The Heights November 20, 2017

HEIGHTS

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The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2017

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SPORTS

Samuela Nematchoua, Noelle Scarlett, and Andrew Meck share their theatrical journeys at BC and beyond.

Daryl Watts scored her 14th and 15th goals of the season to help BC escape Connecticut with a 3-3 draw.

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BC Wary of House Tax Bill The proposed plan taxes the endowment, scraps other benefits

BY COLE DADY Heights Staff The House of Representatives passed an extensive bill last Thursday that cuts taxes for corporations and many people—but would take away previous benefits for various constituents of the Boston College community. Particularly, the bill will tax the University endowment, tax the value of college tuition benefits granted to BC employees, eliminate a deduction in interest paid on student loans, and repeal the tuition tax break for graduate students.

The proposal calls for a 1.4 percent excise tax on the endowments generated by large, private institutions, such as BC. The University announced in September that its endowment had reached $2.4 billion.

While state colleges and universities are not subject to this provision, private institutions that have at least 500 students and assets valued at $100,000 or more per full-time student would be affected.

In an official University statement on the proposal, BC denounced it because of its negative effects on

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JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

With Fenway Rout, BC Will Bowl Again

A.J. Dillon led football to its fourth bowl in five years after another 200-yard game.

BY ANDY BACKSTROM Asst Sports Editor 69

BOSTON — With an all-around improved roster, headlined by running back A.J. Dillon, Boston College football was slotted to blow out Connecticut by three scores on Saturday at Fenway Park, even without starting

quarterback Anthony Brown. At least it was supposed to.

Filling in for a concussed Bryant Shirreffs, UConn quarterback David Pindell caught BC’s secondary sleeping on the game-opening drive. The dual-threat signal caller hit a wide-open Arkeel Newsome down the seam for a 50-yard catch and run. Moments later,

Pindell scrambled for an eight-yard gain. Then, Kevin Mensah picked up the first down. The Huskies were on the move. And if it wasn’t for a holding call, they may have had a touchdown coming. Instead, Michael Tarbutt settled for a 50-yard field goal.

See Bowl Eligible, B1

See Tax Bill, A3

Computer Science Excited by Schiller Institute Possibilities New cross-disciplinary classes could benefit the understaffed dept.

BY AIDAN LATONA Heights Staff In 2021, the woes of Boston College’s understaffed yet fastest growing department, computer science, may finally begin to disappear. The Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, slated to open that year, will present opportunities for departments like computer science to expand through new cross-disci-

plinary modes of teaching and research, according to Sergio Alvarez, the chair of BC’s computer science department.

Calls for the development of the computer science program have been made within the BC community over the past several years. The number of majors in the program grew to 268 in 2016, more than quadrupling in size since 2007. Yet the faculty body has remained relatively small. As of 2016, the computer science department only had 12 full-time faculty members employed, according to the BC Fact Book.

According to Alvarez, understaff-

ing has made the department unable to offer a sufficient variety of courses for students. This creates an issue for undergraduates with advanced majors in the field, because the completion of their studies requires electives specific in scope that may be offered only once every other year.

A lack of lab space and research funding, combined with the inadequate course offerings, has made it very difficult for the program to keep apace with its growing popularity. It has been forced to turn away students who may be have a cross-disciplinary interest in computer science, Alvarez said.

A key issue that has led to understaffing is the absence of research opportunities.

“Computer science is concerned with the science of data and algorithms that provides a powerful language for modeling of complex interactions in the sciences and the arts (e.g., biological networks, neural and cognitive processes),” Alvarez said in an email. “CS deals with the engineering of software systems that can aid in addressing problems that affect individuals and society.”

According to BC’s webpage dedicated to the Schiller Institute, it will include functional rooms for

computer-based research, teaching laboratories with data visualization space, and electronically equipped classrooms specifically dedicated to the computer science. Alvarez did not comment on the planned specific amenities for computer science within the Schiller Institute, referring The Heights to the webpage.

Computer science research done in collaboration with other fields like environmental or health science is crucial in modern society, and it is attractive to current students as well as prospective professors. Enhanc-

See Schiller Institute, A3

Rinaldi Shares Lessons of a Hero The reporter told the story of Sept. 11 hero Welles Crowther.

BY JAEHUN LEE For The Heights Tom Rinaldi, a news reporter for ESPN and the author of The Red Bandanna: A Life, A Choice, A Legacy, gave a lecture on Tuesday evening about the heroism of Welles Crowther, BC ’99, who is credited with saving between eight to 12 lives during the terror attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.

The lecture was part of the Woods

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

College of Advancing Studies’ Manresa Experience. The Manresa Experience encourages Woods College students to foster their professional, personal, and spiritual discernment through reading and reflection.

Rinaldi began the night by posing the question “How do you make a hero?” Peggy Noonan, author and columnist for The Wall Street Journal, first asked this question to Alison Crowther, the mother of Welles, who was present at the lecture.

The crowd applauded as Crowther stood up and acknowledged them.

“Alison … steeped in humility, humanity, and honesty, was a little bit embarrassed with the question

NEWS: Fight Supremacy 2.0

Political activists returned to the Common on Saturday to protest racism...................A2

and essentially said, ‘He kinda came hard-wired,’” Rinaldi said. “But the truth about the making of a hero was that it happened slowly. It happened with caring and community. It happened with coaches and teachers.

It happened with parents and the firehouse. And it happened here, at Boston College.”

During the process of writing the book, Rinaldi recalled constantly looking at a picture of a 6-year-old Crowther wearing the red bandanna.

To him, the word “ready” was being screamed by the image.

“Bring it,” Rinaldi said, referring to

See Tom Rinaldi, A3

FEATURES: Building Venu

Marino and Li started a live entertainment company during their freshman year...... A5

JAKE EVANS / HEIGHTS STAFF

Rinaldi recounted how Crowther saved as many as 12 lives during the Sept. 11 attacks.

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things to do on campus this week

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The Undergraduate Government of Boston College will honor the lives of all the transgender people who have died in the past year by holding a vigil on O’Neill Plaza, which will include the reading of the names of the lives lost. The event will take place today from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Monday, November 20, 2017

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Jacqueline Novogratz, an entrepreneur and author of the the book The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World, will speak at an event hosted by The Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics today at 5:30 p.m.

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The physics department will host Daniel Nocera, a professor at Harvard University, to present some of his scientific findings on Tuesday at 4 p.m. in Higgins 235. His presentation is titled “A Complete Artificial Photosynthesis: Fuels and Good from Sunlight, Air, and Water.”

NEWS Byron Hurt Tackles Toxic Masculinity, Misogyny BRIEFS

By Zach Hammer

Prof. Performs Research

Sean Martin, a professor of management and a researcher in the Carroll School of Management, wrote an article for Harvard Business Review earlier this month summarizing some of his research regarding speaking up in the workplace, which will be published in the Academy of Management Journal.

Martin, as well as a few of his research colleagues, found that those who speak up more often in a group setting often emerge as leaders of the group, but these effects only happen for some people and only when they spoke up in certain ways.

Those who spoke with “promotive voice,” or providing ideas for improving the group, gained the respect and esteem of their peers and emerged as leaders. Those who spoke with “prohibitive voice,” or pointing out problems that may be harming the team and should be stopped, did not gain this respect.

One major takeaway from the research is that it’s not only speaking up often in a group that allows one to emerge as a leader, but it’s also what he or she says. Speaking up and suggesting an idea for change is more effective than simply pointing out a problem and saying it needs to be fixed. The research also shows the great gender inequity between men and women.

Martin suggests that managers who want to promote gender equity should amplify women’s ideas by giving extra attention to their suggestions or to document ideas in real time to make sure appropriate credit is given to each person who presents an idea. Managers should also consistently call on women during meetings to get their input.

“By taking these steps, managers can signal that they value women’s ideas and help ensure equity of outcomes when women speak up, as well as show female employees that their contributions are valued,” Martin wrote in the Harvard Business Review. “We encourage others—practitioners and researchers alike—to explore more ways to ensure that people garner the same levels of respect and are evaluated fairly for the same behaviors, regardless of gender.”

Ospino Writes Catholic Trends Hosffman Ospino, a professor in the School of Theology and Ministry, believes that Hispanics are redefining American Catholicism in the 21st century and wrote about his beliefs in America Magazine.

In the article, Ospino describes 10 ways in which Hispanics are helping Catholicism grow in the Unites States.

First, Ospino says that Hispanics are at the heart of the church’s growth, with 71 percent of the growth of the Catholic population in the U.S. due to Hispanics since 1960.

Ospino also believes that Hispanics are forming a new geographic center for U.S. Catholicism. The Catholics who arrived from Europe during the 19th and first half of the 20th century settled mainly in the Northeast and the Midwest. Now, in the 21st century, a majority of U.S. Catholics live in the South and the West. Ospino attributes this to the fast-growing Asian and Hispanic populations in these areas.

He also believes that Hispanics are underrepresented in Catholic education. Less than 4 percent of school-age Hispanic Catholic children are enrolled in Catholic schools. Ospino argues that Hispanic children can be a chance at renewal and creativity among Catholic schools and leaders must facilitate an increase in enrollment of Hispanic children in Catholic schools.

“The redefinition of American Catholicism in the 21st century—driven in great part by the fast-growing Hispanic presence—is a true blessing and opportunity for all,” Ospino wrote in America Magazine.

For The Heights

Byron Hurt, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and anti-misogyny activist, addressed students about locker room talk and toxic masculinity on Tuesday. The talk was sponsored by the Undergraduate Government of Boston College.

“I want to do an exercise that really gets to the heart of toxic masculinity,” Hurt said, drawing a large square on the whiteboard in front of him. “But this exercise only works if everyone in the room is honest and open. I don’t want anyone to feel censored because of the judgement of myself or anyone else in the room.”

Hurt then posed a series of questions specifically to the men in the lecture hall, asking how they were conditioned to be “a man’s man” by their male mentors and peers. He asked the crowd to share what words were used or inferred when being taught how to be a man. As he began calling on people throughout the lecture hall, he wrote each answer inside the box on the whiteboard: strong, athletic, invulnerable, heterosexual, provider.

Hurt then addressed the women in the crowd, asking not what they wanted men to be, but things that boys and men are socialized and conditioned to be by other boys and men. Words continued to be added to the board: commanding, intimidating, tough, unemotional, independent.

One face out of the crowd offered the words, “know how to fight,” and after Hurt had written it on the board, he shared a story with the students. Hurt recalled how his cousins always forced

Delaney Vorwick / heights staff

Byron Hurt said that men who do not fit into the “box” of masculinity are seen as less desirable and devalued in society. him to fight and wrestle with them.

“There was always this pressure from the older men in my family to toughen me up and to make me stronger,” Hurt said. “But I didn’t wanna fight, I just wanted to hang out and have fun.”

Once the box had been filled, Hurt asked everyone in the room to raise their hand if they had heard someone refer to another man with one of the words inside, and every single hand in the room went up.

He then continued by asking the crowd how boys and men are labeled if they dare stand outside the box. As these words like gay, bitch, p—sy, and f—ot, were spoken, Hurt began writing them outside of the box, surrounding it in a slew of homophobic and sexist slurs.

When someone brought up the word, “sissy,” Hurt shared another personal anecdote about the first time he was called that word.

It happened when he was 5 years old,

and at that age he still slept in the same bed as his older sister, who was 10. One night when he had a friend over, Hurt was getting ready for bed, his friend noticed him and his sister getting into bed together. His friend looked him in the eye and said, “You’re a sissy.”

Hurt said he remembers his body going cold. He did not know what the word sissy meant at the time, but he knew that it had something to do with his sister, who was a girl.

“I never wanted to sleep in the same bed as my sister again,” he said.

The word had so much power over him that even though he had no clue what it meant, he knew he didn’t want to be associated with it.

Hurt then gestured to all of the words outside of the box.

“These words are extremely powerful,” he said. “In fact, these words are so powerful, that they control the behavior of boys and men.”

Men and boys who do not fall among the words inside the box are not seen as male at all, he said. White, heterosexual, cis-men are seen as normal people in society, he said, and so people outside of the box, by definition, are seen as less than men. They are devalued in society and they are undesirable people to be like, according to Hurt. These words also affect women and girls, he said.

“They make women commodities to be bought and sold and they teach men that certain behaviors are acceptable,” he said.

These words are not just locker room talk, they are misogyny, according to Hurt.

“So the question is, what are we going to do to change this reality?” Hurt said. “Are we going to continue to let it fester, or are you going to question and challenge it? Will you have the courage to speak up and speak out about it? Or will you just let it go?” n

Group Joins ‘Rally for the Republic’ Counter-Protest

By Isbael Fenoglio For The Heights A group of Boston College students joined in a rally Saturday in Boston Common in protest of the “Rally for the Republic,” organized by the group Resist Marxism.

“Anytime Nazis and White Supremacists try to come to Boston, we show up,” Monica Grant, organizer of the counter protest “Fight Supremacy 2.0” and founder of the organization Violence in Boston, said. “When they tried to show up in May, we showed up. When they tried to rally in August, we showed up. And they are trying to rally now so we showed up again.”

And Grant was right. Like the “Free Speech” rally held in August a week after the events in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday’s “Rally for the Republic” was overwhelmed by

counter-protesters. Less than 100 rally-goers gathered in and around Bandstand, met by the more than 1,000 counter-protesters.

Josh Behrens, co-founder of the Democratic Socialists of America club at BC (WDSA), a Heights columnist, and MCAS ’18, helped organize a group to attend the march. He noted that one of the organization’s main goals “is to connect campus with the greater Boston activist community.”

“I was surprised by the rhetoric used by the white supremacy group, especially when one guy claimed we were the Nazis as a man holding a swastika flag stood right beside him,” Caitlin Delaney, MCAS ’21, said.

Delaney came to the rally with friends from her “Race G ender Violence” class, a six-credit course offered only to freshman combining history and sociology. In addition to lectures and discussions, the class

is broken up into labs, which pair students with local organizations in Boston.

Delaney’s lab partners with the organization Violence in Boston, one of the co-organizers of the day’s counter protest “Fight Supremacy 2.0,” along with the counter-protest in August.

“It was a great way to support part of the greater Boston community and stand up for what is right,” Delaney said.

As Mark Sahady, the rally’s organizer, began to speak, a man dressed in black cupped his hands to his mouth, tilted his chin to the sky, and screamed, “Wherever you go, whatever you do, we are many and you are few.” His words echoed throughout the crowd.

“A couple of people asked me, ‘Why are you going down here, what are you fighting for?’” Grant said. “I

live in Roxbury, I don’t know what it’s like not to fight. My life depends on it.

My children’s life depends on it.”

While the rally and protest went on with little violence, about 30 minutes after the rally ended, BC’s Democratic Socialists of America club received an email that Behrens called “sickening.”

The subject line read “Communists will hang from lampposts,” and it contained an obvious death threat coupled with a graphic and disturbing image.

“We are really rattled, but at the same time we recognize that if Nazis weren’t mad, we would be doing something wrong,” Behrens said.

“The fact that they are getting angry at us means that we are pushing the right pressure points. As scary as it is, we need to continue standing together, because if we do, we can fight, and we can win.” n

POLICE BLOTTER: 11/15/17 – 11/17/17 Wednesday, Nov. 15 11:08 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical incident at Gasson Hall.

11:24 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation at 129 Lake St.

5:04 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a traffic incident on the Brighton Campus Roadways.

5:29 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical incident at McElroy Commons.

12:11 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire on Lower Campus.

Thursday, Nov. 16 11:42 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical incident at Conte Forum.

9:07 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a larceny at Campion Hall.

10:13 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm at Welch Hall.

4:36 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical incident at Gasson Hall.

7:38 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical incident at Stuart Hall.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

CORRECTIONS If you could take one professor to dinner, who would it be?

“Christina Klein, my literature professor.”

—Cathy Wang, CSOM ’21

“Can Erbil, my economics professor. I think it’d be fun to hang out with him and his daughter.”

—Robyn Crowley, MCAS ’19

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

“Luke Jorgensen.”

—Bennett Rush, MCAS ’21

“Professor Laramie.”

—Lauren Kudera, MCAS ’19

The Heights

Monday, November 20, 2017

House Bill Would Cost Endowment Tax Bill, from A1

Katie Genirs / heights staff

UChicago Prof. Discusses Threat From North Korea Isabel Fenoglio For The Heights Bruce Cumings, a history professor at the University of Chicago, addressed a tightly packed audience in Devlin 008 on Wednesday about what he considers to be the most serious crisis the world faces today: North Korea.

In a lecture titled, “The Sources of North Korean Conflict,” Cumings outlined the complex history of United States and North Korean relations.

Cumings told students that in order to resolve relations, people need to figure out what makes North Korea “tick,” to discover why they do what they do.

Cumings argued that in many ways, North Korea shares characteristics with the late USSR, and cited the famous article “The Sources of Soviet Conduct” by George Kennan as evidence.

“Understanding the rise and subsequent collapse of the USSR is essential to understanding North Korea,” Cumings said.

However, a notable difference between North Korea and the USSR is expansion. With the exception of Japan, North Korea does not seek to expand beyond the Korean peninsula, Cumings said, but instead pursues policies of isolationism and exclusionism.

Cumings identified North Korea as the most amazing garrison state in the world.

North Korea has the fourth largest army in the world. The U.S. has the third largest. The North Korean army serves as the underlying source of power in North Korea.

“Anyone who talks about conquering North Korea, waiting for it to collapse, or decapitating its leadership will have to reckon

with its army,” Cumings said. “To defeat North Korea would be an endeavor that the U.S. has not amounted to since WWII.” While there has been no major conflict between the U.S. and North Korea since the Korean War ended in 1953, there is currently an armada of power up against North Korea waiting to strike, he said.

Cumings characterized the border between North and South Korea as “the most tense border on the planet today,” adding that the common maxim among troops is “ready to fight tonight.”

This tension directly contributes to public unease in regards to U.S. and North Korean relations, and Cumings said that the media does not help in easing the public’s fear.

“Do not believe most of what you hear, they are mostly just scare stories,” he said.

Cumings criticized the media for its “caricature-esque” portrayal of North Korea and encourage the public to pursue alternative sources for information on the conflict.

This is because, in moments of crises, the media will take any bad story about North Korea and run with it, regardless of veracity, he said.

In order to reach a complex understanding of relations between the U.S. and North Korea, Cumings said that the U.S. needs to see through the media’s portrayal of the country.

When asked how to go about restoring U.S. relations with North Korea, Cumings said that diplomacy must change. He criticized the current militant and antagonistic strategies of the Trump administration, calling them acts of absurdity.

“We need to start giving out carrots as well as sticks,” Cumings said. n

SA Rejects Resolution on Threats, Personal Attacks

By Sam Browning Heights Staff and

A3

Samantha Karl

Heights Staff The Student Assembly (SA) of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College finished debate and voted down a proposed “Resolution Concerning a UGBC Stance Against Threats and Personal Attacks” at its meeting Tuesday. The resolution was sponsored by Sam Szeremenyi, MCAS ’20, and co-sponsored by Andrew Meek, MCAS ’18.

When the resolution was motioned to vote, nine senators voted in favor of the resolution, nine voted against the resolution, and one abstained. Tt King, UGBC executive vice president and MCAS ’18, voted “no” to break the tie.

The resolution was intended to make a statement that UGBC condemns any action that violates the Student Code of Conduct put forth by BC and infringes on the rights of BC students. It also affirmed that the SA supports open dialogue with students and administrators to work toward positive and lasting change in BC’s community.

The meeting opened with the continuation of last week’s debate, led by an opening statement from Szeremenyi.

“The underlying premise of this resolu-

tion is that [the SA] wants to make sure that every member of our student body at Boston College knows their rights,” he said.

“If someone has a problem with that, I don’t really think that is someone we should be listening to.”

After his opening statement, Szeremenyi introduced an amendment to the resolution detailing exactly what the SA would condemn if it were passed. In the original text, violations of the entire Code of Conduct would be subject to public condemnation by the SA. The amendment specified that violations spoken of in the legal preamble of the resolution would be targeted for public response.

Caroline Monnes, MCAS ’19, argued that the resolution’s content is outside the SA’s jurisdiction.

“The administration already affirmed the Code of Conduct,” Monnes said. “The Student Assembly affirming the Code of Conduct doesn’t really make any sense.”

Szeremenyi thought the resolution would allow the SA to fulfill one of its responsibilities.

“The first part of [the SA’s] Constitution, the Preamble, says that it is our responsibility to inform students of issues that may be of their concern,” he said. “I believe these are issues of their concern, so I think it is entirely under [the SA’s] jurisdiction.” n

students and philanthropic donations to school.

“The GOP proposal has faced universal opposition among institutions of higher education because it would hurt students who are dependent on financial aid while removing the philanthropic incentives that have helped American colleges and universities to become the envy of the world,” the statement says. “We encourage all members of the BC community to share their opposition with lawmakers while we continue to work with our various associations to oppose this legislation.”

Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley said he is troubled by the proposal.

“I would simply add my own concern for the ways in which current debates seem to be targeting higher education and jeopardizing a set of policies and practices that have long helped to sustain America’s worldclass system of higher education,” he said in an email. “I continue to work with many colleagues at Boston College and at peer institutions to make the case against the many illconsidered proposals that are being explored.”

Republicans drafted the bill to simplify the nation’s tax code and cut rates for middle-income Americans.

To compensate for revenue lost in the $1.5 trillion tax cut, lawmakers eliminated some individual tax breaks. As a result, while families and corporations would see tax cuts, a large percentage of undergraduate and graduate students would see their tax bills increase, as explained by The New York Times.

One such benefit lost in the plan is the value of college tuition benefits granted to University employees.

Fred Vautour, who has worked the graveyard shift as a janitor in Robsham Theater for the past 17 years,

famously used BC’s tuition benefits to put his five children through college. His children rounded out their financial aid with scholarships and small federal loans, and Vautour paid only about $3,000 per year for other expenses.

“Coming to a place like this, you might not make the big bucks, but the benefits are incredible,” he said.

“Putting my kids through college was like making the big bucks.”

However, he feels that the new tax structure would have made it impossible for him to pay for his kids’ educations.

Any benefits that one receives as an employee that is free of the cost of tuition would now be taxed under the plan, significantly increasing the taxes they face.

“Students get football scholarships, academic scholarships, and Presidential Scholarships given to them without taxes,” he said. “So why should we as employees have benefits that we have to start paying taxes on?”

In addition to campus employees, many undergraduate and graduate students would see tax increases, since the tuition that universities waive for them in exchange for working on campus as researchers and teaching assistants would be deemed taxable income. About 27,000 undergraduates and 145,000 graduate students receive this kind of tuition waiver, according to a 2012 survey, the most recent data available, by the American Council on Education.

BC has 3,837 graduate students, according to the University’s 2017 Annual Report. Bryn Spielvogel, GLSOE ’20, feels that the tax increases will exacerbate the wealth gap, limit the talent coming into graduate programs, and force students to accrue massive debt or come.

“I’ve actually talked to some students who will have to drop out of grad school if this part of the tax

plan goes through,” Spielvogel said.

“Schools with high tuition like BC will probably be hit hardest because attending grad school will become unaffordable for the vast majority of people.”

Students who take out loans to pay their taxes would no longer be able to utilize a deduction on interest paid on student loans, which can amount to as much as $2,500, as CNN Money said.

The deduction eases the burden of the cost of tuition by saving people a maximum of $625 a year.

For Spielvogel, part of the reason graduate students can afford their educations is because they can start to pay off the cost at a reasonable rate. But cutting this deduction makes it more challenging to pay off tuition and afford Boston’s high cost of living.

“Getting rid of this deduction increases the tax burden on grad students once again and will make it harder for us to keep our heads above water,” Spielvogel said. “Many people will need to reconsider grad school if paying off debt while in school becomes less feasible.”

House Republicans say the higher education provisions of the new proposal enable the implementation of a broad tax cut.

“If you look underneath the rate, more of your income is taxed at a lower rate, and so according to the Joint Committee on Taxation — which is the official scorekeeper of these things — every single person, every rate payer, every bracket person gets a rate cut,” Ryan said in a Nov. 7 interview on the Rush Limbaugh Show.

However, for the tax benefits previously associated with higher education, the story is different.

“The tax plan is not affecting the rich,” Vautour said. “It’s the middle guy that affected … We’re screwed again.” n

CS Seeks Growth Through Institute Schiller Institute, from A1 ing the program’s research caliber would not only solve the problem of understaffing, it would bolster the program’s ability to provide students with an education that’s meaningful, Alvarez said.

Part of the Schiller Institute’s mis-

sion is to utilize BC’s intellectual insight in order to solve global problems involving health, environment, and energy—the computer science department is central to such a mission.

According to a 2015 Forbes article, biomedical engineering and medicine were among the top 13 applications of computer science.

Alvarez hopes that BC’s computer science faculty and students will be able to utilize their education and the research opportunities presented by the IISS to serve their global community.

“We hope to be able to not replicate what other universities are doing, but rather to do things in a BC fashion,” Alvarez said. n

Rinaldi on the Red Bandanna Legend Tom Rinaldi, from A1 the image. “Whatever it is: the next minute, the next adventure, the next challenge. The next time I might sneak out at night without my parent’s permission and catch some tar from Dad, I am ready. And that’s ultimately what he was [on Sept. 11]—ready.”

Rinaldi then recounted the events of Sept. 11 and Crowther’s actions immediately after the plane hit the South Tower. Numerous times he resisted the basic human instinct to survive, finding the only remaining functional staircase and going down to the Sky Lobby, where he calmly helped people down the stairs before going back up to save more people.

At one point, Crowther even made it to the lobby: 75 feet away to safety.

“How long would it take you, calm, to cover 75 feet?” Rinaldi asked. “How long would it take you, with every primal

instinct, to cover 75 feet? Because what’s there? What’s on the outside? The rest of your life. You’re 24 years old. You’re 75 feet away. What does Welles do? He goes the other way.”

Crowther went to the FDNY Command Post to inform the first responders of what to expect in the Sky Lobby.

Together they brought more people down to safety until the tower fell.

“When Welles’s remains were recovered in March of 2002, he was surrounded by the remains of FDNY firefighters,” Rinaldi said. “Still, he did not leave.”

The reason Rinaldi wanted to speak specifically to the students was because of Crowther’s desire to quit his high-paying job at a finance firm to become a full time FDNY firefighter. In other words, he left his job to pursue his calling. When Crowther’s parents went to his apartment to clean out his belongings, they found an application to the FDNY filled out. Since

then, Crowther has become one of two people to be named among FDNY ranks without having served.

Rinaldi believed that there is something beyond the curriculum and the syllabus at Boston College that forms heroes like Crowther. He encouraged the audience to see the Welles in each of them and to understand that “hero” is not such a distant term.

“Welles is the same kid who lived in the Mods,” Rinaldi said. “He’s the same guy who was finding his way during freshman year. He studied among you. He competed among you. He learned among you. He walked among you, and when he walked out of these gates, he went into the world with something more than a degree. He left with a code, with an ethos, with a mission, with an understanding that it’s not about me. It’s about what I put in the world … in the daily moment. That to me was what the bandanna is.” n

The Heights

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Monday, November 20, 2017

After Six Years at the Plex, Cataldo Teaches 500th Yoga Class

By Caroline Lee For The Heights Christopher Cataldo, BC Law ’18, holds out a deck of cards to a girl in blue leggings sitting cross-legged on a turquoise yoga mat. “Pick a card, any card,” he tells the crowd.

The entire studio is silent as she reaches out and pulls out a card from the deck.

She chooses an ace.

Now all the students in the class have to do crow. Eleven times.

Anyone who has taken one of Cataldo’s yoga classes knows this style of teaching. They are also probably able to actually do crow—an incredibly intimidating yoga pose where an individual’s entire body weight is balanced on just his or her hands.

Although he’s not a magician, Cataldo might as well be. As one of Boston College’s best yoga instructors, he has successfully helped students push past their boundaries to be able to achieve challenging poses like crow. His meaningful connections with students and his commitment to teaching has fueled his sixyear teaching career at the Plex.

This past Tuesday, Cataldo taught his 500th class at BC. Cataldo first started teaching yoga during his sophomore year as a BC undergraduate student.

“My freshman year, I lived on Newton, and I would go to the Hut, and I saw a sign that said they were looking for a yoga teacher,” Cataldo said. “So I said, that’s my literal sign and call to action.”

He promptly got certified to be an instructor that summer and started teaching that following fall semester.

He inherited his love for yoga from his mother, a yoga instructor who used to own her own yoga studio in his hometown in Hingham, Mass.

Initially turned off by the idea of doing weird poses and seemingly impossible body contortions, Cataldo was resistant to his mother’s pleas to join

in on her yoga sessions. He eventually warmed up to the idea during his early years in high school.

“I remembered she brought this book home that had this guy, Baron Baptiste—he’s this famous yoga teacher—doing crow pose on the cover,” Cataldo said. “I was like whoa, that’s cool. I need to learn how to do that.”

That spawned Cataldo’s appetite for yoga. For him, yoga provides an opportunity to take a break from his overbooked schedule, so that he can focus on relaxing and healing himself. He considers breathing as one of the most important parts of yoga. Often referred to as Ujjayi, or ocean breathing, this exercise is a breathing technique that draws the mind to focus on inhaling and exhaling deeply and slowly. Doing so promotes relaxation and can greatly reduce stress and anxiety.

Deeply appreciative of both the mental and physical challenges of yoga, he wanted to show others how they could also benefit from making yoga a part of their daily lives. He strives to make his classes approachable, pleasant, and most importantly, fun for everyone. Instead of scaring students away by shoving lessons down their throats about eating seaweed and drinking green juices like some other instructors might, he respects each individual’s own personal journey with the yoga tradition.

He enjoys working with BC students because he finds that they’re especially adventurous and willing to work hard for even the most difficult of poses. Whether students in his classes are first-timers or veterans, Cataldo is able to hold the same yoga session for everyone because students are open-minded and diligent.

“There’s no way you could do that in the outside world, but I can with BC students and that’s why I have a lot of fun teaching them,” he said.

The feelings are mutual.

Christiana Franciosi, MCAS ’18, who has attended many of Cataldo’s classes, loves the fun atmosphere that

Sam Zhai / heights staff

Cataldo, who has been teaching at the Plex since his junior year, sees yoga as a philosophy that applies to every area of his life.

Cataldo has created for his classes.

“I like a yoga class to not be so serious and intimidating, and his classes aren’t like that,” Franciosi said. “His classes are truly fun, yet still rigorous, and they made me want to do yoga more.”

As enthusiastic and fun-loving a person as Cataldo is, he prefers to avoid ambivalent looks from extended family members on holidays when he tells them about his career as a yoga instructor. Thankfully for him, he’s also studying to become a lawyer—a profession that his close friends and family understand better.

Cataldo is in his third and final year at BC Law. His desire to become a lawyer stemmed from his passion for helping individuals who may not have the means to defend and protect themselves.

“I want to give a voice to people … to learn to be able to use [my] specialized knowledge in law school to help people that have problems and are kind of being victimized by a larger

institution,” Cataldo said.

Part of the reason why he feels this way is because he has witnessed his mother, who used to work as a secretary at a law firm, be treated poorly.

He recounted the story of his mother’s friend, who, as a secretary, was once asked by her boss to travel up five floors just to move a plant a few inches. Cataldo feels sympathetic to those who are often taken advantage of by people in positions of power and hopes to use his knowledge to help vulnerable people in legal situations.

For Cataldo, both yoga and the law call upon the same moral code.

When Cataldo was in school to become a yoga instructor, he found that many principles of yoga were also moral principles. For example, one principle that he learned was the idea of not harming oneself and not harming others. He thinks of yoga as more than just a meditation or a physical activity. Rather, yoga is a philosophy that teaches individuals to treat themselves and others well.

He has carried this moral way of living with him to law school, where he has also been encouraged to seek an ethical life that strives to fight against injustices of the world.

Not only does Cataldo try to help students in general by teaching them yoga, but he also plans on expanding his services to include teaching a class for BC undergraduates. Along with a fellow BC law student, Cataldo is teaching Environmental Law and Policy: Nature, Law & Society in the Spring 2018 semester. He wanted to teach this course because it provides a great opportunity for undergraduate students who want to study law in the future. Students who take this class receive an advantage when applying to BC Law because they can say that they’ve already taken and done well in one of BC’s law courses.

Throughout all this work, Cataldo never forgets that yoga, law, and his other pursuits are all a part of the philosophy that keeps him going every day. n

With Boundless Energy and Enthusiasm, Hogan Enlivens Class

By Colleen Martin Heights Staff A cheer y voice fills the third floor of St. Mary’s Hall, welcoming students and excitedly chatting about upcoming projects and plans for next semester. It would come as no surprise to anyone who knows Lindsay Hogan that she was a cheerleader while growing up in Texas.

Her energy is boundless and affects everyone around her. Ask anyone who has worked or studied with Hogan what they love most about her and this is the answer you will get: Her animation and enthusiasm make her an incredible colleague, teacher, and friend.

Hogan exudes energy and passion with her colleagues and students alike. Entering her fifth year at Boston College, Hogan is a professor in the communication department who studies children’s media. Her dedication to the industry is clear to anyone who speaks with her, and her knowledge continues to impress her audience in lectures and colleagues in the department.

Hogan was always interested in media—in high school she was the editor of her school’s newspaper, photographer for the yearbook, and producer of the school’s TV station.

During her time at The University of Texas at Austin as an undergraduate, Hogan noticed that her two younger brothers were growing up in a digital age that was vastly different from her own childhood. Although she was interested in the concept of children’s media, it wasn’t until after her undergraduate studies that Hogan considered it as a career path.

After graduating with a degree in advertising and public relations, Hogan began working at an advertising agency. She worked closely with Southern Methodist University until she was offered a full-time position on its staff to work client-side. As the associate director in the business school, Hogan was granted access to free courses, something that she took take advantage of.

As Hogan studied, she realized that she enjoyed what she was studying more than what she was being paid to do. After growing close to the

professors in the department, they urged her to apply to Ph.D. programs.

When she got into all three that she applied to, she made the decision to go to the University of WisconsinMadison to pursue her interests in children’s media.

While it was a challenge at first, being a teacher, student, and researcher all at once has become one of Hogan’s favorite parts of her job. In graduate school, Hogan was pulled in many directions, from teaching class, taking classes, and writing papers to finding part-time work.

“You have to wear so many different hats,” Hogan said. “That becomes the fun part.”

Although her ease with teaching and working with students may suggest that Hogan was an academic for most of her adult life, her path to the university actually happened slowly and without fanfare. After applying to a dozen schools to teach, and a grueling interview process that required a several-day-long visit to campus where she interviewed with all of the professors in the department, taught a class, lectured about her research

Sam Zhai / heights staff

From dancing around in class to including her Twitter handle on top of her syllabus, Lindsay Hogan makes academia fun.

and interests, and met with the dean of students, Hogan decided that BC was the best fit for her.

Hogan’s mix of classes allows her to have repeat customers as students continue in the communication major.

Many freshmen take Survey of Mass Communication with her, which is a required class for the major. In the spring semester, she’ll teach Communication Methods: Critical Culture, a 200-level class that students can choose to take, usually when they’re sophomores or juniors. Hogan gets to come full-circle with students in her Children and the Media course, an elective that usually fills up before juniors can even snag it. Her primary area of research shines through in it, melding pop culture with theory and research. The course features plenty of analysis on nostalgic shows and movies, like The Lizzie McGuire Movie and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. “Her course is always a sell-out each semester it is offered,” Christine Caswell McCarron, the director of undergraduate studies in the communication department, said in an email.

While her success can largely be attributed to her experience in the field and knowledge of her course material, it is her personality and exuberance that continue to stand out.

Instead of standing and reading from her lecture slides, Hogan tends to sit on tables in the front of the room, legs crossed like an elementary schooler, so learning feels more like a conversation. The material can spur her to jump up at a moment’s notice or burst into a sing-songy shout.

“She has so much energy: when she’s teaching, when she’s talking to students in the hallway,” Rita Rosenthal, a professor in the department, said.

To Hogan, teaching is the easy part. It’s the things that don’t get penciled in on a schedule that she struggles to keep up with.

During the week, Hogan gets to campus to begin teaching at 9 a.m. and doesn’t finish until 5 p.m. Other than an hour and a half for lunch, Hogan spends the rest of her day answering

emails from students, holding office hours, catching up on her research, reading the news, writing, and working on course development. During the registration period, Hogan meets with her advisees to discuss their courses for next semester and graduation requirements. To unwind after her busy week, Hogan most enjoys taking her dog to the park, reading for pleasure, and watching Stranger Things and ’90s movies. She also spends time on Twitter, where she has garnered 800 followers, and discusses topics from children’s television to the signs on College GameDay. As a professor, Hogan not only teaches students, but also forms strong professional relationships with them. She helps students with their research and has used her own experience of academic exploration to encourage students to pursue whatever it is they’re passionate about.

“She definitely enticed me to study things that I’m genuinely interested in,” Alexa Deplas, MCAS ’18, said.

Her advice was well received. Deplas has worked with Hogan as a teaching assistant and shared an incredible moment with Hogan after she found out she had been admitted to law school, with the help of Hogan’s recommendation letter. Other students remark on her warmth in class that makes her approachable and helpful when students need it.

“Her transparency makes her relatable to her students,” Grace Chung, MCAS ’18, said. “She demonstrates humility while being an amazing academic professor.”

Whether it’s dancing around to Hilary Duff ’s “What Dreams Are Made Of ” in class or listing her Twitter handle as part of her contact information on the top of her syllabus, Hogan has made herself accessible to students who can better identify with boy band songs than round-rimmed glasses and pressed Oxford shirts.

Without sacrificing the academic part of professorship, Hogan makes learning fun.

“She loves research, she loves teaching,” Rosenthal said. “It’s just a pleasure to work with her.” n

The Heights

Monday, November 20, 2017

A5

Marino and Li Turn Love of Live Music Into Growing Startup

By Shannon Youngberg Heights Staff

It’s generally understood that college is a time for embracing unfamiliar experiences. Dan Marino and Ben Li, both CSOM ’19, really took this sentiment to heart.

Instead of looking to get involved with pre-existing opportunities on campus, they decided to create their own opportunities from the ground up. Both being interested in entrepreneurship, Marino and Li saw no better way to pursue their passions than by jumping into them head first. During the first semester of their freshman year, they began the process of creating a company now known as Venu.

The two began their collaboration when Marino thought of an idea in which he saw potential, but was looking to gain another perspective from someone who shared his interest in the business world. Li was the only other person he could always count on to attend startup and entrepreneurship events at Boston College, and thus the person he thought should join him in his efforts to develop the company.

Venu is an entity that aims to improve concert-goers’ experiences by providing them with rewards for their loyalty to an artist. As Marino observes, an artist’s interest in his or her fans is consistent and reliable, but a fan’s interest in an artist can be temporary and unpredictable. A dynamic of reciprocity is needed between these two parties in order for both to benefit. The way in which Marino saw this could be accomplished was through his app. The premise of the app is to gather information on its users, the fans, such as what they want more of from the musician. Artists will then use this data when formulating strategies to increase their sales of concert tickets, merchandise, and albums. The users, in turn, will receive rewards as they provide this valuable knowledge. These rewards will include voting on the set lists at concerts, listening to a new song 24 hours before it is released, accessing exclusive content or live streams, and receiving seat upgrades.

Venu serves as the perfect middleman since it provides both the musicians and their followers with what they want.

“The major premise behind Venu is that if artists know who their most valuable fans are and have access to them, they can do amazing things to engage fans, create more loyalty, and ultimately create surreal experiences for their audience,” Marino said.

Marino and Li hope to release the first version of the app by early 2018. In order to reach this goal, they have had to assemble a strong enough network of support to carry them there. Venu works with a rather

unique metaphor that compares the ideal business team to a wheel. This model is something that they have referred to constantly when evaluating those involved with their corporation.

“Each person on the team is supposed to be a different spoke in the wheel,” Marino said. “When someone is too similar to the other, there’s essentially too many people of the same kind, not enough different spokes in the wheel to make the wheel strong and well-rounded. Without the proper amount of spokes, your wheel will fail and collapse.

Build the right team, and you’ll be able to get anywhere you need to go.”

They didn’t always have the most highly functioning “wheel,” however. According to Marino, the progression of Venu was set back by about seven or eight months because they were not working with individuals capable of contributing to what the company needed in order to succeed.

They have since made alterations to their team and are on their way to where they want to be.

“This summer, we realized who the best kind of people to work with are and so we’ve seen a ton of growth and we’re moving really fast at this point now, more than we ever have been, just because we learned our lessons,” Marino said.

According to Marino, the first step in developing an effective team is finding people of integrity, and then ensuring that they possess skills that are valuable to the company. Venu is tech-based, but neither Li nor Marino are technically inclined themselves—they specialize in the business side of things. This required them to recruit individuals who could bring that integral angle to the table. By attending various networking events and making connections with those interested in the tech world, they have assembled what they see as an efficient network of support surrounding Venu. Those involved with the company include undergraduates from BC, and other individuals whom Marino and Li have met while at various networking events.

Marino and Li have turned to the resources on campus to strengthen their efforts. One of these includes The Edmund H. Shea, Jr. Center for Entrepreneurship, which aims to promote the entrepreneurial endeavors of students, and has been an integral part of Venu’s development.

The Elevator Pitch Competition is an annual event organized by the Shea Center in which some of the brightest undergraduates gather to deliver their business ideas to professional venture capitalists in under 60 seconds. This competition is a perfect portrayal of Marino and Li’s rapid progress in their ability to communicate

Have an idea for the metro section?

Email metro@bcheights.com

Sam ZHai / heights Staff

During their first semester on campus, Marino and Li, both CSOM ’19, started a live entertainment company called Venu.

Venu’s vision.

The two first competed in it during their freshman year but lost during the final round. After a year spent solidifying the strategies they would use to gain support from those in the business world, they came back to make their elevator pitch a second time, and won the competition.

According to Marino and Li, the ability to use the event as a networking opportunity was the biggest victory of all.

Another on-campus resource that has proved to be extremely helpful throughout this entire process is John Gallaugher, a professor in the computer science department. Marino and Li first connected with Gallaugher during their freshman year, when they both took his Computers in Management class. Still serving as a mentor to Marino and Li, Gallaugher recognizes the many measures that they have taken to found what could one day be a very successful corporation.

“I really think that the most significant thing [when starting a business] is seeing that tenacity and that commitment to an idea,” Gallaugher said. “Those guys, they’ve learned skills, met with individuals, they’ve got folks that are interested in partnering with them; those are all the things that you want.”

The original concept of Venu actually came about from an assignment in Gallaugher’s class to formulate a business idea and pitch it to their peers. With many adjustments made to the company since then, the only aspect that has remained the same up until now is the name. The extreme alteration of the startup’s original goal can be credited to Marino and Li’s ability to recognize a more important issue in need

of a solution.

Some off-campus resources also played a key role in getting Venu to where it is today. BC alumni such as Tom Coburn, the founder of Jebbit and BC ’13, and Andrew Miller, BC ’11, CGSOM and BC Law ’15, who is now a successful startup lawyer in California, have provided crucial feedback and insight on what turns an idea into an enterprise.

“Starting a company is like a roller coaster, you’re going to go through a lot of ups and downs and if we hadn’t kept [Coburn and Miller] in the loop and had them help us, we may have given up at the early stages,” Marino said.

Despite the unpredictability of this roller coaster, Marino and Li are in a place now where they are hopeful of a steady uphill climb. In order to construct the company in a way so that it might continue on this rise, they have had to make some sacrifices.

Marino and Li will not be studying abroad, like a good portion of students do their junior year, but will be remaining at BC to focus on developing Venu. According to Li, though the business has made some big leaps forward since its creation, they are not yet at the stage where they could function effectively in different time zones than one another, their team, and the artists with whom they are working. Marino and Li feel that this measure is completely necessary and believe there is plenty of time to travel abroad at another point in their lives.

Another action they have had to take to found Venu is channeling some of their personal funds into the development of the the company. According to Marino, they are “bootstrapping it.” Often in the initial stages

of a startup, it’s advisable to refrain from accessing outside investors or sources of funds before the company has the traction to make use of it. To follow this procedure, Marino and Li have been supporting Venu completely out of pocket.

According to Marino and Li, all of these sacrifices are worth it no matter the outcome of Venu. They see this whole venture as a way to expand their understanding of the business world, and they believe there is no better time to start.

“The way we look at it is, starting a company is a win-win no matter what happens,” Marino said. “You’re going to learn a lot and meet great people, and have an awesome time while you’re at it.”

Throughout this entire process, Marino and Li have grown extremely close to one another and have a significant appreciation for what the other contributes to the vision and the progress that Venu has made.

“I’ve never seen someone who is so passionate and dedicated towards the project that both of us started,” Li said about Marino. “When you’re around someone with that energy, it’s hard even for you to feel tired.”

Marino emphasized the idea that a company without momentum isn’t going to accomplish anything. With Li’s focus and drive, those involved with Venu can maintain a consistently high ambition despite any obstacles they may face. Their hopes are high for Venu’s continuous expansion and they are enthusiastically anticipating the future.

“It’s taken some time to get to where we are now, but moving forward from this point, it’s full steam ahead,” Marino said.

“We’re not giving up anytime soon.” n

The Heights

A6

From the editors Giving Thanks I’m thankful for the only city in the world, the tomato soup at Capo, D-list celebrities, the Waitress soundtrack, and the end of my search for a soulmate; for BIG 3, WEEE, once-a-week, The Inbetweeners, Polar seltzer, trips to Taunton and Taco Bell, and being a barely sane team throughout; for four years of Mike Gambino, Jerry York, Katie Crowley, and of course, Steve Addazio; for raising up well past hope, and Gaelic fonts; for Catamounted, Ice Age: the Meltdown, and Har-Har-Harvard; for sleeping on a Mod couch for a week; for Charlottesville and learning what it means to go to camp; for “Hiyas!” and “Oh, hellos!”; for Thanksgivings in Cape Cod and being welcomed to a new family; for Wilmer Flores walkoffs and the Carton House; for two days in Tampa and college hockey; for gazing at Moldovan food menus and getting waffles instead; for Hudl videos of blocked kicks and downfield offensive line tackles; for roommates who write, tackle mice, and see Marvel movies; for unexpected matzoh ball soup and a mutual love of Manu Ginobili; for Creative Cloud after Pops; for new WordPress sites; for the liberal agenda, and those who hold true to their beliefs; for videos about long snappers; for being true to the orange and blue, and learning that the name Michael can’t quite capture who I am; and for the fact that Heights memories can be made well beyond McElroy 113.

Michael Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief I’m thankful for cranberry lime Polar seltzer, fire pits, people named Sydney and Michael, Chick-Fil-A and Taco Bell on the same night, and BC apparel. Today, especially, I am thankful for McElroy 113 and 112, my biz boys, two wonderfully strange and exciting years, and this thing we do called The Heights.

Avita Anand, General Manager I am thankful for the things that get me through production every Sunday night: Taylor Swift’s lyrical genius, the TSG corner, the pumpkin seeds hidden in my desk drawer (that are no longer hidden), and the 41 editors that have served as my rock over the last 12 months.

Taylor St. Germain, Managing Editor I am thankful for coffee, books, and right-wing politics. And Grace Gvodas and Joan Kennedy.

Wouldn’t have been able to do this past year without them.

Anthony Rein, Copy Editor I’m thankful for friends, family, and the special few I’d call both.

Alec Greaney, A1 Editor I am thankful for :: double colons, the color pink, camouflage, Google currency conversion, AmazonFresh, ~glitter~, women, susie, tommy p., emmy, benny, Mac’s breakfast sandwich, a full night’s sleep. And as always :: i am thankful for the Adobe Suite, turtlenecks, camp, people who call me “Abigail,” my dad’s pork tenderloin, cheese curds & ranch, gold chains, the stars, Bruce’s “Rosalita,” and the Midwest.

Abigail Paulson, Creative Director I’m thankful for the scene in a movie that I don’t think exists yet where all the living U.S. presidents have to team up to save the world and at the beginning they go around to all their respective locales to try to convince them and George W. Bush is just painting a portrait of a German Shepherd in his garage.

Connor Murphy, News Editor I’m thankful for friends, family, food, foam, and the aging couch in The Heights office—even when there might be a mouse hiding underneath it.

Riley Overend, Sports Editor I am thankful for people watching on long T rides. I am thankful for streetlights on a foggy night. I am thankful for black coffee, brisk fall mornings, and the sound of rain on rooftops.

Caleb Griego, Scene Editor The three years I’ve spent working on The Heights have brought a bizarre sort of happiness and warmth into my cold, dead heart. I’m thankful for the columns, the pancakes, STET, and above all, the people I’ve met (although I will never admit it to any of them, because I have to maintain my emotionless façade at all costs).

Archer Parquette, Features Editor The views expressed in the above editorials represent the official position of The Heights, as discussed and written by the Editorial Board. A list

The

Heights Established 1919

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College

Michael Sullivan, Editor-in-Chief Avita Anand, General Manager Taylor St. Germain, Managing Editor

I am thankful for the unending support of my friends and my family (Heights and back home), and for the small collection of plants on my windowsill that haven’t died on me yet (although one is starting to shrivel a bit ... Let’s keep our fingers crossed).

Madeleine D’Angelo, Metro Editor I’m thankful for the continual love and support of my family, all the friends I’ve made in my life, new and old, the sunsets on Upper Campus, the magic of Paul Pogba, and for anything and everything that the future may bring. Most of all, I’m thankful for my time on The Heights, the family that we’ve grown to become in McElroy 113, and the memories and experiences on this paper that I’ll cherish for a lifetime. And also Taylor St. Germain, Alec Greaney, Michael Sullivan, and Connor Murphy. The best parents, grandfather, and politically incorrect uncle anyone could ask for.

Leo Confalone, Opinions Editor Endlessly thankful for the remix to “Ignition” and those who understand why, the basement of McElroy and all the people that have made it feel like home for the past two years, the little state an hour south and all the people in it, and for golden hour and the people that appreciate it with me.

Also, thankful for the little things like cookie dough, Matt Berninger’s voice, denim jackets, ambient light, caffeine, bass lines, cameras, the dungeon of Devlin Hall. Finally, shoutout to my Adidas for making it through the semester without falling apart completely.

Julia Hopkins, Photography Editor I’m thankful for friends that carry me, family that supports me, and my dog who is the man.

Max Roth, Online Manager I’m thankful for my friends and family who for some reason still put up with my shenanigans, the existence of penicillin, and Krispy Kreme.

I’m also thankful for the fact that my parents adopted two cats without telling me and to whom I have not yet been introduced. Gotta keep life spicy.

Steven Everett, Layout Editor I am eternally grateful for my crazy friends and loving family, my dear home in New Jersey, the Christmas season, the Rat’s spicy peanut sauce, and sleeping in past 12.

Madison Mariani, Layout Editor I’m thankful for my family and my friends who make my life warmer. I am also thankful for music, stars, and good food.

Meg Dolan, Graphics Editor I’m thankful for my incredibly loving parents, dogs with soul, dancing, fishing, running, The Office, tall mountains, and “I love yous.”

Zoe Fanning, Graphics Editor I’m thankful for my family, friends, and chapstick. I’m thankful for the greatest country in the world, Texas. I’m most thankful for the fact that my mom didn’t let me change my name to “Lizard” in the third grade.

Joan Kennedy, Associate Copy Editor I am thankful for making music videos to Beyonce songs with my four little sisters, good books, things that make me laugh, chamomile tea, and all the kind and intelligent and spunky friends I have made this year on The Heights.

Grace Gvodas, Assistant Copy Editor I’m thankful for the endless laughs I have with Heidi Dong. And, of course, Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow.”

Chris Russo, Associate News Editor I’m thankful for Amazon Prime’s free two-day shipping, the one and only Chris Russo, candy canes, strangers with dogs, and The Heights.

Heidi Dong, Assistant News Editor I’m thankful for Paul McCartney, J.K. Rowling, John Cleese, the Beach Boys’ Christmas album, and Snapple.

Annabel Steele, Associate Sports Editor I’m thankful for my family and friends, as well as pretty much every sport in existence (besides poker, if that even is a sport). But most of all, I’m thankful for Sam Hinkie.

Anders Backstrom, Assistant Sports Editor of the members of the Editorial Board can be found at bcheights.com/opinions.

Monday, November 20, 2017

I am thankful for my family and Alissa, for the guys in the Walsh 8-man, for my friends back home, and for all of the good movies that have come out this year. I am also thankful for The Heights, for giving me friends, family, and a huge time commitment for which I don’t get paid.

Jacob Schick, Associate Scene Editor I am forever grateful for my parents and my sister, Amelia, my best friend on this planet. I’m also thankful for writing, and for The Heights for encouraging and challenging me to develop the skill. And I’ll always appreciate inspiring classes, caffeine, long walks, and the priceless world of arts.

Isabella Dow, Assistant Scene Editor I’m thankful for my family as always, Michael for letting me sing “Hallelujah” twice in a row in the car which is true love, Connor, who taught me what “my person” means because he is mine, the sports team, the boys who always greet me with Oh, Hello!, the light grey chair that is my favorite, the Waitress soundtrack, the ghosts of editors past that live in Vouté, the Amtrak Northeast Corridor, and Mod 36B, and everyone who has made my three years at BC feel like four.

Shannon Kelly, Assistant Features Editor I’m thankful for my five crazy roommates who make our cramped, messy six-man feel like home.

Will Batchelor, Assistant Metro Editor This year, I am thankful for all the good people, good food, and good photos in my life. Shoutouts to my family for their support, Walsh for keeping me entertained, The Heights, and lifelong friends I can always count on.

Amelie Trieu, Associate Photo Editor I’m thankful for my wacky/incredibly talented family, my bad ass friends, and (especially) my dog, who’s definitely the cutest dog ever and I will fight anyone about this. I’m also grateful for the comedic genius of Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Fallon.

Lizzy Barrett, Assistant Photo Editor I’m thankful for food videos, Fall Out Boy, and the new 280 character limit on Twitter.

Hannah McLaughlin, Social Media Manager I’m thankful for my friends and family and for the 3 (2.6 if you want to be picky) great years I’ve had on The Heights.

Francisco Ruela, Jr., Multimedia Editor

I am thankful for my healthy body, supportive family, and The Heights for giving me opportunities to learn something new every day. Also, chocolate ice cream. Always chocolate ice cream.

Always.

D.J. Recny, Executive Assistant

I am thankful for my ridiculously loving parents and my wildly compassionate friends. I am thankful for late night movie projections on our bed sheet in Walsh 410 and the city of Boston for just existing. I am also thankful for The Heights and the entire cast of Chicago for illuminating this past semester with laughter and lasting memories.

Barrette Janney, Editorial Assistant I am thankful for my family, my friends, my dog, Kyrie Irving, Chipotle, and these past four years here at Boston College.

Jack Powers, Business Manager

I am thankful for family, for friends, and for friends who are like family (Tricias, nasty gals, rough riders). I’m thankful for Fuel lattes, the walk off campus, my oversized jean jacket that makes everything an “outfit,” Rupi Kaur memes and the people who laugh at them with me, and the entirety of Stokes South. But mostly, I’m thankful for my time on The Heights, because it introduced me to some of the best people on this campus <3.

Kelsey McGee, Outreach Coordinator

I am thankful for my planner, country music, and Chick-Fil-A. I am even more thankful for the opportunities I have been given this past year and the best family anyone could ask for.

Kipp Milone, Collections Manager

I’m thankful for my family, my friends here and at home, 50 Undine, A Tribe Called Quest, and whoever scouts wide receivers for the Steelers.

William McCarthy, Account Manager

I’m thankful for my friends and family, Aruba, Post Malone (specifically Stoney), the movie Dodgeball, and Daniel Negreanu.

Mike Rosmarin, Account Manager

I’m thankful for my family, all my friends, and Drake’s ghostwriter.

Chris Chilton, On-Campus Ads Manager

I am thankful for my loving and generous parents, goofy—but most of the time cute—sister, wild dogs and cats, and the best girlfriend in the world.

Griffin Elliott, Systems Manager

Letter to the Editor A Response to “Students Express Disappointment, Excitement at End of MCAS Honors” In mid-October, students and faculty members of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program were notified via email that the program would be terminated after the graduation of the Class of 2021. Although the decision came after “several years of deliberation about the future of the Honors Program,” many students were shocked and saddened not only by the decision, but by the fact that many students felt as if they were not consulted on how they viewed the Honors Program and how it has positively or negatively affected their Boston College experience. Although students were told that the decision came after speaking with students, I have yet to meet a single student in the Honors Program who knew that this decision was coming—or was even in the realm of possibility.

However, despite a unified push by students to fight the closing of the program, it has been made clear that no student efforts will change a decision that was made long before the students were even notified. A few weeks have passed since the initial letter sent by Dean Kalscheur, and while emotions are still running high surrounding the unexpected closing of the program, Honors students should now focus their energy on holding the University accountable on their promise that no professors would lose their jobs after the closing of the program.

While some faculty in the Honors Program also teach in other departments, there are a number of faculty members who have dedicated their teaching and research solely within the Honors Program. For the honors faculty members who are based out of other departments (such as

history or English), the transition into teaching full-time in their respective departments is fairly straightforward. However, for those professors who teach full-time solely within the Honors Program, the transition is not as clear.

Those professors who teach solely in Honors should without a doubt be guaranteed positions within the 4-year Perspectives Program. The existence of the Perspectives Program, as described in the email from Dean Kalscheur, provides BC students with a similar “interdisciplinary great books program with an integrative approach to the liberal arts, grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition.” Therefore, full-time Honors Program professors have the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to serve as full-time professors within the Perspectives Program.

The professors in the Honors Program have truly dedicated their careers to their students’ academic and personal development. The closing of the program should not by any means lead to any professors having to substantially change the focus of the courses they teach. Guaranteeing Honors Professors positions within the Perspectives Program makes the most sense, especially since a former Honors Professor will now be in charge of the Perspectives Program.

Professors in the Honors Program have spent years perfecting their curricula and teaching styles, and current Honors students have benefited greatly from their knowledge, kindness, and passion. I urge the University to stand by its word and act justly in guaranteeing full-time employment for all Honors professors.

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.

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.

Solina Jean-Louis, MCAS ’18

Editorial Anthony Rein, Copy Editor Alec Greaney, A1 Editor Abby Paulson, Creative Director Connor Murphy, News Editor Riley Overend, Sports Editor Caleb Griego, Scene Editor Archer Parquette, Features Editor Madeleine D’Angelo, Metro Editor Leo Confalone, Opinions Editor Julia Hopkins, Photo Editor Max Roth, Online Manager

Business and Operations Steven Everett, Layout Editor Madison Mariani, Layout Editor Meg Dolan, Graphics Editor Zoe Fanning, Graphics Editor Joan Kennedy, Assoc. Copy Editor Grace Gvodas, Asst. Copy Editor Chris Russo, Assoc. News Editor Heidi Dong, Asst. News Editor Annabel Steele, Assoc. Sports Editor Anders Backstrom, Asst. Sports Editor

Jacob Schick, Assoc. Scene Editor Isabella Dow, Asst. Scene Editor Shannon Kelly, Asst. Features Editor William Batchelor, Asst. Metro Editor Amelie Trieu, Assoc. Photo Editor Lizzy Barrett, Asst. Photo Editor Hannah McLaughlin, Social Media Director Francisco Ruela, Jr., Multimedia Editor DJ Recny, Executive Assistant Barrette Janney, Editorial Assistant

Jack Powers, Business Manager Kelsey McGee, Outreach Coordinator Kipp Milone, Collections Manager Will McCarthy, Account Manager Mike Rosmarin, Account Manager Chris Chilton, On-Campus Ads Manager Griffin Elliott, Systems Manager

The Heights

Monday, November 20, 2017

A7

A Eulogy for the Old Rat 69

69

Josh Behrens The Last One - I can’t believe I’m writing this, but the day has finally come. This will be the last time my thumbs do the talking. Over the course of the past year, these thumbs have had their ups and downs, but today, it all comes to an end. Let me take this moment to say thank you to any loyal readers of this section out there, if you even exist. You’ve been given a window into my turbulent life over the past year, a spilling of my thoughts I reserve for few other spaces. Thumbs Up Thumbs Down has been my rock, my place for emotional expression on a deeper level. I will forever cherish not only the time I got to spend with this section, but also everything that happened along the way that inspired these pieces. You can’t always control what happens to you in life, but you can control how you react to what does. In these columns, I’ve reacted to some things better than others, but at least I’ve always had this place to do so, and for that, I’ll always be grateful.

New Opportunities - Like I just said, you can’t always determine how life is going to pan out, but what you can do is take the opportunities before you. You can work to make your life as close to the image of what you want it to be, and you can always remember the people, places, and experiences that have helped you to get to where you want to be. Life moves fast, and a year can fly by in the blink of an eye. But we’re here now, and it’s up to us to make the most of it 69

I was studying at one of the brandnew tables in the basement of Lyons outside of the cafeteria commonly known as the Rat when a red-vested tour guide came strolling in with his large tour group. He stopped for a moment to let the holy trinities of mom, dad, and their high school kid gawk at the Rat’s translucent floor-to-ceiling windows and the white granite floors so well-polished that you can almost see your reflection.

Someone on the tour let out an audible gasp. Comments and questions included: “Look how beautiful it is!”; “Couldn’t you imagine eating lunch here honey?” and “This is sure as hell different from when I went here.”

That one random Boston College dad is right. In case you’re an underclassman or have just never wanted to eat in a dining hall with the namesake of a rodent, the basement of Lyons has changed drastically over the past couple years.

The Rat, apparently named “Lyons Hall Dining” and/or “Welch Dining Room” according to the BC website (which I promise you no one has ever called it), transformed from a gray, dingy cafeteria to the oppressively white and shiny home of BC’s fourth salad bar.

If you can’t tell from my characterization of the change (or the admittedly dramatic title of this column for that matter), I truly hate the so-called “improved” Rat. It was an unnecessary renovation and destroyed one of my favorite places on campus.

During my freshman and sophomore year, the Rat was my favorite place to eat lunch. Sure, Eagle’s was great and all.

Their caesar salads drowning in dressing with popcorn chicken that make you feel good about yourself even though you’re eating a literal cholesterol bomb are rightfully among the upper echelon of BC dining. But waiting in line and finding a seat in Eagle’s, especially with a bunch of friends, is a bigger headache than the BC Bookstore’s criminal prices

downstairs.

The Rat, though, provided a respite from the sterile lunch experience found at Lower or Mac, and the Black Fridayesque lines at Eagles. The feeling of sitting in the Rat was unlike anything on campus. The dark reddish tile floors and closed-off entryway made you feel secluded even though you were in the middle of campus, your own personal paradise.

You’d roll up and scour the room, deciding between the many open spots.

Whether or not you were meeting people there, you felt comfortable sitting down at a table and staking your claim to a couple of chairs, laying out your laptop and books in the prime position to pretend like you’re studying while actually procrastinating before your 3 p.m. class.

Then you’d venture in to get food.

You could get the lo mein with chicken that’s at least 67-percent rubber and peppers, so greasy that they squeak when you try and pick them up. Or you could get the pretzels that rotate beautifully under golden light but are always overcooked and disappointing. Or if it’s Thursday, you can get the mac and cheese that transports you straight back to your elementary school cafeteria.

I fell in love with the Rat despite its less-than-stellar food choices (besides its mac and cheese, which is to die for. And its coffee—especially Central Highlands Blend, which is leagues above the sludge they call “coffee” at Mac and Lower).

Perhaps it was because of the lack of culinary choices that far less people chose to eat in the Rat. Perhaps it was because of the dreary interior. Whatever it was, the Rat became a second home on campus for those of us that frequented it and came to love its quirks.

Many of my favorite BC conversations happened in the Rat, those conversations they tell you at orientation that you’ll have about Descartes, the role of sexism in everyday life, the meaning of a BC education, and whether frogs do indeed give you warts. I believe these powerful conversations only happened because of the Rat’s atmosphere, the calming milieu created by dark floors, good coffee, bad food, and not too many people.

But the old Rat can’t come to the

phone right now. Why? Because it’s dead.

Like Taylor Swift, the new Rat is oppressively white, cliché, and too popular for its own good. The administration went in, ripped out the floors and bleached everything to complement the state-of-the-art salad bar added last year. People came in droves, turning the calm secret into the hottest new eating spot. The Rat is now a clone of Eagle’s, with the lines and lack of seating to boot. They don’t even offer the Central Highlands Coffee Blend even more, which feels like a personal attack on top of everything else.

I know I sound like a rusty old senior ranting against the ever-turning wheel of progress, a neo-Luddite bashing inevitable improvements. And I know that our school has larger and more important issues that need to be addressed.

Yet, it’s clear that there’s something lost when we as a school pursue shiny new additions to the Heights as ends in themselves.

We are in the midst of a frantic race to the top of the university charts, a race whose winner is determined in part by the number of flashy amenities you can brag about on a college tour. The destruction of the old Rat is simply another symptom of BC’s disease: the pursuit of prestige above all else.

The whole ethos of a university—the pursuit of truth—falls to the wayside as millions of dollars are spent on building fancier dorm rooms, salad bars, and plazas with trees instead of the more pressing needs of professors or students. Our Catholic mission is drowned in an ocean of donor money that seeks to shape the University in a polished yet vacuous image. Are we choosing salad bars over livable wages for graduate student workers? Polished white floors over resources for marginalized students? Image over substance?

Gone are the days of quiet conversation over disappointing pretzels and the best coffee at BC. RIP “the Rat” (and Central Highlands Blend). I miss you already.

Josh Behrens is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

Diversifying Our Sources of News JUUL And Every thing About This Trend - I’ve come out against this new trend of JUULing before, but as it becomes a larger issue, I feel the need to comment again. This stupid and detrimental habit has become so prevalent that The Boston Globe decided to cover its rise. New research has revealed that inhaling JUUL vapor can potentially lead to gum disease and other adverse health effects, such as making it harder for one’s lungs to repair damage. Furthermore, the young people using JUULs are addicting themselves to nicotine, and paving the way for developing a cigarette addiction later in life. JUULs have become dangerously popularized among teenagers and some even younger, without ample consideration for the impact that smoking an e-cig can have in the future.

Some kids use JUULs so much that they become addicted, and to be addicted to anything in that way at such a young age is truly dangerous.

Although JUUL says that its products are for users aged 21 or older, kids and teenagers are getting their hands on these devices, and the fruity flavorings that the company produces certainly does not deter them from using them. In truth, JUUL is a habit that our generation needs to kick now in order to set an example for our younger siblings and younger generations alike.

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Joanna Yuelys I have written many of my columns about the dichotomies I face at Boston College. Diametric opposition is fascinating to me because it compartmentalizes two sides of an argument in a way that strips the issue of its complexities.

Dichotomies are comfortable, familiar, and dangerous. There is a certain comfort associated with stark ideological contrasts because they simplify an issue and help us put information into boxes.

The first thing I do when I wake up is check my phone. I’d like to think that this is primarily because I need to know what time it is (I’m a millennial, so of course I don’t have a clock on my bedside table.)

But a lot of the time I think I check it quickly because of the anxiety that comes with being disconnected from the world for six or more hours.

I have a number of news apps on my phone, all set to give me notifications. Once I address any urgent text messages in the morning, I move to my deep dive of the previous night’s global events. I have vivid memories of every time I have woken up to bad news from my friends and family, and also every time I have checked my phone and seen a tragic current event. Before I get out of bed, I have a good handle on what is going on both personally and in the world, for better or for worse.

The Russian Times’ coverage of the Middle East is fundamentally different than that of the BBC, and both are from a completely different

perspective than Al Jazeera. These are generally political in genre, but these discrepancies in coverage also apply to other categories of publications.

The Wall Street Journal’s take on the economic externalities of an event often falls far from MSNBC’s, and both take a different angle than Bloomberg.

This process can be repeated through all sorts of categories of media beyond the political and economic, and all of this in conjunction can be frustrating and exhausting.

I try to expose myself to as many voices as possible in order to fully inform my opinions on current events.

My podcast app seats liberal commentators next to conservative ones because I believe that it is vital to understand the political climate as it is presented from as many different perspectives as possible. I pay attention to who owns different publications, and what their motivations may be for what is reported and where journalistic resources go.

Maybe I do this because I am so attracted to these stark contrasts. My phone is a stream of constant information six inches from my face, and I need some way to process what I am taking in so I do not get overwhelmed and step away.

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of articles about how our phones make us more stressed, ruin our attention spans, and contribute negatively to the human experience overall. There is truth to this, but I have found that by paying attention to my phone, I become more ingrained into my global community.

The news used to stress me out.

When I was younger, I would watch the news with my parents for an hour and walk away heavy-hearted and worried about the state of the world.

As I have grown up, I have realized that constant sensationalizing of

issues is a key tenant of the profitdriven structure of the media, and that often what is being reported is less important than what is not.

By trying to understand the issues at the extremes, I aim to triangulate something closer to objective truth.

Synthesizing biased narratives feels and often is futile, as there can never be truth without a slant, but I feel that in order to be a global citizen I need to educate myself in the fullest capacity possible.

My cynicism has driven me to become a more pragmatic consumer of information, and by incorporating these contrasts into my media experience I am able to process it in such a way that does not become paralyzing.

But my reliance on diametric opposition is a heuristic that often feels like cheating. I desperately seek objectivity in the news, and I think this is the fastest way. This produces a cognitive dissonance in that I know that what I am reading is important for the way it recounts an event, but I cannot trust its narrative unequivocally.

And this is all assuming that there is some truth behind what is reported.

When “fake news” comes into play, I just want to step back and ignore everything. If there is the possibility for a story to be completely unfounded, I sometimes want to just stop.

But I realize that my responsibility as a global citizen is to try my hardest to understand the world. If I need to resort to my comfortable contrasts in order to do so, I know I must approach them with a critical lens.

Consuming the news is not a passive activity, but it is work that I feel is vital in understanding what surrounds me.

Joanna Yuelys is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

The opinions and commentaries of the op-ed columnists and cartoonists appearing on this page represent the views of the author or artist of that particular piece, and not necessarily the views of The Heights. Any of the columnists and artists for the Opinions section of The Heights can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

We Need Our Sleep Rachel Loos

Like most people, one of my favorite parts of the day is when I get to finally climb into bed, and pull the covers up around my face. I recently got a new lavender-colored duvet cover to keep me warm in my drafty Mod bedroom, and now it is all I can think about when I’m out.

At night, I like to put on my matching pajama set and fuzzy socks, then layer on the blankets so I feel like I’m inside a giant egg. In the morning, I pretend I’m hatching. I just really love sleeping.

Ironically, I had to cut my nap short to finish this column, and I still submitted it about a week late. Lately, I have been getting extra sleep. This could be because the seasonal change in daylight hours is making me more depressed and tired, or it might be due to the cold weather that makes my bed seem even more appealing. Either way, I have noticed that I need more sleep than most college students.

I try to get between eight and nine hours a night. I take a mood stabilizer that can increase drowsiness, which caused problems in high school when I would frequently doze off in class. Now I can usually just skip class if I think I’ll be too tired to stay awake. Intense dreams are another documented side effect of the medication. I keep a plain composition notebook next to my bed to document these vivid, hyper realistic dreams.

They make my brain feel like an internal film festival.

I need my sleep. Sleep is so important to my general health, as well as my mental wellbeing. Going too long without sleeping, or having several nights of shortened sleep, could lead to a psychotic break.

Getting enough sleep is especially difficult on a campus like Boston College where we are all such overachievers.

Most people have to balance their clubs, jobs, school work, and social lives. With a limited amount of time in each day, these other activities must compete with sleep. An extra few hours out of bed could mean the difference between passing and failing, It pains me around midterms and finals to hear people proudly share how little sleep they have been getting. Exam weeks become almost like competitions to see who can go the longest without sleep. Some of the most productive, overinvolved, and inspiring people I know sleep very little. But I know that, at least for me, sleep is important for letting me do all the things I do. I find that I am less creative, producing fewer and less valuable ideas when I am sleep deprived.

Unsurprisingly, research has shown that sleep has a big impact on learning. Sleep deprivation affects memory, cognition, motivation, and the ability to maintain attention. It is also associated with irritability and other mood issues.

That’s why I’m baffled when people stay up all night studying for exams. I would much rather spend fewer hours studying, and get a good night’s sleep.

We would probably get the same grade anyway.

Since the popularization of wearable activity trackers, sleep habits of young adults have been the subject of much research. A recent study from Jawbone, which makes a tracker called UP, compiled the sleep habits of thousands of students on college campuses. They found that, students are actually getting more sleep than was previously thought, about seven hours during the week and slightly more on weekends.

Women tended to sleep more, which makes sense as some research has shown that women tend to need about 20 more minutes on average. And it was found that students at higher- ranked schools went to bed later, but did not get less sleep on average.

So maybe sleep deprivation is not as big an issue as it seems. Your friends are probably not as sleep deprived as they have been saying, so it’s worthwhile to rest up when you can. It’s all a matter of balancing how much you want to accomplish with how good you want to feel.

Rachel Loos is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

The Heights

A8

Monday, November 20, 2017

Murakami Exhibit Showcases Japanese Contemporary Art

By Isabel Fenoglio For The Heights After opening to the public on Oct. 8, the Museum of Fine Arts’s newest exhibit, Takashi Murakami: Lineage of Eccentrics, has attracted everything from art-loving intellectuals to tourists snapping selfies. Last week, however, the crowd was different.

Sprawled out on the colorful floor covering of Takashi Murakami’s work entitled Field of Smiling Flowers were children, carefully drawing the colorful swirls and figures on the ground beneath them and the canvases surrounding them.

Lineage of Eccentrics, which runs through April 12, juxtaposes 12 of Murakami’s works with over 30 pieces from the MFA’s worldrenowned collection of Japanese art. The pieces create a dialogue between traditional and contemporary Japanese art—to link the past and the present.

Widely considered as one the most prominent contemporary Japanese artists of his time, Murakami’s colorful designs are instantly recognizable by the public. He is also regarded for collaborations in the music and fashion industries. The cover art for Kanye West’s 2007 album Graduation was designed by Murakami, and he has worked with brands such as Louis Vuitton and Supreme.

Lineage of Eccentrics came to fruition thanks to a long-standing partnership between the MFA and Murakami. In 2001, the MFA unveiled Murakami’s first major exhibit in the US, Takashi Murakami: Made in Japan. Sixteen years later, Murakami is back in Boston, and, according to Anne Nishimura Morse, William and Helen Pounds Curator of Japanese art, his work reflects a clear shift in style.

“Takashi’s work has become much more introspective,” Morse said.

Concerned with post-war Japan, and

tremendously influenced by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011, Morse also explained that Murakami’s work seeks to address the themes of impermanence and the transience of human life, and answer the questions, “Where are we all going? What is our future?”

In his search to answer these questions, Morse noted that Murakami has “increasingly embraced the historical elements of Japanese art,” largely in part due to increased collaboration with his mentor Nobuo Tsuji, a notable Japanese art historian. The exhibit takes its name from Tsuji’s book Lineage of Eccentrics.

For that matter, Takashi Murakami: Lineage of Eccentrics is not merely a conversation between traditional and contemporary works of art, but three people: Murakami, Tsuji, and Morse—the artist, the scholar, and the curator.

“It was very much a dialogue among the three of us about which pieces to include,” Morse said.

The exhibit opens with Transcendent Attacking a Whirlwind, a new piece created specially for the MFA. Nearly 33 feet long, the painting draws inspiration from a sixpanel folding screen of the same title, created

by Soga Shohaku in 1764. Describing himself as a “spiritual heir” to Shohaku, Murakami applies the same unorthodox and eccentric approach to painting. Borrowing the whirlwind and swirl motif common in Shohaku’s work, Murakami expresses volume and movement while simultaneously compressing the surface of the canvas.

This reflects Murakami’s theory Superflat, the intentional flattening of a composition both visually and metaphorically.

Superflat reflects the aesthetic tradition of Japanese art, along with the nature of postwar Japanese culture and society. Murakami argues that the power of Japanese art resides in its flatness.

Isabel Fenoglio / For the Heights

Featuring 12 of Murakami’s works, the MFA’s newest exhibit has drawn huge crowds since opening in October.

The second gallery follows the theme of animation, which Tsuji argues does not originate exclusively from Western tradition, but rather Japanese tradition, specifically 12th- and 13th-century handscrolls. Reading from right to left, viewers roll out these picture scrolls, and by doing so the figures appear to move. Night Attack on Sanjo Palace, a 23-foot long handscroll and one of the MFA’s most coveted pieces, was selected for this gallery.

Kazari, or the “will to decorate” comprises the focus of the third gallery. Dominated

by Murakami’s piece Kawaii—Vacances: Summer Vacation in the Kingdom of the Golden, flowers with expressive faces and cascading vegetation set against a gold-leaf background decorate the canvas, reflecting Murakami’s contemporary take on traditional motifs. Originally created as part of a display at Versailles in 2010, this piece attempts to elevate viewers’ appreciation of installation art.

“In the West, we largely think of paintings

For The Heights What do cybersecurity, watercolor illustrations, college football, and the Big Bang Theory have in common?

All were lecture topics at Newton Inspires, an annual celebration of lifelong learning put on by the Newton Schools Foundation (NSF) highlighting the intellect and talent of Newton community members.

The lectures were held in three sessions on Monday at Newton South High School. Newton residents who pre-registered for the event selected one lecture to attend per session, each of which lasted for 35 minutes.

Around 500 people registered for the event, and walk-ins were welcome.

Those who opted to walk-in were automatically enrolled in a lecture during each of the sessions. The event was free for all Newton residents.

According to Marcia Tabenken, president of the board of Newton Schools Foundation, the idea for Newton Inspires originated seven years ago as a means of uniting the community and bringing attention to some of its most accomplished residents. Board members Rosemarie Mullin and Julie Sall played key roles in its creation.

“There’s such an abundance of talent and creativity and intellect in Newton, and we wanted to highlight that in an event that brought the community together around learning,” Tabenken said.

Newton Inspires is one of the ways in which the NSF fulfills its purpose of supporting Newton public schools through fundraising . The money raised through corporate and indi-

period in response to Dragon and Clouds, by Shohaku, this painting embodies the theme of eccentricity essential to Japanese art history. Swooping red strokes splash across the canvas, evoking intensity and emotion.

“Viewers can feel his presence in the work of art itself,” Morse said. “In contrast to previous works which are usually polished and sophisticated, by putting himself directly into the piece, the result was a work both dynamic and primal in nature.”

Dragon in Clouds-Red Mutation embodies the underlying message of the exhibit, that eccentricity is essential to understanding both traditional and contemporary Japanese art. And Morse hopes that visitors receive the message in addition to gaining fresh insights about the intersections between traditional and contemporary Japanese art.

“Many people come in saying ‘I don’t get Murakami,’” Morse said. “My goal is for the public to come out and say, ‘Now I finally get it, I know where he is coming from.’” n

Completing Your Circle Madeleine D’Angelo

Chloe Mcallaster / For the heights

‘Newton Inspires’ Highlights Local Talent

By Chloe McAllaster

as fine art and everything else as decorative arts, but in Japan there is not as much of a distinction,” Morse said.

By transforming an entire space into a work of art, kazari seeks to transport viewers into an alternate reality, one of imagination.

Asobi, or playfulness, dominates the fourth gallery. Murakami’s painting Lots, Lots of Kaikai and Kiki, is juxtaposed with traditional representations of Japanese monsters, along with Nakamura Kabuki Theater

by Hishikawa Moronobu, and Tug-of-war with a Demon by Shohaku Asahina. The figures Kaikai and Kiki testify to the influence of manga and anime on Murakami’s work, but their origins are rooted in tradition, not merely popular culture.

Lineage of Eccentrics closes with the never-before-seen piece Dragon in CloudsRed Mutation: The version I painted myself in annoyance after Professor Tsuji told me, “Why don’t you paint something yourself for once?” Created by Murakami in a 24-hour

vidual sponsorship goes directly to the schools’ most innovative programs.

“There’s the financial impact of sponsorship, which has been to fund a variety of really cool programs in the schools … We’re really a fundraising organization just to support Newton public schools,” Tabenken said.

In the program, a letter from David Fleishman, superintendent of schools, listed a number of such programs funded by Newton Inspires.

These include elementary school instrumental music enrichment, interdisciplinary high school coursework, programs to narrow the achievement gap, middle school peer leadership, and professional development in writing for kindergarten through eighth grade.

This was the second year Newton Inspires had sponsors, one of the only changes the event has undergone since its advent.

This year ’s primar y sponsors were The Village Bank, Chestnut Hill Realty, Mark Development, and The Street Chestnut Hill.

All food and beverages were donated by local businesses, including Anna’s Taqueria, Blue Ribbon Barbeque, L’Aroma Cafe, and Peet’s Coffee and Tea. According to Tabenken, the funds from sponsorship and donations act as additional money to promote educational excellence in the public schools.

“Innovative, creative programs that wouldn’t be possible within the confines of the Newton public schools operating budget,” Tabenken said.

Tabenken also emphasized that Newton Inspires is made unique by the fact that it is completely free and

features multiple speakers with ties to the same community as attendees. “[Newton Inspires] brings a lot of Newton talent together and it brings members of the community together … There aren’t a lot of free events in Newton that highlight Newton that are open to the community,” Tabenken said.

This year’s event had 16 speakers who gave lectures on a wide range of topics, but a typical year features closer to 20 speakers.

Each year in preparation for Newton Inspires, the NSF sends past attendees a survey asking if they have suggestions for speakers. In addition to these responses, the NSF relies on newspaper articles, the radio, television, and social media to find other community members with interesting experiences, careers, or businesses.

All speakers are connected to Newton in some way, either as Newton residents, graduates of Newton public schools, or proprietors of local businesses.

Lectures touched on topics of popular culture, medicine, finance, sports, art, law, science, and food. Featured speakers included Ty Burr, film critic for The Boston Globe; Giovanni G. Fazio, Ph.d., senior physicist at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; and Hon. Judith A. Cowin, a former Justice (ret.) of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.

As some of Newton’s most accomplished, these speakers shared experiences of personal trial and triumph, offered practical advice, and informed attendees of breakthroughs in their fields. At its core, Newton Inspires is a reminder that learning and curiosity need not end with adulthood. n

Three years ago on a Saturday morning, I took the Newton bus to main gate, and then the Commonwealth Ave. bus to the Graveyard stop. It was actually couple stops too early considering that I needed to get to Cleveland Circle, something that I figured out after a moment of confusion. But I walked the rest of the way.

I was on a mission, you see, covering my first ever story for The Heights: The redevelopment of the Cleveland Circle Cinema.

After serving the Cleveland Circle community for decades, the movie theater had shut its doors nine years ago, and the neighboring Applebee’s had followed suit just that past summer. The result was a large chunk of land perfectly perched on the outskirts of Boston, and ripe with potential for development.

I made my way down Commonwealth Ave. quickly, the exposed skin on my hands and face already protesting the Boston wind. Eventually, I passed something that looked like a defunct swimming pool, the deep, light-blue expanse carpeted with dead leaves, which made me worry that I was going in the wrong direction. Inconspicuously, I pulled out my phone and opened Google maps—just to check.

Thankfully, the maps told me that I was headed in the right direction. I continued straight, following a trail of crushed beer cans that shone blue against the concrete until I reached a large, vacant parking lot to my right. On one side of the parking lot was a small, house-like building with a brown roof—this had been the Applebee’s. I raised my small pointand-shoot camera, and snapped a picture.

Then I walked to the other side of the parking lot toward a towering concrete building. It was all clean lines and square angles, straightforward modern with big windows that had once allowed visitors a glimpse of passing traffic. Now, the windows were largely papered over, and vines crept up the side of the building, marring its clean lines. I circled around to the back, peeking inside and noticing a light flicker on and off.

I made my way back to the front, tilting my head up to look at the

CIRCLE sign, a beloved neighborhood landmark that the developers planned to refurbish and place atop the finished hotel complex.

Raising my camera to take one last picture, I turned my back on the abandoned buildings, and retraced my steps up Commonwealth Ave., making my way back to campus.

I watched the redevelopment in consistent snatches. One trip to the Reservoir T station as I made my way to the Boston Society of Architects revealed the arrival of construction trucks.

The next, on a trip to visit an exhibit of fashion photography at the MFA, heralded the demolition of both the empty buildings. For over a hundred stories that followed, I made my way downtown for protests, exhibits, restaurant openings, and obscure fake buildings squeezed in between other buildings. And, with each story, I watched the poles and scaffolding slowly rise from the ground.

Unsurprisingly, the structure grew taller as the months passed, then a year, then two years. It filled in, finally looking something a real hotel instead of the skeleton of one, like a place where I could one day image people living.

Not too long ago, workers replaced the iconic CIRCLE sign, raising it up and positioning it so that it looks right over the busy intersection. With a shock, I realized that the redevelopment itself would be complete any day now.

Time had passed by strangely in a blink of an eye, and inching story by story all at the same time. I felt nostalgic, in the way that one can’t help but feel when faced with a physical marker of how much they’ve aged, or—in the case of a college student—how much closer to real adulthood they’re getting. But either way it’s fitting, my first story and my last story coming to a close at the same time.

I hate to end my last column for The Heights with a cliché, but I might have to. Because there’s a certain way you could describe everything after three years of stories, three years of passing the Circle, three years of exploration into Boston, three years of everything that a city has to offer, three years of The Heights, and three years of countless people to thank.

You could say that everything has come full circle.

Madeleine D’Angelo is the asst. metro editor for The Heights. She can be reached on Twitter @mads805.

The Heights

Monday, November 20, 2017

A9

At FLOAT Boston, Where Feeling Nothing Helps Everything

By Madeleine D’Angelo Metro Editor You are floating, suspended in the middle of apparent nothingness. Telling exactly where your body exactly ends is a little difficult, as is deciding whether your eyes are open or closed—it is pitch black either way.

It’s a strange feeling, mostly because it isn’t really a feeling at all.

It’s something like release.

Some call it sensory deprivation, a unique form of therapy where the participant submerges themselves in a tank of heavily concentrated salt water perfectly set to one’s body temperature. Once in, the participant lays back, and simply floats in complete darkness. For this reason, others call it floating.

Sara Garvin first heard about floating through a friend who had posted an article on the subject. Garvin, a successful massage therapist who owned her own Somerville practice, was intrigued. After a “career-wrecking injury” fractured her spine, leaving her with worsening neck and shoulder issues, Garvin knew that it was time for something new, and decided to give floating a try.

Much to her surprise, there were no businesses in the Boston area that offered floating. But Garvin was determined, so she decided to visit some family in Montreal, where she could also visit Ovarium—a

famed, decades-old float and massage therapy center. And, although Garvin was “excited and motivated,” not to mention well-versed in other forms of water therapy, floating was unlike anything she had experienced before.

“I had, as I was floating, I had this sensation that all of my limbs were drifting away, which kind of gave me a moment of anxiety, but I was like ‘Let’s see what happens,’” Garvin said. “So I had a really interesting first float actually.”

When she emerged, colors were unusually bright, and Garvin had the urge to do something tactile—in this case knitting.

But she was hooked, and started voyaging to centers in Connecticut that offered the treatment, oftentimes bringing her more “skeptical” husband, Colin Roald, along with her. With each trip, the couple conducted research of sorts, deciding if they could fill the hole that Garvin had found in the world of Boston’s alternative therapies.

Eventually the two attended the annual float convention held in Portland, Ore., where they learned from, and made important contacts with, people already embedded within the floating industry. Then they decided to go for it, learning the ropes of float solutions and sanitation while they looked for the perfect property on which to build their practice.

After searching throughout the Boston area, Garvin found a location in Somerville’s

Magoun Square, and the process of opening FLOAT Boston truly began. While getting through the permitting and inspectional challenges that all small businesses face—as floating was a completely foreign concept to most officials—Garvin sound success in her social media outreach. After settling on the idea, Garvin immediately built an online and social media presence around FLOAT, garnering a strong group of “core people” who felt “really invested in the project.”

These core followers were able to spread the news about FLOAT through word of mouth, a tactic that Garvin noted was very effective when introducing something like floating to a city where the therapy is largely unknown.

So in 2015, Garvin and Roald opened FLOAT Boston to the public, a bright and airy spa-like space painted a calming shade of light blue. Inside were four tanks—two traditional sized Escape Tanks, and two larger Summer Sky Tanks. The tanks stretch over seven feet long, the first being simpler, like a giant, industrial ice container, and the second taller with glowing lights and a ceiling that features twinkling constellations.

Both kinds of tanks contain over a foot of a water solution containing over 850 pounds of Epsom salt—a concentration denser than the Dead Sea. As Garvin watched customers come in looking skeptical and leave looking unbelievably relaxed and calm, she knew that

Madeleine D’Angelo / Heights Editor

While not very tall, the escape pod tanks contain a foot of concentrated salt water. floating was catching on and creating that special feeling.

“For some people it’s really surprising,” Garvin said. “Sometimes they don’t know what to do with that feeling because they’ve never experienced it before, or because it’s been so long that they’ve forgotten.”

For many, the feeling in question is a sense of pure freedom often associated with childhood. For others, it is the state of flow often associated with meditation.

According to Garvin, flow is a sensation of “stepping back” and observing events “in slow motion.”

But this state not only appeals to ev-

eryone from regular people to professional athletes, Garvin noted that it also benefits people suffering from chronic bouts of high stress—people like students. Floating can aid in “focus” and information retention by creating a “centering effect.” But if you need a jolt of energy, Garvin explained how floating can help with that too. “[Floating] sort of gives you what you need,” Garvin said. “It either de-stresses and helps you relax, or it invigorates you if you need that.”

And even if what you need is nothing at all, floating just might be the answer. n

Fenway Open Studios Offers a Glimpse of the Artist’s Abode

By Catherine Cremens For The Heights Bostonians got a glimpse into the world of local art this weekend during the Fenway Open Studios event, held on Nov. 11 and 12.

Artists revealed their creations to the public, hoping to sell their work while getting feedback from attendees.

A national historic landmark built in 1905, Fenway Studios is an artist cooperative quietly tucked within the bustling Fenway Cultural District.

The building was designed specifically to be studio space for artists, and its unique layout allows for the artists to both live and create in the space.

Studios have kitchens and bedrooms, which exist alongside the artists’ easels and paintbrushes.

Because the building was created by and for artists, it has many features which help promote creative activity and make for a unique experience during the Open Studios event.

The tall, north-facing windows of the building were designed specifically to give artists the best light possible.

Artist Berio Gizzi explained that “nothing much” has changed about

Open Studios since he moved there in 1994.

“We still have the beautiful light and that’s what I need,” Gizzi said.

This year, 22 artists participated in the event, opening their doors to the public and, therefore, to feedback on their work.

Although three of the artists Gizzi, Ernest Andrades, and Denise possess unique styles, they all expressed similar reasoning for participating in Open Studios. For each artist, exposure is important—not only for selling art, but for creating it.

For Andrades, an artist specializing in modern-style painting, a lack of viewer feedback can be one of the pitfalls of a contemporary artist “Doing contemporary painting, you’re going where you’ve never been before, and you’re producing something that’s new,” Andrades said.

“It’s nice to have somebody come by and get a fresh eye, give you some feedback.”

Lindquist expressed a similar opinion on the significance of public feedback.

Though she typically creates murals and fine-art painting, she is currently experimenting with a new style.

Alongside her usual portraiture and landscape pieces, she displayed a largely plain blue canvas with a note beside it which stated “in progress.” By obtaining feedback from the people who visit her studio, she felt more comfortable moving forward with her new work.

“It makes me want to finish it,” she said. “It gives me more direction.”

By opening up their studios, artists can gain a sense of security and validation for their work if they are moving in a completely different direction.

Current art students can also come to obtain exposure to art and give their own feedback, allowing collaboration between experienced artists and those just getting started.

Lindquist, who attended the now defunct Vesper George School of Contemporary Art, also commented how young artists face a different world than she did when she was starting out.

Art has since been revolutionized and the creation process hastened in the age of computers.

To Lynda McNally, co-chair of Open Studios and founding president of Friends of Fenway Studios, the rise of technology has also affected the planning of events such as Open

Studios.

McNally explained that with the power of social media organizers for these events are “able to have a huge outreach.” Before Facebook and Twitter, spreading word of the event was “much more of an effort.”

As co-chair of the event, McNally reaches out to the general public and coordinates the spending for advertisements.

This year, for the first time, the event was broadcast on the WGBH Boston Public Radio show, which helped inform the nearby community.

The surrounding community of the Fenway Cultural District, composed of eleven different institutions, allows for great collaboration between different types of creative individuals.

The studio hosted Boston Conservatory harpist Amy Ahn this year, who greeted Open Studios attendees with music in the lobby.

“A s a memb er of the Fenway Cultural District, we all want to help our fellow institutions promote their specialties,” McNally said. “We help each other, collaborating different mediums.”

Looking to the future, McNally hopes for further collaboration with

other creative institutions, including a possible dance show.

With the students of Berklee College of Music at their disposal, as well as other member institutions such as the Boston Conservatory, the Fenway Open Studios remains confident about future collaborations.

The studio not only works with artistic organizations, but also expands to community service.

The 2017 Open Studios marks the ninth year of its annual food drive to benefit the greater Boston food bank—an event conducted during Open Studios.

“We are just so happy to be able to help,” McNally said. “All of the artists are committed to helping the greater Boston area.”

Open Studios shows its true purpose of engaging the surrounding community with its focus on collaboration in work involving both service and artistic organizations.

The artists participate because community involvement and response are important for the development of their art.

“Painting doesn’t have any meaning at all unless somebody wants to read something into it,” Gizzi said.

“That’s [the viewer’s] prerogative.” n

With New Space Agreement, Mass Poetry is Back on the MBTA

By Mary Wilkie For The Heights Covered with advertisements, the trains of the MBTA throw all kinds of promotions at their passengers, from informative signs about refugees to scandalous furniture ads.

Mass Poetry, an organization created to explore poems and poets related to Massachusetts, initiated a program in April 2014 where they place poems in

the advertisement spaces. With the help of Outfront Media to print and post the signs, poetry has expanded to various subway stations of the T. Poetry on the T was inspired by New York’s Poetry in Motion in order to appeal to the creativity of MBTA passengers.

Sara Siegel, program director of Mass Poetry, said that Mass Poetry wanted to contribute to a more enjoyable commute via public transportation because such routine becomes dull with such little

variety.

“One of Mass Poetry’s main goals is to make poetry more accessible,” Siegel said.

“Even now there’s this idea that poetry is something that you find in a library, or you find in academia, and it’s boring and old. We really want to make poetry something that anybody can access.”

Siegel explained that Poetry on the T prides itself in picking poets significant to Massachusetts, giving riders an opportunity to encounter the state’s history

photio courtesy of Mass POETRY

After a brief hiatus since launching in 2017, Mass Poetry installed a series of poems at T stops and in trains in early November.

and current culture through the poetry of various Massachusetts writers. After a brief nine-month hiatus, the organization is currently featuring poems written by Mary Oliver, Jarita Davis, Charles Coe, Thomas Lux, Aracelis Girmay, Christina Davis, and Franz Wright.

In the past, the program has faced issues with funding, often unable to meet the high cost to advertise at stations.

Usually, Mass Poetry will reach out to a variety of potential sponsors: often poetry partners, publishing companies, and writing organizations.

Once they collect enough funding, the sponsors help decide what ought to be placed on the posters—the structure typically follows that the biggest donor chooses the poets and a few poems.

Otherwise, if the month relies heavily on smaller donations, the sponsors will nominate poems and Mass Poetry will choose those that are displayed.

By decorating the public transit systems with various rotating works of literature, Mass Poetry crafts an environment that allows MBTA passengers to direct their energy toward creative understanding of the poetry.

This program encourages even those riders inexperienced with poetry to find works they admire. “[We] bring poetry to people in a place that they’re not expecting, and then make them realize that poetry can be a part of their daily life,” Seigel said.

Although they struggled to find sponsors this past year, Mass Poetry has made an effort to continuously reach out to potential funders as well as the MBTA in

order to expand the program to a greater potential.

Luckily, with Mary Oliver’s recently published book, Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver, Penguin Random House expressed interested in Poetry on the T and ultimately sponsored primarily the program for November to promote Oliver’s work.

Reconciling this problem for a short time, Seigel said that the program has recently initiated a partnership with the MBTA that allows Mass Poetry to utilize any unsold advertising space for Poetry on the T. This collaboration will provide Mass Poetry with a variety of stations and trains on which they can reach broader audiences.

In order for Poetry on the T to be accessible to all as Mass Poetry intends, the poems must be short and uplifting.

Brevity is primarily a spatial issue, but the tone contributes to the public response to both the poems and the program.

Ideally, Poetry on the T makes each rider’s day a little more pleasant, and people will continue to notice it.

Besides allowing poetry to become less intimidating and more comprehensible to the people of Boston, Mass Poetry hopes that they will learn to appreciate the beauty of poetry and broaden their literary horizons with because of various intriguing works they see on the T. “Mass Poetry was created in part to celebrate poets and poetry in the state—and doing great work—but also to just bring poetry to … people,” Seigel said. n

The Heights

A10

Monday, November 20, 2017

For 15 Years, ‘Ms. Smiley’ Has Made Students Feel at Home Double Eagle Yvonne McBarnett manages the Montserrat Coalition, providing financial help to nearly 2,000 students.

By Brooke Kaiserman Heights Staff When I asked Yvonne McBarnett to recount her time at Boston College, she laughed. “Okay, so you want me to go back to the Ice Ages?”

While humorous, the sentiment behind the remark rings true. McBarnett began her BC journey in 2002, and has since earned two degrees, worked at Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center (BAIC) as an administrative assistant, counselor, and program administrator, and currently manages the Montserrat Coalition. All of these experiences have given her the unique opportunity to connect with students on a personal level. Her immediately apparent warmth and ability to put everyone in the room at ease are just a few qualities which gave McBarnett her affectionate nickname, “Ms. Smiley.”

McBarnett began her journey at BC unexpectedly, with a temp job. She had recently had her youngest daughter, who is now almost 17, and had quit her job as an insurance analyst and bank teller.

Her brother worked at BC at the time as a police officer, and recommended looking into the temp pool. After meeting with human resources, she took a typing test on a Wednesday, and landed the job by that Friday.

She enjoyed her work at BC, and liked the flexibility of the hours, which gave her optimal time to be home with her newborn daughter. She immediately found a community at BC, despite not holding a permanent position.

“Ever yone was willing to help, ever yone was willing to support,” she said. “BC is very family-oriented, which pushed me to excel as an adult person.”

Although she started her journey in August, by December, BC hired her for a full-time position as an administrative assistant in 2002.

In that role, she held an associate’s

degree, but was soon approached by Donald Brown, the former director of BAIC. Brown told her that since she had been hired full-time to work at BC, it was time to go back to school, and recommended the Woods College of Advancing Studies. Seeking to gain the most BC had to offer, McBarnett wanted to immerse herself in her true calling—assistance and care of the human person, which she hoped would ultimately lead her to effect social change. With the support and persuasion of her family and mentors such as Brown, McBarnett enrolled in 2003 and graduated in 2006 with an undergraduate sociology degree from BC. When she started taking classes, she remembers the intimidation that gripped her as an adult person with a family going back to school. This feeling quickly dissipated, however, with the support of her professors who reminded her that her age wasn’t going to hold her back.

Though she had the knowledge and tools to succeed, McBarnett faced setbacks in her education. When McBarnett had a theology paper returned to her with an F, she immediately went to see her professor and asked him why she had failed. He simply responded that she wasn’t working hard enough. Although it was tempting to give up and take the easy way out, McBarnett has always been stronger than that. After he told her that she could do better, she turned those words into the strongest motivation and quickly reached her fullest potential as a student. She also credits her friends and family, who never stopped believing in her.

“Because of that support, I was able to conquer that fear of ‘I’m not good enough at Boston College,’ and was able to excel,” she said.

As both a full-time parent, employee, and college student, her days were far from easy. After working from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., McBarnett would eat a

sam zhai / heights staff

Students can set up meetings with McBarnett, who may serve up to 15 students a day.

quick dinner before making it to her 6:30 p.m. class. She’d generally finish class around 9:30 p.m. and not get home for another few hours.

McBarnett had not been born in the United States, but had immigrated from London when she was about 13 years old. She felt it was her responsibility to take advantage of this opportunity and improve the lives of her family members.

“It was hard, but I had to do it,” she said. “Not only for my family, but for me.”

The encouragement didn’t stop there. With a little more pushing from Brown, McBarnett enrolled a second time the next year, and got her master’s degree in administrative studies, and is now a proud Double Eagle. This consistent tenacity is a defining characteristic of McBarnett, who realizes that no matter what she does in life, she will face challenges.

“But, if you persevere and be resilient you can not only change your life but the lives of others,” she said.

During her time as an undergraduate at BC, McBarnett got involved with the BAIC as an administrative assistant due to her ever-present wish to connect with the student body. When students walked in, she would be the one at the desk welcoming them and would be the first face they saw. Ever personable, McBarnett would take the time to talk to them about their lives—how school was going, what organizations they were involved with—for her, this was the most engaging aspect of the job. Being involved with students and interacting with them on a personal level filled McBarnett with energy and joy. Before long, she realized that this was her calling, and decided to become more involved in whatever ways she could be.

She started meeting other people in her classes who also worked with students, and listened to their experiences.

“I was supporting the students, and they were supporting me,” she said.

Talking to students in the center’s office and hearing of their experiences and challenges made her more selfless, and she realized that she had the valuable gift of a BC experience. She had made it through two rounds of schooling at BC, and now it was her responsibility to take her experiences and use them to support the students here.

After three years as an administrative assistant, McBarnett got a counseling position in 2005. Early on at her new post, she remembers getting a call from a student urging her to meet with one of the student’s friends. Although McBarnett was on her way out at the end of the day, she didn’t hesitate for a second before agreeing to a meeting. The student in question came into McBarnett’s office

and began to share their challenges, which included struggles with sexual abuse and academic failure, and finally, thoughts of ending their life.

After listening to her talk for about 30 minutes, McBarnett told her that the student was valuable and created for a purpose. After these affirmations made the student feel a little better, McBarnett asked if she could walk the student to University Counseling Services. The student responded that they wouldn’t mind, as long as they didn’t have to go alone. After accompanying the student to UCS, McBarnett waited with them the whole time. The counselor concluded that the student would need to be hospitalized. Shortly, the student walked out and asked if they could hug.

“You just saved my life,” the student said.

McBarnett realized that there are so many students carrying burdens who simply need someone to talk to.

“The education is good, but [college experience] needs to be more personable than that,” McBarnett said.

The Montserrat Coalition, founded

by Marina Pastrana, BC ’08, aims to provide financial aid to students so that they may fully experience all that BC and the Jesuit education has to offer.

McBarnett remembers working just a few doors down from her, and would often send students to Pastrana’s office of 78 College Rd. from McBarnett’s office of 72 College Rd. When Pastrana left her post at the Montserrat Coalition to work with the Catholic Extension, McBarnett applied for her position, but it wasn’t her time.

McBarnett initially became involved with the Montserrat Coalition a few years later through Rev. Jack Butler, S.J., who sought her out specifically and told her he had a job that she needed to apply for. At the time, she had moved over to University Advancement as an assistant director. He told her that the way she connected with students and went above and beyond to make sure their needs were met more than qualified her for the position. They chatted in his office for over two hours while he shared his vision about Montserrat and what he wanted the program to be. As a Christian woman, McBarnett also appreciates the program’s ties to service.

“St. Ignatius was in Spain and he laid down his sword for teaching, serving, and giving to others,” she said. “That’s what this program emulates.” She felt a deep calling to continue that mission of supporting the students of BC. McBarnett now serves as the manager of the Montserrat Coalition. The Montserrat Coalition is growing every day, and is now close to providing financial assistance and resources to nearly

2,000 students. This year alone, they’ve served over 1,000 students. Although Montserrat prides itself on its financial assistance, McBarnett doesn’t think it’s confined to it.

“Everyone that comes in will be served not only financially or tangibly, but holistically,” she said.

If a student wants to meet, he or she will submit a request online, and then be given the opportunity to meet with either her, Frank Garcia, or Alex Crockford, the other faces of the Montserrat Coalition. Every day, she walks into the office at 7:35 a.m. and by the time she leaves at night has served up to 15 students whose needs could range from needing a coat or a ticket for an event to flight assistance for Winter Break.

“She works tirelessly many, many hours throughout the week, and weekend, and beyond to make sure students have what they need, and she’s deeply committed,” Kelli Armstrong, a member of the Montserrat task force and a personal mentor of McBarnett’s, said.

Because of her personality and reputation on campus as a devoted listener, students just come in to have a conversation. If someone walks in who wasn’t on the schedule, her door is always open.

McBarnett knows that on any given day, a student could come in with a crisis and need her assistance, and they will never be turned away.

“Getting to talk to students … that’s what gives me joy,” she said. “That’s what I thrive on.”

McBarnett’s passion for the students is clear to everyone involved with Montserrat.

“Yvonne loves every single student who walks through the door. She is so supportive of them in terms of what they need from a logistical standpoint but also loves them as people as well.

The students immediately recognize that they have an advocate,” Armstrong said.

When not in the office, McBarnett loves spending time with her two daughters, the elder of whom is a recent graduate from BC. They’ll often have ‘date night for the girls,’ and she also enjoys date nights with her husband. She also recognizes the importance of alone time, however, and one of her favorite solitary activities includes walking around the Reservoir while talking in nature and singing songs on her Spotify playlists. Come Monday, though, she’s always ready to get back in the office.

“I feel like in this position right now, I’ve hit the megabucks, all of the lottery tickets in the world,” she said. “You could never feel any better than where I am today. I haven’t worked a day in my life.

What is work? When you’re passionate about what you’re doing, it’s not about nine to five.” n

Served With a Florentine Flair In Newton Centre, Cupola gives Italian cuisine another go.

By Max Calleo Heights Staff A rebooted restaurant in the heart of Newton Centre revives a Florentine flair, bringing a taste of Italy to the eager residents and students of the Boston area.

Situated across the street from a lush park, Cupola, an upscale, Italian casual food restaurant, unifies the concepts of traditional and modern in both its atmosphere and cuisine.

“We love making people happy, and the main reason that I wanted to go into the restaurant business was to create an upscale restaurant at a very reasonable price without abandoning the concept of being family-oriented,” said owner Carlos Trujillo.

Trujillo named the restaurant after the pinnacle of any dome, a cupola. This name appealed to Trujillo, as the ambiance of the restaurant is modeled after Florence, where the famous and grandiose Duomo di Firenze is nestled.

A mural of Florence covers the entire entry wall. The lively scene completes Cupola, adding to the atmosphere and making the customer feel that they are enjoying a delectable Florentine meal in the streets of Trujillo’s muse. Large shelves opposite of the mural display a vast amount of merchandise, showcasing

different pastas that are used to make the delicious plates at Cupola.

A replica of a Florentine roof juts out of one wall, giving Cupola a feel of authenticity with its deep, rich red terracotta tiles. Trujillo added that one of the men that works at Cupola is from Florence, one of his favorite cities.

An entrepreneur for many years, Trujillo has always fostered a fondness for the restaurant industry, since he loves the tradition that is ingrained with every type of cuisine. He has an affinity for the history and richness of Italian cuisine. Although he is from Venezuela, his maternal grandparents were Italian, so he was exposed to the food as a boy. He enthusiastically commented that he also has a love for music, considering himself a musician.

After shuttering his original venture, Bottega Fiorentini, Trujillo repurposed the location and opened Cupola on Nov. 1 to an enthusiastic response. Trujillo explained that he decided to remain in Newton Centre as it attracts customers from both the West Metro and Boston areas. Trujillo has hopes of expansion for the restaurant, as he would like to create a chain, offering exposure to a larger number of people.

Cupola has a special promotion, attracting flocks of students and local workers in need of a lunch break to its doors each day. Every day of the week, Cupola offers a pasta special for $4.99.

This special, the food, and the unique and exciting ambiance draw customers from a variety of groups including local students, families with young children,

professionals, and older couples that live in the surrounding area.

“I am trying to push a couple new dishes,” Trujillo said. “People, thus far, are loving the pizza. I encourage people to try these unique facets of our restaurant.”

The restaurant offers a vast amount of choices that might attract students, from pizza to sandwiches. Cupola partnered with UberEATS to deliver within a fivemile radius, including Boston College.

For Cupola, Trujillo crafted an innovative burger named the Firenze burger, made in a rectangular shape and surrounded by rustic Italian bread. The onions, crunchy lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and the secret white sauce create an interesting and palatable flavor profile. The customer has a choice of adding either fresh mozzarella or provolone to complete this masterpiece.

The delightful Firenze pizza is topped with sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil. The tomatoes add both a pop of juicy flavor and a striking red to this dish.

The personal pizza is composed of cooked pizza dough that is fluffy and crunchy, and the melted fresh mozzarella tops this dish, completing a flavorful meal with this chewy and smooth addition.

The unique Cupola fries add a crispy and crunchy element to a dish, consisting of deep-fried fettuccini. As a replacement for French fries, these sides add a delicious addition to any menu item, with a perfected texture and evident taste of pasta.

Trujillo discovered through experience with local customers that they want the capability to customize their dishes.

max calleo / heights staff

A mural of Florence covering the entire entrance wall sets the atmosphere at Cupola.

Therefore, Cupola offers a choice of 18 sauces that customers can choose to add to their pasta. A few of these choices include pesto, a mixture of basil, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil and cheese; alfredo, a combination of butter, cheese, cream, and peppers; and Michelangelo, a delicious creation of tomatoes, basil, and

fresh mozzarella.

“I want to show Boston what real Florentine cuisine and traditions are, but at the same time, I want to be able to sell crowd-pleasers such as our innovations such as the Cupola fries and Firenze burger that are not typical dishes from Florence,” Trujillo said. n

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2017

Farewell to the NCAA

SPORTS

B1

@HEIGHTSSPORTS

FOOTBALL

BOSTON COLLEGE | 39

CONNECTICUT | 16

RILEY OVEREND

When I first stumbled onto the board of The Heights nearly two years ago, still with shades of a California tan, I thought it fit to take on the big, bad wolf of college sports in my new column. I naively wrote that the Olympic model—allowing studentathletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness—was a practical solution for many of the NCAA’s problems regarding amateurism.

Only after talking to university officials, covering the players, and meeting president Mark Emmert did I realize that, for the NCAA, nothing is practical.

Since joining the paper, nothing has happened to restore my confidence in the current system of collegiate athletics. In the wake of the FBI’s shoe deal investigation and UNC’s academic fraud, Emmert will even tell you as much about his own organization. In a recent meeting with the media, he referenced a poll showing that 79 percent of Americans believe universities put money ahead of student-athletes, while the majority said the NCAA is part of the problem and not the solution.

“I can’t think of anything 79 percent of Americans agree to,” he said, “but they agree to that.”

The NCAA, as Emmert diagnosed it, is the “worst possible solution except for everything else.” In a sense, he’s right: There has to be some governing body, and God forbid the government regulate college sports.

Plus, if a new organization replaced the NCAA, the same problems would likely persist, only with a new name to blame.

But his implication that the institution can’t improve—that this is the best it’s going to get—is absurd. It’s no secret that the NCAA has fought change for decades on the basis that paying players a penny more than the cost of attendance would ruin the sanctity of the multi-billion dollar

The Eagles are headed to their fourth bowl in five years under head coach Steve Addazio, clinching a postseason berth with a blowout of UConn at Fenway Park.

BY ANNABEL STEELE Assoc. Sports Editor Boston College football is going bowling.

The Eagles returned to Fenway Park for the first time since 2015 for a matchup against the University of Connecticut. Despite a slow start and tricky weather conditions, BC powered past the Huskies for a 39-16 win, clinching bowl eligibility for the fourth time in five years.

Even though they earned the victory, it wasn’t al- ways smooth sailing for the Eagles (6-5, 3-4 Atlantic Coast).

U Conn (3-8, 2-5 American) actually jumped out to an early lead, but BC quickly recovered and never looked back.

Slow Start In the first quarter, the Huskies looked like the better football team on both sides of the ball.

After winning the opening coin toss, they engineered a drive downfield, sending BC’s defense reeling. On first down at the UConn 18-yard line, quarterback David Pindell connected with Arkeel Newsome for a 50-yard gain, taking the Huskies into

BC territory (and field goal range). BC’s defense tightened up and denied UConn a touchdown, but Michael Tarbutt drilled a 50-yard field goal to give the Huskies an early 3-0 lead.

The Eagles failed to do anything with their two first-quarter possessions. During their first drive, A.J. Dillon and Thadd Smith each got a handoff, with only three yards between the two.

Darius Wade then completed a short pass to Jeff Smith for only three yards, resulting in fourth down and a Mike Knoll punt.

On their next drive, the Eagles marched downfield, but ultimately had nothing to show for it.

Dillon, who finished with 200 rushing yards, broke free for a 48-yard gain on second down, taking BC deep into UConn territory. But the Eagles failed to capitalize on their field position, and Colton Lichtenberg came out for a field goal attempt. His field goal was blocked by

Luke Carrezola, however, keeping BC scoreless in the first quarter of play.

After the frustratingly slow start, the Eagles broke the game open in the second quarter. Dillon rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter, while Wade tossed 53 yards and added another score with a completion to Chris Garrison. The defense, meanwhile, adjusted well and prevented the Huskies from finding the scoreboard again. They even gave UConn a taste of its own medicine by blocking Tarbutt’s second field goal attempt of the game. By halftime, the Eagles had completely erased UConn’s lead and held a 14-3 advantage of their own. In the second half, they blew it wide open en route to the 39-16 win.

“We played sloppy early on both sides of the ball,” head coach Steve Addazio said after the game. “And then I thought we anchored ourselves back down again.”

Pound the Rock With redshirt freshman quarterback Anthony Brown out for the season with a knee injury, it was up to Wade to command the offense against

See BC vs, UConn, B3

See NCAA Farewell, B3 MEN’S BASKETBALL

BC Bounces Back Against La Salle in Consolation Game

BY ANDY BACKSTROM Asst. Sports Editor Boston College men’s basketball and La Salle hit a dry spell toward the end of the first half of Sunday’s Hall of Fame Tip-Off TourBoston College 82 nament Third La Salle 61 Place Game. In fact, both teams—each of which were shooting below 38 percent from the floor at the time—failed to knock down a single field goal in the span of two minutes and 36 seconds.

Eventually, the Eagles put an end

to the scoring drought—all thanks to Nik Popovic. With his team down one, the sophomore center backed down in the post. Catching his defender off guard, the 6-foot-11 big man spun and dropped a left-handed hook shot into the basket. Then, one possession later, Popovic cut toward the hoop, received a feed from Ky Bowman, and finished at the rim for an easy two points.

All of a sudden, BC was back in the lead, and the Eagles offense looked like itself again. BC closed out the half on a 10-0 run, and carried its momentum into the latter portion of play. Popovic

looked better and better as the game progressed, and so did the Eagles. The Bosnia and Herzegovina native finished with a career-high 18 points, as well as seven rebounds, and head coach Jim Christian’s team rode a 52-point second half to a 82-61 win.

For the first five minutes of the game, it looked as if BC (4-1) was already on its way to a clear-cut victory.

Ky Bowman spotted up from the top of the key to get things going. Moments later, Popovic and Teddy Hawkins drilled back-to-back jumpers. To cap off a nine-point outburst, it was Bowman

again, this time sinking a mid-range shot, adjacent to the free throw line.

But that’s just about when the Eagles started to unwind offensively.

Like Saturday’s loss to Texas Tech, not to mention all of last season, turnovers killed BC. Careless passes and poor ball handling resulted in nine first-half Eagles turnovers. Luckily for Christian and Co., the Explorers couldn’t capitalize. La Salle (3-2) was just as inefficient on offense, missing shot after shot. But it was only a matter of time before its two leading scorers, B.J. Johnson and Pookie Powell, started

to find a rhythm.

Midway through the first period, the two Explorers guards teamed up to orchestrate a 7-0 run—one that gave La Salle an early 17-13 advantage. But BC’s frontcourt, namely Hawkins and Popovic, was quick to silence the Explorers’ scoring spree. Johnson answered with a pair of shots at the charity stripe and a 3-pointer, but, for the most part, the game was anyone’s for the taking.

After a couple minutes of scoreless basketball, Popovic pounced on the

See MBB vs. La Salle, B2

MEN’S HOCKEY

Woll, Eagles Extend Streak to Seven With Northeastern Win

BY JACK GOLDMAN Heights Staff BOSTON — On Saturday night, Boston College men’s hockey goaltender Joseph Woll may not have made a SportsCenter Boston College 4 Top-10 save like Northeastern 1 he did the night before at New Hampshire, but it was his consistency that pushed BC to a win over Northeastern. The Huskies’ rowdy fan section jeered Woll from the upper deck with sieve chants the whole night, but he wasn’t rattled whatsoever. In fact, Woll thrived, recording 27 saves.

INSIDE SPORTS

At the end of the night, BC (8-5-1, 8-1-0, Hockey East) exited Matthews Arena with a 4-1 victory over No. 12 Northeastern (7-4-1, 5-2-0). York didn’t shy away from praising his sophomore netminder.

“Joe [Woll] played outstanding for us,” York said.

The Eagles needed Woll early. After a quiet first five minutes, the Huskies got the first quality chance of the game, testing Woll with a hard shot to his chest protector. The BC goaltender had trouble against UNH the previous night on shots just like this one. It was quick, and challenged the sophomore directly

to make the save and prevent a rebound with a couple of Northeastern forwards lingering around the net to put away any stray pucks. Woll stayed strong in his crease.

On the other end of the ice, the Eagles weren’t quiet either, forcing 11 blocks from Northeastern’s defense.

Although they had called on Woll early, they certainly seemed in control of the matchup.

David Cotton was called for interference, but his mistake practically went unnoticed. BC shut down what was the

CELINE LIM / HEIGHTS STAFF

See MHOK vs. NU, B4

Joseph Woll had 27 saves in BC’s 4-1 victory over the Huskies on Saturday.

WBB: Lowery, Eagles Fall to Minnesota WHOK: Eagles Tie Huskies in Overtime Freshman Sydney Lowery’s career-high 19 points weren’t enough in a 78-68 loss to the Gophers..............................B2

SPORTS IN SHORT................................ B2

Daryl Watts scored twice to help BC earn a 3-3 draw at VOLLEYBALL.................................... B2 UConn and split the weekend series............................... B4 MEN’S HOCKEY....................................... B4

The Heights

B2

Monday, November 20, 2017

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Over the Weekend, Eagles Fall to Minnesota, Edge Fordham

By Bradley Smart Heights Staff Freshman Sydney Lowery had the best game of her already-promising career, but it was a Minnesota guard with three years of experience under her belt that stole the show.

Kenisha Bell piled up 31 points for the Gophers (4-0), including 16 in the opening quarter, and Boston College women’s basketball (2-2) couldn’t overcome a 14-point halftime deficit in a 78-68 loss on the road.

The Eagles outscored their hosts by five points in the second half, led by Lowery’s career-high 19 points. It wasn’t enough, however, in their second road loss of the year. Lowery finished an impressive 9-for-11 from the free throw line, also adding a pair of steals and assists without committing a

turnover.

BC shot almost 50 percent from the field, putting up 22 points in the final quarter, but it was ultimately no match for Minnesota’s speed or size. The Gophers attempted almost 20 more shots and kept the pressure up, almost doubling up the Eagles’ rebound total.

In the opening quarter, Minnesota players-not-named-Bell went just 1-for-13 from the field. The result, somehow, was a five-point lead after 10 minutes of play. Bell did it all, missing just two shots and piling up 16 points to carry her team early.

The Eagles tied it at two apiece in the opening minutes, but Bell hit a 3-pointer and followed it up with a steal and layup to create an early five-point lead. She’d only add to it in the second, adding seven more points to reach 23 in the opening half. The redshirt

junior guard exerted her will on the glass as well, grabbing nine early rebounds.

Meanwhile, BC couldn’t find a go-to scorer. The team hit just 10 field goals in the first 20 minutes, falling behind by 14 at the break. The Eagles also struggled to keep pace with Minnesota, which entered averaging just a shade under 100 points per game.

Players also ended up avoiding crashing the boards in an effort to get back on defense, resulting in many second-chance opportunities. The absence of leading rebounder Georgia Pineau was clearly felt.

The issues continued in the second half, even when the Gophers went ice cold. Minnesota started just 2-of-12 from the field in the third quarter, but BC couldn’t take advantage. Instead, Bell heated back up with a 3-pointer and an and-one, while Gophers leading scorer Carlie Wagner finally got on

the board via a 3-pointer of her own.

The Eagles showed fight in the closing quarter, though, shooting excellent from the field to cut a 20-point lead in half. More shooting woes plagued Minnesota late, but they still managed to keep their distance.

The large lead they built in the opening half allowed the Gophers to overcome a slow final 20 minutes.

Milan Bolden-Morris added 14 points in the loss, while Andie Anastos had a teamhigh seven assists.

Playing tough with the Gophers, which currently sit atop the Big Ten, is a promising sign for a young team that is lacking depth.

BC split the week’s games and has shown potential for growth throughout the year.

Earlier in the week, Bolden-Morris did the bulk of the heavy lifting in the fourth quarter of a narrow 55-52 win over Ford-

ham, scoring seven of her team’s final 21 points. She finished 6-of-7 from the field for a team-high 16 points, hitting four 3-pointers for the second game in a row.

BC led by as much as 12 in the final four minutes, but the host Rams rallied. After cutting the gap to three behind G’Mrice Davis’s 16 second-half points, Fordham came up just short. Forced to resort to fouling, Martina Mosetti hit both of the ensuing free throws to secure the win.

Fordham only managed eight points in the third, which allowed the Eagles to overcome slowing down in the final minutes—the last field goal for BC came with 3:23 left. The Rams also finished a paltry 2-of-15 from beyond the arc, and their size advantage inside wasn’t enough to overcome a strong shooting night from the Eagles. n

MEN’S BASKETBALL

With Win Over Explorers, BC off to Best Start Since 2007-08 MBB vs. La Salle, from B1 opportunity, attacking the paint on consecutive possessions. Chatman followed, hitting just his second shot of the day. And at the buzzer, Bowman heaved up a prayer from halfcourt that hit off the glass and rattled in. At the break, the Eagles had an eight-point lead, and, from there on out, it was only going to increase.

Bowman’s miraculous shot fore-

shadowed what was to come in the second half: high-percentage shooting, contested or not. Popovic’s remarkable performance continued, as the sophomore showcased the ability to body up defenders down low, slip underneath the basket, and run in transition. It wasn’t long before he surpassed his career-best scoring total. But he wasn’t the only one lighting up the box score.

For the first time in a week and a half, Jerome Robinson looked like the

NBA prospect that he is. The junior’s shooting numbers were night and day in the back half of play. He shot 7-of-11 from the field, including 2-of-3 from the perimeter. Robinson’s 21 second-half points are the most that he has scored all season. Whether he was driving to the hole or pulling up from outside, La Salle had no means of stopping the Raleigh, N.C. native.

All the Explorers could do was rely on Johnson and Powell. Johnson had a

20-point second half himself, and led all scorers with 27. Just when it looked as if BC was really going to pull away, the 24-year-old Syracuse transfer would knock down a 3-pointer, keeping La Salle’s chances somewhat alive. His partner-in-crime, Powell, wasn’t too shabby either. Although the Memphis transfer never really found his groove from deep, he helped Johnson fend off the Eagles’ offensive clinic, chipping in 16 points. Together, the two guards

accounted for all but seven of the Explorers’ 39 second-half points.

Slowly, but surely, the Eagles pulled away, and for the fourth time this year, Christian subbed in some of his freshmen in the game’s closing minutes.

All five of BC’s starters walked off the court, having scored 10 or more points for the second-consecutive game. While the Eagles have yet to get rid of the turnover bug, it looks as if they have finally found some depth. n

VOLLEYBALL

Eagles Drop Match to Duke, but Beat Wake Forest on Senior Day

By Erin Walsh Heights Staff Boston College sophomore McKenna Goss’s serve was too much to handle, escaping the reach of diving Demon Deacons and allowing the Eagles to claim victory in the first set. Surrounded by cheering teammates, Goss rejoiced in their comeback win, having closed Wake Forest’s five-point lead with a six-point run and winning the set.

Although the Demon Deacons entered all three sets putting points on the board early, they could not build a lasting offense for the majority of the match and when they could, BC responded with more. The Eagles (7-21, 4-14 Atlantic Coast) defeated them in just three sets, making for a great celebration on their Senior Day.

After a three-point win in the first set, BC continued to push through the second. The match was competitive in the beginning with Wake (12-18, 4-14) taking the lead early, showing potential for a redemptive second set. The Eagles would not stand for this, as they quickly found their footing and began to take control. When the Deacons collected the ball off a serve and tried to spike it over the net, BC sophomore Sophia West would not allow it. She jumped and slammed the ball right back to over the net to the ground. From this point on, the Eagles’ offense shined.

With several more points from West as well as senior Sol Calvete, BC won the second set with a comfortable tenpoint lead. This victory resulted from the combination of a thriving BC offense

and an failing Wake defense. The Eagles’ collective 31-percent hitting rate out-did Wake’s 21-percent mark, and BC’s five services aces and five blocks could not be compared to Wake’s five reception errors and 11 attack errors.

The Eagles again carried this success into the next set, although it was undoubtedly a much more challenging endeavor.

The Deacons started to build a stronger offense, finding success through senior Kylie Long and sophomore Caitlyn Della leading their team in points. Toward the end of the set, Wake managed to close BC’s five-point lead to just two points, resulting in a timeout called by Wake head coach Bill Ferguson.

While the momentum seemed to be shifting to the Deacons with a potential comeback, the Eagles reasserted their

dominance. Points from West, freshman Amaka Chukwujekwu, and Calvete enabled BC to regain its lead for the third set in a row. The Eagles ultimately won the set by five points, ending it with a ruthless spike that the Deacons could not stop.

Just two days earlier, BC faced Duke (6-21, 9-8) and fell three sets to one. Although the Eagles failed to come out with the victory, they showed promise in their offense. With West earning her seasonhigh hitting record of 0.625 and graduate Lynn Braakhuis leading the squad with 11 kills, BC performed well but was unable to take down the Blue Devils.

Duke came out of the gate strong, winning the first set with an easy 10-point lead. Despite this early loss, the Eagles took advantage of a 7-1 lead in the second set to fight their way back into the game.

They again could not defeat the Blue Devils, but held the second match to just a five-point loss.

BC’s efforts finally paid off in the third set, claiming the match with a seven-point victory, but the Eagles could not translate their success to the fourth and final set.

Duke again opened with a strong offense, earning themselves a 7-0 run which BC could not overcome.

Despite their loss to Duke, the Eagles recovered and gave a great showing against Wake on their senior day, winning the game in just three sets. Calvete thought that Senior Day had an inspiring effect on her team.

“It was Senior Night tonight, and I think that helped a lot because there was a lot of motivation to just go for it and take the game,” she said. n

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Turnovers Haunt BC in Loss to Texas Tech at HoF Tip-Off Tournament

By Mike Malley For The Heights Undefeated Boston College men’s basketball rolled into the semifinals of the Hall of Fame Classic in Uncasville, Conn., at the Texas Tech 75 Boston College 64 Mohegan Sun Casino looking to keep its record perfect. On Saturday, the Eagles took on the Texas Tech Red Raiders, another undefeated team, which dealt them their first loss of the season, 75-64.

BC (3-1) struggled early from the field as Texas Tech (3-0) managed to jump out to an early lead. The Red Raiders’ veterans showed their game experience, boasting five returning senior starters. The guard play was particularly important for Texas Tech early on, as senior Keenan Evans and

freshman Jarrett Culver combined for 15 of the team’s 16 points to begin the game. Culver particularly impressed during this stretch with eight points on 3-for-3 shooting from the field for the talented first-year scorer.

Meanwhile, the Eagles’ shooting became a problem for them. They began the game shooting 1-for-6 from behind the arc,and finished the half shooting 1-of-9 from distance. This problem was compounded by Texas Tech dominating the boards in the first 10 minutes, specifically on the offensive glass. The Red Raiders grabbed 5 offensive rebounds in the first nine minutes of the game, which allowed them to take a strong early lead over the Eagles.

BC managed to make a strong comeback as the half came to a close however, as the team went on a 10-1 run with about five minutes remain-

ing. Deontae Hawkins starred for the Eagles during this stretch, draining a tremendous turnaround jumper in a defender’s face. This run ballooned to an 18-5 stretch for the Eagles. The game really turned around, when, down one, Eagles’ freshman forward Steffon Mitchell made a great hustle play that allowed the BC to gain an extra possession. A lazy pass was deflected by Mitchell, which he dove on the floor after, securing and calling a timeout.

The Eagles took advantage of this play as Ky Bowman made a contested 15foot jumper to give the Eagles the lead.

Texas Tech then came storming back, ending the half on a 6-0 run. BC went into the break down 36-31, but the deficit could’ve been much bigger. Evans led all scorers with 11 points in the half.

The second half saw a hot start from the Eagles, specifically from the

backcourt of Bowman and Robinson, who struggled mightily in the first half.

The ball was clearly put in their hands by their coach, which led to a high volume of scoring from the talented tandem. They combined for BC’s first seven points of the half, which kept BC in the game. The Eagles also managed to stay in it by drawing fouls early on in the second half. They got into the bonus with 10 minutes left to play, a good sign for a good free-throw shooting team.

BC finished 15-for-22 from the line, most of which came early on in the second half.

Texas Tech’s offensive rebounding and great guard play, however, ended up being too much for the Eagles. The Red Raiders retook control of the game later on in the half, when on two-straight possessions, initially-missed layups were followed up with emphatic slams

on putbacks. BC was just unable to box out the big bodies of Texas Tech and ended up paying the price for it. The main reason for the Texas Tech win was the performance of Keenan Evans, who was absolutely unstoppable in the game. Evans finished with 29 points on 9-for-16 shooting, along with going 10of-10 from the charity stripe. The senior guard showed off his scoring ability against a noticeably weaker BC defense that was unable to keep him from driving into the lane and finishing.

A key moment at the end of the game was when Texas Tech decided to double team Bowman off of the ball, thus forcing another BC player to make the important plays. Two-straight possessions resulting in turnovers for the Eagles all but iced the game for the Red Raiders, securing their 75-64 victory. n

SPORTS in SHORT WOMEN’s HoCKEY EAST Standings Conference

overall

Boston College

5-0-2

10-1-2

Providence

5-1-1

8-3-3

New Hampshire

4-1-3

6-3-4

Northeastern

5-3-1

7-6-2

Boston University

3-5-2

4-6-2

Maine

3-3-1

8-6-1

Vermont

3-6-1

5-9-1

Merrimack

1-6-2

4-10-3

UConn

0-4-3

4-5-4

Numbers to know

330

Number of rushing yards that football racked up in a 39-16 win over Connecticut.

7 Number of games that men’s hockey has won in a row.

2.69

Number of points per game women’s hockey forward Daryl Watts is recording, a mark that leads the country.

QUote of the week

“The beautiful thing is that we know what an unbelievable future we have.”

— Steve Addazio,

on his team’s abundant youth, following the Eagles’ dominant win over UConn

The Heights

Monday, November 20, 2017

B3

FOOTBALL

Despite Kicking Struggles, BC Overcomes Slow Start in the Rain BC vs. UConn, from B1 the Huskies. And while he did look sharp with several long throws downfield, for the most part the Eagles completely relied on the ground game to steadily chip away at UConn.

Both Dillon and Jonathan Hilliman broke free of UConn defenders to earn long runs in the game, and both averaged more than eight yards per carry. Dillon finished with 200 yards, two touchdowns, and 8.3 yards per carry. Hilliman, meanwhile, finished with 107 yards, two touchdowns, and 10.7 yards per carry.

Together, they combined for 307 of BC’s 385 total yards of offense.

In the second quarter, with the Eagles leading 7-3, Dillon scored his first touchdown of the game on a 53-yard run to the end zone. What made it particularly impressive was the way he kept his legs churning while multiple UConn defenders tried to bring him down. In the end, Dillon forced his way into the end zone to double BC’s lead in spite of the Huskies trying to bring him down.

Hilliman’s first score of the game

came on the opening possession of the third quarter. On second down, he received the handoff from Wade, found a hole up the middle, dodged a UConn defender, and took it 38 yards to the house.

PATs Although the Eagles ultimately scored six touchdowns on their way to a blowout victory, they struggled to convert on their point after attempts. In fact, Lichtenberg missed half of his opportunities, going 3-for-6 on PATs. In each miss, he kicked it wide right.

It should be noted that there was driving rain and that the turf wasn’t spectacular. And, of course, it didn’t matter in the end, because BC overpowered UConn in a dominant victory. But had it been a closer game, the missed PATs could have made a big impact, especially when combined with Lichtenberg’s blocked field goal attempt.

As the Eagles head into rivalry week against Syracuse University, they will need to make sure that PATs and field goals won’t be a problem in the Carrier Dome. n

Julia Hopkins / Heights Editor

Junior safety Will Harris (8) celebrates during the Eagles’ blowout victory over UConn at Fenway Park on Saturday night.

Against UConn, Eagles Ride Dillon to Bowl Berth at Fenway Bowl Eligible, from A1 UConn failed to tack on any more points in the quarter, but clearly outplayed the Eagles, totaling 172 yards of offense. Although BC was only trailing by three, it felt as if head coach Steve Addazio’s group was down by a lot more. But in the second quarter, the Eagles finally woke up. Quarterback Darius Wade started to find a rhythm, and Dillon cluttered the stat sheet. BC racked up five touchdowns in the next two frames, and closed out a bowlclinching, 39-16 victory.

At first, BC (6-5, 3-4 Atlantic Coast) had no answer for Pindell. Like it has all season, the zone read got the best of the Eagles’ defensive line. And so did the big play. On two of the Huskies’ (3-8, 2-5 American) first three drives, they recorded 45-plus-yard plays—both of which flipped the field. But as soon as UConn reached BC territory, its offense hit a brick wall.

Luckily for the Huskies, Tarbutt bailed them out on their first possession, drilling a field goal, just about 15 yards past midfield. But he wasn’t as fortunate the next time his number was called. Minutes after the Huskies blocked a 43-yard Colton Lichtenberg field goal, they got a taste of their own medicine. BC defensive end Wyatt Ray

got a piece of Tarbutt’s 30-yard chip shot, and the Eagles took over—for all of a minute of 22 seconds. A pair of Dillon runs and a Wade incompletion, and Mike Knoll was back out to punt.

Just like the week before, BC’s offense looked helpless without Brown behind center.

That was, until the 12-minute mark in the second quarter. Wade orchestrated a six-minute, 70-yard touchdown drive, igniting the entire Eagles’ offense. Prior to the series, BC was 0-of-4 on third down. By the end of the drive, the Eagles’ conversion rate was at an even 50 percent. Avoiding a three-and-out, Wade stepped up in the pocket and scrambled for a first down.

A couple plays later, the graduate student dialed up a 38-yard pass down the middle of the field to his favorite target, Tommy Sweeney. Now in the redzone, Dillon gobbled up eight yards on a 3rdand-8 to, once again, move the chains.

But the true freshman couldn’t punch it in. It was up to Wade to finish off the series—one that accounted for close to 80 percent of his passing yards on the night. On 3rd-and-Goal, Wade rolled left and zipped a pass to tight end Chris Garrison for a touchdown.

After trading a few punts, BC found its way back into the end zone.

Only this time, it didn’t take four

third-down conversions. In fact, it only required one play. Wade snapped the ball and tossed it to Dillon out of the backfield. The true freshman paved his way through the tackles, per usual, but eventually veered toward the left sideline. A few Huskies caught up with him near the 15-yard line, at which point Dillon seamlessly pushed defensive back Tyler Coyle out of the way and carried three other UConn defenders into the end zone to cap off the 53-yard run.

In just one quarter, the Eagles already made up the ground they had lost in the opening period. And they were just getting started.

Michael Walker returned the second-half kickoff 37 yards to BC’s 40yard line, gifting his offense perfect field position. Gaining four or more yards at a time, Wade fed Dillon fourconsecutive carries. Then his mentor got a turn. Jonathan Hilliman, whose role has increasingly diminished since Dillon burst onto the national stage, received the handoff, broke a few arm tackles, and left a handful of UConn defenders in the dust. The 38-yard score marked his first rushing touchdown in more than a month.

The Huskies desperately needed to put up points on their next possession to stop the bleeding. They did, just

for the wrong team. After completing two passes of 10 or more yards and marching his team into the Eagles’ half, Pindell lofted a play-action pass right into the hands of BC cornerback TajAmir Torres, who ran the interception back for six. Even though Lichtenberg shanked the extra point—the first of his three missed point after attempts—the Eagles were still up four scores, leading, 27-3.

UConn eventually forced a turnover of its own. Cole Ormsby sacked Wade, and in doing so, jarred the ball loose.

The Huskies recovered, and inched the ball back into BC territory. But just when it seemed like Pindell had moved on from his last pick, he threw another one—his third of the night. Lukas Denis was the beneficiary, nabbing his sixth interception of the season. The safety danced around UConn offensive players and ended up returning the pick 56 yards, all the way to the Huskies’ 42yard line. Soon after, Dillon converted the turnover into points, ripping off a 20-yard touchdown run.

The scoring play put Dillon over 200 yards on the night, and was enough to earn the true freshman workhorse a full quarter’s worth of rest. Hilliman took over from there, and was practically just as effective. It wasn’t long before the redshirt junior carried the ball

six-straight times, the last of which culminated in a three-yard touchdown scamper.

Up 39-3, Addazio decided to remove Wade from the game. In came true freshman E.J. Perry, who before this game was redshirted. Perry didn’t do much besides hand the ball off to Hilliman and Travis Levy, but Addazio maintained that he wanted the rookie to get some reps this season, even if that meant burning his redshirt status.

UConn made the score look a little less lopsided in the final minutes, as the Huskies rattled off back-to-back big scoring plays: a 70-yard Mensah run and a 43-yard Hergy Mayala reception. But the game was far gone.

For as much scrutiny as Addazio has faced both this season, as well as in years past, he has accomplished what others before him haven’t been able to do.

“There are a lot of [coaches] out there that came into programs that were pretty deflated and, in five years, have been to one bowl, maybe two,” Addazio said.

“We’re going to four.”

The specifics have yet to be determined. But regardless if BC wins or loses at Syracuse next Saturday, one thing won’t change. Addazio is the first in program history to lead the Eagles to four bowls in a coach’s first five seasons with the team. n

1

first down for BC through the air

4

missed kicks for Colton Lichtenberg

200

yards for freshman A.J. Dillon Julia Hopkins / Heights Editor

Senior defensive tackle Noa Merritt (94) tallied two sacks and a forced fumble against UConn quarterback David Pindell (5).

Elimination of ‘One-and-Done’ Would Mark Solid First Step NCAA Farewell, from B1 industry.

Two years spent covering these battles have made it hard to believe that the NCAA will ever loosen its grip on its outdated model. A piece of news broke last week, though, that reminded me it’s not entirely up to the NCAA. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver met with the Commission of College Basketball to discuss getting rid of the “one-and-done” rule, which prevents players from entering the league straight out of high school.

If Silver follows through with the proposal, it’ll be a step in the right direction—albeit a baby step, as it

only affects top talents—toward giving young athletes other options besides risking injury and money for a faux education. And I’m optimistic because, for once, this matter is outside of Emmert’s jurisdiction.

The news also comes at a time when I’ve all but lost faith in the legal route to reform. Following the failure of O’Bannon v. NCAA to win publicity rights for student-athletes, their last hope lies in Jeffrey Kessler’s Jenkins v. NCAA case. Kessler, the most high-profile sports attorney in the country, has taken on the NBA, NFL, and MLB before. Each time, he’s asked for increased athletes’ rights, the leagues have contested that their product would be doomed,

and, ultimately, both sides end up with more money in their pockets.

But this time is different. What he’s asking for—a free market system of sorts for Division I men’s basketball and football—could actually spell doom for college sports. If players are earning their free market worth, estimated to be six figures for many programs, schools won’t be able to afford their non-revenue sports. I want a system that gives athletes their fair share, but not if it means eliminating so many other sports that offer countless educational opportunities.

So if Kessler’s lawsuit, like every other one of the NCAA’s legal threats, falls short of its aim, then

perhaps the next method of pressuring the organization into change is by boycott. LaVar Ball has already indicated that his son, LaMelo, could skip college due to issues surrounding his signature shoe.

With the growth of the G League and basketball overseas, future high school recruits could better develop and build their brand by passing up college sports altogether.

Football, on the other hand, is a whole lot messier, with a solution still out of sight. As I bid adieu to both The Heights Editorial Board and the NCAA, I wonder, then, how many other sports editors will have to occupy the same seat on college papers across the country, take the

temperature of collegiate athletics, and pen futile criticisms that produce no institutional change.

Maybe the NCAA will never crack. Maybe I shouldn’t be this cynical after only two years of following the current system’s failures.

But I do know that it is silly to expect the organization, at this point, to undergo any sort of ideological awakening. And maybe, with the possible axing of the one-and-done rule, the organization won’t have to crack in order to help some young athletes.

Riley Overend is the sports editor for The Heights. He can be reached on Twitter @RileyHeights.

The Heights

B4

Monday, November 20, 2017

MEN’S HOCKEY

Mattila Brothers Star in Decisive Victory at Matthews Arena MHOK vs. NU, from B1 No. 1 power-play offense in the Hockey East with ease. Northeastern barely even got offensive zone time for the first 90 seconds, only ending up with one dangerous pass in front of the net during the entire two-minute stretch.

The Eagles built off that positive effort by immediately responding, creating a 3-on-1 that should have led to a goal. BC drew a penalty with two minutes and change remaining in the period, and launched four dangerous shots on net on the ensuing power play.

The Huskies held strong on the kill, but it wasn’t long before the Eagles finally broke the scoreless tie.

Jesper Mattila scored his second goal of the year by playing some pinball. He threw a shot toward goal at the end of the first period, which deflected off of a Husky defender, clipped Northeastern goaltender Cayden Primeau, and

dribbled over the goal line to give BC a one-goal lead.

The second period was when the game turned into the Woll Show. After the first period, BC had the edge in shot attempts (27-12), shots on goal (13-8), and goals (1-0). But in the second frame, BC only had three shots on goal, and it was lucky to even get that many off.

Northeastern mustn’t have been thrilled with giving up the late goal, because they came out and ran the Eagles over for the first 10 minutes of the period. Thanks to Woll, BC took the sting out of the Husky attack and escape unscathed. With 20 minutes to go, not including the goaltenders, only three Northeastern players hadn’t registered at least one shot.

But all in all, through 40 minutes, the top two teams in the conference looked like they were operating on evenfooting. The pace was quick, the shots were flying, and each team had owned

a period. The third frame threw all that organization into disarray. The Eagles came out flying, getting some clear chances early, including a breakaway opportunity for Cotton, who couldn’t slide the puck under Primeau’s pads.

The Huskies came back the other way, and Woll had to clean up a mess in front of his own net, where three different Northeastern sticks somehow failed to elevate the puck over the Eagles netminder, as he flopped around, trying to find the rubber and stop play.

Cotton wasn’t done either, as he deflected a shot from the point just over the crossbar, which was followed by another Husky chance that Woll snuffed out.

Unfortunately for Northeastern, that was the last bright moment before the wheels came off. Huskies’ Matt Filipe picked up a slashing penalty with just under 12 minutes to play, and this time

Primeau couldn’t keep BC’s excellent power play off the board. J.D. Dudek deflected a shot from Michael Kim off of Primeau’s mask, and then Casey Fitzgerald fired a shot off the post, which deflected into the corner. Christopher Brown ended up with the puck at his stick on the goal line, and he found Graham McPhee in front of the net, who made no mistake, as he snapped the puck past Primeau for his fourth goal of the year.

A minute later, Jesper Mattila threw the puck into the corner, which bounced to Ron Greco, who lifted a shot from a tight angle directly at Primeau’s back.

The puck bounced right off the Northeastern goaltender to make it 3-0 Eagles.

Shortly after Greco’s effort, the teams found themselves 4-on-4, when Julius Mattila lobbed a pass toward the slot.

Husky forward Zach Solow had already thrown himself to the ice in an attempt

to block such a pass from getting across the net, but his efforts cost Northeastern dearly. Instead of blocking the pass, the puck dribbled off of Solow directly past Primeau. Huskies forward John Picking would grab a consolation goal on a deflection with three minutes remaining, the first of his college career, but the game was long over by then.

BC has made a statement with its seven-game romp through the Hockey East: the Eagles are the team to be reckoned with in the conference. Three weeks ago if you asked any BC fan whether or not the 1-5-1 Eagles were contenders for any postseason honors, they might have laughed.

What a difference a month can make.

BC remains atop Hockey East, having knocked off one of the better teams in the country. Lucky bounces or not, the Eagles are forcing the college hockey world to give them a second look. n

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Watts Scores Twice, BC Escapes UConn With Overtime Draw

By Nicole Pla Heights Staff

Before Saturday afternoon’s game against the University of Connecticut, Boston College women’s hockey head coach Katie Boston College 3 Crowle y emConnecticut 3 phasized that her Eagles would need to be more physical in Freitas Ice Forum.

To call it physical would be an understatement.

BC (10-1-2, 5-0-2 Hockey East) traveled to Storrs, Conn. for its second game against the Huskies. Despite the Eagles controlling the puck Friday night, the Huskies (4-5-3, 0-4-2) came out aggressive. The physicality of Saturday afternoon’s matchup ended in an overtime 3-3 draw—the second of the season. UConn switched up goaltenders, with Connecticut native Morgan Fisher in between the pipes instead of Annie Belanger.

Early into the first period, the Huskies put pressure on goaltender Katie Burt.

Less than 10 minutes into regulation, Caroline Ross was booked for hooking.

UConn didn’t lose time in its player advantage, and hounded Burt with shots. A slapshot from Kayla Mee was rebounded off Burt, causing her to come out of the goal. Theresa Knutson weaved her way through heavy traffic and behind Burt to seal the deal, giving the Huskies the early lead.

BC got its chance at retaliation when Catherine Crawley was charged with slashing with seven minutes left in the period. Despite Caitrin Lonergan, Daryl Watts, and Willow Corson all being on the ice, the Eagles couldn’t cash in on the power play. But BC put the pressure on Fisher as the period came to a close, when Serena Sommerfeld found Makenna Newkirk, who then tipped the puck to Lonergan. From there, the sophomore sent it home to tie up the game.

Early into the second, the Eagles got their second opportunity. Natalie Snodgrass was sent to the box for high-sticking, and immediately after the faceoff, the Eagles peppered Fisher with shots.

Constantly on the offensive, Toni Ann Miano fed the puck to Watts, who wristed it off the boards for the power-play goal, giving BC its first lead of the game. After Snodgrass’s penalty, the offense tipped toward BC’s favor. Toward the end of the period, UConn took advantage of every opportunity it was given, and quickly found a hole in BC’s defense, two minutes shy of the end of the period. A pass from Snodgrass to Rebecca Lindblad allowed the junior to take it inside and tip it past Burt for the tying goal.

With just a minute left in the second period, Grace Bizal was sent to the box for elbowing right off the faceoff, sending the Eagles into the third with a player down. The Huskies came out aggressive, taking advantage of their power

MARK NIU / Heights Staff

Sophomore Erin Connolly (15), who recorded five shots in Saturday night’s draw, chases the puck in the neutral zone.

play. Only 30 seconds into the period Snodgrass infiltrated BC’s zone, skating her way past Eagles defenders. She took an inside shot that snuck past Burt, giving the Huskies a one-goal edge on the Eagles in the last 20 minutes. Crowley’s team looked to respond with a shot from Lonergan. But it was deflected, and Kent couldn’t corral the rebound before it was covered by Fisher.

Soon after, Ross started a play by sending it to Newkirk, who headed in for a wrister after battling with a defender.

She sent it in the direction of Watts, who took a shot that landed in the back of the twine, tying up the game. In the final five minutes, the Eagles were much more aggressive than they had been in throughout the entire game. The puck was constantly in front of Fisher, but the

goaltender was quick to scoop up every shot the Eagles took.

A double penalty gave BC a 30 second 5-on-3, but the Eagles couldn’t log the game-winning goal. Regulation ended without a goal by either team, and they headed into overtime for the second time this season. Even with the extra five minutes, the scoring drought continued, and the game ended in a tie. n

MEN’S HOCKEY

Kim Kickstarts Eagles Comeback, En Route to Sixth-Straight Win

By Michael Sullivan Editor-in-Chief

Joseph Woll struggled to get it together.

Halfway through the second period of Friday’s game against New Hampshire, the sophomore Boston College 3 goaltender for New Hampshire 2 Boston College men’s hockey gave up his second soft goal.

This time, it was to Eric MacAdams, the first in the freshman’s career. MacAdams didn’t have to work too hard for it, either.

He caught the puck on a 2-on-1 near the blue line, and wristed it past Woll. If the Eagles were going to come back, they’d need quick goals and the help from their defensemen, because it appeared as if Woll might not get it done.

Turns out, they got all three.

After MacAdams’ goal, the Eagles never looked back. Woll made a few clutch saves, and team captain Michael Kim, a defenseman, scored twice—once on the power play 57 seconds after MacAdams’ goal, another late in the third period—to give BC a 3-2 victory over UNH. It’s the sixth win in a row for the Eagles (7-5-1, 7-1-0 Hockey East) after a rough start to the season, in which they fell to five ranked teams in six games.

The No. 11 Wildcats (6-4-1, 3-3-1) got on the board in the first period when Chris Miller notched the first goal off Woll. Ara Mazarian forced a Connor Moore turnover, setting up Miller with a juicy rebound off Woll’s pads. BC struggled throughout the first to gain offensive momentum. Fortunes changed for the Eagles in the second period when David Cotton scored just 1:49 into

the frame. Jacob Tortora launched a shot at UNH goaltender Danny Tirone that bounced off the skate of Julius Mattila. The puck took a opportune bounce to Cotton at the low right circle to eat up the rebound.

Kim’s goals came off two slapshots, something the defenseman is wont to do.

It was the first multi-goal game of Kim’s career.

“He’s played very, very well,” said head coach Jerry York of his team captain. “He’s got a rocket of a shot.”

But that would have been for naught without the stellar play of Woll. With 5:30 to go in the third period, the Eagles faced a crucial penalty kill. Benton Maass came up along the near boards and fired a shot that looked like it’d clang around the boards, but instead caromed awkwardly off the glass.

Woll sold out behind the net, leaving it wide

open for Nazarian to slot the game-tying goal. Woll quickly skated back and reached across his body to snatch the puck out of the air and push it away to preserve the win.

Though he has at times throughout his BC career been inconsistent on the easy shots, one thing Woll has shown is a knack for the spectacular.

“I don’t know how he caught it,” York said. “I saw it from the bench, I haven’t seen it from the TV perspective. But that’s the difference in the outcome of the game—it hinges on that, a crazy bounce, an unbelievable save.”

It’s yet another notch on a remarkable two-week turnaround for the Eagles. Following their 6-1 loss to No. 1 Denver, the Eagles dropped out of the USCHO.com top-20 rankings for the first time since the 2009 season. BC swept through a series

of unranked opponents, but held serve against New Hampshire in the first of a six-game stretch against ranked teams—a home-and-home against Northeastern (currently No. 12), a home-and-home against struggling Boston University (No. 18), and a home matchup against Harvard (No. 13). As of publication, it’s been enough to launch BC back into the way-too-early PairWise Rankings—by comparison, BU is down at 35th. And, though all of the games have been by a slim one-goal margin, they’re proof of improvement for the Eagles’ head coach.

“You either win or you learn,” York said. “Early in the season, we played games where we didn’t win but we learned. Then we caught fire, and now we’re playing very confident when the game’s tied late. That’s a nice attribute to have.” n

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Burt Notches First Shutout of Season in Victory Over Huskies

By Nicole Pla Heights Staff

It’s been a little less than a month since Boston College women’s hockey has seen Connecticut. The last time these two teams met, the Boston College 3 Eagles came Connecticut 0 home with a tie. On Friday night, however, UConn didn’t stand a chance. After 60 minutes of hockey, BC came away with a 3-0 victory, goaltender Katie Burt’s first shutout of the season.

The Eagles (10-1-1, 5-0-1 Hockey East) controlled the puck from the first faceoff, circling goaltender Annie Belanger, looking for an early chance to pull ahead. After being fed a pass from Caitrin Lonergan, Daryl Watts tallied the first shot attempt of the game, but UConn (4-5-3, 0-4-2 Hockey East) was able to

fend it off. It wasn’t long before the Eagles found their first golden opportunity. After a shot by Makenna Newkirk connected with Belanger’s pads, Caroline Ross sent the puck to Erin Connolly and she drove it home.

One goal wasn’t enough for the second line. Kathleen McNamara tipped the puck to Watts, who quickly skated across the net before sending the puck behind her to Lonergan. With Belanger preoccupied with the freshman, Lonergan had the perfect opportunity to send the puck into the net to secure a two-goal lead for the Eagles. Despite the early goals, the first period was rather tame, with neither team being called for a penalty.

The first few minutes of the second period followed the same pattern, but the game soon turned physical. Connolly took BC’s first penalty after tripping a UConn player with her stick while pass-

ing her. The Eagles easily killed off the penalty, and the game quickly returned to full strength. BC didn’t waste any time after gaining back its fifth player.

Lonergan gained possession of the puck shortly after Connolly’s penalty was over and circled behind the goal. She found an open Watts, who weaved her way through defenders to find a space between Belanger’s legs, tallying her 13th goal of the season.

Connolly was sent back into the sin bin almost immediately after BC’s third goal for tripping a defender with her stick.

The Eagles killed off her second penalty, but Bridget McCarthy skated into the box for hooking less than a minute after the Eagles gained back full strength. BC killed off their third straight penalty, and headed into the locker room with a comfortable three-goal lead.

After a tame first period, head coach

Katie Crowley was pleased with the way her team killed off the penalties they were called for in the second period.

“We kind of took tough angles on two of them, and I’m glad we were able to kill those ones off,” she said. “I mean going the whole first period without a penalty I was kind of surprised, so I knew they were coming at some point, we just had to wait for it. I think our penalty kill was very good.”

The Eagles were given their first power-play opportunity shortly into the third period after Justine Fredette tripped up Lonergan. Despite the two-minute advantage, the Eagles couldn’t connect.

Once the game returned to full strength, the Huskies had their biggest chance to get on the board. Burt deflected a shot, but it trickled off to the side before she was able to cover it up. Before Morgan Wabick could tip it in and secure a point

for the Huskies, Burt was able to cover the hole between her and the pipe, denying UConn the opportunity.

The Eagles had their second powerplay opportunity when Natalie Snodgrass checked Watts and pushed her into the wall and, consequently, was sent to the box. The Eagles couldn’t connect on their second advantage, and failed to do so on their third when Rebecca Lindblad was booked for tripping.

After completing her first shut out of the season, Crowley couldn’t help but praise her star goaltender.

“I thought [Burt] was great. There were a couple times where we got hemmed in there in our defensive zone and I thought she was the one that really calmed things down for us,” she said. “Those are tough games to play when you’re not seeing shots consistently, but I thought overall she did a great job for us." n

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2017

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Each row, column and 3x3 box should contain the numbers 1 to 9. You must follow these rules: · Number can appear only once in each row · Number can appear only once in each column · Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box · The number should appear only once on row, column or area.

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2017

Scales Remain Unbalanced in ‘Justice League’ Dud

BY JACOB SCHICK

Assoc. Scene Editor

DC isn’t doing itself any favors with Justice League. Another grayscale punchfest enters the halls of “the other superhero studio” after the glory days of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy to the roaring applause of DC apologists and the exasperated sighs of presumably everyone else. The release of Justice League marks the eighth major motion picture about superheroes in 2017, and it’s rather surprising that no one is getting tired of these. Once again, a team of superheroes joins forces to stop an unstoppable evil. There may be some initial chafing as the super friends settle into their roles on the team, and audiences can be sure that these heroes will fight each other for some convoluted reason. Never fear, however, as Hero Squad™ will overcome their differences and learn that teamwork really does make the dream work. Evil is thwarted, but not for long. Tune in next week, when our heroes are faced with an even greater danger! Is this

starting to sound familiar?

If so, that’s because Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Captain America: Civil War, Suicide Squad, and Batman v.

Superman have already done it, and it wasn’t original then either. And yet, Justice League acts as if it has just reinvented the wheel.

Through a series of introductory scenes, the audiences is quickly introduced to the cast of characters. Returning from previous films are Batman—a billionaire vigilante with deep-rooted psychological trauma; Wonder Woman—the most scantily-clad and engaging DC character; and Aquaman—a buff, Jason Momoa-type with powers as nebulous and unexplained as his backstory.

Justice League begins to outline the main conflict here, too. Succinctly, flying monster men called Parademons have been causing mayhem. It is explained that their appearance heralds the coming of Steppenwolf, the main villain of Justice League. His evil plot is to use the three “mother-boxes,” sources

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of infinite power and destruction, to take everyone for a “magic carpet ride” by terraforming Earth into a hellish landscape over which he will rule.

After Steppenwolf kills a few dozen Amazonians and Atlanteans because he’s “born to be wild,” Wonder Woman and Aquaman are all in for Batman’s league of wonder friends. The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) are quickly enlisted, and the quintet sets out to save the world.

From this point, Justice League quickly devolves into a series of large action setpieces. Throughout, our superheroes seem to be battling overworked CGI and bad dialogue more often than actual villains. In a world where everything is covered in a fine layer of grit—because The Dark Knight was gritty and audiences liked that—the background CGI is distracting and unrealistic.

It also appears that the screenwriters had a contractually obligated number of quips and one-liners to include, as every seventh line is accompanied by a long look into the middle distance or a pause for the still-forthcoming audience laugh.

Justice League also attempts to add suspense and surprise with the return of Superman (Henry Cavill). If news of this return was at all surprising to anyone, Justice League was an unfortunate choice for the first movie of their life. Yet the film tries to garner brownie points with the audience by pretending, for the first hour, that Superman won’t be back. When the Man of Steel finally appears, he is disoriented and confused, providing Justice League another perfect opportunity for a fight scene. Superman fights the rest of the league, while Cavill fights his British accent. No one is hurt, because nothing ever goes wrong when pseudo-gods fight each other on a city street, and soon everyone is ready to take down Steppenwolf.

Unfortunately, Justice League is not the worst DC movie to be made since these recent days of expanded universes, as it’s a very low bar to pass thanks to Suicide Squad and Batman v. Superman. It may be better than these two, but it’s not good. The film is plagued by Zack Snyder. Justice League is directed by the same man who brought audiences such cinematic masterpieces as Batman v. Superman, 300, Man of Steel, Watchmen, and Sucker Punch. As bad as some of these may have been, they are all worse than everyone remembers. What’s really telling is that Snyder’s best work is probably Legend of the Guardians: Owls of Ga’Hoole. Justice League plays as a series of Snyder’s greatest hits. The film is mostly grey, brown, or black. Slow-motion shots abound for those “wow” moments that really only draw out the length of the movie.

Weird, off-hand jokes or lines of dialogue are lingered on for just too long. And, as always, the film can’t seem to let go of past failures.

The final end credits scene reintroduces Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor, one of the most universally-panned parts of Batman v.

Superman, and simultaneously teases a new villain who will be popping up in the next installment of this bloated franchise.

There are a handful of bright moments in the film. Gal Gadot is as magnetic as always as Wonder Woman, bringing a familiar and welcome face into Justice League. Ezra Miller’s Flash is funny at times, but not as often as Marvel’s Spider Man, Drax, or most recently Korg. J.K. Simmons does a good job as Commissioner Gordon (read: J. Jonah Jameson), and Alfred Pennyworth is enjoyable only because Jeremy Irons plays him. Aside from this, Justice League is another nail in DC’s expanded universe coffin. Marvel has a host of other problems, but at least they’ve made more than one enjoyable movie. 

‘Punisher’ Does Right by Classic Comic Character

BY MICHAEL TROY For The Heights

The Punisher is the sixth individual Netflix series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, about an ex-Marine named Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) whose family was murdered by the government after he returned from a deployment.

After this happens, he dedicates his life to killing everyone involved with their deaths. Castle is a beloved comic book character who has not been done justice in the box office due to bad films about him, so this show had quite a bit of hype to live up to.

Castle was introduced in Daredevil, the first Netflix Marvel series, as a ruthless, emotionless killer who wanted nothing but the downfall of the people responsible for the death of his family. The Punisher delves deeper into the events that made him the man he became after his family was murdered. The show does a very good job of organizing the obligatory origin story of the main character, but some of the flashbacks appear out of nowhere and are hard to distinguish because they are set in a different time than the main narrative.

Aside from those shortcomings, the narrative is well-managed and mostly succeeds in not being confusing.

The characters are good in this show, but the supporting cast is lacking significantly in comparison to Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach,

who plays Frank’s sidekick David Lieberman. Those two carry the show forward, and are so good together that it often takes away from the scenes without them. Those scenes are fine on their own but in comparison to those with just Bernthal and MossBachrach they are of vastly inferior quality.

The chemistry between the two main stars is quite evident and that bond between characters is something most of the other actors unfortunately do not seem to possess.

Luckily, the script makes up for some of the unconvincing performances, as the writers did a great job of creating dialogue that seems genuine.

The tone of this series is quite dark, and that is certainly a good thing. Throughout its short history on the big screen, The Punisher has always had dark overtones and very little humor.

Although these films were in no way good, they captured the vibe the character is meant to give off quite well.

The television series is no different, as the visuals and the score create the patented dark atmosphere with which The Punisher is normally associated.

The villains in this first season are interesting but not well-developed or well-explained in terms of their motives.

It takes until almost half way through the 13-episode runtime for

the show to pinpoint who the bad guys actually are, and while it is a nice reveal in the moment, it feels ham-fisted into the narrative.

It feels this way especially because there has not been any distinguishable threat from these enemies up until they are revealed in the first place. Once they are established and developed, they are entertaining and threatening adversaries for Castle and Lieberman to deal with.

One of the staples of a show like The Punisher is the action that comes with a character like Castle. The one thing that every film about him did well was make gruesome and graphic violence, and the show follows suit with the big screen adaptations. The

action is bloody and no holds bar with detailed bone-breaking and an obnoxious amount of stabbing, and it is a ton of fun to watch.

Bernthal is fantastic in the action scenes, just as he was in his two seasons on The Walking Dead and in Season 2 of Daredevil.

The choreography for the fights is awesome and the camera work is great, as the show utilizes long, continuous action shots rather than a ridiculous amount of post-production editing like many blockbuster films do.

This and everything else make for a fun viewing experience. To put it frankly, watching The Punisher is far from a punishment. 

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‘Coco’ Provides Colorful and Heartfelt Family Fun

BY AMELIE TRIEU Assoc. Photo Editor

Ever wonder if your family has any skeletons in the closet? Miguel Riviera in Disney’s Coco definitely did. In this family friendly, colorfully animated musical film set on the Día de Muertos, the Mexican Day of the Dead, Miguel travels to the fantastical afterlife to uncover his family’s biggest secret.

The Rivieras have a multi-generational music ban because Miguel’s great-great grandfather left home to achieve his musical dream, leaving behind his wife and young daughter, Miguel’s Mama Imelda and Mama Coco. As Mama Imelda has passed away, the only person in the Riviera family to remember the identity of the unknown musical ancestor is elderly and senile Mama Coco.

As a 12-year-old living in a small village in Mexico, Miguel feels like an outsider in a family of shoemakers.

Uninterested in the family business, his dream is to be a musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. In his safe space in the attic, Miguel has collected trinkets and memorabilia of the popular musician. By watching tapes of de la Cruz’s movies and performances, Miguel taught himself how to sing and play the guitar using an old guitar he found in the attic. Miguel’s family has long since disapproved of music, which is why Miguel cannot let them know about his secret fascination with music or perform in public. When he tries to enter the annual talent competition at the village’s town square, his family, especially his abuelita, cracks down. The music competition coincides with el Día de Muertos, a Mexican holiday the

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Riviera family takes very seriously.

During the holiday, Mexican families will put photos of ancestors on a mantle and invite them to come back from the afterlife using marigold petals and the ancestors’ favorite foods as a lure. Guided by paths of marigolds laid out by their descendants, ancestors can cross over a marigold bridge from the afterlife to the world of the living.

Miguel’s abuelita takes this holiday very seriously and tries to convince her grandson to help her prepare for their ancestors’ visit. Teenage Miguel is disinterested and frustrated by his family’s expectations for him. By accident, he breaks the frame of his great-great grandmother Mama Imelda’s photo, or ofrenda. When he retrieves the photo from the broken frame, he discovers a folded section of the photo, revealing that his unknown great-great grandfather played a guitar similar to that of Ernesto de la Cruz. Miguel draws the conclusion that he and his family are descendants of his famous idol, leading him to confront his family and revealing his secret desire to be a musician. In the heat of the moment, Miguel’s upset abuelita destroys his guitar, leading Miguel to run away from his family.

Miguel’s act of rebellion on the Dead of the Day plunges him into the adventure of a lifetime. In a strange series of circumstances, Miguel finds himself able to see and communicate with the spirits of the ancestors. He learns that his ancestors continue to live on in skeletal form. With the guidance of ancestors he knew only from the ofrendas on his family’s mantle, and

some new friends, Miguel not only uncovers the family secret but also learns valuable lessons about the importance of family and solidarity in the colorful and fantastical afterlife.

Director Lee Unkrich and his team at Pixar’s efforts to create a culturally conscious film were successful. Coco is the first Pixar film to feature a minority lead and to include an almost all-Latino cast that seamlessly slips in and out of Spanish and English. Additionally, Coco pays homage to important aspects in Mexican history and culture through song and characters such as artist Frida Kahlo.

The film’s cheery Spanglish score helps to keep the mood up in this emotional hero’s journey. The multiple appearances of the song “Remember Me” brings the storyline full circle.

While a children’s film, the upbeat score, skeletal slapstick humor, rich visuals, and multilayered characters weaves, together a storyline that also appeals to adult viewers. Addressing questions about death, memory, and obligation, Coco manages to be entertaining while encouraging viewers to think about and be thankful for their family.

Perfect for Thanksgiving , this heart-warming and uplifting coming-of-age story celebrates Mexican culture and presents a tear-jerking and emotional journey for kids of all ages.

The message of Coco remains heartfelt and important. Many can relate to the struggle between staying faithful to one’s dreams and one’s duty to family and culture. 

SINGLE REVIEW TRISTAN ST. GERMAIN

‘SHOULDN’T LOOK AT ME THAT WAY’ ELVIS COSTELLO

At 63, Elvis Costello is still steadily producing music as slick and disaffected as ever. The artist wrote this single for the upcoming movie Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. The film stars Jamie Bell and Annette Benning and focuses on the memoir by Peter Turner.

This single follows Elvis Costello’s last album, 2013’s Wise Up Ghost.

“You Shouldn’t Look At Me That Way” brings forth imagery of lazy afternoons and night-time saloons, as Costello recounts past loves that have made him wary of future relationships.

“Time among all your enemies leaves you nothing but bitter memories”, he croons to a slow piano melody accompanied by a jazzy drum brush.

The song shifts from a nostalgiadrenched past to a tormented present, culminating in cathartic bursts of violin and sax. 

MUSIC VIDEO CALEB GRIEGO

‘BACK IN THE USA’ GREEN DAY

While much of the country remains lulled into a sense of complacency, Green Day tries to wake up the sheeple with good old-fashioned rock and roll. Its latest music video for previously unreleased track “Back in the USA” pays homage to John Carpenter’s 1988 sci-fi horror They Live, in which a select few are able to see through the superficial propaganda and liberate the world from inhuman tyrants.

Harkening back to ’50s America, the video begins in a black and white suburb. The band plays neighbors in this picket fence utopia, complete with push mowers, dapper dresswear, and glib wives.

Billie Joe Armstrong enjoys a cup of coffee as he picks up the paper in an argyle vest. The morning routine is interrupted by a travelling saleswoman selling sunglasses which allow him to see the television in color.

After buying a pair, Armstrong rushes next door to show his friends.

But after a moment of hapless fun on the TV, one of them notices something strange.

When looking at posters of cars, ring advertisements, and magazine covers, the men notice harrowing messages beneath, like “CONSUME,” “CONFORM,” and “PROCREATE.” Upon looking back at the TV, the news appears to read “PRESIDENT TO LIE TO NATION TOMORROW NIGHT,” a likely critique of the current administration.

Upon this revelation, the men spring into action, just as the chorus kicks in. Storming unto the TV, just as the Trump-ian president speaks, the men invigorate the world through their music, allowing color to disseminate from the television filling the world with vivacity and brilliance.

The video offers and interesting reversal of the visuals seen in They Live. In the film, the glasses allow the protagonist to see the grim, black and white reality beneath society, clueing them into the shadows at work beneath the surface.

In the “Back in the USA” video, the glasses allow color to be seen, symbolizing a sort of hope through awakening.

The video makes a pointed statement about the current political and societal climate, as it clearly implores those with enough awareness to make a difference, just as the band did within its video. Pointed lines like “The saddest story ever told (bitter year) / Is feeling safe in our suburban homes” are indicative of the kind of tacit complacency the band is trying to fight.

Should we truly look to change the world and those in it, it requires, as the video suggests, action on the part of those who understand the underlying issues. 

The Heights

Monday, November 20, 2017

B7

The Comedic Vignettes of ‘Orchard’ Explore Human Emotion

By Barrette Janney Editorial Assistant In a constantly evolving blend of comedy and drama, the Boston C o l l e g e t h e a t r e d e p a r t m e n t ’s production of The Cherry Orchard depicte d the imp erfe ctions and deliberations of the human condition with instinctual performances and inviting aesthetics.

Written by renowned Russian play wright Anton Chekhov, The Cherr y Orchard captures the emotional and financial struggles of a Russian landowning family at the turn of the 20th century.

While no two characters are quite alike in their dispositions or obstacles, all unite in their admiration of the natural wonder that is the cherry orchard, and all attempt to grasp onto their respective realities with a nod toward the future and possibility for improvement.

Before actors even graced the stage of Robsham Theater, a few pieces of rustic, period furniture populated a tile-painted floor, situating audience members in the Russian countryside of the early 1900s.

Such bare serenity diminished, h o w e v e r, a s t h e l i g h t s r o s e t o reveal anxious anticipation for a train, creating an opening scene in which Yermolay Lopakhin (Michael Mazzone, MCAS ’19), a clumsy, selfdeprecating businessman, awaits the arrival of the train’s passengers with Dunyasha (Isabel Litterst, MCAS ’21), the flighty house maid.

While a tinge of slapstick comedy with the tragically infatuated, flowerd r o p p i n g S e m y o n Ye p i k h o d o v (Stephen McAlee, MCAS ’18) elevates the already chaotic atmosphere, the mayhem culminates in the entrance of an ensemble adorned with travel garments and luggage.

The standout of this bustling crew is Lyubov Ranyevskaya (Samuela Nemathcoua, MCAS ’18), the owner

of the estate that hosted acres of cherry orchards.

Returning to her beloved childhood home from a five-year hiatus in Paris, Lyubov voices a blissful satisfaction with this transition that counters the financial worries that her daughters, Anya (Ally Lardner, ’21) and Varya (Noelle Scarlett, MCAS ’18), and Yermolay acknowledge.

Lyubov spends money frivolously, giving to her family or to perfect strangers what she does not have to give. She cares not about the implications of her spending or charity but thrives off of the help or joy she can bring those around her, a kindhearted inclination that might soon result in the loss of the estate.

Yermolay has a plan to ameliorate the gradual economic downfall of the family. He proposes that Lyubov cut down the cherry orchard and divide the land into plots for lease for the new generation of vacationers in need of tranquil getaway spots.

Hostility to the proposal arises in every inhabitant or visitor of the estate, establishing the defining tension of the play as well as a persistent symbol of sentimentality and unblemished beauty.

Such symbolism heightens when the veil that initially hid the trees lifts to reveal a masterpiece of BC set design—massive wooden structures embellished with delicate white tufts.

This new backdrop underpins the rest of the production, ceaselessly reminding audience members of the life-or-death fate of this natural phenomenon that will eventually resolve by the play’s conclusion.

Amidst the conflict, the arrival of Petya Trofimov (Andrew Meck, MCAS ‘18) adds another layer of incongruence accompanied with a call to intellectual introspection.

Petya is a student and former tutor of Lyubov’s son who recently drowned in the river running through the cherry

orchard. His discourse invites a nearly philosophical interruption into the jubilant or superficial conversations of the ensemble, and his entrance welcomes romantic feelings between him and Anya that leave the audience mystified about a possible future together.

Nuance and uninterrupted fluidity characterize the overall performances of each and every cast member in The Cherry Orchard.

Nemathcoua energ ize d e ver y movement, line, and expression with elegant effervescence, serving the graceful innocence of Lyubov without judgment towards the tumultuous consequences of her actions. Lardner executed the youthful purity of Anya with a stunning vocal clarity and

telling eyes, and Mazzone drove home Yermolay ’s thirst for selfactualization and improvement from his family ’s subjugation with his consistent physical quirks.

Exquisite costuming, replete with rich colors and textures, and a furry co-star acted as playful finishing touche s to the come dy - tur ne dtragedy. Charlotta (Catherine Backer, MCAS ’18), the bizarre governess, performs magic tricks as well as dog tricks, offering relief from the more serious convictions of the show.

In her director’s note, Patricia Riggin explains the relatability of The Cherry Orchard , citing how the humanity of the characters in the face of unavoidable yet unchangeable adversity still exists within all people

today.

However, Chekhov ’s focus on the “foolishness of the world around him” punctured the seriousness of humanity’s undoing.

The attention paid to mastering comedic moments and their timing, lifting them from the sometimes despondent dialogue, affirms the success of Riggin’s attempt to highlight the farce of The Cherry Orchard .

While bleak possibilities and conclusions loomed throughout the The Cherry Orchard , they did not characterize its entirety.

R a t h e r, e m o t i o n a l l y s i n c e r e performances and well-executed comedic vignettes offered a whole perspective into the ebbs and flows of human emotion. n

Kaitlin Meeks / Heights Staff

The newest play at Robsham, ‘The Cherry Orchard,’ examines the nature of social change from multiple perspectives.

Nematchoua, Scarlett, Meck Bloom in ‘Orchard’ From Orchard Actors, B8

Kaitlin Meeks / Heights Staff

Raps, Rhythms, Riffs Reign in Rat From Rock the Rat, B8 guitar chords from Nirvana’s legendary grunge rock hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

The song did not introduce the raucous Kurt Cobain vocals, however, and instead the band turned to calmer lyrics and low vocals. The Extras maintained a reserved presence throughout the set and allowed their formidable musical talents to speak for themselves. The drummer of the band wore a Catfish and the Bottleman band tee that perhaps alluded to some of the band’s influences, as The Extras’ long, winding guitar solos nearly replicated the sound of the U.K.-based band.

Unit One, the only band performing with a female artist, Rachel Moon, MCAS ’19, brought a distinct groove to the stage. Its brief set was characterized by a more prominent bass sound that created danceable tunes. Further, the female guitarist and lyricist maintained a liveliness that encouraged the crowd to dance, sing, and clap along. About halfway through the set, the band called upon a fellow Music Guild member to provide backup vocals, creating an organic, easy-going attitude for the set. During Unit One’s final song, the enthusiastic guitarist jumped around in the invigorated crowd.

While bands were setting up in between sets, the Music Guild played jams from an eclectic mix of artists, including Tame Impala, Catfish and the Bottlemen, and Kendrick Lamar.

Handwritten signs warning “No Sitting” were posted throughout the dining hall-

turned-music venue to encourage the crowd to dance along to the student acts.

The crowd grew throughout the night, with patrons drifting in and out of the lofty room, but was perhaps largest for the set of reigning Battle of the Bands champion Little Saturday.

Little Saturday cranked out jazzy jams for its energized set, and differentiated itself from other acts of the night by adding a saxophone to its lineup. While the band opened with a jazz instrumental, other members of Music Guild joined Little Saturday to sing backup vocals for its second song of the night, which got a shaky start due to technical difficulties with the microphones. A building saxophone solo, played by Isaiah Rawlinson, MCAS ’18, encouraged the crowd to clap along to the fun beat.

Throughout the set, one of the guitarists and bass player, Andrew Hammond, MCAS ’18, traded instruments to showcase the breadth of their musical skills. Little Saturday also introduced a new song titled “Please Don’t Go,” a piece with sultry, begging lyrics. The band’s last song was especially memorable due to an intense guitar and four-clap drum beat, as well as energized saxophone and guitar solos—the latter during which the lead guitarist, Peter Toronto, MCAS ’20, jumped off stage and allowed the screaming chords to invade the dancing crowd. Little Saturday recieved cheers demanding an encore, but the band politely declined out of respect for the time of following

acts.

The band Amanda Bloomfield followed Little Saturday and included the bassist and guitarist from the preceding act. Like Little Saturday, the band went for a jazz sound, but traded a saxophone for a keyboard. The drummer, Alex Eichler, MCAS ’20, for the band brought a distinguished intensity to the stage throughout the set, and Amanda Bloomfield was also showered with demands for an encore. The band also declined.

The final act of the night was rapper Phenom V from Hyde Park, Mass. The hip-hop performer fused rap lyrics with traditional rock music instruments played by the band Extreme Sounds to create a fresh break from the studiomade beats that often occupy the hiphop genre. Dressed in an eccentric red puffer jacket, the energetic rapper jumped around the stage while spitting lyrics into the mic.

Phenom V, Emmanuel Laguerre, WCAS ’18, rapped about his experiences in lyrics such as “Use my education to get out the bottom” and “Molly, percocet, I know if I ever touch that shit my momma be upset,” an allusion to Future’s “Mask Off.” Phenom V was accompanied by his younger sister Xenia and fellow Boston SoundCloud rapper J Cinatra for the performance of songs “Free” and “I Don’t Touch the Bag,” respectively. With hair almost as big as the personality he brought to the stage, Phenom V closed out Rock the Rat with unmatched vitality and authenticity. n

truly feel Trofimov’s motivations in the show.

Theatre certainly adds stress to Meck’s daily life, but he also credits it with a deeper connection to humanity. Taking aspects of the character affects him as a person.

By slipping into a character, he gains a knowledge and understanding of someone who might be very different from the way he is and can translate this newfound perspective into his real life. When Trofimov advocates for the disadvantaged of the early 20th century, Meck can see the parallels a 100 years later and connect emotionally to people in a similar plight today. Trofimov has given Meck an “extra level of sympathy” for different groups today.

While embodying a character is the biggest part of theatre for Meck, he stresses that this devotion is not usually apparent to the people watching from their seats.

“I think what people don’t understand is the amount of energy it takes to really be somebody else,” Meck said. “Doing it more than just to entertain, but to produce actual realism.”

For all three seniors in The Cherry Orchard, in spite of differing motivations and stories of their passion for theatre, the time commitment is the most difficult aspect. Nematchoua, Scarlett, and Meck each spend countless hours reading through the plays, exploring their characters, and repeating and memorizing their lines. To truly get into character, one must essentially live the life of another, and balancing this with an academic life is difficult, especially during rehearsal weeks. All three have selected theatre as one of their majors, which serves to lighten the academic load slightly.

Nematchoua and Scarlett’s dedication and time commitment to acting at BC is more easily understood. Nematchoua plans to return to her home of Chicago after graduation. Nematchoua sardonically explained that she will be better able to save money and to finally learn how to drive back home. She also plans to begin auditioning for shows in the area and to build her name there. Most importantly, Nematchoua wants to go deeper into the film and television

world. She plans to begin creating content for a web series she has been toying with recently. While the details for her web series, called Sugar, are confidential for now, Nematchoua explains that this project will allow her to hone her skills in writing, directing, and filming in addition to acting.

While in Chicago, she also wants to finish a film script she has been working on.

Nematchoua knows that the film will be silent, but she has not yet fleshed out exactly where it will lead.

Scarlett also hopes to continue her career in theatre after she graduates from BC. She has applied for a Fulbright scholarship to study physical theatre in Italy for nine months. If she is accepted into this, she will continue her studies abroad and use this knowledge in the roles she is cast afterwards.

If not, she plans to jump straight into the local microcosm of theater by auditioning for roles in the surrounding area. At this point, Scarlett finds herself slightly in flux, as she won’t hear about her Fulbright status until February.

Meck is the only one of the three seniors in The Cherry Orchard who does not have plans to pursue a career in acting. Meck plans to use his political science major to practice law. He has applied to law schools at this point, and will be hearing back on his acceptances shortly. Notably, Meck has practiced theater in a professional way outside of BC. Last year, Meck performed in an off-broadway show in New York City called Paper Planes. The play was written by a BC alumn, and Meck worked alongside another BC student for the summer run of the show.

For those who have seen The Cherry Orchard, it becomes clear that change drives the momentum of the show.

Characters of different personalities, financial situations, and social classes come together, and at the end, everyone goes their separate ways. The journeys of these three seniors, especially as they take the next step away from the theatre department at BC, certainly has a happier ending than the one of The Cherry Orchard. Each will continue on having grown and learned from their time here, but all three will have left a part of themselves behind. n

SCENE

B8

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2017

@BCHEIGHTSARTS

A Dramatic Blossoming, From Seed to Sapling Three of BC’s seniors share their journeys as performers in ‘The Cherry Orchard.’

BY JACOB SCHICK Assoc. Scene Editor For many students at Boston College, theater exists on the periphery. Theatre is something to walk by on the way to Lower, or a poster hung on the wall of the O’Neill stairs. But for others, like Samuela Nematchoua, MCAS ’18;, Noelle Scarlett, MCAS ’18, and Andrew Meck, MCAS ’18, theater is so much more. Theatre exists as an outlet for creativity, as a career path, or as one of the most time-consuming extra-curriculars available to a BC student.

For these three seniors, theater is an idea, an activity, and a passion that has shaped their lives as students and as people. For these three, Cherry Orchard, the latest Robsham Theater production, is one of the last opportunities they will have to express themselves in this way at BC. Cherry Orchard focuses on the struggle of an aristocratic Russian family at the turn of the 20th century. The family, led

by Madame Lubov, have returned to their ancestral home. The estate is threatened by crippling debt, and members of the family have come back to save it, to see it off, and to be with each other in this time of crisis.

The main theme of the show is change, and how it affects the characters differently.

This event represents the closing of a very important part of their lives, and the start of a period of uncertainty as to what will happen next.

Cherry Orchard plays a similar role in the real lives of these three actors. As the first semester of their senior year draws to a close, Cherry Orchard is one of the last stepping points for their lives in acting so far. These three have arrived at this same point in very different ways and after the show finishes its run, have very different paths ahead of them.

Nematchoua came to BC from her home city of Chicago. From a very early age, she had cultivated her love for theatre.

Nematchoua spent most of her childhood in Chicago, after moving to the United States with her mother from Cameroon.

When she got to Chicago, she began to

participate in community theatre shows, like Romeo & Juliet, A Winter’s Tale, and her first show at age 8, Annie. Nematchoua described the way her mother, Christine Nematchoua, encouraged her afterschool dramatic activities.

“My mom put me in it so that I wouldn’t be ‘out in the streets’ in other words,” Nematchoua said. “Not that I was a bad kid anyway, but that was kind of her thing.”

Nematchoua continued her amateur career in acting when she attended a high school that helped her hone in on her love for theatre, Chicago High School for the Arts. It was here that Nematchoua began to act in shows that were more professionally coordinated. No longer were the actors simply children in the community. With the increased emphasis on acting as a field of study, Nematchoua flourished.

She credits her mother as one of the most important role models in her life. Of course, her mother was the one to first push her into theatre, but Christine Nematchoua had an even greater impact on her daughter.

Aspects of her character like “strength, resilience, and patience” are traits that Nematchoua commends her mother for.

Her mother’s journey is also a source of inspiration whenever Nematchoua reaches a point of disheartenment. Her mother came from Cameroon, with her daughter in tow, and was forced to start all over again.

“Seeing her rise up from just working on the corner store braiding hair to now having her doctor’s degree has been a really big thing for me,” Nematchoua said. “She has been a big supporter of me doing theater, even though back in the day she did not want me to do it.”

Her mother’s initial hesitation and later acceptance of her daughter’s career path is another aspect of admiration for this role model. Nematchoua credits her strength as a parent in her ability to take a step back and simply offer support and love, instead of judgement or criticism.

This supp ort and love help e d Nematchoua decide to go to BC and to declare herself as a theatre major.

Through theatre at BC, Nematchoua has

found a safe space to be who she wants to be. For her, theatre is a part of her life where she can express and work through the raw creativity she feels. Theatre frames life itself, and shows it to the audience. Nematchoua describes the beauty she feels when she walks around and sees theater emulated out in the world. In the city of Boston, one might see posters, productions, or fellow actors and immediately feel the connection that theatre brings.

“You both know theater and what it is that’s just beautiful,” Nematchoua said.

“There’s something about the other person that you know, that someone in theater wouldn’t necessarily know.”

Nematchoua credits this sense of community with the outsider perspective of theatre as a sort of cult. The people she acts with share the blood, sweat, and tears that she has shed. She understands what they have all been through, and vice versa.

There are long hours, stress, anxiety, and the desperate desire for a good show that permeate the entirety of a production.

Yet, in a good show, these hardships are not apparent on stage. In a good show, the audience will never see the worry or the doubt that has plagued the actors for days and weeks leading up to a production.

Theatre is not an easy extra-curricular or an easy career, and that understanding and connection from the shared struggle is a source of strength for her.

Scarlett also credits her mother as her most important role model. Her mother, Lisa Scarlett, works as a theatre arts director for a non-profit organization, Apple Tree Arts, in Scarlett’s home town of Grafton, Mass. Since age 7, Scarlett has been involved in the community shows her mother has worked on. From her first role as Townsperson No. 3, Scarlett found a passion in the performing arts.

As an adolescent, Scarlett worked backstage on her mother’s shows. She worked as a counselor in youth theatre camps, she arranged choreography, applied makeup, designed sets and stages, and acted throughout her childhood. When she got to high school, she began to spend even more

time on stage.

Seeing her mother’s ability to be professional and fun when working with small children, and her ability to budget time, people, and money has been the inspiration for Scarlett’s approach to theatre, especially when working with kids at her community theatre.

“There’s not as much of a need to have a perfect execution,” Scarlett said. “It’s more about fun, and letting the kids grow, because there is nothing more beautiful than watching a child blossom through acting.”

In high school, she found one of the next great mentors and role models for her career in theatre. Megan Patrick, her high school director, empowered her to seize the things she wanted, even when the obstacles seemed insurmountable.

“I don’t know how she did all the things she accomplished,” Scarlett said. “She was an incredible force of a woman.”

When Scarlett got to BC, she found in the theatre department a warm and welcoming family of friends and mentors.

Some of her favorite roles in her life as an actress were in BC shows like Big Love and The Misanthrope. Her trips to London and Italy with the theatre department showed her that she could be independent, and that she wanted to spend time abroad in these various birthplaces of theatre. Her director and professor Scott Cummings showed her what it meant to have discipline on and off the stage.

It takes discipline to delve into the depths of one’s own emotional experiences over and over again in order to elicit a similar response on stage. Scarlett explains that many actors draw on happy, sad, or angry memories and feelings in order to convey that emotion on stage.

In a very personal moment, Scarlett shared one of the sad moments that she uses when she has to look into herself on stage.

Her younger sister had an eating disorder, and often Scarlett reflects on the emotions she had during her sister’s battle with the disease and her eventual recovery.

“My emotions would span from extreme concern, to disappointment, to even anger

at that time,” Scarlett said.

The deep love that Scarlett has for her sister has allowed her to reflect and assess her past emotions, and also to relive them when she must convey similar feelings on stage.

For Andrew Meck, theatre has never been the career goal that it is for Nematchoua and Scarlett. Meck’s life at BC, however, is dominated by his roles in these on stage productions. Beginning from the first show he was in, Cinderella, Meck found a passion and an outlet for creativity in theatre. In high school, he began to perform in shows that ignited his love for the dramatic. A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare was the first show that Meck considered to be real theatre. In Shakespeare, Meck found a depth of character that is often lacking in other “classic” shows.

Depth of character is a very important aspect of Meck’s process of getting into a role. When playing a character, Meck has been trained by one of his favorite and most influential directors at BC, Patricia Riggin, to employ the Meisner technique.

The Meisner technique is an approach to acting in which the actor is trained, through repetition and consistent access to an emotional state, to respond instinctively to outside stimuli. In this way, when on stage, Meck can simply respond as a person would to another character’s words or body language, instead of trying to memorize and perform a specific facial or body expression.

Succinctly, the actor becomes accustomed to acting like a real person would.

“I try to breathe in every moment,” Meck said. “Right before I go on stage, I find the moments of character and live in that moment.”

Meck also employs a style of method acting. He tries to find the beliefs of a character and live them in his daily life.

His character in Cherry Orchard, Peyta Trofimov, is an advocate for the poor and lower classes. Meck has been trying to understand and to empathize with these ideas in recent weeks so that he can more

See Orchard Actors, B7

KAITLIN MEEKS / HEIGHTS STAFF

Heightsmen Marry Comedy, Song

BY EMILY HIMES Heights Staff Formed in 1990, the Heightsmen of Boston College are the University’s only all-male a capella group. They are known for their diversity of sound and impressive repertoire of styles and genres, whether hip hop, R&B, doo-wop, or Frank Sinatra.

The group of 12 drew quite a crowd to Devlin 008 for its Fall Cafe, although most attendees would agree that it felt strange to attend a concert in a lecture hall. The line to get in went all the way up the stairs to the main lobby of Devlin. Once everyone was inside there was a significant number of eager of students crammed in the back without seats attesting to the vocal group’s impressive amount of fans from the BC student body.

“One of my friends from class mentioned he was part of the Heightsmen, and I wanted to come support and see them perform,” said Claire Madden, MCAS ’20.

The Fall Cafe started off with a medley of songs from the ’80s, complete with Toto’s “Africa,” Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al,” Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.” This energetic mix of songs set the scene for the rest of the night—it created a lighthearted

INSIDE SCENE

and upbeat environment, a mood perfect for the Friday before Thanksgiving Break.

After the ’80s medley to kick off the show, the Heightsmen performed The Temptations’ “My Girl,” during which one of the members’ mothers was pulled from the audience and serenaded onstage. “My Girl” flowed into Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” which had the audience singing along. “Somebody to Love” was particularly impressive because of the skill it takes to perform the difficult harmonies, cadence switches, and high notes without instruments. The original version of this song is an instrumental, vocal, and lyrical masterpiece which beautifully translated into a capella.

Next up was the Heightsmen Dance—a tradition in which the new members of the group perform a choreographed dance together, mostly for comedic value.

Members of the audience took Snapchats as the group of four danced to a Britney Spears medley. The performance was longer than anticipated—“Toxic,” “...Baby One More Time,” “Circus,” “Oops I Did it Again,” and “Womanizer” were all part of the intricately choreographed set. The dance was racy in the most uncomfortable and awkward way possible, which was both endearing and laugh-inducing.

The Heightsmen then performed Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls,” followed by “Whatcha Say,” Jason Derulo’s 2010 hit. This song was given a unique new sound because the synthetic beat sounded completely different when replaced with voices. They continued this pop section of the night with “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel. An a capella classic, “Uptown Girl” was happy and upbeat, and was performed with clear and spectacular harmonies.

After a comedic interlude by Sexual Chocolate, BC’s all-male step team, the Heightsmen entered the last section of the night. It started off with an interesting rendition of Hunter Hayes’ “I Want Crazy,” a country hit with dramatic and exciting string instrumental action. It was an unexpected, but also a unique song to perform a capella. The last song of the night was an idiosyncratic take on Bing Crosby’s “Pennies from Heaven.” It was touching and sweet, which was a perfect way to close the night, but not before singing “Good Ole A Capella,” a song by The Nylons which was performed alongside Heightsmen alumni who were in the audience.

“Soul to soul, brother to brother, a capella sounds good to me,” they sang, celebrating a successful 27 years of excellent music and brotherhood. 

Performative Poise in ‘Cherry Orchard’

The Chekhov play is brought to life with precision as its cast uses sets and story to contrast respective realities...............B7

69

KAITLIN MEEKS / HEIGHTS STAFF

BC Bands Rock the Rat

BY KAYLIE RAMIREZ Heights Staff Sounds of powerful guitar solos, jazzy bass lines, and voices of various Boston College students filled the Rat for Music Guild’s “Rock the Rat” concert on Friday.

The event featured six student acts that each put an individual spin on the rock genre focus of the night.

The band Phew kicked off the night with an electric cover of Coldplay’s “Violet Hill.” The frontman, Dan Pflueger, MCAS ’20, delivered a rousing guitar solo during the song that repeats “If

‘Justice League’ Fails to Serve

The DC film fails to muster up any sense of permanence with a lacking narrative and dull cast of heroes.............................B6

you love me / Won’t you let me know?”

Phew seemed to struggle to get into a groove at certain points during the brief set, however, and a lack of synchrony was most obvious during the band’s third song. Despite earlier moments of uncertainty, the five-man band closed its set with a dramatic jumping guitar finish.

Next to take the small stage in the center of the Rat were The Extras.

The band opened with an impressive instrumental jam session that teased the

See Rock the Rat, B7

‘The Punisher’.................................................. B6 ‘Back in the USA’............................................... B6 ‘Coco’.............................................................. B6