CRUNCH TIME
ROMNEY’S BACK
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The Eagles face Georgia Tech today in the ACC tournament, A10
The former governor and presidential candidate returns to private equity in Boston, B10
With St. Patrick’s Day on the horizon, The Scene chooses the best of Irish pop culture, B1
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Thursday, March 14, 2013
Vol. XCIV, No. 13
Bergoglio elected as first Jesuit pope BY DAVID COTE Editor-in-Chief With the election of Pope Francis yesterday, the College of Cardinals has taken a step forward in the direction of a more global Catholic Church, Boston College theologians have said. Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is the first Jesuit to become pope, as well as the first pope from South America. Although he was reportedly runner up to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in the last papal election, he was not initially considered a serious candidate for the papacy during this conclave, mostly due to his age—he is 76 years old. His election occurred on only the
second day of the papal conclave, much faster than many theologians were expecting given the unique nature of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation. Initial reactions at BC to Bergoglio’s selection have been both surprised and excited. “It’s a major surprise,” said Rev. Liam Bergin, an adjunct professor in the theology department who taught in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University for 24 years. “I would say the one question people will have tomorrow as the dust settles is his age.” Bergin was quick to point out, however, that Pope John XXIII, the pope who called for the historic Second Vatican Council, was 78 years old when he was elected. Rev. Ronald Tacelli, S.J., and Richard
Plan for core renewal expected by end of April Committee looks to interdisciplinary courses for solution BY SAMANTHA CONSTANZO Special Projects Editor Editor’s Note: This story is part of an ongoing series about the renewal of the University core. After almost a year of exhaustive research, Boston College’s core renewal committee has begun outlining plans for a more engaging and interdisciplinary core curriculum. The process began in October, when the committee and Continuum—a consulting firm hired to facilitate the process—started conducting extensive interviews, meetings, and brainstorming sessions with students, faculty, administration, and alumni. “One of the reasons we decided to do this is because we felt going into this—and the interviews bore this out to some extent—is that students think of the core as … just a list, and not as an idea or even a set of characteristics,” said Mary Crane, committee co-chair and director of the Institute for the Liberal Arts at BC. Although the committee is not yet sure what the new core will look like, it has a strong sense of what can be done to turn the core into more than just a list. “At this point, I think pretty much everyone agrees that there are three priorities for the core,” Crane said. According to Crane, these priorities are to inspire intellectual engagement, chart a purposeful journey, and establish an enduring foundation. Intellectual engagement, Crane said, means that both students and faculty should be working with course material that they find interesting and challenging.
Students should also understand how the core contributes to their overall journey as college students, instead of just seeing it as a checklist of courses to complete. Crane said that the new core will therefore likely include an advising component to help guide students in their course choices. In order to establish an enduring foundation, core courses must remain true to tradition Jesuit, Catholic and liberal arts values while still being relevant. “The idea is to bridge traditional knowledge and what you need for the 21st century and to bridge knowledge of disciplines with more interdisciplinary ways of putting different perspectives next to each other,” Crane said. She and the rest of the committee agree that focusing on interdisciplinary courses will help keep students and professors both interested and challenged. Juliet Schor, a member of the core renewal committee and sociology professor, said that there are two main ways to make courses more interdisciplinary: through team-taught courses, in which two professors in different fields teach one course, or by offering linked courses, in which students take two separate courses based on the same topic. Schor has experience with both options. Last year, students in a course she taught on the environment and sustainability were also taking an English course on environmental literature at the same time. This year, she is team-teaching People and Nature, a social sciences core class, with a history professor. “Students really like having professors from two disciplines,” Schor said. “That’s one of the things they comment on the most.” The actual format of these interdisciplinary courses has yet to be determined. Richard Cobb-Stevens, professor emeritus of philosophy, said that the committee might use the
Gaillardetz, both professors in the theology department, reacted similarly to Bergoglio’s election. “I was surprised because of his age,” Tacelli said. “I thought he might be pope the last time around and he was my own personal choice this time, my own personal favorite, so I’m very happy and very hopeful.” Gaillardetz, the president elect of the Catholic Theological Society of America, said the selection of an older pope—while surprising—is a strategic move. “Although he is the first Jesuit and the first pope from Latin America, I am most surprised that the conclave elected a man who AP PHOTO
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Pope Francis, elected yesterday, is the first Jesuit and the first South American to be pope.
TUITION INCREASED
Tuition, fees, and room & board for 2013-14 announced along with University’s operating budget and financial aid BY ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT News Editor The Boston College Board of Trustees has set the tuition at $44,870 for the 201314 academic year, approving the new figure as part of an overall 3.6 percent increase in tuition, fees, and room and board. Tuition alone is 4.01 percent higher than the figure for 2012-13, which stood at $43,140. The University will raise financial by 7.9 percent, to a total of $97 million. Almost 70 percent of BC students receive financial aid, and the projected package for need-based financial aid is expected to exceed $35,000. “Unlike other colleges and universities that allocate portions of their financial aid for merit-based scholarships, all $97 million of Boston College’s undergraduate financial aid is awarded based on need,” said University Spokesman Jack Dunn in an email. He noted that BC’s merit-based
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TUITION FOR 2013-2014
$44,870 PRICE INCREASE FROM 2012-2013
$1,730
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TOTAL AID FOR 2013-2014
$97m 7.9%
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PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN TUITION OVER TIME
BUDGET BY THE NUMBERS
INCREASE IN AID FROM 2012-2013
4.01
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OPERATING BUDGET FOR BC, 2013-2014
$886m
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Gennaro named to Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame
CSON prof recognized as ‘living legend’
BY GABBY TARINI Heights Staff
BY ANDREW SKARAS Asst. News Editor When Ann Burgess, professor of nursing, obtained her doctorate in Nursing Science, she wanted to spend her time treating patients. She never intended to enter academia. Over 30 years later, Burgess has recently been named the inaugural recipient of the “Living Legend Award” from the New England chapter of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association for her research in forensic nursing. “[This] is my discipline—I am a psychiatric nurse—so to be recognized by my own nursing discipline is indeed an honor,” Burgess said. “It acknowledges clinically who I am in my work and also my academic career.” Burgess’s academic career began at
scholarships, the Presidential Scholar awards, are funded in large part by an annual fundraising dinner held in New York City by trustees and alumni. “Financial aid is a priority and undergraduate aid will increase approximately 8 percent, the largest percent increase in the budget, in order to maintain our policy of meeting full financial need of the student body,” said Executive Vice President Patrick J. Keating in an email. “This type of increase has been the case in the past couple of years and we expect it to continue for a couple more. The overall economy and makeup of the class impact this greatly.” Overall increases in tuition, fees, and room and board have stayed between 3 and 3.6 percent since the 2009-10 academic year. “Our long range financial plan does forecast total student charges to increase at approximately this rate in the future, as it has in the past few years,” Keating said. The Board of Trustees also released BC’s operating budget for 2013-14. Set at $886 million, up from $862 million last year, the budget provides funding for the goals
EMILY STANSKY / FOR THE HEIGHTS
Ann Burgess has been named the inagural recipient of the NEAPNA’s Living Legend award. Boston College when she received a phone call from the chair of the department. BC needed an instructor for a semester or two due to an unexpected vacancy and asked her to fill the spot. What started as a temporary position became more permanent after she began doing research with thensociology professor Linda Holmstrom. “It was really Linda that invited me to start the research that I did on crime victims,” Burgess said. “The first study that we did was on rape victims and we did that
at Boston City Hospital. At the particular time that Linda and I did our research, the women’s movement was talking about rape as a crime against women. Law enforcement was heeding the need to have not only local law enforcement, but also the FBI trained in the field.” Invited by the FBI behavioral science unit, Burgess began a consulting relationship with them that focused on the study
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impacted the profession and the people its serves.” The award speaks not only to the research that Gennaro has pioneered, but also how her research has made a difference in terms of practice. “Sigma Theta Tau asks its nurses three things: What do you love, are you good at it, and does the world need it?” Gennaro said. “It is nice to know that I had all three.” Gennaro conducts research in two main areas. One is conducted in the U.S. and the other is conducted in developing countries like, Uganda and Malawi. “The first arm of research has to do with families who have preterm babies,” Gennaro said. “The research aims to help pregnant women not to have preterm babies.” Gennaro’s other arm of research is in the African
Connell School of Nursing Dean Susan Gennaro has been named to Sigma Theta Tau International’s International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame. Sigma Theta Tau is an honors society for nursing that was founded in Indianapolis, Ind., by two nursing students who believed that there should be a nursing honors society devoted to scholarship. The society also helps to conduct and disseminate research through the Journal of Nursing Scholarship, of which Gennaro is editor. The society recognizes nurse researchers who have “achieved significant and sustained broad national and/or international recognition for their work, and whose research has BC OFFICE OF NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
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Thursday, March 14, 2013
A Guide to Your Newspaper
things to do on campus this week
1 2 3 Dean’s Colloquium
Islam and Democracy
Today Time: 4:30 p.m. Location: O’Neill Library Reading Room
Elizabeth Graver, professor of English and creative writing at Boston College, will be discussing her recent novel, The End of the Point. In addition to reading from her book, Graver will discuss her research on World War II, Scotland, and the 1970s’ countercultural movement and how it worked into her novel.
WRC Showcase
Today Time: 7:00 p.m. Location: Fulton 511
The Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Student Association will be hosting a lecture on the relationship between Islam and democracy tonight at 7 p.m. in Fulton 511. This is the second event in the ongoing Middle East 101 lecture series, sponsored by the Islamic Civilization and Societies Department.
Ongoing Time: Library hours Location: O’Neill 3rd floor gallery
Sponsored by the Women’s Resource Center, O’Neill is hosting an exhibit showcasing the accomplishments of recent alumnae and current female students. The exhibit features alumnae who are prominant in their professional fields and shows how their experiences at BC have influenced their work.
FEATURED EVENT
Simmons reflects on experience of women at BC BY ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT News Editor The relationship between Chobani and Boston College goes deeper than undergraduates’ infatuation with the yogurt. Grace Simmons, BC ’05 and former UGBC president, who currently serves as the company’s chief of staff and strategy, returned to her alma mater Tuesday night as the keynote speaker for “Celebrating our Past, Envisioning our Future,” the kickoff event for the Women’s Resource Center’s (WRC) celebration of its 40th anniversary and Women’s History Month. Simmons, who graduated summa cum laude with degrees in political science and philosophy, earned her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 2010, and currently serves as the vice president of the BC Alumni Association’s board of directors. Following brief remarks by Kelli Armstrong, associate vice president for Institutional Research, Planning, and Assessment (IRPA), was a screening of the Council for Women of Boston College’s (CWBC) 2006 documentary about women at BC, Making our Place. The film highlighted the gradual assimilation of women at the University, including a number of firsts, including 1928, when the first female faculty members were hired; 1994, when Mary Book became the University’s first female dean; and 1970, when the first woman was admitted directly to A&S. After the documentary concluded, Armstrong introduced Simmons, who eschewed a stance behind the podium in favor of a more intimate seat directly in front of the small group that had gathered in the Heights Room. “It wasn’t always a piece of cake and an easy ride, and I had four amazing
EUN HEE KWON / HEIGHTS STAFF
Grace Simmons discussed her interactions with female leaders while a student at BC. years—and I’m much more confident making that clear now than I was a couple years ago, when I had just graduated and was talking to women on campus,” Simmons said. After a less than smooth transition to BC during her freshman year, she became more involved her sophomore year upon joining UGBC’s Academic Affairs department. “My main focus was on academic advising, because the one thing that I saw as an issue on campus was, if you’re in UGBC, or if you’re hyper-involved with things on campus, you’re going to get so much attention, and everyone’s going to be looking out for you,” Simmons said. “And I was feeling that—I got to have lunch with Pat DeLeeuw, and my roommate would be like, ‘Who’s Pat DeLeeuw, and why are you having lunch with her?’ … I just thought that was a little unfair, that I would have this special access because I was involved—why couldn’t every student, depending on what they wanted to get involved in—have that?” Simmons ran for UGBC president alongside Burnell Holland, also BC ’05, during the
spring of her junior year, and credited her female mentors for supporting her during the election. “Although the male faculty and leaders in Student Affairs motivated me to be my best, it was the women who really pushed me to do more,” Simmons said. “Senior year, that was my thing,” she said. “UGBC. I definitely drank the Kool-aid, a lot, and really got into it.” She and Holland were involved with a variety of issues as UGBC president and vice-president, including the University’s non-discrimination clause, Church in the 21st Century effort, and AHANA leadership issues. “There was something about these women that came before us that made all this possible,” Simmons said. “When I watch this video—I’ve seen it a couple of times now—I never thought, when I made a decision to go to college, whether or not I would have equal opportunity.” She reflected that taking “a fair shot” for granted is easy, especially when considering that women of her mother’s generation did not have those same opportunities—those
POLICE BLOTTER
women were expected to dress a certain way, and to study certain fields thought suitable for women. “Now, the issues are a little different,” Simmons said. “Now, it’s about women having that inner confidence to take advantage of the opportunities and say, ‘I am confident, I have the courage to go do this, I have the endurance to do this, and I have the faith to back me up when I think that everything else is going to fall apart.’” Those four attributes, she said, were things that she gained from her time at BC, and Simmons explained that female mentors she met during her time at the University played a large part in that development. “The women faculty are amazing,” Simmons said. “I found that you’d talk to one, and then they’d all be rooting for you—I didn’t think it was water cooler chat, I really just felt that when you put yourself out there, people—the only thing they really want to do is support you.” She mentioned Kerry Cronin, a professor in the philosophy department and associate director of the Lonergan Institute, and Cheryl Presley, former Vice President for Student Affairs, as two among many woman mentors who guided her through her time at BC. Before taking the time to answer questions from the audience, Simmons spoke briefly about her time after graduation and her transition from Goldman Sachs to Chobani. “I don’t know that I would have had the courage to go out there and reach out to a person like [Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya] and express my interest, and show a desire to be part of that team, had I not had the experiences that I had at BC and the practice, in a sense,” Simmons said. “It’s been a great journey, and a great ride.”
3/08/13-3/13/13
Friday, March 8
erty in McElroy Commons.
Department responded.
10:05 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a traffic accident in the Newton lots.
5:51 p.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a BC student who was transported to a medical facility by cruiser from Keyes North.
Wednesday, March 13
5:08 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a traffic accident on the Brighton Campus roadways.
Saturday, March 9 7:08 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an actual fire in Gabelli Hall.
Sunday, March 10 1:59 p.m. - A report was filed regarding found prop-
7:08 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an actual fire in Gabelli Hall.
Tuesday, March 12
Tomorrow, faculty at New York University’s School of Arts & Sciences will conclude a five-day vote on whether or not to express no confidence in the University’s president, John E. Sexton. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, the vote is occurring after months of complaints by faculty members over the president’s autocratic style of leadership. Although the vote is a purely symbolic measure, it symbolizes the displeasure of the faculty, many of whom claim that the president has imposed his vision of the future of the university without consulting with the faculty. One of the concerns that faculty have is the weak system of governance at the university which grants professors on committees very limited powers. E.L. Doctorow, an author and a NYU professor of English, has spoken out critically about Sexton’s leader-
4:12 a.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a BC student who was transported by cruiser to a medical facility from Fenwick Hall.
11:01 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious person in Merkert Chemistry Center. 12:16 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an activiated fire alarm in Yawkey Center. The Boston Fire
College Corner NEWS FROM UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY BY ANDREW SKARAS Asst. News Editor
1:09 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance in Cushing Hall.
ship. He has seen anger arise in the faculty community and supports the no-confidence vote, while remaining unsure of whether or not the president should resign or merely adjust his style. One of Sexton’s decisions that some faculty have questioned was the establishment of the overseas programs that NYU has recently developed in Shanghai and Abu Dhabi. Some professors have been concerned about their educational quality. In addition, other professors have raised questions about the redevelopment of the university’s property in Greenwich Village. The decision to hold a vote of no confidence was made in December and, since then, Sexton has pledged to begin a discussion with the faculty on the matter of governance. In January, he wrote an email to the faculty admitting that the administration has had shortcomings in faculty involvement in the decision-making process at the university.
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 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 editor@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. The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year by The Heights, Inc. (c) 2013. All rights reserved.
CORRECTIONS Please send corrections to eic@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.
—Source: The Boston College Police Department
VOICES FROM THE DUSTBOWL “Who would you have picked to be the new pope and why?”
“Ghandi, because I think the world needs more peace.” —Madison Dizinno, A&S ’15
“Beyonce, because she’s the bomb.” —David Palubicki, CSOM ’13
“Mitt Romney, because he’s a great leader.” —Chase Ryan, A&S ’16
“Someone from Africa or a third world country.” —Jillian King, A&S ’13
The Heights
Thursday, March 14, 2013
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The housing UCLA professor analyzes effects of Title IX in youth sports predicament By Devon Sanford Assoc. News Editor
Matt Palazzolo Mod selection day has come and gone. I spent Tuesday afternoon amusedly browsing the collective rage and joy of the junior class on Twitter, as well as reflecting on my previous Mod selection experience. While studying abroad in Scotland, I was unwilling to deal with the stress of housing selection, so I took an epic power nap while my roommates euphorically selected Mod 14 Bravo. The true impact of housing selection, though, goes beyond the mere selection of actual living quarters. In its strictest sense, University housing is simply a place to sleep. Between classes, meals, studying, and partying, the average student spends the majority of his or her waking hours outside of their dorm. Moreover, you can associate with friends even if you don’t live with them. One of my good friends consistently visits Mod 14 Bravo, which he refers to as his “summer house,” despite actually living in a luxurious Voute townhouse. Additionally, losing out on Mod selection is only a minor setback during football season, as long as you are friends with a conversely lucky future Mod resident who plans to host tailgates next year. You’ll even get to miss the dreaded “find beer cans tossed in the bushes” postgame. Finally, allow me to preemptively scold every freshman who will complain next week about living on College Road next year. I lived on Newton Campus as a freshman, infinitely farther away from Lower Campus’ party nexus, and despite these impossible odds still somehow managed to socialize on weekends. In practice though, housing is much more than a place to sleep. During housing selection freshman year and apartment hunting sophomore year, my current direct roommate took control of the entire process. He became group leader, gathered additional roommates, and scouted potential rooms and apartments. The result of my extreme “laissez faire” attitude toward housing is that of the combined three new roommates he found those years, two I barely knew at the time, and one I never even met face-to-face until I walked into my Walsh room the first day of sophomore year. Despite this initial awkwardness, I became good friends with all of them. Conversely, my freshman year I lived on the first floor of Hardey, two doors down from the future UGBC president, in fact. My floor contained rooms organized in a crooked L-shape hallway. While I hung out with and engaged in countless bitter games of FIFA with the floormates in my segment of the L, three of whom I currently live with, we barely talked to the guys living in the other segment. The lesson from these somewhat self-indulgent anecdotes is that proximity matters. I am certain that I would not have become such good friends with my sophomore and junior year roommates if we hadn’t lived together. On the flip side, if I had lived on the other side of the L segment in Hardey, in all probability I would have associated with them and ignored the people from the side of the segment that I lived with in actuality. Thus, the completely random housing selection the summer before freshman year had a butterfly effect on all of my subsequent friendships and housing selections while at BC. Housing selection is in my opinion the most stressful part of the BC experience. Friendships are formed and shattered through group selection. The specter of College Road housing can even force some sophomores into self-imposed exile off-campus. Housing misfortune, however, is not the end of the world. Even if proximity matters, that does not mean friendships with nonroommates are doomed. I have vacillated between the supposed horrors of Newton housing and the rumored nirvana of Mod living. Above all, I have learned that the BC housing experience is entirely affected by your attitude toward it.
Matt Palazzolo is a senior staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at news@bcheights.com.
“A lot of us experience sports as an escape, a place to experience something separate from the rest of our lives. In reality, that is far from the case.” Michael Messner, professor of sociology and gender studies at the University of California Los Angeles, presented his lecture, “Four Decades after Title IX: Sports, Kids, Gender and Families,” on Monday night. Messner spoke on the changes in sports and gender expectations since Title IX was established in 1972. He offered an in-depth analysis on the progression and reestablishment of gender norms in youth sports. “Interestingly enough, there is nothing in the definition of Title IX that relates to sports,” Messner said. “But for the most part, Title IX has been used to push for equality in elementary, high school, and college sports in the last 41 years.”
Messner spent seven years doing field work on Title IX’s effects in youth sports. Much of his research was completed during his sons’ little league games and practices. In his lecture, Messner noted a rapid change in the expectation of girls in sports that has occurred since Title IX was put into effect. Two-thirds of adolescent girls are playing in United States youth organized sports, 55 percent of which are community-based leagues. Of the parents Messner polled, 95 percent believe that playing in sports raising a young girl’s self-esteem. “Parents believe sports are particularly beneficial for daughters,” Messner said. “Sports build self-confidence and leadership capacities, they enhance a girl’s social status, and there is a direct correlation to higher school achievement.” Messner reminded the audience that this change has taken time. Forty years ago, women were rarely seen on a field or court. Now, most young girls participate
in sports. Messner placed this change in gender norms in a historical perspective. “I’m interested in the strains and tensions in a given historical moment,” Messner said. “We are in a historical moment where we can no longer say boys can play sports and girls can’t. Sports can no longer tell us a simplistic story of ourselves—that boys are strong and macho, and girls are weak and fragile.” Messner compared youth sports to a terrain of contested gender relations. “Women can now play tough and competitively,” Messner said. “This change is a form of empowerment for women and young girls. It is also a site of retrenchment for hegemonic masculinity. With a change in social acceptance for women, men’s roles in sports are being questioned.” Referring to his book This is All for the Kids: Gender, Families and Youth Sports, Messner explained how parents and coaches are handling changes in gender roles.
“I held in-depth interviews with 50 coaches 30 years after Title IX,” Messner said. “While nearly every parent said they believed in equality for girls and boys, they believed the genders should be treated differently in youth sports … For girls, parents said sports were about empowerment. Sports stretch girls from their nature. Parents said boys were hard-wired for aggression and competition … Boys and sports is just a natural fit for adults. This is really problematic when sports are a natural disaster for boys.” Messner went on to explain his son’s experience with youth sports. Unlike the other boys on the soccer field, his son was not interested in playing competitively. His son’s lack of interest deemed him an outcast. “This idea that sports are hardwired into boys really needs to be questioned, and we really need to be careful,” Messner said. “Over a 10-year period, young boys learn to convert any feelings of pain and
sadness to a socially acceptable masculine emotional display. The result is that boys have a reduced ability to show vulnerability and those that do display vulnerability are seen as outsiders.” Messner concluded the presentation by looking ahead to the year 2020. Messner believes that women’s participation in sports will continue to expand, fathers will become more participatory, and there will be a larger awareness of the health costs of sports. “While we are thinking about the progression of feminism, I would like us to think about the narrow constructions of masculinity that can have serious health and emotional effects,” he said. “Youth sports are a place for girls and boys to develop interpersonal skills, good habits, and they learn how to come back from a loss. I want to see kids from all backgrounds learn these skills. But I think we also need to think a little bit more carefully about the standards of boys and girls in sports.” n
Sen discusses pursuit of justice in India By Qian Deng Heights Staff
photos Courtesy of the Mathematics department
Greene (L) and Treumann were among 126 U.S. and Canadians recognized.
Math professors earn Sloan Fellowships By Qian Deng Heights Staff Joshua Greene and David Treumann have at least two things in common. The first is that both were among the 126 U.S. and Canadian researchers chosen as this year’s Sloan Fellows, a key indicator of their emerging leadership within the scientific community as scholars in an early stage of their careers. In fact, many recipients go on to become Nobel Prize winners. The second common quality is the humble attitude with which both viewed their achievements. “I’m not a genius,” Greene said. “It’s a mystery how I got here,” Treumann said. Still, both professors do remember exactly how they got started. Treumann’s passion for mathematics began in junior high, when his professor mentioned an elegant equation “that had nothing to do with the rest
“My advice to students would be, if you’re passionate about it, go for it. Especially here at BC, there is a lot of supports for our majors.” - Joshua Greene Mathematics Professor and Sloan Fellows award
of the course.” From there, Treumann began an exploration through “the wasteland that is the Internet,” and has not stopped since. Greene became interested in math through his first high school math course. “I was a little apprehensive,” he said. “Things weren’t starting off so well, and I was kind of indifferent towards it up until then. I was having such a difficulty that I broke down and just opened the book for the first time, and realized that what I was getting hung up on was sometimes, really—I was confused about what the definition of a function was. Then I read the book, and things just kind of clicked. At some point I was doing really well with it, and just wanted to go deeper into it.” Each professor pointed to a dif-
ferent aspect of mathematics that most attracted him. For Greene, it was “the creative problem solving” and the need to remain “appealing and accessible while conforming to the truth,” while Treumann enjoyed the underplayed “social activity” side of being a mathematician. “All math gets done in conversations,” said Treumann, who advises the BC Math Society. Greene has been at BC for three semesters, but he has already found it to be “a nurturing place that feels like home.” He enjoys his interactions with students and faculty, as well as the Boston area as a whole. “The department here is smaller, and as a result feels more close-knit,” Greene said, comparing his current situation with previous experiences at institutions such as UC Berkeley and Princeton University. “A whole group was hired very recently, and young faculty members generally have a lot of energy and excitement.” Treumann, who earned his doctorate at Princeton and also spent time at Northwestern University, made similar remarks about the youth of the department. “It’s a nice place to be teaching,” he said. “I love it here.” The $50,000 awarded through the Sloan Fellowship gives scholars the rare opportunity to spend a semester focusing on research alone. “I only recently realized how good a deal this was,” Treumann said. Both Greene and Treumann are still in the process of deciding exactly what they will do with the allotted funds, but they will also be eager to return to teaching. “I would like to teach knot theory to undergraduates someday,” Greene said. Though knot theory, an “aesthetically appealing” field begun less than a century ago, is his main field of expertise, Greene has taught both graduate students and students at the beginning of their careers, and he relishes the opportunity to provide them with a new framework for mathematical thinking. “My advice to students would be, if you’re passionate about it, go for it,” Greene said. “Especially here at BC, there is a lot of support for our majors, a lot of people looking out for them.” “The mathematician is not a lonely genius in a tower,” Treumann said. His own field, string theory, through which he examines the equivalence of two distinct models for the world, is supported by a large community of scientists. Outside of mathematics, both professors enjoy varied interests. Greene has taken a Spanish course at Boston College, while Treumann is an avid fan of David Bowie. n
On Feb. 28, an auditorium in Higgins Hall was packed with individuals who had come to hear Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen give a lecture entitled “Constitution: Language and Content,” an event sponsored by the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy. Long before Sen began speaking, all of the chairs were occupied, and attendees filled the rest of the floor space to the extent that one woman wondered aloud, “Is this going to be a fire hazard?” On coming to Boston College, Sen said, “I did think, this morning, that I might pick up a tip or two about what might be happening in the papal election. I actually was fortunate in knowing Pope Paul, because when he did the encyclical called Centesimus Annus, I was one of the advisors. I contributed to one paragraph, and I thought, if I’m ever stopped at the Gate, I would always say, did you read page 37, second paragraph? It was mostly what I wrote.” Taking an interdisciplinary, “peripatetic” approach, Sen centered his lecture on the problems India faced in forming a democratic constitution after the end of British rule in 1947, which ultimately involved an ad-hoc approach. “The Indian Constitution is an impressive achievement, particularly with the absence of a theoretical basis for justice,” Sen said. “The pursuit of justice was among the main guiding principles
the lawmakers faced, even though there was some lack of agreement among the new lawmakers themselves about how justice would be best promoted.” The main conflict, between “fixed rules and a built-in flexibility,” existed in India as well as the U.S. surrounding the principle of originalism, which had supporters such as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and opponents such as Justice Stephen Breyer. As he had done in his recent book, The Idea of Justice, Sen organized the two sides under the Sanscrit terms of “niti” and “nyaya.” “Sanscrit has about 25 words for justice,” Sen said, “but niti and nyaya are the two principle ones, and have been invoked in legal discussions a great deal, but they operate in very different ways. Among the uses of the term niti are organizational propriety and behavioral correctness. In contrast with niti, the term nyaya stands for the comprehensive concept for realized justice.” In other words, niti is akin to the originalist view of adhering strictly to the rules themselves, while nyaya bears more relevance to the motivation behind those rules, which “are not important in themselves, but have to be assessed in the broader and more inclusive perspective of nyaya, which must take into account the nature of the world that actually emerges, not just the institutional roles that we happen to have.” The wrong kind of world, Sen said, followed “the justice of fish, where it is all right for the big fish to freely eat the small fish.” Nyaya would al-
low lawmakers to avoid this type of justice through uniting motivation despite differing ideology. While motivation may be difficult to analyze, Sen argued that an obsession with the original wording itself was often directed by the evolution of language, which he described as only a tool. To illustrate his points, Sen drew upon not only upon the ideas of other thinkers before him, but also upon intriguing elements of Indian culture, such as the fourth century Sanscrit drama Mrcchakatika, “a moving love story between an upright citizen and a beautiful and kind courtesan.” In the end, the protagonists would like to set free a killer despite his crimes against them. By one view, Sen said, “it would be our duty to kill the accused.” Sen then applied his concept of niti and nyaya to a famous statement made by Emperor Ferdinand I, “Let justice be done, though the world perish.” He also drew a distinction in the attitude of Arjun toward a costly war in the Bhagavad Gita and a related text, and noted that even Gandhi supported the decision to be engaged in a just war. When asked whether the difference between niti and nyaya was the same as that between deontology and consequentialism, Sen quipped, “People don’t call themselves consequentialists. Others might describe you as a wog from Manchester, but you don’t go around calling yourself that. It’s what your enemies call you. Deontology is simply everything that isn’t consequentialism.” n
Prof recognized for achievments Burgess, from A1 of rape and rapists. Over a 15-year period, she expanded her consultation with the FBI to include studying victims of other crimes such as homicide and child molestation. “That work provided me the basis to better understand the offender,” Burgess said. “Now I could look at both victims and see what traumatized them through understanding the offender.” In 1983, Burgess joined the faculty of nursing at the University of Pennsylvania. There she accepted the Van Ameringen Chair in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, the first endowed chair in the school of nursing. Burgess continued her research in the field of victimology and taught forensic nursing courses there for 17 years before returning to BC in 2000. After returning to BC, Burgess further expanded the scope of her research. She has received research grants to investigate elder sexual
abuse, and much of her current research focuses on the psychology of murder-suicides. “I want to better understand murder-suicide, compared to persons who just murder and persons who just suicide,” Burgess said. “What makes the difference as there are becoming more of these murder-suicides? That takes me into the mass-shooting issue, the community shooters, and the school shooters to try to better understand and come up with some prevention in that area. That brings me back to my field of psychiatric nursing. I do believe that we are too near-sighted to think that banning guns will do it. There is a type of person who acts on their psychology to commit horrific acts.” Burgess’ research in that field has led her to analyze a sample of over 1,200 cases from the Orange and Los Angeles counties in the past five years. In this sample, she has found patterns in the psychological profiles of some of the criminals. Although the research is still in the data analy-
sis phase, Burgess hopes that they will eventually be able to make policy suggestions from this study. “We have looked in depth at some of the cases to understand the personality structure and what goes wrong,” she said. “Already we have some ideas—the person that feels isolated. Paranoia is a big issue that I don’t think we have assessed enough.” Throughout her decades in academia, one thing that Burgess has remained adamant about has been staying involved in the clinical aspects of being a nurse. “I always have had a private practice,” Burgess said. “I am still able to see patients. It is important that I am able to keep up my skill as a clinician and stay current with what is going on in the field. I have prescriptive authority and see patients with a variety of mental health concerns. Nurses, because of my total background, can look at not only mental issues but also the functional status—physical health concerns.” n
The Heights
A4
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Core renewal committee hopes to introduce new courses in the fall Core, from A1 Perspectives program as a model. Cobb-Stevens led the University’s last renewal process in 1991, when the Perspectives program was created. The yearlong course focuses on the great books of philosophy and theology and represents the University’s first real interdisciplinary effort. “They encouraged departments to come up with imaginative ways of doing the core,” Cobb-Stevens said. “To my regret, really the Perspectives program was the only real interdisciplinary operation.” In addition to creating more interdisciplinary courses, Crane said that offering courses at different levels is also being considered as an option. This way, she said, courses can be challenging without being overwhelming. Nick Reposa, co-coordinator of UGBC’s Academic Affairs department and A&S ’14, said that students support this idea. In informal interviews, he said, many students expressed a desire to see interesting, but not burdensome, courses.
“That’s been one of the biggest issues that we’ve found in this process, because how are we supposed to make a class more interesting without not giving more work?” he said. Reposa and Siobhan Kelly, co-coordinator of Academic Affairs and A&S ’15, have been working closely with the core renewal committee and Continuum to make sure that students’ perspectives are heard during the process. They helped choose 16 students to represent the BC student body for Continuum to interview about their experience with the core and have conducted informal interviews of their own to collect information. Continuum only interviewed 16 students, Kelly said, because the firm believes a small number of very in-depth interviews helps them better empathize with people and understand their concerns. Reposa described the group as “microcosmic of Boston College as it stands.” Eight A&S students, four CSOM students, two LSOE students, and two CSON students were chosen. “Students haven’t really voiced any problems with the actual ideals of the core,” Reposa
said. “I think they all agree that what the core wants to happen should happen, it’s just a matter of, is it happening?” Now that the committee understands what students and professors are expecting of the core, the next step is to envision what this new core should look like. “We’re sort of reframing the problem,” said Anthony Pannozzo, Continuum’s managing principal of research and innovation. “We ask a lot of questions and start imagining what the answers might be. It’s a generative process where we think of lots of different solutions and then test them with students and faculty to get their feedback and refine it.” David Quigley, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and core renewal committee cochair, said that the committee plans to have a number of solutions by April. Faculty will develop a small number of new courses over the summer, which, due to BC’s course registration schedule, will likely be available only to incoming freshmen for the fall 2013 semester. “We’re trying to avoid a situation where a core is introduced once and for all at a given
moment in time, and then 20 or 30 years later it is reconsidered,” Quigley said. Pannozzo said that the current core will likely be in place for several years before a fullscale version of the updated one is released. Students can instead expect to see a small number of new courses each year, with the core renewal committee continually redesigning courses and offering new ones based on feedback from the BC community. The committee does not yet know exactly what the credit distribution for these new courses will be like. “In terms of interdisciplinary courses, in our current plan if a course is team-taught by an English professor and a sociology professor it is likely to be a six-credit course that would fulfill both one social science and one literature requirement,” Crane said in an email. She also said that the number of courses students are required to take will definitely not increase, but that it is not yet clear if the number will decrease. Tom Chiles, member of the core renewal committee and biology professor, said that in
addition to academics, the committee will have to consider economic and business factors involved in enacting a new core. “Is the University going to face a barrier based on mechanics and resources?” he asked. “Do we have the faculty for this? Do we have the number of grad students to TA to do this? ...What are we going to design and do? That’s the next step.” Such concerns are not unfounded. Crane said that after 1991, the committee did not have the resources to continue innovating new courses as it had intended to. This time, however, she said that they are looking at ways to avoid that situation. The committee is still on schedule, Quigley said, and students can expect an official plan of implementation for the new core by April. This will allow for input and discussion before faculty begin working on new courses over the summer. “The mark of success for this process will be if we are open to—a year from now, three years from now, five years from now—continued experimentation,” Quigley said. n
New budget announced Tuition, from A1
alex gaynor / heights editor
devon sanford / heights editor
Students gathered around a TV in O’Neill Library to watch the papal announcement (above left). On Wednesday night, a special celebratory mass was held in Gasson Chapel (above right).
BC community reacts to announcement of new pope Pope Francis, from A1 is 76 years old,” Gaillardetz said. “My suspicion is that his somewhat advanced age is a way of hedging bets against the bold move of electing a pope from the global south.” The selection of a pope from South America is unprecedented, and many theologians have speculated that it is a move toward a more global church. “The fact that he’s coming from Latin America means he has a global focus, and the fact that he’s a Jesuit, his view of the world is hopefully like our Jesuits here—shaped by a global, international vision of the world,” said Kevin Ahern, GA&S ’13, who served as the International President of the International Movement of Catholic Students from 2003 to 2007. “I think he will be a lot like John Paul II in having a lot of global energy.” Bergoglio’s selection of the name Francis is also considered significant—reminiscent of St. Francis of Assisi’s rebuilding of the church during a time of corruption and scandal, as well as his dedication to humility and simplicity. It is also the first time since the 900s, excepting Pope John Paul I, that an elected cardinal has selected a new papal name, potentially signaling a new era for the church. “St. Francis of Assisi lived in a very troubled time in the church, when there was a need to return to the purity of the gospel and to a simple way of living, and it seems obvious that that is what inspires the pope as he begins,” Bergin said. “Francis, in that great vision he had in front of the cross—the cross spoke to him, saying ‘rebuild my church,’ and that was the motto for Francis all his life. Bergoglio, I’m sure, is making that his motto too.” Ahern agreed with Bergin’s analysis. “The name is awesome—Francis,” Ahern said. “St. Francis of Assisi invokes a sense of
simplicity and humility, a sense of preferential option for the poor, which our new pope seems to have reflected in his personal living style.” As a cardinal, Bergoglio—the son of immigrant, working class parents—is said to have maintained a simple lifestyle: living in his own small apartment, taking the bus, and cooking his own meals. “He has lived a life of such simplicity that no one can doubt his integrity and his basic human likability,” said Rev. James Weiss, associate professor of church history and director of the Capstone Program. Gaillardetz pointed out that because of his Jesuit identity, the name Francis could simultaneously be referring to St. Francis of Assisi and St. Francis Xavier. “A Jesuit who takes the name Francis could certainly intend by that choice, on the one hand, the recollection of that great Jesuit missionary, St. Francis Xavier,” he said. “Such a choice would signal a renewed emphasis on the church’s evangelical mission in the modern world.” Francis is known for being an ideological conservative, and many have predicted little change in the most popular ideological issues, like same-sex marriage and women’s ordination, during his papacy. Bergin described Francis as “an orthodox conservative man,” while Tacelli said it is likely that he will “conserve the tradition.” “I imagine on many of the popular hot moral doctrinal issues he will maintain the Church’s line,” Bergin said. Acknowledging the conservatism, Weiss said that Francis is nevertheless a pope that even Catholics who are more liberal can be excited about. “Bergoglio is the complete package—European ancestry, South American life, studied in Germany, advocate for social justice, clear exponent of church teachings—clear, but never harsh,” Weiss said. “He can confront issues, but
he doesn’t condemn people.” Gaillardetz said that the election of a theological, doctrinal conservative could be a way of balancing out the risk of selecting a pope from the global south—an unprecedented move by the College of Cardinals. Unlike his predecessor, Bergoglio is not known for being a powerhouse theologian. Rather, he is seen by many as a pragmatic problem solver, a quality theologians hope he will apply to his role as Vicar of Christ. During his time as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio dealt extensively with issues relating to the large poor Catholic population of Argentina. Stephen Pope, professor of moral theology, was particularly concerned with Bergoglio’s dedication to social justice in Argentina. “I’m most excited for the fact that he’s a major voice for social justice and human rights in Argentina, and really cares about the poor,” Pope said. “He’s really concerned about the effects of globalization on poor people, and resists the idea that we can make an assessment of an economy just based on their [Gross National Product]. He wants to talk about how the distribution to the people on the margins is another important criterion. He has a very strong commitment to the preferential option for the poor, and he’s not approaching it as an abstract intellectual issue.” “The fact that he is from Argentina sends a very good signal to the Catholic world,” Tacelli said. “I also hope that, given his background, he’ll be very sympathetic in speaking out in sympathy for the rights of oppressed peoples, especially oppressed Christian minorities the world over. “I think what he is going to do is to help the church be run in a better way, in a way that is not fraught with confusion, with hampering and crippling rivalries—that is all to the good. I think that he will put the Curia in good
working order, and it needs to be put in good working order.” Weiss similarly spoke of Bergoglio as a mediator that can help heal the church. “It is a great sign of hope for reconciliation among the divided parties in the Catholic Church,” he said. “The Cardinals can create an impression of arrogance and indifference and secrecy, and [Francis’] humility is really an alternative to that,” Pope said. “It gives a very positive view of the church to the world.” With the election of Bergoglio, many theologians, including Thomas Groome, a professor in the theology department, foresee a papacy dissimilar to the kind put forth by his two predecessors. “It heralds a different style of papacy,” Groome said. “John Paul II and Benedict were basically in continuity with each other, so we’ve had 35 years of a similar pontificate. This has to be a departure—he’s coming from a different place, and a different spirituality, so I think it signals a new day for the Church.” In selecting the name Francis, Gaillardetz also stated his hope that Bergoglio is looking to move the Church forward. “One can only hope that Pope Francis was announcing his intention to be an agent of a curial reform that is so badly needed,” Gaillardetz said. Rev. Robert Imbelli, who is currently in Rome on sabbatical, spoke to the high hopes for Francis’ future as pope. “Many think that he will bring to his office of Bishop of Rome the spiritual depth and simplicity of Saint Francis and the intellectual formation of a son of Saint Ignatius,” Imbelli said. “Strikingly, before imparting his first ‘apostolic blessing,’ Francis requested that the massive crowd filling Saint Peter’s Square bless him with their prayer. A deeply impressive beginning of his ministry as successor of Saint Peter.” n
Gennaro recognized for work on infant care in Africa Gennaro, from A1 countries of Malawi and Uganda. “In the U.S., if a woman has a baby at 28 weeks, there is a chance that the baby will survive,” Gennaro said. “However, in countries like Uganda and Malawi, if the baby is born at 28 weeks, it will die—that’s just the way it is.” There is a lot of concern in these developing countries about how organizations can help mothers have the best pregnancy possible and have babies who are born to term. Many of the women Gennaro works with are from rural villages far from a hospital with no Internet or means of receiving modern information about pregnancy, prenatal care, and childbirth. “Often times the healthcare system does not provide women with enough information,” Gennaro said. “They also are without access to the websites, magazines, and books that would help them.” For example, women who are highrisk pregnancies need a higher level of care and should be closer to a hospital as they approach their due date. Many women are unaware, however, that they are high risk—they have not been taught to recognize the symptoms of a high-risk pregnancy—and as a result face many
obstacles that could be avoided. In order to help remedy this problem, Gennaro and her team set up a program that provides women with information and knowledge about health promotion during pregnancy. They worked with local health care providers and nurses to figure out what kinds of promotion messages would work best for the village. “We came up with some pretty creative ideas,” Gennaro said. “For example, in Malawi, they made up catchy tunes in the native language to remind the women to not ‘hold on to your placenta.’’’ In Uganda, Gennaro took the same unique, customized approach. “In Uganda, health workers worked with mothers and found out that they were very concerned about the situation of domestic violence,” Gennaro said. “Around the world, at least one in three women have been beaten by her husband.” The women decided that they wanted to put on a number of skits to raise awareness about domestic violence and to get all community members, including males, involved in how to handle and stop such violenct acts. “We had this one skit where this man came home and was agitated with his wife about dinner not being on the table and
picked up a stick to start beating her with,” Gennaro said. “Before any violence began, we stopped the skit and asked the audience questions like, ‘What is not okay here, how can the behavior be changed, what works, what doesn’t,’ and so on.” Gennaro has also conducted research to improve neonatal resuscitation in developing countries. “Right at the moment of birth, some babies don’t breathe right away,” Gennaro said. “It is usually an easy fix—the baby needs to be dried off, suctioned, and resuscitated—but a lot of hospitals in developing countries either don’t recognize this or don’t have the skills to perform the resuscitation.” The World Health Organization has basic guidelines for newborn resuscitation in developing countries that are fairly straightforward—they don’t require drugs or ventilators, and once the baby is properly resuscitated it will live normally. Gennaro and her team tried to bring the WHO’s standards to a village in Malawi. “It was tough because we needed nurses to do the actual resuscitation, but we also wanted people present in the delivery rooms to see which nurses were doing it and which were not,” Gennaro said. “We were in a predicament because we didn’t
want to end up with fewer nurses, but we needed someone to collect the data.” Gennaro explains that someone eventually came up with the idea of hiring retired nurses who wanted some extra cash on the side to be observers in delivery rooms. “We worked with the nurses in terms of what helped with resuscitation, what didn’t, and what more we needed to know,” Gennaro said. Gennaro is currently conducting a study funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research, the highest funding a nurse can get, on the predictors of preterm labor and birth. “I am studying minority women, trying to figure out who is at the most risk for preterm delivery, measuring the physiological factors in the immune system, and looking at nutrition and stress,” Gennaro said. Her research aims to come up with a profile to see which women are more likely to deliver early and which are not. As Gennaro reflects on her past research and anticipates future projects, she takes pride in conducting research that people recognize as exemplary. “Especially when you are in a place where the motto is ever to excel, it is nice to think that maybe you did,” she said. n
of the University’s 10-year strategic plan, which was released in 2007 and allocated $1.6 billion for the hiring of additional faculty, creation of new academic centers and institutes, funding of construction and renovation, and increase of support for academic programs and initiatives. According to Keating, $7 million of the University’s operating budget for next year will support the strategic plan’s objectives. “The goal with these investments is to continue to build the academic quality of BC undergraduate and graduate programs,” he said. Keating noted that previous areas of investment included funding for the Institute for the Liberal Arts, the School of Theology and Ministry, the PORTICO program in CSOM, the Presidential Scholars, and the hiring of faculty members. He said that future investments might involve a focus on electronic learning and potentially new faculty members in the sciences, and will include additional investment in the Office of Residential Life’s Pathways program. “Overall the University’s $886 million budget is increasing less than 3 percent, similar to what it has in the past few years,” Keating said. He added that salaries and benefits for faculty and staff combined are increasing at just under 3 percent. “The budget is very tight, given that we expect inflation to be in the 2 percent range … The key expense factors are inflation as it relates to compensation and operating costs, both of which are being managed very closely, financial aid and strategic investments.” The University faces challenges in gathering revenue outside of student payments, according to Keating. He noted that revenue from research has decreased and donations that can be used for operational costs are not increasing, although he stated that overall gifts—especially to the University’s endowment—remain healthy. Even as student costs and aid expenditures go up, BC is working to control expenses. Two programs that the University recently began, the Operational Efficiency Project (OEP) and the Administrative Program Review (APR), are tasked with finding ways to help the University cut costs and run more efficiently. Past reductions have included the elimination of non-academic positions, the introduction of self-insurance and other adjustments in the University’s health care program, reductions in operating budgets, and a combination of conservation efforts and negotiated electric rates that have led to savings in utilities. “Efforts are currently underway to reduce printing costs related to outside vendors, increase utilization of our inhouse dining programs for catering type services, and greater utilization of our facilities in the summer for conferences and programs,” Keating said. “I expect these types of efforts to continue into the future. Since 2009 and including what we expect to achieve in savings in [the 2014 fiscal year], the total reduction in costs on an annual basis is approximately $26 million.” In terms of specific projects, Keating added that while the budget for the University during the 2013 fiscal year partially funded the operation and maintenance of the recently opened Stokes Hall, those payments will be completed with funds allocated from the budget for the 2014 fiscal year. “In summary the budget reflects the realities of the economy we face, tight revenues, attempts to limit charges to students, while meeting the increasing needs of financial aid and continuing to invest in improving the quality of academic and student formation programs,” Keating said. n
CLASSIFIEDS
THE HEIGHTS THE HEIGHTS
Thursday, January 17, 2013 Thursday, March 14, 2013
COMMUNITY HELP WANTED Cash for one time study participation. Participate in a Psychology research study for cash. Use the Sona Systems link (http:// bc.sona-systems.com) to access our studies. You will need to click “Request an account here” and then sign up using your BC email address.
Personal Assistant needed to organize and help. Basic computer skills needed good with organization. We are ready to pay $840 per week. Interested person Should Work flexible hours with the potential to earn six figures Clean driving record, drug test required, Email your resume for Consideration: markthompson147@aol.com
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE/PAYROLL/BOOKKEEPER NO Experience necessary.Salary Commensurate, and takes little of your time. Requirements: -Should be a computer literate,must be efficient and dedicated. Please send resume to: j.cornwell311@yahoo.com $$ SPERM DONORS WANTED $$ 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
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.
A5 A5
THE HEIGHTS
A6
Committee must improve core classes, preserve goal
Thursday, March 14, 2013
QUOTE OF THE DAY Teach us to give and not to count the cost. -St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), founder of the Society of Jesus
BC must ensure that professors are educated on and keep in mind the philosophy of the core Boston College’s core renewal committee, after spending almost a year collecting information, is ready to begin planning what the future of the core will look like. Among other things, the committee has decided that the core must become more interdisciplinary and engaging for both students and faculty—possibly using the Perspectives program as a model. The core was last updated in 1991, and the only truly interdisciplinary initiative to come out of that renewal was the Perspectives program. This program has been incredibly successful in the time since its creation. According to data collected by the committee, students have expressed that they get more out of interdisciplinary courses, and, when commenting on other team-taught or linked courses that BC has offered in the past, often stated that they appreciated having the opportunity to learn from two professors in a single course. This feedback has encouraged the committee to use Perspectives as a model on which to base the new interdisciplinary courses it will be creating in the coming weeks. An interdisciplinary approach will provide students with more options to take courses that they find genuinely interesting. Material will be presented from a wider variety of perspectives, allowing students to understand it on a deeper level. A common complaint among students is that their core courses are too easy or not academically engaging. They sometimes find that going to class is not essential in order to learn the material and therefore feel that the core is a waste of time. Combining disciplines, therefore, can make courses challenging enough that students are not only feeling challenged, but also interested in what they are learning. Creating courses at different levels to accommodate students’ varying levels of interest and current knowledge will also help ensure that students are actively engaged in their educations. Providing students with courses that challenge them and make them think more critically also sends a message that students can handle a wide variety of topics and concepts. An interdisciplinary course that combines science and economics, for example, says that students are capable of understanding formulas and mathematical concepts that go beyond basic calculations. Professors do not have to “dumb down” the material, but rather can teach at a level ap-
propriate for BC undergraduates, because students who sign up for this particular interdisciplinary course are indicating that they have some level of proficiency in these areas. Students must understand the information that is being presented to them, but they must also feel that this information is relevant and thought-provoking. Most importantly, howe ver, the committee should ensure that professors fully understand the goals of the core and are held to its standards. BC’s professors are experts in their fields who often specialize in a specific aspect of it. While they should be encouraged to integrate these specialties into their core courses, they must keep in mind that the goal of the core is to provide students with a broad understanding of the field. Becoming too specific or too technical will obscure this purpose. Professors should therefore keep the overall purpose of the core—to provide students with a broad educational base and the ability to speak intelligently about a number of academic topics—in mind when designing and teaching their courses. The core committee must consistently review the curricula of these courses so that the core remains meaningful for students. Many students also complain that different professors vary greatly in content and difficulty across a particular core course. These courses that have a more general survey focus should be standardized within their respective departments. Professors would have the freedom to teach the material in whatever way they choose and still have time within the semester or year to teach other material they find relevant. Keeping the curriculum mostly standardized across sections of a particular course, however, will ensure that students are gaining a solid educational foundation in a particular discipline. This uniformity will also help students connect to fellow classmates with divergent interests from their own, creating more opportunities for academic conversation across campus. The core renewal process is understandably very complex, and discussion about how the core courses should be designed are only just beginning. These courses will be available to incoming freshmen for the fall 2013 semester. Given that these new students will be the first to experience the redesigned core, the committee has the opportunity to begin a completely new era of academic excellence at BC.
Awards bring nursing research merited attention Dean Susan Gennaro and Professor Ann Burgess embody Jesuit ideals through their research Major nursing organizations recently bestowed honors on two faculty members in the Connell School of Nursing: Dean Susan G ennaro was named to Sigma Theta Tau International’s International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame, and professor Ann Wolbert Burgess was given the inaugural Living Legend Award from the New England Chapter of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. Both were recognized for their immense contributions to the fields of nursing and healthcare through their innovative research. As the smallest undergraduate division of Boston College, CSON faculty make up a relatively small percentage of the faculty at BC, and as professors in a pre-professional school, it is often forgotten that many of them actively take part in
the world of research, as well as the professional world of a nurse. Consequently, many members of the BC community may not know that some of the University’s leading scholars are in nursing. These honors serve as a reminder of the impressive scholastic work being done in every undergraduate division at BC. Gennaro and Burgess, through the work that has earned them these honors, personify the pillars of a Jesuit education. Gennaro focuses on improving health outcomes surrounding childbirth in developing countries, and Burgess has long been renowned as a trailblazer in the realm of impact trauma and abuse. By using their education to identify and serve a need in this world, they bring to life the ideals of attentiveness and social justice that are taught in the classrooms here.
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THE ONLINE BUZZ Reprinting reader comments from www.bcheights.com and those submitted via email, The Online Buzz draws on the online community to contribute to the ongoing discussion. In response to “Students Need to Take Charge of Their Advising” by The Heights Editorial Board: “What a truly great article this is! As an alumnus who never took full advantage of academic advising, mainly out of sheer ignorance of its potential, I agree 100 percent that students really must take ownership of their academic planning. However, I would also agree that the benefits and services of the Academic Advisory Center must be better publicized. If not done already, this publicity campaign should start well before students ever set foot on the Heights, starting with the admissions letter! While nothing can substitute for a student’s own hard work and follow-through, I cannot help but wonder how my years at BC (and beyond) might have been different had I been a regular AAC customer. Who knows ... I might even have a professor or two on my Christmas card list!” —ANONYMOUS In response to “The Homeless Paradox” by Eleanor Sciannella:
“White Supremacy is the ideology that whites are superior to other races. Even if there is a disproportionate number of whites in higher offices you shouldn’t throw that term around when it is clearly not applicable, especially in this part of the country. If your life were “run by white supremacy” you would not have a black president, a black and a Hispanic supreme court justice, you would not see social programs for minorities of which there are many, and you would not have diversity quotas at schools like BC.” —ANONYMOUS In response to “Dress Up For Life” by Suzie Scordino: “I really hope this article is satirical. Why put even more unnecessary pressure on girls to play the part of the “ideal BC girl?” I would also hope that students at a prestigious institute such as Boston College have more brains than to make themselves appear dumb (leaving their ID around, mistaking someone for another, dropping their books) in order to attract a guy’s attention ... I think you should give us a bit more credit than that.” —ANONYMOUS
“Your opinion piece on homelessness was FANTASTIC. It’s refreshing to see people who are sensitive to the complexities and complacencies inherent in the American social justice dynamic.” —MARIA VAZQUEZ
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
Thursday, March 14, 2013
A7
I am not Natalie Portman
Alexia LaFata HabeMus Papam - In case you live under a rock with a sack over your head and noise canceling earphones on, you have probably heard that the new pope is a Jesuit! Yes, that’s right, one of our own. This is the most exciting thing to happen since Baldwin was featured in a SportsCenter commercial! The medley of news vans on campus yesterday is a testament to the fact that we, the members of Boston College, are now famous. We will venture so far as to say that we are basically the pope, by association. Because we are all Jesuit-educated, Pope Francis (the first! Bold move, by the way. Respect.) obviously will take seriously any and all of our suggestions for where he should steer the Roman Catholic Church. Thus, this is our decree: commence aggressively tweeting at him. Go Green - St. Paddy’s Day is fast approaching! It is certainly a wonderful holiday: the day when all self-respecting Irish Catholics honor the good saint by drinking themselves into oblivion, as we’re sure St. Patrick, being Irish himself, of course, would have wanted. It’s the one day a year you actually feel cool for being Irish and are permitted by society to wear all green. BC students, take advantage of these wonderful things, don your shamrock studded headband, and avoid the preying pinches from the most enthusiastic celebrators. And Lord, on this most holy of days, forgive us in advance if we mistake whiskey for the Communion wine and the Mods for a Church. Spring Ahead - We are noticing an upward trend in the projected high temperatures for the coming days. We’re on the lookout for the first girl bold enough to bust out a skirt (sans tights) to officially usher in the springtime. And although most of us are probably still lamenting the day we left Punta Cana, there is good news: Easter break is precisely two weeks away. Another three days off, and when you return, your best friend will finally be able to eat sweets again and will therefore be a much more enjoyable human. Hallelujah!
For the past 14 years, When Harry Met Sally has normalized the idea that two platonic friends who are deeply in love with each other (but who are refusing to admit it!) can be secret soul mates. Life would happen, they’d eventually confess their deepest feelings, it wouldn’t be awkward, and they’d live happily ever after. It sounds like an ideal ending, but this kind of situation rarely plays out that way. In reality, the crusher has probably been crushing since the first day the two met, and the crushee is probably painfully oblivious or plagued with guilt over his/her unreturned affection. But we, the people who are caught in this situation, don’t care about reality. All we care about is that Harry and Sally are best friends and soul mates, so my best male friend and I are soul mates, too. Right? I mean, maybe. We’ve forgotten that Harry and Sally are not real people. And as Chuck Klosterman, author of my newest favorite book ever Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto says, When Harry Met Sally is only one of the million quintessential examples of how the interchangeability of art and life is destroying everything. I’m a pretty optimistic person, but I sometimes find myself subconsciously expecting my life to end up like a cheesy romantic comedy. Not merely wanting, but expecting. And why do I expect this? The Sarah Jessica Parkers and the Sandra Bullocks and the Drew Barrymores of the world tell me that if my life is somewhat mirroring that of any movie character’s, things will just work out for me in the same way things work out for said movie character. But when real life doesn’t live up to fake movie versions of real life—and it often does not—everyone’s dissatisfied. This is not cynical. This is just reality. The Notebook gives people in verbally abusive relationships the expectation that they’ll die together—old and withered and in love—in the hospital. I’m sorry, but
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quirky? Why can’t I make brooding young dudes loosen up and smile all the time? Why can’t I rock sundresses that hard? MPDGs never have meltdowns, never let things truly bother them, and never have trouble getting male protagonists to fall for them. Similar to the aforementioned fabricated movie versions of reality, however, MPDGs are not real. Tons of things bother me. Getting the guy I like to like me back is nearly impossible. And I can’t wear sundresses because I’m 5’9’’ and most sundresses are really short on me. But hey, at least I’m real. One of the few films that actually comes anywhere close to reality is 500 Days of Summer. In the movie, Summer (slightly MPDG, but we’ll ignore that) falls for Tom for a seemingly long period of time. The two shop in Ikea, play the penis game, eat pancakes, and do a plethora of other things that make you question how romantic your relationship’s Thursday night dinners in Hillside really are. Somewhere during the movie, Summer just kind of stops liking Tom. There’s no real dramatic ending to it. “How is that a movie though? What even happens?” asks my wonderfully inquisitive roommate during a weekday discussion of the film. Good questions. Nothing really happens because sometimes nothing really happens in real life except that people lose interest. 500 Days of Summer is so mind bogglingly realistic that it’s more like a documentary of your best friend’s weekly experiences with men than an actual movie. This is not to say that these movie versions of reality don’t exist. Yes, a guy can realize that he’s made a mistake and want to try again with an ex-girlfriend. Yes, two best friends can secretly be soul mates and it can all work out. Yes, love can last forever. Yes, maybe one day I’ll find sundresses that fit me. What I’m saying is that we can’t expect these things to happen, even though we subconsciously do anyway. What we can do instead is have hope, and I guess life is all about navigating the thin line between hope and expectation. In the mean time, I’ll be watching a hell of a lot more horror films.
Alexia LaFata is a staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.
Ambition and the BC student
Benjamin Olcott
The Obligatory Housing Thumbs Down - The housing lottery. No other two-word phrase strikes greater instantaneous fear into the hearts of all BC students. The chances any one individual emerges from these weeks unscathed are about equivalent to the chances of getting an elevator all to yourself in Maloney at 9:45 a.m. on a Monday. Some advice for the freshfaced first years who have never before experienced such trauma: 1. Do not sit in Mac between 12 and 1 p.m. on Monday, because, more likely than not, several tables of 8 will erupt in joyous cheers around you as you look at the message of death: no pick time. At that point, all you can really do is shoot daggers at your euphoric classmates, who will be too happy to notice/care, and this won’t make you feel any better in the long run. 2. Make a list of all the reasons CoRo really won’t be that bad, and force yourself to believe them. Convince yourself that Mac has the best food in the world, that the stairs will make your butt look great, that doubles are cozy, and that you’ll make a million new friends by once again having a communal bathroom, so you’ll basically be the most popular person at BC. 3. Take comfort in the fact that everyone has gone through this, everyone has hated every second of it, and it acts as a beautiful, albeit painful, bond that ties us all together into one big community of love. 4. Eventually get over it. If you go to BC, your life is pretty good, even if you have to live near freshmen as a sophomore.
couples that don’t agree on anything, criticize each other, and fight all the time likely won’t last. Sure, Noah and Allie were crazy about each other, but they simply didn’t know anything about the very real concept of compromise. He’s Just Not That Into You makes me think I can give a theatrical speech to the object of my unrequited love, storm angrily out of his apartment at 3 a.m., and, weeks later, find him standing outside my door pouring his heart out after realizing that he shouldn’t have let me go. Now, if my speech happened in real life, that guy would definitely think I’m a psycho and I’d be left feeling embarrassed the next day. Of course, people will continue reciting long confessional monologues to loved ones and expecting a “You’re right! I’ve missed you so much!” response a la He’s Just Not That Into You or any of the other thousands of happy endings in Hollywood. In reality, though, I’ve only experienced anything close to this scenario once. And instead of pouring rain or boom boxes, alcohol was involved. Where’s my movie? If the media’s attempt to define “what’s supposed to happen” isn’t sneakily destroying everyone’s lives enough, there’s one archetype that is definitely doing so over and over again. Enter the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, also known as both my biggest inspiration and my biggest nightmare. A term invented by movie critic Nathan Rabin, the MPDG is “that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures” (quote by Rabin himself ). The MPDG is eccentric, girly, delicate, and listens to way better music than me. She’s simultaneously the sexiest and the most innocent girl in a movie. She’s Natalie Portman’s character in Garden State, Kate Hudson’s in Almost Famous, Audrey Hepburn’s in Breakfast at Tiffany’s—the list goes on and on. The MPDG isn’t meant to have any real problems or history of her own, so she’s always super carefree and playful. I always wonder how I can be more like her—until I remember that she is literally as two dimensional as a paper plate. Yet there’s something about her that tugs at my insecurities: Why don’t I listen to music as unusual as her? Why am I not as naturally
Ambition falls into a particular class of words in which, colloquially, the adjective form is much more impersonal and casual than the noun form. There’s nothing discomforting or unsettling about describing someone as “ambitious.” Many of us at Boston College are “ambitious”—we want and expect a lot from ourselves and the world. “Ambitious” is a common, ordinary, innocuous word and concept. But there’s something about “ambition” that is unnerving, that seems to pierce our merely “ambitious” facades and prod at some deep, very personal, and dear, secret. The question, “What are your ambitions?” cuts so directly to our core that it is often reserved for the times we are at our most vulnerable (somewhere quiet with a close friend over edibles and sippables of choice) or invulnerable (somewhere at 3 a.m. so drunk and tired you’ll barely remember the answer the following morning). The adjective form demands nothing more from its descriptee or descripter than a general assessment of degree of want. “Ambition” demands the what, the identification and articulation of the very object of that desire. In a vague, amorphous sense, “ambition” is the desire for influence, distinguishment, position. Ambition is the desire for success, but success is rarely objectless or objective. People or collections of people don’t just want successes: they want a particular success in or at something. Success is, in reality, one of the most fiercely subjective concepts
Lecture Hall
in the world—countries make wars on the wings of success’s perception. We BC students too have our subjective successes and battle for them with schoolwork, internships, and the like. We believe that how and with what we battle has everything to do with realizing that particular something. For example, a person whose greatest ambition is to be a world-renowned economist studies (battles) econometrics on top of statistics, calculus, and finance so that he/she can become an economist. But, this way of thinking is seriously flawed. The most glaring and obvious problem is that by truly believing what we want to succeed at and how we go about succeeding at it are inextricably linked, we come to believe that achievement of that particular success is solely dependent on a predetermined process by which we go about achieving it. Put more concisely/coherently: we come to believe that if we do steps A through Y, we will always get the success we want—we will always get Z. But what the hell are steps A-Y? What on Earth is the “process”? Ostensibly, it is something like: “if you do well in college, you can go to a highly-competent school or enter a career field at a high level, finish school/move up the career field ladder, and eventually, get a high-level job/continue up your career ladder, until eventually, you’ve reached the highest level you possibly could, and then you’ve ‘succeeded.’” I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying this life outline is familiar to all of us. But who’s to say doing well in college is step A? Or any step at all? Who is to say our economist friend isn’t better off finding a job at home, building up some personal wealth, and taking online courses? Couldn’t step A just as easily have been the first time, at 15 or 16, our economist friend picked up The New York Times and read an article about outsourc-
ing? Couldn’t step A have occurred when the economist friend was 50? 60? 70? It is impossible to identify any step in any individual’s “process.” If we come to rely on a process to reach our ambitions, a process we’ve come to believe (as heard from many, many sources) is fairly rigid and predetermined, then we’re no longer actually thinking about our ambitions when we think to ourselves about our ambitions. We may hold the image of that pinnacle in our mind, but the feelings associated with it are really those we feel about the process. And the process is a battle, a struggle. By nature, it is difficult, and it makes it more difficult that, as mentioned above, we subconsciously know that many of the battles we fight are not of our own choosing. Ambitions become equivocal to the contentions and trials of a phantom process. And that is precisely why we save the question, “What are your ambitions?” for extreme moments of in- and vulnerability, why it pushes our most hidden buttons. As we gather our thoughts before we speak, we realize that we’ve transferred our deep desires for particular successes to a concept of struggle that doesn’t exist. We realize we’ve been flailing hopelessly at nothing. The feeling is almost like vertigo, or the stomach-drop on an elevator or rollercoaster. Essentially, the feeling that there is no ground beneath you to stand on. Unfortunately, I have no space to elaborate sufficiently on this, but there is ground readily available, and I believe its discovery requires only faith in oneself. If you truly believe in your ambition in itself (you have to recognize them first—no easy feat) the process becomes ancillary, worthwhile, and totally your own.
Benjamin Olcott 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.
Inside bin Laden’s brain Matt Auker I recently had to come up with a presentation for one of my classes on religious extremism. Naturally, the most obvious subject for a 21st century American such as myself is the most widely recognized face of religious zealotry and violence in this country and perhaps the world, Osama bin Laden. It was too easy. Slap together some PowerPoint slides on Al Qaeda and the Westboro Baptist Church and collect my A. But when I actually read a 2004 speech of bin Laden’s sent to Aljazeera addressing the American people, I was surprised at the relatively low levels of fanaticism and vitriol in contrast to the quotes plucked out of it by the American media. Furthermore, I was shocked at the level of—and I use this word very hesitantly—rationality behind his thinking. Let me preface the rest of this column by making it clear that this is by no means an endorsement of his actions, nor is it a defense of his line of thinking. My intent is simply to share a different narrative behind the motives of Sept. 11 that has gone overlooked in an era of expensive and prolonged warfare in the Middle East. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor isn’t viewed these days through the lens of nationalistic patriotism as it was in the decade that followed it. Sure, we commemorate its anniversary and mourn those lost, but more out of tradition than any particular emotional considerations. Today it is looked at more objectively, in the context of a World War in which the Japanese attempted to temporarily knock out American forces in the region. Do we still revile the Japanese in the same way we revile the terrorists after Sept. 11? Of course not. As time marches on, events in history lose their personal meaning only to replace it with historical and circumstantial meaning. The name Osama bin Laden often elicits a knee-jerk reaction from Americans, and not without good reason. But if we step back and imagine ourselves 50 years in the future looking at bin Laden’s speech objectively, how would we react? Bin Laden explains that his anti-American sentiments stem from when he came to the conclusion that “oppression and the intentional killing of innocent women and children is a deliberate American policy. Destruction is freedom and democracy, while resistance is terrorism and intolerance.” He cites in particular America’s role in helping Israel invade Lebanon in 1982, where he witnessed “blood and severed limbs, women, and children sprawled everywhere. Houses destroyed along with their occupants and high rises demolished over their residents, rockets raining down on our home without mercy.” He also states the goal behind the Sept. 11 attacks—to wake up the American people with an attack so violent that it would provoke them into questioning “why us?” and then come to realize that it was due to the overextensive U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. “No one except a dumb thief plays with the security of others and then makes himself believe he will be secure. Whereas thinking people, when disaster strikes, make it their priority to look for its causes, in order to prevent it happening again.” He wanted Americans to respond by questioning the root cause of the attack and respond in kind by curtailing military involvement in the Middle East. Interestingly, he accepts being labeled as a terrorist by saying, “so with these images and their like as their background, the events of Sept. 11 came as a reply to those great wrongs, should a man be blamed for defending his sanctuary? Is defending oneself and punishing the aggressor in kind, objectionable terrorism? If it is such, then it is unavoidable for us.” Essentially he is explaining that he answered one great wrong by committing another, fought fire with fire, in order to defend his homeland, and that if that’s terrorism, so be it. Violent and callous yes, but also uncomfortably practical. I don’t have room to include the entire speech here, but I would encourage people to read it. It’s clear that bin Laden was in fact a smart man with completely transparent intentions. If we’re looking at this from 50 years in the future, we see a man who has witnessed terrible atrocities committed against his people by a foreign government, (whether intentional or not), and who is willing to take any action necessary to prevent future suffering. Strip away your nationalistic inclinations and the motive (though certainly not the deed) becomes somewhat defensible. Though I disagree with Ron Paul on a number of issues, he had it right in the aftermath of the attacks when he repeatedly pointed out that the reason we were attacked was because we were over there, plain and simple. If more people could realize that nothing is completely good versus evil, that there might just be a motive behind horrific violence against the U.S. other than the fact that we’re free and (mostly) Christian, then maybe we wouldn’t be in the mess we find ourselves in today.
Matt Auker is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.
The Heights
A8
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Johnson reflects on improvements during his first year at the helm Austin Tedesco The scouting report was out on Boston College women’s basketball. Switch every screen. Close out hard on the 3-pointers. Force the Eagles, full of killer spot-up shooters but shaky drivers, to beat you off the dribble. That worked for most of ACC play, and then, against No. 15 North Carolina in the ACC quarterfinals last week, junior guard Tessah Holt took advantage of the expectations. Head coach Erik Johnson told Holt to attack whenever she could. Center Katie Zenevitch would set a screen and off Holt would go. Left or right, it didn’t matter, she blew past the bigger defender switching over to her and finished scooping finger-rolls at the rim. Those plays, along with hot 3point shooting from freshman Nicole Boudreau and senior Kerri Shields, gave a BC team with a 5-12 conference record a second chance to upset one of the ACC’s elite teams during the tournament. The same North Carolina that defeated the Eagles by more than 20 points in both regular season meetings. Johnson’s squad fell short, losing 62-57, but the performance in that game as well as the two games prior, a win against Georgia Tech in the regular season finale and then an opening round victory over Virginia, show that the program is headed in the right direction. The team loses Shields to gradu-
ation next year, but a squad that struggled with depth issues all season might see a more full rotation in 201314. There will be three new freshmen and BC’s two transfers from this season, Karima Gabriel and Lauren Engeln, will get to see the court after sitting out this year. Johnson is also high on rising sophomore forward Alexa Coulombe, who played 19 minutes against the Tar Heels and has been a good defensive presence. Shields, Boudreau, Zenevitch, and junior forward Kristen Doherty all played more than 30 minutes a game this year and Holt averaged 28 minutes herself. With more depth entering the roster, not only will the starters get a little more time to rest, but Doherty, who played a lot of power forward this season, will be able to move to the perimeter and check the opponent’s better wing players. Johnson saw a significant improvement on the offensive end, with his players skipping the ball around the court quickly for better shots. He still wants to see the offense develop more fully so scoring doesn’t all have to come from perimeter passing or Zenevitch one-on-one inside. That’s something he and men’s head coach Steve Donahue discussed a lot during the season. Donahue has worked hard the past two seasons to make his young team competitive in a tough conference, and Johnson has been a sponge. He realized during the season that his team was missing something on defense. The Eagles were undersized in pretty much every ACC matchup. Rather than constantly fix every aspect of their execution, Johnson told them to focus on something else. “We just had to be tougher,” Johnson said. To make up for the size, he honed
Graham beck / Heights Editor
Erik Johnson led an improved BC squad through a season that featured many challenges during his first year as head coach. in on ways that the team could be tough on the defensive end. Putting a body on cutters when they try to make a move. Making it a mission not to get beat off of the dribble. Giving out cards for charges to incentivize his players to help hard and sacrifice their bodies. That all started to come together against the Tar Heels, but Johnson, in typical coaching fashion, wasn’t
satisfied. “To be honest with you, I don’t think we even played that well,” Johnson said of the two ACC Tournament games. He gave his team credit for all the progress they made up to that point, but he knew it could be better. He’s out on the road now, recruiting more players to help him get BC back to the NCAA Tournament. He
was here as an assistant when the program made the Sweet 16. With his optimistic, engaging, yet all the while demanding persona, that goal shouldn’t be out of reach for much longer.
Austin Tedesco is the Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.
Eagles enter Hockey East tournament Men’s Hockey, from A10 little bit more five-on-five tenaciousness on our defense.” York’s focus specifically with his defensemen is allowing fewer shots on goalie Parker Milner. “During the course of the year we were giving up way too many scoring chances, and that’s playing Russian roulette because you can only ask your goalie to stop so many of those,” York said. “But I think our defensemen have to cut back those scoring chances and try to generate some really good offense from our own zone.” Although the Eagles went 2-0-1 during the regular season against Vermont, York said that seedings and regular season games are out the window starting with Friday night’s quarterfinal. “I think there’s a certain sense of, ‘Hey, we gotta be ready for a different Vermont team,’” York said. “They’re upset they lost to us, they want another crack at BC, and we understand that. That makes it an even harder first round event for us. But we’re
grownups, and we understand seeds don’t matter now. It’s who plays the best gets the Garden. There’s no lock because we’re a higher seed.” Vermont snuck into the Hockey East playoffs in part thanks to its tie with BC on the final weekend of the regular season. Now that they have a spot among the topeight teams in Hockey East, anything is possible this weekend at Conte Forum. “We’re playing for a championship as well,” said Vermont head coach Kevin Sneddon on a teleconference Tuesday. “The one thing that we’ve stressed to our guys down the stretch here is just to get in. If you think about it, teams one through eight are excellent teams and I’d say the two teams that didn’t make it are excellent hockey teams as well. I think it’s wide open this year, we’re treating it as we’re not just playing in the playoffs, we want to win.” The Catamounts do not need to be reminded of the offensive attack the Eagles can bring, especially from senior Steven Whitney, junior Bill Arnold, and sophomore Johnny Gaudreau. The three combined for five goals and seven assists
in Saturday night’s win, and Sneddon said his team will put an extra focus on those forwards when they are on the ice. “The biggest thing we have to do is make sure we’re well aware of when Mr. Gaudreau, Whitney, and Arnold are on the ice,” Sneddon said. “They’re excellent players, they’re going to get chances we just have to make sure that we make them earn those chances and minimize to the best of our ability their time of possession with the puck.” While BC has been forced to give freshmen lots of minutes this season, Vermont has too. Freshman goalie Brody Hoffman has played in all 34 games this season, boasting a 2.82 goals against average. The Catamounts also have two freshmen defensemen—Caylen Walls and Yvan Pattyn—who have played almost every game this season. “We’ll be well prepared, always interesting to go against a team four games in a row,” Sneddon said. “We know each other pretty well right now and we know what we need to do better and we’re looking forward to that challenge.” n
Graham beck / Heights Editor
The Eagles will look to carry their late season momentum into the ACC tournament this week.
BC digs deep for postseason Basketball, from A10 result of saying, ‘You know what, we can get this done still. We just need to do it at this time.’” Both Hanlan and Donahue said that the Eagles need to consistently trap in the post to slow down the Yellow Jackets’ offense, but the overall execution can be better as well. “There are little things that we can do better,” Donahue said. “There can be a little better pressure on the ball so the pass isn’t directly there. The big can work harder to bump them out another foot so now the shot’s harder. Those things are just as critical as saying, ‘Hey, we’re just going to send a double-team.’ I think that’s where we’re at. We’ve got to get better at those things.” If the Eagles defeat Georgia Tech today, they face top-seeded Miami tomorrow in the quarterfinals. “Our goal right now is to get into the NCAA Tournament by winning [the ACC],” Donahue said. “And my feeling is, I don’t know if anything else really matters to our program at this point.” BC is a long-shot to win the tourney, but a deep run might qualify the team for an NIT bid. “The NIT is a spectacular, hard
tournament,” Donahue said. “To get invited to that, it would be hard not to take that.” Last season, the Eagles came in to the tournament ranked at the bottom of the conference. They’ve moved up to eighth place this year, and the progress has shown statistically as well. “Well it’s not just the wins, but it’s how you played,” Donahue said. “Statistically, we went from the bottom in almost every category to the middle of the pack. That’s essentially what we did. And more importantly the things that we really value like taking care of the ball—I think we were second in the league for least amount of turnovers. We got to the foul line the third amount of times in our league. We are way better at assistto-turnovers. Our defensive numbers are not as good as I would’ve hoped, but rebounding we held our own. So everything has gotten better. I’m going to say to these guys, the next step is how do you get to the elite. Those four teams that get the byes, that’s where you want to be, and that’s going to be our hardest step. This step, yeah, it was a lot, but the farther you go up the more difficult it is and it’s going to take everybody doing that. Us doing a great job recruiting and us taking another step to be in that group because that’s where you want to be.” n
Alex Gaynor / Heights Editor
The Eagles will face the Catamounts in the first round of the Hockey East tournament during a series of three games this weekend.
THE HEIGHTS
EDITORS’ EDITORS’PICKS PICKS
Thursday, March 14, 2013 The Week Ahead
Standings
Men’s hockey hosts Vermont in a Hockey East quarterfinal series starting Friday night. Women’s hockey hosts Harvard on Saturday in the NCAA quarterfinal. Men’s basketball kicks off the ACC tournament against Georgia Tech. Baseball travels to Georgia Tech this weekend. USA faces the Dominican Republic today in the World Baseball Classic.
Heights Staff
16-14
Chris Grimaldi
15-15
Marly Morgus
15-15
Austin Tedesco
13-17
A9
Recap from Last Week
Game of the Week
Men’s hockey split its series with Providence, winning 3-2 and falling 5-1. Women’s hockey defeated Maine 2-1. Women’s basketball fell to UNC 62-57. Men’s basketball topped UVA by a score of 53-52. With its strong finish, the team also earned the No. 8 seed in the ACC tournament.
Women’s Hockey
Guest Editor: Ariana Igneri
Harvard vs.
Associate Arts Editor “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”- Nelson Mandella Marly Morgus Asst. Sports Editor
Ariana Igneri Assoc. Arts Editor
This Week’s Games
Austin Tedesco Sports Editor
Chris Grimaldi Assoc. Sports Editor
Men’s Hockey: No. 5 BC vs. Vermont
BC
BC
BC
BC
Women’s Hockey: No. 4 BC vs. No. 5 Harvard
BC
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Harvard
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Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech
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USA.
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Men’s Basketball: ACC Tournament Wins Baseball: BC at Georgia Tech World Baseball Classic: USA vs. Dominican Republic
Boston College
On Saturday afternoon, the Eagles will host rival Harvard in an NCAA quarterfinal matchup. The winner will advance to the Frozen Four next weekend in Minneapolis, Minn. After falling to Northeastern in the Hockey East Tournament, BC will need a win against the Crimson to keep its season alive. The last meeting between both teams was over a month ago in the first round of the Beanpot, in which the Eagles came away with a late 2-1 victory. Despite falling to Cornell in the ECAC Championship, Harvard will enter Conte Forum with impressive credentials. The Crimson’s No. 5 regular season national ranking is just one spot below BC.
Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
Lacrosse overcomes offseason elements BY FELICIA FIGUEIREDO Heights Staff
JOHN MCKAY / HEIGHTS SENIOR STAFF
The Eagles closed their season out with 12 new school records at the ACC Championships.
Eagles finish swim season BY CHRIS GRIMALDI Assoc. Sports Editor
After setting 12 new team records in a four-day span, the Boston College men’s swimming team concluded its season at the 2013 ACC Championships in Greensboro, NC. Head coach Tom Groden’s Eagles tallied 120 points to clinch eighth place in their tournament appearance, which lasted from Feb. 27 until Mar. 2. Despite facing intense competition from its conference opponents, including eventual tournament champion Virginia, BC’s effort showcased a number of impressive individual performances. Throughout the four-day set, the Eagles proved their speed and endurance in the pool, as Connor Stickney and Nick Henze led with seven final event appearances. Close behind the BC duo were teammates Edward Timmerman and Dan Kelly, who competed in six and five final events, respectively. In addition to the their presence in the final rounds, the Eagles impressed with their times and ranks. Kelly finished 28th overall in the 50-yard freestyle showdown, and Henze took 19th overall in the 200-yard freestyle race. Sophomore Tim Benage added to the list of BC accomplishments with a 19th overall placement of his own in the 100-yard butterfly. Indicative of the two strengths BC demonstrated throughout the tournament, freshman Matthew Zerweck combined speed and endurance to finish 24th
overall in the 400-yard IM. A statistic that jumps off the posttournament stat sheet, however, is the number of school records the Eagles set while at Greensboro. Sophomore Andrew Stranick sparked the impressive record-setting trend with a 55.12 performance in the 100-yard breaststroke during preliminaries. The second-year standout went on to finish 16th overall in the competition. Yet BC’s final contest of the year was also defined by well-executed teamwork in the lanes, as the Eagles found success with their relays. Stickney, Kelly, Stranick, and sophomore Michael Bryant joined forces for the 200-yard medley relay and achieved a BC record-breaking time of 1:31.30. Although the Eagles’ medley performance was a tough act to follow, the relay team of Henze, Timmerman, senior Jimmy Boretti, and rookie Drew Cuttic recorded another school high mark with a time of 6:43.29 in the 800-yard freestyle relay. To cap off BC’s relay prowess, teammates Timmerman, Henze, Stickney, and Kelly claimed another Eagle record in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a mark of 1:21.37. The Eagles finished 148 points behind seventh-place Duke, but managed to distance themselves from ninth-place Miami by a margin of 107. A collection of strong individual and group performances, as well as a number of new records, sends BC into the offseason with momentum on its side.
As spring dawns on the Heights, so does the new season of the Boston College men’s club lacrosse team. After last year’s season ended with a disappointing loss to New Hampshire, BC is refocused and ready to move up. As the undefeated Eagles enter the heaviest period of scheduling in the Men’s College Lacrosse Association (MCLA), they have plenty of momentum, illustrated by a recent six-spot jump to No. 9 in the MCLA standings. The Eagles have already faced one of their biggest adversaries this season, and it turned out to be an unscheduled one. With the collapse of the protective bubble in Alumni Stadium from snowstorm Nemo in February, the team was forced to abandon full field practice. They managed to concentrate on conditioning in the Plex, something senior captain Gavin Tisdale saw as a crucial component to their recent success during a trip to Texas. “We were pretty sloppy the first game, but we were able to keep our conditioning on point, which was huge when we were playing three games in four days,” Tisdale said. The inconvenience ended up strengthening the team’s communication. “The chemistry is definitely better than years past, and there’s a great camaraderie between everyone, even from freshmen to seniors,” said junior captain John Lambrecht. “There’s no divide anywhere, and it’s a great dynamic for us to have right now.” The squad’s ties are strengthened by the spirit of BC alum Welles Crowther, whom the team honored recently by presenting Crowther’s number 19 jersey to Tisdale. Although he was thrilled by the honor, Tisdale realized how much more Crowther’s legacy means to the team as a whole. “We have a team full of guys who live up to Welles, and we all have red bandanas on our bags, and he’s certainly someone we remember as we play, and off the field,” Tisdale said. The team has just come off of a road trip to Texas, where the Eagles were able to take on non-conference teams. They defeated Southern Methodist University, winning 14-9, and carried that
GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS STAFF
The men’s lacrosse team recently traveled to Texas for three non-conference matchups. tone into a matchup with Texas State, topping the Bobcats 9-7. The highlight of the trip came in the final game versus the undefeated Texas Longhorns, who the Eagles beat 10-9 in an intense battle that lasted until the last 10 seconds of overtime, ending with a goal by sophomore attacker Joey Volk. Next for the Eagles is a home match against Boston University.
“Just another sport to beat them in,” Klemmer said. Lambrecht, Tisdale, and Klemmer hope that home turf will provide a big audience as the Eagles take on the Terriers. “It’s a great atmosphere, and to play in Alumni, it’s close to the fans, and it’s always great to see the support,” Lambrecht said.
Men’s squash captures Chaffee Cup BY ALEX STANLEY Heights Staff
PHOTO COURTESY OF NICK GADSDEN
The men’s squash team earned its second straight Chaffee Cup victory with a win over BU. m. Tennis
scoreboard
BC UC SB
Santa Barbara, CA 3/9
2 Nelson 4-6, 7-6, 10-8 5
m. basketball
68 BC clem 61
Clemson, SC 3/5
At the end of Februar y, Boston College and Boston University men’s club squash teams met in the Chaffee Cup final, the Men’s College Squash’s E Division championship. BC, as the defending champions, had more than just a rivalry to motivate them. The first meeting between BC and BU was in December, a 5-4 loss for a depleted Eagles roster. Two months later, though, BC avenged the loss with a 7-2 victory over the Terriers with a full and healthy squad. In their third and most important meeting of the year, the Eagles managed to best BU 6-3, earning the cup for the second year in a row after defeating Bucknell in 2012.
2 5
W. basketball
Hanlan 24 PTS BC Booker 19 PTS UNC
Brookline, MA 3/13
Long Beach, CA 3/9 Baseball
W. Tennis
BC LBSU
BC made its way to the finals of the Chaffee Cup by finishing No. 33 in the regular season of the College Squash Association to earn a spot in the E division, then scraping past University of Washington at St. Louis and Virginia in early rounds. The victory secured a final ranking of No. 33 overall in a league that includes Division I and Division III varsity squads, and No. 5 among club teams. The team had a tough start to the regular season, missing several key players who were out with injuries. More players were missing as others were studying abroad. Matching the best finish in the club’s four-year history, captain Nick Gadsden is optimistic about the future and pushing the club further.
57 62
Kelleher 6-4, 6-1 BC NU
1 10
BuTera 2-for-4 Lippert 7 IP
Greensboro, NC 3/8 M. Hockey
Boudreau 15 PTS BC Gross 9 PTS 8 REB UVM
Burlington, VT 3/9
7 2
“Hopefully, next season we can improve further by breaking into the top 32 teams in the country,” he said. Breaking into the top 32 would allow the BC club squash team to compete in the next highest tournament division—the D division—and their national championship tournament would be the Conroy Cup. The D division is comprised of the 25th through 32nd ranked teams. They added three new freshmen to the squad this year, replacing the two seniors that they lost last year. The Chaffee Cup victory set a positive tone for their BC careers. Gadsden noted the difficulty of being a club team that plays varsity teams, saying that it is all up to chance to see whether the team gets any new members, since recruiting is not a factor.
Chapel Hill,MaNC11/11 3/10 Boston,
Softball
BC UNC
Dimaso 3-for-3 4 10 Parrish 2-for-4, 3 RBI Newton, MA MA 11/09 Hyannis, 3/9
W. Hockey
Gaudreau 2 G 4 A bC Hoffman 16 Sv NU
1 4
Boyles 30 SV Wallace 1 G
SPORTS The Heights
A8
A10
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Immediate move ignites Holy War
Alber adds postseason experience By Greg Joyce Heights Senior Staff
Marly Morgus I’d like to take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to Notre Dame as they join the ACC. Before you check the masthead to make sure that you are indeed reading a paper that is distributed at Boston College, let me explain myself. The Holy War is back on. If we’re being truthful, it never really went off. With Notre Dame set to join Hockey East for the 2013-14 season, BC fans were still going to have the opportunity to scream their dislike of everything Irish from the stands in Conte during regular season play and possibly for the Hockey East tournament. This valuable addition to the Eagles’ Hockey East schedule, however, did not quite fill the gap that existed between this fall’s Notre Dame football game and the next one down the line, set to play in South Bend in the fall of 2015. While the Big East started moving toward “rebranding,” a process which involved seven Catholic schools, Notre Dame not among them, breaking off and eventually taking the name with them, Notre Dame decided that the Big East was too turbid. As a result, its athletic department put forth an effort to join the ACC. Originally, the deal was that the Irish would remain in the Big East until the summer of 2014, joining the conference thereafter in all sports except for hockey and football. On Tuesday, the news changed as it was revealed that Notre Dame and the Big East had struck a deal allowing Notre Dame to make the transition a year early. While the football program remains independent, this entrance by the Irish will give Eagle fans another high profile sport to hate Notre Dame in. With this new date come the same logistics from the original move, including the fact that BC and Notre Dame will have annual home and home series in basketball. Next year is shaping up to be big for BC basketball. Within hours of this series being confirmed for next year, Olivier Hanlan was named ACC rookie of the year. The squad that has suffered near-miss after near-miss during their conference play this season will come back blasting on all cylinders, and an early matchup with Notre Dame to kick off conference play could be just what the players need for motivation as they move into a competitive ACC season. If the athletic department, as athletic director Brad Bates has assured since his appointment, wants to increase the student body’s interest in sports besides hockey and football, basketball among them, they have at their fingertips a surefire way to boost the excitement. In the absence of a ND/BC football and hockey weekend, turn a three-day stretch early in the winter into Holy War 2.0, a series of basketball and hockey games between the two now conference rivals. Such a weekend will not come easily, as BC would have to negotiate with both the ACC and Hockey East, but it would hold tremendous benefits. These matchups would ignite the same enthusiasm that the previous years have seen with the football matchups. For the teams, this weekend would hold even more weight as these matchups will have a hand in their regular season ACC and Hockey East standings. Start the weekend with a Friday night hockey grudge match. Then the next day, transform Conte into a basketball arena for a matinee. Finally, cap off the series with the second hockey game of the weekend on Saturday night. The stages are set for an epic weekend of rivalry play, it is just down to scheduling negotiations to make it possible.
Graham Beck / Heights Editor
The Eagles will get a postseason boost from senior Patch Alber as he returns to play for the first time since his ACL injury on Dec. 29.
BC Vs. uvm by the numbers
In their last meeting, Johnny gaudreau
tallied six points (2 G, 4 A) BC’s head-to-head record Vs. uvm:
2-0-1
Eagle offense outscored UVM
15-7 in regular season
Last matchup
BC 7-2
At this point in the college hockey season, every team is banged up and bruised. Despite the trend, heading into its Hockey East quarterfinal best-of-three series with Vermont this weekend, Boston College is the healthiest it has been all season. Senior defenseman Patch Alber will see his first action on Friday since he tore his meniscus on Dec. 29, a welcome addition for the Eagles and head coach Jerry York. “Patch brings such a high level of enthusiasm and hard work, it’s right off the charts what he’s brought,” York said Monday after practice. “We’ve really missed that on our team. The hard work, enthusiasm, and excitement about just practicing, it really helped our team today in practice.” When Alber went down with the injury in December, the team and the surgeons thought he had likely played his last game in a BC uniform. But last week, Alber began to skate, and on Monday practiced full-go. “He’s kind of defied the odds,” York said. Alber will be thrown into the fire right away, as the No. 2 Eagles take on No. 7 seed Catamounts. Friday’s opponent is no stranger to BC, after it played Vermont in a two-game series in Burlington just last weekend. The teams tied 4-4 on Friday night before the Eagles broke out for a 7-2 win on Saturday night BC will welcome Alber’s return against the Catamounts, as York said he was looking for his team to bolster its defensive play. “I think just tighter defensively,” York said on what he hoped to improve on this week. “Patch will help us in that area. I thought we moved pucks well and played good offense. The power play was good, our PK was pretty good, but I think just a
See Men’s Hockey, A8
Eagles face final conference battle in Greensboro ACC rookie of the year Olivier Hanlan looks to catalyze a tournament run By Austin Tedesco Sports Editor
When the ACC Tournament tips off today, Olivier Hanlan will be ready. Focus not to be broken, the ACC rookie of the year has been studying the film from Boston College men’s basketball’s final regular season game against Georgia Tech, a 74-72 BC win, and he’s targeted Mfon Udofia’s defense.
The eighth-seeded Eagles open play with a rematch against the ninth-seeded Yellow Jackets, and although Hanlan scored 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting, he knows that he can do better against the senior guard in charge of defending him. “I’ve been watching tape of him for the last few days and how he defended me,” Hanlan said of Udofia. “I’m confident I’m going to find a way to get by him
and get open shots.” Neither team had trouble scoring in the first matchup, both shooting over 50 percent from the field. BC is looking to improve defensively this time around. “We didn’t really play well last game in terms of our defense,” Hanlan said. “They were just getting easy looks on offense and too many open shots.” “We were disappointed with our defense and we feel we’ve got to play a lot better if we’re going to beat them again,” said head coach Steve Donahue. Hanlan attributed the poor defense to inconsistent communication between teammates. “I don’t know why we didn’t really talk
Marly Morgus is the Asst. Sports Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.
that game,” Hanlan said. “We messed up on a few rotations and they just got open looks and easier looks than we want.” Georgia Tech worked the ball inside with ease, but Donahue was proud of his team’s ability to finish the game despite the opponent’s scoring runs. “I think they got the ball inside when they wanted to, and then when they rotated out they got good shots, they beat us in transition, but with that being said we figured out a way to win,” Donahue said. “We’ve outplayed teams for 38 minutes and lost a lot of games this year. I think that was probably a
See Basketball, A9
maggie burdge / Heights graphic
i nside S ports this issue
BC finishes strong at final meet
The men’s swimming team set 12 school records at the ACC Championships...A9
Game Of The Week: BC vs. Harvard
The women’s hockey team battles for a spot in the Frozen Four on Saturday..A9
Editors’ Picks........................A9 Scoreboard..........................A9
The Heights
A2album review
‘the next day’
david bowie returns to music with a stellar album page B5 column
fashion forward
making wise fashion investments for the spring page B4
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Exclusive interview
dropkick murphys
the irish rockers speak with the heights as they return to boston for three shows this weekend, b2
the Luck of the Irish The
Irish
Best of
Pop Culture
EST. 1916 Sean Keeley, Arts Editor Ariana Igneri, Assoc. Arts Editor John Wiley, Asst. Arts Editor See LUCK OF THE IRISH, B3
MAGGIE BURDGE / Heights graphic
THE HEIGHTS
B2
WILEY’S FOLLIES
Facebook and immortality
Thursday, March 14, 2013
SCENE AND HEARD
BY: ARIANA IGNERI
JOHN WILEY When a life belongs to everyone, it effectively belongs to no one. By surrendering life’s intimacies to the multitudes, the Facebook generation has rendered itself immortal. The obsessive chronicling of daily life is a curious social development indeed—a task often characterized as trivial and depressing. The Millennials have surrendered themselves to a state of deep isolation, so the story goes. To avoid the grave discomfort of sociability, the masses have retreated to the social network. Perhaps rightfully, older generations scoff at this detachment, and rebuke claims that the social network can foster near perfect connection between relative strangers. This casual gracing of lives—through pictures, interests, and scattered thoughts—has seemingly replaced a more traditional sense of intimacy. When relationships begin and end with a Facebook update, the old world decries this joylessness manner of living. But what if the old world is following the wrong story? What if the allegedly oppressive task of documenting the mundane is not a work of isolation, but rather a celebration of collectivism? What if there is new world, working of the subconscious, writing a history of itself? Everyman has challenged the history books. He has surrendered his life to the great forever, placing his words alongside the works of the greatest philosophers. His practice of social networking is nothing more than the fulfillment of an unspoken desire of all serfs, to be recognized and remembered in time as feudal lords. Indeed, more than dying, we fear being forgotten, and forgetfulness, rather than mortality, is the fatal flaw of mankind. This explains why millions have, with great willingness, rendered themselves the corpses of history through acts of war before living a long life of obscurity. Like soldiers discarding limbs on the battlefield, we cast pieces of ourselves to a sea of faces, so frequently and liberally that upon death, little of our lives will belong strictly to ourselves. Upon dying, life will already unknowingly have been left behind for the world to recover. In effect, we have cheated death. This is never more evident to me than when visiting the Facebook profile of a friend already gone, and nearly everyday, I see people’s kind words written on his wall. Do these people sincerely believe Facebook is an effective means of communicating with the dead? It certainly seems like it, and at times, this conviction is not even one of religion. Social networks have allowed us to communicate with the abstractions of living people, and since these connections have never been direct, it’s logical to believe such communication can, in a legitimate way, exists between living and nonliving people. Human beings are morbid creatures— we begin mourning long before death, despairing at each fleeting moment of worth. If nothing else, Facebook is a magnificent coping device for this grieving process. It allows us to attach images and thoughts to particular moments in time, and in a way, materialize our memories, so that our lives are never lost. There’s been a peculiar development in the way Facebook displays our older posts, namely that it doesn’t—not all of them at least. The website has begun quantifying the importance of the happenings in our lives, likely through some algorithm involving the number of “likes” and comments, as well as the relevance each event played in the events to follow. For example, Facebook won’t display the beginning of most friendships, but it will display the beginning of a friendship of two people who went on to date. Just as historians evaluate the gravity of events, discarding or embracing them accordingly, Facebook is making some rather sweeping judgments on our lives. At first, this struck me as disturbing, a clear violation of my belongings. But in time, I came to appreciate that these moments no longer belong to me. They belong to forever, in the way forever views them proper. The gut reaction to social network phenomena often is an unfortunate one. People are commonly driven either to put an overabundance of themselves on the Internet—including some aspects of life unbecoming to employers—or share very little of themselves, sticking to scant details only vaguely related to their lives. Still others stick to fabrication, leading lives only in pixelated artifices. But if we only were to recognize our place in forever, we’d understand social networking isn’t a call to deception, isolation, fearfulness, or heavyhanded displays. It’s a call to a genuine self, to live in magnificent thoughts, and leak them into the stream of forever. It’s an opportunity to be immortalized, but what is more, it’s the challenge to live a life worth remembering.
John Wiley is the Asst. Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
2. FITZGERALD IN FRANCE
1.. WHAT MAKES THEM BEAUTIFUL
In true Fitzgerald style, Director Baz Lurman’s flashy and opulent adaption of The Great Gatsby is set to open this summer’s iconically glamorous Cannes Film Festival. Just days after its release on May 10 in the U.S., the highly anticipated movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Carey Mulligan, will be screened in France—not far, actually, from where the American author wrote much of the beloved novel.
Madame Tussauds’s recent announcement revealed that the British boy band One Direction will be melting more than just teenage, fan-girl hearts this summer—they’ll be melting wax. The famed museum will be sculpting life size statues of the quintet set to premier in London on April 18 before they hit the U.S. on July 19. Until Oct. 11, American fans will have the opportunity to pose and take pictures with the boys in Times Square.
4. AN UNBELIEBABLE WEEK
Justin Bieber had a rough week—really. He kicked things off with a tweet complaining that he had had “the worst birthday,” and on Monday, he arrived to his own concert in London two hours late. By mid-week, the pop star had a mass of rumors concerning his tardiness to deal with, and by Thursday, he collapsed on stage, midshow, recuperating in the hospital—shirtless. Bieber closed out the week with a bang, getting into an intense verbal fight with the paparazzi on Friday.
3. ‘I ABSOLUTELY LOVE KANYE’
5. ‘HARLEM’ SHAKEDOWN
Justin Timberlake made his official induction as a Saturday Night Live Five-Timer a memorable one with a less than subtle jab at Kayne West during his performance of “Suit and Tie.” He changed the lyrics to “My hits so sick / Got rappers acting dramatic,” apparently in response to a line West rapped about Timberlake last month. Timberlake suavely smoothed things over on Monday, though, when he claimed, on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, “I absolutely love Kanye … So there’s that.”
The biggest viral sensation since “Gangnam Style,” Baauer’s “Harlem Shake” is currently facing copyright claims. Hector Delgado, a reggae artist turned preacher, and Jayson Musson, a Philadelphian rapper, both assert that the song features samples of their own vocals without their permission. Though the two artists intend to be friendly and diplomatic throughout the legal negotiations, they are seeking compensation from Baauer’s record company, Mad Decent.
SHIPPING UP TO BOSTON
@PONTIFEX (OFFICIAL POPE ACCOUNT)
“HABEMUS PAPAM FRANCISCUM.”
@OLIVIAWILDE (OLIVIA WILDE, ACTRESS)
PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE
Boston’s own, the Dropkick Murphys, talk about their Irish heritage, their upcoming album release, and their future as a band.
Dropkick Murphys exclusive interview CONNOR FARLEY A conglomeration of Irish-themed revelry and historical appreciation of a country renowned for its charm and national pride, St. Patrick’s Day weekend in Boston affords its participants the chance to commemorate the holiday with a group no other city can claim: the Dropkick Murphys. Perhaps Boston’s purest and most vivacious personification of the city’s roots and cultural identity, the Dropkick Murphys will celebrate this weekend with a three-night run throughout Beantown. The Celtic punk-rock band’s “St. Patrick’s Day Tour” not only indulges in head-banging fun (and the inevitable debauchery one might expect at an Irish rock-band’s show on its most sacred of all days), but will also showcase songs from its newly launched album Signed and Sealed in Blood. In an exclusive interview with The Heights, Dropkick Murphys drummer Matt Kelly sat down to discuss the dynamic of the band, its perspective on the heritage St. Patrick’s Day venerates, and the release of its eighth studio album. “We’re proud of where we’re from, who we are, and where we’ve come from,” Kelly said on why the band’s growing fan base identifies so heavily with its music, “and that can be a universal sort of theme. People identify with the fact that we’re [members of the band] certainly of Irish and American descent, but also that it’s okay to be proud of where you’re from—who you are.” Kelly also spoke to the band’s sense of pride in its development and the themes it has cultivated among its fans over time. “We started off small … but then the hundreds grew to thousands and we’re grateful
that the feedback and enthusiasm has been so great … I think people just enjoy the revelry of it—it’s just a good time.” Often described as a blend between The Clash and The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys formed in 1996 in Quincy, MA. Since their foundational days as a predominantly underground, small-gig band, Dropkick’s repertoire has grown to feature a number of big-name artists, including Bruce Springsteen on their 2011 concept album Going Out In Style, and has been integrated into a slew of award-winning films—most notably The Departed, The Fighter, and the Academy Award nominated documentary Restrepo. Kelly said the band’s success was merely a byproduct of its consistency—Dropkick Murphys never unwillingly altered its musical direction for the sake of success, but instead stayed true to its sound and stuck to what they knew: working-class pride, politics, and Irish-American culture. “In terms of our new album, you’re still going to know it’s the Dropkick Murphys— you’ll know we’re not dubstep or anything like that … we stick to our sound, but it’s fresh and distinctive in its own way.” The band’s recent surge in production—having released two albums between 2011 and 2013— and relentless touring schedule (“We’ve only had nine days off since December…”) reflects its fruitful dedication, but the band is also looking forward to some much-needed down time following their 22 remaining tour dates, which includes a week in Australia and ends on June 30. Kelly also anticipates that there probably won’t be another album released as sequentially as the last two, but acknowledges there is still a certain spontaneity to the song-writing process. “Like I said, we’ve been touring with
only nine days off since December and only another nine until the end of the tour. A lot of us are fathers now—kids, families, you know? And that can kind of take its toll, so I think we’re at the point where we’re not necessarily going to make a concerted effort to sit down and come up with new material, but if, during practice, someone starts developing something, you never know.” During their off time, the band has also established their own charity called the Claddagh Fund. A registered 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the Dropkick Murphys, the Claddagh Fund strives to fulfill the three attributes of the Claddagh Ring—a traditional Irish ring that originated in the fishing village of Galway—friendship, love, and loyalty. Its mission: “to raise money for the most underfunded non-profit organizations that support vulnerable populations in our communities,” the charity’s website read. “It’d be great if everyone could check out our charity and what it’s all about … [The Claddagh Fund] means a lot to me and a lot to the band, but also supports some pretty incredible initiatives.” Be it their charitable endeavors or inventive take on a hybrid of musical genres, the Dropkick Murphys deliver with flair and authenticity. The Boston leg of their St. Paddy’s Day conquest begins this Friday at the TD Garden, continues Saturday night at Brighton Music Hall, and ends at the House of Blues on Sunday—tickets for all events are on sale now. For more information on The Claddagh Fund, visit http://www.claddaghfund.org/cf/.
Connor Farley is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@ bcheights.com.
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Thursday, March 14, 2013
THE HEIGHTS
B3
THE LUCK OF THE IRISH
With St. Patrick’s Day arriving on Sunday and the Dropkick Murphys shipping up to Boston for three shows this weekend, it’s a good time to be Irish. This week, The Scene looks at Ireland’s best contributions to pop culture and the arts. It’s hard to go wrong this weekend with these artistic pots of gold.
VAN MORRISON
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS
U2
THE QUIET MAN
THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY
JAMES JOYCE
A songwriter out of Northern Ireland, Van Morrison has established a colorful legacy. “Brown Eyed Girl,” today a staple of summertime barbecues and such gatherings, first set Morrison’s career in motion in 1967. The release of Astral Weeks and Moondance followed the great commercial success of Morrison’s first single, and established him as an Irish rock icon, characterized by his musicianship and raspy vocals, often transcending the limitations of established musical theory—essentially, Morrison doesn’t care much about staying on pitch. His work is often compared to the songwriting efforts of Bob Dylan. The body of Morrison’s work is extensive, with 34 albums attesting to the depth of his artistry. Also much like Dylan, Morrison often proves unwieldy in his live performances. Morrison’s contributions represent the beginnings of an important vane of Irish rock music, through which we have seen the emergence of such acts as U2. - J.W.
“There’s a quality of wildness that exists in Ireland that coincides with utter solitude,” remarks Daniel Day-Lewis of Ireland, which is not the place of his upbringing, but rather his country of choice. He assumed Irish citizenship in 1993, after spending most of his life a perceived outsider in England, being of half-Irish and half-Jewish descent. Day-Lewis had visited the west of Ireland since he was a child. “My sense of Ireland’s importance has never diminished,” reckons Day-Lewis. “Everything here seemed exotic to us. Just the sound of the west of Ireland in a person’s voice can affect me deeply.” Day-Lewis’ portrayal in the film My Left Foot of Irishman Christy Brown, a sufferer of cerebral palsy controlling only his left foot, won him the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1990. He also starred in In the Name of the Father, as Gerry Conlon, a man falsely accused of having a hand in the Provisional Irish Republican Army’s (IRA) bombings. Most recently, Day-Lewis again won the Best Actor award for his role as the beloved American president in Lincoln, demonstrating the transnational scope of his career. - J.W.
Initially taking root in Dublin in 1976, U2 now stands as the bestselling Irish act of all time. Comprised of Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr., U2 began mainly as an upshot of punk music, but in time, has furthered its work to include far more eclectic influences, ranging from traditional Irish folk music to commercial pop. The Joshua Tree thrusted the band into the international arena, with singles including “With or Without You” and “Where the Streets Have No Name.” Achtung Baby and All That You Can’t Leave Behind are among U2’s successful albums following in the tradition of The Joshua Tree. Lead singer Bono has gone on to become a leading figure in altruism, co-founding DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), EDUN, Product Red, and the One Campaign. In U2’s long career together, they certainly have found a lot of what they were looking for. - J.W.
Few films are suffused with as much patriotic spirit and exquisite sense of location as The Quiet Man, director John Ford’s 1952 ode to his native Ireland. The film stars John Wayne as an Irish boxer living in Pittsburgh who returns to his homeland to win back the family farm and woo a local red-haired beauty (Maureen O’Hara). The movie’s rich Technicolor vistas of the Irish countryside and its affectionate portrait of Irish village life have an almost fantastical quality: this is a vision of Ireland as it exists in dreams. The movie’s town of Innisfree is home to kindly village priests, beautiful lasses, and drunken revelers, but they all form a wholesome and unified community. Ford and Wayne are best known for their classic Westerns, like Stagecoach and The Searchers, but The Quiet Man is just one hint of their greater range. Comic, romantic, and visually ravishing, The Quiet Man is a true Irish classic, exemplifying the country’s dreamlike beauty. – S.K.
Ken Loach, an English director well-known in the UK for his unique brand of gritty, socially conscious cinema, earned his greatest success with The Wind That Shakes The Barley, a fictionalized account of the Irish War of Independence and Irish Civil War as seen through the eyes of two brothers. With its stripped-down and unromanticized aesthetic, the film takes an unflinching look at the wars, showing how they divided the country, radicalized the participants, and violently turned brother against brother. The movie takes an evenhanded stance toward the uncomfortable moral and political dilemmas it depicts, refusing to pass judgment. The Wind That Shakes The Barley earned Loach the greatest accolades of his career, and it took home the top prize at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. The movie also became the highest-grossing Irish independent film ever, and helped launch the career of star Cillian Murphy, best known for portraying the Scarecrow in Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies. – S.K.
There is no greater Irish literary figure than James Joyce, the influential modernist who pioneered the stream of consciousness style in his mammoth Ulysses (1922). That landmark novel, which recast The Odyssey as a daylong journey through Dublin by Joyce’s protagonist Leopold Bloom, is widely acknowledged as his masterpiece. Yet there is also its precursor A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916), in which Joyce’s alter ego, Stephen Daedalus, navigates his journey through adolescence. Rife with themes of Catholic guilt, and including a famous sermon on hell that still has the power to terrify, Portrait is a strongly autobiographical work reflecting Joyce’s upbringing and intellectual development. Joyce’s most accessible major work is surely his short story collection Dubliners (1914), which feature stories of the middleclass inhabitants of the city Joyce loved so well. Joyce said that he always wrote about Dublin because “if I can get to the heart of Dublin I can get to the heart of all the cities of the world. In the particular is contained the universal.” – S.K.
THE LUCK OF THE IRISH
FATHER TED
THE SCRIPT
Aired only when St. Patrick’s Day rolls around, the 2001 Disney Channel Original Movie The Luck of the Irish is a fun film about a junior high school boy, Kyle Johnson (Ryan Merriman), who suddenly discovers the history of his family’s heritage. Incredibly lucky, Kyle always finds money on the street, makes impressive shots when he plays basketball, and aces tests that he doesn’t even study for. When his golden coin suddenly disappears, however, Kyle finds himself, quite literally, down on his luck—his hair turns red, his ears become pointed, and he simply can’t stop dancing the Irish jig. His mother explains everything to him: he learns that the mystery of his past and the answer to his future rests in the magic of his lost golden coin, which, in fact, had enabled his leprechaun family to live essentially normal—and lucky—human lives. In a rather amusing adventure to retrieve his family’s stolen, valued heirloom, Kyle realizes that life is about more than just luck—it’s about embracing who you are, even in the face of adversity. – A.I.
With three seasons, consisting of a total of 25 episodes, Father Ted is an Irish sitcom that was produced by Hat Trick Productions and was aired by Channel 4 from 1995 to 1998 in the UK. The short, comical episodes are set on the fictional Craggy Island of Ireland, and they follow the humorous misadventures of three exaggerated and caricatured Roman Catholic priests: Father Ted Crilly (Dermot Morgan), Father Dougal McGuire (Ardal O’Hanlon), and Father Jack Hackett (Frank Kelly). Banished to the island for various reasons—like financial scandal, alcoholism, and womanizing—among other things, the three priests are nothing short of hilarious, as they comically deal with and resolve the different issues of their parish. Though the series is set within the context of Catholicism, the episodes cleverly approach the religious content, in a way that is not only objective, but also genuinely entertaining. The show, with its well-written and funny script and acclaimed Irish cast, was, in fact, well received in the UK—it even won a BAFTA award for Best Comedy. – A.I.
They were formed in early 2002, but the Dublin-based alternative rock band, The Script, didn’t gain mainstream recognition until 2008 with the release of their widely popular hit single, “Breakeven.” Since then, the group—consisting of Irish natives Danny O’Donoghue, Mark Sheehan, and Glen Power—has released a total of three albums, including their self-titled debut, Science & Faith, and last year’s #3. Their music takes on a variety of thematic subjects, like love and heartbreak, but it often centers on topics that pay tribute to the band’s Irish roots as well. Their sophomore album, for example, was largely inspired by the economic crisis that plagued Ireland around the time of the record’s release. Centering on the stark reality of the country’s recession, their single, “For the First Time,” seems bleak, but like the rest of their music, it is actually about optimism and hope. With their sincere lyrics and appealing soft rock sound, The Script has been successful in topping the charts not only in Ireland and throughout the UK, but in the U.S. too. – A.I.
THE HEIGHTS
B4
Thursday, March 14, 2013
KEELEY’S CORNER
NETFLIX NEXUS BY CAROLINA DEL BUSTO
1999’s ‘Roswell’ is an out-of-this-world teen drama TITLE: Roswell YEARS: 1999-2002 CREATED BY: Jason Katims STARRING: Shiri Appleby WHY: With aliens and teenage drama, Roswell is an adicting guilty pleasure from the ’90s.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
Although the selection on Netflix instant streaming is oftentimes disappointing, it does contain those rare morsels of delightful finds. Take for instance a television series that by current standards is considered “old,” but for any nostalgic youth, the late 1990s/early 2000s was more than just a time of whitewashed jeans—it was a time where shows like Roswell reigned. Yes, Roswell: the show that gave Katherine Heigl her stardom, took place in Roswell, NM, and was about aliens. At roughly 44 minutes each episode, and only 61 episodes spread out among three seasons from 1999 to 2002, Roswell will take you back to a much simpler time—before Facebook and Twitter and all the distractions from today that get in the way of a good, solid storyline and show. The basic synopsis is that Liz Parker, her best friend Maria, Max and his sister Isabel Evans, and their childhood friend, Michael, appear to be your “ordinary” high school teens. But there’s nothing ordinary about Roswell, NM. Max, Isabel, and Michael are aliens—who never felt like an alien in high school?—but I’m talking about your outer-space, not-fromthis-planet type aliens. It’s hard enough being in a relationship in high school without having to worry about hiding from the government. There’s love, heartbreak, some more love, conspiracy, cover-ups, alien stuff, more alien stuff, and more love—your basic teen drama with a supernatural twist.
FASHION FORWARD
Wisely investing in your wardrobe Consider craftmanship, fabric, and brand when shopping
ELIAS RODRIGUEZ Someone once said—or tweeted, anyway— that one’s closet is like a portfolio, and one should invest wisely. So true. Clothes come in all shapes, colors, sizes, and prices, from $20 tees to $4,000 suits. The key is knowing when to save and when to splurge. What makes some clothes more expensive than others is usually one of three things (if not all three): craftsmanship, material, and the proverbial designer label. Only the first two will determine whether something will last you a lifetime or literally come apart at the seams after a couple of uses. The label can be insurance, given that renowned designers usually create pieces of superior quality. If you treat them with the necessary care, clothes will last you forever, and you’ll find that, even though you might have paid a lot at first, the clothes end up paying for themselves, as you won’t have to be constantly repurchasing something of bad quality over and over again every time it’s ruined. One way of making sure that you’re taking the proper care of your clothes is to check the laundry guide (that label on the inside written in some sort of alien alphabet). If something is dry-clean only and you thoughtlessly throw it in the washer, you can bid it adieu. Also check what it’s made of, as some fabrics and materials require special attention. Back to investing. When in need to spend good money on clothes look for three things: classic design, neutral colors, and good quality. This will ensure that your pieces survive the seasons—both fashion and time wise. By classic design I mean traditional—don’t go spending thousands of dollars on something like, I don’t know, Kanye West’s Givenchy leather kilt? Where would you even wear that? If you’re going to spend money, do it on something that you’ll get much use out of. For example, if you live in a place like London, splurge on a classic Burberry trench coat in beige (not those new
aluminum foil-looking ones they have now—I thought Burberry couldn’t make mistakes and I was wrong). Beige is one of the neutral colors I’m talking about, and so are navy, gray, and black. They go with everything and more often than not are in season, especially autumn/ winter. By quality I mean craftsmanship and material. A shoe that’s handmade in leather will be of better quality than, well, a shoe that’s machine-made in fake leather, therefore lasting you longer. Now that spring is—almost—here and with it events like weddings and graduations, I’ve picked five articles of clothing on which it is ok to splurge because of their versatility and timelessness. First there’s the navy blazer. It could come with gold buttons, or it could not (I personally prefer the former). In any case, you can wear it pretty much anywhere and it never goes out of style. You can pair it with pants and a tie and wear them to the office. Swap the tie for a pocket square and you can wear them to Sunday brunch. Next is the white oxford shirt. Pair it with the aforementioned blazer to add a little formality or roll up the sleeves and wear it on its own for a more casual look. I own one myself and I think it’s the best money I’ve ever spent on a piece of clothing. A pair of pants is also good to have in one’s closet. Not jeans. Not khakis. Pants. You can wear them with a shirt and a sweater to dinner, or roll up the hem a bit and pair them with a polo shirt to go to class. If you get them in colors like navy and gray they’ll match pretty much everything. When it comes to accessories a black belt is a must have—no, not a karate one. A leather one with a classic buckle will go with anything, from a suit to jeans, and if properly cared for will last forever. Last but not least, a pair of loafers is another great investment to make apparel wise. Like the aforementioned belt, if they’re made with leather they will last a long time. You can get them in many colors, but given that proper menswear guidelines say that after 6 p.m. it is strictly black shoes, it might be a good idea to get them in this color. That way they can carry you from a day at your internship to a night out at a nice restaurant.
Elias Rodriguez is a columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
When buying new pieces this spring season, remember the importance of quality over quanitity, purchasing a few wellmade, classic, and versatile items that will most definitely stand the test of time.
THIS WEEKEND in arts
BY: ARIANA IGNERI | ASSOCIATE ARTS & REVIEW EDITOR
Friday
Saturday
1. BEATS AND DYNAMICS ANNUAL SPRING SHOW (FRIDAY, 3/15, 7 P.M.)
3. VSA’S 5TH ANNUAL CULTURE SHOW: A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME (SATURDAY, 3/16, 7 P.M.)
Performing songs from their own individual repertoires, the BEATS and the Dynamics will be joining together this Friday for an evening of a cappella in Devlin 008. The event is free.
The Vietnamese Students Association is presenting its largest event of the year this weekend in the Heights room. Thematically depicting Vietnam’s cultural history as a journey through time, the show will feature student performances of song, dance, and skit.
2. A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE MIND OF CHARLES SWAN III (STARTS FRIDAY, 3/15) A comedy about love, friendship, and revenge, A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III stars Charlie Sheen, who plays a charming, wealthy character whose apparently flawless life is destroyed when his girlfriend breaks up with him. The film opens this weekend and is being screened at the Coolidge Corner Theatre.
Sunday
5. BOSTON BALLET: ALL KYLIAN (SUNDAY, 3/17, 1 P.M.) Closing this weekend, All Kylian is an avante garde ballet choreographed by Jiri Kylian. Composed of three acts—“Wings of Wax,” “Tar and Feathers,” and “Symphony of Psalms”—the allegorical and spiritual performance even features a live pianist to accompany the dancers. Advanced Student Rush tickets can be obtained for $30 at the Boston Opera House.
4. DROPKICK MURPHYS (FRIDAY-SUNDAY, 3/15-3/17, 7 P.M.) Known for their single, “I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” the ’90s Quincy-based punk band, Dropkick Murphys, is playing three shows at the TD Garden, Brighton Music Hall, and House of Blues this St. Patrick’s Day weekend. General Admission tickets are $32.50 online or at the box office.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
An artistic and philosophical conundrum
SEAN KEELEY A few months ago, during Christmas break, I was forced to confront a reality that is rather disconcerting for someone who spends significant amounts of time experiencing, thinking, and writing about the arts: when it comes down to it, I don’t really know what art is. I came to this realization thanks to my older brother, who was prodding me for my definition of art. (These kinds of conversations are actually not uncommon in the Keeley household—the product of being raised by two parents with philosophy degrees, no doubt.) I admitted that I couldn’t provide one. My brother saw this as a sign of weakness, while I saw it as an acknowledgement that art is bigger than any box we attempt to put around it. Still, perhaps he had a point. If I cannot define, in some way, what art is, how do I evaluate it? March is a fitting time to reflect on such abstract questions, I think, because in many ways it’s a seasonal dead zone. When I write these columns, I try to address topics of contemporary significance, but March provides few such opportunities. It’s an intermediary stretch, stuck between winter and spring, between an awards season that celebrates the year’s past achievements and the anticipated proliferation of high-profile music and movie releases to come in spring and summer. And so, with not a whole lot to talk about specifically, there remains everything to talk about—because true art is not seasonally defined but eternal. Much of what passes for popular art seeks to tap into the contemporary zeitgeist, to bottle a moment in time and earn the designation of being “relevant.” Indeed, relevance is a common buzzword, and a standard valued by most arts critics, columnists, and awards shows. Yet to me, great art isn’t merely a fleeting impression of a time. It transcends its specific historical origins. It is relevant forever, not just in the moment. It endures. Too often, art that prides itself on modern relevance turns dated all too quickly. When it comes to this matter, I can’t help but think of Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut, the two great directors who spearheaded the French New Wave film movement beginning in the late ’50s. Once the greatest of friends, Godard and Truffaut fell out by the early ’70s largely because of artistic differences. As France was transformed by the political movements of the ’60s, Godard embraced radical political ideas, and his filmmaking reflected it. Truffaut, on the other hand, retreated into more conventional, commercial films that stayed away from politics. Godard couldn’t forgive him for this. Looking at things objectively, Godard’s films were more relevant, in the narrow sense of the word. They’re socially incisive films that reflect the underlying political and intellectual movements rippling through France. They are also radically experimental—to watch a Godard film like Masculin Feminin or La Chinoise today is still a jolting experience, one that unsettles viewers’ existing understandings of how films should be made. Godard is a modernist through and through, and he’s always been on the cutting edge of cinema, even today. (Now 82 years old, Godard recently wrapped production on his first movie in 3D.) For all this, though, Godard’s movies have almost never moved me like Truffaut’s. Truffaut deals in universal themes of love and obsession, unburdened by the contextual political baggage that often weigh down Godard’s films. Truffaut’s first film, The 400 Blows, the story of a young and misunderstood adolescent, may not be politically relevant like Godard’s films—but in its humanism, in its understanding of fundamental truths, it is always relevant. It conveys more genuine universal feeling than Godard’s intellectually focused works, which are so often tied to a specific political context that they prevent emotional engagement. And ultimately, for me, that is a fault, because emotion is more important to art than social relevance. Emily Dickinson once famously said, “If I can read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that it is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that it is poetry.” Her remarks cut to the core of how the greatest art can powerfully provoke a primal emotional reaction, and how it transcends our ability to understand it. Maybe that’s a cop-out, a convenient way to avoid explaining what art truly is. Yet as simple as that may be, that’s what I think it is all about. You can analyze, dissect, and theorize about art all you want, but if it does not make you feel something, then it has failed in its most fundamental objective.
Sean Keeley is the Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
THE HEIGHTS
Thursday, March 14, 2013
B5
Clapton’s ‘Old Sock’ is a modestly successful effort
CHART TOPPERS TOP SINGLES
BY RYAN SCHMITZ For The Heights It is pretty safe to say that if you are a rock legend with a name that used to be scribed on subway walls of London comparing you to God, you have the right to make any kind of music you want whenever you want to. With Eric Clapton’s new album Old Sock this unwritten rule becomes abundantly clear. If Clapton was trying to impress anyone or gain a new fan base then this would not be the album he created. No, Old Sock really just sounds like an aging rocker who has been on vacation in the Caribbean for a while and figured, why not make some music? Anyone buying this album for some heavy blues will be sorely disappointed, but that is not to say that some great little tracks cannot be found. In true neo-Clapton fashion there are cool covers and cameos all over the place—all one needs to do is sit back and listen for them. The album kicks off with a reggae track. Although this is not Clapton’s first attempt at the genre (the song “I Shot the Sheriff ” comes to mind) it is definitely an eyebrow raiser when the smooth island beat comes in rather than a harsh blues guitar wail. Clapton may not be Bob Marley but his older steely voice is surprisingly well
suited for the laid back vibe that the music produces. The next song is representative of the album—not so much musically, but in the way it comes off. Track two is a quiet tune with nearly whispered vocals complimented by the powerful guitar licks expected from the great “Slow Hand” himself. The reason it is a good representation of the album is because, like Old Sock, it is not flashy, or particularly exciting. It is however, a pleasantly enjoyable listen that can bring a smile to any fan’s face. Though the sound of this album is undoubtedly different than the classics that the fan base knows and loves, Clapton does throw everyone the occasional bluesy bone. “Gotta Get Over” is the first sign that the old legend has permanently hung up his hat and retired to the sunny beaches of reggae music. The song kicks off with a great heavy beat and angelic southern choir that is reminiscent of the glory days of Derek and the Dominoes. It is the old standard that Clapton is used to and it certainly shows with the first real guitar solo of the album, living up to his reputation. This is not the last we see of his old standard genre with songs like “Still Got the Blues” coming up a few tracks later. Like many newer Clapton records this one is mostly covers, and with plenty of different musical styles to go around, he does
1 Harlem Shake Baauer 2 Thrift Shop Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Feat. Wanz 3 When I Was Your Man Bruno Mars 4 I Knew You Were Trouble Taylor Swift 5 Stay Rihanna Feat. Mikky Ekko 6 Started From The Bottom Drake 7 Screan & Shout will.i.am. & Britney Spears
OLD SOCK ERIC CLAPTON PRODUCED BY BUSHBRANCH RELEASED MAR. 12, 2013 OUR RATING B+
PHOTO COURTESY OF BUSHBRANCH
Guitar legend Eric Clapton’s latest release ‘Old Sock’ is a modest but pleasant effort with some genre diversity.
TOP ALBUMS
not type cast himself to just one. Sadly, the inevitable country song does appear. The whole album it felt like something country was coming, and lo and behold “Born to Lose” appears. Any fans of slide guitar will appreciate the beautifully played steel string in the track, but other than that, it is pretty forgettable. The real shining cover of this album comes in the form of
1 Unorthodox Jukebox Bruno 2 Amok Atoms For Peace 3 Babel Mumford & Sons 4 The Heist Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
a reggae version of “Your One and Only Man.” If that name sounds familiar it is probably because Otis Redding performed that song in 1965, and Clapton decided to give it a tropical revival. Any soul fans out there will be sufficiently thrilled when this number appears. Even though this album boasts a number of really strong duets with legends like Paul McCartney, those
tended to be the weaker ones. In fact, McCartney’s appearance on this album is arguably the most forgettable of all. Let’s face it, it is Clapton, but there is nothing jaw-droppingly exciting about it. Really, the whole album sounds like something your parents play on a trip to the Caribbean—it is pleasant but does not really have too much staying power.
Source: Billboard.com
Bowie sonically and thematically adventurous on ‘Next Day’ BY JOHN WILEY Asst. Arts & Review Editor David Bowie truly is an artist belonging to all time, by power of a voice unique to each age. His cryptic political metaphors and songs of mystic love are timeless as the stars,
yet Bowie continually renews them, making them anew with each era. The Next Day marks more than just the return of Ziggy Stardust from a 10-year hiatus—it’s stands as an act of restoration, revitalizing the sense of rugged individuality and unapologetic lyrical prowess Bowie’s music
has long stood for. “The Next Day,” the album’s title track, fashionably begins the work—it’s a twangy musical zinger laced with country flair. The imagery behind “The Next Day” holds itself in a staggering character, as poetic as it is putrid. Bowie speaks of “gorm-
THE NEXT DAY DAVID BOWIE PRODUCED BY COLUMBIA RECORDS RELEASED MAR. 8, 2013 OUR RATING A
PHOTO COURTESY OF COLUMBIA RECORDS
David Bowie’s surprise return to music after a decade, ‘The Next Day’ finds the master still at the top of his powers.
less crowds” whipping a man in the streets, corrupt priests, a man not quite dying in a tree. And as Bowie cuttingly remarks, “They can’t get enough of that doomsday song,” we are reminded that Bowie’s lyrics, although often operating on celestial nuance, are not written in a vacuum. The Next Day is Bowie’s portrait of the now, speaking to the great paradox of our day—this phenomenon of human beings, seemingly highminded and spiritually connected creatures, continually seeking out ways to oppress each other and themselves. “Dirty Boys” runs its roots deep into a pool of some of Bowie’s earliest rock influences. It works through a sinister tonality, coyly pairing the bellow of horns with whopping guitar. The song describes a place something like “Tobacco Road,” a strange land where “the die is cast and you have no choice.” Running around the dirty boys, Bowie reckons, “You’ve got to learn to hold your tongue.” In the modernist poetic tradition of T.S. Eliot, “Dirty Boys” is a portrait of dystopia, namely the United States, in which deep-rooted beliefs ironi-
cally seem to dictate an ad hoc sense of morality. Bowie’s songwriting grandly functions as bridge building of a sort, a humanist effort to more perfectly connect the human being to the universe. Earlier albums, such as Hunky Dory and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, quite overtly addressed issues of aging, mortality, and human sexuality in the context of celestial bodies. “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” is The Next Day’s greatest contribution to this tradition. It’s a tale of two lovers, whose love has the capacity to bridge the gap between the earthly and divine. In this mystical moonage ballad, Bowie describes “We live closer to the earth / Nearer to the heavens / The stars are never far away / Stars are out tonight.” Through a connection with the cosmos, humans can more perfectly relate themselves to the earth—this is the great spiritual prescription of Bowie’s legacy embodied in one song. Never skating far from his foundation in psychedelic and protest music, Bowie presents a modern portrait of youth disillusioned by war in “I’d Rather Be High.” It’s impossible
to understand Bowie’s vision outside of the context of his ever-eminent contemporary, John Lennon. “I’d Rather Be High” reverberates with the crucial social frequencies sounding in Lennon’s The Plastic Ono Band and Imagine (“I’d rather be high / I’d rather be flying / I’d rather be dead / Or out of my head / Than training these guns on those men in the sand.”) Importantly, those “men in the sand” most certainly refers to the people of the Middle East—Bowie explains much of our disgust with government and failed tradition of democratization as a continuation of Vietnamera politics. The album ends with “Heat,” a ghostly piece, ringing with the intonations of gospel music. “My father ran the prison,” Bowie repeats through the song, adding “I can only love you / By hating him more.” To Bowie, the promise of the future is inseparably linked with the rejection of the oppressive forces of the past. Following such thought, the claim of The Next Day is a hopeful one—only recognizing the avarice of the past, we realize the goodness of the future. In this way, all Bowie’s work has been an arrow, pointing to the next day.
Bon Jovi gives themselves a bad name with tired, cliched new album BY SEAN KEELEY Arts & Review Editor Thirty years after their initial formation, Bon Jovi is back with What About Now, the group’s 12th studio album. The New Jersey rockers, headed by Jon Bon Jovi and famous for mid-80s classics like “Living’ On A Prayer” and “You Give Love A Bad Name,” have continued recording steadily since their 1999 reunion—which brought about the hit song “It’s My Life” and temporarily galvanized their career by introducing them to a new generation. Alas, those days of rekindled success seem long gone from Bon Jovi, and What About Now is unlikely to change the situation. A collection of interchangeable and generic rock songs married to vague political and social themes, the album is a mess—sometimes dull, sometimes awful, never making a convincing argument that Bon Jovi is relevant in 2013. The album kicks off with a big stadium rocker, “Because We Can.” It’s actually one of the al-
bum’s better moments—a likable anthem about the perseverance of love that features some decent lines, a nice medley of voices, and a strong hook. Despite its strengths, though, there’s no escaping the feeling that it is a bit too tame, lacking the energetic punch of the group’s classics. The song’s lyrics speak of wanting to stand out from the crowd, opening with the lines “I don’t wanna be another wave in the ocean / I am a rock, not just another grain of sand.” But like so much of What About Now, the song fails to make a lasting impression. The entire album is a compendium of rock-and-roll cliches, relying on familiar sonic structures and tired lyrical metaphors. The title track is one of the worst offenders. The opening line should set off a red flag: “You wanna start a fire / It only takes a spark.” From there, Bon Jovi’s appropriation of Bruce Springsteen tropes only grows more obvious, as the chorus rails off a long list of people that we should stand
up for. The restless! The lonely! The desperate! The hungry! The song strains to show off its political conscience, but it’s little more than a string of wishy-washy sentiments against a generic soft rock background. It’s a subpar imitation of Wrecking Ball, the latest Bruce Springsteen album that addressed America’s economic inequality and political woes with infinitely more imagination and insight. The more Bon Jovi aims for grand statements, the more the album falls flat. “What’s Left of Me” is a terribly treacly and sentimental song about the woes of the modern American worker. “Amen” is a strange beast, a country song overwhelmed by bad religious imagery. “That’s What The Water Made Me” continues this unfortunate striving toward religious significance. Its lyrics contain mentions of water, angels, heaven, and hell, but none of it adds up to much. The album’s high points , such as they are, come from the tracks with more modest
ambitions. “Pictures of You” is a nice little love song that doesn’t try too hard, and soft acoustic closer “The Fighter” is a pleasant conclusion, avoiding the heavyhandedness so prevalent in the rest of the album. The song’s major miscalculation, though, is its several lyrical nods to Simon
& Garfunkel, which have the perverse effect of taking you out of the song and reminding you of much better music. The entire album is like that, really. There’s no new territory explored on What About Now, nothing that hasn’t been done better by other artists or even
by Bon Jovi in their heyday. The whole enterprise can be summed but by the chorus of the album’s worst song: “Does anybody want what’s left of me?” That might as well be Jon Bon Jovi singing about his own music career—but chances are, he wouldn’t like to hear the truthful answer.
WHAT ABOUT NOW BON JOVI PRODUCED BY ISLAND RECORDS RELEASED MAR. 8, 2013 OUR RATING D+
PHOTO COURTESY OF ISLAND RECORDS
Bon Jovi’s ‘Because We Can’ is a subpar effort, defined by tired rock-and-roll cliches and lack of innovation.
SINGLE REVIEWS BY JOHN WILEY Bruno Mars “When I Was Your Man”
Olly Murs “Army Of Two” Olly Murs is quite possibly the biggest name in pop music you haven’t heard yet. His versatile vocal range, capped off with velvety falsetto, renders Murs the British Adam Levine. “Army of Two” captures much of what’s best about Murs’ music—it’s a sturdy pop anthem begging for radio airtime.
Justin Timberlake “Mirrors” It appears Taylor Swift is out of a job. Bruno Mars has proven himself far more capable in the department of breakup than the queen of gloom herself with “When I Was Your Man.” Moreover, people actually empathize with Mars, in contrast with Swift, who they revel in loathing for being unsatisfied with everything.
Timberlake proves his mastery of the pop epic with “Mirrors.” The eight-minute love anthem marks a magnificent musical moment spent at the crossroads of R&B and stadium rock. The resurrection of Timberlake from the musical catacombs is pop music’s greatest chance of salvation from the sinful works of Carly Rae Jepsen and the like.
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THE HEIGHTS
Thursday, March 14, 2013
THE HEIGHTS
Thursday, March 14, 2013
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THIS WEEK IN... BY TRICIA TIEDT | METRO EDITOR
EDUCATION BUSINESS Harvard, Babson, and MIT have made the list of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Business Schools for 2014. Babson, ranked the No. 1 school in entrepreneurship for the 20th year in a row, took their celebration to a new level with a banner unveiling, complete with a video with hundreds of participants and cheering students. Harvard Business School (HBS) is currently tied with Stanford for the top business school in the country, ranking No. 1 in management, No. 3 in nonprofit, No. 3 in entrepreneurship, and No. 5 in marketing. The MIT Sloan School of Management took the fourth spot in overall rankings, with specific accolades in information systems (No. 1), product operations (No. 1), and supply chain/logistics (No. 1).
Fo r m e r M a s s a chusetts Senator Scott Brown announced via Twitter on Monday that he will be joining the law firm Nixon Peabody. While Brown will be collaborating on the firm’s national efforts, they hold 17 offices globally—including one in Boston. According to the Nixon Peabody press release, Brown will “focus his practice on business and governmental affairs as they relate to the financial services industry as well as on commercial real estate matters.” Although Brown turned down the chance to run for the Senate seat suddenly vacated by current Secretary of State John Kerry, he is rumored to be a contender for the 2014 Massachusetts Governor elections. Brown recently took a position as a television correspondent on the conservative political channel Fox News. According to Brown’s Twitter account, he is “Looking forward to working with the firm and its national efforts.”
SXSW South by Southwe st (SXS W ), an annual music, film, and emerging technologies festival held in Austin, TX, featured wristbands by the MIT Media Lab last Saturday. The media lab, which partnered w ith Moz ill a and the Knig ht Foundation, is now under fire for the wristbands’ slogans, which included scandalous sayings such as “That’s a nice dress/ it would look great on my floor” and “Do you wash your clothes with Windex? Because I can see myself in your pants.” MIT has released an apology for the wristbands, claiming they were not aware of the slogans until after the bands had been distributed. In addition to their apology, the MIT Media Lab has offered their support to women of the sciences, denying any claims of sexism in their corporation.
BU men’s hockey coach retires Jack Parker resigns after 40-year-long career with the Boston Terriers BY ANDREW MILLETTE Heights Editor
“For 48 out of the last 49 years I’ve been reporting to duty for BU hockey, and that’s enough,” said Jack Parker, coach of the Boston University men’s hockey team at a press conference on Monday. In a move that had been anticipated by the media, Parker announced that this season, his 40th, would be his final season as a BU hockey coach. Parker has won three national championships with the Terriers and was named the Spencer Penrose Division I Coach of the Year, the highest award a collegiate hockey coach can win, three times. His 894 wins rank third all-time, and his total is the most by any coach at one school. Parker led his team to 24 NCAA tournament appearances and won the coveted Beanpot 21 times. Parker played hockey for the Terriers from 1965 to 1968, and only left the program for a year before he came back as an assistant coach in 1969 and later became the head coach in 1973. Parker explained his decision to announce his retirement at this point in the season, nearing the Hockey East Conference Tournament, as an attempt to avoid season-long attention from fans. “Why now?” he said. “I will tell you that I didn’t want to do it earlier on because I didn’t want to go on a farewell tour of all the other rinks in the league. That’s not me, and I didn’t want that to happen. At the same time, I
didn’t want to wait until the end of the year and have my team find out at the end that that’s the last time I’ll be coaching them.” Parker also explained that he almost did not make it to a 40th season. “I probably would’ve retired last year had we not had a couple of incidents that got all over the front pages and decided that I couldn’t do it then,” he said. Parker was referring to the arrests of two of his players for sexual assault during the 201112 academic year. Though Parker immediately kicked these players off the team, the assault accusations prompted a BU investigation that resulted in Parker’s demotion from his former position as Executive Athletic Director. Despite this recent blemish on Parker’s record, the legendary coach’s colleagues speak extremely highly of him. “He’s done an incredible job at Boston University, and I think they (Boston University) are going to miss him an awful lot starting at the final whistle this year,” said Jerry York, the Boston College hockey coach. York, one of only two collegiate hockey coaches with more wins than Parker, shared a unique competitive relationship with the BU coach. “Jack and I have enjoyed a relationship that has stood the test of time,” York said. “It goes back to our high school days and dates back 50 years. We’ve competed against one another and we’ve coached against one another for a long, long time. There have been so many unbelievable games that have provided countless memories for the both of us. I appreciate his competitive drive and his hockey knowledge.” After a 40-year coaching career full of memories, Parker was able to sum up his experience concisely. “I’ve had a wonderful ride here,” he said. “It’s been a great, great time for me.”
HOUSE AD
BEER SPORTS In honor of Marathon Mond ay, the Samuel Adams Brewing Company will be re-releasing their Boston 26.2 Brew. Although not in collaboration with the Boston Marathon, the brewery, highly popular among Boston residents, is marketing to those partaking in Marathon Monday’s festivities. According to Sam Adams, the beer contains a 4.5 percent alcohol volume, a slightly lower than average percentage, common of the German-style Goose beer. With a “spicy, peppery character” and hints of salt, Sam Adams considers their brew “worth crossing the finish line for.” Fortunately, you don’t have to run 26.2 miles to enjoy it—a full list of bars carrying the 26.2 Brew on Marathon Monday (April 15, 2013) can be found at Boston Innovation.
Last week , the athletic company City Sports announced the opening of multiple new store locations, including one in Chestnut Hill. According to the company’s press release, the store will be a part of the much-anticipated “The Street” shopping complex along Route 9, across from the Chestnut Hill mall. The new store opening, set for Saturday, March 16, is in conjunction with City Sports’ 30 year anniversary. The Grand Opening party will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, with $500 worth of free giveaways and an appearance by Matt Light, former New England Patriot, three time SuperBowl champion, and ESPN correspondent. The first 100 visitors will receive a gift card for new City Sports and Nike merchandise in store.
RESTAURANT REVIEW
De-stress with dessert
PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
BY MAGGIE BURDGE Heights Editor
From the scrawled, “Stressed is desserts spelled backwards…come in & de-stress,” on the chalkboard sign outside, to the immediate waft of chocolate upon entrance, Max Brenner has a commitment to all things cocoa. It is easy to write off a restaurant so committed to dessert, as their more savory components could not hope to stand up. Max Brenner is an exception, however—their dishes coming tantalizingly plated and leaving licked clean. On a weekend night when Boston College students finally have the time to venture into the city, it is easy to hop off the Green Line at the Hynes Convention Center stop and enjoy the beauty that is Newbury Street. With shopping and dinner in one place set off by perfectly-NewEngland brick buildings and trees twinkling with lights, the city staple is a comforting and familiar go-to. Just one stop further, however, Copley has quirkier places to offer the curious eater. Max Brenner is more than just a restaurant. It is a “chocolate culture.” Thanks to a desire for decadence, lessons handed down by a Parisian chef, and the inspiration brought on by fine wine, the global Max Brenner line was born. Dim lighting sets the tone, while a perfectly crafted playlist with songs like “Yesterday” by The Beatles and “Buttercup” by The Temptations fills the room at a volume that stops just before being too loud. A massive sketch of The Bald Man himself, Max Brenner, towers over diners. Sauces and salad dressings come in miniature beakers. Down to the checks, which arrive tucked into nostalgic tin boxes, the restaurant is committed to a trendy experience. The menus are true to this form. With creative twists on expected options, Max Brenner takes culinary risks that definitely pay off. For ooey-gooey mac lovers, sifting through the countless variations at restaurants can be futile, as the hope that comes from any mouth-watering description is rarely met by the actually uninteresting versions. The “Really Cheesy-Really Crunchy Mac & Cheese” at Max Brenner, however, elevates the traditional comfort food.
Served in a personal-sized brassier pan, this dish melds perfectly crunchy breadcrumbs and unbelievably creamy noodles for a dish that brings wandering forks from across the table. For diners who tend to Emilie de Ravin’s view in Remember Me and cannot bear to wait for dessert in case of disaster, the “First Food Then Chocolate” menu offers items that push the boundaries of savory and sweet. A goat cheese and chicken salad atop a savory corn waffle is the star of this menu, plated tableside by removing a silver ring mold to release the tossed greens. Though the entrees do keep up, even the colors of the restaurant mimic the chocolates
LOCATION: 745 BOYLSTON STREET CUISINE: Dessert SIGNATURE DISHES: Chocolate Chunks Pizza ATMOSPHERE: 8/10 AVERAGE DESSERT: $8-12 OVERALL EXPERIENCE: B+ they offer, indicating that dessert is indeed the main feature. The various fondue plates come with a variety of dipping choices, from a newspaper cone—reminiscent of an English fish-and-chips—brimming with tempura-fried bananas to homemade rice crispy bars. Italian White Hot Chocolate comes steaming in tall glasses with whipped cream frothing at the top. Even ignoring the service, which tends to err on the side of abrasive, this restaurant will leave no sweet tooth unsatisfied. A sweets shop is even tucked away in the left hand corner, bringing images of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, another one of Brenner’s inspirations. Although the restaurant is host to perfectly packaged boxes, glass cases full of various printed truffles, and even a candy man handing samples out that one can almost taste the sunshine sprinkled in, no golden ticket is required.
THE HEIGHTS
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BOOKISH BOSTONIAN
On finding good places to write
RYAN TOWEY About halfway through Spring Break, I got the itch—the one that tells me it’s time get the hell out of Jersey. Listen, I love my home state, but one can only take so many trips to the local diner and watch so many middle-aged Italian moms with oversized sunglasses gossip about how skinny Nicky’s daughter got now that she started dating that Antonio from the next town over and that they better call Roseanne about it later. See, that never really happens, but once you start imagining that it does, it’s time for a change of scenery. In other words, once a place starts looking like its stereotype, you need to take a look at something else. In my world, that means finding a decent place to write. And so I decided to jump on an NJ Transit bus to New York City in search of the Hungarian Pastry Shop. While this destination seems initially insignificant, I decided to visit because of author Julie Otsuka’s appearance at Emerson College, where I heard her reference the Hungarian Pastry Shop as the place where she wrote most of her two novels. It is near Columbia University, where Otsuka was a graduate student. It is not overly common for authors to reveal where they write, and so the art of finding a place that works for you is truly an individual one. I figured that if two acclaimed novels had been produced within the pastry shops walls, however, I might enjoy the chance to sit in Otsuka’s seat and write for a little while. Lord knows I tried to figure out the subway to make my way uptown— I really did, but I eventually caved and hailed a cab. New Yorkers, forgive me. By the time I finally made it uptown to the Hungarian Pastry Shop, it seemed that everyone had wanted to see where Julie Otsuka writes her work, because the place was packed. It actually did not occur to me until later that maybe the people were there for the pastries. (Because, you know, that’s not obvious.) After grabbing a cup of coffee and finally squeezing myself down into a table, I realized I had no idea as to why Otsuka would choose this as her place to write. Granted, the lighting from the wall lights was pretty good and there were plenty of people to watch, but it was hot as hell in there. According to Otsuka, however, there are free refills and no distracting WiFi. Perhaps on a cooler, less crowded week day, it would be just right for a writer. But not that day. I got out of there pretty quickly, feeling a little disappointed. (I know, it was shocking to me as well that I had not managed to write the next Great American Novel.) On a visit of mine to Boston’s Brattle Book Shop two weeks ago, I told myself that I often visited Boston so as to become more familiar with it, as I had always been told to write what I know. Perhaps, then, I should not have gone to New York City to write, because I do not know it. I may have been better off sitting in my local Jersey diner to write while observing the familiar gossiping mothers. Julie Otsuka, not surprisingly, may be wiser than I. I like to think that she chooses to write where she does because it is just down the road from her alma mater—it is what she knows. And so I choose now to gain some wisdom from a younger version of myself, a boy in a New Jersey middle school who would write underneath a tree in his backyard, completely unafraid to write near to his roots. As I write this column now on a train, a thousand locations flashing past the window, I am confident that I will have a place to write when I return to Boston, too.
Ryan Towey is the Asst. Metro Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Restaurant Week brings opportunity to try new cuisine Restaurant Week, from B10 es to their menu that they feel costumers would especially enjoy. 4. Check the price. Even though restaurant week offers special deals and offers, some restaurants are sneaky and only provide minimal discounts that truly aren’t worth it. Some places also offer prefixed menus only, that can look as though you’re getting a great deal, but can really add up. For example, while a prefixed menu might include three courses, you might only really want a main course, which by itself would cost much less than the Restaurant Week discount. It’s also important to see if the
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restaurant is only offering discounts for lunch reservations, dinner reservations, or both. You don’t want to accidently make a reservation for dinner when they only offer discounts during lunch! 5.Make a reservation. Virtually all of the participating restaurants require a reservation in advance due to the abnormally high influx of customers. You can do this in many ways, however, I recommend two specific techniques: first, pick up your cell phone and call the restaurant. Speaking to a person is always the best way to ensure you’ve got a spot. Second, use OpenTable. OpenTable is both a website and app that
allows you to find restaurants, make reservations, view menus, and learn a bit more about the restaurant as a whole. Some benefits of using Open Table include the ability to see all available times for reservations with different sized parties, as well as earn points (that turn into money) by booking reservations with their service. Now, in case you are still feeling over-
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OTHER
whelmed by the opportunities Restaurant Week has to offer, I’ve compiled a list of specific hotspots that have received great reviews from both critics and the average Joe. Starred locations are restaurants I’d personally recommend. So instead of taking the BC shuttle to Chipotle this week, convince yourself it is worth venturing out into the city for Restaurant Week. Keep these tools and tips in mind and enjoy some great food. Bon Appetite.
*Toro: Spanish, Lunch and Dinner, No Reservations, South End. *B&G Oysters: Seafood, Lunch and Dinner, Reservation Needed, South End.
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ITALIAN
}
*Scampo: Lunch Only, Reservation Needed, Beacon Hill. Sorellina: Dinner Only, Reservation Needed, Back Bay. *Sportello: “Unofficial Restaurant Week,” Lunch and Dinner, Reservations Needed, Waterfront. No. 9 Park: Dinner Only, Reservation Needed, Beacon Hill.
AMERICAN/ CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN
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*EVOO: Lunch and Dinner, Reservation Needed, Cambridge. *Harvest: Lunch and Dinner, Reservation Needed, Cambridge. Henrietta’s Table: Lunch and Dinner, Reservation Needed, Cambridge. *Sweet Cheeks Q: Dinner Only, No Reservations, Fenway/Kenmore.
{
FRENCH
*The Butcher Shop: Lunch and Dinner, No Reservations, South End. Mistral: Dinner Only, Reservation Needed, Back Bay. *Gaslight: Dinner Only, Reservation Needed, South End.
]
STEAKHOUSE
Abe & Louie’s: Steakhouse, Lunch Only, Reservation Needed, Back Bay. Smith & Wollensky: Steakhouse, Dinner Only, Reservation Needed, Back Bay. *Del Frisco’s: Lunch only, Reservations Needed, Waterfront.
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)
ASIAN FUSION
*Blue Ginger: Lunch and Dinner, Reservation Needed, Greater Boston. *Red Lantern: Dinner Only, Reservation Needed, Back Bay.
JORDAN PENTALERI / HEIGHTS GRAPHIC
MAIG presents specific demands for gun regulation MAIG, from B10 Thirty mayors were featured in the public service announcement, including Mayor Jonathan Mitchell from New Bedford, Mass. Twenty-six Massachusetts mayors are members of the coalition, but the coalition is indeed a national one, including mayors as distant as San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. The Mayors Against Illegal Guns picked up steam after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT, in which six staff members and 20 children were killed by gunman Adam L anz a . The sho oting at Ne w tow n catapulted the issue of gun violence yet again to the national stage, although the effects of this shooting appeared to more deeply affect politics in Washington than past shootings. During his
second inaugural address, President Barack Obama specifically alluded to the Newtown shooting, appearing to many as a promise of more attention to the debate regarding gun control and gun violence. After Newtown, Menino continued to play an integral role in the mayoral coalition, including his hosting of a Massachusetts Delegation of Mayors Against Illegal Guns in late January, where he urged the expansion of the coalition’s reach, according to a press release. “Call your aunt in Florida. Call your college roommate in Texas. Call your old neighbor who moved to Vermont. Tell them we need them to stand with us and demand a plan from their members of Congress,” Menino said before the delegation. Braintree Mayor Joseph C. Sullivan
echoed Menino’s demands for the need of a national movement. “This issue—gun violence—is not an urban problem, a suburban problem, or a rural problem, it is an American problem,” Sullivan said. Congress appeared to be in step with the demands of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns when, on Mar. 7, a Senate Judiciary Committee approved laws that would crack down on gun traffickers and “straw purchasers,” those who buy firearms for those who cannot legally do so. The bill would increase the sentence of a straw purchaser to 15 years, and even to 25 years should the straw purchaser have had knowledge that a firearm may be used for violent crime. Debate of the bill will now continue on the Senate floor. Critics of the bill include Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who, ac-
cording to The Los Angeles Times, said that, given that there are already laws on the books to deter straw purchasers, he has “a hard time explaining to constituents how passing more laws that will go unenforced makes them any safer.” David Chipman, however, a former special agent at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, now works for the Mayors Against Illegal Guns and praised the bill, saying that it would clearly dictate that illegally buying a firearm for another individual is “morally reprehensible.” In his State of the City address in Janu ar y, Menino said, “Mayor Bloomberg and I will keep working with almost 1,000 mayors and over one million Americans. I ask you to stand with us on guns to say enough is enough.”
TEAM TO WATCH By: Danielle Dalton | For The Heights President’s Day. Tax Day. Marathon Monday. Regardless of what you call April 15, not all Boston College students will be cheering on the runners of the 117th Boston Marathon at Heartbreak Hill—some will be the ones running. This year marks the 17th year students will run the Boston Marathon in support of the Campus School. What once started as a small group of students has grown to one of the largest organizations at BC. To date, over 300 runners are registered and the number is expected to increase to 350 to 400 runners in the coming month as the race approaches. Can’t imagine actually running a marathon on Marathon Monday? Campus School Marathon team member Emily Gumbrecht, A&S ’15, counters, “Often people don’t realize how accessible it is to train for an endurance event such as a marathon. You don’t have to be a star athlete—training for the marathon is something everyone can do, regardless of his or her current endurance fitness level. We have a beginner training plan which builds up your base training slowly until you are ready for the marathon.” Training for the Boston Marathon takes both commitment and dedication. The Campus School Marathon team gathers on the weekend for long
runs as a group, building both team rapport and individual endurance. Team member Kevin Berry, A&S ’13, said, “Training in Boston winters can be tough but it will test you each day.” He did highlight, however, a positive side of training, “My favorite
WHO: Boston College Campus School Marathon Team WHAT: Training to run the Boston Marathon, coming up in April, to raise money for special needs children at the Campus School. WHERE: Boston College WHY IT MATTERS: BC students are providing a charitable twist to the athletic culture on campus, following the mantra “Men and Women for Others.“ experience in training for the marathon is being able to run around Boston and getting to see the city. Growing up right outside of Boston, I love being able to run to Fenway, to the State House, or along the Charles.” The Campus School serves students ages 3-21
with multiple disabilities. Located on BC’s campus in Campion Hall, the Campus School has long acted as a place for students to volunteer in a variety of capacities, whether in a classroom or as a runner in the Boston Marathon. The grueling training the Campus School Marathon Team endures provides both personal and community rewards. Gumbrecht said, “It is such an incredible feeling of accomplishment to train for and complete such an event. It’s well worth the dedication it takes to get there.” Berry echoed her sentiment, “I run the marathon because there is no greater feeling than coming up over Heartbreak Hill and seeing BC and all of my friends. Some of the Campus School students watch the race at the main gate so the runners get to see the students during the marathon. The feeling of accomplishment and knowing that we’re helping make a small difference in the lives of the students and their families keeps me coming back each year … That kind of inspiration motivates me to stay dedicated as a runner and a volunteer.” Last year, the Campus School Marathon Team raised awareness and over $60,000 for the Campus School. The team is hoping to surpass that number this year. Those interested in supporting the team’s efforts may do so at http://commerce.cashnet.
THE HEIGHTS
Thursday, March 14, 2013
B9
Annual Beer Overcoming Week continues MIND YO’ BUSINESS
Boston Beer Week, from B10
Romney to take advising role at firm Romney, from B10 and drawing on the strength of the networks to create value in those investments. Solamere is a “fund of funds” that invests in 22 other private equity funds, which is unlike many other private equity funds that specialize in seeking out companies to invest in directly. By making eight co-investments, the firm has given its investors the option of putting additional money into deals arranged by other firms. Similar to many other private funds, Solamere does not publicly disclose its portfolio. After raising its debut fund in 2010, Solamere has collected more than $240 million in commitments. By Dec. 2011, the fund has invested approximately $100 million, according to the firm’s registered investment adviser filing. The email obtained by The Globe notes that the firm will begin accepting new investment commitments sometime during the first half of 2013, and made mention of a Solamere Investor Conference that will be held in June, which will “provide an update on the current investments and review upcoming opportunities.” Just after losing the 2012 presidential election, Mitt Romney established office space at Solamere’s Newbury Street location in Boston, but had forgone official involvement in business
matters in order to use the office to handle his personal affairs. At the time, advisers said that he had no plans to work at the firm. In the aftermath of the loss, Romney had retreated from the public view by spending time with his family in seclusion at his Southern California home, though he did rejoin the board of directors at Marriott International, based in Bethesda, MD. In December, Romney had served on the board two times previously, once from 1993 to 2002, when he left to run for governor of Massachusetts, then again in 2009 following his unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign and before launching his second campaign for president. More recently, the former presidential candidate has been taking on more of a public profile. Romney will deliver his first public speech since losing the presidential election next week in Washington before a large gathering of conservatives at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Mar. 15. Solamere Capital itself speculates that Romney working in his new high-level position could be advantageous to the venture capital firm, writing in the email to its investors, “We believe that Governor Romney’s experience and insight in private investing will enhance Solamere’s distinctiveness in this regard, and will be a large benefit to you, our investors.”
started last Friday with a kickoff party at the Publick House in Brookline. There were several social gatherings over the weekend, such as the Massachusetts Brewer’s Guild Takeover in Plymouth and the “We Like it in the Can” Beer Festival at the Kukowski Tavern. There were also a variety of tastings at different breweries and bars. A highlight of the weekend was the kick off of the Boston Brew Tour’s Pub Crawl. The weeklong pub-crawl combines a tour of Boston with visits to breweries and drinks along the way. Boston Beer Week culminates on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, with many of the most noteworthy events to finish off an exciting week. On Saturday, there are many tastings and social gatherings downtown. Asgard Irish Pub, The Tap, The Urban Grape, and the Dockside Restaurant are just a few of the many places hosting Beer Week festivities. Boston Beer Week is a not-for-profit campaign and free service founded four years ago. It is hosted by Beer Advocate, a global network powered by an independent community of beer enthusiasts and industry professionals who are dedicated to supporting and promoting beer. Beer Advocate is based in Boston and was founded by brothers Jason and Todd Alstrom in 1996. Operating from their website, beeradvocate.com, they seek to “wake the masses to better beer options, give beer consumers a voice, rally to support the beer industry and put the respect back into beer.” The Alstrom brothers also publish a monthly beer magazine and organize many beer events throughout the year. Commenting on Boston Beer Week, Jason Alstrom said, “It is simply about bringing awareness to the industry and the beer culture we have in the area by supporting local and other ‘craft’ brewers from other parts of the country. It is about Boston and what beer it has to offer.” Some Boston residents believe that the plethora of options and events dilutes the Boston beer culture. Jason believes the contrary, “that the quality of beer will have to elevate as more and more competition is seen.” The Alstrom brothers are an example of the thriving bar culture in Boston. This culture is recognized and appreciated by many. Many people, residents, and visitors alike, will be tasting beers that they’ve never tried before as well as returning to their old favorites this week. “I’ve walked past popular bars with lines and covers and spent the last two St. Patrick’s Days in offbeat Southie Irish bars within walking distance of my house,” said Boston.com writer Gary Dzen, “I’ve returned to these places with friends on a quiet weeknight. There is genuine, neighborhood bar culture in Boston that should not be dismissed.” The extensiveness and richness of Boston Beer Week ensures that there is something for everyone.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BOSTON BEER WEEK ORGANIZATION
Boston Beer Week continues through this Saint Patrick’s Day.
THE ISSUE:
Earlier this semester, a cheating scandal arose at Harvard. Over 100 students were accused of cheating by collaborating with students on their final take home exam. Over half of those accused were forced to withdraw from the university. This week, it was released that the Harvard administration hacked into faculty email in order to find who leaked the original information about the scandal to the press. Was this a violation of privacy?
Investigation was justified Unjust invasion of privacy JULIE ORENSTEIN The cheating scandal that rocked Harvard University last year, involving the investigation of over 100 students for dishonestly collaborating on a take-home test, has reemerged with a new element: violation of privacy. Administrators searched email accounts belonging to 16 resident deans, who advise students as well as teach some classes, searching for a leak that released an internal memo containing advice for students who were being investigated. The story of the leak broke in The Boston Globe and The Harvard Crimson following the document’s release. The decision to search the email accounts was part of a true effort to root out the source of the leak, which publicized confidential documents containing student information. Although it was later discovered that the dean responsible for the released email erred inadvertently and did not mean to breach confidentiality, the administration had a legitimate concern for protecting sensitive information. “While the specific document made public may be deemed by some as not particularly consequential, the disclosure of the document and nearly word-for-word disclosure of a confidential board conversation led to concerns that other information—especially student information we have a duty to protect as private—was at risk,” wrote deans Michael Smith and Evelyn Hammonds in a statement from the university.
The main defense for the Harvard administration’s actions is that the search was only of administrative email accounts, not personal accounts (Harvard deans have both). Despite contracts that might dictate or limit employee-employer privileges with regard to technology, anyone in a business setting should understand that their emails are not entirely private and may be subjected to search. Furthermore, the emails’ content was not searched—information technology employees were instructed not to read the messages, and instead, only subject lines were examined for words that would indicate the emails contained leaked content. The search, according to the statement from Smith and Hammonds, was “narrow, careful, and precise” and was approved by the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the University General Counsel and supported by the dean of Harvard College. Though any unwarranted invasion of privacy should not be tolerated, this case can be justified to a certain extent due to its intent: to protect the university against any further leaks of confidential information that could prove damaging. The search was relatively non-invasive and Harvard has reaffirmed that it does not routinely monitor emails, therefore such harsh criticism is somewhat unwarranted.
Julie Orenstein is an editor for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.
MAGGIE MARETZ Although Harvard’s administration hacked the email accounts of 16 of the university’s deans with the intention of locating the leak to the media in order to prevent future scandals, they wound up attracting even further negative attention toward the institution, calling into question the ethics by which they are attempting to handle what was already an ethical problem. The privacy allotted to the resident deans—who play a role that falls somewhere between an administrator and a professor and were responsible for advising the students accused of cheating—is somewhat of a grey area. It is not entirely clear whether Harvard’s policy, which guarantees the privacy of all electronic accounts of full-time faculty, extends to the resident deans. But many of Harvard’s staff members are indignant at the violation, arguing that in the case of email accounts it is always better to err on the side of caution. The only condition under which a search like this is acceptable, according to the electronic privacy policy, is “in extraordinary circumstances such as legal proceedings and internal Harvard investigations.” However, even if this could be categorized in such a way, the policy states that the faculty members whose accounts are being investigated
must be notified ahead of time. Much of the anger toward the Harvard administration stems from the way they handled the hacking of the emails, neglecting to notify the deans beforehand and only telling them several months later when the story was about to break in The Boston Globe. Furthermore, the search itself was for an innocuous administrative memo that was forwarded by a dean to a student, each of them unaware of the confidentiality of the document. The dean responsible was not even punished, which begs the question: if the memo was so harmless, why was it necessary for the university to breach the privacy of its employees rather than simply asking them who had forwarded it? It might be easier to understand the hacking if this dean had seriously erred in judgment, but based on the results of the investigation, it is pretty clear that he had not. Perhaps worse of all is the way this story further taints the reputation of integrity at Harvard, beyond the damage done by the cheating scandal. It leaves a worsened impression because, in the words of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government professor Timothy McCarthy, “it involves adults who should know better—really smart, powerful adults, with complete job security.”
Maggie Maretz is a staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.
the unfairly overworked
MARC FRANCIS It seems like nowadays more than ever before, students and professionals alike are convinced that each of them is more stressed and overworked than every other living being. Furthermore, in this state of stress, we are inclined to filter our sense of personal responsibility and only claim accountability for the positive happenings in our lives. I myself am guilty of believing that my coursework tightens my schedule for leisure time more so than anyone around me, as well as sneering at the fellow student who is voicing his anxiety over the workload of his inferior major. When it comes down to it, I believe that we are all responsible for everything that happens to us—the good and the bad—and that pointing an accusatory finger at our timeworn, fun-loathing Linear Algebra teacher will not complete the stack of unsolved problems on our desk. Fortune Magazine writer Katherine Reynolds Lewis recently published an article entitled “Stop blaming your boss for your crazy work life.” In the piece, she criticizes the human inclination to blame mismanagement of time on office superiors. She quotes Brad Harrington, executive director of the Boston College Center for Work and Family: “Whether you have a supportive workplace culture or you don’t, at the end of the day the responsibility for making it work comes down to each of us. You can only blame your employer for so long. Assuming you have marketable skills and that you have the courage of your convictions, at some point you have to say, ‘It comes down to me to fix the situation.’” The same concept is applicable to student life: procrastination and personal restrictions, not professors, are the enemies. Reynolds cites a research project that concluded that 75 percent of professionals believe that the only people who can provide work-life flexibility are their bosses, a fallacy continually exposed in a society of innovative technology that allows for proper self-management. Innovations like Google calendars allow for effectual methods of organization and should be utilized by individuals struggling with their daily tasks. I advise all of those that are completely consumed by their jobs, whether they are in the office or in the classroom, to either create a more efficient work-life schedule or consider changing career paths. The article makes an example out of former Lehman Brothers CFO Erin Callan, who had devoted her entire life to her career and was forced to sacrifice her marriage and family life. Callan chose to let her career cross personal boundaries and was faced with an identity crisis once Lehman Brothers collapsed. In a New York Times essay, she divulged “My boundaries slipped away until work was all that was left.” Because of the steadfast progress of technology and the unstoppable force that is globalization, work-life and home-life are consistently crossing paths. If a professional’s job requires the use of a computer, as I am sure most do, he probably has the opportunity to work from his own home. I understand, however, that not everyone has the luxury of scoping out opportunities for leisure time, especially members of today’s working class. Linda Meric, national executive director of 9to5, a nonprofit that advocates for low-wage earner women, stated that “There are millions of women who work just as hard as Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, but who are barely scraping by on wages that amount to less than $15,000 a year. For those working full-time at low-wage jobs, ‘leaning in’ and other personal decisions and choices does not provide a path out of poverty. We need labor standards that provide a stable floor for all workers and families.” With that being said, we all should make an effort to recognize the faults in our schedules and take ownership of what may arise from improper use of time. Communication and strategic planning are essential for corporate and academic success.
Marc Francis is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at metro@ bcheights.com.
METRO THE HEIGHTS
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Thursday, March 14, 2013
THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013
BREAKING BOUNDARIES
Surviving St. Paddy’s
OMNEY ETURNS
TRICIA TIEDT Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come. It’s St. Patrick’s Day weekend, and seeing as this will be the last St. Paddy’s Day to fall on a weekend while we’re enrolled at Boston College, it’s time to make the most of it. Here’s your foolproof guide to all things green going on in Boston this weekend. From all of us at Metro, we hope you get lucky. Dropkick Murphys: The Boston-based Irish punk group behind our unofficial theme song, “Shipping Up to Boston,” will be performing at the TD Garden Friday, Mar. 15; the Brighton Music Hall Saturday, Mar. 16; and the House of Blues Sunday, Mar. 17 (St. Patrick’s Day). Tickets are still available for all events. If you’re looking to gain some cultural appreciation for the Irish heritage, where better to look than the quintessential American family? The JFK museum is currently featuring the famous First Lady in the “In Her Voice: Jacqueline Kennedy, the White House Years” exhibit. In addition to the exhibitions (also showing the “Freedom Seven Space Capsule”), the Greene-O’Leary School of Irish Dance will be performing on location throughout the day. The museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 16. T.T. the Bear’s Place (yes, that’s the name of the bar) is providing a double whammy on Saturday night: Mardi Gras meets St. Patrick. Cancelled due to Nemo, the Cambridge hot spot will host their 20th Anniversary Mardi Gras ball in conjunction with the weekend’s obligatory St. Paddy’s party. Performances include Shaun Wolf Wortis, the Legendary Vudu Krewe, and the Boston Babydolls, among others. The event starts at 9 p.m. Saturday night. Cover charge is $12 with proceeds going toward musicians’ health care. A St. Patrick’s Day list is not complete without the classic pub-crawl. Continue the classic elements of the holiday in one of the most classic (and historically Irish) Boston locations: Faneuil Hall. The Faneuil Hall Pub Crawl begins at Mija Cantina and Tequila Bar at 12 p.m. on Saturday. Other stops throughout the marketplace include Good Bar and the Hard Rock Cafe—all participating bars will be holding drink specials. If you’re looking to celebrate all day, the iconic Lansdowne Pub will begin their St. Patrick’s Day festivities at 10 a.m. Sunday morning. Authentic Irish food will be served along with plenty of Irish brews all day, with performances by Hellcat Choir, Nightime Radio, Three Day Threshold, Audrey Knuth, and Bearfight’s Irish Mashup. While there is no cover charge, the event is 21 and up. St. Patrick’s Day Parade: The ultimate celebration of Boston’s Irish life can be found in South Boston, the city’s most Irish neighborhood. The annual parade is in conjunction with the Allied War Veteran’s Council Commemoration and sponsored by The Westin, Gillette, and Samuel Adams (shocking). Open to all ages, the parade will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, covering the streets of Southie in colorful floats and marching bands from across the nation. The route begins at the Broadway T Station— noted to be the best viewing spot—and ends in Andrew Square. Join the 600,000 plus gatherers for the number one Saint Patrick’s Day celebration in the country. Keep in mind that Restaurant Week starts tomorrow—giving all Bostonians the opportunity to make St. Patrick’s Day celebrations that much more decadent with deals at Boston’s most coveted hot spots. (For more information on Restaurant Week, check out Amy Hachigian’s column on the right.) Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations will take place all over the world this weekend, but we are fortunate enough to be at the center of Irish pride this side of the Prime Meridian. Take the opportunity to enjoy all Boston has to offer this weekend, not just the gated Mods.
Tricia Tiedt is the Metro Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.
Former Republican presidential candidate returns to Boston to work with son’s private equity firm B Y L AUREN T OTINO Heights Staff In a move that signals his return to the private sector, former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is returning to Boston to work part time for Solamere Capital, the private equity firm that was cofounded in 2008 by his eldest son Tagg Romney, 42. The former Massachusetts governor joins his son’s firm as chairman of the Executive Committee and will additionally serve as a participant on the Investment Committee. It is reported that Romney will work at the firm on a one-week per month basis. Though he will be advising on matters of private equity, he does not
plan on fundraising for the firm. I n a n e m a i l th at went out to investors last Wednesd ay, w h i ch w a s obtained by The Boston Globe, Solamere declares that he is honored to have Romney more involved in the firm, as “Governor Romney’s track record in the private equity field is extraordinary.” As the founder of and former head of asset management company Bain Capital, Romney focused both his 2008 and 2012 campaigns for president on his background in the business world, specifically in private equity. Prior to his entry into the political realm, Romney lead Bain
Capital from 1984 to 1999 when the firm invested in companies including Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc., the parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts, and Burlington Coat Factory Holdings Inc. Bain Capital is currently working on raising a new $6 billion fund. Tagg Romney, who founded the Solarmere Capital just two weeks after his father dropped out of the 2008 presidential race, works as a managing partner alongside Eric Scheuermann and Spencer Zwick. Zwick, whom Romney considers to be a “sixth son,” had been deputy chief of staff while Mitt Romney served as governor of Massachusetts and additionally had led Romney’s fundraising team during his 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. The firm seemed to have
had close ties to Romney’s campaigns of the past four years, at first sharing its address with the Romney campaign headquarters in Boston, before moving to its current location on Newbury Street. According to The Globe, Solamere Capital was named after a private community in Deer Valley, Utah, where the Romney family used to own a ski lodge. Solamere’s investments are divided between other private equity firms and direct investments into companies. The firm emphasizes its goals as bringing together an exclusive network of successful business leaders with the objectives of gaining access to high-quality private investments
See Romney, B9
Menino leads in mayoral alliance against firearms B Y R YAN T OWEY Asst. Metro Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
The Publick House hosted the first event in the Boston Beer Week series last Friday.
Beer Week hits bars over St. Patrick’s Day BY SHANNON INGLESBY Heights Staff Last Friday began the kickoff of Boston Beer Week, a weeklong celebration of brews throughout the Greater Boston area. The annual event highlights the people, places, and events that showcase the best of Boston’s beer scene. Now in its fourth year, Boston Beer Week 2013 will feature over 100 events over the course of 10 days. Liquor stores, breweries, and restaurants all across the state will be holding events and social gatherings. From casual tastings to rowdy bar crawls, there’s something for everyone in the weeklong celebration. The greater Boston area has around 40
breweries and hundreds of bars, eateries, and stores, all offering craft beer at varying levels. From breweries to pubs, and from restaurants to bottle shops, the city’s thriving beer market draws both foreign and domestic brewers looking to tap its diverse palate, making Boston a truly great place to grab a brew. Beer is an integral part of Boston culture, no doubt about it. Boston has been named the Drunkest City in America two years running by The Daily Beast. With its many universities, thriving sports culture, and young population, Boston has always had a lively bar scene. Boston Beer Week
See Boston Beer Week, B9
“Mayors are on the front lines in the fight against gun violence—that’s why so many have joined our coalition since Newtown,” Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said in a press release by the bipartisan coalition Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) on Mar. 7. Since Menino became co-chair of the coalition alongside New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2006, when the coalition included only 15 mayors, the Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown to include over 900 mayors in 45 states. The Mayors Against Illegal Guns released a new public service announcement on their website Mar. 7, marking a shift in tactics since the beginning of their coalition.While the coalition has typically only demanded a plan from Congress, the new public service announcement demanded specific action from Congress. “The numbers don’t lie—support for background checks and other sensible reforms is clear,” Menino said. “That’s
why we’re demanding our leaders in Washington help us to protect our communities and keep our children safe. Now is the time for action.” Actions demanded by the coalition are categorized in three parts. The coalition demands that legislation be passed to mandate criminal background checks for every gun sold in America, that assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines be banned, and that gun trafficking be made a federal crime. According to the coalition’s press release, the 14 states that already require background checks for the sale of all guns have a gun trafficking rate that is 48 percent lower than in states “that fail to require background checks for all handgun sales.” “Americans overwhelmingly support background checks to keep guns out of the hands of criminals,” Bloomberg said. “Now it’s time for Congress to stand with their constituents to pass a law requiring background checks for all gun sales—and to take other common sense steps that will save lives.”
See MAIG, B8
PHOTO COURTESY OF MAYORS AGAINST ILLEGAL GUNS
The Mayors Against Illegal Guns released a public service announcement Mar. 7.
Boston’s annual Restaurant Week to begin on Sunday AMY HACHIGIAN It’s time to start logging into OpenTable and scouring Zagat and Yelp reviews because Boston’s Restaurant Week is almost here. What is restaurant week you ask? Simple. Twice a year, restaurants in metropolitan cities prepare exquisite meals and menus at a reduced cost, giving poor college students (and others) a chance to try different cuisines. This
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spring, Boston will be hosting its restaurant week from Mar. 17 to 22 and Mar. 24 to 29. There’s no better time to venture out into the city either with your favorite girls or significant other. However, it’s imperative to be an informed consumer to get the most out of your dollar and experience. Here are some general tips and trades to make the most of your Restaurant Week. 1. Pick a date. Restaurant week has
On the Flip Side
a very deceptive title, because the event actually takes place over two weeks. However, it’s important to note that Mar. 23 is not part of restaurant week! Do not accidently make your reservation for the 23rd if you’re looking for a discount! 2. Find a restaurant. Not all restaurants that participate are good eats! Do some research about the chef and owner as well as a quick Zagat search to see if you’re signing up for a night of fun or potential
Was the Harvard administration violating the privacy of their faculty by reading their work-related emails? ....................................................B9
food poisoning. 3. Look at the menu. Just because a restaurant you love is participating in the week does not mean it will retain its normal menu. Many places will adjust their dishes to accommodate for the increased traffic, which means there might be a prefixed menu, a limited menu with a few options for each course, or add new cours-
See Restaurant Week, B8
Restaurant Review: Max Brenner..........................................................B7 Project to Watch: Campus School Marathon Team..........................................B8