The Heights 11/21/11 by The Heights

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ANOTHER CLOSE LOSS

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ARTS AND REVIEW

FEATURES

sports

The off-the-wall actor talks his career and recent visit to Boston, A10

Campus Recreation and undergraduates comment on the state of the facility, B6

Boston College comes up short in South Bend against Notre Dame, 16-14, B1

Monday, November 21, 2011

Vol. XCII, No. 45

No plans to expand Walsh check-in desk By David Cote Heights Editor

Walsh Hall will remain the only residence hall with a security-staffed checkin desk in the near future, administrators have said. “There are currently no plans to expand the program,” said John King, director of Public Safety and chief of the BCPD. “The Walsh Hall project is still in a trial phase to give us more of an opportunity to see how effective the program could be.” The check-in desk was installed in the fall of 2010 to test whether such a program would be effective in Boston

College residence halls. During its first year, the desk operated from Thursday afternoons at 5 p.m. to Sunday mornings at 5 a.m., in an effort to prevent individuals without authorization from accessing the hall. For the 2010-2011 school year, any student with a BC I.D. could swipe into the building between those hours, and non-BC students could enter the building if signed in by a Walsh Hall resident. This year, the program has been slightly changed to a new 24/7 schedule, as opposed to the limited hours of 2010. Furthermore, the check-in desk is subject to the same swipe-in policies

as other halls, where students in the same residential community can access the building, but students from other residential communities must be given access by residents of Walsh. Patrick Rombalski, vice president for student affairs, echoed King’s sentiments. “In regard to the future, we have no current plan to expand the program with the one exception of the new residence hall proposed to be built at 2150 Commonwealth Avenue,” Rombalski said in an e-mail. The 2150 Comm. Ave. residence hall will begin construction after the demoli-

See Walsh, A4

daniel lee / heights staff

Securitas employees work 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the Walsh check-in desk.

BC welcomes ‘The Onion’ head writer

RHA plans to add ‘bubblers’ to dormitories

By Kerry Hightower

By Anna Patrick

Boston College welcomed Seth Reiss, the head writer for The Onion to speak about the satirical newspaper last Thursday. Although Seth went to Boston University, he attracted a substantial audience of around 40 BC students to his presentation. Reiss, who exuded charisma and showmanship as he entertained the audience, read aloud excerpts from articles and showed video clips, eliciting roars of laughter from many in the audience. He jokingly told the audience that The Onion has “97 trillion readers everyday, which is more than the amount of people in the world.” The Onion is a satirical newspaper that prints articles on a variety of topics from politics and science, to sports and entertainment. These stories, which contain fabricated elements, find the humor in current events and mock political figures and celebrities. The paper is based in New York and has a relatively small editorial staff of around eight to 10 people, and its mission has been to provide news with a comedic edge. For example, The Onion writers can use profanity and, unlike other newspapers where articles are meticulously checked for accuracy, The Onion staff is encouraged to write with entertainment in mind. The end result is a paper that demonstrates the immense creative talents of its writers. “The Onion makes the news instead of waiting for news to happen,” Reiss said. The publication creates its own satirical stories and even sends video crews down to various news sites to report on the concocted stories. The way in which the photojournalists use photoshop to manipulate photos is an important aspect in making the stories seem credible. When asked to describe the writing process for these articles, Reiss explained that a writer must write two drafts and then cycle the article through three

The Residence Hall Administration hopes to pass a new initiative to install water fountains in residence halls as soon as this year. The initiative calls for water fountains to be placed in residence halls where students do not have a kitchen or half kitchen. If the movement gains enough momentum, the water fountains could be installed as early as next year, depending on the construction involved with the additional plumbing. The initial drive for the water fountains began at town hall meetings in the fall of 2010 when students wrote a suggestion to add water fountains for sustainability purposes, and an additional e-mail poll showed that students sought such improvements in their residence halls across campus. “We saw that many common bathroom residence halls did not have any place for residents to get water except for the bathroom sink,” said Will Rush, president of the RHA and A&S ’12. “This is both a convenience issue, as well as a sustainability issue, as we hope that residents will choose to refill a water bottle as opposed to buying large packs of water only to throw out the plastic bottles later.” Currently, the initiative is being considered as one of the top priorities for the RHA, and the process to get the movement off the ground has already begun. The RHA has started negotiating with University administrators and are also looking to gather student support for the cause. Over the course of the next month, the RHA plans to collect student opinions

For The Heights

See Onion, A4

Heights Staff

kevin hou / heights editor

Rev. Anthony Penna, director of Campus Ministry (above right), gave an introduction at the Multifaith Thanksgiving ceremony.

Coming together in thanks Multifaith Thanksgiving celebration unites denominations By Marc Francis For The Heights

The harmonizing tunes of organs and violins filled the Heights Room last Thursday afternoon during the annual Multifaith Thanksgiving celebration. The event, “a joyful celebration of our diverse roots and shared values,” hosted guest speakers and musicians, all of different religious backgrounds. “We want to provide an opportunity for the BC community to come together,” said Campus Minister Rev. Howard McLendon, explaining the significance

Week showcases the breadth and depth of international intiatives on campus For The Heights

kylie montero / heights staff

gratitude to honor heroes and help those in need,” Griefer said. She detailed Spread the Bread’s journey, and how the organization is currently active in 48 states and nine countries. Rev. Anthony Penna, director of Campus Ministry, gave an introduction on the meaning of thankfulness, and how it plays a role in his life. “I am grateful for working with a staff full of hope,” he said. “I am grateful for the faith we all have here. I am also grateful for the new

See Thanksgiving, A4

See RHA, A4

Events highlight benefits of an international education By Chloe Mamelok

Seth Reiss, head writer for ‘The Onion’ (above), talked about the satirical paper.

of the event. “We are a multifaith community – not a single one. This is a spiritual celebration reflective of religious tradition.” Upon entering the Heights Room, the sight of baskets filled with carefully packaged bread allowed the audience to understand the theme of generosity highlighted by this celebration. For the second consecutive year, the event was sponsored by Spread the Bread, a grassroots organization founded by Karen Griefer, BC ’82. “The organization uses the gift of bread wrapped in notes of hope and

International Education Week took place last week from Nov. 14 to 18. Through a series of events, the week sought to promote the benefits of international education at Boston College. Organized by the Office of International Students and Scholars, a wide variety of events were offered, ranging from a discussion of Higher Education and the Arab Spring to a Bollywood film viewing. With over 30 events, however, students were overwhelmed with options. “One of the purposes of International Education is to highlight the breadth and depth of international initiatives on the BC campus,” said Adrienne Nussbaum, director of the Office of International Students and Scholars. “There is no other forum where members of the BC community can fully appreciate all of the many diverse programs and activities that are available at BC.

“The events are targeted to different audiences,” Nussbaum said. “Although BC is very focused towards undergraduates, International Education Week is meant to be open to all members of the BC community, and therefore we wanted programs that would be of interest to all of them. We also wanted a nice mix of academic, as well as cultural and social programs.” Yet, with so many events, and overlapping of timing between them, it was easy to be overwhelmed initially. However, the number of events was merely a means of demonstrating the cultural diversity on campus. Throughout the week, there was a focus on all areas of the world, with specific emphasis on the Middle East, Eastern and Western Europe, as well as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The BC alumni event Going Beyond the Heights was an example of the broad and insightful experiences that were available last week. The event was in the form of a panel for international social

work, with alumni who had spent time working in areas such as Belize, Jordan, Ethiopia, and Belgium. Their experiences, working for institutions such as the World Health Organization and the International Rescue Committee were testament to the multiple international opportunities that BC has to offer current and prospective students.

Additionally, the Occupy Wall Street Event with Charles Derber and Boston College Occupies Boston was a particularly interesting talk in light of recent events. The talk focused on establishing the historical context of the Occupy movement as well as providing a forum

See International, A4

alex trautwig / heights editor

BC alumni (above) spoke about their experiences with social work beyond the Heights.

TopTHREE

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

things to do on campus this week

BC Basketball vs. UMass Today Time: 7 p.m. Location: Conte Forum

The Boston College Eagles will take on the undefeated UMass Minutemen tonight in Conte Forum in their second home game of the season. Be a Superfan and bring your friends to cheer on the men’s basketball team as it tries to bounce back from a loss against Holy Cross last Friday.

Euro Zone, North Atlantic, G20: Together Alone?

Today Time: 4 p.m. Location: Higgins 310

Professor Jorge Braga de Macedo of Nova University in Lisbon will speak about economic policymaking in Higgins 310 with a focus on the Eurozone debt crisis.

Bernini: His Life and His Rome

Today Time: 4:30 p.m. Location: Gasson 112 Professor Franco Mormando will discuss his new book on the life of Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), the first-ever English biography.

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University

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Police use pepper spray on Occupy encampment at UC-Davis Friday

On Campus BC professor receives National Jesuit Book Award for The Neural Sublime English Professor Alan Richardson recently won a National Jesuit Book Award from the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities for his 2010 piece, The Neural Sublime: Cognitive Theories and Romantic Texts. Richardson competed in a field of 98 authors from 20 Jesuit institutions and was awarded top prize in the category of Literature/Fine Arts. His work investigated the role of cognitive neuroscience in analyzing British Romantic literature, focusing on the relationship between the Romantic imagination and visual imaging, the science behind the sublime, and a look into the behavioral theories behind sibling incest. “My book belongs to an exciting and still emerging new field, cognitive literary studies, and I see this award as validating the efforts of a whole group of scholars and critics — including my English department colleague Mary Crane — who have been working along with me to develop this new approach to reading and understanding literature,” Richardson said.

A video of police using pepper spray on students involved in an allegedly peaceful Occupy Davis protest on Friday was posted on the Internet, eliciting a response from both the school’s chancellor, Linda P.B. Katehi, and the school’s Faculty Association. The Association demanded that Katehi resign, calling her permissal of brute police force a “gross failure of leadership,” according to a report by the Associated Press. The chancellor, though she said she has no plans for resignation, said that the events that ensued were not ones to be proud of and that she has formed a task force of students, faculty, and staff to investigate the event.

Local News “Toys for Tickets” event celebrates its 18th year this December In its 18th year, Boston’s “Toys for Tickets” event will allow citizens to pay for their parking tickets with wrapped toys, of equal or greater value than the ticket violation, to be donated to local children in need. The initiative, which affects tickets amassed between Dec. 5 and Dec. 9, will collect donations between Dec. 8 and Dec. 16 at City Hall. The fiveday spread for eligible parking tickets is the largest the city has allowed since the program’s inception in 1993 by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino.

Panel discusses influence of Internet on democracy By Andrew Millette For The Heights

Daniel Lee / Heights staff

Members of the event’s panel (above) discussed the influence of Internet in a variety of civic spheres. to educate and empower citizens being thwarted in deliberate and unintended ways?” The afternoon opened with introductions from Mass. Humanities board members, including Ben Birnbaum, who is also the executive director of Boston College’s Office of Marketing and Communications. The three conversations followed. Each was 75 minutes long, and included 20 minutes for questions from audience members at the end, though the conversations of passionate panelists often cut into the time allotted for audience participation. Each session followed a similar format. Once the moderator and

panelists had taken their seats on Robsham’s stage, the moderator would launch into introductions of the panelists and then give an opening statement that was designed to raise questions about the influence of the Internet on either democracy, society, or culture. Each panelist would then respond to this opening statement and present his or her views on the subject in general. The moderator would then ask questions of the panelists until time ran out. The moderators and panelists represented a variety of fields, with members of the group containing scholars, writers, activists, and technological innovators. Modera-

tors included the award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker, Callie Crossley, and Cullen Murphy, author of Are We Rome? Panelists included Eli Pariser, board president of the progressive political action committee and the website moveon.org; Virginia Heffernan, a writer for The New York Times; and Chris Csikszentmihalyi, cofounder of the Center for Future Civic Media at MIT. Despite the separation of conversations into the subjects of politics, society, and culture, there were many common threads that ran through them. Bray summed up one of these links. “Are we going to be civil decent

people? This is not a question the Internet can answer,” she said. Many panelists brought the conversation back to the idea that the Internet’s potential influence stems from its technology, but in the end its influence is controlled by how human beings decide to use the technology. Jonathan Zittrain, a law professor at Harvard Law School, pointed out an inherent problem with the public’s use of the Internet. “We treat the Internet as magic,” he said. “We tend to not think of it as anything that is affecting other people about whom we might care, even if they are strangers.” Since the overall focus of the symposium was on the influence of the Internet on democracy, there was also much conversation about political ideology. “Cyberspace has encouraged the belief that all beliefs are equal and valid,” said Charles Kravetz, former general manager of New England Cable News (NECN). He believed this phenomenon has led to extreme rhetoric and has aided the polarization of politics in the United States. Most panelists agreed that there is a wealth of extreme political rhetoric on the Internet, but many pointed out that these ideas have always existed, claiming that the Internet just made them more visible. n

Police Blotter

Voices from the Dustbowl

11/16/11-11/17/11

“What are you thankful for?”

Wednesday, November 16 7:41 a.m. - A report was filed regarding several bicycles attached to the handrails of a handicapped ramp railing in 90 that had been removed. 10:08 a.m. - A report was filed regarding two banners which had been removed by unknown persons from a construction fence near Carney Hall. 11:22 a.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to an individual at Conte Forum. The subject was transported to a medical facility by Armstrong Ambulance. 3:14 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an unsecured bicycle which was reported to have been stolen in the Lower parking lot. A detective is investigating. 5:20 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in the Mods. The cause for the activation was determined to be smoke from burned food. There was no actual fire. The Boston Fire Department did not respond. 9:55 p.m. - A report was filed regarding property found and turned in to BCPD. The owner was notified of the recovery.

10:47 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in the Gate. The cause for the activation was determined to be steam coming from a shower. There was no actual fire. The Boston Fire Department did not respond.

“The love and support of my family.” —Jacy Lundberg, A&S ’15

Thursday, November 17 2:11 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a fire alarm activation in the Mods. The cause for the activation was determined to be smoke from burned food. There was no actual fire. The Boston Fire Department did not respond. 2:19 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious person observed in the area of the Law Library admistration building. The incident is being investigated further.

“The opportunity to come to BC.” —Kenny Obiora, A&S ’15

10:18 a.m. - A report was filed regarding the behavior of a known individual in O’Neill Library. The subject was transported from campus and will not return until authorized.

“Friends and family.” —Drew Ayotte,

CSOM ’13

45° Mostly Sunny 27°

Tuesday

49° Partly Cloudy 42°

Wednesday

59° Showers 36° 42° Showers 30°

Source: National Weather Service

A Guide to Your Newspaper The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467 Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223 Editorial General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Marketplace Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823 Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753 EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call Taylour Kumpf, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or e-mail news@bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk. Sports Scores Want to report the results of a game? Call Paul Sulzer, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0189, or e-mail sports@bcheights.com. Arts Events The Heights covers a multitude of events both on and off campus – including concerts, movies, theatrical performances, and more. Call Darren Ranck, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or e-mail arts@ bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the Arts Desk. Clarifications / Corrections The Heights strives to provide its readers with complete, accurate, and balanced information. If you believe we have made a reporting error, have information that requires a clarification or correction, or questions about The Heights standards and practices, you may contact Michael Caprio, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE Delivery To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact Dan Ottaunick, General Manager at (617) 552-0547. Advertising The Heights is one of the most effective ways to reach the BC community. To submit a classified, display, or online advertisement, call our advertising office at (617) 552-2220 Monday through Friday.

12:49 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a subject transported to a medical facility from Gasson Hall.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

Today

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featured story

“Now everyone gets a say, and that’s a good thing.” The Mass. Humanities’ Eighth Annual Fall Symposium entitled “Cyberspace & Civic Space: The Influence of the Internet on Our Democracy,” was held in Robsham Theater on Saturday, to question the validity of statements like this, made by Boston Globe Technology Reporter Hiawatha Bray. Mass. Humanities describes itself as a “programming and grant-making organization that receives support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and private sources.” The organization “supports programs that use history, literature, philosophy, and the other humanities disciplines to enhance and improve civic life throughout the Commonwealth.” Saturday’s symposium brought together 10 panelists, including Bray, as well as three moderators for three separate conversations about the Internet’s impact on politics, society, and culture. The general questions addressed at the event were “How can we ensure that cyberspace allows room for a safe and robust civic space?” as well as “Is the Internet’s potential

Four Day Weather Forecast

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

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

Another Habitat for Humanity establishes chapter on campus side of Joe for $1, which can be purchased by e-mailing the club at bostoncollegehfh@gmail.com. But fundraising is not the only task on the club’s ambitious new agenda. “We want the help of as many BC students as possible for builds next semester,” said Sean Cahill, secretary and A&S ’13. “We’re all-inclusive. Since there’s no application to join Habitat, you won’t get rejected!” “Boston University has an amazing chapter ... we aspire to be as good as theirs, and better,” Ficcaglia said. Though similar to service groups like Appalachia Volunteers, Habitat sells houses to partner families at no profit, and finances by means of affordable loans. Homeowners submit a down-payment and monthly mortgage payments, and must invest hours of “sweat equity” of their own labor into building their Habitat house and the houses of others. “It is a partnership,” Cahill said, “so we’re not just giving away houses. We really respect the people as individual families. They are all deserving and in need.” Encouraged by Campus Ministry to establish a BC chapter of Habitat, the chapter’s founders hope that aside from having positive experiences while volunteering, other students may build strong relationships with each other as well. “One year, we built a house on Valentine’s Day, and the family

By Kelli McBee For The Heights

Joseph Pasquinelli September seems like it was just yesterday. We sailed through October and donned our crazy costumes on Halloween. Half of November is in the books, and we’re just two days away from Thanksgiving break. When we come back, we’ll have just a few weeks of class before finals, the conclusion of the term, and winter break. The semester was about as long as this first paragraph, but hopefully you did not find either too painful to suffer through. This means, of course, that it is time to be reflective. Perhaps this will be helpful, but more likely you’ll think I’m a selfish, pretentious ass. If you’ve been reading my columns for the past two years, you probably already do. Halfway through my first semester at Boston College I didn’t think my diploma would be in Latin because I felt I could never hack it here. It seemed everyone here was smarter and better looking than me. I had a girlfriend a thousand miles away who I thought would leave me if I stayed on the East Coast. It turned out that everyone was not as smart as I thought they were, and I developed what could be described as a healthy arrogance to cope with the perceived arrogance of my classmates. My girlfriend did leave me, but I got over it by beginning to carve out my place at BC. Sophomore year I moved into an Edmond’s apartment with three strangers and began pursuing the affection of a young woman who did not have reciprocal feelings. These three strangers became my closest friends and did their best to quite literally coach me through this situation. They talked to me much like coaches would talk to a quarterback having a bad game. I never did win the girl (in fact, I’m pretty sure she despises me), but these men became my best friends, and three of us are together in Edmond’s again as seniors. It was during the first semester of sophomore year that I realized there are very good and also some bad people here; I learned to choose carefully and correctly to whom to give my time and affection. It was during my first semester of junior year that I came to know for sure that teaching is my true vocation. I was placed at a Catholic girls’ school for my second pre-practicum experience and was initially very resistant to it. By the end of my time there, though, I came to love not only teaching but also teaching at a Catholic school. Because of these young women and the encouragement of my supervisor, I have decided that I would like to teach in Catholic schools. For my final first semester and full practicum experience, I was placed at a Catholic boys’ school. Full-time student teaching is rewarding but also very demanding. To add to this stress my grandmother, who helped raise me and with whom I have lived since my parents’ divorce, has developed severe dementia. Again this semester I’ve been pursuing the affections of a young lady, and—to continue the football metaphor—it does not look like I’ll be completing any passes because I keep getting sacked. To top it all off, and most stressful of all, I was accused by a young woman of a very heinous act that I did not commit. Because of all these stressors, I sank into a very deep depression. I couldn’t complete my work well or on time. I began drinking far too much because it numbed me to the anxiety that had been handicapping me. I’m just now coming out of this deep, dark place. This past week was the first time I have genuinely felt good in over two months. I’ve had very supportive people to help me. My roommates and, more than anyone else, my dean in the Lynch School are the reasons I was able to pull together as I take final steps in student teaching and the first steps toward my career. I don’t know if anyone will find this column helpful as we journey into the next semester, but it certainly has been cathartic for me. I guess the point of sharing my four first semesters is that no matter how bleak and dark life is, even when nothing is “okay,” no matter what we think we can’t handle, we will survive.

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

Boston College’s Habitat for Humanity chapter, which is new to campus this year and welcoming new members, is dedicated to building homes for families in Boston and has no application to become involved. With a mission to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness worldwide, Habitat for Humanity invites people to build houses together in partnership with families in need. BC’s chapter extends this invitation to students who desire to serve the Boston area through volunteer labor to rehabilitate simple houses alongside homeowner families. “If you want to help out, we want you,” said Greg Ficcaglia, vice president and A&S ’13. “The families are so excited to have us here, and we’re excited to help them too.” BC’s Habitat chapter seeks to raise funds so that volunteers can begin refurbishing Boston homes during the spring semester. “We have so many members eager to get building,” said Rachel Rudder, treasurer and CSON ’14. “But first we must donate money for materials for the build sites. Fundraising and awareness on campus are our top goals right now so we can move forward.” The club is selling Habitat Tshirts for $10 and bumper stickers

Consider

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RESIDENCE HALL SECURITY: At Boston College, the Walsh Hall check-in pilot program, which places a security staff at the front desk, is in its second year and has evolved from a weekend schedule during the 2010-2011 academic year to a 24/7 system this year. Currently, there are no plans to extend the program into other residence halls on the University’s campus. In comparison, here’s how other universities in the greater Boston area handle security in the residence halls on their campuses; - Boston University provides uniformed security coverage in their large residences 24/7 and must show the officers their I.D. cards to enter the dormitories. Smaller residences have keys to the front door, and residents are provided with a key, or swipe in with their university-issued I.D. cards. Guests have to call a resident to gain access, and no resident can have more than three guests at a time. Guests must have a form of photo I.D. and must be accompanied by their host at all times. To remove a valuable item from a residence hall, a student must show a form of I.D. prior to signing it out. - Exterior doors to residence halls at Tufts University are locked at all times and require access cards to gain entrance. Those with legitimate business inside the dormitories must gain access from the university police station. - Northeastern University has a 24-hour Residential Safety Office that makes rounds to check in with each of the residence halls. The main entrance and inner lobby doors of the dormitories are

locked at all times and have a computerized electronic access control system. Residents must produce their university I.D. cards to the proctors stationed at the entrances. Students, non-students, and resident assistants can serve as proctors. Visitors must be accompanied by a resident and are required to present a photo I.D. to gain access to residence halls. Each resident can have no more than three guests at a time. Lobbies are equipped with security cameras and proctor stations are equipped with alarms and landline phones. - Suffolk University guests at the residence halls must be checked in at the Suffolk University Police Department between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. by their host. All exterior doors are locked 24 hours a day and students are encouraged to lock their door at all times. - All exterior doors to residence halls on Simmons College’s campus are locked 24 hours a day and are equipped with an electronic access control system. Access is acquired by using Simmons’ I.D. cards. Students have access to their own residence hall at all hours and can get into other dormitories from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Guests must be escorted by hosts at all times between the first day of the year and October; the “modified escort policy” at other times allows guests the ability to be unescorted in common areas on their host’s floor between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m., though they must be escorted in other areas of the residence hall, including stairways, during this time. -Molly LaPoint n

photo courtesy herald dispatch

In addition to the new campus Habitat chapter, students also work with Habitat through Appalachia Volunteers (above). cooked a feast for all of us because they were so grateful,” she said. “It was an unbelievable bonding experience both with the other volunteers and the family, who was helping us reconstruct their own house.” “It’s a great, personal way of giving back,” Ficcaglia said. “There are so many people who struggle with different problems in the city, but everyone deserves a good-quality home.”

The club also encourages students to become involved with any of its five committees: communications, building, education, advocacy, and fundraising. Since many clubs on campus employ a selective application process, Habitat emphasizes its openness to anybody wanting to serve their local community and schedule meetings accordingly. Conscious of other club meeting

times, Habitat meets twice a month on Sunday nights in McGuinn 121. The next meeting date is yet to be determined. For more information about how to become involved or to help fundraise by purchasing a Habitat T-shirt or bumper sticker, e-mail the club at bostoncollegehfh@gmail.com. “Habitat really is an amazing organization,” Ficcaglia said. “The possibilities are endless.” n

Charity: water raises funds and informs

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

Check-in desk policy has no plans to expand in immediate future Walsh, from A1 tion of More Hall in the spring of 2012, and is expected to be ready for occupancy by 2014.

“The program is going well, though we did recently hear that we might need to look into a better process for when students have lost their I.D.s but need access to Walsh.” —John King, Director of Public Safety While the success of such a program in barring unwanted visitors is difficult to measure, King said he believes the program was successful during its first trial

year. “Last year, there was a significant reduction in vandalism in Walsh Hall,” he said. However, King also admitted the program has needed changes. “The program is going well, though we did recently hear that we might need to look into a better process for when students have lost their I.D.s but need access to Walsh,” King said. “We don’t want students who should legitimately be able to get into Walsh not to be able to, simply because they lost their I.D.” King said that his office and the Office of Residential Life are always open to suggestions. “If there are ways we could improve the program we’d love to hear them, we’re always open to student feedback,” he said. “Our interest is in student safety and this program was instituted to contribute to community safety,” King said. n

daniel lee / heights staff

The Walsh check-in desk (above) has proven to be successful in its first year and a half, but administrators say the project will remain in the trial phase.

Campus ministry hosts Multifaith Thanksgiving celebration in Lower Thanksgiving, from A1 knee I have – I have been getting around the campus better than ever before.” Sarah Bleicher, a member of Hillel and A&S ’13, the first speaker to approach the podium, spoke of her gratitude for her Jewish parents. “I’m thankful for the nuts, not my crazy family members, but the nuts, bolts, and screwdrivers,” Bleicher said. “I am thankful

for the tools that repair what is broken.” After thanking her father for his lessons of independence, and her mother for sharing her nurturing qualities, Bleicher concluded her endearing speech by reminding the audience of why they had all gathered in this room – to celebrate as one body. “My family is made up of Jews and non-Jews, but the word ‘amen’ is universal and says it all,” she said. The following speaker, Syed Khan, a librarian in

O’Neill Library, passionately spoke of his goal to eliminate the prejudices in society. “Rising bigotry and division is what disturbs me the most – in my homeland of India and here in America,” Khan said. Working to help the poor and victims of abuse, Khan’s nonprofit charity organization, the Muslim Community Support Services (MCSS), raises over $200,000 per year to help those in need. The last presenter to take the stand was Hoffsman

Ospino, assistant professor of theology and religious education. His research and writings heavily involve the interplay of faith and culture. Ospino’s talk focused on how faith, hope, and love have captured his sense of gratefulness. His wife had their first child this year, declaring that “faith now has a name, a face, and a smile.” Ospino ended his presentation leaving the audience wondering how faith, hope, and love are personified in their own lives. n

kevin hou / heights editor

Students came together in the Heights Room for the annual Multifaith Thanksgiving celebration last Thursday. The program brought together musical performances and allowed students to reflect on what they are thankful for this year.

RHA plans to bring water Students get a lesson on satirizing news fountains to all resid halls Onion, from A1

RHA, from A1 through their town hall meetings and surveys, and with those they plan to submit an official proposal within the month. “Being both realistic and hopeful, I would like to get the initiative passed this year,” said Andrew Bardetti, vice president of Community Life with the RHA and A&S ’12. “If we get enough student support behind this we could get the initiative passed this semester, but the water fountains would probably be put in next year due to the level of construction and plumbing that would have to happen. “We have decided to target those residence halls where students do not have their own kitchen or half kitchen, since the water fountains we would like to get are those that a student could fill a water bottle up at.” The student outreach for the plan has grown due to the benefits the water fountains would provide for students, particularly those who only have access to sink water in their halls. “One of the more open-ended questions asked students ‘how would you improve the residence halls?” said Mike Masse, director of the Student Advocacy for RHA and A&S ’13. “A good amount of responses called for the addition of water fountains in non-apartment residence halls. Certainly, it’s easy to see how water fountains could be beneficial to students, and sustainable. Instead of purchasing plastic water bottles, which often do not make their way into recycling bins, a student could easily fill up his or her water bottle, even multiple times a day.” Rush, Bardetti, and Masse have teamed up to lead the initiative, and are holding town hall meetings to gauge student opinions and increase support for the movement. “Support from the students will be the real driving force behind whether or not this initiative is successful,” Masse said.

“One thousand students are much more convincing than just a few. We need to prove that this will be a worthwhile investment for Boston College.” Over the next few weeks, more in depth questionnaires will be sent out through email from each Resident Director, and the opinions will be presented during the RHA’s meeting with the administration. Town hall meetings are also being held both on Newton, Upper, and Lower campus locations to encourage students to come out and show support. “Everyone should look out for our town halls this fall, come to add their student voice to ours, and remember that RHA is here to lead through serving the needs of the Boston College residential community,” Bardetti said. If the pitch to the administration is successful, the RHA can plan the logistics of installing the water fountains, and have a walk through with administrators and facilities workers. Afterward, installation would begin and potentially be completed by the next academic year. The RHA is urging students who want to lend a hand to supporting the movement to attend the town hall meetings, fill out the e-mail surveys, or e-mail the RHA and write about their opinions or concerns. “We are here to be the student voice of the residence halls and are eager to hear what students need,” Bardetti said. “Last year, we saw that students wanted additional card access to buildings and Mod residents wanted locks on their individual doors. Students are able to access all those new points and lock their doors in the Mods because we drafted a proposal, added student testimonials, and worked with the administration to accomplish those tasks.” “My fellow Eagles, I ask you to think, if you’re out igniting the Heights, won’t you need something to cool yourselves down?” Masse said. n

rounds of editing. The revision process takes two weeks during which new articles are also being written. Many of the articles are about current events, and politics seems to be the focus of most of the articles. Some politicians, like Joe Biden, are humored by the paper’s caricature of public figures, while others take offense. According to Reiss, the reception of the paper varies by audience. While many readers enjoy and appreciate the irony and humor,

was serious. The staff of The Onion was forced to explain to the other publication that the story was not real, causing the Chinese to defame all American newspapers, claiming that they were all paid to lie. Reiss presented the audience with a variety of sample articles such as “MIT

Fraternity Accused of Robot Hazing.” Reiss later said that “there is no too far” in deciding how far to go with satire. He defended that as long as it is the powerful being made fun of and not the weak, there is no situation that will not be considered for satire. n

“‘The Onion’ makes the news instead of waiting for news to happen.” -Seth Reiss, Head Writer, ‘The Onion’ others are offended. Seth admits he and his staff members do receive angry e-mails from people who did not understand the intent of their articles. One such misconception happened on a grand scale, when a Chinese newspaper published a bogus story that they obtained from The Onion, thinking it

creative commons

BU graduate Seth Reiss spoke on Thursday about his experience working for ‘The Onion.’

Education week offers wide range of events International, from A1 for debate and discussion regarding key issues among the student body. The View of the U.S. from Abroad and Educational Systems in Singapore were examples of events that aimed to improve knowledge and awareness of the world’s cultures on a readily-accessible platform. Organizers felt that reducing the

number of events available during International Education Week would undermine the objectives of the week itself. With a desire to promote intercultural awareness and knowledge of international initiatives on campus, the quantity of events was exemplary of the diverse range of opportunities that are offered at BC, Nussbaum said. “I do not believe there is any such thing as ‘overkill’ when it comes to ex-

panding the understanding, awareness, and appreciation of other countries and cultures,” she said. “This type of knowledge is greatly needed in just about any profession you can think of from education, to business, to social services.” With more co-sponsors than ever this year, International Education Week looks to be even bigger next year, as it becomes an institutional tradition at BC. n

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

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HELP WANTED Have you thought about adoption? Loving and devoted married couple hoping to adopt. We hope you will consider us in your options. To learn more, please call us toll-free at 1877-841-3748, or visit our website www.roseanneandtim.com. Please be assured all conversations are held in strict confidence. With gratitude, Roseanne and Tim.

Help Wanted Sperm Donors Wanted. Earn up to $1,200/month and help build families. Convenient Cambridge location. Apply online: www. SPERMBANK.com. Italian Tutor Needed Experienced Italian tutor needed one to two times a week to tutor beginning Italian on campus for Boston College student. E-mail hjmags33@yahoo.com.

Thanks to everyone of the Heights 2010 and 2011 boards, it’s been an awesome ride and I am truly blessed to have been part of it all - DJA 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.

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

Editorials

A tribute to that which gives us pause The editorial board of ‘The Heights’ wishes you and your loved ones all the best for this holiday season. “Potential.” — Ana T. Lopez, Opinions Editor “There are many things I am thankful for on a daily basis. The one thing that always takes some time for me to fully appreciate is how my life never unfolds exactly the way I plan. Expectations can be good, but not when they form a Great Wall of a five-year plan. That circumstances have pushed me to deal with a blank slate ahead has snapped my attention to new paths and experiences I probably wouldn’t have trailed after.” — Dara Fang, Asst. Online Editor “I’m thankful for my family, friends, and the jolly folk that populate McElroy 113.” —Dan Ottaunick, General Manager “I am most thankful for the love that I have been shown throughout my entire life-my family and friends have always reminded me that I am special and can achieve almost anything. I know that others don’t always have that support. Without that love, I would have never been afforded the opportunities that I have been presented with, for which I am also incredibly grateful.” —Adriana Mariella, Assoc. News Editor “Family, friends, food.” —James Gu, Local Sales Manager “I’m thankful for my family most of all - the people I have supporting me at home but also my family of friends here at BC who get me through everything. Also I’m thankful for the epic deliciousness that is our Thanksgiving day meal and the ensuing food coma of happiness.” —Charlotte Parish, Asst. Arts and Review Editor “The 38 other editors of The Heights who have won my heart. The laughs, the friendship, the love—I’m forever in your debt.” —Clara Kim, Copy Editor “I am thankful for my family, my loved ones, and all I’ve been blessed with.” —Kevin Hou, Asst. Photo Editor “I am thankful for life, love, and Nicki Minaj.” —Kris Robinson. Features Editor “I’m thankful for my family, friends, Clark Kent, Janice Davenport, Notorious B.I.G.’s wisdom, and the opportunity to discover more about myself and the world every day as a student of Boston College.” —Jamie Ciocon, Business Manager “I’m thankful for my family, my great professors and great friends here on campus.” —Michael Caprio, Editor-in-Chief “I’m thankful for my mom and siblings, Rubber Man and the Infantata, The Heights for its complexity, and for luck, which has always served me well.” —Darren Ranck. Arts and Review Editor “Family, those fools that I call my comrades and their unending support, my precious cat, Luke Bryan, chick flicks, my dorm’s proximity to White Mountain, and The Heights, which has made the past two and a half years remarkable. I’m truly blessed.” —Brooke Schneider, Asst. Features Editor “My family, great friends, The Heights, cherished memories, and living each day. Also, for the little things: the Corority, yoga, laughter, snuggling, chocolate, and Minnesota.” —Katie McClurg, Executive Assistant “My amazing family, who is always there for support and laughter. This wonderful place that is BC, and everyone and everything who has made the experience what it is today. Including apple muffins and Gasson at night.” —Greg Joyce, Assoc. Sports Editor “I’m thankful for constant support and love from my family, tolerance of my hectic sched-

ule from my roommates, and challenges and opportunities from Boston College and The Heights.” —Paul Sulzer, Sports Editor “I am thankful for my college education, the loving family and friends I will go home to this Thanksgiving, and the wonderful friends that will be waiting for me when I return to school.” —Therese Tully, Assoc. Copy Editor “I’m thankful for my mom and dad, Star Wars, light blue powerades, New England Classics, and my cat.” —David Cote, Marketplace Editor “My family, my friends, The Heights, Appa love, and South Street family dinners.” —Molly LaPoint, Asst. News Editor “First and foremost, my wonderful family. But I’m also thankful for the Twins’ season tickets which now fall under my surname, my barber Timothy, the proximity of Ana and the Chocolate Bar to Mac 113, and skinny jeans that disguise my lack of rear end.” —DJ Adams, Managing Editor “The people who love me unconditionally —my wonderful family and unforgettable friends, the country of Ireland for agreeing to have me next semester, Lisa Birnbach and the 1980s for obvious reasons, the five love languages, Aquidneck Island, and of course The Heights for being the metaphorical pearl earrings of my college life: indispensable and well-loved.” —Christina Quinn, Advertising Manager “The Wire, triple baconators, and finally having a roommate who isn’t a complete slob.” —Matt Palazzolo, Asst. Marketplace Editor “Thanks to my family for all their support this year.” —Zac Halpern, Outreach Coordinator “I’m thankful there’s a NBA season...not.” —Alex Manta, Asst. Graphics Editor “My family and friends, my roommates, anchors, those who fit properly into their skinny jeans, wasabi or vervain - whichever you prefer, eagle scouts, Smart Water, Charlie, bows but not guns, buzz cuts, chore charts, and team tears.” —Lindsay Grossman, Layout Editor “Thankful for: My wonderful family, supportive friends, freedom of speech, the Shaw Leadership Program, God’s Country (a.k.a The Pacific Northwest), and Clorox wipes.” —Daniel Tonkovich, Special Project Editors “McElroy 113 and everything that it contains, including our tiny gray friend, my crazy cornfed family, the News Ladies of 2011, striped shirts, the lovely ladies of the Gate 305 and other comrades, Husker fans and how they find each other in any setting, my live-in counselor, Fins, vampires, and a certain werewolf.” —Taylour Kumpf, News Editor “Friends and family who keep me grounded, Chick-fil-A, and Nicki Minaj.” —Brennan Carley, Assoc. Arts and Review Editor “I am thankful for Arts and Review editors who always listen to my Scene ideas. Ugly Hot Scene spread here we come.” —Elise Taylor, Editorial Assistant “I am thankful for timeless classics, like ‘Heat of the Moment’ by Asia.” —Chris Marino, Asst. Sports Editor “I am thankful for the kindness of friends who accept out-of-staters into their homes for the Thanksgiving holiday-where would all us Californians be without you?” —Katherine Doyle, Asst. Copy Editor “I’m thankful for my family, friends, teammates, The Heights, and sports... and I don’t care who knows.” —Mollie Kolosky, Graphics Editor

Samantha Cohen / Heights Illustration

Letters to the Editor Be not only thankful, but active in supporting causes

Continue to keep the plight of Egypt in mind

As we head into the holidays in this year of ferment, there are many causes out there from which to choose, economic and cultural, left and right. I would like to urge folks to consider the issue of marijuana prohibition repeal, and to head to New Hampshire for the political season of the presidential primaries. The world’s news and entertainment media will be out in force watching the candidates’ every move. And the Freedom Bus Caravan [.org] will be there as well, every step of the way.

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land” II Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV). The nation of Egypt is going through troubling times, but amidst all the trouble a Revival is taking place with many thousands believing in Jesus as Savior. America has had Revivals in the past. The First Great Awakening in America, from 1734-1760, is credited with laying the foundation for America’s liberty and freedom and by God’s grace winning a great war and writing our Constitution and Bill of Rights. The Second Great Awakening, from 1790-1840, brought Revival to the West as settlers in thinly populated areas traveled many miles to gather at camp meetings eager to hear the gospel. Another Revival occurred in New York City, from 1857-1858, when on Sept. 23, 1857 the stock market crashed and the Old Dutch Church’s prayer meeting on Fulton Street went from six attendees to an estimated 10,000. It is obvious that America needs a Great Awakening today. The Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe, the God of love, mercy, forgiveness and hope, has been rejected in our public schools. Satan, the father of all lies and deceit has encompassed atheism, humanism and the socialism and the greatest lie of all: the pseudoscience of evolution. Could God be allowing America to suffer a moral, spiritual and economic disaster as punishment for rejecting him? “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19b). If God’s people would gather together to fast and pray. God may give America a second chance by forgiving our sin and healing our land. That would be the best Thanksgiving ever. God save America!

Terry Franklin

A response to Penn State scandal Nothing could be more nauseating than a topic like this. This scandal absolutely sickens me. There are actually several issues of concern here. First and foremost is the willful and deliberate sexual molestation of children. Our nation’s youth are already victimized in so many ways [by adults] in this country. How is it that these warped and perverted “leaders” manipulate their way into positions of power? And once they have such power use it to force a defenseless person to comply with their pedophile desires? Are there no screens [psychological testing and otherwise] to prevent this from happening? Secondly, how could such criminal behavior be allowed to go unreported to law enforcement? And why for so long? How could college athletics become so corrupt that nothing-absolutely nothing-will threaten the financial racket it has become. Thirdly, why is it that university officials are not required to connect the financial dots linking the money taken in by college athletics to the benefits received by the students? Is it because there is no connection? Finally, it is certainly ironic that former coach Paterno was idolized as “Joe Pa” all these years when he failed the most important duty of any parent; to protect your children. One has to wonder if Mr. Paterno’s behavior would have been any different had one of those victims been his grandchild. Perhaps “Molest Pa” would be a more suitable nickname. Let us hope that he and his cronies get what they deserve. Let justice be done though the sports programs fall.

Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862), American author

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

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Write a letter to the editor.

Email us at: editor@bcheights.com

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “There is no remedy for love but to love more.”

James Roerborn

Joe Bialek 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.

Business and Operations

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

Contributers: Jake Bajada, Chandler Aitken, Sean Keeley, Sean Hyatt

Mollie Kolosky, Graphics Editor David Riemer, Online Manager Therese Tully, Assoc. Copy Editor Katherine Doyle, Asst. Copy Editor Adriana Mariella, Assoc. News Editor Molly LaPoint, Asst. News Editor Greg Joyce, Assoc. Sports Editor Chris Marino, Asst. Sports Editor Brooke Schneider, Asst. Features Editor Brennan Carley, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor

Charlotte Parish, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Matt Palazzolo, Asst. Marketplace Editor Kevin Hou, Asst. Photo Editor Woogeon Kim, Asst. Layout Editor Alex Manta, Asst. Graphics Editor Dara Fang, Asst. Online Manager Elise Taylor, Editorial Assistant Katherine McClurg, Executive Assistant

Jamie Ciocon, Business Manager Christina Quinn, Advertising Manager Zachary Halpern, Outreach Coordinator Cecilia Provvedini, Systems Manager James Gu, Local Sales Manager Amy Hachigan, Asst. Ads Manager Seth Fitchelberg, Business Assistant

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

Opinions

On the road again

Thumbs Up Notre Dame/BC Game - Even though BC lost, their performance against Notre Dame on Saturday was surprisingly uplifting. Our Eagles looked like a real team, and put forth a valiant and exciting effort against the Fighting Irish. Football team, thanks for making the thousand-mile drive worth it. Thanksgiving Break - Do we need to say more? After weeks of papers, tests, and quizzes, nothing quite like stuffing your face and going into a food coma. Random Faces on the Side of Fulton- TU/TD just noticed the white faces on the side of Fulton. Who are these people? Why are they so sad looking? Most of all, why are they randomly on the side of a building? BC, thanks for continuing to inspire our inner Sherlock Holmes.

mollie kolosky / Heights Illustration

The Return of Arrested Development- It’s time to welcome the Bluth’s back to the neighborhood. Netflix just announced that brand new episodes of cult comedy classic Arrested Development will be available in the first half of 2013. No word on whether critics believe this will be a succesful move, but hey, there is always money in the banana stand. Twilight Baby-Twilight may have been awesomely bad (Taylor Lautner, TU/TD had a better performance playing Munckin No. 2 in The Wizard of Oz when I was 8), but Edward and Bella’s baby is downright one of the cutest things you will ever see. Too bad it would kill you.

Thumbs Down CoRo Critters- Disturbing reports of loitering possums, stampedes of skunks, and raccoon gang fights have been emerging from the depths of Upper Campus. After personally witnessing a squirrel jump into a trashcan and re-emerge with an entire cranberry muffin, TU/TD can’t help but wonder if some radioactive material has contaminated their water supply. City Prices- Turns out cabs in South bend are $3 per person and some cabbies will even take you to McDonald’s with no extra charge if you buy them a Big Mac. Boston may be full of possibilities while Indiana is full of cornfields, but it must be nice not having to hold your breath whenever you print out your bank statement. Thanksgiving Travel- Ah, there’s no place like home for the holidays. Too bad getting there is worse than Homer’s journey in The Odyssey. Sure, he may have had to fight the Cyclops and resist the Sirens, but we have to deal with TSA making sure our jewelry bags aren’t weapons of mass destruction. Goodbyes- Today, The Heights has to say goodbye to some of our best and our brightest. From 11:05, to taking over MIT, to “Bennie and the Jets” Maine House Edition, you will be sorely missed. For those of you who won’t be returning to McElroy 113, we love you all and wish you best of luck for the rest of year. Bankruptcy of Dippin DotsThe “ice cream of the future” may no longer actually have a future after the company was forced to file Chapter 11 earlier last week. Although they probably should have re-evaluated their product after they realized when you put it in the freezer it morphs into an amorphous blob (TU/TD learned this the hard way), we should all mourn the loss of such a theme park staple.

John Blakeslee I hate traveling. I know this is an obvious statement. No one waiting in line to check in for their flight thinks to themselves about the marvels of aviation or how giddy they are that they will be going through security. But I do feel that I have a particular aversion to the whole process. I am currently writing this column from a hotel room in Chicago. By the time this weekend ends I will have been on four flights and two bus trips in five days. So I apologize in advance for my grumpiness, but there are a few things that I need to get off my chest. Airplanes are a mystery to me. I simply do not understand how a giant metal tube can be thrown through the air at such a high velocity and it doesn’t kill everyone inside of it. Not only does it not kill everyone inside of it but the people inside of it spend their time carrying on eating their little airplane food, drinking their little cocktails, and relieving themselves in those little bathrooms before watching Paul Blart: Mall Cop or Eat, Pray,

Love with those headphones that never seem to work correctly. On my flight this morning I watched an entire episode of Parks and Recreation in Spanish because finding the English channel was taking too much time. Considering how bizarre the whole affair is, I do not enjoy when the staff of the airplane get chummy with me or think we are all just paling around. One particularly terrifying incident occurred a few years ago when I was taking a flight from Newark Airport to Dulles Airport. As you might imagine, it was a short ride on one of those smaller planes that don’t seem like they can make it off tar mac never mind fly in the air for any significant distance. It was a bumpy ride the whole time, and I was pretty sure that this was the end of the road for me. I didn’t panic or anything. I just sat back and accepted my impending doom with a fatalism that would put John Calvin to shame. I leaned against my window seat and decided to watch the crash unfold. I always make sure I have a window seat. I figure that if I am going to die, I might as well enjoy the view. My suspicions of impending doom were seemingly confirmed when the pilot got on the intercom and said, “Ladies and gentlemen of Flight 68, I have good news and I have bad news.” I have never been to pilot school or pilot seminar or whatever it is that pilots have to go through in order to be allowed to

operate this flying death trap; but I am pretty sure that informing your passenger that you have good news and bad news is not a part of the curriculum. What was the point of telling us he had this two-pronged news? Was he going to let us choose which one to hear first? He wasn’t, as he began, “The good news is that we are going to be getting into Washington Dulles airport about ten minutes early.” Dear God, I thought, the bad news must be that we will be crashing into the Washington monument. “The bad news,” he continued, “is that I guess you aren’t getting the bang for your buck here on Continental airlines.” His chuckle was then heard over intercom before he instructed the flight attendants to prepare for landing. Who was this master comedian and why had he switched careers to piloting? Other forms of transportation are no better. Try going on Amtrak when it’s busy and you will experience one of the most annoying phenomena in all of traveling. When looking for a seat you will notice that people will put their various possessions in the seat next to them, such as iPods or portable DVD players, so as to repel those who think they might make better use of the seat. If you are able to get these people’s attention and ask, “Is this seat taken?” they will act surprised that you even asked. “Oh, no. Of course not. Whatever gave you that impression?” they seem to say with their eyes before grudgingly

allowing you to take a seat. Scientists say dogs mark their territory by peeing on things. Humans mark their territory with high-priced electronics. I will not even attempt to spend time explaining why buses are awful as it is my contention that those truths are self-evident. If, after death, I am condemned to Hell I imagine I will be brought there on a Mega Bus. There will be no leg room, plenty of traffic, and the people behind me will talk the whole time about whether or not Adam will finally ask Tara out. This column barely even scratches the surface of all the strange and awful parts of traveling. I haven’t shared any stories about delays, the strange people sitting next to me, or the problems I have had with customs officials. After all, I am only allotted so many words and you probably know exactly what I am trying to say by now. But if there is one thing I have learned about traveling, or anything else in life, is that you just have to sit back and deal with it. There’s no use in getting stressed out or angry. Just try to be patient and maybe you can even tell a joke or two about it when you’re done. If you’re lucky, maybe someone will even hand you a bag of peanuts. John Blakeslee is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.

Understand the policies Marye Moran Last Friday, someone I know got visited by the RAs for having empty alcohol bottles in the recycling bin (Hey, at least we’re being environmentally friendly.) There were people over the age of 21 in the room, so I – I mean someone – said that the bottles were from them. If they’re legally able to drink, no one should get in trouble, right? Well to be honest, I have no idea. It seemed to make sense on Friday, but later in the weekend when my roommates and I were contemplating what would happen to us after the RA took down our information, we began to wonder. Isn’t there a rule that guests have to abide by the policies of the person they’re staying with? Is alcohol allowed under any circumstances in an all sophomore building? Maybe the legal drinkers in the room would

even get in more trouble, for bringing alcohol into the residence of minors. As we tried to come up with our story, we were struck by the fact that no one actually knew the rules. I asked around, even consulting a friend who is an RA, and discovered that there is nowhere to read the full policies. On some level, I get why this would be advantageous for ResLife. We were trying to uncover the policies in order to craft a story that would make it sound like no one broke any rules. Since post-write up meetings, where punishments are actually doled out, often occur weeks after the actual incident, clearly publicized policies would allow students to find loopholes and craft stories accordingly. It would cause many more students to claim that a 21-year-old was visiting and had alcohol in the room, if that’s allowed. As I said, I don’t know. The thing is, though, if Res Life wants to prevent incidents from occurring, shouldn’t they make the rules known? Last year, my brother visited me for a weekend, and slept on the floor of my dorm. That was the weekend I got written up for cohabitation. Apparently no members of the

Bazoomie Wagon | BEN VADNAL

opposite sex can stay overnight in a lectures, and providing sober alternafreshman dorm, regardless of familial tives through Nights on the Heights. status. This was honestly a policy that However, when it comes to students I had no idea about. If I had run into getting written-up, there is nothing my RA that week, I would have told preventative going on. her excitedly about my plans for the Yes, BC students regularly go weekend and how my brother would be against the rules that they know exist, staying with me. I would not have ever consuming alcohol while underage, but considered hiding that fact, because other technical wrongdoings, like cono one ever told me there was a policy habitation with visiting friends or relaagainst it. tives, noise violations, and overcrowdWe all know the basic rules, based ed room violations (at least I think I’ve on the laws: Underage students can’t heard that exists), might be avoided if consume alcohol, on or off campus. students only knew they were doing Students over the age of 21 cannot something against school policy. provide younger students with alcoYou wouldn’t have your grade hol. Other than that, regulations and reduced in a class for not handing in punishments are entirely unclear. Does an assignment the class didn’t know anyone really know what happens after about. You wouldn’t be arrested for one write-up? Two? If you get writa law that was never made public. ten-up while on housing probation? So why should we be punished if it’s Having a concrete idea of the negative at best difficult to discover all of the repercussions that can occur would ResLife policies? Maybe students give students much more incentive to wouldn’t keep getting in trouble if they actually abide by school policies. knew the actual rules and the actual consequences. The administration says that it wants to take preventative action, making freshmen participate in an Marye Moran is a staff columnist for online alcohol education course, focus- The Heights. She welcomes comments at ing on the negative effects of overopinions@bcheights.com. consumption in orientation skits and

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

‘Breaking Dawn’ bites off more than it can chew By Darren Ranck

Arts & Review Editor Nothing on earth possesses more power than a fad. Many days passed since Lisa Frank and pop rocks and easy bake ovens ruled the world. Now the fad is romance with the supernatural. It’s wild enough to reminisce over lukewarm brownie batter Breaking Dawn Part I heated by a lig ht bulb. The fourth Bill Condon installment Summit based on the Twilight series, the book series written by Stephanie Meyer, Breaking Dawn Part I, embodies everything about a fad. It’s got a big opening, big stars, but ends up being a big letdown and, frankly, weird. The movie picks up where Twilight: Eclipse left off. Quirkily beautiful and highly uncomfortable Bella (Kristen Stewart) prepares to marry the vampire who stole her heart, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). While the jitters are ever-present, their love, which is truer than any other in the entire world, prevails and the

C+

Cullens pull off the most overblown wedding of the year. Nothing more unexpected will happen until Thursday when you eat turkey. Bella and Edward embark upon a honeymoon on the beautiful vampire island where Edward can glitter in peace, but the tide turns when Bella becomes pregnant with a deadly child. Now Edward and the surly werewolf Jacob (Taylor Lautner) must join forces to save Bella from death. Melodrama runs deep throughout the film. Melissa Rosenberg, the screen writer behind the first three films, falls into the same conventions that fuel every adaptation. Edward and Bella speak of their love in the most grandiose and absurd terms that it feels completely unnatural. Part of the issue lies in Stewart and Pattinson’s capabilities as actors, but Rosenberg’s script stumbles multiple times in its melodramatic tension. The person who takes the film to its peak of ridiculousness, however, is director Bill Condon. The director of Oscar-magnets Gods and Monsters and Dreamgirls overstuffs the movie with so many different genre conventions that it becomes

impossible to place it. The wedding that opens the film reads like a sweet, folksy romance. Suddenly it becomes a Havanese getaway before not-so-seamlessly becoming a romcom in which Bella tries to bed Edward. Then it quickly cuts to a tense drama where Bella is dying, but lo! A love triangle re-emerges! And Jacob has a character arc, becoming a one-man wolf pack! Obviously, Condon throws in everything but the kitchen sink as he tries to bring this novel to life. While it does prove entertaining in its bizarreness, the direction takes a cohesiveness out of the film. The story calls for a touch of ridiculousness, but the actors appear hesitant to embrace the characters even after three films. Pattinson succeeds, but just barely. He brings a stern confidence to the role yet does little to reveal anything interesting about Edward. Stewart remains the most uncomfortable actress in existence. While Bella’s lack of confidence is a touchstone of her character, Stewart never fully invests and delivers halfhearted line readings. A couple in real life, Stewart and Pattinson have the chemistry of Anne Hathaway and James Franco at the Oscars. Neither knows

‘Descendants’ balances drama, comedy

allmoviephotos.com

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart lack chemistry in the newest ‘Twilight’ installment. how to properly fill their role, but both are going to give it their best shot. A viewer would hope, though, that their chemistry would be stronger. Perhaps the one who fares worst is Lautner. He puts himself in pout mode for the entirety of the film and brings no complexity to Jacob, the only character with a full arc. The only actor to escape still shining is the ever-reliable

Anna Kendrick, stealing the show in her funny portrayal as Bella and Edward’s catty school friend. When push comes to shove, Twilight entertains through sheer ridiculousness. Does that mean it serves as a model for supernatural film? No, but that doesn’t mean you won’t want to see Breaking Dawn Part II. n

Box Office Report title

weekend gross

weeks in release

3 photos courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

1. twilight saga: breaking dawn Part 1 139.5

2. happy feet two

22.0

3. immortals

12.2

Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com

Director Alexander Payne, together with the talented George Clooney and an able supporting cast make ‘The Descendants’ a huge success. By Sean Keeley For the Heights

The Descendants opens with a voiceover from its main character debunking popular stereotypes about its lush island setting, Hawaii: “My friends think just because we live in Hawaii, we live in paradise … Are they insane? The Descendants: Do they think Alexander Payne w e ’ r e i m Ad Hominen mune to life? Enterprises How can they possibly think our families are less screwed up, our heartaches less painful?” That initial challenge is like the movie’s thesis statement, and the film that follows is certainly full of screwed-up families and deep heartache. But director Alexander Payne explores these issues with a deft touch that moves gracefully between the tragic and the comic. The Descendants is something of a paradox, but one that works beautifully: a movie about grief that is often extremely funny, featuring the most glamorous and dashing of movie stars playing a decidedly human and imperfect character. That character is Matt King (George Clooney): a middle-aged lawyer who happens to be descended from Hawaii’s earliest white settlers and is the trustee of his family’s considerable land possessions. As the movie begins, King is in the process of negotiating a deal to sell off a large chunk of the family’s

B+ A-

land before his trusteeship expires. He also has to deal with a more dramatic personal crisis – his estranged wife Elizabeth has fallen into a deep coma after a boating accident, and the neglectful King has to take a break from work to look after his two daughters, 10-yearold Scottie (Amara Miller) and rebellious 17-year-old Alexandra (Shailene Woodley). The situation is further complicated when King learns that his wife had been cheating on him with a real estate agent who is tied up in the land deal. The deadbeat dad, the unfaithful wife, the rebellious teenager – many of the character types in The Descendants are cliches with the potential for caricature. But the movie’s strength lies in the way it nudges aside these stereotypes in favor of more nuanced portrayals. A perfect example is Alex’s friend Sid (Nick Krause). For at least the first half of the movie, Sid is obnoxious: a vapid, rude beach bum who insults Matt, laughs at an old woman’s dementia, and spends his free time smoking pot. But then comes a brief dialogue scene between Matt and Sid that casts him in a whole new light, turning him from an annoying caricature to a sympathetic character. The movie repeatedly plays that trick, subtly deepening our understanding of the characters through small gestures and revelations. The script (adapted by Payne and two co-writers from the novel of the same name) certainly deserves credit, but a large part of

the success of The Descendants comes from its ensemble cast. With the exception of Clooney, no one is a huge star; most were drawn from the ranks of TV character actors. Yet all manage to hit their characters’ comedic highs and navigate the murkier dramatic material. Particularly impressive is Woodley as Alexandra, who alternates between rebellious spunk, fierce intelligence, and masked hurt. And then there is Clooney, the jack-of-alltrades in Hollywood: actor, director, producer, screenwriter, activist, and the man frequently cited as the world’s last true movie star, with a style that hearkens back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. With such a reputation, it’s easy to forget what a purely good actor Clooney is. The Descendants reminds us. Just look at the way he reacts to the news of his wife’s infidelity or the truth about her comatose state. Clooney suggests volumes with mere eye movements and changed intonations of his voice, and his character has a visible and believable arc from the beginning of the film to its memorable last shot. Payne doesn’t often go for dramatically striking compositions, but he doesn’t need to. His style is simple, direct, and efficient, while making good use of voiceover narration and a soundtrack of traditional Hawaiian music. For the most part, though, Payne lets the characters speak for themselves – and with such a great script and cast, that’s more than enough. n

4. Jack and jill

12.0

5. puss in boots

10.7

6. tower heist

7.0

7. J. Edgar

5.9

8. a very harold & Kumar 3-d Christmas 2.9

9. in time

1.7

10. the descendants

1.2

bestsellers of hardcover fiction 1. 11/2/63 Stephen King 2. the litigators John Grisham 3. zero Day David Baldacci 4. the best of me Nicholas Sparks 5. 1Q84 Haruki Murakami

6. the christmas wedding James Patterson 7. the alloy of law Brandon Sanderson 8. the snow angel Glenn Beck 9. The Prague cemetery Umberto Eco 10. Hotel Vendome Danielle Steele SOURCE: Publisher’s Weekly

Overblown and kitschy ‘Happy Feet Two’ leaves viewers cold By Joe Allen Heights Staff

Nothing says “escape from the mundane” quite like singing and dancing penguins, which explains why Happy Feet became a runaway hit five years ago. In this sequel, director/co-writer George Miller has taken the “more is more” approach with the cute arctic animals that delightedly defined the original Happy feet two: movie. HapGeorge Miller py Feet Two Kennedy Miller h a s m o r e Mitchell penguins, more subplots, more outlandish live-action scenes, more ecological disasters, and more lessons. Top that all off with a puffin passing as a flying penguin and you have a sequel that is bigger than its predecessor in almost every way. The problem? To add so many new characters and ideas, the movie forsakes its emotional center (Elijah Wood’s Mumble) and becomes more cold than cool. As the opening musical number thunders along, tap-dancing extraordinaire Mumble experiences deja vu upon discovering that his son, Erik (E.G. Daily), has run away due to feeling isolated from his popculture-loving brethren. Mumble chases

Erik across the diverse tundra, meeting several new animals (such as Hank Azaria’s European puffin Sven) and old friends along the way. When global warming hits and traps Mumble’s Emperor penguin clan in a large hole, Mumble and Erik must enlist the help of several neighboring species to rescue them. Strangely, banding the characters together irreparably fragments the narrative. Virtually all these story fragments are entertaining by themselves. Robin Williams steals his scenes once again as the ever-funny Hispanic Adele penguin Ramon, who gets his own love interest, Carmen (Sofia Vergara). Sven emerges as the sequel’s most engaging character, dazzling the penguins with his ability to fly and his colorful back-story while hiding some major fears (major for a kid’s movie, anyway). Two more interesting additions, Will and Bill, are krill (surprisingly played by Brad Pitt and Matt Damon), who constantly amuse as they try to work their way up the food chain to no avail. Unfortunately, the krill story also illuminates Happy Feet Two’s lack of direction. Not once do Will and Bill directly interact with the other characters. No one in the movie notices that these two tiny animals do, in fact, exist. While their story is funny

and inventive, it ultimately becomes filler that frequently disrupts the film’s main narrative. Miller and his writing team seemed to have so much fun making all the new characters that they forgot to connect them, forcing all the strongly-defined animals to compete for screen time. No character suffers from this scatter-shot storytelling more than Mumble. Even though people remember and enjoy Happy Feet most for its celebration of song and dance, the movie wouldn’t have worked nearly as well if its main character, Mumble, didn’t anchor the story and add emotion to the story. Happy Feet Two doesn’t work as a whole because it loses Mumble in the shuffle. The original’s idiosyncratic hero has become a supporting player, and a grating one at that. Mumble gives up tap-dancing for much of the movie in favor of scolding his son for daring to be different. Wouldn’t Mumble be able to relate to Erik’s feelings of isolation? Having Sven explain to Erik to “just be yourself ” instead of Mumble, who previously saved all the penguins by doing just that, makes absolutely no sense. What keeps this family movie from being a total disappointment are its lively songs and its exhilarating tendency to push its animation to its limits. Scenes of

Mumble zipping away from a leopard seal or Sven flying over awe-struck penguins are highlights, along with group musical scenes such as the epic performance of “Under Pressure” during the movie’s climax. With all the voice actors lining up for monologues, however, these scenes of action and cathartic release are few and far between. Happy Feet Two wants to be a musical, a comedy, a family drama, a coming-of-age story, and an Al Gore

documentary all at once, just like its predecessor. Its decision to take the spotlight off Mumble and wave it randomly across its large cast kills this juggling act, swapping an overarching narrative for a series of half developed, albeit enjoyable, mini-stories. As each character gets his or her moment, the majority of the penguins remain stuck in a hole and become an unfortunate metaphor for the movie. Despite all of its energy, Happy Feet Two ultimately goes nowhere. n

Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com

Despite some charm, this animated penguin flick takes on too many storylines for its own good.

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

Tenderness and cruelty alternate in this tragic family dynamic

Kevin Hou / Heights Editor

McCourt’s character switches back and forth between immaturity, demanding her sister’s rabbit, and sageness, in her pride for Tillie’s science fair win.

‘Marigolds,’ from A10 tries to move forward throughout the play, Beatrice imagines various ways of reinventing herself (from being a real estate owner to changing their home into a tea shop) but can never actually do anything since she is paralyzed by fear of failure and set in her habit of providing for Ruth and Tillie by taking in elderly people to earn $50 a week. During the play, Beatrice’s

current tenant is the humorous, yet pitiable Nannie (Maggie Kearnan, A&S ’14) whom Beatrice mocks. While Beatrice is stuck in her loop of self-pity and inescapable circumstances, her daughters are trying to break out of the cycles of their own lives. Ruth inherits her mother’s vivacity, but is subject to fits and convulsions when faced with death or nightmares. Tillie, alternately, inherits her mother’s oddness in the best way possible. Though Beatrice

fought the taunts of school children who called her a ‘Loon’ by trying to be popular and a dancer, Tillie revels in her unique love for and abilities in science, ultimately creating an experiment eponymous to the play and winning first prize at the science fair during the climax of the play. While all of the performances are impressive – especially since such a small cast demands perfection from each of its players – DeBari steals the show in her

Brand pushes his dramatic bounds Brand, from A10 Heights: You’ve shown a more serious side with Booky Wook and The Tempest, and now Lamb of God. Do you see yourself getting into more dramatic roles? Brand: Yes, Lamb of God, that’ll be serious. But I always enjoy it when things funny happen. It seems like a better approach to life to be looking to laugh. Heights: Well, it seems like you’re dealing with the same things – trying to touch the human condition from different angles. Brand: Yes, I think it’s important to tie things together, no matter what: the grand, the mundane, etc.

[At this point in the interview, RB goes into reflective aside about the benefits of transcendental meditation, mentioning that there are veterans groups in Boston that offers such services and that they are “worth looking into.” He said the David Lynch Foundation was the portal that got him into the practice.] Heights: Has meditati on informed your acting work at all? Brand: It gives me access to new information. I’ve always had the chaos, now there’s a more serene access to what I do. More about Brand’s work... Heights: You’ve done a lot of voiceover work. What attracts you to that?

Brand: It’s all right, I like it, being a rabbit’s voice, a mad professor’s voice … It’s great to do things with children. I like to engage things with them. It’s pretty good fun. Heights: You’ve been married for a little more than a year. How is married life treating you? Brand: I love it. It’s really incredible. n

Raunchy Jake and Amir elicit laughter CollegeHumor, from A10 battle onstage. Amir initially sulking due to Jake’s insults, and subsequently delivering a profanity laced tirade much more offensive than anything Jake had said, was met with strong laughter and applause from the crowd. Even more impressive was that the two merged their intentions to reflect aspects of their web series with improvisation unique to a live performance. Because Amir claims to only eat McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets in the series, someone in the front row had brought McNuggets into the theater. Amir responded by putting the scripted part of the show on hold, and asked the fan to throw the McNuggets to him, seeing how many he could catch in his mouth. Although he was completely unsuccessful, it was still incredibly enjoyable to watch Amir’s ridiculous attempts to catch 20 - yes, 20 - McNuggets in his mouth. The only conceivable low point of the show was the lack of time Jake and Amir were onstage. Although it was clear that the show would involve other comedians, the fact that four stand-up acts were included may have been surprising to the audience, because it

minimized Jake and Amir’s performance time. Jake and Amir had performed for only approximately 40 minutes before the stand-up portion of the show began. Josh Rabinowitz and Kevin Barnett, the first two stand-up acts, have no association with CollegeHumor whatsoever, so even though they received some laughs, they seemed to add an unnecessary wrinkle to the show. In fact, their segments merely recalled Comedy Central’s Friday Night Stand-up, which is simply inconsistent with CollegeHumor’s creative brand of humor. The last two comics, Dan Gurewitch and Streeter Seidell, also performed cut-and-dry stand-up, but the crowd was more enthusiastic about their sets because they are associated with CollegeHumor. Both Dan and Streeter make occasional appearances in “Jake and Amir,” and are highly involved with the overall upkeep of the site, so it was nice to see some familiar faces during the stand-up phase of the show. Still, four separate stand-up acts occupied a substantial chunk of time, so that, even though Jake and Amir performed for more time than anyone else, their time onstage was not significantly higher. Thus, the claim that Jake and Amir headlined the show could be considered misleading.

Although that summarizes the whole show, it is necessary to mention the meetand-greet opportunity which Jake and Amir graciously offered afterwards. Clearly, the crowd maintained its fervor, as the line for the meet-and-greet was longer than the line before the show, and extended past Fenway Park. For two hours, the duo shook hands, signed autographs, and had pictures taken. The entire time, they seemed genuinely interested in what they were doing. Each time a new fan or group approached, Jake humbly started off by saying, “Hi, I’m Jake,” while Amir cracked free-spirited jokes as fans filed through. Dan Gurewitch added another dynamic to the event by unexpectedly making an appearance and getting pictures taken with various pockets of fans waiting in line. All in all, Jake and Amir’s first trip to Boston seemed to provide a great time for the fans. They optimized their limited time onstage by borrowing familiar characteristics of their series, while finding unique ways to take advantage of the live aspect of the show at the same time. The meet-and-greet enhanced the already favorable experience, and ensured that their supporters would leave with lasting memories. n

subtle, yet captivating performance of the shy, brilliant Tillie. Because she is so introverted, Tillie has the fewest lines of the three lead women. However, DeBari has her actions speak volumes in the way that Tillie quietly hunches her shoulders away from her sarcastic mother, protecting her fragile blossom of confidence, or allows her sister to continue painfully fixing her hair because it was a peace gesture between the two. Not that the audience could ignore any of the other four performances. Forseberg-Lary captivated at all times, both because Beatrice’s need for attention and validation and because Forseberg-Lary made the remarkable task of crafting a frustrating yet funny character look effortless. One of the most entrancing moments of the play is Beatrice’s interaction with Ruth after a nightmare. Although it is easy to hate Beatrice for telling her daughters they weigh her down in life, she pulls through in this moment of need and calms Ruth’s wild fears, sharing moments of her youth while the pair are curled up on the couch. Similarly, McCourt does an incredible job balancing the nearly bipolar nature of Ruth, swinging from the scared child to a vindictive adult who manipulates Tillie and will say anything, no matter how cruel, to get what she wants from her mother. Though silent, Kearnan’s Nannie is the funniest character of the whole play right from her extended entrance, hobbling down the stairs until she reaches one impassable step with her walker and looks around expectantly, obviously confident

that the world will take care of her. Last, but not least, even Sarah Mass (A&S ’15) makes an impact with her quite short role of Janice: a snotty, confident girl who goes up against Tillie in the science fair and embodies everything that the brainy Tillie is not in confidence and looks. The entirety of Marigolds fits together with an impressive cohesiveness that makes student director Marc Franklin, A&S ’12, worthy of applause in this senior project. The casting alone speaks volumes about Franklin’s abilities, but more importantly he drew out the character’s personalities with little details, such as a surround-sound, futuristic voiceover at the beginning of the play wherein Tillie is given voice to expostulate about the beauty of the word ‘atom’ in a dramatic and sonorous way. The set (designed by Nancy McNamee, A&S ’12) likewise enables the actors to explore their characters fully as Beatrice could pace and run from corners of her mind while Ruth could make the living room her stage for her quotidian tales. The only difficulty in combing the directing and set was that a few crucial moments of the play – including Tillie’s absorbed work with her marigolds and Ruth’s seizure at the end – were difficult to see because they were placed at the front of the set, and blocked by front row audience members due to the tight knit quarters of Bonn Theater. This transient frustration aside, The Effects of Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds is an impressive endeavor that both breaks your heart and mends it, and is guaranteed to stay with you after the final bows. n

Narratives and landscapes depict world’s variety ‘Through Our Eyes,’ from A10 printed by MTS Photography). Estwing hung the exhibit with Tringale, whose “artistic eye was invaluable.” Though this was the second year BC presented a photo exhibit as a component of International Education Week, this was Estwing’s first time managing it. From over 150 student submissions, 80 photographs were selected to be featured in The World Through Our Eyes, but Estwing says that he “tried to have as much representation throughout the campus community as possible in [his] selections.” Because the only requirements for submission to the gallery were that the photo be international in nature and in some way meaningful to the photographer, the exhibit showcased pictures from all around the world that were taken by students from all grade levels. The subjects, styles, and locations of the photos were extremely diverse. Certain students were inspired to take pictures of breathtaking landscapes of mountains, deserts, and oceans, while others were moved to photograph the natives – both children and adults – and others still were compelled to capture the unique wildlife. From Scotland, to China, to Australia, and to Africa, students photographed the distinctive magnificence of each culture, and each student did so in their own way, making their work extremely individual. Displayed on black matting and posted on corkboards throughout the gallery, each photo was exhibited alongside a brief description that included the title, photographer’s name, location in the world, and significance to the photographer. By requiring students to reflect on their photo’s personal importance, The World Through Our Eyes encouraged both submitters and viewers to consider their own lives in the context

of the world around them. One photo by Nick Rellas, CSOM ’13, for example, was titled “Peace;” it portrayed a migrant worker’s young child in Beijing giving the peace sign with his two small, fragile fingers. Rellas realized that despite the child’s timidity, the child was trying to communicate with him by using “an international sign with the same meaning across any barrier.” Adriana Henquen, A&S ’12, was similarly inspired. Her photo, “Chefchaouen Chat Noir,” was taken while she was in Morocco, and it depicts a road of houses of incredible, contrasting blue hues and a small, black cat in the street. The photo reminded her of the famous Steinlen “Le Chat Noir” poster. It was “a common image in a not so common setting,” she says. It enabled her to discover that, “You can always find something familiar – even in the most exotic and unknown parts of the world.” Other students found that The World Through Our Eyes allowed them to share some of their vivid memories and invaluable experiences from traveling abroad with the rest of the BC community. For instance, Brittany Bieber’s, A&S ’12, photograph, “Blues,” taken in Aegina, an island off the coast of Athens, “captures one of [her] most cherished days while abroad.” Beiber was not alone in her sentiments - many other students expressed the same feelings. Just as these student photographers were inspired by their time abroad, Estwing says, “I hope viewers will be inspired by the beauty of the photographs to travel abroad and experience everything the world has to offer.” The world is rich, full of beauty and opportunity, and in honor of International Education Week, BC’s student photo exhibit, The World Through Our Eyes, gave students the chance to share and vicariously experience the world’s many wonders together. n

Dawn of ‘Hunger Games’ buzz marks differences from ‘Twilight’ Dan Siering Just a few days before one enormously popular novel adaptation begins its ride into the sunset, another young adult bookto-movie phenomenon is just being born. Perhaps attempting to attract a few giddy Twi-hards who are looking for another saga to adore, The Hunger Games, the first adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ ungodly popular book series, debuted its full-length trailer last week, snatching away some of the sizzle surrounding the theatrical release of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1. For those who are conscientious objectors of the young adult genre or have been completely oblivious to the hype surrounding the series, here is a quick rundown of the first book’s premise. Transpiring during an unidentified future time period, The Hunger Games is set in an area located in North America called Panem, an autocratic empire consisting of a wealthy Capitol City and twelve surrounding working class districts. The series’ main character is Katniss Everdeen, a teenage girl from the poorest coal mining District 12. After losing her father at an early age, Katniss, with the aid of her pal Gale Hawthorne, must survive and support her mother and young sister, Primrose, by wielding a bow and arrow and

illegally hunting nearby game. Every year in Panem, the Capitol, in a crude attempt to reinforce their political power, holds an event called The Hunger Games, a televised competition in which two members from the 12 districts are pitted against the other 23 tributes in a fight to the death. When little Primrose is selected for the Games, Katniss nobly volunteers to replace her sister in the competition. Katniss is then whisked away to the Capitol with the other selected district member, Peeta Mellark, and forced into vigorous training and public exposure before she is thrown into the gauntlet with the other tributes. The remainder of the book focuses on unforeseen challenges and alliances within the fight, as Katniss frantically tries to stay alive. Judging from this brief synopsis, it’s easy to surmise that The Hunger Games, with its bloody and morbid premise, is not your typical young adult fair. Nonetheless, author Suzanne Collins, staying on the New York Times Best Seller list for over 100 consecutive weeks, has created a sensation that seems to surmount even the mighty Twilight Saga. The rights to make the hugely successful book series into feature films were almost immediately snatched by Lions Gate Entertainment, with Collins herself

set to write the adapted screenplay. The production studio then embarked on a highly publicized search for the film’s main characters. For Katniss, Lions Gate amassed an extensive list, including the likes of Chloe Moretz, Saoirse Ronan, and Emily Browning, until finally selecting 2011 Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone, X-Men: First Class). With Lawrence in place, Liam Hemsworth (The Last Song) was chosen for the role of Gale and Josh Hutcherson (The Kids Are All Right) was picked from an extensive selection to play Peeta. As casting news, set pictures, and video sneak peaks began to surface, fans of the series began to examine every tidbit of information given, from the veracity of Lawrence’s dyed black hair to the history of each actor selected to play a tribute competing in the Games. The culmination of this prerelease hype was reached last week with the release of the full-length trailer. The short preview focuses mainly on the storyline before the actual competition with an exhilarating ending that displays a countdown to the beginning of the competition. Both critics and fans have generally agreed that the trailer lives up to the hype. The viewer is given glimpses that hint at intricate costume and set designs, as well as a lot of heart-pound-

ing action. With a $100 million budget, it seems director Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit) isn’t cutting any corners. The ultimate benchmark for The Hunger Games will undoubtedly be The Twilight Saga. Yet while both series are tailored to the same audience and revolve within the same relative genre, one should be hesitant to compare the two. Twilight is inherently a romantic story with some action scattered admits it angst. And while a love triangle between Katniss, Gale, and Peeta

does indeed form, The Hunger Games is an action story in which a secondary love story sprouts. Collins’ choice of heroism, a theme that easily transcends gender and age groups, over romance makes her novel more relatable to the Harry Potter series and the film more inclined to enjoy Potterlike success.

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

Courtesy of allmoviephoto.com

Significantly different from ‘Twilight’ franchise, ‘Hunger Games’ emphasize action over romance.

A10

arts&review Monday, November 21, 2011

Wicked Cultured

With liberty, and arts for all

Charlotte Parish

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

quick& dirty russell brand with

Maybe it’s a Lynch thing. I have been frequently told (mostly by my CSOM friends) that being a Lynch school member makes me think differently from some of the other students on campus. I’m going to ignore the second half of the conversation where they tell me I’d never make it in CSOM because my personality is too fluffy, and choose to take this statement as a compliment. Because it’s very true: I think differently in that I am almost always thinking about how other topics relate back to education. The classes in Lynch are really quite infectious. They have even invaded my adoration for all things artsy in Boston. While there are so many different ways in the city to feed a love for movies, music, theatre, books, and concerts, there are actually very few ways for students to take advantage of the best parts of the city without putting a hole in their wallets and being asked to spend money that they simply don’t have. Take, for example, all of the fantastic shows in the Boston Opera House, particularly ballets and musicals. There is so much agreement in research that learning done outside school is equally important to that done during the weekday. What better way to make the French Revolution more interesting to a girl who loves chorus, but hates history, than seeing Les Miserables? It’s coming to the Opera House this spring, but ticket prices are far beyond what an average Boston high school student can afford. In all fairness, most college students would not be able to afford a ticket either given the frenzy that the words ‘free food’ induce on a club flyer. But if Boston College students desperately wanted to attend, BC to Boston may be hosting a trip or an RA could be convinced to make a program with reduced ticket prices. None of these options are available at most high schools where arts within the district are being cut, never mind funding for excursions outside of school hours. More frustrating is the Museum of Science. This is one of the most explicitly educational museums in the city, yet they have absolutely no student discounts for those who take it upon themselves to make it out there on a weekend. Yes, there are group prices for schools that take a weekday to bring their students. But the first thing to go during the recent push for test scores are excursions outside of school that do not directly increase math scores on MCAS. Even something as simple as going to the movies quickly racks up a bill. At $10 to $12 a pop, movies are something of an investment if students want to keep up with the newest films. Plus, the plethora of films being pumped out by the industry like Breaking Dawn and Jack and Jill at Fenway’s AMC theatre create more buzz than an actually educational and historically relevant showing of J. Edgar at Coolidge Corner Theatre. If there was some monetary advantage to seeing higher quality films, perhaps high school students would be inclined to stretch their minds a little further even though it is a Saturday night with their friends. As a caveat: I am not saying that every educationally-relevant institution in the city should cut their prices or offer free, admission to students in high school. Obviously every company is granted the right to make a profit, and I don’t dispute that. But it is baffling to me that Boston caters so heavily to its college student population and virtually ignores the 18,000-plus high school students who are viable consumers. If the Museum of Fine Arts can offer the approximately 400,000 college students of Boston free admission, and thereby only make money off of their admission through souvenirs or food, then why wouldn’t they do the same for a group only one-fifth of the size instead of giving free admission only between certain, variable hours? Even my business friends who are skeptical of Lynch would have to admit it is a viable financial option. What is the harm in making the arts more accessible to high school students? Virtually none. What is the benefit to the students? Virtually immeasurable.

By Darren Ranck

Arts & Review Editor

Interview conducted by Michael Caprio Editor-in-Chief

his past weekend, Boston got a little naughtier. One of Hollywood’s funniest and most unpredictable stars, Russell Brand, visited Northeastern University Friday night on his stand-up comedy tour of American universitites. Brand, best known for his role as scene-stealing Aldous Snow in the films Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To the Greek, took time out of his schedule to speak to Heights Editor-in-Chief Michael Caprio. From his upcoming

dramatic role in Diablo Cody’s Lamb of God to his appreciation for transcendental meditation, Brand revealed a little more of the man behind the British rock veneer. The Heights: Your American audience has known you mostly for your film and music work. How do you present to them your standup material? Russell Brand: I’ve been doing stand-up comedy for years now, for about 14 years now. For me it’s just a normal and natural thing to do. When I’m preparing, when I look for material, I look for things that are embarrassing, sensational, exciting in life.

See Brand, A9

CollegeHumor storms HOB By Cory Beightol For the Heights

Kevin hou / Heights editor

Telling the story of a matriarchal family, ‘Marigolds’ tugged at the hearts of its audience.

Family matters in ‘Marigolds’ Strong performances, direction leave audience rattled By Charlotte Parish

Asst. Arts & Review Editor Escapism is a slippery slope. When watching a movie or a play or a television show, most people want to shut off their brain for an hour or two and immerse themselves in a world not their own. However, The Effects of Man-in-theMoon Marigolds refuses to allow the audience members or the cast to escape the frequently dark, and always

i nside Arts this issue

strictly honest portrayal of a family that is as dysfunctional as it is common. Particularly from the holidays approaching, it is impossible to detangle one’s personal family memories with the alternately loving and caustic interactions of Beatrice (Juliana Forseberg-Lary A&S, ’12) and her daughters, the older, high-strung Ruth (Deirdre McCourt, A&S ’12) and the younger, quietly brilliant Matilda, or Tillie (Shannon DeBari, LSOE ’13). Marigolds is anchored in the sadly realistic portrayal of a family of women who are left alone after Beatrice’s lackluster husband has a heart attack. Although it is set on Staten Island in the 1970s, only the clothes explicitly dictate the setting because Beatrice’s struggles – as a single mother who never got over the cruelty of other students in high school and takes out her life frustrations on her daughters – are unfortunately always prevalent. As the family

See ‘Marigolds,’ A9

Breaking Dawn is confusingly mediocre

The over-the-top director Bill Condon injects the newest film with pomp and circumstance, A8

On Tuesday night, comedians Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld of the website CollegeHumor made an appearance at the House of Blues, which marked their first ever show in Boston. As the name “CollegeHumor” suggests, their comedy is targeted to adolescents and young adults. The duo is most well known for their web series “Jake and Amir,” which, in four-plus years of existence, has accrued a considerable following. Even before doors opened, a substantial group of people lined Landsdowne Street eagerly anticipating the show. Several “Oh sheesh y’all” and “Jake and Amir: So Ace” shirts were interspersed among the crowd, and even one person was dressed in a penguin costume. By the looks of it, the show did not disappoint. It seems the two were able to achieve success by incorporating prevalent elements of their web series onstage. Jake and Amir performed as if they were the characters in their videos: Jake was rational

and sarcastic while Amir was quirky and outrageously clueless. In addition, parts of their onstage routine recalled specific episodes from the series. For example, as the topic of rapping has appeared in a couple episodes, the two engaged in a rap

See CollegeHumor, A9

Courtesy of collegehumor.com

CollegeHumor stars Jake and Amir performed at House of Blues in Boston

International photography provides cultural insight By Ariana Igneri For the Heights

International Education Week is a nationwide effort to foster global awareness; at Boston College, it consisted of an array of events from Nov. 14 to Nov. 18 and included a student photo exhibit titled The World Through Our Eyes. Students who frequent level one of O’Neill Library may have noticed that their cozy study nook underwent a temporary transformation. For just five days, in honor of International Education Week, the gallery was utilized to display student submitted photographs taken abroad. “The inspiration for the event,” says Jonathan Estwing, the BC International

Count down to The Hunger Games

With the launch of the first full-length trailer, the anticipation has reached a fever pitch, A9

Systems Administrator, “[was] to allow all members of the BC community to exhibit their international photography and vision.” O’Neill Library was chosen as the ideal location to host this “vision,” says Estwing, because it is a central location that has a great deal of traffic. Moreover, the department’s working relationship with the library facilitated the production of the project. Kevin Tringale, of O’Neill Library, and Estwing collaborated together to see through the completion of The World Through Our Eyes. Estwing organized the event: establishing the websites, soliciting submissions, and coordinating the printing of the photos (which were all

See ‘Through Our Eyes,’ A9

Bestseller List...............................A8 Box Office Report........................A8

SPORTS The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

Thrown

for a loss

Live life without limitation Paul Sulzer

catches for 92 yards, and Manti Te’o had 12 tackles for Notre Dame (8-3). Chase Rettig (18-for-38, 170 yards, one touchdown), Bobby Swigert (five catches, 39 yards, one touchdown), and Luke Kuechly (14 tackles) led the way for BC, which failed to recover from a 10-0 deficit midway through the first quarter. Josh Bordner scored on a two-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, once the Irish had taken a 10-point lead. Rettig con-

Excuses are lame. They act as a smokescreen for those looking to dodge blame when things go wrong; they are a crutch for people who lack the confidence or the competence to be what they want to be. Whenever I hear people justify their shortcomings, I think back to a line I read in my freshman-year philosophy class, courtesy of Aristotle. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. I have had these words in mind with each issue of The Heights that I have edited for the past three years. Putting out the best product possible means staying in the office in McElroy until 3 a.m. twice a week to edit deadline stories, fine-tuning the copy until it is flawless. I refuse to accept anything but greatness from myself and this newspaper. As I conclude my term as Sports Editor with this final column, I hope that I have convinced you to hold the athletic department to the same standard. The Heights, after all, is the independent student newspaper of Boston College. We are supposed to foster dialogue

See Football, B3

See Limitless, B3

alex trautwig / heights editor

Chase Rettig had his best drive of the season at the end of the first half, but he was unable to recreate that success throughout the game. He finished 18-for-38 with 170 yards and a TD. By Paul Sulzer Sports Editor

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Boston College nearly stole a win from Notre Dame in Saturday’s 16-14 loss to the Fighting Irish in South 16 Notre Dame Bend. Boston College 14 Nearly. Nearly doesn’t count, though, even for a 3-8 team looking to latch onto positives. There are no moral victories when the program officially notched the most

losses it has had in a season since 1995. “We had chances,” said head coach Frank Spaziani, who is winless in three games against BC’s biggest rival. “We needed a couple heroes to step up and make some plays. That’s the difference when you’re playing a good football team.” The Fighting Irish had the heroes on the night, as Jonas Gray scampered for a 26-yard score in the first quarter, and David Ruffer converted all three of his field goal attempts. Tommy Rees went 24-of-39 for 256 yards and an interception, Michael Floyd had 10

Women’s soccer

Stanford trips up BC a third straight year By Kim Schroer For The Heights

graham beck / heights staff

The Scarlet Knights pulled no punches against the Eagles, leaving players in tears over the loss.

Rutgers upsets men’s soccer BC eliminated in similar fashion to 2007 tourney By Tim Jablonski Heights Staff

For his players, it was a level of devastation none had experienced at the collegiate level. 1 Rutgers Fo r B o s t o n Boston College 1 College men’s soccer coach Ed Kelly, though, the feeling was an all too familiar one. Four years after losing their first match of NCAA tournament play as the No. 1 national seed, the No. 4 national seed BC fell yesterday to Rutgers on penalty kicks in

Newton, 1-1 (4-3). “Its just an awful way to lose,” Kelly said. “I feel bad for them, especially the seniors, who had a game that was theirs and let it slip away. “ Just like in 2007, the Eagles had a bye to the second round and a home game. They took an early lead and appeared to have the game under control, as did Kelly’s squad four years ago. And just like the last BC squad to earn this high of a seed, they conceded a late goal that ultimately led to a

See Men’s Soccer, B3

The Boston College women’s soccer team saw its season come to a disappointing conclusion in 2 Stanford the third round of Boston College 0 the NCAA tournament on Sunday night, falling 2-0 to the top-seeded Stanford Cardinal for the third straight season. The Eagles played the Cardinal evenly in the first half, as the defense contained the potent Stanford offense, conceding just five shots. BC had a great opportunity to score when junior Kristie Mewis sent a volley from 22 yards out to the far corner of the net, forcing Stanford goalkeeper Emily Oliver to make a great save to prevent a goal. Head coach Alison Foley was encouraged by her team’s play in the first half. “In the first half, I thought that it was quite even, and you could certainly tell from the momentum of both teams that it was going to be a great game,” she said. The game began to swing in favor of Stanford early in the second half, though. The Cardinal finally managed to capitalize on an opportunity in the 63rd minute, when Camille Levin took a pass from Teresa Noyola and buried it into the upper right corner of the net to put her team ahead, 1-0. Stanford added a second goal just seven minutes later when Lindsay Taylor placed a free kick inside the right post. past keeper

Jill Mastrioanni, to give the Cardinal a decisive 2-0 lead. Foley was proud of her team’s performance despite the final score. “That second half though, especially that second goal, took the wind out of our sails,” she said. “All in all, I thought it was a great contest between two great teams.” The Eagles’ late-season slide resulted in a four-seed for the NCAA tournament, which forced them to play Stanford earlier

Graham Beck / heights staff

Crusaders crush men’s basketball in Worcester

Irish snatch OT win with 1.1 seconds left Asst. Sports Editor

The No. 3 Boston College men’s hockey team (9-4-0) almost had 3 Notre Dame f ini she d Boston College 2 an epic comeback against No. 4 Notre Dame (9-2-2) Friday night in South Bend, Ind., when Irish sophomore Bryan Rust ended the chance for an Eagle victory, breaking a 2-2 tie with 1.1 seconds remaining in overtime. The Eagles came back from a one-goal deficit in the third period with 2:10 left. Freshman forward Johnny Gaudreau played a rebound off the pad of Fighting Irish goaltender Mike Johnson and forced his way between two

By DJ Adams Heights Editor

defenders for the score. BC led the game early when junior Chris Kreider scored a penalty shot with just over 12 seconds left in the first frame. The opportunity came when Notre Dame defenseman Stephen Johns used his glove to cover a puck in the crease. With this opportunity, Kreider put the Eagles ahead. The forward came down the ride side of the net and fired a shot past Johnson from the circle. The shot caught Johnson off guard, and he was beat to his stick side. The Eagles held the advantage throughout the whole first period. They outshot the Irish, 15-11, but the momentum shifted

See Men’s Hockey, B4

i nside S ports this issue

See Women’s Soccer, B5

Stanford has taken down Stephanie Wirth and BC in the past three NCAA tournaments.

men’s hockey

By Chris Marino

than they would have liked. However, the Eagles refused to let that bother them heading into Sunday’s game. “You have to face the best teams eventually,” Foley said. “There are some things you can’t control. Eventually you’re going to see the top teams, and where you’re going to see them, you don’t know.”

alex trautwig / heights editor

Donahue said he had to yell at his nine-man freshman class for the first time.

Women’s basketball loses

The Eagles fell to the Arizona State Sun Devils 79-54 yesterday....................B4

WORCESTER, Mass. — With an inexperienced roster that includes n i n e 86 Holy Cross freshmen, Boston College 64 the Boston College men’s basketball team is expected to experience its fair share of growing pains this season. Getting romped by 22 points against Holy Cross (1-2 overall) on Friday night at the DCU Center in downtown Worcester for their first loss of 2011 – just the second time in the past 18 meetings between the two teams that the Crusaders emerged victorious – was slightly more unanticipated for the Eagles (1-1). HC senior point guard Devin Brown slashed his way to 32 points, BC’s perimeter defense

The drama of penalty kicks

BC experienced the joy and the sorrow of soccer’s most thrilling conclusion............................B5

struggled to contain outside shooting, and the Crusaders rolled in the second half to demolish the Eagles, 86-64. “I thought we could play some different defenses and speed [Holy Cross] up, as they are not a team that typically passes the ball well, so I thought we could do some trap and things like that,” head coach Steve Donahue said. “To their credit, I thought they moved the ball well and got open shots, and then they hurt us in transition early. They really played solid basketball, and I thought we could do that too, but we didn’t.” Playing without its leading scorer from last week’s win against New Hampshire, Patrick Heckmann, the Eagles looked lost offensively immediately after tip-off.

See Men’s Basketball, B4

Numbers to Know.................B2 Quote of the Week......................B2

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

Eagles overpowered by Duke in spite of strong play from seniors By Steven Principi Heights Staff

The Boston College volleyball team suffered a disappointing loss yesterday af terno on 3 Duke on Senior Day. Boston College 1 Mollie Kolosky, Brennan Clark, and Tsvetelina Dureva all played their last game in Power Gym, but the Eagles came up short, losing to Duke 32-30, 14-25, 21-25, 18-25. The Eagles took a riveting first set that went deep into sudden death. BC jumped out to a quick 9-5 advantage, but Duke managed to fight back until the score was level at 16. The two teams spent the remainder of the set trading points for the most part until the score

was tied at 25. Sudden death was a back-and-forth battle that saw both teams squander opportunities to close out the set. Eventually, the Eagles managed to take two points in a row and take a one-set lead by a score of 32-30. Head coach Chris Campbell praised his team’s performance in the opening set, saying that it was exactly how he wanted them to start the game. “We were very emotionally invested in this match,” Campbell said. “You could see that throughout the entire roster. People were playing hard and with a drive and desire to win that dramatically outweighed the fear of making mistakes. That’s the kind of emotional investment we need when we step onto the court.”

The second set was a completely different story. The Eagles came off an emotional high from their exciting first set win and were unable to keep up with the Blue Devils. Despite keeping the score close early on and even being knotted at eight at one point, the Eagles played an ugly second game and were blown out 25-14. Campbell was not afraid to speak his mind about the second set. “We laid an egg in the second set,” Campbell said. “It killed all of our momentum. A veteran team knows how to bounce back from an emotional high like the first set and we’re not quite there yet. It took us an entire game to get refocused, but two months ago after a game like game two we wouldn’t have been able to bounce back at all.”

The third and fourth games were almost mirror images of each other. Both started in the same way, with the teams trading points, unable to make a significant run. In game three, BC took a lead at 15-13 before Duke took over. The Blue Devils went on an 8-1 run that the Eagles could never overcome. While it managed to cut the deficit to 21-20, BC was unable to catch Duke and dropped the third game, 25-21. Similarly, the fourth game saw the score tied at 18 before Duke took the game’s last seven points to send the crowd home disappointed. Campbell was proud of the way his team played and praised the effort that they all gave. “To be able to come back and play

tough in the third and fourth games was impressive,” Campbell said. “We gave up one run each in the third and fourth that we couldn’t recover from, but we played good volleyball today.” Though the loss dropped BC to 7-23 on the season and 3-16 in ACC play, one player did reach a milestone during the game. Clark matched her career best and set a BC four-set record with her 33 digs against Duke. The 33 digs were also enough for her to move into 10th all-time in ACC history. The Eagles will travel to Maryland on Wednesday to face the Terrapans in their final game of the season. The team has not won since Oct. 15 and is currently mired in a 10-game losing streak. n

alex trautwig / heights editor; woogeon kim / Heights photo illustration

Women’s Hockey

Boyles and Wasylk shine in home-and-home sweep of Northeastern By Chris Marino Asst. Sports Editor

SPORTS in SHORT

Coming off a 3-1 victory in Matthews Arena, the No. 4 Boston College women’s hockey Boston College 4 team (8-3-1, 5Northeastern 1 2-1 Hockey East) took on No. 8 Northeastern (10-3-0, 5-2-0) for the second night in a row on Friday. The Eagles made it two in a row at Kelley Rink, as they dominated the Huskies, 4-1, behind two goals from sophomore forward Taylor Wasylk. BC started off slow in the first period, before its pace quickened and it began to create more opportunities later in the period. NU goaltender Florence Schelling did well to overcome a flurry of shots from the home team, as the Eagles outshot the Huskies 13-9 for the period. Despite this shot advantage, the Huskies were the first to hit the back of the net. At 12:57, BC defenseman Blake Bolden was called for a checking penalty, giving the Huskies a power-play opportunity. NU responded by creating heavy traffic in front of goaltender Corinne Boyles. Colleen Murphy nearly put the Huskies ahead, but Boyles was able to knock away her initial shot. Teammate Katie MacSorley collected the rebound and wristed it into the back of the net, giving the Huskies the lead, 1-0. The Eagles came into the second period with a more focused approach, and this adjustment showed early. Sophomore defender Jackie Young made a solid read and

Nick Rellas / heights staff

Wasylk (left) notched two total goals and an assist in consecutive games. Boyles (right) had 69 total saves and a career-high 40 on Friday night. found Wasylk in the slot. The sophomore took the open shot to notch the tying goal just 1:18 into the period. “We talked about a few things like being a little more disciplined and patient,” said head coach Katie King Crowley of the Eagles’ second-period adjustments. “Going from yesterday’s game, which was a big win for us, we were a little jumpy and our forwards were jumping out of the zone a little too soon, and they figured out how to be a little more patient. We talked about it and I think they did a really good job of being a little more patient and relying on each, rather than one big pass.” BC almost took the lead when forward

Women’s Hockey East Standings Boston College Providence Northeastern Boston University Maine Connecticut Vermont New Hampshire

5-2-1 5-3-1 5-2-0 4-1-0 2-3-1 2-5-0 2-5-0 0-4-1

8-3-1 6-7-3 10-3-0 9-4-1 7-5-4 2-11-2 2-8-4 4-8-2

Kristina Brown broke away on a one-onone opportunity down the ice. The junior earned the open look, but Schelling denied her attempt at the last second. Despite being down a man for a decent portion of the second period, the Eagles were able to create offensive opportunities. At 17:16, freshman Alex Carpenter put the Eagles ahead for good with a score. The play started when defender Emily Pfalzer passed the puck to Emily Field along the wall, and Carpenter was then able to maneuver through the Huskies’ defense. She finished the play with a shot over Schelling’s right shoulder from the left hash. The Eagles gave themselves more of

a cushion throughout the third stanza, creating many opportunities and shutting out the Huskies’ offense. Boyles and the defense locked in to shut out the Huskies after the first-period power-play score. On the night, Boyles recorded 29 saves after recording a careerhigh 40 the night before. “Our defense is so good,” Crowley said. “Boyles did a great job for us in net the last two games. She made the saves that she had to make and really helped us out. The defense played the game so well, and they really helped our forwards to get going on offense. They moved the puck really well and created a lot of opportunities for our

Numbers to Know

523

Luke Kuechly’s new ACC record for career tackles, broken at Notre Dame on Saturday.

37.3

Field goal percentage by the men’s basketball team in Friday night’s loss to Holy Cross

3:30

Time left on the clock when Rutgers tied the score at one against the men’s soccer team Sunday.

forwards.” Wasylk continued her impressive night with her second goal of the game. Just over a minute into the period, the sophomore took a pass from freshman Kate Leary and sent it past Schelling to put the Eagles up, 3-1. The team extended this lead when junior forward Ashley Motherwell finished a strong drive to the net by Carpenter and Field. The Eagles were able to overcome some first-period struggles to take down the Huskies for the second straight night. The second and third-period scores came within minutes of play, which led to dominant periods for the home team. “Huge,” Crowley said of her team’s early second and third-period scores. “We know that our first period hasn’t been the best this season, and today I thought we did OK. In the second and third periods, we really came out on fire, and we talked to the kids about how important that was. They really responded well and took it on their own shoulders and did a great job.” Wasylk, Field, and Carpenter each recorded two points on the night, as the Eagles regained the top position in the Hockey East. Crowley said that these two victories will give the Eagles some necessary momentum. “These wins give us a lot, and we really need to feed off this going forward in the season,” Crowley said. “We have maybe seven games before break, and we need to really focus on those seven, starting this coming Tuesday.” n

Quote of the Week

“We needed a couple heroes to step up and make some plays. That’s the difference when you’re playing a good football team.” — Head coach Frank

Spaziani after Saturday’s loss at Notre Dame

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

Farewell: Live your life without limitation Limitless, from B1

alex trautwig / heights editor

When head coach Frank Spaziani says, “We are who we are,“ challenge him to be greater.

within this University, which we can do because we receive no funding from the school. I view it as my duty, therefore, to keep the administration honest, especially when The Globe and The Herald refuse to do so. With the football team struggling through its worst season in over a decade, the two most prominent papers in Boston have accepted the excuses of head coach Frank Spaziani and athletic director Gene DeFilippo at face value. They have chalked up the team’s record this year to injuries, youth, and bad luck. Neither The Globe nor The Herald has criticized the decisions from the sideline. Too often, people accept what they are told and look the other way. The Heights, though, has consistently demanded accountability from the coaching staff and the administration. Seeing all sides of an issue is invaluable. If questioning Spaziani’s clock management and personnel decisions makes me the bad guy, so be it. I can withstand the heat if it means holding the people in power responsible for their choices.

Above all else, I hope I have made you think. Be skeptical. Challenge what you are told. When Spaziani tells you, “We are who we are,” dare him to be something greater. Setting limitations for the program is defeatist. We can be whoever we want to be. We need a coach who truly believes in BC’s ability to compete with anyone. I have never intended for my column to be negative, as it has often been perceived. I hope you have not read it that way. I think I have been tough but fair. My commentary has been meant to be constructive: This is how BC can improve. Sometimes it has come across as destructive: Here is everything that is wrong with BC. BC is capable of excellence. Other schools with similar academic standards have succeeded in big-time college football. Stanford, Wake Forest, and Northwestern all expect their programs to be run cleanly and their players to graduate. All three have been to BCS bowls, something BC cannot say. This is not meant to suggest that the Eagles can wake up tomorrow and be ACC champions. Success is a process, not

an overnight phenomenon. To build a title contender from a three-win team will take years. Believing in the team’s capacity for greatness, however, is the first step toward achieving that greatness. In that same philosophy class I mentioned earlier, we read The Iliad, which contains another memorable passage. During a battle between the Greeks and the Trojans, an Achaean warrior named Diomedes is fascinated by a cunning soldier who fights for the Lycians, who are allies of the Trojans. He demands to know the young man’s identity. Glaucus, the Lycian, responds with a speech. “Hippolocus begat me,” he said. “I claim to be his son, and he sent me to Troy with strict instructions: Ever to excel, to do better than others, and to bring glory to your forebears, who indeed were very great. This is my ancestry; this is the blood I am proud to inherit.” Ever to excel. With the right attitude, anything is possible.

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

Football Notebook

Field position battle breaks BC’s way By Paul Sulzer Sports Editor

Locked in a defensive struggle with Notre Dame, Boston College turned to an unlikely hero in the battle for field position: punter Ryan Quigley. The senior boomed six punts inside the 20-yard line, consistently pinning the Fighting Irish deep when the offense stalled around midfield. He finished with nine punts for an average of 41 yards. “The grass here is long, so we knew before the game that the ball wasn’t going to bounce too much,” Quigley said. “You can pin it down there a little deeper and hope for a soft bounce.” Quigley forced Fighting Irish returner John Goodman to fair catch the ball or let it bounce with his quality hang time. He credited long snapper Sean Flaherty and the team’s gunners for contributing to BC’s special teams performance. “Quigs did a great job punting for us,” junior Luke Kuechly said. “We stopped them on a couple of third downs real quick and got off the field real quick.” Kuechly (14 tackles) did his part to get the defense off the field as soon as possible. Sophomore Kevin Pierre-Louis bolstered the linebacker core with his return from a foot injury. After missing the previous three games, he registered seven tackles (1.5 for a loss) and a pass breakup in his return. He helped hold

the Notre Dame backfield duo of Cierre Wood (26 carries, 94 yards) and Jonas Gray (11 carries, 61 yards, one touchdown) in check. Fighting Irish junior Tommy Rees (24-for-39, 256 yards, one interception) was erratic. He got away with mistakes, though, because BC dropped several catchable balls. The biggest shift in field position happened in the third quarter, when defensive end Max Holloway intercepted a Rees screen pass at midfield. But the Eagles went three-and-out, picking up just seven yards on a drive that was a microcosm of their inability to move the ball. On BC’s first five drives of the second half, it ran 22 plays for 57 yards—a 2.6yard average. Kuechly tackles record Early in the second quarter, Luke Kuechly chased down Fighting Irish wide receiver Michael Floyd on a bubble screen, wrapping him up after a gain of six. This nondescript tackle gave the junior linebacker 517 career tackles, breaking the ACC record. “He’s the best football player in the country,” head coach Frank Spaziani said. “He’s up for a lot of awards, and he’s deserving of all of them.” Kuechly is also one tackle shy of two school tackling marks: his own single-

season record set last year (183) and Stephen Boyd’s career total (524). He could appreciate his stats more if the team were winning, he said. “I play football to win,” Kuechly said. “I don’t try to set records. If we would have won, that would be cool. But we lost. That’s what it comes down to. We play to win. That’s how we do it at BC.” Extra points Redshirt freshman Tahj Kimble led the way with 10 carries for 42 yards, his second game toting the rock at least 10 times this season. A slippery third-down back, he offers a change of pace from bruising runners Deuce Finch (six carries, 32 yards) and Andre Williams (three carries, minus-one yard). “We have always liked Tahj,” Spaziani said. “The way our running game was set up fit better to Tahj’s skill set. We were trying to [throw] the ball to the backs in certain situations. It just worked out that way. We have three good backs. Today was Tahj’s day to carry the ball a bit more than usual.” Josh Bordner dropped back to pass once out of the Wildcat, but he had no options open, so he tucked the ball and ran. He finished with four carries for seven yards and a touchdown. Tight end Chris Pantale had his biggest game of the season, hauling in five passes for 60 yards. n

alex trautwig / heights editor

Hampton Hughes and the Eagles left South Bend disappointed after finishing just short of a win.

Moral victories aren’t enough for football team Football, from B1

alex trautwig / heights editor

Junior tight end Chris Pantale was more involved in the offense than in any other game this season, catching five passes for 60 yards.

nected with Swigert for a seven-yard score with two minutes left in the game, but the Eagles ran out of time when they failed to recover the subsequent onside kick. “We got trapped in the ‘go-back-andthrow’ game,” Spaziani said. “It’s not us. It makes it more difficult to complete passes under those circumstances.” At the end of the first half, that passing game looked the best it has all season. On the drive, Rettig went 5-for-6 for 77 yards, with the lone incompletion coming on a laser that slipped right through Colin Larmond, Jr.’s hands. The sophomore quarterback picked his spots well, attacking short-to-intermediate routes with the same confidence he displayed during the preseason. “It was the first time I felt like we were just throwing the ball around,” Rettig said. “The coaches gave me the opportunity to throw the ball and the receivers to make plays. We just executed.” But Notre Dame adjusted at halftime by keying on the underneath routes and going to man-to-man coverage on third downs. The Fighting Irish also dialed up a variety of blitz packages. They disrupted Rettig’s rhythm by constantly getting a hand in his face. At one point in the middle

of the second half, Rettig threw 10 straight incompletions. “They started blitzing a lot more, which I knew they were going to do from watching film because it was a close game,” Rettig said. “It hurt us. They mixed it up pretty well. There’s no reason why every drive can’t be like the last drive of the first half.” Rettig did engineer one second-half drive similar to the one end of the first half. The offensive line gave him enough time to find the hot receiver on blitzes. He went 3-for-5 for 45 yards on that series because he exploited single coverage in the Notre Dame secondary. The seven-play, 72-yard drive culminated in the touchdown pass to Swigert. “We ran that play with Colin [Larmond, Jr.] last week and scored, so we mixed it up, with me inside and him out,” Swigert said. “I ran a corner route, and the safety was really tight on me. Chase hit me. I actually almost lost it in the lights.” Still, it was too little, too late for the Eagles, who are playing better, but not well enough to beat teams like the Irish. “We know who we are, what we have, and how we have to play,” Spaziani said. “That’s how we start every week. Our guys played well. We had a good game plan, but we needed to make a couple plays.” n

Men’s soccer knocked out in first NCAA tourney game Men’s Soccer, from B1

graham beck / heights staff

Rutgers frustrated BC forward Charlie Rugg with its suffocating defense yesterday.

heartbreaking loss. Last time around, it was UMass’ Mike DeSantis’s who delivered the death knell, scoring in the 85th minute to lead the Minutemen past BC, 2-1. After Saturday, Ibrahim Kamara is the name that will haunt Kelly and his Eagles for what is sure to be a long offseason. Trailing by a goal for much of the second half, the Scarlet Knights scored in the 87th minute to knot the game at one and breathe life into their season. A wide corner kick from Sam Archer bounced off several players before finding itself at the feet of Kamara. The senior striker was able to get a foot on the ball and redirect it past helpless keeper Justin Luthy. “We just put bodies in there, trying to

create traffic so that the goalie can’t navigate his way through the box,” Rutgers head coach Dan Donigan said. “We were fortunate to get to penalty kicks, fortunate to get through extra time, and then we were very confident about the penalty kick because we love our goalie.” The Scarlet Knights’ keeper, junior Kevin McMullen, didn’t let his team down during the shootout. The first three shooters all converted their shots before McMullen dove low to stop Amit Aburmad’s effort and put the visitors up. BC managed to tie it up at 3-3 heading into the final round, and after Joe Setchell nailed his shot, the stage was set for McMullen. He seized the moment by snagging Steve Rose’s penalty shot, pushing Rutgers through to the next round and brutally cutting short what the Eagles thought would be an extended postseason run.

It was an agonizing end to a game that saw many BC opportunities go to waste. Statistically, BC outplayed Rutgers. The hosts notched seven more shots and defended well enough that Luthy was only forced to make two saves. But goals are the sport’s only currency, and the Eagles’ inability to cash in more than one doomed them. “I thought we had most of the plays,” Kelly said. “We didn’t get enough done up there when it was quality time to slip and really send some of them in that should have been at least a goal.” The Eagles’ lone score came in the 53rd minute after an errant cross from senior Patrick Chin slipped past McMullen and into the net. BC kept the pressure up for the rest of the half, ripping 11 shots and earning four corner kicks. But the Scarlet Knights kept extra men back on defense to

help prevent the Eagles from earning highquality looks on goal. The strategy didn’t lead to many quality chances for Rutgers. It did, however, allow them to keep the game close. “When your back’s up against the wall and you have a talented opponent, you have to do the simple things,” Dunigan said. “That’s defend your asses off and hopefully get some chances offensively.” All they needed was one of those chances to be converted. With their opponents pushed into a corner, the Eagles were unable to keep them from getting out. The game was a squandered opportunity for the players, which will stay with them long after their careers at BC are over. And it’s a tormenting flashback for the coach who has been there before. That doesn’t mean it will hurt any less. n

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

BC hoops can fill the NBA void Austin Tedesco On Saturday night I watched Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Nate Robinson, and some other NBA players throw down a bunch of uncontested dunks and jack up long range threes at Harvard in a charity game. The players on the court were clearly having a good time, and that energy spread through the crowd. When Paul Pierce showed up in the second quarter and sat down in the bleachers with the fans, the building erupted. Watching Perkins, a 6-foot-10, 280-pound center, show off his handle at the point guard position could not have been more entertaining. But when the final buzzer sounded and little kids stormed the court chasing their idols for autographs, I felt my heart break a little bit. Saturday night was more than likely the last time I’m going to be able to watch any of those guys play. The NBA’s “Nuclear Winter,” as commissioner David Stern is calling it, has begun, and professional basketball, at least in the United States, is on hold. Over the course of the NBA lockout, I’ve become a bit of an expert on labor negotiations, player salaries, and the economics of the league. Every time there is a meeting, I stay glued to my phone, constantly refreshing Twitter and hoping for some good news. Phrases like basketball related income (BRI), mid-level exceptions, and system issues have been clouding my mind, and I’m ready to finally give up on them. The NBA players and owners are going to be tied up in a legal court for a while, but there’s another court that is calling my attention. It’s down in Conte Forum, and it’s occupied by the Boston College men’s basketball team. I’ve never been a hardcore college basketball fan. Usually the NBA is competing for airtime and a regular-season match-up between the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat will interest me more than a Duke vs. North Carolina game. I’ve always considered college basketball to be trashy reality TV compared to the NBA, which more closely resembles a smart drama like The Wire. I used to think college basketball thrived off quick, easy entertainment while the NBA builds up elaborate, complex drama that requires more thought and time to appreciate. When I did watch college basketball, I focused on Kentucky or other teams that housed future pros. Last Monday night, I was proven wrong by the Eagles when they took on New Hampshire. The rest of the college basketball field may not do it for me yet, but this team has my attention. There are going to be ups and downs. They’re going to try things that work and others that don’t as they find their footing. The biggest strength they have is a compelling cast of characters. Almost all of them are young. They all lack experience playing at this level. Patrick Heckmann is a ruthless competitor on the court but a kind and humble kid off it. John Cahill is a wise, experienced leader trying to bring these young guys together. Matt Humphrey could easily cause the most drama with his trigger-happy, inconsistent play. The point guard competition could be a battle all season long. Dennis Clifford has the skills to grow into an unstoppable scoring threat. Ryan Anderson still needs to break out and prove himself. Head coach Steve Donahue begins his first season with a full recruiting class and is trying to find minutes for all of them while developing a cohesive unit. Wins and losses are not going to be the most intriguing aspect of this team. The Eagles got blown out by Holy Cross on Friday night, and that’s OK. Instead, how they respond to the inevitable disappointments this season will be fascinating. I’m excited to watch them bounce back tonight against UMass. I’m almost excited enough to forget that Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant should also be finding their groove against an aging Spurs roster tonight. Maybe in a few weeks these Eagles will help me forget about that entirely.

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

Alex trautwig / heights editor

Patrick Heckmann is one of several freshmen who is drawing attention for the Eagles.

Alex trautwig / heights editor

Kevin Hayes (12) had a goal at the end of the second period called off because officials ruled that Bill Arnold committed a hand pass. Parker Milner (35) failed to stop Notre Dame’s final shot.

Notre Dame steals win from BC at the end of overtime Men’s Hockey, from B1 as the teams returned from the tunnel for the second stanza. At 6:54 in the second period, T.J. Tynan erased the deficit with a shot from the bottom of the left circle. Johns passed the puck to Austin Wuthrich at center ice. Wuthrich brought the puck to the left circle and then left it for Tynan at the boards. Tynan moved to the bottom of the circle and launched through an Eagles screen to tie the game at one apiece. Then, at 11:34, Shayne Taker scored his second goal of the season when he

backhanded a pass from Riley Sheahan and floated it over BC goaltender Parker Milner’s head. This gave the Irish their first lead of the night. The Eagles nearly evened the score with 2.1 seconds left in the second period; however, the goal was called back. Sophomore Kevin Hayes chipped in a pass from classmate Bill Arnold, but officials ruled that the goal did not stand due to a hand pass that was then touched by Johnson. Due to this call, the Eagles headed into the final period down by one goal. After the third period heroics of Gaudreau, the Irish and Eagles entered

the first overtime period. Rust laced a shot past the glove of Milner with just over a second left in the period, sending the Eagles home with their second consecutive loss at Notre Dame. The Irish have become accustomed to playing in overtime situations this season. The match-up against the Eagles was their fourth overtime contest in six games. They stand at 2-0-2 in that stretch. Notre Dame also has not lost in overtime in 25 straight opportunities. Their record during that streak stands at 7-0-18. The Eagles are coming off their second straight loss. After a 5-0 blowout

at the hands of perennial rival Boston University, the Eagles hoped to regain some confidence against a solid Fighting Irish squad. The team did not perform poorly. The two squads were nearly identical, as the Irish outshot the Eagles 35-34. However, Notre Dame did hold the advantage in late-game shots, outshooting the visiting squad 18-9 in the third and overtime periods combined. Both teams went 0for-3 on the power play. Milner made 32 saves on the night, including 14 stops in the third period. Johnson also made 32 saves, holding the Eagles at bay down the stretch. n

Holy Cross cruises past BC Men’s Basketball, from B1

alex trautwig / heights editor

John Cahill scored 11 points in the first half but was held silent in the second, just like his team.

BC started 3-of-9 shooting from the floor. Even when the attack found its way inside, drawing fouls and going to the charity stripe, it could not connect. Junior Matt Humphrey started the game with four misses from the line. The frustration on offense led to several defensive mishaps for BC, as HC executed its ball rotation to perfection, getting open looks from beyond the arc after sharp passes and connecting with ease. A third 3-pointer early gave the Crusaders a significant 16-8 lead just 10 minutes into the contest. Despite all of his attempts to adjust, Donahue continued to watch his team struggle against the opposing sharpshooters. HC, in its first two games, shot just 33 percent from beyond the arc – an 8-for24 mark – but by halftime had nailed an absurd 7-of-10 attempts. Staging a comeback against such superb shooting would prove to be a difficult task for BC, especially when the Eagles mustered a measly 40.7 field-goal percentage in the first half themselves. “It’s very difficult, and on the road in particular, we didn’t do a very good job with that,” Donahue said of his team’s handling of the early deficit. “We were scrambling early on, and trying to figure out what we can do with this inexperienced squad. We didn’t rotate over very well,” he said. The second half, though, was even uglier for BC, as Brown took off for the Crusaders. The senior guard flashed nifty moves as he clawed his way inside but also was able to pull up from long range. Brown registered 21 points in the second frame

on 7-of-10 shooting. As the DCU Center exploded with enthusiasm for the astounding blowout, the Eagles flaunted little brilliance to counter. Guard Jordan Daniels made a few 3-pointers, and center Dennis Clifford used his body to come up with some inside baskets, but after scoring 11 in the first half, senior John Cahill went silent, and so did BC. The Eagles converted just 37.3 percent of their shots over the entirety of the contest. “We really fought hard, but [the Crusaders] were ready to play us and they did a great job,” Clifford said. “We had some lapses on both sides of the floor, and I think it’s just a matter of us playing more together. I think that will be a great thing for us.” In spite of the blowout defeat, Donahue said there was plenty of good chemistry and listening skills developing in the members of his squad, factors he believes are incredibly important for any imminent success. “I thought we did a better job of paying attention, looking over at the bench, being engaged, and figuring out what the coach wants,” Donahue said. “I know it sounds very elementary, but that’s stuff with this young team that you have to do, and we got better tonight.” “We do have a lot of talent, but it is going to be the little things that pull us together,” Clifford said, backing his coach’s sentiments. “As soon as we figure out those little things that we need to do, like taking that extra second to know what’s going on, getting into the huddle in between plays quicker so that everyone is on the same page. As soon as we do that, we will be able to improve much better as a team.” n

Arizona State dominates women’s basketball team By Andrew Klokiw Heights Staff

Fielding a squad that features only one senior, the women’s basketball team expected to hit some 86 Arizona State rough patches Boston College 64 during the 201112 season. Yesterday was one of those times, when the Eagles (1-2-0, 0-0-0 ACC) fell to the Arizona State Sun Devils (3-0-0, 0-0-0 Pac-12), 79-54, in Tempe, Ariz. The game was marketed as the “Black Out” contest for the Sun Devils, who debuted new all-black uniforms and encouraged their student body to attend the game at Wells Fargo Arena dressed in all black. This was also the first time that BC and ASU had ever met. Offensively, head coach Sylvia Crawley’s team was led by sophomore Katie Zenevitch, who shot 6-for-13 from the field for a team-high 12 points. Zenevitch was joined in double figures by starting guard Alyssa Fressle (10 points) and substitute Tessah Holt (11 points, 6-for-6 on free throws). Zenevitch and Fressle were accompanied in the starting lineup by forward Kristen Doherty and guards Tiffany Ruffin and Kerri Shields. Doherty grabbed eight rebounds to lead the team.

BC struggled mightily from the field against the Sun Devils, shooting 17-for-58 (29.3 percent) from inside the three-point arc and 3-for-13 (23.1 percent) from beyond it. ASU had a much more potent offense, which was paced by guard Kimberly Brandon, who had 18 points. Other Sun Devils to register double-figure point totals were guards Micaela Pickens and Alex Earl, with 12 and 10 points, respectively. The hosts shot 29-for-53 (54.7 percent) from the field. In the last three seasons at home, the Sun Devils have been nearly unbeatable against non-conference foes, registering an 18-1 record (.947). BC trailed 34-23 at halftime and failed to make up the deficit after the break. Brandon netted 14 of her game-high 18 to foil any thoughts of a comeback that the Eagles had entertained. The Sun Devils got off to a torrid start in the second half, as they blitzed the Eagles for runs of 13-2 and 8-0 over the first 7:25 out of the break. ASU’s largest lead was 25 points, when it led 56-31 in the second half. Crawley’s team will need someone to step up and fill the void left by the departed seniors if it hopes to avoid a long losing streak this early in the season. The Eagles will look to end their current two-game slide when they return home Sunday to face Bryant at Conte Forum at 1 p.m. n

alex trautwig / heights editor

Katie Zenevitch led the Eagles in scoring for the second straight game, contributing 12 points.

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

Eagles eliminated by Stanford yet again Women’s Soccer, from B1

Graham Beck / Heights Staff

On Friday, the Eagles took down UC-Berkeley behind the composure of sophomore Gibby Wagner and her teammates while taking penalties.

Women’s soccer survives PKs vs. California By Kim Schroer For The Heights

On the brink of elimination following 90 minutes of regulation play Boston College 0 and two 0 California scoreless overtime periods, the Boston College women’s soccer team pulled out a dramatic victory in penalty kick s , outscoring UC-Berkeley, 3-1, on Friday to advance to the third round of the NCAA tournament at Cagan Field on the Stanford campus. Senior goalkeeper Jillian Mastroianni was huge for the Eagles in penalty kicks, saving the first California shot to give her teammates a crucial advantage in the session. S enior midf ielder Kristie Mewis capitalized on the opportunity, burying her penalty kick in the back of the net to give BC a 1-0 advantage. UC-Berkeley’s Thelma Bjork slipped her shot past Mastroianni to tie the score, and both BC and Cal missed their next shots. Senior defender Alyssa Pember came through for the Eagles at a critical moment and sent her shot into the left corner of the net

to give BC a 2-1 advantage. That set the stage for another fantastic save by Mastroianni. Given the opportunity to clinch the game for the Eagles, sophomore Gibby Wagner then calmly placed her shot into the corner of the net to send the Eagles to the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth straight year. He ad coach Alison Fole y was impressed by the play of Mastroianni in the penalty kick session and credited meticulous preparation as the reason for her success. “There were a couple of times when Jill had to make some saves, and she came up and did her job,” Foley said. “We had scouted their penalty kicks, and we knew where they were going to go with their kicks, so that was certainly in our favor.” Wagner, who ultimately won the game for the Eagles with her decisive penalty kick, credited Mastroianni’s leadership and critical saves for her success. “After Jill had made that save, I was just feeding off of her adrenaline,” Wagner said. “I knew I could put it in after she had made those saves. It was kind of easy.” Mastroianni was excited by

PKs prove too much for BC men Andrew Klokiw Once in a while, a sporting event has the ability to sweep the audience off its collective feet and take them on an emotional roller coaster that is just as likely to deposit them in a state of unbearable despair as it is to induce visions of ecstasy and glory. In these instances, finding words to describe what you just witnessed can, and in this case is, nearly impossible. In Newton yesterday, the Boston College men’s soccer team played a part in one of these games. There can be no perfect way to capture the events of this match beyond the box score. A loss for words will not do justice for a game that produced such pronounced highs and lows. The underdog Rutgers Scarlet Knights were able to come to BC’s turf and do what only two other teams had done this season: beat the Eagles at home. But the real storyline was not simply that Rutgers advanced. It was how they did it. They toyed with the emotions of the hundreds who flocked to Newton by letting the Eagles come within three minutes and thirty seconds of victory, before cruelly forcing the game into overtime. Overtime was another emotional tug-of-war in which both teams had chances for victory, but the game was destined to be decided in penalty kicks. As is the roulette-like nature of penalties, Rutgers reversed the fortunes of the entire 110 minutes of play, dominating BC both from the spot and in goal, where keeper Kevin McMullen

Graham beck / heights staff

The pressure of yesterday’s game was evident during the PK round. was the hero. The swing of events was striking, cloaking the field in a blanket of silence that was pierced only by the euphoric celebrations from the Rutgers sideline. Even BC head coach Ed Kelly was at a loss when asked to describe his team’s final moments of the 2011 season. “There’s nothing to say,” Kelly said. “We thought that we had them and that we were the better team. It was a tough one. It’s a horrible way to lose a game. To dominate the game and lose on penalties, it’s sickening. Hopefully, it never ends like this for us again.” Sickening. Awful. Horrible. Devastating. Kelly’s adjectives hardly do justice to the look he wore. His dejection was mirrored by the vacant faces of nearly all of his players, as they lay splayed out across the turf, trying to come to terms with what transpired. There can and should be no mistaken impressions about this game. BC was the better team, outshooting Rutgers 1710. It was not just the amount of opportunities but also the quality of them that would seem to point to the Eagles as the superior of the two. On the attack, the likes of Charlie Rugg and Kyle Bekker were dangerous all day, while Ryan Dunn and Chris Ager looked impen-

the opportunity to step up for her team, but she was also quick to credit her teammates for the shootout victory. “From a goalie’s perspective, you just have to get really focused and be prepared to be the difference,” Mastroianni said. “Everyone on my team stepped up, took a great penalty kick, and put it away. If they score, they make it easy for me.” The decisive shootout followed 120 minutes of intense play by both teams, with momentum shifting constantly throughout the game. BC opened the game on fire, taking three shots in the first five minutes of play. UC-Berkeley quickly responded midway through the first half, taking four corners and attempting four shots to put pressure on the Eagles. Neither team was able to finish an opportunity. BC had several near misses in the second half. The Eagles’ best opportunity came in the 51st minute, when Wagner sent a powerful shot into the crossbar. The Eagles defense was huge in the half for BC, breaking up several Cal opportunities to keep the game tied. Mastroianni was pleased with the way the defense

etrable at the back. Accordingly, in his postgame interview, Rutgers head coach Dan Donigan had more praise for his opponent then for his own squad. “We feel very fortunate to come out of here with a result,” Donigan said. “They’re an exceptional team. They’re well-coached, disciplined, and talented. It’s unfortunate that it’s a cruel game, and my hat goes off to BC.” In his praise of the Eagles, Donigan inadvertently gave the best summary of the afternoon. Soccer is, as he put it, “a cruel game.” This match serves as the embodiment of an oft-abused sports adage, “That’s why they play the game.” All was progressing according to plan for 86 and a half minutes, when an ugly Rutgers goal turned conventional wisdom on its head. This all goes to show that there is no rhyme or reason to sports. All you can do is try to rationalize what you’ve just seen and move on. No, it does not seem fair that the final image for the 2011 Eagles will be of senior Steve Rose collapsing in agony after depositing his penalty kick into the arms of the Rutgers keeper, but that’s sports. It’s an implied risk that every fan and player assumes when they associate themselves with the spectacle, as the outcome can be equal parts cruel and elating. There is always a winner and a loser, and on Sunday it just so happened that the underdog came out on the winning end. Wearing the same incredulous look as his players, Kelly offered the perfect descriptor of the positive and negative potential of sport and soccer, when he repeated over and over, “It is what it is.” And nobody who was at Sunday’s game would argue with that.

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

played in the game. “My defense played great,” Mastrioanni said. “Alyssa Pember was making sliding tackles and denying shots. Without them, there would have been a lot more danger, so they stopped a lot.” The Eagles advanced to face the top-seeded Stanford Cardinal last night in a rematch of last year’s College Cup match, which Stanford won 2-0. Wagner said that playing for the team’s seniors was one of the factors that pushed them to the victory over UC-Berkeley. “There was no way that we were going to lose that game for Jill in her senior year,” Wagner said. “I’m so happy she pulled it out for us in the end.” Facing a formidable opponent on Sunday night , the Eagles hoped to add one more chapter to what has been a remarkable career for the decorated senior class. Despite coming off such an emotional victory, the Eagles were unable to continue their run, as Stanford defeated them 2-0 on Sunday. BC left everything on the line, but the No. 1 team in the nation proved to be too formidable. n

Senior midfielder Victoria DiMartino echoed her coach and refused to use the timing of the Stanford match-up as an excuse. “It doesn’t matter what round you play Stanford, or any other great team,” DiMartino said. “In order to be the best, you have to beat the best.” Unfortunately for the Eagles, there will be no return trip to the College Cup this season. The senior class graduates as one of the most successful classes in the history of BC women’s soccer, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen four times, including a trip that culminated in the Elite Eight and another that ended in the College Cup. The Eagles will lose six seniors, including Alyssa Pember, Marissa Mello, Julia Bouchelle, Alaina Beyar, Stephanie Wirth, and Jillian Mastroianni. The Eagles will definitely not be the same after losing such a talented class, but BC has a strong group of returning players that are sure to come back stronger next season. Rising seniors

Mewis and DiMartino will be counted on to lead the team next year, and younger players such as Gibby Wagner, Stephanie McCaffrey, and Casey Morrison will be expected to grow into major contributors. The Eagles finish the season with a record of 12-6-3 while playing in the toughest conference in the country. Despite a series of losses late in the season, they were able to rebound and clinch a four-seed in the NCAA while earning the opportunity to host a tournament game. BC had a target on its back throughout the season following last year’s College Cup experience, and every opponent the Eagles faced gave them a stiff test. The senior class has left a legacy of tremendous success, and its accomplishments raised the bar for the future of BC soccer. Despite the loss on Sunday, the seniors have a lot to be proud of. The Eagles end their season disappointed by another difficult loss to Stanford, yet excited by the opportunity for another shot at the national title next year. n

Graham beck / heights staff

Kristie Mewis and the Eagles hit a brick wall in the form of the Stanford Cardinal.

BC becomes familiar with pressure Raychel Kruper Ah, the dreaded penalty kick round. It may be the worst rule about soccer, because it’s just so darn unpredictable. At that point, it’s anybody’s game, and it doesn’t matter which team dominated on the field or had more shots on goal, because all that’s wiped away. The only thing that remains is a oneon-one contest from a 12-yard range between the shooter and goalkeeper. It’s so rare for a game to come to a penalty kick conclusion, yet for both Boston College soccer teams this weekend, the PK round determined its fate in the NCAA tournament, advancing one team while ending the other’s run at a national title. The women’s soccer team’s game against the California Golden Bears is a perfect demonstration of what I mean. The Eagles advanced after a scoreless tie, winning PKs, 3-1. Fate was on their side during the heart-stopping shootout, but the men’s side wasn’t as lucky. The team lost to the Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights won 4-3 on spot kicks, after a 1-1 draw during regulation. To those who don’t really know the sport as well, PK’s may look like a piece of cake for the shooter. There’s a massive goal, the goalie is tiny in comparison and has to stay on his or her line, and the ball is at a dead stop. You couldn’t be more wrong. You wouldn’t believe the amount of pressure riding on a single strike of the ball, and the multitude of potential outcomes. If you don’t hit it perfectly to your spot, you miss. If you give the goalie a good read of your body, you miss. Sometimes even if you hit it to your spot and the goalie guesses right, you

still miss. It’s so unpredictable. You wouldn’t believe how many teammates, and even high-level players, I’ve seen manage to sky the ball over the crossbar, hit a post, or pass it right to the goalie. BC goalkeeper Jillian Mastroianni came up with two big saves that secured the Eagles’ PK victory, which definitely gave BC an edge in confidence. Because PKs are a mental game, when a goalkeeper comes up with a big save, the team morale rises significantly, and ultimately this led to the Eagles’ win. The men’s shootout loss came after a game they had dominated, outshooting the Scarlet Knights 17-10. The Eagles had controlled most of the action and scored early in the second half. Despite this, Rutgers managed to convert with just over three minutes left in regulation, hanging on for dear life, and ultimately forcing the shootout. This shows how separate this “game-decider” is from the actual game, as the men lost despite thoroughly outplaying Rutgers. I debate sometimes whether there’s a better way to deter-

Alex Trautwig / heights Editor

BC relies on the poise and resiliency of Jillian Mastroianni during PKs.

mine a winner besides PKs. It’s frustrating because it doesn’t take into account the ability of a team to play together, to create offensive attack or to stop forwards dead in their tracks. From the standpoint of a competitive player, I would vouch for more overtime periods, though there are surely downsides. In terms of conditioning, you’ve already played a 90-minute game, as well as two 10-minute overtime periods. It would be bizarre to keep playing endlessly and could even lead to a higher chance of injury. Historically, the shoot-out is credited to Yosef Dagan, who watched the Israeli national soccer team lose in the quarterfinals of the Olympics in 1968 by drawing lots (like drawing straws), and recognized a need for a change. OK, maybe I should be less critical. At least penalty shootouts are soccer related. Does it really pick the better team as the winner? No, not necessarily. Then again, soccer is a deceptive game in that sense. One team could be heads and shoulders above the other but have trouble scoring, or make one small mistake and end up losing a game, in PKs or not. In a game like football, the better team pretty much always wins – but this is not the case in soccer. There are so many “what if ” scenarios that come into play, but when it comes down to that moment, you do what you have to do: place the ball on the mark, pick your spot, take your best shot, and hope for the best. Hey, at the end of the day, that’s the game you signed on for. If you don’t want to leave the outcome up to the fates, get it done during regulation. End of story.

Raychel Kruper is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.

features The Heights

Monday, February 7, 2011

Monday, November 21 , 2011

What it takes to make the grade By Therese Tully Heights Editor

Though people often say that college is the best four years of one’s life, they are undoubtedly four of the most stressful years as well. The pressure of getting good grades looms above college students at all times. The implications that both our successes and our failures have on our future, or so we are told, can be daunting to even think about. Each test, homework assignment, and paper contribute to that coveted high GPA. The GPA that we will hopefully be proud to display on our resumes while we hunt for jobs and internships alike. But what do these grades really represent? Do they say we went to class, focused, engaged in discussion, took an active role in furthering our knowledge, and ultimately left a course more well informed and wiser for it? Unfortunately, such a blanket statement cannot be made. There are ways to succeed on paper here at college without actually learning. What is the value of this type of education? Are we here merely to get that letter grade to contribute to our high GPA number in hopes of getting a six-figure salary in the near future? Jerry Kane, an assistant professor in the Carroll School of Management (CSOM), offered interesting insight into how we view grades today, and what those little letters really mean. Kane is highly knowledgeable in the area of grades and has participated in a lot of discussion about their role. “I actually attended a faculty seminar last week in CSOM that presented evidence that students who were concerned about grades, over learning a topic deeply, actually became less-expert in the long run,” Kane says. “Students focused on grades first learn the topic procedurally, such as what they need to know to write a paper/take a test, but students focused on learning deeply first became conceptual learners (i.e. learning the principles of a subject) that allowed them to better apply that learning in unfamiliar settings in the future. The latter is far more important for success in life.” As a teacher for 15 years and an undergraduate before that, Kane has a lot of experience in academia. “I actually take grades far more seriously now than I did as an undergrad, but in both

See Grades, B7

heights illustration / mollie kolosky

State of the Plex: sculpting the facility as it currently stands By Brooke Schneider Asst. Features Editor

Work hard. Play hard. Exercise harder. At Boston College, working out is an activity that often finds itself high on the student body’s priority list. BC’s standing as the third fittest college in the United States, according to a 2006 survey conducted by Men’s Fitness Magazine is often cited to legitimize this claim. The main forum for students to break a sweat, tone up, and burn calories lies within the walls of the Flynn Recreation Complex, commonly known as the Plex. This facility was constructed more than 40 years ago following a student referendum to establish a building for student recreation. After the referendum was voted on, the students contributed money each year to keep the Plex up and running, says Eric Zeckman, assistant director of facilities and operations for the Plex. This specific contribution is no longer necessary as tuition dollars have become the students’ contribution toward the maintenance of the Plex. Though the Institutional Master Plan calls for the demolition of the Plex as it currently stands, and for the construction of a new facility in the interim, Campus Recreation is doing the best that it can to improve the building and continue meeting the needs of gym members. “We’re always trying to update the machinery,” Zeckman says. “We try to have the latest machines that we can have so the fitness areas have the latest and greatest equipment.” The Quonset Hut, located on Newton Campus, has also seen its fair share of new machinery lately as it came under control of CampusRec on Sept. 1, 2010. It is the hope of CampusRec that freshmen living on Newton will not have to make the trek to Lower Campus to find an adequate facility in which to work out. The fact that the machines are up-todate according to industry standards does not mean that they are not susceptible to normal wear and tear and random malfunctions, however. When a machine is not working properly, a white sheet is placed on the piece of equipment, informing people

that the machine is temporarily out of order and will be repaired. Plex officials are unable to repair the machines themselves and, instead, rely on Fittrax, a vendor with which they have a contract, whose staff visits the facility twice a month to make repairs. Zeckman says that Fittrax usually has a preventative visit to clean and oil machines, and then a more involved visit during which they break down machines to replace treadmill belts and perform repairs on a larger scale. Zeckman realizes that some machines may have that white sheet taped to the monitor for longer than some students would like, but some things are beyond the facility’s control. “Ideally, nothing would ever be out of order for more than a week or two,” he says. “The issue we run into is if the vendor says something along the lines of, ‘Well, the cargo ship got detained in Japan and never made it here so we don’t have the parts.’” In the event that parts are backordered or unable to get to BC for some other reason, Plex officials try to ensure that they have a number of similar machines in stock so that the loss of one or two would not be such a hindrance for those working out. However, some students complain that even though the machines might be up-to-date, the general appearance of the Plex makes it so that its age really shows. “I think that the aesthetics of the place are not up to par,” says Angelica Ferrazzi, CSON ’13. “It looks like a dingy place. It doesn’t look like we’re the third fittest school in the nation.” Gabriela Hidalgo, A&S ’13, agrees that the facility is in need of some general remodeling. “You want to go work out and you’re trying to be motivated, but you go to the Plex and it’s just grimy and too old,” she says. She says that some of her friends are so bothered by it that they have taken it upon themselves to go to local gyms instead. Plex officials do understand these student concerns, recognizing that the facility is not the most modern. “Because the facility is aging we really try to focus on

See Plex, B7

i nside FE ATURES this issue

Photo courtesy of bc.edu

Photo courtesy of boston.com

The Plex was built more than 40 years ago, and it continues to serve as the primary facility on campus where students can work out.

Leaving the pre-med track

Read about the many students that start their college career pre-med, and then switch to a non-science major, B9

Campus Chronicles.............................B8 The Real World.........................B9

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

Choosing the best time to study abroad By Jennifer Lavoie For The Heights

During sophomore year, Boston College students find themselves overwhelmed with what many would refer to as the “year of decisions.” We are no longer freshmen with our only expectation being to adjust to the college experience. Now our plate is filled with decisions. What major should I choose? What courses do I take? Where do I live next year? And arguably the one we are most consumed with: Do I want to study abroad? To study abroad during the college years is a unique opportunity that many students desire to take advantage of. For an entire semester, students who meet the standard requirements of a minimum 3.2 grade point average, have made progress towards their major, and who are in good disciplinary standing, get the chance to immerse themselves in a foreign culture, while learning, experiencing, and meeting new people. To pass up this opportunity would seem regrettable for those who are fortunate enough to have it. However, the preparation that goes into planning such an experience requires many hours consumed with meetings, applications, and most importantly the internal debate over if studying abroad is the right thing to do. One of the first of many steps taken during the beginning of students’ sophomore years is to choose which semester to travel. For an overwhelming amount of students, this can be

the hardest step in the decision making process. While each semester at BC has its pros and cons, so do many of the foreign universities students wish to study at. However, at the time, many are unaware of what fall or spring semester is like in another country, and the only thing they are able to compare is semesters at BC. While fall semester entails Saturday afternoon football games, Halloween weekend, Thanksgiving, and of course the anxious and exciting days leading up to Christmas, spring semester contains the Beanpot, Saint Patty’s Day, our abnormally long Easter break, and of course, Marathon Monday. So, which are we willing to pass up? And what exactly would we be passing it up for? Larry Pickener, assistant director of study abroad, and Sarah Lynes, international studies advisor for France and Italy in the Office of International Programs, say that students make decisions about which semester to study abroad based on many factors, each unique to their personal choice, degree requirement, and academic professional timeline. Many programs also have different start and end times that can effect different student obligations such as internships, athletic conflicts, and competitiveness among programs. Many students also choose to study during the summer, so they are able to enjoy their year at BC while also being able to experience studying in a foreign country. For Bridget Norris, A&S ’14, looking to study aboard next year in London, her major and courses

Improvements made to the Plex are more subtle From Plex, B6 upgrading a lot of the facility components, so you’ll see things like new lobby flooring, new lighting in the lobby, a new reception desk, and just general things to make it more inviting and welcoming to the students, faculty, and staff that use the facility,” Zeckman says. As far as future updates and current projects are concerned, they are more subtle than a new reception desk and more geared at ensuring safety. In the coming year, contractors will be redoing parts of the pool deck to eliminate slipping hazards in addition to regritting and painting the tennis courts so that the playing experience is more realistic.

[Eric] Zeckman encourages students to express their concerns and offer any suggestions they may have about how to improve the Plex...

Zeckman encourages students to express their concerns and offer any suggestions they may have about how to improve the Plex and make it so that it can better serve the undergraduate population. Want treadmills with televisions so that those two miles go by a little more quickly? Let CampusRec know. “We really appreciate any feedback, positive or negative,” he says. “The best way to do it would be to go to the website: bc.edu/campusrec.” Once on the website, students can write their comments in the suggestion box and have their responses be anonymous, or they can include their contact information so that a staff member can follow up on their comments. The one suggestion that will most likely not be met with action on the part of the Plex

is the request for air conditioning. “I’ve only been here for five years, but what I was told was that when they did a feasibility study, before my time, that there was no real cost effective way to do it,” Zeckman says. He cites both the immense cost and unsuitable architecture of the Plex as the reasons behind the lack of air conditioning. He says that there is not sufficient space to hold the necessary equipment that such a large air conditioning unit would demand; whereas the roof of Conte Forum holds a lot of the machinery needed to run the large arena, the roof of the Plex would not support heavy machinery. Zeckman also says that since the Plex is mainly all open space, it would not bode well for ventilation of the cold air if air conditioning were to be installed. This saddening news leaves students with no other choice but to devise creative solutions to beat the heat that often hangs in the air at the end of a workout. At the current moment, students’ best bets are to wear the lightest clothing possible and then make an effort to snag that treadmill directly in front of the fan. The new elliptical-like cardio machines with the built-in facial fan would also be cool alternatives to the standard elliptical. Luckily, in the University’s 10-year plan, the Institutional Master Plan is calling for the construction of a new 200,000 sq. ft. recreation complex to be tentatively placed in the area where Edmond’s Hall currently stands. This will solve many of the problems that students claim to have with the lack of space in the Plex. “They just have everything together,” Hidalgo says. “I feel like since it’s not such a big space everybody is just on top of each other.” She says that she would prefer if there were separate areas for different machines – bike areas, elliptical areas, etc. – that were not placed in such close proximity. Ferrazzi also says that the Plex is disorganized in terms of the location of the machines. “I like the way the top part is set up, but I think the bottom part is very disorganized,” she says. “There’s some machines, then there’s some mats and some abs and some random ellipticals. I think it’s awkward.” Hopefully these concerns can be addressed when plans for the architecture of the new recreation complex pick up speed. Though students will look back on the Plex with nostalgia as they might look back at their forced triple from freshman year, they will certainly look forward to the new-and-improved recreation complex. n

require her to study in the spring because she has not yet completed Public Speaking, one of the four requirements that communication majors need in order to study abroad. On the other hand, Casey McLaughlin, CSOM ’14, believes that studying in the fall would be more enjoyable for him. “Being at BC for only one year, I enjoyed the spring semester a lot more than fall. I’d really like the chance to see another country [specifically in Europe] in the fall as the seasons change.” Similarly, Will Forsyth, CSOM ’14, says that if he were to study abroad, it would have to be in the fall as he is a member of the men’s club lacrosse team at BC, thus he would be required to be at school for the spring semester, when his team is in season. In terms of which semester is in fact more valuable, based off of a professional opinion, the OIP believes that both semesters offer equally the same value. What semester is better is tailored to each individual student’s goals for studying abroad, and ultimately like BC, both semesters have their pros and cons. Overall, more students tend to study abroad during the spring semester, however there is not one reason why this occurs. Ultimately, the OIP believes that each student is unique in their goals and needs to study abroad, which is why they encourage all students to come meet with an International Study Advisor to figure out which program and semester works best for them. n

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Deciding which semester to study abroad can be a difficult decision.

Grading philosophies differ among professors, students From Grades, B6 cases I still think that grades were/are less important than they are to the average BC student,” Kane says. It is true that at Boston College there is an extremely competitive spirit. Double majors with additional minors and concentrations tend to be the norm, not the exception, and students compete for top spots in all of their classes. But what are we all competing for? Kane emphasizes that we should be striving for knowledge, not just A’s. “I try to de-emphasize grades as much as possible, because I know students will over-emphasize them,” Kane says. “I do strive to communicate my expectations for the course clearly and fairly (i.e., what students will need to do to get a good grade), but then I work really hard to try and get students to learn first and worry about the actual grade second.” Kane believes that if students concerned themselves more with mastering material and seeking true understanding, this would not in fact harm their GPAs, “I suspect that if students really do [seek true understanding] then the grades will be a natural by-product,” Kane says. Ultimately, many of us are concerned with finding a good job after graduation. Our competitive nature has lead us to believe that a BC diploma is no longer enough, and that we need to have the best academic standing of all our peers to really succeed. Kane does not believe this is necessarily true. “I think it [grades] plays a role, of course, but I think it’s more likely to get someone an interview than get them a job,” Kane says. “Employers will look at students with a high GPA, but unless you convince them you can bring something beyond test-taking ability to the job, they don’t want you. There’s also a huge difference between getting your first job and succeeding in it, leading to your second job.” When students place too much emphasis on this “good” job, they can lose sight of what they really love and what they really want to do. What

makes a job good? Is it just the salary and perks? If our liberal arts, Jesuit education succeeds in teaching us anything, it must be that this is not true. Financial security is wonderful, but what is life without fulfillment and happiness? Kane challenges students to really think seriously about their education and their passions. College should be a time for exploring, trying new things, and discovering what we really love. “There’s also the chance that a student will get good grades, get a good job, and hate it. I’ve known many people who succeeded in academics, becoming doctors, lawyers, and business people – only to realize they didn’t want to do what they were doing. I think finding out what you really want to do in life is far more important than grades, but sometimes students are afraid to branch out because it may adversely affect their GPA.” It is this very fear that leads many students to become stuck in a rut where they only absorb the knowledge that is immediately necessary to master a class and get a good grade. Kane’s long experience in teaching has given him much evidence to support his claims that grades aren’t actually everything, “Second, grades don’t completely capture many qualities that are most valuable to companies (i.e. creativity, critical thinking). My best CSOM student only got a 3.4 GPA overall, but ended up getting a job at Google because she really learned how to think effectively and creatively. My good friend in undergrad was an Asian Studies major (for which I made fun of her, ‘What can you do with an Asian Studies major?’). Of course, now she’s the director of international strategy for a major global financial firm. I bet she couldn’t even tell you her undergraduate GPA today if I asked her.” A job at Google doesn’t sound too bad does it? If more teachers adopted Kane’s philosophy about grades, and learning in general, maybe it would be easier to see them for what they truly are. “I provide extra credit to reward exceptional performance in class and try to

encourage students to think about the assignments differently. I just don’t want them to do the least amount of work possible to get the desired grade, but I want to encourage them to produce something exceptional and will reward them for doing so. In fact, in the past I have sometimes set the maximum possible score in the class without extra credit to be a 95, requiring students to figure out ways to go above and beyond in certain areas and assignments to get an A.” though this may seem like a tall order, if we are being constantly challenged to do our best, how can we not succeed? Kane is hardly naive though when it comes to students’ mentalities inside the classroom. “Grades are about incentives, and I am constantly designing and re-designing incentives to get the best course engagement from students – seriously engaging the class and contributing to the learning environment.” He is currently getting creative and trying new ways to engage his students to the best of their abilities, “Right now, I am actually experimenting with using social media (class blogs, wiki, and Twitter feeds) to develop more fine-grained evaluations of a student’s engagement with and contribution to the course, rather than a couple of big deliverables which may or may not reflect what they actually learned. I think there is promise in this approach, but I’m still early working on it.” By keeping his courses fresh and new, and using innovative approaches, Kane is showing that he as an educator who really cares about his subject matter, and it is this sort of attitude that really seems to get students to perform best. As difficult as it can be to go that extra mile, students will surely benefit from actively participating in all of their classes and taking control of their own education. Learning to learn for its own sake will prepare students to be responsible and informed members of the world that they will someday soon be in charge of, and will prepare them for any job they will someday have. n

Ten things to be thankful for on the Boston College campus By Kris Robinson Features Editor

Oftentimes, in the hustle and bustle of getting back and forth from class to club meetings to the Plex or to events, it’s easy for Boston College students to neglect to stop and smell the many roses around the BC campus. In honor of Thanksgiving, we’ve gone ahead and made that process easier for you and picked out 10 things on the Heights that we think are particularly worthy of that extra second of browsing that you might otherwise devote to browsing on Facebook. 10. Lower Campus Bookstore What? There’s a bookstore on Lower? Surely enough, there is. Situated in the middle of Maloney Hall and the Boston College Police Station (yes, there’s one of those too—hopefully, you’re not too familiar with it), is a smaller, abridged bookstore, containing a similar variety of materials you can find in its larger McElroy counterpart. So for those who want to make a BC-themed shopping trip with half the temptation, or who simply don’t feel like trudging up the Million Dollar Steps to McElroy Commons, make a stop at this location. 9. Gasson hall The newly renovated Gasson Hall was the squawking of the nest when Eagles, both old and new, flocked back to campus this fall and deservedly so—the building

has never looked more beautiful. It may seem weird to place Gasson on this list, as a number of students inhabit the building on a daily basis for classes, but while the exterior has undergone quite the Extreme Makeover: Boston College Edition overhaul, its interior still boasts quite the potential for aesthetic gratification. Usually, it’s not the smartest move to judge a book by its cover, but in the case of Gasson, that might just be the way to go. 8. maloney hall As the building formerly known as 21 Campanella Way, Maloney Hall is just slowly starting to become a recognized moniker on the Heights. While commuting from Lower Campus to Middle Campus, many travel through Maloney, but unless they’re stopping to meet with a professor or spending time on the second floor where various registered student organizations have made a home away from home, they might not spend too much time here and thus, miss out on the things it has to offer. (Open 24 hours—can anyone say study spot?) Hillside doesn’t count. 7. career center Across the street from White Mountain Creamy, Dunkin Donuts, and Flat Breads Cafe, is a small little house with a large amount of resources. Seniors, this might not apply to you, as, depending on your career aspirations and general forecasted life trajectory, you could be spending more time here than in Mary Ann’s.

But for underclassmen, this might be a place shrouded in mystery. The Career Center house looks straight out of a fairytale and it’d probably be good to skip down Commonwealth Ave, picnic basket full of resumes in hand, and stop on in. 6. linden lane Newtonites and graduates know this beautiful strip intimately, the first group because of the mass exodus from the Newton Campus bus at main gate to get to classes, and the second for commencement exercises. On one side you have St. Mary’s Chapel and on the other you have Bapst Library, two landmarks on the BC campus. During the fall, Linden Lane is especially beautiful, with the ground littered with orange, brown, and red leaves. At the end is of course the statue with the golden eagle on top, a quintessential image for the University. 5. reservoir Bugs and runners populate this expanse of water enclosed by a narrow strip of asphalt circling the entirety of the Reservoir. When the weather’s nice (and even sometimes, for some people, when it’s not), running is a common thing to do around the affectionately referred to “Res,” but if a walk is in order, the Reservoir provides the perfect scenery for a subtly therapeutic stroll. Sitting on a bench and relaxing is an option as well. 4. brighton campus

With enough green to rival the Hundred Acre Forest, Brighton Campus is one of BC’s best-kept non-secrets. There, but not there, Brighton Campus’s small, but significant enough, distance often shies students away from its premises. Groups have been known to hold scavenger hunts and field days, and Brighton Campus is certainly a place for it. It’s also home to a number of buildings that have a rich history etched deep into their walls. 3. Mcmullen museum The McMullen Museum plays host to a myriad of exhibits, which alternate every semester. The rich artwork on display is a showcase of talent from artists of varying backgrounds and interests. 2. memorial labyrinth A relatively new addition to the campus, the Labyrinth was created in 2003 in remembrance of the victims of the events of Sept. 11. It is located next to Bapst and provides a sense of serenity for those who choose to walk its path. 1. newton campus Unless you’re a law student or a freshman not living on Upper Campus, you’ve probably only heard of Newton Campus in storybooks. Yet, not only is the campus itself a beautiful sight to see, but also its proximity to Newton Centre makes it a location worth exploration. n

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

campus chronicles

Once upon a time we college students, were running out of time Alexandra Schaeffer With Thanksgiving break right around the corner, it already feels like a large majority of the student body has gone home. With the Notre Dame game, and students that live farther away skipping their Monday and Tuesday classes to spend more time with their families, the campus feels a little empty. Yet, some of us still have papers due, tests to take, and obligations before we head home. For the past month, I have been telling myself that once I go home for Thanksgiving I will finally get to relax. It seems like ever since midterm season started, the semester has been one large pile of work. Every time I finished a paper or walked out of a midterm with a sigh of relief, I looked at my schedule to see another school-related duty in the near future. Everyone keeps saying, “Yeah I just have to get through these two weeks, and then things will die down,” but if their lives pan out anything like mine does, that reprieve never quite seems to come. It feels like for the past six weeks I have been swimming in a never-ending

pile of work, just waiting for a breath of fresh air. This past week, after having a midterm, two presentations, and three papers due within a period of five days, I actually thought I was going to drown. Luckily, I didn’t, but the only thing keeping me going was the promise of five days away from all the work over Thanksgiving. Yet, now that that time is upon me, it is becoming clearer that not only is Thanksgiving break going to consist of all the work I have put off, but my free time is getting booked up pretty quickly. With much-needed appointments made, and my lack of ability to pass up opportunities to make money, my now limited “free time” is looking like it is going to be spent cooking. Now don’t take this the wrong way. I love cooking, spending time with my family, and the entire Thanksgiving holiday in general. It’s just becoming clear to me that it will not be a chance to rejuvenate. The one thing that Thanksgiving does allow is a moment to sit back and review my schedule ahead. Looking forward, I do see an end in sight. In fact, it’s too close. Some of us will be

returning back home less than three weeks after Thanksgiving, having completed finals, and finished with the Fall semester. Then we will finally get that long awaited relaxation. Yet that’s not exactly what I had in mind. I just wanted less work and more social time, not the end of my semester. This year seems to be flying by, and it scares me. Several of the decisions I told myself I will make over Thanksgiving break pertain to things I will do and situations I will encounter in my junior year. It seems like just yesterday that I was living in Fitzpatrick. I also want to take this time to mention the inconclusive end to every semester. There is a huge build-up with everyone working and studying for days on end, slowly knocking off exam after exam, and feeling a small weight lift off your shoulders at the end of each one. After that last final, when you are torn between wanting to fall into an exhausted heap on the floor and enjoy the last moments you have with your friend, you are forced to do the last thing you want: pack your suitcases. Everyone ends at different times, and people slowly trickle home

throughout the week with each floor and dining hall feeling noticeably emptier as finals press on. There is a lack of punctuation at the end of the semester. It seems that we should get to celebrate together, unwind, and wish everybody a nice break. The haphazard manner in which everyone trickles from campus is anticlimactic. As is clear from this column, I am having a difficult time grasping just how quickly this year is flying by, and I am freaking out about it. I just keep telling myself to look at how much has happened since I got here in August, and hope that the remainder of the year drags itself out a little longer. I fully realize how fortunate I am to feel this way; it’s indicative of just how much I love being at BC. Before I encroach into sentimental sappy territory, I am just going to look at the day ahead, panic at the still insurmountable load of work ahead of me, and keep in mind, whether good or bad, that it will all be gone before I know it.

Alexandra Schaeffer is a staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at features@ bcheights.com.

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

It certainly is a lonely view from the top of the world, dare I say Brendan Kneeland By now you’ve probably run across more than your fair share of “goodbye” columns. Way more “well-this-is-my-last-article-so-I’dbetter-say-something-profound-and-earth-shattering” pieces than you could ask for. If you’ve even made it to this section of the paper, congratulations. I’ll keep this as short as possible, and the self-indulgence will be at an absolute minimum, I promise. Ready? Here we go. As I say goodbye to you, my adoring fans, I’d like to take a quick look back on my long career as a writer. Some say I was born with it; others say I am, quite simply, not human. I began my career with a crayon, paper, and a dream: a dream to become a Features columnist for The Heights. People said I was crazy, but I knew deep down that the fire burning in the bottom of my soul could not be quenched. My first words were “Ma-ma, Da-da, Fea-tures.” You get the idea. When mulling over what sort of parting wisdom I should impart upon the thousands upon thousands of people who read me on a bi-weekly basis, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are two possibilities. Either I go about things, business as usual, telling you who and what annoys me on campus at the moment, or I try to fit everything else I would ever want to say to the world in this one last column, spilling my guts in about 800 words and then hanging up the old pen and paper here for good. What do you write when

you’ve written about nothing for so long? When you’ve reached the top of Mount Olympus, where do you go from there? I guess I’ll leave you with an uplifting message. You’re welcome. Here it is: Just give up. Don’t aspire to be like me, you’ll fall terribly short. Don’t try too hard, you might embarrass yourself in front of your friends. One thing that I’ve noticed around campus in the past four years has been this vague, nagging sense that people are afraid to be themselves, to explore their potential as human beings for fear of being scorned by their lax-pinnie-wearing, Natty-Icechugging, Ugg-boot-stepping, no-thought-having peers. And you know what? They’re right. Leave perfection to the perfect, like me. Live your life as if everyone’s watching. Everyone knows that the greatest ideas are borne from the masses. It’s been proven that success comes only to those who play by the social rules that our little pseudo-society here at Boston College has created for itself. Have dreams of being an artist? A musician? A comic? Please. Leave that to the professionals, like myself; you have a job to find. Just get on EagleLink and copy and paste your cover letter to as many employers as possible with the names slightly changed. My skill in writing came to me like a lightning bolt from Valhalla. For the rest of you mere mortals, perhaps it is best for you to just admire those like me from afar. Think inside the box. For too long people have been trying to be creative, putting up the front of having an imagination. But you’re smarter than that. You’re a go-getter. Keep the creativity to a minimum; you might find yourself vulnerable or disliked, and

nobody wants that. Instead, join one of the many clubs and activities we have here at BC. If there isn’t a booth dedicated to it, and a club with a secretary and vice president, then it simply is not a legitimate interest to have. The highest aspiration one should have at BC is to climb the UGBC ladder as high as possible. I only made it to the bottom rungs, and my life is already filled with horrific, soul-crushing regret. Luckily for me, though, I’ve had the fortune of being able to communicate beautifully with the masses with my “How To” and “Campus Chronicles” columns this past year. Although I was not able to reach the pinnacle of UGBC, my saving grace was being the greatest writer the English language has ever known. Christ may not have been a good carpenter, but the whole “Messiah” thing worked out for him, at least. I feel the same way. It’s a curse, really. Look, all I’m saying is that not everyone can be as amazing as me. Sometimes you’re just born with it. Bill Shakespeare once said, “Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” I feel like I belong to all three categories, and to be honest, it’s a bit tiring. So sit back and let me absorb the burden of perfection, and continue on with your comfortable little lives. For my part, I’m going to take my talents to South Beach.

Brendan Kneeland is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

he said, she said My roommate has been going out a lot, more than he used to, and I’m concerned it’s starting to really take a toll. At first it seemed as if he was just trying to start the year off right, but he’s started missing class, assignments, and generally not accomplishing much. Should I confront him, or just leave it? - tamer of a party animal

I think it’s fairly typical for people to try to start the year off on the right note, and in the beginning of the semester it doesn’t have as much of an effect as everyone is settling into their schedules. However, at some point there needs to be a balance. If my roommate was doing this I would confront him, maybe even recruit a friend or another roommate that has noticed the same pattern and explain your position. Don’t accuse them or attack them because it won’t accomplish anything. Make it clear that you’re bringing it up because you’re worried and care about them. Use specific Alex examples about missing class and missing assignT rautwig ments or just not being themselves. It’s different if this happens once but it hasn’t, so make that clear as well. Explain that you’ve noticed it’s a pattern and that you really don’t think it’s good for them. It’s very likely that your roommate will get annoyed with you or just deny it, which is why I think it could be a good idea to bring a friend or another roommate. The most important thing with these situations is to be supportive and clear with your motivations. It’s not that you don’t want him to have fun – I assume you’re even part of the festivities sometimes – but stress the need for a change of pace, even if just for a little while to get things back on track. It’s not the first time someone has fallen victim to the “college” lifestyle, but it’s just important to be a good friend, even if it means that your roommate might get irritated for a little bit. In the end, you’re just being a good friend.

I don’t like confrontation and this situation is no different. Although it might not be beneficial for your roommate’s academic career, he’s probably just enjoying himself and it’s most likely a temporary phase. That being said, it might not hurt to casually bring it up in the course of a conversation, maybe when he’s telling you what he did the night before so it doesn’t seem premeditated. He’ll probably just brush it off, but at least you will have brought it to his attention and he’ll realize that other people have taken notice. After that, I would just keep an eye on it and see what happens. It’s Madeline pretty difficult to keep that up for a sustained peDemoulas riod of time, and it will most likely pass. If it doesn’t change however, it might necessitate a more serious talk similar to the one my counterpart mentioned. You don’t want to come across as a “party-pooper” or anything like that, which is why I’m advocating a more casual conversation about the whole thing. It’s not the end of the world, unless you think it’s more of a serious addiction-related problem. Keep it casual and light to avoid issues between the two of you that could change the room dynamic as well as your friendship. If it comes time to bring it up again, do it one-on-one so your roommate doesn’t think that you’re trying to make a bigger issue out of nothing. Explain why you’re concerned specifically and reference how you brought it up once before and that you haven’t noticed a change.

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

Madeline Demoulas is a senior staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011

When pre-med turns into post-med and alternative majors are considered By Alexandra Schaeffer Heights Staff

Having just registered for courses for next semester, a lot of sophomores met with their biology or chemistry department advisors. A significant number of those sophomores experienced an awkward moment of telling their advisor that they had decided to switch their major and drop out of the pre-medical department. This large drop in the pre-med students at this time in their academic career is in many cases the product of the dreaded organic chemistry class. It seems that students who are wavering on their science majors and medical school plans are pushed over the edge by this infamous course. Last month, Jennifer Fuksmann, A&S ’14, switched from her previous biology major and pre-med track to an English major with plans of adding an economics minor to her degree. “I didn’t have a strong background in chemistry to begin with, but I struggled through it freshman year with the hope that starting Orgo would even the playing field,” she says. “I actually got to Orgo, and I did like it better than I had liked GenChem as a freshman, but things started getting more difficult and I just realized I did not fully love what I was spending all of my time doing.” Fuksmann is not the first person to voice these thoughts. The lack of enthusiasm for the courses is the most prevalent reason for the significant drop in pre-med students. Mark Heretenstein, A&S ’14, agrees with Fuksmann, saying, “Initially I came into the biology department as pre-med based on my high school experiences with science classes. As I worked my way into the meat of the program, I found that I frankly despised it.” As a student in the honors program, Heretenstein says it was not due to his feeling overwhelmed by the course load, and actually credits the honors program with opening up new academic possibilities to him. “The lucky thing with me was that through the honors program I was exposed to a wide range of subject matter, and I started looking at those subject areas as potential majors about midway though last year.” Heretenstein consulted with his honors professor and his parents, and deliberated over the situation himself, ultimately decided to switch to a classics and theology double major. Students who begin to feel that maybe the pre-med track is not for them have an inability to immediately get out. Fuksmann believes that is in part due to the structure and security being pre-med affords students. “I spent a lot of time deciding what to do. I really flip-flopped on it from one week to the next,” she says. “It really has to do with the fact that I like to have a plan. Being over-achieving and Type-A, the pre-med track not only gave me a structure within my undergraduate coursework, but I knew that I would be going to medical school after I graduated.” That definitive end goal is appealing to a lot of students, as Brandon Ford, A&S ’14, agreed. “I entered as pre-med because my mom works in medicine,” Ford says. “Even at the beginning I wasn’t completely sure that’s what I wanted to do, but I figured I would give it a try.” Ford did give it a try, but said his concern for his GPA eventually pushed him to switch to an economics major with an

international studies minor, a course of study he speaks about with much more enthusiasm. The pre-med department recognizes that it is competitive, but it stresses that getting into medical school is competitive as well. Students are advised to keep their GPA’s at at least a 3.6 if they have plans of applying to medical school. This can be daunting for students whose courses are essentially mapped out for them by the medical school requirements, their individual major requirements, and the University Core. They are often left feeling powerless within their undergraduate curriculum. It comes as no surprise that the pre-medical students seem to stick together. They can always be seen in study lounges in O’Neill Library, in the study rooms in residence halls, or huddled around tables in the remote locations of the dining halls. It is interesting though how pre-medical students seem to form these social networks and cliques more than any other major, with the possible exception of nursing students who are arguably studying similar concepts. One would think the most competitive disciplinary track, the pre-med department, and the need to always be on the top of the grading curve would create a competitive atmosphere, not one that seems to foster friendships the way that it does at BC. At many schools it is not like this, with stories of essential pages being ripped out of library books and people going out of their way to mislead fellow students with bad information. Though it is still an incredibly competitive track at BC, the premed program elicits few stories about incidents in the pre-med program with such malicious intent behind them. However, many students will attest to the camaraderie of the BC pre-med track as being a result of the fact that everybody seems to be drowning together and grabbing on to their peers is the only way to stay afloat. Fuksmann and Ford, who both remember studying for pre-med-related courses together last year, formed a friendship among the stress, and look back at it laughing. “I wasn’t actually getting what I wanted out of my undergrad academic experience,” Fuksmann says. “The hardest part was getting over the guilt. Then I felt really good about it, and now I am dealing with what I can do with my current major.” After extensive conversations with her biology advisor, her English advisor, and the Career Center, Fuksmann says the one piece of advice that everyone kept repeating was that she should truly enjoy what she was studying as an undergrad. “After I thought about it that way, I realized I wasn’t enjoying the biology major and pre-med track enough to do it forever,” Fuksmann says. “I was so excited when I discovered I could actually enjoy taking my classes and pick things I want to study in college. When I thought about it that way, that’s when I knew what to do.” Often for many pre-med students who cite the rigor and occasional density of the coursework as major reasons for dropping from the track, they have to ask themselves that question when deciding what to do. Heretenstein summed it up nicely saying, “I was initially in that structured mindset that many pre-med students are, but I asked myself do I just stick with it for security’s sake? I don’t regret my decision to leave the pre-med track; I chose happiness over security.” n

Photo courtesy of photos.news.wisc.edu

Photo courtesy of pre-medlifeasiknowit.blogspot.com

Many students drop out of the pre-med track each year due to intense academic pressure.

the real world

Seeking some justice for those of us who are not Kim K. or Justin Bieber Lauren Ruvo Many people in today’s society spend a lot of time obsessing over everything from who’s breaking up, who’s hooking up, and who’s making up. Along with the everyday gossip, many people spend hundreds of dollars each year on tabloids that obsess over celebrities who have gained five pounds. For many people, celebrities are seen as beautiful people who live glamorous lives and are able to do basically anything they want and still have a hefty paycheck in their wallets. Take for example Kim Kardashian, who is one of many celebrities who has invalidated the union of marriage. Typically, if a person were to make as big of a deal as she did about getting married only to end up getting a divorce 72 days later, he or she would be completely looked down upon by both friends and family. However, this is not the case with Kardashian. Instead, she gets a little bit of bad publicity and loses one or two fans. Granted, Kardashian is by no means the only celebrity who has the rules bent for her. In fact, she is just one of many names blowing up the tabloids as of recent. Take for example, Justin Bieber, who was accused of fathering an older fan’s child. If this situation happened to an average person, the amount of support would definitely not be as high as it was

for Bieber. But because of his celebrity status and dedicated followers, the situation is made light of and there are hardly any social repercussions. In fact, people immediately jump to the conclusion that the fan is making up the story because she is an average person. If the situation occurring with Bieber had happened with another celebrity, or if Bieber did not have celebrity status, the situation would not have been made as big of a deal until the DNA test had come back positive. Since before the time of King Henry VIII, rules have been bent for people of higher social standings. For example, King Henry was able go against the Pope and the entire Catholic religion so that he could divorce his wife Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn, all without losing his high-standing image. The rules have always been bent for people of higher social standings, but in today’s society this “bending the rules” situation has gone too far. At what point are we supposed to sit back and allow these people to completely discredit things that have been acknowledged as being important parts of our society for hundreds of years? It is easy to enjoy reading these stories about the ridiculousness of these celebrities; however, the more that we laugh at them, the more they feed off of the negative attention and end up doing things that just end up making society as a whole look as if they are failing. That being said,

it is not like we will stop reading these stories about these people, since for many of us, picking up a copy of People or Us Weekly is one of the few breaks we get amid all of the different life commitments we balance on a day to day basis. However, it would be nice if there were some ways to make the double standards that are so prevalent in society disappear. Although, it will be tough to recreate the way that social status affects our lives, there are a few steps that individually we can take that will empower us over the headlines that constantly remind us of our flaws. For starters, we can stop wishing we could change superficial things about ourselves every time we see something on a celebrity or a person with higher social standing that we wish we had. Double standards are a huge part of our society; they have been there since before the time of kings and queens, but instead of disappearing, like many of the other early traditions, they are becoming more prevalent. When a celebrity does something wrong or makes a mistake, people tend to over look it and see it as not being a big deal, and oftentimes this mistake just brings about more fame, but when an average, everyday person makes the same mistake, drastic measures are usually taken.

Lauren Ruvo is a staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

Keeping the ‘Boston’ in ‘Boston College,’ and taking advantage of the city Karl Lockhart SOUTH BEND, Ind. — After plenty of caffeinated beverages, a 14-hour overnight car ride, several gas stops, and two rounds of fast food, I’m finally here. South Bend, Ind. Notre Dame. The one place in the world Boston College fans hate the most. Sleep deprived and exhausted, it’s time to prepare mentally and physically for a football game that most likely will not go in our favor … But there’s always hope. Whether a stunning victory or an utter

loss, the weekend will surely be one to remember. And to think I almost didn’t go. Just last weekend I was laughing at my friends’ foolishness: “Why waste all that time and money? You’re going to have to spend hours cramped in a Subaru, probably driving through snow and cold, to go to a game we’re undoubtedly going to lose. I’m going to stay here, have a nice, chill weekend at BC, get work done, and be ready to relax during the Thanksgiving holidays.” It seemed to make perfect sense at the time. And yet here I am in South Bend.

Why? I can’t pass up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m always ready for an adventure. True, I’m tired right now, and the work keeps piling up as finals draw nearer and nearer, but as Mark Twain once said, “Don’t let your schooling interfere with your education.” There are so many things that one can only learn through experiences outside of the classroom setting by traveling and interacting with the huge world around us. The word “adventure” actually comes from the Latin word which means ‘to arrive.’ So in the strictest sense, you can only have

Photo courtesy of Flickr.com

a true adventure if you arrive somewhere, which means you must depart and travel as well. Leaving where you are and arriving somewhere else entails a changing of one’s observations along the way, which often allow us to better understand our own lives and use the abilities we have been taught. For example, on this trip to ND, I’ve already had to hone several skills. Reading maps may not always be necessary for those with a GPS, but when the GPS fails, it becomes pretty darn important. Even though I haven’t taken a math class in years, calculating miles per gallon and fuel costs per person was definitely more of a challenge than it should have been, so I was able to practice my math skills. Besides these two educational life lessons, everyone in our car had to practice negotiation and compromising to enable us to make it to ND without murdering each other. But taking a weekend-roadtripodyssey to watch two rivals play each other isn’t the only way to have an educational adventure. The scope of the adventure could be much larger. You might choose to study abroad a semester in a place you’re totally unfamiliar with, or even take a risky job after college in a field you don’t know a thing about, but you’re interested in. But adventures can also be much smaller. Try an activity or take a class in something you’ve never done before. Join a club that just sounds interesting but isn’t similar to anything you did in high school. My favorite way to have a mini adventure during the school year is exploring Boston. Many freshmen will return home at Christmas to the question, “How is Boston?” and will have been in the city only enough times to count on one hand. Get off at a random T stop and see what’s there. Go the

incredible museums and restaurants that are scattered in every part of the city. Learn your way around, even if it means getting lost a couple of times. You’re bound to find out something new, either about yourself or the place you now call home. Which brings me to the main point of this column, which is, what makes us better than Notre Dame. In many ways our schools are similar: prive, Catholic, Jesuit, inordinately expensive, a student body of mostly upper-middle class, privileged kids, great traditions, and the possibility of an excellent education. What makes BC the better place to be is the B: Boston. There’s a reason Notre Dame is not called South Bend College. No one wants to live in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, Indiana. Our connection to the city of Boston, through programs like 4Boston and BC-to-Boston, as well as the numerous students who work and have internships in the city, sets us apart from a fairly similar school located in the middle of nowhere. So what if they have a better football team this year? We will always have one of America’s top cities just a few minutes away, so take advantage of it. After having a few too many drinks, Winston Churchill was told by a lady at a party that he was intoxicated. He replied to her: “I, madam, may be drunk, but you are ugly. In the morning I shall be sober, while you will still be ugly.” In the same way, one (or a few) bad years of football at BC is just as curable as the unimpressive location of a Notre Dame is incurable.

Karl Lockhart is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.

B10

The Heights

Monday, November 21, 2011