Florida, allows teams to neutralize size in favor of speed and athleticism.

This effect was perfectly illustrated through Appalachian State’s upset of Michigan in 2007, widely regarded as the biggest upset in college football. As an FCS school, Appalachian State would stand no chance matching up with a perennial FBS powerhouse like Michigan in a physical, grind-it-out game. By using the spread offense, Appalachian State was able to utilize athletic quarterback Armani Edwards to run around Michigan’s size, instead of through it.

Increased balance in college football can help quell concerns about BC’s close games against lowprofile schools. That being said, the offense remains an issue after struggling to move the ball and put points on the board. The offense will certainly need to play better down the stretch, but BC’s success hinges ultimately on its defense.

A good defense can carry an offense early in the year until things start to click. It is natural for an offense to have a slower start because of the intricacies and timing necessary on each play. Where a defense has relatively simple assignments like covering a deep third of the field, offensive play calls are notoriously detailed. One missed assignment can doom an entire play, even if it is something as simple as an imprecise route.

As the weather gets colder and the season wears on, the offense will have an opportunity to open up to the back of the playbook and begin playing with added confidence, which will lead to increased production.

The start of a season is just that: a start. A slow start does not spell failure for the rest of the year. In fact, early-season struggles give a team more room to grow with less chance of complacency. BC now knows what it needs to work on heading into the meat of its schedule.

The ultimate test of a season is not what happens in the first two games, but rather the last two. Only time will tell if this will be the year the Eagles get over the ACC Championship hump and make it to the Orange Bowl.

Wins in December and January would more than make up for underwhelming performances in September.

Nick Loury is a guest columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

alex trautwig / heights editor

Albright led the defensive line with eight tackles for loss in 2009, good for second on the team.

Against Weber State, the defensive line the first practice, I made sure to let the seemed to have trouble getting into the entire D-line know that we were seen backfield to pressure the quarterback. as the weak link on the team. But I said In last week’s game against Kent that can’t happen.

State, it was a much different story.

“We have to become a part of this “I think Wes Davis and I were really defense. It doesn’t matter if we’re emphasizing the lack of energy in the making plays, we just have to play what first game,” Albright said. “People may we’re supposed to play, we have to eat not see that, but that’s really a key thing up the blocks for the linebackers to make in producing – if people plays. We have to play are excited to play, if “I made sure to let our responsibility, doesn’t people want to play. matter if we get the glory or the entire D-line not. We have to perform as That second game, we came out and we really know that we were part of a defensive unit.” wanted to play.”

The humble-minded seen as the weak Saint Xavier High School In addition to being a team leader, Albright link on the team. alumnus has not had the is the anchor of the detenure at BC, But I said that can’t healthiest fensive line. but he has not let his inju“I think it’s getries bring him down. Going happen.” ting pretty good,” Althrough all the injuries and bright said of the Drehabs has made Albright -Alex Albright line chemistry. “We’re realize that playing footDefensive End really becoming a good ball shouldn’t be taken core group. I feel like if for granted, and for this people have issues, they don’t go out- reason, he is trying to make this season side of the group, they just go within a special one. the group. And also people are just “[BC] has really developed my sense starting to trust each other more. I’m to be able to push myself beyond what I able to trust Conor [O’Neal] more in- think, with my injuries alone,” Albright side, and Kaleb [Ramsey] and Damik said, looking back on his career on the [Scafe], and that’s really paying off in Heights. “Being able to persevere after our production.” having season-ending injury, a nagging Heading into the season, the defen- ankle-injury, or before, a broken arm my sive line was seen as one of the team’s sophomore year, it’s really helped me to weaknesses. Albright and his fellow be able to develop that sense of being linemen are doing their best to disprove able to bounce back from bad things that idea. happening.

“I think that’s more fuel to fire,” “The only choice I leave myself is to Albright said. “But it’s not something fight back and be with the team because that we didn’t realize ourselves com- I want to produce. I realize this stuff’s ing in. Especially after our production not going to last for very long, so I want last year and the past pass rush. Before to take it all in.” n

Monday, September 20, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

B5

BC sweeps Brown Invitational

BY DIANA C. NEARHOS Heights Senior Staff

In contrast to last weekend’s 15 sets in two days, Boston College’s volleyball team played nine sets in the Brown Tournament this weekend. The Eagles swept the Brown Invitational and their matches against Central Connecticut State, Holy Cross, and Brown University in three sets apiece.

Brennan Clark, who earned All-Tournament honors last weekend, was plagued by a calf strain and returned to the defensive libero position.

Kristen Baader, typically Boston College 3 libero, played outside hit0 Brown ter in her absence.

“We wanted to limit her jumping,” said head coach Chris Campbell about the position change.

Along with Tsvetalina Dureva, Clark has been a key element in BC’s attack this season. Going into the weekend, Clark led the team with 113 kills.

Dureva has now surpassed her with 45 kills in the tournament. She also contributed 20 digs, four aces, and three blocks this weekend. “[Dureva] has done well offensively,” Campbell said. “She’s probably only at 50-60 percent of what she is capable of. She’s getting more swings which is good, but the mistakes she’s making are ones she can avoid.”

The Eagles took on the Bears Saturday night, in their last contest of the tournament. They started off strong with a 25-16 victory in a set that featured 15 kills and only three errors. Brown challenged in the second set, but BC maintained its match advantage with a 25-23 win. The Eagles then closed out the match with a 25-20 final set.

Middle hitter Val Mattaliano had the highest attack percentage of the match with .444. The sophomore connected on nine kills and only had one error. She also contributed four block assists.

Campbell previously expressed a need for more involvement from the middle hitters on the season.

“We need our middles to get involved more,” he said after the Bryant Tournament. Mattaliano stepped up against Brown, and Krystle Higgins performed well in the earlier game against Holy Cross.

Higgins was one of three Eagles with double digit kills in the second match of the tournament.

She recorded 10 kills and only a single error for a percentage of .600. The sophomore also contributed a match-high six blocks.

The match was BC’s second against Holy Cross.

The Crusaders won the previous meeting at last weekend’s Bryant Tournament, 3-2. Saturday afternoon, the Eagles had their revenge. They started the match with a sound 25-18 victory. BC’s attack improved as the match went on, despite a closer second set. In the final set, the Eagles recorded 16 kills and only three errors for a .419 percentage.

In all three matches, BC began strongly with a decisive win, and then let the opponent back into it. The second sets were the closest of every match,

as the Eagles won by two, three, and four points, the lowest margins of victory of all sets throughout the tournament.

“That’s been one of the things we’ve identified as an area we need to get better at,” Campbell said.

“Those closer second games are indicative of mental lapses that we put it on cruise control a little bit and the other team starts to get back into it. We need to be a little bit more vigilant.”

BC began the tournament against Central Connecticut State on Friday. The match began with the Eagles’ largest margin of victory on the weekend, with a 25-14 victory in the first set. The Blue Devils had their best performance in the second set, but BC came away with a 25-21 win. The Eagles closed out the match with their best attacking performance of .324.

Dureva was the only player on either team to reach double digits with 20 kills. Mattaliano was the only player in the match to record a kill without

a single error, and she notched nine.

Additionally, the Eagles put forth an improved serving effort in the tournament. They had a total of 20 service aces on the weekend. Baader led the team with eight.

“Our serving was better,” Campbell said. “Part of any game plan is having a strategy from the service line. That’s been an area we’ve needed to work on.

That’s really critical. We did better with that.”

This tournament marked the end of preseason play for the Eagles. They will take on Maryland on Tuesday for their first ACC game of the season.

Campbell knows the team must step up and improve a few more things to be competitive in the conference. “[Maryland is] a higher caliber team so those lapses we’ve been having became more painful when you’re playing in the ACC,” Campbell said. “If you take even one or two points off, the ACC will make you pay for it.” 

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Sophomore Krystle Higgins recorded a team-high 10 kills as well as six blocks against Holy Cross this weekend.

Bye week isn’t so bad Bye Week, from B1

like he’s waiting for his pitch, and he still manages to throw a curveball every game. The defense returned to form, and Alumni is finally filled with the echoes of “Luke Kuechly on the tackle,” once more.

Yet, with the gripes many students have, the Eagles are 2-0, which a shocking number of ACC teams are unable to also claim. And now, with the rest of the season about to begin anew, the Eagles can face it well-rested and eager to prove they belong atop the ACC Atlantic.

They’re going to need it.

Virginia Tech opens season version 2.0, and it would be unwise to discount the Hokies. The James Madison face plant notwithstanding, Virginia Tech is the team that deserved to beat Boise State and kicked BC out of Blacksburg by the second quarter last year. Let’s not forget this is the same squad that has been in the ACC championship game four of the last five years.

In a word, the Hokies are good.

Then the Holy War resumes to continue the treacherous re-opening to our season. The biggest bottle of Listerine couldn’t wash the putrid taste out of my mouth after last year’s trip to South Bend, which makes the Irish’s smarmy return to the Heights potentially that much more rewarding. I didn’t think I could hate anyone more than Jimmy Clausen, but on name alone, Dayne Crist makes me want to punch a small child. His yuppie indifference after overthrowing a receiver on third down assures me, though, that I won’t have a problem watching him.

It won’t be easy opening the second season with arguably the Coastal Division favorite and the University’s biggest rival. But that’s exactly where this week off should do wonders. Virginia Tech and Notre Dame haven’t had the luxury of focusing on practice, fine-tuning the playbook, and tweaking bits of the offense and defense. Head coach Frank Spaziani has said this team still needs work more times than Rex Ryan has guaranteed a Super Bowl. This was the team’s week to work. Let’s see if it pays off.

The excuses are gone after the bye week. The expectations are raised after the bye week. While it normally serves as a midseason respite, it arrived much earlier than most would prefer.

Not me, though. Mark Herzlich got another week to return to form, Spaziani got another week to whip his troops into ACC shape, and the fans got the unfair break out of the way. We don’t have to deal with that confusion and disappointment this season. We don’t have to get into the destructively wonderful ritual of waking early to tailgate, only to have it snatched away when we’re at our shotgunning best.

The bye week has mercifully come and gone. Let the real games begin.

Zach Wielgus is the sports editor for The Heights.

He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

Terps hold off Eagles On the Road, from B1

The two Eagles led the team offensively with five goals apiece this season. It is safe to say that the team dominated the game on both sides of the field, firing 20 shots to Towson’s five.

Saturday’s game began with that kind of high offensive energy, but the Eagles could not outlast the Maryland Terrapins, who defeated the Eagles, 4-2, in Maryland on Saturday afternoon. The Terps were ranked second nationally coming into the game, while the Eagles held the No. 11 ranking.

The team drops to 6-2 on the year, while Maryland maintains a spotless 6-0 record.

The Eagles surprised the undefeated Terps when they managed to successfully convert an early penalty corner in the 13th minute. Schuster shot and scored off a pass from Moorfield. It was the first career goal for the freshman forward, which head coach Ainslee Lamb called “well executed.”

“One of our goals was to have team energy, and a team-oriented attack and defense,” Lamb said.

With a 1-0 lead against the No. 2 team in the nation, the Eagles made an all-too-common mistake: they got complacent.

“We settled in a bit, and played more for them not to score, and not to win,” Lamb said. “We sat back on that 1-0 lead.” Having sacrificed the initiative, the Eagles left themselves vulnerable to the Terps counterattack. Maryland did not hesitate, and would go on to control the remainder of the half.

Terps forward Jemma Buckley, assisted by teammates Colleen Gulick and Janessa Pope, scored her first goal of the game off a penalty corner in the 18th minute to tie the score. Seconds

later, Jill Witmer, assisted by Katie O’Donnell, put a shot past Stigas to give Maryland the lead, which the team would hold for the rest of the game.

Ten minutes later, Witmer scored again, this time unassisted.

The “10-minute breakdown” as Lamb called it, proved costly for the Eagles. They had a plan, however, to dig themselves out of a two-point hole, going into the second half.

“We made a couple adjustments,” Lamb said.

“Our goal was to hold them at three points.”

If the BC defense could shut down Maryland, Lamb thought, the offense would be able to even the score up.

Buckley threw a wrench in the plan, though.

The Eagles could not contain her, as she added her second goal of the game in the 45th minute off a deflection from teammate Megan Frazer.

“When they scored the fourth goal to make it 4-1, it was disappointing. It’s tough to come back,” Lamb said.

Down but not yet out, the Eagles kept on pushing for a goal. Taylor Turchi managed to score in the 66th minute, shooting unassisted from right in front of goal to pick up her first of the season, which brought the Eagles to within two. One goal closer, but out of time, the Eagles lost, 4-2.

“We did have opportunities to make it 4-3,” Lamb said. “We were definitely pressing to.”

The game was truly lost, however, in the first half. The Eagles played the first 15 minutes like a team that should be right up there with the big names of the ACC. But after the 10-minute lapse, the game was over.

As the Eagles learned, a quality start does not guarantee a quality finish. 

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Sophomore Jacqui Moorfield scored the first goal in BC’s 4-2 loss at Maryland off a penalty corner in the 8th minute.

B6

The Heights

Monday, September 20, 2010

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Heights

B7

Activists gather in Common over hazy issue

By Drake Haywoode and Rosie Chandler For The Heights

A crowd of more than 50,000 people gathered at Boston Common Saturday for the 21st Annual Boston Freedom Rally.

Held on the third Saturday of every September, the event seeks to “demand marijuana reform in the United States,” according to the Boston Freedom Rally’s official Web site.

The event was organized by the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition (MassCann), and the Massachusetts state affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).

The main objective of the event is “simultaneously raising money and exposing preexisting support for marijuana law reform,” says Scott Matalon, owner of Stingray Body Art, one of the rally’s major corporate sponsors and MassCann event coordinator. Matalon points to the successful passage of the Question 2 Proposition, the ballot initiative that decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana, as evidence of popular support for the legalization of marijuana.The ballot was passed in Massachusetts in Novembe 2008 with nearly twothirds majority support. “The biggest challenge we face now is convincing politicians that their own constituents want it,” Matalon says.

Although hosted by MassCa n n a n d Ma s s a c h u s e t ts NORML, a number of other

organizations in favor of marijuana law reform were present at the event, including the New Jersey and Philadelphia chapters of NORML. “This is the greatest year for marijuana yet,” says Chris Goldstein, media coordinator of Philly NORML, referring to the recent passage of an initiative to ease the penalty for possession of small amounts of marijuana in Philadelphia, and the upcoming vote in November on California’s Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act, also known as Proposition 19. If passed, the proposition will legalize the use and possession of small amounts of marijuana. Goldstein explains that the vote in California was significant, as legalization of marijuana in one state could lead the way for other states to adopt similar measures. “Although we don’t have a ballot initiative in Pennsylvania, the people of Massachusetts do. A Proposition 19 could happen here,” Goldstein says.

The rally was an opportunity for the political organizations present to raise awareness for their causes. “A lot of the interest [about our organization] is not as much as opposition as it is plain curiosity. Filling the information gap is what we do every day,” Goldstein says.

“We’re here to explain that legalizing drugs is about decreasing crime and addiction.

We’re not advocating drug use,” says Kristen Daley, a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). LEAP is composed of law enforcement

Michael Caprio / Heights Editor

Creativity exhibited by those who attended the rally led to interesting sights. A number of bands entertained the crowds wandering the Boston Common. agents seeking to end the prohibition of all drugs.

The Suffolk University chapter of NORML was also present, making Suffolk University the only college or university formally present at the rally.

“Our mission here is to make students aware of marijuana as

Michael Caprio / Heights Editor

Protestors came out in full force, as seen by this individual wearing a headdress of fake marijuana leaves.

a safer alternative to alcohol,” says Chris Cousins, a member of SUNORML. While SUNORML does receive funding from the university, Cousins admits that the organization is not tremendously popular with administrators. “We would like to see other schools get involved,” Cousins says. “However, a lot of students stay away because they are afraid.”

Rick Cusick, associate publisher of High Times Magazine, explains that it is important for young people to get involved in the reform movement. “Six hundred thousand people are arrested every year for simple possession of marijuana,” he says. “Of those, 400,000 are under the age of 25 years-old.

Young people are the chief stakeholders and victims here.

They are the people that we seek to organize, because they have the most to lose.”

Vendors without any affiliation to marijuana were also present. “We don’t necessarily support the legalization of marijuana,” explains Everett Phillips, co-proprietor of We Make Cupcakes, a Bostonbased bakery. “It’s a business opportunity. We still would’ve been here if it was a big dog parade.” Radio 92.9, which cosponsored the event, also had a tent at the rally. The station used the event as a means of self-promotion, and had no official statements regarding the cause.

The Boston Common park rangers, as well as the Boston Police Department (BPD) were

present, as they would be for any gathering in the Common.

Uniformed officers as well as several undercover officers were stationed throughout, often in the middle of large crowds.

Naturally, this created a slight tension between law enforcement and the rally’s attendees, many of whom were actively smoking marijuana. Consuming narcotics in the Common is a felony despite decriminalization, and arrests and citations have been made at past rallies.

Freedom Rally supporters were concerned, with one attendee claiming an undercover officer asked if he had any marijuana for sale, with the intent of arresting him for dealing. Another supporter stated that between 50 and 60 such incidents occur each year. One of the bands addressed the elephant in the room, and pleaded for the crowd not to antagonize officers. The request garnered little response, a sign of the collective uneasiness.

Officers on site were instructed not to comment, and all inquiries were directed toward the BPD’s media relations department. Despite the controversial nature of the rally, Officer Eddy Chrispin asserts, “We approach the event as we would any large gathering.” Officers are aware their presence at the event is not entirely appreciated, but maintain, “We don’t make the law, but we enforce it.” Addressing the fact that a large number of attendees would be actively smoking marijuana at

the event, Chrispin says, “We clearly are not in a position to arrest a lot of people.” Officers were advised to use their discretion in apprehending offenders. In the past, police have received complaints from businesses and citizens in the area. In regard to speculations of officers having an arrest quota to fulfill, Chrispin said, “That’s absolutely absurd. If we did have a quota, we could fill it in five minutes.”

The crowd was composed mainly of college students. The stereotypical potheads were but a minority in MassCann’s expanding demographic of people in support of legalization. Even families with young children were present and interested in what the event organizers had to say. “Marijuana knows no one religion, no particular creed, and no particular gender,” says Steve Epstein, treasurer and database manager of MassCann.

The rally draws its attendees from all backgrounds.

The Freedom Rally ran smoothly, despite the controversy that accompanies the question of the legalization of marijuana. The 50,000 attendees positively received the rally’s message, and MassCann seemed pleased with the result of its work. Matalon attributes the success to society’s changing attitudes toward marijuana. Reflecting on the changing times and growing interest in legalizing marijuana, Matalon says, “It’s not 1969 anymore.” n

B8

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Heights

How-To

Humor

Enjoying Boston ... on a college student’s budget Did you Megan Cain

Let’s face the facts: college students, we’re always looking for ways to have fun without spending a whole lot of money.

The city of Boston is at the tip of our fingertips, and nothing should stop us from exploring it. Here are some ways to save money while still enjoying the many delights that the city of Boston has to offer.

Buy a Charlie Card. The T is one of the fastest and most convenient ways to get around Boston. If paying cash, a single ride will cost $2, but if using a Charlie Card, each ride costs only $1.70 and includes free subway and local bus transfers. This plastic card fits right into your wallet and saves you 30 cents per ride. It can also be reloaded with more money when you run out, allowing you to use it all year long.

Eat at Fire and Ice. This restaurant is located in Back Bay, and puts a unique twist on the everyday buffet. Choose items, like cold drinks, from the “ice” portion of the menu, and heat up meats, vegetables, pastas, and more, on the grill from the “fire” side. Every Monday is “College Night” at Fire and Ice in Boston.

As long as you bring a valid college ID,

you can treat yourself to unlimited food for just $9.95.

Go to museums on community days.

Boston has many museums, and the price for admission shouldn’t prevent you from visiting them. Many museums hold community days, during which admission is free for the day. The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) is having a community day on Oct. 11, beginning at 10 a.m.

The Institute of Contemporary Art holds free admission every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. If you have a BC ID, you can get an even better deal. By showing your BC ID at the MFA, you will be granted free admission any day of the week. From art, to exhibits, to unique films, this is definitely a place to check out.

Tour the Freedom Trail. Guide yourself through the many historical sites in Boston. While there are several tours available for charge, you can walk through most of its sites on your own for free. The trail includes the Massachusetts State House, the King’s Chapel Burying Ground, Faneuil Hall, the Old North Church, and more.

Relax in the Boston Common. Located near the Park Street station on the T, this nearly 50-acre park is the oldest public park in the country. It’s perfect for a picnic, a game of Frisbee, or simply

a day spent relaxing the sun. There is no cost for admission and it is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Enjoy watching the street performers. Walk around Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market on any given weekend, and you will be sure to see several street performers. Whether they are dangling from high poles or breakdancing, these performers are sure to entertain. It’s completely free to watch!

Run or bike through the Emerald Necklace. The Emerald Necklace is a series of six parks in Boston. The Conservancy that supports it works toward making the parks a good environments for runners, walkers, and cyclists alike.

The Necklace stretches all the way from Jamaica Plains to Back Bay and includes trails, open spaces, and playing fields.

You can enjoy these parks for free.

Shop at the Garment District.

Located in Cambridge, this thrift store has clothing and accessories of all types. Because most of the items there are previously owned, they are sold at much more reasonable prices. Instead of shopping on Newbury Street, shop at the Garment District, and you are likely to save a lot of money. Plus, you could find a unique and crazy new outfit.

Study at or tour through the Boston

Public Library. Because the library is public, anyone can enter during its regular hours to sit in the hall and read, work on a paper, or simply admire the unique building. There are several satellite locations, but the central library is in Copley Square. Tours are also given by volunteer guides on Sunday at 2 p.m.

(November-May), Monday at 2:30 p.m., Tuesday at 6 p.m., Thursday at 6 p.m., Friday at 11 a.m., and Saturday at 11 a.m.

Watch the Head of the Charles Regatta. This two-day rowing event takes place Oct. 23-24. More than 8,000 athletes participate in 55 races throughout the weekend. This can be a very exciting event for spectators, and there is no admission fee. See some of the best athletes compete in this annual event.

The course starts at the Boston University DeWolfe Boathouse and extends for three miles along the Charles River.

There is so much to do in the city of Boston, and there are ways to enjoy it without breaking your wallet. Hop on the Green Line and explore the city. You are likely to enjoy what you find.

Megan Cain is a columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com

“I have been dating a guy for a couple of months, and I have started to realize that he is not nearly as chivalrous as I’d like. When we go out, he never opens the car door for me, holds doors for me, or compliments me on my appearance. I don’t mean to be picky or a hopeless romantic, but I appreciate when guys do those things. Am I being ridiculous or is it ok that it bothers me?”

- Princess with a knight in tarnished armor

Alex Says:

Julia Responds:

If these niceities are crucial aspects of a relationship for you, then what needs to be I’ll sum up my answer in one word (and it just so happens to be one of my done doesn’t seem like much of a question. If you bring your complaints up to him, not favorites): ridiculous. You’re right; there is certainly something to be said for only will he most likely take it as offensive thatt you are comparing him to other guys the occasional chivalrous gesture. But there’s also something to be said for (friends, ex-boyfriends, etc.), but you will probably come across as needy. Not to mengirls who always expect them, that is, they are being unrealistic. Is chivalry retion, if there was a significant change in his behavior, would you ally that important to you? What about other qualities you really be satisfied knowing that it wasn’t genuine? That instead want in a potential boyfriend, like a good sense of humor “And as I said, if it’s that of finding someone you were really compatible with you had to intelligence? Why maintain unreasonable expectaimportant to you, try and and try and change the one that you’re currently with? That being tions for this guy, especially if he doesn’t know what those said, I assume we’re talking about a committed relationship expectations are? Did you ever think that maybe he’s waitfind someone that treats in which you’re looking for the right person and not just a few for you to open doors for him? Chivalry doesn’t have you the way you envision.... ing casual dates. Either way, maybe it’s time for a change. If these to be a one-sided burden only men are expected to carry. things bother you that much and you won’t be able to get past but a lot of people just don’t If you want my opinion, I think you should take his lack of them, things will never work out because you will be constantly chivalry as a compliment. He seems like a pretty smart guy give chivalry (or in some disappointed and want something different. in that he recognizes the obvious: You can hold doors open cases regular manners) the for yourself. Do you really want to date someone who holds I’m a little curious how this problem could manifest itself after “a couple of months,” seeing as how manners are a every door open for you, pays for everything, and complithought it deserves” crucial part of first impressions and I would usually think that ments you whether he genuinely means it or not? Again, the the level of chivalry would start high but then go down as time short answer is no. You can still be “picky” and a “hopeless – Alex, charm and chivalry passed, but regardless, here we are. In the interest of full disromantic” without expecting the kind of chivalry that puts today closure, I will say that I’m a believer in the fact that chivalry us back a century or five. If you like this guy, why don’t you is not dead among men these days and I can understand that take the reins and plan a date for the two of you, or just sit some people value it more than others. And as I said, if it’s him down and talk about how you’re feeling. You should that important to you, try and find someone that treats you the way you envision. I never lower your standards, especially when it comes to love. If he can’t get on don’t want to come across as insulting you or defending the guy in question, but a board, dump him and move on to the next. You could always make yourself a lot of people just don’t give chivalry (or in some cases regular manners) the though Match.com profile. If all else fails, go on an Eagle Date! it deserves, and it can be quite difficult to enact the changes you’re looking for.

Alex Trautwig is an editor for The Heights. He welcomes comments at features@ bcheights.com.

Julia Wilson is a senior staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.

“He Said/She Said” welcomes questions for future columns as well as comments about this week’s responses.

All printed questions remain anonymous. Send any comments to the editor at features@bcheights.com.

College Connections

Out with the new cheers and back in with the old

Francesca Bacardi After having missed the first football game of the year because of a vacation delay, I was surprised to find a new addition to our cheers at the Kent State game. Having grown accustomed to the ever classy “Eagles, first down,” I was shocked and appalled to hear a new word tagged onto the end – “b—h!” After thinking I completely misheard the new addition, I turned to my friend, who confirmed my fears. In my mind, “Eagles, first down” was never intended to be an aggressive callout against the other team, but rather it was a fact that all Superfans determined should be announced out of true spirit for the game. Much to my chagrin, that all changed with the additional word.

Football, whether it be college or professional, is a very family-oriented game that children and adults of all ages either watch or take part in, especially here at BC. Whenever

I first walk into the stadium, I feel a surge of excitement upon seeing all of the Superfans, past, present, and future, piling into Alumni Stadium.

Every game day, students and families alike prepare early in the morning for what will be an all-day event of fun and good spirits; however, with this new vulgarity as a mainstay at our football games, much of the innocent fun is lost. When I left the game on Saturday, I overheard a couple of adults trying to decide whether “b—h” was actually said, and when they realized they heard correctly, their faces were filled with disappointment. As a Superfan, I want to go back to the days when we all screamed the standard cheers with pride for our team.

As a school that prides itself on following the Jesuit tradition, this new take on a classic cheer is horrifying, especially during this football season when our all-star player has made a triumphant return after successfully beating cancer. I would think that with all of the school spirit and excitement that fills this season, we as students would be more proud of BC football than ever.

Instead, I find that we have lost any refinement we ever had as Superfans. Sure, I expect this kind of behavior from students at Notre Dame,

but from BC students, I expected a lot more. When I first heard the cheer last year, I shrugged it off, thinking it would fizzle out, but I was wrong. Ever since freshman orientation, I have been secretly dying to say the “Eagles on the warpath … ooh ahh” cheer because, let’s face it, it sounds cool and the hand gestures are sweet – but each season it never appears. I don’t understand why it doesn’t, especially since it gets taught at every single orientation to all the incoming freshmen. After discussing this issue with some close friends, I realized that I wasn’t the only person wanting to resume the “Eagles on the warpath” cheer. In fact, all of my friends wondered why we learn it at all. I can still picture myself sitting in Robsham learning the different cheers, the BC song, and everything else Superfan, not knowing that it would all disappear, never to be said or heard again because some people feel that screaming “b—h!” is more entertaining.

Apparently, though, I am not the only one, besides my friends, who feel this way. As I sit here writing this column, I’m also on Facebook, and I just got invited to an event entitled, “The day the Superfans stop saying ‘Eagles First Down … B—h!’”

After “attending” almost imme-

diately, I realized that there are far more students on this campus who feel the exact same way I do, which is a relief. I was worried that it was pretty much only my group of friends who felt strongly about this new take on a classic cheer, because everyone else at the game seemed pretty gung ho about shouting it as loud as possible.

Also, another idea that boggles my mind has forced me to ask myself – how do we ever expect to appear on ESPN again if we continue shouting curse words? It just won’t happen. ESPN College GameDay was epic last year. Students living both on and off-campus woke up at the crack of dawn in the pouring rain to be part of something truly special. If we keep screaming “b—h” at the end of “Eagles, first down,” I don’t think College GameDay will be happening again for the Eagles anytime soon. So, Superfans, let’s return to the good ol’ days and keep BC football games a G-rated event – for the most part.

Like Ron Burgundy once said, “You stay classy,” Boston College.

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

know it?

Michael Wolf I’m not perfect and I’m not too proud to admit that.

I have my share of flaws, mostly personal and a few genetic. There are times in my life when I have done things I regret. For example, littering. And voting for Nader … twice. And once, when I was young, I hid my baby sister inside a bale of hay.

Do these mistakes haunt me at night? Of course, but I go on with my life. I know that there are people out there doing far worse things than I. Here are some of them.

1) Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling of Sweden.

They got married this summer!!!

Yaaaaaaaayyyy!! Commitment! Fidelity! Royal inbreeding!

It cost $2.63 million, which is like a billion Swedish ice sculptures or whatever their currency is there.

BOOOOOOO! Now, to be fair, the King (congrats, you’re king of Sweden, you get free tickets to see Ace of Base or whatever) decided to pay for half of it, leaving the taxpayers to scrounge up a measly $1.315 million. No problem. I’ll just trade in my Audi for a Shetland pony, twine, and a lawn chair on rollerblades. That’s still not nearly enough?

Take my firstborn.

There are two things that bother me here. First, what is going on at this wedding? I haven’t been married (legally), so I’m not an expert, but there can only be so many expenses before you start making stuff up. I know food for your castle and all your servants is going to cost a lot, as will paying Sting to act as justice of the peace. Then there’s the albino elephants coated in diamonds that will carry the hors d’oeuvres around the reception. While we’re at it, why not have the whole ceremony on a specially designed floating hovercraft, and all the guests can drive around it on their complimentary Segway scooters?

My second issue is with the pure indulgence of it all. I mean, it’s your special day, Princess, don’t get me wrong, but thousands of people die every day from hunger. Maybe you could have cancelled the second order of pigsin-a-blanket (note: solid gold blanket) and given them some rice. Rice is pretty cheap.

Maybe I’m being unfair. Maybe I’m just jealous because I wanted to be Prince of Sweden and Victoria is making a huge mistaking by marrying this Westling man. Maybe I’m scared of being alone for the rest of my life.

Regardless, if I do get married, it’ll be in the field in my backyard, not on the backs of my loyal citizens.

2) Katy Perry is still writing songs.

This one won’t make me any friends.

I know you love Katy, or, as I like to think of her, “if Zooey Deschannel was captain of the cheerleading squad instead of president of the book club.”

I know she speaks to you and just let’s you cut loose and have fun during this otherwise mundane and tragic life. I know you’re from California and now, finally, someone has written a song about how desirable you are. Have you listened to the lyrics? The most complimentary thing she says about you is that you’re “unforgettable.” Know what else is unforgettable? Almost losing your little sister inside a bale of hay. Even if it was just a game that went too far, and you’re really, really sorry about it and if you could go back in time and change it you definitely would.

Let’s move on.

To be fair, I heard “Kaliphornia Gurlz” and it was an undeniably catchy pop song. If I owned a Jeep Wrangler, I’d put the top down and cruise the Vegas strip with that song blaring as I made fleeting eye contact with the burly nightclub bouncers and threw fake money in the air as if I were rich instead of living off student loans and wholesale grains.

Instead, I heard this song in a doctor’s office waiting room, just outside the Vegas Strip (one of the bouncers hit me). One particular phrase won’t seem to leave my mind, and that’s “Sun-kissed lips so hot we’ll melt your popsicle.”

Does that mean what I think it means? Either you’re going to ruin my frozen treat or you’re going to ruin my reproductive organ. Both will be costly and emotionally tasking.

Maybe I’m just being cynical. My shrink told me I have a superiority complex, but I’m twice the doctor he’ll ever be, and I didn’t waste all that time and money at medical school. Ms. Perry, if you’re reading this, stay away from my push pop. Princess of Sweden, I’m sorry about the things I said. I’m ready to give our relationship another shot.

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

The Heights

Monday, September 20, 2010

The very mysterious faces of Fulton Hall

Alex Trautwig / Heights Editor

Tessa Trainor Last year, I was inspired to seek out the mysteries of our campus. The unknown, the hidden, the beautiful. I began exploring our surroundings and writing about my experiences so that the students of Boston College could learn about the places and the views they would have never known existed. I wrote about the Blessed Mother statue placed inconspicously in the corner by the St. Mary’s parking lot, which is actually dedicated to a Jesuit who tended the garden.

I wrote about the magnificent view from the top of the St. Mary’s roof that is the home of two benches facing east so that the Jesuits can reflect in a serene setting. I wandered into “The Garth,” the beautiful, hidden garden secluded behind the St. Mary’s parking garage that a student wouldn’t know was there unless he or she actually went inside of St. Mary’s. Lastly, I wrote about the bells that chime and resonate everyday in the bell tower of Gasson, yet no one is able to climb the stairs and hear them up close. This year, my journey to discover the unknown of BC and to share it with everyone continues.

As a junior, I am familiar with the faces that I pass everyday. Even with the new class of 2014, the students I pass and the eyes that meet mine wherever I go seem to trigger a sense of familiarity.

Intramurals, from B10 talked to a lot of other vice presidents and they’ve always wanted a way to have freshmen get acclimated into intramurals more easily,” Sun says. Recognizing that freshmen often miss the registration dates because they are unaware of how intramurals work and how early the registration process takes place, Sun says, with the creation of a freshmen-only league, “This way, they were able to say, ‘Oh, definitely only freshmen, so I’m going to get the kids on my floor and register a team.’”

With 13 freshman men’s soccer teams registered on athleague.com, it appears as though freshmen are taking advantage of the opportunity to play in a comfortable en-

Yet until now, I did not know that there were eyes always watching me as I walked through the Quad. I did not realize that there are faces I pass every day that do not resemble anyone. They are the faces of Fulton.

Home to the Carroll School of Management, Fulton is one of four buildings that sit in the Quad along with Devlin, Lyons, and Gasson. Its multi-colored roof, tan bricks, and large windows let Fulton blend into the array of academic buildings on Middle Campus. Yet, it’s different. It’s unique. On each corner, a carefully sculptured white face overlooks each direction. They are faces of men.

They are faces of women. Their eyes are deeply set, mere holes in a white face. Their noses are prominent, protruding from the middle giving them a life-like quality. The shapes of their faces are chiseled to perfection.

John Neuhauser, a former employee of BC, said that the architect, Barry Svigals, originally intended to have four different faces, each modeled after a significant figure at BC. “I believe he intended to use Father Monan as a model for one face,” Neuhauser says.

However, as the sculpting continued, Svigals changed his mind and decided to have the faces represent his conception of mythic figures and not directly anyone at BC. Although the faces might resemble certain individuals, such resemblances were largely

coincidental.

It was not until somebody told me about these faces that I actually noticed their presence and asked about their story. Every day as I walked to class, I was oblivious to a set of eyes that were always watching me, watching everyone. A set of eyes and an array of faces that watch over the students of BC. Men. Women. They are always watching. They are the faces that do not resemble anyone but are waiting to be interpreted so that we can draw our own conclusions.

They spark our imagination, as we look at them to only wonder who they could be, or what they might actually represent. Following Jesuit tradition, these unknown faces are guiding us through these four years. They are there so that we can create our own story about their past, how they were formed, and how they exist today. Much like BC students, as we are being formed by the education we receive, the people we meet, and the stories we seek. They are there to give us new perspective, staring into their eyes so that we can gain insight into what they see every day.

Everyone and everything has a story, even the faces that are not familiar to us. Every story is waiting to be told. The unknown is always there. It is just waiting to be discovered.

Next time you walk through the Quad, take a look at one of the faces and imagine what they are seeing.

vironment with members of their class. Nick Chiappetta, A&S ’14, said that he was drawn to the freshmen-only soccer league because of the opportunity to meet people in his class and the ease of the field being close to his dormitory. In the first week of school, Chiappetta did what many others before him have done in order to create a team.

“We had a lot of free time, so we’d go knock on some kids’ doors, ask if they want to go play some pick-up games,” he says. “That’s how I got close with all my teammates, when we played our first game.”

Chiappetta and his teammates have high hopes for their season. “We can definitely run the table,” he says, smiling.

Joining a league is not

the only way to get involved in intramurals; there are also tournaments for racquetball, dodgeball, and golf. Pat Ahern, A&S ’11, says that the golf tournament is “wicked fun.” “People think intramurals are over when signups are done, but they still do tournaments afterwards,” he says. “It does not matter how good you are at all. And you don’t have to sign up now. You sign up when it happens.”

Though the registration dates for the first phase of fall intramurals are over, registration for the second phase, which will include ice hockey leagues, as well as basketball and tennis tournaments, begins on Oct. 24.

See you on the dodgeball court. n

B9

Professor Profile

Keenan brings passion to class

By Lauren Ruvo For The Heights

Any feelings of anxiety will immediately melt away upon walking through the door of room 326 in 21 Campanella Way. A sense of serenity may overcome a person as soon as they begin talking to James Keenan, S.J., a professor of theological ethics, graduate director of the theology department, and recently, director of the Presidential Scholars Program.

Keenan was born in Brooklyn, where he grew up in a predominately Irish Catholic neighborhood. Although Keenan moved to Long Island in eigth grade, he continues to refer to himself as being from Brooklyn. Keenan loved hanging out at school after hours, but he does not credit this as the reason for becoming a professor.

At the age of 17, when most students worry about applying to college, Keenan joined the Jesuits. Keenan at first was not convinced that he should join because he didn’t entirely think he wanted to be a part of a teaching order. It wasn’t until he actually talked with the Jesuits that he realized how happy they were and that he would become a part of a community, which is something that was very important to him.

“The Jesuits are imaginative and there are a lot of opportunities available by being a part of them,” he says. “You get connected.”

After joining the Jesuits, Keenan spent four years at Ford-

ham University in New York where he received his bachelor’s degree as part of his studies. Upon graduation, he did not know that he would become a college professor; instead, he thought he would work in a parish. One day, his provincial told him that he should get his doctorate since he always seemed to excel at school. “I was told that I would go and get my doctorate and then the next day the provincial came back and told me to tell him what I wanted to study, so I chose moral theology,” Keenan says.

In 1987, Keenan finished his doctorate after studying in Rome.

A professor in Rome took Keenan under his wing, and helped, according to Keenan, to shape him into the dedicated professor he is today. Keenan has a true passion for what he does. When one walks into his office, it is nearly impossible to not stare in amazement at how many dissertations are stacked by the door. “The best part of my life are my students.

There are 26 or 27 of them who are working on their doctorates.

I love mentoring, I love my students,” he says.

Upon receiving his doctorate, Keenan was teaching in Rome when John Paris, S.J., also a BC professor, got in touch with him and they went to dinner. Paris knew that the highly esteemed Gasson Chair position was open, and told Keenan that he would get him the job. “I was expecting him to pick up the check, not get me a job,” Keenan says, with

a smile on his face. Before BC chose Keenan to be a part of its acclaimed faculty, he worked for 12 years at Fordham University and did some work at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge.

Last year, Keenan was sick with cancer and had to undergo a 14-month treatment plan. Due to the treatment, Keenan would find himself very tired. During this time, in which most people would just turn on television and watch reruns of their favorite shows, Keenan wrote books. The first book is about the history and ethics of the 20th century. It relates to theologians and how at first they were known to be extremely conservative, but by the end of the 20th century were extremely progressive; Keenan questions why and how this transformation occurred.

The second book, Moral Wisdom, was conceived after Sept.

11. Keenan had been going to New York every month giving speeches on many different topics, including sin, suffering, and love, which helped him with the idea for his book.

During his career, Keenan taught an undergraduate course about whether there are ethics to how we speak. Keenan then proceeded to write a book on words of love, apology, and betrayal, all in relation to whether or not we ever actually mean what we say.

The fourth book, due out next month, is a book on Saint Paul called Paul and Virtue Ethics. n

ROTC quietly thriving at BC

By Ellen Willimen For The Heights

It’s 6:00 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. The sun has not yet warmed the brisk fall air of the sleeping Boston College campus, but in the Plex, a Water Combat Survival test for freshman and sophomore cadets at BC, hosted by the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is taking place.

In this test, cadets prove their skills in emergency situations in the water through various tasks. Cadets are pushed, blindfolded, from the high diving board into the pool, in full gear and with a mock weapon that has to stay above water. They then have to swim calmly to the side of the pool.

Few students are motivated to perform a task of this nature at such an early hour.

Students sign themselves up for ROTC for a myriad of reasons. “Leadership,” says Chris Salerno, Cadet First Sergeant and CSOM ’11, without hesitation, pointing out that the Army ROTC does not just instruct students on how to be a leader, it gives actual “handson experience.” Each cadet is assigned a leadership position senior year. At the survival test when the younger cadets prove their survival skills in the water, the program’s supervisors were present, but the seniors were really running the show, putting into action the skills that they had learned in previous years.

Army ROTC appeals to freshmen, especially, for many reasons. Many cadets, like Alyson Miller, A&S ’11, joined the program without the intention of finishing it. Students can participate in the first

two years of ROTC, the basic course, without signing a contract of service to the government. However, “I knew that I was not going to quit,” she says, juggling ROTC, the pom squad, and this year, Synergy.

“I came to college to dance, and I didn’t want to miss out on the things that I would be doing if I weren’t doing ROTC.” Busy has been a way of life since freshman year, but the involved math major and theology minor looks forward to attending aviation school when she graduates from BC. The program gives structure and a sense of organization to the normal college student’s routine (which, depending on co-curriculars, can be fairly unstructured), leading to the development of time-management skills. Apart from these skills, which help in the academic and work world, the Army ROTC gives new students a group of people with whom they can feel comfortable and share a sense of camaraderie. New students may join ROTC the way they might pick up ultimate Frisbee freshman year; it gives them something to do, a way to stay fit, and an automatic group of friends and sense of belonging.

It is not hard to see, then, why Miller and many other cadets choose to stick with the ROTC through the rest of their college years, regardless of whether it was their original intention.

The Army ROTC program places an emphasis on developing well-rounded cadets.

For Gretchen Butt, A&S ’12, this was a deciding factor in her choice to do ROTC at BC. At some colleges, the program can be very intense, in a way that is perhaps too restrictive

Ben Margot / Ap Photo

for some students; cadets live with other cadets and the program can limit their circle of friends and other activities. At BC, on the other hand, cadets are able to participate in ROTC and still get the “college experience.” It’s the best of both worlds.

Supporting Butt’s motivation to do Army ROTC at BC, Captain John O’Brien explained that “the emphasis is on being well-rounded.” In fact, he made it clear that the program prefers that students be involved in other activities in addition to ROTC, because a variety of different experiences “will make a good officer in the future.”

For Butt, the choice to do ROTC went deeper. “My dad was a colonel in the Air Force. I was brought up going to summer camp at Fort Myer,” she explains. She enjoyed being raised in a military environment, and is considering a career in the military because of those experiences. “I only owe four years, but I want to go into the Criminal Investigation Division of the military police,” she says.

There are also financial benefits to being an ROTC cadet. Cadets can earn scholarships for tuition, housing, books, and more. BC students who are Navy or Air Force cadets must go to other campuses to participate in these programs, as BC does not offer them. The closest Navy ROTC program is offered at BU, and Navy cadets must travel off campus three to five times a week for classes, meetings, and physical training. Also, because these students are part of another school’s program, BC cannot offer the same financial aid as it can for the Army ROTC cadets.

For Navy cadet Pat Ahern, A&S ’11, the various benefits of the program still outweigh the disadvantages (and coming from someone who had to take the T to BU three to five times a week at the crack of dawn freshman year, that says a lot). Ahern knew before coming to school that he wanted to be a Navy cadet, and he recognized the benefits of his dedication last fall when he studied abroad in Santiago, Chile. “I studied in Santiago, but I traveled all around,” he explains.

An avid skier, he was attracted to Chile for its proximity to the Andes Mountains. To make things easier, his captain at BU was highly supportive of his studying abroad.

Love of the outdoors is what motivated Ahern to choose Chile, and is what motivates many cadets to become involved in the ROTC. The Army famously markets itself on the wide variety of non-traditional careers that it offers, appealing to those who seek excitement in their employment after college.

“I could never do the nine-tofive thing,” said Salerno as another one of his reasons for doing Army ROTC. The BC program itself is hugely in terms of its students and their co-curriculars, majors, and plans for post-graduation. n

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FEATURES THE HEIGHTS

Monday, September 20, 2010

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

The pursuit of happiness

If you’re looking at the title of this column and wondering if it’s a coincidence that there is a Kid Cudi song with the same name, I can assure you that it isn’t. In fact, attending the Kid Cudi and LMFAO concert Saturday night and sitting – well, standing, jumping, and running really, with occasional moments of uncomfortable seated agony – through (almost) the entire concert inspired me to write this column. I already feel bad enough that I’m taking the typical, perhaps even expected, route in writing about a concert experience the day after a concert, so I’m going to go ahead and promise not to mention, with only a single exception, I swear, anything about the event from here on out. Believe me, it’s going to take a lot of willpower not to bask in how I belted out the lyrics to “Shots” in successful chorus with the rest of Conte Forum – after a near religious experience like that, it’s only customary to want to talk about it. Forgive my blasphemy.

Instead, I want to talk about happiness. It’s a loaded topic, I know. I mean, there’s a reason why there’s a number of books dealing with what happiness is, how to be happy, and so on and so forth. Seeing as how this space fits only about 700 words, I’m left with no choice but to tackle the topic from a particular angle. Allow me to share some of my own thoughts on this universally sought after emotion or feeling or state of being … whatever it is. See? Confusing already.

Don’t worry, I promise to leave the philosophy to the philosophers – i.e., not me.

When asked what we want out of life, I’m sure we’ve all given this answer at one point or another: to be happy. But I’m going to go out on a limb and say that 99 percent of people who say this either don’t know how they’re going to become happy or have this unguaranteed idea of what they think will make them happy, myself included. There’s nothing wrong with this of course – it’s hard to think so far ahead into the future, especially when you’re pondering about a concept as abstract as happiness.

On one hand, it doesn’t seem like a lot to ask for, but on the other, it can be really, really overwhelming. After all, the doom-filled prospect of having a future without happiness is a scary thought. It’s possible to spend minutes, hours, days, and for some, even years worrying about achieving that state of bliss. The irony of making yourself unhappy thinking about happiness is, frankly, just a little disheartening.

While it’s healthy to concern yourself with the holdings of the future, I think it’s equally as healthy to relish on the present. You know, the little things, the here and now. Because while happiness is, at least in my eyes, a state that’s relatively permanent, or at least somewhat lasting, being happy does not fall under that restriction. You can be happy at one point in time and then not happy at the next.

Feeling happy comes and goes, so why not let it come more often?

The next time you find yourself wondering what is going to make you happy, take a break and think about what makes you happy. Great roommates, Nutella, great roommates, and Nutella. Pick your antidote. Usually, there’s some sort of connection between what makes you happy and what will eventually cause you to become happy, even though there’s a fine line between the two.

It’s also important not to forget that we’re human and, as a result, we’re prone to change. As we grow older, experience new things, meet new people, read new books, and basically live life, our mindset changes. What makes you happy now may or may not make you happy in a year. It’s both really frightening and really reassuring at the same time.

Kid Cudi was right when he said that “everything that shine ain’t always gon’ be gold,” but just because it’s not gold doesn’t mean it’s not worth anything, and it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate it for what it is. Whatever little thing makes you happy at the moment still makes you happy. It may not be a lasting feeling, but on this long pursuit of happiness that is life, we have to take whatever we can get. Then, we’ll truly be fine once we get it. We’ll be good.

Kris Robinson is the Assistant Features Editor for The Heights. He welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.

BY BROOKE SCHNEIDER Heights Editor

From open to close, there is a constant stream of Boston College students, sneakers laced and water bottle in hand, entering the doors of the Plex. And now the gym is as busy as ever with the start of the first phase of fall intramurals.

Each year, 4,600 students play on an intramural sports team, ranging from the standard choices like soccer and flag football to the not-so-typical dodgeball. “We have a very athletic student body, I’m not sure if a lot of people know that or not,” says Bryan Sun, assistant manager for intramurals and BC ’08. “A lot of students here played sports in high school, and they just want to continue that through college but not at the highest level and the highest commitment.” That’s where the intramural sports program gains its appeal. Requiring usually just one game per week, intramural sports do not demand much of the students’ time, and players are given the freedom to practice as much as they want.

Many students join a team for the physical aspect, the ability to play a sport that they love, or a new sport that intrigues them. Emily Gilligan, A&S ’13, played volleyball for four years in high school and joined a coed volleyball team during her first semester at BC at the urging of a high school friend who was already on the intramural team. Gilligan says she enjoyed the coed aspect of the game. “Even though the guys were awesome, they still had to pass the ball to us or let us be part of the play [as per BC rules],” she says. “It was really fun and actually very

I NSIDE FEATUR E S THIS ISSUE

How-To

competitive.” Gilligan is looking forward to playing with the same team again this semester.

Chris Talutis, A&S ’11, has been playing intramurals for the past four years, namely coed flag football and ice hockey. When recalling why he joined a team his freshman year, Talutis says, “I think it was more for the sport than anything else.”

Though originally a means of playing his favorite sports, joining an intramural team helped Talutis develop long-lasting friendships with the boys from his freshman year team, the Chiefs, as evidenced by the fact that they are still playing on the same ice hockey team senior year. One of the most visible benefits of joining an intramural team is the social interaction – many students can attest that playing for a team either helped them develop new friendships or strengthen existing ones. “It’s a way to meet new people and just to interact with the University as a whole,” Sun says. “What better way to get involved [than] with something that you’ve been doing for your entire life, or if not, try something new and meet new people.”

John Zeiss, player for the Chiefs and A&S ’11, says that he and a friend from freshman orientation first developed the idea to create an ice hockey team.

The next step was to ask the other boys on their floor freshman year, and their inquiries were met with enthusiasm.

Charlie Lanzieri, player for the Chiefs and CSOM ’11, remembers the team’s humble beginnings before the group of freshmen won the championship game at the season’s end. “Freshman year, I had class with Chris Robichaud, who’s on the team, and we

found out each other played hockey and he was trying to recruit me for John Zeiss’ team, but at the same time, I was trying to recruit him for Johnny Bellamente’s team, and we had no idea that they were on the same team,” he says, laughing.

For the ever-competitive BC student body, intramurals offer players something to work toward besides a 4.0 GPA. Though the extent of the Chiefs’ practicing was throwing an informal game together, the boys managed to finish at the top of the league.

“We beat like the three-time champion seniors in the final game,” Talutis proudly says.

Campus Recreation does not let the winners leave the rink empty-handed. “You [champions] get an intramural champs mug, which is sweet,” Talutis says. “You also get a t-shirt. And then you get your picture put up in the Plex and on the Web site.” Not a bad deal for a bunch of freshmen.

Looking back on their experience with the intramural program, Talutis and his teammates advise current freshmen to get involved. Talutis says that teams are always open to having new players, so freshmen should not hesitate to join a team or create one of their own, which is not as difficult a task as it may seem.

This year, in particular, freshmen will experience more ease in joining an intramural soccer team, as this fall marks the first time that a freshmen-only soccer league is available on the Newton Campus fields. “The University as a whole and John Pagliarulo, the associate director for Campus Recreation,

Find out how to have a good time in Boston while on a budget .................................... B7

See Intramurals, B9

HEIGHTS GRAPHIC / MIKE PERRETTA AND KIM KOPP

KRIS ROBINSON

Humor Column.................................B9 College Connections.........................B9