The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Vol. XC, No. 33
THE HEIGHTS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2010
www.bcheights.com
Dustbowl closes for construction Admins and students plan for space constraints BY ERIN FORD
For The Heights Construction vehicles appeared in the Dustbowl early Monday, marking the beginning of what will be a two-year project to build Stokes Hall. The first week of work “will focus exclusively on widening the pedestrian walkway that will serve Middle Campus throughout construction, and on installing the fence that will line the perimeter of the construction site,” said University Spokesman Jack Dunn. While the perimeter fencing, which is set to encompass the majority of the Dustbowl, has be-
gun to go up, the construction area is not yet fully enclosed. The closing of the Dustbowl, a major outdoor recreational area, has brought about concerns regarding what will happen to student gatherings that previously utilized the space. “We have been in conversation with the UGBC [Undergraduate Government of Boston College] and other organizations who have had annual events on the Dustbowl,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski. Replacement locations for events formerly held ANDREW POWELL / HEIGHTS STAFF
See Construction, A5
Construction workers began the set-up of a the fence that will enclose the Dustbowl until the spring of 2012 this week.
Campuses respond to teenagers’ suicides Responses to bullying incidents seen at universities across the U.S. BY PATRICK GALLAGHER Assoc. News Editor
KEVIN HOU / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Noise complaints by local residents surrounding last year’s Homecoming in the Mod lot led to this year’s dance being held at the House of Blues in Boston, UGBC organizers said.
Homecoming dance to be held at House of Blues Noise complaints lead to change in dance location BY MICHAEL CAPRIO News Editor
Following noise complaints by local residents about last year’s Homecoming, the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) has changed the location of this year’s homecoming dance to the House of Blues in downtown Boston. One Cleveland Circle resident vexed by the noise produced by last year’s dance, held in the Mod parking lot, traveled to
SPORTS
INSIDE
For one field hockey player, the time to shine is now, D1
THE SCENE
The Scene tracks evolving trends in movie posters, C1
MARKETPLACE
campus around midnight on the night of the dance to film the noisy goings-on. The cameraman posted the video on YouTube, with a comment, “Once again, the ‘festive’ needs of the Boston College undergrad took precedence over the entire rest of the Brighton / Chestnut Hill community.” Members of the UGBC said that the incident last year prompted event planners to move the venue to an off-campus location. “The incident that happened last year with the local resident bringing the camera to the event and complaining about the noise did ultimately lead to Homecoming being moved off-campus this year,” said Michael Kitlas, UGBC executive director of campus entertainment and A&S ’12. Following last year’s Homecoming, Tom Keady, vice president of the Office of Governmental and Community Affairs, fielded complaints from over 50 residents at an unrelated neighborhood meeting the Tuesday after the dance. “His apology was accepted and appreciated by neighbors,” said University
See Homecoming, A4
HOCKEY PREVIEW
Get a look at the upcoming season for men’s hockey, B1 Classifieds, C5 Videos on the Verge, C2 Editorials, A6 Editors Picks, D3 Police Blotter, A2 On the Session, C8 Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down, A7 Forecast on Washington, D7 Weather, A2 Numbers to Know, D8
AP PHOTO / REENA ROSE SEBAYAN
Mourners gather at Rutgers University to mourn following a freshman student’s suicide. Prosecutors told reporters that they are still weighing whether to charge the two with a hate crime. Also in the past three weeks, Billy Lucas, 15, of Greensburg, Ind.; Asher Brown, 13, of Houston, Texas; and Seth Walsh, 13, of Tehachapi, Calif., all committed suicide after being bullied and taunted by classmates for being gay, according to
a report by the Associated Press. Bullying and insensitivity related to students’ sexual orientation is likely underreported at BC, said Vice President of Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski. “I see the acts of insensitivity at BC,” Rombalski said, adding that the issue
See Harassment, A5
ResLife director to take new post
Humphreys to leave for MIT BY ANA LOPEZ Heights Editor
ANDREW POWELL / HEIGHTS STAFF
ResLife Director Henry Humphreys will be leaving his post this year.
After eight years at the helm of the Office of Residential Life (ResLife) at Boston College, Henry Humphreys is leaving the University to take a position across the Charles at MIT, where he will function as one of two senior associate deans of student development. In contrast to his time at BC, where responsibility for student life organization is divided among several departments, Humphreys’ new job will require him to oversee every-
thing from dining services to facilities management to Greek life at the university. Humphreys said his decision to change institutions was not prompted by any aspect of his job at BC. “It was only in March that I defended my doctoral dissertation and I was sent an invitation to apply for this job at MIT,” he said. “My initial reaction was ‘No, I’m happy here at BC.’ I’ve been here for eight years now but some people that I really respect at BC told me,
See Humphreys, A4
New class boasts record CAMPUS CELEBRATES NCOW AHANA enrollment Record 30 percent of Class of 2014 is AHANA BY TAYLOUR KUMPF Asst. News Editor
Ecuadorian President trapped in hospital by police, D10
In the wake of the suicides of five GLBTQ teens in the past three weeks, Boston College students and administrators said the University must work collectively to address the harassment they said likely goes undocumented at BC. Last Wednesday, Raymond Chase, a 19-year-old student at Johnson and Wales University, became the latest such teen to commit suicide. While it is still unknown whether he had been the victim of bullying, four previous cases, most notably that of Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi, are known to have come about as a result of ongoing harassment. Clementi took his life after his roommate broadcast over Twitter that Clementi was engaged in a physical relationship with another man. The roommate and another Rutgers freshman have since been charged with invasion of privacy by the Middlesex County, NJ District Attorney.
The freshmen class of 2014 brings with it a 4 percent increase in AHANA students from the past year, including in its overall total 6.7 percent AfricanAmerican students. “The current freshman class includes 714 AHANA students, which is 30 percent of [its population],” said John Mahoney, director of Undergraduate Admissions. “This year we also have the largest entering freshmen cohort of African-American students at 160.” “The previous year, the percentage was 26 percent, so there’s been a significant jump up,” he said. “Over that last four to five years, though, we’ve stayed in the range of 25 to 30 percent. Thirty percent is the new record, but we had been at 28 percent in the past.” Mahoney said that, from an admissions standpoint, Boston College has not done anything different to promote this increase. “Our methods of attracting students have remained exactly the same,” he said. “The secret to BC’s success lies
in the fact that everyone on the staff has the responsibility to attract AHANA students.” The admissions program staff spends the beginning of the school year traveling to schools around the country, Mahoney said. Time is spent visiting prep schools, private Catholic schools, and boarding schools. “We also target inner city schools, where kids perhaps are not in great schools, but have tremendous ability.” Vice President for Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski said he could think of a number of reasons why AHANA students are attracted to BC. “I would think that there are a number of influencing factors,” he said. “Number one, we are a well known, prestigious institution. Second, we continue to meet full need – we are one of very few schools who do that. Also, we have a number of unique programs, including the Options Through Education (OTE) program, which is a summer transitional program [for AHANA students].”
See AHANA, A4
SANG LEE / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Student panelists spoke on the issue of bisexuality on campus in the Cabaret Room Monday night. For more on this year’s National Coming Out Week (NCOW), see page A3.