The Heights 11/12/2012

reactions to election

Real artistry BC downs rivals

features

ARTS & rEVIEW

sports

A look at what students think about last Tuesday’s presidential election, B10

4th Wall Project demonstrates that street art deserves its own showcase, A10

Behind a strong weekend from Parker Milner, the Eagles took down two traditional rivals, B1

Monday, November 12, 2012

Vol. XCIII, No. 43

Late Night conduct deteriorating

By Parisa Oviedo For The Heights

“It’s the worst it’s ever been by far,” said Helen Wechsler, director of Dining Services at Boston College, about recent student behavior at Late Night. Late Night, which is offered between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at Corcoran Commons, “has always been a bit rowdy,” Wechsler said. “But from late last semester to right now, there is a lack of respect for our staff and others.”

Over the course of the semester, students

Core will be reviewed through 2013

have vandalized the bathrooms in Corcoran Commons, kicked in the front door, stolen the giant clock, broken dishes, vandalized soda fountains, and stolen food—all despite a nightly police presence in the food service area. At the end of each night, both the food service area and the dining area are left a mess, with trash, food, and drinks spilled on tables and floors.

“The real issues around Late Night happen on Thursdays and Fridays between 12 and 2 a.m.,” Wechsler said. “[There is] disrespect, damage to property, and a long laundry list of things that are going wrong.

“There has been yelling and swearing, [which is] very out of character for the majority of students who we serve every day,” she said. The manner in which students can be disrespectful to their peers stunned Wechsler and Megan O’Neill, the associate director of Restaurant Operations at BC. “The majority of the staff is composed of students,” O’Neill said. “The only Late Night employees that are not students are the manager, cashiers, cook, utility, and floor person.”

See Late Night, A4

photo courtesy of boston college dining services

Student behavior at Late Night has gotten worse this semester, dining administrators have said.

BC, ND split holy war at home

Killermann makes serious issues comical

By Devon Sanford

By John Schettino

Boston College has recently partnered with Continuum, a multidisciplinary design consultancy that specializes in institutional innovation, to renew the undergraduate core curriculum. The current core curriculum was instated in 1991 and has remained unchanged since.

BC has created a Core Renewal Committee, whose chairpersons include Mary Crane, director for the Institute for the Liberal Arts; David Quigley, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; and Andy Boyton, dean of the Carroll School of Management. Continuum has established an office in Gasson Hall, where it will follow a five-stage Core Renewal process through the spring of 2013.

“It has been 20 years since the core was last looked at,” said Thomas Chiles, chair of the biology department and Core Renewal Committee member, in an email. “While there are many foundational elements underlying the core that in my opinion are timeless and will always remain of value to our students,

On Thursday night, Sam Killermann told an audience in Higgins 300 stories from his life, including highlights such as losing a nipple to his mom’s double dog dare and answering the house phone as Batman until age 15.

The comedian’s upbeat demeanor and self-deprecating humor encouraged laughs and quickly captured the audience’s attention. The performance, a one man comedy show titled “It’s Pronounced Metrosexual,” was sponsored by the UGBC community relations department, the AHANA Leadership Council (ALC), and the GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC).

Killermann began his performance by relating some college stories about women mistaking him as gay because he “looks real clean and talks good,” as one woman said. Although his performance relied on comedy to engage the audience, Killermann also addressed some highly sensitive social issues. In particular, Killermann related his own experiences with labels and the oppression that still exists in modern society.

In his show, Killermann presented three levels of stereotyping: prejudice, discrimination, and oppression. The first level, prejudice, inherently exists within each human being.

“People naturally categorize what’s around them,” Killermann said. “It’s an innate survival technique. We can’t expect ourselves not to do this. But we can try and control it.”

Now, there are some well-intentioned people who fail to address their natural

Heights Editor

See Core Renewal, A4

For The Heights

graham beck / heights editor

daniel lee / heights editor

Although BC football lost to Notre Dame on Saturday, hockey triumphed against the archrival Irish on Friday. For more, see page B1.

Feminists for Life will hold Pregnancy Resource Forum

By Mary Rose Fissinger Heights Editor

emily fahey / heights staff

Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. (above), spoke at the symposium on religion in higher ed this weekend.

Symposium focuses on the role of religion in higher education

By Jennifer Heine For The Heights

As a Catholic institution preparing students for a largely secular word, Boston College often finds itself conflicted.

In celebration of BC’s sesquicentennial, the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life hosted a symposium

this weekend to celebrate and explore the intersection of religion and secularism at the heart of BC’s educational model.

Titled “Religion and the Liberal Aims of Higher Education,” the conference drew speakers from a variety of religious and educational backgrounds from a host of

See Symposium, A4

What are the resources on Boston College’s campus for a student who becomes pregnant? Are they such that keeping the child is a viable option for a student who wishes to stay in school?

Perhaps as a result of the taboo nature of the topic, especially at a Catholic school, few students know the answers to these questions. Gabriela Garcia, A&S ’14, and Katie Martin, A&S ’15, hope to provide these answers on Thursday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m., during their Feminists for Life Pregnancy Resource Forum in Gasson 305.

The Feminists for Life of America is a national organization devoted to increasing the availability and affordability of resources that enable women to have a child and still go to school or pursue a career. The president of the organization, Serrin Foster, will moderate the Pregnancy Resource Forum. The panel at the event

will feature representatives from the Office of Health Promotion, Campus Ministry, UGBC, Counseling Services, and the Brighton Pregnancy Resource Center.

The idea for the event started at the BC Pro Life Club’s final meeting last year. Members realized that BC had no maternity housing for students with children, which made the idea of keeping the child far more unrealistic for a pregnant student.

“We came up with this idea of maternity housing, and from there we really had no idea where to go,” Martin said.

“We started calling different organizations that we thought might be able to tell us where we could start, and we stumbled across Feminists for Life,” Garcia said.

“They were super excited about the project and were really entwined with a similar project at Georgetown.”

Feminists for Life invited Garcia and

See Pregnancy, A4

See Killermann, A4

Chrissy suchy / heights staff

Comedian Sam Killerman (above) performed “It’s Pronounced Metrosexual” Thursday night.

TopTHREE

The Heights

Monday, November 12, 2012

things to do on campus this week

..

1

Career Night for the Arts Tuesday Time: 7 p.m.

Location: McMullen Museum

The annual Career Night for the Arts allows students to network with Boston College alumni currently working in the music, design, photography, museum, theater, and journalism industries, among others. The informal event gives students the ability to choose whom they would like to speak with, and move around the museum at their own pace.

The War on Terror: Facts and Fears

2

Wednesday Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Fulton 511

Former Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Transnational Threats Glenn Carle will give an update on the War on Terror and discuss the facts and concerns surrounding it.

Effective Retreats

3

Tuesday Time: 5:30 p.m.

Location: Heights Room The Church in the 21st Century will host a panel discussion about why retreats can be transformative experiences and how to get the most out of them.

the

University

In s w e N

George Washington University officials admit to data inflation

On Campus After two years, new mathematics Ph.D. program attracting star faculty, students Boston College’s doctoral program in mathematics, founded two years ago, is already being lauded as a success. The competitive program currently has 15 graduates enrolled from universities such as Stanford and Johns Hopkins, as well as other prestigious schools abroad. Its professors have recieved grants and awards from the National Science Foundation, the National Security Agency, and the Simons Fellowship.

Solomon Friedberg, chair of the mathematics department, said in an interview with The Boston College Chronicle that the doctoral program’s success has helped the undergraduate program grow as well. According to him, the number of math majors taking graduate level courses and pursuing a bachelor’s in science degree has increased over the past two years. Undergraduates have also been taking advantage of more research opportunities, with six students participating in programs at Brown University, Cornell University, and Princeton University, among others.

An auditing firm hired by George Washington University reported that the University has inflated its class-rank data for over a decade. Having indicated previously that 78 percent of its class of 2015 had graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class, GWU now admits that the true number was just 58 percent. Forrest Maltzman, who discovered the problems while overseeing admissions operations last summer, says many students no longer report class-rank data. Distortions resulted when the University made estimates for the remaining students. Employees who collected the data have been relieved of the responsibility.

Local News Fired Newton police chief eligible for city’s highest pension Recently fired Newton Police Chief Matthew Cummings could be eligible for a pension of over $130,000, the highest paid by the city to its more than 1,300 former employees. Although the exact amount has not been determined, Cummings is eligible for the highest possible reimbursement rate because he is not facing criminal charges for his alleged offensive behavior against two female department employees, which led to his firing.

Cummings is currently appealing the city’s decision in arbitration.

Foreign policy key for Obama’s second term

By Julie Orenstein For The Heights

Eun Hee Kwon / Heights Staff

Marc Landy looked back at Obama’s foreign policy over the last four years in order to determine key issues. on the Obama Administration’s policy of the last four years. He pointed to “extraordinary continuities with the Bush Administration,” including the continuation of the war in Afghanistan and an “aggressive” extension of the war in Pakistan that remained in line with Bush strategy.

He also noted that the current administration has not strayed far from the Bush Administration with respect to the Guantanamo Bay detention facility remaining open and the maintenance of the Patriot Act. Throughout his first term and during his campaign for re-elec-

tion, Obama advocated for “soft power” in foreign policy, meaning an emphasis on confidence building around the world, international outreach, cultivation of world opinion, and involvement with non-war issues, including poverty, human rights, and climate change.

Despite this , Landy said, Obama has not completely abandoned the “hard power” stance of the Bush Administration, continuing the wars in the Middle East and the use of drones against enemy combatants.

Looking ahead to Obama’s second term, Landy said that perhaps “the most fateful decision Obama

would have to make” would be on whether to intervene if a conflict erupted between Iran and Israel.

At home, Obama faces the task of choosing a new secretary of state, as current secretary Hillary Clinton has said that she will vacate the post at the end of Obama’s first term. Among the leading candidates for the position is current U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, though Landy noted that Rice is very strongly identified with the “soft power” approach and would likely face a “harrowing” Senate confirmation process if appointed.

Margolis, a journalist with The World, a radio program co-produced by WGBH/Boston, Public Radio International, and the BBC World Service, added his familiarity with immigration to the foreign policy conversation.

According to Margolis, Latino voters in swing states overwhelmingly favored Obama mostly because they disagreed with the Republican stance on immigration and were offended by Romney’s proposal of self-deportation.

Margolis stated that Romney may very well have won the election if he had succeeded in earning more Latino votes.

After fielding a question from a Hispanic member of the audience, who emphasized that Hispanics are “not single issue voters,” Margolis conceded that immigration was not always the most important issue for the Hispanics he interviewed. Many cared about jobs and the economy as the primary issue facing our nation, as did the rest of the country on the whole, he said.

Both Landy and Margolis emphasized the complexity of the foreign policy situation facing the president and the fact that many unknowns remain in terms of precarious situations in Iran and the European economic sphere. n

Police Blotter

Voices from the Dustbowl

11/2/12-11/9/12

“If you had to sit in a bath of one Thanksgiving food, what would it be?”

Friday, November 2 8:58 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a traffic accident.

11:04 - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to a Boston College employee at Lyons Hall who was transported to a medical facility by ambulance.

Saturday, November 3 12:35 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to an intoxicated BC student who was transported to a medical facility by ambulance.

12:45 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a fire alarm activation in Walsh Hall.

1:00 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding an off-campus noise complaint.

1:19 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to an intoxicated BC student who was transported to a medical facility by ambulance.

2:28 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to an intoxicated BC student who was transported to a medical facility by cruiser.

5:28 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding locating a non-BC affiliate who was in possible need of medical assistance.

“Cranberry sauce.”

—Conor Sullivan, LSOE ’13

2:15 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a fire alarm activation at the Kenny Cottle Library.

5:33 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a suspicious person in Cabot Woods.

Wednesday, November 7 1:51 p.m. - An officer filed a miscellaneous traffic report.

Thursday, November 8

“Gravy.”

—Julien Heng, A&S ’15

“Sweet potatoes.”

—Caitlyn Passaretti, A&S ’16

Friday, November 9 1:26 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding suspicious circumstances.

“Candied yams.”

—Rachel Cho,

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

A&S ’16

66° Mostly Sunny 55°

Tuesday

59° Rain 35°

Wednesday

46° Partly Cloudy 36° 44° Mostly Cloudy 34°

Source: National Weather Service

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6:44 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a fire alarm occuring at the Career Center.

7:41 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a fire alarm activation at the Career Center.

Today

Thursday

featured story

Judgments on the Obama administration’s foreign policy thus far, as well as the major decisions the newly re-elected president will soon face, were key focuses of a lecture Friday afternoon featuring political science professor Marc Landy and journalist Jason Margolis.

The event, titled “The Impact of the Elections on U.S. Foreign Policy,” was sponsored by the Office of International Students and Scholars as part of International Education Week.

Landy opened with his personal ruminations on the recent election, saying that there did not appear to be pronounced differences between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney’s foreign policy stances, as highlighted during the third presidential debate.

He also suggested that the “specter of fiscal disaster in familiar parts of the world,” including Greece and Spain, was an unsung story of the debate and that many do not realize the enormous impact that the threat of a “sister country” going under has on policymaking.

To speculate about what the future of American foreign policy might bring, Landy commented

Four Day Weather Forecast

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

The Heights

Monday, November 12, 2012

A3

Football Krause analyzes use glory days of non-state violence long gone

By Eleanor Hildebrandt Heights Editor

Andrew Skaras Right now, campus has returned to relative normalcy.

Few vestiges remain of the events that transpired Saturday night. Lingering Notre Dame fans can still be seen in the dining hall or walking around Lower with their Boston College friends, but there are few other signs that remain.

Given the hype surrounding the game, I am surprised by how quickly this has happened.

We had been waiting all season for that game. Even though Notre Dame was undefeated and we were … well, far from that, we were still excited to watch a game that we were undoubtedly going to lose.

For the first time this year, the campus was overflowing with excitement for a football game.

Without a doubt, that was the game of the year. That was possibly the game of my whole college career. Without a strong football program, none of our football games are intrinsically exciting. The atmosphere surrounding our football program is apathetic at best. The question most people are asking is, “How many points do you think we’ll lose by today?” Without our historic rivalry, none of our games will reach the same excitement and fan fervor of Saturday night.

Unfortunately, I don’t exactly have much perspective on the BC football program. I didn’t follow college football when I was in high school and, being from Dallas, I knew very little about BC before I came here.

I knew plenty of Notre Dame alumni growing up, but never anyone from BC. I would hear people talking about UT, Texas A&M, SMU, and sometimes Notre Dame, but little else.

My roommate from Connecticut tells me things were not always as they are now. He reminisces fondly upon the “MattyIce” days and tells me about how successful our football program was then. His best friend in high school has an older sister who went to BC, and they would always come and tailgate on game days. He was grilling in the backyards of Mods, hanging out with senior girls, and playing cornhole before most of us even knew what the Mods were.

He says it was a whole different school then. While now much of the student body ignores game day, back then, everything was about game day. Students would choose not to go abroad in the fall of their junior year, just so they could be at BC for football season. Given our current record, I find that laughable at best.

All of this makes me wonder about the future of football at BC. After attending only half of the home games last year, I was not planning on buying season tickets this year. Only after my aforementioned roommate gave me an economic breakdown of the price of a Notre Dame ticket in comparison to the whole season ticket package did I decide to buy it. I didn’t want to miss that game. Otherwise, I have only been to one other home game this year, and I highly doubt I will go next week either.

I think many students feel the same way. A lot of my friends also bought season tickets just to go to the Notre Dame game.

Some of them went to more of the games than I did, but I know they wouldn’t have bought tickets to go to those games.

Without a Notre Dame game next year—or a better football team—who will actually be buying tickets? I know the future of BC football is quite safe. They will continue on without my friends or I going to the games.

Alumni will be a lot quieter, though.

Andrew Skaras is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at news@bcheights.com.

Last week, as part of Boston College’s recognition of International Education Week, the International Studies Program (ISP) put on a series of lunchtime lectures by BC faculty.

On Friday, Nov. 9, “(When) Does Non-State Violence Work?,” the last of the lunchtime talks, was presented by Peter Krause, the newest assistant professor in BC’s political science department. Hiroshi Nakazato, associate director of the ISP, introduced Krause, who will be teaching the introductory seminars for the ISP in the spring.

After a brief overview of the courses he teaches and his areas of interest, Krause launched into a rapid and enthusiastic presentation about when and why violence used by non-state actors can achieve political ends.

Krause began the talk by challenging a few commonly held perceptions about the definitions of non-state violence versus terrorism, and then acknowledging that historians tend to have much more information about state violence from the outside—events that pose the greatest threat to national security, such as the Cold War. Looking historically at nonstate versus instate conflicts, Krause said that the rate of instate conflict is actually going down, while the rate of civil wars and non-state violence is holding steady or increasing. Similarly, he pointed out that individual acts of non-state violence, like those of Timothy McVeigh and the underwear bomber, are in the minority.

“Violence is not employed by a bunch of random individuals,” Krause said. “Ninety to 95 percent of non-state violence comes from organizations, not individuals.”

Focusing on those organizations, Krause laid out four examples of movements that utilized non-state violence: the Zionist national movement that began in the 1800s and led to the founding of the state of Israel; the Irish national movement in the early 1900s that resurfaced with the Troubles later in the 20th century; the Algerian national movement that began in the 1800s and continued until independence from France in 1962; and, the example that Krause spent most of the time discussing, the ongoing conflict between the Palestinians, who seek an independent state, and the British and Israelis.

He then outlined three main types of non-state movements: hegemonic, united, and fragmented. United movements center around two main groups that garner the most popular and even international support, while in fragmented movements, groups have essentially the same amount of power and influence, and no

obvious leader emerges. Krause’s theory, which he is working to turn into a book, submits that hegemonic movements, those with one group in power, are most successful in their use of violence.

He supported his claim with both abstract reasoning and concrete examples, saying that hegemonic movements can use violence to pursue strategic goals, while in united and especially fragmented movements, groups participate in “outbidding”: trying to one-up the other groups in frequency and severity of attacks.

Any non-state movement can be comprised of multiple groups that are all technically part of the same movement, he said—that is, they all work toward a common goal, such as statehood.

Beyond that common objective, however, the groups are all still battling for dominance—besides the opponent that they have in the established state, all non-state groups are competing with the other groups for the lead.

As an example, Krause cited the Palestinian national movement in the 1960s and 1970s, focusing on the loss of Jordanian support for the Palestinian Liberation Organization during Black September. “Its violence was ineffective because it was structured to help those individual groups instead of the larger movement,” he said of the Palestinian violence during that era.

For contrast, Krause also talked about the successful Zionist national movement that culminated in the establishment of Israel as a nation-state. In that case, the British allied with the Haganah, who were affiliated with the dominant left-wing Zionists, against competing groups.

“At the end of the day, the British worked with and trusted the left-wing Zionist movement to shut down the right-wing Zionists,” Krause said. “When the Zionists had to turn around and fight the Palestinians, they were much better prepared by virtue of being that dominant group.”

Krause moved on to discuss the Irish and, briefly, the Algerian national movements, and then spoke briefly about the implications for international relations. If outside countries want to prevent nonstate attacks, he said, his theory implies that they should work to make the movement more hegemonic. If they want to stymie the ultimate goals of the movement, though, the groups should be split up—even though that would likely lead to more violence.

Before taking questions, Krause addressed the current situation in Palestine.

“The Palestinians are only really going to see success when one of the groups triumphs over the other,” he said, referring to the current competition between Fatah and Hamas. “Peace agreements between two competing groups don’t work, historically.” n

The 2012 edition of the Holy War brought the Notre Dame men’s hockey and football teams to the Heights, continuing a long tradition of Eagles versus Fighting Irish showdowns on the ice and on the field. A few memorable moments from the storied rivalry...

1971—When Boston College and Notre Dame met on the ice in Chicago, the teams combined for 17 goals, the most goals to be scored by both teams in one game in series history. The Irish came out on top 14-3.

1975—BC football played on national television for the first time—in the “Monday Night Football” time slot, nonetheless—in the game nicknamed the “Bicentennial Bowl.” Tickets were sold out two years in advance, and BC ultimately lost 17-3.

1983—This time, BC and Notre Dame met in a real bowl game, the Liberty Bowl, on an 11-degree night in Memphis. Legendary quarterback Doug Flutie threw for three touchdowns, but several missed extra point attempts led to a 19-18 BC loss.

1992 & 1993—Following a 54-7 humilation at the hands of the Irish in 1992, the Eagles came back the next year and set things straight, dramatically defeating No. 1 Notre Dame for the first time on a final-second field goal.

2002—The Eagles traveled to South Bend and knocked off the Fighting Irish—clad in their traditional green jerseys—14-7 to spoil the home team’s bid for a perfect season.

2007—Led by quarterback Matt Ryan, the undefeated No. 4-ranked Eagles held off a late Notre Dame charge to win 20-14.

2008—Meeting in the Frozen Four finals, BC defeated Notre Dame 4-1 for Jerry York’s second national championship with the Eagles.

Krause Lecture stuff Kylie montero / heights staff

Professor Kerry Cronin lectured on the challenges facing international students joining the American hook-up culture.

Hook-up lecture goes international

By Parisa Oviedo For The Heights

Every year, philosophy professor Kerry Cronin speaks to Boston College students on what she refers to as the “hook-up culture” and asks them to test out the more traditional methods of dating in a lecture known as “Bring Back the Date.” Last Thursday in Higgins 310, however, Cronin put an internaional twist on her usual lecture and discussed dating and hooking up from an international perspective.

The lecture, which was sponsored by the International Club of Boston College, was aimed at international students or studyabroad students, in an attempt to discuss hooking up in different cultures. For half the time, Cronin delved into the topic, simultaneously entertaining and enlightening the diverse crowd, and opened the floor to discussion for the other half.

Cronin first became interested in the subject of the hook-up culture after going to get ice cream with a group of 10 senior leaders on campus many years ago. All of these people, Cronin said, were “good-looking, smart, poised, and confident. These were not people with ‘no game.’” In a conversation with the students, however, Cronin discovered that only one of the 10 had ever been on a tra-

ditional date.

Since that conversation, Cronin has explored the hook-up culture and has given lectures around the nation. She agreed to give a talk to international students about it—however, she noted that there is a distinct difference between how relationships are formed in America and abroad.

“[It’s] already hard enough trying to understand a new language, but now a new social culture, too.”

-Kerry Cronin Associate director of the Lonergan Institute and philosophy department fellow “I think an international student is actually at a distinct advantage,” Cronin said of students who come to America seeking romance. “ You notice things more easily and have a reflection on this.”

Cronin notes that there are disadvantages for international students too, however. “For an international student, there is the

problem of translation—a need to read [American] culture,” Cronin said. “The translating is not exactly about words and language, but about what’s going on.

“In other parts of the world, you have cafe and bar culture, but in the U.S. it’s just you standing there, drinking from a red Solo cup, and you not really knowing what’s in it or what’s going on,” Cronin said. “The dominance of keg parties is really what is holding this hook-up culture up in the U.S. “In hook-up culture, because we are not allowed to talk about it, we don’t know what type [of the five] hook-ups it is,” Cronin said. For international students, Cronin said, it’s even more difficult figuring out which of Cronin’s five types it is because it’s “already hard enough trying to understand a new language, but now a new social culture, too.

“International students begin to believe the script [of hook-up culture] because it’s the thing to do,” Cronin said. It’s easy to see why they would feel like being a part of it because it may feel like it’s “the fast track to belonging” to American culture.

Like with her other lectures on the subject, Cronin ended the night with a challenge to “bring back the date.” Everyone, American or international, Cronin said, “just wants to be seen.” n

A4

The Heights

Monday, November 12, 2012

Admins nationwide weigh benefits of religion in higher education Symposium, from A1 colleges and universities to address the unique opportunities and challenges inherent in a faith-based education.

These challenges spoke directly to BC students and faculty. In the opening keynote address, Nathan Hatch, president of Wake Forest University, broadly praised the manner in which BC has straddled that line. “They have carefully set a course of middle ground,” he said. “The key to addressing this middle course is a wonderful partnership between clerical and lay leadership.

“Catholics and non-Catholics alike are attracted to such communities,” Hatch said. “A place like Boston College can readily serve as a crossroads.”

For the presenters, liberal arts and religious tradition are inextricably linked.

“Liberal arts education is so much a part of our cultural identity,” said University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. “We at BC believe that cultural identity seeks to integrate faith and culture.”

Several presenters seconded his assessment. Just as religious education seeks to mold the individual, as Nicolas Wolterstorff noted in his panel discussion, so do the liberal arts. “Students should find themselves awestruck,” he said. “They should also be horrified at what human beings have done to one another. If my students emerge never being awed, I will not have

been successful.”

Jane McAuliffe, president of Bryn Mawr, expressed a similar sentiment. “We continue to raise our voices for liberal arts as a tool for human flourishing,” she said.

Yet they acknowledged the problems that necessarily arise from the blending of a religious tradition with a secular one. As Wolterstorff observed, even fields seemingly unconnected with religion can reflect the faith-based traditions of the institutions in which they are practiced. “We all have a certain formation,” he said.

“We all view the world in certain ways. It shapes how you go about things.”

In some cases, these scholars found that their religious traditions colored perceptions of their institutions’ scholarship. “There is a tinge of skepticism in the broader academic world that you can be a religious institution and a serious research institution,” said Notre Dame president John J. Jenkins. “In the ratings game, it does not help to be religious.”

Another problem arises in the degree of religiosity within these institutions. For universities seeking to occupy a middle course, as Hatch argued BC has done, the school must choose carefully the degree to which it will express its religious identity. “The question then becomes, for a school like Boston College, which dimensions of our identity are we going to robustly actualize, and which are we going to save for another conversation?” asked Interfaith

Youth Core president Eboo Patel.

“The conflict between particularity and pluralism is something we need to focus on.”

Despite these challenges, most panelists concluded that religion fills a vital role in the modern educational system. In one sense, it offers a new perspective within the liberal arts curriculum. “If race, class, gender, and sexual identity are important identities, lenses through which you can view art and literature, then why not religion?” Patel said. “It’s not faith as a barrier, but faith as a bridge.”

Others argued that religion offers a unique identity to higher education. “There are tremendous pressures, but I continue to believe that religious institutions have a unique vision and can be a source of great vitality,” Jenkins said.

Ultimately, the conference reaffirmed the values and goals of faith-based higher education.

“We can say that this conference is a celebration of Boston College’s history as well as a call for all the speakers to join us, to reflect on our mission and on the years ahead,” said Boisi Associate Director Erik Owens in his welcoming address. “I invite all of you to join this process.”

Presenters emphasized that his process can begin here and now.

“If this is a community called to light the world, as I believe it is, let it begin in these halls,” Hatch said in his address. “Inspire a generation of students to lead lives that matter.” n

emily fahey / heights staff

Admins from colleges like Bryn Mawr and Notre Dame came to BC this weekend for the first sesquicentennial symposium.

Consulting company hired to review core Core Renewal, from A1

photo courtesy of Boston College dining services

BC Dining equipment has been vandalized (above) during Late Night hours.

BCPD presence at Late Night may be increased Late Night, from A1 “The disrespecful reaction makes our staff, who work very hard, reluctant to work this shift,” Wechsler said. Derrick Cripps, general manager at Corcoran Commons, agreed that it was getting harder and harder to find staff for the Late Night shift.

“The Late Night shift used to be preferred among employees because they could listen to music and get paid a bonus,” O’Neill said. Now, however, employees at Corcoran Commons are reluctant to work a once popular shift because of “personal safety issues.” Last year, someone destroyed all of the faucets in the bathroom and threw them on the floor. Someone else, Wechsler added, “tried to light paper towels on fire in the men’s restroom.”

“It is not the norm in the behavior of a BC student, nor is it the majority of BC students,” Wechsler clarified. The students who behave so atrociously, she said, are only a small minority, “but that minority is powerful, and people stand by.”

After the Notre Dame hockey game on Friday, Corcoran Commons was packed as early as 10 p.m.

At that time, said Sharyl Thompson, assistant general manager, students were “relaxed and at ease.” In just a few hours, however, things were much different.

After midnight, people become “very disrespectful, wasteful, and rude to the staff,” O’Neill said.

Last month, for example, the giant clock on the wall was stolen and the front door was kicked in three times, spreading shattered glass everywhere.

Because student misconduct is most prevalent at Corcoran Commons, a police officer is pres-

ent during every Late Night shift.

“BCPD police officers are on duty on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.,” O’Neill said. “In the past, the officers were there for the random acts. Yet they have now found themselves looking out for misconduct.”

When asked if she would request to increase the number of BCPD officers at Late Night if student behavior didn’t improve, Wechsler didn’t seem to believe that increasing police presence was the solution.

“Being the manager of a food operation is not being a disciplinary officer,” she said. “We want to change the attitude of the culture, not add disciplines.”

Director of Public Safety John King implied a potential increase in BCPD presence at Late Night.

“BCPD officers are regularly assigned to Late Night dining and will continue to be assigned as necessary,” King said in an email.

“An increase in visibility is likely.”

In addition, he noted that “decisions made by Dining Services relating to the future of ‘Late Night’ will be supported as necessary by the BCPD.” “We see it as a service, and we’re proud of that service, but the responsibility is on the students to act like adults,” King said. The more broken faucets and soda machines, O’Neill added, the “more need to fund new renovations.”

“Dining is separate from tuition, but if the operating budget is focused on maintenance, then there is less focus on better food, cleaning, etc.,” Wechsler said.

“It’s [a problem that is] very simple and very easy to remedy.

The solution is to reach back and ask student leadership to help us solve this. Let’s look to the students and say, ‘What can you do to help us solve this?’” n

we must nonetheless recognize that in the 20 years both faculty and students have changed, as has the world. With this in mind, we need to, and should, ask if the core is preparing our students for the 21st century and the world we now live in and the future.

Moreover, from my perspective, there is a real sense that students aren’t necessarily engaged with the core to the extent that I’d like to see, and I sense that faculty and students have lost sight of the rationale underlying the core.”

Crane had similar views.

“The idea is to come up with something that is an expression of BC’s Jesuit Catholic tradition and that is exciting and engaging for both students and faculty,” Crane said. “There is a sense I think that some students see the core as something to get through. Our hope is to come up with a core

that people want to take.”

Continuum began the Core Renewal process earlier this fall, holding a series of meetings with University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J.; Donald Hafner, vice provost for Academic Affairs; Rev. Jack Butler, S.J., vice president of Mission and Ministry; and Siobhan Kelly, A&S ’15, and Nick Reposa, academic affairs cochairmen of UGBC and A&S ’14, to gain a better understanding of the University ’s goals and priorities. Continuum has also interviewed current faculty members, administrators, and students, as well as alumni and prospective students. The firm plans to gather information from these interviews to define a clear vision for the renewed core.

“The process is very systematic to make sure that a wide range of voices is represented,” Crane said. “[Continuum] is trying to identify shared values, and they’re listening to what people really care

about.”

“By way of background, Continuum works with for-profit and mission-driven institutions to create innovative ideas and to allow said institutions to realize them as experiences that will ultimately transform the organization and improve the lives of the people it serves,” Chiles said.

“They have extensive experience, skill sets, tools, to bring people together, to facilitate conversation, and distill the knowledge learned from the process. In the end, Continuum will tell us ‘what they have learned,’ and it will be up to us working with Continuum to co-create and envision the ideal core experience and path for ongoing core innovation.”

When asked when changes will be made, Quigley said it is too soon to tell.

“We hope to have a renewed articulation of the core’s values and objectives,” Quigley said in an email. “We also hope to launch

some pilot courses and co-curricular experiences. Beyond that, we hope to learn through the process what kinds of changes might be desirable. Our hope would be to see some initial experiments unfolding in the fall 2013 semester.”

Continuum and the Core Renewal Committee plan to create a curriculum that will remain relevant to student and faculty needs.

“We’ve asked Continuum to develop a mechanism so that the core is always innovating,” Crane said. “What we’re hoping is that faculty will be able to develop new ideas, and that administrative structures will be in place that will allow new ideas to be tried out on an ongoing basis.”

“I view this as an ongoing process in which we can innovate and reflect on over the years to come,” Chiles said. “The renewal will express the Jesuit Catholic mission of BC.” n

Pregnancy forum works to find practical solutions Pregnancy, from A1

chrissy suchy / heights staff

Killermann (above) spoke about various forms of prejudice and discrimination.

UGBC hosts comedian Killermann, from A1 prejudices and attempt to jump right to being an “ally,” Killermann said. He argued, though, that it is important to acknowledge our own prejudices before we actively fight against discrimination. Even the positive prejudices, such as gay men being clean and Asians being smart, must be acknowledged and dispelled because they create unrealistic expectations and alienate those who fail to comply with the stereotype.

Killermann then discussed how failing to control natural prejudice results in discrimination: a person acting on his prejudice and censuring a group of peoples. Discrimination unfortunately leads to the worst level of stereotyping, oppression: an entire group of people discriminating against another group.

At this point in the show, Killermann called on some UGBC, ALC, and GLC students to come forward and read some startling facts concerning oppression against the

GLBTQ community. In 33 states, it is legal to fire someone for their sexual orientation, and in 42 states it is legal to fire people for being transgender. Only 14 states specifically protect gay, lesbian, and bisexual rights, but even fewer—three—protect transgender rights.

Perhaps worst of all, the GLBTQ community represents 30 percent of all teen suicides. After these facts were read out, a quick poll revealed that the majority of the audience was unaware of these statistics.

The comedy show had undeniably taken a depressing turn at this point of the evening, but Killermann still managed to end the show on a positive note. He asserted that we can all make the world a better place if we adhere to the “Platinum Rule.”

This rule supersedes the preschool “Golden Rule” of treating others how “you” want to be treated.

The “Platinum Rule” calls on everyone to treat others how “they” want to be treated, and if you don’t know how they want to be treated, just ask. n

Martin to a conference they were having in Washington, D.C. in August for college students interested in increasing pregnancy resources for women on college campuses.

It was there that they learned about FFL’s College Outreach program, which involves hosting Pregnancy Resource Forums at different colleges to increase awareness of the resources already available for pregnant women on that campus and begin a discussion about what more can be done.

“The goal of the forum is to have an overall assessment of the current resources at BC,” Garcia said. “From there, we can look at how those existing resources can be improved, what additional resources should be developed to strengthen our support of women on campus, and then what we can do moving forward and creating new ideas.”

Despite the origins of the event and the fact that the Forum is funded by an anonymous pro-life organization, Garcia stressed that the Pregnancy Resource Forum is not a strictly “pro-life” event.

“It’s not a debate on abortion, it’s really just a way of trying to find practical solutions to the reality of unplanned pregnancy,” Garcia said.

By bringing together representatives from several different departments that all have individual means of dealing with pregnancy, Garcia and Martin hope to be able to achieve a comprehensive view

of the options at BC for a pregnant student.

The Women’s Resource Center, though invited to participate, declined to send a panelist due to the Pregnancy Resource Forum coinciding with an event for Love Your Body Week.

In the long run, Garcia and Martin hope that BC will be able to provide enough resources so that a pregnant student does not have to choose between having

“It’s not a debate on abortion, it’s really just a way of trying to find practical solutions to the reality of unplanned pregnancy.”

-Gabriela Garcia Event Organizer and A&S ’15 an abortion and dropping out of school. Specifically, they would like to achieve their original goal of having maternity housing available on campus.

“Women have a choice legally, but because there are so many obstacles to carrying out a pregnancy, the only choice women see when they’re a student and facing pregnancy is to have the abortion,” Martin said.

“It’s essentially just addressing the fact that today women have a choice, but we don’t have options,” Garcia said. n

CLASSIFIEDS

The Heights

Monday, November 12, 2012

Community Help wanted Earn up to $1,200/month and give the gift of family through California Cryobank’s donor program. Convenient Cambridge location. Apply online: SPERMBANK.com.

Community Used bicycle wanted. Mild to moderate use preferred. A bright paint color is desired. Willing to pay variable price but will also take it off your hands for free. Please contact carljones@yahoo.com if interested.

Balloon animal artist available for events. Willing to make offcampus appearances. Specialties include hats, giraffes, and hearts.

Willing to accommodate specific color theme or spell words in balloons. Hourly rate upon request, at least two days’ notice required.

Contact: richardmv@bc.edu.

Directions: The Sudoku is played over a 9x9 grid. In each row there are 9 slots, some of which are empty and need to be filled.

Each row, column and 3x3 box should contain the numbers 1 to 9. You must follow these rules: · Number can appear only once in each row · Number can appear only once in each column · Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box · The number should appear only once on row, column or area.

A5

A6

The Heights

Editorials

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Core necessary for a well-rounded experience

Monday, November 12, 2012

A great empire, like a great cake, is most easily diminished at the edges.

-Benjamin Franklin, (1705-1790), American statesman

The Heights appreciates the Core’s in-depth nature, but asks for a modernization of the Cultural Diversity requirement The University recently announced that the Boston College academic core curriculum will undergo review by both an external consulting company, Continuum, and a committee of faculty and students over the coming semesters to assess its relevance and its effectiveness in establishing a broad base of academic experience.

The core, which was last changed in 1991, currently stands at 15 classes: one in the arts, one in cultural diversity, two in history, one in literature, one in mathematics, two in natural science, two in philosophy, two in social science, two in theology, and one in writing. In addition, each BC student must demonstrate proficiency at the intermediate level in a foreign language.

The Heights supports the goals of the core curriculum, and believes that it is a unique aspect of a BC education that sets the University’s academics apart from other schools.

“Students who leave BC have, at the very least, a passable level of background knowledge in a wide variety of disciplines ranging from science to philosophy and theology.”

At many universities, it is possible for students to go through their four years and only take classes with direct relation to their major. It is clear that as a result of the core, students leave BC with a much broader knowledge base than these other universities require. Students who leave BC have, at the very least, a passable level of background knowledge in a wide variety of disciplines ranging from

science to philosophy and theology.

Regardless of major, students will be able to speak intelligently about these topics upon leaving BC, a feat that graduates of many universities do not achieve.

Although many students dread taking core classes, nearly as many end up finding a unique academic interest that they didn’t know existed.

Students taking core classes early in their career at BC often find interests that lead to a new major or minor, or help solidify one’s earlier decisions about majors. Furthermore, the core unites the student body, giving every student that graduates from BC a common academic experience.

Despite all these benefits, it is reasonable that the core is undergoing review, as it has not been changed in over two decades.

The Heights suggests that the University focus extensively on reviewing the cultural diversity aspect of the core. Currently, the cultural diversity requirement is often fulfilled with classes that have little relevance to the daily life of a BC student. While these classes may be interesting and informative, they have little application to interactions between students of different backgrounds . These interactions, however, are an aspect of campus life that many students, especially those who come from significantly less or significantly more diverse backgrounds than BC offers, struggle with regularly.

In light of this, The Heights suggests that the core class in cultural diversity be reformed to be a small, discussion based class held during the freshman year. In this class, students could read and discuss various texts related to cultural diversity, including books on race relations, racism, cultural history, and cultural identity.

The result would be a student body that is far more educated on issues of diversity and race, fostering a more accepting, less prejudicial community.

BC must re-examine Late Night behavior In light of recent vandalism and general destruction, The Heights urges students to respect peer workers Late Night at Boston College has long been a popular experience.

On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights from midnight to 2 a.m., students gather to eat food, meet up with friends, and recap the night’s events.

L ately, howe ver, the b ehav ior at Late Night has become increasingly disruptive and destructive.

This semester alone, the giant clock in Corcoran Commons was stolen, a

“When Late Night attendees engage in careless and rude behavior, they are increasing the work of their friends, peers, and classmates. tenfold.” set of doors was kicked in, and a soda machine was vandalized and broken, among other incidents. In general, the dining hall is left a mess, with the tables and floor covered in trash and leftover food.

The Heights asks students to re-

examine their behavior at Late Night, and also to monitor the actions of their friends. Although we understand that the large acts of destruction stem from a minority of the student population, smaller actions such as forgetting to throw out trash, cutting the line, or spilling marinara sauce can be traced to a much larger group. At the time, this kind of behavior may seem trivial, but it adds to the negative chaos that has recently surrounded Late Night.

In addition, the majority of the workers at Late Night are fellow BC students. When Late Night attendees engage in careless and rude behavior, they are increasing the work of their friends, peers, and classmates tenfold. When one student decides to get drunk and sloppily eat his or her mozzarella sticks, he or she is creating more work and putting more pressure on an undeserving peer. In fact, BC Dining has said that the conditions have deteriorated so much for Late Night employees that they are having a difficult time finding students to work that shift, despite higher pay. Poor behavior at Late Night has grown to a drastic level, and it is truly time for BC students to take a long look at their behavior, and more importantly, how to adjust it.

The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Ottaunick, General Manager Lindsay Grossman, Managing Editor

Maximillian Adagio/ Heights Illustration

Letter to the Editor Eliminating nuclear weapons best option to cut military costs Throughout much of this past presidential election, defense spending played a pivotal role in casting the two candidates apart. On one hand, Governor Romney showed his support for an increase in military spending in an attempt to building up the standing of the United States in the world. On the other hand, in a traditional liberal fashion, President Obama vocalized his plan to cut military spending.

Both candidates stressed the importance of a safe international sphere in which Americans would be able to live freely and thrive. Yet both candidates have seemingly different plans for achieving this end.

I say seemingly because these two different agendas are attainable by means of cutting military dead weight. Restructuring of military programs such as officer candidate trainings have already reduced costs, but it may not be enough. What then can be safely cut from the defense budget?

Nuclear weapons. Like proverbial horses and bayonets, they represent an obsolete and outdated military vestige. Annually, the maintenance of the

country’s nuclear arsenal costs about $35 million, according to the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. Commanders find little utility in these relics of the Cold War including retired vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, James Cartwright, who guaranteed nuclear deterrence with only 900 nuclear weapons compared to the current stockpile of a few thousand. Yet there is still the likely possibility that the U.S. nuclear arsenal will be renewed and replaced. According to Bloomberg News, this would include a new nuclear missile submarine fleet whose ships would cost $8.2 billion each.

With all this said, how can President Obama proceed in liberating funds for his fiscal commitments to a better economy, more entitlements, and a stronger military? By cutting the dead weight of nuclear weapons and making the world a safer place.

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

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

to the newspaper.

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

D aniel I barrola D irector of P olitical E ducation G lobal Z ero of B oston C ollege A&S ’15

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The Heights

Monday, November 12, 2012

A7

Opinions

Why we all won

Examining the MPAA

Bobby Williams Matthew Auker It’s finally over. After months and months of buildup and seemingly endless coverage, the 2012 elections finally came and went. The dust is beginning to settle.

Let’s see where we stand.

First of all, this election reinforced the notion that we are a nation constantly moving to the left, at least when it comes to social issues. Gay marriage became legal in Maine, Maryland, and Washington. Recreational marijuana became legal in Colorado and Washington. The first openly gay senator was elected in Wisconsin, and a record 20 women were elected to the Senate. Furthermore, any candidate who had previously attempted to de-legitimize rape atrocities lost their respective elections. If the GOP can take any lessons from this, a major point that should be taken is to distance itself from the ultra-conservative, homophobic, climate-denying religious right.

It also became abundantly clear on election night that this was never as close as it was made out to be. Forget the polls and the statistics leading up to it—the only figure that matters is 303 electoral votes to 206. Not a landslide by any means, but certainly not a photo finish. The media certainly had a motivation for this: to keep people tuned in.

Likewise, both parties wanted to make sure their political bases wouldn’t cede it to the Democrats and not bother to vote.

So for all the times we heard “dead heat” or “closest election in history,” the end result was a comfortable enough margin to send the Republican establishment a clear message about how they’ve spent the past two years.

For those less inclined to follow politics outside of election season, here’s a quick review. The Republican congressional strategy for the past couple of years has been to obstruct any and all efforts by the president to improve the state of the economy or broach any important topic within the American political spectrum, and while it can be argued that this was done case by case on a purely ideological basis, it became increasingly clear that it was instead a carefully planned effort with the single most paramount goal of preventing President Barack Obama’s reelection.

Need proof? Mitch McConnell, Senate minority leader, said of his party two years ago “the single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one term president.” Not health care reform, not the massive debt, not dealing with an economy deep in the throes of a crippling recession—essentially nothing that could actually help anyone in the country over the next two years was more important than winning the 2012 presidential election.

Opportunities for bipartisan cooperation came and went, the debt ceiling crisis and American Jobs Act were sorely mishandled, and the GOP shamelessly employed record breaking use of the filibuster in the Democratically controlled Senate. It was a Machiavellian ends-justify-the-means strategy that served to grind Congress to a halt in the middle of the worst economic crisis in eight decades. But it didn’t work, and everybody, including conservatives, should be relieved. And here’s why.

It’s fairly typical for Congress to skirt particularly divisive topics leading up to an election, but never to this extent. What the Republicans did was set an extremely dangerous precedent.

By refusing bipartisan cooperation that could in any way lead to the president being reelected, they created a model by which future Congresses could operate.

A model of obstructionism that both Democrats and Republicans could use to prevent much needed policies from being passed, and then (supposedly) ensuring their party’s presidential election by being able to point at the incumbent and proclaiming his policies weren’t working. This could indefinitely stagnate an already slow legislative process, perhaps for decades.

Thankfully, this model failed, and I’d like to think that it was the American people becoming aware and taking a stand against it. Regardless of whether or not they have the better policies, the GOP has played the role of a crying toddler demanding candy in a grocery store over the last two years. The parents of said toddler have two options: reinforce its behavior by giving in to what it wants, or refuse to concede to its immature conduct. We chose the latter, and the outlook is a little brighter for a more cooperative, responsive, mature Republican Party.

Matthew Auker is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

As my previous forays into journalism undoubtedly attest, I am something of a cinephile—a movie geek of the first order.

I believe that cinema has always been and continues to be a cornerstone of American culture, never ceasing to astound, amaze, illuminate, and educate. Indispensable as an art form, it remains a uniquely powerful medium for the free proliferation of ideas. For this, my final film column of the semester, I thought it would be appropriate to address an institution that threatens to halt this free exchange and marginalize the artists who safeguard it: the MPAA. Founded in 1945, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) began as a volunteer organization with an admirable goal: to develop a film rating system that would help parents decide if movies were acceptable for their children. To accommodate for the changing social mores of the 1960s, the organization was revamped under the leadership of former presidential adviser Jack Valenti who would oversee its operation until 2004. During Valenti’s tenure, the MPAA abandoned its volunteer roots in favor of corporate partnership with the six largest Hollywood studios: Warner Bros., Universal, Walt Disney, Paramount, Sony, and 20th Century Fox. Entirely independent from the federal government, the MPAA and its industry members define and formulate the film ratings that we’re all-too-familiar with (G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17).

As you know, each rating denotes a certain level of profanity, violence, and sexual explicitness. What you might not know is that these ratings are not merely indicators of

content. They are simultaneously indicators of something very important to the good folks at Paramount and Disney: marketability. The higher a film’s rating, the smaller the audience for that film. Smaller demographics mean fewer customers and fewer customers mean, you guessed it, less profit. As far as the filmmaker is concerned, the MPAA rating process predetermines the fate of a new movie—its success, its availability, and, ultimately, its content.

When it comes to actually reviewing a film and assigning a rating, the MPAA selects a panel of average, every-day American parents (“neither gods nor fools,” according to Jack Valenti) with children ages 5 to 17.

Who, precisely, are these people? No one knows—the identities of panel members are never disclosed to filmmakers or the public, allowing them to operate in private.

If a filmmaker wishes to meet with the panel to discuss a ratings decision, he is deferred to the chairman of the ratings board who provides him with an outline of material to cut. Should the filmmaker decide that these omissions compromise his art, the appeal process begins. Although the filmmaker is permitted to argue his case in front of the MPAA appeals board, he is not permitted to know the name, occupation, or qualifications of any board member.

So why all the secrecy? Why indeed, asks documentary filmmaker Kirby Dick. In This Film is Not Yet Rated, his award-winning and controversial examination of the MPAA, Dick uncovered the identities of America’s movie raters and exposed the rating process to the public for the first time. Teaming up with private investigators, Dick discovered that the ratings panel does not fit the profile provided by the MPAA’s website. First of all, not all of the raters are, in fact, parents.

Among the raters with children, very few have kids who meet the age requirement of 5 to 17. Through a series of discussions with the chairman of the ratings board, these individuals rate every single film that is released each year and dozens more that aren’t so

lucky. If any of their decisions are contested, enter the appeals board. Appealing the NC-17 slapped on his critique of the MPAA, Dick demanded to know the identities of his censors. He was nearly prosecuted for his attempted breach of their privacy. Thanks to his detective work, however, Dick was able to compile a list of those present at his hearing. As filmmakers had long suspected, the MPAA appeals board was revealed to contain no child psychologists, no media analysts, no educators, and no subject-matter experts of any relevant kind. In attendance were the 2006 CEOs of Fox Searchlight Pictures and Metropolitan Theatres, the 2006 VPs of Sales for Sony and Loews, and a handful of film buyers and industry personnel.

The purpose of This Film is Not Yet Rated, and this column, is not to attack the corporate interests that determine our movie ratings. What concerns me are the ratings themselves and their effect on our American culture. As Dick’s documentary and several independent media studies have confirmed (and as you’ve probably noticed), the MPAA seems a lot more concerned with sexuality than with violence or profanity. Violence sells, and so does sex—but only when it’s the right sort of sex, the popular sort. Compare, for example, 1999’s heterosexual romp American Pie with But I’m a Cheerleader, a lesbian romantic comedy with an anti-ignorance agenda released that same year. The former film garnered a critical R and went on to become a box-office smash while the latter was stamped with an NC-17. In reality, its sexual content is nowhere near the frequency or gratuitous excess of the heteronormative American Pie. In reality, the film was just not as marketable. When corporations get a say in what’s art and what’s not, we have a serious problem. When they start reinforcing prejudice for profit, we need a serious solution.

Bobby Williams is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

On food and love

William Adamowicz As I’m casually enjoying a Hillside burger, overcooked to leathery perfection, as usual (for health reasons, due to the alarming number of deaths-by-medium-rare at Boston College), my eardrums are assaulted by what I can only describe as a high-pitched bird call.

“Oh my god, I effing love sushi! I could literally eat it every single day for the rest of my life!”

I pause, burger in mouth, and without even turning my head, I can immediately match this shriek to the nauseating aroma of a young woman who apparently decided to bathe in bubblegum perfume this morning—a fragrance that can likely be traced back to the master chemists over at Victoria’s ever so invasive Secret. Although I was less than pleased by the damage caused to my central nervous system and the fact that this lovely lady’s perfume made my burger taste like a candy store, I found myself deeply pondering her comment.

How many foods could I live with for the rest of my life?

No one can possibly live with just one food. I don’t care if it’s a glistening jewel of blue fin tuna marbled with fat, or if it’s an isosceles triangle of crispy, greasy, cheesy-tomato goodness from Pino’s Pizzeria—either way, it ain’t happening, slick. As I shuffled through my culinary rolodex, wondering whether steak tartare or creme brulee deserved a place in my top five, I came to an important realization: there is an intimate relationship between the foods that we love and the cultures that we identify with.

Why does that matter? Well, whether you’re interested in the art of cooking and eating—i.e. gastronomy, to us foodies—or if you merely see food as a means of subsistence, we all still share the same biological need: we have to eat. While some of us adhere to strict diets, at times partaking in masochistic rituals that entail replacing meals with protein shakes and the like, most of us have a variety of different foods that we indulge in. Within these, there are a select few that we can’t imagine living without—foods that we have a deep and profound love for, foods that, if they ever became extinct, would take a part of our soul along with them.

Now, you may not necessarily have spontaneous visions of pork belly in your sleep, as I

Lecture Hall

BY PAT HUGHES

occasionally do, but you probably have at least one or two foods that, if you go long enough without tasting, you start to crave. In a serious way. A dangerous way. As the hunger silently grows inside you, it eventually reaches a point when you’re just about ready to murder a small puppy in order to get your hands on that stack of chocolate-chip banana pancakes, or that New York strip steak, or whatever it may be. When you finally do, two things happen.

First, there’s a feeling of pure untarnished pleasure that sends a shiver down your spine as the first bite caresses your taste buds. This initial sensory explosion, which borders on the erotic, is enough to make the long journey worth it, but there is a secondary feeling that follows soon thereafter. As you savor one bite after another, there is an irreplaceable feeling of profound happiness and fulfillment that grows inside you, filling a void with the warmth and comfort of a gratified desire. It naturally follows from this that the more foods we crave, the more we can attain this kind of happiness. The question, then, is how does one come to crave more foods?

Obviously, there are certain foods that are popularly known to be decadent, but this can usually be attributed to a scarcity of supply, or some other complication of the sort. Why is lobster so expensive? Well, if you had to go to the bottom of the ocean, rummaging around caves to find a spiky alien creature that tries to attack you with massive claws and swims backwards faster than Usain Bolt, I’m pretty sure you’d want to get your money’s worth.

The truth is, cravings are very subjective.

More often than not, they have nothing to do with how costly a particular type of food is.

The reason that we love certain foods above all others is that we hold an intimate relationship with them—we understand them, and they understand us. This relationship springs directly from the food culture that we are part of.

The reason that you occasionally crave St. Louis-style barbecue ribs is not an accident, it’s because you’ve been brought up knowing that if they’re made in the way that they’re supposed to be made, there’s a certain quality about them—something you can’t quite put your finger on—that can offer you a type of comfort and happiness that no other ribs can offer. Now, say a young German fellow travels to America and comes to try these same ribs for the very first time. As much as he may enjoy them, he won’t be able to relish them with the same level of understanding that you have. But, if he spends some time in the area and gains a sense of the spirit of barbecue culture, then, and only then, will he be able to truly cherish those ribs and appreciate the intricacies that make them so special—just

as he does back home with gran mama’s juicy bratwurst.

This amorphous quality that various foods share is what we call finesse—intricate and refined delicacy, that hint of a special something that makes the tiramisu from this restaurant taste better than all the other tiramisus of all the other Italian restaurants in the vicinity.

The more we understand a culture, the more intimate our relationship with its food becomes, and the more we are able to recognize the tiniest little differences that, for us, are in fact the biggest differences. As we gain an understanding of this notion of finesse, we come to realize that it is ubiquitous in life. The lightest touch is always the most sensational.

The subtlest smell is always the most powerful.

It is a quality that exists in every cuisine and in every culture. The more we look for this quality in other cultures, the more we understand our own food culture, and most importantly, the more we are able to achieve the sort of happiness that only comes through profound understanding.

Rene Descartes, a clever Frenchman who lived 400 years ago—“I think therefore I am,” that guy—said it more elegantly than I could ever hope to, so I won’t embarrass myself trying. In his Discourse on Method he said, “It is useful to know something of the manners of different nations, [so that] we may be enabled to form a more correct judgment regarding our own, and be prevented from thinking that everything contrary to our customs is ridiculous and irrational, a conclusion usually come to by those whose experience has been limited to their own country. On the other hand, when too much time is occupied in traveling, we become strangers to our native country.”

When you’re trying to decide whether you should go abroad—whether it’s your junior year, or after college, or during winter break—let this be another reason. Invest in your potential to have new cravings. Guide your palate towards the happiness that it deserves. Most importantly, always look for that special something, the finesse, the certain je ne sais quoi, the subtle differences that only the trained eye can recognize. The love that I have for carpaccio is intimate, one that is very different from my love for sushi, or pan con tomate, or xiao long bao, or escargot—yet all of these share a profound and intimate relationship with me. Open your heart to the customs and the foods of other cultures, and with a little luck, you too will fall in love.

William Adamowicz is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

Election pensées

Bernadette Deron I think all voters can share a collective sigh of relief in knowing that we are finally rid of campaign advertising—at least for now. It has been a wild ride you guys, and this election season was pretty ridiculous if I do say so myself. Personally I always appreciate the entertainment value elections bring to mediums such as SNL, The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report.

They make the election much easier to handle knowing we can laugh at the sheer absurdities that occur throughout the season. But this election was a tougher pill to swallow for both parties. Tensions were quite high as the big day approached. Both sides presented inconsistencies in their campaigns that made me feel uneasy about what would happen come Election Day. Well that day has come and gone now, and Obama is in office for another term after winning 303 electoral votes to Romney’s 206. I couldn’t believe how far apart those numbers were when the last few projections were reported. I honestly thought that Romney had a good chance of winning. In fact, Romney thought he was going to win. And when I switched channels from CNN to FOX News, it looked like everyone at Romney headquarters thought so too. There is an entire Tumblr dedicated to posting images of people crying as they are “mourning” Romney. It’s that serious.

He only wrote one speech, meant for victory. I can’t help but feel bad for the guy because he blew it. Let’s be honest, the GOP blew it. The media made it seem like this election was going to be a closer race than it turned out to be. Many thought Romney would end up winning the popular, if not the electoral, vote. Throughout the month of October, among national and state polls, Obama had a slight advantage over Romney. In fact, several national polls called ties. It wasn’t until the day before the election that Obama made significant gains in the polls, specifically in the swing states. Nate Silver reported in his New York Times blog that Obama’s lead jumped from an average plus 0.7 to plus 2.4 last Monday in swing state polls. All the while, Romney still had a chance, at least until Obama won Michigan Tuesday night.

Although the popular vote came in close, it is clear that the Republican Party’s presence is diminishing in this country. In last Wednesday’s New York Times, Nicholas Kristof wrote, “Yet it wasn’t the Democrats who won so much as the Republicans who lost.” The atmosphere after Obama’s victory this time around was definitely less triumphant, and the GOP looked a lot more depressed. The issues that Republicans used for their advantage in the polls 20 years ago are working against them now. It almost seems as if liberal issues are at the forefront more than ever before. Now it is looked down upon to be against abortion and other women’s rights, or equal marriage rights. Yet, is this shifted focus on liberal issues simply due to the current democratic influence in Washington, or is it the political world’s recognition of how our world is changing and adapting to that change? With Maryland, Maine and Washington legalizing gay marriage, and Colorado and Washington being the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use for those 21 and over, our nation is on the brink of significant change that is only going to become more powerful.

How will the GOP regain their ground for the next election? There is an increased presence of minority groups going out to vote, and our generation is the future of this country.

Obama and the Democrats have taken control of those two demographic groups. Republicans really only have a stronghold on the middle-aged, white male demographic. If you want to govern this country, it comes down to demography. The way America is changing is against the Republican current, and how they will adapt to this change is up in the air. If this election was anything for the GOP, it was a wake-up call. As Kristof said, this election was not as much of a victory for Democrats. It is not a victory to be taken for granted. The Republicans have four years to draft a comeback, and I am fully confident they will come back swinging.

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

The Heights

A8

Monday, November 12, 2012

‘Skyfall’ proves that Bond still packs a sophisticated punch

By Sean Keeley Heights Staff

Fifty years after the franchise’s inception with Dr. No and four years after Daniel Craig’s second outing as 007 in Quantum of Solace, James Bond is back with a vengeance in Skyfall. The spy series’ 23rd entry skillfully avoids the pitfalls of the previous installment and hearkens back to the strengths of 2006’s Casino Royale, Skyfall: creating a Sam Mendes Bond that is MGM thoroug hly modern yet also deeply indebted to the series’ traditions.

Skyfall has plenty of classic Bond ingredients: thrilling action scenes, exotic international settings, sleek gadgets, sexy women, and dry quips—but its storyline penetrates to more troubling depths, exploring Bond’s backstory and the relevance of traditional espionage in a vastly changed world. Director Sam Mendes succeeds brilliantly in lacing these deeper meanings into a first-rate action thriller without overburdening it, making Skyfall both an enormously satisfying Bond movie and a story with deeper resonances.

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The movie’s lengthy opening set piece finds Bond and fellow field agent Eve (Naomie Harris) in Istanbul chasing the thief of a harddrive containing the identities of all of MI6’s agents, while M (Judi Dench) oversees from London.

Their pursuit thrillingly turns from a car chase to a rooftop motorcycle race on the Grand Bazaar to a fistfight on top of a speeding train, and it also establishes the themes Skyfall plays with for its duration, as MI6 faces a new, modern threat: rogue cyber-terrorists in service of no one but themselves. The main villain this time is Silva (Javier Bardem), a former agent of M’s who was forced from the service and now seeks revenge through a new, sophisticated form of cyber warfare. As Bond takes on the threat of Silva, M herself is subject to scrutiny by the British government, which believes she has failed MI6 and is out of touch with the modern world’s threats.

In many ways, Mendes and his team of screenwriters seem to be taking a page from the Christopher Nolan playbook with Skyfall.

From the generally darker tone to the story’s undercurrents of terrorism and chaos, to the exploration of the protagonist’s childhood trauma, the movie recalls The Dark Knight in many ways. Nolan’s influence is most obvious

in Bardem’s performance as Silva, whose maniacal, freakish nature and sadistic anecdotes recall Heath Ledger’s Joker. Yet even if these elements aren’t wholly original, they are put to effective use in Skyfall, and indeed the movie has a leg up on Nolan’s Batman reboot in both the quality of its action scenes and the depth of its character development. Both those strands come together in a climax that takes Bond back to his Scottish roots, as he blasts away his enemies and his personal demons at once.

Much of the strength of that final scene, shot in fiery reds that suggest a hellish nightmare, is due to Roger Deakins, the genius cinematographer who here brings his exquisite eye to bear on the film’s slew of diverse locations. From the bright reds and oranges of Shanghai to the damp greys of the Scottish moors, Skyfall is a beautiful film to look at, each shot composed with a care and attention to detail that seems like a rebuke to the frenzied, incoherent visuals of Quantum of Solace. The movie’s evocative use of colors and composition and its willingness to hold shots for maximum effect are all-too-rare virtues in a genre often dominated by shaky cameras and nauseating jump cuts.

The technical prowess of Skyfall only

Courtesy of mgm

Daniel Craig and director Sam Mendes elevate ‘Skyfall’ to a stylistic masterpiece with a kick. highlights the efforts put forward by its ensemble cast. Craig has now perfectly adjusted to the role of Bond, exuding all the usual charm while bringing a grave intensity and primal violence to the role that is all his own.

Dench proves her mettle as one of Britain’s finest actresses, showcasing M’s steely resolve but also her quiet moments of vulnerability and guilt. New additions like Ben Whishaw’s Q and Ralph Fiennes’s Gareth Mallory deepen

the movie’s depiction of the internal dynamics of MI6 while providing new personalities for Bond to play off. The film’s ending sets the series up for further adventures with these new characters, and the credits promise that “James Bond will return.” Let’s hope he returns sooner rather than later—after Skyfall’s successful integration of old and new elements, the future of the series has never looked so promising. n

RZA’s ‘Iron Fists’ is a weak first feature

2

Box office report title

Courtesy of arcade pictures

Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA comes up short with a dud of a first picture, ‘The Man With The Iron Fists,’ a kung-fu and hip-hop hybrid.

By Luiza Justus Heights Staff

A mixture of Kung Fu choreography and hip-hop culture, The Man With The Iron Fists can be praised for its stylized gore and interesting use of color correction, but not much else. The whole film seems strung together by incomprehensible scenes The man with the of violence iron fists: with little regard to RZA Arcade Pictures plot structure. It is almost shocking that a film like this was endorsed by someone as brilliant as Quentin Tarantino—the whole thing can be deemed as amateur work at best, a shoddy tribute to Tarantino’s stylized violence, but without the witty dialogue that makes his movies so memorable. Instead, we were given one cheesy “facepalming” line of dialogue after another.

RZA wrote, directed, and starred in this movie. It was his debut feature, and a failed one at that. He is well known for his contributions to the hip-hop music industry as the leader of the Wu-Tang Clan and has done soundtrack work for many films, including Kill Bill, where he spent time analyzing Tarantino’s directing work in preparation for his own feature. With the assistance of Eli Roth, RZA wrote The Man With The Iron Fists,

B+ D

and Tarantino lent his name to the movie with a “presented by” credit—which is surprising, to say the least.

Delving into the movie’s storyline, the main character—or so we assume—is a blacksmith (RZA), whose job is to create elaborate weapons for warriors and assassins in a village in feudal China. There is also one warrior named Zen Yi (Rick Yune) whose father is killed by the Silver Lion (Byron Mann), a traitor and leader of a group of warriors, and he makes it his life mission to avenge his father’s death.

Meanwhile, Madame Blossom (Lucy Liu) is the owner of an extravagant brothel, and just loiters there until she and her girls decide to join the action. For some reason, an outspoken Englishman, Jack Knife (Russell Crowe), is there as well and he befriends the blacksmith and assists with much of the gruesome killing. Other characters include a nearly indestructible man named Brass Body (Dave Bautista) and the blacksmith’s love interest, Lady Silk (Jamie Chung), who help motivate the action and cause more of a ruckus onscreen. Have you finished reading this paragraph and still can’t understand the synopsis of the movie? That is exactly how the audience feels when leaving the theater after an utterly confusing 96 minutes.

One could say that this film has the potential of fitting into the “it’s so bad it’s good” genre, but there is trouble even giving it that status. The cinematography was surely

interesting, but it is difficult to accept pointless violence, especially when the viewer has difficulty understanding who is enemies with whom and what each character’s intention is. The dialogue is so intensely cheesy and awkward that it makes the viewer feel embarrassed on behalf of the actors who had to actually say those lines and keep a straight face. For example, when someone from the Lion clan of warriors is about to kill a member of the rivaling clan, the Wolf clan, he says: “Looks like you really were just a sheep in wolf’s clothing.” Seriously?

One thing RZA did well was to incorporate hip-hop music into Kung Fu fighting sequences. This cultural synthesis was the film’s differential point, and the music fit in outlandishly well with the action. This is not surprising, as RZA’s strong creative talent lies in music. There was also an interesting use of color correction during some of the sequences, which made the film’s cinematography notable. The set design and scene setups had a striking use of color. Some parts were done in black and white with one small splash of color on certain details—like blood or a lamp—and this accentuated the aesthetic appeal of the feature. Despite these redeeming qualities, this film can only be recommended to those looking for stylized gore with blood gushing everywhere—an onscreen chaos that gives little to no regard to suspension of disbelief. n

weekend gross

weeks in release

1. Skyfall

87.8

1

2. Wreck-It Ralph

33.1

2

3. flight

15.1

2

4. argo

6.8

5

5. taken 2

4.0

6

6. here comes the boom

2.6

5

7. cloud atlas

2.5

3

8. Pitch perfect

2.5

7

9. The man with the iron fists

2.5

2

10. hotel transylvania

2.4

7

3

7 photos courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

bestsellers of hardcover fiction 1. The racketeer John Grisham 2. Sins of the Mother Danielle Steel 3. Casual Vacancy J. K. Rowling 4. Panther Nelson DeMille 5. Winter Dream Richard Paul Evans

6. Bone Bed Patricia D. Cornwell 7. NYPD Red James Patterson 8. Gone Girl Gillian Flynn 9. winter of the world Ken Follett SOURCE: Publisher’s Weekly

Keener and Walken make up an elegant, finely tuned ‘Late Quartet’

By Christian Mora For The Heights

In its 25th year of playing together, a quartet falls into an uncharted territory of emotions when its cello player is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

The career and life of the quartet comes to a halt as a late quartet: Peter the Yaron Zilberman cello player, Opening Night played by Productions Christopher Walken, reveals that the first show of the quartet’s season will be his last if he is even able to perform it. Revolving around Beethoven’s “Opus 131,” the first concert marks the end of an era for the quartet. Walken’s character in A Late Quartet sets in motion a rollercoaster of events that almost mirrors that of a soap opera.

It may seem that Peter is meant to be the center of the film, but the film is more concerned with the members of the group and their respective lives as they are each affected by Peter’s disease. The diagnosis reveals the cracks and weaknesses of the erstwhile sterling group. Egoism, seduction, and jealousy flare as the time of the first concert approaches. Robert (Phillip

B+ C+

Seymour Hoffman), who is the second violinist of the quartet, tries to grasp the chance for more power in the quartet while trying to fix his relationship with his wife Juliette (Catherine Keener), who is the quartet’s viola player. Having met during the formation of the quartet, the star-crossed lovers start to lose their spark as Robert’s ego and flamenco-dancing mistress (Liraz Charhi) get in the way.

Daniel (Mark Ivanir) holds the leadership position in the quartet, as he possesses the all-important title of “first violinist.” Having formed the quartet, Daniel always seems to have the say in how everything unfolds for the group.

But as Peter’s illness comes into the picture, it is the disease itself that begins to control the narrative. Daniel tries to hold the quartet together but finds himself frequently stopped by his personal problems. As Daniel holds private lessons for Robert and Juliette’s daughter Alexandria (Imogen Poots), emotions start to flare as the pair reveals itself to have more than just a teacher-student relationship.

Clueless about the rest of the quartet’s drama-filled lives, Peter tries to find a replacement cellist in the quartet. Despite the reluctance of his musical comrades,

Peter discourages the discontinuation of the quartet after his departure.

Set in New York City, A Late Quartet reveals the intimate parts of the city’s art world. The film is set against numerous lush, eye-popping backdrops, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, and the homes of the characters of the films. The set design is striking as it conveys the different tones each character has—from a rebellious 20-year-old to an old, experienced cello player. The film opens the curtain to a new world that is not archetypal Hollywood.

A Late Q uartet marks the first fictional motion picture for director Yaron Zilberman. His past work includes the revolutionary Waterworks, a documentary about Jewish swimmers during World War II. It may seem that a drama—especially one based on chamber music—would be uncharted territory for Zilberman, but his personal investment in the field of classical music provides some value for the film, particularly the soundtrack. For instance, Beethoven’s “Opus 131” is the basis of both the score and also the film itself.

Zilberman captures the emotion of the actors’ characters in the film but does not let it do justice with an inter-

rupted story plot. The writers, including Zilberman and Seth Grossman, fail to keep the film’s interest in mind with cliche drama and, sometimes, awkward comedic moments. Zilberman and Grossman lose focus on the quartet’s conflicts with melodramatic moments. With a star-studded cast, the film at a glance would not seem to be a recipe for disaster, but with a plot and screenplay that are poorly executed, it would seem otherwise. A better sense

of direction would have made the film mirror the masterpiece of Beethoven’s “Opus 131.”

Despite the lack of consistency, A Late Quartet opens minds to its viewers that not many modern day films have the ability to do. For those searching for a plot-driven film, look elsewhere.

But for those seeking a new spin on otherwise ancient classical music, A Late Quartet may provide you with just what you’re looking for. n

Courtesy of Opening night productions

In ‘Late,’ Parkinson’s disease threatens to derail the success of a highly influential string quarter.

Monday, November 12, 2012

A9

The Heights

MFA postage exhibit mixes cultural relevance with retro style ‘The Postcard Age,’ from A10 For example, the collection “Around the World” includes postcards whose imagery promotes and encourages travel.

Bright, bold letters jump off the cards, dynamically shouting “Visit Cuba!” or “L’hiver a Monte-Carlo!” The subjects on the cards are depicted as exploratory and free—the enviable epitomes of escapism. Fostered by the postcard, travelling became popular for those who could afford it, and though there were many sensational destinations to choose from, Paris, with its elegant reputation and splendid allure, was the place to be.

Parisian life was so admired during the 18th century that it became a prevalent theme on a number of postcard sets, meriting the city its own section in the exhibit. Featuring “real photos,” “Paris” presents viewers with a genuine glimpse at the lively streets and boulevards of the Champs-Elysees and the Place St. Michel, at the busy storefronts of the boutiques de fleurs and the patisseries, and at the everyday life of the French people either proudly at work or leisurely at the races. The section isolates and preserves time, enabling visitors to imagine and discover—to cross the borders of both time and place.

The selections in The Postcard Age demonstrate how influential the images on these cards were. They were not only used to inspire travel, but they were also used as a means of advertisement and of propaganda. In the thematic section “Making the Sale,” for example, cards are grouped by businesses, such as the tire company, Michelin. In 1910, they produced a set of postcards starring their animated mascot tire-man. Emphasizing adventure and durability, the Michelin cards were meant to suggest that nothing could interrupt the enjoyment of cycling and motoring, especially not a flat tire.

“The Great War” and the “Famous and

Familiar” division of the gallery, in a similar way, illustrate how postcards were utilized to disseminate propaganda and politicized commentary. One clever sketch depicts a German officer smugly walking away with the Eiffel Tower under his arm, and other illustrations portray soldiers, from all sides of the war, as brave, strong heroes, handling massive artillery, deciphering complicated maps, and dodging lethal bullets. Artists also used cards to advance political sentiments—one of the most amusing sets is in “Famous and Familiar,” presenting collaged caricatures of “stuffed sovereigns”: Teddy Roosevelt, Pope Pius X, and Nich-

olas II, with their exaggerated heads, are deliberately entertaining and laughable.

When people mailed these postcards, they became, in different ways, united, inciting patriotism and nationalism across country lines worldwide.

The pieces in the exhibit are not only culturally, historically, and thematically enriching, though—they are also aesthetically and stylistically captivating, underscoring the art nouveau movement that was then so prevalent.

Possessing widespread appeal, The Postcard Age undoubtedly delivers, giving viewers something exciting to write home about. n

Boston, a cultural hotspot Boston Events Preview, from A10 the website describes, seeks to “explores Jewish identity, the current Jewish experience and the richness of Jewish culture in relation to a diverse modern world.”

Shows will be screened at several locations throughout the week, including the MFA itself as well as the nearby Coolidge Corner Theatre. Check the website for show times, and maybe go for dinner and a movie—with both the options of going downtown or staying local, there is the flexibility available to plan a weeknight study break, or a more lengthy weekend outing.

The Nutcracker is a Christmas classic, and a must-see during the holiday season.

The performance will be presented by the Boston Ballet at the Boston Opera House, beginning on Nov. 23 with shows through Dec. 30. There is no better stage on which to see The Nutcracker’s unique blend of impressive technique and precision with a rich storytelling tradition. The Boston Opera House is an aged landmark of Boston history—built in the 1920s, by 1995 it was on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Most Endangered buildings list because of the rapid deterioration of the state of the theater. It was completely renovated in the early 2000s, and, returned to its former glory, is a stately and prestigious display of theatrical history and explosive grandeur.

Choreographed by Mikko Nissinen, the Finnish artistic director of the Boston Ballet, the show boasts new costumes and sets for the 2012 season.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) will offer its annual Holiday Pops Concert from Dec. 5 through Christmas Eve, led by conductor Keith Lockhart. The Pops performances adopted the name in 1900 from the shortening of the “Popular Concerts,” the title given to the BSO’s lighter, more informal performances that took place all year round. Since then, the Boston Pops has entertained audiences for over 125

years, and has been described as “one of our country’s greatest cultural treasures,” a heritage of American classical music tradition. The Holiday Pops will take place in the historic Symphony Hall, which has been home to the Boston Pops Orchestra since 1901. The Pops has appeal for all age groups, displaying a diversified repertoire of both traditional and modern classics.

The Artists Guild, which occupies several picturesque blocks in South Boston, holds open studio nights on the first Friday of every month all year round. The next of these events will be on Dec. 7, and lasts from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. With music, food and drinks aplenty, it always makes for an enjoyable evening. Drag a couple of friends along, and peruse the eclectic mix of technique, experience, and style.

Nearly all of the artists in residence open up their studio spaces to the public, and are available to talk about their art, inspiration, or lives. Sometimes they even sell finished pieces—perhaps you can find a gift for that crazy aunt, or even for your mom. Either way, there is so much to see here, and so many interesting conversations to be had, whether it’s with your friends, or complete strangers. The open studios are a chance for even the artistically un-inclined to enjoy a taste of Boston’s art life. If that isn’t incentive enough, then the free food should be.

The Swedish Women’s Educational Association chapter in Boston (SWEA Boston) will host a traditional Swedish Yuletide Celebration at the Boston Center for the Arts on Dec. 15. The organization itself acts as a network for Swedish women living abroad, and connects Swedish communities all over the world through their shared culture, language, and traditions.

Through this network, it hopes to support the preservation of Swedish language and the spread of Swedish culture. A festive way to learn more about an international Christmas celebration, more information can be found at the SWEA Boston website as the date approaches. n

Courtesy of new line cinema

The highly anticipated ‘Hobbit’ movie will provide audiences the first of a three-part installment finishing the beloved book series.

Winter films will shake up Oscars Movie Preview, from A10 for a period film of any kind.

December gives fantasy fans a midmonth gift with the release of The Hobbit on the 14th. The story takes place in the same universe as the beloved Lord of the Rings saga, following the story of Bilbo Baggins as he traverses Middle Earth with a group of dwarves to reclaim stolen treasure. We cannot expect anything short of sensational from director Peter Jackson, who delivered an excellent initial trilogy and even took home an Academy Award for best picture. This prequel maintains many of the original actors, the effects are supposed to be amazing, and best of all, the story has been divided into three films, so we shall be treated to more Hobbit bliss in the years to come.

Santa will arrive on Christmas day with some incredible presents for all movie lovers. The first gift Hollywood

Courtesy of google images

awaited film of the season. Written and directed by Tarantino himself, this film will follow the story of a former slave, played by Jamie Foxx, who goes out to rescue his wife from the hands of a merciless plantation owner. The evil man in the story will be played by none other than Leonardo DiCaprio in his first-ever role as a villain. This is surely something audiences are dying to watch.

Not only that, but we can expect to see another brilliant performance by Christoph Waltz and the return of Samuel L. Jackson to a Tarantino flick after his unforgettable “Who-Does-MarcellusWallace-Look-Like” performance in Pulp Fiction, and various other roles as well. No one can write witty, brilliant, and striking dialogue and produce stylized violence quite like Tarantino. It is safe to say that the pressure is on for him because audiences aren’t expecting anything short of the creme-de-la-creme of modern Westerns. n

Diverse art converges in edgy exhibit ‘Street Art,’ from A10

Concerts, ballets, and open studio art exhibits (above) are set to hit Boston this winter season.

gives us is the film adaptation of the undying stage musical Les Miserables.

Hugh Jackman takes the lead as Jean Valjean, a man in 19th century France who reconstructs his life upon his release from prison. Victor Hugo’s classic novel on which the story is based is full of amazingly dynamic characters whose stories intertwine during a time of war, loss, love, and redemption. Notable names in the cast include Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Combined with the renowned soundtrack and the brilliant hand of director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech), this film is sure to be a strong contender for next year’s awards.

After the roaring success that was Inglourious Basterds, it is hard to believe that Quentin Tarantino will be able to outdo himself. However, we maintain high hopes for his upcoming feature, Django Unchained—probably the most

23, come together in Fourth Wall’s latest project, representing and fusing, at the same time, their own cultures, beliefs, and identities. The result is stylistically revolutionary, ideologically complex, and visually authoritative.

Brilliant, blurred, and bold, Cern One’s Hit From the Back is a prime example of the creative multiplicity found at Fourth Wall. Made from a variety of medias, the piece depicts a pile of crushed cars and trucks on a 48x48 canvas. Distorted red and gold lines complicate the image and fill the background, producing a piece of fierce immediacy. Crimewave (A&B) by Pac 23 utilizes colors in a similar way, but it relies more on stark contrasts and inversions than the other piece does.

Working predominately with cherry red, ebony black, and bright white,

Pac 23’s acrylic painting portrays two opposing female faces, and though the side profiles are definitely similar, the colors between the two are blatantly transposed. The effect is one that causes the viewer to question not only the similarities and differences in art, but also the conceptual relevance of such observations in humanity itself.

Although these former pieces are innocent enough, Fear No Art 4 is comprised of some significantly more startling, lewd pieces, granting it an undisputable, authentic sense of street credit. Simone Legno’s Love Bubbles, for example, is a painting of the back of a nearly nude, anime-esque young woman on the floor of what looks like a high-rise penthouse. The cityscape backdrop is painted in pink and peach hues, with smiley faces and hearts scattered throughout the image, and the woman’s bare figure

even resembles the shape of a heart, thematically merging the notions of love and lust.

Not nearly as racy as Legno’s piece, but definitely more shocking, Vibora Si, Vibora No by Raul Gonzalez is a painting with a neutral palette, depicting a snake ingesting a live person— the only visible aspect of him, though, is his head in the ravenous serpent’s fanged mouth. The fear in the man’s eyes and the hunger in the snake’s practically leap off the canvas, as the identities of the two subjects merge and monstrously become one.

Clearly, from the descriptions above, there are obvious differences amongst the works in Fear No Art 4.

The pieces together, however, insistently challenge viewers to question the very foundations of art—to break down walls and to see things in a newly constructed perspective. n

Television provides character insights that no other art can Joe Allen Now that we are well into November, the surefire signs of winter’s approach have begun, including earlier sunsets, first snowfalls, and increased frequency of death on The Walking Dead. Just last week, two characters, one major and one minor, were axed on the zombie drama.

“Wait a second,” that guy who reads my column religiously is shouting. “You already did a column on The Walking Dead a few weeks ago.” To which I say, “Don’t worry, guy! There will be no more Carl talk in this article.” I only mention this character slaughter because it was meant to be heart-wrenching, but I simply didn’t care. The Walking Dead has been fairly awful so far at writing characters that the audience will care about. The only characters I would shed a tear for are Darryl and … well, Darryl’s crossbow is pretty much a character too, right?

This very special episode did, however, get me thinking about death on television in general. Since I was a kid watching Nickelodeon on Saturday mornings, there was tragedy to contend with. I remember watching Hey

Arnold! and thinking “Wow, Arnold’s room is awesome, but like, where are his parents?”

As I grew up, every television show I watched seemed to have death in it.

M*A*S*H, an old-school comedy my dad encouraged me to watch as a kid, shocked me when Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake, one of the funniest characters on the show, was killed off-screen at the end of the third season, when his character’s plane was shot down on his return home from the war. I couldn’t believe that the writers would axe a character that I had grown so attached to, and being only 11 at the time, it felt like someone who I knew personally had died.

As my tastes in television matured, the number of major deaths per show accelerated. Becoming a fan of 24 isn’t a problem, so long as you don’t mind every beloved character being shot, stabbed, or exploded to death if their name is not Jack Bauer or Chloe. Even more impactful were the deaths of Lost characters. The island-set, genreand-time-bending drama had a large ensemble—to create new characters, it became a necessity to kiss an older cast member goodbye.

In the past decade, many dramas that critics have pointed to when making the claim that we live in a “Golden Age of Television,” shows like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones, are famous, in part, because (almost) no character is safe. A character’s death in these shows is often brutal, unexpected, and affecting.

Looking back on any of the above series I have mentioned, I am surprised by how quickly I can recall a death scene, before I can think of any other key scenes in the show. I don’t want to spoil any of these shows, but if you, the reader, think back on some of your favorite dramas, I would be surprised if your mind wasn’t generating memorable last words and moments of grief, too.

To me, this reflection points toward a major advantage that television has over film: the luxury of time to allow characters to develop and grow with the audience. In a film, the audience is introduced to a main character and follows their story for two hours, but at the end, the character’s journey is over and viewers leave and get on with their lives.

It’s like reading a short story in that you are rarely able to form a deep attachment with a character due to the time

constraint.

Television, especially of the last 10 to 15 years, works differently. We see a character at his/her beginning until the very end. We expect that character to be on our screen each week. When a character is violently torn out of a show, the feeling of loss can be painful because we feel as if we knew that character inside and out, the way we know our own friends.

So I believe that television is possibly the best artistic medium to fully flesh out a character’s story, from life to death.

Unless said character is living in a postapocalyptic future beside Rick Grimes, of course.

Joe Allen is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at arts@ bcheights.com.

Courtesy of google images

Shows like ‘Game of Thrones’ demonstrate the medium’s ability to fully flesh out characters.

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arts&review Monday, November 12, 2012

An Eye on Culture

Famed novels go cinematic

‘Fear No Art 4’ exposes new audience to street art Raw, vibrant multimedium art recognized in new Boston exhibit

By Ariana Igneri Heights Staff

Taylor Cavallo One of my fellow arts editors is in a class called Adaptation: Fiction Into Film. I must say, after hearing about the details of the class, I’m pretty jealous I’m not in it. Not only because of the quippy alliteration of the title that always catches my attention, but also because turning a book into a movie is a very interesting concept.

The intangible narrative that is constantly unfolding while reading a book exists in the abstract realm of the mind. With their nose in a book, people always imagine the scene as happening right in front of them— on a transparent screen that falls down right in front of their mind and eyes. Well, I do, at least. While what I’ve just described is essentially a fake, very low budget impromptu film whose only screening is “Taylor’s Head,” there is one important difference that makes this film more valuable than anything The Weinstein Company could produce. I am the director of each “film” that unfolds from each book I read.

I’m usually of the opinion that books are almost always superior to their film counterparts (except maybe Fight Club).

I guess one of the side effects of being an only child is that I became an extreme bookworm. When you don’t have automatic sibling playmates, you need to improvise.

Psychologists would say this helped my creativity develop. Film enthusiasts, on the other hand, would say that this is the cause of my extreme bias toward the literary sphere as opposed to the cinematic.

However, maybe these film enthusiasts would be happy to know that I’m excited for the surprisingly numerous upcoming fiction into film adaptations. No, not Life of Pi. Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy, is one of the first novels I was ever proud of myself for reading. William Faulker claimed that it is the greatest novel ever written. The story is centered around the aristocratic Anna Karenina who is involved in an affair with Count Bronsky. With a Madame Bovary vibe, this impressive novel has been turned into a film starring Keira Knightley, by no means a stranger to fiction to film adaptations, set to release later this month.

Knightley’s delicate beauty and the strong feminine conviction she has portrayed in other films such as Atonement (another one of my favorite books) and Pride & Prejudice will certainly make her a great Russian protagonist. My only question is, why do these Russians somehow have British accents?

While I don’t have the stomach to bear Kristen Stewart, I am anxiously awaiting December’s release of Kerouac’s On the Road, another one of my favorite books, and probably the inspiration for my dreams of a cross-country road trip. The entire vibe of the film via the trailer seems to be exactly what I imagined in my brain film of On the Road. Stewart is the only disappointing part of the upcoming film. Of course she managed to weasel her way in to an iconic generation-defining adaptation of Kerouac.

Which brings me to my next adaptation.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. While I’m not saying I won’t see it, I’m breathing a sigh of relief that it’s all over.

Just when we’ve been starting to miss out on our fair share of Middle Earth, little Bilbo Baggins takes the big screen with J.R.R Tolkein’s The Hobbit film series. Of course, to make as much money as possible, naturally the book has been broken up into three parts, but let’s be honest, who doesn’t want more LOTR, Harry Potter’s far superior, over-achieving cousin. The nerd in me will no doubt be inspired by Baggins’ journey.

The adaptation of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, starring Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean and Russell Crowe as Javert, is the film I’m the most excited for, despite having seen the Regal Inside Look preview each time I’ve gone to the movies in the past two months. While I’m not entirely confident in Jackman’s ability to play Valjean, probably the most complex and difficult character in all of literature and musical theatre to perform, Crowe was a perfect choice for the contemplative investigator. The cinematography of the film is striking, and of course, the score is one that cannot be topped. While it’s a huge endeavor, I’m sure it will impress.

Although they won’t be the way I’ve imagined them, I have high hopes.

Taylor Cavallo is the Assistant Arts & Review editor of The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.

It used to be the case that street art’s one and only place was on the street. A symbol of audacious rebellion, independent expression, and autonomous thought, street art has always been fearlessly provocative. Lately, however, such art has begun to gradually break down such confining walls—the very brick, plaster, and concrete walls on which it used to display itself—and instead, as a genre, is pushing into the sphere of “accepted art,” exposing itself in groundbreaking exhibits such as those at The Fourth Wall Project in Boston.

A channel for innovative, contemporary artists, Fourth Wall was established in 2009 by the Bodega Crew. The gallery, consisting of about 3,000 square feet, used to be just a vacant and static

commercial space—now, though, it’s a rough, raw outlet for urban art and public projects. It showcases the art of the streets—the vivid, spray paint graffiti, the distinctive, recycled sculptures, and the imposing, collaged billboards—and it does so without compromising the essential and vital personality of the pieces.

Unique in and of itself, Fourth Wall is just as much a hidden and sometimes misunderstood treasure as the art that it houses.

Fourth Wall is fluid and progressive, consistently adopting new exhibits, the latest being Fear No Art 4, which opened this past Saturday evening. Like other shows at Fourth Wall, Fear No Art 4’s goal is to bring underground art forms to a larger audience, exposing viewers to pieces that challenge the traditional conception of art. Many of the works included display a level of thoughtful and deliberate depth, indicating that a new generation of street artists is emerging.

Curated by Marka27, whose pieces can be seen in the exhibit, Fear No Art 4 presents a total of 16 artists, some of whom are infamously well known, and

others who are quickly up-andcoming.

Though it certainly is not the first exhibition to display street art, it is indeed the first to feature such a range of artists from both the East and West Coast. Promising graffiti artists, renowned graphic designers, and inimitable popsurrealist painters like Slick, TooFly, Cern One, and Pac

See ‘Street Art,’ A9

courtesy of googles images

Fourth Wall’s ‘Fear No Art 4’ promotes street art’s acceptance as an artform.

Vintage postcards bring history to new MFA display

By Ariana Igneri Heights Staff

The cliche “A picture is worth a thousand words” is truer now, in light of the latest exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts’ (MFA) latest exhibit, The Postcard Age, than it ever was before. With over 400 brilliantly designed, vintage cards on show, though, it contains more words and stories than could ever possibly be confined to a platitude—and that’s even without considering the little, handwrit-

ten words, notes, and phrases penned on the back of some of the cards. All within the restrictive 4x6 borders of a postcard, the display provides viewers with an intimate snapshot of the cultural and thematic shifts of the era.

From tens of thousands of cards, exhibit curators Lynda Klich and Benjamin Weiss selected several hundred of them from Leonard A. Lauder’s extensive collection to be featured in the gallery, organizing them into 11 different sections.

Rich and diverse, The Postcard Age is

divided neither by style nor by origin, but rather, by widespread motifs, including, but certainly not limited to, “Women,” “Power, Speed, and Flight,” and “Around the World.”

Each individual aspect of the exhibition is comprised of cards from both Europe and North America, but when taken together, they offer a comprehensive perspective on life in both places from before, during, and after “The Postcard Craze” of the early 1900s. There is even a section of pieces dedicated specifically to

postcards themselves, featuring pictures of enthusiastic card collectors, creative card printers, and bustling card vendors.

The MFA’s novel yet retrospective exhibit clearly does more than simply showcase a fairly outdated method of communication—it celebrates the postcard for what it was, a true art form that crossed all sorts of borders, both thematically and literally, for little more than the cost of a stamp.

See ‘The Postcard Age,’ A9

courtesy of MFA

Arts scene bursting in Boston

By Deryn Thomas For The Heights

With less than two months left in the semester, now would be as good a time as any for students to bust out of that Boston College bubble they have been living in and explore Boston. Despite the temperatures (and popular opinion), the winter and holiday seasons are a beautiful time to be out in the city. They are also a great time to take advantage of the arts in Boston, as venues like museums offer ongoing exhibits and local artisans

sell their work during holiday craft fairs.

Here are a few ideas for discovering the arts around Boston before finals bring the onset of the Christmas coma.

This week, until Nov. 18, the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston will be hosting the annual Boston Jewish Film Festival. In its 24th year, the festival highlights contemporary Jewish-themed films from around the world, including features, as well as shorts and documentaries, among others. The Festival, as

See Boston Events Preview, A9

courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

Jamie Foxx stars in ‘Django Unchained,’ a Tarentino slave epic slated for a Christmas release.

Winter hints at stellar films

By Luiza Justus Heights Staff

courtesy of google images

Legendary Christmas ballet ‘The Nutcracker’ makes its way to the Boston Opera House this winter.

courtesy of google images

A signature of the Boston arts scene, the Pops will perform throughout the holidays at Symphony Hall.

i nside Arts this issue

James Bond franchise’s thrilling new entry

Mendes’ ‘Skyfall’ recaptures the brilliance of ‘Casino Royale’ and takes Bond to a new level of legitimacy, A8

As the snow falls upon us, so does an invigorating collection of new movies for the season. It looks like filmmakers were quite inspired this year, because there seems to be nearly too much to look forward to. Several literary classics are coming to life on the big screen, as well as much awaited original work by beloved directors. Not to mention the amazing cast of each and every one of these new features—one simply outdoes the other, and it is proving to be nearly impossible to choose a favorite.

The month of November started out strong with the release of the new James Bond movie, Skyfall, and will continue to keep box offices busy with the premiere of the final installation of the Twilight saga this Friday. However, one specific film coming out this week is of particular interest. Critics and audiences are both looking forward to seeing the film version of Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy’s timeless masterpiece. Set in 19th century Russia, the film follows the story of high society aristocrat Anna as she delves into a love

TV’s long-celebrated tradition of death

From ‘The Walking Dead’ to ‘Hey Arnold!,’ television fearlessly colors life through an investigation of death, A9

affair that changes her life. Anna is to be played by Keira Knightley, who has previously worked with the appointed director Joe Wright in the films Atonement and Pride & Prejudice. The delightfully successful accomplishment in these previous movies leaves the industry buzzing to see how they will work together in this new, much awaited project. Besides, everyone knows that Knightley is the perfect match

See Movie Preview, A9

courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

‘Les Miserables’ and other upcoming films will bring crowds to theatres this winter.

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

SPORTS The Heights

Monday, November 12, 2012

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Monday, November 12, 2012

BC stays hot against BU

By Pat Coyne

For The Heights BOSTON — Weekends such as the men’s ice hockey team’s most recent one don’t come around too often—rarely will a team face off Boston College 4 against its two 2 Boston Univ. most historical rivals just two days apart. This weekend, however, No. 1 Boston College had the chance to face No. 7 Notre Dame on Friday night as well as No. 11 Boston University on Sunday night, and after Friday’s victory over the Irish, the Eagles had a chance to complete the sweep of their rivalry filled weekend.

“Notre Dame, that’s a big rival of ours in a lot of the sports we play, but this is the one that’s just ratcheted up a little more, because of the history and for a lot of reasons,” said head coach Jerry York. “Both rivalry games make you play with intensity to match the other teams’ intensity,” said York following the game.

Yet again, the Eagles proved why they deserve their No. 1 ranking. After gaining a quick lead over the Terriers, BC never looked back and ended up winning the game 4-2.

Matching the oppositions’ intensity would not prove to be an issue for the

Eagles, as it didn’t take long for them to get on the scoreboard. Just 43 seconds into the first period, forward Destry Straight received a pass that was slid his way across the slot from his line-mate, Kevin Hayes.

Straight one-timed the puck into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.

Although BC would eventually go on the penalty kill three times during the period, it was able to maintain its one-goal lead for the rest of the period. Goaltender Parker Milner’s outstanding play provided a key role in maintaining the lead. He was the third star of the game.

As the first period was winding down, the Eagles finally caught a break in terms of penalties. At 19:37 of the period, BU forward Wesley Myron received a two-minute minor for slashing. Just 12 seconds later, Matt Nieto received a penalty for tripping as well. Although BC couldn’t capitalize as the period ended, they entered the second period with 1:38 remaining in their fiveon-three power play.

With the two-man advantage, the Eagles were able to move the puck well, which was to be expected, but still could not execute and extend their lead. In fact, BC would go on the power play seven times throughout the night, and were unable to

NOTRE DAME

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BOSTON COLLEGE

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same old story

See Men’s Hockey, B4

In his short time at BC, Bates has been learning Greg Joyce Brad Bates is living out of his suitcase in a hotel. He’s been at Boston College full-time for three weeks, but Bates hasn’t had much time to think about the little things like buying a new house to live in. He has a few more important issues on his plate as athletic director on the Heights.

The first three weeks of Bates’ time have been filled with appointments to meet all of his coaches, the studentathletes, administrators, donors, alums, and even the local media. With all that in mind, it’s been a hectic start to life in Chestnut Hill for Bates, especially with the overlap between the fall and winter sports schedules.

While sleep has been at a minimum (“Sleep’s overrated,” he joked), Bates has been able to feed off the energy of those around him to keep him going through a crazy time of transition. He kindly took the time to meet with The Heights early

last week to talk about his experiences so far.

“It’s been exhilarating,” Bates said.

“This place, because of the people that are here and the people that were here, there’s an incredible foundation here.

And we’ve got a lot of work to do, but there’s enormous potential here and that’s very, very exciting. The people that are a part of this institution and care about it and are passionate about it—they’ve just been fantastic. The welcome has been terrific.

“People have high expectations and they should, and that’s what excited me about coming to Boston College.”

The most important issue that everyone is expecting Bates to address is the football program, and he’s certainly been on top of his game with that. While many have been angered with his decision not to fire head coach Frank Spaziani during the season, Bates understands the situation.

“Football is going through adversity right now, so I’m being as visible and around that program as I can to show them that we support them and we care about them,” Bates said.

See Column, B4

daniel lee / heights editor

Irish are too much to handle as BC struggles to light up the scoreboard

By Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor

Chase Rettig lay face-down on the field. Senior captain and offensive lineman Emmett Cleary ran back to pick up his quarterback, who had been knocked down time and time again against Notre Dame. Rettig was lying in the same spot he’d found himself in all season.

All of the hits wouldn’t have mattered if they led to points, but Rettig and the offense never found the end zone in the Eagles’ 21-6 loss to the Irish on Saturday night.

The Boston College quarterback watched as Notre Dame defenders swarmed him split seconds after he

received the snap. He watched as his running backs continued to gain little to no yards on first down. He watched as receivers dropped balls. He watched it all, except when he couldn’t watch any of it because his head was in the turf. But even then it didn’t matter, because Rettig had seen all of it seven times before.

“It’s kind of been the same story all year,” Rettig said. “Obviously, statistically it’s been a great year for a couple of guys on our offense, but you’ve still got to walk around campus with a loss.

It’s not really significant to us. Everyone could vouch for that on our team.”

It was a meaningless, record-setting night for the BC offense. Junior wide receiver Alex Amidon surpassed Brian

Brennan’s single-season total of 1,149 yards in a season from 1983, but Amidon and Rettig left the field unfazed by statistics.

“We’d rather win, and Alex would rather win and have zero catches,” Rettig said.

“I don’t really have too much to say,” Amidon said. “It’s all Chase and everyone on the offense. It’s not me. Chase is playing phenomenal this year. The only thing that matters to me is two ….”

And then he stopped, almost unable to get the words out. After shaking his head and finally processing the reality behind the only stats that matter, wins and losses, Amidon finished his thought.

See Football, B3

Donahue displays new and improved team

By Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor

As his teammate hit the floor, Olivier Hanlan ran right at Florida International’s Malik Smith underneath the baseline with some choice Boston College 84 words for his op70 FIU ponent. Sophomore forward Ryan Anderson had just taken a rough flagrant foul with the game tied 65-65 midway through the second half, and Boston College’s newest freshman guard wasn’t having any of it.

“I just didn’t like the foul that they did on Ryan,” Hanlan said. “It was a pretty hard foul, so I just wanted to step up for him.”

Anderson hopped right up the second he hit the deck and Hanlan got pulled away from Smith before he got a technical foul, but the rookie had done his job. He brought some fire that this squad missed last year. The Eagles only allowed two FIU buckets for the rest of the game as they went on a 19-5 run to secure an 84-70 victory in their season opener yesterday afternoon at Conte Forum.

“I think that just kind of showed how much of a family we are,” Anderson said.

Whereas some coaches wouldn’t want to risk a technical in that situation, head coach Steve Donahue loved the intensity he saw from Hanlan on that play.

“The one thing that we’ve always tried to get across to these guys is that—they’re such nice kids,” Donahue said. “And maybe that got them angry and that snapped them in.

“With this group, we need that. We’ve talked about that. These kids are so darn coachable, almost to a fault. They follow to the T—the stuff [Ryan] was saying was verbatim what I say. Sometimes I want them to just say, ‘Screw the coach. Let’s guard and let’s

do what we have to to get it done.’ You know?

And I think you’re starting to see a little bit of that in them. “ It was a hectic 40 minutes of basketball, with FIU running full-court presses and halfcourt traps the whole game, but the Eagles, powered by Hanlan and fellow freshman

guard Joe Rahon, found ways to break the pressure and get easy looks.

“They had some good guards out there that were pressuring us, so it was a lot easier for me and Joe and all of the other

See Men’s Basketball, B5

graham beck / heights editor

The women’s soccer team celebrated on Friday night as it clinched a spot in the second round.

Eagles move on in tourney

By Ryan Dowd For The Heights

graham beck / heights editor

Ryan Anderson led the Eagles with 29 points and 17 rebounds, a dominating force on both ends.

i nside S ports this issue

Women’s basketball drops opener

Despite an early lead, the Eagles dropped their first game of the season to BU...........B5

The November Madness of the NCAA women’s soccer tournament has begun.

The No. 8 seed Boston College squared off against the No. 9 seed Hofstra this past Friday in the Boston College 2 first round of the 0 Hofstra NCAA tournament in Newton. Despite a heroic effort from Hofstra goalkeeper Emily Morphitis, the Eagles, sparked by a fourpoint performance from Kristie Mewis, notched a 2-0 victory to advance to the second round.

After BC earned the lion’s share of scoring chances in the first half, including its first goal, Hofstra began to threaten with through balls behind the Eagle defense. There were some tense moments for BC as the clock continued to tick to the dismay of Hofstra. Most of those moments came during Hofstra’s four corner

Reineke secures national championship

The freshman sailer won a national championship last weekend, making a splash from the start......................B2

kicks in the second half, but goalkeeper Alexa Gaul handled them all, along with three saves in the second half. Head coach Alison Foley saw her team prepared to defend those opportunities.

“This is as confident as our team has ever been on defending set pieces and corners,” Foley said.

Hofstra’s late push was all for naught in the end. Already up 1-0, the Eagles led a counter attack in the 80th minute.

Midfielder Gibby Wagner pushed the ball down the sideline and crossed it toward the net. A Hofstra defender tried to head the ball out of danger, but sent it right to the foot of Mewis in the corner of the box. The senior made a touch to her left toward the goal and fired a shot through the keeper to put the game out of reach at 2-0. It was Mewis’s team-leading 14th goal of the year “If you look at our season, in critical

See Women’s Soccer, B4

Football Wrap Up.........................B3 ACC Standings..........................B2

The Heights

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Monday, November 12, 2012

Despite youth, sailor Reineke does not lack experience on the water

By Andrew Klokiw Heights Staff What does one do when they win a national championship? Some go to Disneyland, others make a big show of parading the country as praise is lavished their way, and the most fortunate find themselves on the steps of the White House, shaking hands with none other than President Barack Obama.

If it is at all a possibility to be crowned a national champion and still be under the radar, the Boston College sailing team, and specifically freshman Erika Reineke, has got it down to a science. If Reineke’s name is not yet a household one around the Heights, it is not for a lack of trying, as the first-semester student brought home a national championship of a different kind.

Last weekend, Reineke became the second woman in BC sailing history to be crowned champion at the Women’s Singlehanded National Championships, following in the distinguished wake of recent graduate Annie Haegar.

“I’m really happy about it and obviously a little surprised,” Reineke said of her success. “We worked really hard as a team. They’ve really pushed me. [Head coach] Greg Wilkinson has really helped me to focus my talent and develop my skills over the past semester. It’s been short, but it’s been worthwhile. It’s all surreal, and I’ve got three more years now, so we’ll see where it can go.”

Reineke captured first place in the laser radial competition, where she won the opening three races of the 18-race event and never looked back.

“It was a big confidence boost,” the freshman said of winning the first three races. “I was really nervous going into the event because I had high expectations for myself.

After those three races I just said to myself, ‘Ok, I know how to make a boat go fast.’”

The laser radial is a small type of dinghy, generally preferred to the laser standard model by women. The radial is a one-person boat, with a reduced mast and smaller sail area, which allows for lighter sailors like Reineke to race

more effectively in heavier winds.

The event, held in Long Beach, Calif., was contested by the top 18 singlehanded sailors in the country, but BC’s Reineke made them mostly bystanders in her victory parade.

After capturing the first three races, Reineke would go on to win two more of the eight races on day one. In a competition where the lowest score wins, Reineke grabbed a commanding 23-point lead after the first day. The second day would feature her best work, as she sailed across the finish line in first place in all eight races that were held that day.

After 16 of the 18 overall races, the gap between Reineke and the other 17 sailors was mathematically insurmountable, and she was declared the national champion.

The weekend was not without its hiccups for the freshman, as she capsized her boat in the fifth race on her way to her lowest finish for the competition, fifth place.

“It was a really silly mistake, I don’t even really know how it happened,” Reineke said of the mishap. “I flipped over, but I wasn’t too disturbed or distraught by it because it happens. You just have to try and claw back as much as you can and not let it faze you. You can’t let it determine the rest of your day.”

The championship was the 12th in BC program history in various events. Reineke becomes the second woman to capture the women’s singlehanded title, after Haegar captured three of her own during her four years on the Heights.

Reineke named the accomplished Haegar, who graduated from BC last year, as a “huge role model” for her and as someone who set the bar high for any sailor coming to Chestnut Hill.

Reineke began her sailing career at the age of eight years old, and to hear her speak of her start, it almost comes as a bit of a surprise that she is still sailing today.

“I started at age eight, and I hated it at first,” Reineke said of her first involvement with the sport. “I couldn’t get in the boat, I hated it so much. But at around 12 years old,

I began to really like it. My parents [pushed me toward sailing], even though they don’t sail at all. They saw boats around at the yacht club and thought it looked fun, so they stuck me in a boat. It was tough at first. Other kids have soccer or dance, but I made some great friends through sailing that made me want to stay in the sport and want to do it long-term.”

After taking the gold in two youth world championships and one under-21 world event, Reineke began to look toward moving her sailing career to the collegiate ranks. BC was a natural first choice for her, as it offered her all the tools that she felt were necessary to further her career in the water.

“BC is a great school with amazing sports facilities, and that combined to draw me to this school immediately,” Reineke said. “I wanted to be a part of this team, because coming from a single-handed boat as I had in high school, it was mainly just me working by myself. I wanted to be part of something bigger, and that’s what we have here at BC.” When asked about her greatest influences from the sailing world, the rookie was quick to point to the 2008 gold medalist at the Beijing Olympic Games, Anna Tunnicliffe, and her husband, Brad Funk. Tunnicliffe earned the gold medal in the event that has become Reineke’s specialty, the singledhanded laser radial. Reineke credits Tunnicliffe and Funk for instilling in her the necessary discipline to reach the elevated level of the sport that she has today.

Sporting such an extensive list of honors and achievements at such a young age begs the question of the Fort Lauderdale native: what is left to accomplish?

“Definitely the Olympics are something that I am aiming for after I graduate,” Reineke replied without hesitation. “2016 might seem far off, but it’s really not. The 2016 Olympics gold medal in the radial, that’s my ultimate goal and I’m really driven to get there. Ever since I was 12, that has been the main focus.”

If last weekend’s almost flawless display is any indication, the Olympic dream may be a real one for the freshman.

Yet, it appears that Reineke understands the importance of

keeping both feet planted squarely on the ground, which may be a little harder to do with the addition of a national championship to her trophy case. The only thing that remains to be seen is if Reineke will be receiving any calls from a certain Commander-in-Chief. n

Courtesy of Google Images

Erika Reineke has already proven herself on her new team.

Volleyball returns from roadtrip winless against Hokies and Cavaliers

By Marly Morgus For The Heights As other students braved the first signs of winter this weekend, the Boston College volleyball team headed south out of the cold for two road matches against Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia. The weekend started slowly for the Eagles with a straight set loss against the Hokies, and ended in a hard-fought five-setter from which the Cavaliers finally emerged victorious.

On Saturday, the Eagles made their way to Charlottesville to face the Virginia Cavaliers in Memorial Gymnasium. Earlier this season, BC had topped Virginia in a three-set win, but the Eagles knew better than to be complacent going to face their opponents on their home turf.

Virginia started the match out strong with a dominating 25-13 first set win. Although the Eagles kept it close to start, they lost the lead for good after being tied at 5-5, and long runs from UVA pushed BC back.

After a rough start to the match, the Eagles showed

renewed effort in the second set. Once again, a close start to the set made way to long runs, this time in BC’s favor.

Though the stats from the first set were unimpressive, three Eagles had four kills in the second: Melissa McTighe, Katty Workman, and Krystle Higgins. The strong second set performance was just what the Eagles needed to turn the match around and gain some momentum in their favor.

The next set also went to the Eagles, though it was not as resounding a victory as the previous two had been for either team. This time, the teams battled back and forth, going point for point with only the shortest runs, neither team allowing the other to get an edge. Eventually, after being tied at 18-18, the Eagles pulled ahead with the help of Workman’s eight kills, Kellie Barnum’s 15 assists, and Franny Hock’s 10 digs.

With the match on the line, UVA pushed back to save themselves in the fourth set, gaining the lead at 2-1 and never letting the Eagles push past them until the end of their 25-21 victory.

In the fifth set of any match, the teams play to only 15. This leaves little time to fight from behind or have

any lapse in the offensive or defensive departments. UVA played with that in mind and leapt out to a 7-1 lead, and though BC pulled to within three at 12-9, the brevity of a fifth set was its downfall, as the Cavaliers closed the set and the match with their 15-10 win.

A large crowd awaited BC in the Cassell Coliseum Friday night as they took on Virginia Tech on its home court in Blacksburg, Va. After suffering a tough loss to the Hokies at home earlier in the season in Chestnut Hill, the Eagles hoped to turn around a losing streak with a road victory against a Hokie team that sits in the middle of the ACC standings. Despite a season-high 26 assists from Barnum, the Eagles were unable to fight past the tough Virginia Tech team.

The Hokies took an early lead with an explosive start to the first set, subduing the Eagle offense and challenging their defense as they took an 11-4 lead. Further difficulties on the BC side allowed Virginia Tech to expand their lead to 20-8. Despite three kills each from Kameron McLain and Courtney Castle, and a slight push in the final points of the set, the Eagles were unable to mount a comeback

and lost the first set 25-15.

BC, after a tough first set, came out with stronger play in the second, putting pressure on the Hokies and keeping the set close. Despite timeouts and battles from both teams, back and forth scoring kept neither team from pulling ahead until the 22-21 mark, when Virginia Tech was finally able to string a few points together, closing out the second set 25-21.

Two sets down, the Eagles found it hard to overcome the mental challenge that is a volleyball match, especially when working from behind. Although Virginia Tech started out strong, the Eagles were able to pull them to within 4 at 13-9, but from there the Hokies dominated the rest of the match, closing out the Eagles 3-0 with their decisive 25-13 third set victory.

Next weekend will find the Eagles on the road again as they take on two Florida teams, the University of Miami and Florida State, who are the top two teams in the ACC standings. Once again, the young Eagles team will be tested physically and mentally as they face some of their toughest opponents of the season. n

SPORTS in SHORT

Alex Manta / Heights Graphic

ACC Volleyball Standings Team

Florida State Miami North Carolina NC State Clemson Georgia Tech Virginia Tech Maryland Duke Boston College Wake Forest Virginia

Conference 15-2 15-2 13-4 10-7 9-8 9-8 8-9 7-10 5-12 4-13 4-13 3-14

Overall 24-3 23-4 22-5 20-8 18-10 18-10 15-12 16-13 14-15 10-19 10-19 9-19

Quote of the Week

Numbers to Know

1,156

Alex Amidon’s new program record for receiving yards. The previous record was held by Brian Brennan with 1,149 yards.

8

The number of consecutive opening day victories for men’s basketball head coach Steve Donahue.

26

The number of career games in which guard Kerri Shields has scored double digit points for the Eagles.

“Anytime you play the national champions, it’s always a measuring stick. We aspire to play the way they play.”

Notre Dame head hockey coach Jeff Jackson on playing the Eagles —

The Heights

Monday, November 12, 2012

B3

daniel lee / heights Editor

key stats

10 53 2:33

quote of the game

Consecutive first downs to start the game by ND Total rushing yards for Boston College

“It’s kind of been the same story all year. Obviously, statistically it’s been a great year for a couple of guys on our offense, but you’ve still got to walk around campus with a loss. [Statistics are] not really significant to us.”

- Chase Rettig Junior Quarterback

Time of possession for BC in the second quarter

key performers

game-changing play On the first drive of the third quarter, Notre Dame marched down the field and made it a 21-3 lead when Everett Golson threw a 18-yard touchdown to John Goodman, who burned Sean Sylvia on the side of the end zone.

it was over when...

Everett Golson

alex amidon Graham beck / heights editor

daniel lee / heights editor

Alex Amidon set the BC record for receiving yards in a season thanks to an 84-yard performance. Golson scorched the Eagles for two passing TDs and one on the ground.

football notebook

Once again, third down troubles lead to loss

By Alex Stanley For The Heights

It was the same story yet again for Boston College as it was downed 21-6 by undefeated rival No. 4 Notre Dame at Alumni Stadium on Saturday night.

It was another loss, another night of giving up third down conversions, even more injuries, and a few individual positives.

The Irish offense came into the game averaging just under 27 points per game, and the BC defense did its job in keeping them under that total.

Notre Dame converted 11 of 14 third downs, however, at one point even converting 10 for 10.

Quarterback Everett Golson was the highlight of this Notre Dame offense, which gave the Eagles’ defense a headache on third down. His athleticism continually allowed him to rush past the initial line of the BC defense in order to advance past the first down marker, and his passing accuracy rarely let him down when it came down to the wire.

Golson almost always ended up with the ball when the Irish were on third down, and his comfort both rushing and passing continued to lead his team on drives.

He ended the night with 200 yards passing, two touchdowns, and 39 yards rushing, including one touchdown on the run.

“Whenever you are facing a nationalcaliber team, you know that they are going

to execute,” said linebacker Steele Divitto.

“That is something that we have struggled with this year. We get them at third and long and we can’t get them off the field.

That is something that we need to work on and continue to build on. The reason we won the Maryland game was because we got them off the field on third down, and today we couldn’t do that until later in the game, but it was already too late.”

Head coach Frank Spaziani credited Notre Dame, but also his own team’s lack of execution.

“Some of it was our execution and some of it was their execution,” Spaziani said. “Some of it was their improvisation.

We’ve got to make some plays, and when we get the opportunity, we have to make our share of them.”

Finch Freed Deuce Finch returned to the field for the first time since his goal-line fumble against Northwestern. Finch had been in Spaziani’s doghouse since that road trip, and made the most of his action on Saturday.

Against the Irish, Finch got seven carries and broke off two solid gains. At least for a couple moments, he looked like his old self.

“I saw the Deuce that I like to see,” Spaziani said of Finch’s performance.

Finch finished with 40 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry against the Irish defense.

Spaziani discussed Finch’s play on Sunday after watching the tape.

“Deuce did what Deuce is supposed to do,” Spaziani said. “He looked like the guy that we were familiar with at the beginning of the year. Once again, he has to practice and continue doing what he did to get him where he got to last night, and then his role will certainly increase.

“Once again, there’s certain things you have to do. We just can’t project him into a more active role until he demonstrates that he has earned it, and he certainly stepped up and looked like a good back [Saturday] night.”

More Injuries The Eagles also sustained two key injuries to receiver Bobby Swigert and linebacker Nick Clancy.

Swigert had 23 yards receiving and nine yards rushing before he hobbled off of the field. He went into the locker room on crutches, and appeared to have an injury to the right knee.

“The preliminary was not very good,” Spaziani said of Swigert.

Clancy, on the other hand, received a concussion according to Spaziani, ruling him out of the game.

This adds trouble to the linebacker position, as Kevin Pierre Louis has missed two straight games due to an injury as well.

Clancy led the team in tackles prior to the game, with 107 this season.

Sophomore Sean Duggan and freshmen Steven Daniels and Tim Joy had to fill in the gaps left by the more senior linebackers. n

With under seven minutes left to play, Chase Rettig’s pass was tipped and landed in the hands of ND linebacker Manti Te’o, which ended yet another scoreless drive for the Eagles.

BC lacks a punch against ND Football, from B1 “… Two and eight. That’s the only stat I’m worried about.”

Rettig has been a model leader throughout the Eagles’ tumultuous season, but on Saturday he started to let himself loose. He almost beat the media to the press conference, still wearing his jersey, still sweaty and out of breath. All season long he’s put the blame on himself, but eight times was too many.

“We had some penalties that kind of hurt us,” Rettig began. “We had third and long a lot which has kind of become something consistent in the games prior to today. So we’ve got to be better on first down.”

Rettig didn’t cause those penalties, and he didn’t set up those third-andlongs. He’s said it before—BC has to run better on first down and that didn’t happen against the Irish. The Eagles ran for a total of 53 yards, a horrendous sum that somehow topped previous marks of 32, eight, and 12 in the three games prior. Deuce Finch returned to the field and showed off his impressive burst on a couple of solid runs, but being relegated to the scout team has its effects. So does an offensive line that can’t get any sort of push off the line of scrimmage.

“We kind of struggled,” Rettig began when asked about the offense not being able to take advantage of turnovers forced by the defense, but then he changed course.

“We didn’t struggle, we just shot ourselves in the foot a whole bunch,” Rettig said. “We dropped passes. The

pass protection broke down a little bit a couple times there. Just execution. It’s not any one in particular, just the offense as a whole.”

He’d had enough. The quarterback who transformed himself from being inconsistent and unreliable to an overlooked star couldn’t take all of the blame any longer.

The quarterback who looked across the room and saw his tireless wide receiver waiting to speak about a record he knew his friend didn’t care about just couldn’t put all of that weight on his own shoulders for an eighth time. This was supposed to be a coming out party showcasing all of his offseason improvements, but instead it was just one more game on the Irish’s way to the national championship.

Rettig got one final question about Amidon before the press conference ended, asking him to talk about the year his go-to receiver was having.

“I think he has a good quarterback,” Rettig joked, sort of, before going on to praise the new record-holder.

“He’s taken a lot of hits this year and gotten up every time. Everyone should be congratulating him on his accomplishment. He’s done really well with the big things at his position that are going to go down in the history of BC. Hats off to Alex. He’s what everyone who goes to BC should be like.”

Maybe Rettig was trying to lighten the mood with that initial joke, but maybe he just wanted to remind everyone. Maybe he had to get out one last reminder that he’s still here, he still has game, and that his play still matters. Even though the record might not show it. n

The Heights

B4

Monday, November 12, 2012

Mewis a steady force in BC’s win Early lead helps BC push past BU Women’s Soccer, from B1 moments of the games, when games have been tight, it’s been Kristen Mewis who’s answered the call, and the top players in the country know how to take care of business and [that] one just sealed off the game,” Foley said.

The game was only in reach, though, because of Morphitis’s seven saves. Whether BC shot from long range, just outside the box, or at point blank, Morphitis made all but two plays.

The Eagles struck first in the 12th minute, as Mewis won the ball in the midfield and pushed into Hofstra territory. The rest was history after that.

“There was some open space in front of [Stephanie McCaffrey], who’s pretty much the fastest girl on our team, because the back line was sitting up a bit,” Mewis said. “I just clipped her a little ball over the top, and she ran onto it and chipped it right over the goalie.”

Morphitis would shut the door for the next 68 minutes.

“I was very disappointed in myself after the first goal, but I just tried to deal with the mistake, get it out of my system, and concentrate on the next 30 minutes of the game where I thought I did a better job at reading the balls through,” Morphitis said.

BC had not tasted victory since an Oct. 18th upset over then No. 1 Florida State. In a do or die NCAA game, both home field and an early lead may have made all the difference in the team’s first win in three weeks.

“We talked about it before the game,” Foley said.

“We said it’d be good to get ahead in the first 15 minutes of the game. When you do that, it allows you to play your style.”

“We had a little bit of a rough end of the year, and I think it was really important for the seniors and the rest of the team to get one more game here at home,” Mewis said. “It was really special for us, and I think we played how we should have.”

The Eagles now have a second-round matchup with No. 1 Penn State on Friday night in Happy Valley, after the Nittany Lions defeated LIU-Brooklyn 4-0. n

Men’s Hockey, from B1 net a goal. Prior to this weekend’s games, the Eagles had been rock solid when playing with an advantage, scoring 32.3 percent of the time (10-for-31). In their last two games, however, the Eagles have had much more trouble taking advantage of their power plays. “[The game] was a little bit fractured because there were so many penalties, but even with that I thought there was some really just good hockey plays from both teams—pucks moved, very unselfish by both teams,” said York about the high number of penalties on both sides during the game.

While BC has continued to move the puck with relative ease when it is on the advantage, the power play unit, as a whole, has had trouble lately controlling the puck at key moments. For example, when receiving passes across the slot, the Eagles have simply been unable to maintain control of the puck and finish the play. The unit has had even more trouble taking quality shots while on the advantage.

Although unable to capitalize on a power play, the Eagles were finally able to open things up in the third.

Hayes scored at 11:01 on a shot taken from behind the net that deflected off of BU goaltender Matt O’Connor, which gave BC a 2-0 advantage. Forward Danny Linell was credited with the assist.

“Their goalie was down, so I tried to just make a play out front, and fortunately I was lucky enough that it hit the goalie and went in,” Hayes said about his goal. Hayes had two assists in the game and was the first star of the night.

Then, at 12:23, forward Johnny Gaudreau extended the Eagles’ lead to three goals when he scored his seventh goal of the season. Forward Steven Whitney was credited with the assist.

The Eagles’ third goal ultimately ended up being the decisive one. Although forward Bill Arnold scored an unassisted open net goal while the Eagles were short handed, the Terriers were able to score a second goal at 18:43. Thus, Gaudreau’s goal proved to be the game winner, his fifth game-winning goal of the season.

With the victory, the Eagles improve to 8-1-0 on the season. York also earned his 921st career win, and is now four wins away from becoming the winningest ice hockey coach in NCAA history. n

Eagles outskate Notre Dame en route to Holy War win on the ice

By Chris Marino

Assoc. Sports Editor On Friday night, the No. 1 Boston College men’s hockey team (7-1-0) defeated the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-3-0), 3-1, in front of an electric crowd at Kelley Rink to start the Holy War weekend on a high note. With the win, the Eagles secured the Snooks KelleyLefty Smith Trophy, awarded to the winner of the BC-ND classic. The home team was led by sophomore forward Johnny Gaudreau, who scored two goals, including the game-winner in the second period.

For head coach Jerry York, the victory was a culmination of full team execution, and could have seen either team walk away with a win.

“We’ve got a lot of respect for that team,” he said. “We’ve lost to them over the last few years. There are certainly two good hockey teams walking out of here tonight. We’re very excited and fortunate to get the ‘W.’ I thought right at the end of the game, they had really Grade-A chances that Parker stopped. I’ll have to watch the film to see how he stopped it, but he had some great saves.”

Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson said that his team fully knew the Eagles’ abilities, but they were just too much for his team.

“Anytime you play the national champions,

it’s always a measuring stick,” he said. “We aspire to play the way they play. Their speed was certainly a factor, along with everything they do. They put a lot of pressure on you, and break you down. They’re a good team, as advertised and as I expected.”

The first period featured some even play between the Eagles and the Fighting Irish.

ND finished the period with the 9-4 shot advantage, but Parker Milner proved to be the difference-maker in the frame. BC had two power-play opportunities, but the Irish penalty-kill unit proved too strong, leaving the Eagles with nothing to show in the period.

Notre Dame nearly came away with the game’s first score with less than a minute left to play, and the Irish on a power play. With the Eagles on their heels, ND maintained strong possession and created some traffic in front of the net.

The puck somehow managed to slip through the crease, but Milner made a diving stop to cover the loose puck, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

The second period saw a completely different BC squad take the ice. At the 4:41 mark, senior captain Pat Mullane took a great feed from defenseman Patrick Wey at mid-ice, and broke away without a defender in sight. He made a strong backhand move to put the puck in the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.

“I actually got kicked out of that draw, which I was frustrated about,” Mullane said.

“I don’t know where the puck went, but it ended up on Pat Wey’s stick. I saw that land and shot out there. It’s not something we drew up, but it seemed to work out. Pat Wey made a great pass.”

The Eagles saw a complete team effort at both ends of the ice, especially on the penalty kill unit. In particular, Quinn Smith and Isaac MacLeod made significant contributions on the defensive end to keep the Irish from utilizing their player advantage. Notre Dame also did well at killing BC power plays, as the two teams combined to be 0-for-11 on power-play opportunities for the night.

BC looked to double its lead at the 16:30 mark, as Gaudreau finally got one past ND goalie Steven Summerhays. The play started with freshman defenseman Michael Matheson, who hit Gaudreau breaking down and across the ice. Gaudreau, who drew several penalties on skilled moves toward the net throughout the game, finally managed to separate himself from the Irish defense on a three-on-one for his team. After faking a pass across the crease, he lifted the shot for a topshelf, stick-side score.

“Johnny played outstanding,” York said. “He was hard to control tonight. He drew a lot of

penalties because he was making plays with the puck. He had two or three plays that put us on the power play.”

After finishing the first period down 9-4 on shots, the Eagles outplayed the Irish at both ends, ending the second period with a 12-2 advantage. The defense forced ND to take bad shots, if it could even manage to get the puck into its offensive zone. The Eagles were also able to create some offensive push throughout the period to pressure Summerhays.

The final frame included a stronger push from the visiting team. The team created better looks offensively, and gave Milner and the defense a tougher task. At 7:10, a heavy barrage of shots finally culminated in a score for Thomas DiPauli, cutting the Eagles’ lead in half, 2-1. That would be the last score for the Irish, as Milner stepped up with several big time saves to preserve the lead and ignite the BC student section.

With just over seven minutes left to play, ND broke down the ice on a partial breakaway, leaving Milner to face the attack by himself. Despite the lack of help, he met the forward in the crease and blocked the shot. Moments later, Milner made the highlight stop of the game with the Eagles on another penalty kill. Forward Jeff Costello ripped a shot a few feet away from the right

post, but Milner shot his glove out at the last second to make the save. He would finish the contest with 19 saves, including eight in the final frame.

The Eagles would close out any chance for a Notre Dame comeback with three seconds left to play. The BC defense was able to maintain possession as the clock wound down, forcing Summerhays to remain on the ice. When ND eventually secured the puck, Summerhays took off for the bench, but junior Bill Arnold broke up the Irish offensive and found Gaudreau down the ice. Gaudreau hit the empty-net score to give the Eagles the eventual 3-1 victory.

Mullane said after the game that this victory came down to a complete team effort from not only the player, but also from all parties involved with the club.

“I thought it was an overall solid team performance,” he said. “I think we executed exactly what we wanted. We stuck to our game plan, and in big games like that with a lot of emotion and with the crowd and excitement, a lot of teams tend to stray away from their game plan or what we want to focus on. From our managers, our coaching staff, our trainers, and through the team, we had a plan set in mind going into practice on Tuesday and we stuck right to it through the full 60 minutes.” n

daniel lee / heights editor

(Clockwise from top left) Parker Milner came up with save after save on Friday night to secure the win over the Irish, giving the offense energy to score three times on the other end of the ice. Pat Mullane congratulates his team after the win.

Bates still trying to settle down to life in Chestnut Hill amid turmoil Column, from B1 By my eye, Bates has done just that.

He’s been at every single football game since he was hired, even when he was still wrapping things up in Ohio. Time after time, he’s stood at the door of the locker room to give his players a pat on the back after the tough games. Maybe it’s not exactly what the football team needs, but it’s all he can do at this point—be a visible leader throughout the tough times.

I’ve gone back and forth about whether I think Spaziani should still be the coach through the end of the season. After the loss at Wake Forest, I was all ready to fill this space with reasons why Doug Martin should be the interim head coach for the rest of the year. But what Bates said at his introductory press conference stopped me from doing so—his idea of not making quick decisions and instead looking at a “body of work rather than the emotional rollercoaster of every week.”

Sure, Bates knows about the downward trend of the football team in its years under Spaziani’s guidance, but he wasn’t here to witness it. There’s a difference between being on the outside looking in and actually immersing yourself in the program, and Bates is doing the latter now. Firing Spaziani midseason would have been similar to the Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to fire Mike Brown five games into the season. That’s absurd. I know BC is now 10 games into its season, but Bates has only been around the program for five.

Bates has adhered to his original promise of not making a decision in the emotional rollercoaster, and stood by that statement last week.

“I’ve actually studied this, mid-season coaching changes or announcements— you’ve always got to think about the students,” Bates said. “And maybe you get an emotional lift for a week, but after that when the authority has been diminished, it just isn’t the healthiest environment for

the students. So the focus has got to be that week-to-week and game-to-game, we’re striving for excellence and we’re trying to win each week. So I think that if we’re always reminding ourselves that our goal is to maximize student development, then those decisions play out at the end of the season.”

He referred to a similar situation he encountered at Miami University, when the women’s soccer team endured a difficult season. Bates showed patience and wise judgment, and the result spoke for itself.

“A year ago, Miami’s women’s soccer program didn’t even make the conference tournament, this year they won the league, and they just won the conference tournament championship,” Bates said. “[When you’re facing] adversity, you want to gather as much information as possible, because if we’d just looked at a snapshot of one year of Miami soccer, you would’ve said get rid of the coach

and get someone new. But here we are a year later and he went undefeated in the regular-season and never lost a game this year in the conference, and now he’s in the NCAAs.” Sure, the situation is different, but Bates isn’t a stranger to dealing with head coaches. In doing so, he wants to make rational decisions while not squashing expectations for the program.

“We want to have expectations of excellence, ever to excel, but the role of the athletic administration is we’ve got to assess whether we’re providing the resources to our coaches so that they can maximize that student development through excellence and performance,” he said. “And so a big part of what we’ve got to grasp is that we’re investing in coaches—the coaches are the primary facilitators of this student development. They’re the ones that are spending a majority of the time as catalysts to the students’ development. As administrators, we’ve

got to provide them with the resources that allow them to maximize their student development.”

While it may seem like it, I don’t think the decision to fire Spaziani is as black and white as it appears. We’re all fans of instant gratification, and since the wins aren’t coming, I understand the idea of the next best thing being an immediate firing. But I also believe that Bates knows what he’s doing. I don’t think he would have been hired if he didn’t have a plan to fix the football program.

So while he hasn’t made the decision that everyone’s been waiting for, it’s not like he’s blind to the issues at hand either.

Patience is running thin at this point, but Bates is asking for the betterment of the program.

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

The Heights

Monday, November 12, 2012

B5

Basketball notebook

Anderson has career day against FIU in season opener

By Stephen Sikora Heights Staff

Sophomore Ryan Anderson had the best game of his Boston College basketball career on Sunday, recording 29 points and 17 rebounds. But it was his efforts that didn’t show up on the stat sheet that may have been his biggest improvement from last season.

“I’ve been trying to take more of a leadership role on this team, verbally,” Anderson said. “Being more [vocal] out there on the court is helping me be more active and be more assertive.”

Anderson had a number of shots fall from mid-range, as he exposed FIU’s zone defense. Yet he was also more active around the rim, which impressed BC head coach Steve Donahue.

“His jumping is so much better than it was last year,” Donahue said. “He’s so much quicker to the rebounds, above the rim type of rebounds.”

The offense had much more of a flow to it than last year, when the Eagles moved the ball around the perimeter for much of their possessions and oftentimes were left shooting threes as the shot clock wound down.

“Offensively, we’ve grown a lot,” Anderson said. “The Spain trip really helped us, playing against guys that play

similar basketball to us, and learning the mechanics of the offense better that way, through them.”

“The physicality we were able to play with was a huge step up,” Donahue added.

“Joe and O” If you didn’t know this BC team, you’d likely think freshman guards Olivier Hanlan and Joe Rahon have been playing under coach Donahue for years.

In their first college game, they both made a tremendous impact and were key in getting the win.

Hanlan handled the point for the majority of the game, and was a natural leader out on the court. He already seemed in control of the offense, directing the team on much of their possessions.

“I was extremely nervous at first, but the guys had trust in me to run the point and be aggressive,” Hanlan said. “Even if I had turnovers, or [if ] I was not playing well, they stayed with me. It was really encouraging.”

Rahon played a team-high 37 minutes and had six assists, three more than any player in the game. While he didn’t convert on any of his field goals, the freshman from San Diego was 5-for-8 from the free throw line.

“Joe makes a lot of little plays that [don’t] show up in the stat sheet, but help us win games,” Anderson said.

“He helps make smart basketball plays, whether it’s a hockey assist type of pass, or just driving and kicking and being under control and not getting a charge so we don’t have a turnover on that play.”

“Him and O both have a high basketball IQ. Anytime we can get their hands on the ball, a lot of good plays will happen, especially in the paint.”

In the Bonus Lonnie Jackson was the only Eagles starter who didn’t score, shooting 0for-5 from the three point line. Despite being a big part of the team last year, he couldn’t find a rhythm in the opener.

“He’s been playing so well. He’s been shooting the heck out of the basketball,” Donahue said. “It’s encouraging for me to watch him go 0-for-7 and win the game. We need Lonnie Jackson consistent—we can’t go 2-for-17 [from the 3-point line].”

Patrick Heckman, on the other hand, had a solid game. He scored 12 points in only 20 minutes, including back-to-back threes in the first half that put BC up by six. They never trailed after that point in the game. n

graham beck / heights editor

Olivier Hanlan helped the Eagles break the Golden Panther press in BC’s win yesterday afternoon.

New mentality sparks first win Men’s Basketball, from B1 guards to try and blow by and dish the ball to Ryan or Dennis,” Hanlan said. “It was kind of easy after a while.”

At times in the first half, it looked like BC would blow out FIU, but a few sloppy turnovers and some poor defensive play allowed the Golden Panthers to close the gap.

“There were times where it looked like we were going to blow them out, and there were times where we couldn’t stop them,” Donahue said. “What I do really think was important was I noticed a little difference from last year’s attitude when the team would do that.”

Last season, BC would fold in the last five minutes when the game was close.

That didn’t happen this time. They finally played lock-down defense against the FIU pick and roll that confused them all game and found easy scores against the Golden Panther zone.

“We knew that was the challenge going in, just speaking to teams that had played them in scrimmages,” Donahue said of the FIU pick and roll. They’ve got all the guys that are the same size. They all go off the bounce. There were times where we just switched everything, and it was okay. Then they started burning us on that. Then we got back to really being aggressive with it and kind of mixed results. At the end of the day, I thought the last 10 minutes of the game we did a really good job on that. But for us, we can’t allow penetration.”

Sophomore center Dennis Clifford only saw 18 minutes of action, since FIU’s lineup of players all below 6-foot-6 made him a liability in the pick and roll game. Instead, Harvard transfer Andrew Van Nest saw significant minutes down the stretch due

to his ability to hedge hard on the screens and then recover so as not to give up open shots. Clifford will be a key factor against most other teams, but the Golden Panthers took him out of his element.

“I’m very happy for [Van Nest],” Donahue said. “He’s playing relaxed. We kept him out there tonight because I thought he had pretty good idea on both sides of the ball against those smaller guys—whereas Dennis was really good on offense at times, but I think he was jumping around too much on the defensive end. I thought Andrew gave us that tonight.”

The BC offense was powered by Anderson’s 29 points (on 16 shots) and 17 rebounds, including nine on the offensive end. The forward found gaps in the FIU zone over and over again leading to easy baskets.

“I think Coach D and our scouting for the game made the real emphasis just to get paint touches,” Anderson said. “He made a comment like we basically get a point every time we get a paint touch because it’s so destructive for a zone defense like that. So I just took it upon myself being a guy that can play around the basket to just kind of make my living in there for the game finding spots for me and for others.”

Hanlan and Rahon kept finding their big man in the middle of the zone, and Anderson kept finishing. The Eagles already passed their highest point total from last season, which came against Sacred Heart when they put up 83. It was a unique game against a unique type of team the Eagles probably won’t see again, but BC already looks significantly better than it did last season and, more importantly, those strides came in an opening game victory. n

graham beck / heights editor

Newcomers Joe Rahon and Andrew Van Nest played key roles against FIU. Rahon ran the point and Van Nest dominated on the defensive end for BC.

New BC offense stalls at BU in low-scoring game

By Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor

graham beck / heights editor

Although BC lost to BU on Friday night, Kerri Shields made significant strides from last season.

Erik Johnson warned his staff ahead of time to expect some clumsiness on the offensive end.

“I think it’s a function of a new staff with a new group of players,” Johnson said after kicking off the new era of Boston College women’s basketball in his first game as head coach. “So [ when it comes to the players] really understanding the offense and them really understanding where those opportunities are, I have to do a better job of putting them in better positions and clearly executing where those looks are.”

No starter shot above 40 percent for the Eagles as they fell 52-46 at Boston University on Friday night against the Terriers in the season opener. Johnson was proud of his team’s defensive effort, holding a veteran BU squad to just 38 percent shooting from the field, and was confident that the offense will come with time.

“I thought that our team followed the game plan defensively very, very well,” Johnson said. “We held a very good team to a low percentage and a low number of points, and I was really proud of them with that. For a while, offensively, we were

able to get over the hump, you know we got that nine-point lead, but I never felt like we really got in an offensive flow.”

The Eagles ran a lot of pick and roll with senior guard Kerri Shields, but quick hedges from Terrier defenders broke up her play-making ability. BC also looked to establish junior forward Katie Zenevitch on the post, but BU was able to contain her as well.

Although the Eagles went into halftime holding on to a 20-19 lead and then broke off an 8-0 run to start the second half, BU was able to seal the win with some clutch play down the stretch. After scrapping together a few tough buckets, the BC offense stalled due to an overall lack of flow and comfort.

“You saw us having to go one-on-one, making too many plays individually, and not out of selfishness,” Johnson said. “It was simply out of trying to do the right thing, but then not quite seeing all of the reads and how everything fits together.

So again, that’s the coach’s job.”

Shields and fellow guard Tessah Holt kept BC in the game with a few great plays on both sides of the ball, forcing turnovers and creating something out of nothing with drives to the rim as the shot clock expired. Johnson’s offense is still a work in progress and he expects his play-

ers to do better the next time out after getting a chance to see the film.

“I have a feeling that when we watch this film, we’re going to see there were a lot of really good opportunities, but we just didn’t see it,” Johnson said. “We didn’t quite make it, or a pass was a little bit late, so it ends up being a turnover instead of a basket.

“Look, we’ve got way too good of offensive players to be scoring 46 points, and that’s a coach’s responsibility to make sure we’re putting our best offensive players in positions to go and be able to shoot a hundred percent.”

The game was also the first outing for freshman Nicole Boudreau, who started for the Eagles. The two-time Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year nailed a pair of threes in the first half with her smooth stroke, but struggled at times to find her groove outside of her perimeter shooting. Despite the uneven play, the future is bright for the rookie, who flashed her impressive potential.

“She’s great,” Johnson said. “Nicole, she started her first game. She’s a great shooter. She’s tough. She’s smart. I think as our team grows, you’re going to see Nicole growing and her learning curve is just going to explode and she’s going to be a great player for us.” n

B6

The Heights

Monday, November 12, 2012

The Heights

Monday, November 12, 2012

B7

The upsides and importance of exercise for students

By Kelly Farrell For The Heights

The Flynn Recreation Complex, also known as “the Plex,” prides itself on having something for everyone. Students and faculty can exercise on the aerobics machines, swim in the pools, and play sports like basketball, volleyball, and tennis. Given all the amenities, you would think that once you got to the Plex, working out would be easy.

But in reality, the hardest part of exercising is often trying to overcome that tiny voice in your head telling you to quit.

Sometimes watching your progress on the Plex’s treadmill screen can feel like a cruel joke: Couldn’t they have made the digital track laps shorter so that you could feel like you were making more progress?

For the first time, you are forced to doubt how realistic Mario Cart is: Is Bowser really moving that fast? While rounding the turns on the seemingly endless map, you think about how you could be back home in bed watching Downton Abbey or “reading a book.” All of a sudden, anything and everything seems momentously more important than completing four miles, and two miles seems sufficient.

Wanting to quit exercising early can make you concede your original goals and lower your fitness ambitions. It doesn’t always mean that you can’t physically complete your exercise, but it is often that you are mentally bored or unmotivated. To take a line from R. Kelly’s hit R&B song, “Bump N’ Grind”: Is your mind telling you no but

your body is telling you yes?

Many students can relate to the mental struggle that comes with independent exercise. “I used to play volleyball and do track in high school. Working out is so much more fun when you’re working out as a team,” said Qing Wai Wong, A&S ’14.

“I definitely have trouble motivating myself to work out alone.” Many former athletes like Wong attribute their physical fitness during an athletic season to the team environment and to the entertainment factor of a sport. Independent exercise can be less intense because people don’t always challenge themselves. Boredom and a lack of accountability may lead people to give up without reaching their full workout potential.

Fortunately, some people have found relief from their mental dilemma by utilizing the plethora of fitness classes offered at the Plex. The average Plex member can find stimulation at a fitness class because of the instructors’ leadership and the fun environment, like that of a sport, which makes exercising more fun. Fitness classes can help people defeat their weak minds in pursuit of strong bodies.

The Plex instructors are students with a passion for fitness. They can be a great resource at the Plex because they have informed perspectives on healthy living.

Through their classes, instructors are able to bestow a bit of their wisdom. Just watching them dominate on the stationary bike or strike a perfect yoga pose can inspire the average student to strive for a healthier

body. As if simply witnessing them at the front of the classroom wasn’t motivation enough, they also offer encouragement and advice. These students are instrumental in helping the Boston College community pursue happy, healthy lifestyles.

One of the keys to overcoming your mind is remembering why it is important, beyond vanity, to be physically fit. Juliane Wojno, A&S ’13, has been a group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and fitness attendant at the Plex since 2011. Elaborating on her reason for staying fit, Wojno professed, “I am training for life. I train to be strong, healthy, and fit so that I can live a long life.” She went on to explain how staying fit will pay off in the long-run. “By working out, I am reducing my chances for things such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, cancer, osteoporosis, and the list goes on,” she said. Wojno exercises her own body for these reasons, but she also tries to instill this sense of long-term goals on her classes’ participants.

Wojno seems to be touching on the fact that long-term goals may cause students to work out more consistently. On the other hand, Nancy Stolze, LSOE ’14, seems to have proof that short-term goals like getting a “hot body” can foster short, erratic periods of temporary physical fitness. “There are three times during the year when the Plex is especially busy: after winter break, before Spring Break, and after the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show,” Stolze noted. She theorized that these trends might be accredited to the idea that

superficial fitness goals are not powerful, lasting motivators. “After the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, a bunch of girls are like, ‘why aren’t we 5’10” and a size zero?’”

Stolze added sarcastically.

Since fitness is not everyone’s passion, it can be helpful to attend the fitness classes because usually you get to hear the instructors’ sound reasoning for staying fit. Who needs their own voice in the back of their head telling them to stop running when you can listen to the rational, informed voice of a Plex instructor at the front of a room.

Instructors like Wojno try to motivate their students through their own optimistic perspectives. Wojno said that she tells her students, “Not everyone has the physical ability to move in these ways. My students do, and I remind them to never take that for granted.” You may not want to push yourself harder, but when you hear about the lifelong benefits and abiding reasons for staying fit then you are likely to feel a surge of passion.

It’s hard to be a couch potato after being exposed to the ideas that drive the instructors to live active lives themselves.

When working out on your own, you may lack determination, but once you partake in a fitness class, you get swept up in the music, the group environment (a sense of accountability), and most importantly, the instructor’s valuable support.

R. Kelly may want to revise his lyrics: my mind was telling me no, but my fitness instructor told me yes, and now I’m happier and healthier. n

Daniel lee/Heights Editor

Boston College’s own radio station, WZBC, forms an intimate group of music enthusiasts in the basement of McElroy, where they work a years of musical history and paraphernalia.

BC’s own music vault WZBC, from B10 station’s DJs all share a passion for widely broadcasting songs that otherwise may be ignored. Songs by Arcade Fire and Passion Pit may have been played again and again by WZBC years ago, but when bands lose the status of up-and-coming, it’s time to move on to others. “We want to give bands airplay that wouldn’t get it otherwise. Being able to provide this outlet is something we’re very proud of,” Tilney said.

It is an outlet that may not be found elsewhere. One of the station’s underlying efforts is to broadcast “No Commercial Potential” programming. This is music that stretches the boundaries of what can even be called music. Yet WZBC is one of the few stations that play a lot of these types of things, giving it national and even international listeners who tune in to hear music that’s off the beaten path. Many artists make it a point to send their new music to WZBC, knowing that it is one of the few stations willing to experiment with just about anything. Tilney likes to tell a particular story at general interest meetings to describe the types of things that can go on at WZBC: “I was in my car, and I called the program director and I said ‘Erin, turn on ZBC now. I’m listening to cats meowing and pots banging.’” It’s music to somebody.

While the station broadcasts general

rock music for most of its daytime hours, it’s clear that “No Commercial Potential” and other types of specialty programming shape the passions of the DJs. Benevenia called the station’s content “challenging,” and Tilney noted that the station has a very different set of goals than other college radio stations. “I’d like to think we provide more intellectual programming than those commercial [stations].” Many colleges, such as Emerson College and their station WERS, have radio broadcasting programs woven into their academic departments so that student DJs are working both for the station and for class credit. BC’s DJs, on the other hand, work purely for the passion they have for the radio. “There’s a bunch of people who put the radio ahead of school work,” Tilney said.

It’s clear as soon as you step inside the WZBC office that it is a niche unlike any other at BC. The history of rock music, student radio programming, and the University itself seems tangible inside the sticker-covered walls. There is a museum-like historical presence in this collection of old CDs and vinyls, especially at a time when music is normally perused through iTunes and YouTube. In short, there is an overwhelming sense that this matters, even if it is a passion only shared by a small group of students. “It became a hunger and a desire to go through the CDs, looking through the vinyls in the back for music,” Benevenia said. n

Daniel lee/Heights Editor

HUmor

A little advice for senior year housing options Taylor Cavallo A Gabelli townhouse: the two-story mansion of Boston College dorms equipped with a washing machine and bay windows. Certainly an enviable housing option.

The “you want a townhouse, but want to be friends with someone who has a Mod” definitely rings true in my own life.

For everyone who’s sad they don’t live in a townhouse, I’m going to make you feel a little better. Here are the terrible things about living in a Gabelli townhouse, from yours truly, a townhouse resident. While these things may seem small, trust me, they’re trying, and make my townhouse experience almost unbearable.

My townhouse is on the fifth floor.

Walking up the five flights of stairs after a long day of classes with a heavy backpack that sometimes makes me think I’m carrying a small child in it on my back is definitely not fun. What about when I forget my ID on my desk? Or my computer charger? Of course I realize this once I’m outside the dorm. And I have to turn back and walk up SIX more flights of stairs.

Not five. Remember, I have that extra set in my room….

The dishwasher is so loud. It sounds like all our plates are being systematically broken inside as the dishwasher turns and turns and turns.

Sure, I take them out and realize that they’re not only still intact, but also perfectly clean, but for the length of that cycle, the sound produced makes me want to smash my head against the wall.

The couches and chairs are pretty stiff and feel like they’ve been stuffed with nothing soft, but instead, newspaper. Maybe old Heights issues?

They’re not comfortable to sleep on.

During Hurricane Sandy day, I was excited to curl up on my couch and watch episodes of Homeland, but no, I couldn’t. My back just simply couldn’t handle it.

My room faces the back of Rubenstein into campus, not Comm. Ave. I’m lucky enough to have two large dumpsters outside my window. One would think with all of the technological developments that the Western world has seen in the past few decades, there would be a way to pick up garbage without making it sound like the world was violently coming to an end outside my window.

I’m here to tell you this is one area of technology that science has forgotten. Trash pick-up, which, by the way, happens multiple times a morning, makes me wake up to the jolting sounds of Biblical Revelation behind Gabelli. It’s impossible to ignore because my windows, up until three days ago, were constantly open for a little late night breeze to cool down the room.

Why were they open on the eve of winter? Because we don’t have control of the temperature in my room, despite the temperature controls. The powers that be systematically strip the Gabelli residents of control over their room temperature, so instead of melting to death in my walk-in closet, I had to open the windows. Hence letting the apocalypse echo throughout my townhouse during trash pick-up.

Well, now that I’ve vented here, maybe these problems aren’t so big.

Some people live in Edmond’s….

Taylor Cavallo is an editor for The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.

Marriages between BC alums are more common than we think

By Caroline Hopkins For The Heights

There’s always that one couple walking up the wrong side of the Million Dollar Staircase with their fingers intertwined, so fully consumed by the presence of one another that they don’t realize they’re actually moving straight into oncoming traffic. You later see the same two people sitting at one of those elevated tables for two by the windows of Mac, so content staring deeply into each other’s eyes that they haven’t bothered to touch their grilledchicken-with-two-side specials. These are the college couples that you will see five years from now written up on the Alumni Connections monthly ENewsletter for their recent engagement.

Whether you like it or not, Boston College has one of the highest alumni marriage rates in the country.

Ok, I’ll admit that the “70 percent statistic” facetiously passed along to incoming freshman during summer orientation may be a little exaggerated.

There is a very real possibility, however, that on any given day on campus, you may unknowingly encounter your future spouse. BC alums who have proceeded to marry one another post graduation recall meeting their spouses through everyday, average BC experiences in the Alumni Connections Newsletter; Andy Boynton, BC ’78, met his wife Jane on move-in day, after he offered to help her unpack her car. Lauren and Kevin Collins, BC ’00, met their sophomore year on the way to the AHANA Ball.

Carrie Klemovitch, BC ’01, and Frank Klemovitch BC ’01, GCSOM ’12, were in the same group for professor Jack Neuhauser’s statistics class their freshman year. Robin Murdock-Meggers, BC ’79, a former BC cheerleader, met

her husband Tom on the return bus ride from a basketball game against Holy Cross. Donna Pleus, BC ’85, and Michael Pleus, BC ’85, met at a tailgate party their sophomore year. Kristen DeBoy Caminiti, BC ’04, GSSW ’05, and Matthew Caminiti, BC ’03, met when Kristen was a senior in high school—a prospective student visiting BC. As if these touching stories aren’t enough to persuade you that you may be living alongside your future second half, ask any BC student around campus and I guarantee you they will be able to list at least two married couples that met whilst attending BC. Kaitlin Brown, A&S ’16, casually admitted, “My mom is one of 11 siblings. Seven of them went to BC, nine of them married BC alums, and I have five cousins who have graduated in the past 10 years and married BC alums.” Upon spontaneously asking a group of nine freshman students at a

table in Mac if any of them had parents who met at BC or knew of anyone that did, nine out of nine began to list off names of cousins, friends, and siblings, and three out of the nine revealed that, yes, their own parents had met at BC. So what exactly is it about BC that fosters such lasting love and companionship? Could it be the romantic beauty of Gasson Hall lit up at night, or perhaps the Jesuit ideals of love and acceptance? There’s always the possibility that the countless clubs and organizations on campus were created with the primary purpose of connecting BC students to their soul mates. Whatever the love-inducing aspect of the University may be, there is no denying the fact that students at BC are in constant pursuit of love. Once past that initial freshman fall phase of “quantity over quality,” there comes a certain longing for a significant other that consumes campus with

eternal hand-holding, “study sessions,” and lunch dates at Hillside.

The ever-present romantic love on BC’s campus is as much of a tradition as it is an anomaly. After all, an average 15 percent of every BC incoming class consists of legacy students, many of whom are the children of BC alumni marriages.

If you’re a senior student reading this article, yet have no significant other to call your own, don’t panic and don’t force the love. After all, the majority of married BC couples admit they never would have thought they would be exchanging vows with that awkward college companion who tutored them in chemistry freshman year. Not a fan of romantic love? Prepare to have your mind changed in a matter of four years.

Against the institution of marriage altogether? You may want to consider filling out transfer applications. n

The Heights

B8

Monday, November 12, 2012

Unsung HEroes: Katie Dalton

Director of the WRC creates a safe haven in McElroy

By Eunice Lim For The Heights

Entering McElroy Commons from the front doors, students are bombarded with many sights: the campus Apple store to the immediate right, the staircase and its well-covered walls, the lounge area, the small hallway leading to the ATMs, and other students bumping into them from all sides during busy hours. With so much to take in, the average student’s vision prescribes a path directly toward the staircase so he or she can get in and get out without feeling overwhelmed. Amidst the hectic atmosphere, it is easy to overlook some of the important rooms on the first floor. One such room is the office of the Women’s Resource Center (WRC).

Located behind the Apple store, the WRC is a place that offers quite a lot to those who seek to learn more about gender issues and participate in shaping Boston College’s culture. Even if you are too busy to become involved with the WRC, the office is a friendly and open place to visit when you are in the mood for a chat about social justice or even just for free cookies every Monday.

Besides the friendly chats and the Monday cookies, the WRC fills a real and present need at BC by addressing issues that both men and women face on a day-to-day basis. Many students at BC value conversations regarding body image, sexual harassment, disordered eating habits, “the cult of perfection,” and self-esteem. There is a subtle but sure pressure underlying BC’s culture to be, look, and act a certain way, and this

pressure often brings about negative consequences. Many young women and men confess that their own reflections do not match with the ideal image they see in their mental “Mirror of Erised,” and fall into certain patterns of eating and exercising to produce an image of self that others expect from them. One famous example of this issue is “getting food by association.” When a medium to large-sized group of girls go eat at a dining hall and one or two girls take the straight path to the salad bar, you can see the other girls linger around the other food lines before eventually walking over to the salad bar. The culture of body image dissatisfaction is only one of many gender-related issues. Standard statistics reveal that one in four women during their college years, and one in 33 men, are victims of an attempted or actual rape. Other issues, though there are many more, include over-exercising, lack of self-esteem, and resulting feelings of isolation when the invisible standards are not met. Needless to say, most students can probably relate to some of these issues, and the WRC is a common ground where students can meet to have the much-needed conversations about their personal struggles and work to create awareness about these issues.

Katie Dalton has been the WRC’s director and guiding force since 2010.

Coming from a family of all BC graduates, Dalton herself attended BC and made her home here. She described BC as not only a “place where I developed my identity and sense of self ” but also a “mission driven institution”

Daniel Lee/Heights Editor

Dalton can be found offering a comforting ear to students who stop by the WRC office in McElroy. where strong beliefs in social justice, solidarity, and equality are encouraged and instilled within the hearts of the students. She found that her role as the WRC’s director and her actions to address women’s issues is her specific calling in the context of the school’s mission. Dalton has a strong passion for women’s rights and gender issues that stems from her own experience with gender discrimination in athletics, a still male-dominated playing field in which a woman has to strive harder for equal recognition.

Under Dalton’s guidance, the WRC has stepped up to create greater awareness of gender issues all around campus.

In her words, one of the greatest accomplishments of the WRC since her time

here is that it has been able to “elevate the issue of sexual violence on campus.”

She believes that “the large attendance at Take Back the Night in April was affirmation that BC understands the importance of this issue and is willing to unite to address it.” For those who did not attend, Take Back the Night was an event held in O’Neill Plaza that brought to light the issue of sexual abuse. The night was especially centered on three women who took the stage to share their personal testimonies about the violence that women face. The event succeeded in creating a safe place where people could share stories, celebrate survivors, and begin to end violence against women. Not only that, Dalton has also shaped the Bystander

Intervention Education program into a pervasive presence on campus. Through this program, students are trained to deliver an hour-long presentation to various BC groups (residence halls, club sports groups, volunteer organizations, etc.), inspiring the student body to be responsible and active when they witness violent or unsafe situations that can result in sexual harassment. “The Bystander Intervention Education team has done an unbelievable job educating the student body of the ways in which they can create a community of care on campus,” Dalton stated.

Despite her great accomplishments, Dalton is extremely humble and always seeks to pay the highest compliment to the WRC’s staff. She is also accessible to the student body and admits that the best part about working at the WRC is being “allowed to walk with the students in their journeys at BC.” It is her hope to “increase the visibility of the Center, continue to partner with the larger Office of Health Promotion to address student health issues, and de-stigmatize the word ‘feminist.’”

And with Love Your Body Week starting this week, it is recommended that the student body participate in the empowering movement Dalton leads from behind the scenes.

So with these thoughts in mind, students should attend the week’s lectures.

Eat a burger without feeling guilty.

Tell their friends how beautiful they are. Take a stand against the injustices women and men face on a daily basis.

And stop by the WRC office every once in a while. n

professor profile: CaN erbil

A new economics professor with an international perspective

By Michelle Tomassi Heights Editor

It’s not often that a student encounters a professor from Turkey who has a slight German accent when he speaks English, along with a love for the Italian language and making espresso in the comfort of his office. Yet these are just a few qualities of Can Erbil, adjunct associate professor of economics at Boston College.

Erbil officially joined the BC community as a full-time professor this fall, yet he is no stranger to the Heights.

After attending a German high school, where he learned to speak English, and receiving his undergraduate degree from Bogazici University in Istanbul, Erbil came to the U.S. in August of 1993, when he was 23 years old. His first stop? Our very own BC campus, to work on his master’s degree and Ph.D in economics.

“I came to Boston College, and the Ph.D. program was very competitive,” Erbil said. “We had a lot of Turkish students by then, so I was not alone.” His Turkish classmates helped guide him through the process of learning “what to do, what not to do.

“I was very impressed with the international student body here, especially among the graduate students,” he added. Erbil served as the vice president of the Graduate International Student Association (GISA) at BC for several years, and then transitioned to vice president of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) for about five more years. As part of the Ph.D. program, Erbil began as a teaching assistant and then a teaching fellow, during which time he won two teaching awards—a sign that teaching was definitely some-

emily sadeghian / heights staff

Originally a student, Erbil joined the economics department as a full-time professor this fall. thing he wanted to pursue.

Erbil taught classes at Suffolk University, Harvard University, and then Brandeis University, where he remained for 11 years and taught over 2,000 students. He was a senior lecturer at the International Business School at Brandeis and also worked as a senior scientist at the Heller School of Social Policy and Management.

“I love teaching and keep in touch with most of [my students],” he said.

“They can be my LinkedIn friends while they are my students, and once they graduate they can graduate to Facebook.” Erbil tries to connect his current students who are looking for jobs with his past students, and he feels a great sense of pride when his students go on to become professors or successfully find careers in economics.

Erbil currently teaches an intro-

ductory course in microeconomics— principles of micro—and intermediate macro theory. “Last year, I saw the opening at Boston College and thought, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be cool to go back to BC, where I started?’ Twenty years after I started at BC I came back, and I’m very happy here,” he said. “It’s like I never left.” Erbil specializes in international trade and development economics, focusing on application rather than theory.

While teaching is clearly one of his passions, Erbil’s experience extends far beyond the classroom. He previously worked for the World Bank in Washington, D.C. in the international trade division and was a consultant for the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Erbil is currently a consultant for the World Bank for services trade, a relatively new project that focuses on the trading of

services rather than goods. In addition, Erbil has been involved in EcoMod, a Brussels-based economic modeling society, since 1999. He helped provide workshops and government consulting in countries such as Bahrain, Venezuela, and Ecuador.

“With EcoMod, I am now the director of the economic modeling school, so I organize with EcoMod economic modeling courses all over the world,” he explained. He has taught at three fixed courses every year in Brussels, Singapore, and Washington, D.C. “We have one very big economic modeling conference that I have to organize with my colleagues,” he added. “Last year, we were in Spain. This coming summer it will be in Prague, which is a very beautiful city. About 250 economic modelers will come from all over the world.”

Despite traveling all over the world, Erbil never forgets the one place he can truly call home.

“I still have very organic ties with Turkey,” he said. “I organized the Turkey part of the Global Trade Summit of 2012.” He hopes to share his experiences with students by taking a group to Turkey—while at Brandeis, he took a group of 30 MBA students to Istanbul to visit companies, so he hopes to conduct a similar trip at BC. While he’s not teaching, Erbil spends his weekends with his 7-year-old daughter, and proudly shows pictures of her playing soccer and dressed up like Katniss from The Hunger Games. In his youth, Erbil loved outdoor sports, such as mountain biking, rock climbing, and ice climbing, but has retired these activities in favor of spending time with his daughter. Erbil also has a strong connection to the arts—he enjoys taking photographs, which are displayed in

his office, and even exhibited with his uncle’s work in Turkey.

“My uncle is one of the most wellknown painters of Turkey, actually probably the most well known of living painters,” he said. His uncle, Devrim Erbil, had an exhibit in Boston last year and displayed a collection in Turkey in which his nephew’s photographs were superimposed with his paintings.

Ultimately, Erbil decided to keep his art as a hobby and pursue a career in economics. Originally interested in engineering, Erbil decided that his more social personality was better suited to a profession in teaching, where he has the ability to engage in discussion while still utilizing his mathematical skills.

“I did some research and found that economics is the best of both worlds,” he said. “It’s like the engineering of social sciences. When they find a number, let’s say five, they build a bridge with that five. When I find the number five, I talk about it. Should it be four? How can I make it six?”

Erbil made the right decision: his students and colleagues both know that he loves to tell stories, such as his experience living in the “haunted” Hovey House during his graduate years. On one occasion, he accidentally scared a woman cleaning the top floor after believing she was the “ghost” that his classmates had warned him about.

His most recent story involves receiving a letter from the White House, signed by our very own president. He suspects that one of his colleagues from Brandeis, who is currently one of the economic advisers to the president, was behind the letter, yet this has yet to be confirmed. One thing about Erbil is certain: he has a plethora of stories to tell, and many more to come. n

he said, she said My ex recently started dating someone else, which is fine, but he still thinks we can be friends. I don’t see any way to make this work. I don’t want to just blow him off completely, but I think we are too close still. It’s not fair to either of us. What should I do?

Y

ou’re not alone on this one. I’ve heard a lot of people feel the same way in your position. It’s going to be uncomfortable when your ex starts dating someone new no matter how clean the breakup was, so it’s totally understandable to keep some space for a while until you’ve

moved on.

As my avid followers probably know by now, there are two principles that I continue to base most of my responses on: it’s always better to talk about an issue up front with someone before it Alex Manta snowballs into a bigger problem, and always look out for yourself. I think this situation is another great example of this. If you bring up how you’re feeling with your ex, there’s a really good chance he understands where you’re coming from and will respect that, especially if he still cares about you enough to want to maintain a friendship in the first place. Let him know that down the road your feelings might change about the situation, but, for the time being, you’d prefer to remain cordial but not good friends because it doesn’t feel right to you at the moment.

Ultimately, a friendship takes two people, so even if he doesn’t agree with you on this and continues to make an effort to remain good friends, all you have to do is turn down his invitations to hang out and do your best to not put yourself in situations where you might have to socialize with him, and the friendship will fizzle out naturally. If he’s dating another girl now, I can’t imagine he’d continue to aggressively pursue a friendship with you if you make it clear that you have no interest in that. There’s nothing wrong with choosing not to be friends with someone, and as long as you remain respectful and polite to them then you have nothing to worry about.

Alex Manta is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

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his is definitely a frequent problem for recent exes. The first time your ex-boyfriend or girlfriend gets a new significant other, it’s obviously a tough thing to handle because it will either catalyze an emotional breakdown or make you realize that things between you are officially over (depending on how the break up went).

The issue of staying friends or not is also something that typically varies from couple to couple. It sounds like you don’t think being friends is a good idea, for whatever reason. Usually dirty Taylor Cavallo break ups cause this, and if that’s what your gut tells you, go with that. I know you might feel like you’re blowing him off and you obviously still have some leftover feelings of loyalty for him, but sometimes the hardest thing to realize is that once your relationship ends, the emotional involvement ends right along with it. I’m not sure what the conditions for your break up were, but never feel guilty for moving on for yourself. You shouldn’t force yourself to still be mentally committed to someone you’ve ended a relationship with, and if being friends isn’t a possibility, go with it. Explain to your ex if the issue arises that you’re not ready or able to be in a friendship with him so soon after you’re broken up.

Maybe things will change at some point, but for right now, the best thing is to be honest with both him and yourself. I’ve found that this is a problem for a lot of people I’ve spoken to, and it’s admittedly difficult, but your head and your heart will definitely thank you later.

Taylor Cavallo is an editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

The Heights

Monday, November 12, 2012

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How-To

Results & reactions, a look back on election 2012 Hibernate your Students look back at the election that just rocked our nation, and react to the outcome. The voices on campus, and throughout the country, remain divided in the days following the election.

By Allie Broas For The Heights

It’s hard to believe that it’s been four years since the words “change” and “hope” were plastered around dorm buildings, across front lawns, and tattooed on the arms and legs of Americans everywhere. A young, non-white Democrat facing a longtime senator who was kind of old and had a bout with melanoma among other health issues, so in time might have relinquished his presidency to the former governor of Alaska, who was also a woman?

What a deal we had going on back then. Yes, punches were exchanged and many still recall the gripes of that campaign season, but it’s safe to say that after these past few months, our nation will look back to 2008 as gentle in comparison. A far cry from 2008, 2012 brought trivial arguments and pointless press releases to the forefront of both campaigns — from attacks on Big Bird to arguments over unreleased tax returns and transcripts, this election was handled with more immaturity than was the race for freshman class president at Newton North High School.

Although this election season served to prove to the world just how rude and unrelenting we as a nation can be, it also proved our ability to ignore such pettiness and produce a massive and diverse voter turnout on Tuesday.

On college campuses especially, students stood up for what they believed in and cast their ballots, as President Barack Obama was re-elected for his second term. Here is a sample of the views of some Boston College voters, taken from students in the Quad.

Cathryn Woodruff

Quotes from voters

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This was the first election I could vote in.

”

The right to vote is so precious and, especially as a woman, I wanted to exercise my rights as a contributing and active citizen in this country.

“

“

I hate Obama.

”

”

Mitt Romney is a conservative puppet.

“

“ “

My parents made me.

” ”

”

To get one of those stickers.

Our country is on the brink of collapse, and we need a new president who can help us turn things around.

”

Out of 50 students polled:

joseph castlen / Heights Illustration

While these polls aren’t even close to an entire representation of our student body, their results represent a larger problem we face.

What is clear from these polls is that as a country, we stand ideologically and politically divided. This division inevitably leads a large percentage displeased. This is true on campus among BC’s stundent body as well.

It is easier for us to cross our arms in conflict rather than compromise and work together, and the ease with which we have fallen into that trap has led us to an impending fiscal cliff and a stagnant Congressional state.

The economy and foreign policy are certainly on top of Obama’s list of priorities, as well as on the minds of nearly every American citizen. We’re all in agreement about that at least. We can only hope that in his second term, our country can also embrace bipartisanship and convince Donald Trump to retire from political meddling forever. n

On-campus quirks

The midday crazed flock at the Tuscan chicken line Mary Joseph Why do Boston College students wait in a 25-minute line to devour the golden pleasure of a Tuscan Chicken sandwich on a white baguette? The deli line, the salad line, and the panini line are free of people, ready for the instant gratification of food in a minute. What strikes some as preposterous, waiting endlessly in this seemingly never-ending line of nest specialties, makes perfect sense to most students. The crispy white baguette, the juicy chicken, and the fresh mozzarella all combine to create a perfect sandwich. The same amount of employees toss salads as do make the nest specialty sandwiches, but surprisingly the specialty line, on average, takes about 20 minutes at a moderate rush time. So why is it that people step into this out-of-control line to get that one delectable sandwich they have been craving all day?

Well, simply, because it is the best.

Students at BC are always on a time crunch, always moving from one destination to the other. Their quick

break takes place when lunchtime comes around, which is smack dab in the middle of philosophy and Spanish.

The tables are all full, their stomachs are rumbling, and their friends have gotten their food at least 10 minutes ago, but they stick it out and wait until they come up to the two very humorous ladies who are fully enjoying their work time. When I mean fully enjoying, I mean completely, utterly, loving their time at Eagle’s Nest.

These specialty sandwich professionals are laughing, cracking jokes, and creating sass with the students and other workers. These women know how to get through their workday, a lifelong trait other workers in any field should try to inherit.

Once the great concoction is in hand, one witnesses these students run directly to the least crowded register in the place, trying to save as many seconds they can before their next classes. The cashier already knows these individuals by name, as all of them are regulars at Eagle’s Nest. Rushing to the seat next to their friends, who have already finished their lunches, they dive right into

their meals to find an unexpected rush of pleasure at how worth it that enormous line actually was.

When asked about working behind the specialties counter, one employee said that she wholeheartedly enjoys being in the most popular line at Eagle’s. “It’s like the popular kids at high school all flock to me to hear the funny story of the day. I am like the queen bee of Eagle’s Nest.” In the end, this is true. The majority of profits at Eagle’s Nest come from the sandwiches, namely the Tuscan Chicken. When Eagle’s Nest shut down the specialties line the day after Hurricane Sandy hit Chestnut Hill, the deli station opened its welcoming arms to the Tuscan Chicken and allowed students to still gratify their cravings with this one popular sandwich.

This sandwich, though, is not for the health nut. The much more health-conscious individual would order the West Coast Chicken. Each Tuscan Chicken surpasses 760 calories per sandwich, while the West Coast Chicken starts roughly at 500 calories.

BC takes their sandwiches very seriously, vowing to never do away with

way through the colder months

this classic until the last student stops requesting it to be made. In all seriousness, though, Eagle’s Nest has been a stable lunch area for BC students that will never cease to charm the incoming freshman and humor the savvy seniors.

The Nest Specialty line will never have less than six people in front of each student and the Tuscan Chicken, despite all the facts, will never cease to be BC’s favorite sandwich.

Mary Joseph is a contributor to The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.

“This is the last time I’m leaving my dorm,” said my roommate stubbornly this past Saturday night, puffing warm breath into her sweatshirt sleeve. We had departed our dorm building with high expectations for the off-campus nightlife, warmed by the delight of the postmidterm weekend. The wonder of the night, however, was soon spoiled by the inevitable walk home from Kirkwood Street. The Comm. Ave. bus is always a joyful escape from the biting cold in the winter, vibrating with eager students-turnedsingers. Yet there is always that walk to the bus stop, the wait for the bus, and the walk from where the bus drops you off to your dorm.

Call me lazy, but frigid weather is not my friend. Because winter arrived so suddenly this year, I was completely caught off guard with my defenses down. I had planned on bringing back my winter gear after Thanksgiving Break, not expecting to be slapped in the face with Hurricane Sandy and post-Hurricane snow. But all that this means is that perhaps hibernation will come early this year.

No, I am not a bear, but yes, I do hibernate come winter. It has become a joke between my friends and me. We laughingly imagine ourselves transforming into hermits when the first snowfall comes—surrounding ourselves with New Hong Kong take-out, living in sweatshirts and pajama pants, and never making contact with other human beings. This is of course an extreme exaggeration, but we truly do look forward to those winter nights when you are “forced” to stay in and watch movies due to the unbearable cold.

Thus, I’ve compiled a few tips on how to prepare for hibernation.

Don’t be embarrassed—embrace the thrill of isolation.

1. Buy fuzzy, furry, fleecy socks.

Winter is the prime time to snuggle up. There is no excuse for being cold inside the dorm. Let’s be honest: the heat is constantly cranked up to about one million degrees in the dorms here, yet there is no shame in walking around in ridiculous outfits as long as they are extremely comfortable. To the girl who walks around in Superman footsie pajamas: I idolize you.

2. Stock up at City Convenience.

CityCo is a great go-to grocery store. Not only does it take Eagle Bucks, but also it has (almost) everything you would need for a true night of hibernation. From popcorn to Reese’s peanut butter cups, you are set with one fell-swoop trip to City Convenience.

3. Buy new DVDs and set up a Netflix account. The key to hibernation is not even pretending to be productive in any way. It is an excuse to be lethargic and catch up on mindless shows and movies. In addition to playing the classic movies, hibernation is the ideal time to get hooked on a new show, or watch one of those old movies everyone quotes that you’ve always wanted to see.

4. Create a Foodler/Grubhub Account. Hibernation is made complete by an overabundance of take-out. Grubhub and Foodler offer forums that synthesize all the best restaurants in the surrounding area that deliver right to BC. There is no substitute for comfort food in the cold weather, and really no substitute for comfort food that allows you to remain in your pajamas while you receive and eat it.

5. Plead for a care package. The best part about hibernation is that you can experience home cooking right in the comfort of your own dorm. The combination of all the care packages that my roommates and I received throughout the season from our parents lasted us throughout the entire winter.

And the best part is, there is no guilt in eating pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. When there’s a winter storm brewing outside and you can’t make it to Corcoran Commons, a cookie dinner is really all you could manage—and could ever want.

So don’t feel bad if you lose a little motivation to move as the winter dawns upon us. It’s a pretty widespread sentiment on BC’s campus, and you’re definitely not the only one cuddling up on your couch for the night.

Cathryn Woodruff is an editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

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features The Heights

Monday, November 12, 2012

Monday, November 12, 2012

THE MUSIC FILES: From the 45s of the past, to the zip files of the present, the music industry has consistently faced trying times. In 2012, music fights back—and this time, it has a college radio on its side.

How to cultivate your modern musical library identify and locate music that they will then go and download elsewhere. “I get ideas from Pandora. If I’m listening to a particular station of an artist I like, and they have similar artists that they play, then I’ll look into those artists as well,” said Suzanne Severance, A&S ’13.

The plethora of new music circulating college campuses today, whether it is brought to listeners on satellite radio stations like Pandora or being actively searched for by listeners, is undeniably sourced by the Internet, which tends to play the largest role in how Boston College students get their music. YouTube is certainly a popular source not to be overlooked, since it usually has just about any song or video an Internet user could ever want. Yet the Internet as a medium for gathering music has advanced and become even more specialized than sites like YouTube, which at times may seem a little too hack.

For the more voracious music cultivator, music blogs are pivotal for searching out new quality sounds.

“To look for music, I usually use the Hype Machine, which is a website that compiles songs posted on hundreds of music blogs, and it organizes them in a way that’s by the most popular or by genre,” said Caroline Garel-Jones, A&S ’13. “You can search for an artist, and it will show all the times that artist has been posted on other blogs.”

People who take the blog-route when it comes to getting music tend to strictly use that medium as opposed to radio or word-of-mouth, since music blogs tend to foster more specialized preferences.

“There’s a website called SoundOwl. com, and you can type in and search anything,” said Jess Yoon, another avid music blog user and A&S ’13. “You can search whatever flavor you’re looking for, and once you find someone who’s been uploading a bunch of tracks you really dig, it’s really nice because they have a similar taste as you. And the people who run those blogs will have free download links. They’ll have really good remixes or super underground stuff or DJ bootlegs. You can download them as mp3s from the SoundOwl database, so it’s not stealing.”

Blogs appear to present music that is off the beaten path so to say, so much so that sources known for their diversity and difference—such as Pandora—do not pick up their tracks. If a listener is looking to download top Billboard hits or to uncover more singles from an artist of choice, it seems iTunes and YouTube are the way to go, with Pandora and Twitter acting as jumping off points. There are, however, endless sources out there, such as music blogs or even the obsolete tip off from a friend, to add some layers to the act of discovering new music. n

By Juliette San Filippo For The Heights

When it comes to cultivating music on campus, it seems students are all over the place. Whether it’s just for listening or for actually obtaining new music, several types of media span the student body. This is probably in part due to two factors, which might be the increased accessibility of the Internet and music sharing, as well as somewhat “steep” prices slated in the Apple iTunes store. It is most likely safe to say that all students on campus use iTunes as their storage unit for music on their laptops and iPods (and now even iPhones), but iTunes seems to be a rare source when it comes to buying new music.

“I only buy music from iTunes, and I’m like the only one,” said Caitlin Collins, CSOM ’13. “Usually I’ll find one artist that I like, and then I’ll just buy and download the whole album off iTunes.” Collins admits that she does not really buy music often, and her waves of purchasing and downloading singular artists tend to constitute the whole of her music cultivation. The fact that she picks an artist and sticks with her rather than downloading a bunch of tracks from different artists at higher prices per song, could perhaps point to why she’s inclined to just purchase from iTunes—for what she’s doing on iTunes, the price of $9.99 or so for an album is fair. Collins also uses Twitter when downloading new music, often going by an artist’s tweet about an album drop and heading straight to iTunes.

Meghan Hughes, LSOE ’13, also said that she only buys music off of iTunes, but similarly concedes that she is not a major sleuth when it comes to finding and buying music. “I normally pick up music from my sister or from reading, either Rolling Stone or a review of an album or song in People magazine,” she said. “Then, I’m more inclined to just buy it because it’s popular and usually only a song or two.” Another reason Hughes is not too engrossed in the purchasing music scene is because of popular listening stations such as Pandora, which many college students have adapted into their musical lifestyles at this point. The accessibility, variety, and lack of a price tag make Pandora an extremely popular tool for both listening to music and building up a music library.

“I use Pandora so much, just for listening,” Hughes said. “It gives me all the variety I need. I haven’t bought music in a long time because of Pandora, especially because one of the times I listen to music most is when I am at the gym, and I just use the Pandora app instead of an iPod.” Many other people use Pandora not as a listening device but as a way to

Music history hidden in the depths of Mac

By Kevin Toomey For The Heights

The headquarters of WZBC has stickers—on the walls, on the furniture, on the CDs, and on the vinyls. There is a palpable sense of history at Boston College’s radio station, tucked away in the back hallways of McElroy Commons. Its black walls can barely be seen under layers and layers of cool chaos. Barely-heard-of bands from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s live on in this cozy enclave, which looks and feels more like an Allston apartment than an official radio station. It is the only place where a lot of these albums live on at all.

Each CD or vinyl has a sticker on it for DJ’s comments, making the collection itself an evolving forum for passive aggressive debates and enthusiastic discoveries from BC’s most passionate listeners. “It’s like 40 years of ‘ZBC’ showing you what to listen to,” said Lev Omelchenko, a member of the station and A&S ’15. No matter what your taste in

music is, you will find an opinion on its best and worst works in the annals of WZBC. WZBC started in 1973 and expanded further in 1974 when BC purchased its first large-scale transmitter and began broadcasting across the Boston area. But in its early stages, the station was not in the hands of students. Community members who had little to no affiliation with the school mostly controlled the programming, and the quality of programming suffered because of that.

“You’d have old people doing very weird things,” said Samantha Tilney, general manager and A&S ’13, with a laugh.

Yet the station has developed over the past few years into an almost purely student-run organization. The rate of student involvement has grown exponentially for the last decade or so, and Tilney noted the growing sense of community at the WZBC. “It’s a new student group at the station that really does get involved with other stuff at BC, not just the radio station.”

Both Tilney and Nick Benevenia, a

member of the station’s board and A&S ’14, see the increase in student involvement and popularity of the station as reflective of larger music trends. The radio station’s vast collection of music allows students to limitlessly explore, and coming to college as a fan of even one lesser-known band can lead to a insatiable interest in new music when this collection is discovered.

The incredible availability of all types of music on the Internet has led to an increase in knowledge of musicians that are not featured on popular radio. As a result, the general prevalence of underground or alternative music has increased. “With making [these] things more popular, it’s lent itself to more students coming into BC with knowledge of alternative music,” Tilney said.

Still, WZBC is committed to pushing the boundaries of contemporary music for their listeners. Devoted to underground, up-and-coming, and avant-garde music, the

See WZBC, B7 n

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BC alumni often find themselves exchanging vows A look at the prevalence of post-graduate marriages between BC students............................................... B7

Humor Column.................................B9 On-Campus Quirks...........................B9