HEIGHTS
THE
The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College
EST. 1919
WWW.BCHEIGHTS.COM
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017
CHRISTY COCO
OUT OF LUCK
SCENE
SPORTS
The senior actress and singer follows her heart and the limelight.
For the second-straight game, BC gave up a late lead, falling to No. 25 Notre Dame, 84-76.
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8j L>9: Mfk`e^ JkXikj# :Xe[`[Xk\j :cXj_ Fec`e\ K_\ <: [\Z`[\[ X^X`ejk ^`m`e^ flk Xep jXeZk`fej% 9P :FEEFI DLIG?P E\nj <[`kfi
AMELIE TRIEU / HEIGHTS EDITOR
8Z_Xdgfe^ N`ej DCB JZ_fcXij_`g C\X_p nXj gi\j\ek kf Zfe^iXklcXk\ k_\ Z_X`i f] 8C:% 9P :FEEFI DLIG?P E\nj <[`kfi Akosua Achampong, chair of the AHANA Leadership Council and MCAS ’18, was announced as the winner of the 2017 Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship on Wednesday night. The award was presented at Boston College’s 35th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Ceremony, entitled “Beyond Black and White Towards Justice.” The event was sponsored by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Committee and held in the Heights Room in Corcoran Commons with over 100 students and faculty in attendance. The committee, which began as an informal gathering of faculty and students set up to honor King’s life and legacy, became an official part of BC’s Black History Month festivities in 1982. Candidates for the award are selected for their academic achievements, leadership in their community, service to others, and commitment to King’s principles and mission. Achampong is a current candidate for the
presidency of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College, and has been endorsed by The Heights’ editorial board. After the five scholarship candidates were formally introduced, University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., lauded them for their exemplary contributions to their community, and said that while preserving King’s memory is important, concrete action must follow such remembrance. “We’re lucky, at Boston College, that we have [these five students], and so many individuals like them, who are dedicated to living out—carrying out—the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King,” Leahy said. In a pre-recorded video message, Achampong related her most formative experience at BC: joining fellow students in protesting the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black man who died at the hands of police. “‘No justice, no peace!’ we chanted with fists raised high as we walked toward Gasson Hall,” Achampong said. “Here, I found the community I wasn’t aware that I had been searching for at Boston College—a place for authenticity, lament, and organization.” Achampong said that contrary to the claims of some, the election of President Barack Obama did not signal the arrival of a post-racial America, but instead only revealed the ingrained racism that had been lurking,
overlooked, in the shadows. “The face of racism has evolved in a multitude of ways,” Achampong said. “While we as a nation continue to combat blatant, overt instances of racial discrimination and prejudice, we have grown to accept and normalize ‘microaggressions.’” Achampong noted that fighting for social justice is an essential component of her identity, and that she feels it is her personal duty to ensure that BC is a diverse and inclusive place. “As a survivor of sexual assault, gender discrimination, racism, colorism, and other forms of oppression, I know that figuratively, and literally, our silence will not break any barriers,” Achampong said. After dinner had concluded, Chiamaka Okorie, winner of the 2016 Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship and CSON ’17, addressed the five candidates. Describing King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech as a call to action, Okorie adjured her audience to recognize the urgency of that call, and not to succumb to a “tranquilizing” acceptance of gradualism in securing justice. “My advice to you is to remain unsatisfied and to continue to work toward something
See Scholarship, A3
On Monday night, a day before voting got underway for Undergraduate Government of Boston College president and executive vice president, Raymond Mancini and Matt Batsinelas, both CSOM ’19, released a video criticizing another team in the race, Akosua Achampong and Tt King, both MCAS ’18. Shared in the BC Class of 2019 Facebook group and on their own personal pages, the video spliced together footage of Sunday night’s Elections Committee (EC) debate with criticisms of Achampong and King’s campaign. “True leaders own up to their mistakes,” the video says against a black screen. “But it is clear that they don’t.” At the debate on Sunday, Mancini said Achampong and King had endorsed hurtful comments against his campaign and demanded an apology. He was referring to comments posted on a live stream of last week’s diversity and inclusion debate, including one by Edward Byrne, MCAS ’18, who suggested Mancini did not have LGBTQ friends. The EC gave Achampong and King a warning, and the comments were deleted. Achampong and King’s campaign submitted a formal complaint about the video to the EC, which decided late Wednesday night that it does not qualify as negative campaigning. “The video does not directly harm or affect the character of Akosua and Tt,” the EC said in a statement. “Although it is very borderline, the EC has decided that it is strictly opinionated and does not defame the candidates.” One comment on the video said Mancini and Batsinelas should stop complaining about being personally attacked and “[invest] your energy into real issues facing this community.” The “Ray & Matt for UGBC 2017” Facebook page responded by saying, “Yeah real issues like gender neutral bathrooms right? Cause apparently that’s a real issue.” Both this comment
and the initial comment have since been deleted. The second comment apparently referred to King and Achampong’s campaign platform, which advocates for the University to create gender-neutral bathrooms on campus. Mancini and Batsinelas denied posting the comment and said nobody on their campaign team had admitted to posting it. The Heights was able to obtain the original screenshot of the comment. On Wednesday, Achampong and King posted a statement on their campaign page about the comment made under the “Ray & Matt” campaign page. “It does not align with our Jesuit values that uphold the dignity and worth of all people, and above all, it does not answer the call to stand on the margins with those who are farthest removed,” they wrote. On Tuesday night, Batsinelas posted in the Class of 2019 Facebook group seeking to clear up, he said, some misconceptions about his and Mancini’s campaign and their records. He wrote that he and Mancini had been subject to unfair attacks on their character during the election, largely due to the perception, he said, that Mancini is homophobic because he voted against a Student Assembly resolution this fall calling on the University to establish an LGBTQ resource center. An abridged version was also published as a letter to the editor in today’s Heights issue. “I am not homophobic, racist, or any of these other words coming from these attackers,” he wrote. “I pride myself in being an ally to these communities and being against discrimination of any kind.” Mancini and Batsinelas posted a video on Wednesday that criticizes the allocation of UGBC’s budget. They highlighted the fact that 58 percent of the budget goes toward events for the GLBTQ Leadership Council, AHANA Leadership Council, and Diversity and Inclusion Programming. They also commented on UGBC’s spending on sweatshirts provided to its members, which cost a total of $6,287. “Other clubs pay for these accessories themselves, so why does UGBC use your money?” they wrote in the video.
@em`k\j kf E\n JfZ`Xc 8gg CXe[ `e @eYfo\j f] Fm\i (#''' Jkl[\ekj =i`\e[jp Xccfnj lj\ij kf Ylcb$`em`k\ jkl[\ekj n`k_ YZ%\[l X[[i\jj\j% 9P :?I@J ILJJF 8jjfZ% E\nj <[`kfi This week, over 1,000 Boston College students received automated emails and text messages inviting them to join “Friendsy,” a social networking app that allows college students to connect with people on their campuses. Nearly 1,000 BC students have joined the app in the last few days according to Vaidhy Murti, Friendsy’s CEO. Murti created the app when he was a sophomore at Princeton University, where he felt that it was difficult to branch outside of his friend group and wanted to form relationships in a manner that was
INSIDE
THIS ISSUE
fast and easy. “The idea behind Friendsy was to build a better way to help college students meet other people,” he said. Only students with “.edu” emails can sign up for the app, which ensures every profile is verified. The app allows students to swipe through profiles and request to be friends, “hook up,” or go on a date. If the other person requests the same action back, the two people match and can chat. The default setting of the app allows students to only see users who attend the same university, but this setting can be changed so students can match with members from other universities. Friendsy is driven by network effects—the more people use it, the more valuable it becomes. When a new user signs up, they must create a profile. They cannot access the app itself until a certain number of students from the university
have created profiles. At BC, the minimum threshold required was 500 users before the app was activated. The first students to use Friendsy were therefore encouraged to invite new users so they could unlock the app. The students allowed the app to access their contacts and invited as many friends as they wanted, thereby generating the hundreds of emails and text messages students were receiving asking them to join the app. “This strategy is what creates the ‘Friendsy frenzy’ at a school,” Murti said. The text message comes from a robonumber. The message that many students received was “A senior at BC thinks you’re cute & invited you to Friendsy to reveal their identity. INVITE EXPIRES AT MIDNIGHT!” with a link to the app after the message.
See Friendsy, A3
NEWS: TKM Talks Love
METRO: Gita Brings the Future
The famous professor explains the connection between hookup culture and Jesuit ideals......A3
PFF’s newest project creates a convenient robotic carrying device..................................A5
PHOTO COURTESY OF FRIENDSY
INDEX Vol. XCVIII, No. 9 © 2017, The Heights, Inc. www.bcheights.com
NEWS.......................... A2 ARTS & REVIEW............B1 METRO......................A4 SPORTS......................B8 OPINIONS................... A6
THE HEIGHTS
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things to do on campus this week
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This Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the Campus Activities Board will sponsor an event at Boda Borg Boston, where teams of three to five people can compete in mental and physical challenges. Tickets are on sale for $22.50 plus fees. Buses will be provided.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017
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Tonight from 6:30 to 8 p.m., the McMullen Museum is hosting DIY Night at the McMullen: Sketch Your Partner, an event exclusive to Boston College students. After a brief tutorial from a BC artist, students will be able to sketch the person opposite of them. The event is free.
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Tonight at 5:30 p.m., the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy will sponsor an event titled “Globalization’s Elusive Search for Justice: Categories, Maps, Interventions,” at Boston College Law School. The event features a lecture from Peer Zumbansen, a law professor at King’s College London.
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DZDXeXdX ;`\j Xk ('' John McManama, BC ’37, a Boston College Athletics team physician and member of the University medical staff for over 40 years, passed away on Feb. 10 at 100 years old. “Dr. John was a great doctor,” Thomas Nary, director of University Health Services, said to The Chronicle. “Great physicians have a ‘knack’—not unlike a great football player—in the ability to stay cool, not get rattled, and to play best when the big game is on the line. He had that ability.” Visiting hours were yesterday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Joyce Funeral Home in Waltham, and the funeral Mass will be today at St. Mary’s Church in Waltham. McManama will be buried in Calvary Cemetery. McManama served in the United States Army as a battlefield surgeon during World War II. For his work on the battlefield in the Philippines and Okinawa, McManama earned a Bronze Star award. In 1972, he joined the University Health Services at BC, where he and athletics physician Dr. J. Joseph Burns provided medical services to BC’s student-athletes. “He and Dr. Burns were ahead of their time in insisting that all athletes get physical examinations and that we collect a medical history of athletic injuries and concussions so that we could better treat them,” Nary said. “Most colleges at that time did not do that.” McManama retired from BC at age 93 in 2009. In recognition of McManama’s many contributions to the BC community, BC awarded him the Alumni Association’s Medal of Excellence in Medicine in 1990, and the next year, McManama was inducted into the BC Varsity Club Athletics Hall of Fame.
9: ;`e`e^ IXeb\[ ('k_ Last Tuesday, lendedu.com’s blog published a list of the top-30 college dining halls in the United States. Boston College’s dining halls were ranked 10th, surpassing other top universities like Georgetown University, ranked 19th, Dartmouth College, ranked 23rd, and Northwestern University, ranked 22nd. The ranking factored in number of dining halls, hours of operation, cost of meal plan, menu options, and special diet menu options. Lendedu.com writes that BC’s nine dining halls provide access to food for 14 hours throughout the day, and offer a full meal plan. The blurb also recognized BC’s on-campus bakery. The ranking said that students “pay a little bit more at BC with a full meal plan costing around $5,200 each year.” The entry noted that Dining Services’ vegan “Power Bowl” had recently won a bronze medal from the National Association of College and University Food Services. “Our team is thrilled to receive this wonderful recognition! I am incredibly proud to lead this talented team,” Beth Emery, director of Dining Services said to The Chronicle. “I am lucky each day to observe and experience our team members’ warm hospitality, and enjoy the innovative and delicious food that they prepare and serve to students and the BC community.”
Dan Ponsetto, Boston College’s director of the Volunteer and Service Learning Center, spoke in Hillside Cafe this Tuesday for Agape Latte’s Valentine’s Day event about love in both its forms: verb and noun. “So it’s Valentine’s Day, and you’re sharing it with me,” Ponsetto said. “I promise you that this will not be your greatest Valentine’s Day, but if it is, I’ll be very happy.” Ponsetto first fell in love with a girl named Suzy Robinson in seventh grade, after he saw her across a football field. They “went together” for eight months, he said, calling each other every night to talk about nothing. Then, she broke up with him. When 11th grade came, he was in the high school musical, and Robinson was the head makeup artist. They were reunited again, in just the intimate setting he wanted. “I had Sue Robinson touching my face at every show,” he said. “And her face was this close to me, so I was making every expression I possibly could to lure her back in—and it worked.” This time around, love hit him hard, and he made the audience swoon, and simultaneously laugh, with his words. “I was so in love, I couldn’t talk,” Ponsetto said.
Ponsetto recalled cutting hearts out of construction paper he found in a drawer somewhere in his home and using glue to paste the hearts together. On the hearts he wrote in cursive, which he had never used before in his life. He made her a special valentine. Birthdays, expensive presents, a college breakup, a college makeup, and a proposal later, Ponsetto realized just how long he and his wife have come since they first met 34 years ago. That is much too long of a relationship to be entirely filled with love-struck moments and smooth sailing, he said. It’s a lifetime. “Love is a commitment that lasts longer than being in love,” he said. This dedication to love, beyond the times when it’s easy, is necessary in other times in people’s lives besides their relationships, according to Ponsetto. It applies to their hobbies, communities, clubs, workplaces, and selves. Ponsetto cited the funeral of his friend Howie Rich, who passed away from brain cancer, which was too packed for everyone to get a seat. A man who loved and committed to everything that moved him, Rich had multiple speakers at his funeral: teenagers from the youth ministry, his colleagues, the people from his church, and his family. They all had the same warm, kind words about the man, including
LIZZY BARRETT / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Dan Ponsetto talked to students about love during Agape Latte’s special Valentine’s Day event on Tuesday night. his own wife and children. Ponsetto remembered his car ride home that night perfectly. With the radio off, he first asked himself the commonly asked question, “Would anyone attend my funeral and say nice things about me?” Once he settled the answer to this, he moved on to a harder question. “If that happened, would my wife and kids in the front row recognize the person being described?” Ponsetto said. What is most important, he emphasized, is who someone is when he or she goes home—after the service trips are over. Ponsetto moved on to create a counterargument against a Ben &
Jerry’s bumper sticker that posed the question, “If it’s not fun, why do it?” “If love had to be fun, my wife would have left me years ago,” he said. “If love had to be fun, I would’ve bailed on parenting every time one of my four kids turned about two and a half years old. If love had to be fun, my mother would not have spent the last six months of my father’s life, as he died of cancer, getting him out of bed, dressing him, feeding him.” Fun, Ponsetto made clear, is not present every day of a relationship. He argued that love brings people joy regardless of how fun certain times may be, and
that love just feels right. While love is mostly thought of as a verb, Ponsetto closed his discussion by reminding the students that it’s also a noun. It’s something received, shared between people, spread around communities, and given by oneself entirely. “Our capacity to really commit to love, and to love people, I think is really very deeply in our own experience of knowing that we are loved,” Ponsetto said. Ponsetto turned to the students and made his final point in a simple phrase. “Whether you believe it or not, I’m making an announcement tonight,” he said. “God loves you very much.”
C\9\Xl I\Õ\Zkj fe I\gfik`e^ `e <iX f] Ê=Xb\ E\njË 9P AFJ?L8 ?FCKQ Heights Staff Phil LeBeau beamed with visible delight. “Ah, the ‘fake news’ question!” An audience member had asked him to comment on the myriad of accusations levelled by United States government officials against journalists in recent months. LeBeau, an Emmy Award-winning Chicago-based reporter who covers the auto and airline industries for CNBC, spoke in the Fulton Honors Library on Monday as a part of the “Lunch with a Leader” speaker series. The event was sponsored by the Carroll School of Management’s Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics. Last week, when LeBeau covered a meeting between airline executives and President Donald Trump at the White House, a new atmosphere of hostility toward reporters was noticable, he said.
POLICE BLOTTER
In turn, Trump’s accusations or analysis. someone chooses to believe that— that the media is engaged in a conthere’s nothing you can do aside “All reporters come at their job spiracy to mislead the public, and from reporting the facts and having with their own background, their his constant use of the term “fake faith that consumers will realize own influences, and their own pernews” to describe the work of career when something is fake and when spectives,” LeBeau said. journalists, have deeply insulted it’s not,” LeBeau said. In a free society, the general and alienated many in the industry, LeBeau also drew a distinction public—the consumer of what the LeBeau said. media produc“There is defes—must evaluinitely a feeling of ate the veracity tension [between of available news journalists and sources. Writers the administraand reporters tion],” he said. may not always When asked draw the same by a student to conclusions elaborate on the from the facts, “fake news” phebut a multiplicity of media nomenon, LeB—Phil LeBeau, Chicago-based reporter for CNBC perspectives is eau said that the not necessarily only way for reinjurious to the porters to deal nation, LeBeau said. between “fake news,” which consists with such accusations is to strive “That’s part of society’s interactof the presentation of fraudulent for honesty while trusting in the ing with, taking in, and consuming facts, and differences of perspecdiscerning faculties of the public. journalism,” LeBeau said. tive which may lead a reader to “If somebody says that what disagree with a writer’s conclusion you’re reporting is ‘fake news’—if LeBeau emphasized the impor-
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2/10/17 - 2/13/17
Saturday, Feb. 11
Sunday, Feb. 12
12:03 a.m. - A report was filed regarding vandalism to a residence at Walsh Hall.
9:41 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a traffic crash at Lower Lots.
12:31 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm at Robsham Theater.
8:07 p.m. - A report was filed regarding harrassing phone calls at the Law Library
1:39 a.m. - A report was filed regarding vandalism to a residence at 66 Commonwealth Ave.
8:06 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical incident at Flynn Sports Complex.
12:30 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an actual fire at Stayer Hall.
tance of readers taking responsibility for both what reporting they believe and what news sources they choose to trust. The media industry has changed dramatically since LeBeau began his career, due in part to the emergence of the internet. LeBeau advised the undergraduates in attendance to prepare for seismic shifts in their own professions after they graduate. “[Your industry] will be completely different in 30 years,” LeBeau said. Despite changes in the way news coverage and analysis are transmitted to the public, many aspects of the journalist’s craft are timeless— grounded by years of well-founded tradition, LeBeau said. “The method in which I deliver the news is dramatically different,” he said, “but certain bedrock principles—how to tell a story, collect facts, and develop sources—will never go away.”
—Source: The Boston College Police Department
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CORRECTIONS
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Carolyn Freeman’s column on Feb. 13, “University Must Support Student Activists,” wrote that BC is the only Jesuit university that did not sign on to be a sanctuary campus. This statement was misleading. BC was the only Jesuit university that did not sign a statement from the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, which pledges to promote retention of DACA, but did join many universities in signing statements from Pomona College and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, which pledges to support students protected under DACA.
THE HEIGHTS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017
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KBD Jg`kj MXc\ek`e\Ëj ;Xp N`j[fd Xk 9: @^e`k\j <m\ek Jkl[\ekj kXcb\[ XYflk 9:Ëj _ffblg Zlckli\% 9P 89@>8@C ;IL?FK =fi K_\ ?\`^_kj How does the Jesuit examen coincide with random hookups? Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield, a beloved English professor on campus, had some insight on that question. Students poured into Gasson on Monday night ready to hear the Undergraduate Government of Boston College-sponsored talk “What is Love?” only to realize there were no seats left. Instead of leaving, they stood in the back, not wanting to miss this talk from Kaplan-Maxfield. The talk began with student speakers sharing personal experiences about their relationships and love. Sarah Bradley, LSOE ’17, shared experiences that ranged from her own abusive relationship to the hookup culture at BC. Instead of degrading hookup culture, she emphasized listening to one’s own voice when it comes to reflecting on what the best decision in any relationship is. She encouraged independence
and empowerment for all. “Always listen to the voice that should be the loudest in your head, [which is] your own, and trust that,” she said. Next up was Nicolas Buonanduci, MCAS ’19, who discussed dealing with atypical relationships at BC. He reflected on his past of being one of few gay kids in his hometown, and how he allowed people’s opinions and actions to affect his relationship with another boy. Now at BC, he notes the downside of the culture here that he feels affects some of his peers. “I know a few gay men who are nervous about pursuing a relationship with another man because they feel like the ‘BC bro culture’ would be their enemy,” he said. Last of the students to speak was Gabby Zabbo, CSON ’18, whose talk centered around consent. She spoke about the importance of consent in all types of relationships: long-term ones, casual ones, and one-night stands. “I’ll repeat that again, she said. “You never have to do anything you don’t want to do.” After the reflections from the student panel, Kaplan-Maxfield, lovingly referred to as TKM by his “fan club,” was up next to speak. His remarks throughout the night
drew many laughs and agreeing nods from the crowd. He also didn’t resist mentioning fellow professor Kerry Cronin and his opposing ideas with her on hookup culture. Cronin is known for her famous dating assignment on campus, encouraging students to break free of the hookup culture and seek meaningful relationships with people. Kaplan-Maxfield resents the idea that the prevalent hookup culture is so denounced and shameful. He defines love very broadly instead. “Love is the principle of connectedness, and what that means is that any connection is a form of love,” he said. Kaplan-Maxfield then made the point that people can’t generalize love as good or random hookups as bad. Instead, people must look at the particulars to see how they are affecting the individual. He noted the inherent human nature of hookup culture as well, referencing stories like Adam and Eve and how the seeking of something forbidden, as he believes random hookups are viewed, makes hookups all the more inevitable. Kaplan-Maxfield then cited some direct benefits random hookups can have on people.
KAITLIN MEEKS / HEIGHTS STAFF
Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield, or TKM for short, thinks love can’t be generalized as good, or random hookups as bad. Specifically referencing the Jesuit examen, he suggested a reason this reflection coincides with random hookups. He did not denounce the reflective culture, but wonders if random hookups act as a reflection in a much different way from how students often focus on it in class. “What if random hookups were a way of countering all these examens you’re doing?” he said. “We become more soulful not just when we fall in love, but when we have more hookups we become more soulful … [With] feelings of shame or guilt or ‘what does this
mean for me?’ ... these are all soulful questions.” On his last point of health, he reminded the audience that health is rooted in the word “whole,” and that this means to include both the good and the bad in one’s life. He argued that in this case, random hookups can be inherently healthy. “With random hookups, we are revealing and concealing at the same time,” he said. “Morality wants to make it one-sided but it’s both good and bad. This notion that random hookups aren’t really about the whole person, and
therefore can’t be healthy, is kind of challenged if we pay attention to the actual hookup itself.” Kaplan-Maxfield ended his speech encouraging students to think about these things when they make decisions regarding relationships or hookups. He urged health in the sense of being whole above all and reminded the students of an important point regarding not just love but being human in general. “To be whole for all of us means that we would include all of the parts of us that other lives might not want to include,” he said.
=i`\e[jp @em`k\ J\ek kf ?le[i\[j Mystery App, from A1 The person inviting the student was not necessarily a senior, however. Murti said that not all text messages use “senior”—some use “someone”— but the purpose of the ambiguous language is to protect the anonymity of its users that request their friends or crush to join the app. The email invites are also customized to BC students. The email uses the BC Athletics logo, which Friendsy did not obtain permission to use. “I just learned about [having to ask permission] today—I didn’t even know that was a thing to be honest,” Murti said.
Elizabeth Dority, director of technology and organizational effectiveness, became aware of the app’s email and text requests on Monday. She said that she will contact BC’s legal counsel about the use of the logo. Murti received a letter from another university this week, letting him know that he should have asked permission before using their logo in a promotional email. “The way I see it is that we’re literally a free app offering a really valuable service to students,” Murti said. “It’s something we’ll be more careful about in the future.” Over 50 percent of BC students on the app have made a match
already, according to Murti. Half of the matches have been as friends and the other half have been as dates or hook-ups. Some students have opened the app hundreds of time each day, and one has opened it over a thousand times one day, Murti said. Many students who have received the email have been skeptical about the email being spam. Others were also surprised to receive text messages from the company without knowing who invited them to the app. “[Friendsy] is only useful if there are enough people on it,” Murti said.
SHAAN BIJWADIA / HEIGHTS STAFF
JkXk\ J\eXkfi Jg\Xbj Xk DCB ;`ee\i 9pdXe KXcbj L%J% :flek\ik\iifi`jd Scholarship, from A1 greater than you, because, at the end of the day, we are upholding a legacy greater than us,” Okorie said. Following Okorie’s remarks, keynote speaker and Massachusetts State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry, BC ’96, was introduced by Osamase Ekhator, a member of student dance group Sexual Chocolate and MCAS ’17. A first-generation Haitian American, Forry represents the Commonwealth’s 1st Suffolk District, and is the first woman, and person of color, to be elected to the position. Forry congratulated the five finalists for their leadership, service, and impressive academic achievements, and thanked Leahy for his
administration’s statement supporting those affected by President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that temporarily banned people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. Forry said that her parents, who immigrated to the U.S. from Haiti in the 1970s, continuously encouraged her to excel academically, and in 1992 she was awarded a scholarship to study at BC’s Carroll School of Management. “It’s only here, in this great America, that a child of immigrants—a first-generation American—can stand before you as a state senator,” Forry said. Forry said that King’s example of nonviolence in the face of violent
opposition was reflected by the peaceful nature of the numerous protests that have recently taken place in Boston in response to the election and Trump’s policies. “Our history is defined by those who take a stand against inequality and work for the rights of all people,” Forry said. “That is why we’re here this evening—that is why these five scholars have been chosen [as scholarship candidates].” Forry said that King’s promise that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice” must inspire Americans to not just hope, but also act. “We in this room have to put our arms around the arc, pull that arc, and bend it toward justice,” Forry said.
<]]fik `j ^f`e^ Y\kk\i k_Xe pfl k_`eb# gif]% jXpj 9P B8K@< DLIG?P For The Heights Daniel Byman, a professor in the School of Foreign Services at Georgetown University, spoke on Wednesday night in McGuinn Hall at an event sponsored by the Islamic Civilization and Societies Program, and the Middle Eastern and Islamic Student Association. Byman began his lecture by asking the audience members first to raise their hands if they thought the counterterrorism effort by the United States has gone well since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and then if they thought it has gone poorly. An overwhelming majority of attendees raised their hands at the second option. In response to the consensus, Byman explained that in his evaluation, the counterterrorism effort is going better than the audience and the majority of Americans think. Post-Sept. 11, Byman explained, the United States and other countries cared about terrorism in a way that they had not before. Terrorism is a global issue, he said, so preventative measures cross borders. According to Byman, one of the biggest international counterterrorism advantages is the ease with which countries communicate with each other and share information that can lead to terrorist arrests. This communication and vigilance prevents another global plot in the style of Sept. 11 from being planned and executed.
After sharing a facet of counterterrorism that he sees in a positive light, Byman explained some problems that he has identified with the efforts over the last 15 years. First, he saw that some states have become comfortable on relying on other states to spearhead the counterterrorism efforts, and do not put the same amount of time and money into terrorism prevention while still benefitting from more active states’ work. Countries also tend to overstate the terrorist presence within their borders in order to obtain U.S. support and resources. Byman cited the example of Russia moving from claiming that bandits were attacking Chechnya to claiming that Al Qaeda was the cause of the attacks. He explained that this both wastes resources on fighting non-terrorist groups and makes the level of terrorism seem higher than it is. A third problem that Byman identified is related to the way the United States works with other countries to prevent terrorism. “We work with the intelligence agencies, the least democratic parts of undemocratic countries,” he said. “And so we are bolstering authoritarianism in much of the world.” In doing this, he explained, the United States gives support to authoritarian governments and potentially increases their power. Byman expressed mixed feelings about the use of drones and missile strikes as counterterrorism measures. He explained that, on one hand, drones make taking out targets more efficient than before. Another positive is that
drones force terrorist groups to go on the defensive and disrupt their contact and communication, making it harder for the groups to act as cohesive unit. While drone strikes are effective in what they do, Byman explained, they are not a perfect solution. Byman cited two reasons. First, civilians are often killed along with the intended target, and, on occasion, instead of the target. He also questioned how effective this tactic is because of the potential for the civilian deaths to be used as a recruitment tactic for the terrorist groups. Byman ended the talk by projecting how he suspects the administration of President Donald Trump will move forward with counterterrorism efforts. He said that he expects Trump to continue to discuss “radical Islam” as the main terrorist threat instead of individual organizations. Trump has also made remarks that, in the past, the United States has been “too respectful” to allies, and Byman thinks that if ties with allies are harmed, the counterterrorism effort will also be harmed. He believes that from Trump’s terrorist rhetoric, he will be tougher on terrorism, but the methods he would use to do this is unclear. For the future, Byman said that he would like Congress to write legislation that specifically addresses terrorism and the means that are to be used to fight it. “Say here’s the parameters for the use of force [against terrorists], here’s what we’ll accept and here’s what we will not accept,” he said. “I would like to see serious legislation.”
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Business wear has a bad reputation for being sweat-inducing, impractical, and generally uncomfortable. So after a long day at work, most people in the professional world look forward to changing out of these stiff articles of clothing into something cozy and comfortable. The suit and tie come off, and the sheath dress and high-heels are tossed aside in favor of sweatpants and an oversized hoodie—options that, despite their negative sartorial reputation, are undeniably comfortable. But wouldn’t it be nice if that barrier between work clothes and comfortable active wear was something more fluid? This is the question that faced three Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduates— Aman Advani, Gihan Amarasiriwardena, and Kit Hickney—in 2012 after they had spent time the professional world. With all three boasting a past in some form of athletics—Amarasiriwardena having been a world-class distance runner—they were suddenly confronted with the fact that features available in high-performance athletic clothing were not available in business wear. With the long hours they work, people in the professional world were doomed to hours of discomfort, until Advani, Amarasiriwardena, and Hickney had an idea: business wear that felt as comfortable as a second skin. So even before the trio developed their first line of clothing, they set up a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign that raised over $6,000 dollars in the first day, and over $400,000 by the end of the campaign. What became, Ministry of Supply was Kickstarter’s most successful fashion startup by a longshot. Mike Farber, MCAS ’89 and Ministry of Supply advisor, revealed that this wave of
public enthusiasm acted as validation for the burgeoning company, and served as the launch point for the creation of their fabrics and designs. The founders then pulled inspiration from the fabrics and materials used not only by successful brands of athletic clothing, but also by NASA, creating a product that featured a unique blend of science and fashion. “I often joke that [the fabric is] like a true wearable,” Farber said. “It’s not like the Apple watch, it’s something that you wear on your body, and it makes your body perform better, and feel better.” With his background in chemical engineering, Amarasiriwardena worked to hack the world of fabric as the team began designing their products. Alongside his team, Amarasiriwardena created fabrics that included key comfortable features. One of these is omni-stretch, which allows for wrinkle-free movement, a treatment that keeps fabric dry by preventing the absorption of moisture, and heat regulation that allows someone to sweat without obvious sweat stains. Soon the startup was ready to send off their first line of men’s “Apollo” dress shirts, and not long after, they released the odor-mitigating “Atlas” dress socks, which were made from a coffee grind-infused fabric. The Ministry of Supply founders continued expanding their first articles of menswear, eventually developing a line (and inventory) strong enough to launch an online store. By 2015, the founders opened the company’s first brick-and-mortar location on Newbury Street. By 2016, they had expanded into their first womenswear line. Though it was fairly smooth, Farber explained that this expansion was not without challenges. The founders faced the fashionspecific problem of forecasting the correct amount of clothing to produce.
Unlike software, which innovators can abandon if it fails, fashion requires an active consumer demand. If no one buys the product, the company is left with thousands of shirts lying around. But the Ministry of Supply seems to have predicted that with accuracy, as they now have physical locations in major cities across the country including Washington D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, and Atlanta. And although Ministry of Supply’s start-up has spread across the country at the rapid pace, the founders have kept their business based in Boston. Farber explained that this is not only because the trio has a deep love for the area, but also because of the area’s unusual mix of fashion technology. Boston might not have the same reputation for fashion innovation as somewhere like New York City, but Farber says that Boston contains a community of talented and innovative individuals from the fashion industry—a statement that finds basis not only in fact that major brands like New Balance and Converse headquarter their companies in Boston, but from the culture in the city that has resulted in events like the Museum of Fine Arts #techstyle exhibit. Even with the support and vibrancy that an innovative city like Boston provides for its startup, Ministry of Supply is still a part of the fashion world—a cutthroat industry where many brands struggle for years, not months, before launching their first line. Farber attributed this unique success to the quality of the product that “is tuned in to how more and more people are living their lives. Farber explained that in recent years, consumers pay more attention to quality over quantity. Instead of filling their closet to the brim with items that will be out of style and fall apart within months, today’s shoppers look for items that they could comfortably wear for years. Ministry of Supply’s founders
MADELEINE D’ANGELO/ HEIGHTS EDITOR
Ministry of Supply combines “second-skin,” high-tech fabric with business clothes. kept these demands in mind when developing their company ethos. “They’re good people,” Farber said. “It’s not some big soulless cooperating here, it a scrappy fast-growing company doing something really cool, and people see that and want to be a piece of that.” Ministry of Supply clothing is not “fast fashion”, Farber emphasized. Drawing inspiration from companies like Patagonia that provide customers with performance clothing that lasts a lifetime, Ministry of Supply hopes to provide customers with a unique item that will quickly become a staple in their closet, even if the price is higher initially. Farber himself can no longer imagine a life without Ministry of Supply clothing in his closet. The company’s timeless aesthetic also indicates the founders’ hope that Ministry
of Supply will become even more of a staple item. With Jarlath Mellet, who has worked at brands such as Theory and Brooks Brothers, as Ministry of Supply’s design director, clean lines and a classic color pallet make Ministry of Supply’s clothing something that customers could incorporate into their work lives and their lives beyond the office. When considering Ministry of Supply’s continued expansion, both in terms of products and of locations in the coming years, Farber honed in on what will continue setting the startup apart: the passionate belief each employee holds in their product, and its ability to improve the lives of their customers. “This is not a job for [the employees and founders of Ministry of Supply],” Farber said. “It’s more than that.”
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MICHAEL BRUE / HEIGHTS STAFF
@e 9iffbc`e\# :Xjj`e\cc` 9i`e^j <c\^XeZ\ 9P D@:?8<C 9IL< =fi K_\ ?\`^_kj Located in the heart of Brookline’s culinary mecca, Washington Square, Burro Bar is already rising to the top of the food chain. Drawn in by the vibrant purple sign, customers will stay for the astounding array of Mexican-inspired small plates, endless list of drink options, and stunning décor. Burro Bar is the newest edition to the Alpine Restaurant Group, a family of Boston-area restaurants founded in 2009 by chef and owner, Joe Cassinelli. After working in the restaurant business for years, Cassinelli created the “wood-fired Italian restaurant” Posto, located in Davis Square. Soon after, Cassinelli opened up Painted Burro, an upscale-casual Mexican restaurant in Davis Square. After its success, Cassinelli continued advancing the Mexicaninspired cuisine that Boston has come to love, opening Burro Bar this past January. Helen Israel, general manager of Burro Bar, explained that Cassinelli hoped Burro Bar would serve as a smaller, slightly elevated version of the successful Painter Burro. The two restaurants would have a similar cuisine, but the ingredients, menu items, and beverages served at Burro Bar would be “a little more upscale.” Taking inspiration from the Painted Burro’s menu, Cassinelli has created an adventurous selection of items for Burro Bar coupled with an upbeat atmosphere that keeps customers coming back for more. In order to distinguish themselves from the array of Mexican restaurants that have continued to pop up around the Boston area, Israel explained that they do not label their food “authentic Mexican cuisine.” Given the numerous regions and different cuisines in Mexico, Israel said that “authentic Mexican” food is hard to define. Instead of walking down this narrow path, Burro Bar encompasses cuisines from across the country. The menu takes tastes from areas such as Guadalajara and Oaxaca, ranging from the coast to the mountains, and even some ele-
ments of city life. “[Cassinelli] is gathering all these different recipes from friends that are chefs, and creating his own menu using local fare,” Israel said. Burro Bar takes pride in its menu, and encourages customers to branch out and try foods that they may not have previously encountered. The small-plate meals enable diners to taste many different dishes to gain a more genuine idea of what Mexican cuisine really is. In order to get the full Burro Bar experience, Israel encourages guests to order three smallbite options off the menu in addition to one or two of the tacos. The menu includes old favorites from Painted Burro, such as nachos con chorizo de la casa, topped with homemade chorizo and guacamole. These go along with some delicious additions, like their crispy Baja-style fish tacos topped with jalapeño slaw and Baja mayo. Customers can also take an adventurous route with their beef tongue tacos and the charred octopus. Apart from its food, Burro Bar also offers an astonishing list of drinks. With over 100 tequilas and 60 mezcals, customers have seemingly endless options to choose from.The quantity is matched by the quality, as Burro Bar uses only the finest tequilas and mezcals for its acclaimed drinks. Israel notes that all of the tequilas used in the Burro Bar kitchen are 100-percent agave—none of those 50-percent-agave-50percent-added-sugar ‘mixtos.’ “In the village of Tequila, they have very strict regulations on what can be called tequila, and so we follow that,” Israel said. Customers will soon be able to receive prizes for ordering these beverages. Burro Bar has an app in the works called “Agave Club” that allows customers to keep track of their drink orders. When the customer reaches a certain number of drinks, they are awarded prizes. At 100 drinks, customers have the opportunity to win a round trip flight to Cancun. With these high-quality ingredients, Burro
Bar needed to create a striking atmosphere to match. From its colorful visual décor to the R&B music played in the background, Burro Bar creates an entertaining environment for its customers. For Israel, this atmosphere is part of what sets Burro Bar apart from stereotypical Mexican restaurants. Instead of playing salsa music and hanging sombreros on the wall in the typical Americanized hacienda style, Cassinelli and his staff wanted the restaurant to feel as if a customer was walking around Mexico City and just happened upon a cool place to eat. Patrons will notice this the second they walk into the restaurant as they hear old-school hip hop and modern R&B from the speakers. “Joe Cassinelli is kind of redefining how restaurateurs design their restaurants around their cuisine,” Israel said. “The design doesn’t have to match the cuisine in any way shape or form.” Even with Cassinelli’s penchant for innovative design, Burro Bar does have some connections between the design and the cuisine. Murals painted by local artist Raul Gonzalez III, a Texas native, are the focal point of the restaurant’s back wall. Israel said that Gonzalez’s fame as an artist is quickly growing, and that he was eager to take on the task when Cassinelli gave him free range of the open space. This distinctive dynamic has been received incredibly well by Brookline customers, and by Bostonians as a whole. Burro Bar is a success, and shows gratitude toward its customers for making it so. The staff embodies a loving, caring atmosphere that seeps into the food and the customers. Israel explains that her favorite aspect of working at Burro Bar is the family-like group created by the Alpine Group, and by the Brookline community. Burro Bar has provided true passion in its menu, as well as its focus on the customers. “I think bringing something like [this to Boston] was needed,” Israel said. “I can’t wait to see even more people coming back.”
How does one tackle the problem that only 50 percent of veterans graduate from college? Former Marine Alex Stone believes he has the solution with Athletes of Valor, a Boston-based startup where veterans are connected to a vibrant network of college athletics coaches, simply by signing up online. As the CEO of Athletes of Valor, Stone aims to help people bridge the gap between service and a career by leveraging collegiate sports. Stone’s vision is to use team sports as a support structure to drastically increase graduation rates of veterans. “My mission is to ensure these men and women move on after service and find meaningful employment,” Stone said. Originally from the Boston area, Stone launched Athletes of Valor in July of last year. He moved back to Boston from Baltimore where he met with business partners and took advantage of the strong network he had built over the years. Despite his ability to play collegiate sports, Stone decided instead to serve his country in the Marine Corps after high school. When Stone left the military years later, he was unaware of the opportunity to earn a scholarship to play college sports. While working in the sporting goods industry, Stone was exposed to the recruitment process. He noticed companies were looking to hire employees with qualities similar to those found in people who had served in the military. Stone recognized that over 85 percent of student-athletes graduate from college with a four-year degree. He realized that if veterans became student-athletes, more of them would graduate due to the similarly structured nature of both military service and college sports. For Stone, the most important thing is
that veterans would be in an environment constantly surrounded by friends and fellow students working toward a common goal. Day in and day out, looking toward the next game or match, would give them a sense of purpose. While it’s hard to decipher every veteran’s reason for the difficulty readjusting to civilian life, Stone says that there are commonalities. When these veterans show up to a job or a classroom, they no longer have the same pride in the work they do and it’s difficult for them to stay motivated. Stone knows from recruitment experience that military veterans combined with collegiate athletes who have their degree are very highly sought after in the work force. The values instilled in them through team sports and military service like leadership and discipline will ultimately lead to meaningful employment. The company hopes its program will allow veterans to utilize their connections through the sports network, collegiate network, and military network. “When you leave the military and you enter the workforce it’s much less of culture shock to be part of a team while you earn your degree,” Stone said. “This makes sure that they find that sense of purpose and core structure.” With a college degree, these veterans will avoid making the mistake of committing to the first job that becomes available to them. This causes long term issues as they might not be happy at the job. It may not be a great fit, and therefore not what they deem to be a successful career. Veterans may be unaware that even after several years of service, those who still have their NCAA eligibility will be able to play college sports. Stone made reference to a former Green Beret—who at 38 is playing college sports in a school in St. Louis—to show that there is no definite cap for age in college sports.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ATHLETES OF VALOR
Alex Stone (left) hopes to help vets through college and to a successful career.
THE HEIGHTS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017
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N@CC@8D 98K:?<CFI On my many trips looking out the windows of the E line, I always admire Boston’s renowned museums. The city’s thriving art scene reminds me of how I grew to appreciate art, and how it has impacted my life. Before beginning the roller coaster ride that was my teenage years, I lived an innocent life without having a care in the world. These were simpler times where I spent the majority of my time on playdates and at tennis lessons. Elementary school was a place where effort was valued over excellence. Evidently, my favorite subject was always phys. ed. It was just like recess where I could run around and play soccer or four square with my friends. Not to mention it was a nice getaway from memorizing times tables and practicing cursive. While P.E. was my best subject, art was certainly my worst. The class activities consisted of drawing bugs, painting self-portraits, and molding clay pots. I normally enjoyed the class but couldn’t transfer the amazing ideas I had in my head onto paper. I remember there were always kids in my class that had a knack for art and made these masterpieces. As for the rest of us, it was art only our moms could love. I never made anything that actually looked good but nonetheless, when I brought it home from school, my parents treated it like a Picasso. Despite my artistic shortcomings, I continued taking art classes through middle and high school and started making things that weren’t terrible. My preferred medium was painting with acrylics on canvas, depicting expansive landscapes. One particular painting was so wellreceived by my parents that images of my work circulated over email throughout my extended family. As a result, my biased grandfather immediately thought I was an artist, and encouraged me to pursue it further. Through these art classes growing up, I not only learned that I have an overly supportive family, but I also gained a deeper appreciation for art. Through my travels, I’ve been able to visit museums and view the work of famous artists like Monet and Matisse. Walking through an art gallery gives you a sense of the expertise and historical significance of the artwork. Having attempted to create art myself, I can better appreciate the attention to detail and artistry that makes the artwork so renowned. My parents share the same appreciation for art as I do. They filled our home with modern abstract art that pops off the walls. The simplicity of abstract art allows one to recognize the vivid colors and textures that are placed around the canvas. Together, the pieces of art create a certain ambiance which reflects my parents’ distinct taste. When it came to revamping my bedroom, I handpicked wall art to help fit the aesthetic I had in mind. The art reflects my personal style and accents the contemporary decor of the room. In addition to the modern and sophisticated paintings that adorn the living room walls, my parents also keep their more sentimental pieces of art scattered around their bedroom. My mum keeps a volcano shaped vase I made in a sculpture class on her dressing room table while my dad uses the hideous painted rock I made as a paperweight on his desk. These are the pieces I made for them over the years and are the ones they value the most. I had no idea that after all those years of bringing art home from school and giving it to my parents, that over 10 years later they have kept everything. Looking back, I’m glad that the artwork I made were not masterpieces. What makes them so special is that they had character and were made with love. Even though my parents’ abstract paintings are beautiful, I know they wouldn’t think twice if they had to choose between something I made and something they bought.
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In an industrial building located at the edge of Boston and Somerville, a team of innovators are working on what they believe will be the future of everyday transportation. Gita, a light-blue, spherical cargo machine—slightly larger than an automobile wheel—is designed to help humans navigate 21st century “granular” urban spaces. Sasha Hoffman, chief operations officer of Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF), suggests to think of Gita as more like a companion. She explains that PFF focuses on “expanding options for humans” so that they can better focus on the complex demands and tasks of the modern world. This high-tech transporter is the brainchild of PFF, a subdivision of the Italian automotive manufacturer Piaggio that has created various lightweight vehicles for over 130 years such as the Vespa scooter. PFF moved its work to Boston a mere 18 months ago. Hoffman noted that PFF chose to base its development in Boston for many reasons, including practicality—PFF chief executive officer, Jeffrey Schnapp already had connections within the city because he founded the Harvard Metalab. But PFF also selected Boston for its reputation as a vibrant hub for technology and robotics, and for the young talent rising from universities in the area. Gita, pronounced ‘jee-ta,’ is designed in a round, ball shape with a shell of carbon fiber. Standing at about 26 inches tall, it sports two parallel wheel belts on either side which allow for motorized movement. The body has several cameras embedded, as well as a handle at the top and center to open the main compartment. This storage space allows users to put up to 40 pounds of cargo, such as groceries or packages for delivery. Gita can move for up to eight continuous hours on one battery, and can be recharged via standard outlet. Like a well-behaved pet, the fully autonomous Gita will follow its user around, turning and stopping when required. Rather than utilizing laser sensors to build a 3D picture, the robot maps its environment in a 3D-point
PHOTO COURTESY OF PFF
With its new creation, Piaggio Fast Forward hopes to normalize robotics with a fully-automated transportation and storage device.
cloud with more traditional video cameras. Gita uses a stereoscopic camera to perform this feat, along with several other fisheye cameras to provide a 360degree view around the robot. Gita follows people not by tracking them, but by comparing its view of the world to one captured from a set of cameras on a belt worn by the person it’s following. This allows the robot to follow a person’s route long after he or she has traveled it. According to Schnapp, the video mapping system can be less reliable in poor lighting or bad weather, so developers may add a light to it. “The thing that separates PFF from the rest is that ultimately, we are a human-centric company,” Hoffman said. “We aren’t looking to replace humans by any means. All our technology is centered around solving specific problems. That’s evinced in the way that Gita is always following the path of its
user, like an asset when needed.” PFF’s founders want to emphasize that everyday robotics don’t have to be intimidating. They worked on various models of Gita before settling on the current one, which is as functional as it is friendly to look at. The company is proud of the design, which users so far have commended for its minimalism—and, as Hoffman noted, just for “looking cute.” Additionally, the robot maintains an average pace of a human, with a max speed of about 22 miles per hour. The idea is that Gita can keep up with its user at top speeds—even if a person is riding a bike—and can just as easily slow down. The lights that emanate from the wheels allow for Gita to communicate with the user, so that it doesn’t seem so “cold or unresponsive, like so many other machines do.” Hoffman explained that the engi-
neers at PFF designed Gita to be used by anyone—from regular household users to delivery services—who is regularly on the move. Following its product debut on Feb. 2, PFF hopes to launch pilot tests of Gita in local campuses around Boston. Even with the successful technological development, PFF still faces an issue that concerns many other robotics companies: how they should integrate automated machines like Gita into everyday human life. Hoffman noted that PFF is leading the charge in testing the limits of autonomous vehicles, hoping to educate and deliver products that make a future of integrating this technology into everyday lives. But as of right now, the vision of that future varies. “We personally envision a world where everything can coexist—skateboards, cars, humans, animals,” Hoffman said. “And, alongside all that, Gita as well.”
:X]\ 9i\Xbj E\n >ifle[j N`k_ M\^\kXi`Xe Ki\Xkj 9P J@DI8E 9I8I ?\`^_kj JkX]] One of the newest food crazes that has grabbed the nation by storm is the juice bar, and for those living in and around Newton Highlands, the Broken Grounds Café might just fulfill their juice and açaí cravings, while still offering choices for those seeking more
variety. Nestled on the corner of Walnut and Floral Street, a short two-minute walk from the Newton Highlands T stop, the café’s appearance and backstory make its authenticity evident. Prior to the establishment of Broken Grounds, this same street corner was occupied by another coffee shop that owner Amelia Childs worked in right
SIMRAN BRAR / HEIGHTS STAFF
In Newton Highlands, Amelia Childs provides customers with filling vegetarian options.
out of college. Her love for coffee and cafés kept her there for two years until she moved on to manage other juice bars. But calls from previous customers to let her know that the owners had left the coffee shop rekindled an interest for Childs. At age 26, she put a bid down in August 2015 for the store and began her journey as a business owner. After purchasing the space, Childs and her business partner immediately jumped into work. All the tables and counters were built by Childs’s dad and friends. To add her own mark, Childs built the menu—not just what’s on it, but the physical menu posted behind the counter. She spent three days nailing the frame together, repainting the board, and tediously, symmetrically writing out all the menu items. During last Thanksgiving, another 18 hours went into it as Childs rearranged the menu with additions and changes. She remains an active participant in the day-to-day operations of Broken Grounds, giving customers the same personal connection her family gave when building it. The entire essence of the café focuses on impressing guests with the availability and accessibility of its healthy options, a core part of Childs’ background. After becoming a vegan 14 years ago, she was focused on keeping Broken Grounds a meat-free zone. As Childs created the menu, she wanted to provide customers with appealing vegetarian options, without forcing tofu and fake meat on them. Broken Grounds features a wide variety of juices, smoothies, and açaí bowls, as well as heartier dishes such as sandwiches, wraps, and salads. In addition, local pastries are brought in every morning. The menu also boasts quite a few cof-
fee options that are all locally sourced from Jim’s Organic Coffee. All of the menu options align with Childs’ philosophy regarding simple and wholesome food, but it still features enough that regardless of whether you eat meat, you are sure to find something on this menu that will satisfy almost any craving. “I really do believe that Mother Nature is our best cook and that there is not really a whole lot that we have to do to change the food she provides,” Childs said. Childs recognizes the Boston College community as a steady part of her patronage, making sure to point out that BC favorites are the “Strawberry Fields” açaí bowl and the breakfast burrito. To make it more accessible to BC and the community, Broken Grounds now delivers through Foodler, Grubhub, and Doordash. She believes this will eliminate the extra transportation cost that might inhibit students from making the trek out. As the café gains increasing popularity in the community, Childs is optimistic about the opening of a second café within the next few years. Watertown would be an ideal location, she said, so that it would be easy for her to travel back and forth between her two establishments. And, while simultaneously running her café, Childs launched Manipura Body and Mind this past December— her company through which she sells high-quality vegan products such as body scrubs, balms, creams, etc. Much like her philosophy about food, her Manipura products are created with wholesome, organic ingredients, and each harbors Reiki energy, which relates to the natural energy of the flow of life. But for now, Childs’s main focus is her quaint, street-corner café, a place that she can finally call her own.
THE HEIGHTS
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EDITORIALS
QUOTE OF THE DAY
<c\Zk`fej :fdd`kk\\ Dljk I\[\Ôe\ E\^Xk`m\ :XdgX`^e`e^ The Elections Committee met on Wednesday night after UGBC president and EVP candidates Akosua Achampong and Tt King, both MCAS ’18, filed a formal complaint concerning a video that they believed to be defamatory posted by fellow candidates Raymond Mancini and Matt Batsinelas, both CSOM ’19. The committee decided not to sanction the campaign of Mancini and Batsinelas, stating in an email that the video “is strictly opinionated and does not defame the candidates.” The video in question was posted on Facebook Monday night, and is likely aimed directly at the Achampong-King campaign. In the video, footage of Mancini from the Elections Committee (EC) debate on Sunday night is paired with a series of statements criticizing Achampong and King. The video accuses Achampong and King of endorsing defamatory comments posted on a Facebook Live stream of the UGBC diversity and inclusion debate last Sunday, and includes screenshots of the comments. Achampong and King received a warning from the EC, and the comments have since been deleted. One of the comments, posted by Edward Byrne, MCAS ’18, suggested that Mancini has no LGBTQ friends. The video redacted Byrne’s name, but he wrote a letter to the editor to The Heights confirming he wrote the comment. In his letter, Byrne stated that Mancini’s vote against a resolution calling for the University to create an LGBTQ+ resource center indicated to him that the candidate would not support the LGBTQ+ community if elected. Mancini cited a lack of specifics in his reasoning for voting against the proposition. Although the EC decided not to pursue sanctions against the campaign of Mancini and Batsinelas, it is clear that the video contains language that negatively reflects upon the campaign of Achampong and King. A pair of statements from the video read: “True leaders own up to their mistakes. But it is clear that they don’t.” It is evident from the video that “they” refers to Achampong and King, and such a statement implies that the pair are disingenuous and incapable leaders. Furthermore, in an email to The Heights, the
EC stated that “the video does not qualify as negative campaigning.” Later on in the video, however, Mancini and Batsinelas make a direct attempt to portray Achampong and King in a negative light, evident in their posing of the question “Is that who I want to represent me?” to the student body in reference to their opposing candidates. While it is fair to say that the video is not defamatory, it is certainly negative in nature. It is unclear why Mancini and Batsinelas did not receive so much as a warning from the EC for their video, but Achampong and King did receive a warning for their uncertain “endorsement” of a couple Facebook comments not even produced by their campaign. In future campaigns, the EC must make an explicit definition as to what constitutes “negative campaigning.” Instead of spending time personally critiquing the character of opponents, candidates should focus on developing potential policies and plans to benefit the student body. Unnecessary distractions such as the video posted by Mancini and Batsinelas take away from the important aspects of the race and represent an attempt to sway the student body on a basis other than personal merit and qualification. Actions such as theirs set a potentially dangerous precedent for future campaigns. If either pair of candidates win the election, they should avoid getting caught up in pointless mudslinging. In light of the social media mismanagement that has occurred in both campaigns, it is time for the EC to reform its social media policies. The current “Presidential and VP Elections” code of the EC does not explicitly specify guidelines and potential sanctions pertaining to content posted on social media sites such as Facebook other than timing and frequency regulations. The EC should adopt new and specific protocols that specify what sort of content is appropriate to be posted online, and explicitly list the sanctions associated with violations carried out by campaigns on social media. The addition of these new policies would help to prevent the current state of the race from occurring again, and would help to foster more positive and focused UGBC campaigns in the future.
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017
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“Diversity: the art of thinking independently together.” - Malcolm Forbes
LETTER TO THE EDITOR In Response to the “Disparaging” Critiques of Raymond Early Monday, The Heights published a recap of Sunday’s second UGBC Presidential Debate. During the debate, the team of Ray Mancini and Matt Batsinelas reportedly addressed one of the comments I made on a Facebook Live stream of the first debate that Akosua Achampong and Christina King “endorsed.” As the person who wrote the comment in jest, I want to make it known that I have no affiliation with Akosua and Christina’s campaign. Though my comment was not intended to be a talking point during Sunday’s debate, I feel it is in the best interest of the student body to focus not on what I said, but the larger issue surrounding why I said the Mancini-Batsinelas campaign “[doesn’t] have LGBTQ friends.” Mancini’s voting record in UGBC indicated to me that not only is it possible that he might not have friends who are members of the LGBTQ community, but also that he does not intend to actively support the community if elected. In September, he was one of two dissenters in a vote regarding an LGBTQ resource center on Boston College’s campus, citing the vagueness of the proposal. It was also reported that he did not see a resource center as effectual in benefitting the community. This out-of-touch approach to a resource center that would greatly serve the LGBTQ students at Boston College is why I made the claim that Mancini might not have close friends who are LGBTQ. There is a reason Boston College is sometimes
referred to as “Boston’s Closet” at other area universities. Simply put, the campus culture at BC that holds the preppy, white, rich, hypermasculine “BC bro” on a high pedestal is not welcoming to LGBTQ students. When faced with this ideal image of what a BC student should be, many individuals on campus, especially first-year and prospective students, feel pressured to mask their true identities in order to avoid marginalization in an unfamiliar environment. As someone who came to Boston College with the intention of going through college as a (straight) “BC bro,” I can say without conviction that an LGBTQ resource would have provided me with the advice and support I needed when I made the intense and scary decision to come out to my friends and family back home in Indiana. Thankfully, I had a good support system at Boston College within my first few weeks here, but many students do not feel that they have the same luxury as I did when they decide to come out. My comment on the Facebook Live stream of the debate may not have been the most tasteful one of the night. However, I stand by what I said, and I challenge the team of Ray Mancini and Matt Batsinelas to actively listen to their LGBTQ friends and students from all walks of life instead of promoting their new cyber-bully-victims narrative. <;N8I; 9PIE<# D:8J Ë(/
A Response From UGBC EVP Candidate Defending After declaring my candidacy for UGBC, there have been numerous attacks against my character. Enough is enough. After reading Edward Byrne’s recent Letter to the Editor, I have a responsibility to correct these misinformed assumptions about Ray and myself. Many of these comments have been liked or “endorsed” by Akosua and Tt’s campaign page, as Ray referred to during the last debate. Since they will not correct these statements, I will. These posts, the same ones that Edward Byrne claims to be “in jest”, are defaming statements. I am not homophobic, racist, or any of these other words coming from these attackers. I pride myself in being an ally to these communities and being against discrimination of any kind. This past summer while I was in Israel, I attended a Pride festival in support of the LGBTQ community. In an area filled with so much conflict, it was an amazing experience to stand as a straight white male in unity alongside this welcoming community. I will carry the jubilant memories from that day with me for a very long time. Although I do not identify as a part of this community, that does not mean that I cannot support them and their needs. At Boston College, I have worked to organize educational events regarding the LGBTQ community. This past semester, Eagles for Israel brought in Jonathan Elkhoury, who shared his experience about identifying as gay in Israel. I enjoyed hearing about the great freedoms and sense of inclusion that Jonathan feels in Israel.
Both Ray and I want an LGBTQ resource center. It is on our platform. Ray voted the resolution down because he believed UGBC could come up with a more specific and better resolution to present to the administration, not due to the misguided views that you, along with others, have been promoting. To assume we are against it is not only wrong, but is also an attack against both of us. Edward, I am glad that you have had the opportunity at BC to express yourself. I also wish that you had more resources around you to make this transition easier. Ray and I will work for an LGBTQ Center. We want it to be effective and established for all students who need and deserve this center. We want these resources for the student body, or else it would not be in our platform. As Michelle Obama beautifully said, “When they go low, we go high.” While it is acceptable to disagree with my personal beliefs and policies, it is unacceptable for a leader to perpetuate and endorse these misinformed statements. Anyone who would like to meet with me to discuss this topic, please reach out to me. I am more than happy to meet with you. While I know this is an intense time with the elections on campus, I ask for all students and other campaign teams who agree or disagree with our message to do so out of respect. Lastly, make sure to vote for Ray and Matt 2017 Wednesday and Thursday.
The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and to prevent libel. The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces submitted to the newspaper.
Letters and columns can be submitted online at www. bcheights.com, by e-mail to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.
Matt Batsinelas, CSOM ’19
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The views expressed in the above editorials represent the official position of The Heights, as discussed and written by the Editorial Board. A list of the mem-
bers of the Editorial Board can be found at bcheights. com/opinions.
HEIGHTS
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THE HEIGHTS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017
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IP8E ;L==P COSMIC IRONY - Each year, the country’s premier musical artists descend upon the City of Angels, many draped in more outlandish garb than one would think humanly possible. The red carpet is alight with camera flashes and the shining egos of the stars as they parade into the venue. Artists seem to be in competition as to who can give the vaguest answer possible as reporters desperately scramble for an intelligible quote. One can’t help but feel sympathy for the artists who have to attend this showboat affair, but really only care about the quality of the music they create, rather than a golden award and a stage. On a more positive note, however, the universe finally came around, and Lil Chano From 79th finally received the recognition he deserves, although in perhaps the wrong medium. The Grammys have never appeared so out of touch with the reality of the music world as when Chancelor Johnathan Bennett climbed the steps to accept his award for Best New Artist on Sunday. Despite having released arguably one of the best musical projects of the year in 2013, and continuously climbing to national fame ever since, the Grammy committee apparently failed to hear his music until three years later. Although already an accomplished and established musician who has used his spotlight to promote positive political change and messages of unison in a dangerously divisive time in the country’s history, Chance accepted his inappropriate award with grace, because who wouldn’t? Later in the night, the coronation of Coloring Book as the year’s Best Rap Album perhaps made up for the award show’s overlooking of Chance for so long, but I’m still bitter.
On Jan. 25, President Donald Trump stated that, “Beginning today, the United States of America gets back control of its borders.” He signed an executive order to commence construction of the southern border wall, as well as the controversial immigration ban intended to stop travel from citizens of seven Muslimmajority countries. A hallmark of his campaign was promising to bring jobs back within U.S. borders. Contrary to what he thinks or expects, Trump will probably struggle to contain what comes in and out of the U.S. In the 21st century, borders and the nation-states they contain are increasingly weak in the face of new global trendws, namely globalization and technological development, and the challenges that accompany these changes. For decades, borders have served as an effective way for nation-states to define and assert their sovereignty—or contest someone else’s. And for centuries before, they were a way for monarchs and empires to carve up new colonies and to test the limits of their rivals. Since people have begun demarcating the limits of their territory, these designations—rivers, valleys, coastlines, and purposeful or arbitrary lines drawn on a map—have been contested. As the might of empires and militaries has waxed and waned, borders have expanded, shrunk, and evaporated. The fate of billions within and without certain borders has been determined by how and where the divisions are drawn. Borders have taken shape through the multiple phases of history—imperialism, colonization, the world wars, and the postWWII proliferation of states. Today, there are certainly potential geopolitical flashpoints in parts of the world including the Korean Peninsula’s demilitarized zone, the Pakistan-India divide, and practically every part of Israel’s border that it shares with neighbors. In some cases there are potentially larger fault lines, such as the collection of former Soviet Union members of Eastern Europe that share a winding, heavy militarized
border with Russia. Here in the U.S., borders have been given renewed consideration, as the new administration has pledged to build a wall along the country’s southern border with Mexico in an effort to stem the purportedly large flow of illegal immigration and illicit smuggled goods. Beyond the physical geographical lines, ravines, oceans, and mountain passes, though, there are trends taking place that transcend, puncture, or effortlessly fly across borders. First example: who and how the U.S. fights. Whereas waging war in the 20th century generally entailed land, air, and sea campaigns that mobilized millions of men, war in the 21st century has largely been fought against nimble, faceless, and stateless actors like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. The Iraq War—which began with a predictable, quick, and decisive rout of the Hussein regime—became a protracted, unwinnable fight against Al Qaeda guerillaesque cells, whose jihadist brethren, ISIS, quickly filled the vacuum of leadership that the country and nearby Syria were experiencing. The latter group was even able to carve out a caliphate with its own borders. Now, technological advances have let unmanned aerial vehicles doing the heavy lifting against jihadist insurgencies and unconventional enemies, across the borders of countries we are not at war with. UAVs—in conjunction with other types of U.S. aircraft—dropped 26,172 bombs in 2016. This outstanding amount of ammunition shows that for one, the Obama administration was much more hawkish than we were lead to believe. It also embodies the changing way of how we fight. Conventional warfare is taking a back seat to this new way of fighting, much of which is conducted in and over countries we are not formally at war with. Commando raids are another way the U.S. military can achieve its goals. Two high-profile cases come to mind: the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan, which is a sovereign ally, and the recent raid in Yemen. I don’t wish to comment on the ethics or efficacy of these strategies, but to show that borderless warfighting against stateless enemies is becoming a type of conflict du jour in the 21st century. Displaced refugees and migrants also pose a challenge to borders, as they have flowed en masse from their home countries to new states to avoid violence or poverty. Whether they
are Hondurans fleeing to the U.S. to avoid the narco violence in San Pedro Sula, or Syrians risking everything to make the harrowing trek from the rubble of Aleppo to Europe, many will and have made it through overwhelmed borders. With potentially hundreds of millions more “climate refugees” —people at risk of forced displacement due to climate change— migrating in the next few decades, the flow of people burdening or penetrating borders will only increase. Climate change is another global trend in which delineated borders will not make a difference. No matter how strong a state’s natural borders or constructed defenses are, the ramifications of climate change and crossborder pollution will not stop at the doorstep of a country. The issue transcends man-made borders. Many other cross-border flows don’t stop for customs. Moises Naim, writing in Foreign Policy, suggests “Wars of Globalization” that threaten borders, such as “the illegal international trade in drugs, arms, intellectual property, people, and money.” These illicit flows, enabled or created by globalization, “are now increasingly free of geographic constraints,” he argues. These examples are only the tip of the iceberg. The explosion of internet technologies like blogging, instant messaging, and social media—bottom-up outlets for dissemination—has democratized the internet, to a certain extent, and allowed cross-border flows of information sharing to thicken, all while reducing state’s abilities to keep communication from coming in and out of their borders. The West’s lurch to the right in recent elections might be a violent backlash to a fair perception that borders are too open or weak, but new leaders will quickly find the trends they are up against are irreversible and accelerating at a multiplying rate. An immigration ban intended to end terrorist attacks on U.S. soil is unlikely to end terrorism or stop terrorists. A state’s sovereignty will not stop a drone, nor will its borders halt an epidemic, a computer virus, smugglers, or massive flows of migrants. The issues of today don’t stop or start at our borders, and this is a reality that no campaign pledge or policy position will change.
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SINCE WHEN DO YOU PEOPLE DATE - The freshman sat in his dorm lounge, reading through the various social media sites he probably cares way too much about in order to avoid starting his homework. Only this night was different. It was the one fateful day of the year when corporate America decided that every single person in the country needed to feel utterly self-conscious. Scrolling down his Instagram feed, the freshman was astounded that every single picture portrayed a happy relationship, most of which he was unaware even existed. Feb. 14 has seemingly become less about actual affection, and more about publicizing that you have a boyfriend or girlfriend you know enough about to write a sarcastic caption. OVERPRICED ELEVATION - The two freshmen exited the Comm. Ave. bus outside of Conte Forum, and their feet hit the ground running. It was 9:01 a.m. They were late, although one of them was noticeably unhappier than the other. For both of their sakes, however, the more apathetic freshman picked up the pace, and met the first of the approximately 19 million stairs that led to Gasson. About halfway through the trek, the freshman entered a state of self-realization. He was a freshman, surrounded by upperclassmen, and he was running. The shock of his lack of self-awareness and sheer predictability caused his legs to give out, sending him tumbling down from the heavens to which he was climbing. He awoke four hours later at the foot of the stairs. He opened his eyes, and watched as gaggles of upperclassmen continuously stepped over his broken body.
My parents were overjoyed by my decision to attend Boston College as my senior year of high school came to a close. But there was one catch: I wanted to major in English. I did my best to convince them that it was a path worth pursuing, and while they tried their hardest to be supportive of what I wanted, I could tell they still weren’t quite resigned to the idea. A few weeks later, at a banquet dinner for seniors and their parents, my mom and dad arrived a few minutes late. As a result, they ended up sitting at a table with school administrators, rather than the other parents at the event. My parents conversed with the faculty during dinner, and when asked about my plans for the fall, my mom relayed that I would attend BC. “She wants to major in English,” my dad said, “I mean, I just don’t get it. What is she going to do with that?” “Actually,” the principal replied, “I went to Boston College and I majored in English there.” The superintendent spoke up next, “I majored in English at Boston College as well.” “I’m just going to stop talking now,” my dad said with a laugh. The coincidence was comical and uncanny, but it also illuminates an important truth: undergraduates can do just about anything in their futures with an English major. The value of an English major is in its versatility and longevity. In a world where technology and media change rapidly, whether content appears in print or online, a mastery of written language will never become outdated or unnecessary. Written language is a huge part of everyday life. Every time we open the computer, pick a book or newspaper, or even turn
on the television, we are confronted with written language. In each case, someone with talent was needed to write the words that we hear or see. Without the work of great writers, we would be significantly less entertained and informed. Even so, content writing is not the only field possible for an English major. Steve Strauss, senior columnist at USA Today and small business expert, argues that English majors are the best choice for any business’ next hire. In addition to their wit, great writing, critical thinking, and content creation, he cites their ability to relate to customers, as well as boldness, in his list of reasons for hiring English majors. These qualities and skills he notes are characteristic of English students and are necessary in almost any business environment. Students decide to major in English with a variety of careers in mind. Teaching and professional writing comprise only a few careers available to English majors. School administration, for example, can become a career for former English teachers or can be pursued in and of itself. English majors work in business, marketing, healthcare communications, nonprofit, and government sectors. Prelaw students choose English over any other major as undergraduates. For future journalists, editors, and publishers, an English major is an obvious choice. With their widely applicable skills, English majors can be valuable in nearly any field. Effective communication, particularly written communication, can often separate English majors from their business major counterparts. Professionals with an English background may best able to communicate with and relate to a variety of clients. Every story read in an English course is another perspective understood, another life or experience lived. Naturally then, an avid reader has the insight to better understand people of every identity and background, making English majors able to connect to nearly anyone. These traits and skills make the English major a strong choice for jobs in sales or
account management. Content creation and copywriting, for instance, are necessary in nearly every marketing and advertising agency. English majors are often passionate people who know how to relate to others and tap into emotion. Emotional content creation can be groundbreaking in the field of advertising, song and screen writing, and more. Storytelling and emotional advertising are growing in popularity, while ads that rely solely on facts fail to stand out to consumers. English majors excel in marketing communications, publishing, and editing because of their careful attention to detail. Research and analysis practiced in the English major can carry over into the working world and make English majors problem solvers and careful fact-checkers. In these and other teamwork settings, those who have majored in English can constructively criticize, catch thoughts that others have missed, and take a project from good to great via an eye for detail. Oftentimes, the right details can be everything for the credibility of a company or a client. In general, pursuing an English major fosters creativity and beautiful writing. These are abilities that cannot be quickly taught, the way one might learn how to make a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, or the basics of computer coding. Great writers must be groomed, criticized, questioned, and crafted just like the very essays and stories they write. For slogans with elegance, commercials with impact, and campaigns that stick, look to none other than the English major, who can tap into the beauty and power of language like no one else. To all my fellow English majors, the next time someone asks you why you do what you do, or how your major could ever possibly be advantageous, tell them to look around. Tell them that words are everywhere, and that to harness their power is everything.
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I took to the tunnels when the air outside became too intoxicating. The “Sophomore Slump” hit me like a barreling Green Line subway car. The slump was a silent weight that I carried throughout first semester, a feeling that was worsened by the large amount of free time I had to freak myself out with existential thoughts. Unable to speak about the things that kept me up at night, I decided that this semester I was going to be busy. For a few weeks, I’d been taking the T three times a week to go to work in Boston. I would assemble my books to read on the ride inbound, prepare my dinner for the return trip, and hike dutifully to the Chestnut Hill stop—an ordeal that would leave me exhausted by the time I arrived at the station. Yet there was something oddly refreshing about seeing a rusty Green Line train rumbling to a slow, creaking stop. As I left suburbia, stepping into the warm interior of the train, I was comforted by the fact that in a matter of 30 minutes, I would step out of the Boylston stop, and be overcome by a rushing cityscape. At least, this was how I felt in the beginning. When I first told people that I had to go into Boston regularly, I was met with an onslaught of congratulations and envy for being able to “break out of the BC bubble.” But “breaking out” for me was much more about escapism than branching out. I was never any good at dodgeball back in the day, but I think that I, along with many others at BC, participate in this persistent culture of dodging or escaping. Starting with the simplest example, how many times have you told anyone that you were “good,” even after having a terrible day? How many times have you ghosted someone because you were simply too afraid to be honest? The things that are sources of discomfort sit and fester inside the BC bubble, forcing us to try and remedy these sentiments by running away from them. Needless to say, I took to the tunnels for the wrong reasons. Gradually, I began to fall out of love with the T. Maybe there wasn’t even love there to begin with, just a simple, fervent desire to escape. Many train interiors were defaced with handwriting on the walls and strange smells often diffused throughout the cars. I would get on the T during rush hour, cramming into the packed trains that seemed like cattle cars, and see numerous faces withdrawn into some unreachable, private nook. There’s a barrier between people riding the subway—an unspoken rule to not sit directly next to someone if the T is not entirely filled. Eyes are averted, earphones are in, and a wall is set up. You don’t even have to get on the T to experience this. Just stand in a darkened station platform, and you can see people eyeing each other suspiciously. The truth is, the “BC Bubble” is not a unique condition. It is a human condition, a persistent fear of appearing or being vulnerable. Riding the T, however, was never going to make my problems go away or make me a more honest or transparent person. After traversing the grim, shrieking, serene reality of the subway, I’ve come to see it as a metaphor for the escapist culture that exists at BC. The subway is a social equalizer, bringing together people from various backgrounds and shuttling them through dark underground networks. As the trains slip into the tunnels, sterile fluorescent lights flash against the stony gloom, and we, trapped inside, all hang on together in silence. Maybe the subway culture is too permanent to fix, but we can work to break the silence together at BC. We shouldn’t leave our home until we deal with the things that are troubling us. After all, we are just passengers together on this wild, four-year-long train ride. Why not make the most of it?
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THE HEIGHTS
A8
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017
HITTING HER STRYDE
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received emails from friends and family encouraging her to turn her plans into action. And so she made the leap, and decided to pursue her dream. She left her corporate job downtown, and today, Skudder is the owner of MyStryde, a running studio in the North End on 456 Hanover St. On a sky-blue wall in the studio, Skudder defines a “Stryder” as “One who seeks sweat, finds happiness in hard work, finds strength in their squad, and energy from their tribe, finds glory in the grand and power in the pain, goes the distance, stops at nothing, and always believes.” MyStryde is equipped with 12 Woodway treadmills, and offers a range of beginner to advanced classes. The workouts take place in a dark room, and are synced with music to set the pace. All of MyStryde’s instructors are certified by the USA Track & Field organization. Skudder’s hiring philosophy reflects her passion for running and her dedication toward revolutionizing the workout experi-
ence for runners. She wants her instructors to be approachable and have a good vibe, something she says is rare in most studios. But Skudder’s teachers still must have an influential presence and be confident in their abilities. “You can’t walk in there and be kind of timid and shy,” Skudder said. “You need to own the room.” Sarah Ashiqueali, MCAS ’17, ran the Boston Marathon last year, and will be running it again this year. When asked her opinion on a running studio like MyStryde, she expressed an interest in a business that could build a running community within Boston. Ashiqueali also noted that MyStryde’s classes might be ideal for beginning runners, as they would provide guidance and a training schedule. “It also builds discipline for those who have trouble forcing themselves to get out there and train,” Ashiqueali said. In addition to running classes, MyStryde also sells running gear and apparel. They
sell shoes from Sketchers Performance and On—a Swiss brand. Looking around at the shelves in her studio, Skudder emphasized the careful selection she makes when picking the materials she sells. “I only bring in things that I really do believe in as a runner,” Skudder said, pointing specifically to one rack in the corner with socks on it. “Like these running socks are my favorite socks. If you look through my drawer, I’m always going to pick out these socks if I’m going for a run, because they’re good socks.” MyStryde also supports the community by collecting old sneakers. The large, transparent box that they call the “kick wall” is already filled with dozens of donations, and serves as a bright decoration for the space. Once the “kick wall” is full, they will give the old sneakers to Soles4Souls, a Nashvillebased charity that collects and redistributes new and used shoes and clothing around the world. They also support the fundraising efforts of runners, and have partnered with
CharityTeams, an organization that assists small charities with athletic fundraising opportunities. Looking back on the past year, Skudder said the two biggest challenges she has encountered are managing a team of people with different personalities, and making decisions about the cash flow of the company. Despite its success in its first year as a business, she has had to be patient with attracting customers without using excessive marketing strategies. “They’re going to come in slower than you ever imagine,” Skudder said “You’re always going to think, ‘Ah, it’s gonna be the next big thing. It’s gonna be huge.’” As Skudder reflected on her path to MyStryde, thinking about how many college students must go through the same choice she did—abandon your dream or risk it all?—her phone rang. She laughed as she let it go to voicemail. “This is my life,” Skudder said. “You own a business? This is your life. It’s crazy.”
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It can be easy to forget that there are little neighborhoods nestled into the streets of downtown Boston. Just a step from the Boston Public Gardens are actual apartments where people go about their daily lives, walking their dogs down the craggy, red-brick sidewalks and picking up their newspapers from their tiny front porches. These homes are, of course, wildly expensive, but knowing that this is someplace where I could never dream of living makes it even more fun to wander through. Despite the impossibility of ever entering a house, I love wandering through the neighborhoods. I might take a turn down Joy St. and dive into the quaint Beacon Hill neighborhood. Maybe I’ll take a right, then a left, maybe another right, and lose myself in the maze of townhouses peppered with tiny convenience stores and little public parks. In the wintertime, maybe after one of Boston’s many snowstorms, the area—with tree branches creating archways over the sidewalks because of the snow weighing them down and icicles glimmering as they hang down from the roofs and the gutters—looks like a postcard image from a story-book ski village. The uniformity of the red-brick buildings is soothing to the eye of passersby, but the patina of age on the bricks prevents it from becoming boring. It is quite possible that I will wander down Revere St., where a flash of bright white buried within a short alleyway known as Rollins Place breaks up the pattern of red brick and stops me in my tracks. Secured behind a short, iron-wrought gate, the short span of Rollins Pl. extends down an aisle of brick town houses, three or four on each side, before ending abruptly with short, white house tightly crammed in between the red brick buildings. And this house is beautiful, but boy does it look out of place. Aside from the fact that this building is almost impossibly skinny—making it look like some kind of doll house come to life—the architecture of the building is distinctly un-Boston. With curling white
columns supporting the porch and the second-story alcove and crisp white shutters popping out again clean white planks of the façade, the house looks more like a stately Southern home than the standard Boston townhouse. I happen to be a terrible snoop, which makes fighting the urge to see this thing from just a little closer nearly impossible (which you definitely shouldn’t try to do because Rollins Pl. is private property). Half-convinced that an indignant inhabitant of Rollins Pl. would run outside and yell at me, I cautiously opened the gate, wincing at the squeak that the hinges made. Thankfully, no one jumped out from behind their doors, so I scurried down the pathway and stopped by the softly glowing streetlight in front of the tiny house’s porch. When I climbed the steps, I became slightly confused because instead of the grand door that I expected on this kind of house, there were two slightly smaller (but still quite nice looking) doors to the far-right and far-left side of the porch. Although Boston’s rent is high, it didn’t seem possible that such a small structure could house two people, and as I peeked at the tightly closed shutters, something seemed off about the whole place—almost like it wasn’t real. It turns out it wasn’t. This strange building, shining out from between the red townhouses, is an incredibly detailed trompe l’oeil more commonly known as the Scarlett O’Hara House. According to one of the few records of the ‘house,’ the façade was created over 30 years ago as creative way of obscuring an unsightly concrete wall from the public view. Especially in light of the importance of facts and reality in the current political climate, I have been under the impression that creating illusions to embroider the world around us is not the best idea. But there is a time and a place for everything, including fantasy. No one can argue against the danger of placing too great a distance between oneself and reality, but every once in awhile, a little artful illusion to soften the concrete walls of the world around us might be just as important as acknowledging that the concrete walls are there.
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MADELEINE D’ANGELO / HEIGHTS EDITOR
The Scarlett O’Hara House sits behind a iron-wrought gate at the end of Rollins Place.
MARY KATE DINORCIA / HEIGHTS STAFF
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its initial March end date until April, but an expiration date on the Boston location is inevitable as the books will be sent away. After the library’s popularity in Phoenix, the organization who hosted Librería Donceles’ temporary stay in the city opened Palabras, 9P D8IP B8K< ;@EFI:@8 its own store inspired by the artist’s idea. ?\`^_kj JkX]] The books from the Jamaica Plains location will be back to Phoenix to support the store The Librería Donceles is like a cup of Helguera inspired. warm hot chocolate. The bookstore itself attracts more than The imperfect, unconcealed cracks in fluent speakers of Spanish. Eucaris Jimenez, the floor are the soft waves of steam rising a student fellow of Urbano who works at the up from the mug. The 16 mismatched rugs bookstore, helped a customer who had only laid across different parts of the room are as basic Spanish-speaking skills find a book with comfortable and spongy as marshmallows. less complicated language. Jimenez spends And the antique artwork found across the as much of her time as necessary on each different shelves and side tables have the rich customer to make sure he or she finds the depth of the ideal melted chocolate. novel that is best suited to their Tracing the books across needs, whether to improve their the shelves, customers can’t Spanish or read for pleasure. help but notice the perfect Employees like Peña and amount of wear on each novel. Jimenez reflect the essence of It is impossible not to feel as the bookstore itself: welcoming, though Pablo Helguera, the familiar, and there as a helping director of adult and academic hand. programs at the Museum of The store has a framed picModern Art in New York City ture on the wall with the expresand creator of Librería Donsion “Una presencia amable vale celes, picked up the phone, - Eucaris Jimenez, a student fellow of Urbano más que todos los regalos,” which called every Hispanic parent translates to “A kind presence is and grandparent in the world worth more than any gift.” The for his or her favorite books, to the community. The shop runs on a pay- quote perfectly captures one of the mesand placed them on the walls himself. After completing an earlier project in what-you-wish system, so Spanish-language sages the art exhibit tries to send: that the which Helguera exchanged his own artwork books—which are often expensive and diffi- community surrounding the bookstore has for Spanish-language books, he launched cult to track down—are now easily-accessible a value that cannot be minimized to anything material—even the books it sells. a new type of project in 2013: Librería and affordable for the local communities. Although the bookstore will be gone Anthony Peña, the Studio and Programs Donceles . He funded it with a Kickstarter campaign that got the support of 56 backers Coordinator at the Urbano Project, feels that from Boston within the next couple of who donated a total just over $5,000. In the the decision to collaborate with Helguera months, the people of Edison Park and Jasummer of 2015, the New York location was made with the nonprofit’s roots in mind. maica Plain will be continuously grateful for opened to the public before traveling to While libraries and bookstores of surround- the sense of community that it gave them, and other major cities such as Chicago, Seattle, ing communities want to know what will the hope and determination it will continue come next, Peña recognizes that Urbano’s to give them in gaining equal access to affordand finally Boston. able reading materials. Even with a cement ground and exposed current focus is clear. “My favorite part of this project is that “It’s more important to start with what’s roof, a place has never looked so welcoming. The one-room, open-concept bookstore is closest to you, with what you’re apart of be- people say they don’t want the library to stop,” Jimenez said. “That they wish it could keep designed to make patrons feel like they are fore you start branching out,” Peña said. Because this is the final stop of Librería being in Boston for longer, or just keep being sifting through the books of a relative or an old friend. As they walk across the uniquely Donceles’ tour, the library may stay beyond here forever.” patterned rugs and sit underneath the warm light of vintage lamps, a spell is cast over you to sit in that comfy lounge chair and stay forever. If only that was possible. But the organizers of Librería Donceles, now the only Spanish-language used bookstore in Boston, knew from the start that the library’s stay would be brief. Although Jamaica Plain’s Urbano Project of Edison Square currently houses Librería Donceles, the Boston-area location is the last stop for Helguera’s most recent effort to provide affordable novels to Hispanic communities around the country. The Urbano Project, a nonprofit that educates teens through art directed toward social change, thought that housing this exhibit would be the perfect way to give back
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COLUMN
GRAMMY FASHION
THIS YEAR’S GRAMMY FASHION IS TACKY, ABHORRENT, AND WE HATE IT, PAGE B2
REVIEW
REVIEW
THE CANADIAN BAND INFUSES NEW ALBUM WITH EMOTION AND TALENT, PAGE B4
DEATH AND THE UNDEAD AID IN REVITALIZING CHARACTERS WITH TORTURED PASTS, Page B4
THE SADIES
‘The Walking Dead’ THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 16, 2017
THE
MEG DOLAN / HEIGHTS EDITOR
THE HEIGHTS
B2
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017
BC’S (OFF) BROADWAY BELLE ZOE FANNING / HEIGHTS EDITOR
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The sounds of coffee steamers and smells of cocoa beans filled the air of the Chocolate Bar. Long lines of loud, impatient customers wrapped around the counter, while students hurried across Stokes South to their next class. The hectic ambiance forced Christy Coco—singer, actress, and MCAS ’17—to raise her voice to be heard. But this was nothing new for her. The chaotic atmosphere was reminiscent of a typical backstage setting. Blocking out the seemingly unavoidable distractions, Coco leaned forward across the table eagerly, her face beaming with a wide grin as she recalled the moment that her family discovered that she could sing. As the Coco family drove home from dinner at their favorite restaurant, they realized a star was in their midst. Coco, a preschooler at the time, convinced her family to have a competition in the car to see who could sing the best rendition of “God Bless America.” Everyone took turns singing it, but none of them were very good. That is, until Christy went. “My parents always say that they circled around the block a few times so that I could keep singing because that’s when they knew I could sing,” Coco said. S i n ce th e n , C o co has been determined to make her dream of being on Broadway a reality. From kindergarten through college, she sought role after role and made herself impossible to ignore. Shifting the attention away from herself, it was almost a struggle to pin down her most inspirational figures. But, suddenly, there was a light in her eyes as she excitedly remembered the life-changing experience she had when she attended Robert Icke’s modern adaptation of Chekhov’s play, Uncle Vanya, at the Almeida Theatre while studying abroad in London this past spring. The two female leads of the show commanded the stage in such a way that deeply affected Coco more than she had ever been before. “I had no words for a week,” Coco said. “It was the only thing I could think about, it was the only thing I could comprehend. I felt this intense responsibility to one day achieve that level of success and talent.” When it came time to decide upon which college she would attend, the decision became a difficult one—not knowing whether to attend a strictly performing arts-oriented university or one that offered her a well-rounded education. She ultimately found a home
in the second act, “A Change in Me.” “Every single time I sang it, I felt incredible,” Coco said. “It’s one of those belting songs that I needed to be rooted to the floor for. I felt like I was rocking out. I felt so confident. I felt so powerful, like I took up so much space.” But nothing could really prepare her for the realities of Off-Broadway theatre. As a part of the ensemble of Fiorello!, a musical about New York City mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia, Coco found herself in the midst of highly trained professionals and faced the fiercely intense rehearsals. In collegiate theater Coco had all the time in the world to perfect her craft, having three months to put a show together but, at least for Fiorello!, she had to learn an entire show in four days. Before experiencing the hectic and overwhelming environment of Off-Broadway, howe ver, Co co had a taste of the silver screen. Receiving an email ab o u t th e ro l e f rom a c a sting agency in Boston, she auditioned for a production that she had no idea was The Purge: Election Year. A week after her audition, Coco got a call delivering the g reat ne ws and realized she would be playing the role of Young Roan, the teenage version of character, Charlie Roan. Just as she booked the role, Coco made her way to a Rhode Island film lot to shoot her scenes for the film, w h e re s h e h a d her own trailer and ended having tons of free time PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTY COCO | AMELIE TRIEU / HEIGHTS EDITOR | LUCIUS XUAN / HEIGHTS STAFF on set—a stark Not only did both of these shows Berkshire Theater Group (BTG), is what contrast from the fast paced world of provide her with substantial onstage put her on the fast track to achieving the theatre. In retrospect, though, Coco wouldn’t experience, but also presented great level of success she has always longed for and bridged the gap between collegiate trade the challenge for the world. challenges. “My passion has always been perThe Trojan Women was the first non- theater and Off-Broadway. She found musical stage production with which her start there as an apprentice two forming live theatre,” Coco said. “My Coco had been involved. Somewhat of summers ago—taking acting, singing, heart is definitely on the stage.” She brought this passion back to BC a movement piece, the cast was tasked dancing lessons and master classes while with creating remarkable sounds and she worked parking cars or at concession this past fall when she performed with movements based on the play’s lan- stands. Her hard work paid off when she the Boston Pops at “Pops on the Heights” was cast in BTG’s big summer show, Bells in September. Thinking about the event, guage. Although difficult, the show proved Are Ringing. Coco remembered how terrifying the The show mixed apprentices like experience was. to be integral to her later accomplishments. As she attended the British Coco with Broadway veterans and gave “I was just so moved by what was American Drama Academy in London in her a taste of what it’s like to be a pro- going on behind me. It was wild,” she 2015, she utilized the choreographic and fessional. said. The next summer, BTG offered her artistic skills she acquired at BC in order Then, eyes wide as she pondered all the role of Belle in Beauty and the Beast, that she has accomplished and all that to bring another Greek tragedy to life. The musical Carousel, more in Coco’s a role in which she came into her own. she hopes to attain after college, she just realm of interest, still posed its obstacles. This feeling was strongest when she shook her head in wonderment with a She experienced the difficulty of delving would perform Belle’s breakout anthem slight smile and said, “This is my life.” at Boston College as a theatre major and art history minor. “I’m all about training and learning the craft of acting and singing, but, for me, it’s also about learning about everything else and putting that into my acting,” Coco said. “Knowing those things and feeling more worldly makes me connect to my work better and find things in scripts that I never would have understood if I didn’t intensely study anything other than acting.” While at BC, she has not let her school work stop her from pursuing her acting career. Coco starred as Pallas Athena in BC’s fall 2014 production of the classic, Greek tragedy, The Trojan Women, and as Julie Jordan in the Fall 2015 production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel.
deep into a character, Julie Jordan, whose mindset was blurred by how she handles her life and the choices she makes. These performances, coupled with her BC education, are what prepared her for her jump to the grander stages of off-campus theater groups and, ultimately, Off-Broadway productions. As a theatre major, Coco has spent her class days focusing on the ins and outs of stage acting—her dream. Coco’s description of the BC’s theatre program seemed to convey a sense of thoroughness to their classes and teachings. The program is focused on an academic approach to theatre which has fostered her understanding of how to value text and understand complicated language and theatre history. Coco’s next big step, working with the
Dp Dfm`\ ?\i\[`kp A8:F9 J:?@:B As I have stated probably ad nauseum, I love movies. While it may seem that I was born with a ticket stub in my hand and a straw from a Coke slurpee in my mouth, I’m pretty sure this wasn’t the case. But I was recently asked how it all started. Why have I spent (read: wasted) so much time watching movies? Shouldn’t I be playing outside with the other kids? This time I wanted to give a concrete answer, so I went back through my list trying to remember when and with whom I had seen these movies. I think I nailed the inception (get it? That’s the name of a movie) of this love of film down. So here we are. Begin column. The inception for this obsession was the 1-to-1 Technology Program instituted by my middle/high school. My eighth grade class was selected to be the pilot grade for this leap into the 21st century. We were all required to buy laptops to “supplement” our learning in class. I can assure you that giving eighth graders laptops is not a good idea. Inevitably, I found myself browsing the internet while the teacher tried in vain to teach the class about ... checks and balances? Anyway, I found the wealth of movies that I could stream from the internet (completely legal, I swear). I would decide on a movie in class and then when I got home, I would watch it. The first movie I remember streaming was The Campaign, an election-based comedy starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis. The trailers appealed to my mature and sophisticated middle school mind. I was disappointed, but I realized that I could basically see any movie I ever wanted to. After seeing all of those R-rated movies that 13-year-old me wasn’t allowed to see, I began to go down lists of “must-watch” films on various websites. On weekends, I would go see movies at the theater. But since I was only 13, and I didn’t own my own business from the time I was five like seemingly every other Boston College student I hear about, I had to get someone to finance my informal courses in “film studies.” I found that someone in my father. My dad also has a love of movies, and he was happy to share his experience of film with me. Every time we were bored on a weekend, we would go see a movie. If there was a particularly slow weekend, or if we had seen everything that was out, we found other ways to satisfy the desire for cinema. We would go to Blockbuster (#90skids) and rent a movie. We saw a lot of garbage movies, but there were gems as well. He showed me movies like Die Hard, Indiana Jones, and Jaws. We share our love for action movies (good and bad) and, in this age of sequels, it was very cool to see the continuation of series that he had seen when he was my age. His favorite movie is Rocky, which he saw in theaters 20 times when it came out, and he revelled in taking me to see Creed last year. I have to admit, it was pretty interesting to see Sylvester Stallone’s ouroboros with someone who had witnessed the transition over decades. I learned that his family loves movies, and it seemed like I was destined to feel the same way. His mother (my grandmother) seems to be the one I take after most. She and I both see all of the Oscar-bait movies, all of the small, indie films, and all of the experimental/weird movies that come out throughout the year. Last year, when I was on my annual journey to see all of the movies nominated for the Academy Awards, she was the only person who had also seen Carol and Joy and so we would discuss them.But the buck doesn’t stop there. My family’s love of movies goes back even further. Two Hanukkah’s ago, I heard this story after we had finished devouring copious numbers of latkes. Apparently, when my father’s grandfather (my great-grandfather) died before I was born, my dad’s family didn’t know what to do after the funeral. So everyone packed up and drove over to the movie theater to see a movie. That’s what I want at my funeral. After the ritual burning of all of the DVD copies of The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3D within a 10-mile radius of course, I want everyone to go and have a good time at the movies. I request that they sprinkle my ashes in the popcorn machine.
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THE HEIGHTS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017
B3
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It becomes easy, when studying historical events, to think of people of the past as being inferior—they spoke differently, held different morals, and made mistakes that we would never make. Adults teach children about the past so to prevent history from repeating itself, yet it often does. And soon, future generations may look to us to learn what not to do. Understanding this notion, the history department, in conjunction with the Boston College Library, has constructed an exhibit titled Righting Historical Wrongs at the Tur n of the Millennium in an attempt to celebrate the contemporar y propensity to confront past global injustices. Located on the third floor of Stokes Hall, this semester-long exhibit features an array of charts and visualizations that explain or address how recently, society has looked back into the past in an attempt to confront prior mistakes. One of the first charts in the exhibit serves as a sign of hope and optimism. Since the 1980s, there have been an abundance of movements dedicated to promoting the need for historical justice by acknowledging former injustices. These movements found their footing for a number of complex reasons, including the collapse of many communist and military regimes. Sprawling across the chart is a symphony of polychromatic lines, connecting various countries on a world map. These lines showcase a network of researchers on nation-specific injustices. For instance, a line stemming from the
United States and pointing toward Bosnia, signifies an American group the researches the Bosnian War. This chart is mesmerizing and completely engrossing, as it forces the viewer to confront numerous, known and lesserknown, atrocities. In addition, the chart offers hope to its viewer, as the sheer abundance of connecting lines demonstrate the benefits of conducting research in the globalized modern world. A graph situated under the map expounds the benefits of globalization, as the chart exhibits how the number of publications dealing with “Historical Justice” or “Historical Memor y ” has risen drastically since the early 1990s. This chart, in many ways, epitomizes the entire exhibit, as it provides valid evidence for the increased interest in facing former atrocities that may have been swept under the rug otherwise. Farther down the long corridor hangs another map that shows progress, while also indicating a need to take further action to correct injustices. This world map is covered with symbols of trees and pushpins, signifying land holdings of indigenous people across the world. This visualization of the strife of native people requires the viewer to question his or her role in this injustice—even if our forefathers were the ones who fought, slaughtered, and stole from them, we must still confront these issues so to engender justice. These small green trees and pushpins scattered across the U.S. serve to remind the onlooker of the continued strife of the Native Americans, and more so, our damaging contentedness with
this situation. This map makes it obvious that the Native Americans still have not received their due land back, as the caption located under the map reads, “Canada, Australia, and New Zealand … have been more willing than the U.S. to return land rather than insisting on full and irreversible monetary settlements.” Thus, it seems that due justice can only be achieved by a showing of compassion by future generations of people—the hindsight we are graced with should, theoretically, give us a reason to act, since we know that prior generations have not done enough. After a flurry of thoughtful charts, photographs, and maps, the exhibit ends with a simple question: “What unredressed mass atrocities need our attention?” Here, students are offered a chance to inscribe, on a dry-erase map of the world, the names of injustices that may not be widely known. As more and more students attend this exhibit, the map will surely fill up. This final stop, by design, left a bittersweet feeling—this barrage of atrocities is overwhelming and personal. While many of the names listed were widely known (Rwandan Genocide, Transatlantic Slave Trade), some are more obscure (Sami Oppression in Sweden, Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka). As more people begin attending this exhibit , these lesser-know n injustices w ill surely garner more attention from p e ople and, hop ef ully, will b e come less obscure in time. If anything, this exhibit thoughtfully implores each of us to grab hold of the past before it slips from our grip and becomes out of reach.
JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Full of thoughtful analysis of past wrongs, the exhibit pushes for a future of justice through reverence of the past.
IMAGE COURTESY OF POPSUGAR
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M<IFE@:8 >FI;F The Grammy Awards are about music, and CBS’s broadcast is meant to be a celebration of popular and groundbreaking musicians and the art that they have created. What I focus on most, however, is the red carpet footage beforehand. Slowly but surely, there has been a shift toward giving as much attention to what a celebrity wears as to what they win. While the Academy Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards both highlight fashion more than the Grammys, there is more of an emphasis on elegance. The Grammys are all about making a statement. For example, who could forget Jennifer Lopez’s shimmering green, below the navel, plunging neckline back in 2000? She even reminded us of it last night—as if we needed one. It’s all about being bold. Because of this task, there are usually stunning hits and glaring misses. You probably got your fill of fashion criticism from E!’s Fashion Police (sans the incomparable Joan Rivers), but there is still room for more voices to fill the cacophonous void of opinions on the night’s most talked about looks. First up was Adele. She may have amassed a remarkable amount of gold gramophones, but there was no award for this dress. The Givenchy, split pea soup-colored frock looked like it was handmade by Lord of the Rings hobbits. The tone worked for her skin tone and hair color, but the mishmosh of fabric designs within the dress made it look more dowdy than dazzling.
Lopez clearly reprised her role as one of Katherine Heigl’s fellow bridesmaids in 27 Dresses. She tried to spice up the Ralph and Russo light lavender gown by assaulting it with a slit and low-cut neckline—very tame for her—but then threw it all out of whack with a giant rat’s nest of tulle sticking out of her neck. She almost resembled a sexy Easter egg. Pastels? For spring? Groundbreaking. But the odious looks didn’t end there. Katy Perry looked like she fell into a vat of melted rose gold but was saved by a passerby bird that just so happened to sacrifice itself for the bottom of the Tom Ford dress. Also, the turtleneck? Why? As if the longsleeves and cocoon of feathers around her lower half weren’t enough to keep her warm in the frigid Los Angeles winter. Singer-songwriter/part-time goddess Rihanna usually stuns the red carpet for any and all events, so her look was very surprising. The shimmering orange sports bra-like top did no justice for her physique and neither did the monster of fabric attacking her from the waist down. The lack of a waistline took away from Rihanna’s shape and garnered more attention to the fact that the top and the bottom pieces from Armani Prive looked mismatched. Taraji P. Henson, best known for her roles in Empire and Hidden Figures, crashed and burned like a fallen asteroid in her celetstialthemed Marc Jacobs purple mini dress. The look wasn’t completely disastrous but Henson looked uncomfortable while walking the carpet, continuously pulling the hemline down and shifting herself in it where it looked too tight. Rounding out the worst looks was Cee Lo Green. He looked like he was working the mainstage at Las Vegas’ The Golden Nugget as THE golden nugget. He resembled some-
what of a Ferrero Rocher wrapper. Wrong kind of rapper. But thank goodness, there were plenty of redeeming looks of the evening. Demi Lovato stunned in a skintight, nude, netted Julien Macdonald gown. The intricate detailing may have been underplayed because of the color but nonetheless photographed marvelously. Juxtaposed with her raven-colored tresses, Lovato embodied sultry sex appeal. Carrie Underwood’s scarlet, Elie Madi gown was sinfully good. The embellishment grouped with the high neckline and front slit posed a possible fashion disaster but succeeded by the skin of its teeth. The dress mirrored the keyhole cut-out that Lovato’s gown featured which elevated the look even more. Jidenna rocked the carpet with a self-designed cerulean, Nigerianstyle, plain ankara outfit. The tailoring was on point, the pocket square was dapper, and the magenta, velvet slipper shoes added a dashing pop of color—as well as culture. My last two favorite looks were actress and singer Lea Michele’s Roberto Cavalli’s embroidered two -iece gown and Solange Knowles’s gold, metallic one-sleeve peplum dress. Both outfits dared to be feminine and outlandish, bravely trying new styles and succeeding in their efforts. The 59th Grammy Awards’ red carpet looks proved that while many amazed with their outfits, those who may have been rewarded for venturing into unchartered territory musically won’t be similarly recognized for their fashion risks.
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CALEB GRIEGO
VERONICA GORDO
JACOB SCHICK
Arts & Review Editor
Assoc. Arts & Review Editor
Asst. Arts & Review Editor
The 42nd Boston Sci-Film Festival is ongoing at Somerville Theatre in Davis Square through Feb. 20. Relish in a vibrant community and shared passion of sci-fi in film. Showcasing classic sci-fi, upcoming projects, and newcomers to the genre, the event exemplifies the variety within the genre and the community both in Boston and internationally. The event culminates on the 19th with a showing of genre staples like Brazil, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Galaxy Quest, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Mad Max Fury Road, and Gattaca.
Pop singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha has been featured in many hit songs that have graced the airwaves but, this Friday, Feb. 17, she will be debuting her first studio album, All Your Fault, Pt. 1. Her silky, belting vocals were heard on Martin Garrix’s track “In the Name of Love” and G-Eazy’s “Me, Myself, & I.” This album is expected to reprise the belting voice and romantically twisted lyrics she exhibited in her solo hits “I Can’t Stop Drinking About You” and “I’m Gonna Show You Crazy.” Hopefully, Rexha can stand on her own and deliver an album that wows.
This weekend, HBO airs the premiere of a new show, Big Little Lies. The show is based on the book by Liane Moriarity of the same name. Big Little Lies focuses on the lives of three well-off mothers of young children that are thrown into chaos when one of them commits murder. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Shailene Woodley, the cast is certainly up to the task of making this show the highlight of the weekend, if not one of the best of the year. The first episode airs Sunday night at 9 p.m. With The Young Pope finished, this looks to be HBO’s next big thing.
THIS WEEKEND IN ARTS: EDITORS’ PICKS
THE HEIGHTS
B4
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017
:fdgc\k\ N`k_ LjlXc M`fc\eZ\# ÊK_\ NXcb`e^ ;\X[Ë @j 9XZb 9P :?8E;C<I =FI; ?\`^_kj JkX]] Hopefully, it’s time for fans of AMC’s The Walking Dead to breathe again—in more ways than just one. The newest half-season of AMC’s hit show premiered last Sunday night with an extended, 50-plus minute runtime. And while the execution was not perfect, of course, it appears that the showrunners have taken huge steps toward addressing the concern that the show was on the decline. “Rock in the Road,” last Sunday’s premiere, comes on the heels of a heavily criticized first half of Season
7. Viewers and television critics alike have expressed doubts, many of which have revolved around the show’s pacing and character development. For the time being, however, it appears that these doubts have largely been remedied. “Rock in the Road” moved at a shockingly quick pace, developing multiple storylines at once without ever feeling fractured or spread thin. The Walking Dead shines the most when its characters operate in tandem to progress their stories, and last Sunday’s episode is Season 7’s shining pinnacle of that reality. The second layer to common Walking Dead criticisms is the sometimes weak writing, but “Rock in the
Road” is one of the strongest episodes of the show in recent memory, both writing and character wise. Andrew Lincoln’s (Rick Grimes) rock-in-theroad speech, for which the episode was named, was the most memorable protagonist monologue this season. Likewise, both Xander Berkeley and Khary Payton (Gregory and King Ezekiel, respectively) have become two of the strongest assets the show has with their exceptional acting and delivery. Berkeley in particular lends some serious clout to the annoying bureaucrat that he plays—the unceasing stupidity of his character is almost tough to believe sometimes, but Berkeley skillfully drives home
TELEVISION
THE WALKING DEAD GREG NICOTERO PRODUCED BY AMC RELEASE FEB. 12, 2017 OUR RATING
AMC
the true spinelessness of some human beings. And, naturally, Jeffrey Dean Morgan deserves an honorable mention as well. Portraying the show’s main antagonist, Negan, he is one of the most praised elements of The Walking Dead right now—and rightfully so. His hilarious eulogizing of the recently deceased character Fat Joey was off-the-charts funny, an association that seems strange for such a menacing individual. Along with these much needed changes to character development and tone, longtime fans will be happy to hear that The Walking Dead has not toned down its propensity for realism in violence that has helped make the program so well-known. The main action sequence of “Rock in the Road,” involving two cars, explosives, a connected steel cable, and a gigantic herd of “walkers,” was one of the most intense moments Season 7 has had to offer. It is too early to ascertain whether or not this will be the status quo in the episodes to come, but the show has a good track record—if it keeps it up, this will unquestionably be one more step in the right direction. With all of this in mind, the most important point to address here is the way in which these changes and continuations have already affected the tone of the show. Several of the opening episodes of Season
7 were something of a slog to get through—not because they were poorly shot or executed, but because the overarching theme of the content was so centered around the soul-crushing defeat (and ensuing depression) that the main characters had experienced at the end of Season 6. Opening the second half of Season 7 with such a fast-paced, quicklydeveloping, progression-oriented episode injected new life not only into the protagonists of The Walking Dead, but the viewers as well. Especially now, when both action scenes and themes of rebellion are being tied into the plot so expertly, it feels as though fans of the show have reason to smile again. In some ways, the deaths of Walking Dead mains Glenn Rhee and Abraham Ford feel like a metaphor for the growth of the show itself. Bad things are bound to happen along the way (be it tyrannical rulers, the reanimation of the dead, or just questionable sound design), but there is genuine good to be found by the end of all this mess. Ultimately, The Walking Dead seems to be a show of redemption, both for its characters as well as its own production. As long as the writers and showrunners stay on the path they have now begun to pave, the world is looking rather bright—even if the dead are still trying to feast on the flesh of the living.
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The 10th studio album by The Sadies, Northern Passages, combines elements from rock, country, and folk into a cohesive and meaningful work of art. The Sadies are a Canadian rock-country band composed of Dallas and Travis Good; Mike Belitsky; and Sean Dean. Northern Passages opens with “Riverview Fog,” a light and airy song that highlights The Sadies’ ability to harmonize with each other. The song was reminiscent of songs like “Woodstock” and “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Nash (and sometimes Young) or “Lucky Man” by Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. There was a greater emphasis on the vocals and the sounds created when the band sung together than on the instruments. Immediately after this folky tune, Northern Passages takes a sharp turn into The Sadies’ rock-and-roll side. “Another Season Again” sounds like a classic summer rock song, with influences from Chuck Berry, especially the backing guitar from songs like “Johnny B. Goode.” The subject of the song however, is anything but summer. “Let the snow fall down” is a common line throughout the song as The Sadies pine for winter. Perhaps they are showing off their Canadian origins with the desire for a colder time. The song ends with a
long and extended guitar chord that seems to allow the third track to pick up right where it left off. “There Are No Words” continues the rock-like sound of Northern Passages. The song has a heavy guitar emphasis on the beats and sounds fairly upbeat until the lyrics begin: “Maybe tomorrow I’ll know what to say / But right now I have no words.” Good describes his inability to say anything of comfort in sad situations. After the vocals end, “There Are No Words” becomes almost a different song. The beat progression slows down dramatically and the guitar “twangs” much more. The final minute of the song could be the soundtrack for any selfrespecting Western movie, conjuring images of horses, tumbleweeds, and copper-colored plateaus. American singer and songwriter Kurt Vile joins The Sadies for track four, “It’s Easy (Like Walking).” The song’s lyrics are slightly humorous in their off-beat subject. With lyrics like, “My left hand’s got a permanent air-guitar tick / But don’t confuse it with a crutch / ’Cuz I like it a lot,” Vile and The Sadies compare playing music to walking.The Sadies continue to display clear influences with the fast-paced folky “Through Strange Eyes.” The picking on the acoustic and the electric is very impressive and sounds much like “Ghost Riders In The Sky” by Johnny Cash. One of the highlights of North-
ern Passages is the seventh track, “God Bless The Infidels.” The title is a little confusing until the opening notes of the song. The Sadies launch directly into stereotypical twangy guitars, banjos, and harmonica that sound exactly like every country song people love to hate. The message however, is quite different from what a country singer or indeed even a stereotypical country fan might enjoy. “Don’t strike me down for singing my song / Please forgive me don’t turn me into salt,” is the appeal to God at the start of the song, and perhaps the appeal is warranted with
the continuation, “Was it really God’s will / For Christians to kill.” “God Bless The Infidels” is funny, yet the message strikes home, especially in today’s sociopolitical climate. The humor definitely does not continue into “The Good Years.” The Sadies sing about a woman with unrealized potential trapped in a relationship with an alcoholic and drug-addicted husband who does not appreciate her. The mood of the song is reflective, regretful, and very sad. The final song on Northern Passages is an instrumental piece called
“The Noise Museum.” The lack of lyrics allow The Sadies to showcase their obvious talents with their musical instruments. “The Noise Museum” has clear roots to bands like Blackfoot and The Outlaws. The song is very strong in beat and feeling, and is certainly a fitting end to the strong Northern Passages. The Sadies have been fairly successful so far in their career and Northern Passages is a great addition to their catalogue of music. The band is clearly talented and if they remain as creative as they currently are, their future is bright.
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Girlfriend’s Day follows the life of a card writer, Ray (Bob Odenkirk), who has fallen on hard times, after his wife has left him for another famous card writer. Adding insult to injury, he is fired from his job shortly thereafter because of his lackluster ideas. Things continue to spiral down for Ray as he happens upon a murder. Believing it to be the result of a
conflict over a card for a new holiday in town known as Girlfriend’s Day, the event leaves Ray shaken—it also serves as a dramatic backdrop while the writer tries to find his way within his life and his work. Emotionally, the film explores pertinent ideas in today’s day and age. Still hung up on his ex-wife, Ray‘s life and work is left in limbo. It is only through moving on and letting go of the life he once had that he is able to move forward and regain
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1 I Decided Big Sean 2 Joanne Lady Gaga 3 Culture Migos 4 Sing It Now Reba McEntire 5 Starboy The Weeknd Source: Billboard.com
MUSIC VIDEO CALEB GRIEGO
“I BELIEVE IN YOU” MICHAEL BUBLÉ
MUSIC
NORTHERN PASSAGES THE SADIES PRODUCED BY YEP ROC RECORDS RELEASE FEB. 10, 2017 OUR RATING
YEP ROC RECORDS
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CHART TOPPERS
control of his writing. People have to make the conscious decision to move out of the past to be able to fully be present in the present. Known widely for his role as a fast-talking, crooked lawyer in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Odenkirk shows off a more pensive side in this movie. This contrast will be an unexpected change for his fans that are used to the actor’s quick, snarky quips and creative quick fixes. This character lacks some of the luck
FILM
GIRLFRIEND’S DAY MICHAEL STEPHENSON PRODUCED BY NETFLIX RELEASE FEB. 14, 2017 OUR RATING
NETFLIX
and charisma that Saul beams with throughout the series. But what he lacks in charm, he makes up for in heart. His character is an underdog that anyone can get behind. Although there are gems of advice within the movie, the storyline itself fell flat. Sprinkled with some deadpan humor that kept the piece alive, the plot of someone being killed over a holiday card is a really strange way to take the film. The bizarre humor will appeal to some audience, but will definitely leave others scratching their heads, wondering if they missed something. While there are some valuable takeaways, they might be easily hidden by the effort to be clever that is present in almost every scene in the movie. One of the most important pieces of advice that appears in the movie is to write a card for someone. When one finds a muse of some sort to base their writing upon, this source of inspiration makes the writing feel real. Beyond this, this real piece of writing should be a piece of something that the person would feel a need to write for somebody in mind regardless if they were being recognized for this writing. Ray runs into trouble when
he writes with the end goal of recognition—and without considering the journey it will take to get there. He was originally successful in his writing when he was in a happy marriage with his ex-wife—he was writing his life experience and everything was authentic. The head of the card company Ray used to work for tells him that that his ability to see the world with imagination is what makes his writing so good. The card writer in Ray believes in the romance he writes inside his cards, which makes his message resonate with many readers. When someone talks or writes about something they are passionate about, people can feel it and leaves them wanting more. The messages written in greeting cards are carefully crafted by a wordsmith, who took the time to get across a feeling. A well-crafted note sharing a message of solidarity can mean more than one may know. But for this film, its craft seems to rely heavily on the sappy and emotionally detached. Like many pre-written greeting cards, this film is nice, but ultimately hollow.
Michael Bublé’s “I Believe in You” music video recycles the growing-up-on-camera trope while retaining a fresh and fun attitude toward the subject. As the video opens, the viewer sees two children, a boy and a girl, playing. The boy presents the girl with flowers while he rests in a tree. Jumping down from the tree, the boy changes into an adolescent along with the girl. The video then depicts the pair growing closer and more intimate. With each transition, the boy presents the girl with more flowers. In one particular scene, the two enter a new home after their wedding, with the bride clutching a full bouquet. The video progresses to the inside as the couple begins to unpack boxes, until they erupt into a fun and hearty dance as Bublé breaks into the chorus. Full of twirls and youthful vitality, the dance is a manifestation of their energy and love for one another, which contrasts nicely with later images within the video. Bublé’s verses, like “I believe in good things coming back to you” and more broadly, “I believe in you” are representative of the couple’s investment to each other, attributable to the foundation of love on which the couple built their lives—from childhood to the present. The video ends with the couple, now aged, sitting before their mantle as the man gives the woman the flowers he had amassed for her throughout their lives. Connecting this image with visuals of their various stages of life symbolizes the power of such love, still compelling despite their now-aged bodies. Internally, they remain as the young boy and girl, the dancing couple, and wistful parents. Bublé’s song pairs nicely with the video accompaniment and offers some touching commentary on the life and how the ardor of love weathers with the passage time.
SINGLE REVIEWS BY CALEB GRIEGO KATY PERRY FT. SKIP MARLEY “Chained to the Rhythm” Katy Perry chains herself to a strong, clapping baseline in this airy single. As the song progresses, it is apparent that the musical elements of this song are far superior to its lyrical content. The interesting guitar distortions and repetition of moans of ecstasy are wasted on this bland party song.
JILLIONAIRE “Sunrise”
JAMIROQUAI “Cloud 9” As the lyrics suggest, “only a fool could walk away” from this killer track as its synthetic beats ramp up the spunk and good feelings. The English funk, acid-jazz band proves that it still has it, capturing its quintessential, euphoric sound decades down the line.
Trinidadian DJ and producer, Jillionaire, released a party track sure to be added to college playlists across the world. Documenting good times, dancing, and irreverence until the early morning hours, “Sunrise” is jaunty enough in style and theme to keep partygoers raving.
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THE HEIGHTS
B6
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017
MEN’S HOCKEY
Efik_\Xjk\ie JZfi\j Kn`Z\ `e =`eXc D`elk\ kf Lgj\k <X^c\j MHOK vs. NU, from B8 York said. “Now, my view is different from the referees’ view. Clearly different. I watched the tape, I watched the video, and that’s my view. But I don’t have a whistle as a referee. Do I agree with it? Absolutely not. But it’s their call, it’s not my call. It’s really frustrating that we’re preparing our team to defend and we get it called back on us.” Coming back from a 2-1 deficit with seven minutes to go, White got the equalizer BC needed with a tip-in on Ruck’s right after a great find by Casey Fitzgerald. But after the Cotton overturn, the Eagles lost all of the momentum they had in the frame. Less than 30 seconds later, the Huskies dashed down the ice toward BC’s Joseph Woll on a breakaway. With no defenders
back to hold down the middle of the ice, Zach Aston-Reese found Dylan Sikura ready and right in front of Woll. He converted on one of only four shots the Huskies had on Woll in the period for the game-winning, backbreaking goal. For Madigan, it was no surprise. “He has a penchant for scoring big goals in big games ,” Madigan said of Sikura, a junior from Aurora, Ontario. Seconds after drawing up a play to defend against an extra attacker with the empty net, the Eagles had to put one of their own on the ice. But only one second after Woll left the net, Scott Savage turned the puck over, right to Adam Gaudette. The sophomore calmly skated down the ice to push the puck in for an empty-net goal. For York, the frustration was more than just for how his team
lost. After rising as high as seventh in the PairWise Rankings, the Eagles have fallen to tied with Cornell for 13th after a three-game losing streak. To make matters wors e, there’s only four games remaining in the regular season, all of which come against ranked, in-conference opponents (No. 16 Vermont, No. 6 Massachusetts Lowell). Though they still outpace BU by three points in Hockey East, their backs are against the boards. And if York wants Trophy Season to have some happy endings, he’ll need to find answers as soon as possible. “There’s a lot to learn by a loss like that,” York said. “Now we have to go chase a regularseason title. Do we have to improve in different areas? Absolutely. But they’re all on board with that already.”
JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS EDITOR
After holding Northeastern’s sixth-ranked offense to just two goals, BC conceded two more in the final 43 seconds.
9P 8E;P 98:BJKIFD 8jjk% Jgfikj <[`kfi B O STON — Coming into Monday night’s Beanpot Tournament consolation game against Northeastern, Boston College men’s hockey appeared to be the clear favorite. After all, the Eagles stood atop the Hockey East standings—eight spots ahead of a Huskies team which has consistently struggled to remain at .500 all year. Not to mention that BC had already downed its conference foe twice this season and had never lost a consolation game in head coach Jerry York’s 23 years as head coach. But those are just numbers. And by now, Eagles fans know that a statistic of any sort doesn’t guarantee a victory, especially when it comes to this year’s group. BC’s loss to Boston University in the opening round of Beanpot play marked the first time it had failed to tally a point in regular season matchups against the Terriers since the 1994-95 season. Less than a week later, the Eagles fell to Merrimack on home ice—the first time that happened since 1997. On Monday night, there was another “first”. After David Cotton’s potential game-winning goal was reversed with just minutes remaining in the third period, the Huskies scored two goals in the final 43 seconds to claim the 4-2 victory and a third place Beanpot finish. Three Up 1) Joseph Woll The first 10 minutes of Friday night’s game versus Merrimack were more than forgettable for goaltender Joseph Woll. Right off the bat, the freshman conceded three goals, the last of which sent him to the bench. And it wasn’t just a fluke. Following a 42-save career outing against Connecticut on Jan. 24, Woll gave up a combined 14 goals in the next four games. But against Northeastern (13-12-5, 69-3 Hockey East), the sixth-best offensive team in the nation, the netminder looked sharp. Woll held off the Huskies’ scoring effort for close to 28 minutes. And when Northeastern found the back of the net in the second period, it wasn’t even his fault. The St. Louis native was left without a defensive line, as three Huskies pursued the net on the break. Without hesitation, Matt Filipe flung one past the helpless Woll. One can also argue that he, or the whole team for that matter, wasn’t to blame for Northeastern’s
game-winning goal. While York was preparing his team for what was believed to be a final stand, BC’s (18-12-2, 13-4-1) then-third goal was overturned, giving the Eagles no time to reset. Overall, 26 saves may not look impressive. But it was Woll’s leg extensions, sprawls, and glove work that kept the Eagles in the game until the final minute. 2) Penalty Kill Entering Monday, the Huskies had scored 45 power-play goals on the season—four more than any other team in college hockey. Headed by Adam Gaudette and Zach Aston-Reese, Northeastern’s power-play attack has produced almost half of its goals. The Huskies had a handful of chances to up that total versus BC. The Eagles were called for five penalties, some of which were boneheaded. Less than five minutes into the game, Chris Calnan smashed a Husky defender into the boards, sitting the senior for two minutes. Thankfully for York, his team elevated its play on the penalty kill. While Northeastern applied pressure in BC’s zones, it failed to light the lamp on special times for the first time in 19 games. 3) David Cotton Northeastern dominated the first period, drawing a pair of power plays and outshooting the Eagles 15-8. BC didn’t have a legitimate scoring chance until the closing minutes of the opening period. But as soon as it got one, it capitalized. More specifically, David Cotton capitalized. Follow ing a C alnan-Colin White exchange, Cotton received the puck. Soaring down the left side of the ice, the freshman angled a shot past a crowd of Eagles and Huskies, and most importantly, goalie Ryan Ruck. The goal gave BC its first lead of the night and Cotton his ninth of the season. Then, at the tail end of the third period, Cotton snatched a rebound and almost notched the game-winner. But the apparent score was called back upon review, due to goaltender interference. Three Down 1) Faceoffs For the first period and a half, the Eagles controlled the faceoff department, winning 22-of-30 bouts. But it only took one Northeastern victory inside the circle to change the game. Nolan Stevens beat Austin Cangelosi to the puck and shoveled it toward BC ice. Seconds later, Filipe swooped by with two teammates on his side. Power play or not, Northeastern is as good as
anyone when it has numbers. Filipe lifted the puck past Woll, tying the game at one for the the first of his two goals. From that point forward, BC only maintained a slight faceoff advantage. Consequently, the Eagles forfeited several possessions, and in turn, puck control and scoring chances. 2) Drawn-Out Possessions At times, BC’s offense was too methodical. Instead of bombarding Ruck with shots, players were settling for tic-tac-toe passes. It almost was if no one wanted to take responsibility for a missed shot, perhaps a reason why there was such a discrepancy between the two sides in first-period shots. Many of these drawn-out possessions ended in either blocked shots or turnovers. Eventually, the Eagles started to show a bit more confidence on the offensive end. Results followed. BC’s equalizing third-period goal came off of a rebound. White snuck one by Ruck on a secondchance effort. And if Cotton’s second goal wasn’t overturned, that too would have come off of a missed shot. If BC could take back those wasted possessions, this game could have been completely different. 3) Inability to Hold Back the Big Three Northeastern could easily finish the season with three 50-point scorers: Aston-Reese, Gaudette, and Dylan Sikura. To put this in perspective, at the moment, the Eagles don’t even have one 30point scorer. Aston-Reese leads the country in goal-scoring, and Gaudette is the nation’s most prolific power-play scorer. According to head coach Jim Madigan, any one of them can take over the game at anytime. “This year, we’ve had three guys who have been consistent all the way through offensively, and it’s been [Aston]-Reese, Sikura, and Gaudette,” Madigan said. “All of them at a different time have taken their turns leading us and being the go-to guy.” On Monday, it was Sikura’s turn. With less than a minute to go, Aston-Reese found Sikura right in front of the net for the game-winning goal. While BC kept these three out of the box score for most of the game, it hardly limited their offense. Aston-Reese, Gaudette, and Sikura accounted for half of the Huskies’ shots. It was only a matter of time when one of them found the back of the net.
LACROSSE
@e ?fd\ Fg\e\i# 8glqqf E\kj J`o >fXcj kf 9\Xk I`mXc 9L 9P I@C<P FM<I<E; Jgfikj <[`kfi Sam Apuzzo, the nation’s leader in assists, didn’t record a single one in Boston College lacrosse’s home opener against Boston University. Instead, the sophomore midfielder exploded for six goals to lead the No. 17 Eagles (3-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) to a 13-11 victory, their eighth-consecutive win over the rival Terriers. With her performance on Wednesday afternoon, Apuzzo moves into a tie with Notre Dame’s Courtney Fortunado for the most points in the country. Last year, the Under Armour AllAmerican made her collegiate debut against BU (1-1) and recorded
three goals and an assist in a 18-9 win. This year, BC needed every bit of Apuzzo’s effort to eke out its ninth-straight home-opener victory. The sophomore midfielder opened up the scoring less than four minutes into the game, when she took a pass from Emma Schurr and fired it past Terrier goaltender Caroline Meegan. Interestingly, though, that would be the last assist of the day for the Eagles, which entered the game ranked third in the nation in assists per game. BU immediately answered Apuzzo’s strike with two goals in less than a minute to take the lead against its crosstown rival. But BC was quick to respond: At-
tacker Tess Chandler scored the equalizer a minute later, followed by goals from Taylor Walker and Caroline Zaffino to give the Eagles a 4-2 advantage. After the Terriers cut the deficit to just one, Apuzzo responded with her second goal of the afternoon. But BU would not go away quietly, as the back-and-forth affair continued for the entirety of the contest. Avery Donahoe delivered a momentum-swinging goal and, soon after, the Terrier tacked on another score, both of which were assisted by Elisabeth Jayne. But the 5-5 tie would not last for long, as Apuzzo once again put BC on top with a screamer past Meegan between the pipes.
Kaileen Hart tacked on another, her sixth goal of the season, to give the Eagles a two-goal cushion. BU, however, tightened up its defense for the final 10 minutes of the first period, holding BC scoreless for the remainder of the half. On offense, the Terriers did just enough to tie the game before halftime, as Taylor Hardison assisted on a pair of goals to knot the match at 7-7. As was the case in the first period, the Eagles’ goals came in bunches during the second period. Mary Kate O’Neill struck first for BC, and Apuzzo followed suit a minute later. Donahoe kept BU within striking range with her third goal of the game just 14 seconds afterward. Apuzzo,
though, was determined to put the team on her back, increasing the Eagles’ lead to 10-8 with her fifth goal of the contest. Apuzzo’s final score came at just the right time for BC, as it broke a 12-minute scoreless drought and gave head coach Acacia Walker’s squad a commanding 12-9 lead which it would never relinquish. The Terriers would continue knocking on the door, though, scoring twice in the waning minutes before Taylor Walker iced the game with her third goal of the season. The 13-11 final marks the third non-conference game in a row in which the Eagles have won. Senior attacker Kate Weeks was held scoreless on five shot
attempts for the first time this season. Last year’s team-leader in goals, Weeks came into Wednesday’s matchup with 14 goals in three games, placing her only two behind the country’s leader. Up next for BC is an ACC showdown with Virginia Tech on Saturday in Blacksburg, Va. Then, the Eagles take on five consecutive non-conference opponents, including No. 2 Maryland. Their schedule is far from a cakewalk before they enter the thick of conference play. But heading into their difficult conference slate, they can feel comfortable knowing that they have one of the country’s best young midfielders on their side in Apuzzo.
THE HEIGHTS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017
B7
MEN’S BASKETBALL
9fndXeËj )0 Efk <efl^_ 8^X`ejk @i`j_ MBB vs. ND, from B8 time we’ve brought him home, and he has always played well. Usually you bring guys home, and they’re gonna be a little spaced out. He spent so much time in this building growing up, his whole family is here. And he’s just so steady that way.” Point guard Matt Farrell, too, had extra motivation for the Valentine’s Day edition of the Holy War. Farrell, a candidate for the ACC’s Most Improved Player, originally committed to the Eagles back in 2013. When then-coach Steve Donahue was fired, the New Jersey native reopened his commitment before eventually choosing the Irish. As Notre Dame slowly clawed its way back in the second half, Farrell provided a critical boost of momentum that changed the entire game. With 13 minutes left, the junior drilled a pair of 3-pointers that tied the game at 59-59. He finished with 19 points while logging a game-high 37 minutes. “He senses when we need it, and he’s been that kind of assassin for us all year,” Brey said. After the game-tying trey, Farrell trotted down the court looking for someone to talk trash to, ultimately settling for a brief spat in the direction of ESPN’s cameras. Later, Farrell told reporters that he had been called a
“traitor” for decommitting from BC, and that he cherished playing in this environment. The disappointing finish for the Eagles erased their best first half of the season, in which they shot nearly 60 percent from the floor and posted 49 points. They looked electric, yet controlled, in transition, and pushed the tempo against their Catholic rival. Bowman nailed three early 3-pointers en route to an electric 29-point performance, one point away from his fourth 30-point game of the year. Among Division I freshmen, only Markelle Fultz and Dennis Smith, Jr. have achieved such a feat, and they’re both projected to be lottery picks in the 2017 NBA Draft. Jerome Robinson chipped in nine points before halftime, and BC looked well on its way to improving its record to 1-20 against ranked opponents under Christian. So what do the Eagles need to do differently to close out games like this? “Make plays,” Christian said. “For us, because we’re struggling a little bit, we hesitate at that key moment. Big shot, big free throw, big blockout. You can’t do that if you want to be successful in this league. When you’ve got opportunities in the ACC, you’ve got to make a play. It’s a short answer to a complicated question, but it’s the truth.”
CELINE LIM / HEIGHTS STAFF
Jerome Robinson drives to the hoop against a Notre Dame defender.
One Play Away, from B8 was that he demonstrated the ability to play fast and still be in complete control of the situation. Throughout the first few months of the season, flashes of brilliance were often interspersed with frustrating turnovers or rushes into a crowded paint without a plan. Against Notre Dame, Bowman managed to establish a stable equilibrium between his explosiveness and his ability to react to the other players around him. In one instance, Bowman curled around a screen from Mo Jeffers with the clear intention of getting into the paint. He recognized, however, that his defender, Pflueger, had rapidly moved to slide underneath him and that Bonzie Colson had dropped into the paint to contain his drive. Instead of hoisting an ill-advised layup, Bowman smartly changed direction and used a Jeffers screen in the opposite direction. Pflueger was caught off balance and gets hit by this second screen. With Colson reluctant to step out to Bowman at the 3-point arc, the freshman point guard was free to step back into an easy rhythm triple. Generating Corner Threes Treys from the corner—juicy catch and shoot opportunities for proficient shooters—are usually generated from good ball movement, with a pass finding a stationary shooter in an open pocket of space. Against Notre Dame, Christian dialed up an interesting play to create open corner threes. The play twice resulted in made triples for Bowman. On both occasions, after receiving a handoff from A.J. Turner, Bowman tossed the ball to Jerome Robinson, standing on the wing, and began to jog off toward the corner. Their defender assumes he can take a moment’s respite, confident that his mark has temporarily taken himself out of the play. But just when it appeared safe to relax, Christian had one of his big men—first Jeffers, then Tava—step up to the wing and set a back screen for Bowman. On both occasions, Bowman’s defender got caught in the screen and the star freshman drilled an open three off of
EDITOR’S
the pass from Robinson. Two Down 3-Point Defense Notre Dame came into Valentine’s Day shooting 39.5 percent from downtown, 15th in the country. For the game, the Eagles held the Irish to 11-of-31 on 3-pointers, a 35.5-percent clip and a bit below their season average. But though the final tally looks favorable, BC’s 3point defense was rather pedestrian during a key stretch in the game. Over the course of a 16-2 Notre Dame run that transformed a 59-53 deficit into a 69-61 lead, BC allowed the Irish to sink 4-of-5 threes, with each one being wide open. “In that stretch, we gave them about four or five rhythm threes,” Christian said. “If you let them drive the ball downhill, you’re in real big trouble.” Defense on Farrell was especially poor during this stretch. The junior guard—a 43.9-percent long-range shooter—finished the contest with 19 points and drilled 5-of-11 threes. At one point, Robinson sank too far into the paint in transition. As Vasturia stopped and flipped the ball to Farrell at the 3-point line, the sophomore guard was too far away from his man to fight through the screen in time to contest the shot. Second Half Swoon Tuesday’s game continued a depressing trend for the Eagles. After allowing the Irish to score 45 points in the second half, the Eagles have now allowed three consecutive opponents to score at least that many in the closing stanza—Pittsburgh scored 52 second-half points last Wednesday and Georgia Tech scored 50 second-half points on Saturday. “When you’ve got opportunities to make plays, you’ve got to make them,” he said. “We hesitated at that time or lacked confidence at that time because we haven’t made [them].” If Christian hopes to make the leap to competitiveness in 2018, the next three weeks will be crucial for establishing a firm foundation and team culture, an opportunity of which he and his players must take full advantage.
PICKS BC hosts No. 16 Vermont in a weekend series with huge Hockey East implications. Can the Eagles snap their three-game losing streak? Or will the Catamounts continue BC’s recent struggles?
RILEY OVEREND
Sports Editor
This weekend’s series against Vermont is BC’s most important since the recent Notre Dame game—and the Eagles will need to play as well as they did against the Irish to secure a pair of victories. They were robbed of a win in the Beanpot consolation game, as Hockey East officials recently apologized for the call that cost BC the game. Head coach Jerry York should have his boys fired up for this weekend, or else a regularseason title may fall out of reach.
PREDICTION BC 1 Game Vermont 1 Game
ANNABEL STEELE
Assoc. Sports Editor
K_\ Lck`dXk\ Jgfikj Gfn\i :flgc\ IXeb`e^j Love in Sports, from B8
ultimate college-sweetheart dream. Matt, of course, played football, and Sarah played basketball. They married in 2011 after graduating from BC and now live in Atlanta together. Matt enjoyed a phenomenal 2016, winning Offensive Player of the Year as well as Most Valuable Player before falling in the Super Bowl to the Patriots. Sarah, meanwhile, works for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream in addition to volunteering at multiple charities. The two of them seem to have hearts of (maroon and) gold, propelling them to No. 9 on the list. 8. Justin Verlander and Kate Upton Remember when I said bonus points went to couples who said sweet, supportive things about one another? This is that couple. Yes, Sports Illustrated swimsuitedition supermodel Kate Upton was quick to jump to her fiancé’s defense when he did not win the Cy Young Award late last year. The two of them have been through a lot together—like a nude photo scandal. But that’s not the only reason why Upton and pitcher Justin Verlander make it to No. 8 on my list. Over the course of his 11-year career for the Detroit Tigers, Verlander has won Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors. Upton got her start, as previously mentioned, in Sports Illustrated, and has since appeared in blockbuster films like The Three Stooges. Mainly, though, they get ranked this high because of that tweet. 7. Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union-Wade Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union are undeniably a power couple. Wade has won three NBA titles, all with the Miami Heat, and Union-Wade is an accomplished
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actress. This couple gets genuine bonus points for their sweet social media love. A quick perusal of their Instagram accounts reveals multiple photos and videos posted on Valentine’s Day to celebrate their love for one another. 6. Russell Wilson and Ciara Russell Wilson and Ciara have had an unconventional romance—it isn’t often that your new girlfriend’s ex (maybe) threatens to kill you in a song. But through it all, they have remained together and in love. The couple got married last summer and have since announced that they are expecting a baby. Wilson, a quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, has won one Super Bowl, taking down the mighty Peyton Manning in the process. Ciara released her first album in 2004 and is a Grammy winner. 5. Gerard Pique and Shakira Coming in fifth on the list is another athlete/singer couple. Pique, a professional soccer player, has won a World Cup with Spain, four Champions League titles with FC Barcelona, six La Liga titles with Barça, and one Premier League title with Manchester United. Shakira, meanwhile, has enjoyed a successful music career, winning two Grammys and giving the world such fantastic songs as “Hips Don’t Lie.” Plus, she performed “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” to celebrate the 2010 World Cup, which Pique would go on to win with Spain. If that isn’t enough, they also have the two cutest babies in the entire world. Need I say more? 4. David and Victoria Beckham Ahhh, the Beckhams. Once upon a time, they were probably the biggest sports power couple in the world, but not so much anymore. Their stars have dimmed, and that’s
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to be expected. David officially retired from playing soccer in 2013 after an incredibly successful career spanning more than two decades. Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice, has a fashion line, but isn’t as big a star as when the Spice Girls were all the rage. They still might have cracked the top three if not for a leaked-email scandal and a seemingly frosty Valentine’s Day between the two. David waited until Feb. 15 to post a photo with Victoria, while she only posted a photo of a card given to her by her daughter. 3. Matt Treanor and Misty MayTreanor And here we have another double-athlete couple on the list: former baseball player Matt Treanor and former Olympic volleyball star Misty May-Treanor. Treanor played professional baseball for eight years and competed in one World Series, although he lost. May-Treanor, however, is the big name here. Together with Kerri Walsh-Jennings, she rocked the Olympics for 12 straight years, winning three gold medals for the United States. In fact, she and Walsh-Jennings went two-straight Olympics without even dropping a set. If that isn’t enough for top three, I don’t know what is. 2. Serena Williams and Alex Ohanian Let’s get it straight—Serena Williams is the GOAT. Don’t @ me. She is truly, indisputably the greatest athlete of all time. Williams has won an astounding 23 Grand Slam titles! That’s absolutely crazy, and that’s five more than the men’s all-time leader, Roger Federer. That’s why Williams and her new fiance, Reddit founder Alex Ohanian, are No. 2 on this list, despite Ohanian’s relative lack of fame. Plus, they are so dang cute together—Ohanian asked her mother for permission to
V T 1 | BC 7
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The Eagles have definitely hit a rough patch in the season, but they will get ever ything back on track by sweeping Vermont in this series. BC should be itching to get on the ice and take out its frustrations after losing in the Beanpot consolation round. Look for Joe Woll to have a stellar series in goal, limiting Vermont’s abilities to score. Meanwhile, the Eagles will see offensive contributions from a variety of players.
propose, and Williams announced their engagement with a sweet post on Reddit. 1. Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf Yes, my top ultimate sports power couple is Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. Both are retired professional tennis players. They are granted the No. 1 spot because they have both been incredibly successful, because their love story is the stuff of cheesy Valentine’s Day movies, and because they have nothing but the sweetest things to say to and about one another. Let’s take a look at career statistics. Graf used to have the most Grand Slam titles (22) before Williams broke her record and won the Australian Open earlier this year. In 1988, she accomplished an unthinkable achievement by winning a calendar Grand Slam and an Olympic gold medal. Agassi, meanwhile, won eight Grand Slam titles during his career and revolutionized the tennis world with his attitude and with his hair. Both Graf and Agassi achieved the world No. 1 ranking over the course of their careers. Despite being two of the biggest names in tennis for years, they never interacted much until after Agassi split from his first wife. Newly single, he asked Graf out—by asking her to practice with him. They married in 2001 and have been happily together ever since. Agassi credits Graf with inspiring him through her actions, and Graf says that Agassi helps her open up and trust. For these reasons—for their stellar careers, their love story, and their love for one another—Agassi and Graf are the best power couple in all of sports.
PREDICTION BC 2 Games Vermont 0 Games
ANDY BACKSTROM
Asst. Sports Editor
Vermont has grabbed at least a point in each of its last four weekend series. That streak will come to end on Saturday night. BC dropped its season-high third game in a row on Monday, falling to Northeastern in the Beanpot consolation game. Head coach Jerry York was livid following the loss, and rightfully so. It was the first time he had ever finished last in the Beanpot. York will surely make the necessary defensive adjustments to keep the Eagles atop the Hockey East. Look for BC’s defensemen to elevate their play on transition defense, giving Joseph Woll more help.
PREDICTION BC 2 Games Vermont 0 Games
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W. BASKETBALL
BC 43 | LOU 68
BC|FASOULA 11 PTS LOU|SHOOK 14 PTS
M. HOCKEY BC|WHITE G A NU|FILIPE 2 G
NU 4 | BC 2
2/12
LOUISVILLE, KY 2/13 BOSTON, MA
M. BASKETBALL ND 84 | BC 76 BC|BOWMAN 29 PTS ND|COLSON 20 PTS
LACROSSE
CHESTNUT HILL, MA
BU 11 | BC 13
BC|APUZZO 6 G BU|JAYNE 3 G 2 A
2/14
2/15 NEWTON, MA
SPORTS
B8 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017
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@HEIGHTSSPORTS
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Bonzie Scheme Bonzie Colson led Notre Dame to a comeback win against BC in the same gym where he grew up.
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Well, we’ve had another Valentine’s Day come and go, and Bryce Harper still didn’t stand under my window with flowers and a boom box playing an assortment of my favorite songs. (It may be because he’s married, and not to me, but I’ll worry about that later.) Amid the numerous social media posts of happy couples, I was lucky enough to see some posts from everyone’s favorite athletes wishing their significant others/spouses a happy Valentine’s Day. These posts were very cute, and most of them made me smile, but they also got me thinking—who is the ultimate sports power couple? I set out to rank the Top 10 sports power couples, combining my love of sports with my adoration of celebrity gossip. While some couples on the list are comprised of two current or former professional athletes, most contain one athlete and one other public figure. Several different factors went into the rankings, including athletic achievement, public opinion of the couple, and, some might say most importantly of all, my personal opinion of the couple. Bonus points went to couples who publicly said sweet and supportive things about one another. Honorable Mention: Justin Dunn and Kaliya Johnson How could I rank the best sports couples without including a couple made on this very campus? Justin Dunn and Kaliya Johnson both left in 2016, and both made their mark on campus through sports. Dunn pitched for Birdball with a stellar 2016 season, and is currently in the New York Mets organization. Johnson played for women’s hockey and currently plays for the Connecticut Whale of the National Women’s Hockey League. The former Eagles frequently post sweet snapshots of one another on social media, proving that their love has continued after graduation. 10: Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen I would like the record to reflect that I am only including Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen because I suspect I would be crucified for leaving them off the list. Outside of New England, this power couple’s popularity is lukewarm at best. But there is absolutely no denying that both Brady and Bündchen are highly accomplished in their fields. Brady, in case you missed it, won his fifth Super Bowl two weekends ago, cementing his place as the best quarterback in NFL history. Bündchen, meanwhile, is the highest-paid supermodel in the world, having earned more than $30 million in 2016 alone. Plus, even though she isn’t an athlete herself, the Brazil native participated in the opening ceremonies for the Rio Olympics. 9. Matt and Sarah Ryan Like Dunn and Johnson, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and former basketball player Sarah Ryan (née Marshall) met while students at BC. According to Sarah, they were just 18 when they met—and have been together ever since, fulfilling the
AMELIE TRIEU / HEIGHTS EDITOR
CELINE LIM / HEIGHTS STAFF
9P I@C<P FM<I<E; Jgfikj <[`kfi With under two minutes remaining, Jordan Chatman found himself wide open in the corner with a chance to make it a one-point game. Mo Jeffers had just stolen the ball and passed to Ky Bowman, who pushed the pace and dished it to the sharpshooter standing all by himself in front of the bench. But before the reserves could erupt in their signature 3-point celebration, Chatman’s shot clanked off iron, his third brick of the night. Head coach Jim Christian couldn’t help but smile—his team had done everything right except execute. A minute later, Boston College men’s basketball saw another opportunity to steal its first win against No. 25 Notre Dame in 13 years, and its first victory against a Top 25 team in the Christian era. Down by two points, the Eagles needed a Notre Dame miss in order to have a shot at regaining the lead. And that’s what they got: The Fighting Irish couldn’t find any openings in the BC defense, settling for a deep, contested 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock. But the Eagles, sneakily one of the better defensive rebounding teams in the country, failed to box everyone out.
V.J. Beachem broke free and grabbed the rebound with 25 seconds to play, essentially sealing the game for the Irish. This time, there was no grin from Christian. After a free-throw shooting clinic in the final seconds of regulation, Notre Dame (29-7, 9-5 Atlantic Coast) escaped Conte Forum with a 84-76 victory, battling back from a 10-point halftime deficit and extending BC’s (9-18, 2-12) losing streak to double digits. Fittingly, the two biggest contributors for the Irish both had connections to the Heights. Bonzie Colson, who led Notre Dame with 20 points on 9of-12 shooting, practically grew up in Conte Forum when his dad served as an assistant under former head coach Al Skinner. Colson frequented the sidelines during the golden age of BC basketball, looking up to players like Troy Bell, Jared Dudley, and Craig Smith as he developed his love of the sport. He even held birthday parties at Conte, inviting friends to watch a game with him before retreating into the practice gym for cake and presents. “I give him credit,” Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey said. “This is the third
See MBB vs. ND, B7
9P :?I@J EFP<J ?\`^_kj JkX]] The crowd in Conte Forum, a disappointingly equal mixture of Boston College and Notre Dame supporters, rose to its feet in anticipation. After squandering a 10-point halftime lead and falling behind by as many as eight points, BC needed just one more stop in order to get a chance to tie or take the lead in the closing seconds. “I’m going to be honest with you,” head coach Jim Christian said afterwards. “We would’ve gone for three and the win.” As time dwindled down on the shot clock, Notre Dame’s Steve Vasturia launched an errant 3-pointer from the wing. Clanging off the rim, the shot was deflected by Rex Pfleuger, the player Jordan Chatman should’ve more aggressively boxed out on the play. Senior forward V.J. Beachem corralled the loose ball for the Irish, dashing the Eagles’ hopes of a victory in Tuesday night’s edition of the Holy War, as BC dropped its 10th-straight conference game, 84-76. “The blockout is the game play,” Christian said. “I don’t care what you’ve done the whole game, you’ve got to get that rebound.”
Surprisingly one of the nation’s best defensive rebounding outfits—despite regularly starting a severely undersized frontcourt, BC (9-18, 2-12 Atlantic Coast) entered Tuesday night’s contest ranked 10th in the nation in defensive rebounding rate per kenpom.com—the Eagles fell victim to one of the ACC’s smallest teams at the worst possible moment. Though the rebounding snafu closed the curtains on the BC’s hopes of a Valentine’s Day surprise, it was merely the final act in a second-half collapse that allowed Notre Dame (20-7, 9-5) to avoid a humiliating loss despite not holding a lead in the game until the 12:42 mark of the second half. A first half in which the Eagles scored 49 points—the most the team has scored in an opening half this season—and assisted on 13-of-17 made field goals ultimately went to waste. Two Up Bowman’s Patient Attack Bowman had an extremely efficient game on Tuesday night, scoring 29 points on just 15 shot attempts, drilling 5-of-11 three-pointers and sinking all eight free throws he took. But perhaps the most impressive aspect of his performance
See One Play Away, B7
See Love in Sports, B7 MEN’S HOCKEY
8]k\i :fekifm\ij`Xc Ef$>fXc# Pfib 8`ij Gfjk$>Xd\ =iljkiXk`fej <X^c\j Ô e`j_ cXjk `e 9\Xegfk ]fi Ô ijk k`d\ j`eZ\ (00* 9P D@:?8<C JLCC@M8E <[`kfi$`e$:_`\] BOSTON — Last season, Boston College men’s hockey was the toast of the town. With a dominant offense and powerful defense led by future NHL stars—not to mention Mike Richter Award winner Thatcher Demko in net—BC began its march to a 25th Frozen Four appearance in the Beanpot Tournament. Against archrival Boston University, the Eagles won a thrilling overtime game with a goal by Alex Tuch, the first 1-0 final in the tournament’s then-64-year history. Now, only one year later, the Eagles are on the bottom. It’s a place they haven’t been since Jerry York became the head coach. For the first time since 1993, BC finished last in the Beanpot, a 4-2 defeat
INSIDE
SPORTS
to Northeastern. But it wasn’t without immense controversy. Tied at two with 73 seconds left, the Eagles (18-12-2, 13-4-1 Hockey East) led a bull rush toward the Northeastern (13-12-5, 6-9-3) end of the ice. After multiple attempts on Ryan Ruck in goal, the Eagles pushed the puck out to David Cotton on the left side. With two
BEANPOT
2017
swings, Cotton forced it into the net for what appeared to be a go-ahead goal. Immediately, Cotton, who had scored in the first period from the left circle on a sharp angle, began to celebrate with his linemates as BC prepared to escape from a game in which it had again been outplayed in the first two periods. But Northeastern’s Jim Madigan
wasn’t convinced. “As the goal was scored, I was calling for interference,” Madigan said. “It was clear from my vantage point.” The boys in black and white agreed with the Huskies’ brash, sometimes profanity-laden head coach. After about two minutes of review, the referees waved it off. They determined that Ruck had been interfered with by a BC forward, forcing him out of position to allow Cotton to score. After the game, the normally mildmannered York expressed his discontent that the referees believed his player interfered with Ruck—rather, he believes that a forward was pushed into Ruck by one of Northeastern’s defenders, and was therefore not a cause to call back the goal. Though he often strays away from contentious topics, York did not hold back from his opinion of the referees’ determination. “I think we had a winning goal and now we’re going to do 5-on-6 to defend for the last minute or so of the game,”
See MHOK vs. NU, B6
JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Colin White (18) skates away from a Northeastern goal celebration in Monday’s game.
LACROSSE: BC Downs Terriers at Home
MEN’S HOCKEY: Huskies Edge Eagles
SCOREBOARD............................................ B7
Sam Apuzzo scored a game-high six goals against rival Boston University in a 13-11 win.........................................B6
BC played well on the penalty kill, but ultimately couldn’t stop Northeastern’s sixth-ranked offense.........................B6
EDITOR’S PICKS..................................... B7