Heights 11-15-10 by The Heights

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Vol. XCI, No. 42

THE HEIGHTS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2010

www.bcheights.com

Liberal arts examined BY TANNER EDWARDS For The Heights

KEVIN HOU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Boston College administrators, professors, and students welcomed ﬁve lecturers to a day-long symposium Saturday to discuss the history, relevance, and future of a liberal arts education. The symposium, “Old and New Territories: Remapping the Liberal Arts for the 21st Century,” was hosted in a crowded Heights Room by the two-yearold BC Institute for the Liberal Arts. The speakers included Rev. John O’Malley, S.J., a professor of theology

at Georgetown University; Catharine Stimpson, a professor of English at New York University; Louis Menand, a professor of English at Harvard University; Alan Ryan, a professor of politics at the University of Oxford, and Stanley Fish, a professor of humanities and law at Florida International University. Dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (A&S) David Quigley, opened the day’s events by framing the liberal arts in the context of BC and its mission. “We share a certain belief in the transcendent ability of the liberal arts,” Quig-

The International Club of BC hosted its second annual International Student Prom on Friday.

Prom offers a taste of Americana for some BY MICHAEL CAPRIO News Editor

Amanda Tjan sat behind the sign-in table at the International Student Prom last Friday night checking students in as they arrived. It was 9:30 p.m. and only a few students had arrived, shufﬂing into the Murray Function Room. “Sorry, more people will be here soon, we’re on international time,” Tjan, CSOM ’11, said. Friday’s event was the second annual International Student Prom sponsored by the International Club of Boston College (ICBC). The event was started last year by Veronica Faubert and Patricia Lopez, both CSOM ’11. The duo created ICBC during their

sophomore year and came up with the idea for the International Student Prom after listening to their members’ concerns. “Someone came to me with the idea about the prom,” Lopez said. “She said that she had never been to a prom before and that they didn’t know what it is.” Lopez said that the idea of the event was to introduce the prom tradition to students who never had the experience. The organizers set up an area near the door with a backdrop where attendees were able to take mock couple photos. The DJ was John Pierson, a member

See Prom, A4

UGBC stresses unity

Works to strengthen ties with ALC, GLC BY MICHAEL CAPRIO News Editor

In an effort to strengthen communication between branches of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC), members of the organization said they have committed to working more closely with the GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC) and the AHANA Leadership Council (ALC). This year, GLC and ALC have had greater roles in organizing UGBC retreats, which now include increased participation from members of the two organizations. Micaela Mabida, UGBC president and CSOM ’11, said that the move is

INSIDE SPORTS

Football makes ﬁnal stand, holds on to 21-16 win at Duke, B1

ARTS & REVIEW

not a structural change but rather a commitment to increase communication between the multiple facets of the UGBC. Mabida said that she and Patrick Raab, UGBC vice president and A&S ’11, along with the presidents and vice presidents of ALC, GLC, and the UGBC Cabinet, hold monthly meetings to speak about what each group is planning for the upcoming weeks. “We hold meetings about once a month and we made a formal commitment that we would do that,” she said. Mabida said she has also encouraged other members of the UGBC to do the same. “We want to make sure that they’re interacting with their counterparts,” she said. Kelsey Gasseling, GLC president and A&S ’11, said that the new communication structure between the three organizations has helped GLC in moving forward on some of its own initiatives this year. “The GLC has been trying to put together a presentation on anti-bullying with a focus on all issues of diversity,” she said. “That’s one way that I hope the UGBC is going to show that it’s very supportive of each other. My goal right now is to do a more collaborative

See UGBC, A4

ley said. He pointed to the foundation of the Institute for the Liberal Arts and the construction of Stokes Hall, planned to house humanities departments and service centers in A&S, as examples of BC’s commitment to the liberal arts. “At Boston College, the fate of the liberal arts is not in doubt,” he said. The area of study was in “a moment of concern, if not crisis” nationally, he said. O’Malley was the symposium’s ﬁrst featured speaker. He offered a historical portrait of the development of the college and university, especially within the Jesuit tradition, as a starting point for the rest of the day’s discussion. O’Malley said that the core purpose of an education has not fundamentally changed since the development of universities in the Middle Ages. “Attendance at a university spelled upward social mobility,” O’Malley said. “Like today, students went to university to get ahead.” He said there was a shift from an academic focus at universities to a goal of developing the entire person during the later stages of Renaissance humanism. This change gave rise to the notion of a college that emphasizes students’ personal development and place in the public sphere, he said. O’Malley turned the conversation to BC’s roots and commented on the

ANNIE BUDNICK / HEIGHTS STAFF

The relevance of a liberal arts education was debated at a day-long symposium Saturday.

See Liberal Arts, A4

Lack of space affects students University plans to extend Hillside Cafe and Chocolate Bar hours in response BY MICHAEL CAPRIO News Editor

Since the University announced last semester that Stokes Hall will not offer student lounge space, some have voiced their concerns over the effects of space, or lack thereof, on the student body. A lack of space in which students can continue conversations that originate in the classroom can foster a campus culture ill-suited to deal with issues like sexual assault, said Sharlene Hesse-Biber, a professor in the sociology department and director of the women’s studies program. “There are no spaces for men and women to come together,” Hesse-Biber said. “We need to really have time where we talk about intimacy on campus.” The Institutional Master Plan (IMP) may offer opportunities to construct such space, she said. Stokes Hall, which is the first construction project to begin under the auspices of the IMP, was originally planned to include a student lounge area, but the plan was amended last semester – a move which drew criticism from members of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC). Hesse-Biber said that when continuing with its building projects, the University should consider how the space can encourage students to carry on conversations outside of the classroom. “You need to have flexible areas,” she said. “There’s got to be that fluidity and spontaneity. We have a choice to build physical structures to foster intimacy between students.” Vice President of Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski said that the University

has instituted a number of mechanisms in an effort to include student opinions in the decisions surrounding campus space. Rombalski said in an e-mail that, in response to concerns about the lack of student space, the University will be extending the hours of Hillside Cafe and the Chocolate Bar. “The idea is to keep these facilities open later so that students can use the spaces for study, conversation, etc.,” he said. “The hours of the food service operation will not change.”

See Space, A4

ANDREW POWELL / HEIGHTS STAFF

University efforts will include student opinions in the decisions surrounding campus space.

BC FOOTBALL WINS OVER DUKE

AP FILE PHOTO

Freshman quarterback Chase Rettig threw two third-quarter touchdown passes, leading Boston College to a 21-16 win over Duke on Saturday. For more, see Pg. B1

Dancing with the Stars unites student groups BY JI HAE LEE Hello...Shovelhead! delivers with satire, and sleepovers, A10

FEATURES

For The Heights

The stars were out on Friday night as the Cape Verdean Student Association (CVSA), Nights on the Heights (NOTH), and the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) hosted the

second annual Dancing with the Stars event in the Rat. The dance competition brought together representatives from nine BC dance groups, including Swing Kids, Presenting Africa to U (P.A.T.U.), Sexual Chocolate, Phaymus, Masti, Fuego del Corazon, Aero-K, Females Incor-

Part 1 of 3: Uncovering the value of a liberal arts education, B10 Classiﬁeds, A5 Editorials, A6 He Said, She Said, B8 Police Blotter, A2 Box Ofﬁce, A8 Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down, A7 Humor, B9 Weather, A2 The Art of a Corner Kick, B2

PAMPAN ZHANG / HEIGHTS STAFF

Student leaders and athletes participated in the second annual BC Dancing with the Stars.

porating Sisterhood Through Step (F.I.S.T.S.), and the Hawaii Club. “This year’s event was a success,” Wanandi said. “About 400 to 500 people showed up, and we had nine dance groups. This is a big increase compared to the three – P.A.T.U., Phaymus, and Fuego – that we had last year.” A member of each dance group was paired with a “star” who learned the music and choreography based on the dancing style of the group they were paired with. The stars, who were mostly student leaders and athletes, then performed with the dancers during the competition. “We tried to pick student leaders that we knew were sociable and would really make an impact on the student community,” said the event’s co-director Jennifer Wanandi, co-director of UNITY for the UGBC and A&S ’13. Wanandi said that the goal when selecting student participants was to choose those who would draw the most diverse crowd to the event.

“The way that we picked those guys was who would bring the most diverse crowd and a big crowd,” she said. “We wanted to make sure this event would bring the entire BC community together.” While the expectations for the dancing stars weren’t high going into the event, Wanandi said that she and co-director Ariel Durgana, co-director of UNITY for the UGBC and A&S ’12, were pleasantly surprised. “We didn’t know how seriously they were going to take it, [but] we saw they were completely invested in the competitions,” Wanandi said. “They were really excited to be a part of the event. We wanted to make sure that all of their hard work would be paid off with a big crowd, and we were fortunate enough to have that happen.” The competitors were judged by alumni from the dance organizations themselves, in addition to a guest judge

See Stars, A4

TopFive

Monday, November 15, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

things to do on campus this week

Last Lecture: Reilly Dinius

Hope: The Church’s Challenge

Today Time: 7 p.m. Location: Devlin 008

Reilly Dinius, BC ’10, will present a talk as a part of BC’s Last Lecture series, compiling the experiences of members of the Class of 2010.

Tuesday Time: 7 p.m. Location: Heights Room

Three BC theology professors will speak as part of a panel that aims to address different aspects of hope as they relate to the Church’s mission.

Voices of the Pueblos

Migration and Human Rights

Tuesday Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Vanderslice Caberet Room

Join visiting students from the Jemez and Zia Pueblos Native American Reservations in New Mexico as they perform traditional dances for the BC community.

FEATURED ON CAMPUS

Speaker criticizes porn industry

Wednesday Time: 7 p.m. Location: Merkert 127

In celebration of International Education Week, the Center for Human Rights and International Justice will sponsor a panel discussing migration and human rights issues.

Multi-Faith Thanksgiving

Thursday Time: 12 p.m. Location: Heights Room

Join members of the BC community as Campus Ministry hosts the annual Multi-Faith Thanksgiving celebration of song, reﬂection, and prayer.

IntheNews

The National Federation of the Blind filed a federal complaint against Pennsylvania State University, saying that blind students and professors are hurt by the nature of technology used on campus, according to a report by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The complaint, which asked the U.S. Department of Education to investigate the alleged violations, cited problems in areas ranging from Penn State’s course-management software, library catalogue, and departmental Web sites.

Local News MFA to host member-only previews of new Art of the Americas Wing

PAMPAN ZHANG / HEIGHTS STAFF

BY JI HAE LEE For The Heights

Last Tuesday, Gail Dines, professor of sociology and women’s studies at Wheelock College, gave a talk on pornography and its effects on American culture. In her presentation, “Sexism, Identity, and Intimacy in a Pornographic Culture,” Dines said that modern pornography has become a pivotal part of today’s mainstream media. By creating idealized models of femininity and masculinity and objectifying sex, she said that it has given the message to many women that they need to be hypersexual in order to be recognized. “Modern pornography is telling women that they are either invisible or f—kable, and that they have to be the latter in order to be deemed attractive,” Dines said, who has studied pornography and its detrimental effects for nearly 20 years. “Porn portrays women as generic and plasticized ‘sl—ts’ with a lack of individuality.” In addition, pornography completely dehumanizes women, she said. “Modern porn is very execrable in that it utterly debases women,” Dines said. “They are relegated to sex and body parts, making them less than humans.” Another problem with pornography and the mainstream

media, she said, is that it represents abnormally slender, tall, and buxom bodies as normal. “How many of you have looked at photos of models in Cosmopolitan or other magazines and then thought, ‘Oh, I feel great about my body!’ The media labels you and I, who have normal bodies, as abnormal,” Dines said. “Corporations have declared war on our bodies. Fashion and cosmetic industries thrive on women who have become dissociated from their bodies and feel dissatisﬁed.” Dines said that the pornography industry has put women in conﬂicting situations. “We are putting our girls and young women in an impossible situation because they have to act and dress like a ‘sl—t’ to be attractive while avoiding being labeled as one,” she said. Pornography first became part of the U.S. mainstream media with the publication of Playboy in 1953, Dines said. Since then, other magazines, such as Penthouse and Hustler, also began to provide pornographic contents to readers, with these three becoming the biggest publishers of pornographic materials and vying among themselves for the most explicitly sexual covers to gain more readers, Dines said. “It is a hard thing to combat because it is such a major industry,” she said. “It is just like

any other business. [The] porn industry raises capital, creates investment companies, and organizes trade shows in order to maximize its proﬁts.” It became even harder to address the issue as the Internet became ubiquitous, making porn more affordable, accessible, and anonymous, Dines said, which is shown to have led to boys viewing porn at a younger age than ever. In contemporary society, the average age of ﬁrst-time porn viewers is 11, she said. The spread of pornography also leads some men to commit sexual crimes, Dines said, citing one child molester who raped his stepdaughter, saying afterwards, “The culture did a lot of the grooming for me.” Today, pornography has become far too violent, Dines said. “In modern porn, women are gagged and raped by multiple men. They are grimacing and literally crying. It is completely devoid of any integrity or morality,” she said. She urged students to take an active stance against the spread of the pornography industry. “It is indispensable that we combat the porn industry,” she said, emphasizing the need to take some fundamental steps, such as speaking out against the sexism and racism in porn and using blogs and social gatherings to bring awareness about the harm of porn. 

TODAY

53° Slight Chance of Showers 40°

TUESDAY

55° Slight Chance of Rain 45°

WEDNESDAY

60° Rain

University Federal discrimination complaint filed against Penn State

Gail Dines, professor of sociology and women’s studies at Wheelock College, spoke on the pornography industry.

FOUR DAY WEATHER FORECAST

Throughout this week, the Museum of Fine Arts will be hosting member-only previews of its new Art of the Americas Wing in anticipation of the grand opening to the public next Saturday, Nov. 20, according to the MFA’s Web site. The much-hyped wing includes 53 new galleries containing art from across North, Central, and South America. The 121,000-squarefoot wing enables the museum to display over 5,000 works from the Americas, which more than doubles the number previously on view, according to a release from the MFA.

On Campus BC tops in Jesuit Volunteer Corps members among U.S. schools With 30 recent graduates joining the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in 2010, Boston College had more former students in the JVC this year than any other college or university, according to a release from the Office of News and Public Affairs. With the new additions, there are now over 340 members of the JVC living in 48 communities in the U.S. and six other countries. According to the release, volunteer locations include schools, health clinics, legal clinics, parishes, and nonprofit organizations, with total savings estimated at $6 million each year resulting from the JVC’s service.

National Obama has positive outlook on Israeli-Palestinian peace talks WASHINGTON (AP) — On Sunday President Barack Obama hailed the prospect of a new settlement freeze in the disputed West Bank as a promising step toward peace, urging Israelis and Palestinians to get back into serious negotiations quickly. An upbeat president also pledged to return to the basic principles that drove his thinking when he first came to the White House, including sticking to a more bipartisan tone and better explaining his decisions to the American people.

41°

THURSDAY

52° Partly Sunny 31°

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 11/8/10 – 11/11/10 Monday, Nov. 8 12:56 p.m. - A report was ﬁled regarding a past larceny at Keyes South. A detective will follow up.

Tuesday, Nov. 9 6:02 a.m. - A report was filed regarding ﬂooding to Lyons Hall. Facilities was contacted to remove the water. 12:39 p.m. - A report was ﬁled regarding a past larceny at Fitzpatrick Hall. A detective is investigating.

Wednesday, Nov. 10 4:53 p.m. - A report was filed regarding two suspicious males who were attempting to sell books back to the McElroy bookstore. Both parties were identified and issued written trespass warnings. Neither party had any affiliation with Boston College. 5:45 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious male who was conducting a survey on relationships for a class project in 21 Campanella Way without prior authorization. The party was identified and instructed on how to obtain permission from the Dean’s Office. The party did not have any affiliation with Boston College and was from a surrounding university.

6:24 p.m. - A report was filed regarding damage to a locking mechanism to a door at 1280 Boylston Street. The damage was repaired.

Voices from the Dustbowl “Where is your favorite place to go off campus?”

Thursday, Nov. 11 9:07 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a search that was executed by detectives in East Boston which resulted in the recovery of a student’s stolen computer. Suspects were identified and criminal charges are pending. 10:43 a.m. - A report was filed regarding the confiscation of some drug paraphernalia from Edmond’s Hall that was observed by a resident director while conducting a health and safety check. The items were confiscated by an officer and brought to BCPD headquarters.

“I like to go to the North End for dinner and Mike’s Pastries.” —Bridget Eide, CSOM ’14

“Chipotle.” —John Liston, CSOM ’12

12:34 p.m. - A report was ﬁled regarding a motorist in the McElroy lot who became disorderly with a parking attendant. The party was identiﬁed as an employee. A report will be forwarded to the appropriate supervisor within their department for review. “I like to just explore Boston.” —Kelsey Wrick,

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

CSOM ’14

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.

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

The plastic power of porn

Sean Talia Last Tuesday, Gail Dines, a professor at Wheelock University, presented a lecture in which she discussed the effects of modern pornography. To be perfectly honest, I never understood how thoroughly corrupting both participating in and viewing pornography was until a few months ago, when I had the opportunity to read Chris Hedges’ book Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle. The entire book is absolutely phenomenal, but it dedicates one of its five chapters of scathing social criticism to the pornography industry. Early in the chapter, Hedges cuts right to the chase by asserting the following: “The porn films are not about sex. Sex is airbrushed and digitally washed out of the films. There is no acting because none of the women are permitted to have what amounts to a personality. The one emotion they are allowed to display is an unquenchable desire to satisfy men, especially if that desire involves the women’s physical and emotional degradation.” To anyone who has ever seen a porn film, this comes as no surprise. The chapter in which Hedges discusses the porn industry is entitled “The Illusion of Love,” and there could hardly be a more apt description. If you were to sit and watch a porn film selected at random for a few minutes, one of the most conspicuous things you would notice is just how utterly artificial everything is. It is a sham, and a cruel one at that. Hedges continues, “Porn … is a bizarre, bleached pantomime of sex. The acts onscreen are beyond human endurance. The scenarios are absurd …Those in the films are puppets, packaged female commodities. They have no honest emotions, are devoid of authentic human beauty, and resemble plastic.” I hate to quote him at such length, but given the poignancy of his writing, I figure it’s more effective to let his pen do the work rather than mine. The artificialness of pornography is one of the chief things that are so horrifically insidious about it. The physique of the men and women in pornography is so grotesquely unrealistic that by watching enough of it, one comes to expect that this is by and large the normal appearance and behavior of most men and women. I mentioned in a column that I wrote a few weeks ago how watching cable news is essentially a mild way of terrorizing oneself. I think that the same could easily be said for viewing porn. By watching pornography, you are not just tacitly endorsing an industry that caricaturizes women as valueless and servile (and you are certainly doing that), you are also unconsciously deluding yourself into believing a vulgar fantasy. What I’ve said is perhaps an old and tired argument, but I still think it’s an important issue to discuss. Pornography may be an awkward topic of conversation, but silence is quite clearly not a viable method of dealing with what is becoming more and more pressing as time goes on. I would like to see far more done around campus for the purpose of educating students and faculty alike about this matter.

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

The Heights

Monday, November 15, 2010

BC celebrates collegiate EMS week By Erin Ford

For The Heights

Last week, Eagle EMS celebrated National Collegiate EMS Week with a number of events, including a CPR tutorial. The National Collegiate EMS Foundation (NCEMSF) was founded in 1993. NCEMSF is composed of about 246 agencies on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada, and works primarily to help establish systems for networking and information exchange between campus emergency responders. Since 1997, Eagle EMS has provided emergency medical assistance to both students and visitors on BC’s campus. The all-volunteer service has more than 150 members at BC, approximately 80 of whom are certif ied Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), said Christopher Faherty, Eagle EMS president and A&S ’13. Eagle EMS kicked off the week last Monday with CPR Day. The organization had a tent set up in O’Neill Plaza with information and basic CPR lessons for part of the day, Faherty said. The group aimed to “make students aware of CPR at BC and to make them aware of Eagle EMS’ presence on campus,” he said. Eagle EMS “followed up the week with tables in McElroy in the dining hall and by the Bookstore, and in Lower,” Faherty said. He said that the tables were used to give out information and make students

aware of how to get involved. “It’s a vital resource to our community,” Faherty said of the EMS team. “Eagle EMS covers about 150 special events during the year.” “At events, such as football games, the EMS team is there to man the first aid station,” said Dr. Thomas Nary, faculty advisor to Eagle EMS and director of Health Services. “They are very valuable and take a burden off the police.” Aside from assistance at major events, Eagle EMS helps to provide quick responses in emergency medical situations on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, Faherty said. Nary said that his role as adviser is very minimal, and that he is there primarily to g ive a dv i c e a n d h e l p w i t h booking rooms. “The people we’ve had in Eagle EMS have been very self directive and thorough,” Nary said. “It’s very positive for all students to see some students with particular expertise working in an extremely responsible setting,” Nary said. While many students didn’t get their first taste of working in the emergency services until they arrived at BC, Faherty came into his freshman year knowing he wanted to continue working as an EMT. “I’ve been in EMS for over four years,” said Faherty, who was involved in EMT work before his arrival at BC. “When I came here as a freshman, I knew it had to be a part of my life here at BC.” n

photo courtesy of christopher faherty

Eagle EMS, which was founded in 1997, has grown to about 150 members. The organization’s members, who are registered EMTs, work events such as football games and concerts.

Dining Services works to manage leftovers New student group assists Dining Services with food storage and donations of leftovers to local By Kendall Bitonte For The Heights

For Boston College Dining Services (BCDS), led by Helen Wechsler, the focus is on promoting sustainability while still ensuring that its customers are well fed. Serving an undergraduate population of 9, 000 students from three production locations on campus, Dining Services deals with many students and a great amount of food, said Wechsler, director of Dining Services. That taken into consideration, the judgment of how much food to prepare to meet demand is important, she said. In addition to serving hot food, dining services also offers grab-and-go options that also must be in appropriate quantity. Wechsler said Dining Serv i c e s i s c o m m i tte d to t h e University’s drive for sustainability. She said that the Jesuit ideal of service applies to their stated policies of fair employment, support of local farming, and commitment to protect the environment. In food production, Dining Services strives for minimizing waste while

optimizing the quality of hot food and grab-and-go items. Simultaneously, they make grand efforts to consolidate food waste and donate leftovers, Wechsler said. “We see ourselves as stewards of the University mission,” Wechsler said. “We aim to be department-sustaining, self-sustaining, and self-operating. I am happy to report that students were happy to find that there tends to be a shortage, not an excess, of food prepared.” Dining Services operates strictly by the health code in all areas, said Michael Kann, associate director of food and beverages. “In the kitchen, we compost waste during production and carefully repurpose food,” he said. “With our graband-go items there is almost zero waste ,as we make and package the items every day from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.” The amount of grab-andgo food prepared depends on the report from each dining location at the end of a shift. Each day, managers record how much of each sandwich, salad, and other packaged snacks are purchased, which then lets managers know what items are

more popular on which days of the week, Wechsler said. “The waste management log is what denotes how much food is ordered the next day,” Wechsler said. “We rotate the items on the shelf for three days and, when the sell-by date is reached, the item must be thrown away. The log ensures low waste at the end of the day.” Wechsler said that Dining Services is working to expand its role in working with the community in addition to its on-campus projects. A student-led initiative, dubbed Every Bite Counts, was founded last year to assist Dining Services with issues of food storage and donation of excess food. The students were concerned with the possibility of over-supply and the subsequent waste, she said. “The student initiative was great,” Wechsler said. “They came to us as a grassroots group and wanted to look into our dealings with extra food for the purpose of donation. The core group made a Facebook group that attracted more members. Even though we have little waste, Every Bite Counts found purpose working with us

and we loved having them as a part of our mission.” Last year, members of Every Bite Counts participated in a Boston Food Bank program, called “Second Helping.” Two to three students arrived daily at each BC kitchen at the end of the dinner shift and met with the chef. At that point, any food that the chef had decided would not be repurposed or frozen would be packaged and labeled according to the Food Bank’s rules, Wechsler said. The donations, which had to exceed 100 pounds, were then properly refrigerated until the weekly delivery. “The chef and kitchen staff really enjoyed seeing the Every Bite Counts students come into the kitchen,” Kann said. “To see students also devoted to our mission to care was really encouraging. Plus, in order to meet the 100-pound requirement, Every Bite Counts had to start combing the donations from all the kitchens because we had such small waste. The students also kept a log of what food we were donating.” Student initiatives around the issue of sustainability have become more widespread. At Boston University, the group Student Food Rescue collects food from local restaurants, supermarkets, and bakeries, delivering the collections to Boston meal programs, food pantries, and shelters. According to the group’s Web site, it was founded in 1988 and collects 150,000 pounds of food per year. Given BC’s residential location and smaller student population, Every Bite Counts

operates on a more intimate scale, Wechsler said. While the BU group is a popular community service organization, Every Bite Counts has a smaller, though dedicated, following that works with the Dining Services staff. This year, however, the Boston Food Bank is not running Second Helpings. Wechsler also said that these efforts have led food donation to concentrate more on “bulk food” than “made food.” “Supermarkets are the largest donators to food banks and food pantries now,” Wechsler said. “The many steps of proper labeling and storage with donating are very important for health code, and the Food Ba n k m ost l i ke ly re c e ive d donations from other sources that were not up to code.” This year, the Every Bite Counts program will work with the Veterans Homeless Shelter instead of the Boston Food Bank. The process of preparing the donations and the logistics of delivery are nearly the same for the new shelter in comparison with the Food Bank. Dining Services has already begun the process of donating as an internal effort, Kann said. “We really miss the students who are abroad this semester and look forward to their return,” Kann said. “There is a huge difference in the process without them. Unfortunately, we on the staff cannot manage to coordinate student schedules like the leaders of Every Bite Counts did, so we’ve taken on the project from within the kitchen this semester.” n

Monday, November 15, 2010

The Heights

Speakers discuss the import of liberal arts education Liberal Arts, from A1

history of the Jesuit education. “The Jesuits were among the educators who did not see a gap between professional training and humanistic training.” He said that the humanities remain significant beyond their utility in what is sometimes perceived to be an anti-intellectual and technology-saturated society. “Literature properly taught has a moral dimension to it, dramatizing the existential questions that we must all face,” O’Malley said. “Ignorance of the [liberal arts] becomes a great harm and risks a state of societal amnesia.” Stimpson said the question of the relevance of the liberal arts can be approached through the prism of the savageness of war. “The study of history itself shows the beautiful emerging out of the terrible,” Stimpson said. “The liberal arts are necessary because they’re practices that prove we can rescue beauty.” She said that these poles of human behavior, from the bestial to the beautiful, are only properly understood through the humanities. “The liberal arts are ways of organizing our thinking about creative and natural life,” she said. “They allow for a better understanding of the complexities of the human condition.” Stimpson said that, in an era of nuclear weaponry, acute competition for global leadership, and

colliding faiths, understanding war, and each other, is critical. She said that a foundation in the liberal arts was crucial to fully comprehending these issues. “We must know who we are before we try to understand who others are,” Stimpson said. “The liberal arts can offer consolation from the ravages of war and can serve as an inoculation against propaganda.” Menand brought the discussion into the context of the development of the American university. He said that the current era of U.S. academia can be classified as one of self-examination in terms of the usefulness, affordability, and boundaries of intellectual experiments in universities. The study of the liberal arts in America has been declining, Menand said. He said that currently most colleges award fewer than half of their degrees in the liberal arts. “However, liberal arts education remains the elite model of college training.” Menand traced the progression of U.S. higher education from the 19th century to the present. He profiled late 19th century Harvard President Charles William Elliot, who transformed his institution by bolstering curriculum standards and distinguishing between professional training and student development in graduate and undergraduate programs, respectively. His innovations formed

a key historical foundation for interdisciplinary education and the liberal arts, Menand said. “Elliot believed that utility should be stressed in the professional schools, but not the college.” Interdisciplinary studies make the liberal arts dynamic, Menand said. He said that, while little formal interaction between academic disciplines occurs nationally, the university remains the perfect arena to make their differences generative. “The academic world should be more like urban living and less like a gated community,” Menand said. “Institutes can get the edges of disciplines running together.” Ryan compared the British and American university structures and the difference in their appraisal of the liberal arts. Ryan said that British institutions receive funding from the national government along with whatever they can generate through their endowments. “The upside is that you have areas of quality control and intelligent coherence in what you produce,” he said. “There is a national consensus on what on earth higher education might look like.” This consensus doesn’t exactly benefit the liberal arts in Great Britain, Ryan said. He said that the British government will soon only fund science, technology, engineering, and medicine in the university system, leaving the liberal arts to be supported

Annie Budnick / Heights staff

The speakers discussed the importance of a liberal arts education, and the difficulty of quantifying its benefits. through other means. “Britain has no tradition of liberal arts colleges,” he said. “It is one of the greatest English-missed opportunities.” Fish addressed the topic of academic freedom. “We, as academics, should understand the limited, though glorious, nature of our activity,” Fish said. He addressed the question of

whether politics should enter at all into the classroom. During his opening remarks, Quigley said that Mary Crane, a professor in the English department, would be serving as permanent director of the Institute for the Liberal Arts. Crane said that she was very pleased with the quality of the symposium’s discussion. “I

thought the speakers covered a wide range of issues related to liberal arts education and provided a variety of perspectives on it,” she said. “Most of them also touched on a paradox at the heart of liberal education. It seems crucially important, but it’s very hard to pin down or quantify what it does.” n

F.I.S.T.S. wins second annual Dancing with the Stars Stars, from A1

pampan Zhang / Heights staff

Members of nine dance groups on campus partnered with student leaders and athletes, who learned choreographed moves for the dance competition.

“The GLC doesn’t feel separate from the UGBC. I’m just surprised it took us so long to get here.” — Kelsey Gasseling, GLC President and A&S ’11

UGBC strengthens ties with branches, the ALC and GLC UGBC, from A1

thing – to do an all-together UGBC program.” “In past years, lack of communication had made it difficult to coordinate between the different branches of the UGBC,” Gasseling said. “It was just a lack of information about what the Cabinet was up to or what the Senate was up to. We just feel more connected as a whole.” GLC was formed as a semi-autonomous organization in 2005 out of the department of GLBT issues in a nearly unanimous vote by the UGBC Senate. Since then, the GLC has received funding from the UGBC budget but retains executive autonomy. When asked about whether increased communication could possibly jeopardize the autonomous status of GLC, Gasseling said, “The GLC doesn’t feel separate from the

UGBC. I’m just surprised it took so long to get here.” While the branches of the UGBC have operated in harmony over the last several years, relations between the groups have not always been pleasant. The ALC was formed in 1995 in response to troubled relations between UGBC and AHANA students on campus. “The ALC originally existed as a department within the UGBC, but debates over the management of the department quickly became an issue,” said Erika Hernandez, ALC president and A&S ’11. “The vice president and president of the UGBC could select the president and vice president of the ALC, and they could say, ‘You can do this thing, but you can’t do that thing,’” Hernandez said. “There was a big uproar from the AHANA community. The ALC became a semi-autonomous branch.” “Because it came out of that, it

was obvious why the UGBC and the ALC didn’t work together at first,” Hernandez said. “But now a lot of our programs are not programs for just AHANA students, but are for the entire Boston College community. The UGBC Cabinet is doing that and so is the GLC.” UGBC leaders said they would like to promote this culture of communication to future generations of UGBC members, but said that much depends on the dynamics between the members. “I worked closely with Susan Choy [ALC vice president and CSOM ’11] in the past, so it worked naturally for the two of us,” Mabida said. “We’re trying to instill this in the young people in our organization,” Hernandez said. “But we don’t know if the presidents and vice presidents next year are going to interact the same way that we interact this year.” n

who was selected from the crowd by the event’s hosts and DJs, Quinn Coleman, A&S ’11, and Christian Pagan, A&S ’11. After the scores had been tallied, F.I.S.T.S. ended up placing first, with P.A.T.U. garnering second and Masti third. Planning for the event began last spring, when Wanandi and Durgana approached the CVSA about collaborating on the event for this fall. Then, beginning early in the fall semester, the event organizers started to contact the various dance organizations on campus to recruit participants for the show. “Another change from last year’s event is that we included introductory videos that filmed the dancers and the stars as they practiced for the show,” Wanandi said. “We also added programs to be distributed at the event, as well as trophies for

the first place winners.” She said that the feedback has all been positive so far from both audience members and the performers, and that even the organizers were surprised at the event’s turnout. “People were standing everywhere, sitting on the tables – it was awesome,” Wanandi said. “The feedback from the crowd has been great so far. I think all of us were surprised at the amount of people who showed up.” While the UGBC has already received inquiries about whether there will be a similar event in the spring, Wanandi said it will likely remain a oncea-year show. Wanandi said the UGBC would like to continue collaborating with CVSA to make this an annual event. n Patrick Gallagher contributed to this report.

International Club hosts prom in Murray Room Prom, from A1 of BC’s new electronic music club, Electronic State of Mind, and CSOM ’12. Cecilia Provvedini, editor-in-chief of the ICBC’s publication, Kaleidoscope, an organizer of the dance, and A&S ’12, said that she felt students were happy with the event. “Initially, we were a little worried because people didn’t show up right away and were kind of mingling in the lobby,” she said. “But it worked out great and I think everyone had a good time. The DJ was really good with playing crowd pleasers. I think he was able to get the crowd going.”

Rachel Ryan, A&S ’12, attended the event for the second year in a row. Ryan, who is an international assistant, said that it is important to remember that the prom is an international event. “It’s really great to be able to see the international students,” she said. “They all had a lot of fun.” Ryan said that there had been hype within the international community prior to the event. “They all get really into it,” Ryan said. “My international students started shopping the week before it. They got all dressed up for it and got really excited for it.” n

Students seek more space Space, from A1

Rombalski said that there are other initiatives that his office has introduced to help students find space on campus. “We are looking at a communication system that allows students to know where open spaces on campus exist at a particular day and time,” he said. “So, for example, a student looking for a place to study can go to this site

and see what spaces are available to study.” For some students, however, the issue of space might hit closer to home. The largest complaints raised by undergraduates have been about the use of lounge space in residence halls, Rombalski said. “Students do not like it when non-floor or hall-related groups use their lounge,” he said. “So we have begun adjusting policy to make the floor lounges available to students on the floor.” n

Kevin hou / heights editor

International students were excited to dress up for their prom, which featured a crowd-pleasing DJ.

CLASSIFIEDS

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, November 15, 2010

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I wish it was called “NoShame” November.

Answers to Crossword

The Heights

Editorials

Etymologies

Unity of purpose

Although the UGBC is emphasizing unity throughout its branches this year, we believe that divided government is necessary. This year, the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) has focused on fostering unity among the four branches of the student government. Two of these branches, the AHANA Leadership Council (ALC) and the GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC) maintain a semi-autonomous status, meaning that although their budgets are apportioned by the UGBC president and vice president and approved by the Senate, they do not report to either on decisions concerning their organizations. While we think that the UGBC possesses good intentions in seeking unity, we feel that the goal is ambiguously defined, and that confusion over just what it means may hamper the effective operations of these two semi-autonomous branches. There must be some barrier among these groups, a sense of self-definition that appreciates the differences in their histories and the divergences in their missions. Students from each branch of the student government should talk to one another and share ideas, such as when the branches went on a retreat together this fall. What must not be lost, however, and what we fear there may be in the rhetoric of “unity,” is a willingness and readiness to disagree on important issues. Just this past semester, the UGBC Senate blocked

Victory lap (vic•tor• y•lap) (n) 1: The trip via the Comm. Ave or Newton bus system that will bring a student, typically a freshman, from the Recreational Complex (colloquially known as the Plex) to Upper Campus. Example: Those kids getting off at McElroy are on their victory lap. Guess fitness ends at the elliptical.

a move to allocate a $63,000 discretionary fund to the president and vice president. The GLC, younger than the rest of the student government, has a very different relationship with the University than the ALC does. At different times throughout their histories, these groups have either emphasized or deemphasized their autonomy. These groups must appreciate that if they are going to work toward their stated goals, they have to recognize the points at which these goals diverge. There must be a system of checks and balances in the student government. While students may be most familiar with the UGBC, ALC, and GLC through the events that they put on each year, they do much more behind the scenes to contribute to campus life. When a UGBC senator goes to an administrator to push for a better advising system, we do not want him or her to also be a representative of the ALC or GLC. This may be one of the more extreme ramifications of unity. We also fear that the interests of the ALC and GLC may be overlooked if these two branches deemphasize their own autonomy. They must be able to assert themselves independently of the UGBC to be effective. Though it may be that none of the scenarios we imagine may come to be under the current UGBC administration, they may well set a dangerous precedent.

Discovering the arts

Daley Gruen/ Heights Illustration

Letters to the Editor

Despite ample resources available on and off campus, the arts are sometimes overlooked by professors and students.

The McMullen Museum, located in Devlin Hall, offers biannual exhibits, featuring various mediums of artwork and artifacts, that allow students to access priceless works just footsteps from class. The exhibits are the product of collaboration within the University between the museum administrators and an academic department, be it English, history, Irish studies, or Asian studies. Therefore, the exhibitions often work in tandem with various lectures, classes, and other events themed around the display in the museum. Despite this effort to entice both scholars and art buffs into the museum, attendance thus far this semester has been dwindling for the current exhibition, Literary Lives. We feel that this limited interest is due in part to professors and students not using campus materials to their full potential. The McMullen Museum is not the only un-

derutilized resource at the disposal of students. The Burns Library, in the rear of Bapst Library, houses priceless first editions of texts that are available for student research. The Museum of Fine Arts, a few T stops down the Green Line, is one of the premier art museums in the country, and opens its doors daily to Boston College students completely free of charge While there are students on campus who are engaged in the study of fine arts, history, English, or any other field that these museums and collections cater to, these resources should not remain untouched, gathering dust in some corner of the campus. It is the responsibility of both professors and administrators to make use of and market these resources. It is also the duty of all students, not just those engaged in the humanities, to expand their horizons and discover new passions while on campus.

A true last lecture

When planning for the Last Lecture event, we hope that the Americans for Informed Democracy will honor a national tradition. Tonight, Reilly Dinius, BC ’10, will be the featured speaker in the fourth installment of Boston College’s Last Lecture Seriess, a series organized by Americans for Informed Democracy (AID). As part of a wider national tradition, the Last Lecture Series typically allows professors who are nearing the end of a long career to share the wisdom of their experiences with the students and community they will soon leave behind. At BC, the lectures have been given by Fr. Michael J. Himes, a professor in the theology department, Paul Breines, a former BC professor, and Mary Jo Hughes, a professor in the A&S Honors Program, although the tradition was brought to national attention by Randy Pausch, a former Carnegie Mellon professor. Pausch’s lecture inspired millions, including other academics, who are now tackling the challenge of giving their own “last lectures” at universities across the United States. The Last Lecture Series, a tradition that goes beyond the boundaries of BC, should be treated with respect and the appropriate gravity. It’s a powerful moment to have a professor speak after years of dedication to a specific discipline.

We feel that today’s event deviates from this tradition. If no professor fitting the criteria comes forward, we believe the event should not be held at all. The lecture is meant to give professors a chance to voice their answer to the question: “If you had one chance to give a lecture before your death, what would you say?” Although Dinius is supposed to be speaking for the Class of 2010 as a whole, giving the perspective and experience of those who have recently graduated, we feel that this is not the appropriate venue for such a talk. Labeling it as a Last Lecture carries implications that won’t be fulfilled by this event. The University should be innovative in a completely different forum, not by modifying this tradition. The idea itself holds merit, but we feel that a lecture such as Dinius’ should be held under another title. The Heights suggests Peter Kreeft, a professor in the philosophy department, and John Mahoney, of the English department, as more fitting options for Last Lecture speakers. Both professors potentially offer a unique worldly perspective, one that exemplifies the tradition of the Last Lecture Series.

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

Monday, November 15, 2010

Response to “A recommendation for the Core” Every year (or semester) we’re treated to another critique of the core curriculum. The latest is William Mooney Sloneker’s recommendations for the core. While the concerns he levels aren’t insubstantial, I think I can speak to the experience of navigating the core requirements. When I was a sophomore in 2006, I wanted to take an upper level elective for my fine arts requirement, rather than the History of Rock and Roll course which most used to fulfill their requirement. I did this by asking the professor of the class to grant me a waiver, which she did. I would suggest anyone wanting to take more rigorous courses and have them count for credit do the same. Does it always work? No. I have a friend who wanted to take an Italian Baroque art class for a core credit but was refused permission. There are often good reasons for this as well, namely professors surmising that the student needs a more broad-based or foundational class in addition to the more chal-

lenging courses. On this point, I would argue that it’s sensible to leave it to their discretion. My problem is that you can’t complain about the core requirements if you didn’t make any effort to navigate it in such a way as to produce the result you’re advocating for. More generally, if BC wants to keep ascending, they should be modeling themselves after schools like Cornell and the University of Chicago, who actively work to make their curriculum more challenging. If students want to specialize in one field and take nothing but X or Y, there are plenty of schools that would allow that. Do we want to be more like those schools, or Cornell and Chicago? Students also like to talk about the value of their degree when they have to take classes that don’t relate to their future careers. To that, I ask the same question, and argue that they need to think a little harder about what that might entail. Tom Laidley

Making the world safer, not sexier Doug Deering The words health, choice, responsibility, and freedom have been used abundantly over the past few months in regards to our lives as college students and our sexuality. The Boston College Students for Sexual Health (BCSSH) has in numerous articles said that they promote the health of the whole person, and not simply the body. They would thus be in agreement in saying that health could be defined physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. However, their latest event, “Sex Toy Bingo,” doesn’t fit any of these categories. Instead, they even admitted that while passing out STI and contraception information that the event also “had elements meant to promote sexual pleasure, as well.” I would posit that the only goal of the event was to promote sexual pleasure, for they could hand out condoms and information as they have been doing to accomplish their goal. “Sex Toy Bingo” could only function to promote an unchecked pursuit of sexual pleasure, and sends anything but a message of health to college students. The introduction of a sex toy into the sexual act immediately sends a message to the other person that they are not enough, and something other than them must be brought in for

satisfaction. The pursuit of pleasure for its own sake corrupts sex into a selfish act where its participants increasingly look only to what they can get out of it, even if it at one time began in pure concern for another. This has a devastating effect on the relationships we young men and women try to form now, and especially later in life. The one thing that is guaranteed to fail us is our looks and our bodies, and forming relationships with sexual pleasure at their center has no other possible outcome than future failure. When our spouse or significant other can no longer please us, we mistake this for “falling out of love,” and either abandon them to search for another person or remain with them and resent their inability to be what we want. The company Good Vibrations, which co-sponsored the event, has a slogan to “Make the world a sexier place.” Sexual pleasure is indeed a great gift, but all gifts can be corrupted when they become ends in themselves. Please don’t tell me an event like this is centered on health. The advent of the pill and contraception has allowed man to pursue sexual pleasure for its own end to a greater degree than at any other time in history, and as a result, instead of reason or conscience, disease has become the greatest barrier and deterrent

Contributors: Mollie Kolosky, Alex Manta, Clara Kim, Therese Tully, Chris Marino

Doug Deering is a senior in the Carroll School of Management.

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

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to sexual activity without consequence. It is also not too hard to see the progression from education about avoiding sexually transmitted diseases and infections to a teacher on an episode of South Park teaching the girls in sex-ed class about the worst STD of all … pregnancy. I would politely ask the BCSSH to change their name to the Boston College Students for Sexual Pleasure, because that would at least be calling a spade a spade after hosting “Sex Toy Bingo.” If they are truly concerned about students’ health, they would not simply distribute information about physical effects and diseases, but hold events to explore the causes of these problems and to discuss the true nature of love, purpose of sex, and what true student health means. That would be real responsibility. You can’t fix a burst dam by merely cleaning up the water, you have to understand why it happened and then repair it. I would also ask all of us to explore our hearts deeply and honestly to answer these same questions, not only in the context of the instant health of our bodies, but the lifetime health of our minds, emotions, and true happiness, and the eternal health of our souls.

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THE HEIGHTS

Monday, November 15, 2010

OPINIONS

What we take with us

Thumbs Up Redemption – Three wins in a row? That’s not the Eagles we’ve known this season. The recent win in Durham might not save the season, but it has recaptured some of the dignity lost during the past few months. Oh well, bowl games on Christmas aren’t that thrilling, anyway. Music Rooms – This campus holds many secrets, from the gardens in Higgins to the monkeys in Merkert (I’ve said too much), but none is more easily accessible or as stress relieving as these Lyons sound proof chambers, perfect for singing study breaks. Zooborns – Need a pick-meup after a long day? Want to distract yourself from a research project? Are you female? Look no further than the zooborns.com Web site. This site has it all: baby lions, baby seals, baby elephants, baby seahorses. You name it, they’ve got your infant fix. It’s positively adowable. Soup - TU/TD rarely follows up on our complaints, but now that BC Dining Services has stepped up its performance, we feel thanks are in order. As the weather gets chillier, there’s nothing that brings joy to all like a wide soup selection. Chipotle mayo - It makes everything better!

Thumbs Down Sample wall – All right, this has gone on too long. We demand answers, and we demand them now. What is the six foot square piece of sample wall in front of Fulton and what possible purpose does it serve? We realize this isn’t a life-or-death issue, but wandering past that slab wondering day in and day out has to end. Is this all some kind of cruel psychological prank, BC? Uncool. Flexible – TU/TD hates to dismiss the seemingly helpful and well-intentioned actions of others, particularly if those others have grading power, but open-ended assignments, be it page length, due date, or any other shiftable parameters, do not mesh well with college undergraduates. Please, baby us and tell us exactly what you want. We respond well to limits. UVM – Really? Weak. Wraps - Be it a Honey Q or a burrito, the ability to tightly bundle a food pouch seems beyond the reach of most food assemblers. If the wrap unravels within the first few bites, it’s not a success. Funk - The general consensus is that the worst week of the year is the one (sorry, BC) right before Thanksgiving break, that awful time between midterms and ﬁnals when apparently all written work must be done. It’s dark at 4 p.m., it’s cold without snow, it’s generally miserable, and Seasonal Affective Disorder sets in worse than malaria in Bangladesh. Shopping - Like any good American, TU/TD enjoys the holiday season shopping rush. However, salespersons from here to Topeka seem to forget that this season is supposed to be cheerful, not grouchy. The way to move merchandise is not through subtle eyerolls.

BENJAMIN KEY At a dinner recently, two friends suggested my columns have hedged toward the negative of late. There’s truth in what they said. I’ve been at Boston College four years now, and though there are those things that need repair, there is much that does not. There are elements here that are, for lack of a more eloquent term, perfect. Some of these things are new and improved, but more often they are tried and true. Two weeks ago, I attended an alumni event. By attended I mean I snuck in – and yes, the inﬁltration was both daring and dangerous (it was held on Newton Campus). The event was a poetry reading by John Mahoney, a professor in the English department. Mahoney’s existence on campus is quiet these days, but he’s been a professor here for quite some time. He teaches one or two small classes per semester, often to freshmen hoping to fulﬁll their core. I made the trek to hear him read because my mother has talked about Mahoney my entire life, and though I’ve been able to forge a sort of friendship with him, I’ve never sat in his class. The focus of the night was the professor’s specialty, the Romantics. At 7 p.m., he is introduced to a crowd of former students who already know who he is. Then, Mahoney approaches the podium. He is an older man dressed in a cardigan and jacket, his white hair combed neatly, a plain folder in his hand. In the folder are the poems he’s selected for the night: Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, Blake – the titans of the Romantic period. He’s added a few bonus poems, special requests he’s received before the event, as well. To hear Mahoney read a poem is to hear it as you never have before. Who’s to say if it’s how the poet himself would have read it, but the man has spent his life studying these poems, rendering his takes almost more relevant. His voice is deep, Bostonian, and Irish. Some words are accentuated with a gentle growl, some lines with an exaggerated pause. Nabokov said a reader must learn to fondle the details, and so Mahoney elucidates in real time as he reads. The

professor does not try to cloak his own emotion toward the work by soldiering on through a stanza. He allows for quiet moments in between poems, even during them. He makes you feel the words. At a certain point, Mahoney sits down. Standing in one spot for 40 minutes is uncomfortable for anyone. He’s made his way through Keats now, as well as Coleridge and Wordsworth. He reads a few more from his seat, before finally arriving at Blake. “Perhaps I should stand for this one.” The poem that comes next is famous for its first two lines: “Tyger tyger, burning bright, In the forest of the night...” Blake’s “The Tyger” is a masterpiece of the written word. It was the first of a series of poems he entitled “Songs of Experience.” This was a poem that was read to me by my mother when I was little, a poem she read to me because of her class with Mahoney. Hearing him read it was a peculiar moment for me. The old professor standing there, unknowingly reading a poem to a student, whose mother he’d read the same poem to 30 years before. After the reading ends, he thanks the audience and leaves the podium without pomp or circumstance. He shakes hands with old students as they file out, many of

and the school’s system of advising. I do not regret my critiques, as both systems are flawed and BC needs to change them. But it occurs to me that BC’s successes are far greater than its flaws if it has managed to employ teachers like Mahoney for as long as it has. BC is a university first, and its purpose is to educate and inspire. Here, at least through one professor, the school succeeds wildly. Mahoney affected me from behind a podium 20 feet away. He changed the way I heard a series of poems by just reading them. In the end, that is what matters. Fifty years after I graduate, I will not remember my grievances with the University. I will remember a white-haired professor fighting to keep his voice above the rumblings of an air conditioner. I will remember how he read those words perfectly in a room I was not supposed to be in. Benjamin Key is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at bkey@bcheights.com.

them thanking him for both the reading and a course taken decades before. This semester I’ve hemmed and hawed about the Student Club’s Ofﬁce

ALEX MANTA AND MOLLIE KOLOSKY/ HEIHTS ILLUSTRATION

In their time of need

POOJA SHAH In 2004, the tsunami that hit Southeast Asia, affecting over 200,000 people, drew a response of $4 billion in pledges. The 2005 Kashmir earthquake drew a charitable response of approximately $5.4 billion of aid from countries around the world. Recently, the United States alone has donated more than $130 million to reconstruct Haiti in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. These successful relief efforts have given each of the abovementioned regions of the world hope to regain their losses – but now, when it comes to Pakistan, a nation in dire need, why are its concerns invisible? Pakistan has been hit by the worst ﬂoods in the country’s history, causing devastation on a mass scale by destroying communities and villages, obliterating roads and bridges, and washing away millions of hectares of crops. The natural calamity that started in July 2010 has sent waves of fear, hunger, and heartbreak to the 20 million it has affected (50 percent of whom are children) and the 1,500 (and counting) it has killed. Statistically speaking, more people have been affected in Pakistan than by the tsunami and earthquakes previously mentioned. The ﬂoods have undone the efforts of Pakistan’s pro-

Party Time

BY BEN VADNAL

gression by setting back its development two generations. Piercing cries for basic resources such as food, water, and shelter are prevalent but have gone mostly unheard, as aid is largely limited. Reading all these statistics and typing in Google searches have made me realize the lack of media coverage Pakistan has received since this calamity struck. Clearly, if the public is ill-informed on the capacity of the tragedy and the ways in which it’s affecting the citizens of Pakistan, there will be a poor response from the West. Many people argue that parts of the world have developed degrees of Islamophobia due to the events occurring in the war-torn country divided by terrorism, fundamentalism, earthquakes, and now ﬂoods. Though Pakistan’s image could be a possible reason as to why there is such minimal reporting, I think ﬁnancial issues take more precedence. Marie Lall, a Pakistan expert at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, claims that there might be an emergence of “donor fatigue,” – which basically means that the public believes they have already donated once to a nation in need, and therefore aren’t obligated to donate elsewhere. The idea of donor fatigue makes sense, especially in a time when our nation is undergoing a recession and people don’t have enough pocket change to go around. But how can we help other countries when we don’t have enough for ourselves? This phenomenon of donor fatigue occurs when frustration with budgets and pressure to donate disable donors and charities from helping out even if they

have done so in the past. Especially with the series of events and a financial crisis, many donors have made huge commitments to Haiti, and it is economically difficult to continue donating a few months later. No matter what the combination of justifications can be for the lack of information about the floods, a weak response from the community makes it difficult to aid the Pakistani people. Colleges nationwide are beginning to participate in efforts to fund reconstruction through fundraisers, concerts, and collecting donations from the student body. I am proud to say that Boston College is a part of these efforts, because this Thursday, Nov. 18, the South Asian Law Students Association (SALSA) are sponsoring a fundraising event in the Rat from 8:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. The entertainment for this event will be provided by Boston’s DJ Pup Dawg of Jam’n 94.5. Tickets are only $10, which includes food and refreshments and, most importantly, all proceeds will go directly to UNICEF’s relief efforts in Pakistan. The BC community is strongly encouraged to support one of the greatest humanitarian crises that Pakistan has ever experienced. Mother Nature has unfortunately played her part in perpetrating such a disaster, but the least we can do is prevent a flood-stricken Pakistan from drowning even further in its miseries. Pooja Shah is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

Motivation for votes FRANCESCA JUNG There’s a new YouTube video entitled “Baby Jams to Bob Marley.” In the video, a man is attempting to put his screaming, thrashing baby son into a car seat. Halfway through this tantrum, the father turns on the soothing sounds of Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier,” and the baby immediately relaxes, bobs his head in rhythm with the music, and stops crying. At the end of the video, the father looks at his smiling son and says, “This is why we should legalize marijuana.” The actual issue of legalizing marijuana goes beyond the magical powers of Bob Marley. Proposition 19, which went to the polls last week in California, was the first real piece of legislation that would have allowed citizens of the state to obtain and grow personal supplies of the drug for recreational use. Not only did this proposition appear to be the fulfillment of the long-held dream of weed-lovers everywhere, but it would allow the crop to be taxed, bringing an approximated $350 million to the state, as well as saving nearly $1 billion in enforcement costs every year, according to ABC News. Marijuana is already the state’s largest cash crop, bringing in nearly twice the revenue of the secondplace crop, dairy. The state taxes the growth and sale of medicinal marijuana, which has been legal in California for 14 years. With the economy in such bad shape across the United States, this proposition sounds like the answer to the government’s prayers in its potential to heal the recession and theoretically make a lot of people much more cheerful. What could go wrong? Why didn’t the bill pass? In reality, the issue of legalization is, of course, much more complicated than simply fulfilling the wishes of the Jeff Spicolis across the nation. Although it would do wonderful things for the economy, it is easy to see the concerns of many politicians and citizens. It is somewhat a of moral issue, as well as a safety issue. If marijuana were legalized, it could easily lead to thousands more DUI cases every year, as well as increased drug abuse. All of that funding could, theoretically, end up funding rehabilitation centers and prisons. I am not here to say whether Proposition 19 should be passed, as there are very legitimate claims made on both sides of the issue. However, this was a debate in which young people, specifically college-age voters, were of extreme importance. This is a hot topic for students as well as others our age, and the predictions before the election were that the proposition had a good chance of passing. Throughout the campaign for the proposition, legalization received strong support from younger voters, and those backing the campaign believed that the younger generations’ vote would allow for its passage. The reason the proposition didn’t pass? Young voters didn’t show up. A far lower number of voters under the age of 25 actually voted on this issue than expected. One would think that younger voters, who have been clamoring for legalization since the ’60s, would care enough to go and vote. My point is that if we cannot even get around to voting on legalizing marijuana, what will we vote for? What other issue would be more appealing for us to vote on? True, in the presidential election two years ago there was an enormous showing by young voters. However, I feel like this election is almost more important, and has more of an impact on our lives. This election was about choosing senators and representatives to represent our voices in the federal government. The people have much more of a say in the Senate and the House than in the mind of President Obama. We need to start caring about what happens with our government. The fact that this proposition was even created shows that the government will listen to young people and that our opinions matter. However, if the government is willing to offer us chances for change, we shouldn’t screw it up. The elections should matter to us. We have the ability to vote, which is not a luxury that all people in the world have. Take advantage of this ability, and make a change. Francesca Jung is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

Have something to say? Contact us at editor@bcheights.com

The Heights

Monday, November 15, 2010

Franco, Boyle stretch the limits of human spirit By Zak Jason

Assoc. Arts & Review Editor Spoiler Alert: In 127 Hours, James Franco’s character survives and returns to society with a self-amputated arm. If you haven’t lived in a cave since Aron Ralston sawed off half of his arm in the Utah canyons in 127 Hours 2003, you already Danny Boyle knew the turnout Christian Colson of the film. That’s the challenge Danny Boyle posed for himself: In a story in which everyone knows the ending, how do you create a compelling film? What can you do to make your version of the story something new, stirring, and worthwhile? Boyle employed a dynamic, ebullient actor, a piercing score composer, hyperkinetic pacing, and a relentless zeal to craft one of the best films of the year and one of the most life-giving films of the past decade. Based on Ralston’s memoir Between a Rock and a Hard Place, 127 Hours follows Ralston in virtually every single frame. Bounding from boulder to boulder, pumping through the bumpy desert on a mountain bike, perpetually filming himself with his handicam, guiding women

through the complex architecture of the canyons – Ralston’s antics demand an actor of incessant energy. Often perceived as a hapless stoner, Franco may seem like an odd choice. Yet, Franco elevates the film from a dramatic retelling to a stirring story. Each moment he saturates the screen with simple wit, beguiling charm, and a bounce in his step. After he steers two lost women to a shortcut, they invite him to a party that night. With his back already turned to them, he waves and sprints downhill, a subtle, clever way of revealing that partying is the last thing on this man’s mind. The real test of both Ralston’s character and Franco’s acting unleashes once Ralston becomes stuck in the cave. While traversing a rock, a boulder gives, Raltson falls and the boulder follows, locking his arm in-between a rock wall and the boulder. He didn’t pack a cell phone, and being the brawny, self-sufficient ultra marathon runner he is, he didn’t notify anyone where he was going before the trip. For hours, Ralston bashes his body against the boulder, trying to dislodge it but to no avail. (In real life, when researchers returned to the scene later, it took 12 grown men to lift the rock.) Boyle captures Ralston’s anguish

and pain with uncomfortable close-ups and amplified sound effects of his grunting and squelching. Hours drip away, and Ralston quickly drains his canister of water. Eventually, he resorts to drinking his own urine, a procedure Boyle doesn’t shy away from exposing. If you know Boyle’s track record of testing the limits of his audience’s tolerance (i.e. the outhouse scene in Slumdog Millionaire or the fecal sheets scene in Trainspotting), you’ll know going in that Boyle has a field day with delving into the excruciating minutia of surviving without food and water whilst cutting your arm off. We struggle almost as much as he struggles, and we don’t feel released until Ralston finally releases himself. As agonizing as those moments become, Boyle concerns himself more with Ralston’s shifting psychology. As the prospect of death becomes increasingly palpable and imminent, Ralston bounces from manic one minute – like when he creates a mock game show and films it – to morose the next – like when he apologizes to his mother for not returning her phone calls – to insane the next – like when he hallucinates a future son crawling or Scooby Doo sneaking up on it or naked women dancing to Plastic

Wake up to coffee and comedy By Charlotte Parish Heights Staff

Morning people are rare, and most of the time they are obnoxiously peppy. But Rachel McAdams’ Becky Fuller is one of the few who emits a brightly cheerful persona, morning glory coming across as Roger Michell honest rather than Bad Robot trite. Surrounded by a well-stacked cast – particularly Diane Keaton’s sardonic ex-beauty queen turned morning show host, and Harrison Ford’s curmudgeon of a due-for-retirement reporter – McAdams pulls out a funny, believable performance as the girl that works so hard for nearly no recognition in Morning Glory. After getting canned when she thinks she’s getting a promotion, McAdams is forced from her job as a morning show producer and must literally throw herself at any job that comes along. Out of desperation, she throws herself in with a washed-up, consistently fourth place morning show job, signing on as executive producer to a crew of comical semi-misfits. Starting by firing Keaton’s creepy but hilarious co-anchor, Ty Burrell of Modern Family, McAdams is determined to make this job work. So, she brings in the “third worst man in the world,” Ford’s egotistical character, and kicks everyone into high gear, with several false starts along the way.

Threatened by the potential cancellation of the show, McAdams is forced to get scrappy, choose between the man (played by the dashing Patrick Wilson) and the job, and freak out a few times at the recalcitrant Ford, who considers cooking segments an insult to his integrity as a former world news reporter. The ending cannot be spoilt, but this movie does directly fall into the category of chick flick, and so includes an artistically shot sprint through Central Park, some heartfelt lines, and a reunion kiss. The beauty of this movie is its ability to be everything that Katherine Heigl’s The Ugly Truth tried, but failed, to be. McAdams is genuinely relatable as she trips across the screen with her ever-present large purses and stumbles through embarrassing (but exactly what you did last week) encounters with the gorgeous man who is miraculously smitten with her. The humor of the film helps make Becky a likable character and keeps the entire work light by acknowledging those moments that teeters so precariously on the edge of the infamous cheese known as the chick flick. The real difference that brought this film from a moderate, typical girl-night flick to a well-done comedy, though, was the supporting cast. Everyone is well casted, and while Ford is arguably out of place, his perpetually angry and cynical character is amusing. However, comedy is occasionally an accident

for Ford. In a flowery montage, full of pretty music and slow laughs, Ford lurks behind a window with a scowl like the lost Phantom who has left the opera dungeon and really just needs to find his way back. Because of this, the result is comical in ways it is not meant to be. Patrick Wilson plays Adam Bennet, the love interest who is repeatedly confused but highly willing to go along with McAdams’ crazy moments. Refreshingly, Morning Glory does not make this the main plot device, and Wilson’s character never goes on a tirade about her wanting the job more than him, something which she figures out on her own would be a mistake. The chemistry between the pair is very natural, without the fated passion of The Notebook. Considering that the opening scene is an incredibly painful-to-watch date scene with a work call five seconds in (don’t answer it Becky!), the romantic half of the flim is nicely underplayed, adding to the main plot rather than taking on a life of its own. Now for those who are not such morning people, or who are not willing to release that cynicism, a cup of coffee is not going to get you through this. But, when in the mood for a little realistic but still slightly idealistic romantic comedy, Morning Glory has got the right story. n

photo coutresy of allmoviephoto.com

James Franco brings to life Aron Ralston’s true and astonishing struggle to esape death Bertrand’s “Ca Plane Pour Moi” in the snow. As horrifying as the event was for Ralston, Boyle makes getting stuck in a rock in the middle of nowhere almost alluring at times, like a fulfilling, meditative, spiritual journey. Fortuitously, Boyle worked with Slumdog Millionaire composer A.R. Rahman, who crafted a wondrously dynamic soundtrack that accentuated Ralston’s rapid mood shifts – violin swells for mo-

ments of despair, chugging percussion as he attempts to escape. Songs from Sigur Ros, Dido, and Bill Withers weave their way through the film, both seizing the appeal of the audience and capturing the power of Ralston’s memories to drive him through. For anyone intrigued by the limits of humanity, or boundlessness of the human will, experience Franco, Boyle, and Rahman's masterful work. n

Box Office Report title

weekend gross

weeks in release

1 photos courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

1. megamind

30.1

2. unstoppable

23.5

3. Due Date

15.5

4. Skyline

11.7

5.Morning Glory

9.3

6. For Colored Girls

6.8

7. Red

5.1

8. paranormal activity 2

3.1

9. Saw 3d

2.7

10. jackass 3d

2.3

bestsellers of hardcover fiction

photo courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

Rachel McAdams’ Becky Fuller is a whirlwind of positive energy, bouncing through setbacks with comic levels of perseverance.

1. The confession John Grisham 2. worth dying for: a reacher novel Lee Child 3. American assassin Vince Flynn 4. THe Girl who kicked the hornet’s nest Stieg Larsson 5. Side jobs: stories from the

dreseden files Jim Butcher 6. in the company of others Jan Karon 7. fall of giants Ken Follett 8. Safe Haven Nicholas Sparks SOURCE: Publisher’s Weekly

Galifianakis and Downey suffer painful delivery

By Joe Allen

For The Heights In Due Date, Zach Galifianakis plays a character that no sane person would befriend. The comedy’s main problem lies in how it forces its straight man, played by Robert Downey Jr., to warm up to a person who absentDue Date mindedly gets him Todd Phillips kicked off a flight, Warner Bros mistakenly shoots him in the leg, and accidently falls asleep while driving on a busy highway. The movie discards all plausability, making the story less engaging. Add in a surprising lack of consistent jokes, and Due Date becomes forgettable comedic fare. The movie follows the story of Peter Highman (Downey) and Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis) as they drive across the country so that Peter can make it home for the birth of his child. Flying is out of the question, as Ethan already got Peter and himself kicked off a plane, by saying the words “bomb” and “terrorist” too loudly. The two are strangers, but Peter is forced to travel by car with Ethan due

to the loss of his wallet and lack of any other means of transportation. As the two travel together, Ethan continually pushes Peter to the edge by providing an a seemingly endless string of complications. Most of what made director Todd Phillip’s last movie, The Hangover, work so well is missing here. One problem is the lack of a strong supporting cast. Jamie Foxx and Juliette Lewis both make appearances, but neither is given anything funny to say or do. Peter’s pregnant wife, Sarah (Michelle Monaghan), never becomes a fully fleshed-out character. Danny McBride appears in a scene as a handicapped war veteran, but his jokes seem to be more miss than hit. Where are the memorable celebrity cameos that permeated The Hangover? Even without effective supporting players, Due Date would still be a success if its two lead characters were threedimensional and had good chemistry. Downey and Galifianakis, who have both done some great comedic work in the past, would seem to be up for the challenge. But the two never click in the film. Most of the time, Galifianakis just basks in the alienating weirdness of his

character as Downey stares incredulously at him. When Ethan and Peter become friends, their newfound closeness seems to come out of nowhere, as everything that has happened up to that point should cause them to break apart, rather than come together. Their eventual friendship would elicit more cheers from the audience if each of them were more nuanced. As it is, Peter never becomes more than the designated straight man, and Ethan fails to exhibit many redeemable qualities. Even with incomplete characters and a lackluster story, comedies can partially redeem themselves if they make the audience laugh consistently. One would think that the jokes would come easy in a movie coming from the director of The Hangover. Unfortunately, laughs in Due Date come sporadically. Granted, some of the jokes hit hard, like when Peter and Ethan’s friend Darryl (Foxx) unknowingly drink some of the cremated remains of Ethan’s father, which Ethan keeps in a coffee can. But many of these funny instances can be found in the trailer and feel few and far between in a full-length feature film. When Ethan meets Peter’s wife,

photo coutresy of allmoviephoto.com

Galifianakis and Downey cannot connect with any transportation, but mostly each other. he introduces himself as “Peter’s best friend.” That statement causes the hands of audience members to be thrown up in frustration. How exactly has Ethan become Peter’s friend at all, let alone his best friend? Why did Peter not ditch Ethan at some point during the trip? The obvious answer to these questions is, “Well, there wouldn’t be a movie if the two main characters split up.” Well, there may be a movie because the two

leads stick together, but it isn’t a good movie. A good movie would have created stronger characters that have more reasons to stay together, which could have resulted in more comedy. The Hangover was so successful because its three leads were consistently funny and each had positive attributes. These two traits are largely absent in Due Date. In the end, at least the audience can ditch Peter and Ethan for good. n

Monday, November 15, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

Orchestra inspired by folk Symphony, from A10

“embodying the peculiarities of the Indian music, and using these themes as subjects, [and they] have developed them with all the resources of modern rhythms, counterpoints, and orchestral color.” The effect of this combination is extremely pleasing and deeply moving. The piece begins with the blast of a horn, calling the audience to attention. It then builds in a flurry, increasing the suspense as new layers of sound appear and assert themselves. In peaks and valleys of discord and calm, the movement progresses to emerge jubilant once again with horns blaring. The second movement opens with the rich and recognizable tones of the bassoon. A lullaby-like melody presents itself and the strings join in. It slowly gains momentum, gaining greater depth as opposed to intensity. The lullaby is revived, and the horns swell yet again. The next movement swirls into being. It begins, shrill and clamoring, rising into a festive and ringing dance, and then descending back into its initial melody like rushing water. By this point in the show, the audience is mesmerized, waiting expectantly for the final movement as it floats forth from the front of the chapel. In the final movement, Dvorak takes a turn toward the

stately. The music marches forward, turns more docile, and then builds up once again. Dramatic mini-climaxes rain down into tamer tones, as the work approaches its ﬁnal turn. It slowly calms, and the horns echo as it ends. The fall concert was extremely well-received by the BC community. Though in previous years the symphony performed in the Irish Room of Gasson Hall, new accomodations had to be found this year. This setback however didn’t stop them from packing Trinity Chapel with eager listeners. “There was a more intimate atmosphere in Gasson, but I didn’t mind going out of my way and taking the bus to see such a lovely show,” said Kate Harrison, A&S ’12. Apparently, many other students agreed. With the assistance of some of BC’s most talented musicians, Dvorak and Bartok emerged on the BC campus. Some of their ﬁnest works wafted through Trinity Chapel and entranced the audience. The insights of both of these great artists into the ethnic music they encountered and studied throughout their lives created some of the most original pieces the world has had the pleasure to enjoy. The opportunity to experience these works today, so close to home, is a great one, and should be appreciated. This performance was a testament to BC’s ability to celebrate the old, while simultaneously supporting new talent as it emerges. 

‘Anime Sleepover’ hits the mark Shovelhead, From A10 Girl: “Hey, mind watching my stuff?” Boy: “Sure.” Girl walks off as boy continues to work intently on his laptop. Enter ninja-like character who stealthily dances across the stage and goes in for the kill, snatching the girl’s laptop and, after a victorious ﬁstpump, dances right off stage with loot in hand. Realizing what has happened, boy voices a profanity. End scene. Come on, who hasn’t done this? It is this sort of play on ordinary events from the life of a Boston College student that won the audience over. No topic was off-limits for the Shovelheads, including 48Hours. The cast made light of the 48Hours stereotypes, playing on the power of the bracelet, the sharing of deep, dark secrets, and the fast new friends. The two 48Hours “representatives” in the sketch try to describe to their non-retreat-going friends the power of the weekend. But, the pair becomes obsessive about the event and its “rituals,” only able

to convince their peers that they spent their weekend taking part in a cult initiation. Needless to say, the non-retreatgoers are scared away from the 48Hours enthusiasts. Another crowd-pleaser was a Four Loco warning from “Dr. Nary” in which his attempt to convince the students of its adverse affects, complete with testament from “anonymous student” and demonstration from the theater department, could only be described as a failure as students left the seminar and headed to go get some Four Loko. While many of the skits focused on BC-related themes, such as the dreaded visit to the Dean’s Ofﬁce, Campus Tan endeavors, and the Eagles Challenge at Eagle’s Deli, the group mixed in a few non-BC-themed sketches that were fallon-the-ﬂoor funny. Ever consider what the Charlie Brown cast would be like all grown up? Well if you didn’t, the Shovelheads sure did. The verdict? Hilarious. The Shovelheads crafted a Charlie Brown class-reunion skit that was genius.

The characters were easily identiﬁable by their classic costumes, and yes, Linus did have his blanket in tow and proceeded to proudly inform the crew that he was indeed allowed to bring his beloved blanket to work. It was the awkwardness of the reunion that made its comicality. Charlie Brown was inebriated and inappropriate, Peppermint Patty and Marcie were on the verge of a love affair despite Patty’s married status, while Linus and Lucy, as the perfect couple, were horriﬁed at the behavior of their friends, and the subject of Snoopy’s death was another sour note for the group. The Shovelheads, Bri LeRose, A&S ’11; Mary Elaine Ramsey, A&S ’11; Joe Tursi, A&S ’11; John Blakeslee, A&S ’12; Andrea Chudzik, LSOE ’12; Rich Evans, A&S ’12; Steve Flaherty, A&S ’12; Rich Hoyt, A&S ’12; Madlyn Dionne, LSOE ’13; Morgan Fry Pasic, A&S ’13; Meg Showalter, LSOE ’13; and Lui De Armas, CSOM ’14, pooled their talent to create an electric evening of entertainment. Watch out Saturday Night Live, there’s another comedy show in town. 

DEVON ZIMMERMAN / FOR THE HEIGHTS

‘Home,’ the followup to ‘Synesthesia,’ will showcase discourse between artistic mediums.

Art heads ‘Home’ Home, from A10

consisted of five founding members, most of which came from the photography department. Zimmerman and co-founder Mike Bell, BC ’10, felt dissatisfied with the disconnect between fellow photography students, so they decided to sit down and create this open dialogue that would spurn new artistic ideas, and finally culminate in a cohesive exhibit. Their first show, Attic, featured artwork inspired by and set within the attic of the O’Connell. After Attic, “We realized well, there’s this lack of communication in the photo department and we don’t know anyone who’s in painting, film, and/or sculpture so we started branching out from there,” Zimmerman said. By the second show, Synesthesia, the exhibition became an integrated display of mixed media projects. Fittingly, Home has become inspiration for the artists to explore bigger, more abstract connections and mediums. Rich Hoyt, A&S ’12, for example, benefited from the dialogue style of the meetings. His initial plan, Zimmerman noted, was to write poetry relating to home. But the process transformed his initial intent dramatically. “His piece is going to be oriented around re-inscribing the Bible on certain pieces relating it to home, instead of the idea of God, and how the power of home almost becomes a godlike piece,” Zimmerman explained. Zimmerman plans to collaborate with

Staff Sheehan, A&S ’11, a science student who became part of the student group despite his prior lack of involvement in the arts scene. The pair plan to use “a sculptural piece that’s going to be based on this feral ﬂuid material that he’s going to synthesize and put it into an entire room.” Not exactly your generic conception of art. Then again, Home is priding itself on branching out from the generic. “For [Home], nothing’s inhibited by size, scale, idea, or abstraction,” Zimmerman said. “It’s whatever you can come up with, start with a concept, and produce.” Zimmerman believes the group’s series of exhibits have experienced more and more support over the past four years, pointing to an overall increase in openness to new art forms on campus. The artistic year used to be a few Art Club shows, and then a cumulative Arts Fest, but independent galleries like this continue to broaden student exposure to art. Regardless of who the exhibit attracts this Saturday, he hopes that viewers are spurred to thought. “It comes simply down to someone going there and thinking something as small as, ‘Wow that’s neat,’ or just feeling something,” Zimmerman said, regarding the feeling he hopes to inspire. “Whether or not [you feel this] is a bunch of idiot, artsy kids that are just doing stupid stuff and there’s a bit of animosity that comes out of it, that’s ﬁne, I spurred something in you.” 

Poignant connection ‘The Duel’ fights for relevance to tattoo expressions BY KRYSIA WAZNY Heights Staff

There’s no time like the present to realize your life has been a lie. Struggling through the day to day is difﬁcult enough without people constantly questioning your moral character, so get on with it, and bring on the forcible disillusionment. In The Duel by Anton Chekov, the village newbies, Ivan Andreich Laevsky and his married mistress Nadezhda Fyodorovna experience a revelation of this sort, and one might say it did not agree with them. In this tale of social Darwinism, the virtuously superior win big, but are moral victories really that important? Chekhov will let you decide.

THE STORY

In a seaside town in the Caucasus, a scandal is about to break. Laevsky, a military man recently relocated to the region, has decided he no longer loves his mistress, Fyodorovna, and that he must get back to Russia. He shares his worries with the local doctor, Somoilenko, who discourages his rash impulse, but feels the need to help his friend in any way possible. The zoologist, Von Koren, thinks differently. He hates Laevsky for his selﬁsh spontaneity and indifference to the needs of others. As Laevsky begins to crack under the pressure of all his lies, and Fyodorovna sinks lower despite attempts to boost her self-esteem, Von Koren becomes increasingly spiteful. The tension culminates in an unexpected and unnecessary duel, the result of which greatly changes the lives of Laevsky and his would-be wife.

WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT TODAY

The book justifies dueling in inappropriate situations. Though the novella was written in 1891, dueling was already a somewhat antiquated practice, and none of the participants really understood the rules. Nevertheless, the shootout continues as planned and takes place successfully. By this logic, I’d feel pretty comfortable challenging one of my roommates to a duel

after having seen Yosemite Sam and Bugs Bunny have at it a couple times. Couldn’t be too hard, right? Von Koren certainly didn’t think so. Secondly, the book was recently made into a feature length film. No, I’m not suggesting that you watch the movie instead of reading the book. This isn’t a summer reading assignment. Rather, I am inviting you to enjoy the super snobby pleasure of comparing the book to the film, and inevitably deciding that the book is better. Who doesn’t enjoy looking overeducated every now and then? Plus, the book is only about 100 pages long, so this is the perfect, no-stress snobortunity you’ve been looking for. The experiences of Fyodorovna and Laevsky might trigger some personal revelations that could save you a lot of embarrassment. Don’t want your grandma, or, in Fyodorovna’s case, the matronly Marya Konstantinovna, telling you you’re looking slutty over Thanksgiving break? Stop being so obvious about your misdeeds. I’m sure our heroine would have appreciated a gentler wake-up call, or just a quick note reminding her not to dress like a floozy, before it was too late. This story might be the perfect signal for all of us to reevaluate our lives before we’re harshly scolded or challenged to a duel. Through this work, Chekhov plays out distressing situations with little personal judgment. However, his observations on human character do offer some solid advice to readers. Laevsky’s urge to run and seek shelter in far-off lands is a familiar one to many who believe that getting away will solve their problems. This proves to be untrue. The most pressing issues are often within ourselves and only grow as we run from them. Secondly, listen to your critics. Don’t build your pride up for the hardest fall imaginable. A little stumble earlier on might be far more comfortable. So, for goodness’ sake, stop refusing to punctuate your papers, because one day you will probably plagiarize e. e. cummings accidentally. Finally, as Steppenwolf says, “It’s never too late to start all over again.” Building up from zero isn’t much fun, but it sure beats dying in a duel. 

Tattoo, From A10

expression and the dialogues inspired by the photos, noting that on opening night, “People were talking about how tattoos are not any more an act of impulse and a sign of rebellion, it was more of an act of expression and is seen as art, as something these people can identify themselves with, behind every tattoo there was a story and a reason.” Jackie Draper, A&S ’11, who is also a staffmember at the WRC, curated the exhibit and created the accompanying video shown at opening night, which allowed many of the students featured to explain the meanings behind their tattoos and the ways in which they contribute to the student’s identity. One student described her motivation behind getting a small tattoo of a giraffe, stating, “When I was little, I was really tall and awkward and I was really uncomfortable, and then I saw a picture of a giraffe once and I thought how they were really tall and awkward just like me, but I thought how they were still really beautiful and graceful.” A reflection on difficult periods in the lives of these students was a common theme, and many tattoos served as reminders of inner strength and perseverance through adversity. One student described the motivation behind getting a tattoo of a butterﬂy, saying, “I had a really hard time in high school, and I

A view through the kaleidoscope BY CHARLOTTE PARISH Heights Staff

“It’s like a tiny living room the size of the House of Blues!” In one line, Cary Brothers captured the essence of the night, even before headliner Sara Bareilles had the chance to take to the stage and light up the sold out “living room” venue. Popping up throughout the warm-up bands – ﬁrst to introduce her long-time friend Holly Conlan, then to join Cary Brothers on a song – Bareilles kept the night very informal and friendly, cracking jokes between songs about hookers and her 7-year-old sister (not in the same punch line, thankfully). Holly Conlan started off the night with bluesy, smooth vocals, and similarities between her and Bareilles’ voices were unmistakable, as were their starts as a free download artist turned star because of the pure vocal talent each possesses. Cary Brothers pulled a stronger rock edge into his set, including the song that debuted on Grey’s Anatomy, “Honestly,” which provided an exciting interlude and upped the energy throughout the venue. But as great as both warm-up sets were, Sara Bareilles stole the show in a blaze of color, sound, and indescribable presence from the moment she stepped on stage, rocking out in an a pair of high

pants that she admitted made her “look like a dude.” Despite how false that statement was, the wry, self-critical humor and honest appreciation of the crowd kept the night fun and belied Bareilles’ absolute ease on stage. The transition of her music from the record to the spotlight was ﬂawless, and unquestionably Bareilles is an artist who can only be fully appreciated after hearing her consistently perfect pitch and crazy runs in person. Switching between her old and new songs effortlessly, Bareilles kicked off the show with the older “Vegas” and then showed off her versatile piano skills with an improv transition into the new hit “Uncharted.” Never one to settle for simplicity in her music, Bareilles not only accompanied her lovely voice on nearly every song with piano, she also threw in a guitar, harmonium, and ukulele for good measure. Spinning with a mirage of color throughout the show, spotlight changes on the otherwise sparse stage illuminated the set to create a general emotional tone for each song, which Bareilles ﬁlled in with moving vocals. Adding onto the connection you could simply feel from the soul-stirring music, almost every song had a personal story from Bareilles, and she got a huge reaction from the “King of Anything” lead in, “Who’s got a douche bag in their life that they’d love to get rid of?”

remember just being very sad and depressed and I felt so lonely. This summer I went to summer camp and I realized at this one moment like, ‘I’m so happy right now,’ and it was like this kind of epiphany that I had kind of moved on and healed myself, and at that moment,when I was sitting there laughing and being outside and surrounded by amazing people, this butterfly came and landed on my finger and I just always saw that as a really cool omen. So that’s why I have the butterfly, to remind me of that time and how you can get through anything.” The video provided a poignant glimpse into the lives of these students, and the motivation behind each of their decisions to get tattoos reflected deeply personal struggles with identity, sexual orientation, loss, depression, and loneliness. Ultimately, every tattoo was a reminder of a connection to another person or to a time in a student’s life that helped shape who he or she has become. Tattoos are no longer symbols of society’s outcasts , but rather of a deeply important message that each participating individual hopes may be shared with the rest of the world. Students featured in the exhibit served to undermine many of the stereotypes associated with tattooed individuals today, and from hearing their varied and interesting stories, it is clear that there is more to a tattoo than meets the eye. 

The most inspiring song of the night was not one of the amazingly popular radio hits, though, despite Bareilles’ ability to turn them into completely new hits with her intricate tempo and melody switches. It was her title song, written to explain the enigmatic album title, Kaleidoscope Heart, which stole the show with its powerful simplicity. Without any band, Bareilles stood center stage bathed in a quiet, blue background, armed with a microphone and a harmonium. What PHOTO COURTESY OF NOFWI.WORDPRESS.COM followed was pure vocal beauty, BaSarah Bareilles performed a stunning set at the House of Blues. reilles taking her time working through lyrics that clearly had deep meaning for her, despite wonderfully in tune, as Bareilles’ talent surely must being only 12 lines long. “I have hope / inside is not have seeped into everyone around her. a heart / but a kaleidoscope,” she crooned, playing If not that, then her love certainly did. Broththe other harmonies of the usually a capella track on ers captured the unique beauty of this tour with the harmonium. The profound silence that the crowd its casual, friendly, and obscenely talented crew by held throughout the ballad is a testament to how pointing out that, “the people we’re playing with well Bareilles commanded this song with its soulful, are the same ones we’d be hanging out with in L.A.” haunting high notes, and honest lyrics. There is something in that genuine friendship that Bringing the energy back up for a send off with pushed this show to the highest demonstration of “Many the Miles,” Bareilles opened her arms wide musicianship as well as entertainment. In the end, and got the whole audience to sing without her on the only phrase to remotely encompass the voice the second-to-last chorus before pulling out all and talents of Sara Bareilles is that she is utterly the stops for one last powerful run. The crowd was unforgettable. 

ARTS&REVIEW

A10

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2010

NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Preparing for Potter

Shovelhead’s zany sleepover

ALLISON THERRIEN It’s Harry Potter week, and naturally the nerd in me is especially antsy. She wants hokey dialogue delivered in crisp British accents, sexual tension six years in the making, and a hearty dose of “Expecto Patronum.” She can’t help it. She once camped out beside a New York City Barnes and Noble (she’s from Boston) at 5 a.m. to attend a private recording of her favorite Harry Potter podcast, and when her 11-year-old cousin was swept away to the Wizarding World theme park for his birthday, she was just plain envious. (She’s also going to stop talking in the third person now, you’ll be glad to know.) The movies are never really the draw for most Harry Potter fans our age, since pretty much everyone admits that they’re all flash and sentimentality with rare glimmering moments of genius, courtesy of such older cast members as Alan Rickman and Helena Bonham Carter. I could never get over the last scene of Goblet of Fire. “Everything’s going to change now, isn’t it,” chokes Hermione. Two minutes later they – and we – are looking over a Hogwarts balcony and zooming outward onto the computerized landscape. From the orchestrated soundtrack, you’d think you had reached the end of a cartoon fairytale, not what could maintain the kind of edgy, fantastical quality of any of the Pirates of the Caribbean installments, which end with a quip, a cliffhanger, and a dramatic “bang.” Like any cultural phenomenon, Harry Potter is, for many of us, about participation. Sure, we’re a little curious about whether Ron and Hermione will finally be able to achieve some on-screen chemistry, and if you’re me, you’re admittedly excited to see Harry dump Ginny in the beginning of the movie (honestly, the two of them together never becomes less awkward), but like most buzz-generating phenomena, we go so that we are able to participate in the hype. We won’t form much of an opinion afterward because it will probably meet our neutral expectations for it, and we will probably come out of the theater with more to say about the previews that preceded the movie and the group of girls wearing cloaks and fake glasses in the row behind us. This one feels a little different from the others, though, mostly because the cast looks so visibly tired of the whole thing. Emma Watson wasted no time after production wrapped before chopping off all her hair, and Daniel Radcliffe is telling Oprah that J.K. Rowling has promised him that she won’t write any more Potter books. “Ten years is a long time to spend with one character,” he says, to which I can’t help but respond that $50 million is a lot of money to spend on one 21-year-old. I also can’t help but reference Friends, which only increased its genius as its 10 seasons progressed. Even Happy the dog got through 11 seasons of the buzz-kill that was 7th Heaven. You didn’t see him pouting, did you? Let’s not let whiney, overpaid actors get us down, though. It’s entirely possible that the best of the franchise is still to come. After all, they have managed to improve with each successive movie. If you need help getting excited about this one, focus on these tidbits. Radcliffe recently admitted to being unenthused by his performance in Half-Blood Prince, and promised that he would embrace more variation in Deathly Hallows, so he’s bound to be better than ever. Bill Nighy is playing Scrimgeour, which promises to be genius, and did you know that the actor who will play Bill Weasley is the son of the actor who plays “Mad-Eye” Moody? If that isn’t enough, fast forward about 10 seconds into the trailer and you’ll find Radcliffe sporting a pink, lacy bra. That should pique your interest.

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

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHOVELHEAD.ORG & MOLLIE KOLOSKY & ALEX MANTA / HEIGHTS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

BY COURTNEY SEITZ

N For The Heights

ew York City, an a capella performance, Campus Tan, Eagle’s Deli, Mary Ann’s, and the Mods all in one night? Oh yes, and what a night it was. All of this and much more took place at “An Anime Sleepover” in Fulton. Yes, Fulton. Last Friday and Saturday nights, the cast of Boston College’s sketch comedy group Hello… Shovelhead! took over Fulton 511 for its fall performance, titled, “An Anime Sleepover.” As the lights dimmed and the projector screen ﬂashed to life, the audience settled in for the ride. The night kicked off with “A Generic High School Movie,” a very well executed parody on the

favorite tried-and-true Hollywood film in which an unlikely group is united by a common endeavor. In this case, “the jock,” “the prepster,” and “the emo kid” make like the Three Musketeers and ditch detention in favor of adventure in the big city, which took the form of operation “get ‘the emo kid’ her first kiss.” Think The Breakfast Club meets Ferris Bueller’s Day Off . The laugh-out-loud flick set the tone for a great evening to come. Hello….Shovelhead!, which pens all of its own sketches, did an excellent job writing creative scenes to which its student following could truly relate. For example. Scene: O’Neill Library, boy and girl seated at table, working diligently on their laptops.

When each of us came to Boston College, we boxed up our bedding, towels, knick-knacks, and books and abandoned the home of our childhood. Upon arrival, we were given blank slates and boxy freshman housing, as we patiently waited for our posters, candid photos, mirrors, and snowglobes that we picked up from a family vacation back in 2003. Each year, we make for ourselves a brand new home, representing our loved ones that are both far away and as close as a lofted bed away.

On Nov. 20 in the O’Connell House, the student exhibit Home will open its doors, inviting students to meditate on their ever-changing deﬁnition of the word. Devon Zimmerman, A&S ’11, coordinator and initial co-founder of these annual student-run art exhibitions in O’Connell, sat down to discuss the motivations and collaborations behind the upcoming exhibit and changing legacy of the arts at BC. This group of student artists, independent of the BC Art Club, has been coming together since the fall of 2008. The student members

See Home, A9

BY ERIN FURLONG For The Heights

KYLIE MONTERN / HEIGHTS STAFF

The WRC debuted an enlightening photography exhibit this past Wednesday.

I NSIDE ARTS THIS ISSUE

On Wednesday, Nov. 3, O’Neill Gallery opened the exhibition entitled “Beauty and Body Art: A Photography Exhibit of Tattoos and Diversity at BC.” Earlier in the year the Women’s Resource Center (WRC) of Boston College sent out an advertisement to the BC population looking for students who were interested in sharing their tattoos, as well as the stories behind them. The project’s aim was to shed light on the varying forms of self-expression exhibited by students today. The reception for the exhibit opening featured a presentation by

What’s the story, ‘Morning Glory’

McAdams takes on morning show vets Ford and Lane in her latest rom-com, A8

WHERE Fulton 511

John Finney leads orchestra masterfully in performance BY KRYSIA WAZNY Heights Staff

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS HUANG

Patrons examine pieces from the ‘Experiments in the Reproduction of Reality’ show.

Exhibit reflects on self-expression KEVIN HOU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

WHEN Nov 12-13 at 7:30 & 10:30 p.m.

Symphonic melodies in Chapel

Students collaborate to define ‘Home’ Arts & Review Editor

FEATURING Bri Lerose, Joe Tursi, M.E. Ramsey, Rich Hoyt, Rich Evans, John Blakeslee, Andrea Chudzik, Steve Flaherty, Meg Showalter, Maddie Dionne, Morgan Frypasic, Lui De Armas

See Shovelhead, A9

Artists in dialogue BY KRISTEN HOUSE

HELLO...SHOVELHEAD! PRESENTS: AN ANIME SLEEPOVER

Sharlene Hess-Biber, a professor in the sociology department, who remarked on tattoos and body modiﬁcation in society and the stigma that can become attached to those with tattoos. She discussed how we might come to judge others before we get to know them based solely on this one physical characteristic, and after hearing the stories and seeing the tattoos of students from our campus, the need to alter our collective viewpoint of tattoos in society was glaring. Nicole Laniado, CSOM ’13, a staff member at the WRC, reﬂected on the exhibit’s message of self-

n Friday, students from Main Campus trekked to Newton for an enjoyable evening of classical music. Under the capable direction of John Finney, the Boston College Symphony Orchestra performed Bela Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances and Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 in E Minor (From the New World). Each of these works featured stirring and jubilant melodies that kept listeners rapt from start to ﬁnish. From Eastern Europe to America, these two composers live on through the masterful talent of the BC community. Both of the works represent exercises in ethnomusicology. Bartok, one of the founders of the ﬁeld, drew extensively from different ethnic groups for his compositions. Romanian Folk Dances is the product of one of many such studies. The melody varies from simple and trilling to robust and swinging. The sound is high and uplifting. It then progresses to a more solemn and earnest sound, only to climb once again to a hearty dance rhythm with a great beat. BC’s performance captured all of this with ease, drawing the listener into the scene and the emotions behind it. Dvorak, a Czech romantic composer, came to the United States halfway through his career. Once here, he took up the study of Native-American and African-American music and attempted to capture their themes in his own work. From the New World was written in that spirit. He said the themes were written,

See Tattoo, A9

Dueling with Chekhov

Recently made into a feature ﬁlm, ‘The Duel’ gives tips on how to deal with roommate conﬂict, A9

See Symphony, A9

Sarah Bareilles Concert.................A9 Box Ofﬁce Report........................A8

SPORTS THE HEIGHTS

Monday, November 15, 2010

Section

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2010

Soccer handles Hofstra, heads back to Sweet Sixteen BY RAYCHEL KRUPER For The Heights

While the Boston College women’s soccer team’s first round game of the NCAA tournament was a Boston College 3 tale of two halves, 1 Hofstra its second game of the tournament was all about taking care of business from the start. The Eagles (15-61) ended the scrappy Hofstra Pride’s (19-3) season on the Newton Campus Soccer Complex Sunday afternoon by a score of 3-1. “We definitely saw a different Hofstra than the first time we saw them,” said BC head coach Alison Foley, referring to the Eagles’ 5-0 win over the Pride in August. “We knew it was going to be a battle. It was going to be a much more difficult match, and I give Hofstra a lot of credit. We knew we

would have to grind that one out.” Scoring opened 17 minutes into the first half when BC found the back of the net. Eagles goalkeeper Jill Mastroianni began the play by rolling the ball to the foot of defender Hannah Cerrone, who carried the ball with pace up the right wing of the field, and dished it to midfielder Kristie Mewis. Mewis, just outside the box on the left side, beat a defender and buried the ball into the upper right side netting to put the Eagles up 1-0. It was Mewis’s 10th goal of the season. “When you’re in a 4-3-3 system, part of what you need to do is get your outside backs involved in the attack, and both Alaina Beyar and Hannah Cerrone have incredible speed,” Foley said. “I thought today was an excellent game for Hannah. She never got caught on the ball, she slipped balls when she needed to, she knocked balls to the back

Starting to say what they mean

post when she needed to, and she found the forwards’ feet when she needed to.” Hofstra, though, was not deterred, and notched a goal of its own in the 29th minute of play. On a 40-yard free kick from Amy Turner to the head of Courtney Breen, Hofstra was able to equalize the score at 1-1. Both teams continued to fight hard, but BC was unwilling to go into halftime with anything but a lead. With just under four minutes left in the first half, defender Zoe Lombard recorded her first career goal to put the Eagles up 2-1. Cerrone took a wellplaced free kick from the right sideline, which headed directly to Lombard, who buried the ball into the back of the net. “It was really exciting,” Lombard said about scoring the goal to put the Eagles

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

See Sweet Sixteen, B4

Kristie Mewis scored first against Hofstra, putting BC up 17 minutes into the match.

BC BENDS, BUT NEVER BREAKS

Kuechly, Holloway lead another strong defensive day ZACH WIELGUS Montel Harris almost forgot. He was still bubbling over the defense’s last stand, bailing him out of two costly fumbles and the football team out of a last-minute loss, that he was simply answering a question without a filter. “We’re playing as a team now,” Harris said, a wide grin plastered on his face before boarding the team bus. “We got those losses behind us, and we’re trying to go on this streak and win the rest of our games, even the bowl game. Finish the season 8-5.” Wait for it. “Take it one game at a time, though,” he added after a five-second pause. There it is. That age-old coach-speak ingrained in players, which tingles as soon as reporters begin asking their laundry list of questions. Obviously, it’s a standard for coaches across every sport. Jerry York begins every press conference, win or lose, pointing out how well the other team played, saluting the opponent for a job well done. Frank Spaziani opened with these traditional comments: “It was a hard-fought game. It was one of those games when it was hard for either team to lose.” It’s a classy and polite introduction before fielding unscripted inquiries. And if the “for every good, there’s a bad” approach stopped at the coach, it wouldn’t seem as if the players didn’t care. But they do, in spite of the omnipresent coachisms that muffle their excitement and pollute their replies. Luke Kuechly was fresh off an unbelievable performance in which he racked up a career-high 21 tackles, forced a fumble, and recovered another. How did he feel he did? “We won, that’s really all that matters. I don’t really look at stats.” Oh, of course. How foolish of me to ask. What a selfless team-player, not

BY ZACH WIELGUS Sports Editor

DURHAM, N.C. — Four times the Duke Blue Devils drove inside Boston College’s red zone. And all four times, the Eagles defense kept them out Boston College 21 of the end zone, including on a 16 Duke decisive fourth-and-goal play from the 4-yard line with 46 seconds left to hold on to a 21-16 win. On the ﬁnal play of the game, defensive end Max Holloway predicted the quick slant from Duke quarterback Sean Renfree, got his hands up, and batted the ball down. “All game they were telling us, ‘Get your hands up! Get your hands up!’ because he was throwing right over our heads,” Holloway said. “All game, I was getting cut and he was throwing right over me, and I was getting so frustrated. Finally, I played it perfectly.” Holloway (11 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks) and linebacker Luke Kuechly (career-high 21 tackles, forced fumble, fumble recovery) played almost perfectly all game long, leading a defense that bent and bent, but never broke.

See Never Breaks, B3

See Speak the Truth, B3

TED KNUDSEN / DUKE CHRONICLE

Zone defense stifles St. Francis Switches between man and zone scheme lead to decisive win BY TIM JABLONSKI For The Heights

NICK RELLAS / HEIGHTS STAFF

Biko Paris and the defense held St. Francis to two points in the first 12 minutes.

I NSIDE SPORTS THIS ISSUE

When Steve Donahue was hired as the new men’s basketball coach, Boston College fans expected an upBoston College 79 tempo offense and a 49 St. Francis flood of 3-pointers. They got that on Saturday night. But what they didn’t anticipate is something that may come to define this team and program during the Donahue era: dominating defense. On the way to a 79-49 evisceration of St. Francis on Friday night, the Eagles used several different schemes to shut down the Terriers. Vacillating between halfcourt manto-man pressure and a 1-3-1 zone, BC held St. Francis to two points over the first 12 minutes of the game.

Men’s hockey splits with UVM

Eagles unable to take two against Catamounts after losing 5-2 on Saturday night.........B2

“The 1-3-1 is something that’s really good for this group,” Donahue said. “It’s something they’ve really bought into, and it’s something that’s hard to play against.” St. Francis found that out ﬁrst-hand. The Terriers were overmatched by the different looks that BC threw at them and were unable to get into an offensive rhythm. When they started to get accustomed to the hard-nosed man defense, Donahue had the team switch to the zone, or use a full-court press for brief spurts that was rarely seen during the Skinner years. “They’re further along than I would ever have imagined,” Donahue said about the defense. “I also feel this group can be very good defensively. We have good size.” He wasn’t referring to the Eagles frontcourt of Josh Southern and Cortney Dunn,

Women’s basketball opens with a win

but rather to a different group. Joe Trapani, Corey Raji, and Reggie Jackson all “play bigger than they are,” Donahue said, capable of rebounding and defending against larger opponents, and able to defend multiple positions that will likely prove invaluable to Donahue’s schemes this season. Raji has been the team’s most aggressive rebounder for the past three years, and Trapani has shown the ability to go head-to-head with other power forwards and centers. But Jackson showed how valuable he could potentially be in the 1-3-1. Although he collected only two boards, Donahue said the junior point guard will play a crucial role in the team’s defense by helping out with rebounding on the defensive end, something Donahue

Kerri Shields and Carolyn Swords lead the way to blowout win over BU..........................................B5

See Season Opener, B5

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

Monday, November 15, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

‘Defensive breakdowns’ cause series split BY GREG JOYCE Heights Staff

On Friday and Saturday night in Burlington, Vt., the score after the first period was 2-1 5 Vermont Vermont (1-4Boston College 3 3, 1-3-2 Hockey East). The weekend’s end result was one comeback and one defeat for the No. 7 Boston College (6-4-0, 4-3-0 Hockey East) men’s hockey team. “This weekend was an unusual example of playing better on Saturday night and losing, than we did on Friday night and winning,” said head coach Jerry York. “But Saturday night we had two or three breakdowns that were critical to the outcome of the game, defensive breakdowns. We certainly have to address that.” In the second game of the series, the Eagles got behind early just 1:27 into the first period on a goal by UVM’s Chris McCarthy. BC was able to tie it up just four minutes later on the power play, thanks to Cam Atkinson’s eighth goal of the year, assisted by Joe Whitney and Paul Carey. The Catamounts seized the lead once more before the end of the first period to take a 2-1 lead into the locker room,

a lead they would not lose again for the rest of the game. After a scoreless second period, the Catamounts made it 4-1 in the third before the Eagles could mount a reply. Jimmy Hayes scored his first goal of the period at 12:49 off a redirected shot from freshman Isaac MacLeod, making the score 4-2. With just over three minutes left to play in the game, Hayes put another one through the pipes to cut the deficit to one. But that was as close as BC would get to a comeback in this affair, as the Catamounts scored an empty netter with 34 seconds remaining, resulting in a 5-3 loss for the Eagles. “I thought we played better on Saturday night,” York said. “We were better offensively, we were better creating grade-A chances. Our neutral zone play was better. But we had three major breakdowns that resulted in easy goals for Vermont.” Parker Milner finished the game with 24 saves, falling to 1-2-0 on the season in his starts. The Eagles also outshot Vermont 37-29 in the game. Friday night’s game was a similar story, but with a different ending. The Catamounts again held a 2-1 lead after the

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Forward Jimmy Hayes scored two third-period goals in Saturday night’s 5-3 loss at Vermont.

first period, which started off with an early UVM power-play goal by McCarthy just 59 seconds into the game. BC freshman Bill Arnold notched his first collegiate goal three minutes later. “He’s playing well for us,” York said. “I think that takes the pressure off him offensively. I think we’ll see a lot more goals from Billy. Sometimes they’re rapid fire after that first one.” The Catamounts scored another goal before the end of the period, but it was all the scoring they would receive that night. Atkinson started BC’s comeback in the second period, netting a power-play goal for his first of two goals on the weekend. Twelve minutes later, Chris Kreider scored the game-winner on his third goal of the year off assists by Pat Mullane and Brian Dumoulin. The goal put the Eagles up 3-2 at the end of the frame, and it remained that way thanks to goaltender John Muse. In the third period, it was all Muse, as he made 17 of his season-high 38 saves in the final 20 minutes. After splitting the weekend series, BC has now gone seven straight games alternating a win and a loss. The Eagles won three straight games to begin the season, but now have not been able to get on a winning streak (or a losing streak, for that matter), going just 3-4 in those seven games. “We’re gonna stay within the system, keep playing, and eventually get this thing going so we can get out of that win-loss, win-loss, win-loss,” York said of his team’s recent struggles. “We have to be more consistent during the course of the 60 minutes. We’re having some terrific periods of play, but if you want to win a lot of games, you have to extend that period of play to 60 full minutes, not 47 minutes, or 50 minutes of play. It’s gotta be the whole 60 minutes.” Going into next weekend’s home series against No. 5 Maine, the Eagles will look to string a few wins together to get their season back on the right track. “It’s still early in the season, we’re still trying to get our identity here as a team,” York added. “We gotta do it in a hurry because Maine is probably right now considered the hottest team in the league. [They’ll] test us pretty good on Sunday.” 

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Jerry York (top) gave John Muse (bottom) the night off in BC’s 5-3 loss at Vermont Saturday.

Minus Mangene and Schaus, BC suffers first loss BY DIANA C. NEARHOS Heights Senior Staff

SPORTS in SHORT

After holding the nation’s longest undefeated streak, the No. 6 Boston Boston College 1 College 1 St. Lawrence women’s hockey team suffered its first loss of the season to St. Lawrence, 7-3, on Friday. The team followed that up with a 1-1 tie on Saturday. The Eagles (7-1-4) scored first on Saturday, as Mary Restuccia put BC up on the power play. With 15 seconds to go in the first period, Restuccia took the puck from Kelli Stack and maneuvered around a defender. She sent the shot in between the goaltender’s pads for her second goal of the weekend. “Mary played well for us this weekend,” said head coach Katie King. “She worked extremely hard out there. We were looking for some goals, and she was one who was able to find the net, something we were stressing against this team.” With 15 seconds left in the second period, St. Lawrence (45-2) tied the game up with a goal on a power play. Goaltender Kiera Kingston stopped the first attempt, but Kayla Sullivan sent the rebound past her for a goal. BC managed 10 shots in the third period, but none of them beat St. Lawrence goaltender Maxie Weisz. The game ended in the Eagles’ fourth tie of the season.

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The Eagles were without Meagan Mangene and Molly Schaus, who were competing in an international tournament this weekend. BC tied and lost its two games. “That’s something that we try to work on a lot is the ﬁnishing aspect, to put in some of the rebounds and getting shots on the net,” King said. “Their goalie played well, but I never felt that we were down on ourselves for not being able to score.” The Eagles were plagued by penalties in Friday’s contest. They spent 26 minutes in the box serv-

ACC Football Standings Atlantic

Florida State Maryland NC State Boston College Clemson Wake Forest

Coastal

Virginia Tech Miami North Carolina Georgia Tech Virginia Duke

Conference 5-2 4-2 4-2 3-4 3-4 1-6

6-0 5-2 3-3 3-4 1-5 1-5

Overall 7-3 7-3 7-3 5-5 5-5 2-8

8-2 7-3 6-4 5-5 3-7 4-6

ing 13 penalties, which reduced BC’s scoring chances signiﬁcantly. Despite their large number of player advantages, the Saints only managed 13 power-play shots, which led to two goals. While BC was able to minimize the scoring damages, the penalties kept the team from putting together its own scoring chances. “We were in the penalty box

a lot,” King said. “It was very menacing to the flow of the game. It’s something we need to try to be more aware of.” The Saints blitzed the Eagles with four goals in six minutes during the first period. The first goal came 9:36 into the game when Alley Bero scored on a rebound. St. Lawrence followed that with three more quick goals to make it 4-0

Numbers to Know

just 15 minutes into the game. With slightly over a minute left in the ﬁrst period, Melissa Bizzari scored BC’s ﬁrst goal of the contest, pushing the puck past a defender and beating the goaltender. The Eagles came their closest to catching the Saints 3:40 into the third period with the team’s only power-play goal. Blake Bolden scored eight seconds

into the power play, assisted by Restuccia and Stack, to pull the Eagles within two goals at a score of 5-3. St. Lawrence, however, responded with two more goals. Brooke Fernandez scored the last one of the game on a power play, making the score 7-3 and handing BC its first loss of the season. “Obviously they were disappointed, but I thought we handled it pretty well,” King said. “When we were five-on-five, we played pretty well. They were looking forward to [the next] game and looking forward.” The Eagles played the series without goaltender Molly Schaus or Meagan Mangene, who played for Team USA in the Four Nation’s Cup this weekend. The competition is one of the two annual tournaments on the international level, which is the closest women’s hockey gets to a professional level. King was happy for Schaus and Mangene’s success with the national team, citing the great opportunity playing for Team USA afforded them. Being down two players, however, hurt the Eagles, who had to play backups and switch up their power plays and penalty kills. “It’s just different [playing without certain players], especially Molly, who is one of our captains and leaders, and Meagan, who plays a lot for us on defense,” King said. “Judging by the results, it may have been a bit mentally damaging.” 

Game to Watch Football

Net rushing yards by Duke on 24 attempts in its 21-16 loss to BC Saturday. The Blue Devils threw for 307 yards, though.

4-for-21

3-pointers made (and attempted) by the men’s basketball team in its 79-49 win over St. Francis (N.Y.). BC went 15-for-33 in its lone exhibition.

Career-high point total for Kerri Shields in the women’s basketball team’s 84-65 win over BU.

Virginia vs.

Boston College

The football team returns to Alumni Stadium with newfound hope after a pair of road victories at Wake Forest and Duke the past two weeks. At 5-5, the Eagles are a win away from bowl eligibility, with this game against the Cavaliers and a road trip to Syracuse remaining. The Orange are 7-3 and the best they’ve been in years, creating extra pressure to win this weekend. Saturday, 12 p.m.

The Heights

Monday, November 15, 2010

football notebook

Handful of big plays propel Rettig’s career day By Jake Burg Heights Staff

DURHAM, N.C. — In a game that was decided by four yards, the difference came down to Boston College quarterback Chase Rettig’s newfound big play ability. Rettig threw for a career high in yards and touchdowns en route to the Eagles’ 21-16 victory over the Duke Blue Devils. Throughout the course of the game, Rettig tossed deep ball after deep ball, connecting on enough for gains of at least 37 yards to three different receivers. “[Rettig] did a great job today finding the open receiver,” said wide receiver Bobby Swigert. “We weren’t open a lot, but he did a great job stepping up in the pocket when he needed to, to find the open guy.” Duke’s defense often crowded the line to defend against Eagles running back Montel Harris, the ACC’s leading rusher. Rettig noticed, and took advantage. “It definitely helped open up some stuff down field,” Rettig said. In spite of a sputtering start (he did not complete a pass in his first five attempts), the freshman quarterback persevered and finished the game 12 for 24 with 230 yards. Out of his 12 total completions, seven went for 16 yards or more, and four went for at least 37 yards, including a 38-yard

touchdown strike to Swigert. “The ball was in the air forever,” Swigert said of the touchdown reception. “At least that’s what it felt like. I thought somebody was going to come from somewhere and just light me up. But it didn’t happen. I got lucky.” Swigert finished the day with five receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown, and in the process, he and Rettig showcased their combined development and comfort with one another. In fact, Swigert has been on the other end of three of Rettig’s five career touchdown passes. “Chase knows when to look for me on certain plays,” Swigert said. “He and I are close to begin with, on and off the field. That chemistry carries onto the field.”

A case of the drops Even the surest of hands can occasionally make mistakes. That was the case for Harris, who uncharacteristically fumbled and lost the ball twice and was also part of a botched hand-off that was recovered by the Eagles. “It’s a touchy situation,” said offensive lineman Thomas Claiborne. “Montel’s a great back, but once you get out of your element, it’s hard to get back into it and it’s hard to keep pushing forward.” Each of Harris’ fumbles occurred in Duke’s red zone. Even more heartbreak-

ing than that, the second fumble, lost at Duke’s 5-yard line, was returned 95 yards for a touchdown by Duke linebacker August Campbell. The defensive touchdown cut BC’s lead to 21-16 with 12 minutes left in the game. “I was just like, ‘Come on, D, keep them out of the end zone,’” Harris said about what was going through his mind during Duke’s final offensive drive. “I knew that everything was going to be on my shoulders because of the two fumbles, both of them down in the red zone. It was just a bad feeling.” The defense alleviated Harris’ bad feeling once defensive end Max Holloway batted down Duke’s final pass on fourth and goal from the 4-yard line. “It’s pretty tough whenever you fumble,” Harris said. “But the coaches and all the players were telling me, ‘Let’s go, we have to keep going and moving forward.’ So that’s what I was trying to do.” And that is exactly what Harris did. He fought through his mistakes and finished the game with 109 yards on the ground, including a 15-yard touchdown run straight through the middle of the line to give the Eagles a 7-6 lead in the second quarter. .500 never felt so good For the first time since losing at home

ted knudsen / duke chronicle

Chase Rettig had his best performance yet, throwing for 220 yards and two touchdowns. to Notre Dame in week five, the Eagles are a .500 football team. The only difference this time, of course, is that they had to win in order to get back to the middleof-the-road. “Just win the next game,” said head coach Frank Spaziani. “That’s the only way I’ve ever known how to coach and play. We’re very happy to be where we’re

at right now from where we were three weeks ago.” After reeling off three straight victories, the feeling in BC’s locker room is considerably more upbeat. “We have those losses behind us,” Harris said. “We’re just trying to go on a streak and win the rest of our games, even the bowl game.” n

Saying what they mean Speak the Truth, from B1

ted knudsen / duke chronicle

The BC defense swarmed Duke receivers on short routes all game long, limiting big plays and never allowing a touchdown. Kevin Pierre-Louis (32) finished with 12 tackles.

Defense never breaks against Duke Never Breaks, from B1

“We give up 5-yard passes here, 5-yard passes there, but they only had four offensive rushing yards in the first half,” Holloway said. “Our defense stops the run. We never broke, we were always there.” Renfree, who ranks third in the ACC with 252 passing yards per game, racked up plenty of yardage, but couldn’t crack the goal line. Neither could running quarterback Brandon Connette, who was held to -8 rushing yards and two-of-five passing. On the Blue Devils’ second drive of the game, Connette was stuffed twice, and Renfree’s third-down pass fell incomplete, forcing Duke to settle for an early field goal. Late in the second quarter, it was much of the same. With BC up 7-3, Connette took the snap on third and two from the BC 15-yard line, but as he rolled to his right, Holloway broke through his blocker and caught the quarterback by the shoes, hauling him down for a 7-yard loss. Once again, Duke settled for a field goal.

Kuechly terrorized the Blue Devils beyond his double-digit tackles in the third quarter, forcing one fumble and pouncing on another to cut short two Duke drives. As Renfree began to march his offense down the field in response to BC’s second touchdown, Kuechly stripped receiver Austin Kelly at the first down marker. Damik Scafe covered the ball, nipping Duke’s drive at the BC 38. On the first play of Duke’s next drive, Holloway spun receiver Conner Vernon around on a screen and forced the second fumble, which Kuechly found at the bottom of the pile, to set the Eagles offense up at the Duke 19-yard line. Five plays later, Chase Rettig found Ifeanyi Momah for a touchdown and a 21-6 lead. The Blue Devils’ final scoring drive got all the way to the BC 5-yard line, but once again, Holloway beat his blocker and sacked Renfree for a loss of 10, forcing a third and final field goal at the end of the third quarter. “I can’t say enough about the players over on defense and the coaches over on defense,” said head coach Frank Spaziani. “Getting organized and holding

THE ART OF

them to three field goals. The key to everything is the rush. They weren’t able to rush the ball, so it became a one-dimensional game. Even though we didn’t get an interception, we got four fumbles, recovered two of them. That’s how we’re built, and it paid off today.” It nearly didn’t, though. Duke’s defense forced two straight three-and-outs, handing its prolific offense the ball with 4:52 on the clock and a five-point deficit. Renfree continued his short passing attack – only four of his 35 completions went beyond 15 yards – to drive the Blue Devils inside BC’s 4-yard line with 55 seconds to go. But a tipped ball in a crowded secondary and Holloway’s heads-up play preserved a close victory. “Now that I’m not just coming in to give [Alex Albright] a break, I can get into a groove and learn the tackle’s weaknesses and strengths,” Holloway said. “I kind of figured it because he gave me this funny look that he did every time he cut me, so I pushed him down, jumped as high as I could, and got it.” “Max made a great play, got his hands up,” Kuechly said. “It was a nice sigh of relief.” n

concerned with his career day. Okay then, given the exciting way in which you won, how good does it feel that this phenomenal performance from the entire defense pulled the team back up to .500? “It’s great. We’re going in the right direction. We have a little winning streak going, and we’re going to try to take it into this week, too.” Just the right direction? Color me dramatic, but this win was enormous for the team’s psyche. It stymied one of the best offenses in the ACC, protected the final four yards that stood between a win and a loss with unbelievable heart, and changed the conversation from “Will coaches get fired after this losing season?” to “Which bowl will the team make?” Like many, I left the team for dead after its loss to Maryland. They were looking better, but that didn’t mean they were ready to start taking close losses and turn them into close wins. The players were down, and they were tired of talking about how they were going to avoid the worst season in 12 years. After their third straight win, the Eagles aren’t just headed in the right direction, they are there. They are doing everything they had not been able to do before. The defense has given up one offensive touchdown in three games. Harris has strung together five straight 100-yard games. Chase Rettig threw for a career-high 230 yards against Duke. That excitement is back. Hoots and hollers and whoops of celebration floated through the open locker-room door after the win. Even still, all Spaziani offered was, “We’re very happy to be where we’re at from where we were three weeks ago.” It isn’t much, but it’s more than he usually offers. Of course, Spaz caught himself, adding that he’s “just focused on the next game.” It may have been a slip, an error in forgetting to preface his inhibited pleasure with ambivalent vocabulary, just like Harris’ late addendum. But that can only mean one thing: They have their eyes fixated not on canned answers, but a bowl game, a finish to the season that, three weeks ago, few thought possible.

Zach Wielgus is the Sports Editor of The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

AS TOLD BY

a corner kick

Hannah cerrone

alex trautwig / heights editor

First thing I look at it is where the goalie is. Some play on the line, and some play a few feet out. Most importantly, I need to make it a 50/50 ball. Don’t waste it by giving it right to the goalie.

I either want it to clear the goalie, or out more, where the penalty kick line is. I want to get it into an area where their center is, so one of our guys can run in.

I always look at Alyssa Pember, and we usually make eye contact. I raise my hand, and then focus down on the ball. I strike it probably the same as I do any service.

If the goal is on the right side, I like those better, because I can come across it with my right foot. On the right side, I hit it more on the top of my foot.

Monday, November 15, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

Back to Sweet 16

Second-half surge moves BC past BU BY RAYCHEL KRUPER For The Heights

Though the Boston University Terriers (16-6) were riding a 13-game winning streak, the No. Boston College 2 2 seed Boston 1 Boston Univ. College women’s soccer team (14-6-1) knocked the Terriers out of the tournament, winning the game with a late second-half rally, 2-1. “I give Boston University a lot of credit,” said BC head coach Alison Foley. “I think they came out from the start with a lot of energy and were really organized and determined. It looked like the field was tilted. It was a typical BC-BU game. It was a battle.” The Terriers had the better of the play in the first half, taking it to the Eagles and netting the first goal of the game at 12:04. BU’s Krista Minto crossed the ball from the right corner to Tiya Gallegos in the middle of the box. Gallegos got a shot off and BC goalkeeper Jillian Mastroianni made a spectacular foot save, but the ball deflected directly back to the foot of Gallegos who buried it, giving the Terriers an early lead. “I think in the first half we weren’t really prepared for how BU came out at us,” said midfielder Kristen Mewis. “Going out into the second half, our assistant coach [Sarah Dacey] said, ‘You can’t expect to have this handed to you, you actually have to do it.’ So all of us realized we needed to step it up and be more physical to beat that team on the field to win the game.” In the first half, the Eagles rarely got into prime Terrier real estate, and had no dangerous opportunities. The downtrodden Eagles were outshot, 5-1, in the first

half, still trailing by a goal. The second half was a completely different story. The Eagles ran the Terriers ragged with an offensive barrage following a change in formation. “At halftime, we decided we were going to match them man to man, system to system, and the better team is going to win,” Foley said. “They played for each other, and when they play for their teammates, they all come together and pull through. That’s what it was. It was a team that believed and a team that fought for each other for 45 minutes.” The Eagles gained momentum in the second half, and at the 77-minute mark, Victoria DiMartino buried an intended far-post cross on a left-footed shot from the end line into the upper-right side netting. This evened the game momentarily, but it wasn’t long until the Eagles struck again. Five minutes later, in the 82nd minute, a cross from Mewis from the left corner to the head of midﬁelder Julia Bouchelle produced the game-winning goal. “In your biggest games, your special players rise to the occasion,” Foley said. “The creativity and ability to get it behind two players and drive a beautiful ball across like Kristen did to create the goal is something only Kristen Mewis can do.” With just under four minutes remaining in the game, Mastroianni came up with a big save to secure BC’s victory, which advanced the Eagles to the second round of the tournament. “The ACC conference is a great conference, because it puts us in the hot seat every game,” Foley said. “I really believe in this group’s character, and I believe in our ﬁght.” 

Sweet Sixteen, from B1

in the lead. “I have been working on set pieces, and they told me to get up there and follow the ball, and that’s what I did. I really wanted to show my team I can play for them.” The Eagles used the ﬁrst half to create a lead, and the second half to increase that margin. In the 60th minute, Stephanie Wirth slid the ball past Hofstra goalie Emily Morphitis on an assist from Mewis, securing their spot in the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in the last seven years. The Eagles recorded 10 shots on the day, while the Pride recorded nine, and Mastroianni came up with two big saves, one during the 60th minute as she lunged to the upper left corner on Laura Green’s strike. Following a brutally physical secondround game, in which the teams combined for 38 fouls and Chelsea Regan left the game after a dangerous challenge, the Eagles will prepare to take on West Virginia in the third round of the tournament at home. “You can look at it like you’re physically beat, but we look at it like it’s a good thing to have the season behind us,” Cerrone said. “We have experience behind us, and I think everyone on our team is ready for the physical battle. As far as injuries go, we have a week now to ice and prepare, so we should be 100 percent on Friday.” 

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Julia Bouchelle (top) and Victoria DiMartino each scored late in the second half to stun BU.

For a slideshow of the second-round win, visit www.bcheights.com/sports

UNC knocks men’s soccer from ACC semifinals BY GREG JOYCE Heights Staff

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

North Carolina’s back line limited Charlie Rugg to just one shot, neutralizing BC’s offense.

After 54 scoreless minutes of back and forth play, No. 4 North Carolina’s (16-2-1) Enzo Martinez put the Tar Heels on the board, North Carolina 1 and it was all Boston College 0 they needed to put an end to No. 21 Boston College’s ACC tournament run on Friday night in Cary, N.C. “I thought we lost to a better team tonight,” said BC head coach Ed Kelly. “They played really well. I have a lot of respect for their team and their coaching staff, and we didn’t have our best game. We had a couple of things going here and there, but we are suffering from a lot of injuries. No excuses, though. I am sure everyone is at this time of year, but we are just not that deep on the bench.” The Eagles were able to control the ﬁrst half by setting their own pace, but they could not to take advantage and put one in the back of the net. Although neither team was able to put a shot on goal, BC had three early chances within the opening 15 minutes. None of them were on target, though, and they were the only shots the Eagles took in the ﬁrst half. It didn’t take long for UNC to adjust in the second half, as the Tar Heels came out of the locker room strong and scored

the game-winner just nine minutes in. The goal was set up by a Kirk Urso shot from 40 yards out. BC goalkeeper Justin Luthy dove forward to scoop up the ball, but it bounced out of his reach, and a speedy Martinez came crashing in. His ﬁrst shot slammed off the post, but he kept with it, ﬁnally knocking it into the back of the net with Luthy still sprawled on the ground at the 54:01 mark. “Tough goal for us,” Kelly said. “They probably could have scored at different times.” Forced to play from behind, the Eagles were ultimately hindered by their injuries and tired legs, as they were again unable to put any shots on goal. “We stuck with them for a little while, but again, we were limited as far as injuries,” Kelly said. “We kept getting a few more guys injured. Karl [Reddick] came back from a bad ankle sprain, and he gave the 30 minutes he could give us and then he had to go back out again. We pushed up a little higher, but not much changed in what we created out of it. [UNC] did a very good job.” Edvin Worley had the best chance for the Eagles in the second half off a pass from Amit Aburmad, but his shot went just wide of the post, missing the equalizer by about two feet. “We pushed another forward up, and [Worley] almost got one when he put it

wide,” Kelly said. Tar Heels defender Jalil Anibaba also neutralized striker Charlie Rugg, BC’s leading goal-scorer. The ACC first-teamer was kept quiet all night by Anibaba, and was limited to just one shot in the game. “Anibaba did a really good job when we played into Charlie, so he did a great job in that situation,” Kelly said. “Not dominated, but possession-wise, they did really well with keeping the ball. They had us running quite a bit, and we were playing a lot of defense.” BC finished with seven shots to UNC’s 16, but had none on goal, while the Tar Heels had six. Luthy finished with five saves, giving a solid performance aside from his miscue. Aburmad led the offensive-attack with three shots, two of which sailed over the crossbar. Kyle Bekker added two shots, as well. After upsetting Duke on Wednesday night, the banged-up Eagles were unable to pull off another one in the semifinals. Reddick was only able to play 34 minutes, and center defender Sacir Hot was inactive after battling injuries all year long. “That one [game] was a tough one for us,” Kelly said. The team will now wait to see its seeding in the NCAA tournament, which will be announced this afternoon. 

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

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, November 15, 2010

BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK

Eagles show new look under Donahue in opener BY DANIEL POPKO Heights Staff

Steve Donahue got his career at the helm of the Boston College men’s basketball program off to a flying start, defeating St. Francis, 79-49, on Friday night. The first victory was reassuring for the Eagles’ new head coach, the first since 1997, but Donahue didn’t put nearly as much importance into one game, a first win or not. “I don’t really concern myself with what it means,” Donahue said. “One win here, it’s really important for this group to get off to a great start.” A great start was what propelled the Eagles to victory, holding the Terriers scoreless for 10 minutes behind a 24-2 opening run. Despite the new leadership, the result was not all that different from last year’s contest. Using a 15-0 run early in the first, the Skinner-led team also beat the Terriers, 72-44, in Conte Forum. No luck from long distance One of the staples of Donahue’s offense is the supposed 3-pointer threat from nearly every player on the court. After averaging one three-point attempt per minute in the scrimmage against Philadelphia, the Eagles reined it in a bit, but found little success, hitting only four of their 21 attempts from deep. “I thought [the threes] were rushed,” Donahue said. “We maybe were open, but just didn’t get a chance.” Fourteen of the 21 attempts came in the first half, as BC came out firing. Joe Trapani’s shot looked flat to start the game, and he hit just one of his four attempts. Reggie Jackson’s deep three as the shot clock ran out was his only make from beyond the arc in four attempts of his own. With the offense designed to give players the open shots on the perimeter, the onus is on them to knock these shots

down. Donahue believes his players will ﬁgure out their long-distance form in due time, but only if they work the ball through a progression more efﬁciently. “We didn’t do a great job of moving the basketball,” Donahue said. “They weren’t in rhythm, and we didn’t make the defense guard us.”

Freshmen get their shot With a new coach on the sideline and only seven scholarship players returning, it was obvious that some new faces would have to step up for the Eagles this season. With Dallas Elmore, the only experienced player available off the bench, Donahue’s first two recruits, Danny Rubin and Gabe Moton, were thrust into the action early. Both players saw over 20 minutes of play. “It’s nice to see that they’re coming in with a little confidence, making some plays,” Trapani said of the duo’s contributions. Rubin made his debut just four minutes into the game. After looking nervous while missing his first two three-point attempts, Rubin connected on a jumper near the end of the first half to open his account. The 6-foot-6 swingman got the crowd buzzing in the second, hitting a three from the wing, and then blocking Akeem Bennett’s jump shot at the other end on his way to a nine-point opening performance. Moton, usually a point guard, was forced to play off the ball for the Eagles due to the presence of Biko Paris and Jackson ahead of him. Wearing former guard Tyrese Rice’s No. 4, Moton tried to channel the mercurial guard, freely firing from deep, but failed to find his stroke, missing all three of his attempts from behind the arc. He had slightly more success inside the stripe, banking a runner in off the glass and hitting an open jumper. Most importantly for his development, Moton finished with two assists, without turning the ball over.

NICK RELLAS / FOR THE HEIGHTS

Seniors Joe Trapani (left) and Cortney Dunn (right) both contributed important minutes in the Eagles’ win over St. Francis to open the season. Odds and Ends Cortney Dunn got the start at center in place of Josh Southern, who is recovering from a minor surgery. Donahue expects Southern to begin practicing this week and to see limited action Thursday against Yale. Despite featuring a relatively undersized trio of 6-foot-8 Dunn, 6-foot-8 Trapani, and 6-foot-6 Chris Kowalski at

center, the Eagles owned the rebounding edge, 38-34. Corey Raji led the way with nine boards, and Trapani pulled down eight. Despite being credited with just two fast-break points, the Eagles’ ability to get out quickly off Terriers misses led to open shots and easy layups. Paris (ﬁve rebounds) and Jackson (two) were able to trigger the offense quickly after col-

lecting the ball. Walk-ons Peter Rehnquist and John Cahill got on the score sheet with two points apiece. Cahill’s layup gave him the ﬁrst points of his career. 

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

Stifling defense keeps St. Francis flustered

defensively and thrive on fast breaks with a group of ﬁve ball handlers and four 3-point shooters. admitted is often a weak spot of the zone. This lineup shows a marked change from last year’s “Teams I’ve had in the past have had a dif- team that consistently tried to play half-court ficult time rebounding offense. out of that,” Donahue And with a squad that “That’s kind of what our mind- ﬁgures to run more this said. “It just seems [the Eagles] can rebound out season, locking down on set was coming in – play good of that, and I think it will defense and forcing turnD, play intense D, take the be a defense that will really overs will be critical if the help us.” baseline away. The offense will Eagles wish to maximize Running regular man to advantages offentake care of itself as long as we their man, the team showed off sively. They accomplished continue to do that.” its above-average length, that on Friday, forcing 18 consistently blocking turnovers. passing lanes and pre“That’s kind of what -Joe Trapani venting the Terriers from our mind-set was coming Forward getting good looks at the in – play good D, play inhoop. The tweener lineup tense D, take the baseline of Jackson, Raji, Trapani, Biko Paris, and Dallas away,” Trapani said. “The offense will take care of Elmore proved that it can shut down an opponent itself as long we continue to do that.”

Season Opener, from B1

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Point guard Jaclyn Thoman scored 10 points in the Eagles’ 84-65 win over Boston University in the season opener.

BC runs away from BU in the second half BY MAEGAN O’ROURKE Assoc. Sports Editor

The Boston College women’s basketball team (1-0) opened its 2010-2011 season with a win on the road at Boston University (0-1) Friday. The Eagles defeated the Terriers, 84-65, behind an impressive shooting effort Boston College 84 from guard Kerri Shields 65 Boston Univ. and a dominant low-post game from center Carolyn Swords. Shields scored a career-high 21 points to lead the Eagles in scoring, hitting seven of eight 3pointers in the game. Swords, who was named to the preseason Naismith Trophy watch list, opened her senior campaign with her 31st career doubledouble with 14 points and 18 rebounds. Shields opened the game with a 3-pointer to give BC an early lead, while point guard Jaclyn Thoman also helped maintain the lead by scoring eight of her 10 points in the first half. The Eagles stayed ahead of the Terriers for the rest of the game, but BU applied persistent pressure to keep it interesting. BU made the score 26-22 with 10 minutes to play in the half, but the Eagles once again were able to pull away. The Terriers’ Alex Young hit a 3-pointer with a minute left in the first half to bring BU within three, but the Eagles were able to hold on for the slight 40-37 advantage. The Terriers continued their efforts to catch up with the Eagles in the second half, but BC opened the half with a five-point run to protect its lead. BU had the chance to tie with 13 minutes remaining in the second half, but the Terriers missed a threepoint attempt. The Eagles collected the rebound

and extended their lead to 53-47. Shields scored 15 points on five 3-pointers in the half alone to keep the Eagles ahead, while senior forward Stefanie Murphy, who scored 12 points in the game, added four points to hold off the BU comeback. The Eagles outscored the Terriers by 16 points in the second half, giving them the win. Head coach Sylvia Crawley played all five of her freshmen in the game, with Kristen Doherty earning the start at guard alongside Shields and Thoman. The other four freshmen – Shayra Brown, Tiffany Ruffin, Korina Chapman, and Katie Zenevitch – all recorded double digits in playing minutes, as well. All five freshmen also scored in the game, with Zenevitch contributing seven points The Eagles also shot a blistering 63 percent from beyond the arc in the game, thanks in part to Shields’ hot shooting. BC was also accurate from the rest of the field, recording a 49 percent field goal percentage for the game. On the other end, the Eagle defense held BU to a 38 field-goal percentage and 44 percent from the three-point line. BC allowed BU’s Alex Young to score 30 points, but managed to limit the Terriers’ scoring opportunities from there. Besides Young and Mo Moran, who scored 15 points for the Terriers, BC held all other scorers to single digits. BC also dominated on the boards, collecting 46 rebounds compared to BU’s 35. Murphy contributed six boards in addition to Swords’ 18. The Eagles also picked up 13 steals, while the Terriers only forced eight. Thoman had four of those steals, while Doherty added three. The Eagles will next see action when they host the University of Hartford in their home opener this Monday. 

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

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Monday, November 15, 2010

The Heights

Around Campus

Gasson’s historical artwork under wraps By Tessa Trainor

For The Heights It may seem as though some pasrts of the campus have been overtken by scaffolding, cranes, and construction, all of which block students and visitors alike from seeing or entering Gasson Hall. The rotunda in Gasson is one of Boston College’s treasures but remains inaccessible for many students while it gets a facelift. But when it si open, the rotunda at the center of the building acts as an art gallery that showcases five statues, four large paintings, inscriptions over the doors and painted decorations that cover much of the rotunda’s Gothic stonework. The area is so ornately decorated that it is easy to overlook little details and pictures. According to The History of Bos-

ton College by Father Charles Donovan, S.J., the centerpiece of the rotunda is a statue of St. Michael. With a sword in his hand and a snake under his foot, the structure shows the Archangel triumphing over Lucifer, a scene based on the Book of Revelation, 12:7. Standing at 11 feet and three inches tall , the marble statue is huge, and is almost as old as BC. The sculptor, Scipione Tadolini, was commissioned in 1865 by Gardner Brewer, a Boston merchant, and the statue was later purchased, and then donated to BC where it was placed in Gasson’s rotunda in 1913. The vanquished Satan lies with his breast on the ground, flames issuing through the crevices. His right hand is pressed against the earth, trying to raise himself. His expression fumes hatred, looking up to the Angel that

Alex Trautwig / Heights Editor

is standing above him with divine beauty. St. Michael’s right hand grasps his sword, holding thunderbolts in his left hand. A mantle that extends downwards from his left arm to the back of Lucifer supports the weight of the sculpture while giving the illusion that it is sustained by Michael’s wings. Surrounding the statue of St. Michael, four smaller marble statues dwell in their own spaces. They are the statues representing four Jesuit saints: Ignatius of Loyola, Stanislaus Kostka, John Berchmans, and Aloysius Gonzaga. You might recognize those names, especially if you were a resident of Upper Campus freshmen year. Each of the saints are represented in different poses and as different aspects of life in the service of God. St. Ignatius is represented in a cassock, his left hand clasping a crucifix to his breast, a scroll in his right hand, the rosary suspended from his cincture. St. Aloysius represents the young Jesuit in cassock and surplice, a vestment worn by assistants at liturgical functions. His left hand is wound with rosary beads while both hands clasp a book, which could be a Bible or missal. His face is somewhat frail, the artist’s stylistic nod to his noble lineage. St. John Berchmans is represented in his Jesuit cassock covered by a cloak. His hands are entwined in rosary beads and are holding St. Ignatius’ rules for the Society of Jesus. St. Stanislaus Kostka is represented in cassock and surplice, holding the infant Jesus. He is the patron saint of novices seeking membership in religious orders. Above the doorways of the four entrances where these statues dwell, expressions are printed. Above the Irish Hall, the words “Quis ut Deus?” are written, mean-

ing “Who compares to God?” Coincidently, this expression is the Latin translation of Michael’s name in Hebrew. Over another exit is the motto of the Society of Jesus, “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam,” meaning “for the greater glory of God.” The third archway reads “Mater Dei Est Mater Mea,” translating “The Mother of God is My Mother,” which expressed the ardent devotion of St. Stanislaus Kostka for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Lastly, in the doorway above St. Aloysius, a question is inscribed. “Quid Hoc ad Aeternitatem?” This phrase has been a familiar challenge of Jesuit spiritual direction and means, “What does this matter for eternity?” Each phrase is associated with a specific saint as seen by the different archways they inhabit. The four paintings that decorate the walls of the rotunda also have important significance and are placed accordingly. Above the St. Ignatius statue, the painting represents Ignatius during his early days as a student. He has a book in his hand and is reciting his Latin lesson. The word “educatio” fills the space above the painting and below it are represented the lamp of education and the book of learning, signifying the importance of education. The other paintings depict the first Mass to be said in New England, explorer Jaques Marquette discovering the Mississippi River, and Athanasius Kircher, one of the leading scientists in Jesuit history. The other words in scripted above the paintings are “religio,” “fides,” and “scienta,” important elements of education. “The theme of the paintings is people who discovered things and then moved on. That is wht eduaction is all about,” says Rev. Richard McGowan, S.J., professor of economics. n

Alex Trautwig / Heights Editor

The bells of Gasson are among the hidden treasures currently hidden from view.

Spotlight: Campus School Marathon Team

Student Life: Weekends

By Marye Moran

By Zak Jason

Running for a good cause Feel the need to pregame For The Heights

Some travel to Appalachia to build houses for the impoverished. Others spend four hours per week tutoring, serving food, or mentoring youths in Boston. For those with a less traditional idea of service, though, a group meets each weekend on Sunday morning to run up to 20 miles. Following the Jesuit tradition of “men and women for others,” Boston College students always seem to find ways to meld service with their personal strengths and passions. Since 1970, students have committed themselves to assisting the Campus School, an oncampus institution that provides support and education to physically and mentally handicapped individuals. Many undergraduates choose to volunteer at the Campus School through tutoring or “buddy” programs, but some have found a different way to show their support. The Campus School Volunteers Marathon Team runs the Boston Marathon every year to raise money for the school. Around 200 students join this group annually, and they train both individually and as a unit. These runners follow a training schedule consisting of short runs done individually, and long runs usually tackled as a group. They use the word short here, though, in the same relative way that one would refer to a sub-6-foot-5 basketball player, as these runs can be anything from three to nine miles. For the long runs, the group meets in front of the Campus School before taking off, constantly thinking not just of the race, but also of the cause driving them to compete. Though their contact with the institution is less direct than

those volunteers who work in the school itself, their impact is by no means smaller. The funds raised by runners have gone toward therapeutic programs for the Campus School students, and every year, around $50,000 is collected for this cause. “What has kept me coming back each year is seeing the difference our fundraising makes in the classrooms … to improve the students’ learning experience,” says Morgan Panzenhagen, committee officer and CSON ’11. The money is collected through individual fundraising, and almost all runners exceed the $150 minimum collection. The committee as a whole also raises funds by reaching out to companies such as Under Armour, New Balance, and Powerade. Though corporate sponsorships and donations have been harder to come by in the current economic climate, this is clearly not a group that quits easily. No, training for Heartbreak Hill certainly requires an iron sense of purpose. The training may be tough, but the the thought of who they are running for keeps volunteers going. “I felt that running for charity gave me a purpose,” Panzenhagen said. “There were some mornings that I didn’t feel like waking up early or days that I didn’t feel like running, but remembering why I was running it and who it was helping always got me through and motivated me to do the training.” Given that group training starts in mid-November and the marathon is not until April, a majority of the preparation takes place during Boston’s coldest months. While the average student struggles to get out of bed and trek to class on those cold winter mornings, Campus School

Alex Trautwig / Heights Editor

Members of the campus school team are are just a few of the runners who participate annually.

marathoners are meeting before the sun rises and running for what could be hours. Though the training is long and difficult, the spirit, tradition, and energy of the Boston Marathon certainly make their efforts worthwhile, volunteers said. Widely considered the top marathon in the world, the Marathon has continued longer than any annual race of its kind. “The marathon was probably one of the top feelings of my life,” says Kevin Truitte, A&S ’13, His experience in Boston inspired him to run two more marathons that year. Typical runners face a difficult qualification process to run in Boston, and 18-34 year olds must have times of three hours and 10 minutes for men, and three hours and 40 minutes for women. However, by running for charity, all interested BC students can participate in this historic and selective event with no prerequisites. While some team members have attained those times and are official marathon participants, most are unofficial. The fact that they do not have a number or an official time, though, is no deterrent. After all, their incentive is the cause, not the credit. Volunteers said that training for the Marathon gave them a way to meet like-minded people whileworking toward a common purpose. “Being a freshman, it was a great way to meet new people through the weekly runs,” says Truitte, referencing his first time running last year. He asserted that he was glad to find a community of people who shared his joint passions for running and service. “Having a group to run with makes it so much easier,” Panzenhagen agreed. “I’ve met a lot of great friends through training.” To most, 26.2 miles is incomprehensible. To push the body to such extremes may seem excessive, but these students think that they have found the perfect balance. Through the Campus School Volunteers Marathon Team, participants change the lives of other students, as well as themselves. They get the contentment that comes with helping others, and have a strong sense of achievement after running a distance that many would think too far for even a taxi or the T. Yes, their way of giving back is unconventional, but they wouldn’t have it any other way. n

Heights Editor

Michael Shea, CSOM ’11, pregames three times per week, almost every week of the semester. “I have a relatively high tolerance, so if I want to get drunk I have to spread out my drinking over a long period of time. In a pregame, I’ll drink enough to give me a nice little buzz,” he said. During his sophomore and junior years, Shea took a methodical approach to pregaming, something reminiscent of American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman. He programmed the clock on his BlackBerry to beep every five minutes. A beep indicated that he should take another shot. Each pregame would last about a half hour, amounting to roughly six shots per pregame. While Shea’s behavior may seem borderline sociopathic, after interviewing students in each grade, it became abundantly obvious that pregaming is a widespread ritual at Boston College. Perhaps more practiced than attending home football games, pregaming is an unspoken standard of the BC social scene. Ever since Puritan ministers erected Harvard University almost 400 years ago, pregaming has found a home on university campuses. Over the years, students have referred to it as “socializing,” “sessioning” (as in engaging in a drinking session), or “fraternizing.” As American football saturated the culture in the 20th century, the practice of tailgating – drinking alcohol and grilling meats and playing lawn games before the game – became popular. Because tailgating occurs before games, someone conceived the term “pregame.” College students eventually adopted the term to apply to their drinking habits before parties. Today, pregaming is a ubiquitous term, and almost a prerequisite for gaming. Shea admitted that he probably drinks more during pregaming than at the events he attends later in the evening. “It’s easier that way,” Shea said. “Once you’re out partying or at the bar, you can focus more on socializing, less on drinking,”says Jason Goode, A&S ’11, in agreement with Shea. He and Shea view pregaming as an “enjoyable task,” but once they complete the task, they can fully enjoy the

company of their friends and meet new people. Goode also reasoned that, “You have to pregame with girls so can you monitor how much they’re drinking. Pregaming allows you to feed them shots so that they stay on your level.” He then put a disclaimer on his statement, saying he was mimicking the mindset of a chauvinist. Craig Kublin, A&S ’11, also claimed he drinks more during pregaming than main events, but mainly for monetary reasons. “It saves money for going out to bars. If you’re already relatively drunk, you only need to buy one or two drinks,” Kublin said. Many seniors practice this ritual. They consume most of what they will drink that night in residence halls, using inexpensive alcohol they purchased in bulk from a liquor store, and venture off in groups for a couple of pricier drinks at bars. For those of age, pregaming can be practical, a means to avoid draining $50 on four drinks. But what about underclassmen? When students don’t have the opportunity to drink at a bar or restaurant, do they pregame with more urgency? (Note: The author has omitted the names of underage students.) One student, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), claimed her pregaming practices have lessened throughout her undergraduate experience. “I pregamed a lot more as a freshman,” she said. “Now I pregame only if I’m going to a big event, like Homecoming or a concert or a big party. “As college has gone on I’ve felt a lot less of a need to drink before a party. You pregame when you’re a freshman to knock down that awkward social barrier. When you’re a sophomore and a junior and senior, hopefully you have made a group of friends where you don’t have to do that.” Many of the upperclassmen I spoke with expressed a similar sentiment. Once they established a core group of friends, they began to spend less time in the evenings drinking together and more time venturing into the city, or attending on campus performances, or debating politics. Shea asserted that drinking before an event “loosens the small talk” when you meet new people at an event. But once they’ve

become familiar with a group of people, they no longer feel a need to drink to be able to engage in conversation with them. Do underclassmen feel isolated and exploit pregaming to facilitate their social lives? A pair of sophomores in A&S living together in Walsh Hall were interviewed for this article. Each weekend, they usually go out once, and they pregame every time they do so. For the most part, they will swig two or three shots together in their room prior to a pregame, a pre-pregame so to speak. During their pregames they will drink more or less depending on how familiar with or how much they like the people attending the later event. Both sophomores admitted they drink most during pregaming, but for other reasons. “You don’t know if the place you’re going to will have any alcohol left by the time you reach it,” one of the students said. “There’s a strong chance of that happening if you go to a party in the Mods.” The other responded, “If you pregame, you also don’t have to rely on drinking something at the party that you don’t like. You have choice at your pregame.” She also claimed that she drinks the most at pregaming because, “You feel like everyone does it, and you feel like you have to rise to the level of everyone else by the time you go to the party.” Four Loko has become this year’s swine flu. After a college liaison for public health warned him and other health directors in the area about the dangers of the drink, and after an incident in which a student was hospitalized after drinking Four Lokos on campus, Dr. Thomas Nary, director of Health Services, decided to send an e-mail warning students against the beverage. “It gives you a false sense of security. You can slug a Four Loko down pretty quickly, and you won’t feel its depressant effects for a while.” And then there’s the freshmen. One freshman from Newton Campus said he pregames 90 percent of the time. “It’s almost necessary, because in a lot of accounts you can’t guarantee getting alcohol at the party,” he said. “It’s low key and we don’t make a huge deal of it. I wouldn’t say I hate it, but I do look forward to a time when pregaming isn’t as much as an integral part of the night.” n

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, November 15, 2010

AFTER COLLEGE

Turn your passions into careers - they did BY BROOKE SCHNEIDER Heights Editor

It’s almost that time of year again. No, not the stringingChristmas-lights-around-theeight-man time of year. Rather, the time for Boston College students to come face-to-face with their fateful pick time and register for spring semester classes. Add to that the stress of selecting a major, and the result is more nail-biting than anything experienced during a week of midterms. It is this attitude, that the classes and majors students choose will limit the range of careers they can pursue, which makes this period so stressful. Contrary to this popular belief, one’s major has quite the opposite effect on the range of careers students can claim as their own. “Students don’t have to go into something directly related to their academic major,” says Janet Costa Bates, associate director of the Career Center. “And most people, 75 percent of people, go into a career ﬁeld that has little or no relation to their undergraduate major.” BC alumni have reinforced the Career Center’s assurances. Instead of pursuing a career related to a particular major, many alumni have established careers based on extracurricular passions. From coaching NFL football to brewing beer and all the ceramics and television production in between, BC alumni have made their presence known in nearly every industry. Pete Carmichael, BC ’94, graduated with a degree ﬁt for an actuary or a high school math teacher – two careers he would have considered had he not made it to a coaching position similar to the one he holds now: offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints. Carmichael majored in math because he enjoys working with numbers, he says. However, his passion for football trumped his desire to move into a math-related career.

““As the year [1994] was getting near the end, I thought to myself, ‘ ‘You know, I really do want to get involved in the coaching aspect of football,’ so I got a job at the University of New Hampshire as a volunteer.” Pete Carmichael, BC ‘94 Offensive Coordinator for the New Orlean Saints

“As the year [1994] was getting near the end, I thought to myself, ‘You know, I really do want to get involved in the coaching aspect of football,’ so I got a job at the University of New Hampshire as a volunteer,” he says. Though Carmichael played baseball while at BC, his heart always lay with the sport that he grew up around – football. “The true passion was always football,” he says. After volunteering at UNH for one year, Carmichael was a graduate assistant at Louisiana Tech before joining its staff and “then everything just kind of worked its way,” to his current position with the Saints, he says. Though he admits that he does not use his math knowledge for his role as offensive coordinator, he still sees the value in his degree. “I think it’s something I’m proud of, to have the degree,” he says. “Regardless of what your major was, I think that what you learn in college is good. “I think you just got to go with what you enjoy doing. Don’t try to do something that you’re really not passionate about, if you’re not interested, because really, if you don’t, then you’ll probably never have a job you really like.” Adam Walsh, BC ’08, English major turned beer brewer,might as well have been acting on Carhmichael’s advice when he looked at post-graduate life. Walsh entered the real world with a degree in English, having gravitated toward his English classes out of all his Core requirements. A summer internship at a publish-

ing company, however, dissuaded him from pursuing a career in the publishing industry, leaving Walsh without any specific post-graduate plans. “I guess I didn’t really have a game plan or any sort of career goals coming out,” Walsh says. It was while he was working for a roofing company and visiting breweries in his spare time that his passion for brewing beer landed him a job at Harpoon Brewery. As the winner of a 2008 Sam Adams home brewing competition, which resulted in his beer being sold at Patriots games for the 2008 season, Walsh was no stranger to the professional brewing industry. His true passion for brewing took root while Walsh was studying abroad in Spain. “I took a couple flights over to Belgium, into Germany, England, and stuff, all of which have pretty great brewing cultures and traditions, and obviously, I tasted all the beers over there and kind of just started becoming interested in beer and brewing,” he says. He further developed his passion once back in the States by researching different types of beer and reading up on how to make beer at home. The recipe that won him the competition in 2008 was actually brewed in the backyard of his Hammondswood Rd. apartment. “You’ll notice when you start brewing your own beer, that you have a lot more friends than you thought you had originally,” he jokingly says. Walsh is currently working as a production brewer at Harpoon, where he works with centrifuges and filters in the production process, partakes in taste panels,

and develops recipes, he says. “One of my recipes [Grateful Harvest Cranberry Ale] was actually just produced this fall, which is actually pretty cool,” he says. Walsh’s current duties are a far cry from those typically associated with an English major, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. “I feel great,” he says. “Both things [majoring in English and working at a brewery] were fulfilling. I learned a lot from studying English, and I think I can take some of those broad skill sets that I got from studying that and apply them to the industry I’m in now.” Broad skill sets, such as Walsh describes, are the appeal of a liberal arts degree. “Having a liberal arts degree will really teach you how to think, how to learn, you’ll develop analytical skills, problem solving skills, communication skills, and those types of things are applicable to any field, any field at all,” Costa Bates says. Or it can teach you how to save a life, as in the case of Isabelle Abramson, BC ’07, graduate of the Connell School of Nursing (CSON) turned artist. Though a nursing degree does not qualify as education in the liberal arts, the practical skills in which Abramson was instructed helped the self-taught artist administer CPR to a man who had a heart attack on the streets of Jamaica Plain, Mass. “I never would have gotten CPR-certified if I was just an artist walking around,” Abramson says. “Even if that guy lived for only a few more years, it would have been worth going to nursing school.” Abramson briefly attended art school when she was 19 before deciding that she needed to go somewhere more stable and comforting in the wake of Sept. 11. That place was BC, and it was here that Abramson was drawn to CSON because of her desire to help people and inspire good in

the world, she says. After graduHaving always been passionating, she worked at a hospital ate about entertainment and but soon made the bold move television, Hundgen and a group to quit. Luckily, she found a job of friends decided to create a as a nurse at a high school in student-produced show, Now Vermont, which she had visited You Know, for BC Cable. It was in high school. “The job in Ver- during the production of this mont, it was at an arts program, humorous and informative news so it was painful for me because program that Hundgen realized I really loved being there, and I he could make a career out of loved the kids, and it was really his passion. fun, but then I wasn’t able to do While he was in Ireland durany of the art,” she says. It was ing his junior year, Hundgen says at this point that she knew she that he received a call from a had to incorporate art back into challenge producer on Survivor, her life. offering him the last spot on his When she moved back to Bos- “Dream Team” to test challenges ton, she did just that. Though it for the show. “He didn’t tell me took her time to find the perfect where I was going, I had to pave studio, Abramson is finally set- my own way,” Hundgen says. “I tled and running her own ceram- had no idea what I was going to ics business full-time. Though be doing but I was like, ‘Let’s her current work bears no direct do it.’” relation to her nursing degree, Since being a member of the Abramson attributes her success “Dream Team,” Hundgen has to that very educahelped produce tion. “I don’t think “You’ll notice when shows like Shear I could have been an Genius and The artist if I didn’t have you start brewing Biggest Loser, and a nursing degree beyour own beer, has casted for Top cause [as an artist] Chef. He has also you feel so isolated that you have a lot done on-air reand like people are more friends than porting for TMZ. judging you,” she u n d ge n ’s you thought you pathH to says. Nothing says his dream had originally.” career is reminiscomfort and financial stability like a degree Adam Walsh, BC ‘ 08 cent of the stories from one of the top of other alumni in undergraduate busihis willingness to ness schools in the country, the “throw caution to the wind,” as Carroll School of Management he phrases it. “Take a risk, take (CSOM). Michael Hundgen, BC a leap,” he advises BC under’05, threw all of the presumed graduates. security that accompanied his Regardless of whether a gradfinance degree out the window, uate’s career is based on their though, when he moved to Los academic major or an extracurAngeles to pursue a career in the ricular passion, Walsh says that entertainment industry. “I took the education one receives at marketing and accounting class- an institution like BC is invalues in high school, and I thought, able. “A lot of people think that ‘Let me apply to the School of if you spend money on an eduManagement,’ and I thought, cation, it should earn you this ‘Oh, I’ll just work on Wall Street much money,” he says. “A career or do something financial in New shouldn’t necessarily earn your York,’” he says. “But about half- money back, it should basically way through my sophomore year, earn you a job doing something I kind of questioned a lot of that you like, something you love, so and discovered that I had other that you wake up in the morning passions outside of that.” and want to go to work.”

editor’s column

Five things I hate about being grown I find it incredibly ironic that the scene from The Lion King where Simba is singing about how he can’t wait to grow up is the scene that encapsulates Kris Robinson everything that childhood means to me. It’s “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” that I think of when I find myself swimming through the sea of nostalgia, not “Hakuna Matata,” though childhood still means no worries. Maybe it’s Jason Weaver’s (a.k.a. young Simba) innocent sounding voice, or maybe it’s Simba’s playful attitude in the back-and-forth banter between he and Zazu (the bitter bird) in the song, or maybe it’s the resounding chorus of “animals” near the conclusion of the song, but there’s something about the song that makes me so … happy. And I guess that’s what childhood represents for a lot of us. A time of happiness. When I first decided to do the nostalgia series, admittedly, I viewed what seemed to be an early onset of nostalgia among our generation as not necessarily a bad thing, but definitely not a good thing either. I sought to examine why this was happening, to find out why people my age were already missing their childhoods when, for the most part, that’s been something traditionally associated with people twice or three times my age. I saw it as something that wasn’t supposed to be happening despite the fact that I found myself yearning for specific things from when I was a kid. I never stopped to think about why there may be nothing wrong with its occurence And so, to put my own personal end to the series, here are five things I miss about my own childhood, in no particular order. I hope one or two or all of them resound with you in some way (especially the ’90s kids, whom, as a ’90s kid myself, I hold dear to my heart.) 1.) Scooby Doo – Everybody has their favorite childhood show. For some, it was Power Rangers, and for others, it was Hey Arnold! For me, it was Scooby Doo. I’ve always been a fan of the supernatural and as a kid, Scooby-Doo was as supernatural as it got (even though at the end of every episode, it was revealed that in actuality, the villains were anything but out of this world). There was no feeling like the one I would get when I’d figure out who the villain was before they were unmasked, and for that, Scooby and the Gang will always have a place in my heart. 2.) One-hit wonders – Yes, they’re still a staple of the music industry today, but the ’90s and the ’00s were infamous for their one-hit wonders, especially in the pop genre. Honorable mentions include “Baby Got Back,” “Macarena,” “Who Let The Dogs Out?,” and “Stacy’s Mom,” but there’s quite a few more. If you’re anything like me, you find yourself humming random tunes while walking to class, tunes you haven’t heard in ages that are triggered by a sound or a memory or a line from a passerby conversation. Pretty soon, you’re fighting the temptation to belt out the entire song, full lyrics and all. That’s the work of the one-hit wonder. 3.) Game Boy – The number of hours I spent playing with my Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and then Game Boy Advance, seem countless. In elementary and middle school, my friends and I would forego meals to commit our undivided attention to the handheld devices. I’d lose precious hours of sleep playing with my Game Boy in bed and shed tears if my Pokemon game happened to turn off without me saving my most recent progress. Game Boy led to heated arguments, joyfilled reunions and friendships built on competition, and bonding over games. Thank you, Nintendo. 4.) Freedom from responsibility (real responsibility, anyway) – Did anybody actually do homework in elementary school? What was the purpose of middle school grades anyway? Oh wait, to get into high school. I digress. When the biggest thing you have to worry about is what you’re wearing to school the next day, you know you have it good. 5.) Sleep – No explanation necessary. But I don’t miss wetting the bed or sleeping with a nightlight. Well, maybe the nightlight.

Kris Robinson is the Assistant Features editor for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com

Monday, November 15, 2010

The Heights

How they see it: talking about our generation B y K ris R obinson

Asst. Features Editor Editor’s Note: This is the final part in a three-part series on Generation Y’s nostalgia for times barely past. y g ra n d m o t h e r used to put o n S h i rl e y Temple and we’d watch that together. I used to be like ‘Oh, that’d be really cool if I could dance and sing,’ but I was never like ‘I really want to dance and sing,’” says Lauren Gray, A&S ’14. “I guess I was always kind of a practical kid.” Childhood – it’s a time for fun, fantasy, and freedom from responsibility. A time for dirt-playing, dreams, and drastic change. General labels aside, childhood differs from person to person, its memories capable of either leaving the sweetest taste in someone’s mouth or the most bitter. When put in juxtaposition to their current situation, however, it’s common for students to find at least one thing about their childhood that they sorely miss, if not a slew of them. “I think about my childhood a lot,” says Rayana Grace, A&S ’13. For Grace, her nostalgia first hit when she came to Boston College as a freshman. “I just realized how different things are compared to when I was little,” Grace says. “When you come to college, you have to make friends. When you’re in elementary school, you just meet people and then you become friends.” The trials of friendship during middle school also spurred on bouts of nostalgia for Gray. “I had a pretty rough middle school and it made me wish I was back in third grade, when I didn’t have to deal with this and that,”

“M

Gray says. “I remember in third grade, I had a lot of friends and then around seventh grade, I pretty much didn’t have any because they all stopped talking to me. The ones that I was really good friends with left and the ones that were left just got mean.” While friends are an integral part of a child’s life growing up, researchers have argued that in the pre-adolescent years, when most of a child’s time is spent at home in lieu of going out, it is the family that has a distinguished influence. Zach Frank, A&S ’14, recalls his family dynamic positively. “My family was close-knit,” Frank says. “I mean, we’ve always been close knit, so I kind of have fond memories of that.” Though most would see a close-knit family as a good thing, Frank says that the fact that he was so close with his family made it hard for him to branch out. “My regret now is that we were so close knit. Now that I’m at college, it hasn’t been too difficult, but in the beginning, it was,” Frank says. He believes that him being at college will make things harder for his younger brother, a sophomore in high school. “It’s going to be especially hard for my brother now, because he’s home alone with just my mother, and my dad travels so much,” Frank says. “Before I would hang out with him and that was fine and now, he’s kind of on his own.” Though having a strong attachment to his family may have presented a problem for Frank in one aspect, it helped him in others – he was never subject to helicopter parenting. “My parents were pretty lax,” Frank says. “I was kind of the one who put the pressure on myself. So I think I was kind of different in that I kind of sought out things.” He notes, however, that not every child is subject to

such a lack of pressure, citing one of soccer here at BC. Grace still enjoys his friends’ experiences. “One of my playing board games. But while some friends goes to Julliard, and she’s an things don’t change, others just aren’t amazing violinist. When she was two the same. “I miss how holidays were years old, her mother so huge when I was Childhood – it’s a crafted a special vioyounger,” Gray says. lin for her to learn on time for fun, fantasy, “Christmas was just because she was so the best time of the and freedom from young,” Frank says. “I year. When I became don’t even know if you a freshman, it hit me responsibility. can talk at that age that Christmas will A time for dirtand she’s being taught never be the same violin, so it’s kind of again.” playing, dreams, How do today’s like she’s being forced and drastic change. cartoons into it.” look to the General labels aside, nostalgic eye? “CarFor many, the happenings of childhood now are defichildhood differs from toons are not stigmatized by nitely worse,” Grace person to person, its says. “I feel like the pressure more characteristic of adultshows are really stumemories capable hood. The lightheartpid. They don’t have of either leaving the the good values of ed, carefree activities that a majority shows like Hey Arsweetest taste in of people associate nold! and Recess and someone’s mouth or Doug.” with their youth still persist, even in the “I feel like they’ve the most bitter. face of newly imposed r u n o u t o f i d ea s ,” societal demands. “As a kid, I liked Gray says. “It’s like they used all the to make up dances with my friends really good ones and now they’re tryand perform them,” Grace says. She ing to fish for things and it’s hard. I says she also enjoyed playing board don’t like how it’s getting all digital games, was really into Bratz dolls, and looking either, thanks to the shift in played jump rope a lot, though her technology.” aunts were really competitive with it. With change being a natural part Like Grace, Gray also enjoyed playing of life, it’s expected that feelings of board games, among other things. “I nostalgia will arise in a person at some used to play house and kitchen – I’d point in his or her life. Whether these make little concoctions I thought were feelings have positive or negative effood with mixes of things I didn’t even fects is subjective. know,” Gray says. “I liked to go on play “If you can look at it and form a dates … with girls, not boys – boys nice conclusion about it and use it had cooties.” to kind of influence how you’re goWhile Gray may have grown out of ing to live from now on, then that’s a playing “house” and Grace’s obsession great thing,” Frank says. “But if you with Bratz dolls has since faded away, focus too much on it and let it weigh some childhood activities persist into you down, which I’ve been guilty of adolescence. Frank played soccer as a sometimes, then I think it can be child and continues to play intramural detrimental.” n

professor profile: Father Joseph Marchese

Marchese starts students off on the right foot By Mayre Morgan For The Heights

“Have you had lunch with him yet?” “No. I wish! I keep waiting for him to ask me.” “I really just want to have lunch with him.” “I bet he only asks his favorite students.” These statements can be overheard following any Courage to Know class with Father Joseph Marchese, or as his students more affectionately refer to him, Father Joe. A professor of the popular freshman seminar course, he is also a professor in the theology department. However, he is most widely known as the faculty director of First Year Experience. For incoming students, he is the face of Boston College, running the summer orientation sessions and welcoming new students to campus. Unaware that he would be a future student of Marchese’s, Chris Marino, A&S ’14, remembers his first encounter with him at orientation, “He made a point of being very forward and friendly,” Marino said. “He knew a lot of upperclassmen who went to my high school and made a point of making that connection. It was very welcoming.” It seems most students come away with that same impression following a con-

versation with Father Joe. After growing up in Springfield, Mass., Marchese attended Georgetown University, a fellow Jesuit institution. He did not go there with the intention of becoming a priest, however. It was not until his senior year that the American government major reconsidered his plans to go on to law school. It was at this time that Georgetown had brought theologians from Woodstock College to come teach seminars. Marchese was intrigued. This newfound interest, coupled with the Civil Rights movement and the changes occurring in the Catholic Church thanks to the Second Vatican Council, made Marchese forgo his predetermined path. “I saw the Church as a vehicle for social change,” he said. “Thanks to Pope John XXIII, who saw the need to open windows and renew the Church, it began engaging in conversations with the modern world, towards which it had previously been very apprehensive.” It was this promise of change and hope that drew Marchese in, and before long he was attending seminary at Catholic University. There he received degrees in both theology and psychology, while at the same time teaching a course in faith development at the nearby secondary school, The Landon School, in Bethesda, Md. Following his ordanation to priesthood, Marchese attended a doctorate

program at Harvard University, and then moved on to a position at Hampshire College. He received permission from the bishop to be a resident chaplain at Rochester Institute of Technology, and was quickly promoted to university chaplain. This was later followed by positions at Mount Holyoke College, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and Harvard. Finally, he arrived at BC, his first stay at a Jesuit institution since his undergraduate days at Georgetown. Drawn by an interest in ministry and teaching at a Catholic college, Marchese served as director of Campus Ministry as well as a part-time member of the theology faculty. It was after spending 11 years at BC that Marchese was asked to become director of First Year Experience, which was being revamped and revitalized. It worked. The program grew to include such BC staples as the summer orientation sessions, 48Hours, Courage to Know, and the Cornerstone Program. Father Marchese describes his goals in this program as two-fold, saying, “We want to create a culture of intellectual precociousness, and to be able to pursue the goals of St. Ignatius in terms of the formation of students.” However, Marchese’s relationships with students extend beyond their first year here, as he is continuously imparting

his wisdom and advice upon them. Most importantly, he tries to tell students that, “This is precious time. Do your very best, and don’t settle for mediocrity. Find great conversation partners who expand your awareness of life and excite your imagination. Finally, live your life with love and generosity.” It is apparent that Father Joe Marchese practices what he preaches. Haley Farrell, A&S ’14, a student in one of his Courage to Know classes, says, “You can tell that he’s someone who believes what he says. He’s very strongminded and is not afraid to say what he thinks, but he is still respectful. He’s always willing to learn and grow from his students.” What’s one thing that the BC community might like to learn about him? “He always starts every day off with a muffin and Chobani yogurt with fruit,” says Chris Graham, administrative assistant of First Year Experience. A self-proclaimed foodie, it makes sense why Father Marchese likes to spend quality time with his students in the faculty dining room. Dispelling the theories of lunch-date hopefuls, Father Marchese says, “There’s no method to who I pick to take to lunch, just students who are available. Sometimes they’re not even in any of my classes.” n

he said, she said My girlfriend’s brother is an amateur rapper – well, I think he’s an amateur. He goes by the moniker DJ Marcus Aurelius (he was a classics major), and he’s doing a show in Providence this weekend. My girlfriend wants me to go support her brother, but, last time, he pulled me up on the stage with him and made me “wave my hands in the air.” What should I do? - Stage Fright I’m a firm believer in supporting your friends, whether it’s a romantic partner or not, but it sounds like DJ Marcus Aurelius is looking for his 8 Mile moment, and I can understand why you don’t want to go. That being said, often we do things for the people we care about that really serve no purpose for ourselves, and this might have to be one of those things. But, there is a big difference between going to support him and Alex Trautwig getting pulled up on stage. I think it would be totally within your rights to explain to your girlfriend that you will go to support him because it’s important to her (that’s the key when explaining your position) but that you would really appreciate if you didn’t have to become a part of the show. I would imagine that this wouldn’t cause any problems because, let’s be honest, there are very few people who would actually enjoy being pulled up on stage with a rapper, especially one with a classics background. If you’re still having a problem justifying this, think of the last time your girlfriend went somewhere with you or did something to support you. It was probably recently, because it’s a big part of relationships. Another possible solution would be to bring a bunch of friends and make an event of it. I doubt your girlfriend would object to having more people in the crowd to support her brother, and it serves a dual purpose because it could make it more enjoyable for yourself. It looks like you’re trying to support him even more (which of course, is your main motivation), and it can ease the pain for you. Additionally, it’s more unlikely that you’d be singled out to be on stage when you’re with a group of friends. All that being said, if it’s just not going to happen, then try to explain why you don’t want to go, although be very careful not to insult a certain aspiring DJ’s skill, or you could have a way bigger problem on your hands.

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

If you ask me, you got off easy. It’s not like he told you to beat box, or even put your break-dancing skills to the test. So your girlfriend asks you to join her in supporting her brother’s music career. What’s the big deal? I assume your relationship’s one in which she does things to support you. Have you ever asked her to do something for you that made her slightly uncomfortable? If the answer is yes, you’re even. If Julia Wilson it’s no, take her to your next Quidditch match and make her play. Either way, is “waving your hands in the air” at a rap concert (Taio Cruz reference?) really the worst thing someone’s ever asked you to do? Perhaps Thanksgiving Break will serve as the timely reminder you need: Amateur rap is a whole lot better than forced participation at your weird uncle’s Grateful Dead cover band concert. Talk about awkward. Of course, there’s a totally different way you could approach all of this. What if this guy’s really the one doing you a favor, instead of the other way around? When else are you going to be invited onstage during a rap concert? Don’t hold your breath. You might as well take advantage of this minute of it’s-not-that-big-of-a-deal-anyway-fame while you still have the chance. See it as a compliment rather than a burden. Maybe this is his way of showing his sister that he likes you. If you really have an issue with his tendency to include you in the onstage fun, make sure you pull your girlfriend up with you next time. Or you could always grab the mic and do your own freestyling (this would surely make him sorry he ever invited you on stage in the first place).

Julia Wilson is a senior staffer for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com

How-to

Make the most of BC Megan Cain Are you getting the most out of the time, money, and energy you devote to being a student at Boston College? BC undergrads are blessed with four years on a beautiful campus with numerous opportunities.Explore every facet at BC that can make your time here great. Join clubs. There are 225 clubs and organizations at BC. Activities are the best way to meet people with whom you have something in common. From writing, to music, to politics, or service, the list of BC activities seems endless. If you missed Student Activities Day, do not fear. It’s never too late to get involved. Ask a friend what clubs they enjoy and try a few out. Eventually, you’ll find a group that you click with, and you’ll have 20 new friends, a place to be at least once a week, and a way to pursue your interests outside of the classroom. Volunteer. BC students have the chance to help out their community in a variety of ways. There are groups, such as 4Boston, and classes, such as PULSE, that help to organize your involvement in the greater Boston community. You can also go about volunteering on your own terms. For instance, you could approach a shelter or food pantry in Boston on your own and ask if they need help a few hours a week. Other great opportunities to take advantage of are service trips. These groups fundraise and prepare for their trips all year long and then travel during winter, spring, or summer break, volunteering in all parts of the world. Go to athletic events. These are at the heart of our school spirit. Along with your classmates, you get the chance to put on Superfan shirts, bring your energy to a stadium, and cheer on your peers as they represent your school for the ACC or Hockey East. They are truly special events because they make it possible for the entire student body to come together and experience a sense of camaraderie. You do not want to miss out on these fun sports games. Visit Boston. The University is called Boston College, after all. Get familiar with the area around you. There is so much to see and do in Boston, from historical sites and museums to shopping and a real meal. Too many upperclassmen wish they had gone off campus more during their freshman and sophomore years. Meet people. There are 9,000 undergraduate students here, all with different backgrounds and experiences. Chances are that you will click with people beyond those living in your hallway. Do not be afraid to leave your primary group of friends once in a while and hang out with new people. There is so much to learn from each individual here at BC. Make close friends. Although you should get to know a lot of people, it can also be comforting to have a close friend group. Finding this group makes BC feel more like home because these people suddenly become your second family. After five hours go by that felt like a minute and you realize that you spent the time simply talking and laughing in your small double, you know that these are special people whom you do not want to let go. Finding the right friends can greatly contribute to your happiness here at BC. Play sports or stay active. There aren’t many times in life when you will be granted free admission to a recreational complex complete with cardio machines, weights, tennis and basketball courts, a swimming pool, classes, and more. At BC, these opportunities are waiting for you at the Plex. If you feel crammed inside, there is always the beautiful campus and Reservoir to walk or run around. You can also play intramural or club sports. Staying active can help you to reduce stress and promote happiness. Get involved with Campus Ministry. BC is a Catholic Jesuit university, and while being spiritual is in no way required, there are a lot of great ways to further your faith here on campus. Masses are offered everyday, retreats are held both on and off campus throughout the year, faith communities meet weekly, and spiritual directors volunteer their time to talk with students. Use BC facilities and services. Have you ever gone to the Career Center for a practice interview, resume critique, or workshop? Have you ever received tutoring at the Connors Family Learning Center? These are just two of the many services that BC offers, and you do not want to pass them over. They are free and accessible to any undergraduate student. Students pay to attend BC and should feel free to partake in any of these extra benefits. BC does not have all of these resources just for show – they are here so that students may use them and have a well-rounded experience. Explore a little bit, and you will most likely be happy with what you find. Megan Cain is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com

The Heights

Monday, November 15, 2010

Exploring BC’s liberal arts approach By Molly LaPointe Heights Staff

Editor’s Note: This is the first installment in a series that will examine the liberal arts system at Boston College. Through a broad core curriculum, liberal arts institutions across the country, including Boston College, expose students to a range of disciplines. Their mission is to prepare students for their future careers indirectly by teaching them how to learn, which comes with both advantages and disadvantages. “Different disciplines teach you to think in different ways,” said Mary Crane, director for the Institute for the Liberal Arts. “Your brain actually changes as you learn to think in different ways.” Rather than training a student in a particular vocational field, core curricula allow students to gain broad experience in numerous fields, which helps foster multiple skills that benefit them in the long run. “You gain a wider range of skills: analytic skills, communication skills, writing skills,” Crane said. “You end up being more flexible and creative. You learn how to learn things, and can adapt if you have to learn something else.” This education changes students in many ways. “It’s about the transformation of a person,” said Rev. Arthur Madigan, S.J., director of the University core curriculum and professor in the philosophy department. “The moment we say, ‘liberal arts,’ we’re no longer talking about a set of skills. It’s about shaping intelligence, judgment, and imagination of a human being.” Because a liberal arts education focuses more on how a student learns than teaching them a particular set of skills relevant to their career path, some students are concerned their job prospects may be limited. However, the skills they gain are often appealing to employers, regardless of what major they choose, said Janet Costa Bates, associate director of the Career Center. “[Employers look for] people with problem-solving skills, analytic skills, communication skills – all the things Arts and Sciences students have to develop all day. If they have people who have the ability to learn, they can teach them.” Majors are not particularly important, though it is important that students work to gain experience in their chosen field through extracurricular activities and internships. “[Employers] aren’t as interested in majors as they are in experience,” Bates said. “Study what you love to study, but then you have to do something to build the bridge.” As technology changes, there are always new fields opening up, and students with a liberal arts education are more ready to take on innovative careers because they have learned how to learn, Bates said. In addition, most people have eight to nine jobs, with two to three career changes over the course of their lives, and those who have been more broadly educated are better prepared to adjust to such changes. “We don’t want people coming in and learning just one skill,” she said. “The world is going to change, and careers are going to change, and you won’t

be able to adapt.” The general adaptability makes students who have been liberally educated better prepared to deal with the unknown. “If the education works, the person comes out of it curious and open to things that are unforeseen,” Madigan said. Education, however, is not all about preparation for a future vocation. “You’re not just getting an education to have a career, you’re getting an education to have a better life,” Crane said. “It’s almost like a leap of faith. It isn’t necessarily to get you your first job, it’s for your whole life.” Two aspects of BC make it different than an average liberal arts institution: its size and its Jesuit tradition. Because BC is larger than many liberal arts institutions and has three pre-professional schools, students can both be broadly educated and sample what a more vocational education may entail. “Our identity is founded on the belief of the transformative power of a liberal arts education,” said David Quigley, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “I think, to our advantage, our students are able to tap into a large and very impressive faculty, and while they are undergraduates they have the opportunity to experience what a professional education might be like.” Additionally, Jesuit ideals are focused on educating the whole person, which is also reflected in the core curriculum. “Our Jesuit tradition insists upon the importance of a core curriculum, and our students benefit from that broad exposure to disciplines and ways of thinking,” Quigley said. The University core requires students to take theology and explore religion in a way secular schools may not. “BC is potentially more inclusive, because at a secular university there might not be as much openness to a religious or spiritual education,” Crane said. The effect of the broad education BC provides is visible in the way students conduct their studies, Crane said. “An interesting thing to me at BC is that so many people have double majors and triple majors. I think students do understand the spirit of a liberal arts education, but I think the anger is that, to some extent, people think it’s a way to have more on their transcript.” Though a liberal arts education has benefits, there are certain downsides. Because most institutions that emphasize the importance of a broad course of study are private, cost can inhibit some from attending such schools. “I think sometimes people who have less money have to think about a college degree in a more instrumental way,” C ra n e s a i d . “They may not have the luxury of a liberal arts degree.” The cost of such an education is justifiable, Madigan said, but that does not mean it should be inaccessible to less privileged students. “There’s no denying it’s hugely expensive,”

he said. “To be fair, not everybody pays the full freight. My concern is not that it’s too expensive relative to the value, but that it may be operating in a way that excludes a lot of working-class kids.” One way to cut costs would be to cut down the variety of courses, which would allow for fewer faculty members. If the country wanted to make a liberal arts education more accessible, they could do so by limiting options in such institutions, because even in departments or classes with low demand, faculty members must still be paid. “This is a radical idea, and I’m not pushing this, but one reason the BC education is so expensive is that it offers so many options, which is a glorious thing, but you could give it much more cheaply if you were willing to restrict the options,” Madigan said. “Students are paying for faculty whether you use them or not.” Some students may not be openminded enough to benefit fully from a liberal arts education, Madigan said. Such students sometimes think there is an easy way out, a certain quantity of knowledge that will bring success. “Not everyone is cut out for a liberal arts education,” he said. “Some people are skeptical and assume that there’s some magic bullet out there, some quantity you can learn to be successful.” If a student goes into a class seeing it only as a way to fulfill a requirement, they may not benefit fully from the knowledge they gain, Madigan said. “You might conceive of core the way you would think of a workout. You can do it carefully, you can do it sloppily, but it does nowhere near as much good as if you did it intensely.” Sometimes a student goes into a class they feel will not be of use to them, but ends up finding it worthwhile. “A lot of students go into a class like that and their mind is changed,” Crane said. “Every teacher’s goal is always to [have students] come in thinking they won’t be interested and at the end seeing it was interesting, but it never happens with 100 percent of students.” Years later, graduates may find that classes they disliked at the time have been useful later in life. “Many [graduates] will point to a class they didn’t necessarily want to take and didn’t necessarily enjoy, and years and decades later will talk about the importance of taking such a course,” Quigley said. It is hard to measure the effect of a liberal arts education while one is in school or even soon after graduation, Madigan said, because the real effects d o n ’ t manifest themselves until later in life. “You’re not really going to know the results until someone is 30 or 40,” he said. “It’s not just the folks who are getting A’s who are being affected. Some people are letting their studies really form and shape them, and over time it’ll show.”n

I have found that there are many different ways in which the surrounding neighbors perceive Boston College students. On game days, we can be seen as lively and spirited, during the week we can seem studious, and when we take part in community service, we come off as caring students in the Jesuit tradition. On the weekends, however, it all changes. Living off campus this year, I have had the opportunity to witness some very different attitudes that students hold come nighttime. It is as if, by day, students act one way and, by night, they become entirely different people. Last weekend was no exception. After attending a wild and ridiculously out of control social gathering last Saturday, I realized how absurd students could be when desperate to enter said social gathering or even obtain a special beverage. Boys get aggressive and start yelling, girls get catty and scornful, and for what? To walk inside a house that is so packed with students you can barely even move? More often than not, you probably will not even reach the beverages and, if you do, the cups ran out a long time ago, so, really, why bother? While people tried to man the door so more students would not enter, other students were inside trying to ask people to leave, albeit somewhat forcefully. What I do not understand is why students who are asked to leave do not just get up and go. If anything, students can stay behind, try and dance / talk / mingle / score that random hookup, but it will be to no avail. When the social gathering is over, it is over. However, it is these

Michael Wolf

BC with the phrase “ever to excel”? In no way can we be following the Jesuit tradition if all we do on the weekends is abuse our neighbors by acting like wild people. Now, I’m not saying that we need to completely change our ways as a student body, but I think the least we could do is start baking some cookies and handing them out with apologies so that the neighborhood does not completely hate us, and maybe keep the noise level to a minimum. Please realize I am not suggesting you post up mattresses in doorways or put foam on the windows – we do not want to create fire hazards as we are all very aware of the overly intense precautions BC takes in terms of fire safety. Just try to eliminate the line outside your basement door, and do not text your entire phonebook about your party. Next thing you know, all you’ll have is an entire house full of unwanted freshmen and a lack of cups. That being said, try and remember the “men and women for others” expression the next time you want to throw an insane gathering on a Friday or Saturday night, because there are other people outside of our college bubble that do not appreciate our actions on the weekend nights. For those students that regularly do not have the privilege to enter off-campus parties (sorry, freshmen), do not show up insanely inebriated and pour your beverage on one of the hosts / hostesses – you will never have another chance to enter a house again. Francesca Bacardi is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com

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

Alex Manta/Heights Illustration

An alcohol-induced transformation stragglers and the poorly-behaved students outside the door that really are the main cause of the problem. When hosts kindly ask guests to leave, there is no point in staying, so really, it is the stragglers’ fault when the hosts get in trouble. Maybe if the stragglers had left, or if the people outside screaming in the streets had dispersed, Steve Montgomery would not have shown up, but alas, they did not stop screaming, the stragglers remained, and there was the off-campus RA standing at the end of the driveway. These are pretty typical events that occur every weekend (maybe with the exception of Montgomery’s appearance). Much to the neighborhood of Brighton’s chagrin, nothing has changed. Students still run through the streets screaming at the top of their lungs (what is even the point of that?), playing ding-dong ditch and even walking around with open beverages in their hands (what’s up, BC Police Department?). Unfortunately for us, all of these inappropriate actions reflect poorly on the entire student body, even though not everyone is involved. When students behave poorly off-campus, Brighton neighbors call the University, and administrators are forced to respond. There will be more patrols off-campus during the weekend, all because girls and boys could not contain their shouts of excitement that it was the weekend. By the time Saturday rolls around, I think we all understand that it is the weekend. It started on Thursday, so stop screaming. Whatever happened to being “men and women for others,” or even being students who associate their lives at

A presidential acceptance speech My fellow citizens and countrymen, friends and enemies, children, the elderly, and my brother-in-law Steve, I’d like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for all of your support. The results of this election were certainly a bit of a surprise for most of us. To be honest, I had pretty much resigned myself to failure, which is why I began publicly attacking my opponent on-air last night. It should be known that my comments came from a place of great stress and I apologize for calling him a “fear-mongering, leftist, socio-commie fascist with a gluten allergy and a nasty case of erectile dysfunction.” Then again, he lost, so it kind of proves my point. Now that I am in office, I plan to implement some major changes. This won’t be “business as usual” any longer. My first matter of business will be making an addition to the White House. As of right now, it’s pretty good, but this is the United States, and I refuse to settle for anything less than excellence. We’ll begin construction tomorrow for a guest wing that my brother-in-law Steve can stay in, so that he can finally stop sleeping on the cot in my garage. This is called the Two-Birds-One-Stone Act. On a related side note, it’s now legal to kill two birds of any species as long as you only use one rock. This will be called the Fowl Play Act. Second, I plan to fix. This. Country. And fast. I’ve got an all-inclusive plan that can’t fail. It’s a perfect system. To save more and boost the economy, I’m going to shut down the prisons and force the prisoners to work in our schools. The tooth and nail lessons learned by the prisoners will directly carry over and influence this nation’s youth. Literacy will have to rise because you don’t want a spelling error when giving yourself a tattoo with a ballpoint pen and motor oil. Education system: fixed. Of course, the teachers are going to lose their jobs, but it’s not a perfect system and I never said it was. Furthermore I’m going to instate a Green Living Law, which makes pollution illegal. So that takes care of that. What else is there? Oh yeah, war. Everybody gets a gun. That way, if some backwards country wants to invade us, they can be our proverbial guest. They’ll just receive a stomach full of lead in the process. Just remember to only use your gun for good ,okay? For real guys, honor system. God, this is a long speech! I’m really good at public speaking, I guess. And I have charisma, like Hercules or Ross Perot. That’s probably why you elected me. Well, either that or because of my promise that every citizen gets an iPhone. When will you be getting it? Soon. Very soon. I’m talking to Apple about getting a bulk purchase discount. Also, remember Mt. Rushmore? I’m doing that again, but with my face and Everest. We’ve hit a few bumps in construction because apparently we don’t own the mountain, but I think Tibet will change it’s mind when they see that I’ll be carved wearing sick Oakley shades and a faux-hawk. I’m going to see if we can carve one of the smaller ranges into me giving the middle finger to Russia. That reminds me! I want to make Russia our enemies again. I feel like the Middle East has been played out, ya know? Russia was a much more fun enemy. Spies, missiles, the Red Scare, all very entertaining. The last time we had a good-ole red scare was when my brother-in-law Steve did too much blow and got a real bad bloody nose. Almost ruined my wife’s white carpet. I made him sleep in the backyard that night. I guess that’s everything. I just wanted to let the American public know that this is going to be a wicked fun next four years! I’m sure you probably think politics are boring. I certainly do, but not any longer. My State of the Union is going to include a fireworks display, laser tag, and a Van Halen cover band. Every weekend, I’m hosting a pool party and everyone’s invited. Why not have fun with this thing, right? One last thing before I wrap this up. I will be installing cameras in each of your homes. Like I totally trust you and everything, and I’m definitely a cool president, but I figure things will just run a whole lot smoother if we’re all on the same page and I have officials constantly watching you and your family. Cool? Cool.

College Connections

Francesca Bacardi

HUmor

FEATURES

Monday, November 15, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

B10

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2010

The Liberal Arts: An Examination

What is the price of obtaining a free mind?

t’s a question that has occurred to nearly every Boston College student at least once during their undergraduate tenure, one that is voiced bitterly during finals season and desperately as we try to fit in our core requirements while graduation sneaks up faster than expected. It is a question laden with frustration and fear alike. It is the question of “What is the point of a liberal arts education?” and it is one that calls into question the very foundation of our BC experience. Though this grand question is rarely stated explicitly by the secondary education and English double major frustrated with her mathematics core course or the pre-med chemistry major who wonders why he must be subjected to a first-year writing seminar, this is, undoubtedly, the larger issue that their issues are pointing to. For many students, though, the liberal arts tradition is one that they have willingly signed up for, at the urging of a society that has deemed schools adhering to this program to be the architects of the greatest minds. It is a system

whose beneﬁts are largely misunderstood, if they are examined at all. How is it that a BC degree can be so valuable to securing a good job if we’re required to take classes that seem to have no bearing on our future activities and the value of which expires at the end of the semester if and when a GPA-boosting grade is secured? From an economic standpoint, the supposed training of our minds afforded by a liberal arts education can serve to be one of the most expensive investments that a human being will make in the course of their life. What, then, is the payoff? It is a particularly timely question even on the global scale. As students in the United Kingdom protest exorbitant increases in university tuition, the question of the value of a liberal arts education is even further emphasized, and one must truly wonder how and why the process of formalization of the mind has become so signiﬁcant in our global society. Still, as the liberal arts system has sustained itself in one form or another since classical an-

tiquity, serving as the formal education system for many of history’s greatest minds, it’s worth is not one that can merely be overlooked, and it’s experience is not one that cannot just be “endured” for four years – it deserves adequate consideration. That is the task that underscores the series, set to be published over the next four weeks by The Heights, examining the intrinsic worth of the liberal arts program. It will approach the questions that have been puzzled over by scholars and academics for centuries through the lens of the BC system. What does it mean for one university to have four undergraduate colleges, three of which offer more or less speciﬁc “preprofessional” programs? What is the history and future of the core? What prompts students to pursue an education in the humanities, and most importantly, what is gained in the end? This past weekend, four of the sharpest, most dedicated minds in the ﬁeld of examining the liberal arts – including Stanley Fish of The New York Times and Alan Ryan of Oxford Univer-

sity – came to BC to offer their opinion on the issue. They voiced the concerns of modern day students, who, in addition to being inheritors of this gloried education system, are also inheritors of a poor job market and immense demands on them to be graduates with “marketable” skills and not merely a solid grasp on the intricacies of Aristotelian versus Platonic thought. They also quelled these fears, though, stating that it is these pure academic pursuits which come as requirements of a liberal arts program which can translate into the most valuable job and life skills, as they serve to truly “free” the mind to be capable of anything. It is this system, they argued, that liberates us not only to express ourselves and the full potential of our minds, but to continue to perpetuate the intellectual traditions that offer insight into both humanity and the perpetuation of society. Thus, this series will try, to the extent that it can, to delve into the philosophies that serve as the foundation of such arguments and question if they truly hold a place in the modern era. 

EAGLE DATES

THE DETAILS

Catching up with friends

WHEN Wednesday at 8 p.m. WHERE Sunset Grill & Tap HIS GRADE 5,5 “It was action packed and an interesting” date. HER GRADE 5,5 “It was fun to catch up with an old friend.” WOULD THEY GO OUT AGAIN? Future rendezvous predicted

BY KELLY MCCARTNEY F O R T H E H E I G H T S

CYNTHIA CEPEDA SCHOOL AND YEAR: A&S ’12

SAM PRENDERGAST

MAJOR: Biology HOMETOWN: Miami, Fl. LAST BOOK READ: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch CURRENT FAVORITE SONG: “Quickly” by John Legend feat. Brandy CYNTHIA: I saw the name and I thought, “I know three Sams – could it be any one of those?” There have to be more Sams in Boston College, but it would be really funny if it was one of the two Sams I know really well. SAM: After I heard that my date’s name was Cynthia, I thought that I only knew one Cynthia, who I had met through a volunteer group my sophomore year. I still thought it would be interesting if it was her, because I didn’t know her too well. CYNTHIA: I ﬁgured I should ask him if he still wants to go, so I texted him and was like, “I hear we’re supposed to go on a date tonight.” It turned out to be really convenient because I didn’t have to take the T because he drove. So my way to the date was from Voute to Gabelli. SAM: I didn’t want to take the B-Line because everyone knows it’s extremely slow, so Cynthia and I got in touch and I told her I could drive her. In the car ride we talked about school for a minute, but I ﬁgure we do enough of that in the week so

SCHOOL AND YEAR: A&S ’11 MAJOR: Economics and Environmental geoscience HOMETOWN: McLean, Va. LAST BOOK READ: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch CURRENT FAVORITE SONG: “Green Light” by John Legend and TI

I don’t even remember most of it. CYNTHIA: When we got out of the car, a homeless man asked us for money. And then he made this really awkward, really inappropriate comment. It was actually really, really funny. SAM: We got into the restaurant. It was a cool place. They have beer posters all over the wall and old taps all over the place. CYNTHIA: We talked a lot about music. He’s really into electronic music. I went to this music festival in Miami, where I am from, and he’s dying to go too. SAM: She went to Ultra Music Festival, which I’m dying to go to this spring for the ﬁrst time. CYNTHIA: He told our waitress that we were on a blind date and she was like, “That’s so cute.” SAM: I gave her the beer menu and told her to choose a beer for me, and of course there’s like 1,000 beers. And I told her

I NSIDE FEATUR E S THIS ISSUE

that she should be nervous because I’m really particular about two things: my beer and my women. She just laughed. CYNTHIA: He had steak tips with mashed potatoes and he burned his finger on the plate, and I told him to use my water – like put your finger on the side of the water – and he pretended to dip his finger in the water. SAM: She offered me her water glass to cool down my finger, and I assumed that she wanted me to put my finger in the water, whereas she just wanted me to touch my finger to the outside of the glass, so that was interesting.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAM PRENDERGAST

worked for the EPA last summer I tested volatile, corrosive chemicals on small animals like kittens and puppies, and she deﬁnitely believed it. Sometimes I have this really straight face. CYNTHIA: He asked how I like the Northeast vs. South Florida, and we both came to the conclusion that we’re not really Northeast type of people. Northeast people aren’t as friendly or outgoing, and we are. SAM: We both don’t like Northeast people. We both think that people from the Northeast think that the Northeast is the greatest thing ever invented, and it’s just a tiny part of this country.

CYNTHIA: He was telling me what he did at the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] last summer and told me this whole story how he was testing chemicals on baby kittens and I completely believed him and he was lying. I was like, “Oh my God, were they hurt?” and he was like, “I’m completely kidding.”

CYNTHIA: When we drove back, he had to park on Algonquin, and then we walked back to campus. I think we parted ways at Gabelli, and I just gave him a hug. We didn’t have to do the awkward number exchange because we already have each other’s number.

SAM: I got her to believe that when I

SAM: I’d say [the match] is a 5. She was

Spotlight: The Campus School Marathon Team

Learn about fellow students and their extracurricular activities. This week, learn about the Campus School’s marathon team.................................................................................B6

really cool. It was an interesting date. CYNTHIA: I’d give [the match] a 5 because it was fun. We were laughing the whole time, [and] we have pretty similar interests. There was no awkward silence. Even if we didn’t know each other that would still be the same situation. Laugh about the same sort of things. SAM: I’d give [the date] a 5. It was actionpacked. Great American food and a very interesting bar / restaurant. I would hang out with her again. She knows my roommate so pregames, Mod parties, postgames, nothing’s out of the question. CYNTHIA: I’ll give [the date] a 5. Great food, great spot. Didn’t have to take the T. Great conversation. Pretty decent music. It was fun to catch up with an old friend. I’d feel like we’ll run into each other again just by the fact that I know a bunch of his friends.

WANT TO GO ON YOUR OWN EAGLE DATE? CONTACT KELLY AT MCCARTNEY@BC.EDU.

Humor Column.............................B8 College Connections.........................B8

ALEX MANTA / HEIGHTS GRAPHIC

BY A NA T. LO P EZ | S P EC I A L P R OJ EC TS E D I TO R