2012 basketball preview
The men’s and women’s basketball teams are looking to overcome inexperience to fight their way through the ACC, C1.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Vol. XCIII, No. 42
Phone center reaches out to alumni
Increasing hospitalizations prompt alcohol policy review Dean of Students Office examines drinking safety By Andrew Skaras Heights Staff
All across the United States, the legal age for the consumption of alcohol is 21. Breaches of state alcohol laws, however, are handled differently at universities across the 50 states. At Boston College, the alcohol policy is formulated by the Dean of Students Office (DSO). According to Dean of Students Paul Chebator, his office is concerned with the health and safety of the students, as well as following the law, when they design the school’s policy. “We’ve seen a rising number of students winding up requiring medical care because of alcohol overdoses,” Chebator said. “What we are also seeing is an
Senior gift team shoots for the record
increase in severity. It used to be that two-thirds of students who required medical care went to the infirmary and one-third went to the hospital. This has flip-flopped over the past three or four years, with more going to the hospital, meaning that they are more highly intoxicated.” In addition to the DSO, the Office of Health Promotion (OHP) and Eagle EMS have noticed similar trends. According to Alex Warshauer, president of Eagle EMS and A&S ’14, Eagle EMS has seen a significant increase in the number of transports. “I believe that the help-seeking policy has increased the number of transports significantly,” Warshauer said. “However, I don’t think the number of incidents is increasing—we are just getting called to more of them. While
See Alcohol Policy, A4
By Eleanor Hildebrandt Heights Editor
joseph castlen / heights graphic
BC refers a much higher percentage of students to alcohol-related disciplinary meetings.
four more years
Class of 2013 aims for 1,300 total donors By Mujtaba Syed For The Heights
“This year the class has been issued a unique challenge from University Trustee Drake Behrakis [BC ’86]: reach 1,300 donors and set a new BC record,” said Kaitlin Vigars, assistant director of annual giving at Boston College and BC ’08. “If the class reaches this milestone, Drake will give the University $25,000 to fund student programs and activities.” Vigars and other members of the campus community kicked off this year’s senior gift campaign last week. The campaign will run through the end of May 2013. Unlike a traditional fundraiser, the senior gift campaign focuses on specific contributions by members of the current graduating class toward BCsponsored courses of study, organizations, and activities. A tradition that has existed in some capacity at BC since the early 1960s, the senior gift campaign has allowed generations of students to impact the aspects of campus life that are most important to them. Pablo Beiro, A&S ’13, explained the senior gift campaign’s efforts to continue this tradi-
ap file photo
President Barack Obama won four more years in office Tuesday night, defeating former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in a closely contested election. Elizabeth Warren unseated Scott Brown in the Massachusetts Senatorial election. For more on the election, see page D1.
See Senior Gift, A4
See Phone Center, A4
Football team tops the ACC in grad rates
BC Reads encourages leisure reading, reviews books online The club maintains a blog and volunteers at a local school
By David Cote News Editor
Boston College tied with Northwestern University for third in the nation for overall Graduation Success Rate (GSR), according to data released by the NCAA last week. The school received a 97 percent overall score for its 29 men’s and women’s varsity sports. “[The GSR] is absolutely essential,” said Brad Bates, director of athletics. “If your primary purpose is to maximize the development of students, a major part of that is that, if you have graduated from Boston College, then you have intellectually maximized your development.” The NCAA established the GSR as part of its academic reform initiative to assess and improve the academic performance and success of student-athletes.
“Tuition only covers about 60 percent of the cost of educating a BC student,” said Sara Eldridge, manager of the Boston College phone center. “Private support is really necessary here.” Consistently garnering between $5,000 and $10,000 in donations per night, with totals sometimes going upward of $20,000 depending on the alumni pool, the 60 to 80 BC students employed at the BC phone center work hard to earn that support. The BC phone center, located in the basement of the Cadigan Alumni Center on Brighton Campus, employs predominantly undergraduates to call alumni, parents of current and past students, and friends of the BC community to ask for donations to the University. The base salary for student callers is $8.50 an hour, and if students consistently work three shifts per week, they are awarded a bonus that raises their cumulative salary to the equivalent of $9.25 an hour. Students are trained by coming in for two or three shifts and listening in on other callers, going through a packet of calling guidelines, scripts, and procedures provided by RuffaloCODY, the Iowa-based fundraising company that has been utilized by BC for about 12 years, and then doing mock calls with the supervisors and with each other. Each work night, four student supervisors oversee approximately 25 callers each, with two supervisors working each three-hour shift. The supervisors listen in to calls and coach callers on areas to improve. Eldridge, along with the student employees, is employed and paid directly by RuffaloCODY. Besides scheduling hours, handling the payroll, and deciding which groups each shift will call, Eldridge also works closely with the Office of University Advancement and the BC Alumni Association. “We have higher-ups from the BC Fund, the umbrella fundraiser from the school, who will come in from time to time, both to sit in on calls and hear what we’re saying, and also to get feedback from us,” said Alex Schlatter, one of four student supervisors at the phone center and A&S ’14. “They’ll say, ‘What are you guys hearing on the phones? Do you guys have any questions for us?’” According to Schlatter, representatives from the Advancement Office will visit the call center on a regular basis, often preparing the callers for prospects’ reactions to or questions about events at the University, and shifting
By Sara Doyle Heights Staff
alex manta / heights graphic
BC tied for third in the nation for overall Graduation Success Rate among student-athletes. The GSR records the percentage of student-athletes that graduate at any one institution. It takes into account both transfer students and mid-year enrollees. BC’s score was bested by only Notre Dame, at 99, and Duke, at 98. “[Graduating] is prestigious because it’s rigorous,” Bates said. “Not everyone could do that. It certainly prepares
people to go out in the world and make it a better place.” The football team’s score of 94 was the highest in the ACC and third in the nation, as well as one of only nine Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs to receive 90 or higher.
See GSR, A4
Since its beginning as a student organization last year, BC Reads has given students at Boston College and the surrounding community a greater access to works of literature for leisure reading. BC Reads was started last year by DJ Adams, A&S ’13, and Christie Wentworth, A&S ’13, who found a mutual interest in reading for pleasure while studying abroad during their junior year. “When you’re abroad, you realize that you have a little more free time for
some of the things you’ve forgot about, and for me, that was pleasure reading,” Adams said. “Through mutual connections, we found that both of us were interested in starting this organization back on campus.” The club, which has 20 members, including 10 staff writers and three staff editors, has published reviews for 10 books so far. The reviews are published online in a blog at bcreads.weebly.com. Staff writers publish a new review every six weeks. “Our organization started with the idea of doing book reviews for students at Boston College,” Wentworth said. “They get to read books, and get something out of it. It has expanded since then.” In addition to publishing reviews, BC Reads is also involved in community outreach programs, such as a book drive
See BC Reads, A4
TopTHREE
The Heights
Thursday, November 8, 2012
things to do on campus this week
..
1
BC Football vs. Notre Dame Saturday Time: 8 p.m. Location: Alumni Stadium
Come see the Eagles take on Notre Dame in a classic rivalry matchup. Boston College is looking to spoil the Fighting Irish’s national championship hopes with a win on Saturday. The two teams will fight for two trophies: the Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl and the Ireland Trophy. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 12-9.
Baldwin and Company Ultimate Tailgate
2
Friday Time: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Location: Hillside Plaza
Baldwin and Company will be hosting a tailgate full of free giveaways and exciting activities before the Notre Dame hockey game.
Island Market
3
Friday Time: 7:30 - 11:30 p.m. Location: Gasson 100 The Caribbean Culture Club, the Dominican Association, and a number of other culture clubs will be creating an authentic Caribbean marketplace.
the
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Boston University receives invitation to join prestigious conference
On Campus ‘The Heights’ wins second straight ACP Newspaper Pacemaker Award The winners of the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) Newspaper Pacemaker Award were announced at the annual ACP/College Media Association National College Media Convention held this past week in Chicago. The Heights was selected as one of only 12 national winners of the non-daily award for four year colleges, which recognizes general excellence in collegiate newspapers and is considered the highest honor in collegiate journalism. The Heights was the only collegiate newspaper in Massachusetts to be selected for this award. Graham Beck, assistant photo editor for The Heights, was honored with a fourth place selection in the Photo Excellence in Sports Photography category for a shot of former Boston College men’s hockey player Chris Krieder. This year’s panel of judges described The Heights as “substantial” and “complete, deeply reported, and professionally presented.” The criteria judges used to evaluate collegiate papers included quality of writing and reporting, leadership on the opinion page, evidence of in-depth reporting, design, photography, art, and graphics.
Robert A. Brown, president of Boston University, received a call last week from the Association of American Universities (AAU) during which he was asked if his university would like to join the ranks of the prestigious academic conference. The addition of BU increases the total number of universities in the conference to 62. In 2009, Georgia Tech was the first university in nearly a decade to join the conference. Last year, for the first time in the AAU’s history, it voted to remove a member organization, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. In addition, Syracuse University voluntarily left the conference last year.
Local News Kennedy replaces Barney Frank as Representative from MA’s 4th District Democrat Joseph Kennedy III defeated Republican Sean Bielat Tuesday night to become the congressman elect from Massachusetts’ 4th electoral district. Kennedy, a member of the famous Massachusetts political family, will replace Barney Frank, who has been in the position since 1981. Kennedy was a prosecutor in the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office, as an assistant DA from 2009 to 2011. In September, 2011 he became an assistant DA in the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office, a position from which he resigned to run for office.
Kaplan shares keys to corporate success By Andrew Skaras Heights Staff
andrew skaras / Heights staff
Karen Kaplan, president of Hill Holiday, spoke as part of the Lunch with a Leader program on Tuesday. better assignments, they get paid more, and they are promoted more often.” Kaplan also expressed her negative views about formal mentorship programs. “I don’t believe in formal men-
torship programs where people are matched,” she said. “I think you need to find the person that is right for you. I think the best mentors and sponsors are those who have the innate ability to open themselves up fully and
share not only their successes, but also their failures. I think a hallmark of a great sponsor is that he or she is willing to give you a task that is much bigger than you think you are at the time.” When looking at the trends
in advertising today, Kaplan noted that the emergence of digital media was the change in the last several decades that had the greatest impact on the advertising industry. Because of this change, she stressed the importance of young people, or “digital natives,” in the field. “Everything moves at ‘the speed of digital,’” Kaplan said. “Our business has changed more in the past five to 10 years than it did in the 50 years before that. The three key impacts of technology on consumer behavior are distraction, participation, and sharing. They’re not bad things. They just require us to look at branding and story telling differently. The old rules don’t apply, but you don’t have to unlearn those old rules.” To all of those in the audience who were interested in the field of advertising, she offered some advice on how to succeed. “Always pay attention,” Kaplan said. “Originality requires attention, and there is a premium placed on the creation of original ideas. This is virtually impossible while you are texting, tweeting, and watching TV all at the same time. Human beings are not truly able to multi-task. Always be confident and optimistic. Embrace what makes you different.” n
Police Blotter
Voices from the Dustbowl
10/31/12-11/5/12
“When is it appropriate to start listening to Christmas music?”
Wednesday, October 31
Hall.
9:45 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a suspicious person at Vanderslice Hall.
12:57 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to an intoxicated person at Welch Hall who was transported to a medical facility by an ambulance.
11:34 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to a student at the St. Joseph’s stairs who was transported to a medical facility by an ambulance.
Friday, November 2 8:57 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding the off-campus arrest of a non-Boston College affiliate for assault and battery and disorderly conduct.
Saturday, November 3 1:58 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to an intoxicated student at Cushing Hall who was transported to a medical facility by a cruiser. 3:06 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to an intoxicated BC student at Walsh Hall who was transported to a medical facility by a cruiser. 7:58 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding medical assistance provided to a BC employee at St. Mary’s Hall who was transported to a medical facility by an ambulance.
1:52 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding vandalism to a residence in Fitzpatrick Hall. “After Thanksgiving.” —Cameron Burnett, A&S ’15
8:42 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a larceny from Edmonds’ Hall.
“If it’s good music, all the time.” —Danny Mercurio, A&S ’15
9:38 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding rendered police service at Keyes Hall.
Monday, November 5 12:44 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding an attempt to commit a crime in the Middle Campus Lots. “Any time of the year.” —Kristen Derderian,
—Source: The Boston College Police Department
A&S ’16
41° Rain 33°
Friday
48° Sunny 33°
Saturday
51° Sunny 39° 58° Partly Cloudy 36°
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 Metro Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823 Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753 EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call David Cote, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or e-mail news@ bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk. Sports Scores Want to report the results of a game? Call Greg Joyce, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0189, or e-mail sports@bcheights.com. Arts Events The Heights covers a multitude of events both on and off campus – including concerts, movies, theatrical performances, and more. Call Brennan Carley, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or e-mail arts@ bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the Arts Desk. Clarifications / Corrections The Heights strives to provide its readers with complete, accurate, and balanced information. If you believe we have made a reporting error, have information that requires a clarification or correction, or questions about The Heights standards and practices, you may contact Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE Delivery To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact Dan Ottaunick, General Manager at (617) 552-0547. Advertising The Heights is one of the most effective ways to reach the BC community. To submit a classified, display, or online advertisement, call our advertising office at (617) 552-2220 Monday through Friday.
The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year by The Heights, Inc. (c) 2012. All rights reserved.
1:30 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a larceny from a residence in 90 St. Thomas More Rd.
Sunday, November 4 12:28 a.m. - An officer filed a report regard- ing vandalism to a residence in Fitzpatrick
“After Thanksgiving.” —Reshma Kaparampil, GSSW ’15
1:03 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding vandalism to a residence in Welch Hall.
1:27 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a larceny from a residence in 90 St. Thomas More Rd.
Today
Sunday
featured story
When Karen Kaplan applied to work as a receptionist at Hill Holliday in 1982, she was not sure if she wanted to work there or even if she wanted to work in advertising. She had graduated college as a French literature major and intended to go on to law school. What she did know was that she wanted to meet the then-president of Hill Holliday, Jack Connors, BC ’63. After getting that job, Kaplan never left Hill Holliday and now serves as the president of the company. As part of the Lunch with a Leader program, run through the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics, Kaplan came to the Fulton Honors Library on Tuesday to talk about her experience rising through the ranks at Hill Holliday, as well as share her understanding of the current advertising landscape for college graduates looking for jobs. She also talked generally about how to succeed in the corporate world. “Once you get yourself into a company, find a sponsor or a mentor,” Kaplan said. “A sponsor is a senior person who is really committed to helping guide and cultivate emerging talent. Those with sponsors consistently get
Four Day Weather Forecast
CORRECTIONS Please send corrections to editor@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.
The Heights
Thursday, November 8, 2012
A3
Creating the BC celebrates Native signature American Heritage home game By Mary Rose Fissinger Heights Editor
Matt Palazzolo As I look back on my three-plus years at Boston College, I occasionally pause to consider my regrets. I ponder parties I never attended, classes I never took, girls I never had the courage to ask out. One regret overshadows all the others, though: the lack of a signature home football game. What is a signature home football game, you ask? This Saturday, turn on the TV and watch a home game at a traditional football powerhouse. Observe the complete lack of open seats. Observe the passion in the student section. Observe the unbridled joy if the home team wins, or the soul-crushing sadness if the home team loses. Then ask yourself, has a BC home game ever remotely lived up to that experience? In my four years at BC, the football team has declined each year in total wins. I am not a sports columnist, and have no interest in assigning blame for this decline. I know the team plays their heart out each week, even in a blowout loss. Rather than hate Spaziani, I pity him. I cannot imagine the prospect of coming to work each day, in an organization to which you have dedicated 15 years of your life, and enduring constant gossip about your job security from complete strangers. Instead, I am merely commenting on the gradual erosion of enthusiasm in the student section at BC football games. My first home football game was against Northeastern and its now extinct football program. For the first half I reveled in the student chants, band performance, and completely one-sided game. By the fourth quarter though, I saw with dismay that over half the student section had left. Didn’t the Notre Dame students stay for the entire game, win or lose, and faithfully sing their alma mater after the final whistle? Unfortunately, this lack of enthusiasm was a grim foreshadowing of the next few years. As the football team’s win total has declined, the student section’s passion has followed suit. Overall attendance at games has steadily dropped each year. Some of my friends don’t even bother to purchase student tickets anymore. As for myself, at most home games I only spend the first half in the student section. This is partially because my father also has season tickets, and I enjoy spending time with him at the game. It is also partially because I am too lazy to stand up for an entire three-hour football game. Mostly, though, it is because the student section is a shell of its former self. Two consecutive years of repeated blowout losses have completely sapped enthusiasm from the student section experience. Even the Maryland game, which on paper was an exciting last second win, was a disappointment. Most of the student section, having left in disgust when BC was trailing, did not witness the victory. My passion for BC football is at an all-time low. The upcoming match against Notre Dame is my last, best chance at experiencing a signature home game. Notre Dame is providing its senior class with an undefeated national championship campaign that I could only dream of. However, this home game has all the ingredients of success. For the first time in ages, Alumni Stadium will be sold out. The 8 p.m. kickoff allows more time for tailgating and pre-game shenanigans. Finally, BC faces an undefeated, historic rival. I have been stealthily rooting for Notre Dame for months, dreaming of this titanic evening clash. Even if BC loses, I will savor the first quarter, when the student section will be overflowing with passion. An upset win, though, is a heavenly prospect. I know the BC higher powers would frown upon students storming the field. However, let me frame it this way. If BC pulls off the massive upset, this win will be emblazoned on the walls of Alumni Stadium for years to come. When people ask how you reacted to this incredible win, how will you respond? Matt Palazzolo is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at news@bcheights.com.
The Society of Native American Peoples of Boston College (SNAP) has teamed up with the Office of AHANA Student Programs (OASP) to create five events to take place throughout November, celebrating Native American Heritage Month. Their aim is to put on events that are both entertaining and educational in the hopes that they draw large and diverse crowds and ensure that the attendees leave with a greater knowledge of Native American culture. This is the second year that BC has had organized events celebrating Native American Heritage Month, and SNAP and OASP hope to improve upon last year’s celebration. They added an event this year and have been working to increase attendance. “The showing for last year wasn’t as great as we would have liked, but we’ve already seen an improvement,” said Taryn Leroy, vice president of SNAP and A&S ’13. There was a large increase in the attendance at the opening ceremonies, which took place on Nov. 1. Two of this year’s events capitalize on the fact that Native American Heritage Month coincides with the Jemez to BC portion of the Jemez Pueblo Service Exchange program, which brings high school seniors from the Jemez and Zia pueblos in New Mexico to BC for a week. The first was a forum with Kevin Shendo, the education director of Jemez, on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Shendo spoke about the educational system on the reservation and its goal to simultaneously foster progress and cherish tradition. “We worked with [the Jemez program] to put on the forum with Kevin Shendo, and we also worked with them to put on Voices of the Pueblo,” Leroy said. “Every year, when the students come, they bring all their
traditional wear, and they dress up in their traditional clothing, and they perform their buffalo dances.” Voices on the Pueblo took place last night in the Rat and was the culmination of the Jemez and Zia students’ week at BC. On Nov. 14, in the Vanderslice sixth floor lounge, SNAP will be hosting a dream catcher workshop. The closing ceremonies for Native American Heritage Month will take place on Nov. 28 in the Murray Function Room. For the closing ceremonies, SNAP has invited Annawon Weeden, a performer and speaker from the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe in Cape Cod. “We think it’ll be very interactive,” Leroy said. “He said he’ll be showing some of his dances, and then also making it more of an educational experience as well, with the history of Native American peoples, as well as how they’ve been affected now in today’s world.” OASP has urged SNAP to establish a “learning objective” for the month. To ensure that the students who attend the events are really thinking about the information they are given, SNAP has decided to ask the audience a question at the end of each of the more educational events. For example, at the end of the forum on education, each student that attended was handed a notecard on which they had to respond to the question, “What is one new thing that you’ve learned about Native American culture?” “Our goal is for individuals to gain a basic understanding of Native American culture,” Leroy said. “A lot of people aren’t very familiar with the culture because it’s not so present, on BC’s campus particularly. So through this, we just hope that they gain a better understanding of Native Americans, the history behind them, and also some of the struggles they’ve been facing.” n
OIP debunks myths By Qian Deng For The Heights
On Monday, the Office of International Programs (OIP) sponsored panel of International Study Advisors (ISA) to clarify the experience of studying abroad to an audience composed largely of second- and first-year students, in a discussion titled “Study Abroad: Myths and Realities.” Presenting the myths under categories ranging from affordability to identity, the experts provided a convincing and comprehensive presentation to dispel many common misconceptions about studying abroad. Initially, their efforts appeared to have the effect of preaching to the choir. Although each myth was undoubtedly included due to prevalence, the students in attendance at the discussion rarely raised their hands to indicate that they believed a particular myth. Of course, their behavior can be explained by the human tendency to avoid admitting belief in notions clearly indicated to be incorrect. When the moderator began to address the audience with “Does anyone know someone who thinks this?” the number of hands raised increased. As a whole, the atmosphere of the discussion was friendly and personal, as the advisors worked to make study abroad seem as appealing and convenient as possible. Although students have reported spending exorbitant sums abroad, the experts explained that the experience abroad need not be any more expensive than staying in Chestnut Hill, though costs varied based upon factors such as travel and duration. “If you attend a BC program, all of your financial aid carries over,” said ISA Sarah Lynes, who is responsible for programs in France, Italy, and Switzerland. For the academic segment of the presentation, the consensus was that planning ahead is crucial. “Start dreaming now,” said Elizabeth Goizueta, who advises for Spain and Latin America and serves as assistant director for Curriculum Integration, “and put together a plan for both your personal and academic needs.” The OIP works closely with professors from each department and from affiliated schools abroad to satisfy students’ academic needs. Their detailed website makes much of this work available to interested students. The panel members said that
anyone can go abroad, regardless of major, family background, or foreign language proficiency. Larry Pickener, the ISA responsible for Britain, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia, said all of the countries he advises for use English in their classrooms. “There will be things at BC that you’ll miss, but studying abroad is always a plus, and not a hindrance,” said Janet Kalunian, seeking to dispel the idea that leaving the country may detract from students’ college experience or their success in the job market. “Sometimes opportunities for internships are available in the host country,” she said. “But in most cases you just need to plan ahead and work with us to choose the right program.” She emphasized that the enrichment and independence associated with studying abroad can make students more attractive to potential employers. The key for success was that students must first have a clear conception of what they want from the experience. “You get out of it what you put into it,” Kalunian said. Kalunian, assistant director for Academic Operations, outlined the astonishing variety of options available, ranging from the full immersion of homestays and direct-enrollment programs to more U.S.-style arrangements. “Studying in a foreign country won’t be easier,” she said, “just different.” In fact, according to Pickener, “You should not expect the experience to be just like BC— otherwise, you should reconsider why you want to go abroad in the first place.” Each ISA came to BC with an extensive background in studying abroad. They shared their personal stories as well as insights about the countries they advise for, noting that support would be provided as needed, should tensions arise surrounding race, gender, or other sensitive issues. At the end of the night, the panel made a persuasive case against nearly every conceivable obstacle against going abroad. “Of all the students I’ve spoken to, even the ones who did not get the experience they expected, not one regretted going abroad,” Lynes said. However, not all attendees were convinced. “I’m already studying abroad,” explained an international student from China. Still, even she left with her hands full: assorted refreshments were served at the event. n
Daniel Lee / Heights Editor
The Volunteer and Service Learning Center and C21 sponsored a panel discussion of service on Tuesday night.
Service strengthens relationships By Connor Farley For The Heights
On Tuesday night, the Church in the 21st Century and the Volunteer and Service Learning Center (VSLC), alongside Campus Ministry, hosted a panel on the topic of “Encountering Christ Through Service.” “The primary reason we commit ourselves to service is to learn something—to discover our passions and even discern our vocations,” said Dan Ponsetto, director of the VSLC. The talk, headed by Ponsetto, aimed to examine student engagement in service and the transformational experiences servant leadership offers students throughout their time at Boston College and beyond. After further explaining the implications of finding God through service, citing biblical references to relate the modern conception of service to that of Jesus’ time, Ponsetto then asked the panelists, “How does one define service?” “Service is faith in action,” said Gisella Mendizabal of Horizons for Homeless Children. Mendizabal, who holds a degree in psychology from Loyola Mar ymount University and a master’s degree in pastoral ministry and social work from BC, explained how in times of frustration she turns to prayer.
“In those moments, I am not alone,” she said. “God is with me, and that is a powerful realization in the field of service.” Professor Stephen J. Pope, who holds a Ph.D. in theological ethics from the University of Chicago, said, “I don’t think we can define service—but we can describe it,” he said. Pope, who advocated the absence of judgment while conducting service, reflected on how humility enables others to see and act in regards to the sacredness of another person. When asked what it means to follow Christ through service, Pope said, “There are many paths to Christ, and most can be found through people, for people, and with people.” The discussion considered the impact of service throughout the BC community and the attitude with which students approach encountering God through aiding those in need. “In serving, we start to understand concretely what it means to love our neighbor and to be loved by our neighbor,” Pope said. The panelists focused on stories in which transformational experiences with Christ were realized through meaningful interactions with those who have been marginalized by society, and emphasized the openness with which one should engage in reflective service. The panelists also recognized the
inherent need for the acknowledgment of personal responsibility for positively transformative experiences to take place. “Service is a way of loving God and being loved by God,” said Mary Lou Bozza, director of Confirmation and Youth Ministry at Good Shepherd Parish in Wayland, MA. When asked how important the institutional aspect and framework of Catholicism is with regards to the “heart” of service, Bozza said, “Going to church can sometimes be like eating vegetables and sometimes like eating cake—at times it can feel totally distant, even frustrating in trying to further one’s relationship with God, but can also generate a sense of renewed encouragement.” Bozza and the other panelists concurred that the church employs service through fostering a sense of community in which people share in their search to genuinely discern God’s will both on a collective and individual level. The lecture focused predominantly on how to undertake empowering those of relatively unfortunate circumstances, and explored the Jesuit ideal of becoming exemplary enablers of service and in deepening our relationship with God. “We’re social human beings— we rely on each other,” Pope said. “And that’s what service is." n
The Heights
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Thursday, November 8, 2012
DSO, OHP evaluate alcohol policy Alcohol Policy, from A1 this puts an additional stress on the EMS system and the ER, it is much better that we see these patients are able to get the help that they need. We don’t want these incidents to go unreported and risk a tragedy. As always, the first priority is the safety of our students.” While Chebator acknowledged the significant role that the help-seeking polic y has played in increasing the number of medical transports, he thinks that there is more involved. He cited increased vigilance by resident assistants as well as changing behavior on campus over the past five to 10 years. “I don’t think the whole increase in transports can solely be attributed to the help-seeking policy,” Chebator said. “Even with that, the level of intoxication among students is higher than it used to be. What factors into this is the phenomenon of pregaming and doing shots as a part of the pregaming. This is a relatively new phenomenon.” Both Warshauer and Elise Phillips, director of the OHP, recognized the important role of pregaming in the increase in the number of transports over the past few years. “Pregaming has become a more popular style of drinking—that is, drinking more in a short period of time,” Phillips said. “Students choose hard alcohol, primarily, and try to conceal it. Most incidents of alcohol-related hospitalizations are related to hard alcohol and pregaming.” When Eagle EMS writes up their reports for alcohol-related incidents, they talk to the student involved and collect data on the circumstances that led to the call. They have found that at least 80 percent of the alcohol-related calls are due to shots, mixing alcohol, or the combination of alcohol and drugs. Chebator acknowledged that this trend could be seen in the data garnered from the meetings that medically transported students had to have with alcohol counselors. When looking at the factors behind these trends, both Chebator and Phillips noted three factors that led to higher levels of drinking on a college
campus. The first was a school’s geographic location, specifically noting that schools in the Northeast tended to have higher levels of drinking. The second was whether or not a school had a Division I athletics program. The third related to a school’s residential situation. Chebator talked about whether a school had a fraternity system and suggested that BC made up for its lack of a Greek system with some of the residence halls on campus. In addition to these factors, Chebator also noted some
“It is possible that, if students faced more strict penalties for hard alcohol versus beer and we publicized a policy like this, students may try to stick to beer and avoid hard alcohol.” -Elise Phillips Director of the Office of Health Promotion significant changes that have occurred to BC since he arrived as an administrator in 1980. “At one point, BC was predominantly a commuter school,” Chebator said. “That started to change in the mid-’70s. The school also had a different socioeconomic make-up. There were more students who had to focus on making money. Still, alcohol has always been an issue here. To some degree, it is probably something we are never going to change, but it is also something that we have an obligation to mitigate. The Murray House used to be the commuter center, when we had a large number of commuter students. When the drinking age was 18, it used to have a Friday afternoon happy hour and they had a standing order for three kegs. As the drinking age was gradually being moved back up to 21, one of my first jobs was pulling the rug out from under that because many of those students were driving home later.” In terms of policy, BC bases its sanctions for violations based on the quantity of alcohol, the age of the student, and whether
Seniors strive for record participation Senior Gift, from A1 tion through the class of 2013. “Our main message is that it’s not so much an amount that counts, but we really try to stress the fact that by giving a gift back to BC, you’re showing how much the institution gave to you,” Beiro said. By focusing on large-scale involvement from the senior class rather than higher average gift donations, the campaign
“Our main message is that it’s not so much an amount that counts, but we really try to stress the fact that by giving a gift back to BC, you’re showing how much the institution gave to you.” -Pablo Beiro A&S ’13 strives not only to benefit a larger array of campus programs but also to meet Behrakis’s challenge. “The $25,000 that Drake has pledged will be given out in specific increments once we hit certain milestones,” Beiro said. “Since our total goal is to get contributions from 55 percent of the senior class, we’ll get the first $5,000 once we get 10 percent participation.” Vigars went on to offer an explanation of how the potential donations from Behrakis will be used.
“This money will be used to establish ‘The Class of 2013 Legacy Grants,’” Vigars said. “This program will be available next academic year for students to apply for grant funding to help implement new student projects and bring to fruition innovative ideas that speak to the University mission.” Since all potential impacts upon the BC community through the senior gift campaign are contingent upon involvement from current seniors, the committee recommends a number of ways to get involved. Board members advise seniors to visit the campaign’s website at bc.edu/ seniorgift to make a donation toward any campus cause that they feel passionate about and to follow the campaign’s Twitter account for updates throughout the year. More than anything, however, committee members stressed the importance of seniors spreading the word to their peers to ensure that each member of the outgoing class recognizes the importance of giving back to the most memorable aspects of their BC careers. Behrakis, the alumnus responsible for putting forth this year’s unique challenge, hinted at perhaps the most powerful reason seniors would be motivated to donate a senior gift: a lifelong sense of connection to the BC community resulting from the act of giving back. “Graduating from BC is a major accomplishment, but leaving the Heights also represents a major life change,” he said. “Change can be complicated, but hopefully by connecting with alumni at this stage in the year, seniors will be a little comforted to know that you can, in fact, always come home.” n
or not underage students are involved. The school does not, however, differentiate based on the type of alcohol—hard liquor, wine, or beer—that is involved. “Some schools have started treating hard alcohol and beer differently,” Chebator said. “Some schools have ramped up the sanction for hard alcohol and kept the sanction for beer at the original level. This is being done to discourage pregaming with shots. However, I don’t know if a change in policy would positively affect student behavior. I’m not a huge believer that ramping up rules is going to change behavior. However, it is something we may look at and engage student leaders to discuss.” Both Phillips and Warshauer also weighed the impact of a p olic y change and saw that there could be different possible outcomes. “It is possible that, if students faced more strict penalties for hard alcohol versus beer and we publicized a policy like this, students may try to stick to beer and avoid hard alcohol,” Phillips said. “It is also possible that they would still drink hard alcohol and try to be more secretive about it, which could be dangerous.” “I think that it would be worthwhile for the University to discuss a policy change due to the fact that most of our serious calls involve hard alcohol as opposed to beer,” Warshauer said. “Different sanctions for hard alcohol and beer could potentially decrease the number of medical transports on campus and create a safer environment for students.” Given the trends regarding pregraming, increased hospitalizations, and the increased consumption of hard alcohol, administrators have posited theories about and are working to understand the actions of the student body. In response to the school’s policies, students have responded with their own understanding of the cultural and social trends and how that affects their college experience. Some sophomores in the College of Arts and Sciences felt strongly about this, but wished to remain anonymous due to the illegality of underage drinking. “Pregaming with hard alcohol has a lot of causes,” said one sophomore. “It is difficult for
underclassmen to have beer. It is easier to get drunk faster. Parties don’t have enough alcohol.” Another sophomore cited the “work hard, play hard” mentality present at many highly competitive schools. “Students want a powerful release,” he said. “Because of academics, there is a limited amount of time to be drunk. They want that time to be worth it.” “When you can get in the same amount of trouble for going to a party blackout drunk and sitting around casually in your room drinking with your friends and you are more likely to get caught if you stay in your room, it does not encourage healthy behavior,” another student said. One of the things that all of the students commente d on was the perception that BC has stricter alcohol policies than other schools. It is difficult, however, to ascertain the facts behind these claims. Many schools do not post their sanctions for alcohol violations on the Internet, as BC does. In addition, a school’s policies do not take into account the way in which the policies are actually enforced or even how the school desires them to be enforced. Because of the Clery Act, BC is required by the federal government to report to the Department of Education the statistics for the number of crimes committed on campus every school year. In 2011, there were 1,458 disciplinary referrals for liquor law violations on campus. According to the Department of Education website, the aforementioned statistic signifies any action that causes an individual to be referred to a university official for incidents involving improper alcohol use while on the university’s campus. For a campus with an undergraduate population of 9,088, that represents 16 percent of the student body. In comparison, Harvard University had 35 incidents for their undergraduate student body of 6,700; Boston University had 496 incidents for their 16,000 undergrads; Notre Dame had 360 for their 8,300 undergraduates; Georgetown University had 332 incidents for their 7,600 undergraduate students; and Yale University had seven incidents for their 5,200 undergrads. n
law lecture series
photo courtesy of the office of news and public affairs
Sixty to 80 undergraduate students work at the phone center, located on the Brighton Campus. The callers raise, on average, $5,000 to $10,000 per night.
Students connect with grads through phone center Phone Center, from A1 procedure accordingly. “For example, right now we’re doing something calle d the Notre Dame Challenge,” he said. “We call our young alumni and we talk about how Notre Dame’s alumni giving percentage is in the 40s—whereas ours is in the 20s, it’s 24 or something—as a way to motivate them to get involved in giving.” The potential donors, referred to as “prospects” by the student callers, are divided into groups depending on which school they graduated from, whether they were a graduate or undergraduate student, and their donation history. Many donors, said Margaret Sheridan, another student supervisor and A&S ’14, do not know that they can choose to donate directly to a specific school or program at BC. “A lot of times, people will say, ‘I don’t want to give because I know it’ll just go to the football team, and I don’t want that to happen,’ and so we’ll explain that you can actually give directly to a specific school, or to the general scholarship fund,
things like that,” she said. B e s i d e s f u n d r a i s i n g , th e phone center works to compile i n fo r m at i o n o n th e a l u m n i they are calling and update demographic records, as well as maintain connections with BC alumni. Notwithstanding some prospects who are less than happy to be called for donations, Schlatter, Sheridan, and Eldridge all noted that callers often build rapport with prospects, and the calls can be a way to reconnect alumni with BC. “One thing that we do is update them on what’s going on on-campus,” Eldridge said. “This is an opportunity for them to hear from a student about what the student experience is like now, what’s going on—to interact and reconnect with the community in a different way.” “You really get to talk to all kinds of people from all walks of life,” Schlatter said. “You get to see how somebody with a degree in psychology went on to be the CEO of some startup. You get to talk to so many different people about their experiences, get a lot of different perspectives on BC—everyone has different things they take out of this.” n
Club rates and reviews books to urge reading BC Reads, from A1
graham beck / heights editor
The second event in the Bellarmine Law Society’s Professor Lecture Series was held Tuesday night in Gasson Hall 202 at 6:30 p.m.
and volunteering at St. Columbkille Elementary School which involves reading to the sixth grade English language arts class in an effort to promote reading among children. “It’s representative of so many of the Jesuit ideals you come across at BC,” Adams said. “It’s taking the education and the knowledge we have and trying to spread it outward.” The club includes publications from any BC student, as well as faculty and staff members. The publications are listed by title, author, or reviewer to allow students to choose books that were read and recommended by others in the BC community or by authors they might know. Each book is given a 500-word
review and a rating. Those who wish to get involved can apply for a position or volunteer. Next year, applications will be reviewed in the fall, and a group of staff writers and editors will be chosen to write throughout the year. “You don’t need to be an English major,” Adams said. “I think that that’s one of the great things about it. The more diverse the books that people are reading, the more of an awesome array of novels you’ll have.” “There are so many different times to read during the day,” Wentworth said. “While studying, in class before the teacher gets there, while at the gym. In the past week, I read two books, and I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for BC Reads.” “It’s healthy procrastination,” Adams said. n
BC is 3rd for student-athlete graduation rate GSR, from A1 Of BC’s 29 varsity teams, 17 received a GSR score of 100, indicating a 100 percent graduation rate among athletes. Those teams were men’s and women’s fencing, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s skiing, men’s and women’s swimming, women’s basketball, women’s rowing ,
women’s field hockey, women’s ice hockey, women’s softball, women’s soccer, women’s tennis, women’s track, and women’s volleyball. Bates emphasized the importance of the graduation rate, citing B C ’s strong academic record. “ Think about this ,” Bates said. “Boston College is the 31st ranked school in the country in
the U.S. World and News Report. You guys ought to be proud of that. You’re going to graduate with an unbelievable degree. The 31st ranked degree in the country, and of those 31 top-ranked schools, only 14 compete at the highest level of the NCAA. Our student-athletes are competing against some of the brightest minds in the world every day in the classroom, and every week
they’re competing against some of the greatest amateur athletes in the world. Of those 14 schools that compete at the highest level, only one offers a Jesuit education. So, while the rest of the world is striving for new knowledge, Boston College is striving for new knowledge, for social justice, and to better the human condition. It’s an unbelievably noble pursuit.” n
CLASSIFIEDS
The Heights
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Community Help wanted Earn up to $1,200/month and give the gift of family through California Cryobank’s donor program. Convenient Cambridge location. Apply online: SPERMBANK.com.
HELP WANTED Used bicycle wanted. Mild to moderate use preferred. A bright paint color is desired. Willing to pay variable price but will also take it off your hands for free. Please contact carljones@yahoo.com if interested.
SERVICES Balloon animal artist available for events. Willing to make offcampus appearances. Specialties include hats, giraffes, and hearts. Willing to accommodate specific color theme or spell words in balloons. Hourly rate upon request, at least two days’ notice required. Contact: richardmv@bc.edu.
Directions: The Sudoku is played over a 9x9 grid. In each row there are 9 slots, some of which are empty and need to be filled. Each row, column and 3x3 box should contain the numbers 1 to 9. You must follow these rules: · Number can appear only once in each row · Number can appear only once in each column · Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box · The number should appear only once on row, column or area.
A5
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The Heights
Editorials
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Punish responsibly for drinking responsibly
Thursday, November 8, 2012
A politician needs the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen. -Winston Churchill (1874-1965), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Heights urges the University to alter alcohol sanctions and judge individual offenses with more accuracy The primary goal of a university is to educate its students—and that’s exactly what it should be. A close second to this goal, however, is to provide for and ensure the well-being of students. Without a healthy and safe student body, the task of education becomes impossible. The Heights understands and appreciates the motivations behind the University’s current policies with regard to alcohol—namely, to keep students safe—but there are nevertheless several ways in which the University could improve. Many universities have adopted policies that punish students more severely for consumption and possession of hard liquor than for similar possession of beer and wine. Boston College does not. As a result, underage students who choose to drink will often opt for hard liquor in the hopes of decreasing their chances of getting caught and subsequently disciplined. After all, it is far easier to smuggle bottles of clear liquid into a residence hall than it is to carry in a 30-rack of aluminum beer cans. This policy pushes students toward drinking hard liquor and taking shots rapidly rather than drinking slowly. As a result, student safety is jeopardized. Adopting a policy of less strict punishment for possession of beer and wine could encourage more students to seek these relatively safer forms of alcohol and transitively slow their drinking pace. During the first weeks of each year on campus, BC provides students with a variety of suggestions for “drinking responsibly.” The “Stay in Your Green Zone” campaign encourages students to drink safely, if they choose to drink at all. Yet whether or not a student is drinking responsibly does not always play a significant role in their subsequent disciplinary action. Sanctions on those who possess
moderate amounts of alcohol and drink it responsibly are often very similar to those on students who drink extremely irresponsibly, resulting in poor behavior and hospitalization. Alcohol and Drug Education (ADE) classes, though certainly pertinent and necessary for some extreme cases and repeat offenders, often place students who committed relatively minor offenses in the same class as those who committed far more serious ones. The difference in behavior between an underage student having a beer with a few friends while watching a football game and the same student having 10 shots in two hours, resulting in hospitalization, is massive—yet the difference in sanctions for these two offenses is often not significant. Under the alcohol violations minimum sanctions matrix, the students involved in each of these situations would be placed on disciplinary probation and referred to an ADE class. The Heights understands how imperative student safety is for the purpose of education, and is in full support of many of the University’s current alcohol procedures, including the Help Seeking Policy. We also understand that underage drinking is illegal and that students who do so should and will be disciplined. Still, the University’s current policies are often counterintuitive to promoting student health and safety. Students are told to seek safer forms of alcohol, yet are punished similarly no matter which form they choose. Students are told to drink responsibly, yet are punished nearly equally whether they do so or not. By holding students responsible for their individual offenses more accurately, the University can encourage student safety by promoting responsible drinking for those who choose to do so.
Team graduation rates signify program strength By placing a strong focus on academic achievement, BC succesfully prepares athletes for life off the field It was announced last week that Boston College tied with Northwestern University for third in the nation in overall Graduation Success Rate (GSR) across all sports among schools competing in the Football Bowl Subdivision. BC’s 97 percent success rate only trailed Notre Dame (99) and Duke (98). The NCAA developed the GSR to measure academic success. Their score includes transfer students and midyear enrollees. The football team posted a GSR of 94, which tied for first in the ACC and third in the nation. Additionally, they ranked as one of only nine football programs to have a GSR above 90 percent. Seventeen other BC teams posted perfect GSR scores.
The Heights would like to commend the work done by the athletic department and the student-athletes for their important accomplishment. BC should pride itself on having a strong, comprehensive program that focuses on more than just athletic competition. Many BC student athletes do not have the ability to move on to professional sports after college, and these scores prove that their long-term well-being is truly at heart, as they are being adequately prepared for a successful future beyond their playing careers. New athletic director Brad Bates implemented strategies at Miami (OH) to raise graduation rates there, and The Heights hopes that Bates continues that tradition at BC.
This Notre Dame weekend, be supportive The Holy War continues this Saturday night—on primetime television. Boston College’s Nov. 10 game against No. 3 Notre Dame will kick off at 8 p.m. and will air nationally on ABC. The decision to start the game at this time was a result of a network decision, and it will be the first 8 p.m. kickoff since 2010. It is not too often that the BC football team gets the chance to perform on such a large stage, so this is a big weekend for both the team and for all members of the campus community. With the men’s hockey team also facing off against the Fighting Irish, The Heights reminds students to make respectful behavior a priority this weekend. Chestnut Hill will be in the public eye more than normal, so this is an opportunity to come out in full force to celebrate, show school spirit, and support our student-athletes. This Friday and Saturday, The Heights encourages Superfans to show up for the games on time– even for the National Anthem — and to cheer loudly and appropriately,
applauding the achievements of peers with the respect and admiration they deserve. To those who were not planning to attend either of the games, we hope they’ll reconsider. BC will be in the national spotlight, so help the regular attendees fill the stands. In addition, harking back to men’s hockey coach Jerry York’s Letter to the Editor from the Oct. 25 issue of The Heights, cheer passionately, but be mindful of the words used to do so. We’re looking for leaders out there who can start the change, and it’s our belief that a ripple effect will follow, ushering in a new era of cheering traditions on the Heights. Finally, we ask students to keep in mind that a large number of visitors are expected this weekend, and we urge them to be hospitable to those traveling from South Bend and to provide a welcoming environment for all guests to our campus. We at The Heights are looking forward to a respectful duel against the Fighting Irish this weekend, both on the field and in the stands.
The Heights The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 Taylour Kumpf, Editor-in-Chief Daniel Ottaunick, General Manager Lindsay Grossman, Managing Editor
Suzanne Severence/ Heights Illustration
Letter to the Editor Re-examining ‘Hypersensitive Halloween”’ and Dress with Respect As Boston College alumni, we have read Kristy Barnes’ column, seen the reactions on social media, and considered the many responses published in The Heights. As a letter from the UGBC Dress with Respect Committee puts it, one has a duty to “being open and critically analyzing issues before expressing one’s views.” We encourage students, faculty, and alumni to do just this by considering the complexity of this campaign, its chilling effect on free speech, and its lack of attention to existing material inequalities. Many of the responses raise unseen white privilege to explain Barnes’ objections to Dress with Respect. While there is no doubt that white privilege continues to disadvantage people of color systematically, the link between white privilege and costumes is tenuous. For some responding to Barnes’ column, there is no problem leaping directly from hurt feelings to huge societal superstructures of racism. There is no distinction between stereotyping costumes and actual violence, as the letter from BC professors terms it, “the violence of words.” These are unhelpful and potentially dangerous analogies. In Kindly Inquisitors: The New Attacks on Free Thought, Jonathan Rauch explains this point, writing, “You do not have to be Kant to see what comes after ‘offensive words are bullets’: if you hurt me with words, I reply with bullets, and the exchange is even.” Indeed, this is one gruesome display in a recent Gawker column sympathetic to the violence a white female student (wearing a confederate flag tee as part of a “white trash” costume) suffered at the hands of an offended African-American male. Costumes are not to blame for prejudice in the criminal justice system or for income disparity between whites and minorities, and they are not acts of violence. While organizers of the program explain their intent is not to illegalize certain costumes but to get students to think before they act, this is a distinction without a difference for those concerned with the open and rigorous testing of ideas. The use of pious platitudes such as “Dress with Respect” belies the fact that cultures produce ideas that sometimes deserve our scrutiny and criticism and need not command our respect. The huge stigma now associated with dressing as one of another background may deter legitimate exercises of political speech. Dressing up as Osama bin Laden may well offend Middle Eastern or Muslim students. It may also be a way to mock a fascist movement dedicated to the murder of innocent civilians, robbing it of symbolic power and fear. Dressing up
as white trash may offend minority students, but it may also satirize the fact that there are actual people who still believe the Civil War ended the wrong way and highlight that these views are ridiculous. A moratorium on costumes that could cause offense ignores that mockery is one of the most powerful forms of criticism. As Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek recently argued in The New York Times, the surest way to degrade a culture is to elevate it above criticism, to deem it unassailable. True respect of cultural plurality requires a critical gaze, not gag orders. The monumental Black Like Me would now not be possible for a white student, because the standard of acceptability is neither the intent of the costumed person nor the reasonable reaction from society at large, only the feelings of the thinnest-skinned individual. Our colleague Amelia Wirts writes, “It is easy, as privileged white people, to miss these things.” So is it easy, as privileged people, to point them out. Debates that take place in college newspapers over Halloween costumes may make us all feel like we’ve done our part to unpack the invisible knapsack of white privilege and assuage our guilt, but wasn’t it easy? For the Sioux Nation struggling to raise enough money to buy back land that was stolen from them, for the Pakistani innocents butchered in our drone strikes, for the students of all races striving to afford a BC education, what have we done? It’s easy to deplore insensitive costumes and claim victory, but harder to recognize our own complicity in a system of unequal privileges, harder to demand the material redistributions that will detract from our own comfort. These activists are not as radical as they think they are. If they really wanted change, they might acknowledge their own privileges. They might consider that a bachelor’s degree is itself a privilege for just one percent of the world’s population. Leveling the playing field requires that we rejoice less in “teaching moments” and more in the chance to craft concrete proposals for change. If we are concerned with white privilege, we might call for the end of legacy admissions, for example, which perpetuate the unequal advantages conferred to whites a generation ago. But of course, that is not likely because we were never really serious about white privilege. We just wanted to feel like we were. Brendan Benedict, BC ’12 Ryan Folio, BC ’12
Have something to say? Send a letter to the editor. editor@bcheights.com The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 500 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 Eleanor Hildebrandt, Copy Editor David Cote, News Editor Greg Joyce, Sports Editor Therese Tully, Features Editor Brennan Carley, Arts & Review Editor Charlotte Parish, Metro Editor Elise Taylor, Opinions Editor Molly Lapoint, Special Projects Editor Jae Hyung (Daniel) Lee, Photo Editor Maggie Burdge, Layout Editor
Alex Manta, Graphics Editor Katie McClurg, Online Manager Michelle Tomassi, Assoc. Copy Editor Chris Grimaldi, Asst. Copy Editor Andrew Millette, Assoc. News Editor Sam Costanzo, Asst. News Editor Chris Marino, Assoc. Sports Editor Austin Tedesco, Asst. Sports Editor Alexandra Schaeffer, Asst. Features Editor Taylor Cavallo, Assoc. Arts & Review Editor
Contributors: Taylor Garrison, Maggie Powers, John Wiley, Ariana Igneri, Parisa Oviedo, Jordan Pentaleri, Emily Fahey
Dan Siering, Asst. Arts & Review Editor Marc Francis, Asst. Metro Editor Graham Beck, Asst. Photo Editor Mary Rose Fissinger, Asst. Layout Editor Joseph Castlen, Asst. Graphics Editor Devon Sanford, Editorial Assistant Cathryn Woodruff, Executive Assistant
Jamie Ciocon, Business Manager James Gu, Advertising Manager Adriana Mariella, Outreach Coordinator Donny Wang, Systems Manager Amy Hachigian, National Sales Manager Daniel Arnold, Local Sales Manager Natasha Ettensberger, Collections Manager DJ Terceiro, Asst. Local Sales Manager Christina Quinn, Project Coordinator
The Heights
Thursday, November 8, 2012
A7
Opinions
Memory bank
Thumbs Up The Holy War- The weekend we have all been waiting for has finally arrived. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this Saturday night, underneath the stadium lights, the Boston College football team will be battling (or should we say struggling) against the Notre Dame football team. And while our hearts are not set on a victory, we know it will be a night to remember. Or for many, a night of foggy memories. Let it snow- Although we know we will be sick of the stuff in about of month, there is something so beautiful and blissful about the season’s first snowfall. ’Tis the season of snow-covered Gassongrams, and ’tis the season of some slippery wipe-outs on O’Neill Plaza. Come on, you know you laugh a little when you see someone in one of those knee-length North Face jackets take a tumble. Reaching the finish line- After months of snarky political commercials and unintelligent Facebook statuses, we can finally celebrate the end of the election season. Yes, we have a president. But honestly, we’re more excited for the sassy liberals and pissed conservatives to get off our Twitter feed. Po l i t i ca l Pa r t i e s - Eve n though we’re pretty convinced most students only showed up to the Election Watch Party for the Georgetown cupcakes, it’s safe to say the night was a “success.” And yes, by success we mean that the night ended without an all-out brawl between liberals and conservatives. After all, isn’t that a bipartisan party at its best? Drunken Diane- Anyone who watched ABC’s election coverage last night noticed that Diane Sawyer was drunk as a skunk. Sure, we could judge her for not respecting America’s politics, but we think it’s more fun guessing what kind of election night drinking game she participated in. Shot of bourbon every time her co-anchor mentioned Ohio? Wizard Staff when a state messed up the voting process (C’mon Florida, get your s—t together)? Franzia bag to the face when Karl Rove had a conniption on Fox News? The possibilites are endless.
Thumbs Down Sore losers- It seems that some students at the University of Mississippi are a little bitter. While most rational voters, conservatives and liberals alike, moved on with their lives af ter Obama’s re-election, these Ole Miss students took to the streets, burning campaign signs and chanting racial slurs. We’re all for freedom of expression, but come on, Ole Miss. Have some class. Nasty weather- Last week, we avoided the worst of Sandy and got a day of R&R in the process. While we’ll Thumbs Up to that, we’re not too pleased about Athena, the nor’easter, headed our way. The storm is predicted to dump freezing rain and bitter winds on BC’s campus. And who thought it would be funny to name the storm after the goddess of warfare and strength? We’re not laughing. Like Thumbs Up, Thumbs D ow n ? Fo l l ow u s @ B C TUTD
Cj Gustafson I made my hangover significantly worse on Sunday morning by logging into my Bank of America account and realizing how much money I spent this past weekend. Looking at the receipts littered all over the car floor, it became clear that my friends and I treated our trip to UMass as if we were drunken sailors landing in an exotic port. Between food, beer, gas, beer, coffee, and beer, we ran up quite the tab. But it made me realize a notable trend of spending throughout my past two years of college: fewer and fewer of the things I buy are actually things. Instead I’ve found myself doling out cash for experiences. Whoever sits in front of me in my Chemistry in Society class does a lot of online shopping. And when I say a lot, I mean like six-tabs-simultaneously-open-with-different-retailers a lot. First off, I don’t understand your obsession with Hunter boots. Who cares what color they are? Second of all, you must have enough American Express air miles racked up to just fly to Mall of America and cut UPS out of the equation. Perhaps I’m just a guy and struggle when shopping for even the simplest of items (which is why my sisters get gift cards for their birthdays), but when trying to “ball on a budget,” as Big Sean so aptly puts it, I’d rather fund memories than materials. This is exemplified by the fact that I feel more comfortable making a spontaneous purchase for an experience rather than an object. For instance, one time I bought a 4-foot
tall palm tree for around $100. One minute I was at Eagle’s Deli eating a burger, the next I was at the small plant store next door shelling out cash for an island tree that I ended up killing within the next two months. Around a month later, I ended up paying about the same amount of money for concert tickets to see Aerosmith at the Garden. Walking out of my summer job at 6 p.m., a friend called out of the blue with extra tickets to the show, which started in less than two hours. I deliberated for all of 10 minutes and haven’t regretted it since. Even though we got there halfway through the band’s set and I had to take four trips to Dunkin’ Donuts to stay awake the next day at work, it was worth every cent. I rarely listen to anything other than sports radio when driving, but I still remember an NPR segment I heard a few years back. It discussed the psychological effects of spending money in search of happiness. Ryan Howell from San Francisco State University showed through a study that spending money on dinner, a vacation, or a concert can bring about more happiness than purchasing a material item. One of the reasons for this is that when people spend money on an experience, the purchase is followed by less social comparison than if they were to buy an article of clothing or a car. When a person buys a pair of shoes they automatically compare them to those on the feet of others around them. Spending time with friends or experiencing something new isn’t bound to the same social comparisons as buying an item, since every experience is unique. A group of my close friends and I have a pact that if one of us ever hits the lottery or invents something successful when we are still young, the first thing we are going to buy
isn’t a sports car, piece of jewelry, or a house. Instead, we’d pay to take all of our buddies on Yacht Week, a sailing trip through Croatia, Greece, and Ibezia. I swear my buddy Tim has played the trailer on YouTube at every pregame we’ve ever been at together since graduating high school in 2009. He’s probably responsible for a quarter of the video’s three million views. It always follows the same narrative. “Dude, we’re going to go someday. We have to. It would be the trip of a lifetime, a dream come true. Can you imagine going on a trip like this with your closest friends?” (followed by his lengthy commentary on the European women in the video). But he’s right. I can’t imagine spending money on anything else as memorable. Although I may never get to go on Yacht Week, the money I shelled out this summer to rent jet skis in Cape Cod will have to qualify as a close rival. Daniel Tosh has a diatribe in one of his standup routines in which he claims that money can indeed buy happiness. He rhetorically asks his audience, “Have you ever seen someone frown on a wave runner?” I can’t take that jet ski with me when I’m gone, and I hope I don’t pull a Sean Kingston and hit a pier going 60 mph on one (too soon?). But I’m finding that it’s becoming increasingly important to me to use my money to fund memories over materials. So as I break the bank on my last lap of college, I know I’d rather spend my cash on a few extra Busch Lights at MA’s with my classmates over most anything else. And let’s be real, where else can you create such awesome memories for only $2 in this economy? CJ Gustafson is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
Examining rivalries Marye Moran Sucks to BU! But most of us liked it when we took the tour. MIT sucks! Unless it’s a boring weekend at Boston College, when their frats are always a good time. Harvard is so pretentious. But if I got accepted that’d be pretty hard to turn down. Whether they are academic or athletic, BC rivalries are strong and well-known. Especially this weekend. “Notre Dame sucks!” “Notre Flame!” All shouted by students wearing t-shirts with the image of an eagle stabbing a leprechaun. Rivalries are not just light-hearted and friendly. This is some serious hatred that we’re dealing with. It’s not an image of an eagle making a touchdown or an eagle doing a victory dance. It’s an eagle murdering a leprechaun. I’m all for competition. One of the reasons I came to BC is because I wanted that school spirit, the sports games, the maroon-and-gold face painting, and the united feeling that, well, we’re the best. But that’s also what I really liked about Notre Dame, just with the colors switched to navy and green. It’s something that is positive about both of these schools, not negative about their rivals. I’m glad that we are not an apathetic campus, and that we care about the successes and failures of our school as a whole rather than just about ourselves. The emphasis is no longer on our unity, however, but on our split from other institutions. It is ironic that BC collectively holds these rivalries, but on an individual level, almost no one actually hates BU, MIT, Harvard, Notre Dame,
Jedi Visions
or any other school that we compete with. We take classes at their schools, work in their labs, are friends with their students, went to their information sessions when we were visiting colleges, but occasionally profess extreme hatred. It’s a strange phenomenon. This does not just occur with undergraduates. Being a Red Sox fan from New York, I definitely have experienced the strong rivalries that surround professional sports. Even when I was the minority in a losing
season, I still held onto my affiliation and enjoyed the competition. But why are we so quick to make light of statements that we “hate” the other teams and their fans? The rivalry that I experienced was all among my friends, but what about when rivalry takes a dark turn? What about Steve Bartman, the Chicago Cubs fan who caught a ball in the eighth inning of game six of the National League Championship Series, causing the defeat of the Cubs and their chance at winning the series? The Illinois governor at the time suggested that Bart-
BY KALEB KEATON
man go into the witness protection program because of the harassment that he was enduring, and for months after the incident, police cars were guarding his house. Is any game more important than a man’s safety? The only nights that I can think of that compare to the Red Sox beating the Yankees in 2004, or BC winning the Beanpot, or, from what I’ve heard, when BC used to win major football games, are events of great political significance. I’m forced to draw parallels between the rallies surrounding those wins and the one after Osama Bin Ladin was killed, or the cheering heard Tuesday when Obama was elected. Yet those cheers are never that we hate another country, or that we are going to kill Romney. These matters of national importance, matters of life and death, are the only events to evoke the same reaction of a game, and even then, the outcry is mostly positive. Sure, the outcome of Saturday night could eventually have wider repercussions, influencing our football program’s reputation, impacting the recruits we get, overall number of applicants, alumni donations, and more. But those are all secondary results, and are certainly not on the minds of the students cheering, or jeering, in the stands. While I see the merits of all of our rival schools, I am proud to be a BC student and do always hope that we win in our endeavors against them. I do not, however, hope that they lose. While this weekend, BC winning and Notre Dame losing mean the same thing, the sentiment behind those two statements is different. Our goal should be to do our best, not to wish failure upon others. Especially others who, mascots aside, are not too different from us. Marye Moran is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
Thoughts on Sandy
Pooja Shah Hurricane Sandy came and conquered. She shut down parts of New York City and its neighbor New Jersey, blacked out power in thousands of homes, flooded many houses, disrupted the economy, and caused hundreds of casualties and injuries in addition to multiple other negative impacts of her wrath. To tell you the truth, when I first heard that colleges and universities across the Boston area cancelled classes last Monday, I was ecstatic. It just meant I had another day to procrastinate the work I should have previously completed. As the days went on however, I realized how tragic the hurricane actually was. I felt guilty for being happy with the free time I was awarded at someone else’s expense. I thought back to my home, New York City, and how it was thrown into shambles. I felt the pain of my friends and relatives who suffered without power for days. I empathized with those individuals who stood in five to six hour-long lines just to get a couple gallons of gas. I felt the agony of those delivery workers and cab drivers who ignored their own welfare and battled on, fulfilling their responsibilities at their respective jobs, because they couldn’t afford to lose a day or two of work. I thought back to my own mother who was stuck working in the hospital for days without having the ability to go back home. I saw pictures of NYC and Jersey ruined—waters so high in all the subway stations, homes destroyed, residents deprived of all their belongings and possessions. In general, I felt a wave of helplessness wash over me, praying that somehow, an end would appear. As the week went on, it became more apparent that Hurricane Sandy’s aftermath was not over. The government, arguably, made all the appropriate decisions based on the current extenuating circumstances. Officials scrambled to alleviate matters so that those regions deeply affected would stand back on their own feet as soon as possible. The election and intense political climate took a backseat to accommodate the more important natural disaster. But there was more work
that needed to be done, outside of the government’s aid. People’s desire to help began to rise. Humanity showed its true colors. In times like this, it’s most important for people to stand together, otherwise everything falls apart. It’s understandable that it’s hard to imagine helping anyone else, when you yourself are in dire need of assistance. I believe that the best way to combat any natural disaster however, is to work as a group in restoring the community. There is an inherent affection evoked from a tragic event that inevitably brings people together. Empathy, sympathy, care, and warmth are needed. What surprised and pleased me most was how quickly people realized this immediate need to collaborate. There were stories of houses in unaffected parts of Queens offering passers the chance to charge their phones or laptops (even bikes that charged phones), small pizzerias and takeout restaurants giving out free food, doctors offering free medical services, in addition to multiple volunteering and donation sites established all over the tri-state area. All these acts are selfless and aimed to promote the love and kindness that keeps any successful society unified. Posters have been plastered all over NYC with the message “Stay Strong”—and slowly it has been working. As the Northeast works to recuperate from Sandy, we all can see a very important memo unfold: to get through the most vulnerable of times, we need to be one cohesive body, not a bunch of individual bodies. This is the only way to stand in the face of disaster. Pooja Shah is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
A8
The Heights
Thursday, November 8, 2012
The onset of eye disease may not be as visible as the appearance of new wrinkles. An eye doctor can spot the early warning signs of vision problems like glaucoma and macular degeneration, as well as other serious health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Early detection is key. For men and women over 40, it might be wise to look into your eyes. For more information, visit checkyearly.com. A public service message from Vision Council of America and AARP.
single reviews
bruno mars
Retro R&B artist impresses with sweeping new single, page B3 keeping with the current
‘42’ trailer
the sports movie genre gets revamped with new film, page B4
album review
‘R.E.D.’
Ne-Yo defies expectations with newlymatured sound, demonstrating an honest contribution as an artist, b3
CHANNELING IN ON THE REBOOT joseph castlen / Heights graphic
The Heights
B2
A necessary pop-filled evening
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Scene and Heard
BY: Sean keeley
Brennan Carley On Saturday, I’ll join thousands upon thousands of eager fans screaming from the stands as one of the grandest spectacles unfolds before our eyes. Some people may be drunk, tons more will be waving signs around in the air, sporting facepaint and brightly decorated outfits. The only difference between my Saturday plans and that of 98 percent of the Boston College community: while most students at BC will be cheering on the football team as it takes on Notre Dame in its annual Holy War, I’ll be joining throngs of prepubescent girls at the TD Garden to bear witness to Justin Bieber’s Believe tour as it touches down in Boston. It may sound like a bit of an anomaly: a straight, 22-year-old man eager to attend a concert put on by what some may call an overproduced, hypersexualized 18-year-old whose fanbase is largely made up of girls and mothers who wish they were their daughters’ age—but it makes sense to me. The Biebs has churned out a steady stream of pop hits over the past several years, and even if I’m not particularly aching to hear any of his ballads live in person, it’ll be nothing short of a fun time to experience tracks like “Love Me”—which my floormates during freshman year were obsessed with in a completely non-ironic way—and “Beauty and a Beat” live. More than that, I think I’m even excited to watch one of the world’s biggest stars in his comfort zone. I’m neither a Belieber nor hater extraordinaire, more a casual observer who, as an aspiring music journalist, thinks it’ll be an interesting experiment to attend such an event. I’ve got my earplugs handy and have already discussed my choice of outfits with my guest—surprise, it’s neon—but from there, I’m not sure what to expect. The TD Garden in particular is an interesting venue for concerts. Last fall, I saw Jay-Z and Kanye West bring their unstoppable Watch the Throne tour to the arena, but their collective body of work was extensive and well-known enough to fit the size of the gargantuan Garden. Bieber, on the other hand, has really only released two albums of note. Because I sincerely doubt he’ll be playing any of his Christmas songs (remember that guys? Bieber released a Christmas album. It happened, we all heard it.), that means Bieber has maybe 20 songs from which he can whip together a twohour show. I don’t doubt that much of the time will be filled with tightly choreographed dancing, as nobody can truly deny that the pint-sized pop star’s moves are pretty slick. I’m also willing to bet that extensively overthe-top theatrics are in store for the tens of thousands who sold out the show in mere minutes, if pictures of his prior tour dates that I’ve stumbled across are any indication as to what’s to come. Giant wings? Check. A big floating Xbox contraption that swoops over the audience? Double check (unless the videogame console dropped out as a sponsor). One thing I certainly don’t expect to hear are natural vocals, and I’ve decided that’s okay in my book. A lot has already been made of the fact that Bieber’s voice has dropped—we all knew it was coming, but just as not a single Democrat prepared for a world in which Mitt Romney won the election, no tween girl was ready for those dulcet tones to deepen so pronouncedly. It’s less about the vocals for me than it is about the show as a whole, and if that means autotuned microphones and backtracks are the price to pay for a TD Garden danceoff, I’m at peace. If Bieber is good enough for our newly re-elected president, he’s good enough for me. I’m going into Saturday’s concerts with high expectations—not for quality singing or standout moments, but for a spectacle that, given the circumstances, can and should surely top the most spectacular of spectacles. At the very least, I get to see Carly Rae Jepsen sing “Call Me Maybe,” and isn’t that exactly what 2012 is all about?
Brennan Carley is the Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
1. BARRY’S MUSIC BUDS
2. FORD FOR ‘VII?’
He already re-donned the hat and whip for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and according to a new report, Harrison Ford is open to the possibility of reprising his iconic role as Han Solo in the recently announced Star Wars: Episode VII. Nothing’s set in stone, but Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill have also discussed the sequels. Whether audiences will embrace middle-aged versions of the characters remains to be seen.
No matter your political affiliation, you have to admit that the president has some cool celebrity friends. Obama showed off some of that star power as Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z appeared at a campaign event to throw their support behind the incumbent and fire up the crowds. Springsteen energized the audience with his recent politically charged anthem “We Take Care of Our Own” and classics like “The Promised Land” and “No Surrender,” while Jay-Z rewrote one of his hits with a new political twist, rapping, “I’ve got 99 problems but Mitt ain’t one.”
4. cUSACK JOINS ‘RUSH’ In one of the strangest projects to be announced in a while, John Cusack is purportedly preparing a movie about ultra-conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh. Hollywood is no stranger to critical biopics of conservative figures, such as Oliver Stone’s Bush film W. and Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar. Still, one has to question the cinematic potential of a Limbaugh movie: does anyone want to see or hear more of Limbaugh, in any form? But perhaps the tentatively titled Rush will have some satirical bite in our all-too-partisan political climate.
3. RIHANNA IS ‘UNAPOLOGETIC’ Less than a month ago, Rihanna made the surprise announcement of a new album set for a Nov. 19 release. On Tuesday morning, she tweeted the tracklist for the upcoming Unapologetic, which is set to include new duets with Eminem (who previously collaborated with her on the megahit “Love The Way You Lie”) and, more controversially, abusive ex-boyfriend Chris Brown. Their new collaboration is likely to keep the tabloids guessing about the nature of their relationship, but of course such controversy can only help fuel sales of the album.
5. FOXX ELECTRIFIES SPIDEY
Villains often make or break superhero movies, and the sequel to this year’s Amazing Spider-Man is placing its bets on Jamie Foxx to anchor the second installment in the newly rebooted series. Foxx is in negotiations to play Electro, a character known for his ability to manipulate electricity, his lanky frame, and his bright green and yellow bodysuit. Considering Hollywood’s current love affair with comicbook movies, it’s easy to develop superhero fatigue, but here’s hoping Foxx puts his charisma and acting caliber to good use and enlivens the proceedings in the sequel.
The critical curmudgeon.
@danieltosh (daniel tosh, Comedian)
“good luck today Florida! try not to pull a ‘Florida.’”
photo courtesy of google images
Bruce Springsteen is extremely open about his vote for Obama, and the president certainly takes advantage of this publicity.
Should politics and music be a harmonious pairing? Matt Mazzari Well, the election is over. Not yet as I’m writing this, since our columns are due at midnight on Tuesdays … but, in theory, by the time this article gets published, our nation will have decided on either another four years of mediocrity or perhaps, even more exciting, a whole NEW four years of mediocrity, depending on whom the Electoral College decided to vigorously hornswoggle this time around. But what am I saying? Please excuse my pessimism—it’s just this funk I’m in. See, I just finished reading up on music news, and it’s been flooded with presidential endorsements from musicians. The statements are generally predictable: chicly dressed pop musicians went Obama, rough ‘n’ tumble country stars and Christian rockers went Romney. JayZ revised the refrain of his vicious rap hit “99 Problems” to say that he continues to have 99 problems, “but a Mitt ain’t one.” In other news, Jay-Z’s desperate efforts to be relevant so far yield unimpressive results. Stay tuned! Kid Rock and Rodney Atkins were seen waving their Republican flags high at the Victory Rally (at this point, that title is either prophetic or hilarious) in a heart-warming show of camaraderie for their fellow White LandOwning Male. I’m not sure why all this fuss annoys me the way that it does, but something about modern musicians telling me who to vote for grinds my gears. This is out of character for me, because I generally like when artists address serious
issues with their work rather than just the regular drivel about boyfriends, breakups, and booty shaking. Still, I just can’t get on board when Beyonce Knowles says Obama is “inspiring” for the 50-bajillionth time, or when Meat Loaf makes self-referential puns at a concert he held in support of Romney’s campaign. (Look it up. It was actually kind of funny.) It can’t be helped at this point, of course. The damage is already done, and now the issue will be essentially irrelevant for another four years. For future reference, however, let’s examine the pop musician’s role in the political sphere. Politically charged musical appearances aren’t a new phenomenon. Their prominence reached a critical peak in the late ’60s and early ’70s, particularly around the Watergate scandal. Bands like Buffalo Springfield came out against the establishment, and the youth responded big-time. Songs like “Ohio” and “For What it’s Worth” were very specifically critical of governmental practices, and they urged the “children” of America to keep in mind a hearty skepticism toward authority. What’s the difference between that and Nicki Minaj tweeting her political leanings, or Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Johnny Van Zant declaring he was inspired by Ronald Reagan? First of all, these statements were made public via dubious celebrity gravitas, not songwriting. There’s a distinct difference between making opinionated music and coming out with your opinions on the side, namely that the former is actually the musician’s job. The latter, conversely, is an irritating abuse of fame.
Just because people enjoy your songs about how great large-hipped women are doesn’t mean you can get on your soapbox. If your career and your popularity have nothing to do with political or social concerns, then your opinion on those concerns is no more relevant than any other American citizen’s. The fact that people listen to you because you’re famous is mere coincidence, and to exploit your own image to make your every bias known isn’t fair treatment of an audience. Besides, what makes those opinions any more important than those of the people who aren’t being interviewed? What expertise do Katy Perry and Trace Adkins possess that CPA Joe Shmoe from Ohio doesn’t? Assuming Joe Shmoe can read, none. In fact, if Joe Shmoe can’t read, his opinion might actually be more significant. So why do we investigate our musicians’ politics? Their answers are inconsequential and frequently insipid. The same goes for athletes, actors, and other celebrities: these people aren’t any better qualified for political activism than you or I, so who honestly cares how they cast their vote? Heck, let’s ask the politicians tough questions about their beliefs. Maybe then we’d actually know their freaking platforms. Well, that’s my rant. God bless America, folks … but pop culture endorsers can seriously shove off.
Matt Mazzari is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@ bcheights.com.
@billyeichner (billy eichner, comedian)
“Instead of a speech Romney should just make us watch ‘Trouble With the Curve’ in its entirety.”
@stephenathome (stephen colbert, ‘the colbert report’)
“Rock the Vote! Or if you’re middle-aged with a sentimental side, Easy Listen the Vote!”
@DamonLindelof (Damon Lindelof, co-creator of ‘Lost’)
“I keep waiting for John King to wave his hand over Wolf Blitzer’s crotch and turn it red.”
Submit your favorite tweets of the week for consideration at artseditors11@gmail.com.
The Heights
B3
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Soulful Ne-Yo adds his own masterpiece to R&B genre
Chart Toppers
By John Wiley
1 One More Night Maroon 5 2 Gangnam Style Psy 3 Some Nights Fun. 4 Die Young Ke$ha 5 Diamonds Rhianna 6 As Long As You Love Me Justin Bieber ft. Big Sean 7 Locked Out Of Heaven Bruno Mars 8 Too Close Alex Claire
Heights Staff
Since “So Sick” first permeated the charts in 2006, Ne-Yo has been a distinctive force in music, with his singles valued as nothing less than industry gold. Yet his fourth studio album, Libra Scale, never measured up to previous efforts. After shaving off his stylistic peach fuzz, Ne-Yo returns this November with R.E.D. (Realizing Every Dream), with newly-grown artistic stubble evident in his work. In “Cracks in Mr. Perfect,” Ne-Yo opens the album with an intelligently posed concession of his faults in character. It’s a portrait of an industry’s obsession with human fallibility. With infidelity, sexual irreverence, and fiscal irresponsibility so deeply ingrained in the culture of songwriting, it’s refreshing to see an artist candidly address these motifs: “I know it may sound silly to you / Truthfully it silly to me too / But that’s what makes this song so true.” Ne-Yo’s sound on this track pulls heavily from contemporaries like Frank Ocean and John Legend. It’s more tastefully produced than what we’ve heard from him before. “Lazy Love,” the first single off the album, is a first-class outing in songwriting and musicality. Ne-Yo breaks away from the prepackaged punch typical of today’s R&B. Instead, he celebrates the soulful, organic nature of the genre, namely what Usher failed to accomplish this year with Looking 4 Myself.
The album’s second single, “Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself),” is the blockbuster on the album, adopting a Europop sound, and providing all the explosive energy expected of Ne-Yo. But however laden it may be with dance beats and synth riffs, the single’s true focus is songwriting. Ne-Yo advances the notion of human imperfection introduced in “Cracks in Mr. Perfect,” developing it into a basis for self-love: “Girl, let me love you / And I will love you / Until you learn to love yourself.” One of the greatest strengths of R.E.D. is Ne-Yo’s emphasis on genuine relationships. In “No Church in the Wild,” Kanye West all too appropriately posed, “Love is cursed by monogamy.” Pop culture’s recent struggle to deconstruct the conventionalities of love is not without artistic merit, but Ne-Yo’s effort to rebuild them is a strikingly bolder stance. “Don’t Make Em Like You” is the album’s “toast to the ladies with class.” Ne-Yo salutes the girls who leave the club early for work or class the next day, proposing that the foundation of love is this sense of self-worth. “Be The One” is the story of saving a girl from a seemingly abusive relationship: “I don’t know the whole story / But I’m assuming it wasn’t your fault.” Throughout the album, there’s this overwhelming sense that Ne-Yo is simply a good guy. In the spirit of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On,” Ne-Yo stays true to his R&B roots by throwing “Stress Reliever” onto the album. No matter how you dress it up,
R.e.d. ne-yo produced by motown released nov. 6, 2012 Our rating A-
Singles
Top Albums
courtesy of motown records
Esteemed Ne-Yo reinvents his harmonious and angelic voice within the R&B genre with his latest album ‘R.E.D.’ it’s a song about making the nasty, but more than that, it’s an experimental endeavor, best compared to efforts of Canadian artist The Weeknd. In stark contrast, Ne-Yo teams up with country star Tim McGraw on “She Is,” creating an exceptionally mature country-R&B lovechild. The ability of R.E.D.’s sound to transcend genres gives Ne-Yo’s work a newfound importance—it’s not about the killer singles as it was before, but rather the push-and-pull required
to reinvent R&B. Ne-Yo teams up with Fabolous and Diddy on “Should Be You,” the “Marvin’s Room” of the album. It explores a darker longing for relationships past: “As I lay here with some girl I don’t know / In the back of my mind, one million times / I tell myself it should be you.” It’s another “Crack in Mr. Perfect,” and the painful honesty behind it makes it one of the album’s best tracks. Calvin Harris and Ne-Yo’s su-
per-single “Let’s Go” makes its dramatic appearance as a bonus track on R.E.D., but it’s important to note it acts as a frame for the album, as opposed to Ne-Yo’s previous efforts in which the album framed the singles. In this regard, R.E.D. does more than just revitalize Ne-Yo’s career: it redefines it. It’s an R&B album certainly not lacking in fireworks, but truly becomes a spectacle by the means of its art. n
1 Red Taylor Swift 2 good, kid m.A.A.d city Kendrick Lamar 3 Night Train Jason Aldean 4 Babel Mumford & Sons Source: Billboard.com
Meek Mill’s solo album displays attitude, but lackluster overall By Taylor Cavallo
Assoc. Arts & Review Editor
Dreams and Nightmares—yet another MMG artist album—is rapper Meek Mill’s first solo album, his first big jump from accompaniment to the big time solo career. His fans have been
highly anticipating the fruits of his labor. In typical MMG fashion, the album features a repertoire of artists (mostly the same as the last three MMG artist albums), including Drake, Rick Ross, and John Legend, a seemingly out-of-place character that has over time solidified his posi-
tion as a go-to random addition to the MMG crew’s work. The album’s most widely praised track is “Amen,” featuring Drake. Its poppy (enough) vibe makes it an obvious choice for a first single, and as of late, anything that Drake touches reaches Top 40 radio in some
dreams and nightmares meek mill produced by maybach music released oct. 30, 2012 Our rating C+/B-
courtesy of maybach music
Meek Mill’s first solo album ‘Dreams and Nightmares’ is an attempt at standing out from the Mayback Music crew.
way, shape, or form, whether with full air time or being a feature in a hip-hop radio station’s custom mixes. The interesting, subtle instrumentals that have a little Mase-meets-Welcome Back Kotter vibe (think Mase’s track “Welcome Back” instrumentals) add an interesting dimension to a track that could be perceived as just your average rap song. While there’s nothing impressive about the rhymes in this track, each successful rap song needs at least one marketable and wide-reaching track. “Amen” is certainly that for Dreams and Nightmares. Drake’s prophetic, quick “Preach!” at the end of each of Meek Mill’s verses is catchy. “Believe It,” featuring Rick Ross, is certainly the most aggressive track on Dreams and Nightmares, also making it the standout track. This is undoubtedly Rick Ross at his absolute best. The rhymes that he spits over throbbing beats are delivered to near perfection on this track with raw attitude that he exhibited in his early days. Perhaps it has gotten a bit watered down as of late in the majority of
his tracks. The rap team of Meek Mill and Rick Ross is, as we all know from other projects they have under their belt together, fantastic, and this song may be the apex of that harmonious artistry. Hats off for Rick Ross supporting Meek Mill on his first solo pursuit. The decision to include Mary J. Blige as an accompanying artist is entirely out of place on “Who You’re Around,” a stor y that presents the difficulty of the thug life and the ever present threat of enemies constantly wanting to “cut you down.” Her voice is beautiful as always, but the song just doesn’t work for the plain fact that it’s been done before: a raw rapper paired with the soulful, angelic voice of an R&B princess. The last and most notable example of this would be “I Need a Doctor” by Eminem and Dr. Dre featuring Skylar Grey, and frankly, it should end there. Not every rap album needs this archetypical track. In one of the few tracks that Meek Mill has the spotlight on him alone, “In God We Trust” serves as the album’s example of
what Meek Mill is about in his essence. While the track does touch on the arguably overdone topics of rap, it’s one of the album’s strengths. Meek Mill is a rapper with an aggressive (yet extremely appreciated) delivery. He can’t really be watered down despite being paired with others. Even alongside Mary J. Blige, he maintained his own. The album needed more of Meek Mill alone in the spotlight, since it is his solo album. This track is a spot-on hit. While it may not get air time on Top 40 pop radio or be the track that everyone remembers off of Dreams and Nightmares, if Meek Mill’s next album features more “In God We Trusts”-type rhymes and almost borderline exhausting delivery, there may be good things in his solo future, making him another MMG power. For fans of Dreams and Nightmares, Meek Mill or the MMG crew in general, the sure to be over-the-top and entertaining MMG concert tour will be making a stop in nearby Providence, R.I. later this month, and will definitely to hit on all the MMG chart-toppers. n
Cee Lo rings in the holiday season early with Christmas album By Emma Donovan For The Heights
Cee Lo Green’s Christmas album, like his personality, can be described in one word: unconventional. Just check out the album cover, a depiction of Green clad in a white fur coat, sitting shotgun in a ruby-red Rolls Royce that is being pulled by three white horses and piloted by a reindeer through a sparkly purple sky. As the cover suggests, Green’s holiday album, titled Cee Lo’s Magic Moment, is vibrant, soulful, eccentric, kidfriendly, and at times comical, though the album is by no means intended to be a parody. The energy of the bouncy opening track, “What Christmas Means to Me,” suggests that Green is not just churning out cookie cutter renditions of overplayed Christmas songs, but is in fact overflowing with authentic Christmas cheer. This is an impressive quality, considering that a majority of pop artists who will release a Christmas album in the year 2012 do so only to appease their record labels or poke fun at the season. This authentic enthusiasm, however, is carried throughout the album,
which consists mostly of Christmas classics revamped with Green’s signature doo-wop meets Motown style. Green’s unique voice paired with vibrant saxophone riffs and a jingly backbeat provide a justfresh-enough take on the holiday standards “Run Rudolph Run,” “All I Want for Christmas is You,” and “Please Come Home for Christmas.” These upbeat tracks may not be the most memorable, but serve as perfectly suitable background music for decorating the tree. In many tracks, Green has recruited special guests to join in on the fun. Unfortunately, some of these team efforts are less successful than others. Take, for example, an interpretation of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” featuring Christina Aguilera, Green’s fellow judge on the hit singing competition show The Voice. The pairing of the two powerhouse voices results in a less than conversational duet which sounds like a competition of whose vocal runs are longest and loudest. This problem does not exist in the upbeat, soul-infused rendition of “Merry Christmas Baby,” featuring Rod Stewart and Trombone Shorty. The unlikely duo of Green and Stewart switch off lines and
harmonize smoothly and effortlessly, neither out-singing the other. Another surprisingly successful duet can be found in the track “All I Need Is Love,” featuring none other than The Muppets, a gang whose spastic weirdness and charisma coincide perfectly with the angle of the album. The unusual layering of a “Mambo No. 5”-esque beat, The Muppets’ famous, “mah-nah, mahnah,” and Cee Lo’s crooning vocals create an almost overwhelmingly enthusiastic yet undeniably enjoyable vibe that is sure to put a spring in any Scrooge’s step. The most successful attempt, not only to collaborate with other artists, but also to bring a fresh take to a Christmas classic, is Green’s performance of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” Featuring a cappella group Straight No Chaser, Cee Lo’s syrupy dramatic style and superb storytelling skills complement the quirky song perfectly. Green covers all of the obligatory carols from “The Christmas Song” to “White Christmas” in energetic, soulful fashion. His voice is so full of energy that it can be overpowering at times—a lot of full-fledged belting is involved. Green’s talent as an artist
is most apparent, however, in the slower songs where he shows more restraint. In his renderings of “Mary Did You Know” and Joni Mitchell’s “River,” Green manages to make even these most sappy, over-played of classics chill-inducing. Green has said of himself, “No one does soul like Cee Lo Green,”
and Cee Lo’s Magic Moment surely supports this statement. Overall, this collection of modified classics offers a level of enthusiasm, emotion, and pure soul that rarely appears in the pop genre today, much less in a Christmas album. It covers all the requirements of a successful Christmas album while avoiding the blandness that
threatens to come with interpreting “Silent Night” for the umpteenth time. Speaking as someone whose stance on Christmas music has always been unwaveringly lukewarm, it must be said that Magic Moment’s infectious energy had me shamelessly tapping my foot to the sound of sleigh bells before Thanksgiving. n
Cee Lo’s Magic Moment Cee Lo Green produced by elektra released oct. 30, 2012 Our rating A-
courtesy of elektra records
While some may describe him as zany, Cee Lo’s enthusiasm for the holidays cannot be questioned after this album.
Radio singles by Ariana igneri Bruno Mars “Young Girls”
Red Hot Chili Peppers “The Sunset Sleeps/Hometown Gypsies”
Nicki Minaj “Freedom” Showcasing both Mars’s crooning vocals and the dynamic production style that characterizes his releases, “Young Girls” finds Mars flourishing. In this sweeping track, percussion and strings build as Mars laments over those “bright eyed honeys” that “will be the death” of him. It’s a solid follow up to “Locked Out of Heaven,” and an enticing preview of what to expect from his upcoming record.
Consistently audacious, Nicki Minaj is resolute on her most recent release. She reflects on her career as a female rapper and relates herself to the symbol of martyrdom when she sings, “They’ll never thank me for opening doors / But they ain’t even thank Jesus when he died on the cross.” Neither hook-laden nor unforgettable, it lingers in between, with an ambient chorus and a bold message.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are releasing a series of previously unavailable songs in nine pairs, available both digitally and on vinyl, from the extra, unused material from I’m With You. These singles are the fourth installment in the set. With languid, sliding vocals, the former is a mellow, acoustic rocker, which contrasts well with the latter—a galloping, bass-bouncing track that is nearly, but not quite, country.
The Heights
B4
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Star value by Emma donovan
Willow Shields of ‘Hunger Games’ is set to succeed Upon hearing the name “Primrose Everdeen,” I shouted, as any true fan of The Hunger Games might instinctually shout, “I volunteer as tribute!” Although she appeared minimally in the first installment of the popular books, Prim is an essential character in the storyline of The Hunger Games, with the potential to become much more prominent as the story progresses. Similarly, Willow Shields, the 12-year-old who plays Prim in the film interpretation of The Hunger Games, has the potential to become a prominent young actress within the Hunger Games franchise and beyond. Although Shields had minimal acting experience before auditioning for Hunger Games, the strong performances she displayed in the few series of small roles that made up her acting repertoire (including a stint on an episode of In Plain Sight) were enough for her to land the coveted role of Prim. The Hunger Games, however, is merely the beginning of Shields’ promising career. The actress is already set to reprise her role as Prim in all of the remaining films, has recently guest-starred on an episode of R.I. Stein’s The Haunting Hour, and is attached to the upcoming films A Fall From Grace and Conversations With Andy. With a major film already under her belt and countless other roles to choose from, Shields is on the road to becoming quite the successful young actress, and it’s safe to say that the odds are definitely in her favor.
Photos courtesy of google images
Fashion is a natural force in disaster relief Designers and retailers show a timely solidarity in times of crisis
Although storm fashion up here in Boston meant putting on your Wellies and braving the two-second walk to Lower (or if you are me, eating exclusively baked goods in the comfort of your room), for many designers, the term takes on another meaning. Fashion does not always have to be frivolous—in fact, I believe it rarely is. It is not uncommon, in the face of a natural disaster such as Hurricane Sandy, to see the powers of fashion used for good. Shop for a cause, and feel good about the purchases you make. A whole crop of t-shirts has sprung up in the wake of the storm that is both inspired by and benefitting the victims of the storm. Designer Jake Levine’s two tees, one women’s and one men’s, are emblazoned with the words “NYC’s Newest Neighborhood! South of Power.” In NYC, 39th street marked the border between light and dark, and has swiftly become the divider for SoPo, or “south of power.” The shirts can be purchased at selflesstee. com for $20 apiece with proceeds benefitting survivors and relief efforts. These tees have raised $8,010 of their $10,000 goal thus far. Selflesstee.com has also been selling “I am Vermont Strong” tees and hoodies to raise awareness of the lesser-known destruction that has hit this state. The sale of “Vermont Strong” pieces has already raised $23,880 towards the relief effort, a staggering amount. Selflesstees.com is a great source to look at for fashion for a cause at all times, but especially in the wake of a natural disaster like the one our country just faced. New York-based designer Sebastian Errazuriz’s studio was greatly affected by Hurricane Sandy. Errazuriz decided to make two NY-themed hurricane relief shirts to ease the suffering of the city he works in and loves. The results are stunning. Using the iconic “I ‘Heart’ New York,” shirts, and one with the subway map printed on it, Errazuriz reworked them to reflect Sandy’s damage. The “I ‘Heart’ New York” shirt has a dark blue sombre effect on it, mirroring how the storm waters over-
took the city. The subway map has a similar sombre effect, but in black, clearly mimicking the loss of power that crippled the city in such a drastic way. Other brands and chains, though not producing Sandy-specific pieces, are doing their part in their own way. Penfield, an outdoor clothing store based out of Hudson, Mass., is donating $10 to the Red Cross for Sandy relief efforts for every purchase made online. The independent design line, Green Line by K, is donating 10 percent of all sales proceeds on Nov. 8 and 9 to relief efforts, as well as making donations of clothing and shoes to children left in need in the path of Sandy’s destruction. These are just two of the many examples of fashion lines taking a selfless step back and helping others. Universities are doing their part too, and getting involved with relief efforts. Yale students have designed and are currently selling “Shirts for Sandy,” proclaiming that we should all “Stay Afloat,” and picturing a duck weathering a storm in an inner tube. For only $14, one could be all yours, and with 100 percent of proceeds after production going to the relief effort, it’s a purchase you can feel great about. Additionally, the Yale students have teamed up with AmeriCares, which has pledged to triple all donations made. Amidst the crop of Hurricane Sandy tshirts that are being peddled to raise serious cash for storm survivors and reconstruction (my home shore in New Jersey, may you return to your previous splendor), other fashion giants are making monstrous donations to aid the relief efforts. Among them: Kohl’s, Target, and Ralph Lauren. These donations make shopping at these stores even better because you know your purchase is aiding those in need. Although it is wonderful to help in the wake of storms like Sandy, this does not need to be the only time that our fashion choices make a difference. Whether it be purchasing clothes made out of sustainable fabrics, buying from companies that do not rely on sweatshop labor, or making a purchase that directly benefits someone in need, there is always a way to give back while you shop. Whether you donate your time, your money, or simply buy a Hurricane Sandy shirt, it’s important to keep all those suffering in the wake of the storm in our thoughts and prayers.
Therese Tully is an editor for ‘The Heights’. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
America’s pasttime gets cinematic
Dan Siering
Fashion Forward
Therese Tully
Keeping with the current
The fashion industry again proved itself an altruistic force, with grassroots campaigns and major retailers alike providing hurricane relief.
I come from a baseball-obsessed family. When I was still in diapers, I tossed around Wiffle balls and swung the oversized plastic baseball bats with my brother (whose first word evidently was “ball”). When I got older, the playful frolics in the backyard evolved into grittier hardball episodes where my older sibling menacingly zinged fastballs and spun curveballs into my miniature leather glove. While my brother was schooling me on the coarser side of the sport, my dad made sure to educate me in the storied history of the great American pastime. He told me about the great heroes of the game and the feats of such legends as Ruth, Mantle, Aaron, and Mays. He also embedded the hallowed stats of the sport into my head— the great baseball numbers that take on their own ghostly persona: Joe DiMaggio’s hitting streak of 56, Ted William’s .406 batting average; Barry Bonds’s career home run record of 762 (or Hank Aaron’s non supplemented feat of 755); and Jackie Robinson’s jersey number of 42. The last figure perhaps confuses a few of you—how can a simple jersey number be grouped in with great athletic achievements? Yet in many ways, it is the most important number in the sport. For those less versed in the world of baseball, each team in baseball retires the jersey numbers of outstanding players that have played for the team and impacted the franchise. Jackie Robinson has his number 42 retired by every team in the league, a symbolic gesture that symbolizes the amount of respect the game has for the man who broke the color barrier. Breaking into the sport during the 1940s, a time still deeply entrenched in bigotry, Robinson turned the playing of a simple child’s game into a firm social statement that fostered the movement toward reformation and equality. But before I get too sporty or profound, let me explain why I’m spewing all this jargon about an old-time ball player. Last weekend, when I ventured to see Flight in Fenway, I caught a glimpse of the upcoming Jackie Robinson biopic, appropriately titled 42. Having tracked the production of this film for quite some time, I was a bit surprised that I hadn’t uncovered the trailer on the Internet beforehand, yet it was a pleasant surprise. From the hints in the trailer, 42 tells the tale of Robinson’s early years as a player and his ascent from the Negro Leagues to the Major Leagues. Fresh-faced actor and relatively unknown Chadwick Boseman plays the famous athlete, who brought an end to racial segregation in baseball when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Hollywood veteran Harrison Ford stars opposite Boseman as Branch Rickey, the defiant general manager of the Dodgers who signed the young second baseman. The preview depicts Boseman uttering one-liners in a hollow voice (“You give me a uniform, you give me a number on my back, I’ll give you the guts,” he says to Rickey) while intercutting to shots of racial tension and old-time baseball scenes. Ford, in a role dripping with Oscar potential, sports a vintage accent and glasses as he rants about impending social change. The trailer also sports Santigold’s remix of Jay-Z’s popular single “Brooklyn (Go Hard),” giving the film a touch of modernity. So will 42 work? Robinson’s life is undoubtedly a daunting biography to tackle cinematically, which perhaps accounts for the fact that it took over six decades until Hollywood took on the project. It’s a story that takes on several forms and centers around several powerful concepts—the intangible power of sports, the impacts of relentless determination, and the profound struggle of African Americans during the 20th century, to name just a few. It ultimately comes down to the artistic choices of writer/director Brian Helgeland. Does the film go the way of Field of Dreams and lament about the unique timelessness of baseball, does it take on a Remember the Titans sort of racial struggle story, or is it more in the realm of Ray, examining the complexities of the life of an American legend? Whatever the path, 42 might be the one film that I am most looking forward to in 2013. It’s by no means a can of corn, but it still has the makings to be hit a country mile (sorry, I couldn’t help but add some baseball vocabulary).
Dan Siering is the Asst. Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
The Heights
B5
The Heights
Thursday, November 8, 2012
B6
REVAMPING THE CLASSICS should
During its seven-season run, the ’90s classic Boy Meets World captured viewers with its coming-of-age characters and every-day’s-a-lesson episodes. The ABC comedy followed Cory Matthews, the show’s protagonist, into Mr. Feeney’s history class, through the halls of John Adams High, and eventually down the aisle with Topanga Lawrence. After such a fulfilling conclusion, Boy Meets World fans may have been surprised by Disney’s recent announcement to produce Girl Meets World, a sequel focusing on Cory and Topanga’s preteen daughter. So, with the vague promise of such a spin-off lingering in the near future, we couldn’t help but wonder: What other shows would make for a good reboot? Which shows should be left untouched?
Gilligan’s Island Gilligan’s Island: What some might call the original, more humorous Lost. While the show, with the unmistakable sing-along theme song, now seems outdated and funny simply because of its now kitschy retro vibe, with a new cast and a more modern twist, this classic stranded on a desert island show has the potential to be rebooted and reinvigorated with new laughs. The extremely polarized cast makes for some great comedic situations, and personally, I think it’s safe to say we’d all like to see those retro costumes adapted to the modern day.
The west Wing Hailed as one of the best TV shows of all time, The West Wing featured an all-star cast, including Rob Lowe, Allison Janney, and Martin Sheen, who made up just several of the Bartlett White House, a breathtaking and inspiring presidency that often seemed more real than the one unfolding in front of our eyes in reality. Episodes like “Shibboleth” maintain their almost lyrical qualities today, as beacons of hope and triumph over adversity that are not only brilliantly written but also eloquently acted and scored. Other shows may attempt to breach the halls of the Oval Office, but a completely different dynamic would need to be established. There are those who could create a very different West Wing—possibly with a Republican president instead— but the tone would be different. Nonetheless, it’s the type of program TV is severely lacking today.
Those that grew up in the ’90s will remember Nickelodeon’s Doug as a staple in the after school cartoon lineup. Despite only being on the air for three years, Doug was a widely successful kids’ program, excelling in its realistic depiction of school life, first love, and American family life. Such timeless themes would make the show an excellent candidate for a modern reboot and an animation makeover. After all, who doesn’t want to see more of the romance between Doug and Patty Mayonnaise, hear more of the absurd sounds that Skeeter makes, or listen again to the Shakespearian angst of older sister Judy?
the Twilight Zone A pioneer of American television, The Twilight Zone established the formula for the success of the spooky and surreal primetime programs during its run in the ’60s. From monsters to ghosts to space travel, the thrilling series sufficiently spooked families and inspired a long list of spin-offs and rip-offs. While it has been unsuccessfully rebooted a few times before, a fresh renovation of The Twilight Zone with the addition of modern special effects could bring the series back to its originally creepy form. On top of that, the current success of shows such as American Horror Story proves that viewers still have a fascination with the spooky and spectacular.
reboot
twin David Lynch’s creepy and still influential series ran for two short seasons in the early 1990s but lives on with later generations through Netflix. On paper, Twin Peaks had a simple concept—a missing girl from a small town was discovered dead, and an out of town detective was hired to solve the case. As the series unfolded, though, Lynch proved his mastery of the small screen with harrowing camera angles, bizarre subplots (many involving midgets and druggy dreams), and
peaks
overall inspired take on a tried and true formula. Nothing could ever top his fantastical, over the top to the point of perfection program, but with the rise in popularity of Ryan Murphy’s graphic American Horror Story, Lynch—or his contemporaries—should return to the screen to prove that suspense doesn’t need the gore.
Little House on the Prairie
Adapted from the charming, adored novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder, the Little House series was produced by NBC in 1974. It chronicled the pioneer life of the Ingalls, an American family of the late-1800s, and was undeniably successful, running for almost 10 years. Current shows, like the instant Brit hit Downton Abbey, have proved that period series have potential. Imagine a Minnesota farmhouse instead of an English estate. Picture a flourishing romance between Laura and Almanzo, rather than one between Lady Mary and Mr. Crawley. Change the characters, country, and year, but keep the romance, drama, and costumes, and Little House could be a timeless favorite once again.
brennan carley | Arts & Review Editor, Taylor cavallo | Asst. arts & Review Editor, Dan Siering | Assoc. Arts & Review Editor, Ariana igneri | Heights Staff
FRIENDS
FRASIER
NBC’s Friends, regarded as one of the most entertaining sitcoms ever, revolves around the lives of six friends. Bringing viewers on an amusing and poignant life journey, the 1994, Manhattan-set comedy ended with—after 10 seasons—a flawless, satisfying close. Thus, a remake would be both unwelcome and unsuccessful (remember Joey?). Casting the original crew would be an immense challenge and recruiting a new one would destine the show to failure. Think about it: Could anyone but Matt LaBlanc own the “How you doin’?” line? Could anyone but Lisa Kudrow sing about smelly cats? No and no. Considering a reboot, even Chandler would say, “Could you BE any more stupid?”
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Other television shows will inevitably tackle high school football as their central narratives, but FNL creators Peter Berg and Jason Katim should never in a 1,000 years sell the rights to their show’s title to anyone other than themselves. It’s been beaten to death, but Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton’s expert and intricate portrayals of Coach and Mrs. Coach showed viewers the most beautiful, honest marriage the screen has ever seen. Football players cycled in and out season after season, but the dynamic worked due to Chandler and Britton, the show’s anchors. A movie is in the works—and hopefully, a nail in the flawless show’s coffin.
Gilmore Girls
theswan Perhaps the most morally reprehensible reality television show of all time, The Swan took women whom society, and even themselves, labeled as ‘ugly’ and gave them an entire full body makeover (entirely paid for), including, but not limited to, face lifts, breast implants, and liposuction. Regardless of the potential things that could be changed to make the show logistically better, as it would now be considered dated, the premise of the show itself is something that society should be relieved doesn’t exist anymore, for the sake of self-esteems everywhere.
It might not have connected with all demographics, but there are those out there who consider this highbrow sitcom to be one of the best comedies in the history of TV comedy. Originally a spin-off of Cheers, Frasier excelled with its witty dialogue, yuppie situational comedy, and terrific performances from Kelsey Grammer and company. It’s a show that had exceptional timing, televised during an era of economic boom and social mobility. In the rough fiscal state that this country is in now, characters bantering about the trivial tribulations of white collar life might not connect as well with today’s audiences.
do not reboot
Noted for its distinct dialogue, touching comedy, and rooted emotion, The WB’s Gilmore Girls examined the relationship between Lorelai and her teenage daughter Rory. The achievement of the series rested in its dynamic familial themes and its crossgenerational appeal, as well as in the talent of and chemistry between the lead actresses, Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. Reworking the show, then, would be too chancy a trial: not only would it be dependent upon the re-casting of Graham and Bledel, but it would also be at risk for seeming emotionally contrived and thematically overdone.
The Sopranos While on the air, The Sopranos garnered a cult-like following and put HBO on the map as a prime cable provider. While the characters were hard to relate to for audiences outside the New York-Tristate Area (and of course, this area made up the majority of the show’s fan base), the humanized portrayal of gangsters allowed curious viewers an interesting insight into a world very few know. Framed through intimate sessions with a psychologist, viewers came to love the anti-hero Tony Soprano and his over-the-top family, both real and mafia. While many miss the show, this soon-to-be classic is too perfect to retouch.
photos courtesy of google
THE HEIGHTS 2012 PREVIEW
GROWING UP daniel lee / heights editor
C2 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
The Heights
B6 B2
October 13, 2011 tHURSDAY,Thursday, November 8, 2012
Donahue’s new guns: “Joe and O” Last season, Steve Donahue’s squad lacked a necessary fire between the black lines. Freshmen guards Olivier Hanlan and Joe Rahon are already changing that. With a war-like mentality for competition, the young guns are looking to push this program one step further.
J
oe Rahon put his faith in Steve Donahue before the two had ever met. Two and a half years ago, when Rahon was a sophomore, Donahue was in the middle of a Cinderella run through the NCAA Tournament. His Cornell squad had captured America’s heart on its way to the Sweet 16 and a matchup with the star-studded Kentucky Wildcats. Rahon, a talented guard from San Diego, sat glued to the TV that night in March. He had picked Donahue’s team to beat future lottery picks John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins on their way to the Elite Eight in his March Madness bracket. On the other end of the continent, Olivier Hanlan, another strong guard from Quebec, was watching as well. Little did they know that this one game in late March would unite “Joe and O” for years to come. Donahue and the Big Red lost that night, but when the coach took over at Boston College the next season and started to show interest in Rahon and Hanlan, both thought back to that game and that magical run. “I just loved watching them play,” Rahon said. “The way they moved the ball, shot threes, and got up and down. They were really fun to watch.” “I remember watching that Kentucky game, and everybody from one to five shot the ball, and everybody was making shots and they were competing with Kentucky for almost the whole game,” Hanlan said. Both guards separately committed to BC and Donahue’s system in October of 2011, inspired by the coaching staff and how they would fit in with the program. “I just felt when I came on my visit, I really fell in love with the coaching staff,” Hanlan said. “I really felt like I would fit in this system in terms of how they play and how they push the ball. [Donahue] really pushes his guards to play hard and have a big role out there.” “I came here because the coaching staff is great,” Rahon said. “They really know what they’re doing, and what they did at Cornell was special. I wanted to get a taste of the ACC, and I love the basketball, so it was the best option for me.” Beyond just their connection with the coaching staff, though, that game against the Wildcats empowered their decision to sign up for Donahue’s rebuilding effort in Chestnut Hill. “I think it helped for those two in particular because it validated a lot of things that they were looking for,” Donahue said. “It just gave them more confidence in their decision that they could judge me on something. If I didn’t do that, then, as the coach of Boston College with nothing to go back on, I think it would be a little harder for them to jump in and want to be a part of this.” Rahon and Hanlan were in, and they wouldn’t have to wait long to make their mark.
The twice a week one-hour sessions with the coaches on the court weren’t much of an adjustment for the freshmen when they got to campus in late June, but the weight room was a different story. Rahon had done some lifting with his dad during high school, but never in a structured environment or at an elite level. Hanlan, however, was holding on to a secret.
By Austin Tedesco | asst. Sports Editor “On the court, it needs to be a war,” Hanlan said. “We can be mad at each other and we can go after it. We can even say whatever we want and maybe attack somebody personally, but when it comes off the court everybody’s friends and just lets it go.”
graham beck / heights editor
Hanlan (left) drives on Rahon (right) in a practice last week. The freshman duo has constantly been battling on the court, while rooming together off the court. “He’s a monster on the bench,” Rahon said. During testing, strength coach Nick Asermelly asked the freshmen how much they thought they could bench press. Rahon guessed around 200 pounds and maxed out around that number. Hanlan shot a little higher and said 225, but went on to max out around 260. “Obviously he looks like a strong dude and I knew he’d be a monster, but I didn’t think he was going to put up numbers like that,” Rahon said. “I was surprised too,” Hanlan joked. Although Rahon couldn’t bench as much as Hanlan, both guys are not only way more ready to play than last year’s freshman class, but most incoming freshmen in general according to Donahue. “They’re just more mature in their approach to the game than the typical freshman,” Donahue said. “They both have really good bodies for this level. They compete physically and mentally in a way that you don’t see a lot at this level—not to compare them to the guys last year. I’m just saying in general that they are as good of freshmen in that sense as anyone I’ve ever coached. Both of those guys really get it. They understand what this is all about.” Although the freshmen proved they had the physical and fundamental abilities to compete early on, once full practices began, it was still an adjustment for the new guards. “The two and a half hours, sometimes three, going full-speed, not only competing with the coaches and trying to push yourself, but you’re also playing against a whole other level of players that you didn’t play against in high
school,” Rahon said. “I was used to high school practices with one or two coaches, but now in colleges you have four or five coaches and everybody’s watching you, and they’re filming every practice so you can’t take any breaks,” Hanlan said. Not only did the increased intensity and competition take a toll on their bodies, leading to levels of soreness neither one had felt before, but it also affected their performance as well. Rahon’s shot, which mechanically is almost flawless, has been inconsistent since full practice started, and Hanlan hasn’t been able to get to the rim or make plays with the ease he expected. It’s something that Donahue understands and has prepared for. “They’re going to have some bad games,” Donahue said. “They’re going to have some rough weeks—and they already have, both of them, in a sense. They both haven’t played as well, I think, as both of them think they would have. They’re both doing a great job, but they’re not playing as well, I think, in terms of getting the results that they thought they’d see yet.” Despite struggling in the primary aspects of their game at times, both freshmen are well-rounded players who have found other ways to make noise. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the other aspects of their game like their defense, their rebounding, their play without the ball, just understanding the game—it’s all been much better than I anticipated,” Donahue said.
Donahue made it clear to both freshmen that no one earned any minutes last season. Quite simply, someone had to play. Hanlan and Rahon knew going into training camp that two spots were open in the back court, and they’ve been competing for them since August. “You always want to come out here – and playing basketball, you’re competing anyway,” Rahon said. “So you want to compete and try your hardest, and then coming in you knew there were a couple spots that were up for grabs, so you wanted to try and play your best basketball, and we’re still to this day trying to get starting time and earn minutes.” “Everybody’s trying to compete out there, and everybody’s trying to get some minutes,” Hanlan said. “It makes practices even harder and even tougher, but I love the competition.” Donahue has noticed a significant increase in the quality of practice since the two freshmen arrived. Not only are two newcomers gunning for the sophomores’ minutes, but they’re also talented and relentless. “Both of those guys have raised the level of play,” Donahue said. “They’re really great off the court, but they have that competitive character on the court. They really compete. Joe’s probably more outwardly competitive. That will jump out at you when you start seeing him consistently. He goes for the jugular almost every play. He’s not going to give an inch, and it doesn’t matter who it is. It could be our walk-on or it could be one of our best players.” Hanlan may not be as outwardly competitive as Rahon on the court, but he summed up the mentality best.
One week before the season officially starts against Florida International, Hanlan and Rahon are at war with each other. Practice begins with a drill in which the offensive player has to sprint from the baseline with the ball around a chair at half court while the defensive players sprint around another chair, trying to cut off the ball-handler and prevent him from scoring. Rahon makes it a point to check Hanlan almost every single time his roommate has the ball. “Joe is just a leader on the floor,” Hanlan said. “He’s always in the right spot in terms of the offense or the defense, and he’s probably the best defender on the team in terms of me going against him. He really makes me work extremely hard on offense.” Today, just like every practice, Rahon is doing everything he can to make Hanlan better. He won’t cut his roommate any slack, and as Hanlan rounds the chair for the first time, Rahon cuts him off before the elbow and gets a hand in his face as Hanlan releases the ball. It doesn’t matter, though. Hanlan’s shot swishes in with ease. In their mini-battle for the day, Hanlan goes up 1-0. Donahue gets in almost every player’s grill after each run through the drill, especially the guy on the defensive end, but when Hanlan and Rahon match up, Donahue usually avoids Rahon and goes straight to Hanlan. Rahon is doing his job, and doing it almost perfectly, and Donahue knows it’s going to take an incredible effort from Hanlan to get a good shot. On their next sequence together, Hanlan drives left and Rahon cuts him off. As Hanlan stretches back off his right foot for a leaner from the block, Rahon crowds him with his hands up, refusing to shut up just like Donahue taught him. The ball rims out and the freshmen exchange quick, silent daps before getting back in line. Hanlan knows each rep is making him better, and Rahon knows how tough it is to check this guy on every play. “O is really powerful when it comes to going to the basket, when he has the ball in his hands, playing defense—he’s a really strong kid that knows how to use his body and he does it really well,” Rahon said. “He really understands the game. He knows how to come off the pick-and-roll and make plays for other people. I think something people are going to overlook is that he can really shoot. If you leave him open he can punish you from deep. He’s an all-around player. He does it all really well, so he’s going to come into the season and impress a lot of people.” Once the drill is over, the duo partners up for an around-the-arc shooting drill, encouraging each other after the occasional miss or any impressive hot streak. Staring at the other one wearing a different color jersey, they become hated enemies, but when it’s time to become teammates again, they embrace the role with ease. It’s not going to be a flawless transition for Donahue’s two new guards during their first collegiate season, but with their war-like mentality for competition and with memories of that Sweet 16 game in the back of their heads, the only place they can take this squad is up. n
graham beck / heights editor
Thursday, October 13, 2011
tHURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012
The Heights
BASKETBALL PREVIEW C3
Commanding in The trenches After an up and down freshman campaign, Dennis Clifford has gained the experience necessary to lead his team through the ACC By Chris Marino | assoc. Sports Editor
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daniel lee / heights editor
daniel lee / heights editor
xperience is one of the key elements for teams looking for success. Having an older player in your lineup can give younger players wisdom and confidence. This year’s Boston College men’s basketball team may appear to lack veteran players, and therefore experience, but a closer look will find that some players have grown leaps and bounds. Just take sophomore center Dennis Clifford. With only a season under his belt, Clifford is being looked at as one of the main staples in head coach Steve Donahue’s young program. After a freshman season in which his team battled against older, more weathered ACC teams, the 7-footer understands the work necessary for success, and has taken on a role of teacher to his younger teammates. “All of the sophomores are now the leaders of this team,” he said. “We went from knowing absolutely nothing to knowing everything—everything we need to know to take care of the freshmen. That’s the aspect off the court. On the court, it’s about making sure the guys are comfortable, and know where to be and what to do.”
seeing that example everyday.” For Clifford, the honor is an exciting accolade that he will certainly not take for granted. “I’m very excited,” he said. “It’s really honoring and humbling that my teammates respect me enough to vote me as captain. Now it’s just my responsibility to be that extra voice and presence in the locker room.” Additionally, he sees this title as an even greater motivator behind his increased effort in the gym. “Being one of the leaders on the team, I think I definitely have a lot of responsibility on both ends of the floor with directing the defense and stuff like that,” he said. “[Donahue] puts a lot of pressure on his centers to be in control on offense, so I think I’m going to have a lot of responsibility.” One area in particular on which Clifford has focused his efforts is rebounding. He is perfecting his form rather than relying on his size to overpower his opponents. He and Donahue believe the results will be obvious. “I definitely got better at rebounding,” he said. “I’m looking forward to showing that. I’ve become more poised on offense, just more controlled with all my moves and the way I coordinate my offense with the other guys.” Donahue indicates rebounding as the biggest area of growth for his young center, who struggled at times against veteran competition. “Last year, you saw him battle a whole lot, but maybe the results weren’t there,” he said. “There was a lot of energy being thrown around, but not sensing where the ball goes. A couple of things like check out your man, wait a second, see where the ball’s going and go after it, as opposed to hit, ‘I have to play hard. I have to play hard,’ the ball is over your head, and you’re flailing all over the place. Dennis is way more poised and tough now.” Playing through his freshman campaign gave Clifford real-game experience that most players do not gain until later years. While the early struggles seem overwhelming at times, he is already seeing major improvements in his play, and even more
“We went from knowing absolutely nothing to knowing everything— everything we need to know to take care of the freshmen.” -Dennis Clifford On a sophomore-heavy roster, Clifford has emerged as one of Donahue’s go-to guys on and off the court. He finished his rookie campaign averaging 9.1 points and 4.7 rebounds a game, and showed glimpses of greatness with the team lead in field goal percentage (.529) and blocks (29). Despite Clifford’s periods of struggle and a loss of confidence, Donahue sees the potential for an increase in performance and confidence as the new season approaches. “I think like most of the freshmen, Dennis had some peaks and valleys,” he said. “I thought he was pretty consistent with his effort. No one I’ve ever coached, especially for a big guy, works as hard as him, almost to a fault. It’s our job to keep him fresh. I think a lot of the things you saw were fatigue that he just fought through at his size. But his confidence is way better.” Always one to put the team first, Clifford was mostly upset about his squad’s losing record, and felt helpless at times. “It was kind of demoralizing at some points,” he said of his team’s struggles. “You’re doing everything you can, but kind of getting that feedback that whatever you do is not good enough. Coach Donahue did a very good job of keeping our guys together, and making sure we’re all on the same page every game.” While only in his second year of college basketball, Clifford gained enough personal experience to realize his areas of greatest need and to focus his efforts on growing as a player. “My workouts have definitely changed,” he said. “Countless hours during the summer. This summer, I really took it upon myself to get bigger and stronger. I think I accomplished that pretty well. I gained about 20 pounds of muscle, which I hope will help me this year a lot more than it did last year—knowing what I can work on everyday to improve my game and help my team win.” Donahue suggests that, as is common with most late-blooming big men, Clifford may be comfort-
daniel lee / heights editor
able playing with his height and weight for the first time in his career. “It’s funny,” Donahue said. “Even though he’s obviously at an ACC school and he’s a big kid, he hadn’t had a great deal of success because his body was changing so much. He was getting stronger. It’s almost like it’s catching up to him. And I think that’s what he’s feeling now. He’s up to 259 [pounds], almost 260, and he’s seven feet with bare feet. His weightlifting numbers are off the charts compared to last year.” This increased confidence and continued work ethic has shown tremendous results in the preseason. On the Eagles’ recent trip to Spain in August, Clifford had a chance to showcase his new skill set, and the increased effort he put into his summer workouts. The results were obvious. In the team’s first game against Eurocolegio Casvi, Clifford put up a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds. He continued his strong European performance with a 15-point, eight-rebound effort against the Valencia Basket Club of Spain. The 7-footer mirrored this performance with the exact same numbers against Regal Barcelona. Despite leaving Spain with a losing record, Clifford proved himself capable of playing against some of the top international competition. For
him, the biggest positive from the trip was the gain in the group’s camaraderie. “I think everybody loved it,” he said. “It was right after everyone spent the second session of summer together, so we were getting used to each other. We knew each other pretty well, and then that was just a great chance for us to come together even more. Guys over there are really talented, and that forced us to play strong team defense and do all of the things that Donahue has been preaching.” The culmination of Clifford’s hard work resulted in his being made captain by his teammates upon returning to campus this fall. Usually an honor held for upperclassmen, Clifford earned respect from his teammates as the kind of leader they will need to compete in the ACC. “I let guys vote,” Donahue said. “They can vote for one or they can vote for 12 guys. I think almost every ballot had Dennis on it. He was hands above everyone, so we decided to go with one. He’s there for both sessions of summer school, and, although it is close, no one works harder in the weight room. No one’s in the gym more. The guys respect that. He has no ego, and sometimes you wish he did, but he’s absolutely for the team. He does anything you ask and plays hard for this team. The guys are
“I definitely got better at rebounding. I’ve become more poised on offense, just more controlled with all my moves and the way I coordinate my offense with the other guys.” -Dennis Clifford importantly, his role as a leader. With such an involved role on the team, Clifford’s expectations of his team have raised significantly. “This offseason, there’s more pressure on our team because we’re young and we have potential and we need to start showing results,” he said. “I think we’re definitely going to surprise a lot of people. We’re all basically a year older, and I think the two freshmen guys are going to help a lot. I think we’re going to have a really good season.” Clifford’s early experience has given him some lessons to not only pass on to his newest teammates but also to expand his game to whole new levels. After a season of losing, he has developed skills for both on and off the court, with the latter giving him the ability to lead his team to successes down the road. “The biggest lesson is probably to keep your head up,” Clifford said. “We still haven’t gotten a road win as a team. The practices during the week count the most. After a loss, you can’t keep your head down. You just have to keep fighting.” n
C4 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
B4 B6 B2
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t’s a Tuesday morning in the heat of the summer, but Ryan Anderson is already in the weight room. He’s 38 minutes into a high-intensity workout with strength coach Nick Asermelly, with two minutes remaining in the drill. Anderson has been going as hard as he could for the first 38 minutes, a little more time than in a college basketball game. He still has 120 seconds to finish hard, getting as many reps as he can till time is up—or until he can’t go anymore. But Anderson keeps going, all the way until he can’t even move the weight anymore. And if he ever lacks motivation for that final push, all he has to do is think back to last season for the Boston College men’s basketball team. The Eagles finished with a record of 9-22. It was a trying season for everyone, with more downs than ups. “The thought I always had is that the feeling of the pain and the fatigue I was feeling at that moment, the pain that I was feeling in my muscles or my legs or whatever I was feeling at the time of that workout was like nothing compared to the pain I felt after every single loss we had last year,” Anderson said. “It’s just kind of like taking that pain from last year and feeling it in a different way throughout the workout. It’s just mentally pushing through it, knowing that it’ll help me. It was just converting one pain and another pain and trying to get rid of them.” His freshman year was a challenging one despite his personal success, as Anderson had become accustomed to winning by the end of his high school playing days. “It just kind of challenged my love for the game,” he said. “You have to know
everything’s not going to go your way in sports. When everything’s going your way, it’s easy to love what you’re doing, to love playing basketball. But when you start to have struggles … you gotta be able to have people that you go through that with and be able to rise up over it and be successful, because it’s going to feel even better when you are successful.” Despite his personal success in his rookie campaign on the Heights, Anderson was not satisfied—he wants to win. The losses are what drove him in the weight room over the summer. The losses are what kept him in gym after practice working on his shot, and the losses are what pushed Anderson to go the full 40minute workout even when he wanted to just give up. He knows the dividends that determination will pay starting Sunday in the season opener, and throughout the rest of his life.
It’s called the Anderson Workout— miss one shot in a game, and you’ll have to make 25 of those same shots in practice the next day. Or if you’re unlucky and go 6-for-15 shooting in a game, you’ll be in the gym for a while after practice. That’s 9 shots you have to make, 25 times each. Anderson has adhered to this exercise ever since he was in high school, when his assistant coach at Long Beach Poly High School, AJ Diggs, drilled it into him. “I start with form shooting, post moves, and then I go through some of the game shots that I take, almost every game,” Anderson said. “Whatever shot I miss, I have to make it 25 times. I go through and pick the spots that I missed. It’s a good mental thing. You feel confident next time you take that shot in a game that you’ll make it.” The workout is something that Diggs has had many of his players trained to do, and Anderson is no exception,
The Heights
but it’s what makes him stand out now at college. “Everybody has to go to practice, everybody has to do weights, and as the season starts to progress, the one thing that normally stops is getting extra shots up,” Diggs said. “Ryan, as a freshman, started the year off shooting the ball horribly, and then as the season went on, he started getting in the gym and getting extra shots.” Anderson saw the results of his hard work paying off, as did Diggs, who watched all of Anderson’s games last year from across the country. While the Anderson Workout is an integral part of the sophomore’s practice schedule, it’s not something a lot of people notice him doing. “It’s just something about doing the extra work that nobody else gets a chance to see,” Diggs said. “They come in and now this year, he’s magically able to make threes or he’s able to do certain things. But people don’t see the extra work that he’s put in.” Head coach Steve Donahue didn’t even know that Anderson had this workout, but said that with the type of dedication he’s seen from him, it’s not shocking. “That’s great,” Donahue said. “I didn’t know about that, but he’s very conscious of what he’s doing out there, he’s very cerebral. He’ll come off the court and we’ll get—all of our guys are assigned to one of our assistant coaches, and he’s always in here looking at the film.” Anderson’s work ethic is always something that has driven him—even when he was a 6-foot-3, out-of-shape ninth-grader. That’s the first time that Diggs saw Anderson and noticed something special about him. “One of the best things about Ryan is that he has a really good work ethic,” Diggs said. “He’s a kid that you don’t have to worry about if he’s getting in the gym—he’s always getting in the gym himself.” Once
October 13, 2011 tHURSDAY,Thursday, NOVEMBER 8, 2012
Diggs realized the inner-drive that Anderson had, he realized he could work with him on the teachable basketball skills, and made him one of his projects. First and foremost, Diggs wanted to add versatility to Anderson’s game. “A lot of people in high school, when they see a kid with [Ryan’s] size, automatically they just want to throw him on the post and have him be a big man,” Diggs
“It’s just kind of like taking that pain from last year and feeling it in a different way throughout the workout.” -Ryan Anderson Sophomore forward said. “For me, that wasn’t my idea. It was just a matter of him being a basketball player and him being able to do multiple things on the floor—whether it was shoot, whether it was put the ball on the ground, whether it was rebound, whether it was scoring on the post—just to have him have that versatility.” That versatility made Anderson a hard player to guard in high school, and it translated to his freshman year in Chestnut Hill. Playing predominantly at the four with some time at the five, Anderson was able to drain a 3-pointer on the wing on one play, and on the next score inside the key. He led the Eagles with 11.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, which landed him a spot on the All-ACC Freshman Team. Not settling for those results,
Anderson relied on his restless work ethic this summer to work more with Diggs on improving his versatility even more. “Most kids, they have a good freshman year and they come home and it’s just like, ‘I just want to get better on the things I already do well,’” Diggs said. “But for Ryan, one of the things we addressed, looking at [BC’s] system, was him playing a lot more on the perimeter, as well as his coach giving him the freedom to grab rebounds and bring the ball up in transition. So this summer, we focused a lot more on his perimeter skills. He’ll be guarded by 7-footers or 6-foot-11 guys, but if you put the ball on the ground and drive from the perimeter, to add to the rest of the things he already does on the inside, makes it so much harder to guard him.” It’s a hard balance to maintain—being able to play on the perimeter but also banging bodies on the low post to gain rebounds. In order to better mold that versatility, Donahue sat Anderson down at the end of the season last year and told him to work on his conditioning. “[Donahue] just wanted me to continue to get into better shape,” Anderson said. “He thought that would help me improve my versatility on the court. That’s what he really wanted me to work on this offseason was being able to be agile enough to guard more positions and agile enough to play more positions on offense. So that was my main goal, just versatility, versatility, versatility.” Donahue expanded on what he hoped to see from his leading scorer in the offseason. He saw innate ability in Anderson, filled with intangibles that you can’t coach—what Donahue calls soft skills, which is what separates basketball players in his mind. All of
The Heights
Thursday, October 13, 2011
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2012
B3 BASKETBALL PREVIEW C5B7B5
The Ryan Anderson file a summer of intense workouts taught ryan anderson how to finish. now he’ll try to do the same on the court
By Greg Joyce Sports editor
daniel lee / heights editor
the skills were there, but the conditioning that Donahue suggested could only supplement those. “What I think he has to consistently do—and I think he’s done a great job—he’s physically got to keep working hard on his body,” Donahue said. “That’s an important part of him. What he accomplished last year—he was probably the weakest fourman in the league, probably because of his age and where he was at in his development. So he’s gotta do great work in the weight room, and he’s done that. He’s done a very good job.” Anderson used summer workouts and a bit of a changed diet to do just that. With the changes, Anderson has dropped his body fat by five percent, converting that weight into muscle. He stayed right around the same weight of 220 pounds, but is now conditioned better to play a complete game. Going the full 40 minutes was something that Anderson and his teammates struggled to do last season, and it showed in the loss column. Now, given the offseason to work on just that, Anderson believes he and his teammates are better equipped to go the distance. “A lot of guys made key improvements to their bodies and their physical conditioning that’ll help us finish a lot more games that we were in last year,” Anderson said. “I thought we played well for 35 minutes a lot of times last year, but our conditioning and maybe strength level wasn’t there where we could finish the game at the
level we needed to finish it at. That was a key for us in the offseason—always finishing every drill, every practice, every workout as hard as we could. I think it’s going to be good for us.” Having seen all of Anderson’s games last year and knowing there was a lot for him to work on, Diggs harped on the importance of finishing strong with Anderson back in California this summer.
“I thought we played well for 35 minutes a lot of times last year, but our conditioning ... wasn’t there. That was a key for us in the offseason—always finishing every drill, every practice, every workout as hard as we could.” -Ryan Anderson Sophomore forward He saw conditioning as the major thing standing in the big-man’s way. With this in mind, Diggs made sure to emphasize the importance of finishing strong in every workout the two did, knowing that it can pay off right away once Anderson walks onto the Conte Forum hardwood starting Sunday. “As it gets towards the end of the game, a lot of that is just about will and determination,” Diggs said. “A lot of the things that he did—every last rep was always the most important rep. We really tried to focus on those last couple of reps in any drill that we did, whether it was one-on-one, w h e th e r i t
was five-on-five … He tried to focus on that last rep and make sure that last rep is his best rep, especially when he was tired.” It’s the exact same mindset Anderson held on that Tuesday morning in the weight room this summer: finishing strong in workouts would translate to being able to finish strong in a 40-minute game. While Anderson had a standout freshman year and worked tirelessly throughout the summer to get even better, Donahue still thinks he has yet to reach his full potential. “I think he’s got another five or six good big steps left in him,” Donahue said. Anderson himself knows that while he and his teammates have made tremendous strides to be in a better position for this season, there is still plenty of room to grow. “From where we were last year to where we are today is completely different,” he said. “And then where we are two years from now is going to be completely different. “I think we’ll be able to be successful tomorrow if we played a game,” Anderson said. “I feel like we could beat anybody in the country. It’s all about consistency with us. It’s improving every day individually and as a team, but then using that ability we have in that moment and being consistent to be successful that night and that game. We have the ability to win games right now, it’s just about being consistent every single night.” One thing that will likely stay consistent is BC’s tendency to lean on Anderson for major contributions night in and night out, just as they did for most of his freshman year. With such a young team, nobody has had the time to truly prove themselves as a dependable go-to guy for the Eagles, but over the course of his freshman season, Anderson came close to being that guy. If BC needed to score, Donahue usually
daniel lee / heights editor
2011-2012 HIGHLIGHTS 11.2 points per game 7.4 rebounds per game All-ACC Freshman Team 7 double-doubles (most for ACC freshman) called Anderson’s number, and he said he expects it’ll be the same this year. “I think all of us would agree that’s our guy right now,” Donahue said of Anderson. “I think different games, we’ll have different matchups, especially with the maturation of all these guys. The thing about our situation is how I feel now, and how we all feel now may be different in two or three months. We don’t have a steady team at this point. “But Ryan’s pretty consistent that we’re like, ‘We gotta get him a touch. We gotta figure out a way.’ One—he can score against people. Two—he makes great decisions, so he’s a terrific passer. Those are the things we’re going to look for from him. I got that vibe—when we need a basket, I’ve got to put him in a good situation where he has the ball and he has an advantage, and then he can make a great decision—whether it’s for himself or his teammates.” Anderson said he gained a lot mentally from being that go-to guy last season, but that pressure has pushed him to do even more in the offseason. “It’s definitely a big confidence-builder anytime you’re able to have success at this
level,” Anderson said. “I think it’s just propelled me to work very hard this offseason to try to be a leader on the team and someone the guys can count on to be consistent. If I’m consistent, I feel like it’ll help our team overall to be consistent. So I’ve just been trying to work really hard. I’m very confident going into this year that personally I’ll be successful and our team will be.” When the game gets into the 38th and 39th minutes this season, Anderson won’t be shying away from taking over. Sure, he’ll be tired from playing out on the perimeter to posting up down low to grabbing rebounds at the other end of the court. The tired body won’t be an issue for Anderson, though. After all, he’s trained to turn that fatigue into success—he did it all summer in his workouts. Mentally, Anderson will be fresh. But if any fatigue sets in, all he has to do is think back to last year. It’s his drive that keeps him going, converting pain into s u c c e s s — a n d losses into wins. n
daniel lee and graham beck / heights editors
C6 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
The Heights
B4 B6 B2
October 13, 2011 tHURSDAY,Thursday, november 8, 2012
learning to bounce back
After a turbulent freshman year adjusting to the states and coming down with mono, Heckmann is ready to give it another go as a more prepared sophomore
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By chris grimaldi | heights editor
fter a tumultuous 2011-2012 season, the Boston College men’s basketball team won’t hesitate to admit that growing pains can find their way onto the basketball court. A freshman-dominated BC roster experienced the adulation of upsetting a ranked conference rival and the frustration of multiple losing streaks. Yet the Eagles are poised to keep the past behind them as dawn breaks on a new year. For sophomore guard Patrick Heckmann and his teammates, Sunday’s season opener will be their first step toward the ultimate prize—redemption. “We just had to learn a lot, I guess,” Heckmann said, looking back on his freshman year. “None of us were used to the level of intensity … it was a process of learning.” For most freshmen, adjusting to the signature quickness and competition of basketball at the collegiate level is daunting enough. Aside from improving on the court, working to earn playing time, and taking on tough ACC defenses, Heckmann had another unique obstacle in his path: adjusting to life overseas away from his home country of Germany. “Off the court, it was definitely language in the first place,” Heckmann remarked of the challenges he faced as an athlete and student new to the United States. “Studying in a different language is hard. I had to get used to that. My teammates knew that, and they helped me a lot with getting stuff right … in class and off the court, and I think everyone at BC was just really nice—teachers, students, faculty members. “On the court, I think it was a faster game maybe. It was tougher. People are more athletic here, the tempo is much faster going up and down the court, so those things I had to adjust to.” Despite this difficult transition, the guard broke into the Eagles’ rotation with solid play, showing off the skill set and potential that brought him from the German national team to the Heights. Heckmann enjoyed double-digit scoring efforts in three of his first four games, including a stellar performance against UC Riverside in which he tallied 32 points—the most scored in a single game by an ACC freshman all season. It seemed as if the rookie had provided an answer in the backcourt for a struggling squad, and a promising collegiate career was well on its way. That is, until Heckmann was delivered an untimely mononucleosis diagnosis that threatened to turn his season upside down. “It was hard,” Heckmann said. “I was sitting there every day for two and a half hours watching practice. I couldn’t do anything, couldn’t lift, couldn’t condition—nothing.
It was hard spending time without doing your favorite thing in the world.” After being sidelined with the illness for seven games, Heckmann bounced back and salvaged what remained of his freshman season. Yet head coach Steve Donahue recognizes that this unfortunate disruption in his player’s development, in addition to adjusting to life in a foreign country, had an impact on the sophomore’s consistency during his first year. “I think out of all our guys, Patrick is probably one of the ones that had more higher peaks and low moments out of the freshman year,” Donahue said. “I think we probably should have expected that. He comes from a completely different basketball background, educational background, probably didn’t really understand what this was about, where the other guys at least live it and had been to college games—[he’d] never been to a Division One game—things of that nature. We’re still in that transition spot.” Nevertheless, Donahue believes that Heckmann can make the transition from good to great through constant improvement, turning moments of brilliance into a solid season-long performance. “I think that’s his biggest hurdle, is getting over [mistakes] and moving on, because I thought last year he had a tendency that if he made one mistake, there were about three or four coming right behind it,” Donahue said. “In the same sense, if he’s playing well, man, he’s on a roll and he gets it going, which he showed as well. I just think he needs to be more consistent day in and day out.” The feedback and encouragement with which Donahue has provided Heckmann and his teammates will continue to play a pivotal role in the team’s transition from a rebuilding team to a potential contender in the ACC. Even after a season in which the Eagles finished 9-22, the sophomore guard credited his head coach with providing BC’s men’s basketball program with a solid foundation for a bright future. “He did a great job,” Heckmann said of Donahue. “I probably don’t know other coaches that wouldn’t get frustrated. He just stayed calm through the entire year, he didn’t really get in anyone’s face. He knew what challenges he was facing, and I think he led us through it … we can see now that he’s getting more aggressive, but he knows that we’re at the certain point where we can take it. So he’s getting on us to make us better, of course.” While last year might not have been an end to the youthful Eagles’ growing pains, Heckmann realizes the unique opportunity BC has to develop a core nucleus of players who are all the same age. Having so many players from the same class was seen as a detriment during the struggles of their freshman year, but it could wind up being the driving force behind a potential Eagle resurgence.
“Playing together for probably four years with each other is going to create team chemistry,” Heckmann said. “We know what we’re going to do. We might still need a couple more games since we’re bringing new freshmen in—they’re probably going to play a lot too—but other than that, in practice Coach doesn’t have to go over every single detail. He says it once and we’re going to do it. We know what he expects us to do, so in practice we can do different things now that will bring us further as a team. “And just building a friendship on and off the court is a big thing too. We’re going to trust each other on the court. We’re going to rely on each other—we know that.
If you’re having a bad day, somebody else is going to pick you up. Those are the things that we know, and it makes it easier for us to practice and to play.” In a way, the Eagles’ international star has proven to be an embodiment of his team as a whole—blessed with a world of talent and potential, yet still in search of sustained success. Although the 2012-2013 season will deal Donahue’s steadily improving squad its share of challenges, it will also be a chance for Heckmann and the Eagles to achieve consistency and get another step closer to college basketball’s promised land: an NCAA tournament berth. n
graham beck / heights editor
Heckmann is hoping to improve on his up and down freshman year, and become a presence on the court as he gets more comfortable.
Q&A with sophomore Lonnie Jackson Daniels decides to transfer from BC By Alex Manta Heights Editor
The Heights sat down with sophomore guard Lonnie Jackson to get his thoughts on the upcoming season. Jackson finished the season averaging 8.3 points per game, including a team-leading 39.9 shooting percentage from three-point range. This season, the California native will compete with two new recruits and find his role in head coach Steve Donahue’s growing system. The Heights: What are your thoughts about how the team performed last year? Jackson: It was a big learning curve, but overall we did a great job and the experience prepared us for this year. We knew that it was preparation for our future. I think a lot of people thought we were going to do a lot worse than we did, especially in the ACC. We had a shot to win a lot of games, and I think this year we’re going to get over the hump. The Heights: How do you think you did individually last year? Jackson: Overall, I think I did a pretty good job playing in my role, doing what the coaches wanted me to do. One of my goals was to make the starting lineup and just to contribute to our team’s success, and I’m going to continue to try to do that these next couple years. It was validating to be out there and compete with ACC players. It was a great experience to be able to play with them. This year, it’s the time to get better than them. The Heights: As the season progressed, what role do you think you took on, and was that a role you anticipated or something new to you? Jackson: I learned on the job and did what the team needed. I feel like it should expand a little bit this year when it comes to scoring. We lost Matt, who took a majority of our shots, and that’s where I think I’m going to fit in. The Heights: Playing your first year of college ball, did you have to adjust your game at all to play at this level? Jackson: At the beginning of the season, it was a big shock when we were beat down early in the season to some teams we should’ve beat (UMass, Holy Cross). Those games really opened our eyes to what we had to work on and where we needed to get to. Those early games were tough and embarrassing. We were all high school players at that time. Those were our first college games and we didn’t have anybody to show us how things worked, so we were just learning on the job. It was a tough time, but we pulled through. Also, [the college game] was just much more physical, and you have to be way more efficient. You have to make shots. In high school, you can get to the rim and finish over guys. So I feel like the biggest thing is finding the different thing you have to do—maybe kick it out in-
stead of trying to finish over a big guy, those little things. Also, when you’re in high school, you can take a break on the defensive end, but now we’re playing against the best players, so there’s no breaks. If you take a break, you’re getting blown by and dunked on so every moment you’re on the floor you’ve got to be focused and there’s no plays off, and that’s the biggest thing. The Heights: You talked last year about the idea of changing the basketball culture here at BC. Do you think last year’s team was able to move in that direction? Jackson: I feel like we have a long way to go when it comes to changing the culture. It first starts with success on the court, and I feel like we’re making strides towards that. BC shows that we do have a good culture if there’s winning. With the hockey team, you see people going out. You see the fans and it inspires me when you watch the hockey team, and you see the fans out there and the pride, and I want that to be the same way for basketball. The Heights: This offseason, what did you do specifically to prepare for this season and what areas did you focus on? Jackson: Biggest thing for me was the conditioning, getting in the weight room. Also, I feel like last year I was deemed as a shooter but I wanted to expand some other parts of my game with ball handling, making plays for others, because last year they were running at me trying to get me off the three point line, so I got to be able to put it on the floor and make some plays. My biggest focus was just to work on my guard skills all around, along with the lifting and conditioning. The Heights: With Joe Rahon and Olivier coming in, how do you see your place on this team changing at all? Jackson: We’re still early in the season. We haven’t had a lot of games. Those two are definitely going to improve our team tremendously. They bring toughness, they can shoot, dribble. Right now, what I’m focused on is getting better personally and working on my skills to do what it takes for me to be on the floor and let the rest take care of itself. I’m not going to be the one deeming my role, so I’m just trying to keep my head down and keep working. It’s a competition—we all want to be out there. Whatever it takes to win, if that means me coming off the bench or me starting, it’s not a big deal. I think our depth is a big improvement to our team this year because last year we didn’t have much depth. Our game is going to be sustained longer. Like last year, we would die off in the last five minutes of the game and a team would blow us out by 20, and we would be in the game the whole time until those last five minutes, but this year we’re going to have an extra push over that hump and start winning ball games.
The Heights: Do you feel any sense of rivalry at the guard position at this point in the season? Jackson: It’s basically two different worlds—in between the lines and off the court. In between the lines, I’m not your friend, you’re not my friend. I’m going after you, and I’m going to do whatever it takes. We established as a team that this year we have to be more competitive and push each other more, and that’s what it takes to be a good team. We established that in between the lines it’s going to be a dogfight, but we’re going to be the best of friends when we step outside. The Heights: Having been in their positions last season, how do you see their development at this point, and what kind of advice have you given them to this point? Jackson: They’ve done a tremendous job. They came in ready. They’re going blind in to the season, whereas we have more experience, so I try to let them know that it’s a different ball game. You’ve got to take care of your body. You’ve got to do what it takes now
before it catches up to you. For example, they do a good job getting in the training room, getting in the weight room, just taking care of their bodies because it’s a long season. So I’m just trying to give them little tips here and there just to help them get graham beck / heights editor through the season because it’s a marathon, not a sprint. The Heights What has Coach said about how you three primary guards are going to be used in the rotation this year? Jackson: He hasn’t been talking about minutes or anything, but he’s
been talking to me about what he wants me to do more of, what he expects from me, what I need to get better at, and I’m just trying to do what he’s telling me to do. He’s a very fair guy. He lets you know what you need to do if you want to be out on the court. If you’re not doing what he wants you to do, you’re not going to play. That’s how it is in every other program. They’re always trying to get someone that’s better than you, and you’ve got to prove yourself. You’ve got to be the one continuing to work on your game. You can’t be satisfied where you’re at because people behind you are going to continue to work and try to take your spot, so you’ve got to fight to keep that spot. When you’re in the gym by yourself, you think about that like, “He’s trying to take my spot.” The Heights: What are your expectations for this season? Jackson: Our goal is, no doubt, to get to the NCAA tournament. That’s our main goal. I feel like our expectations are a lot different than last year because we didn’t know what to expect. Now we know what we’re going into. So we had a whole summer to work on our games and tailor our games to what we need to do to win. I feel like each one of our guys has come back a better player from the summer, and our goal is to make some noise in the ACC. A lot of people still have us in last place, but that’s where you want to be. You want to be the underdog. I feel like we’re going to have a good year and just keep working to get better. The Heights: Have their been any changes to the system Coach Donahue is going to have the team run this season compared to last season with what pieces he now has? Jackson: Last year, the system wasn’t really what he wanted to do. He slowed it down a lot and we were in a lot of 50-point games, but he wants to get up and down the floor and now in the offense he trusts us more. He’s not calling a play every time down. So he’s letting us do a little bit more out there. He’s not coaching as much. He’s letting us play a little bit more. I think that’s one of the biggest differences, and I’m really enjoying that. It’s just been fun and he’s letting us play, and that’s what you really want to do when you’re out there. n
By Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor
Sophomore point guard Jordan Daniels of the men’s basketball team has decided to leave the program and transfer at the end of the semester, Boston College announced yesterday. The news comes five days before the Eagles open the season against Florida International. “It’s a surprise yeah, for sure,” head coach Steve Donahue said last night. “We had talked a couple of times in the preseason about where his role is and things of that nature. I just think it got to a point for him where he just wasn’t enjoying himself in the role that he saw himself in. He talked it over with his parents, and then we talked about it real serious last night that he thinks he’s going to stop playing and transfer.” Daniels will be missed, but Donahue still feels optimistic about BC this season. “All of these things that happen— they’re all part of growing the program,” Donahue said. “I think the guys are going to miss him. He’s a great kid and he was a great member of our program. We’re a tight-knit family. I think in that part we’re still trying to get used to him not being here. We’ll get over it, fortunately—or unfortunately depending on what way you want to look at it. I think we’ll be a good basketball team. I’m real confident in the guys that are playing. Going forward, you’ve obviously got to make sure you get another guy that can handle the ball, and I think we’ll do that over the next couple recruiting classes.” Daniels started in 25 games for the Eagles last season, averaging 6.4 points and totaling 82 assists. He also played a key role in BC’s upset over then No. 15 Florida State. Although he started in all of BC’s final games last year, he was projected to be a backup behind incoming freshmen Joe Rahon and Olivier Hanlan. Donahue’s rotation will be hurt significantly with Daniels’ departure, and players who did not see the court much last season should see an increase in minutes. n
The Heights
Thursday, October 13, 2011
THURSDAY, november 8, 2012
a key presence
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Katie Zenevitch was the leading scorer and rebounder last year for the Eagles. Now entering her junior year, the forward is hungry for more
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by Steven Principi | Heights staff
he key is a sacred area in all basketball games. Measuring 12 feet wide and 15 feet long, this painted area right in front of the net is where many games are won or lost. It is no surprise, therefore, that many teams can only go as far as their post players take them. Katie Zenevitch hopes she can take the Eagles a long way. Now entering her junior year, Zenevitch was the best player for Boston College by a wide margin last year. She led the Eagles in both points and rebounds on a team that underwent somewhat of a rebuilding year. Despite the difficult and, at times, disappointing season last year, Zenevitch remains confident about her team’s potential and excited about the upcoming campaign.
“I’m looking to have fun this season,” Zenevitch said. “I’m looking forward to working with the new coaching staff with Coach Johnson. Everyone has been so supportive in practice and working hard for the season, so I’m looking to have fun and work hard every day in practice just like we have every day in the preseason.” Zenevitch has often been noted for her tenacious work ethic both on and off the court. As a freshman at BC, she earned regular minutes after an impressive preseason. Her incredible passion for the game did not start at BC, though—rather, as she says, it is something that has been with her as long as she can remember. “I know when I was younger, my mom coached me up until high school, basically,” Zenevitch said. “I always had trouble with my left hand. There were
graham beck / heights editor
Zenevitch is coming off a strong sophomore campaign, and will be looking to build on it this year.
two girls on my sixth grade team when I couldn’t make left hand layups and they could. Every day after practice, I would just work on the left hand, left hand, left hand. My mom said I would get so mad I would be chucking the ball away when I wouldn’t make one. I think I still have that today. I consider myself a perfectionist. If I don’t have something, I don’t want to walk away until I get it. It’s something that can be negative where I don’t have to take myself so seriously, but I just try to do the work the best I can.” Zenevitch’s career took her to Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Mass. There, she would not only lead her team to three consecutive Division I State Championships, but also gain national recognition. She was ranked 63rd nationally in her class and ninth in the forward spot for the class of 2010. When she finally left Central Catholic, she had become its all-time leader in both points and rebounds. Zenevitch never forgot her time in high school, and credits her old coach for helping her to get where she is today. “My work ethic has a lot to do with my high school coach, Sue Downer,” Zenevitch said. “She just pushed me at practice each day to not settle for anything less than what she thought I could do.” With high school behind her, Zenevitch came to Chestnut Hill with the same goal she had always had: dominating the paint. She won regular playing time almost immediately as a freshman, playing in 32 of 33 games and averaging just under 14 minutes per game. Her passion for the game and the incredible amount of effort she put into every play did not go unnoticed, as she won the Coaches Award at the end of the season. As she says, though, Zenevitch didn’t change her style of play when she put on the maroon and gold for the first time. “I just want to leave each game with no regret,” Zenevitch said. “I think my main thing right now is to look back and be able to say I gave it my all and I did the best I could, whatever the outcome. And just supporting my teammates this year—I think each of us needs to hold each other accountable. Accountability for our team is a huge thing, and we each need to keep working on just being there for each other and that’s something that I want to bring to the team.” Her sophomore season was even more impressive. With the team in a state of transition, Zenevitch managed to lead the Eagles on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. On offense, she averaged 10.5 points a game and led the team with a 51.3 percent shooting percentage. She also had the second highest 3-pointer shooting percentage, coming in at just under 36 percent. What makes her such a nightmare for opponents to defend against is the fact that they never know just what
graham beck / heights editor
As a forward, Zenevitch feels at home in the key, where she is able to control the boards against opponents. she’ll do next. “I would say ‘physical’ is one thing I consider myself,” Zenevitch said. “I’ll be diving on the ground for loose balls and everything. But I do like my shot coming from the trail spot and up top. But I will do some back to the basket moves where I like to get my player back on her feet so I can go up for an easy layup.” Defensively, Zenevitch may make an even bigger impact for the Eagles. She led the team with 21 blocks on the season and, even more impressively, with 6.2 rebounds per game. Zenevitch takes great pride in her work on the defensive end of the court and is determined to continue working to get ever better in the dirty areas. “Rebounds are a pride thing,” Zenevitch said. “You can practice your footwork and everything, but once it comes down to it, rebounds are an effort play. I have a nose for where the ball is going to be and where it’s going to fall. I think rebounding is a huge effort thing and hopefully I can continue being successful there this season.”
Entering her junior year, Zenevitch expects to take on the responsibilities of an upperclassman. Having learned under former BC stars like Carolyn Swords, she now believes that it is her turn to pass on her knowledge to the younger players. “I’ve been trying to help the post players like Alexa [Coulombe] and Amber [Cooper] and Karima [Gabriel] with their footwork in the post and trying to stay physical and low,” Zenevitch said. “And I think they’re helping me too, every single day at practice. The whole team goes so hard and we help each other. That’s what we’re trying to do. Just match the physicality of the ACC every day in practice.” With a new season just a day away, the Eagles are looking to rebound from the down year they just experienced. Much of their success will be determined on how they play in the 12-by-15 rectangle known as the key. For the last two years, Zenevitch has called that space her home and made good use of it. Going forward, there is little reason to expect that will change. n
At guard, Ruffin and Holt quarterback new system Tiffany Ruffin and Tessah Holt will be two important guards this year for BC, as they focus in on implementing new head coach Erik Johnson’s game plan by Felicia figueiredo | for the heights As the women’s basketball season approaches tipoff on Friday night, the team prepares to implement one major piece of its new game strategy against its first opponent, Boston University: focus. The team returns to the court after a tumultuous 2011-2012 season and a major change in coaching staff that will impact the results of this season. For two of Boston College’s junior guards, Tiffany Ruffin and Tessah Holt, this upcoming season presents both major challenges as well as an opportunity to revive the women’s basketball program in Chestnut Hill. For both Ruffin and Holt, family played a large part in their interest in
graham beck / heights editor
A New Hampshire native, Ruffin is able to play in front of her family and friends at home games.
basketball. Ruffin recalled watching her father play in an adult basketball league when she was a child as one of her main sources of exposure to the sport. Her father’s influence grew when he made the transition to coach as Ruffin grew up. “My dad coached me from third grade until freshman year, which was really cool,” Ruffin said. “He has a lot to do with [my love of basketball], I would say, and he kept me pretty involved throughout my growing up.” Holt had a built-in role model in her cousin, Tiffany Travis, who played in the WNBA as a member of the Charlotte Stings. “When I was a little girl, I used to watch her all the time, so then I was like ‘Hey, I want to play basketball,’” Holt explained. Being the youngest of five very active siblings also pushed the guard to aggressively approach her basketball career. Despite the similarities in how they got involved in the game, the teammates had very different paths to their career as Eagles. Ruffin had been eyeing BC from a young age, as she visited campus with current teammate Karima Gabriel early in her high school career. “Being from New Hampshire, BC is kind of the school that has the best basketball, best academics, it’s close to home, all my friends and family can come to every home game, and it seemed to be the perfect fit from the first time I saw it,” Ruffin said. “It’s beautiful, and there’s not anything more you can ask for from a college experience.” In contrast, Holt began her college career playing for the Florida Gators, even
though it seemed apparent to her mother that BC was the true place for her. “My mom thought I was going to choose BC from the get-go. She bought me all winter clothes before I even made my decision,” Holt said, laughing. “And I then decided to choose Florida, so I had a whole bunch of winter stuff I never wore.” Holt spent her freshman season with the Gators before deciding that BC was the better fit for her, citing academics and the relationship she built with previous head coach Sylvia Crawley, who resigned from the program in March. The major staff shift that occurred this summer will play a huge role on the road to the Eagles’ success this season. New head coach Erik Johnson takes over the reins of the program, assisted by an entirely new staff. The coaching change had a significant impact on the players, many of whom, including Ruffin and Holt, were recruited by a completely different coaching staff. For Holt, who transferred to BC after experiencing a personal connection with Crawley, the transition was enormous. “[The transition] was hard because I’ve been the person that came from, ‘I transferred to this coaching staff,’ and now they’re leaving,” Holt said. “It was a big transition, but I just embraced it. I really like this coaching staff. They’re passionate and they hold us accountable.” Johnson relies on a coaching system of perfecting fundamentals and an emphasis on a unified group, describing his methods as “team basketball to the
extreme.” From Ruffin’s perspective, the detail-oriented approach has helped the Eagles center their game. “If we want to beat teams that are more athletic than us, we need to be disciplined, we need to have high energy, we need to be focusing every play, and we can’t have slip-ups,” Ruffin said. “[Coach Johnson] is really big on focusing as long as you can in a game.” The new system based on the idea of focus has already appeared to elevate the game of the entire team, especially the guards. Johnson is confident in Holt’s ability to be a leader of the team. “Tessah Holt has really grown as a point guard, and really, in terms of having to assimilate a whole new system, as a point guard you’re the quarterback out there, and she’s done a great job at getting [the new methods],” Johnson said. Ruffin agrees that the overall effect of the new coaching style has also helped open up players into leadership roles. “People are becoming more vocal, stepping out of their comfort zones, trying to do the things that [Coach Johnson] is saying,” Ruffin said. With the opening game against the Terriers approaching tomorrow night, both the players and coaches are ready to test their new system. “We’re anxious to see what we’re going look like,” Ruffin said. “I’m excited to see how our team is going to react to this whole new style and plan. I think we’re going be really good.” Holt echoed her teammate’s confidence, and sees it extending into the future as well. “I think we’ll obviously be better than last year, and I think we’ll be above 500,” she said. “We were picked 12th in the conference, and we’re like, ‘Okay, that’s fine, you all can sleep on us all you want,’ but at the end of the day, we’re going to come at each team hard and aggressive and we’re ready to compete.”
Johnson also cited the integral part that fan involvement can play in a basketball game. “Atmosphere in college basketball is huge and we’re looking to build that, and make something that the Boston College community is proud of,” he said. “[Students] will enjoy the games. They should know when they come they’re going to see a high quality of play, they’re going to be engaged with the game, the players want to be a part of the community, and are great role models for kids. I hope that we can be accessible to the fans and students, and create that atmosphere, and we’re hoping to do whatever it takes to make that happen.” The Eagles will be able to test their new system of play against the Terriers on Friday at BU, and whatever the outcome, the future of the women’s basketball program looks bright with leadership from Ruffin and Holt poised to implement changes on the court. n
graham beck / heights editor
This is Holt’s second year as a guard on the Heights after she transferred from Florida.
C8 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
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The Heights
October 13, 2011 tHURSDAY,Thursday, NOVEMBER 8, 2012
johnson returns to raise up bc By Andrew Klokiw
habit of routinely qualifying for the NCAA tournament and making deep runs in the ACC, but fell into a bit of disrepair prior to a coaching change. Tasked with picking up the pieces left behind by Skinner, Donahue finally has a roster that has his stamp on it, and Johnson is quick to point to him as a role model for what the new coach will be facing. “Over the past few days, I’ve spent at least a good hour in [Donahue’s] office each day,” Johnson said last week. “I’m a junkie—I’m always at practice, in the gym, seeing if I can pick something up. To have someone like Coach Donahue on our campus is awesome for me as a coach. He and his staff have been so welcoming, it’s just the culture here.” For his part, Donahue played a small role in bringing Johnson back to the Heights, as he received nothing but positive feedback on Johnson’s coaching exploits from contacts on both the men’s and women’s side of the game. “I see a guy who’s extremely positive in his approach, yet he is still holding the girls accountable,” Donahue said of Johnson. “I see a great energy in the weight room, organization in his practice plans, and I see a group that understands what it takes to win on and off the court. They’re probably going to go through some rough spots, but once that journey begins to get under way, I believe you’ll see someone in Coach Johnson who is really the right guy for that program.” With all that in mind, Johnson and his staff would appear to have their work clearly cut out for them. Unfamiliarity will almost certainly not be one of the major problems for BC’s coaches, as Johnson’s three assistant coaches, Yvonne Hawkins, Shelley Sheetz, and Lisa Faulkner, as well as the director of operations, Chris Brann, served with him in Denver. Hawkins and Brann are making their return to Chestnut Hill, having served as coaches here during Johnson’s first stint with the Eagles. The only thing left to impress upon this young BC team is his coaching style, and the wins will follow. If the Eagles buy into Johnson’s spirited style, the rebuilding process may not be a process at all. “There is no reason that this team can’t be successful right now, and I think that our goal for this season would have to be to finish with a winning record,” Johnson commented on his team’s outlook for this
Heights Staff
The term “rebuilding” is one of the hardest for any coach, player, or fan to swallow in the world of sports, yet it is not an altogether rare phenomenon. A program in the rebuilding stages is one that has lost its way and may require anything from a simple coaching change to a roster overhaul in order to set it back on the right path. With certain extenuating circumstances, however, the best candidate to engineer such a turnaround may just be someone with knowledge of what was working before it began to go wrong. The women’s basketball team and former athletic director Gene DeFilippo found that individual when they brought Erik Johnson back to the Heights to replace Sylvia Crawley in April. “We know Erik is an outstanding coach and a strong leader,” DeFilippo said in the University’s official press release at the time. “He has done a great job with the
“Having seen Cathy Inglese and how she had built this thing, and knowing what it takes to be successful at Boston College, I feel like I have a leg up. ” -Erik Johnson Denver program and we are very pleased to welcome him back to the Boston College family.” Johnson, a coach known for his passionate and energetic approach to the game of basketball, represents a radical departure from his reserved predecessor, Crawley. The return to Boston College that DeFilippo alluded to was a reference to his time here from 2005 to 2008, when he served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator to Cathy Inglese. “I am in a much different position than most new coaches, in that I know exactly what I’m getting into,” Johnson said of returning to the place where he got his start in coaching. “I know the people, I know the place, and I know the culture. I knew BC fit me. Having seen Cathy Inglese and how she had built this thing, and knowing what it takes to be successful at Boston College, I feel like I have a leg up. This isn’t an unknown quantity—we have the right types of players, we just need to roll up our sleeves and go create the right culture and make it happen.” Prior to Crawley’s tough four-year tenure on the Heights, the women’s team was led by the long-serving Inglese. Hired in 1993, Inglese brought Johnson to BC for the first time in 2005, where he served with her until her abrupt resignation in April of 2008. During his first stint at BC, Johnson was known for his recruiting prowess, which contributed to the Eagles’ appearance in the Sweet 16 in 2006. Later under Inglese, Johnson’s presence was crucial in bringing the likes of Carolyn Swords, Jaclyn Thoman, and Stefanie Murphy to the Heights, all three of whom enjoyed successful careers in the maroon and gold. It was around the time of Inglese’s departure that Johnson moved from BC to the Sun Belt Conference, where he earned his first head-coaching job at the University of Denver. Johnson’s teams showed marked improvement each of the four years he served there, as they improved from 16-14 in his inaugural year to 19-12 in each of the last two years. “We were able to build a culture at
photo courtesy of the university of denver
Denver where the kids knew what we did well,” Johnson said. “We moved the basketball really well, we created shots for each other, we had really high assist rates, and we shot a really high percentage, all because we don’t really care who shot the ball. Our team walked into every game really believing we were going to come out with a win. On paper, we should not have been in some of those games, but our kids knew that if we executed our game plan, we could win every night. I have to give a lot of credit to Cathy Inglese for teaching me as an assistant the power of making those adjustments and having smart kids who buy in.” Along the way, Johnson’s up-tempo style earned Denver its first win over a ranked opponent in program history, as well as numerous other victories over teams from the power conferences. In his second-to-last season, BC’s new head coach steered Denver to an appearance in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT), the women’s program’s first postseason berth in 10 years. Johnson’s recruiting expertise was on full display with Denver’s 2012 class
of recruits, as that group was ranked by ESPN as the 16th best overall for midmajor schools. In returning to the Heights, however, Johnson will face a wholly unfamiliar situation. The Eagles finished with a moribund 7-23 record last season, leaving the incoming coach and his staff with a daunting rebuilding task. The hardships the Eagles will face are exacerbated by the fact that they must engineer a turnaround amidst the perennially tough ACC. Last season’s struggles were made all the more surprising by the fact that the program had not experienced a losing season since midway through Johnson’s first term at BC. This season’s roster features only one senior, guard Kerri Shields, and should give the energetic Johnson enough young pieces to mold the Eagles into the type of team he thinks can be successful. “Your team is going to reflect your personality, and that’s one of the first things you learn in coaching,” Johnson said. “There are a million things to do each day, and you’re defined by what matters most
to you. For me, the enthusiasm, passion, loving the game is the most important part. Even when things go badly, you’re supposed to be having fun. If you’re going to be a good basketball team, it has got to be more than just a job. This is about trying to get [the team] to love the game again. It’s about playing hard, playing together, and loving what you’re doing, and I think we’re getting there.” Johnson’s team does have an advantage over any other that would be considered in a rebuilding stage, as it returns every single one of its leading scorers from last season. Johnson will lean heavily on Shields, along with returning junior starters—center Katie Zenevitch, forward Kristen Doherty, and guards Tiffany Ruffin, Shayra Brown, and Tessah Holt—to guide the transition. There is also a lesson to be learned by Johnson in the form of his counterpart in the men’s program, head coach Steve Donahue. Donahue came to the Heights two seasons ago to replace Al Skinner with a team that followed an eerily similar path to Crawley’s team. Both the men and women had made a
“There is no reason that this team can’t be successful right now, and I think that our goal for this season would have to be to finish with a winning record.” -Erik Johnson season. “We don’t really set goals simply on wins and losses though. If we can take care of our fundamentals, those are things that don’t take great talent. They take discipline and hard work and little bit of time. If we do those things, I think we put ourselves in a position to compete with anybody. We’re trying to focus on the process more than the outcome right now, and I believe that the scoreboard will then take care of itself.” When speaking to Johnson, one cannot help but feel the passion he exudes for the game of basketball, and how much he yearns to instill that passion in his players. If his team buys into the vision set forth for this program by their coach, the term “rebuilding” may be one that is not heard around Conte Forum for a long time. n
alex manta / heights graphic
metro The Heights
Thursday, December 8, 2011
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Thursday, November 8, 2012
The Future
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America
president
Obama moves ‘Forward’ into second presidential term By Brenna Cass For The Heights
Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney early Wednesday morning and secured himself a second term as president of the United States. Obama surpassed the former governor of Massachusetts in a tight contest, winning 97 more Electoral College votes but only 2.3 percent more of the popular vote. The race, which ends almost two years of campaigning, was hard fought by
both the Democrats and Republicans. After a long and bitter campaign for reelection, Obama won the popular vote with 59,873,314 total votes, or 50.4 percent of the popular vote, to Romney’s 57,185,256 votes, or 48.1 percent of the popular vote, as of 11 a.m. Wednesday morning. Although it had been debated throughout the night if he would win both the popular vote and the Electoral College vote, Obama definitively won the election with a majority in the Electoral College, winning
303 electoral votes. This was well above the required 270 votes, while Governor Romney trailed with 206 electoral votes. As more states across the country were projected to go blue as the night went on, Obama was projected to win re-election as early as 11:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday night. A key factor in Obama’s electoral victory was the winning of swing states such as Florida, Ohio, and Virginia, with 27, 18, and 13 electoral votes, respectively. It was not clear which
candidate would win these states, which were especially important with so many electoral votes. Obama only defeated Romney by a small margin in all three of these states. The closest race of all the states was found in Florida, where Obama gained 49.8 percent of the vote, while Romney gained 49.3 percent, leaving a margin of only 0.5 percent of voters. Although Obama was able to win most of the
See President, D3
senate
Warren decisively ousts Brown in Senate By Lauren Totino Heights Staff
Elizabeth Warren won a historic victory over incumbent Senator Scott Brown on Tuesday, signifying a return to liberalism and the preservation of the Democratic Party’s majority in the United States Senate. Warren, 63, will become the first woman to represent Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate. A Harvard law professor and former Obama Administration adviser, Warren is best characterized by her consumer advocacy, particularly in the financial services industry, and is recognized for assisting in the establishment of a consumer watchdog agency following the Wall Street meltdown. Warren’s victory reignites the liberal
spirit sparked by the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, whose 46-year career in the Senate was succeeded by Brown, who overcame Attorney General Martha Coakley in the special election of 2010. Brown’s tenure in the U.S. Senate, though brief, had altered the Obama Administration’s agenda due to the augmented ability of Republicans to uphold bills in the Senate. In this way, Warren’s win also marks a comeback for the Democratic Party. Warren led Brown 54 percent to 46 percent, with 91 percent of precincts reporting. With support from both liberal suburbs and the state’s major cities, including Worcester, Springfield, Fall River, New Bedford, and Boston, Warren was able to build her lead in the closely contested race. Brown was unable to compensate with the
Republican regions of Merrimack Valley, Blackstone Valley, the South Shore, and northern Worcester County. Organized labor was also on the side of Warren, who gained a 61 percent victory among union members, according to an AFL-CIO poll taken Tuesday. At the Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel in Boston, Warren thanked the cheering crowd before her, proudly proclaiming, “This is your night. This is your victory.” Republicans rested on Brown’s popularity and reputation as a moderate Republican for a victory, but came up short. Brown spent the latter part of his campaign playing up a “people over party” ideal, stressing individual character over partisan
See Senate, D3
By Natalie Blardony For The Heights
On Tuesday, Nov. 6, all eyes, for the most part, were on the presidential election. Massachusetts voters, however, also faced critical decisions regarding legislature, in particular the legalization of medical marijuana usage and physician-assisted suicide. The legalization of medical marijuana will, in effect, allow people with severe enough medical conditions to possess, carry, and take this drug without incurring any state criminal and civil penalties. The measure would allow certain people—caretakers among them—who cannot get to a designated distribution center to grow the substance for themselves for up to 60 days. It will also allow
i nside Metro this issue
On the Flip Side
for non-profits that are regulated by the state’s Department of Public Health to provide medical marijuana for patients’ use, with written certification from a doctor. Medical marijuana has passed at 63 percent in favor to 37 percent against. While many were against this idea for fear of substance abuse, driving while under the influence, and lack of control over the situation, there has recently been a large movement of supporters on the other side of the fence. They posed quite a few highly compelling arguments that potentially swayed even the staunchest of opponents. Taxation on a regulated system of selling and distributing medical marijuana will get rid of a significant portion of illegal activities pertaining to marijuana, not to mention the amount of
Do voting polls indirectly affect the votes of American citizens, or are they useful tools to measure candidates’ success?.................................... D3
legislation
Results split on legislative referendums
money the state now has the potential to gain from this. In addition, it will allow for less police attention to a much less severe issue, especially in comparison with the larger matters that afflict Massachusetts. The topic of physician-assisted suicide, Question Two on the ballot, was a much more sensitive subject, and the motion was voted down by the slim margin of 49 percent in favor to 51 percent against—separated by under 50,000 votes. Many believed that if legalized, this system would have been abused and manipulated by family members who wish to rid themselves of their elders who are fading too slowly, or by health insurance
See Legislation, D2
Restaurant Review: Blue Ginger....................................................D4 Person to Watch: Hrag Hamalian ...................................................D2
D2
The Heights
Mind Yo’ Business
Acquiring a piece of history
Marc Francis Within one of my storage closets, behind stacks of clothing from my youth, lies an exceptionally large plastic container with the phrase “I ‘heart’ the dark side” written on the front. I was a self-proclaimed Star Wars nerd throughout my entire childhood, owning countless clone trooper figurines, makeshift lightsabers, and dueling arenas. For at least seven years in a row, my Christmas list was congested with gifts produced by the mind of George Lucas. My friends and I took the intergalactic series so seriously that we each took on the role of a character and held weekly battles in my backyard, which consisted of beating each other with pool noodles and capturing different parts of the driveway. Since Star Wars played such a vital role in the development of my childhood friend group, the news of a potential Episode 7 has caught my attention. Walt Disney Co. recently purchased Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion, revealing its plan for a new addition to the series in 2015. In less than two decades, Disney has demonstrated its remarkable ability to acquire fruitful companies and crank out enormous successes. Some of its high-profile acquisitions include ESPN, ABC Family, Pixar, and Marvel Entertainment. Disney is responsible for the widely popular productions of The Avengers, Finding Nemo, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and Iron Man. Now, Disney has purchased the rights to Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and the most skillful visual effects team in Hollywood—Industrial Light and Magic. This same visual team is responsible for the fantastic productions of The Avengers, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Hunger Games. A large part of the reason why I commend Disney’s knack for acquisitions is because of a seemingly apparent aesthetical conflict. For instance, the average person would most likely not pair a company like Disney with ESPN and expect a positive return. Most of us associate Disney with sassy princesses, beautiful Dalmatian coats, and magical lamps—who would have thought that the same company could help produce a popular show on ABC Family about teenage pregnancy and drug abuse? CEO and chairman Bob Iger spoke about Disney’s cultural philosophy in an interview with Fortune Magazine last May: “Practicing a kind of cultural imperialism or autocracy on cultures that have thrived without you is just the wrong thing … If the culture is important in terms of the creative environment, then that will be protected.” Instead of influencing its acquisitions, Disney would rather learn and be shaped by them. This kind of approach to company takeovers is the driving force behind its colossal achievements. Although Disney may decide to remake the series rather than build on Lucas’s empire, I remain skeptical. Despite the fact that Disney’s past accomplishments point to future ones, the largest obstacle standing in its way is the legendary status of Star Wars. It is not just another story about power struggle, love, and battling species—it represents an entire era of film. Without a doubt, Lucas’s series is the “Thriller” of the previous generation’s movie culture. Plus, the original movies have a distinct low-budget quality that adds to their timelessness. Even if Disney managed to replicate the interesting plot and superb character casting, many would feel as if the company is crossing the line and tampering with a piece of history. Personally, the number of sequels and continuations of series in the last decade has reached a saturation point—it indicates the current generation’s lack of motivation and innovation. I do not believe the acquisition of Lucasfilm was a poor business move, but I do think that Disney should wait awhile before touching the unforgettable series. A new addition would definitely roll in the profits—I would probably attend the midnight showing—but there would be a hint of disrespect for a piece of work that inspired a new wave of interest in fantasy, outer space, and visual effects. Marc Francis is the Asst. Metro Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Cellular phones charge wirelessly at Starbucks By Jacqueline Parisi Heights Staff When customers enter a Boston Starbucks in the coming weeks, they will not only be able to recharge themselves with a festive pumpkin spice latte, but also recharge their cell phones with a wireless charging system produced by Duracell Powermat in conjunction with the Power Matters Alliance (PMA). “We are always looking for ways to help our customers recharge, both literally and figuratively,” said Adam Brotman, chief digital officer of Starbucks. “Wireless charging is not only the most convenient and simple way to recharge a mobile device, but it’s also environmentally friendly—so it makes perfect sense for us to create a universal standard for wireless charging.” The wireless charging technology will be built into some of the tables, eliminating the need for wires to be plugged into wall outlets for power. The Duracell Powermats use inductive magnetic wireless charging technology, so a mobile device must come into contact with the surface in order for it to charge. This technology also requires the devices receiving the power to use special adaptors that can be plugged into the mini-USB port of a smartphone. If customers do not own this accessory for their phones, Starbucks will provide a limited number of free and loaner connectors to use. AT&T has already started to sell compatible cases that allow their smartphones to charge on Powermats. Currently, three Starbucks stores in Boston are offering wireless charging: One Financial Center, 125 Summer Street, and 101 Federal Street in Boston. According to Starbucks spokesperson Linda Mills, however, 17 stores in Boston and Cam-
bridge are slated to soon be equipped with this wireless charging technology. Each store will have about eight charging stations that will remain functional through the holidays and into the New Year. Early in 2013, Starbucks plans to talk to their customers and employees to subsequently regroup with Powermat and figure out what the next step should be. The question in the minds of most Starbucks employees is whether or not free Wi-Fi combined with wireless charging will encourage customers to hang around for longer periods of time. “Customers are coming into our stores every day with mobile devices, and putting them down on the table,” said Brotman. “If they could be charging their device at the same time, then we’ve connected with that customer and met their need—maybe even before they realized they had a need for wireless charging.” Starbucks is not the only venue taking advantage of this new technology. In fact, Delta Air Lines has also begun to install wireless charging spots around gates at major airports within the United States. General Motors similarly announced that they would be adding compatible Powermat stations into Cadillac, Chevrolet, and Buick automobiles. Following this lead, Madison Square Garden in New York City has added hundreds of wireless charging locations for visitors to use. “An Internet of ‘smart things’ is rapidly evolving and most of them are powered electronically,” said Vint Cerf, chief Internet evangelist at Google, in a press release. “Google cares greatly about a future where power can be wireless, smart, and environmental. The PMA is about doing for power what the Internet did for data. With the help of Starbucks, AT&T, P&G, Powermat, and so many others I believe this goal is finally within reach.” n
Courtesy of Google images
Supporters for the legalization of medical marijuana try to sway Massachsuetts voters.
Voters tackle issues of choice Legislation, from D1 providers who wish to rid themselves of some end-of-life expenses. On the other hand are those who believe that every person has the right to make decisions affecting the end of their own life, and that close family members have the right to alleviate a loved one’s suffering through assisted suicide. Massachusetts voters sided with
the latter on the ballots Tuesday night, opting not to permit the practice in the commonwealth by a very small margin. Other notable ballot measures from across the United States included passage of the legalization of same-sex marriage in Maine and Maryland and the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in both Colorado and Washington. n
AP file photo
Hurricane Sandy pounded New York City, and many residents still have much recovery ahead.
Sandy wrecks the Northeast By Tricia Tiedt Heights Staff
Hurricane Sandy—a tropical cyclone that reached its peak on Oct. 25, 2012—devastated the coasts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States. The hurricane is the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, impacting nearly half the states in the nation, as well as the Caribbean and eastern Canada. With winds spanning 1,100 miles and a highest wind speed of 110 mph, Sandy is estimated to have caused over $20 billion in damage. If predictions concerning business interruptions are correct, Sandy will cost more than $50 billion in damages–making it second only to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Sandy caused the most overwhelming amount of damage in New York and New Jersey, particularly on the island of Manhattan. The death toll in the U.S. has climbed to over 110 people, 48 from the devastation in New York City. Unfortunately, the death toll may continue to climb as search and rescue efforts delve into the rubble and still-flooded areas of the metropolitan area. As the state hardest hit, New York estimated their economic losses at approximately $18 billion. Sandy flooded the entirety of New York’s underground subway system, all road tunnels entering Manhattan (with the exception of the Lincoln Tunnel), and many suburban communities. The New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street closed for two consecutive days—the first weather closing since 1985. It has been more than a century since the Stock Exchange closed for two consecutive days during the Great Blizzard of 1888. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) released a statement on Oct. 30 declaring Sandy the worst disaster of the New York subway system in its 108-year history. Sandy affected all aspects of life in New York City. Public schools were closed from Oct. 30 through Nov. 2. The New York Aquarium lost part of its fish collection due to lack of power and extensive damages to the building. A housing crisis is now looming for the 30,000 to 40,000 New York residents still without power. Governor Andrew Cuomo stated on Sunday that the homes damaged by the super storm will soon be uninhabitable as temperatures drop this upcoming week. Homes without power are currently the biggest concern, with over two million people still in the dark throughout the Northeast. Mayor Bloomberg officially cancelled the New York Marathon set for Sunday, Nov. 4. The race was expected to draw over 40,000 runners–which critics said would divert resources needed for hurricane victims. But the cancellation didn’t stop the dedicated. On Sunday, more than 1,000 people headed to Staten Island to bring relief supplies. Marathon runners delivered goods ranging from food to plastic bags, while others helped clear flooded homes. Jordan Metzl, a doctor of sports medicine who organized the Staten Island run, did so because he had been disappointed at the image of runners
Person to Watch Directions available online clearly outline to prospective students how to reach the Boston College campus, whether they’re coming by car, plane, or public transportation. Yet the journey to college for a number of the nation’s students is much more difficult than any campus map projects. Higher education remains a privilege afforded to students fortunate enough to be raised in an environment where someone in their lives ensured that education was valued. Hrag Hamalian, BC ’05, is working to change the stark inequality among different communities, educational levels, and socioeconomic backgrounds present in higher education today. In addition to a genuine passion for learning , as evident from his Courtesy of Google images
degrees in English and biology, Hamalian’s experiences outside the classrooms at BC—including tutoring Boston youth and teaching in summer camps—combined with teaching as part of Teach for America motivated him to found Valor Academy, a charter school for students in fifth through eighth grade in Panorama City, Calif. Public schools with no additional tuition or stipulations for entrance, charter schools are independent from the governance of school districts, which grants them the power to shape their own curriculum. Valor Academy places a high value on literacy and mathematics by spending nearly two times the normal amount on the subjects each day, offers free tutoring to students, and utilizes a longer school day. Equally important, the school strives to emphasize the importance of attending college by making college a part of its students’ environment. For instance, a number of classrooms are named after local universities. In addition to a deep commitment to education itself, Hamalian reflected, “What got me to fall in love with education as a profession is that it is the final frontier where major innovation needs to be made. Education is such an open domain in terms of what people can do to impact it. It has been fairly unchanged for years.” This social entrepreneurial spirit has not gone unnoticed. Valor Academy recently received the honor of being named one of California’s Distinguished Schools. Opened in August 2009, the middle school began with a fifth-grade class and added a new class each year. Thus, this is the first year the school is operating with
being portrayed before the cancellation of the marathon. Instead of being a nuisance to the city, Metzl wanted to provide aid, and said “Hey, we’ve got these legs that are ready to run 26 miles, why don’t we actually run in Staten Island and get things that people need?” The relief efforts in New Jersey sparked more than humanitarian aid, providing an example of bipartisanship in the face of a crisis. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, an adamant supporter of former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, collaborated with President Barack Obama in the days following Sandy. While touring the famous Jersey Shore (which some experts say is now devastated beyond repair), the two men praised each other’s relief efforts. Obama took a four-day respite from the campaign trail to take charge of storm repair on the east coast. These good relations between men previously in opposite political corners raised questions about how Obama’s relief efforts would affect his presidential campaign. When Fox News asked Christie to comment on his loyalties to Romney in the midst of the storm (literally), he retorted: “I’ve got a job to do here in New Jersey that’s much bigger than presidential politics … I’ve got 2.4 million people out of power. I’ve got devastation on the shore. I’ve got floods in the northern part of my state. If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics, then you don’t know me.” In Massachusetts, Governor Deval Patrick urged all schools, public and private, to close their doors on Monday, Oct. 29 in preparation for the storm. Other schools joined Boston College in canceling classes for the day, including Boston University, MIT, Northeastern, and Harvard. On Thursday, Nov. 1, the American Red Cross hosted Copley Cares, a charity event benefitting the Eastern Massachusetts chapter of the Red Cross. The event, held in Copley’s Center Court, was marketed as “fashion, shopping, and after party fundraising” in which retailers donated a portion of their proceeds to the relief effort after Hurricane Sandy. Fashion showcases were held throughout Copley Place on Thursday, and discounts were given by merchandisers in order to encourage donations. In the week following Sandy, power has been restored to approximately 60 percent of New York, with the majority of remaining outages on Staten Island. Additionally, 80 percent of the MTA Subway System was restored as of this past Saturday, Nov. 3. New York University’s Langone Medical Center, one of two New York hospitals forced to evacuate patients, reopened on Monday. Bellevue Hospital Center is expected to be out of service for another two weeks. While the New Jersey Education Association’s annual conference, scheduled for the first days of November, was cancelled, New Jersey public schools decided to schedule make-up classes in its place. Christie is in the process of making a public list of Jersey utility companies’ expected restoration dates. Despite the nor’easter expected later this week, Christie says the Northeast is on its way to “a new normal” after Hurricane Sandy. n
By: Danielle Arjun By: Gajulapalli Dalton
students in grades five through eight, and the first year it will graduate a class. Furthermore, Hamalian was the recipient of the BC Alumni Association’s GOLD Award in 2011, which honors a graduate who has demonstrated excellence in a profession, in a social cause, or to the University. Always taking advantage of the opportunity to pass on knowledge, Hamalian offered advice to graduates. Who: Hrag Hamalian, ‘05 What: Hamalian works toward eliminating disparities in academic opportunities across the United States. Where: Hamalian founded the Valor Academy, located in Panorama City, Calif. Why it matters: Hamalian advises students to never forget their alma mater in the professional world. Hamalian credits the strong BC network with offering initial help when he first started crafting Valor Academy. He commented, “When I came out to LA, I started reaching out to people in the BC network, and people were incredibly responsive. Alumni feel a strong bond and are looking to help you out.” n
The Heights
Thursday, November 8, 2012
D3
Democrats reclaim MA Senate seat from Brown Obama clear
From the Golden State
Senate, from D1
Jordan Pentaleri \ Heights Staff
Romney concedes race President, from D1 same states in the 2012 election that he won in the 2008 election, Governor Romney won North Carolina, which supported Obama in 2008, by a margin of 50.6 percent to 48.4 percent. The other state that switched from blue to red in the 2012 election was Indiana, which Romney also won by a sizable margin of 10.5 percent. With 11 electoral votes, it did not make a significant impact on the outcome of the race. The Romney/Ryan ticket did not win either of the states that the candidates currently reside in, Massachusetts and Wisconsin, respectively. Romney was not hasty in conceding the race to Obama, and didn’t deliver his concession speech until Wednesday morning at approximately 1 a.m., though most had projected Obama as the winner since about 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening. Under a large “Believe in America” banner at the Boston Convention Center, Romney offered a short response in which he thanked his supporters, campaign team, running mate Paul Ryan, and wife, Ann Romney. He called for bipartisanship in the United States, saying, “The nation, as you know, is at a critical point. At a time like this, we can’t risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle and do the people’s work.” This sentiment was met by large cheers from his crowd of supporters. He solemnly expressed his disappointment in not winning the election, saying, “I so wish—I so wish that I had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction, but the nation chose
another leader.” Obama offered his victory speech about an hour later to a spirited crowd at his election headquarters in Chicago, Ill. He thanked all those who campaigned for him, voters on both sides for getting involved in the election, Vice President Joe Biden, and his wife, Michelle Obama. Like Romney, Obama advocated for bipartisanship in his speech, saying, “I look forward to sitting down with Gov. Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward.” Bipartisan messages were met with large cheers from supporters on both sides after a particularly harsh election. He spoke about a unified country that works together for a common goal, and not a separation of red and blue states. He also was hopeful for the future of the United States, saying, “We are an American family and we rise or fall together as one nation. We know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come.” Early figures show that fewer Americans voted in the 2012 presidential election than did in the 2008 presidential election. This could be attributed to the recent Hurricane Sandy, the aftermath of which kept many voters in New York and New Jersey from making it to the polls. Every effort was made to ensure that voters in affected areas were able to vote, including early voting. Although the Democratic Party retained control of the presidency, the GOP kept their majority in the House of Representatives. The Senate remained Democratic with many notable Democratic senators elected, including Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. n
ideology in a pitch that took into account Massachusetts’ general negative attitude toward the national GOP. As of Oct. 30, Brown had not crossed the 48 percent mark in any polls since the middle of September, with three of the four latest polls showing Warren over 50 percent. Brown humbly conceded defeat and subdued dissatisfied supporters with the affirmation, “She won it fair and square, folks.” Adding to the historical precedent set by Warren was the record $75 million spent between the two candidates on their campaigns, deeming the race the most expensive political contest in Massachusetts history. In a pact made to prevent the outside money of super PACs from endorsing the candidates through campaign ads, Brown and Warren agreed to stand behind their own attacks against one another in television ads. Both candidates complied with the agreement through the end of the campaign, with Brown remarking to The Boston Globe, “Can you imagine another $30 million of negative ads on the air?”
Warren, who entered the Massachusetts political scene about a year ago and quickly created a following with her development of a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, will bring to Washington her critical stance on Wall Street, and with it, the possibility of further regulatory efforts aimed at the financial sector. These criticisms and the push for more regulation won the heart of liberals, and helped win the vote for Warren. Secretary of State William Galvin predicted that 3 million to 3.2 million Massachusetts voters came out to cast ballots on Tuesday, and faced unprecedented long lines. Even after the polls closed at 8 p.m., people were still waiting in line to vote. Although it is typical to expect crowds at peak times before and after work, many voters placed the blame on lack of election workers and the length of the three ballot questions, which totaled to 1,800 words. Brown waited in line with his family Tuesday morning to vote at Wrentham Middle School, while Warren voted at the Graham Parks School in Cambridge alongside her husband and several family members. n
has now joined the ranks of political machines with so many people keeping up with information on Facebook and Twitter. Polling in the national perspective can give a terrifying numerical value to voters. For instance, if statisticians in New York suddenly had began reporting that the state was close to flipping to being taken by Romney (an aberation from their usually liberal leaning) voters would have voted frantically for their “side” without realizing that these numbers might not be accurate. The same goes with a conservative state like Mississippi or Alabama where the majority voting block could be confused by polls and the underdog given unreasonable hope. Alternatively, because with the electoral college it seems almost useless to vote for Obama in Mississippi or Romney in New York, polling actually decreases the motivation for one to vote at all if one disagrees with the majority. This decreases the minority party of a state even more. Polling doesn’t give voters a sense of passion toward politics if their votes do not seem to “count.” Christian Mora is a writer for The Heights. He can be reached at metro@ bcheights.com.
Clara Kim is a senior staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@ bcheights.com.
Courtesy of Google images
Warren was elected over incumbent Scott Brown and became the first female senator from Mass.
From percentage points, to electoral votes, to demographic analysis, political polls seem to know it all. Ever since Gallup correctly predicted the 1936 presidential election and almost every election since, the love of polling has become cemented in the American mind. Today, Americans watch polls religiously to find out who has the lead. While the accuracy of polls such as Gallup’s cannot be refuted, one ought to explore the positive and negative effects of living in a nation where polls are a major part of elections, including the most recent presidential election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.
Photo Courtesy of GooglE images
Polls provide new perspective Polls obscure voter decisions Before the 2012 election, Huffington Post was my best friend. With graphics depicting the Electoral College outlook and the percentage of the popular vote projected for Obama and Romney, I looked at presidential election polls on a daily basis. That is not to say, however, that I was a puppet of the polls. I am an individual who has my own views and opinions. It is a common worry that polls will cause people to go with the crowd, or that an electoral outlook in the polls will cause people to feel that their vote does not matter. People who worry about this are using polls in the wrong manner. Polls are not designed to tell voters which candidate is right or wrong, or whether or not their votes will be able to sway an election. Instead, polls should serve to show how the election is being perceived. If used in this way, polls can be a great tool. Individuals are often trapped within their own political perceptions during an election. Polls can help people to transcend these perceptions. For example, it may sometimes be difficult for males to understand how females perceive certain women’s issues in an election. By examining polls in the 2012 election, one could see that a larger percentage of women
supported Obama for a fair amount of the presidential race. This could have helped an individual understand which candidate is better appealing to women’s issues. If one is a voter for whom women’s issues are particularly important, a vote might be better informed. The same idea can apply to a candidate’s perspective. Who is not supporting him, and what can he do to send a positive message to different groups? A candidate, of course, should not change what he believes based solely on what is popular, but knowledge of the electorate is integral in order to be a successful voice for the people. A voter, too, cannot allow polls to dictate beliefs. Even if a candidate is leading in the polls, he still may not be what is best for the country. Polls do, however, invite one to think about why people in certain regions or demographics support different candidates. This can help one to be a more informed voter, even if not a reformed one. Voters should be firm in their beliefs while allowing polls to offer viewpoints that they may otherwise have missed. Ryan Towey is a staff writer for The Heights. He can be reached at metro@ bcheights.com.
Christian Mora Quantity always seems to be of great value to Americans. This love for numbers spills over into the political world in the form of polling, which has become very influential, especially in this year’s presidential election. Even though we are mainly a two party country, there are many people in the voting population that side with neither party. These undecided voters value these numbers and statistics extensively. However, polling is so influential that it actually hinders the personal interests of those undecided voters. From MSNBC, to FOX, to CNN, every news outlet now gives a general poll of presidential candidates standing in the country, breaking it down into specific voting population such as by ethnic groups, geographic location, and income group. With such constant manipulation of numbers, broadcastsers have incredible power to exaggerate these poll results not by lying about the numerical value, but simply adjusting their interpretation of what those numbers mean in the greater scheme of the election. Using such tactics, television shows gain the power to influence voters in a way that is destructive rather than informative. Beyond this, social media
Clara Kim To many countries around the world, we are considered to be the most powerful ally a country could possibly have. However, as easy as it is to say that we are powerful, by default, it makes us incredibly formidable. Perhaps, one could call it a blessing and a curse. It’s no secret that America is an influential player in the international community. Our policies, our economy, and even who we elect as president, significantly affect dozens of other international players. What we do, what we say, and how we act can make the slightest difference in the very fickle world of international affairs. To demonstrate America’s influence on others, a recent Gallup International poll, which surveyed 26,000 men and women in 32 countries, found that “62 percent of respondents said that the U.S. president has a high or very high impact on their lives, and 42 percent felt they should have the right to vote in this year’s contest for that very reason.” That being said, on Tuesday, people around the world watched and held their breath as nearly 118 million Americans came out to cast their ballot for their presidential candidate of choice. In what was anticipated as the closest presidential election in U.S. history, Americans were split down the middle as to which candidate they preferred, while the rest of the world had already made up its mind. But what exactly does the international community think of our presidential election and its candidates? According to a recent BBC poll conducted by GlobeScan/PIPA, nearly 21,000 people in 21 countries during the months of July, August, and September were asked which candidate they preferred. The results showed that Obama was the preferred candidate in 20 of the 21 countries. With a margin of error approximated at somewhere between 2.0 and 3.7 percent, the same poll taken four years ago in 2008 placed Obama as having the favor of only 14 countries. This time around, as the highly favored candidate, he garnered most of his support from France with 72 percent, and the bulk of the rest of his support from countries like the Netherlands, Portugal, Ireland, and Iceland. Mitt Romney, on the other hand, gained most of his support from Pakistan, the only country who had a majority favoring him over Obama. Georgia, Macedonia, and China were next in giving Romney their support, but also behind Obama. But Pakistan wouldn’t have been his lone supporter. Interestingly, The Huffington Post reported that, had Israel been included in this poll, they would have given Romney their support: According to a poll taken by the University of Tel Aviv, Romney was favored with a 3 to 1 margin. As a side note, The Wall Street Journal recently published an article revealing, to no one’s surprise, that North Korea didn’t like either candidate. A North Korean newspaper reported, “It appears that the U.S. seeks to step up the moves of isolating and stifling the [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] … and wait for the ‘change’ in the DPRK … but it is a foolish dream.” (Thanks for that, I guess?) Nevertheless, other polls suggested the same results as those from BBC. A UPI survey found that 51 percent of international respondents said that they would vote for Obama, while 18 percent said neither candidate, and only 12 percent would vote for Romney. GlobeScan Director of Global Insights Sam Mountford hit the nail on the head when he commented that, “While the presidential race in America look[ed] like it [was] going down to the wire, global public opinion appears to be firmly behind Barack Obama’s re-election—even if two in five express no preference between the candidates.” Now, more than ever, all eyes will be on America. We picked a president on Tuesday night—but the fight doesn’t stop there. With a divided Congress, the world will be watching and critiquing our every move. It’s one thing to urge people to put bipartisanship aside. It’s another to act upon it. The ball is in our court—it’s just a matter of what we do with it.
THE ISSUE:
Ryan Towey
favorite in global politics
The Heights
Thursday, November 8, 2012
D4
BY MARC FRANCIS
Experiencing the American dream in one day trip Harvard Square continually attracts the most eccentric locals—those who mutter to themselves as they walk, enjoy reading a book in a traditional cafe, and love chowing down on a cheap hamburger. It is one of the most liberated areas of Massachusetts, manifesting its free spirit in quirky
bookstores and the occasional cobblestone street. Given the amount of history and diversity within the Square, it is an area of Cambridge that merits continual exploration. A visit to Harvard Square results in a genuine American experience for both the traditional and modern local. After taking the trip on the Red Line to Harvard Square, Charlie’s Kitchen makes for a worthwhile first stop. With mouthwatering hamburgers, waffle fries, and nachos, Charlie’s satisfies both taste levels and price points. It attracts a diverse crowd, ranging from college students to the older locals, and provides a comfortable hangout atmosphere anytime of the year. During the summer, Charlie’s opens
photo Courtesy of Google images
Charlie’s Kitchen is a rugged, all-American bar and restaurant with a diverse customer base.
its beer garden to all eligible drinkers, allowing its customers to choose from a wide selection of beers throughout cool summer nights. Its small size and friendly servers contribute to the relaxed environment and help make the bar a fantastic place to reunite with some old friends amidst the craziness of an all-American bar. Following a visit to Charlie’s, take a stroll down Brattle Street in Harvard Square’s renowned shopping area. Specifically, spend some time at “Black Ink,” a store that sells “unexpected necessities.” The store’s merchandise is arranged in tall, thin shelves, giving the illusion of a library. The shelves are stocked with quirky greeting cards, gift wraps, and miscellaneous home appliances. The store also sells items under the brand “The Museum of Useful Things.” The store boasts that “The Museum of Useful Things byline has always been ‘the beauty of function,’ the satisfaction of a welldesigned product that is economical (not just in price, but in usage) made of appropriate materials, and one that does the job well, intuitively if possible.” These products include kitchen appliances, reference materials, and storage devices. As one of the very few locally owned businesses left in the area, Black Ink represents the American ideals of innovation and reinvention. Finally, a trip to Harvard Square
Allston-Brighton Crime Reports 10/30/12 — 11/04/12
Items mysteriously stolen from parked vehicle
photo Courtesy of Google Images
With its unique products and unforgettable atmosphere, Black Ink is a must-see shop. would not be complete without a chance to experience a local cafe. Also on Brattle Street, Crema Cafe refers to itself as a “third place—somewhere that many of us naturally seek out—a place between home and work where we can feel relaxed and comfortable, yet also connected to our community and the outside world.” The cafe offers its customers high-quality homemade
goods and excellent customer service. Finding an empty table may be difficult during peak hours, but the wait is most definitely worthwhile. Whether you are looking to get some homework done or spend some time away from school or the office, Crema Cafe satisfies all its customers with savory sandwiches, creative desserts, and the best house coffee in all of Harvard Square. n
Restaurant review
Mastering the art of tongue twisting
At about 9:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, an officer took a walk-in report regarding a breaking and entering into a motor vehicle. The victim stated that she was parked in front of 25 Fordham Rd. in Brighton on Sunday, and items were taken from her vehicle. She stated that she was parked on the street from approximately 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on that date. At some point during that time, her work laptop and work bag were removed from her vehicle. She did not know how access was gained to the vehicle, but she did not observe any noticeable damage. She was advised to contact the police if any additional items were discovered missing.
Partygoers refuse to respond to police officers At about 12:57 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, detectives responded to a report of a loud party at 32 Park Vale Ave. Upon arrival, the officers could hear loud music coming from the second floor of the building and observed multiple persons inside the second floor apartment. Officers could also smell a strong odor of alcohol in the area of the building. At this time, the officers gained entrance to the building and proceeded to the second floor. As they were walking to the location, the music became louder and the officers heard people screaming. The officers made several attempts to talk with the persons inside the apartment, but no one responded. After about 15 minutes, they left the building and advised the persons on the other side of the door that a report would be written.
Man shot while working on roof At about 11:26 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012, an officer responded to a radio call for shots fired at 66 Litchfield St. Upon arrival, the officer located the victim, who stated that while he was working on the roof of the house at the current location, he was shot on the back with a BB gun. He stated that he heard three shots and the last one hit him on his back. Officer Miranda asked to see where he was shot with a BB gun, and the victim lifted up his sweater to show the officer a red mark on his upper back. The officer offered the victim an ambulance, but he declined. He stated that he believed that the shots came from the attic of the house across from where he was working, 59 Litchfield St. The occupiers of the attic claimed that they were sleeping and heard nothing.
- Courtesy of the Boston Police Department, District 14 Gathered by Marc Francis, Asst. Metro Editor
HOUSE AD
photo Courtesy of Google images
By Charlotte Parish Metro Editor
For every industry, there is a pinnacle of achievement. In the restaurant business, many chefs believe that they have only made it when they open a brick and mortar in New York, San Francisco, or (increasingly in recent years) Boston. Yet for all his popular and critical acclaim, former Iron Chef and owner of Blue Ginger, Ming Tsai, is a black sheep who shrugs at convention and is steadfastly confident in his Wellesley location, despite calls for him to open a second location in nearby Boston to claim greater foot traffic. It’s a confidence that pays off in dividends for both the performance and the flavor of Blue Ginger. With a weekly rotating menu, Blue Ginger takes advantage of seasonal and local produce, but still relies on a core of dishes that highlight its unique French-Asian fusion, such as the Crispy Fried Calamari with Thai dipping sauce. To create this single-bite, multi-ethnic explosion in another appetizer, Tsai takes arguably the most classic French ingredient—foie gras—and jazzes it up with shiitake mushrooms and wraps the succulent mix in a perfectly portioned shumai. To re-envelope the French flair of the dish, the shumai is brought to the table in a bamboo plate that is hiding a sauternes-shallot broth underneath. Completely different from the traditional soy sauce put on top of shumai, this broth adds a rich and slightly sweet flavor to the dish, mixing tantalizingly with the savory mushroom. There is also a great deal of flexibility within the kitchen, as demonstrated by the self-named Blue Ginger Charcuterie Plate. The artfully arranged platter highlights duck prosciutto, foie gras torchon, and country pate with tangy and almost spicy mustard as well as a sweeter cranberry spread that each draw out different flavors of the same meat. The simple wheat bread accompaniment is the perfect closer to the sensational dish since it maximizes the speed from table to taste buds. This kind of bait and switch dominates the menu, taking what diners know about either French or Asian cuisine and turning it on its head. In the main course, Tsai chooses hearty dishes that rarely dominate a high-end restaurant and leans heavily on the Asian flavoring, using hoisin, soy, curry, and Thai spices. In the pan-seared scallops, it is not the meat that gives the dish such a cutting flavor (although
the scallops are perfectly cooked to have a slight resistance at first bite that gives way to a tender inside), but rather the accent foods: a coconut risotto and ponzu broccoli rabe with Thai lobster bisque drizzled over it all. Likewise, Tsai takes a simple staple—the chicken breast—and layers the hoisin glaze on the bird with soy-ginger sauce for a multi-flavored experience in every bite. Under the expert experience of pastry chef Michele Fadden—whose journey to Blue Ginger was a rambling path leading from a love of chocolate to a full fledged career—the dessert course is as seamless a combination of East and West as the rest of Tsai’s creations.
Location: 583 Washington Street, Wellesley Cuisine: French-Asian Fusion Signature Dish: Foie Gras-Shiitake Shumai Atmosphere: 9/10 Average Entree: $30
Fadden’s only prior restaurant experience was at Via Matta in Boston, but she was snatched up by Blue Ginger after converting Tsai himself to the merits of fruit and chocolate combined. The five spice apple fritters with cider glaze is the quintessential fall dessert and does not disappoint, with the silky smooth texture and perfectly accented cinnamon ice cream. Perhaps the most impressive cog in the culinary machine that is Blue Ginger is how smoothly everything runs with an incredibly large floor. Some chefs are forced into smaller spaces to accommodate city locations, such as the big three culinary centers of the country (perhaps another reason Tsai is uninterested in moving his restaurant), and as such, many chefs are never tried at high-scale and highquantity. But with the astute help of general manager (or food-bouncer, as some might mistakenly interpret his serious demeanor) Daniel Adelson, Tsai gives an attentive, individualized experience to every single diner who unwinds at Blue Ginger. n
The Heights
Editors’ Picks
Thursday, November 8, 2012 The Week Ahead Football hosts No. 4 Notre Dame on Saturday night and men’s hockey gets ND tomorrow. Both basketball squads start play this weekend, with the women playing BU tomorrow and the men going up against FIU Sunday. UK and Duke tipoff the college basketball season in the Champions Classic on Tuesday.
Standings
D5
Recap from Last Time
Austin Tedesco
25-15
Greg Joyce
24-16
Heights Staff
24-16
Chris Marino
20-20
Guest Editor: Taylor Cavallo “A$AP/Lana 2016!”
Greg Joyce Sports Editor
Chris Marino Assoc. Sports Editor
Austin Tedesco Asst. Sports Editor
Taylor Cavallo
Assoc. Arts Editor
Football: BC vs. No. 4 Notre Dame
BC
ND
ND
ND
M. Hockey: No. 1 BC vs. No. 7 Notre Dame
BC
BC
BC
BC
M. Basketball: BC vs. FIU
BC
BC
BC
BC
W. Basketball: BC at BU
BC
BU
BU
BU
Kentucky
Kentucky
Kentucky
Kentucky
M. Basketball: No. 8 Duke vs. No. 3 Kentucky
Football
Notre Dame vs. Boston College
Assoc. Arts Editor
This Week’s Games
Game of the Week
BC got a much-needed win against Mar yland while hockey swept UMass-Lowell. Women’s hockey forced a split with MinnesotaDuluth. UVA topped men’s soccer. The Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics in the NBA season opener.
The No. 4 Notre Dame football team comes to Chestnut Hill for a primetime game under the lights. After defeating Maryland two weeks ago, the Eagles momentum was stunted by Wake Forest last weekend. Despite the loss, the BC players are looking forward to upsetting one of their fiercest rivals. The Irish are only one loss away from being knocked out of the national title conversation. Linebacker Manti Te’o won’t make life easy for Chase Rettig, and the QB will have his hands full all game.
Sat. 8 p.m. Chestnut Hill, Mass.
NCAA up next
keys to the game
Men’s Soccer, from D6
Boston College 1. Limit turnovers on offense 2. Make late down stops 3. Establish the run game
Notre Dame 1. Build up an early lead 2. Create pressure on Rettig 3. Quiet the crowd
players to watch
boston college Deuce Finch Weight: 211 Height: 5’ 10” Position: RB Year: Jr.
Notre Dame Manti Te’o Weight: 255 Height: 6’ 2” Position: LB Year: Sr.
outcomes
Boston College will win if... Chase Rettig returns to form and effectively drives the ball against a tough ND defense.
Notre Dame will win if... It doesn’t play down to its opponent, and exploits BC’s defensive woes early on.
for live game coverage follow us on twitter @bcheightslive
Daniel Lee / heights Editor
Brad Bates has made himself accessible to students, fans and athletes, but some people are taking advantage of this attitude.
Fans need faith in AD change Column, from D6 advantage of this in the wrong way. Bates did this to hear people, and give them access to him. But some people have decided to look at this as a forum to tell him how to do his job, and even let him know their intentions of not going to games. Honestly, you’re not doing anything positive. You’re acting like Bates has no idea that our football program is a mess, and that your tweet will awaken him from his blindness. I hate to ruin it for you, but you don’t know more about college football. Bates is going to make changes, but it’s not going to be because of your whining. It’s going to be for the betterment of the program and the University. The comment that really upset me the most, though, was one that said something along the line of “I hope @BCBradBates is watching this #firespaz #iknowsomuchmoreaboutbeingtheathleticdirectoratbostoncollege.” Seriously? Do you think for one second that Bates isn’t watching the game? Yeah, you’re right. He’s probably back at Chestnut Hill thinking about excuses for how he can justify retaining Spaz next season. Maybe you should write a book for him on how to be the athletic director of a university! In all reality, Bates was at the game. I saw this first hand. At the end of the game, he stood by the visiting locker room, and encouraged his new team with a handshake, pat on the back or word of encouragement to each and every player. He’s fully invested in bringing BC football back to its winning ways. He’s not going to sit by and watch his newly acquired program continue to fall into shambles. But we have to be patient. He can’t just come into his new job and fire the head football coach. Critics will say that it would make the point that Spaz doesn’t deserve to have his job. In all honesty, firing Spaz at this point in the season would cause more problems than solutions. The team would be even more chaotic in the
hands of an interim coach. You think we look bad now? Who’s to say that we won’t look even more embarrassing under the guidance of an inexperienced coordinator? Bates has literally just begun his job. He’s still trying to get the lay of the land, and people taking to Twitter and telling him what to do is giving him a bad impression of our community. There’s a thin line between voicing an informed opinion and coming across as overly dramatic. I look at the addition of Bates as a chance for this athletic program and this football program to take a turn for the better. We have the opportunity to see major change, and can have a positive impact on the process. Right now, though, people are going about it the wrong way. They’re already treating Bates like an enemy, threatening him to do his job a certain way. You’re not true Superfans. You’re overlooking this new era of athletics at BC, and selfishly putting yourself ahead of the program. So if anyone is going to give away their football tickets or sell their tailgating spot, please feel free to contact me. I have a feeling that some big changes are coming, regardless of whether or not you’re a part of the BC faithful. For me, being able to write and talk about the sports teams I grew up watching has been one of the biggest blessings of my time here. As an editor for The Heights, I have become close to the athletic program here and come to appreciate the goals of our program. I will never take for granted the experiences of watching my favorite Eagle teams, win or lose, and at the end of the day, I am entirely grateful to have had the chance to share my college athletics experience with some of the best fans in the country. Let’s not forget who we are, and remember to support our teams through the good and the bad. Go Eagles, and good luck, Brad.
Chris Marino is the Assoc. Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights. com.
12 shots while Clemson had 14, with three shots on goal apiece. The best chance for the Eagles came with minutes left in the first half. Freshman Derrick Boateng passed to Dunn, who placed an excellent cross onto the opposite side of the box. Junior Chris Ager headed the ball toward the goal, narrowly missing and hitting the left post. The score remained tied for the remainder of play. In the tense penalty kick atmosphere, BC and Clemson began by trading goals, but the Tigers were simply better than the Eagles in PKs as they won 3-1 to advance to the ACC tournament semifinals. The pain of the loss will resonate with the team, but the future is bright for BC. While last year’s team was largely composed of upperclassmen, the 2012 men’s soccer team was young. With three freshman starters, the Eagles hold the potential to build upon their 8-5-5 record and make another run at an ACC title next year. Nevertheless, the season may not be over, as the NCAA tournament awaits. The brackets will be announced on Monday at 5:30 pm, as the Eagles wait and hope to hear their name called. n
BC cruises to win Hockey, from D6 gave Carpenter the chance she needed to put a hard shot by Bryant right in front of the net. Just like that, the Eagles possessed a 2-1 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. In fact, BC only added to its fantastic second period. At 18:15, the Eagles netted their third goal of the frame when sophomore Emily Field snuck one through a crowded crease for a 3-1 advantage. “We’ve been waiting for our team to get to that point where we are scoring that many goals,” Crowley said of the offensive explosion. “I think we are finally at that point now.” Despite minimal possession early in the game, the Friars struck first at 9:24 on just their second shot of the contest. Jessica Vella sent the puck nonchalantly to Rebecca Morse on her left, who then surprised the BC defense. As the senior made her way across the blue line, she fired a laser that raced past Eagles’ netminder Corinne Boyles to give Providence a 1-0 lead. An early score didn’t faze Boyles, though, who finished with 16 consecutive saves down the stretch and kept the Friars from surging to a significant comeback. Offensively, though, BC polished off the Friars in the final frame. Even with 35 saves, Bryant’s efforts went unheralded in the end. The Eagles added three more goals from freshmen Haley Skarupa and Meghan Grieves, as well as sophomore Kate Leary. Leary’s goal, in particular, also counted for freshman Lexi Bender’s third assist of the game. Providence came into the contest with an all-time record of 50-16-3 against the Eagles. The Friars had yet to be defeated in WHEA play until Wednesday. The Eagles improved to 3-2-1 at Kelley Rink this season, and have now scored 18 goals in their past three games. n
Irish bring big opportunity Football, from D6 “It’s a huge opportunity for us to not look at what’s happened so far, and if we can play as a team and come together to play four quarters of football and maybe have a chance to win at the end of the game, then it would definitely erase everything that’s happened so far,” said quarterback Chase Rettig. On the other side of the ball, the Fighting Irish will be feeding off their momentum and success from the last nine games after starting off 9-0. Notre Dame is coming off a triple overtime win against Pittsburgh last week, and is still in the hunt for a spot in the National Championship. As if the Holy War didn’t provide enough motivation, Notre Dame’s record gives BC yet another thing to feed off. “I would rather knock Notre Dame out of the national championship than play in the Toilet Bowl or whatever,” said captain Emmett Cleary. Multiple players are calling this game the “opportunity of a lifetime” for the combination of a chance to knock off Notre Dame in addition to playing on national TV with the kickoff set for 8:12 p.m. on ABC.
“This is the big one because they’re nationally ranked and it’s going to be on national television, so we can show everyone around the nation that we’re still Boston College and we still compete with anyone we play,” said defensive back Spenser Rositano. For all those reasons, there has been an added intensity in the Eagles’ practice this week. “Practice has been extremely intense,” said offensive guard Seth Betancourt, who is stepping in for the injured Ian White. “It was one of the best practices I’ve seen in a while yesterday.” A little look back into BC history shows that a late-season upset of an undefeated Notre Dame is not out of reach. In 1993, the Eagles spoiled the Irish’s hopes of a national championship in a 41-39 win over the then-No.1 Notre Dame. Although BC was ranked No. 17 in the country at the time, it was still one of the major upsets of the storied rivalry, and this year’s squad is hoping to pull off a similar stunner. The players know about that 1993 game and have aspirations to repeat it. Just last year, the Eagles went to South Bend with a 3-7 record and nearly pulled off the win against 8-3 Notre Dame. BC
Daniel Lee / heights Editor
Running back Deuce Finch returned to the depth chart this week after a long absence. came up just short in its efforts, 16-14, but Cleary said he’s using that as a reminder of nothing being impossible, even as big underdogs. “There’s some of that—that nobody thinks that we can win and everyone’s just ready to crown them,” Cleary said. “But people forget—we played them straight up at their place last year. We know we can play with this team because we proved it in the past. This is a football game against a team we can beat.”
A win won’t fix everything in Chestnut Hill, but it would give fans something positive to remember about the 2012 season. One of eight fifth-year seniors, Clancy knows his time at BC is running out, and he would like to make one last memory on Saturday night. “[A win] would definitely make guys feel better about the season, and it’s just a memory to have,” Clancy said. “I’ll never ever forget that moment if we can knock them off.” n
SPORTS The Heights
Thursday, November 8, 2012
D6
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Give Bates Women’s soccer earns NCAA tournament bid the time he deserves By Chris Marino
Assoc. Sports Editor
On Monday, it was announced that the Boston College women’s soccer team (10-7-3) had earned its 10th consecutive berth into the NCAA women’s soccer tournament. The Eagles are set to host Hofstra (11-8-2) tomorrow at 7 p.m. in Newton. For the tournament, 30 teams earn
Chris Marino While watching last Saturday’s loss at Wake Forest, I noticed a number of tweets directed at @BCBradBates, the feed for Boston College’s new athletic director. I think it’s great that our new AD has become accessible to the fans in social media outlets, and it’s already given people confidence that he will work hard for the people. With that said, I have one comment to some of those people directing their comments at Bates: stop complaining. Your whining isn’t going to answer anything. You’re trying to make yourself bigger than the program, and to be honest you’re giving our newest member a bad impression of our school. I read on as people threatened to give away their tailgating spots, not show up to the Notre Dame game, and give up their season tickets. Some were constructive with their comments, but most jumped to the conclusion that Brad Bates is Gene DeFelippo and therefore they should lash out at him until he takes action against Frank Spaziani. To be quite blunt, the loss of your presence in BC football is not going to end the program. We’re all upset that Spaz has led our team into a spiraling downfall, but your threats to give up on BC football really don’t matter. You should be excited that we have a new change in the addition of Bates, but it continues to be the same old complaining. He wants us to voice our opinions, but this manner of addressing him with so much hostility is not right. Does anyone really think that Bates would come walking through the doors of Yawkey, slam open Spaz’s office door, and fire him on his first day as AD? If you did, then you’re delusional, and probably shouldn’t be allowed to voice your opinion on public forums. Twitter might not be the place for you. Where do you get off questioning Bates’ decision making this early? If I remember correctly, Bates has been here for less than a month. He’s not keeping Spaz around to spare his feelings. He’s just reasonable for looking at all of his options and not jumping to any quick actions. He has been entirely open during his tenure, including his presence on Twitter. However, people have taken
automatic bids, and 34 spots are relegated to teams to make up the bracket. BC is one of nine ACC teams to receive a bid into the 2012 tournament. Hofstra, the champion of the Colonial Athletic Conference, is a familiar foe for the Eagles. In the 2010 NCAA tournament, the two teams faced off in the second round with BC taking the match 3-1 following a goal and an assist from Kristie Mewis and a goal from Zoe Lombard.
Notre Dame
Head coach Alison Foley, who has led the program to 12 of its 16 NCAA tournament appearances, is not taking this opportunity for granted. “Certainly, this never gets old. We never take [an NCAA bid] for granted,’’ Foley said. “We are very happy to be at home and feel we used this layoff in a positive manner. We will be ready to go.” The Eagles are coming off their ACC Tournament quarterfinal loss to No. 1
VS.
seed Florida State. The Seminoles blanked BC, 4-0, putting the Eagles’ chance for a national berth into question. After the game, Foley held onto hope that her squad would have the chance to extend its season to tournament play. “We hope we did enough during the regular season to get that opportunity to get a bid,” she said at the time. “There is a lot we can learn and there are a lot of good things we have about our program.” n
Boston college
Saturday, 8:00 p.m. Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Wrestling for an upset
Alex Trautwig/ Heights Senior Staff
After suffering another bowl-less season, the Boston College football team is looking to be a postseason spoiler. It all starts with undefeated Notre Dame on Saturday By Greg Joyce Sports Editor
Positives have been few and far between for this year’s Boston College football team. Nine games into the season, the Eagles have only been able to enjoy two wins, and a bowl game is not in their future. But all is not lost yet for BC—a primetime showdown against No. 4 Notre Dame in the national spotlight
awaits them on Saturday night, and the Eagles are hungry to play the spoiler role. “This could potentially salvage the season,” said fifth-year linebacker Nick Clancy. “We’re unfortunately unable to go to a bowl game this year, so this is the next best thing—being able to play a team that’s on the biggest stage in the country and having the opportunity to knock them off from their national championship berth is an unbeliev-
able opportunity. It would definitely, in my opinion, save the season.” Head coach Frank Spaziani called Saturday’s game an “opportunity,” but it was more for his players to prove what they’re capable of instead of ruining Notre Dame’s perfect season. “I don’t think it’s about spoiling anything,” Spaziani said yesterday before his team practiced in the snow. “It’s about
playing a team that’s ranked fourth, that’s undefeated. It’s a big challenge. It’s an opportunity, we gotta take advantage of it.” The last nine games are off the table for BC on Saturday, as the players are focusing solely on the games they have left, starting with Notre Dame.
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Jordan Daniels transfers from BC
Conference tournament hopes dashed for BC The Eagles lost on penalty kicks in the opening round of the ACC tournament against Clemson By Chris Stadtler For The Heights
After 15 regular season games and over 1,500 minutes of soccer, the Boston College men’s soccer team’s ACC tournament hopes came down to a few shots on Tuesday night against Clemson, all 12 yards from the goal. After 120 minutes of even, back-and-forth soccer, the game remained deadlocked at a scoreless draw. The match went past double overtime into penalty kicks, where the Eagles sent their upperclassmen leaders to the line to seal the game. However, the efforts of seniors Isaac Taylor, Colin Murphy, and Kevin Mejia, along with junior Ryan Dunn, were not enough, as
BC lost in penalty kicks 3-1. The Eagles return to Chestnut Hill knocked out of the playoffs, without a chance at an ACC title. The match between the No. 5 seed BC and No. 4 seed Clemson took place on the Tigers’ home field in South Carolina, as the two clubs squared off looking to win and advance to the semifinals of the ACC tournament. Throughout the match, both teams proved why mere goal differential separated their No. 4 and No. 5 seeds. After the first half, both teams were nearly identical on the stat sheet with shots on goal tied at zero apiece and overall shots differing three to five in Clemson’s favor. At the end of 45 minutes, the two teams were still locked at
a 0-0 tie. Ireland native and freshman starter Jason Abbot, a major piece of BC soccer’s future, performed to his potential and dominated the first half, but despite his efforts, failed to net a goal. Even with the lack of scoring action, the game was hardly without excitement. From the opening whistle, the game was a physical battle. Through just one half, the Eagles displayed their toughness by accumulating seven fouls while Clemson had three. By the end of the night after two overtimes, BC had attained 12 fouls to the Tigers’ 11. The desperation to win was further highlighted by Clemson’s four yellow cards in the second half. Ultimately, the determination of the two teams led to a draw, even after two overtimes— not to say that the game was without chances. Through the full 120 minutes of play, BC had
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Women’s hockey comes back to route Friars By DJ Adams
Heights Senior Staff
Daniel Lee / heights Editor
It was announced yesterday that sophomore point guard Jordan Daniels has chosen to leave the basketball team and transfer from BC. Full story in the Basketball Preview, C6.
i nside S ports this issue
Behind a stellar second period comeback, in which a steady offensive onslaught by the No. 7 Boston College women’s hockey team (4-3-1 overall, 3-2-1 WHEA) produced three goals, the Eagles accomplished on Wednesday night at Kelley Rink what no other WHEA team had thus far in 2012: taking down the Providence Friars (6-4-1, 4-1-0) by a healthy score of 6-1. “I thought our first period was a little shaky, and then I thought we really came on strong,” said head coach Katie King Crowley. “We preach to our kids a lot about playing a full 60 minutes of hockey. That team caught us off guard a little bit, but we’ve got to be prepared for that. I really like the way we came back and
Game of the Week
Boston College hosts the No. 4 football team in the country on Saturday night......D5
really put the game out of reach there. It was a really great job by our kids.” The Eagles came on strong in the beginning of play, taking a quick 7-1 shot advantage through efficient distribution of the puck. BC registered 12 in the first period alone, but was consistently thwarted by freshman goaltender Sarah Bryant. The Bethlehem, Pa. native continued her incredible run by consistently sliding over to match the Eagles’ quick passes with graceful stops. Bryant has been one of the primary contributors to Providence’s surprising success and first-place standing in the WHEA. In her seven games entering last night’s contest, she held a 5-1-1 record with an outstanding .900 save percentage, allowing just 2.13 goals per game. “She’s a freshman, but she’s a really good
The Week Ahead
A look at the upcoming events for Boston College sports this week...........................................D5
goaltender,” Crowley said. “I thought we did a great job just getting shots on her, getting to the net, and really just making nice plays. I think we can make against any team that we play once we get going.” The Eagles finally got to Bryant, though, when the Friars couldn’t stay out of the penalty box. After being denied its first two times out, the third and fourth times were the charm for BC’s special teams. The second period bombardment was underway. After a cross check from Lexi Slattery, freshman Dana Trivigno knotted her third goal of the year from point blank that allowed BC to set the score even at 1-1 at 9:30. Less than five minutes later, another man advantage at 14:14
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Editors’ Picks..............................D5 Recap from Last Week................D5