The Heights May 5, 2016

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GRADUATION GUIDE

ICE QUEENS

SCENE

METRO

SPORTS

The a cappella group’s co-founders discuss the new ensemble’s mission statement, B3

Four Boston sites you can’t miss this summer, A4

Alex Carpenter and Haley Skarupa highlight our 2015-16 Athlete of the Year Awards, B8

www.bcheights.com

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The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Vol. XCVII, No. 26

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Race issues became a leading subject on Boston College’s campus, as well as other universities’ campuses, throughout the 2015-16 academic year. During this time, Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) worked to facilitate conversation between students and the administration on how to make BC a more inclusive campus, but failed to accomplish many tangible policy changes. Entering into her role as vice president of diversity and inclusion of UGBC last fall, Afua Laast, LSOE ’16, said that she had a few goals—to make BC more inclusive, to get the administration to take more notice of their cause, to have more investment in the AHANA community at BC, and to have a bigger presence on campus. As other universities across the nation began to protest for racial equality, Laast said she began to study these movements and try to figure out how to best contextualize them at BC. The student group Eradicate Boston College Racism began to host protests without the administration’s approval. The group protested following the Ta-Nehisi Coates, 30 members of Eradicate stood up in the crowd with signs that said “Eradicate #BostonCollegeRacism” and duct tape over their mouths in protest of the institutional racism at BC. One of the members also took the stage, talking for 10 minutes about the inherent racial hypocrisy at BC. It also hosted a protest during which members of the group began outside of the doors of a Board of Trustees meeting in Gasson Hall and then walked across campus, singing Christmas carols with altered lyrics, including “Leahy Baby” and “Walking in a White Man’s Wonderland.” This event was part of the group’s “12 Days of BC Racism” campaign, which was held over the 12 days before Winter Break last winter. In addition to caroling, the

group raised money from BC alumni, gave gifts to supportive faculty members, and distributed fliers that compared BC’s responses to racism to other universities’ responses. Working within the administration can be difficult, Laast said, because of its hierarchical nature. For example, at the University of Missouri, the entire football team stood with the movement, something Laast does not believe a BC team would do. The University, she said, also requires students to register protests, which not all other universities do. UGBC hosted a rally in November to express its solidarity with the University of Missouri in response to recent online death threats directed at the university’s black students. “The movements this year on campus were certainly not isolated to the Undergraduate Government of Boston College or the AHANA Leadership Council,” Thomas Napoli, the president of UGBC said in an email. “There was an understanding among groups such as Faces, the culture clubs, Eradicate, and UGBC that while we all may have had different tactics and roles to play, we all ultimately had a common vision.” Later that month, UGBC released “Towards a More Inclusive Community,” a document that called for more AHANA faculty and staff. Whenever UGBC needs a faculty member to speak about race, Laast said, it turns to the same few professors. This, she said, is not fair to the faculty who have busy schedules. In response, vice president of student affairs Barb Jones released a letter to UGBC acknowledging the dialogue surrounding the issue of inclusion, though not by the Jan. 19 deadline UGBC executives requested. In the letter, she noted that BC is committed to retaining and increasing the number of diverse students, faculty and staff. She also said that the University will not add a vice president for institutional diversity, one of the positions requested in UGBC’s proposal. Instead, BC will focus on existing committees. Later, the Office of Student Affairs more specifically addressed

See Race, A3

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Boston College baseball does not hand out honors halfheartedly. In the history of the program, Birdball has only retired one jersey: No. 13, belonging to BC’s winningest coach and its field’s namesake, Eddie Pellagrini. But that will change on Saturday, when head coach Mike Gambino and the Eagles will immortalize Pete Frates’ No. 3 jersey on Shea Field’s temporary outfield fence during a pregame ceremony before their fifth annual ALS Awareness Game on Saturday afternoon. The event will begin at 1:10 DREW HOO / HEIGHTS SENIOR STAFF

See Frates, A8

AMELIE TRIEU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

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9: :`k\[ 9p JkXk\ 8^\eZp ]fi ;`jXY`c`kp ;`jZi`d`eXk`fe Jkfb\j 8dg_`k_\Xk\i m`fcXk\j jkXk\ XZZ\jj i\hl`i\d\ekj This article was produced by members of the Advanced Journalism class taught by Jon Marcus: Perrine Ausseil, Meaghan Healy, Sophie Krieger, Ryan Panny and Melissa Sorkin.

Two years after state and federal agencies opened investigations into disability discrimination on campus, Boston College has been cited in one case, and two new complaints have been filed, according to a state official.

Thomas Hopkins, executive director of the state Architectural Access Board, said Stokes Amphitheater violates access requirements because it lacks handrails on its upper stairs and a ramp for the disabled would be too steep. The University has until June 16 to respond by either submitting a plan to correct the problems or asking for a variance from the regulations, Hopkins said. He said two new disability access complaints have also been filed, including one involving the John Courtney Murray, S.J. Graduate Student Center. The state and federal governments have been investigating disability discrimination and issues of access at the University since January and May 2014, respectively.

The federal investigation is ongoing, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Education. Some disabled students have expressed frustration over the difficulty they say they face getting around the campus. They say the University has not responded to their concerns. Amanda Melvin, MCAS ’17, who has a condition that causes her joints to dislocate and who has difficulty getting up and down stairs, said she often waits an hour for the Eagle Escort van, and had to navigate slippery walkways in the winter. The University “does not acknowledge my disability,” known as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, she said. “I have an invisible disability,” Melvin

said. “I don’t use mobility aids and look able-bodied to those who don’t know me.” Other disabled students are angry that new stairs between McGuinn and Carney halls, which lead to University Health Services in Cushing Hall, don’t have wheelchair ramps. Still others say it’s hard to get into and around some buildings, including the library. “I knew this campus had tons of stairs,” said Melvin. “But I am from Texas, where the terrain is very flat, and we don’t have snow and ice. I underestimated the difficulties these things would create and that they would actually exacerbate my condition.” Hopkins said it isn’t always easy for the

University to comply with disability access standards, especially if the cost is excessive without creating substantial benefits, or in older buildings. “It is not always a cake walk to make them 100 percent accessible,” Hopkins said. He said BC had been “extremely responsive.” The University offers support to any students who register as disabled, said Paulette Durrette, assistant dean for students with disabilities. There are 668 students registered with the Disability Services Office, the University said, including 428 undergraduates.

See Disability, A8

A2

THE HEIGHTS

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Top

things to do on campus this week

T-Pain will perform at Modstock on May 5 in the Modular parking lot. The festivities, hosted by the Campus Activities Board, will begin at 3:30, and TPain is expected to perform at 5 p.m. Students must have tickets for the concert.

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Thursday, May 5, 2016

The Campus School at Boston College will host the 20th annual Campus School Golf Classic on May 6 at 12:30 p.m. at Pembroke Country Club. Registration for the event begins at 12:30 p.m., the shotgun start will be at 1:30 p.m., and there will be a dinner and ceremony at 6 p.m.

The Boston College film studies program will host a film screening of Legally Blind: Nazi Law at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts on May 7 at 6:30 p.m. The film focuses on the Nazi totalitarian regime and the loss of millions of civilian lives.

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NEWS >iX[lXk\j I\klie kf Jg\Xb Xk 8^Xg\ CXkk\ BRIEFS By Nick DeMott Heights Staff

9liej ]fi IXeb I\]fid Dean of the Woods College for Advancing Studies James Burns published an article on evolllution. com, about the need for more studentcentric rating systems for colleges and universities. The article, titled “Student-Centricity in Rankings Would Be A Catalyst for Change,” talks about how ranking colleges based on student experience and student appreciation for the college experience would benefit universities. Burns stresses the need to couple this with what employers are looking for in graduates. “It’s important to note that, while education is not solely about the pragmatic concern of being employed or employable after college, it is an important consideration for students—especially for non-traditional students who now make up more than 75 percent of all undergraduates,” Burns said in the article. Burns said that making colleges focus on what students need, rather than what they think students need, could incite more conversation on student ideas of success. By taking the focus away from external rankings of graduation and retention rates, college rankings could further emphasize what actually prepares students for life post-graduation and create conversation about what it means to be “competent in one’s field of interest.” Burns said that by focusing on student-centric rankings, college admissions would drastically change as well. There would be less attention on selectivity and methods to keep students out of universities, and rather focus on inclusion and ways to increase access for a diverse group of students.

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History professor Heather Cox Richardson’s class Race, Riots, and Rodeos: America from the End of the Civil War to 1900, will be featured on C-SPAN as a part of the national public service broadcaster’s Lectures in History series. Richardson’s class was filmed by a five-person team on April 12, and is set to be broadcasted on July 2 at 8 p.m. and 12 a.m. and throughout the weekend. The footage will also air at various times on C-SPAN 3. “Because these are real classes, they look and feel a bit different than many of our other programs, which are often talks or panels taped at public venues,” Russell Logan, C-SPAN’s producer for American History TV, said to the Office of News and Public Affairs. Richardson is the first Boston College professor to be featured on C-SPAN. In addition to teaching history at BC, she has published five books. After being recommended by a professor and a C-SPAN producer who saw her speak at another event, Richardson was asked to be featured as a part of the Lectures in History series. Richardson was featured on C-SPAN last March to discuss her latest book, To Make Men Free: A History of the Republican Party. “It’s always a pleasure to work with the wonderful folks at CSPAN, and to have the chance to bring the great stories and patterns from American history to a larger audience,” Richardson said to the Office of News and Public Affairs.

Piloting its first-ever “Agape L atte Extra: Senior Night ,” Agape Latte welcomed back Peter Trainor and Elizabeth Stief, both BC ’15, to a packed Hillside Cafe Tuesday night. Following coffee, cake, and musical performances by the Boston College Dynamics and the music trio that plays at 10:15 p.m. Mass, the two graduates shared their experiences throughout their first year following graduation. Stief, who has worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers since September, reflected on her time at BC. A native of Wisconsin, she said she wanted to venture out and do something new. Since she was very active in the BC community through clubs and organizations while on the Heights, Stief said she struggled to find the same comfort in her free time post-graduation. “You will experience some challenges along the way,” Stief said. “These opportunities are not as readily available in the real world.” After failing to fill the void of free time like she was able to do through clubs at B C, Stief explained a call with her aunt that helped reframe her perspective and allowed her to start enjoying independence in the real world. During the phone call, Stief ’s aunt told her to see the things that you’re not necessarily looking for. In other words, Stief said, the things in life that could bring you joy and fulfillment are easily overlooked. Stief also spoke about challenges she has faced during her career, and how she has been

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ISABELLE LUMB / HEIGHTS STAFF

Peter Trainor and Elizabeth Stief returned to BC a year after graduation to talk about post-grad life at Agape Latte. able to overcome them. Relaying influential advice she received through a story from her pastor, Stief said she had been planning her life out like a brochure. The trip to the resort as advertised so ideally in the brochure, Stief said, is not as great once you actually get there. “The reality is always better than the brochure,” said Stief. “It’s okay not to have everything planned out.” Taking both pieces of advice, Stief said she has found enjoyment in the experiences she has every day. From joining a mentoring program to help interns, to planning a surprise Easter trip back to Wisconsin, Stief now enjoys the smaller moments in life. Trainor, on the other hand, who currently works for Habitat for Humanity, joked about his post-grad life. He said that he did what all successful graduates do after graduation—move home with Mom and Dad. After harping on the benefits of living at home and deepening

THE HUFFINGTON POST

Tom Coburn is a semifinalist to be Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Jebbit CEO Tom Coburn, who dropped out of Boston College in 2013, is a semifinalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 Award in the New England program, EY announced May 3.

POLICE BLOTTER Monday, May 2 9:13 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in Stayer Hall. 12:21 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation at the Brighton Campus Library.

Tuesday, May 3

The award recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Awards recognize successful entrepreneurs in various regions throughout the world—the awards are given out in over 165

his relationships with friends and family, Trainor said that he eventually moved to Cambridge to stake his claim in the real world. Similar to Stief, Trainor said he felt a lack of structured community after leaving BC. To fill the void, Trainor began to go to church, but soon realised that Mass was not the most fulfilling way to spend his time, as he tended to fade in and out during the service. By working with Habitat for Humanity, Trainor was in an environment where he could always focus. He recalled one day when his boss came in and told him that he would be going to build homes in Ethiopia—a countr y with violent revolts against its government. Prior to his trip to Ethiopia, Trainor came into contact with an Ethiopian woman named Hana who lived in Boston. Hana hosted him for dinner and told him about the country. By the end of the dinner, Trainor said, Hana rolled out the largest suitcase he had ever seen and asked him to bring it with him to Ethiopia. Trainor

said that Hana handed him a phone number and asked him to deliver the suitcase to her family in Ethiopia. Toward the end of his Ethiopia trip with Habitat for Humanity, Trainor met up with Hana’s family. After unpacking the suitcase, the family almost immediately began repacking it with a variety of things for Trainor to bring back to Boston. Among the many items they were putting into the suitcase were butter, beef stew, honey, spices, whiskey, and a cloth paper bag. “I’m just going to assess the situation at the airport,” Trainor said. “Obviously I got stopped by customs.” Explaining his situation to the airport officials, Trainor said he was able to safely bring the items on board. For Trainor, being able to connect a family that lives so far apart was an experience unlike any other. Trainor described it as a spiritually rewarding task. “It was like a year of church and never fading out,” Trainor said.

cities in more than 60 countries. The winner of the award will be announced on June 23 at a gala event at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. “The semifinalists are a great, innovative group of entrepreneurs from a wide range of companies, demonstrating the power of Boston and New England as a startup hub,” Coburn said, according to Jebbit’s Web site. Coburn’s company is a digital marketing platform that uses interactive content for its advertisements to engage the consumer. This interaction allows the company whose advertisement it is to have a better understanding of the audience its ads are reaching and how it can improve its marketing strategies. Jebbit’s customers include Dunkin Donuts, The Boston Globe, Tribune Media, and AutoNation. Many of the people working at Jebbit, he said, either dropped out of BC to work at the company or took a job there after graduat-

ing, even though the pay wasn’t as good as some of the other job offers they received. Last year, the co-founders of Jebbit, Coburn and Jonathan Lacoste, made it onto Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list, which annually recognizes the top companies, executives, and entrepreneurs in a variety of professional fields across the U.S. They were the youngest on the list. “We’re working really hard,” Coburn said. “Whether we win this award or not doesn’t change the product that we’re bringing to the customer.” The award, however, would offer the potential for more customers and partners, he said. Coburn also said he appreciates the fact that EY, a large company, took the time to meet with each startup company to better understand what it is that they do. “I’m really proud of the whole team,” he said. “I don’t view this as an individual award for me by any means.”

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CORRECTIONS

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

5/2/16 - 5/4/16

a BC student who was transported to a medical facility from the Cushing Hall clinic. 8:01 p.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a BC student who was transported to a medical facility from Alumni Stadium.

10:44 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a stolen motor vehicle from Lower Campus. 4:31 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical assistance provided to

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—Source: The Boston College Police Department

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THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, May 5, 2016

A3

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UGBC’s proposal with a specific action plan. The list included hiring more AHANA faculty and staff, creating a Diversity committee within the Division of Student Affairs, creating a new platform for students to report harassment, and expanding diversity and cultural competency training for students. The document UGBC released also asked for more AHANA students. This, however, is a difficult issue to address because BC does accept a large number of students of color, Laast said. The issue, though, is that not many of these students choose to enroll at BC. “That’s the whole chicken and egg kind of thing,� Laast said. She believes that if BC hired more faculty and staff of color, AHANA students would be more likely to enroll because they would see people who look like them in all ranks of the institution. “I don’t know which one they can do first, but where we are in history, you kind of have to do both—try to raise your enrollment, try to raise faculty of color on your staff, and hopefully at some point, five, 10, 15 years from now, they’ll equalize, and it’s a nice symbiotic relationship,� Laast said. “But as of now, we don’t have that.� In addition to the letters released by Student Affairs, Jones has held multiple dinners with undergraduate and graduate students. Other small steps have been made by the administration, Laast said. Provost of Faculty David Quigley, she said, asked all departments to diversify their staff as part of the University Strategic Planning Initiative. There were also several meetings for students and administration to gather in once space and discuss race issues, Barbara Jones, executive vice president of Student Affairs, said in an email. The administration began several new initiatives, some of which were inspired by UGBC’s “Towards a More Inclusive Community� while others were already in the planning stages, Jones said. The administration also revamped the Mosaic program, an educational

program for all incoming students, expanded training for students by forming a new partnership with the Anti-Defamation League, introduced a new online module on harassment for faculty and staff through Human Resources, and assessed the character and role of the Diversity Steering Committee and added two students to the committee, who will begin in the fall of 2016, Napoli said in an email. Jones added that the University increased the number of students participating in the Campus of Difference program, created a Diversity and Inclusion webpage that will be launched in the near future under the “About Us� section of the BC website, and expanded the “Campus of Difference� workshops to more groups, including Appalachia student leaders , Freshman League Captains, Kostka Women’s Experience, Emerging Leaders Program, and UGBC, among others. “The University will not stand still on these important issues and is committed to making BC the most welcoming and inclusive community possible,� Jones said in an email. James Kale, chair of AHANA Leadership Council and LSOE ’16, said that although the administration is taking steps to improve race relations on campus, it is not being transparent enough in its efforts. “I don’t know why this is,� Kale said. In February, UGBC hosted a Town Hall for faculty, administrators, and students to promote racial equality on campus. Laast also said that even though African and African Diaspora studies was added to the Core curriculum, the Core is still too Eurocentric. “You’re neglecting a large part of the world, which is very problematic,� she said. �You don’t show people of color in powerful positions, which just adds to silencing marginalized communities.� Laast would also like to see more education revolving around cultural diversity, rather than it just being a single class Core requirement. The University, however, is not ready to get rid of the requirement, she said, because most courses at BC do not yet integrate

JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

After a year of students protesting for racial equality on BC’s campus, UGBC and the administration met with students to discuss the issues. diversity into their curriculums. Another problem, Laast said, is that students are not registering for the courses that do implement diversity. For example, as of right now, she said, only two students are enrolled in the Asian minor. “It’s very limited because we don’t publicize it,� Laast said. “If we publicized those courses as much as we publicize Perspectives and Pulse, then people would know about it and would take it.� Another component to the “Towards a More Inclusive Community� was that UGBC wanted the administration to admit that institutional racism exists at BC. Laast said they were unwilling to say it because they did not want to be speaking for the entire BC community. Admitting this, however, does not mean that you are a bad person, she said. “So just like admit it, say you’re going to fix it, and keep moving on with your life, but BC won’t do it,� she said. “People are seeing it from a more personal perspective, which is problematic because

it’s not a personal thing anymore, it’s a system thing.� She said that a lot of the problems that arose this year were because no department thought that it was racist and was, therefore, unwilling to address the issue. Because no department would take responsibility for the institutional racism, nothing was done. Napoli experienced similar difficulties in getting an institutional response to an institutional problem. “This issue—working to persuade BC that it needed an institutional response and not just sporadic actions—was in my opinion the biggest challenge that UGBC and other advocates faced,� Napoli said. Laast is unsure if she did all that she could do during her term, but she is glad that she is exiting office with a good relationship with the administration still in tact. “Are people acting as fast as I would like? No,� she said. “But are more people conscious? Yes.� Jones said that the administration

will continue to work on race issues. “Racism is a matter of concern for all of society, and maintaining an inclusive community where all students can thrive is a steadfast commitment of Boston College,� Jones said in an email. Although UGBC and Eradicate Boston College Racism are addressing these issues from two different perspectives, they have similar end goals, she said. “As the administration, you can’t be on campus and ignore that,� she said. Laast does believe that goals that she failed to accomplish, such as a resource center for AHANA students, can be met within the coming years if the dialogue that has taken place this year with administrators continues. She said that future UGBC members need to understand that each different cultural group on campus experiences BC in different ways and is met with different challenges. “Do your homework as for who you’re advocating for and what their unique struggles have been before you step into a room� she said. „

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The new gallery on Brighton Campus will be double the size and will contain LED lighting and climate control. There Since the the McMullen Museum will also be a loading dock and a freight announced its move from Devlin Hall elevator to allow for easier delivery of to 2101 Commonwealth Avenue in De- the artwork. Diana Larsen, assistant director of cember 2014, the museum has moved all of its permanent pieces and has an- exhibition design, curatorial affairs, and collections, is particularly excited nounced its first exhibit. The museum is expected to be open about the four new storage rooms. One to the public in September. The first of the rooms will be a “wet room� for storage that is not exhibit will be art, two of the rooms title d Be yond will be for paintings, Words: Illumiand the last room n a t e d Manu will contain cabinets scripts in Bosfor sculptures and ton Collections. decorative art, LarsThe exhibit is en said. a collaborative The Light the effort between Wo r l d C a m p a i g n the McMullen helped fund the $25 Museum, Harmillion project and vard Universihas been supportty’s Houghton ing other projects, L i b r a r y, a n d including updating the Isabella infrastructure and Stewart Gardincreasing student ner Museum in financial aid. Boston. More “I am hoping the than 260 manu s c r i p t s a n d —Nancy Netzer, Director of the new place will be more accessible to students,� printed books McMullen Museum Larsen said. from the ninth Nancy Netzer, the to the 17th cendirector of the museturies will be um, said that certain courses are already featured. The McMullen Museum will be a lay being focused around the exhibition, library, featuring non-religious pieces including one at the Woods College of in an exhibit called The Art of Illumi- Advancing Studies. There are also Core nation. The exhibit at the Houghton history courses in the Morrissey College Library is titled Cloister and Cathedral: of Arts and Sciences that are planning to The Church and the Book in the Middle utilize the exhibit as out-of-classroom Ages, and will feature religious pieces. experiences, Netzer said. “It is very important for students to The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum will feature Italian Renaissance pieces realize this is a very special facility for in an exhibit titled Learned Beauty: The them. We hope all students will come to this groundbreaking exhibition and Italian Renaissance Book. There will be a three-day art sympo- feel this is another place on campus to sium, “Beyond Words,� from Nov. 3 to frequent and organize activities, or even 5, each day featuring one of the three just come to relax and study works of art,� Netzer said. „ locations of the exhibit.

By Chris Russo Assist. News Editor

“It is very important for students to realize this is a very special facility for them. We hope all students will come to this groundbreaking exhibition and feel this is another place on campus to frequent.É

AMELIE TRIEU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

K_\ :\ek\i ]fi K\XZ_`e^ <oZ\cc\eZ\ ?fjkj 8nXi[ :\i\dfep ]fi 9: >iX[lXk\ Jkl[\ekj By Chris Russo Assist. News Editor On Wednesday evening, the Center for Teaching Excellence held an award ceremony to honor both graduate student teachers who won the Donald J. White Teaching Excellence Award and those who have completed the Apprenticeship in College Teaching (ACT) program. The awards program was established to highlight the importance of the pursuit of excellence in the teaching of graduate teaching fellows and teaching assistants at Boston College. The award is named after Donald White, who was the dean of the Morrissey Graduate College of Arts and Sciences for 23 years. The ACT program combines teaching seminars with class observations and the developing of teaching materials. Each student is assigned a faculty

mentor who serves as a guide through the program. John A. Rakestraw, the executive director of the Center for Teaching Excellence, presented the opening remarks at the event. “Today, we pause to honor graduate students who have gone above and beyond,� Rakestraw said. “Good teaching doesn’t just happen.� After an invocation of prayer by Arthur Madigan, S.J., Vice Provost of Faculties Patricia DeLeeuw gave her congratulatory remarks. “You have thought deeply about the craft of teaching,� DeLeeuw said. “There is nothing that is bettering the world more than teaching well.� Then, the ACT graduates were given certificates, and the Donald J. White Teaching Excellence Award winners were individually honored. The award winners shared handshakes and hugs

with their faculty mentors. Following the presentation of the awards, award recipient Renata Love Jones gave a speech about her teaching experience. She reflected on her time teaching at an all-boys middle school in South Korea. Through her experiences teaching abroad, she found that her passion was in the classroom. She spoke about the importance of the relationships between teachers and students and of listening. Jones then talked about the importance of formal assessment and expecting the best from students. She mentioned her most influential professors, who inspired her to enjoy learning. “When [teachers are] invested in you and believe in you, you can’t help but to give them excellence,� Jones said. “When we highlight areas students are excellent in, it matters.� „

A4

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, May 5, 2016

The graduation Guide B

oston draws millions of visitors throughout the year who are curious not only about the city’s intricate history, but also about the many fascinating destinations hidden within the city’s borders. So after spending four years attending Boston College, students have had the opportunity to become familiar with the school that has become their home, as well as the vibrant city that surrounds it. For many upcoming graduates, this process of getting to know Boston can be remembered through multiple T rides into the depths of the city, where they wandered through the Commons and cobblestone alleyways. Maybe some of these graduates, when looking back on these trips, can remember discovering a favorite space—a special corner that made the city feel like their domain. But for those still hoping to understand Boston a little better in the weeks before they leave their college years behind, there are certainly some must-see destinations within the city. Here, we have compiled some of Boston’s most treasured attractions. These are places integral to the city’s culture and identity that anyone who calls themselves a Bostonian must visit during his or her time here. Fenway Park, A4 Isabella Gardner Museum, A5 The Breakfast Club, A5

KELSEY MCGEE / HEIGHTS EDITOR

8k =\enXp# 8 :_XeZ\ Kf Af`e Jfd\k_`e^ CXi^\i# :fee\Zk N`k_ 9fjkfe 9P AL8E FC8M8II@8 D\kif <[`kfi There are few things that immediately scream “Boston” as much as the iconic Fenway Park. It is one of the most easily recognizable sights, with the towering floodlights visible from a large portion of the city. When visitors arrive, many already know of the famous baseball ground, one that has served as the home of the Red Sox since 1912. Fenway Park is a must-se e for anyone that finds him or herself in the city, especially college students. It provides an outing unlike anything else available, an opportunity to connect with thousands of other fans that are all there for the same reason, to walk through a time portal into a world from a century ago. “Going there was the embodiment of the American culture,” Cristina Samper,

MCAS ’18, said. “The monumental structure of the stadium, the one-onone tension between the batter and the pitcher was something I’ll never forget … I loved the feeling of tradition, history, and the sensation of home that the game so accurately captured.” Fenway has seen many of the greatest players to have ever graced the baseball ground play within its friendly confines, ranging from the immortals Babe Ruth and Ted Williams to Pedro Martinez. Baseball fans in Boston have grown accustomed to seeing the absolute best the game has to offer on display on a nightly basis, and, in turn, the fans have repaid the team with a consistent attendance that sees the stadium filled to capacity for almost every home game. At one point, Fenway sold out a remarkable 794 consecutive regular season games from May 2003 to April 2013. “Whether you’re 4, 14, or 24, we

think if you spend one game at Fenway, you’ll become a Red Sox fan for life,” Adam Grossman, chief marketing officer for the Red Sox, said. One thing is clear to those that live in the city and those that are simply passing through: the team and its historic stadium are and will continue to be part of the soul of Boston. The atmosphere is evident even before actually entering the stadium— massive crowds of people pour out from the Kenmore and Fenway T stops and make the short walk toward the main entrance located on Yawkey Way. During the walk, one thing becomes clear: the crowds are Fenway—it’s what makes the experience different. Everyone is involved right from the start. “Going to Fenway for the first time was an awesome experience,” Lauren Mushro, MCAS ’18, said. “I particularly enjoyed trying pretty much every item on the menu … we also got to see

[Dustin] Pedroia and [David] Ortiz hit home runs, which was a perfect way to start off my Red Sox experience.” Once inside, many things catch the senses: the tailored grass with its too-perfect-to-be-real green look, the red seats, the smell of freshly made hot dogs, the yellow shirts of the food vendors making their way through a sea of red and white in the stands, and, of course, the massive wall in left field adequately nicknamed the “Green Monster.” The food is a big part of the stadium experience, and it is not limited to the traditional peanuts, beer, and Cracker Jacks that have become synonymous with baseball. The stadium now features items ranging from frozen lemonade, kettle corn, pizza, to even kosher options. There is something for everyone, should hunger strike. The game itself tends go by in a flash—the excitement of a strikeout

or home run by the home team, intertwined between spouts of friendly banter with away fans, more so if they are from New York make time go by faster than usual. By the time fans realize they are taking part of a century-old tradition of singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” where the entire stadium stands up and joins in song. The same thing happens an inning later to the tune of “Sweet Caroline.” The emotion of this moment is enough to make even the most hardened individuals feel something within. “When ‘Sweet Caroline’ came on, my boyfriend embarrassingly serenaded me,” Mushro said. “So naturally, I loved it.” The whole outing is something that must happen in order to feel what the city is all about, a basic necessity even—without it, a Boston experience would be incomplete.

PHOTOS BY SAVANNAH KIEFER AND JUAN OLAVARRIA / HEIGHTS EDITORS | ELISE AMENDOLA / AP PHOTO

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, May 5, 2016

A5

The graduation Guide

ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM

N`k_`e 9fjkfe C`d`kj# <jZXg\ kf k_\ @jXY\ccX >Xi[e\i Dlj\ld By Madeleine D’Angelo Asst. Metro Editor In the hustle and bustle of city life, everyone needs an escape. For some, that may be the quiet corner of a cafe or a secluded park, but one of Boston’s unique and treasured oases lies in Fenway, just a five-minute walk from the Museum of Fine Arts. Opened in 1903, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was designed and filled by Isabella Stewart Gardner, one of the earliest female art collectors. After amassing an astounding collection of artwork in the later decades of the 19th century, Gardner was eager to share her collection and love of art with her friends and the larger public. The home she envisioned for her collection, however, was vastly different from the formal structure of traditional museums, so Gardner created a stunning building inspired by 15th-century Venetian architecture in which she arranged and displayed

her art. And according to Sarah Whitling, a marketing assistant for the museum, this history is part of what makes the museum so special. “I think Isabella herself was an incredible, unique lady. I think she was eccentric and bold for her time,” Whitling said, also noting how Gardner often shocked the society around her. And Gardner’s vision and determination truly paid off, for the intricate and palatial building alone often shocks visitors who expect a run-of-the-mill art gallery or a standard city building. Each room is filled with character and stunning architectural feats, but the entire space centers around a large courtyard filled with natural flora and light. Often, visitors come to visit this space alone, enjoying not only the unique space that hearkens back to centuries past and stunning landscaping within the courtyard, but also the peaceful quiet that is so rare within the city.

And the rooms that branch off of the courtyard are where many of the true treasures are located—works by master artists that Gardner carefully amassed over her lifetime. Each work and item is left exactly as she arranged it, with the exception of 13 empty frames. These frames, three of which are located within the museum’s famed Dutch Room, hang in tribute to the 13 works of art stolen from the Gardner collection in 1990, some of which were painted by masters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Flinck. But thankfully, these thieves—who have yet to be caught—overlooked most of the masterpieces within the Gardner collection, many of which are features in the museum’s latest exhibit, Off the Wall: Gardner and Her Masterpieces. Located in the Hostetter Gallery, which is part of a more recent addition to the museum, the exhibit aims to provide the public with a spectacular view of some of the

museum’s most treasured works. Featuring paintings by famed artists such as Rembrandt, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Rubens, the exhibit offers the chance to see the details of these masterpieces in a new light, as they are generally displayed on the museum’s much darker second floor, which is currently off-limits for a preservation project by the museum. “It’s great because they’re displayed at eye level, and they are really lit to their best advantage, so visitors are able to see elements of the artworks that they may not have been able to see when they were hung at the Palace [on the second floor], because they were maybe hung high, or the lighting wasn’t ideal,” Whitling said. “So it’s really a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see these works as they are.” Whitling also noted that in addition to the paintings themselves, Gardner’s correspondences with art dealers are also displayed. These artifacts allow the exhibi-

tion to provide visitors with a chance to walk through Gardner’s story and how she collected these masterpieces over time. Another recent development within the museum is the reopening of the Vatacino—an intimate space that was turned into a coat closet as the museum grew in popularity. Whitling said that the Vatacino was recently reclaimed as a display space for archived materials, such as Gardner’s letters and travel journals. This allows visitors to deepen their understanding of who Gardner was as a person and what she hoped that the museum would convey to visitors. Whitling also emphasized that the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a destination that should be visited multiple times, as it is filled with small hidden details that are often missed on the first visit. With each visit, visitors can discover something new, maybe even identifying their own favorite work or space within this spectacular oasis.

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THE BREAKFAST CLUB

The resturant is filled with memorbelia from the 1980’s including lunchboxes and toys. By Margaret Bree Heights Staff The Breakfast Club is the place to go for those who believe not only that breakfast is the most important meal, but also the greatest. The Breakfast Club, naturally, has earned a reputation for being the mustgo-to diner for breakfast by locals and

tourists alike, and it has essentially transformed into a landmark within the Lower Allston neighborhood. The owner, George Athanasopoulos, opened the Breakfast Club 14 years ago. The diner business is in his blood—growing up, he worked at his uncle’s restaurant, the Diner in Watertown Square, and he worked late-night shifts as a side job.

According to the Boston Eater, shortly after Athanasopoulos purchased the venue for the restaurant, he and his former business partner met at a bar and brainstormed potential names for the new restaurant, such as the Diner, the Dinah, and the Breakfast Spot. During the discussion, Athanasopoulos heard the song “Simple Minds” and watched a clip from the cult-classic film The Breakfast Club on the television screen, and the restaurant’s fate was determined. The popular film provided the inspiration not just for the name of the restaurant, but also for the featured items on the “Library Specials.” These include, among others: “The Jock,” an egg white omelette; “The Princess,” a belgian waffle; and “The Basket Case,” eggs, toast, sausage, and pancakes. The Breakfast Club provides a transporting experience, in addition to a meal consisting of a selection of traditional breakfast favorites. The Breakfast Club is everything you’d expect from a traditional ’80s diner, and more. Eighties memorabilia, vintage records, metal Aladdin lunch boxes, a vintage Atari 2600, and signed posters of classic ’80s movies decorate the walls

above the checkered, black and white tiled floors. “I just want my restaurant to keep improving,” Athanasopoulos said. “I have seen restaurants that get complacent … Food quality usually goes down, and I don’t want that to ever happen over here.” In addition to the decor, the music invokes a charming and energetic atmosphere. All of the employees sing along to juke box tunes of ’80s favorites, such as David Bowie, Madonna, Duran Duran, Guns N’ Roses, and Huey Lewis. Even customers without a predilection for ’80s rock can still find themselves unconsciously tapping their feet to the tunes. It’s not surprising, given Athanasopoulos’ previous experience as a DJ. Customers can sit at the counter and watch the chefs perfect the art of breakfast. When Athanasopoulos isn’t behind the counter, he interacts with the customers, commenting on their choices on the menu. In fact, he has developed such close relationships with some of his customers that it has become commonplace for Athanasopoulos to pick up the tab. The diner sources its organic and

cage-free eggs from New Hampshire. The chefs cook up the corned beef hash, jams, and fries from scratch, and the diner only serves “real maple syrup” and freshly squeezed fruit juices. Among the menu of reasonably priced dishes (between $5.49 and $11.99), the “Library Specials,” milkshakes, banana-oat pancakes, fire bomb eggs Benedict, breakfast paninis, and Nutella waffles have become customer favorites. The wide assortment of items on the menu can satisfy any craving and, for some fanatics, even justifies a visit during all seven days of the week. A stickler for quality, the Breakfast Club only uses fresh ingredients. But due to the limited size of the dining train and the diner’s popularity, customers should anticipate waiting for a table. Paul King, the executive chef of the critically acclaimed steakhouse Davio’s and long-time Breakfast Club enthusiast, assists Athanasopoulos and the other chefs on the weekends. Despite having five children, three grandchildren, and a demanding position at Davio’s, King devotes his leisure time at the diner because he “truly loves it,” he said.

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D8;<C<@E< ;Ë8E><CF Spring seems to have taken a detour on its way to Boston this year. Yes, we have been teased with a few perfect days during which everyone mobs the Quad, desperate to get a few square feet of study space on the grass, but for the most part, everything has been gray and wet and cold. And so, even though I have come to accept that this is what it means to live in New England for part of the year, the part of me that is used to having clearly defined seasons looks up at yet another grey sky and can’t help feeling that something is missing.

This feeling was definitely on my mind as I hurried through Copley Square with my head bent down to protect my nose from the gusts of cold wind that are still whistling through the city. So when I passed under the low-hanging branch of a fairly small tree and felt something brush the top of my head, I immediately knew that the chances of it being a fragile spring flower or tiny budding leaf were incredibly low. I immediately jerked to a halt, panicked that a careless bird had pooped on my head—something that has, in fact, happened to me before—and slowly looked up, certain that my eyes would be met with the dark silhouette of a bird resting a few branches above me. But instead of a bird, I saw a bright red pom-pom dangling just above my head. Relieved that I wouldn’t have to rush to find a bathroom or worry about my chances of contracting avian flu, I stepped

back and gently poked the pom-pom. As I watched the fluffy bundle of yarn sway back and forth in the wind, I realized that the red pom-pom was just one of dozens of yarn balls that were scattered throughout the branches of the tree. Some big and others rather small, the pom-poms were all the colors of the rainbow and then some. Each one of them stood out vividly against the dull Boston sky, creating pops of color and contrast within the still bare and stick-like branches of the tree. Confused, I looked around at the other trees in the square, searching their branches for more pom-poms, but they were all empty. I looked back at the pompom tree, searching for some explanation for the fuzzy additions, but, although I found many graffiti masterpieces on the tree’s trunk proclaiming sentiments like J+M FOREVER, I didn’t find a single thing. No signs, no damp flyers scattered on the ground, just dozens upon dozens of

pompoms in the tree’s branches. Later in the day, I was still determined to find an explanation for the unusual blossoming. But, after searching every iteration of ‘pom-pom tree Copley Square’ that I could imagine and finding nothing, I gave up. If I wanted to find an explanation for the pom-pom tree’s existence, it would be up to my own (fairly questionable) deductive skills. Perhaps the Copley Square pompom tree was created buy someone who, like many of us at this point, was tired of the gray. After what was certainly a long—although not particularly harsh—winter, maybe he or she grew desperate to see some life and color in the world around him or her, and when temperatures dropped back below 50 degrees and drizzle continued pouring from the sky, he or she decided to take action. If spring was hesitant to come of its own accord, perhaps he or she hoped to create a

temporary spring in the meantime, and remind Bostonians that, despite what may seem to be perpetual clouds, many sunny days actually are on the horizon. And even more than the promise of spring, perhaps the creators of the pompom tree meant to remind the public of another easily forgotten message: more often than not, you actually do have the power to take matters into your own hands. In the rush of a city, and of a world, where you are just one person amid many, it can be easy to forget that you have more power over your own life than you realize. Rather than letting yourself get caught up in the rush, it is important to take a step back and consider if you actually want to go in the direction you are headed. And maybe for you, that direction is spring.

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THE HEIGHTS

A6

Thursday, May 5, 2016

EDITORIALS

QUOTE OF THE DAY

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“But that is the beginning of a new story—the story of the gradual renewal of a man, the story of his gradual regeneration, of his passing from one world into another, of his initiation into a new unknown life. That might be the subject of a new story, but our present story is ended.”

This past year, race issues became one of the prominent focuses of student interest groups, discussion, and protests on campus. Questions of inclusivity have provoked action from various groups such as Eradicate Boston College Racism, which have then been hit with mild disciplinary action. The Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) has attempted to address these concerns as well, holding town halls and presenting a document regarding race issues to the administration. Despite this, many UGBC proposals have not led to any direct changes in University policy. One considerable change implemented by the University was the inclusion of African and African Diaspora studies as a history and social science option in the Core curriculum. This was a good step that hopefully bodes well for future change. Although this step was taken, the administration has still refrained from addressing issues of inclusivity at BC in an overtly public way, barring a few emails from the administration. In January, in response to a meeting with UGBC, Vice President for Student Affairs Barb Jones released a letter to UGBC acknowledging the dialogue surrounding the issue of inclusion. In the letter, she noted that BC is committed to “increasing and retaining diverse students, faculty and staff ” and that the proportion of AHANA students and faculty has increased in the past two decades. She also said that the University will not add a vice president for institutional diversity, one of the positions requested in UGBC’s proposal. Instead, BC will focus on existing committees. BC’s more specific plans to address institutional diversity were later released. The University, at least according to this letter, is actively trying to make changes, and students ought to know that. Though the administration has addressed UGBC’s concerns, the University should make its response more public and show the student body that it is actively engaged with the issues. By publicly acknowledging that there are some problems on campus, BC would be better able to assuage student worries. The inclusion of African and African Diaspora studies in the Core as well as the let-

-Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment

ter to UGBC and the release of a subsequent plan shows that steps are being taken by the administration. At this point, the administration should strive to keep the student body aware of what is being done. By keeping this issue in the public eye and admitting that there are problems on campus, the administration would be able to establish better lines of communication and develop cooperation with the students who voice these concerns. Via protests and campaigns, Eradicate BC Racism has done well to open up the dialogue around race at BC, even—and especially— when its efforts are met with backlash from the University. UGBC has also performed admirably under heavy constraints. Since it relies on administrative approval and does

K_fl^_ k_\ X[d`e`jkiXk`fe _Xj X[[i\jj\[ L>9:Ëj ZfeZ\iej# k_\ Le`m\ij`kp j_flc[ dXb\ `kj i\gfej\ dfi\ glYc`Z% not have the necessary sway to implement policy change on its own, UGBC has focused on creating events and programming to further on-campus discussion of race issues. Events like February’s town hall meeting are a positive way to keep the issue at the forefront and encourage further administrative action. The meeting, hosted by Afua Laast, UGBC vice president of diversity and inclusion and LSOE ’16, and James Kale, chair of the AHANA Leadership Council and LSOE ’16, is an ideal example of the type of programming UGBC can create. Its high attendance rate is indicative of the success that can be found by working in this way. Though UGBC and Eradicate cannot implement policy change on their own, they can use diverse tactics to increase conversation, and thus increase administrative awareness of the need for change. The University has clearly heard their message and, in some ways, has responded. Both sides would do well to continue the dialogue, in hopes of making more public, prominent changes.

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Pete Frates is an undeniably important Boston College alumnus whose story has affected people across the country. After his years playing baseball at BC, he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2012 and began a fight to raise money for the illness. The Ice Bucket Challenge, which originated with Frates’ efforts, raised over $115 million for ALS research. Videos of people, including many notable celebrities, dumping a bucket of ice water on their heads spread across the Internet and sparked a nationwide awareness of ALS, and raised massive amounts of money. The campaign was extremely successful, and Frates remains a prominent figure in the fight against ALS. This Saturday, nine years after Frates’ graduation from BC, his jersey will be retired at the annual ALS awareness game to commemorate all that he has done. This will mark the second time that BC baseball has ever retired a jersey. This is the ideal time for the retirement, as it is the fifth annual ALS Awareness game and the rest of college baseball will be embracing the event. Every ACC team will be wearing wristbands to commemorate Frates and promote ALS awareness. The involvement of these other teams is commendable and shows the widespread effects of Frates’ efforts. His story has affected far more than just the BC community. The work he and

his family have done has helped ALS research make great strides in fundraising and awareness and have demonstrated how much good can come from one man’s struggle. Money raised during the event through the selling of wristbands will go to the Pete Frates No. 3 fund, furthering the ongoing cause. The event should receive heavy attendance and is a good way to end a less-thanstellar athletic year.

The views expressed in the above editorials represent the official position of The Heights, as discussed and written by the Editorial Board. A list of the mem-

bers of the Editorial Board can be found at bcheights. com/opinions.

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HEIGHTS

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THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, May 5, 2016

A7

J\\`e^ k_\ Fk_\i1 9:Ëj IfX[ kf :_Xe^\ J\XiZ_`e^ ]fi :feZclj`fej AF?E N@C<P FINALS - The day may come when the courage of men fails, an hour of libraries and shattered pencils, when the age of students comes crashing down. But it is not this day. This day we stand … wait, actually, it might be this day. Oh boy, this isn’t looking good. It may have been presumptive to put this in the thumbs-up column. FOLKS - What a great word. Addressing large groups of people as “folks” lends you the down-home credibility that lets everyone know you’re one of them and not some fat-cat snooty, aristocrat looking down his nose at everyone. COLD APPLE PIE - Warm apple pie is like your cousin who went to Harvard Med and now makes millions of dollars while saving the lives of orphans, homeless kittens with heart problems, and various celebrities. It gets all the credit. But what about a little credit for the other cousin who gets mediocre grades, bathes every other week, has never earned a single cent, and might eventually become … I don’t know, an accountant or something. What you all don’t realize is that this other cousin (who represents cold apple pie in this painfully overdone metaphor) is eventually going to become the president of France in the year 2054. While he may seem worse on the surface, he’s actually far better-tasting and satisfies hunger more fully.

CHIPS IN BAPST - This one still baffles us. At what point did it seem like a good idea to crack open a bag of extra-crispy potato chips in a place nicknamed the silent library? Every minute mouth-sound you make echoes through the majestic hall, nauseating the huddled students attempting to study. It’s a shame, a darned shame, that there’s nowhere left in this world where a man can sit silently in his muumuu and practice his hip stretches. THE SMELL OF THE TRASH ROOM - If you live in a dorm with a communal trash room, you know the pain of entering that room. It’s like getting hit with 1,000 farts, all concentrated inside of a milk-soaked, rotting egg. For those of us with noses specially attuned to stench (they call us the stank-brigade or the reekateers) it can be a painfully unpleasant experience that makes you consider ever ything that’s wrong with the world. FAULTY ZIPPERS - Standing in the doorway while people walk around you, struggling to zip up your raincoat like some snot-nosed 5-year-old, is an aggravating experience. Whoever designed this crazy double-zipper, flip-flop thing where the one goes in the other and neither really works so great but they zip up and down and then not really, should have stuck to buttons. Now you’re stuck jumping up and down having one of your biweekly tantrums because there is absolutely no way this zipper will ever wo- … never mind, I got it. THE END - The same old mischievous thumb-meister you’ve grown to love will most likely be back next semester, but this final issue still marks the end of an era for some of us. Seniors: you will be missed (and then eventually forgotten like everyone else). Summer awaits. When the thumb speaks again, it will be a new day. But for now, this is it. It’s time to roll on out, folks.

When the Boston College Observer went under, it was a quiet burial. Asked for comments, its editors simply asked that the event get no coverage. Though the record might not show it, the conservative newspaper’s gentle destruction in 2013 marked a symbolic turning point in the University’s history. No longer would there be a voice from the sidelines, scouring residence halls for Support Love bulletin boards, writing an annual editorial attacking the BC production of The Vagina Monologues. Instead, the Observer would be reincarnated as the Torch—a reflective, Catholic newspaper, probing inward rather than outward and aligning much more closely with BC’s dominant social justice service culture than the Observer, which essentially aimed to bring the gripes of social conservatism to BC. Are we all the better for it? A few months back, The Harvard Crimson published a feature titled “The Elephant in the Room: Conservatives at Harvard,” which took a nearly anthropologic perspective on conservative college students. The whole thing read as if the Crimson was documenting the behavioral patterns of the last white rhino, knowing full well their children would experience no such creature. The same story could have been written at practically any Northeast university, including BC. And while it would be naive to declare conservatism itself dead, the public voice of conservatism has effectively been squelched on college campuses. When Black Lives Matter activists take to O’Neill Plaza, as they did last fall, you can expect no next-day editorial criticizing the act—instead, the only evidence of opposition gets collected on anonymous social platform Yik Yak in the form of racial slurs. These remarks are promptly screen-captured, posted to Facebook, and used as evidence that student activists must continue the charge. It’s nearly impossible to muster any

sympathy for this type of anonymous wall of bigotry, and for just that reason, I see the BC administration (once quietly cheering on conservative voices from the sidelines) begrudgingly falling in line with the vocal left. The authoritarian, moralistic voice of the Observer has been substituted for Internet troll conservatism—a trend noticeably working its way into national media narratives, as well. Those with the Observer wrote from their principles, however much you might disagree with them. This new wave of unspoken conservatism comes from a place of fear, a feeling that—as the Harvard article described—conservatives are a dying breed and might soon have no voice whatsoever on college campuses. This transition was particularly noticeable at BC, an institution expressly designed to maintain some form of orthodoxy in its students. The University’s lack of a student union and near-draconian policies around free speech have created an environment in which any meaningful encounter you have with someone of an opposing viewpoint occurs either in a supervised classroom space or Universityapproved gathering. This system, which long upheld the will of the silent majority, has been turned on its head as students grow increasingly liberal. What’s left is a clumsy infrastructure, where the only choice for conservative administrators is to counterpunch leftist groups with disciplinary codes and the red tape of bureaucracy. They know, as well as the rest of us, that there will be no return to cultural conservatism at BC, and the unpleasant holdout strikes me as mostly intended as a last-ditch appeal to the donor class. The desire of those on the left for “safe spaces” on college campuses is now a favorite talking point for conservative pundits, but safe spaces have always existed for conservatives, by way of churches, religious organizations, and elite clubs. And as a country, we’ve long recognized such spaces as valuable, for building communities and preserving the values of specific cultural groups. Only recently has the idea of spaces for like-minded people created such a sense of disgust. Instead of focusing on safe spaces, let’s recognize what’s really hurt-

ing discourse on college campuses: the absence of spaces in the middle. For BC, it starts with some basic infrastructure improvements: we need a student union, and we should reconsider the tribal, small-group living situation created by University housing. Beyond that, the University should adopt freespeech policies that build vibrant social spaces across campus. Until undergraduates in Students for Sexual Health and the Pro-Life Club can hang banners next to each other on O’Neill Plaza, host a joint panel event, and retire to dorm spaces where they routinely interact, we can’t say that BC has unlocked the true potential of its diversity. My sophomore year, I saw a mob of angry readers from the right lodge brutal personal attacks at then-Heights columnist Evan Goldstein for his critical remarks on Coach Addazio’s #BEADUDE campaign. Two years later, I saw a conservative freshman, Karl Salzmann, suffer a similar string of insults from the left, after writing into The Heights to criticize its coverage of activist group Eradicate Boston College Racism. These two incidents marked a radical shift in BC’s dominant political ideology, fully disguising how remarkably little we’ve progressed in how we engage with the other side. This pattern of surface-level change covering up bigger, cyclical problems is the unsettling reality of BC’s forward march. Having finished as editor-in-chief of The Heights in the fall, I’ve taken this last semester as a time to put the past four years in perspective—an outsider-turnedinsider-turned-outsider observing a culture I spent my college career covering. It’s impossible to reduce to a single narrative, but if you want perspective on BC, check back in The Heights’ archives. The stories you’re reading today were written five years ago and 20 years ago, and will be written again five years and 20 years from now. BC is a place for factions, slowmoving policies, optimistic reformers, the promise of expansion, and an immutable desire to be more.

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AFJ? 9<?I<EJ What if I told you the American economic system is a farce? A giant, smelly farce built upon a crumbling structure that threatens to erupt and break apart our nation as we know it. You’d probably tell me I’m wildly immature for belittling our nation’s economy with a flatulence pun. While you might have a point about my immaturity, the core of my argument still remains legitimate. We like to think of capitalism as a slightly unruly horse, an earnest creature that will bring us in the right direction if we ensure the reins are tight. This seemingly logical analogy, however, couldn’t be farther from the truth. This image needs to be flipped on its head to realize the reality of our economic situation. The horse is unruly and the reins are tight, but it is we the people who are wearing the reins, and it is the unruly horse that is directing our course. Our steadfast devotion to the facade of capitalism’s endless growth is a delusion that threatens to tear our country apart. Let’s start with the basics: what is capitalism? In the simplest definition that this 1,000-word column can contain, it is the private ownership of capital. Capitalist theory states that individuals are incentivized by profit to create products to sell in the market. This profit is then reinvested into production to grow the business and consequently grow the economy as a whole. It is a cycle that continues to breed prosperity as long as companies remain profitable and invest their profits into production. We have adhered to this capitalist cycle of growth for centuries. It has created prosperity as long as profits were invested in long-term material growth, or in other words, used to improve the quality and quantity of production. But capitalism’s prosperous history has ended, and its unruly nature has now taken over the reins. The erosion of our economy can be seen in the

weakness of its foundation: the middle class. The average worker has lost $5,000 per year in income since 2000. This is coupled with the fact that the cost of basic necessities has risen $10,000 in the same period, resulting in a net yearly loss of $15,000 per family. While the mainstream narrative is that we’ve recovered since the Great Recession, 95 percent of the income gains since 2009 went to the “top 1 percent.” The majority of the country has not recovered. What’s going on? The root of the problem lies in the very fuel used to drive capitalism forward: profit. Everything works according to plan if profits are reinvested in long-term investment. This is no longer the case because we have had a dangerous reorganization of our economic system away from reinvestment of profits and toward speculation of profits in the financial industry. The financial industry doesn’t grow the economy by itself—it only facilitates the growth of other business actually engaged in material production (giving loans where needed grows the economy, speculating on the stock market does not). While a small, efficient financial industry is necessary in any capitalist economy, ours has grown to become an untamable behemoth, a profit-hungry stallion trampling middle-class families in its wake. It has steadily increased from 1.3 percent of GDP to absorb 9 percent of our economy. This large financial sector is not an efficient use of resources. The financial industry of the 19th century was more efficient than our modern financial industry at cultivating growth. We’ve switched from using the financial industry to facilitate long-term business investment to businesses facilitating the short-term, empty profits of the financial industry. We want to believe that high corporate profits are indications of a healthy economic situation. Paradoxically, this is a symptom of a disease slowly infecting our economy. The disease’s name? Short-term profits. 92 percent of corporate profits over the past two years have been used to buy back company stock or pay out dividends to stockholders. 92 percent. This wealth does not grow the economy. Investing in one’s own stock price only gives money to stockholders and contributes to the ever-inflating economic

bubble that threatens to pop and destroy our economy. Long-term growth has been thrown to the wayside as executives realize the billions to be made investing in the financial industry. This wealth does not trickle down. In fact, it sucks the life out of the company and the entire economy when there is no investment in long-term growth. Raising the stock price once a company goes public does not help anyone besides the stockholders, who are hardly representative of our nation (the “1 percent” owns 50 percent of all stocks. The bottom half of the country only owns .5 percent of stocks). Money spent buying back stocks is money that could be spent raising wages, hiring workers, or increasing production efficiency: actions that actually grow the economy as a whole. I wish I could say there is an easy fix. I wish there was one more regulation that could limit the financial industry so that long-term growth would be prioritized. We can pass more laws, but the origin of the problem will remain: this is the natural trajectory of capitalism. Economics is all about incentives, and companies are incentivized to pursue short-term profits at the detriment of long-term growth because the people in charge of the company are not looking out for the company’s best interests. They are blinded by the prospect of short-term profits. The profit motive is the unruly horse directing our nation’s course toward self-destruction. As long as a handful of people have control over a company, they will be incentivized to make as much money as possible at the expense of the long-term health of the economy. We need a new pathway forward, in which company leadership is not restricted to a select few, but rather democratized to ensure executives are held accountable for any possible self-destructive behavior. In this case, he who smelt it had not dealt it. The middle class is feeling the effects of the destructive behavior of the 1 percent, and we need to recognize the silent but deadly farce destroying our economy.

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D> N@CJFE Because this is the final Heights column I will write for this academic year, it seems appropriate to focus on endings. Coming from a family with four older siblings, I’ve heard an exhausting number of Baccalaureate and Commencement speeches about endings. At this point, I don’t want to hear anyone else explain how this moment is “not just an end, but a new beginning,” or how “when one door closes, another door opens.” I can’t express how excited I would be if, at my brother’s college graduation this weekend, the speaker focused instead on the origin of animal crackers or the religion of the flying spaghetti monster. And yet, more likely than not, I’ll hear about those endings again. I suppose part of the reason why this repetition occurs is due to the relationship between the individual and society. We are raised to express ourselves within the language(s) created by our community, and, to some extent, that limits us to repeating what we’ve heard. Following certain common patterns of speech ensures that we’re readily understood. We recognize that events we experience individually are also shared by society, and, therefore, we use society’s language, however cliche, to communicate our feelings. But it’s about more than experiencing “one door closing and another door opening” for ourselves. When I think of endings, I recall a different set of doors—the events in our lives where logic meets with contradictions through death, mental illness, disability, even violence. Faced with these unexpected doors, we realize the world doesn’t work how we thought it did. And at another point, often shortly after that, we realize that we can’t know how the world works. We discover endings in the sense of logic faltering into the absurd and inexplicable. Logic fails in the face of these doors because human beings aren’t entirely “of the world.” A parallel exists between the individual within society, and human society within the world. Operating within the world, human beings naturally fall under its dictates regarding time, death, and relationships. And just like the individual within society, there are places where we disagree with the rules or fail to understand them. Unlike the rules of human society, however, the world’s dictates are not created by humans. They, in a sense, create us. We attempt to understand the world, and in our interpretations we form the rules of society. To understand the very materials that make—and will arguably unmake—us is beyond our comprehension. We are created by the world, and for that reason we are to some degree separate from it. Human reason can’t resolve the differences in logic, because the dynamics of the world are larger than the confines of human logic. Our reasoning can’t end the issue of endings because it can’t answer for the ways of the world. It speaks only to human experience within the world. As a result, it is both scientific and subjective, offering comfort to human society without resolving any of the questions. The graduation speech at its most cliched relates back to this desire for resolution. Graduation is a time of indecision because one world is ending—the “BC bubble” is being popped—and another world is revealing itself. This time of transition hearkens back to every other shift that has left us confused regarding the ultimate movements of our lives. So we repeat the cliches and the phrasing that have bored generations of crowded and cramped Commencement audiences, even though in the face of the absurd they fail worse than the logic. At least in the cliches we recall a sense of community, expressing ideas that have plagued people before us and will plague them after us. We’re connecting with one another over this existential milestone, felt by each of us as a fresh shock, but shared in society as part of the communal human experience. Even if the words fail, the connection stands, and in that is some comfort. So on with another season of graduation speeches—deep down, they’re what we all want to hear.

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THE HEIGHTS

A8

Thursday, May 5, 2016

8ggc`ZXk`fej ;fne ]ifd )'(,# 9lk 8ggc`ZXek HlXc`kp JkXpj :fej`jk\ek 9P K8PCFI JK% ><ID8@E 8jjfZ% E\nj <[`kfi Down 2 percent from last year, Boston College received 29,000 total applications for the class of 2020, as opposed to last year’s total of 29,486. The total number of students in the class of 2020 is expected to be 2,280. This year, BC received applications from all 50 states and more than 60 foreign countries. AHANA students comprised 31 percent of the applicant pool. director of udergraduate admis-

sion John Mahoney said that the quality of the pool, based on standardized test scores, was similar to last year. Now that the May 1 deadline has passed, the Office of Undergraduate Admission is currently in the process of finalizing the class and pulling students off the waitlist. Mahoney said that there will not be a clear picture of the class of 2020 until well into the upcoming summer. “Once all of these applications were read and decisions were communicated on March 17, the Office of Undergradu-

ate Admission has been working hard to ensure that we enroll the best possible Class of 2020,” Mahoney said in an email. Throughout the first weekend in April, Admissions held receptions for admitted students in 18 cities across the country. The receptions took place throughout the states of California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Puerto Rico, and Texas. Admissions also held Admitted Eagle programs on campus on April

10 and April 17. Over 2,000 admitted students attended each event. Weekday campus-yield programs were held on Tuesdays and Thursdays in April. In addition, the Keith A . Francis we ekend for admitte d AHANA students ran from April 9 to 11. The weekend brought in over 100 students. Last year, the acceptance rate for the class of 2019 dropped to 29 percent, 5 percent lower than the previous year. The yield rate also dropped from 29 percent for the class of 2018 to 26.8

percent for the class of 2019. The Office of Admissions also received 27 percent more applications for the class of 2019 than for the class of 2018. In the class of 2019, 45 states and 39 foreign countries are represented. Eight percent of the student body is composed of international students and 26 percent of students come from AHANA backgrounds. “We are extremely optimistic about Boston College’s Class of 2020,” Mahoney said.

:fdd`kk\\j 8`d kf <ejli\ :fdgc`XeZ\ n`k_ I\^lcXk`fej Disability, from A1 That’s just under 5 percent of all students at BC, compared to 11 percent of students at colleges and universities nationwide who have disabilities, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. A group called the Disability Awareness Committee has demanded a ramp to be built behind McGuinn Hall, a professional coordinator and advisory committee with disabled student members to make sure the Uni-

room … I think we just need more disability awareness on campus.” Not all disabled students think this, though. Carolyn Barrett, MCAS ’16, who is in a wheelchair, transferred from American University in Washington, D.C. BC has to contend with its topography, Barrett said, while American is flat. “But because of that, [American is] less willing to do things for you,” she said. “Whereas BC knows that they

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have some structural things that may make things more difficult. So I’ve found ResLife to be really helpful.” The University has created an accessible bathroom for her. Barrett said that she wishes there were not inconvenient stairs near Lyons and Stokes halls, for example, but she said she has never had an issue getting around campus and would not have come to BC if she had. “If you don’t like the heat, don’t go to a school in Florida,” she said. “Same thing here. They can’t do everything.”

AMELIE TRIEU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

G\k\ =iXk\j kf ?Xm\ EldY\i I\k`i\[ Yp 9`i[YXcc fe JXkli[Xp Frates, from A1 p.m., followed by a crucial conference bout for Birdball against Wake Forest at 1:30 p.m. For Frates, it’s the latest in a series of achievements since being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2012. Frustrated with the lack of progress in ALS research since Lou Gehrig brought the disease to the national spotlight in 1939, Frates and his family vowed to raise money and awareness to fight the illness. They created the viral Ice Bucket Challenge, which

raised $200 million toward finding a cure for ALS (fundraising that’s already helping researchers) and earned Frates the Inspiration of the Year honor from Sports Illustrated in 2014. A SportsCenter documentary on the former BC captain was nominated for an Emmy, as well. The Frates family didn’t stop there. Its tireless efforts include starting the Pete Frates No. 3 Fund and Band Together to Strike Out ALS, a project that pushes for ACC teams to wear wristbands with “STRIKE OUT ALS” and a small “PF3” to promote awareness.

“[It] all goes back to one thing: Pete’s reaction when he got his diagnosis was, ‘Alright, here we go, let’s fight,’” Gambino said. “Nothing was about him. It was, ‘What can we do to end this disease?’” Although Gambino is excited to recognize such an integral part of the Birdball family, he doesn’t want to lose sight of the bigger picture. “This is a great honor for Pete, but the goal is: I don’t want to have any more ALS games,” he said. “I want my kids to talk about ALS how we talk about polio.” Born and raised in Massachusetts,

Frates starred in the outfield for the Eagles from 2004-2007. He served as captain during his senior season and finished his career with a .228 average, 11 home runs, 56 RBIs and 34 stolen bases. In 2010, while playing in a local men’s league, he helped Gambino recruit then-teammate Chris Shaw, a first-round draft pick last year and arguably the best player in team history. Although Shaw is currently in San Jose with the San Francisco Giants Class-A affiliate, Frates continues to be a big part of his life. “Whatever number [Shaw] wears going through the minor leagues ,

he wants to always try to have a 3 in that number to honor Pete, which is an amazing thing,” Gambino said Tuesday. After Frates’ diagnosis, he was hired as the program’s director of baseball operations and remains as close as ever to the players despite no longer travelling with the team. “These guys are sending videos to Pete through Facebook, before a game, after a win, checking in with him,” Gambino said. “Even though he’s not travelling with us now, he’s as much a part of this program as any of our staff members who are travelling.”

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AL8E FC8M8II@8 I heard once that the best way to get to know a city was to pick a spot, spin in a circle three times, stop, and walk in the direction you are facing. Now, hear me out: It might sound like a completely ridiculous idea that belongs more in the head of a patient in a psychiatric ward rather than in the mind of a normal (semi-normal?) individual like me, but it actually works. Last summer, I had the opportunity to take classes in a foreign country that I had never been in before, so I

tried the method on a whim. I was sitting in a cafe by one of the canals in Venice, Italy, when I got the idea. I got up from my seat, looked around where I was standing, and began spinning. I’m sure there were many who thought I had lost my mind at that exact moment, but that’s beside the point. I picked a direction and began walking. After 10 to 15 minutes, I entered a part of the city I had never gone to before and had what turned out one of the best days I had during my time in the country. That day I told myself I would give the same method a try in Boston. Two weeks ago I finally fulfilled that promise I made to myself. It was one of those weekend days where it is too late to make concrete plans with a group of people but too early for the night scene in the city to really start. So I picked a direc-

tion and began walking in the hope that I would find an interesting place in the city that I had never been to before. Every street corner, lamppost, public park, and store was new to me. The next thing I knew I was across the Charles and the landscape changed. Modern buildings were juxtaposed with constructions that looked like they had been there for centuries. I eventually found myself in front of a building with a plaque—it described the surrounding buildings as part of a historical area that included a place called “Warren Tavern,” which I later found out was one of Paul Revere’s old hangouts from the Revolutionary War period. This type of finding was what I had been waiting for when I imagined what would happen all of those months ago.

Inside, it was everything I wanted it to be: The roof beams are made from the mast of an old ship, the tables were all in colonial style, with their long arms and curved backrests. For a moment I felt myself being transported to 1776, everyone around immediately shifted from his or her current joyful state and, in my mind, began planning the American Revolution. It was one of those places that takes your breath away, not necessarily from any aesthetic quality of the tavern, but rather it was more of its emotional impact. It managed to influence every single one of my senses (yes, the food was absolutely fantastic) and give me an afternoon to remember, one where I felt more in tune with Boston than I had in awhile. Back to the method. I’ve realized

that the best way to get to know a place, be it Venice, Munich, or Brussels, is to actually walk through it. Being at street level and spending time with local citizens, instead of doing what I call a “highlight tour” of a city, reaps benefits unavailable from the seat of a tour bus. While it might limit the sheer number of places that you could see in a timeframe and might be physically exhausting, walking through a city, regardless of whether you actually use the threeturn method, undeniably has its benefits, especially in finding more authentic restaurants. Call me a madman if you want, but I would not want it any other way.

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REVIEW

‘VIEWS’

DRAKE DOES NOTHING TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS IN LATEST ALBUM, PAGE B4 COLUMN

SUMMER LOVIN’

HOW ENTERTAINMENT THRIVES OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, PAGE B2

REVIEW

‘Civil War’

MARVEL’S CINEMATIC HEROES ENTER INTO A BRAWL OF MORALITY AND BRAWN, Page B4 THURSDAY | MAY 5, 2016

THE

ABBY PAULSON / HEIGHTS EDITOR

THE HEIGHTS

B2

Thursday, May 5, 2016

A FULLER PICTURE

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Well, I’m almost out of the woods. With the mountain that was Arts Fest coverage behind me and a few papers and tests in the forefront, I can safely say there’s a high probability that I’ll make it out of the thicket that is another year at Boston College. Don’t get me wrong—I love a nice stroll through the forest. It just feels like somewhere along the way each year I’ve gotten knocked off my path and have been stranded in the middle of nowhere for the rest of the year, braving the winter, collecting berries to keep myself alive. Each year, however, around this time, I crawl my way out of one corner of the forest, bruised and battered, and retreat to my native California to recharge my batteries for another trek through BC. Part of that recharging process is made up of doing different work, other than studying. Whether it’s working at a market or a hedge fund, it’s important to find something that keeps us busy (and keeps a little extra cash in our pockets). Summer, on the other hand, is for more than just working—it’s a time to catch up on all the leisurely reading, TV- and movie-watching, and video-game playing one can’t seem to manage with a busy year. With that in mind, I thought I’d give readers a quick run-through on some of the niches of entertainment that I’ll be diving into this summer. I was going to write a column on my disappointment with Game of Thrones so far this season, but I think I’ll leave that kind of writing to Caleb Griego. First on the list is a book I’ve been dying to tackle for a couple years now. I would have tried to get through it this semester, but when you’re trudging through Middlemarch with Prof. McAleavey, who has time for a second epic novel? The great Jonathan Fuller, my brother, recommended the 1975 James Clavell classic, Shogun, to me. Described by said brother as a samurai-meets-Game of Thrones tome, Shogun sees the rise of a new daimyo in Japan through the perspective of an English sailor, John Blackthorne. Clocking in at over 1,000 pages, Shogun should prove quite the journey, but I’m sure, with a pinch of dedication and early-morning reading, I can get through it and a few other classics this summer. When it comes to films, as always, there’s a lot to be seen. Thanks to a column by Ms. Grace Godvin, I’ve grown steadily intrigued by the film production and distribution company A24. I don’t think I’ve ever really had a preference for a production company before, but in watching a few of the company’s hits these last couple weeks, it’s become more apparent that someone over in the A24 offices is running a tight, quirky ship. Having nearly doubled its film repertoire with its releases this year, A24 is becoming a bigger, iconic character in the film world, and I will surely dedicate time to going through its filmography and running up to my local theater (probably the hipster one that would show A24 movies) to see what A24 has in store for the summer. Keeping with tradition, it’s time for me to start thinking of what 2000s HBO show I’ll try to watch this summer. Last summer I tried to get through The Sopranos, but it was too over-saturated with mafia stereotypes to really enjoy the show. This year, I might try some of HBO’s shorter-lived series or something out-of-the-box—maybe some mix of Treme, Six Feet Under, and In Treatment. Who knows? One day I made a vow to myself that I’d get through all of HBO’s 2000s programs, and I’m slowly, yet surely, living up to that promise. With summer comes many things— warmer weather, different responsibilities, but above all, a chance for students to culturally enrich themselves outside of the media that’s propagated on campus. At least that’s how it works for me. I’m not stuck hearing about the new Drake album or what happened on House of Cards this season. I just get some time to get through some reading, television, and movies that the school year just doesn’t give me time for. If you ask me, that’s the real rejuvenating element of summer—the time to entertain yourself however you please. All I’ll need is my bike, a groovy playlist, and a good book, and come fall, I’ll be all set for a third round in Chestnut Hill.

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ISABELLE LUMB / HEIGHTS STAFF

FËE\`cc <o_`Y`k D\c[j Gfg$:lckli\ Xe[ :cXjj`ZXc @Zfej 9P 9<:BP I<@CCP ?\`^_kj JkX]] A pixelated Mona Lisa portrait prefaces a gallery full of silently studying students. The picture, both in itself and its context, encapsulates O’Neill’s Art & Digital Technology exhibit, a modern interpretation of a cultural icon, allowing for new artistic insight on old objects, rather well. The exhibit runs from May 2 to 16 in the Level One Gallery in O’Neill Library. Taken from the final projects of students in Professor Karl Baden’s studio art course, each of the pieces mimics mass-produced art like magazine spreads, advertisements, and music covers made in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. O’Neill’s Level One Gallery, with its spare cork boards, blank walls, and quiet students, offers structure to contrast the diversity among the pieces that checkerboard its display space. While all of the panels are around the same size, they are visibly varied in a rainbow of colorful subjects. The exhibit, which engages a variety of pop culture media and subjects, has a large number of mash-ups, juxtaposing two pieces of art to put both in new perspective. One piece mimics the poster for Forrest Gump but includes the silhouette of Disney’s Little Mermaid in

place of Tom Hanks. Another movie poster, for About a Boy, has been changed to About a Toy, with Toy Story characters surrounding Hugh Grant. Not only movies have gotten this treatment. The cover of The Giving Tree was modified in one case to include Snow White catching the proffered apple from the tree. On another wall of the exhibit, Kanye West poses in a classic Rosie the Riveter poster, with the speech bubble refurbished to say, “STRONGER.” Even more familiarly, some students decided to incorporate Boston College views, like King Kong swatting at planes atop Gasson tower. Another shows the same view of Gasson with an impending starship in the sky. Yet another shows views of campus between sections of a crossword puzzle with campus language. The effect of combining such disparate pieces of culture seems humorous. The permutations seem unlikely, crossing the boundaries of time and genre. But their tensions allow for new definition of both objects involved. For instance, Ariel’s silhouetted posture recalls Hanks as he sits on the bench, a concrete spatial analogy. Gasson, a central and highly visible point on campus, looms like the Empire State Building.

Other pieces deal with subjects individually like more common, commercial design projects. Several even have common themes. Two Beyonce posters treat their subjects entirely differently. One plays with outlines and cut-out pictures in darker hues, while the other replicates the singer’s picture against yellow and red stripes with the tagline, “Let’s Get In Formation.” The Beyonce posters have the unusual quality of depicting their human subject as an object by tessellating the singer’s image across pages. When displayed next to the other posters, it seems easier to think of Beyonce in terms of brand because of the lack of concentration on form and other human qualities. The Absolut Vodka brand has several different treatments as well that lend it multiple connotations. One panel shows an Absolutbottle-shaped skyscraper nestled in the New York skyline. In another, the Powerpuff Girls and other cartoon characters gather around a bottle’s base. Yet another features a tropical scene like a magazine cover, emblazoned with the phrase “Absolut Adventure.” So are viewers to understand Absolut Vodka as either cosmopolitan, playful, or adventurous, depending on the depiction? Is it an average of the three, despite the tensions between these adjectives? How can these de-

scriptions be simultaneously appealing? These pieces have the superficial appearance of advertisements, posters, and other mass media. But taken collectively, they consistently depict objects unconventionally. On one level, they each seem like meditations on their individual subjects, but they may in fact be meditations on new media itself. Digital art allows for the construction of spaces that uniquely showcase the relationships between form, content, and style. The ability to appropriate and replicate images from other art exactly is the very aspect of digital art that lets these meta relationships happen, either through object comparison or object recontextualization. The lines of text included in many of the panels further complicate each image set. While some have actual titles or excerpts of relevant quotes, some of the false magazine spreads and comic book pages instead have “lorem ipsum” filler or plain gibberish, refusing to yield overt explanation. Art & Digital Technology shows us, as it claims in its title, how we understand art and new media. But it also challenges our understandings of objects and urges us to internalize multiple interpretations. As students flock to the libraries during finals, these masterful and imaginative digital studies certainly merit viewing during a study break.

=ifd 9c`eb$(/) kf 9fjkfe :fcc\^\1 Dfm`e^ gXjk @ekifm\ij`fe LEIGH CHANNELL People don’t believe me when I say I’m an introvert. In fact, more often than not, I receive playful teasing and ridicule as a response. “No way! You’re like, so loud, I mean, just the friendliest person. You’re definitely an extrovert.” My frustration with other people telling me how to define myself is another rant for another time. The point that I’m trying to make is that so much of what I do in my life fails to fall on the introverted side of the personality spectrum (not that there’s anything wrong with that), and I now owe that in large part to arts clubs at Boston College. So what, a girl goes to college and comes out of her shell some—what else is new? Honestly, not a lot of my life story is remarkably different or insightful. Growing up, I somehow managed to pull off being simultaneously the nerd, the horse girl, and the scene kid, which unsurprisingly did not earn me many friends. I spent most of my time reading or running errands with my mom, blissfully avoiding the terror that was the real world and its inhabitants. Once I started attending an all-boarding high school, however, my happily lonely lifestyle was upended by roommates, forced grade bonding, and sports team scavenger

hunts. I had none of the solitary refuge I still depend on in order to remain socially functional, much less fun. The newfound stress in conjunction with some biological factors led me to be diagnosed with general anxiety in my sophomore year. In a better place to understand my mentality, if not prepared to work on bettering it, I did what any ex-scene kid would do: I turned to music. In high school, I took songwriting and recording classes, learned to play the guitar, and forced myself to expand my music library beyond the Blink-182 anthology before the year was out. I even joined SAPA, the Student Association for the Performing Arts, in hopes that I could put my newfound, maybe slightly-better-than-mediocre skills to the test in a public setting, drastically outside my comfort zone. Before graduation, I had performed in front of other SAPA kids, the entire school in community meetings, and even at the regional Special Olympics finals that we hosted on campus. Yet this isn’t the part of the story where I “blossomed,” or “found my confidence in music,” or whatever. I hated every performance that I participated in, from the nearly sicknessinducing nerves I felt beforehand to the mental replay of all my (usually insignificant) mistakes for days afterward. People were starting to recognize me as someone more outgoing, but the label felt like a mask. I didn’t enjoy doing

any of the things I led others to believe defined my high school experience. Coming to BC, I entered assuming that I would audition for an a cappella group, and maybe play at an open mic night or two. The friends I had found while performing were genuine, even if my love for the activity was not. Upon arriving on campus, however, I realized how genuinely competitive those auditions would be. I had little to no chance of making an a cappella group, and surely I would drive myself insane comparing myself to the others performing with me in other venues. In some way, I believe that I actually owe BC’s performing arts groups for being better than I was. I’m not bitter that I haven’t had the chance to participate yet. I’m relieved that I didn’t force myself into another year of “trying to leave my comfort zone” in a way that continually made me uncomfortable, and so grateful to be able to watch these amazing performances from the sidelines. Attending shows put on by The Acoustics, The Heightsmen, and various other groups has been tenfold more enjoyable, still led me to find friends with similar interests, and helped me participate in activities on campus even though I wasn’t technically part of the show. The group that I have to specifically attribute my learned outgoingness to, however, is Word of Mouth, a public speaking group.

While that sounds fairly professional and boring (and disjoint from any arts topic) WoM is anything but. More than just a public speaking club, WoM builds community, confidence, and happiness in all of its members. Every week at forum I was able to practice my spoken word, telling stories that were sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, and sometimes just downright boring. Even when my speeches did flop, which was more often than I’d like to admit, the sounding board of students to which I spoke was full of positivity and only constructive criticism. My distaste for presenting myself in a public setting has waned over the course of the year as I realized that I am not judged by my audiences as fiercely as I once believed. I’m sure this column has been frustratingly cliche—girl goes to college, changes her expectations, finds peace with herself. But since it’s the end of the year, and sentiment is high, I figure this is a better time to do it than any. So thank you for bearing with me, and thanks to BC arts for helping me find my place here—and of course to the arts section of The Heights for fostering all of my tangential rants about it. It’s been a great year for arts at BC, and a great year for me to experience it.

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THIS WEEKEND in arts

BY: HANNAH MCLAUGHLIN | ASST. ARTS & REVIEW EDITOR

‘A BIGGER SPLASH’ (NOW PLAYING)

‘SWAN LAKE’ (SATURDAY AT 1 P.M.)

In this suspenseful mystery/drama blend, Tilda Swinton plays a rock star whose romantic vacation plans are ruined by the surprise arrival of her ex-boyfriend. The Sicilian dream getaway soon becomes a nightmare thanks to the ex and his dangerously seductive daughter.

Buy your tickets now for the Boston Ballet’s beautiful rendition of the famous Swan Lake. With sheer grace and finesse, the company will bring beautiful choreography and classical music to The Boston Opera House.

‘A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING’ (NOW PLAYING) Based on the bestselling novel by Dave Eggers, this quirky drama film stars Tom Hanks. With the help of a taxi driver and a beautiful doctor, Hanks traverses Saudi Arabia to close a major business deal.

‘BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT’ (NOW PLAYING) When a local barber shop is forced to merge with a nearby hair salon, a battle of the sexes ensues in this new comedy. Despite the disagreements, these two companies must band together to save their beloved Chicago neighborhood.

LIONSGATE FILMS

JUSTIN BIEBER AT THE TD GARDEN (TUESDAY AT 7 P.M.) The Canadian-born megastar is coming to Boston, and he’s bringing smash hits like “Sorry” and “Love Yourself” to the TD Garden stage. The pop-music heartthrob will perform for two nights in Boston as part of his Purpose World Tour.

MODSTOCK 2016 (THURSDAY AT 3:30 P.M.) The Campus Activities Board is proud to announce the lineup for this year’s beach-themed campus concert. The annual Modstock concert will feature Battle of the Bands winner Funky Giant and popular rap artist T-Pain.

THE AMAZING TOUR IS NOT ON FIRE (THURSDAY AT 7 P.M.) Head to the Citi Performing Arts Center this week for a hilarious comedy show of inventive sketches and jokes. British Youtube stars Dan Howell and Phil Lester are sure to keep their Boston audience in stitches.

WAYNE BRADY (FRIDAY AT 7:30 P.M.) Known for his role on the popular improvisational comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway, actor, singer, and comedian Wayne Brady brings his hilarious stand-up to Boston’s Wilbur Theatre. Buy your tickets now for a night of quality comedy.

B3

THE HEIGHTS

Thursday, May 5, 2016

A MCLAUGHLIN MINUTE

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JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

“We’re here to really build this community:” Michael Burke 9P ?8EE8? D:C8L>?C@E 8jjk% 8ikj I\m`\n <[`kfi

Michael Burke and Max Bechtold, both MCAS ’18, exchanged a brief, knowing glance before breaking into lighthearted laughter. If someone had told the specifics of what the world of college a cappella had in store for Burke and Bechtold at the start of their freshman year, the charismatic co-creators of Boston College’s newest a cappella crew would’ve called him or her crazy. Now, as the second year of their undergraduate endeavors at BC comes to a close, the sophomores reminisced about how a shared passion for music allowed for the impressive assimilation of a fresh-faced singing group to a thriving campus music scene. Launching into a charming, it’sactually-a-pretty-funny-story kind of narrative, Burke explained the motives for making The Common Tones of Boston College a reality. Meanwhile, Bechtold expounded on how, exactly, the large group of co-ed crooners has incorporated community service into its repertoire. Though it has not yet devised a regular service schedule, the group has found various opportunities to bring its talent and energy to performances at local nursing homes and schools. “It kind of started as a joke at an audition for another a cappella group,” Burke recalled excitedly. “From there, a number of us didn’t make it, and then we thought, ‘Wait a second, this is actually a great idea. More people can be involved, and we can create a group that has an enthusiastic environment that we would love to be a part of,.” Though whispers and rumors of founding a new group had for years circulated following the heartbreaking cuts after a cappella callbacks, it

wasn’t until the Fall 2015 semester that the two decided to do something about it. With intentions to create a larger, more inclusive a cappella group than those already in existence, Burke and Bechtold worked to bring together a community that allowed the more-thancapable vocalists—a cappella hopefuls who would’ve made the cut if not for the limited number of available spots on other groups—an opportunity to make the music they love. The group became a registered student organization this February. “A lot of people were wholeheartedly committed to being part of something that they didn’t know was going to succeed,” Bechtold said, acknowledging its rather remarkable success in becoming

this, and that support from the members really allowed for success.” Further identifying the group as a new, refreshing addition to the realm of BC a cappella, Burke explained their goal to incorporate service within the group.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREW MALLEY

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREW MALLEY

a recognized singing group at BC. “I think we were easily able to become a cohesive group because we had kids who were incredibly determined to do

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANDREW MALLEY

“We really wanted service to be ingrained in what we were about,” he said. “It’s written throughout our mission statement. That’s why we’re here. We’re here to really build this community, to use our talents to help other people. That was the goal.” Despite a mere joke serving as the catalyst for group’s early origins, The Common Tones are no laughing matter. Serious about its commitment to service and uniting communities through the compelling power of music, the brand-new group emanates the same level of palpable joy and professionalism as some of the well-established a cappella crews that have for so long been ingrained in the fabric of BC’s

music scene. As exhibited in their first annual Spring Show, The Common Tones are a powerhouse of pure vocal talent. Song covers, like the group’s creative version of The Chainsmokers’ “Roses” as performed at the group’s recent Campus School performance, are impressively arranged and powerfully rendered for attentive audiences. Considering the group’s unique focus on service and community-building in its mission statement, The Common Tones have created a service-oriented identity that favors philanthropy. Burke sees the group’s high number of underclassmen as beneficial, rather than a drawback. He commends the underclassmen who have assumed daunting leadership roles, explaining how their experience taking on the responsibilities allotted to them will provide the group with knowledgeable officers and the individual with formative leadership skills for the future. “We were really able to create something pretty awesome out of nothing,” Bechtold said. “It wasn’t something I had ever considered or thought about doing before. Of course, we couldn’t have done it without the faith of all our members.” Burke agreed, citing The Common Tones’ infectious spirit of camaraderie as the element he appreciates most. “It has really become a home for people on campus. The group provides such a loving and joyous space, and to be able to bring that love to schools, nursing homes, and other sites for service opportunities is just so rewarding. As for the future of The Common Tones, the founders hope to expand through the promotion of the group’s egalitarian and community-building founding principles. “We’re gonna get as many people singing with us as we can,” Burke said.

AMELIE TRIEU / HEIGHTS EDITOR

In 2008, billions of flimsy, rainbowcolored Silly Bandz flew off of toy store shelves at record pace. Lindsay Lohan had just started her descent into the dark depths of that all-too familiar child-star-turnedtroublemaker trope. The stock market also went straight down the toilet, and then-Republican running mate Sarah Palin probably said something totally inaccurate about the proximity of her back porch to Putin’s pride and joy. Despite the aforementioned flaws permeating society and pop culture (hey Crocs, what’s good?), 2008 marked an incredible year for the entertainment industry. Considering the 2008 release of massive fan favorites like Beyonce’s viral “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” and Coldplay’s compelling “Viva La Vida,” which dominated music charts for months on end, the music industry had a whole lot going for it back then. The way I see it, the midto-late ’00s were the golden age for good, guilty-pleasure playlists. Though perhaps not coming off of the most wonderful LPs in the world as far as well-produced albums and quality lyrical content are concerned (here’s looking at you, “Sexy Can I”), these turn-of the-century songs gave way to some of today’s greatest throwback jams. If a music lover is looking to reminisce about the good old days spent dominating dodgeball at recess or actively avoiding the opposite gender at lame school dances, then my favorite Spotify playlist I have compiled thus far—appropriately named “I’m Sorry You Peaked In Middle School”—has got ‘em covered. It boasts fantastic tunes from The Fray, Ray J, and everything in between. The four-hour-long list jumps from one genre to the next with singles like the annoyingly infectious “Pocketful of Sunshine” and “American Boy” by Estelle featuring a preKardashian-contaminated Kanye West. In an astonishing feat of musical talent and lyrical genius, a well-known rapper released his 2007 album Epiphany. Truly poetic, one of the standout singles features the following heartwarming and totally grammatically correct refrain: “I’mma buy you a drank / Then I’mma take you home with me. I got money in the bank / Shawty What you think ‘bout that?” T-Pain for lyricist of our generation, who’s with me? In T-Pain’s eloquently entitled “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’),” it’s a real tossup whether the abbreviated pronoun “U,” intentional misspelling of the word “drink,” or the puzzling parenthetical makes the song so great. In all seriousness, however, I’d argue that it’s none of those. Maybe the single greatest element of a throwback track isn’t any specific aspect of the music itself. Perhaps what makes “Mr. Brightside” the best or “Move Along” so awesome is the memories associated with the days radio DJ’s used to play it on loop. It’s the small stuff you remember distinctly when you hear songs like the racy “Stacy’s Mom” at a party—deja vu flashes visions of family vacations, days spent trading your P!nk Hit Clip for NSYNC ones, and weeknights screaming the lyrics to “Good Riddance (Time of your Life)” on your way home from winning a field hockey championship. But, thanks to variety—the spice of life that provides unique experiences that differ drastically from person to person—it’s all relative. “Five for Fighting,” a guy I know said recently with a laugh, naming his favorite throwback band without any semblance of hesitation. “‘Superman’ and ‘100 Years’ are straight-up jams, Hannah, you’ve got to admit it.” After giving the songs a good listen for the first time since I can remember, I admit (begrudgingly) that he was right. Once upon a time, The All-American Rejects hoped to give you hell. Taylor Swift’s dad was a total jerk when trying to control her Shakespeare-inspired love story. Billie Joe Armstrong applied some heavy black eyeliner before taking an angsty stroll down a certain boulevard of broken dreams. And now, whatever was going on as these songs played steadily in the background of a person’s past can be relived with a swift tap of a replay button. I like the sound of that.

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THE HEIGHTS

B4

Thursday, May 5, 2016

8d`[ X 9cff[p Ê:`m`c NXi#Ë DXim\c KXZbc\j DfiXc 8dY`^l`kp 9P :8C<9 >I@<>F ?\`^_kj JkX]] The consequences of superhero destruction are rarely ever tackled in film, for good reason. The thought of all the casualties at the hands of supersized fights is a sobering one that really can put a damper on the exuberant (fun) thrashings being given to heroes and villains alike. Captain America: Civil War is able to capitalize on this relatively untested thematic ground and still make for an ensemble performance that hits all the right notes. Bringing a whole new level of depth to characters, Marvel continues to prove

its films can be more than just about ground-and-pound action, speaking about the humanity that remains in all of us. In an attempt to save his friend Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), from a different age than theirs, Captain America (Chris Evans) chooses to stand against provisions, the Sokovia Accords, that would hinder the Avengers’ influence and effectiveness in the world. As the Avengers begin to divide on the issue, several factions form. Much to the dismay of Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), a dark spiral of events ends in the two groups squaring off, each towing

a harsh line of friendship tainted by vitriolic ideological dissent. One of the best aspects of this film is that it hits all the emotional notes with the appropriate weight. Characters are able to deliver lines passionately, explaining their motivations and convictions, and in the next instance throw out quips, poking fun at friends on the other side of a bitter struggle. This duality is especially apparent in Spider-Man (Tom Holland), with his chipper, mirthful attitude, Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), acting as the new guy in town, and the charming naivete of the Vision (Paul Bettany). The result is a film that hits you with hard questions,

TELEVISION

CIVIL WAR RUSSO BROTHERS DISTRIBUTED BY WALT DISNEY STUDIOS RELEASE MAY 6, 2016 OUR RATING

WALT DISNEY STUDIOS

but gives plenty of palate-cleansers, never venturing too far into the drear of a Zack Snyder superworld. Evans and Downey, Jr. function very well as the philosophical fulcrum of the film. Each is relatable and their emotions are worn on their sleeves. This makes for a dynamic experience for viewers, as one will certainly feel the validity of the two sides pulling the audience toward each pole. Not only does each character hold fast and hard to his or her point of view, but each has visual, visceral reactions to the challenges of other heroes and momentous narrative revelations. Downey, especially due to the gravity of several key plot points, makes Iron Man much more man in this film than iron. And because of this, the impressive level of action feels all the more pressing and meaningful. Though viewers may not relish in Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) exchanging blows, it feels necessary and justified. The mutually-assured destruction of these beloved characters is as visually striking as it is charged with pathos and a hint of comedy. Civil War is able to substantantiate the motivations of its characters easily. One of the less compelling aspects of the film lies in its would-be villain. Forgettable and, for the better part of the film, irrelevant, the villain seems

an afterthought. Though his motivations line up seamlessly with the themes of the film, his screen time could have been better spent on the other character. His ineffectiveness is felt strongly, as much of the story still progresses though the ambitions of those donning capes and masks, without his influence. In a film that will certainly garner the label of “overstuffed,” the villain’s inclusion simply adds to its over-encumbered nature. The number of characters in the film makes for some cluttered moments, but the story really remains about Cap and Stark. Though Marvel has not made a flawless film, it has not made an ostensibly bad one, either. In Civil War, it may have found its best. Surprisingly philosophical, Civil War speaks about a kind of moralistic relativism that is apparent in our world. Who is right? Who is wrong? Can any one person’s motivations be more valid than another? Civil War asks this question and shows what may lie on the logical extremes when we attempt to answer. This dichotomy allows the film to remain ambiguous in its conclusion. The symbolic nature of the Avengers, super people in super situations, is used to suggest that such moral conundrums do not belong solely to those endowed with super abilities. Choice is a power all people have.

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It’s here. Arguably the most anticipated album of 2016, Drake’s Views, previously known as Views from the 6, is now streaming on Apple Music. Drake has been on a perpetual winning streak since he first rose to prominence, pioneering a new, personal brand of hip-hop and R&B. He currently enjoys superstar status and can be confident that each of his releases, whether a full project or an errant single, is likely to become an overnight sensation. Drake’s repertoire was never centered on his studio albums. His mainstream debut mixtape/EP, So Far Gone, is as cherished a memory to his devout fans as his first proper release, Thank Me Later. His various features and untethered Internet releases have defined his career as much as his masterful sophomore album, Take Care. His last studio album, Nothing Was the Same, was quintessential Drake, containing hard-hitting hip-hop cuts as well as his signature mellow and meandering R&B melodies. Therein the ambiguity lies: is Views more properly considered a successor to last year’s rap-oriented IYRTITL, or to NWTS with its more emotional focus? The immediate answer seems to be the latter. Views starts off with a five-and-a-half-minute track with

Drake singing about relationships. The next three songs, and numerous others, follow suit, staying melodyfocused, with Drake ruminating on various aspects of his life. The production takes a backseat here, in contrast to all of his other releases. The theme for much of the album largely involves just a single synth line or chords, sampled drum hits, and various sound effects. His voice runs the show, in a meandering way, often with only a vague sense of melody. There are two types of Drake songs: rap anthems and R&B reflections. He often embraces this duality by juxtaposing the two, a la “0 to 100/ The Catch Up.” The first hype track on his newest album is the appropriately-titled “Hype,” where Drake hits his rhythm and his swagger. The same mood and theme is echoed later in the album in “Still Here,” another track where Drake brags about his success. The hype on this album, which also includes “Grammys” featuring Future, feels hollow. Particularly on the single “Pop Style,” Drake seems to be offering his take on the relatively new, dark, spookier trap style that other rappers have been toying with. Drake appears less willing to stray from his pop sensibilities, however, and the sound just feels generic, with nothing but big kick drums and chopped high hats to signal that the song is, in common parlance, “lit.” The most interesting development

in the album is Drake’s apparent newfound affection for Latin beats and dancehall music. It’s not clear why Drake insists on speaking Patois so much on the album, whether it be the influence of his collaborator Popcaan or an attempt to woo the Barbadian Rihanna. It’s a refreshing, if overused, change of pace, a sound that Drake is exploring for the first time. Latin influence is apparent in songs of various styles, from the catchy “With You” to the previously released lead single and its previously leaked little brother, “One Dance” and “Controlla.” The Rihanna spot on “Too Good,” one of the album’s best tracks and the one with the most pop appeal, features some of

the best singing on the project. Drake has been at his best when his style is continually developing. Each of his previous projects features a different sound, from the hugely influential Take Care to the atmospheric Nothing was the Same, to the formidable If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. In some ways he continues to grow, as he experiments with reincorporating Kanye-esque vocal samples and infusing Latin percussion into his own personal brand of hip-hop. But he doesn’t make any statements, lyrically or musically, that would allow the album to rival his previous work. He seems to be stuck in a rut. Or, though he brags that he

stands at the top of the game, he may be too scared to fall from his pedestal, and thus can’t bring himself to deviate too far from his established sound, leaving the album bland. The album has its highlights. Numerous tracks deserve much more than just a few listens, but the same cannot be said for many of the others, nor for the album as a whole. Views is still a relative standout. It certainly isn’t a “bad” album, though it’s not great. As new artists like Bryson Tiller and some of OVO’s own artists rapidly catch up to him, Drake needs something, a certain je ne sais quoi that he’s had all his career but is missing from the heart of Views.

MUSIC

VIEWS DRAKE PRODUCED BY OVO SOUND RELEASE APRIL 29, 2016 OUR RATING

OVO SOUND

JkXik$Lg Jki`]\ =l\cj :fd\[`Z JlZZ\jj `e ÊJ`c`Zfe MXcc\pË 9P :?8E;C<I =FI; ?\`^_kj JkX]] Director Mike Judge, well known for his social-commentary films Idiocracy and Office Space, has once again struck gold with his cult-classic television program Silicon Valley. The show has reached critical acclaim even from its very first episodes, appealing to the tech-savvy and television-savvy alike. The premiere episode of the third season showed that Judge is far, far away

from running out of ideas. HBO’s Silicon Valley relates the story of Richard Hendricks, a failed Stanford University student who’s trying to develop his own software startup company. After leaving tech giant Hooli, he develops his own product, Pied Piper, a music app with a constantly developing mission statement. Hendricks constantly fights to keep himself and his company legitimate in the eyes of the minefield of a business world that is Silicon Valley. In

the season three premiere, Hendricks attempts to sue his own company after being fired by its board of directors. He meets with an external company to try to find work elsewhere, but is eventually hired back as the CTO of his own company. Thomas Middleditch. who plays Hendricks, is without a doubt the strongest actor on the show. One of the biggest elements of a longstanding television program is a solid ensemble cast—Middleditch grounds

MUSIC

SILICON VALLEY MIKE JUDGE PRODUCED BY JUDGEMENTAL FILMS RELEASE APRIL 24, 2016 OUR RATING

JUDGEMENTAL FILMS

every single actor around him, rooting the show in a sense of concrete steadfastness. Second to Middleditch is Matt Ross playing the role of Gavin Belson, chief innovation officer of Hooli. Gavin stands in stark contrast to Hendricks as the foil to Hendricks’ desire to remain sane in the world of business. Ross’ character is by far the funniest—the way in which he counteracts the character of Hendricks is nothing short of comedy genius. This is the driving force behind Silicon Valley’s popularity. The uniquely executed humor of the show is something of a phenomenon in modern television. Silicon Valley garners laughter from its audience in perhaps the most counterintuitive way possible: by punishing its characters over and over, placing them in positions where they are doomed to fail, like when Middleditch is unable to convince Pied Piper’s executive board to make him CEO of his own company. Even similarly styled programs like The IT Crowd or Betas are not quite as harsh to their characters, which leads Silicon Valley down a path more reminiscent of HBO’s Game of Thrones than a show about a tech startup. And the formula works quite well—Silicon Valley is hilarious. The

first two episodes have more than their fair share of laughs. Refreshingly, Silicon Valley is not afraid to offend viewers in an effort to gain these laughs. The second episode of the latest season featured two thoroughbred horses having sex on camera. And according to Mike Judge, no, the scene wasn’t simulated—Silicon Valley actually displayed “horse porn” as an elaborate joke in its latest episode. Extremely graphic and extremely brave, this scene is representative of Silicon Valley’s oneof-a-kind style of humor: unafraid of criticism from anyone. Ultimately, Silicon Valley is not a television program for everyone. And this is not hugely shocking, especially considering the show’s willingness to show horse “fluids” to its viewers. Though the program will probably never reach a very broad appeal, there is no question as to the depth it reaches with those who do find it intriguing. This is an acceptable fate for such a unique style of humor. Though it may seem backwards, if Judge’s creations are loved by the masses, they’ve likely lost their artistic integrity already, which is thankfully a fate that has yet to befall Silicon Valley.

CHART TOPPERS TOP SINGLES

1 Panda Desiigner 2 One Dance Drake ft. WizKid, Kyla 3 7 Years Lukas Graham 4 Purple Rain Prince, The Revolution 5 I Took A Pill In Ibiza Mike Posner 6 Work Rihanna ft. Drake 7 Work From Home Fifth Harmony 8 When Doves Cry Prince

TOP ALBUMS

1 Lemonade Beyonce 2 The Very Best of Prince Prince 3 Purple Rain Prince, The Revolution 4 Hits/The B-Sides Rihanna 5 ANTI Rihanna Source: Billboard.com

MUSIC VIDEO CHANDLER FORD

“DON’T LET ME DOWN”

THE CHAINSMOKERS

Just after their performance at Coachella this month, the Chainsmokers have released their newest music video for their hit single “Don’t Let Me Down.” Featuring the up-andcoming 17-year-old artist Daya, the song is a comfortable departure from the synth-pop style of The Chainsmokers, instead exploring the potential of a softer form of trap-style tunes. When coupled with the directorial decisions of Marcus Kuhne, though, the video for “Don’t Let Me Down” reaches new heights of spellbinding allure. The video begins with Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall entering their car, beginning a journey on a mountain highway. As they drive, they enter a forest, eventually coming across Daya and her band of backup dancers. The two groups stare each other down, with Taggart and Paul making the first move to leave. Without warning, Daya begins dancing, apparently convincing the car to dance right along with her. Gravity eventually seems to remove itself, as the video ends with The Chainsmokers duo suspended in thin air. At its core, “Don’t Let Me Down” seems to walk the fine line of artistic integrity very carefully. In the first 30 seconds of the video, there are clear scars of product placement— Spotify and Level headphones are the most obvious conspirators. This creates some level of discomfort watching the video, almost as if the entire thing is a method by which Collaboration Factory can push its latest partnerships. Though it is difficult to uncover the truth of whether “Don’t Let Me Down” is a vehicle of product placement or an attempt to create art, The Chainsmokers have created an eccentric and mesmerizing video out of their Daya collaboration.

SINGLE REVIEWS BY DAN FITZGERALD IMAGINE DRAGONS “Not Today”

RIHANNA AND CALVIN HARRIS “This Is What You Came For” Featured on the soundtrack to the upcoming drama Me Over You, “Not Today” finally proves what Imagine Dragons can do when the theatrics are stripped away. Trading its usual bombastic drums and airy vocals for an acoustic guitar and a warm string section, the band delivers a song suited for a soundtrack.

This run-of-the-mill dance track is truly a waste of Rihanna’s talent. It isn’t ostensibly bad as a song, but it just doesn’t pack the punch that we’ve all grown to expect from Rihanna, especially in the wake of ANTI. Rihanna’s presence could frankly be replaced with any other female vocalist without anyone noticing.

JACOB SARTORIUS “Sweatshirt” When you listen to ‘Sweatshirt,’ which is a wholly uncomfortable experience, your tears of laughter over the fact that it’s about lending his girlfriend a sweatshirt will soon turn to tears of deep sorrow, as you begin to realize that this middle-schooler has likely achieved more success than you ever will.

CLASSIFIEDS

THE HEIGHTS THE HEIGHTS

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THE HEIGHTS 2015-16 ATHLETES

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Thursday, May 5, 2016

Breakout Male Athlete

Jacob Stevens | Michael Sullivan |

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ntering the season, if you shuffled down after your 1 p.m. class on a Friday afternoon to Shea Field, hoping to catch a baseball game—Boston College’s best mix of sporting events and cost (read: free), pending the weather—you’d be likely to see Mike King. The Warwick, R.I., native has the pinpoint accuracy of Greg Maddux. Though his fastball only reaches the high 80s or low 90s, he can pound the lower half of the plate with devastating sinking action, and he paints the corners like Rembrandt. King works methodically and quickly—his most recent outing, a complete game, one-run effort, lasted under two hours. He is the true definition of a control pitcher. Roll out of bed on a Saturday, get a McBC sandwich, head to Shea, and you’d see Justin Dunn. The former closer has an easy and effortless delivery. Yet his pitches are anything but. Dunn sets fire to the radar gun with heat that touches 98 miles per hour. ACC hitters look silly going up against his big-league 4-seamer. He may lose counts from time to time and walk a batter or two, but when there are men on base, don’t expect them to score, because Dunn will make sure that ball is never put in play. He is the opposite of King, a true power pitcher. Yet head coach Mike Gambino wanted more. He needed a guy who was the full package, who could round out a strong rotation and be its Friday night starter in a couple of years. Someone with an overwhelming fastball that could be placed wherever he wanted it. And, on top of that, he needed someone who could make batters look just as foolish with his offspeed stuff as with his heaters. At long last, Gambino has found that pitcher. His name is Bear.

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espite all of BC’s upperclassmen studs on the mound, freshman Jacob Stevens is the most imposing. He’s a big dude, one of the biggest on the team, measuring in at 6-foot-3, 248 pounds. But even that seems like an underestimation. The Darien, Conn., native has broad shoulders like Michael Phelps, so his powerful stature allows him to intimidate batters without trying. His neck makes California Redwoods look thin. While his facial expressions are kind, they are calculating. Read his eyes, and he knows exactly where a pitch will end up before catcher Nick Sciortino even gets into a crouch. He feels that he’s the one who’s going to win on any given day, against any opponent. “I don’t like to lose, I like to go out there with the mentality of ‘I’m better than you,’” Stevens said. After a few seconds of thinking, Stevens remembered another thing that makes him successful. “I’ve also been blessed to throw hard and have a good curveball,” Stevens said with a sheepish grin, “so that helps.” His primary weapon is his four-seam fastball, which is at home at 89-92 mph but can get as high as 94. His breaking ball, which Gambino listed as “plus-plus” the first time he saw Stevens pitch, resembles a slurve. When it’s released from his hand, Stevens’ slurve looks like a pitchout, destined to ride high and make Sciortino leap to reel it in. Yet he puts a sharp, biting motion on it that lets the ball fall over the plate by the time it reaches the dirt in front of the mound. Something was missing. Like many high school pitchers, Stevens deceived batters just by going fastball-breaking ball. At the NCAA level—and especially in the ACC—that isn’t going to fly. Stevens had dabbled with a changeup throughout his days at the prestigious Choate Rosemary Hall, but wouldn’t want to bring it out in important situations.

“It was something that I could throw to show I could throw it, but not something that I trusted,” Stevens said. That’s a normal feeling among pitchers in the Northeast, according to Gambino. The changeup is designed to come out of the hand appearing like a fastball before slowing down at the last second and dropping. But in this region, the talent for arms greatly outweighs the talent at the plate. Below-average hitters who can’t catch up to a fastball anyway can sit on the changeup, easily taking advantage of the slower stuff and letting the pitchers do them a favor. Instead of dropping it altogether, pitching coach Jim Foster forced Stevens to work on it every day. The two would constantly work on it in practice. Every pitch would be that changeup, and Foster would note the velocity differences. Now, Stevens feels comfortable including it in his arsenal.

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e was almost ready to offer him in the fall of his sophomore season. Unrestricted by the competitiveness and watchful eye of NCAA football and men’s basketball, Gambino often begins scouting players when they’re in their underclassman years of high school. From his first start, Gambino knew Stevens was the real deal. He envisioned Fridays in the ACC, under the lights of a major Southern stadium—or soon, a beautiful new complex on BC’s Brighton Campus—where Bear would be mowing down hitters. When he saw Stevens in the fall, something wasn’t right. He had the stuff, yet couldn’t control the game the way Gambino knew he could. So he reassured his top prospect that, while he still loved him, he just wanted to see him start in the spring. “And we saw his first outing in the spring,” Gambino said. “We knew then that he was everything we wanted.” It’s not as much the stuff Stevens threw that convinced Gambino to sign the man who would end up being an Honorable Mention All-American in his senior season. Rather, it was Stevens’ emotional maturity and determination that helped Gambino realize he’s the guy who will be the future of BC. “As far as I’m concerned, he’s already a junior in college.” said Bobby Skogsbergh, a reliever for BC and a close friend of Stevens. Stevens’ favorite quality about his pitching is his inability to let anything distract him. Unlike other pitchers, who will scream bloody murder (or whisper f—k … a lot) into their gloves in frustration after a player hits a home run off a meatball over the heart of the plate or one of their fielders makes an error, Stevens remains composed. He always keeps in the back of his mind that whatever happens, happens. The only thing he can control is where he places the pitch over the plate—anything else is irrelevant. He believes that, if he were to reveal the cards in his head, that aura he creates from his size and skill would disappear instantly. “If you start showing emotion, that’s blood in the water for them,” Stevens said. Stevens thrived with that strategy. He mowed through nonconference starts against Northern Illinois, Chicago State, and North Dakota State, combining for 18 innings pitched, seven hits—the NDSU start saw Stevens give up no hits through six—23 strikeouts, five walks, and, oh yeah, no runs. ACC play was no different. He shut out North Carolina State in 4 2/3 innings, before allowing one run each against Clemson and Pittsburgh. All three starts were on the road. That gave Gambino the confidence to pull the trigger on a move he had planned

MICHAEL SULLIVAN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

for some time down the road, yet saw no better time than in the middle of the season: Stevens would be his Friday night starter. Right now.

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hat composure doesn’t always show up in the clubhouse. Rather, his laid-back nature makes him one of the clubhouse’s most fun characters. Skogsbergh said you can often find him dancing on the bus or in the hotel rooms—his moves, I’ve heard, cannot be beat. Additionally, Stevens doesn’t take himself too seriously. After all, Gambino said, he sports a mean goatee and mohawk, the latter of which has made a triumphant return this year. Wild, 1980s-style hair is a funny look for a guy who has been called Bear his whole life because of his overwhelming size. That is, when his teammates let him go by that. After all, you can’t just come into a cast of characters like the Eagles in your freshman year without taking some hits for having a nickname. “He had to prove himself first before he gets to be Bear,” Skogsbergh said. So Skogsbergh and the other pitchers dubbed Stevens “Pear.” That was partially a play on Bear itself, but also in reference to his shape. No one loves it more than the man himself. “It’s something funny that I can live with,” Stevens said with a laugh. “I don’t care what people call me, as long as people have fun with it.”

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lectricity creeped through the crowd when No. 4 Louisville came into town. The Eagles, in a careful balancing act between contending—they had taken 2-of-3 from defending champion Virginia—and pretending—a deflating sweep at Notre Dame—for the postseason, now faced their toughest opponent. Think Stevens was scared? Against a Cardinals lineup that hits a collective .325—.325!—with four starters breaking well above .350, Stevens was cooking on the mound. When no one was on base, Stevens methodically worked between that slurve and high heater. With men on, not much changed. He and Sciortino tag-teamed to keep runners off-balance on the rare occasion they reached base. He even revealed a dirty pickoff move to second base, a tough motion for any pitcher, much less a right-hander. When the dust settled, Stevens finished the win with seven hits and a walk scattered across seven innings on 102 pitches, one unearned run allowed, with four strikeouts. His ERA? A paltry 1.02, third-best in the nation. That number rose a little to 1.56 after a shaky four-run outing against Virginia Tech. Nevertheless, Stevens is still on the leaderboard: 17th overall, third in the ACC, first among freshmen, numbers good enough to have him on the midseason watch list for the Golden Spikes Award. But hey, that’s just all in a day’s work for the man named Bear, renamed Pear, and named Bear yet again. And he’s just getting started.

Breakout Female Athlete Mariella Fasoula | rILEY oVEREND |

JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

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ince she was a little girl, Mariella Fasoula has been on the path to be a big man. It started outside of her Memphis home, when a 5-year-old Fasoula stumbled outside the garage one afternoon to find her father and brother playing basketball in the driveway. Intrigued, she asked to play. Her dad could have entertained the toddler by lifting her up for a slam dunk, or explained to her how to dribble and shoot. Instead, he asked her a question. “Do you know what a rebound is?” Fasoula shook her head. But lucky for her, she had the perfect teacher. As a 7-foot center, Panagiotis Fasoulas started for the Greek national team in the the 1987 FIBA European Championship. His competition included international powerhouses such as the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and Italy, which qualified because of their performances in the 1985 tournament. Greece, on the other hand, qualified because it was hosting. But after barely escaping the group stage, Panagiotis and the Greek team began clicking in the elimination rounds. The squad upset undefeated Italy in the quarterfinals before edging out Yugoslavia in the semis, setting up a title match with the heavily favored Soviet Union. In front of a home crowd of 17,000 in Athens, Greece squeaked by the USSR in an overtime thriller for its first-ever gold medal. At the heart of its Cinderella run was Panagiotis’ interior presence, blocking shots, grabbing boards, and throwing down vicious dunks in the paint. Today, Panagiotis—who moved his family back to Greece to serve as mayor of Athens’ port city, Piraeus, in 2004—is a local legend in Athens, attracting attention when he just walks down the street. But he’s no longer the budding basketball star of Greece that everyone is talking about. Now, 4,700 miles away from the birthplace of democracy, all eyes are on his daughter, a 6-foot-4, not-so-little-now freshman tasked with reviving both Boston College women’s basketball and the Greek national team.

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rebound may never make a highlight reel or a hoop mixtape, but it could make the difference between winning and losing. “It is the most essential thing,” Panagiotis reminds Mariella. See, you can make a career out of size, rebounding, boxing out, and blocking shots. Panagiotis knew that firsthand. But pure scorers? They are much more volatile. For the Fasoulas, everything begins and ends in the paint. Last year, those words came as music to head coach Erik Johnson’s ears during his search for a post player who could purge the Eagles’ identity as a jump-shooting team. Fasoula was the missing piece. In her first year in Chestnut Hill, Fasoula won the starting job over sophomore Katie Quandt and immediately began producing for the team. At 18, she played with basketball wisdom beyond her years thanks to her experience playing with women 10 years her senior on the Greek national team. “I could tell the first day she came into practice, she was just ready to go,” freshman point guard Stephanie Jones said. “You could tell she had a lot of poise, which a lot of younger players lack—especially freshmen coming out of high school. Well, she had been playing on the national team with older girls. She was just ready to go out there and ball.” Oh, and ball she did. The addition of Fasoula to the starting lineup opened up an inside-out game that had been absent from the team for years. Previously, the Eagles relied too much on the perimeter, and their playmakers couldn’t do proper damage. Now,

with a true center, BC guards like Martina Mosetti and Nicole Boudreau were able to get the ball into the low post, where Fasoula would either challenge her defender or kick the ball out to a 3-point specialist like Kelly Hughes in the case of a double-team. The new game plan helped the Eagles to win five straight out of the gate, and ultimately finish 13-1 in nonconference play. One of their most notable victories came in December in the Big Ten Challenge against Purdue, when Fasoula scored a career-high 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting, adding nine rebounds and two blocks to top it off. Her effectiveness close to the hoop forced the Boilermaker defense to sag off the 3-point line, giving space for Boudreau to knock down a game-winning trey with 7.4 seconds remaining. The victory was BC’s first in the annual Big Ten Challenge game since 2010. “We beat Purdue with a whole team effort,” Fasoula said. “I hadn’t felt so energized by the team so much until that game. It was something really special.” But the excitement of their wins away from the ACC quickly evaporated as soon as conference play started. The team’s best start since 2010-11 gave way to four straight conference losses and, ultimately, a 2-14 record in the ACC. Despite the team’s slump, Fasoula remained a defensive stalwart and a model of efficiency on offense. Against ACC teams, she led the Eagles with 15.3 points per game on 53 percent shooting, good for fourth among all players in the conference. Her 404 total points marked the highest total by a BC freshman since 2007-08, and her selection to the All-ACC Freshman team was the program’s first since Boudreau in 2012-13. Generally considered a defensive and rebounding specialist before college, Fasoula emerged as a prolific scorer not by using her size to shoot over defenders, but by employing her signature shot to maneuver underneath them. Dubbed the “ice-cream scoop” by her teammates and coaches, the up-and-under layup was as unconventional as it was lethal. It looked like a spin move tailored for 30-year-olds playing overseas, not ACC basketball. “It’s such a good move that, even though we call it an ice-cream scoop, you gotta respect the move,” Jones said. “She gets buckets that way. It’s so hard to stop that why would you change it?” The ice-cream scoop was crucial to Fasoula’s development on offense, where creative post moves have helped her succeed against more athletic ACC centers and reach double-digit scoring in 23 games—13 of which she led the team in scoring. All of this came from a player who started the season on the bench.

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asoula rarely lost back home in Greece, but when she did, she did not take it lightly. She’s her own biggest critic, and it’s not even close. Panagiotis recalls entire car rides back from club basketball tournaments during which he and his wife spent hours trying to convince Fasoula that a loss wasn’t all her fault. Now, he applies a different approach: offering advice given to him by legendary college basketball coach Jim Valvano. Panagiotis played under Valvano at NC State in the 1985-86 season, averaging 2.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. The numbers don’t jump off the page, but his height screamed potential for NBA teams. In the 1986 draft, Panagiotis was selected in the second round by the Portland Trail Blazers. “Back in 1986 when I was drafted, Kareem, Magic, Isiah Thomas, and Dr. J were all still playing,” Panagiotis said. “I could not manage myself with legends like these people on the court.” So he returned home to play professional basketball in Greece. As he began his fight to bring his country a gold medal for basketball, his old coach, Valvano, was starting a fight of his own. The 1983 NCAA Champion was diagnosed with bone cancer in 1992 before passing a year later. His ESPYs speech, delivered eight weeks before his death, serves as a reminder of his infectious personality and unwavering positivity. “Valvano was a ‘never give up’ guy,” Panagiotis recalled. “He wasn’t afraid of showing his feelings. If you’re gonna cry, you’re gonna cry. If you’re gonna laugh, you’re gonna laugh.” When his daughter is upset after a loss, Panagiotis borrows from Valvano

to cheer her up. “He kept telling me that every failure is a lesson, and that you have to fail so many times to succeed,” Fasoula said. “That’s what [Valvano] would tell my dad, and he passed it on. My expectations for myself are really high. I’m really hard on myself so he keeps telling me these quotes that Jimmy Valvano would say.” Before and after each game, Fasoula calls her father for advice. “He always tells me to focus on details,” Fasoula said. “I think that’s the main thing that he always reminds me of: ‘Be focused on what you do and do it to the best of your abilities.’” Most of the time, the guidance is straightforward. Rebound the basketball, move off the ball, support your teammates—the same directions she receives from her coaching staff every day. But it’s the familiarity of the voice on the other end of the phone that brings her comfort—and confidence—before she steps on the court. In just a few weeks, she’ll reunite with the man who laid the foundation for her success when she flies home to Greece to join the national team for the summer. Though the group was only recently promoted from the Division-II level, Fasoula hopes to catapult Greece to the international stage, just like her dad did. hat are you saying?” Throughout the season, Jones learned bits and pieces of Greek from Fasoula. But when the Athenian starts talking to herself during games in her native tongue, it’s all Greek to Jones. “She’ll just go off on rants in Greek on the court,” Jones said. “Half the time, I don’t know what she’s saying. Then she’ll just go back to English, she’s like ‘Oh, my bad.’” Fasoula insists there wasn’t a culture shock coming back to America, but, like any normal first-year college student, she has had her fair share of out-of-place moments. Luckily, she made a best friend who knew the ropes. Jones has been right by Fasoula’s side since she arrived on campus last August, helping her adjust to American college life, the T, and showing her the shortcuts around BC’s steep campus. The friendship is an unlikely one at first glance—Jones, listed at a generous 5-foot-7, is the shortest on the team, reaching Fasoula’s shoulders on her tiptoes. Though their homes are separated by thousands of miles and their heads by another nine inches, the two are nearly inseparable. During the last two minutes of a close game this season, Fasoula and Jones were sitting together on the bench with their eyes glued to the court. Fasoula may have been too focused, though. When the center reached for a cup of blue Powerade on the sideline, she missed her target altogether. “All the blue Powerade spills on her white jersey and I’m just sitting there dying with laughter,” Jones said with a chuckle. “Then I’m like, ‘Oh crap, I gotta get her cleaned up.’ So I’m pouring my water bottle on her jersey, trying to wipe it out. We were all just laughing so hard.” With a schedule as hectic and busy as Fasoula’s, it’s important to laugh at moments like these. Panagiotis hasn’t taken his daughter on a family vacation since she was a toddler because of the constant flux of basketball tournaments. Her free time is even more limited as a student-athlete at BC—not to mention an international student, as well. But whenever she feels overwhelmed, she can always turn to her father for support. Panagiotis knows the rigors of being a student-athlete in a foreign country, and he knows his daughter better than anybody. As for comparisons between the two Greek stars? “I feel like that will always continue to happen,” Fasoula said “I just want to continue his name. I’m not my dad. But I’m really proud of him and I want to continue what he established.” Having a Greek basketball legend as her dad has helped Fasoula become the player she is today. But she has also created her own distinct brand of the game that is simply unteachable. From her garage basketball hoop to Athens to Conte Forum, she has transformed from Panagiotis’ daughter into Mariella Fasoula, the bonafide big man who’s leaving her mark all over America’s best college basketball conference.

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Thursday, May 5, 2016

THE HEIGHTS 2015-16 ATHLETES

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Male Athlete of the Year: Dennis Clifford | Annabel Steele |

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ime was finally winding down for Boston College men’s basketball. The Eagles were about to finish their season without a conference win for the first time in program history, mercifully ending with a loss to Florida State in the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament. And, as the final seconds of the season ticked away, the team’s leader and biggest threat watched the action from the bench. There weren’t that many fans in the Verizon Center. When national powerhouses like Virginia and UNC are in town, people aren’t likely to check out a first-round game between BC and FSU. But those that did straggle in from the streets of Washington, D.C., witnessed Florida State pull away with an 88-66 victory. Dennis Clifford, once the Eagles’ biggest threat in the game, was no longer controlling the paint. In the first half, he’d been unstoppable, scoring 12 points and grabbing seven rebounds before halftime as his Eagles stayed right with the Seminoles. By the end, he was relegated to the bench, forced to watch the conclusion of his BC career from the sidelines after accumulating one too many fouls. After the game, a reporter asked Clifford about his favorite memory as an Eagle. Clifford began to answer, but then took time to compose himself, staring at his hands. When he looked back up, clearly emotional, he responded, “Going out to eat.” The seemingly innocuous answer was picked up by every media outlet imaginable, from Barstool Sports to Sports Illustrated. And almost everyone criticized the answer, with some people arguing that it was just a poor answer while others pointed out that the team got norovirus after going out to eat. Almost two months later, sitting in Hillside Cafe, Clifford laughed about that experience. “I’ve always been a dude that’s always trying to eat, that’s definitely part of my personality,” he said. “A lot of people close to me know that, so I got made fun of a lot for a week.” But what if he was asked the question again? If he could go back in time, having just been eliminated from the ACC Tournament as one of the worst

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teams in Division-I basketball history, what would he say? “I would start the same way, but I would definitely elaborate and not try to sound like an idiot,” he said with a chuckle. His elaboration would basically be what Clifford’s close friends and family already know about him—that this team has meant everything to him. The everyday things, like going out to eat with his team, meant just as much to him as the playing did. Despite the tumult he went through during his college career, from injuries and poor play—both personal and of the team—nothing diminished his love for basketball, his teammates, and BC. This year, Clifford’s dominance on the court and commitment to his team have been clear. The 7-foot-tall center left everything on the court in every game, establishing himself as a positive role model for his teammates. No one who knows him doubts Clifford’s commitment to BC and to his team. He is, in short, the quintessential Eagle.

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ollege basketball wasn’t always a given for Clifford. Though he played all throughout high school, when he was younger he wasn’t sure if he’d be good enough to garner enough interest to play at a major-conference school. But then, as he developed his game and grew older, he started getting recruited. When BC came knocking, Clifford jumped at the opportunity to play for the Eagles. Clifford arrived on campus as a freshman in 2011, ready to make his mark

on the court. A young member of a young team, he quickly established good relationships with his coaches and teammates. It was head coach Steve Donahue’s second year leading the Eagles, and the team depended on four freshmen starters. Clifford’s strong freshman campaign was marked by appearances in every single game. He averaged 9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, showing flashes of brilliance and the potential to become one of BC’s strongest basketball players. Then came the knee injury. The nightmare started in his sophomore year. Clifford aggravated his knee coming down from a dunk, and the pain just refused to go away. His numbers plummeted to 2.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. The pain continued throughout his junior year, when Clifford had surgery and was sidelined with a medical redshirt. During that time, Clifford’s focus slipped. “During my sophomore and junior year I didn’t really handle myself the way I should have,” he said. “I spent all of my focus on how I was hurt and how things weren’t going my way.” It didn’t help that a lot of people, including doctors, had grim outlooks on Clifford’s future—some believed he might not be able to play basketball again. He’d shown the potential to be great as a freshman, but the injury derailed everything. With these doubts in his mind, Clifford fought to get back to the player he knew he was. In 2014, Donahue was fired and replaced by Jim Christian. Clifford, postrehab and ready to play, introduced himself to his new coach and explained his situation. “I just got to know his story and what he’d been through,” Christian said. “It gave me an appreciation for what he’d been through, just to get to that point.” At that point, according to Christian, Clifford was just starting to feel better. The months of rehab, the workouts, the effort, and the determination were paying off. He was ready to come back and prove that the knee injury hadn’t knocked the basketball out of him. More importantly, his new coaches were thrilled to see him bounce back, and their excitement was a huge boost for Clifford. “It was crazy, it was like a drug, being out there on the court again,” he said. Clifford played consistently as a redshirt junior, but didn’t excel. He averaged 6.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. The important thing was, he was getting back into a rhythm—one that would really take off this year, when he played as a graduate student in his final year of varsity eligibility. He averaged 6.3 points while grabbing 8.8 rebounds for the first four games of the season. In the Eagles’ fifth game of the season, against UC-Irvine, Clifford scored 14 points and added five rebounds. From there, his numbers rose steadily—including a 17-point performance against Penn State—but the best was yet to come. On Feb. 9, amid lots of talk about BC’s woes, Roy Williams and his formidable Tar Heels rolled into Chestnut Hill. They were ready to cruise to an easy victory in Conte Forum. After all, if you’re UNC, the last thing you expect from a struggling team is a close game. Unfortunately for Williams and Co., the Eagles weren’t about to roll over without a fight. And although the Eagles would end up losing 68-65, it was a turning point for Clifford, and everyone knew it. He completely dominated the post throughout the game. Nobody could muscle a rebound away from him, and he ended with 13 boards to accompany his 14 points. But it went beyond the stats. Clifford’s presence in the post was a clear message—nobody was taking anything from him. It was his home court, it was his domain. With eight games left in the season, Clifford was hitting his stride and playing the best basketball of his BC career. Christian was impressed not only with Clifford’s play, but with the joy he saw in his big man as he hit a rhythm. “He slayed those inner demons,” Christian said. “The physical ones and the ones you put in your own head about the confidence levels and the consistency levels.” From that point on, Clifford took off. He averaged 14.1 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game. His determination and focus served as an example for the rest of his team. Clifford never stopped fighting—not until he was whistled for his final foul against Florida State, ending his BC career. Looking back, it’s easy to marvel at Clifford’s comeback. He went from being injured and doubting himself to excelling, including absolute domination toward the end of his final year. Without the right support system, it’s possible Clifford wouldn’t have bounced back. But his family, friends, and teammates never stopped believing in him, giving him the extra support and confidence necessary to fight back to the top. “Without them, I’m not sure if I would’ve made it out of that rut,” Clifford said.

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erome Robinson and Clifford just clicked. Robinson, a freshman, stayed with Clifford when he visited BC. Clifford did the usual things, like showing Robinson around campus, but the two also chilled, played video games, and— JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS EDITOR what else?—got food together. The future teammates had an immediate connection. According to Robinson, Clifford is always perfectly attuned to the situation—in practice, he’s serious, but outside of practice he’s always willing to goof off. This year, like Clifford’s freshman year, the team was young. With eight freshmen on the squad of 14 total players, the upperclassmen served as mentors and examples. Clifford in particular excelled at this. According to Robinson, the big man didn’t stop at providing an example for work ethic. He helped the underclassmen figure out how to manage their time around the demanding basketball schedule. “He wants everything to be better for us,” Robinson said. “He’s always looking out for us with different things.” This didn’t escape notice from the coaching staff. Christian believes Clifford’s work ethic and example cemented his place as the most respected member of the team. The center wore his hustle and heart on his sleeve every day of practice. Clifford, who well remembered being a young member of a young team, set an example for the underclassmen. Christian hopes this will turn into a consistent, deep-rooted culture of upperclassmen helping to develop younger teammates. Christian also saw Clifford’s presence helpful in other ways. In a college basketball culture where transferring is common, Clifford remained a steady presence in the program for five years. Although he graduated from BC, he did not leave the team behind, staying for his graduate season, which Christian believes speaks volumes about Clifford’s character. Clifford saw it as an equal relationship. While he served as a role model to his teammates, they gave him enthusiasm and the drive to compete every single day in practice. “These young guys this year, they helped rejuvenate my spirit and how I approached practice every day,” he said.

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is BC career may be over, but Clifford is far from done with basketball. His whole journey so far—the promising start, the injury, the comeback, and the dominance—have led to this point. So what’s ahead for him? Clifford is currently working out and preparing himself for upcoming NBA workouts. There’s no question in his mind that he wants to take his game to the next level, and nobody else doubts that he will. Clifford is buzzing and ready. He hit his stride at the end of last season, and he’ll look to keep the dominant rhythm alive as he figures out the next step. He’s shooting as high as you can shoot in basketball—for the NBA. Even if professional basketball in the United States doesn’t work out, Clifford knows it’ll come together for him. Maybe he’ll be able to play here. Maybe he’ll play overseas. He’ll play wherever, really, just so long as he’s doing what he loves. Christian, for one, believes that Clifford can accomplish anything he puts his mind to. His work ethic, hustle, and determination will allow him to continue improving every single time he steps onto a court. After the ACC Tournament loss, Christian said he’d never been prouder of another human being than he was of Clifford. That sentiment rings true still today, as Christian believes Clifford is destined for even more greatness after leaving BC behind. “To watch a guy develop the way he has at the right time,” Christian said. “I think his best basketball might even be ahead of him.” Clifford is done playing basketball for BC. He’s laced up his shoes and stepped onto the Conte Forum court for the last time. He’s heard his name announced as a starter here for the last time. He’s taken his last shot in maroon and gold. But if there’s one thing Clifford has taught us, it’s this—he will never stop being an Eagle.

Coach of the Year: Kelly Doton | Magdalen Sullivan | PHOTO COURTESY OF BC FIELD HOCKEY

“Nope, I’m coming home,” Doton said. The sport had sent her from Greenfield, Mass., to North Carolina, to California, to China, to Indiana, only to circle back to Massachusetts again. One place Doton did not see field hockey taking her was Lamb’s office.

elly Doton wasn’t supposed to play field hockey. “No! I want to play with my older brother!” she told her mom, who tried to divert Doton’s affinity for ice hockey to figure skating. But she was 4, and she was determined. Playing on the ice with her brother and his friends eventually became too dangerous for a little girl. Doton’s parents put her in a girl’s league—the closest one was 90 minutes away. If the commute to every practice, and every game, each and every week, hadn’t been so long, who knows if Doton would have paid attention to her friends starting to play field hockey in middle school. Who knows if she would have learned to adjust from a lefty ice hockey stick to the standard righty field hockey one. Who knows if she would have won the state championship her senior year, two national championships at Wake Forest, become fourth all-time in points and assists and fifth all-time in goals, named ACC Player of the Year twice, and gone to the 2008 Beijing Olympics with the national team. Who knows if all of that would have happened if Greenfield, Mass. had a local ice hockey team for young girls—but her town didn’t, and so it did all happen. With each team she advanced to, Doton was pushed backward down the field—from center forward in high school, to midfield in college, before settling in as a fullback on the national team. As she gained a better appreciation for everything going on around the field, she focused even less on her own accomplishments and more on helping the team win. “Goal-scoring didn’t really do it for me,” she said. “I loved being able to pass to my teammates and have them be successful.” She took her first collegiate coaching job as the assistant for Indiana University almost immediately after returning from Beijing. When Ainslee Lamb, head coach at Boston College, called Doton to offer her an assistant coaching position in Chestnut Hill about four years later, she accepted it on the spot. “Maybe you should sleep on it,” Lamb told her.

elly Doton wasn’t supposed to be the head coach of BC field hockey. At least, not this soon. When Lamb walked into Doton’s office last spring to say she was leaving, Doton’s first question was, “Where are you going? Can I come!?” Lamb then clarified that she was stepping away from coaching field hockey altogether. The decision was a shock to both the coaching staff and players, as Lamb had been the program’s head coach for 10 years and was incredibly popular. “It wasn’t like you have an older coach, and you feel like they’re about ready to leave,” said AshLeigh Sebia, a two-time team captain. “It wasn’t that situation at all—it was kind of out of nowhere.” Doton, who only came to BC three years ago, understood the surprise and maybe fear that her players were feeling. “When she stands up and says, ‘I’m leaving,’ there’s a moment of anxiety, a moment of, ‘What do you mean you’re leaving? You’re supposed to be here,’” Doton said. When Director of Athletics Brad Bates announced her promotion, Doton said a feeling of relief washed over her worried players. “Because they want continuity—they love continuity,” Doton said. As much as Doton wants to be a comfort to her team in moments of uncertainty such as that one, she knows to keep some distance. Balance is a word Doton finds a lot of value in. She wants her players involved on campus, she wants them utilizing tutoring services, she wants them having friends outside of field hockey. She takes teaching her players how to compartmentalize as seriously as she does teaching them field hockey. “When they’re away from field hockey, step away from field hockey,” she said, “because I don’t want them thinking about field hockey 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I find that athletes lose the love and passion for something if they commit too much of their time to it. So my belief is—get away. Get away from the sport for a little bit.”

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Doton attributed the program’s existing emphasis on morals and personal ethics to the teaching style of her predecessor. And while she was confident in the program Lamb had shaped before her, she couldn’t avoid uncertainty in stepping into that role. What mattered most to her was admitting her mistakes. Not just to herself, but to her team. The message she wants to send to her players: “It’s okay for you to make mistakes as well. You just gotta learn from them.”

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elly Doton wasn’t supposed to lead her team to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The team’s stumble at the beginning of the season—going 0-5 in the ACC—was not the beginning Doton imagined. The season’s direction, however, pivoted at halftime in the game against University of Virginia. The Eagles tied the game in the second half, coming back from being down three goals in the first, and won the game in overtime, just nearly avoiding going 0-6 in the ACC. It’s not the first time the Eagles came from behind. They beat Maryland 3-2 in overtime after coming from behind 0-1 in the first half. BU’s goal in the first 12 minutes of their matchup proved useless when BC won the game 2-1 in overtime. As did Liberty’s goal in the first eight minutes when the Eagles sent them home with a loss after winning 3-2 in double overtime. The season shaped up to be 13-9-0, with only one conference win and 12 non-conference victories. Many “firsts” could be tallied on the wall for firsttime head coach Kelly Doton. The 2015 season was the first time the team has won an ACC Tournament game, as well as the first time it has gone to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 17 years. In a November press conference, Doton attributed the season’s success to the team’s senior leadership. Sebia, however, attributed that success to Doton, claiming to have learned from her coach’s compelling balance of “grit and grace” all season—carrying the chip on her shoulder that the underdog needs to get ahead, yet still valuing the class required to be a proper figurehead for the program. As far as Doton is concerned, she is at BC for two reasons: to win championships and to be a role model for her players. It turns out, Kelly Doton is right where she’s supposed to be.

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SPORTS THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016

Female Athletes of the Year: Alex Carpenter and Haley Skarupa | Shannon Kelly |

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lex Carpenter is leaning back in her chair, one foot propped up on the corner of the table. Her reflective aviator shades are sitting next to her phone, and she’s wearing a 2013 Frozen Four zip-up. Haley Skarupa is to her right, sitting casually in a sweatshirt. The stars of women’s college hockey, faced with the possibility of becoming pioneers of women’s professional hockey, have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe. But right now, they’re in the media suite in Conte Forum, laughing at the realization that seven years of friendship have passed in the blink of an eye. The teamwork, after all, began long before Boston College—at the 2010 U18 IIHF Worlds, led by none other than the coach of the Eagles, Katie Crowley. The two notched nine points each in five games—eight goals and one assist for Carpenter, and three goals and six assists for Skarupa. Foreshadowing the future, Carpenter even scored with an assist from Skarupa in the quarterfinal game against the Czech Republic. The two couldn’t have grown up more different. Carpenter is the daughter of a Stanley Cup winner, a nomad of the Northeast as her family traveled to accommodate her father’s busy schedule. Now considered among the best in the history of the sport, she hadn’t even begun to seriously play hockey until age 10. Skarupa, on the other hand, was drawn in simply by a young child’s curiosity in a place where good hockey is hard to come by. Neither of her parents played. And yet here they are together, savoring their final moments on the Heights and reminiscing about their individual and joint rises to the top of the women’s hockey world.

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ith the Carpenters, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. The patriarch, Bobby, was the first person to sign with an NHL team straight out of high school. His career spanned 18 years and four teams, ending his playing career and beginning a coaching job with the New Jersey Devils. Carpenter remembers growing up in a hockey house—she began dabbling in hockey when she was six and spent time after school at her dad’s practices, retrieving errant pucks from the empty stands. There was never a time the Carpenters weren’t moving, whether it was playing Little League or packing up their things to move to another town. When nowhere is exactly home, it’s easy for a family to grow close together. Competition, of course, also ran in the family’s blood. The oldest of three children, Carpenter fostered the competitive atmosphere that her dad brought to the table. Games with her brothers weren’t just for fun—it was a fight for top dog in their house. “Someone ends up always crying or leaving,” she said. “It still happens.” The competition incited a sibling rivalry that stretched farther than the confines of the Carpenter household. Her younger brother, Bobo, is a freshman forward for Boston University—yes, the famed crosstown rival. Brendan, her youngest brother, recently committed to Endicott College as part of its football class of 2020. Carpenter attended Governor’s Academy, where she was required to play a sport each semester—in her case, soccer (as a one-year player and three-year manager), softball, and hockey. Playing in college was never not a part of the equation. It was just a matter of where. Narrowed down between Harvard and BC, she made her decision a full month after the deadline. Crowley was so unsure about the prospect’s college choice that her scholarship was offered to another talented senior: Amanda Pelkey, Carpenter’s teammate on the IIHF team. The coach told Pelkey that whoever got back to her first would get the scholarship. The same day, Carpenter invited Crowley and assistant coach Courtney Kennedy to her house in North Reading, Mass., for a meeting. She signed when they got there.

started playing hockey, Skarupa, who was then 4 years old, wanted to follow right behind him. Of course, she would have to wait a few years—but just a few. By 6, Skarupa was hitting the ice, just like her brother. She followed in his footsteps all the way to Wootton High School, where she spent her freshman year and Dylan’s senior year on the co-ed hockey team, as one of just two female players. During that time, she also played on the Washington Pride, a club team that’s part of the Junior Women’s Hockey League. In late February, the two teams crossed schedules: the Pride had a game, and the Wootton Patriots had a state championship to win at the same time. So Skarupa showed up to her club game, helped her team, and left at the end of the first period. Then she travelled 40 minutes to where the state championship was well underway and played in the last period. She won both games. “Honestly, when she stepped out on the ice she was better than 75 percent of the guys at least,” Dylan said. “When that’s the case, no one really questions anything.” The same determination that drove her to play two games at the same time took her all the way to the top. Her parents had attended BC, so the school was always at the top of her list—how lucky was it that it also had an elite hockey program? But, like all high schoolers, she needed to be convinced. The Eagles had no problem doing that. First, Kennedy, well-known for her humor, sent her recruit a personalized email counting down the top 10 reasons why she should come to BC, a la David Letterman. The other reason was that the Eagles had already signed Carpenter a year earlier. The timeline is confusing: Carpenter and Skarupa were on track to be in the same grade until Carpenter accelerated during middle school. She entered college at 17, a year earlier than her peers, but then took a year off when she went to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, thereby putting the two together again in the class of 2016. Out of the gate, Carpenter proved a dominant force on the ice. She saw action in 35 of 37 games, contributing 21 and 18 goals to the 24-10-3 season. There are very few people who wouldn’t want to be teammates with someone like that. “[Carpenter] committing there was definitely big in her wanting to go there too to try and create something special,” Dylan said of the recruiting process. And then there were two.

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veryone you ask about what makes Carpenter and Skarupa the best duo says the same thing. They have a supernatural GPS that knows exactly where the other is on the ice at all times. There is a “second sense,” in the terms of teammate Megan Keller, that makes the plays happen, that makes Carpenter go exactly where Skarupa needs her and vice versa. It only took four games—the first win of the 2012-2013 season—for that GPS to kick in. A little more than halfway through the second period of a game against University of New Hampshire, their teammate Jackie Young made her way to the penalty box for cross-checking. This would be a terrifying situation for someone just starting her collegiate career, but Skarupa had Carpenter. She passed it to Skarupa, who raced up the ice and psyched out goalie Vilma Vaattovaarato to put the puck past her. It was Skarupa’s first goal for the Eagles. This would happen 106 more times. Carpenter has had an assist on a Skarupa goal or vice versa 107 of the 621 goals scored by the Eagles in their three seasons together in maroon and gold. And those are just the ones they made happen together. In her career, Skarupa assisted 129 times, and put 115 of her own in. Carpenter edges her out in both categories, with 133 goals and 145 assists. To put that into perspective, 17 percent of all goals BC scored in those three seasons had Carpenter assisting Skarupa karupa found the inspiration for hockey in a different person: or Skarupa assisting Carpenter. Even more impressively, either Carpenter or Emilio Estevez. Skarupa scored 40 percent of ALL of BC’s goals during that period. Her brother, Dylan, had The Mighty Ducks, the tale of a ragtag And to think they weren’t even always on the same line. It wasn’t until Jan. group of misfits learning hockey from Estevez, on repeat throughout their child- 16 of this season that Crowley put the two together for good. But when they hood growing up in Rockville, Md. He’s four years older than she is, and when he come together, magic happens. It is a perfect bookend that the last goal of the duo’s career was by Skarupa with an assist from Carpenter. This time, the stakes were much higher. Thirty-nine games and 39 wins had passed by in the 2015-16 season, placing the Eagles in the Frozen Four for the sixth time. The team’s opponent, Clarkson, had dominated the first two periods and led 2-0 halfway through the second. But then they did it again, sparking a rally with a Skarupa goal off Carpenter’s initial shot. With the equalizer from Kaliya Johnson late in the third, it all came down to overtime. Who but the dynamic duo could deliver? The Golden Knights tried to stave off the attack, but Carpenter forced a turnover on Shannon MacAulay. She sent it straight to where she knew Skarupa would be, anticipating the pass. She slammed it, and with only 58 seconds played in overtime, the Eagles were going to the national championship for the first time. Skarupa is usually subtle in her feelings on the ice. She’ll participate in the line of high fives with the bench, but very little else goes into her celebration. JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS EDITOR This time, however, her arms were outstretched the moment the puck hit

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the twine, and she and Carpenter jumped into each other’s arms. The bench was going wild. Players raced onto the ice, with Makenna Newkirk starting off a dog pile so tightly packed that neither Carpenter nor Skarupa could breathe. “You know Haley, she’s not a big celebrator when she scores, so you know that when she’s celebrating, it’s a big goal,” teammate Dana Trivigno said. BC lost 3-1 in the finals to the University of Minnesota. But that didn’t tarnish the last points made in tandem. “I like the Clarkson goal still,” Carpenter said. “That was probably one of my favorites.”

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karupa and Carpenter stood at the front of the bus, ready to begin this year’s rendition of a longstanding tradition for the first road trip, a long ride to Cornell. Each freshman was to stand in front of everyone with her headphones blasting a song much too loud, prepared to give an impromptu performance to a wild audience. Erin Connolly stole the show, impressing her elders with her lyrical interpretation of the Avril Lavigne classic, “Complicated.” To talk only of points scored is to give an incomplete picture of what Carpenter and Skarupa have meant to BC women’s hockey. In their senior year, the two were also captains, friends, and, most importantly, comic relief. Some of their teammates were afraid of them at first—they were seniors, and if that’s not reason enough, see the above stats. Freshman Grace Bizal, Carpenter’s roommate on long road trips, barely said a word to her at the beginning. But by the end, Bizal would walk into the hotel room and set her things on the bed of her choice, feeling comfortable—and maybe even a little daring. Carpenter would have no choice but to give it to her. At least Bizal started speaking to her. Skarupa and Carpenter wanted to lead by example, having their teammates come over to their rooms (right next to each other) in Edmond’s (yes, Edmond’s). They also kept things light-hearted, and are both sarcastic by nature. Carpenter in particular loves to bring pranks into the equation. A favorite among teammates is her equipment theft. When the Eagles traveled to an away rink for practice because Kelley Rink was occupied by men’s and women’s basketball, Carpenter would take someone’s glove and hide it in her bag, only to reveal it at the rink once someone freaked out about missing a glove. That someone, assistant-captain-to-be Kristyn Capizzano, doesn’t recall it being as funny amid the panic. Teammates also remember filling up the coaches’ sticks with water and re-lacing their skates as highlights of Carpenter’s playfulness. At this point, I asked the two what songs they sang when they were freshmen. They could barely keep it together, they were laughing so hard. Carpenter’s was Rascal Flatts’ “My Wish,” while Skarupa rapped the Nicki Minaj dance hit, “Starships.” “You crushed it though, I remember that,” Carpenter said.

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hough their college careers have come to an end, it was initially thought that Skarupa and Carpenter wouldn’t venture too far from each other. In the inaugural draft for the National Women’s Hockey League, the first-ever professional paid league for women, Carpenter (1st round, first overall) and Skarupa (3rd round, 9th overall) were both selected by the New York Riveters. This past April, however, it was announced that Carpenter’s draft rights had been traded to the Boston Pride and Skarupa’s were traded to the Connecticut Whale in Hartford. As of publication, neither has signed to a team, but it seems likely that they will compete at yet another level, this time as rivals. But it probably won’t be long until they’re teammates again. The trials for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea are coming up. Carpenter has already represented her country at the sport’s highest stage and is likely to make the team again. Skarupa is vying for her first spot. “She’s gonna do whatever she’s gotta do to get on that next Olympic team,” Dylan said of his sister. But that’s all still a while away. For now, in the precious final weeks they have left here at BC, all there is to think about are those memories they keep going back to, and laughing about, in the media suite of Conte Forum.

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