The Heights October 23, 2017

THE

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2017

HEIGHTS The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College

EST. 1919

WWW.BCHEIGHTS.COM

Thousands of people from the Boston College community marched across campus on Friday to support students of color, wrapping up a week of activism. But in some ways, it may just have been the beginning.

LIZZY BARRETT / HEIGHTS EDITOR

BY COLE DADY Heights Staff An immense portion of the Boston College community marched in solidarity to protest multiple racist incidents that occurred last weekend in a demonstration Friday called “Silence is Still Violence.”

Starting at 12 p.m., BC students and faculty marched from McElroy Commons to Corcoran Commons, displaying signs and chanting “Black Lives Matter.” Over 1,200 people marked that they would attend on Facebook, though attendance seemed closer to 2,000 or more.

Two and half hours before the march began, two signs with a large image of Uncle Sam and text reading “I want you to love

See Solidarity March, A5

JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

LIZZY BARRETT / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Left: About 200 students attended a rally on O’Neill Plaza to speak out against racist incidents on campus and plan Friday’s march.

Right: Akosua Achampong, the president of UGBC and MCAS ’18, led Friday’s march and laid out demands for the administration.

JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

METRO: Greek Excellence

With its newest location, Gyro City may have perfected the gyro.........A3

SPORTS: Wah Hoo Wow

Football notched consecutive ACC wins for the first time since 2014, beating UVA.....B1

INDEX

NEWS.......................... A2 FEATURES.................A8

Vol. XCVIII, No. 34 METRO.................. A3 SPORTS......................B1 © 2017, The Heights, Inc. OPINIONS................... A6 SCENE.......................B8 www.bcheights.com

The Heights

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things to do on campus this week

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This Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the Career Center will be hosting the STEM Career and Internship Fair in the Heights Room. Full-time and internship opportunities for students in the sciences and technology will be featured at the fair.

Monday, October 23, 2017

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Anne Applebaum, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, columnist for The Washington Post, and Professor of the Practice at the London School of Economics, will be speaking about her latest book today at 10:30 a.m. in the McMullen Museum of Art Conference Center.

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On Wednesday at 7 p.m., Khalil Gibran Muhammad, a professor of history, race, and public policy at Harvard Kennedy School and Suzanna Young Murray at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies, will speak about the decriminalization of white America in Gasson Hall 100.

NEWS At Women’s Summit, Pressley Discusses Career BRIEFS

By Jaehun Lee

Theology Prof.

Awarded Chair

Pheme Perkins, faculty member in the Boston College theology department and internationally recognized New Testament scholar, has be en name d the University’s inaugural Joseph Professor of Catholic Spirituality after teaching at BC since 1972.

The Joseph Chair in Catholic Spirituality was established in 2012 through a gift from an anonymous donor, and serves to support a Roman Catholic professor in the theology department.

Perkins is particularly interested in researching and teaching about the Pauline epistles, Johannine writings, and early Christianity within Greco-Roman culture.

As the first woman to serve as the president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America, Perkins is the current chair of its executive board. She is also the associate editor of The New Oxford Annotated Bible.

“Professor Perkins is a highly accomplished Biblical scholar whose work on the Gospel of John, the Pauline letters, and the Gnostic tradition is widely acclaimed,” Gregory Kalscheur, S.J., Dean of Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, said to The Chronicle.

Perkins has published a number of books, including Gnosticism and the New Testament, The Book of Revelation, First and Second Peter, and James and Jude. She has also published two award-winning books.

“Her prominence as a scholar of the New Testament and her distinguished service in the University and the wider world of Catholic Biblical studies make her a most appropriate selection as the inaugural holder of the Joseph Chair in Catholic Spirituality in our Department of Theology,” Kalscheur said.

BC Office Given $1.15 M Boston College Learning to Learn Office was awarded $1.15 million for five years. The money will go to supporting the academic and postgraduate plans of the first-generation college students through BC’s Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program.

The McNair Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education through TRIO grants, and prepares low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented minorities pursuing post-graduate education, particularly doctoral degrees. The program provides eligible students with academic and research skills development to help prepare and enable their matriculation at top graduate programs and enter careers in research and academia.

The program includes a summer research component, GRE preparation, graduate school application process help, various conferences, and faculty mentoring.

BC is among 161 institutions across the country to be selected for the McNair program, and is one of three universities in Massachusetts. For the 14 years since the University established the program four alumni have completed doctoral degrees, and eight are currently enrolled in doctoral programs. Over 60 percent of the program’s participants enroll in graduate education.

The program was named in honor of Ronald E. McNair, an American physicist and astronaut, and the second African American to go to space.

McNair died during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger, along with six other crew members. Despite social and economic barriers, McNair completed a Ph.D. in physics from MIT at the age of 26.

For The Heights

Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley delivered the opening keynote at Boston College’s fourth annual Women’s Summit Saturday morning. The Women’s Summit is an event that works to help women “achieve their personal potential,” “explore new and challenging perspectives,” and “rise together and enact change.”

After Melissa Wanyoke, MCAS ’18, referred to Pressley as an inspiration for her, Pressley returned the favor, saying, “I’m going to add you to my bio.” She noted that she was playing a “small role” in this “timely” Summit and that spaces like these—that amplify and empower the voices of women—were needed.

After explaining what her position as an at-large representative on Boston City Council entails, Pressley talked about her life and her career, making a distinction between “job” and “work,” pointing to her mother as an example and major inspiration. Although her mother worked many different jobs, her work was constant: to be an activist and to raise her kid. Pressley, the first woman of color elected to the council, also credited her mother with raising her to be a “socially, racially, and politically conscious” person and with great expectations to fight for the margin-

alized and better our community.

“It is because of my mother I feel morally compelled and personally responsible to make a positive contribution: to change the world,” Pressley said. “And I know … no matter my job, this will always be my life’s work.”

But Pressley said that her mother’s most important life lesson was teaching her that her voice matters. It has emboldened Pressley to “raise [her] own voice,” despite the world’s efforts to “minimize or silence it.”

These values have carried over to the City Council, where Pressley uses her voice to represent the marginalized at the decision-making table.

“If we are raising issues through a monolithic and homogenized lens, without … a diversity of perspective, opinion and thought, the issues raised will not be as fully formed and the solutions to address these complex problems won’t be either,” she said.

After her election in 2010, Pressley founded and chaired the Committee on Women & Healthy Communities and fought for the advancement of women in society by combating problems such as domestic violence, teen pregnancy, and sexual assault. She also named “trauma” a problem that heavily inhibits learning, contributes to the achievement gap, and

Delaney vorwick / Heights Staff

Ayanna Pressley said that the most important lesson she learned was that her voice matters. holds the community back.

During her early years on the City Council, Pressley “governed as an advocate,” she said, and brought previously overlooked issues to the table. By fiercely advocating for the advancement of women in budget hearings and other policy meetings, Pressley has used her perspective as someone who experienced sexual assault and rape to bring about many changes that help women and girls today. “[During my] first budget cycle as city counselor … every chief came before me to present their budget and seek my affirmative vote,” Pressley said. “To every chief I asked: What about the girls? And no one had any answers. Now, when they come into those budget hearings, they have binders.”

Pressley believes she paved the way for other women to join her on the City Council, saying that this is what people should be clapping about, not the fact that she was the first woman of color to be elected to the City Council. Pressley noted that more women are joining her on the Council, and two more may join after the elections in November.

“Often when I’m introduced as the first woman of color to be elected onto the Council, everyone claps and I feel very uncomfortable,” Pressley said. “I think it’s a very sobering commentary: in a city and Commonwealth known for the many progressive ways we’ve led … that it took 100 years to elect a woman of color to the Boston City Council.” n

Students at Two Foster St. Homes Report Break-Ins

By Chris Russo Assoc. News Editor

Two students who live on Foster St. are reporting break-ins at their houses this month, one of which happened on Wednesday night.

The tenants of 311 Foster St. were not home Wednesday night when their residence was robbed. Jennifer Goersch, LSOE ’19, received a call from one of her roommates as she was on her way home.

Her roommate told her that when she got home her laptop was missing and there were items scattered across the apartment. It appeared that someone had broken into the home.

Goersch got home at 9 p.m. to find her room in disarray. The door to her room, which she locked when she left, was kicked in and torn off its hinges. Her jewelry was thrown across her carpet, and the sheets of her bed were torn off.

Her drawer that contained her wallet was clearly rifled through, and credit cards were scattered on the floor. A couple hundred dollars in cash was missing. She later found her passport, which she had thought was stolen, in her kitchen. Her roommate’s laptop as well as all of her cash was stolen.

When Goersch saw the extent of the damage, she and her roommate immediately called the Boston College Police Department. Goersch said that BCPD told her their officers couldn’t do

anything about the situation because Foster St. is out of BCPD’s jurisdiction, and and the girls would have to go to the Boston Police Department headquarters the next morning to report the incident.

The students then called BPD who told them that they were very busy, but they would come to the house when they got the chance.

Goersch and her roommates were afraid that the intruder may still have been in the house, so they frantically called BCPD again, crying. She said an officer from BCPD arrived at 12:15 a.m. and checked their doors and walked the perimeter. After the officer put a call into BPD, Boston officers showed up 30 minutes later, Goersch said.

Goersch said that BPD told her that they had filed a report about a break-in at the residence earlier that night, but Goersch and her roommates never called the police to report the incident. BPD also told her, she said, that if she wants to find her gold necklace, she should go to the pawn shops on Washington St. the next day. BPD was unable to be reached for comment at press time.

The break-in Wednesday night was not the only intrusion on Foster St. this month.

Julia Murphy, MCAS ’19, was alarmed when at 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 4 a shadowy figure was standing outside her door, seemingly taking photos of her, at her off-campus home at 299 Foster St.

Murphy lives with three other roommates, one of which often studies at O’Neill Library until 3 or 4 a.m. and doesn’t always have her key with her, so the front door is often left unlocked so she can enter the house late at night.

The night of the break-in, Murphy heard her door creak open, but thought nothing of it. Then a flash of light came through the crack of the door and lit up the room for a brief moment. Another light flashed. The light stayed on for several seconds, and Murphy believed she was being filmed.

She shot up in bed and saw what she believed was an iPhone camera light shining through a four-inch space of her door. The light immediately went off and the shadow silently moved away. Murphy can only remember a burly figure that was about six feet tall.

“At the time, I was in complete shock,” Murphy said. “… that wasn’t one of my roommates in my hall, that was somebody watching us. I just knew it right away.”

After being unable to move for a few seconds because she was so shaken, she decided to run and slam her door shut and lock it as means to scare the intruder away and make sure the person would not enter the room.

Murphy and her roommate then searched the house, and everything seemed to be in order. One of the girl’s laptops, which was displayed plainly on

the couch, was still there. Nothing had been stolen.

“Whoever was coming into our house wasn’t necessarily looking for our valuables, [they were] almost looking more so for us,” she said.

Foster St. has been no stranger to break-ins—The Heights reported on several break-ins last fall.

Murphy went to the BCPD the next morning and filed a report. An officer told her that they would file it with Brighton Police and asked for her email to keep in touch. She has not yet heard back from either BCPD or BPD. Two days later, according to Murphy, BCPD showed up at her door for another reason—they said there was a note left in a cubicle in O’Neill Library that alleged her home had hostages in the basement.

BCPD performed a search and found no hostages. BCPD was unable to find a report for this case in their system on Friday morning.

Murphy said she and her roommates are taking more precautions to keep their home safe since the break-in. They are locking their doors more frequently now, keeping some lights on at night, and will no longer walk home at night without a friend.

“You hear these stories and a lot of times, you laugh, but you don’t realize the effect it can have and how prevalent it is until it actually happens to you,” Murphy said. “It’s a huge eye-opener.” n

POLICE BLOTTER: 10/18/2017 - 10/20/2017 Wednesday, Oct. 18 2:38 p.m. - A report was filed regarding damage to property by graffiti or tagging at 2150 Commonwealth Ave. 4:07 p.m. - A report was filed regarding leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash with property damage.

4:41 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance at an offcampus location.

Thursday, Oct. 19 9:16 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation at 2000 Commonwealth Ave.

9:34 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical incident at Lower.

5:16 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical incident at Hardey Hall.

11:13 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical incident at University Health Services.

11:09 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated person at Gasson Hall.

3:25 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance at the Boston College Police Headquarters.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

CORRECTIONS What are you planning to dress up as for Halloween?

“We were thinking of dressing up as Clash of Clans characters.”

—Woojae Chung, MCAS ’19

“Maybe going to be some penguins.”

—John O’Flaherty, CSOM ’21

“I was thinking of our friends doing Lonely Island.”

—Brendan Gatward, CSOM ’20

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

“Whatever I can pick from my closet.”

—Kelly Nguyen, MCAS ’21

The Heights

Monday, October 23, 2017

TEDxCambridge Rewrites the Rules

By Gao Liu For The Heights

Max Calleo / Heights Staff

Gyros Flood Brighton

By Max Calleo

Heights Staff

Nestled on the block just across the street from Fuel Coffee Shop, Gyro City’s Brighton location recently opened its doors on Sept. 4. Inside, the decor imported from Greece oozes handcrafted luxury, and includes beautiful olive wood tables, rope-hung lighting, a Greek-inspired wallpaper design, and most importantly, an olive tree that holds a special place in restaurateur Penny Christopher’s heart.

This magnificent centerpiece sits besides the restaurant’s entrance, and it provides the 100-percent virgin olive oil that is used as an ingredient in the rich and delicious authentic food—a point of pride for Christopher who aims to bring an “authentic taste of Greece to the heart of Boston.”

Gyro City’s logo is a perfect representation of Penny’s goal, as the words “Gyro City” are surrounded by famous Boston monuments including the bridge, the Citgo sign, the Prudential Center, and the John Hancock building.

Christopher and her husband, Jimmy, are both Greek. Christopher explained that she emigrated from Greece in 1972, and met her husband in America. They got married and started in the restaurant business soon after. The couple has two children, Paul, who runs the Gyro City location near Fenway, and Angela Christopher Guarracino, BC ’08. They opened up the original Fenway location because of the growing Boston demand for Mediterranean cuisine, plus it was a perfect spot central to a number of Boston colleges.

Although the Brighton location just opened, Penny and Jimmy Christopher are no strangers to the restaurant world.

They started in the restaurant business in 1978, opening Brother’s Deli on the North Shore. In 2006, they opened a restaurant by the name of Brothers Kouzina.

Although both restaurants served Greek fare, the gyro was missing from the menu, but after a trip Greece, the Christophers decided to incorporate the classic Greek dish into their restaurants.

Unsurprisingly, it was a success. The Christophers then opened up the first Gyro City near Fenway, and customers flocked to the shop. Within six months of opening, Phantom Gourmet, a staple of the Boston food media scene, came.

As soon as people bit into the gyros, they were amazed.

The Christophers make everything from scratch in the kitchens of their restaurants, with only the best of ingredients. Christopher’s husband is a chef, and he arrives early every morning to prepare the day’s food.

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“You cannot get better than that because it is homemade,” Christopher said.

The chefs slice, stack, and marinate the gyro meat, a very authentic process that shines in comparison to the typical American gyro-making process: using meat that has previously been frozen.

“I know that we are doing the right thing when companies attempt to sell us the frozen product, but we continue to produce our gyros authentically,” Christopher said.

But even with a superior product, the process of opening a restaurant is no easy task. When Christopher and her husband set to the task of opening the Brighton location, it was just four bare walls. They had to bring in a decorative flair, which Christopher added she especially likes doing, and they had to obtain a liquor license for the beer and wine that are imported from Greece. Gyro City also sells other Greek beverages including EPSA, a tasty Greek soda, coming in a variety of flavors from lemonade to cherry The menu consist of many delicious Greek staples including hearty lentil soup, grape leaves stuffed to the brim, flakey baklava, and a variety of other tasty options. Gyro City also offers many vegetarian options including crispy falafels, spinach pies, and eggplant salads.

Gyro City’s customer base consists of two main groups in the Brighton area.

One of these two groups is the student body at Boston College. Christopher said that she gives a 10 percent discount to BC students, and she sometimes caters events at BC. Recently, that included an event sponsored by BC’s Hellenic Society.

The second major group are Greek families in the neighborhood. In the future, Christopher hopes to continue franchising Gyro City, wishing to expose the multitude to authentic Greek food.

Within the next few years, she is hoping to pick up a few more locations.

“When Greek families come to eat, they always comment that they feel like they are back in Greece, since the food is so authentic,” Penny said.

The gyros, which Christopher pointed out are typically not pronounced correctly by adding an anecdote about a Jimmy Fallon skit, are superb. The sandwiches are wrapped in a warm piece of pita bread, garnished with red onion, chopped tomatoes, parsley, a tangy tzatziki sauce and smoky pork. An unexpected element in the sandwich?

Crispy french fries tucked just atop the pile of meat.

As the menu reads: “Many have attempted but we have perfected – the Gyro.” n

Last Thursday, about 2,500 Bostonians gathered at the Boston Opera House for the fall series of TEDxCambridge, an independently organized set of TED talks that highlight innovative ideas originating from the New England area. This year’s theme was rules—how we break of them and work within them. Although each of the five presentations differed immensely from one another in regards to discipline, they shared a common quality of disruption, and of challenge to our conventional grasps on science, life, and society.

Michael and Amy Port, a husband and wife duo who specialize in public speaking, opened the night of talks with the first presentation. The two are the founders of Heroic Public Speaking Worldwide—although, their roots lie in drama and performance, as both hail from prestigious art schools with MFAs in Acting.

Michael and Amy began on a bench, situated right on the iconic red TED dot in the middle of stage. Dramatically speaking, however, the bench sits in their imagination as performers, whether their chosen setting be a park or the bleachers for a baseball game. The two hold a conversation, a scripted dialogue to one another as if they are isolated on stage in their own world. They deliver their TED talk as a performance, looking each other in the eye, pacing around, stroking their chins, drawing out their words for emphasis, gesticulating as they lead the audience through their philosophy about performance, and the importance of it in life.

Like all TED talks, their act is meticulously planned—so what’s the difference? During the presentation, Michael and Amy are talking to each other, not at the audience.

The crowd gets to learn not just from the content of their presentation, but from the way they carry it out. They simulate a casual conversation between two immaculately eloquent thinkers—but the key is in the audience’s vantage point which lends the chance to realize that strong public speaking shares so much in common with graceful acting. Before the duo ended, they broke the fourth wall with the audience.

“View life as a performance, cater how you act based on your end goal,” Amy said. “Be authentic. You affect everyone with your actions so you might as well be intentional at it.”

Following their presentation, Glenn Cohen, a leading expert on bioethics and law, took the stage. Cohen started by asking the crowd: “Are there non-human persons?

Are there non-person humans?” two questions he has spent his career exploring.

Cohen asked the crowd to consider if they

would have empathy for an entity like Big Bird—yes the Sesame Street character.

Would the crowd would treat him more as a person, or the same way someone would treat a chicken?

Cohen argued that humans need to avoid speciesism, and refrain from assuming that other living things besides us do not deserve the same moral treatment. He explained that most people conflate the terms human and person, as if they mean the same thing, when in reality human is a scientific term, and person is a term to refer to something with certain capacities for feeling and sentience. He cited the example of Koko the gorilla, “who knows a few thousand words in sign language” and who, at one point, even adopted a kitten.

Does Koko deserve personhood?

It’s a complex moral issue, Cohen admitted, but he urged the audience to think more carefully about ethical treatment of living things, and to spend more thought than simply “Is it human or not?” when making important decisions.

After Cohen, Mike Boston was introduced to share with the audience his initiative of “Mobile Stü,” a traveling studio he brings around the inner-city neighborhoods of Boston. A rapper as well as the voice of national campaigns for the Boston Celtics, Boston has roots etched deep in the local area. He started by sharing the story of Antoine, a child he met through a shared interest in rap music. Although Antoine struggled with involvement in gangs and violence, he found escape through recording music, and expressing his personal story, his struggle with his family, through music.

“Expression—It’s a freedom in our country, but why is it that so many people still feel voiceless?” Boston asked.

The Dorchester native told the crowd how much he regrets not reaching Antoine sooner, so that he could have prevented Antoine from committing a mistake and getting arrested.

Boston believes that through music, inner-city youth have a chance to find themselves, tell their story, and cope with issues in a productive way. He also emphasized that although there is interest in recording and expression, most adolescents don’t have the means to access a professional recording studio.

And so, he installed a professional recording setup in the back of his truck, which he drives around to the neighborhoods of Boston to work with youth, to “give voice to the voiceless.” Boston hopes that through Mobile Stü, more teenagers can find a positive form of release, that through self-expression, they can share with society their piece of humanity.

Up next was Tsedal Neeley, an award-

winning professor in the Organizational Behavior unit at the Harvard Business School. She started with a history lesson: In 2012, Japanese billionaire Hiroshi Mikitani made an announcement to 7,000 employees of his company, Rakuten, forever changing how the business is run. Mikitani decided to adopt English as the company’s official language. Throughout the next five years, Rakuten employees all around the world started to pick up English and use it in the workplace—and for five years, Neeley was given full unconditional access to the company’s operations, tracking the changes and results of the language shift.

She shared her findings with the crowd, that Japanese employees struggled immensely, and worked longer and harder than ever before.

She also noticed that English-speaking employees excelled in the beginning, as expected. Neeley was surprised to find, however, that at the end of the experiment, the roles were reversed. Employees who had learned English for their job became more culturally prepared than ever and in-tune with the global culture of the company. On the contrary, English speakers were hit with culture shock, and struggled to assimilate to the company’s global shift.

Neeley asked the crowd to consider just how much language and culture are connected, and to entertain the possibility that they are two separate things. Neeley suggests, from the observations at Rakuten, that “language can be the bridge needed to join cultures together in clarity.”

Closing off the night was Dheeraj Roy, a Neuroscientist and Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. He shared with the crowd his advancements in understanding early stage Alzheimer’s.As someone whose family had been affected by Alzheimer’s, Roy explained that his drive for curing Alzheimer’s stemmed from his desire to help his grandmother restore her memory of him. His discovery came from shining lights in mice brains that simulated neuronal connections.

“The memory is still there, like a book lost in the library,” Roy said. “It’s just that the brain can’t retrieve it.”

After experimenting on mice, he found that indeed, if he could facilitate neuronal activity, the mice regained memory from before.

Even though his method may not arrive at the stage of human trial for another 10 years, that it has lit the way for other researchers to consider retrieval of memory as an avenue of treatment.

So just as forgotten memories might not be lost after all, perhaps the rules aren’t exactly what we imagine them to be. n

Photo Courtesy of Bearwalk Cinema

The 2017 annual TEDxCambridge talks took place last week, filling Back Bay with ideas and innovation.

‘THE BURDEN SHOULD NOT REST ON WE THE STUDENTS.’ The Heights

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MONDAY

By Chris Russo Assoc. News Editor About 200 students gathered on O’Neill Plaza on Monday evening to speak out against recent racist incidents on campus and share their demands, which they presented to the University on Friday at a “Silence Is Still Violence” march.

On Friday, Oct. 13, two signs reading “Black Lives Matter” in Roncalli Hall were defaced with the word “don’t” and “do not” written in between “lives” and “matter.” In addition, a screenshot of a Snapchat purportedly from a BC student showing a blackened steak and cheese with the caption “I like my steak and cheese like I like my slaves” began circulating widely on social media the following Sunday night.

Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley and Vice President for Student Affairs Barb Jones released a statement Monday condemning the racist acts this weekend. Jones and Dean of Students Thomas Mogan released a longer follow-up statement on Thursday. Several other University offices also released statements. BCPD is currently investigating the acts of vandalism.

More than 20 students spoke to the crowd at the event Monday. Brian Paula, LSOE ’19, thanked Mogan, who was present, for coming to the event, but criticized other members of the administration for not attending. It is unconfirmed at this time whether or not Mogan was BC’s only faculty or administrative representative.

“I’m sorry Dean Mogan, you’re great, but you’re the only one that’s ever here … and at this point there’s only so much you can do,” Paula said.

Nicole Diaz, co-director of the AHANA+ Caucus and MCAS ’19, emceed the event. She said the events this weekend were racially motivated, and there was no other excuse for them.

“This incident was f—ing racially motivated,” Diaz said. “We’re going to say it, they’re going to say it, and we’re not going to give them the out of not

Lizzy Barrett / Heights Editor

About 200 students rallied Monday on O’Neill Plaza, partly to plan Friday’s solidarity march.

By Myroslav Dobroshynskyi For The Heights Hundreds gathered on the Quad Wednesday around 11:40 a.m. for a walkout rally held by Eradicate Boston College Racism in response to two racist incidents that occurred at BC over the weekend.

Students joined in chanting and sharing personal stories of their experiences with racism and discrimination. The demonstration was unregistered with the University.

Several media helicopters hovered overhead as students led chants of “No justice, no peace, no racism at BC!” and “Black Lives Matter!” throughout the event, which lasted about 15 minutes.

The event later made most of the local evening news broadcasts and the local newspapers.

George Boateng, MCAS ’18, asked students about what kinds of things they would want graduates to say about BC, and shared his opinions about racism on campus.

SUNDAY

10/16 | About 200 students rally on O’Neill Plaza.

MONDAY

10/13 | Signs in Roncalli vandalized to read “Black Lives Don’t Matter.”

10/16 | Quigley, Jones respond in email.

President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., to hold open office hours for students to voice their concerns.

The “Silence is Still Violence” march started on Friday at noon, beginning in McElroy Commons and ending at Corcoran Commons. At Corcoran, the students presented formal demands to the University, which involved increasing AHANA representation among faculty and developing a preuniversity educational modul about racism for all students. A “Silence is Violence” march was also held last year, in late September, in response to a homophobic slur being written on a parking sign in the Mod Lot. The rally and last Friday’s incident coincided with AHANA Acronym Week.

Paula said he had made a mistake in coming to BC, and profanely criticized University Spokesman Jack Dunn for a statement he gave in an interview with The Heights in 2015 regarding the actions and position of Eradicate BC Racism. Paula said he was particularly upset with Dunn’s statement that “the supposition that BC is an institutionally racist place is a difficult argument to make.”

In that statement to The Heights, Dunn also said that Eradicate “is formed based on that supposition and if they said we’re opposed to racism all of us would work with them—we all are. All of us abhor racism in every form.”

“None of us is opposed to having difficult conversations,” Dunn also said. “But the expectation is that they be respectful, civil, consistent with steadfast academic principles. So if they’re willing to work with us, we’re willing to work with them. But this policy with disruption at the expense of communication, at the expense of dialogue, we think, is unproductive.”

Paula said that people should not be scared of acting out. He told freshmen in attendance to not be complacent because that is a mistake that he and his fellow upperclassmen made.

“Change doesn’t happen with reformation, it’s revolution,” Paula said. n

Julia Hopkins / Heights Editor

Hundreds attended a walkout Wednesday, where several student speakers criticized BC’s response to the racist incidents.

10/18 | Hundreds walk out in event organized by Eradicate criticizing BC’s handling of these incidents.

WEDNESDAY TUESDAY

FRIDAY 10/13

f—ing saying that this was about race.

Because it f—ing was. There is nothing that is not racist in 2017 about making a f—ing joke about slavery. That’s not funny.”

Several students shared their stories of facing racist acts on campus.

One student told a story of how while she was walking back to her room with her friends during her freshman year, a couple of students threw fried chicken at her and her friends, allegedly saying “It’s the black kids, they deserve it.

They want the f—ing chicken.”

Akosua Achampong, Undergraduate Government of BC president and MCAS ’18, said students that feel unsafe at BC should tell their parents, connections, professors, and everyone around them. She encouraged students to know when their professors’ office hours are and share their concerns. At an academic institution, she said, the primary way to combat ignorance is to speak up during class.

“We’re not all going to be free until the most marginalized person is free: black, queer, woman, not able-bodied,” Achampong said.

Over the course of the gathering, a few students who spoke said that BC was not built for them, but only for white people.

“You keep saying it wasn’t built for you,” Achampong said. “Yeah, it wasn’t built for you. But the reality is you’re here now. How are you going to make it your own?”

Students then began to share some suggestions for demands they would present to the University during Friday’s “Silence is Still Violence” march.

Sara Elzeini, a member of the Muslim Students Association and MCAS ’18, made several demands, including harsher punishment for racist acts, support for victims of these acts, mandatory programs for ignorance, similar to BC’s bystander intervention program, and an increase in the number of faculty of color on campus.

She also called for the University’s top administrators, including University

WEDNESDAY

“It [racism] starts from the top,” Boateng said. “BC has failed not only its black students, but its LGBT students, and white students also.”

“You know how BC has a 10-year plan about how to make BC a better institution?” he added. “We want a 10-year plan on how to make BC a diverse, inclusive place for all of its students.”

Boateng continued to criticize the administration, which he said does not teach white students how to be empathetic and think of students who are not as privileged as them.

Howard Huang, a graduate student and member of Eradicate, shared his story next, which touched upon issues of racism, sexual assault, and discrimination on campus. He claimed people have called him racial and homophobic slurs on campus.

“How many times have we had to fight injustice that has occurred at this Jesuit institution, that in practice just sends out a short-ass email and just calls it a day?” Huang said. n

TIMELINE OF EVENTS 10/15 | A racist Snapchat starts circulating widely on social media.

Monday, October 23, 2017

10/17 | Aneeb Sheikh, MCAS ‘20, introduces SA resolution listing demands to BC.

10/19 | Jones, Mogan write longer follow-up statement.

THURSDAY 10/19 | Quigley writes faculty encouraging them to attend march on Friday.

10/20 | Thousands participate in “Silence is Still Violence” march through campus.

FRIDAY 10/20 10/20 | Signs supporting white supremacy appear at start of “Silence is Still Violence” march, hours before it begins.

The Heights

Monday, October 23, 2017

Solidarity March, from A1 who you are / don’t apologize for being white” were hanging on the campus map stand between Stokes Hall and Carney Hall. In the top right-hand corner the signs included a logo for American Renaissance, a monthly online magazine committed to promoting white supremacy according to other publications including The Washington Post.

BC responded to the incident in two comments on Facebook, posting in one that “It appears an outside group, well known for such tactics, posted offensive materials to provoke controversy. We stand united in opposition to their actions and denounce all forms of hatred.”

In the other, BC wrote that police are investigating and will “provide updates as soon as possible.”

While marching throughout campus and down Commonwealth Ave., forcing traffic to be redirected, students shouted a variety of chants, such as “No justice, no peace, no racism at BC.” One of the chants from students called on the fact that University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., has not made a public statement on the issue. Many asked loudly: “Where is Leahy?”

University Spokesman Jack Dunn said Leahy is in California at Santa Clara University for a board of trustees meeting, which Dunn said has been on his schedule for months.

Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley was present at the march. He declined to comment on it specifically, but said he was there to give his support.

Other senior members of the administration, such as Vice President for Student Affairs Barb Jones and Dean of Students Thomas Mogan, spoke at the event.

“I’m pleased at how many students and faculty and staff have shown up and are contributing to this,” Jones said. “I think it’s a wonderful statement about how BC really does care. BC cares enough to keep working, to keep making it better.”

After marching down Commonwealth Ave., students and faculty congregated in front of Lower to give testimonies on their experiences with race at BC. They expressed strong sentiments against the bias-related acts and presented several demands for the University.

Akosua Achampong, UGBC president and MCAS ’18, laid out several demands students are making of the administration, including increasing the presence of faculty of color and LGBTQ+

faculty. Another demand is a campus climate survey to help BC assess its needs in resources and programming.

“The burden should not rest on we the students,” she said.

When Mogan came to the stage, the entire crowd bent down onto their knees, resembling the protests of Colin Kaepernick and many NFL players have done prior to games during the national anthem. He expressed the University’s commitment to including all students into the BC community.

“We have to care enough to make BC a community that is inclusive and welcoming to all, particularly students of color,” Mogan said.

He also called upon students to report violations of the Student Code of Conduct through BC’s Agora Portal. He further emphasized that he and Jones are accessible to students at all times.

Last Friday, two signs reading “Black Lives Matter” in Roncalli Hall were defaced to read “Black Lives Don’t Matter.” In addition, a Snapchat from a BC student showing a blackened steak and cheese with the caption “I like my steak and cheese like I like my slaves” spread across social media. Two sophomores also said a whiteboard outside their door that expressed support for the black and Latinx communities has been repeatedly erased.

Throughout the week, students expressed outrage over the events.

About 200 students gathered on O’Neill Plaza on Monday evening to express their concerns, and hundreds participated in the “Walkout for Black Lives” on Wednesday.

But multiple events occurred on Friday morning that threatened the unity the rally attempted to foster. Two identical signs, each with a large image of Uncle Sam and text reading “I want you to love who you are / don’t apologize for being white,” were hanging on the campus map stand between Stokes Hall and Carney Hall.

Additionally, a Black Lives Matter sign on a student’s door was removed and another defaced in Gonzaga, as Matthew Razek, the Resident Director of Claver, Loyola, Xavier, and Fenwick Halls said in an email to residents Friday morning.

In a follow-up statement on the racist incidents, senior administrators not only encouraged students and faculty to attend the solidarity march, but also emphasized that BC will work to cultivate inclusivity in its new Strategic Plan. The crowd at the rally included at least two vice presidents of the University.

Despite words of support from administrators, some individuals are calling for the BC’s religious community to take a public stance. Ronald Porter, who students identified as Professor Porter, said he marched with Martin Luther King Jr. alongside Jesuit priests and nuns. He feels that BC’s Jesuit community has made a minimal response to these events.

Students also told stories about facing racism and hate on campus.

“I walk into the classroom, and I don’t know who hates me because of the color of my skin,” one student said.

Rev. Joseph Marchese, S.J., a longtime faculty member, said the issue lies on an individual basis among students and is not a student body-wide issue.

“What we’ve experienced is not general to the student body,” Marchese, the former director of First Year Experience, said. “Our students are not racist, and many of them understand that very nature of [BC] is to treat everyone with human dignity.”

BC’s student leaders propose engaging in dialogue about issues surrounding marginalized groups. Many speakers at the rally in front of Lower said they simply want to have a conversation with prejudiced individuals.

“Rather than focusing on the actual incident of racism, I’m asking student leaders and UGBC to focus on the culture that allows this racism to occur,” Aneeb Sheikh, a UGBC senator and MCAS ’20, said.

Based on the turnout, the BC community appears more motivated than ever to address racism on campus. Régine Jean-Charles, an associate professor in the romance languages and literatures department, encouraged students to channel all of their emotions into their activism and that doing so will create a world without hate.

“Don’t make this a moment, [because] it’s a movement,” she said. “The fact that it’s a movement means it does not end today, it does not end at the end of the month, it does not end at the end of the semester, at the end of the school year, [or] when you graduate and leave BC.” Ines Maturana Sendoya, the director of the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center, said this is one of the largest demonstrations for solidarity of black students that she has seen.

“I’m moved to see faculty, staff, and students from different communities,” she said. “My heart is singing just to see that.” n

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FRIDAY

Delaney Vorwick / Heights Staff|Lizzy Barrett and Julia Hopkins / Heights Editors

“Don’t make this a moment, [because] it’s a movement,” Prof. Régine Jean-Charles said.

Ahead of Solidarity March, Student Leaders Discuss BC’s Response

By Connor Murphy News Editor In inter vie ws Thursday night ahead of Friday’s “Silence is Still Violence” solidarity march through campus, student leaders discussed what they describe as the inadequacy of Boston College’s response to several racist incidents that occurred early last week.

The incidents, specifically the defacing of multiple “Black Lives Matter” posters in residence halls and a widely circulated Snapchat of a blackened steak and cheese sandwich taken by a student with the caption “I like my steak and cheese like I like my slaves,” led BC administrators to send out two messages to students, one on Monday and one Thursday.

The incidents also prompted an emotional rally Monday night, and a heavily attended walkout Wednesday organized by Eradicate Boston College Racism. At both events, students voiced dissatisfaction with BC administrators’ response to the incidents, which they see as not strong enough.

Their comments add to long-running concerns by some students that also led, for example, to the organizing in September 2016 of a “Silence is Violence” march that criticized BC’s handling of the defacing of a sign in the Mod Lot with a homophobic slur.

Akosua Achampong, Undergraduate Government of BC president and MCAS ’18, said she was disappointed but not surprised when she initially saw a post on Facebook about the defacing of the Black Lives Matter signs, which were made to read “Black Lives Don’t Matter” and “Black Lives Do Not Matter.” Then, on Sunday, she saw the Snapchat for the first time.

“That was very upsetting and almost exhausting at the same point,” she said. “There is nothing funny about slavery, there’s nothing funny about the rape and torture and en-

slavement of people, and so for any student to find that funny was just confusing.”

But, she said, it’s bigger than one student or sign and part of a problem students face at some level every day.

For some people, she added, the issue is political, but for some it’s deeply personal and emotional.

“It’s not just a Snapchat, it’s not just those two or three signs, it’s [an accumulation] of every single thing,” said George Boateng, president of the Black Student Forum and MCAS ’18.

Achampong said the University’s response on Monday, a statement from Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley and Vice President for Student Affairs Barb Jones, was one of the quickest responses administrators have made to an incident, but she added that some students have found it lacking.

“Boston College condemns all acts of hate and is committed to holding any student who violates our standards accountable,” Quigley and Jones wrote in the five-sentence statement.

Francesca Araujo, MCAS ’20, described the statement as “crass.”

“How can a response to something so inherently dehumanizing and emotional not be emotional too?” she said.

“I just want to remind everyone that a sign wasn’t ripped down, someone literally wrote ‘Black Lives Do Not Matter.’ That makes me feel unsafe.”

Titi Odedele, MCAS ’18, said she doesn’t think people understand how much these incidents have impacted students, some of whom have told her they can’t sleep, eat, or do homework because they feel unsafe.

Nina Bombole-Boimbo, CSON ’21, said that as a freshman it has been challenging to process the racist incidents on campus.

“It’s been really hard to process, especially being so far away from

home,” she said. “To think that I came to a school where the administration doesn’t particularly care about such a prominent issue was really upsetting.

I definitely didn’t expect to experience something like this, especially so early on.”

Achampong said people “do not physically feel safe here.” BomboleBoimbo said one of her friends called her in the middle of the night asking to sleep in her bed because she felt like there was nobody in her dorm who cared about what was going on.

“The only place she could find any kind of comfort was with another black student,” she said. “To not only be out of your comfort zone but to feel in danger is extremely unfair and that’s been an extremely upsetting experience.”

Araujo added that she is not sure what is holding administrators back from issuing a statement that explicitly affirms that black lives matter.

Achampong said she understands the politicization of “Black Lives Matter,” but also said people need to understand how deeply emotional it is for some black students. Another student said it was not clear from that first email that BC is standing by students who are affected by the incidents.

Odedele said she found the lack of response from University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., disappointing, because of BC’s stated dedication to social justice and Jesuit values.

“It seems counterintuitive, right, to know that history, and to see this silence, it’s disheartening,” she said.

Zach Patterson, vice president of the Black Student Forum and MCAS ’19, said he had talked to a priest about Leahy’s role as both the University’s president and a Jesuit—Leahy can step down as president at any time, he said, but he’ll always be a priest, in a pastoral role.

“To not fulfill that role, I feel like

that’s sort of a misstep on his part, because as the leader of this institution he has the responsibility to make sure that the students under him are feeling welcome at the institution and make sure we feel like we’re adequately cared for, and we’re not just sources of income,” Patterson said.

Patterson perceives BC as an institution that is run like a business.

“When you run it like a business, it takes the emotionality out of it, it takes the compassion out of it, and I think the way they’re running BC is not the most compassionate,” he said.

Araujo said she doesn’t think BC responds to these incidents with the same force as other schools. She gave Brown University and Georgetown University, which announced earlier this month that it will avoid investments in private prisons, as examples.

Achampong highlighted Duke University, which she said made a strong statement on the violence in Charlottesville in August. Leahy made a similarly strong statement, although it was to faculty at University Convocation, and students were not emailed.

“We want to be just as good as our peer institutions, if not better,” Achampong said. “Being that we are a Jesuit university, we should be the trailblazers for a lot of these topics on social justice and human rights.” “[The administration’s power] is to set the tone, and to show students what the goals are,” Odedele said. “You can’t change every single person’s mind, which is fine, but the administration has the responsibility of showing students what’s acceptable and what’s not. And I think this was yet another case where the opportunity to respond in a firm way … was lost.”

Achampong said she thinks a lack of AHANA+ representation among high-level University administrators affects how they respond to bias incidents.

“There’s no one there to say, ‘Oh, I can have a personal connection to this,’ and have it be as visceral for them as it is for many students,” Achampong said. “Because they’ve never been in our positions, they can’t fully do that.”

Boateng said that BC’s efforts to improve issues of racism on campus are often opaque.

“If you’re saying that you’re working towards progress and towards improvement, then let students know,” Boateng said.

“Also, how can you not involve students in that type of action if it’s something that’s directly affecting us?” Odedele said.

Achampong and Tt King, UGBC’s executive vice president and MCAS ’18, hope that after Friday’s march the University makes some additional efforts to deal with issues of race at BC. King cited a campus climate survey, stronger bias-incident reporting resources, and some kind of preuniversity race education module as possibilities. Those were among the demands Achampong announced at the march on Friday.

“Trying to find a concrete, accountable way to keep track of the way that we’re educating students that are not just conversational but that can be quantitative in some way is something that I’m really looking forward to and hoping will emerge sooner [rather] than later,” Achampong said.

Another goal is to explore making the African and African Diaspora Studies Program a full department, outside of which Achampong said there is a lack of black representation among professors, especially in the sciences and in the Carroll School of Management.

“I think it’s still very saddening that a student, if they so chose, could go their entire four years at BC without ever being taught by a person of color,” she added. n

The Heights

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Monday, October 23, 2017

Editorials

Coming Together to Make Boston College a Home for Everyone Over the past week, the Boston College community has come together in solidarity after a series of racist incidents on campus, including the defacing of Black Lives Matter signs in multiple residence halls and a racist Snapchat sent by a student.

First, on Monday, students gathered on O’Neill Plaza for a rally designed in part to plan Friday’s march.

On Wednesday, students walked out of class and filled the Quad to its brim, gathering in support of marginalized students at BC as news helicopters hovered overhead.

On Friday, the University community showed up in an unprecedented way, as around 2,000 students, faculty, and administrators participated in the “Silence is Still Violence” march from McElroy Commons to Lower Campus, where student and faculty leaders shared their stories and shed light on the presence of racism at BC. Friday’s march was a powerful culmination of a week filled with emotion, conversation, and activism that made it clear to everyone at this University that hate has no home here.

Recent events have no doubt tested the resolve of BC and its students. At the march, the University community demonstrated that it was ready to meet that challenge.

Acts intended to intimidate and demean students of color instead brought people of all races and backgrounds closer together, allowing the student body to hear voices and stories that all too often fall on deaf ears.

While the conduct of a few bigoted individuals has brought discrimination at BC to the public’s attention, this issue predates the past week.

The problem of racism at BC didn’t begin when a racist coward decided to deface Black Lives Matter signs in Roncalli Hall, and the issue will not end after Friday’s march.

No single action students can take will solve this issue in its entirety, and the challenge of expelling racism from this University can only be overcome through consistent effort.

Echoing the rallying cry of Black Lives Matter, Regine Jean-Charles, an associate professor of romance languages and literatures and African and African Diaspora Studies, said it best: “Don’t make this a moment, it’s a movement.”

This is a movement in which every student, regardless of race, has a role to play. It involves a decision to engage with the issues that exist at BC—and everywhere in this country—such as racism and white privilege, even if they might make students uncomfortable.

Change occurs when students step outside of their comfort zones, and recognize that if we are to be true “men and women for others,” an issue that affects even one student at BC affects us all.

The march was organized by the Undergraduate Government of BC and FACES, two student groups, and executed almost entirely by students on Friday. The University promoted the event on its website and social media, effectively endorsing the occasion.

The obvious presence and response of administrators at the rally itself, as well as during the week through email, serves as a positive indication of their future engagement as the BC community continues to grapple with these important issues in the coming years.

BC administrators and professors must continue remaining involved to this high degree at subsequent rallies.

Dean of Students Thomas Mogan, who spoke at the march, and Vice President for Student Affairs Barbara Jones have been vocal allies for stu-

dents, and have indicated that they want to work with the student body.

Mogan is well known to be willing to meet with students to discuss their concerns and work with them to accomplish their organizing and activism goals within the guidelines of the University.

Mogan has served as the main linking element between students and high levels of the administration, and it would be wise for students to not lose this voice.

Nevertheless, the administration at BC must understand: The rally was organized by students for more than just to protest racism.

Stu d e nt s a c t i v el y exp re s s e d , through the signs they held, the speeches they gave, and in interviews with The Heights, that they are not content with how BC is handling acts of racism, even after the administration’s response on Friday.

At the end of the day, these students felt unsafe because of these acts.

And, as we’re sure the administration agrees, the safety of its students is the highest priority.

Black student leaders who spoke to The Heights have taken issue with University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J.’s lack of response to the racist incidents on campus last week.

Leahy, who on Friday was at Santa Clara University at a board of trustees meeting planned months ago, serves as BC’s foremost representative. In the past year, he has made his stance clear when it comes to some national events, such as acts of racism in Charlottesville, Va., and the repealing of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

During this time, in which racist incidents have occurred on his own campus and members of the student body have been made to feel unsafe and believe a statement from him would help, Leahy cannot remain

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an academic program that is largely Eurocentric. The University has made strong strides over the last several years to grow and develop courses and departments from a wealth of traditions—that push must continue.

Hiring more faculty and administrators of color is a goal that the University has made strides in, but needs to continue to work toward. Increasing diversity within BC’s academic departments is essential to ensuring that underrepresented identities and voices are present in the education of every student at BC. As Achampong noted, a student at BC could currently go their entire four years without taking a class with a professor of color.

Furthermore, increasing diversity in areas of the University outside the classroom in which students would interact with mentor figures, such as Campus Ministry or University Counseling Services, is also paramount to that mission.

Conducting a regular survey to assess the needs and concerns of underrepresented student populations at BC would help administrators to better serve the University’s diverse student body as they seek to establish a school that is welcoming and inclusive for all.

BC is a university, but for many, it is also a home. As students, faculty, and administrators, we within the University community have a responsibility to ensure that each and every member of our community feels like he or she can call this place home, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other unique identity.

Moving forward, students, faculty, and administrators alike must realize that if we work together, we can redefine this University’s culture, and through resilience, persistence, and solidarity, make BC live up to the statement, “for here all are one.”

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silent.

Marches and rallies are important ways to express the concerns of students and to call on the leaders of the University to take notice. The next step involves cooperation with those who have the power to facilitate the requests that students are making, and members of the administration, through their words and actions, have indicated that they are ready to come to the table.

On Friday, Akosua Achampong, UGB C president and MCAS ’18, introduced three demands of the University on behalf of UGBC and other student organizations with the goal of making BC a more inclusive place for all. The Heights believes that these demands are reasonable, practical, and necessary.

The establishment of a diversity education program for freshmen would represent an important step in increasing student awareness of issues involving race at BC. Programs involving alcohol education are already required of students prior to their arrival on campus, and introducing a module on diversity, as Achampong said, would provide students with at least a basic level of cultural competency so that they may engage in well-informed discussions on campus.

A pilot program called Campus of Difference, in which students learn about diversity at BC, has been introduced in a couple of freshman residential communities. The program should be extended to the entire freshman class to contribute to the same goal.

BC has recently made efforts to expand its African and African Diaspora Studies Program, and the University should devise a plan to see the program become a full department in the coming years if it has not already.

Like many university cores, BC has

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The Heights

Monday, October 23, 2017

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Introducing Responsible Drinking The Power

Thomas Keenan Shedding The Green - The best time of the year is finally here.

It’s starting to get a little chillier outside, and the leaves on the trees are beginning to change from green to an array of shades of yellow, red, and orange. As the seasons switch and campus, full of warm autumn colors, becomes ripe for artsy Instagram pictures, some of the most enjoyable times of the year will arrive. Halloween is right around the corner. Thanksgiving Break, the much-needed family time and respite from midterm season, is within sight. Then, when all of this has passed, it’s smooth flying on brisk winds until the Christmas season and Winter Break. In this busy period, it’s easy to let the beauty of fall in New England escape our awareness. Don’t let this glorious season slip by, and take in every last ounce before winter’s spell transforms the landscape again.

A State Unconsidered - Maine is an amazing place. I’ve only been a couple times, but there is something about the land that lies in America’s most northeastern corner that has enticed me each time I’ve entered its boundaries. From its many beautiful lakes and cabins, to acres upon acres of well-preserved forest, and the lighthouses dotting its rocky coast, I consider this well-preserved state to be an underappreciated place. Maybe it’s just cause I’m a city kid who never grew up around nature, but I feel like those stuck in concrete jungles all too often forget about the wildlife that thrives in the North. I love city life, but I appreciate that something else exists not too far away.

That alcohol consumption is entirely legitimate, in accordance with Catholic teaching and with sensible moral thinking more generally, is a truth I referred to in a previous column. The benefit that alcohol consumption can bring to social gatherings was something I emphasized, based on my own experience of drinking.

For legal reasons, it is understandable that Boston College may be reluctant to encourage alcohol consumption as a part of most campus events because such large segments of the student population are underage.

For those 21 or older, though, the lack of integration of alcohol into a great deal of on-campus activities is a disservice.

It expresses an attitude which seems to me to be based on a condescending view of students’ self-control, and it passes over a valuable opportunity for aiding in students’ moral education.

First, I want to express my belief that the only justification for not consuming alcohol among the student body, at least in general, is that for many students it is illegal. While for some health considerations or academic demands may be good reasons to personally give up alcohol, moderate consumption for most students presents no moral danger.

I think this can sometimes be obscured because of the government’s ban on alcohol for those under 21. A certain sort of person, who cannot accept that the law could be without good moral justification, tries to reason with himself that the restrictive law follows from the morally dangerous status of alcohol consumption.

This way of thinking can only hold up if we equate drinking in general with the extreme states of intoxication that follow binge drinking, or with the clearly morally problematic phenomenon of drunk driving. Such irresponsible behavior can of course affect more than the drinker him-

self, as is especially obvious in the cases of alcohol-related car accidents.

Of course, though, such irresponsible behavior should be separated in our minds from drinking itself. It seems to me an overstep to categorically ban all alcohol consumption because it bears a connection, in a very limited number of cases, to activity that poses a threat to others. As a government policy, perhaps, it may be our best option, but the above reasoning gives no reason for classifying drinking itself, in a responsible manner, as a moral issue.

This includes people under 21. There is probably a good argument to be made that one has an obligation to obey the law under normal circumstances, and for this reason drinking by underage students ought not to be tolerated, either by individuals or by BC as an institution.

The assumption that I too often encounter, however, is that consumption of alcohol itself, not the harmful effects of binge drinking, is suspect. As college students, it can seem that authority figures have so little faith in our self-control that their thought of us drinking is impossible to detach from an image of excess and irresponsibility. Thus, one of my professors will frequently say a prayer to the class on Fridays, and include in his intentions for us that we “stay sober.”

No explanation is ever given for why we need avoid being under the influence of alcohol, but it comes across as an implicit claim that we cannot be trusted. Similarly, an email that has been sent out to residents of my dorm who are of drinking age before every football game has reminded us to not, among other things, dance on tables if we choose to tailgate at the Mods before a game. Even if we are of legal drinking age, it seems, the representatives of the University are not fully able to trust that we can handle ourselves properly.

It seems much more appropriate to discuss such matters with the problem drinkers, as opposed to implying that a mass email is required to stave off some of the debauchery that they expect will inevitably follow from giving students the opportunity for drinking. This is incredibly condescending, and contributes, by addressing us as basically sub-rational be-

ings, to the very attitudes toward alcohol use that it attempts to discourage.

There is also a reluctance, I find, to include any alcohol consumption at student events on campus at which it might seem appropriate. The effect of this is to make such events unattractive for students to attend, and it makes impossible for students to become experienced drinking in settings where they ought to practice the sort of self-control that will be required of them in regard to alcohol upon graduation.

To give one example, I am a member of Alpha Sigma Nu, a Jesuit academic society.

Earlier this week was the first “social” of the year. The event was titled “Cupcakes with Jesuits.” I do not think I was the only one to find such an event to sound a bit juvenile.

The purported purpose of the meeting was to provide an opportunity for students to meet Jesuits and other Alpha Sigma Nu students on campus. The society is composed entirely of seniors, and given the lowering of inhibitions that is the effect of alcohol consumption, it seems only appropriate that such a “social” would be centered around not cupcakes, but refreshments. It would also signal that the students were trusted to be adults, able to refrain from overindulging while able to enjoy the benefits of the social lubricant.

To simply exclude alcohol from University-sponsored events directed at students is to send a message that we cannot be trusted to act responsibly, and to pass over the opportunity for providing spaces in which to practice the art of social drinking.

Such social drinking is an essential component of the adult social world, and to incorporate it into University-sanctioned events, such as drinks in receptions after lectures or for events to which only seniors are invited, would be a much more sensible policy than the current one, which seems to verge on a denial that anything but trouble can come from be anything but fully sober.

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

Bridging the Distance Between Us Lucia Madero

Where Is The Mayo - This is a very nitpicky qualm, and a very personal one as well, I will admit. During the time in which my dad’s French ex-girlfriend and her two kids lived in my house, I became hooked on eating fries, chicken tenders, and other fried foods in the way that they did: with mayonnaise. Not just mayonnaise on its own, however, but mayonnaise mixed with ketchup. This might sound gross to you, but please, don’t knock it until you try it. Most people I’ve forced to taste this pink-ish mixture have found it to be delicious, and it’s somewhat common in other parts of the world, like Europe. Alas, when I desire to create this delicious concoction at late night in Lower, I am often stopped dead in my tracks.

The usual white Heinz mayonnaise dispenser is replaced by one for hot sauce, and I am left to munch on my bowl of unhealthiness with ketchup alone as a dipping sauce. I wish that Lower would leave out mayonnaise for late night, as Mac sometimes did last year, which would often make my night in the midst of a long study session. Please Lower, I need my mayo.

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Being in college when you’re an international student can be a taxing process for many reasons. Language barriers, varying weather patterns, and different foods can all pose challenges.

One of the most prevalent problems, though, is distance. Going back home when you have to take long and expensive plane rides is a hassle.

Communicating with our families can be hard if the time zones are different.

Although these are hard barriers to overcome for students, I think growing accustomed to a more independent American lifestyle is even harder for our parents.

I was sitting in class the other day with my laptop open and my phone in my vest pocket, trying not to fidget.

All of a sudden, my pocket starts buzzing. I slid out the edge of my phone and saw my mother’s name on the screen. I silenced the call and told myself I’d call her back in 20 minutes after class was over.

This process was repeated 12 more times, my anxiety mounting with every call I silenced. I started thinking maybe something was wrong and I really should be answering. By that point, though my teacher had not noticed, the people around me had begun to look at me. I could not silence my phone fast enough.

After the 12th call, there were a couple of minutes of nothing. I thought maybe the ordeal was over.

Then, my laptop started beeping very loudly, and a message popped up on the screen.

“Catalina Murillo has found your Mac.” In the next two seconds, my phone

started going off wildly, with the message: “Catalina Murillo has found your iPhone.”

The class was laughing as I turned a very entertaining shade of red and dismissed the alerts as fast as I could.

Even my teacher let out a chuckle when, after asking who was so insistent on contacting me, found out it was my mother. I stepped out of the room, calling my mom worriedly. She picked up the phone on the first ring.

“Hi Monkey! I knew you’d pick up if I spammed you. How are you?” she said.

I groaned. She just wanted to talk, and had forgotten that I had class at that time.

When I tell my friends at Boston College about this story, they laugh and ask if it gets annoying for me to talk to my parents once a day. I correct them and tell them that I don’t talk to them once a day—it’s actually at least three times.

To some, this may seem excessive.

I’ve tried telling my parents that my friends’ parents only call them once a week. Whenever I do this, though, their voices drop an octave and I know I am treading on eggshells. A wrong step and I may be on the next plane to Mexico so that they can happily talk to me every day without fail. Or, depending on what they’re in the mood for, on a plane to some far off monastery in Nepal so that I can learn to appreciate the constant communication.

Another tool my mom loves to use is Find My Friends, which sends her my phone’s GPS location whenever she accesses the app. I’ve had some interesting experiences with this app, such as when it notified my parents that I was in the middle of the Charles River.

First, they sent me pictures of my location and the messages “What’re you doing in the river?” accompanied by lots of little emojis of water, waves, and a variety of different facial expressions. When I didn’t respond in

the next five minutes, they called me frantically asking, “Did you fall off the kayak? Have you drowned?”

I proceeded to inform them that it was midnight and no, I had not been on a kayak, and no, I had not drowned. They calmed down quickly after they realized I had actually been asleep in my bed in 2000 and my location had been a glitch.

It’s not that I think one style of maintaining relationships is better than another. I think there are simply many different ways of living, and different habits that we are accustomed to.

For many international students, including Mexicans, college in their hometowns would have meant commuting back and forth and interacting with their families every night. Even when we’re in the U.S., our parents still expect us to keep the same sort of rapport we would’ve had had we not gone to college so far away.

At home, every day would have been Parents Weekend, and my parents plan to keep this sort of relationship even when I’m not in Mexico. My mom may not have come up a couple of weeks ago, but she still knows what I ate, what I did, where I went, and how much I slept during those three days.

They’re always the first to like my pictures on Facebook, they’ve opened a Snapchat account so they can draw on pictures of my dogs and encourage me to send them selfies, and are always very perplexed as to why I don’t live stream on Instagram.

Though I’ve worked out how to keep them updated on those three social media fronts, they’ve also sent me a GoPro and suggested I wear it on my head. I’m still figuring out how to break it to them that I will not be doing that.

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

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

of Home

Shannon Lyons

The moment I stepped through the door, I knew that I was home. The distinctly autumnal scent of a Yankee Candle seemed to saturate the entire house. As I gathered my bags and started down the hallway, I was met by the familiar sound of my dog incessantly barking and by the volume of the living room TV, which was, as always, turned just five notches too high.

Upon entering the kitchen, my sister’s face lit up with excitement and my brother rushed to embrace me in one of his notoriously tight bear hugs. I smiled and let out a deep sigh of relief—only then, did it occur to me that I’d been holding my breath at all.

Regardless of who you are or where you come from, there is something nurturing about returning to those people and places that once comprised your everyday reality. During my visit home this past holiday weekend, I found myself overcome with gratitude for those luxuries that I had so long overlooked in the past—a shower that I could enter with bare feet, a fridge full of fresh fruit, a cool, air-conditioned room.

For the first time since school started this year, I felt as though I could totally let go and immerse myself in the comfortable familiarity of my “old life.” I did not need to think about what assignments I had due next week or how I would squeeze in time to go to the plex. For the time being, I could simply enjoy the company of old friends and family.

In doing so, however, it occurred to me that both my character and my life at Boston College were different than they were at home. This contrast startled me and led me to briefly question my experience.

Have I not been true to myself at school? Am I as comfortable and content on campus as I believe myself to be?

Though I had never entertained such doubts before, I couldn’t help but notice that there were stark differences between my “home away from home” and the place that I was raised.

Within moments of returning to campus, however, my uncertainty dissolved. Reunited with my friends in the fluorescent-lit dining hall, laughing over the mundane meal of grilled chicken and rice that we eat every night, there is no place I’d rather be.

There is a unique element of comfort that comes with being surrounded by people your own age. This feeling is naturally very different than the comfort which a Yankee Candle or a home-cooked meal provides. Nonetheless, I believe it is one which most BC students have experienced.

A large part of this “comfort” is due to the fact that everyone on campus shares the responsibilities of classes and schoolwork. We all inevitably have something in common with one another, whether that be empathy during finals week or a common desire to do well in class. Such similarities contribute to the connectedness that binds the student body.

But is it possible for a feeling to become a home? Is a sense of connection and rapport enough to convince one that they belong in a specific place?

Reflecting on my experience at BC thus far, I have come to believe that “home” is a concept which can be carried with us wherever we go. It is the sense of affinity you feel for a person when you allow them to be completely and wholeheartedly themselves. It is the unanticipated flash of awareness that you are deeply loved by someone in the world.

In every season of our lives, this concept will manifest differently. In every relationship, we will find ourselves a slightly different person. With the passage of time, there will come new scents, sights, and sounds—an unpredictable reality that will comprise our idea of home.

How refreshing it is, to have the ability to experience this in multiple places—in both the fluorescent-lit dining hall on a Sunday night and in a candlelit kitchen, surrounded by family.

To know that we can adapt and connect to different people and places is a testimony to our innate capacity to expand and to grow—planting ourselves and reaping fruit in as many spaces as we can.

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

The Heights

A8

Monday, October 23, 2017

Podcasting and the Atomic Bicycle: Nugent’s Newest Project

By Archer Parquette Features Editor Quarter-full bottles of wine littered the oak table. A scowling W.B. Yeats stared down at the scene with disdain, melancholy, and a hint of jealousy from his framed photograph perched on one of the bookshelves lining the room. Each bookshelf, spread across the east wall, was full of the greatest literature written on the small island that produced such writers as Yeats, Beckett, and Joyce—Ireland. Rain struck the window pane to the west, a quiet arrhythmic murmur, turning the evening twilight mottled and gloomy in just such a flowery way as to encourage the purplest of literary prose. In this small side room of the Connelly House, a motley crew of English department hooligans gathered last April to read and analyze a single page of Joyce’s dreamy riverrun, past Eve and Adam’s, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, masterpiece of recirculation Finnegan’s Wake.

The grad students, professors, novelists, and slightly overwhelmed, rain-soaked undergrads began reading the work, when their attention was taken by a newcomer to the scene, the man who started this weekly Finnegan’s Wake reading—Joe Nugent.

Nugent walked into the room to the usual fanfare and shifted the focus from Joyce to another Irish writer, one less well known. Flann O’Brien, the columnist, novelist, and literary troublemaker, is going to be the subject of Nugent’s latest creative project.

“A podcast,” Nugent said.

If another professor walked into this reading and announced plans to create a podcast about O’Brien, most of the listeners would have nodded politely and then two months later the idea would have died a quick death. But Nugent’s projects have a certain spark to them—one that inspires the best of Boston College to come out and try to make something slightly crazy work.

Last year, he started work on a virtual reality video game based on James Joyce’s seminal novel Ulysses. A video game based on a novel that takes place over one day, contains mind-boggling connections and references that could short-circuit the brain of the most tested reader, and spends pages on a middle-aged man sitting on the toilet does not sound like an immediately viable idea.

The game demoed in Dublin this past summer.

Nugent and his team of students, who are still working on the game, made

it happen. In the wake of that success, he took on a new interest.

“I’ve been listening to podcasts forever,” he said. “I thought I was the only person who listened to podcasts. It was a great discovery to me that all the cool kids on campus and everywhere else were listening to podcasts.”

When he realized that his students slinking into class with their headphones in might be listening to something a bit more interesting than the latest pop anthem, he realized that there was a way to turn that energy into a tool for teaching. He had proven that he could create these ambitious projects, so when he announced his plan to create a podcast harnessing the subatomic energy of O’Brien, people listened.

The rest of that spring evening went as many Finnegan’s Wake readings do—strangely—and the assembled Joyceans left with only the slightest inkling on how the project might go.

Less than a year later, on Oct. 21, a similarly motley crew of literary misfits and podcast warriors gathered in Burns Library for an event titled “The Atomic Bicycle in the Modern Era.” Attendees included the members of the beautifully-titled Omnium Consortium, a group of undergraduate and graduate students Nugent gathers every Wednesday to put together a podcast, talk O’Brien, and figure out how to bring the pedagogical possibilities of a podcast into the classroom. Actors, journalists, columnists, podcasters of all stripe, and interested students also joined together for this event. Spearheaded by Nugent, the meeting was the first step toward coalescing this podcast project into a complete and focused whole.

Early into the day, David Gullette, literary director of the Poets’ Theatre, stood in front of the room and recited: “The chest to him was wider than the poles of a good chariot, coming now out, now in, and pastured from chin to navel with meadows of black man-hair and meated with layers of fine man-meat the better to hide his bones and fashion the semblance of his twin bubs,” he said.

That poetic description of a hairy fellow’s chest comes straight from the pen of O’Brien. It’s amusing, eloquent, and a little bizarre, like most of O’Brien’s work. O’Brien’s best-known novel, The Third Policeman, was never published during his lifetime. The atomic bicycle from the podcasting event’s title comes from that novel.

Due to subatomic particles, certain folks in the novel’s small Irish town

Archer Parquette / Heights Editor

Joe Nugent and his team of students are setting out to combine the educational potential of podcasts with the literature of Flann O’Brien. have begun to merge with their bicycles. They ride them so often, you see, that their molecules and the bicycles’ molecules have begun to merge. And now we have people running around who are half-bicycle—who lean their elbows against walls like kickstands— and bicycles who are half-human. As Nugent first began developing the idea for this podcast, he landed on O’Brien as a prime subject.

“I’ve been excited by Flann O’Brien forever,” Nugent said. “We just realized that the funniest writer in Ireland, who’s been neglected for a very long time in America … his star has been rising very rapidly in English-speaking countries …

We think this is time to launch him.”

Despite this excitement, a podcast subject is not enough. Creating a highquality podcast is complex. Making it engaging and focused is only one difficulty. The team has to find the right equipment, figure out the proper auditory format, and consider the possibility of turning the podcast into a teaching tool for the classroom.

Nugent brought together students for the project, and after the atomic bic ycle podcasting event, he will take the next step toward pursuing it—from exploring literary discussion to figuring out how to stop people from loudly exhaling directly into the microphone.

The day straddled the line between those two drastically different realities of podcasting. On one side, there were readings of O’Brien’s prose, discussions of storytelling, and delicious chocolatecovered strawberries. On the other hand—print is dead, journalists are

poor, podcasting is a business, the listener is fickle, and while the strawberries are delicious, don’t forget they are fattening and loaded with teeth-rotting sugar. Podcasting may be a fascinating manner of reaching out and telling stories, it is also part of a world of business and production.

In the great effort to create this podcast at BC, Nugent brought in several speakers to discuss the material realities of such a project. Pagan Kennedy, who works as a journalist, columnist, and novelist, opened the day of discussion.

“I’m really excited to be here because I’m trying to figure out this thing that we call podcasting, which is really an emergent form and kind of the Wild West,” she said.

The other speakers continued in the same vein—podcasting as a wild and untamed territory. The storytelling potential, monetary concerns, and simple auditory realities all played a role. Charles M. Sennott spoke about his firsthand experience creating the podcast GroundTruth, which tells longform reported stories—such as his own story about working as a journalist in the Middle East.

“You can connect through recording people’s conversations in a deeper way than any other way,” he said. “Because they suddenly feel really heard.”

Nugent’s young team took notes and followed each talk closely.

After Frank McNally, a columnist for the Irish Times, discussed O’Brien’s history of writing fake letters to the editor, the day ended with a panel of podcasters discussing their craft. As the

medium continues to advance, podcasting is a massive field full of people trying to figure out not only how to make a good podcast, but what a good podcast even is. Guiding lights—Serial, S-Town, The Daily—serve as basic templates, but everything else is up for grabs.

Two of the speakers, Kyle Claus and Alex Reimer, produced Buswell Street, a podcast about media and politics.

“We got started in a Cleveland Circle basement,” Claus said. “Does not get much grungier than that. Especially cause we started with one mic and had to talk uncomfortably close to each other’s faces. But that’s friendship, man.”

Portland Helmich presented her experience creating Stranglers, an in-depth look at the Boston Strangler case. Helmich and her team sorted through hours and hours of tape to put together the narrative, which received considerable attention and performed well on iTunes. From the amateur Cleveland Circle creations to the full-blown longform reportage, the panel was full of insight into the world of podcasting.

Amid all this advice and far-reaching concerns, Nugent’s next step is to bring all these ideas together and figure out a clear path forward for the podcast.

As the attendees dispersed into the grey autumnal day, visions of subatomic fusions of man and machine dancing in their heads, Nugent and company headed off to the perfect place to ferment the beginning of what will surely be a podcast project to remember—the Irish Village for a pint of Guinness. n

Behind the Counter With Grogan, City Co.’s Coolest Cashier

By Shannon Kelly Asst. Features Editor and

Caroline Lee

For The Heights A pale girl with dark bags under her eyes trudges up to the counter at City Convenience. Her arm lands on the counter with a plop as she slides over a bottle of Robitussin to the thin white male wearing a black and red checkered flannel at the cash register. He looks at her with a soft smile through his chestnut-colored beard and rings the medicine up for her. As she turns to leave, he says in an Irish accent, “Feel better, dear.”

Only his accent isn’t real.

Patrick Grogan, MCAS ’18, perhaps better known as the “City Co. Guy,” has a self-afflicted Irish accent.

“A lot of people think I’m Irish,” he said. “I’m not.”

Many Boston College students who wander into City Co. on weekend nights can recognize the “City Co. Guy.” “He’s the Irish guy with the really long ponytail, right?” Caleb Welch, BC ’17, said.

“He also says ‘dear’ a lot,” Na-Eun Kim, LSOE ’18, said.

In his late-night position at the store, Grogan can be both jarring and caring at the same time. Sometimes he asks how your day went, while in other encounters he will go off on a tangent about global warming, his voice rising with anger. Grogan seems to be passionate about everyone and everything—which it makes it strange that something so common to the BC community would actually make him feel like an outsider.

Grogan’s first meeting with BC was more than picture-perfect. He stepped on a campus much different from its 2017 iteration, when Stayer was still called The Gate and Stokes wasn’t even built yet, in 2012. The much-adored BC grass was shrouded in powdery snow, glistening under the sun. Even the space where Stokes would one day house classrooms and offices, called the Dustbowl, looked beautiful. The cold temperatures did not dissuade Grogan from the campus—originally from a town in New York that borders Scarsdale and Yonkers, he was used to the Northeast weather.

“Full disclosure, I chose the school because it was just very pretty,” Grogan said.

But sometimes we fall victim to an aesthetic, forgetting that classes, exams, and real life also play out on campus. Grogan returned to New York to finish out his last few months of high school and prepare for his move to college life, and the concrete parts of BC faded from view, leaving only the pretty, snow-covered picture of campus in his mind. When freshman year picked up and reality came back to the forefront, Grogan started to feel lost.

“Once I got to school, I remembered that this is the decision I made,” he said. “This is no longer a fantasy.”

The pressure of classes wasn’t the only thing that troubled Grogan.

When he arrived on campus, he was a clean-shaven young man with a crew cut, much like the typical BC guy. It was the kind of cookie-cutter appearance that fell right in line with the Vineyard Vines quarter-zip sweaters and boat shoes. He adopted the workhard, play-hard attitude common at

BC and other competitive schools, studying during the week and going out multiple nights on weekends.

But not everything about Grogan conformed to the mold—his flannel shirts and skateboard attire, with bold patterns and colors, stood out like a sore thumb.

People noticed that there was something that did not scream BC Eagle, and they were not afraid to point it out to him.

“I hate the words, ‘You don’t look like you go here,’” Grogan said. “I’ve gotten that so many times that eventually, the thought is, ‘Then why am I here?’”

As the years went on, the feelings of isolation only compounded on him, and eventually Grogan needed a break. During his first semester of his senior year in 2015, Grogan contracted mononucleosis after drinking out of a cup that his roommate failed to properly clean. The illness added another stressor to an already anxious Grogan, who was struggling to juggle working eight hour shifts at City Co. with schoolwork and friends.

“I had some issues with stress and anxiety, and it doesn’t help when there is a validated culture where people think you can or cannot belong to it, and the first thing you say to someone is, ‘You don’t look like you go here,’” Grogan said. “ It doesn’t help. It’s like saying the sky is blue. Congratulations.”

Grog an to ok a much-ne e de d leave of absence from BC, delaying his graduation until spring 2018. He went home for the year and took some time away from his academic studies, as well as his job at City Co. When he returned in 2016, he started growing his signature long hair and beard out,

which made him feel more comfortable in his skin. Though it strayed farther from the BC boy stereotype, it did not bring on the same stress and questioning from himself that plagued him earlier in his college career.

At the same time, his change in appearance brought on unwanted attention and comments at times. Grogan said that people have called him a derogatory term for an LGBTQ+ person, because his appearance is not the most typically masculine or heteronormative. But while comments such as this may have bothered Grogan more in the past, as a fifth-year senior, he remains unfazed.

Grogan has also turned his attention to trying to change the behaviors of his fellow students, as well as his generation in general. He thinks people spend too much time on their phones, and do not realize how important just saying hello or asking someone how he or she is can be to people who are struggling.

Not everything is so dismal, however. Grogan is one of the few students who has spanned two generations of BC, seeing one complete their journey and watching another unfold.

Being in the middle of these two has shown him how much the school and its students have changed over his five-year career. Now, people are more open and are more willing to have tough conversations, he said.

It makes him optimistic for the BC that will exist after he graduates in December 2017. He suggests allowing exploratory events like retreats and classes like Perspectives to take on a heavier role in later years at BC, when the conversations about God, social justice, the meaning life, and who you

are stop for most people.

The fact that Grogan has so much time to think about all of these things is a testament to his character. He can never just think of himself—to him, that would not be the most useful way to spend his time.

“You don’t always meet people as selfless and knowledgable like he is,” Jeff Perez, a friend of Grogan’s since freshman year and MCAS ’18, said. “He almost thinks beyond himself—like he’s pondering the objective good rather than his own wants and needs.”

The questions don’t stop when it comes to our current society or BC students. As a biology and classics major, Grogan spends time delving deep into the ancient pasts of Greece and Rome while keeping up with the most current science news. For Grogan, he can only specialize in so much. He loves philosophy, reading books, and getting sucked down an unending information hole in the form of Wikipedia pages. Nothing is not worth knowing.

Looking back on his years at BC, he has grown immensely in knowledge and his sense of self. Though at times he can get bogged down by questions of authenticity or belonging, he has found a comfort in discovering and conveying who he wants to be, no matter the stereotype or pre-conceived notions.

“Questions like, ‘You don’t look like you go here’ don’t bother me as much now because I know who I am— to a point,” Grogan said. “Still not very well, but it’s taken a lot of people knowing—or telling me explicitly that they don’t know who I am—for me to know myself better.” n

The Heights

Monday, October 2, 2017

A9

Amelie Trieu / Heights Editor

With Lines out the Door, El Pelon Fills BC’s Burrito Needs

By Cole Dady Heights Staff Show a Boston College student the iconic picture of a mustachioed bald man with a bird on his shoulder, and they’ll almost surely identify the logo of beloved hotspot El Pelón Taqueria.

The logo depicts Jim Hoben, the owner of the Commonwealth Ave. restaurant, his wife’s bird, Murray, and a distinguished piece of facial hair.

Hoben is not only personally responsible for the logo, but for the name itself. “Pelón,” a Spanish colloquialism denoting baldness, was a nickname that caught on over time as Jim’s employees always called him this jokingly.

The El Pelón next to BC opened out of necessity. Due to a 1998 fire at Hoben’s first restaurant, which was located at Fenway, he and his employees were displaced and forced to relocate.

As a result of this incident, Hoben decided to create BC’s El Pelón, which turned out to be the perfect location for the Taqueria, directly across from a college campus full of students with an insatiable appetite for burritos.

Since the restaurant opened, it has always been a major hotspot for BC students. During the first year of business, the demand was overwhelming.

Many times he was forced to close at 7 p.m., when they ran out of ingredients and could no longer feed the line of ravenous students. Hoben says that those lines were so long that they ran out the door, down the sidewalk, and

blocked the B Line.

Hoben still has his second El Pelón outside Fenway Park but has never attempted to expand the restaurant into a large corporation. The reasoning comes from a simple idea Hoben has always held close to himself: quality over quantity.

To ensure that the quality of the food is consistent, all of El Pelón’s employees work in both locations. To keep it authentic, Hoben and his team never take short cuts, taking the time to source ingredients properly even if he is forced to sacrifice revenue along the way.

The menu has also evolved over the years largely due to customer feedback.

Many of the items offered today originated from limited time offers at one point in time. Nonetheless, there is also a unadvertised “secret menu,” that only the initiated can enjoy. Hoben’s favorite item from the clandestine menu is the tamales.

The consistently scrumptious burritos and quesadillas stem, in part, from Hoben’s concern over keeping his employees motivated to craft highquality food.

Employees are paid a starting salary of $15 per hour and are always allowed to take food from the restaurant home to their families for dinner, thereby giving them a stake in the products they’re creating. For Hoben, this is the best way to create great food and run a good restaurant.

“The cost of making the food is a fraction of what it is to have [our em-

ployees] care,” he said.

Hoben studied philosophy and public policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston. He worked in restaurants in the past, and throughout college, he felt a strong draw toward a career in the food industry because he loved the camaraderie and wanted to avoid the boredom of working in a cubicle.

“Everyone wants to be big because they don’t know what enough is,” Hoben said.

He also feels that it is far too challenging to maintain healthy relationships with his customers and employees by growing to a large scale.

He says that, while many businesses send out surveys to get customer and employee feedback, it is much easier to gain this information by walking to the cash register and talking directly to them.

This way, El Pelón has also maintained a strong alumni network from former employees who were BC students. Employees return to El Pelón over the years to tell Hoben that they learned far more about having a strong work ethic at the restaurant than they ever did through their coursework at school. He says that although students don’t necessarily become rich from working in a restaurant, their knowledge will translate into longterm success.

Hoben’s selfless approach to running his business has helped him create value for both his customers and employees. He has established El

Pelón as a friendly, neighborhood restaurant. This also helps the restaurant maintain a reputable brand, even when mistakes occur.

Serving between 400 and 500 transactions each day at both locations, El Pelón’s employees are destined to make mistakes on the orders once in awhile.

But what is important for Hoben is primarily on making sure customers are compensated well.

He often makes phone calls to customers who complain about a mistake made in an order, and also sends them handwritten notes with complimentary gift cards to apologize. In today’s digital age, this method has always proven effective to deal mistakes and maintain a reputation as being customer-focused.

El Pelón also differentiates itself through altruism, for Hoben has made sure that the restaurants support local small businesses. Guided by the simple idea of giving back to the community, the restaurants use smaller Bostonbased vendors rather than the larger tycoons to source their ingredients, even if they are more accessible.

“In a small business, the main things on my mind are focusing on giving more to my customers and giving more to my employees and the community,” he said.

Within the BC community, students who commonly go to the restaurant envy the opportunity to have their photo featured on the photo wall. El Pelón’s photo wall features the restaurant-goers traveling to destina-

tions across the world, be it the Grand Canyon or the Eiffel Tower, and doing exciting things like skydiving, participating in an Occupy Wall Street march, or hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.

For students interested in being featured on the wall, he suggests that they focus on displaying a unique, noteworthy characteristic about their destination. He also mentioned that there aren’t many pictures on the wall of locations around New England.

Finally, many BC students also recognize the restaurant for its famous Chili-eating contest. Anyone bold enough to take on the challenge is incentivized by the potential to win a year’s-worth of burritos from the restaurant.

Any entrants must be prepared to face fierce competitors. Two years ago, the winner ate a shocking total of 90 habanero peppers. Last year, the winner upped the ante by downing over 100 peppers.

El Pelón nurtures BC students with delicious food throughout their college experiences. It’s an experience that sticks with students years into the future.

Brian Nason Hippern, a longtime fan of the restaurant and an up-andcoming songwriter from the Boston area, decided to write a song dedicated to the restaurant: “Trip to El Pelón.” He perfectly captures the meaning of the restaurant in his ode to the Taqueria: “When I’m feeling so down, there’s one thing that can turn it all around. / … making a trip to El Pelón.” n

Ori Transforms Home Decor for the Cramped Modern World

By Alessandro Zenati For The Heights As Ori founder Hasier Larrea listens to the moderator address future visions for the smart city ecosystem, the microphone dangles between his index finger and thumb. Dressed in a crisp blue collared shirt, heather gray blazer, and jeans, he emits a distinctly European sense of relaxed professionalism—reminiscent of his university studies near the Spanish coast. Yet, in the moments before starting this roundtable discussion, he spends a few pensive moments looking out the window. Below this sixth floor venue in the Seaport District, the melange of car horns and traffic officer whistles was muted by the steady drum of looming cranes.

Construction projects have populated the city at a frenetic rate in recent years as a result of a boom in Boston’s startup landscape. The conse quent re cruitment of te ch employees and executives presents a new challenge for urban planners and real estate developers as more people search for a place to live near their workplaces. This reality will necessitate that people reconceptualize the spatial layouts of their homes and, he said, will dismantle the “linear relationship between square footage and functionality” within shared living spaces. Larrea believes that his team at Ori has the technical know-how to seamlessly bridge the gap between

architecture and robotics, two worlds that have yet to fulfill their combined potential. Larrea is convinced that Boston is the best testing ground for him to put this theory into practice.

Fueled by a desire to design viable solutions to the issues associated with mass urbanization, Larrea arrived at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, formally trained as a mechanical engineer. He wondered how his passion for architecture could be woven into his master’s research efforts. Admittedly, he was under the impression that these two disciplines were mutually exclusive, and that a potential intersection was impossible.

Yet the MIT Media Lab presented Larrea with the perfect opportunity to combine these interests through the CityHome project borne out of the City Science Group, a research division of the Media Lab devoted to the investigation of new models for urban design, and optimal combinations of automated systems to address the exigencies of the future.

Here, a graduate program he envisaged would take six months snowballed into a six year stint at MIT, and, after collaborating with researchers that would eventually form the founding team at his startup Ori, a path illuminated before him.

“The stars aligned,” Larrea said.

“Rather than a choice between being a researcher and an entrepreneur, it became an evolution that came with the project.”

Born in 2015, Ori is Larrea’s attempt to translate several years of research and rapid prototyping into a scalable final product that could be easily integrated into blueprints by real estate developers. Ori had proof that the concept of installing robotic furniture hubs that house your bed, office desk, and closet inside 250 to 400 square foot apartments was possible. Thus, the point of emphasis for Ori shifted away from more research.

Instead, Larrea wanted to move from having one system that worked once in a controlled environment to expanding production to a thousand systems working all the time when interacting with residents.

“You will learn more from five minutes with a client than from five months with sketches and one-off prototypes,” Larrea said.

So he collected insights from thousands of potential end users, uncovering what people thought about bringing robotics into the home. Security and reliability were dimensions that Larrea took seriously. Many wanted a product that was both aesthetically harmonious and affordable for young professionals or couples living in the city, where the rising cost of living has pushed workers toward its peripheries. People are more responsive when the pain is most acute, so the problems associated with mass urbanization allowed Ori to weave their demands into the iterative process. The 30,000-foot, bird’s eye view

for Ori is to reroute the trajectory of city life.

Commands can be relayed to the wifi-enabled Ori hub through Alexa and Google Home, which now act as essential links to the internet of things where different applications, such as Spotify and Uber, can be accessed instantly. The furniture runs on a fixed track extending along the length of the room, and can shape shift to accommodate specific activities. Suppose you want to pick out an outfit while your significant other practices yoga in the other room.

With a simple gesture, the robotic furniture will transform what used to be the dining room into a spacious yoga center on one side and a walk-in closet on the other.

When it’s time for bed, the mattress will slide out from its hidden moorings to change the space into a bedroom. This innovation stands in stark contrast to trends in space functionality of the past, such as the concealable Murphy bed popular in the early 20th century.

“You can’t use old solutions to solve new problems,” Larrea said.

In partnership with real-estate developers and a world-renowned designer by the name of Yves Behar, Larrea and his team were able to iterate on Ori’s furniture design, user experience, and brand image by emphasizing modularity and customisation. By creating pricing tiers based on different textile combinations, the

total addressable market expanded and effectively eschewed a division between the “haves” and “have nots”.

By removing inefficiencies and frictions impeding the adoption of home innovation, Ori hopes to show the world that robotics can seamlessly fit into the spaces we cherish the most. “[City spaces] are far too valuable to be static and not respond to the users needs,” Larrea said. “The same robotic platform technologies—the mechanics, electronics, and so forth— will be applied across the spectrum to solve other problems derived from different urban spaces. Technology and robotics can create spaces that have the intelligence of a computer.”

This is the ethos that has allowed Ori to expand its influence, with 13 pilot apartments currently equipped with their system across the country.

Ultimately, Ori’s mission is to establish a platform that empowers other companies to create and build automated systems for the home. With its incentives to create and resources to execute, Boston is a natural breeding ground for this type of disciplinary melange. Yet, despite the promise that innovation will simplify many of the tasks we as humans find time consuming, it appears that the home is the last frontier to be explored. Space is now at a premium for city dwellers, and Ori wants to make sure that we make good use of it.

After all, “every square foot is not created equal.” n

The Heights

A10

Monday, October 23, 2017

Trio Shares Its Voice, Laughs Online With ‘Dank’ Memes

Armed with Photoshop, three students are providing an alternative platform to simply appreciate Facebook humor.

By Timmy Facciola For The Heights Scrolling through Facebook, you might spot a few posts—images with hundreds of likes: A steak cut in half and labeled, “diversity at BC.” Captioned: “Waiter: ‘Your steak sir. Very rare’ Me: ‘Thanks.

Wow that is rare.’”

A father talking to his daughter with the dialogue, “‘Daddy, why is my brother named Paris?’ ‘Because he was conceived in Paris.’ ‘What about me?’

‘Enough questions Gasson 305.”

Eighth-grade boys flipping off the camera, captioned, “When the Agoros Bouncer says ‘you’re like 12’ but you’re actually 14 and a half.”

All of these memes can be found in Boston College Memes for Jesuit Tweens, BC’s most popular Facebook meme group, which now has over 4,000 members. In February 2017, the page was first called BC Turkeyspotting.

As its name suggests, it was a forum for people to post pictures of turkeys they spotted on campus. Founders and moderators Erin Olejnick and Edward Byrne, both MCAS ’18, and Grace Rice, CSOM ’18, soon learned that there weren’t that many turkeys to spot, and the page died down. Then, one lazy morning in April, Byrne texted his two friends to ask if they wanted to day drink.

“I have a better idea,” Rice said. “Let’s make memes.”

Byrne showed up to their dorm to find Rice and Olejnick behind their

computers, photoshopping away. Collegiate meme groups were receiving attention in the news, and Rice felt a calling after reading an article, which shined a light on the collegiate meme culture and pages at schools like Harvard, Yale, and the University of California, Berkeley. The three agreed that if BC were to compete with its fellow top30 colleges, it needed more than brilliant faculty, marvelous stone buildings, and robust endowment—BC needed dank memes.

On May 2, Olejnick gave the turkey spotting page a makeover. Drawing inspiration from B e r k e l e y ’s “ U C B erkele y Memes for Edg y Teens ,” the three agreed to name their brainchild, “Boston College Memes for Jesuit Tweens.”

“The first memes were not the funniest, nor the dankest,” Byrne admits.

“It was a lot of s—tposting, just sort of the three of us just laughing at our own jokes.”

“S—tposting” refers to the act of posting material that is purposefully and ironically low quality. The appeal of the memes was not the humor at first—it was the fact that after watching niche memes about other schools gain attention, BC now had its own page, albeit small, with quasi-corny jokes about campus life.

One of the original memes, posted on May 3, 2016, is a plain white background with black text. It reads, “You: ‘gah-sun’ Me, an intellectual: Gassõn.”

Another is an image of Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, captioned, “A retro Denver Nuggets jersey? For a darty? Groundbreaking.”

No one envisioned the page growing to the extent it has.

“It started out as a small group,” Rice said. “We thought it would just be for

there is an expectation that jokes will be rooted in a progressive political commentary or opinion.

With a shared ideology came the given that they too would not tolerate any discriminatory humor on the new page. Theirs is not the edgy, politicallyincorrect humor found in the bowels of 4chan.

A recurring criticism made in the page is the University’s lack of an LGBTQ+ resource center. One popular meme is the template of the mocking Spongebob with the caption, “Student body: can we please have an LGBTQ resource center? Administration: cAn wEE PLs hAvE a LMNOP rEsOuRcE CeNteR?” Another meme displays two rows of four pills, and each pill has a corresponding change to BC. The caption asks, “which would you pick?” The pills’ powers range from, “Increase GPA by .01,” to, “[Mozzarella] sticks always have good texture” and the final pill at the end of the second row, “Adequate mental health resources.”

Over the summer, Olejnik told orientation leaders to plug the page to their incoming freshmen. On July 31, Rice posted in the group, “If you are a member of the class of 2021 add literally everyone you meet at orientation.

YOU ARE THE FUTURE.” The number of members skyrocketed thanks to the incoming freshmen.

“Seeing the new members active made us realize we started a legacy,” Olejnick said.

New members will notice a distinct tone of humor in the group. Byrne acknowledges that a lot of the same jokes get made over and over, and that the criticisms of BC tend to be from a more liberal standpoint. But Byrne, Rice, and Olejnik think that the notion of a liberal echo chamber should not carry a negative connotation, especially on a campus like BC’s where, they feel, much of the discourse is conservative.

One meme is a picture of four cleancut white kids in preppy clothing with the caption, “Diversity doesn’t just mean skin color! It also means diversity of opinion!!!!!!” Another meme is a picture of a woman talking to a toddler, captioned, “CSOM Student: ‘what are you learning in school?’ kindergartner: ‘shaped and colors’ CSOM Student: ‘lmao good luck getting a job with that.’”

“Seeing the new members active made us realize we started a legacy.

-Erin Olejnick, MCAS ’18 our friends.”

The BC page was not the trio’s first encounter with memes. Byrne, Rice, and Olejnik all say they are active in Leftbook, a corner of Facebook that is particularly progressive. Rice is member of the group “Intersectional Witchcraft,” and Byrne enjoys the content posted in “New Urbanist Memes for Transit-Oriented Teens.” The common thread that binds Leftbook groups is a set of two standards. First, there is no tolerance for any isms or ias—racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, xenophobia, or transphobia. And second,

Amelie Trieu / Heights editor

Edward Byrne (left), Erin Olejnick, and Grace Rice are the founders and serve as the moderators of the Facebook page.

This CSOM kid is not an abstract image to Byrne—he sees parts of himself in the stereotype, as he too, “[wears] Patagonia and has privilege.”

The page mocks the perceived stereotype of BC students in an attempt to create an environment of inclusion.

He doesn’t want kids to stop wearing Vineyard Vines, but he’d like the salmon-shorted crew to recognize their privilege.

“No CSOM guy wants to hear a Social Justice Warrior lecture him on all the toxic cultures he perpetuates,” Byrne said. “But they can laugh at a joke that mocks them.”

Byrne sees memes as “jokes with discourse surrounding them,” and believes he has the obligation to make these criticisms because he recognizes his privilege.

“We have a platform,” Byrne said.

“We’re a bunch of white kids. We do have an obligation to say something because if a person of color is gonna go in and say something, he or she will be written off.”

Last weekend, the moderators felt compelled to speak up in light of the racially-motivated sign vandalization and other incidents. But they did not want to break from the format with which they address other issues—they wanted to make memes. The first meme was a criticism of the administration’s response to the racist actions. At the top, it asks, “Who would win?” On one side is the racist Snapchat and on the other side is the administration’s email response, “Boston College condemns all act of hate and is committed to holding any student who violates accountable … ” Another meme is a picture of Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward sitting on the ground after breaking his ankle on Tuesday night. University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J.’s face is photoshopped on Hayward’s and the broken ankle is covered by a CBS news logo and an image of the walk-out on Wednesday. The post received 183 likes and comments like “dank AF.” The memes were not op-eds denouncing institutional racism, nor were they theses on how to combat internalized racial assumptions. And the moderators do not want that.

“We don’t want a long list of comment wars on posts,” Byrne said. “We don’t want that response to be vocalized in the group. We want the group to be a starting point where people, who may not be vocal advocates of progressive issues, can at least laugh at the humor and acknowledge the truth it’s rooted in.” n

Head of the Charles Draws 300,000 to Annual Racing Event With 11,000 racers, the largest two-day rowing competition in the world has become a staple of Boston’s fall calendar.

By Vaughn Feighan For The Heights And then there were none. The bank of the Charles River has finally earned its reprieve after the annual celebration dedicated to the stellar men and women of the international rowing community.

This past weekend, over 300,000 people descended on Boston in hopes that their husbands, wives, children, students, or superstar athletes crossed the finish line at the 2017 Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR)—the largest two-day rowing event in the world. In addition to the cheering crowds that adorned the sides of the Charles, 11,000 competitive rowers flew in from all corners of the world to compete in this incredibly sacred and exhilarating competition. These athletes, some competing in more than one of the 66 events, trained tirelessly to conquer the Charles River and this famed competition.

“The fact that you can pull so many people from different areas of the world, with no rule changes, no detrimental cultural implications, is something that only a few sports can capture and this event is a prime example of one of them,” said, Mark Sulimirski, CSOM ’19, a spectator at the event.

The Boston University Boathouse marks the start of this one-of-a-kind event and runs three miles upstream, where it finishes near Herter Park. Over the duration of the race, the coxswain and crew must pass beneath a total of seven bridges: the railroad trestle bridge and the BU Bridge welcomed the rowers almost immediately out of the start

gates. The rowers then proceeded to go under five more bridges, one of which the Boston College cheering section seemed to dominate in its entirety. The Eliot Bridge comprises an important part of the race—it represents a crucial strategic part of the course, because of an almost 180-degree turn, the amount of crashes that occur at that point, and the crowd sound from spectators that fight to stand there. Many spectators who finagled their way onto the crowded bridge, such as Daniel Yu, CSOM ’19, were able to appreciate the vantage point’s charm.

“It was just a nice place to be even though I had no connection to the sport at all,” Yu said.

The bellows emanating from the megaphones of the coxswains and the referee boats were stifled by the tremendous hollers of approval for the BC crew teams when they passed on their respective days. On Sunday, these cheers were louder than ever, which was fitting as 2017 marked the 30th anniversary of the formation of BC men’s club team.

Walking through the team grounds on both days, massive 57-foot sterns and bows swung over the heads of all those smaller than the men and women wielding them. Regardless of background, people all over the world stop and stare when teams of men and women hustle to and from the river carrying their fiberglass equipment over their heads or on their shoulders. Even though the sheer production of the race shocks many first-time attendees, spectators, such as Will LaHera, CSOM

Lizzy barrett / heights editor

Preppy outfits and steaming bread bowls of clam chowder drew those to the river who weren’t as keen to watch the competitions. ’19, noted that the sense of community in the air is hard to miss.

“This race brought together so many people that it fostered a sense of community and makes you feel like you are part of something bigger than yourself,” LaHera said.

For many who came to watch the race, however, this weekend was not entirely devoted to standing on the muddy side of the river in a well-worn pair of boat shoes. The tents and stands that lined the entry ways and walkways

contributed to the sustenance, such as a steaming bread bowl of clam chowder, that each person needed to successfully withstand two whole days of this tradition.

And food was not the only survival mechanism, for attendees came decked out in his or her respective coats of armour as well. As BC students know, Patagonia and L.L. Bean are popular forms of dress in Boston, but HOCR takes this dedication to another level.

Whether on the Eliot Bridge, passing

the Aston Martin race tent, or standing in line waiting for a cup of cider, the people at this race were dressed to impress in their brands of choice, while simultaneously dressed to take down any man, woman, or child who blocked their view of the boats cutting through the river. But as Nico Thompson-Lleras, MCAS ’19, noted, it’s all in good fun.

“There were just a lot of happy people along one stretch of river that all together made the day just extremely unique,” Thompson-Lleras said. n

SPORTS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2017

B1

@HEIGHTSSPORTS

Finally Fun to Watch

FOOTBALL

TURNED

THE TABLES HAVE

STEVE HELBER / AP PHOTO

With a blowout win at Virginia, the Eagles have now posted 40-plus points in back-to-back ACC victories for the first time in program history.

BY ANDY BACKSTROM Asst. Sports Editor CH ARLOTTESVILLE , Va .

— Less than five minutes into the first quarter of Boston College football’s game against Virginia, the Eagles were backed up deep in their own end zone. They had been there before.

Just three weeks prior, after being pinned down at the oneyard line, early in the first quarter, Jonathan Hilliman ran the ball up the gut. He was swarmed by a host of Central Michigan defenders, and then pushed back into the end zone for a safety. On Saturday, however, Hillman’s mentee—A.J. Dillon— got just enough to get the drive going—one that would last over five and a half minutes.

The 15-play, 85-yard series may have only culminated in a field goal, but it served as an indication that this Eagles team is hardly the same as the one that started the season 2-4.

Following Colton Lichtenberg’s

30-yarder, BC rattled off three-consecutive touchdown drives. Up 24-0, midway through the second quarter, this one was practically over. The Eagles tacked on 17 more points in the final portion of play, to cap off a 31-point blowout—the largest margin of victory for BC against an ACC team in the Steve Addazio era.

Right from the get-go, Virginia (5-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast) quarterback Kurt Benkert looked out of sync. The senior, who had thrown a trio of touchdowns in three of his past four games, only completed two of his first seven pass attempts for negative yardage. Without a passing game, the Cavaliers’ offense was stagnant. UVA recorded a mere four first downs in the opening quarter and punted the ball three times. Despite horrible field posi-

BY RILEY OVEREND Sports Editor In less than two weeks, Boston College football has completely reversed the narrative surrounding its season. Saturday’s seemingly effortless 41-10 win at Virginia gave the Eagles (4-4, 2-3 Atlantic Coast) back-to-back ACC victories for the first time since 2014, silencing murmurs about head coach Steve Addazio’s hot seat. In his crucial fifth year at the helm of the program, Addazio may have saved his job this weekend in Charlottesville while also paving the way for BC’s return to the postseason.

Brown’s Big Day Redshirt freshman Anthony Brown played the best game of his young career, tossing for 275 yards and three touchdowns against a tough Cavaliers defense. He came out of the gates firing, leading a 15-play, 85-yard drive

41 VIRGINIA | 10

BOSTON COLLEGE |

See BC vs. UVA, B3

that culminated in a field goal on the first possession, the team’s first points on an opening drive this season. A 15yard run by Brown and a 28-yard pass to Tommy Sweeney helped set up the 30-yard try for Colton Lichtenberg.

The Eagles kept their foot on the gas, scoring touchdowns on their next three drives and extending their lead to 24-0. With 256 total yards of offense in the first quarter—the most by BC in an ACC game in nearly a decade—the game was effectively over after the opening 15 minutes. And Brown was the biggest reason why.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound signal caller was incredibly accurate, completing 19-of-24 passes on the afternoon. He also became the first BC quarterback since Quinton Porter in 2003 to throw for three touchdowns and no interceptions in a conference game. Equally impressive was his ability to avoid pressure in the pocket and use his legs to move the chains, as Brown looked like a true dual-threat quarterback for the second-straight

See FB Notebook, B3

ANDY BACKSTROM At the end of September, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Johnson ranked college football’s 10-most watchable teams. Inspired by ESPN senior writer Zach Lowe’s annual NBA League Pass Rankings—a series of columns designed to sort the boring NBA teams from the most electric ones—Johnson’s criteria was pretty simple. He mainly took into account roster talent, scheme, and highlight production. Naturally, Penn State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and Louisville headlined the list. Clemson, Alabama, and UCLA weren’t too far behind either.

Some of these teams have more NFL prospects than others, but they all have one thing in common: the ability to score quickly and often. Every one of them is averaging over 30 points per game, and the majority are hovering around 40. As exciting as defense can be, the average football fan likes to see nothing more than points on the board. The fact of the matter is, scoring draws attention.

Three of the past five years, Boston College has cracked the top 15 in total defense. But it hasn’t mattered.

In 2015, the Eagles had the best unit by far, giving up less than 1,000 yards on the ground and a shade over 15 points per game. Conversely, BC featured the third-worst offense in the FBS. Albeit riddled with injuries at the quarterback position, head coach Steve Addazio’s team averaged a mere 17.2 points per game, failed to win a game in the ACC, and finished 3-9 overall—the Eagles’ first three-win season since 1988. Morale was at all-time low. Fans were already calling for Addazio’s head, even after he had guided his team to two-straight back bowl games and a signature win over then-No. 9 Southern California.

Last year was no different. BC had the eighth-best defense in the country, but hardly improved on the other side of the ball. Led by graduate transfer Patrick Towles, the Eagles posted just 20.4 points per game—a severely inflated average, considering BC poured on 42, 35, and 30 points against Wagner, Buffalo, and Connecticut, respectively. The Eagles never scored more than 21 points in ACC play, and on three separate occasions, they were held to 10 points or less.

Entering the 2017 season, it was justifiable to say that BC was one of the least watchable teams in the country. Not only were the Eagles one of the worst-scoring teams out there, but they were also still clinging to a run-first offensive scheme that hadn’t really paid dividends since Tyler Murphy graduated in 2014. And let’s face it. Effective or not, running the rock doesn’t have the same appeal as it

See Watchability, B3 WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Lonergan Nets Hat Trick, BC Stays Undefeated at Vermont

BY ANNABEL STEELE Assoc. Sports Editor Before the season started, Boston College women’s hockey head coach Katie Crowley guessed that sophomore for ward CaiBoston College 4 trin Lonergan Vermont 2 would make a big jump in production this season.

Last year, Lonergan recorded 33 points, cementing her status as one of the top freshmen in the country. Crowley believed she could even double that mark this year.

After a dominant performance in the Eagles’ win over the University of Vermont, Lonergan is currently on track for 88.4 points this regular season.

Her contributions against the Cata-

INSIDE SPORTS

mounts came in the form of a hat trick to help BC to a 4-2 victory. It brought Lonergan’s point tally this season to 12 through five games and ensured that the Eagles remain undefeated on the season. BC (4-0-1, 1-0-1 Hockey East) also saw an excellent performance from netminder Katie Burt, who finished with 20 saves, while Vermont (2-5, 13) goalie Sydney Scobee made 33 saves on the day.

Scobee began weathering shots early in the game, as the Eagles mounted an aggressive attack from the very start of the first period. But despite BC’s best efforts, none of its opportunities paid off at the start of the game. In the first seven minutes, Scobee denied Serena Summerfield, Toni Ann Miano, and Daryl Watts, while Ryan Little’s shot sailed wide of the goal.

Vermont pushed back against the Eagles, turning missed BC shots into transition opportunities during the first period. Burt remained solid in goal as well, denying each chance Vermont mustered up. That pattern continued throughout the first period. Each team had significant opportunities, but failed to ultimately find the twine—until the final minute of the period, that is.

The Eagles spent time on the power play when Vermont’s Eve-Audrey Picard was called for high-sticking.

During the power play itself, BC managed a couple of chances. Cayla Barnes shot, but the puck went wide of the net, while Scobee saved shots from Watts and Grace Bizal. With 30 seconds left in the period, Vermont successfully killed the power play and returned to full strength.

Four seconds later, Lonergan finally beat Scobee to open scoring in the game and give BC a 1-0 lead.

Makenna Newkirk skated behind the net and up around the ice to the faceoff circle before firing a pass down to Watts, hanging by the goalpost.

Watts fired a quick pass across the goal to Lonergan, waiting on the other side.

Lonergan swept the puck in the back of the net as Scobee, out of position on the other side of the goal, failed to slide over in time.

Although the Eagles carried all of the momentum into the first intermission, they simply could not beat Scobee in the second period. She matched her first-period output with an additional 10 saves, preventing BC from cushioning its lead during the middle frame of the game. Meanwhile, Burt made

MEN’S HOCKEY: St. Cloud Sweeps BC MEN’S SOCCER: Eagles Fall to No. 2 Wake The Huskies completed a weekend sweep of the Eagles The visiting Demon Deacons dominated the second half with a 3-1 victory on Saturday.........................................B2 of a 4-0 shutout win on Senior Day.................................B4

eight saves, but Vermont’s continued pressure was eventually rewarded with a game-tying goal.

With just about five minutes to go in the period, Vermont pulled Scobee in order to put an extra attacker on the ice.

This move paid off for the Catamounts.

Amanda Drobot fired a shot toward the goal, but it was blocked before it could reach Burt. The puck deflected off and fell in front of Olivia Kilberg, who beat Burt on a backhand shot for her first career goal and tied the game up at one apiece.

Undaunted, the Eagles kept up the pressure on Scobee and the Catamounts’ defense, but Vermont continued to deny each chance. The teams headed into the third period all tied

See WHOK vs. Vermont, B2

SPORTS IN SHORT................................ B2 VOLLEYBALL.......................................... B2 WOMEN’S SOCCER.................................. B4

The Heights

B2

Monday, October 23, 2017

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Lonergan’s Hot Start Continues With Hat Trick at Vermont WHOK vs. Vermont, from B1 up.

It didn’t take long for BC to break the tie in the third period, however.

Lonergan found Watts open, and the freshman charged down the ice, weaving through Vermont defenders on her way to the net.

She snuck the puck past Scobee on a backhand shot to break the tie, and BC went on to lead for the remainder of the game.

A few minutes later, the Eagles finally converted on a power play for their third goal of the game.

Watts and Makenna Newkirk ,

sweeping toward the goal, worked together to mount an attack on Scobee. Watts dropped a pass back to Newkirk, who fired a shot off. Scobee deflected the shot on her skate, but the puck fell straight in front of Lonergan. Lonergan wasted no time in poking the puck through the legs of a Vermont defender and into the back of the net.

Of course, the Eagles couldn’t make it easy on themselves, and an interference call on Barnes gave Vermont a crucial power play.

The Catamounts took advantage of the power play and scored on Burt, bringing BC’s lead to just one goal and

renewing their comeback hopes. Ali O’Leary slid a quick pass in to Alyssa Gorecki.

While off-balance, Gorecki knocked the puck into the net.

Lonergan hammered the final nail in the coffin late in the third period when she completed her hat trick, cementing the final score at 4-2, BC. She skillfully skated through Vermont defenders and across the face of the goal before firing a shot back into the far side of the net.

It was a dominant win for the Eagles, who bounced back from a tie against Connecticut in the first Hockey East game of the season. n

Celine Lim / Heights Staff

Sophomore Caitrin Lonergan doubled her goal total in the 4-2 win over the Catamounts.

VOLLEYBALL

After Falling to Clemson, GT, Eagles’ Losing Streak Extends to Four

By Patrick Conway For The Heights After two-straight losses against ACC teams, Boston College volleyball traveled to Clemson on Friday and Georgia Tech on Sunday for crucial matchups against conference opponents.

The Eagles’ two most recent wins were their victories at home over these two programs, so they hoped to best the Tigers and Yellow Jackets again and get their season back on track. But these two matchups ended much differently than the previous games.

On Sunday, BC (5-15, 2-8 Atlantic Coast) lost its second of two away matches in a three-set loss to Georgia Tech (10-11, 5-5). Both the Eagles and Yellow Jackets started off strong, with each team trading points until Geor-

gia Tech established a 8-5 lead. BC earned a point to cut the advantage to two, but the Yellow Jackets ripped off a quick 5-0 run to extend their lead. The Eagles ended the Georgia Tech dominance, but the damage was largely done. BC essentially traded off points with the Yellow Jackets for the rest of the game, but the Eagles could not overcome Georgia Tech’s early run and lost the first set, 25-16.

The Yellow Jackets controlled the second set by leading early, but BC pulled back to down 7-5 and within striking distance after a kill from Lynn Braakhuis. Georgia Tech, however, was just starting to heat up, and stole seven of the next eight points from the Eagles to take total command of the game.

BC would not be bested without a fight in such a significant game, and slowly whittled away at the Yel-

low Jackets lead until the Eagles only trailed 21-16. But Georgia Tech was determined, and won the next four points to again win the match, 25-16.

Unfortunately for BC, the third set was very similar to the two previous games. After splitting the first two points with the Eagles, Georgia Tech picked up the next five scores and BC once again found itself on the wrong side of a one-sided stretch of play.

The Eagles traded off with the Yellow Jackets and the two teams each took eight of the next 16 points, but that would not be enough to overcome Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets ended the game and the match with a 4-0 run, winning the third game, 25-15.

On Friday, the Eagles lost a difficult road matchup in three sets to Clemson (6-15, 1-8). BC began the

first set with a lead as Cat Balido blasted two aces early. The Eagles were able to hold on to that edge until the Tigers leveled the score at 17. Clemson rode the momentum, and was able to go up 23-21, but BC would not go down easy and evened the score at 24.

The comeback train ran out of gas for the Eagles, however, and Clemson won the next two points to take the first set. Amanda Chukwujekwu played exceptionally for BC and had five blocks in the first game alone.

The Tigers fed off of their victory in the first game, and rattled off two rallies quickly in the second set. These runs of 5-0 and 6-0 left the Eagles in a hole that they could not ascend from and Clemson snatched the second game 25-16.

The Tigers were not yet done, and opened up the third set with a 5-1

stretch. BC came charging back and were able to put together a 7-3 surge that left Clemson’s lead diminished.

Even with a valiant effort from the Eagles, the Tigers regained control of the game and finished off BC 25-22 to complete the sweep.

Braakhuis earned her fifth doubledouble of the season against Clemson and finished with 10 kills and 10 digs.

She also played well against Georgia Tech, as she led the team with eight kills and 21 total attack attempts.

Balido also performed admirably in both matches, leading the team with 12 kills including two aces against the Tigers, and adding five more kills against the Yellow Jackets.

BC has now lost each of its last four matches by being swept in three sets.

The Eagles will look to rebound against Virginia, a team that has yet to win an ACC match this season, at home. n

MEN’S HOCKEY

St. Cloud State Rides Three First-Period Goals to Weekend Sweep

By Nicole Pla Heights Staff Jerry York had one goal heading into Saturday night’s matchup with St. Cloud State: limit power-play opportunities.

Despite Boston College 1 sending playSt. Cloud State 3 e r s i nto th e box four times compared to the Huskies’ five, the Eagles headed home with a 3-1 loss.

After 10 penalties Friday night, the Eagles (1-3-1) were keen to keep the Huskies (5-0) from gaining an opportunity. That pursuit was shortlived when Luke McInnis was called for hooking only one minute after taking the ice.

BC started the game where it left off the night before—in the penalty box. The Huskies didn’t waste any time and immediately began shooting on Joe Woll.

It was only 60 seconds before they found their hole. After a center pass that Woll blocked, Jack Poehling connected with the rebound and drove the puck home to give St. Cloud a 1-0 lead.

The Eagles were given a chance at redemption when Blake Lizotte was called for tripping, but only two shots made their way to goaltender David Hrenak, who deflected them easily.

BC almost faced a hole when a low shot made its way past Woll, but caught a break when Blake Winiecki’s

skate was caught in the cage. Despite the call, St. Cloud gained possession in the neutral zone, and Ryan Poehling found a break in the defence and sent it home.

BC was given a chance at redemption when Winiecki was sent into the box for tripping.

As the penalty was called, the clock was stopped for a TV timeout. The two-minute break was the second time the Huskies were able to catch their breath before their penalty killers hit the ice.

The Eagles weren’t able to connect, and they remained two points behind the Huskies.

BC dug itself a deeper hole when Julius Mattila was booked for cross checking, leading St. Cloud to put home its second power-play goal of the game.

The Eagles were given an early attempt at redemption when Jack Ahcan was called for slashing.

David Cotton had some real estate in between the circles and took his shot, but Hrenak deflected it with his stick and sent the puck into the netting. It was the third-straight power play that BC couldn’t connect on.

When Aapeli Räsänen was booked for cross-checking, the TV timeout gave the Eagles a short break to go over a strategy for the penalty kill.

Despite the offensive pressure put on BC’s defense, they didn’t allow any shots to make their way into the back of the net.

LIzzy Barrett / Heights Editor

Sophomore defenseman Connor Moore recorded two shots, a season best, in the Eagles 3-1 loss to No. 3 St. Cloud State.

After a rocky first 20 minutes, the Eagles outshot the Huskies 11-4.

The y couldn’t s olve Hrenak , though, failing to connect on their offensive plays and chip into the three-point deficit.

As both teams took to the ice for the last 20 minutes in regulation, BC took control early on and continuously shot on Hrenak to try to close the gap.

Matilla tried to sneak in a low shot from the post, but the Slovakian freshman saw the pass at the

last moment and scooped it up with his glove.

The Eagles had another good chance when Cotton got the puck to Casey Fitzgerald at the blue line, but his shot was deflected, much to the visible annoyance of the captain.

The Eagles found a break when J.D. Dudek found Mattila in Husky territory.

His shot spun in front of Hrenak but Dudek was able to jam it in and get the Eagles on the board.

With just si x minutes lef t in

regulation, the Eagles were desperate to finish digging themselves out of the deep hole dug early in the first period.

While BC succeeded in spending less time in the penalty box, the team was haunted by the two power-play goals the Huskies tallied in the first period.

After eight unanswered goals heading into the last period, the late goal by Dudek wasn’t enough to propel the Eagles past the Huskies in the weekend series. n

SPORTS in SHORT ACc Men’s Soccer Conference Atlantic 7-0 Wake Forest 4-2-1 Louisville 4-3 Clemson 3-3-1 NC State 1-6 Boston College 0-6-1 Syracuse Coastal North Carolina Virginia Notre Dame Duke Pittsburgh Virginia Tech

4-1-1 3-1-3 3-2-2 3-3-1 2-5 2-4

Numbers to know overall 15-1 10-2-3 11-3 8-4-3 6-9 6-8-2

12-2-1 10-2-3 9-4-2 10-3-2 8-7 7-7

31

Football’s margin of victory on Saturday, the largest against an ACC opponent in the Steve Addazio era.

1,067

Number of yards football has racked up over the course of the past two weeks.

21

Number of goals ACC opponents have scored against field hockey, 17 more than BC has recorded in conference play.

QUote of the week

“I think you can clearly, clearly see the growth, the potential, and the brightness of this [team’s] future.”

— Steve Addazio,

following BC’s 31-point blowout victory over UVA.

The Heights

Monday, October 23, 2017

B3

FOOTBALL

Brown’s Career Day Fuels Blowout Win in Charlottesville BC vs. UVA, from B1 tion, the Eagles (4-4, 2-3) cashed in.

Two plays after Dillon gave his offense some breathing room, quarterback Anthony Brown evaded a sack, and scrambled for a gain of 15 and a first down. It was the first of the Eagles’ three third-down conversions on the drive. A few Hilliman runs and a nine-yard catch out the backfield moved BC to midfield. Then, off the play-action, Brown connected with tight end Tommy Sweeney for a 28-yard gain. Another short pass out to the flat, this time to Travis Levy, inched the Eagles into the red zone. Brown tried the same play on the next third down, but Levy was stopped in his tracks. As a result, BC settled for the field goal.

The Eagles’ next two drives were a lot less complicated.

From BC’s own 10-yard line, Hilliman plowed ahead for a four-yard gain to start the Eagles’ second series of the day. After that, Brown faked the ball to Jeff Smith on a jet sweep, and tried to hit Sweeney on the seam. The ball fell incomplete, but Scot Loeffler accomplished what he set out to do. A couple of plays later, after BC moved the sticks, the second-year offensive coordinator called for another jet sweep. But Brown didn’t fake this one. Thadd Smith took the ball and bounced out to the edge.

The 5-foot-9 all-purpose wide receiver broke a few ankle tackles and ran 76 yards to the house.

Two minutes and a few Benkert incompletions later, the Eagles ripped off another big play. Once again, it was a 76-yarder. Out of the empty set, Brown fired a screen pass to Kobay White. There were no defenders in front of the redshirt freshman, just a sea of green. White sprinted down the heart

of the field for BC’s second touchdown of the game.

At the end of the first quarter, the box score looked just as lopsided as the actual score itself. The Eagles were outgaining UVA 256 to 52, and had recorded twice as many first downs as the Cavaliers.

The UVA defense didn’t fare any better in the second frame. On BC’s first drive of the quarter, Brown went to Michael Walker on back-to-back plays. The first was a simple third-down conversion in the middle of the field. But the second was a 46-yard flea flicker. The trickery set BC up for its third touchdown—a beautifully executed playaction pass to a wide-open Sweeney in the back corner of the end zone.

Eventually, Benkert found a rhythm.

Halfway through the second quarter, the senior completed six passes in a row, gaining chunks at a time. Intermixed with a few Jordan Ellis runs, the Cavaliers offense was finally clicking. But neither Benkert or Ellis could get the ball in the end zone. Head coach Bronco Mendenhall left that up to Joe Reed. The wide receiver took Ellis’ spot in the backfield and leapt over the Eagles’ defensive line to make it a three-score game.

The drive not only got the Cavaliers on the board, but it also milked more than seven minutes of clock. UVA went into the half on a high, but it didn’t last long.

BC began the second half much like it did the first. The Eagles strung together 10 plays before stalling in the red zone. Once again, Addazio turned to Lichtenberg for the chip shot, and the junior place kicker didn’t disappoint.

It wasn’t long until the Eagles were on the move again, especially after safety Will Harris blindsided Benkert on UVA’s ensuing possession. BC set up shop at its own

eight-yard line and quickly went to work.

Avoiding a three-and-out, Brown threw a bullet to White on a slant route for a first down. But it was Hillman who put the Eagles in scoring position. On a toss play, that was technically a forward pass, Hilliman ran 29 yards to the Cavaliers’ 35-yard line. Loeffler then called an array of run plays—including one through the tackles on 4th-and-1. But instead of punching the ball into the end zone, he went back to the play-action. Brown faked the handoff and threw his third touchdown pass of the game to Sweeney.

Behind Ellis, UVA responded with a promising drive of its own. But the Cavaliers only came away with a field goal. By not going for it on fourth down, at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Mendenhall was all but admitting defeat. He officially threw in the towel when he pulled Benkert with nine and a half minutes to go.

Immediately, Benkert’s backup, Lindell Stone, threw an interception. His pass batted off the hands of Hasise Dubois and into the arms of linebacker John Lamot. The redshirt freshman ran the ball back 40 yards for a touchdown. On the next possession, Hamp Cheevers was one missed tackle away from another pick six.

“I think you can clearly, clearly see the growth, the potential, and the brightness of this [team’s] future,” Addazio said.

On Saturday, BC successfully threw a wrench in UVA’s Homecoming Weekend, and derailed the Cavaliers’ quest for bowl eligibility. But, more importantly, the Eagles showed that last week’s win was no fluke.

For the first time in program history, BC has scored 40-plus points in back-to-back ACC games. And for the first time in years, the Eagles are fun to watch. n

Steve Helber / AP Photo

Junior tight end Tommy Sweeney catches one of his two touchdowns on Saturday.

Sweeney, Eagles Score Early and Often in Reid’s Return to UVA FB Notebook, from B1 week. He now ranks third in the country among freshmen with 1,284 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Dillon the Villain After his breakout performance at Louisville, A.J. Dillon made his first career start at UVA and did not disappoint. With 24 carries for 91 yards, his numbers don’t jump off the page, but his impact went beyond his stats. Dillon forced the Cavaliers to give him attention, stacking the box and opening up the rest of the field. The threat of Dillon’s rushes, made all the more menacing by how tough it is to take him down, set the stage for a pair of 76-yard touchdowns—the Eagles’ longest scoring plays of the year.

When he did carry the ball, he remained as hard to tackle as ever. The true freshman often required three or four tacklers to bring him down, fighting for extra yards along the way. On a late 4th-and-1, he powered through the teeth of the defense for 15 yards to help secure the victory. He now ranks fourth nationally among true freshmen with 694 rushing yards, and fifth with six touchdowns.

Sweeney’s Scores With 55 yards and a career-best two touchdowns, Sweeney led BC in receiving for the second-consecutive game. It’s probably a sign that Scot Loeffler’s offense is finally clicking as planned. The junior tight end provides a crucial balance to the Eagles’ offense, which has posted 40-plus points in

back-to-back ACC games for the first time in program history.

His 28-yard catch on the opening drive enabled BC to get on the scoreboard early, and his 10-yard touchdown grab on the fourth drive iced the game at 24-0. Sweeney also added a three-yard score in the third quarter to make it 34-7. Overall, he was the red-zone threat that many expected him to be this year. And, behind the scenes, his blocking helped set up big scoring plays and first-down runs all afternoon.

Reid’s Return Jim Reid, the former defensive coordinator and associate head coach for UVA, certainly enjoyed his time back in Scott Stadium. After conceding 42 points to Lamar Jackson and Louisville a week

prior, BC’s defense rebounded by holding the Cavaliers to just 10 points, their lowest output of the season.

The defensive end duo of Harold Landry and Zach Allen were relatively quiet, but it didn’t matter. Wyatt Ray posted 1.5 sacks and Lukas Denis recorded seven tackles to lead the unit. The younger guys stood out, too. Sophomore Hamp Cheevers forced a turnover for the second-straight game, picking off a pass and returning it for 27 yards into UVA territory. Redshirt freshman John Lamot gave the Eagles their first pick six of the season in the fourth quarter after he returned an interception 40 yards for the score. In total, the Cavaliers’ 247 yards of offense was the least BC has allowed this year.

Streak Continues It’s hard to find issues with the Eagles’ dominant performance on the road, except for the obvious: It wasn’t at home.

BC extended its streak to 947 days since the last home ACC win for either football or men’s basketball while students have been on campus. Last year, both of the Eagles’ ACC wins were away at NC State and Wake Forest, and it appears as if they still can’t translate their success back home in Alumni.

Luckily, they’ll have a prime opportunity to buck that trend and snap the winless streak on Friday night. Florida State just lost to Louisville this weekend, if there was ever any doubt that BC can upset the Deondre Francois-less Seminoles. n

79.2

Anthony Brown’s completion %

86

points scored over last two weeks

256

total yards in the first quarter

Steve Helber / AP Photo

Anthony Brown threw for a career-high 275 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions against a stingy UVA defense.

BC Is Now One of the Most Watchable Teams in the Nation Watchability, from B1 did 20, and even 10, years ago. Again, people like to see their team score as fast and as much as possible. The best way to do that is through the air.

There was a sense of optimism surrounding the program when Addazio discussed his plans to employ a more balanced, up-tempo offense at this summer’s ACC Kickoff Press Conference. In his fifth-year, Addazio wanted to throw the ball more than he had ever before, all while running close to 90 plays per game. He lived up to his word, but the results weren’t pretty.

Even though BC totaled 80-plus plays three times in the first six games, and quarterback Anthony Brown was throwing the ball an average of 11 times more than Towles did the year before, the

Eagles’ offense was struggling more so than it had in the past four decades. BC was posting 16.3 points per game—its lowest scoring average since the Eagles’ 0-11 season in 1978. Not to mention that Brown was recording just 4.7 yards per pass attempt. He had only completed three pass plays over 30 yards, and the entire offense had yet to log one 40-yard play. When BC was competitive, it was because its defense was keeping the team afloat. If anything, the Eagles’ offense was holding them back.

That changed last week at Louisville.

After going down 21-7 early in the first half, BC rattled off five-consecutive touchdowns—two more than they had scored against ACC opponents all season. Suddenly, a once-stagnant offense was explosive.

Running back A.J. Dillon deserves the

bulk of the credit, for both the win, and the Eagles’ turnaround. By rushing for 272 yards and four touchdowns, the true freshman opened up the rest of offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler’s playbook.

Since the Cardinals had to respect the run, the play-action passing game— something that Addazio had been trying to figure out for weeks—finally flourished. For the first time in recent memory, BC’s offense was intriguing and, more importantly, unpredictable.

The Eagles put on an encore performance at Virginia on Saturday. BC scored 24 points in the first 20 minutes alone. Brown showcased the ability to methodically march his team downfield with two 15-play, 85-plus yard series on the day. But he also hit the big play. In the span of three and a half minutes, the redshirt freshman orchestrated a pair of

scoring drives—both of which culminated in 76-yard touchdowns. By game’s end, BC had eclipsed the 40-point mark for the second-consecutive week.

The small things, like Loeffler mixing naked bootlegs and rollouts, and the occasional chunk runs through the tackles have transformed the Eagles’ offense. Unlike a few weeks ago, when BC could only score under certain circumstances—namely turnovers and punt returns—BC is volatile anywhere on the field at any point of the game.

For the first time since 2002, the Eagles have scored at least 40 points in back-to-back games. BC has recorded more points (86) over the past two weeks than all but one of Johnson’s teams: Alabama. But the Eagles’ haven’t been outscored by the Crimson Tide either.

Believe it or not, BC’s scoring numbers

in Week Seven and Eight have been identical to those of Alabama. Don’t be surprised if you hear students chanting, “We want ’Bama” this Friday when Florida State comes to town for the annual Red Bandanna Game. They may be joking, but BC is no longer the laughing stock of the ACC and a Power Five bottomfeeder.

In just a matter of two weeks, Addazio’s team has made a year’s worth of progress. And if Brown and Co. keeps this up, Johnson will have to add BC to his list at the end of the season.

Right now, the Eagles are more than just watchable, they’re captivating.

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

The Heights

B4

Monday, October 23, 2017

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Cavaliers Score Late-Game Goal to Spoil BC’s Home Finale

By Erin Walsh For The Heights

The Cavaliers erupted in celebration as midfielder Montana Sutton drilled a game-winning shot off of teammate Betsy BranVirginia 2 Boston College 1 don’s cross in the 77th minute, soaring past the reach of goalkeeper Alexis Bryant. Sutton’s goal brought No. 12 Virginia its sixth consecutive win against Boston College women’s soccer, which has failed to defeat the Cavaliers (9-3-4, 4-1-3 Atlantic Coast) since 2011.

The game opened up with a slow start, as both teams struggled to create goal-scoring opportunities. The defensive-oriented Eagles (9-7-1, 3-4-1) failed to build an effective offense, with only two shots on goal in the first half. On the other hand, while Virginia dominated possession, it was unable to break a solid BC back line. All in all, the first half

lacked both goal-scoring opportunities and a sense of urgency.

The second half could not have been any more different. BC came out of the gate with intense energy, shutting down Virginia attacks and creating offensive chances by finding passing lanes through the width of the field.

The Eagles’ newfound energy paid off. In the 51st minute, midfielder Sam Coffey sent a beautiful long ball over the Cavalier defenders, finding teammate Jenna Bike on the right flank. Bike swiftly collected the ball, took a touch towards the middle of the field, and delivered a controlled, grounded shot past Virginia goalkeeper Laurel Ivory to the lower left corner of the net.

But they didn’t stop there. The Eagles continued to give the Cavaliers all they had. In the 57th minute, BC scored a second goal, only to be wiped away by an offsides call. Coffey had sent another perfect ball to midfielder Lauren Berman on the left, who one-timed a cross

through the penalty area to a barely offside Carly Leipzig, who pinged the ball to the back of the net. While this goal did not count, the Eagles proved that their offense was back and better than ever.

This is not to say that Virginia’s offense was lacking. The Cavaliers stepped up their game as well, creating more dangerous scoring opportunities.

Responding to BC’s goal, Virginia equalized in the 58th minute. After an unsuccessful defensive clear from a Cavalier corner kick, Virginia’s Megan Reid collected the ball and sent it backwards to midfielder Taryn Torres. From 20 yards out, Torres ripped a shot to the upper right corner of the net past Bryant, scoring her sixth goal of the season.

With the score tied at 1-1, it seemed as if the game was just beginning. Scoring opportunities rapidly emerged from both teams, and the energy was off the charts.

In the 72nd minute, Coffey sent yet another perfect ball on the ground, slicing

Virginia’s back line to find an Eagle for a breakaway, who was taken down from behind by Zoe Morse. The whistle was blown, leading to a BC free kick just three yards outside of the penalty area and an automatic red card for Morse.

Coffey took the free kick, which went directly into Virginia’s four-person wall, leading to chaos in the penalty area: multiple players went down, with BC defender Elysa Virella in particular taking a hit. After the ball went out of bounds, there was a confrontation between Berman, one of the players knocked down, and a Cavalier defender. The referee stepped in and issued Berman a yellow card, and the game resumed.

With tensions heightened and both teams eager to score, the Cavaliers responded quickly by taking the lead with Sutton’s game-winning goal in the 77th minute.

Despite facing a one-goal deficit in the beginning of the second half, Virginia successfully beat BC’s defense not once

but twice, while the Eagles were unable to convert.

Although they couldn’t come up with the win, BC’s offense dramatically improved in the second half. Head coach Alison Foley attributes this difference to a change in strategy.

“We went into a 4-4-2 and got a little bit more aggressive,” Foley said. “We pressed their back three with our two forwards, which I think got them really uncomfortable in their possession.”

In addition, she stated that the Eagles did a better job creating opportunities.

“We slipped in good balls in gaps and created chances, so I think our team did a great job of changing systems and a great job of applying the changes.”

Despite a hard-fought battle, BC was ultimately unable to take down a relentless Virginia offense. The Eagles pushed with everything they had, but the Cavaliers nonetheless came out on top, earning their sixth-consecutive win against BC. n

MEN’S SOCCER

Eagles Allow Four Second-Half Goals in Loss to No. 2 Wake Forest

By Joey Corsi For The Heights

Tiger Tao / Heights Staff

Jake Evans / Heights Staff

BC’s 4-0 defeat marks the fifth time it has been shut out by an ACC opponent this year.

The feel-good atmosphere of Senior Night did not last on Saturday evening, as Boston College men’s soccer came up short against one of Wake Forest 4 Boston College 0 the best college soccer teams in the country, No. 2 Wake Forest, in a 4-0 shutout loss.

BC (6-9, 1-6 Atlantic Coast) opened the contest firing on all cylinders, well aware it was the underdog in the match. The Eagles’ first-half strategy featured a 3-5-2 formation, dropping their wings back, which was executed very well for the majority of the period, consistently preventing the Demon Deacons (15-1, 7-0) from successfully executing crosses to the middle of the field and limiting their offense.

While Wake Forest mounted a few scoring chances in the first half, Antonio Chavez Borelli fended each of them off, including one of the Demon Deacons’ better chances, a strike from Ema Twumasi just inside the box, where Chavez Borelli dove to his left and made a terrific stop.

The Eagles’ strategy allowed them to drop five men back on defense, which proved to be valuable as it stifled Wake’s offense and led to a few terrific scoring opportunities on the counterattack. BC also set the tone early, successfully integrating a physical style of play, which clearly threw off the Demon Deacons and brought about frustration.

The Eagles held the majority of the possession in the first half and seemed to be gaining momentum coming into the half.

As the final seconds ticked down in the first half, BC looked like they would be heading into the half with momentum, but a Demon Deacon successfully penetrated the Eagles’

five-man drop on their left flank and played a through ball to Omir Fernandez, who placed a beautiful strike just below the crossbar just seconds before the half.

Anxious to shake up its scheme and provide a spark, BC brought in captain Len Zeugner, and switched its scheme to a more flexible system meant to create more offense without leaving the back line exposed. This scheme brought perhaps the Eagles’ best scoring chance of the night five minutes into the second half.

Simon Enstrom found himself charging down the Demon Deacons’ left flank and threading a terrific ball to Callum Johnson, who sent his shot just over the crossbar.

Had the shot gone in, BC would have found themselves with much of the momentum, but instead Wake kicked into gear afterward and began to dominate.

It all began with the game getting especially physical and Zeugner receiving a yellow card just a minute after the missed scoring chance from the Eagles. Tension continued to build up and climaxed when a collision between opposing players led to a chippy atmosphere for the rest of the contest. Officials began issuing yellow cards in attempt to reel the players in, however, Eagles’ players seemed to feel that the majority of calls were going against them, and frustration began to mount.

Fernandez then found the back of the net for his second goal of the night at the 66-minute mark, when BC failed to keep possession in its own third. Fernandez had a spectacular strike just outside the box to beat Chavez Borelli and put Wake up 2-0.

The physicality continued and BC’s frustration only grew, as Wake put yet another goal on the board in the 75th minute. It was Fernandez again initiating the offense for Wake as he fired a shot on net, and the rebound found Justin McMaster, who put

it in the back of the net to put his squad up by three.

BC’s frustration seemed to reach its boiling point after this goal as Henry Balf received a red card just two minutes later.

Just five minutes later, in the 82nd minute, Twumasi received the ball near the top of the box in the center of the field, turned to his right, and fired a shot perfectly in the bottom right corner of the net.

Despite being down 4-0 with just minutes left in the tilt and being down a man, the Eagles rebounded and showed terrific resiliency, having several quality scoring chances, which included a free kick from Callum Johnson.

But despite this late surge, Wake’s lead was comfortable and it held on and secured the shutout win.

Head coach Ed Kelly believed his team played a solid first half, but lacked discipline as the game played out. Kelly admitted that his team “dominated the first half,” but failed in its execution, especially in the second half.

“They get another goal because one of our guys is out of position when we had a chance to make it 1-1,” Kelly said. “And I think those kinds of things just built into the frustration.”

He also understood why his players may have been upset with the officials noting that maybe the referees “could’ve handled [some of the situations] easier.”

Despite this fact, Kelly felt his team lacked discipline and believed problems stemmed from this.

While BC may have been disappointed with this loss, the Demon Deacons were ecstatic as they successfully captured the ACC regular season title. Kelly & Co. have a long way to go to get to Wake’s level of domination of the nation’s best collegiate soccer conference. n

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Bowman’s 26 Points Lead BC to Scrimmage Victory Over Bryant

By Riley Overend Sports Editor

All summer long, fans have heard how Ky Bowman and Jerome Robinson might be the ACC’s best backcourt this year. On Bryant 59 Saturday, the Boston College 87 duo got their first chance to deliver on the hype.

In a mostly-empty Conte Forum, B oston College men’s basketball cruised to a 87-59 win against Bryant in its first scrimmage of the year, rais-

ing $1,100 for hurricane relief efforts in the process. Bowman finished with a team-best 26 points and six assists, while Robinson added 11 points, six rebounds, and three assists.

The Eagles jumped out to an early double-digit lead by forcing a slew turnovers that led to fastbreaks. Head coach Jim Christian had stressed fastpaced play throughout offseason practices, and his gameplan was executed thanks in part to the Bulldogs’ sloppy passing. Bryant hung in there, though, with a 3-pointer before the buzzer cut-

ting the deficit to 43-30 at halftime.

BC came out of the locker room looking a little shaky on defense. Robinson scored the first five points of the half for the Eagles, but consecutive buckets by the Bulldogs forced Christian to take a timeout up 48-38 with 17 minutes to play.

After their lead was trimmed to single digits, Robinson & Co. responded with a 7-0 run to get some breathing room. Following a Bryant timeout, Mike Sagay put his defender on a poster with an emphatic and-one

dunk, and Bowman finished a spinning drive on the next trip up the court to make it 60-40. A trio of Bowman triples late in the fourth quarter put the finishing touches on the 87-59 victory.

Teddy Hawkins showed why he might be the perfect fit for this year’s squad. The Illinois State transfer looks like he could be one of the best stretchfours in the country, as the 6-foot-9 forward shoots threes at an extremely efficient clip.

The supporting cast had flashes of

brilliance, too. Steffon Mitchell was a force to be reckoned with on the boards. Nik Popovic was bigger, stronger, and more versatile, even mixing in a 3-pointer with his post scoring.

And Jordan Chatman played like the poised, sharp-shooting veteran that BC expects him to be this year.

For the first time in years, the pieces are there for the Eagles to compete in the ever-frustrating ACC. But if they can’t put it together within the next couple years, the window may run out on a golden opportunity. n

Tiger Tao / Heights Staff

Ky Bowman (left) and Jerome Robinson (right), who are projected to be two of the nation’s most prolific scorers, combined for 37 points in the Eagles’ season-opening scrimmage win over Bryant on Saturday afternoon.

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B6

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2017

‘The Snowman’ Has Total, Infuriating Meltdown

BY MICHAEL TROY For The Heights

Aggravation. There is no more fitting word to describe the feelings of the masses as they leave the theater after viewing The Snowman, a crimethriller based on a novel of the same name by the Norwegian author Jo Nesbo. It is absolutely baffling to see Swedish director Tomas Alfredson, who directed Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy—which was nominated for three Academy Awards—at the helm of such a heaping disaster.

There is so much wrong with this movie that the fact that there is one well-done part of the film actually makes it more infuriating. That positive

aspect of the film was its camerawork.

The Snowman contains some of the most stunning individual shots put into film in the last five years, and they feel entirely wasted. Every facet of this film other than the shot selection fails to display that even a marginal amount of effort was put into its creation.

The writers behind this travesty of a script should be ashamed. Michael Fassbender tries his best to singlehandedly drag this rotting corpse of a story along, but no cast could have revived what had been dead on arrival.

It is filled with plot holes, and it is befuddling that laudable Martin Scorsese signed up to produce this movie.

Explaining the plot of this film is useless, because articulating the events

FILM

THE SNOWMAN TOMAS ALFREDSOM DISTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSAL PICTURES RELEASE OCT. 20, 2017 OUR RATING

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

might only be more difficult than interpreting the film as it is playing. The plot “twists” that the director and writers likely thought to be awe-inducing make no sense, and are infuriating. The climax and finale are so underwhelming and unrealistic that the audience at the screening laughed at the moment which was supposed to be the comingfull-circle, jaw-dropping conclusion.

Even more unintentionally hilarious is the editing. This film was marketed as a crime-horror film, but it is in no way scary and is much more thriller than horror. Unfortunately, the editors were apparently adamant that this movie had to be scary. Some parts of the film have the dark and dreadful tone that thrillers generally use, and at times it works well.

But most of the time it is interrupted by the cheesy horror tones that the editors constantly try to implement.

The most egregious offense of this kind in the film comes just after a character is killed and the police are on the scene. After the victim’s death is incorrectly labeled as a suicide, the film decides to ditch subtlety and throw on an atrocious jump-scare. The camera quickly zooms in on the snowman the killer built outside of the garage where the victim died, and a loud stock horror sound effect is played for absolutely no reason. This happens almost a dozen times throughout the film, and it gets funnier every time.

The immense amount of terrible directing and writing in The Snowman does not distract the viewer from the

terrible acting. Fassbender gave the only decent performance, even considering there was barely a shell of a character written for him. Val Kilmer shows up for some godforsaken reason as a detective in a series of flashbacks that are entirely unnecessary to the plot, and proceeds to be terrible in his portrayal. The supporting cast seems lost throughout the film, conveying little emotion.

Yes, the film is terrible. Yes, everyone involved showed a complete and utter lack of effort. But this movie cannot possibly be as stupidly iconic as films like Birdemic and The Room, right? Then again, the main character’s name is Harry Hole.

And no, his last name was not spoken with the proper Norwegian pronunciation like it was expressed in Jo Nesbo’s novel. It was pronounced in the same way it would be pronounced by a sixth grader learning about raunchy jokes for the first time. It is bewildering to know that a director with as good of a track record as Tomas Alfredson not taking the time to learn the proper pronunciation of a book character’s name in his film and not expressing that to the superstar actor tasked with portraying him.

That final tidbit of incompetence displayed by the creators of The Snowman is exactly why this film will likely go down as one of the worst, if not the worst, of 2017. Do not see this movie, as you will only leave the theater confused, irritated, and $10 less wealthy. 

Tragicomedy Abounds in ‘Killing of a Sacred Deer’

BY TRISTAN ST. GERMAIN Heights Staff

Not every ailment can be solved through medicine, as Greek Weird Wave director Yorgos Lanthimos makes clear in his latest venture into the absurd and biblical, The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

Yorgos’s cinematic world is shrouded in a veil of social repression, in which families exchange only the most courteously awkward sentiments, and occasional bursts of genuine emotion manifest in strained demonstrations of comical impotence. This experiment in tragicomedy points to societal prejudices and inconsistencies that otherwise go unnoticed.

The opening shot presents a perfect metaphor for the film’s undertaking: a bloody, pulsing heart, estranged in a sea of blue sanitizing fabric, being operated upon by gloved and ghostly hands.

The most vulnerable aspect of our condition is lay bare for the purpose of correcting it, though modern technologies don’t always do the trick. Such is apparent with Martin, a middle-school boy who develops a relationship with the heart-surgeon who killed his father. Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) is none other than this bearded and stuff y individual, emblematic of the upper-class society of doctors and lawyers who’ve suffered their fair share’s worth of torture in horror films of earlier eras. He must protect his wife and two children (a 10-year old boy, Bob, and teenage daughter, Kim, who proudly proclaims she just “had her first period”) from the cosmic evil that is Martin, who seeks to fix the imbalance of karma Steven’s operating accident had offset.

Yorgos real intention is to illuminate the plastic and superficial nature of mod-

ern human behavior. General formalities and passive conversation-starters are expanded into worlds of their own value, rendering all social bonds and attachments in effect meaningless. Gift-giving is a primary example—when at the film’s beginning Steven buys a watch for Martin, and the useless technicalities of the object are granted a significance at once saddening and humorous. Armpit hair, lemonade, and even children are reduced to commodities worshipped for their mere ability to create bridges between people. An atmosphere of depressive unease permeates this hyperformalistic universe stripped of all moral platitudes.

Indeed, if the Murphy family is missing some sort of spiritual fervor that might reanimate them, then Martin is, ironically, the only effective medicine.

He represents a sacred force that defies quantification, an impenetrable abyss of evil that actor Barry Keoghan integrates into his role perfectly. While their relationship has yet to go sour, Steven does a heart-check on Martin and tells the boy he’s “perfectly healthy,” contradicting the obvious unease between them.

Doctors, the ultimate programmers of humankind’s condition, cannot account for this interior consciousness that’s been entirely forgotten.

For this transgression, Martin punishes the Murphy family using Biblical levels of torment. An orchestral brass and string section accentuates Martin’s godliness, coating the urban environment in a gloss of epic tragedy.

His first order of divine intervention is to paralyze Bob below the waist. The boy’s injury reminds us of the various instances that Steven strolls through the hospital, offices breezing past him, floating motionlessly in frame. Our latent im-

pressions of moral immobility become a physical circumstance impressed upon Steven’s kids.

But this general sense of suffering soon devolves into an eye-for-eye revenge story, providing sharp contrast to the deadpan lifelessness of their everyday interactions. Two worlds struggle against each other, leaving us uneasily between hysterics and evil.

Yorgos occasionally provides a glimmer of transcendent beauty unaffected by either side of the conflict—when Kim sings Ellie Goulding’s “Burn” under a willow-tree at sunset, or when she drops a tear while riding a motorcycle and the night-breeze flows past her in slow motion. Time and movement become freed of their restraints, and the human shows through.

Though Yorgos’s world is meant to resemble a poorly manufactured copy of the real one, a chunk of the narra-

tive still feels artificially inserted for the case of narrative progression (take the sudden absence of Matthew, or Martin’s mother). Compared to Yorgos’ critically acclaimed debut, Dogtooth, which refuses to sacrifice a morsel of its underlying vulnerabilities, points of Sacred Deer lack the emotional core which the repressive atmosphere is supposedly circumventing. Without a bridge between the absurd and the reality of which it’s a parody, the narrative’s kernel of despair at times loses context and purpose. Yorgos teeters a thin line between the nonsensical and the horrifying, the mundane and the beautiful, but comes to the other side with a very much relevant critique of human passivity. One leaves the theatre feeling a little ridiculous for the everyday behaviors we find so normal—and, even worse, for envying the Murphy’s toe-dip into the tragic. 

For The Heights

Every once in awhile a film comes out that’s so not fun to watch that everyone should see it. This isn’t because this film is so bad it’s good, or gory or disturbing.

It’s not fun to watch because it tells us something that we wish we didn’t know.

It shows us something real in the world.

It ceases to be a movie and becomes a public service announcement, ceases to be just mere entertainment and becomes education. Wind River is such a film.

And how ironic it is that a movie about the neglected and ignored people on Native American reservations goes through theaters unnoticed, even with two Avengers helming the lead roles.

This is even more unusual considering the recent success of the film writer and director, Taylor Sheridan. Sheridan

wrote 2015’s Sicario and was nominated for an Oscar for best original screenplay with 2016’s Hell or Highwater. Wind River marks Sheridan’s directorial debut as well as the conclusion in what he considers to be a loosely connected trilogy (the other two being the two films previously mentioned), that explores the weight of fatherhood and the lawlessness of places on the edge of American society.

The film is set on the modern day Native American reservation Wind River, one of the most dangerous reservations in America. A hunter for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, played

by Jeremy Renner, finds a young woman of Native American descent dead in the snow, miles away from civilization and clearly running for her life. A young, inexperienced FBI agent, played by Elizabeth Olsen, is sent to the reservation to help local police solve the case.

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WIND RIVER TAYLOR SHERIDAN PRODUCED BY THUNDER ROAD RELEASE OCT. 20, 2017 OUR RATING

THUNDER ROAD PICTURES

KAYLIE RAMIREZ

‘HOLY MOUNTAIN’ HIGH FLYING BIRDS

Noel Gallagher, the former front man of Oasis and architect behind the legendary “Wonderwall,” and his High Flying Birds released an underwhelming single, “Holy Mountain,” on Oct. 9. The single relies on a du-wop-meetsspace-age beat driven by unchanging electric guitar riffs and a simple and steady drum beat. The band, obviously attempting to differentiate themselves from other classic rock imitators by emulating an earlier stage of the genre, frankly went digging for inspiration in the wrong pile of records.

Gallagher credits the hook to a “beyond obscure” track titled “Chewing Gum Kid” by The Ice Cream, a little-known band of the 70s. The lyrics are equally disappointing and lacking in substance, as the song ends with Gallagher repeating “She fell, she fell, right under my spell” 15 times.

This single comes on the heels of brother and fellow member of Oasis Liam Gallagher’s of As You Were, a mature and reflective album released on Oct. 6.

Given the brothers’ infamously tumultuous relationship that ultimately sealed the fate of Oasis, it is worth noting the close release dates and stark difference in sound.

The overall effect for ‘Holy Mountain’ is rather lackluster, knowing what Noel is capable of during the Oasis days. 

MUSIC VIDEO EMILY HIMES

FILM ‘HAPPY HOUR’ WEEZER KILLING OF SACRED DEER YORGOS LANTHIMOS DISTRIBUTED BY FILM4 RELEASE OCT. 20, 2017 OUR RATING

FILM4

‘Wind River’ Depicts Unjust Native American Crime

BY JACK ANDERSON

SINGLE REVIEW

Olsen and Renner soon team up to help solve the grisly murder.

From there spirals a shocking tale that evokes visceral anger out of the audience. The brilliant conceit of the film is that the events that take place in the film are presumed to happen on actual reservations with a sickening frequency. A large percent of Wind River’s inhabitants are unemployed, and there are far higher rates of alcoholism and drug abuse. This problem is exacerbated by complicated relationships with federal police. Officially, Native American on Native American crime can only be prosecuted by tribal police, which possess inadequate resources due to the poverty that plagues many reservations.

In the film Olsen tells us that the federal officers that are available are few and far between, with only six officers to patrol an area roughly the size of Rhode Island. This complex bureaucracy is demonstrated in one of the most confusing armed standoffs in film, wherein federal police and white reservation residents hold each other at gunpoint while arguing on the legality of the U.S. police being there in the first place. The final blow comes at the end of the film in a white-text statistic that knocks the wind out the audience. This film’s credits will certainly have one of the highest audience participation rates, as that ending reveal will leave many to linger, silently fuming in the theater long after the film has ended.

All of this is helped along by the wellwritten dialogue and excellent acting.

Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen, who

play Hawkeye and The Scarlet Witch in the Avengers films, respectively, play their roles with maturity and believability. Renner gives the best performance of his career, nailing the western accent critical to make his neo-western cowboy character work. The rest of the cast does a fine job as well. Apesanahkwat, who plays the teenage murder victim’s father, gives a haunting and powerful performance while Gil Birmingham, who plays a local police officer, is quietly intimidating and feels genuine.

A scene involving Renner’s past showcases the best acting in the film, providing a soft and somber scene for the audience to prepare for the chaos and horror of the film’s ending.

This sequence ends up being the best part of the film, expertly mixing tragedy and catharsis. There is a real pertinence to the violence in the final act, which wisely avoids shifting its tone to an action movie. This is a film where gunshots and action scenes feel more like tragedies you read in the paper.

The one downside to the movie is its overuse of melodramatic music. The tragic sound superimposes emotion, and it takes the viewer out of the film.

In a movie that seeks to be grounded in reality, it would be far more effective to let the sounds of our world populate the screen to achieve a sense of realness.

This is a small complaint when compared to the skill and care exemplified in every other aspect of the film.

It kicks open the door of our warm, comfortable worldview, allowing its chilling message to rush in and leave our faces frozen. 

In the midst of a slightly lackluster fall, California-based rock band Weezer released “Happy Hour,” a colorful song with an accompanying music video replete with parrots, oceanic scenery, and tropical foliation. The lyrics to the song are mainly nonsensical, so the strange and overwhelming video suits them perfectly.

The video itself is based off one extremely detailed image filled with different lyrical references, as well as some seemingly random.

The surreal animation provides a compelling visual spectacle to carry what would otherwise be a forgettable song.

For the most part, the animations depict the lyrics, such as the reference to the “20-ton weight,” during which an actual 20-ton weight crushes the outline of a head back down into the jumbled image. These animations bring the song to life, which is the entire purpose of a music video.

At some points in the video a hole opens in the animation, allowing the viewer to get a glimpse at real-life images such as swaying palm trees, scenes from Monty Python, and a large moon.

The best aspect of the video emerges toward the end, but one must first use their imagination.

The entire jumbled jungle, full of crazy scenery, sits above a body of water with a ship in it.

Just before the end of the video, the ship begins to pulse, almost like a beating heart. It is then when one realizes that if the ship is supposed to be a heart, then the crazy, colorful mess sitting right above it is the mind. This use of subtle, metaphorical artistry, mixed with hidden lyrical hints, makes the video for “Happy Hour” even better than the song itself.

“Happy Hour” is the fifth promotional single off of the group’s new album, Pacific Daydream, available Oct. 27. One can expect the pop sound to expand their fan base from its past, more angsty alternative sound. 

The Heights

Monday, October 23, 2017

B7

Rumi Honored With Spry Recitation

By Maura Monaghan For The Heights Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, commonly known simply as Rumi, was a Persian poet and Sufi master of the 13th century. There is much to be celebrated in the work of this bygone figure, from his lyrical poetry to his enduring presence in the practice of Sufi mysticism, and one might argue that such delicate artistry is very much in need of revival today.

One such effort to bring the beauty and power of Rumi’s legacy back to life came in the form of “Rumi Night,” an evening hosted in the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola through the combined efforts of the Institute for the Liberal Arts, the Muslim Student Association, the theology department, and the music department on campus.

For two hours on Friday night, the ornate walls of the Upper Church echoed with the undulating chords of traditional Persian instruments like the barbat, predecessor to string instruments like the oud and later the guitar, soulfully and skillfully played by the composer and vocalist Amir Vahab.

Vahab is a New York-based musician distinguished for his contributions to Sufi and folk music, and widely renowned for both his instrumental and lyrical performances across the languages of Persian, Turkish, and Azeri. The reasons for this widespread acclaim were obvious to anyone who walked through the double doors of the church on Friday night and was instantly transported out of Boston in 2017 and into the centuries-passed tail end of the Islamic Golden Age.

Equally as affecting as Vahab’s haunting voice was the skill and devotion of Christopher Briggs, a dervish who performed the meditative act of whirling during the instrumental performances.

Whirling is traditionally a form of dhikr, or remembrance of God, specific to the Mevlevi Order of Sufism that was founded by the followers of Rumi around the year 1312.

Briggs began the action at one corner of the floor, arms folded inward so that each hand was grasping the opposite shoulder, and his head tilted solemnly downward.

Clad in a dark blue cape and a tall gold hat, he began to spin in circles while seemingly gliding in a straight line across the floor, gradually and seamlessly shedding the blue cape, which fell away to reveal white robes that left his arms free. Slowly, without ever compromising his simultaneous spinning and left-to-right movements, Briggs brought his right arm straight up, hand tilting toward the sky, while his left arm stretched outward perpendicular from his body, and continued to spin. These movements seemed to be so familiar and practiced to Briggs that they flowed together as one action, perplexing and awe-inspiring all at once.

After the exercise, Vahab explained the intricacies with refreshing accessibility, emphasizing that there is deep spiritual significance to every minute movement of the dervish. The shedding of the blue cape, he says, symbolizes the shedding of “the density of this world,” allowing for freedom from attachment to one’s “commanding” or “terrestrial” self. The white robes underneath

the cape emulate the shroud and illustrate the blessing of “dying while you are still alive,” or achieving that freedom from earthly weights. Vahab quoted Rumi here, from the poem “Die in This Love:” “If you die to the temporal you will become timeless.” Similarly, the gold hat, called a sikke, is meant to symbolize the tombstone.

The upward motion of the right hand is supposed to garner positive attributes like love, forgiveness, and generosity from heaven, while the outstretched left hand distributes those vitalities on earth.

This astounding sentiment was further expanded upon by Jim Morris, a professor in the theology department, when he took to the stage midway through the evening to read more of Rumi’s work, this time a quatrain in the original Persian. It was closely followed by the English translation, with stirring opening lines that explain the poet’s longevity, “O my God, our intoxicated eyes have blurred our vision. Our burdens have become heavy, forgive us.”

Morris also evoked the specter of one of America’s most beloved authors when he mentioned the moral of Fahrenheit 451 in relation to the evening’s festivities. In the novel, when so much of civilization is destroyed, he said, the contents of books were able to keep that civilization and culture alive. Astutely aware of the rarity of the night’s performance, he said that musicians like Vahab are reality’s equivalent of that valuable preservation. By the end of the evening, it was obvious that such an opportunity to participate in the acts of preservation and remembrance is always a privilege. n

Julia Hopkins / Heights Editor

The performance by Christopher Briggs brought the mystic elements of the Persian poets prose to life through nuanced movements.

Lizzy Barrett / Heights Editor

SLAM! Voices Concerns With Impactful Verses SLAM! from B8 At this point, the student poets had finished and TOO BLACK took the stage.

The artist spoke about the racist incidents that had taken place on campus and about his career and persona. The first poem he performed was called “Reverse,” which discussed the parallels between racism today and racism decades ago.

In the poem, TOO BLACK imitated a stereotypical Southern man who said that the “real racists” were the ones who kept talking about racism. In this imitation, TOO BLACK proposed the idea that if no one talked about racism anymore, it would just go away. Later in the poem, TOO BLACK impersonated a person who believes that America is “postracist”. “I don’t really see color / And we are all sisters and brothers / And slavery happened forever ago so I don’t know / Can we just get over it?” He responded to his character with a sardonic “Nah.” TOO BLACK performed multiple other poems from memory throughout his time on stage. At times he pretended to be a person who supported “White Lives Matter,” or told the story of a black man stopped by a police officer while trying to get home to the woman he loved. One of his poems was a parody of NWA’s “Gangsta Gangsta.” In this poem, TOO BLACK spoke as the true gangster, the powerful and rich businessman

profiting off the suffering of the poor and low class. This poem required audience participation: when TOO BLACK pumped his fist, the audience yelled “Gangsta Gangsta!”

After TOO BLACK finished his performance, the mics became available to anyone who wanted to speak, for the “conversation” part of the event. Audience members were given the chance to speak their minds, to ask questions, or express feelings. Some people spoke about how these incidents of racism and vandalism made them feel.

One audience member spoke directly to the allies present. The speaker told the allies to ask if they had questions and to recognize that it will be uncomfortable, but that discomfort was important and indicative of good discussion and dialogue. Other messages to allies included the fact that this movement is not about them, that allies should be supportive but should remember to stay in the background, and to never minimize someone’s trauma.

After the event, Mbanefo spoke briefly to The Heights. When asked what people should know about the event and the movement, Mbanefo described the situations of those affected.

“People are hurting, people are depressed, people aren’t sleeping,” Mbanefo said. “This is affecting people’s mental health.” n

‘Chicago’ Cast, Themes Synchronize With Crowd

Sam Zhai / Heights Staff

Kaitlin Meeks / Heights Staff

‘Chicago’ from B8 Horan’s wonderful portrayal of Billy Flynn.

Like his character, Horan was confident and quick on his feet—fully in sync with the crowd.

He knew how to extract laughter at just the right times, and seemed to be in complete control of his character. But perhaps the best performance of the show, ironically coming from the most neglected character in the musical, was that of Grant Whitney, MCAS ’21, as Amos. Whitney fully embodied the innocence and harmlessness of Amos, allowing himself to get pushed around, literally, all over the stage. Amos is the only character in Chicago whose motives are entirely pure and selfless. His is the only role that conveys some semblance of morality, and yet he is “Mr. Cellophane,” a guy so ordinary and helpless that no one notices him. Chicago seems to show us that nice guys don’t win in the real world.

Sometimes they get dumped and the Billy Flynns of the world get it all.

The emcee of the show prefaced Roxie and Velma’s duet “My Own Best Friend” as a performance of “unrelenting determination and unmitigated ego,” a sentiment which captures the whole show. Miller tells us in the director’s

note how “even the most depraved and dangerous criminals celebrate themselves as the star of their own story, worthy of elaborate production numbers and fawning fans.” And fans there were—in the show itself and in the audience.

Chicago’s scathing satire shows audiences how this publicity can truly subvert justice. Though we acknowledge show business, and actual crime, as dirty and sleazy, we can’t get over its entertainment. Chicago first appeared in the 1920s, when the media was tainted with the introduction of yellow journalism in which truth was sacrificed for eye-catching headlines and sensationalism.

But how far have we progressed from this? Chicago remains the second longestrunning musical in Broadway history because of its continued application to the present day. The media continues to make celebrities of criminals, while we continue to devour controversy. And while Velma and Roxie carry out their decadent, egotistical fantasies during the show, we laugh and clap along.

The show effectively makes the audience a character in the play—the more we find its debauchery seductive and enjoyable, the more we prove its point. But at least we’re having fun. n

bOp! Jazz Oozes Cheerful Personality

By Adam Mehal For The Heights Boston College bOp!, BC’s foremost vocal jazz ensemble, performed this Friday in the Vanderslice’s Cabaret Room, in a well-balanced, warm, and welcoming atmosphere.

The audience was mixed in age, mostly made up of both elderly folks and students. A low patter of cheerful conversation from the active crowd flowed freely when the performers were not playing , lending to the relaxed feeling that one had when present in that room.

Known as one of the premier musical groups on campus, bOp! draws from an incredibly skilled group of musicians. Its repertoire is varied, consisting of pieces from both traditional and contemporary jazz, Latin, and pop. bOp! is led

by BC director of bands Sebastian Bonaiuto. bOp! began the performance with a snappy rendition of Frank Sinatra’s classic “Fly with Me,” followed by Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” Something that must be noted, however, is that regardless of the piece that was played, everything

was performed with an admirable amount of energy.

Ever yone on stage seemed to be having an absolute blast when the y playe d—fe et were tapping , fingers were snapping, and solos were tossed off to compatriots with a smile and nod. The performers’ clear engagement and excitement with the music that they were playing was clearly seen by the audience, who all remained engaged and entertained.

Soloists received resounding cheers whene ver the y conclude d their moments of glor y, and ever yone watching was attached to the pieces.

This, again, has to do with the excellent variety on display. Younger observers likely got their kick more out of the modern pop repertoire, as well as oldies such as “September.”

While it was hard to pick out a distinct, pre-planned order to the performance, each piece f lowed smoothly into the next. Part of that was due to the small amount of spoken introduction and conclusion to each of the pieces. It was almost totally absent, in fact, with the group diving straight into its repertoire, and then finishing it off with a quick “We’re BC bOp! Thanks!” This no-

frills style was beneficial, however, as it kept the audience focused on the music at hand.

All performers knew their parts well, nothing really overpowered any thing else, and the vocalists were totally in tune and in sync with each other. The stage presence was wonderful, as every soloist exuded exuberant personality during their time in the spotlight, giving the music they were playing a humanistic lift.

The saxophone solos were especially excellent, as it seemed each note they played both stood out beautifully and fit in perfectly with the overall flow of the rest of the ensemble.

Some of the runs appeared to be especially difficult, warranting major praise on those performers who deftly executed the piece. Special effects were kept to a minimum, although there was some synchronized clapping and hand-waving from some members in the back, which counts as an effect, in its own special way.

The event was both musically and technically impressive, and widely accessible and left everyone leaving happy, satisfied, and once again blown away at the litany of snazzy musicians that are present on campus. n

SCENE

B8

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2017

@BCHEIGHTSARTS

Vengeance Through Wickedness Michael Quinn presents uncanny, divine influence to target insidious misogyny in ‘Venus in Fur.’

BY ISABELLA DOW Asst. Scene Editor Venus in Fur, a metatheatrical comedy drama, refuses to be tied down. Its characters include a misogynistic director, and an actress auditioning for a role in a play, adapted from an 1870s novel entitled Venus in Furs. The actress, Vanda, is auditioning for the role of Vanda in this play, which suggests she has an uncanny aptitude for the part, even though she initially seems out of her depth. Furthermore, the similarities between the names Vanda, and the Roman goddess for which the play is named, Venus, presents an association that generates an unsettling doubt and intrigue for viewers. As the Boston College Dramatics Society brings it to the stage, it begins to take on a life of its own, subverting audience expectations and sustaining mysterious tension through its one-act, 90-minute spectacle.

After forming a team bond during production of last spring’s This is Our Youth, director Michael Quinn (MCAS ’19) and co-director Lena Hymel (LSOE ’20) began to hash out the details of staging their adaptation of Venus in Fur. Quinn had a specific criteria on narrowing down the possibilities for selecting a play.

“Not New England, no graduate or college students, no rich people, no stories about writers,” Quinn said. “But ironically, Venus in Fur is basically about several of those topics, except it attacks the overeducated, white guy, writer types.”

The play focuses on the professional expression of misogyny in the character

of Thomas Novack, the director of the play of the stage. But Venus in Fur is not a simplistic, obvious portrayal of sexism and its flaws. Quinn and Hymel noted that the misogyny explored in the play was more about that which resides in people’s hearts, embedded in the fabric of society. The show aims to interrogate what it means to be a misogynist in one’s own work, and uses the well-developed humanity of its characters to present the issue as more complicated than meets the eye.

Venus in Fur has just two characters, an actress, Vanda (Deborah Aboaba, MCAS ’21), and a director, Thomas (Dustin Uher, LSOE ’19). Given the play is one extended scene, set in one audition room, the directing duo faced the challenge of keeping the audience’s attention through varying the image on the stage.

The minimal use of technology in the show allows the team to highlight the characters and the dynamic that exists between them, but requires creativity to explore that relationship in the open space. Quinn and Hymel use blocking techniques to illustrate the shifts in power dynamics that exist in the play, and ensure that the scene never goes stagnant. Quinn explained that Thomas would start out hovering around his desk, near the safety of all his notes, and Vanda would take up residence on the divan. But the nature of their relationship will physically manifest itself with how the actors move closer together or further apart from each other onstage, at times becoming a free for all, where the actors move all over the stage.

The constant element throughout these movements is that the focus never strays from the performances of the actors.

“A good script and performances will always triumph over other misfortunes,” Quinn said.

“When blocking with the actors, I’m always making sure the audience can see them and their faces clearly.”

As direc-

tors themselves, there was a surprising amount of overlap between the experience of Thomas as a director, and Quinn and Hymel’s own experience with the job.

“It was horrifyingly similar,” Quinn said. “Between auditions, I told Lena that I wanted someone to read Vanda in a particular fashion, and not five minutes later, after getting asked to audition on the day of the reading, Debbie fits the role perfectly. She was eerily similar to our creative vision, which was surreal.”

Aboaba’s performance zeroes in on the ambiguities contained within Vanda’s character, exploring who she is as a human, but also how Venus’ atmosphere might affect her motivations.

“There’s a viciousness to targeting Thomas, to the idea of Venus coming down to attack this one guy,” Quinn said.

Vanda is intensely clever, and almost always has control of her situation, knowing more about the role for which she’s auditioning than she lets on. She’s the perfect opponent for the sinister, unchecked misogyny that many don’t even notice in

the real world, even when it’s right in front of them.

“Her cleverness is insidious—villainy that doesn’t present itself as such,” Quinn said. “She starts off acting ditsy and timid, and completely transforms over the course of the play. It’s such a gift to have a clear journey for a character.”

The purpose of Venus in the play has reverberating consequences for its performance. Quinn explained that the association between Vanda and the goddess brings an element of the supernatural into the show, and expands the questions surrounding Vanda to include how she’s disguising herself, and how she presents herself to Thomas. The directors make pointed use of lighting through lightning strikes that crack through the stage after Vanda makes consequential statements, which opens the door to her potentially having supernatural power. However, the directing team wanted to avoid any obvious labeling of Vanda as such, so as to maintain the tension that the mystery of her identity creates.

“We wanted to air on the side of realism,” Quinn said. “We don’t want to watch witchcraft unfold. We want to build doubt until the last moment about Vanda, and whether she is a goddess or not.”

Quinn wants to steer clear of staging the play to enact any heavyhanded moralizing of the audience. He considers a performance to b e m o re imp ac tful when the audience can

see people living out issues and trying to triumph over them, instead of wrapping everything up in a neat little bow. At one point, Vanda states that Thomas wants to be “ambivalent,” while Thomas replies he wants to be “ambiguous.” The distinction between stating one’s mixed opinions and refusing to even give a semblance of certainty to them underscores the power of subtlety and uncertainty driving the supernatural aspect of the play.

“Embedding the play in our reality makes it more interesting,” Quinn said.

“Maybe it’s just life, or a coincidence. Or, maybe, it’s the supernatural.”

Quinn cited maverick film director David Lynch as inspiration for this refusal to provide definite answers or closure. The director is known for his philosophy that denying audiences closure prevents them from compartmentalizing any challenging material they saw, or from simply forgetting what they watched.

The directors of Venus in Fur channel that mindset through their fierce preservation of ambiguity in the play, which also allows viewers to relate more to Vanda, as if she might just be a human after all. It also invites them to entertain the themes of the play, and evaluate how and whether to implement them.

“Leaving it open as to whether she’s a goddess or a human makes it seem more like, ‘Wow, could I make that kind of stand? Am I strong enough?’” Hymel said.

Ultimately, the ability of both the characters and the audience to get lost in the performances and into a devious, ruthless reality stems from Quinn and Hymel’s vision to capture ambiguity to set it free. 

TOO BLACK, SLAM! Offer Pointed Critique

BY JACOB SCHICK Assoc. Scene Editor

KAITLIN MEEKS / HEIGHTS STAFF

‘Chicago’ Critiques Societal Sleaze

BY CANNON FEW Heights Staff “Has the whole world gone lowbrow?”

Things may not be what they used to be, but for this old Broadway production, some things never change. Last week, the Boston College Theatre Department and Robsham Theater Arts Center completed their five-day run of Chicago.

The presentation of this iconic musical stars BC’s own performing arts students and was directed by BC alum Michelle Miller ’98.

Chicago reveals the underlying truth of our society’s obsession with violence and aggression. Vaudeville star Velma Kelly (Taylor Tranfaglia, MCAS ’18) murders her husband and Chicago’s slickest lawyer, Billy Flynn (Tristan Horan, MCAS ’21), is set to defend her. But when Roxie Hart (Elizabeth Koennecke, MCAS ’19) also

INSIDE SCENE

winds up in jail, Flynn takes on her case as well—turning her into a criminal celebrity in the papers. As each woman frantically pursues her own fame, the public (and the actual audience) cheers them on and revels in their exploits. As Miller tells us in the director’s note, “Chicago pulls the curtain back on what it is we truly value as audience members who are willing to cheer for the villain, merely pity the saint, and disregard the truly innocent.” in the musical’s burlesque theme, with colored lights, an elevated band, steel jail cells, and a central Broadway-style sign that read “Chicago.” The lighting throughout the show was executed wonderfully, from the various spotlights that echoed the fame the characters were striving for, to the colorful display of a snappy number. Real beds were rolled in for bedroom scenes, Flynn’s office was recreated, and even a full courtroom was produced—gavel and all.

The band stayed on cue with the sound effects for the action and performed jazz numbers exceptionally well, though fluctuated in volume—at times, the band overpowered the vocalists, while at others, it was too soft. The singing was also on par, but it was the choreography that was really striking. The effort that was put into their rehearsals was evident when the cast was flailing about in complete synchronicity, pulling off cartwheels and splits. During Flynn’s introduction around the song “All I Care About Is Love,” the ensemble women formed a seamless moving ring around Flynn with feather fans, eliciting applause from the audience mid-scene.

When Roxie tries to convince her husband to pay her lawyer fees, two members of the cast physically embody the conversation in an impressive tap dance.

Highlights from the cast included

BC bOp! Jazz Cabaret Performance

Jazzy sounds and triumphant melodies rocked the Vandy Cabaret Room over the weekend.......................................B7

See ‘Chicago,’ B7

Boston College Soul, Love, and Meaning! (BC SLAM!), along with United Front and the Black Student Forum, hosted a slam poetry night featuring BC students and TOO BLACK, a spoken word poet, artist, and activist based in Indianapolis.

The event had been scheduled long before the recent racist incidents that took place last week, including the defacing of several Black Lives Matter signs. In light of these events, the poets at the slam poetry night tailored a few of their poems and messages to focus primarily on racism and the black struggle.

The stadium seating in Higgins 300 was packed with more than 150 people by the time Azo Mbanefo, ex-president of BC SLAM! and BC ’16, began to introduce the event and explain what was going to take place. It appears that no faculty were in attendance. From the start, Mbanefo spoke about the recent racist incidents, and how she, as an alum, had seen Snapchats and posts on Instagram about how some people think that black lives don’t matter. In light of these pictures, Mbanefo voiced her disappointment with the school. She asked the crowd how they really felt at this time. Exhaustion, sadness, and a lack of safety were only a few words shouted out. After she thanked the students of color and the white allies for attending the event, she shared a poem of her own.

Mbanefo’s poem spoke about the fear

‘Rumi Night’ Recitation and Dance

Readings from the Persian poet and accompanying interpretive dances vivified the ancient words....B7

and oppression experienced by black people in America. The imagery of the scarlet blood of black men and women was crossed with snippets from the Lord’s prayer. The next poet performed “Luck.”

This poem was about the whitewashing of black people, especially those with lighter skin. She talked about how black children are taught a history that isn’t theirs.

They don’t learn about or experience the culture of Africa. Her poem also discussed the privilege of her education and how it has benefitted her, but not those black people around her, who are forced to live in a lower socioeconomic status.

The third poet was Rusty Cocino, MCAS ’19. Cocino’s poem, “American Uber,” was a numbered list of things he wanted to say to the Uber driver who made racist comments while he was in the car.

Following Cocino, Zachary Patterson, co-president of the Black Student Forum and LSOE ’19, spoke his poem. He had written this piece after the shooting of Philandro Castile by a police officer.

After Patterson’s poem, Miya Colemon, president of BC SLAM! and MCAS ’19, performed her poem on the origin and nature of ebonics. Coleman’s poem personified the language as a blunt that the African slaves smoked in America.

The “blunt” was suppressed and pushed down until it was barely an ember hidden in the soul of every black person in America.

See SLAM!, B7

‘The Snowman’............................................. B6 ‘Killing of a Sacred Deer’................................... B6 ‘Wind River’................................................. B6