Subpoena Update
Criss Succeeds
features
ARTS & rEVIEW
sports
The future of oral history projects hang in the balance, B10
The ‘Glee’ star shines in “How to Succeed,” his first Broadway role to date, A10
On Saturday, men’s basketball could not muscle its way by Wake Forest, B1
Wake drops eagles
Monday, January 23, 2012
Vol. XCIII, No. 2
UGBC hopes to gather more student input By David Cote News Editor
finished at 3 p.m.” Throughout the day, student volunteers helped guide prospective students and their families around the campus and provided a welcoming environment for visitors. “The Admitted Eagle team welcomed
This spring, UGBC has plans to continue numerous initiatives that were begun in the fall and hopes to receive more student input on future projects. Michael Kitlas, UGBC President and A&S ’12, spoke recently about the UGBC’s plans for the coming semester. “We’ve completed our new website over break,” Kitlas said. “We’re working to publicize that, and we’re hoping to utilize some of the new features to get more in touch with students. We’ll have the ability to do more with surveys and get a lot of student input. That’s one thing you’re going to see a lot more of this semester is us being physically out there, getting people’s opinions on different issues and finding out what the students really want to know.” Kitlas said the new website, combined with the upcoming elections and more effort on the part of UGBC, will help foster conversation between students and create more trust in the organization. “We really want to reconnect UGBC with the students,” Kitlas said, “because one of the things I’ve heard is that UGBC is out of touch, and in some ways, we are,
See SAP, A4
See UGBC, A4
Daniel Lee / heights editor
Student Admissions Program volunteers (above left) helped staff the first Admitted Eagle Day on Sunday. More than 500 prospective students and their families visited Chestnut Hill for tours.
Admitted Eagle Day brings 2,000, new program a success Student volunteers help show prospective students BC through tours and info panels By David Cote News Editor
More than 2,000 prospective Eagles flocked to Chestnut Hill on Sunday for the first of five Admitted Eagle Days that will occur throughout the coming months. Visitors toured the campus, attended information sessions, and learned about
student life from a variety of student and faculty volunteers. For the first time, the Student Admissions Program (SAP) assembled a team of student volunteers to staff the event and help visitors around campus for the duration of the day. Previous Admitted Eagle Days worked slightly differently, according to Christo-
pher O’Brien, associate director of undergraduate admissions. “In the past, we had nothing set up like this,” O’Brien said. “We had volunteers, of course, but they would serve an hour at a time and really didn’t have a knowledge of the entire program. They had one role and they left. These volunteers were much different. They were here at 7:30 a.m. and
Senior starts company to help alleviate world water shortages Maji donates proceeds to fund wells in Africa By David Cote News Editor
photo courtesy of joe falkson
Students who participated in the Let’s Get Ready tutor program, such as those shown above, averaged 185 points better on their SATs as a result.
Tutoring service preps high schoolers for SAT By Cathryn Woodruff Heights Editor
The magnanimous spirit at Boston College is contagious. “Let’s Get Ready,” especially, stands out as an extremely farreaching organization. Let’s Get Ready is a nonprofit organization that provides free SAT preparation and college application assistance to underprivileged high school students. Let’s Get Ready was initiated by a Harvard undergraduate, Jeannie Lang Rosenthal. She believed that the knowledge and experience she had gained while applying to college could be of substantial value to high school students who lacked access to critical support resources. In 1998, she jumpstarted the program in a church basement with 10 students from her high school, to whom she offered free
tutoring. Since then, over 10,000 students have been aided by people who adopted her same zealous attitude and continued her endeavor with underprivileged students. College student volunteers, called coaches, help students prepare for the verbal and math sections, as well as the college application process. Nick Gawlick and Joe Falkson, both A&S ’12, former site directors for the BC chapter, stepped down last semester to ensure the continuity of the program and allow the new directors to become acclimated. The BC program consists of 10 math coaches and 10 verbal coaches. The programs run eight weeks (two days a week, one day math and one day verbal) and yet, many coaches meet with students outside of class to give them more personalized attention. “We call our volunteers coaches rather
than tutors because we think that it’s a coaching process rather than a hierarchy, and we want to stress the importance of very individualized care—something that these students have never gotten before,” Gawlick said. “We strive to be more of a life coach.” “I started tutoring first semester freshman year and I still keep in touch with my students,” Falkson said. “One of them attends Northeastern University, and she’s doing very well.” Gawlick noted with pride that he still keeps in touch with a lot of his students, also. “It’s great to see that this program really works,” he said. “We have the numbers to back it up.”
See Let’s Get Ready, A4
As a whole, the Boston College student body spends thousands of hours each year helping local communities through programs like 4Boston and PULSE. Max Ade, A&S ’12, hopes to take things one step further. Ade recently founded Maji, a for-profit company dedicated to solving the world’s water crisis and cutting down on waste produced by bottled water. Maji, a word meaning water in Swahili, sells steel, matte black water bottles for $20. For every 1,000 water bottles sold, Maji donates $5,000 to charity: water, enough money to drill a well for a village without access to clean water. According to Ade, the average American drinks 215 bottles of water per year, resulting in 50 billion plastic water bottles in landfills annually. On the other hand, one billion people on the planet cannot access clean drinking water, and in Africa, a child dies every 20 seconds due to a waterborne illness. Based on businesses like Toms and Simply SEA that donate proceeds from each sale to charity, Maji hopes to do the same in support of the world’s water crisis. “The problem is people care about a lot of causes, but how many causes do you care about that you don’t donate to?” Ade said. “I can think of a lot of things that I care about, but I’m not going to go out of my way to do-
nate money. The only time you give is when you have a lot of extra, like celebrities who have no problem donating a ton of money. But the average person throughout their
See Maji, A4
alex trautwig / heights senior staff
For every five Maji bottles (above) sold, one person gets clean drinking water for life.
Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics looks to the future Generous and involved benefactors help BC students interact with global business leaders By Taylour Kumpf Editor-in-Chief
Officially launched May 4, 2006, the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics has seen great success in its nearly five-and-a-half years of existence. Having already impacted around 10,000 Boston College students and faculty, the Center looks to expand its
efforts as it moves forward. According to Brooks Barhydt, assistant director of the Winston Center, the goal of the Center has been to bring together distinguished business leaders, faculty, and students to discuss and expound upon leadership formation and ethics. As the Center has progressed, those individuals shaping its programs have tailored events to meet the ever-
changing interests of students. “We’ve done a lot in a short time, and our goal as we move forward is to continue to respond to students’ requests and needs,” Barhydt said. Through its Clough Colloquia and Chambers Lecture Series, as well as the Jenks Leadership Program, the Winston Center is able to work with students and faculty on two levels. “To use a Dean Boynton (dean of the Carroll School of Management) expression, ‘We want to put our students in touch with greatness,’” Barhydt said. “We’ve been able to do that with world caliber speakers
who inform on a macro level, and then we boil it down on a personal level with Jenks.” The Jenks Leadership Program, which is in its 45th year of existence on campus, was reestablished under the Winston Center after the program disappeared in the mid-2000s. Resurfacing as a premier leadership program at BC, Jenks works closely with its alumni advisory board. “We really draw from them,” Barhydt said. “It connects them back to a program that was so formative to them and connects our students to leaders in the professional world.”
“Jenks is not just for CSOM students,” Barhydt said. “In fact, this year, the program has more A&S students than CSOM for the first time in recent history. We want to make sure people know we’re available to any school.” The Winston Center was officially created when three key couples put forth funds to launch the initiative. Robert L. Winston, BC ’60 and his wife, Judith T. Winston, along with the center’s other benefactors-Charles I. Clough, Jr., BC ’64; Gloria L. Clough, M.S. ’96;
See Winston Center, A4
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The Heights
Monday, January 23, 2012
things to do on campus this week
..
1
MLK Memorial Gathering Today Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Gasson 100
Come honor the great civil rights leader by attending this musical celebration. This year’s gathering will feature the United Voices of Freedom, a musical group composed of multiple choirs and singers on campus. Against the Current, the Liturgy Arts Group, Voices of Imani, and other musical groups will be featured.
Laurence Kotlikoff Lecture
2
Today Time: 4 p.m. Location: Higgins 225
BU Professor Laurence Kotlikoff will deliver a lecture as part of the Boston College International Economic Policy and Political Economy Seminar.
Miss Representation Movie Screening
3
Tuesday Time: 7 p.m. Location: O’Connell House The film Miss Representation exposes the concept that American girls are taught to value their beauty exclusively. A panel discussion will follow.
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Michigan U graduate student alleges she was fired for union activities Jennifer Dibbern was a doctoral student in materials science and engineering at the University of Michigan before she was fired last August officially for “prioritizing outside activities over her research.” Dibbern was openly trying to organize a union for graduate research assistants at the University of Michigan at the time and had recently become treasurer of the Graduate Employees Organization labor union right before her termination. Dibbern and about 100 other supporters from the University and GEO recently announced plans to protest the actions University officials have taken. Dibbern wants the university to make amends by helping her find a new career path.
On Campus Psychology professor Liane Young wins two prestigious awards Liane Young was recently awarded a three-year grant from the New York-based Dana Foundation Brain and Immuno-Imaging program and also named a Dana Neuroscience Scholar. The grant will help fund Young’s study of brain activity and related decision-making in populations of people with autism. The scholar designation, one of only four awarded by the foundation, includes additional funding for Young’s research. Most of Young’s research involves using functional magnetic resonance imaging to scan study participants’ brains to look at correlations between brain activity and the kinds of moral judgments that people make. She will examine neural and behavioral patterns in typical populations of people without autism during moral decision-making and then compare these patterns to what is observed in populations of high-functioning adults with autism. Boston College undergraduates will take part in this study as members of a population without autism. Young says that five undergraduates are already involved in the study and that she hopes to include more.
Local News Newton Police charge a homeless man in a break-in on Grove Street Newton Police charged a local homeless man with unarmed burglary, destruction of property over $250, possession of a Class C drug, and larceny of drugs after they found him in a Grove Street home at 2:30 a.m. last Friday. Newton police officers say they were driving around looking for a suspicious man to question about break-ins in Wellesley at the time, when they found footprints in the snow and followed them to a broken porch window at the Grove Street home. The man was found by the police searching through jewlry boxes in an upstairs room. The homeowner was home but unaware of the break-in.
BC grad compares Locke to Muslim Liberalism By Samantha Costanzo Asst. News Editor
Graham Beck / Heights staff
Joy Samad returned to his alma mater on Thursday to deliver a lecture titled “John Locke and Muslim Liberalism.” Samad cited three main similarities between Muslim liberals and Locke’s ideology. First, both Locke and Muslim liberals deal with the meaning of religion in turbulent political times; Locke wrote during a politically uncertain period in British history that included the Glorious Revolution, and Muslim liberals are currently struggling against the stereotypes and prejudices that arose after 9/11 and the Arab Spring. Second, according to both
Locke and Muslim liberals, the cause of violence is not religion but government control of religion. In his Letter Concerning Toleration, Locke argued that the control over religion exerted by various monarchs allowed them to make significant changes to the Anglican faith and require the clergy to change doctrines to reflect political decrees. “Muslim liberals similarly argue that political considerations have been in the driver’s seat when it came to the interpretation of their
religion,” Samad said. The third similarity between Locke and Muslim liberals, according to Samad, is that both argue for toleration of different religions and interpretations of religions, and as a result belong to a minority. Samad also focused on the evolution of the meaning of the word jihad. “Jihad, first and foremost, means ‘striving’ or ‘struggle’ on a personal level,” he said. Samad explained that Muslim liberals see the Quran, the book
that contains Muslim Holy Scriptures, as a directive to “tolerate and live in peace with others.” Similarly, Locke believed that such toleration suggested that “too much is made of the differences among Christians sects.” After Samad’s lecture, Behnegar responded to Samad’s points and questioned whether the connection between Locke and Muslim liberals is as strong as Samad believes it to be. “Christians put much more emphasis in faith than practice and submission,” he said. “The fact that Jesus never held a sword has more resonance in the Christian world than the Muslim.” He also mentioned that while Locke dealt with interdenominational conflict, Muslim liberals, especially in the 20th century, deal with conflict among countries, colonial powers, and the desire to be both modern and Muslim. “Professor Samad’s lecture was an excellent demonstration of how political philosophy can shed light on current affairs,” Behnegar said in an e-mail. “He helped both the students and the faculty see that old philosophic texts are not dead, that they are not parochial inheritances from bygone ages, and that they belong to our common humanity’s present and its future.” n
Police Blotter
Voices from the Dustbowl
1/19/12-1/20/12
“If BC ever gave us a snow day, how would you spend it?”
Thursday, January 19 12:56 a.m. - An officer provided assistance to an intoxicated Boston College student at Edmond’s Hall. The victim was transported to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in an ambulance. 9:48 a.m. - An officer filed a report on a stolen cell phone at Conte Forum. The incident is being investigated. 1:09 p.m. - An officer filed a report on a stolen Eagle-One card at Corcoran Commons. The incident is being investigated. 3:20 p.m. - BC Student Services reported they received an e-mail from a parent who was concerned of the wellbeing of her child who is a BC student. It was discovered that the student is not currently enrolled. The matter is being investigated. 5:18 p.m. - Officers responded to a fire alarm in the Mods. The cause was determined to be bad cooking. There was no actual fire. 9:05 p.m. - Officers responded to a fire alarm in the Mods. The cause was determined to be a hot hair dryer that was being used by a resident. There was no actual fire. 9:35 p.m. - An officer provided assistance to a BC student who was feeling ill at 90 More Road. The victim was
transported to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in a police cruiser.
Friday, January 20
“Snowball fight, hot cocoa, and a movie.” —Jonathan Spillane, CSOM ’13
12:59 a.m. - Officer/EMT provided assistance to an underage intoxicated BC student at Gonzaga Hall. The victim was transported to a medical facility in a police cruiser. 1:16 a.m. - An officer provided assistance to an underage intoxicated BC student at Corcoran Commons. The victim was transported to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in a cruiser. 1:18 a.m. - Officers provided assistance to four underage intoxicated males on Upper Campus. One male student was transported to a medical facility in a police cruiser. Two males who are non-BC students were transported to a hospital in an ambulance. One male who is also a non-BC student was released to the care of his father.
“Chill at home .” —Chantal Choi, A&S ’13
—Source: The Boston College Police Department
“Go sledding off of the Plex. Is that even possible?” —Paris Geraniotis,
A&S ’12
44° Few Showers 41°
Tuesday
47° Partly Cloudy 30°
Wednesday
43° Partly Cloudy 28° 42° Partly Cloudy 32°
Source: National Weather Service
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The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year by The Heights, Inc. (c) 2012. All rights reserved. “Stay at home and watch a movie.” —Nicole Mollica, LSOE ’13
1:40 a.m. - An officer responded to a propped door alarm at Roncalli Hall. Two students admitted to leaving the door open. 1:53 a.m. - An officer provided assistance to an underage intoxicated BC student on lower campus. The victim was transported to a medical facility by a police cruiser.
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Few people would ever think to compare the philosophy of Muslim liberalism to that of Enlightenment thinker John Locke. Joy Samad, who received his doctorate from Boston College in 2006, is one of these few. He explained the connection at a lecture last Thursday in McGuinn 121 titled “John Locke and Muslim Liberalism,” in which he read an abridged version of his paper of the same name. The paper was published in the Journal of Church and State last summer. The event was sponsored by the BC Islamic Civilization and Societies Program, the Program for the Study of Western Heritage, and the political science department, and organized by political science professors Ali Banuazizi, Nasser Behnegar, Susan Shell, and Robert Faulkner. “We invited Dr. Samad because of his unusual focus on Islam’s liberal possibilities,” Faulkner said in an e-mail. Samad said that he focused on Locke because Locke shared more arguments with liberal Muslim writers than with Reformation thinkers Martin Luther and John Calvin, who were harsh critics of religions other than their own.
Four Day Weather Forecast
CORRECTIONS Please send corrections to editor@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.
The Heights
Monday, January 23, 2012
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UGBC has New WriteCheck software lets students check for plagiarism resolutions to keep, too By Andrew Millette Assoc. News Editor
Joseph Pasquinelli The Plex is packed with people resolved to lose that little bit of belly fat that has accumulated due to the holidays or perhaps to reverse that pesky freshman (or senior) fifteen. I quit smoking and resolved to sound less condescending. I don’t think this column is going to be a very good start to the latter. The UGBC, who have rightfully been told they were out of touch with the student body, have resolved to better tune into the needs and wants of the student body. This, of course, is an excellent idea and will hopefully lead to a fruitful dialogue between students and those who have been elected to represent them. They are planning to better communicate with the student body through a new website that will include a survey section where students can tell the UGBC what they think is best for the campus. Again, this is a good plan, but requires students to go to the website and submit their ideas. The UGBC might once again become a passive receptacle for the ideas of the student body. One of the problems that this new website presents is publicity. The only reason I have heard of this is due to my need for a topic besides Admitted Eagle Day and New Year’s Resolutions. If the UGBC wants this initiative to be successful, they will need to do a good deal of active publicizing. This means their leadership needs to stand on a bench in the Quad encouraging people to visit the website and submit their ideas. A banner waving royally behind them containing the URL might really help to drive home the point. A simple email, which is likely to be placed in the Trash folder right next to that email from Nights on the Heights, will not be sufficient to motivate students to visit their new website. Another issue is convincing the student body that their opinions matter and is the primary concern of the UGBC. A gesture to demonstrate this could be pressing the issue of the Spring Concert in Conte with the administration. The UGBC simply saying the administration is being reasonable, agreeing cancelling concerts is best, and attempting to placate the student body does not garner much faith in the UGBC’s listening to and acting on the desires of the student body. Students are not likely to visit a website and leave their opinions if they think their suggestions will fall on deaf ears. Students would be more motivated and convinced that the UGBC has their best interests at heart if UGBC more actively sought their opinions. Sitting inside Lower or McElroy seems to help service trips get something that students part with less willingly than their opinions. Perhaps try putting up a poster and pestering diners for their thoughts. This would be more effective than a website, but a revamped website is certainly a welcome change if the UGBC wants to be taken more seriously as representative of the student body. If they really want to be respected and considered an organization that can get things done, they need to make sure that the Spring Concert returns to Conte and that this punitive action against the student body is put to an end.
Joseph Pasquinelli is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at news@bcheights.com.
It is undeniable that technology has changed the face of higher education, but it may now be changing the face of cheating. iParadigms, LLC made major news a few years ago when it released Turnitin, a computer service that allows educators to cross reference their students’ papers with a massive database of student papers, journals, books, periodicals, and websites to check for plagiarism. They now offer a second product that is making news, WriteCheck, a service that allows students to check their papers for plagiarism against the same database used by Turnitin. In light of statistics such as those published by Clemson University’s International Center for Academic Integrity, which stated that 62 percent of undergraduates admit to having cheated on written work during college, thousands of universities now use
Turnitin. Boston College is one of them, but only certain departments, such as the Communication Department, have purchased a license to use the service. This purchase does not mean that the administration has lost faith in its students, however. “I’m not a big fan of Turnitin,” said Clare Dunsford, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of its Academic Integrity Committee. “To me, it seems like you’re assuming everyone is guilty until proven innocent rather than the opposite. As an English major, I would have been highly insulted if every time I turned in a paper it was going to be examined like that,” Dunsford said. The associate dean does not believe that BC professors who choose to use Turnitin “think any differently of their students,” however. Though it is unlikely that all members of any university’s faculty and administration would ever support the use of a polar-
izing service like Turnitin, its widespread use makes the release of WriteCheck a big issue. Universities now fear that the service for which they have paid a sizeable fee has been rendered useless. “It seems like a natural progression for students to use WriteCheck deceitfully when they’re being asked to turn their papers in to Turnitin. What’s been set up is a game. That’s what Turnitin feels like. Why not try to beat the game? I’m not saying it’s right. I’m saying you’ve set up a whole mindset,” Dunsford said. iParadigms, LLC placed certain checks into WriteCheck to prevent students from using the program to dupe Turnitin, such as being able to cross reference a specific paper with the database only a few times, so students cannot manipulate the content of plagiarized papers until they pass Turnitin’s test. Despite these measures, the company’s integrity has been called into question in
Weerapana recognized for research Assistant prof uses interdisciplinary approach in work By Andrew Millette Assoc. News Editor
Eranthie Weerapana, assistant professor in the Boston College chemistry department, has recently won two awards for her research in cancer and aging. The Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation awarded Weerapana a Smith Family Award for Excellence in Biomedical Research. This honor is only available to biomedical researchers nominated by their institution who are within the first two years of their first research appointment in the state of Massachusetts, or at Brown or Yale Universities. Winners like Weerapana receive $300,000 if selected. The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation gave Weerapana a second, larger award, the Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award. This $450,000 grant is also only offered to young researchers. Applicants must be within the first three years of their initial appointment as an assistant professor. The award was designed to fund researchers who have an innovative idea that could lead to major breakthroughs in cancer research but lack the preliminary data necessary to win more traditional forms of funding. These awards will help fund Weerapana’s preliminary research into the protein activities that cause cancer and aging, as well as the development of a molecule that could disrupt them. “Both aging and cancer are caused by the dysfunction of cellular circuits,” Weerapana said. “We have pathways that, when functioning normally, allow us to go about our business. If they become dysfunctional, diseases like cancer occur. Aging is caused by similar dysfunction.” Weerapana describes the overall goal of her research as “gaining a molecular-level understanding of mechanisms that lead to cancer and aging.” This understanding is of crucial importance, as it could lead to the creation of a drug that could slow aging and prevent the development of cancer. “We’re trying to identify new protein targets for anti-cancer and anti-aging drugs,” Weerapana
said. “It’s the first step in making a drug. We’re then looking for a lead molecule that can be developed further to be a therapeutic,” Weerapana’s goal is certainly one worth funding, but her proposal had to be unique in order to defeat other equally ambitious research proposals in the highly competitive award process. Both foundations select only five young researchers out of the many who apply. “My research is interdisciplinary,” Weerapana said. “I draw from tools in chemistry and biology and combine different techniques to answer different questions about cancer and aging.” The innovative, interdisciplinary nature of Weerapana’s research is part of what impressed the foundations that reviewed her proposals and part of what makes her research so promising.
Though Weerapana’s research has much promise, it would be referred to as “high risk” research in the scientific community. The awards that Weerapana applied for do not require any data, only a good idea. Winning this funding will allow her to reach the next step in her research process. “Having this money allows me to fund my graduate students and lab to get the preliminary data necessary to apply for federal funding,” Weerapana said. Weerapana’s current research team is composed of six graduate students, one postdoctorate, and six undergraduates. When can this team expect to see some results for their hopefully “high reward” study with the potential to lead to major biomedical breakthroughs? “In about a year or two, we will have some interesting data,” Weerapana said. n
photo courtesy of the office of news & public affairs
Weerapana was recently awarded grants for her research relating to cancer.
the world of higher education. “They came up with this software now, and soon they’ll come up with something else. They’re a company that’s out to make money, not to clean up American education,” Dunsford said. The invention of WriteCheck reminds educators that the best way to stop plagiarism may not be to catch it using modern technology, but to stop it before it happens. This is easier said than done, however. “The University is up against a cultural phenomenon because students today may not have the same sense of ownership of language that students did before the Internet,” Dunsford said. “We all are constantly grabbing info from the Internet, and it blurs boundaries of ownership. Students usually know when they are plagiarizing, but it becomes less taboo when in our daily lives we have these blurred boundaries.” BC has made efforts inside and outside of the classroom to
fight this “cultural phenomenon” and stop students from plagiarizing. “One thing that teachers are always urged to do is to make their writing assignments as course-specific as possible and as genuinely detailed as possible so students can’t go get a random paper from anywhere on the Internet for a general topic,” Dunsford said. The associate dean also believes the Online Academic Tutorial, something she helped create a few years ago, may help prevent plagiarism. “We made it to let students know that BC takes these issues very seriously. We want to make students think before they cheat,” Dunsford said. When the tutorial informs students that a first-time plagiarism offender usually fails his or her class, and a repeat offender can be expelled, students may just think twice about copying and pasting someone else’s work. n
Consider
This...
Men and Women for...Kids Of the many service groups at BC, a significant number are dedicated to enriching the lives of elementary and high school students. Let’s Get Ready, an SAT tutoring group, is one featured in this issue. Here are some more BC groups that help kids get a head start: Invest ‘n Kids: Invest ‘n Kids is a group that helps disadvantaged Brookline middle schoolers develop their math, reading, and science skills. The program is run by MBA students and takes place on BC’s campus. Invest ‘n Kids has a unique schedule: students meet with their tutors up to 10 times per semester for two hour sessions. The first hour is dedicated to homework help, and the second to learning about business topics such as investing in the stock market and starting a small business through fun games. Read Boston: Read Boston at BC is a local chapter of the national America Reads program. Graduate and undergraduate students with work-study eligibility work up to six hours per week tutoring local elementary school kids in reading skills. This year, BC is working with four elementary schools. Strong Women Strong Girls: The SWSG group is dedicated to “creating communities of strong and successful women.” Each volunteer meets with an Allston-Brighton girl in grades 3-5 once per week for six weeks. SWSG uses mentoring relationships, education on contemporary and historical female role models, and skill building activities to help young girls build self-esteem and gain the skills they need to succeed. Jumpstart: Students involved with Jumpstart, a national organization with a chapter at BC, commit to a year of service to a local pre-school. The group has been recognized as one of the country’s leading service
organizations in early childhood education. Members serve twice per week by working with up to three pre-schoolers on language, literacy, and social skills in preparation for kindergarten. Big Brothers, Big Sisters: BC students have been donating their time to the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program for years. In June, The Boston College Chronicle announced that BC will pursue a more formal tie with the organization. This means that volunteers and “littles”—the children involved in the program—now have access to activities on the BC campus, a van to pick up and drop off littles, and reflection opportunities for the volunteers. Campus School Volunteers: The Boston College Campus School provides a unique education for students with multiple disabilities. It is a private, publicly funded special education school that uses a transdisciplinary approach to educate students and is located in the Lynch School of Education in Campion Hall. Students have access to many of Boston College’s facilities, including the Media Technology Center. It was founded in 1970 to serve the needs of students who were not receiving an education that properly catered to their needs and as a training site for Boston College students. The school has a staff to student ratio of 1 to 2 and a current enrollment of 43 students. Special services available to students include Events the school hosts throughout the year include physical therapy, speech therapy, music therapy, and health care, among others. The school hosts many events throughout the year, including a spirit week and a stroll around the Chestnut Hill Resevoir. -Samantha Costanzo and Andrew Millette n
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The Heights
Monday, January 23, 2012
Daniel Lee / heights editor
Student volunteers were chosen from over 200 applicants to help prospective students during Admitted Eagles Day. The volunteers directed visitors around campus, answered questions, and staffed the residence halls during tours of Upper.
SAP volunteers show potential BC students around Chestnut Hill From SAP, A1 visitors from the garages to the entrance of Conte to the first sessions of the day,” O’Brien said. “They didn’t do panels and tours, per se, but they were available to visitors at lunch and staffed the residence
halls for tours of Upper. They also had the opportunity to work with any family that needed extra assistance throughout the day.” Over 200 interested students applied for only 40 spots to be student volunteers during Admitted Eagle Day. Students selected were mainly freshmen and sophomores,
but some upperclassmen, as well. Volunteers that were selected had training sessions last week in preparation for the Admitted Eagle Day on Sunday. O’Brien spoke highly of the volunteers and said the program was a success. “In all, the feedback was very good,” O’Brien said. “Families
told me that it was very helpful to identify the volunteers, by virtue of their gold vests, and they all were very helpful. On my end, I was happy that not only did the team seem to enjoy helping our visitors, but enjoyed working with each other.” As an organization, SAP also
sponsors tours and panels during day visits for students who are considering applying to Boston College, and greets students and families when they visit the campus. “I spoke to everyone on the team today—it is clear to me that many of these students will
have very successful careers in the Student Admission Program, perhaps even become leaders in SAP,” O’Brien said. The student volunteers will also staff the other two Admitted Eagle Days and the two Honors Admitted Eagle Days this spring. n
UGBC works to improve advising From UGBC, A1
BC tutors teach local students From Let’s Get Ready, A1 This past semester, the BC Let’s Get Ready organization saw a record-breaking 185 point increase in SAT test scores, surpassing the median 110 point increase from the preliminary administered exam to the SAT students take after the eight week course. The organization provides everything for students, making the service 100 percent free for the Brighton high school students. They provide the transportation for coaches, the books for the students, and even snacks. Each student receives a book containing 10 practice tests, and a student manual that contains curriculum for the math and verbal sections. Each year, they graduate 100 percent of their students from high school—a rapid improvement from Brighton’s typically low graduation rate of 66 percent. Let’s Get Ready also sends 93 percent of the Brighton program students to college. What makes this specific organization different from other test prep courses available, besides the
fact that it is free, is that Let’s Get Ready also helps students with the college admissions process. They help with personal statements and teach the students how to navigate the Common Application. This program, primarily geared toward underprivileged intercity high school students, those struggling financially, and those not immersed in the college-oriented culture of the wealthy, has blossomed at BC. The organization has many chapters, but the BC chapter is especially competitive. Last year the organization received 90 applications for only 19 openings. The first step in the rigorous process of choosing coaches is looking at applications. Half the applicants are chosen for interviews. “In the interview process, we decide based on how well they are able to talk to us, because they have to converse with the kids,” Gawlick said. “We note how well they would be able to deal with problems in the classroom because, inevitably, problems do arise.” Exemplary SAT scores aside, the coaches need to be able to “handle the unexpected and to take control
of unforeseeable situations,” Gawlick said. They have even had to turn people away with 800s in the sections they wanted to teach. This past year, Chase Bank started running competitions where anyone can vote for different charities of their choice on Facebook, and the winner with the most votes can win specific amounts of money. Let’s Get Ready won $25,000 and was selected to participate in the Chase American Giving Awards, in which five charities had a chance to participate for one million dollars. It aired on NBC, Primetime, and other major networks. Let’s Get Ready ended up winning second place, in addition to $500,000. “The fact that we beat out other national organizations that have a large Facebook and Twitter following was incredible,” Gawlick said. “Especially since Let’s Get Ready only operates in the northeast right now,” Falkson said. The BC chapter of this program is quite impressive and attracts some of the most brilliant students from the area. Last semester one coach was a Harvard MBA graduate student. n
it happens, but we want to take that step back and get back in touch with the students. We don’t want our administration to be out of touch. People aren’t going to be interested in the election if they aren’t interested in UGBC and don’t think it can do anything this year.” Kitlas also said that UGBC plans to have more State of the Heights events this semester, in order to give students another outlet to contact the administration. In the coming weeks, the UGBC will receive notification from the administration on whether or not a spring concert will be held. “We’re really hoping to have a definitive answer within the next week or two so we have enough time to have [the concert] planned and get students the entertainment they want,” Kitlas said. By researching concert procedures at other schools and compiling a list of recommendations for future concerts at BC, Kitlas said
UGBC hopes to “decrease transports and create a safer environment for the students.” During his administration, Kitlas said UGBC has assembled a scrapbook detailing the procedures for hosting each event. The scrapbook will allow future administrations to improve upon each event. “We’ve created a scrapbook that details every event we’ve done this year,” Kitlas said. “It goes into detail about what vendors were contacted, how far in advance they were contacted, how much it cost, whether or not they were able to get special deals, so all of that will be available for the new directors next year. Hopefully with that background knowledge they’ll be able to improve the events more next year.” Furthermore, by bringing younger students in UGBC into some of the higher-level administrative conversations, Kitlas expressed his hope that important conversations and initiatives will be carried on from year to year, despite changing administrations.
Another important initiative for the coming semester is to continue the work UGBC has done on improving the academic advising process. “We’ve really been analyzing the data to see what’s worked well with academic advising,” Kitlas said. “We’ve gotten a lot of good feedback and it’s always improving, so we’d like to expand it to Arts and Sciences as a pilot program.” Often, students meet with their advisor only very briefly to get their access code, and fail to ask important questions and receive direction in their studies. By holding both the student and the advisor more accountable for building an advising relationship, UGBC hopes to help make the process more rewarding. Kitlas said that by allowing students to evaluate their advisors, and by providing them with resources before their advising meetings, the academic advising process can be improved and students can develop more rewarding relationships with their advisors. n
Maji brings fresh water to Africa From Maji, A1 day doesn’t have the opportunity to do that. The idea behind Toms, Simply SEA, and Maji is: ‘Let’s build charity and giving into a business, so that when the business thrives, the charity thrives too.’” Ade says that his idea for the business model was inspired by Simply SEA hats, which gained popularity on college campuses throughout the fall. After researching the world’s water crisis and becoming passionate about changing it, Ade brought his idea for Maji to the Boston College Venture Capitalists pitch competition, winning audience choice and $100 to start his company. After the competition, Ade recruited fellow BC students Paul Veiga, CSOM ’12; Austin Nissly, CSOM ’14; and Alex Trautwig, A&S ’12, to help grow the business. Ade says the most common misconception he has noticed since starting the business is that many
people question the morality of profiting off of a charity. “People can easily look at it the wrong way, having a for-profit company that’s charitable,” Ade said. “But by being a for-profit company, we can grow it faster. We think we can put in more wells and give more people water by motivating customer-philanthropists than we could ever do by simply asking our friends to donate to a cause without receiving something tangible in return.” Ade further emphasized the viability of the business model of social entrepreneurship. “Who benefits when you donate to a charity?” Ade said. “The cause. The charity doesn’t benefit because they’re a non-profit and they’re just passing on the money to the cause. The person giving doesn’t really benefit because they’re just giving. In this business model, the cause benefits, the business benefits, and the consumer gets something in return. It’s in the way we are as
humans that we want something in return for something else. Look at how big Toms is. They’ve done so much good. And if they were just a charity that collected shoes, they wouldn’t have been able to do nearly as much good.” In addition to selling their bottles at BC and online, Ade said that he hopes to expand the business to other schools. Maji has established a social entrepreneurship program that allows interested students to buy discounted bottles in bulk and sell them at other campuses. So far, Maji has plans to expand to more than 10 other universities, including New York University, Georgia Tech, and Auburn University. In the future, Ade said he hopes to contact BCVC, BC SEED, charity: water, and Simply SEA to host a panel discussing the benefits and future growth of the business model of social entrepreneurship. Maji received its first shipment of bottles on Tuesday and has sold more than 40 to date. n
Center offers unique experiences From Winston Center, A1
photos courtesy of joe falkson
Tutors Anne Sizemore (top) and Cat Briggs were two of 19 tutors who helped local Brighton students prepare for the SATs.
Norman C. Chambers, MBA ’82; and Monever A. Chamberswanted to create a program on campus with the dual mission of conducting compelling research of interest and use to scholars and practitioners, and offering programs that engage scholars, executives, and students in an intellectual exploration of leadership and ethics in business and society. According to Barhydt, the Center is unique in that these signature benefactors are very involved in its programs, giving
both their resources and time. When choosing speakers for each of the Center’s lecture series, Winston Center faculty have a
“We want to put our students in touch with greatness.” -via Andrew Boynton Dean of the Carroll School of Management discussion with the benefactors to choose people who will address timely topics.
In addition, Barhydt said, “The Winston Center is endowed, so we have a small budget to draw on, but also, speakers have some connection to BC or the overall mission of leadership ethics, and many times the speakers waive their fee.” The Winston Center has a strong place on campus and supportive alumni. “We have a place on campus that’s unique,” Barhydt said. “Leadership and ethics are not going away, and BC students are unique in that they come to campus hard-wired with ethics. They are already ingrained in them, and our goal is to help them with that.” n
CLASSIFIEDS A5
The Heights
Monday, January 23, 2012
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A6
The Heights
Editorials
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Small victory will not eliminate the problem
Monday, January 23, 2012
“Believe deep down in your heart that you’re destined to do great things” -Joe Paterno (1936-2012), former Penn State football coach
Younger generation should continue to fight legislature that directly impacts us The Heights would like to recognize the efforts of Boston College’s student body, along with Internet users across the United States, in protesting the Stop Online Pirating Act (SOPA) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) this past week. Millions of people signed online petitions
“The Heights understands the temptation to celebrate this perceived victory, but urges students to recognize this respite as temporary.” against the acts, while thousands of others spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, and other networking sites. Following the overwhelmingly negative reaction, Congress has put the bills on hold for an indefinite period
of time. The Heights understands the temptation to celebrate this perceived victory, but urges students to recognize this respite as temporary. While taking two seconds to enter an e-mail address or click on a link may send a message, it will not eliminate this problem. Acts like SOPA and PIPA will continue to resurface, in various forms, and those who oppose them cannot be lulled into complacency. Truly taking a stand on either side of any issue requires more effort and commitment than reposting an article. Finally, as gratifying as the impact of these protests may be, The Heights laments that many students only seem to mobilize when issues threaten to directly and immediately affect the way of life to which most of us are accustomed. Many causes are worth fighting for, and The Heights sincerely wishes that BC students will take the events of last week as a cue to take more of an interest in politics and policy, and to become more directly and deeply involved with the issues they care about.
Wide receiver deserves a sixth year NCAA should reconsider its decision to deny the appeal for an extra year of eligibility by Ifeanyi Momah Last week, NCAA officials rejected Boston College’s appeal for a sixth year of eligibility for wide receiver Ifeanyi Momah. The Heights believes that Momah exemplifies the type of student-athlete who deserves
“The Heights believes that Momah exemplifies the type of student-athlete who deserves the opportunity for another year.” the opportunity for another year. The NCAA prides itself on giving opportunities to student-athletes, however, this action will take away the chance for Momah to pursue his NFL dreams. Momah ser ved as a captain heading into the 2011 season, a responsibility he was given due to his dedication and perseverance. After
using his redshirt option following an injury in 2009, the receiver worked his way back into the lineup. He was projected to be the top receiving option for the Eagles in 2011, however, a season-ending knee injury left him sidelined once again this year. The Heights feels that he deserves the chance to play for another year. Not only has he become a leader for his team, he has also maintained focus in the classroom after graduating. He can be seen as a role model for all college athletes. The Heights stands behind BC’s efforts to appeal the NCAA’s decision. Depriving Momah of an opportunity to finish out his college career could have detrimental effects on his future. Teams will surely hesitate to take a player who has sat out for a full year with injury. Allowing Momah the opportunity to play for a sixth year, as the NCAA has previously done on several occasions, will give him the opportunity to prove his abilities and possibly give him a ticket to the NFL. At the very least, the NCAA should provide solid reasoning behind its rejection, which it has not yet done.
Student translates education into action The Heights commends Max Ade, A&S’12, for his hard work in founding his new company, Maji The Heights would like to commend Max Ade, A&S ’12, for his development of Maji, a for-profit company devoted to solving the world’s water crisis. Ade found a cause he was passionate about, created a plan to help that cause, and most importantly, took the steps to bring his plan to fruition. Although there have been questions about Maji being for-profit, The Heights believes that creating a company where multiple parties benefit ensures growth and longevity for
the organization. Ade perhaps said it best when he described his idea as “building charity and giving into a business, so as the business thrives, the charity thrives too.” At Boston College we receive a world-class education that provides us with the skill set to make a difference. This is an exemplary case of a student who came up with something unique, is taking a risk, and is doing something that he truly cares about.
The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Ottaunick, General Manager Lindsay Grossman, Managing Editor
Contributors:
Adriana mariella /Heights Illustration
Letters to the Editor The following letter is in response to ‘Take a Stand for Love’, by Iulia Padeanu: While I do not read The Heights regularly anymore, I did see the piece by Iulia Padeanu (“Take a stand for love”) on Facebook. Padeanu seems confused as to what the Catholic Church teaches about same-sex relationships. While she rightly notes that the Church is not in favor of unjust treatment, she implies that same-sex relationships are acceptable because they are love. I want to clarify this point. Padeanu criticizes The Observer for “discriminating love itself.” To discriminate means nothing more than to differentiate, and when it comes to love, different types of love must be differentiated. All of us know that when I say, “I love cheeseburgers” I mean something different from when I say, “Jesus loves me.” We all know that there is a difference between when a young man says, “I love you” to his mother and when he says it to his girlfriend. In fact, C.S. Lewis makes this point exactly in his text, “The Four Loves,” which uses the Greek language to distinguish four types of love: affection, friendship, romantic, and unconditional love. In his encyclical “Deus Caritas Est,” Pope Benedict noted that romantic love (eros) is not opposed to unconditional love (agape). Agape is the way in which God loves and the way in which we are all called to love. Over the course of a marriage, one hopes that eros will turn into agape. That is to say, eros is not bad. The Church very much does “support love.” However, the reason that eros, within marriage, can become agape is because it involves a total gift of self. Outside of marriage, this is not the case, and this can
be seen with varying degrees of clarity depending on the way in which the eros deviates. It is clearer, for example, with adultery than it is with pre-marital sex. The clear sign that Padeanu is confusing different types of love is when she states that love “just happens.” Lust just happens. Eros sometimes just happens. But the one thing agape absolutely does not do is “just happen”. Love must be practiced, grown, cultivated, because love isn’t a feeling. This is one reason there are so many divorces in society today. The love that Jesus proclaimed, and which the Church continues to proclaim and strive to exemplify isn’t about passions, feelings, and emotions (which is not to say it isn’t passionate or is devoid of feelings or emotions). It is something much more. What, then, does this say about same-sex love? Insofar as same-sex love exists between friends, it, too, can be grace-filled and transformed into agape. However, certain acts that friends of the same-sex might do together as an expression of eros are actually not acts of love. They do not lead the two closer to living a life of agape, but away from it. This is the position of the Church, which cannot be adequately explained in a short letter. It is not my intention to prove the Church’s position, only to state quite clearly the position of the Church: She does not oppose love, but not everything called love is, in actuality, love. Donato Infante BC ’09
‘Hook Up Culture’ should be a non-factor in college life I graduated last May, but I still get The Heights delivered to me biweekly via email. I noticed a strange trend: articles and letters concerned with the “culture” of how the Boston College student approach to romance or just “sexual relations” in the words of a president we grew up with. The questions always seems to be, Are we this? Are we that? I propose a different and much better question. Who cares? In my four years at BC I knew
people who were still dating their high school sweethearts, people who met at BC and dated for years (including past graduation), people who briefly dated and then amicably or not-so-much broke up, and people who just had fun. Maybe I just had good friends, but in my experience no one judged anyone who had what others would snob about as “random hookups.” I support any group that promotes passing out condoms, but in lieu of that, CampCo
S cott S chultz BC’ 10
Have something to say? Send a letter to the editor. editor@bcheights.com The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 200 words and column submissions that do not exceed 700 words for its op/ed pages. The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and to prevent libel. The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces submitted
to the newspaper. Submissions must be signed and should include the author’s connection to Boston College, address, and phone number. Letters and columns can be submitted online at www.bcheights.com, by e-mail to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.
Business and Operations
Editorial Eleanor Hildebrandt, Copy Editor David Cote, News Editor Greg Joyce, Sports Editor Therese Tully, Features Editor Brennan Carley, Arts & Review Editor Charlotte Parish, Metro Editor Elise Taylor, Opinions Editor Molly Lapoint, Special Projects Editor Daniel Lee, Photo Editor Maggie Burdge, Layout Editor
— sorry, City Convenience — sells them too, and that’s closer to most Lower buildings than McElroy. My point is, college is what you make of it. As long as you’re being responsible, no one has a right to tell you that you’re a part of a “culture” that is somehow hurtful, and no one has a right to lambast my alma mater for that.
Woogeon Kim, Graphics Editor Katie McClurg, Online Manager Michelle Tomassi, Assoc. Copy Editor Chris Grimaldi, Asst. Copy Editor Andrew Millette, Assoc. News Editor Sam Costanzo, Asst. News Editor Chris Marino, Assoc. Sports Editor Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor Alexandra Schaeffer, Asst. Features Editor Taylor Cavallo, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor
Dan Siering, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Marc Francis, Asst. Metro Editor Graham Beck, Asst. Photo Editor Mary Rose Fissinger, Asst. Layout Editor Joseph Castlen, Asst. Graphics Editor David Riemer, Asst. Online Manager Devon Sanford, Editorial Assistant Cathryn Woodruff, Executive Assistant
Jamie Ciocon, Business Manager James Gu, Advertising Manager Adriana Mariella, Outreach Coordinator Borui Wang, Systems Manager Amy Hachigian, National Sales Manager Daniel Arnold, Local Sales Manager Natasha Ettensberger, Collections Manager DJ Terceiro, Asst. Local Sales Manager Christina Quinn, Project Coordinator
The Heights
Monday, January 23, 2011
A7
Opinions
O snail: Climb Mount Fuji,: But slowly, slowly!
Thumbs Up Winter is coming– Finally, the first real snow storm since Hallo-snowmageddeon. We know we will be sick of the stuff in about two weeks, but there’s still something special about waking up to snow covered Mod rooftops. The Two Percent- No, we’re not talking about rich folk, but instead the wonderful percentage of Americans who think Mitt Romney’s real first name is Mittens, according to a Vanity Fair poll. Yes, yes, we know that this signifies political ignorance, poor education, laziness, blah blah blah, but the thought of President Mittens Romney is hilarious. Football- For the next week, TU/TD will pretend to care about sports (Is Tom Brady the hot one or the one who killed all the puppies?) and start backing the team our brother roots for. Trash talking, “reppin” our hometown, and planning an entire day to sit on a couch, eat buffalo wings, and watch funny commercials? Count us in. Saving Private Dolphin- As Iran threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz, the United States has began to plan their counterattack: training dolphins to sniff out underwater mines that the Iranian goverment plans to use to block the waterway. The dolphins, taught by animal trainers and Navy SEALS, are equipped with state of the art sensory and GPS equipment that will send information back to the armed forces. Those Sea World dolphins that can only balance a ball on their nose must be feeling pretty lame right now.
James Kaberna “He released the magazine, looked at it, then reinserted it. He cocked the piece. Then he went over and sat down on the unoccupied twin bed, looked at the girl, aimed the pistol, and fired a bullet through his right temple.” — J.D. Salinger, “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” 1948. Reading Salinger’s very often anthologized short story “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” for the first time, it can be difficult to overcome sheer surprise at the story’s finish. After rereading “Bananafish” a second and third time, however, this feeling fades and is replaced by confusion. And this puzzlement intensifies in light of what Salinger’s more faithful readers know about the young man sitting on a twin bed in a nail polish removerfilled hotel room who has, at the top of this column indicates, selected to end his life. A rather zealous supporter of personal conviction, I’m aware of my ability to control my obsession over his death, to leave the thought and its tangents behind. But it doesn’t always feel that way. The boy at the top of the column has a name. It’s Seymour Glass. Seymour is the eldest of seven very eccentric children whom Salinger creates and develops within several of his novels and short stories. Seymour is admired by his six brothers and sisters for his experience in the world. He is well read, to say the least, self-reflective, and perceptive. And, in the employ of the United States Army, he has seen considerably more of the planet
Forkless Place – Rumor has it that for the past week Mac has had a serious shortage of metal forks, forcing Upper inhabitants to endure an endless struggle of cutting their tough meatless substances with plastic ones. TU/TD can’t confirm this though, because that means we would actually have to go there... Cheater for Pres – In corre s p o n d a n c e w i t h Ne w t Gringrich’s win in South Carolina, Fox News published a thought-provoking opinion piece about how his infidelity and two divorces translate into good presidential skills. For example, him telling both his first and second wives that he was dumping them for another woman means he will be “direct and unsparing” with Congress. Huh. Don’t think that’s exactly how it works.
JoePa- So, we know we previously said we had limited sports knowledge, but even we must acknowledge the loss of one of the college football’s greats. Say what you want about the scandal, but bottom line is that Joe Paterno was a fantastic coach. 46 seasons, 24 bowl victories, and two national championships is quite a feat (thank goodness the Wikipedia blackout is over so we could find those stats). Follow us on twitter @BCTUTD.
subtle characteristics and foundational inner workings, Salinger reasons for the formidable power of the individual. One way or another, each of the lovely Glass children learn that perseverance and success is only possible alone, entirely free from the aid or contribution of others. Intensely cynical, each Glass child does carry with him or her a definite air of pretense and superiority. This is precisely because each believes in himself above all others. Neighbors, colleagues, and coworkers will all disappoint. Salinger’s message is: commit to yourself (a very lonely message at times, I know, though it does have its virtues). Junior year of high school I committed to myself. This isn’t to say that I sheared away all friends and friendly
acquaintances from my existence. But I knew what I wanted for myself then, standing on the precipice of many decisions that would define my adult life. I became calculating. I knew where I would attend college and what I’d pursue there. Terribly misinformed, however, as I have learned the oldest child often is, I did not account for the divisiveness of the college campus. Options, friends, post-graduate avenues, and the like abound! And since my commitment to myself four years ago, I have found myself in much more uncertain waters. I don’t know what the hell I want anymore. And now—well, if I was on top, of things a few months ago—it’s come time to apply to the internship that should, I’m told, act as the conduit to my future profession. And I’m confused! At orientation three years ago, Father Hymes said this would be the function of my A&S education, but practically it makes little sense and is confusing (I’m not standing up against the liberal arts paradigm or anything like that. I’m merely frustrated). While my friends and peers muster the self-confidence to present themselves strongly in cover letters and resumes, I fall short. I’ve lost the conviction I once held on to so tightly. Seymour ends his more than noteworthy life for this reason. Prior to his vacation with his fiance, he, too, led his life with ardent conviction. For reasons that are too complex to elaborate upon here, Seymour has become caught up in the opinions of others: their opinions of him. Salinger seems to be saying to live with conviction and confidence and commitment to self-betterment! And this is the imperative I think I’ll use to navigate through the oppressive waters of internship and job applications. James Kaberna is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
The BC Awkward Turtle
CJ Gustafson
Thumbs Down
than the average American living in the first half of the 20th century. In most all of Seymour’s decisions, which are recorded and resubmitted to Salinger’s readers by Seymour’s younger brother Buddy Glass, he demonstrates a singular tenet: personal conviction. Likely the reason for his siblings’ admiration, Seymour is, above all, devoted to self-discovery and the pursuit of aspirations that he has concluded are most genuine to his own person. With any author, there are myriad ways in which to read that particular author’s work. However, despite how you decide to consider the Glass family, it is difficult to get away from this author’s argument for the primacy of strength and commitment to self. If only in his focus on the Glasses and his very close attention to their
People throw around the term “awkward” to the point where it doesn’t really carry much meaning anymore. We hear people describing “awkward” or uncomfortable experiences everyday. For example: “I saw my ex-girlfriend last night, it was so awkward.” “I sat next to someone in class who I met at a party, but didn’t say hi because I didn’t think they would remember me … boy, was that awkward.” “I ordered an iced chai mocha latte in front of the other guys on my intramural football team … it was so awkward.” But here at Boston College there are things that are uniquely awkward to our student body. When the girl you are hitting on sees that her name is entered into your contacts as “Blonde sophomore girl from Danny’s party,” the situation is awkward in a more global, societal sense. No matter what college you’re at, the uneasiness of the situation is easy for anyone to understand. Yet our college is host to a number of circumstances that students from other schools might not appreciate. As a junior, I’ve started to note a couple of specifically BC awkward situations. Hillside Hovering: Despite the fact that Hillside is a fire hazard in itself during lunchtime, due to the astronomical number of students who are packed like cattle into the elevator-sized serving area, the actual act of consuming one’s food while sitting at a table is awkward. You’re trying to have a conversation with a friend but
Party Time
BY BEN VADNAL
can’t seem to ignore the vultures hovering around your table. It appears that for every 138 students there is one four-person table. The impatient individuals wait on the landing strip between the coffee bar and the tables, which I call Logan Airport, gearing up their engines for takeoff. The hovering crowd around you anticipates every one of your slight movements as a cue to advance. Listen, people. I’m reaching for a book from my bag. I’m not even halfway done with my Baja Chicken. Trying to Explain your Location in O’Neill: It’s like trying to tell someone how to do a Rubik’s cube who is blindfolded and riding the Commonwealth Avenue bus going 80 miles per hour. I recently documented a conversation between my roommate and I. “Ya man, I’m on the fourth floor. Well, where you are it might be the third because I came through Hillside. I think the sign that says three is really the second floor if you’re walking from the printers. But wait, if you’re coming through the front door I’m on the second. Ah, screw it. I’ll just meet you in Bapst.” Playing the Elevator Lottery in Maloney: In this situation, positioning is key. A crowd of what may as well be rowdy concertgoers attempts to stand equidistant to all three elevators. Some take the risk of betting that the far left or right elevator’s light will flash first. You think you picked the right one, but it stops on floor 2 for some unforgiveable reason. Just when you think you can squeeze into the far left elevator, some terrible person sneaks through the back entrance to it and closes the door. Loopholes don’t pay off in life, unless you are trying to ride the Maloney elevator to the fourth floor. The South Street Shuffle: It’s
10:10 a.m. and the entire off-campus population is waiting at the South Street bus stop, hoping to get to their respective 10:30 classes on time. People start to peer out into the street as they get antsy. Suddenly, one person initiates the awkwardness by attempting to sneakily move towards the curb because they think they saw the flashing electronic bus banner. The mass of other students follows suit, moving faster and faster towards the curb while simultaneously trying not to draw too much attention to themselves. Positioning on the sidewalk is key, similar to trying to get onto the Maloney elevators, as some attempt to guess approximately where the back door of the bus will line up with the curb. Refusing to Eat Sandwiches Made by People who are not Ana: It’s an awkward sight to see 37 people in Ana’s line in Eagles Nest and no one in the other two. I’m sure the other workers are great people, but last time I was forced to move into one of their lines as a result of “Ana’s sandwich order overflow,” the worker folded my wrap like she was doing laundry. Ana has the ability to fit extra bacon into an already bulging Chicken Caesar Wrap. That takes dedication. Awkward situations shouldn’t be labeled as negative results of human interaction. Instead, they have the ability to make a place more memorable. Nowhere else will I try to squeeze closer and closer to the person in front of me while in the cheese steak line in hopes that the grill man sees my initiative as reason to squeeze one more double chicken on the grill. CJ Gustafson is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
Political Apathy
Dineen Boyle I’m tired of hearing people my age say, “I don’t do politics.” It is like saying “I’m not good with names.” No one is naturally gifted at remembering names. It is a task that requires the input of effort. Unless you are over a certain age or have documented memory issues, to declare that you aren’t good with names is to say that you don’t care enough about other people to attempt to remember the most basic thing about them. Similarly, to declare that you don’t “do politics” is to announce that civic engagement is unimportant to you. In short, political apathy is a synonym for laziness. I first became interested in politics as a fifth grader. The year was 2000 and my class was holding a mock presidential election. Just before voting began, a student spread a rumor that if elected, Al Gore planned to instate a law mandating students to attend school on Saturdays. My teacher was later perplexed as to why George Bush enjoyed such a decisive victory in our election. Suddenly, when it seemed that the results of an election would directly impact our lives, politics took on a new level of importance to my peers and me. As college students, we stand on the brink of entering the so-called “real world.” Taxes, something with which most of us have experienced a relatively abstract, theoretical relationship, are about to become a very real thing when (God willing) we receive the first of our salaried paychecks. Soon, Social Security and health benefit eligibility will no longer be solely the concern of our parents. It will be a concern of our own. It is understandable why many college students have grown averse to politics. Too often, voting has become the practice of choosing between the lesser of two evils. Additionally, coming of age during a time of disputed election results and seemingly endless political sex scandals is enough to make anyone conclude, “Politics? Why bother.” But we should bother. We must. This past Thursday evening, 5 million Americans tuned in to watch CNN’s broadcast of the GOP debate. This number, however, seems small once one learns that 18 million were tuned into American Idol and 6.2 million were watching the Jersey Shore. Looking for your reality TV fix? Live political speeches and debates are some of the most entertaining and cringe-worthy events on television. Who could forget Rick Perry’s infamous “Oops” or Howard Dean’s “Byaaah” heard round the world? Politics are not just for talking heads and political science nerds. They are for everyone, and they can be fun. Still need motivation to become politically educated? Heck, try devising a drinking game prior to the next GOP debate. Drink every time Mitt smirks, Ron Paul laughs maniacally, or Newt deflects a question by insisting it “misses the point.” All kidding aside, I have a suspicion that many who claim they are not interested in politics are just intimidated by them. They fear that participating in political discussion will lead to heated argument or that they might lack the information to back up all of their assertions or beliefs. Take comfort in knowing that no one knows everything. It is never too late to become politically engaged and it is easier than one may think. Pick up a book, newspaper, or magazine, go online and read about candidates’ platforms, follow political pundits on Twitter, watch a debate or Meet the Press. There are truly infinite means of becoming educated. As one of my professors recently announced on the first day of class, “You need to be actively engaged. It’s not enough just to be here.” I propose taking a similar approach to life. Let’s choose to participate in our cultural moment rather than to watch it pass by with indifference. Let’s choose to educate ourselves so that come November, we can fulfill the most important and fundamentally American of all civic duties with confidence. But stand warned. While being politically active won’t necessarily lead to confrontation, I guarantee that it will lead to disagreement. I contend that is not such a bad thing. I subscribe to the notion that if you’ve never disagreed with someone, you’ve never stood for anything. As one exceptionally classy news anchor from San Diego (Diago) so eloquently once said, “Agree to disagree.” And therein lies both the folly and supreme beauty of our political system. Agree. Disagree. Just do something. Dineen Boyle is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
The Heights
A8
Monday, January 23, 2012
Polanski’s ‘Carnage’ pairs clever quips with acting talent By Allison Broas For the Heights
With an all-star and award-winning cast and director, Carnage has all the ingredients of a smash hit. Unfortunately, while the direction is indeed intriguing, shooting the entire film within a single apartment, the film fails to entertain as much as it Carnage: displays the Roman Polanski d i r e c t o r ’s SBS Productions ability. The black comedy, directed by Roman Polanski, stars Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet, and Christoph Waltz as couples who meet in the wake of an argument between their two sons that resulted in one boy losing his front teeth. Penelope and Michael Longstreet (Foster and Reilly) are the parents of the victim and have invited Alan and Nancy Cowan (Waltz and Winslet) over to discuss the repercussions of their sons’ actions. After exchanging initial impressions of the event, however, the Cowans find themselves unable to leave the apartment, and
B-
are repeatedly forced into uncomfortable situations with the Longstreets. Despite the appearance of a vomit-inducing cobbler and other frequent interruptions, the couples’ interactions are enjoyable for the most part, as neither pair seems able to make conversation without hurling insults or jabs at the other. But while the tension between and within the couples make for more than a few laughs, the film ultimately relies too heavily on its own presumption that it is funny. Much of the script’s purported humor is lost in the overly uptight Foster, who struggles to find the chemistry with Reilly that Winslet and Waltz sustain through the film. Reilly, an actor known for his ability to oscillate between comedic and dramatic roles, struggles with this role that allows him only a few punch lines and suffers from the absence of a partner he can really work off of. Waltz, on the other hand, deftly portrays a lawyer with nonstop phone calls and monotonous humor and works well with Winslet; together, their back-andforth provides much of the film’s humor. The film is based on the successful
play, God of Carnage. Unlike the play, the film falls victim to the confinement of the apartment—so much so that the audience finds itself begging for the Cowans to leave the apartment rather than rooting for a friendship between the two uptight pairs. For a feature film to be shot within one location (excluding the brief opening scene of a long shot perspective of the fight between the two boys), there should be a pulse that exists in each character and through each emotion and exchange, which Carnage ultimately fails to properly execute. Scenes drag on, humor evaporates sometimes for minutes on end, and the characters, for the most part, fail to develop past parodies of their previously neurotic selves. To be sure, the film does have its moments . The one constant is the continuous pouring and drinking of wine, which actually serves to loosen the characters up to a point where their screaming matches are bearable—and sometimes even entertaining—to watch. Reilly, in particular, manages to salvage his character through his hilarious defense of his hamster-dispensing and the
Jolting ‘Haywire’ is furious yet frustrating
overture films / ap photo
Foster, Reilly, Winselt, and Waltz combine to create a charming adaption of the famous play. toxic cobbler. The quarrels between the four characters are often spiked with clever quips and punch lines. The film also aptly explores the slow descent into drunken disorder for two couples who seem, almost painfully, to have their lives perfectly together. In the end, Carnage is not a terrible film; the
actors display their talents even in spite of their confined roles and space, and Polanski once again proves his talent as a director and writer, working well against the limitations of the film’s setting. The film’s fatal weakness is its inability to leave the audience as engrossed as the characters are in themselves. n
Box Office Report title
weekend gross
weeks in release
1 photos courtesy of allmoviephoto.com
1. Underworld awakening
25.4
1
2. Red Tails
19.1
1
3. Contraband
12.2
2
Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com
Though packed with fast-paced action and subtle humor, Soderbergh fails to create an original story or character depth with ‘Haywire.’ By Katlyn Prentice For the Heights
Director Steven Soderbergh, who helmed the Ocean’s 11 franchise, gives us the action/adventure genre in the woman’s perspective. The fight choreography and physical talent is amazing and deserves recognition, but Haywire: is not enough Steven Soderbergh to save the Irish Film Board m o v i e i n its entirety. To the film’s detriment, Soderbergh decided to include the same musical atmosphere as his Ocean’s movies, slowing the film down and giving audience members the chance to meditate on why they just spent $12.50 at the theatre. If you are in the mood to spend the evening watching an action flick filled with intense, riveting sequences of explosions, guns, and copious amounts of blood splatter, helmed by a hot gladiator woman tougher than G.I. Joe, Schwarzenegger, and Wolfman’s chem tests combined, you’d best skip this movie. Despite it being advertised as an exciting action thriller, Haywire does little more than put the viewer in a sleeper hold while playing above-average elevator music that fades in and out during long segments of running and punching. Mallory Kane, played by world-class mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano, is
B+ C+
an agent on the run from her employers after they intricately plot to kill her: basically a pawn and chess “thriller” at an elementary level. The overall simple plot line at times gets convoluted in the shady spy-talk, but like most films that cannot explain themselves, the final five minutes are spent regurgitating everything the audience did not see, recapping the events in the bad guy’s point of view. In other words, everything is laid out at the end like the conclusion to a standard high school five-paragraph essay. Although the storyline is linear and expected, the small (and frequent) bouts of fight action and humor make up for the lacking elements. Carano’s Kane character is, in simple terms, rebellious. She fights like the boys and holds no prisoners. The fight sequences are nearly poetic with the combined wall climbing, strangleholds, and martial arts skills. Carano throws the punches with fury, but like karma, she gets them right back. Instead of hiding the fighting with tight shots and quick cuts, the audience is given the full bystander experience of witnessing the fight in all its brutal glory. The audience watches as Carano is thrown, punched, shot, and kicked in no fewer than six major scenes. Because the fighting is relatively realistic, the characters’ pain is nearly tangible. Props to the filmmakers for giving viewers some of the best hand-to-hand combat seen in recent years. Unfortunately, the
filmmakers failed in their execution of stringing all the action segments together. Tedious shots of running and odd jazz music break up the movie and slow it down. For such athletic talent and fantastic urban locations, the unnecessary lulls in plot and motion ultimately detract from the overall excellent style and shots. What saves the film from itself is the subtle humor sprinkled throughout. Without this humorous element combined with the fights, the movie, in short, would have been quite dull. Thank you, Channing Tatum and Michael Angarano, for throwing out some good laugh-outloud lines. Don’t blink too much, however, as even the funny moments can be easy to miss in the dragged-out scenes. Overall, Haywire was entertaining. It was not particularly good in terms of storyline and music, but seeing a strong woman beat up hot men instead of seeing a hot man beat up ugly men was, I suppose, refreshing. Just give us some character development, people! Why is Kane (Carano) such a beast-woman? Why does Channing Tatum play such a dumb-jock character in every movie? That aside, if only the pacing had been a little better and the ridiculous amount of running Carano was forced to do was cut down, this film would have been respectively decent. Save the trip to the theatre, but definitely rent it, if only to appreciate the superb fights. n
2
3
4. Extremely loud and incredibly close 10.6
5
5. Haywire
9.0
1
6. Beauty and the beast 3d
8.6
2
7. Joyful noise
6.1
2
8. Mission: impossible—Ghost protocol 5.5
6
9. Sherlock holmes: a game of shadows 4.8
6
10. the girl with the dragon tattoo
5
3.8
bestsellers of hardcover fiction 1. Believing the lie Elizabeth George 2. Private: #1 suspect James Patterson 3. Gideon’s corpse Preston & Child 4. Death comes to pemberley P D James 5. Star Wars: Darth plagueis James Luceno
6. The girl who kicked the hornet’s nest Stieg Larsson 7. 11/22/63 Stephen King 8. the Litigators John Grisham 9. lothaire Kresley Cole SOURCE: Publisher’s Weekly
Mara shines in Fincher’s American twist on ‘Dragon Tattoo’ By Dan Siering
Asst. Arts Editor It seems that not every remake made by Hollywood is doomed for mediocrity. Well, at least not when director David Fincher and producer Scott Rudin are at the helm. Entering into a world of cyber hackers and crack journalism, Fincher’s American adaption of The girl with the Stieg Larsdragon tattoo: son’s great David Fincher airline novel, Columbia The Girl with Pictures the Dragon Tattoo, paints a sleek, sexy, and nearly censor-less narrative about two seemingly dissimilar characters and their fearless attempt to solve a deep, brooding murder mystery. Shortly after being convicted of libel and having only a few thousand Swedish kronor to his name, journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) receives a mysterious offer to hear a job proposal from Henrik Vagner (Christopher Plummer), a captain of industry and one of the most powerful men in Sweden. The hapless journalist, incapable of turning down a juicy lead, accepts and is quickly whisked away to the ominous
A-
northern town of Hedestad. Vagner’s proposition to Blomkvist, masked as a biography of his family, is to uncover the disappearance of his dear niece Harriet, an event that has haunted the industrialist for decades. Certain circumstances make the mystery a classic lockedroom scenario, making Vanger convinced that one of his fellow family members is responsible. After accepting the offer, Blomkvist soon becomes obsessed with cracking the almost half century-old riddle. In order to complete his task, however, he requires a savvy research assistant. Enter Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a chain-smoking cyber researcher whose disdain for the world is nearly as impressive as her intricate collection of body ink and piercings. Despite her incessant insubordination and complete lack of empathy, very few in Sweden can navigate a computer better than Salander. Blomkvist tracks down Salander in Stockholm and convinces the man-hating researcher to join him in order to catch “a killer of women.” The two meander through an endless collection of records and reports while also attempting and, at times, failing to resist palpable romantic urges. Soon, however, it becomes evident that the decades-old mystery is very much alive and
keeping a close eye on the duo. Dragon Tattoo is everything we’ve come to expect in a David Fincher film—it is violent, sexy, fast-paced, and constantly catapulting the audience out of its comfort zone. Fincher, again teamed up with Oscar-winning editor Angus Wall, keeps the narrative train hurling onward at a relentless pace. While its speed, at times, makes the plot trip over its own shoelaces, the ultimate result is a compelling film with a spine-tingling narrative backbone. At the very least, the average moviegoer will be hard pressed to find Dragon Tattoo cliched. Be it Tyler Durden, Benjamin Button, or Mark Zuckerberg, David Fincher has always had a knack for artfully portraying characters living on the fringes of society. Lisbeth Salander is no exception. After being chosen from a list of virtually every actress in Hollywood, Rooney Mara’s performance will undoubtedly propel the unknown actress into the upper echelons of Hollywood. Mara is so convincingly cold and distant as Salander that you almost feel compelled to reach out and hug the screen. In a rather tepid race for Best Actress, Mara has a shot for an Oscar nod. Then again, the Academy might feel a tad hesitant with Noomi Rapace already having powerfully
depicted Salander in the trilogy of Swedish adaptations. Craig, who gained weight for the role in order to distant himself from his Bond persona, also shines as Blomkvist. He is clever, handsome, and completely unable to pull himself away from the increasingly dangerous project. This film, however, will not be enjoyed by every demographic. The scenes of graphic sexual violence, which are partially
responsible for making the book series so famous, are in no way sugarcoated by Fincher. On screen, Salander and Blomkvist exist in a cruel and twisted world, a landscape of criminals where a flashlight beam barely illuminates the surrounding gloom. It’s been some time since a film has so deviously, yet so artfully, slapped Christmas movie conventions in the face. Lisbeth Salander would be proud. n
Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com
Originally doubted by fans, Mara’s Salander adds a chilling dimension to Fincher’s adaptation.
The Heights
Monday, January 23, 2012
A9
Ensemble assists Criss in fun ‘How to Succeed’ ‘Succeed,’ from A10 or “Ponty” as she calls him. At the close of the show, Finch is able to back himself out of a corner with an unexpected godsend from WWWC bigwig Wolly Womper (Rob Bartlett). With such a well-constructed plot, the audience is always surprised, though the self-help book expects every turn Finch makes. True to its roots in the 1950s and 60s, the show is jam-packed with early 60s social cues, with songs like “A Secretary is Not a Toy” and “Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm,” which act almost satirically on the modern stage and make the already satire-heavy show that much punchier. Criss , who made his Broadway debut in How to Succeed this month, proved that his on-screen ability, which has captured the hearts of thousands of teenage girls, translates to wowing a live audience as well. Admittedly, a second downfall of the show is the massive amount of cheers that erupt from the audience when Criss appears on stage for the first time. Nevertheless, Criss’ stellar comedic timing and knack for physical comedy, paired with his seamless transition into the role of cocky, charming, clever Finch, left the audience in stitches. The only indication that Criss was a newcomer was his disappointingly weak performance in “Brotherhood of Men,” though his limited vocal power in the high-octave number was barely detectable through the intense choreography, not to mention the vocal support of the entire, near-flawless male cast. The effortless chemistry between Criss and veteran actor Bridges, especially in the most humorous scenes, is also an incredible
treat. One of the most unpredictably entertaining numbers of the entire show is “Grand Old Ivy,” which is performed by Criss and Bridges (and a group of 1930s-era football players). It made use of both actors’ talent for physical comedy as both performed the collegiate fight song (and dance) of the Old Ivy Groundhogs, the mascot of the school that Finch pretends to have attended in order to impress Biggley. Also unexpected in this scene was the inventive set design, which allowed for the players to appear from a hidden doorway below the stage and then dive, jump, and fall into the chute when it was their turn to exit. Not to be underplayed, however, is the cast of extremely well polished supporting roles, most notably J.B. Biggley ’s lazy, nepotism-receiving nephew, Bud Frump (Christopher J. Hanke), and Finch’s hopeless-romantic love interest, Rosemary Pilkington. The direction also spiced up the twotime revival show with modern popculture references (like Tom Cruise’s couch-jump on the Oprah show) and had an eye for comedic opportunities, proving that more “classic” style Broadway can succeed in a time where “modern” musicals like Next to Normal and American Idiot are gaining popularity. Performed in true Broadway fashion, raunchy, fabulous, and spectacular, How to Succeed is a treat for the true Broadway fan (or the Glee fan). It has earned its place alongside other Great White Way classic revivals like 42nd Street, Chicago, and Anything Goes and would be a delightful addition to Broadway as a long-running, resident musical. n
Courtesy of allmoviephoto.com
Spielberg has said that ‘War Horse’ was meant to be a family film, which might explain the many tender scenes between horse and man.
‘War Horse’ doesn’t offer anything new War Horse, from A10 purgo’s book of the same name, War Horse is the story of a horse, Joey, whose owner Albie (Jeremy Irvine) trains him to plow the fields of his family’s farm so his family can plant crops to pay for their rent. Unfortunately, a horrible rainstorm destroys all of the crops, and with them, the family’s chances of staying in its home. To end their plight, Albie’s father Ted (Peter Mullan) makes a rash decision to sell Joey to a soldier in the war. Caught in despair, Albie begs the private to take good care of his horse. From here, the story of WWI is told through Joey’s eyes. Like any soldier in war, Joey bonds with his fellow soldiers, namely a tall black horse named Topthorn. We see all of the struggles the pair goes through, including surviving battle, being nearly worked to death, and losing friends. The pair goes from handler to handler, with each owner only racking up screen time for a few minutes. As the scenes pass and conditions for the horses
worsen, it becomes impossible not to root for the animals as if they were your own pets plunged into the darkness of war. The problem is that, as the movie reaches its climax, all of the previous humans that the horses have come in contact with blend together and become utterly forgettable. In other words, there exists no standout acting performance, a rarity for any Spielberg film. The only actor who makes an impression, albeit a slight one, is French newcomer Celine Buckens, who is sweet and funny as a young girl who takes care of Joey and Topthorn when they are left behind in her grandfather’s barn. Yet, because the horses are the emotional drive of the film, it doesn’t quite have the same impact as watching Captain Miller guide his men in a mission to save Private Ryan during World War II. Is it fair to compare these two movies? It’s easy to do so because they are both war movies directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, but the problem with comparing
the two movies is that it’s hard to imagine Spielberg setting out to make a film comparable to Saving Private Ryan when filming War Horse. Despite its “Oscar bait” subject material, the film was envisioned to be a commercial moneymaker targeted to families during the holidays, not an awards contender. It is a movie that the whole family can enjoy and see together because it is, at its core, a heartfelt story that doesn’t focus on the blood of war. If War Horse does snag an Academy Award nomination, it will almost certainly be for its beautiful cinematography, which is breathtaking in some sequences. If there were a category for best animal actor, then Joey would surely be nominated for his magnificent performance. Much credit should also be given to the animal actors and their trainers, because they help make War Horse what it is, arguably, Spielberg’s best directorial work since 2002’s Catch Me If You Can. For that reason, War Horse is worth a screening. n
Fans remain hopeful for a 2012 ‘Party Down’ film featuring Lynch and Scott TV Movies, from A10
Courtesy of google.com
Lizzy Caplan is just one of the many cast members rumored to be reuniting this year for a supposed ‘Party Down’ reunion, one which fans are clambering for like crazy.
yet loveable Henry Pollard. Jane Lynch, before her Glee fame, played Constance Carmell in season one, a (mostly) good-natured member of the catering team who is in many ways the opposite of Sue Sylvester. Lizzy Caplan, the how-isshe-not-famous-yet member of the cast, kills as a sardonic failed comedian who develops feelings for Adam Scott’s character. All of these actors, including Ryan Hansen and Martin Starr as an idiotic actor and a sci-fi writer/angry nerd, respectively, bring a humanity to their characters that elevates Party Down’s comedy to a new level. While all these actors are indeed gifted, the real comedic revelation is Ken Marino as Ron
‘Iron Lady’ showcases Streep’s skills, but she deserves a better written role ‘Lady,’ from A10 despite the efforts of famed leading lady Meryl Streep. The movie plays with a dual timeline as the story perpetually shifts between Thatcher in the early 2000s as an elderly widow suffering from dementia and Thatcher in her heyday as an ambitious politician wanting only the best for England, despite the repercussions. The elderly Thatcher lives in a constant state of confusion. She only barely maintains her strong conservative knowledge of British politics and functions as a shell of her former power. Worst of all, her demented state allows the ghost of her dead husband, Denis (Jim Broadbent), to manipulate her and draw her further into the dark recesses of her own mind. Denis’ prompting is what forces Margaret to flash back to her reign as prime minister and remember her struggle to get taken seriously by the country. The audience is shown the immense difficulty Thatcher faced in her position, from her early days as the daughter of a small-town mayor to her eventual forced resignation, and the harsh consequences of good intentions. The audience never develops any strong feelings for Thatcher, though, despite the focal point of the film. Margaret Thatcher
is not a political figure who necessarily inspires love. Millions absolutely hated her for the laws she enacted, which increased unemployment and aroused the wrath of the British working class. While the film attempts to show a more sympathetic side to Thatcher, Abi Morgan’s flaccid screenplay seemingly cannot decide how it wants to portray her, and thus offers a rather sterile portrait. What could have become a highly complex study of a complex woman merely becomes a weak interpretation of every big moment of Thatcher’s life. The film does not own its female character, and that becomes an issue. The other great blunder is the use of her husband’s ghost as a plot device. Not only is it trite, but it adds an unnecessary dimension to the plot. It’s obvious that Thatcher loved her husband, but his constant presence as a malevolent specter marks amateur storytelling. It feels like a trope reserved for a play rather than a motion picture.
Phyllida Lloyd, who directed Streep in Mamma Mia, adds to the sense of amateurism that peppers the film. It feels like a film school project. Every possible editing technique and camera angle is shoved into this one film, but it only adds to the muddled tone of the picture. Of course, Streep just barely saves the day with her performance. While the film never quite knows what to do with Thatcher, Streep is in complete control of the character. Every move is just dramatic enough to be effective without being too much. She understands Thatcher’s character in a way one can only wish the movie’s director and screenwriter did. That becomes the major frustration with Streep, though. She can easily steal a movie, but it has been years, probably since Spike Jonze’s Adaptation in 2001, that she has given a stellar performance in a great movie. One can only imagine how great the magnitude of her performance would be if she could have been given a better vehicle. Regardless, you’ll leave the film loving Streep all over again, but you won’t feel one way or the other about Margaret Thatcher. n
Donald, the catering company’s inept leader who dreams of running a Soup ‘R’ Crackers, a restaurant that is exactly what it sounds like. Whether he is accidently getting high on the job or burning an American flag at a Conservatives Union Caucus, Ron frequently delivers an episode’s biggest laughs. Marino can now be seen starring on the hilarious Adult Swim show, Children’s Hospital. Altogether, Party Down’s dream team cast help make the show’s head-turningly simple concept into a constant source of innovation. Writers/creators John Enbom, Rob Thomas, and Dan Etheridge confine every episode to
a single event that the Party Down company caters. Fortunately, clever writing and the aforementioned great acting make this episode structuring seem like anything but a limitation. One of the show’s signature gimmicks is bringing in highly memorable guest actors to interact with the main characters at each new event. Watching J.K. Simmons scream and curse his way through his daughter’s Sweet 16 party or seeing Steve Guttenberg lead a very spontaneous writing workshop are just a few of the fun surprises that make Party Down an unpredictable treat. The show continues to be unpredictable after its untimely cancellation with cast members and John Enbom talking about the recent efforts to make a Party Down movie. While Martin Starr has recently said that “there’s nothing official” at the moment, others have been talking about Enbom’s ideas for the movie and the strong possibility of a movie deal. In the meantime, anyone who wants to catch up on the series can see it in its entirety on Netflix.
Joe Allen is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at arts@ bcheights.com.
A ‘Loud’ downer that delves emotionally deep ‘Loud,’ from A10 breaks a blue vase in his father’s closet; inside the vase, there is an envelope labeled “Black” and a key. In an attempt to keep his father’s memory alive, Oskar sets out to find what the unidentified key unlocks, and to visit and question every one of the 427 people living in New York City with the name Black, just as if it were another one of his dad’s games. In Extremely Loud, the most valiant attempts are made to produce a poignant movie about what Oskar calls “The Worst Day.” Though the film is effective in some aspects, there are other areas in which it falls short. Directed by three-time Oscar nominee Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliott, The Reader), Extremely Loud tries to be more than just a film about 9/11; it attempts to tell the deeper story of how one child tried to make sense of every day after the catastrophic event. It is a raw, human story about pain and loss. As a result, it is very emotional. The downside of the film is that tears seem to be forcefully wrung out of the viewer. An overly dramatic score accompanying Oskar’s expressive narrations throughout the film only make things worse. Another issue apparent in the film is the characterization of Oskar Schell. Clearly,
his character is quirky, but there are facets of his personality—due to decisions made by screenwriter Eric Roth—that are not as prevalent in the movie as they are in the book, making it a challenge for the viewer to comprehend Oskar’s actions, which essentially create the premise of the story. Nevertheless, Extremely Loud’s high points make it possible to overlook its minor setbacks. For example, the cinematography of Chris Menges makes each scene visually stunning. He doesn’t focus on images of burning buildings and crashing planes, but on the diverse beauty of Manhattan and its people. Obviously, the amazing cast is also worth mentioning. Though viewers will enter the theater for Hanks and Bullock, the star of the movie truly is Horn. It is no easy feat to carry the weight of an entire movie as a new, young actor, but Horn overcomes the challenge in his first bigscreen role. The fact that Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close possesses a primarily horizontal plot actually emphasizes its main point: life is about the journey and not just the destination. After two hours of emotional tumult, the film suggests that Oskar Schell’s search to find the key to emotional closure is not just his own, but is universal. n
A10
arts&review Monday, January 23, 2012
Darren Criss lights up stage in ‘Business’ debut Mormons are an eye on culture
the newest ‘it’ thing Taylor Cavallo
Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I have always had somewhat (read: very) strange, random interests; things I’ve always wanted to know more (read: everything) about. This list includes, but is not limited to, the Salem Witch Trials, Freud’s infamous hysterical patient Anna O., and Picasso’s Blue Period. One of these quirky fascinations I have harbored for some years now is with Mormonism, a religion of the Latter Day Saint movement. Strange? Undeniably. True? Unfortunately. I am not a Mormon and have never even met one. In fact, not being a religious person at all, I’d venture to say that my fascination honestly springs from confusion. I’d like to believe that if I ever did meet a Mormon, they would be shocked and impressed with the amount I know about their religion. I could rant for hours about my opinions on the controversial religion that, in its fundamentalist form, preaches polygamy, certainly its most feather-ruffling doctrine, but I digress. My “Mormon radar,” if you will, has given me an interesting perspective while looking at popular culture. To put it quite simply, there are a lot of Mormons in the media, a fact that is both interesting and unexpected. From Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney to adolescent fiction writer Stephanie Meyer, who gave us everyone’s favorite vampire love story, it is a demographic that isn’t always mentioned. Certainly the most popular example of Mormons, demonstrating both truth and humor, is the infamous South Park episode “All About Mormons” which simultaneously tells the story of a Mormon family moving into South Park and encountering its less-than-orthodox citizens alongside the story of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, and the religion’s birth. As my expertise can guarantee, the episode is accurate in its representation and detail of the Joseph Smith story. Trey Parker and Matt Stone went on to write The Book of Mormon, a satirical musical about Mormon missionaries that won nine Tony Awards. While the general impression of Mormons is perhaps as rigid and overly devout, their “family next door” media presence attempts to make them seem more relatable. One place where Mormons have made an interesting mark is in television, and not just in the realm of adult cartoons. Big Love, an HBO drama starring Bill Paxton, presents the story of a fundamentalist polygamous Mormon family in Utah (the epicenter of the religion). Along with the ironic use of the Beach Boy’s song “God Only Knows” as the theme song, the show caught my eye for obvious reasons. However, despite the show being enthralling and admittedly addicting, as most melodramatic TV shows are, I found myself, the amateur Mormon scholar, being distracted by the fact that the show, at its essence, was fictional. I needed something to really sink my teeth into. And then I found it, a gift, from the Angel Moroni: Sister Wives. It was everything I loved about Big Love but with real polygamous drama. I know what you’re thinking: reality TV isn’t as jam-packed with reality as we would both appreciate and expect, but I have to admit, in this case, I don’t care. Sister Wives follows the Brown family through their various ups and downs: the acquisition and assimilation of a fourth wife, the births of new babies, and most dramatically, the relocation of the twentytwo member family from Utah to Las Vegas after an investigation by the state of Utah. Needless to say, the show had me (and my roommates) hooked. Clearly, the message of this show was to present the polygamous lifestyle as rewarding and most importantly, easy, a fact with which I beg to differ. The jealousy, aggression, and disputes between the wives, however, were a fantastic social experiment. Even though admitting this interest in a Latter Day Saint sect may be embarrassing at times, I have learned that it is entirely worth it to learn more about the strange interests you have. Sister Wives shows that reality TV could tailor to a variety of interests, even a twenty-year-old’s fascination with Mormons. So stick with your strange fascinations. Eventually, TLC, Bravo, or A&E will make a reality show about it.
Taylor Cavallo is the Associate Arts & Review editor of The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
Courtesy of ‘how to Succeed in business without really trying’
Despite having a weak voice and only two weeks to rehearse for the leading role, Darren Criss certainly exhibited his best in the musical that touches upon everyday, relatable corporate situations.
The ‘Glee’ actor adeptly fills Daniel Radcliffe’s able shoes By Adriana Mariella Heights Editor
The only bad thing about How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is that Anderson Cooper doesn’t narrate his role in person. The show, which follows the rapid rise to the top of the corporate ladder of J. Pierrepoint Finch (Darren Criss), with the guidance of a self-help book (narrated by Cooper) bearing the same name as the show, has starred Harry Potter phenom Daniel Radcliffe, and currently features Glee’s Criss. It will welcome Jonas Brother Nick Jonas once Criss’ brief run comes to an end on Jan. 24.
Set in the early 1960s, How to Succeed has a fittingly high-energy cast; just what you’d expect from a bright, upbeat 60s musical, similar to that of Broadway hit Hairspray. The storyline, which covers everything from affairs to nepotism to falling in love with one’s secretary to college allegiances, is adapted from Shepherd Mead’s satirical book of the same name, which was published in 1952. Finch, a former window-washer, bluffs himself into a job at the World Wide Wicket Company (WWWC) and quickly aligns himself for promotion after promotion, without ever actually working or doing anything but hobnobbing with company big shots to merit a promotion. The audience gets to
see the inner workings of the corporate system, which are all exploited by Finch, making for hilarious commentary on the organization, until Finch’s scheming success makes him a target for the other men at the company. Woven into the plot is WWWC President J.B. Biggley’s (Beau Bridges) badly concealed affair with floozy secretary Hedy La Rue (Tammy Blanchard) and the convenient love story between secretary Rosemary Pilkington (Rose Hemingway) and Finch,
See ‘Succeed’, A9
Great things expected for a ‘Party Down’ movie With rumors of an upcoming ‘Party Down’ film, fans of the series should anticipate more laughs By Joe Allen This year should be interesting for fans of ill-fated cult television shows, and will certainly be absolute hell for anyone they’re friends with. After years of speculation, an Arrested Development movie is looking like nothing short of a guarantee. Show creator/head writer Mitch Hurwitz has not only assured fans of his and the original cast’s commitment to the almost-ready-to-
produce movie, but has also signed a deal with Netflix to air a short fourth season that will also serve as a lead-in for the film. In addition to this news, TV geeks can take pleasure in the increasingly optimistic speculation about a Party Down movie. Since discussing Arrested Development with anyone can only elicit two responses (either an impromptu AD quote-off or “I’ll start watching it when I have the time. Get off my back!”), I’ll stick to discussing Party Down. This comedy aired on Starz for two
seasons, from 2009 to 2010. Telling the story of a group of failed actors/writers who run a catering company in Hollywood, the series gained a cult following in its brief twenty-episode run. Unfortunately, this cult following was very, very small. With its final episodes attracting fewer than 100,000 viewers, its ratings were abysmal even by premium cable television standards. What makes these ratings so surprising, and what helps explain why the show’s fan base has only increased since its cancellation,
‘Extremely’ depressing
Streep shines in otherwise dull conditions By Darren Ranck Heights Senior Staff
By Ariana Igneri For the Heights
i nside Arts this issue
It comes as no surprise that history’s greatest leaders make fascinating fodder for film, but the only thing more interesting than a great leader is a conThe iron lady: troverPhyllida Lloyd sial one. UK Film Council P a s t films about Malcolm X and General Patton call for the audience’s support as the true-life figure leads a well-known group toward a noble
B+ C
B+ C+
See ‘Loud’, A9
See TV Movies, A9
‘The Iron Lady’ rusts
9/11 drama loses steam
When a film is adapted from a bestselling novel, it is unavoidably vulnerable to comparison and criticism, but when Extremely loud and that novel’s driving plot incredibly close: is the sensiStephen Daldry tive, tragic Paramount disaster of Pictures 9/11 (as in Jonathan Safran Foer’s 2005 novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close), it is an even greater challenge to create a film that will please rather than offend the majority of viewers. Trying to be unique, the movie tells the story from the perspective of Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn), an 11-year old boy, both odd and bright, with Asperger’s syndrome. Though Oskar struggles to relate to his mother (Sandra Bullock), he has an extraordinary relationship with his father, Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks), who tells Oskar exciting stories about an alleged sixth borough of Manhattan and sends him on complicated scavenger hunts all over the city. When Oskar hears six urgent messages from his father on the answering machine on the day of 9/11, he discovers that his father died in the towers. After a year of depression, he finds and accidently
is how funny and unique the show was. One of the most interesting aspects of Party Down was its dynamic and highly capable comedic cast. While the actors may have seemed like a band of misfits during the show’s heyday, many of them have since become easily recognizable television stars. Adam Scott, who can now be seen romancing Amy Poehler on Parks and Recreation, played Party Down’s lead man, the aimless,
Courtesy of allmoviephoto.com
Streep portrays Thatcher more than adequately.
success. Nothing is easier than rooting for someone who you know from the very beginning is destined to win. Consider leaders like Stalin and Nixon, though: the kind of leaders who blur the line between what is right and what is wrong and whose behaviors raise the question, “Is it what we stand for or what we do that makes a strong leader?” Unfortunately, The Iron Lady lacks this necessary tension to bring anything of interest to the story of England’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. Rather, it becomes a hollow tread of Maggie’s greatest hits,
See ‘Lady’, A9
‘Horse’ lacks Spielberg’s momentum Spielberg’s new epic fails to live up to previous hits By Nathan Rossi For the Heights
The last time Steven Spielberg set out to direct a war movie, it became the cinematic masterpiece known as Saving Private Ryan. Nominated War horse: for 11 AcadSteven Spielberg emy Awards, Dreamworks including the prestigious Best Picture, the film was a gritty look at the lives of soldiers on a mission to save
B+ B-
Fighting takes a new turn in Haywire
Director Steven Soderbergh transforms a world-class MMA fighter into an action heroine, A8
Private James Ryan, whose three brothers had already succumbed to the war. Known for its intense opening battle scene depicting the arrival of U.S. Troops at Normandy, the movie has become a permanent staple in most film and history class curriculums. The chances of Spielberg’s latest war epic, War Horse, having the same impact on film culture, however, are significantly slimmer. Based on British author Michael Mor-
See ‘War Horse’, A9
Fincher delivers a razor sharp Tattoo
Rooney Mara turns in a gritty, provocative performance as Lisbeth Salander, A8
Courtesy of allmoviephoto.com
Despite being a Spielberg war movie, ‘War Horse’ was unfortunately underwhelming.
Bestsellers...............................A8 Box Office Report........................A8
SPORTS The Heights
Monday, January 23, 2012
B1
Monday, January 23, 2012
wake forest takes down eagles at conte BC runs into another tough, experienced team in Demon Deacons By Frank Nemia For The Heights
As the snow continued to fall outside on Saturday afternoon, Boston College and Wake Fore st 71 Wake Forest battled inside Boston College 56 Conte Forum, in what proved to be a one-sided affair. The Demon Deacons won the opening tip-off and immediately scored on a layup. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Wake Forest would never look back, holding the lead for the rest of the game and getting the 71-56 victory. After the game, Wake Forest head coach Jeff Bzdelik spoke about how his team was determined to get back on track against BC. “Immediately after our game against
Duke, in the locker room at Cameron, we talked about Boston College and about how this game was our Super Bowl,” Bzdelik said. Led by the tandem of Travis McKie and C.J. Harris, the Deacons played with a purpose for 40 minutes, exemplifying the mantra of their coach. Bzdelik added, “It was just our next game, it didn’t matter who it was, but we needed to get right on to our next opponent.” The versatility of McKie, combined with Wake’s desire for a win, was ultimately what sunk the Eagles. He finished the game with 22 points and 10 rebounds during his 38 minutes on the court. The sophomore from Richmond, Va. was a workhorse for Wake Forest. In addition to his double-double,
Not time to panic about hockey ... yet
McKie had a strong presence on defense, recording three blocks. After a disappointing 1-3 start in ACC play, Bzdelik was very pleased that McKie and Harris finally put forth a strong performance against an ACC opponent. “They both had great non-conference stats … and as a young team, we’re still developing,” Bzdelik said. Harris (15 points, five assists) is currently second in the ACC in scoring and McKie is close behind him, ranked fourth. The duo’s leadership on the court is an intangible asset that helped carry Wake Forest to a victory. The ability of McKie and Harris to consistently make plays and sink shots was
See Men’s Basketball, B3
Graham beck / heights editor
Lonnie Jackson (20) and the Eagles had a frustrating day on Saturday, losing to Wake Forest.
Swept away at maine
Greg Joyce So this weekend’s trip up to Maine was not a nice one for the men’s hockey team. They lost both games in heartbreaking fashion, one in overtime and the other in the final three minutes of the third period. The Eagles now stand at 14-10-1, having gone 2-4-1 in their last seven games. And people are starting to search for the panic button. I know the last month of hockey has been pretty disappointing, especially given the fact that Boston College started out so hot. But a little look at history will show that worrying about the Eagles at this point may be a little premature. Way back two years ago during the 2009-2010 season, BC went through a rough stretch similar to this one. From Christmas to the start of the Beanpot, the team went 3-5. Their record from the Beanpot to the start of the Hockey East Tournament? 8-2-1. And oh yeah, they won the Beanpot in that stretch. Then they won the Hockey East Tournament. Then, they topped all that off by winning a little thing called the National Championship. Now, I’m not saying that this 20112012 team is a surefire lock to win all of those trophies, including the big one at the end of the season. I am saying, though, that it’s not time to panic with this team … yet. Reason number one? Jerry York. Enough said. But seriously, if there is any coach in the country who can turn a struggling team around and get them
See Don’t Panic, B2
alex trautwig / heights senior staff
Head coach Jerry York (right) and senior captain Tommy Cross (left) experienced a tough weekend at Maine, losing an overtime contest on Friday and a last-minute defeat on Saturday.
In two down-to-the-wire games, men’s hockey loses both By Michael Tomasini For The Heights
This past weekend, Boston College played perhaps their most exciting hockey of the season in a pair of hair-splitting duels against 7 Maine the University of Maine. Boston College 4 Unfortunately, both of those close games ended poorly for the Eagles, and BC rode the bus back to Chestnut Hill with no points to their name. The first game in Orono went down to the wire. Tied at three going into overtime, Maine’s Matt Mangene connected on a powerful slap shot, giving the
Black Bears (9-7-2) a much needed win going down the stretch towards the Hockey East Tournament. Saturday’s rematch provided a chance for the Eagles to redeem themselves. Just 10 minutes in, the result already seemed decided. BC’s Barry Almeida and Johnny Gaudreau quickly cashed in on a pair of opportunities that silenced the crowd at Alfond Arena, making the score 2-0 halfway through the first period. Maine, however, is infamous for its drive and determination to never give up on a game, regardless of the score. Before the period ended, the Black Bears had knotted it up with a pair of power play goals from Joey Diamond and Brian Flynn. As the game continued, the two squads exchanged strikes back and forth. BC goaltender Brian Billett and Maine netminder Dan Sullivan each did their best to keep their teams in it throughout the second
and third periods. The score was even at four apiece with just five minutes left in the game, and the New England rivals seemed fated to go into overtime for the second time in as many games. But it wasn’t meant to be. Connor Leen, a freshman forward for Maine out of Don Bosco Prep (NJ), scored his first collegiate goal. Two quick empty-netters then sealed the game for the Black Bears. After game two, head coach Jerry York gave credit to his opponents, saying, “They have a really sound hockey team. We could have won both games, but full credit to Maine, because they did win both games.” As York said, the result could easily have gone either way, particularly in the second game. At first glance, a 7-4 final gives the impression of a lopsided goal bonanza; in reality, it was often the goalies that
See Men’s Hockey, B4
Sixth straight ACC defeat for women’s basketball By Steven Principi Heights Staff
Graham beck / heights Editor
Blake Bolden scored the eventual game-winner in Friday night’s win over Providence, before the Eagles went on to beat UConn yesterday.
Women’s hockey stays hot with two wins By Greg Joyce Sports Editor
The Boston College women’s hockey team continued to stay hot this weekend, sweeping a Boston College 3 pair of Hockey 1 Connecticut East contests against Connecticut and Providence. On
Sunday afternoon, the Eagles travelled to Storrs, Conn. and came away with a 3-1 win over the Huskies. Ashley Motherwell got the scoring started in the first period for BC when she took a pass from Jackie Young and one-timed the puck into the net for her 11th point in nine games. UConn evened the score at one
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midway through the second period, but the Eagles came back to score two unanswered goals to put the game away. Just under two minutes after the game was tied, Emily Field notched a power play tally off another assist from Young.
See Women’s Hockey, B4
Humphrey remains intense
Though it might not be his ideal season, Matt Humphrey has continued to contribute......B5
The struggles continued Saturday night for the Boston College women’s basketball 69 Virginia team, as it lost Boston College 58 its sixth consecutive ACC game to begin conference play. A better effort on both sides of the ball was not enough, and the Eagles fell to the Virginia Cavaliers 69-58. The Eagles were lead by Shayra Brown, who scored 25 points on 10of-11 shooting coming off the bench. No other Eagle scored more than nine points, however, and four Cavaliers scored in double figures to lead a balanced attack. BC came out of the gates cold and let Virginia jump out to an early 8-2 lead before shots started to fall for the Eagles. An 18-6 run put BC up 20-14 before they stretched the lead even farther to 27-18. After the opening few possessions, the Eagles hit close to 50 percent of their shots for the half and did a good job not settling for contested shots. Good ball movement and some streaky shooting
Rebuilding at the right time
Men’s basketball has struggled this year, but it may prove dividends down the road..........................B5
graham beck / heights editor
Shayra Brown dropped 25 points on Virginia. helped them get their lead to a gamehigh nine, but the Cavaliers quickly went on a run of their own in the last five minutes of the half. Virginia closed the half on a 13-5 run that cut the lead to 32-31 going into the break.
See Women’s Basketball, B2
Numbers to know...........................B2 Quote of the week.......................B2
The Heights
B2
Monday, January 23, 2012
Eagles continue skid against FSU By Tim Jablonski Heights Staff
Entering with a five-game losing streak, the Boston College women’s basketball te am 68 Florida State gave itself Boston College 59 ample opportunity to leap ahead of visiting Florida State on Thursday night. Its failure to capitalize on extra chances doomed the team in a 68-59 defeat that dropped the squad’s ACC record to 0-5. “I thought we played hard and com-
peted, but we gave up way too many points in the paint,” said head coach Sylvia Crawley. “We just have to do a better job coming out quicker on the three-point shot, on our transition defense, and in the paint.” Both teams made 24 field goals, but the Eagles required 14 more shots to do so, shooting a mediocre 39.3 percent (24-for-61) from the field. Outside of leading scorers Kristen Doherty and Tessah Holt, who had 17 and 16 points respectively, no individual Eagle shot over 50 percent nor reached double
graham beck / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Despite 17 points from Kristen Doherty, the Eagles were unable to overcome Florida State.
digits. Although they only forced eight turnovers, the Seminoles coerced the Eagles into poor, contested shots while earning good looks of their own at the opposite end. This translated into a stellar 7-for-12 night from three-point range for the Seminoles, compared to a disappointing 7-for-23 effort from the home squad. The disparity was due in large part to FSU’s height advantage in the frontcourt. Florida State’s 6-foot-4 center Cierra Bavard and 6-foot-3 power forward Natasha Howard combined for 18 rebounds as the visitors outrebounded BC 34 to 24. The Eagles picked their poison by consistently doubling down on the duo, providing guard Alexa Deluzio with the space she needed to bomb from long range. The junior netted a career-best 28 points, including a half-dozen threes, and kept the Seminoles in the lead almost single-handedly, at times. “Hit or miss,” Sylvia Crawley said. “You give up the three-point shot when you’re trying to double inside.” After the Eagles, who trailed for the entire second half, closed the deficit to two with 7:38 remaining, Deluzio used a nifty ball fake to earn herself a layup and double FSU’s lead. Four possessions later, she nailed her fifth triple to stretch the lead to seven. With just over four minutes remaining, her last trey put the Seminoles up 11, draining almost all hope of a comeback at Conte Forum. The two squads traded the lead back and forth for much of the first half. Holt and Doherty matched the Seminoles bucket for bucket during troughs in the rest of the team’s offensive production. A three-point play by Bravard right before the half sent FSU to the locker room with a two-point lead. Doherty and fellow sophomore Katie Zenevitch each knocked down a triple in the opening minutes of the second half, but the Eagles would go on to score just two points over the next eight minutes, a stretch that condemned them to playing catch-up for the rest of the game. n
graham beck / HEIGHTS EDITOR
The Eagles will need to rely on veterans like Paul Carey as it moves toward the postseason.
Hockey poised for success Don’t Panic, from B1 ready for the home stretch of the schedule, it’s York. He has done it time and time again with his teams, and there is no reason to believe that he can’t do it again with this squad. When his team might be feeling the pressure of having to turn things around, York will serve as the calm and steadying influence to settle down his players. Another reason not to panic is the power of the Beanpot. The annual hypedup tournament at the Garden always seems to give the Eagles a big spark for the remainder of their season. BC has won it the last two years, and the aura of the Beanpot trophy has powered the Eagles to records of 8-2-1 and 7-1-1 in the home stretch of those seasons. Just saying. Finally, it’s hard to see this team tanking the rest of the season with the senior leadership it has. In addition to bringing their talent to the ice each day, captains Tommy Cross, Barry Almeida, and Paul Carey have been through three full seasons of the ups and downs of BC hockey. They realize that it’s not always going to be pretty, especially after the Christmas break. During their time in Chestnut Hill, including this season, those seniors are 15-14-2 from Christmas to the start of the Beanpot, but 20-8-3 during the final home stretch. Why is getting swept at Maine this past
weekend a good thing? It’s not, but it’s not an awful thing either. It’s never good to peak too soon. This team came out of the gates on fire to start the season, and now they are suffering through their postChristmas hangover. If they can string a few wins together this weekend, especially with the Beanpot coming on the first two Mondays of February, the rest could be history. Of course, there are a few kinks to be worked out before anybody starts talking about a national tournament run to Tampa. Who’s the No. 1 goalie? That’s up in the air right now, as Parker Milner, Brian Billett, and Chris Venti have all seen their share of action between the pipes. All of them have had their great moments, but none of them have clearly defined themselves as the top goalie. That’s why this stretch of games will be key, with the hope that one of the three somehow starts to separate himself as the clear choice. Any success down the stretch will have to come with a solid goaltender, probably not a goalie by committee. So yes, the last month of BC hockey has not been much to write home about, but it’s not wasted hockey. It is hockey that York will make sure his team learns from. And it is hockey that may prove to be key down the home stretch. Let’s hope so.
Greg Joyce is the Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@ bcheights.com.
Cavs outplay Women’s rugby team earns silver in national tourney women’s Club team’s play at inaugural tournament basketball establishes great foundation for future seasons from the locker room
Women’s Basketball, from B1
SPORTS in SHORT
The second half saw the two teams trading buckets back and forth, with neither side managing to string a run together. The Cavaliers led for the most part, but the Eagles never let the game get out of hand and fought back to tie it on several occasions. With 8:52 remaining in the second half and the game tied at 52, Kerri Shields missed on a good look from three-point range, and Virginia got an easy layup on the next possession. From there the Cavaliers started to pull away. The Eagles went cold again and failed to come up with enough stops to keep the game close, and Virginia stretched its lead to double digits for the first time in the game. The Cavaliers closed the game on a 17-6 run that saw them take the contest 69-58. It was a disappointing result for the Eagles, who played one of their better games in ACC play, but were still unable to come away with a win. The Eagles experienced one of their better shooting nights of the season on Saturday, shooting 48.9 percent from the field, but went cold at the wrong times of the game. Virginia shot just 38 percent from the field, but grabbed more rebounds and forced more turnovers than the Eagles. BC’s loss drops the team to 5-14 overall and 0-6 in conference play. The Eagles will hope to regroup and focus on a tough stretch of conference play. The team returns to action Wednesday night at North Carolina. n
By Meghan Daly For The Heights
Editors note: This is the first in a series of student-athlete columns. This past December, in addition to studying for finals, 12 women from the Boston College Women’s Rugby Football Club (BCWRFC) prepared to journey to Texas to represent BC in the first ever Collegiate 7s Nationals tournament from Dec. 16-17. The team was comprised of three sophomores, Stacy Reader, Addison Powell, and Meghan Daly; three juniors, Annie Abber, Josephine Bouquet, and Lily White; and six seniors, Thelma Rodrigues, Mayra Cardoso, Sylwia Handzel, Kate Mahoney, Brittany Bruder, and Jackie Durant. Sevens rugby is different from the
Courtesy of Stacy Reader
The team showed great resiliency, losing its first match, yet advancing to the championship. morning against the University of Virginia, and although the final score reflected a loss of 0-5, BCWRFC left Virginia shaken with their physical play and created a strong foundation for competing in the tournament. The second match of the
Courtesy of Stacy Reader
In the first ever Collegiate 7s Nationals tournament, the Eagles came away with a second place finish, losing 34-5 in the finals.
ACC Women’s Basketball Standings Duke Miami Maryland North Carolina Georgia Tech Virginia NC State Florida State Wake Forest Virginia Tech Clemson Boston College
traditional 15s that is played during the regular season, and BCWRFC had yet to compete in this style of tournament. Under the direction of alumni coach Cristin Frederick and coach Danielle Miano, the 12 players who travelled to Texas committed themselves to frequent 6 a.m. practices in the cold and prepared with a demanding sprint-training regime. For some players, finals remained unfinished as the team boarded flights for Texas on Thursday, Dec. 15, a day before the tournament began. Once in Texas, alumni coach Joanne Liu and coach Lauren Hoeck guided the team through the tournament play. BCWRFC was placed in a pool with the University of Virginia, the tournament favorite, and Arizona State University. The team’s first match was Saturday
Conference 7-0 5-1 5-2 4-2 4-3 3-4 3-4 3-4 2-4 2-4 1-5 0-6
Overall 16-2 16-3 18-2 14-5 14-6 15-6 13-7 11-10 12-7 6-13 5-12 5-14
The number of turnovers committed by the men’s basketball team in Thursday’s loss to NC State.
38
The number of career goals for women’s hockey player Danielle Welch, the active leader for Boston College.
8
The number to be worn by senior baseball captain Kyle Prohovich in honor of the late Sonny Nictakis.
Meghan Daly is a member of the BC Women’s Rugby Football Club. She can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.
Quote of the Week
Numbers to Know
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day was against Arizona State. BCWRFC defeated ASU 34-0 and advanced out of pool play and into the quarterfinals. The quarterfinal game was early Sunday morning against the University of California, Berkeley. It was a closely matched game despite Cal commanding an early lead of 12-0. With a mere two minutes left in the game, White and Cardoso scored backto-back tries, which were both converted for points, for a comeback victory of 14-12. This victory advanced BC into the semifinals and a rematch with the University of Virginia. In the semifinal game, Powell scored BCWRFC’s only try in a 5-0 victory deemed “poetic justice” by head coach Hoeck. The final was later Sunday evening against Norwich University and, despite a valiant effort, BC lost 34-5. The program is proud of the silver medals that were brought back to the Heights and of White and Powell, who were selected for the All-Tournament Team. n
“We can’t control the competition. The competition is going to be older, bigger, and stronger at this point,” Men’s basketball head coach Steve Donahue
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The Heights
Monday, January 23, 2012
Too many turnovers the issue at NC State
Eagles outmatched vs. Wake Forest
By Stephen Sikora For The Heights
From Men’s Basketball, B1 something the Eagles simply could not do against the Demon Deacons. For BC, the game seemed to have three parts. Throughout the first half, it was unable to match the intensity of Wake Forest. Turnovers and missed shots were a constant theme and hindered the Eagles’ offense. However, with 1:45 left, two jump shots by Ryan Anderson and two made free throws by Jordan Daniels allowed BC to cut into Wake Forest’s lead and go into the locker room down by only eight. After the break, the Eagles came out of the locker room and dominated Wake for the first four minutes and thirty-five seconds. After a long two-point jumper by Lonnie Jackson, the Eagles cut the lead to three and the fans at Conte Forum erupted before a media timeout. After the break, missed shots and turnovers by the Eagles started to haunt them yet again. Wake Forest re-established a three-possession lead with 10 minutes remaining, and never looked back. After the game, head coach Steve Donahue spoke about the performance of Wake Forest. “[Wake Forest] just played a lot smarter and tougher than we did,” he said. After a strong practice Friday, Donahue felt his team was poised for a fast start against Wake. With a starting five made up of four freshmen, inexperience proved to be BC’s undoing. Donahue explained how, being a younger team, the Eagles need to learn from these types of games to become a better team in the future. “We can’t control the competition. The competition is going to be older, bigger, and stronger at this point,” Donahue said. There is a great sense of optimism around Donahue, despite the team’s troubles during the last two games. “Down the road, we’re going to look back and say it was really beneficial these guys went through what they did today,” Donahue said Saturday afternoon, the Eagles ran into an ACC team that simply had more experience than they did. Their play at the start of the second half was a glimpse at what this group of new players is capable of. As the post-game press conference came to a close, Donahue made sure to note, “This team is hungry for a win.” n
B3
graham beck / heights editor
Clifford shot 5-of-10 from the field in the game.
Last Thursday night, the Boston College Eagles took their 2-1 ACC record into an away game 76 NC State at NC State. It Boston College 62 was the Eagles’ toughest test since winning two straight in league play, as the Wolfpack came into the game with a 13-5 record. Unfortunately, the optimism attached with those two wins was lost after a 76-62 defeat to the Wolfpack, the final score skewed by a 10-2 BC run to close out the game when it was out of reach. The main storyline proved to be the turnovers committed by this young and inexperienced team. Not only did the Eagles turn the ball over 17 times, but also 16 of them were on steals by NC State. A number of poorly executed passes and bad passing decisions contributed to the sloppy play. The combination of the excessive turnovers and weak transition defense by the Eagles gave the Wolfpack a number of fast break opportunities down the court. NC State seemed to capitalize on virtually every
one of them, whether it was gaining easy layups or transition threes. Early on in the contest, it looked as if the Eagles would have a chance for the win. With 8:47 left in the first half, a three by starting center Dennis Clifford—the first of his career—tied the game at 21. But NC State promptly went on a 16-0 run, which included six steals by the Wolfpack. Interestingly, head coach Steve Donahue let the team play through the run without calling a timeout. Matt Humphrey, the Eagles’ leading scorer heading into the game, shot just 2-of8 from the field and went 0-for-5 from the three point line. Humphrey played sparingly in the second half, as Danny Rubin picked up his minutes and contributed two threes on three attempts. Patrick Heckmann also had a solid game off the bench, scoring seven points and showing good hustle and passing touch. The Eagles’ interior presence proved to be a problem. Not only were they outrebounded 40 to 23, but the combination of centers Clifford and KC Caudill also combined to let NC State’s Richard Howell
pull down 16 rebounds. Five of those were offensive, only two fewer than BC’s team offensive board total. At the end of the first half, guard Gabe Moton led the Eagles with three rebounds. Additionally, BC was inferior offensively on the post. While Clifford did shoot 5of-10 from the field, those numbers were aided by a couple of bailout calls, to which he went 1-of-4 from the free throw line. More importantly, the post moves he displayed were not his best. Among these included two lefty hooks that were blocked, a poorly executed line drive right hook, and fidgeting in the post that contributed to five turnovers from the big man. Conversely, for the few minutes that backup Caudill was in the lineup, his post moves looked superior to Clifford’s, and he finished 3-of-4 from the field. Jordan Daniels again proved he could knock down the three. On the heels of a 5-of-8 performance from downtown in BC’s recent two wins, Daniels again connected from beyond the arc in this game, going 3-of-6 for 9 points, good for second on the team. n
Experience not a luxury for Donahue’s struggling squad By Tim Jablonski Heights Staff
The talent gap between Boston College and Wake Forest is not as large as the 15-point differential in the Eagles’ 71-56 loss on Saturday afternoon. Neither team boasts true top recruits. Wake’s C.J. Harris was a top-25 point guard recruit and BC’s Ryan Anderson was the California Gatorade Player of the Year, but it’s not as if either generates Austin Rivers-level hype. Head coaches Steve Donahue and Jeff Bzdelik both took on rebuilding projects and are slowly turning around two programs that were widely projected to finish in the bottom two of the ACC this season. Saturday’s game was decided not by a difference in points or turnovers, but in one of college basketball’s most underrated stats—age. “I really wanted to bring in some veteran players off the bench,” Donahue said after a game in which he used nine different freshmen and sophomores. “Unfortunately, we don’t have that luxury.” The benefits that come from having spent years at a program are too numerous to list in full here: familiarity with the offense and teammates, increased confidence,
and physical maturity, to name a few. The veteran guile espoused by upperclassmen on the court can serve as a reference point, an emotional buoy for other players who haven’t been there enough to hold complete conviction in their own abilities. Experience was something the Eagles were lacking yesterday, especially with senior guard John Cahill missing the game with a shoulder injury. “At some points, we relax on offense and get stagnant,” Donahue said. “Wake really grinded it out and showed a lot of poise. They went to [Wake Forest leading scorer Travis] McKie when they needed to. They played smarter and tougher than we did.” Playing “smart” and “tough” are not naturally acquired traits. Just like sound free throw form, they are the result of targeted practice and study that build up muscle memory and basketball IQ to the point where certain on-court behaviors are, to a point, subconscious. This includes not falling for up-fakes around the hoop and playing sound post defense, which helped Wake Forest accrue 10 blocks yesterday, including six by center Ty Walker. This also includes not only understand-
ing the value of possession in a game, but actually exhibiting the patience to select good shots and avoid turnovers while holding off an opponent. Wake turned the ball over just three times during the second half, consistently earning good, but not great, looks at the hoop instead of trying in vain to find the perfect shot. Maintaining composure while your opponent makes a run is just as important as having the players who can carry you out of tough situations. After Anderson brought the Eagles within three points, McKie scored seven points during the ensuing 103 run that pushed the lead to double digits and put Wake on top for good. “We came out and made a run at them in the second half, and I thought they kept their poise,’’ Donahue said. “I thought they ran through their offense, and they consistently got better looks at the basket than we did.” Both teams were coming off games on Thursday night, so neither was exactly at their physical peak. With a 36-hour turnaround 800 miles from home, Wake Forest was able to keep it together for a full 40 minutes and grind out a win. They were the epitome of consistency, sticking to what they knew they could do through thick and thin.
This vital ability develops only after years of practice when players reach a point at which they stop questioning whether they’re capable of doing what it takes to win. “Right now, we have a snowball effect—in both directions,’’ Donahue said. “When things go bad, we have a tendency to let them get to us and compound it on both sides of the ball. When we do positive things, it ends up snowballing in that direction. “But we’ve got to continue to try to stress the 40-minute, the 35-second mental toughness that you need to persevere through hard times. Whether it’s a 35-second possession or a four-minute [scoreless] stretch in a game, these guys have got to learn how to do that.’’ The recipe for developing the fortitude Donahue is seeking is not nearly as simple as just time and practice. Keeping these players together for the next three years, though, will hopefully allow them to develop the synergy that veteran-laden teams possess, a trait that is criminally undervalued in this the era of the one-and-dones. For BC, the gap is familiarity and experience, not talent. Luckily for Donahue’s squad, these skills can only be gained more and more over the coming weeks, months, and years. n
The Heights
B4
Monday, January 23, 2012
Men’s hockey suffers weekend sweep at Maine From Men’s Hockey, B1 kept their teams in it, and the game could have gone BC’s way if not for some iffy penalty calls and a few lucky bounces. Going into the games, the biggest question for Jerry York and his Eagles was that of BC’s goaltending trio, who have all split playing time of late. Senior goaltender Chris Venti had gotten his first career start at Fenway Park last weekend against the Northeastern Huskies. In that game, he let just one goal slip between his pads in a victory that surely will prove to be a memory of a lifetime. Unfortunately, it seems that nothing was working for any of BC’s goalies this weekend. “We have three goaltenders now, and we’re going to play whoever gives us the
best chance to win,” York said. Though York went with Venti and Billett rather than junior goalie Parker Milner for these two games, he looks to employ a mix of all three of them going forward. BC now looks to rebound in a homeand-home matchup against New Hampshire next weekend. UNH (6-9-1) has won three of their last four games and is trying to put together a winning season in time for the Hockey East tournament. The Eagles are now tied for second place in the Hockey East with Merrimack and are four points behind Boston University for first place. Maine sits just a point behind the Eagles. With eleven games remaining in the season, BC needs a strong finish to ensure that they play in front of the Superfans this March. n
graham beck / heights editor
Mary Restuccia netted her third goal of the season on Friday night, sniping a slap shot past Providence goaltender Genevieve Lacasse.
BC gets pair of wins in impressive weekend From Women’s Hockey, B1 Senior captain Danielle Welch finished off the scoring for BC when she took a pass from Field and buried it top-shelf gloveside for the goal. On Friday night at home, the Eagles took care of business against Providence by a score of 3-2, as a late goal from Blake Bolden proved to be the gamewinner. With 4:37 left in the game, BC was holding steady with a 2-1 lead. Bolden gained control of the puck deep in her own zone and began to fly down the ice. She maintained possession, skating by multiple defenders in her way with speed and toughness. When she found herself at the right circle in the Providence zone, she let a wrist shot rip, and it went topshelf for her sixth goal of the year. “That was nice,” head coach Katie King Crowley said after she re-watched the highlight from the locker room following the game. “I kind of was like, ‘Who’s going out [on the line change]?’ Because I knew she was by herself down there. We’ve been preaching, ‘Put pucks on net, put pucks on net.’ That’s what she did, and she was able to find a hole. And that goalie’s a good goalie, so to find a hole there was pretty nice.” Just 17 seconds later, Providence’s Haley Frade made it 3-2 on a goal that went in through a flurry at the front of the net. The score was originally called off for high sticking, but after the officials reviewed the play, it was deemed a good goal.
For the final four minutes, the Eagles held strong and made sure the Friars could not even the score. Goaltender Corinne Boyles made a save on a PC shot with one second left, and the horn finally sounded to secure the 3-2 win. Throughout the first period, BC maintained solid puck possession, but struggled to capitalize on any scoring opportunities. On the other side of the ice, the Friars did not create many scoring chances, but they took advantage of a five-on-three power play to take the 1-0 lead. Rebecca Morse took a shot from the top of the zone, and the puck went off Boyles’ pad to Laura Veharanta, who was left alone. Veharanta had the whole net to work with and slid the puck into the back of the net for the first goal of the game. Early in the second period, the Eagles were again forced to go on the penalty kill, but this one worked in their favor. Boyles was a stone wall between the pipes, making multiple tough saves to keep it a one-goal game. Her stops gave her teammates a burst of energy, and just three minutes after the power play expired, the Eagles tied the game. The equalizer came from the stick of Mary Restuccia on a BC power play. The senior captain fired a slap shot from the point that was a snipe past PC goaltender Genevieve Lacasse. The two teams remained knotted up until the third period, when the Eagles took the lead for good. The first of their two third-period goals came in a unique situation, off a shorthanded, two-man
rush. Freshman Alex Carpenter blocked a pass on the penalty kill, gained control of the puck, and passed it ahead to Field. The two flew down the ice, eventually outskating the only defender left to give them a clear shot on Lacasse. Field took the puck until the last possible second, when she dished off a pass to Carpenter, who easily backhanded it for the lead. “[Carpenter and Field] haven’t connected in a while, so it was nice to see the two of them on a shorthanded goal,” Crowley said. “They’ve had opportunities in the last couple games, and it just got bobbled or something happened like that. So it was nice to see the two of them get one here in the second semester.” With the lead in hand, the Eagles did not let up their pressure on the Friars. They were also aided, once again, by the stellar goaltending of Boyles. Midway through the final frame, Providence’s Ashley Cottrell created a breakaway opportunity, going one-onone with Boyles. Cottrell used multiple dekes, trying to confuse Boyles, and ripped off a shot to the right of the goal. Although she was nearly sprawled out on the ice, Boyles used an incredible kick save to fend off the potential tying goal. “She’s been playing great for us,” Crowley said of Boyles. “She hasn’t really given the other teams any second chances. She’s come up with the big saves. That’s something we expect from her, but she’s also doing it more than we even expected. She’s doing a great job for us.” n
Michael c. york / ap photo
Michael c. york / ap photo
Brian Billett (above) and Quinn Smith (below) were swept by Maine this weekend in a tough series.
BC hockey stars bring their talents to the junior national stage Carpenter captains Team USA to silver
Arnold plays in tough atmosphere By Chris Marino
Assoc. Sports Editor In the midst of contending for a national championship with the Boston College men’s hockey team, sophomore Bill Arnold’s season-long efforts were rewarded when he received an invitation to participate in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships in Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta, Canada. As a member of the U.S. National Junior Team, Arnold played alongside some of the nation’s top talents. Representing his country and playing with and against some of the world’s best competition was a life-changing opportunity for the Needham, Mass. native. “It was definitely an honor and a privilege to get to play there,” he said. “That level of competition is something that I will never forget because you are playing against the best the world has to offer. It was really cool to get to represent my country out there.” Arnold definitely made an impact during his time up north. In six games, the forward finished with three goals and three assists. He spoke about the experience and expertise provided to him by the coaches and players from
By Chris Marino
Assoc. Sports Editor Boston College women’s ice hockey freshman Alex Carpenter spent her winter break leading Team USA in the IIHF U18 World Championship in the Czech Republic. The Reading, Mass. native was named a team captain and became a major factor for the team’s championship quest. Having been a recent staple of the U.S. women’s national hockey program, Carpenter was prepared and excited for the opportunity to compete once again. “I enjoyed it a lot,” she said of her time there. “A lot of my friends are on that team, so it was great to reconnect with them. It was just an overall great experience. I’ve been there twice before, but it was great to be there as a leader this time.” Carpenter chronicled her time in the Czech Republic through a series of blog posts. The forward described the games, the preparation for each game, as well as the adjustment to living in a new country. When asked about adjusting to the cultural differences in the area, Carpenter laughed. “The language was really hard, but I’d say that the hardest thing was adjusting to the food,” she said. “It was very difficult to eat over there. You’re served certain things, and you’re not really sure what it was. You just have to force it down to keep going.” While the team was made up of the world’s best, Carpenter stood out. She finished the tournament with four goals and five assists in five games. Statistics aside, Carpenter’s ability to lead her teammates was probably her most important contribution. “It’s pretty awesome,” she said of her leadership role. “I remember the leaders from my first year on the team. I based what I did off them. It was just really great to be able to help with the younger people, just like I was helped when I was at that level.” This kind of maturity and sportsmanship has become an important element of Carpenter’s repertoire. Her ability to look beyond her own play and focus on the
the team. “You just try to take everything in,” Arnold said. “What the coaches have to say. What the players have to say. You also take in the experience you get from playing against the other teams, and you just try to bring that back. You try to bring that back to the team and set a good example.” Although the U.S. team didn’t place in the tournament, Arnold still believes that the experience will be something he can take with him throughout the rest of his playing career and beyond. In particular, Arnold recalled the team’s contest with Canada. Both teams battled back and forth, but the home team prevailed, 3-2. “I will definitely remember the Canada game on New Year’s Eve,” he said. “The crowd was unbelievable, even though they were cheering against us. It was just a really cool experience to be a part of that. We didn’t win, but it was a really good game, so I’ll never forget that.” Arnold’s newfound experience from the tournament will hopefully serve as an instrumental tool for the Eagles, especially the younger players, as they continue their quest for a national championship. n
graham beck / heights editor
Alex Carpenter, named the captain of Team USA, led her squad to the silver medal over break. betterment of the team is something that certainly grew with her role as captain. When asked of her favorite moment of the tournament, she didn’t hesitate with her response. “It probably wasn’t even mine,” she said. “It was when my teammate, who is actually coming to play here next year, had a hat trick in three straight games. I think it was pretty nice watching her do that because she’s one of my best friends, and it was just great to see her do really well.” While most players would reflect on an accolade of their own, Carpenter has the maturity to focus on the importance of a
team effort. She understands that representing her country and working alongside her teammates are more important than her own individual performance. These skills can certainly benefit the women’s ice hockey team at BC, as the team looks to return to the Frozen Four and hopefully bring a national championship to the Heights. “I think I became more of a leader when I was over there,” Carpenter said. “Even though I’m not the oldest on this team, I still think I can bring some leadership qualities to help, even though we have three great captains.” n
graham beck / heights editor
As a member of the U.S. National Junior Team, Arnold played in hostile environments in Canada.
The Heights
Monday, January 23, 2012
B5
Experience and maturity prepare Matt Humphrey for new role By Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor
Right when the starters are announced at Conte Forum before a Boston College men’s basketball game, there is one player who stands out. It’s not the local sevenfooter, and it’s not any of the three freshmen from California. It’s Matt Humphrey, the lone junior being introduced amidst a crew of freshmen. He stands tall before the tip. Already 19 games into the season, his teammates still look like newcomers, but Humphrey carries experience and maturity to the hardwood. At 21 years old, he’s already a journeyman, and the second the game begins, his Chicago swagger starts to ooze out onto the court. It’s impossible to miss. While the younger players get psyched out or overly excited, Humphrey powers through his 29 minutes per night with unflinching confidence. Humphrey took the most indirect route from Chicago to Boston, with a two-year stint out west in Eugene at the University of Oregon before coming to Chestnut Hill.
Transferring schools and moving all the way across the country, especially as a college basketball player, is a huge adjustment. After sitting out a year at BC, where he could only practice with the team due to transfer rules, this season with nine new players has been an even bigger adjustment for Humphrey than that cross-country transition. It’s unlikely that any college basketball player has had to deal with as much change in the past four years as Humphrey has. Two up-and-down seasons at Oregon ended with Humphrey deciding to transfer to BC and play for first-year head coach Steve Donahue. After heading out west from Chicago, Humphrey had a difficult time moving again. “It’s been really tough bouncing all around the United States, but I just thought it was the best decision at the time,” he said. “If I was going to start fresh in a new place, BC was that place.” When Humphrey arrived at the Heights, he experienced the same feelings that any transfer student would. “It was definitely tough trying to figure
Graham Beck / Heights editor
The new youth movement at BC has moved Humphrey into the background this season.
out things that maybe a normal person going to school playing college basketball wouldn’t have to deal with” he said. “It’s definitely been a struggle from that standpoint.” At first, it was a tough transition, but once Humphrey started practicing with the Eagles last year, he began to feel more comfortable and found his groove. He formed a bond with Biko Paris, Corey Raji, Reggie Jackson, and the other upperclassmen on the team. On the scout team, Humphrey found his role. During practice before bigtime matchups, Humphrey would simulate the play of UNC’s Harrison Barnes, Duke’s Nolan Smith, or any other prolific player the Eagles were about to face. He fit the role perfectly. Humphrey is a pure scorer fueled by the undeniable toughness and swagger he developed back home in Chicago. “Chicago is the best place to play basketball, period,” he said. “Chicago high school basketball is an experience I don’t think most kids see. I went to a hell of a high school, but it was battles with guys who don’t even play college basketball right now. I had fun, but I developed that toughness, that swagger, that way to play the game because I had to have it to win. I was playing with guys a lot tougher than the average person, for whatever reasons, who are out there playing basketball with you.” Everything was starting to gel at BC for Humphrey with his job on the scout team last year and a starting spot waiting for him this season, but then some players graduated, some players left early, and all of a sudden, Humphrey was the veteran on a team full of inexperienced players. “[The scout team] was my role, and I did a pretty good job at it and definitely developed some chemistry with those guys, but nine of those guys left and nine new guys came in,” he said. “They’re all still trying to figure it out. They’re not used to playing with me and I’m not used to playing with them.” With all of the youth and inexperience joining the team, Humphrey thought that he would be the go-to scorer for the Eagles this season. “I most definitely thought that, but things change,” he said. “Game plans change, coaching and things change. I’ve got to go and find other ways to win.” More than anything else, Humphrey cares about winning, and although it took some time to adjust, he’s starting to settle in to his new role of facilitating for his younger teammates. “I want to get wins,” he said. “I want to win. Of course, I want to excel individually, but I want to win. If that means I’m scoring 30 a night and we’re winning, that’s cool. If
Graham Beck/ Heights Editor
In his new role, Humphrey has resorted to defending and rebounding well to help BC win. I’m scoring 15 a night and we’re winning, that’s cool. If I’m scoring 10, that’s cool.” Humphrey has had to change a lot about his game this season to accommodate for all the new players. Whereas he could have played like first-round draft picks Jordan Hamilton of Texas or Kemba Walker of UConn, putting up big points as a volume shooter, he now does a lot of dirty work. He has dreams about making it to the next level, but he understands that this season makes those dreams more of a challenge. “I talk about it with my dad a lot,” he said. “Sometimes it’s easy to deal with a situation like this. Kemba Walker did it last year with a lot of young guys, but he had a couple older guys on his team who understood. Everybody on the team understood who he was too. I don’t necessarily think we have that at all. But instead of harping on that, we’ve got to figure it out a different way. If the ball doesn’t swing, I’ve got to go get that rebound. If my shot doesn’t fall, I’ve got to get on defense and get a steal.” Earlier in the season, Humphrey would counter a poor shooting performance by just taking more shots. Now, if Humphrey’s jumper is off, he thrives on driving to the lane, playing tough defense, rebounding hard, and setting up his new teammates. “They’re a good group of guys,” he said of
the underclassmen. “We don’t live together or hang out too much outside of basketball, but we do hang out some and we’re cool off the court. I’m sure it helps them, maybe not me, but it helps them that they’re all together.” The focus this season has primarily been on the nine freshmen. In the effort to bring more basketball fans to Conte Forum, the young players have been marketed as the future of the program while Humphrey has been relatively ignored. He may be the most talented and exciting player on the roster, but his time is almost up while his teammates’ time is just beginning. This time last season he was playing as All-Americans during practice, and now he’s aiding a rebuilding process focused on a future after his graduation. It takes a great amount of maturity to accept such a dramatic swing in stride. Change is neither a bad nor a good thing, it’s just part of life. Humphrey has experienced all kinds of change both on and off the court during his collegiate career, and he keeps adapting. He’s travelled from coast to coast and gone from being a big time scorer to a hardworking role player. It’s that ability to adapt that makes Humphrey such a unique player and an important part of rebuilding this BC basketball program. n
Eagles are rebuilding at the perfect time Coming into the season, many predicted that the Boston College men’s basketball team would struggle through ACC play. The young team, made up of many new faces, would be lucky to pick up one win, and that’s only if they were to get some help along the way. And it made sense. Wake Forest was in the exact same position just last season: they would go to battle each night with three freshmen in their starting lineup. Furthermore, 10 scholarship players on their roster were underclassmen. Regardless of the fact that they pulled in four ESPNU Top 100 recruits, as expected in the ACC, they managed to pick up just one win in conference play (finishing 1-15). So how then is it that our very own Eagles have already managed two wins in just five games of conference play? This is a team that has started five freshmen on multiple occasions this year. This is a team that, in that very freshman class, only had one ESPNU Top 100 recruit (out of nine players signed). This is a team that was at times painful to watch early on in the season. However, they seemed to have turned it around. Head coach Steve Donahue certainly deserves praise for the vast improvement his players have displayed this year. Growing team chemistry has also played
a role in recent success. While this team won’t be able to compete for an ACC title, simply being able to compete in every game this season is undoubtedly a success. However, a weak Atlantic Coast Conference, perhaps the weakest we have seen in years, is likely the most significant reason for the Eagles’ two wins, and will be the reason they are at least able to pick up a few more W’s in 2012. Looking at college basketball’s major polls, it’s startling to find just three ACC programs listed in the Top 25. Those are Duke, UNC, and Virginia. However, a closer analysis of the conference’s assumed top programs is even more disheartening. Duke is the lone squad to crack a top-10 RPI ranking (a system that combines wins and strength of schedule for a more comprehensive way to compare college basketball teams). They are flawed, however, as they lack the veteran leadership so present in their past success. UNC comes in at 14th in the RPI following a crushing 33-point loss at Florida State.While this team certainly seems to have the pieces in place, the loss of junior guard Dexter Strickland will be tough to overcome. Finally, Virginia ranks 36th, with a strength of schedule listed at 133rd in the nation. Still, playing teams like Duke, UNC, and Virginia would be true tests for almost any team in the country, and certainly for the Eagles. However, once
you look past those three teams, with the addition of perhaps FSU and NC State, you have a group of mediocre programs that seems truly unrepresentative of what this conference has been in the past. The ACC standings after those five teams are as follows: Miami (RPI: 52), Virginia Tech (RPI: 90), Maryland (RPI: 96), Wake Forest (RPI: 102), Georgia Tech (RPI: 150), Clemson (RPI: 175), and BC (RPI: 224). RPI is not a perfect science, but these ranks are very low. Joe Lunardi’s most recent version of Bracketology predicts that only four ACC teams will make the 68-team NCAA tournament field. That means the SEC and Big 12 will place more tournament teams. Additionally, it means that perennial powerhouse conferences like the Mountain West and Atlantic-10 will get an equal number of bids as the Atlantic Coast Conference. So what does this all mean for Eagles fans? Well, it means we won’t exactly see much elite competition this year in Conte Forum. But on a positive note, it means that a rebuilding year here on the Heights could result in many more confidenceboosting wins than ever expected. So really, a weak ACC might be the best thing we could have asked for.
Dave Groman is a guest columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@ bcheights.com.
Graham Beck/ Heights editor
The Eagles have tipped off against a weak crop of ACC teams, like Wake Forest, making it easier to stay confident in a rebuilding year.
woogeon kim \ heights photo illustration
Dave Groman
B6
The Heights
Monday, January 23, 2012
The Heights
Monday, January 23, 2012
The Real World
2012 holds political promise Ryan McGuill If 2011 was like a car ride driven by your batty great aunt who’s a little jerky behind the wheel but responsible given her experience on the road, then this year is setting itself up to be a late-night joy ride in a half-dead Buick LeSabre, driven by your friend who looks at the backseat every time he tells a story, which is far too often for your comfort. In other words, 2012 is going to be one hell of a bumpy, exciting ride. “Why is this the case, Ryan?” you might be pondering aloud. “My best friend owns a Buick LeSabre and he always obeys traffic laws. He doesn’t even have a radio in his car because it’s such a distraction!” Well, hypothetical reader, your friend is 2010: boring, dull, insignificant. 2012 is about to yield some pretty intense events from a social and political standpoint that will shrink the importance of the past few decades so significantly that you’ll probably forget what year you were born in. For starters, 2012 has to be the best year ever because it might be the last one! According to ancient prognosticators like Nostradamus and the Mayans and CGI-obsessed Hollywood directors like Roland Emmerich, the history of the world is set to terminate on Dec. 21, 2012. Will it be a black hole, a giant inferno, or a plot similar to M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening that seals our fate? Who knows, but this spooky date better be accurate or I might just keel over and die out of anxious anticipation for my Christmas gifts. Fingers crossed for the Perfect Meatloaf Maker! While I might not live to unwrap another pair of thermal socks on Christmas morning, I do know that we’ll be able to squeeze in another election before the Apocalypse (however, I’m not ruling out the possibility of the world ending by nuclear beams shot out from Michele Bachmann’s cold Medusa eyes). As my hopes of having a Pokemon-enthusiast POTUS were recently crushed by Herman Cain’s withdrawal (Cain quoted “The Pokemon Movie” in his final campaign speech, for those of you who think I’m making zero sense right now), there’s still an interesting cast of characters in the GOP race to potentially replace President Obama in the Oval Office. Receiving over 40 percent of the votes in the recent South Carolina Republican Primary, Newt Gingrich has emerged as a frontrunner for the nomination alongside Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, and dark-horse mastermind Ron Paul, who’s probably plotting his emergence in some secret mountainside lair at the moment. Part of the intrigue of the GOP race comes from the thorny and oftentimes controversial storylines surrounding its candidates and how these storylines affect the American people. Newt Gingrich has had his fair share of mental lapses, like when he said in 2007 that bilingual education teaches “the language of living in a ghetto.” And we mustn’t forget when good old Newt claimed that women were not fit to be in the trenches because “they get infections.” Although the majority of Americans might not admire President Obama’s performance thus far at the helm of the Executive Branch, you have to admit that he’s a pretty sound guy. We’ve ultimately been pampered for the last few years by a virtuous and righteous leader who never makes these insensitive comments and who’s most egregious moral mishap might have been when he swatted a fly on live air and got PETA in a hot fuss. With Gingrich taking the South Carolina primaries, does this signify that Americans are okay with electing a leader who has a sound fiscal policy but a mouth like your outspoken uncle Chuck after a few too many vodka-crans during Thanksgiving dinner? Additionally, Mitt Romney and his devout worship of Mormonism have significantly hindered the success of his campaign. The link between politics and religion has always been one of the more perplexing facets of our governmental system, in its more obvious occurrences (“One nation, under God …”) to the less blatant ones (Richard Nixon was a Quaker; pretty random, right?). This separation of church and state has been engrained in our Constitution and assured in our personal freedoms, yet faith almost seems to be a necessary trait in our leaders. In Romney’s case, 2012 will reveal whether Americans are comfortable enough to elect a man who firmly believes in radical religious theories, only one step in the unblazed trail that is our country’s striving for progress. The presidential race is only the tip of the iceberg in a year that will see the London Olympics, a potential decision on the Keystone XL Pipeline, and, of course, The Dark Knight Rises. Buckle up, 2012; we haven’t even left the driveway yet. Ryan McGuill is a staff writer for The Heights. He welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com
B7
Three weeks in and New Year’s resolutions need tweaking By Courtney MacCauley For The Heights
New Year’s resolutions pose as a chance for individuals to set a certain goal with the motivation to try something new or rid old habits from the previous year. It is an opportunity for people to reflect on their accomplishments or downfalls that they had been faced with and now have the chance to alter. New Year’s is the time to look back at the past while also making plans for the future. The funny thing about New Year’s resolutions is that more often than not, even if they were originally well intentioned, they are simply unrealistic. It is a rarity to find someone who has actually committed himself to maintain that certain promise he made when ringing in the New Year for the entire 12 months to follow. This is usually because people often declare resolutions that are quite drastic, such as going to the gym every day or not eating a single chip for the entire year. Instead, people should approach resolutions with smaller, more manageable steps that will gradually lead them toward the bigger goal of which they hope to accomplish in the New Year. If a plan is in place to help one achieve a certain resolution, it is much more likely that the person accomplishes his goal. The most popular New Years’ resolutions center around improving one’s health or looks and attempting to quit either smoking or drinking. Many students around campus were asked about their resolutions and if they have kept them thus far. This year, an alarming majority of students shared that they hoped to exercise more and become frequent users of the Plex (especially during the winter when students are prone to staying indoors). Many also reported to have made academic resolutions as well. “This semester I plan to apply myself better in my classes by being more attentive and a copious note taker in order to improve my final grades for second semester,” said Grace
Daniel lee / heights editor
The recently overcrowded Plex is a product of students’ attempts to maintain resolutions. O’Connor, A&S ’15. Students have also made other academic resolutions such as completing their assignments on time and not falling behind on their work load, as well as waking up and going to bed earlier so they are more rested when tackling their schoolwork for the day. Other freshmen have entirely different approaches to New Year’s resolutions. “This year I will try to remove myself from all the technology I am surrounded with on a daily basis by only using Facebook for about an hour each day,” said Katherine Lemone, A&S ’15. However, so far she has had trouble sticking with that resolution with the lingering temptation of her old habits. Already slightly under a month into the New Year and students are finding themselves needing to tweak some of their resolutions to better fit their schedules or simply to make them more realistic for a full year. One student had previously promised himself that he would significantly reduce the amount
of times he would go out and party this year. When he realized that his resolution was broken the first weekend into the New Year he decided to alter it by instead promising to not stay out as late as he used to during his first semester at school. The students who have kept their resolutions thus far are those who made resolutions that had multiple yet very attainable steps to achieve first before reaching the larger goal. For example, one student reports that in order to lose weight this semester, instead of starting a diet she knew she wouldn’t stick to, she vowed to start eating yogurt for breakfast and adding more fruits to her daily meals. Professors have a very different take on resolutions than the students. These resolutions consist more of better balancing their finances for the upcoming year or cutting back to necessities and not splurging. Interestingly enough, many of the professors interviewed have in fact stuck to their resolutions up to
this point and even reported feeling a sense of accomplishment and optimism in their hope to continue withholding their promise further into the New Year. Students were also asked about whether or not they actually found New Year’s resolutions to be helpful and if they believed they truly worked to form better habits. Among the responses were a few that shared their opinion of “not changing their habits or the way in which they live their life simply because of a resolution.” If people wish to change their mannerisms or improve their health, they will do that when they are ready, regardless of the time of the year. However, a different handful of students do in fact believe in the validity of New Year’s resolutions and the power one has to improve one’s life if he or she is willing to continuously pursue the goal. They said that “New Year’s resolutions can definitely work if one is determined enough to succeed and it’s a great way for someone to set new goals for themselves. The motivation and the willingness to maintain the promise one makes to his or herself at the stroke of midnight can serve as an accomplishment within itself because it is such a rewarding feeling to see that hard work pay off.” Clearly the student body has two very different viewpoints on the validity of resolutions and whether or not they are even worth making to begin with. However, it is statistically shown that between 40-45 percent of people make up to three different resolutions each year. There is no harm in this either. In fact, maybe making three small resolutions instead of one large one will be more beneficial in the long run. That being said, if students find themselves in situations where they can’t uphold their original New Year’s resolutions or find it too difficult to even want to pursue them any longer, they should simply make a new resolution altogether. The bottom line is to make goals for the New Year that lead to improvement upon downfalls of the previous year. Seize the opportunity, make a plan, and start setting some goals! n
BC students partake in the Spanish experience Madrid, from B10 for dinner. As Wormser noted, Madrid is a large city that the students are forced to navigate independently,. Academics are still a part of the study abroad experience, although many students noted that the warm weather made it feel like a vacation at first. There are three BC Programs in Madrid, including Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universidad Carlos III, and Universidad Pontificia Comillas de Madrid. The fourth option for BC students looking to be in Madrid is to study through an external program at St. Louis University at Madrid. The Office of International Programs (OIP) at BC helps interested students narrow their options and select the program that is best for each person. Pat Sullivan, A&S ’13, found support from BC. “OIP was very helpful with telling me about the different programs in Madrid and the classes I could
take at each program,” Sullivan commented. Bellavia, who is currently studying at St. Louis University at Madrid, explained that BC requires five courses to be taken. On the other hand, students studying at SLU Madrid from other universities are not all required to take five courses. “We have a full course load here, so BC keeps us at a higher academic standard while abroad,” Bellavia said. LaFrance, another BC student at SLU Madrid, also found this requirement to be positive for her academic pursuits. “It creates a good work ethic while abroad,” LaFrance remarked. The requirement ensures that students take their academics seriously while exploring a new country. A unique component of studying abroad in Madrid, in comparison to a less frequented location, is the large number of BC students there. With four universities, BC students are sure to find one another either in class or after school. Though some critics may argue that being surrounded by fellow students from
Chestnut Hill does not enable the full experience of independence in a new country, many students in Madrid disagree. “I see it as a major advantage because you can have a support system while going through this new experience and big change,” LaFrance said. “It’s not like we’re at BC.” She also commented that knowing more people allows you to keep meeting more students and widen your network abroad. Sullivan shared a similar sentiment. “I think the large number of BC students in Madrid adds to my abroad experience because, for me, at least with them here it is easier to become adjusted to life in Spain,” he said. Bellavia further agreed with this idea and also explained that she has been able to meet other BC students in Madrid who she did not previously know in Chestnut Hill. She feels that the presence of BC students has not kept her from fully experiencing Madrid. “You are still out of your comfort zone, so it’s not hindering to have BC kids here,” Bellavia said.
Keeping in touch with friends from home or still at BC is something that many abroad students are persistent in doing. Wormser explained how she is able to stay in contact, even with a six-hour time difference between Madrid and the East Coast. “Having Facebook really does help you keep in touch, and I was even able to find the Frozen Fenway streaming online,” she said. Sullivan added that he also uses Facebook, Twitter, and Skype to keep in contact with friends and family in America. The spirits of BC students in Madrid are currently high as they begin their abroad experiences. Thankful for the preparation and assistance provided by BC, many feel comfortable with adjusting to life in Spain. Bellavia noted the importance and benefits of the BC language requirement in aiding her Spanish speaking skills. Although their experience has just begun, many seem happy that they chose Madrid. As Wormser explained, “I can’t wait to see where my abroad adventure takes me.” n
Belfast issue still hangs in the balance Belfast, from B10 research and the enterprise of oral history.” Trust will be lost, and ultimately these projects may cease to exist. Our fundamental oral history roots as a nation will take a huge hit in the continuation of this trial. Fear and worry will creep into historical research. People being inter vie wed, if the y can be convinced to do so in the first place, may omit details or important anecdotes in fear for their lives. They will have to question whether they will be protected, or whether their words, though a benefit to the larger academic community, will cause them physical harm, or even death. Justice is also inherently a part of our American tradition, though. Ultimately, BC will not stand in its way. These tapes will hopefully bring solace to a family, indict criminals, and bring justice to one of the IRA’s acts of cruelty. BC did what they had to, and handed over the tapes. But the lesson has to be that projects of a sensitive nature need to be protected by law. Contracts need to be made if promises are to be made as well. Things need to be double-checked, and there must be a sense of trust that exists between interviewer and interviewee. Rebuilding this trust will be a difficult task for oral historians to come. Though the road to trust will most likely prove to be a long and difficult one, it is worth traveling down. The world needs oral history. We need our stories recorded for generations to come: the good ones, the bad ones, and the horrible ones. These pieces of the story are important beacause without the past, we will never grow and learn in the future. n
The Heights
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editor’s column
Trending beyond Twitter
Therese Tully At this moment in time, Twitter has found a way to encapsulate the feeling, or the zeitgeist if you will, of what is relevant in our world today. This information, from the most mundane to the most important, is crafted by regular people and is available to anyone with an Internet connection. In this column, I hope to show everyone who picks up an issue of The Heights what is trending at Boston College at this moment in time. What is important to the students, faculty, and administration, what is hot on campus right now, or what is an issue on campus this year. Right now at BC, syllabus week is ending, and the real semester is beginning. A very packed O’Neill Library is currently trending here on campus. Though professors and students alike all get sucked into the mindset that syllabus week is a joke week of classes, this is not always the case. Syllabus week has the potential to be one of the most stressful weeks on campus. The constant need to stalk the UIS system to see if that class you wanted opened (no, Immune System: Friend or Foe is still closed, trust me—I checked about 8,000 times) can be both stressful and time-consuming. Also, some teachers choose to dive right into the class material and assign work, which means that if you do switch classes during the add/drop period, too bad, you are already behind. So heading into the library toward the end of syllabus week, I was shocked to see how many people were there. It wasn’t as busy as say, finals week, but it was still pretty darn crowded. Maybe we all are just in that mindset still. Last time we were on campus there was widespread panic about exams, and competition to get to the library before the crack of dawn to secure the perfect study location for the day (big tables, fifth floor of O’Neill). But for whatever reason, the library has been packed. Which reminds us that even though it is syllabus week, BC students really take their education seriously. We work hard; we play hard. Speaking of playing hard, this past week BC students have been making great efforts to expand, if not break out of, the “BC Bubble” that the world is always telling us we are trapped in. Through the efforts of BC to Boston as well as Nights on the Heights, students were able to purchase tickets to the Celtics game this past weekend, which was wildly popular (I should know, I wasn’t able to get tickets myself ). Throughout the semester these groups have some wonderful deals and events, so they are good to look out for. Additionally, Barstool’s Blackout Tour tickets went on sale on Friday, and also sold out incredibly fast (didn’t get those ones either). Music and sporting events are two great ways to get off campus. It is important to get into the city of Boston, and it seems that students are taking advantage of syllabus week to start exploring the city already. Despite the snow and the bitter cold, it is refreshing to see students take these steps to leave Chestnut Hill behind just for a few hours and see something new. Just the other day, I heard some freshmen talking about their own Boston bucket lists for the semester, while sitting at Conte on the Comm. Ave. bus forever. It seems that all around campus people are looking for things to do. My own spring bucket list includes going to my first ever Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Though I happen to be a Yankees fan born and raised, I think a trip to Fenway is a worthy excursion, and hey, I like hot dogs and baseball. Speaking of food, item number two on the bucket list would be to find a decent bagel place in Boston. I find myself missing New Jersey bagels more than anything. Goals, both academic and otherwise, are the way to get things done, so why not make some concrete ones, no matter how trivial. This semester seems to have kicked off to a fantastic start: the campus is cloaked in white, students are hitting the books even during syllabus week, and plans are being made to utilize the great city that is right on our doorstep. So check in for what’s trending here, hopefully there are lots of good things to come this semester.
Therese Tully is the Features Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Hidden potential of the add/drop period By Bridget Norris For The Heights
Climbing up the third floor staircase of Carney, you realize that you are going to have to make this trek every Friday at 2 p.m. when all you really want is a nap and an ice cold drink. You find your classroom and awkwardly squeeze into a half-deskhalf-chair that was clearly designed for a 90-pound middle school boy. A few minutes later, your professor rushes in, throws a 10-page syllabus at you, and jumps right into the first lecture before you even have time to make sure there isn’t a midterm the Monday after St. Patty’s Day. You look up on the board and see a massive graph of limits, and suddenly it hits you: Calculus I is just not happening this semester. You cannot wait to get to your Mac, pull up UIS, and drop the class. Overcome with a massive sense of relief, you smile and stare out the window for the rest of class, dreaming of the easy-A Finite class you plan to add as soon as the clock strikes 2:51. It is times like these that Boston College’s add/drop period comes in handy. The process is pretty simple, according to Louise Lonabocker, executive director of Student Services. Throughout the sevenday period, a student can “drop,” or withdraw from, any class without explanation or penalization. He or she can also “add”, or enroll in, any new class that was not previously included in his or her schedule. This is all done on the UIS system of registration. “Behind the scenes is automated. Students process their own add/drops, but overrides have to be processed within the departments or within Student Services,” Lonabocker explained. In the past, this procedure was slightly different. There used to be only five days
during add/drop, which caused significant issues for students enrolled in once-a-week night classes. They could go the whole period without ever attending that class, so they were somewhat stuck with their decision. Now, two days have been added to make it a full week of add/drop, solving this problem. In addition, students have extra time to drop any class without a “W” for “Withdraw” showing up on their transcripts. This works well for students who become overwhelmed later in the semester, or those taking extra credits who ultimately decide it is too much. This semester, the drop-only time period will last until Feb. 15. Attempts to override flare up during add/drop when students who have been anxiously watching the UIS realize that no spots have opened up in their desired class. The concept of the override is the stickiest and most complex part of registration because there is no universal set of rules; it varies from professor to professor. Bonnie Jefferson, a communication professor, explained that the ability to override is based on multiple variables. Sometimes, a classroom size can be restrictive in that there are a limited number of seats, like a tiny chalkboard-only room in Gasson. Other times, the necessary class equipment limits the ability to override, such as the number of cameras in a production class. Even the situation of the student makes a difference. Professors must be more flexible towards transfers who had no previous chance to register, than toward a desperate junior trying to dodge an 8 a.m. class. Over the years, students have come up with interesting tricks to get ahead in the game of add/drop. A girl who wants to pick up a class her friend is about to drop will
make the classic UIS exchange. Both log into the program at the same time, and the second she drops the class, the lucky friend picks it up. Students looking for overrides send desperate e-mails to professors. There are those who play the “athlete” card, while others suck-up to the professor with lines such as “I have heard wonderful things about you and your course!” Craftier students concoct ridiculous excuses related to irrelevant things. Kelsie Dorn, an English major, women’s studies minor, and A&S ’12, took advantage of social networks by making her Facebook status, “Dear absent students for the first 2 Shakespeare classes, though I am sure we would love to have you, if you do not wish to take the class, pretty please drop it so this desperate student could snag your spot. That would be great. Nerdy and doing the assignments without a spot in the class, Kelsie.” This cry for help got eight likes and two comments, but unfortunately, even Facebook couldn’t solve her add/drop problem. She continues to anxiously await her acceptance. Though not everyone would agree, there are some advantages to having the add/drop period at BC. It gives students an opportunity to sample the courses when they have difficulty pinpointing the ones they wish to take. Students can even sit in on classes before deciding whether to add them. “You get to meet the teacher, see who’s in your class, see what the syllabus is like, and find out when your finals are,” said Hannah Mulvey, economics major, International Studies minor, and A&S ’14, who uses add/drop to its full advantage. Students get a better answer to questions like, “Will there be a lecture every day?”; “Is the early time worth it?”; and “Is my professor as cool as everyone on PEPs
said he was?” On the other hand, some major drawbacks come with the add/drop period. Adding a class after missing the first session is the most obvious issue. The student begins the semester behind, and though most professors do not delve into the material on the first day, there are some who do exactly that. The first couple of days are crucial for getting the classroom vibe and a feel for the teacher. The later the student adds a class, the more work he or she misses and the less time he or she has to switch out if it is still not the right fit. Jefferson explained the professor’s viewpoint, explaining, “Even having missed the first four sessions, a student can come into the class. It sends the wrong message.” Everyone at BC knows that UIS is not the most tech-savvy program for class registration, but future changes are in place. Sadly, it will be past the time when current students have graduated, but regardless, the new system promises to improve the process. The program will include all kinds of features, like a four-year planning option and a shopping cart that students can add potential classes to. A waitlist option will make the add/drop period much more painless. It allows students to select full classes that they want to be in so that the system can alert them when the class is open, offering the lucky student 24 hours to add the class. The waitlist will virtually eliminate the burden of UIS-stalking. As this semester’s add/drop period comes to a close, students start to settle into their schedules. While some adjust to their radically new agendas, others stick with the schedule similar to the one they made during registration. Students can breathe that final sigh of relief when the uncertainty of add/drop is over. n
professor profile: Luke Jorgensen By Cathryn Woodruff Heights Editor
With a B.A. from Boston College, an M.A. in Theatre from Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in Theatre History from Tufts University, Professor Luke Jorgensen has all his ducks in a row. Competence to teach aside, he brings a radiant enthusiasm to the classroom every day. This classroom for Jorgensen is often lit by giant stage lights and filled with hundreds of red chairs and eager students. At BC, Jorgensen teaches Acting II—a class which uses “improvisation and a little Shakespeare.” Mixing techniques, students learn how to build a character on stage. He also teaches a class called “Creative Dramatics” (I and II), and “Introduction to Theatre.” Intro to Theatre, in particular, is interesting in its diverse crop of students. Because this class fulfills the art core, the course attracts everyone from extreme theatre enthusiasts to athletes, making for a very unique classroom experience. Jorgensen always knew he was interested in theatre—he grew up in an acting-driven family and participated in many plays during his time as an undergraduate at BC. Yet he majored in English and communication, later pursuing a career in journalism. A coworker at his internship with Channel 5 once proposed that perhaps journalism wasn’t for him. “You’re in this for the show. You love that every day you can put on a show in the newsroom,” he said to Jorgensen. Jorgensen laughs about this comment, saying, “I think he was really right. When asked to name 10 congressmen, I couldn’t. I loved the art of putting on a show more than I loved journalism.” Jorgensen’s recipe for life is a mixture
Graham Beck / heights editor
of theatre and community service. He has found a way to intertwine both passions. He noted rather modestly that he was lucky enough to get a small part in a well-known movie, School Ties, just after graduating from college. However, for the rest of his year off after college he worked on “Project Climb,” where he helped kids who were awaiting trial for violent crimes. This same combination of arts and service is still very much apparent in his life as a teacher. He works at the Campus School and at some other local schools with at-risk kids, noting that arts can be very therapeutic for all sorts of different people. Aside from his accomplishments in the office, Jorgensen is a homebody. When he’s not producing an elaborate play, chatting with his students and comrades, writing a children’s book, or scripting the “First Year Experience” freshman orientation skits, he’s at home
with his family. Although he’s proud of his achievements in academia, he noted with even more pride his greatest achievement at home. “My dad was a very difficult person,” he said, “My home life as a kid was very hard, so I think having three well-adjusted children of my own and being an involved father after not having grown up with a model is my greatest achievement.” What makes Jorgensen most unique is his ability to relate to the student body—having attended the same college as all of his students, he harbors a rare understanding of their endeavors and what it truly means to be a BC student. “I think I’m definitely not a professor that likes to think of himself as the expert,” he said. “I love the creative energy my job evokes in me. In my classes, we have all agreed, for whatever reason, to look into this material for the semester. A really good class for me is when I’m
learning from the students, as well, because everyone brings something different to the table. I’m incredibly excited that it’s a lot of discovery all the time. I never feel like I’m going to do the same thing.” It is this hunger for discovery and novelty that drove Jorgensen to design his unique spin on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which will be performed in Robsham Theater at the end of April. He directs one play at BC every two years, so it is bound to be quite a production. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jorgensen acknowledges, of all plays, is perfect for a college-aged audience. Although Shakespeare’s original play is set in Greece, Jorgensen has decided to set his rendition of the classic play in India during the British raj. This play will actually be performed in Bollywood fashion—with lots of bright colors, acrobats, and six big splashy dance numbers. It is bound to be loud, vivacious, and colorful—mixing the bright quirkiness of Bollywood dance and culture with the classic tale of lovers breaking boundaries to be together. His influence on the student body is substantial. Steven Kreager, A&S ’12, noted, “I had him in class sophomore year in Acting II, and then this semester I’m currently in Creative Dramatics II with him. Luke’s fun in class—he’s not only a good guy, but he also manages to balance being the teacher in charge with being your friend. His class is a fun and friendly environment because you feel like you can hang out with him and be comfortable.” When asked about something his students may not know about him, Jorgensen replied: “I probably disclose everything. I wear my heart on my sleeve.” n
he said/she said I started a ‘thing’ with someone three weeks before break, and I am worried that now that winter break has passed things might be different. I am still definitely interested in pursuing something. What should I do?
Even though the vacation might not have helped the situation, if you’re still definitely interested in pursuing something, why wouldn’t the other person feel the same way? There’s no reason that the start of the semester should mean things need to start over or change, and truthfully I would bet that the other person feels the same way. Even if you didn’t get the opportunity to talk much over break, why not use that as a way to reconnect and then see what happens? Your concern is, of course, understandable, as it can be difficult to get a Alex Trautwig read on someone even without a three-week hiatus, but I would just go along with it and try to feel out the situation. I would imagine that it will become pretty clear once you see each other what might develop. Perhaps the best option, but also one of the more difficult routes, would be to have a conversation about it if you are really that unsure. My astute counterpart pointed out that communication is key, and this is not only true over breaks to help build on what you have, but it’s also essential to communicate with each other about the situation. And in the end, if it seems that there is some ambiguity, why not be the one to try and initiate things again? It’s easier said than done, but could work out very well and provide you with a great opportunity to move forward from where you were before winter break.
Alex Trautwig is a senior staff writer for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.
This is definitely a tricky situation for college students. Not being able to see the person you were hooking up with for the month-long vacation can put some doubt in your mind regarding your status. You should try to keep the same communication between each other as you had before break. Definitely put the same amount of effort into the relationship as you did prior to vacation. You seem very dedicated to this person; therefore, I think it is worth continuing. However, you should be cau- Madeline Demoulas tious and not put too much pressure on the relationship, since you have only been together for a few weeks. You don’t want to make this person feel overwhelmed. Take the first couple weeks back to school to feel out the situation. Once you spend a little time together you will know where each person stands. That being said, if you think the relationship has fizzled out, you have to remember that this is a new semester and there is plenty of time to find someone new. Just keep an open mind and everything will fall into place.
Madeline Demoulas is a senior staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.
The Heights
Monday, January 23, 2012
Kuechly leaves BC to enter draft and pursue NFL dreams
B9
A surprising blind date for two BC sophomores
Eagle Dates
Meet the Daters:
Sam Gervase
Kuechly, from B10 hawks as well, Hayes is undecided about his personal plans for the future, as were other notable athletes before him at this point. “I’m kind of just playing it by ear. I love BC. I love everything about it. I love the coach and all the guys on the team, so right now it’s just taking it year by year, but I don’t see myself leaving,” Hayes said of his own plans. Most student athletes take this same approach until something sparks them to consider the alternative, such as a call from the Blackhawks, or an exceptional game in Miami that opens up more opportunities. Once Kuechly made the decision and announced it to the world, the next step was to hire an agent, Tom Condon, a BC graduate and agent to, among others, Mark Herzlich and Anthony Castonzo. Condon set him up in a training camp in Bradenton, Fla., the same location that previous BC players have trained at, where he currently spends his days working out with approximately 30 other players training for the draft combine. “I got to Florida the Monday after I decided that I was going to enter the draft, and I’ll be here until the combine starts in the end of February in Indianapolis. I spend the whole day training here. We wake up at 6:30, and all the guys eat together, we go on morning runs, do position drills, we lift in the afternoons, and we also do some individual workouts. It’s kind of like we’re our own little team down here for right now,” Kuechly said. Still, he makes a point of noting that he misses the BC football team. “I like being at BC with all of my friends,” Kuechly said. “You become so close with the guys on the team, and I lived with the same guys for three years. The relationships that you form with everyone, coaches included, are really strong. It would’ve been nice to have another year with those guys, but they’ve all been supportive of my decision. My friends are always going to be my friends, regardless.” While he may have loved being here, it is no secret that BC loved having him here. “Luke Kuechly is one of the best young men to come through Boston College in my 15 years here. He is just a great person, he’s a terrific student, and he’s a terrific football player. He really is,” DeFilippo said, who also noted that he made Kuechly promise to keep in touch and one day return for his degree. Though it may presently seem disappointing to BC football fans that Kuechly will not be returning to play a final season here, he leaves as one of the school’s most decorated players and the best linebacker in the its history. Everyone who knows him agrees that few people deserve an opportunity such as this one as much as he does, and everyone looks forward to seeing what he can and will achieve in his post-BC career, both on and off the field. n
Daniel Lee/ heights editor
NAME: Sam Gervase YEAR: 2014 Major: Finance Favorite Ethnic Cuisine: Italian Favorite Movie: The Departed
Name: Sarah Devizio Year: 2014 Major: Applied Psych and Theater Favorite Ethnic Cuisine: Italian FAVORITE MOVIE: Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Eagle Dates return and are highly successful for Sam and Sarah Heights: Where did you go on your date?
Heights: How did your date begin?
Sam: Zaftig’s Delicatessen in Coolidge Corner followed by an ice cream stop at JP Licks.
Sarah: We met at Lower bus stop to take the T to Coolidge Corner.
Heights: How nervous were you for this date?
Heights:How did you prepare for this date?
Sam: Considering I found out I was going on the date 20 minutes beforehand, not at all. The anticipation is the worst part and I didn’t really have any anticipation.
Sarah: Actually we were both late, so I don’t know how prepared either of us were!
Heights: How did the conversation go? Sam: It went smoothly, other than the first five minutes when she was sitting down on the Comm. Ave. bus and I was standing awkwardly above her. After that though we started chatting about school, our hometowns, our families, and we kept making fun of each other’s word choice and grammatical errors. Heights: What was the most surprising thing you learned about your date?
Heights: What did you guys talk about? Sarah: We talked about school, our families, what we like to do, random things! Heights: What was the most surprising thing you learned about your date? Sarah: The most suprising thing I learned was that he was in West Side Story in high school. Heights: What was the highlight of your evening?
Sam: She didn’t have a Facebook! When the girls across the hall from me asked her name to Facebook stalk, the news took them by surprise. I like the fact she doesn’t have a Facebook; if only I had that self-control.
Heights: Would you call the evening a success?
Heights: What does the future hold for you two?
Heights:What does the future hold for you two?
Sam: The beauty of an actual date is there are a number of options. With a second date as a very likely event, there’s no pressure to move things along too fast. Friendship, dating, who knows?
Sarah:Well he proposed so…
Heights: How did you end the date? Sam: After both getting off the Comm. Ave. stop in front of Robsham, we both just looked at each other trying to decide what to do. Almost out of habit, I asked her if she wanted to come up to my room and meet my friends and see the place. She accepted, but said she had to meet up with a friend in a little bit. After taking about three steps, I had a change of heart. Knowing the encounter could be awkward or even lead to something more, I retracted my offer and said we should end the date on a good note and leave the externalities of Boston College out of the picture. It was definitely the right decision.
Sarah: The highlight of the evening was definitely JP Licks!
Sarah: Yes!
RATE YOUR DATES NAME: Sam Gervase
Name: Sarah Devizio
Rate the date on a scale of 1 – 5 (5 being best)
Rate the date on a scale of 1 – 5 (5 being best)
4.72
5.00
Campus Chronicles
Navigating through the difficulties of syllabus week Jennifer Lavoie After a month of sitting in my basement catching up on missed episodes of Jersey Shore while enjoying my mom’s weekly rotation of the five classic dinner meals, it was finally time to head back to Boston College. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy winter break as much as the next person, but there really is no other week in the year which has the ability to trump the excitement that has come to circulate around syllabus week. Seven whole days of simply doing whatever we want, easing our way into what we hope will be a semester that can top the last, while of course, treating every night of the week as if it were the last Saturday on earth. However, in the midst of the commotion and excitement, there are the small things that can seem utterly stressful after a month where our biggest daily struggle was the decision: Cocoa Puffs or Fruity Pebbles? My first moment of realization that I was no longer on winter break was 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday morning as the classic “Marimba” ring tone went off next to me. After snoozing the alarm until roughly 8:45 a.m., I managed to pull myself out of bed in an attempt to look presentable for the first day of classes. Already, I was counting down the days until Saturday sleep-in day. The issue that most BC students find
themselves in is add/drop period. No matter how hard we try, and no matter how many PEPs we read, many of us can never seem to get our classes just right. I will admit though, I did learn a lot and proceeded with great caution when picking classes after last semester’s midterm week straight out of an R.L. Stein novel. Luckily, this semester I will be avoiding the infamous trip to Lyons along with numerous e-mails begging for a muchneeded override. For those who aren’t preoccupied with trying to get out of that science class they heard was an easy A, there is the understated issue of simply getting back into the normal routine. I won’t be humble in saying that by the end of last semester I had my weekly schedule down to the exact time I needed to arrive at Hillside in order to beat the omelet line. And let me just say, that took a lot of trial-and-error runs. But a new semester means a new routine. Having back-to-back two-hour classes on the third floor of Carney, then in Merkert (does this building even exist?) does tend to complicate things a little. However, I won’t give up in finding some way to enjoy my New England Classic during the day. So by the end of my first day, I was completely ready to run back to my dorm and post up on the couch to go over first day stories with my roommates. However, as I was about to enter the Hillside elevator, I saw a girl carrying
a bag of books in those classic white and maroon bags … oh right, books. So I had to turn around and make the trek back up to McElroy to endure the line of all lines while going over in my head the reasons for not doing this over winter break. Renting and buying books is truly a process that befuddles me at this school. By my second semester of sophomore year, one would think I’d have this process down, however I always somehow manage to buy a book that I don’t need. Last semester’s book consisted of a 500 page Meteorology textbook that I proudly read and took notes from for my Environmental Geosciences class. Don’t worry, I somehow passed the class.
At 6:00 p.m. I had just enough time to hit Addie’s, while hoping for this interesting and somewhat weird day to come to a close. However, not before the best part of syllabus week happened. Naturally the first night back is a crucial one. Many (myself included) have come to believe it has the ability to set the tone for what is in store the rest of the year. So we BC students do what we do best: work hard, play hard, and above all, do our best to enjoy our only week of minimal amounts of work. Jennifer Lavoie is acolumnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com
Through one of my good friends on the editorial staff of The Heights, I was recruited to go on a blind date this past weekend. All I knew was her first name, Sarah. I had no idea what she looked like, who her friends were, or any of the general background knowledge about her that might allow me to predetermine some of our common interests, giving me a starting point of topics to bring up in conversation. Being my first blind date, I thought of it as a new challenge to test my abilities to carry on conversation with someone I literally knew nothing about. After the first five minutes being slightly awkward (as they are expected to be), things really flowed. We talked about her first semester at Boston College as a transfer student from a small school in Pennsylvania, her “quarter life” crisis deciding to switch her major to theater, and some interesting quirks about our families. Each topic of conversation easily led into another; after talking about her drastic change to a theater major, I continued to tell her that while I primarily played sports in high school, I “dabbled” in theater with my role in West Side Story my junior year. She critiqued my word choice of “dabbling” and light-heartedly mocked me for the rest of the night. Once getting to the restaurant, things continued very well. When we went to order, I got the Turkey Pot Pie and she went on to order the steak tips. Needless to say, I was very impressed. We went on to talk about her sports allegiances, primarily stemming from her 12-year-old brother, who would “disown” her if she didn’t root for the Yankees, and how my own loyalties are relatively weak considering there isn’t a professional team for a couple hundred miles from my hometown in Iowa. After the food came, we basically split our meals and both left the restaurant after experiencing Zaftig’s signature dishes of Turkey Pot Pie and specially -seasoned steak tips. The most awkward part of the dinner was asking the waiter to take a picture for the article. He was standing in the main walkway blocking a number of impatient waiters carrying heavy trays of food. While that is enough about the specifics of the date, it was a very worthwhile experience. I can honestly say I know more about Sarah than many of the girls at BC that I have known for months and say hello to on a daily basis. I think being able to talk to a girl without alcohol is a skill that many students on college campuses have lost. Being comfortable enough to talk about things other than “What’d you do last night?” and “How was your break?” is a skill that doesn’t inherently come with being a guy. Knowing about a girl’s family, childhood, and experiences outside and before BC are equally important (if not more so) when trying to grasp her character and personality. While a blind date may not be necessary, just going out to dinner with someone whom you could potentially have feelings for is incredibly beneficial. Nor does a date have to rule out all other social activities for the night! Sarah and I went to dinner at 5:30 and were back by 8:30, providing plenty of time to go out with your friends or whatever else you may have had planned for the night. Additionally, by not going out to a party with a person for whom you may have interest allows you to get to know the person without judgment of your friends on how she looks, who her friends are, or any other external pressures present on the BC campus. Summing up the experience, I had a great time and have given myself more options. By not hooking up with a girl as the first interaction between us, I don’t have the pressure to immediately jump into an intimate relationship or otherwise face the awkward experience of seeing her in the Quad and intentionally avoiding eye contact. A date has much better alternatives; it could lead to a second date, friendship, or merely some kid she has a weird association with involving the word “dabble.” Only time will tell.
Sam Gervase is a writer for The Heights. He can be reached at features@ bcheights.com.
ANDREA LANZA/HEIGHTS STAFF
Students wait at Lyons Hall or often linger on UIS to add desirable courses.
Want to go on your own Eagle Date? contact features@bcheights.com
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features The Heights
Monday, January 23, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Luke Kuechly’s conundrum Like Boston College athletes before him, Kuechly decides to forgo his senior season on the Heights By Alexandra schaeffer | heights editor disappointment of BC football fans, there is a general consensus among the public and the BC community that Kuechly’s decision was logical and well-founded, and few argue that they would pass up an opportunity as great as the one that he has been offered. Questions started swirling after the conclusion of his sophomore season as to whether or not Kuechly would make it all the way through his time at BC, as he quickly became one of the most prominent defensive players in the nation. However, he effectively pushed the thought out of his mind for as long as possible, focusing on his present situation and not worrying about the potential NFL career that awaited him. “It was really the week after the Miami game, things started turning around, and I began to think about actually entering the draft this year,” said Kuechly, referring to the Nov. 25 game where BC defeated University of Miami 24-17 in large part due to his 45-yard interception returned touchdown in the fourth quarter. “After that game, I realized that the opportunity was
Alex trautwig \ heights senior staff
right there, and that’s really where the whole process started,” Kuechly recalled. This was not the first time that the notion had entered his head, but it was the first time he let it linger there. “We talked with the media throughout the season, and as the year progressed, the question kept coming up about whether I was going to enter the draft. I kind of gave the response of waiting until after the season, and until exams were over. I wanted to gather as much information as possible and
wait,” Kuechly explained. The decision was finally made over winter break and was publicly announced on Friday, Jan. 6, only a day after Kuechly had made the decision for himself and told his close family and friends, as well as his coaches and members of the BC Athletic Department who have shown support and understanding of his decision. “I’m sure Luke thought about the fact that he could become injured and not play as well, and he’s got a good start toward his degree here, and he has the opportunity to make a lot of money,” said Atheltic Director Gene DeFilippo, of Kuechly’s decision to leave. Yet he acknowledged that it is bittersweet for the school. “The downsides are that we’re certainly going to miss him around here, that’s for sure, and I know that he’s going to miss BC and his teammates and his coaches, but it is exciting for the school because Luke will be the ninth first round draft pick from BC since 2000, and he’ll be the 21st Boston College player playing in the National Football League.” Though Kuechly is the most prominent football player to leave BC for the world of professional sports, athletes in other sports have faced this same dilemma in recent years and come to similar conclusions. Most notably, BC is regularly sending students into the NHL or the AHL, as was the case in recent years with Cam Atkinson, Phil Samuelson, Corey Schneider, and Jimmy Hayes. The process varies slightly for the NHL draft, however, as players are drafted by a team once they turn a certain age, and then allowed four years to play in college by that professional franchise that has the rights to them. Yet, the four years is not mandated, and players are allowed to choose to enter the professional level earlier. “Jimmy got drafted when he was 18 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round. The day I got drafted with the Hawks, they traded for him, so he’s now with the Hawks, and he just felt it was the right time for him to go,” said Kevin Hayes, A&S ’14, of his older brother, who left the BC hockey team after his junior season. “After your junior year, it’s a reasonable goal to graduate, you can take classes over the sum-
m e r , a n d you only have that one year to catch up on. He definitely wanted to be close enough to getting his degree before he decided to go, and, I mean, I also think he knew he was physically ready. Money wasn’t a big factor in his decision, and I think what finally made him decide to go was that you never know if you’re going to get the same opportunity again, and it’s been a lifelong dream,” Hayes said of the thought process behind his brother’s decision. As a sophomore stand-out on the hockey team who has already been drafted by the Chicago Black-
aff ior st s sen eight ig \ h rautw Alex t
Boston College was in the media a number of times over winter b r e a k . Th e men’s basketball team had a surprising start to their ACC season, the Belfast subpoena issue developed, and most notably the question that BC football fans, and the football world in general, had been asking all last season was finally answered. Luke Kuechly announced that he would be entering the NFL draft and not returning to BC for his senior season. This had been a question that was often debated in the media, on campus, and in Kuechly’s head throughout this past fall semester. Kuechly is not the first BC student to approach this fork in the road and choose the opportunity to play a sport professionally instead of staying for another year at the collegiate level. However, his departure had been somewhat dreaded by fans who hoped to see a promising football season in 2012. Regardless of the selfish
See kuechly, page B9
Kuechly finishes his career at Boston College as the leading tackler in the history of the school. as well as ACC.
belfast subpoena update and implications today:
Fate of oral history projects unsure By Therese Tully
Woogeon Kim/ Heights Illustration
Features Editor
Oral history was one of the first mediums that people utilized to share and pass on their most important stories. For thousands of years, stories have been passed from one generation to another. These first-hand accounts are invaluable, and as time passes, it is important to preserve them. Boston College has a tradition of oral history that is all its own. This past year, Rena Finder came to talk at BC, sharing her own story of her unique Holocaust experience. In a similar fashion, BC conducted the Belfast Project, which documented a time of severe conflict called the Troubles in Northern Ireland that ended in 1998. This oral history project was one of great significance in chronicling the exact details of this tumultuous time. This project involved interviewing members of the IRA, an Irish political organization that was highly associated with different conflicts during the Troubles. Upon interviewing IRA members, the interviewers, Ed Moloney and Anthony McIntyre, promised those they interviewed that their testimonies would not be released until after their death. This promise was meant to ensure the safety of those releasing important but inflammatory information, as well as to keep the peace and stability that had been precariously formed in Northern Ireland. Retrospectively, the legality of the promises made by Moloney and McIntyre have come under great scrutiny. It is believed by British authorities that these tapes will implicate Gerry Adams, current leader of Sinn Fein, which is Northern Ireland’s largest political group, in illegal IRA activities. They have asked BC to turn over these tapes to them for investigative purposes. Specifically, they believe that these tapes will reveal Adams’ involvement in the murder of Jean McConville, who was the mother of 10, when she disappeared in 1972. They believe that this oral history project can help shine light on that particular issue. According to The New York Times, “The subpoenas summoned interviews from two members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, Dolours Price and Brendan Hughes, a commander who died in 2008. They accused Gerry Adams, the president of Sinn Fein, of running a secret kidnapping ring.” Hughes is already deceased, and his testimony was released posthumously. This accusation is potentially
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earth-shattering, if it can be proved. Judge William G. Young has ruled that BC must turn over these tapes for review. BC has not fought this appeal, not wanting to hinder what could be the proceedings of a murder trial. These tapes will be reviewed, and ones that are found to be relevant in the McConville murder will be turned over to the British authorities requesting them. “We would never want anyone to think that Boston College was obstructing a murder investigation,” said University Spokesman Jack Dunn. According to the Associated Press, “Moloney and the former IRA member who collected the interviews, Anthony McIntyre, go to court next Tuesday in Boston seeking to persuade Judge William Young to let Boston College keep the audiotapes out of the hands of Belfast police.” On tuesday Jan. 24, these men will make an appeal for oral history, in attempts to ensure their personal safety as well as the safety of those who participated in the study, and to protect the future of oral history projects. But the real question is, what does this mean for BC as an institution, and what will this mean for oral history projects in the future? These oral history projects are vital for academic purposes, and completely invaluable, though it is doubtful that people will agree as willingly to participate in them, now that this precedent has been set. The popularity of these projects will surely decline, and history will surely suffer for it. It is not often that BC is the center of international attention, but this issue is so important that it warrants close consideration and following. This is evidenced by the Twitter feed that emerged in early September, @bcsubpoenanews, as well as the Facebook page, Boston College Subpoena News, which you can “like” on the site. Along with these social networking sites, other, smaller blogs have popped up to give their own two cents on the pressing issue. The future of oral history projects is in jeopardy at this moment, and this generation is reacting with their own commentary. It is this very decision, to hand over the tapes, that will affect how future generations come to learn about the past, and how history will be taught. “What all of us in the oral history community are afraid of is that this is going to have an incredible, chilling effect on what we’re able to
See Belfast, B7
The Return of Eagle Dates
photo courtesy of Google.com
BC adventures abroad: students take on Spain By Megan Cain For the Heights
As the second semester begins in Chestnut Hill, many juniors have taken flight and are settling into new homes and universities across the world. Madrid, Spain, is a popular study abroad location for Boston College students due to the four university options in the city. Each of the four programs has its own features, but regardless of the program, BC students in Madrid are all beginning to experience Spanish culture and a new life away from the Heights. Many cultural differences have come as a shock to these American students. Lauren Bellavia, A&S ’13, noticed that the pace of life in Madrid is slower than in America. “They’re never rushed here,” Bellavia said. “Dinner is also much later in the day, while lunch is big and breakfast is small.” Christine LaFrance, CSOM ’13, found a similar lifestyle in Madrid. “Here in Spain, life is more relaxed, moves at a slower pace, and is more carefree,” LaFrance said. She noted that
Two BC students brave the trials and tribulations of blind dating in Coolidge Corner, B7
making an adjustment to a different sleeping pattern has been difficult. A typical dinner in Madrid will begin at 9:30 p.m., and the rest of the night follows accordingly. Another common habit of the Spanish is to take a siesta in the middle of the afternoon. Many shops will close, and people will take a break in their day to rest or sit at a cafe. This aspect of Spanish life varies greatly from the fast-paced lifestyle commonly found in New England. In addition to acclimating to the cultural differences, BC students found a new sense of independence in Madrid. “While college helps you in becoming an independent person, I was still shocked when I arrived in Madrid and found that I was really on my own,” noted Kate Wormser, CSON ’13. An example of a typical day for a BC student in Madrid includes waking up in a homestay, taking the metro to school, attending classes, finding lunch, returning home to a late dinner, and meeting up with friends
See Madrid, B7
Editor’s Column...........................B8 The Real World..............................B7