Heights 04-15-10

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919

THE HEIGHTS THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010

Vol. XCI, No. 19

www.bcheights.com

Asian American scholarship named 15 year-old scholarship receives recognition

BY PATRICK GALLAGHER Assoc. News Editor COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric, will speak at the University Commencement in May.

U.S. Senator Scott Brown, BC Law ’85, will address the Boston College Law School graduates.

Immelt, Brown to address graduates

BY MICHAEL CAPRIO News Editor

Jeffrey Immelt, CEO and chairman of General Electric (GE), will address the class of 2010 at the Commencement Exercises in May, the University announced yesterday.

Immelt’s May 24 address will coincide with U.S. Senator Scott Brown’s address at the Boston College Law School Commencement.

The University will award Immelt an honorary degree in business administration.

Immelt began his tenure at GE four days before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which left two GE employees dead and cost the company’s insurance division $600 million.

GE, which is the world’s largest producer of jet engines, locomotives, medical-imaging equipment, and power plant turbines, was recently named “America’s Most Admired Company” in a Fortune magazine poll. A similar poll by Barron’s and the Financial Times named GE among “The World’s Most Respected Companies.”

In February 2009, Immelt was appointed to the Pres-

ident’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, providing counsel to President Obama and his administration.

University Spokesman Jack Dunn said the selection of the Commencement speaker is an effort involving multiple parties. “The Board of Trustees approves the Commencement speaker based on recommendations provided by [University President William P. Leahy, S.J.] and other members of the BC community,” he said.

“We attempt to find in our Commencement speakers individuals whose life accomplishments are noteworthy and reflect the values of the University.”

Brown, BC Law ’85, who will be giving the Commencement address at BC Law, gained national recognition last November when he became the first Republican to represent Mass. in the U.S. Senate in 38 years, beating Democratic candidate Martha Coakley.

“We’re pleased to welcome Scott back to campus as our Commencement speaker,” said John Garvey, Dean of the Law School, in a statement. “His record of service in the National Guard JAG Corps, the Massachusetts State House, and now as U.S. Senator is impressive, and I’m happy that he has agreed to address our graduating students.”

Following his graduation from BC Law, Brown worked as an attorney and served in the Massachusetts National Guard. He currently holds the rank of Lt. Colonel in the Judge Advocate General Corps.

As a senator, he serves on the Senate Committee on Armed Forces, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

His daughter, Ayla Brown, A&S ’10, will be graduating on May 24.

The BC Law Commencement is scheduled to take place on May 28 on the Newton Campus.

Other honorary degree recipients include Anthony Bryk, president of the Carnegie Foundation and BC ’70; John Harrington, former Red Sox CEO, chairman of the Yawkey Foundation and BC ’57; Sr. Mary Hart, R.G.S., of St. Katherine Drexel Parish in Roxbury; Joy Moore, interim deputy head of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa and BC ’81; and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and a current member of the Roman Curia Congregation for Bishops. 

The Asian Caucus of Boston College, in collaboration with the University, recently announced that the Asian American Scholarship would be named in honor of Benigno and Corazon Aquino.

The scholarship, which has been awarded each year since 1995 to a rising senior who demonstrates a strong commitment to the Asian American community at BC, has been without a name since its inception. The University’s decision is the result of several years of research and discussion over possible names by the Asian American Scholarship Committee (AASC) and Asian Caucus leaders.

“It is with great pleasure and pride that we announce the naming of the Boston College Asian American Scholarship in honor of the late Corazon and Benigno Aquino,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski, and Joe Burns, associate vice provost for undergraduate academic affairs, in a joint statement.

The Asian American Scholarship Banquet annually honors four rising seniors who are chosen from a competitive pool of applicants for the award, with the winner getting a $15,000 scholarship from

See Scholarship, A4

Campus welcomes hockey champions home

BY MICHAEL CAPRIO News Editor

Last April, members of the Boston College men’s hockey team sat down to their televisions the day before Easter as they watched rival Boston University take the NCAA Championship title. The players exchanged text messages among themselves with one common theme – that their 2010 season had officially begun.

One year and one day later, the same team sat riding in a parade through campus, as BC welcomed the 2010 national champions to their alma mater.

BC’s April 10 win over Wisconsin brought the Eagles their fourth NCAA title, two of which were won in the past three years. “I went through an incredible experience this year,” said BC defenseman Tommy Cross, A&S ’12, in a press conference preceding the April 12 parade.

With trophies from the Beanpot, Hockey East, and NCAA tournaments, the 2010 team secured BC’s place as one of the most successful college hockey teams of the deSPORTS cade. The Eagles reached the Frozen Four nine times in the last 13 years,

INSIDE

Students reflect on why they decided to run the Marathon, A10

THE SCENE

resulting in seven championship appearances and three national titles.

Cross said the team’s success this year was due to the talent and the dynamic between older and younger players, both on and off the ice.“This is probably the closest team I’ve ever been on,” Cross, who had played on a half dozen teams before arriving at college, said. “I know that’s not true of all college hockey teams, and I know that makes our team unique. You have the youth with some energy and then you have the older guys with the experience. They work well together.”

The team’s success can also be attributed to coach Jerry York’s enthusiasm and positive attitude, Cross said.

“He’s always positive, and I think that speaks to the team as well. His positive attitude is definitely something that’s helped me.”

York, BC ’67, has coached the Eagles to three NCAA titles, and ended this season with a BC career record of 25-2 in postseason games.

“I really feel comfortable here in this setting,” York said.

“Having gone to school here, I have a feeling for what everybody’s going through as far as athletic demands on the athletes.

It’s a great place to work, but then again, I’m partial.”

Students received York in O’Neill Plaza by repeating shouts of “Jerry!” at the parade as the BC marching band played “For Boston.”

Gene DeFilippo, athletic director, said that York’s coaching style and knowledge of the University have been instrumental in securing BC’s recent titles. “He doesn’t cut corners, and he doesn’t take

SEAN CASEY / HEIGHTS STAFF

Players rode through campus on maroon and gold outfitted trollies with the NCAA trophy. short-cuts,” DeFilippo said in his address to the crowd.

“Jerry steadily began to restore this proud program to the nation’s elite.”

He said York’s style of recruiting has brought talented students to campus during the last decade. “He did it the old-fashioned way,” DeFilippo said. “He went into homes and told recruits that they’d play top-level hockey and that they’d get a world-class education. Now he has the program back where he wanted it.”

As York looks to add recruits for the 2011

Survivors speak out at Take Back the Night

BY ROSIE CHANDLER For The Heights

The Scene highlights some of the best odes to food, B1

MARKETPLACE

Obama and Medvedev sign START to curb nuke proliferation, B10 Classifieds, B6 Crossword, A5 Editorials, A6 Editors’ Picks, A9 Forecast on Washington, B8 On the Flip Side, B7 Police Blotter, A2 Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down, A7 Videos on the Verge, B2 Weather, A2

season, BC will have to face the loss of four seniors, while other players, including Cross, are being wooed by NHL teams.

But Cross, who has received offers from the Boston Bruins, said that he is not going anywhere. “Some guys take it year-by year, but I’m an Eagle,” he said.

For now, he intends on savoring these upcoming weeks – an opportunity not afforded to him last year. “Last year the season ended early, so we were ready to start the new year right away,” Cross said. “But I think we’re going to enjoy this for now.” 

Wednesday evening, members of the Boston College community gathered in O’Neill Plaza to hear four survivors of sexual assault share their stories as part of Take Back the Night.

Take Back the Night was the keystone event of Concerned About Rape Education (C.A.R.E.) Week, a week-long series of events organized by the Women’s Resource Center (WRC) to raise awareness about sexual violence and advocate its prevention. “[The event offered] women an opportunity to take what otherwise might have been private experiences of injustice and break the silence,” said Kasey Lafreniere, undergraduate staff member at the WRC and LSOE ’10. Four female survivors spoke during the night, each sharing her personal experience as a victim of sexual violence. The overall tone was somber, although one speaker included several remarks in her conclusion that moved the audience to laughter.

“Listening to these survivors can help us understand the experience of rape and also ways of preventing it,” said Shawn McGuffey, a professor in the sociology department. “[Speaking out is also a] form of resistance and a form of strength.”

KEVIN HOU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Students listened to the stories of sexual assault survivors yesterday in O’Neill Plaza.

McGuffey, who has experience working with survivors of sexual assault, spoke on how rape can be compounded by issues of racism, classism, and sexism.

After the conclusion of the survivors’ stories, members of the group Brother-

hood for Change spoke. “Sexual assault and violence are not women’s issues, but human issues,” said Michael Wolf, A&S ’12. Brotherhood for Change is a group of men committed to ending sexual violence against women and exposing behaviors

and cultural trends that encourage such violence. The members discussed the meaning of consent, and elaborated on what constitutes consent to a sexual act. The members then invited the male members of the audience to come forward and recite the men’s pledge to end sexual violence.

Although the audience was predominantly female, many men were in attendance. “It was great to get up on stage and see the presence of men on campus,” said Jaclyn Kundrat, undergraduate staff member of the WRC and A&S ’12. “Men are very important to ending sexual assault here on campus and everywhere,” she said.

“One of the main focuses [of Take Back the Night] was to increase awareness of resources on campus for survivors of sexual assault,” Lafreniere said. Undergraduate staff members at the WRC discussed Bystander Education and the Sexual Assault Network (SANet), two resources that the WRC provides for the BC community. “It’s important that students walk away with a sense of how they can be a part of a community to end sexual violence,” Lafreniere said.

Undergraduate staff members of the WRC encouraged the audience to “light

See Night, A3

TopFive

Thursday, April 15, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

things to do on campus this week

Drinan Award Presentation

1

Voices of Imani Spring Show

Today Time: 5 p.m.

Location: Thompson Room, Burns Library

The third annual Fr. Robert F. Drinan Award will be presented to Mass. Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray. Newton Mayor Setti Warren will also be presented with an award.

2

Friday Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Trinity Chapel, Newton Campus

Join Voices of Imani, BC’s gospel choir, as they present their annual spring concert.

The show will feature contemporary gospel music as well as African-American spirituals.

Hello ... Shovelhead!

3

Roller Skating

Masquerade Ball

Friday Time: 7:30 p.m.

Location: Fulton 511

Hello ... Shovelhead! will present “Maya Angelou and You,” the group’s 22nd annual spring comedy show. Performances will be on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

FEATURED ON CAMPUS

Conan’s writers come to BC

4

Friday Time: 10 p.m.

Location: O’Connell House

The O’Connell House and the Upper Campus Residence Hall Councils will host the Masquerade Ball, a night of mystery and intrigue. The attire for the event is semi-formal.

5

Saturday Time: 9 p.m.

Location: O’Connell House

Looking to relive your childhood memories? The O’Connell House will host a night of roller skating and disco music on Saturday at 9 p.m. Skates will be free.

IntheNews

FOUR DAY WEATHER FORECAST TODAY

58° Sunny 36°

FRIDAY

45° Rain 39°

SATURDAY

45° Rain

University Arabic language majors increase in response to government efforts A recent Education Department report stated that the number of U.S. undergraduate students whose first major was Arabic increased from 13 in 2002-3 to 57 in 2007-8, according to a report by the Chronicle of Higher Education. Additionally, the number of students taking Arabic courses nearly doubled between 2002 and 2006, the Chronicle report said. This expansion comes in response to federal government initiatives that are aimed at encouraging the study of languages seen as critical to U.S. economic and security considerations.

36°

SUNDAY

52° Chance Showers 37°

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 Suspect in Brookline bank heist arrested in La. by Border Patrol ANDREW POWELL / HEIGHTS STAFF

Brian McCann, BC ’87, and Brian Kiley, BC ’83, both writers for Conan O’Brien’s shows, spoke at the Rat on Tuesday.

BY ALLIE BOWMAN For The Heights

Students crowded the Rat Tuesday night to see alumni Brian McCann, BC ’87, and Brian Kiley, BC ’83, as they performed an evening of stand-up comedy, hosted by the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC).

After graduating from BC, both went on to pursue careers as stand-up comedians and writers for Late Night and The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.

Kiley has worked as a monologue writer on Late Night and The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien since 1994. He was nominated for 14 Emmy awards and won in 2007 for Best Writing in a Comedy / Variety series.

McCann has worked with O’Brien for 15 years as a writer and performer. He is best known for his characters Preparation H. Raymond, Mr. Bulletproof Legs, the Fed-Ex Pope, and S&M Lincoln. He has also appeared on 30 Rock, and continues to work as a stand-up comedian.

Ryan O’Flanagan, A&S ’10, warmed up the crowd with cracks on several subjects, like the plight of being in the standingroom-only section at a Red Sox game.

Kiley then took the stage with one-liners on his show’s cancellation, fatherhood, marriage, and his experience at BC. “I have this problem where every night I stop breathing in my sleep,” he joked. “It’s not that sleep apnea. It’s the one

where your wife holds a pillow over your head.”

McCann opened with a video montage of childhood photos and photo-shopped images of him with various celebrities and world leaders such as President Barack Obama.

After riffing for a few minutes on his guitar, McCann played multiple songs that covered topics of drug use, failed songwriting, the English major, and life at BC. “I have some bad news for you BC guys,” McCann said.

“If you’ve seen what any of the grads look like, you’re going to go bald.”

Following the stand-up, both comedians sat down and answered questions about growing up and working as comedy writers. Kiley grew up in Newton, Mass., attending Catholic catechism classes in Brookline with his future boss, Conan O’Brien.

Kiley said he first became interested in comedy at BC after attending a comedy show sponsored by the O’Connell House. After speaking with the comedian and being told that he couldn’t make any money writing comedy, he enrolled in a summer school writing class at Emerson and pursued a stand-up career.

McCann said he didn’t take advantage of the comedy scene at BC. After graduating, he moved to Chicago and tried improv, submitting to shows and hoping to get noticed by someone.

“I think my parents were proud that I could a. get into BC, and then b. graduate,” McCann

said. “Then I confirmed all their fears and told them that I was going into showbiz.”

The two explained the process of performing and writing for Late Night and The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.

“We go through newspapers and the Internet, looking for jokes about news that Conan would choose,” Kiley said. “You can write about 40 or 50 jokes per day, hoping that two of them will get on the air.”

“You have to have thick skin,” McCann said. “But the good thing is that most of these jokes are only written about 20 minutes before, so there’s little emotional attachment.”

The audience posed questions about Conan’s working style, how free time is spent, and inspiration for jokes.

McCann said Conan, has a fast-paced style of nightly variety programming as “a beast that continuously feeds and never satisfies.”

Though O’Brien’s program has been on hiatus, TBS announced Tuesday that it will be picking it up in November. In addition, Kiley will continue his stand-up tour, and McCann will keep working on his new show with Dana Carvey.

McCann concluded with advice and wisdom on time at BC, “As a second semester senior, I started to say to myself, ‘Wow, this was great.’ For those of you who aren’t there yet, pay attention to what’s available and take advantage of what you have now,” he said. 

Yesterday, the U.S. Border Patrol arrested Bruno L. Santolim, 24, of Somerville, as he attempted to board a bus in Louisiana bound for the Texas / Mexico border, according to a report by the Boston Globe. Santolim was wanted on charges of armed robbery and assault with a dangerous weapon in Brookline, after he allegedly used a handgun to rob the Sovereign Bank at 487 Harvard St. of an undisclosed amount of cash on April 8. Police said that Santolim locked himself out of his running car, and that he was forced to flee the bank on foot.

On Campus Paul Volcker makes appearance as guest lecturer in CSOM course Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve and current head of President Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, was a guest lecturer at the March 29 meeting of the Financial Crisis of 08 / 09: Economic and Regulatory Policy course. Volcker spoke off the record to students in the class in addition to other members of the Carroll School of Management about the roots of the recession and about efforts to rebuild the economy, according to a description of the event on the BC Web site.

National No shots fired as gunman is disarmed in Pittsburgh school PITTSBURGH (AP) — Officials say a gunman who entered a Pittsburgh magnet school was disarmed after he fought with a security guard and both men crashed through a large window near the school’s entrance. Police say a 23-year-old man sneaked the weapon into the Creative & Performing Arts School on Wednesday afternoon. Pittsburgh Public Schools spokewoman Ebony Pugh (PYOO) says she isn’t sure how the man got inside because the only two entrances have metal detectors. She says a student saw the man with the gun in a restroom and alerted the security guard.

Editorial General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Marketplace Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823 Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753 EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call Michael Caprio, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or e-mail news@bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk.

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

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

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

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Police Blotter 4/9/10 – 4/10/10 Friday, April 9

tive is investigating.

8:34 p.m. - A report was filed regarding the confiscation of alcohol from an underage party in Walsh Hall. A report will be forwarded to ODSD for review.

Saturday, April 10

9:16 p.m. - A report was filed regarding regarding the arrest of Douglass Harrington, 21, of Brighton, Mass., for an outstanding default warrant. The party was arrested outside Walsh Hall and was booked at BCPD Headquarters.

9:36 p.m. - A report was filed regarding two suspicious persons in McElroy Hall.

The parties were identified and were sent on their way.

10:52 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated party in McElroy Hall. The party was transported by ambulance to a medical facility.

11:14 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a party who was being a disorderly person in the Cushing Hall clinic. The party was taken to BCPD Headquarters and was later released to a sober adult party.

11:26 p.m. - A report was filed in Rubenstein Hall regarding a past assault and battery. Two parties were transported by ambulance to a medical facility. A detec-

12:33 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an injured party near Conte Forum. The party was treated on scene and was later released.

5:43 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an injured party in Stuart Hall. The party was transported by ambulance to a medical facility.

8:46 p.m. - A report was filed regarding the confiscation of alcohol from several underage parties near 21 Campanella Way. A report will be forwarded to the ODSD for review.

9:17 p.m. - A report was filed regarding the confiscation of alcohol from two underage parties near the Commonwealth Garage.

A report will be forwarded to ODSD for review.

9:27 p.m. - A report was filed regarding the confiscation of alcohol from two underage parties in the Edmonds the parking lot.

A report will be forwarded to ODSD for review.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

Voices from the Dustbowl “What are your plans for Marathon Monday?”

“Sit on Comm. Ave. and watch the marathon.”

—Jillian Baker, A&S ’13 —Nick Doffek, A&S ’13

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

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

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

“I’m running in the marathon” —Kevin Truitte, A&S ’13

CORRECTIONS

“I’m running in it.”

—Kathy Breen,

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

A&S ’12

A3

The Heights

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Departing Appleyard reflects on former times

By Daniel Morrison For The Heights

Rev. Joseph Appleyard, S.J., vice president for University mission and ministry and BC ’53, will be leaving Boston College to serve as the assistant to Rev. Myles Sheehan, S.J., provincial superior of the New England Province of Jesuits, starting July 31.

Appleyard will begin to work with The New England Province of Jesuits as it begins efforts to consolidate the Jesuit Provinces of New York, Maryland, and New England in response to shrinking Jesuit communities across the United States.

“When I entered the New England Province, there were 1,100 Jesuits. Now there are around 350,” Appleyard said. “Replicate that pattern around the country, and you see that we don’t need 10 administrative entities [Jesuit Provinces]. It makes more sense to slim down.”

In addition to facilitating consolidation efforts, Appleyard will aid in communications with other Provinces, the Superior General in Rome, and other churches across New England.

Appleyard arrived on campus in 1949 as a freshman and, in 1967, joined the faculty as a professor in the English department. He taught English until he became the director of the Honors Program in 1988. Appleyard held this position until 1998, when University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., asked him to serve in his current position.

Stemming from his experience as a freshman in 1949, Appleyard said he had gained a unique perspective on BC’s development as an academic institution. A passage from the 1953 Class History, titled A Season of Youth, written by Appleyard, expressed

students’ expectations for BC’s transformation. “We were part of a world and of a BC that would change dramatically in the years ahead,” the History read.

“In the aftermath of the G.I. Bill and students flooding into colleges everywhere, BC grew very quickly,” Appleyard said. “Becoming a resident school and recruiting a national student body have helped BC reach its current status. The dramatic escalation in the academic quality [of BC] was seen in higher standards for students and greater intellectual ambition among faculty,” he said. “From the ’50s and ’60s onward, there was this institutional change.”

America’s culture of change and experimentation during the 1960s set the stage for changes in the curriculum, Appleyard said. “Younger faculty members thought about new ways of teaching,” he said.

“There has been a shift in the representation of core classes,” Appleyard said. “If you quadrupled the philosophy and theology required core classes, and doubled the English and history core classes, that would represent the core before 1965.”

In addition to the environment of social change during the 1960s, specialization within majors helped diminish the core, Appleyard said. As academics grew, majors had to become more specialized. “Specialization was increasing. The faculty was becoming even more specialized within particular disciplines,” he said.

Intersections and Campus Ministry was central to the role of the vice president for University mission and ministry.

“The main thing I have been involved with as vice president is working with faculty and staff to create a conversation about the Catholic and Jesuit

Courtesy of the office of news and public affairs.

Rev. Joseph Appleyard, S.J., will be leaving the University after 40 years as a faculty member, and later as vice president. dimensions of the BC mission,” Appleyard said. “In the seminars we’ve run with faculty and staff and in the student programs we’ve created, especially in Intersections and Campus Ministry, we’ve gotten several hundreds of faculty and staff and thousands of students to think about their experience at BC and what it means for their lives,” he said.

The Kairos Retreat, 4Boston, the Appalachia

service trips, and international service trips embody the principles of “being attentive, being reflective, and being loving” recognized in The Pocket Guide to Jesuit Education, Appleyard said. “They encourage you to reflect on your life and where it’s going.” These principles, he said, are central to thinking about and discussing BC’s mission and how it relates to living a proper life. n

Herzlich addresses semester’s last Agape Latte Guest professor Cancer survivor and Eagles linebacker becomes first student speaker at lecture series

David Givler / Heights Editor

Herzlich announced that his Ewing’s Sarcoma cancer was in remission on national television at ESPN’s Game Day appearance on campus last October.

By Stephanie Hu For The Heights

On Tuesday night, students filled Hillside Cafe as Mark Herzlich, Eagles linebacker and WCAS ’12, prepared to speak at this year’s final Agape Latte.

Herzlich is the first ever student speaker at an Agape Latte event.

“It took me about two hours.

Thoughts flooded into my body, my brain … nothing was going to beat me at that point,” Herzlich said of his reaction upon discovering that he had cancer following the 2008 season, at the

age of 21.

Herzlich spoke of his numerous doctor’s appointments, the likelihood of his survival, and his recovery period. Despite doctors repetitively telling him that he would never be able to play football again, Herzlich was determined to do so, he said. He began his recovery slowly – by playing golf and working out.

When asked about his return to football, Herzlich said he had devoted so much love, heart, and time to it that he “would have felt empty if he couldn’t play football again.”

He shared several personal

stories with the audience.

Herzlich recounted a phone call he had received last year from a fellow football player who instilled hope in Herzlich by sharing his own experience with cancer and overcoming it to resume football. Herzlich said he learned the significance of faith through his newly-found friend, who said, “Find God in your life,” and, “Pray for something specific.” Herzlich now calls him “my little guardian angel.” The two still keep in contact.

Teddy Bruschi, former linebacker for the New England Patriots, is another person who has been influential in Herzlich’s life since his recovery, Herzlich said.

Herzlich said he speaks at gatherings whenever he gets a chance. “I found a way to help through this psuedo-fame,” he said. “The more people who know that it is possible [to recover], the better.”

When an audience member asked what his future plans were, Herzlich said that he would continue to play football and is taking classes on how to start a non-profit organization. He would like to start a non-profit charity organization that would focus upon kids and young adults with cancer. Herzlich wants to

get the kids out of the hospital and get them active. Eventually, he would like to expand this organization to include seniors and adults.

Last summer, Herzlich and his teammates partook in “Lift for Life” as an impromptu fundraiser for Ewing’s Sarcoma and successfully raised $31,000 in 30 days. In the past year, the BC football team has raised $200,000 for cancer.

Herzlich said that he has learned about himself and has become more accepting and patient.

He also said he’s ready to resume his role on the field.

“I’m wanting more,” he said.

“September 4 – that’s the day.”

Herzlich said he will continue to try to inspire others and connect with them on a personal level as he continues to speak at locations such as St. Judes Children’s Hospital.

“He is a real standout guy who is not going to sit around and keep his incredible journey to himself,” said Luke Feehan, CSOM ’13. “He will share it with anyone who is willing to listen, in the hopes that they can learn something from it and help someone else who is need of support, or just a friend.” n

BC ranked among 20 City of Boston closes happiest schools in U.S. local library branches

By Kelly Gerson For The Heights

Boston College placed as the 20th “happiest” American university according to a recent study measuring student quality of life on college campuses nationwide by The Daily Beast, an online-curated news aggregation.

The survey sought to capture a holistic snapshot of undergraduate “happiness” by weighing both objective and subjective criteria in its considerations. Student opinions were collected from College Prowler, a comprehensive online college guide created by current college students covering different aspects of collegiate life from health and safety to the overall attractiveness of the student body. Other statistics were gathered from sources such as U.S. News and World Report’s data.The Daily Beast’s review evaluated and graded seven separate factors for each university such as campus housing, nightlife, average student indebt-

edness upon graduation, average freshman retention rate, campus dining, number of student clubs and organizations, and sunny weather.

The Daily Beast awarded BC an “A” grade for dining, but awarded campus housing a “B.” The study revealed that the indebtedness average for graduating seniors ($19,358) remains significantly higher than that of some Ivy League schools, such as Harvard ($10,813) and Yale ($12,297).

The report also documented BC as having a freshman retention rate of 96 percent, a total of 223 student clubs and organizations, and 58 percent of the days on the academic calendar as “sunny.”

BC’s high ranking belies its similarly high position as the 25th most stressful college campus in America, according to another study by The Daily Beast released earlier this month.

BC rivals, Notre Dame and Holy Cross, ranked 58 and 35 respectively on the list of happiest college campuses. n

LOCAL NEWS

By Caitlin Maguire For The Heights On Friday, Boston Public Library officials announced a plan to close four Boston libraries due to insufficient funding. The Faneuil, Lower Mills, Orient Heights, and Washington Village branch libraries are slated to be closed in September.

The closures will eradicate the library’s current $3.3 million budget deficit while allowing the 22 remaining branches to maintain their current hours.

Library patrons who frequent the branches destined for closure are outraged by the Board’s decision.

For Pat Sullivan, a resident of Brighton’s Oak Square neighborhood, the branch closure will follow the recent closures of a neighborhood school and a nearby church. “How much more can this community take?” Sullivan said to reporters.

In neighborhoods affected by

the closures, the Boston Library will potentially partner with schools and community centers to promote activities and programs.

Trustees discussed several options before deciding upon the proposed plan. Trustees debated reducing operating hours at libraries across the city, yet determined that the four closures would be more cost-effective and would improve offerings at the remaining branches.

Amy Ryan, the library chief, told reporters, “All of the efficiencies in this plan will lead to a more robust, sustainable, and modern library system.” Ryan said there are plans to improve homework help and summer reading offerings at libraries across the city.

Board trustee Evelyn AlanaOrtiz told reporters, “This is the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.”

Despite mixed sentiments among board members, the situation called for immediate action. The vote passed 5-0. n

examines theology in Nazi Germany

Third Reich may have influenced 20th century German philosophical figures

By Divya Prakash For The Heights

On Monday evening in the Heights Room, the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at Boston College presented a talk by Susannah Heschel, professor of Jewish studies at Dartmouth College.

Heschel spent much of her lecture ref lecting on the admiration that some German theologians had for Hitler and Nazism. In the early 20th century, a sizeable group of bishops, pastors, and theologians joined together to “de-Judaize” Christianity.

This attempt was manifested in efforts to remove references to Judaism, Jesus being a Jew, and Hebrew in the Old and New Testaments.

“Hallelujah,” a word of Hebrew origin, was eliminated.

The genealogy in Matthew was removed because it traced Jesus to Jewish ancestors.

Sometime after Kristallnacht, literally translated, “night of broken glass,” German Protestants declared that Jesus “fell to the Jewry” and was originally an Aryan, not a supporter of Jews.

Heschel said to the audience that her 45 minute lecture would be “unpleasant and miserable.” Religious leaders in support of Nazism claimed that there was a social and political effort to cleanse society, and they were taking care of the religious aspect, Heschel said. They “applied Nazi racial principles to the Church,” as even baptized Christians were classified as Jews if their heri-

tage was Jewish, she said.

Heschel spoke about Walter Grundmann, a German Protestant theologian and member of the Nazi party and the German Christians. Heschel said she was astounded

by Grundmann’s prominence as a theologian in post-war Western Germany. Heschel said that it was common for former Nazi theologians, like Grundmann, to have political success after the war.

Heschel said that not all anti-Semitism was the result of orders from the Fuhrer, but many ideas were raised from the bottom-up. She gave examples of towns instituting anti-Semitic rules in public places years before Hitler came to power.

As early as the 19th century, the German Protestant Church questioned the “Jewishness of Christianity,” Heschel said.

The German Christian Movem e n t wa s fo r m e d to u n i te anti-Semitic ideology and the Protestant Church.

Heschel said she connected her interest in theology to a course she took with the late BC professor, Mary Daly. Heschel said that Daly’s class “saved her soul” and consoled her, because she was finding it very hard to be a religious woman in her community.

At the conclusion of her remarks, Heschel spoke about Nazi fear of losing racial superiority. Judaism was looked upon as a contagion, and the Jewish body was thought of as representative of “moral and spiritual degenerative power,” she said. n

Take Back the Night addresses assault Night, from A1 up the night” with glow sticks that had been distributed earlier in the evening. “Place them in any area on campus that you want to reclaim, whether a physically dark space, or a personal space like your dorm room,” Lafreniere

said.

Take Back the Night began in Europe during the 1970s, and has been celebrated annually at BC for over 20 years. This year marked another successful event, organizers said. “A feeling was made in this space tonight,” Kundrat said. n

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Thursday, April 15, 2010

The Heights

Panel discusses religious implications of health care

By Patrick Harrington For The Heights

In response to the passage of new health care legislation, members of the Boston College community gathered in Higgins 310 Tuesday to hear a panel of experts discuss pressing issues concerning health care and religion.

The panel, titled, “A Matter of Conscience: Religious Exemptions and the Health care Debate,” focused mainly on the issue of religious exemptions from health care and the particularly complicated problems that it sometimes produces.

Sponsored by the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, the event featured three guest speakers with experience in their respective fields of religion, medicine, and law.

Rev. J. Bryan Hehir, professor of religion at Harvard University, said the debate was “an invigorating discussion on an insoluble problem.” He said that the difficult nature of religious exemptions left him unable to produce a solid solution to the problem.

Hehir said the source of the problem lies in the basic condition of the American society. He said that the sheer amount of religious groups in the United States is one reason behind the problems with exemptions.

Calling the United States the “most complex, religious, pluralist society in the world,” Hehir said he saw the “deep cultural and moral fragmentations” of the people as the reasons behind the difficulties.

“The challenge is to protect the religious concerns of each individual while still making coherent public policy,” Hehir said.

Michael F. Greene, a professor of obstetrics at Harvard Medical School and the Chief of Obstetrics at Massachusetts General Hospital, explained the

many moral dilemmas doctors face in their professional careers.

“The fact that patients have an unassailable right to refuse medical care puts doctors in a very difficult position,” Greene said.

Being part of the medical profession means running the risk of having to “adjust plans and expectations according to the patient’s autonomy,” he said.

Recalling his treatment of a Jehovah’s Witness, Green said he recalled having to respect the patient’s decision to refuse a blood transfusion, although it conflicted with his medical advice.

“I was fully aware that my commitment to refuse care might result in the patient’s death,” he said.

Last to speak was Melissa Rogers, the director of the Center for Religion and Public Affairs at Wake Forest University. Rogers presented the legal background for religious exemptions.

“The idea of conscience has been with us since the founding of our nation,” she said.

Rogers said that, when writing the Constitution, the Founding Fathers “struggled with how to have functioning civil society while honoring religious convictions.”

Pointing to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, Rogers said that the government “can’t promote or sponsor faith or religion.”

“Religious exemption from neutral laws are not mandated by the Constitution, but they are conditionally permitted if they meet certain standards,” she said.

Rogers said the problem of religious exemption is built into the framework of our country. Because the “varied interests” of all sides must be accounted for, it is often very difficult for the government to judge who is granted exemptions and who is not, she said. n

Administrators hold forum on campus sustainability

By Taylour Kumpf Asst. News Editor

On Tuesday afternoon, students, faculty, and University employees gathered to discuss sustainability, and the efforts being made by Boston College to conserve. The goal of the event was to foster sustainability conversation across campus.

The forum on sustainability allowed key representatives of the many green initiatives across campus to present the progress their groups have made, as well as their ongoing efforts and goals for the future. Presentations highlighted both student efforts by the Undergraduate Government of BC (UGBC), EcoPledge, Real Food BC, and the efforts of different oncampus entities, such as Dining Services and the Office of Parking and Transportation.

Executive Vice President Patrick Keating said that campus conservation requires community participation. “I believe it is important that everyone work to conserve and preserve the resources of the globe so that our children, our grandchildren, and all of our descendants will be able to enjoy a reasonable quality of life in the future,” Keating said in an e-mail. “To me, this is the essence of sustainability.”

Paul Cappadona, director of the Office of Parking and Transportation, explained the restrictions his office places on garage lighting and on-campus vehicles to conserve energy. “Basically, only people who have an academic purpose to have a car here are given a permit,” Cappadona said.

His office has also established a carpooling program. “BC will match you up with people [to share a car] if you have that desire,” he said.

Mike Jednek, director of Facilities Management, said his office has “adopted standards for the purchase of environmentally preferable products and services.” The Capital Planning and Engineering Committee that is overseeing the Institutional Master Plan takes five items into consideration when promoting “green-friendly” building, including site planning, water management, energy, indoor environmental quality, and material use.

Dining Services, under director of Helen Wechsler, has changed the to-go containers used in dining halls and focused on water and energy reduction. “We focus on cutting back wherever possible,” Wechsler said. “We purchase materials from as close as possible, and have been looking into green certified cleaning products. Dining has a long way to go with lots of opportunities to continually improve.”

Deirdre Manning, director of sustainability and energy management, said in an e-mail, “BC Dining continues to be an innovator with new programs and healthy, sustainable food choices for its customers. Their composting program contributes to a reduction of our carbon emissions by 260 metric tons.”

“Rotting food in landfills accounts for 20 percent of methane gas emissions,” Manning said.

“By increasing the amount of food composted in our program,

we dramatically reduce methane emissions. Energy conservation and recycling programs continue to do well, but there is room for improvement. We have not reached our goal of diverting half our waste from landfills.”

“Through a comprehensive recycling and composting program, we are diverting nearly 40 percent of our waste,” Manning said. “Each day, more should be recycled than is thrown in the trash. With the assistance of staff, faculty and students, we can reduce the 6,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide associated with our solid waste disposal by composting all food waste and recycling all cans, paper products, glass, and rigid plastics.”

As one of the original “green” groups on campus, EcoPledge “works towards making BC a more sustainable campus through education, public awareness, and fun events,” according to the group’s mission statement. Emily Luksha, EcoPledge representative and A&S ’10, said, “I make choices today to help sustain a future I would want to be a part of. I want to make sure my kids and their kids can live a comfortable life.”

Luksha said, “BC has come a long way, and its great for people to learn about these issues.”

“The progress at BC in the last years has been fantastic,” Keating said. “The presentations demonstrated both the breadth and depth of the sustainability efforts across the University.”

From September to February, BC recycled 37 percent of its waste – 89.6 tons of mixed or office paper, 98.7 tons of food waste, and 1077.5 total tons recycled. n

Sang Lee / Heights staff

Panelists addressed issues regarding the religious nature of society and how that influences the writing of legislation.

Scholarship receives name Scholarship, from A1

the University.

The naming process began in earnest in May 2009, when the AASC gathered to begin the process of compiling a list of candidates for the naming of the scholarship. Nearly 100 names were considered, and out of that pool, the five final candidates were submitted to BC administrators for a decision.

Both Benigno, known as Ninoy, and his wife, who went

by Cory, were leaders of the pro-Democracy movement in

the Philippines. Ninoy, who was the youngest senator in Philippine history, was considered a front-runner in the 1973 presidential election, but he was imprisoned when thenpresident Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law. Following his release from prison in 1980, Ninoy, Cory, and their children lived in Chestnut Hill for three years directly across Commonwealth Ave. from BC. Upon his return to the Philippines in 1983, Ninoy was assassinated on the tarmac of the Manila airport. In the years

following Ninoy’s assassination, his wife assumed his role as opposition leader, and in 1986 she became president of the Philippines, leading a peaceful, democratic transition. She died last August after a long fight with cancer.

“Their lives exemplified a commitment to social justice that we hope will inspire all Boston College students, and, in particular, the students who share their Asian heritage, to play an active, positive role in their nation and in their communities,” the statement said. n

A5

The Heights

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Crossword puzzle is MANDITORY. Answers to Crossword

Answers to the left.

A6

Thursday, April 15, 2010

The Heights

Editorials

Hidden talent

Dance groups at BC are both talented and popular; This massive student interest should translate into more publicity and classes.

As soon as acceptance letters are sent out, a majority of students know about the Superfan culture, complete with the blazing sea of gold that attends every sports game. They’re aware of the core requirements, Boston College’s rankings in U.S. News and World Report, College Prowler, and a host of other authorities.

Yet, there is one aspect of the school that is largely ignored during the admissions process that should be championed: the school’s extraordinary dance talent.

Campus dance groups are versed in a variety of styles – from traditional Indian dance, to Latin, to hip-hop, to contemporary, groups like the BC Dance Ensemble, Synergy, and Fuego del Corazon are consistent present technically diverse and creative choreography.

Many of the groups have a rigorous day of auditions, and put immense thought into performances throughout the year, logging many hours of practice per week.

While students already attending BC are aware of this resource, the awareness comes largely after they have already arrived on campus as freshmen. Imagine, then, what a bit of publicity would do for prospective students.

Perhaps the high school student who is exceedingly well-versed in Indian dance would be less likely to pass on BC if he or she knew about Masti, the cultural tour de force that consistently provides a dazzling culture show and places at the ALC Showdown each spring. Assurance that a student will be able to express his or her dance talents at the college level would be an enticing draw. Furthermore, awareness that culture groups on campus provide not only an intellectual forum for a culture’s expression but a celebrated

artistic one as well is an aspect of campus life worthy of advertising.

Furthermore, the University should push to facilitate the dance community on campus with a broader availability of dance classes. Groups like the Dance Organization of BC hold free drop-in classes, and the theatre department runs a couple ballet and musical theater classes. A handful of classes, however, do not capture the exuberance for dance that is on this campus. Moreover, students involved in dance groups or registered in these classes are forced to trek to Brighton Campus, presenting the dance community with a more arduous task than it deserves.

3,500 students packed into Conte Forum for the annual ALC Showdown to watch approximately 18 dance groups flex their creative muscles, increasing the audience by more than half of what it was in 2008. Campus dance culture is growing each year, and if prospective students with a talent for dance are simply made more aware of the opportunities available to them on Admitted Eagle Days and at orientation, this outreach will infuse our student body with even more dance talent than it already possesses.

While the term “awareness” is often appended to a number of causes, there is probably no better term for the suggestion to promote the dance culture on campus. Raising awareness, through actions as simple as putting footage of dance performances in BC promotional commercials and putting pamphlets about the bevy of dance groups in admitted student folders, is necessary to the future artistic pulse of this campus.

Happy anniversary

As several campus groups are celebrating major anniversaries, The Heights encourages alumni to join in the celebration.

This past weekend, two of Boston College’s most prominent clubs celebrated significant milestones.

My Mother’s Fleabag, an improv comedy group that is the oldest college group of its kind in the country, celebrated its 30th anniversary, and the Heightsmen, BC’s only all-male a cappella group, celebrated its 20th anniversary with an alumni show. The Heights commends these groups for continuing to put on performances that students enjoy, and for creating communities in which students can showcase their talents.

To celebrate their milestones, both groups decided to reach out to their alumni bases for their anniversary shows. These former students are not only graduates of the University, but also parts of their smaller club communities, and are therefore able to enjoy seeing how the groups they were once involved with have evolved. It is this very sense of community that draws many alumni back to BC. Although all graduates of BC can come back to see the University, those who were involved with a club are able to interact with their former group members when visiting campus. By maintaining strong relationships with their alumni bases, Fleabag and the Heightsmen have created a much more intimate environment for their alumni, who can keep up relations with the University through the groups with which they were once involved.

The best way for groups to stay in touch with former members is by holding events that will draw alumni back to campus. Because the mem-

bers of these groups spend so much time together while at the University, maintaining relationships beyond their time at BC is important. Fleabag has a strong alumni network built around the relations that group members have, and many of the group’s current members maintain contact with alumni from many years ago. This networking results in current members inviting former members to come back to campus to see their new shows, and these events give alumni the opportunity to see each other on a consistent basis.

The Heightsmen maintain an alumni database that allows them to keep the relationships they built while at BC. A very large number of alumni attended their recent show because of the efforts they make to keep their group together beyond graduation.

As BC continues to grow, it is important that alumni feel compelled to remain involved in the life of the University. Students who were involved with clubs have a specific interest in the activities of those groups, and, if contacted by current members, will be more than willing to come back to BC to both reconnect with their former peers and see the direction in which their their club has gone.

The Heights hopes that other student groups will follow the examples set

by Fleabag and the Heightsmen, and make efforts to maintain strong relations with alumni. Groups that are able to build their own communities will create a more positive experience for current and former members, and enhance their members’ connections with the University.

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

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

submitted to the newspaper.

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

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

Contributors: Mollie Kolosky

Chris Petteruti / Heights Illustration

Letters to the Editor Diversity seminar should be considered I am aghast that your newspaper would have the gall to print something as blatantly xenophobic as Tyler Hughes’ column, “Good intentions, bad idea.” While the column sprouts its ignorant head in your opinions section, perhaps stricter editing should be sought instead of publication of rampant intolerance Hughes argues that the ALC’s promotion of a six-week seminar on diversity awareness would not only be “doomed to fail” but forced upon students who would preferably remain silent about issues of diversity on this campus. To call Boston College diverse would be similar to stating that the Earth is indeed flat or, given your religious indoctrination, the transubstantiation of the host is really only wine and unleavened bread. A course, like the one posed by the ALC, would bolster respect and tolerance on a campus that is in desperate need of some.

Furthermore, Hughes widely assumes that most who attended public schools were instructed about racism ad nausea.

Unfortunately, given my experience in public schools and a quick poll of acquaintances who attended public schools, most diversity education is not curriculum mandated. Instead, diversity is one of those hot-button issues which are supplemented by English literature written by dead, old, white men.

If that’s not diversity, then I don’t know what is! (Caveat: That last sentence is seeping with sarcasm.)

Even better, Hughes continues on his high horse in explaining that “a mandatory course [at the college level] is far too late to make a difference.” Then, pray tell, why do people come to college or higher education? Do they enter with the same small-minded egoism that Hughes perpetuates? Apparently

so. However, for the other 7,999 students who attend this institution, college is a time of growth: physical, emotional, and mental. I dare say that anyone leaving BC with the same stringently defined set of values as when they entered has truly taken nothing away from a four-year education. Ultimately, it is never too late to make a difference and those that would rather remain shrouded in their own intolerant self-interest, should and will, undoubtedly, remain the same. However, for those that seek to make this world a better place, despite the cliche, affecting change begins on the home front.

Sure, Hughes may condemn small groups trying to make a difference, but need I remind you that small groups, like those of the ALC, are in mode with the fabric of our historic society. The civil rights movement began as a small group. Universal suffrage began as a small group. The Boston Tea Party was, in fact, a small group.

Dare I stretch so far as to claim that every climactic economic and social change has come about because of small groups.

Finally, Hughes claims that the ubiquitous prejudice on our campus is “irrelevant.” Unfortunately, the prejudice, which is overwhelmingly ironically visible in the column, is the very reason for initiating referendums like these. We should cast our diversity-blindness away, in hopes of learning more about each other, and ultimately, about ourselves. The ALC proposal has ‘good intentions,’ but perhaps bad assumptions / opinions about ‘bad ideas’ should best be kept to oneself.

For the 2010 hockey program Stephanie St. Martin Hockey is no longer the unsung hero at Boston College. Not only is the bell ringing in Conte – the cowbell rang off five goals tonight. With the college world glued to football bowls and the madness of March, hockey always seems to lose a spotlight. In case you missed cheering for hockey this year, here’s some reasons why you should be celebrating along with these Eagles.

For a team who was only behind for 55 seconds in the last 13 straight games.

For a team who controlled the month of December, had a shaky January, but never looked back after Feb. 21.

For the fourth appearance by BC in the Frozen Four finals in the last five years.

For Boston College’s third NCAA Championship title in nine years and fourth total.

For, before each game, taking off their names and leaving it in the locker room and only wearing BC onto the ice.

For dominating the No. 1 team in the semis and showing you don’t need a Hobey Baker winner on your team to win a championship.

For completing the trophy hat trick of the Beanpot, Hockey East Championship, and now the NCAA Championship.

For taking the championship back from BU. For Smith, the MVP, who always seems to start each victory on the right foot.

For Joey Whitney, who gave the crispest of passes to his teammates setting up goal after goal, not to mention scoring a couple of his own.

For Gibbons, who keeps tenaciously fighting for the puck and taking it coast to coast for a goal.

For Sneep, because all you need is Sneep, and Sneep is all you need.

For Matty Price (eh!), who claims to follow the lead of former Captain Mike Brennan. After this season, future cap-

tains will note you as one of the greatest in BC history.

For Matty Lombardi, who put up the hat trick of his career against Maine in the Hockey East Championship and was willing to give a speech to his biggest fans when the bus came back.

For PAHKAH (Milner), who kept the net so safe for 801 minutes and provided the other half of the 1-2 goalie punch boasting an above 90 percent save percentage.

For MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUSE, whose uncertain hip in August got more and more certain and more and more sharp as the season rolled on.

For Jimmy Hayes, who, at 6-5, kept his opponents in check.

For Cam, who continually ran on Cam Engines and provided oh-so-many highlight worthy goals.

For Chris Kreider (who I didn’t locate on the ice for the most of the second period, but I certainly noticed him in the third as well as all season long) – I am ecstatic that BC has three more years of your lightning speed.

For Dumoulin, who clearly lived up to the hype and held impeccable defensive positions on the ice.

For Samuelsson, who gave Bostonians a chance to cheer his surname again.

For Patch, who became a valiant replacement for Tommy Cross when we needed him to be more than a freshman.

For Cross, who bounced back from injury and delivered as a true leader.

For Paulie Carey, who always made defensemen double-take to make sure they know where he is.

For Mullane and Almeida, who tallied 8 goals each and will have plenty more next year.

For Tommy Atkinson and Steven Whitney, who are keeping the family tradition.

For Venti, who took his spot between the pipes against Harvard in the Beanpot and got bombarded by his team-

mates for keeping the shut-out perfect.

For Lyles, Weysie, Dyroff, and Shea, who provided lines, looks, and solid play all year long.

For the non-dressed team members, who, at the Harvard away game, when I noticed they were sitting right behind me, agreed to sign programs for the future students of Boston College class of 2025.

For Coach York, who is a class act all around as proven this season when he handed two fans the team’s Eagle of the Week award because these fans organized away trips, streamers, and of course a trumpet.

For Coach York’s Boston accent.

For the entire team, who seemed so genuinely happy that there were groups of fans waiting for them at Conte when the bus came home.

For the Superfans, who came up with some of the cleverest chants and made many alums beam with pride.

For being able to chant “Touchdown Eagles!” seven times!

For always telling goalie after goalie that he sucks at life … and goaltending.

For the BC Hockey banner that has been passed down for generations and the Ever to Excel banner that will now join it.

For Grant, aka the trumpet man, for playing “For Boston” at UNH, BU, on Comm. Ave., Northeastern, and countless other locations throughout the Hockey East.

For Joe, whose love of BC hockey is contagious and who was one of the catalysts for making this season memorable.

For Johnny’s 8-0 record as the netminder in NCAA tournament play.

For the senior class’s 101st victory.

For Jerry York’s 850th career win.

For the tradition.

For Boston.

Stephanie St. Martin is graduate student in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Business and Operations

Editorial Kaleigh Polimeno, Copy Editor Michael Caprio, News Editor Zach Wielgus, Sports Editor Jacquelyn Herder, Features Editor Kristen House, Arts & Review Editor Daniel Martinez, Marketplace Editor Hilary Chassé, Opinions Editor Ana Lopez, Special Projects Editor Alex Trautwig, Photo Editor Karolina Cyburt, Layout Editor

Jeremy Chow LSOE ’10

Michael Saldarriaga, Graphics Editor Christina Quinn, Online Manager Laura Campedelli, Multimedia Coodinator Brooke Schneider, Assoc. Copy Editor DJ Adams, Asst. Copy Editor Patrick Gallagher, Assoc. News Editor Taylour Kumpf, Asst. News Editor Maegan O’Rourke, Assoc. Sports Editor Paul Sulzer, Asst. Sports Editor Kristopher Robinson, Asst. Features Editor

Zachary Jason, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor Allison Therrien, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Patricia Harris, Asst. Marketplace Editor Kevin Hou, Asst. Photo Editor Margaret Tseng, Asst. Layout Editor Rachel Gregorio, Asst. Graphics Carrie McMahon, Editorial Assistant Zachary Halpern, Executive Assistant

Joelle Formato, Business Manager David Givler, Advertising Manager Brynne Lee, Outreach Coordinator Brendan Quinn, Systems Manager Madeline Demoulas, Local Sales Manager Daniel Ottaunick, Collections Manager James Gu, Asst. Ads Manager Dara Fang, Business Assistant

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, April 15, 2010

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OPINIONS

No man is an island

Thumbs Up Bagpipes – The championship celebration Monday afternoon attracted over a thousand students, staff, and various well-wishers / trophy rubbers. From Baldwin riding in triumphantly on a Zamboni to York’s number being retired, this fete was the cherry on top of a perfect season.

Conan – The late night ginger has finally found a new home.

TBS is bumping George Lopez in favor of Coco to fill their 11 p.m. spot (good call). In other national Conan news, his writers brought the laughs to the Rat this week and shared with students how we, too, could have perfect jobs writing for a late night comic. If only.

Happiness – Perhaps in an effort to appease our overstressed campus (see last week) the Daily Beast has released a list of the happiest schools, and BC placed 20th. With scores of B for housing (get going, Master Plan!) and A for campus dining, we’re right rays of sun at BC! Commencements – Speakers, get ready to have your hugely successful careers declared “boring” by thousands of 18-to-22 year-olds.

However, the newly elected Sen. Scott Brown and GE CEO (so many abbreviations) Jeffrey Immelt are sure to be impervious to such complaints. Millions will do that to someone.

Carnival – to make up for 4/20 falling the day after the marathon, the UGBC will be providing wholesome highs with moon bounces and mechanical bulls. Food will also be available, because nothing cheers runners on the 21st mile quite like the sicklysweet smell of funnel cakes.

CHARLES MANGIARDI So, have you heard the one about the libertarians who start their own country? Goes a little like this: A wealthy American doesn’t like paying taxes or following rules. He invests money into a set of uninhabited reefs in the South Pacific and starts attracting settlers for a libertarian utopia.

A tiny neighbor invades a few months later. The settlers have no means of defense and prefer not to risk their lives for their utopian ideals. The country ceases to exist.

It sounds a little outlandish, which probably is why it isn’t that funny. What is funny, though, is that this actually did happen, in 1972. Michael Oliver, a wealthy Holocaust survivor who thought liberalism reeked too much of fascism, led the settlement of the Minerva Reefs and declared the Republic of Minerva.

Minerva would be a libertarian utopia, with no taxes, no subsidies, no government oversight of the economy, no infringement on civil liberties, and so forth. Tonga, a land of less than 100,000 people, invaded eight months later to assert its historical fishing rights – or perhaps so the king could boast of a conquest – and the Minervans surrendered without a shot being fired. The outcome was rather predictable, since they not only had no guns, but were unlikely to sacrifice themselves for an ideal that is intrinsically opposed to sacrificing anything for a higher cause.

There’s a lesson, albeit a limited one, to be learned from Minerva’s untimely downfall, and it’s worth considering today as procrastinators like myself rush to file our taxes before midnight: libertarianism doesn’t work. (Nobody’s told Oliver, who is apparently still seeking a new country to this day, most recently by funding secessionist movements in small and impoverished nations).

It’s not just that comparing American liberalism to fascism is as asinine as comparing Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler, although lately some libertar-

KEVIN SWANSON

Sneaky Stalls – Upon entering Carney, or Fulton, or Gasson, men looking to use the facilities might run into the mirage of the women’s bathroom, without an adjacent men’s room! TU/TD realizes that at one point this school only catered to one gender but the time has come to embrace diversity! Also, walking up one flight is just unacceptable.

Mikagin –These Senior Five hooligans have crossed a line. There’s such a thing as taking a joke too far, you upstart goons! Let’s not mock the sanctity of time-honored BC traditions, like Facebook stalking, Appalachia smugness, and historical innacuracies. No matter how many student leaders you buy off to be on your bandwagon, TU/ TD sees through the hype!

Surprises – When meticulously planning your next semester here at this fine institution (or throwing together a list of classes half an hour before), no one wants to hear that a class originally scheduled for T/TH at 12 was pushed to M/W at 8.

Besides messing with our carefully crafted schedules, that’s just cruel.

DAN ESPOSITO MICHAEL SLADARRIAGA / HEIGHTS ILLUSTRATION

ians in the Tea Party Movement have been prone to that as well. It’s that any healthy society needs some level of collectivity among its people if it wants to thrive and grow.

Most libertarians and tea partiers are not extremists to the extent that Oliver is. In its purest form, which Oliver endorses, libertarianism entails a democratic government with limited or no power over its people. I’d be curious to see polling, but I’m willing to venture that the majority of Tea Party protesters also identify as pro-life and pro-military, positions that require government intervention into medical practices and a large amount of taxation.

Tea partiers and libertarians like to cast themselves as staying true to supposedly anti-tax and anti-government positions held by the Founding Fathers.

The problem with this logic is that it doesn’t really hold up.

As the Founding Fathers strove to forge a prosperous nation after the Revolutionary War came to a close, they actually scrapped their initial form of limited central oversight in favor of a strong federal government. They understood that the founding principle of their revolution – that the universal rights to life, liberty, and property should never be sacrificed for the benefit of a few – was best served by an active and powerful central government that was forced to stay responsible to its citizens through regular elections. There have been missteps along the way, but that same strong government has proven itself capable of banishing slavery and segregation, educating its population,

nurturing commerce (through things like antitrust legislation and the Interstate Highway System) and exploring outer space, all the while fending off a number of major threats to its security.

We’ve seen the results of the anti-tax movement that has dominated politics for the last several decades. Collapsed bridges and breached levees in a time of skyrocketing debt are the American equivalents of a Tongan invasion, things that would have seemed outlandish to us 10 years ago but have in fact come to pass. The fact is, government has a strong role to play in any modern, healthy society. It needs to maintain our infrastructure, protect our economy (from threats both external and domestic), defend our borders and interests, promote the prosperity of its populace, and assure equal access to that prosperity for all its citizens. It depends on us to pay our taxes to get all of this done.

Our de facto refusal to do so in recent decades, articulated through our continued election of politicians who promise temporary boons to our wallets, has cost us dearly over the long term. We simply cannot afford to maintain such a stance.

Nobody likes paying taxes. Nowadays, though, it’s about the closest we can get to a display of true patriotism.

If you believe in this country, for all its many flaws and mistakes, then by midnight tonight you’ll have done so.

If not, I have bad news: Minerva’s not around anymore.

Charles Mangiardi is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at cmangiardi@bcheights.com.

A narrative needed

Thumbs Down Exclusive – Apparently, an appearance by Paul Volcker, former Fed chairman, is reserved for the CSOM elite. His guest lecture weeks ago was only open to one lucky finance class. I suppose the top brass at CSOM assumed us lowly A&S-ers wouldn’t understand the complexity of the current financial crisis (and they’re right). But let’s see you explicate Proust!

‘The Room’: art as irony

The American political landscape faces a series of unprecedented domestic and international challenges in the immediate and not too distant future.

Internationally, these challenges include waging and concluding two wars, climate change and environmental degradation, nuclear nonproliferation, and the continued threat of international terrorism. Domestically, the list is just as long, if not longer. At home, while the country is still reeling from crippling unemployment stemming from the financial crisis, the country must pass financial regulatory reform, invest in public infrastructure, undertake comprehensive immigration reform, and pass a domestic energy independence and climate change bill.

Now, look at these issues, which in and of themselves are steeped in varying degrees of controversy from difficult to nearly politically impossible, in the lens of the national health care debate that dominated all of last year. Think back to the 2008 presidential campaign when the two leading candidates, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, touted health care reform as central tenets at their domestic agendas. Then, in November 2008, Barack Obama won the presidency with overwhelming majorities in both houses of Congress. The country appeared primed to undergo a new era of progressive legislation to bolster and reform key domestic programs.

The case for health care reform had been made on a moral and fiscal front with 46 million uninsured living in the United States and health care inflation threatening to cripple Medicare and Medicaid.

At the outset, such a well-documented and fixable policy issue, especially with the backing of the tremendously popular President Obama, was sure to succeed, right?

Amid this political backdrop was the recession, and President Obama steered the country back from the brink of financial catastrophe. Just weeks into his administration, Congress passed the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act without a single Republican vote, and it has since been credited with saving or creating two million jobs.

While the stimulus package delayed the Obama administration’s ability to focus its energy on health care, the recession did not threaten the merits of its cause.

If anything, the recession highlighted millions of Americans’ vulnerability to losing their health care and the plight of the millions of uninsured Americans now jobless having to decide between medical care and groceries.

Yet, over the past year the health care debate turned out to be one of the hardest fought political battles in our nation’s history. The well-documented debate turned into a marathon that expended nearly all of the energy and political capital of our nation’s lawmakers and our president to push health care reform through for a narrow victory. The most notable political casualty of the rancorous debate is Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), whose resignation came after he was brutally attacked for his health care vote.

Now the question becomes: Will every international and domestic policy

FROM HERE TO RESERVOIR

BY SAL CIPRIANO

initiative that requires Congressional approval be subject to the same grueling debate in Congress? If so, how will our country ever be able to address the numerous complex and nuanced challenges our country faces? There simply isn’t enough time. Surely, our political system cannot withstand a constant slew of divisive and polarizing debates like the health care debate. What are the alternatives? Our nation cannot afford to revert back to the Bush administration’s eight years of disengagement with controversial policy challenges.

Frank Rich pointed out in his New York Times column last Sunday, “No one is to blame for anything,” that President Obama, during his inaugural address, stated that his administration would usher in a “new era of responsibility.”

So far, President Obama has successfully achieved his goal with patience and respect for the processes of government.

However, President Obama has failed to articulate a consistent narrative to the American people to make the case for his numerous broad-based policy initiatives. In the past, great presidential domestic reformers such as Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson named their agendas “The New Deal” and the “Great Society.” Both men could articulate a reasoning and rationale to the American people for why they were undertaking these initiatives and how their plans fit into the greater fabric of American society. If Obama fails to do the same, our nation can ill afford legislative debates as costly and lengthy as the health care debate.

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

In June 2003, a film premiered at Laemmle’s Sunset 5 Theatre on Sunset Boulevard. Variety called the movie “a self-distributed directorial debut so hopelessly amateurish that [audiences] reportedly walked out.”

IFC.com described the main character as “Borat trying to do an impression of Christopher Walken playing a mental patient.” The Guardian called the film a mix of “Tennessee Williams, Ed Wood, and R. Kelly’s ‘Trapped in the Closet.’” Rather than being swept into the dustbin of beyond-mediocre filmmaking, however, the film currently plays regularly to sold out crowds from L.A., to Brooklyn, to Boston.

The film is The Room, and it was the effort of a single man, Tommy Wiseau, the self-billed executive producer, producer, director, writer, and lead actor of the film. Wiseau personally spent over $6 million on the creation of what is now commonly known as the worst movie ever made. The barely-intelligible plot follows a baffling love triangle between a man (Wiseau), his fiancee, and his best friend, yet makes frequent detours into multiple irrelevant subplots. Despite all of this, the movie is a cult hit. Fans hold viewing parties, line up for hours to catch a screening introduced by Wiseau himself, and frequently contribute their own witticisms to the insufferable dialogue of the film (For example, the lead actress’s weight is often lampooned. In one scene in which her mother states “Johnny would be good for you,” the audience responds, “For dinner!”)

So, what is it that makes a movie so bad that it’s good? Surely, in more recent years audiences have been treated to films with better production value and less glaring errors than The Room which are still infinitely harder to sit through (the abysmal Remember Me comes to mind). Perhaps it can be chalked up to the mere fact that The Room is beyond just bad, it’s laughably bad. But I think there’s something more.

The Room was Tommy Wiseau’s dream for five years. He saved up several millions of dollars (notably mysteriously obtained) and spent literally all of it producing and promoting what he considered his “masterpiece.” All the while, the odds were aggressively against him, as he had no studio support, no distribution, and the movie was, in a word, horrendous. Through it all, however, Wiseau truly believed in his film. When people started laughing at his over-the-top dialogue and ludicrous characters, he didn’t take it as a failure, he simply adjusted to see another side of his film a “quirky black comedy,” as he now calls it. Maybe that’s what’s so refreshing about the movie. As awful as it is, as visually offensive (and downright confusing) as the three identical sex scenes are, we still want Wiseau to succeed, we want his dream to become reality.

The average American goes to the movies about five times a year. Judging by box office grosses, it may be worth wagering that four of those films don’t mean much more to any of their producers, directors, and actors than a paycheck. Perhaps audiences would rather watch a miserably produced labor of love than a demographicallypleasing computer program (I’m looking at you, Avatar).

Tommy Wiseau may never make a movie that tops the weekend listings, but any director who can film one of the worst movies ever committed to film and six years later have it still playing to packed theaters across the country is doing something right.

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

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Thursday, April 15, 2010

The Heights

Midseason report card: Baseball skates by

By Jake Burg Heights Staff

Nothing has gone quite according to plan for the Boston College baseball team so far this season. While last year was noteworthy for its accomplishments, this season has become decidedly known for its underachievement.

Less than a year ago, the Eagles experienced a record-setting season for a ballclub that had struggled for over a decade, gaining ACC tournament and NCAA tournament berths. In the NCAA tournament, they also participated in a record-setting 25-inning standoff against a baseball powerhouse, the University of Texas.

This season, now slightly over halfway finished, BC is facing a very different story that can be summed up in two words: inconsistency and injury.

At this point last year, the Eagles were flying high at 23-13, with a 9-7 mark in ACC play, which included a historical series win over Florida State, a team that had not lost its opening ACC series in 17 years. BC had also won all but one of the ACC series it played in at the midway point.

This year, its record now stands at 15-17, with a 6-9 mark in ACC play. The Eagles have also won only two of their five ACC series.

While pitching, with a team ERA at 6.33, has been the most glaring downside for the Eagles so far, it is important to consider all three aspects of the game: fielding, pitching, and hitting.

Fielding: “Good Ole Reliable” If there is one thing that BC has been able to count on this entire season, it is its fielding.

The team has committed just 31 errors, good for a .975 fielding percentage.

Three of the Eagles’ regular position players hold a fielding percentage of .980 or greater, and only one regular starter holds a fielding percentage under .955.

“I think that we’ve fielded it pretty well, especially our position players,” said head coach Mik Aoki.

Particularly, senior outfielder Mike Sudol, freshman catcher Matt Watson, and senior outfielder and first baseman John Spatola all boast perfect fielding records. While Sudol has only faced 17 chances, Spatola and Watson have faced a combined 129 chances, and have still managed to avoid any blemishes on their records.

Mickey Wiswall and sophomore Brad Zapenas have also helped greatly in the double-play department, helping turn 26 and 20, respectively.

“If you subtract the fielding of our pitches, we would probably be among the

top 10 in the country in terms of our fielding,” Aoki said.

Out of the 31 team errors, nine have been committed by pitchers, with senior Kevin Moran, a relief pitcher-turnedstarter-turned-relief pitcher again, holding the dubious honors of committing the most errors by a pitcher, and tied for the most errors on the team, with five.

Regardless, fielding has been the bright spot for the Eagles this season.

“Overall from a fielding stand point, I expected good things from this team, and I think from that aspect, we’re a pretty darn good team,” Aoki said. Grade: A-minus

Hitting: “The Unpleasant Surprise” While last season the Eagles were offensive dynamos, this year they have been reduced to a subpar hitting team, much to the surprise of Aoki.

“We started out the year pretty darn good, and we swung the bat well against some quality teams,” Aoki said.

But then the Eagles dropped into an almost team-wide slump.

“I think the tough part is that it’s just collectively, as a group, taken hold,” Aoki said. “We’ve underperformed.”

As a team, the Eagles are currently batting .282, with only five hitters on the entire roster hitting over .300. Of those five hitters, Spatola leads the way, batting .328 with 29 RBIs and eight home runs, both good for second on the team behind Wiswall.

While Wiswall has been able to produce (nine HRs, 37 RBIs), he has struggled to find consistency at the plate. He is hitting .278 with 28 strikeouts, tied for second on the team, and he has grounded into a team-leading six double plays.

“Mickey Wiswall went into a point where he was struggling for a bit, then he started to come out of it, and then he got back into a funk a little bit,” Aoki said.

The Eagles have been outscored by their opponents 215-186, and they have also been outhit, 325-305. That is why BC’s coaching staff has been working on hitting, among other things, non-stop in practice.

“We’ve been working nonstop with guys individually and collectively,” Aoki said. “We’ve talked a lot about different things. We’ve tried to reinforce our overall hitting philosophies.”

For some, like Sudol, center fielder Robbie Anston, third baseman Anthony Melchionda, and Watson, that practice has paid off. Each is hitting over .300, with Melchionda leading the way with a .342 average.

“I think we are still searching for it a little bit,” Aoki said. “I hope that we will get better in the second half than we were, from an overall standpoint, in the first half.” Grade: C-plus

alex trautwig / heights editor

Fielding has been a strong suit for BC, but there are weaknesses that need to be discussed.

Pitching: “The Injury Bug” Pitching was undoubtedly the big question mark coming into the season. So far, it has shown why. The team ERA stands at 6.33, and only two starting pitchers hold ERAs under 3.00. Unfortunately for the Eagles, those two pitchers are Pat Dean and John Leonard, both of whom have struggled with injury throughout the season. And up until recently, BC has been without Leonard altogether.

“If you take a guy as good as Johnny Leonard out of your weekend rotation, I think any team in our league, any team in the country, is going to have some issues making that up,” Aoki said.

Leonard is beginning to get healthy once more, and he now has two starts under his belt. But in those two starts he has only pitched a combined seven innings, which in large part accounts for his

remarkable 1.29 ERA. Dean, on the other hand, came out of the gates throwing fire, before elbow swelling forced him to the bench the past couple of weekends. Before injury, however, Dean was the Eagles’ go-to pitcher, sporting a 2.93 ERA with a perfect 5-0 record and a team-leading 30 strikeouts.

While Dean and Leonard are two of the biggest injuries the Eagles have had to deal with, almost every pitcher on the roster has caught the injury big at some point or another. That includes freshman Andrew Del Collie and junior Nate Bayuk.

“I think the injuries have propelled guys into roles that are a step ahead of where I would see them in the normal course of their development, and it puts them in a more prominent role than I would have felt comfortable projecting at the beginning of the year,” Aoki said.

Not only were younger arms thrown into the mix before Aoki expected it, but Moran was also thrust into a starting role, despite going into the season as the Eagles’ closer.

“I think [team injuries] hurt Kevin Moran in the beginning of the year,” Aoki said.

“We were gearing him up to be a closer, then had to put him in a starting role.”

Moran compiled one of the worst ERAs on the team, 10.21, allowing 31 earned runs while only striking out 13 over 27.1 innings. Recently, however, Moran was moved back to the bullpen, where he has settled down nicely.

“Now that we have him back in the bullpen, I’ve certainly liked his last three outings,” Aoki said.

While some have struggled in their new roles, others have thrived. In the wake of an injury-plagued pitching staff, sophomore Taylor Lasko emerged as a reliable starter. In four starts so far this year, Lasko is 1-0 with a 3.68 ERA over 29.1 innings pitched.

“Lasko has been really, really good, and a pleasant surprise,” Aoki said.

The majority of the Eagles’ pitching staff, however, has not been as productive.

“The pitching has been really up and down,” Aoki said. “Mike Dennhardt is a good case in point of that. He’s probably been the microcosm of our pitching for the entire year.”

Dennhardt opened his season with a complete game shutout against Tulane.

Since then, he has posted a 1-5 record with a 7.28 ERA over 38.1 innings pitched.

The problem with such inconsistent pitching is that it can lead to inconsistent hitting.

“One feeds off the rest,” Aoki said. “If you have an offense that is really, really going, then all of a sudden the pitchers don’t feel like they need to pitch as well.

And vice versa, if you have a pitching staff that is really, really going then you have hitters that go out there a bit more relaxed.” Grade: C Second Half: “No Room for Error” Despite the first-half struggles, the Eagles still have an entire second half of their season to make up ground.

“What we’ve done is eliminate any margin of error that we might have had to achieve the goals that we set at the beginning of the year,” Aoki said. “But I feel that they are still very much attainable.”

With much of their ACC schedule still left to play, including key RPI match-ups against Georgia Tech and Florida State, Aoki is confident that the Eagles still have a chance to repeat last year’s success.

“We still very much control our own destiny,” Aoki said. “We haven’t played ourselves out of anything.” n

Crowning new Cinderellas Adam Rose

alex trautwig / heights editor

Brad Zapenas (2) and Anthony Melchionda (11) failed to communicate on a pop fly in BC’s 8-4 loss to UMass Tuesday.

BC drops game to UMass Baseball, from A10

ended up catching it, as it bounced out of Zapenas’ glove. The Minutemen came out of the inning with a 3-1 lead, and would never look back from there. “[Clemens] obviously got hurt by the inning where we didn’t play any defense behind him – obviously he was involved in that as well,” Aoki said. “Outside of that, it probably doesn’t get the urgency of getting him out in the fourth, because of the fact that we had put ourselves in a bad spot there with the way we had played defense.

“Dane was Dane, he gives up his hits. I thought for the most part he was keeping [his pitches] down.

He needed to be a little bit sharper with his curveball and his change, but he did fine, we just didn’t play very well behind him.”

UMass added another run in the top of the fourth, leading to Clemens’ departure. Hunter Gordon entered in relief to get the Eagles out of the inning without allowing any more runs.

In the bottom half of the inning, Melchionda responded by hitting a curveball over the right-field fence for his third home run of the season, drawing the Eagles within two runs of the Minutemen, 4-2.

But that was as close as they would get, as UMass would put the game away for good in the sixth inning. After Gordon recorded the first out, he hit a batter and allowed a single up the middle before first baseman Mike Gedman singled in a run. Left fielder Alex Fischer then hit his second double of the game, knocking in two more runs. The Minutemen added

one more run before the inning ended, giving them an 8-2 lead.

The Eagles added two runs in the bottom of the ninth, but their rally came up short, and UMass came away with the 8-4 win.

UMass starting pitcher Bryan Leigh pitched a complete game, hurling 145 pitches, striking out six, and allowing nine hits in his first win of the season.

The offense was led by catcher Tom Conley, who went 4-for-4 and scored two runs. Fischer finished the game 2-for-3, with two runs scored and two runs batted in.

Wiswall, Melchionda, and DH Rob Moir all had two hits for BC, collectively constituting practically the only offense for the Eagles, who also left nine men on base. Multiple times in the game, runners were on base with less than two outs, but no runs scored.

Aoki said this has been a common theme all season for the Eagles.

“We’ve been struggling with that here for quite a while,” Aoki said. “We just gotta get some guys that are willing to try to put some balls in play, especially when we have runners at third base with less than two outs. We’re striking out a little bit too often in those situations. I don’t know if guys are just trying to do too much with it, or whatever it is, but we just gotta get that turned around.”

Aoki called the Eagles’ performance “really bad,” and after a long meeting with the team, followed by a player-only meeting, he said he hoped his team can turn it around before the season is lost. n

Any sports fan should get a chance at least once in their lives to watch their team win a national championship in person.

For Duke, Boston College, or half the SEC football teams, fans at top-level schools view playing for the national title in their respective sport as a given from year to year. Losing in the first round of the playoffs or not even making it to the postseason is considered a catastrophe.

On the flip side rests the Cinderellas like Butler and RIT, schools who have little-to-no national prestige before the tournament, yet show that they, too, can compete at a high level. The passion and love of their fan bases makes these Cinderellas special.

So many of the stories that headline the sports shows and Web sites consist of negative things, so these miracle runs to major Division I championships give the public a break from the status quo and remind us about the core of sports – the competition.

Butler and RIT stepped on to the floor and skated on the ice, respectively, with some of the most elite programs in the country in their sports, and not only competed, but bested them. How did they do this? They believed, and so did their fans, evident from the mass showing by both schools.

Butler had an easy time getting local fans to Indianapolis, as the campus sits a few blocks away from the stadium, but for a mid-major school, they certainly packed the house. The RIT fans had a 285-mile commute, but they had a significantly large and orange-clad section of rowdy fans during the Frozen Four.

As a sports fan, I staunchly believe in the “no booing your team” rule, but it happens, often times when fans think their powerhouse team underperforms.

RIT fans in Detroit unfortunately did not have much to cheer about in terms of the game, but down to the last seconds, loud chants of “R-I-T! R-I-T!” filled Ford Field, and they never violated the “no boo” rule. While some fans in the BC-Mi-

ami game began leaving once BC scored its third goal in less than two minutes, RIT fans remained as bright and strong as ever.

The day after the loss, RIT fans clotted the Detroit downtown area, and I found myself thinking, “Wow, they’re still here.” But then it occurred to me that they did not just come to enjoy the city, or pout once their team lost. Instead, they came to watch excellent college hockey and experience all the Frozen Four had to offer, which included the Hobey Baker ceremony and a skills challenge to complement autograph sessions.

Saturday’s performance by the Tiger faithful marked one of my favorite memories from the championship game. Though their team had lost a 8-1 decision to Wisconsin, it seemed as if every orange-clad fan had returned to watch their foes take on BC. Meanwhile, the Miami fans seemed to have disappeared. RIT’s fans cheered almost the entire game, often trading trash talk with some of the Wisconsin fans, but every now and then an “R-I-T” chant would pop up again as loudly and raucously as the game they played in.

BC won the national championship, but RIT won something too, as did Butler. They won the respect and admiration of sports fans everywhere, as well as that of big programs that sometimes take them for granted.

They showed fans who take things for granted that slowing down and having fun with the experience matters almost as much as winning the game.

After all, not every team gets a chance to play for a title.

Butler may have busted thousands of brackets around the country, and RIT probably did the same for anyone doing a hockey bracket (come on, I know you’re out there), but soon they became the beloved teams that people pulled for.

RIT’s faithful showed the nation that even though the big program might look great, fans can have just as much fun with that shy little Cinderella in the corner.

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

The Heights

Editors’ Picks

Thursday, April 15, 2010 The Week Ahead Hockey season is over, but Beanpot season isn’t – baseball plays for the title on Wednesday. Softball faces crosstown rival BU in a doubleheader, while Lacrosse travels to Brown on Saturday. And everyone’s a sports fan on Marathon Monday.

Standings

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Paul Sulzer

35-15

Maegan O’Rourke

33-17

Zach Wielgus

32-18

Heights staff

27-23

We had our best week in a long time, going a combined 17-3 in picks.

Hockey won its fourth national title over Wisconsin. Baseball took two of three from Maryland, while softball was swept by UNC. Lacrosse lost a heartbreaker to Duke, 12-11.

Guest Editor: DJ Adams Assistant Copy Editor “Zach Wielgus will win the Boston Marathon.”

This Week’s Games

Zach Wielgus Sports Editor

Maegan O’Rourke Assoc. Sports Editor

Paul Sulzer Asst. Sports Editor

DJ Adams

Asst. Copy Editor

Baseball: Wake Forest at Boston College (series)

BC

BC

BC

BC

Softball: Boston College vs. Boston University (series)

BU

BU

BU

BU

Brown

BC

BC

BC

BC

BC

BC

BC

Red Sox

Red Sox

Red Sox

Split

Women’s Lacrosse: Boston College at Brown Baseball Beanpot: Boston College vs. NU/UMass MLB: Red Sox vs. Rays (four-game series)

BCnotes

Recap from Last Week

Men’s Basketball New Boston College men’s basketball coach Steve Donahue has rounded out his staff for next year, hiring Columbia head coach Joe Jones as associate head coach on Friday. Jones joins Penn assistant John Gallagher and Cornell assistant Nat Graham on the bench next to Donahue.

Jones, who was an assistant for Jay Wright at Villanova before leaving for Columbia, went 86-108 in seven seasons with the Lions. Columbia went 2-25 overall and 0-14 in the Ivy League before Jones took over.

Under Jones, the Lions were one of three Ivy teams to finish in the top half of the league in each of the past three years, along with Cornell and Yale. Columbia’s 21 wins over that stretch are the most by the school since 1991-1994.

The Lions, during Jones’ tenure, were known for their excellent perimeter defense. Among the 330 Division I teams in 2008-2009, Columbia finished 42nd overall in scoring defense at 62.1 points per game allowed and 21st overall in 3-point field goal defense, limiting opponents to 30.6 percent from deep.

Jones, Gallagher, and Nat Graham could have their work cut out for them immediately if recruits Kevin Noreen and Papa Samba Ndao choose to go elsewhere after head coach Al Skinner was fired last month and replaced by Donahue. A source close to the situation told The Heights that Noreen is weighing his options and looking elsewhere, while Ndao’s academic trajectory at BC is being questioned.

Fan attendance lags behind that of other schools

By Robby Douglas For The Heights

The Boston College campus morphs into a football-crazed festival seven fall Saturdays a year, where there is enthusiasm and tailgating that rivals what many other schools offer. Most students feel the draw to go because they love football, relish the opportunity to show school spirit, or simply enjoy being a part of school tradition.

Beyond football games, though, this desire to attend games off at a higher pace than it does at other campuses around the country. Events such as baseball, soccer, basketball, and even hockey games are unable to draw large crowds.

Students have pointed out that football is so popular because it is the main event on Saturdays during the fall.

“The athletic department understands that there are several factors such as class schedule, opponent, day of the week, time of games, team record, and conflicts with other University events, which impact student attendance,” said Jamie DiLoreto, associate athletic director for external operations.

These are all valid factors that prevent more people from coming to games, but they are not potent enough to excuse the extreme indifference with which BC students attend sporting events throughout the academic year.

Players, too, notice the disparity between road and home crowds.

Karl Reddick, junior midfielder on the men’s soccer team, said that the size of BC crowds do not compare to other ACC schools. “With our field being on Newton Campus, the majority of students do not know about the games or do not want to take a trip on the bus over there,” Reddick said.

He was complimentary of the students who do attend games, and is optimistic that more students

will come in the future, but the numbers aren’t promising.

According to the NCAA, BC averaged 652 fans at the men’s soccer team’s 12 home games. This average is lower than that of Loyola University in Maryland and Elon University, both of which have substantially smaller enrollments than BC. Seven ACC schools ranked ahead of BC, with five of them averaging more than 1,500 fans per game.

“Most soccer stadiums are on campus and provide festivities in order to draw a larger crowd,” Reddick said. More people need to know about the games and have more reasons to go over to Newton Campus in order to get larger crowds, he said.

The disappointing statistics continued for the usually more popular and accessible men’s basketball.

Attendance was so low for home games inside Conte Forum that the Eagles’ attendance was ranked 99th nationally, with an average of 5,548 people over 19 home games. In fact, former head coach Al Skinner was fired amid criticism for an unexciting brand of basketball that contributed to the poor attendance.

The national champion men’s hockey team had the best numbers relative to other schools, ranking 10th in the nation with 5,592 fans per game. High in terms of national average, but that number stills reflects at least 2,000 empty seats for a team that has won the NCAA championship two of the last three years.

The average attendance to women’s athletics was paltry. The women’s basketball team only saw an average of 1,398 fans in its 14 home games. The women’s soccer team, which advanced to the Elite Eight this season, averaged just 800 people to see its home NCAA tournament games, but when the Eagles traveled to Stanford, 2,200 fans showed up.

For women’s hockey games, it was a rarity to hit triple digits.

The BC athletics department makes an effort,

alex trautwig / heights editor

issuing bi-weekly emails during the fall to students, informing them about various sporting events throughout campus. They also utilize its Facebook and Twitter pages, in addition to the main athletics Web site, to get word out on games. What’s lacking, it seems, is additional motivation to go beyond rooting for BC. Pat Nevins, A&S ’11, said that what hurts other sports is that there is very little to offer for the casual fan. Football is the only sport that does so.

“It’s a whole day affair,” Nevins said. “You start tailgating with your friends, then you go to the game, then you celebrate. It’s like a holiday every Saturday.”

He believes that BC needs to make it easier for people to go to games.

“Make the games free, or like $5 at the door,” Nevins said. “There’s no need for halftime promotions, or free T-shirts. You need to get people in the door first.”

BC students have shown that they have the desire to support their fellow student-athletes, but what they need is a push to go to more games. The fringe fans are going to need more than just a successful team to pique their interest.

Adding some of that football game day appeal could get more people to other sporting events and improve upon a lackluster atmosphere. n

Students delve into why Don’t take titles for granted they run the Marathon Road Trip, from A10

Run, from A10

thought about doing in the back of my mind since I started running in high school. Then when I saw the atmosphere last year and how awesome it was, I decided for sure I wanted to do it this year.”

-Jake Burg, A&S ’12 “I ran last year because I had never been able to volunteer with the Campus School, and I love running, so it was a great way to make an impact on those students while doing something I love. Also, it gave me a tremendous sense of personal achievement. Not to mention, training with my roommates was so much fun.” –Janelle Dineen, CSOM ’11 “I ran the marathon because I had always wanted to run one. I told myself that I would run Boston after high school, but when I found out that hundreds of Boston College students ran in it, I had to do it. Completing each long run was a personal achievement, and I surprised myself at how far I could run. It was so helpful to have many students alongside you to consistently push you to keep on going.”

–Bobby Connor, CSOM ’11 “Freshman year, one of my current roommates, Brendan Fitzgibbons, walked down the hall to my door and asked me if I wanted to go for a run. Never a runner, but eager to meet some new people, I went with him and another friend. By December, he had me convinced that running the Boston Marathon would be the best experience of my freshman year, and he was right. Four marathons later, I am training for my third Boston with Brendan and the rest of the Campus School team. Training with a group, being a part of a team, and just making time to enjoy a daily run are just a few of the reasons why I run.”

–Dave Kete, A&S ’11 “After watching the Boston Marathon as a spectator freshman year, I was so inspired and vowed to myself that I would run it the following year. I was far from a runner, but wanted to prove to myself that I could accomplish anything I set my mind to. Plus, the training runs gave me a great escape from my busy days and allowed me time to think and reflect.

It was also so inspiring and fun to train with an entire group of BC students and to have my roommates as a support system through it all. The entire experience was a true process of self-discovery for me and something I will never forget.”

–Joelle Formato, CSOM ’11 “High school sports provided me with an orga-

nized outlet to channel my competitive drive. Without the talent to run track at a Division I school such as BC, I have struggled to find a place for this drive in my everyday life. I love pressure and can’t wait to feel the pre-race jitters again on Monday.”

–Kyle Pochini, CSOM ’10 “I love to run and having that break in the chaos of the everyday life at BC, but it’s definitely a different feeling from having structured training. It’s been so much fun getting back into that focus of every day and every run actually mattering as I work toward an overall goal: Marathon Monday.”

–Jen Muse, A&S ’11 “I run for two reasons: It’s relaxing and a great reflection time, and I love to test my limits. Also, it’s in my blood. My mom ran a couple Bostons, and I love the challenge to beat her ... hasn’t happened yet!” –Danny Martinez, A&S ’12 “Running the marathon gives you such a sense of pride and accomplishment, and really challenges you both physically and mentally. And running by BC is surreal and an indescribable experience that I couldn’t pass up again.” –Brynne Lee, A&S ’11 “I ran the Marathon because I’m always in search of challenge. Accomplishing a feat you once believed was truly impossible is really one of the greatest feelings in the world. Plus, nothing can really beat the cheering crowds outside BC. The students really go all out with their support of the runners.”

–Shannon Murphy, A&S ’11 “I ran the Marathon because everyone told me I couldn’t or I shouldn’t. I don’t like taking no for an answer. I love to run, and the training runs gave me hours each week to just be on my own and think. I ran because the Campus School is an amazing place that deserves all the support we as BCers can give it.

Running past BC was unlike anything I could have anticipated, and crossing the finish line with one of my best friends is a moment I’ll always remember.”

–Brianne Lynch, CSOM ’11 “I am running the Boston Marathon to support the Campus School, but also to check one thing off my bucket list. I have always wanted to run a marathon, even though I didn’t do track or cross country in high school. What a better way to start off running marathons than the Boston Marathon – the oldest and most well known in the world! I cannot wait for my first Marathon Monday! To run past BC and all my friends should be amazing!”

–Stephen Sullivan, A&S ’13 n

learning to like it more with each game I attend.

So, was it all worth it? After much deliberation, I decided, emphatically, yes. This road trip was what college is all about. It’s about pride. It’s about passion. It’s about supporting your school, no matter what. And it’s about sharing an experience with close friends.

With all the success the program has had recently, it’s easy to take what York is doing here for granted. Don’t make that mistake. You never know when your school will win it all.

If BC is in St. Paul for the Frozen Four next year, seize the moment. One of my friends laughed at me when I suggested this, since BC seems to be playing for a title every year, but road tripping to see the Frozen Four can be a once-in-a-lifetime

opportunity. BC might be there again next year, but you never know if you will be there next year.

Think about it. As students, we have the luxury of time and freedom from obligations that we won’t have when we’re working real jobs with families, bills, and all that stuff. Ask professors for extensions. Ask coworkers to switch hours. Ask family and friends for loans if money’s tight. Do whatever it takes to make your trip happen. Live life without regret. You don’t want to look back at your time in college and wish you had done more.

Do it all.

You may question your sanity when you’re behind the wheel at sunrise, but take comfort in the knowledge that it will all be worth it in the end.

Paul Sulzer is the assistant sports editor of The Heights.

He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

SPORTS THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, April 15, 2010

A10

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010

A once in a lifetime opportunity PAUL SULZER Why would any sane person drive 13 hours in a car to the Rust Belt to see a hockey game? I was asking myself that same question at 5 a.m. a week ago, when I was two hours into the graveyard shift of my cross-country journey with my friends.

The two Red Bulls I had chugged at a random Pennsylvania rest stop were starting to wear off, and I was driving about 20 miles per hour faster than I should have been going because my copilot had fallen asleep. I had to slap myself in the face in order to stay awake as I-80 narrowed to a single lane for construction, in spite of no workers being anywhere to be found.

This trip, of course, was to see the Boston College hockey team play for the national championship in Detroit.

The senior class improved to 25-2 in the postseason, as the Eagles annihilated the competition on their way to a third title in a decade. I’ll never forget the feeling of euphoria that overcame me as the team and the students erupted into celebration as the final seconds ticked off the clock. I stood on my seat and belted out “For Boston,” prompting security to warn me not to get too rowdy. I high-fived random alumni as I walked up the stairs of Ford Field to buy the $30 championship T-shirt that will be going for $5 in three weeks. I didn’t care, and I still don’t. Life was good.

But the most meaningful moment of the trip, for me, wasn’t seeing Jerry York win his 850th, or Ben Smith win Tournament MVP, or Cam Atkinson win the season goal-scoring title. The most meaningful moment of the trip, for me, was the three hours on Thursday morning when I was behind the wheel.

I’m a naturally contemplative person, so what better time to get lost in thought than when I’m the only one awake in a car full of my friends? I thought about how I almost didn’t make the trip. I had to pull a lot of strings to get out to Detroit in the first place, so I owe a debt of gratitude to my professors and editors, who were flexible with papers and shifts. Thank you all.

I also thought about the significance of what we were doing – driving so far, sacrificing so much time, and spending so much money. Was it all worth it? To tell you the truth, I’m not even that big a hockey fan. I still call every penalty interference without fault, and I have to turn to my hockey-crazed friend for an explanation of what just happened more often than I’d care to admit. I follow the team because I love my school, not because I love hockey, although I am

See Road Trip, A9

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR AND RACHEL GREGORIO / HEIGHTS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

Days before the Marathon, students reveal why they run

BY ZACH WIELGUS Sports Editor

On your mark.

In four days, nearly 25,000 people will descend upon the Boston area and run the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Copley Square.

Some call it Patriot’s Day, some call it Marathon Monday, but regardless of its title, the Boston College community flocks to Commonwealth Avenue on the third Monday in April in astronomical numbers.

Get set.

Lost in the inevitable on-campus debauchery and superstars conquering the Boston Marathon are the 150 BC students – running as members of the Campus School Volunteers team – who have made the commitment to train for three months, withstand the elements and injury, and run.

The motivation to run the Marathon varies from person to person, so here are the personal reasons from 16 different runners to answer the puzzled or inquisitive spectators’ question, “Why do you run?”

Go.

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Nearly 25,000 people, including 150 BC students, will run the Marathon.

“I’m running the Marathon for the second time because I enjoy the challenge. I would have a great time watching the race with a few beers, but it wouldn’t compare to the feeling of running past BC

and finally crossing the finish line. I like this quote

by Clarence DeMar, seven-time Boston Marathon winner: ‘Do most of us want life on the same calm level as a geometrical problem? Certainly, we want our pleasures more varied with mountains and valleys of emotional joy, and marathoning furnishes just that.’” –Trish Daly, A&S ’10 “I am running the Marathon because I will regret passing up on the opportunity BC offers its runners.

We are right on the route, have a team to train with, do it for a great cause, and have so much free time before we move on to the rest of our lives. I have always wanted to run, and its a double bonus that I get to run for the Campus School, where I was able to volunteer as a Buddy during my sophomore year.

And I figured, if Trish could do it, then I certainly could.” –James Blake, CSOM ’10 “I ran the Marathon sophomore year because I thought it was the only time in my life when I would really be able to do it. I had always thought running a marathon was impossible until I saw the training schedule and the large team of students that runs it every year. I figured, as a college student, I had the time on my hands, so I might as well try to accomplish something. I also thought training for a marathon was a great way to stay in shape.”

–Courtney Lyons, A&S ’10 “I am running the Marathon because it is a goal I have had since sophomore year. It is on my BC bucket list, and the final check-off to finish a great college career!” –Elizabeth Long, CSON ’10 “A marathon is something that I have always

See Run, A9

BASEBALL

BC advances to Beanpot final

BY GREG JOYCE For The Heights

ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Anthony Melchionda hit his third home run of the season in the Eagles’ 8-4 loss to UMass.

I NSIDE SPORTS THIS ISSUE

BC narrowly defeated Harvard in the opening round of the baseball Beanpot tournament Boston College 10 Wednesday in 9 Harvard Brockton, Mass., advancing to the championship game with a 10-9 victory over the Crimson.

Harvard got on the board first after shortstop Sean O’Hara scored Chris Rouches with an RBI single up the middle off BC pitcher Chris Kowalski.

The Eagles opened their scoring in the sixth inning with six runs on four hits. BC batted around the order, with shortstop Brad Zapenas picking up two hits, an RBI, and a run in the inning. The Eagles tacked on two more runs in the seventh inning off a John Spatola two-run home run.

BC pitcher Matt Brazis loaded the bases in the eighth inning, allowing O’Hara to score on a fielder’s choice. Sam Franklin then singled to give the Crimson two more runs, closing the score to 8-4. BC scored again in the eighth inning after both Rob Anston and Hamlet hit back-to-back

Grading the baseball season

With more than half the season over, it’s time the baseball team gets graded..............A8

doubles for two runs.

With the score at 10-4 entering the ninth, a BC win looked all but inevitable, but the Crimson nearly tied the game with a five-run inning. Brazis gave up an RBI double to Marcus Way, but collected two outs before he was taken out of the game for Kyle Prohovich. Prohovich immediately let up a single that scored another Harvard run, then walked Brent Suter to load the bases. After another Harvard single and walk, two more runs were scored, bringing Harvard within two runs. Dave Laufer relieved Prohovich to get the final out of the inning by striking out Larrow, but not before giving up Harvard’s ninth run of the game off a wild pitch.

Tuesday afternoon at Shea Field, BC fell short in all three areas of the game: offense, defense, and pitching. That’s how the University of Massachusetts (5-17) stunned the Eagles (15-17), 8-4, setting off BC head coach Mik Aoki.

“We didn’t really put good effort out there,” Aoki said. “UMass did capitalize on our mistakes, and [Leigh] pitched a good game. We just got to get ourselves straightened out. Hopefully it happens

Where are all the fans?

Statistics reveal that BC lags far behind in national rankings for fan attendance...................A8

sooner rather than later, because I think it’s getting to a point here pretty soon where we’ll have kind of given away the season.”

The Eagles started off the game on a good note, scoring a run in the bottom of the first. Leadoff man Robbie Anston walked, and got to second on Matt Hamlet’s sacrifice bunt. After Mickey Wiswall was hit by a pitch, right fielder Spatola hit a single to left field, knocking in Anston.

The hot start, however, would end there, as the next two batters went down in order, stranding Wiswall and Spatola.

BC starting pitcher Dane Clemens started off the game with two no-hit innings, but encountered trouble in the top of the third. Plagued by two key errors (one by Clemens himself), the Eagles weren’t able to get out of the inning before allowing three runs, two of which were unearned. The other error was due to a miscommunication between third baseman Anthony Melchionda and Zapenas on a high pop-up down the third-base line.

Both players called for the ball, but neither

See Baseball, A8

Editors’ Picks..............................A9 BC Notes.....................................A9

mike saldarriaga / heights illustration

Thursday, April 15, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

B2

+Editor’s Corner

Hell-o, Glee; Hello, memories h it n w a e Se ril a Fo

KRISTEN HOUSE In a strange way, it took Glee for me to realize that I didn’t have a typical high school experience.

Normally, I try not to take the television world as gospel, as a perfect picture of how my life should be.

But, when I consider that we had a cheerleading team that only consisted of four girls, that we had no dance team, no show choir, and one pep-rally a year maximum, I tend to wonder what I spent those four years doing. I’ve heard some folks criticize Boston College for having a paltry amount of school spirit, but in comparison to a school that depended on the invasion of a rabid raccoon stationed between the lunch room and main classroom building for excitement, BC is damn near astronomical in comparison.

Thus, in the same week that Conan announced his move to TBS, bumping George Lopez to an hour later, and MTV announced its intentions to launch a Boston version of Jersey Shore (after the mega hit planted orange-tan and hair-gelshellacked seeds somewhere between Southie and the Pru), many anticipated the return of Glee, and Tuesday evening, the country said “Hell-o” to it once again. As Sue Sylvester so eloquently put it, “I’m engorged with venom and triumph.”

The most exciting part about New Directions coming back to the screen is that the sophomore season has nothing but freedom for the cast to explore, both vocally and comedically. Note to Glee: Keep up the Brittany appearances!

When you have an actress that can make the most out lines as sparse as, “Did you know dolphins are just gay sharks?” she’s worth spotlighting over and over again. What continues to work for the Glee kids is that they’re all a hairline fracture away from being absolutely insane.

With a sense of morbid curiosity, I watch Glee and wonder how different my life would be right now if, by some twist of fate, I had ended up on my high school’s gold-medal award winning dance team. Would I have come out of high school with more than irritating memories of Chemistry class, a four-year war of attrition between my gym teacher and me, and a diploma? Except if you were one of the kids on the soccer, lacrosse, or, the mega-machine of the girls’ field hockey team, my high school wasn’t keen on the cohesive “spirit.” A group like Glee’s Cheerios are an alien formation to my eyes.

Next week, the show is airing its uber-anticipated Madonna-themed show. “Hell-o” featured a plumb teaser to satiate fans’ palettes: Sue Sylvester (the unstoppable Jane Lynch) singing “Vogue.” It’s black and white, with immaculately tailored suits and a bevy of costume changes for Lynch, including a long mane of blonde hair.

Certainly, Glee is not the standard high school, but it is, in a weird way, an ideal. Here, geekdom, craziness, talent, and relatable problems (and Madonna) coalesce into the neon, spot-lit life that most of us never had. So I didn’t have a “Vocal Adrenaline” club that was notoriously awesome with the motto “murder or be murdered.” Our football team kind of stunk. The student parking lot was extraordinarily far away from the high school’s front doors. Our school tradition was reduced to the senior class painting a giant rock outside the school’s front doors.

But if you watch Glee, you realize that “spirit” is all relative. Glee embodies all the excitement and amped-up aspects of a high school I never knew (cheerleaders, competitive teams, high performance athletics), but leaves me feeling like I didn’t necessarily have to know them either. High school is rarely replete with a back up band, recorded vocals, and greatness.

And at graduation? I’ll be damned if, when our class president was giving her speech about that very rock, I wasn’t tearing up.

Kristen House is the Arts & Review editor for The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

Spring has definitely sprung in Boston, and the suddenly beautiful weather has led to a proliferation of outdoor activities on campus. Students flock outside to toss the Frisbee, shoot some hoops, or just lay around in the Dustbowl paying homage to the sunshine. But while enjoying the superb climate for early-April New England, many risk missing out on the most current viral videos on the Web. So, when you finally do come inside to take a rest from all the fun (or you’re forced in when it finally does rain), check out some of these clips.

1

“Giving Up The Gun” by Vampire Weekend.

In this absurd yet entrancing newest music video by the New York City band, RZA, leader of the WuTang Clan, judges what appears to be a tennis tournament.

The main character, a short woman dressed in all red with a determined look on her face, defeats opponent after opponent. Many of her challengers are familiar faces, from Joe Jonas to Jake Gyllenhaal. Lil’ Jon also makes a cameo, during which he speaks only French, continuing his strange connection with the band that began with his mention in “Oxford Comma.” At the end, the little lady in red almost meets her match in the form of multiple versions of herself, but emerges victorious when she hits one volley so hard it bursts into flames. What it all means I have no idea, but it’s definitely interesting to watch.

2

“Oh Africa” World Cup Pepsi Commercial.

Akon’s new single “Oh Africa” accompanies this Pepsi advertisement released just in time for the FIFA World Cup in June. The commercial includes soccer superstars such as Chelsea’s Drogba and Lampard, who will play for Ivory Coast and England this summer, respectively. In the ad, Drogba and Lampard, along with Henry, Messi, Kaka, and Arshavin ask some of the local village boys for a Pepsi. The boys respond by challenging the international sensations to a game. The entire village then unites and uses some unconventional methods to win the match.

3

Mrs. Doubtfire Recut. Apparently made for a school project, this trailer for a re-imagined version of Mrs. Doubtfire convincingly portrays the 1993 comedy film as a psychological thriller. Disturbing, yet funny at the same time, the trailer turns Robin Williams’ lovable character into a monster obsessed with the children in the film. The normally hilarious shot of Williams in drag as Doubtfire takes on a whole new meaning when combined with dramatic music and quick shots from the original movie. It will leave you genuinely wanting to see this interpretation in its entirety. Too bad it doesn’t exist.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF YOUTUBE.COM

F

Jersey acclaim chases Boston Despite my Lone Star State pedigree, I don’t consider myself particularly Texan. I do not own a pair of cowboy boots. The last time I wore a 10-gallon hat was in fifth grade for Go Texan Day (complete with square dancing finale). I do not own a ranch or even a horse. I am not particularly Texan. But if you saw Houston, Texas through the eyes of MTV, however, I’m certain you’d think of us as gun-toting, lasso-roping cowboys with as many spurs as we have brain cells and a habit of shouting, “Howdy!” to all passersby. Because that’s what MTV thinks of location – it’s where the extreme, the comedy of the stereotypical, is exploited.

MTV has already made a mockery of the Garden State in Jersey Shore. Now it plans to take on a city Boston College students have a particular fondness for. Yes, MTV has given the green light to a new reality show about young Bostonians, according to EW.com. The show is set to be called Wicked Summer. Bostonians, prepare to defend your dignity now.

The show’s Web site, wickedsummahcasting.com, states the casting department is looking for, “The hottest girls and proudly buff guys who believe in God, family, the Red Sox, and partying!” It goes on to say, “You share a love for muscle cahs, hair products, and little necks on the frickin’ half shell. You’ll pahty on the beaches of the Cape where cases of Narragansett Light are on every Celtics towel next to a bottle of baby oil and a can of hairspray.” In other words, you are like the cast of Jersey Shore but drop your r’s for “ah’s.”

The Web site is full of iconography that portrays Bostonians as the broadest of portraits do – loud, aggressive, and perpetually drunk. It does say, however, that it will take “preps from Wellesley, too, if they got what it takes,” but it would prefer an attractive, rough, blue-collar crowd. What truly proud Bostonian would submit himself to such regional degradation, though? A good friend and life-long Worcester inhabitant expressed nothing but frustration over the newest docudrama, and I think he has a more than just a dotted point. How can MTV continue to reduce geographical locations rich in history and culture to grotesque personality types? Boston is home to the Freedom Trail, a fine aquarium, and architectural spectacles among much, much more, but suddenly, MTV has made it about chowdah sippin’ Irish Catholics looking for a bar brawl.

I’m curious, to say the least, to see how Beantown and the state as a whole respond to Wicked Summer. New Jersey felt undercut and embarrassed by the sight of an ItalianAmerican referring to his abdominal core as “The Situation” on Jersey Shore, and Dominoes pizza even withdrew advertising. I understand the annoyance New Jersey had with the show. It blighted the entire state. It’s important, however, to remember that those cast in such shows are never going to be an apt representation of the city or state in question. Of course, they’re going to be larger-than-life, paint-by-numbers Bostonians, those guys who work at the wharf and wait until clock out to hit the bar scene and pick up chicks. The multi-dimensional Bostonians, the one’s who work at the Boston Ballet during the day but can still come home and watch the Red Sox game with their friends and family, will never find a place on MTV programming.

MTV’s current obsession with geography isn’t unfounded. America is the ultimate global circus, and is becoming more extreme as time progresses. While television now leans in the direction of exploiting the extreme, though, it’s important to remember the average human, whether from California, South Dakota, or Hawaii, is generally multi-faceted and interesting, not deranged or mentally lacking. I may not be a common Texan, but an MTV reality show on “real” Texans isn’t going to show me what true Texans are all about.

If this argument makes little sense, though, expect clarification at the future BC Wicked Summer panel discussion.

JoDarren Ranck is a Heights editor. He can be reached for comment at arts@bcheights.com.

ARTS EVENTS CALENDAR ON CAMPUS

OFF CAMPUS

THURSDAY

THURSDAY

TWO CENTURIES OF FAITH O’Neill Library, 8 a.m.

NEKO CASE Wilbur Theatre, 8 p.m.

A POET AT WORK Burns Library, 9 a.m.

THE GOO GOO DOLLS Hampton Beach Casino, 8 p.m.

FRIDAY

FRIDAY

VOICES OF IMANI Trinity Chapel, 7 p.m.

ALICE IN CHAINS Dunkin’ Donuts Center, 8 p.m.

BOSTON COLLEGE SYMPHONY Gasson 100, 8 p.m.

THE APPLESEED CAST The Middle East, 8 p.m.

SATURDAY TWO CENTURIES OF FAITH O’Neill Library

SATURDAY GIRL TALK PepsiCo Pavillion, 7 p.m.

LIARS Paradise Rock Club 9 p.m.

SUNDAY

SUNDAY

BLOOMSDAYINAPRIL? Connolly House, 2 p.m.

THE THERMALS The Middle East, 8 p.m.

THE COWBOY JUNKIES Somerville Theatre, 7 p.m.

CHRIS DEWEY’S CURIOUS CHILDHOOD: The Muppet kingdom of glory

CHRIS DEWEY People tend to have mixed feelings toward sequels. They may feel that some, like The Dark Knight, expand and improve upon their predecessor, while others, like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, sully the name of their franchise. However, I do not really wish to discuss sequels at the moment. This has only been forewarning, to alert you to the fact that this column, itself, is a bit of a sequel. A few months back, I chronicled the legacy of the television show Sesame Street.

Now I would like to discuss those furry characters’ close relatives, the Muppets. Time to slap on my Kermit the Frog hat (only $10 at Walmart!) and take a stroll down memory lane.

For many of us, the Muppets were a huge part of our formative years. Endearing characters like Fozzie Bear, Animal, and the perhaps culturallyinsensitive Swedish Chef were key childhood figures that provided hours of entertainment and laughs. Creators Jim Henson and Frank Oz succeeded in creating a colorful world of varied, bizarre creatures who managed to appeal equally to children and adults.

Intelligent and witty, the Muppet franchise has cemented an enduring legacy in American pop culture.

To date, the Muppets have starred in six theatrical releases, beginning with the classic Muppet Movie and culminating in the somewhat disappointing Muppets from Space. Throughout their cinematic career, the Muppets have “taken” Manhattan, prevented Charles Grodin (aka the dad in Beethoven) from stealing priceless jewelry in London, and are responsible for the best telling of A Christmas Carol to ever hit the big

screen. Many from our generation will best remember 1996’s Muppet Treasure Island, in which Kermit’s Captain Smollet faces off against Tim Curry’s sinister Long John Silver to secure a buried treasure chest.

Complete with fun sword fights, a catchy little tune called “Cabin Fever,” and the always-amusing duo of Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat, this is a film that is still fun to watch today, provided that your cantankerous PS2 will actually read the DVD this time.

Although many are likely to associate the Muppets with film because of these fantastic movies, they actually got their big break on television. Debuting in 1976, The Muppet Show was a hugely popular variety program, often remembered for hilarious skits like the Star Wars parody “Pigs in Space” and the critical interjections of hecklers Waldorf and Statler.

In its five-year run, it also featured memorable performances by artists like Elton John and Alice Cooper. In 1996, the Muppets tried to duplicate this success with Muppets Tonight on ABC. Raunchier in tone than any previous incarnation of the characters, this terribly underrated program was cancelled after only two seasons. There may or may not have also been a cartoon called Muppet Babies, but we can pretend that never happened.

It’s been 11 long years since Muppet fans have received a proper film, but fear not – hope is on the horizon! After viewing actor Jason Segel’s fondness for puppetry in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Disney offered him the job of scripting a new Muppets movie.

Titled The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time, the film has a tentative release date of sometime in 2011. Hopefully, the Freaks and Geeks alum will help recapture the magic that made the Muppets so appealing in the first place.

Chris Dewey is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

B3

What’s the song du jour?

Some great food songs.

By Kristen House, Zak Jason, & Allison Therrien Arts Editors

Doesn’t it seem like we’re always around food? Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert (for you cake lovers out there), it seems like a good chunk of our lives is dedicated just to eating. There are many foods in this world: egg sandwiches with cheddar cheese, croutons, and even steak. Our research assistants at The Scene have delved deep into the archives of the music industry and discovered that artists have caught on to this food craze.

While the concept of compiling a list of the best songs about food (along with the preceding paragraph) may seem silly, it is not. With Lent over and study days sprinting toward us after the Marathon, days of gluttony will soon emerge. To celebrate the occasion, we have assembled a panel of experts to decide the best songs ever recorded that hail food.

As you parade through late night and forage before finals:

Jack Johnson — “Banana Pancakes” True, Jack Johnson’s known as the master of mellow, but there’s something especially pleasing about hearing his calming, acoustic sound applied to a favorite fluffy breakfast snack. In this bouncy tune, Johnson describes what might be the perfect, rainy Sunday morning: staying lazily in bed with some banana pancakes.

In honor of this lethargic sentiment, Johnson says to us: “This song is meant to keep ya from doing what you’re supposed to.” So in other words, put down that textbook.

Have a pancake.

Coldplay — “Strawberry Swing” What does summer bring to mind? For most, it conjures the salty smell of beach air, the sliminess of sunscreen on our arms, that obnoxiously catchy song by The Ataris. Still, at the advent of summer we find ourselves at the threshold of another beautiful adventure: strawberry season. Coldplay’s “Strawberry Swing” sets the scene for a perfect summer day and perhaps even the perfect summer romance, as Chris Martin sings, “The sky could be blue, I don’t mind / Without you, it’s a waste of time.”

Presidents of the United States of America — “Peaches” There’s a certain simplicity about a peach. No, we’re not talking about the sour gummy ones in all the dining halls.

A peach seems to be the embodiment of lushness and innocence, of a life free from complications. This notion is perfectly represented in the President of the United States of America’s “Peaches,” which is driven by one repeating line: “Movin’ to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches.” For what else could you need in life but a really good peach?

Kelis — “Milkshake” This is the kind of song that incited young eigth graders to unwittingly learn the lyrics and the matching dance moves.

The ramifications of said “milkshake” bringing “all the boys to the yard,” are little understood by the general public. Kelis may not ever have another hit, but she will have gone out with a bang – or a “ding.”

Don McLean — “American Pie” Bring yourself back to the days of yore, when music was “alive,” and one could feasibly put the Chevy to the levee even if the levee was dry. Indeed, this epic poem of a song is exceedingly reminiscent of Fourth of July fireworks, towels stretched out on the beach and the American dessert staple, American pie. Cut off a slice of Americana, and bring yourself through a concise 10-minute history of this nation’s musical “demise.” If you are especially interested in this song, tackle the “American Pie” Sporcle. If you can fill in the prompt: “I met a girl who sang the blues ______” [8 words], this could be for you.

Sarah McLachlan — “Ice Cream” Ice cream has forever been used as a symbol of sensuality. Just look at last year’s Rolling Stone cover featuring Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, and some very flirtatious ice-cream licking.

Though Sarah McLachlan tends to keep things a bit classier than America’s favorite gossip girls, she does embrace the sexy side of dessert in “Ice Cream,” in which McLachlan croons, “Your love is better than ice cream / Better than anything else that I’ve tried.”

Das Racist — “Pizza Hut Taco Bell” Simplicity has its place, and I think that place very well may be the combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. Das Racist doesn’t overdo it. Their lyrical style consists of little more than shouts about the two band member’s locations (“I’m on Jamaica Avenue!”), but the song evokes an establishment where one is not afraid to blissfully combine a grande tacos plate and a deep-dish pepperoni pizza. And wouldn’t the world be just a little kinder, a little jollier if we could all embrace such simple delights?

Perhaps. Perhaps it would.

rachel gregorio / heights illustration

B4

Thursday, April 15, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

+Food and Fashion

Chronicles of Campus Fashion: Signs of spring

BY CARRIE MCMAHON Heights Editor

Waking up 20 minutes before class rarely leaves one with time to put together the most inspired of outfits. In the glaring light of the morning sun, many view the possibility of a decent ensemble as far out of reach. How the fashionable few manage to pull it off can seem like magic then, but it’s actually much easier than it appears. The key to propelling a regular look into extraordinary territory can be as simple as adding a few notable accessories. In fact, basics augmented by interesting or striking accessories such as a chunky watch, a pair of lace-up sandals, or an embellished headband often makes for the best looks.

Extras that capture attention and keep the eye moving can be more much more engaging than the typical look. In the first picture, Alia Verner, A&S ’12, used a basic foundation to highlight accessories that expounded upon her overall look. Her gray dress and black cardigan laid the grounds for her skinny brown studded belt and blue-fringed scarf to shine. Her brown mid-calf boots and simple jewelry added to the look as well. In the next picture, Kettlynn Prophete, A&S ’10, similarly transformed her basics by utilizing accessories as central focuses. Her easy jeans, white burnout tee, and black sweater combo are revamped with the addition of a heavy green scarf with a faint plaid pattern, thick-rimmed black glasses, and a gray fedora. Distressed jeans rolled up to echo the “boyfriend” look made popular last year reinforced the laid-back yet chic style set forth. As captivating as a statement piece of jewelry can be though, the best accessory anyone could have is illustrated in the third picture. A complementary and equally fashionable friend cannot only make your outfit better, but can also provide the best inspiration. No doubt that the friends in this picture, Rana Cooney, A&S ’11, and Andrea, A&S ’11, are influenced by one another. Once again, both of these girls amped up the typical skinny jeans, blouse, and flats by accessorizing with impressive jackets and flattering sunglasses. So remember, in the midst of the morning rush to get ready and get to class, the usual but often dull look can be easily spruced up by throwing on any of the attention-getting accessories these featured women show off so well.

CARRIE MCMAHON / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Alia, A&S ’12, illustrates how to overhaul the everyday cotton dress into a compelling look with numerous focal points through the use of a belt, scarf, and leather boots.

Ketlynn, A&S ’10, picks a less standard accessory in a common shape. For many, hats are fashion risks, but the popular fedora has become a safe way to add a little spunk.

Rana and Andrea, both A&S ’11, have the best accessory possible — a fashionable friend.

These girls not only compliment each other, but obviously share style advice as well.

Carrie McMahon is the editorial assistant for the Heights. She can be reached for comment at arts@bcheights.com.

Just Desserts: Choco Trifle

BY KARA KAMINSKI

Heights Senior Staff After receiving much response to my molten chocolate recipe, I have decided to feature another overwhelmingly chocolate-y recipe: a death by chocolate trifle. The trifle consists of layers of chocolate cake, whip cream, butterscotch and chocolate chips, pudding, and then starting again with a layer of chocolate cake.

The recipe is quite simple, and, like all of my recipes, is easy to adapt to your own taste.

While I love butterscotch chips and chocolate chips, my mother uses Heath bits, and we have both added nuts to the mix occasionally.

Using a cake mix is an easy way to get through this trifle more quickly. However, if you decide to make the cake from scratch, all of the cake ingredients can be mixed in one bowl and cooked in two round greased baking pans for 35 minutes at 350°F. Making the chocolate cake from scratch will greatly enhance the chocolate flavor, which is, of course, the point of the dish. An odd and upset-

ting potential problem with making cake from scratch is that it has a much greater tendency to stick to the pan. If you grease and flour the pan, this problem will be reduced. An even better solution is to line the pan with circular pieces of parchment. This way, nothing will stick. Once your cake has cooked and cooled, you can cut it into strips that you will use to line your dish for the cake layers. While it is best to use a tall trifle dish, I have seen many people use regular brownie pans, anything with a bit of depth.

While the cake is cooling, mix up instant pudding. Instant pudding only requires milk and the prepared mix, but I suggest you use only half of the required milk for a very thick pudding. The package directions will result in glorified chocolate milk.

The layers of the trifle can be in whatever order you please and with extra of any ingredient. Even though the final product serves up a bit sloppily, this sweet treat is worthy of its place as a late night study snack or anytime dessert, no side of ice cream necessary.

Bite of Boston Rod Dee Thai 1671 Beacon St. Brookline, MA 02445 (617) 738-1455 Hours: Mon-Sat: 11:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.

Sunday: 12pm - 11 p.m.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE CONFECTIONER BLOG

New Rod Dee brings the heat

BY JENNY LIU For The Heights

PHOTO COURTESY OF KARA KAMINSKI

INGREDIENTS:

1 cake mix, or 2 cups of sugar 1 1/2 cups flour 1 cup cocoa powder 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 3 eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract 1 pint of heavy whipping cream 2 tbs of powdered sugar 11 oz. (1 bag) of butterscotch chips 11 oz. (1 bag) of chocolate chips 1 box of instant chocolate pudding

New Rod Dee is the youngest and, for Boston College students, the most accessible of the Rod Dee restaurants. Its location on Beacon Street near Washington Street makes it the closest to Boston College. Rod Dee, the eldest, is only a stone’s throw away on the edge of Coolidge Corner, while the successor, Rod Dee II, near Fenway, was closed due to a fire. As if trying to compensate for its later arrival, New Rod Dee serves up fragrant, spicy Thai cuisine that would succeed even in the streets of Bangkok, and, unlike the shoebox-sized Rod Dee, the space is generous and dressed in sunny orange and burnt red. It is casual enough that you could stroll directly to the counter and order from a menu made friendly by its letter-number associations, evocative of the old game of Battleship — except that there are only victors in this particular match.

The usual favorite dishes are present: Pad Thai, noodles stir-fried with eggs and peanuts; Pad See You (ew), flat rice noodles with soy sauce; Tom Yum soup, spicy broth with strong currents of galangal and lemongrass; and a slew of curries, from the mild Massaman to the fiercely hot green curry.

The litmus test for a good Thai restaurant is usually the Pad Thai, because it is consistently on every menu and possesses few variations. The Pad Thai at New Rod Dee is sweet and tangy, the noodles are just firm enough and do not clump together, and the chicken is flavorful and tender, with no signs of dryness or indications that the meat had ever been in a freezer locker.

The Thai spring rolls, with a sweet-andsour dipping sauce, are presented like four crispy cigars, stuffed with a bland mixture of oily cabbage, vermicelli, and carrot shreds.

They are much better than the ones from a certain Chinese take-out chain popular in this neighborhood, but the disparity between this appetizer and the other items on New Rod Dee’s menu makes it effortless to pass over.

Food in Thailand is spicy. In America, the servers at Thai eateries may conscientiously suggest, “mild?” But in Thailand, there is no such sympathy — you either toughen up or go home hungry. The heat from the chilies whiplashes you across the face, and, even in

the middle of an air-conditioned mall, you feel as though you are outside in the tropical swelter. If you learn anything from the Thai language, it is that “mai pet” means, “not so spicy,” and for those with palates of steel, “pet ma” means, “very spicy.” Learn it well.

Sometimes, the ability to taste anything for weeks hinges on this decision.

Although the default spice level was not as extreme at New Rod Dee, the slow burn of the Duck Choo Chee was enough to make me wriggle around a little uncomfortably.

Plump pieces of duck are cooked into a coconut-based curry, lavishly accessorized with chunks of sweet pineapples, green peas that pop when you bite down, bright orange carrots shaped into abstract flowers, an occasional perfectly-ripened cherry tomato, and flecks of red pepper. As if you might still be underwhelmed by the attention to detail in the food, you are given a choice of white or brown rice — as if it actually matters when it comes to the overall composition of this dish. It doesn’t. The Duck Choo Chee would be titillating even if they decide to serve it with stale bread.

Not only does New Rod Dee deliver quality, but it also does home delivery. Even though the person on the phone who takes down your order might interrupt you mid-sentence to yell at someone else in Thai, your food will not fail to arrive hot, fresh, and with characteristic efficiency.

The price of an entree ranges from $7 to $11, and you will be left puzzled why the portions are much more than any person with a normal stomach capacity could handle, until you realize that it is meant to be shared family-style, as most Asian dishes are. Or, you can just hoard it all for yourself and consume it over a weekend, which is what I am totally not doing right now.

Getting to the point...

Transit: Available on mbta.com Travel Time: 15 minutes Affordability: Moderate Atmosphere: Casual Food Quality: Good

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, April 15, 2010

B5

+Music & TV

MGMT reject pop, and maybe popularity

BY DAN OTTAUNICK

will dance to, MGMT decided to make something much more attuned to its psychedelic roots, which results in a chaotic track that builds into “Fame … it’s an interesting career,” said a wild finish.

Andrew Vanwyngarden in response to the univerAlthough Congratulations is a much more sesal acclaim MGMT has received since releasing rious album than Oracular Spectular, MGMT has 2007’s Oracular Spectacular. After creating an still managed to make some fun and accessible album that ironically embraced superstardom, jams. “Brian Eno,” a song about learning sorcery MGMT proved that it was by no means fated tricks from the minimalist ambient music artist, merely to pretend, and instead became a part is by far the most exciting song on the album. of the very culture of fame it so Although it is still far from the blatantly mocked. “We did become Out of a rating dance jam that “Kids” was, the people we were making fun of of 10, this “Brian Eno” is a genuinely — but you can’t blame us,” Vanwynfun song that will appeal to album scores garden said. After living through the mainstream listeners. “It’s reality of fame, however, MGMT has Working,” the opening song, created an album that ditches pop sounds and is another fun track that will attract fans more embraces more psychedelic songs. familiar with Oracular Spectacular’s singles.

Most indicative of this shift is “Siberian About riding waves on ecstasy, “It’s Working” is Breaks,” an eclectic 12-minute track about surf- an upbeat and fun psychedelic surf rock tune. ing the Arctic Ocean. It is a collection of what Capping off an album so opposed to fame and seems like many unfinished songs, combined to wealth is a song that ironically embraces both. form one long psyche“Congratulations,” the delic trip that laughs at title track and possibly the commercialism seen the strongest song on in “Kids” and “Time to the album, effects how Pretend.” Modifying the MGMT feels about its rebellious words of a youthful Peter Townsend in “My Generation,” “Siberian Breaks” includes the cryptic lyric: “I hope I die before I get sold.”

MGMT no longer toys with the notion of commercialism, and takes its work much more seriously, in hopes of making music the group itself enjoys.

This divergence from the mainstream is also seen in “Flash DeliriMGMT’s sophomore um,” the first song from album, ‘Congratulations,’ the album made availslides from their able. While not a single, mainstream debut with “Flash Delirium” serves as an introduction to the a batch of tracks that album both thematically are more complex, and musically, and in less accessible and a stark contrast to the sometimes masterful. band’s previous hits.

Highlights include Rather than create a “Siberian Breaks.” pop single that people For The Heights

7

achievements over the past two years. If “Time to Pretend” was an ironic fantasy about becoming rich and famous, “Congratulations” is the surreal feeling of waking up the morning after to find that everything you hoped for became nightmarishly true. A nod to Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” “Congratulations” embraces a reluctance for money and fame. The truths of being an egotistical rock star are far withdrawn from the ambitions the band once mocked, but, as MGMT sardonically quips, “All I need’s a great big congratulations.” When hordes of music executives and fans bask in your glory, even an awareness of your hollow life can be hushed by the endless praise given to your every action.

The dream has become a reality, and it is cold and lonely.

MGMT has accomplished its goal of creating an album that rejects the pop culture it inadvertently embodied. Congratulations will certainly isolate mainstream audiences, but those seeking a risky and honest album will be pleased.

Congratulations is not immediately accessible, but multiple listens will yield an enjoyable experience. While Congratulations lacks, it shows promise. MGMT has found its sound, and, by continuing in this direction, has great potential.

IN STORES NEXT WEEK

AC/DC Iron Man 2

Glee Cast Glee:The Music

SONY

SONY

CHART TOPPERS SINGLES

1 2 3 4 5

Rude Boy Rhianna Nothin’ On You B.o.B. feat. Bruno Mars Hey, Soul Sister Train Need You Know Lady Antebellum Telephone Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce

1 2 3 4 5

Plastic Beach Gorillaz Broken Bells Broken Bells Have One On Me Joanna Newsom One Life Stand Hot Chip Gorilla Manor Local Natives

COLLEGE ALBUMS

PETE RIMES / AP EXCHANGE

Source: Billboard.com & CMJ.com

Another ‘Idol’ alum launches a batch of mediocrity many ways, the album often gives the impression that Castro wants nothing more than to be a male Taylor Swift. Album opener and lead single “Let’s Just Fall American Idol has broadcast nine seasons. That In Love Again,” despite its title that seems aimed at a means there have been 45 contestants who have bored, middle-aged couple, has an immediate hook. finished in the top five. Can anybody even remember It’s a song that has major mainstream appeal. But all the runner-ups? Jason Castro, the fourth place fin- through the whole album, Castro would never have isher from the seventh season of American Idol best you think he has any care about money or success known for his dreadlocks and brilliant performance as long as he has that one special girl. The relaxed and friendly persona he built on of “Hallelujah,” released his debut Idol carries over on his album, album in hopes that he has not yet Out of a rating benefitting Castro’s work. faded from the memories of the of 10, this With song titles like “Let’s show’s fans. Castro’s label, Atlantic album scores Just Fall In Love Again” and “You Records, is employing a subtle and Can Always Come Home,” the smart distribution strategy for the album, choosing to release it in a week low on notable album has a very singular theme. Almost every releases, in order to increase its press coverage and song is Jason Castro making the sort of do-or-die statement to a girl that would come at the crux of radio attention.

The album is a lot of what one would predict from a melodramatic romance film. It quickly becomes an ex-American Idol contestant, but it also contains predictable, and unfortunately, this starts to feel some pleasant surprises. Castro’s singing voice is what very out of place given where Castro’s talent lies he made his name on, and when he’s not rushing to and his favored style. His laid-back persona simply put together a performance for an upcoming episode, does not fit into the overdone hooks on the album. his talent is only more evident. In the rehearsed set- When he tries to keep things more understated and ting of a studio and the unlimited do-overs that come true to himself, however, he produces some of his along with modern recording, Castro nails every note strongest work. One example of this comes on the and his voice’s emotion is always clear and effective. country-influenced song “Love Uncompromised,” in He also stays true to his roots and spends the entire which Castro embraces his Texas roots and instincts album in his folk-pop style, rather than opting for the and ends up with a quality song, once the listener looks past his poor lyrics. slick pop sound of many other Idol alumni.

His lack of remotely serious-sounding lyrics hits a Castro did an excellent job recruiting songwriters, securing contributions from Jason Reeves (Colbie critical point on “Closer,” which includes the careCaillat), Guy Chambers (Robbie Williams), and Espio- fully constructed line, “I’m woo-hoo everytime I nage (“Hey, Soul Sister” by Train). The result is a col- think about you.” What exactly “woo-hoo” means as lection of perfectly executed acoustic pop songs with a noun has yet to be determined, but it does reveal a big enough choruses to gain serious radio attention. In lyrical laziness that grows tired on the album. Castro

BY WILL WATKINS Heights Staff

5

came from American Idol, not Def Poetry Jam, so there’s no surprise here, but it is still disappointing to see him not even try. It’s what separates Castro from a pop artist like John Mayer, who, despite his own embarrassing lines, can occasionally put an interesting sentiment or story into his work.

Castro’s self-titled album is lacking in ambition, but is a perfectly constructed lazy effort at that.

No song on the album aims for highbrow approval, but each song is a case study in effective, even if formulaic, songwriting. Castro is a great talent and could easily become a great artist if he just tried to do a little more with his abilities.

Former ‘American Idol’ contestant Jason Castro released his self-titled debut album this week.

Like those of many of his Idol fellow alumni, the album lacks inspiration and vision. All things considered, it’s a perfectly constructed lazy effort.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLIKR USER GREG HUDSON

What We’re Watching

BY BRENNAN CARLEY For The Heights

1. Breaking Bad — A show that was initially pigeon-holed as a boring Weeds knock off returns in its third season after winning four Emmys. What was once a surprise success is now unofficially considered one of the best shows on TV. Bryan Cranston, who many may recognize as Hal from Malcolm in the Middle, plays an underachieving chemistry teacher whose cancer diagnosis motivates him to start manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine. Season three begins with Walt juggling his health and strained relationships with friends and family with the perilous business demands of dealing meth, not the least of which are hit men from the Juarez Cartel. Sundays 10 p.m. AMC.

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2. Treme — HBO’s The Wire gave TV audiences a glimpse into the face of crime and poverty in America that was refreshingly authentic and unpretentious.

Now, widely acclaimed writer / producer David Simon and several of the same familiar faces both on and off the camera have returned to portray yet another once great American city through their same lens of streetwise storytelling and well-informed social commentary. Sundays 10 p.m. HBO.

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3. Life — Yet another beautiful series of nature documentaries whose producers are aware they are treading in the mammoth footprints left by Planet Earth. The formula is becoming as simple as its results are consistently entertaining. Beautiful visuals of unimaginable fascinating plant and animal behavior strung together by Oprah’s maternal voice channel visual sensations Planet Earth did three years ago. Sundays at 8 p.m. on Discovery Channel.

COURTESY OF HULU.COM

Greg Kita is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@ bcheights.com.

B6

THE HEIGHTS

CLASSIFIEDS Thursday, April 15, 2010

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BIRTHDAY WISHES The Heights wishes Taylour Katharine Kumpf a very happy 19th birthday!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

B7

THE HEIGHTS

National bill will stop ‘mean girls’

ON THE flip side

PATRICIA HARRIS

THE ISSUE:

Recently, Phoebe Prince, a 15 -year-old student, committed suicide after being bullied and harassed by numerous students. Many now are calling for the passing of anti-bullying legislation, which would make schools that receive federal funding implement an anti-bullying policy. This means that schools would take time out of other classes to teach antibullying workshops. Would such a law be effective in addressing the national problem of bullying? Or, should the effort switch toward other means as well, such as working toward harsher punishments for crimes associated with bullying?

Anti-bully law should go further stance to local law enforcement, to the victim or bully’s parents, or both. The bill also extends to encompass cyber-bullying, Education is the key to sucwhich, in the age of Facebook cess and represents the ladder and YouTube, has played an with which we are able to afford ever-increasing role for students the next generation a chance to broaden the extent to which to inherit and better the world. their bullying may affect their Nowhere in that description are victims’ lives. the words “isolation,” “intimiSome feel, however, that the dation,” “fear,” and “violence.” bill lacks teeth. A close reading They do not belong. Yet, because of the bill reveals that there will of the widespread and stillbe no penalties for a lack of relargely unaddressed problem of porting, as an amendment creatbullying, for many unfortunate ing mandatory children they are the reality of Some feel, however, that fines for school who our education the bill lacks teeth. A employees do not report system. A child close reading of the bill bullying was goes to school to develop, reveals that there will voted down.

Again, this explore the surbe no penalties for a bill is a good rounding world, and develop lack of reporting, as an first step. Yet, it must be social skills in amendment creating remembered a supportive and nurturing mandatory fines for that, in the of Clauenvironment. school employees who words dia Meininger The second a do not report bullying Gold, “bullying bully shows up, is a symptom.” this supportive was voted down.

In any child’s and nurturing life, parenting remains the most environment evaporates. What’s significant influence. Simply worse is that the student’s addressing bullying by expandmental health and self-esteem, ing the strength and reach of and sometimes even his/her life, the penalties merely treats the can be in danger. More attensymptom of a much deeper probtion than ever has been placed lem: that child’s inability or difon bullying, especially after the ficulty in suppressing his or her tragic death of Massachusetts’ aggression. Like all other early 15-year-old Phoebe Prince, and childhood issues, the root cause Massachusetts lawmakers have of it is at home. Michael J. Corso responded. The Massachusetts Senate passed a bullying bill with writes, “Until improved parenting skills are taught, implementa 148-0 vote last month that was ed, and produce results, schools designed to implement a more must still deal with bullying.” comprehensive and tougher To a large extent, bullying system with which to combat in schools is misunderstood in bullies in and around schools. many homes, and is subject to Undoubtedly, this legislation represents a good start. Yet, after stereotypes of machismo and stoicism. In olden days, victims delving deeper into the nature of bullies would only be told of bullies, it seems as if it is only that their misery was a time for a step in the right direction. In character building, and that the no way does this bill mean the entire process was, in the same problem will finally be effectively vein as “what doesn’t kill you addressed.

The bill approved by the Mas- makes you stronger,” helping them to become a tougher, more sachusetts Senate and House is independent person. Bullies notable in that it requires school themselves were, and still are, staff to actively participate in rewarded for their aggression, as the response to bullying. The bill the victimization of their target reads: “a member of the school affords them social notoriety and staff ... including but not limited a high position on the pecking to an educator, administrator, order. Bullying has also long been school nurse, cafeteria worker, viewed as a rite of passage for custodian and paraprofessional, many children, as if persevering shall immediately report any instance of bullying or retaliation against a bully is simply something they can get through with the staff member has witnessed little consequence, save for a few or become aware of to the school miserable days in the schoolyard. principal.” The principal is then in turn expected to report the in- This has been shown to be neg-

NICK HANOVICE

ligently wrong. It will take more than a punitive law to correct these misconceptions.

The anti-bullying law must be supported by broader legislation that effectively addresses these misconceptions. Gold writes, “A recent American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on violence prevention advocates support of early parenting skills and appropriate referral for mental health services.” The federal instatement of mental health referrals and the creation of an education and awareness program that targets both children and parents alike should be the next direction lawmakers go in. Children need to learn how to be compassionate to their peers.

Until then, bullying will only be driven underground by the fear of punishment and become even harder to combat.

Alone, this bill can only represent the beginning of a truly effective assault against the destructiveness of bullying.

Only when coupled with more far-reaching and, yes, ambitious legislation can we truly expect such horrifying and tragic cases, such as those of Phoebe Prince and Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, to remain in the past. Then the multitude of silently suffering bullying victims in the state of Massachusetts and the entirety of the United States can find peace in their schools.

Nick Hanovice is a guest columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights.com

It comes as no surprise to anyone who has stepped foot on a crowded playground that kids can be cruel. Among cheerfully colored swing sets and massive slides, the laws of the jungle thrive and it is every youngling for himself or herself.

However, the rising trend of bullying and the increasing viciousness of said attacks call for a response on a national level.

According to statistics from 2006 as quoted in the Times and Democrat, psychotherapist Katie Fogle, LPC from The Pediatric Clinic in Orangburg, said that bullying affects five million elementary and junior high school students in the United States, and about one in seven students are either bullied or victimized. Simply because this has been an inherent part of childhood in the past is no reason to discard the disturbing growing trend of bullying in schools as merely indicative of human nature.

There needs to be greater awareness on this problem, and the passage of national anti-bullying legislation would confront the problem head-on through anti-bullying workshops and discussions. The governor of Michigan, Jennifer Granholm stated, “Here in Michigan and across the nation, suicides among young people who have been subjected to bullying demonstrate the need for anti-bullying legislation. Protecting young people must be our number one concern.”

The victims are not the only ones being hurt by those actions, but the bullies themselves are impacted negatively as well. As stated on the New York State Troopers’ Web site, “Statistics show that one in four children who bully will have a criminal record before the age of 30.” Bullying is a

pattern of aggressive behavior of teens aged 13-17 say they that, if reinforced over time, have experienced some sort of becomes ingrained in childrens’ cyber bullying in the past year, psyches and influences their according to the Baltimore Sun. future behavior.

Without addressing the probFor those who state that lem, these numbers are likely schools should be able to decide to go up. for themselves if there is a bulOnce the bullies have a lying problem to be addressed, person’s contact informathe news of the tion, there recent suicides For those who state are few ways of young stuprotect the that schools should to dents who have bullied from be able to decide for that source of been harassed should be more Blockthemselves if there is abuse. than enough to ing certain prove that cer- a bullying problem to addresses is tain schools are be addressed, the news useless, due to not addressing the ease with of the recent suicides which a bully the problem effectively. Im- of young students who can create a planting nanew one. Likehave been harassed wise, usually tional standards would force all should be more than the students schools to cona target enough to prove that choose front this issue, in groups, and and hopefully certain schools are not take turns the prevent similar addressing the problem sending outcomes. messages so it T h i s n e w effectively. Implement- would be near push to estab- ing national standards impossible lish more conto tell which trol over bully- would force all schools numbers to be ing in schools to confront this issue, careful of. comes out of the Unfortuchanging face and hopefully prevent nately, though of student-onthe nature similar outcomes. and prevastudent harassment. lence of bullying has changed, Bullying has shifted from school policies have failed to what used to be only shoving adapt and carefully explain to and name-calling. Technology students precisely what actions will and will not be tolerated. has opened the door to all new levels of hell for those targeted.

As a result, students who aren’t In the past, bullying used to reined in by the administration be mostly limited to school, or aren’t aware of the school’s or when the victim was in the policy on certain bullying acphysical presence of their tion push the line further and harassers. The widespread use further, and the harassment of text messaging, instant mes- they give out grows more and saging, and e-mail allow the more severe. aggressors to be unrelenting “Policy is what sets the exand constant in their attacks, pectations for how you should reaching the victim even in the behave in schools,” said Kevin comfort of their own home.

Jennings, founder and execuThe relative anonymity of this tive director of the Gay, Lestype of bullying is attractive bian, and Straight Education Network. The lack of a coheas well, and explains part of the appeal to attack in that sive policy means that students manner. Forty-three percent figure out through trial and error or reinforced behavior where the line is drawn on bullying, and that system is clearly not working.

Not only that, but it is clear in many cases of vicious bullying that the other students, the school administration, and even parents were aware of certain actions but did not take appropriate steps. It is clear that the entire culture and attitude around bullying needs to be reworked so that such actions are no longer socially acceptable – as what now seems to be the case. This change of mindset will only be achieved if schools put in the effort to work with their student populations, and the national legislation will be the push that is so desperately needed.

DON TREEGER / AP PHOTO

Friends and family of Phoebe Prince gather for a prayer vigil to commemorate her life and the victims of bullying.

Patricia Harris is the asst. m a rke t p l a c e ed i t o r f o r Th e Heights. She welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights.com

Poland reeling from loss as government transitions Poland, from B10

day. Kaczynski will be given full military honors and be buried in the Wawel Cathedral in Krakow.

The cathedral was the coronation site of Polish kings and queens and serves as a tomb for saints, revolutionaries, and poets. His coffin will lie next to that of Marshal Josef Pilsudki, a pre-World War II Polish hero who defended the country from Bolshevik soldiers during the Russian revolution, led the Polish government-in-exile during World War II, and died in suspicious circumstances shortly after blaming the Soviets for the Katyn massacre. The massacre links both men’s deaths, and the funeral will showcase the deceased president as a worthy successor to Marshal Pilsudki.

Russian officials have been dignified and sympathetic in their response to the tragic plane crash. President Dmitry Medvedev declared a national day of mourning and broadcast a speech to the Polish people.

Prime Minister Putin broke from diplomatic protocol and gave the Polish Prime Minister a hug amid the debris of the plane crash.

Polish investigators have been given complete access to the scene of the crash and are working side-by-side with their Russian counterparts to determine

what caused the fatal accident.

After President Kaczynski’s abrasive foreign policy towards Russia, his death has caused an unexpected warming in relations between the two countries.

Though a large portion of Poland’s leadership was killed in the crash, the transition of power has gone smoothly. Tomas Valasek of the Center for European Reform said that, “The government is in place, this is not a presidential system.” Acting President Komorowski will announce an election date at the conclusion of Poland’s seven-day mourning period. President Kaczynski, at the time of his death, suffered from low public approval and was expected to lose to then speaker Komorowski in a general election. The deceased president’s twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, is the current head of the Law and Justice Party, of which both brothers were members.

Jaroslaw is expected to run on his party’s platform and may benefit from public sympathy in the wake of his brother’s death.

The Polish military was hurt more by the crash than the civilian government. While the president was on the plane, no members of his cabinet were present, which made Acting President Komorowski’s job much easier.

On the other hand, every Polish military leader, including

the heads of all branches of the armed services, perished in the crash. Their deputies are tasked with filling the power vacuum in a now depleted Defense Department. The military deaths bear an eerie resemblance to the Katyn massacre, amemorial for which the plane’s passengers were flying to observe.

The Katyn massacre occurred in March 1940. Under orders from Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Politburo, the Red Army executed 22,000 Polish nationals.

Roughly 8,000 military officers were executed in the Katyn forest on March 5, and later doctors, lawyers, priests, and other Polish leaders were killed. Stalin’s intent was to handicap the postwar Poland by removing all of its military and civilian leadership.

After the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, Joseph Goebbels revealed the mass graves of Poles for propaganda purposes. The Red Army eventually retook the region by force and hastily covered up the massacre. Russian officials did not publically acknowledge the massacre until 1990.

President Kaczynski’s visit was supposed to signal an end to his belligerent policy towards Russia. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin of Russia and Prime Minister Donald Tusk attended a Katyn memorial three days

before the crash. After clashes over the massacre dating back to World War II, Kaczynski’s visit was to mark a new chapter in Russian-Polish relations.

Instead of playing the role of gracious host, Prime Minister

Putin has instead been charged with heading an inquiry into the plane crash. What could have been a huge step forward in providing closure on the Katyn massacre has instead become a Polish tragedy. Elections will be

held and Poland’s government will continue to run relatively smoothly, and the controversy over the Katyn massacre has heightened awareness on an issue that most Russians did not believe existed. 

CZAREK SOKOLOWSKI / AP PHOTO

The Polish foreign minister and his wife pay respect on Wednesday to those who lost their lives in the plane crash.

B8

Thursday, April 15, 2010

THE HEIGHTS

DANNY MARTINEZ

MATT PALAZZOLO

HILARY CHASSE

DAN OTTAUNICK

Was any progress made at Obama’s nuclear summit?

Small victories and a good foundation, but what America really needs to do is engage Iran.

Iran refuses to give in on the nuclear question.

That’s not change, that’s more of the same.

Probably, but I heard through the grapevine that Burma may ruin the party for everyone. Scandal!

Reducing the number is great, but we need to make sure the sanctions on Iran are enforced by all.

Who will replace John Paul Stevens?

I know a professor at BC Law who would be great...

A moderate, experienced candidate with broad bipartisan support. Just kidding, the Republicans can find a way to oppose anything.

Who knows? The nominees drop like flies. Who knew finding someone for a lifetime, prestigious job could be so difficult?

Probably Elena Kagan, but Senate Republicans will attempt to filibuster anyone short of Glenn Beck.

Can Rep. Joe Sestak beat long-time Senator Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania?

Yes he can! But he won’t.

Specter is powerful and Democrats lose if he does.

No one can beat a shapeshifter who changes his party affiliation at will.

I think the Dems are only concerned that it’s a question of this D vs. that D.

It depends on whether Democrats want to sell out.

Does the ‘National Enquirer’ deserve a Pulitzer Prize for breaking the John Edwards mistress scandal?

The boy has cried wolf so many times no amount of cough drops will be soothing enough.

Joseph Pulitzer was a yellow journalist himself. It would be an honor to his legacy.

It’s well overdue. They broke the historic batboy story decades ago!

The current headline on their Web Site reads: “Daddy Juice OJ’s Big Squeeze.” So, no.

Marketplace Editor

Marketplace Staff

Opinions Editor

Collections Manager

POLITICALLY SPEAKING

Texas Board of Education: Don’t mess with our curriculum KARA KAMINSKI Early next month, the Texas Board of Education curriculum changes that were passed on March 5 will be put to a final vote. Many critics of the changes claim that they are meant to teach both religious and conservative bias in public schools. Texas was one of a few states that rejected the idea of national school standards. According to the Houston Chronicle, Texan Gov. Rick Perry said the idea, “smacks of a federal takeover of public schools.” The Texas Board of Education has certainly shown its disgust for what most American schools generally accept as appropriate interpretations of history, sociology, and economics.

Don McLeroy, leader of the conservative bloc on the Texas Board of Education, said, “We are adding balance … History has already been skewed. Academia is skewed too far to the left,” according to the New York Times. A key question, is who is able to define the definition of balance? Is there really a liberal bias in the classroom? Let us

explore the most controversial of the Texas school board changes and its historical corollaries before you can address these questions for yourself.

In history, the Board removed mention of Thomas Jefferson and instead added religious figures such as Thomas Aquinas and John Calvin. References to Enlightenment ideas are replaced with the phrase “the writings of.” Teachers are now required to cover the Judeo-Christian backgrounds of the Founding Fathers and not to mention the separation of church and state.

David Bradley, who voted for the removal of church and state said, “I reject the notion by the left of constitutional separation of church and state. I have $1,000 for the charity of your choice if you can find it in the Constitution,” according to the Huffington Post. The Board will not require that students learn the Constitution, and it prevents the government from promoting one religion over others.

The curriculum changes show a common theme playing down conservative criticism and the elevation of conservative historical figures. The Board approved the validation of McCarthyism by stating that the Venona papers confirmed com-

munist infiltration of the U.S. government. Texan students will learn about Phyllis Schlafly, the Moral Majority, and the National Rifle Association as part of the conservative resurgence of the ’80s and ’90s, but not about liberal or minority groups of the same time period.

Hip-hop was removed as a significant cultural movement.

Ironically, institutional racism will also not be mentioned as part of American society. One small win for Democrats on this subject was the deletion of a portion of an amendment stating that the civil rights movement created “unrealistic expectations for equal outcomes.” Oscar Romero, a significant figure in Latin-American history, will not be taught.

Board member Patricia Hardy said, “You’re putting him with Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Ghandi, and Chinese student protesters of which everyone is already familiar … I just think it is one of those names who I guarantee you most of you did not know who Oscar Romero was.”

In economics, capitalism, for some, which has come to have a negative connotation, will no longer be used. Instead, students will learn about the “free market system.” President Kennedy is no longer a neces-

sity in Texan curriculum, while Ronald Reagan is given a much more prominent role.

In sociology, courses will not discuss the difference between gender and sex. Board member Barbara Cargill stated that the inclusion would lead students into a world of, “transvestites, transsexuals, and who knows what else.”

History has already been significantly edited for today’s youth. Were you ever taught about the Tuskegee syphilis experiment conducted on 399 African Americans in your classroom? Was the American eugenics movement ever mentioned? What about how Columbus didn’t really “discover” America, or his abuse of indigenous people? I am positive only a small number of you ever hear of these atrocities in the classroom. Most of you probably had to wait to take a specific college course or maybe stumbled across these subjects in a History Channel special.

History has already been significantly skewed for American students, and adding a conservative spin will not remedy misleading information American students already have to deal with.

Many critics fear that, because Texas purchases such a large percentage of textbooks in

the United States, curriculum changes will cause alterations throughout the entire country.

This concern is unfounded. The only impact outside of Texan curriculum changes will be an increase in textbook costs for other schools, because publishers will be forced to have various textbooks within the same subject.

This fear harkens back to 1969, California’s Board of Education, and creation theory.

With evolution being taught as theory, anti-evolutionists wanted creation theory, to have an equal place in education.

Their curriculum changes included a statement discussing how creation theory is applicable to evolutionary theory as it fills in gaps such as the regular absence of transitional forms, while evolution better explains creation theory with data on subjects such as the transmutation of species. At this time, California bought 10 percent of the country’s textbooks.

Altering what the California Board of Education advised impacts what the school boards purchase, and that in turn alters what textbook publishers are publish. This change did not force other states to make similar changes, it only made it cheaper to follow suit.

Hopefully we can assume that

Texan curriculum changes will not influence to other, more conservative, states.

More likely than not, these changes will pass early next month. The rest of America can only wait and hope that enough parents in Texas will take on the school board, as they did in the Supreme Court case Kitzmiller, et al v. Dover Area School District, et al in 2005 over the teaching of intelligent design. This case’s conclusion stated, “We find that the secular purposes claimed by the Board amount to a pretext for the Board’s real purpose, which was to promote religion in the public school classroom, in violation of the establishment clause.” In my opinion this is half of the reason for the Texas curriculum changes.

While the Texas Board of Education claims this is not true, so did the Dover Area School District. But until enough parents contest the changes, in the words of Mary Helen Berlanga, a Democratic Texas board member, “They can just pretend this is a white America and Hispanics don’t exist.” Or gays, or Thomas Jefferson, or….

Kara Kaminski is a senior staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at marketplace@ bcheights.com.

Interim president pressures predecessor to leave Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, from B10 here is over. What we did yesterday was our answer to the repression and tyranny against the people by the Bakiyev regime.

You can call this revolution. You can call this a people’s revolt. Either way, it is our way of saying that we want justice and democracy.”

The interim leaders lifted his presidential immunity and said that they would arrest him if he refused to surrender. Bakiyev had previously insisted he remained the legitimate Kyrgyz leader.

But at a news conference in his home village of Teyit in Jalalabad, he laid out the conditions under which he would step down. Bakiyev said he wanted “a guarantee that the roaming of these armed people ends in Kyrgyzstan, that this redistribution of property and this armed free-for-all stops.” He continued, saying that he would step down “if my personal security and that of my family and my relatives is guaranteed.”

Bakiyev came to power after the 2005 Tulip Revolution, which overthrew Askar Akayev. He promised to tackle corruption and grinding poverty. In 2006, he agreed to reduce his presidential powers in response to mass protests, something almost unheard of in a region where leaders have tended to respond harshly to opposition. However, public opinion has turned against him in recent years, with critics angry at his apparent failure to act on his promises. He has also been accused of favoritism as he gave key political posts to family members and was allegedly grooming his son, Maksim, for leadership.

The July 2009 elections returned Bakiyev to office, but the elections were widely criticized by international moni-

tors. Increasing restrictions placed on the free press have also angered Bakiyev’s opponents. They say dozens of journalists have been attacked, threatened, intimidated, or killed since 2006, and that several opposition publications have been closed down. Rapid rises in fuel prices since January, which increased the cost of living, have also contributed to the rising discontent. The situation was worsened by Russia’s removal of preferential customs rates on petroleum exports to

Kyrgyzstan as of April, leading to fears of rocketing prices and inflation.

The violence was the culmination of weeks of discontent over rising prices and allegations of corruption in Kyrgyzstan.

Clashes in the capital of Bishkek and other towns left 75 dead and more than 1,000 injured, the health ministry reported. Violence initially broke out in the provincial town of Talas last Tuesday and spread to the capital Bishkek, where demonstrators marched on government buildings, and in

another town, Naryn, on Wednesday.

On Thursday, a day after the uprising, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said it was “time to work urgently in establishing constitutional order” in Kyrgyzstan.

A U.N. envoy was sent to the country immediately, and the secretary general said, “There are difficult social and economic issues underlying the unrest.”

E.U. Foreign Affairs Chief Catherine Ashton said the European Union was offering emergency humanitarian aid to

SERGEI GRITS / AP PHOTO

Ousted Kyrygzstan President Bakiyev gesticulates at a rally near Jalal-Abad. He has agreed to leave if assured that his family will be safe.

help stabilize the nation. “I call on all sides to show continued restraint,” she said. “A rapid return to public order is essential to avoid further loss.”

A Chinese foreign ministry statement said it was “deeply concerned” about events in Kyrgyzstan, as the country shares a 533-mile border with China, and so, it hoped order could be restored soon.

Kyrgyzstan is a strategically important central Asian state because it houses a Russian base as well as a key U.S. military base. The U.S. base at Manas is vital as a staging post for its operations in Afghanistan, but, last Wednesday, all flights had been suspended as a result of the uprising. When Bakiyev announced he was closing the base in early 2009, following a significant aid pledge from Moscow, President Barack Obama agreed to a massive increase in rent payments to stabilize the situation.

The interim minister for constitutional affairs, Ismail Isakov, suggested the U.S. base’s days could be numbered, and opposition leaders had hinted before they came to power that the current lease could be shortened. Otunbayeva said the current lease agreement with the United States concerning the base would remain in place. She vowed not to interrupt operations at the Manas military base that the United States uses to supply troops and supplies to Afghanistan. “The status quo would remain,” she said.

U.S. State Department official P.J. Crowley said Otunbayeva had spoken with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over the telephone to reassure her.

“Ms. Otunbayeva confirmed that the Kyrgyz administration will honor previous agreements regarding the Manas transit centre,” he said. 

The Heights

Thursday, April 15, 2010

B9

Comcast wins Internet court case against FCC

By Baron Cannon For The Heights

On Tuesday, April 6, a federal appeals court ruled to limit the power of the Federal Communications Commision (FCC) over Internet traffic. This landmark decision will allow Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block or slow specific sites and charge video sites to deliver their content faster to users. What’s more, while the common users may not believe that this affects them, they soon realize that they might take issue when their ISP begins such practices as disallowing streaming video at certain times of the day, or charging more for Internet use during high traffic time periods.

Under the banner of net neutrality, the FCC was poised to ban such practices by requiring ISPs to provide equal speed coverage to all users. The ISP giant Comcast Corporation, however, contested that the FCC had no jurisdiction in the matter, and that ISPs should be granted the ability to increase control over the content of the Internet they provide.

Comcast’s concerns for its content speeds came after increased network congestion from users of a file-sharing program called BitTorrent, which is infamous for being a major source of pirated media and software.

Conservative supporters have weighed in on the ruling saying they are philosophically opposed to granting further power to the FCC that is, itself, already contentious for its control and censorship of other media including radio and television.

Moreover, they argued against the government’s interjection, saying that ISPs should be free to set their own policies and the prices for their services. What they were silent about was the possible infringement upon user’s equal access to the Internet, which is, at this point, an open

source medium.

This opposition has come, not only with this decision, but also for the Congressionallymandated plan the FCC and its chairman, Julius Genachowski, introduced earlier this year. The 10-year, Obama administration backed, national broadband plan would establish high-speed Internet as the country’s dominant communication network, potentially replacing phone and television. The FCC has asserted that the United States is lagging far behind other countries in broadband adoption and speed.

In fact, about a third of Americans have no access to highspeed Internet service, cannot afford it, or choose not to have it. In order to reach this goal, however, the FCC has begun to butt heads with the ISPs, most recently Comcast and AT&T, that largely control Internet pricing and speeds.

In the near future, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruling for the District of Columbia Circuit, however, will not have any direct impact on Internet users, as ISPs including Comcast are now claiming that they are not currently targeting specific Web content.

After the ruling on Tuesday, Comcast released that it has since changed the management policies that lead to restricting access to BitTorrent and originally brought this case to court.

Yet, despite Comcast’s claims that it will remain “committed to the FCC’s existing and open Internet principles,” this court decision leaves the possibility for abuse open with only the guarantee of an oligopolist for protection.

Experts believe this is especially unsatisfying for consumers with the impending Comcast majority stake acquisition of NBC Universal, which is currently owned by General Electric and Vivendi. With NBC Universal, the temptation to favor NBC

cable channels and discriminate against other broadcast groups would be greater and make Comcast more likely to take advantage of its position as an ISP. In practice, for example, Comcast could prioritize NBC video streaming services over competitors.

Similarly, the ruling could adversely affect content providers, including video and music streaming sites. ISPs would, for example, have the power to charge a fee to ensure continued, high-quality streaming from outlets such as YouTube.

In a statement, Genachowski said the FCC remains “firmly committed to promoting an open Internet.” Planning methods to quell such abuse, the FCC now seeks to find other legal authority to implement consumer protections over Internet service.

Some consumers fear that, without FCC oversight, such abuses could occur indiscriminately. However, until the FCC is granted control over Internet traffic, it is my opinion that the only protection the general public would have is in the competition of the free market.

In February of this year, Googleannounced that it would begin testing its own fiber optic system, connecting homes, schools, and businesses in an attempt to one day become an ISP itself. Boasting connection speeds of 1Gbps (Giga bites per second), Google would be prepared to compete with Comcast and AT&T if it could find ways to make its system affordable.

Google’s entrance into the ISP market without ulterior motives would represent better assurances that ISP providers will remain honest suppliers of the Web. Google has earlier “net neutrality” to thank for its success, foremost, as the most widely used Web-based Internet search engine. Google stock went public in August of 2004 and closed Monday, April 12, at $572.72. n

Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) U. S. Senate Minority Leader

By Matt Palazzolo Heights Staff

Mitch McConnell was born on Feb. 20, 1942 in Tuscumbia, Ala. He was stricken with polio at age 2, and could not walk until he was 4 years old. Fortunately, he received proper medical care, and was able to make a full recovery.

He graduated from DuPont Manual High School in 1960, the University of Kentucky in 1964, and the University of Kentucky Law School in 1967.

During his final year of law school, McConnell served in the U.S. Army Reserve, interned under Kentucky senator John Cooper, and was a deputy assistant attorney general under President Ford. From 1978 to 1984, he was Jefferson County judge / executive, the county’s top political position.

McConnell ran for senator in 1984 against two-term incumbent Walter Huddleston. Due to shrewd campaign commercials and President Reagan’s popularity in the state, McConnell won by less than half a percentage point. He has been a Kentucky senator ever since, and has been re-elected four times.

Between 1984 and 1986, McConnell steadily rose in prominence in the Republican Party. He was elected chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and later became Majority Whip. He has served in the Committees on Agriculture Nutrition and Forestry, Appropriations, and Rules and Administration. In 2006, after the Republicans lost their majority in the Senate, McConnell was elected Minority Leader.

McConnell is a staunch conservative, receiving a perfect score from the American Conservative Union’s ratings system. However, he has argued for strict guidelines in modifying the Constitution, famously voting against the Flag Desecration Amendment. He vehemently opposes

campaign finance regulation, citing corporations’ First Amendment rights. McConnell is also an active supporter of the War in Iraq and has criticized President Obama’s attempt to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention center. He is a master of parliamentary tactics, as shown by the Republicans’ unanimous opposition to the recent health care bill. Re-elected in 2008, Senator McConnell will likely continue to be a conservative counterweight to President Obama for the rest of his term.

Alex Brandon / ap photo

START will reduce nuclear Food Project builds garden armaments by 30 percent and community in Dorchester START, from B10

collar temporarily extended the original treaty until a new agreement could be reached. In large part, the new arms reduction treaty is a renewal of its predecessor, the original START. However, disagreements over the sharing of telemetry and the U.S. anti-missile shield in Europe complicated the drafting of the new treaty and slowed the process to a pace unanticipated by either nation.

START heralds the most significant reduction in nuclear arms since the end of the Cold War. It mandates that both countries cut their arsenals down from 2,200 strategic warheads to 1,550 and from 1,600 launchers to 700. This reduction in arms of just under 30 percent is the first such bilateral cut since the Treaty of Moscow, signed in 2002 by Presidents George W. Bush and Putin. The new START also places a strong focus on instituting a revitalized and more stringent inspection regime. Supporters hail START as a crucial step toward even deeper arsenal cuts and potential, eventual global disarmament.

In the short term, the Obama administration hoped that the signing of the treaty would give momentum to the nuclear summit held in Washington, D.C., on Monday. More extensive discussions on proliferation and nuclear weapons will occur in May at the

2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference in New York. The last review conference, held in 2005, is widely acknowledged as a disaster that greatly weakened the non-proliferation regime established by the NPT. Supporters of START hope that the treaty’s signing will bolster the United States’ position at this review conference and show a recommitment to the end goal of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, ratified in 1961 to slow the proliferation of nuclear arms and slowly move toward global disarmament.

Th e n ew STA RT t rea ty has implications not only for Obama’s nuclear policy, but also for U.S.-Russian relations. The relationship between the two nations has been strained over the past several years, exacerbated

by Russia’s war with its neighbor Georgia in 2008. President George W. Bush provided financial aid to Georgia during the conflict, causing much tension between the United States and Georgia. START aimed to repair this relationship by initiating bilateral cooperation on nuclear arms control. Presidents Obama and Medvedev have used the process of drafting the new treaty to strengthen their burgeoning personal relationship as well as that of the two nations. Both hope to use this strengthened bond to address other global issues,

such as sanctions on Iran and the overthrow of the Kyrgyzstan government this past week.

Obama and Medvedev have praised the signing of START as an important joint achievement. However, not everyone is happy with this strengthened U.S.-Russian relationship. Some of the United States’ Eastern European allies, including the Czech Republic and Poland, worry that cuts in the U.S. arsenal will compromise the security the United States provides to its allies. These countries rely heavily on American-extended deterrence for their national security. Stronger American ties with Russia, which is seen as the Eastern European allies’ biggest regional threat, also make them nervous. However, President Obama has taken pains to assure these countries that the United States will continue to firmly and ably support them.

President Obama has stated that his goal is to have the treaty ratified by the end of 2010, but getting START ratified by both U.S. and Russian legislators will be another drawn-out battle.

President Obama will have to secure 67 votes in the Senate, a two-thirds majority, for ratification – which means he will need considerable Republican support.

Without bipartisan support, the agreement reached with Russia will not enter into force. Furthermore, because of the upcoming midterm elections, Obama will have to secure Republican votes in a strained political environment. He will have to convince at least eight Republican senators of the merit of START. His concessions to the Russians will also be closely scrutinized, so he will also have to convince members of the Republican Party that stood firm where needed. In the coming months, both parties will have to evaluate how the new treaty will affect the United State’s force structure and nuclear posture. It will be a long and arduous process for the Obama administration that will end either in a huge foreign policy victory or a bitter disappointment. n

courtesy of thefoodproject.org

The Food Project has taken up the cause of environmental justice, hiring youth from Boston to tend community gardens.

Food Project, from B10 sold at discount when WIC or food stamps are used, thereby making fresh produce available to everyone in the community.

At the West Cottage Farm, nearly one third of the acreage is used as community garden space, and is run informally by the gardeners themselves.

All gardeners throughout the neighborhood have access to The Food Project’s compost heap and seeds, making home gardening extremely affordable.

In 2007, The Food Project began its Build-a-Garden program, which provides home gardeners with raised beds and healthy soil, as well as workshops, seeds, and more for $10 minimum, whatever they can afford

beyond that. They started the project after they conducted tests for lead and performed experiments with remediation techniques throughout the neighborhood. It was determined that raised beds were the most viable option, given the level of contaminants, and they have been providing them to the community ever since.

The Food Project also maintains an urban learning farm, a rooftop garden at the Boston Medical Center, partners with schools to establish gardens, and works with other neighborhoods and organizations throughout Boston to perform site visits and reaches out to community members interested in growing food.

The Food Project is just one

example of the many organizations throughout the city that are working to create more equitable, environmentally just communities in Boston. They tackle many issues through the one resource most integral to our lives, food. Some of these issues seem more clearly relevant than others — access to food, health, job training, youth development, violence, to name just a few — but all of them are related, and through its methods The Food Project directly affects them all while in the process establishing healthy, more sustainable communities for all.

Shanna Atherton is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes c o m m e n t s a t m a rke t p l a c e @ bcheights.com.

MARKETPLACE THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, April 15, 2010

B10

THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010

Polish president dead and government decapitated by a devastating plane crash

BY MATT PALAZZOLO Heights Staff

PETR DAVID JOSEK / AP PHOTO

Polish president Lech Kaczynski was killed in a plane crash on Saturday along with his wife and many senior officials.

The president was flying to a memorial service for Polish soldiers killed in the Katyn massacre during World War II. Along with President Kaczynski, the deputy parliament speaker, the deputy foreign minister, the head of the National Bank of Poland, and the chief of defense were all killed in the crash. Speaker of Parliament Bronislaw Komorowski is the current acting president and will resign as temporary president once elections are held.

The president’s funeral is scheduled for Satur-

See Poland, B6

NINA GORSHKOVA / AP PHOTO

Chaos in Kyrgyzstan as government is overthrown

BY YAT YU

For The Heights

Obama and Medvedev sign historic START treaty to reduce amount of nuclear arms

The opposition movement in Kyrgyzstan has issued a statement saying it has dissolved parliament and taken power, following the bloody uprising last Wednesday. It forced the president to flee the capital to the city of Osh in his home region of Jalalabad.

Opposition leader Roza Otunbayeva, an ex-foreign minister, announced at a news conference that an interim government has been created and is fully in control of the country. New ministers have already been appointed, and the interim government will remain in power until elections are held in six months.

Otunbayeva then went on to urge current President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to resign, saying, “His business

BY NORA LOPOPOLO For The Heights

ALEX BRANDON / AP PHOTO

The Thursday signing of the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia (START) signals a breakthrough in both nuclear arms control and U.S.-Russian relations. After months of intense negotiations, President Obama and Russian president Dmitri Medvedev finally signed the new treaty in a highly-anticipated ceremony in Prague on Thursday.

The new START has been under negotiation for months. Although both leaders had hoped to have an argeement reached by December of last year, when the original START expired, several roadblocks impeded negotiations, and the two nations were forced to enact a collar on the old treaty. This

See Kyrgyzstan, B8

See START, B9

HEIGHTS ILLUSTRATION/ MOLLIE KOLOSKY

A GREEN PIECE

Dorchester Food Project works for environmental justice

POLITICS

ECONOMICS

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Nebraska passed a law banning most abortions 20 weeks after conception or later based off of a theory the fetus can feel pain at that stage.

In the Somali capital of Mogadishu, 14 radio stations have stopped playing music due to an ultimatum by an Islamist insurgent group.

The Commerce Department said on Wednesday that retail sales rose 1.5 percent in the month of March, defying expectations.

NASA and General Motors said on Tuesday that they have plans to send the first humanoid robot to the International Space Station.

A recent study in the Netherlands implies that women who adopt their husband’s surnames may place themslves at a disadvantage in the job market.

Twitter has created a plan for an advertising program called Promoted Tweets, which show up when Twitter users search for keywords that advertisers have bought to link to their ads.

SHANNA ATHERTON

IN THE NEWS

On the corner of West Cottage and Dudley Street, in the heart of Dorchester, the vibrant colors that adorn the building’s walls stand out. This is the home of The Food Project, an organization founded in 1991 to “grow a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system,” according to foodproject.org. Together, with local organizations such as the Dudley Street

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THIS ISSUE

On the Flip Side

greatly reducing dumping and dealing within the Dudley neighborhood – to green the neighborhood, offer youth development programs, and provide affordable, healthy food and safe gardening space for those in the community who desire it. Given that much of the Dudley population is composed of people whose youths were spent in agricultural communities, that number is fairly large.

Each summer, The Food Project hires nearly 60 youth between the ages of 14 and 16 from Boston and Lincoln to work in crews on the 2.5 acres of urban farm in Dorchester and 31 acres of rural farmland in Lincoln. They also run a farm program in Beverly and Ipswich.

Through workshops, training, and hands-on experience, The Food Project offers young adults job training and life skills, giving them the confidence and

knowledge required to make them more marketable during the job search.

During the school year, The Food Project offers an academic year program in which a third of the graduates from the summer program can work, guiding weekend volunteers, and help in The Food Project’s hunger relief project.

The urban acres, which are divided into three lots – 1.4 acres at the West Cottage site, 0.6 acres on Langdon Street, and 3,000 square feet at the Albion site – offer swaths of lightly manicured green amid the variously colored homes. The farms provide the unquantifiable service of beautifying vacant lots while also producing 20,000 of the nearly quarter-million pounds of organic produce that The Food Project

See Food Project, B9

7.1

The magnitude of the earthquake that hit China on Wednesday

300,000

Dollars that a water meter in Bolina, Cali., is currently at auction for. The demand is due to a water meter moratorium passed by antidevelopment forces in 1971.

This week On the Flip Side will explore both sides of the issue of national anti-bullying legislation................................................... B7

IN QUOTES

neighborhoods most affected by the disinvestment and arson of the 1970s.

By 1981, it was reported that over one third of the neighborhood’s land lay vacant, and many of the sites became illegal trash transfer stations or hotspots for drug dealers. The fall of property values and flight of supermarkets left many struggling to find adequate food and housing for their children, and the illegal dumping of the city’s trash on vacant lots only made the environmental and social justice issues in the area worse.

The Food Project did not swoop in from on high to wipe these issues away. Instead, it works with neighborhood organizations such as Youth Build Boston and DSNI – the first and only community organization to win the right of eminent domain in the United States and one of the key players in

IN NUMBERS

Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI), The Food Project is working to combat environmental and social injustices that have persisted in the neighborhood for years.

Environmental justice theory has, over the past few years, risen to prominence in sociological and environmental circles as an important way to conceptualize the many inequalities faced by low-income and minority communities around the world. The theory states that certain groups and populations are more likely to be subject to environmental hazards or lack environmental amenities than other groups.

For many years, the community near Dudley in Dorchester has been affected by many of these issues. Considered one of the poorest neighborhoods in Boston, Dorchester in general, and the Dudley area specifically, was one of the

“ The most anti-immigration legislation the country has seen in a generation. ”

– Chris Newman, legal director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network describing the Arizona legislation that is likely to end up on Gov. Jan Brewer’s desk soon.

Politically Speaking.............................B8 Politico of the Week................................B9