The Heights September 25, 2017

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The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College

EST. 1919

WWW.BCHEIGHTS.COM

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2017

CHICAGO PREVIEW

THINGS FALL APART

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SPORTS

‘The Heights’ discusses how the theatre dept. is preparing for this fall’s mainstage performance.

BC had a chance to pull of one of the biggest upsets in program history. Then the fourth quarter hit.

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Union to Form, Elect Bargaining Committee It will then survey grad student employees to outline their priorities.

BY CONNOR MURPHY News Editor After its successful vote to establish collective bargaining rights with the University, the Boston College Graduate Employees Union’s next step is to elect a bargaining committee, which they hope to do this fall, according to a union representative.

Graduate student employees still need to determine the structure and size of the committee, particularly how many representatives will come from each school. Columbia University’s graduate employee union, for example, has a 10-person committee representing many academic disciplines. If the union decides that one worker will represent each school on the committee, there could be elections within schools.

After the bargaining committee is selected, the union will send out bargaining surveys for graduate student workers to

outline some of their priorities and help the bargaining committee determine what the union wants to see from negotiations with BC. Once they get the surveys, the committee will develop additional bargaining goals, which graduate student employees will also vote to approve, the representative said.

Once a tentative agreement is reached between the union and the University, the agreement goes out to union members to be ratified. There were 778 eligible voters in the election, all of which are now in the union. All votes in this process are decided by simple majority rule. Collective bargaining does not include graduate students in the theology department or the School of Theology and Ministry.

The closeness of the successful collective bargaining vote, which passed 270-224, appeared to be unexpected by some, including Victoria Gabriele, a second-year Ph.D. student in physics, who said on Sept. 13, the night the votes were counted, that the margin was a surprise.

In the lead-up to the election, several of

CELINE LIM / HEIGHTS STAFF

Can’t Go Wrong With Stokes Set Nico & Vinz amped up the crowd and livened up center campus over the weekend during the second annual Stokes Set, B7.

BC’s Endowment May Be Looking Up

See Union, A3

Strong returns at other schools could bode well for BC.

BY COLE DADY Heights Staff

MADELEINE D’ANGELO / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Galit’s Brings Treats and Love to Newton Grutman opened the bakery after her son died in 2014.

MADELEINE D’ANGELO Metro Editor Galit Grutman has been up since 5 a.m., but you’d never be able to tell.

Her long chocolate-colored hair is pulled into a neat, low ponytail, and her apron is free of the stains or smears that plague many who spend their days in the kitchen. Her eyes are soft, but they still sparkle as she quietly moves between the front of the shop and the kitchen in the back. As customers wander in, picking up a loaf of challah bread or a selection of pastries from a shelf on the left, Grutman greets them warmly, switching from English to her native Hebrew with ease. She is completely at home in her Newton Centre bakery, something somewhat shocking considering that Galit’s Treats With Love only been open for four weeks.

Pedestrians who regularly passed the storefront, once home to candy shop Sweet Tart, watched the space transform from an area papered over and hidden from view, to a cozy looking café within

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

the span of six months. So when Grutman opened the bakery in mid-August, quietly and without much fanfare, people were curious, knocking on the bakery’s glass door and making sure that they were allowed inside. Since then, word of Galit’s Treats With Love has spread through word of mouth, through the Newton community, and through the vibrant Israeli community threaded throughout the Boston area.

These communities have grown in importance for Grutman since she moved from Israel to Newton with her husband and two young sons 18 years ago. As the family adjusted to their new lives, Grutman becoming immersed in the community of a local Jewish school, she couldn’t help but notice the pale comparison between the pastries and breads that she and her family had grown up with, and the ones available in the Newton area.

“When we came here we didn’t like the pastry and the breads,” Grutman said.

“It was different … it was a different texture, different tastes, different looks.”

The challah bread, for example, became more of a cake that was “too squishy, too eggy, and too yellowish,” and

See Galit’s, A10

While Boston College’s endowment returns will be released Oct. 1, several other universities have already released theirs for fiscal year 2017, including Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the University of Virginia.

BC had a 7.5 percent return on its endowment in fiscal 2015, but in fiscal 2016, its returns were negative 4.3 percent. The University’s net assets decreased by $67 million. Gross plant assets increased in excess of $186 million with the construction of the 2150 Comm. Ave, the renovation of 2000 Comm. Ave, and the renovation of the McMullen Museum of Art. Revenue grew at 4 percent, and financial aid funds increased by 5 percent.

All told, BC’s endowment fund decreased by $150 million to $2.2 billion.

Endowment net returns for colleges and universities dropped by 1.9 percent in 2016. This statistic is much lower than the 7.4 percent median annual return

2017. Harvard’s endowment, the largest of any university in the world, now stands at $37.1 billion.

MIT returned 14.3 percent on its investments for 2017. Its endowment at the end of the fiscal year was $14.8 billion, excluding pledges. MIT received a 0.8 percent return on investment in fiscal 2016, with an endowment of $13.2 billion.

The University of California received a 15.1 percent return on its investments, topping its benchmark of 12.2 percent.

Dartmouth College had a 14.6 percent return. The University of Virginia had a 12.4 percent return.

Many other universities had doubledigit returns for fiscal year 2017. Ohio State University had a 14.46 percent return, the University of Iowa had a net 10.3 percent return, and the University of Texas had a 13.4 percent return.

In 2015, BC implemented a performance-based compensation plan for its investment office, a method of compensation many other large universities use. Chief Investment Officer John Zona received a $1.1 million pay package in 2015, which included a $550,00 salary, a $266,200 bonus, and $242,700 in deferred compensation. His pay package was doubled from the previous year. 

Student Center Still Planned, Admin Says The space was not in the new 10-year plan released last month.

BY HEIDI DONG Asst. News Editor Late last month, Boston College released its new 10-year plan, Ever to Excel: Advancing Boston College’s Mission, which outlines four strategic directions for the University to pursue and has as its most ambitious plan an Institute for Integrated Sciences and Society (IISS). But the plan lacked something that BC has wanted for years now: a student center. Last year, the Undergraduate Government of

NEWS: Improving Transparency METRO: Feel the Peace

UGBC passed a resolution increasing communication with students...........A3

endowments need to maintain their purchasing power over time. Universities with endowment assets of over $1 billion funded an average of 15.9 percent of their operating budgets from their returns.

The drop in the value of university endowments can be contributed to a period in which colleges increased spending, chipping away at the endowment.

“In spite of lower returns, colleges and universities continue to raise their endowment spending dollars to fund student financial aid, research, and other vital programs,” John Walda, president and CEO of the National Association of College and University Business Officers, said to 247wallst.com.

Harvard University had a negative 2 percent return on its endowment in 2016. Robert Ettl, the former head of the Harvard Management Company (HMC), a subsidiary of the university which manages its investments, said the poor performance had been triggered by low interest rates and market volatility.

HMC returned 8.1 percent on its investments in fiscal year 2017. HMC’s CEO H.P. Narvekar described the returns for fiscal year 2017 as “disappointing,” as Harvard has one of the lowest returns out of the institutional investors who have released their returns for fiscal year

Bostonians attempted the world record for the largest human peace sign..................... A4

BC advocated that the construction of a student center be a top priority in the new strategic plan, but when it was left out, some students wondered why. According to BC administrators, though, a student center is still very much part of BC’s plan.

“It’s not unusual for a strategic plan not to name specific buildings when they’re doing it,” Vice President for Student Affairs Barb Jones said.

Jones explained that the previous strategic plan also did not name a student center building—rather, the plan outlined Student Formation as one of its primary tenets, and named a student center, new residence halls, and a new recreation center in the capital plan, which came separately,

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in 2008.

According to Jones, after the strategic plan is approved, there is a process to look at, based on what is outlined in the strategic plan, the capital projects that need to accompany it.

“We’re not quite far along enough for the capital projects to come out of the plan yet,” Jones said.

Mary Nardone, BC’s associate vice president of capital projects management, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Vice President for Planning and Assessment Kelli Armstrong said she would not add to what Jones had already discussed.

Many of the projects that were in

See Student Center, A3

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Vol. XCVIII, No. 30 METRO......................A4 SPORTS......................B1 © 2017, The Heights, Inc. OPINIONS................... A6 SCENE.......................B8 www.bcheights.com

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things to do on campus this week

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Author and historian David McCullough will speak at the Winston Center’s 10th anniversary closing celebration tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Robsham Theater. He will talk about his new book The American Spirit and will discuss the current state of affairs in America.

Monday, September 25, 2017

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The Shea Center for Entrepreneurship will host a lunch with Peter Bell, senior advisor at Highland Capital, on Thursday from 12 to 1 p.m. in Cushing 208. Bell will discuss his experience as an investor and entrepreneur and will take questions from students interested in entrepreneurship.

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Sonya Renee Taylor, a poet, social activist, and founder of the body-empowerment organization My Body is Not An Apology, will present a lecture titled “10 Tools for Radical Self Love.” The event will be held on Thursday at 7 p.m. in McGuinn 121 and is hosted by the Women’s and Gender Studies department.

NEWS After Food Drive Mishap, Dining Clarifies Funding BRIEFS

By Chris Russo

Moran Joins BC Faculty

Dermot Moran, who previously served as the Gadamer Visiting Professor at Boston College through the notorious winter of 2015, has returned to BC as the Joseph Professor in Catholic Philosophy and chairperson of the Philosophy Department.

A Dublin native, Moran specializes in phenomenology and medieval philosophy.

He was previously a professor of philosophy at University College Dublin and held the National University of Ireland Statutory Chair of Philosophy.

He serves as the director of the International Centre for Newman Studies, and is the president of the International Federation of Philosophical Societies.

“It’s a great honor to be the inaugural Joseph Professor in Catholic Philosophy,” Moran said to The Chronicle.

Moran is organizing the 24th World Congress of Philosophy in Beijing, which will bring around 5,000 academics from more than 90 countries together, including BC faculty and graduate students. He believes that this event will be a useful window onto the global landscape of philosophy. He hopes to use this as an opportunity to forge ties between BC and Peking University, as well as other leading Chinese academic institutions.

Moran said that he is looking forward to learning more about philosophy in the undergraduate domain at BC and the ongoing renewal of the Core Curriculum.

“I have been impressed by the presence of philosophy, as part of the Catholic intellectual tradition, in BC’s undergraduate program and especially its Core Curriculum,” Moran said. “In this way, BC emphasizes the importance of perennial questions—What is the meaning of life? How should we live?—in a deep, meaningful way.”

Alums Compete in Bike Race Mark DeNatale, Jeff Caulway, Matt Pumo, all BC ’94, and their friend Bob Willix will be featured in a documentary, “The Cannonball Ride,” that follows the team, BC+1, through their journey racing in the Race Across America (RAAM), the “world’s toughest bike race.”

The race is a non-stop bicycle race starting from Oceanside, Calif., and ending in Annapolis, Md. The team of BC alumni, plus Willix, have wanted to compete in the RAAM for over 30 years. After two years of training, “The Cannonball Ride” documents their 3,000-mile bike race. The documentary was selected by the Breckenridge Film Festival.

According to the documentary website DeNatale, inspired by the 1981 movie “Cannonball Run” which followed the 1970s cross country car race from New York to California, had hoped to complete the race in a convertible Corvette. Trading a car for a bicycle, DeNatale was the teammate who had the crazy idea of biking 3,000 miles.

DeNatale has completed an Ironman, sailed from Maine to the Bahamas, and won the New York Spring Relay with his wife.

Willix has done nine Ironman races, seven marathons, and three 24-hour bike races, four Ultraman events, and in 2016, competed in the 2016 Ultraman world championships. Caulway became hooked on endurance athletics after a sprint triathlon on a second-hand GIANT TCR, one of the first racing bikes.

Pumo has a long history of riding, and is a long-time member of the Verulam Cycling Club, which is based in St. Albans, England.

“The Cannonball Ride is about very ordinary people attempting something extraordinary. It’s hopeful, exhausting, complicated, and beautiful,” the documentary’s website says.

Assoc. News Editor

When a dining manager at Corcoran Commons noticed two students with garbage bags clearing the shelves of chips and other food items at the end of last semester, he quickly asked them to stop. This wasn’t a case of students with extra meal plan money buying the food for themselves, but an effort to donate food from the dining hall to charity, a project led by Molly McFadden, CSOM ’19.

Earlier in the week, McFadden had posted in class Facebook groups, asking students with extra meal plan money to donate food to local nonprofits. Students messaged her, pledging amounts they would donate during the food drive.

McFadden coordinated the effort with several organizations, including St. Stephen’s Youth Program, Commonwealth Tenants Association, and Paraclete. By the afternoon of the food drive, students had pledged nearly $70,000.

According to Megan O’Neill, associate director of restaurant operations, it was explained to the dining managers that McFadden and her friends had extra meal plan money and were wondering if they could buy in bulk. BC Dining accommodates requests like this frequently at the end of the year, purchasing extra cases of drinks and chips so students can spend their leftover money. BC Dining was not prepared, however, for such a large number of students asking to buy in bulk.

McFadden found out that BC Dining couldn’t fulfill all the hot food orders she placed during the drive because of a lack

of food in stock. She was told to tell the students who made pledges on Facebook not to come, and have students who were already at the dining hall to take items from the shelves, such as chips and bottled drinks. When a dining manager saw the amount of food being taken at once, he cut it off.

“It was never quite explained the large scope that she was trying to do,” O’Neill said.

The food drive was cut short at $15,000.

The next day, she met with O’Neill and Director of BC Dining Elizabeth Emery and was able to raise another $10,000 of food because they wanted her to fulfill the commitments she made to the nonprofits.

BC Dining holds a charity point drive at the end of each academic year, donating food to the Greater Boston Food Bank.

The food bank usually requests food like turkeys and potatoes, and Dining buys the food from its vendor and has it delivered to the food bank. BC Dining held the charity point drive in April. Each year, it raises about $10,000 worth of food. Dining puts a cap on how much can be raised in order to manage its annual budget.

“It’s better for the charities to get the food that they want versus … chips and Powerade,” O’Neill said.

When the food drive was shut down, concerns rose that students were not allowed to spend their meal plan money how they wanted.

“We want the students to spend their money,” Emery said. “And within reason, we are going to allow them. If it’s going to impact the rest of the community … we may make a judgement call.”

According to O’Neill, Dining wants to set the record straight to help students better understand its story.

BC Dining is one of three self-operated university dining programs in the Boston area.

Dining operates as its own business, independent from the University. It receives no tuition dollars. Its only source of funding is meal plans students purchase, primarily the mandatory meal plans, as the remaining funds on other plans are given back to students at the end of the year. BC Dining also pays expenses to the University, including the rent for its dining hall space and utilities.

BC Dining has a break-even bottom line. It does not try to make a profit. If there is any surplus of money at the end of the year, it is used to improve dining facilities.

For example, a surplus a couple years ago allowed BC Dining to purchase new chairs for Hillside Cafe.

Food costs make up the largest portion of BC Dining’s budget at 37.1 percent.

Labor costs account for 32.4 percent of the budget. Fringe benefits are 10.7 percent, rent and allocations are 7.7 percent, facility maintenance is 6.3 percent, and operating costs are 6 percent.

Each year, BC Dining also takes a portion of its budget and donates it to service trips through student-run point drives. It has funded large events like Relay for Life and the Red Bandana Run, as well as several student volunteer trips, such as Arrupe.

The mandatory meal plan is designated to students based on where they live. If a student lives in a dorm with a kitchen, they are not required to be on the meal plan. Five

thousand two hundred students are on the mandatory meal plan each year.

The mandatory plan is geared toward the majority of eaters. Each day, $22 are allocated to students for meals.

“We know some students are going to run out, and we know some students are going to have money left over,” O’Neill said.

“Our job, if we’re smart business people, is to help the majority of people have less than $200 left on their meal plan.”

During the semester, BC Dining tracks how students are spending their money. It does not want some students with lots of money leftover and some with no money left, so it creates extra opportunities for students to spend their money by having pop-up brunches and lobster dinners.

O’Neill describes this as “BC Dining’s story,” which she and Emery hope will reach more people.

“We are trying to train more students to know the story so that they can help present [it],” Emery said.

During McFadden’s meeting with Emery and O’Neill, the group discussed ways to plan a better, more organized food drive the next year. McFadden will be working with BC Dining in the next couple months to help with its annual charity point drive and make sure the money will go to organizations students care about. They plan to hold a point drive in December.

“I had many individuals reach out to me who are planning to work with me on this year’s drive,” McFadden said. “All of the non-profits expressed a tremendous amount of gratitude to all of those who donated, and I am excited to work towards making the drive even bigger this year.” n

Kreeft: ‘I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist’

By Abby Hunt For The Heights For years, people have increasingly turned away from belief in God in the name of reason and rationality. But on Thursday, Peter Kreeft, long-time Boston College philosophy professor and author of over 75 books, explained why he believes it is theism, not atheism, that is rational. He held a talk entitled “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist: Why I Believe God Exists,” sponsored by the St. Thomas More Society, where he refuted seven ways in which atheists believe theists are “traitors.”

First, he said, atheists believe theists are traitors to reason because every religion relies on faith, which goes beyond reason, they believe.

“What reason do you have for trusting reason?” Kreeft asked. “The human brain and body apparently evolved by natural selection, from a universe that had no reason in it at all … Why do you, atheists, have so much faith you trust this computer [the human brain] that has been programmed by chance?”

Atheists, he said, believe theists are

traitors to science. Kreeft’s response was that there are things that science cannot explain yet, like miracles. Kreeft also argued that despite what some atheists may assert, theists are not traitors to nature either.

“How can I appreciate nature, unless it is in contrast with something else?” he said.

“Everything in nature exists because something else exists … something other than the universe had to cause the universe.”

Kreeft said that atheists also argue that theists are traitors to man. Since man has free choice, it is he who must create his happiness, and to pass that responsibility off to God is a cop-out, they believe. To this argument, Kreeft pointed out that no man has ever been able to create his own perfect happiness.

“If you look at every other live organism that we know of, every single one of its desires can be satisfied by something real,” he said. “If human beings have a desire for a perfect being called God … isn’t it extremely probable that that’s not an exception to the rule?”

Kreeft also argued that theists are not traitors to history, which has shown great progress in science and a regress

in religion.

“Do you really want to turn back the clock?” he said atheists might ask.

“Yes, I want to turn back the clock on something like happiness,” he said. “It looks like the more civilization we have, the more discontent we have … When you get to get away from all the things you don’t like—when you take a vacation—you go to places like beaches, forests, deserts, campgrounds. You try to turn back the clock.”

Kreeft made the case for the rationality of Jesus’ being “God incarnate,” a seemingly impossible contradiction. ”If Jesus isn’t God, he’s either the most insane man who ever lived, or the biggest liar that ever lived,” he said.

But not even atheists think that Jesus is certifiably insane, nor do they think that he is a conniving liar, Kreeft argued. He said liars are egotists, which Jesus was not. And insane people with a divinity complex are incredibly boring, which Jesus was not.

Kreeft’s final refutation was of the claim that theists are traitors against themselves, since they rest all their trust on another being. We human beings shouldn’t trust ourselves, Kreeft said, because it is

inevitable that each of us will fail—physically, logically, and morally.

“Socrates said there are two kinds of people in the world: The wise who know they’re fools, and the fools who think they’re wise. I think atheists fit into the latter category: They call themselves the ‘smarts,’ and I think that makes them stupid,” Kreeft said. “I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist.”

Once Kreeft finished making his case against these atheistic arguments, he opened the floor up to answer questions from BC students. Among a wide range of questions, students asked Kreeft about his beliefs on the effectiveness of prayer, his opinion on people today who express themselves to be “spiritual but not religious,” and finally how his definition of success has changed over the years.

“I don’t think we should ask ourselves the question: How much progress have I made? We should ask ourselves: ‘What are my eyes on?,’” Kreeft said in closing. “And if your eyes are on Jesus Christ you’re going to live in the light, and you’re going to be happy. And it’s very simple, but I think it’s probably the profoundest thing I’ve said all night.” n

POLICE BLOTTER: 9/20/17 – 9/22/17 Wednesday, Sept. 20 8:13 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical incident at the Flynn Sports Complex.

1:06 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance at an offcampus location.

3:16 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm at McElroy Commons.

4:51 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a police service provided at Devlin Hall.

7:45 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a larceny of a bicycle at the Lower Lots.

Thursday, Sept. 21 9:22 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a larceny of a motor vehicle at St. Mary’s Lot. 2:10 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical incident at Gasson Hall.

3:57 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical incident at Merkert Chemistry Center.

10:43 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated person at the Keyes Lot.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

CORRECTIONS Who would be your dream headliner for next year’s Stokes Set? “Chance.”

—Josh Lang, CSOM ’20

“Hozier.”—Danny Wholey, CSOM ’20

“Khalid.”—Nicole Chan, MCAS ’20

“Quinn XCII.” —Jillian Lee, MCAS ’21

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

The Heights

Monday, September 25, 2017

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Next Steps for Union: Selecting Representation and Priorities Union, from A1 the deans of BC’s schools sent out similar emails to graduate students highlighting some potentially negative aspects of unionization for graduate employees.

Dean of the School of Social Work Gautam Yadama, for example, sent an email on Sept. 11 highlighting that union members would have to pay dues to the United Auto Workers and that they would have to strike if the union voted to do so, as well as BC’s concerns that the NLRB is violating its religious liberty and that it would impact the work environment.

“The unionization of graduate students would alter the traditional academic relationship that has long existed between faculty and funded graduate students in the School of Social Work,” Yadama wrote.

Caliesha Comley, a sociology Ph.D. candidate, described the collective bargain-

ing victory as a “strong affirmation” for the union and accused BC of attempting to mislead graduate workers into voting “no.”

Of eight department chairs emailed for comment Friday, six did not respond or declined to comment on how they think graduate employee unionization could impact their departments.

Sarah Gwyneth Ross, the chair of the history department, said in an email that she takes an optimistic view overall of unionization’s effect, but added that it could add strain to professor-student relationships because of the inherent external regulation involved with unions. However, it could also take pressure off of faculty to advocate for graduate students with the administration.

“Those who mentor grad students at BC have traditionally spent a great deal of time worrying about and campaigning for

their access to reasonable compensation for their work as research and teaching assistants during the year, as well as to summer research funding and health care coverage—let alone dental insurance!” she wrote. “The presence of a union will put these issues on a new footing, giving grad students a more solid form of backing than ad hoc departmental initiatives can offer.”

“And I’m hopeful that faculty conversations with graduate mentees individually, and about our graduate programs at the department level, may increasingly recenter on the content of scholarship rather than on how to address our grads’ practical, procedural, and health challenges,” she added.

Hideo Konishi and Robert Murphy, the chair and assistant chair of the economics department, respectively, said they have the same view on unionization as laid out

by Provost and Dean of Faculties David

Quigley in his open letter from Aug. 21.

The letter, which appears to no longer be available online, explained BC’s opposition to unionization and announced that the University had filed a motion with the NLRB to stay the election and review its decision in sanctioning the election. The motion was denied on Sept. 11, the day before voting began.

In the week before the election, Brad van Uden, a political science Ph.D. student, set up a website called “Concerned BC Grad Students” and sent a series of emails to eligible graduate employees encouraging them to vote “no.” He has declined to be quoted in The Heights, although he wrote an op-ed outlining his opposition. Voting records are not public, and the letters on the site are largely anonymous. Several other graduate workers did not respond to requests for comment on their position on unionization.

Colin McConarty, a history Ph.D. student who voted in favor of unionization, said he thought it was odd that an organized opposition to the union—and therefore a public debate on its viability—didn’t start until shortly before the election, whereas the union had been making arguments for over two years.

“I never understood why there wasn’t just a debate about it,” he said.

McConarty supported the union, he said, because graduate worker stipends are too low for students trying to support families. He had made up his mind well before the vote, having considered counterarguments to unionization in advance, but he said not everyone might have done so.

“I think a lot of people weren’t having that same internal debate over the two years, and then just got hammered over the last two days with stuff and just had to make their decision,” he said. n

Seeking Diversity, Students Found Chapter of Turning Point USA

By Anthony Rein Copy Editor Joining the array of political advocacy groups on campus is Boston College’s own chapter of Turning Point USA, a conservative student organization with over 1,000 chapters in colleges and high schools nationwide. Founded last spring, the organization hopes to become a registered student organization (RSO) this semester.

BC’s chapter of Turning Point USA was founded by Caroline Downey, now president and MCAS ’20; Sydney Shugrue, vice

president and MCAS ’20; and Jacob Small, treasurer and CSOM ’20; and others.

The group was inspired to start a chapter at BC due to a perceived lack of involvement in campus politics among those who share in their beliefs.

“We thought a certain organization on campus who is supposed to be the outlet for one political orientation was not very active, and they weren’t really serving that demographic of students,” Downey said.

“And we didn’t like how the options were aligned with either of the political parties, as far as clubs go.”

“We wanted to bring more diversity

of opinion to the campus and give more students an outlet to express their beliefs in a comfortable environment and not feel like they have to be alienated by one side or the other,” Shugrue added.

They also felt that BC’s campus political culture tended to side with one side of the political spectrum over the other, a trend they want to help reverse as much as possible.

“Turning Point’s mission is to promote and educate about the principles of free market, fiscal responsibility, and limited government, primarily on college campuses,” Downey said.

The group now has upwards of 30 members, and is currently reviewing applications for some executive board positions. They plan on having monthly meetings, each on a different topic confronting students, such as censorship, free speech, or specific constitutional amendments. They hope students will come to have a discussion and learn about the topics, with their first meeting scheduled for Oct. 3.

Downey, Shugrue, and other members on Turning Point hope to have joint events with other political organizations on campus. One such event in the works

is a debate with the Young Democratic Socialists of BC (YDSBC) on the topic of capitalism versus socialism, which is hoped to be their big event of the semester. The debate will happen when both Turning Point and YDSBC become RSOs and are able to hold events on campus.

They also hope BC’s chapter of Turning Point will move away from the social issues that often bitterly divide college campuses and steal headlines.

“We know fiscal and social issues tend to intertwine, but we tend to focus on more fiscal rather than social [issues],” Downey and Shugrue said. n

Student Center Absent From Strategic Plan Student Center, from A1 the strategic and master plan from 10 years ago have been delayed because of the 2008 financial recession, Jones said, and a number of buildings are happening later in the sequence than originally planned.

For example, the IISS has been in the works since at least 2007, when BC put together a website on it, but it was abandoned for several years and will not open until fall 2021 at earliest. BC has reached the blueprint stage of building a student center at least twice, first in 1995, when there were permit-approval delays, and again in 2005.

According to Jones, the site for the future student center remains where the Flynn Recreation Complex currently stands.

While plans for constructing a student center remain in the beginning stages, the Office of Student Affairs is looking for ways to open up spaces on campus for students to meet,

study, or use as a space for programming in the meantime.

This year, the Office of Student Affairs is partnering with UGBC and the library to continue to extend its Friday and Saturday hours to 2 a.m. Hillside after Dark will also be returning this fall, with an added touch of food. Over the summer, the Office of Student Affairs and Dining Services spoke about providing food for students during Hillside Cafe’s extended hours.

Instead of staffing the cafe to provide food, students are able to use Dining Service’s online app to order food directly to Hillside Cafe.While it has been over a decade since the last effort to construct a student center got to the blueprint stage, the project is still in the University’s master plan.

“The student center is still in the University’s master plan,” Jones said. “It doesn’t mean that the student center isn’t still in the future. n

Amelie Trieu / Heights Editor

SA Passes Transparency Resolution

By Sam Browning For The Heights On Tuesday night, the Undergraduate Government of Boston College’s Student Assembly (SA) discussed two resolutions: the Stimulating Transparency and Effective Publicity Act and a Resolution Concerning the Secret Ballot. The Stimulating Transparency and Effective Publicity Act passed with one abstention and calls for UGBC to launch a new public relations strategy to improve student engagement with the organization.

The vote on a Resolution Concerning the Secret Ballot was postponed until the next SA meeting due to insufficient time for debate and discussion. Aneeb Sheikh, MCAS ’20, sponsored both documents.

The Stimulating Transparency and Effective Publicity Act was co-sponsored by seven senators and listed 12 “original sponsors” made up of BC alumni who had graduated within the past three years. The purpose of the act is to increase SA’s transparency with the student body, something that the SA and UGBC focused on last year as well.

The resolution requires the SA to post 60-second recap videos weekly, as well as send “Invite Surges” to encourage BC students to become more active in undergraduate government. The SA hopes to

incentivize not only students but also clubs to work with UGBC to improve the lives of students. The SA will begin this new campaign this semester.

“Right now we are just an amorphous group of [the] UGBC, we are not really united by something common besides that we are in the same room every week,” he said.

Invite surges will involve the members of SA emailing, texting, and calling all of their friends and classmates about what is happening in UGBC. New resolutions, updates, and other information will be broadcast weekly from the meeting to the students, and to the SA’s new website.

The minute-long recap videos will be created by SA’s Communications Committee biweekly and then posted to the group’s Facebook page and website.

The resolution passed, without debate, almost unanimously, with an abstention from Savannah Clarke, MCAS ’19.

The Resolution Concerning the Secret Ballot calls for the elimination of the secret ballot option during SA meetings. By the current rule, UGBC’s executive vice president can call a secret ballot vote by two-thirds majority in which members write their votes on paper so fellow members cannot see. Sheikh feels that the rule obscures

transparency.

“I personally, last year, after seeing many of the votes being done in blind vote, had a big problem with it,” Sheikh said. “We just spoke about transparency, and [the blind vote] is obviously very opaque.”

The resolution was passed to debate, and senators expressed hesitation to strike the rule.

Senators discussed how the secret ballot protects diversity of opinion, sensitive issues, and possible negative consequences on account of unpopular opinions.

“SA, in recent years, has had a huge issue with diversity of thought,” said Caroline Monnes, MCAS ’19.

She said that while accountability to the student body is important, she does not think that now is the time to pass this resolution because it should be a priority to preserve diversity of thought.

“Imagine if [the United States] Congress had had the debate and the vote on health care, and then a blind vote,” Sheikh said.

Sheikh said that the rule was “abused” last year, and cited a secret ballot used to confirm a vice president. The SA was split on the decision, and a secret ballot was called even though confirmation votes are not allowed to be blind. Tt King, UGBC executive vice president and MCAS ’18, said that it would not happen again. n

The Heights

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Monday, September 25, 2017

In the Common, Record Breaking Attempt Reminds Us of Peace

By Joan Kennedy Assoc. Copy Editor Records were made to be broken, and on Saturday, Roxbury Children’s Services tackled the Guinness World Record for the largest human peace sign. An ecstatic crowd gathered and grew, composed of people valiantly willing to stand for more than five minutes in hopes that one day they would have quite the story for their grandchildren.

“What do we want?” yelled the hype-man into the microphone.

“PEACE!” roared the crowd.

“Where do we want it?”

“EVERYWHERE!” Flo Rida’s “My House” played aggressively in the background as Boston’s finest gathered for the earthshattering event. Sandra McCroom, President and C EO of Roxbur y Children’s Services, which assists with the foster care, adoption, early education, and care, of over 6,000 families in Boston, was inspired to organize the attempt as she felt that the work of her organization—and others like hers—was not being fully recognized.

McCroom decided to make the world’s largest human peace sign because she wanted to do something positive for the community.

She hoped that the effort might get people thinking about what peace of mind means to them, because everyone has different life experiences, and thus a different understanding of peace.

Kathleen Rullo, a single human fraction of the shape, and seemingly upstanding citizen of the world, held a sign that read “Peace To The Water In You.” She originally came to Boston Common for the Human Eye Contact Experiment, in which participants invited any stranger walking by to sit and silently share a tender, one minute-long eye gaze with them—but something else caught her eye.

Rullo saw the peace sign and it pulled at her heart strings, inviting her to join the cause, and start a conversation about her own mission of peace as a self proclaimed water advocate and guardian.

“People are ripe for a deeper awareness as to their obligation to be stewards for the next generation,” Rullo said without blinking.

It’s safe to say the peace sign resonated with everyone, no matter what their background or present station—the exact effect McCroom strived to create.

“We wanted to start a conversation about what really is the main thing that sustains us, and how do you find peace of mind—while also talking about our agency,” McCroom said.

A plethora of people stood in peace sign formation within the designated roped off barriers. In order to officially attempt to break the record, Children’s Services of Roxbury had to hire an independent auditing firm to go and officially count, which they did by handing out bracelets at the

Photo Courtesy of Children’s Services of Roxbury

On Saturday, Roxbury Children’s Services tried, and failed, to break a world record for the largest human peace sign. six entrances to the roped off forming section, and then get an official adjudicator with Guinness World Records to oversee the operation.

The adjudicator, Andrew Glass, who claimed to have personally broken no records—but probably broke the record for most crisply pressed Guinness World Records uniform—said the weirdest record

breaking attempt he has ever seen is the longest line of contiguous hot dogs. According to Glass, about 50 percent of the records tackled are successful.

Glass stood on stage before the crowd, ready to re veal whether they had been successful in their attempt.

“You look beautiful,” Glass said.

It felt sincere.

“The record to beat was 5,000 people … Boston, you got 1,682,” Glass said.

The slightly dissatisfied crowd filed out of the roped off area and dispersed into Boston, having not broken a record, but having been reminded of ever yone’s right to peace. n

A Glimpse Into a Future That Floats With BSA Exhibit

By Maeve Ronan For The Heights In an imperfect world filled with chaos and unrest, sometimes we strive for the unimaginable, attempting to make the impossible a reality.

The New Inflatable Moment at the Boston Society of Architects Space (BSA Space) features the creations of architects, artists, and engineers who have envisioned a new world of inflatables since the first flight of a hot air balloon in the 18th century.

Opened to the public on May 3, 2017, the exhibit closes this coming Saturday.

Through a collection of installations, photographs, videos, and models, the exhibit explores the history of inflatable architecture and the projects that were created with the intent of transporting those who encountered it from the real world to a sort of utopia.

Not only are these structures revolutionary in the field of imaginative architecture, they serve practical purposes such as housing and environmental care.

The curators of The New Inflatable Moment, Mary Hale and Katarzyna Balug, were inspired by the resurgence of inflatable structures in architectural experimentation that were linked to ideas of an imaginative utopia on Earth. Hale and Balug wrote the proposal for the exhibit three years ago, noting that the counterculture inflatable structures popular in ’60s and ’70s were resurfacing in modern day design.

Two years of research were dedicated to the exhibit, which included

general research as well as interviews with architects, many of whom lived through the inflatable movement of the ’60s. Hale and Balug also took a research trip to Berlin in the summer of 2016 to interview other architects who ended up having their work showcased in the exhibition.

“We were primarily interested in structures that were really beautiful manifestations of artistic and architectural imagination, particularly an interest in projects that had a utopian angle; projects that were about more perfect views of the world,” said Hale.

Take Graham Stevens’ early ’70s utopian work Desert Cloud. Created at the peak of the OPEC Oil Crisis, the structure has a clear top, reflective bottom, and black sides. As the sun warms the structure, it creates hot air that allows it to inflate all on its own.

Water then condenses on the underside, and pours down through holes, making it a true artificial cloud.

“It’s a very iconic symbol of how humans could sort of free themselves from fossil fuels if we were just using our imaginations and working more creatively to harness available energy on the planet,” Hale said. “For us that was very aspirational, very unusual and very imaginative in reaching for a more perfect world.”

Other projects in the exhibition took utopia in a more literal manner, such as living spaces under inflatable domes, and floating cities in the sky. Inflatable architecture also has a presence in the efforts to colonize on other planets.

In 2016, Foster + Partners proposed three different types of ro-

Maeve Ronan / for the Heights

Open to the public until Sept. 30, the BSA Space’s New Inflatable Moment exhibit reveals a buoyant architectural counterculture. bots that would assist in building a solid structure over an inflatable dome where people could live on Mars.

Many projects showcased in the exhibit show a concern and response to climate change and pollution, such as The Eden Project of 2001.

This project was a series of eight “biomes,” or transparent domes covered in steel frame tubing, that covered four acres, and encapsulated a range of climates—a sort of mass greenhouse.

This project and others relate to the resurgence of environmentalism, nomadism, and open source movements integral to the counterculture of the ’60s. Tthey take on a new form

in today’s modern era.

“Architecturally, the way that manifests, at least as far as inflatables go, is that a lot of the projects that architects who are experimenting with inflatables are inspired by are from the late ’60s,” Hale said. “They’re tied up more with this kind of culture of dropping out of society and living a more idealistic lifestyle. Today’s projects, even though they’re borrowing from that visual culture and the spirit, they actually have budgets; they have real clients. They’re not like temporary installations … They are reappearing today but they have sort of a different character. The show is investigating

that different.”

The exhibition itself captures the utopia that the architects of this movement are reaching for. One of the installations created by Hale and Balug allows the viewer to go inside a bubble and experience first-hand the surreal experience of being disconnected from the outside world that one gets inside an inflatable structure.

The unprecedented works of imagination that The New Inflatable Moment showcases sheds light on how art, architecture, and history can collaborate to strive toward a common goal of creating an idealistic space on Earth and beyond. n

Lennon to Voters: ‘I’m Going to Get Started Right Away’

By MaryElizabeth Mooney Heights Staff If you ask Scott Lennon what makes him qualified to be the Mayor of Newton, he will quickly rattle off three adjectives: tested, trusted, and committed.

Tested, because of his almost 20 years of experience as a City Councilor, much of it spent as its president; trusted, because of his experience working in the private sector in the Middlesex County Auditor’s office; and committed, because of his deep roots in the city of Newton.

This final trait, committed, is what comes through when you talk to Lennon about why he wants to be Newton’s next mayor.

According to Lennon, his parents live just “a stone’s throw away” from

the house his grandfather built, and his daughter is a first-grade student at the same elementary school he attended.

This appreciation for the city that raised him is evident when Lennon reflects on campaigning. “It’s the people,” he says immediately.

Lennon’s campaign has knocked on over 1,600 doors since he announced he that he was running in the 2017 Newton Mayoral elections, and they have hosted over 60 dinner parties.

Lennon loves the face-to-face time he gets with people, and is always eager to answer their questions.

“The dinner parties are great— some people come with one specific thing they want to talk about, that’s worrying them, and other people

come with a wide range of topics and ideas to share,” Lennon said.

A big part of what makes Newton a place people can be so passionate about, in Lennon’s eyes, is the education that you can receive from the Newton Public Schools.

“It is the cornerstone of the community, and I want to ensure it stays that way,” Lennon said. “Nowadays, with technology, we need to make sure that our kids are ready not just for the world out there, but for the world that is coming to them as well.”

Lennon wants to make sure that students who go through the Newton school system are ready for every challenge the 21st century throws at them.

Lennon wants to work on infrastructure and supporting all the pub-

lic servants that help make the community of Newton run smoothly.

He cites his work on improving the fire stations throughout the city as one of his proudest achievements on the City Council.

And when asked about Newton’s relationship with Boston College, he was very open to wanting to hear about the college students’ perspective on the city, and hopes that it can become even more of a place that feels like a second home to so many college kids.

In terms of his road to running for mayor, Lennon had a rather roundabout way of becoming a public servant.

He started out working for the Newton Boys and Girls Club, and while attempting to acquire a site to build on, he witnessed the workings

of the city government from the other side of the table.

He realized then that he belonged on the governing side.

After an unsuccessful run for City Councilor in 1997, Lennon ran again in 2001 and has been on the council ever since.

The Ward 1 Councilor-At-Large has been elected by his peers to be the Council president four times, and hopes to continue to have a good working relationship with the Council if elected in November.

Lennon plans to hit the ground running, and would work with current mayor Setti Warren and the City Council to ensure that there was a completely smooth transition.

“January 1st would just be a formality,” Lennon said. “I’m going to get started right away.” n

The Heights

Monday, September 25, 2017

A5

Year After Year, Boston Freedom Rally Reaches New Highs

By Anthony Rein Copy Editor and

Leo Confalone Opinions Editor On any given weekend afternoon, the Boston Common is a relatively tame place.

Parents and children stroll through the park, dogs chase after one another in the grass, and the occasional skateboarder rides down a paved pathway.

Last weekend, however, the ordinary scene on the Common was replaced with a higher energy event, and if you happened to pass by, you might’ve noticed the smell.

The 28th annual Boston Freedom Rally, commonly referred to as “Hempfest,” transformed the Common into a paradise for thousands of cannabis enthusiasts of all ages.

The event was hosted by The Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition, the state affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of the Marijuana Laws (MassCann/NORML).

The organization is dedicated to building a “consensus for a more moral and rational public policy regarding all uses of the cannabis plant,” according to its website.

“Our organization is a public education organization,” said Bill Downing, a Member Liaison for MassCann/NORML and one of the organizers of the rally. “So our primary directive, to steal a line from Star Trek, is to educate the public about all aspects of the cannabis plant. So we have a political and education rally event year on Boston Common.”

This was the first year that the rally was held as an all-weekend event, extended in celebration of the legalization of marijuana in Mass. in 2016, according to a speaker at the event.

According to Downing, however, organizing the event in Boston has been a challenge year after year.

“The city has no good reason not to like our event. We bring in lots of money into the city and we’ve never had any problems with our event,” Downing said. “But the city really does not like us. And they treat us with extreme discrimination, and not good discrimination, bad discrimination.”

Over the last 28 years that the rally

has been held, its organizers have had to sue the city of Boston six times to obtain a permit, and have worked directly with the American Civil Liberties Union, according to Downing.

The courts ruled in favor of the Freedom Rally all six times, allowing the event to proceed.

Although MassCann/NORML didn’t have to take legal action against the city this year, Boston’s government still made the permitting process as inconvenient and difficult as possible, according to Downing.

The city made many demands of the organization, such attempting to require it to hire police to be on hand at the event to arrest marijuana users, he said.

“The Boston Parks and Recreation Department has legally challenged this event for years going back to the 1990s, as recently as last year,” said Ryan Woods, the director of external affairs for the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, in an email to The Heights. “This is not an event that we endorse, as it is a direct affront to the enacted smoking ban in City parks including Boston Common that was passed back in 2013.”

Woods noted that the City of Boston accommodated MassCann/NORML’s request to extend the event to three days, but imposed additional noise and size limitations for Friday, and more trash and clean-up requirements to mitigate the event’s effect on the Common.

Although Woods described that the event is “clearly not in line with the cultural events that we present in our parks,” he also maintained that the city government “must respect the court’s decision and the First Amendment rights of the participants.”

Although it is illegal to smoke marijuana in public, no arrests were made or citation issued last weekend, according to The Boston Herald.

The three-day rally featured two main stages where a multitude of bands performed throughout the weekend.

Speakers, activists, and marijuana entrepreneurs alike also took to the stages to speak to the crowds about the push for legalization nationwide and current events in the cannabis world.

Outside of the stage areas, rows of tents created a diverse marketplace, where

vendors offered everything from cannabisthemed apparel and smoking supplies, to THC-infused pastries and lollipops.

Other salesmen roamed the grounds or set up their wares on green park benches, offering edibles in enough different snack forms to fill the average home’s pantry.

The non-weed munchie offerings were aplenty as well, as a section of food vendors straight out of your local state carnival enticed rally-goers with offerings such as corn dogs, funnel cake, and fried oreos.

Many types of international cuisine were present as well, ranging from a stand offering sizzling Thai chicken skewers and lo mein, to a taste of Italy in a classic cannoli shop that stuck out among the crowd.

Among the various venders, a pickup truck was parked with a sign reading, “22 VETS DEAD on Legal Meds Every Day!” In the back of the truck were 22 fake body bags with an American flag resting on top.

“It’s to bring attention to the veterans situation that is suicide on an epic level, at 22 right now a day,” said Chris Mueller, owner of the vehicle and an Iraq War veteran. “And that’s a low-end number of the states that actually do keep track of the veterans suicide by pharmaceuticals.”

Mueller plans on driving his truck to every state capital to bring further awareness to the issue and the ways in which cannabis can be used as a medication for suffering veterans. He hopes the alarming image of body bags in a truck will do just that.

“I thought of something that would just shock and awe people … that will bring attention to it and people will be talking about it,” he said. “They wanna know what it is, why it’s there, and then they’re gonna bring up more questions, ‘Why is it that only he is the one bringing it to our attention and not the leaders that we pay to take care of us?’”

On Friday, attendees of the rally laid out in the grass and on blankets throughout the Common.

Many congregated along the sides of the hill surrounding the Sailors and Soldiers Monument, escaping the afternoon sun in the shade.

Clouds of smoke arose from the scattered groups of seated Bostonians, and filled the air with an unmistakable aroma.

The event wasn’t all fun, games, and

Joan Kennedy / Heights Editor

Despite past legal issues, the festival continues to promote the right to use marijuana. weed smoking, though. Much of the focus at the Freedom Rally was centered around innovative and responsible uses for cannabis.

Many medicinal organizations were present at the event, including multiple Registered Marijuana Dispensaries (RMD), who were there to showcase their products, speak about the benefits of medicinal marijuana use for a variety of afflictions, and explain to interested people how to obtain a medical marijuana card.

Other groups, such as a marijuana purity testing lab and a team of doctors specializing in marijuana medicine, also had booths at the rally.

One section of the sprawling event on the Common featured “Education Village,” where viewers could learn about the discrimination against cannabis throughout history and the multitude of uses for marijuana other than recreation.

A tented exhibit featured vintage antimarijuana propaganda and Freedom Rally posters from years past.

Also contributing to the rally’s theme of education were organizations in attendance that teach people about the many potential and responsible uses of cannabis. One such group, the New England Grass Roots Institute, offers classes in areas ranging from

how to successfully grow cannabis, to how to cook using the plant.

Educating the public about the criminal issues that stem from the illegality of marijuana is also one of the goals of the event.

Downing hopes that the Freedom Rally will help contribute to the national push for legalization, which he believes is necessary to reduce racial discrimination within the American criminal justice system.

“We’re hoping to reduce the racial disparity among arrests,” he said. “The marijuana laws are used as a means of social control, and that’s mostly against people of African American and Hispanic subcultures or cultures … Marijuana law enforcement is done in a racially discriminatory manner.”

A variety of logos and symbols featuring the cannabis leaf decorated the Common last weekend, but one stood out in particular: the MassCann/NORML logo.

Beside the cannabis leaf, the symbol of a minuteman—a member of the militias who fought during the American Revolution—is prevalent.

The people organizing and attending the Freedom Rally see themselves as fighting for a fundamental right, the liberty to grow and consume cannabis.

And there is no better place right now than Boston to make that case. n

The Heights

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Editorials

QUOTE OF THE DAY

UGBC Must Utilize Diverse Outreach Methods The Undergraduate Government of Boston College passed the Stimulating Transparency and Effective Publicity Act on Sunday night, calling for increased transparency within UGBC and increased outreach to the student body. The resolution includes specific means for increasing general student participation with UGBC, including the creation of minute-long recap videos to be put out by the Student Assembly’s Communications Committee on Facebook and on the UGBC website.

Another new way that UGBC plans to connect with the student population is through “Invite Surges,” which will involve members of the SA emailing, texting, and calling fellow students to update them on UGBC happenings and to encourage them to participate in student government.

While it is laudable that UGBC is

seeking to increase student participation and strengthen its relationship with its constituents, the organization must remember that no single specific method is going to accomplish these goals in their entirety.

In addition to adding new methods of communication, UGBC should seek to maintain its already well-executed forms of outreach, such as its email newsletters and public physical displays.

Modern college students use a variety of multifaceted communication platforms, and their social media feeds are already full of more information than any single person can absorb at once.

Therefore, marketing to college students presents a significant challenge that will require more than a few solutions to overcome.

Student organizations can utilize

many social media platforms in their outreach efforts, and a variety of other means, in order to ensure that students are reached in every way possible.

Additionally, it is important that UGBC consider the message of its outreach campaign. While increasing the amount of information that is shared on Facebook and its website is a step in the right direction, the organization must also try to explain to students why they should care what goes on in UGBC, and not only present what is happening.

Increasing outreach and student participation are commendable goals for which UGBC may strive. It should seek to do so in ways that take into account the complexity of attracting the attention of a student body that is already overwhelmed with online stimuli, and remind students why the affairs of UGBC are important.

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Letter to the Editor A Response to “Looking Forward to a Progressive Future” I am writing to express my concern over the recent Heights column entitled, “Looking Forward to a Progressive Future,” by Michael Razis. Though I may agree with some of the article’s auxiliary propositions, I take issue with both Mr. Razis’ suggestion that Father Leahy has behaved “hypocritically” regarding students’ desire for a universityrun LGBTQ center on campus along with the insinuation that the University should enact a LGBTQ center on campus at all.

Towards the beginning of the article, Mr. Razis brings up concerns that are of utmost relevance in today’s social and political climate, such as the University’s “dramatic transformation in diversity” and the administration’s “efforts to support diverse communities.” These are, no doubt, noble causes, and I support them fully.

My issue comes with the fact that Mr. Razis openly attacks Father Leahy and the Boston College administration as a whole for not enacting a BC-funded LGBTQ center when Father Leahy and BC are merely exhibiting the very Jesuit ideals this University was founded upon in 1863. How can you ask Father Leahy, as a representative of the Catholic Church, the Jesuits at Boston College, and the BC administration, to counter the principles that this University was founded upon to support an LGBTQ center?

The Catholic Church, as it stands today, is firmly in support of traditional marriage and traditional relationships, i.e. heterosexual relationships. Regardless of one’s personal beliefs on these topics, we have to acknowledge, as members of the

BC community, that our school was based upon Catholic and Jesuit ideals and that our administrators must stay true to such ideals.

We cannot ask Father Leahy to act in contradiction of the very values that he is supposed to be a symbol of on campus. Therefore, I would argue that in standing with his deep seated Jesuit ideals, Father Leahy is behaving in the exact opposite of “hypocritical.” The dictionary definition of hypocrisy is “having a pretense of principled beliefs that one does not actually possess.” If, and only if, Father Leahy were to endorse an LGBTQ center, he would be behaving “hypocritically” toward his Catholic and Jesuit beliefs.

Mr. Razis brought up the issue of Georgetown University’s foundation of an LGBTQ center and asked why BC could not do the same. In founding this center, Georgetown has acted in opposition of its founding beliefs and the Catholic Church.

An organization cannot claim themselves to represent the Jesuits and the Catholic Church while encouraging topics that Catholics and Jesuits stand firmly against.

If BC were to enact an LGBTQ center, the University would be contradicting its foundational values and would cease to represent both Catholicism and the Society of Jesus. If BC students wanted to attend a school with a university-run LGBTQ center, they shouldn’t have chosen a Jesuit, Catholic university because those ideals clearly conflict.

Grace Dietrich, MCAS ’20

Theology Professor Responds to “A Response to ‘Looking Forward to a

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This comes as response and correction to Ms. Grace Dietrich’s ill-informed letter opposing the establishment of an LGBTQ+ resource center on campus. She shows alarming ignorance of the Catholic Church’s official position regarding the support and respect due to members of the LGBTQ+ community, as also of a significant current book on the same topic by the single most widely read Catholic author of the day, the Jesuit Rev. James Martin, S.J.—not to mention Pope Francis’s own demonstration of support and compassion for gay persons and families, which has stopped short of “opposing” Catholic doctrine.

The official stand of the USA Catholic bishops can easily be found in their pastoral letter of 1997, Always Our Children: A Pastoral Message to Parents of Homosexual Children and Suggestions for Pastoral Ministers. The fact that they oppose marriage equality in no way compromises the 1997 letter. The current book is by none other than Father Martin, S.J., Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity (2017), currently ranked by Amazon as number 2 in sales of books on Catholicism and number 1 in the field of social issues in Christian living. His earlier books on Jesus, the saints, and Jesuit spirituality remain authoritative in their fields.

Ms. Dietrich makes the curious and illogical step of assuming that a resource center would necessarily advocate positions contrary to the official teachings of the Catholic Church. She says or implies, for example, that a resource center would promote marriage equality and same-sex sexual activity. The numerous such resource centers at Jesuit and other Catholic colleges do no such thing (I visited a remarkably well

supported LGBTQ+ resource center at the Jesuit Santa Clara University and found no such advocacy). Indeed, by her implication that a resource center would promote same-sex intimacy, then we should also shut down co-ed dormitories and all co-ed social functions, dances, the senior ball, and so forth. Do they all promote sexual activity? Hardly (Does it happen? Probably).

The logic would be the same for programs regardless of orientation.

The point of any resource center is to assist people and the wider community in understanding their own identities, gifts, challenges, and limits. As a place for for dialogue, listening, and understanding, any resource center does that by definition. If Catholic colleges need anything, they need resources to articulate a Catholic position in a way that assists personal growth and a sense of calling, all the more so for those whose identities are socially, economically, or otherwise in a minority or subject to social bias: a clear rationale for LGBTQ+ programming. It is precisely such students as Ms. Dietrich who need such a resource center, regardless of their orientations.

And indeed, in my over 30 years at Boston College, the progress in this area has been considerable.

I could not go so far as the original column by Mr. Razis in assuming that the strategic plan is hostile to such a center.

Much less would I presume to advise University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. on his priorities. But the notion that an LGBTQ+ resource center would promote positions contrary to Catholic teaching is demonstrably false, poorly informed, and deeply biased.

Fr. James M. Weiss Associate Professor, Department of Theology

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The Heights

Monday, September 25, 2017

Letter to the Editor UGBC EVP Responds to “A Response to ‘Looking Forward to a Progressive Future’” Regardless of one’s personal beliefs on these topics, we have to acknowledge, as members of the Boston College community, that our school was based upon Catholic and Jesuit ideals and that our administrators must stay true to such ideals. Cura personalis. Agape. You are your sibling’s keeper. Love thy neighbor. Equal rights and access for all, including queer folks.

Regardless of one’s personal prejudices, we have to acknowledge, as members of the BC community, that the Bible and Church doctrine demand that we uphold and support the whole person. Whether through education, mentorship, community, or support, an LGBTQ+ Resource Center would mean greater equity for queer students. To metonymize the queer community by their relationships alone is to deny the wholeness and the dignity of the community, demonstrating an inherently anti-Christian framework.

That being said, to queer folks directly, you belong at BC. Plain and simple: you belong here. Whether you are an artist or an athlete, an academic or an advocate, all of these or none of these, or simply trying to make it as an LGBTQ+ student in a tough world, you belong here, and this is your home.

Additionally, while queer folks inherently belong, and do not need to earn belonging through achievement, it is important to mention that the LGBTQ+ community has contributed to the health and well-being of this campus in ways that often go unmentioned and unacknowledged. Here are just a few ways: -Expanding sexual assault resources to include more types of students and more kinds of advocacy -Providing said sexual assault resources to survivors and respondents alike -Building student involvement opportunities, like UGBC -Changing the face of “who” can be elected to represent the student voice -Building programs that enhance the understanding of student wellness -Advocating for greater understanding of diverse student communities on campus and in the world -Reviving a conversation on campus regarding free speech, demonstrations, and the Jesuit call to be civically engaged

What else can be said? I have one hundred more words left, but I feel that it can be left at this. For folks feeling the damage of queer oppression, know that there are resources from the Women’s Center to the Dean of Students Office, from University Counseling Services to GLAAD, from HRC to UGBC (who, I may mention, affirmed the need for a LGBTQ+ Resource Center in past administrations). I might emphasize that BC already provides queer resources mentioned above that administration have not considered “hypocritical” to BC’s Catholic heritage. A resource center simply expands those resources so that they are of access and visible to all students—just another point reinforcing the fact that homosexuality isn’t incompatible with the values of BC. As we continue to work for an LGBTQ+ Resource Center, however, I will continue “reclaiming my time.”

Tt King, MCAS ’18 Nick Massimino, LSOE ’18 Michelle Yan, MCAS ’20 Taraun Frontis, CSOM ’19 Akosua Opokua-Achampong, MCAS ’18 Tyng Pan, MCAS ’18 Michael Osaghae, MCAS ’20 Claire Chatellier, MCAS ’19 Colin Vergilio, CSOM ’19 Tom Downing, CSOM ’18 Dinah Jean Philippe, MCAS ’18 Greg Michalowski, BC ’17 Erin McCarthy, CSOM ’18 Maithri Harve, MCAS ’19 Kristina Major, MCAS ’19 Nicola Roux, MCAS ’20 Fidelia Ge, MCAS ’20 Rachel Piccolino, MCAS ’18 Joseph Fonseca, MCAS ’20 Julia Barrett, MCAS ’19 Megan O’Neill, MCAS ’18 Connor Kratz, MCAS ’18 Kirstan Brodie, MCAS ’18 Tess Duryea, LSOE ’19 Meagan Hopkins, LSOE ’19 Katie Babbin, MCAS ’18 Joan Jungbin Lee, MCAS ’18 Peyton King, MCAS ’20 Ines Gonzalez, BC ’17 Tyler Cotner, BU ’18 Djanan Kernizan, MCAS ’19 Amber Ruther, CSOM ’17 Chris Kim, CSOM ’18

GLC Responds to “LTE: A Response to ‘Looking Forward to a Progressive Future’” I am writing to express my concerns and frustrations over a recent LTE written by Grace Dietrich. In the letter, Dietrich responds to an article written

by Michael Razis in which he calls on the University and Father Leahy to create an LGBTQ+ Resource Center on campus. Dietrich has expressed her concerns with this action, asserting that an action such as this goes against Jesuit Ideals and that Father Leahy is “merely exhibiting the very Jesuit ideals this University was founded upon in 1863.” However, I don’t think an LGBTQ+ resource center goes against the Jesuit ideals Boston College was founded on at all; in fact it supports them completely.

Razis discusses the idea of “Cura Personalis,” or care of the whole person, a phrase we hear often at Boston College. An LGBTQ+ resource center would serve just this purpose, and not just for LGBTQ+ students on campus.

Queer students could have a centralized place to access resources and support, and students who aren’t a part of the community could go to the center to learn, something we all came to Boston College to do, about the community.

Education and support sound like Jesuit ideals to me.

While it is true that, as Dietrich states, “The Catholic church … is firmly in support of ‘traditional marriage and traditional relationships,’” an LGBTQ+ resource center would in no way contradict this stance. The resource center would be there to support students as individuals, and not to set up queer students on dates.

Finally I would like to address the point that “If BC students wanted to attend a school with a university-run LGBTQ center, they shouldn’t have chosen a Jesuit, Catholic university.” I have heard this far too much throughout my years at Boston College, and to put it lightly, this argument is ridiculous. People choose schools for a multitude of reasons, and for many BC hits plenty of the requirements people want for their four years of college:

good academics, a gorgeous campus, a fun sports culture, a strong emphasis on faith and spirituality, plenty of social activities, etc. If the one thing that BC does not have is an LGBTQ+ resource center, they may not be deterred from coming. And for many students they come into BC unsure of their identity.

According to a survey put out by the Pew Research Center, the median age that LGB people come out to their first person is 21 for gay women, 18 for gay men and 20 bisexual people. A resource center would provide supports for students in the midst of the coming out process.

Ultimately none of that matters, because LGBTQ+ people should not have to qualify their existence on this campus, or anywhere. However year after year I find myself doing just that. If we want to continue to grow as a Boston College community it is important that we do not hide behind what is perceived as Jesuit ideals and other kinds of groupthink and think for ourselves.

Nick Massimino, LSOE ’18 Michelle Yan, MCAS ’20 Rayan Habbab, MCAS ’20 Ekta Alwani, MCAS ’19 Hugh McMahon, MCAS ’20 Fidelia Ge, MCAS ’20 Connor Shine, MCAS ’19 Christian Ramirez, MCAS ’19 Marisa Romanelli, MCAS ’20 Michael Burke, MCAS ’18 Tt King, MCAS ’18 Taraun Frontis, CSOM ’19 Cameron Kubera, MCAS ’20 Tom Downing, CSOM ’18 Michael Osaghae, MCAS ’20 Claire Chatellier, MCAS ’19 Letitia Asare, MCAS ’20 Tyng Pan, MCAS ’18 Dinah Jean Philippe, MCAS ’18 Colin Vergilio, CSOM ’19 Diana Hernandez, MCAS ’20 Chris Kim, MCAS ’18

A7

Looking Forward to a Progressive Future

Michael Razis Recently, Boston College announced its next 10-year strategic plan. After reviewing the new plan, it’s clear that our administration is beginning to acknowledge the concerns of students more and more.

The 10-year plan acknowledges the dramatic transformation in diversity that the BC community has seen from one generation of students to the next.

“The University’s student body and workforce are substantially more diverse than a generation ago, yet challenges remain,” it reads. “Boston College will evaluate and strengthen efforts to support diverse communities on campus and to provide care and opportunity for all who study and work at the University.”

In the past, students have proposed the creation of an LGBTQ+ resource center as a way for the University to accomplish this stated mission. Now, with the enactment of the new 10-year plan, the establishment of an LGBTQ+ resource center should be one of the BC’s primary directives in addressing the aforementioned challenges.

While the lack of such a resource center is not the only nor the most grave deficiency of BC’s administration, its absence highlights an administrative shortfall and hinders the institution’s ability to gain an edge against competitors such as Georgetown—which has a well-funded LGBTQ+ resource center, and is one of BC’s most notable rivals for applicants.

The declaration of BC’s strategic plans are often followed by major fundraising campaigns—Light the World in 2016 was one example of this process. An LGBTQ+ resource center is one example of a progressive investment the administration can plan to make as it endeavors on a new fundraising campaign.

University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J.’s various recent statements on hot-button political issues, followed by an echoing statement from the University academic deans, demonstrate the administration’s more open-minded approach to the socio-political challenges of today.

Leahy condemned the Trump administration’s decision to end Deferred

Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

At University Convocation, he denounced white supremacy and its role in domestic terrorism at Charlottesville. Last January, Leahy issued a statement decrying the signage of the president’s executive order banning the entry of refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries.

There came a point where I grew tired of reading news article after news article about President Donald Trump’s inane policy whims, and found consolation in seeing Heights headlines that detailed Leahy’s overt rejection of said policy decisions.

While Trump has made me feel more on edge in relation to the American body politic, it is in these moments that Leahy’s denunciations have helped me feel more welcome, more safe, and more calm at Boston College, my second home.

While simply making statements is certainly a rung below raising the funds required for establishing an LGBTQ+ resource center, it is the administration’s recent willingness to express support for marginalized groups on campus that indicates a context for the potential creation of such a center at BC. In his address to the University’s faculty and staff at University Convocation, Leahy made it clear that the language and behavior of white supremacists and the alt-right have no place at BC. “Since last year’s presidential election, it has become even more difficult to have respectful dialogue about such issues as immigration, race, sexuality, free speech, and religious beliefs,” he stated.

Leahy’s desire to foster productive and respectful dialogue about a variety of contentious issues is at first glance admirable, but is in reality hypocritical. Respectful dialogue is an imperative part of ensuring that students at BC feel safe and welcome—only in this type of environment can all students do their best work and be their best selves.

This is why Leahy’s inaction on our University’s lack of an LGBTQ+ resource center is the hallmark of his hypocrisy.

His proclaimed desires for “respectful dialogue” on relevant, current issues are effectively thwarted by his indifference regarding an LGBTQ+ resource center.

Such a center is necessary at BC because it is a space meant for the kind of respectful dialogue that Leahy so yearned for in his remarks.

It is without doubt that BC’s financial, accounting, and managerial operations

require an ungodly amount of work and devotion—this column is not aimed at minimizing Leahy’s current efforts. Our University has seen tremendous fiscal growth under this administration, and as a result has given students many of the tools they need to thrive.

An LGBTQ+ resource center would serve as one of these tools for success.

Allocating University funding to a space where respectful and intellectual dialogue can take place makes this kind of discussion more readily accessible to all students.

For Leahy to make his wish for respectful dialogue a reality at BC, an LGBTQ+ resource center provides an excellent first step.

Leahy’s leadership puzzled me for a long time, until I began to think about the Ignatian-Jesuit characteristic cura personalis. This Jesuit value means “caring for the whole person” and is a phrase supposed to be ever-present on the Heights. While Leahy’s efforts are highly respected and very admirable, I think he too could use some cura personalis.

The whole is only as good as the sum of its parts. Our University wouldn’t be what it is without the well-being of its students, faculty, staff, and administrators.

To a positive effect, Leahy and the BC administration have improved in their communication with the student body in recent years. Although it has taken some time, it seems as though BC’s administration is moving in a direction of greater transparency and accessibility.

It is crucial, however, that in the next 10 years, the BC administration shows a greater dedication to addressing social issues, in addition to the procurement of necessary funds. This method of endeavoring in the 10-year plan is the most effective way for the institution to abide by cura personalis while meeting its other goals.

Cura personalis is particularly fascinating because it is a powerful equalizer.

Caring for the whole person is something that individuals from all walks of life can benefit. Cura personalis transcends conflicts and differences relating to class, gender, sexuality, and race.

Instead, it is a value that we can collectively strive to embody as students, and something from which Leahy can learn.

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

Seasoning Myself With Culture

Lucia Madero “Where are you from?” can seem like the obvious question to ask someone you’re meeting for the first time. It can reveal so much about the person—hobbies, culture, languages they may speak, interests. It seems like a simple enough question to fill awkward pauses with, but in turn can actually lead to a long conversation requiring coffee and pastries. So, pour that coffee, order that chocolate croissant you’ve been eyeing, and get comfortable, because I’m about to tell you my story.

When I was 3, I lived in Austin, Texas for a year. My chubby little self’s favorite pastime was playing in the sandbox. I didn’t know exactly how to speak English at the time, but I was in the process of learning how to repeat short phrases that I’d hear on TV. One day, while I was playing with my older brother, a young boy walked up to him and threw sand in his face. Indignant, my brother stood up. Since he was already in kindergarten, I watched as he pointed his index finger at the child and said in a very practiced tone, “Don’t bother me.” The child went away and we continued to play.

I thought all was well until, a few minutes later, the same child came over and threw sand again. This time, however, it was in my face and not my brother’s. I was ready. Standing on my stumpy legs, I pointed my index finger at the kid and stared him straight in the eyes, just as my brother had done.

“Old McDonald had a farm!” I said. The young boy looked at me with a worried look on his face, which only made me feel more confident.

“E-I-E-I-O!” I added, convinced that I was saying the right thing. The child turned around and ran as fast as he could, and I sat back down, oblivious to the fact that he had probably gone away thinking I was completely nuts.

Though I had said something far different from what I had intended, I had looked the child in the eyes and pointed at him with my index finger. Thus, in Austin, I learned that we don’t always have to say the right thing, and that nonverbal communication can be entirely effective.

When I was 5, I lived in Madrid for a year and a half. Though I spoke Spanish fluently, I learned to respect the language in a way that Mexicans don’t. Mexicans make everything diminutive, in an attempt to tone everything down and make it sound softer. A kiss is “besito” instead of “beso,” a favor is “favorsito” instead of “favor,” and a taco is “taquito.”

Things are different in Spain. Spanish people know that words have to be said directly. I learned that I could not ask to borrow things instead of buy them as we do in Mexico. Language has to be used efficiently, and my vocabulary needs to be chosen carefully in order to convey exactly what I mean.

When I was 11, I lived in Panama for a year. Everything was wildly unfamiliar at the beginning, even though Spanish was the common tongue and it was also a Latin American country. In particular, I could not understand why so many people honked at each other while driving. It sounded like a symphony every time I walked outside.

It wasn’t until my dad mentioned this phenomenon to one of his friends from work that my family learned that honking was a good thing. In Panama, honking while driving is a way of letting others know that you’re there. It’s nothing personal, or against you, but simply a way of saying that you had other plans and here

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.

you are, stuck in the same traffic—almost a bonding experience.

When I turned 14, I started boarding school in Connecticut. There, I learned that service is truly valued in the U.S. In Mexico, volunteering is done when your best friends are also going to do it and you have nothing else going on. On the contrary, in the U.S., service is completed, especially when you have other things to do, because people take it seriously. Everyone contributes.

In the U.S., there is also a different generosity when making friends. People are more open to getting to know you because of who you are, and not who your parents or grandparents are. In Monterrey, you practically have to know someone’s whole lineage and family tree to be friends. During my time in the U.S., I’ve learned to take advantage of the way friendships are made, to open up and embrace new relationships much faster.

This is a long-winded way of saying that, though I may have a Mexican passport, I’ve been shaped by different cultures and experiences that are not necessarily found in Mexico. In Austin, I learned about non-verbal cues. In Spain, I learned about speaking effectively. In Panama, I learned about not taking things so personally. In Connecticut, I learned about giving back to the community. Though saying that I’m Mexican is the simplest answer, it’s not 100 percent accurate.

I like to say that people are seasoned.

They’re sprinkled with different cultures and different values that have been mixed together over time. We cannot always attribute our whole personality to being from a certain place. And that’s okay, it’s even common!

Next time you want to get to know someone well, consider asking them where they’re from first. But, if you aren’t ready to learn their whole life story, maybe just stick with “What’s your major?”

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

The Heights

A8

Monday, September 25, 2017

Love, Justice, and Harmony: Jiang’s Path to the Priesthood Joseph Jiang went to college to become a lawyer, and left ready to be a Jesuit.

By Timmy Facciola For The Heights The first time Rev. Joseph You Guo Jiang, S.J. met a priest, he didn’t know it was a priest. He was an undergraduate studying in the Philippines when one day in the dining hall, a young Jesuit dressed in plain clothes introduced himself. Jiang assumed he befriended a fellow student and continued with his studies. After some time, the new friend asked Jiang his mission and purpose in life.

“Lawyer,” Jiang said instinctively, like he had hundreds of times before.

“Do you want to help others?” the friend asked in reply.

Jiang had been raised to impulsively answer “yes” to that question.

But, when the incognito Jesuit explained that there were communities of men who lived separate from society and dedicated their lives to service, Jiang was confused. So he called his mother.

His mother was born in China and educated by French missionaries who brought her into the Catholic faith before the rise of Communism and ban on religion in 1949. Although Jiang’s home of Tandu in China’s Sichuan province did not tolerate religion, his mother made sure to instill in her son secularized Catholic virtues—love, temperance and justice. Jiang learned that helping others was important because it benefitted his community, not because Jesus calls us to do so.

In grade school, Jiang dared to pin to his shirt a small dove, which his mother said represented the Holy Spirit. Another student saw him and made fun of him for being superstitious. He and his classmates were part of the Young Pioneers, an organization still operating today that indoctrinates children into becoming future members of the Communist Party of China. By the time most students complete grade school, they are part of the program. The training goes on until they reach 14, at which point they are encouraged to join the Communist Youth League.

Toward the end of the decade, restrictions loosened and Catholic worship was allowed, so long as it was registered with the state. The Chinese government had one catch: Any Catholic institution in China would answer to the government, not the Vatican. This allowed for Jiang’s mother to arrange for her son’s baptism during his senior year of high school. Jiang was already familiar with the manner in which Catholicism calls us to treat others, but knew little about Christianity.

Three decades later, Jiang still draws inspiration from his mother with the work he does in the Academic Advising Center, where he has been assistant director since the end of 2012. In addition to teaching, he works with international students and helps them transition into Boston College. Some students, Jiang says, have no clue what it means to be a Catholic college, so he likes to introduce them to the tenets of Jesuit identity.

“I don’t tr y to convert them,” he said. “Obviously I want them to come to know God. But love, justice, harmony—those are values we can all come to embody.”

It’s easy to see how Jiang’s appreciation for the Jesuits he met in college manifests itself in his work at BC. A professor of classical Eastern philosophy, Jiang says he loves when his students, many of whom are from Asia, realize the commonalities shared between Catholicism and Eastern thought.

“A lot of my international students have never heard of the 12 Apostles,” Jiang said, “but they understand the definition of discipleship.”

While Jiang was still an undergraduate, his Jesuit friend taught him about reflection and prayer. For four years, Jiang contemplated his calling to the priesthood, trying to distinguish God’s will from his own.

He read about the lives of Saints Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier, and asked himself, “Why not I?” Once he made the decision, Jiang remembers being overcome by a wave of peace with his life. He hesitated to step out of his comfort zone but his calling

by God was strong. The process of reflecting on his vocation, called discernment, gave him the confidence to enter the Society of Jesus in the same year he received his bachelor’s degree, 1996.

Jiang’s parents never envisioned him becoming a priest. But his mother saw the good work missionaries did when she was younger, and she and her husband supported the decision. Jiang’s aunts, uncles, and family friends, on the other hand, assumed something to be seriously wrong with him to “throw away” a college education and enter the priesthood.

It meant Jiang wouldn’t satisfy any of the Chinese societal expectations, like making a family or having a competitive job. And somehow, Jiang was perfectly fine with that.

After being ordained in 2008 in Los Angeles, he began work with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). UNESCO seeks to combat poverty by working to

Sam z / hEIGHTS STAFF

Growing up in China, Jiang learned Catholic virtues from his mother, who was educated by French missionaries. provide children in underdeveloped countries with the right to an education. For three years, Jiang was stationed in Bangkok, teaching high schoolers and teachers and working side by side with the Red Cross and other NGOs. Once a month, Jiang and his colleagues would travel to Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos in hopes of reaching as many people possible. Landmines checkered the borders, so on monthly trips, cows walked 50 yards ahead while Jiang and company followed the cows’ footprints. He taught English and math, but says his greater mission was to change the people’s outlook on life. He regrets to say that most of the people he encountered didn’t look for life beyond their villages. He hoped his presence would encourage them to question their own purposes in life. But Jiang sees an unfortunate

theme in education in Asia.

“Very few people in China want to learn because it will help them think more deeply or because something is interesting,” he said. “It is all about getting a degree and getting rich.”

Nevertheless, he remains hopeful. He says in the last 15 years there has been a swath of Chinese students educated overseas who return home with a more holistic appreciation for education. Over time, he thinks, this will lead to change. Jiang wants to be part of this change, so he seeks to instill in his students more than just a mastery of the material.

“I don’t give pop quizzes,” he said.

“I trust that my students know how to read. I’m more interested in if they understand. It’s easy to hide it on a quiz if you don’t understand something. But when I read their essays and see their thinking, that’s when I can

conclude they’ve done more than just memorize.”

Jiang loves to teach and views his Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy more as a book club. Learning, as Jiang describes it, is a walk with him through material and a reflection after. He wants his students to realize how many similarities there are between Eastern and Western thought.

For personal philosophy he draws on Laozi and Confucius mostly, but sees a lot of overlap between their works and the teachings of the Church. He thinks a dialogue between cultures is the best way for students raised in different traditions to realize these commonalities.

“We’re a global village,” Jiang said.

“I’m not sure where I’m going to be in five years. I’d love to be here at Boston College, but wherever there is a calling, I am ready.” n

Franny, Zooey, and the Young Columnist on The Pilgrim’s Way Archer Parquette Monday morning, I woke up with a smile on my face and pep in my step. Life—what a glorious treat.

What great task would I undertake today? Perhaps I would pen another bestseller or charter a plane to Uncle Alighieri’s Italian villa. Ah, but that doesn’t matter. My life is fulfilled as it is. I am surrounded by love and beauty and fulfillment. Just look around and behold…

What the hell is this crap?

Why does everything smell like body odor and cream cheese?

“Archer, you little punk ass, did you leave possum fur in the skillet again?”

The yelling from downstairs reminded me of my current state as a little punk ass.

I rolled out of bed, tripped over my dresser, and fell into a pile of sweaty laundry and sadness.

I see now—the happiness was a dream. Rats.

That was not the best way to start a morning. Brush my teeth?

Too much effort. Deodorant? Who has the time? My mind was full of

Camus quotes and fingerless gloves.

Oh great, another dose of teenage angst. Actually, I’m 21, so I can’t call it teenage angst anymore. God, that makes me even more angsty. The world doesn’t have time for this. I knew that I had to do something to work around this angsty angst.

So I did what I always do when I’m feeling like a self-obsessed teenager with overblown emotions and a massive ego: read my man J.D. Salinger.

That morning, I cracked open Salinger’s Franny and Zooey while enjoying a morning repast at Lower.

After looking up “repast” in a dictionary, I started reading. I sped through the first story in the book whilst sipping a black coffee and occasionally squinting meaningfully into the distance.

“Literature,” I whispered. “Meaningfulness. Freedom. Concupiscence.

Shrimp.”

“Hell’s wrong with that kid?” someone said.

“Leave him alone,” a kindly fellow responded. “Gets ornery if you talk to him.”

I barked once, and the range and viscosity of my saliva scared the onlookers away. I returned my attention to Salinger’s book and was quickly caught up by the main theme of Franny’s story.

Franny—a 20-year old girl attending a liberal arts college—reads a book called The Pilgrim’s Way in which a Russian peasant becomes obsessed with a Bible verse commanding that Christians pray unceasingly. He then discovers an ancient prayer, the Christian form being “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” The teaching says that if you repeat this constantly in your head, no matter what you are doing, it will eventually sink into you, merge with your heartbeat, and you will be enlightened.

I’d read about this idea before in Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Marriage Plot (because I read extensively to fill the gaping hole in my black heart), but it hadn’t hit me until I read it again. I considered the possibility of elevating yourself to a higher purpose through something as mundane as repetition—the idea that you could engrain a spiritual purpose into your every living moment.

Then I spilled coffee down the front of my shirt, screamed “Goshdarn it” like the pure-minded Midwesterner I am, and squirmed like a worm while the scalding caffeine juice burned my skin.

Once that was over, I turned back to the lofty spiritual crap.

Of course I don’t want to bring religion into this, because Gandalf

forbid I make my readers uncomfortable, so instead I’ll stick to the usual talk of bloody loogies, inexplicable despair, and crotch sweat.

When the crotch is sweaty, the loogies bloody, and the despair inexplicable, there has to be something to get your through the day. Every once in awhile, if you’re like me, you’ll wake up and fall into a pit of awfulness, and that’s the time to remember something more important than the normal day full of dandruff and awkward interactions. I imagine Franny permanently etching the prayer into her heart, so that even when she’s cleaning a toilet or filing down her toenails, she knows that she has a larger aim.

Her prayer, and the idea of enlightenment it carries with it, is one example of a larger aim. Something that informs every decision of your life. For some people, it’s something dumb like love or success. For others it’s fulfillment, health, or religion. For me, it’s cheese. Lose sight of a final aim, and you’re just doing crap to be doing crap. May as well paint yourself orange and run around campus singing “Runaround Sue.” It amounts to the same thing.

So on that aimless morning, when I woke up happy and then realized that life’s a joke, I decided to reorient myself to the larger aim. Focusing on

the distant made the close tolerable.

Going to class wasn’t just going to be a pain—it would be one small step in a meaningful journey upward.

After briefly vomiting in disgust at my own high-minded foolishness, I focused on something more important.

Did it really work? Did it help me become a better person? Is it a piece of useful and relatable advice that perfectly caps a tidy Archer-column.

I could tell you, but then the ending of this column wouldn’t be ambiguous and pretentious just how I like it.

Instead, I’ll say this: I stood up from the table, shut Franny and Zooey, and left the dining hall. As I walked across campus, I grimaced and prepared myself for another day in a long string of days.

I looked up at the sky and saw bright blue with a cluster of cumulus clouds in equal rings looping around themselves. Then I kept walking.

Did the clouds represent something? Did the grimacing represent something? Equal rings? Is that an important image that signifies a literary reference?

Nah. Just another morning trying to decipher The Pilgrim’s Way.

Archer Parquette is the features editor for The Heights. He can be reached on Twitter @ArcherFP

The Heights

Monday, September 25, 2017

A9

Reynolds Takes Health Research From BC Across the Globe

By Cole Dady Heights Staff

Peru, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Liberia. Four distinct places with one common similarity: a desperate need for improved health care systems. One BC student has recognized this need and taken action to make a difference.

Christopher Reynolds, MCAS ’18, has dedicated himself to improving global health. A double major in biochemistry and theology, he wants to work with the most marginalized and vulnerable populations he can find.

Reynolds felt drawn to global health because of a condensed PULSE program he took freshman year that instilled a desire to serve. Because he spoke a little Spanish, traveling to Latin America seemed like a good idea. In search of a volunteer organization that would take him abroad, he found International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ), through which he could travel to Peru for a month.

Thanks to a Boston College Advanced Study Grant (ASG), he embarked on his trip the summer after freshman year to analyze the country’s urban and rural sectors’ access to health care. He spent three weeks in Cusco and a week in the Peruvian highlands, living in various homestays and participating in service projects.

This experience gave Reynolds an awareness of the disparities between health care in the United States and other regions of the world. Like many individuals who take part in service trips to developing countries, he was taken aback by the poverty and minimal health resources. As a result, he was driven to investigate the field in greater depth and particularly inspired to study it in Latin America.

He started doing so by taking HIV/AIDS and Ethics sophomore year with Rev. James F. Keenan, S.J., which inspired him to study theology. He was moved by Catholic social teaching’s obligation to serve the poor, most vulnerable individuals in society and its insistence on justice.

“The class showed me that if I want to make a difference and help people, I have to go where people are in need and learn from them,” Reynolds said.

He also became motivated to study HIV in the Dominican Republic, which has the highest rate of the disease in Latin America, and to work toward achieving fluency in Spanish. He received funding through another ASG to travel to the country for 10 weeks.

While abroad, he shadowed in a hospital in five different departments, helped with the pediatric infectious disease rate project, and took Spanish in the afternoon.

As virtually the only American in sight, Reynolds was forced to cement his Spanish-speaking ability and become self-reliant, both of which are important skills for global health work.

Only a week after this program ended, he got on yet another plane headed to BC’s study abroad program at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), one of the top universities in Ecuador, for the fall semester junior year. He entered his fivemonth experience planning on conducting research on adolescents’ health, pursuing an internship at the university hospital, and attending classes at USFQ. In the process of researching adolescents, he interestingly continued to notice that maternal mortality was a significant problem in Ecuador. He found that women were often hesitant to go to hospitals because of their social class; the cold, scary, and sterile environment; and their theological and philosophical bases for conducting childbirth at home. Reynolds believes that when individuals lack social determinants of health, such as a good education, proper housing, and food and water, ailments can arise easily and the risk of death increases.

One such sickness common to the region is sobreparto. With its symptoms of fever, chills, cold sweats, and fatigue, it can render a woman temporarily unable to take care of her newborn baby. It usually occurs in the period right after childbirth and, left untreated, can have result in proneness to all kinds of ailments or being sent to the emergency room.

Reynolds believes that research allows students studying in Ecuador to get exposure to healthcare and understand the social disparities between the U.S. and the country.

After initially joining a selective program that paired him with a medical school mentor, he discovered various healthcare projects that Ecuadorian students were not interested in. He knew it was important for this work to be done, so he wanted to engender interest from both the Ecuadorians and BC students in these projects and to have them done well.

Reynolds was aware through his experiences in Latin America that the premedical and medical education systems do not teach their students proper models of how to treat vulnerable populations abroad. It is far too common that these students, both locals and foreigners, fail to establish effective programs to address the needs of the individuals they serve once they leave, an idea discussed in “The Voluntourist’s Dilemma” in The New York Times.

To ensure that the individuals being served are truly better off, Reynolds argues that this process has to be continual. Once

Jake catania / Heights Staff

Reynolds started a collaboration that allows BC students to work and research in an Ecuadorian health clinic.

the students leave, there will be no more medication, resources, and money pouring in. The purpose of service should be so that the local community is better off once they leave.

“Global health requires mutuality, understanding the population, and engaging the people who are going to be receiving the services before you show up,” Reynolds said.

Culminating his desire to generate interest in the healthcare projects and his knowledge of the mistakes that premedical and medical students make in treating impoverished individuals, he decided to establish a collaboration in which BC nursing students and pre-med students could practice in an Ecuadorian clinic while also performing research. This enabled students to learn about tasks around the hospital as well as truly engage and address the needs of the populations they were serving.

Reynolds most recently worked in Liberia for two months to study post-conflict medicine. He received funding from the Eagle Intern Fellowship Program at BC and the Presidential Scholars Program.

One may wonder, “How did Chris Reynolds end up working in Liberia after having had so much health-care experience in Latin America?”

During the second semester of his junior year, he took a theology class with Stephen Pope. One day, the class went to a talk with Chris Barrett, an economics professor in African Development from Cornell guest lecturing at Harvard.

Reynolds, looking to further his horizons and experience with health care, formed a connection with Barrett, who directed him to the Division of Global Women’s Health at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Mount Sinai had just sent two doctors to Liberia in an effort to launch a healthcare program and

offered to bring him on.

He was tasked with working on a public health project with a group of LGBTQ+ men screening for Hepatitis C and HPV, and this was no easy task. On the whole, Liberia’s health resources have been decimated, due to two civil wars and the recent Ebola epidemic. Reynolds believes there are only 50 doctors in the country, all of whom are only general practitioners.

People with complex medical conditions or cancer have nowhere to turn for help in Liberia. To make matters worse, the maternal mortality rate in the country is 600 women per 100,000 births, 100 times the rate in the U.S. The country is also a particularly difficult place to be LGBTQ+, since it is illegal.

He thinks that many medical problems arise from social instability, as there was in Liberia. He points to the cholera outbreak in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, the cholera outbreak in Yemen because of the civil war, and the polio outbreak in Syria because of the civil war as just a few examples.

He used community-based participatory research, a new public health approach that enables a professional to train a group of local health workers in surveying the LGBTQ+ men in their knowledge and risk for HIV. Screening 110 LGBTQ+ men in total, Reynolds believes the program was a great success, especially considering that he and the team were the first to do research on STDs in West Africa with an extremely marginalized group of people.

“There’s a continuity of care and I get to keep working with the Liberian team,” Reynolds said. “I would feel guilty if I went there for eight weeks and left and didn’t actually create connections or serve the community.”

Through a partnership with Stop Aids in Liberia (SAIL), an organization run by

Liberians for the LGBTQ+ population, he wants to establish a men’s health network with Mount Sinai through which doctors from Mount Sinai Hospital can connect to Liberian men through a private messenger forum to talk about men’s health, HPV, and HIV. There is also a doctor from Mount Sinai, Whitney Lieb, headed to Liberia in October to screen for cancer in men who tested positive. He remains in close contact with her on a daily basis. He personally will continue visiting Liberia throughout medical school if he can.

He still connects with his contacts in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Liberia daily and works on projects with them. He believes that these partnerships and the model of care he established are very effective methods to enable long-term development in the countries.

Next year, he wants to go to Colombia through a Fulbright grant. Colombia, which just came out of a 52-year-long civil war, is an excellent place for him to pursue his interest in post-conflict medicine and Latin America. He wants to look at how the former FARC rebels and internally displaced persons reintegrate into health care.

Reflecting on his college experience, Reynolds is proud of the work he has accomplished. Although he is not definitively sure where he will end up in the future, he would be honored to work with an NGO like Doctors Without Borders or Partners in Health one day.

He thinks that his approach to improving the health and wellness of marginalized populations abroad is an effective method to enhance their lives. But he also believes that one just needs to have a desire to help others to make an impact abroad.

“Any student in Boston College can make a profound difference,” Reynolds said. n

Have an idea for the metro section?

Email metro@bcheights.com

The Heights

A10

Monday, September 25, 2017

Angela Ards Uses ‘Fake News’ to Teach Real Reporting at BC

Now 22 years since she first wrote for ‘The Village Voice,’ Ards has shifted to the classroom to reshape how students learn journalism.

Archer Parquette

Features Editor

A framed page of newsprint, organized in columns around black and white photos of women marching, hangs behind Angela Ards’ desk. In the sparsely decorated space which she just moved into, the bold headline—“Sisters Act”—stands out.

“My favorite story is this story,” Ards said, pointing over her shoulder. “It’s actually my very first.”

The story was published in The Village Voice on July 25, 1995. The famed boxer Mike Tyson had just been released from prison after a three-year sentence for rape, and Ards’ piece was a reflection and examination of the homecoming.

On a personal level, it was the first time a major publication had trusted her to write a full feature.

“It was an effort to bring the awareness of violence against women and domestic violence to the community,” she said. “It begins with a quotation from Anna Julia Cooper, who was a 19th-century black feminist writer and educator.”

Opening with a Cooper quote is a lofty bar. She was a famed activist and writer and the fourth African-American woman ever to earn a doctoral degree.

This literary opening anticipated where Ards’ career would eventually take her. When she wrote it, she was only starting out as a journalist two years out of UCLA with a masters in Afro-American studies. But her first feature was far from her last. She went on to work at The Village Voice as a deputy copy chief, contributor, and senior editor. Her byline has since appeared in Time, The Nation, and The Los Angeles Book Review, and she has published two books of her own.

This journey through journalism— which began in Texas, her home state— has led her to Boston College, where she is now tasked with helping to create and build a journalism minor that brings together many facets of her own experience. The first step toward that larger goal occurs every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m. *** A dramatic narration crackles over the speakers in Campion 235.

“With infinite complacence people went to and fro over the earth about their little affairs, serene in the assurance of

their dominion over this small spinning fragment of solar driftwood which by chance or design man has inherited out of the dark mystery of Time and Space.”

A radio broadcaster cuts in seconds later to introduce some upbeat Latin music courtesy of Ramón Raquello and his orchestra. After only a few seconds of grooving to the beat, the broadcaster cuts in to announce some potentially alarming news: “Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt our program of dance music to bring you a special bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News. At 20 minutes before eight, central time, Professor Farrell of the Mount Jennings Observatory, Chicago, Illinois, reports observing several explosions of incandescent gas, occurring at regular intervals on the planet Mars.

The spectroscope indicates the gas to be hydrogen and moving towards the earth with enormous velocity … We now return you to the music of Ramón Raquello.”

So begins one of the greatest works of fake news ever written.

On this morning, Ards plays the original recording of Orson Welles’ 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast at the beginning of her class. Seventy-nine years ago, this radio broadcast announcing a hostile alien invasion sparked panic across parts of the United States. Despite Welles’ disclaimer that the broadcast was nothing more than “Mercury Theatre’s own radio version of dressing up in a sheet and jumping out of a bush and saying Boo!” people thought they were listening to a real news broadcast and that the aliens had finally arrived to overthrow and annihilate humanity.

A day after the program aired, the New York Daily News’ headline read “Fake Radio ‘War’ Stirs Terror Through U.S.” The class discusses the implication of this event. Was it satire? A hoax?

What would the difference be? They analyze the way the story is told, from the subtle nuances of characterization and dialogue, to the gradual pacing that shepherded the listener from a broadcast of Latin music through to a potentially dangerous astronomical phenomenon and finally to the impending doom of an alien invasion.

Once they’ve analyzed it through, Ards has a concluding question.

“In this mass democracy … what hap-

pens when you have these fake stories?” she asks.

It’s a profound question to end on— one that characterizes the entire course. *** Students heading into her class might not have expected to spend an hour investigating the literary techniques a 1938 radio play about aliens. Her course, titled “Fake News: What’s it Good For?” seems primed for a constant exploration of Facebook hoaxes and content farms, but Ards’ investigation into the phenomenon goes much deeper than the past year.

“The idea of the class is not just to increase and better our media literacy, although that’s important,” she said.

“The class really is more about thinking historically about fake news and how something that has actually been with us since antiquity, if you look at the Western tradition—why is it so troubling for us today?”

One of her students, Marta Seitz, MCAS ’18, joined the class because of how dramatically it stood out from other English classes. She hasn’t been disappointed.

“She does a good job of choosing very relevant stories both from the past and from current events,” Seitz said.

Her approach impressed faculty as well as students. She had the idea for the class before she even had the job. When she came in to interview, she pitched it to the faculty, who were immediately enthused by it. Once she landed the job, it was quickly decided that Fake News should be her first class.

“The course filled up fastest out of any journalism or English course,” said Carlo Rotella, director of American Studies and an English professor.

Rotella, who is also an accomplished journalist, was one of the faculty involved in hiring Ards. When he helped bring her to BC, he had much bigger plans than just one class. Together, they are now working to craft the new journalism minor and expand BC’s journalism offerings. Ards’ Fake News is the kind of course Rotella hopes to develop and strengthen within the new minor.

“We have really good craft courses— how-to courses, many taught by professional journalists,” Rotella said. “But there are other ways to look at journalism as a way of thinking, whether that’s history or ethics or as an intellectual tradition.”

Katie Yeager / Heights Staff

Ards uses ‘War of the Worlds’ to teach about the long history of fake news.

Ards offers both sides of that approach. Since her first major story in 1995, she’s proven her writing ability many times over. Her knowledge of the craft is undeniable, even to the simplest detail. Even at the beginning of her class on War of the Worlds, she couldn’t resist quickly explaining grammatical necessities to her students—such as the period going inside the quotation mark—to help polish their writing. But her focus clearly broadens to the intellectual tradition Rotella mentions and to larger ideas of journalism. This broadening mirrors her path from The Village Voice and professional journalism to academia.

After working at The Nation Institute, Ms. magazine, and the Surdna Foundation, she changed her course in 2002 and attended Princeton University, where she earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in English.

Her decision to pursue an academic career came during a time of major upheaval in print journalism. In April 1996, The Village Voice became free and shifted focus toward its online version.

“I saw journalism change, and the kind of journalism I like to do—like longform journalism and literary journalism—it was more difficult to do in that particular atmosphere and context,” she said. “As I read some of my favorite writers, who were still doing the kind of writing that I liked to do—they were all professors.”

In 2007, after finishing her Ph.D., she took a job as an assistant professor at Southern Methodist University. As an academic, she published two books, and

is currently working on another about black southerners who remained in the South and established southern communities during the Great Migration.

This book is another reason she stood out to BC professors.

“It’s a fascinating combination of scholarly and journalistic work,” Rotella said.

Now—as she brings her two careers together at BC—she is faced with a year full of change and hard work. The proposals she and Rotella have put together for the journalism minor have to go through committees and approval processes, she has to plan out her classes and design ones for the future, and she has to confront one nearly-insurmountable challenge that has plagued her since moving from Texas.

“I thought Dallas drivers were the worst drivers—the wild, wild west,” she said. “Not so.”

After adapting to the insane realities of Boston, Ards has the chance to shape the way journalism is taught at BC—from understanding its broad intellectual history to learning the best way to write a decent kicker. To understand the broader mission of this attempt to teach journalism, it might be worth looking to the 19th-century woman who inspired the opening of Ards’ first feature—Anna Julia Cooper: “If it does not turn out better, nobler, truer, men and women—if it does not add to the world’s stock of valuable souls—if it does not give us a sounder, healthier, more reliable product from this great factory of men—I will have none of it.” n

By Going Through Pain and Loss, Grutman Bakes With Love Galit’s, from A1 it was so wrong that her sons wouldn’t eat it. Knowing that she could do infinitely better within the confines of her own kitchen, Grutman began baking every Friday, a big loaf of challah and a batch of rugelach. With these homemade delicacies on the table, the family would welcome the Shabbat each week—also called the Sabbath or the seventh day of rest in Judaism—a tradition that continued as Grutman’s family grew to include two daughters.

But on Feb. 6, 2014, Grutman’s eldest son, Roee, committed suicide at age 17, a tragedy that shocked the Grutman family and the surrounding community. Devastated, Grutman completely stopped baking, and the family essentially dined out or was aided by friends for the next year. The kitchen had just become filled with too many painful memories for Grutman to handle.

“It was the memories of [Roee] coming to my kitchen, opening everything to see what’s for dinner today, finishing everything before dinner, it was just—it was too much,” Grutman said.

But as time passed, Grutman’s pain changed shape, and when her two daughters begged her to bake something

while on winter vacation in 2015, she agreed.

So Grutman, slightly out of practice with regard to measurements, began mixing and kneading dough for “a thousand people,” finding herself with so much extra challah and rugelach that she distributed it amongst her friends, leaving presents of baked goods on their porches with the message “Shabbat Shalom” (a Hebrew greeting) attached.

The response from her friends was immediate, texts and calls praising her baking flooding her inbox and telling her how much the gift was loved.

Within the week, Grutman had decided that she would turn her obvious talent into an online business, and began the process of completing the necessary paperwork. A few permits, tests, and tax accounts later, all that was left to do was choose a name, and for that, Grutman knew exactly the direction to take. Galit’s Treats With Love—a double meaning given that Grutman’s pastries are baked with love, and that she hopes to treat

those around her with love as well.

Through her online store, Grutman continued baking and selling the authentic Israeli confections that Roee had loved, and that she had served her family for so long, and relished the opportunity to share them with the community around her. Galit’s Treats With Love grew in popularity, as the orders snow-

restaurant supply companies, Grutman worked to find pieces that might appear in her own home in order to give the bakery the homey feeling that she hoped to achieve. In the cozy seating area in the front of the story, rustic tables are grouped in front of huge windows that allow light to fill the space.

Personal touches are scattered throughout the space, such as her grandmother’s cuckoo clock which ticks comfortingly in the background But the mo st personal area of the bakery might be the front left corner, Roee’s corner. The beautiful seating area, which Grutman set off with blue velvet chairs, acts as a subtle reminder of Roee’s presence. His trophies and medals decorate the windowsill, and a Paris-themed trunk—a city that he always had wanted to visit—is filled with his favorite childhood games.

For Grutman, Roee not only acts as the inspiration behind her business, he was inarguably there throughout the entire opening process, making his presence known in ways that undeniable. ““He’s such a big part here, you have no idea, you have really no idea,” Grutman said, “Things that I can tell you, he was trying to communicate with us and let us know that he’s here with us.”

Take the first batch of stickers sent to the store bearing the Galit’s logo. Each pack of stickers came in a cardboard envelope, which was sealed with a sticker bearing a unique serial number, and the date of production. The stickers sent to Grutman bore the serial RG26—Roee’s initials and the date of his death. What’s more is that the stickers were printed on Aug. 17, a date that corresponds with Roee’s age when he died.

Roee’s presence is undeniable not only in the physical space of the res-

“He’s such a big part here, you have no idea, you have really no idea.”

madeleine d’angelo / heights editor

The bakery is located on the same strip as Johnny’s Luncheonette and J.P. Licks.

- Grutman on her son’s inspiration for her bakery balled, first just from friends, then from friends of friends, and even complete strangers. Grutman also began selling out of farmer’s markets in the area, putting faces to some of her customers.

But as the notifications of each order grew and grew with each month, Grutman knew that she couldn’t run the business alone anymore. Galit’s Treats With Love had outgrown online business model, which demanded that Grutman bake solely in her own kitchen only aided by her relatives. She began searching for real estate in the area, exploring West Roxbury, Needham, and West Newton as options before her relator pointed her to the vacant storefront in Newton Centre.

The realtors understood Grutman’s needs not only as a business owners, but also as a mother. With two teenage daughters and a toddler at home, she wasn’t just a baker, she was a mother, and this Newton Centre location permitted her to work a mere five minutes away from her family.

So Grutman began the process of renovating the space, turning to friends for help with design and construction.

Instead of sourcing furniture from mega

taurant, but also in the food that he inspired his mother to share with the Newton community. From her challah loaves and Nutella-filled rugelach, to her flakey bourekas and silky mousses and cheesecakes, each item is made with a particular kind of care. Unlike many that you could find in stores, the rugelach are subtle, not cloying sweet, and the dough has a delightful springiness. The bourekas, which come stuffed with either cheese and herbs or potatoes that Grutman bakes and mashes herself, are delicately flaky confections of a refreshingly savory nature. For those on the hungrier side, Grutman has also created an all-day breakfast boureka filled with eggplant, cheese, hardboiled egg, and tahini.

And Grutman’s pastries and breads are not the only things that are attracting a larger crowd with each day—the coffee has already been called the best in the area by some customers. Grutman offers Turkish coffee in addition to a Israeli iced coffee—a magical slushy-like melted coffee ice cream type creation that is unlike anything that most Americans have ever tried.

And honestly, so are the pastries.

As Grutman explained, everything sold within Galit’s Treats With Love exhibits the “gentle” quality of Israeli baking, something “light” that won’t leave you dying of fullness like many American sweets. It’s an attractive quality, and one that has enchanted more and more customers with each week that the bakery has been open.

Just two weeks ago, Grutman had to close shop early after her shelves were completely picked clean, and the demand only rose with the high number of Rosh Hashanah orders.

But Grutman will take the challenges as they come, and in the meantime, enjoy the sight of her family adjusting to their second home. Her children sitting in Roee’s corner after school and doing homework while they nibble on pastries that taste like love. n

SPORTS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2017

B1

@HEIGHTSSPORTS

FOOTBALL

BOSTON COLLEGE |

7 CLEMSON | 34

RICHARD SHIRO / AP PHOTO

For three quarters, BC’s defense made the reigning National Champions look mortal. Then, Kelly Bryant and the No. 2 Tigers exploded for rushing touchdowns on four consecutive drives.

BY ANDY BACKSTROM Asst. Sports Editor Last week, Boston College football hung around with Notre Dame for two and a half quarters. Then, all hell broke loose. In the final 20 minutes of play, the Irish rattled off five rushing touchdowns—each of which increasingly overshadowed the Eagles’ commendable first-half performance. On Saturday, BC stayed in the game a little bit longer than it did the week before. This time, the Eagles played defending national champion Clemson close up until the fourth quarter.

But, once again, everything started to unravel for head coach Steve Addazio’s team.

Over the course of about 12 minutes, Clemson poured on four touchdowns—all on the ground—turning a 7-7 tie into a 27-point blowout. At one point, this game had a chance to go

down as one of BC’s biggest upsets in program history. But after the final frame, it’ll be remembered as nothing more than another punishing loss to a top-tier opponent.

For a while, this one was a chess match. Both teams battled for field possession for much of the opening quarter. And it’s safe to say that BC (1-3, 0-2 Atlantic Coast) came out on top. Mike Knoll pinned the No. 2 Tigers (4-0, 2-0) inside of their 10-yard line on two of his first three punts.

Backed up in their own territory, Clemson struggled to move the ball downfield on its two drives of the afternoon. With the exception of a few pass plays here and there, quarterback Kelly Bryant and the Tigers offense looked lost. To make matters worse for head coach Dabo Swinney, Clemson turned the ball over on its ensuing

See BC vs. Clemson, B3

BY RILEY OVEREND Sports Editor For three quarters, Boston College football seemed determined to take down the reigning National Champions on the road. But with the game tied at 7-7 in the fourth, Clemson came alive and carved up the Eagles with the same tool Notre Dame used last week: chunk runs.

The Tigers gained 342 yards on the ground in their 34-7 win over BC on Saturday, icing another game where head coach Steve Addazio’s crew showed promise yet could not sustain it.

“You can see the potential of this football team right now,” Addazio said after the game.

“My worry is just the sheer number of players.”

A team that had entered Death Valley with a limp emerged even more hampered by injury.

On Saturday, the Eagles lost linebacker Max Richardson and left tackle Aaron Monteiro, two brutal hits to their two thinnest position groups. They were already without receiver Charlie Callinan and linebacker Connor Strachan for indefinite lengths of time, as well as offensive linemen Elijah Johnson and Jon Baker. And to make matters worse, Addazio also pulled Anthony Brown for the last couple drives of the game due because of “issues” that he suggested didn’t have to do with his on-field performance.

It’ll likely be a chaotic week of practice as BC attempts to regroup. Luckily, a home matchup with Central Michigan awaits next weekend.

Still, the Eagles have plenty to analyze and improve on from their hard-fought loss to the

See Notebook, B3

Eagles’ Up-Tempo Offense Is Useless Without the Big Play ANDY BACKSTROM When someone says “up-tempo offense,” I think of teams like Oregon, Baylor, and Texas A&M—the programs that revolutionized college football. Guys like Chip Kelly and Art Briles served as the poster boys for a new kind of offense, a new brand of football.

Out went the huddle and in came photo boards. Coaching staffs did whatever they could to speed up play calling.

From 2008 to 2012, the average number of plays per game jumped from 67.6 to 71.5. The name of the game was not only scoring, but scoring fast.

In 2012, Oregon, Baylor, and Texas A&M, cracked the top 15 in plays per game. Each was running upwards of 82 plays per contest. More snaps meant more points. By the end of the season, they featured three of the nation’s five highest-scoring offenses.

Over the years, the change of pace has paid dividends, at least for these schools.

Oregon booked a trip to its first BCS title game, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III won the Heisman Trophy, and Texas A&M finally crawled back into the

INSIDE SPORTS

national championship discussion.

So when Boston College head coach Steve Addazio announced that the Eagles would be rolling out a high-octane offense of their own in 2017, it was only natural to think that they’d improve on the offensive side of the ball. Besides, BC entered the season with a four-star backfield and its best receivers in the past five years.

Addazio prides himself with calling an average of 82.2 plays per game—14.4 more than BC ran last season and the the 14th most in the country. And the Eagles are throwing the ball more than they ever have. But when push comes to shove, the offense hasn’t changed one bit.

So far, BC is averaging a mere 15 points per game—2.2 less than the team posted during its infamous 2015 season, and 5.4 less than it averaged last year.

Yes, the Eagles are gaining more yards per contest than they did the year before, but that was to be expected. When you’re running more plays, you’re probably going to rack up more yards. But as we’ve learned, total offense is hardly indicative of a team’s performance.

For the first time this season, BC recorded 400 yards of offense against Notre Dame. All day, the Eagles moved the ball methodically downfield. But, like their first two games of the season, BC hit a wall once they crossed midfield. Despite picking up 22 first downs, quarterback Anthony Brown and Co. couldn’t finish

drives. If you look at the stat sheet, it’s not that hard to figure out why the offense stalled.

BC ran 85 plays against the Irish.

But each one averaged only 4.7 yards.

As a team, the Eagles hovered around a season-high 4.2 yards per carry. That wasn’t the problem. Brown’s 5.1 yards per pass attempt was. The redshirt freshman tossed 41 passes for just 215 yards. A handful of his throws were out to the flat or within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. When all was said and done, most of Brown’s passes were nothing more than glorified runs. All Notre Dame needed was crowd the box. Odds were that the ball wasn’t going more than five yards.

Because of this dink and dunk playcalling, BC typically needed all three downs to move the chains. But converting on every third down is just outright ridiculous. Not even Alabama and Clemson can. It’s impossible. The Eagles reached third down 17 times against the Irish, and had to punt on eight separate occasions.

This has been happening all season.

After three games, BC is averaging just 3.9 yards per play, the ninth-lowest mark in all of college football. But hold on, it gets worse. The Eagles are also 115th in the nation in points per play and 119th in yards per point. Neither the ground game or the passing attack can hit the big play. In fact, BC has picked up 30 or more yards on just three plays all year. To put

that in perspective, in Week Three alone, the Irish ran six rushing plays of over 30 yards.

Even worse, the Eagles are averaging under three 20-yard plays per game. As a result, the offense is left with a bunch of screens and power runs—the epitome of Addazio’s offenses in year’s past.

BC has been faced with 18.5 third downs per game, the fifth-most in the country. And the Eagles are only converting 31.1 percent of the time, ranking them 104th in the nation in that department.

Only one punter has booted more kicks than Mike Knoll this year. That in itself is telling. BC’s rattling off more plays and gaining more yards than previous years, but until it can move the sticks on first and second down, scoring will continue to be an ordeal.

Addazio needs to risk it for the biscuit.

Everyone in Alumni Stadium shouldn’t know what play is going to be called on first down. Instead, maybe use Brown’s arm and go 15-20 yards downfield on first. Then turn to run game on second.

Anything to keep teams guessing. Because right now, BC’s offense is predictable—the antithesis of an up-tempo offense. The whole purpose of running more plays is to keep the opponent’s defense on edge. But if defenses already know that the Eagles are going to run the ball up the gut on first down or throw it to a wheeling running back three yards past the line of scrim-

FIELD HOCKEY: BC Edges Pacific in 2OT WOMEN’S HOCKEY: Eagles Win Exhibition

Brooke Matherson netted the game-winning goal in Kenzie Kent and Erin Connolly both netted two goals in double overtime against the Tigers.................................... B2 BC’s 6-0 win over Laurentian on Friday............................. B2

mage, then what’s the point?

During last Monday’s press conference, the fifth-year coach conceded that his team needs to put more points on the board, but he applauded the offense on achieving what it set out to do this offseason.

“The goal in the year was to come out and establish more balance,” Addazio said. “The goal in the year was to improve our throw game. Those were goals of the season, and I said that. And we have done that.”

I would have thought the objective was to break out of the ACC’s cellar and make it back to a bowl, but hey that’s another story. Nevertheless, Addazio isn’t wrong here. The offense is certainly more balanced. But that doesn’t mean it’s more efficient.

Brown is throwing the ball 39 times per game—the 24th most pass attempts in the nation and 16 more than Patrick Towles averaged in 2016. What is extraordinary, however, is the fact that he is averaging just 4.6 yards per attempt, sixth-lowest among FBS quarterbacks and lowest in the Power Five.

It’s not like Brown doesn’t have an arm.

The Cliffwood, N.J. native has showcased the ability to rocket the ball down field.

Unfortunately, his receivers haven’t always helped him out. Drops have limited

See Up-Tempo, B3

SPORTS IN SHORT................................ B2 WOMEN’S SOCCER................................. B2

The Heights

B2

Monday, September 25, 2017

WOMEN’S SOCCER

In Second Half, Vaughn Nets Game-Winner to Upset Wake Forest

By Erin Walsh For The Heights Wake Forest women’s soccer opened the season by shutting out seven of its first 10 opponents. Having only given up five goals all season, the Wake Forest 0 Demon Deacons Boston College 1 entered Sunday with the No. 15 scoring defense in the country. Someone should’ve told Olivia Vaughn. The Boston College forward netted the game-winning goal in the 74th minute to push the Eagles over their ACC foes. BC’s 1-0 victory is the team’s eighth of the year—already just three short of last season’s total.

BC (8-4, 2-1 Atlantic Coast) came out of the gate with a defensive gameplan, fighting to hold off No. 18 Wake Forest’s (8-2-1, 2-10) constant attacks up the right flank. In the 17th minute, a deflection off a Demon Deacon corner kick resulted in a BC handball.

Wake Forest was awarded a penalty kick,

and midfielder Maddie Huster stepped up to take the shot. But BC goalkeeper Alexis Bryant pulled off an impressive save, diving to her right to deny the Demon Deacons of a goal.

Midway through the half, the Eagles began to find their footing. After relying on brief counter-attacks for the first 20 minutes, BC started creating offense. Jenna Bike led the way with three shots. Lauren Berman and Jillian Jennings also added two shots on goal, and Sam Coffey nearly broke the scoreless tie with a crossbar-hitting rocket.

In addition to outshooting Wake 9-4, the Eagles were just as dominant on the defensive end, preventing the Demon Deacons from recording a single shot in the final 23 minutes of the first half. Left back Elysa Virella made tackle after tackle, effectively shutting down many of the Demon Deacons’ runs. Despite ample goal-scoring opportunities in the first 45 minutes of play, both teams went into the half tied at zero.

It appeared as if intermission drained the

energy from both competitors, as evidenced by a very slow opening five minutes. Both teams struggled to maintain possession, resulting in a back-and-forth affair.

Wake gave the Eagles a scare in the 50th minute, when Claudia Day snuck past an otherwise impenetrable BC backline for a breakaway, but failed to put the ball in the back of the net.

For the next 20 minutes, the Eagles responded with a fierce offensive showing. In the 71st minute, a scramble in the Demon Deacons’ defensive third put Bike in position to score. The sophomore ripped a strong shot off of the legs of Wake goalie Lindsay Preston. Bike collected the rebound, and whipped up a second shot, but once again, she was unable to get the best of Preston.

BC’s offensive endeavors finally paid off, when Jennings played a perfect through ball, splitting Deacs’ backline, for Vaughn on the left flank. After cutting inside with the ball, Vaughn sent an equally powerful,

yet controlled, shot to the lower left corner of the net. The ball slid past Preston for Vaughn’s fifth goal of the season—tied for most on the team—and the Eagles’ first and only of the day.

BC didn’t take its lead for granted, as it continued to press offensively for the next 10 minutes, even drawing a yellow card from Demon Deacon defender Ally Haran in the 81st minute for a hard tackle.

With five minutes to go, Wake Forest pushed the ball into Eagles territory. BC shifted its defensive strategy, dropping the entire team behind the ball to protect the lead. With three free kicks in BC’s defensive half, the Demon Deacons had several chances to equalize. But Sofia Rossi, Vicky Krug, and Huster all failed to convert.

Tensions heightened in the last two minutes of the match, with Wake Forest taking a fourth free kick from near midfield.

With their entire team pushed forward, Preston took the kick, sending a ball inside of the 18. After the ball bobbled around and

even escaped Bryant’s hands, Virella headed the ball off the goal line, leading to a safe clear and final whistle from the referee.

At the end of the day, the Eagles simply created more goal-scoring opportunities (with 16 shots as opposed to Wake Forest’s 10) than the Demon Deacons. While BC focused on defensive structure in the beginning of the match, its offense shined when it mattered the most.

After the game, head coach Alison Foley commented on her offensive philosophy.

“We were trying, I think for the first 20 minutes or so, to lock that up centrally in the midfield,” Foley said. “And I think once we had that that allowed us to have a lot more of the ball, and then consequently we started possessing the ball and having more opportunities going forward.”

The Eagles may have dropped a few non-conference matches at the start of the season, but they’re hitting their stride at the right time. For the first time in two years, BC has a winning record in the ACC. n

FIELD HOCKEY

After Trading Goals With Pacific, Eagles Prevail in Double Overtime

By Bradley Smart For The Heights Despite outshooting Pacific by almost 30 shots, it took 86 minutes for No. 8 Boston College field hockey to close up a trip to Virginia Boston College 5 with a win.

Pacific 4 Eagles senior Brooke Matherson scored three minutes into the second overtime period, putting away a second-chance attempt to secure a 5-4 double overtime win.

Matherson’s third goal ended a backand-forth neutral site game against the Tigers (4-6) that saw five lead changes and plenty of drama.

The Eagles (7-3), which have alternated wins and losses since starting the year 4-0, took an early lead. Just four

minutes in, Lucy Lytle tallied her third goal of the season, coming via an assist from Jaime Natale. Natale, a freshman from Pennsylvania, leads the team with nine points through 10 games.

BC’s defense, which held a potent Virginia attack to three goals on Friday—less than half of the Cavaliers’ average scoring output—broke down just four minutes later. The one-goal lead was quickly flipped, as Pacific’s Gabriella Fondario and Krieke van Wyk scored back-toback, just 19 seconds apart.

Fondario scored off of a pass from Steffen Axle, who slotted it in from the outside circle. Van Wyk followed off of a quick restart, scoring a second-chance opportunity. Other than that, Pacific didn’t test BC goaltender Sarah Dwyer early as she recorded just three first-half

saves.

The Eagles rallied before halftime, pulling even at two apiece behind Carly Kauffman’s first goal of the season. They kept continuous pressure on the Tigers, firing off 11 shots in the opening half.

Kauffman scored a second-chance goal, capitalizing on the steady stream of shots on Pacific keeper Marlise Van Tonder.

From there the teams traded scores.

Pacific’s van Wyk scored her second goal just under four minutes into the second half, finishing off of a penalty corner and an assist from Ash Rutherford.

The Eagles had an answer 11 minutes later as freshman Fusine Govaert put away her third goal of the season, following up on a rebound.

The draw didn’t last long, with the Tigers’ Alicia Muinos putting her team

up 4-3 just over a minute later. Muinos scored her first of the season with a fast break down the right side, burying a hard shot. Pacific couldn’t hold off the Eagles down the stretch, however, as constant pressure on the net resulted in an equalizer.

Eight minutes after Muinos’ goal, the Eagles found the back of the net following a corner and the ensuing scrum. Ymke Rose Gote scored off of an assist from Frederique Haverhals, who had a goal called off earlier in the game.

Boston College had several chances to score, both in regulation and the opening overtime period.

Van Tonder turned in an impressive effort, piling up 20 saves to just four for the Eagles Dwyer. Van Tonder faced three shots in the opening three minutes of the

second overtime, eventually conceding the game-winner to Matherson.

The Tigers’ sub-.500 record entering Sunday holds up better on paper. Four of Pacific’s five losses came against ranked foes, including No. 1 Connecticut, No. 6 Syracuse and No. 12 Stanford. With the Eagles being the second of three ranked foes in a row, the Tigers showed their ability to hang tough with top talent.

They’d just knocked off 18th-ranked William & Mary on Friday, and dropped a 1-0 nailbiter to Stanford the week prior.

BC faces a tough test on Friday. No. 2 Duke has just one loss on the season, coming to a common foe in Virginia.

But there’s no doubt that the Eagles, still winless in ACC play despite their nonconference domination, will be hungry for a conference victory. n

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Connolly, Kent Lead BC Past Laurentian in Preseason Scrimmage

By Riley Overend Sports Editor After a shaky first period, Boston College women’s hockey cruised to a 6-0 win in its opening exhibition game against Laurentian 0 Canada’s LauBoston College 6 rentian University on Friday afternoon.

The first 20 minutes featured no goals from either side, though the No. 4 Eagles did outshoot the Voyageurs, 13-

2. Katie Burt was lights out in between the pipes, as per custom, before ceding goaltending duties to Gabri Switaj and Molly Barrow in the second and third periods, respectively. But sloppy passing and struggles finishing on the offensive end left a bad taste in BC’s mouths heading into the locker room.

The Eagles’ luck changed right off the bat in the second period. Less than a minute after puck drop, Serena Sommerfield faked a shot and instead found Kenzie Kent open near the net for the

easy finish. With less than two minutes remaining in the frame, freshman Daryl Watts gave BC a two-goal cushion with a goal off assists from Caitrin Lonergan and Toni Ann Miano.

The scrimmage got out of hand in the third period, with the Eagles piling on four more goals to complete the shutout victory.

Erin Connolly netted a pair of goals, Kent tallied her second of the afternoon, and Lonergan added a strike to round out the scoring.

“Obviously we haven’t played a game and we’ve only have had four real practices,” head coach Katie Crowley said. “I think after working with the team and seeing what they did today, we have a few more things to work on. But overall, I thought they did a good job.”

A bright spot for BC was the freshman class, which got their first taste of action, albeit without high stakes.

Cayla Barnes looked like a beast on defense while chipping in two assists

on the other end to complement Watts’ promising performance.

But for the Eagles, there’s work to be done.

They didn’t convert on several power-play chances that should have been exploited, and the puck movement could have been much crisper.

But it’s still early.

Crowley, the ultimate molder of women, knows how to address her team’s needs to prepare for another championship run. n

Amelie Trieu / Heights editor

Both senior Kenzie Kent and sophomore Erin Connolly notched a pair of goals in the Eagles’ 6-0 exhibition victory on Sunday. As a team, BC outshot Laurentian 44-8 and scored all six of its goals in the final two periods of play.

SPORTS in SHORT ACc WoMen’s Soccer Conference 3-0 Duke 3-0 North Carolina 2-1 Wake Forest 2-1 Boston College 2-1 Notre Dame 1-1-1 NC State 1-1 Florida State 1-1-1 Virginia 1-2 Louisville 0-1-1 Virginia Tech 0-1-1 Syracuse 0-2-1 Clemson 0-2-1 Pittsburgh 0-2 Miami

Numbers to know overall 10-1 7-2 8-2-1 8-4 6-3-2 8-2-1 6-2 6-3-2 6-4 6-3-2 4-3-2 6-3-1 3-5-3 4-4

8

Total number of goals men’s soccer has allowed in its first three ACC contests.

5

Number of shutouts women’s soccer’s Alexis Bryant has recorded this season, one shy of last season’s mark.

27

Number of points that football conceded in the final quarter of Saturday’s loss to Clemson.

QUote of the week

“We wanted to drag this team into the fourth quarter.

We dragged them into the fourth quarter.”

— Steve Addazio,

on his team’s performance against No. 2 Clemson

The Heights

Monday, September 25, 2017

B3

FOOTBALL

Clemson Explodes for Four Touchdowns in Fourth Quarter BC vs. Clemson, from B1 series. Shortly after Bryant dropped back to pass, Harold Landry broke through the Tigers’ offensive line. With Landry in his face, Bryant threw up a duck. Isaac Yiadom fielded the ball—his second career interception—and took it to Clemson’s 28-yard line.

But BC failed to capitalize. In fact, it almost gave the ball right back. Following a pair of short A.J. Dillon runs, quarterback Anthony Brown rolled to his left and threw across his body. The ball was inches away from being picked off. So, the Eagles settled for the field goal. Or so they thought. Colton Lichtenberg, who was a perfect 6-for-6 to start the season, hit the right post on a pivotal 43-yarder.

At the end of the first quarter, the game was still scoreless. To put that in perspective, by this time in last year’s game, Clemson was already up three scores.

But BC wouldn’t keep the Tigers off the board for much longer. Starting on their six-yard line, Clemson began to march the ball downfield, just two minutes into second period. Bryant and running back Tavien Feaster got the chains moving, but the Eagles almost stopped Clemson in its tracks. After converting on third down for the first time all game, Bryant scrambled up the middle. BC cornerback Lukas Denis came out of nowhere to punch the ball out.

Fortunately for the Tigers, offensive lineman Taylor Hearn scooped up the loose ball and ran for the first down.

There were no more hiccups after that.

Bryant and his running backs, Travis Etienne and Feaster, took turns running the ball, gaining chunks of yardage at a time.

Bryant capped off the 94-yard drive with an easy quarterback draw, touchdown run.

For the fourth-straight game, Brown was

tasked with running the two-minute drill before halftime. Only this time, the stakes were higher than ever. On back-to-back plays, Brown hooked up with Jeff Smith for a total of 20 yards. But after that, BC just moved backwards—in large part because of its head coach. Before Brown could get the snap off on third down near midfield, a yapping Addazio was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The 3rd-and-10 became a 3rd-and-25, which forced Brown to throw the ball deep. He did just that, but his pass was intercepted by Trayvon Mullen.

After turning Clemson over on downs just short of the 50-yard line, BC got one more shot on offense before intermission.

As the clock wound down, Brown heaved a “Hail Mary” to the end zone. But the ball was 20 yards short and out of bounds.

While the Tigers’ offense was floundering, its defense was pitching a shutout.

Things didn’t get any easier for Bryant on Clemson’s first drive of the second half.

The junior misfired on a pass to Hunter Renfrow, who accidentally batted the ball up in the air. Denis feasted on the tipped ball, recording his third interception of the year.

But, for the second time in the game, BC failed to score off a turnover. The Eagles wouldn’t find the end zone until their next drive. Michael Walker returned a Tigers punt straight up the middle for 27 yards to the Clemson 37 yard-line. To keep the drive alive, Brown connected with running back Jonathan Hilliman on a wheel route on a crucial 4th-and-2. Soon after that, Dillon rumbled all the way down to the one-yard line. On the next play, the true freshman shot up the gut for his first collegiate touchdown.

Three quarters in, and the game was tied at seven. BC is the first team since a 2014 Georgia squad to hold Clemson to

Richard Shiro / AP Photo

Kelly Bryant (2) and the Tigers’ run game was unstoppable in the fourth quarter, when they rushed for four touchdowns. seven or less points through the first three frames. Defensive coordinator Jim Reid’s unit was playing like the Eagles’ top-ranked defense back in 2015. But as soon as the fourth quarter hit, it reverted back to its 2017 self.

Minutes into the final portion of play, the Tigers began to separate themselves from BC. Bryant converted on a critical 3rd-and-9 in Eagles territory, finding Diondre Overton for a toe-tapping 23yard gain. Immediately after that, Adam Choice rushed for Clemson’s second total touchdown, and its first of four in the fourth quarter.

From that point forward, Clemson simply ran the ball down BC’s throat.

Following a series of short run plays on

the Tigers’ next drive, Etienne ripped off a 50-yard touchdown. The big plays just kept on coming for Clemson. Ray Ray McCloud returned Knoll’s eighth punt of the game for 56 yards, setting up the Tigers for another score. They only needed five plays. Bryant rushed for his second touchdown of the day, and even though Clemson missed the extra point, the Tigers were now up 27-7.

BC was helpless offensively. Without Charlie Callinan, who was ruled out with a broken foot before the game, and left tackle Aaron Monteiro, who went down early in the fourth quarter, the Eagles were already at a disadvantage. When all was said and done, the Eagles only recorded one first down in the final 15 minutes of play.

For the third game in a row, Addazio pulled Brown—this time, for an undisclosed injury. Darius Wade didn’t fare any better. The graduate student’s second and final pass of the game was picked off by A.J. Terrell. Taking advantage of the turnover, Swinney called four-straight running plays for Etienne. The freshman single-handedly carried the Tigers into the end zone.

Down 34-7, Addazio opted to run the clock out.

Saturday’s loss marks the sixth time in the last two seasons that BC has lost by 27 or more points to an ACC opponent.

The Eagles might have held their own for three quarters, but there are no brownie points in this conference. Only wins and losses. n

Chunk Runs, Mental Errors Plague Eagles in Death Valley Notebook, from B1 nation’s No. 2 team.

Duality Once again, BC went up against a dualthreat quarterback and suffered a similar fate. Jim Reid’s defense limited Clemson to 140 passing yards, but junior signal caller Kelly Bryant burned the Eagles when it mattered most, usually using his legs. Bryant kept the ball 22 times, gaining 117 yards and finding the end zone twice.

First it was Northern Illinois’ Ryan Graham who gained 99 rushing yards in the season opener. Then it was John Wolford, the veteran Wake quarterback, who rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown before Notre Dame’s Brandon Wimbush

broke rushing records the following week in the Holy War. Yet, despite witnessing the successes of opposing quarterbacks on the ground, BC hasn’t tried to emulate its enemies. Brown, an athletic freshman with clear running potential, boasts a career-long rush of just nine yards. Each week, his rushing totals have decreased, from 10 yards to seven to the negatives against the Irish and Tigers, and his attempts have also taken a hit. Meanwhile, the aerial attack hasn’t always been stellar. Brown finished 14-for-30 with 133 yards—a stat line that, while not impressive, could have been masked by solid rushing totals like Wimbush & Co. did themselves against the Eagles.

Whether for the sake of health or sim-

plicity, it appears the coaching staff wants to make Brown a pocket passer this season.

But a quick look at his high school highlight tape shows that he has a chance to be much more than that.

Mental Mistakes On an afternoon where points were at a premium, BC saw two key drives killed by bonehead errors. The second drive of the game featured a 37-yard catch-and-run from Brown to tight end Tommy Sweeney.

A.J. Dillon immediately answered the big gain with a strong five-yard run, and the Eagles were marching. Until, that is, a botched snap created a third-and-long, the drive stalled, and BC’s momentum vanished as Knoll kicked one of his nine punts against the Tigers.

Then, with the Eagles driving again before the half in a two-minute drill, another mental mistake spoiled their chances of tying the game. Jeff Smith caught a pair of passes for first downs, but two incomplete passes around midfield brought up a crucial third down.

Addazio took a timeout to talk things over with his offense, but moments later, he’s seen running out onto the field in a fit of anger directed toward the officials. It’s unclear what exactly was being disputed, but nonetheless, the referee slapped Addazio with a 15-yard penalty that turned a difficult 3rd-and-10 into an impossible 3rd-and-25.

Dependable Dillon Against a vicious Clemson front seven, A.J. Dillon again proved he can be the reli-

able back of the future for the Eagles. Dillon led the backfield with 18 rushes for 57 yards and his first career touchdown. His 3.4 yards per carry average doesn’t jump off the page, but it’s the way the freshman back ran the ball that stands out.

Dillon didn’t back down against a notoriously hard-hitting Tiger run defense, one that contained the uncontainable Lamar Jackson last week. The 6-foot, 245-pound athlete kept his legs churning and shed tacklers, even when the running lanes were few and far between. On his touchdown run, he pushed the pile forward and fought his way into the end zone, carrying defenders with him. It’s hard to ask for more from a true freshman against the defending national champions. n

5

punts from Clemson’s territory

-7

rushing yards for Anthony Brown

164

Clemson rushing yards in Q4 Richard Shiro / AP Photo

A.J. Dillon (2) carries the ball during Saturday’s 34-7 loss at Clemson. He led BC with 18 touches and 57 rushing yards.

Addazio’s Eagles Play Fast, but They Need to Be Explosive Up-Tempo, from B1 BC’s big-play ability and have created unnecessary turnovers, especially against Wake Forest.

For whatever reason, whether it be the interceptions or the lopsided point differential, Addazio has been extremely cautious with his redshirt freshman signal caller. In each of the past three games, Addazio has pulled Brown before the game’s end. Potentially even more concerning is the way Addazio has changed his play calling in the two-minute drill.

The turning point of the Eagles’ Week One victory over Northern Illinois oc-

curred right before intermission. Instead of letting the Wolfpack run the clock out, up 10-6, Addazio called all of his timeouts, successively, following threestraight NIU rushing attempts. The Wolfpack punted, and Brown drove BC 50 yards downfield for a touchdown in just a minute and four seconds.

A week later, the redshirt freshman was put in the same position. Down a touchdown to Wake Forest with a bit more than two minutes remaining in the first half, Brown was tasked with leading the offense into Demon Deacon territory.

But on his first pass attempt of the drive, he threw a pick-six.

So when the Eagles had the ball near

midfield with two timeouts and 18 seconds left in the first half of last Saturday’s game against Notre Dame, Addazio neglected to give Brown a shot. Instead, he ran the ball into the tackles, and took the locker room.

After the game, he told the media that he didn’t want to compromise his young quarterback’s confidence. “[I’m] responsible for the psyche of that quarterback right now, and at that point—everything is risk-reward,” Addazio said.

If anything, letting Brown air one out would help his psyche. Interception or not, it would have shown the kid that his coaching staff has faith in him.

To be fair, Addazio was a bit more aggressive inside of two minutes against Clemson on Saturday. This time he double backed on last week’s decision and called for a Hail Mary with a few seconds remaining in the half. But later in the game, Addazio elected to punt the ball down two scores with less than six minutes remaining.

Addazio needs to believe in Brown.

He needs to believe in his offense. For the first time in years, BC has legitimate weapons: two four-star running backs, explosive slot receivers, big targets on the outside, and a pair of pass-catching tight ends. On paper, this unit should be scoring at least 25 points per game.

But they’ll never get there if Addazio is conservative.

Moving to the up-tempo offense was one of the best decisions Addazio has made at BC. If executed correctly, it is thrilling and potent. There’s a reason why Oregon is a fan favorite. Yeah, the uniforms help, but people are really drawn to the way Ducks play: fast and explosive.

The Eagles have the fast thing down, but until they’re explosive, people won’t even know that they’re running an up-tempo offense.

Andy Backstrom is the asst. sports editor for The Heights. He can be reached on Twitter @AndyHeights.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2017

Gyllenhaal Gives Compelling Performance in ‘Stronger’

BY BOONE WILDE For The Heights

Stronger tells the true story of Jeff Bauman (Jake Gyllenhaal), a Boston-area native who lost both of his legs in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. The film is based on Bauman’s memoir of the same name and is the second feature-length film thus far to come out of 2013’s tragedy, the first being the Mark Wahlberg-Peter Berg collaboration Patriots Day. Despite having the same subject matter, there are few similarities between Stronger and Patriots Day. Stronger takes a much more muted approach to its depiction of the tragedy. It adapts the perspective of Bostonians who sat in confusion and horror as the events unfolded on the news. When a bedridden

Bauman hears the cheers of his family and friends in the next room after the news that the second bomber has been caught, his painful journey has only just begun.

In the opening scenes of the film, Bauman is depicted as a good-natured Costco deli worker who goes to watch the Red Sox at a local watering hole with his lucky “beeah.” At the bar his intoxicated mother (Miranda Richardson) half jokingly tells Bauman to “go f—k himself.” The film wastes no time in establishing that it takes place in the Boston area. Or, at least Boston according to Hollywood. It’s a shame that director David Gordon Green chooses to pile onto the Beantown stereotypes so early on. During the obligatory Boston bar scene, Bauman learns that his on-again, off-again girlfriend Erin Hurley (Tatiana Maslany)

FILM

STRONGER DAVID GORDON GREEN DISTRIBUTED BY LIONSGATE FILMS RELEASE SEPT. 22, 2017 OUR RATING

LIONSGATE FILMS

is running the Marathon for charity. This is what prompts him to be at the finish on that fateful day. In the moments before the explosions, Stronger ratchets up the tension to nauseating levels as a sweeping aerial shot of the sun shining down on the Boston Marathon transitions to shots of crowds lining Boylston St. to watch the runners. The audience looks on at the hundreds of people oblivious to the imminent peril.

Upon seeing her boyfriend lying in the ICU, Hurley’s face is awash in sorrow as she cannot help but blame herself for Bauman being at the finish line that day.

Despite being racked with guilt, Hurley quickly becomes Bauman’s greatest lifeline. Gyllenhaal conveys Bauman’s pain, humiliation, rage, and despair with great effect. The most powerful part in Gyllenhaal’s performance, however, is his portrayal of Bauman’s trauma. The most significant moment of this comes when, during a public appearance, Bauman conjures up memories of what happened to him on the day of the attack. Although the scene is intercut with images of Bauman lying on a blood-soaked Boylston St., the dazed vacant look of sheer terror in Gyllenhaal’s eyes is all-telling, rendering the gruesome flashbacks almost unnecessary.

That being said, the film far from portrays Bauman as just a sympathetic victim as he descends into hopelessness and self-pity.

Stronger’s depiction of Bauman is not always flattering as he engages in nights of drunken debauchery and lashes out at his girlfriend.

These scenes give the film a greater sense of honesty by showing the complexities of life after such a devastating injury.

In addition to Gyllenhaal’s compelling performance, Richardson and Maslany provide plenty of dramatic horsepower as they clash over who holds Bauman’s best interests. Richardson, normally a refined British actress, gives Bauman’s chain-smoking alcoholic mother a nasty overbearing and manipulative edge as she cannot help but be enamored with her son’s newfound and much unwanted status as a local hero.

Maslany, known for starring in the critically acclaimed television series Orphan Black, gives an even more compelling performance. Behind the puffy eyes and tear-stained face, she appears a woman of great inner strength. The academy would be foolish to overlook her for a bestsupporting actress nomination.

Both Richardson and Malslanly bring tension to their scenes. Both hold their own as the rivalry between them comes to a profanity-laden head as to who has Bauman’s best interests. This moment signifies a low point for Bauman and the start of his realization that he must move on from his mother’s smothering presence.

It is not until meeting the person, a man named Carlos (Carlos Sanz), who saved his life that Bauman is able to climb out of the valley of despair. This quiet scene of redemption between the two men who shared an experience few could ever truly comprehend is one of the film’s best.

Although the struggles Bauman still faces in his personal life leave the happily ever after ending somewhat dubious, Stronger serves as a powerful portrayal of a man who despite losing both his legs, refuses to be paralyzed. 

‘Wonderful Wonderful’ Lacks Cohesion, Narrative

BY TRISTAN ST. GERMAIN For The Heights

Beginning with their 2003 debut album Hot Fuss, the Killers have helped set the tone for contemporary rock music aimed at a popular audience. Whereas most relevant rock acts of the past two decades could be placed under the label “alternative,” the glamorous pop-waltzes of the Killers have profited off a less cynical soundscape. They provide a caricature of the rock-star persona that is digestible to the millennial generation. The band’s biggest hit, “Mr. Brightside,” is an exaltation of insecurity, of heroic doubting and alienation—it is the coolness of twisted romanticism many listeners can identify with easily.

Lead singer Brandon Flowers traces the social evolution of the ladykiller to his final form—a reversion to the styles of old, endowed obliviously with angst unfitting. If being “outside” is the norm, then being “inside” is more painful, The Killers’ latest album, Wonderful Wonderful, expands on these sentiments, but fails to create a cohesive character. The record plays like the exhausted whine of a balloon that’s lost air, sputtering in all directions until finally stopping.

On the eponymous title track, Flowers employs the persona of a messianic cult-leader rallying his flock with trembling vocals reminiscent of Jim Morrison at his most harrowing.

Central to this single, as it is with so many Killers hits, is the unidentified femme-fatale—this time, she is described as innocent and oblivious to Flowers’ corrupting influence. “Keep praying for the rain / dancing for the rain with your doll by the drain /

motherless child,” Flowers coos. The album’s cover piece makes a cameo as well, with lyrics like “Keep your ear to the shell,” whose symbolic importance does not go unnoticed. Propaganda, gangster preachers, flower-dancing hippie girls. Are these icons there for embellishment, or to convey some message about communications and politics?

This thematic material is present on “Run for Cover” and “Tyson vs.

Douglas” in which Flowers transposes the unifying spectacle of a vaudevillian fable onto modern celebrity culture. Whereas the former deals with political scandals that have lost their relevancy, and will have difficulty provoking the average listener, the latter targets the rise and fall of Mike Tyson, an event Flowers treats with unhesitant romanticism. “When I saw him go down / I felt somebody lied,” Flowers shouts right before the chorus. Indeed, the ideal which Flowers embodies rubs against the cynicism of disbelief. The appeal is in his yearning to overcome it, to present himself as the spiffy outcast impenetrable to age and yet shook by it.

Unfortunately, these separate narratives which the Killers inject their songs with do not move past their initial formations. The Gangster Preacher appears once more on the unremarkable “The Calling,” while hints of the optimistic ladykiller grow trite by the album’s ending. More enduring to the Killers’ overall discography is the heroic struggle of shame, and embarrassment, which comes to an unsatisf ying and exhausted conclusion on this record.

Flowers’ ladykiller does not exist without the modern interference of

a rejection that exceeds the humbled loneliness, and singularity, of their classic-rock influences. Shame must be glamorous, exuberant, a stadiumrock anthem on par with U2’s biggest radio-singles. But on tracks like “Out of My Mind,” whose sound is relaxed and less charged with tension, Flowers asks that his love interest just “dropkick the shame” and forget it.

His “back to back with Springsteen” doesn’t impress, either—she merely turns and rolls her eyes. We have less reason to pity Flowers than be angered by his reaction.

The album is cohesively structured, and rarely loses its track or focus, though this artistic choice injures the overall product more than would a few detours for experimentation. Wonderful Wonderful is radically safe—the music is fitting, but not to the extent that it recognizes its lyri-

cal fallacies. That this character has been worn out, died to some capacity, doesn’t prohibit Flowers and company from dancing with the corpse. The constant onslaught of synth-textured climaxes leaves the audience little breathing room to appreciate what makes them triumphant. The whole event becomes artificial, an impact lessened by the force it carries.

Wonderful Wonderful is good ’80sflavored pop-rock for those seeking some New Wave nostalgia—but in attempting to revitalize the energy that made their biggest hits so endearing, the Killers become entangled in a slew of narratives drained of all emotional resonance. It is not to say they have misunderstood their success, but rather been unable to do it justice, to apply it to a musical landscape in which their final ladykiller has been abandoned. 

Heights Staff

Jerry before Seinfeld. It seems like an oxymoron. Although the longtime comedian who made us ask ourselves “What’s the deal with airline food?” had his bits on Johnny Carson and other late night television shows doing stand up, it is when he began his work on Seinfeld that he became a household name. But his latest Netflix special, Jerry Before Seinfeld, opens viewers up to the world before he proved you could make television about nothing.

Interspersed with home videos and interviews looking back, Seinfeld recounts some of the things that shaped him, and a few events and stories he has gotten a kick out of along the way.

Seinfeld performs his act in the Comedy Club in Manhattan, where he began

telling jokes all those years ago.

The special chronicles Seinfeld’s history, while interjecting with the development of some of his most wellknown jokes. He started as one of the regulars in the Comedy Club back in 1976. Even though it was located in Manhattan, he said it felt very Long Island, because it didn’t represent the “cool Manhattan.” He reminisced with two of his comedian friends, Mark Schiff and Jimmy Brogan, about how they would wait for the days to pass and for the nights to come—”their time.”

Before he went into his growth in the comedy world, Seinfeld went all the way back to his childhood. He claims his first words were “Leave me alone.”

He got this phrase from when he was a little boy and would run around the house, knocking over lamps that stood

TELEVISION

JERRY BEFORE SEINFELD JERRY SEINFELD DISTRIBUTED BY NETFLIX RELEASE SEPT. 19, 2017 OUR RATING

NETFLIX

JACOB SCHICK

‘FIND YOU’ NICK JONAS

Nick Jonas’ newest single “Find You” begins with a slow picking progression on an acoustic guitar.

Over the loose plucking, Jonas sings the introduction chorus, along with the titular lyrics “I never really know / Just where to find you.” The beat picks up with backing instruments, vocals, and more electronic distortion. “Find You” explores Jonas’ attempts to reconnect with this “you” as he looks all around.

He can’t escape the face of this person, even when he closes his eyes. This person is always nearby Jonas, but he is unable to either separate or join them for good.

Jonas feels haunted by the image of his ex-love, longing to dismiss these feelings he is left with. He wants to either be with her or without her, butnot somewhere in between. He elaborates with the lines “I look for you in the center of the sun / I took a pill but it didn’t help me numb / I see your face even when my eyes are shut / But I never really know just where to find you.”

Throughout the acoustic portion of the song, “Find You” is reminiscent of slower, vocal-focused songs like one might find on an album like 19 by Adele.

The single is quite enjoyable, but outside of the occasional acoustic crooning, doesn’t feel innovative in comparison to many other softpop songs. 

MUSIC VIDEO CANNON FEW

MUSIC ‘ONE MORE LIGHT’ LINKIN PARK WONDERFUL WONDERFUL THE KILLERS DISTRIBUTED BY ISLAND RECORDS RELEASE SEPT. 22, 2017 OUR RATING

ISLAND RECORDS

‘Jerry Before Seinfeld’ Emphasizes Comedic Connection

BY CAROLINE MCCORMACK

SINGLE REVIEW

in his way. His family would tell him, “Leave it alone,” when he knocked over a lamp, and the idea stuck.

He compares his childhood in the ’60s to the life of wild dogs. He shares there was no knowledge of nutrition, education, or safety. There weren’t any helmets, seatbelts, or restraints.

The kids just flew through the air.

He claimed he was either eating 100 percent sugar or he was airborne. The beauty of the time was that there was no idea or interest—until Cookie Crisp blew it for everyone.

Although his life, family, and world were drama-free as the comedian grew up, Seinfeld is able to look back at the simplest things and make jokes that are relatable to the audience. While he said he believes he would have been funnier if he had grown up under different circumstances, he turns what could be considered mundane events into a great act. This idea seems to represent the genius of Seinfeld and highlight why he had become so beloved.

One joke that went over especially well with the crowd had to do with how his mother reacted to going to the wallpaper store—something deathly boring in the eyes of child. She was obsessed with the books of wallpaper and would flip through them as if the books were the Quran. Simultaneously, Seinfeld would sink to the ground in boredom. He analyzed how little kids sometimes get bored and seem to lose control of themselves and their body weight. Wherever adults do boring adult things, kids will lie down when

they have had enough. He said that he believes adulthood is being able to withstand those boring events.

This life of boring adult things was exactly what Jerry wanted to avoid, so he made fun of it instead. For Seinfeld at 21, comedy was the dream, but it seemed impossible. Ever since his early years, he wanted something that would let him escape from the seriousness of life. Seinfeld emphasized his priorities when it comes to comedy, something apparent in his more recent remarks about college campuses and the devolution of comedy. For him, he didn’t care if the audience liked him, but he cared if they liked his material.

Seinfeld concludes by emphasizing how important it is for stand-up comedians to connect with the audience. Sometimes he feels like movies don’t account for the audience, and the people sitting beside someone who is confused will not help explain things to the poor soul.

He asked questions throughout his set and asked the audience if they had any questions to assist in building a connection throughout the set. This can be a risky move, depending on the type of crowd that comes in to see the show that night, but Seinfeld handled it well. He proved that it is possible to establish that connection in real time that many felt merely through his show or stand-up. Not only did the audience get to see who Jerry was before Seinfeld, but also how much the comedian values his craft, the time, effort, and love he has put into it for all these years. 

Linkin Park’s music video for the title track on its latest album’s One More Light serves as a beautiful remembrance and celebration of the life of lead singer Chester Bennington. Bennington, 41, died of suicide by hanging and was found on the morning of July 20 in his home in Los Angeles County.

As the music community mourned and honoured the life of Bennington, fans gravitated toward the song “One More Light” from Linkin Park’s latest album. Though the song was not intended as a single, the band decided to produce this video to remember and celebrate his life and career.

The music video switches between footage of Bennington performing the song live and archival clips of him interacting with fans. The video opens up to a scene of Bennington reaching out to the outstretched arms of fans at the show. Each subsequent clip shows the sincerity with which Bennington interacted with those around him. Band member Joe Hahn was quoted in the description of the video on the forces at play throughout the years.

“It has been incredibly emotional to work on this, and especially to watch it,” he said. “I feel that by doing it, we not only faced some of our biggest fears, but it enabled us to use our talents to bring some light to people that need it.”

This sentiment evoked by the video is one of solidarity, sending love to all who have lost someone. In the wake of tragedy and loss we find solace in community, and what better way to come together than through music? In the song, Bennington sings, “Can I help you not to hurt anymore,” which echoes the music video’s attempts to help those distraught

by Bennington’s own passing.

This video does a great job of portraying the beautiful spirit of the artist we lost. It ends on a note to Chester from the band: “Chester, you ignited a flame of passion, laughter & courage in our hearts forever. We miss you, brother.”

Linkin Park has announced a special show to further honor and celebrate Bennington’s legacy and life on Oct. 27 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The profits from the show will be donated to Music for Relief’s One More Light Fund in memory of Bennington. 

The Heights

Monday, September 25, 2017

B7

Nico & Vinz Stokes Set Welcomed With Clear Skies, Minds

By Emily Himes For The Heights After a long week of classes, Boston College students were in desperate need of a break. With midterms soon approaching , the y headed out to Stokes Set for a night of music before buckling down in the library for the rest of the week. The evening was cool and comfortable when Nico & Vinz, the artists behind the 2013 summer anthem “Am I Wrong,” took the stage in front of a skeptical crowd. Too most of the Stokes Set attendees, “Am I Wrong” was the main reason they got

a ticket for the second annual concert, which took place on Stokes Lawn on Saturday.

“I’m just here to hear them sing that one song that was really popular a few years ago,” Kate Klein, LSOE ’20, said.

This seemed to be the majority opinion of the crowd at the show.

But the energetic duo put together a surprisingly strong performance.

They started off the show with “In Your Arms,” an upbeat and optimistic song that had the whole crowd on its feet. The lyrics resonated with the freshman-heavy audience, especially lines such as “Life is a journey where

you stumble and fall / But I’m okay,” and “They tried to break me down / But I’m still on my feet.” This fastpaced and happy song was the perfect way to start the concert—it hyped the originally dubious crowd up from the very beginning.

After that, Nico & Vinz played “Hold it Together,” a slower and more emotional song that calmed the crowd down after their energetic entrance.

This was quickly followed by their 2014, dance hit song “When the Day Comes .” The entire audience was singing and jumping for the duration of the song—its repeating lyrics made it easy to sing along to and its fast rhythm was perfect for jumping and dancing.

The song itself is encouraging, with inspiring lyrics such as “Even when the sky comes falling down / I’ll be ready when the sky comes falling down.”

The positivity radiated from their performance into the audience.

When the concert first started, Nico told the crowd, “I want to see you all dancing and smiling by the end of tonight.” He didn’t have to wait until the show was over—it was happening already.

Mid-concert, Nico & Vinz performed one of the absolute highlights of the night, “I Wanna Know.” This 2016 EDM hit was originally recorded with Swedish DJ Alesso. Much of the audience had no idea that Nico & Vinz were featured on the song, and were overcome with excitement as the first

few notes of the pop hit blared out of the speakers. Following this superenergetic few minutes, they performed another song that the y had been featured on: “Lift Me Up,” appearing on David Guetta’s Listen. Although this song was not as popular as “I Wanna Know,” the audience recognized and appreciated the quality of the song. Guetta is known worldwide for producing high-quality EDM music, and has even won Grammy awards for his work.

The penultimate song of the evening was a cleaned-up version of “That’s How You Know.” In 2015, the song charted on Billboard’s US Mainstream Top 40, peaking at number 35. A large majority of the crowd was somewhat familiar with the feel-good, singalong piece. Although changing the lyrics to “That’s how you know you [messed] up” sounded awkward and out of place considering the entire audience was singing back the original words, “That’s How You Know” was the perfect song to set the mood for “Am I Wrong.”

The audience impatiently chanted “Am I Wrong! Am I Wrong!” until they heard the recognizable and catchy first few notes of the popular song to close the show. When it came to performing the hit from a few years back, Nico & Vinz definitely delivered. Their voices sounded just like the recorded version, and in concert they even accompanied it with some coordinated dance moves.

The audience was totally engaged.

As the powerhouse duo sang “Am I Wrong,” the crowd sang it back to them word-for-word. In the end, for most of the concertgoers, hearing this song live was enough to make the entire night completely worth it.

At the end of the show, the audience seemed to be in a pleasantly surprised consensus. Hillenbrand described Nico & Vinz as “personal, nice, and positive.”

Students seemed to appreciate the down-to-earth duo’s optimism, which spread all around Stokes Lawn the second they took the stage.

Aside from the setlist and the performance itself, Stokes Set had other activities for students to enjoy. The atmosphere pre-concert was delightful; the weather was comfortable and the sky was completely clear. Students enjoyed the apple cider and delicious donuts being served—a perfect snack for the second day of fall. Big light tunnels were assembled near the entrance, complete with BC flags atop.

As one can imagine, light tunnels are a prime place for college students to take a quick Snapchat selfie with friends.

Unsurprisingly, there soon was a line to take a picture in the tunnel.

These simple and seemingly small additions to the night made a big difference in terms of the atmosphere on the Stokes Lawn.

T h e y c r e a t e d a h a p p y, l i g h t ambience—one that seemed to welcome fall, the new school year, and all the ups and downs that come with it. n

Celine Lim / Heights Staff

Though much of the evening was spent waiting for Nico & Vinz hit “Am I Wrong?” the level of energy was anything but stagnant as the duo invigorated the crowd with their stellar stage prescence during Stokes Set.

Finding Love on the Fury Road: The Devil in the Details of Film Caleb Griego Have you seen the way she looks at him? In the context of the dystopian joyride known as Mad Max: Fury Road one might find that question silly or inane. Love seems far and away in that world. Max and Furiosa? No. Nux and Capable. I asked that question to my friends because I thought it was an often forgotten tangential plotline. It added an extra layer of tragedy to the already dour film and I always looked for it. But no one else seemed to see the trajectory of this seemingly one-sided romance. Naturally, we decided to

rewatch the film. We saw the sands take up heaps of metal and men, war machines spit fire while men spit oil, and the sense of hope fall ever lower.

We saw the grizzly deaths of men on an insatiable quest for the splendors of Valhalla. We witnessed them.

And among all this there was a girl, looking fondly at a boy tragically unawares of her rays of affection. There is love to find on the fury road.

Every time Nux and Capable share the screen, there is a glance, a look, a smirk, or real eye-to-eye connection felt. It is my favorite part of the movie and it is completely superfluous to the proper plot. I would also go as far to say it makes Mad Max a contender for the best romance of 2015. I don’t watch romances, but this simple barebones romance has to be at the top. On the production side, I love the idea

of someone giving Riley Keough, who played Capable, the direction to evince ideas of romance subtly. It is an aspect of her performance that might go unnoticed, but should not go without praise. Equally as amusing is the idea that Nicholas Hoult, as Nux, was given direction to be oblivious. Or maybe none of this happened and it is merely a result of happy coincidences, perfectly timed shots, and editing. In the end it doesn’t really matter as it is in the film.

It is in minutia that I find my love of film truly resides. Though this morsel of a story, really just a reduction of the boy meets girl trope, was completely separate, it remained impactful.

In all these observations there is a lesson about watching films in general. You can find so much to love in

the small moments of films, separate from the mainstays of the production. Somebody made this happen, knowingly or unknowingly. I’d like to believe that someone is dropping the breadcrumbs on purpose, instead of just being messy. So just as George Miller tracked our eyes with the big gorgeous chase scenes, he tracked out sense of romance with small, more nuanced moments defined by the work of his actors.

But more interestingly is what we choose to watch when see a film.

Miller is a master at ensuring the audience sees what he wants them to see, but as free persons we can look wherever we please.

Without getting into psychoanalysis, there was some reason that I saw this accessory plot movement while my friends did not. Maybe I just was looking in the right place

at the right time, but maybe I was mentally positioned to see it. Which leads to me to question, what am I missing when I watch films?

I never was a fan of rewatching a film, because I thought of those ventures as quote mining opportunities for the few films that deserve it.

Rewatching films may seem like a time suck, but for those films that offer up a world in which to truly get lost, there are likely many more small moments to find and love.

Even in the fiery, unforgiving world of Mad Max, keen viewers can find little moments that suggest that, even in a world belonging to the amad, the mad are still capable of love.

Caleb Griego is the scene editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@ bcheights.com.

Brace for Oscar Bait, Serious Dramas, and More in Fall Film Season

Jacob Schick It’s that time of year again. We have left the summer blockbuster season behind us, thank god, and we are slogging our way through September and October, which actually hasn’t been that bad so far (knock on wood). There is about to be a serious uptick in the quality of film in the coming months. There are quite a few movies I am very excited for, but I want to discuss a few upcoming films that I don’t think are as high on most people’s radars.

Jackie Chan seems to be breaking out of his usually comedic performances with The Foreigner. This film stars Chan as a quiet man who loses his daughter in a terrorist attack. He attempts to find out who the killer is by asking a ranking government official, played by Pierce Brosnan. The trailers imply that Brosnan is hiding something about the attack, and

Chan will stop at nothing to avenge his daughter’s murder. The Foreigner stands out from the other generic old-guy action movie for two reasons.

First, Chan is an incredible martial artist. In movies like the Taken trilogy, the main actor has little martial arts experience and must either use stunt doubles for fight scenes or the movie must cut the fight scenes into oblivion. The second reason is that Martin Campbell is directing the film. He is the mind behind Casino Royale, Goldeneye, and The Mask of Zorro. While he was also the director of Green Lantern, the man clearly has talent. If he decides to bring it with The Foreigner, viewers could be in for a great serious action movie.

The newest movie from my favorite studio, A24 Films (Get Out, The Lobster, Moonlight) is The Killing of a Sacred Deer. The film stars Colin Farrell (The Lobster) and Nicole Kidman (unfortunately not The Lobster).

From what I can glean from the trailer, Farrell plays a surgeon that makes a no-win decision regarding the life of a teenage boy’s father.

When Farrell’s family takes the boy under their wing, he begins to act in

a sinister way, tormenting his wife and daughters. A24 seems to have a knack for picking movies that can be classified as horror or are horrific in parts, but are very well-done (It Comes At Night, Good Time, Ex Machina) and The Killing of a Sacred Deer is no different. It is also directed

by Yorgos Lantimos (guess what …

The Lobster) who has a good track record with these art-house films.

The Academy loves biopics.

There’s at least one Best Picture finalist every year that is based on someone’s life story or on true events. This year, the upcoming biopic I am most excited for is All the Money in the World. This is based on the kidnapping of J. Paul Getty’s grandson. Getty was, at one point, literally the richest private person in the world. When his grandson was kidnapped and held for ransom, the captors asked for $17 million (in 1970s money). When Getty was questioned by a reporter as to how much he would pay to get his grandson back, he replied “Nothing.” What makes this movie stand out further is the casting. Michelle Williams plays the kidnapped grandson’s mother,

Mark Wahlberg plays the agent tasked with finding the captors, and most importantly, J. Paul Getty is played by Kevin Spacey. Spacey has already proved his ability to climb into a historical figure with Elvis & Nixon—he is almost unrecognizable as Getty.

To round out the genres on display here, Downsizing is a sci-fi comedy coming out in December. The film stars Matt Damon in a world in which overcrowding has become a real problem. To solve this, people have to option to be shrunk down.

The process is permanent, but there are a great deal of incentives to undergoing the process. The tiny houses and neighborhoods are extraordinarily nice and the money you have as a regular person goes much further as a tiny person. The film looks like a funny look at a really interesting scifi concept. Damon definitely has the acting chops for comedy and science fiction (The Martian). Downsizing is also directed by Alexander Payne, who directed great films like Sideways, Election, and Nebraska.

Oscar season is my favorite movie season of the year, mostly because

the quality of movies increases, but also because there is a lot more risk and experimentation with the concepts and actualization of these films.

Oscar season is the time when films like Arrival, Moonlight, La La Land, and Birdman can come out and be appreciated by those who see them.

The problem lies in their visibility.

Typically, people go to the movies less often now, and are less willing to experiment with their movie choices because summer is over and most people below the age of 20 are going back to school. Summer also contains movies that are much “safer” to go see. Superhero movies, big-budget comedies, and action romps are pretty straightforward, so those who go to see them know what they are getting into. Meanwhile, I look forward to practically every movie that comes out because I just like movies, but these four are films that I am actually excited to see. I’ll be at Regal Fenway on opening night with my Coke slurpee and small popcorn.

Jacob Schick is the associate scene editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

SCENE

B8

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2017

@BCHEIGHTSARTS

The Robsham Theater cast and crew discuss motivations, historical details, and choreography for their upcoming production.

BY ISABELLA DOW Asst. Scene Editor As the actors advance toward each other, their gestures matching the rising, volatile emotions of their characters, the tense scene is fractured only by the clutter of boxes and raw set materials on the stage. That, and the flurry of other cues to indicate that, despite the compelling performances already taking shape, the directors and cast of Robsham Theater’s upcoming Chicago are in the midst of rehearsal.

Sporting 21st-century casual attire and eagerly making notes in their scripts, the actors crafted the details and nuances of their characters with the guidance of director and BC ’98 alum Michelle Miller, and musical director David McGrory.

The BC theatre department chose the dark, satirical Chicago for production on Oct. 18 to 21, and casting required students that could sing, act, and dance, the triple threats of the stage. Over Labor Day weekend, roughly 70 to 80 students prepared cuts of up to two songs to audition, many of whom were freshmen performing on one of their first weekends at college.

“I tell the students, ‘Congrats, you’ve made this big leap in showing up on a stage to sing your heart out,’” Miller said. “As a BC alum, I know what it’s like to stand where they do.”

Miller has been involved in theatre her entire life. After trading the Broadway track for service-oriented involvement, Miller felt more engaged and alive teaching underprivileged youth through ASTEP (Artists Striving To End Poverty), and considers directing a natural extension of that energy. Through her wealth of experience, she can tell a lot about a student’s style, vocal skill, and confidence from brief excerpts of song. When choosing a cast, she looks for stage chemistry between the actors, and champions a meritocracy.

“A good attitude is easy to work with to bring anyone up to the overall skill level of the cast,” Miller said. “Students that are coachable, ready to take risks, and encouraging to other actors are vital to a safe creative environment.”

Miller still finds the casting process heartbreaking, however, as it requires sending some students away that weren’t the right match for a specific role. Even if an actor wasn’t the one for a role, he or she

might have been perfect for a role in a different play. For Chicago, Miller was happy to find the right students for the parts through the way they tapped into their own experience and personality to embody those of their characters. Students often create intricate backstories of their characters to understand them better, which often includes looking at the “verbs,” or what drives the character.

In the lead role of Roxie Hart is actress Elizabeth Koennecke, MCAS ’19, who has wanted the part since she saw Chicago on Broadway at 13.

“Roxie has her faults, as every character does, but she’s bubbly and charming,” Koennecke said. “As an optimistic person, I latched onto that same attitude.”

This production of Chicago will closely follow historical details, drawing from source material from the 1920s murder trials, and the stylishly evocative nature of the ’20s. The dance numbers, choreographed by David Connolly, serve as a tribute to Fosse’s aloof, sassy choreography, without directly performing Fosse’s original work.

And the musical numbers will embody the musical’s unmistakable jazz songs.

As musical director, McGrory rehearses the songs with the cast, providing piano accompaniment and ensuring the soloists and ensemble are in unison when necessary. He starts the process by teaching the cast its song melodies, and then focuses on the cues it should attend to in order to sing at the right times. Given the integral role the songs play in the storytelling of the play, McGrory works with the actors to understand how the songs fit into the story arc.

Jazz music is known for having an upbeat, swinging sound, and hails from an earlier, less complicated era. Its simple harmonies leave lots of room to build a storyline brimming with dark comedy and excess attitude.

“It’s a satirical show, which calls on them to be cartoonish to make the serious subject matter land,” McGrory said.

McGrory also spends time with the cast on their vocal style.

This means expanding on the cast’s talents in musical theatre singing, and stylizing it to fit jazz. It’s a considerable change from what many actors are used to, and McGrory highlights the emotional connections underlying the music to help the cast grasp the content of the

songs. The process also includes stripping voices of the influence of modern pop songs in order to access each note and its unfiltered sound.

Rehearsals for a professional, regional-level production would last for about two weeks, eight hours a day. But for BC students with busy schedules and demanding course loads, the schedule spans five days per week for six weeks. It’s difficult to run cast-wide rehearsals, so Miller and her team divide their rehearsal space to maximize the time: music and acting in one room, choreography and dance in another.

The six-week rehearsal schedule is a marathon, and the directors prioritize the wellness of their cast during the process. McGrory and Miller are careful to monitor their actors to ensure the cast doesn’t damage their voices or burn out before opening night.

Miller finds a seamless collaborative process with McGrory and Connolly. The directors and the cast are dedicated to maintaining an educational, encouraging, and professional rehearsal environment, which does not preclude them from enjoying the experience.

“We laugh a lot—everyone has good days and not so good days,” Miller said. “People slip up on lines, or slip and fall in choreography, and we encourage people to dust themselves off and move on. The standards we set here are what they’ll expect in their professional lives, and I want them to expect others to respect their boundaries, personhood, and talent.”

As opening night approaches, the Chicago team is looking forward to the entire performance coming together.

“The musical numbers get more and more fabulous and intricate,” Koennecke said. “We started with a blank slate, and everyone adds layers to it.”

McGrory echoed that sentiment, and enjoys bringing the full band into rehearsals as the actual performances approach.

“It’s fun teaching the music, but it’s also fun to add all those colors and tones to it, and see the cast’s eyes light up when the energy steps up again,” McGrory said.

Until the sparkles and feathers emerge from the costume shop, and the bars of the cell block impose on the stage, the Chicago team will be striving to create the dark splendor of its ’20s jazz core. 

AMELIE TRIEU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Elizabeth Koennecke (left), MCAS ’19, noted that her interpretation of the character Roxie is aided by shared charateristics, like optimism, which creates a strong connection from the actor and subject material.

INSIDE SCENE

Stokes Set

Nico & Vinz transformed center campus into a vibrant stage in the second annual Stokes Set.......................... B7

‘Jerry Before Seinfeld’

In Seinfeld’s latest special, the comedian explores his past long before his infamous TV series...................................B6

‘Stronger’................................................... B6 ‘The Killers: Wonderful Wonderful’.................. B6