The Heights 01/28/2013 by The Heights

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An exclusive interview with everyone’s favorite mascot, A10

The Dance Organization of Boston College thrills with eclectic dance show, A10

Men’s hockey goes winless in a home series for the ﬁrst time since 1993, B1

TROUBLE ON ICE

HEIGHTS

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THE

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College

established

1919

Monday, January 28, 2013

Vol. XCIV, No. 3

O’Keefe named new CIS director

UGBC plans eco-friendly progress Caucus releases new sustainability goals

BY MARY ROSE FISSINGER Heights Editor

BY ANDREW SKARAS Asst. News Editor In recent months, the policy caucus of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) has been working on issues of sustainability on campus. Under the direction of caucus chairman Matthew Alonsozana, UGBC Senate member and A&S ’14, and Joseph Manning, caucus chief of staff and A&S ’14, the caucus has coordinated with eco-friendly student groups and Cabinet departments and released a sustainability press release to the student body last semester. Recently, the caucus has created a set of standards for UGBC and student group events on campus to rate their sustainability. “In late October and early November, the policy caucus got together with relevant student groups to hammer out standards on how student organizations could become green, to network better, and to become a more effective lobbying force to the administration on how to become a more sustainable campus,” Alonsozana said. One of the first fruits of these collaborations was a press release to the student body that addressed the state of sustainability on campus. In the release, the Senate commended the University’s efforts in promoting sustainability and urged the student body to support these endeavors and continue sustainable practices. The groups with which the policy caucus worked included the Residence Hall Association (RHA), EcoPledge, Real Foods BC, the University Affairs depart-

See Sustainability, A4

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The Dynamics (above left) and the Bostonians (above right) were two of many a cappella groups that performed at the CSVBC benefit.

Groups sing for Campus School beneﬁt BY BRIGID WRIGHT Heights Staff Gasson 100 was filled with support on Thursday night for the Campus School’s second annual a cappella concert. Seven groups from Boston College sang a variety of songs, from today’s popular hits to classics, to benefit the Campus School. Founded in 1970, the Campus School is a publicly funded private school at BC that educates and assists students with severe mental and physical disabilities. The Campus School provides education, health care services and therapeutic care in a healthy environment to children ages 3 to 21. M.E. Hawkins, co-president of the Campus School Volunteers of Boston College (CSVBC) and LSOE ’13, outlined the volunteers’ mission in her introduction to

the concert. “As Campus School Volunteers, we have three main goals on campus, and that’s to fundraise, to spread awareness, and to be in the classroom with the students,” Hawkins said. CSVBC works extensively to benefit the Campus School, assist with students, and encourage the BC community to get more involved. Cate O’Connor, co-president of CSVBC and A&S ’13, explained the extent of the organization and its efforts to support the Campus School. “We manage about 400 BC volunteers who are all somehow involved in our organization,” O’Connor said. “This includes 60 chair members, who take charge of organizing fundraisers and events around campus in order to strengthen the relationship between the Campus School and the

Frozen pipe bursts in Yawkey Center

See CSVBC Concert, A4

See O’Keefe, A4

CHRISSY SUCHY / FOR THE HEIGHTS

O’Keefe was recently named the interim director of the Center for Ignatian Studies.

Belfast Project interviewee found dead in Dublin home BY DAVID COTE Editor-in-Chief

BY ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT

Editor’s Note: This story is part of an ongoing series about the subpoenas of the Belfast Project.

News Editor Around 4 a.m. on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 26, sprinkler heads on the fourth floor of Boston College’s Yawkey Athletics Center burst, leading to significant flooding in the building. According to Boston College Director of Facilities Michael Jednak, the burst was due to pipes frozen as a result of the recent spell of cold weather. The leak affected events on campus Saturday—over 100 football recruits, on campus for Junior Day, had to forgo a tour of the weight room and offices in Yawkey Center. The Boston Police Department first responded to the flooding, which initially spilled out into the road. Later on, ProCare Incorporated, a company that specializes in disaster restoration services, sent response teams to the campus. By noon on Saturday, the process of pumping water out of the building was still

greater BC community.” O’Connor also explained that the money raised goes directly to the Campus School students to provide them with the extensive technology and medical equipment needed to manage their disabilities. The events held each year raise about $120,000 to support the school and its students. Other fundraisers include an annual golf tournament, a broom hockey competition, and the biggest: donations from runners participating in the Boston Marathon. “Our a cappella committee has been working extremely hard since October to contact groups, book rooms, and get equipment, and talk to local vendors for bake sale donations,” O’Connor said.

At the beginning of the semester, Rev. Joseph O’Keefe, S.J. acquired a second “hat,” so to speak, and a second office. After settling into his new satellite home in Rahner House on College Road, he now counts himself among the number of faculty members who “wear two hats” at Boston College. His first—that of a faculty member—he has had for over 20 years as a professor and, later, dean of the Lynch School of Education. His second, that of the interim director of the Center for Ignatian Spirituality, he donned just a few weeks ago. He is replacing Rev. Michael Boughton, S.J., who is now in charge of Jesuits in Formation on the East Coast. The directorship of the 17-year-old Center was left vacant for a semester before University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. invited O’Keefe to take on the role.

ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Yawkey Center sustained equipment flooding early Saturday morning due to frozen pipes. underway, and ice had formed down the side of Yawkey. According to Jednak, while cleanup was already underway, appraisal of the full extent of the damage was ongoing. “We have water damage on four floors on the Yawkey Center,” Jednak said in an email. “Carpets and walls are wet and need to be dried. Electronics equipment damage is being assessed.” The weight room took the brunt of the leak—parts of the ceiling had to be removed, and a drop ceiling has been installed in the meantime. Addition-

ally, sections of drywall throughout the building have been removed to prevent mold. Jednak said that while the water damage is interrupting business while cleanup is ongoing, no departments or people will need to move their offices out of Yawkey Center. “The bulk of the repairs will be completed by the end of the week,” Jednak said. He added that repairs would be a combination of in-house efforts and contractors’ work. The cost of repairs is unknown at this point. 

Ex-IRA militant and Belfast Project interviewee Dolours Price was found dead in her Dublin home Wednesday night, the BBC reported. Price, age 61, was convicted in 1973 for her role in the IRA car bombing attacks on Old Bailey which left 200 wounded and one man dead. In the early 2000s, Price participated in the Belfast Project, an oral history project sponsored by Boston College that was dedicated to recording the Troubles in the words of those who participated. In her testimony to researchers, Price allegedly confessed to various crimes, including car bombings and the kidnapping of Jean McConville, who was murdered by the IRA in 1972. The tapes of interviews conducted as part of the Belfast Project were recorded under the promise of confidentiality

until death, but in 2011, subpoenas from the government of the United Kingdom, served on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), threatened that confidentiality. The subpoenas were served following an interview with Price published in The Irish Times in February of 2010, in which she divulged information about the Belfast Project. It was this interview, BC officials have argued, that catalyzed the subpoenas and subsequent legal action. “Interviewees in that oral history undertaking understood that divulging their participation could potentially compromise the underlying premise that such testimony remain undisclosed until the time of their demise,” wrote Tom Hachey, professor of history and executive director of Irish programs, and Burns Librarian Robert O’Neill in a letter to the editor published in The Heights on Jan. 18, 2012. “That important need for discretion was honored by all surviving participants, with the notable exception of one, Dolours Price, who chose to publicly volunteer her involvement while

See Price, A4

TopTHREE

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, January 28, 2013

A Guide to Your Newspaper

things to do on campus this week

1 2 3 Men’s Basketball

Middle East Lecture

Film Premiere

Tuesday Time: 9:00 p.m. Location: Conte Forum

Today Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Robsham Theatre

Wednesday Time: 7:00 p.m. Location: McGuinn 121

Steve Donahue and the Boston College men’s basketball team return to Conte Forum on Tuesday night to host North Carolina after a tough road stretch.

Boston College’s Graduate School of Social Work will host the U.S. premiere of Quando a casa e a rua, (When Home is the Street). Thereza Jessouroun, director and award-wining ﬁlmaker, will present the ﬁlm on street children living in Rio de Janeiro and Mexico CIty.

Peter Krause, assistant political science professor, and Timothy Crawford, associate political science professor, will discuss the role of the United States in the Middle East. The event is open to all students and is part of the Middle East 101 Lecture series.

The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467 Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223 Editorial General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Metro Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823 Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classiﬁeds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753

FEATURED STORY

Student creates calorie counting app for BC dining BY SAMANTHA COSTANZO Special Projects Editor Although Boston College Dining Services (BCDS) provides nutritional information for all of the food it serves, accessing this data from a mobile phone can be a tedious process. James Campbell, A&S ’13, created the Campus Calories mobile app to make it easier. Campus Calories, now available for free on Apple’s app store, easily allows Boston College students to look up nutritional information and keep a log of their daily calorie intake. It also has a “quick add” feature that students can use to add calories from foods that are not listed in Campus Calories’ internal list. “I’ve eaten the same thing for four years here, and I just thought that it would be useful to know exactly what I’m eating,” Campbell said. So he looked up the information for one of his favorite lunches, two Baja chicken sandwiches with frips and a pickle, and was surprised at the results. “That’s 3,000 calories for lunch,” Campbell said. “I thought people should know what they’re eating. I thought it would be a useful tool, especially here, where people seem to really care about what they eat.” Campbell spoke with a friend who had majored in computer science about whether or not it would even be possible to create the app.

MAGGIE BURDGE / HEIGHTS GRAPHIC

James Campbell, A&S ‘13, collaborated with a developer to design Campus Calories. After they decided that it would be a relatively easy process, Campbell began his research. He organized the information from BCDS’s website into a spreadsheet and then started designing the app itself.

“I downloaded some of the programs and tried my hand at programming it, and it was kind of a disaster,” Campbell said. In order to get the project done quickly and professionally, then, he created 20 screen images

showing what he wanted the app to look like and sent them to a professional developer. They worked for two months and created six versions of the app before Campbell released it last Thursday. The app reached 2,000 downloads in its first week in the app store, Campbell said. “I was very happy with that, because that was actually my mark,” he said. “I figured there are 10,000 kids here, plus faculty, so that was 20 percent.” Campbell said that he has gotten positive feedback so far. Many students have told him about how surprised they were to find that some of their favorite and supposedly healthy foods, such as the flatbread pizzas at Addie’s, were higher in calories than they had thought. Despite this, Campbell said that reviewers seem to appreciate having an easier way to keep track of their meals. “People seem excited about it,” he said. “Even all my roommates use it, and they’re guys.” Campus Calories only contains nutritional information for food in BC’s cafeterias. Due to its success, however, Campbell said that he is planning on adding information for UMass, Harvard, Northeastern, and Boston University’s cafeterias. He is also recruiting interns for the summer to help him with the expansion process. 

1/23/13-1/25/13

POLICE BLOTTER Wednesday, January 23

Thursday, January 24

Friday, January 25

9:20 a.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a BC Student in Kostka Hall who was later transported to a medical facility.

2:01 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an activated fire alarm in 66 Commonwealth Ave.

1:36 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an officer assisting another police agency in an off-campus location.

11:30 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious peron in Keyes North and South. 3:16 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a lost parking permit in an off-campus location. 8:51 - A report was filed regarded regaring a BC student who was transported to a medical facility from Cushing Hall. 9:33 - A report was filed regarded a student needing medical assistance at Flynn Sports Complex. 11:39 p.m. - A report was filed regarding vandilism in Cheverus Hall.

2:08 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance in Edmond’s Hall. 10:54 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in Gonzaga Hall. 1:19 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a traffic crash near Gonzaga Hall. No reported injuries were filed. 5:36 p.m. - A reprt was filed regarding a larcency in Campion Hall. 6:41 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an officer assisting another police agency in an off-campus location.

College Corner NEWS FROM UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY BY DEVON SANFORD Assoc. News Editor Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and Texas A&M University-Kingsville will both be opening their dormitory doors to Catholic students in the fall semester of 2013. The two secular universities will be offering dorms, a chapel, and faith-based services for students who affiliate and practice Catholicism. FIT, a private research institution, opened the Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Student Residence in December. The building will house 140 students. Texas A&M commenced construction on St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center in October, which includes a dormitory and chapel and will accommodate 290 students. Before these plans were announced, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was the only secular college to have a Catholic dorm and chapel on campus. Matt Zerrusen, president of the Newman Student Housing Fund, told The National Catholic Reporter that the

residences create community among Catholic students during a time when 50 percent of students on college campuses lose their faith. “This is unacceptable. It is a huge, huge deal in campus ministry, and all the Newman Centers want to add dorms,” Zerrusen said. “These are the first, the pioneers.” Rev. Douglas Bailey, chaplain of Catholic campus ministry at FIT, said the dorm is a great way to bring God back to the university. “For too many, college is the time where they forego their religious beliefs and immerse themselves in the experience of college life,” Bailey told The National Catholic Reporter. “Their faith gets put on hold, never to be regained in many cases … College is not a break.” These universities are some of the first to bring religion onto secular campuses. Though the dorms are religiously affiliated, they will be open to non-Catholics, with organizers stating that the residents will merely be surrounded by Catholic influences. 

EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call Eleanor Hildebrandt, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or e-mail news@bcheights. com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk. Sports Scores Want to report the results of a game? Call Austin Tedesco, Sports Editor, at (617) 5520189, or e-mail sports@bcheights.com. Arts Events The Heights covers a multitude of events both on and off campus – including concerts, movies, theatrical performances, and more. Call Sean Keeley, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or e-mail arts@bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the Arts Desk. Clarifications / Corrections The Heights strives to provide its readers with complete, accurate, and balanced information. If you believe we have made a reporting error, have information that requires a clarification or correction, or questions about The Heights standards and practices, you may contact David Cote, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail eic@bcheights.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE Delivery To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact Jamie Ciocon, General Manager at (617) 5520547. Advertising The Heights is one of the most effective ways to reach the BC community. To submit a classified, display, or online advertisement, call our advertising office at (617) 552-2220 Monday through Friday.

2:03 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a larcency by fare evasion in Lower Lots. 2:58 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a BC student needing medical assistance at an off-campus location. The student was later transported to a medical facility. 6:04 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a BC employee needing medical assistance in Cushing Hall. The employee was later transported to a medical facility.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

CORRECTIONS The following corrections are in reference to the issue dated Jan. 24, 2013, Vol. XCIV No. 2. The article titled “Melcher St. becomes home to Boston’s newest neighborhood” should have stated that the Factor 63 at 63 Melcher Street had 23 innovation units, not 27.

VOICES FROM THE DUSTBOWL “What is one thing you wish your BC tour guide would have told you?”

“I wish I had been told about the Mods.” —Ericka Cruz, A&S ’15

“I wish I had been told about the Rat.” —Alisha Wright, A&S ’15

“Where the health center is.” —Susannah Cai, CSOM ’15

“White Mountain.” —John Stathopoulos,

A&S ’16

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, January 28, 2013

A defense of Stokes The “NRG” Games Begin

TAYLOUR KUMPF Yes, we’re two weeks in, and nearly everyone has settled into a life that includes Stokes Hall. Students with classes in the new building can finally put their maps away, most of us have decided how we feel about the Chocolate Bar 2.0 based on our affinity for gelato, and few are still considering what this building actually stands for. While Stokes may be just another academic building to some—or a confusing game of Mouse Trap to others—I see it as a brave and inspiring affirmation of this University’s commitment to the liberal arts. Perhaps this sentiment is no longer necessary to express because many agree, but, still, there are those who feel investing in the humanities was a risky move for Boston College. The Boston Globe published an article on the building’s opening, stating in the headline “BC makes bold bet on humanities” while subtly emphasizing the costs incurred—both monetary and in the form of available campus green space. More openly, a recent editorial in The Heights questioned “the timing and extravagance of the gesture,” and suggested more funding go toward science, technology, engineering, and math in the future considering the bleak career outlook for humanities majors. “To what extent can graduates who can’t get a job effect significant change?” the editorial proffered. As a senior English major, currently unemployed, this line struck a chord. But, rather than spiraling into another fit of self-doubt, I want to defend my liberal arts education, even if all I’m left standing with come graduation in May is a very used copy of Shakespeare’s Sonnets and anxiety about the “real” world. I want to defend this education because the bold bet that BC is taking on the humanities is the reason I chose to attend this school in the first place. As a high school senior, I was drawn to the University’s promise, despite its cliched nature, of educating the whole person. The integration of academic, social, and spiritual development is at the heart of BC’s identity, and if I were simply looking to learn a trade, I would have gone elsewhere. BC’s $78 million investment in Stokes Hall represents one of the largest investments in a liberal arts facility in recent years. This expenditure can be viewed as an outlier of sorts, perhaps a risky move, but maybe one that will set the standard for similar universities across the country. I like to believe it’s the latter, and in this way, Stokes is a beacon of hope for all of us who frequently get the question, “What are you going to do with a [insert humanities major] degree?” But isn’t it also a model for how each of us should view ourselves? Aren’t we taking a risk just by attending BC and investing in our uncertain futures? Maybe it’s true, maybe many humanities majors won’t secure jobs right away, but I do not believe, even in the slightest, that this will affect our ability to make a difference in this world. Because of BC’s emphasis on the liberal arts, each student who leaves this school does so with the necessary tools to be a leader and a collaborator. A broad education bolsters our ability to think analytically and to resolve problems creatively. To me, Stokes Hall is the University’s way of making a bold bet on each one of us, encouraging us ever to excel, despite what the economy is doing, and that’s something I can get behind. So, the next time you accidentally take the South Wing elevator to the third floor, attempting to get to your classroom in the North Wing on the third floor, as you make your way to the second floor to walk across the connecting passage, think about how blessed you are to be living and learning in an environment open to the question, “Why?”

Taylour Kumpf is a senior staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at news@bcheights.com.

EUN HEE KWON / FOR THE HEIGHTS

Students bumped, set, and spiked in games to see which organization would receive extra funding from the SOFC.

SOFC hosts volleyball tournament for student organizations BY JENNIFER HEINE For The Heights The Chinese Student Association and BCTV jumped, bumped, and spiked their way to $1,000 and $500, respectively, as the winning and runner-up teams in the Boston College Student Organization Funding Committee’s (SOFC) first annual Student Organizations Volleyball Tournament. Open to all of the organizations on campus currently funded by the SOFC, the tournament attracte d 26 diverse teams . According to Jeffrey Hockersmith, CSOM ’14 and an SOFC member and event organizer, “ Within these 26 teams , we have a wide variety in the types of organizations represented— we have art and performance groups , intercultural clubs , academic and pre-professional organizations, political groups, and even religious organizations participating.” The tournament drew such variety in part for the unrestricted nature of the prize money, as the rules explained, the clubs needed only answer to University policy in their use

of their winnings. Winning the tournament, therefore, extends the limits of these organizations’ endeavors. “We have about 150 student organizations. If you do the math, there’s not that much money to go around,” Hockersmith said. “All of these organizations have ideas for great events, but we don’t have the funding to support them all. This tournament enables us to support a couple clubs in these endeavors.” The event relied on a singleelimination format, splitting the teams into four brackets: Intercultural/Political and Inte rc u l tu r a l / Mu s i c ; A r t a n d Performance; Academic and Pre-professional; and Specific Issues/Religious. After an afternoon of games, the winners of each bracket emerged to challenge each other until only two teams remained for the final game, held at 6 p.m. Despite the intensity of many of the teams, and the opportunities winning the $1,000 would afford, the tournament proved more fun than competitive for the participants. “It’s a fun way to get clubs involved, and re-

ally, just to have a good time,” Hockersmith said. Players echoed his sentiments. “I really wasn’t sure if I was going to come to the tournament, but at the last minute I decided to come, and I’m so glad I did,” said BC Reads team member Colleen Brady, A&S ’16, after the game. “I had a great time even though we were eliminated in the first round. It was so much fun, and made my Saturday a little less ordinary.” SOFC members expressed the hope that the event would serve as an indication of good things to come for the organization, as well as promote its work in the BC community. “ We’ve been in the background in recent years , but with a new funding program we wanted to get our name out there, and really promote SOFC on campus,” Hockersmith said. “SOFC is an independent source of funding for these organizations. This tournament is something to show that we care and are involved with the organizations on campus. This is the first time SOFC is doing an event like this, and we’re optimistic about the future.” 

On Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, The Boston College Offices of Sustainability and Energy and Engineering, in coordination with Eco Pledge, the UGBC, and the Offi ce of Residential Life will kick off the 2013 “NRG” Games. The contest will last through the entire month of February and will come to a close on Monday, March 4, 2013. T h e c a m p u s - w i d e N RG games are an annual competition aimed at lowering the energy/electric consumption across campus and challenges students living in the residence halls to compete against one another to collectively conserve the most electricity. The energy consumption of all buildings is tracked by an online system. Students can monitor their building’s electricity usage by logging on to www.bc.edu/sustainability. Results will be posted on a weekly basis and the winner will be determined at the end of the five-week competition. A weekly award will be given to the winning residential communities and a grand-prize given for the residence hall with the highest decrease in electrical usage at the end of the contest. The overall goal of this competition is to reduce con-

sumption by at least 5 percent. Each of the residential communities will be given the baseline amount of electricity in kilowatt hours which is an average of past usage and the 5 percent reduction target will be from this baseline number. Residence Halls represent about 37 percent of overall electricity usage on Campus. Although the competition is focused on the students, a heightened awareness of their efforts serves as a model for all offices and departments to do their part to conserve as well. Student volunteers in each of the residence hall communities, Freshmen Eco Reps, the RAs, and the RDs will be engaging students, encouraging participation, and providing creative ways to reduce electricity. Watch for the winners and updates on the competition. For more information on energy saving tips, please visit www.bc.edu/sustainability. If you’d like more information about this event, please contact Kasia Hart, Eco Pledge President, Julianne Hall, UGBC Co-Director of Sustainability or Bob Pion, Boston College Sustainability Program Director. All information for this article was taken from the Boston College Ofﬁce of Sustainability.

EUN HEE KWON / FOR THE HEIGHTS

Student club members enjoyed the friendly competitive nature of the SOFC volleyball tournament on Saturday.

Clinical professor honored with Nurse of the Year Award BY JENNIFER HEINE For The Heights

The Massachusetts March of Dimes Chapter honored Holly Fontenot, a clinical assistant professor at Boston College’s Connell School of Nursing, with its Nurse of the Year Award earlier this month. At its second annual awards ceremony, held Dec. 3, 2012 in Natick, Mass., Fontenot became one of only nine winners, out of 25 finalists, to be recognized, receiving the award for Nursing Administration and Research. “I didn’t even know that I was nominated,” Fontenot said. “It turned out that a colleague of mine from UMass Lowell had nominated me.” Founded in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to combat rising polio rates, the March of Dimes has since shifted its mission to concentrate on infant mortality and birth defects. According to a March of Dimes representative on the organization’s website, “Nurses are an integral part of the March of Dimes mission for stronger, healthier babies. Nurse of the Year is a statewide event that recognizes exceptional nurses,

creates awareness of professional excellence and promotes the future of the nursing profession, while helping to advance the mission of the March of Dimes. “The award recipients were selected from 25 finalists across the state, all of whom represent the March of Dimes vision for a healthier, stronger generation of babies and families.” The March of Dimes board recognized Fontenot for her varied contributions to women’s health over the course of her 15-year nursing career. In addition to her full-time teaching position at BC, where she coordinates the Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Program and boasts a perfect boards passing rate, Fontenot volunteers as the women’s health nurse practitioner at a nearby community health center and has published seven research and 17 clinical articles in the past five years. Nonetheless, for Fontenot, w inning Nurs e of the Ye ar proved as surprising as the nomination. “It was such an honor just to be nominated,” she said. “I went to the dinner with no expectations. There are so many fantastic nurses in Mas-

sachusetts.” She acknowledged the personal honor that comes with winning such an award. “It’s always nice to be recognized for hard work,” she said. “It makes you feel good, that you’re making a difference.” Still, Fontenot views the accolade as a collective one, noting professor Katherine Gregory’s win last year. “This is the second year in a row that someone from BC received this award, which is really exciting for our school,” Fontenot said. “I think it highlights that we have a lot of really great faculty here who are thinking about how to care for women and children and really make a difference in their health, and it highlights that BC is a leader in nursing education.” Furthermore, she hopes that her success will lead to greater visibility in the field of women’s health. “As a women’s health nurse, I see women’s health as the cornerstone to better national health,” she said. “If women have better health outcomes, in the end, everyone will have better health outcomes. I see women as leaders for health in this country.” 

EMILY STANSKY / FOR THE HEIGHTS

Assistant Professor Holly Fontenot received an award from the March of Dimes.

The Heights

Participant in history project dies Price, from A1 making some provocative statements.” Referencing the decision by Judge William G. Young to turn over relevant parts of the Price interviews to the PSNI, University Spokesman Jack Dunn argued in a February 2012 interview that Price’s public statements violated her contract and nullified the promise of confidentiality. “We did not appeal [Young’s] decision because there was no legal basis upon which to appeal it,” Dunn said. “Dolours Price had given an interview in Northern Ireland in which she referenced her involvement in the Belfast Project and made statements that incriminated both herself and Gerry Adams. Her statements made her interests in upholding the secrecy of the interviews less than compelling to the court.” In an interview in September 2012 with The Sunday Telegraph, Price revealed the details of her interviews, further wounding the legal case for confidentiality. “I drove away Jean McConville,” Price told The Sunday Telegraph. “I don’t know who gave the instructions to execute her.” Belfast Project Director Ed Moloney disagreed with Price’s testimony, arguing that her interviewees did not include any mention of McConville, thus making the subpoenas null. “I now wish to make the following facts public: in her interviews with BC researcher, Anthony McIntyre, Dolours Price did not once mention the name Jean McConville,” Moloney said in a Sept. 14, 2012 press release. Moloney released a joint statement with Belfast Project researcher and former IRA member Anthony McIntyre via email on Thursday. “We wish to express our great sadness at the death of Dolours Price who was both a friend and a valued participant in the Belfast Project and we wish to convey our condolences to her boys, to her sisters and brother and to other members of her family,” it read. Moloney and McIntyre went on to say that Price’s death would have no immediate impact on the subpoenas. “Dolours Price’s interviews will not now be immediately handed over, as some reports have wrongly claimed,” the statement read. “The interviews are the subject of a stay imposed by the Supreme Court of the United States and that stay remains in place until that court, the highest in the land, decides otherwise.” “Boston College extends its condolences to the Price family on their loss,” Dunn said in an email. “Given the circumstances, it is inappropriate to speculate on the effect her untimely death may have on the ongoing court proceedings. We remain hopeful that this case will be resolved through diplomatic efforts.” n

Emily sadeghian / heights staff

The American Cancer Society awarded Gubbels (above) a grant to research parasites.

Bio professor earns grant ACS awards MarcJan Gubbels $720k By David Cote Editor-in-Chief Biology professor Marc-Jan Gubbels was recently awarded a four-year, $720,000 grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS)—but his research isn’t on cancer. Gubbels and his team are investigating Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that has already infected 20 percent of Americans. In healthy individuals, infection by the parasite has little effect. But when cancer patients undergo chemotherapy and other immunosuppressive

treatments, their bodies become prone to opportunistic infections that healthy individuals would otherwise be able to fight off. “[Patients] can become immunosuppressed because of cancer treatment, for example through chemotherapies or bone marrow transplants for leukemia, and then Toxoplasma can become a big problem area,” Gubbels said. Toxoplasma is an extremely common parasite—it is carried by almost all warmblooded animals, particularly cats. It can be spread through ingesting undercooked meat, which can lead to a full blown infection. While Toxoplasma amounts to little more than flu-like symptoms, at worst, in healthy patients, the effects of Toxoplasma on immunosuppressed

O’Keefe considers the new position a place where he can exercise skills and explore interests he has been gathering for most of his life. “There’s a lot in my background, both in terms of theology and spirituality, and also how institutions function,” he said. “I know how to run an operation, and in terms of my own Jesuit formation—my studies over the years, my theology studies, directing retreats, teaching—that whole dimension of my life has always been there.” His goal while director is to reach out to all facets of the BC community and help individuals piece together how the Ignatian identity fits into their own. “I want to talk to as many constituents within the University as possible,” he said. “So, what do students think would be helpful? What do faculty think would be helpful? What about administrators?” He also hopes to draw ideas from institutions outside of BC, such as other Jesuit universities, both international and in the United States. Ideally, he wants the center to address the spiritual needs of not just undergraduates and faculty but staff, alumni, and graduate students as well. When focusing on students, he plans to be careful not to create programs that compete with other organizations. He posed the question, “How does [the center] fit with Campus Ministry? And enhance it, rather than operate as though Campus Ministry doesn’t exist? That’s where it helps to talk to people, so I’m going to ask the folks at Campus Ministry: what isn’t being done that could be done for students, or how can we work together to enhance some of these programs?” O’Keefe believes that undergraduates, through the core and general educational emphasis on the liberal arts and broadening perspectives, receive more routine exposure

patients can range from encephalitis to complications with the heart. Gubbels and his team have focused their research efforts on two main areas—first, they are investigating how the parasite enters the cells of the human body. The second area focuses on how the parasite divides, both unique processes that are conserved across many species. “The two interests that we pursue are conserved biological events, in not only Toxoplasma but other similar parasites, so whatever we discover in Toxo will hopefully carry over to others,” Gubbels said. Gubbels’ team will investigate both of these events by taking normal strains of Toxoplasma and creating mutations in specific genes. Then, by testing how the mutations affect the parasite’s function in terms of cell entry and division, the researchers will be able to determine if those genes, and the enzymes they encode, play a role in each process. While there are currently drugs that can help control the effects of Toxoplasma gondii infection in immunosuppressed patients, many have unwanted side effects and can inhibit cancer treatments delivered simultaneously. In the end, the goal of Gubbels’ research is to develop therapies that prevent Toxoplasma gondii infections from spreading. “If we can understand how [the parasite] works once it’s in the cell, then we can design strategies to interfere with it, which is the long term goal,” Gubbels said. Gubbels was quick to note, however, that the research is still in early stages—it is important to understand the processes of invasion and division, he said, before

being able to target the parasite with drugs directly. Gubbels, originally from the Netherlands, has taught both undergraduate and graduate level courses since he arrived at Boston College seven years ago, in addition to heading his research group. He first applied for the grant in the fall of 2010, but it took another try in 2011 for his proposal to win over the ACS. Tom Chiles, chair of the biology department, lauded Gubbels’ accomplishments, calling the award “well-deserved,” and saying that Gubbels’ research is “targeting an unmet need.” “These are very competitive grants, and so when an investigator like [Gubbels] is awarded one of these grants it’s very significant, because there’s not a lot of money right now,” Chiles said. “Funding for federal research has been cut significantly and even money from private foundations has slowed recently.” Research in the natural sciences at BC is funded almost exclusively by federal grants from organizations like the National Institutes for Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), as well as grants from private institutions like the ACS. In light of this, Chiles said that the award was even more important, as it will ensure that the research can continue and that undergraduate and graduate students will be able to continue to participate in laboratory work. “[The award] says a lot to [Gubbels] as a very creative and innovative thinking scientist, it says a lot about the American Cancer Society and the faith they have in him and his research program, and a lot about how the research is going to support them and their overall mission,” Chiles said. n

UGBC works to go green Sustainability, from A1

Director hopes to spread Ignatian values O’Keefe, from A1

Monday, January 28, 2013

to the ideas behind an Ignatian mentality than do the other groups with which he is concerned. For example, he hopes to help faculty members, particularly young faculty, learn to integrate their scholastic passion with their broader identity. “Every professor thinks that her or his research is the most important thing, and it’s set up that way because you just spend years focusing on your thing,” he said. “So I guess one of the questions is, how do you link that passion for your scholarship with the greater issue of how do you make sense of your life? How do you balance your life?” In addition to enabling greater access to Ignatian ideals for faculty and students individually, O’Keefe hopes that greater awareness of the Jesuit tradition on the part of these groups will result in more fruitful mentoring relationships between faculty and students. “I think, in my experience as both a professor and a dean, one of the great needs on this campus is to enhance the kind of advisement that happens,” he said. “It’s not just, ‘Here are the prerequisites you need for that course,’ but more substantively, how do faculty mentor students? With the whole Jesuit and Ignatian tradition of spiritual direction, of mentoring, I think there’s something to be learned about the relationship between faculty and students.” He also plans to reach out to the graduate students more than the Center has in past years and hopes to help them, like faculty members, fit their intellectual passion into the broader context of their lives. “The choice they’ve made for their professional lives, how do they fit that into who they are?” he asked. “We pay a lot of attention to undergrads here, as we should, but maybe the center could help pay a little more attention to the graduate students.” One key resource O’Keefe hopes to tap into is the School of Theology and Ministry, which only became part of BC four years

ago. He is attracted by the idea that just across the street there are 70 Jesuits, very in tune with the idea of Ignatian identity, who are in many cases young or international, or both. “They bring to Ignatian identity a very interesting multicultural context that didn’t exist in a flesh and blood kind of way [when the center was started],” he said. O’Keefe hopes to communicate to the BC community that the word “Ignatian” reaches further than the word “Catholic” or even the word “Jesuit,” and that people from all different religious backgrounds can find truth in Ignatian principles. The first speaker hosted by the Center for Ignatian Spirituality under O’Keefe’s direction will be the Vice President for Student Affairs from Loyola University New Orleans M.L. “Cissy” Petty. O’Keefe has asked her to speak on student affairs in the Ignatian context. “I didn’t say Jesuit student affairs, I didn’t say Catholic student affairs, I said student affairs in an Ignatian context,” O’Keefe said. “Ignatian entails Jesuit and Catholic, absolutely, but to me, Jesuit describes a certain historical reality—often steeped in Ignatian world view—but the Ignatian world view isn’t limited to Jesuits.” In his recent research on faith-based educational institutions around the world, O’Keefe has pinpointed a common struggle faced by these establishments—a struggle to which he believes BC is not immune. “I think, given secular culture, unless you’re attentive in a proactive way to that religious identity, the dynamics of institutional life and secular culture will evaporate [the religious presence].” O’Keefe hopes to use his new position to help keep BC’s ties to its Jesuit, Catholic, and Ignatian principles strong. He stated the mission of the Center as, “To enhance the understanding of what Ignatian identity is, and to avail people of the opportunities in new and creative ways to integrate that mission into their own values and lives.” n

ment of Cabinet, and other members of the UGBC. The University Affairs Department of Sustainability came up with the idea of having an event certification system, where events could be measured up against a set of published guidelines. “Every event that UGBC puts on must be measured up against the guidelines,” Alonsozana said. “The guidelines include using compostable materials, minimizing energy usage, and ensuring that there are enough recycling receptacles in the venue.” As a part of the guidelines, University Affairs designed a system of different levels of certification, similar to the L.E.E.D. rating system for the design and construction of green buildings. Within this framework, there are light green, yellow green, and forest green levels of certification for how eco-friendly an on-campus event is. In addition to working with the administration and student groups to publish guidelines, the UGBC has also served as a lobbying force to the administration, representing Real Foods to the administration on issues such as land usage for their Brighton Campus garden. In this role, they have also supported EcoPledge in their attempt to get BC Dining to use biodegradable dining cups. Outside this role, the UGBC is engaged in researching energy usage by the

University, as well. “Staffers on the policy caucus are analyzing different sustainability data,” Alonsozana said. “For example, they are looking at how much gas and oil our transportation fleet uses. Are there better windows we can use to minimize heat loss? Can we be more creative using solar panels? They are building up a wealth of research so that we can be more effective advocates for change.” One of the problems that Alonsozana described was that students are not currently well connected to the University’s Department of Sustainability. In the future, he hopes that, with the recent collaboration, representatives of these different organizations will meet more regularly with the administration and work with faculty members to develop a plan on moving the University forward. “As a result of all these discussions, it is our end goal in the policy caucus to come up with what is a reachable, three-year, five-year, and 10-year plan,” Alonsozana said. “One of our more ambitious initiatives is to divest from the BC endowment funds energy companies that are not offsetting some of their environmental impacts. Some of the [BC] Law students brought this up and we are really looking forward to working more with them on this in the future. This is good because sustainability really represents one of the first real pan-policy movements.” n

graham beck / heights editor

B.E.A.T.S. (above) performed in the Campus School benefit concert on Thursday evening.

Night benefits Campus School CSVBC Concert, from A1 “Their hard work definitely paid off and they made sure the concert was bigger and better than last year.” The concert is one of four main fundraising events throughout the year, and planning has been in the works since October. The BC Sharps, Voices of Imani, the Bostonians, the Acoustics, the B.E.A.T.S., the Dynamics, and the Heightsmen all performed small sets, with a short intermission to allow patrons to make donations at the bake sale. With songs ranging among rock, country, alternative, and religious, the groups all performed enthusiastically and frequently thanked CSVBC for ask-

ing them to be involved in the concert. The eclectic performances, like the Acoustics’ rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep” and the Dynamics’ mash-up of Rihanna’s “We Found Love” with Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” created an energetic atmosphere and livened up the packed hall. O’Connor called the concert a success and expressed appreciation for the concertgoers’ donations. “Overall, we were happy with the amount of publicity around campus, and we are ecstatic with the turnout on Thursday night,” O’Connor said. “We are extremely grateful to the entire BC community for helping support our students in any way that they can.” n

CLASSIFIEDS Monday, January 28, 2013

THE HEIGHTS THE HEIGHTS

Monday, January 28, 2013

COMMUNITY HELP WANTED $$ SPERM DONORS WANTED $$ Earn up to $1,200/month and give the gift of family through California Cryobank’s donor program. Convenient Cambridge location. Apply online: SPERMBANK.com

POSITION AVAILABLE Help friends land great internships and make up to $2K/semester while doing it! Intern Sushi is looking for connected, creative Campus Reps. Email campus@internsushi.com.

Directions: The Sudoku is played over a 9x9 grid. In each row there are 9 slots, some of which are empty and need to be filled. Each row, column and 3x3 box should contain the numbers 1 to 9. You must follow these rules: · Number can appear only once in each row · Number can appear only once in each column · Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box · The number should appear only once on row, column or area.

That 9 dollar lunch is worth more than you think. Like 19,000 dollars more. Pack your own lunch instead of going out. $6 saved a day x 5 days a week x 10 years x 6% interest = $19,592. That could be money in your pocket. Small changes today. Big bucks tomorrow. Go to feedthepig.org for free savings tips.

A5 A5

THE HEIGHTS

Students should engage in BC’s sustainability efforts

Monday, January 28, 2013

QUOTE OF THE DAY The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness. -The Dalai Lama

The Heights applauds the UGBC and environmental student groups’ efforts to achieve a greener BC Last semester, the policy caucus of UGBC released a sustainability press release informing the student body of its recent efforts to make Boston College more “green.” They referenced their collaboration with other environmentally-focused student groups and applauded these organizations for the immense efforts they have already dedicated to the cause. The press release also encouraged all students to engage in the movement towards a greener BC. Since then, they have furthered their efforts to create a more sustainable campus by measuring the extent to which each event UGBC hosts is environmentally friendly. They hope one day to hold all events to a certain sustainability standard. In addition, UGBC has taken on the role of lobbyist to help student groups like Real Food BC and EcoPledge work with the administration. The Heights first and foremost commends UGBC for taking these steps and using the resources they have to help smaller student groups that are working toward a worthy cause. We would also like to echo their sentiment urging students to reach out to the Office of Sustainability and engage with them. A simple, easy way to do this is to get involved in promoting the NRG games. The Office of Sustainability has provided an incentive for students to be more aware of their energy consumption, and we encourage all students to partake in some way: take shorter showers, or shut off the light when you leave the room. While a higher electrical bill is not at stake for students living in dorms, they should take into account the environmental impacts of massive energy consumption. In a school of over 9,000 undergraduates, about 85 percent of whom

live on campus, the combination of many small individual efforts can have a great effect. The Heights would also like to congratulate student groups like Real Food BC and EcoPledge that have made an impact on the sustainability of BC but often go unnoticed. Real Food maintains a 1200-square-foot organic garden on Brighton Campus where they grow food that is then sold at Addie’s, the dining location on the second floor of Concoran Commons that was opened in 2008 by Real Food BC in collaboration with BC Dining Services. EcoPledge, on the other hand, works to educate the BC community by hosting film screenings and speakers that inform people about the environment. EcoPledge also organizes events celebrating Harvest Day and Earth Day, and runs campaigns aimed at getting BC students to reduce their energy consumption. In addition, they often reach out to the broader community, partaking in local clean-ups as well as hikes and other nature outings. The Heights does, however, ask UGB C to provide more details about its sustainability campaign. Oftentimes, people get caught up in the buzzwords of “going green” and being “eco-friendly” while losing sight of the details. It is important to recognize whether or not their particular efforts are making a substantial difference. We truly believe the issue of sustainability to be one of the utmost importance, and we urge everyone to educate themselves on the matter so that they may determine the best action to take. With informed students, the ineffective hype and meaningless buzzwords that often surround environmental efforts can be avoided and lasting change can be achieved.

Mobile tour provides important accessibility Tour of the Heights caters to tech-savvy potential students and those who may not be able to visit In the fall, the University announced the launch of the Tour of the Heights website and mobile phone application—a project aimed at increasing Boston College’s web presence and giving students the opportunity to see the campus, even from thousands of miles away. In light of yesterday’s Admitted Eagle Day and the upcoming college decision period for high school seniors, The Heights appreciates the University’s efforts to cater to a more tech-savvy generation of prospective students. The Tour of the Heights replaces the University’s old virtual tour, which consisted mostly of still images of campus buildings and landmarks and failed to give viewers a sense of BC beyond the buildings that make up the campus. In comparison with similar universities, the old tour was embarrassingly out of date and did little to attract prospective students to BC. The new tour, on the other hand, features audio, video, photos, and text, giving prospective students not only a sense of the campus, but also a better sense of what attending college at BC is really like. The tour intermixes pictures of current campus landmarks like Gasson Hall and Alumni Stadium with videos and stories from the University’s history, from Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary pass in 1984 to Tim Russert’s 2004 commencement address. Students get a sense of the culture of BC and the pride students, faculty, administrators, and alumni alike have in our school. In addition, audio contributions from prominent campus figures like Jerry York allow prospective students to hear directly from some of the most important men and women

HEIGHTS

at BC today. The tour gives students a better sense of what BC is like, going beyond pictures into the University’s history and student life. Even current students can benefit from the tour, learning more about the school that they already attend. The virtual tour is significant in a greater sense than just being an attractive website, however. Many students who apply to BC do not visit campus before doing so. By showing off BC’s campus and what the University has to offer with a brand new, up-to-date tour, the University may be able to convince students who are on the fence to apply. In addition, The Heights appreciates that the University is recognizing a growing trend of tech-savvy students at BC. From the founders of Jebbit to the makers of the Campus Calories mobile application, BC students are becoming more invested in the growing fields of technology and Internet development. By creating a tour that is impressively high-tech, the University may be more appealing to high school students who hope to pursue careers or business interests in these areas. Technology, and especially the Internet, is an area that is constantly being upgraded as new developments arise. In the last 20 years alone, the Internet has gone from being a nascent startup to arguably the most dominant technological development in the history of mankind. The University needs to reevaluate its presence on the Internet continually to ensure that BC is represented to the best possible extent to younger generations of students. The Tour of the Heights effort clearly accomplishes this.

THE

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 DAVID COTE, Editor-in-Chief JAMIE CIOCON, General Manager JOSEPH CASTLEN, Managing Editor

EDITORIAL

KENDRA KUMOR, Copy Editor ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT, News Editor AUSTIN TEDESCO, Sports Editor MICHELLE TOMASSI, Features Editor SEAN KEELEY, Arts & Review Editor TRICIA TIEDT, Metro Editor MARY ROSE FISSINGER, Opinions Editor SAM COSTANZO, Special Projects Editor GRAHAM BECK, Photo Editor LINDSAY GROSSMAN, Layout Editor

SUZANNE SEVERANCE / HEIGHTS ILLUSTRATION

LETTER TO THE EDITOR The class of 2013 asks for Mary Ann’s back ATTENTION UNDERCLASSMEN: We the Seniors, in order to form a more perfect Tuesday… As the hundred days dance is looming just a couple weeks away, the senior class is faced with a question of identity. What is it that unites us as seniors? One might argue that it is the easy class schedule, the class-free Mondays and Fridays. Or possibly the crippling anxiety about finding an income come June. Maybe one might say we are united by the common fear that Dave Shinskie is our estranged uncle (how old is he, seriously?). Maybe we think we are united by Ann Patchett’s advice to us during our first few days as an Eagle. But in reality, when push comes to shove, we know what pulls together the senior class. Seniors are united by the beacon of hope in the form of a yellow marquis, with a green text bearing a female Irish name . We are united by a bathroom smaller than a port-o-potty. By a $2 Rolling Rock. By a modern day jukebox that sucks all the ones out of our wallets so that we can hear Taylor Swift remind us that she is never getting back together. We are brought together by the dirty draft glasses and the true illness that is Hoop Fever. But there is something restraining us from fulfilling our

destinies at Mary Ann’s. What is standing in our way? It’s the freshmen who should be crammed in a double on Newton passing around a bottle of Ruby Razz. The sophomores who should be waking up the next morning in Walsh without a clue if they ever left the building last night. The juniors who are reveling in the freedom of off-campus living, but don’t understand that Cleveland Circle isn’t theirs just yet. Mary Ann’s has ended its love affair with the seniors—and we are willing to fight to get it back. Tuesday Senior Night has been stripped of its title. Tuesday’s should now be called “Underclassmen Wearing Skanky Outfits” Night. Now on Tuesdays, seniors are divided by cab rides and entry fees all over Boston. An tua Nua? J Tree? And what in God’s name is Rumor? Dearest underclassmen. We will let you into our mod. We will give you our beer. Just get the hell out of that line hugging the uneven brick wall outside Mary Ann’s. Give us back our Tuesday night dive bar and we will give you back our respect.

The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 400 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 email to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.

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The Heights

Monday, January 28, 2013

How well do you know the Court?

Matt Beckwith ADMITTED EAGLE DAY - So many good things about this day. First, it’s pretty much the only day of the year we are allowed to talk to complete strangers about how much we love BC without being considered creepy. Second, we are repeatedly brought back to our own college application experience and realize again and again with each blast from the past how much better it is to be in college than applying to it. But also, we get to admire these high school seniors for their devotion to BC which withstood even the 400word supplemental essay they were forced to write, an obstacle many current BC students probably would not have been able to overcome, had they encountered it. They rock! They should all come to BC! 100 percent yield! PUPPY BOWL - The much-anticipated lineup for the ninth annual puppy bowl has been announced! For the poor, depraved souls who do not know what this is, first of all, shame on you. Next, tune into Animal Planet at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 3. Yes, we know that you may be preparing for the annual cult phenomenon called the Super Bowl, but trust us, this is worth it. It has all the excitement and suspense of the Super Bowl, but the players are fuzzy and small. BOX O’ MAC - The box o’ joe concept seems to have found its way into Mac. Now, you can fill a box (much like the kind that can be purchased at Dunkin’ Donuts) with coffee, and it appears that some sort of dozenbagels-deal comes with it. This is wonderful. Who would ever say no to a box full of coffee? Or twelve bagels? This almost makes us want to host an early morning study group. But then again, it is Mac coffee…

As citizens of the United States, there are certain civics questions that we should all know the answer to. What are the three branches of government? The executive, legislative, and judicial, of course. Could you name the President of the United States when asked? Yes, Barack Obama. Could you name the Speaker of the House? Probably. But what if I asked you who the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court? Or to name the eight other justices? Or any of them? If you struggled with those last questions, don’t worry, you are not alone. FindLaw.com takes an annual survey of the American public, and the results are the same every year: More than half of all Americans cannot name a single Supreme Court Justice. Only 35 percent of responders in the 2012 survey could name a single Justice, and less than 1 percent of responders could name all nine. Only 16 percent of people could correctly name Chief Justice John Roberts. Now, it makes sense that the general public would be less aware of the Supreme Court than they would be of the President or of Congress. The Court, after all, does deal with more esoteric matters, and frequently does so in dense legal jargon. Often the public will only hear about a specific judge twice in their lives: when they are nominated to the bench, and when they either retire or die. But for twothirds of the public to be totally unaware of the make-up of one of the nation’s most powerful and important institutions is irresponsible and dangerous. The Supreme Court influences the lives of Americans more than they ever imagine. The Court receives the most attention for the cases it has involving abortion rights, but that is just a small part of its docket. Historically the

THE COLD OUTDOORS - Sorry to harp on it, but we are giving a thumbs down to outside. You’ve been so cold to us lately! (See what we did there...?) We propose that Boston College scratch the rest of the 10 year plan and invest in a thorough system of heated underground tunnels. Who’s with us? VENTILATION SYSTEMS - Maybe we’re less technologically adept than most college students, or maybe we just have less common sense, but trying to figure out the heating systems in the dorm rooms is akin to solving a Rubik’s cube behind our backs, if we had no arms. What room is this mechanism supposedly heating? Is there any setting that achieves the preposterous goal of having both the common room and bedrooms comfortably warm, rather than the former an ice box and the latter a sauna? Is there a work order for this? A DECENT PROPOSAL - Lower should deliver. We’re just throwing it out there. With an efficient way of paying online, scores of BC students would capitalize on this opportunity, mark our words.

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for future undergraduate and graduate school applicants. Do you care about gay marriage? It is also going to be ruled upon this year in two high profile cases called Hollingsworth v. Perry and U.S. v. Windsor. The former will determine whether California’s Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage is constitutional, and the latter will decide if the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act is constitutional. The Defense of Marriage Act (or DOMA) defined marriage as a union between only a man and a woman for the purpose of federal benefits such as Social Security survivor payments and the right to file joint federal tax returns, and restricted the Constitution’s full faith and credit clause. Conservative and religious leaders have urged the Court to uphold restrictions on gay marriage, while gay marriage activists have urged the court to strike down both Prop. 8 and DOMA as civil rights violations. These issues demonstrate the importance of the Supreme Court in American life, and to tolerate ignorance of the Court is equivalent to being ambivalent about some of the most important issues facing America today. All Americans should maintain at least a minimal knowledge of the Supreme Court, and actually care when a seat opens up. Over the next four years, there is likely to be at least one opening on the Court. Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 79, struggling with health issues, and has indicated a wish to resign after the 2015 term. When a seat opens up, Americans should take more than a passing interest in who is nominated, because in that one seat lays the balance of so many important cases including those on abortion, gay marriage, gun rights, and more. So take an interest in the Supreme Court. And just so you know next time you’re asked, the Supreme Court is (in order of seniority): Roberts, and Associate Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan.

Matt Beckwith is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.

Go ahead ... make my day

Ryan Hooper

LOSER’S DAY PARADE - Back-to-back losses to the worst team in Hockey East at home. For BC’s sake, we hope no recently Admitted Eagles here for the weekend attended either game. But don’t worry Eagles, we have faith. In York we trust.

Court has proved directly responsible for the desegregation of schools, the Miranda rights, and it infamously ended the recounts in the 2000 presidential election, effectively handing the presidency to George W. Bush. To put that in context, without the Supreme Court, desegregation may never have happened, criminals would not be read or informed of their constitutional rights, and Al Gore could have been president. Even more recently, just last summer, in a five-four split decision, the Court upheld the vast majority of the Obama Health Care law as constitutional. The most controversial piece of legislation in a decade was just one vote short of being invalidated, and most Americans would not have been able to name the justices responsible for its invalidation. We all have hectic lives, and I do not expect the average citizen to rush out to try to become an armchair constitutional litigator. But this should be basic civics. I am not asking anyone to memorize all 435 members of Congress, or to know all of the Cabinet secretaries, but nine justices? Everyone could know the justices, and I think they all should. If we as a nation are ignorant of those who determine the fundamental meaning of our constitution, then we are at risk of becoming ignorant of the constitution, and therefore ignorant of our fundamental freedoms and founding principles. The Supreme Court determines what ideas are in line with the founders’ vision of a more perfect union. This year alone they will rule on the constitutionality of a variety of hot button issues that will affect Boston College students for the rest of their lives. I know that many undergraduate students (myself included) are interested in attending graduate school one day. Those graduate school applications are going to be affected by how the Court rules on affirmative action later this year. In Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin the Court could potentially overrule its previous rulings in Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), which stated that affirmative action was a constitutional, viable part of the admissions policies of universities. The Court striking down affirmative action would change the whole admissions landscape

Riding back to Newton Campus on Dec. 14, I received a text from my mother simply saying, “I love you.” I was puzzled at first, not that it was unusual for my mother to tell me she loved me, but it seemed somewhat out of the blue. Then I got a push notification from CNN News, alerting me that 26 people, including 20 children, had been killed in a school shooting in Newtown, CT. I’m certain now I wasn’t the only one who got that text. In the days immediately following the shooting it quickly became apparent that gun control would play a large role in the President’s policy agenda for his impending second term. Unfortunately, what is the right response to an undeniable tragedy may not be the best move for the President politically. Recent reports have indicated that this past Congress, the 112th, is the most polarized in history. Even prior to the great gun control debate, Congress was far apart on day-today legislation. The polarization has shown no signs of slowing down in the President’s second term, with Republicans maintaining their House majority. Trying to set the tone for the next four years, Republican leaders have come out swinging early. Last Tuesday, Speaker of the House John Boehner said that he fears “the focus of the administration will be to annihilate the Republican Party.” Other attacks on the Democratic Party and Obama came during last week’s Benghazi hearing. Senator Rand Paul launched a personal attack on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who had practically rolled herself out of the hospital to speak at the Benghazi hearings. Paul declared that, “had he been President,” he would have relieved Clinton from her post as Secretary for “the worst tragedy since 9/11.” The insensitivity that Clinton was greeted with following a neardeath experience is appalling. It is a testament to the hostility of party relations at this point in the political game when respected Senators like John McCain and Ron Johnson were part of the attack on a Secretary who set a record for countries visited with 102 and was a part of the

Lecture Hall

most successful foreign policy administration in recent history. Despite heavy Republican opposition, Obama and the Democratic Party have steamrolled ahead with gun control legislation. Vice President Joe Biden (perhaps trying to cement himself as a party leader and a 2016 frontrunner) traveled to Richmond, VA on Friday to discuss the administrations strategy for gun control reform. The goals of the Obama administration appear to be reviving the ban on military style assault weapons and conducting mandatory background checks for all gun buyers. Also on Friday, California Senator Diane Feinstein announced her proposal for a ban on assault weapons. The bill would upgrade an assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 and outlaw magazines holding more than ten rounds. Albeit being the proponent of the bill, Feinstein openly acknowledged that the fight for gun control reform is “really an uphill road.” This is why it is not sensible for the President to attack gun control at this point in his administration. By going after gun reform Obama further risks alienating a Republican opposition that is already uniting against him. Republican leaders such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have already declared his second term, “a new era of liberalism.” His agenda has been distastefully described as a “liberal wish list” including issues such as immigration reform, climate change legislation, entitlement protection, and gay rights legislation. If Obama wants to accomplish any of these things, he must find a way to work with his Republican opposition, specifically Boehner, to get legislation through what has proven to be an almost impermeable House of Representatives. One way Obama could push weapons bans is by encouraging the movement of the reform conversation to the states. Recently, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was successfully able to push a gun control package through its state government, making New York the first state to do so. By pushing the debate on the state, Obama can turn his attention to other legislative issues while gun control gains steam. The bill, dubbed the NYSAFE Act, is in fact quite similar to Feinstein’s proposal and can serve as a model for other states. Like other legislative heavy weights such as gay rights and even women’s suffrage, it may be important for states to recognize the issue before it is tackled by the national government. This is not to say that we don’t need gun

control in this country. It is apparent with the Newtown shooting and others such as Virginia Tech, Columbine, and Aurora that something does need to be done. But this is a political battle that simply cannot be won at this time. With heavy influence from the NRA existing within the Republican Party and a Republican House majority, it is hard to imagine that any bill controlling the use of assault rifles would pass. Passing the bill will only be more difficult with recent news that filibuster reform has been shot down by McConnell. With a Republican Senate minority, the likelihood of filibustering is high and the likelihood of passage low. Additionally, even if the bill were to make it through the House, it would likely be altered and torn down to the point where the bill itself would not accomplish its original goals. With only four years left to accomplish his “wish list,” it is imperative that Obama gains the support of the right. There is no more time to waste for the President, who, like all first term Presidents, faced the challenge of balancing policy battles while maintaining his reelectability. But now that he has won reelection, things have to get done—he can’t sit back and hope the Republicans put themselves in a hole that results in Democrats taking back the House in 2014. I fear that the President will compromise his second term by pushing for gun control too early and further alienating the right. In his first term, the President used a great amount of his political capital to push for the Health Care Reform Bill, colloquially known as “Obamacare.” The Health Care Reform Bill was a major political victory at the time—however, in the long run it has proven to be the bane of his reelection. The President must seek other political victories while simultaneously building Republican trust. The President is rolling out his plan for immigration reform strategy this week, giving him an opportunity to compromise and communicate with his Republican counterparts, as immigration has always been seen as a bipartisan issue. With the current balance of power on Capitol Hill, the only way to pass any sort of gun control reform is with bipartisan support. Don’t forget, Mr. President, you don’t have to like the people you work with, but you still have to work with them.

Ryan Hooper is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.

BY PAT HUGHES

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

Pop life Alexia LaFata As of today, I have almost 5,000 songs on my computer. In 2000, I went to a show in New York City called Pokemon Live, and after my seven-year-old heart palpitated at the sound of Ash Ketchum’s beautiful onstage voice, I couldn’t resist buying the soundtrack. It was that moment that began my true addiction to music. The next 13 years of my life would be filled with downloading even more songs that I’d organize into sappy break-up playlists, birthday gift mixtapes, and a perfectly polished iTunes library. My iTunes library is like a digital version of my brain, my innermost thoughts and memories laid out in the form of songs and playlists. There’s something extremely personal about sharing your favorite song with a friend, and there are few things worse than watching your friend’s face turn from open-minded and eager to listen to apathetic and disappointed when the song is played. Does anybody else become strangely insulted when they play music for someone who, half way through, just doesn’t like it? “Wait! The best part is coming!” you say, as time seems to slow down and “the best part” never seems to arrive. At two minutes in, your friend’s pursed lips and narrow eyes do not lie. She hates it. I’ve seen my share of skeptical eyes and heard my share of “it’s not that bad” when I show people my favorite songs. It has made me wonder, though: Why do I listen to what I listen to? Do I simply like the way a song sounds, or is it something deeper? Our music taste says a lot about where we want to belong socially, and I think we subconsciously alter our sound preference to that which belongs to a certain group of people. I’m not ashamed to admit that one of my favorite genres of music is pop. Sometimes I just want to listen to Taylor Swift to enter a culture of doodled notebook hearts and romantic idealism. Or I want to tap into my inner power girl and listen to Christina Aguilera. Or maybe I want to have some fun, and Carly Rae Jepsen has that covered for me. Lately, I’ve encountered a musical hierarchy of coolness when I talk about music with my friends. I’m saddened to report that it looks like pop music is near the bottom of this hierarchy. I mean, I once thought that popular songs were cool (Popular? Trendy? Cool? Are these words no longer synonymous?), but the opposite appears to be true. It’s almost like it’s cool not to be able casually to engage in a conversation about pop music. I’ve even heard of people who stop listening to an artist when that artist gets on the radio and thus becomes somewhat mainstream. While pop music is the plankton of the cool music food chain, familiarity with alternative or underground music is giving people an edge of cool that those of us who like mainstream music will simply never achieve. We will forever be dense, brainwashed recipients of the mass media industry. Well, ouch. To that I say: But pop music is fun! Everyone likes to have fun, and being above fun is not how you do fun. And as a sociology and communications double major who has been trained to look critically at the inner workings of the media, I can recognize that some mainstream music is mass-produced by the same group of producers and writers. However, similar to enjoying a huge brownie that I know has 500 grams of fat and 1,000 calories, I can enjoy a song that may be a bit processed and not have it be a reflection of my ability to think or of my intelligence. And is it cool to deny yourself of a delicious chocolate brownie just because it’s unhealthy? Absolutely not. Acquainting yourself with pop music connects you to a wider range of people. I love that I can connect to my 12-year-old campers as well as to my college friends when I unironically listen to Justin Bieber. I love that I’ll be able to scream the lyrics to Flo-Rida at a party this weekend. Listening to pop music will not remove your status as a competent member of society, and not everything you listen to must prove how deep and analytical you are. In fact, you don’t have to prove anything to anyone when you listen to music. Accepting pop music is really teaching you to care a little bit less about what people think. Of course, since I’m talking about pushing past your musical boundaries, I’d be a hypocrite if I said I only listen to pop. I dabble in a little bit of everything, from rap to ’90s dance and techno to indie. I love The Beatles as much as I love Fleetwood Mac as much as I love Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z. Music (even those of the “uncool” variety like pop), much like an unhealthy dessert, is an important element of American culture. It’s time we allow ourselves to enjoy the silly beats and the serious lyrics without feeling stupid or guilty. You can jam to “Call Me Maybe” and indulge in the profundity of Fiona Apple. You can get weird to Ke$ha and get indie to Lana del Rey. Enjoying what’s popular or “synthesized” doesn’t mean you have to reject what’s not, and visa versa. And it’s the real cool kids who know that.

Alexia LaFata is a staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

The Heights

Monday, January 28, 2013

Haneke’s devastating ‘Amour’ examines the bonds of love By Sean Keeley

Arts & Review Editor In a famous passage in The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote that “active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with love in dreams.” It’s a formulation that remains no less true today, and it’s a reality that we are still reluctant to contemAMOUR plate—esMichael Haneke pecially in HollySony Pictures wood. Arriving as a tonic is the extraordinary new film Amour, which turns an unflinching eye on the tribulations of an elderly couple approaching the end of their days together. Amour—an Austrian-produced, Frenchlanguage film that has garnered four Oscar nominations—is, as its title suggests, about love. But it is specifically about the harsh, fearful nature of active love rather than the dreamlike, idealized love so often proffered at the movies. Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) are two retired music teachers living in Paris. As the film begins, the two octogenarians are enjoying a comfortable retirement together,

but things soon change as Anne’s health deteriorates. An alarming moment at the breakfast table, when Anne plunges into a near-catatonic state, leads to a hospital visit, a botched surgery, and eventually a stroke that leaves Anne partially paralyzed. As George struggles to take care of his increasingly sick wife, who refuses to go to a hospital, both husband and wife must come to grips with their looming mortality, and the daily struggle of how their love can endure under such trying circumstances. Amour is directed by Michael Haneke, the Austrian art-house director who is celebrated in some corners and reviled in others for his bleak films about the worst aspects of human nature, which are often tinged with political and social commentary. From Cache, an ambiguous thriller that explores themes of colonialism and guilt, to the sadistic Funny Games, which holds viewers accountable for their own capacity to enjoy extreme violence, Haneke’s films are meant to provoke. Amour is recognizably part of this tradition, yet it also offers something more warm than usual in its story of two genuinely good people united in love. That does not mean that Amour is

an easy watch. Haneke refuses to spare viewers the unpleasant details of Anne’s decline, as she becomes unable to eat or go to the bathroom without assistance and as she loses control over her ability to speak. Nor does Haneke offer much respite from the claustrophobic interiors of the couple’s apartment. His shots are patient, frequently lingering in a static position for several minutes and allowing the audience to take in all the details. Such an approach is slow, of course, but it is necessarily slow, modeled on the rhythms of the couple’s life and allowing the viewer to reflect on what they are seeing. Throughout the movie, Haneke’s mastery of cinematic staging, editing rhythms and subtle sound design is evident in his depiction of the couple’s insular world. What keeps Amour from being merely clinical and depressing is the human element, provided by Trintignant and Riva. These two actors are established icons of French cinema, with careers spanning back to the 1950s. Their lifetime of experience is evident in the subtleties of their performances and the effortlessly believable rapport they establish as husband and wife—both actors convey so much emotion from the slightest gestures and

Photo courtesy of sony pictures classics

‘Amour’ takes a beautifully unflinching look at a couple tested by looming mortality. looks. Yet the script never makes them saints—Georges and Anne’s sense of anger and frustration are just as vividly portrayed. Ultimately, Amour is such a harrowing film to watch because it touches so powerfully on fundamental elements of the human experience that we would rather not confront. Topics such as suffering, death, and aging, especially

when presented as starkly and brutally as they are here, are not likely to bring in droves to the movie theater. But they are undeniably a part of life, and Haneke’s commitment to depicting such themes with clear-sighted honesty is admirable. Amour is not comforting, it is all too often devastatingly sad, yet it is also upliftingly beautiful. It’s a paradox—just like life, and love, itself. n

‘Witch Hunters’ a mediocre reimagining

Box office report title release

Photo Courtesy of Paramount pictures

Despite an intriguing premise and appealing leads, ‘Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters’ fails to transcend action-movie mediocrity. By Carolina Del Busto For The Heights

Hansel and Gretel are all grown up in this recent adaptation from MGM and Paramount Pictures. Jeremy Renner (The Bourne Legacy, The Avengers) and Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace) are clad in leather and armed with fancy weapons as th e y hu nt Hansel & Gretel: dow n and Witch hunters kill witches Tommy Wirkola i n H an s e l & GreParamount tel : Witch Hunters. For those of you unfamiliar with the original Hansel and Gretel tale by the Brothers Grimm, it goes a little something like this: Hansel and Gretel come from a poor family, so poor that the father takes the children into the forest and leaves them there so they can get eaten by wild animals , and he will then have two fewer mouths to feed. After wandering in the woods, Hansel and Gretel come across a house made entirely from candy, and being the hungry children they were, they start to eat the house. They are captured by an evil witch who wants to eat them, but Gretel eventually traps the witch in her own stove and thus saves the day. And so, the pair returned home to their father with riches taken from the witch’s home, and they lived in happiness until the end of their days. Or did they? Writer and director Tommy Wirkola

B+ C+

stayed true to the origins of the tale while still mixing things up in an interesting way. Hansel and Gretel did escape an evil witch from a house made of candy, but they did not return to their home. Instead, they grew up to be witch hunters. Since their triumphs are known through all the lands, they are hired by a small town mayor to hunt and kill a witch tribe that has been plaguing his town and taking its children. There have been so many portrayals of witches, it’s hard to keep track, but it seems that in Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters it was hard to pick just one. Out of the three witches that plague the small nameless town, one is what is referred to as a “grand witch,” meaning she can alter her appearance to look human, but her real form is that of a nasty witch with white dry skin with black streaks and a crooked nose to top it off. But not all witches look like this, some look more demonic with horns and zombie-like features. And then again, “white witches,” or good witches, have only one human form. Although the premise of the tale is something that is already far from reality, some new additions were almost just as difficult to digest. For one thing, Hansel and Gretel are these famous “witch hunters” that go around blasting witch brains all over the place with their high tech machine guns and metal crossbows—they even carry with them a homemade taser gun (which doubles as a defibrillator).

But how can these types of weapons exist when the town still churns its own butter and the peasants dress in burlap? Hansel & Gretel is rated R for “horror, violence/gore, brief sexuality/nudity, and language,” which means it is mostly tailored to your 17+ adult crowd, yet it is difficult to see this film being made with an adult viewer in mind. Yes, it is true that some older folk get nostalgic about their younger days when the extent of their responsibility was playing with dolls and Legos and nap time, and even though as college kids we still take naps, we have many more responsibilities and sometimes it’s nice to be reminded of the olden days. Instead of a peaceful escape to a land of fairies and magic, Hansel and Gretel suit up and show you the right way to kill a witch: burning usually does the trick. The most interesting part of the film was the initial idea and premise of having Hansel and Gretel grow up to be witch hunters. However, the actual execution proved to be far less interesting. What was really lacking was a strong cast—Renner and Arterton were great, but they were not enough to carry the entire film successfully. If you’re a fan of all things fairy tales, then Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters will give you a fresh perspective, but if you’re looking to be blown away by a great story, I would recommend sitting this one out and going to see Jack the Giant Slayer in March instead. n

weekend gross

weeks in

1. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

19.0

2. Mama

12.9

3. Silver Linings Playbook

10.0

4. Zero Dark Thirty

9.8

5. Parker

7.0

6. Django Unchained

5.0

7. Movie 43

5.0

8. Gangster Squad

4.2

9. Broken City

4.0

photos courtesy of Google images

bestsellers of hardcover fiction 1. A Memory of light Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson 2. Gone Girl Gillian Flynn 3. The Fifth Assassin Brad Meltzer 4. Tenth of December George Saunders 5. The Third Bullet Stephen Hunter

SOURCE: New York Times

6. Mrs. lincoln’s dressmaker Jennifer Chiaverini 7. The Racketeer John Grisham 8. The twelve Tribes of Hattie Ayana Mathis 8. standing in another man’s grave Ian Rankin

‘Movie 43’ a star-studded but medicore grab bag of comedy skits By Ryan Schmitz For The Heights

When one sits down to watch a Farrelly brothers film, certain expectations should be kept in mind. First and foremost, it is not going to be an intellectually stimulating comedy. movie 43 R e a l l y, i t Various Directors will be utRelativity Media terly devoid of any and all intellectual weight from the second the credits begin until the film finally takes its last fade into black. Movie 43 is certainly no different, almost warranting a disclaimer at the door to check your brains with your coats and pick them up at the end of the film. Relying on its eclectic mix of comedy all-stars and respected Hollywood heavyweights, this comedic pro bowl of sorts takes a bunch of actors and essentially makes them do the basest, most inappropriate things possible. The movie begins with Dennis Quaid as an aging amateur film writer and, judg-

B+ C

ing by his clothes, Justin Bieber wardrobe impersonator. He is attempting to pitch his feel-good, smart, American movie that any studio head in his right mind would want to get behind, and so begins the first of 12 short stories that comprise this “movie” within the movie. Without missing a beat the movie begins with a working class Kate Winslet going on a date with a successful lawyer and philanthropist played by Hugh Jackman. After checking her coat at the entrance of the restaurant, Winslet discovers the horrifying deformity hidden by Jackman’s scarf, setting off a chain reaction of laughs that leave the audience attempting to quiet their own laughter so they can hear the next joke for the rest of the film. As the shorts continue, all having absolutely nothing to do with the one preceding it, the audience quickly learns that nothing is off limits. All of the taboo comedy concepts are thoroughly covered, from bathroom humor to sex jokes—the filmmakers had a proverbial free-for-all with this one. Interwoven between the random mini movies, the main story arch of Dennis Quaid is occasionally revisited. After being flatly refused fairly

quickly into his pitch, he decides to take matters into his own hands and demand to receive the funding at gunpoint, bringing him to the studio head. The introduction of the studio head brings rapper Common into the film as well as a cameo from Family Guy mastermind Seth MacFarlane. MacFarlane’s cameo raises a bit of a concern about the nature of the film. It shows that it is more of a sketch comedy show than anything. It relies entirely on a series of famous cameos to come in for five seconds or five minutes, make some crude joke about sex, and then leave without ever being addressed again. While most of the jokes were very funny, the film’s format just left the audience a little put off. Though that kind of style works great for things like Saturday Night Live, it just does not seem to translate onto the big screen. The sudden transitions into a completely unrelated story often resulted in a confused audience still processing the events from the previous short, which were often so shocking that it took a minute or two for everyone to pick their jaws off of the ground and wipe the tears of laughter out of their eyes. All in all, the movie was exactly what most

people were expecting—it was very stupid, very base, and most of the jokes were very funny. Watching serious dramatic actors and even Oscar nominees do and say some of the things that they did in this movie was a hilarious and refreshing change of pace from the usual uptight Hollywood dramatic society. However, the sometimes over-the-top shock

humor did not always sit well and occasionally just made it seem like the filmmakers were trying too hard to be disgusting and get a rise out of people. Overall, despite some undeniably funny parts with some unbelievably funny actors, Movie 43’s choppy storyline (or lack thereof ) made it impossible to walk away completely satisfied. n

Courtesy of relativity media

The choppy, skitlike nature of ‘Movie 43’ doesn’t translate to a satisfying movie experience.

The Heights

Monday, January 28, 2013

DOBC joins Fuego to welcome the new year “Thirteen,” from A10 pairing of dubstep bass lines and adroit, delicate form. In militaristic uniformity, 16 dancers captured the stage with geometric precision, as if to hint at the monstrous scope of the project through this prelude. This initial display of brutish force quickly shied into “Give Me Love,” a series of reaching leaps and sweeping crawls set to British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran’s folk sound. A birdlike quality defined the large ensemble’s movement, and at times, there almost seemed to be a prevailing wind, blowing dancers across the stage. This more intimate moment gave way to “Bottoms Up,” a raunchy display of hip-hop expertise. In polychromatic mid top Nikes, sweats, and tie-dyed tees, the ladies of DOBC showed no absence of the pop and lock in a clubinspired routine, even affording a second of unbridled “twerk,” perhaps to verify the authenticity of their work. “Carnevale,” alike only in its fervor, followed street prowess with campy circus nuance, as eight dancers evoked trapeze artists in a comic suite, featuring a rather brilliant moment of ballet, setting the performer’s nimble silhouettes over a deeply green backlit cyclorama. This was followed by “Va Va Voom,” an explosive hip-hop number with exhilaratingly crude temperament. Latin dance troupe Fuego Del Corazon then seized the stage with “Turn It Up,” a visceral blend of classic merengue and modern Latin dance. Brazenly focused and explosively sensual, the number functioned on a push-pull basis. In the capable hands of Fuego del Corazon, Latin dance is a well-polished

play with seduction. DOBC returned with “Crave You,” which began with its dancers seeming asleep on stage. Representative of the awakening of passion, the number quickly developed a strobe-lit banquet of dubstep. “Kill the Lights” alluded to the iconic dance of artists like Britney Spears and Madonna, perhaps best likened to the “Vogue” music video, setting perfunctory glitz to frothy blue backlighting. “Secrets” began with dancers posing as wooden dolls, strung to the ceiling by invisible string. However, the restrained movement quickly exploded into loud, yet sophisticated visual brilliance. Although dance attire certainly is a matter of discretion, every choreographer I’ve worked with at least has set the same standard—dancers don’t wear jeans. And yet, DOBC did just that in “Your Easy Lovin’,” a rollicking country tap number. Working with the restriction of blue jeans, choreographer Honor Flannery highlighted the movement of the upper body. If anything, this constraint was the basis of the number’s magic. Feverish spotlights, sculpture-like poses, and contortionist bliss characterized “Continuum,” and “Baba O’Riley” ended the first act with a similar experimental charm. The second act opened with Florence and the Machine’s “Shake It Out,” a glossy number with a particular fondness for 3-2-3 and 4-by-4 formation, and yes, as the title would suggest, there was a fair deal of “shaking.” “I Like That” was the obligatory salute to the sequin, blissfully forward, greedy, and was also indulgent in its style. The charm of Thirteen came largely through its versatility. “Chasing Cars”

alex gaynor / heights editor

DOBC’s show ‘Thirteen’ was thrillingly versatile, encompassing a slew of diverse styles from modern Latin dance to classic ballet. painted a portrait of angels in headlights, using offstage spots to give the dancers’ flowing white attire a seraphic quality. “Carry On,” on the other hand, was jaunty and playful. “Hella Good” took to a raunchy burlesque, elaborately crossing cabaret with hip-hop under a lacy black veneer. “Last Request” was nostalgic, dark and intense, setting reaching, longing motion to Paolo Nutini’s raspy vocals. “Up With the Birds” sought to disband gravity, through a sensory storytelling of leaps and twists. “Pressure” operated under a mechanical spacing, and used

silhouette to highlight form. “I Never Loved a Man”—a title audibly amusing to the audience—took on the bluesy nuanced style of musicals like Chicago. The individual works in Thirteen were alike only in their unlikeness—recognizing this as a strength, DOBC created opportunity for a wide array of dancers, and granted artistic sovereignty to each number’s choreographer. “Take Me Home” was Fuego del Corazon’s second and last appearance, in which they supplied all the pelvis thrusts and lifts Thirteen otherwise

lacked, by no fault of DOBC’s all-female company. “Thirteen” closed the show, with all 46 members of DOBC storming Robsham’s stage—landing U.S. troops on the beaches of Normandy probably took considerably less planning than this impressive feat. Thus was the spirit of Thirteen—it was unafraid to be large, technically daring, and seemingly limitless in its artistic bounds. Director Honor Flannery and assistant director Alex Lorditch left little to luck with Thirteen, their brave endeavor in eclectic dance. n

Alex Gaynor / Heights editor

From ‘Cabin’ to ‘Looper,’ celebrating the unsung heroes of 2012 cinema Joe Allen Another year, another Favorite Movies list. I once again find myself surprised by my final choices for top films of the year. Almost every single movie that I was excited about pre2012 disappointed me, while I wasn’t aware of many of my post-2012 favorites until mere weeks before they were released. And so, as 2013 begins, here are my choices for the unsung heroes of 2012.

The Cabin in the Woods This horror-comedy, courtesy of Buffy/Avengers extraordinaire Joss Whedon, snuck into theaters last March, after spending three years on the shelf due to MGM’s studio troubles. What starts as a film that seemingly revels in every horror cliche becomes a hysterical, gory, self-aware delight as the film becomes both a scathing commentary on modern-day horror films and an excellent case for why horror is still a necessary American

film genre. Whedon’s trademark, witty dialogue is present in each scene, and Drew Goddard’s assured direction keeps the film running smoothly under 100 minutes. Add in a comically gifted cast that includes Chris Hemsworth and Whedon alum Fran Kranz, and Cabin in the Woods becomes a can’t miss scare/laugh fest. Wreck-it-Ralph In a year where the reliable PIXAR’s Brave was heavily anticipated for featuring

a female lead character, Disney’s other big animated film actually stole the spotlight for being the most clever, emotional, and fun family movie of the year. What could have been a Toy Story-knockoff becomes a great movie in its own right, thanks in large part to the well-written lead characters, voiced confidently by the gifted actors John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, and Jane Lynch. The story is a delight from beginning to end, as “villain” Wreck-It Ralph stumbles through one arcade game after another in an effort to prove that he can be a hero, too. Skyfall While The Dark Knight Rises was the most talked-about blockbuster by far in 2012, the new Bond film Skyfall came the closest to greatness of any popcorn movie last year. By telling a grittier, more personal Bond story that revolves around Judi Dench’s ‘M,’ Skyfall is more complex and rewarding than any 007 movie of recent years. The film moved at an assured pace, choosing not to introduce its all-time great Bond villain, Javier Bardem’s psychotic Silva, until almost halfway through the film. Daniel Craig brings his A-game once again to a reimagining of Bond as a weathered spy. And who hasn’t listened to Adele’s ‘Skyfall’ theme song a thousand times already?

PHOTO Courtesy of Tri-Star Pictures

Rian Johnson’s bendy sci-fi flick ‘Looper,’ featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, was one of the most pleasantly surprising discoveries of 2012.

Looper This small-scale, yet suffocating and intense sci-fi film rocketed into theaters last fall, an original work by Rian Johnson, a man previously responsible for two of Breaking Bad’s best-directed episodes. Dealing with time travel, Looper doesn’t lose its head in the mechanics of sci-fi, a fact that Old Joe (Bruce Willis) explains to his younger self (Joseph-Gordon Levitt) in a diner halfway through the film. Instead, this thriller preoccupies itself with telling a unique story of a man who must kill his older self to avoid being killed himself.

While this film frequently stretches the ‘Awesome’ meter to 11, its greatest achievement lied in making Gordon-Levitt look exactly like a young Willis. Kudos also to Gordon-Levitt for adopting the mannerisms of Willis perfectly. Life of Pi 3-D Anyone who has talked to me about film knows that I despise 3-D movies. In my firstever Heights column, written a year and a half ago, I gleefully insulted what I surmised to be a money-grabbing gimmick. After seeing Life of Pi, however, I can no longer say that the new technology is always without purpose. I was amazed by scenes of Pi and his tiger, stranded on the ocean, in which the sea seemed to dip back past the screen while the two companions appeared to be hanging out in the middle of the theater. Without a doubt, this was the most beautifully-shot movie that I saw last year. That the film’s spiritual narrative packed an emotional punch was just icing on the cake. Argo I couldn’t make this list without choosing at least one film that has been making the Awards-season rounds. In Ben Affleck’s hands, Argo is both a thriller that succeeds in building most of its tension from dialogue rather than action and an entertaining Hollywood story about a group of big shots stringing together a risky, yet creative, plan to save American hostages in Iran in 1980. Those who are easily turned away by “Based on a True Story” movies will be missing a cinematic feat. Affleck, Arkin, Cranston, and Goodman give highly energetic, memorable performances. And even though he wasn’t nominated for Best Director, we all know that Affleck, at the height of his career comeback, was the real winner of 2012.

Joe Allen is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@ bcheights.com.

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ARTS&REVIEW THE HEIGHTS

Monday, January 28, 2013

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

THE FINER THINGS

The wings of inspiration

DOBC makes ‘Thirteen’ a lucky number BY JOHN WILEY

ARIANA IGNERI

Asst. Arts & Review Editor

Inspiration is like a butterfly: brilliantly beautiful and dynamic, but entirely elusive. In active pursuit, greedy fingers are unsuccessful in catching it, unable to pinch together its vibrant, wavering wings—likewise, in passive indifference, idle eyes fail to notice its magnificent presence, even when it’s perched delicately on one’s shoulder. To really appreciate a butterfly, then, to grasp it, one needs to be neither excessively eager nor haphazardly heedless, but rather, simply attentive—the same is true of inspiration. Fleeting and vague, inspiration is actually a challenging concept to pin down—though we’ve all experienced it. It’s an abstract idea, easily defined, but not so easily understood. The Oxford English Dictionary terms inspiration as “A breathing in or infusion of some idea or purpose into the mind; the suggestion of awakening or creation of some impulse, especially of an exalted kind.” Their explanation makes sense, but capturing only the intangible essence of inspiration, they leave aspects of the concept unexplained. Where does it come from? When and why does it manifest itself? How can it be controlled? For a concept that pervades all aspects of life, it seems surprising that there would be more questions than there are answers surrounding it. It’s even more surprising, however, how little research has been done on the topic to rationalize it explicitly. Though it’s generally associated with the arts, inspiration truly rests in the domain of psychology, and there have been some interesting studies conducted in the field that concern its influence on the mind. Todd Thrash and Andrew Elliot, for example, conducted such research for the University of Rochester in 2003. Their paper, “Inspiration as a Psychological Construct,” attempted to analyze inspiration from a novel point view—they studied it not just as an abstract, figurative idea, but, instead as a concrete, literal, and comprehensible facet of the human brain. It reveals itself in different ways to different people, but as Thrash and Elliott found, inspiration is always characterized by three definitive attributes: evocation, motivation, and transcendence. It’s not directly initiated by the will, but rather evoked, either unconsciously or subconsciously. It does not imply inaction, but instead, its presence encourages an energization of creative behavior. And lastly, it doesn’t settle for the mundane—inspiration is a calling to something much higher than what is ordinary. Simply put: it elicits a driving force that stirs one to achieve something that is “superior to self.” Even when broken down scientifically and when bulleted methodically into single word elements, inspiration doesn’t seem all that simple. Nevertheless, the research illustrates the all-encompassing generality of inspiration. It can take various forms, but ultimately, inspiration is inspiration, so long as it can be described by those three basic features. So, for the ancient Greeks, it was the muse, and for Da Vinci, it was a mysterious smile. Fitzgerald relied on the lavish decadence of the 1920s, and Taylor Swift, her seemingly endless chain of failed relationships. It’s fascinating: writers, painters, poets, musicians, and even scientists and regular, ordinary individuals—they all experience inspiration, just in their own way. Aside from structuring it, Thrash and Elliot’s research discovered a significant truth—arguably the most vital part of their work—about inspiration: It only comes to those who are in a state of mind that is both open and active. They describe “the importance of openness,” and they suggest that “objects in the world are capable of evoking inspiration, if only one may put aside one’s tendency to perceive them narrowly as objects.” Diverse, rich, and magnificent, the entire world—its places, people, and things—are at one’s disposal, if only one choses to see it through an inspired lens. From personal experience, I can surely attest to the verity of such a statement. Subtle, enigmatic, and often surprising, inspiration can be found in the least likely of places. Last week, I found it in a philosophical, homeless man at the shelter where I volunteer, and the week before that I found it in a Dalai Lama quote on the label of my Honest T. I didn’t anticipate it, but I was willing to see it—willing to appreciate its splendid beauty and lively vibrancy, before it took to the sky and fluttered away.

Ariana Igneri is the Associate Arts & Review editor of The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

With unbound spirit, The Dance Organization of Boston College (DOBC) returned to Robsham Theater last weekend with Thirteen, an eclectic exercise in dance. Special guest Fuego del Corazon joined the 46-woman company for what proved to be an unapologetic collective of student-choreographed work. With 23 individual routines, Thirteen served no rigid structure, but worked rather as an edifice, lifting the company’s performers to a rockstar-like standing. The audience heartily embraced the concert-like feel, and as they hollered out names and held up signs, Robsham felt more like an arena than a relatively cozy venue. Subtly tied together with the theme of luck evoked by the number 13, the roughly 90-minute work ushered in the new year with a mix of nostalgia and explosive celebration—as if to suggest a world waking up. Director Honor Flannery, A&S ’13, described Thirteen as a series of stories, with “some interpreting the bad luck we have experienced and others interpreting the good.” Thirteen opened with “Black and Gold,” a lively

See “Thirteen,” A9

ALEX GAYNOR / HEIGHTS EDITOR

BC a cappella groups unite in Gasson 100 for the Campus School BY RYAN DOWD For The Heights

Seven of Boston College’s a cappella groups came together on Thursday night to serenade an eager crowd of BC students who meshed into an intimate Gasson 100 setting. It was the 2nd annual a cappella concert, accompanied by a modest bake sale, sponsored by the Campus School of the Lynch School of Education. The concert was free and open to the public. Kicking the show off were The Sharps, BC’s only all-female group, who stepped up to the stage first, channeling their inner woman as Eliza Duggan, A&S ’13, belted Carrie Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova.” After tackling country, the Sharp girls did a slow, understated rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song.” The Sharps ended their three song set with a bit of soul, Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man.” Voices of Imani, the Bostonians, the Acoustics, the Beats, the Dynamics, and finally the all-male Heightsmen followed the Sharps in the roughly two hour show. The Bostonians had some of the more signature performances of the night. Their second song, “The Cave” by Mumford and Sons, had much of the tightly packed crowd mumbling and even singing along with soloist Jeff Nicholson, A&S ’14. Nicholson’s voice, having eerily

similarity to that of Mumford’s, captured the audience for the entire three and a half minutes. With their third and final song, The Bostonians covered Hall & Oates “You Make My Dreams True.” Unlike Nicholson, who delighted the audience with a quiet, almost haunting performance, Michael Scully, A&S ’14, impressed with the most charismatic performance of the night, swaying and dancing with the signature beat of the Hall and Oates classic. The Acoustics made the most interesting song choice of the night with their rendition of the indie classic “Creep” by Radiohead. The audience seemed a bit perplexed at first, but when the song ended minutes later gave The Acoustics one of loudest applauses of the night. The Acoustics then performed Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and Fun’s “Some Nights.” Both are difficult songs to master given the artists’ supreme vocal talent, but The Acoustics did both justice, though neither performance could recapture the power and rawness of “Creep.” The Dynamics, BC’s newest a cappella group, composed the best arrangement of the night fitting together Rihanna’s “We Found Love” and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” seamlessly. The Dynamics nonchalantly meshed two of pop music’s greatest songs and icons under soloist Kristina Rex, A&S ’15. Starting from a straight cover of “We Found Love,” The

Dynamics built on the giant hook that is Rihanna’s summer smash hit until finally bringing both classics together in the final minute of the performance, which in the somber space that is Gasson 100 nearly inspired a bit of dancing. The smooth sailors that are The Heightsmen capped off the concert with what surely was the funniest moment of the concert for most of the audience and what might have been the most awkward moment for one lucky lady. For their final song, The Heightsmen asked for a female volunteer. Several hands shot up. After their volunteer reached the stage, The Heightsmen unleashed on their unsuspecting volunteer a crooning cover of “My Girl.” Soloist Max Hartman at one point got on one knee before his volunteer to the delight of the crowd. The performance proved a delightful way to conclude the concert. By no means is Gasson 100 the House of Blues, but the Irish Room, as it is called, with its tall stained glass windows and dim light gave the concert a quaint, yet historic feel. No p erformance dem-

onstrates this more than Voices of Imani’s echoing cover of “Let My People Go.” The sheer power of the chorus seemed to vibrate through the Irish Room and seemed a fitting topic for the chapel-like setting. The crowd, made up mostly of friends of the performers and a cappella enthusiasts, outnumbered the number of seats for the show. Many had to stand against the back wall during the long show, and some moved to the high balcony overlooking the entire room. The Irish Room by its very nature provided a friendlier, more intimate setting than even a small auditorium would. At its worst, the concert was surely a pleasant break from Thursday night homework or an enjoyable event before a Thursday night outing. At its best, the concert was a fun reminder of what some talente d vo c alist s c an do with just their voice and few friends. 

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

I NSIDE ARTS THIS ISSUE

2012’s unsung heroes of the cinema

Although the buzz brushed over these cinematic delights, they’re worthy of praise....................A9

Falling in love with Amour

The Oscar-nominated French masterwork ﬁnds beauty in morbidity........................................A8

Bestsellers...............................A8 Box Office Report........................A8

SPORTS THE HEIGHTS

Monday, January 28, 2013

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

Skating past our real heroes AUSTIN TEDESCO Two defining statues adorn the Boston College campus. One simultaneously shows aggressive, dynamic introspection in unison with desperate self-sacrifice. It is 10 feet tall, larger than life, and its bronze frame is displayed above a five foot platform. It is surrounded by classrooms. The other shows a fleeting “Hail Mary.” The moment depicted doesn’t even have enough time to be full of grace. There is desperation here too, but it isn’t sacrificial. The desperation is for six points on a scoreboard. Desperation for a mark in a win column. Desperation for a relative miracle on a Miami field. It is a debatably life sized six-feet tall, but this bronze frame has no platform. It stands before a stadium. Soon, there will be calls for a third statue to join St. Ignatius and Doug Flutie. It won’t be an inspiring professor or an influential administrator or a deserving faculty member joining the famous quarterback and the founding Jesuit. It won’t be a president or a social activist or a second saint. It will be another man like Flutie, with records and trophies and awards. It will be a great man, but a man known for his greatness because of his domain. A man celebrated because his greatness occurred on a bench behind the ice. After the coach’s time at BC comes to an end, maybe even before, alumni and administrators will inevitably push for a bronzed Jerry York on the Heights. Perhaps on the opposite side of Flutie, dressed in suit and tie with a stoic look lacking any desperation, because when has the legendary men’s hockey coach ever been remembered for desperation? There will be trophies around him, because there have to be. His unmatchable win total will be carved somewhere in the bronze. He will, of course, fight it, unless every single one of his players and assistants is included, but no one will listen. There won’t be a platform and this bronze won’t be larger than life, the gradeur won’t go that far, but there will be a message. The same message that ran on the banner tracking his road to the winningest coach in college hockey history. “In York We Trust.” Not God, but York. Fans and alumni will turn York into a statue and into God. Not even a god, but God. It will be an extension of the growing hero worship in sports that proved yet again to be dangerous last week with the revelations of Manti Te’o and Lance Armstrong’s lies, and I am as guilty of it as anyone. The danger doesn’t just come from the potential to mistake the truth, though. The danger is in who gets overlooked. I met Armstrong once, at a charity event when I was eight or nine. I looked up at him with wide eyes and failed to get out any words. I thought he was God, or as close to God as a human could get, because I was told he was a great man that also dominated his sport. The latter was always more important than the former. I’ve only ever admired a small number of people in my life, and a majority of them have been athletes or coaches. After Armstrong, I thought Vince Young was God. A few years later, I thought Kevin Durant was God. It didn’t matter that I was getting older, I couldn’t rationally separate their athletic accomplishments from how I saw them as people. There are people that I talk to every day who are as humble as Durant, but they don’t have his jumpshot. I didn’t watch any of them, like Young, bounce USC tacklers away like pinballs on the way to a national championship. There were no glowing columns or uplifting features written about them for me to read.

See Column, B4

SWEPT AWAY AT CONTE

Injuries force York to shufﬂe lineup and reposition starters BY CHRIS GRIMALDI Assoc. Sports Editor

Looking to redeem itself after Friday’s loss and avoid a sweep at home, the Boston College men’s hockey team faced off against the Maine Black Bears on Saturday night. Yet BC’s sense of urgency and aggressiveness on offense could not stifle the visiting team’s sudden momentum, as the Eagles fell by a final score of 3-1.

“I thought our club was markedly improved from last night,” said head coach Jerry York after the game. “I thought we were more determined, there was more effort. The results were the same. You’ve got to give Maine credit to come into our building—and not many people have done that over the last decade here and won both games.” Saturday’s loss not only marked the first time the Eagles had dropped two consecutive matchups at Kelley Rink since the 2008-09 season, but also the first time BC was swept in a weekend series at home since 1993—against Maine.

See Saturday, B3

BC offense creates opportunites, but gets stiﬂed by Ouellette BY STEVEN PRINCIPI Heights Staff

The Boston College men’s hockey team continued its recent struggles on Friday night, falling 4-1 to Maine, the last place team in Hockey East. The Black Bears got goals from four different players and used some strong defense and superior goaltending to pull off the upset. Head coach Jerry York—coaching for the first time

ALEX GAYNOR / HEIGHTS EDITOR

after missing four games with eye surgery—spoke about the intensity and effort level of Maine, saying that it was evident from the opening faceoff that they came to play. “I thought Maine played well,” York said. “They competed very hard and I thought (Matin) Ouellette played good in goal. They were a difficult team for us to play tonight. They defended well on the PK especially. I thought they competed very hard and they deserved to win the game.” The Eagles fell behind just over three minutes into the game when Black Bears

See Friday, B3

BC offense stalls at UVA BY CHRIS GRIMALDI Assoc. Sports Editor

Trying to snap a three-game losing streak and claim a conference victory on the road, the Boston College men’s basketball 65 Virginia team visited the Virginia Boston College 51 Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon. Despite overcoming an early deficit and taking a lead into halftime, the Eagles suffered their 10th loss of the season by a score of 65-51. ‘‘Virginia is as good as anybody in the country making you play for 30 seconds, 35 seconds, and you’ve got to stay poised offensively and share the ball,’’ said Eagles coach Steve Donahue of his team’s inability to answer the

Cavaliers offensive attack. “We just got out of synch on offense.” The Cavaliers dominated the game’s tempo to open the initial frame, as they scored the game’s first eight points en route to a quick 16-5 lead. Yet Donahue’s Eagles displayed their signature ability to mount a quick comeback. Responding to Virginia’s own opening statement, BC took off on a run that featured a combined 12 unanswered points from guards Lonnie Jackson and Danny Rubin. Both Eagles worked to drain four consecutive 3-pointers. A dominant 15-2 Eagle run was finished off with a three-point play from forward Ryan Anderson, who contributed a team high 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting from GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

See Men’s Basketball, B4

The Eagles were held to 51 points at Virginia as the Cavalier defense got them out of sync.

Eagles drop two ACC contests on the road BY MOLLY CONNOR Heights Staff

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

The Huskies allowed BC to find the net eight times, while scoring no goals of their own.

Offensive rout ices UConn BY ALEX STANLEY Heights Staff

The Boston College women’s hockey team (19-4-2, 12-2-1) is back on track with two wins in two days, after a Jan. 19 loss to Mercyhurst, that broke the Eagle’s 13 game win streak. On Saturday, the Eagles traveled to the Schneider Arena to face the Providence Friars, where Melissa Bizzari leveled a dramatic game winner to give BC a 4-3 win. This was goalie Megan Miller’s first time back on the ice since November, and she made 25 saves to help lead the Eagles to victory.

I NSIDE SPORTS THIS ISSUE

The team then bused back to the Kelley Rink for a home game versus Connecticut on Sunday. Here, Alex Carpenter and Bizari scored five goals combined, Carpenter with a hat trick, to contribute to the 8-0 win against the Huskies. The game opened with BC winning the faceoff, and a shot whizzed wide of the goal after a rush down the left wing. This would start a trend, as the Eagles laid a relative siege on the Huskies in the first period. Shot after shot commenced, eventually ending in 15 on the period, culminating with defender Kaliya Johnson pinging a

See Women’s Hockey, B2

Andrew Stranick dives right in The sophomore swimmer has made a name for himself early in his BC career....................B2

The women’s BC basketball team suffered two ACC on-the-road losses to Virginia on Thursday night and Duke on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles traveled to Durham, North Carolina to face the Duke Blue Devils in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. In the first half, things were looking hopeful for the downtrodden Eagles when BC scored five unanswered points to bring the score to a 14-12 Duke lead. However, this two-point game quickly became a seven-point game when Duke scored a three pointer and a lay-up to bring the score to 19-12. “They make you pay for every mistake you make,” BC forward Kristen Doherty said. “When you get in those huddles when you make a mistake, what we need to work on is not letting it affect our next play as much as we do.” From that point on, Duke remained firmly in command. Duke junior Tricia Liston boasted an impressive four-for-four three pointers in the first half alone. Her teammate Chelsea Gray, who is praised for her ability to create offense with her defense, proved a worthy competitor to BC’s offense. Due in part to BC’s inability

Point/Counterpoint: NIT for BC?

Men’s basketball will be fighting for a spot in the postseason during the rest of ACC play..B5

to execute on offense, BC trailed by 16 at the half with a 49-33 Duke lead. With three triples in the first half, Kerri Shields helped to match Liston’s intensity on the other end. However, fatigue took its toll on the Eagles in the second half as Duke strengthened their lead. BC had possession at the start, but Duke stole the first four points to set the tone for the rest of the half. “Their hands were everywhere, and they made it difficult for our penetrators to get by them,” BC coach Erik Johnson said. “And when they did, they had hands in every passing lane, and it made it really hard for us to get our shooters open. Despite offensive leadership from Doherty, who had 14 points in the game, the Eagles were unable to keep up. The Eagles lost to the Blue Devils 80-56. This BC loss would be the Eagles’ fourth in a row, and would Duke’s record to 18-1, 8-0 in the ACC conference. In the two teams’ history, BC has played Duke 13 times, with the Blue Devils leading the series 11-2. On Thursday night, the Eagles faced the Virginia Cavaliers in John Paul Jones Arena, where they struggled to keep up offensively. Kerri Shields led the team with 15 points, with teammates Doherty

See Women’s Basketball, B4

Hockey Recap..........................B3 Sports In Short........................B2

The Heights

Monday, January 28, 2013

Breaststroke records fall as Stranick leads Eagles in the pool By Connor Mellas Heights Staff It was his first club meet ever. His event was the 200 freestyle. Six years old, he dove into the pool as the race began–only to choke on a mouthful of pool water and panic. Too emotionally distraught to continue, he sat in the pool crying for the duration of the 200 free, and in between sobs and coughs of chlorinated water, declared he was never racing again. Fourteen years later, Andrew Stranick still remembers his first club race. He’s pretty glad he didn’t stick to his ultimatum. Swimming four years of varsity in high school and captaining his team his senior year, the sophomore has had an extremely successful career since the infamous mouthful of water incident. Additionally, Stranick made waves for the Charlotte based club team SwimMAC Carolina and still trains with the club during the summer. Back in November at the Terrier Invitational, Stranick highlighted an already impressive sophomore season by leading his team to a third place finish out of five with the University of Massachusetts coming away with the overall win. In the 100 breaststroke, he swam a 55.71, breaking his own school record of 56.93 by nearly a full second. His weekend wasn’t over, however, and in the 200 breaststroke he finished with another school record of 2:03.44. He contributes a lot of his motivation to his teammates. “It was just a really exciting time. I was feeding off other peoples’ energies,” Stranick said. “There’s a lot of really good kids I train with on the team, a lot of studs. That’s definitely one of the reasons I’ve been swimming so fast this year, because I’ve got a lot of great people to train with.” Out of the pool and away from his teammates, Stranick’s dedication to his diet may be a contributing factor to his success as well. A common thread among swimmers, he is infamous for the sheer amount of food that he puts away. “I eat a ton,” Stranick said, laughing. “I always get made fun of by my roommates because I’m always the first person to run out on my meal plan. They call me a mooch because last year I ran out of my meal plan around Halloween,” said Stranick. “Five meals a day and you know, bam, it just disappears. If I don’t eat a certain amount of food during the day, I just can’t do practice.” Stranick’s eating habits are not only on

display during the semester, but also during winter break and the Eagles’ training camp. “We come back about two weeks ahead of everybody and we’re here, training pretty much twice a day every single day up until school starts” Stranick said. “You’re literally doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and swimming, and lifting if you can fit that in. But it’s a lot of fun, I got a lot out of it this year.” With so much time dedicated to preparation for the later half of the season, the rest of team is feeling the benefits as well. The Eagles are 18-2 on the season and have won five out of their last six meets since coming back from break. Though there have been strong performances from all over the team, Stranick has been leading the pack with a number of impressive performances. Head coach Tom Groden is complimentary of the elements that Stranick brings to the team, both in competition and in the team dynamic. “Andrew has been a great addition,” Groden said. “He brings not only a great work ethic to our practices but a great sense of being a teammate. Andrew contributes in many ways. Besides being a Boston College record setter, he also helps the team with an endless positive attitude towards both BC and its swim team.” Stranick swims a number of individual events and relays at each meet, but specializes in the breaststroke. It wasn’t always that way, though. “I was a backstroker up until about age 14, and then I started having shoulder problems,” Stranick said. “I had tendinitis and I think that’s kind of when I made the transition. I started churning breaststroke in IM a lot and then I think at age 15 or 16 I started getting good at it.” In the pool, the transition appears to have gone smoothly, and Stranick has the fluidity of a long time breaststroker. These days when gearing up for a race, Stranick has his own individual way of achieving focus and, unlike Ryan Lochte, he uses a method that doesn’t involve peeing in the pool. “I do the same warm up every single time I swim in a meet. That never changes,” Stranick said. “I usually just sit down and chill and drink water, put a towel over my head and listen to music.” While some athletes rely on a large range of music to set their moods, Stranick chooses only a couple songs. “Recently it’s been a lot of A$AP Rocky,” he said. “I think I have a one track mind sometimes. I get overly obsessed with one

thing and I just kind of listen to it over and over. But that usually does the trick. I can usually just sit and listen to one song. It helps me kind of block everything else out.” While he may utilize a quirky strategy to focus, Stranick never has to strive for motivation. “I think the huge difference in college swimming versus high school is that it was a lot harder for me to enjoy swimming in high school, and I thought to swim fast because I was swimming for myself, and I wasn’t

“Besides being a Boston College record setter, he also helps the team with an endless positive attitude towards both BC and its swim team.” - Tom Groden, Men’s head swimming coach swimming for the team really. You come to BC or wherever else you’re swimming, and for us, you have the BC logo on your cap and you put it on and you’re like ‘Oh wow, I’m swimming for the University and not for myself,’ and that means a ton more,” said Stranick. Fit and motivated, in a little less than a month Stranick and the rest of the swim team will be returning to the sophomore’s old stomping grounds when the Eagles travel to North Carolina for the ACC Championship. Eyeing the championship, Stranick says he and the rest of the Eagles have a simple goal in mind—“exceed expectations.” Stranick will be swimming the 100 and 200 breaststroke along with the 200 IM, and could potentially swim two more relays depending on how fast he races. BC will be looking to cap off a great season with a solid ACC performance. While anything can happen, you can bet on one thing: when the race begins and Stranick dives into the pool, he’ll be sure to keep his mouth shut tight. n

Heights Graphic jordan pentleri/Heights Graphic

Eagles best Connecticut Women’s Hockey, from B1

graham beck / heights editor

SPORTSininSHORT SHORT SPORTS

The women’s hockey team is back on track after their unbeaten streak was broken by Mercyhurst. They have won two straight.

Men’s Hockey East Standings Hockey East Standings

Conference Overall Team Team College Conference Overall 11-6-1 Boston 14-7-2 Boston College New Hampshire New Hampshire Boston University Boston University Providence Providence UMass Lowell UMass Lowell Merrimack Merrimack Massachusetts Massachusetts

11-6-1 10-5-1 10-5-1 10-6-1 10-6-1 8-6-3 8-6-3 8-6-2 8-6-2 8-6-2 8-6-2 6-9-1 6-9-1

Vermont Vermont Northeastern Northeastern

4-9-4 4-9-4 4-10-3 4-10-3

Maine

3-9-4 3-9-4

14-7-2 15-6-2 15-6-2 13-9-1 13-9-1 10-10-4 10-10-4 14-7-2 14-7-2 10-10-5 10-10-5 9-12-2 9-12-2 7-13-4 7-13-4 7-12-3 7-12-3 7-14-4 7-14-4

long shot off of the post. Shortly after, Bizzari put home the first goal of the game, pushing it past the opposing goalie amidst a mob of players clouded around the goal. BC managed to keep the puck in possession for extended periods of time, racking up numerous turnovers in addition to critical checks. Then in the space of about a minute of play, the Eagles added three more to their goal tally. Carpenter netted the second, diving across the ice to tap in a rebounded Blake Bolden shot. Moments later, Emily Field swept down the left wing and passed it into slot to give Ashley Motherwell her only goal on the night. Then, after a tangle in front of the net, a push from Field was just enough to light the lamp, putting the Eagles up by four. The second period began with what seemed like more BC domination, but unraveled into an even half. UConn stepped up their game from the previous period, managing eight shots rather than three, as well as putting up more pressure on the defensive side of the puck. Neither side took the edge, or a goal. Head coach Katie King Crowley credited the downturn in goals to complacency. “After a four goal first period, you can get a little bit undisciplined. I thought

Numbers to Know Numbers to Know

we were trying to make fancy plays instead of playing our game,” she said. The final period came and went much the same as the first with four more goals for BC, the Eagles controlling possession and the shot count. The first goal came from Carpenter, who stole the puck towards the middle of the ice, beat two defenders with a nice move, and flicked it in for a goal. Taylor Waslyk was the next goal scorer, hitting the puck from a tough angle on the right side of the goal. Next, Carpenter completed her hat trick, converting from the slot after Field crossed in to her from the left side. Bizzari put away the cap on the night, as she wrapped up a rebounded shot with her backhand. Goalie Miller finished with her first career shutout, making 14 saves. Crowley was content overall with the way her team played against the Huskies. “They were really able to take it to them in that first period and put them back on their heels,” she said. “That’s what we asked them to do, was come out hard and control the play.” She added that all four lines did a great job of staying disciplinedw throughout the game, and pointed to that as another key component in the victory. When asked whether to expect another long winning streak, Crowley replied with a laugh and an “I hope so.” n

Quote of the Week Quote of the Week

The average final deficit for men’s basketball team in their 5 ACC basketball in ACC play. Before losses. Before Saturday, that number Saturday, was 2.5. that number was 3.5.

“Thank you to our fans who “Thank yousupported to our fans us supported this weekend. who us thisTruly the most loyal the weekend. Truly thein most country. We stillWe beloyal in the country. lieve in our team and still believe in our team soso should and shouldyou.” you”

The number of games thewomen’s women’s ice The number games that the hockey team went unbeaten before ice hockey team went unbeaten betheir losstoonMercyhurst January 19.on Jan. 19. fore losing

— BC’s Pat Mullane (via action to tough weekend Twitter) in areaction to a on the tough weekend onice. the ice.

The number4 losses that the men’s

hockey hasofinlosses January, opposed The number thatasthe men’s to 3 in theteam rest of the season. since the hockey has sustained start of January.

5.6 5.6 The average deficit for the men’s 1818

— BC’s Pat Mullane in re-

The Heights

Monday, January 28, 2013

Graham Beck / heights Editor

key stats

20 7 26

Graham beck And Alex Gaynor / heights Editors

quote of the Series

Years since BC was swept in a home weekend series Combined goals scored by Maine

“It just comes down to we didn’t execute the things that we worked on in practice during the week as well as we could have, and [Maine] came in really, really hungry.”

- Bill Arnold Junior Forward

Saves by goalie Brian Billett in his first start this season

Standouts

Memorable Play During the second period Saturday night, Patrick Wey sent a shot that hit the crossbar and bounced off of the goal line. The play, which would’ve tied the game at 1, was called a no-goal. The ruling was affirmed after review.

Prime Performance Martin Ouellette

Patrick Brown Alex Gaynor / Heights Editor

Graham Beck / Heights Editor

Patrick Brown scored the lone goal for the Eagles on Saturday in the final minutes. Martin Ouellette shutdown the BC attack in both games.

Maine goalie Mar tin O uellette held the Eagles, who came into the series averaging over three goals per game, to only two scores the entire weekend.

Injuries and executions hurt BC Eagle offense can’t get rolling Saturday, from B1 The first period was a backand-forth battle marked by unexecuted opportunities on goal from both offenses. Just when it seemed the Eagles would head into the first intermission in a goalless deadlock, Maine’s Will Merchant came to a screeching halt with the puck and fed it to forward Jon Swavely for a quick wrister past goalie Brian Billet. York’s Eagles looked poised to respond in the second period, however, as defenseman Patrick Wey sent a shot screaming past Maine goalie Martin Ouellette. Yet after hitting the crossbar, the puck ricocheted straight down, bounced off the goal line, and away from the net. Though the play was put under review, the original no-goal call was confirmed. The near miss was not only another missed scoring opportunity for BC, but also a decisive moment that shifted the game’s momentum immediately back to Maine’s side. “I know everyone jumped up and thought it was in,” said junior forward Bill Arnold of the play, “but at that point it was still 1-0 and we were right in the game, and

we just wanted to keep the momentum going. Once they called no goal, no one complained about it. We just went out and tried to keep playing.” Despite moving on from Wey’s misfire, BC’s offense was never able to piece together a wellexecuted scoring strategy on Ouellette, whose own stellar play yielded 24 saves. In the final frame, Maine’s offense put the finishing touches on its successful weekend with a goal from Connor Leen off a rebound and another score from Swavely, whose wraparound effort beat Billet to put the Black Bears up 3-0. With less than 10 seconds left in regulation, BC’s Patrick Brown re-directed a Teddy Doherty shot into the net to avoid the team’s first shutout loss at home since last year against BU. More than being swept by a struggling Maine team buried in the Hockey East cellar, however, the Eagles’ disappointment from Saturday night’s loss was the result of poor offensive execution. “I think we played better tonight than we did last night, but at the end of the day there’s a lot of things we can do as a team and individually to get a lot better to prevent some of those opportu-

nities that [Maine] had,” Arnold said. “It just comes down to we didn’t execute the things that we worked on in practice during the week as well as we could have, and they came in really, really hungry.” The Eagles’ weekend debacle was eerily reminiscent of the sweep they suffered at Maine around this time last year. Of course, last year’s series was the low point that inspired BC’s incomparable 19-game winning streak en route to its fifth national title in program history. Though York realizes it is unrealistic to expect this past weekend to trigger a run reminiscent of last year’s, he sees a home series in which BC was outscored 7-2 as an opportunity for his team to learn, improve, and gear up for a successful stretch run. “It’s a similar time of the year,” York said. “That’s always our objective—get better and better. I’m not sure if you can go back and say, ‘They beat us twice now, we’re going to win 19 straight games.’ We’re going to prepare this week. We have Vermont here on Friday night. We certainly have to score goals, that’s our biggest obstacle in front of us now.” n

Friday, from B1 forward Joey Diamond caused a turnover behind BC’s net and beat Parker Milner just inside the post. The goal came after Steven Whitney attempted to send the puck around the net to clear it only to see Diamond standing in his way. Diamond stepped out around the net, looked to pass, but fooled Milner by shooting instead and gave his team a 1-0 lead. The two teams played even for most of the remainder of the period, but BC failed to create many solid scoring chances. With just 20 seconds remaining in the period, Ryan Lomberg jammed home a loose puck for Maine to send the Black Bears into the locker room up 2-0. York spoke about the late goal and the effect it had on the game, saying it swung momentum completely to Maine. “That second goal, it was deep in our end, five-on-five, and we just did not make a good defensive stand there,” York said. “That certainly gave the visiting team a lot of jump be-

ing up 2-0 after the first period. But it’s a 60-minute game, and I thought we could claw back in it. But we couldn’t quite get close enough.” The Eagles came out flying in the second period, putting 20 shots on net and generating a number of high quality scoring chances. But it was Maine who scored the lone goal of the second when Will Merchant banged home his second goal of the year. Even though BC continued to put pressure on the Black Bears, Ouellette turned away every shot he faced and his team went into the locker room up three goals. “I thought we had a pretty strong second period,” York said. “We got pucks on the net and had a few I thought could have gone in. But we didn’t capitalize on our scoring chances and they did. That’s just how it goes sometimes.” The third period saw Maine playing a much more defensive style that stifled BC’s offense for the majority of the period. It took a penalty call and a BC powerplay for the Eagles to get on the board, which they did when Whitney fired a laser past

Ouellette and into the top corner of the net with just less than seven minutes left to play. The Eagles managed to generate some real scoring chances in that time, but the Black Bears defense protected the front of their net and managed to keep the Eagles off the board. Kyle Beattie slid home an empty net goal in the dying moments of the game that sealed the victory for Maine and the Eagles left with a 4-1 loss. The Eagles outshot Maine 35-31, but managed only nine in the third period and just six in the first. Whitney’s goal was his 15th of the year and the team’s first powerplay goal in the last four games. It was also his 10th goal in the third period of games this season. A loss to the last place team in Hockey East is a disappointment for the team, but as York said, it serves as a reminder to how dangerous the league is. “It’s some indication of the league,” York said. “You’ve got one of the top teams against one of the team’s that is struggling, but they still came into our building and beat us. It’s just a difficult, difficult league.” n

The Heights

Blue Devils cruise past BC

Start to separate wins from heroism Column, from B1 And there won’t be any statues. Not for them, or for another great man like Rev. Michael Himes, or for any of the other incredible men and women who have touched this campus. The athletes will outnumber the saint two to one. These athletes and these coaches aren’t any more heroic than anyone else. Most of them know it. Some of them don’t. But a lot of them understand it better than the rest of us do. I sat across from Luke Kuechly at media days last year and, week after week, was constantly stunned by how good a person he seemed to be. And even though I still believe he is, the only reason I was stunned was because he also went out on Saturdays and tackled like a monster. Now, after Te’o, Armstrong and the other downfalls in sports, I’ve started to separate touchdowns from character, highlights from heroism, and wins from Godliness. We will separate athletes from gods in this section. It’s unfair to them, and it’s unfair to our readers. And when the push for the bronzed York comes, the question shouldn’t be whether or not York deserves it, because he does. The question shouldn’t be whether or not BC will ever come to regret it, because that shouldn’t be a concern. The question should be whether or not the next statue should really go to another sports figure. If the answer is yes, I don’t envy that sculptor. It’s going to take a lifetime to build those hundreds of extra statues displaying York’s players and assistants behind him.

Austin Tedesco is the Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Women’s Basketball, from B1

Graham Beck / heights Editor

The Blue Devils and Cavaliers both got the best of the Eagles as BC fell to 2-6 in ACC play.

and Nicole Boudreau close behind her with 12 and 11 points, respectively . At the half, BC trailed UVA by six, with a score of 33-27. The Eagles fell farther behind in the second half, where they shot just 27 percent from the floor. BC’s first seven points came from foul shots. The cold streak was not broken until the 7:06 mark, when Boudreau hit the first field goal of the second half for the Eagles. Boudreau cut the Eagle’s despite to nine points with

a 3-pointer in the final two minutes of play, but the effort was not enough and the Eagles fell to UVA 69-57. Freshman Nicole Boudreau has been named ACC’s Rookie of the Week after averaging 17 points, 5.5 rebounds, and two assists in two games last week. She is currently the Eagles’ third leading scorer and ACC leader in minutes played, all due to her remarkable instinct and skill level. After a long time on the road, the Eagles look forward to returning home and preparing to face their next opponent on Thursday, Jan. 31, when they will face NC State. n

Tennis finds new home By Austin Tedesco Sports Editor Boston College tennis has found a new home at the Dedham Health & Athletic Complex (DHAC). Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams will be moving from the Flynn Recreation Complex to the DHAC beginning this season. “Through our partnership with the Dedham Health & Athletic Complex, our student athletes have the opportunity to train and play in one of the area’s foremost tennis facilities,” said athletic director Brad Bates. “Dedham Health is an impressive fitness center, with cutting-edge offerings that will enhance our team training and match play. We look forward to introducing our team to the Dedham Health membership, and to building a strong relationship that we hope will last for years to come.” Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The women’s team will officially break in the courts tomorrow as they host Syracuse. The men’s team is scheduled to play Brown in late February in Dedham. Most matches for the men’s team and some matches for the women’s team will still be played at the Plex this season. “Boston College has a rich history in competitive athletics and we’re proud to welcome its outstanding tennis players to their new home courts at Dedham Health,” DHAC owner Lloyd Gainsboro said. “We’ve made tennis a core offer-

ing at our complex since its inception and we look forward to hosting exciting college tennis this year, and to building a lasting partnership with a venerable institution.” The DHAC is New England’s larg-

Dedham Health is an impressive fitness center, with cutting-edge offerings that will enhance our team training and match play.” - Brad Bates, Director of Athletics est integrated health and wellness facility. The Eagles will host matches and practice on the complex’s 11 indoor hardcourts. The women’s team opened 2013 with a 5-2 win over Dartmouth. “It was exciting to get the season started with a win against a good Dartmouth team that is very well coached,” head coach Nigel Bentley said. “We played well, and it was encouraging to see our freshmen step up with convincing wins.” n

Daniel Lee / heights Editor

Both Boston College tennis teams will now be competing at the Dedham Athletic Complex.

Anderson stymied by UVA Men’s Basketball from B1

Graham Beck / heights Editor

After close losses to NC State and Miami at the start of ACC play, the Eagles let a second-half UVA run get out of hand, leading to a 14-point defeat.

the field. When the smoke cleared heading into the half, BC found itself with a 26-24 lead. Yet BC’s strong finish to the first 20 minutes and its tenuous lead were soon countered by another Cavalier run in which the home team scored 11 straight points. The Eagles tried to claw their way back onto the scoreboard when guard Joe Rahon answered Virginia’s run with a triple, but it did not deter his opponents from stretching their lead to 47-35 with just over eight minutes left in regulation. From that point on, the Eagles were never able to draw any closer than 10 points away from the Cavalier’s lead. Virginia’s Akil Mitchell and Justin Anderson contributed 16 points apiece to thwart any Eagle hopes for a momentum-shifting comeback, as the Eagles suffered their fifth conference defeat in six games.

‘‘Overall, it was mostly about their defense,’’ Anderson said in reaction to his team’s loss. ‘‘They were taking away a lot of things that we like to do offensively. They were tougher than us.’’ After facing a Cavalier scoring defense that is ranked second in the nation, the Eagles have only averaged 55 points per game during its four-game skid. Yet Saturday’s debacle also provided further evidence of BC’s struggles around the rim, a consistent trend that has contributed to its recent losses. The Eagles were outscored 40-16 in the paint by the Cavaliers, marking the second time last week Donahue’s team was outscored by 22 points or more by an opponent down low. Even with the loss, the Eagles have still lost five conference matchups by an average of only 5.6 points per game. Looking to find an answer around the rim and translate a string of close losses into an upset victory, BC will host Roy Williams’s UNC Tar Heels tomorrow night at Conte Forum. n

King named ACC track performer of the week at BU Invitational By Pat Coyne Heights Staff During a weekend that was busy for Boston College athletes all across campus, several athletes on the women’s track team and the women’s tennis team shined as they helped lead their respective teams to victory. On Friday, the women’s track team headed to Northeastern University to take part in the Joe Donahue Games, a meet which the Eagles would end up tying for first place in, with a score of 85.5 points.

Individual winners in the meet included Katherine O’Keefe in the 1000meter race with a time of 2:57.90 and Junior Bridget Dahlberg in the 3000meter race with a time of 9:30.28. Dahlberg was not the only Eagle to put up an impressive time in the 3,000, however—Morgan Mueller, Brittany Winslow, and Allison Stasiuk finished the same race in second, third, and fourth place, respectively, while Danielle Winslow finished the race in sixth place. Also in action for the women’s track team this weekend was senior Jillian

King, who headed to Boston University’s Terrier invitational on Friday. There, she ran a 4:37.60 mile, winning the race and also posting the second fastest time for that event that has been recorded this season. For her efforts at BU, King was honored as ACC performer of the week and received an honorable mention from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. On Saturday, the women’s tennis team found victory during their home opener at the Dedham Health & Athletic Club, when they squared off against

Syracuse, a team that has struggled so far this year. The Eagles (2-0 overall), finished 3-3 in singles play and won the doubles point after taking two out of the three matches in that part of the competition. They ultimately beat Syracuse 4-3 and improved their own record to 2-0 on the season. Every match proved essential in the 4-3 win, but there were a few standout performances. The play of Jessica Wacnik and Katya Vasilyev was crucial, as they each won their singles matches and their doubles matches. Wacnik was paired with Alex

Kelleher during their doubles match, and Vasilyev was paired with Olga Khmylev in theirs. Heini Salonen had the fourth win for the Eagles that day when she won her individual match. Both the tennis team and the track team are looking to continue this weekend’s successes. They each compete again on Friday. The track team will be competing from teams from all over the country in New York City at the New Balance Collegiate Games. The tennis team has its first ACC match of the season, against Maryland, at home. n

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, January 28, 2013

Point / Counterpoint:

Will BC men’s basketball make the NIT?

Experience and leadership are assets BY CHRIS GRIMALDI Assoc. Sports Editor

A string of close conference losses, limited minutes from their team captain, and another year of starting one of the league’s youngest lineups—judging by this laundry list of obstacles, the Boston College men’s basketball team has had to overcome a lot so far this season. Though its overall record doesn’t stand out on the stat sheet, the leadership, potential, and grit BC has shown will be recognized with an NIT birth. The success of any team worthy of postseason contention is shaped at the top by its head coach. If the recent past is proof that this maxim can hold true, then the Eagles have a valuable advantage with head coach Steve Donahue at the helm. His previous success is no secret, as he developed a struggling Cornell team and turned it into an Ivy League powerhouse that earned three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths. Perhaps this year’s BC team is not as experienced as the Cornell squad he took to the Sweet Sixteen in 2010 or even the Eagles he led to the NIT’s second round in 2011. Yet Donahue’s winning pedigree has already rubbed off on the BC basketball program during his brief tenure, placing strong fundamentals as the team’s priority. When his continual stress of sound play materializes into consistent execution during this season’s second half, BC will have a leader well-qualified to navigate them through the path toward the postseason. When BC receives its NIT invitation, it will owe a lot of credit to its impressive rookie backcourt of Olivier Hanlan and Joe Rahon—a product of Donahue’s basketball philosophy. Both freshmen not only provide a credible foundation for this team’s future, but also its immediate success in 2013. Combining for four ACC Rookie of the Week honors and each enjoying double-digit season averages in scoring, the tandem has already had a lot of big-game experience. For any team, a cohesive backcourt is the backbone of effective execution. Young players in one of the country’s most competitive basketball conferences are bound to have their ups and downs, but for every heartbreaking last-second miss at the free-throw line there will be a breakout performance. The combination of the perseverance and skill BC’s backcourt provides can carry an entire team down the stretch. Of course, college basketball skeptics will appropriately argue that a team’s postseason fate is ultimately decided by wins and losses. The Eagles 1-5 conference record and overall mark of 9-10 doesn’t do much to make its case for NIT contention. Yet one must take a better look at BC’s

losses to realize that the Eagles aren’t just close—they’re practically knocking on the door. Of their five conference losses, Donahue’s Eagles have lost four of them by five points or fewer. Two of those defeats include a late-game loss to No. 18 NC State and a last-second surrender to No. 25 Miami, who have both beaten No. 1 ranked Duke this season. If BC can take any consolation prize away from these tough losses, it’s that they’re playing great teams down to the wire and gaining confidence as a result. Their schedule doesn’t get any easier, as they host Roy Williams’s always-dangerous UNC squad tomorrow night, but the Eagles are only a few more fortunate bounces away from the streak of upsets worthy of an NIT invite. Donahue’s message has been very clear from the beginning: this group of Eagles will win the close games they’ve encountered sooner rather than later Despite its rollercoaster season, BC has already begun to collect the makings of a viable postseason resume. Donahue’s winning pedigree, one of the ACC’s most effective young backcourts, and the will to duel with any of the NCAA’s elites will make the Eagles’ 2013 stretch run one to remember. Knowing this BC team, a successful run at the NIT will only be a step in the right direction toward the promised land—an invitation to March Madness next spring.

Eagles still have rebuilding to do BY STEPHEN SIKORA Heights Staff

The 2012-2013 Boston College men’s basketball team will not make the NIT tournament. The Eagles are currently 9-10. No college with a losing record made the NIT field last year. And besides Iowa at 17-16, each of the remaining 31 teams were at least four games over .500. BC is 1-5 in the ACC. Yes, the team has had a number of close losses, but Saturday they were blown out by 14 at Virginia. Plus they haven’t even reached the toughest part of their schedule, which features games against UNC, a home and home against No. 1 Duke, and two more ranked teams on the road. The Eagles, like most other teams, inflated their early season win total by loading up on victories against the bottom dwellers of Division 1. But BC barely got by Providence, who’s 2-6 in the Big East, and needed overtime to defeat the University of New Hampshire. Take note that UNH is 4-14 and has not won a single game in the America East. Did you know that was a conference? So if the Eagles struggled in their early season schedule, how should we expect them to blow by powerful ACC teams? The Eagles lost by 16 to Dayton earlier in the year. Dayton is 1-3 in the Atlantic 10. The A-10 is no ACC. Last year, five ACC teams made the NCAA Tournament, with Miami making the NIT. The Hurricanes were 9-7 in the conference for an overall

GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

record of 19-12. Meanwhile, Clemson finished 16-14 overall and played .500 ball in the ACC, yet were shut out of postseason play. Let’s predict that 9-7 league record for BC to make the NIT. Give the Eagles a win among their games against Duke twice, No. 25 Miami and No. 18 NC State. They’d then have to win their remaining eight conference games to finish with a winning record in the league. There’s no evidence the Eagles will be able to go even near that given their performance so far. Sorry fans—the Eagles aren’t touching the postseason. What’s made the Eagles suffer through a losing season so far? The biggest factor is age. BC starts two freshman guards. No other team in the ACC can make that claim. The rest of their rotation is made up primarily of sophomores. Andrew Van Nest is the only player on the team to see regular playing time that’s not an underclassman, and he clocks in at a robust 12.1 minutes a game. The youth movement is by design. The team wasn’t destined to win this year. After the mass exodus of players after former coach Al Skinner left, head coach Steve Donahue had to build from scratch. He’s done a decent job so far. BC’s not a place that attracts one-and-doners or even McDonald’s All-Americans, and neither does Donahue. His teams at Cornell succeeded because his fast-paced offensive system that focuses on ball movement and 3-pointers was executed to perfection by veteran players. That’s not what this BC team currently is. It will take time for them to win. Some talk about the players continuing to improve this year, and a few close games in ACC play did prove the Eagles were better than their early season results indicated. But those people should also consider the young players’ propensity to wear down. Remember, the two freshman guards who do the ball-handling are a year out of high school. They’re coming from dominating their high school games against inferior players where they could relax on defense. You won’t find that playing in the ACC. BC’s lack of size and physicality also hurts. The Eagles’ best player, Ryan Anderson, just doesn’t have the strength to compete in the low post for entire games. Though he put on weight in the offseason, he’s still only 220 pounds on a 6’8’’ frame. Dennis Clifford has been given time for defensive reasons this year, but the Eagles are essentially playing offense four on five when he’s in the game. That’s not all his fault though, as he’s had health issues all year. There’s certainly a chance BC makes the NIT. This team has shades of UConn in the late ’80s, when Jim Calhoun came over from Northeastern. In his first year, Connecticut went 9-19. But three years later, they were 31-6 and made it all the way to the Elite Eight.

JORDAN PENTALERI / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Eagles make strides on the court despite a tough conference schedule FRANK NEMIA At 9-10 (1-5), the Boston College men’s basketball team has dipped back under .500 for the first time since December 8th. A team that won five in a row to close out December has clearly taken a step backward, losing five of six since the start of January. At a quick glance, it appears that BC has not established any growth since last year. Once again, the team is on track for another disappointing performance in ACC play. Yet a closer review of the results and stats paints a different picture. In the Eagles five ACC losses, they have only fallen to their opponent by an average of 5.6 points. Last year, the team’s first five ACC losses were by an average of 18.2 points. Obviously, BC has been far more competitive. BC lost to the first-place Miami Hurricanes by only a point. They lost to third-place NC State by just five. What does this mean for the Eagles? Right now, it appears that these close losses

signify that BC is a half step away from being a top-five ACC team after one month of league play. Many BC fans take frustration away from these “moral victories.” With two very winnable home games this week for BC, however, I view this team as one that is currently playing a waiting game with the Conte faithful. Each year, another piece to the puzzle of assembling a team falls into place. This year, it is clear that the physical pieces are certainly in place. After a unanimous AllACC freshman year, Ryan Anderson has avoided a sophomore slump, averaging 16.5 points per game and 9.4 rebounds per game. Freshman point guards Joe Rahon and Olivier Hanlan have been named ACC Rookie of the Week a comined four times already. Hanlan is also the team’s second leading scorer with 13.9 points per game. Moving away from only those who have earned All-ACC accolades, Lonnie Jackson has proven that he can knock down big 3-point shots when needed, and Patrick

Heckmann has started to flourish in his sophomore year with an especially strong performance before the new year against Holy Cross (19 points, five blocks, and four steals). Where these young players have given the Eagles opportunities to win, its inconsistencies that have prevented them from holding onto a record that is above .500. Two words that every fan was uttering after the loss to Miami were free throws. With the team playing so many close games, the difference between a win or loss appears to be left on the free throw line. In both the Miami and the NC State games, the Eagles’ opponent had a better free throw percentage both times. As a young team that is still learning how to compete for a full 40 minutes against some of the best teams in the country, the Eagles need to control what they can control. At this point in time, hitting free throws is a simple way to turn one, three, or fivepoint losses into victories. In addition to missing shots

at the line, the Eagles currently average 12 turnovers per game as a team. I understand that they, as a young team, may turn the ball over more frequently. However, when they put together a strong 40 minutes on the court, the ability to eliminate one or two turnovers again may be the difference between close wins and close losses. Two years ago, head coach Steve Donahue found himself in quite a predicament. After just one season, all of his starters graduated, left for the NBA, or transferred. Last year, Donahue started five freshmen and the team’s record reflected such. It wasn’t a lack of talent that hindered the Eagles, but rather a lack of experience. After losing to Virginia, it scares me that many BC fans may look at the program and sigh, concerned that this year is just more of the same. Yet this team has made great strides. Over the past two years, Donahue has proven that he can recruit great talent. His strong recruiting has put all of the physical pieces

needed for victory in place. Now it is time for the mental piece of the puzzle to fall into place. This aspect will come from difficult losses and well-played victories. It will come through experience playing in hostile environments like Cameron Indoor Stadium. Simply put, it will come over time. Unfortunately, this places the most fervent BC fans in a frustrating position, a position that will force them to wait.

I’m optimistic that this team has many more ACC wins ahead of them this season. Until the Eagles start winning on a consistent basis, however, their fans will have to play a waiting game, one that is filled with close losses and moral victories.

Frank Nemia is a contributor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights. com.

GRAHAM BECK/HEIGHTS EDITOR

Guard Lonnie Jackson has played a key role in the Eagles’ improvement.

The Heights

Monday, January 28, 2013

THE HEIGHTS

Monday, January 28, 2013

BC Compliments and BC Fashion Police lose interest Social Media, from B10

GRAHAM BECK / PHOTO EDITOR

Balwin Eagle, the popular Boston College mascot, cheers on the basketball players and spreads school spirit for all of the Superfans.

BC Athletics from the Eagle’s perspective Baldwin, from B10 before for FanFest, and then the games takes three to four hours, and you’re the last one waving everybody out. Baldwin’s got a few tournaments to go to, so you might miss a few classes too. Also, all the off-campus activities. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten attacked by children at 8-year-olds’ birthday parties. Baldwin does weddings also, but no funeral requests yet, thank goodness. A lot of alumni events also.

birds don’t talk. THE HEIGHTS: Can you describe your experience being in an ESPN commercial?

BALDWIN: Hockey is definitely one of my favorites. I also really love football because so many people and alumni show up for it. I’m kind of getting to be a sucker for women’s basketball games, because there are so many kids out there, and a lot of times you don’t even focus on the game—you just circulate and goof around. A lot of fan interaction there.

BALDWIN: That was a lot of fun. I’m a big fan of those Sports Center commercials, and for a mascot to be on one—that’s kind of like the pinnacle of what you want to achieve as a mascot. When we got the email, we were very excited. It was ESPN asking us to come out to Bristol. We took a car out, we got to see ESPN studios. Henrik Lundqvist was actually filming a commercial that day too. John Buccigross was walking around, Stuart Scott was in there with us. It’s safe to say we were a little bit star struck. We did 26 takes for 30 seconds of material. We met the Temple owl, which was great, and the Louisville cardinal. It was a lot of fun to work with the director—definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And the after-effects have been great also. The last hockey game that I was at, I had at least 10 people come up to me and tell me I looked great on TV.

THE HEIGHTS: How do you prepare for games?

THE HEIGHTS: What was the most memorable encounter you had with a fan?

BALDWIN: Great deal of mental preparation. Also, before every hockey game, I like to go up to the penalty box, and in the penalty box they have a bunch of game pucks, so before every game I’ll go grab two pucks to hand out to fans throughout the games. And get a nice hefty meal in before you go. Also, hydrating is key. You just have to change your entire persona. Once the suit comes on, you have to turn up the energy. You try as hard as you can not to say anything. It’s a lonely life sometimes, and there are a lot of instances when you want to say something, but you can’t because

BALDWIN: On one of the basketball games, it was halftime, and I came back out, ran onto the court and started waving, and everyone was looking at me funny, and one of the cheerleaders comes over and says, “Baldwin, where’s your jersey, man?” I looked down and thought, “Oh no, I forgot my jersey!” I had gone out topless. I guess I’m getting soft in my old age. Nothing is more exciting than having opposing fans yell at me. When you know that you’re getting under their skin, you know you’re doing a good job. One of the most memorable moments this year was,

THE HEIGHTS: Favorite sport to attend?

the entire BU section for the hockey game was totally packed, and I got up on one of those railings, and started looking at them, waving my wings, pointing to the scoreboard, and they started the “Baldwin Sucks” chant, unfortunately. And immediately following that, I turned back to the entire rink, and “Sucks to BU” immediately started. And from that point on, I felt like the highest bird in the sky. There have also been a lot of clingy kids. Sometimes I’ll be walking to go see the student section, and kids will just latch on to my leg and yell “Baldwin, buy me a hockey jersey! Baldwin, don’t leave me! Baldwin, I need you!” And every time you get offered a beer at the tailgates is pretty funny. But Baldwin’s got to fly home afterwards, so he has to stay sober. THE HEIGHTS: Looking at the year ahead, is there anything in particular you want to see happen for BC athletics? BALDWIN: Head to the Frozen Four. It also would be nice to see our teams make a statement, both men’s and women’s ACC teams. The last couple of years we’ve been knocked out pretty early. It’s never fun. THE HEIGHTS: So is there anything you would like to say to all of the BC Superfans? BALDWIN: Thank you for coming out to the games: hockey, football, basketball, and for supporting the school the way you do. I may be Baldwin, but I really wouldn’t be anything without the support of the student body. I know the loyal guys who are out at every basketball game in the front row—you really start to recognize people. It’s really great to see that kind of dedication to the athletic teams. Keep doing you, BC. 

The changing perception of BC Compliments remains largely unexplained. Some might argue that the page will soon become irrelevant, while others believe that it has already decreased in popularity. The sentiment, though noted, and perhaps commonly held, isn’t reflected on the page, which boasts several anonymous comments a day and has over 1,900 likes on Facebook. In the distant hum of pieces of metal spinning, with words churning out onto the screen, from phones walking in and out of class, it’s our collective consciousness that seems to say “whatever,” “okay,” “everything—all of this, is okay or not, but who cares, I guess.” The beautiful part of social innovation rests in that mild and truly subliminal representation of who we are. Social media speaks for us and the things we care about and communally believe in, and when we listen closely to the motors in our computer humming we

surely hear it say very little. Sommers, reflecting on the new social tools, readily admits, “I couldn’t conceivably care less about any of these things.” In the reigning disinterest for these pages, we can discern that it isn’t that social media is indicative of our opinions and views. More likely, it is our reaction to social media that is of note. Apathy seeped into BC Compliments, making it less important, more acceptable to post “casual inside jokes” instead of sincere laudation. The BC student population reflects a dynamic and plastic form of apathy; plastic in that at one moment it praises the attempts of pages like BC Compliments to spread positivity, and at another makes such a site meaningless; at one moment it enthusiastically rebukes a page like BCFashionPolice and then later finds it excruciating to try to care. These pages lose their importance before they become legitimate representations of the BC student body. This is likely because it is hard to discern what BC students actually care about, and how they attempt to find what is worth caring about. 

Pros and cons of Stokes Hall Stokes, from B10 Maybe a few more chairs would help, but I haven’t been able to find a seat when I’ve gone there.” With the de cre a se d amount of space, many students are finding that their old gripes with the lines in Hillside have found a new place in Stokes. Snow commented that, “It’s just as convenient to get my specialty coffee drinks from Hillside. They’re just as good and I never thought I’d say this, but less of a line.” In essence, a coffee-to-go does not exist in Stokes. Some students miss the old Chocolate Bar, even with the addition of a tasty gelato selection. Brennan Earley, A&S ’13, observed, “I love the new building smell, but I miss the fudge smell in the Chocolate Bar.” Others were quite disappointed about the absence of frappes, a well-loved characteristic of the previous Chocolate Bar. But, for healthy eaters, the new one has a much wider selection of nutritious snacks ranging from fruit cups to the ever-popu lar Odwalla bars. The staff serving from behind the counter is also quite friendly and helpful. Beyond the food and cafe discussion, some students still express mild disdain towards Stokes due to its high cost and lengthy construction. “Construction monopolized most of my college career,” said Samantha Feeley, CSON ’13. “The loss of our beloved green space for a hauntingly large and beautiful building to brag about, I would’ve preferred a Plex upgrade.”

Despite the building’s breadth, there still exists a considerable amount of green space, perhaps even a larger amount, than what once was the Dust Bowl. Although the current weather does not allot for its usage, students will surely lounge on the new grass with the onset of warmer weather. A few brave students make the direct trek across the grass as they journey from McGuinn to Stokes and back again. On a snowy day, a pathway of footprint forms quite quickly as students rush to class. Whatever route one takes to Stokes Hall, the buzz throughout the student body about the new building cannot be denied. It still remains a great mystery to students and professors alike. The professors dwelling in Stokes are the most ecstatic about the new facility. With spacious offices, plenty of windows, and bright rooms, Stokes starkly contrasts with Carney. Yet even the professors are still adjusting to its newness. The only true universal complaint of Stokes among the student population is its patchy wi-fi, a problem that BC surely can fix with some time. Time may be the solution to many of the issues BC students pose about Stokes. As it is only just up and running, surely the crowds will dissipate, the location of the bathrooms will become public knowledge, and by next year the rising freshmen will not realize just how recent of an addition Stokes to be. In the interim, students entering Stokes Hall are stepping into an unknown, but arguably exciting part of an everexcelling BC. 

Tour of The Heights places Boston College in the palm of your hand BY CATHRYN WOODRUFF Asst. Features Editor “Touchdown! Touchdown, Boston College! He did it!” the announcer jubilantly exclaims. It’s a video of Doug Flutie throwing his infamous last-second, game winning 48-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to Gerard Phelan in 1984. It’s an authentic, black and white snippet of history that allows the viewer to escape, even for a matter of seconds, into the mysterious world of BC in the ’80s. A poignant event, so enmeshed in the fabric of BC history, has been revived. Thanks to the Tour of the Heights mobile tour application, current BC students, all of whom were not alive to experience Flutie’s accomplishments, are offered a chance to experience the thrill of our football glory days. The free application was unveiled in conjunction with the University’s Sesquicentennial celebration this past September. The application is a GPS-guided mobile tour which offers an inside guide to the BC campus that can be viewed on smart phones, tablets, and desktops. “In anticipation of the Sesquicentennial celebration, we wanted to do something significant that showcased the history of BC in a meaningful and accessible way,” said Jack Dunn, director of the Office of News and Public Affairs. Consequently, the Office of News & Public affairs collaborated with the Office of Information Technology Services, University Archives, Media Technology Services, and Modo Labs to produce a significant and interactive compilation of videos, pictures, and audio that showcase the rich history and infrastructure of BC. The project, which took around a

year to complete, features a wide range of notable presences across campus. The audio portion boasts of voices from faculty members, staff, administrators, deans, and even students. After downloading the app, anyone can listen to the tour, watch the videos that correspond to a building or area of campus, and browse through an archive of pictures. A contest was held to find the “Voices of the Heights” for students, and the top eight were chosen. Notable other voices recorded range from Jerry York, who narrates the Conte Forum portion of the tour, to Rev. William Neenan, S.J., who guides the listener through Gasson Hall. Each narrator has some sort of personal connection to the landmark they showcase, intertwining their narration with a personal flare that clearly demonstrates their investment in the University. Together, the text, video, audio, and photos tell the stories behind 13 historical sites and 15 additional campus sites of interest. In addition to Media Technology Services’ uprooting of archived video from the past, a lot of video was filmed specifically for the Tour of the Heights project. Hence, the app is an eclectic and seamless mixture of the old and the new. Videos display important BC events such as Tim Russert’s commencement address in Conte Forum in 2004, bringing archival footage

previously sitting in a vault back to life by making it extremely accessible. It simultaneously offers a contemporary aspect, inviting the viewer on a modern glance at the campus, modern improvements and all. Tom O’Connor, the unofficial dean of Boston history and a long-revered professor at BC, was essentially the catalyst of the Tour of the Heights project. Before his death, O’Connor had invested

students, and visitors. “We realized,” Dunn said, “that as poignant as Dr. O’Connor writings were, we needed an element that brought the campus to life in a modern way—that was more accessible to students.” Thus began the journey that has resulted in the Tour of the Heights app, a true testament to the importance of staying afloat amidst a

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

an enormous amount of time into compiling and writing the words that are found on the various historical markers scattered throughout campus. These markers are helpful in providing vital information about significant landmarks and historical locations to alumni, incoming freshman, parents,

rapidly changing world of fastpaced technology. O’Connor actually recorded the “Campus Green” audio portion of the tour before his death, which stands as a tribute to him as a prominent BC figure. “I wanted to follow through with the marker project and create the app because Dr. O’Connor was one of BC’s greatest professors and one of our best

ambassadors. The markers installed in September would be a great tribute to him and his unwavering devotion to BC. He died last May and never got to see the markers installed. However, I know that Tom would delight in the fact that his words will live on providing assistance to future generations of BC students,” Dunn said. Melissa Beecher, social media manager in the Office of News & Public Affairs, noted the importance of creating a forum that combines many different aspects of the school. “The University archives are so rich in content,” she said. “Yet few people take the time to dig through them. In using archived material for the app and creating a slideshow, people with 15 minutes to spare can get a taste of BC history,” she said. Beecher also pointed to the fact that in today’s world, more and more people’s primary resource is their phone. Thus, creating this app was paramount in placing the information in people’s palms, and making it available on all social media channels. The defining feature of Tour of the Heights is its self-guided aspect. It is GPS navigated, capable of tracking your exact location and guiding you through the tour. On the other hand, a prospective student living in California can be taken through the virtual world of BC’s campus in the comfort of his or her own home, without h aving to step foot on a plane to Boston. Alissa Rothman, CSOM ’15, noted how eye-opening Tour of the Heights was for her. “We walk around campus every day, but we never really stop and think about the significance and the history behind our surroundings,” Rothman said. “I definitely have a newfound appreciation for BC.” 

THE HEIGHTS

HOW-TO

Monday, January 28, 2013

CAMPUS CHRONICLES

Almost get it Enjoying the ﬁrst weeks of the semester to the fullest together you don’t come back from vacation just to have another week of vacation. So, in honor of the most wonderful week of the year, here are my top five things to do while you add/drop: 1. Blame Blackboard. It’s an automatic get out of jail free card. Professors and students alike dread having to use Blackboard for just about anything. “An unexpected error” is actually pretty predictable. And during syllabus week, when professors themselves aren’t sure if they have uploaded everything correctly, it may as well just be a “don’t do the reading” card to carry in your wallet. When the class is asked, “did everyone get to the reading?” simply shrug your shoulders and mutter something about “Blackboard.” It doesn’t matter if the reading was actually from a textbook, a website, or was actually handed to you in the last class. Just mentioning “Blackboard” will immediately turn the conversation to any and every issue with the site. 2. Watch the BC Movie Channels. One of the underrated perks of life on the Heights is that good movies are cycled on our televisions for free every month. I don’t know how many times I’ve watched random scenes from The Town, Total Recall, and The Bourne Legacy in last few weeks, but I am sure that it has gotten to the point

KEVIN TOOMEY

ERIN MAHONEY This one’s for all you HBO Girls fans out there. And if you’re not a Girls fan—which you most definitely should be—then this one is for all the late teens/early twentysomethings who think their life is in shambles. A friend of mine recently called me “put together” as if I had collected and assembled random pieces of life with tape and glue and voila! I had a reasonably mature and purposeful existence. While I consider myself far from that, I do know a thing or two about pretending to be a real person, pretending to have gotten this elusive “it” together. Fake it ‘til you make it, right? Perhaps I can offer you some advice as you work towards becoming a real, live grown up. 1. Clean it up. Yoga pants are for yoga (and Sundays). Same goes for sweatpants. Show your professors a little respect. They got dressed for class, why shouldn’t you? I’m not trying to go all BC Fashion Police on you here, but putting on an actual outfit more often than not is a sign of having it together. (As I write this, I’m wearing yoga pants, but that’s irrelevant.) And maybe clean up your language too. We all know that a perfectly placed 4-letter word adds a certain pizzazz to a sentence, but the real world is full of people who aren’t between the ages of 18 and 23. And these people won’t necessarily appreciate your colorful vocabulary. 2. Keep cleaning. Now, clean up your Facebook or Twitter account—or make it private. Heck, I’m going to keep on tweeting snarky things, but I guarantee most of you won’t see them. Employers do and will research your online presence so why not make it a good, or invisible, one? And while you’re at it, get a LinkedIn profile. Who cares if most of your connections are your roommates and the cuties in your classes? What matters is you have a profile online that advertises your oh-so-professional demeanor (and your Microsoft Office expertise!). Lastly, while we’re on the topic of cleaning, buy a duster. They are amazing and life changing and awesome but maybe that’s the Martha Stewart in me speaking. 3. Have a schedule and stick to it. I was recently asked in an interview how I stay on top of all the deadlines and demands in my life, and I was legitimately giddy while answering. Staying organized is key to being a grown up. Enter due dates, events, appointments, and meetings into your calendar and set up reminders. Write a daily To-Do list. Yes, a scheduled life can be boring but when you finish tasks on schedule, free time seems to materialize. And that’s more time you get to spend on Tinder or whatever you people like to do. 4. Get cultured. Embrace that world outside of Boston College. Go to a museum or foreign film. (Hint: Amour is playing in Coolidge Corner.) I’m going to a ballet in March because, well, why not? Doing things, interesting things, makes you interesting. You know that sinking feeling when your application for The Bachelor asks you to list hobbies and you wonder, “Does taking selfies count?” Well, now is the time to cultivate those hobbies and craft those interests. 5. Be in the know. Read a newspaper or watch the news. Be aware of what’s going on in the world beyond Twitter and Us Weekly. You can even read a book that makes you more socially and culturally literate. I’m embarrassed to say I have yet to read 1984, but I’m determined to change that. Real people read. No, that’s not a saying from an ironic tee. That’s the truth. 6. Figure out what you want to do “when you grow up” and don’t let it get away from you. I would know—I’m still clutching to the veterinarian-princessauthor-fashion designer dream. Apply to every internship that will help you achieve this goal. Research every job that will put you that much closer to having a career that sustains you. Make time for this—approach the job search with a fierceness that rivals Beyonce’s. Have passion that is undeniable. Sooner or later someone will take notice and scoop you up. Lastly, every so often, ignore everything I just told you. I know I do. Because the truth of the matter is that I’m 22, and maybe you’re around that age too. Because being in college means not being in the real world. Sure, we can prepare and hope that such measures will make the transition to real personhood that much easier, but I also know these years are good ones. Let’s not waste them trying to be grownups just yet. Let’s wear pajamas to class, spend the weekend watching Homeland, date those people we really shouldn’t, put off job or internship applications for one more day and eat Chicken Parm subs like they’re going out of style. Make the mistakes now, before they actually amount to something.

Erin Mahoney is a contributor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Farewell, Syllabus Week. As always, it was a good run while it lasted. Sometimes, Winter Break can be a bit too long. After weeks of raiding the family fridge, visiting friends and family, and watching countless DVR’d Jeopardy episodes (maybe that’s just me), it can start to feel like you actually want to get back in the classroom, have some reading to do, and, in general, feel like a productive person. Luckily, we have this one magical week to ease us back into the academic grind. A week of academic immunity. A week when responsibilities can, quite literally, be added and dropped at the click of a mouse. For some reason, all general confusion during the add/drop period immediately exonerates any student for just about anything. Late arrivals, skipped classes, missed readings—all are swept under the rug under the guise of simply not knowing how the University basically functions. All of us—faculty, staff, and students alike—can never quite get back into the swing of things as quickly as we should. Sadly, I just celebrated my last syllabus week. I don’t know much about the “real world,” but I’m pretty sure it’s a place where

that all three sort of blend into one movie. Trouble With the Curve was exactly what I expected, which was fine, and I’m still waiting on the right time to watch Jeff, Who Lives at Home. Unfortunately, now that I actually have schoolwork, Jeff will have to wait. 3. Declare a class pass/fail. It’s a pretty epic feeling, actually. I’m a little disappointed that I waited until my last semester to do it. With one letter on UIS you’re basically declaring a class as 60 percent of your regular commitment. Why take a class pass/fail if you were going to exceed in it? Anything higher than that and you haven’t really gotten the full potential of the pass/fail declaration. I think a better system may be to just make that 60 percent mark official. You go to 60 percent of classes, do 60 percent of the work, and take 60 percent of the midterm and final. It makes sense to me. 4. Get lost in Stokes. Wait, there’s a north and a south side? Even as a senior I still get lost trying to get to buildings on campus. I’m the type of person who gives confusing and probably incorrect directions to families looking at the campus. So having a brand new building to figure out goes way beyond my navigating abilities. I only have one class in the building, but I

somehow feel like I’ve spent hours wandering through the maze that is Stokes. I’ve walked across the bridge that connects the two sides more times than I can count. Eventually I’ll figure out a way to get to class and the English Department without circling the entire building. But that will probably happen right around graduation time. 5. Go to Mary Ann’s. You just have to. When I went on the Tuesday of syllabus week, the line was all the way down to Dunkin Donuts. I couldn’t believe there were that many seniors out on one night. Then I realized there is a new generation of Mary Ann’s patrons on campus now. The fact that someone could both be of legal age and have an Under Armor “Superfan” shirt was dismaying at first, but I’ve come to terms with how old I am. And while people who don’t go to BC might scoff at standing in line in less than ten degrees for broken glass and “Big Buck Hunter,” we know that it is clearly worth it. Enjoy your syllabus, folks. Sooner than you know it, it will be your last one.

Kevin Toomey is a contributor for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

PROFESSOR PROFILE

Bringing the Middle East directly to the students BY MICHELLE TOMASSI Features Editor

WHO: Ikram Easton

If you ever thought that life’s most rewarding experiences come only from deliberate preparation, you may want to think again. For Ikram Easton, an Arabic professor at Boston College, a casual visit to our beautiful campus unexpectedly became one of the most significant moments in her teaching career. Easton had been living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa when her husband decided to interview for a position in the Graduate School of Social Work, and when she traveled with him to Chestnut Hill, she did not plan on becoming so attached to the school that she decided to stay as well. After meeting with Atef Ghobrial, a professor in the department of Slavic and Eastern languages and literatures, and taking a tour of the school, Easton immediately fell in love with everything BC had to offer. Luckily, a position was available for an Arabic instructor, and after two years at BC, Easton can confirm that this is the place for her. But home for Easton extends even farther than the state of Iowa. Easton was born in Lattakia, Syria, a small city on the coast of the Mediterranean. After receiving her B.A. in English Literature and Humanities with a focus on Arabic translation from Tishreen University, she moved to the United States in 1996, where she obtained her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Education from Indiana University in English, ESL, and World Civilizations. Recognizing the need for students to learn Arabic, which is considered by many to be a critical language, Easton devoted her time to developing optimal programs for teaching the language. Her efforts were rewarded with national recognition—she was the first female Arabic teacher for K-12 to become certified in the U.S., and only the second Arabic teacher overall to gain certification in the nation. Her certification opened up doors for her in a new realm of teaching: online instruction. Easton

TEACHES: Elementary Arabic SPECIALTY: Integrating technology in the classroom FUN FACT: Syrian National Volleyball Team member GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR

was responsible for designing and developing the first online Arabic course for high school students in North Carolina through UNCChapel Hill, and ever since she has been a strong proponent for integrating technology into the classroom. “Because I teach online, I know the power of online resources, and I try to provide that for my students,” Easton said. For her Elementary Arabic students, Easton has created numerous ways for them to practice their speaking outside of the classroom, which is essential when learning a language as difficult as Arabic. For example, she sends weekly voice emails in which students are asked to read passages out loud, which are recorded and sent back to her via email. In this manner, she can provide direct attention to each student’s pronunciation. Adobe Connect is another means through which Easton can create a virtual classroom for students, and she hopes that other professors adopt this technology as well. “Because I only teach three days a week, I don’t think that’s enough with a language course, and I

think students need to have more access to the language professor,” she said. With her “virtual office hours,” students can join in to an online discussion from the comfort of their sweatpants in their dorm rooms, and they have the options of viewing PowerPoints, writing on a virtual message board, listening to music, and discussing culture. “The students love it—they feel connection to the 21st century, to compete globally, and they think it’s a lot of fun.” While teaching is her greatest passion, Easton also has an eclectic mixture of hobbies and travels. She is an avid open water scuba diver—her latest dive was 130 feet, and she recalled her surprising yet memorable encounter with a hammerhead shark. Easton also played volleyball for the national team in Syria for nine years, and traveled extensively with her team to countries such as Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Albania, Greece, Turkey, and Egypt. After moving to the U.S., she also coached the sport at the varsity level for students in Indiana. Most of all, Easton is fully devoted to her own little BC Superfans—her 7-year-old

daughter and 4-year-old son. “BC has been incredible to my family,” she noted. “They are very family-oriented, and they don’t just say that—they really live it.” The focus on family and community was one of the first things that attracted Easton to the campus, and she fondly remembers that very first visit two years ago. “My second year of teaching confirmed everything I felt the very first day,” she said. “I just fell more in love with the students, and I’m not just admiring the campus and the buildings anymore.” While her vast cultural perspective is certainly an asset to her teaching ability, Easton readily explains that her strength is drawn from the challenges presented with providing new and exciting ways to engage students every day. “I believe that the high quality of the students really is helping me become a better teacher,” she said. “That’s the quality of students you want—to raise you up, to make you feel like you want to work harder for them.” 

HE SAID, SHE SAID All of my friends are living off campus this year and are abroad this semester, but I have decided to live on campus and not go abroad. I want to make new friends but I feel like everyone is already settled into their groups. Is it weird to insert myself into a group? How can I make friends without seeming too aggressive?

By the time junior year rolls around, it’s fair to say that most students have found their close group of friends, which can make the task of working your way into a new group quite daunting. While Boston College students are always a friendly bunch, the mindset of freshmen versus upperclassmen in terms of meeting new people and trying to make friends is somewhat different. However, don’t think that there’s no chance to build some new relationships in the ALEX MANTA second half of your college career because it does happen. The obvious options are to try to make friends in class, meet some people that live on your floor, or try to reconnect with people you met early on in college. In my opinion, though, the best way to make new friends is to join a club or activity and meet people through that. Pick one of your interests or something you’d like to learn more about and there’s a really good chance BC has a group for it. It may be uncomfortable at first when you show up as the new guy and you’re an upperclassman, but if you show you’re enthusiastic about the club and want to get involved, I’m sure the other students in it are going to want to get to know you. You’re already going to have a common interest with them, and through the club’s meetings and events, the connections are naturally going to come about. This is the same advice I’d give to freshmen as they start off their BC career. Joining any sort of club, sports team, or committee is going to help you make friends and feel more connected to the school. This holds true no matter what grade you’re in or what your friend situation may be, so get out there and get involved.

First of all, it’s definitely not weird to insert yourself into a group when it might seem like it’s late in the game. I know of many people who have done so, changing roommates and core friend groups as late as junior year. People frankly do it all the time, because friend groups generally are a delicate phenomena. I met some great people junior year that I consider to be my closest friends now that I didn’t even know existed freshman year. You don’t have to TAYLOR CAVALLO seem like an aggressive friend seeker to get new friends either. Your new roommates will clearly be the first set of people you’ll be in contact with, and you’ll get to know each other quickly by virtue of living together. As cliche as it might be, my best advice is to be yourself. People can sense fakery, and it’s not a quality people like in a potential friend. Joining a new club or group is another way, and even finding a buddy in class, but for the most part, roommates and their own friends will be the ‘best bet’ (not that I want to make it seem like gaining friends is a game). Don’t forget that your friends will come back eventually from being abroad with great stories and photos, and some of your friends still live off campus, and they’re still around, and they’re not going anywhere. You can go over for dinners, movie nights, and parties when you want to have some familiarity, and in these situations, bring your new roommates along! This will create a sense of continuity and harmony for you in spite of all the changes going on with your friendship and roommate situation. Being open and honest about yourself can help establish real friends.

Alex Manta is a senior staff writer for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Taylor Cavallo is a senior staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

The Heights

Monday, January 28, 2013

unsung hero

Offering service and a smile

The Heights throughout the century Taking a look at how campus construction has developed over time By Kendra Kumor Heights Editor

By Cathryn Woodruff Asst. Features Editor

The reviews are in. With countless Tweets, Facebook posts, and Instagram photos to prove it, Stokes has been given the official stamp of approval by the student body. After months of putting up with the beeping noise of construction vehicles and muddy sidewalks from the Quad to McElroy, Boston College students finally get the $78 million academic building they deserve. It seems as though BC is ever expanding. Nothing is stagnant and everything seems to be in consideration for renovation or just plain demolition. In other words, nothing is safe. Surprisingly, the renovation addiction that seems to have captured the minds of the administration is not a new trend. In fact, since just after World War II, BC has been undergoing a period of constant change and expansion. The general approval of this latest addition to campus sparked the question: Has every new building been as widely accepted as Stokes? If Instagram had been invented during the time of O’Neill Library’s construction and opening would the students have uploaded thousands of photos? The Heights issues of decades past provide the raw opinions of the student body on many of the buildings that may seem ancient to students today. Devlin Hall was one of the first additions to the Chestnut Hill campus. Ground broke for the building in the spring of 1921, but classes did not begin until 1924. Although the building seamlessly matches the Gothic exterior of the already-constructed Gasson Hall, and the various buildings to be constructed around it, the methods of funding the building are very different from those of today. In an article published in The Heights on April 14, 1921, the writer begs the student body to attend a basketball game in which the BC team will play a past rival. All benefits will go to “the building fund.” According to this writer, “your attendance means the swelling of the building fund, and that is a duty in which every student of the college should take pleasure in performing.” And some people think asking for donations from alumni is being pushy. The next expansion of the campus did not take place for almost 25 years. Imagine no construction in BC’s campus for a quarter of a century! Fulton Hall was commissioned to begin construction in June 1947. The purpose of the building was to replace the business school that had outgrown its small location on Newbury Street. Once again, the school began asking the public for funds for construction costs, totaling $600,000. (Stokes only cost 130 times more.) The slogan for the public campaign was coined by former University President Rev. William L. Keleher, S.J., “Buy Bricks for Boston College.” Many restrictions were placed on the construction of Fulton because the administration feared that the building would block the view of the iconic Gasson tower. Due to these regulations, Fulton had a very “squat” appearance until extensive renova-

On Wednesday nights at exactly 10 p.m., a stampede of eager students speed walk to the third floor of 66 Commonwealth Ave. to claim their spot in the amassing line. The aroma of lemon squares and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies entice any passersby that had forgotten about the infamous weekly “cookie night.” Ellen Modica, resident campus minister living in 66 Commonwealth Ave., is a familiar smiling face around campus. Every Wednesday night she bakes hundreds of cookies for the residents of her dorm, opening her room to students to come chat, eat homemade sweets, and relax on her couches. Offering a much needed repose from a long day of classes, Modica has created a tradition that has become an essential part of many students’ weeks—a break from the stress of the day—an opportunity to enjoy sugar and make conversation with other students. Aside from her Wednesday night program, Modica has made a concerted effort to be available for students at any hour. As a resident minister, she has the opportunity to get to know students on a deep level. Within Campus Ministry, each minister has specific programs that they are responsible for. Modica has two specific day jobs. She serves as the advisor for 4Boston, and is in charge of coordinating the various departments of the organization—the council, business, and e-board meetings. She is responsible for booking rooms, dealing with financial issues, and advising the council. Modica, however, was very quick to emphasize how vital the students are to the student run 4Boston program. “I’m with the students, not above them,” she said—a true testament to her selflessness and modesty. Her second job involves working with the liturgies on campus. She, along with the other campus ministers, is responsible for making sure the chapels on campus have what they need, for helping to put together schedules for liturgies, and for planning and organizing the masses themselves. But her primary role is to be there for people when they come by. “Our job really is to be with the students in the moment, to walk them on their journeys,” said Modica. “It’s not a 9 to 5 job. It is enmeshed in the students’ lives, which doesn’t stop at five o’clock.” Modica said she finds the most rewarding part of being a campus minister her interactions with students. She has created an environment within 4Boston that stimulates conversation, reflection and respect, and an environment outside of 4Boston that fosters these same qualities. Modica works closely with Reslife and all the departments at Boston College. “Part of what all of us do is to look at people as a whole, and evaluate what they need in total,” she said. She is available to students when they may need help with classes, when they may be struggling with relationship issues, or when they simply need someone to talk to. “We do have such an opportunity in campus ministry to really help students be the most authentic they can be,” Modica said. “The ability to be a mentor for people on campus is a fabulous thing at a big university.” It is undeniable that her 4Boston students as well as her residents are very aware of her receptive nature. Whether she is conversing with the students she has gotten to know that frequently study in the lounge outside of her room, or baking all day on Wednesday to provide unlimited sweets to her residents, Modica is the essence of “men and women for others.” n

tions took place decades later. Post-World War II, the administration not only began to focus on academic buildings, completing Lyons and thus the Quad in 1951, but also began to focus on athletic facilities. Alumni Stadium’s inaugural game took place on Sept. 21, 1957, with a crowd of 26,000 spectators watching the “birth and baptism of one of the newest and finest football stadiums in the East.” The ceremony made clear that the stadium was not to be used solely for athletic purposes, citing that it is “a fitting place for religious ceremonies, band concerts, and similar demonstrations.” The 26,000-person turnout spoke for itself as a roaring approval from the student body and surrounding community. “‘When we were here,’ the grads of the ‘30s will tell you, ‘we used to eat our lunch standing up in the cellar of Gasson Hall.’” These were the words spoken by Richard Cardinal Cushing at the dedication of McElroy Commons on Nov. 9, 1961. Now the oldest dining facility on campus, McElroy was praised as a center for all students. The article from this issue of The Heights boasted about “a book store, a Campus Post Office, and a barber shop.” The new building would also be the home to many new academic departments along with organizations such as “The Heights [and] The Sub Turri,” which still call McElroy their homes today. Although rumors of McElroy’s demolition within the next 10 years have spread through campus, the once cutting-edge “student center” was a revolutionary step in the promotion and growth of student-run organizations on campus. Even though BC is well known for its outstanding academics and competitive Division I sports teams, the administration had not forgotten about the ever-expanding theater arts program. On Oct. 30, 1981, the Boston College Dramatic Society (BCDS) opened the new $4.2 million Theater Arts Center, later to be dedicated as Robsham Theater, with the performance of Camelot. Many students cited that the “lighting system [had] malfunctioned shortly before the performance,” but otherwise most were impressed by the new 600-person theater on Lower Campus. Renovation, additions, and land purchases have been taking place for almost a century at BC, and most, if not all, of these new structures have been positively received by the student body. As new construction teams begin to renovate and preserve the living space of St. Mary’s Hall, passersby are reminded of the ever-growing mission of the administration at BC. As the campus, consistently rated as one of the most beautiful in the country, continues to prosper, it is the hope that the student body parallels this aggressive growth when they graduate into the real world. Because even though it’s nice to have a pretty building to cut through on your way from one end of campus to another and the opportunity to have gelato between every class, Stokes represents the potential of thousands of BC students to come. n

campus Quirks

Despite presence of many pianos, BC feels quiet Kathleen Fahy Whether you are studying in the old Chocolate Bar in McElroy, walking into Eagle’s Nest, or wandering through the freshman hangout that is the O’Connell House, you may or may not have noticed a large instrument waiting patiently for someone to stop and play a song. For those who haven’t noticed: throughout the Boston College campus, various pianos are found, but often ignored, in unexpected places. It is no surprise that Lyons Hall, home of the music department, has its wealth of black and white keys. On the building’s fourth floor are a number of pianos, each located in a private room. While those officially involved with the music department have priority for the use of these pianos, these practice studios are actually available

to all BC faculty, staff, and students. Much more interesting are the pianos located in places where many students gather—pianos situated so that students can play not only for their own enjoyment, but for the enjoyment of others as well. There are three pianos in McElroy Commons alone: one in the old Chocolate Bar, one sitting in the hallway behind Eagle’s Nest, and one in Eagle’s itself. I cannot help but notice that, this year, these McElroy pianos seem especially quiet compared to years past. It wasn’t always this way, especially with Dennis Carr, BC ’11, the man fondly remembered as the “Piano Guy.” For four years, five days a week, the Piano Guy filled a bustling lunchtime Eagle’s Nest with lovely song. He generated such a following that his final performance was a well-attended, hour-long event, catching the attention of local media outlets and even The Boston

Globe. Just google “Boston College Piano Guy,” and you will find articles and YouTube videos dedicated to the campus favorite. (A video of Carr’s final performance, “Your Song,” by Elton John, and of the roaring applause that followed his final bow, is a must see.) Now that Carr is a retired Eagle’s Nest entertainer, it seems that the BC pianos with the best chance of being played are those behind closed doors. A piano on the second floor of 90 St. Thomas More Hall is kept in a small room with windows in places that do not reveal the person playing. According to resident Pat Genovese, A&S ’15, students living in the building appreciate the instrument. Genovese plays the dorm’s piano himself, “probably twice a week,” he said. “I’m one of a few regulars. The room is pretty much soundproof, but people who walk by will stop and listen.” When asked if he

would play in public, Genovese said he probably would not. I don’t blame the pianists of BC for preferring to play without an audience. I happen to play the piano myself, and I have no plans to put on a show for everyone anxiously waiting in line for their Tuscan chicken. Still, I think it is sad that some of these pianos are so rarely used, especially when they have the potential to bring so much joy to our student community, here or elsewhere. Call me a hypocrite, but I wish people would step up and work together to try to fill the shoes the Piano Guy left behind. Until then, all we have are empty shoes and some classy campus furniture with a harmonious potential that unfortunately seems too often forgotten.

Kathleen Fahy is a contributor to The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Editor’s Column

Making every moment count

Michelle Tomassi Two weeks. That’s how long we have been back at Boston College so far, and it already feels as though a month has passed by since I was in the comfort of my own home, taking the term “couch potato” to a level I didn’t know existed. For me, syllabus week was nonexistent—I was immediately inundated with readings and written responses, a stark contrast to the days when my biggest concern was remembering to take the remote with me before I allowed myself to disappear into fluffy pillows and cashmere blankets. Other students around me have echoed my sentiments, already initiating the count down to Spring Break. “One down, six more weeks to go!” is something I have heard several times, which makes me somewhat concerned for what has become of our student body. How can we already be counting down the days until we get to leave this campus, when we have only just arrived? It already terrifies me that I am a second semester sophomore, and after recently turning 20, one of my roommates kindly reminded me that I am now moving on to my third decade of life. It made me realize how much every moment matters, because soon enough I will have to leave this home away from home and actually be a real person. Last semester, I was convinced that I would take advantage of every day, and not allow my studies to hinder my attempts to have more fun. I currently live in 66, and the first week of September a couple of friends and I decided to make a list of everything we wanted to do together during our sophomore year: our “66 Shenanigans.” We were eager to compile a list of all the possibilities, and we were sure that it would be the best semester yet. Fast forward to December, and it turns out that we had completed a grand total of three of our ambitious list of activities. Okay, maybe it was an unrealistic dream to have executed 66 super fun and exciting plans for the year, but nonetheless, I was still disappointed. Over three months living in a city where there is literally an endless supply of adventures, and we only managed to do three of these things together? After returning to BC a few weeks ago, and returning back to that list, I once again promised myself to make more of an effort to make those plans a reality. To aid this process, I took it upon myself to place a 2013 jar on my desk, accessible to my other two roommates as well as anyone else who wishes to contribute. The idea did not originate from my brain—even better, it came from Pinterest. Side note: I may or may not make at least one reference to Pinterest in every one of my columns this year. We have a very intimate relationship. The concept involves writing down fond memories, significant moments, or just things that make you smile, and placing these notes in the jar. At the end of the year, you and your friends can read through all of the notes and reminisce together, and hopefully you will be able to realize how amazing of a year it was. I loved the idea immediately—and what a great form of motivation to get off campus and fulfill our 66 Shenanigans! It may be a small step, but having some way to keep track of your goals could make the difference between a semester blurred from hours spent in O’Neill and a semester marked by unforgettable evenings in Boston or even just memorable nights spent with friends sharing stories and Chinese takeout. As I started writing this column, I considered deleting every word and composing something that sounded more realistic. Am I really going to make more of an effort not to get sucked into the vortex of essays and Blackboard posts, or will my second semester pass by at an incredible speed, ending in a flurry of “could haves” and “should haves?” However, I have always been a proponent for the written word—things in writing just seem to have more significance. It’s as though I’m making a promise to all of you that I will be working on that list, and that jar will be so full of incredible stories that I’ll want to relive the year over again. Whether or not you choose to make your own list, try not to wish the hours away. Take a look at what’s happening in the arts scene, go to a lecture from a notable professor, or scope out the best restaurants in the area. There are just too many opportunities to pass up.

Michelle Tomassi is the Features editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

FEATURES THE HEIGHTS

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Thursday, January 24, 2013

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

L BA # DW IN NI NG An exclusive interview with Baldwin Eagle DANIEL LEE / HEIGHTS SENIOR STAFF

BY MICHELLE TOMASSI Features Editor In 1961, Boston College received its first live mascot. It was an eagle called Margo, a name cleverly derived from our school colors, maroon and gold. After the species became endangered, BC decided to welcome our very own Baldwin to be the figure of energy and school spirit at the athletic events. Now, while still preserving our favorite Eagle’s identity, we take a glimpse into the life of the ultimate Superfan. THE HEIGHTS: What are the most important qualities of being a successful mascot? BALDWIN: One of the phrases that we have is that Baldwin is the big man on campus. He’s a very popular guy—he’s got to be outgoing, gregarious, loves people, loves to make people laugh. He can never show sign of defeat—even if we lose, Baldwin’s still happy. I always appreciate the other teams for coming out to play. Being spirited is definitely a major part, and good sportsmanship as well. And also, an insurmountable amount of swag. Swag is a key part. THE HEIGHTS: How does it feel to be considered a celebrity on campus? BALDWIN: It is pretty cool to be able to go on Facebook and see people tagging pictures of Baldwin. I think it’s pretty cool how people, especially seniors,

you always hear them say, “Oh you know, it’s on my bucket list to get a picture with Baldwin,” so to give them that is pretty cool.

opportunity to be out there, seeing all your friends in the stands, listening to the band, messing with the cheerleaders. It’s pretty special.

THE HEIGHTS: Are there specific requirements you have during tryouts?

THE HEIGHTS: If you could request a song for the band to play that they have not yet performed, what would it be?

BALDWIN: Anybody can try out. We are willing to accept all shapes and sizes and ages. When we hold tryouts, skating is definitely a quality to have. But it’s not a quality we require at all. We take people who aren’t skaters as well. THE HEIGHTS: What is a favorite moment or game that you’ve experienced during your time as Baldwin? BALDWIN: One of my absolute favorite games to work at as Baldwin was the Beanpot championship last year. That was absolutely a lot of fun—I had never worked at Beanpot before. It was really cool being out on the ice with the team, and afterwards with the media—it was just really great. It was great to see the school turn out en masse to support the hockey team, and what’s obviously a big tournament for the city of Boston and Boston College. This was also the first year it ever happened that Baldwin led the hockey team out for the game against BU. Baldwin had never done that before, so we’re trying to start that tradition for our hockey games now, which would be kind of cool. That’s our first game against BU—obviously it’s our biggest game of the year. This year’s senior day was also great—just the

BALDWIN: I personally would love to hear “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore. I think if they put that together, it would be pretty special. It’s kind of hard to pay attention to a lot of the songs because we’re always running around. This might be a little too inappropriate to play, but I also would love to hear “Whistle” by Flo Rida. I think I’d enjoy that one— that would be a good one to dance to. I’d like to also hear—again, it might be inappropriate—“Get Low.” To the window, to the wall, to the sweat drop down my wings. I’ve always wanted to see that. THE HEIGHTS: How about your favorite song that the band currently plays? BALDWIN: “I Want You Back.” That is one of my favorites. I’d also have to say the Coldplay song, “Viva La Vida.” And “Shipping Up To Boston”—when you hear it, you get something injected in you. And in the true spirit of BC, of course, my real favorite is the fight song. That goes without saying. THE HEIGHTS: What are your favorite parts of being Baldwin, and what are the more difficult parts of the job?

BALDWIN: I’d say a favorite part is definitely highfiving little nugget children. That is definitely the most rewarding part of being Baldwin. Seeing little kids smiling and laughing, messing with them. The great one is when they are kind of scared of you at first, and then you try to win them over by waving at them and acting all goofy, and then they fall in love with you. I’ve had a ton of little kids come up and hug me and tell me that they miss me. It’s really just adorable. It’s really great to see and just fun to interact with everyone. It really wouldn’t be the same being Baldwin if we didn’t have all the fans to come out and support us each and every game. I also really enjoy doing the stunts with the cheerleaders, but I also feel the most pressure when doing them. There’s a lot of pressure when you get up on that pyramid. Hardest part? Crying children. That does get awkward. Also, giving autographs. It’s hard to hold the pen with wings. Also, early football games—it gets hot out there. Obviously Baldwin is the Superfan, the one everyone looks to, but it is a little bit tough not being able to watch each and every game with friends and be a part of the crowd. It’s definitely hard to devote yourself just to the fans and not just to the game. THE HEIGHTS: How do you manage the time commitment as Baldwin? BALDWIN: You have to get there three hours

See Baldwin, B7

Apathy shapes popularity of media trends Voices from Stokes Hall BY PATRICK REYNOLDS For The Heights Social media is more than just a tool for interaction—it’s also a medium for exchanging ideas, and by extension an expression of this epoch’s collective consciousness. In December a few new additions to the arsenal of social media innovations arose. Two worth noting are @BCFashionPolice on Twitter and Boston College Compliments on Facebook. The former acts largely as a medium for a select few, to post fashion-related observations anonymously, while the latter lets students send compliments about other students, faculty, or staff via private message. These compliments are then posted by the admins to the page so that it appears anonymously. But what becomes evident almost immediately after seeing both pages is the contrast between the two. For instance, a representative tweet from BCFashionPolice reads, “I know it may seem like an exaggeration, but every time I see someone in Uggs, part of my soul dies,” whereas a post from BC Compliments looks more like, “Christine Dominas is the hardest working student i have ever met. her hair dazzles in the wind and sparkles in the sunshine.

everyone should get to know her because everyone who meets her is flabbergasted. I LOVE YOU TINA.” Tweets from BCFashionPolice usually concern a condemnation of a fashion faux-pas, and Boston College Compliments usually praises sweetness and hard work to some degree, though in both cases there is variance. The BCFashionPolice twitter is praised and condemned to mixed effect. While some, like Ian O’Connell, A&S ’13, claim the Twitter account over-emphasizes aesthetics, and is, in general, nonsensically “mean,” others review the site positively because it’s funny. “The people attacking [BCFashionPolice] are making these grandiose statements about how it interferes with self-expression and people’s sense of identity—but those are all just grandiose statements,” said Ron Sommers, A&S ’13. “I think the criticism is melodramatic and [BCFashionPolice is] just a funny thing.” Despite the debate on whether or not the account is good, BCFashionPolice is largely received as unrepresentative of BC’s student body. Jessica Yoon, A&S ’13, wrote an article for The Rock, a magazine maintained by BC students, condemning BCFashionPolice for its encouragement of social norms and aesthetic conformity. Yoon says that the Twitter account “pur-

I NSIDE FEATUR E S THIS ISSUE

ports to have knowledge of the school at large,” but fails to represent us accurately. Ron Sommers asserts that the account is supposed to be a “tongue-in-cheek” satire of BC—a “caricature of the rich white girl stereotype.” Sommers presumes that the people that run the account “realize how they come off,” and act intentionally. Brian Park, A&S ’13, believes BC Compliments “inevitably turned into inside jokes” dispersed between what Sommers calls “platitudes and vague bullsh—t”. When asked why he thought that might be, Park hesitantly says, “I don’t know, honestly.” Presently there is confusion about the underlying mechanisms responsible for the depreciation of BC Compliments’ seemingly genuine effort to spread positivity, as well as confusion of its authority at all. “[Boston College Compliments] expresses an unnecessary need for approval from others,” O’Connell said. Yoon, though expressing a “strongly positive” opinion of BC Compliments, still doubts the legitimacy of the effort saying, “I’m not sure BC Compliments ever had that much clout. I mean, it’s a Facebook page.” Yoon proposes that a blog might be more effective for presenting genuine remarks of achievement.

See Social Media, B7

BY KATHRYN WALSH For The Heights Then suddenly, Stokes Hall appeared, risen from the ashes of the Dust Bowl. The “Save the Dust Bowl” shirts have long been tucked away in closets, The Rat ceases to shake from the drilling of nearby construction workers, and the golden doors to Stokes invitingly swing open for students to enter. It houses some of Boston College’s most loved humanities professors, smells ‘new,’ and, as if to counter-act the “BCLook-Away,” contains friendly, talkative elevators to transport its inhabitants between floors. Stokes Hall is finished, so what are the students saying? For one, most are stopping to ask for directions. Any upperclassman entering the new edifice reverts back to the first week of freshman year. One does not travel the halls of Stokes for too long before he or she is met by the confused look of a fellow student. “Am I in North or South?” “Is there a West?” “Why is there so much glass?” “Am I in a hotel?” But seriously, it is one large, atypical building that is difficult to navigate at first. So much so, that it can (and should) really be considered two separate buildings. “I really wasn’t expecting Stokes to be two

BC Mobile Tour A new way to experience the Boston College campus from your own cell phone...........................................................................................B7

separate buildings,” said Katie Snow, LSOE ’15. “Also, maybe I just haven’t explored enough, but the two buildings don’t seem to mirror one another, which does confuse me. The carpeted classrooms are nice though.” Others enjoy the architecture and beauty of the new building. “It looks new and fresh and modern while still cohesive with the other buildings on campus,” said Jesse Yabrosky, LSOE ’13. “I also like its ambiance and decor.” A common complaint of many students is the questionable location of the restroom facilities. Nicole Townsend, CSOM ’13, said she found herself asking, “Where are the bathrooms?” Upon the discovery of the nearest bathroom, she waited in a long line to finally enter. The long lines and crowds are not strictly limited to the bathroom facilities. Perhaps it is only crowded as a result of its grand opening, but none can argue against the confusion and calamity of the highly popular Chocolate Bar. Although equipped with an array of comfortable seats and stocked with delicious treats, the Chocolate Bar appears too small for its popularity. Allie Broas, A&S ’13 commented, “The Chocolate Bar is really small.

See Stokes, B7

How To Column.................................B8 Unsung Hero.........................B9