The Heights 04-11-11

hockey humanitariaN

marathon TALES

RABBIT HOLE SHINES

SPORTS

features

arts and review

Runners reveal their inspirations for the upcoming 26.2 mile journey, B10

Loss and heartbreak poignantly displayed in Bonn Studio’s production of Rabbit Hole, A10

Sophmore hockey player Brooks Dyroff wins an award for his community service, B1

Monday, April 11, 2011

Vol. XCII, No. 21

UGBC undergoes process of altering its constitution Potential changes hope to streamline the document and UGBC’s overall functions

By Adriana Mariella Assoc. News Editor

The UGBC is currently in the process of altering its constitution, a measure that Senate Vice President Mike Joyce, A&S ’12 and a member of the constitutional convention board that will decide on these changes, said will hopefully streamline the way that the UGBC functions and strengthen the standing document.

“We will most likely produce a document that does not drastically differ [from the current constitution], but one that streamlines the way that the UGBC functions,” Joyce said. “It will also clear up some of the ambiguity within the constitution in order to make it a clearer document.”

The constitutional convention board is comprised of members from a variety

Daniel Lee / heights staff

The 9th Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month began with an opening ceremony featuring Audrey Kitagawa, BC Law ’76 (right).

APAHM Opening Ceremony

By Taylour Kumpf

By Tanner Edwards

Last week, seniors stood in long lines waiting to complete their student loan exit interviews. Wednesday was the last day for undergraduates to complete these required interviews, where they were informed of their post-graduate rights and responsibilities based on the financial aid they accepted from the University.

According to University guidelines, all students who are planning to graduate in May 2011 are required to complete an exit interview during their final semester if they have borrowed Perkins, Nursing, Law School, Sharp, Bank of America, Graduate Plus, or Stafford loans while attending Boston College. Failure to complete the exit interview process results in a hold on students’ transcripts and diplomas.

The information presented during the interview is a summary of the information contained on the promissory notes that students signed. It is suggested that students become familiar with interest rates and repayment terms prior to the interview.

The session will also provide information about the repayment, deferment, and cancelation provisions governing student loans, as well as loan consolidation options.

A “typical” loan portfolio for a gradu-

Students, faculty members, and University administrators filled the Heights Room Friday night for a dinner celebrating the beginning of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) at Boston College.

The APAHM Opening Ceremony, put on by the APAHM Committee, in conjunction with the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of AHANA Student Programs, and other student organizations, mixed Asian cuisine, cultural entertainment, and an awards ceremony, and included a keynote address from an advisor to the United Nations to make for a memorable kick-off to a month-long celebration.

The co-chairs for the ninth annual APAHM commemoration, Roma Estandian, LSOE ’11, and Al Wong, CSOM ’13, addressed the crowd to begin the evening’s proceedings. The duo pointed to the month’s events as an opportunity to not only celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, but as a means to reflect on the diversity of BC and the United States as a whole.

“This has significance not only to the Asian community, but to all ethnic groups,” Estandian said.

Justin Woo, a former co-coordinator of APAHM and A&S ’11, echoed Estandian’s sentiments, hitting on the significance of the official national celebration of APAHM in the month of May.

“What APAHM is really about is raising cultural awareness throughout campus and the greater Boston community,” he said. “The purpose of APAHM is not only to celebrate, but to educate.”

The Opening Ceremony served as the venue for the presentation of the Dr. Donald Brown Award honoring extraordinary contributions to the AHANA community through scholarship, service, and leadership.

Susan Choy, CSOM ’11, was honored with the award.

Karl Bell, assistant director of the Student Programs Office, read numerous remarks from professors lauding Choy.

“She is one of our most engaged student

See APAHM, A4

Planned BC Parkour demo cancelled

By Rebecca Kailus Heights Staff

As future members of the Class of 2015 flocked to Boston College for Admitted Eagles Day yesterday, they did not witness the Parkour demonstration planned for that day.

Originally scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 10, the BC Parkour (BCPK) demonstration was cancelled in order to secure the safety of both the participants and the “admitted eagles” and their families.

BCPK is an unofficial club on campus that practices the philosophy of movement through showcasing the unique movement of each individual’s body in its environment.

Since its creation in 2007, the unofficial club has grown to 25 active members, with over 150 students who have expressed interest by signing up for the club’s listserv.

Matthew Cullen, president of BCPK and A&S ’12, said that BCPK is based upon the philosophy of moving within one’s environment.

“The basic definition of parkour is difficult to pin down exactly [because every practitioner has a slightly different philosophy], but essentially it is the art of moving efficiently and creatively through one’s environment,” Cullen said.

Cullen said that the demonstration, scheduled for Sunday, aimed at demonstrating this philosophy to the BC community while teaching people basic techniques.

“We were originally planning to have

See Parkour, A4

See Constitution, A4

Seniors line up to complete required loan exit interviews

Susan Choy, CSOM ’11, awarded at kick-off event for APAHM Heights Staff

of UGBC branches, including Micaela Mabida, UGBC president and CSOM ’11; Kelsey Gasseling, president of the GLC and A&S ’11; Harvey Simmons, Senate president and A&S ’11; Erika Hernandez, president of the ALC and A&S ’11; Nick Domino, Senate member and A&S ’12, and Joyce, among others.

The decision to begin these delegations comes after the reorganization of the Student Programs Office (SPO), Joyce said.

“SPO reorganized itself and as a result, there was a sort of consensus between the SPO and the UGBC to reexamine how we function,” he said. “We are examining the current constitution and seeing what changes would streamline [that function]. We are asking, ‘What is

News Editor

Alex Trautwig / heights Editor

ating senior includes a $5,500 principal balance with a fixed interest rate of 6.8 percent.

Borrowers of Massachusetts No Interest Loans are also required to complete an exit interview prior to commencement. These can be completed online, according to Massachusetts guidelines. n

Campus welcomes admittees

andrew powell / heights staff

CASA recently hosted 100 students for their 8th Annual Youth Leadership Conference on Cuba.

Conference addresses Cuba

By David Cote Heights Editor

Despite the decidedly negative foreign interaction between the United States and Cuba over the past 50 years, cultural ties between the two nations have never been stronger. This past weekend, the Boston College Cuban-American Student Association (CASA) hosted 100 students from universities worldwide for the eighth Annual Roots of Hope National Youth Leadership Conference on Cuba.

CASA has been organizing the conference since October of 2010, and worked extensively on creating an application for BC to serve as the host school for several months. Previous hosts of the conference include Georgetown, Princeton, Duke, Harvard, and Cornell. Roots of Hope, a non-profit organization which works to empower Cuban American youth, cosponsored the event.

The conference, which lasted from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, featured panels of distinguished speakers who commented on some of the most pressing issues to Cubans and Cuban Americans in the world today.

The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, served as the keynote speaker.

Other panelists included Father Jose Conrado of Santiago de Cuba and Orlando Marquez, a spokesman for the Cuban Catholic Church.

Marlena Papavaritis, co-president of CASA and A&S ’11, spoke about the significance of the weekend. “This was an incredibly inspirational conference, as it marked the first time that we had panelists fly directly from Cuba to attend,” she said. Travel restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba had previously prevented many potential speakers from attending the

See Cuban Conference, A4

Kevin Hou / heights editor

Yesterday, the campus drew over 2,500 visitors to campus for Admitted Eagles Day. The office of undergraduate admissions welcomed admitted students and their families.

TopFive

The Heights

Monday, April 11, 2011

things to do on campus this week

Safety Day at BC

1

Moving Toward Reconciliation

Today Time: 8 a.m.

Location: Edmond’s Lot

Stop by Community Information Safety Day, where various law enforcement agencies will be conducting demonstrations and informational sessions.

The event is open to the public.

Today Time: 4 p.m.

Location: Brighton Campus Attend a ChristianJewish prayer service and discussion hosted by Boston InterReligious Dialogue Students (BIRDS). Refreshments will follow the prayer service.

2

The Future of Nursing

3

Today Time: 5 p.m.

Location: Devlin 008

Listen to Linda Burnes Bolton, vice president and chief nursing officer of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, as she speaks about nursing and ways of improving quality of care.

featured on campus

Athletes lend a hand

Symphonic Band Concert

And Still We Rise!

Tuesday Time: 8 p.m.

Location: Corcoran Commons Enjoy the Symphonic Band’s Spring Concert in the Heights Room of Corcoran Commons, under the direction of conductor David Healey. Admission is free.

Wednesday Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Cabaret Room Help formerly incarcerated people share their stories in a public forum for an event sponsored by And Still We Rise Productions, a collaborative theater project.

4

5

IntheNews

Four Day Weather Forecast Today

68° Thunder storms 57°

Tuesday

65° Thunder showers 41°

Wednesday

48° Rain

University UC Berkeley receives funding to continue cut baseball program University of California, Berkeley, announced Friday that they will not cut their baseball team. University officials announced in September that they would eliminate five sports at the end of the year as a cost-saving measure, though in February, enough money was received in donations to keep women’s gymnastics, women’s lacrosse, and rugby. Recent fundraising from baseball supporters has raised $9 million to fund baseball’s operating costs, said Robert J. Birgeneau, the university’s chancellor. Currently men’s gymnastics is the only sport still discontinued.

37°

thursday

60° Partly Cloudy 35°

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

Local News Boston firefighter issued citation for Tuesday’s fire truck collision Photo courtesy of the Office of News & Public Affairs

Boston College hockey players pair up with students at St. Columbkille Partnership School in Brighton.

By Jacob Bajada For the Heights

Outside the realms of Conte Forum and Alumni Stadium, Boston College athletes have recently made considerable efforts to spend their free time volunteering within the local Boston community.

One of these efforts, devised

by Michael Cavanaugh, men’s assistant hockey coach, and supported by the rest of the program, includes a commitment made by the men’s and women’s hockey teams to “adopt” a fifth grade class at the St. Columbkille Partnership School, a Catholic elementary school located in the Brighton area.

Although the players already participate in similar endeavors, including a pen pal program that entails the exchange of letters between the athletes and children from the Dorchester area, the team wanted to play a more active role in their mentees’ lives.

“We never really had a more personal program where you’re interacting with the kids so our idea was to adopt a fifth grade class at the St. Columbkille School,” said Chris Venti, one of the men’s team’s goaltenders and A&S ’12. “We wanted something where we were involved in these kids’ lives.”

To turn this vision into a reality, the teams began visiting the fifth graders every couple of weeks starting last October.

The visits, which typically last anywhere from one to a couple of hours, are broken down into

different portions that allow for the players to not only serve as academic mentors but friends as well.

“For the first 15 minutes you sit with your buddy and talk, just kind of a more personable school related conversation, “ Venti said. “[From here] the teacher will have a lesson plan that he’ll incorporate with what they’re learning, whether its reading a book that they have or [having them] explain what was going on in their book report.”

The team usually wraps up their stay with a game of floor hockey or basketball with their mentees.

For Venti, these moments with protege, Ryan, has served to have an impact on his own life as well.

“It’s nice to get away from talking about hockey,” he said. “I like that he’s not wowed by the whole college athlete thing. [It’s just] two regular people that like to hang out.”

With the hockey season now over, the team now has more opportunities to meet with the class. In addition to exchanging e-mails once or twice a week, the athletes now meet on a more regular basis, as frequently as every one or two weeks.

Venti is just one of many athletes with similar experiences during the off-season.

James McCluskey, a captain on the BC football team and WCAS ’14, spoke about the inspiration that he gained from a recent trip to Children’s Hospital in Boston.

“We visited patients from two-years-old to 21-years-old,” he said. “That’s not much younger than I am. [It came at] a good moment in my life because I’m confused about what I’m going to do after my time in football. It was really motivating for me.”

The visit, organized by BC Athletics and made possible by the Devlin S-AFE Program for Leadership Development, took place March 25 and included the efforts of two dozen student athletes from the football and women’s hockey team in addition to members of the cheer squad.

Over the span of a threehour stay, the student-athletes broke into groups of five and spent five to 10 minutes with each patient, talking to whoever was available.

“Some of the cases we weren’t able to visit because of their situation,” McCluskey said. “For those that we could, we just tried to brighten their day.”

McCluskey emphasized the importance of volunteering, especially as an athlete on campus.

“I definitely believe that being in the position that the student athletes are in [that] kids really look up to us,” he said. It’s important for us to give back and help around as much as we can around the community. I don’t know what I’m going to do [after I graduate], but I feel like I have a good connection with the people that I’ve met here. I’ll always have a way to get involved.”n

Massachusetts state police have issued Boston firefighter Francis X. Tierney of Hyde Park a fine not to exceed $150 for crashing a fire truck that collided with an off-duty police officer’s car in Mattapan Tuesday.

The truck had its emergency lights and siren activated when it hit an SUV driven by Darrel Vinison, a Boston police office from Mattapan, at the intersection of Harvard and Morton streets. Both men were taken to the hospital with injuries after the accident, and Tierney is being fined for a red light violation.

On Campus BC history and Irish studies professor receives prize for book Robert Savage, a professor in the history department and instructor in the Irish Studies Program, was awarded the 2010 James S. Donnelly, Sr. Prize for Best Book in History and Social Sciences for A Loss of Innocence?: Television and Irish Society, 1960-72. The book focuses on how television began a process of modernization in Ireland in the 1960s. The award was presented during the 2011 ACIS international meeting, held March 30April 2 at The University of Wisconsin, Madison. Savage received his Ph.D. from Boston College in 1992.

National Average gas prices jump 19 cents to $3.76 over the past three weeks CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The average U.S. price of a gallon of gasoline has jumped 19 cents over the past three weeks. The Lundberg Survey of fuel prices now puts the average price for a gallon of regular at $3.76.

Analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday that price is 91 cents higher than it was this time last year. The national average for a gallon of mid-grade is $3.90. For premium it’s $4.01 a gallon. Lundberg says diesel prices rose 11 cents a gallon over the past three weeks, to $4.09. Tucson, Ariz., had the nation’s lowest average price for gas at $3.41. San Francisco had the highest at $4.13.

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 Taylour Kumpf, 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 Paul Sulzer, 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 Darren Ranck, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or e-mail arts@ 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 Michael Caprio, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Police Blotter 4/6/11 – 4/7/11 Wednesday, April 6 9:57 a.m. - A report was filed regarding regarding harassment in Medeiros. A report will be forwarded to the Office of Residential Life for review.

1:48 p.m. - A report was filed regarding regarding assistance provided to a law enforcement agency in Gonzaga Hall.

1:55 p.m. - A report was filed regarding BCPD assistance given to a BC student in obtaining a Massachusetts 258E General Harassment Protection Order.

regarding two subjects who fled a taxi prior to paying their fare on College Road. A detective will follow up.

9:28 a.m. - A report was filed regarding property damage only. Newton Police responded and took over control of the investigation.

11:31 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in Higgins Hall. Newton Fire Department arrived on scene and determined the alarm was triggered due to employees working in the area.

7:36 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a past larceny in Edmond’s Hall. A detective is investigating.

12:10 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an arrest for violating a 209A restraining order and trespassing in Rubenstein Hall.

The subject was booked and processed at BCPD headquarters.

7:36 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated subject in Gonzaga Hall. The subject was transported

by Armstrong Ambulance to a medical facility.

3:44 p.m. - A report was filed regarding regarding assistance provided to another department in More Hall.

Thursday, April 7 12:08 a.m. - A report was filed regarding found property on Brighton Campus. The owner later responded to BCPD Headquarters to retrieve their property.

1:12 a.m. - A report was filed regarding

6:59 p.m. - A report was filed regarding regarding a subject who was being harassed at 21 Campanella Way. The suspect was identified and a report will be forwarded to ODSD for review.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

Voices from the Dustbowl “If you could be any person for a day, who would you be?”

“Jay-Z.” —Christian von Gizycki, A&S ’14

“Natalie Woods-Gates – Natalie Portman if she was divorced from Tiger Woods and married to Bill Gates.”

—David Loftus, A&S ’12

“Ping from McElroy. She’s my boo.”

—Bryan Denehy,

A&S ’12

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

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

The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year by The Heights, Inc. (c) 2011. All rights reserved.

CORRECTIONS In the article titled “Two undergraduates hit by drunk driver outisde Mary Ann’s” in the April 7 issue, Bridget Burns, A&S ’12, was incorrectly referred to as a senior. She is a junior.

The Heights

Monday, April 11, 2011

A word of advice for newcomers

ESPN PR department visits bc

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

Speakers discuss politics as service

By Molly LaPoint Asst. News Editor

Joseph Pasquinelli Yesterday was Admitted Eagle Day. Approximately 33,000 students applied and many of those lucky and talented few to be admitted were on campus. Likely, none of them will read this piece, but perhaps some current Boston College students will be able to take advantage of the “advice” I would like to pass along to the newest members of our community. Admitted (and current) Eagles, there are a few musts that you should take part in during your time at BC. Some of them may make the UGBC top ten. Others will not.

This, of course, is only my opinion but, as the saying goes, some opinions are better than others. I like to think my opinion is among the better ones.

Make friends with your roommate. Even if you don’t have any shared interests, at the very least you are both freshman and, with the exception of those you met at orientation, friendless. Roommate drama can be a major stressor, but can be easily avoided if you are friends. Go to McElroy or Stuart Hall and have an intellectual conversation about how you wanted to be a firefighter or veterinarian when you were in preschool. This might make you quick friends because your roommate is the first person not to open a conversation with, “What’s your major? Where are you from?” A life chat about life goals and dreams deferred certainly has more substance than “Don’t you just hate this dining hall food? I hear Lower is way better.”

Next, it is a good idea to develop a new interest or talent. You might have been an all-conference track star in high school. Take this opportunity to see if you have a knack for singing in one of our a cappella groups, or you could stop by a Swing Kids’ dance lesson. I hear they’re really fun and can turn anyone into a Lindy Hop champion. Join a club or a cause. It’s a great way to meet new people, who could become your friends, and it beats the hell out of sitting in the library or being cooped up in the tiny closets we call dorm rooms.

Just because I am suggesting trying something new doesn’t mean you should forget your old interests.

Take advantage of BC’s rich resources to further those interests.

Who knows, it might one day win you a Rhodes scholarship.

This one might seem a little odd to some, but go to mass—even if you’re not Catholic. You don’t have to be baptized in the Roman Catholic Church to appreciate the insights of our Jesuit priests.

Not only are they intelligent to the point of being intimidating, they are also very supportive and can help you through some of the tough times you are almost guaranteed to have as a new student in what will, for a little while at least, seem like a foreign place.

Finally, go to Arts Fest in the spring. If you have read my colleague Matt DeLuca’s three-part series on the road to Arts Fest, you know how hard groups work to prepare for their performances.

Because they put some much time and effort into this event, we have an obligation to sit under the tent for at least ten minutes to support our fellow Eagles. With art shows, song performance, dance showcases, and sketch comedy, it would be all but impossible for you to not find something that tickles your fancy. Go see the shows, I promise they are a good time.

The only thing better than watching Arts Fest is being a part of it. If you join a performance organization, you’ll have the opportunity to strut your stuff under that big white tent that’s going take up most of O’Neill Plaza in a couple of weeks.

Let’s recap. First, make friends with your roommate. Seriously, life is easier this way. Next, try something new and get involved. Finally, go to or perform in Arts Fest. If you don’t try at least one of these things, I’d be willing to bet college will be the longest four years of your life instead of the best four years that it’s supposed to be.

A3

Kylie Montero / heights staff

Representatives from ESPN’s public relations department spoke to students all day last Thursday.

They visited classes in the afternoon, followed by an evening event in the Walsh Function Room, where they discussed resume strategies and the distinct culture that defines life at ESPN.

Allston-Brighton Crime Reports 3/31/11 – 4/3/11

Suspects steal from grocery store then abandon items On March 31, at approximately 3 a.m., officers responded to a call regarding a larceny in progress at the Star Market on Commonwealth Avenue. Upon arrival, officers spoke with the loss prevention officer who stated that a female suspect walked out of the store with a carriage full of grocery items without paying. He stated that when he ran outside after her, he observed a male placing the items into the trunk of a car. He told them that they had to return to the store and pay for the items, at which point he stated that they threw the items back into the cart and drove away. The recovered groceries included five twelve packs of Red Bull, three containers of Tide detergent, one 12 pack of Bounty paper towels, and one frozen pizza, totaling $196.71. Officers searched the area for the suspect’s vehicle with unsuccessful results.

South Street party broken up, two party-goers arrested At approximately 2 a.m. on April 3, officers responded to a radio call regarding a loud party on South Street. Upon arrival, officers knocked on the basement apartment door where the party was being held. However, the occupant of the apartment refused to open the door. BCPD were also on the scene and observed partygoers exit through the window. After approximately 10 minutes of knocking, the occupant of the apartment allowed officers inside. After a search of the inhabitance, officers discovered one extremely intoxicated suspect hiding in a closet and another lying in his bed with a glass of beer within reach. One suspect was only 16 years old and was placed into protective custody, another was arrested on charges of being a minor in possession of alcohol, and the occupant of the house was arrested for procuring alcohol for a minor. The 16-year-old was released to his father later that day.

Party on Foster Street results in occupant’s arrest On April 3, at approximately 1:30 a.m., officers on patrol were directed to Foster Street for several complaints of a large, loud party. Officers, accompanied by BCPD and Steve Montgomery, observed a very large party of approximately 50-75 people. Officers cleared the house and observed several underage persons drinking alcohol from red plastic cups. One guest was 17 years old. The suspect, the occupant of the house, eventually identified himself and provided officers with both his Mass. driver’s license and BC ID. Officers observed several empty bottles and cans of liquor as well as a keg of Natural Light beer. The suspect was placed under arrest for being a minor in possession of alcohol. The keg was seized by officers.

Suspect arrested on multiple charges of shoplifting On April 1 at approximately 3 a.m., officers conducted an arrest while patrolling in an unmarked police vehicle. Officers observed the suspect, whom they knew had outstanding warrants, walking through the Faneuil Development. When officers approached the suspect, he refused to produce his information and began to run on foot. Officers chased the suspect and apprehended him after a short pursuit. Officers commanded the suspect to put his hands behind his back so that the officers could place handcuffs on him. However, the suspect resisted and cursed at officers while passersby stood and watched. The suspect was arrested on multiple charges of shoplifting and larceny.

- Courtesy of the Boston Police Department, District 14

Gathered by Adriana Mariella, Assoc. News Editor

Last Wednesday, three speakers, R. Shep Melnick, a professor in the political science department, Rev. Raymond Schroth, S.J., author of Bob Drinan: The Controversial Life of the First Priest Elected to Congress, and Rosemar y O’Neill, daughter of former Senator Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. and a former political officer for the State Department, discussed politics as public service in a lecture titled, “Reclaiming Politics as Service.”

Kay Schlozman, a professor in the political science department, opened the discussion by speaking about a student in her class who was involved with a political organization on campus and thinking of leaving it so as not to hurt their chances in the job market.

“That was something that was very sobering to me, that being involved in one of the two parties would be seen as detrimental when you are looking for a job in the private sector,” she said.

Melnick spoke of how the view of politics as service has changed over the years. In his view, politics is public service, but that view has changed considerably.

“Most people who have come of age in the past few decades don’t think of politics as public service,” he said.

The view of the government during the Great Depression was that it was responsible. “[There was a view that] the government can do great things, that the government must to great things to preserve liberty,” he said.

He is a member of the Baby B o om generation, which he said he sees as “the most selfabsorbed generation in human history.” However, he was always interested in politics. “From a very early age, I had an obsessive interest in politics,” he said.

He went to Washington in 1971, sensing Nixon’s impeachment and wanting to be there when it happened. “Watergate represente d the c apacity of American politics to redeem itself,” he said. “I was not alone in this feeling.”

After 1974, many people, dubbed “Watergate babies,” got involved in politics. Melnick served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 1975 to 1976. Despite the politicians’ enthusiasm, the public opinion was on the decline.

“It was a time of plummeting faith in government,” he said.

“There was a real gap between Watergate babies and people’s trust.”

After Ronald Reagan’s election, there was a sharp decline in people who trusted the federal government and a decline in participation in politics.

“Part of the cause of this was technological, but an even larger change was ideological,” he said.

“Baby Boomers were overpowering the previous generation.”

At the same time a s this distrust in politics heightened, volunteer work and community service is up among senior citizens and young people. Melnick cited the interest college gradu-

ates show in programs such as Teach For America. “[ Young people] hardly lack for ambition, guts, or passion,” he said. “You must take what you’ve learned, generalize it, and turn it into public policy.”

S ch ro th re co u nte d th re e different stories, and discussed how they tied with politics as public service. The first story was of a young lawyer who went to a small town in Mississippi during the Civil Rights Movement to defend the imprisoned African Americans there. The se cond re counte d the stor y of Drinan fighting and failing for the rights of an Italian immigrant to stay in the country, and the third was about Jeff Thielman, BC ’85, who sought the counsel of Drinan to help him decide whether to pursue graduate school or participate in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Peru. Drinan advised him to go to Peru, and he founded the Center for the Working Child.

There are three lessons to be taken from this. “The first is that a servant never knows how much good they’re doing,” he said. “Second, no matter how hard they try, servants fail, but that is not a reason not to serve.

Third, sometimes, a servant suc-

“Watergate represented the capacity of American politics to redeem itself.”

—R. Shep Melnick, Professor in the political science department

ceeds far beyond expectations.”

O’Neill spoke about her father and Drinan’s careers in politics. She said that many people do not see politics as a way to change things anymore. “I know politics is disparaged by a lot of people these days,” she said.

Her grandfather taught her father that service was an important part of being a citizen and a government official, which was reinforced during his time as a student at Boston College.

“Power corrupts, but power also ennobles,” she said. “Power is power. It’s how you use it that gives it its character. Politics was the way to achieve something for your own people.”

Recently, there have been comparisons between Reagan and O ’Neill’s f ather. “ What happened between the two of them was a major philosophical debate that continues today,” O’Neill said. “What is the role of government?”

During the question and answer period, former University President Rev. J. Donald Monan, S.J., acknowledged the audience.

Often, he said, people in positions of power do have integrity, and it is important to find more people for these positions.

“Keep ambitions high,” he said. “Cynicism is not inevitable.

Society needs great, strong people in leadership positions.” n

The Heights

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Monday, April 11, 2011

Demo called off due to Admitted Eagles Debates surround topic of Parkour, from A1 an hour-long Parkour Demonstration in O’Neill Plaza,” he said. “We were going to have a brief discussion with people about the philosophy of parkour, about our group on campus, BCPK, and then have a little parkour showcase. Afterward, we were hoping we could teach people some basic parkour techniques.”

Due to the large expected turnout for Admitted Eagles Day, Cullen said BCPK was approached by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and asked to cancel the event.

“BCPK was asked to cancel the event

by John Mahoney, the director of Under-

graduate Admission,” Cullen said. “He notified us that the office would be hosting Student Admissions Day, which would be drawing 2,500 people to campus. For the safety and convenience of people, he asked us not to stage the event.”

Cullen said that BCPK agreed to cancel the event in order to respect the safety of the visitors and the relationship it has with the administration, as BCPK seeks to become an official club on campus.

“BCPK has no problem with the decision,” Cullen said. “We respect the University’s request and want to work with them as closely as possible, especially as we to try and move our group towards official club status. We have a very good

relationship with both BCPD and Student Admissions, and we even have fans of our group in these offices. We have no intention of making enemies.”

While BCPK is not rescheduling the demonstration, Cullen said that all individuals who are interested in BCPK are encouraged to attend their meetings.

“BCPK is not planning to reschedule the event for this semester,” he said. “If, however, people have any interest in watching us train or want to learning some basic parkour techniques, we meet every Tuesday through Friday at 4 p.m. in O’Neill Plaza. We are always looking for new members. Our main goal is to be a fun and respected group on campus.” n

Choy receives Dr. Donald Brown award APAHM, from A1 leaders in the AHANA community,” Bell said. Paraphrasing Sheilah Horton, dean for Student Development, Bell referenced Choy’s efforts as the co-coordinator for the celebration of the 30th year of the AHANA acronym.

“She listens, thinks, reflects, takes action, and follows through,” Bell said.

Choy thanked those deans, professors, and friends who had allowed her to thrive at BC in her acceptance speech, emphasizing the power of community as reflected in her own achievements.

“This is for all of you who are working actively in the AHANA community and for all of our allies,” Choy said. “Appreciate those around you, but also be mentors yourselves.”

The ceremony’s program was headlined by keynote speaker Audrey Kitagawa, BC Law ’76, whose long list of accomplishments includes a successful legal career, work as an advisor to the World Federation of United Nations’ Associations, and numerous positions advising NGOs on issues ranging from children’s rights in wartime conflict and global spirituality.

The speaker began by referencing her time at BC, reminiscing about forming a community with other students from her native Hawaii over authentic Hawaiian meals thousands of miles away from the islands.

She then described her youth in the ghettos of Honolulu and the way her mother was able to build a successful restaurant chain from the ground-up to lift her family out of poverty and Kitagawa towards a college education and an eventual career practic-

ing law in Hawaii. She used her mother’s success story, as well as her personal narrative, to underscore a message of fighting for women’s rights.

“We must strive to equalize the role of women in society,” Kitagawa said. “Women form the backbone of their homes and our society.”

Daniel Lee / heights staff

Kitagawa chronicled her path to advising the UN after taking a deep interest in global spiritual issues that changed her career path.

Eventually, Kitagawa would come to advocate for children in armed conflict through her work with NGOs on a variety of issues.

She explained how love, amidst poverty and tragedy, has kept her thinking positively and progressively throughout her career and personal life.

“I hope love will always remain with you as a beacon throughout your lives,” Kitagawa said. “Let us always be in remembrance of the

love that has been given to us.”

Kitagawa showed a video detailing her community-building efforts in countries like Ghana, Nepal, and Vietnam, and charged the audience to find joy in loving and serving others.

“Nothing in life is ever wasted, pointless, or meaningless,” she said. “If you give back more than you receive in life, you will most assuredly have a full and meaningful life. Let us actualize the reality of the divine presence in our lives in our thoughts, prayers, and actions,” she said.

The Opening Ceremony also featured performances from the Korean Students Association and a newly formed South Asian a capella group. Art and literature revolving around the month-long celebration’s theme, “As I Am,” was posted around the Heights room, chronicling the benefits and difficulties of shared Asian and American identities from a variety of student perspectives.

Estandian was thoroughly pleased with the night’s events and the take-away message for the BC community from the ceremony.

“I hope that those BC students who feel that they don’t fall under the APA category, see that APAHM is an appreciation of cultural diversity and it is a celebration meant to be celebrated by everyone,” Estandian said.

The co-director especially hoped those in attendance, and the greater BC community, would take Kitagawa’s thoughts on the power of love to heart.

“I think that every student at BC can apply her message everyday by embodying the Jesuit ideal of being ‘Men and women for others,’” she said. “It is not always easy to be there for others, but it feels amazing when you know you are able to help.” n

the contested future of the UGBC judicial branch Constitution, from A1 the best way to do things, and does the current constitution reflect that?’”

Among the proposed changes are those regarding the Registered Student Organization (RSO) application process, the judicial branch of the UGBC, and changes to the Senate.

A proposal that Joyce said has not been met with much opposition is the proposal for the addition of a nonpresidential Parliamentarian at Senate meetings, a change that would relieve the Senate president of having to preside over meetings and allow him or her more freedom to participate in debate during meetings. A senate staffer or a

person from the judicial branch are two possibilities being discussed to fill the potential role of the parliamentarian.

The future of the judicial branch is also in question, according to Joyce.

There has been much debate surrounding if it should continue to exist, and if so, in what capacity.

Also, the convention is considering a new process for RSO application, which would include an RSO proposal review by the Senate, after which they would make a recommendation to the SPO about the group seeking official recognition.

None of these proposed changes, however, have been approved by the UGBC as of yet. n

Conference addresses key issues for Cuban relations Cuban Conference, from A1 conference.

“We simply want for the Cuban people, but the Cuban youth in particular, to know that we are here as a resource for them and that we care about them, even though we find ourselves on opposite ends of the Florida Straits,” Papavaritis said in summary of the conference’s goal.

Numerous panels were held throughout the weekend on Brighton Campus, covering a variety of topics pertinent to Cuba and the Cuban youth. The first panel, “The Cuban Catholic Church in the 21st Century,” discussed the increasing activism of the Catholic Church in Cuba. “The conference involved the discussion of the increasing leadership of the Catholic Church in Cuba, given their recent involvement in negotiation for the release of over 50 prisonersof-conscience within the past few months,” Papavaritis said.

Another panel, titled “Cuba Connected: Reach Out, Connect, Inspire,” discussed the increasing globalization Cuba is currently undergoing as travel restrictions and changes in Cuban law allow more worldwide recognition of Cuban citizens

and accomplishments. The speakers, including Manela Diaz, an administrator at Georgetown, and Rob Sequin of the Havana Journal, discussed what young Cubans can do to spread awareness of Cuban issues and achievements.

On Saturday, students discussed the drastic new changes in Cuba’s economic policy, including the elimination of more than 1 million public sector jobs in a move to create a more capitalist Cuban economy.

Speakers included Nicolas Sanchez, a professor at Holy Cross, and Carlos Saladrigas of the Cuba Study Group. Discussion not only covered the changes, but also what Cuban-Americans can do to help Cuba steer through a difficult time economically.

“There are many messages that I would say students from universities across the U.S. and abroad took from this conference, with one of the main ones being that it is through reaching out and establishing human-to-human relationships with our counterparts on the island that we break the cycle of insulation,” Papavaritis said. “To sum it up, we fully support young Cubans in their right to dream, to determine their own futures, and to express themselves freely and openly.” n

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The Heights

Monday, April 11, 2011

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Editorials

Maintain integrity in constitutional voting As the UGBC Senate finalizes its constitutional convention, members must be aware of staying true to their purpose The UGBC is currently in the midst of a constitutional convention in which UGBC members from a variety of its branches are revisiting the document that guides the way that their organization functions. The Heights would like to commend them as a governing body for taking the time to examine this document—to veto the aspects of such that have become ambiguous or obsolete and encourage integrity regarding the aspects they wish to maintain.

Issues that are currently being debated at the convention include the role of the judicial board, the addition of a parliamentarian leader during Senate meetings, and a new process by which Senate would review the applications of registered student organizations (RSOs) seeking University recognition and consequently make a recommendation to the Student Programs Office (SPO). The Heights feels the attitudes expressed thus far by UGBC Senate leaders regarding these issues have been logical and adequately considered, but, as the final votes are being cast, we urge these student leaders to

follow their own lead and have integrity about the shape and purpose of their organization.

To maintain a judicial branch, we feel, would be of little benefit. Currently, branch members serve as “constitutional experts” overseeing the decision-making process of the Senate. We feel that the responsibility of being well-versed in their governing document is one that belongs to all senators. To take the time to restructure this branch to build more legitimacy into its positions would detract from the precious resources of time and talent and only serve to further complicate the system.

Regarding the proposal of offering support to groups looking to become RSOs, the Senate should be sure to be consistent and genuine in the recommendations that it would provide for the SPO, should this proposal be approved by the convention. Because this year’s Senate has made it clear that integrity and consistency regarding governing principles is of value to, it seems fitting that it would abide by this notion.

New resources, not new laws Unpaid internships are an experience worth having—in their current form—as long as students are freed from financial strain In response to a New York Times op-ed, “Unpaid Interns, Complicit Colleges,” The Heights would like to recommend that Boston College speak up alongside the contingency of 13 universities urging U.S. Labor Department officials to reconsider their plan to potentially regulate unpaid internships. At the same time, we would also like to still encourage the University to ensure that students are being treated fairly as interns and have equal opportunities to apply for such positions.

Because unpaid interns are not fully protected from workplace discrimination and harassment under traditional laws, it is understandable why the government may have wished to step in on behalf of the well-being of students. Interest also arose because some students are forced to pay for the college credit offered for some unpaid internships, a financial burden which, in some cases, may be a hardship on the student or their family.

We feel that both of these scenarios, which have direct negative effects on college students, are worth government intervention.

We would urge BC to heed the government

warnings and follow up closely with students to ensure that their experiences as interns are both respectful and worthwhile.

However, we also feel that the University should exercise its authority, alongside local institutions like Northeastern and BU, by voicing to the government that unpaid internships where the student is able to do tangible, educational work for a company should still be allowed. The Labor Department’s proposed plan champions extended classroom, job-shadowing internships as the most educational type of experience. We disagree with this view and feel that students learn best by doing.

The University could best show its support for fair unpaid internships by continuing to make such opportunities more financially accessible to students. Although there are a number of grants available for BC students, we would encourage BC to help break the cycle of privilege that seems to separate those who can afford to be unpaid from those who cannot. Any student, regardless of financial means, should have the experience of a valuable internship, regardless of its pay.

Inviting ‘Wise’ speakers to campus The invitation of Tim Wise to speak at Boston College is a step toward cultivating a more socially aware student body On April 19, the campus group FACES, which meets openly to discuss issues of race and privilege, will welcome a guest speaker, Tim Wise, to campus. Throughout his career as an anti-racist activist, Wise has lectured regularly on the cultural phenomenons of white privilege and institutional racism. In 2006, he came to Boston College to speak as part of a panel hosted by the AHANA Leadership Council (ALC) on the use of the N-word in American culture.

We believe that the presence of speakers like Wise is essential at any institution of higher education. As members of the movement to abolish racism at the institutional level, colleges and universities need to be consistently conscious of race and privilege, both in their admissions and hiring practices and in their academic curricula. In light of recent racial discussions sparked by columns published last year in The Heights and The Observer, we feel that

now is an appropriate time for someone like Wise to share his opinions and speak on campus.

Campus discussions on race can easily focus on student-to-student race relations without examining the University’s place in combating large-scale, societal racism. Though student-based discussions are necessary, speakers like Wise remind the student body to acknowledge unfair privilege and combat racism outside of their college lives. Students, some of whom may find themselves facing racial issues in the workplace or at home, will be well served

by Wise’s broad perspective on racism, why it exists, and how the public must be conscious to avoid perpetuating it.

The Heights would like to applaud FACES for inviting Wise. We believe that this outside expert will help put the existing conversations of race on campus into perspective.

The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Michael Caprio, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Ottaunick, General Manager Hilary Chasse, Managing Editor

Contributors:

Mary Kate McAdams / Heights Illustration

An open letter to James Franco Bri LeRose Hey James, what’s up? It’s Bri. Um, Bri LeRose. From BC’s sketch comedy group Hello…Shovelhead!

As you are probably extremely aware of by this point, we are in the midst of a SUPER VIRAL campaign to convince you to show up at our spring sketch comedy show, entitled “Marital Bunkbeds.” We’re gaining a lot of momentum here on campus, and we thought you should know about it. There are currently 120 people (at press time, numbers expanding exponentially) who have “liked” our efforts via facebook.

That’s a lot, right? Also, there is a hashtag about it on Twitter. I don’t think anyone’s using it, but still. It exists. Social media can be hard, as I’m sure you know, because when you got a Twitter (RIP) everyone was like, “What’s with all these pictures of Franco sleeping with a bunch of cats? Is he using Microsoft Paint on these twitpics?” Personally, we totally got it. Performance art.

Poking fun at new media. Not taking yourself too seriously. You know who’s great at not taking themselves too seriously? Sketch comedians.

Just saying.

So, James. Here’s the deal. We are having our sketch comedy show the weekend you’re arriving on campus. We put in the room reqs way before you even decided to come. And we’ve been working really hard on this show: writing sketches all semester, filming a short film, eating healthier snacks and whatnot. I can say with all sincerity that writing and performing with a bunch of our best friends is the most fun and satisfying work any of us has ever done. It’s like our version of Saturday Night Live-have you heard of that program? (When are we going to get to see that doc of yours?) In February, we took our admiration/thievery of SNL to new heights, writing and performing an entire show in just one week. While we had hoped people would be impressed, I think they were mostly just confused. BC is a campus that’s generally a bit disinterested in amateur comedy for some strange reason, and we’ve never really had our “moment in the sun” to display our vast talents and good looks.

Sure, we get about one thousand drunk people over the course of a show weekend, at various stages of

The meaning of a BC diploma Johnathan J. Darrow In a little over a month, approximately 3,000 soon-to-be graduates will sit on the grassy turf of Alumni Stadium eagerly awaiting their hard earned diplomas, the symbol of years of effort and accomplishment. But unlike some of their peers at sister Jesuit institutions, BC students may be in for a shocking surprise: their diplomas are unreadable, because they are in Latin.

Despite having learned a smattering of honored and solemn phrases such as Kyrie eleison, peccata mundi, and dona nobis pacem during their time at Boston College, few students know enough Latin to actually read their BC diploma. And for those in the general population who might have occasion to rest their gaze on one of these treasured trophies of achievement, the chances of comprehension are lower still.

This is a peculiar result. The Boston College diploma is the symbolic embodiment of success and accomplishment achieved through years of effort at a leading institution of higher learning. As such, most graduates will presumably wish to display theirs prominently for perusal by themselves, family, friends, clients, and others. What else, after all, is a diploma for?

Nevertheless, Boston College’s Latin diplomas continue to come up short on comprehensibility, to the

point of robbing graduates of the respected and even renowned Boston College brand name used in association with the university in virtually every other context. Eschewing the principal working language of the institution and its host society in favor of the more traditional Latin, BC’s diplomas do not even contain the phrase “Boston College”—or even the word “Boston”—anywhere on them.

History and tradition might well be called upon to justify such an obfuscation of meaning. Boston College is, after all, a Roman Catholic Jesuit university that is rightly proud of its tradition, which traces back at least as far as the Ratio Studiorum of 1599 (the full title of which translates as “The Official Plan for Jesuit Education”). The Ratio Studiorum emphasized the teaching of Greek and Latin classics, which Georgetown’s John W. O’Malley, S.J., describes as having held a “privileged and unassailable place” in Jesuit education.

Some 412 years later, however, the academic and social context has changed enormously. Latin no longer enjoys a strong association with contemporary educated individuals, nor is it even readable by the majority of them (to say nothing of the general population). Recognizing this cultural shift, Catholic churches in the United States since the 1960s have conducted their masses primarily in English. The changed environ-

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

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

ment has also been acknowledged across the country by BC’s sister Jesuit universities, including Santa Clara (California), Fordham (New York), and Marquette University (Wisconsin), who now offer some or all of their diplomas in English. The Boston College diploma however, seemingly oblivious to the dramatic changes surrounding it, remains stubbornly stuck in the past.

Boston College need not give up its rich Latin tradition in order to improve the communicative impact of its diplomas. Diplomas could, for example, be issued primarily in Latin but with the name of the university and the name of the degree written in English. Or graduates might be given a choice between English and Latin, since all diplomas must be customized anyway with the graduate’s name.

As crowds disperse and the lingering echoes of the commencement ceremony fade, Boston College graduates will be on their way to new lives and new challenges.

Wherever alums choose to go, however, their diplomas will accompany them throughout their lives. Given the diploma’s enduring value and significance as a vessel of meaning, we the Boston College community might do well to reconsider the form of this venerable token of erudition.

Jonathan J. Darrow is a graduate of BC, Class of 2005.

to the newspaper.

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

Business and Operations

Editorial Clara Kim, Copy Editor Taylour Kumpf, News Editor Paul Sulzer, Sports Editor Kristopher Robinson, Features Editor Darren Ranck, Arts & Review Editor David Cote, Marketplace Editor Ana Lopez, Opinions Editor Dan Tonkovich, Special Projects Editor Alex Trautwig, Photo Editor Lindsay Grossman, Layout Editor

consciousness, stumbling in and yelling their approval. But James, we want to feel validated in our passions. And appealing to a man of many passions (soap operas, re-cuts of Gus Van Sant movies, photoshopping pictures of yourselves with cats, really awesome short stories, etc.), you can help.

Show up. Just for a second. You can introduce our movie, chop your arm off, wear a dress, or even put on a nice, well-worn denim jacket to relive your Freaks and Geeks days when you didn’t get the attention you deserved, but you made the best damn product you could, and you just tried to make your friends laugh in the process.

James, we love you, and we’re not asking for much. We’ll even give you an honorary degree from Shovelhead University for your efforts—another one to add to the mantelpiece. So see you on Friday then? (Or Saturday too, I have a two-person couch in Edmond’s that you can sleep on for the weekend and our freshman has lots of money on his mealplan, in case you get hungry. Just saying.)

Bri LeRose is a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Mollie Kolosky, Graphics Editor David Riemer, Online Manager Therese Tully, Assoc. Copy Editor Chris Marino, Asst. Copy Editor Adriana Mariella, Assoc. News Editor Molly Lapoint, Asst. News Editor DJ Adams, Assoc. Sports Editor Greg Joyce, Asst. Sports Editor Brooke Schneider, Asst. Features Editor Brennan Carley, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor

Charlotte Parish, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Matt Palazzolo, Asst. Marketplace Editor Kevin Hou, Asst. Photo Editor Woogeon Kim, Asst. Layout Editor Alex Manta, Asst. Graphics Editor Dara Fang, Asst. Online Manager Elise Taylor, Editorial Assistant Katherine McClurg, Executive Assistant

Margaret Tseng, Business Manager Christina Quinn, Advertising Manager Zachary Halpern, Outreach Coordinator Cecilia Provvedini, Systems Manager James Gu, Local Sales Manager Jamie Ciocon, Collections Manager Amy Hachigan, Asst. Ads Manager Seth Fichtelberg, Business Assistant

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Opinions

Thumbs Up Atlas Shrugged Movie — The classic novel of 20th century philosopher Ayn Rand which elucidates her highly debated theory of objectivism through the tale of the fictional railroad, Taggart Transcontinental, and the impressive woman at its helm, Dagny Taggart, has finally been made into a movie, set to be released this Friday. The story, originally published in 1957, has been updated for the millennial audiences. Hopefully this film of a literary classic can get some of the bookish types out of their libraries and into the theaters.

Marathon Monday – The countdown to the absolute best day of the year at Boston College starts now. If we can make it just one more week of being legitimate students—a mere seven days—the payoff will be beyond glorious.

Stress Relievers – Registering a party anytime soon? If you’re looking to set a chill ambiance, consider pretzels for your food source. Recent studies are revealing that the sodium content in these twisted little devils not only helps to relieve stress, but also increases levels of the so-called “love hormone” oxytocin. Seduction: Only costs $1.50 in the O’Neill vending machine.

Costco – A lot of Teen Mom fans made fun of Gary, the bumbling, blubbering boyfriend of dysfunctional-mother-turned-amateur-exoticdancer of Amber Portwood, for buying his lady’s engagement ring at Wal-Mart for a bargain of $21.40. Well, turns out it’s the ring not the retailer we should be poking fun at, as another discount chain, Costco, is now offering a 6.77 ct diamond ring for a million bucks. While it may be pushing the limits of three months’ salary, it’s a heck of deal down from its original $1,601,875 price tag.

R a n d a l l – Yo uTu b e , t h e world’s safe haven for people with way too much time on their hands has produced another gem: nature videos narrated by a man named Randall. If this is your first time hearing of this character, TU/TD suggests starting with his “Honey Badger” video– you’ll never look at rodents the same way again.

Thumbs Down Weather – Ever feel like you’re in an abusive relationship with Mother Nature?

She’s blowing hot and cold, there’s stretches of delightful sunshine and then fits of inexplicable rain, and she’s as unpredictable as that sassy Colombian you had a fling with while abroad last semester. Oh well, the nice weather was nice while it lasted. Bring on the rain.

Faceb o ok – T U/TD is in need of a professional mythbuster. Rumor has it that the No. 1 slot on your “friends” list on your Facebook profile is dedicated to the person that frequents your page the most—also known by the Facebook-obsessed as your personal “stalker.” If this fact is indeed true, Facebook just became absolutely pointless because now the only profiles we can safely visit without fear of algorithmic angst are our parents’. If it’s false, Zuckerberg has some serious explaining to do.

Follow TU/TD daily on Twitter! @BCTUTD

In search of George Washington

Janine Hanrahan As you think about the state of American politics, consider this fact: It took four months to write the United States Constitution and it has taken 14 months to almost pass the federal budget for the fiscal year 2011.

While the delegates to the Constitutional Convention were tasked with framing a government, Congress and the president are deciding how to spend that government’s money. At the Constitutional Convention, men like Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington created a government despite disagreements on issues such as slavery, the nature of political power, and the Bill of Rights. Now, men like Harry Reid, John Boehner, and Barack Obama almost managed to shut down the federal government over issues like federal funding for abortion and restrictions on the Environmental Protection Agency. Clearly, something has gone awry.

Of course, comparing our current politicians to the Founding Fathers is an imperfect exercise for understanding the decline of American politics. After all, in 1787, white, Protestant, land-owning men were considered the only people with anything intelligent to say. Though the politicos of 2011 may not be able to govern, at least most of them have advanced beyond sexism and racism.

But despite having some obvious and profound short comings, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention are the men who laid the foundation for the U.S. as we know it, so looking to them for guidance is not an unworthy endeavor.

Let’s consider George Washington.

Washington is a particularly good ex-

ample because everyone knows who he is and people of various political ideologies hold him in high esteem. Yet even though many people consider Washington to be one of the greatest presidents in American history, we elect politicians whose beliefs and votes directly contradict the advice he left for posterity.

In his Farewell Address of 1796, Washington said, among other things, that Americans should “cherish public credit” and avoid the accumulation of debt. Interestingly, the shut down loomed because of $61 billion of proposed budget cuts. These cuts would have represented 1.6 percent of the $3.8 trillion budget. Yes, that is right ladies and gentlemen. The U.S. is governed by people who are incapable of com-

our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor or caprice?”

Granted, the world has changed in important ways in the 215 years since Washington delivered this speech, but how many dollars could the U.S. have saved if decision makers remembered these words?

Despite numerous chances to learn from our foreign policy mistakes, American political leaders continue to take us down the same expensive road that led to events like Vietnam, arming Osama bin Laden, Ayatollah Khomeini’s Islamic Republic, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Undoubtedly the individuals behind these decisions thought they were acting in accordance with the interests of the U.S. and our European allies, but hindsight has proven that their actions were misguided, at best. Therefore, it’s unfathomable that policy makers continue to jump on the bandwagon of intervention in spite of Washington’s advice to “choose peace or war, as our interest, guided by justice, shall counsel.”

Undoubtedly the question of justice complicates this issue, but can anyone say it’s just to intervene in Libya while we ally with Saudi Arabia, a nation notorious for oppressing its people?

In the end, Mollie Kolosky / Heights Illustration none of us know promising on cutting the budget by 1.6 what Washington or any of the other percent at a time when we are in $14.27 Founding Fathers would do if they trillion dollars of debt. So much for governed our nation today. Indeed, public credit. the U.S. has been on a path away from Naturally, the U.S. dug its fiscal grave the America of the Farewell Address in part by ignoring Washington’s most for quite some time. But looking at the important advice—avoiding permanent fiscal and foreign policy messes we find political connections with other naourselves in, I’m forced to conclude that tions. Recognizing that the U.S. was in Washington had it right. a unique and fortunate position due to the ocean of separation between it and Janine Hanrahan is a staff columnist for continental Europe, Washington said, The Heights. She welcomes comments at “Why quit our [situation] to stand upon opinions@bcheights.com. foreign ground? Why, by interweaving

The fixers: Kilimanjaro’s porter dilemma

Benjamin Key “If I went to the press with everything I knew, people wouldn’t want to climb Kilimanjaro.”

She tells us this on camera. And we’re not the press exactly, but she knows that we’re not recording this interview for kicks. She is Karen Valenti, the managing director of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) and we’re in Tanzania to shoot a documentary on the porters of Africa’s highest peak.

We (myself and a cameraman) touched down in Tanzania 36 hours ago. The project we’ve come to shoot is part travel piece part expose. We’ve done our research. The porters are taken advantage of on the mountain. Why would there be an NGO here to protect them otherwise? Simple thesis, let’s get the shots.

But Valenti asks us to tread carefully.

“You don’t want to discourage the tourists. If they stop coming, the porters won’t

Party Time

BY BEN VADNAL

have a job at all. So to some level, you have to work with what you have. I’ve dropped my standards since I’ve been here. I’m happy that I don’t see as many porters climbing in second-hand penny loafers anymore.”

It was obvious that the system was a corrupt one. Porters carry all equipment, food, and personal items that a tourist “needs” to summit the mountain. There are laws protecting them, laws regulating minimum wages ($6 USD a day) and maximum weight that can be carried (22kgs). But laws are broadly and brazenly ignored by a majority of the guide companies. The porters are woefully undersupplied, and marginally trained.

They line up outside the guide offices at five in the morning during the climbing season and hope to be picked by a guide. The guides steal tips and bribe park officials to not weigh bags. It’s troubling.

During one of our interviews with her, an American climber – Wendy, a homeopathic healer by trade – walks in. She came down from the mountain yesterday. She’s on a rant, calling the route she just climbed “the trail of tears,” talking about mistreatment and illness and (mostly) about how homeopathy training could help the porters. After Wendy leaves, Valenti addresses the camera.

“I’ll be honest with you, this is something that drives me crazy. I’ve been here for six

years, and these people, mostly Americans, walk in and tell you what the problem is. I know what the problem is. And you can’t fix it overnight. It’s not just one thing. Most of these companies still don’t pay minimum wage, and people come in and say, “They deserve $50 a day.” No they don’t. This is Tanzania, that’s more than the guides make. You need to maintain the balance. And I resent the arrogance of it.”

The Western world incubates a culture of fixers. We are particularly partial to problems that don’t affect us directly. We love the foreign crises, the exotic corruptions. Ever since the mezunga (a white person in Africa) came to the continent, he has been telling the African how to run Africa.

And yet, there is corruption. There is an industry, so full of promise, that takes advantage of its unskilled laborers, the most numerous members of the overall community.

And yet, we are Westerners, and we are in Africa for ten days, but we’re shooting a documentary. And yet, so is Valenti. She’s from Philadelphia, but they call her Mama Porter.

Benjamin Key is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at bkey@bcheights.com.

Politics as NFL football

Jocelyn Rousey What do the NFL labor contract disputes and the resulting lockout and threat of a cancelled season have in common with the current federal government budget debate? Surprisingly, at least on a basic, humorous, analogical level, quite a bit.

You see, in both cases, billions of dollars and the future well being of the institutions are at stake. NFL owners and players continue their seemingly endless squabble over who gets what sized cut of the league’s substantial profits. With regard to the federal government’s budget woes, Democrats and Republicans can barely agree on what to cut, what to keep, and who should get what’s left.

Similarly, both national football and the national government face doomsday scenarios (at least as far as the media is concerned) if those involved failed to resolve their differences. The 2011 football season is only tentatively scheduled and could be shortened or cancelled altogether if owners refuse to end the lockout. The federal government, meanwhile, continues to flirt with a partial shutdown while republican and democratic legislators play chicken with fiscal concessions and social agendas.

Refereeing between Speaker of the House John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, President Obama managed to get the two to agree on a last minute compromise Friday night that will tide the government over until next Thursday – at which point the whole drama can begin again. Congress still needs to pass a budget to cover the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends in September, not to mention a budget for next year.

But back to our analogy. Perhaps the most important similarity between a cancelled football season and a cancelled government is the fact that neither will actually come to pass. Why? Reality check, America. There is simply either too much profit to be made or political clout to control to let either scenario happen.

Now, it’s important to understand, the federal government has, in fact, shut down before, in the mid 1990s. But did the world end? No. Did the country collapse?

No. The shut down lasted only a few days before everyone got their act together and passed a budget. The federal government did not cease to exist, as the current media frenzy would seem to suggest might happen now, and politicians aren’t going to risk the political danger of letting it happen again.

Having a bit of faith of in the continued existence both of professional sports and the federal government makes you realize just how ridiculous and irresponsible our national politics are. No one is going to come out of this looking like a hero. Democrats, for one, look guilty because rather than pass a budget last fall, they wimped in the face of midterm elections.

Republicans, meanwhile, are getting flack for bowing to Tea Party pressure and refusing to cede ground to Democrats in the name of fiscal conservatism. It’s worth noting that a recent Congressional Budget Office report has concluded that the tax cuts included in the current Republican budget proposal will actually increase the deficit more than if lawmakers simply did nothing. This is to say nothing of the irresponsibility of holding the government hostage to advance a conservative social agenda. One of the key hang-ups Republicans have with the budget is continued federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

Republicans would rather federal funding not be used to fund abortions, a stance which overlooks the tiny but important detail that federal funds are not, by law, used to fund abortions anyways. Moreover, abortions constitute just 3% of Planned Parenthood’s services and so, in other words, federal funding for Planned Parenthood should be a nonissue.

In the end, perhaps no one demonstrates the ridiculousness of this situation as was as Representative Michele Bachmann (R-MN), who has been one of the strongest Tea Party voices encouraging the GOP to stand strong on budget issues. But aside from encouraging political stubbornness, Bachmann has also pledged to give up her wages in solidarity with U.S. soldiers who would not be receiving theirs if the government did, in fact, shut down.

She seems blissfully unaware of the hypocrisy of standing in solidarity with people affected by a crisis she helped create.

Given that particularly frustrating show of hypocrisy, I would like to take a moment and let everyone, myself included, take a deep breath and remember all the good things the federal government does for us besides give us a headache. Just think happy thoughts, keep the big picture in mind, and enjoy your football this fall.

Jocelyn Rousey is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opin-

The Heights

A8

Monday, April 11, 2011

Danny McBride clumsily packs ‘Your Highness’ with cliches

By Joe Allen Heights Staff

Even for the most disoriented stoners out there, the wealth of talent behind Your Highness set expectations for a righteously absurd, genre-blending high. Coming off his successful comedy-action mix, Pineapple Express, director David Gordon Green could have sealed his reputation as Your Highness: clever crafter David Gordon of comedy hyGreen brids by creatUniversal ing a film that infused 21st century jokes into a fantasy world.

Critically-appraised James Franco and Natalie Portman, neither new to making audience laugh, could have dazzled if given a strong script and layered characters. To top off the comedic dream team, Danny McBride, a man whose screen presence dares viewers not to crack a smile, co-writes and stars in what many hoped would be a comedic and cinematic rule-breaker. All of these built-in hopes make the general laziness on display in the just-released final product incredibly disappointing.

The sheer difficulty of hinting at this film’s comedic elements in a plot summary sug-

C+

gests a genre mash-up-gone-wrong. Fabious (James Franco) is a prince and skilled warrior whose successes far outshine those of his younger, juvenile brother Thadeous (Danny McBride). But when evil wizard Leezar (Justin Theroux) kidnaps Fabious’s bride-tobe, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), Fabious and Thadeous must travel together, along with vengeful Isabel (Natalie Portman), to rescue the damsel and defeat Leezar once and for all. No adult comedy should feature a story that sounds like a family-friendly cross between Shrek and Sleeping Beauty.

By-the-numbers premise aside, a welldone comedic genre-bender should find a way to bring the funny to a heavy fictionalized world. Your Highness’ hilarious opening scene provides hope for a great cinematic fusion by having a medieval character hurl out f-bombs as he awaits his hanging for sleeping with a small king’s wife. Danny McBride and cowriter Ben Best had the right idea that using current-day vernacular in a fantasy world could result in great jokes. That seemed to be their only stroke of inspiration, however.

The film abruptly shifts from this sometimesfunny R-rated banter to humorless fantasy action sequences. The carriage chases and

monster battles abandon all traces of comedy in favor of Lord of the Rings wannabe action sequences, much unlike the riotous escalation of violence in Pineapple Express. In particular, a mid-film fight between the main characters and a monster hand bypasses funny, barrels past weird, and becomes downright repulsive. Who knew a scene that also features topless babes could make film-goers groan?

“Fantasy” scenes such as these completely shun humor and make confused audience members wonder what they just paid to see.

While the dialogue-heavy scenes don’t completely offset these strange forays into unfunny, they do remind viewers that gifted comedic actors are present. Franco and McBride deliver plenty guffaw-inducing oneliners, and both try hard to continually entertain. Unfortunately, a lack of character depth makes long, comical conversations downright impossible. David Gordon Green has said that the actors mostly improvised their dialogue.

This method may produce some great punch lines, but ultimately doesn’t work because the actors play their characters too broadly. Given a terribly written character, Natalie Portman showcases the problem with improvised acting best with her constant “I must avenge my

Frenetic but fantastic ‘Hanna’ dazzles

Courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

Improvised dialogue and uncharacteristically poor writing put a damper on ‘Your Highness.’ family! Nothing else matters!” monologue.

If less big-name actors and money went behind Your Highness, it may have succeeded as a sporadically funny fantasy comedy.

Even though the audience wasn’t laughing constantly, the film did deliver uproarious moments frequently enough to not be completely panned. But given the talent on display, most of which came directly from

the awesome Pineapple Express, the overall lackluster feel of Your Highness translates into a huge disappointment. Those walking into the theater expecting an uproarious stoner comedy will instead be treated to not one, but two uncomfortably sexual scenes involving mythical creatures. Who knew that depicting the hideous Minotaur as a sex offender wouldn’t be a riot? n

Box Office Report title

weekend gross

weeks in release

1 photos courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

1. Hop

27.7

2

2. Arthur

6.1

1

3. Hanna

5.9

1

Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com

Young Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan is a shining revelation in the beautifully filmed, jaw-dropping, and stunningly hair-raising ‘Hanna.’

By Charlotte Parish

Asst. Arts & Review Editor A killing machine, yet a young girl; constantly alert and curiously unaware. These are the oxymoronic characterizations that director Joe Wright creates within the intriguing and baffling character of Hanna, played by the remarkHanna: able SaoJoe Wright irse Ronan.

Ardustry Although Entertainment W r i g h t has previously put out fantastic films, including the moving Atonement that also starred Ronan, Hanna is a creative stretch for all involved and an impressive divergence from the standard action film.

Having grown up somewhere around the Arctic circle in a desolate area, Hanna has had absolutely no human interactions except for her father, Erik (Eric Bana). In this raw, rustic life, Erik pushes and tests his young daughter daily, and the film’s opening – Ronan hunting a deer with bow and arrow before being surprise-attacked by Bana in a martial arts training battle– is a testament to the action style that drives the entire film.

However, that’s not to say that Hanna lacks its lighter moments. In fact, the most surprising part of the film is its laugh-out-loud scenes, such as when the physically strong, but completely inexperienced Ronan flips a boy on his back, about to break his arm

B+ A-

for trying to kiss her. Throughout the film, quiet moments that juxtapose intense action are the ones that draw it away from the stereotypical (and overdone) action film into a piece with range as Hanna observes her brave new world with amazement and naivete.

Although expectations are high because she is already an Oscar-nominated actress, Ronan once again amazes in Hanna as she is able to make her character (essentially a miniature assassin) believable – both in her physical stunts and emotional development.

Despite being able to incapacitate an entire room of trained U.S. soldiers, Ronan is overwhelmed by the electronic contraptions in the first hotel room that she ever stays in. Ronan’s capacity to play both Hannas, the doe-eyed child and steel-minded soldier, and merge them is flawless. As she sits entranced by a television (common enough for any teenager), she murmurs to the curious hotel manager that she is from “the forest,” summing up her strange dual existence in this simple scene.

Ronan’s interaction with the bratty Sophie (Jessica Barden) is another hidden gem of the film. From completely opposite worlds, each girl fascinates the other and they develop a sweet friendship as Hanna frequently stows away in Sophie’s family RV. In fact, the entire road-tripping family is a Little Miss Sunshine mish-mash of characters, each as strange as Hanna in their own way. Although they are also essential to the plot progression, Sophie and her

brother and parents are some of the most enjoyable and comical characters of the film.

However, there are several plot gaps left open at the end of the film: most importantly how Bana seems to have swum from their Arctic hide out to an unknown island before arriving in Berlin on a bus of all things. The fate of several characters is also left undetermined. Although this can frustrate because you become so invested in each character as the film progresses, Wright clearly made a creative choice in emphasizing the process that occurs in Hanna, rather than the outcome or even the origins because, under scrutiny, the back story remains a little fuzzy at the closing credits.

Regardless, Wright pushes the expectations established by his previous films, which lacked the stunts and flair of Hanna but were full of the relationships and interrogation of human drive. These latter aspects swing Wright’s newest project away from the tired genre of action-thriller into an unexpectedly innovative film. Without the strength of the cast – Bana and Cate Blanchett’s Marissa included in the ranks of incredible performances – Hanna could easily have fallen off the tracks. However, its careful balance between action and reflection (after all, violent fight scenes set to European electro-pop can only be so serious) make it a gauntlet for the summer action blockbusters that usually have equally impressive special affects, but none of the memorable characters of Hanna. n

4

10

4. Soul Surfer

4.2

1

5. insidious

3.8

2

6. Your Highness

3.6

1

7. Source code

3.5

2

8. Limitless

3.3

4

9. Diary of a wimpy kid: rodrick rules

3.0

3

10. the lincoln lawyer

2.9

4

bestsellers of hardcover fiction 1. Live Wire Harlan Coben 2. toys James Patterson 3. sing you home Jodi Picoult 4. Night Road Kristin Hannah 5. The Saturday big tend wedding party Alexander McCall Smith

6. tHE gIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST Stieg Larsson 7. The jungle: A Novel of the oregon files Clive Cussler 8. A Lesson in Secrets Jacqueline Winspear 9. Cold wind C.J. Box SOURCE: Publisher’s Weekly

Russell Brand stumbles through the clunky ‘Arthur’ remake

By Darren Ranck

Arts & Review Editor In the early 1980’s, Ronald Reagan gifted the American aristocracy with a little economic concept known as Reaganomics. While its intentions were noble, the economic policy cut taxes on the rich and encouraged them to spend more money and contribute to the economy. In lay man’s terms, Arthur: the wealthy got to keep Jason Winer their dough BenderSpink and spend it furiously to better America! During the era, Steve Gordon directed a charming comedy, Arthur, focusing on a millionaire rapscallion, who spends (and drinks) to his heart’s delight. The film put star Dudley Moore on the map and did tremendously well at enforcing the old adage “Money can’t buy happiness” to the Reagan-happy masses.

We now reside in a period of less fiscal joy, and while the remake of Arthur tries to work within the bounds of the recession, the money spending ways of a drunk playboy are not quite so entertaining as they were 30 years ago. The premise of the remake pretty much mirrors that of the

B-

original. Arthur Bach (Russell Brand), the young heir of his mother’s multi-million dollar corporation, spends his days buying frivolous gadgets and invaluables, hosting rather ludicrous parties, and drinking copious amounts of expensive alcohol under the eye of his watchful nanny and best friend Hobson (Helen Mirren, in a gender reversal from the original). To put a good face to the company, Arthur’s mother arranges a marriage between her son and the beautiful, illustrious Susan Johnson (Jennifer Garner), threatening to pull his inheritance if he does not go through with the marriage. Arthur drowns his anxiety with his gluttonous ways until he meets charming tour guide Naomi (Greta Gerwig) and falls for her. Now Arthur must choose between love and money as the wedding day quickly approaches.

The story leaves little to be desired in terms of originality. The original had darker undertones with Moore’s portrayal of Arthur. He brought a tangible sadness to the character, giving him a necessary humanity that kept the character grounded.

Loopy Brit Brand doesn’t bring nearly enough of this quality to the film, taking away from any sort of moral value it could have. Brand’s Arthur verges on caricature.

He’s incorrigibly silly and foolish, but not

in the same charming way as Moore. His strange, high-pitched accent could also give any viewer a migraine. In comedic moments, he generally succeeds, but he’s not someone you feel could ever exist in time.

Similarly, Garner underperforms with her villainess, as she does not fulfill any of the character’s necessary qualities. No one could buy Garner as scheming, manipulative, or seductive. The latter especially proves true during a rather uncomfortable drunken night between Arthur and Susan that goes awry by the powers of a cubic zirconium nightgown and a magnetic bed. Even Mirren underperforms with a phoned in performance. While no Mirren performance could ever be considered “bad,” she very comfortably manages to provide gruff guidance and shoot stern looks with ease. It’s a performance that succeeds but won’t be remembered.

The only player to improve upon the original is delightful and up-and-coming Greta Gerwig. With standout performances in Greenberg and No Strings Attached, Gerwig brings an ethereal innocence mixed with a hardened quirk to Arthur’s love interest. Played by Liza Minelli in the original version, this love interest loses the spunk and attitude that made the original

somewhat divisive. It’s impossible not to fall for Gerwig’s unabashedly cute Naomi.

She also carries a heft of the emotional aspect of the film, as well, perfectly portraying the destitution but responsibility of today’s blue-collar employees.

The other star of the film would be the candy-colored portrayal of New York City.

Never before has the city felt so playful

under the camera of director Jason Winer and cinematographer Uta Briesewitz.

The setting exudes the idea that the film is merely a fun comedy. While unable to measure up to the original, it’s still a breezy comedy that boasts the performance of a future star. Nonetheless, the remake proves that Hollywood is in an idea recession, too. n

Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com

Brand overloads this failed remake of the classic ‘Arthur’ with smarmy attitude and bad acting.

The Heights

Monday, April 11, 2011

A9

Hot ‘Midsummer’ night ‘Midsummer,’ from A10 night. Particularly beautiful were the costumes and scenery, designed by Luisa Spinatelli. Set in the fairies’ forest at dusk, Midsummer lends itself to a bevy of gossamer costumes and floral scenery, and Spinatelli took advantage of this plot setting to spin costumes both elegant and eye catching.

Adorned with leaf-thin wings, the dancers visually embodied their roles of butterflies and fairies and nearly flew away when on bourees on pointe. Despite the beauty of the female fairies – including the regal Titania who was clothed in delicate white and crowned with flowers – it was their male counterparts, Oberon and Puck, who stole the show both in costume and dance. In his first entrance, Oberon (danced by John Lam on opening night) wore an enormous train of faux-peacock, jade and gold-dusted feathers, each extending three feet long and attended by several other fairies. Puck (danced by Jeffrey Circo), on the other hand, was covered head to toe in green vines, painted across his face and arms, winding around a Robin Hood-esque attire of tights and a tunic.

On a practical note, Spinatelli prevented plot confusion, dressing the adoring Helena (Kathleen Bree Combes) and the scorning Demetrius (Yury Yanowsky) in red while the set of happy lovers, Lysander (Pavel Gurevich) and Hermia (Erica Cornejo), wore blue. However, any one who does not have prior knowledge of Midsummer’s plot will be incredibly confused in this silent rendition.

Some may argue that taking away the words for a Shakespeare play is like taking the engine out of a plane. Plot difficulties aside, the tacit version of Midsummer brought an incredibly strong physicality and lyricism to the play, and Hermia’s devastation after discovering Lysander’s enchanted love for Helena is arguably more poignant in dance that it could ever be in words as she collapses.

The scenery developed the ballet in many ways: fog rolling through the scenes of disorientation when Puck mischievously impersonates Lysander and Demetrius or Titania sleeping delicately on a bower of life-like wood and flowers. The one moment when the set lost its validity as a scene of mysterious, supernatural happenings was

during Bottom’s (Robert Kretz) transformation from man to donkey. Puck just carries out a donkey’s head, leaping across the stage in several jetes before plopping it down on Bottom’s head. While it would be impossible to fashion a contraption that truly appeared like a live donkey head, the simplicity and overt nature of the transformation removes any sense that it is a result of magic, and was the one place where the ballet broke character.

However, generally speaking, Kretz’s Puck was the highlight of the show, stealing attention from the curtain call when he speeds across the back of the stage in Flash-like movements, abandoning the usual grace of a typical ballet ‘run’ for the pure adrenaline that characterizes Shakespeare’s most mischievous and immature character. Always moving with exaggeration and energy, Kretz leaps around the entire stage, taking a solo anytime he had to exit with unnecessary movements that led circuitously off-stage. Kretz was particularly impressive for demonstrating the physical humor possible while still maintaining perfect ballet techniques during spritely leaps and whirling, off-kilter turns. Despite such a regimented medium, Kretz had the whole audience laughing at his maltreatment of Bottom and the Mechanicals as well as his own confusion over which Athenia lover to bewitch with a magic flower’s juice.

Kretz was not alone, though, in his impressive performance as Hippolyta (Lia Cirio) tore off an astounding series of fouettes in her solo. The corps as well was impressively coordinated, many members coming from the pre-professional Boston Ballet School program (the largest of its kind in the country).

Supplementing the physical beauty of the piece, Jonathan McPhee conducted the orchestral wonder of Felix Mendelssohn. The music, sparkling and whimsical, gave depth to the ballet and led the dancers through their transformations flawlessly.

In a world of paramours, bewitchments, and otherworldly characters, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a fantastic creation, shifting the parameters of Shakespeare’s classic comedy into new medium until Puck once again has the final word to the audience – though here it is a silent one. n

Sang Lee / Heights Staff

Pulling double duty, Matt Nathanson performed two concerts Saturday night, both of them featuring the talents of Eric Stepanian.

Nathanson’s show drives audience wild Nathanson, from A10 The opening act was a guitarist from Boston, Eric Stepanian. He opened with the joke that he was glad everyone was standing. In a sold-out Robsham, the audience was seated. Most of his songs were not too memorable; he played off the audience and sang a song with city names to warm the crowd up. The best part of Eric Stepanian’s opening act began with the theme from The Fresh Prince of Bel - Air and developed into a great mash-up of some of the best songs especially from the ’90s and 2000’s. This mix included Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” Lil John’s “Low,” the Spice Girls, and even Britney Spears. This song definitely won the viewers and earned clapping and enthusiasm from all. Perhaps his funny yet honest comments in between stole the show, but little did the audience know the real comedy was up next.

Matt Nathanson began with the song “To the Beat of Our Noisy Hearts.” On acoustic guitar, his back up singer supported him by singing harmony and adding a definite beat on the electric

guitar. Especially right after the opening act, Nathanson’s talent on guitar and really smooth sound stood out. Watching a performer strum notes can get dull, but he kept attention with the obvious emotion he emulated in his lyrics and notes. If you watched his feet, they not only kept the beat but also swayed and stomped with the music.

At times, the show felt like a comedy show, with longer breaks inbetween songs where Nathanson cracked jokes.

Nathanson had a gift for improvising and his commentary on the audience and specific remarks that were blurted out were always met with one of his hilarious lines. Even willing to use himself as the butt of a joke he said, as if talking to one unenthusiastic crowd member, “You probably only know one of my songs.” This was applicable to most of the audience who attended just because they were familiar with his only well-known song, “Come On Get Higher.” This song gained platinum status, selling more than any of his other songs. This was definitely one highlight of the show when the long awaited song that everyone could sing along to took

the stage. The roar of the audience said enough. While most of his songs were slow and contemplative, this song for its familiarity woke audience members to cheering and clapping.

One of the few complaints that could be made was that his song style was not fast paced. Especially for an excited audience late on a Saturday night, some audience members left feeling sleepy and not as pumped as other concerts might leave one. Some people left early wishing the concert started earlier or more punctually.

His song “All We Are” has been featured often on television shows including NCIS, Private Practice and One Tree Hill.

“Modern Love” the song was performed in advertisement of his most recent endeavor his album Modern Love. This album debuts June 7. He joked that his new album was a Bieber mix then sang in an annoyingly highpitched voice.

His chill music style is great to listen to. It blends acoustic folk and Rock ‘n’ Roll. With a definite charm and charisma he entertains an audience well. n

‘Rabbit Hole’ achieves blend of tension and humor ‘Rabbit,’ from A10 laughing so loudly the dialogue could not be heard. There were times when the audience hesitated to laugh, almost ashamed at the humor they found in this very dark show, but as the program suggests, “Allow yourself to feel whatever it is that you feel. Embrace the sadness, but don’t excuse the humor within the play.”

Silence cut like a knife in this show.

Andrew powell / Heights staff

Featuring the yearly “opera tradition,” last Saturday’s My Mother’s Fleabag show parodied popular divas like Celine Dion and Mariah Carey.

Fleabag celebrates all that is funny Fleabag, from A10 A&S ’13, Ceara O’Sullivan, A&S ’14, Katie Cummings, A&S ’14, Don Orr, A&S ’14, and Lou Wilson, A&S ’14. For the freshmen in the group, this was only their second big performance, yet they seemed just as prepared and skilled as any other member of the troupe.

Those who have attended Fleabag shows in the past would have recognized the familiar and entertaining improv games the group played. One of the crowd’s favorites is the game “185 Blanks.” In this game, Fleabag takes suggestions from the audience for a noun. The Fleabaggers then proceed to use the noun in a joke that always starts, “185 ____ walk into a bar.” Some of the nouns of this year’s show included random words such as: sponges, condiments, and Jesuits. Another hilarious game forced the members of the group to use a word that started with the next letter of the alphabet in each new line of dialogue. Like the two mentioned, the improv games forced the Fleabaggers to think quickly on their feet.

In between these improv games, the Flea-

baggers performed a few sketches written by members of the group. One of the highlights of the show was ongoing short sketch featuring Givler as a bunny nibbling on various foods alone on stage. Another hilarious sketch featured Wilson and O’Sullivan as an overly affectionate couple.

Even though all three shows went very well for My Mother’s Fleabag, James described how the performance at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday night is usually the group’s most successful due to the large and energetic audience. At this point, the group has already performed twice for the weekend and is quite comfortable on stage. It seemed that by this Saturday performance, My Mother’s Fleabag meshed well together, picking up on each other’s cues well and building up jokes to their highest potential.

The show capped off a successful night with a kind of warped musical, taking popular songs and re-writing some lyrics in keeping with the Fleabag “opera tradition.” The opera portion of the show is often a crowd favorite as it highlights the group’s quick wit and talent. This

year’s theme for the Fleabag opera was: “Pop Divas” and the songs were based off hits from the likes of Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Celine Dione. Sporting boxers and tights, Fleabag transformed the lyrics of well-known songs to make hilarious BC related parodies.

For example, Celine Dion’s “Your Heart Will Go On and On” was changed “Our Night Will Go On and On”, a song about watching Hulu in Bapst until the wee hours of the morning. Another pop diva song, “I’m Every Woman” by Whitney Houston, was changed into a song about common first year experiences at BC in “I’m Every Freshman.”

All in all, this weekend’s show was an incredible success. It was the last big semester Fleabag show for the group’s seniors and group directors Givler and Madincea. Both had an extraordinary final performance and will be missed by their fellow Fleabaggers and BC fans alike. If you are one of the unlucky students who missed this weekend’s Big Spring show, there is still another chance to catch the group at the BC Arts Fest coming up later this month. n

“The audience felt as if they were sitting at the kitchen table with Howie and Becca, deciding what to do with their son’s old things...”

There were many moments when silence simply pervaded the whole room, the last piece of dialogue just lingering in the air.

These moments often occurred between Becca and Howie, while they stumbled their way through the grieving process.

The actors did not rush these moments, and knew just how long was long enough.

The silence did not feel unnecessary, or overly dramatic. The audience felt as if they were sitting at the kitchen table with Howie and Becca, deciding what to do with their son’s old things, or whether to sell the house, or meet with their son’s accidental killer. The moments hung heavy in the air and sent chills down the spines of all viewers.

Coupled with the authentic dialogue was a perfectly realistic set and spot on costumes. Perhaps the most perfectly costumed, and funniest person in the

show, was Nat, played by Alexandra Lewis, A&S ’14. Nat, who has an affinity for drinking and talking, is Becca and Izzy’s mother. Every word that came out of her mouth was cringe-worthy. Her wine-induced speeches brought lots of laughter, and uncomfortableness. But Nat was hardly one-dimensional. Her own pain, at losing her son also, was genuine and mature, exactly how you would imagine a woman would feel after losing her adult son. Her costumes reeked of middle-aged mothers.

Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, there was humor and relatability.

The relationship between Becca and Izzy is a very realistic sisterly one. Izzy, played

by Kelsey Alexander, A&S ’11, was the misfit little sister, always in her older sister’s shadow. Izzy often felt judged by Becca who seemed to have had the perfect life before her tragic loss. Alexander perfectly played the imperfect little sister, who reveals that she herself is pregnant after relating a story of a bar fight to Becca. Her dialogue had the potential to come off as cliched, but Alexander met the challenge and captured the true spirit of Izzy, someone who has not always been on the right path, but is ready to get her life in order and just needs someone to have a little faith in her. Alexander was the perfect choice for the part.

Rabbit Hole was a true delight that transported its audience to a different time and place. The musical interludes during the blackouts, the perfect environment that Bonn provided, and the small set, really transformed the evening into something more than just a performance. Rabbit Hole was an experience that challenged its audience to be attentive, even during the most painful of moments. n

Summer’s ‘Crazy, Stupid Love’ promises refreshing laughs Dan Siering There’s nothing more refreshing than discovering a smart, original coming-ofage romantic comedy. In an industry that has the habit of cashing in on the same plot frameworks until they are firmly batted into the ground, tossed into a coffin, and pierced with a silver stake, going to the theater and watching something that is both unique and enjoyable is becoming somewhat of a momentous occasion. I feel like I’m constantly searching through a bale of Katherine Heigl love triangles and Gerard Butler pick-up lines to find a single pin of creativity (my apologies to those who enjoyed The Ugly Truth).

While scouring IMDB and iTunes trailers, I feel like I’ve found potential in the upcoming summer flick Crazy,

Stupid, Love. The film, which will hit theaters July 22, has a mammoth cast. In the newly released trailer you see the likes of Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei, and Kevin Bacon.

The plot has Carell and Moore as a husband-wife pair who are struggling to communicate and to find a way to mend their increasingly unstable marriage.

“When I told you I had to work late I really went to see the new Twilight movie by myself. And it was so bad,” admits a teary-eyed Moore, showing how backwards her marriage has become. Drinking his sorrows away at a bar, Carell runs into Gosling, a Hitch-type ladies man who’s as charming as they come. After having a conversation about Carell’s train wreck marriage, Gosling takes on Carell as his new project and gives his new friend a new look and attitude. While

Carell tries to win back Moore and the respect of his children, Gosling slowly begins to fall for the charmingly witty Stone, the one girl that he can’t exactly figure out. The remainder of the trailer mostly consists of shots of impeding romantic hurdles and Gosling with his shirt off.

This preview of the storyline and character interactions gives me a lot of hope that this film will be a gem. Carell can play the down-on-his-luck awkward guy in need of help with the best of them, and with such films as Half Nelson, Blue Valentine, and, yes, even The Notebook, Gosling has consistently proven that he’s one of the great young actors out there. As for the female leads, this is a meeting of probably the two most admired red-haired freckled actresses in Hollywood, but I’m not complaining.

I really can’t get enough of Moore, and

Stone always entertains. But am I the only one who has trouble seeing Stone as the one who woos the heart of the ultrasuave Gosling?

Let’s take a moment and analyze the progression of Stone’s cinematic love interests. She started with the loveable and chubby Jonah Hill in Superbad, then went to the neurotic Jesse Eisenberg in Zombieland, then to the hunky Penn Badgely in Easy A. Now she’s winning the heart of Gosling, a swinging bachelor who apparently has the abs of Zeus and the charisma of Don Juan. It looks like somewhere between Zombieland and Easy A, the sexual allure of Stone inexplicably skyrocketed. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved Stone in many of her previous roles, but I find it hard to see her opposite of Gosling here when four years ago the majority of her interactions with male leads consisted of getting socked in

the face by a drunken Jonah Hill.

Let me stop this digression before the one problem I have with this film takes over the entire landscape. With what looks like some original threads of plot, Crazy, Stupid Love has a lot of good things to offer to the world of Hollywood romance. The trailer displays some flashes of comedy – Carell rolls out of a moving car to avoid talking with his wife – and some moments of genuine romantic insight – Gosling observes that “your wife cheated on you because you lost sight of who you are as a man.” I also have to give the film credit for their trendy music selection of Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks” and Muse’s “Starlight” for the trailer.

Dan Siering is a columnist for The Heights.

He welcomes comments at arts@bcheights. com.

arts&review

A10

Monday, April 11, 2011

Wicked Cultured

‘All’s Well’ in summer Charlotte Parish Come April, Boston is always a tease. I’m really over the weather shenanigans. One day I’m in a skirt, the next it’s back to the winter parka.

And of course, I usually fail to check the weather in my morning haze, so the days when I wear a skirt it snows (yes, that really did happen), but I’m basing my outfit temperature on the day before when I was sweating in my winter coat and sweater.

So as much as I fear saying it and enticing the capricious weather gods to smite me, I really think that the good weather is here to stay. Inevitably, this optimism has me plotting all my favorite warm weather excursions into the city. As much as I come to loathe the snow by March (or June for certain stubborn snow piles in my neighborhood) people who live in Florida, Hawaii, or anywhere so tauntingly sunny year-round cannot truly understand the spring fever that hits northern cities.

There are a number of things on this summer bucket list, but the one that I’m most excited about is also the one that I’m slightly embarrassed about: Shakespeare on the Common.

I’m an English major and a dork at heart – I make no secret of that. But this professional show is quite possibly my most favorite event of the year, better than my birthday or the first day of break. Should I keep this a secret?

Maybe, but I’d rather share the excitement and hope to make some other William-phile happy as well.

A free show that runs for the entire summer, Shakespeare on the Common is a combination of everything I love, and an incredibly fun experience.

First of all, it’s free. That is the magic word for any student, especially since most of my pathetic income will be spent on new dresses this spring (I can never resist as well as I should). There are very few worthwhile adventures that actually advertise themselves as free anymore, though I am a master of digging through the fine print for a bargain. So I think it’s incredibly impressive that the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) has kept itself afloat without passing costs onto their groupies.

Plus, this is not some run of the mill, middle school-level production that is free only because it’s hardly worth seeing. The group is an auditioned, professional cast with full costume, makeup, mikes, set, and the works. Part of CSC’s mission is to make Shakespeare accessible and modern, and they certainly do that with the frills of the production. Instead of the austere, Spartan sets usually employed by troupes to mimic the materials that Shakespeare himself would have used, CSC builds mammoth frames that extend in every direction, coupled with flashing lights and colorful backdrops.

I also love that this is an outdoor production. The Boston Common is one of my favorite haunts in better weather, and sitting on the grass at dusk with a picnic and friends is legitimately one of the best things to do in the city.

But more than anything, it’s Shakespeare. Yes, all these other justifications are something of a cover for the fan-girl excitement I have over seeing a free Shakespeare play. But, once I’m there, I know that I am in the midst of others who are equally unashamed of their preferred summer, Friday night pastime. Their rendition of A Comedy of Errors was incredible two seasons ago, and the best part of the production is that the company usually ventures out into the audience, particularly during the comedies. Needless to say I’m stoked for All’s Well That Ends Well for its 16th season.

Of course, all this planning could be premature. I’m just praying that there are no more freak snowstorms to push back warm days lolling around the Common.

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

andrew powell/ Heights staff

With a plot that frequently and quickly switches between comedy and tear-inducing drama, ‘The Pillowman’ nonetheless managed to captivate and entrance audiences with a fine display of acting.

Acting pulls audience down the ‘Rabbit Hole’ Student-directed Dramatics Society production tenderly and thrillingly brings family drama to life in Bonn Studio

By Therese Tully Heights Editor

P

ain and death are common themes that are often explored through different art forms.

Rabbit Hole tackled these issues of love and loss head-on, unapologetically giving the audience a view of all facets of grief.

In Rabbit Hole, directed by Katerina Baruffi, A&S ’11, each character is presented in hsi or her true light.

What carried this show was the superb acting that made the audience feel as if they were actually flies on the wall, living in this story with the characters.

The most painful moments in the piece were executed wonderfully with great honesty and authenticity. Howie, played by Juan Rodriguez, A&S ’11, dealt with the loss of his son in many different ways. He exposed the difficulty in trying to help his spouse grieve in a healthy way, while also dealing with his own pain. Rodriguez displayed a great depth and range of

See ‘Rabbit,’ A9

Fleabag hits the funny bone hard

Singer plays acoustic songs in sold-out show For The Heights

Best known for his song, “Come On Get Higher,” Matt Nathanson made his much-anticipated appearance in Robsham Theater on Saturday night.

The free concert sold out in a day, and most audience members were attracted by his one platinum selling hit, but did not know his other songs.

In for a treat, he proved to be a very engaging performer. Great acoustic numbers were intermixed with stand up comedy that kept the laughs coming. He has definitely been a very active singer and self-released five albums early in his career.

Born in Boston, he was home. He played at Simmons College earlier in the day. In the past two years alone, he has played more than 250 live shows. His comedy show laughs definitely add to his large following especially through his live tours.

A better performer in person, his character comes out and captures attention. The love affair between music and him began young. The first time he picked up a guitar was at the age of six. Now he has mastered the instrument and can play an impressive 12-string guitar. He recorded his first album, Please, when he was a freshman in college in 1993.

See Nathanson, A9

Final show plays strong

By Katie Lee Heights Staff

Sang Lee / heights staff

Nights on the Heights sponsored Matt Nathanson, singer of “Come On Get Higher.”

Boston Ballet ‘Dreams’ of Shakespeare

By Charlotte Parish

Asst. Arts & Review Editor William Shakespeare has been immortalized for the beauty of his language. However, Boston Ballet proved that words are not necessary to capture the splendor and ethereal nature of his famous comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Infusing the poise, precision, and grace of ballet into the hilarity of Midsummer, director George Balanchine brought this unique ballet back to the Opera House beginning last Thursday night where it will run through April 17.

The fourth largest ballet company in the country, Boston Ballet once again pulled off a masterful production, completely flawless in entrances and set manipulation even on the opening

i nside Arts this issue

See ‘Midsummer,’ A9

Director Katerina Baruffi, A&S ’11 Starring Juan Rodriguez as Howie, Juliana Forsberg - Lary as Becca, Kelsey Alexander as Izzy, Alexandra Lewis as Nat, Eliott Purcell as Jason.

When April 7 - 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Where Bonn Studio

emotion, as he was seductive, angry, defensive, and emotional. The pinnacle of his performance came when he finally lost it onstage. Howie yelled at Jason Willette, played by Eliott Purcell, A&S ’14, the teenage boy who accidentally killed Howie and Becca’s son Danny in a car accident. Jason pops into their house, hoping to talk with Howie and Becca, when Howie’s calm, cool, and collected demeanor is shattered. Rodriguez bursts into a fit of screaming, and the audience sat in silence, mesmerized by the moment.

Becca, played by Juliana Forsberg-Lary, CSON ’12, perfectly portrayed a mother dealing with a horrible loss. She was short-tempered and when it was revealed that she had slapped a woman in the grocery store, the audience burst into an fit of laughter. This seemed to be the theme of the evening. One moment the audience was near tears, and the next they were

Nathanson hits BC

By Jennifer O’Brien

Rabbit Hole

photo courtesy of Boston ballet

I

f any Boston College student happened to wander into the O’Connell House on either Friday or Saturday night this past weekend, they would have seen a group of nine singing students in tights and boxers, a bunny nibbling on a banana, and an uncomfortably overly-affectionate couple. What other wildly eclectic and hilarious show would this be other than one by the infamous My Mother’s Fleabag? For those who may be unfamiliar with the name, My Mother’s Fleabag is one of the most prominent comedy groups on the BC campus. The group has consistently drawn in some of the most entertaining members of the BC community and has a list of impressive alumnus such as Saturday Night Live’s Amy Poehler. Celebrating its 30th anniversary just last year, Fleabag is the nation’s oldest improvisational group. The group hosts one big show per semester and as always, the nine Fleabaggers performed at the school’s favorite mansion, the O’Connell House on both Friday and Saturday nights.

The show itself was an extraordinarily successful night. The group worked to include various improv games interspersed with sketches and ending in an original Fleabag “opera.” All nine Fleabaggers put their skills and hours of improv practice to the test in an energy-filled performance that had all of their audiences screaming with laughter. The cast members of this show include: Dave Givler, CSOM ’11, Riley Madincea, A&S ’11, Lindsey James, A&S ’13, Molly Mortta, A&S ‘13, Brian Cocchiara,

Beautiful costumes and scenery offset the graceful elegance of ‘Midsummer Night.’

Get ready for ‘Crazy, Stupid Love’

This summer release looks poised to do some serious box office damage with its fresh ideas and stellar cast, A9

‘Your Highness’ review

Did the Pineapple Express team do justice to medieval adventure and stoner comedy?, A8

See Fleabag, A9

Hardcover Bestsellers....................A8 Box Office Report........................A8

SPORTS The Heights

Monday, April 11, 2011

Section

B

Monday, April 11, 2011

football notebook

Defense confuses young QBs Spaziani introduces new wrinkles to test offense’s progression

By Paul Sulzer Sports Editor

courtesy of jim rosvold

Sophomore Brooks Dyroff (right) won the Hockey Humanitarian Award on Friday for his work with his non-profit foundation, CEO 4 Teens.

Humanitarian impulse drives Dyroff

By Chris Marino Heights Editor

Athletics can inspire people on many levels. The commitment, passion, and dedication of athletes can drive us in our own work. Simply seeing a game-winning shot or a devastating playoff loss can affect us on the deepest level.

Then there are athletes like Brooks Dyroff.

The Boston College forward was hon-

ored with the 16th annual BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award on Friday for his non-profit organization, CEO 4 Teens. In a class of worthy causes, Dyroff’s dedication shined through, as he received his honor at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

While his individual work with the program has been beyond admirable, Dyroff remains humble.

“I am so deeply honored to have won this award on behalf of Boston College, my team,

and my organization,” he said. “There are so many people who have helped me achieve this honor I don’t know where to start.

“I couldn’t have won the award without the help of my coaches and teammates, and especially my friend Kenny Haisfield. This honor has motivated me to keep trying to advocate the importance of education, and what better place to do that than Boston College? I am humbled, and I want to thank

See Dyroff, B3

After giving up five touchdown passes in the first spring scrimmage a week ago, the defense had its revenge with four interceptions and four sacks in Saturday’s rematch with the offense at Alumni Stadium.

“We showed a little bit more of what we have in our package,” head coach Frank Spaziani said of the defensive schemes.

“Last week, we were trying to get everyone on the same page. [The defense] has to advance, too. We have to find out what our guys on defense can do, too.”

Field corner Donnie Fletcher did most of the damage, recording three interceptions. The first was on a quick out to Ifeanyi Momah at midfield. Chase Rettig released the ball too late and Fletcher undercut the route at midfield, taking the ball back to the 17 before stepping out of bounds to avoid the hit. In a real game, he could have easily tried to juke the only player in his path, a lineman.

On the first play of the second half, Rettig overthrew Clyde Lee on a fly down the left sideline and Fletcher rose up for the interception. He completed his day by winning a jump ball in the end zone thrown

by Mike Marscovetra.

The rising senior had five picks a year ago and looks to be just as much of a ball hawk so far this spring.

Who his partner will be at boundary corner is less certain. C.J. Jones played the first half with the first team and registered a sack. Jim Noel, who played safety last year, came out with the starters in the

second half and also had a sack. Spaziani said Noel’s move to corner is strictly experimental.

“Nothing’s permanent,” Spaziani said.

“We’re just trying to create some more depth.”

Rounding out the competition was Al Louis-Jean, who handled the field corner duties with the second string. He had the first interception of the day on Marscovetra’s first pass of the game, a lofted pass on a fly route that Louis-Jean read well. He demonstrated his quick burst by closing on several near-completions and breaking them up.

“Kid’s got some spark to him,” Spaziani said of the freshman early enrollee. “But he should be going to the prom this week.”

See Scrimmage, B4

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Fletcher (3 INT) was locked in at the scrimmage.

BC claims Duke series in extras

By Robert T. Balint Heights Staff

Mike Gambino’s boys stood up to an ACC rival over the weekend in Durham, N.C., winning two of three Boston College 6 games to take the 4 Duke series against the Duke Blue Devils. The two teams battled into extra innings in the deciding game on Sunday afternoon, and the Eagles came away with a 6-4 win in the 11th inning that sealed the deal, improving their record to 13-16, 6-8 ACC. “We’re really confident now in close ball games,” Gambino said. “I was proud of the way they came back.”

In the final extra inning on Sunday, freshman Tom Bourdon struck out, but Duke’s catcher Michael Rosenfeld lost the ball in the dirt, and Bourdon reached first base safely.

Matt McGovern’s single gave the Eagles two base runners as Anthony Melchionda stepped up to the plate and hit a clutch two-run single that gave the Eagles a 6-4 lead. Garret Smith earned his sixth save of the season for an inning of work on the mound after playing the previous 10 behind the plate.

“The big thing is looking from Friday into Saturday and Sunday,” Gambino said. “We did what we wanted to do, and played how we wanted to play.”

Duke began to pull away in the seventh inning, when Eagles reliever Nate Bayuk worked himself into a jam. Second baseman David Perkins led off the bottom of the frame with a solo home run to left field, which was followed by two singles and a sacrifice bunt. Bayuk walked one run in, then hit Will Piwinca-Worms with a pitch that brought in another run, giving the Blue Devils a 4-1 lead.

See Baseball, B5

alex trautwig / heights editor

Dave Laufer is one of several arms Mike Gambino turns to when he employs the bullpen by committee. Due to a lack of starting pitching, Gambino will often use eight or nine players to complete the game.

A call to arms for the Boston College pitching staff Paul Sulzer When starting pitcher Mike Dennhardt got hurt against Florida State over spring break, head baseball coach Mike Gambino had a problem. He only had two healthy starters, John Leonard and Nate Bayuk, and his team plays five games a week. He had to get creative to eat all those innings.

Gambino decided to take the concept of a bullpen by committee to a new level.

Instead of filling the Friday starter’s spot with one pitcher, he filled it with eight.

The Eagles trot out their entire bullpen for an inning or two apiece rather than throw one arm for seven innings. This is not a good long-term strategy for success. Boston College is 3-2 when its starter goes at least five innings and 4-9 when he doesn’t since Dennhardt got hurt on March 11.

The main issue is that it overtaxes the bullpen. Gambino has usually chosen the Friday game each week as the bullpen day. Using eight or nine pitchers on the first weekend game leaves the team at

a disadvantage for the Saturday and Sunday games. It’s better for BC to have one exhausted arm (a starter) and two or three tired ones than it is to have eight or nine tired pitchers. Relying on worn out arms to preserve leads is risky because they’re less likely to have their best stuff, which they need to get outs against ACC lineups. Bringing in a new pitcher messes with the other team’s rhythm, but it prevents the pitchers from settling into a groove, too.

This system also places tremendous pressure on Leonard and Bayuk to eat innings. If either one fails to go at least six, the bullpen is in serious trouble. Most of the pitchers are already tired from the

Friday game, so asking a handful of them to go again for a second (or third) appearance on Saturday is too much. Gambino doesn’t have the depth in his staff to overcome yanking a true starting pitcher in the third or fourth inning.

At a certain point, the Eagles have to start building the talent to fill out the rotation. Leonard and Bayuk are both seniors, so BC will have to replace them next year. It’s time for Gambino to give younger players the chance to pitch extended innings. He’s starting to do that with freshman Eric Stevens, who went 3.2 innings yesterday in his third start.

See Bullpen, B5

Duke defeats women’s lacrosse

By Alex Manta Heights Editor

alex trautwig / heights editor

Hannah Alley scored a team-leading three goals, but it wasn’t enough to beat Duke.

i nside S ports this issue

After trailing by as many as five goals in the second half, the Boston College women’s lacrosse team got the score back 14 Duke to within one in the Boston College 11 final minutes, but was not able to topple the No.3/4 Duke Blue Devils.

The No. 14/16 Eagles lost with a final score of 14-11 and fall to 1-4 in the ACC with an overall record of 8-5.

Hannah Alley had a solid performance and

Noel and Okoroha team up

The two juniors in BC’s secondary have waited their turn to become leaders.....................B3

led the Eagles with three goals after having scored just 14 goals in the previous 12 games. Brittany Wilton had two goals and an assist, which puts her at 37 points on the year. Moira Barry and Sam Taylor also chipped in with two goals each.

BC as a team came up short in the ground ball category, winning only six ground balls compared to Duke’s 12, and they were outshot 27 -22 in the game. The Eagles also committed 12 turnovers in the game, which was five more than Duke had.

See Lacrosse, B2

Garret Smith does it all

The versatile baseball captain pitches, catches, and hits in the middle of the order...........................B5

Quote of the Week.......................B2 Numbers to Know......................B2

The Heights

B2

Monday, April 11, 2011

Extra inning loss in finale closes out disappointing weekend for BC

By Kim Schroer For The Heights

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Tony Speer (bottom) and Brittany Wilkins (top) continued to swing the bat confidently, but the Eagles couldn’t earn a win.

women’s tennis

Women’s tennis falls to FSU and Miami during difficult stretch

By Tim Jablonski

(8-6), 6-3. With the victory in hand, the remaining singles matches were retired.

On Friday, the Eagles matched up against No. 5 Facing two stiff tests over the weekend, the women’s Miami. The match concluded what was an incredible tennis team was unable to get out of its current slump, gauntlet stretch for BC: they faced six straight oppofalling to ACC rivals Florida State and Miami on Sun- nents who were ranked in the top 12 nationally over day morning in the Plex. the course of six weeks.

A game Eagles squad (7-12, 2-7 ACC) matched Just like with Florida State, all of BC’s doubles up against the Seminoles (10-7, 5-4 ACC), winners teams had great showings before falling to higher of three straight, on Sunday morning, falling 4-3, ranked opponents. Corning and Kikuchi took the No. with two matches retired early. No. 31 FSU took the 11 tandem of Bianca Eichkorn and Anna Bartenstein first point of the day, winning three closely-contested to the wire, falling 9-7 in the most hotly contested doubles matches. match of the day.

After the first doubles team of Katharine Attwell The Eagles other two doubles tandems both hung and Katarina Gajic fell 8-5 in the opening match, both with their Hurricane counterparts, but neither was the second and third doubles able to eke out a win: Melissa team extended their matches Bolivar and Gabriela Mejia for extra games before falldefeated Khymlev-Kelleher, ing 9-7. Playing at second and Danielle Mills and Brittany doubles, Erina Kikuchi and Dobbins took down AttwellVeronica Corning lost to Gajic by identical scores of Noemie Scharle and Federica 8-6 Suess, while the sophomore “The result doesn’t show tandem of Alex Kelleher and it, but I thought that was the Olga Khmylev were unable to some of the best doubles play hold off the Seminoles pairing we’ve had all year,” head coach of Ruth Seaborne and FrancNigel Bentley said after the esca Segarelli after taking an match.

8-7 lead.

Similarly, the final of 7-0 Running off the momendoesn’t reflect how tightly tum from her doubles win, contested many of the singles Seaborne defeated Corning matches were. Playing at third 6-2, 6-1, in the third singles singles, Gajic took the first set match. On court two, staring off of Kayla Rizzolo 2-6 before in the face of a 2-0 deficit, Kiconceding two close sets, 6-4, kuchi helped the Eagles battle 6-3. Playing at sixth singles, Alex Manta / Heights photo illustration Atwell responded to a 6-3 loss back, taking down Segarelli in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, in the first set of her match against Bolivar by taking From that point on, though, the talent of the Semi- the second 3-6. After hanging tough for much of the noles was too much for BC. Senior Katie Rybakova, the decisive third set, Atwell finally relented, losing 6-3 and No. 42 singles player in the country, took the opening surrendering the match. set in the first singles match 6-0. Kelleher gamely ralPlaying the No. 8 player in the country and 4-time lied back, stealing the second set 6-4 with inspired play. ACC player of the week Eichkorn, Kelleher was able to But she was unable to hang with such a talented player take two games in the first set before losing the second for a third set, falling 6-0 to giving Rybakova the 99th set 6-0. Kikuchi lost the second singles match to No. singles win of her career.

48 Bartenstein 6-2, 6-4, while Corning took the loss Suess, the Seminoles’ other senior, would not be against Mejia 6-4, 6-3. Slotting in at fourth singles, outdone. Seeking the 102nd win of her career, she Khmylev was able to take 7 games off of Danielle defeated Khmylev in an extremely close match, 7-6 Mills, falling 6-3, 6-4. n

SPORTS in SHORT

Heights Staff

ACC Baseball Standings Atlantic

Florida State Boston College Clemson NC State Wake Forest Maryland

Coastal

Virginia North Carolina Georgia Tech Miami Duke Virginia Tech

Conference 9-6 6-8 6-9 5-10 4-10 3-12 13-2 12-3 12-3 11-3 4-11 3-11

Overall 23-9 13-16 18-13 18-15 11-20 15-17 31-3 29-5 24-9 21-11 19-16 17-16

The Boston College softball team suffered a heartbreaker on Sunday in the finale of a threegame series at Maryland 4 Maryland (27-12, 5-4), losing 4-3 in Boston College 3 10 innings after Maryland freshman Candice Beards hit a game-ending sacrifice fly to right field to score junior Bree Hanafin.

The loss completed a three-game sweep by the Terrapins that brought the Eagles’ record down to 10-22, with a 5-6 record in ACC play.

BC tied yesterday’s game in the top of the sixth after freshman left fielder Tory Speer hit a two-run home run off Maryland’s Kerry Hickey. Speer finished the game hitting two-for-four with two RBIs while scoring a run. The bomb was her seventh of the year. Junior pitcher Monica Kidd took the loss after giving up just one earned run on one hit through 3.1 innings pitched.

Head coach Jennifer Finley made several pitching changes throughout the game. Starting pitcher Allison Gage was replaced by freshman Amanda Horowitz after allowing three earned runs on three hits in 2.1 innings pitched. Horowitz tossed four scoreless innings before finding herself in a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh with one out. Morgan Kidd replaced Horowitz, and threw two innings of scoreless relief before allowing the winning run in the bottom of the 10th.

Game two featured a strong pitching matchup between Gage and Maryland’s starter Kendra Knight. Gage gave up just one earned run on four hits, surrendering a RBI single to Maryland sophomore Sara Acosta in the bottom of the sixth. The run proved to be enough for the victory as Terrapins pitcher Ashley Czechner tossed two innings of scoreless relief to seal the 1-0 win. The Eagles managed to collect just three hits throughout the

game.

The Eagles lost game one of the series after leading 3-1 heading into the seventh inning. The Terps took control of the game in the bottom of the seventh when Hanafin hit a walkoff triple to center field off Horowitz. Horowitz finished the game with a career-high seven strikeouts, going 6.1 innings while allowing two earned runs on five hits.

In the loss, the Eagles were led by Speer, who finished hitting one-for-three with two RBI. Sophomore first baseman Nicole D’Argento added an RBI while batting one-for-three with a run scored.

After the weekend sweep, the Eagles will next look to rebound from a disappointing start to conference play. The team was swept by Virginia Tech to open their ACC season. Two victories over NC State helped the Eagles gain some momentum heading into the series against Maryland, but three close losses are sure to test this young team.

Freshmen make up the majority of the squad, including Speer and Horowitz, who are both frequent contributors. The Eagles also have a strong veteran presence in junior Brittany Wilkins, who is hitting .352 this season with 11 home runs and 26 RBI. Meanwhile, Speer has also proven to be a major factor, hitting .325 with seven home runs and 18 RBI. Considering their 8-22 record on the road so far this season, the Eagles will be happy to return to Chestnut Hill for the next seven games. Fifteen of BC’s final 19 games will be held at Shea Field. The home stretch will begin with a game against UMass on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. A three-game series with Florida State next weekend will be critical in gaining some momentum in ACC play. The Eagles hope to rebound from three disappointing losses as their younger players gain more experience heading into a crucial stretch of conference play. n

Comeback falls short against Duke Lacrosse, from B1 “[We had] a lot of turnovers that were unnecessary on our part,” head coach Bowen Holden said. “And we weren’t doing a very good job of getting the draw either.”

Although BC struggled in some aspects, Holden saw positives in other areas.

“I liked how we came out in the first half,” Holden said. “We came out with some fire and some confidence and kind of set the tone for the game.”

The Eagles got on the scoreboard quickly as Sam Taylor scored an unassisted goal just 1:07 into the game.

Taylor then scored again on a pass from Elizabeth Donovan to put the Eagles up 2-0 with 27:13 remaining in the first half. Duke then responded with three consecutive goals of its own to take its first lead of the game.

Amanda Jones for Duke had two of the team’s first three goals, and finished with a game-high five goals.

The Eagles managed to tie the game at three, but Duke responded again with a goal of its own, and maintained that lead for the rest of the game. After another threegoal run by Duke to end the first half, the Eagles found themselves trailing 8-4.

“We were going to fight [to win the game],” Holden said. “Unfortunately, Duke then realized that too and we didn’t respond which lead us into our halftime deficit.”

Just nine seconds into the second half, Duke extended its lead to five with a quick goal, but the Eagles battled back with three goals of their own to cut the

lead to two.

“We’re a team that fights,” Holden said. “We don’t give up as [one] could see in this game.”

This proved true again later in the half, as Duke pushed the lead back up to five, and the Eagles once again responded with four consecutive goals to make it 12-11 with 3:13 left in the game. However, the Blue Devils buckled down in the final minutes and managed to score with 2:03 left and then again with two seconds left to secure the win.

Holden sees this fight and determination as “a characteristic of the team.” Finishing games on top when they’re close, however, is something that she feels the team still needs to improve on.

“We’ve got to figure out how to fight when we’re ahead too,” Holden said. “We fought when the game was on the line, but we just couldn’t finish it off.”

Saturday’s game also honored the five seniors on the team. Hannah Alley, Jill Amo, Kristin Igoe, Jill Rekart, and Sheila Serafino had their names and accomplishments read before the game as they walked with their families on the field in Senior Day tradition.

The four seniors, along with the rest of the team, now look ahead to cross-town rival Boston University.

The Eagles host the Terriers Wednesday in what Holdon said is a big lacrosse rivalry and an important game for the team.

“It’s going to be a huge non-conference game for us,” said Holden. “We definitely have to win on Wednesday.” n

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Hannah Alley scored three goals on Saturday, leading a comeback effort that fell slightly short against the Blue Devils.

Numbers to Know

38

Total number of home runs in just 32 games this season for the softball team.

7

Consecutive matches lost by women’s tennis. Six of the opponents were ranked No. 12 or better.

3

Interceptions of BC quarterbacks in Saturday’s scrimmage for cornerback Donnie Fletcher.

Quote of the Week “Yeah, we were a little short on arms, so he told me in the fall that I’m going to be doing a little less catching and a little more pitching. And I was like, ‘That’s great.’ Exactly what we need, and it’s been good so far.”

— Garret Smith

The Heights

Monday, April 11, 2011

B3

Sophomore wins Hockey Humanitarian Award for philanthropy Dyroff, from B1 everyone who has helped me along this journey so far.”

While only a sophomore, Dyroff has already accomplished so much. As a forward on the men’s hockey team, he has won a national championship and been named an All-Hockey East Academic honoree.

It’s the forward’s work off the ice, however, that has set him apart from many and made him a true role model for all.

“We also do a lot of stuff in Boulder, Colo., which is where I’m from, working at community food shares, making lunches for homeless people, and breaking down cardboard boxes at this place, just giving back anyway you could,” Dyroff said of he and Kenny Haisfield’s passion for charity.

“And we loved it, but we kind of wanted to take what we loved out of that and make our own thing.”

Dyroff, along with Haisfield, one of his closest friends from home, founded CEO 4 Teens, a project that has sent over 40 impoverished Indonesian students to school since its creation. The pair created this group when Haisfield returned to Boulder from an eye-opening trip to Indonesia. He came to Dyroff with stories of the people’s struggles, and the inability of children to attend college.

“We also knew how important education was,” the Phillips Andover graduate said. “Kenny had been over to Indonesia and came back with all these stories about what a different world it was basically. So we wanted to take what we gained from our parents, them teaching us to give back to our community, to give back to others and kind of combine that with education.

That’s kind of how the birth of CEO 4 Teens came about.”

Dyroff, a constant figure of service in his hometown, saw this as another opportunity to help. He and Haisfield constantly looked for ways to make an impact on the community, even at a young age. Whether

it be working in homeless shelters, or assisting in food drives, the two always looked to lend a hand in the community and the issues seen in Indonesia were just another chance to help others.

Never one to praise himself, Dyroff solely credits his parents for his great acts of generosity, and also has used hockey as an outlet for his desire to help other.

“It sounds so cliche but the spirit of giving has always been in my family,” he said.

“My parents have been huge supporters of giving back to your community. Kenny and I first started with teaching little kids how to skate and when I was old enough, we’d go back to our local organization and hang at practice with some of the younger guys and do drills and help them with their shots. However we could help was awesome.”

This passion is the catalyst behind CEO 4 Teens’ creation. Standing for Creating Educational Opportunities For Teens, this group works with underprivileged youths in Indonesia to help them pay for college.

The hope of Dyroff and Haisfield was to raise enough money to support the education of 10 students at Campuhan College in Bali, Indonesia.

“We raise money for underprivileged teenagers to go to school, mostly in thirdworld countries,” Dyroff explained. “We’re working in Indonesia right now and so far we’ve raised anywhere between $40,000 and $50,000, and we’ve been able to sponsor a class of 10 students for the past four years to go to an English and computer skills college in Indonesia. What we’ve done, for example, in the first year we raised roughly $10,000.”

The friends looked for students who had both a passion for learning and a financial need. They wanted to find students who would truly appreciate the opportunities brought by these scholarships. There was, of course, an application process in which Dyroff and Haisfield had the chance to fly to Indonesia and meet the candidates.

“We said that we were coming over and asked if there was any way he could get the applications out to a bunch of prospective students,” he said. “And so he did and we received about 50 applications. We narrowed it down to about 20. Kenny and I went over in the summer of 2007 and we met with those 20 students and we picked 10 of them for the scholarship.”

The opportunities opened by these scholarships have already impacted the lives of not only the selected students but their families and communities as well.

“They’re getting jobs working for bro-

chure companies, because of the computer background,” he said. “They were doing a lot of graphic design and working closely with a lot of companies in Australia, which is really close to Indonesia over there and English-speaking. Overall, they’re getting jobs that increase their income anywhere from three to six times, and with that they’re able to improve their quality of life, support themselves and support their families.”

While his work thus far has taken determination and dedication, Dyroff believes that he has had one of the strongest sup-

alex trautwig / heights editor

Brooks Dyroff was pressed into action on the fourth line after Chris Kreider broke his jaw.

port systems imaginable on the Heights.

“It’s been a lot of work but it’s just been so much fun that I don’t really view it as work,” he said. “I’ve had so much support from BC, from Coach York, Coach Cavanaugh, Coach Brown and then last but not least, from my teammates. They’ve been unbelievable. They’ve been so supportive and they’ve been wearing hats that say CEO 4 Teens on them. They’ve been helping work community events and just helping to raise awareness. Honestly all of they support and help is something I could never truly repay them for.”

The team has been involved in many ways. One very visible aspect of their support has been their diligence in selling light blue CEO 4 Teens hats, which have become a noticeable fashion around campus. Dyroff ’s selflessness has inspired many of his teammates to join the cause as well.

“We’re working for next fall to create a program here in Boston with the help of Tommy Atkinson, who’ll be a senior on the team next year,” he said. “He’s going to head up our GED program here, and he’s going to raise however much money he can and basically try to help cover the cost for disadvantaged kids in the Boston area to get their GED, take the GED test, take the prep courses, and then eventually go to community college. We’ve partnered with an organization out of Mission Hill, Excel Education, and we’re going to do some work with them to basically try to advocate education back home.”

While Dyroff has dedicated so much of his life to others, he doesn’t work for prestigious honors and awards. Rather he sees this as a vocation that, though sometimes stressful, brings him the most joy in life.

“It all goes back into it not being work,” he said. “Helping these families makes it fun. Trying to help CEO 4 Teens grow is something that I really enjoy. It can sometimes get stressful, but most of the time it’s just fun.” n

Patient junior safeties ready to lead defense Editor’s note: This is the third in a fourpart series highlighting football players to watch heading into Boston College’s Spring Game on April 16.

By Tim Jablonski Heights Staff

Patience is a virtue. It’s a cliche that we’ve all heard so much that it’s lost any real meaning. There is very little value in saying it once to someone. But adopting it as a part of your everyday life, applying it to your mindset day in and day out … well, it’s safe to say there’s some value in that. Just ask Jim Noel and Okechukwu Okoroha.

The two, both rising juniors, are currently preparing to take on starting roles next season for the Boston College football team. With spring practice still a few weeks old, they’ve got

months and months to prepare for the responsibilities that come with being a starter for a D-1 program. But for both players, the preparation for their jobs started years ago.

“From the time you get here, people are always telling you to be patient, that you’ll get your chance” Noel said. “And that’s all there really is. You have to keep working hard, and expect that sooner or later you will be given a chance to show what you can do.”

BC fans have already seen what both of these players can do. Noel played in 13 games last season at strong safety, including his first-career start against Florida State. Okoroha was thrust into the starting free safety role midseason after Wes Davis’s neck injury.

Performances like Okoroha’s eight tackle game against Virginia, or Noel’s pick-six against the Seminoles, flashed glimpses of the potential both players possess. Now,

alex trautwig / heights editor

Jim Noel picked off four passes at safety last year and is getting some action at corner now.

heading into their junior seasons, its time for both players to show what they can do when fully unleashed.

“I’m excited and grateful to get this opportunity, to be out here showing everyone what I’m capable of,” said Okoroha, who is known by pretty much everyone as ‘O’. “I just want to help the team improve as much as we can.”

The goal of spring practice is getting the entire team to improve, but right now, Noel and O are mostly concerned with the Eagles defense, which has been christened with a new nickname.

“We call ourselves ‘The Unit’ because that’s what we’re all about,” Noel said.

“We spend so much time together, working together, so we want to have a lot of group unity.”

Watching them play together, its clear how seriously the entire defense takes the nickname. During Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage every player on defense, from redshirts to starters, could be heard chatting it up between plays. The solidarity of the group is clear. What’s not is who will we starting in September.

After the graduation of six defensive starters, starting spots are up for grabs all over the field. Okoroha is primed to open the season starting at strong safety, his customary position, filling the void left behind by Davis. Noel has been showing his versatility by playing corner with the first defense during spring practice, hoping to help the team replace DeLeon Gause and Chris Fox. Noel, playing primarily at boundary corner, and Okoroha teamed up to help the first-team defense limit the offense to just two field goals during the scrimmage.

Two of the eldest returing members of the secondary, Okechukwu and Noel will go a long way towards determining just how good The Unit is. They are two of several seniors projected to start on defense, and along with players like cornerback Donnie Fletcher and safety Dominick LeGrande, are being looked to help the defense show the same dominance that the 2008 group did.

Their contributions to the team, though, won’t come only on the field. Both players are aware of the raised expectations given to starters, especially seniors.

alex trautwig / heights editor

Okoroha was pressed into starting duty when Wes Davis went down and replaced him admirably.

However, they don’t command respect because of their positions, but rather through their actions. Their dedication to the program throughout their time at the Heights and their work during the off-season provide them with the credentials needed to earn the esteem of their younger teammates.

“I think that we’re a young team, and we need some leadership,” Noel said. “You don’t wait to become a leader. You start working like one.”

“You can’t be doing the right things on the field and the wrong things off of it,” Okoroha added. “It’s a full time commitment.”

The commitment includes, among other requirements, going to off-season workouts, staying out of trouble, keeping on top of class work, and working to forge bonds with teammates. The tandem has aced that list so far.

But leadership is not a checklist; it is a mindset, an approach to everything that is developed through years of applied work. Noel and Okoroha put in the work, and are now seeing some of the results.

Whether they will reap the rewards in the fall remains to be seen. But given both of their track records, there doesn’t seem to be many reasons to doubt either of them. n

Big-game troubles must be solved before Boston College plays its rivals this year Steven Principi Oct. 2, 2010 had all the makings of an epic day for Boston College football: a nationally broadcast primetime game against archrival Notre Dame. The crowd was loud, the team seemed excited when it took the field, and all signs seemed to point to a great game.

What we got was a blowout. The Eagles came out flat, slow, and seemingly unprepared. They fell behind 21-0 before anyone knew what happened and never really threatened for the rest of the game.

In their biggest game of the season, they didn’t show up. They were outplayed, outworked, and outcoached from start to finish. The scariest part? This is becoming a far too familiar story.

Dating back to at least 2007, the Eagles have shown that they are definitely not a team meant for the big stage. Take for example, the magical run they put together in Matt Ryan’s senior campaign.

They dominated a fairly weak schedule before beating No. 8 Virginia Tech on a Thursday night primetime game to hold onto a No. 2 rank.

Then came the downfall. The Eagles lost their next two games, both of which were nighttime games and nationally televised, killing any hope they had of playing for a title. In a rematch with Virginia Tech for the ACC championship and a trip to the Orange Bowl, the team came out slow and flat, losing a game it was never really in.

The story was almost identical in 2008, when the Eagles got blown out in the

championship game by a Virginia Tech team they had previously beaten.

In 2009, they lost to all three of their main rivals in Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, and Clemson, lost badly to North Carolina in a game that cost them a shot at another ACC title game, and were totally outplayed in their bowl game against USC. The trend continued this past season, with the Eagles getting dominated at home not only by Notre Dame, but also

by Virginia Tech once again. In the last two seasons, BC is 2-6 against its rivals, including an 0-2 mark against Notre Dame. Even in bowl games the pattern continues, as the Eagles are 0-3 in postseason play over the last three years. It’s a scary trend for the team, and one that absolutely must be stopped this year if BC

wants to compete for the ACC. This has to be the year when things start to change for BC in big games. The Eagles have all the pieces to contend for an ACC title and will have plenty of chances to start to change this trend.

After six very winnable games to start the season, they will play at Virginia Tech in late October in a game that could be help decide early-season ACC supremacy.

Two weeks later, the Eagles will have their primetime game, at home against Florida State on a Thursday night. Florida State won the Atlantic Division last year and beat BC in a close game during the season. Two weeks after that, the Eagles go to South Bend to pay a visit to Notre Dame.

Without a doubt, this stretch of games is going to help decide what type of team the Eagles really are. If they play the way

they are capable of playing and take two or even three of these games, then there is a very good chance that they will be in contention for their first ACC title.

If they play uninspired and lose two or three, then they might be looking at another Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl when the season ends. It is time for the players and coaches to make a big step forward this year. This isn’t a new problem and it isn’t going to go away by itself.

This year’s team has all the talent and all the potential to challenge for the ACC title. But the Eagles need to start showing up for the games that really mean something if they expect to do so.

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

The Heights

B4

Point / Counterpoint:

Will the BC defense be as good next year?

Kuechly leads a talented group returning

By Andrew Klokiw For The Heights

At the conclusion of every Division I college football season, 11 defensive players are selected as first-team All-Americans from a field of 120 teams. Doing some quick math, that is 11 players chosen from more than 1,320 defensive starters in the nation, establishing these 11 in a league all of their own. Those selected are a special brand of player, one who can wreak havoc in any backfield, make any open field tackle, play sideline to sideline, and intercept the seemingly uncatchable pass.

As is well known around the Heights, Boston College has one of those 11 men: linebacker Luke Kuechly. The rising junior is one of the main reasons why BC’s defense will be as good, if not better, than the 2010 unit.

Like his fellow All-American and linebacker at Texas A&M, Von Miller (who is a projected top10 pick in this month’s NFL draft), Kuechly is the type of player that defensive coordinator’s dream of coaching. But, more importantly, he’s the type of player a unit can build around and feed off.

Kuechly’s mind-boggling 183 tackles (14 per game) last season were easily good enough to lead the nation and combined with his 10.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions to be instrumental in holding the Eagles’ last six opponents of 2010 to under 20 points.

Though the loss of fifth-year senior Mark Herzlich to the hopefully greener pastures of the NFL will, of course, hurt the Eagles defense, the linebacking core remains the strength of the team.

Rising sophomore Kevin Pierre-Louis tallied 93 total tackles last season, almost 30 more than the departing Herzlich. His presence along with Kuechly behind the defensive line ensured that any running back who got past the line would not reach the secondary.

This underrated quality helped the Eagles contain the fearsome running attacks of Clemson and Nevada down the stretch last season, and will do so again in 2011.

Also as two-year starters, Kuechly and PierreLouis have thrived in defensive coordinator Bill McGovern’s standard 4-3 defensive scheme and will surely ease the transition of experienced rising seniors Will Thompson and Nick Clancy into Herzlich’s spot.

Even with Kuechly and Pierre-Louis around, the secondary makes a strong case as the best piece of the defensive unit. The 2010 team graduates two cornerbacks, DeLeon Gause and Chris

Monday, April 11, 2011

Fox, but has more than enough young, gametested players to fill the void, like sophomore C.J. Jones who registered a sack in the latest intrasquad scrimmage this past Saturday.

Rising senior cornerback Donnie Fletcher snagged five interceptions last year, and has looked great this spring, tallying three turnovers off BC quarterbacks in the scrimmage.

Also, the safety pairing remains intact, as soon-to-be juniors Jim Noel (four interceptions in 2010) and Okechukwu Okoroha and senior Dominick LeGrande (three fumble recoveries in 2010) all stand taller than 6-foot-1, match-up well with nearly any receiver, and have a nose for the big play.

The run-stuffing defensive line will look to keep the form that held opposing rushers to 2.7 yards per carry last season and fewer than 85 yards per game. They are led by returning starters Kaleb Ramsey and Max Holloway who combined for 21.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last season, crucial statistics that will help first-year starters Kasim Edebali and Conor O’Neal in their adjustments to their new roles.

Graduations are merely a part of college football, and the 2011 Eagles will undoubtedly miss Herzlich’s multifaceted leadership, Fox’s coverage abilities, and the disruptive forces of Damik Scafe and Alex Albright. But with Kuechly leading the way, McGovern’s defensive unit has enough rising talent to be better than last year and keep BC afloat in the weakened ACC. n

Inexperienced players will hold BC back

By DJ Adams

Assoc. Sports Editor Boston College football has always prided itself on steady and consistent defense. The Eagles might not be the flashiest group in the ACC, that’s for sure, but what they lack in playmaking they more than make up for in good tackling and superb off-the-ball communication.

It’s for all these reasons that this upcoming fall, the trend will be reversed and BC will face one of its toughest years defensively in recent memory.

The first point to note is an obvious one: the loss of the team’s most visible player.

Mark Herzlich, though slow at times last year, was still third on the team in tackles with 65. Skills aside, though, the fifth-year senior was the most vocal leader on the defensive side of the ball. His intensity and compelling attitude to win will be hard to replace.

With inexperienced rising seniors Will Thompson and Nick Clancy expected to take the majority of the snaps, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the linebacking corps, in particular Kevin Pierre-Louis and Luke Kuechly, responds to the sudden need to provide not only stellar play, but inspiring leadership and communication on the field as well.

BC might actually have gotten lucky from its injury misfortunes in the secondary from last season, as many of their young players like

alex trautwig / heights editor

Jim Noel (four interceptions in 2010) and Okechukwu Okoroha were forced into significant playing time when the likes of seniors Wes Davis and DeLeon Gause went down with their respective issues.

That being said, expectations for the two sophomores last season were low. This fall, though, the two 6-foot-1 safeties will be held accountable for their roles in the defense. They certainly have the size and athleticism to make big plays, but its only natural to wonder in Bill McGovern’s safe 4-3 defense, with loose coverage, whether the defensive backs will be able to get that extra step on opposing receivers and create some turnovers.

My initial thought, looking at the talented offenses run by some of BC’s conference foes, is that speedy quarterbacks in the Tyrod Taylor mold will be able to fake out our corners with their legs, allowing receivers to get deeper down the field than our Eagles would like for big gains.

The key to preventing this from happening will be how the Eagles use standout cornerback Donnie Fletcher. The rising senior snagged five interceptions in 2010, and in the two scrimmages this spring has picked off BC quarterbacks three times.

Fletcher has talent. That’s not the issue.

But if he gets complacent in his approach and constantly tries for the big interception, playaction rollouts and up-and-outs could prove to be too tempting for the playmaker to stay put.

This could make BC dangerously susceptible to the deep ball.

Lastly, the defensive line needs to drastically improve its pass rush. If BC hopes to gain that extra step on receivers in the secondary, how well the big men up front do their job will be critical. Though the line was stellar against the run last season, allowing just 2.7 yards per carry, a majority of those tackles were registered by the linebackers behind the front line.

The key will be the play of first-year starters Kasim Edebali and Conor O’Neal. Both of these defensive linemen are big boys, and if they can effectively bull rush up the middle, BC could have an excellent chance to be one of the country’s elite defenses.

What most likely will happen, though, is that inexperience and a newfound obsession with making the big play in the secondary will expose holes in BC’s defense. Last year’s team shouldn’t be tough to replicate offensively, but the defense will definitely witness its fair share of struggles in 2011. n

Defense owns second scrimmage Scrimmage, from B1 Quarterback struggles Rettig, the incumbent starter, had much more trouble with the defense than a week ago, when he threw two touchdown passes. He went 10-of-20 for 106 yards and two interceptions. Still, Rettig said that he’s happy with the progress the offense has made under new offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers.

“We’re starting from scratch,” Rettig said. “I’m blessed to have the experience from playing last year.

All the guys really like the new playbook. It’s given us some more options from the line of scrimmage.

“Having last year’s experience has helped me grow into the person I need to be to lead the team. I’m more comfortable talking to guys in the huddle and correcting people if they’re wrong. If I do something wrong, I can’t be too negative with myself. That can translate to the whole team.”

Rettig was confident on the first series, driving the team 74 yards on just nine plays. The highlight was a third-and-20 conversion on which he hit a streaking Bobby Swigert in stride in the slot for 35 yards. Using a combination of rollouts and play action, Rettig got the offense to the two before back-to-back dives by Tahj Kimble were snuffed out by the stifling run defense.

“Understanding coverages and recognizing defensive fronts can tell you what the backside of the defense is going to do,” Rettig said of how he was able to find openings. “It’s helped us to know where our progression is going to start and where it’s going to finish.”

From the second series on, though, Rettig’s throws were off. Frequently, he overthrew receivers downfield.

He also fumbled (and recovered) an exchange with the center in the second half.

He did have a good pocket presence and moved well to buy additional time on throws.

“His decision making is a little bit better,” Spaziani said. “His command of what we’re trying to do is still a little bit new. He’s got some more confidence. He’s not looking over his shoulder as much.”

Rettig isn’t looking over his at the pass rush, but he might be glancing back at his competition for the starter’s spot. Marscovetra went 6-of-11 for 128 yards,

a touchdown, and two picks, but his stat line was buoyed by some defensive lapses. The rising junior consistently put too much air under his passes and was fortunate not to have at least two more throws intercepted.

Noel properly read a pass intended for Hampton Hughes along the left sideline but mistimed the jump.

Hughes came down with a 49-yard reception that never should have been a completion in the first place.

Toward the end of the scrimmage, Marscovetra also made the poor decision to heave a first-and-10 pass in the red zone to the middle of the field while scrambling.

The ball fell harmlessly to the ground, but such poor decision making could cost him a game that actually matters.

Dave Shinskie (6-of-9, 42 yards, one touchdown) also padded his stats by coming in for the final play of a long drive led by Marscovetra and throwing a six-yard slant to Jonathan Coleman for the score.

The most impressive signal caller was arguably fourth-stringer Josh Bordner (15-of-21, 119 yards). He was the first one to get a shot with the second team.

After an early three-and-out, he settled down nicely and reeled of a string of completions. He released the ball a little early on a few of his throws, but his receivers adjusted well.

Odds and ends Andre Williams and Colin Larmond, Jr. will be out for the remainder of spring practice with injuries. The next time they’ll suit up will be in August for summer camp, Spaziani said. Alex Amidon was scratched with a minor injury and is expected to be available next week.

Montel Harris got his first live action of the spring.

He split the first team carries with Kimble, a redshirt freshman. Kimble was elusive in the open field on checkdown passes and could be used as a third down back Nate Freese recovered after shanking a 48-yard field goal and an extra point to convert from 40 and 50. He missed his final attempt wide left, though, on another 48-yarder.

Dillon Quinn was ejected for throwing a punch late in the second half. n

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Montel Harris’ season ended in sweatpants, but the rising senior running back returned to action in Saturday’s scrimmage.

The Heights

Monday, April 11, 2011

B5

Versatile Smith pitching in wherever he can in his senior year Asst. Sports Editor Not very often does a coach get a player that leads the team in ERA and has the second-highest slugging percentage among all batters. Not very often does a coach get a player who will play whatever position he is asked to on the field, simply wanting to do what’s best for the team. Not very often does a coach get a player on his team who prepares extensively for e ver y game, knowing scouting reports and hitters’ tendencies like the back of his hand.

Luckily for Boston College, head coach Mike Gambino can say he has Gar-

ret Smith on his team.

“I would love to have nine Garret Smiths on the field at all times,” Gambino said. “It’s unbelievable what he does and all the options he gives us. He can legitimately play probably seven positions on the baseball field. And there’s not many people in college baseball that can do that. He’s as competitive of a person that you’ll ever meet.”

Before the season began, Smith had only thrown 5.1 innings of collegiate baseball. He pitched a minimal amount at St. John’s High School, playing shortstop for the majority of his career there. Smith continued to play shortstop

during his first two years at BC, before switching to catcher for his junior season. In his senior year though, Smith might as well be known as Mr. Versatility.

“I just do what coach tells me to do,” Smith said. “I don’t really care where I play—third, first, short, second, behind the dish, pitch, whatever. It doesn’t really matter to me. I like playing any position. I like being out there with the guys and hopefully making everybody better and I’m getting better as well.”

Gambino first told Smith in the fall that he’d have a bigger role on the mound due to a lack of healthy arms on the staff. Smith took Gambino’s word and has gone lights out ever since.

“We were a little short on arms, so he told me in the fall that I was going to be doing a little less catching and a little more pitching,” Smith said. “And I was like, ‘That’s great.’ Exactly what we need, and it’s been good so far.”

Smith has become the closer for the Eagles, in addition to starting games at catcher and first base. Friday night at Duke, Smith spent the whole game behind the plate. On Saturday, he started at first base and played there for eight innings, before coming in to close out the ninth to earn the save. In Sunday’s game, Smith caught for 10 innings.

When BC took the lead in the top of the 11th, he got his number called to move to the mound in the bottom of the frame, pitching a one-two-three inning to earn his sixth save.

“I just try to focus on being the catcher for eight innings, or for however many innings until coach tells me ‘Go down and start warming up,’” Smith said. “Then, that’s when the closer mentality gets me going. That’s what I like.

It’s kind of like a switch I have to turn on. Play eight innings, and I have to have in the back of my mind that I might be able pitch today, and I kind of just turn on the switch.”

On the mound, Smith has put up a 0.82 ERA in 11 appearances, striking out nine over 11 innings pitched.

“We set it up to try to get the game in his hands late with a lead,” Gambino said, who often describes Smith’s pitches as ‘filthy.’ “The way that kid works, the way that kid competes, he’s not afraid of anybody, he goes after people.

He works so hard and prepares so hard that he can have so much confidence on the field because he can fall back on that preparation.”

Smith said he prefers pitching to any other position, even though it hasn’t been his normal position over

his career.

“It’s kind of the thing I’ve liked to do my whole life,” he said. “I like to go up there and just see what happens, throw the ball, and see where it goes. Hopefully that’ll keep getting me some more opportunities.”

In addition to his pitching performances, Smith has been a force behind the plate, getting hot as of late. He

is batting .300 and has a slugg i n g p e rce nt a g e of .399. The Sterling, Mass. native is also tied for the team-high in doubles with nine.

As a senior co-captain with Geoff Oxley, Smith has defied Gambino’s expectations coming into the sea son. Not only does he perform above the competition on the field, but he also puts in his work off the field. Instead of having any rituals like many players do, Smith said his only ritual is preparation.

“I think Bill Belichick said it best when he said, ‘Superstition is like a lack of preparation,’” Smith said. “[Being prepared] is kind of my ritual each game, going in knowing scouting reports, knowing what guys’ tendencies are if I’m catching, and if I’m pitching, knowing what kind of hitters they are. It’s just get-

ting your mind right for each game.”

With that mentality, and the versatile skills he brings to the diamond every day, Garret Smith truly is a coach’s dream player.

“I couldn’t ask for a better [captain],” Gambino said. “The kids respect him because of how he works and how he competes, and they follow him because of his confidence. He’s not a ‘sit around and bark orders’ type of leader without following it up in substance. He backs everything up with how he works and how he acts and how he handles himself on and off the field. He’s unbelievable as a captain. You can’t underestimate how important he is to this ballclub.” n

Alex Trautwig / heights editor; Alex Manta / heights photo illustration

By Greg Joyce

BC takes series at Duke with extra-inning heroics Baseball, from B1

Alex Trautwig / heights editor

Melchionda (left) knocked in the winning run on Sunday with a single in the eleventh inning, while McGovern (right) went four-for-five in the victory.

The Eagles hitters scraped together three runs in the final two innings. In the eighth, Garret Smith hit an RBI single, and Andrew Lawrence drew a basesloaded walk that brought in a second run. In the ninth, still down one, Brad Zapenas singled to advance the tying run, Tom Bourdon, into scoring position.

Matt McGovern, who had a big weekend at the plate, slapped a shot that just made it through a gap in the infield, allowing Bourdon to score and forcing extra innings. Kyle Prohovich pitched three scoreless innings in relief, and earned the Sunday win.

John Leonard struggled last weekend against Miami, but had his stuff back in his Saturday afternoon start in Durham.

The Eagles’ ace pitched seven innings and held Duke’s hitters to just three runs to earn his fourth win of the season, and the team tied the weekend series with the 5-3 win. “[Leonard] was trying to do a little too much, the first couple innings,” Gambino said. “He really, really settled in, and absolutely carved. It was a mature outing, the way he came back.”

The driving force in the Eagles lineup was McGovern, who went four-for-five and had four RBI. The sophomore began his career-high day with a two-out single with the bases loaded, tying the score at 2-2 in fifth inning. Two innings later, in the top of the seventh, McGovern ripped a triple to the right field gap, scoring Matt Hamlet and Zapenas to give the Eagles a 4-2 lead.

McGovern continued to do it all on offense, reaching first base on a bunt in the ninth inning and stealing second to put himself in scoring position. Melchionda

came up next and hit a two-out double to bring McGovern in, adding another run. Smith came out in the bottom of the frame to put the game away for the Eagles, striking out one and blanking the Blue Devils to finish out the 5-3 win for the Eagles.

On Friday evening, the Eagles “didn’t play well,” Gambino said. “We didn’t pitch it, we didn’t catch it. It was bad baseball from top to bottom.”

Marc Perdios, having reached base on the first of his two doubles on the night, scored on Matt Hamlet’s single to center. The 1-0 second-inning lead was short-lived, however, as Duke’s PiwincaWorms evened the score in the bottom of the frame with a solo home run.

From then on, the Blue Devils went on to score multiple runs in each of the third, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings.

The Eagles were not short on hits, with 14 total on the night, but never managed to draw even with the home team. Bourdon went one-for-four, but drove in a careerhigh four runs. His lone hit of the night came in the top of the sixth, when, down on an 0-2 count, he hit a two-out single up the middle that scored two to put his team within two runs at 6-4.

Later on, in the eighth inning, the Eagles had the makings of a late-game rally going. Perdios reached base on a single, took second on a wild pitch, moved to third on Matt Hamlet’s single, and then scored on a fielder’s choice ground ball hit by Bourdon. McGovern singled to score Hamlet, but the final effort came up short, and the visiting team lost 10-6. Matt Brazis, who came in to relieve starter Dave Laufer, picked up the loss after giving up three runs in the third, while Duke’s Dillon Haviland secured the win. n

Bullpen in need of relief Bullpen, from B1 Gambino needs to continue stretching out Stevens’ arm and testing him against quality lineups.

Seven of BC’s 14 pitchers this year are seniors, so this problem could only

Everyone is pitching in to help the team surmount its dearth of arms. get worse next year when the staff is even thinner unless Gambino develops a couple of go-to arms before then. Then again, it’s tough to blame him for not unleashing the younger guys when they’re struggling. Freshmen Steve Green (nine appearances, 14.14 ERA), Matt Alvarez (12 appearances, 6.43 ERA), and junior Matt Brazis (11 appearances, 7.71 ERA) have all been lit up in limited action. The best way for them improve is by taking their lumps now instead of when they’re

needed even more.

Another reason why Gambino might be reluctant to switch from this system to one more reliant on starters is the way the bullpen by committee has fostered team unity. The staff has developed the understanding that everyone has a welldefined job: come in, get your three outs, and hand the ball over to the next guy.

Everyone is pitching in to help the team surmount its dearth of arms. The team is very much in this together, and that can be more powerful than everyone going at it individually.

Still, the benefits of employing a staff with more true starters outweigh the drawbacks. Throwing the entire bullpen at the opponent is a good temporary strategy to confuse the other team, but doing so doesn’t cultivate the raw arms the Eagles have. At 13-16, with five ACC series left, there’s no time better than now to potentially save the season and build for the future.

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

Alex Trautwig / heights editor

After this season, the Eagles will need to find replacements on the mound for Leonard and Bayuk (above), who has struggled in recent appearances.

B6

The Heights

Monday, April 11, 2011

The Heights

Monday, April 11, 2011

B7

Pick times have widespread ramifications in course registration process

By Marye Moran For The Heights

Students spend hours on Agora Portal crafting the perfect class schedule. They meet with academic advisors and fellow students to brainstorm what their interests are and what courses will fulfill core and major requirements. PEPs profiles are scoured, along with pages of syllabi and course evaluations. After all that effort, though, course selection is often not impacted by any of those preparations. In many cases, it all depends on registration time.

While Boston College offers hundreds of different classes each semester, some are certainly more popular than others, and those desired courses fill up quickly.

This high demand only leaves room for the lucky few with a 9 a.m. registration time on the first day. In many cases, those with a later pick time are forced to either take a different professor or a different class altogether.

Overrides are granted in some cases, but there is no blanket University policy governing them, and instead, exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis. Successful overrides “have more to do with students’ schedules than preference for particular instructors,” says Franziska Seraphim, core moderator for the history department.

Chris Constas, professor in the Arts and Sciences Honors Program, echoes this idea. “As a rule, an override will be given only in the extraordinary circumstance that all the sections that fit your proposed schedule are closed,” Constas says. In rare cases, scheduling conflicts due to extracurricular activities and employment will be considered, but more often, overrides are granted solely because of class conflicts.

Other teachers will, on occasion, allow an exceptionally qualified student into a closed class on the basis of merit. Kim Garcia’s Introduction to Creative Writing class, for example, is quick to reach capacity, yet exceptions are granted. “She asked to see some written work after registration, and I sent her around four or five pieces from high school, as well as a paragraph or two about what I hoped to do with my writing,” says Maggie Nixon, A&S ’13. By demonstrating that she would be an asset to the class, Nixon was granted an override. “The course was one of my favorites so far at BC,” she says.

In other cases, though, an override is simply not an option. Studies in Children’s Literature, for example, is often one of the first courses to reach its maximum

capacity. Professor Bonnie Rudner does make an effort to allow interested students into the class, however.

“I keep a waiting list as soon as the class closes,” she says. “I do give overrides during drop and add period.”

However, this course of action can only go so far. “We want the class to be small enough for a discussion of the issues, rather than a lecture, so we do not make it bigger,” Rudner says.

Other departments take this into account as well, as increasing the class size would expose more students to the subject, but at the cost of a diminished classroom experience. In the history department, for example, though some overrides are granted, professors try not to exceed a certain number of students. “We try to avoid exceeding a ceiling of 35 in our upper-division electives,” says Paul Spagnoli, the department’s director of undergraduate studies.

Aside from class quality, logistics place a natural limit on class size. “Of course, we are also limited by room size, and rooms are very tight with the construction,” says Treseanne Ainsworth, chair of the English department.

In those cases, when there are simply no more seats in the room, interested students can only hope that an enrolled student will drop the course. This semester, Michael Moore’s Introduction to Psychology as a Social Science class filled to capacity, and in a McGuinn lecture hall, adding seats was not an option. “I was pretty interested in psychology, and I got really excited about the class, but of course by the time I registered, it was closed,” Sarah Ganton, A&S ’14, says. Despite the impossibility of an override, she remained steadfast in her desire to enroll. “I basically enlisted a bunch of my friends to check UIS religiously until the course opened three days before add/drop ended and I could jump on it,” Ganton says. “It sucked, but perseverance paid off.”

Others, however, do not have such luck, and find their BC experience hindered by limitations imposed by the registration process. “When you’re a junior and you want to take a class that will prepare you for living abroad, or you’re a senior and you need to take a class to apply to graduate school, it’s ludicrous that there is no official way of ‘appealing’ a process that is based on chance,” says Lake Coreth, A&S ’11.

Other universities have different systems, but each comes with its own set of problems. Harvard, for example, has students submit their desired classes on a “study card,” and they are rarely turned away from a

Courtesy of info.tegrity.com

Some departments cap classes at specific numbers of students to maximize overall learning experience. class. However, this leads to many courses growing exceedingly large, a possibility which BC professors are wary of. Georgetown has a completely different selection process, in which all students submit their choices in order of importance, along with backups, and a computer system registers them with priority given to upperclassmen and majors. This system has benefits in terms of getting better individual classes, but makes it difficult to craft a desirable schedule as a whole. It is hard, then, to factor in the timing of extracurricular activities or work, since students are unsure of their schedule until they are actually enrolled in the classes.

Though the registration system at BC is not perfect, many students seem to think that it is the best option.

“It is unfortunate to have the second day at 3 p.m. for registration time, but the random selection is the fairest method,” Anna Collins, CSOM ’13, says. Though she knows that she may not get into her top choices of classes, she maintains an optimistic outlook. “Who knows, maybe a class you thought was going to be bad may turn out to be the most interesting,” she says. “It happened to me last semester, maybe it will happen again.”

Not getting into a certain class could even make someone pursue the field of study in another way. “I was really disappointed when I was unable to get into the Intro to Anthropology class at BC,” Maggie Scollan, A&S ’14, says. “Although the class didn’t work out, I was lucky enough to find other opportunities at BC, which allowed for me to explore my interests.” Scollan was recently awarded one of BC’s Advanced Study Grants to work this summer at the Irish Archeological Field School. “My participation in this program, which will allow for me to finally study in detail anthropology and archeology, would not have been possible if BC did not offer these other ways for students to study what interests them,” she says.

Excess demand seems to be a recurring problem at BC. Everyone knows one student that consistently gets the last housing pick time, has been on the waiting list for the Kairos retreat for their entire tenure at BC, and yes, is always the final student to register for classes. However, in many circumstances, with passion, skill, and perseverance, students can overcome course registration obstacles and still manage to pursue their academic interests. n

Tables are turned as students evaluate classroom experience at semester’s end

By Juliette San Fillipo For The Heights

Course evaluations only come once a semester, and they are the one thing that stands between students and their early final grades – grades that they study, toil, and pine for as they shake off the stress of exams and wrap up another semester on the Heights.

Administrators recognize the appeal of the ability to view final grades early and how this factors into the course evaluation response rates of students.

Courtesy of campusbasement.com

“We do know from looking at other schools that withholding grades increases the response rates of students,” says Louise Lonabocker, executive director of Student Services. “After adding the grade-withholding component, we saw the response rate [at BC] increase from 40 percent to above 80 percent.”

To students, the grade-withholding component may seem like slight cruelty. But the online course evaluations are an important step in the upkeep and improvement of Boston College’s academic environment.

“Course evaluations are for the faculty members’ own professional development, and for department chairs or deans to use when they are looking at faculty who are up for promotion, tenure, or salary reviews,” Lonabocker explains. “They are for the benefit of the faculty members because they get to see the results. The results also go to the deans, the departments, and the provost.”

These results can be so easily circulated among various parties because the online process makes communicating and administering course evaluations quite simple. Previously, the Office of Student Services distributed course evaluations through a paper process, having students fill them out by hand and then submit them to teachers in class, oftentimes during the last class that would meet before final exams began.

The switch to an online process has many benefits, one of them being the improvement of the quality of students’ input. “When you’re doing [course evaluations] electronically, you’re going to write more,” Lonabocker says. “We used to have students do it in class, and since it was the last one, they would all just want to get out of class.

“By doing them electronically, you’ve also regained class time. In other words, by doing them outside of class and on your own time, you’re saving

time in the classroom that would have been otherwise devoted to completing paper course evaluations.”

In expediting the course evaluation process, teachers are also better able to make improvements to their courses because of the timeliness of results. “The automated process enables us to deliver results to faculty and administrators within two weeks,” Lonabocker says. “With the paper process, the instructors didn’t get results for about two months and by then it was too late for them to make changes that would affect the second half of a two-semester course.”

The Office of Student Services and the Office of Institutional Research have also ameliorated the physical content of the course evaluation system, not just its administration. Lonabocker says that the University reviewed the system six years ago and increased the number of standard questions on the evaluations from six questions to 14. The University also added one more open-ended question, making four instead of three.

These alterations were made in response to student requests. “Students actually asked for these extra questions to be added, and we also do a review periodically of what other universities are doing,” Lonabocker says.

As much as course evaluations are meant to benefit faculty and administrators, they also are meant to benefit the student body. A little known fact is that BC students can actually access the results of their course evaluations via the Agora Portal. In the My Services tab, when viewing the Course Information and Schedule material, students will see a left navigation bar that expands to show the syllabus, required books, and the evaluation for each course.

Steps to viewing these results were also printed in the Student Handbook for the first time, for the Class of 2014. The accessibility of the course evalu-

ation results is especially valuable when students have to register for courses and want to know more about specific classes and professors.

Because many students do not know that course evaluation results are available to them, the Office of Institutional Research has been holding student focus groups in order to address this issue, get feedback, and improve course evaluations from students’ perspectives.

“The purpose of the focus groups is to gain a better understanding of students’ assessment of the current online course evaluation system, with particular attention to how students use the course evaluation results via Agora,” says Jessica Greene, director of Institutional Research, in an e-mail.

“The focus groups are being conducted at the request of a committee, which helps to oversee the administration of the course evaluations,” Greene says, in an e-mail. “Conducting surveys and focus groups as an impartial party is one of the roles of our office. We do not drive the requests, we simply collect and report the information.”

Even though course evaluations might seem to be all about the faculty’s benefit, administrators at BC are working to make course evaluations more mutually accessible to students for their own advantage. The input of BC students can only stand to better the course evaluation system for the faculty and for other students as well. “The students have been providing great ideas as to how the results could be better presented, as well as methods to communicate to students that the results are available,” Greene says, in an e-mail.

As class registration time approaches this month, students can all breathe a little easier knowing they have this tool on Agora to help them decide what courses to take next semester. After all, BC students put work into course evaluations, and the University wants them to be able to reap this reward. n

The Heights

B8

campus chronicles

Learning to fall in love Allison Lantero A quote often recited throughout the Boston College campus is, “Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.”

These words, said by Archbishop Oscar Romero, are almost a motto for a number of BC students. But recently, I have started to wonder if BC students know how to fall in love amidst the rampant hook-up culture.

Love seemed to be the buzzword on campus this week. The Institute for Humane Studies sponsored multiple “Love in Action” events and I have noticed more couples walking around campus holding hands (gasp). There was also a Table Talk given by Professor Tom Kaplan-Maxfield (or TKM as he is affectionately known) about love as a field for academic study.

He told us he is trying to develop a “minor in love.”

He explained how, even in ancient times, love was considered a topic for discussion and debate. He brought in an excerpt from Plato in which Socrates describes love as yearning for something one doesn’t already have. Love can be dangerous, prompting people to kill and commit suicide. But it is usually considered beautiful and desirable. Love makes people act young, and yet it’s the oldest story in the book.

He talked about running between classes in high school to where he knew his girlfriend (now wife) would be, and then standing nonchalantly against the wall as if he just happened to be there. He talked about how even though parts of her are predictable, like her chess strategy, she’s still perplexing. He said the key to love is to “spread out,” that way you can continue surprising each other. He also encouraged us to develop a “healthy masochism.” He asserted that love means taking risks often and sometimes failing, so you have to be ready for that pain.

So after a riveting discussion, someone naturally brought up the subject of the hook-up culture. Kaplan-Maxfield had brought up the term BOMO, which apparently stands for “blackout make out.“ The table laughed and sheepishly admitted to being experienced in that respect.

He thanked us for our honesty, and then took an approach to the hook-up culture that differed from that of Kerry Cronin.

He asserted that there are marriages that are worse than a one night fling. Who’s to say one is better than another as long as you’re getting what you need out of it? This begs the question, what do we need from a random hook up?

This may be getting too personal, but I am as guilty of the random hook up (or BOMO) as the next person. I’ve made out with guys whose last names I didn’t know, and others that didn’t even know my first name (true story). It isn’t because I love the idea, but it’s fun and easy and bears no responsibilities or consequences.

When things are purely physical they don’t get complicated, and the quick hook up fits right in in this age of Pop tarts and DVR. As TKM pointed out, love is all about desire. Hook ups are anything but.

They are as much about instant gratification as texting or online shopping.

We were also raised to be non-confrontational via texting or e-mailing fights and leaving passive-aggressive notes for our roommates. So when it comes to love, we aren’t willing to take that risk to put ourselves out there. We just aren’t masochistic enough, or as Kaplan-Maxfield said, we might be averse to blood. Instead of fighting face to face, we blow up each other’s inboxes to avoid accountability. And with regard to relationships, we risk nothing by not taking love, or any emotion for that matter, into account.

On the last retreat I attended, during one of those “getting to know each other” games, we were asked if we had ever really been in love. We went around the circle of about 10 of us, and only one said that he had. But I bet if you asked that same group if they had ever experienced a BOMO or hooked up with someone whose name they didn’t know, the percentage would be much higher.

I am on the verge of graduation and I am about as inexperienced in love as I was freshman year. I have started to worry about how you meet potential love interests after college because when they were my age, my parents had been dating for months and my grandparents were married and expecting their first child. It seems that each generation has a more extreme Peter Pan complex than the last: We hope to stay young and irresponsible forever. And true, BC does have dating couples (those holding hands around campus as I jealously watch), but the students everyone talks about are the ones making out in the middle of Mod parties.

So to avoid maintaining my inclusion in the second category, and maybe appease my Catholic guilt a little, I am going to add another box to my already bulging bucket list: learn to fall in love.

Allison Lantero is a Staff Columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com

Monday, April 11, 2011

humor

Thoughts upon being wronged by a hipster or two Ryan McGuill Some people hate broccoli. Some people hate the Yankees. Some people hate amusement parks. Well, I, for one, hate hipsters.

Whoa, whoa. Sorry. I should rephrase that statement, as it was a little harsh, and the last thing I want to see is a tear-soaked copy of The Heights and a death note promptly tucked under my pillow. I have enough to worry about, let alone some skinny-jeaned assassins sneaking into my room and bludgeoning me with a vinyl record – which would be a tragically hip way of murdering someone.

OK, let me start again. I strongly dislike some hipsters. I’ll even refine that last sentence a little by saying that my enthusiastic personality just doesn’t mix well with the eternal cynicism of this cultural group. It’s really quite a tame dislike, similar to the relationship between you and those kids living next door that you don’t really mind apart from every Thursday night when they blast “We No Speak Americano” at 1 a.m. Try falling asleep to that Yolanda Be Cool classic and you’ll understand … it’s not great lullaby music.

In fact, one of my good friends from home is a self-proclaimed

hipster. Sure, sometimes I think he’s an insufferable little societal martyr whose obsession with Bubble Tea and Bauhaus borders on fetishism, but I enjoy his company for the most part.

So there you have it, I don’t mind most hipsters.

However, I do have a history (not romantic) full of terrible experiences with hipsters that has left quite a scar on my ego. So put yourself in my notChuck Taylor shoes for a minute and prepare for the emotional destruction that hipsters have wreaked over my young life.

It all started back in 2007 when I got my first summer job working at an ice cream shop on Cape Cod. It was a pretty busy night, and I was operating the cash register because I kept breaking the sugar cones when I tried to place the scoop of ice cream on top of them – one of the flaws of my super strength.

Some guy walks up to the register with two pistachio cones in his hand.

Now, I won’t elaborate, but this dude was wearing a flannel in July, so it’s pretty obvious that he related with a crowd that begins with “h” and ends in “ipster.” I saw that he was wearing a Shins T-shirt under said-flannel, and since I had just watched Garden State and felt like a cool, mature high school freshman, I said something along the

lines of, “Sweet shirt, man.”

Pretty offensive comment, right?

Well, he apparently thought so, as he emphatically threw both of his cones into the trashcan and left the store.

Maybe he forgot that he was lactoseintolerant and couldn’t eat ice cream, thus inspiring his angry refusal of such a delicacy. Maybe he had just come to the realization that eating ice cream was simply one of the ways that the man represses us and holds us down. Either way, my first direct experience with a hipster was mild, yet eye-opening.

The next ordeal I had to suffer at the hands of a hipster was by far the worst, and I challenge any of you (not hipsters, of course) to tell me a more intense story. On Route 1 in my hometown, I was driving in my Toyota 4-Runner, a foreign-made masculinity machine, when I got pretty violently rear ended at a stoplight. Instead of pulling over to the side of the road, this kid in a tight leather jacket with a Bieber-looking haircut ditches his battered two-door sedan at the stoplight and storms over to the gas station where I parked. I got an earful of his whiny, high-pitched voice as it screamed “You’re soooo payin’ for that, man!” and immediately developed a bleeding migraine. He tried convincing me for about 10 minutes

that I was at fault, while his car, still in the middle of the road, impeded traffic and prompted multiple people to beep in our general direction.

However, every time someone beeped, this kid would take a break from his furious arguing and blow a kiss at the beeper. Please, try to understand the ridiculousness of somebody screaming, and then blowing a kiss at the street, and then screaming again, and then blowing a kiss at the street for about 15 minutes.

I thought I was on some hipster version of Punk’d in which they don’t punk famous people because it’s “so ironic.” The argument ended with me claiming that he rear ended me because he was probably fishing around for an old Belle and Sebastian CD, which led him to throw a left jab at my jaw.

Okay, so now do you see the pain that hipsters have caused me? Sure, I don’t mind their music, and I might think some of their ironic T-shirts are kind of funny, but don’t ever underestimate the emotional destruction that a hipster can have on your life. You wouldn’t even understand it.

Ryan McGuill is a Staff Columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com

he said, she said My boyfriend and I are both juniors at Boston College. Even though I’ve been out for about a year now, I still feel uncomfortable telling new acquaintances that I’m gay, or showing affection for my boyfriend in public. It’s been especially difficult being gay at BC. I’m sick of hiding who I am, but I don’t want to risk being rejected by friends or feeling more uncomfortable than I already do with my boyfriend on campus. Is this a legitimate concern, or am I overreacting?

- On my way out Unfortunately, the truth is that sometimes BC really isn’t the most open or diverse campus, and you’re feeling the negative effects of that. As “She Said,” this most likely stems from the fact that we go to a Catholic institution, but that doesn’t make it OK. If it makes you uncomfortable, then it is definitely a legitimate concern because Alex Trautwig everyone should be able to go about his or her business without having to worry about negative repercussions. Perhaps the best thing you can do is get involved with a group on campus, not that you need to spend your time with only the members of that group, but it will provide you with a valuable support network and a certain level of comfort. However, it’s still important to live your life the way you want. There will most likely still be situations that make you uncomfortable, but together hopefully you could move past those instances. Although it’s easier said than done, let people know when you’re uncomfortable and don’t agree with what they say.

Sometimes people don’t even realize when they say something that might offend you, and if you bring attention to the issue, it can have a real positive effect. Not everything offensive is done on purpose, but rather it occurs more often from a lack of sensitivity, which is something that can easily be changed and, in turn, it will help your dynamic with that person and allow you to feel more comfortable with your boyfriend. Perhaps the best thing you can do is to help make this a less difficult situation for couples to follow. Get involved with these organizations and events on campus to help raise awareness and hopefully shift the opinion among the student body. I’m sure that you’re not the only person harboring these concerns, and as soon as you vocalize your feelings, you will find that there are more people with similar thoughts than you might originally expect.

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

This is definitely a very legitimate concern. From what I’ve gathered after four years here, BC can be a tough place for some students to be open about their sexuality. I think that there are two main factors that contribute to this. First, BC is a Catholic institution whose track record with student organizations like the GLC has been anything but totally harmonious. Second, our camJulia Wilson pus is far from diverse by any measure. There are many campuses across the country that do a much better job of promoting diversity and creating a sense of community for all students, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. These may be things that BC is currently trying to work on, but it can still make life difficult for GLBTQ students now. Whether you’re closeted, questioning, or openly gay, although still somewhat guarded (what your situation seems to be), I would agree with your assessment that there is a general lack of acceptance of different sexual orientations both on the institutional level and even among students here at BC. As far as you and your boyfriend are concerned, my advice to you both is to try to live your lives as you would if this wasn’t a concern. This may be tough to imagine right now, but you shouldn’t let a fear of what other people may think or do get in the way of pursuing your happiness and living your life however you choose. Don’t be afraid to show affection for your boyfriend in public or to tell new acquaintances that you’re gay if you choose to. You may find support in surprising places if you’re willing to be open with people. One thing you might want to consider doing if you haven’t already is to look into the resources that the GLC provides to students on campus. Go to an open meeting, join Queer Peers, or look for other ways to get involved. Finding other students that have faced the same issues at BC might be a good first step toward feeling more comfortable.

Julia Wilson is a Senior Staff Writer for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com

the real world

If I were ever granted the chance to meet the president Karl Lockhart When someone asks you about an experience, it’s difficult to sum it up in one word. Or even one sentence. So when a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time asked me what I did over spring break, I wasn’t really sure how to proceed. I had several options: “This spring break, I made chemicals on the roof of a house in a third-world country using cutting-edge technology, salt, and water.” Hmmmm. Maybe not the best way to explain my trip.

“This spring break, I went to a tropical island, spent a lot of time outside, and got a sunburn.” No, still does not fully describe what I did.

“This spring break, I shook hands with a presidential candidate and witnessed the buildup to an important election.” It happened, but not the whole picture.

So I began like this: “This spring break, I went to Haiti on a service trip.”

The next question my friend asked me was, “Oh! How was it?”

To which I replied, “It was cool.”

Often, at this point, the conversation turns to something else. But my friend was apparently still interested.

“Well, what did you do?”

So I told him about how I went with an organization from my hometown to a village in the north part of Haiti, a little place called Ferrier. I talked about how we used foldable solar panels to charge a car bat-

tery to power an electrolysis machine that split saltwater into sodium hydroxide and chlorinated water, and how that chlorinated water is bleach, and how that can be poured into wells to kill bacteria and other harmful pathogens so that people can drink clean water. I told how we walked around with others all over Ferrier and nearby villages gathering water samples and testing them to see which ones needed to be chlorinated. I mentioned how we taught some Haitians to do what we had done, so that they could always have clean water, and thereby prevent some of the estimated 1.8 billion deaths that occur each year due to waterborne illnesses.

“Wow, that’s interesting,” my friend replied. “I remember hearing about the earthquake like a year ago and everything going on then, but I haven’t heard too much recently about Haiti. It sounds like there are still some problems. What was it like being there?”

At this point, answering the question gets pretty tricky. The real trouble is trying to fit 10 days worth of experience into such a small amount of time, to sum up what a place is like in a minute or two.

I’ve found that the best way to do this is to tell stories; little scenes that describe the feeling I had when I was somewhere, with some people, doing something. One of my favorite authors, Tim O’Brien, writes about the power of memory and stories in his novels. He once said that, “What sticks to memory, often, are those odd little fragments that have no beginning and no end.”

So here is an odd little fragment:

I’m in a room of an unfinished concrete building. There’s no electricity, the only light streams into the dimness from a window and a door. Outside, I see concrete blocks, rebar, dust, and children playing. Inside, I see old desks, each one occupied by a guy about my age. On one wall of the room is a chalkboard, no eraser, and just one broken piece of chalk. We are talking, laughing, and joking. I think in English, speak in Spanish, and then one of my friends translates it into Creole. We start translating phrases for each other and writing them on the chalkboard: How are you? ¿Còmo estàs? Koman ou ye?

What is your name? ¿Còmo te llamas?

Kijan ou rele?

As our translations continue, I begin to notice something. These are not just random phrases. This is a letter. A letter to me. By the time we are finished, the entire chalkboard is full. It says something like this: Hello, we are from here, Haiti. We have had an earthquake and floods. We have been through many sadnesses. But we don’t want your money. We want jobs.

We finish with our high school here and then we have to just sit around all day doing nothing because there are no jobs for us to do and we can’t afford to go to the university. We need a technical school and places to work. Go and tell this back in America. Go talk to your Obama and tell him to help us.

Do you understand? Èske ou konprann? Me entiendes?

I sit in stunned silence.

I will go back and tell them what you said, I start. I will speak for you.

Talk to your president, they say. Tell him.

It’s not that easy, I say. You can’t just walk up to a president and start a conversation.

About a week later, I’m waiting in a tiny airport to fly back to Port-au-Prince.

For some reason there is heavy security.

United Nations troops walk every which way, carrying huge machine guns. As I sit down in the waiting area for the one domestic gate at the airport, I see what all the commotion was about. Sitting just a few feet from me is Madame Mirlande Manigat, a 70-year-old candidate for the Haitian presidential election that was happening in about a week. Surprised at first, I walk over to her. We shake hands, and I wish her good luck.

Merci. Thanks, she replies kindly.

While preliminary results show that Madame Manigat lost the election, this story just goes to show that in the real world, you never know what will happen.

It is impossible to predict the future. And while it’s likely that I will never get the chance to meet President Barack Obama, if I ever do, you can be sure what I will tell him first. Until then, these fragments will remain lodged in my mind, indelible.

Karl Lockhart is a Staff Columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com

The Heights

Monday, April 11, 2011

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It’s heart over matter for BC students running the upcoming Marathon Marathon, from B10 about it,” Panzenhagen says.

It is this sense of a broader purpose that fuels many of the runners even more than a hearty pasta dinner prior to the run. The effects of the carbohydrates can only last so many miles, and so when Heartbreak Hill rolls around, the runners draw energy from this sense of purpose. “I think of the Campus School students and how I’m running for someone who can’t,” Panzenhagen says, in an e-mail. “The training isn’t always easy and I try to remind myself that I should be thankful I am able to do it. Running the Marathon has also become a personal and competitive goal of mine.”

Since many of the Campus School runners do not claim to be naturals when it comes to longdistance running, it only makes sense that there is something much greater at work than a passion for the rhythmic motion of one’s feet hitting the pavement.

“An interesting thing about the Marathon is that a lot of people do it for charity, and I don’t know what it is, but there’s something therapeutic

about doing a marathon,” Panzenhagen says. “I think when there’s a cause that you feel somewhat hopeless against and you want to make a difference, doing the Marathon gives you some type of measurable goal.”

Even more inspiring than running to support one cause might be running to support two. In addition to the Campus School, Vincent Love, A&S ’13, is running in the name of the Boomer Esiason Foundation, a group in which he has a very personal stake. The Boomer Esiason Foundation provides support for people affected by cystic fibrosis, people like Gunnar Esiason, one of Love’s closest friends. “I’m with Gunnar every day, we do everything together,” Love says. “I see him doing his treatments and everything, and it makes you realize you really want to do something for it.”

Love is doing more than just something as he has already raised approximately $14,800, far exceeding his original goal of $4,000, and almost reaching his new, increased goal of $15,000. Though much of the money has been raised through online donations, Love has been fundraising on-campus by selling Team Boomer T-shirts and rallying the support of

his friends through his Facebook page.

Love was originally inspired to run the Marathon, which is his first experience with long-distance running, by a video that he saw at an event he attended last spring for the Boomer Esiason Foundation. The video featured a girl who had cystic fibrosis and managed to run the New York Marathon.

“It was really inspirational, and me and my friends were like, ‘This is insane, we have to run the Marathon, this is so cool,’” Love says.

When running such extreme lengths, Love says that thinking about anything other than running is the key to making the time go by quickly, and with a dear friend to think about, Love should have little difficulty crossing the finish line.

Christina Tully, A&S ’12, will also have plenty to reflect upon when she is making the climb over Heartbreak Hill one week from today. Tully has been living with Crohn’s disease for the past nine years, a disease which found her very ill at the time of her diagnosis.

Though she says that she has gotten healthier over the years, Tully is still unable to partake in activities she otherwise could, had it not been for Crohn’s.

After joining the crew team as a walk-on during her

freshman year, Tully had to quit due to a profusion of health problems, stemming from the disease.

But she has not let Crohn’s keep her from fulfilling one of her biggest dreams, a dream which will become a reality in the near future. “I’ve always been athletic though, and I’ve lived near Boston my whole life, so running the Boston Marathon has been an absolute dream of mine,” Tully says, in an e-mail.

While training for the Marathon, Tully has been experiencing problems with her joints as a result of Crohn’s, making the running experience less than pleasurable. Yet, she is determined not to let these problems prevent her from reaching her goal. “I don’t care how long it takes me, I just want to cross the finish line,” she says, in an e-mail.

For Tully and many other BC students, running the Marathon is much more than running for 26.2 miles. It is breaking away from and standing up to things that previously restrained them, it is doing something for someone who lacks the ability to do the same, it is supporting a dear friend and thousands of others like them. It takes physical strength, and it takes strength of heart, and the BC runners possess both. n

Arts Council looks to improve quality of performers for this year’s event Changes in Arts Fest have occured from year to year since its beginning Arts Fest, from B10 might be drawn in because your friend is in a dance group and then you see some theatre or you hear some music or you see some art and that inspires you to see something else on campus and go to hear a concert in Boston and hopefully, it helps you grow culturally.”

Improving the Arts Festival is important for Ianno. “Every year, I’m trying to find ways to improve the Arts Festival. This year, we decided to take a hard look at the programming in a way we hadn’t before,” Ianno says. “We decided to look at the programming to see if we could improve the quality.”

“I definitely saw in years past an inconsistency in the level of performances that were being presented,” Viola says. “It’s hard when some groups on campus require auditions and others don’t, and when the levels of groups on campus are so varied. But I think some of our audience members found it hard when there’s such a discrepancy in the skill and performance levels of the groups performing.”

“Some years, they’re fantastic and some years, they’re not,” Ianno says.

“Some years they’re responsive and professional and fulfill all of their responsibilities and some years, they don’t.”

To address the differences in performance levels and help improve the overall quality of the show, the Arts Council decided to hold instructional workshops where the groups were paired with professionals who specialized in their area of performance. “The idea for the workshops came as the result of a task force that was set up last semester under the Arts Council,” Viola says. “The group realized that, although many of the art groups on campus who perform at the festival have faculty or professional leadership, many of them do not.”

“I wanted to try and find a way to support the student groups who don’t have professional faculty leadership,” Ianno says. “That’s what the workshops are about. The idea is to help the student groups find ways to

improve.”

Workshop pairings included Susan Roberts, a professor in the English department, working with poets performing in Slam Fashionation, Will Luera BC ’96, the artistic director of Improv Boston, working with BC comedy group My Mother’s Fleabag, and Five O’Clock Shadow, a professional a cappella group, working with BC. Dynamics and B.E.A.T.S. (Black Experience In America Through Song).

Ianno says the workshops were good overall. “The students thought it was great. I could see them listening and learning. If they take what they learn and really use it, I think they’ll really grow.”

While working to improve Arts Fest is one way of helping to foster the arts at BC, Ianno says there needs to be more done. “To be competitive as an university, we need a strong arts program and while we have amazing artists here and great academic programs and great student activities programs, we’re behind other universities,” Ianno says. “We need more resources and facilities.” This manifested itself in the planning of Arts Fest. “There’s a lot of limitations that we have and lot of things we’d like to do to grow that we can’t and a lot of ways we’d like to serve the students, but we can’t.”

But it’s never too early to think about next year. “I always think about next year,” Ianno says. With an event as large as Arts Fest, it’s conceivably hard not to. “Other than Commencement, there is no other event on campus that involves as many students as participants as this one does. There’s over 1,000 faculty and students who present their work in some way at the festival. And other than football games and commencement, we have more of an audience than anything else does at the University, so it’s pretty big.”

Ianno and the rest of the Arts Council hope the new additions to Arts Fest this year will improve upon last year. “Making this kind of effort has been a tremendous amount of work for us and it’s taken a lot of time and energy,” Ianno says.

“I think it will pay off.” n

Photos courtesy of Christopher Huang

Two BC acapella groups worked with and received instruction from a professional troupe of singers, Five O’Clock Shadow, in one of the workshops organized by the Council

How-To

Steer clear of the go-getters who make you feel self-conscious Jim Kaberna Whether you were aware or not, you are, in fact, attending a school bursting at its seams with go-getters. The wide majority of your peers (and probably you, too) would list the word ‘outgoing’ first and foremost, in bold, and underlined on any form or application requesting a list of characteristics. If not precisely that word, then some witty and alternative synonym might appear instead.

There are horrendous and time - consuming

“The basics: Know your environment. You know the spots. Act busy. Contort your face into something that looks like you just woke up six hours late for a midterm.” applications for even the most low-commitment service trips here at Boston College. Any candidate for a leadership position must be armed with a resume that speaks not only of success and drive, sleep minimally, drink coffee without

intermission throughout the day, and be willing to fail, withdraw, and kill at any moment. This is all, naturally, what is required for a leadership position in EcoPledge and Italian Club. If a UGBC Senate seat, Heights editorial position, or your guide spot is what you seek, there is decidedly more required.

This is an off-putting environment for most, myself included. I have ventured at becoming more involved this semester since my schedule has freed up, but only done so at the behest of my close friends who are already deeply committed themselves to their respective extracurricular activity.

And I guess that this is really my issue. I consider myself a strong individual, stout in my resolve and conviction. I do not mind the gogetter attitude that surrounds me and consumes my day. If you want to get involved, that is your business. I will gladly watch you walk to the Plex four times a day and even listen quietly to your complaints about your spinning instructor, etc.

I will ask you all of the routine and courteous questions about your service trip to Africa this summer, of course. From behind my seventh cigarette of the day and wearing the same clothes that I woke up in, I am smiling at you genuinely.

I trust your commitment to whatever you keep blabbering on about. I get it.

Regarding my tolerance for these grating conversations and overzealous people, I am discussing only what I can afford my closest of friends.

If I have not had what I am positive would be the utmost of pleasures in making your acquaintance and you are yelling at me from across the Quad, stop. Stop it right now. Get out of my face. I

“Beyond the basic pointers, it’s all up to you to be creative. Send a message.” rarely mean to be aggressive, but you are pushing it. Just because I’m not wearing the same colored shirt as the pack of crazies behind me outside Devlin, does not mean I have nothing else to do.

I don’t mean to turn bitter or become whinny, but frankly I eat a lot and don’t have any more Dining Bucks for you. (Personally, I become frazzled and feel insulted when confronted by the service trip, point-driving folk. I didn’t get into your program, and now you want me to fund your merrymaking?) But having taken a deep breath, here are some helpful tips for avoiding those pesky go-getters: The basics: Know your environment. You know the spots. Act busy. Contort your face into something that looks like you just woke up six hours late for a midterm. Cell phone calls and text message responses or the latest acoustic noise canceling headphones will help. But these

people are committed, so you better be just as committed to that phone call or new Gaga remix.

Don’t eat at popular dinning times. And lie. “I just donated / took a flyer from your friends.”

“I’m poor / I eat a lot.” “I don’t speak English.”

You know what to do. Beyond the basic pointers, it’s all up to you to be creative. Send a message.

Here follows the account of a like-minded individual who did just that: Romar last week was busy, as we all are, and did not care to be hassled by the rude BC students who had given up their dorm rooms for the cause, specifically the fight against bottled water. The stickers were funny (you must all know what I’m talking about, the “I’d Tap That” stickers) but Romar was busy. This campaign, if you don’t remember, followed the UGBC elections and coincided with the safe sex / get tested campaign. Everyone one campus was on edge, frankly.

Romar was offered a sticker for the 16th time that day. (If that isn’t true, it sure did feel like the 16th time). After refusing, Romar came under fire from the group as a whole. The young, lady sticker dispenser remarked loudly to her fellow committed activist, “This kid’s too cool for a sticker.” Romar reconsidered. He asked for a sticker and apologized. He proceeded to apply the sticker to his plastic, Powerade Zero and hurl the bottle into the garbage. Message delivered.

Jim Kaberna is a Staff Columnist for The Heights.

He can be reached at features@bcheights.com

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features The Heights

Monday, April 11, 2011

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Monday, April 11, 2011

Lucky Number 13: New additions to grace this year’s Arts Festival

By Kris Robinson Features Editor

The road to Arts Fest is paved with good intentions.

From Thursday, April 28 through Saturday, April 30, students will bare witness to the biggest hybrid of artistic talent on Boston College’s campus, where models walk the runway as poets deliver spoken word, comedy troupes inspire laughs after energized dance performances, and a capella groups harmonize before actors bring plays to life. Going into its 13th year, Arts Fest has captivated students since 1999.

Cathi Ianno, program administrator for the Arts Council, has seen them all.

“I’ve seen it change, I’ve seen it grow,” Ianno says. “I’ve seen very popular programs come and go. It’s evolved over time with different interests.”

Ianno has worked on Arts Fest every year since it’s beginning, something that’s given her a unique perspective on the event that other members of her staff do not share. “Sometimes, when I’m talking with my staff and we’re talking about something new that we’re doing, they’re thinking about last year, but what I’m thinking about is the ten years ago when we didn’t have that,” she says.

“If you’re just looking from year to year, you see little changes, little improvement, a little bit of growth, but what I feel is the tremendous exponential growth we’ve had over the 13 years.”

Lauren Viola, A&S ’11, went from watching the Arts Festival her freshman year to helping coordinate it her senior year.

“I thought it was a really great event on campus and really enjoyed the performances that I saw,” Viola says. Her experiences watching Arts Fest led Viola to want to get more involved. “The performances at the Arts Festival are what first drew me to want to be more involved in the festival planning team. I love all of the arts groups on campus, so to put them all in one place is just a dream come true from me.”

This year, Viola serves as marketing coordinator for the festival. “As the marketing coordinator, I am in charge of all the marketing, advertising, and public relations for the festival.” Previously, she served as the assistant marketing coordinator, a job that

helped to prepare her for the responsibilities of her current occupation.

The biggest challenge, Ianno says, about working with so many students is that they graduate and often, they take the skills and knowledge they’ve developed with them.

“If you’re working in an organization, your organization has memory and growth. You figure things out and you get better at them and hopefully, you keep moving in a positive direction,” she says.

Students coming and going also has a positive effect on the dynamic of Arts Fest, Ianno says. “There’s new ideas that come up all the time.” Dancing with bOp! and Slam Fashionation are two of these new ideas that have become a staple of the festival.

Both events have been extremely successful, Ianno says.

While things about the festival are constantly changing from year to year, Ianno says there is one thing that stays consistent about the event, “What hasn’t changed is the energy and the enthusiasm for what goes on in the main tent and what goes on in the plaza,” she says. “That just grows all the time.”

That energy and enthusiasm provides the greatest reward for Ianno. “Once the festival starts, I’m mostly happy. Just being out on the plaza when people are having a good time,” she says.

Ianno’s background in the arts motivates her to work to promote the arts at BC. “I’m a musician and I’ve almost always worked in the arts and I specifically want to promote the arts at Boston College because it means so much to me,” Ianno says. “I think having been a musician, been involved in theater, been involved in music ministry, it’s just a big part of my life and I want to share that with other people so for me, my whole motivation in building the festival and making it bigger and better all the time is to get people more involved in arts as a part of their life.”

Arts Fest is an opportunity to do just that. “Hopefully, the average student would be exposed to more cultural and artistic activities than they would have otherwise because of the arts festival,” Ianno says. “Because there are so many things that come together, because it’s so big that way, you See Arts Fest, B9

mollie kolosky \ heights Graphic

To the finish line and beyond

By Brooke Schneider Asst. Features Editor

For many of the runners that will brave the 26.2 mile journey next Monday, the Marathon does not end in Copley Square. Though there is a clearly marked finish line, the work of a great number of runners is far from being over when they are bombarded with bottles of water and congratulated for making it to the end. That is because, for many Boston College students running bandit, there is something larger at work that extends beyond the physical realm of the Marathon.

The Campus School Marathon Team is running for a cause. Each of the approximately 240 students composing the team is committed to raising a minimum of $150, which goes directly to the Campus School, located in Campion Hall. Since 1970, the Campus School has been educating children, ages three to 21, with multiple disabilities. Providing the continued education of these children is not an inexpensive task, making the fundraising of the Marathon Team very necessary.

Morgan Panzenhagen, committee chair of the team and CSON ’11, has worked with the Campus School for four years now, in many different capacities, as a volunteer, a nursing student, and a committee chair. “I’ve gotten to understand what it means to be a student in the Campus School and the challenges the students and their families face,” she says. “I’ve also seen how the disabilities of the kids have brought out the best in many of the families. That’s really inspired me to keep running and fundraising for them.”

In addition to the financial aspect, the runners are also making a widespread impact with regards to raising awareness about the Campus School and its students. Though their gold T-shirts may not attract as much attention as the runner wearing the Superwoman costume or the men dressed as Solo cups, there is power in the number of runners wearing Campus School T-shirts.

“When you’re running, thousands of people see your shirt and they see that you are working for that cause, and I think that makes them want to look into it or find out more See Marathon, B9 mollie kolosky \ heights Graphic

i nside FE ATURES this issue

Big Classes

During course registration season, there’s nothing worse than going to register for a class and finding out it’s full.......................................................................................................B7

Humor Column.................................B8 How-To....................................B9