A Fresh Start
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stories of our youth
sports
metro
the scene
Position battles will dominate the spring football game Saturday, A10
Many safety organizations in Boston are making use of social media outlets, B10
Imagine what it would be like if Hollywood got our favorites right, B1
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Vol. XCIII, No. 18
University releases sesquicentennial celebration schedule for 2012-2013 Anniversary will kick off with mass at Fenway Park By David Cote News Editor
As the University enters its 150th year of existence, numerous plans have been made to celebrate the history and success of Boston College. The University has recently released details of events that will occur throughout the next three semesters in celebration of BC’s sesquicentennial. “The Sesquicentennial Celebration gives
us an opportunity to celebrate Boston College’s history and also to emphasize our continued commitment to intellectual excellence and our Jesuit, Catholic heritage,” University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. said in a statement. “Our 150th anniversary is a time when all members of the Boston College community can renew their sense of our progress as a University and our goals for the future.” The celebrations of BC’s 150th year will kick off on Sept. 15, 2012, with a 4 p.m. mass at Fenway Park, similar to the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit. All members of the BC community, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and their families, will be invited to celebrate mass at the ballpark, followed by a reception and tours of the field and ball park.
The mass will be celebrated by both Jesuits and alumni priests. As part of the anniversary celebration, three notable speakers will also be invited to address the University throughout the year as part of a Sesquicentennial Speakers Series. The speakers will discuss the three themes of scholarship, service, and formation, and the intersection of faith and culture. The first speaker, Harvard University President Drew Faust, will be welcomed on Oct. 10 to discuss the theme of scholarship. The following two speakers have yet to be named. In addition, six academic symposia, covering themes ranging from public education and the future of democracy to clean
See Sesquicentennial, A4
joseph castlen / heights photo illustration and daniel lee / Heights editor
Founded in 1863, Boston College will celebrate its 150th anniversary next year in 2013.
Campbell’s CEO returns to alma mater
Leahy sends letter to the community
Morrison discusses business strategies
Reflects on growth and development
By Maggie Burdge
By Andrew Millette
In a consumer economy recovering from a recession, companies are looking for any way to satisfy, and Campbell’s Soup CEO Denise Morrison, BC ’75, explained how she became one of the most prominent women in corporate America and the steps her Fortune 500 company is taking to increase the brand’s excitement, convenience, and emotional response. In her presentation last night, hosted by the Economics Association, the B oston College alumna addressed Campbell’s goal to reach “beyond the can” and become more global with consumer input and a broader product platform. Campbell’s vision to grow profits in North America with soup and simple meals and drive forward healthy beverages and baked snacks is designed to reinvigorate the nostalgic brand. After a decade of events that produced fear, anxiety, and uncertainty, Morrison said that changes have occurred in the American psyche. “People are spending more on what is more important to them and their families and are willing to pay more for what is most important to them,” Morrison said. Morrison defined the new and diverse consumer segments as the most critical issue within the industry. For Campbell’s, the culture of food is changing. With a shift to non-traditional, multigenerational, unmarried, single parent, multicultural families,
University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. sent a letter to the Boston College community yesterday that provided updates on the current state of the University and highlighted recent achievements relating to academics, finances, and the improvement of campus facilities. Leahy referred to BC as a “top-tier national institution of higher education” in his letter, and cited a number of the University’s academic achievements to support this statement, including a number of awards won by students and staff in the past year. BC students received prestigious Goldwater and Truman scholarships last year, and the University was, as always, a national leader in producing Fulbright winners. “Boston College was named the eighth-leading producer of students awarded Fulbright grants among national research universities in 2011, with 21 students and recent graduates earning Fulbrights for research and foreign study,” Leahy said. BC professors also won some of the most prestigious academic awards in the nation during the past year. “Assistant Professors Liane Young (psychology), Dunwei Wang (chemistry), Michelle Meyer (biology) and Ying Ran (physics) won prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowships, given to the nation’s best young scientists and scholars in recognition of their early career achievement,” Leahy said. “This is a remarkable accomplishment for an institution of our size.” The University’s recent academic suc-
Heights Editor
See Morrison, A4
Assoc. News Editor
alexandra gaynor / for the heights
Students who participated in C.A.R.E. Week, which included Take Back the Night, made t-shirts in support of victims of sexual violence.
Victims of sexual abuse take back the night By Therese Tully Heights Editor
Under a cloudy sky on Wednesday, Mar. 28 at 6 p.m., many members of the Boston College community gathered in O’Neill Plaza to discuss the issue of violence against women at the annual Take Back the Night ceremony. The event was well attended by both male and female spectators. The evening’s message directly aligned itself with the Jesuit ideals that BC is founded on—the event was a strong expression of students’ ability to be “men and women for others.” The night was led by members of the Women’s Resource Center (WRC) in collaboration with many other groups
on campus. The Dynamics opened the evening with a brief performance as the crowds gathered. The event centered around three individual stories, as three women took the stage to share their personal stories and to testify to the fact that violence against women, sexual or otherwise, is not an issue that we are safe from, even at BC. The audience sat in silent respect and lent a listening ear to those courageous enough to share their pain in the echoing forum of O’Neill Plaza. Men and women both had their voices heard in regards to the issues at hand. Alberto Godenzi, dean of the graduate school of social work, gave the faculty address. He focused largely on the magnitude and prevalence of
violence against women, and how little public outcry there is surrounding such a universal issue. “The fact that we have normalized and accepted violence against women as an inevitable part of life is puzzling and inconceivable,” Godenzi said. He spoke about how this is an issue that effects nearly all of us in one way or another. Additionally, three members of the men’s rugby team stood in solidarity with victims. “For too long, we let women fight this fight alone,” they said. They were followed by a member of the BCPD, who led all the males in attendance in a pledge against sexual assault
See Take Back the Night, A4
See Letter, A4
Spring concert will feature co-headliners Nelly and Third Eye Blind By David Cote News Editor
robyn kim / for the heights
Denise Morrison, BC ’75 (above), returned to her alma mater for a lecture on her business.
mittee that was appointed back in the fall to address the high number of transports,” Mike Zarrilli, UGBC Executive Director of Campus Entertainment and A&S ’12, said in an e-mail. “One of the recommendations was to have an earlier concert to limit the amount of pregaming.” Because the concert process started later than normal as a result of the deliberations with the Student Programs Office (SPO), UGBC was provided with only one available d ate in
After the usual weeks of rumor and speculation, UGBC has announced that Third Eye Blind and Nelly will perform at the annual spring concert on April 20 at 5 p.m. in Conte Forum. Despite concerns over potential cancellations due to a high number of transports at recent concerts, UGBC was given a green light by the administration in February to bring a concert to campus. Tickets will be sold for $30, starting on April 3 at 8 a.m. online. “[The] administration gave us the go-ahead in February to have a spring concert given that we would accept some recommendations put forth by photos courtesy of wikimedia commons the concert review com-
Conte Forum, April 20. As a result, many acts were not free to perform. “We looked into a variety of acts to both open and headline the concert,” Zarrilli said. “Unfortunately with only one date and such short notice (only about two months), many of the artists that we looked into were unavailable.” The two acts will be preceded by a student DJ, Pizo aka John Pierson, CSOM ’12, starting at 5 p.m. At 6 p.m. Third Eye Blind will take the stage, followed by Nelly at 7:30 p.m., according to Zarrilli. Despite the questions over whether or not the concert would happen, Zarrilli said he was happy with the acts who will be performing, and said he and the UGBC hoped to respond directly to student concerns after some disap-
pointment over the J. Cole and Wale concert last spring. “To be honest, we’re extremely lucky to have gotten the two headliners that we did,” Zarrilli said. “Judging by ticket sales and the feedback that we got for the J. Cole and Wale concert, students at BC wanted bigger names to come for our Spring Concert this year, and we tried our best to make this happen.” The price of $30 is slightly higher than previous years, which Zarrilli attributed to higher than normal costs for the acts that will be performing. However, he went on to say that the costs are still relatively close to the cost for concerts at similar schools, and that revenue from the spring concert will be used to help fund UGBC’s other major
See Spring Concert, A4
TopTHREE
The Heights
Thursday, March 29, 2012
things to do on campus this week
..
1 GLC Gala
Saturday Time: 8 p.m. Location: The Back Bay Events Center
The GLBTQ Leadership Council will be hosting its 4th Annual Gala, which will be held at the Back Bay Events Center and have a CandyLand theme. Doors will close at 9 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased in Robsham Theater. Busing will only be provided on the way back from this event.
The Thirst talent show
2
Today Time: 8 p.m. Location: The Rat
All proceeds from this show will go directly to charity: water. The show features performances by BC dance groups and culture clubs. Tickets are $5 at the door.
Rising Up
3
Friday Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Robsham Theater This is the first dance concert produced by the Theatre Department and the student dance community and celebrates Robsham’s 30th anniversary.
the
University
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College Board plans to tighten ACT, SAT security with photos
On Campus “Coke Machine of Happiness” appears in Carney dining hall, to students’ delight On Tuesday, Boston College students dining in McElroy’s Carney dining hall were treated to more than just a can of Coke when they tried to use a new vending machine. This “Coke Machine of Happiness” appeared during lunch in Carney and literally handed unsuspecting students anything from a single can of Coke to entire two-liter bottles and eight can packs. Later in the day, the machine dispensed sandwiches, tickets to Six Flags and Red Sox games, and a Wii console. Word about the machine’s antics spread quickly, and students formed a line that almost reached to the Chocolate Bar to test their luck. The machine, which came to BC through the efforts of BC Dining Services and the Athletics Department, has already been to 10 colleges in the Northeast, from Virginia to Maine, as part of Coca-Cola’s new ad campaign. A video of the machine in action and students’ hilarious reactions to it is available on YouTube.
The College Board will now require students taking the SAT and ACT exams to upload a photo of themselves when they register for their exam. This photo will be printed onto the student’s registration ticket and compared to his or her photo ID prior to taking the test. The new security measure is one of many that were announced Tuesday as part of the College Board’s reaction to a cheating scandal in which 50 students impersonated or paid someone to impersonate another student while taking the exam. The Educational Testing Service, which administers the SAT, said approximately 150 students nationwide are impersonated each year.
Local News Labor committee recommends raising minimum wage to $10 The Committee on Labor and Workforce Development has submitted a recommendation that minimum wage in Massachusetts be raised from $8 to $10. The increase would take place over three years in 75-cent increments and increase every year thereafter to reflect the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index. Proponents of the measure say that the increase would help low wage earners survive. Opponents claim that the measure would hurt small businesses. The legislature has not yet set a date to vote on the proposed legislation.
featured story
Debate illuminates key issues for 2012 election By Samantha Costanzo Asst. News Editor
To help students make sense of the hubbub surrounding the recent presidential primaries and caucuses, the College Democrats and College Republicans, in partnership with UGBC, No Labels, and the AHANA Leadership Council (ALC), sponsored a political debate on Wednesday night. The debate was part of the national Rock the Vote campaign, which is aimed at getting students to register to vote. Moderator Alicia Martinez, vice president of ALC and A&S ’13, asked debaters to explain their respective party’s stance on clean energy, higher education, the state of the economy, and illegal immigration. The first question asked the two groups to explain their respective party’s views on energy dependence, alternative resources, and the environmental cost of fossil fuels. Stephanie Rice, vice president of the College Democrats and A&S ’13, highlighted President Barack Obama’s commitment to an “all of the above” policy that makes the best use of oil but also aims to decrease the United States’ dependence on it within 16 years. “The president can encourage developments in alternative en-
Matt Liber / For The Heights
The College Republicans and College Democrats held a debate to inform students on the two parties’ views. ergy, not fix gas prices,” she said. E.J. Risley, A&S ’14, spoke for the College Republicans next. “The more oil in the United States market, the lower the price will be,” he said. “We are blessed to have ample places to drill. If we don’t take advantage, someone else will.” The next question addressed the issue of rising tuition in public universities, and asked the debaters to consider the effects of these hikes on students and grants. Kaitlin Burns, LSOE ’14, spoke for the Republicans first. According
to her, the solution is to change the way people pay for college by encouraging savings and implementing a delayed tax on these savings for college. Nick Doffek, president of the College Democrats and A&S ’13, responded by saying that Obama has been an ally to students. He cited Obama’s emphasis on community college, public service credits, and additions to the GI Bill. He also noted that low-income students rely on services such as the Pell Grant because they cannot afford to save for college.
The third question of the night focused on ways in which each party proposed to create secure jobs and deal with the national debt. Jonathan Dame, communications director for the College Democrats and A&S ’13, focused on Obama’s money- and job-saving measures, such as his bailout of the auto industry and tax credits to small businesses. Risley took a second turn for the Republicans and claimed that Obama has been irresponsible in his methods of dealing with the crisis. Instead, Risley advocated for
a return to former President Ronald Reagan’s policies. “The way forward begins with tax reform,” Risley said. The debaters last discussed immigration reform and the possibilities of an equitable process leading to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Daniel Sologuren, president of the College Republicans and A&S ’12, argued that the U.S. should provide visas to people with “indemand skill sets,” such as those in math- and science-related fields. He also advocated for stricter control of the borders and a system in which illegal immigrants, if they were allowed to become citizens, be placed at the bottom of the pool of applicants. Doffek spoke again for the Democrats and agreed that securing the borders was vital as well. He also focused on the Democrats’ plan for a path to citizenship, however, which includes a streamlined process for victims of abuse, preference for students, and supporting humane treatment of immigrants in the workforce. “Obama has put the focus on [deporting] those who commit crimes, not students who try to better themselves,” he said. After the debate, audience members were given the opportunity to pose their own questions. n
Police Blotter
Voices from the Dustbowl
3/25/12 - 3/27/12
“What would you add to BC’s 10-year plan?”
Sunday, March 25 1:14 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to an intoxicated BC student at Walsh Hall. The student was transported to a medical facility by Armstrong Ambulance. 1:15 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a verbal altercation occuring near Voute Hall. Both parties are known to each other and, after being identified, left the area without incident. 2:06 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to an intoxicated BC student in Keyes Hall. The student was transported to a medical facility by Armstrong Ambulance. 2:26 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding unwanted contact in Corcoran Commons between two subjects who are known to each other.
Monday, March 26 12:04 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding vandalism in Rubenstein Hall. A carpenter responded for temporary repairs. 12:53 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a past assault and battery. 1:17 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding assistance provided to the parent of a BC student.
2:44 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding suspicious circumstances occuring off campus. A detective will investigate further.
“A technicolor light show on Gasson.” —Ian Garner, A&S ’15
3:12 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a fire alarm activation at 90 St. Thomas More Road. The Boston Fire Department responded. The cause for the activation was determined to be a leak in the system. The alarm company was contacted for repairs. 4:06 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a minor motor vehicle accident occuring in the Newton Lots. No injuries resulted. Minor damage occurred, but both vehicles were driven from the area.
“A fitness facility” —Lamont Gross, A&S ’15
2:07 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding found property and the confiscation of a fraudulent form of identification. “An outdoor track.” —Kiera Keller, A&S ’15
1:49 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding harassment reported by a BC employee at 2121 Commonwealth Avenue. “An actual student center.” —Martin Cusiano,
—Source: The Boston College Police Department
A&S ’15
Today
48° Showers 32°
Friday
50° Mostly Sunny 34°
Saturday
49° Partly Cloudy 36°
Sunday
53° Partly Cloudy 41°
Source: National Weather Service
A Guide to Your Newspaper 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 Marketplace 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 David Cote, 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 Greg Joyce, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0189, 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 Brennan Carley, 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 Taylour Kumpf, 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 Dan Ottaunick, General Manager at (617) 552-0547. 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) 2012. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, March 27
9:35 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding difficulties encountered by a gate attendant with a visiting contractor.
Four Day Weather Forecast
CORRECTIONS Please send corrections to editor@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.
The Heights
Thursday, March 29, 2012
A3
Injury-saving turf installed in Alumni
North Koreans lose again
Samantha Costanzo Asst. News Editor
Sean Talia Yesterday, President Barack Obama returned from a threeday trip to Seoul in which he met with leaders from South Korea, China, and Russia to discuss nuclear security and proliferation. Now, in any discussion regarding this matter, there are a number of topics that will inevitably be raised, including how to draw down the nuclear arsenals of the Cold War powers, how to ensure that nuclear weapons don’t fall into the hands of terrorists, and what to do about North Korea. All three are extremely pressing issues, but the latter clearly overshadowed the other two. North Korea, formally the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), is one of three non-NPT states that possess nuclear weapons (the other two being India and Pakistan), as it demonstrated to the world in October 2006 when it conducted an underground nuclear weapons test. But having a nuclear weapon doesn’t give you much bargaining power unless you have a way of deploying it via a missile, which is exactly what the North Koreans have been working on building for the past several years. This, of course, is a very bad thing. A North Korea capable of firing a rocket with nuclear warheads strapped to it is a benefit to no one. The U.S. has tried several times to halt the DPRK’s nuclear development program, only to have Kim Jong Il, when he was still alive, back out in an attempt to milk more concessions out of the American government. In the latest attempt to squelch North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, Washington brokered a deal with Pyongyang at the end of last month in which it agreed to allow international inspectors to monitor its nuclear facilities and to suspend its plans to launch a rocket in return for some 240,000 metric tons of food. Predictably enough, North Korea is now saying it’s going to carry out the rocket launch anyway, and is going to do it in about two or three weeks’ time. The rocket is supposed to carry a satellite into orbit, though attempts in 2006 and 2009 to do the same resulted once in the rocket blowing up seconds after liftoff and the second time with it plunging into the ocean. In any event, if this next launch is successfully carried out, everyone loses. The biggest losers might just be–as they have almost always been–the civilian population of North Korea. They desperately need the food aid that Washington has promised them, and they’re not going to get it if their government once again goes back on its promise. North Korea is perhaps the worst place to live on earth, with nearly everyone slowly dying of starvation and suffering from malnourishment. For this reason, North Koreans are about three or four inches shorter than their fellow peninsula-dwellers to the south. Some two million North Koreans are estimated to have died in the 1990s because of widespread famine and natural disasters. North Korea has always done nothing but disservices to its own people and to the world at large. President Bush was unable to prevent it from developing nuclear technology, which it subsequently shared with another equally unstable regime in Syria. More so than any of his myriad other failures, that may prove to be the most catastrophic.
Sean Talia is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at news@bcheights. com.
sara Davey / For the heights
NASA’s chief architect for space communications and two BC professors discussed the future of space travel Tuesday.
Panel explores future of NASA By Kevin Cannon For The Heights
On Tuesday evening in Cushing Hall, Boston College hosted several presentations and a panel discussion debating the future of space travel. The speakers included Jim Schier, NASA’s chief architect for space communications and navigation, NASA’s Brent Sherwood, and BC professors Dominic Papineau and Charles Carrano. Keynote speaker Schier outlined NASA’s goals and varying objectives for the next 30 years, highlighting the usefulness of the International Space Station, as well as other near-Earth objectives. “More than 1,200 experiments have been performed on it to date, supporting more than 1,600 scientists worldwide in 59 countries,” he said. “But we have to figure out how to solve the problems of both sustaining the environmental control and life support systems, since shipping a pound of air or water to space costs upwards of $10,000, and how humans can recover from the physical detriment of space. It takes three years to recover the lost bone and muscle mass from a six month stay in orbit.” He added that over 30 million students have interacted with the astronauts aboard the space station. The second half of his presentation summarized the next generation of exploration systems, including the Space Launch System (SLS). This vehicle is designed to carry the Orion spacecraft, cargo, equipment, and science experiments to Earth’s orbit and to destinations beyond. It is similar to the Saturn V rockets
used during the Apollo program in the 1960s. Finally, he said that “government has essentially sucked all the oxygen out of the air in terms of allowing the privatization of space, and to that end we must figure out how to support a capability-driven human space exploration framework that involves both the public and private sectors.” Carrano gave a short lecture on an emerging field of science called space weather that deals with the relationship between physical processes on the Sun and changes in the space environment. He underlined the potentially damaging effects on future astronauts from a host of radiation events emanating from the Sun, including solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and other solar particle events. “A typical American’s yearly dose of radiation is received in about four days when in space,” Carrano said. “In August of 1972, for instance, in between the Apollo 16 and 17 missions one of the most powerful radiation events in recorded history occurred, and scientists now estimate that had astronauts been on the moon there was a 50-50 chance at least one would have received a lethal dose of radiation.” Papineau delivered a short presentation on the subject of exobiology. In short, it is concerned with life in space. A majority of the discipline revolves around studying the earliest forms of life on Earth through geology and fossil records to see whether life could have come from outside a terrestrial origin. However, he also pointed out the various spots within the solar system hypothesized to be hospi-
table to life, as well as similarities between rock compositions found on Earth compared to that of Mars. To this end, he also addressed a long-standing conundrum in the scientific community regarding a Martian rock found in the 1970s, which he said jokingly “is the most- studied rock in the universe,” that might have proof of extra terrestrial life. NASA’s Sherwood, who works at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, offered some other options besides the moon and Mars that he thinks do not get as much attention in the public eye. “We could spend hundreds of billions of dollars in the next decade or so to satisfy our societal need for a hero and have six civil servants put their boots on Mars by 2020,” he noted. “But since each and every one of you pays for these programs every April 15, I would like you to know there are other options that are perhaps more important and useful to us right now.” He suggested using orbiting solar arrays to generate an enormous amount of clean energy that could be beamed down to generators on the ground by means of microwave rays. Most interestingly, he suggested, “If you can imagine something akin to the surface area of the U.S. Interstate Highway System in an array of solar panels in space, you could solve the world’s energy crisis and provide clean water through desalinization for most of the thirdworld. There are other options out there, and we need to take the time as a government institution to let the public know what we could be doing with your money.” n
After about two years of planning and deliberation, the Boston College Athletic Department has announced that it will install new turf in Alumni Stadium. The base layer of the new field, made by Brock International, is designed to reduce brain injury by up to 50 percent. The project, which will be carried out by BC graduates Ryan and Trevor McCourt, is scheduled to be completed by the first game of the 2012 football season. Joe Shirley, Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities, said that while most fields can last up to eight years, BC’s field has not lasted as long due to its long hours of availability: 5 a.m. to 1 a.m., from approximately Thanksgiving to Easter. The bottom layer of the new field will consist of a Brock PowerBase, which uses a carpet tile filler and shock pad. A PowerBase can reduce the Gmax, or force of each fall, and therefore prevent injuries. The field will also last longer than
most others. According to a press release distributed by the Athletic Department, “In evaluating Head Injury Criteria (HIC), Sports Labs LLC found that Brock PowerBase offered significant improvement in HIC when compared to a turf field that featured a stone base.” The top layer of the new field will be similar to other fields and consist of an AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D60H field and a crumb rubber fill. However, it will make use of new technology that allows the crumb rubber fill to settle into the root layer of the faux grass. This will provide for less of a “splash” when players fall. “If it prevents even one injury, it’s worth it,” Shirley said. A similar system is currently being used on BC’s soccer field on Newton. According to Shirley, players cannot feel a difference between a field that uses a Brock PowerBase and a field that uses regular stone filler. Stanford University, Oregon State University, and Boise State University are also using Brock PowerBases, with much success. n
alexandra gaynor / For the
Tea Obreht, the 26-year-old bestselling author of “The Tiger’s Wife,” came to Boston College Wednesday to discuss her work and the creative process.
Author of ‘Tiger’s Wife’ talks creativity By Eleanor Hildebrandt Heights Editor
Daniel Lee / Heights Editor
Kathleen A. Corbet, founder of Cross Rirde Capital, LLC gave financial and business advice to women on Tuesday.
Corbet preaches ‘investing in other women’ By Brigid Wright Heights Staff
On Mar. 27, the Council for Women of Boston College, along with Boston College Smart Women Securities (SWS), co-sponsored a lecture by Kathleen A. Corbet, BC ’82. The talk, titled “The Unconventional Path to Achieving Financial Health and Empowerment,” discussed Corbet’s journey in the business world. Corbet emphasized her “path less traveled” as she explained her transition from a 25year career in finance, to non-profit work, entrepreneurship, and more. The Council for Women, founded in 2002, is an organization of alumni who work to increase women’s involvement in University life. The council of 136 female graduates works closely with current students and other alumnae to provide powerful and inspiring female role models and provide opportunities to get involved. SWS is a program for female students of any major at BC that works to provide insight in regard to current and future personal finances. Through their Seminar Series, they provide opportunities for students to learn more about personal investments and
support a community of financially self-sufficient women. These two organizations brought Corbet to BC to share her insight on financial health. Corbet spent a large portion of her career in financial consulting as the CEO of Alliance Capital London, EVP and CEO of the Fixed Income Division of AllianceBernstein, and now as the founder and principal of Cross Ridge Capital, LLC. She also works avidly with a variety of non-profit organizations, including ProMujer on the Board of Directors, New Canaan Community Foundation as acting CFO, and has a place on BC’s Board of Trustees. Corbet modeled her talk to be specific to women entering the business world in order to help them make healthy financial decisions from right out of college to later in their careers. Corbet’s lecture centered around three points of investment: “Investing in yourself, investing in other women, and investing in your community,” saying that these investments “lead to greater empowerment and life fulfillment” for women, as modeled off of her own experiences in business and investing. Corbet went into more detail
about saving money for further education in an advanced degree, looking into life insurance early, and setting aside money for future investments right from the start of a career. She also provided statistics to explain her recommendation of “investing in other women,” and noted that businesses with more women on their board tend to be more successful. Corbet went on to explain her motives for investing in her community, as she explained her experience running for Town Treasurer in New Canaan, Conn. She spoke of how, although she lost, the experience represented to her town the importance of trying, and helped build confidence for other community members. During her question-and-answer period, she advised the group against investing in friends without doing research and encouraged confidence, as that is women’s biggest hindrance in the business world. She spoke about her children, and how she managed to balance her work life and her family through communication with her husband and give-and-take. Corbet conveyed herself as the ideal role model through her positive words about the future of women in business. n
Wednesday at 7 p.m., New York Times bestselling author Tea Obreht spoke in Devlin 101 as part of the Lowell Humanities Lecture Series. Obreht was born in former Yugoslavia in 1985, and spent her childhood in Cyprus and Egypt. Her debut novel, The Tiger’s Wife, won the prestigious British Orange Prize for Fiction in 2011, making Obreht the youngest Orange Prize-winning author in the award’s history. Cynthia Simmons, the undergraduate program director of the department of Slavic and Eastern Languages and Literatures, gave a brief introduction. Simmons said that she had initially wondered how a regular reader, without prior knowledge of the Balkan region, could understand all the implications of Obreht’s novel. After reading the book, however, she amended her earlier opinion. “The themes are significant to everybody—relationships, community, and the dialogue that exists across generations,” Simmons said. After taking the podium, Obreht expressed how honored she was to be invited to Boston College, and thanked those packing the room for showing up. Waving her hands in excitement, the young author spent the first 10 minutes of her talk describing the evolution of The Tiger’s Wife. She explained that the story began to take shape while she was in graduate school at Cornell—her grandfather’s thenrecent death served as an impetus to write, and the snow in Ithaca forced her to continue writing. Obreht laughed that, after growing up in Egypt and attending college in Los Angeles, she was initially excited for seasons, but quickly discovered that the amount of snow left her with no choice but to stay inside and write all day.
“ You come to grad school expecting that, well, you come in writing short stories, but some day, one sunny, blessed day, you think that you’ll go, ‘Now I’m ready to write novels,’ and people will rejoice and there’ll be confetti,” Obreht said. “But all of a sudden you’re writing a short story, and it’s like, wow, this is garbage at 25 pages, and it’s not very good at 35 pages, but at 60 pages it’s getting better, and now I’m writing a novel.” Concluding her discussion of the writing process, Obreht continued on to read two passages from The Tiger’s Wife: one from the very beginning, which set the tone for the book, and another from the middle that concerned a myth central to the story. She read fluidly, her voice slipping from youthful and Californian to soft and slightly accented. Closing the book, Obreht proceeded to take almost a dozen questions from the audience, on topics ranging from the significance of animals and references to The Jungle Book in her work to how she had decided to structure the novel. One of the most poignant moments of the lecture came when an audience member asked about the significance of myth and folklore for people living in fear, like those in the Balkans during the Yugoslavian wars. “Living in fear is one of the most dangerous states that can exist for a collective consciousness,” Obreht replied. “It leads to the sort of cracked psychology that leaves you open to things you don’t understand, leaves you open to any sort of information. There is the myth that sustains the fear, and the myth that comes after the fact.” The next event in the Lowell Humanities series is a talk by Brenda Wineapple, who will be speaking in Devlin 101 on April 11. n
The Heights
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Thursday, March 29, 2012
Female executive speaks about business success Morrison, from A1
BC gathers in support Take Back the Night, from A1 and violence towards women. The event attracted a large and varied audience, with each person present taking the time to sit outside on the chilly evening for different reasons. “Take Back the Night is a very powerful and inspirational event at BC,” said Josh Crespo, A&S ’14. “I feel that all people have the responsibility to end the horrible experiences that these women
have faced. I wanted to hear the stories of the brave women, and learn what I can do to help prevent sexual assaults.” The night concluded as volunteers passed out glow sticks, challenging everyone in attendance to take back the night, and light up the darkness in hopes of making our world a safer place. The night promoted not only awareness, but also action in regards to sharing stories, celebrating survivors, and working together to end violence against women. n
alexandra gaynor / for the heights
Numerous students of various backgrounds gathered on O’Neill Plaza yesterday evening to join in support with victims of sexual violence and sexual abuse.
Leahy’s letter remarks on University’s success Letter, from A1 cesses have attracted promising students and faculty to join to the BC community. “Searches have been underway in recent months to recruit new faculty, and departments have successfully attracted talented academics to join our ranks as teacher-scholars,” Leahy said. The high quality of incoming BC students is shown by admissions statistics. “The undergraduate admission picture remains strong, with a record 34,050 individuals (3.3 percent more than last year) applying for the 2,270 seats in the freshman class,” Leahy said. “The average SAT scores of incoming students increase(ed) by 31 points, to 2014.” As impressive as these statistics are, Leahy believes that BC succeeds in more than just attracting and continuing to develop stellar students. “Boston
College remains committed to the goals stated in its mission statement of fostering ‘the religious, ethical, and personal formation of its students in order to prepare them for citizenship, service, and leadership in a global society,’” he said. “Students enrolling at Boston College are challenged in classes, extracurricular activities, and residence halls not only in regard to intellectual life, but also moral and ethical beliefs and the place of religious faith in their lives.” Leahy cited the PULSE and Pathway programs, as well as 48Hours as ways that BC develops its students beyond academics. BC’s financial successes of the past year were also highlighted in the letter. “Boston College launched the public phase of its $1.5 billion Light the World campaign in 2008, and I am delighted to report that $870 million has been raised thus far, almost twice as much as in any previous campaign,” Leahy said. “Recently,
an anonymous donor issued a $5 million challenge to encourage the endowment of assistant professorships, and commitments of $10 million and $15 million have been made to name two campus buildings.” The “careful planning and sustained fundraising” that has led to BC’s financial successes has been crucial to the funding of current and future construction projects on campus. “Gasson Hall, completed in 1913, was renovated this past year, and the divisions of Human Resources, Finance, and Advancement have been relocated to the Brighton Campus, a move that will allow their former site (More Hall) to be used for a future undergraduate residence hall,” Leahy said. “Planning has started for renovating St. Mary’s Hall, the main Jesuit residence, so that the Jesuit Community can consolidate its space and a portion of the building can be used by aca-
150th anniversary celebrations revealed Sesquicentennial, from A1 energy to the legacy of Vatican II, will “showcase the University’s distinctive academic strengths and commitment to addressing societal concerns,” according to a statement by the Office of News and Public Affairs. In March of 2013, a concert of a variety of student musical groups will be held in Boston Symphony Hall, featuring performances by the University Chorale, the Symphony Orchestra, BC bOp!, and the University Wind Ensemble. “This event will really showcase the incredible talent we have in our musical programs here at BC,” said University Spokesman Jack Dunn. On April 9, 2013, an inaugural Founders Day celebration will be launched, including the second speaker from the sesquicentennial series and a public convocation. Based on the tradition of the Centennial Celebration of 1963, which featured an address by President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the Founders Day celebration will be held in Alumni Stadium and will be open to
students and faculty alike. Finally, in October 2013, Leahy will host a convocation, gathering educational leaders in Catholic higher education to discuss contemporary issues and potential solutions. Many programs that are part of the sesquicentennial celebration will last the entire year. Throughout the 2012-2013 seasons, BC sports teams will wear sesquicentennial logos on their uniforms. In addition, historical markers will be installed throughout campus highlighting significant sites in the University’s issues and in daily student life. A mobile GPS guided tour including audio, video, and text will be available on a mobile app, and virtually online. In addition, two new books, An Illustrated History of Boston College and History of Boston College, will be published, and a documentary film on the University’s history will be made. One of the most notable parts of the celebration is a call to service for all members of the BC community. “All Boston College students will be asked to perform 150 minutes of community service in either Boston or Newton during the three
semesters of the Sesquicentennial, joining thousands of BC students and graduates who currently volunteer in the cities’ schools, hospitals, food pantries, and social service agencies,” the Office of News and Public Affairs said. Alumni will also be asked to perform 150 minutes of service. The Volunteer and Service Learning Center will be arranging for vans and transportation to local schools and soup kitchens to support this goal. “The Sesquicentennial Steering Committee, which included representatives from all areas of the University, has arranged an array of programs and events that will make this anniversary meaningful and enjoyable for the entire Boston College family,” said Vice President and University Secretary Mary Lou DeLong, who chairs the steering committee. “With the exception of the Symphony Hall concert, all of our public events are free, and we extend a welcome invitation to our students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and friends to join us as we commemorate the 150th anniversary of Boston College.” n
demic departments. Stokes Hall, a 183,000 square-foot humanities building that will provide 36 new classrooms and offices for the departments of English, History, Classics, Philosophy and Theology, will open in January 2013.” Leahy also updated the BC community about the plans for BC’s upcoming Sesquicentennial celebration. “Among the events scheduled are academic symposia, a Sesquicentennial Speakers Series, an inaugural Founders Day celebration, a meeting of leading Catholic college presidents, and a student concert at Symphony Hall,” he said. Though Leahy believes that the BC community must take pride in the University’s past progress and achievements, he also looks forward to its future. “With the help of its thousands of alumni and supporters, [BC] will meet the challenges of today and tomorrow with grace, determination, and abiding hope,” he said. n
more voices are deciding what the family will eat. The consumer today is seeking good nutrition in meals that are affordable, fast, convenient, and taste good. They are looking for an emotional recovery from the recession. For the food industry, that means that consumers want to experience new types of food that make them feel good and excite the palate. In response to this, Morrison explained Campbell’s focus on the generation change to the “Millenials.” “Our core, loyal customers are the baby boomers and seniors,” Morrison said. “[The Millenials] are the children of the baby boomers and there’s 80,000 of them.” Campbell’s used the opinions of these young adults to reinvigorate the brand, introducing new flavors and products with a distinctly progressive design campaign reflecting the diversity of this new sector of consumers. Increasingly more technological, buyers want to see themselves as resourceful with a command on the complexity of the technological realm. Campbell’s is responding to these changes with products like the campbellkitchen.com app and the use of technology to mine data in order to know which of their new products will sell on shelves and where. These booms in technology are heightening communication between all parts of the world, accenting the importance of globalization, a factor Morrison sees as important to the industry. With these diverse changes in the consumer economy, Campbell’s has transformed their consumer insights into more than 50 new products, with rich product textures, bold flavors, and innovative graphic design. The company is hoping to increase the brand’s excitement, convenience, and emotional response. “We are facing a consumer environment that is becoming more complicated by the minute,” Morrison said. “But, at the same time, it is offering us more opportunities.” When Morrison graduated
from BC in 1975, she was in only the second class of women to graduate, and became one of the leading women in corporate America when instated as CEO at Campbell’s. An A&S double major, the benefit of Morrison’s economic focus is clearly apparent, but her major in psychology taught her how to know consumers and understand the dynamics of leading people, two skills that launched her into her position today. When asked what the most important thing she could impart on students was, Morrison was adamant about the effect of BC’s lesson about becoming a lifelong leader. Beyond an intellectual experience, Morrison stressed the critical thinking and analytic
“Serve as a leader, live a balanced life and apply ethical principles to make a significant difference.” -Denise Morrison Chief Executive Officer of Campbell’s Soup skills the University teaches students to apply in coordination with strong ethical values. “Serve as a leader, live a balanced life and apply ethical principles to make a significant difference,” Morrison said, stressing the importance of always leading with integrity. What did Morrison suggest to get a leg up in the business world? Go digital. The world is going digital. “Think about what Steve Jobs did,” she said. “He found the intersection of technology and music and technology and reading at technology and TV.” The last piece of wisdom Morrison had to offer was the importance of networking. Morrison broke into the food business at BC when attending a recruiting event on campus with Proctor and Gamble. After getting a job with the company, she learned the industry by stocking shelves in supermarkets. “Networking is the opportunity,” Morrison said, “but you have to get the job.” n
UGBC concert returns after semester hiatus Spring Concert, from A1 spring event, Modstock, which typically occurs later in the semester. “It is still a heavily subsidized concert and is either in line or cheaper than some of our rival schools who are only bringing in one of these artists,” Zarrilli said. In a survey taken last month asking students what their primary concern on campus was, UGBC
found that the most frequent response was having a spring concert, a tangible event that students frequently enjoy. After the cancellation of the fall concert as a result of high transports, many hoped that the spring concert would return this semester. “When it came down to it, we were looking to take the money that we had budgeted and put on a show that would get as many BC students excited as possible,” Zarrilli said. n
CLASSIFIEDS
The Heights
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Thursday, March 29, 2012
Community Help wanted Have you thought about ADOPTION? Loving and devoted married couple hoping to adopt. We hope you will consider us in your options. To learn more, please call us toll-free at (877) 8413748, or visit our website www. roseanneandtim.com. Please be assured all conversations are held in strict confidence.
Community Personal shopping companion available. Will gladly accompany shopper to Chestnut Hill Mall / Newbury Street and give advice on style selections. Open to all tastes and shopping budgets. Please send inquiries to: quinncq@bc.edu.
apartment Renting one bed, one bath attached to main house, different entrance. Willing to discount rent for babysitting few hours a week. Close to Boston College and Newton Center. Contact Morgana at 857-389-2707 or philmorgana@ verizon.net.
Check out the B-Line at theb-line.tumblr.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: 路 Number can appear only once in each row 路 Number can appear only once in each column 路 Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box 路 The number should appear only once on row, column or area.
A6
The Heights
Editorials
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Campus School reminds us of selfless service
It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.
The Heights asks students to participate in Campus School Awareness week to honor the established institution
Letters to the Editor
This week, the Boston College community is celebrating Campus School Awareness Week. The Campus School Volunteers of Boston College (CSVBC) have planned and promoted a number of events throughout the week, raising awareness for the school. On Monday, CSVBC held a panel on “the current state of special education programs in the U.S.” Guests had an opportunity to listen to Program Director Don Ricciato, teacher Michael Harrington, and occupational therapist Karen Rocco, and to learn more about the Campus School and its community. On Tuesday, CSVBC held an event at Boloco, at which people could donate to the Campus School while enjoying food and conversation with volunteers. Those interested in learning more about how to get involved had the chance to speak with current members. The final event for the week will be the First Annual Campus School A Capella Show, which will feature BC’s The Acoustics, Against the Current, and B.E.A.T.S. The show is free, and will be another great opportunity to show support for the work of CSVBC.
The Heights would like to commend CSVBC, as well as teachers and volunteers in the Campus School community. In particular, the work of volunteer coordinator Sean Schofield should be noted, as he has been pivotal to the success of the events. CSVBC has raised BC’s awareness of the work being done at the Campus School through a variety of fun and informative events. This group of students works tirelessly to make an impact on the lives of others, and epitomizes the kind of selfless service in which BC students should participate. The Campus School is an incredibly unique and important type of public school and the BC community is fortunate to have the opportunity to work with students in this capacity. The school is able to give job placements to people with special needs in the community, and help bring its students into classrooms designed for their specific needs. The Heights believes that students looking for a way to get involved in a unique volunteer opportunity would benefit from visiting the Campus School and partaking in one of the many service outlets it provides.
Looking forward to BC’s sesquicentennial In honor of BC’s 150th anniversary, take time to attend the many University-sponsored events Yesterday, B oston College announced plans for its sesquicentennial anniversary. Events include the Mass of the Holy Spirit at Fenway Park, a speaker series, a Founders Day celebration, and an academic symposium. In the past 150 years, our school has shown extraordinary growth. BC started as a school to educate the sons of Irish immigrants in South Boston, and now is the 31st best school in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report. The organizers have put much time, thought, and money into this celebration to assure that it reflects all of the unique facets of the
University—whether it be our dedication to community service or our dedication to evolving Catholicism. As undergraduates in this pivotal moment of BC’s history, we should all make an effort to attend these programs to honor our school. BC will provide us with a world-class and unparalleled education, and by properly celebrating its sesquicentennial, we will both properly acknowledge this gift as well as learn more about why our University has become so great. Although some programs may not appeal to all students, The Heights urges all to celebrate our school with spirit in the coming year.
Event overcrowding begs for streamlined calendar With frequent overscheduling of student programming, The Heights proposes a universal event calender In light of the multitude of events occurring over this past weekend at Boston College, The Heights would like to address the issue of overscheduling of events, as well as the lack of a cohesive events calendar for student groups. Often, there are weekends where multiple e vents are scheduled for the same day, followed by weekends with only a few scattered events. Many factors affect event planning. However, it seems that there is a lack of communication between student groups about the process. The Heights would like to propose the use of an accessible student-organized calendar outlining events. Though there are calendars like this already in existence, such as the arts calendar available on bc.edu, none of these calendars are utilized as a place for all club heads to publicize their individual events. The myBC calendar would be a great place to begin this project, since it is already set up for student use. The Heights recognizes
that myBC has the potential to be a wonderful space for students to discuss, organize, and promote their programs. For this calendar to be effective, it needs to be utilized by more clubs and organizations, be better publicized to students, and be easier to use. Currently, the myBC calendar is relatively unknown and unused. BC has many great events taking place–events that different clubs spend time organizing and funding. The best way to boost attendance at these events is to make it simpler for students to hear about them. Therefore, The Heights urges UGBC to take a better look at the calendar in place in hopes of making it more cohesive, organized, and accessible for students. The events are there, but without publicity and knowledge, no one will attend them. Making this calendar easier to use and accessible will benefit the entire student body, and will turn myBC into the first stop for students looking for something to do.
The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Ottaunick, General Manager Lindsay Grossman, Managing Editor
-Warren Buffet (1930-), American businessman
The following are in response to Rev. John Shea’s letter to Cardinal O’Malley: Fr. Shea’s recent letter published in The Heights provides a deeply important lesson for its readers, which I believe deserves attention, although it may not be the message any of us expected. The letter serves as an example of the complexity and difficulty inherent in dialogue. Fr. Shea asks some very difficult and very good questions, but unfortunately, as he quotes his superior, there is no category with which to answer. If I may speculate why, it would seem as though his letter contains a number of troubling assumptions. First, Fr. Shea begins by accusing the Church of a policy of silence. I have never heard of such a policy, nor can I imagine the bishops upholding one; nor does this seem like a good way to begin dialogue. Second, he includes in his question about present teaching an accusation of historical patriarchy; such an accusation appears out of place and inappropriate to genuine inquiry. Third, he includes claims rejected by the Church as heresy in the fifth century, i.e. that women lack souls. Even more than the preceding comments, a statement explicitly condemned by the Church appears wildly out of place and irrelevant to the question at hand. Fourth, he pegs the answer of a complex question to a brief phrase, taken out of context, presuming that, with it, Cardinal O’Malley must begin his answer. Even more troubling is his assumption that Cardinal O’Malley’s answer must also proceed from the disturbing idea that “women are
deficient in religious development or maturity.” Finally, his letter ends with the threat of his own resignation and an implicit accusation of cowardice. All of these are severely detrimental to dialogue. It is necessary that each of these be overcome if respectful and fruitful dialogue is to happen. Of course, his letter does raise good questions, and their particularly difficult articulation seems to arise from a fair amount of frustration. Thus, he does deserve a response, and I hope, though I have very little training in theology, that I will be able to engage his questions with an appropriate degree of reverence, since they concern the sacred doctrines of our shared faith. First, I am sad that he has encountered difficulty in finding an answer to his question, especially after so long. In my years in Catholic school, I thankfully haven’t met such an obstacle. Second, I hope Fr. Shea can work through some of his difficult assumptions and enter into conversation with the Church. As he and many of his readers know, Catholic teaching can be quite difficult to articulate. Unfortunately, I don’t think a student newspaper is the best forum for this discussion, and I believe it was imprudent of The Heights to publish his letter as it did. Furthermore, it seems even more imprudent to publish a subsequent article without addressing any of the difficulties in Fr. Shea’s letter and without progressing in the direction of dialogue. I hope The Heights will
take steps to rectify the situation, to cease provoking suspicion against the administration, and to bring clarity to the issue. Third, I am deeply sorry to hear that Fr. Shea is setting aside his ministry. His service is vital to the life of the Church, and a loss of a priest’s work is a serious loss for all of the faithful. Finally, as I said before, I am not a theologian, but I would like to offer the best answer I have received to Fr. Shea’s question. Surely, I do not believe the Church does not ordain women because of some inferiority of women. Women may very well be better equipped than men for priestly ministry. Yet, the Church does not ordain them, because Jesus did not ordain them. He did not choose women as His Apostles. This would not have come from a prejudice against women. In every respect, Jesus transcended the norms of the day. I don’t know why Jesus did not ordain women, but his choice remains significant for the Church today. Is His choice authoritative, even in the field of theology? Well, yes, for when the Church speaks of Christ, there is no distinction between theology and authority. He is the source of both. Thus, the Church does not seek to squelch theology, nor does it withhold ordination from women. Rather, it respects the example of Jesus; it does not dare to do what Christ Himself did not do.
By now, many BC students will be familiar with Fr. Shea’s letter and with the three pieces The Heights has released supporting it. The original letter asked for a theological explanation of the Church’s stance on ordination, while the subsequent articles seem to imply that Fr. Shea has received misplaced criticism. In particular, the piece “Importance of Always Questioning” spotlights accusations that Fr. Shea was fired as part of a witch-hunt and that BC tried to stifle his views. The search for truth is not only laudable, but it is also deeply embedded within the Christian tradition. No less a thinker than St. Thomas Aquinas wrote: “every truth, whoever said it, comes from the Holy Spirit.” Fr. Shea, in a spirit of humility, sought not to challenge the Church, but to discover the theological explanation for one of its doctrines. The questions he asks are worthy of better answers than my limited theological training can provide. With that said, the Church itself, through the documents Inter Insigniores and Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, provides the type of theological explanation
that Fr. Shea seeks. What it has not provided, as either document will show, is anything resembling the claim “women are not fully in the likeness of Jesus.” Scripture itself revokes the idea that women are not “made whole by the saving favor of our God”. Pope John Paul II’s motto, Totus Tuus, comes from a saint who claims that God’s supreme masterpiece is Mary. Centuries of Church teaching holds her as holier and more spiritually “developed” than all men, including the Apostles who were ordained as the first priests by Christ Himself. They, like the female saints who are Doctors of the Church, would reject the idea that women are “deficient in maturity or religious development.” Admittedly, the Church did acknowledge the belief that women do not have souls–by explicitly rebuking it as heresy in the fifth century. As Professor Cornille teaches in her Intro to Comparative Theology course, dialogue can proceed only by honestly representing both one’s own position and those that oppose it. Fr. Shea’s position was made a tenure-track position
long before his open letter was released. Presumably, he is free and able to reapply for the opening. Those who imply that he was unjustly fired and unfairly criticized should provide support for their claims. Otherwise, like the theological positions that Fr. Shea assigns the Church, those claims are no more than allegations disguised as questioning. The Church has consistently condemned the ideas that Fr. Shea attributes to it. The implication that they are part of Church teaching is inaccurate and misleading. Arguing against straw man examples, employing “derisive mockery,” and portraying personal beliefs as objective news or theological truth all impair dialogue and do a disservice to those who genuinely strive to understand the Church’s position. Personal search for truth, while commendable and necessary, does not exempt one from the questioning of others or from the high standards of scholarship and integrity that The Heights espouses.
The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 200 words and column submissions that do not exceed 700 words for its op/ed pages. The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and to prevent libel. The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces submitted
George Flannery A&S’12
to the newspaper. Submissions must be signed and should include the author’s connection to Boston College, address, and phone number. Letters and columns can be submitted online at www.bcheights.com, by e-mail to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.
Business and Operations
Editorial Eleanor Hildebrandt, Copy Editor David Cote, News Editor Greg Joyce, Sports Editor Therese Tully, Features Editor Brennan Carley, Arts & Review Editor Charlotte Parish, Metro Editor Elise Taylor, Opinions Editor Molly Lapoint, Special Projects Editor Jae Hyung (Daniel) Lee, Photo Editor Maggie Burdge, Layout Editor
Ben Martin A&S ’13
Woogeon Kim, Graphics Editor Katie McClurg, Online Manager Michelle Tomassi, Assoc. Copy Editor Chris Grimaldi, Asst. Copy Editor Andrew Millette, Assoc. News Editor Sam Costanzo, Asst. News Editor Chris Marino, Assoc. Sports Editor Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor Alexandra Schaeffer, Asst. Features Editor Taylor Cavallo, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor
Dan Siering, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Marc Francis, Asst. Metro Editor Graham Beck, Asst. Photo Editor Mary Rose Fissinger, Asst. Layout Editor Joseph Castlen, Asst. Graphics Editor David Riemer, Asst. Online Manager Devon Sanford, Editorial Assistant Cathryn Woodruff, Executive Assistant
Jamie Ciocon, Business Manager James Gu, Advertising Manager Adriana Mariella, Outreach Coordinator Amy Hachigian, National Sales Manager Daniel Arnold, Local Sales Manager Natasha Ettensberger, Collections Manager DJ Terceiro, Asst. Local Sales Manager Christina Quinn, Project Coordinator
The Heights
Thursday, March 29, 2012
A7
Opinions
Rethinking graduation
Thumbs Up Prepare for the kinda-worstGood news everybody! A document from FEMA outlines what would happen if Washington, D.C. got hit by a nuclear bomb, and it is really not that bad. The blast zone would only be half a mile, and the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument would suffer little to no damage. Not to mention, with the presence of social media, the word would get out a lot faster. So Doomsday Preppers, you can all stop training your German Shepherds as attack dogs and put your biosealed mountain bunkers on the market, because we might all have a chance for survival. Semi-charmed kind of concert- Yes, Yes, and more yes. Although we might have to wear a Spice Girls t-shirt and a scrunchie to attend this year’s Spring Concert, we are beyond pumped that it is Third Eye Blind and Nelly. Sorry if we freak anyone out in Conte with our emotional portrayal of “Never Let You Go.” Another excuse to be lazy- A study done by Sydney University shows that homework has no tangible benefit on improving students’ comprehension. We have no idea if Sydney University is a credible source, but we are just going to choose to believe this and not do any homework again. Philosophy of the Person reading? Smell ya later. We’re going to sit on our butt and watch Dance Moms.
Thumbs Down A Very One Percent Story- Greg Smith, the former Goldman Sachs employee who resigned via a scathing Op-Ed in the New York Times, is rumored to be getting a book deal worth over a million dollars. In review, that is more than his salary at the world’s most vilified bank. In summary, a member of the one percent writes a very public bashing of his one percent peers, loses his job, but ends up richer than ever. Hats off to you, Greg Smith. We complain about spoiled brat things all the time in this column and no one has given us a book deal. If any publishers out there are reading this, we will whine about anything and give a giant f—you to a bunch of people for that much money. We have no filter. Game of Stoves- A fan of the popular series-turned-HBO show has published a Game of Thrones cookbook. That’s pretty weird. The characters in Game of Thrones eat like, direwolf and bear meat. Daenerys Targaryen ate a raw horse heart and almost barfed it up. Why would we want recipes for any of those? Like, mmm Mom, we just love this stewed raven! I hope you make it all the time! Yeah... no. Overscheduling- Did anyone else notice how many events went on this weekend? 100 Days, Middlemarch, ALC showdown? Spring Awakening? We should probably plan a better schedule next year, because no one can be in a million places at once. Follow us on Twitter @BCTUTD
Dineen Boyle Last Wednesday, I received an e-mail from the Office of Commencement with e-invitations to invite family and friends to my upcoming graduation ceremony. This Monday, I made a decision regarding my first official post-graduation job offer. And today, I write my last column for The Heights. For college seniors, it is difficult to ignore the sense of finality that surrounds us. This feeling of conclusion is accompanied by uncertainty. This uncertainty breeds stress. And ultimately, these feelings combine to create a mentality of self-interestedness. With concerns about jobs, student loan payments, and the economy, it is easy to understand how soon-to-be graduates can get caught up in their own brains. As April approaches, most seniors are likely preoccupied with a combination of the following considerations: What am I going to do for a job? Am I going to enjoy my job? Is this the right career for me? Should I accept this offer? Should I attend this graduate program? Will I graduate with honors? Where am I going to live after graduation? Am I making the right decisions? These are all important questions. This type of self-focus is constructive and necessary. It will ensure that seniors are best prepared for the post-graduate world that awaits. But all of this focus on the “I” and “my” is exhausting. As a society, we have come to view graduating from college as an individual accomplishment. Commence-
ment ceremonies focus on recognizing both the individual graduates and the graduating class as a whole. With all of this attention on the students, it’s easy to lose sight of the support system that truly enabled them to get there. I propose that we rethink the way we view graduation. It is inarguable that much of a graduate’s achievement is the product of his or her own hard work. By my count (which is subject to variation depending on one’s field of study), if the average student writes two papers and takes two exams per academic course, then he or she has written 76 papers and completed 76 exams by graduation day. The student has also attended (or at least was supposed to attend) approximately 500 classes. These numbers are impressive. But they are not just the sum total of an individual graduate’s efforts. They are the product of something much larger. As May 21 nears, I cannot help but to realize how much of a collaborative effort my graduation will be. And I am not alone in this thinking. Without the encouragement and support of others, the class of 2012 would not stand where we are today. Before we take the last step and cross over the threshold into the so-called “real world,” some acknowledgements are in order. To the dads who hauled 80 lb. bins up countless flights of stairs to our freshman dorm rooms on moving day. To the professors who challenged and inspired us. To the roommates and friends who were always there to offer perfectly timed words of encouragement or liquid courage. To the people who funded our education. To easybib. com for formatting all of our bibliographies. To the parents and guardians who postponed their retirements so that we could get the education that they were never able to. To the facilities workers who saved us from ever having to go a day without lighting, plumbing, or heating. To the people
with whom we shared incredible conversations. To the friends who withheld Facebook and Twitter passwords so that we could finish writing papers during our darkest hour of senioritis. To the people who carefully proofread our writing. To the boyfriends, girlfriends, and best friends who patiently listened. To the moms, for everything. To the admissions officers who believed in us. To the inventors of Command Hooks, for saving us hundreds of dollars in damage billing. To the people who rescued us when we were sad and were excited for us when we were happy. To the advisors who reassured us. To the one roommate who took out the trash way more than everyone else—we thank you. From now on, when feeling stressed by the uncertainty that we face as graduating seniors, let us try our best to keep things in perspective. This way, instead of feeling overwhelmed by the choices that we have to make, we can appreciate having such choices in the first place. After all, deciding if we can afford an apartment with access to a sweet roof deck or debating whether we should turn down a job offer to pursue opportunities that are more in line with our passions are luxuries, not crises. We are exceedingly fortunate if our lives allow us to consider such privileged post-graduate decisions. And perhaps the opportunity to receive our education from a school like Boston College is our greatest privilege of all. For this, we owe an incredible debt of gratitude to those who helped to make it possible. So class of 2012, when our friends, family, and the faculty of BC applaud our accomplishment on May 21, let us stand and applaud theirs in return. Dineen Boyle is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
That’s really deep, man CJ Gustafson James Cameron, director of awardwinning films Titanic and Avatar, recently completed a journey to Earth’s deepest point. The Hollywood icon dove nearly seven miles off the coast of Guam, operating a specially designed submarine, to film an area known as the Mariana Trench. The sheer size of the trench is amazing. According to the Huffington Post, it is “120 times larger than the Grand Canyon and more than a mile deeper than Mount Everest is tall.” I was extremely excited when I learned this, not only because I’m
a huge National Geographic nerd, mesmerized by any documentary on jungle, arctic, and ocean environments, but also because I hate to think that all of the Earth has already been discovered. Cameron explained, “These deep trenches are the last unexplored frontier on our planet, with scientific riches enough to fill a
Bazoomie Wagon
hundred years of exploration.” On one hand, it’s amazing that, as humans, we’ve been able to almost completely traverse the millions of square miles that cover the Earth’s surface over the last five centuries or so, mapping every island and speck of land. But in a sense, it’s depressing that we’ve become so technologically advanced in the different fields of exploration that there’s little left for future generations to find without literally leaving Earth. It takes the imagination out of things when we can Google Earth any acre of land from the comfort of our couch. Although Cameron is of Canadian origin, Americans have always been obsessed with the concept of exploration. In the early 1800s, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark ventured into the western portion of the country, traveling through the Louisiana Territory and all the way to the Pacific Ocean. It’s astounding to imagine the magnitude of space these men officially documented for the first time over just a few years. In the 19th century, John L. O’Sullivan’s term “Manifest Destiny” expressed the belief that Americans were destined to overspread and populate the continent, from ocean to ocean. This inspired settlers to hop into wagons and trek into the unknown, staking out squares of land to erect new towns. Manifest Destiny invoked a theme of virtue as well as a mission and responsibility to overspread and explore North America, which many American leaders have drawn upon for inspiration in international affairs and territorial expansion. In 1927, American aviator Charles Lindbergh left the confines of the ground and took to the air to complete the first nonstop solo flight from New York to France. He glided over seascape that had only been seen from the eyes of passengers on boats. Then, in 1969, Neil Armstrong left Earth altogether and became the first person to set foot on a surface outside the realm of this planet by walking on
BY BEN VADNAL
the moon. Cameron’s dive into the abyss makes me wonder where we as humans will try to go next. It’s incredible that the human race has been able to investigate nearly every patch of land and ocean on Earth. In less than three centuries, we have advanced from not knowing what’s inside the borders of North America to being aware of planets light-years away. But as Cameron alluded to, maybe the answer is not going further away, but deeper. His most recent exploration will fuel a number of scientific studies. Just when we as humans thought that there was nowhere left to go that couldn’t be reached in a few hours via an American Airlines flight, an area larger than the Grand Canyon is explored for the first time. Cameron says that going full ocean depth is considered the Holy Grail from an engineering standpoint, and that every dive will be a revelation. Aside from documenting an unknown area of earth, perhaps Cameron’s biggest achievement was appreciating how small we are in comparison to our world. With the technology to venture almost anywhere and with databases holding a wealth of information on almost anything, we forget our planet’s magnitude and our relatively miniscule position within it. What struck Cameron was “the sense of isolation, more than anything, realizing how tiny you are down in this big vast black unknown and unexplored place.” On a day-to-day basis, it’s easy to lose touch with that mystery. The world is becoming a smaller place for us as we reach further and further. I hope that future generations can maintain that sense of wonder and appreciation as they venture, in the wise words of Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear, “To infinity and beyond!” CJ Gustafson is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@ bcheights.com.
The BC spring
Brian Palumbo Come this time of year, any sports fan begins to wake up from the doldrums of winter to the new beginning of spring, and, in my opinion, the entrance into the climax of both professional and college sports. February is often the quietest month in sports. The NBA, more often than not, is slowly moving along its overextended schedule, or in this case, rushing through its way too tightly packed schedule. The NHL, and its similar format to the NBA, rests in the same situation. NCAA basketball is in full force, but the best teams have often separated themselves from the pack, and besides the occasional upset, there are no real surprises. Pitchers and catchers report in the MLB, and finally, once the Super Bowl is over, the NFL remains aloft by early draft speculation. Boston College campus follows a similar path, both through its athletics and its extracurriculars. For instance, weeks after Spring Break, ALC Showdown occurs. This can be considered a pseudo-kickoff to spring on the Heights. The weather leading up to Showdown this year might have signaled the passing of winter (if there was a winter this year). I don’t think there was a single complaint about 70 and sunny for basically an entire week in the middle of March. Nonetheless, this past weekend depicts how eventful the spring at BC quickly becomes from one weekend to the next. In the span of four days, Showdown was in Conte, BC hockey advanced to the Frozen Four, and the baseball team won its home opener against nationally ranked Georgia Tech. The options for a BC student open up in a matter of minutes. The hockey game was a mere 40 minutes away at the Worcester Center, and the baseball game was on Shea Field. A sports fan’s thirst can easily be satisfied through either of these choices, and, if neither option appeals enough, one who is willing to spend money could have seen the BC-hosted NCAA regional basketball finals in Boston. In the meantime, I did attend ALC Showdown, which was great just as it is year in and year out. Uprising and Sexual Chocolate’s victories were due to excellent performances, but the entire show was awesome. And with Showdown’s completion, and the hockey team’s victory, the season of spring officially began. Campus can and will continue to come alive this week with the kickoff of C.A.R.E. Week. The official BC website declares, “The WRC holds Concerned About Rape Education (C.A.R.E.) Week every year, which focuses on raising awareness about sexual assault and intimate partner violence on and off campus.” There are many C.A.R.E. Week events, such as Take Back the Night, Deconstructing Masculinity, Clothesline, etc. … they all focus on one issue that C.A.R.E. Week wants to raise awareness about on campus. This week has been a staple on the BC campus since the beginning of the aughts, and it always brings energy to campus. Unfortunately, Easter is the week right after C.A.R.E. Week this year, but that is only a small delay in the rest of the events of the spring. So far, I have only highlighted the big events on campus that are in the face of every student, yet there are other, smaller events that are not as visible on campus. From the start of school in September, there are always brilliant and interesting speakers who come to campus. In the spring this only accelerates. Last week, the first winner of The Apprentice came to campus on a Tuesday evening. The following night there was a panel discussing the issues of gang violence in Boston and El Salvador. Yes, that happened to be our Arrupe Solidarity project, yet that does not prevent the event from being interesting. That is only one of the eight other on-campus projects that will take place between now and the end of the year as the yearly Arrupe trips draw to an end. This week the CEO of Campbell’s Soup came to talk to students. Those are three examples of a plethora of events that I am sure I don’t know of that bring energy to the Heights, put students back in the quad, and make BC a hyperactive campus. Kids are everywhere when the weather is nice. Last week there was no room on the quad grass because it seemed the entire campus was outside. BC becomes a lively campus in the daytime, with activities going on 24/7, and I never even mentioned Arts Fest, our Spring concert (!!!), Mudstock, and Modstock. So much happens in the spring, and it makes it a great time to be on the Heights ... and don’t let me forget the intramural Wiffle Ball season. It’s our last chance to win that mug.
Brian Palumbo is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
The Heights
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Thursday, March 29, 2012
After a tough loss to Northeastern, BC responds against Bryant Baseball, from A10 BC got on the board after Bourdon scored on a wild pitch. The next two Eagle batters struck out, and BC seemed to be done in the inning after Rob Moir hit a routine ground ball to the second baseman. The throw to first, though, hit the dirt and ended up out of play, extending the inning and scoring McGovern. The Eagles added a run when Marc Perdios hit an RBI single to drive in Moir. Eric Stone made his pitching debut for BC with the start, going two innings after coming off of an injury. The freshman was solid, striking out three and only allowing one base runner in his time on the mound. “It was awesome to have him out there,” Gambino said. “He’s had some shoulder problems. We got him back, we got him healthy, and he came out and played really well for us today. He was really good in the first inning, not quite as sharp in the second, I think due to that long layoff. He was on a 30-pitch count, and we’re going to continue to stretch him out in the next couple of weeks.” Bryant scored in the third inning with a double and single to cut the deficit to two. In the fifth, Geoff Murphy started the inning by allowing two Bulldogs to reach first and second. He was then replaced by Nick Poore, who allowed those runners to score on a sacrifice fly and a single up the middle, which tied the game at three. Poore limited the damage after that, finishing with three innings of scoreless, one-hit ball. Meanwhile, BC struggled to get anything going offensively. “I think it was one of those days,” Gambino said. “We had 10 hits. We just couldn’t string them together. We only had two extra-base hits, one being the walk-off. You kind of scatter 10 singles, and that’s what happens.” Kyle Prohovich pitched a perfect eighth and ninth inning for the Eagles after allowing the game-winning hit Tuesday. “I have so much faith in Kyle,” Gambino said. “I love having him in there in big situations. It didn’t quite work out for
him [Tuesday], and I couldn’t wait to get him back on the mound, which was a big situation again today.” Matt Alvarez came on in the 10th for BC and earned the win after a scoreless inning, bringing his record to 2-3 for the season. Bourdon, Melchionda, and John Hennessy led the Eagles with two hits each. Though both games were decided in the late innings, the story Tuesday at Northeastern was much different for BC. After jumping out to an early 7-1 lead, the Eagles were hit by an onslaught of Huskie offense. BC led 11-7 going into the ninth, but Northeastern rallied from the four-run deficit to beat the Eagles. The Huskies scored once in the second inning, but then BC put up seven runs in the third. The Eagles used five hits and three walks in the inning, including a two-run triple by Matt Pare. The six-run cushion didn’t last for long though, as Northeastern scored four in the bottom of the inning. A bases-loaded walk followed three singles to start the scoring for the Huskies, as starter Steve Green was tagged for five runs in 2.2 innings of work. Nate Bayuk didn’t fare much better, allowing two runs in 1.2 innings. “As a whole outside of [John] Gorman, we weren’t throwing our secondary stuff for strikes, and we weren’t commanding our fastball,” Gambino said. “We weren’t able to go side to side with the fastball like you need to. In college baseball, it doesn’t matter how hard you throw if you’re not locating your fastball and mixing your pitches.” The Eagles led 11-7 after five innings, as they scored four more runs in the fifth. Moir reached on a throwing error by the third baseman, and later came around to score on a wild pitch. After reaching on a fielder’s choice, Andrew Lawrence also scored on a wild pitch. Later in the inning with runners on second and third, Tyler Hinchliffe singled up the middle to bring both Eagles home. “Hinchliffe’s a gamer,” Gambino said. “He plays so hard, he competes, he has so much confidence in big situations, and everybody else has confidence in him in big situations. Whether he’s on the
Lindsay Grossman / Heights Editor
John Hennessy slides into second base yesterday against Bryant, trying to break up a double play. The third baseman had two hits in the win. mound or at the plate in big situations, he’s able to focus and get the job done.” Gorman came on for BC in the bottom of the fifth and threw 3.1 innings of scoreless ball. He was the only BC pitcher on the day to allow fewer than two runs. “He’s been pitching really well for us,” Gambino said. “In high school, all these guys can rear back and throw the ball by guys. At this level, you can’t do that. Gorman’s done really well with adjustments. He commands a fastball, he pitches in, he competes his butt off, and
then he’s able to mix in that secondary stuff in for strikes. He’s awesome to have on the mound.” From then on, the Huskies and Eagles traded scoreless innings until the bottom of the ninth, when Northeastern started with three singles off of Hinchliffe to load the bases. After a fielder’s choice scored a run, Gambino brought on Prohovich to close out the win. The first batter he faced roped a double to right center, driving in two runs to make it a one-run game. Northeastern’s top hitter, John Puttress, next
hit a game-tying single to center. After another single and intentional walk, the bases were loaded with one out. Puttress then scored on a wild pitch, giving Northeastern the 12-11 victory. While Tuesday was surely a heartbreaking loss for BC, the Eagles got their momentum back with the walkoff win yesterday by the hands of Payne. “[The season] has been going good,” Payne said. “We hit that rough patch and I kind of did too, but I’m feeling better at the plate now, and I think we’re playing better as well.” n
Spaziani, Eagles ready to improve in Spring Game Spring Game, from A10 Chase. I think it’s a good rivalry—it’s helped both of them. It’s a competition, but you have to have one quarterback going in, and right now Chase is the leader in the hunt.” One major concern with the Eagles this year is the lack of experience and leadership on the defensive side of the ball. The defense lost three of its best players in Keuchly, Fletcher, and Holloway, and will have a hard time filling the void left by all three. Spaziani recognizes the struggle his team may face with so few experienced players on defense, but remains hopeful that his players can step up and make an impact. “That’s been a concern, and a concern in that you need to get guys who are proficient and who can then exert themselves leadership-wise,” Spaziani said. “It’s tough to be a leader when you’re trying to figure out your own position. So that’s been a concern, but we’ve made some progress on defense, and there have certainly been some guys who are trying to assert themselves, Kasim Edebali for one.” Spaziani then went into more detail
on the loss of Kuechly. A huge gap at middle linebacker needs to be filled, and there is no one clear choice as to who will take over as of now. Spaziani talked about where the team stands now on this issue, and mentioned the possibility for some changes in the coming weeks. “Sean Duggan and Nick Lifka have been at that position, and they’ve made tremendous progress,” Spaziani said. “I don’t know if they’re quite where we want them to be yet, but they’re making progress, and we’ll evaluate whether or not we want to keep them there, but it looks like that’s what’s going to happen.” The main point Spaziani stressed was making sure his players improve, and he will have a chance to evaluate that on Saturday. While the regular season is still a few months away, Spaziani is focused on seeing improvement every single day. “We evaluate them 24/7, so it can go a long way,” Spaziani said. “[The spring game] is part of the puzzle. We’d like to see guys improve, but we might see something out there that we need to build on and hadn’t seen before.” n
alex trautwig / heights Senior staff
With two seasons of experience under his belt, Chase Rettig (7) will need to show dramatic improvements for the Eagles to be a contender in the ACC.
Spring football game a diversion from your typical ‘March Madness’ Chris Grimadli For Superfans, the final week of March implies an abundance of interesting sport storylines to follow. We eagerly anticipate an unpredictable close to a month of men’s basketball “madness,” even while our brackets lay in waste. We welcome our baseball and softball teams back to the friendly confines of Shea Field and watch them improve with each game, even when they are stacked up against tough ACC competition. Most importantly, we are caught up in the excitement of watching head coach Jerry York’s Eagles continue their journey toward another NCAA hockey championship in the Frozen Four. Springtime at Boston College also means–yep, you guessed it–football. Though it pains me to crush the hopes and dreams of pretty much every Superfan with this grim reminder,
the prelude to the BC football team’s 2012 season kicks off (or considering our offensive execution last year, punts) this Saturday with the annual Jay McGillis Spring Game at Alumni Stadium—whether we like it or not. As much as we’d like to believe that the start of spring brings warmer weather and blue skies, it also apparently brings head coach Frank Spaziani back to the sidelines with a changed cast of characters after leading his team to a disappointing 4-8 record last year. I understand that such disheartening news rains on the parade of the sudden optimism that BC sports fans had up until this point. After all, is this really the best time to bring up a subpar football team in the midst of a hockey championship run? Who decided to start pouring on the misery in March rather than just wait until September? We all may not be looking forward to getting an early glimpse of this year’s football squad and what it’ll have to offer
scoreboard
Men’s Hockey
BC AF
2 0
Lacrosse
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on game day for Superfans this season. But with a preseason that’s bound to have more drama-filled storylines than my grandmother’s favorite soap opera, no one can say that following Spaz’s Eagles won’t be interesting. Though we can’t be certain of the gains the Eagles will make this season, we are sure of what they have lost: collegiate star-turned NFL draft prospect Luke Kuechly. Projected as a high first-round pick, the former record-setting BC linebacker will soon be enjoying well-deserved success at the professional level. Yet the gaping hole Kuechly leaves behind in his alma mater’s defense is a storyline in itself. In any situation, replacing a Butkus award-winner who averaged nearly 16 tackles per game is a daunting task. Perhaps an entire chapter has been torn out of Spaziani’s playbook and rival ACC offenses have one less thing to fear now that Luke is gone, but–on the bright side–it will give BC’s
Worcester, Mass. 3/24
Men’s Hockey
Milner 0 ga 20 svs BC Torf 2 ga 32 svs UMD Stanwick 2 g 1 a BC Friend 4 g 1 dc
Worcester, Mass. 3/25 men’s Tennis
Milner 0 ga 33 svs BC 4 ga 20 svs GT
4 0
Newton, mass. 3/24 Women’s Rowing
8 9
young talent the opportunity to step in and prove its worth to this team going forward. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the extreme makeover BC’s coaching staff underwent in the offseason, with the curious departure of offensive coordinator Dave Brock and other assistants creating further controversy over the team’s situation. A new arrival to Spaz’s supporting cast is new OC Doug Martin, whose new responsibility is resurrecting an offense that averaged an anemic 18.2 points per game last season. As if that task wasn’t enough to keep Martin busy, he also walks into a brewing quarterback competition between incumbent Chase Rettig and wildcat extraordinaire Josh Bordner. Many saw Rettig’s 2011 campaign as an unfulfilled opportunity to transition from a highly touted prospect to the second coming of Matt Ryan. Though the rising junior experienced flashes of brilliance last
0 7
Boston, Mass. 3/24 Men’s Fencing
Beanpot at Charles River BC 4th place overall
year that displayed his strong skill set, the emergence of Bordner as a versatile, Tebow-esque option under center has put pressure on Rettig to come out strong in camp, putting his starting job in jeopardy. The outcome of this duel will be sure to not only shape the Eagles’ offense for 2012, but also cast the fate of the team’s season. Even though March Madness of all sorts will be soon coming to an end, Saturday’s spring football game and the circumstances surrounding it will ensure that there are no dull moments. We ought not to see it as just the beginning of the end for the Eagles, but rather the beginning of a five-month long storyline any soap opera fan would find captivating. Chris Grimaldi is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights. com.
Clemson, S.c. 3/ 24 Men’s Tennis
[4-7, 0-5 acc] BC [6-7, 1-2 acc] CU
Clemson, S.c. 3/ 25
2 5
[4-8, 0-6 acc] [8-8, 4-1 acc]
Columbus, Oh. 3/25 Women’s Fencing
Men’s sabre BC Souders 17th place
Columbus, Oh. 3/25
women’s sabre Rosenbauer 21st place
The Heights
Editors’ Picks
Thursday, March 29, 2012 The Week Ahead
Standings
Baseball hosts Maryland for a three game series this weekend, while softball hosts UVA in a series of their own. Lacrosse looks to get back on track at UVA on Saturday. Men’s tennis hosts Miami tomorrow. The Final Four in New Orleans features Kentucky, Louisville, Kansas, and Ohio State.
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Recap from Last Week
Chris Marino
28-17
Heights Staff
27-18
Greg Joyce
26-19
Austin Tedesco
25-20
Game of the Week
After defeating Air Force, men’s hockey beat Duluth on its way to the Frozen Four. Baseball upset Georgia Tech in its series and softball swept Dartmouth. Lacrosse lost a heartbreaker to North Carolina. Ohio State won the East Regional and made the Final Four.
Baseball
Guest Editor: Taylor Cavallo
Maryland
Assoc. Arts & Review Editor
This weekend, the Boston College baseball team (10-14, 2-7 ACC) will host Maryland (17-9, 2-7) in a three-game series. The Eagles are coming off a 5-3 walkoff victory against Bryant. Senior Spenser Payne won it for his team on a two-run home run in the 10th. In terms of conference play, BC upset then-No. 14 Georgia Tech in last weekend’s series, two games to one. The Terps share a 2-7 conference record with the Eagles, and are coming off a two-game winning streak behind a 15-hit performance against Miami and a 16-hit game versus St. John’s.
“I don’t know anything about basketball.”
Greg Joyce Sports Editor
This Week’s Games
Chris Marino Assoc. Sports Editor
Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor
Taylor Cavallo
Assoc. Arts Editor
Baseball: BC vs. Maryland (Series)
BC
BC
Maryland
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Softball: BC vs. UVA
UVA
UVA
BC
UVA
Lacrosse: BC at No. 11 UVA
UVA
UVA
BC
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Men’s Tennis: BC vs. Miami
Miami
Miami
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Who will win the Final Four?
Ohio St.
Kentucky
Kentucky
Kansas
Boston College
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Fri. 2:30 p.m.; Sat. 1:30 p.m.; Sun. 1:00 p.m.
Final Four should act as a reminder of the injustices in college sports Final Four, from A10 cheese to be served with bagels provided to athletes. Are you freaking kidding me?). The purity of the Olympic Games isn’t ruined by the fact that each player on the U.S. Olympic basketball roster makes money through endorsements, and the Final Four wouldn’t be ruined either. Kentucky’s Anthony Davis and Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger deserve to get paid for commercial opportunities or for wearing Nike products if that opportunity is available to them. Instead, the NCAA would suspend these players because the NCAA essentially owns them and their marketability. The players deserve to get a cut of the jersey sales featuring their number, even though a technicality states these jerseys don’t technically profit off their own image since only their number and not their name appear on the jerseys. It doesn’t matter if “purists” say this would hurt the game. The viewer experience of watching college basketball matters a whole lot less than what is fair and what is right. It’s not about us. It’s about players. And you know what the players would do with the money? They’d be able to pay for dates, new clothes, maybe a concert or two, and anything else that a working college student would pay for, except these athletes don’t have the time
career in the NBA wouldn’t be worth jeopardizing for change down the road that the protesting players wouldn’t even experience. It’s a possibility that Boston College could make the Final Four in the next few years. Although it’s not a guarantee by any means, with a strong senior class, solid recruiting, and Steve Donahue leading the way, I know it can happen. Donahue got close at Cornell, and he can do it here. If they do make it that far someday, it will be incredibly exciting, but also incredibly sad. All 80 million people watching the Eagles will help fill the pockets of everyone involved except the guys on the floor, and that’s a shame. If Roggie’s wants to pay a Final Fourbound Ryan Anderson to be in an ad, he should be allowed to do that. If Nike wants to pay Dennis Clifford to wear one of their wristbands, he should be allowed to accept that money. It’s only fair, and no one has the right to get in the way of that. Unfortunately, there are countless obstacles standing in the way of what’s fair and what’s right, and right now, not enough people are concerned with ending this self-perpetuating exploitation.
graham beck / heights editor
Student athletes such as Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger and Cincinnati’s Yancy Gates (above) deserve the right to profit off of their own image. to pick up a job to go along with their 40 hours a week of athletics while keeping up with academics. Why is it seen as such an awful idea to let these student athletes participate fully in the college experience the rest of us get? Georgia wide receiver AJ Green was suspended two seasons ago for selling a game-worn jersey to fund a spring break trip with his
friends. Similar jerseys were being sold in the Georgia store for a minimum of $40. That isn’t fair. If someone is willing to let an athlete profit off their success so that he can enjoy a vacation, why is a university or the NCAA allowed to get in the way of that and steal the money for themselves? The problem with the current system
is that it is nearly impossible to change. One of the only ways for real progress to be made on this issue is for a coach or a team captain to organize a protest of a Final Four game in the name of student athletes and fair compensation. Too much is at stake for these coaches and players to do such a thing. The shot at a national championship and a potential
Austin Tedesco is the Asst. Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.
Eagles set their sights on yet another banner Frozen Four, from A10
graham beck / heights editor
Brian Dumoulin helps lead a BC defense that has two straight shutouts heading into the Frozen Four. Baseball
BC GT
Chesnut Hill, Mass. 3/23
15 7
Softball
BC BU
Chesnut Hill, Mass. 3/24 Baseball
Baseball
Pare 3-4 2 RBI BC Thomas 2-5 1 RBI GT
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Chesnut Hill, MA 3/22 Softball
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one team from each league play,” York said. “I know it’s happened in the past, but it’s always more of a national flavor.” While the Eagles are in the midst of a 17-game winning streak, it hasn’t been just easy success for the team all season. BC suffered through a stretch from November to January in which it was 6-9-1, and York was forced to sit down and reevaluate what the expectations were for his team. “I think talking to our captains and talking to our players, that we were an average team,” York said. “There’s nothing wrong with being average. There’s tons of teams that play college hockey and they’re not all going to win conference championships and go to the Frozen Four. But that was a factor late for us. “We had to decide, ‘Do we want to be just average?’ which is the majority of teams. You know, win one, lose one … Or do we want to be special? If you want to be special, we emphasized that we just have to get better in all areas and the commitment to being a good team has to be 24/7.” Ever since that conversation, the team has responded by showing that they had bigger aspirations than to settle for a mediocre year. “I think our players didn’t want to be average,” York said. “They wanted to be considered a special team and win trophies. I think our commitment level raised, I think our play raised, I think our work ethic and everything about what you need to do to go from average to a special team, that’s what happened in late January. We’ve kind of built on that as we’ve gone through over the last month and a half.” All of that hard work and dedication will be put on the line next week in a challenging matchup against the Gophers. Then again, the Eagles have showed how they respond to challenges. Their goal now is to bring home another banner. The rafters at Kelley Rink are waiting. n
D’argento 6 ip 1 r 4 h BC 2 Floetker 7 ip 0 er 4 h Dart. 1
Melchionda 2-3 1 RBI BC Hyde 2-3 1 RBI GT
1 2
Chesnut Hill, Mass. 3/24 Softball
11 Pandolfo 1-2 1 RBI BC 0 Dart. Everett 1-3 1 RBI
Chesnut Hill, Mass. 3/24 Baseball
Lasko 4 ip 4 h 2 er 2 so BC Isaacs 5 ip 3 h 1 er 3 so NU
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Chesnut Hill, MA 3/24 Women’s Tennis
Gray 2 ip 3 h 4 er 1 so BC Horowitz 5 ip 1 h 0 er CU
Baseball
Chesnut Hill, Mass. 3/28
Melchionda 3-5 1 RBI BC Vosler 3-5 3 RBI Bryant
5 Payne 1-5 2 rbi 3 Muscatello 2-5 1 RBI
Brookline, Mass. 3/27
2 5
Chestnut Hill, Mass. 3/23 Women’s Tennis
[7-8, 1-4 ACC] BC [10-6, 3-1 acc] GT
Chestnut Hill, Mass. 3/24
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[7-9, 1-5 acc] [9-7, 3-2 acc]
SPORTS The Heights
Thursday, March 29, 2012
A10
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Eagles riding streak into Frozen Four Men’s hockey begins final run for national title against powerhouse Minnesota By Greg Joyce Sports Editor
A week from tonight, the puck will drop in Tampa on another chapter of Boston College vs. Minnesota hockey. The stage will be like no other, as after 60 minutes, one team will go home, and one will move on for a shot at the national championship. “We’ve got a lot of banners hung up on Kelley Rink here,” said head coach Jerry York. “I think the feeling [on the team] is that, ‘Hey, when we look back on our legacy, we want to win important trophies. There’s none shinier than the one they’re going to present [in Tampa] next Saturday.” The Eagles and the Gophers are two of the perennial powerhouses in college hockey, both winning multiple national
championships since 2000. BC last won it all in 2010, with titles also coming in 2008 and 2001. Minnesota won backto-back national titles in 2002 and 2003, but hasn’t been back in a championship game since. “This rivalry, BC-Minnesota, goes back a long, long way, and it’s not just that the color of uniforms are the same,” York said. “It’s two teams that value hockey on their campuses and have great, great traditions. We’re honored to be looking across the ice at the Gophers.” Next week will be the Eagles’ eighth Frozen Four appearance in the last 13 seasons (since 2000), a testament to York’s coaching and the talent he puts on the ice year in and year out. “This is something, when we all set out for a year of coaching, we envision, ‘Hey, can we get to a Frozen Four?’ You
can’t just go down to Best Buy and buy a ticket for this event. You’ve got to earn it, and we’ve all done that,” York said. “Our club is very excited about going down to the Frozen Four. Some of our players have experienced this, and they know what a terrific event it is. We’re certainly geared to try to win a national championship, but we understand winning is very, very difficult. “We’re staring right at a traditional, powerful team that has an unbelievable history to it in the University of Minnesota. They’ll really present some obstacles to us as we try to win a national title.” The other side of the bracket features two lesser-known college hockey programs, Union and Ferris State. Both had impressive seasons, and had to get through difficult regional matchups in order to land a spot in Tampa. “It’s an interesting dynamic to have
See Frozen Four, A9
alex trautwig / heights senior staff
Jerry York’s squad will need to overcome Minnesota for a shot at another national title.
Springing into action
Exploitation ruins magic of Final Four Austin Tedesco
in front of the right fielder. Payne fell behind in the count 0-2, but worked it back to 3-2 before crushing a slider over the fence in left field. “[Payne] looked really bad with a couple sliders in the at-bat before,” said head coach Mike Gambino. “They kept going after him with them. He made the adjustment, laid off a couple ones in the dirt. Then the guy hung a slider, and [Payne] got his hands through.” “I was sitting fastball late,” Payne said, “so if he gave me the slider I’d have time for it, and it kind of hung a little bit.” The Eagles found themselves in their first extra-inning game of the season after failing to score after the first inning. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead early, aided by a couple of key miscues by the Bulldogs. Bourdon and McGovern started the game with back-to-back singles, and advanced to second and third after an error was committed by Bryant’s centerfielder.
Saturday at 5 p.m. on CBS marks the beginning of the worst annual event in sports. Forget the ridiculous BCS system that rarely anoints a real champion. Forget the agonizing pain that is the ESPY Awards. And forget anything involving Tebowmania. The Final Four is the most exploitative, frustrating athletic contest, and also, unfortunately, one of the most watched and beloved. BCS bowl games, the Final Four’s partner in crime when it comes to ripping off “student-athletes,” rake in money for the competing universities to be spent on academic and athletic endeavors, but the three games in New Orleans on Saturday and Monday, while sending some money to schools, ship a good portion of the revenue straight to the suits in Indianapolis working for the NCAA. College football players get ripped off just as much as college basketball players do, but it’s even more disgusting during March Madness that the money owed to college basketball players funds a corrupt and overbearing organization. The NCAA makes around $771 million a year off of broadcasting rights alone from the NCAA Tournament because of the 80 million people who tune in. Universities set up college football TV deals on their own, making 80 percent of the NCAA’s revenue stem from the teams on your precious bracket. And the compensation in turn for the student-athletes? Not a dime more than the scholarship they’d receive whether or not their team makes the tournament, which can range from $20,000 at an in-state public university or upwards of $50,000 at BC. Some may say this is a lot, but it’s not enough. Opponents to fair compensation of college athletes make the argument that this scholarship adequately justifies the approximately 40 hours a week that men’s basketball players spend in the gym during the season. They also drop inherently selfish arguments about the purity of the game being ruined or their uneasiness with a college kid earning some spending money by appearing in commercials. And you know what, who cares? Get over it. There is no justifiable reason for coaches, schools, and suits setting up TV deals to profit off of the hard work of student-athletes when the players don’t get fair compensation in return. The main issue here isn’t that college athletes deserve a salary (although they do), but they at least deserve the rights to their own image. The NCAA owns the image of student-athletes for as long as they are participating in college athletics and can profit off of that image as much as they want, while also having the power to punish any player who attempts to circumvent this heinous rule or any of the other oppressive mandates in the NCAA rulebook (up until this year, it was considered “excessive” for cream
See Baseball, A8
See Final Four, A9
alex trautwig / heights senior staff
One of the major questions heading into the 2012 Boston College football season will be how quarterback Chase Rettig performs with back up Josh Bordner chasing the starting spot.
Plenty of storylines to watch for in Saturday’s Spring Game, including the QB spot By Steven Principi Heights Staff
It may still be hockey time at Boston College, but football season isn’t far off. With the bubble over Alumni Stadium finally gone, the Eagles turn their attention to the 20th annual Jay McGillis Spring Game, which will be played this Saturday at 1 p.m. Following such a disappointing fall, there are a handful of storylines surrounding the upcoming season, many of which will be on display this weekend. Head coach Frank Spaziani said that he sees the game as more of a chance to evaluate individuals than the team as a whole.
“It’s a practice, even though it’s a game,” Spaziani said. “And what it does is shows how guys react in game situations. Because there’s a lot of guys who practice real well and then don’t play so well, and there’s a lot of guys who don’t practice well efficiency-wise but then when the game starts they play better. And that’s what the game shows you.” Spaziani also spent some time discussing the ongoing position battles that are taking place in camp. With the loss of key players such as Luke Kuechly, Donnie Fletcher, and Max Holloway on defense, and Ifeanyi Momah and Emmett Cleary on offense, there are several competitions worth keeping
an eye on. “On the offensive line, there’s been some good battles there,” Spaziani said. “That’s where we’ve got some more depth, so we’re looking for three guards, three centers, and we’d like four tackles. We certainly had some competition at the running back position because we’ve got some depth there. And once again, there’s been some competition in the middle linebacker position for Luke’s spot. And on the defensive line, too. Wherever we’ve had depth, that’s where the battles are.” One possible competition that Spaziani went into more detail about was at the quarterback position. After Chase
Rettig failed to impress for most of last season and Josh Bordner showed flashes of talent, there has been some speculation as to who will be under center when the season begins. And while Spaziani stood behind Rettig as the starter as of now, he refused to say that the decision was final. “You don’t want your quarterback looking over his shoulder, but everyone is told that the starting jersey isn’t tattooed on anyone,” Spaziani said. “You have to perform, and Josh has made some tremendous strides. He needs to make some more strides, and so does
See Spring Game, A8
Payne’s extra-inning walkoff gives BC the nod over Bryant By Stephen Sikora Heights Staff
Graham beck / heights editor
Spenser Payne swings (above) and connects (bottom) on a two-run walkoff in the 10th yesterday.
i nside S ports this issue
After blowing a four-run ninth inning lead at Northeastern (12-7) on Tuesday, the Boston College baseball team (10-14) had its Boston College 5 own late-game 3 Bryant heroics yesterday. The Eagles walked off with the 5-3 win against Bryant on Spenser Payne’s 10th-inning home run at Shea Field. Payne’s blast drove in BC’s first runs since the first inning, and it was his third home run of the season. Payne went into the at-bat hitless in his first four plate appearances with three strikeouts. “You never want to think negative,” Payne said, “but I was kind of in there trying not to get the fourth [strikeout]. It felt good to get the win and the walkoff.” After Tom Bourdon led off the ninth with a single to the right side, Matt McGovern grounded into a double play. The Eagles No. 3 hitter, Anthony Melchionda, followed with a line drive that dropped
Eagles host Terps for series
This weekend at Shea Field, BC will take on Maryland in a key ACC series...............A9
Preparing for the Spring Game
In the middle of ‘March Madness’ comes the annual spring football game.............................A8
Editors’ Picks..............................A9 The Week Ahead.......................A9
editor’s column
madonna’s ‘mdna’
what can the star do to rebound from this critical flop? page b2 album review
odd future
like this, try that!
mirror, mirror
fans of ‘once upon a time’ will fall in love with newest ‘snow white’ adaptation, b4
the shock rap crew expands its muscial spectrum, page b4
Thursday, March 29,2012
woogeon kim / heights photo illustration
The Heights
B2
Missing the old Material Girl style
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Scene and Heard
BY: Joe Allen
Brennan Carley Madonna is a drug pusher. A sad old drug pusher. This weekend, the “singer” pranced out onto the stage during Avicii’s set at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival and asked the crowd if they had seen her friend Molly. For the uninitiated, Molly is slang for the drug MDMA, itself a pure form of ecstasy. It was a gross attempt at relevancy that marks the latest in a series of irritating plugs for her new album, including a publicity tour which included a stop on Twitter for the day. The fading star trotted out her stale dog and pony show at this year’s Super Bowl for a performance that was full of holes. It was a preview of her upcoming tour, she claimed, itself part of a massive deal that Madonna recently signed with Live Nation that includes three albums and subsequent world tours and merchandise. She claimed later that the Molly reference wasn’t about drugs, but a song of hers left on MDNA’s cutting room floor. Why, then, did the singer hire Dr. Drew (the scummy “physician” who you know and despise if you’re as hooked on Celebrity Rehab as I am) for an online advertisement outlining the risks associated with the new “street-drug” MDNA? It’s a crass advertisement and Dr. Drew should fire his agent as soon as possible to escape the hailstorm of consumer fury that’s about to be dropped on his dumb head—what would you do if your doctor was out there claiming to be an expert on a dangerous new drug that was affecting millions? For shame, Dr. Drew, we expect better of you—or perhaps we don’t. This week, Madge dropped MDNA, an album she’s hyped for months, starting with the leak of the lead single “Gimme All Your Luvin’” featuring Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. It was, in no uncertain terms, a bag of trash that is not only generic but also just plain boring. Admittedly, I’m not Madonna’s biggest fan, but even I can’t deny that she’s had some truly stellar, if not somewhat reductive, songs over her decades-long career. I remember that when “Hung Up” came out it was one of my go-to car radio dance tunes. I even like—gulp—“Revolver,” the Euro-trash straight to the dollar bin at Target complete with a delightfully-disgusting verse courtesy of Lil Wayne (before he got off the syrup). The bottom line here is that, as everyone knows, she’s a prolific artist who has had some more than acceptable tracks—why, then, is MDNA such a horrible album? Perhaps Madonna should have shut her mouth when she trashed Lady Gaga for being “reductive,” a comment she surely regrets following the critical trouncing of MDNA as an album we’ve all heard before. That’s not to say that the album is a complete wasteland. The Mikapenned “Gang Bang” is a slinky number, one of the only songs that don’t reduce the singer’s voice to a series of auto-tuned anonymous notes. It features a dubstep What’s surprising is how clearly MDNA’s two guest artists, the aforementioned Nicki Minaj and M.I.A, overshadow Madonna, both of whom are at their least animated on this album. Minaj’s verse on “I Don’t Give A” is a return to form for the rapper, hearkening to her glorious mixtape days in sound (“Shots fire / Anything you hear Nicki on / That’s fire” delivered in the thickest of Queens accents, a true delight) but lyrically sloppy and reductive. Similarly, M.I.A. phones it in on the bonus track “B-Day Song” but still eclipses Madonna’s lackluster performance. What I’m saying is this: do not buy MDNA if you’re not a Madonna fan, and only listen to the aforementioned tracks if you are. She’s proved herself worthy of our “luvin,” but she needs to bang this tour out, which will assuredly bring in more money than her album sales, take a break, and return to the studios when she’s feeling creative. MDNA feels like a corporate work that was forced on Madonna against her will (thanks, Live Nation, for ruining lives one day at a time!)—bring back our Material Girl.
Brennan Carley is the Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
1. ‘THE HOST’
After the mega-success of The Hunger Games this past weekend, moviegoers might think that Hollywood is finally burying Twilight author Stephanie Meyer. But recent previews show her barreling toward teen America, back from the grave! The teaser trailer for The Host, based on Meyer’s recent step into sci-fi and (gasp!) romance novels, shows little, if any, of the film. Viewers do see what appears to be a montage of awkward Facebook profile pictures, showing close-ups of faces with unusually bright irises. The final text reads “YOU WILL BE ONE OF US.” So what is The Host about? “An alien body-stealing invasion” would be a good guess. “An angst injection” is probably a better one.
3. ‘OFFICE’ CHANGES NBC’s The Office, which has been laboring through each
2. J.J EATS PLACENTA January Jones may have been absent from the Mad Men season premiere, but she has been keeping busy with several interviews this past week. What has been learned about Betty Draper from these talks? Not much, but at least the world now knows that Jones, a recent mother, ate her own placenta for that extra energy boost that apparently no 5-hour can provide. But don’t worry: Jones assured that “It’s not witch-crafty or anything.” The Jones revelations didn’t stop there, with her exclaiming, “I’d rather slap than be slapped.” Well … at least January will soon return to her 1960s character and get paid to act crazy.
week ever since Steve Carrell left, might be meeting its end this May. While the network remains hopeful for a ninth season, a new cast or crew member seems to jump ship each day. Sporadic newcomer James Spader has declared his intentions to leave soon. Ed Helms and Mindy Kaling could be starring in Kaling’s new FOX comedy pilot if it proves successful. Most ominous of all, current showrunner Paul Lieberstein has joined Rainn Wilson to work on the proposed Dwight Schrute spin-off. If the Scranton paper company returns next fall, it certainly will look different. Kevin and Oscar as the new bosses, anyone?
4. madonna at ultra
photos courtesy of google images
During a Miami electronic music festival, Madonna made a surprise appearance, asking the crowd if they had “seen Molly.” This possible reference to the drug Ecstasy caused deadmau5, aka Joel Thomas Zimmerman, to launch an enraged online tirade. Zimmerman talked about how impressionable the “youngins” are before concluding that Madonna is “a f—g idiot” for her assumed pro-drug quote. No worries though, because Madge apologized, causing Zimmerman to reward her with “+1 respect” (the greatest gift of all). Then came the Internet’s post-apology tradition of needing to get the last word, which Madonna finished with “you should have called me first.” Regardless of who was right, passive-aggressive tweeting won in the end.
5. ‘bully’ restrictions Since a movie that uses sexually explicit language more than once receives an R-rating, Bully, a documentary which shows actual F-word-charged bullying in American schools, was never destined to be PG-13. Weinstein and petitioners have fought for the film, winning its unrated release in AMC theaters nationwide. To watch, a teenager only needs to bring a signed permission slip to the movies. Parent groups warn that this move sets a dangerous precedent for future films. But the real blame lies with the long-faulty MPAA rating system. If the MPAA forbids kids to watch a valuable message movie in which they themselves swear, then America is in need of a new, or at least heavily revised, film censorship system.
The critical curmudgeon
@billyeichner (billy eichner, Comedian)
“look, just turn the academy award into an earring and give it to lenny kravitz #hungergames” photo courtesy of google images
The classic Beatles were a band who not only reflected the feelings of their generation, but also those to come.
‘Revolution 9’ still stirs up poltical unrest and angst Matt Mazzari Man, I really wish I’d had an article in last week’s ’60s issue. I really blew my chance with that one. I could have mixed things up and ranted for a while about the Roaring Twenties. I could’ve gone full-on Bizarro with an edgy contemporary review: “Critic gives Exile on Main Street a resounding ‘Meh.’” Or maybe I should’ve just taken advantage of the opportunity to fake an interview with the late Sir George Harrison. Matt: So, Sir Harrison, if you could be any kind of cereal— George: Matt, I was never officially knighted. Besides, I’m just a figment of your imagination. Matt: Damn it all, Sir Harrison! This isn’t working. Today, however, rather than interpret the ’60s, I’d like to investigate how the ’60s interpreted us. What did those iconic musicians expect of today? How do those perspectives compare to reality? Let’s take a look at Abbey Road Studios, 1968: a row of tape players are all whirring at once, as the strange and shadowy sounds being emitted are dubbed and amply laden with gritty feedback and monotone prose. This is the most influential band in history recording John Lennon’s wildest brainchild: “Revolution 9,” an attempt to represent “the future of music.” “Revolution 9,” from the second disk B-Side of The Beatles, is eight-
and-a-half-minutes of complete dissonance. The majority of the song is comprised of jagged back-masking, discordant instrumentals, and snippets of heated conversation. It’s possibly the least popular Beatles song ever made: even The Beatles had mixed feelings about releasing it. So why does it make an appearance on one of the most popular albums of all time? Predictably, the track was not designed for radio play. Lennon, ever avant-garde, was trying to prove a point. Listening to “Revolution 9” may not be an enjoyable experience, but it certainly leaves an impression: the noises, in their mad synthesis, form a distinctly dark and unsettling emotion, an apocalyptic feel that sticks despite the excruciating lack of melody. Lennon believed this sort of sensuous barrage would be a crucial fixture in the new age of music. He later said of the song, “Revolution 9 was an unconscious picture of what I actually think will happen when it happens, just like a drawing of a revolution”. Essentially, Lennon assumed that progressive musicians would inevitably abandon the conventions of harmony and assonance, instead seeking to convert imagery directly into sound. Tune would be superseded by raw imagination, a vividly artistic soundscape. Did Lennon consider this evolution or disintegration? A bit of both, actually. Lennon was all about classic rock and roll, but he also fervently believed in the responsibility of musicians to chal-
lenge and subvert norms. “Revolution 9” sought to anticipate a total implosion of creativity, a crashing return to the origins of musicality. Was he right? Well, no. Pop music lives on in all its obliviously catchy glory. However, Lennon’s use of recycled tape loops and samples of classical songs is remarkably similar to the current technological trends in contemporary genres, such as in Flo Rida’s recent “I’ve got a Good Feeling” and Skrillex’s … everything. Still, reusing a riff in the new sense isn’t particularly cutting edge: most dubstep DJs distort originals, but some artists, like Jay-Z or M.I.A., simply rework them into new styles. Music production has changed, but the fundamentals of tune persist. The artists of the ’60s reflected their generation’s nature by doing their best to warp, confuse, and revolutionize their industry. Do we still have that drive to challenge ourselves, to break constructs and explore new definitions for music? And, if so, who is doing it and how? The sound of “Revolution 9” is hardly desirable, but there’s something to be said for music that truly makes you feel. Perhaps it’s the insight into the artist’s mind and the sheer investment of the experimentation that allowed the music of the ’60s to have the historic effect that it did.
Matt Mazzari is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@ bcheights.com.
@robdelaney (Rob Delaney, comedian)
“i could act like i don’t cry every single time i hear that fat hawaiian guy sing ‘somewhere over the rainbow,’ but you deserve the truth” @jimcameron (james cameron, director, ‘avatar’)
“just arrived at the ocean’s deepest pt. hitting bottom never felt so good.” @conanobrien (conan o’brien, show host, ‘conan’)
“just saw drive. man, it really captures the awkwardness of when the girl you’re courting watches you kill a henchmen on an elevator.” Submit your favorite tweets of the week for consideration at artseditors11@gmail.com.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The Heights
B3
ENVISIONING ENVISIONING CHILDHOOD CHILDHOOD CLASSICS CLASSICS Though it seems fans of Suzanne Collins were pleased with this weekend’s release of The Hunger Games, it’s more common than not for book lovers to hate the subsequent onscreen adaptations. Below, find three of our editors’ childhood favorites and how they would adapt them for the screen. By Tay l or cava l l o | AS S O C. A rts & R eview E d itor The Giving Tree, written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein, is an undeniable staple of children’s literature that has stood the test of time—it remains one of the bestselling children’s books to this day since its original publication in 1964. This is and always has been a story close to my heart. I remember reading the book as a child with my parents, and even strangely at such a young age, I felt the true meaning of the book. It elicited such emotion in me that I never forgot the story and can almost remember it word for word to this day. The book tells the story of a boy who frequently seeks out a tree for things he wants and needs: branches, shade, and apples. The tree gives unselfishly, willingly, and lovingly. However, as the boy grows older, he demands more. As his final request, the boy asks if he can cut the tree down in order to build a boat, and for the last time, the tree (now a stump) complies. At the end of the book, the boy who has now grown much older returns, and the tree is surprised to see him, claiming that she has nothing left to give, as she is now only a stump. But the boy insists he doesn’t want anything: “Just a quiet place to sit and rest,” the only thing the tree can still provide. The Giving Tree is such a classic because it is poignant in all the right ways. It is a story about growing up, and more importantly, a love so true that it will give and give of itself until there is nothing left. It illustrates the kind of love that, in its purest form, only a parent could have for a child, which is what makes it such a great book for parents and children to read together. Another layer of raw emotion that the story emphasizes is the carefree happiness associated with childhood that is inevitably lost upon reaching adulthood, adding a sense of melancholic nostalgia to a more mature reader. While many see the relationship as an analogy for a parent/child dynamic, the book has certainly sparked controversy over the years, as some critics read it as a metaphor for an abusive relationship between a man and a woman, as the tree is personified as a female throughout the book. The “man,” who takes and takes from a woman who has little to give, simply leaves her when she is merely a “stump,” symbolic of her being left with nothing. Years later, when he returns, she joyously embraces him, forgetting the abuse and the neglect he inflicted upon her. Silverstein’s classic children’s book would be an emotional, but worthwhile film that could be enjoyed by people of all ages. Perhaps the tree and boy relationship would have to be altered and the story would have to be lengthened, but if the message remained the same, it would make it a fantastic film.
BY da n sieri ng | asst. A rts & R eview E d itor For some odd reason, I’m not the greatest at exercising memories from my childhood. One recollection that sticks in my brain, however, are the times that I would snuggle into my red trundle bed and have my dad read stories to me as I slowly dozed off. While many of the books were reserved for certain holidays or seasons, one book that was fair game any time of year was Could Be Worse! by James Stevenson. For those who need a refresher course, Could Be Worse! tells the story of a seemingly stalwart grandpa who, in the eyes of his grandkids, lives an ungodly boring life. Grandpa eats the same thing every day, reads the same paper every day, and says the same phrase every time one of his grandchildren complains—“could be worse.” Whether it’s getting a splinter in your finger, getting a flat tire on your bike, or losing your kite in a tree, Grandpa always responds with those three simple words. When his grandkids wonder if anything exciting ever happens in his life, Grandpa promptly tells an extraordinary tale in which he is kidnapped by a large bird, has a snowball fight with an abominable snowman, and journeys to the bottom of the sea. The kids, thoroughly entertained by the fantastical story, zealously shout after every new episode—“could be worse!” With its simple yet majestic watercolors and wise outlook on life situations, Could Be Worse! still remains one of my favorite tales of all time. Several of my more anxious friends have told me that I possess a very level-headed attitude that makes me always hesitant to worry about the trifles in life. I think I owe a lot of this deliberate demeanor to my father. When I look back on those faint memories of my dad reading to me in my bed, Could Be Worse! evidently seemed to serve as a means by which my dad tried to pass on this golden gift of composure. He was trying to tell me a simple yet important message—that although we might experience obstacles and hardships in our life, we must always remember how much we truly have and how lucky we truly are. Because of this fact, we should never feel compelled to get worked up about everyday problems. In the end, I feel that my dad was indeed successful in engraining this message into my head. After all, my senior quote was “Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere.” Yes, those are the words of the great Van Wilder. I think that today’s generation would greatly benefit from seeing Could Be Worse! on the silver screen. Technology in modern cinema would certainly do Stevenson’s classic watercolors justice, but I think the best thing a film adaptation could offer is a humble and clear message. As the world seemingly becomes more complex by the day, it would benefit Americans if they could momentarily step back and realize that things around them definitely could be worse.
By B re n na n car l ey | A rts & R eview E d itor When I was younger, every free moment I had was spent reading books. I loved picking up the bundles of novels at Costco with my mom on shopping trips, obscure titles like Hotel for Dogs and Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief that transported me to worlds I could never begin to understand. One of my favorite things to do when I was younger was to pillage the bookshelves in my grandma’s basement, excited at the prospect of discovering novels that my mom and her siblings had read when they were my age. I discovered the novels of Beverly Cleary, and became especially fascinated with Henry Huggins, the story of a small-town boy with a paper route and a scraggly dog. Henry Huggins lives on Klickitat Street in Portland, Ore. in the middle of the 1950s. Eleven years old, Henry epitomizes the American boy on Main Street motif that countless authors have attempted to capture. Sometimes he gets lucky, like the time when he won a door prize at a grand opening of the town’s new supermarket—at a time when events like that could cause a stir. At the same time, Henry finds himself struggling to redefine his relationship with his parents, as he grows older and more independent. He appears again in several other novels (Henry and Beezus, Henry and Ribsy, and my favorite of the sequels, Henry and the Paper Route) and always manages to maintain that whimsical sense of carelessness throughout. Cleary knew how to write, having spent a career honing her literary skills as a librarian, which is why it comes as no surprise that her children’s novels hold up exceptionally well today. She claims to have written Huggins, the first book in a series, in response to boys who would come into her library searching for things to read that were tailored for them. If only boys were still interested in reading, a whole new generation of Henry Huggins fans might exist. With the success of the Wimpy Kid movies, a movie version of Henry Huggins would surely do well with parents and children alike, a family-friendly movie that would offer a burst of nostalgic enjoyment during the summer months. The story has universal appeal, and even girls could enjoy his subplot with neighbor and friend Beezus and her sister Ramona (the two recently appeared in the film Ramona and Beezus, starring Selena Gomez). He’s not as wacky and disrespectful as other young male protagonists. He’s content just to sit out by a campfire with Ribsy and his coonskin cap. Filmmakers must be careful to maintain the whimsy and down-home appeal of Cleary’s original novels. Henry is an everyman character who carves out his niche in a small town unreceptive to change. He makes mistakes, but he always learns from them. Often male characters from these childhood favorite books are forced into back-and-forth flirtation with female characters, even if these storylines were never present in the original writing. Henry is a good kid who deserves a movie that stays true to his book, one of the greatest “boy books” of the past century.
The Heights
B4
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Star value by allie broas
‘Hunger Games’ Hutcherson shoots for stardom In a couple of weeks, life-size posters of Josh Hutcherson will grace the walls of thousands of tweens who will forever measure their future spouses up against the likes of Peeta Mellark, the tortured and emotional bread boy from The Hunger Games. It will surprise many, then, to learn that Hutcherson’s entry into Hollywood began nearly 10 years ago with small roles in films such as The Polar Express and Kicking and Screaming. His big break came with his starring role in the film adaption of Bridge to Terabithia, which was met with both critical and commercial success. His star power has only grown since, after starring in the universally acclaimed The Kids Are All Right alongside Oscar nominee Annette Bening and most recently in the film destined to make him a household name, The Hunger Games. With Tumblrs and Facebook pages already dedicated to his divinely chiseled jaw, Josh Hutcherson has a long career ahead of him in Hollywood, surely to be filled with successful movies and spreads in J-14 Magazine.
Keeping with the current
Biting into a quirky Corndawg
Dan Siering
Photos courtesy of Lionsgate studios
Fashion Forward
Channel your patriotism through fashion Your love of country has a place in your upcoming spring wardrobe
Therese Tully Maybe it’s the new season of Mad Men, maybe it’s the bright freshness of the spring air, I am not entirely sure, but whatever it is, I am just loving all-American anything right now. The classic comforts of Americana are beckoning my name. Picnics on checkered tablecloths, the crack of a baseball and bat connecting, the warm sun in the late afternoon, all complimented by a clean and slick outfit. This spring, I am tired of all of the winter and fall layers and fuss. I crave simple, beautiful clothes in comfortable, wearable fabrics that will not hinder my life, but complement it nicely (even if my reality is more library and classroom with a hint of sunshine in the Quad than barbeques and baseball games on long July days). When it comes to classic American sportswear, you simply cannot beat Michael Kors. The man just knows what he is doing. If looking at his ensembles doesn’t make you want to be fabulous and functional at the same time, I don’t know what will. Kors’ design aesthetic just feels as American as apple pie. His Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear line featured perfect American details. Leather belts served their function and also accented neutral as well as bolder ensembles. The bags, from small cross-body satchels to huge utility hobos, were all beauty and no fuss. His line is really the definition of “ready-to-wear.” His pieces are the kind that you could throw on, and you would simply be ready to go, wherever the day may take you. This possibility for adventure is the edge that keeps Kors fans chomping at the bit. J.Crew’s “Villa” dress, a cotton throw-on version in a perfect Kelly green, classic navy, or bolder crimson strain, screams spring American sportswear. It is pieces like this, that are so simple and functional, that are easy to dress up or down and are right for virtually any warm weather occasion that make warm weather the greatest no-brainer fashion time of year. Layer with a striped sweater and jewelry, or throw on a baseball hat and your favorite Rainbow flip-flops, depending on your mission for the day. The best part is that, at the end of the day, no matter where you go or what you do, you won’t have to deal with a fussy wrinkled dress that looks sloppy, or uncomfortable and carefully constructed layers that you must fidget with. Classic, simple pieces allow an ease that makes you forget what you are wearing, and will let you focus on what you really need to be doing. When it comes to footwear to go with your functionally fabulous American look, you cannot beat a perfect leather sandal. Easy to slip on, comfortable, and most importantly, timeless, one cannot don the perfect cognac-hued sandal
and look silly. With my favorites ranging from the classic Rainbows that are perfectly worn in and molded to my feet, to the higher-end Tory Burch “Tumbled leather Miller sandals,” they add a touch of elegance befitting the rest of your outfit. With a hint of nautical inspiration to accent your already classically inclined outfit, Burch’s “Fleur flat sandal” is a leather pair with a rope detailing to add a touch of surprise to your regular leather flat. But in the end, investing in any of these options is wise. Not only will a neutral tan leather sandal match almost any outfit for any occasion in your spring and summer wardrobe, but they look great and are utterly timeless. Lastly, nothing says American sportswear like a perfect pair of Aviators or Wayfarers to top off the look. Protecting your eyes looks good and is essential for whatever curveballs your day may throw you. The name of the game is freedom and adventure, so it is best to be prepared. Anyway, you will have plenty of room in your Michael Kors hobo to tote around any and all of the accessories and comforts you may need in your daily adventures. American sportswear is timeless. Classic shapes and classic colors translate across time and space. As the days get longer, and there is more fun to be had, don’t get bogged down in trying to pull together endless layers of clothing that will inhibit you from chasing an ice cream truck, playing Frisbee, doing a cartwheel, or kicking off your shoes for a walk. Don’t let your clothes hinder the lighter days to come. Make fashion work for you. In America, they have figured it out for us. Light fabrics that are comfortable and breathable coupled with functional accessories and comfortable and flawless shoes require little thought, and look great on any wearer.
Therese Tully is an editor for The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
Photos courtesy of google images
Top: Bright, summer clothes paired with white in a short sundress gives off a carefree, light, and airy vibe, perfectly fit for a picnic by a lake, reminiscent of a certain American style of the past. Bottom (left): Sandals are a necessary staple of any warm weather wardrobe. To spice up this typical footwear, find sandals in unique and bright colors to liven up a potentially solely functional item. Bottom (right): Sunglasses are crucial for warm weather days, and aviators are a retro, yet still popular choice this season.
like that? try this!
By Carolina Del Busto Heights Staff
We’ve all heard the stories of princes and princesses in far-off lands with their happy-ever-afters. But now, the classic stories are being retold–with a tasteful twist. The story of one beautiful princess in particular seems to be on every studio’s mind. Snow White–the black haired, red-lipped princess, whose evil stepmother is trying to kill her, and who becomes best friends with seven dwarves (high, ho!), meets a prince, eats an apple, defeats the queen, and lives happily ever after–gets a whole new makeover. Disney’s ABC network got the ball rolling with the debut of their new hit show, Once Upon a Time. The best part about this show is that it not only deals with Snow White, but also a plethora of princes and princesses–and most recently, mad hatters. If you enjoy Once Upon a Time, then you will definitely want to check out this month’s Mirror, Mirror and this summer’s Snow White and the Huntsman. Both films deal with a twist on the original fairy tale; but unlike Once Upon a Time, it focuses on just the fairest [princess] of them all. In Once Upon a Time, Snow White is transformed into a modern-day elementary school teacher. In Mirror, Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman, she is a total rebel who is ready to kick some royal butt. Either way you spin the apple, this princess isn’t giving up until she gets her happy ending.
Last April, a couple of friends and I ventured to the Paradise Rock Club to see a Middle Brother concert, which, for those not familiar, is a sort of super-group comprised of lead singers from three rising folk rock bands: Jon McCauley of Deer Tick, Matt Vasquez of Delta Spirit, and Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes. For me, this lineup was a dream come true. This triumvirate of folk stars had been on my radar for a while—Dawes had arguably become my favorite band, and Delta Spirit and Deer Tick were quickly moving up the ranks as I listened to more of their stuff. With both Dawes and Deer Tick set open up before the Middle Brother, I knew I had to be there. The concert was everything I expected from the three folk stars, but by the end of the night, it wasn’t any of them that really stuck in my mind. Rather, it was a goofy cameo by a man they called Jonny Corndawg that really sparked my interest. The band, which seemed enamored by the guest singer, handed off the occasional verse and even allowed Corndawg to perform one of his own songs. With fast paced stanzas and a frantic stage demeanor, it was hard to tell if this guy was just a gimmick or a real aspiring musical artist. After the warm-up acts had finished, I took a stroll over to the merchandise to buy myself a Dawes t-shirt, and there Corndawg stood, frantically handing out flyers and talking to anyone who walked within his radius. I, feeling compelled to figure out if this guy was for real, walked over and struck up a conversation, and I told him that I enjoyed his seemingly spontaneous appearance and clever songwriting. Delighted to hear my favorable review, Corndawg expressed his gratitude and proceeded to enthusiastically promote his latest single. I took his flyer, and Corndawg moved on to the next innocent bystander. I left the concert not knowing if Corndawg was an actual artist or a prankster, but, nonetheless, I was intrigued. Fast forward to last November. This time, I was at a Deer Tick and Felice Brothers concert, and, while Jonny Corndawg did not make an appearance, Deer Tick front man Jon McCauley did dedicate a few songs to the person in question. My interest continued to increase. Then just last week, my favorite radio station showcased an in-studio session from the cryptic folk singer. At that point, I had spent enough time living in ignorance and was forced into action—what was this guy all about? After listening to his discography and a few rare interviews, I was able to unearth the mystery that is Jonny Corndawg. Raised in the remote town of Esmont, Va., a town he calls a “rural, wide spot in the road,” Jonny Fritz, who got his stage name from a hat he wore as a teenager, grew up loving the punk, redneck lifestyle of the backcountry. Influenced by the twangy sound of folk greats such as Waylon Jennings, he began at a young age touring the country on his motorbike as a musical act. Corndawg’s witty and often x-rated lyrics eventually caught the attention of Goldsmith and McCauley, and the singer agreed to bring his eccentric and thoroughly original presence to the tour. With his latest album, Down on the Bikini Line, Corndawg, backed by the Almond Brothers band (“like almond butter but not as smooth,” the singer jokes), provides a remarkable mix of patented dirty country melodies and heartfelt Nashville-inspired ballads. Perhaps his most amusing number is “Undercover Dad,” which tells the story of a father who feels compelled to be a better parent after he snoops into his daughter’s candid diary. “The things I have come to known would terrify a child / Would kill an older person,” Corndawg exclaims. Jonny Corndawg might not be reinventing the folk song or creating new music genres, but it’s refreshing to know that there are enough fans out there to keep this comical and inventive singer touring and making new music. It shows me that there are people out there who are still open to the next musical styles and are not satisfied with listening to the songs that recycle genres and play it safe. This Sunday, Jonny Corndawg will descend on Great Scott, a petite musical venue just a few stops down the B-line. If you’re looking to treat your ears to something unique, I hear tickets are still available.
Dan Siering is the Asst. Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
The Heights
Thursday, March 29, 2012
B5
‘MDNA’ is a strong but cliched effort from the Material Girl By Dmitry Larionov For The Heights
“Every record sounds the same / You gotta step into my world,” Madonna tells us in “Give Me All Your Luvin’,” her new album’s premier single that tantalized millions of fans at its Super Bowl halftime debut. MDNA, Madonna’s 12th studio album (following 2008’s Hard Candy) was released on Mar. 23, affording her another lavish, gaudy swipe at the Diva crown. Her coup d’etat oscillates between the nostalgic, the euphoric, and sometimes tip-toes around the insufferable, but never comes together as the definitive record that the aging pop star was undoubtedly hoping for. It’s certainly not the reflective, brazen work that you would expect from a Diva’s comeback album, instead admirably foraying into the evolving dubstep and electro-club genres. But MDNA, headlined by a performer that has been on the scene for almost three decades, is uncomfortably stuck between the old and the new–it seems reluctant to take enough musical risks to truly be considered a novel work, hesitant to win a new generation of fans at the expense of alienating the classic Madonna following. Rather, MDNA tries to find a middle ground that suits both audiences, and the result is a somewhat incongruous medley of attractive dance beats and lifeless love ballads. The late 2000s have seen a reemergence of electro-pop, and an al-
bum that otherwise may have seemed outdated or just too European, sounds relevant and even progressive. The bravest song on MDNA and, not coincidentally, one of the most rewarding, is the Benny Benassi-produced “I’m Addicted.” Madonna’s voice smoothly filters over the thumping bass and heavy synth lead, sounding like an echo from a futuristic ’80s universe (think Tron). “Give Me All Your Luvin’” is also a noteworthy track, and a good example of MDNA’s occasional identity crisis. Halfway into the song, the retro guitar riff is substituted for a signature dubstep “wobble,” and Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. offer a few aggressive lines before returning to the original verse. Their feature seems forced, because it is, and the obvious use of these relevant pop stars is a depressingly blatant appeal to younger generations. Dance music (and Madonna especially) has never been about the lyrics. But some of the lines in MDNA’s songs are maddeningly stupid. “Turn Up the Radio” could be a Pantene commercial while “Superstar” sounds like a Katy Perry song for Nickelodeon. Perhaps MDNA’s biggest flaw is that the lackluster verses are often just a nuisance in the way of stellar hooks. The songs lend themselves to sampling/remixing, and one must wonder whether this move is not a deliberate marketing scheme – one in which more relevant, famous artists can feature Madonna’s work by incorporating it into their own music.
mdna madonna produced by interscope released mar. 23, 2012 Our rating B-
Chart Toppers Singles
Source: Billboard.com
1 We Are Young fun. 2 Stronger Kelly Clarkson 3 Glad You Came The Wanted 4 Set Fire To The Rain Adele 5 Somebody That I Used To Know Gotye 6 Starships Nicki Minaj 7 Turn Me On David Guetta 8 Take Care Drake 9 Wild Ones Flo Rida 10 Part of Me Katy Perry Top Albums
courtesy of interscope
Despite being well into her fifties, Madonna shows that she is still able to deliver a pleasing collection of tracks. One of the best new tracks is “Beautiful Killer,” which, in a cheap move by Warner Bros., is only available on the deluxe edition. This song and the LMFAO remix of “Give Me All Your Luvin’” are almost enough to justify the complementary purchase of an insult to her fans, music, and God’s gift of language that is “B-Day Song.” “Girl Gone Wild” is a strong leading track, but pay attention to the introductory dialogue. Lady Gaga is often critiqued as nothing more than a Madonna knock-off, but have
the tables turned? Madonna sounds eerily similar to the younger pop Diva here–a metaphor for the direction that MDNA has taken. There was a time when Madonna could derail the genre with a single, but often the album sounds as if it is playing “catchup” instead of wisely heading into unexplored musical territory. Today, Madonna’s appeal hinges on the quality of producers that Interscope is willing to outfit her with. She has been singing progressively less on each album, compensating with
large, more expensive crews. Armed with a mega-producer syndicate (she’s up to eight now), Madonna makes a concerted effort to even sigh out the cliched lyrics in tune. The title MDNA suggests a return to basics, but the music cries out for evolution. It’s not evident who is keeping the famously bold Madonna from jumping into the deep end, but unless her future albums do more than toe the water of a new genre, Madonna’s collaborations will fizzle out as torch-passing ceremonies. n
1 ‘Hunger Games’ Soundtrack Various Artists 2 21 Adele 3 Port of Morrow The Shins 4 Up All Night One Direction 5 The OF Tape Vol. 2 Odd Future
Future showcases their patented hardcore flow with latest mixtape By Austin Tedesco Heights Editor
The Odd Future crew released their newest work, The OF Tape Vol. 2, last week after a brief hiatus from dropping new music to tour and, of course, get themselves into trouble. Although the members of
Odd Future have claimed that this is a real album, it plays like a full-fledged mixtape similar to the first OF Tape and Radical. Surprisingly, though, this collection of songs presents a more mature group of late teenagers heading into their early 20s. All of the crazed 15-year olds who fell for the shock rap from the group’s
earlier work have nothing to fear—it’s still there, but the violence that once defined their music is now secondary to some decent hip-hop tunes. The second OF Tape has a few purposes. The first is to provide a medium for the whole crew to participate in a collective victory lap. All of the guys and Syd are clearly having
the of tape vol. 2 odd future produced by odd future records released mar. 20, 2012 Our rating B
courtesy of odd future records
Los Angeles shock hip-hop group Odd Future shows signs of maturity with a mixtape that shys away from their violent style.
a fun time through the album’s 18 tracks. A strong fan base has powered them to their own record label, which they have complete control over, allowing them to make all the Jerry Sandusky jokes they want. Frank Ocean gets a chance to show off his pipes until Warner finally decides to properly unleash his talents and let him take over the Top 40 charts. Tyler the Creator spends most of the album making guest appearances, and it actually suits him well. Too much Tyler, and really anyone in the group besides Frank or Earl Sweatshirt, can be exhausting. The small doses of Tyler are welcome and enjoyable, especially his verse on “NY (Ned Flander).” Mike G is only featured on one of the album’s tracks, and it’s a redone version of “Forest Green,” a song that has been floating around for a while. This is probably punishment on the group’s end for that awful Award Tour mixtape that Mike G dropped earlier in the year. Mike G was looking like one of the most promising acts in the collective, but he is unfortunately fading into the background. The second purpose is to highlight the improved rapping of Domo Genesis and Hodgy Beats. Domo has
gone from a lovable but boring artist to a rapper who can hold his own and drop solid verses. He’s featured on a number of tracks and doesn’t disappoint once. He’s at his best on “Doms” when the production is especially minimal, even for an Odd Future track, and Domo’s newfound swag takes over for two minutes of impressive verse-spitting. Lyricism has never been a strength of the Odd Future crew, and it’s not Domo’s either, but at least his flow is up to his peers now. Hodgy gets featured on the tape more than anyone else, and it is welldeserved. Besides a few wince-worthy lines on tracks like “50,” Hodgy does a good job proving he can hold his own as a rapper now. His flow has significantly improved since his earlier work, and he finally has his own unique and successful voice. Whatever individual work Hodgy or Domo release next will likely be must-listens rather than ones to easily look past. The third and most important purpose behind the album is to slowly reintroduce Earl Sweatshirt to the world. After taking a year off in Samoa to get his mind right, Earl is back and ready to make a
serious push at hip-hop elite status. He only gets a two-minute verse on the album’s final track, but it is well worth the wait. Earl’s biggest appeal has always been how effortlessly his complex rhymes flow through his soothing voice, leaving you stunned and asking yourself what just happened when it’s over. He hasn’t lost a step with his time off, but he also doesn’t sound like he has improved much either. For Earl to break out of the Odd Future bubble, he’s going to need to expand his craft beyond the minimalist beats and narrow lyrical tricks of his crew. He has the potential to do so, but with Tyler always looking over his shoulder, it’s difficult to picture it ever happening. Tyler follows up Earl’s verse with the final verse of the album, calling out all of the Odd Future haters and informing them that these guys are going to be around for a while. The crew proves him right throughout the album. They make the statement that their fame wasn’t built on shock value alone, and that they have the musical chops to obtain staying power in the hip-hop game. But this crew will only go as far as Tyler and Earl take them, and it still remains to be seen where exactly that is. n
The Mars Volta provides a progressive and stylish take on rock By Allan Guzman Heights Staff
What can be made of The Mars Volta’s music? The band is often very polarizing—people either love them or hate them. Regardless, however, of their incoherent lyrics and scatterbrain arrangements—which do often sound like noise—their musical prowess and creativity cannot be denied. The Texas progressive rock group returns in 2012 with Noctourniquet, their sixth studio album and first in the past three years. The Mars Volta’s (TMV) songs are consistently long and complex, and there is always plenty of music packaged in each track. This fares well with consumers—at least they’re getting their money’s worth and not paying $12 for empty, superficial songs. Noctourniquet is shorter compared to previous albums and the songs sound more controlled, but the distinctive TMV sound is present throughout the record. The masterminds behind TMV, guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, are also notorious for structuring TMV’s albums around concepts
and themes. Bixler-Zavala has stated that Noctourniquet was inspired by comic book character Solomon Grundy, children’s nursery rhymes, and the Greek myth of Hyacinth. Such an odd combination of influences is certainly reflected in the record’s lyrics. There is no denying that Noctourniquet’s songwriting sounds like nonsense. In “The Malkin Jewel,” for instance, Bixler-Zavala sings, “From the blossom rags of my jackal croon to the stems of this cinquefoil / I give you the shrapnel with which to sprinkle in her soil.” The vocalist has justified his unorthodox lyrics, however, saying that instead of searching for hidden meaning, he encourages the listener to create his or her own interpretation. With so many obscure references and Google-search-prompting words, there is no shortage of room for interpretation. Bixler-Zavalas described the album as an experiment into “future punk.” There can be a number of ways of defining that term, but whatever it means, Noctourniquet definitely sounds like it. Like almost all TMV songs, there are no memorable melodies or catchy
choruses. This is deep, layered music—the type that one spends 20 minutes in the shower trying to decipher. There are mind-bending time signatures, unconventional chord arrangements, and nonlinear song structures. As such, Noctourniquet requires a few listens to fully appreciate. Like a good book, judging the album after only one time through would deprive one of its depth and reach. Almost all elements of the record are slightly toned-down. Bixler-Zavalas’s typically bansheelike voice is more restrained, often remaining in the lower registers, but it still hollers when it needs to and occasionally reaches uncannily high notes. Meanwhile, Rodriguez-Lopez’s guitar work is much less pronounced, ceding to a very heavy use of effects. The synthesizer has always been a close friend of TMV, but it is clearly the dominant sound in Noctourniquet. Often it sounds as if the synth has taken control of the record, imposing its will over the other instruments. Not all of the musicianship is electronic, however. Deantoni Parks, the newest member of the group, has adapted very quickly
to the TMV style, and his drumming is epileptic, powerful, and mathematical. The drums are the backbone of TMV and they have a commanding presence on Noctourniquet. In addition, some tracks, such as “Trinkets Pale of Moon,” feature a soft acoustic guitar which fits nicely in the house that synth built.
Among the standout tracks are “The Whip Hand,” which features an aggressive synth chorus and has Bixler-Zavala exercising his vocal skills, “Molochwalker,” “Lapochka,” with its sinister synth riff, and “Aegis.” TMV is not what one would call accessible. Like many progressive rock bands, TMV is an acquired
taste, and it takes a fair amount of time to grasp what the band does in each of its records. Noctourniquet challenges listeners as past records have and demands careful attention when listening to it. In the end, this record is a welcome addition to TMV’s catalog and proves that these rockers have not run out of fresh ideas. n
noctourniquet The mars volta produced by warner bros released mar. 26, 2012 Our rating b+
courtesy of warner bros
Though not for everyone, ‘Noctourniquet’ provides TMV fans with a satisfying addition to the band’s discography.
Radio singles by Margaret fahey Justin Bieber “Boyfriend”
Jason Mraz “93 Million Miles”
Trey Songz “Heart Attack” Bieber-fever has struck again with the release of “Boyfriend,” Justin’s new single flaunting the singer’s graduation from puberty. The addition of sultry whispering to his infectiously poppy voice makes this song different than any before. Although Bieber’s sexuality makes me a little uncomfortable, when listening to “Boyfriend” my first impulse was to laugh, and my second was to play it again.
Trey Songz fooled you if you thought his new single “Heart Attack” was about the health condition caused by blocked arteries. Songz sings about his inability to leave an unhappy relationship because, “In too deep, can’t think about giving it up.” While this may be the most annoying character flaw to admit, the single is catchy enough. I’d still prefer to listen to “Say Ahh.”
“You can always come back home” is the refrain of Jason Mraz’s new single “93 Million Miles.” The single is more mellow than most of Mraz’s more famous songs, sporting a sweet and quiet harmony. The soothing and slow song does justice to Mraz’s talented voice, yet isn’t unique enough to catch the attention of the casual listener.
B6
The Heights
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The Heights
Thursday, March 29, 2012
B7
BY LAUREN TOTINO
Taking in the city from new heights It’s sad to think that there just simply isn’t enough time for a full-time student to explore the entire city of Boston. That doesn’t mean we can’t see the whole city, however. From high enough up in the air, the boundaries of Boston seem endless, the views breathtaking, and the experiences a
must. While our campus is indeed “the Heights,” even greater ones exist outside of our college realm. Boston may not be known for its skyscrapers, but many of the taller buildings include observatories for a reason—Boston has a stunning cityscape worth showing off. Along with the prominent blue-mirror-sided Hancock Building, Boston’s Prudential office tower is surely the most recognizable skyscraper in the city. Unlike the Hancock, however, “The Pru”
Courtesy of Google images
Boston’s most recognizable skyscraper, the Prudential Tower, provides an iconic view of the city.
allows public access to an observatory for viewing the city and beyond. In fact, the Skywalk Observatory at the top of the Pru is currently the highest public observation deck in New England. With a college ID, students pay $12 to ride the elevators to the 50th floor for spectacular 360-degree views of Boston. On an exceptionally clear day, you can see as far as the beaches of Cape Cod to the south and the mountains of New Hampshire to the north. To the solace of all those with acrophobia, the observatory is completely indoors—there is no roof deck, as one might expect. The Skywalk has the feel of a museum, with interactive exhibits and models to enhance your visual discoveries from up above. You might take advantage of the Acoustiguide audio tour provided for Skywalk visitors. The walkie-talkie-like audio device deciphers the overwhelming aggregation of buildings, parks, and bodies of water down below. The audio tour not only explains what you’re looking at from a given angle, but also adds commentary about Boston’s history and culture that you would not necessarily pick up with just your eyes. To continue the bird’s eye tour of the city, hop on the T at Hynes Convention Center and step off at Government Center to take the short walk to the Custom House Tower in McKinley Square of the Financial District. The clock tower of the Custom House, when lit up at night,
Allston-Brighton Crime Reports 3/10/12 - 3/11/12
Break and entry in Brighton house
serves as a stunning focal point to downtown Boston. During the day, you can enjoy public access to the observation deck on the 26th floor (about 500 feet up) of what is currently the Marriott’s Custom House Hotel. Outside, you have a clear view of marvels like the Leonard
building at 470 Atlantic Avenue. Access to the deck, like the Custom House, is free. Views include everything from the whimsically oversized Hood Milk Bottle outside of the Children’s Museum, to the bold red-and-yellow-striped awning of the Barking Crab restaurant on the
Courtesy of Google Images
The Custom House’s tower is a breathtaking tourist attraction of Downtown Boston. P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, but also of the simpler wonders, like the uniqueness of each street. Some may turn their nose up at Boston’s lack of a grid system, but it’s a small price to pay for being one of the oldest cities in the country. Along the harbor is another great city-gazing spot, on the 14th-floor observation deck of the Independence Wharf
waterfront, to the white tent top of the Bank of America Pavilion in the Seaport District. Binoculars provided there let you zone in on Logan Airport and the Harbor Islands. Experiencing a city from different perspectives is the best way to really get to know it, and viewing Boston from high above the treetops is no exception. n
Restaurant review
Indulging in a ‘Top Chef’s’ cuisine
About 2:25 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 10, an officer responded to a radio call for a breaking and entering report at 20 South Street, Brighton. Upon arrival, the officer spoke to the victim, who stated that his roommate left the house on Thursday, Mar. 8, at about 11:30 p.m., and returned on Friday, Mar. 9 to find that their apartment had been broken in to. He stated that their 32” television, an XBox, two keg containers, and $20 were stolen. He believes that the perpetrators entered the apartment through a basement window. He stated that the door that leads to the apartment had a dead bolt, which he noticed had been busted open. The officer also observed that the window in the basement did not lock and advised the victim to inform his landlord. He stated that his roommate had receipts to the keg containers and would inform the liquor store that the containers were stolen.
Vandalism in Allston About 4:36 a.m. on Sunday, Mar. 11, officers responded to a radio call for a vandalism in progress on the fire escape on Spofford Rd. The caller indicated that two white males were tagging 1269 Comm. Ave. from the fire escape facing Spofford Rd. and the rear of the building. Upon arrival, the officer met with the caller who stated that she was woken up by noises outside. When she opened her window to investigate the noise, she observed a white male on the fire escape tagging her building. She decribed him as a male in his 20s with brown hair, a medium build, and a medium height. He was wearing a flannel checkered jacket. She stated that the male saw her looking out her window and immediately fled down the fire escape, signaling to his friend in the rear of the building that they had to go. She then observed a second white male wearing a dark hoodie and carrying a messenger bag. The two males fled down Glenville Ave. towards Allston St. The suspects were not found.
Break and entry in Allston apartment About 6:27 a.m. on Mar. 11, an officer responded to a radio call for a possible breaking and entering at 25 Long Ave Apt. 3, Allston. Upon arrival, the officers spoke with the victim, who stated that about 45 minutes prior to the police’s arrival, she heard noises but did not get out of bed. She stated that the shades of her back window were completely open and the window was unlocked. The rear door was also unlocked, which included a deadbolt and chain. After opening the rear door, she stated that the ironing board was moved and the door to the rear stairway was also unlocked. Officers continued down the stairs to the street level at which time they observed an open street-level door. The victim stated that nothing was disturbed or removed from the apartment and assumed an unknown person came in through the locked window. She stated they have had issues before with unwanted intruders.
- Courtesy of the Boston Police Department, District 14 Gathered by Marc Francis, Asst. Metro Editor
HOUSE AD
Courtesy of Google Images
By Brennan Carley Heights Editor
“Can I get you anything else?” my waiter asks moments after plunking trays laden with delicacies as far as the eye can see onto our table. At Sweet Cheeks, the answer to that question will always be, “You can, but I’m not sure that I have room in my stomach!” After a soft opening in November, Sweet Cheeks officially opened its doors in December. The restaurant, the product of Top Chef alumna Tiffani Faison, promises locally sourced, “never ever” meat with a barbecued twist, and it more than delivers. Faison herself can be seen scurrying around the dining room and kitchen on a regular basis, checking on orders and guests and ensuring a star-struck experience for those who remember her time on Chef. But Sweet Cheeks is more than just a “celebrity chef restaurant.” Not only does the homey joint dish up some of the best barbecue in the Northeast, Sweet Cheeks is also currently cranking out some of Boston’s best food. Start your meal with a plate of hush puppies, deep fried dough smothered in sugar crystals and served with a tangy ranch dressing that perfectly balances out the globules’ heaviness. Follow the appetizer up with one of the restaurant’s signature trays, which come with your choice of meat—and be ready, they pile it on—and your choice of both one hot and one cold “scoop,” including delicious mac and cheese with a Ritz crust and potato salad with an oomph. Unless you like your meat on the fatty side, avoid the pork belly platter. Though perfectly cooked, it became hard to find anything but gristle in the overly fatty dish. Instead, try the pulled pork or the great northern brisket, both melt-in-your-mouth dishes that come with bread, pickles, and onions with which to make your own sandwich. You can also use the bread to sop up the rest of the sauce on the platter, of which there are three choices on every table. Sample the sauce with the star sticker on its cap, indicating a fiery burst of sweet and spicy tang, or pop open the largest of the three bottles for a sweet taste of North Carolina barbeque sauce. The third, a vinegarladen concoction, is all bark and no bite, not worth drizzling over the goods on the table. It’s important to balance all that meat with something acidic, if only to keep your stom-
ach in check, so Faison offers the Southern staple, fried green tomatoes, a crispy and succulent side dish. Likewise, the restaurant’s extremely popular coleslaw offers a tarterthan-usual take on the American classic dish, complete with hunks of cabbage that taste freshly picked and pickled. Lunch offers smaller portions that won’t bust your belt or your wallet, a worthy trip from school that also offers a quieter dining experience. Midday sandwiches include mouthwatering options like Faison’s famous pulled chicken, a meat that spends hours on end in the restaurant’s smoker—the oldest in Location: 1381 Boylston Street, Boston Cuisine: American Signature Dish: Hush Puppies Atmosphere: 9/ 10 Price: $$$ Overall Experience: A-
Boston, nicknamed Tootsie. For those guests who have a hunger bigger than most, Sweet Cheeks offers gigantic platters including the Big Cheeks Tray (choice of two meats), the Fat Cheeks Tray (choice of three), and, for the very adventurous, the Big Rig (two pounds of each meat offered, plus one quart of each side). As Faison says very clearly on the menu, “if you leave hungry, it’s your fault.” Though Sweet Cheeks has other notable dishes, including its moist, fall-off-the-bone Berkshire pork ribs, it also has a small dessert menu (a seasonally flavored hand pie, including pecan and sweet potato variations, is the best of the bunch) that shouldn’t be overlooked for its creativity. It’s nothing fancy, but the Giant Nutter Butter is just that—an oversized cookie with a punch of nutty flavor. At Sweet Cheeks, it’s hard to find anything that isn’t just as packed as flavor, and if the crowds are any indication, the Fenway newcomer should have no trouble packing in the crowds in the coming years.
B8
The Heights
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Tax panel drafts Swimming letter to governor Subway Series
in a pool of sharks
Marc Francis Hysterical satirist George Carlin once said, “Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?” This is the attitude possessed by almost every New Yorker, and frankly, it makes many scared to enter a vehicle. I still do not have my driver’s license. This is partially because I have easy access to public transportation, but there is also a part of me that is completely horrified of getting into an altercation with a fellow New Yorker. People take the road so seriously and believe that the entire world should abide by their own personal rules of driving. It seems impossible for me to ride in my car for more than a mile without being screamed, honked, or cussed at. Coming to Boston, I automatically assumed that drivers would be more laidback and I possibly would not have to be overly concerned with crossing major streets—I was wrong. I cannot exit my Newton dorm and make my way to Stuart Dining Hall without flinching as the cars driving about 30 miles per hour throughout Newton Campus pass me with absolutely no sign of slowing down. I daresay I have encountered worse drivers in Boston than in New York such that the drivers here care much less about their surroundings. Even the cabs in New York exercise caution around large crowds of people, but in Boston I almost get the feeling that drivers consider themselves the main priority. The driving skills of New Yorkers are notable when compared with those of the rest of the country. They have absolutely fantastic brake reflexes—drivers get intense training from the sudden halting of taxis and wild pedestrians speeding in front of oncoming traffic. Many drivers from Massachusetts suburbs are not used to navigating through as many obstacles, and therefore may not be as aware of their surroundings. Personally, I feel more unsafe on the streets of Newton than I do in the major intersections of New York. That being said, I definitely prefer taking the public transportation in New York to riding in a car. After a tedious day of school or work, the last thing I want to do is confront a sea of aggressive drivers, all daring me to cut them off or steal their parking spot. On the other hand, not a weekend at Boston College goes by that my friends and I do not wish we had a car to take into the city. With significantly less traffic and easygoing citizens, Boston is a more car-friendly city. A humorous manual entitled Boston Driver’s Handbook by Ira Gershkof and Richard Trachtman details the prerequisites for every potential Bostonian driver. The authors include key driving techniques, like driving around taxis and Cadillacs, and making challenging turns. It is quite a useful manual for non-natives—making a Boston left turn and parking in Back Bay have proven to be challenging tasks for the average outsider. Although mastering maneuvers like the side-squeeze and the cutoff are important for city drivers, I believe that the most important rule is that the road does not belong to one single driver. I understand that we all wish others would have the same thought processes as us when on the road, but this expectation is unrealistic. Obnoxious honks are not necessary, even if you are absolutely positive that the driver in front of you stopped short at a yellow light just to screw you over. The streets are part of the public domain—only the state’s laws apply. There have been rumors floating around for years about possible tolls on the Brooklyn Bridge and on major New York avenues—personally, I am all for such changes. Over the long-term, perhaps with a reduction in Manhattan traffic will come a reduction in road rage. Perhaps New Yorkers should learn from the Bostonians and not take the roads too seriously.
Marc Francis is the Asst. Metro Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.
Tax Panel, from B10 tion of several hefty tax breaks could be the first of many major steps taken to encourage economic growth. However, there is no clear-cut solution, since tax credits do not exist solely for the financial contentment of taxpayers—almost every tax break is intended to serve as an incentive to perform a deed that will benefit society. For instance, Massachusetts offers the Residential Renewable Energy Income Tax Credit, which provides a tax deduction for the use of solar water/ space heaters, solar panel systems, or wind energy. Even though the recent tax panel did not point out a specific tax credit, such breaks like this promote the general upkeeping of the environment. Because there is not an obvious costbenefit analysis result, it all comes down to what the state deems more productive—individual incentives for helping society or using the money lost from tax breaks to benefit the state. As of now, the state has yet to release a response to the panel’s request. This is far from the first time that the issue regarding tax breaks in Massachusetts has been at the center of a debate. Just last May, the Massachusetts Senate rejected a number of Republican-sponsored tax measures, including one that would have allocated tax credits to businesses that encouraged job growth. In such a situation, the state concluded that the benefits of tax dollars exceeded any positive societal outcomes that may arise from tax breaks to local businesses. The recent tax panel reiterated an argument put forth by Senator Gale Candaras one year ago: the tax breaks and the deductions in Massachusetts cost the state about $26 billion, nearly equal to state spending. As reported by The Boston Globe, about half of this figure can be attributed to sales tax exemptions for real estate transactions and services like Internet access and legal help. The Tax Expenditure Commission will be making its final report to Governor Deval Patrick and the legislature sometime next month. The commission has chosen to not publish a list of the taxes it believes should be eliminated because it would be far too long, most likely clocking in at more than 200 credits. So, when it releases its final report, the public should instead anticipate a recommendation for a long-term process that would culminate in the termination of unnecessary tax breaks. As reported by the MetroWest Daily News, Secretary of Administration and Finance Jay Gonzalez stated: “What we did discuss is making a recommendation around the fact that the tax expenditure budget is probably too big and should be reduced both in size and amount, and maybe some recommendations around approaches that the governor should consider.” Currently, the commission is working on organizing the many tax breaks into categories, so policymakers and the public are able to better visualize the issue. Many citizens simply do not have a strong grasp on Massachusetts’ tax code, so the panel’s primary goal is to make the issue of excess tax breaks known to the state’s population. Afterwards, the entire state will await Governor Patrick’s decision—will he deem the many tax breaks a loss of potential income for the state, or consider them beneficial for society? n
Keeping an eye on Boston’s top chef contenders James Beard, from B10 Trade, located on Atlantic Avenue just two blocks north of the red line’s South Station stop, is a semifinalist for “Best New Restaurant” for the James Beard Award. Offering both lunch and dinner menus that average around $18 and $25, respectively, Trade offers a blend of classic New England fare with entrees inspired by the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern travels of James Beard Awardwinning chef Jody Adams. For the bar patrons who have grown tired of the same old haunts, Drink has been named a semifinalist for “Outstanding Bar Program” and is best known for its excellent bartenders and mixed drinks. Open Sunday through Saturday 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Drink is located on Congress Street, a short walk from the South Station T stop or an even shorter walk from the silver line’s Courthouse stop. Well
reviewed on food and restaurant sites such as Yelp and Zagat, Drink makes for an ideal location for those searching for a
Oleana uses its Turkish heritage as inspiration for meals that include labne... to kibbeh bar out of the usual college wheelhouse. The next Bostonian up for an award is Joanne Chang, the chef and owner of Flour Bakery + Cafe. Armed with the most unusual of culinary backgrounds, Chang holds a degree in applied mathematics and economics from Harvard
University. A James Beard Award recipient for “Outstanding Pastry Chef,” Chang distributes her sweet delights from Flour Bakery + Cafe at three different locations within the Boston and Cambridge area, all within easy reach of MBTA transportation. Offering baking classes as well as a warm and welcoming atmosphere, Flour Bakery + Cafe’s mission is “simple: we are incredibly passionate about sharing the pure pleasure that mouth-watering pastries and foods and warm hospitality can bring into your life.” In addition, Oleana–with Turkish roots–has been named a semifinalist of the Beard Award for “Outstanding Restaurant.” Located in Cambridge, Oleana is a 15-minute walk from the Central Square T stop. Open only for dinner from 5:30 to 10 or 11 p.m., depending on the night, Oleana uses its Turkish heritage as inspiration for meals that include labne–thick strained yogurt–to kibbeh,
Person to Watch Playing on a high school sports team provides the type of experience that people deem “character-building,” the kind that teaches us how to make a commitment, how to work as a team and toward a goal, and how to persevere in the face of defeat. Former high school athlete and Boston College graduate Matthew Noon is doing his best to ensure that Massachusetts’ students have access to these life-changing experiences. Noon is a co-founder of “Cleats by Noon,” a non-profit organization that allows athletes grappling with the Who: Matthew Noon What: Cleats by Noon Where: This non-profit aims to provide footwear for students across the state, and began their campaign in their home town of Lincoln-Sudbury. Why it matters: The Noon brothers’ endeavor demonstrates a social justice mission that fights the growing trend of removing physical education from schools.
high cost of sports equipment to continue to play the game they love. Matthew, along with his brother Christopher, is a cofounder and principle owner of Noon Turf Care, an Internet-based lawn care company run out of Hudson, Mass. After years of successful business, the Noon brothers decided to give back to their community by creating “Cleats by Noon.” Troubled by the rising costs of sports equipment, the Noon brothers founded their organization as a way to donate cleats, shoes, and other athletic gear to student athletes struggling to pay the price of high school athletics. While high schools statewide continue to cut athletic funding as a way to balance budgets, many students are struggling to afford the equipment necessary to play the sports they love. Matthew and Chris are hoping their program will give needy students the opportunity to participate in varsity athletics, as the Noon brothers did years ago. They recently made their first donation, providing 35 pairs
which is a bulgur wheat dumpling or meatball. Lastly, for students interested in exploring more refined beverage tastes, No. 9 Park is the James Beard winner of the Northeast region for “Outstanding Wine Program.” Located in Boston’s historic Beacon Hill neighborhood, No. 9 Park is a nationally recommended establishment that provides patrons with all the expected luxuries of a top-notch restaurant and wine locale. No. 9 Park offers an extensive wine list that “features old world varietals from France, Italy, Austria, and Germany; as well as a small but very interesting selection of American wines from artisan producers.” Reviews and word-of-mouth are enough to have anyone booking the soonest available opportunity to visit No. 9 Park, although caution should be advised: No. 9 Park, like all the restaurants and bars mentioned here, is rather expensive. n
By: Molly Arjun By: Gajulapalli Shea
of cleats to the girls and boys lacrosse teams at their alma mater, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. The duo decided to donate to the teams as a whole, rather than singling out players, as to avoid putting needy students in an uncomfortable spotlight. The brothers have plans to extend their charity services, branching out to serve additional athletics programs across Massachusetts. According to Chris, “This is just the beginning of donations from Cleats by Noon. We plan to continue to donate to local high schools and youth organizations and find a process to get their cleats into the hands of young athletes that truly need help financially so they can focus on what they love, their sports!” The Noon brothers are planning to make another donation in the fall, this time to the Lincoln-Sudbury soccer teams, proving that the Jesuit tradition of men and women for others doesn’t dissolve after graduation.
The Heights
Thursday, March 29, 2012
B9
Public service organizations use social media for citywide security Social Media, from B10 fires, the measures taken to control them, and promotions for specific firefighters and the BFD as a whole. Recently, Boston Bruin goalie Tuukka Rask stopped by the Engine 7 and Tower Ladder 17 firehouse to tour the station and meet the local firefighters. Pictures were tweeted as well as posted on the BFD’s Facebook page. The BFD regularly interacts with followers, posting pictures and information in response to Facebook posts and tweets. They also promote the Fire Department training program, posting links to their official government website and information regarding registration. Events held by public service forums are more readily publicized through the Facebook pages, such as the Boston Fire Department versus Fire Department of New York Charity Hockey Game (hosted in Quincy, Mass. on Mar. 10). The BFD strives to foster trust, keep the community safe, and inform the citizens of Boston of potential dangers through their highly popular social media sites. Likewise, the Boston Police De-
partment (BPD) has both a Twitter and Facebook account. Unlike the Fire Department, the BPD’s tweets consist largely of interactions with their followers. Twitter users tweet to BPD concerning
All of the police and fire forces “follow” each other on Twitter and “friend” or “like” each other on Facebook. red flag issues they witnessed, suggestions, and problems (such as losing one’s cell phone in a taxi cab). With similar standings as the BFD, the Police Department has over 38,000 followers on Twitter and approximately 6,500 “likes” on Facebook. Following suit, the Boston College Police Department (BCPD) has created a Facebook account. Albeit less popular, the BCPD page focuses on advising students at BC on how to stay safe.
The page most heavily publicizes the continued search for Franco Garcia, the BC senior who was reported missing as of Feb. 22, 2012. The page additionally posts about holidays, wishing everyone safe and happy celebrations (most recently, St. Patrick’s Day and Super Bowl Sunday). In concordance with these accounts, the Boston University Police Department has a live and resourceful Twitter feed. To heighten awareness and foster communication, all of these police and fire forces “follow” each other on Twitter and “friend” or “like” each other on Facebook. The City of Boston and its affiliate organizations all have their own websites, as well. Mayor Thomas Menino now offers a 24hour Constituent Service online through Citizens Connect. Categories for his online help services include: health, safety, and social services, garbage and recycling regulations, utilities throughout the city, taxes and payments, event planning, and many more. The City of Boston’s webpage (found at www.cityofboston.gov) supplies links to their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube, Foursquare, and press release pages. These public service pages provide links to repost or blog their articles to one’s own Facebook (or other social media) page. Boston Public Services have utilized social media to effectively communicate with the citizens of Boston. Additional services, such as live online chats with Mayor Menino (courtesy of the cityofboston.gov online services) and the MBTA trip planner and train tracker have gained popularity in recent years. The city of Boston is yet another example of how social media may be used for beneficial and purposeful publicity. n
MassEDchusetts
Courtesy of Google images
Power player Wes Welker’s return to the Patriots is currently unsure.
Pats players reshuffle Patriots, from B10
11 games recording 22 receptions for 309 yards and two touchdowns. After leaving the Patriots in 2007, he faced legal troubles when he killed a pedestrian in a drunk driving accident. The team also signed former Broncos tight end Daniel Fells, who had 256 receiving yards and three touchdowns last season. Belichick will seemingly utilize him alongside Rob Gronkowski in two-tight end sets. This will give Aaron Hernandez more flexibility as a slot receiver. These additions give the offense great depth and a number of possible schemes for Brady this season. The team not only brought in new weapons for the season, but also resigned several players from the 2011 team. Deion Branch, who returned to the Patriots in 2010 after playing in Seattle for four seasons, was resigned to a one-year deal. Also, Chad Ochocinco will be returning to Gillette Stadium for another year. One question mark heading into the season will be the contract situation of Wes Welker. The Pro Bowl wideout was one of the league’s top receiving options last season with 122 receptions for 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns, however he was given the team’s franchise tag. The two groups will hopefully look to negotiate before the season begins.
The Patriots have more questions due to the loss of key performers from last season. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, the team’s leading rusher, will be taking his talents to the Cincinnati Bengals. The team will now look to Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen, who were both taken early in last year’s draft. The team has been much quieter on the defensive side in terms of transactions. It appears that the team will address issues with the pass rush and the secondary in the upcoming NFL Draft. The team has lost a number of players to free agency, such as defensive lineman Gerard Warren and defensive back James Ihedigbo. Both players played significant minutes during their time in New England, however deals have not yet been worked out. Linebacker Gary Guyton, a former draft pick with potential, has not resigned after a somewhat disappointing career. Probably the biggest loss for the defensive unit will be defensive end Mark Anderson, who was pleasantly surprising last season with 10 sacks. He signed with conference opponent Buffalo to play alongside Mario Williams. The team will need to continue making deals and focusing on having an impactful draft in order to secure defensive improvement if it hopes to make another trip to the Super Bowl. n
THE ISSUE:
A number of Massachusetts libraries, like those in Gleason and Westford, are terminating their late fee policies. Librarians no longer want to be bothered with the hastle of tracking down delinquent borrowers. Moreover, there are financial costs associated with collecting late fees. Libraries have now been given the opportunity to change their entire image. Yet, the risks associated with eliminating a method of income could be damaging. The question at hand is if terminating late fees is justified for economic or moral reasons. Does the prospect of eliminating some operating costs outweigh the prospect of granting library visitors more freedom?
Courtesy of Google Images
Late fees prevent profit gains Time frames limit freedoms Graham Beck This is a situation where the costs of tracking fines greatly outweigh the benefits gained from fines. Thus the decision to stop charging fines at libraries seems much more of a logical than an unwarranted desire to keep fines. Yes, it is true that fines help remind library frequenters to return books on time and in good condition. However, when the fines are so small that yearly fines totaled, in the case of Gleason Public Library, only $8,575, it does not seem worthwhile to pay overtime. From a business standpoint, overdue fines are actually as much a cost as a benefit. Globe correspondent Nancy Shohet explains in her article on library fines that “processing the monies collected from overdue books bears its own costs in terms of staff time, for collecting and reconciling accounts, and infrastructure such as change boxes and safes.” “Every transaction, which was often only 10 or 20 cents, had a cost associated with it,’’ said Angela Mollet, Gleason’s director, in an interview with Shohet. When the largest fine is a dollar per day for late DVDs, “at the rate we were collecting fines, the management
cost was greater than the revenue.’’ Furthermore, the money collected from fines actually would go into the town’s general coffers, with no guarantee that the revenue will come back. Simply put, ending late return fines saves money and time. Finally, the end of late fees allows libraries to reshape their image in the public eye. “We want to encourage people to continue using books,’’ Mollet said in her interview with Shohet. “I don’t like the idea of charging people for reading. It can make coming to the library a negative experience. Kids in particular may stay away from the library because they are intimidated by the thought of owing fines, or embarrassed to be told they need to pay.” However, the end of fines should not be an excuse for people to return books whenever they please. Toppling the old system of fines allows for new programs and incentives to arise, with the possibility for positive incentives to encourage readers to return books rather than enforce fines that deter people from visiting. Graham Beck is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at metro@ bcheights.com.
Assessing our local teachers
Taylor Cavallo Need a little bit more time reading that book you love but can’t seem to find time to read? Don’t worry about it—at least not in the greater Boston area. Over the past few years, libraries in Massachusetts have been switching their policies on fining for overdue library books. Although it is bothersome for the avid library-goer, encountering some sort of monetary compensation for a book that you kept longer than the library deemed necessary is expected. Yet in many libraries in the state in areas like Dover, Littleton, and Westford, this has become a thing of the past. While many libraries have found that charging for overdue books has turned out to be “as much a cost as a benefit,” according to an article from boston.com, the idea of money is certainly important to the people who are concerned with such things, but is not the real issue here. Libraries are beautiful institutions that have a long history, especially in this state. Having access to a wealth of information made public through a library simply by stepping through its doors is truly a wonderful concept. As cliche as it sounds, it is something
that shouldn’t be taken for granted, and certainly something that shouldn’t be exploited. Although technically charging for an overdue book isn’t doing anything “wrong,” libraries should really not exercise their “right” to charge a person for an overdue book. That idea of a time limit is implying that there is a certain amount of time in which a person should have been able to finish a book. This is simply not realistic or fair. People have busy schedules and read at different paces. Charging for an overdue book is a way for the library bureaucracy to make a profit off an institution that they have no choice but to endorse as free. If a person has kept a book for an absurdly long amount of time, an e-mail notification will do the trick. There is no need to threaten a person with a library bill. Massachusetts libraries have made an admirable decision in lifting the fines for overdue books. There is no reason why they should be making a profit off of a person’s desire for access to public education and information. Taylor Cavallo is an editor for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@ bcheights.com.
Jaqueline Parisi Last June, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education adopted new regulations for teacher evaluations in Massachusetts. These regulations were designed to promote the growth and development of teachers, to focus on student learning by using multiple measures of achievement, to recognize excellence in teaching and leading, to set a high bar for professional teaching status, and to shorten timelines for improvement. This system was implemented using federal Race to the Top grants, and rated educators based on four levels of performance: exemplary, proficient, needs improvement, or unsatisfactory. Depending on the rating that a teacher received, they would then follow a specified plan for growth and improvement. If a teacher was rated exemplary or proficient, he would then enter a one to two-year self-directed growth plan. Only after doing so would they be eligible for additional roles and responsibilities. If a teacher was placed in the “needs improvement” category, he would then enter into a one-year directed growth plan. If the teacher in this situation does not improve, he would then be placed in a one-year improvement plan. If this still does not work, the teacher would be dismissed. Finally, if a teacher was rated as unsatisfactory, he would go directly into the one-year improvement plan. If this was not successful, they will be dismissed as well. The implementation of this teacher evaluation plan, which assesses educators based on their career stages and performances, seems like it has the potential to be effective. Nevertheless, what many fail to realize is that when it comes time to lay off teachers, the basis for termination is seniority, not performance. So I must ask, what is the point of such a teacher evaluation system if it is not taken into consideration when teachers must be fired? From where I stand, this simply flies in the face of common sense. If a teacher is performing well, he should stay, and if a teacher is underperforming, he should be reevaluated or let go. I do not, in any way, mean to undermine seniority. I think that it certainly has value when it comes to teacher evaluations. Nevertheless, if a senior teacher is arguing that he or she has an abundance of experience and should not be let go, I must assert that if this teacher’s experience is not translating into performance, then other factors obviously must be taken into consideration. If this teacher’s experience is, in fact, translating into performance, then this teacher has nothing to worry about. Stand for Children is a non-profit organization whose “ultimate goal is to ensure that every child has access to a quality education and an equitable chance to succeed in life,” according to their website. Currently, Stand is promoting “An Act to Promote Excellence in Public Schools” through their statewide campaign Great Teachers Great Schools (GTGS). This proposed question for the 2012 ballot will ensure that public schools place performance first when deciding which teachers to retain, create clear and consistent guidelines across Massachusetts for the staffing and retention of teachers, and empower schools to close the achievement gap with a fair and transparent process for assigning and retaining educators focused on results. Last fall, more than 100,000 Massachusetts residents signed the petition to put this question on the ballot. Before the question is submitted to voters, the Massachusetts state legislature has an opportunity to support the proposed initiative on an alternate piece proposed by Senator Berry that would accomplish the same goals. I support this ballot initiative because, as GTGS’s website so eloquently put it, “No child can afford to spend another minute in a classroom where they are not learning. No school can afford to languish with outdated policies that don’t put performance first and respect educators as professionals.”
Jaqueline Parisi is a staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.
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Thursday, March 29, 2012
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The legacy of Fenway Charlotte Parish Despite the bipolar weather over the past couple of weeks, Boston is technically thawing out for spring, and that means a few things: flowers, sunshine, and (most importantly) baseball. I will readily admit that I am not the most informed fan. I can’t tell you the stats for most of the players and I’m not sure who is the best new recruit. Honestly, I had to ask when our home opener was, and the people I was talking to became completely distracted talking about the upcoming season in (I’m 90 percent sure) a different language. But in spite of this missing knowledge base, something that does define me as a Red Sox fan is the sense of overwhelming majesty that descends every time I enter Fenway Park, easily the best ballpark in the country. Do I have any standards for comparison? Not really. This is an entirely biased opinion. But that’s part of Fenway’s allure: it creates stalwart fans who will get into a brawl with anyone (including elderly ladies and young children) to defend their hometown. So as we are coming up on the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park, most Bostonians are feeling the urge to pause and take stock of what this arena has done for the city. I have so many memories tied with that park. My grandparents absolutely love the Red Sox–my grandmother in particular. If you want proof that baseball is not just a man’s game, go talk to her. She will talk shop with any sports announcer without breaking a sweat. So part of my attachment to the park is heritage: Fenway Park is a venue that each new generation inherits from the previous as young kids go spinning around Yawkey Way, unable to decide if they want to follow their nose to find the Fenway franks, their ears to get “ya programs herah!” from the hawking vendors, or their eyes to take in the vastness of the park itself. When you’re that small, everything looks big but the history of the park is what makes it feel so large. There’s also the allure of being part of a tradition. The scores and scores of Red Sox fans never cease to amaze me. When I was at Versailles, rocking the tourist look with a highly conspicuous Red Sox hat, I heard someone call out “Go Sox!” from a hundred yards away. That Sox fans can find each other on every continent is a pretty amazing thing. That they always feel confident enough to befriend these total strangers with nothing more in common than a sports team is even more impressive and one of my favorite aspects of sports in general. Red Sox Nation is an indefinable community. Just because we cheer when Lackey strikes someone out and groan when the Yankees score a run, we all know that we share a valuable common trait. There are also plenty of objective reasons that Fenway Park is an establishment worth revering, many of which I learned this summer as a tour guide (the interesting or obnoxious tidbits I gathered on that job are endless). For example, Fenway Park is both the smallest and oldest professional sport field in America. Its opening day was on the same day that the Titanic sank (kind of a bummer for PR). But these are the least important reasons, in my opinion. What makes Fenway a second home for so many people is the unexplainable visceral reaction that you have when walking into the park. Every year when I go to a game, a sense of euphoria and unity settles into the stands as we all settle into our seats–that is the real legacy of Fenway Park. After a hundred years of fostering fraternal ties, Fenway Park deserves a spectacular centennial celebration. Just one last suggestion: how about a World Series trophy as a present for the park after a century of service?
Charlotte Parish is the Metro Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.
Promoting local security through the Web By Tricia Tiedt Heights Staff
It comes as no surprise to our generation that social media has become the most active form of communication. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest—the newest addition to this web family—have become the main distractions and social media outlets that students and adults alike use to connect in a public forum. Boston, in addition to major cities across the nation, has begun to utilize these social media sites for the benefit of their citizens, particularly in the safety field. Boston Public Services, including the police and fire departments, emergency medical services, National Public Radio, The Boston Globe and Boston Herald, etc., all have Internet websites and social media accounts in order to better connect with the citizens of Boston.
The Boston Fire Department (BFD) has become the most active and accessible public forum since utilizing online resources. The BFD uses their Twitter account (@ BostonFire) to tweet live updates on any scene or call. Most of their tweets come in spurts, depending on the cause for action and severity of any scene to which they are called. For example, during the fire across the street from Moogie’s earlier this semester, BFD kept Boston College students and local citizens informed through live tweets. The BFD’s live stream of tweets from the scene of an accident usually includes quotes and “twit pics”—links to an
Joseph Castlen/heights editor
image included in a tweet. Additionally, the BFD always tweets the aftermath of a scene, noting the structural damage, state of the firefighters, and injuries caused to those involved at the scene. The BFD also has a Facebook page and its own website. Almost 32,000 people “like” the BFD on Facebook, integrating local city information with pictures from the weekend recently posted by friends. The Fire Department Facebook page posts videos of recent
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Panel may cut MA tax credits By Marc Francis Asst. Metro Editor
photo courtesY google images
Joanne Chang of Flower Bakery + Cafe is nominated for “Best Pastry Chef,’ one of four Bostonians.
Boston up for ‘food Oscars’ Locals nominated in four categories of James Beard awards By Andrew Schweiger For The Heights
Spring is fast approaching and brings welcome changes with it: flip-flops, t-shirts, shorts, and the promise of summer. Of the many welcome changes accompanied by spring and the promise of warmer weather, some things that are unlikely to experience much varia-
tion are the dining menus in Boston College’s dining halls. For students looking for a reason to explore food and drinks outside the normal fare of BC Dining, there are the semifinalists and winners of the prestigious James Beard Award. The James Beard Award is a national award that recognizes the best the food and beverage industry has to offer in such regional categories as “Best Chef,” “Best New Restaurant,” “Outstanding Bar Program,” “Outstanding Pastry Chef,” “Outstanding Wine Program,” and “Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional.”
Heights Senior Staff Odd Future has some rotten luck when in Boston. Last May, Odd Future’s in-store performance at Newbury Comics was shut down due to allegedly causing “near-riots” and the minor “hurting” of a police officer. More recently, on Mar. 21, following their opening night of their 10-day tour in New York City, Odd Future performed at the House of Blues in Boston to a packed crowd. However, after a strange turn of events and to the audience’s great dismay, the group was abruptly shut down during their last song, a video of which has gone viral in the entertainment world. But no one really seems to know the answer to the big question of “why?” Group leader, Tyler the Creator, explains
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MassEdchusets
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Tyler the Creator mysteriously cut short at the House of Blues By Clara Kim
Drawing attention to the damaging effects of the surplus of tax credits offered by the Massachusetts state government, the Tax Expenditure Commission recently held a meeting advocating for the elimination of various, undisclosed tax breaks. A tax deduction allows a citizen to pay less in taxes than he otherwise would. Although the individual taxpayer would not be content with paying more of his hard-earned income to the government, paying a higher tax would enhance the entire state of Massachusetts on a socioeconomic level. At the heart of this issue lies the fact that it is much easier for the government to offer a tax break in a particular industry rather than spend some of the state’s budget. Reducing taxes for com-
panies, especially heavily influential ones, is simply politically easier than directly distributing money to them. State Representative Jay Kaufman, co-chairman of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Revenue, remains optimistic and believes that within a year some sort of action will be carried out by the state. According to The Boston Globe, Kaufman directly addressed the inadequacy of the tax code and stated that, “It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. I defy anyone to read the list of exemptions [in the tax code] and come up with some logic for it.’’ He is referring to tax laws that do not have clear, logical reasoning behind them, such as a sales tax that solely relies on where the consumer buys the product, rather than the product itself. The panel argued that the elimina-
to the audience, “Just so you guys don’t think we’re d—s, I was going to finish the song, because you guys paid money … but the promoter cut us off.” He continued, saying, “We wanted to finish [the show] but the owner of the club made us turn it off and the police are right there.” After, the House of Blues cuts his mic and dims the stage lights, amid crowd confusion. According to reports, one of the Los Angeles rap collective was arrested outside of the venue due to a confusing series of events. A band member attempted to jump from the second floor balcony to crowd surf and was held back by a security guard. However, venue staff were unsure who the guard was and called the authorities, thinking he was an unaffiliated party harassing the band. The House of Blues has not released a statement regarding the incident. n
photo courtesy of Google images
The Patriots have added depth to their recievers, including former Colts player Anthony Gonzalez.
Pats rev up for new season By Chris Marino Heights Editor
While the biggest news in the NFL has been the acquisition of Peyton Manning by the Denver Broncos, and the subsequent trade of Tim Tebow to the New York Jets, NFL teams have been busy this offseason. Since losing Super Bowl XLVI, the New England Patriots have been on a mission to reload their roster. Many have wondered how many years the dynamic duo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have together, and the team has addressed this concern by stocking up on offensive weapons for their Pro Bowl gunslinger. Probably the biggest acquisition for the Pats was former St. Louis wideout Brandon Lloyd. Lloyd formerly played under Josh
Will a new teacher evaluation system truly recognize exemplary performance, or continue to favor seniority?........................................................B9
McDaniels, New England’s returning offensive coordinator, in Denver and thrived in his system. Last year, Lloyd finished the season with 70 receptions for 966 yards and five touchdowns, playing four games with the Broncos and 11 with the Rams. The Patriots hope to bring back the same success he had with McDaniels through this reunion. The team also added former Colt slot receiver Anthony Gonzalez, who has struggled in his early career due to injury. Donte Stallworth, who played under Belichick for the 2007 undefeated Patriots, is returning after playing for Cleveland, Baltimore, and Washington over the last three seasons. Last season, he played in
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Restaurant Review: Sweet Cheeks.............................................................B7 BC Alumni Spotlight: Matthew Noon.... ..........................................................B8