The Heights 03-24-11

pro day workouts

US STRIKES

Spring FASHION PREVIEW

SPORTS

MARKETPLACE

THE SCENE

Seniors on the football team worked out before pro scouts yesterday, A10

United States Tomahawk missles enforce no-fly zone in Libya, B10

Spring has sprung in the collections of some of Boston’s best stores, B1

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Vol. XCII, No. 16

J. Cole, Wale to perform at Spring Concert

By Taylour Kumpf News Editor

UGBC’s campus entertainment department has announced that this year’s Spring Concert, to take place on Friday, April 15, will feature hip-hop artists J. Cole and Wale.

UGBC will utilize traditional ticketing for the event rather than online ticketing, said Michael Kitlas, director of campus entertainment and A&S ’12. Ticket sales will be broken down by class, and 4,800 total tickets will be on sale.

“This year, the Spring Concert weekend is a collaboration with Black Student Forum,

as it aligns with Black Family Weekend,” Kitlas said.

Regarding the decision to go with a hiphop act for the event, Kitlas said, “When deciding on this year’s artist, The Fray was in the back of our minds, so we strayed away from that genre.”

Last year’s Spring Concert featuring The Fray and Steel Train suffered from low-thanusual ticket sales – a memory still fresh in the minds of UGBC organizers.

Micaela Mabida, UGBC president and A&S ’11, said, “I want to commend campus entertainment for bringing us a lot of different genres last year.” She said she hoped to have a female artist this year because there

has not been one for years, but it didn’t work out.

In addition to announcing the Spring Concert, Kitlas and Mabida detailed additional spring programming initiatives.

“We have a really exciting spring ahead of us,” Mabida said. “We’ve been planning exciting weekends, culminating at the end with ‘Mile 21’ weekend and Modstock. [For the Spring Concert], we focused on something more cohesive and collaborative this year, including more students’ opinions about who they thought the performer should be.”

Kitlas outlined the general process that

See Spring Concert, A4

photo Courtesy of freshnessmag.com / creative commons licensed

J. Cole (left) and Wale, will be featured at this year’s Spring Concert on Friday, April 15.

2000 Comm.

Ave. increases guest limit

Campus bands lack show space

Residents can now host up to 15 guests

BC groups taking acts to off-campus venues

By Matthew DeLuca

By Daniel Tonkovich

Heights Senior Staff

Heights Editor

Residents of the apartments at 2000 Commonwealth Avenue can now enjoy the company of more than four guests per apartment at once. After a change in the apartments community’s guidelines on March 16, each apartment is now limited to 15 guests at all times. “[The new guest limit] was based upon the size of the apartments and the concept of how many people can be in one apartment and not produce noise that would impact others,” said Paul Chebator, senior associate dean for student development.

While the revised guest limit is 15 people, gatherings of guests in excess of the limit is permitted, but only if managament is contacted a week in advance for approval and is provided a guest list for the event. If the gatherings of greater than 15 are approved, only individuals with names appearing on the previously submitted guest list to management will be allowed entrance. All guests will be required to present valid photo identification before they will be permitted to enter the building.

BC officials said previously that numerous noise complaints by residents living in 2000 Comm. Ave. and surrounding buildings had prompted them to meet with Archstone, property manager of the 190unit apartment complex owned by BC, to suggest changes to reduce complaints. The meeting resulted in the original four guests per apartment rule, as well as a prohibition of kegs in the building. Kegs continue to be prohibited in the building after the recent guest policy amendment.

The original four guest policy which was in effect from Feb. 17 until March 16 drew complaints by residents, including Anthony Russo, a 2000 Comm. Ave. resident and A&S ’13, who submitted a 55-resident signature petition expressing dissatisfaction with the policy. The dissent prompted BC officials to meet with representatives

See Guest Policy, A4

Editor’s Note: This article is the second of a three-part investigation of support for the arts at BC.

See Music, A4

Redefining the 21st mile Campaign plans to build on past traditions, unite students

By Taylour Kumpf News Editor

Over the past four weeks, student representatives from the UGBC, the Quality of Student Life Committee (QSLC), and the Residence Hall Association (RHA) have met to discuss meaningful ways to better integrate Boston College into the marathon fanfare.

The group has dubbed its efforts “The Mile 21 Campaign.”

The conversation has evolved with administrative support from

ResLife, the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of the Dean for Student Development (ODSD), the Student Programs Office (SPO), the athletics department, the BCPD, and others to create a weekend of events that they hope will become a lasting tradition.

“This idea was started because some students thought Marathon Monday had kind of a negative connotation,” said Justin Pike, representative for the UGBC and ResLife and, A&S ’11. “Not because of the lack of fun, but because of the

Point drive for Japan earthquake relief raises $17,000 Asst. News Editor

kylie Montero / heights staff

See Mile 21, A4

alex trautwig / heights editor

This year’s Marathon Monday weekend will debut “The Mile 21 Campaign,” and effort to better integrate students into marathon events.

By Molly LaPoint

New limit of 15 guests per apartment, regardless of size, now effective in 2000.

lack of meaning behind it.”

“As any student or administrator at Boston College can attest, Marathon Monday at BC is a day that has been defined by drinking and partying with little or no value added by students, on campus organizations, and the administration,” reads the Mile 21 Campaign proposal.

With this in mind, the goals of the group include enhancing the University ’s experience of

Last month, Dan Mogelnicki, CSOM ’11, and his band found themselves onstage in the Foundation Room at the House of Blues. His band, Headroom, which consists of two fellow Boston College students and one student from the Berklee College of Music, started out playing in off-campus basements. When they played at the House of Blues, they were joined by two other groups, YSB and Joker to the Thief, which are composed wholly or in part by BC students.

Mogelnicki, who is also the music director for the all-male a capella group The Heightsmen, said that his band has performed at other venues in Boston including the Cask ’n Flagon, the Middle East Upstairs, and Harper’s Ferry in Allston.

Finding places on campus to play has been another matter, Mogelnicki said. “Particularly on campus, there are not really a lot of opportunities to play here,” he said.

Mogelnicki said that while many of the musical and managerial lessons he’s learned working with The Heightsmen and Headroom overlap, the audiences don’t always do so. “BC to a large degree does have a student body that appreciates lots of different types of music,” Mogelnicki said. “I think that rock music in particularly doesn’t have as strong of a footing on campus.”

Laura Linnemeier, A&S ’11, is a vocalist with Joker to the Thief. She’s also a member of The Sharps and president of the Music Guild, a student-run organization that works to encourage student music on campus. “We’re first and foremost a really big listserv,” Linnemeier said. “We’re a group that keeps people posted about

In light of the recent earthquake in Japan, various organizations on campus have worked to help raise money in support of the survivors.

Patrick Rombalski, vice president for student affairs, sent an e-mail March 18 to students outlining the current efforts to aid the people of Japan. Last week, the Japan Club raised $1,000 through donations, and they sponsored a point drive on Monday.

In addition, all campus liturgies this Sunday will be dedicated to the survivors. The e-mail also encouraged students and organizations with additional ideas to contact Dan Ponsetto, director of the Volunteer and Service Learning Center (VSLC).

The first course of action, Ponsetto said, was to make sure that all students with personal ties to Japan, and students studying abroad in Japan, were safe. Rombalski

organized a dinner to support Japanese students. Representatives from Campus Ministry and Counseling Services were also in attendance at the event, which aimed to provide them with an outlet to explore the resources available to them.

“The first thing was to make sure everyone was okay,” Ponsetto said. “The best way to respond is at a personal level first, and then the second thing is to gather as a community,” Ponsetto said.

After checking in with the Boston College’s personal connections, then the focus can turn to aiding those affected, Ponsetto said. Fundraising is likely the best method, because it allows the affected communities to decide where to use the funds themselves.

“It’s about how we can take some action to show our solidarity with the people suffering there,” Ponsetto said.

See Japan Relief, A4

cecilia provvedini / heights editor

The Japan Club made cranes and raised money in an act of solidarity with earthquake survivors.

TopFive

The Heights

Thursday, March 24, 2011

things to do on campus this week

‘Freya’ Screening

1

Chamber Lecture Series

Today Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Devlin 026

Come watch a documentary directed by Rachel Freudenburg, a professor in the German studies department, which tells of Germans who opposed Hitler’s regime on humanitarian grounds.

2

Friday Time: 3:30 p.m.

L o c a t i o n : M u r r ay Room

Listen to a talk by Boomer Esiason, former NFL quarterback and studio analyst for CBS Sports, sponsored by the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics.

Dessert Friday

3

BCPD Auction

ALC Showdown

Friday Time: 5 p.m.

Location: Carney’s

Featured desserts will be colored green to promote sustainability and remind diners to be more eco-friendly as part of Green Month, sponsored by Dining Services and UGBC.

featured on campus

CDBC hosts Victoria Kennedy

4

Saturday Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Conte Forum

Enjoy a night of performances by BC dance groups and culture clubs. Doors open at 6 p.m., and Earth Hour, where lights are turned off across the globe, will last from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

5

Saturday, April 9 Time: 8:30 a.m.

Location: Edmond’s Hall Lounge

Stop by the BCPD’s auction to purchase unclaimed found property.

Proceeds will go to the Campus School and other charities. All purchases are cash only.

IntheNews

Four Day Weather Forecast Today

39° Snow 28°

Friday

38° Partly Cloudy 23°

Saturday

38° Partly Cloudy

University Professor fired for sexual orientation reaches settlement with college Rev. James St. George, an adjunct professor of religion at Chestnut Hill College in Germantown, Penn. whose post was terminated because of his sexual orientation has announced that he and the institution have reached a settlement over his termination, according to a report

by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The terms of the agreement were not made public. College officials decided not to renew St. George’s contract last month when they discovered on his blog that he had been in a 15-year relationship with a man.

24°

Sunday

40° Partly Cloudy 26°

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

Local News Mass. secretary of state reveals he incorrectly reported Census figures

daniel lee / Heights staff

Victoria Kennedy spoke Tuesday about her religious and political stances in a talk sponsored by the College Democrats.

By Tanner Edwards Heights Staff

The College Democrats of Boston College (CDBC) welcomed Victoria Reggie Kennedy to the Rat Tuesday evening to speak about how her Catholicism inspired her progressive political beliefs. The attorney and wife of the late Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy related the founding influences in her religious and political life before taking questions from the audience.

Rev. Donald Macmillan, S.J., introduced Kennedy to begin the event. “She is a woman of many talents centered on taking care of people,” he said. “I am in awe of her energy and inspired by her devotion to God and family.”

Kennedy set out to define herself spiritually and politically from the beginning of her speech, reminiscing about her Louisiana upbringing and some of her early conceptions of faith and politics.

“I grew up as a Catholic democrat from Louisiana and I thought Catholic and Democratic values were the same,” Kennedy said. “I always thought that Jesus was a Democrat. I just assumed.”

Kennedy cited Jesus as one of the inspirations for her progressive worldview.

“He reached out in a progressive way to shake up business as usual, embraced the outcast, and looked at things in a different way,” she said.

Kennedy said that her grand-

mother, father, and late husband represented the other crucial influences upon her political and spiritual life. She touched on the charity of her grandmother and the intellectual freedom offered by her father to question her faith as foundational to her character.

When discussing her late husband, she described the politician’s unique dealings with Catholicism during his life.

“Ted Kennedy was a man of incredibly deep faith,” she said.

“He would say, ‘My faith is as important to me and as natural to me as breathing,’” she said.

“His whole public life was about the beatitudes. They motivated everything he did.”

Kennedy referenced a moment during the heated 2004 presidential campaign when the senator encouraged her to express her anger at Catholicism being used as a political weapon in an op-ed to the Washington Post, no matter the impact it may have had on the senator’s political capital.

“He empowered me to let my voice be heard,” Kennedy said.

She took questions from the audience after detailing her religious and political development.

When asked about reconciling her social stances with Catholic doctrine, Kennedy offered her unique religious views.

“I make a distinction between my faith and the positions of the Church hierarchy,” Kennedy said. “I believe deeply that we the

people are the Church.”

The speaker lamented the embittered political landscape defining the modern era at many turns of her conversation with the audience, especially in reference to its effect on Catholicism and welfare efforts.

“There is an absolute attempt out there to make Democrats be lesser Catholics and an agenda to end the ministry of social justice,” she said.

Kennedy encouraged a reevaluation of the moral center of our government while charging listeners to fight for the less fortunate in their future efforts.

“If we spend money to care for the poorest among us, that says a lot about our people,” she said.

“I should hope neighbors would help each other, but the government must help, too.”

Nicholas Doffek, vice president of CDBC and A&S ’13, said he was pleased with Kennedy’s speech in the context of his organization’s broader efforts.

“It really resonated with one of our major messages that we’re trying to push across this year, which is that being a Catholic doesn’t necessarily mean being conservative and, in many cases, can actually mean quite the opposite,” Doffek said.

“In her speech it was obvious that Mrs. Kennedy has many ties to BC and its mission, and it was good to reestablish those strong ties in this forum,” he added. n

Mass. Secretary of State William F. Galvin revealed that he incorrectly reported Census figures that Boston and Springfield saw a decline in the last decade in a press conference Wednesday morning. Galvin recognized his mistake almost immediately and called for another press conference yesterday afternoon. Initially, Galvin reported that Boston’s population dropped 2.4 percent, but data shows a 4.8 percent increase. City officials are working to reach out to media outlets that initially reported accounts of Galvin’s conference.

On Campus BC science professors ranked among the top 100 experts in their fields Two Boston College professors have been named among the top 100 experts in their respective fields. Patricia and Joseph T. Vanderslice Millennium Professor of Chemistry and chair of the chemistry department Amir Hoveyda, was named 90th in the top 100 chemists worldwide in an analysis by Tompson Reuters. Zhifeng Ren, a professor in the physics department, was placed 49th among the Top 100 Material Scientists worldwide in the past decade, according to Times Higher Education. The rankings were compiled in recognition of 2011 being named the International Year of Chemistry.

National Man imprisoned for pretending to oversee Belgian royal family’s financial affairs NEW YORK (AP) - Guy de Chimay, a money manager who pretended to oversee a Belgian royal family’s American investments, is headed to a New York prison for a $7 million scam. He received three to nine years in prison with the possibility of parole at his sentencing yesterday.

He pleaded guilty in February to grand larceny and other charges. He also agreed to pay more than $6.6 million in restitution. Prosecutors said de Chimay exaggerated a distant link to Belgium’s de Chimay family. They say he supplied bogus bank statements to get people to put money into a phony investment vehicle.

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 Taylour Kumpf, 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 Paul Sulzer, 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 Darren Ranck, 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 Michael Caprio, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Police Blotter 3/21/11 – 3/23/11 Monday, March 21

Tuesday, March 22

8:37 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a subject who was exposed to the body fluids of another while treating them for an injury at the Plex. The subject was transported to a medical facility.

6:15 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an injured subject in Robsham Theater. The subject was transported to a medical facility in the medical van.

11:24 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a past larceny in Walsh Hall. An officer is investigating.

11:39 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a a missing subject. After an extensive investigation/search the missing subject’s location was able to be identified and all was determined to be in order.

1:01 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a past domestic violence incident in Rubesntein Hall. A detective is investigating.

3:29 p.m. - A report was filed regarding items of contraband which were located during a Health and Safety inspection in Duchesne West. A report will be forwarded to ODSD for review and no criminal charges will be filed.

8:54 p.m. - A report was filed regarding three subjects who were trapped inside an elevator in 2000 Comm. Ave. Boston Fire Department arrived on scene and freed the subjects without incident.

7:48 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in the Mods. The alarm was triggered due to bad cooking.

There was no fire department response.

Voices from the Dustbowl “Which do you think is the best dorm on campus?”

“Vanderslice.”

—Alejandra Cabrera, A&S ’14

8:31 p.m. - A report was filed regarding assistance provided to a subject who was trying to locate a student to make a death notification.

Wednesday, March 23 3:04 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a subject feeling ill in Cushing Hall. The subject was transported to a medical facility in a police cruiser.

“The Gate.”

—Shyam Patel, CSOM ’13

5:35 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a subject feeling ill in Cushing Hall. The subject was transported to a medical facility in an ambulance.

“Cheverus.”

—Ted Glick,

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

CSOM ’14

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) 2011. All rights reserved.

CORRECTIONS Please send corrections to editor@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.

The Heights

Thursday, March 24, 2011

A3

UGBC hopes to promote STI testing with help from the University

By Elise Taylor Heights Editor

Kevin Hou / Photo Editor

UGBC and University Health Services are collaborating to raise STI awareness.

Last Wednesday, a UGBC-sponsored initiative on sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing awareness began on campus. Collaborating with University Health Services, this plan is in response to last semester’s Senate resolution authored by Nick Domino, A&S ’12, to raise awareness about STIs. On a global scale, the presence of STIs are prevalent. More than half of all people will have an STD/STI at some point in their lifetime, according to Health Services, and youths between the ages of 15 and 24 account for almost one half of the United States’ contracted STIs each year. Often times, these STIs go undetected, and develop into serious health risks.

“Many students think if you can’t see or feel a problem ‘down there,’ there isn’t one, but many STIs have no symptoms at all,” said Alicia Johnson, chair of BC Students for Sexual Health (BCSSH).

Lizzie Jekanowski, A&S’13 and a co-sponsor of this campaign, said these statistics are the driving force behind the STI campaign.

“Factor in BC’s hook-up culture and the typical Catholic stance on sexual health, and the result is students engaging in sexual activity without accurate knowledge of how to protect themselves against the transmission of STIs.” This initiative started March 16, with a screening

of the informative movie It Can’t Happen to Me: The Realities of STIs and HIV, and will continue this week with volunteers in the quad providing information about STIs and STI testing at Health Services. They will also be posting flyers and handing out stickers that say, “I Got Tested.” These actions, according to Jekanowski, will hopefully raise awareness about the risk of STIs, persuade students to get tested, and help them incorporate regular STI testing as a life-long habit. “We don’t expect things to change overnight, but we hope this will encourage students to thoughtfully consider how to be healthy in their sexual relationships, and to feel comfortable reaching out to Health Services or BCSSH when they have questions,” Jekanowski said.

This campaign also has a long-term vision in mind, mainly to provide free and confidential STI and HIV testing on BC’s campus, a service that is already provided at hundreds of colleges across the United States. Currently, STI testing goes on a student’s health insurance record, and costs and billing procedures of health insurance companies can vary. If a student does not want to use their health insurance, a comprehensive panel of STI testing would cost over $250, according to Nancy C. Baker of UHS. “Hopefully, the increased utilization of Health Services will demonstrate that free and confidential STI testing is a necessary to student’s health, and a priority of the new Office of Health Promotion,” Jekanowski said. “There is no such

GLC announces next president and VP

thing as ‘safe sex.’ There is always a risk, especially if you or your partner is unaware of your status. We need a campus environment in which students can feel comfortable talking about every aspect of their health, which includes an honest and non-judgmental dialogue about sexual health.”

An interesting facet to this campaign has been the unlikely obstacles for Jekanowski and her cosponsor, Caitlin Hanley, A&S’11. Although many students might assume that BC’s Jesuit affiliation would hamper the efforts of STI awareness, Hanley said that the school has actually been quite supportive.

“The resolution sponsored by Nick Domino passed unanimously through the UGBC Senate, and both Health Services and Dr. Rombalski’s Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs have expressed their support for this campaign,” she said.

In fact, the biggest obstacle, she said, has been the students themselves. The negative stigma that is associated with STIs has been shown to cause some students’ withdrawal from the efforts of Jekanoski and Hanley. “Repeated comments during our Quad campaign have been ‘What are you implying?’ or ‘Do I look like I need to get tested for STIs?’” Hanley said. Organizers said that this signifies the need for sexual education. “We need to change this attitude and encourage sexually active students to view testing as part of their commitment to personal health,” Hanley said. n

water week floods quad

McCrosson and Tingley to succeed Gasseling and Isakkson in 2011

By Adriana Mariella Assoc. News Editor

The GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC) announced the results of its presidential and vice-presidential election, naming Carolyn McCrosson, A&S ’12 and Joshua Tingley, A&S ’13, president and vice president, respectively.

The duo will replace Kelsey Gasseling and Natalie Isaksson, both A&S ’11, and will serve during the 2011-2012 school year.

McCrosson and Tingley said that they hope to effectively continue to work toward the goals set out in the GLC’s 10-year plan.

“My hope is that the first goals outlined in Reaching New Heights, our 10-year plan presente d to the administration last year, will start to come to fruition,” McCrosson said in an e-mail.

As president, McCrosson hopes to continue the success of the GLC and also alter the attitudes of students as they enter the school to promote a community of acceptance and equality.

“I’m hoping that during this next year, I’ll be able to build upon the vast amount of progress that the GLC has made in previous years,” she said. “I also want to make it a priority to introduce the GLC to the incoming freshmen. By letting them know what the expectations and standards of this school are, in terms of respect and equality, I’m hoping

that I can open the eyes of these new students who have perhaps been swayed by information reporting that [Boston College] is not a diverse community.”

Additionally, she said that the value she places on others’ ideas will lead to the administration’s success.

“I also want to make it a priority to introduce the GLC to the incoming freshmen.”

-Carolyn McCrosson, A&S’12 and GLC President Elect “I believe my openness to new ideas will be key for this administration,” she said. “I think it is important to have multiple vie w points and opinions contributing to a project or group, that way you can bounce ideas off of each other and come up with something even greater than one sole person could imagine. I’m very open to receiving new ideas and new ways of looking at problems.”

As vice president, Tingley said that he hopes to use his ability to work with people.

“As VP, I hope to help the GLC continue the great amount of growth it has

made over the past couple of years, and to make it known to all BC students,” Tingley said. “I think that my people skills, coupled with my ability to work with administrators effectively, will help our administration continue to campaign for improved resources for the LGBTQ community. I have had experience on this campus dealing with administrators and underrepresented groups including Boston College Students for Sexual Health (BCSSH) and the SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) Collaborative.”

As a team, they said that they believe that their varied interests will be conducive to success.

“We are two different people,” they said. “[We] think our differing backgrounds and interests will help us bring many different ideas to GLC.” The new administration also said that it plans to continue the work of this year’s administration.

“Kelsey and Natalie did a terrific job getting GLC known on campus and coordinating events with other groups,” they said in a joint statement. “[We] will want to continue working with other groups on campus to gain even more presence and recognition among the student body.”

The duo said it plans to discuss implementing any large changes after the Annual GLC Gala, which takes place on April 1, and throughout the summer. n

Burns Library unveils new rare book exhibit on Monday

By Hilary Chasse Heights Editor

The Burns Library opened its new exhibit, “Binding Friendship: Ricci, China and Jesuit Cultural Learnings.,” on Monday. This rare book exhibit featured more than ancient texts, however. Burns received a 21st century makeover, complete with a flat screen TV projecting student-made films, a website with original undergraduate research, and an audio accompaniment composed by a Boston College professor.

The exhibit was coordinated and overseen by Rev. Jeremy Clarke, S.J., a professor in the history department.

“This exhibit came about because of the 400th anniversary, on May 11, 2010, of Matteo Ricci’s death,” Clarke said, “and that Boston College has this exceptional collection of books that deals with Jesuits and their impact on East-West exchange.”

Another unusual aspect of the exhibition opening was the amount of undergraduates, in addition to members of the history department, University librarians, and Jesuits, who crowded into the Burns’ two floors for the opening celebration. One reason for the increased student attendance was the class that Clarke offered this semester, “Beyond Ricci: Christian History in China since 1552,” which allowed students to work within Burns for the exhibition opening.

“Students could use their talents and abilities, and pursue their own interests,” Clarke said, “The theory is that greater student involvement equals greater student ownership.”

Aditya Ashok, a student in “Beyond Ricci” and A&S ’12, said, “I was taking the class this semester and we had the option to work on the exhibit, by helping to set up the site.” Ashok was part of the beautification team, which organized the aesthetics of the exhibit such as the layout of books, photos, props, and posters.

Grace Heisenbottle, A&S ’13, who was also a part of the student-run team, said “Fr. Clarke gave us a huge amount of creative freedom.”

Ashok agreed. “He gave us a lot of independence but was always there with a helpful hand if we needed it,” he said.

Clarke commissioned Ralf Yusuf Gawlick, a

professor in the music department, to compose an original piece for the exhibit, “Quando il Fiume Giallo si Acchiarara (Frammenti Ricciani),” which played on the second floor.

“I didn’t know much about Ricci, but it has been a journey, a journey that began in the Burns,” Gawlick said, “To get to hold the pages of a first edition journal – that’s inspiration.” A live performance of Gawlick’s piece will be given on April 26, in St. Mary’s Chapel.

During the opening ceremony, representatives from several of the exhibition’s sponsors spoke in praise of the exhibition, particularly the amount of undergraduate involvement. “Over the years at BC, when we come to a Jesuit an-

“The theory is that greater student involvement equals greater student ownership.”

-Rev. Jeremy Clarke, S.J., exhibit coordinator and professor in the history department

niversary, we put on exhibits, often in the Burns, said Rev. T. Frank Kennedy, S.J., director of the Jesuit Institute and rector of the Jesuit community of BC. “This exhibit is significant because of the work and input from undergraduates. It was unique and we were very pleased to offer our support.”

The exhibition will be on display until Oct. 31, 2011 and the exhibition website, where descriptions of the texts can be found alongside undergraduate research essays and films, can be found at www.bc.edu/bindingfriendship. The first seminar of a series that surrounds the exhibition will take place, on March 28, at 5:30 p.m. in the Burns Library. n

Kevin Hou / Photo Editor

The Puebla, Mexico Arrupe trip gathered in the Quad yesterday for Water Week, looking to promote sustainability and illustrate how much excess water the average American uses.

Allston-Brighton Crime Reports 3/15/11 – 3/20/11

Roggie’s given premise violation While officers were monitoring St. Patrick’s Day festivities at Roggie’s on Thursday, March 17, officers saw two tables with beer towers through the open windows. Each beer tower held 148 ounces of beer. A week prior, officers had visited establishments known to use these towers and informed the managers that they should contact the Boston Licensing Board to request a hearing about the uncertainty of their legality. Based on the observation of the beer towers, the officers spoke with the manager and issued him premise violations.

Housekeeper engages in struggle with intruder At about 2:13 p.m. on March 15, officers responded to a call regarding a breaking and entering. Upon arrival, officers spoke to the victim who is a housekeeper for the home. She stated that she had arrived midday and discovered a male intruder. She engaged in a struggle with him and he fled on foot. She stated that she had seen the suspect at least twice before “smoking marijuana” in the laundry room on the first floor. Three jewelry items were stolen, valued at approximately $15,900.

Suspect resists arrest, tries to take officer’s service weapon At about 12 p.m. on March 20, officers responded to a call regarding a larceny in progress at a Tedeschi food market on Commonwealth Ave. Upon arrival, officers spoke to the manager who stated that a man entered the store and stole a donation jar. Officers recognized the man from previous arrests. When officers attempted to arrest him, the suspect threatened to kill the two officers. He then continued to resist arrest and went to grab one of the officer’s guns from its holster. The officers called for backup, but before it could arrive, were forced to spray O.C. spray in the suspect’s face, only to see that it had no effect on the suspect. It was not until backup arrived that the officers were able to subdue the suspect and arrest him.

Victim stabbed in North Brighton, suspect arrested At approximately 3:30 a.m., officers responded to a call regarding a stabbing in North Brighton. The victim yelled to officers upon their arrival that he had been stabbed and then pointed to an approaching motor vehicle and that the suspect who stabbed him was in the car. Officers searched the passengers in the car and they admitted to participating in an altercation but did not have a knife on them. However, the victim stated that he had been walking from a convenience store with his friend when the fight and altercation ensued with the suspects and it was stated that the suspect was observed with a knife in his hand standing over the victim. Officers arrested the suspect and transported the victim to the hospital. They also recovered a knife from the suspect’s car.

Suspect attempts to steal officer’s service weapon Officers at about 11:15 p.m. on March 16 while on a normal patrol, observed two suspects, one male and one female, outside of the Silhouette Bar located in Brighton. Both suspects were drinking from what appeared to be cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and were clearly visible to the officers. While officers attempted to tell the suspects several times to dispose of the beverages and leave the area in front of the bar, they were stopped by a crowd of about four females, one of whom attempted to shield the suspects’ presence from police. After officers got out of the police cruiser to arrest both suspects consuming alcohol, the group of females attempted to intervene in the arrest. However, the suspects were successfully placed into custody for public drinking and were transported to the police station.

- Courtesy of the Boston Police Department, District 14 Gathered by Adriana Mariella, Assoc. News Editor

The Heights

A4

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Catholic charities to Musicians find ways to showcase talent at BC receive raised funds Music, from A1

Japan Relief, from A1 Last week, the Japan Club accepted donations and gave bracelets, earning over $1,000.

This week, Dining Services allowed the club to hold a point drive, allocating $13,000. “Dining Services was gracious and generous enough to approve the point drive,” Ponsetto said.

Though the point drive was supposed to be from March 21 to March 25, Dining Services sets aside a certain amount that each group can earn during their point drives, and the Japan Club earned $17,000, $4,000 over their allotted amount, on Monday. As a result, they instead accepted donations and handed out bracelets yesterday, and will continue today. They plan on continuing to accept donations sporadically in the coming weeks.

The charities picked for the point drive were Catholic Relief Services and Caritas Japan. Both organizations are affiliated with the Catholic Church. “It’s a nice way to combine our mission with their mission,” Ponsetto said. “It’s not meant to be sectarian in any way. Because we’re a Catholic institution, it’s a way of supporting the efforts of the Church internationally.”

In addition, some students have been inspired to approach Ponsetto and the VSLC with ideas for other fundraising efforts. Three students contacted him with the idea to hold a

benefit concert, and Ponsetto is meeting with them next Tuesday, he said.

“That allowed me to say to all three of them, ‘Let’s all meet and come up with a plan,’” Ponsetto said. “We have no idea what it’ll look like, but I have the idea that there will be a concert in the coming weeks.”

Having the VSLC help organizations with their efforts allows the organizations to team up and prevents overlap, Ponsetto said. After the earthquake that struck Haiti in January of 2010, the University used similar efforts, which cut down on the number of repeated events. “I think lots of ideas would have duplicated themselves,” he said.

The UGBC and the Japan Club are working together with the Office of Residential Life to find some method of fundraising in the residence halls next week, Ponsetto said.

The response was slightly different than that to the earthquake in Haiti, because the Japan disaster occurred during the basketball and hockey seasons, allowing for fundraising efforts during the games. Other fundraising efforts were similar, such as the donations at mass, the point drive, and various student fundraisers. The relative geographical closeness of Haiti may have caused it to make more of an impact on the community.

“It’s my sense that there may be a more visible Haitian community here,” Ponsetto said. n

what’s going on off campus, but also on campus.”

Linnemeier said that she has been involved in the Music Guild since her first year at BC, and that she thinks the group has grown since then. “I’d like to think that we did,” she said, “because I was involved in the Music Guild my freshman year, too, and it was a lot of talk. There wasn’t a lot of manpower.” The Guild hosts several opportunities for performance each semester, Linnemeier said, and it is the attendees at these events that

“The reality is that BC isn’t Emerson and it’s not going to be that. We’re not going to push events at a school where they are not going to succeed. But we can document and showcase what we do have here.”

David Machajewski A&S ’12 constitute the group’s true membership. “The people who end up becoming officers are people who keep coming to the events year after year.”

The Music Guild typically meets once a semester. Linnemeier said that she hopes in the future the group finds a way to have monthly meetings. Apart from organizing

performance opportunities on campus, the Guild manages a guitar amp, bass amp, and drum kit available for student use in a practice room in Lyons Hall managed by the group. The Guild also owns a performance drum kit that is available for student use and is sometimes used by other groups such as the theater department, Linnemeier said. The Guild’s officers end up doing most of the administrative work, she said.

Jeremiah McGrann, advisor to the Music Guild and a professor in the music department, said that the Guild has shown positive growth in recent years. He said he remembers a time when he and one student did all the Guild’s work.

There are still ways in which the University could provide resources for student bands, he said.

“There’s always more that I suppose you could do,” he said.

“For now, we’re OK. There are still things we’d like to do. We still need a recording studio on campus. I think the University is aware of this, but there are space restrictions. I don’t think anyone is opposed to this.”

McGrann said that a recording studio, which he said would involve a substantial initial investment, would not be for the music department, but for students. “It’s what the school needs, it’s not necessarily a department concern. As a department we’re not going to be in audio production.

Students are much more ahead of many people in the area of audio production. Students are sort of expecting that.”

For Preston Landers, CSOM ’12, and David Machajewski, A&S ’12, recorded music has provided a way to get around difficulties in finding performance space.

Courtesy of BC art club

Despite the lack of resources on campus, BC musicians spread their talent.

Landers said that he had a band when he arrived on campus, but felt like there wasn’t anywhere for him to perform. “I realized there was nowhere to meet other bands or for other people to hear my band,” Landers said. “There wasn’t anywhere for my music to be heard.”

To get around the space issue altogether, Landers and Machajewski formed Chorduroy, a compilation of recordings of BC student groups made by BC students that is available as a free download on the BC Art Club website.

Machaje wski said that he doesn’t expect musical performance to be a top priority for BC. That’s where Chorduroy steps in, he said. “The reality of it is that BC

isn’t Emerson and it’s not going to be that. We’re not going to push events at a school where they are not going to succeed. But we can document and showcase what we do have here.”

Chorduroy is not recognized by the University as an official student organization, Landers said.

“One of our immediate goals is to get recognized by SPO [Student Programs Office],” Machajewski said.

Machajewski said he doesn’t regret choosing BC over a school that puts a greater emphasis on musical performance. “I could never go to a school for music because I know I couldn’t make it as a musician,” he said. “But I know I couldn’t live without playing music all the time.” n

‘Mile 21’ hopes to change culture surrounding marathon and focus more on the race itself Mile 21, from A1

cecilia provvedini / heights editor

Money from the Japen relief point drive went to two different Catholic charities.

UGBC considers many options, but is limited Spring Concert, from A1 campus entertainment goes through to plan large-scale programming.

“At the end of each year, we plan our budget for the next year, including how much to allocate for new events, like Ice Jam, as well as the Fall and Spring concerts.

After allotting funds, they then begin seeking out artists. Because UGBC is given a single date for the event, the number of artists available is limited.

“We work with our production company, asking them artists’ prices and availability, and from there we have to knock off a lot of artists because we give them a date,” he said.

“The list is whittled down to approximately five artists, and very rarely do we get our first or second bid.

We usually get the third or fourth because promotional things, [like] movie premieres come up.”

Budgeting for large-scale events must take into consideration large production costs, Kitlas said. “Stage and security costs around $40,000 to $45,000,” he said. “This includes the stage, lights, security, meaning BCPD and Team Ops, dressing rooms, and accommodations for the artist. For Modstock, cut that cost in half, and for the Plex, the production cost is around $15,000.”

In planning the fall and spring concerts, UGBC actually has less freedom than the student body may believe, Mabida said. “We often get criticism for the dates we go with, but I don’t know if people are aware that it’s very difficult, we don’t have

a lot of freedom,” she said. “If we use Conte, Conte gives us dates, which limits the artists we can get.”

When asked if the UGBC has ever considered doing a series of smaller scale events, like the recent spring dance in the Plex featuring The Cataracs, rather than doing one large event, Kitlas said, it’s actually harder to book the Plex than Conte Forum. “It’s very hard to do more consistent smaller events,” he said. “The availability of space is not there.”

Other locales campus entertainment has considered include Alumni Stadium and off-campus venues like the House of Blues. In regard to the House of Blues, Kitlas said, “We need to fix the problems that occurred this year or we’ll get negative feedback.”

Modstock, the successful outdoor concert and mud volleyball tournament, has worked out well in the past due to the fact that it takes place on a weekday afternoon, Kitlas said. “We’re able to get around [complaints from] the community because it takes place during the week. Not as many people are actually at home.”

Looking to the future, both Kitlas and Mabida hope to incorporate campus entertainment programming events into larger weekends like “Mile 21.”

“Things will work out a lot better in the future if we can solidify these events,” Kitlas said.

As for right now, Kitlas said, “We’re in the process of refining a list of artists for Modstock.” n

Marathon Monday, highlighting runners by incorporating their personal experiences and motivations for running into the day, and providing opportunities to socialize and enjoy the day outside of the residence halls, specifically the Mods.

“We wanted to make Marathon Monday more than just, ‘Let’s get drunk and party,’” Pike said. “Students come out to the marathon because they crave the really cool feel of everyone out and cheering together.”

Despite this goal, the group stressed that the effort is not an attempt at alternative programming. “We’re actually not doing any programming of our own,” said Katrina Lutfy, representative for RHA and CSON ’12. “We’re trying to change the culture of the entire week.”

“We’re trying to add value and meaning to the weekend,” Pike continued. “By adding new elements to the day, and enhancing [longestablished ones], we’re just connecting the dots, making the day logistically better, and solving the practical problems.”

Cliff Baratta, representative for the QSLC and A&S ’11, said, “Our efforts are trying more to change the culture behind Marathon Monday, we want to make the marathon about this tradition, not about being in the Mods.”

Some of the day’s events will include a large-scale barbeque, that will feature free food and giveaways, including sunglasses, bandannas, and pinnies. After getting food, students will be directed to Comm. Ave. to support the runners.

Other plans include a “Golden Mile,” which will be a university-wide effort to bring students of all class years to the marathon boundary on Commonwealth Ave. in front of BC. “We hope these things will keep students

out cheering all day,” Pike said.

Also, at designated times throughout the day on Marathon Monday, students will be asked to congregate for a panoramic photo taken from the top of the Gate. This photo will document the day and allow students to become a concrete part of BC Marathon history, reads the proposal.

Two videos will be made to highlight

“We’re trying to add value and meaning to the weekend. By adding new elements to the day, and enhancing [longestablished ones], we’re just connecting the dots, making the day logistically better, and solving the practical problems.”

Justin Pike A&S ’11 student runners in the Campus School and advertise the day of events being created.

The videos, one more professional and one a student teaser, will be shown at the UGBC Spring Concert, the Spring Football Game, and other events taking place in the days leading up to the marathon. “The videos will be used to get across the meaning of ‘Mile 21’ and for marketing,” Pike said.

A recently added initiative to the “Mile 21” plans is for “The Heartbreak is Over” Arch. The group hopes to purchase a large

inflatable arch that will span Commonwealth Ave., across from Main Gate. Runners will go through the arch as they enter mile 21 and the BC campus. “Our hope is to enhance community spirit, create photo ops, and further brand BC as an integral point of the marathon for runners and fans alike,” reads the proposal.

“We want to brand our section of the marathon, and deliberately say, ‘This is BC. This is our stretch,’” Pike said.

Pike said the arch is biggest expense of the campaign, priced at approximately $5,000.

Other costs will be covered by RHA, QSLC, and Nights on the Heights (NOTH), he said.

One of the group’s concerns now is finding volunteers, Pike said. “We’re working on how we are going to keep it staffed, keep it moving,” he said. “We want to get alumni involved in the volunteer efforts and students who don’t want to jump right into the culture.”

The committee has plans to gather lists of both the alumni and current students who are running and specifically reach out to them, to foster community, Pike said.

Others involved in the “Mile 21” effort are Alumni Relations, the Campus School, Matt McCluskey, a representative from the graduate student association and LGSOE ’11, Chris Darcy, associate director of student formation programs for ResLife, and Patrick Rombalski, vice president of student affairs.

“UGBC has been trying for years to create a traditional weekend at BC,” Lutfy said. “Mile 21 will hopefully become that weekend.”

“We recognize that this is the pilot year in what we hope will become a campus tradition and a staple of the BC experience,” read the proposal.

“We’ve set it up so we have good momentum going into next year,” Pike said. “We, as students, are excited by the opportunity to catalyze culture change.” n

Guest increase is welcomed measure Guest Policy, from A1 from Archstone to address student resident concerns.

While student residents were not present at the meeting between BC officials and Archstone for the latest policy revision, residents did meet with BC officials and Archstone representatives to express their concerns prior to deciding implement the policy change.

“I believe the previous guest restriction of four came from a misunderstanding,” Chebator said.

“It came from a desire to maintain an atmosphere conducive to living, but neglected the needs of some residents, especially those who have a reasonable desire to socialize. This time, we worked to balance the wants of residents desiring a quiet environment with

the legitimate need for residents to socialize. I believe we achieved our goal.”

Chebator said that judging from feedback, residents seem to be satisified with the change.

“Since the new policy was announced, I have not heard a negative response from students,” he said.

Residents agreed the policy change was an improvement, but continued to express reservations to the restriction on the number of guests.

“I am much happier with the change,” said Sean Dikdan, a resident of the 2000 apartments and A&S ’12. “It is more reasonable now. However, I do not believe [BC and Archstone] have solved all the problems surrounding the policy. It is a step up from the ridiculous four

person rule though.”

“After talking to residents and listening to their complaints voiced to 2000, the change is not what was expected,” Russo said. “Many, including myself, would have done away with the limit. I still feel like a child knowing that the man at the front desk is keeping a tally on how many people I have in my room.

Putting a limit is not the best way to go about solving the problem.

The increase in guests allowed is a step in the right direction, but many, including myself, will still not consider living here again. I don’t think anyone really knows exactly what problem they are trying to solve.”

Erin Fronrath, community manager at the 2000 Comm. Ave. apartments, did not respond to requests for an interview. n

CLASSIFIEDS

A5

The Heights

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Community Help wanted RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS Females who are currently bulimic, age 18-45, not taking medications (with the exception of oral contraceptives) are sought for a study of behavioral ratings and blood hormone levels. Eligible participants will receive $100 for two outpatient visits at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Study funded by the National Institutes of Health MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT Sandy Hannon-Engel , Ph.D.(c) RN, CS at 508-274-0671 or CCK@bc.edu.

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 tollfree at 1-877-841-3748, or visit our website www.roseanneandtim.com.

Please be assured all conversations are held in strict confidence.

With gratitude, Roseanne and Tim. TUTOR WANTED for basic programming class. Must know JavaScript and ActionScript. Call (617) 655 - 8196 for more details.

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I sometimes roll in the fetal position, it reminds me of my origins.

A6

The Heights

Editorials

OVERHEARD@BC

A foundation of thoughtfulness In planning the Spring Concert, the UGBC considered many factors. In forming critiques, so should the rest of the community.

The announcement of the UGBC’s annual Spring Concert is always one that is met with a mix of sentiments—and understandably so. Music is an intensely personal experience and to find an artist that appeals to nearly 10,000 undergraduate students—one that transcends each of the dozens of niche subcultures that exist here on campus—is an immense, nearly impossible, undertaking.

When forming a reaction to this year’s Spring Concert lineup, students should be understanding of the degree of thoughtfulness that was put into the organization of the event by the students involved in orchestrating campus entertainment.

At Boston College, the campus entertainment department of the UGBC has put a considerable amount of deliberation and thought into the organization of this year’s Spring Concert, for which they should be commended. Scheduling it in conjunction with Black Family Weekend, the organizers have been careful to choose an act that would be appropriate, considering the

extended community members that will be visiting campus that weekend. The organizers even considered incorporating an educational aspect to the concert to make the link between the events even more apparent.

As the UGBC set the precedent for thoughtfulness in its planning of the concert, the rest of the community must rise to the occasion and reflect this level in its reaction to the event. Students must be forwardthinking and know that by attending the concert and maximizing ticket sales, they set the UGBC and themselves up financially for attracting a better Mod Stock act.

Regarding the administration, it is understandable that there are several constraints in terms of scheduling campus entertainment events in the limited on-campus venues —Conte Forum, the Plex, Robsham Theater, and the Rat. However, if available dates could be offered to those trying to make these events a part of the campus fabric earlier, that would, in turn, make their jobs easier.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

“The reason there’s the check-in desk in Walsh is because some students house a homeless guy in their 8-man to buy them booze.” — The Newton Bus, March 18, 3:22 p.m.

“My mom texted me this morning, ‘Good news! Found your skinny jeans! Should I FedEx them or did you leave them at home for a reason? That senior 15 kicking in?’ Thanks, Mom.” — Hillside Cafe, March 22, 10:41 a.m.

Girl One: “You know those people that are obviously extras in the movie that is college?”

Girl Two: “Well, I’ve never seen the movie College ... but I’m pretty sure I know what you mean ....”

— Commonwealth Ave., March 20, 8:38 p.m.

Accepting the culture means accepting responsibility

Mary Kate McAdams / Heights Illustration

To protect the futures they’re creating, students should take advantage of the STI testing offered by Health Services.

This week, Boston College Students for Sexual Health (BCSSH) launched a campaign to raise awareness about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and to encourage students to get tested.

The Heights commends BCSSH for its efforts to attach a positive association to STI testing.

According to a report by the American Social Health Association, by the age of 24, one in three sexually active people will have contracted an STI. It is widely known on campus that BC and its students is not outside the wider, college hook-up culture. While students often refer to the “BC bubble,” such a bubble does not preclude the risks of STIs. In order to keep the community safe and healthy, students should take advantage of the resources at Health Services when necessary and get tested. All tests are confidential and can be covered by a student’s insurance.

College students can sometimes easily dismiss STIs as not affecting them. But college is actually one of the most likely

times that a young adult will become infected with an STI. It is important to ask basic questions before engaging in sexual activity. Students should be able to have a dialogue with their partners about their sexual histories and should ask if their partner has been tested.

Ultimately, however, people can lie.

The STI tests performed at Health Services give accurate results and can make sexual relationships feel safer and more comfortable.

BC students hold themselves to the highest academic standards and participate in extracurricular activities in order to ensure a prosperous future. Students should hold the bar equally high for their health. Untreated STIs can potentially lead to reproductive issues or cancer; they must not be overlooked.

The Heights feels that anyone who engages in the hookup culture at BC must also demonstrate the maturity and responsibility to get tested and be honest with their partners about their sexual health.

Enhancing marathon tradition, not creating it Making the University’s proposed Mile 21 event a success, is a matter of proper marketing A group of student representatives from the UGBC, the Quality of Student Life Committee (QSLC), and the Residence Hall Association (RHA) have recently launched a campaign to involve Boston College students in the marathon weekend in a more meaningful way. The group has dubbed its efforts “The Mile 21 Campaign,” and its main goal is to make the day more about the marathon itself and those students and alumni running in it, than about just celebrating in the Mods.

The Heights supports the efforts of this group, which center around the hope of starting a tradition of programs during the weekend before the Marathon, fusing the Spring Concert, the spring football game, and Black Family Weekend, among other events.

By enhancing long-established traditions, not overstepping them, we feel this campaign has the potential to be great.

However, change must take place gradually and organically.

Some of the initiatives planned for “Mile

21” include a large-scale barbecue in front of Lower campus, giveaways of sunglasses, bandannas, and pinnies, and a Universitywide effort to bring students from all class years together to cheer on runners, an effort being deemed the “Golden Mile.” We believe these kinds of promotional efforts will be well-received by the student body.

Another positive is that the campaign itself is not being marketed as alternative programming. The attempt is more about changing the culture behind Marathon Monday, making it more than just thoughtless, alcohol-fueled revelry, while not naively suggesting that this aspect of the day will be eliminated.

The Heights reminds the group planning this campaign to keep in mind that “Mile 21” should add to Marathon Monday without striving to create something entirely new, as the day transcends BC. We commend their efforts thus far, and we wish them all the success in pulling off a weekend that has the potential to shape the future.

The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Michael Caprio, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Ottaunick, General Manager Hilary Chassé, Managing Editor

Editorial

Clara Kim, Copy Editor Taylour Kumpf, News Editor Paul Sulzer, Sports Editor Kristopher Robinson, Features Editor Darren Ranck, Arts & Review Editor David Cote, Marketplace Editor Ana Lopez, Opinions Editor Dan Tonkovich, Special Projects Editor Alex Trautwig, Photo Editor Lindsay Grossman, Layout Editor Mollie Kolosky, Graphics Editor

Adriana Mariella / Heights Illustration

Letters to the Editor Connecting with BC’s Democratic public servants Many Boston College students are unaware that half of Massachusetts’s current Congressional delegation went to BC or BC Law - and that all but one of them are Democrats. Even fewer know that some of our nation’s most prominent Democrats - both in the past and present - also went to BC. To help address this lack of information, and to celebrate our 10th year of existence as a campus organization, the College Democrats of Boston College is launching an awareness campaign to call attention to some of these notable BC alumni who have made a strong impact in government and the Democratic Party.

The cornerstone of our campaign will be a series of flyers that will be posted around campus featuring some of these prominent alumni. Among the Democrats that we will feature are Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill (namesake of our O’Neill Library), Mayor John Fitzgerald (Boston’s first Irish mayor and grandfather of President John F. Kennedy), and Rep. Mike Capuano (one of the most outspoken voices in Congress for Sudan relief ). We will also constantly update our Facebook fan page (be sure to “like” us!) with facts about

these and other alumni.

This will all culminate with the Fr. Robert F. Drinan Award dinner, which will take place on Wednesday, April 13 at 6 p.m. in Lyons Dining Hall (R.S.V.P. is required at bit.ly/cdbcdrinan). At this event, we will honor two BC alumni. The first is Fr. Drinan, for whom the award is named. Fr. Drinan was the first Catholic priest elected to Congress, and was an outspoken voice for human rights and social justice throughout his tenure. The second is Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy, this year’s award recipient. Govenor Malloy has tackled Connecticut’s budget crisis head-on while ensuring that many social services are preserved during this difficult economic time.

Our goal is to encourage students to learn more about some of BC’s most distinguished and successful graduates. We hope that students will take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about our University’s progressive legacy.

The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 200 words and column submissions that do not exceed 700 words for its op/ed pages.

The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and to prevent libel. The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces submitted

to the newspaper.

Submissions must be signed and should include the author’s connection to Boston College, address, and phone number. Letters and columns can be submitted online at www.bcheights.com, by e-mail to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.

Kristoffer Munden President, College Democrats of Boston College & A&S ’11

Business and Operations Dara Fang, Online Manager Therese Tully, Assoc. Copy Editor Chris Marino, Asst. Copy Editor Adriana Mariella, Assoc. News Editor Molly LaPoint, Asst. News Editor DJ Adams, Assoc. Sports Editor Greg Joyce, Asst. Sports Editor Brooke Schneider, Asst. Features Editor Brennan Carley, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor Charlotte Parish, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Matt Palazzolo, Asst. Marketplace Editor

Kevin Hou, Asst. Photo Editor Woogeon Kim, Asst. Layout Editor Alex Manta, Asst. Graphics Editor David Riemer, Asst. Online Manager Elise Taylor, Editorial Assistant Katherine McClurg, Executive Assistant

Margaret Tseng, Business Manager Christina Quinn, Advertising Manager Zachary Halpern, Outreach Coordinator Cecilia Provvedini, Systems Manager James Gu, Local Sales Manager Jamie Ciocon, Collections Manager Amy Hachigian, Asst. Ads Manager Seth Fichtelberg, Business Assistant

The Heights

Thursday, March 24, 2011

A7

Opinions

Congress the Grouch

Thumbs Up Quad – Yesterday’s outburst of activity in the Quad was simply delightful. Ok, so maybe it was teetering on obnoxious for people to be screaming at you to get tested for STIs at 2 p.m. on a Monday ... but hey, there’s no time like the present for a good, long look at your sexuality, right? Regardless, it was great to see the masses erupting out of hibernation and see that people still actually go to this school.

Plaza Hawk – One of nature’s most majestic creatures made a cameo in O’Neill Plaza yesterday, causing necks to crane and giving purpose to the leafless trees other than looking forlorn and lifeless.

Mr. R atburn? – Here’s a Thumb’s Up to the most dedicated professor on campus.

Now, we’ve never had the man in class, but the tenacity it takes to snag the same exact windowadjacent seat in the Rat day after day surely must translate to some serious teaching chops.

So bravo to you, sir, and we hope your forehead heals soon.

Thumbs Down China Wednesdays – If you hit a BC dining hall yesterday looking to get your fried rice/ egg roll fix as you heard about “China Wednesdays” you were most likely disappointed as you were sorely mistaken and should revisit second grade English and focus on the definition of “homonyms.” Turns out by “China,” they were making a shout-out to the plate kind, not the country with the food that’s been deliciously reinterpreted by the United States.

Liz Taylor Dies – One the silver screen’s greatest gems passed at the age of 79 yesterday. Known for her style and grace, Taylor was one of the last remaining figures from to the glory of “Old Hollywood.” Of course, never fear if you haven’t had your fill of Liz, we’re sure her forthcoming biopic will rival the Harry Potter series in length to fit in her stunning eight marriages.

Russia – Best way to kick off your entire life? How about being plunged waist-deep into dangerously cold water? Doesn’t that set a nice tenor for your years to come? Members of the Russian Orthodox think so, and for years they’ve been performing these ice baptisms. However, a video of a five-year-old boy being plunged repeatedly into an ice hole by a priest has caused enormous outcry in the Russian media and country-wide protests against the tradition.

Hopefully the pull of the people can reverse this.

Chris Brown – The ol’ adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” takes on an especially potent significance when applied to the life of the still infamous, aggressive-as-ever Chris Brown. After his recent interview with Good Morning America—in which Brown was questioned about accusations of domestic violence by his former girlfriend, Rhianna—Brown returned to his dressing room and threw a chair at his mirror, shattering it, while yelling expletives at his handlers and doing what any person with a lack of self-controll would do to calm down: tweeted about his feelings and Charlie Sheen. TU/ TD’s question: How strapped for content was GMA to invite Chris Brown?

Weather – First day of spring came bringing an ironic “wintery mix” and a week’s worth of pants weather. Is this a sick joke, Mother Nature?

extolling NPR’s liberal bias. Lamborn stated on the house floor that the initiative was not “about the ideology of NPR executives or the programming,” however fellow Republican Eric Cantor added that the programming was veering from what most Americans would like to see. At the same time it has been shown that elimination of the program would have virtually no effect on the deficit.

The same day the House voted to cut funding to public media, it voted to extend the Afghanistan war. This is not about money. The context shows the debate over CPB funding is fueled by the perceived bias of public media. Yet CPB does just the opposite. CPB funding allows NPR and PBS the unique opportunity to remain uncommitted to advertisers or sponsors. Children won’t be exposed to product placement when watching Barney while news programs are free to report about topics that may be taboo for other advertisement-driven news corporations. The BBC, in an admittedly nepotistic comment, states that NPR is “an oasis of calm among America’s polarized media circus.” It is time to have a conversation about bias before we cut a program by pretending it’s putting us in the red.

Some congressional Republicans have claimed that PBS and NPR are unessential

Haley Trahan-Liptak What could Big Bird possibly have done to Colorado Representative Doug Lamborn?

Lamborn may be a bit too old to have grown up watching Elmo and Cookie Monster, yet, after 40 years of broadcasting, the odds are good that his children are part of the 95 percent of American preschoolers who have watched Sesame Street. Still, Lamborn has it out for the Muppets, stating recently that he has been “seeking to push Big Bird out of the nest for over a year.” Last week’s House vote on Lamborn’s bill to cut spending for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) was an answer to his dreams.

Not too long ago, the CPB was part of the American dream. When he signed the Public Broadcasting Act in 1967, President Lyndon Johnson remarked, “Our Nation wants more than just material wealth. While we work every day to produce new goods and to create new wealth, we want most of all to enrich man’s spirit.”

The act set the framework for the modern CPB, which receives $430 million a year, approximately $1.35 per United States citizen. The money is used to support programs like National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), which in turn are responsible for, among others, Sesame Street, Arthur, Frontline, and NewHour with Jim Lehrer. Today there are 118 million PBS viewers per year and 1,300community stations use content produced

by NPR. While the vote to defund the Corporation would not preclude programming, it would limit the support and funding local stations depend on to air the shows. The result would jeopardize the educational content available free of cost to all Americans.

The debate is about more than penny pinching. The funding cut is bookended by a video sting featuring NPR executive Ron Schiller disparaging the Tea Party movement and speeches by Republican leaders

programs and thus should not be subsidized by taxpayers. From its beginnings, however, public media has been fundamental in ensuring citizens are informed members of our democracy. Almost every American child, regardless of where they live or their family situation can explore the Land of Make Believe with Mr. Rogers, learn about science from Zoom, or read with Arthur.

Childhood education gives way to modern programming. Whether it’s NPR’s All Things Considered or Frontline, public media provides a clear and non-commercialized information source that is accessible to all people in the United States. Education is an essential for democracy, an essential the CPB works to ensure.

Many Republicans believe the CPB can fund itself and its public need is largely irrelevant given the pervasiveness of today’s media. Yet public media is meant to take a place in a market no other entity is willing to fill. A look at programming today reveals clearly opinionated news sources dominated by the likes of Charlie Sheen, commentators, and pundits screaming across the airwave in stark contrast to the quiet voice of NPR correspondents. Even in 1969, Fred Rogers, host of Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, told Congress during a hearing about budget cuts to public media that he was “very much concerned … about what’s being delivered to our children in this country.”

In the face of our increasingly polarized and violent media, we don’t need to cut public broadcasting. Instead, we need to keep Big Bird in the nest, to invite children everywhere back to the Street where they can learn and grow up with educational television where the biggest fear is how many cookies Cookie Monster will eat. We need to keep our radios tuned to NPR, to learn about our world not to the tune of shouting or the voices of celebrities but with detailed reports that will, as Johnson intended, enrich man’s spirit. We need to ensure that programs like NPR and Sesame Street continue to be brought to you today by the letters U, S, and A. Haley Trahan-Liptak is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

A new way to drink Katya Rucker The American college drinking culture is largely comprised of “value-priced” alcohol, consumed in exorbitant quantities, at record speeds. At most parties, it’s about how fast you can drink, how much, and in what style. The objective in drinking is to get drunk, quite simply. At the end of the night, rambunctious revelers may not care where they are, who they’ve made out with, or how many games of beer pong they lost. It’s just about blasting through the experience, and if it can’t be remembered it the next day, it must have been a good one. Many Boston College students embody this “work hard, play hard” mentality in their own college lives.

What I want to suggest, however, is that there are other ways of drinking. There are other reasons for drinking. If your last hangover was particularly nauseating and extended, consider some alternate drinking habits, those of international students for example.

International students come here for the same reasons we go abroad: to become immersed in a new culture and to live and learn in that environment.

Many have heard about the American college party scene, and are usually very open and eager to experience it. When international students in America go to their first college parties, however, what they often experience is a total culture shock. They discover that, at these parties, drinking is the focal point of the evening, instead of a supplement to the fun and good times. In fact, an American party usually ends when the alcohol runs out. Foreign students don’t understand

Party Time

BY BEN VADNAL

why the party and the people throwing it become secondary to the transcendental powers of the booze.

They then realize that Americans like to drink a lot in a short amount of time, in fact one’s ability to drink mass quantities in a short time is considered an admirable feat worthy of bragging rights. An American college student may drink in 20 minutes what a foreign student would prefer to drink in three hours. Many of the BC parties they attend are not BYOB, and they are surprised that hosts are expected to provide alcohol. Another oddity they encounter is the practice of students showing up at parties where they don’t personally know anyone who is hosting.

They prefer to drink what tastes good, and not the cheapest carbonated water masquerading as beer (*cough* Keystone Light) on the liquor store shelf. Finally, they are surprised that drinking games are sometimes the only thing to do at American parties.

Many international students come from countries where drinking is easy and common. They started drinking themselves in their early teenage years or younger, and understand alcohol not as a forbidden fruit, but rather a supplement to a social event, preferring to moderate their drinking over the course of a night.

Their ultimate purpose of drinking is not usually to get drunk, but to relax and chat with friends in the early evening and go out to a dance club or bar later. In short, the American college drinking experience isn’t one they care to bring home.

Constance Devillers, an international student from France, was excited to experience her first American party at the Mods. She remembers walking into a tiny room, filled with the smell of cheap beer and body odor, stuffed with roughly 30 people. The center of attention was a game of beer pong, and Devillers was curious to learn how to play this game she’d heard so much about. “After 10

minutes of play, I just wanted to take a beer, sit on a couch and talk to people.

And here comes the surprise: No one wanted to talk, they wanted to play!” She got the feeling that people were having fun merely “being together,” without really engaging with one another. She tried starting a conversation with one guy, who she felt forced himself to talk to her for five minutes before going back to the beer-pong table.

In France, people drink out of conviviality, which roughly translates to the ability to enjoy the pleasure of good company. When they go to parties, they’ll see their close friends, talk to them, laugh with them, and in that process, they’re sharing something meaningful with them.

They also love to appreciate the taste of what they are drinking, so wine is favored over beer. If it had to be beer, though, it wouldn’t be Busch Light.

I’m not saying all BC parties fit the American college stereotype. And I’m not saying people should give up alcohol.

This isn’t about “sobering up” the drinking enthusiasts among us. This is about considering the benefits of moderation: sipping instead of chugging, and buying something that costs a few dollars more, but that includes your taste buds in the party. Instead of focusing on whatever has to do with alcohol - flip cup, a third round of shots, or the longest keg stand - focus on the people. Get to know someone new or catch up with an old friend. Make real memories. That you will remember. Try it because college is about new experiences, discovering more about ourselves through our interactions with others, and of course, it’s about having fun. This is a healthier, and, arguably more fulfilling way to have fun, without cutting alcohol out of the diet. What can beat that?

Katya Rucker is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

What would you do?

Pooja Shah It was 10:30 p.m. on a Sunday night.

After a long, unproductive weekend of relaxing, watching movies, and catching up on hours of sleep, an endless pile of homework awaited me. Just as I got my ice-cold can of Red Bull and pack of highlighters with my physics textbook ready to crack open, I peered over at my roommate on the other side sitting on her bed, eyes glued to laptop screen.

“THAT’S RIDICULOUS! OHMYGOSH, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” was all I heard as she adamantly sat watching whatever it was that gouged her interest.

“Hey, are you watching the same episode of Jersey Shore again? Didn’t you see this three times already?” I questioned her as I walked toward her. Instead, what I saw on the screen was a screen titled “WHAT WOULD YOU DO?,” a new ABC News show airing on Fridays at 9 p.m.

Immediately interested by the title, I watched what I later learned is a rising popular television broadcast. Basically, the show, hosted by John Quinones, is a series of reports that question ethical issues of human nature through hidden camera scenarios. Acts of injustice surrounding racism, homophobia, sexism, gender inequality, verbal and physical abuse, etc. are realistically staged with actors testing human reaction. For example, in one episode, a woman of color was shopping in an “upscale” New York City boutique when the salesperson explicitly insulted her, “I don’t need you any further in this store because I can’t keep my eye on you. People like you come in and take things … I don’t feel comfortable with you in this store. I’m not sure if you can afford things like this … ” While the discrimination and racial profiling continues with insolent remarks by the saleswoman, many of the customers remain silent and refuse to get involved. The experimentation concluded that in a situation where 100 people witnessed this scenario, only 20 persons (mainly individuals of color) made any efforts to intervene and help the person being verbally harassed.

Appalled by the lack of involvement, I continued browsing through other videos and came across another instance where a little girl was begging to be saved from a man who seemed to be a kidnapper.

She repeatedly screamed, “You’re not my dad!” and “Someone help me!,” hoping to receive aid from nearby Presbyterians, but nobody came to her rescue. In fact, one woman, nonchalantly carrying groceries passed the two and later justified her lack of involvement by saying, “You think someone else will take the blame and take the responsibility.” It was only hours later until someone finally heard the girl’s pleas and decided to take action to help her.

The two instances above illustrate the psychological phenomenon known as the bystander effect, which refers to the notion that when there are a greater number of people present, the less likely people will respond to emergency situations. Essentially, as the woman in the kidnapping episode reveals, she didn’t acknowledge her responsibility to react because she felt others would if she didn’t.

Psychologists denote two major factors contributing to the bystander effect.

The first, called diffusion of responsibility which means individuals do not feel the need to take action or responsibility when they are in the presence of others because they perceive the responsibility to be “shared” among all those present.

Second, society is very influential in people’s responses because individuals often feel as if there is no need for them to respond if their surroundings failed to react because the situation may not “deserve” the attention.

Knowing these facts, I began to ponder how I personally would react if I saw a stranger in an uncomfortable position and required my assistance. Although it can be understandable that many people feel as if it is not their business to intervene in situations that do not involve them, I think there are often many circumstances where support is needed.

Speaking up on behalf of a stranger may be intimidating, but if you see someone being treated unjustly, it’s only human instinct to react in their favor, especially if it’s an issue you strongly believe in. A lack of response correlates to feelings of indifference. How would we feel if we found ourselves in a similar situation and no one cared to help us? As the cliche saying goes, “Treat others like you wish to be treated.” I know what I would do if I was confronted in a situation like this, but the question is, what would YOU do?

Pooja Shah is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

The Heights

A8

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Nine Eagles work out before NFL scouts at Pro Day yesterday Pro Day, from A10 low draft position], but it’s for the coaches and teams to decide,” he said.

Castonzo added that he has wanted to play in the NFL since he started playing football, so playing for any team at any point in the draft would be a dream come true.

“I’ve dreamed about this everyday of my life,” he said. ”I was in a meeting with a coach the other day and he said, ‘Would you be adverse if we were to draft you?’

And I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ This is my dream, I wouldn’t be adverse to

anybody drafting me. I’m just real excited about the process.”

Although Castonzo currently stands atop the college football offensive lineman group, ready to transition into the NFL, his path to success was not always easy.

Coming out of high school, he received no scholarship offers whatsoever, leading him to spend an extra year playing football at a prep school.

“I think it’s very ironic, it’s fun to look back and see how far I’ve come,” Castonzo said. “I take a lot of pride in that.”

Despite the early troubles, Castonzo first realized he had a special opportu-

andrew powell / heights staff

Herzlich (above) and Castonzo worked out together at the IMG Sports Academy in Florida.

nity with football in his sophomore year at BC. “Probably after my sophomore year, my strength coach came up to me and said, ‘You gotta continue working your butt off. I could see you being a first round pick, a real high pick,’” Castonzo said. “He’s a pretty hardnosed guy, so for him to come up and say something like that to me, it hit me. I have to continue to work. That’s an opportunity that I can’t pass by.”

Herzlich, BC’s other top NFL recruit, also faced serious diversity to reach his own chance at playing professionally. On May 14, 2009, Herzlich announced that he’d been diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a type of bone cancer. Despite this, Herzlich returned with an impressive comeback season of 65 tackles, four interceptions, and two forced fumbles. The strong return effort puts projections for Herzlich at some point in the middle rounds.

“It has been a long road,” Herzlich said. “I don’t even think about that now because it seems like so far in my past. I’m only really a year removed from treatments and stuff so, I’m excited about where I am right now and I’m only going to get better.”

Roughly a full year after his treatments, many teams questioned Herzlich’s medical health and the role it may play in a long term NFL career. Despite any lingering concerns, Herzlich looked very healthy and fit throughout his drills, breathing with regularity even at the end of his workout.

“I feel great health wise,” Herzlich said.

“That’s something that I am positive about and sure about. I have no issues right now.

I’ve been checked out by 32 teams’ physi-

andrew powell / heights staff

Anthony Castonzo (right) projects as a mid-first round pick after impressive workouts. cians and a bunch of other doctors and I’m fine.”

Regarding Herzlich, Castonzo could not help but be amazed by his return to sports and daily effort with training.

“He’s still striving to be the best,” Castonzo said. “He’s not striving just to make it, after doing what he did so he’s a big time inspiration to me. I think he’s going to continue to come even further along because he’s still just a year removed form finishing up his treatment. I think he’s still got a long climb to get as far as he’s going to be.”

Prior to the Pro Day, both Herlizch and Castonzo attended IMG training facilities in Florida. They worked together, strengthening their friendship and pushing each other to succeed.

“Who, Anthony? He’s a slouch,” Herlizch jokes. “I’m just kidding, we trained together down in Florida and we would push each other to the limit and to the max. We weren’t super tight when we were here at BC, but we became really good friends down there and he’s going to do awesome things and so I know he’s pulling for me as well.” n

Rainy forecast forces BC to move series with Virginia Tech to URI

By Chris Marino Heights Editor

The Boston College baseball team has faced adversity in the early stages of the season. Between the annual struggle of Northeast weather and a short pitching staff, the Eagles have faced many challenges.

“There aren’t that many programs in the country that can handle adversity as well as this club,” head coach Mike Gambino said of his team. “So it’s a little bit of a badge of honor for us. We get fired up about it.”

Gambino has commended his team for its consistent play, no matter the situation, and feels that it is advantageous for them down the road.

“They’re handling adversity,” he said.

“They’re handling difficult situations with travel. They’re really learning how to be comfortable being uncomfortable. That’s a huge advantage for us moving forward. Especially heading into tournament time.”

Heading into this weekend’s series with conference foe Virginia Tech, the Eagles will be faced with another challenge.

Despite its scheduled first home series of the season, BC will be forced to play at the University of Rhode Island’s Bill Beck Field, for this weekend’s series.

Regardless, the team is coming off a strong weekend at Maryland, and, despite a close 3-2 loss to Holy Cross, feels confident. Behind the strong pitching of the bullpen and senior starter John Leonard, the Eagles took two games of last weekend’s three-game series.

Gambino, however, is trying to keep his team focused on the future.

“We’re going to try to stop worrying too much about momentum affecting us positively or negatively in general,” he said.

“We want to not let the highs get too high

alex trautwig / heights editor

Although BC’s much-anticipated home opener will now happen in the first weekend in April, the team won’t let the weather dampen its spirit. and let the lows get too low. We want to really concentrate on being the same team every week, everyday, no matter who or where we’re playing.”

So far, the team has done just that. In the first contest at Maryland, Gambino used an assortment of bullpen arms to keep the staff fresh. Beyond relievers Hunter Gordon and Matt Brazis (two innings each), BC used six different pitchers for one inning or under. Gambino’s method worked well, as the Eagles were able to hang on to a 7-4 lead. Even more impressive is that the Terrapins only scored one run after the first inning.

“With the numbers being as low as they are, we’re talking about 11 healthy

arms when normally you’re looking at 17 or 18, it changes how you have to attack because you have to ensure that everyone’s available everyday,” Gambino said of his bullpen. “And the thing that’s been exciting is that the staff has really bought into this and really jelled behind the idea of saying that they don’t care when they’re pitching.

Whether we ask them to get three outs or six outs, they’re just going to do it. That’s sort of been the theme for those guys.”

One of these valuable arms has been senior captain Garrett Smith. Smith has not given up any runs in 5.1 innings of work in the closer’s role. On top of this, Smith has acted as the team’s everyday catcher, also playing around the infield

on occasion.

“Garrett Smith has been absolutely filthy,” Gambino said. “He doesn’t really care what position he plays. We’ve been catching him, playing him at third, playing him at first. I mean you could pretty much put him anywhere on the baseball field.

He’s a good natural baseball player.”

While his numbers on the mound are strong, Smith is no slouch at the plate either. Entering the weekend, he is batting .295 with eight runs and eight RBIs. Nonetheless, Gambino feels his senior leader has the perfect mentality on the mound.

“He has such a great mentality for it,” he said. “He’s going to go after guys. He’s going to attack the strike zone.”

Another senior highlight on this Eagles squad has been Leonard, the team’s top starter. Entering the Virginia Tech series, he is 3-1 with a 2.36 ERA and a team-leading 16 strikeouts. In last weekend’s Sunday start, he tossed 8.0 innings, only giving up one unearned run, on just 99 pitches.

“Johnny Leonard’s been unbelievable,” Gambino said. “He’s been so efficient. It’s so effortless out there for him. He’s worked so hard in his preparation. He’s worked so hard so it looks easy for him on the mound right now because he can fall back on his focus and preparation.”

Virginia Tech is currently struggling with a 13-10 record, including a 0-6 record in the ACC. Despite this, Gambino, a former Virginia Tech coach, is giving their squad a lot of respect.

“They’ve scuffled early, but they’re a good ballclub,” he said. “They’re 0-6, but they’ve had three really tight games against a very good Miami ballclub and then three tight ones against a good North Carolina ballclub. They get one extra hit here, and they could be 5-1. If you look at the way these games played out, they’re all tight ballgames and in each game they have pretty much been one hit away. And that’s not going to happen all season.”

Heading in for a tough weekend of ACC play, Gambino is keeping his staff focused and preparing for some strong contests, as long as each player just concentrates on his job.

“It’s great to get some league wins. With the pitching being a little unorthodox, we showed last weekend that, when everybody does his job well, we have a chance to be really good. You know, you don’t have to do more. We’re just asking you to do your job, and, when that happens, things work out well and we have a chance to win every day.” n

Getting out of the gates quickly has been key for Eagles in WNIT

By Drew McKay For The Heights

The Boston College women’s basketball team faces Virginia in the third round of the WNIT tonight in Charlottesville. The Eagles are coming off a dominating 86-59 second round win over St. Joseph’s on Saturday.

Catching fire early has been the Eagles’ key to success recently. In the WNIT first round, the Eagles got hot early and amassed a 19-point lead over the Bulldogs just 10 minutes into the first half. BC jumped out to an early 11-point lead that had reached 21 points by halftime.

Head coach Sylvia Crawley attributes the Eagles’ recent quick starts to the team’s recent higher intensity practices.

“We’ve been going very hard in practice, so much so that our players look forward to the games because it’s a shorter period of time to work so hard,” she said.

“I think our team has a renewed attitude about the season.

“They’re working extremely hard and that carries over to the game.”

UVA head coach Debbie Ryan recently announced that she will retire at the end of the season. Ryan has coached the UVA women’s basketball team for 34 years. Ryan led the Cavaliers to 24 NCAA tournament berths and three straight Final Four appearances (1990-1992).

Ryan is a cancer survivor who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2000 and is in remission. After the season, Ryan wants to stay in Charlottesville and work with other cancer survivors.

Ryan and athletic director Craig Littlepaige declined to comment on the reason for Ryan’s retirement.

The Eagles blew the game open early in their only meeting with UVA this season. BC started the game on a 20-0 run and coasted to a 73-50 victory. This was the Eagles’ last win until the WNIT. In that meeting, Kerri Shields scored 17 points and went five-for-eight from deep. Carolyn Swords dropped 14 points to go along with 10 boards. Stefanie Murphy also had 14 points.

In defeat, only one Cavalier starter scored more than four points. Guard Ataira Franklin had 10 points while reserve forward Telia McCall contributed 11 points. The Eagles held UVA to just 28 percent shooting from the floor.

Thursday’s matchup between ACC foes is the only game thus far in the WNIT between two teams from the same conference.

Crawley says that although playing a team from its own conference in the third round is unusual, it doesn’t affect the way the team is approaching the game.

“No, [playing a conference team] doesn’t change anything,” she said. “We understand that in the WNIT, they do the brackets where it is within your region, and on your side of the country so it’s less expensive for the teams. Typically, they wouldn’t put teams from the same conference in the same bracket, but I understand why they did it.

“At this point in the season, you really can’t complain about who you’re playing, you just have to focus on winning.”

Virginia defeated Morgan St. 69-56 in the first round. At Loyola, UVA trounced the Greyounds 7149 in the second round.

The winner of the Virginia and BC will take on the winner of the Charlotte and Florida game in the round of eight this weekend. n

alex trautwig / heights editor

For Virginia to win, the Cavaliers will have to find a way to slow down Kerri Shields, who has been on fire lately.

The Heights

Editors’ Picks

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Week Ahead

Standings

Men’s hockey travels to St. Louis to face Colorado College. Baseball has a series with Virginia Tech. The women’s basketball team is in the Sweet 16 of the NIT, facing UVA. Women’s lacrosse faces a tough test in UNC. In the men’s NCAA tourney, UConn faces San Diego St.

A9

Recap from Last

Paul Sulzer

29-11

Greg Joyce

28-12

DJ Adams

25-15

Heights staff

24-16

Game of the Week Men’s Hockey

The women’s hockey team lost to Wisconsin in the Frozen Four. Men’s basketball fell to Northwestern in the NIT, while the women advanced by beating Yale. Men’s hockey beat Northeastern. Kansas St. held off the upset attempt from Utah St.

Guest Editor:

Colorado College

Zac Halpern Outreach Coordinator “Excuse me, Flo?”

Paul Sulzer Sports Editor

This Week’s Games

DJ Adams Assoc. Sports Editor

Greg Joyce Asst. Sports Editor

Zac Halpern

Outreach Coordinator

Men’s Hockey: No. 1 BC vs. No. 4 Colorado College

BC

BC

BC

BC

Baseball: Boston College vs. Virginia Tech (series)

Virginia Tech

BC

BC

Virginia Tech

BC

BC

BC

BC

UNC

UNC

UNC

UNC

San Diego St.

San Diego St.

UConn

UConn

Women’s NIT: Boston College at Virginia Women’s Lacrosse: No. 18 BC at No. 7 UNC West Regional: No. 2 San Diego St. vs. No. 3 UConn

vs.

Boston College

BC will travel west to St. Louis to begin the quest for its third national championship in four years. The first test is Friday night against No. 13 Colorado College from the WCHA. The Eagles hold a 12-4-1 advantage over the Tigers all-time and have won two of their three match-ups in the NCAA tournament. BC has also won eight straight games heading into tomorrow’s contest.

The Eagles will be backed by John Muse in goal, who is 8-0 as a goalie in the NCAA tournament.

His career postseason record? 21-1. Not bad.

Friday, 9 p.m.

Davies scores two goals in first competitive match since accident

By Andrew Klokiw On the eve of Oct. 13, 2009, former Boston College soccer player Charlie Davies had it all.

He had enjoyed an outstanding career with the Eagles, as well as numerous appearances for the United States under-20 and under-23 national teams. By 2007, he had debuted for the senior national team, playing with international stars such as Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Tim Howard.

Davies left BC in December 2006, signing his first professional contract with Hammarby IF in Sweden, where his prolific scoring rate led to a deal with Sochaux in the top league in France in 2009.

Representing the U.S., Davies had a career that took off in the 2009 Confederations Cup against the likes of soccer powerhouses Italy, Spain and Brazil.

In that competition, it was Davies’ hustle goal that spurred the team to a 3-0 victory over Egypt, moving them over Italy into the semifinals. Utilizing his speed and toughness, the U.S. took down Spain and

barely lost to Brazil in the final.

But Davies wasn’t done. In August of that same year, he scored for the U.S. in Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, one of the toughest arenas in which to play in the world.

As he had at BC, the striker was living up to the expectations of everyone who watched him.

On that night in October, however, Davies was in Washington, D.C. with the national team for a World Cup qualifying game against Costa Rica. He broke the curfew imposed by head coach Bob Bradley, and was a passenger in a car that struck the metal railing of the George Washington Parkway around 3:15 a.m. Davies came away with a horrific assortment of gruesome injuries.

The news of the accident devastated his teammates, as well as U.S. soccer fans nationwide, as Davies had represented one of the team’s best attacking options heading into the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Suddenly, the national team could no longer count on the dynamic speed of Davies to pair up front with the talented Jozy Altidore.

His absence was felt at the World Cup, as the team scored just five goals in four games. None of that production came from the team’s forwards. The Americans bowed out disappointingly to a less-talented Ghana squad for the second straight World Cup. After being left off the roster for the World Cup, Davies was declared unfit by Sochaux and sent to its reserve team, playing essentially meaningless games for the first time in his life.

Enter Major League Soccer’s most moribund team last season, D.C. United. United, figuring it had nothing to lose, brought in Davies for a 10-day trial. He impressed enough in that period to earn a loan deal to the nation’s capital, ironically the same place where the accident originally occurred.

It is still too early to declare the forward to be back, but he took a giant step this past Saturday. Appearing as a substitute in his first professional game in over a year and a half, Davies came on in the 52nd minute.

When United was rewarded a penalty, there was no doubt as to who would take it.

Davies stepped up to the spot and did

Heading west, BC will encounter mirror image in Colorado College Men’s Hockey, from A10 8-0 in his career. While the team’s success relies on much more than just Muse’s performance between the pipes, the senior netminder has the unique chance to build upon his legacy as one of BC hockey’s all-time greats.

“We saw him do wonderful things as a freshman, winning the national title,” York said. “Ever since, he’s been the backbone of this team. He’s gotten better every single year, and that’s a gratifying thing for a coach to see.”

The East Falmouth, Mass. native’s never-too-high, never-too-low attitude is what every team wants in goal.

“He’s calm, he’s collected, and he rises to the occasion,” York said. “This is his first season where he’s really been getting the accolades and the attention, but he’s always been that way.”

After Muse’s sophomore campaign he underwent hip surgery, a serious operation that had some hockey pundits wondering if he’d ever be able to return to, much less grow upon, his form as an underclassman. Muse responded better than most anyone could have imagined.

“The injury adds a whole different dynamic to his story,” York said. “That’s a tough injury to come back from, but he put in the work. It was a long time coming, but now we’re seeing an even better player.”

While York has called Muse his team’s catalyst, the veteran coach refused to pick out one player or line that will have to raise their game to make a run at another title.

“I don’t think there’s anyone on this team that can’t contribute,” he said. “We carry 24 players, and all of them are going to need to make this team better if we’re going to reach our goal.”

Key to the Eagles’ hot form of late has been sophomore defenseman Brian Dumoulin. The Maine native is third on the team in points, with an impressive 30 assists so far this season, yet his presence on the ice is valuable in ways that stats can’t show.

“Dumoulin’s maturity on the ice has reached a whole new level,” York said of the sophomore. “He was mature as a freshman, but he’s made a jump and is definitely a real cornerstone to our club looking forward. He, and [Patrick] Wey, and Patch [Alber], and [Philip] Samuelsson, that core group of sophomore defensemen is a real good building block for our club. They’re pushing each other.”

Even as one of the country’s most experienced squads in terms of playing in big, high-pressure games, York says his Eagles are as motivated as ever.

“It’s an exciting time in the locker room,” he said.

“We’re ready to get going. Let’s get to St. Louis and drop the puck.” n

luis m. alvarez / ap photo

Davies (left) went from major success to a devastating car accident, and now back to soccer. what he does best, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way for his first goal. It took a mere 14 minutes for him to score his second in a sensational debut, a 3-1 D.C. win.

It’s been a long, hard road back for the former Eagle, and the tears that streamed down his face during his postgame interview demonstrated the whirlwind of emotion he has experienced.

In that interview, Davies said, “It’s really hard to describe the feeling right now. It’s overwhelming. To come out and score two

goals in my debut after over a year and a half of waiting for this chance, it’s special.

You couldn’t even write a book about this.”

Let us all hope that someday Charlie Davies can write that book about a lengthy and successful career playing for the stars and stripes.

Andrew Klokiw is a guest columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

SPORTS The Heights

Thursday, March 24, 2011

A10

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Five digits that changed BC’s season

Four More Wins

The road to St. Paul and a fifth national championship begins tomorrow against Colorado College

By Ryan Kiracofe Heights Staff

All the preseason hype, the early season worries, the trophies won at the Garden, the elusive regular season league title, have built towards this: the Eagles are four wins away from the fifth national championship in their storied history.

Standing in the way are the Colorado College Tigers of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). The tournament’s 14th overall seed, the Tigers are quick and creative; BC Head Coach Jerry York called them “almost [BC’s] mirror image” in terms of style of play. CC pushed No. 1 North Dakota to the brink in last Friday’s WCHA tournament semifinal, losing 4-3 on a thirdperiod goal.

York knows that if the Eagles are to make a run towards their third championship in four years, they can’t overlook the hungry Tigers squad, who they’ll play Friday at 9 p.m. EST in the West regional semifinal in St. Louis.

“We’ll need our full arsenal,” he told The Heights on Tuesday. “This tournament is about playing the elite of the elite. We’re prepared and we’re excited, but we know how difficult a prospect it is.”

The Eagles received a major lift this week with forward Chris Kreider’s clearance to play just two-plus weeks after suffering a broken jaw against UMass.

“He looked great in practice yesterday,” York said. “It’s really a boost to all of us, he had a big impact in practice, was really involved.

Just seeing him out there in full uniform, full gear, was great. He makes us that much better of a club.”

A central storyline in this year’s postseason will be John Muse’s return to the NCAA tournament, in which he is an astounding

Greg Joyce 16501.

To most people, those five digits mean absolutely nothing. But to the 2010-2011 women’s hockey team, 16501 represents everything. It represents a season long’s worth of hard work. It represents a vision they kept throughout the year. It represents a goal. A goal they accomplished.

16501 is the zip code of Erie, Pa., the destination of the 2011 women’s Frozen Four. Of the 34 D-I women’s ice hockey programs, only four get the chance to go.

For just the second time in school history, Boston College got to the Frozen Four this past weekend. But it didn’t happen by chance.

Before the season began, senior captains Katelyn Kurth, Molly Schaus, and Kelli Stack came up with an idea.

Every team sets goals before the season, but these three put their goals into action early. They knew they wanted to get to Erie at the end of the season, so they made T-shirts that displayed Erie’s zip code in the middle. Around the “16501,” the team came up with the letters S.M.A.R.T., each letter standing for a word: S stood for sacrifice, M represented mental toughness, A was for good attitude, R meant knowing their roles, and T corresponded to teamwork. If the team kept in its minds all of these aspects, they could get to the center, 16501. They needed to be “smart” to get to Erie.

Thirty-six games later, the Eagles had just beat Minnesota, and knew they had accomplished their goal. The T-shirts worked.

Despite their loss in the semifinals of the Frozen Four against No. 1 Wisconsin, the eventual national champion, the Eagles have no reason to hang their heads.

As cliche as that may sound, this team has far exceeded any of the expectations that most people had for them.

Last year, this team finished the season with a record of 8-17. Yes, they were without their two Olympians Schaus and Stack, and missing this year’s impressive freshman class. But a team is not made up of seven people. The 24 members of this team came together before the season to create a goal, and worked as a unit to accomplish it. You can ask any team what its objective is and it will tell you exactly that, but this one was special.

There are so many minor aspects in the chemistry of a team that add together to become a major factor in its success. This team had the minor parts. They had the intangibles. They knew where they wanted their season to go, and they got there.

The morning after the semifinal loss, I was fortunate enough to attend the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Brunch with the team, where Stack was a finalist for the trophy awarded to the top player in women’s ice hockey. She missed out on bringing home the hardware, but I think the most important thing that was taken home from the event (besides the free coffee cup, of course) was a piece of advice given by the keynote speaker, Laura Halldorson. She told everybody in attendance that life goes by too fast, so you should cherish each moment, be with the people you care about, and look at life in perspective. Halldorson encouraged everyone to set goals, and to live your life based on the path to attaining those goals. Apparently, she knew about the T-shirts.

The 16501 T-shirts were there the whole season for the team to look at, something to keep them focused on what they needed to do to get to Erie. And the best feeling of all, according to sophomore defenseman Blake Bolden, was actually clinching their ticket to the Frozen Four. It was what their whole season was aimed at.

They made sacrifices, had mental toughness, maintained a good attitude, knew their roles on the team, and upheld a focus on the importance of teamwork.

The final result of the season may not have ended exactly the way they wanted it to, but they were able to turn some heads.

They were able to win 26 games. They were able to win the Beanpot. They were able to win the Hockey East championship. All of it, coming on the way to 16501.

Greg Joyce is the Assistant Sports Editor of The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

See Men’s Hockey, A9

Friday, 9 p.m. alex trautwig / heights editor

(Clockwise, from top left): John Muse, Brian Gibbons, Joe Whitney, and Tommy Cross are leaders BC will lean on heading into the tournament.

Get the updates: twitter.com/heightssports

Seniors given one final chance to impress scouts

By Sean Hyatt For The Heights

Matt Ryan, Matt Hasselbeck, BJ Raji, and Chris Snee, all current NFL players, once upon a time attended a Boston College Pro Day. The next generation of Eagle athletes attempted to break the college barrier and make the leap into the pros in the Bubble yesterday.

Nine BC players attended the Eagles’ Pro Day. Though a smaller turnout than in recent years, among the seniors who showed were Anthony Castonzo and Mark Herzlich, who are expected to go mid-first round and somewhere in the later rounds, respectively. The workout was a chance for college athletes from the Boston area to attempt to impress coaches and scouts from various NFL teams. Scouts from 17 different professional teams attended to view some of the best athletes from BC and 16 other colleges.

Most of the players went though several position-specific drills in addition to the 40-yard dash. Castonzo began the day simply stretching up and down the field while other athletes ran the 40-yard dash, as he recorded strong times in the Combine and no longer needs to perform the more running-oriented drills.

“It was a big sigh of relief that that part is over with,” Castonzo said. “I’m no longer a track athlete. I can get back to football-

type things, so that was fun.”

Castonzo eventually did a series of drills with a handful of other linemen, including senior Thomas Claiborne, under the direct instruction of New England Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia.

“He was coaching us up,” Castonzo said. “It was like a practice, it wasn’t like he was running us through drills. He was actually coaching us, which was nice. I learned some stuff today.”

Scarnecchia verbally commended Castonzo, and the other linemen, at times applauding both his effort and technique.

He put the players through a multitude of drills using cones, tennis balls, blocking pads, and other players throughout.

“We started out with testing our hip flexibility, we did some explosion drills, trying to see how we can drive our hips, and then we moved onto change of direction and run blocking and after that we did some more pass blocking,” Castonzo said.

As one of the highest projected offensive linemen in the draft, Castonzo has a lot to look forward to on draft day, with several teams evaluating him and a potentially large pay check in his future.

“I think that I’ve worked myself to be in that position, so I would be surprised [at a andrew powell / heights staff

See Pro Day, A8

Mark Herzlich had a lot to prove yesterday at Pro Day after his slow 40 time at the Combine.

Crusaders send BC back to Chestnut Hill with a loss

By Robert T. Balint Heights Staff

Down by one run to Holy Cross in the top of the eighth inning, the baseball team had a golden op3 Holy Cross portunity to pull Boston College 2 even on Wednesday afternoon in Worcester.

Mike Sudol stroked a line-drive double to the right-field wall, and Matt Watson, hit by a pitch earlier in the inning, took off from first base. He got the go-ahead signal

i nside S ports this issue

as he rounded third, but was thrown out in a bang-bang play at the plate to deny the Eagles a tying run.

The hosting Crusaders went on to win 3-2 after nine frames.

The only offensive production from the visiting team came the top of the third, when Andrew Lawrence hit a two-run home run over the right-field fence to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead. Brad Zapenas had singled to right field earlier in the inning, and scored on Lawrence’s one-out shot, his second of the year.

Rain forces home opener to URI

The baseball team will have to wait one more week to play a home series................A8

Holy Cross struck back in the fifth inning, when Ryan Doerhoff doubled off the rightfield fence to start off the frame, and then advanced to third base on Alex Maldonado’s sacrifice fly.

With two outs, Jack Laurendeau came up to the plate against Eagles’ right-hander Steve Green, who had relieved Matt Alvarez earlier in the inning, and singled to right to drive Doerhoff in.

Nick Ciardiello capped the two-out rally with a double that brought in Laurendeau, tying the game 2-2 with his second RBI of

Davies plays in first match since accident

The former BC striker scored twice in his dramatic return for D.C. United Saturday...............A9

the game.

The Crusaders’ go-ahead run came in the bottom of the seventh. Laurendeau reached first base on a two-out walk, and then stole second base for his ninth steal of the year.

Ciardellio then slapped a single to left, which scored his teammate and put the home team up 3-2.

Matt Brazis picked up the loss for the Eagles (0-1), and was one of eight Eagles’ pitchers to take the mound. Crusader reliever Brendan McCrea picked up his first win of the season, as BC falls to 8-10 on the year. n

Editors’ Picks..............................A9 Game of the Week......................A9

an independent frame of mind

The Legacy of liz

Reflecting on the career of a movie star page B2

fOOD FOR THOUGHT

mEATLESS mONDAYS

sCREEN TIME

Twitter terrors

a PRO STANCE FROM Lost in hashtag KRISTEN CANFIELD page B4 translation page B2 thursday,march 24, 2010

Thursday, march 17, 2011

by charlotte parish photos by kevin hou Assisted by Margaret Tseng

Warm up to the latest Spring trends and boston’s hot shopping spots with models Cagla Sen (A&S ’14) and Brittany Martin (A&S ’11)

see b3 kevin hou / heights editor

The Heights

B2

Thursday, March 24, 2011

+Editor’s Corner

Confessions of a ‘GQ’ failure

Radio singles by Matt Mazzari

Owl City (ft. Shawn Chrystopher) “Alligator Sky”

Darren Ranck The word to describe my fashion sense would be plain, and I can live with that. Since the age of 2years old, my mother outfitted me in khakis, jeans, and button downs or polo shirts. Now that I dress myself, I wear khakis, jeans, and button downs or polo shirts. My favorite stores are GAP, American Eagle, and JC Penney men’s department. I find stores like Vineyard Vines, J. Crew, and Burberry too flashy. Actually, I suppose they’re classic, but I feel like I would be rather conspicuous wearing scarves and pinstripe pants.

I recently came into possession of a shep shirt from Vineyard Vines. My peers couldn’t be more excited about the arrival of these navy blue wonders (a label I question no matter how many times I’m told). When I saw them, though, I instantly thought, “No.” I didn’t even think it in a catty way. I thought, “Oh, no. I cannot pull this off. I don’t yacht. Do the folks at Vineyard Vines yacht? I think they do. What do you wear a navy blue shep shirt with? In the catalogue, it’s a bunch of young bucks and lovely lasses smiling on a porch or in their lawn or by the beach or near their pool. I don’t live near either of those. Am I attractive enough for Vineyard Vines attire?

Wait, why is that guy wearing nearly six Easter-colored polos?”

Such are my thoughts.

The day came when I finally decided to suck it up and wear the shep shirt. I donned the bulky blue sweater (or shirt? I still don’t know). I put it on over a white undershirt and looked at myself in the mirror. It looked off. No one in the catalogue wore it like this.

I’d been conditioned to believe something was missing. I dug through my closet to find a light blue button down. I put it on, and it looked better, but I still knew my whole outfit, ensemble if you will, was off. I put on jeans and my pair of cheap boat shoes. I looked blue and not as any sort of indication of melancholia. I changed into a pair of khaki pants. I looked at myself in the mirror. I stood in my shep shirt over my light blue button down with my khaki pants and boat shoes. Let’s be honest. I looked good. I also looked like I was about to meet my girlfriend, Muffy, at her country club to meet her parents and play a round of golf with Pops and Mum. I wore the outfit and felt conspicuous, just as I thought I would.

That style, the style that many people consider so very “BC,” is simply not my own. I’d love to believe I could pull off GQ style and wear the undeniably sharp outfits scattered through the magazine.

You’ve got modern day fashion icons like Justin Timberlake and The Situation (ok, maybe not The Situation) gracing the pages and making a statement on behalf of the successful young gentleman.

Despite the obvious cool factor, I worry about the bright colors.

Why would I wear purple or yellow or orange? I pretty much only wear black, gray, blue, and green. The patterns are also a bit much. The guy is wearing a checkered shirt with a striped vest and a tie with small circles on them. That’s rather extreme, no? Also, what man wears a fedora without being ironic? I don’t believe I’ve ever gone out to a restaurant and seen a man simply eating his beef stroganoff with a fedora atop his crown.

I agree with the adage “Fashion is art.” To put it bluntly, though, I am by no means a solid canvas. I am, for the most part, ordinary. I like my Gap jeans and my muted button downs. They’re cool, but they don’t take themselves seriously (much like myself; my fashion obviously defines me.). My style expresses that, and I couldn’t be happier in my admittedly plain attire. (I may still wear the shep shirt sometimes, though. It ‘s comfortable.)

Darren Ranck is the Arts & Review editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bc.edu.

an independent frame of mind

In his latest single, Adam Young astounds listeners with a complete disregard for himself as a musician.

Young sets up what promises to be another of his stylized keyboard melodies with girlish falsetto accompaniment, then brings in some goofy rapper to figuratively bludgeon it to death. This isn’t to say that Young should’ve left his awkwardly presumptuous lyricism to speak for itself, but for Young’s sake he should not jump genres.

A legendary era passes

J-Lo (ft. Pitbull) “Ven a Bailar”

Eddie Vedder “Longing to Belong”

Sky Ferreiria “Happy Dre”

J-Lo’s new single, a Spanish cover of her own hit song “On the Floor,” does not truly reveal any sort of visible passion for either creativity or Latino culture. However, the CD cover reveals that the song is more about J-Lo as a pop symbol than a musician. Shallowness and blatant self-selling are basically all this song is. But now Pitbull’s remarkably low-grade lyricism is accessible to Spanish speakers.

This week’s pleasant surprise comes from former Pearl Jam lead singer, Eddie Vedder. The quasi-melodious title, “Longing to Belong,” perfectly fits this tense but lovingly made string composition. The orchestral backdrop against Vedder’s impeccably calm vocals is both captivating and markedly unassertive.

The song, and Vedder, take on a quiet dignity and contentedness.

Sky Ferreira, an up-andcoming songstress, recently released an EP, a single from which melded a Dre song with The Beatles’ darkly poignant “Happiness is a Warm Gun.” This is not okay. The soul of “Happiness” is rooted in Lennon’s anxiety and brutal acidity. All of that is lost, so painfully lost, by the bubbly overdubs and plopping piano chords.

Thanks for trying, now please go away.

Google has devised an algorithm that distills a mass of personal data willfully ventured forward on the Internet by millions upon millions of consumers into six mood levels – happiness, kindness, alertness, sureness, vitality and calmness. What is more, these measurements show a strong correlation to trends the DJIA, and can accurately predict those trends. I think Welles’ ghost would either have to take credit for the idea or be forced to admit that in this case, reality has become stranger than fiction.

The popular knock on Twitter when it first launched was that it was Facebook with only status updates. The informed response to this knock is that the conciseness of the content allows it to be organized into incredibly valuable data. So Twitter espouses brevity. Let’s try it. I am (ostensibly) an author. I have just penned a fine weekly column. In the spirit of progress, let me try to use the same economy of language expected of tomorrow’s Americans. Forget everything you just read, this article is being reduced to a single tweet: Twitter is terrifying.

To our generation, Elizabeth Taylor may have been best known as that wacky old woman that showed up to every awards show and always seemed to be having a good time.

Her wonderful and hilarious appearances on E!’s The Soup (the most memorable of which featured a beleaguered Taylor extendedly howling “No!” alongside a chihuahua) showed the world that she was in on her own jokes. She was married eight times (twice to the same person), battled alcoholism in the 1980s, and even voiced Maggie Simpson’s first words in the 1990s. But many years ago, Taylor shone as one of the brightest and most talented stars in Hollywood, leaving behind a legacy that will not soon be forgotten.

As a child, I knew Ms. Taylor best from the early Lassie movies. Whenever the movies would air on television, I would sit rapt as the worldfamous dog went on adventures of all sorts, but Taylor always stuck out to me. In high school, I read Cat on a Hot Tin Roof for an extra credit project. Falling in love with the play, I sought film versions, eventually coming across 1958’s adaptation featuring Taylor as Maggie the Cat. Starring with Paul Newman and Burl Ives (the singer of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” fame), Taylor stole the screen with every scene, masterfully cajoling the audience’s attention with her weeping eyes and heartbroken expressions.

She just as equally comandeered the screen in her Oscar-winning role as Gloria Wandrous in the marvelous Butterfield 8, a drama ridden set that established a long-running rivalry between Taylor and her costar Eddie Fisher’s then wife, Debbie Reynolds.

One of her most famous movies was Cleopatra, a film that takes on a special significance thanks to the reboot that is floating around Hollywood this year. It has long been rumored that Angelina Jolie would step into the role of the title character, but no actress will ever live up to Taylor. Though it was a critical failure and the studio fought with Cleopatra’s director about how he should cut the final film, it will always stick out as one of the most gorgeously filmed and acted movies of the 1960s.

Even if you haven’t read the play, you have certainly heard of the classic work Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf, an adaptation of which starred Taylor as Martha, one of the four main characters. Set on the campus of a small Northeastern college, the movie explores the relationship between a hard working history professor and his possibly alcoholic wife (Taylor). It was revelatory.

Possibly one of her most important roles was that of Elizabeth Taylor herself. In all honesty, the voluptuous and graceful actress introduced the world to the concept of the celebrity, the likes of which had never been seen before. With a wonderful blend of charm and class, Taylor sashayed across the red carpet and captured a nation’s collective heart. She constantly stole headlines throughout her long and storied career. Her fluctuating weight could be credited with gossip magazines obsession with the topic today. When she befriended pop icon Michael Jackson in the 1980s, people could not turn away. She stood by the man at his trial several years ago and made newspaper covers when she wept on her way out of his funeral.

People’s obsession with Taylor never really faded, just changed as time went on. Whether audiences realize it or not, her impact on film and television was varied and fascinating. Only Taylor would have courage to jump between works like A Little Night Music and Captain Planet.

Some of you may be wondering why her death matters so much.

When it comes down to it, Taylor was one of the last “greats,” a select group of movie legends that helped transform Hollywood from a whimsy to a way of life. With her help, the movie business thrives and inspires new generations with its magic. She will be sorely missed and always remembered.

Tony Cuneo is a columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@ bcheights.com.

Brennan Carley is the Assoc. Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

photos courtesy of google

THis week on tv by Charlotte Parish

Dancing and drama light up the screen

‘Grey’s Anatomy’

‘NCIS: Los Angeles’

‘Dancing With The Stars’

Always filled with glorious amounts of drama and heartfelt monologues, Grey’s Anatomy is putting the Seattle doctors through the ringer emotionally this week, as Richard asks for his wife, Adele, to be part of the hospital’s Alzheimer’s trial.

Already a touching issue on the show because it is more relatable than most of the outlandish diseases (STD warttree man, anyone?), the episode is sure to set off the show’s signature, fortifying one-liners.

Coming to the end of its second season, NCIS: Los Angeles has taken off better than many stalwart fans of the original expected. Maintaining the dry humor and unique characters that made NCIS so popular, the Los Angeles team continues to put out compelling episodes. This week centers on the ever-engaging Kensi, and Daniela Ruah has developed a refreshing take on the female cop that continues to be a factor in the show’s success.

Only in the second week, it is still early enough to jump on the bandwagon for this season’s Dancing.

Hovering between amusing inanity and actual talent, this season hosts a bevy of stars with a few more wellknown faces than usual, including Kirstie Alley, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Ralph Macchio. Plus, with last year’s surprise elimination of David Hasselhoff, this season could hold a few tricks up its sleeve. photos courtesy of Google

Screen Time

photo courtesy of google

Nobody tells you when you sign up for Twitter how hard it can be to keep up with the rapidly changing and evolving technological world.

Twitter is deceptively difficult, but life-changing Tony Cuneo There are few things more disconcerting than learning your own limitations with technology. All it takes is one guy who actually knows what he’s talking about to open up his oversized PC so he can “show you something.”

His fingers move over the same keys yours do, but in a way you’ve never considered. He is tearing through, reorganizing, abstracting, and otherwise asserting control over a technology you use every day but will never actually understand top to bottom (unless they design an app for that). Every time I experience one of these virtual reality checks, I have the same thought. “How am ever I going to rule the world with all of these nerd-savants tearing around cyberspace!?” I want their power. I want their knowledge. I want to absorb it instantly like a super-smart sponge.

Fortunately, I just created a Twitter account, so I should have this whole Internet nut cracked by lunch.

As my good friend recently tweeted, “Twitter is hard.” No one tells you when you first create your account, but Twitter users are expected to identify and use hashtags, retweets, and all sorts of other baffling tools in their stylish

exchange of ideas. At first glance, every tweet appears as inane verbiage. You don’t know who is speaking or being addressed. Then there is the business of identifying trends, the most significant advantage of using Twitter. Tweets are short, so each tweet can be grouped together into a trend. Say, for example, a national revolution. Presently, the most popular trend on Twitter is Rebecca Black, a 10th grader from Anaheim. Her music video “Friday” is apparently so bad, it has made her the most famous thing on the Internet. She recently edged out 100factsaboutme, a topic that encourages users to tweet 100 different facts about themselves. Ingenious.

Surely, the brilliance of short-form idea exchange is beginning to weigh on you by now. It begs the question, “Where is the payoff in Twitter?”

Because of Twitter, we are living in a world where firms on Wall Street are accurately able to predict market trends in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) using algorithms based on the Google Profile of Mood States (GPOMS). It’s terms like the latter that make me wonder whether Orson Welles really ever died or if his ghost isn’t haunting a computer in Twitter’s offices right now. I would love to hear the response of either incarnation of Welles when I told him that the firm

Brennan Carley

The Heights

Thursday, March 24, 2011

2011 Newport Flower Show

B3

: w e i v e r p n o i h s a f g Sprin ter skirts , shor s y a d r e g lon

BY CHARLOTTE PARISH | ASST. ARTS & REVIEW EDITOR photos by kevin hou | asst. photo editor

Cape Cod Life Publications & Picnic Fashions, LLC

Miskovsky Landscaping & Allen C. Haskell Horticulturists, Inc.

Warmer temperatures mean that styles are no longer restricted to bulky coats and boots. So go explore Boston’s array of fantastic stores in sandles, skirts, and scoopnecks to celebrate the arrival of spring.

C

loser to campus, Vintage Jewelry and Modern Boutique is an independent boutique in Coolidge Corner, one of the many fabulous stores that make Coolidge the besthidden gem of the city. Right near the fabulously classic theatre, one of the best bookstores in the city, and the utterly delicious Zaftigs, Vintage rounds out everything I love about Coolidge Corner.

Tucked a couple blocks from the T station, this petite store always has gorgeous and very unique pieces, ranging from dresses to bottoms to accessories to jackets. Although prices are something of a splurge, it’s nearly impossible to put anything back once it makes its way into the dressing room. In general, the store’s style

leans toward the more feminine, especially in their spring collection, preferring bold, colorful prints and soft fabrics. But there’s almost guaranteed to be something for every taste with the extensive, but also expensive, jewelry selection. This store is a must for college students as one of the city’s few non-chain clothing stores that’s specifically geared toward collegiate styles.

A

recent addition to the extravagant shopping Mecca of Newbury Street, Alex and Ani is entirely dedicated to accessories, in particular their unique Bangle Bar. The concept behind this bangle selection is that you create a collection over time, undoubtedly with the hope that you will become addicted to the variety and distinct quality that characterizes the store’s selection.

Unfortunately for the college wallet, Alex and Ani’s prices are reflective of their location. Individual bangles (which are substantial bracelets, not a simple thin metal piece) range in price from about $20 to $50. However, there is a 10 percent student discount to somewhat ease the mind. All of the bracelets have a unique message with zodiac medallions, city and state seals, as well as the charity line. Operation Smile, Doctors Without Borders, and seven other nonprofit organizations worked exclusively with Alex and Ani designers to create a bangle whose purchase donates to the organization. Saving the world while shopping? Maybe it’s a stretch, but it’s a great way to internally justify this fun mix-and-match arm-candy. The store also features a new line of Vintage 66 jewelry, created by Rachel Rafaelian, the niece of Alex and Ani designer, Carolyn Rafaelian.

Sarah ring by Rachel Rafaelia, Vintage 66 line in Alex and Ani Nakomaol wrap bracelet from Vintage Jewelry and Modern Boutique

Bangles by Carolyn Rafaelian, Alex and Ani

Floral clutch from Vintage Jewelry and Modern Boutique

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2011 Newport Flower Show

S

hopping at the Garment District is a game in and of itself.

This is definitely a destination store more than a time saving, in-and-out type of shopping. With two stories, it’s not that there is a massive amount of floor space to cover, but rather you can burn an entire afternoon simply being entertained by the store’s costume section and – wait for it – its buy-bythe-pound section. Yes, you can in fact purchase clothing by the pound. Of course, you have to literally dig through a pile to do so, but it’s an adventure.

If that’s a bit too outlandish, the top floor is filled with racks of second-hand items marked down to great prices. As with any consignment store, the quality of fashion depends on the day. But there are always crazy hats and other accessories to compile an entertaining experience. Plus, when you do find a great piece, the price will be well worth the travel on the 86 bus.

ccessories are arguably the most fun part of a wardrobe, perhaps because they are the most interchangeable. Almost anything can be revitalized with a few added flourishes.

While scarves are great for fall and winter, ditch them in spring in exchange for statement rings to show off your newly de-mittened hands. Oversized rings are as entertaining to wear as they are to look at, and ones like the coral-colored piece from Vintage are great because they match most all spring collections, drawing out their warm tones.

Bangles and long necklaces are other bohemian inspired accessories that will be popular again for spring. Bangles make a fun decoration that won’t have to get caught anymore in bulky coat sleeves, particularly with scrunched three-quarter sleeves. Certain bracelets can even be redefined, like the wrap around bracelet from Vintage that we reassigned to be a metallic headband. Creativity and innovation are half the fun when rescuing your wardrobe from the necessity of being practical and warm in winter months. Long necklaces are fantastic to pair with spring dresses, fishing out the femininity in your style, and ones like the charm necklace from Alex and Ani are a great piece because their simplicity won’t take away from bright patterns and other bold pieces.

I

New England Land Artisans & Potted Up

t’s a fact that dresses are by far my personal favorite part of spring. Warm weather means it is dress season again. Sweater dresses are a mediocre replacement to get me through the winter, but pulling out the quintessential spring dress, like the coral and navy-stripped piece from Vintage, is almost therapeutic. Cotton dresses are a staple of any spring wardrobe – although I concede to a great deal of personal bias on this topic – and come in pretty much every color and shape.

Warning: with the incredible influx in stores, don’t be dazzled into buying the first dress you come across. These pieces definitely carry over into the summer collections, so hold off on impulse buy until the absolutely perfect one among the surfeit of choices. Finding the unique ones, like the jean and bronze studded piece from the Garment District, is a fabulous spring scavenger hunt. Also consider that many spring nights – and even days if you deal with the fickle Boston weather – are colder, so find pieces that work with light jackets or match previously owned hoodies.

Still popular as well this season, the maxi-dress is an elusive fashion statement that, when done right, is fantastic. However, it decidedly needs the right combination of color and pattern to keep it vibrant and youthful, and steer it away from the muumuu genre.

clothing credits (Clockwise): White Lace Mystree Shirt and Nakomaol wrap bracelet from Vintage, Crazy For You bracelet by Vintage 66 from Alex and Ani, green army jacket from the Garmet District; Angie Purple dress from Vintage, necklace with charms (initial, June birthstone, dark saphire mini crystal, King’s Crown 3D) and bangles (quill feather, amethyst rock candy bead, graphite cavier bead, crest shimmering sea bead, euphrates bead, Boston bead, anchor) from Alex and Ani; See first photo; Sarah ring by Vintage 66 from Alex and Ani, Theme dress and coral and gold necklace from Vintage; See first photo; Jean dress and straw hat from the Garment District, green floral clutch from Vintage, bangles (Russian gold, pineapple, Leo bead, sunkissed boho bead, dune boho bead) from Alex and Ani

O Liquid Landscape Designs

ne of the best things about spring is the ability to pair clothing from both summer and fall: jeans with tanks and tee shirts, shorts with sweaters or layered tops. A good rule of thumb for taking advantage of spring sunlight without getting caught too cold is to wear one half from each season.

Another would be to check the weather before leaving the house, but for those of us who are more forgetful – yours truly – and frequently too optimistic about temperatures, it’s a safe bet because only one-half of you will be too hot or too cold if there is a freak spike in temperature.

Peasant blouses, like this white lacy one from Vintage, are perfect for spring because they are covered up enough to wear without a jacket on the nicer days, plus they match a whole range of bottoms, from pants to skirts to shorts.

The Heights

scene and heard

B4

Thursday, March 24, 2011

By Dan Siering

1

Heights Staff

angry Chris Brown

S & H could really be dedicated to Chris Brown with the week that he had. It had finally looked like the hip-hop artist had crawled his way out of the depths of scandal with his release of F.A.M.E., his first full-length album since his attack on former girlfriend, Rihanna. Yet things didn’t stay cheery for long for the recovering musician, as reports state that Brown thoroughly trashed his dressing room after an interview on Good Morning America in which he was asked about his ex. But don’t worry, Chris, all is not lost. The new album, released yesterday, has gotten generally positive reviews. If only he could repress his anger as well as he hits that falsetto….

The ‘Spiderman’ Musical

Could anything else possibly go wrong for Spiderman: Turn off the Dark? T.V. Carpio, a lead who originally replaced another actress injured during production, will be sidelined with her own injury, incurred during a performance last week.

With the biggest budget in Broadway history ($65 million), Spiderman has miles to go before it meets its expectations.

Since day one, the musical has been plagued with technical malfunctions, personal changes, and scathing reviews. The New York Times’ chief theater critic Ben Brantley stated it “ranks among the worst musicals in Broadway history.”

2

Ja Rule vs. the irs

3

There was once a time in hip-hop when every new song released said “ft. Ja Rule.” Then the great collaborator disappeared from the music industry. Well, Ja is back in the headlines, but not for another catchy chorus. The hip-hop artist pleaded guilty to tax evasions on Monday in a New Jersey federal court, admitting that he did not pay taxes on more than $3 million in income between 2004 and 2006. If the conditions of the plea bargain are met, authorities will dismiss Ja Rule’s tax evasion charges from 2007 and 2008.

4 South by Southwest

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

It’s been rumored for months that the Inception star was cast for the upcoming Batman flick, The Dark Knight Rises. This week it was confirmed that Gordon-Levitt would reunite with Christopher Nolan in the final installment of the cape crusader trilogy. The next day, movie sites reported that Nolan gave the young actor the role of Alberto Falcone, son of Gotham crime boss Carmine Falcone. Then buzz came out that the initial reports were untrue. Then sites stated that the reports claiming the original news to be false were actually untrue themselves.

The end result is Hollywood speculators spinning out of control.

Whatever the real truth is, Nolan must be overjoyed with all this free press.

The five-day comprehensive arts festival in Austin came to end on Sunday with a stunning performance

by Kanye West. In an impressive closing concert, West was joined by many collaborators from his latest album, including Kid Cudi, Bon Iver, and Jay-Z, surprising the 2,500 lucky fans attending. SXSW is a veritable feast of the arts continuer, providing both indie and mainstream musical performances and movie screenings for eager visitors. And aside from a few headliners such as West, The Strokes, and Duran Duran, the festivities are completely and utterly free.

5

Food for thought: you had me at potato pancake

Music nook

Putin parties like there’s no tomorrow

Kristen Canfield

Krysia Wazny After spring break it was a relief to get back to the Motherland. It seemed the rest of the world was filled with far too much warmth, kindness, and fresh fruit.

After being invariably ignored by service people for two months, the ceaseless attention of waiters and vendors in Istanbul was suffocating, and a frosty welcome back to a slightly slushy Petersburg was just what the doctor ordered. That isn’t to say that in a few weeks I won’t be craving signs of human emotion beyond the unavoidable PDA on the metro. Luckily, I now know the button that with one push will send Russians into fits of tenderhearted joy.

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has had a profound effect upon Russian art, music, and hearts during his time in office, first as president and now as prime minister. According to The St. Petersburg Times, only a couple weeks have passed since he was treated to a “Putin Party” in a Moscow club. After being deemed the most attractive of the rich and famous by club-goers, a one-night celebration was held in his honor. However, cake and ice cream weren’t the only delights served at this party. “Go-go dancers” eagerly bared themselves for Putin, and banners reportedly proclaimed, “I want the prime minister!”

Such declarations of love for Putin have appeared in all sectors of Russian popular art, with several examples readily observable in song. The viral video “Takovo kak Putin,” features a sexy Russian blonde and brunette singing to some sweet club beats about their desire for a man like Putin. It is evident that in their pretty little heads no one can rival the allure of the prime minister.

Last year Putin was serenaded by Russian rappers at the “Hip Hop Battle for Respect,” after which he spoke of the great cultural contributions hip-hop and break dancing provide. That’s the thing about Putin, he doesn’t just take, he gives. His most recent performance of “Blueberry Hill” is perhaps the best evidence of Putin’s true impact upon the cultural community.

All seemed well as the prime minister deftly picked

out the correct keys for the well-known melody, and the excitement mounted as he sauntered across stage to take his place at the microphone. Audience members, including Mickey Rourke and Sharon Stone, stood for the performance and at least attempted to look entertained, some even swaying to the beat. It seems hard to imagine that there could be a sinister side to this charming, if slightly balding, man as he sings an American classic.

Nevertheless, there is another side to Putin’s impact on music in Russia. It’s for this reason that Kevin McClain, A&S ’12, said, “I’m surprised he didn’t have someone executed after seeing that video.” And I myself have been wondering how many times I can type “Blueberry Hill” into YouTube before my name is flagged at the border. The fact of the matter is that the kids depicted on the banner behind Putin as he croons sweet nothings may not even exist. The charity Federatsiya, for which the event was held, was founded by known fraud master Kiselyov, and the money raised has conveniently gone missing.

The darker side of the Russian government has, of course, drawn plenty of attention from artists and musicians alike. In a recent showdown, the well-known leader of ’80s band DDT, Yuri Schevchuk, confronted Putin on his lack of concern for the people and his repression of peaceful demonstrators. Rock music has become increasingly politicized in recent years, and PTVP (Pocledniye Tanki v Parizhye) member Alexei Nikonov has called for even stronger opposition through art. Meanwhile, Russian rock great Afrika (Sergei Bugaev) recently signed a petition opposing the trial of former Putin opponent Khodorovsky, though he states he will cooperate with the government and is not trying to tip the balance toward a totalitarian regime.

Love him or hate him, Putin remains a driving force in Russian pop culture. Regarding the future of art and government in Russia, I suppose Putin says it best himself in “Blueberry Hill”: We’ll see what we shall see.

Krysia Wazny is a Heights columnist. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

In the wake of the first “Meatless Monday” hosted by Boston College Dining Services and the subsequent surprising, overblown, unacceptable, and just plain rude reactions by several strata of the student body, I have begun to wonder which foods I easily can live without (all food with a face, colors that do not occur in nature, sweet pickles) and which foods I’d be more hesitant to give up (cheese and crackers, chips and salsa, and potato products).

The potato. You say, I say – well, it’s delicious. Potatoes might be one of the most versatile foods. You can boil them, bake them, fry them, make pasta from them, or my personal favorite make pancakes out of them.

You can serve them with ketchup, sour cream, or cheese. You can scoop chili on them or use them as a strategic “taste-breaker” when attempting to complete the Eagle’s Challenge.

They provide a lasting full from a humble breakfast burrito. Basically, they make the world go round.

If it isn’t clear to you by now, since I’m pretty sure I have addressed it in every column to date whether or not the actual column was food related, there is little I care more or think more about than food. The recipes frequently posted on my Facebook wall provide a welcome respite from moody song lyric filled statuses and sloppy weekend photographs.

Oftentimes, my roommates and I will find that when we are all simultaneously procrastinating on our computers it is on food blogs and recipe sites rather than Family Feud or YouTube.

As much as I care about food, I still found the reactions of my fellow BC students on Meatless Monday completely unacceptable.

The event wasn’t about vegetarianism. It was about little things everyone can do to help the environment. It was also about Dining Services trying to participate in a nationwide movement. That’s right, Meatless Mondays are a nationwide event. Feel embarrassed yet? Perhaps, I am biased. After all, I choose not to eat meat.

But if someone told me, that by foregoing

something I love as much as a potato pancakes once a week, that it would have significant positive effects on the environment and even help fight hunger. I would do it in a heartbeat.

You see, what bugs me the most about last Monday is not that people were upset about the lack of meat (other than grab-and-go) in Lower Dining Hall, nor does it particularly bug me that most people see meat as an important part of their daily diets—that’s your choice.

What bugs me is the entitlement with which people approached the issue. I have the luxury of deciding what I want to eat on a daily basis.

I have never had to worry about putting food on the table and for that I am grateful. Unfortunately, hunger is a real problem around the world and with the recent and ongoing economic crisis it affects more people every day.

The other thing of note that happened last week is the housing lottery for seniors. On the day of the six-man lottery, I, like most of my fellow juniors, slipped out of my class to check my pick time. Luckily, for everyone’s sake, my housing next year has a kitchen. After this last year, I’m not sure I could go back to living without one or at least I was not eager to. Don’t get me wrong. The Gate is nice, but can you bake brownies when you don’t want to write your paper? All of the housing hoopla reminded me that I have just a little over a year left at BC. After next year, I’ll enter the real world with only memories of “Eagles on the warpath” and late night mozzarella sticks to sustain me. I hope I will be proud to say I’m a BC Eagle, but things like this make me hesitant. Frankly, I’m disappointed in the Jesuits urging to discontinue the program because it conflicted with Lent. That is not in line with the school that introduced me to social justice and Catholic social teaching and that is not the school I shall be ever so sad to leave behind even if the real world offers me limitless potato pancakes. Let’s do better next time, before it’s too late.

Kristin Canfield is a Heights columnist. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

The Heights

Thursday, March 24, 2011

B5

+Music

NEW RELEASES

The Strokes return at last with a fresh, revitalized sound

By Zak Jason

Heights Senior Staff At a French elementary school, at a boarding school in Switzerland that breeds European royalty, at an Upper West Side private school where the likes of Henry Morgenthau, Truman Capote, and Vin Diesel have attended – front man Julian Casablancas befriended who would become the four other members of The Strokes.

Five rare earth elements somehow mixed together in Manhattan. Their coarse, bare bones debut Is This It (2001) unleashed the garage-rock revival.

Two years later they added angst and more elaborate guitar solos on their sophomore album Room on Fire. But after the ambitious and layered First Impressions of Earth, we discovered these five elements were radioactive, splitting for years, four of them crafting distinct solo projects, all of them agonizing critics and fans and bands who burned for a reunion, for inspiration, for true grit. Now they return.

Out of nowhere Angles begins with a bopping pseudo reggae ditty, “Machu Picchu,” featuring prickly guitars, clacking percussion, and a seemingly water-logged Casablancas crooning about “sending your girlfriends to the night for cheap” and “trying to find a mountain I can climb.” Angles marks the first collaborative writing effort from The Strokes (Casablancas helmed the first three albums). Songs like “Machu Picchu,” and the new-wave soaked “Two Kinds of Happiness,” and the groggy yet speed metal-textured “You’re So Right” illustrate how Angles is just that, visions and influences

Britney Spears Femme Fatale

Angles The Strokes

Wiz Khalifa Rolling Papers

produced by RCA Records released Mar. 22, 2011 Our rating B+

Chart Toppers Singles courtesy of Google.com

Don’t listen to ‘Angles’ searching for hints of the old Strokes, as the album features a more mature and at times bizarre sound from the long-absent band. and spiraling solos and street talk lyrics striking from five different angles.

Because each member bears so much talent, this isn’t a bad thing at all. Other than the fact that they’re all now in their 30s and have somewhat graduated their skinny jean roots (i.e. you won’t find lyrics like those on Is This It’s “Barely Legal,” in which Casablancas mumbles, “I want to steal your innocence / To me, my life, it don’t make sense”), it’s not that the elements of The Strokes have decayed. They’ve evolved into more stable elements that often achieve more with each other than ever. On another ’80s-inspired track “Games,” amid guitars that sound like plunking electric water droplets Casablancas wails,

“I’m okay. I’m all right / I was out late last night,” and you feel equally devastated and fulfilled, a complexity of sentiment rarely reached before. Angles also solidifies the fact that The Strokes are one of the few bands, if not the only band, that can pull off a guitar solo on almost every song and not bore the listener to death.

Older as those elements are, they’re also still a volatile brew and often harken back to their original material. “Under Cover of Darkness,” the album’s first single, struts along with the familiar dueling distorted guitar bombast and Casablancas observing, “I’ve been all around this town / everybody’s been singing the same song for 10 years.” If ever there existed a

song you could get away with skipping to down the streets of Brooklyn, this is it. “Taken for a Fool,” a song about a gullible girl who Casablancas can’t stand at the moment, sounds like they unearthed it from the Room on Fire sessions, with its ’70s bassladen melody and jubilantly jaded one-liners like, “Monday, Tuesday is my weekend.”

Angles ends with the most mesmerizing and earnest song of the album, “Life is Simple in the Moonlight.” Still singing through a wall of fuzz, like almost every track he’s ever sung, Casablancas begins, “Animals on TV singing about something they once felt / There’s no one I disapprove of or root for more than myself.” In four-and-a-half minutes (also Angles’ longest

track), with bizarre lyrics and lingering guitar work, the band seizes the angry, yet hesitant state of the nation today.

For the fair-weather fan hoping for a rumpus return to the harsh simplicity of Is This It, you end up sorely disappointed. At brief moments Angles seems like too many angles, less of a holistic masterpiece and more of five guys duking it out to display their virtuosity. But to appreciate Angles is to appreciate five rock heroes with growing tastes and sensibilities and influences (you can even hear Queen in the rowdy “Gratisfaction”), trying hard to master their craft, and challenging their listeners, all while still sporting skinny jeans. n

1 Born This Way Lady Gaga 2 E.T. Katy Perry 3 S&M Rihanna 4 F**k You Cee-Lo Green 5 Just Can’t Get Enough The Black Eyed Peas Top Albums

1 21 Adele 2 Endgame Rise Against 3 Lasers Lupe Fiasco 4 Glee: Volume 5 Various Artists 5 Sigh No More Mumford & Sons Source: Billboard.com

A new genre emerges on the stellar, near flawless ‘James Blake’

By Brennan Carley

Assoc. Arts & Review Editor James Blake is not for the impatient listener. As evidenced on his self-titled debut, released digitally on iTunes last month, his music takes a while to sift through. It’s worth sitting with

for a while, contemplating on what exactly music has become in today’s day and age. Forty years ago, would Blake’s hauntingly introspective and eerily simple songs have been considered a smash, as they have so been embraced in the past several weeks?

It is first important to dissect the sound of Blake’s debut album, a stunning and magnificent piece of work that will surely make its way to the top of countless “Best of 2011” lists come December. It is quite unlike anything that has ever been heard in recent history.

Surely bits and pieces could be

James Blake James Blake produced by Universal Republic released Mar. 23, 2011 Our rating A-

courtesy of google.com

James Blake sends viewers on an ethereal, trippy journey on his debut album, a truly transcendant piece of art.

attributed to different influences (a bit of Radiohead, blended with some hints of dubstep, one could say). Blake’s point, however, is to defy and transcend genres, which he does with overwhelming success.

On the album’s first single, “The Wilhelm Scream,” Blake layers his soulful voice on top of dripping echoes, a subdued beat, and a barely there synthesizer, all of which work to emphasize the insecurities that the song so beautifully describes. It is slow, while always teetering over the precipice of a quicker paced dance track.

With “I Never Learnt to Share,” Blake works wonders with only his voice, crooning about how “my brother and my sister don’t speak to me / but I don’t blame them” in three different keys as a neo-soul synthesizer spirals aimlessly in the background. This continues for two minutes until a drum beat kicks in, the likes of which would usually signal a new verse perhaps, but Blake likes to keep his listeners transfixed, and continues to repeat the same lines over and over until the synthesizer takes over completely in madcap fash-

ion. It works perfectly, drilling the man’s numerous moments of doubt and self-pity without ever divulging any inner details.

That isn’t to say that James Blake is all grist and no meat, however, as the singer gets to the core of his message on the wonderful side by side tracks, “Lindisfarne I” and “Lindisfarne II.” The mesmerizing tracks compliment each other perfectly, demonstrating the young Brit’s ability to craft a cohesive album in today’s single obsessed world.

The first song is as acoustic as they come on Blake’s album, a dizzyingly autotuned track that, once again, only features his vocals. Backing music kicks in on “II,” masterfully comparing a long forgotten battle to his current fears.

A while later, on “I Mind,” Blake emphasizes the magnitude of an insurmountable obstacle with copious amounts of static and dazzlingly warped vocals, to the point that he manages to completely blend his voice with the very synthesizer that controls the melody.

One of the album’s most entrancing songs is “Limit to Your Love,” a cover of Feist’s hit that

Blake dissects and completely rearranges to fit his stylistic intentions. It is a masterpiece, one of the best cover songs to see the light of day in eons. One of the few songs on the album that showcases Blake’s voice in all its soulful purity, “Limit” wraps the listener up with its poignant message while managing to retain all of the singer’s trademark repetitions.

So just what is it about Blake that makes his album worth listening to? Upon hearing any one of his songs, it is almost instantly possible to realize the significance of the music. It is the first of a new genre, many critics proclaim, a so-called “post dubstep” that adeptly encompasses the best aspects of a number of genres and spits out a fascinating work of art.

It is at times heavily romantic.

At others times Blake retreats rapidly from any musings of love, reverting to a paranoid empty space that he fills with his most inner thoughts. It is no wonder, than, that the album cover is a snapshot of Blake in motion, making it entirely impossible to discern what expressions his face might betray. n

Brown valiantly attempts a comeback on the flawed ‘F.A.M.E’

By Katie Lee Heights Staff

In 2009, when Chris Brown pled guilty to felony assault, it seemed that his career was toast.

No one wanted to listen to the music of the violent pop star that beat up his ex-girlfriend. Few continued to support the well-known R&B singer in the early months that followed. Later that year, his album Graffiti seemed to flop as a result of the incident and the decline of support.

A few years later, even though he is not the same popular and lovable R&B singer he was before, he seems to have regained a little bit more respect as a musical artist. This week, with the release of his fourth studio album F.A.M.E (an acronym for “Forgiving All My Enemies”) Brown has a few extremely popular radio singles that are topping the charts. Despite the incident occurring only a few years ago, Brown seems to be trying to redeem himself as an artist by using a variety of catchy songs.

On F.A.M.E. Brown explores new paths in R&B, hip-hop, and electro-dance music. The songs range from soulful ballads to electronic dance hits. One thing that is unique about this particular album is that it seems that the majority of the tracks seem to have some sort of electronic influence. This electro-pop type of sound is something that is becoming increasingly used in popular music today. In a recent interview, Brown said that his fourth album is his best yet at showing off all sides of his creative mind. Although some fans may be skeptical about this claim, it is true that a variety of sounds and styles work on F.A.M.E. With collaborations from the likes of Ludacris and Wiz Khalifa, the album is sure to gain a lot of attention.

The album consists of 18 songs and opens with the already well-known single, “Deuces.” This slow R&B track proves to be a good platform for Brown to show off his smooth vocal ability right from the beginning. Earlier this year the song was nominated for a

Grammy, proving that it is already a hit among industry judges. There are other tracks on F.A.M.E. that seem to capture a similar sound as “Deuces.” In contrast, one track that captures the fast-paced, electronic dance feel of the album is the sixth track on the album, “Say it With Me.” In this song, Brown revisits his rapping abilities and has a Justin-Timberlake inspired high-pitched chorus. Overall, the song is pretty average, but is sure to still be played on dance floors everywhere. Finally, one song that is sure to be a hit is “Next to You” featuring teen pop superstar Justin Bieber. It seems that everything Justin Bieber touches immediately tops the charts and turns to gold.

This cutesy ballad is no exception and is going to be the sure hit on F.A.M.E. Since many of the songs on the album have leaked, the so-called “hits” leave little new impression on the average listener. “Deuces,” “Yeah 3x,” and “Look at Me Now,” are songs that most pop-listeners have probably already heard one

F.A.M.E. Chris brown produced by Jive Records released Mar. 23, 2011 Our rating C+

courtesy of Google.com

Brown has been on a media blitz this week, but his efforts should have been put to better use on his new album. too many times. This means that the release of F.A.M.E. leaves little new or exciting impression for Brown’s fans. Nevertheless, the

album is catchy and reminiscent of the artist’s well-known style.

Brown proves with F.A.M.E. that he’s not afraid to experiment with

new sounds that may broaden his appeal. People that have been fans of Brown’s music are likely to enjoy the album. n

B6

The Heights

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Heights

Thursday, March 24, 2011

B7

Tim Pawlenty

By Matt Palazzolo

Asst. Marketplace Editor Tim Pawlenty was born on November 27, 1960 in Saint Paul, Minn. He received a B.A. in political science from the University of Minnesota and a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Before running for governor he served as a criminal prosecutor, Eagan City Councilmember, and a 10-year member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, including four years as House Majority Leader. In 2002 he ran for governor against Democratic candidate Roger Moe and Independence Party candidate Tim Penny. Pawlenty pledged to balance the state budget without raising taxes, loosening gun laws, and placing tighter restrictions on abortions.

He ran for reelection in 2006, facing criticism from

ramon espinosa / ap photo

Haitian voters search for their names on registration lists at the polls Sunday during the second round of elections.

Elections show improvements in Haitian electoral system Haiti, from B10 in some areas.

The turnout for the election remains debated. Both the heads of the Provisional Electoral Council and the UN Peacekeeping Mission told journalists Sunday that participation was high. But Granderson said while the participation appears to be slightly higher than it was for last November’s first round- 22 percent nationwide- it does not appear to concur with the more than 1 million inquiries via telephone calls and text messages election officials received from voters wanting to locate their polling stations.

“The final numbers were a bit disappointing,” Granderson told reporters, adding that the actual turnout cannot be officially established until the preliminary results are released.

Both presidential candidates reacted differently to Sunday’s electoral process. In a press release published on March 21 of the communication office of Mirlande Manigat, it is written, “It is to be deplored however that certain press organs have violated the counting centers for disseminating the results from some polling stations of Port-au-Prince while the counting of votes had not even begun in almost all of the centres.”

The statement then continues, “This is contrary to the electoral law and the democracy in general.”

Manigat’s fellow candidate, Michel Martelly, expressed his approval of the election in his own March 21 press release. “We are satisfied with the electoral process held in Haiti on Sunday,” he wrote. “The citizens of Haiti, without exception, have voted peacefully and in large numbers. The elections will remain, historically, as the birth of the democracy in Haiti,” the release continues. Recent opinion polls have showed Martelly in the lead.

While the election has been characterized as peaceful and diplomatic, it has not been without controversy. Despite warnings from President Barack Obama that his return could cause yet another tumultuous political development, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the twiceexiled former president of Haiti, left his adopted home in South Africa on Thursday, March 17, and returned to Haiti. Dressed in the colors of the Haitian flag, Aristide, a former firebrand priest beloved by the poor but thought of as corrupt by others, was the second controversial figure to return to Haiti in past months.

Jean-Claude Duvalier, the former dictator known as Baby Doc, suddenly returned from exile in January and is living quietly in the country

while courts figure out pending human rights and corruption charges related to his government.

U.S. hip-hop singer Wyclef Jean suffered a gunshot wound to the hand in Haiti Saturday night, the eve of the election, during a rally for presidential candidate Martelly.

Rallies have resulted in violence following the controversial first round.

Despite Saturday’s complications, Jean still made it to the booths to vote Sunday.

With Haiti still vulnerable following the January 2010 earthquake and a continuing cholera epidemic, both presidential candidates in the runoff are making similar promises to expand education, streamline the delivery of billions in international aid, and overhaul the economy.

Despite the violence and anarchy of the last few months, many Haitians are expressing hope in the outcome of the elections. Eder Joseph, a 27-year-old civilian, told reporters that while he was a fervent supporter of the exiled Aristide, he chose to vote anyway because of his exhaustion of living in a tent camp since the earthquake displaced him and millions of others. Speaking for all Haitian voters who sought reform during their time in the booths Sunday, Joseph told reporters, “We have to change the future of this country.” n

Andrew Medichini / ap photo

The U.S. began military intervention Sunday morning as an F-15 fighter jet descended on the tumultuous country.

US intervention begins in Libya Libya, from B10 vention in establishing a no-fly zone. While it remains clear that the international consensus is to protect civilian casualties, the method on how to achieve this goal is up for debate.

According to former NATO Secretary General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer, NATO allies have found it difficult to come to an agreement because of Turkey’s desire to avoid operations in Arab countries. This contrasts the U.S. and western European policy, which allowed for the beginnings of strategic military intervention in the protection of civilians and the establishment of a no-fly

zone. So far, Qatar has been the only Arab country to commit any military power to the operation. The United Arab Emirates backed out of their plan to aid

The U.S. military has been the most active in the initial strikes. in the military effort because of Western policies concerning the rebellion in Bahrain. Instead, they have defined their role in

the conflict as “strictly confined to the delivery of humanitarian assistance.” China has publicly criticized the acts of Western powers, stating that all parties must, “immediately cease fire and resolve issues through peaceful means.” They also outlined that if Western powers continue military intervention in Libya it could become an unshakable burden for years to come.

European allies are poised to take control now that the initial objectives are nearing completion

by U.S. forces. The division in policy is likely to deepen as the civil war in Libya continues now that international nations and the UN are involved. n

conservatives for funding a new stadium for the Minnesota Twins and supporting commuter rail lines. Pawlenty also served as chair of the Republican Governors Association from 2006 to 2007, a position currently held by Mississippi Governor and possible presidential candidate Haley Barbour.

Since late 2009, Pawlenty has been taking steps toward announcing his presidential candidacy. He visited Iowa twice, spoke at the 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference, and embarked on an extensive tour for his new book Courage to Stand.

On March 22, he formed a presidential exploratory committee, which will allow him to official raise money for a possible presidential run. Pawlenty, like all other potential Republican candidates, has refused to announce officially that he will run for president. n

Alex Manta / Heights graphic

B8

The Heights

Thursday, March 24, 2011

THE ISSUE:

The recent earthquake in Japan has damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Engineers are working to prevent dangerous radiation leaks into surrounding cities. President Barack Obama has been promoting nuclear power as a cheaper and cleaner alternative to oil. In the wake of the Japanese disaster, he announced a comprehensive review of the safety of all currently operating United States plants. However, he still pledged to support nuclear power. The U.S. has not built a nuclear power plant since the mid-1970s. Should nuclear power be expanded in the U.S.?

Nuclear power is not the answer Gerard Farara Energy is to society like water is to a human being, a necessity. It is the catalyst of the world, the spark that drives us forward andtruthfully allows us to live through another day. Without it, we would undoubtedly be forced to curb the great advancements of our modern world.

Our planes would never leave the runway. Cars would stay collecting dust in the driveway. Communication would be reduced to first-hand delivery.

International trade would be slowed greatly. Yes indeed, without energy our technological advancement will surely take a sharp U-turn. But despite the imperative nature of energy, we have not made the all-important step of the century, the transition from nonrenewable to renewable sources.

We have discovered quite a few pathways to achieve this handover of energy. From hydropower and solar energy to wind and bio-energy, the fruits of steadfast scientific exploration have certainly blossomed. But time is certainly of the essence as everyone knows that our oil ship is sinking, fast. Within each renewable source however, there seems to be one obstacle that inhibits their widespread usage. How to harvest sunlight during the night? The force of wind is too unpredictable. The initial cost is too expensive for the average Joe. But with the discovery of nuclear power in the 1950s and 60s it seemed that we had finally found the ‘perfect alternative’ to our depleting nonrenewable sources. Its energy was pure. Emissions? Zero. No carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, or nitrogen dioxide is emitted from its reactors. The quantity of waste? Minimal. It’s been predicted that if a typical family of four were to use nuclear energy for a lifetime, then the waste produced would be the size of a golf ball. So what’s the trade-off? How de we handle its highly radioactive and long-lasting waste. Burn it and you release the numerous chemical toxins in the atmosphere. Bury it and you risk having the waste seep into the soil and infect the ecosystem.

But perhaps more important to mention is the extremely high-risks that come with nuclear energy. Chernobyl, Pa., and more recently Fukushima, Japan are all examples that clearly highlight the minute area for error.

Humans are prone to

mistakes and these events clearly illustrate that. And in truth, therein lies the problem of nuclear energy. It’s a risky business especially as it has become more commercialized in recent years.

The United States hasn’t built a nuclear power plant since the mid-1970s. And despite President Barack Obama’s promises to turn the U.S. into a more nucleardependent country, in truth the fact that the U.S. has not built a new nuclear plant in such a long time speaks to the political risk of such a project. Build a smooth and well-running power plant and it could be a political hit, but

Nuclear is not the future, not for the U.S. nor for the rest of the world. if the project turns out to be a disaster, it could prove to be the death sentence of your political career.

Nuclear is not the future, not for the U.S. nor for the rest of the world. To build more plants across the U.S. is to perhaps decrease the attention to detail. And that potential absent-mindedness, could lead to a massive disaster.

Likewise, the proliferation of nuclear energy puts the decision of who does and doesn’t get nuclear weapons, in the hands of too many people. To have such a potentially threatening piece of technology puts the world in danger and

certainly heightens the probability of terrorists grabbing hold of it.

The alternative? There are a few more promising possibilities. While they do need some further technological tweaking, I do believe that the future lies in solar energy.

For one, the risk is almost non-existent. Pollution none?

Waste? Almost nonexistent.

So what prevents it from taking off? The technology.

Despite our major technological advancements, we still lack the capability to get past some basic occurrences such as the fact that it’s not sunny for merely half of the day in most inhabited parts of the globe.

Additionally, the initial high costs of solar panels alone is a great deterrent for the average worker.

Nevertheless, time is the name of the game. But until we overcome those obstacles, what is certainly needed is a good mix of renewable outlets. Hydro, wind, biomass, solar, and yes,` a little bit of nuclear, would definitely ease the load for fossil fuels and definitely give the Earth some time to breathe. But whatever we choose in the end to be the main energy reliant in the future we must first and foremost take into deep consideration, the risks and its effect on the environment. But above all, let’s make our next energy choice the last one we’ll ever have to make.

Gerard Farara is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights. com

julie jacobsen / ap photo

Nuclear power plants, like the one shown above in Buchanan, NY, are present across most of the United States.

Nuclear is clean, reliable energy John LaCara The proliferation of nuclear power has always had a certain negative connotation in the United States. Many who were alive remember the horrors that unfolded when one of the cores at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station suffered a partial meltdown, resulting in the worst nuclear accident in our nation’s history. Following this incident, plans to double the number of reactors in the U.S. began to grind to a halt. The majority of outstanding nuclear facility construction projects were eventually scrapped. Today, less than 20 percent of the electricity in the U.S. is sourced from nuclear facilities. The vast majority of the remaining electricity is supplied by fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas.

In stark contrast, Japan, until the recent earthquake, obtained nearly 35 percent of its electricity from nuclear sources. Such a heavy reliance on nuclear power is undoubtedly more environmentally friendly, and also provides a desirable insulation from the ever-volatile prices of fossil fuels. Japan was surely moving in the direction of greater independence from nations controlling large reserves of the remaining fossil fuels. Although a decreased demand for fossil fuels is even more desirable for the U.S., the fear of a nuclear accident is a serious detriment to taking any immediate action.

With the failure of cooling systems at Japan’s Fukushima I nuclear power plant, a situation eerily similar to the incident at Three Mile Island has manifested itself. But make no mistake. Fukushima is not the next Chernobyl. With the situation almost fully under control, no deaths or serious health effects, outside of

the employees of the plant, have yet been attributed to radiation contamination from the accident.

Japan’s ability to deal with the situation so quickly and effectively, even in the shadow of the worst natural disaster which the country has ever faced, signals one thing: we are finally ready for nuclear power.

The accident in Japan is not proof that nuclear power is unsafe. It’s proof that even the worst earthquake to strike in 50 years cannot instigate a serious nuclear incident. Although America’s main problem is reliance on the importation of petroleum, and not electricity-producing coal, sustainable energy initiatives of all types are an utter neces-

Nuclear power is quite safe, and has been leveraged by countless other developed nations. sity. The U.S. is one of the least advanced among the developed nations when it comes to the use of nuclear power. Many European countries already obtain the majority of their power from nuclear sources. France currently obtains nearly 80 percent of all its electricity from nuclear power.

Furthermore, no country in Western Europe has ever experienced a serious nuclear accident of any kind.

Nuclear power, if administered properly and vigilantly monitored, can serve as an extremely environmentally friendly way for any nation to produce vast amounts of electricity. The U.S. has no reason to pass up such an opportunity. As the prices of all fossil fuels increase due to their inevitable scarcity, the U.S. will

be left in a very bleak situation.

Once the U.S. has gone too far down the path to dependence on fossil fuels there is no going back, and it may already be too late. The only hope is to begin to expand nuclear power usage throughout the U.S. in an attempt to decrease dependence on expensive and volatile fuel sources.

Of course there are other renewable fuel options that do not produce the hazardous waste that nuclear power does, but they are not currently advanced enough to produce nearly as much cheap energy as nuclear sources can.

President Barack Obama made the right choice in pledging to continue his support of nuclear power. He sees, as do many Americans, that the small risks which the construction of more nuclear reactors in the U.S. poses are far outweighed by the great benefits the country would enjoy.

One hundred four nuclear plants have operated in the U.S. for close to 40 years without an incident, which had more than modest localized consequences. There have been no deaths directly attributed to any nuclear accident in America. Are these not reasons enough to give nuclear power another chance?

When many decry the building of a new nuclear plant, they often speak of Chernobyl and the possibility that something will go horribly wrong. The fact of the matter is that past occurrences lend no credence to this claim.

Nuclear power is quite safe, and has been leveraged by countless other developed nations. It’s about time for the country that pioneered the technology in the heart of Chicago nearly 70 years ago to give it another chance.

John LaCara is a guest columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights. com

Geneva Connection

US pledges to improve human rights in the wake of the Bush administration Danny Martinez While the United States promotes itself as a leading proponent of human rights, many countries believe their rhetoric and record are starkly different. However, the U.S. recently took steps to bridge this gap. On March 8, U.S. State Department legal advisor Harold Koh made a presentation to the Human Rights Council in Geneva pledging to improve certain issues of human rights.

In a comprehensive report detailed by the State Department, the U.S. agreed with many recommendations, centered around nine main human rights themes. Of the 228 recommendations made, the U.S. agreed to 174 of them. Under former President George W. Bush, the U.S. did not participate in the Human Rights Council, an inter-governmental organization within

the UN system monitoring human rights across the world.

Bush’s repudiation of multilateralism was a driving reason for President Barack Obama receiving widespread praise for his change in approach, not the least of which was a Nobel Prize in 2009.

For many of the recommendations in question, the practice has been already widespread in the U.S., but the recommendations were approved anyway. In a sign of solidarity, and perhaps diplomacy, the State Department noted in its response that, “We are also comfortable supporting a recommendation to do something that we already do, and intend to continue doing, without in any way implying that we agree with a recommendation that understates the success of our ongoing efforts.” While there is not space here (or, for that matter, in any reasonably-sized newspaper article) to analyze every recommendation and why the U.S. approved it or not, I will go over the recommendations that I believe are most elucidating of U.S. foreign

policy.

Regarding civil rights and discrimination issues, the U.S. approved, to an extent, a recommendation submitted

by Mexico calling to “prohibit expressly the use of racial profiling in the enforcement of immigration legislation.” In the addendum to the Human Rights Council recommenda-

Hopefully, the U.S. will continue to address human rights issues tions, the brief noted that, “profiling – the invidious use of race, ethnicity, national origin, or religion – is prohibited under the U.S. Constitution and numerous pieces of national legislation.” Undoubtedly, Mexico had submitted this recommendation with the controversial Arizona immigration law, SB1070, still salient in its mind. In fact, another recommendation by Ecuador called

for the U.S. to “repeal and [not] enforce discriminatory and racial laws such as Law 1070 of the State of Arizona.” However, the principle of federalism, that each state can make its own laws provided they are in line with the Constitution, proved to be a prominent deal breaker for the U.S. position.

On criminal justice issues, many contentious issues presented themselves. First, the U.S. agreed with a recommendation presented by the Islamic Republic of Iran that prohibited torture. This issue had become controversial during the Bush administration, when CIA lawyers had authored legal briefs justifying certain “enhanced interrogation techniques,” (also the exact language used by Iran in the recommendation) which many human rights groups, as well as domestic political opponents, had decried as torture. While the State Department did not backtrack or elaborate on its definition of torture, it reiterated its opposition to such practice.

However, the death penalty

was the most interesting subject of the recommendation of other countries in the criminal justice section. The U.S. stated that “the portion asking that we end capital punishment does not enjoy our support.”

Koh nodded to the concept of federalism, adding, “To those who desire as a matter of policy to end capital punishment in the U.S. — and I count myself among those — I note the decision made by the government of Illinois on March 9 to abolish that state’s death penalty.”

Yet for all the recommendations it accepted, the U.S. held firm to its stance of exceptionalism, as demonstrated by one presented by Ecuador. It called for the U.S. to discontinue its “practice of qualifying other States according to its interpretation of human rights and contribute to the strengthening and effectives of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).” The UPR is a group of states that evaluate each other’s performance on human rights issues, which the U.S. declines to participate.

Although this step by the

U.S. is encouraging, the recommendations accepted by the State Department are not revolutionary. Furthermore, the language is broad and idealistic, while the U.S. may pledge to uphold many of these, the flimsy and non-specific nature of the recommendations provides less force and accountability. Similar to states like Arizona who jealously guard their independence by means of federalism, so too does the U.S. hold its sovereignty dear. The prospect of being accountable to the UPR is all but impossible, under a Republican or Democratic administration. It is not a partisan battle as much as it is an issue of America’s interests.

Hopefully, the U.S. will continue to address human rights issues in positive ways that are both pursuant to its interests and principles. As the world’s only remaining superpower, we have the ability to lead by example, allowing other nations to follow on these issues.

Danny Martinez is Heights senior staff. He welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights.com

The Heights

Thursday, March 24, 2011

B9

David Cote

Matt Palazzolo

Hilary Chasse

How long will U.S. military operations in Libya last?

It’s already been too long.

Until the media learns how to spell Quaddafi’s name correctly.

Hmmm...Afghanistan is into it’s ninth year? Doesn’t bode well.

As always, much longer than we think.

Just don’t put up a “mission accomplished” banner too soon.

Did Donald Trump’s roast on Comedy Central help or hurt his presidential ambitions?

I found it hilarious ... so probably not.

Helped. He looked at the right camera and didn’t get stumped by a Katie Couric question.

If you’re on a list that includes Pamela Anderson, the presidency probably isn’t within your grasp.

I don’t see any of our great presidents agreeing to be roasted by The Situation.

It’s a parallel to what a potential Donald run is: comedic.

Should Nevada outlaw prostitution?

Is this 1850? They’re futher behind than Nevada’s professional sports scene.

Only if BC expands its study abroad programs to the Netherlands.

Hell no! We need to keep one remnant of the wild west.

Yes, it’s pretty despicable that this is still legal.

Because outlawing prostitution ALWAYS works in getting rid of it, right?

Which Republican presidential hopeful is most likely to win the GOP nomination in August 2012?

Obviously Jimmy McMillan and his “The Rent is Too Damn High” platform are a sure bet.

Whoever completes the quest to find the legendary forged Obama birth certificate.

I’ve already lost interest, and it’s 2011.

Unhindered by Romneycare, Tim Pawlenty has a great shot as a pragmatic, smart candidate.

Sarah Palin? Though that’s just wishful thinking.

Marketplace Editor

Asst. Marketplace Editor

Managing Editor

Tomas Castella

President, College Republicans

Kristoffer Munden President, College Democrats

From the Golden State

Borders bankruptcy results in closing stores and displaced readers of all ages Clara Kim Unfortunately, in the ‘burbs’ of Simi Valley where I’m from, there is literally nothing to do on a weekend. There’s a bowling alley across the street from the high school, an ice skating rink overflowing with hockey moms, a Regal Cinemas teeming with middle schoolers, and finally, a Borders. Of course, being young and full of energy, finding something to do meant going for a ride in the car, Jamba Juice in hand, and heading for the town’s Borders. For me, I had no problem with this. I loved the idea of spending a quiet Friday or Saturday night strolling the aisles walled with books, losing myself in another world where the backdrop music was almost always the Glee soundtrack or a Jason Mraz/Colbie Caillat mix.

Yet, on Feb. 16, Borders Group Inc announced that it would be filing for bankruptcy after years filled with a string of misfortune: sales declines, inability to pay building debt, and competition with the growing digital market comprised of the Kindle, iPad, and Tablet. As a result, Borders will be closing

about one-third of its stores because the second-largest U.S. bookstore chain “does not have the capital resources it needs to be a viable competitor,” as released in a statement by Borders Group President Mike Edward.

Ultimately, this problem comes down to more than just leaving me with no alternative for a quiet night in my hometown. Borders’ bankruptcy is a hit for everyone. Several thousand of the 19,000 Borders employees (down from the fiveyear high of 35,000) have already been laid off and publishing groups like Penguin Group (USA) will take a hit of $41.1 million. Other publishing companies including Hachette, Simon & Shuster, Random House, HarperCollins, Macmillan, and Wiley will also take multi-million dollar hits. Vendors are owed $178.8 million and landlords are owed $18.6 million. In addition, the loss of a bookstore means fewer places for authors to sell their books, less incentive for publishers to provide larger advances for their writers, and less profit for all.

However, I do not believe that Borders’ bankruptcy will mean the end of hardcover or paperback books. Schools and universities will continue to purchase textbooks and reading books for their classes. Students will still feel the urge to grab

that fat highlighter and mark the lines whether they deem them important or if they just want to feel the pleasure of highlighting something. Amid the hustle and bustle of the digital market, books are here to stay.

What we’re really being robbed of is a great American pleasure. The closing of Borders in my hometown will be analogous to other bookstores around the country. It will mean the high school student with eyes tired from looking at a computer screen will have no where to go to shuffle through the College Board’s The Best 371 Colleges blue book. The aspiring artist will find no place where he or she can find immediate inspiration simply by strolling through the travel section. The hopeless romantic will have no place to shift through any of Nicholas Sparks’ novels without having to worry it will be checked out. The 75-year-old man will have to spend his afternoons elsewhere, sitting on a different leather couch, reading his favorite selections of Walt Whitman’s poetry.

A bookstore embodies every type of person. It captures the interests of almost everybody.

It’s the one place where we’re free to stroll leisurely through multiple floors of just books, an opportunity to lose ourselves in subjects where we find true

interest and happiness. Digital media allows the sustainability of the purpose of books to last.

But it doesn’t provide the direct pleasure with which bookstores do by giving one the freedom to explore, and stumble upon a book that seems interesting.

We’re not limited to read what is only on the front flap, but we’re allowed to flip through crisp, clean, untouched pages filled with words that could possibly alter the course of our lives.

It almost feels like I’m stuck.

Nothing can replace the feel-

That General Motors plans to temporarily suspend production at a pickup truck factory in Louisiana is a testament to the international consequences of this shortcoming.

While many manufacturers have been moving to diversify their supply bases, they are the exception rather than the norm.

The vast majority of manufacturers concentrate production in one geographic area. The Toyota Prius, for example, is only made

The international market is a web, connected by finance in Japan. Before the earthquake the Prius was selling at around $300 below the dealer invoice price. Within four days of the calamity it was selling for at least $1,000 above the invoice process. If it continues to rise, it will dissuade those customers who purchase a hybrid for economic reasons.

It has been said that earthquakes in general are not economically devastating in the long-term, as economic activity is primarily driven by confidence. That being said, Japan’s tenuous fiscal state will

raise doubts about recovery, as it will have to inflate its already substantial debt to finance infrastructure repair. Damaged roads, railroads, and airports hinder the ability to transport goods.

Buy shares in Komatsu.

It is also possible that Japan’s reduced electricity production (due to the fatally damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant) will result in increased demand for alternative forms of energy, such as gasoline, pushing up international prices. This is in addition to the escalating conflict in Libya, where oil exports have halted, putting pressure on the global oil supply levels. A recent fight between the pro-regime forces of Muammar Gaddafi and the rebel militia took place near a main oil port, further eroding confidence. Oil prices will continue to rise until the situation can be controlled and a more concrete direction has been established for the country.

Fears that the conflict could spread to other Middle Eastern countries caused investors to opt for low-risk assets such as gold and silver, pushing prices to record heights.

As if this wasn’t enough, skirmishes in the relatively small country of Bahrain could have disproportionate effects. Though its economy is minor and it produces a negligible volume of oil per day, the religious and cultural nature of the unrest could

the game.

In the meantime, as Borders is in talks with Bank of America and General Electric’s financial sectors regarding a $450 million loan to keep the company trudging through bankruptcy court, we should take advantage of what seems to be a dying breed.

Put away those Kindles, iPads, Nooks, and Kobos and grab a book from a bookstore.

Clara Kim is a Heights editor. She welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights.com

Photo courtesy of google

Borders stores like the one above have been closing across the country, leaving empty racks and lonely readers behind.

Oil, car industry affected Globalization, from B10

ing of being able to walk into a bookstore and just wander aimlessly and casually flip through a book. Losing the ability to be enticed by an aesthetically pleasing cover, we can no longer walk out of the bookstore with a ‘pretty’ book. Lucky for us, Barnes and Nobles’ 700 stores are still standing. But who knows for how much longer.

Still, if Barnes and Nobles plays their cards correctly, if they don’t “overexpand” (as referred to by The Wall Street Journal), then maybe, just maybe, it’ll win

Meat-free life also green Meatless, from B10

Yomiuri Shimbun, Yasufumi Nagao / ap photo

Widespread destruction in Japan has resulted in international consequences. also influence other Middle Eastern countries and obstruct the nascent democratic transformation taking place elsewhere in the region. I myself am already feeling the effects. The 2011 Formula 1 season was supposed to kick-off in Bahrain on March 13, but it was unfortunately cancelled due to protests.

Though they are unfortunate, examining and extrapolating the effects of events in the global market is still a fascinating

exercise in globalization. The international market is a web, connected by finance, and pulling or manipulating one part of it causes ripples throughout.

I hope my friends pursuing careers in finance are cognizant of the far-reaching effects of financial transactions.

Ameet Padte is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights. com

amounts of people than traditional farms.

2. A pound of wheat can be grown with 60 pounds of water, whereas a pound of meat requires 2,500 to 6,000 pounds. We are facing worldwide water shortages.

Many countries, including the U.S., are integrating water resource solutions into the agendas of their Defense Department, as it is expected to become an area of extreme contention. Should we really be wasting over 20,000 pounds of water per animal, when many parts of the world endure severe droughts?

3. Energy-intensive U.S. factory farms pollute American waterways more than all other industrial sources combined. Many waterways in the U.S. remain unsafe for drinking, swimming, and fishing, despite efforts under the Clean Water Act. Polluted water results in nearby crop failure, loss of species, and its inevitable seepage into our drinking water.

4. In his book,The Food Revolution, author John Robbins estimates that “you’d save more water by not eating a pound of California beef than you would by not showering for an entire year.” It’s simple— should we be stinky, or skip the hamburger?

5. If we only skipped chicken once a week, the carbon dividends would be approximately the same as removing half a million cars from America’s highways. Meat produc-

tion takes up 30 percent of the total fossil fuel emissions in the U.S. Our carbon footprint is only getting bigger, and it has to stop somewhere.

I cannot emphasize enough that this is not about vegetarianism, veganism, or even your health. If you’ve started recycling, using reusable bags or a water bottle, started buying natural or organic home products, you already have enough of a reason and a motivation to eat less meat. The efforts of the 2 percent vegetarian population in the U.S. are not going to make much of a difference, but 50 percent of people going without meat on Mondays will. Unfortunately, the Jesuits have cancelled Meatless Mondays due to an overlap with Lent. The Catholic Church and many Christian organizations have been noted for their lack of awareness of sustainability issues, and BC’s decision calls forth echoes of this criticism. Lent, however, is about reflection and making positive changes in one’s lifestyle. My personal plea is for students to take these 40 days to reflect on what you eat, why it matters, and how it fits into the world you want to live in. Once you have thought it through, maybe you will also come to the conclusion that it just makes sense—ecologically, ethically, and environmentally—to eat a little less meat.

Meg Lister is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at marketplace@bcheights. com

marketplace The Heights

Thursday, March 24, 2011

B10

Thursday, March 24, 2011

A Green Piece

Politics Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) has called President Barack Obama’s approval of military action in Libya an “impeachable offense.” Kucinich also called on Congress to cut all military funding for Libya.

Meatless, not vegan

An Alaskan congressman has introduced legislation that would restrict collective bargaining rights for state employees. The bill exempts firefighters, police officers, and EMTs, who are already prohibited from striking.

Meg Lister

intent of the mission is to destroy Gaddafi’s radar and mobile air defenses. He also stated to reporters that he had “full authority” to attack the regime’s forces if they fail to comply with demands outlined by Obama. The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates insisted, “As we are successful in suppressing the air defenses, the level of kinetic activity should decline … I assume in the next few days.” It has been suggested that military operations will be shifted toward other allies in the coming days as well.

There has also been a fair amount of confusion between the coalition forces in how to proceed with continued military intervention. The main disagreement has been between Western powers, whose military actions have confirmed their belief in the necessity of military inter-

Last Monday, I stood in Lower Dining Hall holding a three foot tall cardboard sign. After a while, I stopped counting the number of people who walked past and told me to “go f— myself.” Another student asked me why I was forcing my belief system on her, and a boy told me he needed his protein much more than he could ever like the environment. The sign I was holding said “Meatless Mondays: Why Meat is Bad.” I have never been so insulted by so many people in my 21-yearlong life, especially not for standing next to the salad bar with a smile on my face.

I hope that these reactions arose from a lack of understanding and publicity, and this article is my effort to clarify the issues. Personally, I have been a vegetarian for six years. I’m healthy and I’m happy, but I recognize that vegetarianism is not for everyone. Meatless Mondays is a national movement, not for vegetarianism, but simply for normal people to eat less meat. It is an easy and nutritious way to reduce one’s impact on the environment.

As part of Green Month, the UGBC and Dining Services partnered to create a rotating weeklong program to promote sustainability in the dining halls. Part of this program is Meatless Monday, which takes place once (just once!) in each dining hall.

Here are a few reasons to be green by eating less meat.

Animal agriculture occupies 25 percent of the Earth’s surface. About 80 percent of animal agriculture consists of factory farming, also known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO). Limiting available land limits jobs and economic opportunities available, particularly to people in developing areas. It severely compromises traditional agricultural solutions and livelihoods. In addition, factory farms employ significantly fewer

See Libya, B7

See Meatless, B9

Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty formed a presidential exploratory committee on Tuesday. The move allows him to start officially raising funds for a possible presidential run.

Economics The Supreme Court ruled that investors in Matrixx can file a class-action suit against the company. Matrixx produced Zicam, a cold remedy that allegedly affected customers’ sense of smell.

A New York federal judge rejected a plan by Google to digitize every book ever published. The judge stated that the plan would give Google a monopoly over book profits without copyright permission.

The Federal Reserve reported a profit of $82 billion for the year 2010. The Fed turns over all of its profits to the Treasury Department.

Science & technology AT&T has proposed buying T-Mobile USA for $39 billion in a merger. The deal would push AT&T above Verizon as the leading U.S. mobile operator.

Mozilla released Firefox 4 this week. The web browser, which allows JavaScript performance for the first time, can be downloaded on Windows, Linux, and Mac. Chinese officials dismissed allegations that they are tampering with Google’s Gmail service. Google had earlier stated that Gmail’s problems in China were caused by a government blockage.

in numbers

100,000 people signed an online petition to Apple to remove the “Gay Cure” app from the iTunes store.

9 Palestinians killed in Israel Defense Force strikes in the Gaza strip.

112 Tomahawk missiles launched at the Libyan mainland by American forces.

in quotes

“It resembles a medieval appeal for a crusade.”

– Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, regarding the no-fly zone being enforced in Libya

“That is unacceptable.”

– Russian President Dmitry Medvedev responding to Putin’s comments on Libya

Fireman Roderick Eubanks / ap photo

A Tomahawk missile is launched at Libyan air defenses from the USS Stout destroyer in the Mediterranean Sea. The attack aimed to establish a no-fly zone.

US missiles bombard Libyan mainland

By John Morrison Heights Staff

After new intelligence reports released Saturday revealed that the Libyan government wa s failing to abide by a cease-fire agreement with rebel forces, top Western and Arab diplomats approved international intervention in Libya. According to The New York Times, military strikes began early Sunday morning by a coalition force supported by UN resolution 1973 and headed by U.S. leadership.

The U.S. stance on the issue put forth by President Barack Obama has drawn criticism in Congress by both Democrats and Republicans, even before reports of a downed F-15 fighter jet, which was the first military setback in the coalition force’s military operations, were released. Obama outlined the U.S. policy for reporters saying, “Our military action is in support of

an international mandate from the Security Council that specifically focuses on the humanitarian threat posed by Colonel Gaddafi’s people.”

Obama also stated in a news conference that, “It is U.S. policy that Gaddafi needs to go.” Highranking officials have elucidated that a series of embargoes and economic sanctions along with the threat of military action may force Gaddafi to exit. He further elaborated, “We’ve got a wide range of tools in addition to our military effort to support that policy.” However, his main goal is to abide by the UN Security Council’s parameters for preventing humanitarian disaster.

House Speaker John A. Boehner was reluctant to endorse the military action authorized by Obama in Libya by citing the right of American citizens to know the intent of the military operation.

He said in a statement, “The president is the commander-in-

chief, but the administration has a responsibility to define for the American people, the Congress, and our troops what the mission in Libya is, better explain what America’s role is in achieving that mission, and make clear how it will be accomplished.”

The U.S. military has been the most active in the initial strikes against Libyan forces. Reports by several news agencies including The New York Times have stated that an F-15 fighter jet flying out of a U.S. airbase in northeastern Italy went down due to an equipment malfunction. U.S. critics of the Libyan military action have pointed to this recent development as illustrative of the confusion between coalition forces and U.S. diplomats as to who is responsible in providing the manpower for military intervention.

As of now, General Carter F. Ham, the U.S. general leading the coalition force, said that the

Haitian election pits singer The wonders of a against former first lady Market Report

worldwide economy

By Michela Gacioch Heights Staff

Despite delayed start times, missing ballot boxes, and attempted ballot stuffing, international observers said that Haiti’s presidential and legislative runoff elections Sunday showed great improvement from the country’s chaotic and controversial Nov. 28 first round.

The 1,500 voting centers throughout the country housed better trained supervisors, the polling station monitors were more mature, and, despite friction between candidates and violence during the final days of campaigning, the elections were “much more peaceful,” said Colin Granderson, head of the joint Organization of American StatesCaribbean Community Observer Mission (OAS-CARICOM), to reporters.

Granderson also called on officials to make improvements on Haiti’s 4.7 million voter electoral list. Despite attempts to advance the country’s polling process, frustrated voters were still turned away from the voting booth without having a chance to vote.

At a Washington press briefing, State Department spokesman Mark Toner lauded the nature of the election to media attendees.

However, he refrained from declaring it “free and fair” before all the information is tabulated.

Ameet Padte

Ramon espinosa / ap photo

Haitian citizens celebrate elections and the return of their exiled president.

“We’ll wait for … the assessment of the monitoring teams’ full assessment,” he told reporters. Preliminary results are due March 31, while final results will not be made public until April 16.

Toner also told reporters that the initial assessments suggest that the election “took into consideration some of the lessons learned from the Nov. 28 elections and were largely peaceful and conducted without significant report

i nside Marke tp l a c e

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of any wrongdoing.”

However, as late as Monday evening, more than 11,000 polling sites were still making their way into Port-au-Prince where workers at the vote tabulation center were scrutinizing them for fraud.

Under OAS recommendations, the center was staffed with additional lawyers to detect problems, such as ballot stuffing, which occurred

See Haiti, B7

On the flip side

Every time a natural disaster strikes, such as the recent tragedy in Japan, I am struck by two thoughts. One, that mankind’s feeble attempts at development cannot match the brutal forces of nature, and second, a sense of wonder at the interconnected global marketplace.

There are obvious immediate implications. The 8.9 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami have damaged or closed down key ports which handle as much as 7 percent of Japan’s industrial output. The northeast ports of Hachinohe, Sendai, Ishinomaki, and Onahama were so severely damaged that they are not expected to return to operation for months, if not years. These ports are medium-sized facilities that handle “container freight” including cars, steel, and other durable goods and fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs). As a key hub in global supply chains, the disruption would spread quickly and shutter plants and production facilities around the

This week, on the flip side will explore both sides of the issue of nuclear power as an alternative energy source............................................. B8

world. For instance, a shortage of Japanese-produced highlytechnical parts such as semiconductors will be detrimental to the production of anything that is computerized or uses radio waves, such as microprocessor chips. Japan produces around 20 percent of the world’s semiconductors and 57 percent of the world’s silicon wafers. Besides physically damaged manufacturing facilities, the well-publicized power failures are a severe setback. A tremendous volume of goods at a memory chip plant could be compromised by even a momentary loss of power.

Ironically, the novel and revolutionary production methods pioneered by the Japanese exacerbate these effects. CSOM students who have taken operations classes will be familiar with “just-in-time” production, which consists of keeping low quantities of parts and materials on hand to avoid expensive holding and stocking costs. In a global economy, manufacturers who have been adopting increasingly lean inventories are quickly running out of parts. Sony has publicly stated that a scarcity of materials will force it to reduce or suspend production at five plants at the end of this month.

See Globalization, B9

Geneva Connection....................................B8 From the Golden State..............................B9