SISTER ACT
BOSTON BRED
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Emily and Eryn McCoy make their presence known for BC field hockey, A10
State Representative and mayoral candidate Marty Walsh hopes to utilize local roots in race for City Hall, B10
The Scene looks at nine stars who have thrived as both actors and directors, B1
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The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College
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Thursday, October 3, 2013
Vol. XCIV, No. 33
‘Confession’ about assault deemed hoax
Game on for BC football vs. Army this Saturday BY AUSTIN TEDESCO Heights Editor A revitalized Homecoming weekend will go on as planned at Boston College. Saturday’s football game with Army, temporarily in jeopardy due to the federal government shutdown, will still be played, according to the Associated Press and ESPN. At the time of this publication, BC Athletics could not confirm the reports. “Lots of chatter re Army game; we owe you accuracy,” athletic director Brad Bates tweeted last night shortly after the ESPN and AP reports. “In constant contact with Army tonight, will let you know asap when confirmed.” Official approval by Secretary of De-
fense Chuck Hagel last night led to the resolution of a two-day controversy over whether or not the service academies, including Army, Navy, and Air Force, would be able to play in football games on Saturday despite the congressional budget impasse. The Department of Defense released a statement Tuesday morning saying that all intercollegiate athletic competition had been suspended at the service academies. Men’s and women’s Army soccer games scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday were not played. The necessary use of government funding, which cannot be used during a shutdown, was preventing
See Army Game, A3
Student admits post on Facebook was fake BY ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT News Editor
GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR
According to ESPN and the AP, the budget shutdown will not prevent Saturday’s game.
RHA hosts Town Hall to address student questions Six representatives from administration speak about new sanctioning rules, sustainability BY KAYLA FAMOLARE For The Heights “Tonight is really about trying to open the lines of communications between BCPD, administration, and the student body,” said James Gallo, CSOM ’14 and vice president of the Residence Hall Association, welcoming all those present to the first RHA town hall meeting of the school year on Tuesday night. Students filed into Higgins 300 to listen
to a six-person panel from various Boston College administrative resources. The panel included Chris Darcy, the associate director of residential ministry; Robert Pion, the program director of campus sustainability; Monica St. Louis, the assistant director of community standards; Dean of Students Paul Chebator; and Jeffrey Postell and Chris Santiago of BCPD. Students were able to hear information about the new policies set in place by these various groups and ask questions
regarding the resources available to them as students. The meeting opened up with a discussion of the new disciplinary process implemented by Residential Life. Chebator began the explanation by discussing the termination of the matrix, the former system of Community Standard Sanctions—rigid consequences for a failure to adhere to school policies, without consideration of circumstance. “There was a lot of pushback from students who felt that the process wasn’t fair,” Chebator said. “Interestingly enough, there was also a lot of pushback from faculty who felt that their hands were tied in the whole
process … There is no longer an automatic sanction with whatever it is that you did. We tried to make entry into the system kinder and gentler.” The last statement provoked a sigh of relief from the students in attendance. New sanctioning guidelines are in effect, leaving the outcome of the situation up to the Resident Director’s discretion. “A student’s first involvement will be followed by ‘mutual resolution,’” Chebator said. St. Louis then explained this new concept of mutual resolution, which allows for the student to meet with both a Resident
See RHA Town Hall, A3
UGBC coalesces freshman programs into single ULA BY ANDREW SKARAS Asst. News Editor PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
TATIANA PETROVIC / FOR THE HEIGHTS
Gillihan (right) extensively studied the Dead Sea Scrolls (top), now at the Museum of Science (left).
Prof shares ‘Scrolls’ research BY JENNIFER HEINE Heights Staff Since the Boston College “Dead Sea Scrolls: Life in Ancient Times” exhibit opened at Boston’s Museum of Science this year, theology professor Yonder Gillihan has been involved in promoting it. Although the University has had no direct involvement in designing the exhibit, Gillihan, who has spent years researching the Scrolls, has been educating the BC community and general public about the Scrolls. Consisting of approximately 15,000 ancient fragments, including the earliest surviving examples of Hebrew scripture,
non-canonical scripture, other theological manuscripts, and sectarian writings, the Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered in 1947 in the West Bank. Fragments continued to be unearthed until 1956, and scholarship continues into the present day. The Dead Sea Scrolls have contributed to both theological and historical scholarship, advancing the understanding of life in the West Bank from the Hellenistic occupation to early Christianity, and clarifying and even altering Biblical content by correcting later scribal error. Rumors of scandal and other claims have followed the Scrolls since their dis-
See Dead Sea Scrolls, A3
As a part of the reorganization that UGBC undertook last semester, the three freshman leadership programs that the different branches organized in the past were merged into one UGBC-wide program for this year. The Mentoring Leadership Program (MLP) run by Cabinet, the AHANA Leadership Academy (ALA) run by the AHANA Leadership Council (ALC), and the Freshman Leadership Program (FLP) run by the GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC) were merged into the UGBC Leadership Academy (ULA) for the Class of 2017. After this decision was made last semester, Jenna Persico, A&S ’14, and Karn Khunger, CSOM ’14, were tapped by Matt Nacier, UGBC president and A&S ’14, to be co-directors of the new programs. A few weeks into the year, Khunger decided to step down as codirector. “The resignation was largely due to the fact that it is no longer MLP,” Khunger said. “The program now is an integration of three different programs. So there’s a lot on the line and there are different factions on campus that want it to go different ways. When I had signed on for the role originally, I had signed on to run MLP. I thought this was going to be like MLP my freshman year.” Persico explained that part of the intention of the consolidated program was to break away from the old programs by
not drawing too much from them. She found that this meant creating something new from the ground up. To fill the open co-director position, Nacier put Tom Cenar, CSOM ’14, before the Student Assembly (SA) for confirmation on Tuesday evening. Cenar applied to lead the program in the spring, but was passed over in favor of Khunger. Like Persico, Cenar had background in MLP, first as a freshman member and then as a sophomore facilitator. He has been further committed to student formation by serving as a teaching assistant for Portico, the CSOM ethics course that is required for all freshmen. He was unanimously confirmed by the SA. One of the concerns raised by the creation of the new program was the possibility of getting fewer applications. Both Khunger and Persico cited the lack of name recognition as a potential obstacle to attracting applicants. “Compared to other years, the applications were down, but they weren’t alarmingly down,” Persico said. “We thought that maybe a reason the numbers were as low as they were had to do with the fact that a lot of kids don’t know that MLP, ALA, and FLP have formed into this one program, so a lot of kids, we think, were told at orientation and told by people who went to BC, to apply for MLP, ALA, and FLP. We think that there was that communication barrier originally.” In order to combat that problem,
See ULA, A3
A lengthy post on the popular Boston College Confessions Facebook page on Tuesday afternoon drew attention and concern from the BC community. The anonymous post, No. 7122 on the page, detailed three alleged occasions of nonconsensual sexual intercourse between the poster and unconscious or inebriated female BC students. “She will never know what I did to her,” read a section toward the end. “At first this troubled me, but eventually, I became obsessed and almost proud of it. The thought clouded me [sic] head... could I get away with it again?” Students reacted strongly in the comments, calling the post’s author “sick,” a “serial rapist,” and calling for BCPD to investigate the matter. A Facebook event, “A Response to Boston College Confession #7122,” was also formed. “We view this as an opportunity to have a wider discussion about sexual assault on campus,” read the event description. “The reality is that 1 in 4 women will be a victim of rape or attempted rape. We as students have the ability to stop these crimes from ever being attempted, in many cases, if we all are educated on the realities of sexual assault and ways to prevent it.” The administrators of the event, which will be held at 7 p.m. today in Cushing 001, called students to turn their “discontent into positive action.” According to the page, today’s event will feature a panel of members from BCPD, the Bystander Intervention Program, and “other relevant student organizations,” and will conclude with a discussion about the ways in which the University and BC students handle sexual assault. Three hours after the submission was posted on the Boston College Confessions page, the administrators of the page commented. “For those wondering, the police have already been notified and all the information we have on the submission has been turned over to them,” the comment read. Early Wednesday morning, the Dean of Students Office released an update on the situation. “Boston College officials were alerted to this concerning posting late yesterday afternoon,” said Dean of Students Paul Chebator in an email Wednesday morning. He stressed that the Facebook page, which is moderated by students, is unaffiliated with the University. “Student Affairs and BC Police conferred and commenced an investigation,” Chebator
See BC Confessions, A3
24/7 RESOURCES FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY SEXUAL ASSAULT BCPD
- (617) 552-4444
SEXUAL ASSAULT NETWORK - (617) 552-2211
UNIVERSITY COUNSELING WEEKDAYS - (617) 552-3310 NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS - (617) 552-3227
TopTHREE
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Thursday, October 3, 2013
things to do on campus this week
1 2 3 Living Catholicism
Organizing for Justice
Today Time: 5:30 p.m. Location: Gasson 100
Sponsored by The Church in the 21st Century Center, Rev. Michael Himes, a popular professor of theology, will be discussing the living aspects of Catholicism and how they affect roles and relationships in the modern world in Gasson 100 tonight.
Homecoming Pep Rally
Today Time: 7 p.m. Location: Heights Room
Rev. John Baumann, S.J., founder of PICO National Network, one of the largest networks of community organizations in the world, is speaking tonight about engaging local faith communities across religious and ethnic boundaries.
Friday Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Shea Field
For the first Homecoming weekend in over a decade, there will be a Pep Rally Friday night on Shea Field with the marching band, the football team, and the spirit squads. Following the rally at 8 p.m., there will be a fireworks show.
FEATURED EVENT
Muslim societies expert considers Afghanistan’s future BY DANIEL PEREA-KANE For The Heights The year of 2014 is one of promise and anxiety for Afghanistan. After the United States begins withdrawing there, the country will have its first open presidential election in many years. The country can either return to turmoil or retain the stability that Afghanis once took for granted and have only just recently reacquired. Thomas Barfield, director of Boston University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies & Civilization, spoke Monday about these issues to a group of students gathered in Higgins Hall. A grant for the study of Islamic civilization from the Institute for Liberal Arts made Barfield’s speech possible. “The project itself is a series of academic presentations and cultural events related to the political, social, economic, and human rights of Afghanistan’s people,” political science professor and event organizer Kathleen Bailey said. “Many are contemplating what Afghanistan will look life after 2014 when the United States disengages.” To answer this question, Bailey and the audience turned their attention to Barfield, a professor of anthropology who has done extensive field work in Afghanistan since the 1970s. Barfield focused on 2014 as a transition date for the country, because of the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops. American troops currently are focused on training the Afghan army. The U.S. hopes this army will keep the country secure after international forces disengage. 2014 is also a transition because of an upcoming presidential election. Barfield believes the race is currently wide open because current President Hamid Karzai
NATALIE GOEPEL / HEIGHTS STAFF
Barfield made predictions about what Afghanistan could look like after the U.S. withdraws troops. is ineligible to run again. “The presidential question is a great one,” Barfield said. “It would have been much better if these two transitions were staggered.” Negotiation in Afghanistan will remain an important issue even after troop withdrawals, according to Barfield. “It is really important to make a decision now before election period presidential politics,” he said. “If the U.S. leaves air support, the Taliban will not be able to take down the government.” Barfield characterized the electoral process in Afghanistan as patrimonial and highly centralized. According to Barfield, running a successful political campaign is more about building coalitions and deal-making than catering directly to voters. “What we’re dealing with in terms of democracy is ethnic and economic rather than institutional,” he said. “We have to really ask ourselves about process in Afghanistan rather than just outcome.” The possibility of a military coup in Af-
ghanistan after an election is also an important issue to Barfield, who posed the question of what would happen if the military intervenes in the event of a civilian government breakdown. Afghanistan has never had a military coup. Barfield said that to ensure one does not happen, there needs to be an investment on the civilian side in addition to the military side in Afghanistan. Barfield went into the history of the country as well. In particular, he focused on relative stability there from 1895-1978 partially due to outside support for their military union. He stressed that no internationally supported Kabul government has fallen. “Kabul governments have been successful because of insurgency’s inability to take them,” he said. “It’s also really important to realize that if there’s aid coming in, Kabul governments are hard to topple.” After the majority of foreign aid ended, however, there was civil war and strife in the
POLICE BLOTTER
9/27/13-9/29/13
Friday, September 27 7:41 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a motor vehicle which was towed for unauthorized parking on an evening before a game day.
Saturday, September 28 12:08 a.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a BC student who was transported to a medical facility via ambulance from Walsh Hall. 1:39 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated person in the Commuter Lots. 2:02 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an intoxicated person in Robsham Theater.
2:28 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a suspicious circumstance in Vanderslice Hall.
4:40 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an intoxicated person of legal age in Alumni Stadium.
3:47 a.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a BC student who was transported to a medical facility via ambulance.
Sunday, September 29
2:15 p.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to the parent of a BC student who was transported to a medical facility by ambulance from Stayer Hall. 2:35 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated BC student on Shea Field. 3:50 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated BC student who was ejected from Alumni Stadium and transported to a medical facility.
College Corner NEWS FROM UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY BY ANDREW SKARAS Asst. News Editor Monday evening, several people were injured by an explosion on the Univeristy of California, Berkeley campus. According to The Daily Californian, the independent student newspaper of UC Berkeley, the university declared a state of emergency and evacuated the campus at approximately 6:40 p.m. Four people were treated for burn injuries. One of them had to be transported to the local hospital for serious burn treatment. The explosion appears to stem from vandalism that occurred on the campus the previous week, when copper grounding wire was stolen, according to a campus representative. The origin of the explosion was in an underground vault near the center of campus and was believed to occur as power was being restored after a campus-wide outage. The power outage began mid-
’90s followed by U.S. engagement in the 2000s. Because of this outside support, Afghanistan has one of the lowest rates of taxation in the world. Barfield concluded the lecture portion of his talk by postulating two distinct paths for Afghanistan. “If it goes bad, things could return to the way they were in the ’90s,” he said. “It gets worse if the international community gives up.” The other scenario Barfield proposed was that a new patron for the country steps up to provide Afghanistan protection because of that country’s own economic selfinterest. “On a positive side, I like to think about how 500 years of European fighting ended through economic integration,” he said. “It is extremely important over the next three, four, five years that there is stability that allows this to maybe happen.” Barfield stressed that the younger, more urban population of Afghanistan remains one of the country’s greatest wildcards. “There have not been very many studies on urban Afghanistan and [its] attitudes,” he said. “One of the interesting things as we watch this generation go is that power is passing on to very different people.” In rural areas, many youths are joining the Taliban. Barfield was unsure about the urban youth, however. “We really don’t know,” he said. “The research hasn’t been done.” Barfield ended by emphasizing why students should care about Afghanistan. “When the U.S. pulled aid out of Afghanistan, [it] did not help rebuild the country because [it] did not believe it was a threat,” he said. “Ten years later, it became a breeding ground for terrorism. We should have learned that pulling out just because it’s far away does not mean that it does not affect us.”
afternoon, at approximately 4:30 p.m., and forced evening classes to be canceled for the day. Due to the outage, close to 20 students were trapped in an elevator. Additionally, there was an ammonia leak that evening that is suspected to be related to the power outages. One of the old emergency generators on campus was spotted smoking after it kicked on in response to the power failure. Student dormitories each had a common area that was supplied with power via a backup generator, according to The LA Times. A campus representative said that they were working to bring all of the services back on line as quickly as possible without compromising student safety. By Tuesday morning, power had been restored to most buildings on campus, but a few were left without power for the day. According to The Daily Californian, there were 11 buildings left without power.
2:04 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated BC student who was transported by cruiser to a medical facility from Walsh Hall. 4:49 a.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated BC student who was transported to a medical facility by cruiser from the Lower Lots.
—Source: The Boston College Police Department
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 Eleanor Hildebrandt, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or email news@bcheights. com. For future events, email a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk. Sports Scores Want to report the results of a game? Call Austin Tedesco, Sports Editor, at (617) 5520189, or email 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 Sean Keeley, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or email arts@bcheights.com. For future events, email 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 David Cote, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or email eic@bcheights.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE Delivery To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact Jamie Ciocon, General Manager at (617) 5520547. 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) 2013. All rights reserved.
CORRECTIONS Please send corrections to eic@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.
VOICES FROM THE DUSTBOWL “Who would you choose to play you in the movie of your life?”
“Brad Pitt.” —Jimmy Gilman, A&S ’17
“Macauley Culkin.” —Sam Kuchama, CSOM ’17
“Jim Carrey.” —Evan Appell, CSOM ’17
“Dakota Fanning.” —Lizzie Lueder, CSOM ’17
The Heights
Thursday, October 3, 2013
A3
Site ranks BC’s ROI for English, humanities By Nathan McGuire For The Heights Are you considering a major in English? According to a new survey published by Affordable Colleges Online, Boston College is one of the best universities in the country for English majors in return on investment. BC’s English program was ranked sixth in the survey, which used data from PayScale.com’s “2013 College Education ROI Rankings.” The schools that ranked in the top five were Harvard; the University of Pennsylvania; University of California, Berkley; James Madison University; and California Polytechnic State University. Return on investment (ROI) is a measure used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment. In this survey, “the ROI represents a net return on investment after the opportunity cost and cost of investment have been taken into account,” according to the website. The opportunity cost is the potential income that would have been earned had the student worked for four years after high school instead of attending college. This is based on the median pay for a high school graduate. PayScale calculated the ROI based on data collected from graduates who completed the website’s employee survey. The data only includes employees who possess a bachelor’s degree, are employed full-time, and who receive an hourly wage or annual salary. “We calculate the current 30-year median pay for a bachelor’s graduate of 2012 from a specific school by summing up the median pay for bachelor graduates who graduate between 1983 and 2012 from that school,” the website stated. The median ROI was then calculated by subtracting the cost of the investment and opportunity cost from the 30-year median pay. Thus, the 30-year ROI for a BC English major was $803,600, which accounts for an estimated $218,900 cost of investment (i.e. tuition and fees, room and board, and books). Professor Suzanne Matson, the chair of the English department, viewed the ranking as a testament to the department’s success in preparing students to contribute positively to the workforce. “[English] develops a potential employee who is intellectually flexible, can think on his or her feet, and can analyze complex problems,” she said. Courses like Studies in Poetry and Studies in Narrative train the department’s 600-plus majors to become literate and critical thinkers, skills that Matson believes are crucial to the success of employees in any field.
“The English major can be highly individualized,” Matson said. “There is a lot of room to move within the requirements.” According to Matson, the major allows students to explore their own interests across academic disciplines. “Studying literature brings interdisciplinary approaches together,” she said. “Through texts we explore social, cultural, historical, philosophical, and aesthetic questions.” Last fall, Matson received an email from someone in the human resources department of a financial services company. “[She] was specifically looking for English majors because her applicant pool wasn’t producing skilled enough writers,” Matson said. She believes that employers demand employees who can communicate, think at high levels, and write well. In 2008, Matson spoke about the importance of an English major at a forum for potential BC students. She told them, “In our changing times, when the career options available to new graduates are unpredictable, and people’s paths are apt to veer one way and then another during their working lifetimes, the English major is among the most practical of foundations.” Matson believes the University’s new minor in Medical Humanities stresses the interdisciplinary nature of English. Associate professor of English Amy Boesky is the minor’s director. The program’s website reads: “Students explore health and health-care practices through multiple disciplines, including literature, theology, history, and philosophy, as well as natural and social sciences. From each vantage, humanistic and cultural approaches to medicine and the body are emphasized.” “[English] gives people the foundation to work in a variety of environments … with an analytical and critically conscious mind,” Matson said, and Affordable Colleges Online agrees. The website reads, “Many graduates of English and humanities disciplines use the foundations of research, data analysis, argumentation (written and verbal), and communication to springboard into any number of professions, including law, business, journalism, and digital media, among others.” Matson said that the individualized nature of the major along with the foundation it creates prepares students well for a variety of jobs. “[English] gives [students] the foundation to work in a variety of environments … with an analytical and critically conscious mind,” she said. “An English major can gain a competitive edge coming out with superior writing skills.” n
Fake post elicits reply from DOS BC Confessions, from A1
graham beck / heights editor
Despite the government shutdown, Army will travel to BC as planned for the Saturday game.
Army to play BC as planned Army Game, from A1 the competition from going forward, according to the Associated Press. Hagel approved Saturday ’s B CArmy football game, as well as the Air Force-Navy game, because the service academies will use funds not appropriated from Congress, according to the AP. BC head coach Steve Addazio said after practice yesterday, before Hagel’s approval, that he did not feel comfortable commenting on the status, but insisted that his team has been preparing as though the game was still on. “I don’t know that I know enough or am involved enough to make any comment other than the fact I do have great respect for the military, for the military academies, for what they represent, for what these kids go through, for what these sacrifices are,” Addazio said. “I almost feel like for me to have any commentary would be disrespectful. “Whatever happens happens. I’m preparing for a game on Saturday,
as I’m sure they are. I just hope you respect the fact that I wouldn’t know where to begin to have a commentary other than the fact that I’m sure those kids want to compete and play on that field because they’re competitors, just like our guys do. But there’s more to it than that. Out of respect for that, I think I leave it right there.” As of this publication, the source of funding for Army’s travel to Chestnut Hill and other game costs is unknown. While trying to resolve the issue yesterday, Bates said that the problems were not simply financial. “We have been considering and engaging all possibilities in order to play Saturday’s football game, including offering financial assistance to Army for travel,” Bates said in a statement yesterday afternoon. “We have been told by officials at the U.S. Military Academy, however, that this is not solely a financial decision.” Bates set today at noon as the deadline for an announcement on the game. n
ULA still a draw to freshmen ULA, from A1 they decided to advertise ULA as the merger of those three older programs, which they found helpful. “Originally, we had wanted to make the program seem like a separate entity, especially because Tom and I both were a part of the MLP and therefore a lot of people were nervous that we were going to try to recreate that, which we are not going to do at all,” Persico said. “But, by advertising it as a combination, we got a lot more applications.” By the time submi ssions were
closed, Cenar and Persico received over 160 applications to fill 30 spots. In the past, MLP and ALA each accepted about 30 students and FLP took a variable number depending on different factors. In their experience working with MLP, both thought that it typically received 100 to 120 applications. In forming an application for the new program, they drew from the other applications, but made the required essays longer. “We are very happy with the number, and the quality of the applicants is phenomenal,” Cenar said. n
graham beck / heights editor
Cars parked on Shea Field (above) for tailgating before the game versus FSU last Saturday.
Gillihan explains additions to Dead Sea Scrolls scholarship Dead Sea Scrolls, from A1 covery, including the unfounded claim that Christianity took many of its practices from the sect writing the Dead Sea Scrolls. “Many people associate the Scrolls with scandals, like that the Vatican was suppressing the Scrolls’ publication because they contained evidence that overturned the very foundations of Christian religion,” Gillihan said. “Scandals are great publicity for getting an audience out to see the Scrolls, but completely false. “One thing that distinguishes this exhibit uniquely is that they’ve updated the presentation to reflect new insights in research,” he said. “As recently as last year, museum interpretation of the scrolls strongly associated them with the Essenes, a group that they characterized as a celibate sect of men who all lived in a monastic community located in the Qumran settlement. That’s been challenged in the last 15 years repeatedly, but those challenges didn’t make it into the museum interpretations of the scrolls until this time around.” He added, “Besides being better in-
formed by scholarship, it’s remarkably beautiful.” The exhibit is particularly exciting for the BC community, given that not only has Gillihan published on the Dead Sea Scrolls, but that his colleague, theology professor David Vanderhooft, has published an award-winning work on the pottery of antiquity, which is also a major feature in the exhibit. “It’s an exhibit that folks at BC had a lot invested in, even before it came here,” Gillihan said. Gillihan first became interested in the Scrolls on a personal level. “The sect of the Dead Sea Scrolls was one that viewed itself at a turning point in history,” he said. “An evil era was coming to an end, and an era of righteousness was about to dawn as God intervened in human affairs. He would purge Israel of all the wicked Jews, those who did not belong to the sect, and also of all Gentiles. In the current evil age, the sectarians saw themselves as a remnant of the righteous in an apostate Israel. At the End of Days this remnant would reconstitute Israel. Its elect would become its leaders and its common members would form the
congregation of righteous Israelites. So they saw themselves as living in the last days of the evil era before the restoration in its grandest form occurred.” As the child of radical Pentecostal ministers, he could identify with this environment. “This combination of anticipation of the total transformation of society into a righteous one through God’s intervention, the coming of a Messiah at this end of days, miracles, angels in the midst of the community, all of these things were very familiar when I read the Scrolls for the first time in grad school,” Gillihan said. “Both of my parents were ordained Pentecostal ministers whose preaching focused on the idea that we were living in the last days. Our church services always included faith healing, speaking in tongues—people reported having visions and dreams that foretold the future, they received prophetic revelations and special hidden knowledge about the identity of the true righteous on earth, they were prophesying about what was going to happen the next day, the next years, as the end approached. And there was always a sense that angels were in our midst.
“I abandoned Pentecostal religion a long time ago, but it remained fascinating to me, because as hard as it is to believe all of its claims, it clearly helps people in times of difficulty. I saw people who were dying of cancer, comforted profoundly by this kind of ecstatic worship,” he said. “I was attracted to studying this group that seemed to have many things in common with the Christian Pentecostalism I grew up in.” Aside from his personal connection with the Scrolls, he takes pleasure in what he calls the puzzle. Most of the 15,000 pieces of the Scrolls are incomplete fragments, and so scholars must fill in the gaps. “The sense of payoff that you get from the really hard work of figuring out what goes in these gaps, it’s like solving a really hard Sudoku puzzle, or the Sunday Times crossword,” Gillihan said. “Another thing that’s exciting is that we’re still in the beginning stages of interpreting these texts,” he said. “There’s so much work to do. It’s exciting to be an active contributor to scholarly conversations that are still laying the foundation of the field.” n
said. “[Tuesday] evening a student came in on his own to BCPD and admitted that the entire post was a hoax. The student appeared quite remorseful, nevertheless, this matter will continue to be investigated and the student will be referred to the Student Conduct System for resolution of this matter.” The post was removed from the Facebook page on Wednesday evening. Shortly before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Chebator sent out an email to the entire student body regarding the matter. “While there is a continuing investigation into this matter with the BC Police and the Dean’s Office, the student has been referred to the Student Conduct System to face appropriate disciplinary sanctions,” the email read. “We take very seriously all allegations of sexual assault. Accordingly, it is important for students to know that Boston College has a network of support for survivors of sexual assault and for students who care for those who may be survivors.” The email then listed resources for students. BC’s comprehensive resource for information on sexual assault care, response, and education can be accessed at www.bc.edu/sar. In addition, the BC Sexual Assault Network (SANet) is a 24/7 private hotline for anyone affected by sexual violence, and can be reached by calling 617-552-2211. n
ResLife reps answer queries RHA Town Hall, from A1 Director and a Resident Assistant to have a conversation about the situation, and determine the outcome based on circumstances. “When we meet with the RAs, we get a snapshot of what they saw—however, when the student comes in we get a broader picture of what was happening that night and take that information into account,” St. Louis said. She expressed hope that the new disciplinary process will be more focused on conversation and compromise. “[Mutual resolution] allows students to take responsibility for their own actions and agree that there are reasonable circumstances for their actions,” she said. “Rather than having a student sit down in front of me and telling him, ‘Here’s what you did wrong and here is your punishment,’ [mutual resolution] gives the student ownership in accepting the consequences and accepting what they did, and growing from it.” The general consensus among panel members was the importance of safety for all students. All six chimed in, reiterating that their main priority, above disciplining students, was the safety of community members. “We aren’t here to jam anyone up, we are here to make you all safe,” Santiago said. They also emphasized the importance of using the help-seeking policy and calling in whenever someone is in potential danger, without risking any disciplinary action. “If someone you care about is in danger, you call,” Darcy said. “It’s one of the most important things you can do to help.” The discussion turned to the topic of sustainability at BC as Pion addressed water filter installation in residence halls. Last year, water fountains were installed in all bathrooms in the 66 Comm. Ave. dorms as a “trial run.” No further progress has been made, however. One student spoke up in support of the filter systems, saying, “I love the water filters. They are very convenient. They are great in the dining halls, an extension of that would be awesome.” “If we are supporting the use of water bottles, it would make sense to install some fountains in more convenient places,” Pion said. Many students also demonstrated an interest in installing printing stations in residence halls, or more convenient and central locations. Some suggestions included McElroy Hall, Corcoran Commons, Trinity Chapel on Newton campus, and College Road. St. Louis urged students to take collective action and to work with Residence Hall Counsels and RDs to create proposals. “It is easy to say, ‘yes we want this,’ but what about the other pieces and factors to it?” she said. In their closing statements, all panel members discussed the importance of using resources offered to students on campus. They urged students who seek change to take action and use the resources given to them, including RHA town hall meetings, to make proposals and set a plan in action. “You’ve heard this panel say ‘resource’ multiple times,” Darcy said. “[Students] don’t realize the amount of resources that we have here at Boston College, all of which are designed to help you—but you have to work with us, that’s where you come in. It’s the responsibility of us and all of you to point people in our direction or get in touch with us.” n
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Thursday, October 3, 2013
American Res Life staffer honored for service WMDs By Mujtaba Syed Heights Editor
Daniel Lee During the past few weeks, we’ve heard tragic news of terrorism around the globe. One tragedy happened in Washington, others happened in Africa. Violence might have happened in other places like Iraq and Pakistan— one dark side of mass media is that we often don’t see other sides unless the major media outlets present them. Let’s be logical with simple math— I’m aware that there is the danger of diminishing the value of human lives with numbers, and I don’t mean to actually minimize the value of human life. The point here is to provide a different angle. Let’s say at least one person is shot dead almost every day in America. If that were true, that would be 365 people are shot dead a year. In fact, “an average of 289 people are shot every day [including suicide] in the U.S.,” according to the NBC news research department. That would be an average of 105,485 people annually. Americans have been deeply traumatized, sorrowful, and angry over the unjustifiable terror attack on Sept. 11, 2001 that killed 2,996 people, including the 19 hijackers. In extension, the War on Terror, with majority public approval, induced greater American sacrifice during Operation Enduring Freedom, which has resulted in the casualties of 2,182 American personnel (12-year accumulation). This is excluding the local civilian casualties. Still, both casualty numbers combined reaches only 20 percent of 105,485. Although I see the necessity to distinguish the political nuances among war, terrorism, and domestic shooting, there shouldn’t be public distinction of the outcome of the events, which is death. And yet, many Americans seem unmoved by domestic gun violence. If the American public was moved by the awareness, Congress would’ve done something a long time ago. After the Sandy Hook incident I was frustrated by three groups: the Congress, the NRA, and my friends. I couldn’t believe when the NRA suggested handing out more guns to “good” people. Assuming the “good” people are the police force, I find irony that the NRA would empower the government while one of the reasons advocating gun ownership is allegedly for protection from the government. If the NRA meant for just “good” civilians … I have nothing to say to that. I understand the significance of the constitution in the U.S., which I consider the best form of constitution in the world. Anthony Appiah said, “Americans share a willingness to be governed by the system set out in the U.S. Constitution. But that does not require anyone to agree to any particular claims or values”—and Americans often disagree about values described within the constitution. My impression is that Americans have an excessive bond to the second amendment before any other clauses of the constitution. Yes, I’m 100 percent against the second amendment, because the era of the constitutional construction was more than 200 years ago and because the purpose of “arms” is to harm before protecting (or, protect oneself by harming others). I believe the constitutional interpretation should change over time as the 13th amendment did against the contemporary social norm. I have another reason. Do you know how safe you feel if there is zero percent concern that someone could carry a ballistic weapon around you? Having lived in different countries that prohibit bearing any arms, I want to tell you to trust the system of checks and balances your ancestors constructed. You don’t need weapons against the government. Guns against armed robbery? I wonder how many cases have been compared to those of innocent deaths. As it does with drugs, the U.S. federal government must completely regulate the ballistic weapons—which is possible in the long-term, unlike other weapons, and the other more traditional weapons that don’t cause ‘mass destruction.’ If the government bans hallucinating chemicals for the sake of civil safety, why shouldn’t it do the same with guns? I’m not so sure if the U.S. Constitution is great enough to sacrifice human lives.
Daniel Lee is a senior staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at news@bcheights.com.
“One of the things I like to live by is that you meet need when need exists,” said Christopher Darcy, recipient of Boston College’s 2013 Community Service Award. Darcy, the associate director for residential ministry in the Office of Residential Life and a campus minister, was honored for his volunteer work both on campus and in his home community. University President William P. Leahy, S.J., presented the award to Darcy in May, distinguishing him from an especially qualified list of other candidates. “To me, it’s an absolute honor. But more than that I’m just humbled. There are a lot of people at BC that volunteer, either here or in their own communities.” The award, sponsored by the Office of Governmental and Community Affairs, is reserved for a BC faculty member whose actions exemplify the Jesuit spirit of service to others. “For me to be representative of that, it’s not only an honor, but it’s something that gives me great joy and passion.” Although Darcy’s primary role
is in the Office of Residential Life as an associate director, he holds a number of responsibilities that have allowed him to make diverse contributions to the BC community. He is involved with University Mission and Ministry as well as the Center for Student Formation, where he has helped introduce the conversations project to connect students with faculty members. “My role kind of lives in two worlds: residential life and campus ministry,” he said. “This is my second year with it. I’m a campus minister, and I work with the peer ministers. My other role is the associate director of residential life for residential ministry.” With the Office of Residential Life, Darcy is responsible for ministerial components and programs that are implemented within living communities. Having a direct influence on programming models that are applied to students’ communities has allowed Darcy to play a significant role in what he and other university officials call student formation. “The formational aspect, along with the Center for Student Formation, is to make sure that we are
graham beck / Heights editor
Chris Darcy was honored with the BC 2013 Community Service Award.
providing for students based on their needs,” he said, describing specific ways he has tried to help students discern what was important to them and find ways to apply those interests at BC. “I think we have such a deep rooted sense of purpose with our students outside the classroom.” As part of his vision for student formation, Darcy brought up his affinity for the values of Saint Ignatius. “Ignatius means a great deal to me,” he said. “What Ignatius talked about was that you have to understand and be self aware of your own need. There’s a gift of self love before you can serve someone else.” Darcy went on to explain that his continued service and volunteer efforts in and out of the BC community have always started with understanding his own needs and discovering why he is driven to serve others. In addition to his job-related roles, Darcy has voluntarily participated in numerous activities with the BC community throughout the years. He has been in five Dana Farber/Jimmy Fund Half Marathon Walks, volunteered for over 15 years at St. Ignatius Church as a liturgical coordinator, Eucharistic minister and lector, and volunteered with both Little Brothers and Friends of the Elderly. This is in addition to the volunteer work he has performed in his hometown of Natick, where he has served as a baseball coach for almost three decades. Darcy also indicated that he has participated in several BC-run activities to meet need where he believes it exists. Among these, he has been on multiple Arrupe trips and has served as a mentor for the program, he has been a retreat director for Kairos, and he assists in directing the 48-Hours freshman retreat. Although the award celebrates Darcy’s individual contributions to his surrounding communities, he insists on viewing it as an affirmation of BC’s cultural commitment toward unconditional giving, important conversations, and self-care. “The honor comes from being immersed in a community here,” he said. “To me, that’s what BC stands for. It doesn’t matter what you believe or where you come from. This is my 17th year here and there’s a reason I’ve stayed.” n
Clarke considers Church in China By Christine Donohue For The Heights “There’s something about Mary,” said Rev. Jeremy Clarke, S.J., joking about his newly published book, The Virgin Mary and Catholic Identities in Chinese History. Clarke, an assistant professor in the history department at Boston College, hails from Sydney, Australia, where he first became interested in Chinese history at the age of 13. Throughout his schooling, Clarke studied the Chinese language and in 1988 was awarded a government scholarship to study in China immediately following high school. He spent half his year in Beijing and the other half in Shanghai. Returning to Australia in 1989, he watched the events of Tiananmen Square unfold on television, and was deeply moved by the massacre. “Having just had an amazing year there with all these wonderful people who were so hospitable and generous, I basically just said to myself, ‘I will always do something with these people,’” he said. Clarke has stayed true to his word, as throughout his journey in the priesthood and realm of academia, he has contributed an enormous amount to the field of Chinese, and Catholic Chinese, history. At times, access to the communities has proved difficult due to the Chinese government’s ongoing restrictions on religious communities, but Clarke
has continued exploring this area of research. “The Church has to be of the world, and the world is a diverse and fascinating and wonderful place,” Clarke said. He also said that Pope Francis has reminded the world that, “Rather than getting caught up in rituals, we need rather to get involved deeply in people’s lives.” The Jesuit order, in particular, played a major role in the East-West cultural exchange that can be traced back over 400 years. Jesuit missionaries were instrumental in promulgating their faith throughout China. The end of the 18th and the middle of the 20th century, however, saw a severe limitation on this foreign presence in China. As a result, Chinese Catholic communities began to develop in a different way. “My book really does talk about that,” Clarke said. “It’s an emergence of a Chinese Catholic identity, not a Catholic identity in China.” In his book, Clarke focuses on this Chinese Catholic identity, largely in the scope of art, and in particular images of the Virgin Mary. He became interested in this way of articulating the history of the Chinese Catholic community during his studies of great painters, and their relationship with the Divine. “It’s a lot easier going to art galleries than reading Latin books,” he said. In a more serious tone, however,
he continued, “The written word can constrain, while imagery invites contemplation.” This is of particular significance for the Asian Catholic tradition, as translations can easily be lost along the way. “How do you translate the Lamb of God on islands in the Pacific where there are no sheep?” Clarke asked. “You can do that much easier in pictures than you can in words.” Despite persecution and abuse, especially during the cultural revolution, Chinese Catholics have survived for centuries, and Catholicism continues to play a major role in the lives of those living across the world. Clarke said that as China has continued to change, more and more people are searching for meaning in their lives. Thus, they are turning to all religions, including Catholicism. “Many people are coming to realizations that we are people of the spirit,” he said. In continuation of his academic and religious undertakings, Clarke will soon be leaving the BC community and returning to his home of Australia. There he will take up the new title of director of Jesuit Mission, where he will work with Church communities in China and all over the Asia-Pacific region. While both his students and coworkers will miss him, he believes his dedication to the Chinese Catholic tradition will serve him well in this new position. n
graham beck / Heights editor
Clarke discussed his newly published book, ‘The Virgin Mary and Catholic Identities in Chinese History.’
Tiffany Law / Heights staff
Radu Florescu, retired history professor, signed copies of his newest book.
The Dracula professor chronicles family history B y S ara D oyle For The Heights Returning to the campus at which he taught for over 50 years, Radu R. Florescu, a retired history professor, visited Boston College for a book signing of his latest work, Dracula’s Bloodline: A Florescu Family Saga. The book , coauthored by Matei Cazacu, follows the Florescu family from the 15th century to current times, and discusses a topic for which Florescu is widely known: legends and Romanian histor y, told from the eyes of his own ancestors. “The Florescu family is the oldest continuing family in Romania,” said John Florescu, Radu’s son and a graduate of Boston College. “In the family, there were noblemen, a prince, masters, intellectuals, historians, musicians, and diplomats, so the story of the country is told through the eyes of those many people.” Radu taught in the history department at Boston College for more than 50 years, and his classes included a course called “Legends of Histor y.” He has authored over 12 other books, many on Dracula, incl u d i n g D ra c ul a , P r in c e o f Many Faces: His Life and His Times, The Complete Dracula, a n d In S e a r ch o f D ra c u l a : The Histor y of Dracula and Vampires. John said that his father was the first to link the Dracula legend with the Romanian historical figure Vlad the Impaler. Radu’s work with the Dracula legend is also featured on several television programs, including the History Channel and BBC. He earned the nickname “the Dracula professor” for his extensive research and interest on the subject, which, according to John, spread to his readers. “His book on Dracula a ro u s e d a w h o l e fo l l o w i n g among vampire enthusiasts in America,” John said. “They all starte d to pursue him a little bit.” Radu has also written books that focus on other legends, including Frankenstein’s monster, the Pied Piper, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The Florescu family, or Florea as it was once known, is one with a rich history in the Renaissance period and beyond. Dracula’s Bloodline also discusses Vlad the Impaler, a highly popular subject even to modern audiences. “Vampires never die,” John said. “They just keep remerging in American media, in movies, in television, and books.”
According to John, the legend of the vampire can be traced back to India, but Bram Stoker’s Dracula gives a picture of the vampire as thought of in the Victorian period. Dracula’s Bloodline was complied using the Brascov archives in Transylvania, family letters, research, and the help of other scholars, John said. It took about four years and 18 drafts for complete compilation, and will be translated into Romanian and French for international publication. “My uncle gave me all of his collection of books. He was one of the oldest historians in Romania,” Radu said. “For each century, we feature a member of our own family who distinguished themselves. I started with the 1400s and end with my sons.” “This book is a history of Romania through the eyes of one family, our family,” John said. While he said that he knew much about his own family history, some new discoveries were made during the writing of the book and the research involved. The writing of the book was quite a process, John said. He described how a first version was lost with over a 100 pages written. “He left the whole thing , 125 pages, in Zurich Airport, Nice Airport, or Logan Airport,” John said. “We put out an ad in the paper for ‘Old Professor ’s Manuscript : Reward.’ We never got it.” Radu was born in Romania and fled on one of the last Orient Express trains just prior to the start of World War II. “He left the countr y and roused Europe, just before the guns of World War II started up,” said John, who described how his father went to England to join his own father, who was a minister in Europe. “[My grandfather] was the equivalent of an ambassador there.” R a d u s tu d i e d at O x fo rd University, and then at the University of Texas, where a prominent Romanian professor taught. He finished his Ph.D. at Indiana University in 1952, and then became a faculty member at BC in 1953, where he first worked in the School of Education before becoming part of the history department. He has three sons and one daughter, all of whom graduated from BC. Radu also served as the Honorary Consul for New England by the Romanian Foreign Ministry. At BC, he held the position of Emeritus Professor of History and Director of the East European Research Center. n
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Hoax must prompt greater dialogue on sexual assault
Thursday, October 3, 2013
QUOTE OF THE DAY Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress—but I repeat myself. -Mark Twain (1835-1910), American author and humorist
In light of the recent false confession, Bystander Education must be required for all students According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), every two minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. Fifty-four percent of rapes are never reported to police. Ninety-seven percent of rapists never spend a day in prison. At orientation and throughout their time at Boston College, students are told that one in four women will be victims of rape or attempted rape during their lives. These statistics are generally well publicized, but often are not given the attention they deserve. Boston College Confession No. 7122, which contained a detailed account of three separate alleged sexual assaults committed by the anonymous poster, was determined to be a hoax by BCPD and the Dean of Students Office (DSO)—but the fact that the post was fabricated does not change these statistics. Rather, it invites a continuing discussion on sexual assault and how BC as a community can respond to acts of sexual violence, alleged and actual. Every year at the beginning of April, the Women’s Resource Center (WRC) hosts Concerned About Rape Education (CARE) Week, which features several events, including the annual Take Back the Night ceremony, dedicated to discussing sexual violence, rape culture, and the ways in which the community can support survivors of rape and sexual assault. This week rightly brings awareness to the problems that often arise on a college campus in relation to sexual violence, including intimate partner violence, date rape, and issues with consent. To its credit, the WRC strives to continue this conversation year-round through Bystander Education, various support groups, and outreach to survivors. But how can the University encourage these conversations to continue beyond one week per year? The best and most tangible way is to require Bystander Education for all incoming freshmen and transfer students. At orientation each year, students have more than enough time available for an hour-long Bystander Education class followed by an hour-long discussion on the topic of sexual violence and how the BC community can be supportive of survivors. The discussion should highlight the many resources available on campus to students who require them, and allow for reflection on the often powerful and emotional Bystander Education class. This training should begin at orientation for the class of 2018 next summer. The administrators of the BC Confessions page, the epicenter of the recent controversy, must also consider the role that the page plays on campus. The page’s initial intention, to allow harmless anonymous confessions that would serve to show that BC is perhaps not as perfect as the members of its community often pretend, was admirable in some ways. It
allowed students to express discontent that they did not feel comfortable airing publicly, and in many cases, receive support from non-anonymous students who had experienced similar problems. But on Tuesday, the page degenerated into the worst possible form of anonymous confession, allowing an unknown student to mislead an entire student body. The student administrators of the page should have considered the gravity of posting such a serious confession for the general public to see. Although obviously not all of the confessions that have been posted on the page are true, the administrators must assume that all of them are. If this particular confession had been true, three women may have found out the details of their sexual assault through Facebook, an incredibly inappropriate medium for such a serious topic. Any confession that refers to criminal activity that harms others should be withheld from the public page and referred to the proper authorities for investigation. If these steps are not taken, if confessions about sexual assault or other serious crimes continue to be posted to BC Confessions, what message is the page sending to students who are victims of these crimes? It is certainly not supporting them, but is instead trivializing their struggles by placing them on a Facebook page next to confessions of crushes and Senior Fives. Student responses to the confession were also mixed. On the one hand, many students decided to take the confession and make it into a point of discussion, bringing up important problems that college students face in relation to sexual violence. On the other hand, many students attacked the anonymous poster, berating the poster for the alleged crimes. Still other posts trivialized the confession, denying that the situations were rape and making inappropriate comments that perpetuate the rape culture on college campuses. The student responsible for the post obviously must be held accountable to the greatest extent possible for a drastic violation of the student code of conduct, a violation of the trust of an entire student body, and a generally appalling lie. The student body, however, must focus more on the future than on the past. While the post was deemed a hoax, the situations described are not unrealistic. Although the post was found to be false, it just as easily could have been true. Indeed, for 12 hours, much of the student body believed it to be true, and that should make every student at BC deeply uncomfortable with the climate on this campus regarding sexual violence. Rape happens often on college campuses across the U.S., and BC is no exception. The post is now gone, but the issues of sexual violence remain and must be faced.
CLAIRE ABELY / HEIGHTS ILLUSTRATION
LETTER TO THE EDITOR The following letter is an edited version of a speech given by Matt Alonsozana, executive vice president of UGBC and A&S ’14, at the Student Assembly Meeting held on 10/1/13:
Mayoral race deserves attention of students Students living in Boston should consider voting, as the city’s relationship to BC affects campus development After the preliminary Boston mayoral election on Sept. 24, only two candidates will proceed to the general election in November, providing ample time for Boston College students to involve themselves in what is a landmark election for the city. State Representative Martin J. Walsh and City Councilor John R. Connolly, the final two candidates in the mayoral election, both have ties to BC. Walsh earned a degree from the Woods College of Advancing Studies in 2009 and Connolly graduated from BC Law in 2001. Regardless of the outcome in November, an individual with a BC degree will be the new leader of Boston after Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s 20-year lock on the office. Much of BC’s Lower Campus is within the Boston city limits. While a substantial portion of the campus is within Newton, the politics of the city of Boston can have a massive impact on the success and de-
velopment of BC and its students. City legislation has—and will continue to have—an impact on BC’s ability to develop its campus, as well as a significant impact on those who live off-campus. Relations between BC and the city of Boston have been part of the cause for delays in University expansion. While it may not yet be clear how significantly a new mayor will change the city’s relationship to the University, it is important that students remain cognizant of the issues in the campaign. Students living within the limits of Boston should seriously consider registering to vote in the mayoral election. BC students interested in political science or law should also consider volunteering for the campaigns, as both of the candidates’ BC ties would likely make them more than happy to have BC students as supporters of their campaigns.
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The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Established 1919 DAVID COTE, Editor-in-Chief JAMIE CIOCON, General Manager JOSEPH CASTLEN, Managing Editor
EDITORIAL
KENDRA KUMOR, Copy Editor ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT, News Editor AUSTIN TEDESCO, Sports Editor MICHELLE TOMASSI, Features Editor SEAN KEELEY, Arts & Review Editor TRICIA TIEDT, Metro Editor MARY ROSE FISSINGER, Opinions Editor SAMANTHA COSTANZO, Special Projects Editor GRAHAM BECK, Photo Editor LINDSAY GROSSMAN, Layout Editor
Diversity of perspective I speak today in support of diversity. The diversity of which I speak runs thicker than any blood bond, is more evident than the color of one’s skin, and is that which underpins all differences meaningful in our shared human experience. This diversity was on full display at last Thursday’s event regarding gay marriage, and it is this same diversity that we must treasure at all times—willing to take risks in how we share it with others instead of safely, yet cowardly, burying it under the dirt of our minds or sending it to the deep chasms of division. This diversity is of the mind and spirit. This is diversity of perspective. Of all types of diversity that we talk about, that of perspective is the most important. Despite its centrality in animating our actions or motivating one’s modus vivendi, it is the one that is most often neglected on a college campus. We often content ourselves with the important, yet proxy components, of perspective. It is indeed good and justified that we invest great resources into addressing issues of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, etc. Yet, the events and initiatives that we put on that seek to make our community more inclusive by these standards should never forget that no fact or viewpoint is valuable until it has been tested, until it has been placed into a crucible of discussion where its proponents defend it with the utmost eloquence and intentionality. What view has value unless made aware of its antithesis? What defenders have not fought against their opposition? In the Student Assembly, do the sponsors and co-sponsors of bills not feel as if legislation is worth that much more after surmounting the opposition or at least addressing it? Our beliefs and positions must be threshed if we are to celebrate the ability of wisdom and discernment to guide us through the many quandaries of life. For as much as our minds yearn for a battle of ideas and our souls for a campaign of ideals, I have seen far too often at Boston College where students are far too willing to assume the other side consists of nothing more than right-wing bigots or leftist loonies. And perhaps, most harmfully, we run away from such confrontation or keep silent for fear of judgment. Well, boys and girls, if you really want to be seen as leaders once you graduate from the Heights and set the world aflame, then you better be able to take ownership of your beliefs instead of assigning them to the ignominious place of hushed conversation. Think about it. For the rest of your life, you may never be asked the same questions again or be forced to question your own beliefs. What has happened to
many our starry-eyed predecessors? The majority of them live easy lives—hanging out with selfsame company, reading the same media sources, and living comfortably in the domains of black and white. I hope none of you looking to inherit the mantle of leadership become as such. We are blessed to be at a university, whose founder sent his best friends and followers to lands and peoples unknown—confident in their ability to speak for a faith that could hold its own. Is there anything more Jesuit, more Catholic than challenging the prejudices of the world and our own? If we can agree then that true conversation, a discourse of ideas, is indeed a right and necessary component of our development as leaders, then we must not shirk away from the duty to promote an environment receptive to a true diversity of perspective. While I know for a fact that the Eagles gathered here are indeed willing to talk, let us ask ourselves this—are we willing to meet the other person on his own ground? Are we confident enough to engage the opposing belief in its own terms? Or, are we far too comfortable with demeaning the other viewpoint and personally attacking our opponents? Because of those who are too quick to attack and far less able to listen, we now all share the blame for a campus where discussions are too few and far between. How will we know we are actually making progress if we refuse to engage? Quite frankly, we cannot, and the results of the campus climate survey indicate as much. BC is in danger, my friends, because we have sacrificed diversity of perspective sometimes for our own comfort and personal agendas. But to believe that the current status quo will always remain the same is a disservice to the ability of our community to move forward. Last Thursday’s event proved, not so much a unified front against an “anti-gay marriage” proponent but the ability of the student body to at least listen and engage respectfully, and from the questions relayed back to me, both sides had their say, retreated, and now healthily dwell in that gray area—more so than before. I applaud the leadership of GLC in helping to foster a discussion and not a diminution of ideals. It is that type of leadership that will move us closer to having every student at BC confident in his or her beliefs and stating then openly—whatever they may be. Friends, we have been given mouths to speak. Let us use them well and often because now is a time for talking.
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MATTHEW ALONSOZANA Executive Vice President of UGBC A&S ’14
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The Heights
Thursday, October 3, 2013
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Not what you know, but how you show What’s in a name? Alexia LaFata The Best TIme Of Year - Happy October! It’s not as cold as we feared it would be, which is nice because we’re not quite ready to trade in our sandals for boots for good, but we would kind of like to celebrate the dawn of this wonderful month with some hot apple cider. And a wonderful month it is—apple picking, Columbus Day (the first three-day weekend of the school year, which always comes about five weeks too late), and of course Halloweekend. The leaves change—the New Englanders on campus seem utterly in their element, and although their Californian, Floridian, and Hawaiian compatriots become a tad apprehensive about the approaching winter, even they can’t deny the magic of fall in Boston. So get those scarves and those Hunters ready, everyone. Fall, here we come. Another Reason It’s The Best time Of Year - The ice is down in Conte Forum, and we could not be happier. Football is fun, and nothing beats tailgating, but let’s be honest—hockey is better. First and foremost, we win a lot. Secondly, hockey is much more time efficient. A hockey game does not require our giving up 10 hours of our day. We can actually get things done on a day that has a hockey game, which makes us feel both like productive individuals and like Superfans. Along the same vein, something exciting is almost always happening in hockey. Four minutes on the clock might actually translate to four minutes in real life, as opposed to 40. And finally, yelling at someone that they suck at life and goaltending is just simply more fun than pretending you have a cymbal in your hands.
“I’m a communication major.” It elicits a blank reaction. A halfhearted nod. A slightly high-pitched “Oh.” A bit of pity sinks in, and questions like, “What will this poor unfortunate soul do with their life?” immediately arise in the mind. And sometimes, if you’re dealing with a certain kind of person, a judgment forms. Now, replace communication with any humanities major—English, sociology, political science, philosophy, history—and this topic is so overdone. It’s the never-ending discussion about the relevancy of humanities majors in comparison to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors. Personally, I am doubly victimized: I’m majoring in both communication and sociology, arguably the two most general majors at Boston College. I’m also minoring in computer science, arguably the hardest subject ever to exist. The skills I learn from both my humanities major and my STEM minor, however, will mean absolutely nothing if I do not have the ability to market myself to the world. To me, making yourself—not your major or minor—the most relevant part about your degree is a crucial skill. It is more important than anything you will ever learn in college. And I believe this is why humanities majors are not as esteemed as they should be. There are countless lists on the Internet about the “best” and “worst” majors to have in college, so pretty much everyone knows how practical and worthwhile a STEM major is. Over their course of study, STEM majors acquire a certain set of tangible, concrete skills that they can then apply to various corners of the working world. Some of the
The End Of A Bad Thing - Breaking Bad is done for good. For those of you who haven’t caught up yet, don’t worry. This TD contains no spoilers, simply sadness. An era has ended, and we just feel lost without our regular fix. Let it be known that if all of America starts to go through withdrawal in the next couple days, it’s certainly not from the lack of government. (By the way, see what we did there?)
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When it comes to marketing ourselves, humanities majors have a bit of a tougher task because our skill set is non-linear. We’ve learned how to study complexities and larger perspectives. when an essay is due in five hours—it doesn’t matter what I’ve learned. It doesn’t matter what anyone learns. What matters is how we show what we’ve learned, how we market ourselves. This task is easy for STEM majors, and I think this is why they get more credit than humanities majors. Anyone can see how intelligent a STEM major is. All one must do is look at a multiple-choice test, a few problem sets, or at a long list of computer programs and biology lab abilities under the “Skills” section
of a resume. A STEM major GPA will almost always directly reflect an ability to carry out a certain set of skills. It’s all linear. When it comes to marketing ourselves, humanities majors have a bit of a tougher task because our skill set is non-linear. We’ve learned how to study complexities and larger perspectives. In certain ways, it is even easier to teach yourself how to code or do physics equations than it is to teach yourself how to be analytical. Humanities skills are a true gift. These skills, even though they cannot be placed in a list, are applicable to almost any corner of the workforce. They are worthwhile, they are meaningful, and most importantly, they are just as marketable as STEM skills. And there, fellow humanities majors, lies the most important life task. I realize that this task can seem daunting. Resumes are always intimidating. Filled with lists and specificities and logistics, resumes are a humanities major’s worst nightmare. But I think the first step in marketing ourselves is through our personalities. I believe that the skills I’ve learned throughout my years studying communication and sociology have completely transformed the way I think and the way I act. I’m a more open-minded person. I’m more confident in my speaking and writing abilities. I’m more thoughtful and tolerant. Humanities have fundamentally changed me as a human being, and truly realizing this fact will give me the confidence to succeed in the working world. I’m positive that what I’ve learned thanks to humanities is evident in things like my extracurricular activity choices, discussions with friends, simple daily interactions, and—one day—will be evident in how I work. I’m positive that the skills I’ve learned from my humanities major are just as useful as those I’ve learned from my STEM minor, and I can’t wait to show the world.
Alexia LaFata is a staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.
The elephant in the room Lucy Smukler
The American Government - You have probably heard by now that the government shut down. On the other hand, if you have a strong aversion to all types of media (in which case you most likely would not have picked up this paper/ clicked on this link to read this, but whatever), everything on the Internet, and interactions with people in general, you may actually have not noticed that anything is amiss, because for most of us here at BC, things have gone on functioning just fine in the meantime. That is, until BC Athletics sent out the terrifying email notifying us that Saturday’s game against Army may be canceled. Gasp! Since when did no government mean no football? We always thought the two had almost nothing in common, aside from the fact that they both involve two groups of individuals fiercely at odds with one another and displaying a slightly unnerving readiness at all times to cause severe physical harm to a member of the opposing group. Dammit Congress, I approved of you before this happened! ... Said no one, ever. (Well, technically 10 percent of people said that, but we rounded down).
most brilliant people I know are STEM majors. On the other hand, some of the even more brilliant people I know are humanities majors. Unfortunately, humanities majors generally don’t get a lot of credit for just how brilliant they are. Their skill set is intangible, and because these skills can’t go in a list on a resume, graduating with a degree in humanities seems pointless. Well, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Maybe I can’t do calculus or code C++ in my sleep (yet), but as a double humanities major, I can create, I can empathize, I can analyze, I can write, and I can offer a new perspective on various types of social inequalities in the United States. I can offer way more than an ability to find x. However—not to discredit hours and hours of caffeine-driven hard work, late nights at Hillside or O’Neill, or evenings spent crying over a non-working printer
From the “hot girls” at the Plex to the Chobani and grilled chicken “BC biddy diet,” there’s no denying the elephant in the room. Labeled as one of the most physically fit and attractive universities in the country, Boston College definitely has some food and body image issues on its plate. For many BC students, the rigorous academic competition and expectations extend out of the classroom and into the dining halls and the Plex in striving to uphold the perfect exterior. This certainly doesn’t hold true for all, but it’s clear that this is a weighted topic on campus. In response, the Office of Health Promotion (OHP) has launched some resourceful campaigns and programs to address the issue of nutrition and body image on campus. For example, “Nourish,” a new campaign advocating for healthy eating habits to help students “overcome the barriers to eating well at college,” is co-sponsored by BC Dining Services. In addition to this campaign, at this year’s Health-a-Palooza, OHP promoted many of its other health campaigns addressing alcohol safety, stress management, and healthy sleep habits. I’m psyched to see that BC and OHP are taking steps to draw attention to such prevalent health issues as eating disorders, but I’ve noticed a substantial gap. Something has been missing, has gone unnoticed, and, for the most part, unaddressed: What about counseling services? Just looking at the facts, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), one in four young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 have a diagnosable mental illness. Now,
Lecture Hall
mental illness has a broad spectrum that I feel people often forget. Not everyone with a “diagnosable mental illness” is hearing voices or twerking with a foam finger or certifiably insane by any means. It could be obsessivecompulsive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder. It could be something as debilitating as depression. Another staggering statistic from the American College Health Association made my heart break: more than
More than 80 percent of college students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do in the past year, and 45 percent have felt they were helpless ... As college students we are constantly pushing our limits to take advantage of everything that the “best four years of your life” have to offer. 80 percent of college students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do in the past year and 45 percent have felt things were helpless. I know what you’re thinking: no kidding—I’m overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I have to do the second I get out of bed in the morning, but that’s the way it is. Valid point. Valid point. As college students we are constantly being challenged and pushing our limits to take advantage of everything that the “best four years of your life” have to offer. But that 45 percent of us who “have felt things were helpless” is what kills me. What kills me even more is that students who fall within
this 45 percent don’t really know where to go at BC for help or guidance. I believe this is a common trend in our society as well as at BC specifically. It is so easy for overwhelmed students to simply say “everything’s fine” because it’s less complicated than going through the hassle of dealing with what’s really going on. During my time at BC with so many high-achieving students, I have found a tendency for my peers (and myself included) to brush off any underlying issues, trying to preserve this image that everything is always fine. But sometimes it’s not, and maybe it’s scary to face that you need help. It’s even scarier when you don’t even know where to go. Think back to freshman year—on a practical level, you were probably most nervous about not knowing where Fulton or Cushing or (dare I say it) Carney was. Just so we all know: University Counseling Services is located on the basement level of Gasson. Unfortunately, though, it’s more than just the poorly publicized location that keeps students from reaching out for help. NIMH reported that concern of stigma is the number one reason students do not seek help. As I understand it, this stigma encompasses the belief that mental illness directly correlates with crazy, insane, dysfunctional, etc. This is where, I think, OHP could come in and work harder to change the status quo of mental illness and counseling services on campus. We can make this change, too. It’s clear that other hot topic issues like body image and nutrition are being appropriately exposed and discussed, and that’s fantastic. As someone who generally has a lot to say, I’m all about a good conversation and dialogue. So I challenge you to acknowledge another elephant in the room—the one that hasn’t really had its turn yet.
Lucy Smukler is a staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.
BY PAT HUGHES
The opinions and commentaries of the staff columnists and cartoonists appearing on this page represent the views of the author or artist of that particular piece, and not necessarily the views of The Heights. Any of the columnists and artists for the Opinions section of The Heights can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.
Patrick Angiolillo Not long ago someone pointed out to me that many folks my age introduce themselves with simply their first names. Leave last names for when we swap contact information, I suppose. But as a result, I have since then been attempting to introduce myself with my full name. The mouthful, Patrick Angiolillo—once described as “schizophrenic” by a high school Latin teacher—is a combination of two culturally quintessential names: Patrick (a hearty testament to my Irish heritage) and Angiolillo (its final “o” a sure sign of my Italian roots). How much someone can tell about me in a matter of two words! While watching Charade last week, this notion of names fresh on my mind, I was struck by one scene where Cary Grant’s character says to Audrey Hepburn’s character, “Well, the man’s the same even if the name isn’t,” to which she sternly replies, “No, he isn’t the same!” Grant’s character had been giving Hepburn’s a host of false names over the course of several days and finally she was fed up—and for good reason. To know someone’s name is to be able to say something concrete about them. To be able to give a name to them is to be able to claim something about who they are. When we think we know someone—who they truly are or what their character and personality is like—and we find out they are not who they claim to be, we are aghast. Think of any classic twist in a horror movie plot where the protagonist stutters “Bu…but…you’re…ah!” (cue slasher scene!). The idea alone is enough to unsettle the nerves, and it is only amplified by knives and murderous intentions in a horror flick. I think how we introduce ourselves— what we choose to be called—is integral to who we are. If we want to be known by a diminutive of our name, or by our middle name, or by a nickname, we are deciding how we wish to be known to the world. In doing this, we are, in a sense, writing our own narratives. If we choose to change our name, or to allow someone to call us by a different moniker, we are taking our stories in any of a host of new directions. A friend of mine freshman year introduced himself as Jordan (his first name), but by sophomore year he was introducing himself as Ben (his middle name). I had one of those “does not compute” moments the first time I was in the room when he did this. After much confusion between other friends and I, you could hear any combination of Ben or Jordan being used to address … well … Ben, or Jordan, or Ben Jordan. In making this change, Jordan was making a decision about how he wanted to be known and who he wants to be. Examples of the importance of names abound in literature. In the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the head nurse—a mean and mechanical woman—is named “Nurse Ratchet,” befitting her character. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s name signifies his stagnation—his character’s stasis in the story (his being “held” in place). And in The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf was at one time the Grey and at another the White—and how such a simple change in color can reflect such a magnificent change in character! Though these are fictional instances, they each speak to the notion that our names truly do, in some way, reflect who we are. On a very practical level, there is something special about knowing someone’s name and having your name be known. It feels good, I have to admit, when someone I met once, quite a time ago, can recall my name with ease and ask how I am doing. It is practical, sure—and maybe remembering the name of that Deloitte recruiter at a cocktail reception months later can score you points on an application—but on a fundamental, human level there is a satisfaction with being able to give a name to someone (just as it is to give a name to something). To be able to identify a person, call them out from across the Quad, or pick them out in a photograph by name. These things speak to our innate desire to know and to be able to claim what we know. To upset this desire is to spell disaster … or a new name. So here’s to knowing Patrick Joseph William Angiolillo. What’s your name?
Patrick Angiolillo is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.
The Heights
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Thursday, October 3, 2013
DT Abdesmad will miss remainder of 2013 season By Austin Tedesco Sports Editor
Boston College head coach Steve Addazio confirmed yesterday that junior defensive lineman Mehdi Abdesmad will miss the rest of the 2013 season due a left patellar tendon injury suffered in the third quarter of the Eagles’ 48-34 loss to Florida State last Saturday. “It’s a tough loss, but you’ve got to move forward,” Addazio said. “That’s the way it is. He’s a heck of a kid and a heck of a player and he’s going to do fine.” Abdesmad has not yet had surgery, but Addazio said it is scheduled. “That’s the time of year we’re in right now and that’s the thing we’re most concerned about right now,” Addazio said. “Everyone’s confronted with that, we just have such a serious lack of depth that it surfaces very fast on us. “Make no mistake, that was a really heavy price to pay for us. We’re not very deep. That’s not an excuse, that’s just the truth.’’ Senior Jaryd Rudolph is slotted to take Abdesmad’s starting spot on Saturday, with freshman Truman Gutapfel moving into the backup left tackle position. “I know Mehdi was one of our best,”
Rudolph said about Abdesmad’s absence. “Hopefully we can replace it.” While Abdesmad was being helped off the field after the injury, he yelled to his teammates, “Let’s go. Do this.” “When Mehdi said that to me—it was just sort of for the FSU game and the rest of the season—I was just like, ‘I’ve got to go all out,’” said senior captain and defensive lineman Kasim Edebali. “You never know when your last play is. I just try to play with as much passion, as much heart, and have Mehdi always in the back of my mind and just try to make plays.” Addazio called Abdesmad one of BC’s best defensive lineman, and his loss will put pressure on Rudolph as well as the rest of the front seven to keep up the improved play so far this year. After notching just six sacks all of last season, a mark that finished last in the country, and allowing 215 rushing yards per game, the Eagles have already totaled 13 sacks through four games and have held opponents to 174 yards per game on the ground. “Jar yd is one of the most hard working guys that we’ve got,” Edebali said. “Ever since freshman year I think the guy who’s made the most progress throughout his career is Jaryd.” n
Graham Beck / Heights Editor
BC head coach Steve Addazio announced yesterday that junior defensive tackle Mehdi Abdesmad (45) will miss the rest of the seaosn.
THE HEIGHTS
EDITORS’ EDITORS’PICKS PICKS
Thursday, October 3, 2013 The Week Ahead
Standings
Women’s soccer travels to No. 6 Florida State for a game tonight, while the men’s team faces No. 8 Maryland tomorrow. Volleyball hosts NC State on Friday at Power Gym. Women’s hockey opens its season on Sunday afternoon against Maine. The Bruins have their home opener against the Lightning tonight.
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Recap from Last Week
Game of the Week
Women’s soccer upset No. 2 Wake Forest. Field hockey couldn’t take down Maryland at home. Men’s soccer kept up its recent hot streak against North Carolina State. Jameis Winston and the Seminoles held off a late comeback attempt by BC football. Jimmie Johnson won the AAA 400.
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Guest Editor: Maggie Powers
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Austin Tedesco Sports Editor
Chris Grimaldi Assoc. Sports Editor
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Women’s Soccer: No. 13 BC at No. 6 Florida State Volleyball: BC vs. NC State
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Men’s Soccer: BC at No. 8 Maryland
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Women’s Hockey: No. 2 BC vs. Maine
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NHL: Tampa Bay Lightning at. Boston Bruins
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The Boston College women’s hockey team opens its season at home in Conte Forum on Sunday night against the University of Maine. Already, the Eagles have been tapped as one of the top teams in the country with a No. 2 ranking behind only the University of Minnesota. The Eagles have also been picked as an early favorite to win the Hockey East. BC will get right down to business facing a conference foe in the very first game of the regular season. Maine finished second to last in the Hockey East last season winning only three conference games.
“You fogged my glasses.”
This Week’s Games
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Twins spark BC offense McCoys, from A10 on the field hockey field. “As they developed, there weren’t as many younger age group field hockey options out there, so I let them play soccer because I knew that the field position for soccer was very similar to field hockey and that would help them,” Lisa McCoy said. Emily and Eryn started playing on club teams in middle school and then went on to play at Penn Manor High School in Millersville, Penn.—the school where their mother was, an assistant coach. During their time there, the Comets won three Lancaster-Lebanon League titles as well as two District III championships. Both earned first-team All-American honors during their senior year. The McCoys also gained valuable international experience during their high school years. Spring of their junior year saw them travel to Canada with the U.S. Junior National Under-17 team, and the year after they joined the Under-19 squad on tour in Holland. Their international coach was Ainslee Lamb, BC head coach. When it came time to look toward the next step in their education and in their field hockey careers, the McCoys had an unusual obstacle. All the years competing together had made them a powerful duo to have on the field, side by side. “I think the more they play together the more connected they become on the field, too,” Lisa McCoy said. “Sometimes, it was really noticeable in high school when they played together, they knew where each other was on the field and were able to connect passes because of that sort of connection they have.” Not all coaches took note of this special connection, and some tried to recruit Emily and Eryn individually, but the tight pair was eager to play together for at least another four years.
“We were just looking at college options,” Emily said, “some colleges didn’t want both of us so we didn’t look at them, and then…” “We had known Ainslee before, though, with U.S.A. stuff, we had worked with her,” Eryn finished. Knowing that they liked Lamb’s coaching style, the McCoys attended junior day at BC as one of their first visits, then committed later down the line. Since their arrival at BC, Lamb has seen how valuable the bond between sisters can be on the field. “They’re definitely a lot of fun to watch,” she said. “They like connecting with each other, oddly enough.” It’s easy to look at a pair of twins that spend so much time together and play the same sports and lump them together, but underneath the identical surface lies two very different people. “I’m more shy and just more laid back,” Eryn said. “She’ll tell you how it is. She doesn’t care, she’ll tell you straight up.” This comment earned her one of many playfully-offended looks from her sister, but Emily also agrees full heartedly. “Most people say I’m a lot more sassy,” Emily said. Eryn is quick to interject. “She’s more aggressive.” This earns her another look before Emily continues. “And more aggressive and more outgoing,” she finished. These different personalities translate directly into their styles of play. Their mother explained that Eryn contemplates her play and is a confident, determined player who thinks through her actions, whereas Emily goes after the ball with more aggression. “She doesn’t hold back. Sometimes she doesn’t control herself,” said Eryn with a smile, earning another indignant face from her sister. The pair has made the transition to college play more than smoothly, but the
EMILY FAHEY / HEIGHTS STAFF
GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR
No. 13 Eryn and No. 6 Emily McCoy have made an immediate offensive impact for the Eagles since arriving at BC this fall. differences between play in the NCAA and in high school have not been lost on either on them. Emily was quick to comment on the increased intensity of college play, along with the organization. “There’s more of a game plan like, pressing, outlining what to do in certain situations,” she said. “In high school it was just like go on the field and play.” Eryn has noticed a difference in the coaching strategy. “In high school our coaches got mad at us when we made mistakes and tried something that we normally didn’t do, but here, it’s like they want you to try new stuff,” she said. Even with only 10 games played so far this season, both sisters have shown an ability to put points on the board, even in pressure-packed situations. One of Eryn’s six goals so far came during BC’s 6-3 upset
over Syracuse. Emily, quick on her sister’s heels, made a big impact in the team’s next game by scoring the game winner against Providence. Although they can use their respective goal counts as playful motivation, the sisters never get too competitive when it comes to statistics. “We’re aware, but it’s not that big of a deal to us who has more goals,” Emily said. “It’s been like that our whole high school careers. It’s kind of whatever. It’s not like we’re mad at each other. “ The team, 8-2 on the season, has a long road ahead with hopes of making an NCAA tournament appearance, and there’s no doubt that the McCoys will continue to make a big impact on the BC roster as they mature as players. “I think what’s really exciting is they really haven’t come anywhere close to reach-
ing their potentials and they’re playing at a really high level already,” Lamb said. “There’s a lot of great options out there for kids to go to school and play Division I hockey, but it’s really fun to see that they’ve made the right choice, and this is a great place for them to flourish.” With only about a month of NCAA play under their belts, the two have already shown that they can be weapons on offense and are eager to improve on defense, where they admit they are not as skilled. With each win and each loss, the McCoys know that they are continuously learning from their coaches and their teammates. Even through challenges, an overarching message has been clear. “Keep working hard,” Er yn said. “Things won’t always go your way, but keep working at it.”
Politicians fail on the college gridiron Column, from A10 and sound bites rival the credibility of a shouting match between five-year-olds, so I insist that we describe their situation using proper rhetoric. Let’s speak in terms that can be appreciated. Let’s talk football. If you focus long enough on Congress and the President, they start to resemble a dysfunctional college football offense. As they have the natural wit of career Washington politicians (which is no wit at all), let’s assume they call themselves “Team America.” Congress serves as the backfield, the receiving corps, and the offensive line—and struggles at all three spots. It talks a good talk and remembers the days when it was a hotshot back home, but these Congressional players can’t muster the on-field cohesion of even the worst Pee Wee squad. Team America’s linemen put up blocks to protect their quarterback when it’s most convenient for them, while its receivers run wrong routes on purpose for the sole reason of making their signalcaller look bad. I would also mention the running game, but usually Team America’s backs don’t budge from their spot in the backfield even when called upon on for a last
minute fourth-and-goal with the game tied. The quarterback is none other than the President, a guy who fans hoped would pan out to be a Heisman Trophy contender. He entered the college scene lacking experience as a starter, but the public believed he was capable of taking the next step. Unfortunately, they were wrong. He looks sharp in practice and woos sportswriters with eloquent speeches at press conferences, but his act ends on game day. It’s clear that Team America’s quarterback is not respected by his teammates, and oftentimes for good reason. He leads from behind rather than taking charge out in front, pushing the blame onto everyone but himself when things go awry. The big ideas and sweeping changes he has for the offense look convincing in a playbook, but don’t translate to tangible success on the field. This quarterback refuses to admit when he’s made the wrong decision—he’d rather punish his own teammates and fans by sticking with a bad play than make an adjustment. For him, the other 10 guys and their opinions in the huddle don’t even exist. Each game is planned as a one-man show, and it fails. As a result, Mr. President is a losing quarterback on a strug-
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gling team. The government wants to keep opponents off the gridiron because it wouldn’t stand a chance in a helmet and shoulder pads. Both the President and Congress can learn a lot from the teams they threatened to keep off the field on Saturday. Look at the visiting sideline, and you see an Army squad comprised of young men dedicated to serving their country after graduation— football players today, defenders of our freedom tomorrow. Their commitment to this country and willingness to sacrifice speak much more than the hollow bickering that comes from Washington. And on the home sideline stands a BC team whose head coach and players don’t buy into the excuse making of “moral victory” and settling for stalemates. They put their bodies on the line for each other day in and day out so that the program can improve and a tradition of excellence can be restored. These two football programs don’t philosophize about commitment, teamwork, and leadership. They live it.
Chris Grimaldi is the Assoc. Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.
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Eagles to play as scheduled the next one.” Army presents a weaker challenge in terms of talent level compared to the stacked roster of Florida State, but the triple options could level the playing field. The Black Nights have posted 325 yards rushing per game so far this season. Out of the entire FBS, only Oregon has a higher average. It is this run game that will pose the biggest threat for BC, but the Eagles are embracing the challenge.
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“Find a way to win it because it’s really hard to win these games. These service academy games are really tough. When they get that thing going in sync it’s a total pain in the rear end. They can control the ball and they can really create a lot of havoc on you really quickly.” Things like possession, blocking, and penalties are aspects of the game that the Eagles might be able to control on Saturday. If the team starts off as strongly as it did against Florida State and controls the pace of the game, the Eagles’ fate will be in their own hands.
Football, from A10
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Andre Williams had a career day against Army last year, but he has unfinished business.
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SPORTS THE HEIGHTS
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A10
Thursday, October 3, 2013
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2013
OFF AND RUNNING
situation slightly directly, but was adamant that the Eagles were not letting in the distraction. “It’s crazy that a political situation is really having an effect Until last night, the members of the Boston College football on the season, but it’s another distraction just like anything else team had no idea if they were going to have their Homecoming that can come up. You just have to keep preparing like you’re game on Saturday, or if they were going to get a rematch with going to come out Saturday and play a great game.’’ Williams almost had a great game the last time these two an opponent who forced one of the most disappointing losses in program history last season, or if one precious opportunity teams played, but he left Michie Stadium with unfinished busito build toward bowl eligibility would be taken away. The fed- ness. Although the back had what was then a career day with eral government shutdown had caused the Eagles to prepare 191 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns, there was one key with complete uncertainty this week, but on Wednesday night possession when the running game fell short. BC had the ball it was announced that Army and BC will indeed face off in pinned deep in its own territory late in the game with a small lead. Williams had three rushing attempts, but Alumni Stadium on Saturday. Even before only managed to gain seven yards. the decision was announced, the message The Eagles punted and Army scored on the after yesterday’s practice was the same from next drive, securing a 34-31 victory. top to bottom: there will be a game. BC’s rushing attack is completely reviIt appeared that Army might not be talized this year, with Williams leading the able to make it to Chestnut Hill on Saturday conference in rushing behind an offensive line because the program needs federal funding that has created plenty of holes through which to make the trip, and it was possible that OCT. 6, 2013 he has been able to run. funding would not be allowed during the BC vs. ARMY Although No. 8 Florida State left Chestnut government shutdown. Secretary of Defense 1 p.m. ET ESPN3 Hill with a victory last Saturday, BC flashed Chuck Hagel had to decide if private funds bouts of impressive play, especially offensively could be used to make Saturday’s game possible, as well as the Air Force-Navy game, according to ESPN. in the first quarter. “That’s the best offensive performance of the season against But the BC team didn’t let the drama surrounding the shutdown the best defense, against a really good opponent,’’ Addazio distract from the game plan. “Quite honestly, I haven’t even addressed it with the team,’’ said. “That’s a lot of output against a really good defense. It’s said BC head coach Steve Addazio. “I’m planning on playing not something a lot of people have been able to do, so that’s Saturday. And I’m not trying to play, like, mind games. We’re a positive.’’ Addazio has stressed time and time again the importance playing on Saturday. We’re rolling. So I haven’t even addressed of the energy that he saw from his team last Saturday. He it, because we’re playing on Saturday.’’ Senior running back Andre Williams addressed the strange knows that the same sort of drive is needed, not only when
BY MARLY MORGUS
GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Asst. Sports Editor
Playing through politics, on the field and in the capital
CHRIS GRIMALDI We nearly saw the day when the federal government was the Boston College football team’s arch nemesis. Most weeks, the Eagles prepare to duel with some of college football’s best out on the gridiron—and this week shouldn’t have been any different. Yet no revitalized attack defense or strong running game could have contained the dysfunctional cast of characters we all too generously call “Congressmen” and “Mr. President.” Their continuing squabble over the Affordable Care Act and growing
disagreement on a delayed short-term spending plan (which has caused a shutdown, in case you haven’t already heard from the myriad of Facebook statuses and cable news diatribes) threatened BC’s first official Homecoming game in years. Why? Well, the Eagles’ opponent just so happens to be Army, which was nearly unable to make the trip to Alumni Stadium this Saturday because of the budgetary squabble. FSU’s Jameis Winston might be good, but at least he lets his opponents take the field first. As Washington seems unable to keep its problems from spreading like a disease, President Barack Obama and his Congressional cohorts lead us to question whether “the pursuit of happiness” still includes the right to enjoy college athletics. Their spoken platitudes
See Column, A9
I NSIDE SPORTS THIS ISSUE
GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR
the Eagles face a top 10 team, but in every game that his team plays at this level. Army has a middle of the pack rush defense, giving up 156 yards per game through five contests in 2013, and the Eagles will have to win the battle up front to get a revenge victory. “We played an upper, upper, upper-echelon offense, and now we’re going into a radically different, and in itself unique, whole set of groceries,” Addazio said. “You go into this game—all I measure this game as is finding a way to get a W. Anywhere I’ve ever been, any time we’ve played these offenses. I don’t care about what the stats are. Let’s just find a way to go win this game and get ready for
See Football, A9
McCoys find early success
FRESHMAN POINT LEADERS Name
School Pts Twins connect on field
C. Foust
UVA
18
L. Hyams
UVA
16
R. Tata
UVA
16
Emily McCoy BC
15
Eryn McCoy
BC
12
H. Morris
Duke
12
M. Hayn
MD
8
K. Bernatchez UNC
8
L. Moyer
6
UNC
The McCoy sisters are among the true freshmen with the highest point totals in the ACC so far this season.
Abdesmad out for the season Mehdi Abdesmad will undergo surgery to repair his left patellar tendon...................A8
to ignite BC offense
BY MARLY MORGUS Asst. Sports Editor
If you want to have an interview with Emily and Eryn McCoy, it may be best to set some ground rules. For example, establish early which side of the table each should sit on, or at least who will answer each question first, as without these foundations, you are likely to mix up who you’re speaking to. On the field, the identical twins wear different hairstyles and numbers, but in street clothes, the two are at first indistinguishable. All of the ground rules will be forgotten, however, as the dynamic pair warms up. All of a sudden, you will find yourself desperately scribbling notes as they finish each other’s sentences, jokingly correct each other, and find themselves repeating what their twin had just said. It’s safe to say that they are in sync. The McCoys are two of the newest ad-
Game Of The Week: BC vs. Maine
Women’s hockey kicks off its highly anticipated season against a Hockey East foe...........A9
ditions to the Boston College field hockey team, and right from the start of the season, they have made their presence known on offense. Even though their careers at BC are young, the twins have years of experience under their belts that started at an early age. Living in the field hockey hub of Lancaster, Penn., Lisa McCoy, the duo’s mother, purchased her daughters their first sticks when they were as young as five years old. Even before they were old enough to play organized field hockey, the McCoys developed their skills by hitting in their back yard with their mother. The fact that they took to field hockey so early was no surprise. Lisa McCoy had played for the same high school that her daughters attended, and she eventually moved on to coaching for club teams and high school programs. While the McCoy household was not always all field hockey all the time, the other sports that the twins partook in had a greater purpose and prepared them for their eventual success
McCoys, A9
Editors’ Picks........................A9 Scoreboard..........................A9
A2
SCENE AND HEARD
ARCADE FIRE
THE MONTREAL ROCKERS CREATE BUZZ WITH 22-MINUTE VIDEO, PAGE B2 ALBUM REVIEW
‘PARACHUTE’
LOCAL ALT-ROCK GROUP FROM BC RELEASES FIRST EP, PAGE B5
THE HEIGHTS
Thursday, January 17, 2013
ALBUM REVIEW
‘PURE HEROINE’
CHART-TOPPING NEW ZEALAND SENSATION LORDE SHOWS OFF HER PIPES ON STELLAR DEBUT, B5
SEE NEW DIRECTIONS, B3 Alfred Hitchcock once famously said that all actors should be treated like cattle, entirely subject to the whims of the director. Since Hitchcock’s time, though, the strict delineation between actors and directors has broken down. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s new movie Don Jon is only the latest example of a famous actor stepping outside of his comfort zone and behind the camera. This week, The Scene looks at nine prominent celebrities who straddle the two worlds of acting and directing.
JORDAN PENTALERI / HEIGHTS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
THE HEIGHTS
B2
KEELEY’S CORNER
The Britney/ Justin Experience
Thursday, October 3, 2013
SCENE AND HEARD
BY: SEAN KEELEY
SEAN KEELEY For fans of early 2000s pop, this week may induce a minor case of deja vu. By sheer coincidence, two of the most famous stars— and a former celebrity couple—of pop music circa 2002 are back in the musical spotlight this week. Justin Timberlake just released the second half of The 20/20 Experience, while Britney Spears is raising eyebrows with her new video for “Work Bitch.” Both stars may be making headlines, but the juxtaposition only serves to highlight the vast gulf that now separates Timberlake and Spears. They may have started off from a common origin, but 10 years later the divide is stark. Where one artist has striven to reinvent themselves artistically, the other has tried to grab the pop culture spotlight every few years with facilely controversial songs that stir up some buzz in the moment and are soon forgotten. Guess who’s the victor? Hint: don’t bet on the one cracking the leather whip. Sorry, Britney fans, but Spears is the clear loser in this equation. It’s unfair, of course, to compare an album with a music video, but each release is indicative of longer trends in Spears’ and Timberlake’s careers—two divergent paths followed since the days of ’N Sync and “Toxic.” Spears has had a wild ride since her heyday of popularity. There was the sudden marriage, the stay in a psychiatric ward, the Matt Lauer interview, the shaved head— signs of a deeply troubled woman that were made all too public thanks to the media circus that inevitably developed around each gossipy tidbit. It’s remarkable that Spears bounced back from her fall into instability, and she should be commended for her perseverance. She shouldn’t be commended, though, for the way she bounced back. Rather than re-establishing her relevance through something as difficult as making good music, Spears chose material that would court easy controversy. She seemed to willingly embrace the media circus that had accelerated her worst behavior, knowing that she simply had to do something provocative to get attention. Think of “If U Seek Amy,” a song that creates a nonsensical double entendre just so it can get an f-bomb past the censors. Or “Criminal,” whose music video stages a glamorized shoot-out in a London neighborhood that had just been torn apart by real-life riots. And now the “Work Bitch” video, which features Britney leading women by leashes and whipping them with a black bullwhip. Like Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball,” it’s just controversybaiting, a transparent attempt to be “edgy.” It stages cheap S&M scenarios to provoke Internet chatter and generate more video views and song downloads. The sad thing is, it’s probably going to work. Justin Timberlake has taken another path. With the break-up of ’N Sync, his embarrassing appearance on Punk’d in 2002, and the infamous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl, Timberlake had the potential to become consigned to the celebrity dustbin, another has-been doomed to the mockery of TMZ and their unholy cohorts. Instead, he recommitted himself to a solo music career that made such mistakes seem largely irrelevant. He became the most consistently funny host that Saturday Night Live has had in a long time. And he launched a successful acting career that defied all odds. Eight years after his first film role, it’s hard to deny that Timberlake has a natural screen presence. He embodied Sean Parker’s youthful charisma and arrogance in The Social Network, he held his own against Clint Eastwood in Trouble with the Curve, and he’s set to appear in the Coens’ folk music drama Inside Llewyn Davis this winter. It’s taken me a long time to erase memories of Timberlake’s boy band past, but this year he sold me once and for all. He’s a consummate pop star—maybe not a “legend” as he was crowned at this year’s VMAs, but still an undeniably vital presence in the pop music scene. Few other stars of Timberlake’s caliber, I think, would try something like The 20/20 Experience, a two-part, 144-minute extravaganza with tracks that stretch on for as long as 11 minutes. It’s the kind of project that begs to be decried for pretension but which actually hangs together as a cohesive conceptual whole—and a damn good pop album on top of all that. That’s how you reinvent yourself: by broadening your horizons, exploring new career avenues, and asserting your relevance through the quality of your work. Spears should take note: no amount of whips and leather can substitute for talent. And for those diehard Britney fans who say I’m being unfair, and who might urge me to leave Britney alone, I cordially invite you to cry me a river.
Sean Keeley is the Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
2. THERE AND BACK AGAIN
1. ‘BAD’ TO THE BONE The acclaimed AMC drama Breaking Bad finally cooked its last batch on Sunday with the series finale “Felina” (a sneaky anagram by series creator Vince Gilligan). The episode enjoyed the highest ratings in the show’s history, with 10.3 million viewers tuning in. The reviews have largely been positive, but debate continues to ensue among those who think the closer was too unbelievable, or too tidy, or not tidy enough. You can’t please them all.
A new trailer has just surfaced for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the next installment in Peter Jackson’s ongoing attempt to turn a short children’s classic into a three-part blockbuster behemoth. By the looks of it, the second Hobbit will offer more of the same: huge computer-generated battles, insertions of miscellaneous Lord of the Rings characters to please fans (hello there, Legolas), and an epic scale far removed from Tolkien’s original novel. But hey, that dragon looks pretty cool.
4. TOM CLANCY DIES
Tom Clancy, the author of the uber-popular Jack Ryan series among other political thrillers, died at the age of 66 on Wednesday. Clancy’s books spawned countless Hollywood adaptations, including The Hunt for Red October and The Sum of All Fears. Details of his death are still scarce, but Clancy’s influence doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. A new Jack Ryan novel, Command Authority, is set for release in December, and Chris Pine takes over the character on the big screen in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit this Christmas.
3. HERE COMES ARCADE FIRE Never a band to shy away from grandiose musical statements, Arcade Fire has outdone themselves with a 22minute promotional video for their new album Reflektor. Originally airing on NBC after the group’s SNL appearance, the video entitled “Here Comes The Night Time” includes that song and two other new ones, and features a bevy of celebrity cameos including Bono, James Franco, Michael Cera, and Aziz Ansari. The new material sounds somehow more relaxed and groovy than Arcade Fire’s typical bombastic anthems. I guess we’ll just have to adjust.
5. JACOBS LEAVES VUITTON
Star fashion designer Marc Jacobs is leaving Louis Vuitton, the company he shaped into one of the most coveted luxury fashion brands in the world. Apparently the move is part of a larger restructuring of Louis Vuitton’s leadership, as the company tries to regain its footing after a recent decline in sales growth. Jacobs is said to be focusing on his own brand, which is estimated to generate sales of up to 500 million euros.
THE CRITICAL CURMUDGEON
@PATTONOSWALT (PATTON OSWALT, COMEDIAN)
“‘BLUE EAGLE IS DOWN! BLUE EAGLE IS DOWN! ECHO 6, TAKE THE SHOT!’ -- FROM TOM CLANCY’S EULOGY, PROBABLY” PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
The Velvet Underground just announced that their classic LP ‘White Light/White Heat’ is being reissued in a new Deluxe Edition.
Treat yo’ self, deluxe album style MATT MAZZARI How is Lou Reed still so freaking cool? Just Google image search the guy: he’s 71 years old—you give him a cigarette and he will make smoking look awesome. Reed’s coolness is a menace to society and must be stopped. The reason I bring this up is because the surviving members of the Velvet Underground just recently announced that, to celebrate the 45th anniversary of White Light/White Heat, they’re releasing a threedisc deluxe edition of the album on Dec. 3. Considering that the original LP only contained six songs, the extended version is bound to contain tons of added material. Fans are excited to re-hear, with new insight, the album that VU’s late rhythm guitarist Sterling Morrison described as the band “dragging [itself] off a cliff.” Most deluxe editions of classic albums include raw cuts, demo recordings, and songs edited from the original product, but it’s hard to imagine anything rawer than the original White Light/ White Heat. The entire project was avant-garde to a radical extreme—the twisted brainchild of two top-tier minds in experimental rock: Lou Reed and John Cale. An even lower-fi undertaking than their earth-shattering premier, WL/WH delves fearlessly into depraved, opaque, drug-induced entropy—a feedback-driven trip through such perversities as “Lady Godiva’s Operation,” a poem about a botched gender re-assignment surgery sung airily by Cale over distorted-guitars. For the final track, “Sister
Ray,” Cale plays a Vox Continental organ hooked up to a guitar amp, while Reed improvises lyrics about a simultaneouslyoccurring orgy, heroine binge, and nihilistic murder. The sound engineers claimed that the recording Reed and Cale were going for was impossible and walked out, and so were absent for the entire 17-minute saga. Today, WL/WH and the Velvet Underground alike are considered responsible for broadening the horizons of rock music and inventing a heavy-rock and jazz fusion that few other musicians can pull off. So what does a deluxe edition have to add to that? In fact, what does any deluxe edition album do to a classic record? Do the songs on the deluxe edition become a part of the LP or stay superfluous collectors’ items, specifically outside the canon? Let’s take a look at deluxe albums on the whole. How does this phenomenon affect a legacy, if at all? In 2009, a deluxe edition of The Who Sell Out was put forth with 10 previously unreleased tracks, including several neverbefore-heard songs, an alternate version of “Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand,” and a fantastic hard-rock cover of “In the Hall of the Mountain King.” Reviewer Danny Kelly of UNCUT magazine called Sell Out (Deluxe Edition) the “definitive” version of the LP. The slip-shod, tongue-in-cheek editing on the original was part of the charm, and the songs on the re-release fit in perfectly. Sell Out famously includes several supremely-recognizable riffs later recycled for Tommy. For instance, the bridge of “Rael 1” returns on “Sparks,” and, on the deluxe, listeners can hear the origi-
nal “It’s a Boy” harmony featured on the formerly-unreleased “Glow Girl.” Though it was just a prototype, the alternate story is immensely powerful and definitely worth the listen. For me, as a huge fan of both Sell Out and Tommy, seeing the creative intersection between them was some Lou Reed-level cool. That said, there are some albums that you just don’t touch. Consider a deluxe version of Abbey Road, or Pet Sounds, or Exile on Main Street. In my opinion, it just wouldn’t work. Each of those albums is an opus in and of themselves. The songs are meticulously written, rehearsed, crafted, and edited. The process is contained within the music: the effort and passion are distinct and refined. Throwing in “bonus” material would only disrupt the painstaking balance of those works. Certain albums are just too deliberately put together to add to without throwing off the overall message within them. All in all, though, my hopes are high for the White Light/White Heat deluxe edition coming soon. It was only VU’s second album, so the group was still coming into it’s own commercially and artistically—the potential for a bold second look is definitely there. Although I wouldn’t suggest it for every classic LP, some lend themselves to being “filled in.” Seeing the exploratory work of great artists revisited with a more mature perspective can be awesome for fans, so long as the integrity is maintained.
Matt Mazzari is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
@BJNOVAK (B.J. NOVAK, ACTOR, ‘THE OFFICE’)
“I HOPE EVERYONE’S 100% CLEAR ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AND ‘THE PURGE’” @LADYGAGA (LADY GAGA, POP STAR)
“MONSTERS SLEEPING OUTSIDE THE STUDIO LAST NIGHT. LEFT AT 5 AM AND SAID HOW COME YOU GUYS ARE STILL HERE! THEY SAID TO SUPPORT YOU. SO RAD” @CONANOBRIEN (CONAN O’BRIEN, LATE NIGHT HOST)
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The Heights
Thursday, October 3, 2013
B3
New Directions
by: sean keeley | arts & review Editor, ariana igneri | assoc. arts & review editor, and john wiley | asst. arts & review editor
joseph clint gordon-levitt eastwood
james franco
joseph gordon-levitt
ben stiller
ben affleck
kenneth branagh
clint eastwood
ron howard
sean penn
george clooney
james franco
Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been around for a while, establishing himself from a young age as a talented actor to watch. He scored roles in several made-for-television films early on in his career, but his big break came when he starred in Disney’s baseball film Angels in the Outfield. In the mid ’90s, Gordon-Levitt was cast as a regular on NBC’s 3rd Rock from the Sun—a sitcom about an alien family disguised as humans living on earth. He acted in several other movies throughout the 2000s, including 10 Things I Hate About You and Treasure Planet, voicing the animated character Jim Hawkins. It wasn’t until he worked alongside Zooey Deschanel in the brutally honest romantic comedy (500) Days of Summer, however, that Gordon-Levitt really solidified himself as a serious actor. After that, he landed roles in blockbuster hits like Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, as well as in smaller budget movies, such as Premium Rush and Looper. This year, Gordon-Levitt not only acted in the new film Don Jon, but also directed it, taking on a new challenge. The movie grossed about $9 million at the box office so far and scored 81 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. For a directing debut, the film did well, pointing to a promising career for Gordon-Levitt. –A.I.
In American movies, no one embodies the dual status of actor-director better than Clint Eastwood. Surely no Eastwood fan in the 1960s or 1970s—who knew him as the iconic Man With No Name in Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy of Westerns, and the rule-bending cop in Dirty Harry—could have foreseen the turn his career would take in the late 1980s. Though Eastwood made his directorial debut in 1971, his first few films largely stuck to the action and thriller genres in which he was most comfortable. But he eventually began to diversify, to great acclaim: with the jazz biopic Bird, the moody Western Unforgiven, and anomalies like the romance The Bridges of Madison County and space drama Space Cowboys. At 83, Eastwood is still on a roll. With films like Letters from Iwo Jima, Mystic River, and Million Dollar Baby, he has garnered the best reviews of his career and slews of awards. Perhaps the greatest synthesis of Eastwood’s career as actor and director was 2008’s Gran Torino, where he played a bitter old racist stuck in the middle of ethnic gang violence in Detroit. It was part Dirty Harry, part modern Western, and also a mature statement about Eastwood’s career and changing values in America. –S.K.
Most people know James Franco for his depiction of Peter Parker’s best friend Harry Osborn in the Sam Raimi Spiderman trilogy. Franco is more than just a supporting actor, though—he’s also a director. Before Spiderman, Franco’s big acting break came with a lead part on the short-lived, cult-hit television show Freaks and Geeks. Over the past decade, he’s starred in films that were both positively and negatively reviewed, including Pineapple Express, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Oz the Great and Powerful, and Spring Breakers. His most critically acclaimed performance was in the film 127 Hours—it earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Franco’s directing career began in 2005, with a series of small films, documentaries, and shorts. Even his newest directorial projects seem to pass by practically unnoticed, though. In the past three years, there was Hart Crane biopic The Broken Tower and Francophrenia, among a number of others. Most recently, Franco’s acted in and directed Child of God and an adaptation of the Faulkner classic As I Lay Dying—neither, however, has generated much attention. Perhaps Franco will have more luck with his next rumored Faulkner project, The Sound and the Fury. –A.I.
ben stiller
ben affleck
kenneth branagh
Ben Stiller, a director? Yes, the star of such comedic hits as Zoolander and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story has carved out an intriguing and too-often ignored side career behind the camera. Though he will surely be most remembered as the guy from Meet the Parents and There’s Something About Mary, Stiller’s directorial work merits further attention. Reality Bites was an insightful comedy about Generation X grads trying to define themselves post-college. It now seems a partial precursor to the indie “mumblecore” movement that explores such themes with movies like Hannah Takes The Stairs and Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture. Stiller’s second directorial credit, The Cable Guy, was a surprisingly dark comedy with Jim Carrey that tapped into provocative themes about American obsession with the media. Tropic Thunder played on similar themes, as Stiller mocked Hollywood excesses and pretensions with the hilarious tale of a film crew lost in the jungle of Southeast Asia. But it’s his next project, December’s forthcoming The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, which promises to make or break Stiller’s directorial career. An adaptation of the James Thurber short story about an office worker who escapes into fantastical worlds of his own imagination, Walter Mitty has one of the most talked-about trailers of the year and is already being discussed as an awards contender. –S.K.
Over the past few decades, Ben Affleck has put together an impressive resume, testing his skills as an actor, a screenwriter, a producer, and a director. Affleck first made a name for himself in the mid to late ’90s, acting in several Kevin Smith films, including Chasing Amy. Shortly after that, Affleck starred in Michael Bay box office hits Armageddon and Pearl Harbor. It was Affleck’s work on Good Will Hunting in 1997, however, that earned him widespread acclaim. He co-wrote the film with Matt Damon, winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Through the 2000s, Affleck picked up a number of roles in movies that were met with mixed reviews. With the 2007 film Gone Baby Gone, Affleck tried his hand at directing. The gritty, Boston-based mystery movie received positive reviews and launched Affleck’s career even further. While still continuing to act, Affleck directed (and starred in) The Town, which, like his first movie, was met with critical and commercial success. His third and most recent film, though, is the one for which he garnered the most praise—a movie about the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, Argo won the Golden Globe and several other awards for Best Director, before Affleck was snubbed for the category at the Oscars. But no matter—Argo went on to win Best Picture anyway. As of now, Affleck is set to direct an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, The Stand, as well as portray Batman in the 2015 Man of Steel sequel. –A.I.
From Shakespeare to Stan Lee, Kenneth Branagh’s career has followed a decidedly strange trajectory. With celebrated film adaptations of Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, and Hamlet, the classically trained actor established himself as the foremost cinematic interpreter of Shakespeare for the ’90s. Branagh also appeared in front of and behind the camera for other highbrow literary adaptations, such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and The Magic Flute—which made it all the more surprising when Branagh was tapped to direct Marvel Comic’s superhero blockbuster Thor. The film’s producers argued that with its overtones of ancient mythology and dramatic Shakespearean declamation, Thor needed a classically-minded talent like Branagh behind the camera. Luckily for them, Branagh had been a hardcore fan of the comics as a kid, and his drawing power attracted actors like Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, and Idris Elba to the film. Despite mixed reviews, Branagh’s brush with big-budget blockbusters seems to be affecting his career choices. Up next for director Branagh are a Jack Ryan thriller with Chris Pine coming this Christmas, and a live-action version of Cinderella for 2015. –S.K.
ron howard
sean penn
george clooney
Sean Penn’s foray into directing is far less extensive than his endeavors in acting, but notable nonetheless. Penn is best known for his work playing ex-convict Jimmy Markum in Mystic River and his depiction of Harvey Milk in Milk. His acting career began as a long, uphill climb from work in lesser-known films to appearances in award-winning drama, and his experience with directing happened jointly with his acting enterprise. In 1991, he directed The Indian Runner, a post-Vietnam drama. Later, he directed The Crossing Guard, The Pledge, and most memorably Into the Wild, the film adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s non-fiction piece, following Chris “Supertramp” McCandless as he leaves civilized society and the ranks of the American bourgeois to find an honest sense of self in the Alaskan wild. –J.W.
“Directing is really exciting,” said actor and director George Clooney. “In the end, it’s more fun to be the painter than the paint.” Clooney became an American household name for his Emmy-award winning work in hospital drama ER, playing Dr. Doug Ross. After leaving ER, Clooney went on to be a successful film actor, starring in films including The Perfect Storm, the Odyssey-inspired O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Ocean’s Eleven series, Syriana—for which he won an Oscar for best supporting actor—and The Descendants. During this period following ER, he also began a career as a director, starting with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, and later receiving much more acclaim for his work with Good Night, and Good Luck and The Ides of March. In December, Clooney will be both director and actor in Nazi drama The Monuments Men. –J.W.
In 1960, six-year-old Ron Howard first discovered his celebrity in the The Andy Griffith Show, in which he played Opie Taylor, the son of Andy Griffith, a role he held onto for eight years. His acting career was extensive, with his career in film including The Music Man and George Lucas’ American Graffiti. He enjoyed a second successful run in the television circuit with the show Happy Days, in which he played protagonist Richie Cunningham. Parallel to his acting career, Howard began work as a director of feature length films in 1977, with Grand Theft Auto, a road comedy. Although celebrated in his work as an actor, Howard’s directing credits are far more recognizable, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director for A Beautiful Mind and nominated in both these categories for Frost/Nixon. Additionally, he directed Apollo 13, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Cinderella Man, and The Da Vinci Code. Howard’s latest is the real-life racing tale Rush with Chris Hemsworth. –J.W.
THE HEIGHTS
B4
Thursday, October 3, 2013
WILEY’S FOLLIES
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK BY RYAN DOWD
Drake stumbles in trite ‘We’re Going Home’ music video Daft Punk, TITLE: “Hold On, We’re Going Home” ARTIST: Drake DIRECTED BY: Bill Pope WHY: The new Drake video is good for some (unintentional) laughs, as the rapper gets revenge on kidnappers in 1985 Miami
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
Drake’s chest-thumping “Started from the Bottom” is a good time. Ridiculous, yes—but ultimately a good time. The same cannot be said for the second music video released from Nothing Was the Same. Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” coming in at a whopping seven minutes and directed by Bill Pope, furthers the rampant sense of ridiculousness at the center of any Drake video. The story takes place in Miami in 1985 for reasons not explained in the video. Drake and his entourage are celebrating in a club (possibly over the future success of Nothing Was the Same, but we’ll never know) when Drake gets word that his lady friend has been kidnapped. Why? That’s not important, let’s just have Drake shoot some guns! And that’s how the story unfolds—in a casually dark, noir setting as Drake and company engage in a warehouse shootout. “Started from the Bottom” was fun because we can imagine Drake dancing next to his own billboard, trying to fly his jet, and scoring goals for his youth soccer team. “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” on the other hand, is an overall jarring experience because it’s hard to imagine the same Drake who croons methodically through “Hold On, We’re Going Home” would go guns blazing anywhere.
FASHION FORWARD
When hipsters met the masses How Urban Outfitters commodified the hipster look
THERESE TULLY Don’t we all get too many emails? I know I sure do. Lately, I have been trying to streamline my Gmail box by unsubscribing to many of the pesky emails that sit sadly unopened until I blindly delete hundreds at once. It’s not a great system, but it seems to be working. Recently, as I scrolled through these hundreds of unopened emails, I found numerous unopened messages from Urban Outfitters glutting my already overstuffed inbox. Thus, the time came to question the subscription from my past. I opened the most recent, a message advertising something along the lines of your “new favorite sweater,” and I deleted it, moving on to open a few more to decide if Urban deserved a highly coveted spot in my inbox. I cruised on to the site, and started to look around. As I am always in dire need of “going-out tops” for a Friday or Saturday night, and since I am pretty sure my roommates will actually kill me if I don’t stop wearing their clothes and spilling red wine on them (sorry, roomie!), it seemed like a good place to start my quest. I was searching for something easy to throw on with jeans or a skirt. Bold and beautiful. As I scrolled through pages and pages of tops, I realized that they all felt the same. Hadn’t I seen these before? For the past, I don’t know, four or five years? Didn’t I own some of these already? The styles felt stale, and I quickly wearied of the quasi-hipster vibe of it all. The prices ranged from no-brainer sale status, to completely ridiculous for a small shred of cotton (you are charging what for a crop top?!). Had I outgrown my Urban past? It seemed like it. I am not known around these parts as a hipster. I would say that I have an eclectic taste, not in an overly bizarre way, but I am known to swing from classic, to bohemian, to disheveled, within the span of a weekend. Do I have a few slight hipster tendencies sprinkled in there? So I am told. The latest offenders are my new glasses, which I swear are prescription and not false! So, though I am guilty of a few hipster sins, I would definitely not count myself among their devotees. But recently,
it seems that “hipsteritis” has spread, and almost everyone has got a touch of it. All the hipsters— the ones who were supposed to be rejecting the mainstream—are all the same! Does a real “hipster” still exist? And if so, where? Brooklyn, perhaps? Are thrift shop-only hipsters the only true members of the breed still out there? I was left wondering if perhaps the Urban Outfitters wearers are the new posers of “Hipsterdom.” On the other hand, maybe they are simply the smart ones. They save time and money by shopping in a mainstream store for pieces they hope are slightly off beat. Can anyone tell the difference between your oversized smelly thrift shop sweatshirt and the one you purchased for $49.99, pre faded from Urban, delivered to your dorm in five to seven business days? A few weeks ago, a friend of mine shared a story from a friend of a friend of hers who had gone away on a trip and brought home a beautiful tapestry. Upon hanging it in her dorm room for an eclectic touch, a visitor had inquired if it was in fact from Urban Outfitters. The girl paled in horror, and said that it definitely was not. She was horrified, even disgusted, that this had been implied of her. Hey, I would be too. In a world of Urban Outfitters, why work hard at authenticity? These discoveries left me rather bleak, and I eventually did unsubscribe from Urban Outfitters (though not before contemplating a serious pair of Jeffrey Cambell’s on sale). I must admit, though, I felt a little lost, like when my Delia’s catalogs stopped coming. As the hipster world takes center stage, and hipster-esque pieces are being mass-produced and identically Instagrammed on feeds across the country, where will fashion turn? What will be the next authentic push of fashion boundaries? I wish I had more answers to all of these questions that I have posed, but really, I can only wait and wonder along with all of the other tired hipsters out there. Perhaps petticoats will come back, or powdered wigs, or hoop skirts, or parachute pants. Maybe a futuristic vibe will take hold of our collective fashion conscious next. I would definitely be a fan—I look good in highly constructed pieces— and personally, I think metallic is all that. I know Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century, would approve of the move. At least until Urban starts producing spaceship-inspired hair accessories for every Super Nova girl.
Therese Tully is a senior staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
While hipster style clothing pieces and accessories are becoming mainstream and mass produced by stores like Urban Outfitters, it’s only natural to wonder what the next trend in the fashion world will be.
THIS WEEKEND in arts
BY: ARIANA IGNERI | ASSOCIATE ARTS & REVIEW EDITOR
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
1. PROM! (FRIDAY, 10/4 10 P.M.)
3. DISCOVER ROXBURY (SATURDAY, 10/5 11 A.M.)
5. SARA BAREILLES CONCERT (SUNDAY, 10/6 7:30 P.M.)
Presented by comedy troupe ImprovBoston, PROM! is both humorous and angsty—the show even includes costumes, decorations, and photo booths to create the full high school experience. The theater is at 40 Prospect St. in Cambridge. Tickets are $18.
ArtRox! is organizing a weekend of local art, during which the community will be able to purchase handmade paintings, drawings, sculptures, jewelry, and other studio crafts at Hibernian Hall to help encourage the economic development of the town of Roxbury.
The singer songwriter Sara Bareilles is playing a concert at the Orpheum Theatre this Sunday night. The alternative band Harper Blynn is opening for the “Love Song” pop artist. Tickets start at $37.55, including processing fees.
2. THINK PINK (ONGOING)
4. ROMEO & JULIET (ONGOING)
Celebrating the notions of femininity associated with the color pink, the Museum of Fine Art’s latest exhibit, Think Pink, is on display in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Interdisciplinary in nature, the collection features clothing, illustrations, jewelry, and paintings—all of which are, of course, pink. Admission is free with a BC ID.
William Shakespeare’s classic, tragic love story, Romeo & Juliet, is being performed until November 3 by the Actors’ Shakespeare Project at The Strand Theatre in Dorchester. Because weekend show times vary, see the theater’s website at http://www. actorsshakespeareproject.org/romeo-juliet for more information. Student rush tickets can be purchased for $15. PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
Dylan, and Stravinsky
JOHN WILEY “Judas!” yells a member of the Manchester audience. “I don’t believe you,” jeers back Bob Dylan. “You’re a liar.” The folk singer turns to his band. “Play it f—ing loud,” he yells. On cue, the musicians hurtle into an unapologetically electric rendition of Dylan’s ’65 hit “Like A Rolling Stone.” The year is 1966, and the electric sound is bleeding into folk music. Some see it as a matter of dilution, and others hope this electric blood in time will spoil, laying waste to the folk genre entirely. Eternal, the influence of these hysterics—they cling firmly to the form of an art, only to discover its contents squeezed elsewhere. Art will betray the hysterics, as art must betray the hysterics—as art must betray us all. As soon as we find an art form too comfortably molded to our grasp, we must question what we are holding. In 1913, classical composer Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring was even more vehemently protested than Dylan’s early electric works. A concert of the discordant ballet created a violent riot at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris— police intervention proved inadequate in suppressing the brawls breaking out in the Parisian theatre, and as the concert concluded, Stravinsky was forced to flee the building for protection. “Maybe it’s the difference between love and sex, or eroticism and pornography,” said Thomas Bangalter of electronic duo Daft Punk. In a Rolling Stone interview published last May, the electronic dance music (EDM) veterans pointed to the heirs of their genre, calling the latest iterations of EDM “aggressive,” “energetic,” and “hyperstimulating,” “It’s not deep,” commented GuyManuel de Homem Christo of Daft Punk. “It’s surface.” Over time, does art progress? Or is this idea of progress a profitable lie, perpetuated by those eager to sell art as a product? I’m not speaking strictly of financial motivation here—we buy into ideas all the time, and though a monetary exchange doesn’t necessarily take place, the originator of an idea can claim a profit from such a transaction—artistic validity is a resource in itself, and a scarce one at that. It seems reasonable enough: progress might just be wellmarketed change. Perhaps this is why in the artistic world, stylistic departure is often described as “selling out” or “going commercial.” There’s also a less skeptical position worth representing here—it’s centered on belief in the starving artist—a faceless figure who innovates in the dark, with no ambition to make industry of art. This view holds that the whole of an artistic work is far more than the aggregation of its parts—the artist is a diviner of a sort, with a hand in creation, capturing an idea so it might not be lost. It’s an incomplete portrait, forever wanting of another stroke, another layer, another painter. For me, this is progress, the adjustment of anything that claims to be perfect, out of duty or out of spite. Art is interruption— Stravinsky could have told you that. So I look at young EDM artists, and try to imagine them as Daft Punk described, the “pornographers” of an art form—and it’s laughable. Admittedly, I can’t imagine many popular faces of the genre blasted into Mount Rushmore anytime soon, or appearing on dollar bills, but one need not look much further than The Bloody Beetroots or TNGHT to see happenings in electronic music production that are far from surface developments. With similar excitement, one can trace developments regarding EDM’s foray into new territories—pioneered by young artists like Travis Scott and Lorde, and championed analogously by industry veterans like Rick Rubin and Kanye West. It’s a time not unlike the mid-’60s—the music world has grown weary of its more insular departments and is discovering fluidity across its states. The concluded experiments of a dead century have been severed to pieces and stitched together to be brought to life by the electric techniques of the avant-garde. “Judas!” you might cry. You might see this as grounds for a riot. You might see this as a ploy for profit. But don’t sell progress short.
John Wiley is the Asst. Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
THE HEIGHTS
Thursday, October 3, 2013
B5
Timberlake’s ‘2 of 2’ is a fun but familiar experience BY PHOEBE FICO For The Heights
Justin Timberlake is an artist that has gone through so many genuine career shape shifts, one would think that he is Rihanna’s hair or Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter: from squeaky clean boy-band member professing his undying love to a crowd of screaming girls (my personal favorite) to a sexy solo artist who once mused that it was “funny how a few words turned into sex.” And it truly was a funny and interesting mix of pop and R&B that had him branded as “the prince of pop” and the heir to Michael Jackson’s not-yet vacant throne. On The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2, Timberlake continues his shape shift into a brat pat dressed pop star, who makes slick pop music. 2 of 2 continues the musical themes of the first 20/20 Experience, with its slick, intricate, and interesting beats provided by friend and collaborator, Timbaland. On the first track, “Gimme What I Don’t Know (I Want),” Timberlake comments that we should be more like the animals inside us, over an interesting beat that has the most drops I have ever heard that would be perfect for the club. The most interesting song musically by far is the second track titled, “True Blood,” which combines whistles, sirens, and a groovy guitar lick in the breakdown that could easily be mistaken for a baseline on a funk
classic. Ironically, the one track that is the most interesting musically, is also the one that is the least interesting lyrically and vocally. On the album, Timberlake seems to have nothing more to sing about than sex on the first four tracks. On the aforementioned song, Timberlake compares her love to blood, singing: “She’s got that true blood / I come around and raise the / hell out of you / It’s that demon in me that’s got me screaming / Make me wanna build a coffin for two.” I suppose this is supposed to be a sexy reference to the HBO show that deals with vampires and werewolves, but it makes me think more about contracting an STD than carefree sex. In the same vein, in “TKO,” Timberlake describes a woman who knocks him out (see what he did there?), but for whatever reason has the song open and close with monotone repeating of the phrase, “She kill me with the coo-coochie-coochie-coo.” This repetitive motif in the lyrics would be fine if Timberlake was a more interesting vocalist. But he is not. Too often, he relies on his falsetto (much like his contemporary and the one he reveals on this album for pure objectification of women, Robin Thicke) and weird spoken word/robot-voiced interludes. The album, however, reaches a vocal and lyrical high on “You Got It On,” where he starts with the sharply drawn image of the day his love was born and they wrapped her up in a blanket and he declares that
CHART TOPPERS TOP SINGLES
1 Royals Lorde 2 Roar Katy Perry 3 Wrecking Ball Miley Cyrus 4 Hold On, We’re Going Home Drake 5 Wake Me Up Avicii 6 Holy Grail Jay-Z feat. Justin Timberlake 7 Blurred Lines Robin Thicke feat. T.I. and Pharrell Williams
THE 20/20 EXPERIENCE— 2 OF 2 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE PRODUCED BY RCA RELEASED OCT. 1, 2013 OUR RATING B
PHOTO COURTESY OF RCA RECORDS
Timberlake’s ‘2 of 2’ seems repetitive, relying on the same musical and lyrical elements as ‘The 20/20 Experience.’ she does not have to worry about what she going to wear tonight because “Those heels lift you up where you fit me right.” On this song, he also channels his inner Al Green, harnessing whatever raspiness his voice has. Musically, the song bleeds perfectly into the next. The main problem with the album is not its repetitive subject matter or Timberlake’s lack of vocal prowess, but the pretention with which he executes it. Most
of the songs on the album are five minutes or longer, and they usually shape shift and turn into a completely different song. Also, all the songs have choruses, but almost none of them have hooks. With the exception of “Cabaret,” none of the songs have that dance or sing-a-long vibe that we got used to with Timberlake’s Justified and Future Sex/Love Sounds. Essentially, he is trying to be the Fiona Apple of mainstream pop, but it seems that
Timberlake forgot that musical sophistication has to come with lyrical sophistication too. And then comes the final song, “Not A Bad Thing,” where he declares that he wants to see us tomorrow and every tomorrow. Suddenly I’m six years old again listening to NSYNC … until he tagged a completely different song to the end, with cliched metaphors. As I sigh frustrated, I think, “just sing ‘Cry Me a River.’”
TOP ALBUMS
1 Nothing Was The Same Drake 2 Mechanical Bull Kings of Leon 3 Cher Closer to the Truth 4 The Diving Board Elton John 5 From Here To Now To You Jack Johnson Source: Billboard.com
16 year-old Lorde shows fresh-voiced promise on ‘Pure Heroine’ BY RYAN VON OHLEN For The Heights If you haven’t heard it by now, “Royals” has become the dark horse pop hit of 2013. It is what Australian-native Gotye’s surprise hit “Somebody That
I Used To Know” was during the summer of 2012. But New Zealand-born singer Ella YelichO’Connor, or Lorde, has become a baffling success. For one, the album containing “Royals,” Pure Heroine , is profoundly more provoking and intelligent when
compared to her contemporaries in the Top 40. But there’s another kicker: she’s only 16. To make a song like “Royals” at such a young age suggests talent and wisdom beyond her years, and Pure Heroine reminds us of just that. What’s even more baffling
PURE HEROINE LORDE PRODUCED BY UNIVERSAL MUSIC RELEASED SEP. 30, 2013 OUR RATING A-
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL MUSIC
A New Zealand native, Lorde is a young, fresh artist breaking into the pop scene with her debut album, ‘Pure Heroine.’
is that, compared to most of the other songs on the album, “Royals” isn’t even the strongest song. Pure Heroine’s strength lies in Lorde’s masterful lyricism, punctuated and soulful delivery, and a copious injection of electronic bursts, snares and synths to contrast her soaring voice. To hold “Royals”—which is a beautiful song in its own right—as the gold standard for this album would be to set the bar lower than it should. There’s only one misfire on this record—“White Teeth Teens”—that manages to somewhat sully the breathtaking compositions that Lorde entreats us to, but we’ll cut her slack. Its not everyday a 16-year-old Kiwi has a single that goes platinum in the United States, Canada, and three times in New Zealand. (Hey, she did that before most of us had our driver’s licenses.) But back to Pure Heroine — When Lorde gets a song done right, dear Lord, it is something else. Finding a blend of infectious hooks, electronic elements that give her voice an angelic qual-
ity, and lyrics on subject matter as tender to the heart as any we hold dear, Lorde finds an identity as a musician—something that many of her contemporaries waste their entire careers trying to find. “400 Lux” and “Ribs” are the best examples that illustrate this, with the former finding ways to capture the fleeting, pure-of-heart warmth that only falling in love for the first time can, and the latter an ethereal, if somewhat restrained, musing on childhood memories (“You’re the only friend I’ll ever need / Sharing beds like little kids / Laughing till our ribs get rough / But that’ll never be enough”). Pure Heroine ’s biggest success comes from its consistency of identity and quality. With the exception of the aforementioned “White Teeth Teens,” every song on the album feels like the work of a restless artisan eager to perfect her art but patient enough to let the beauty in her messages trickle through. It has the catchiness to propel her work to international recognition, the wit
and wisdom to realize and convey the world as her young life has beheld it, and the savviness to blend these qualities together and create something sublime. It succeeds in capturing the joy, anxiety, wonder, and uncertainty that every person goes through as our days as little kids fade and we suddenly arrive here, many years wiser, without the allure of the future we may have dreamed of as our parents watched us play and grow up. Pure Heroine, in its finest moments (and there are plenty of those), executes this Herculean feat with few flaws. Rarely do artists make their debut on a resounding note such as this. Hell, in all fairness, some artists never make a resounding note whatsoever to set them apart as someone special. Lorde made it known through this debut that she wouldn’t become the author of a one-hit-wonder the way Gotye did last year. She’s a breath of fresh air in the music industry, and at such a young age, this certainly won’t be her last breath.
ON CAMPUS ARTIST
BC band Seaver’s Express flies onto the radar with ‘Parachute’ EP BY JOHN WILEY
Asst. Arts & Review Editor Meet Seaver’s Express, a Bostonbased indie rock trio, taking root in 2011 when guitarist Sean Seaver, A&S ’16, and drummer/vocalist Chris Southiere, of the Berklee College of Music, began playing together in high school. After joining with vocalist/guitarist Jacob Monk, CSOM ’16, Seaver’s Express came into being in June, and released its first EP Parachute on Monday. Parachute shows remarkable depth for a five-track recording. It’s very much in the vein of Vampire Weekend’s recent Modern Vampires of the City, with an unmistakable groove driving the record. It’s a confident experiment, stylistically versatile, but simplistic in its layering. Seaver’s Express makes no pretensions of being anything bigger than a three-piece band, vying instead to script meaningful conversations between the guitars and drums. Parachute is a lean, skeletal structure, the result of a practiced musical regimen and disciplined stylistic diet. Seaver’s Express is decidedly a product of the post-punk revival, joining the musical movement gaining momentum in the late ’90s with
the surfacing of acts like The White Stripes and Interpol, and recently presenting itself in a new wave of musicians, like Arcade Fire and The Arctic Monkeys. This pool of artists is especially invested in reestablishing the authenticity of rock, and has sought to present a counterculture to the more formulaic, manufactured sounds of the late 20th century. The outcropping of this musical undercurrent is an increased emphasis on technicality, and a returned allegiance to the garage rock sound. The production for these groups is far crunchier, fermented to bring out more complex undertones of a more intimate band chemistry. The EP opens with “Foresight,” an excitable guitar anthem pulled along by a strong percussive undertow, unmistakably set to the backdrop of Chestnut Hill (“Time flies at the reservoir / A hundred souls in restlessness tonight”). The song sees itself to an air of searching and want, describing a man wandering about in search of a true context to his life, amid the highfalutin imagery and metaphors surrounding him. “We Begin” takes on the more up-tempo, whimsical nuance of indie pop veterans like The Postal Service (“Such Great Heights,” “We
SINGLE REVIEWS BY LUIZA JUSTUS Katy Perry “Walking On Air”
The ’80s feel of the pop diva’s new single doesn’t mask the fact that the song falls flat. It doesn’t feel playful like Perry’s previous work. It sounds like a song by some old pop star who decided to make a comeback. The excessive use of synths combined with unimpressive melodies and cliche lyrics make this new single nothing but an anticlimactic disappointment.
Will Become Silhouettes”). The charm of Seaver’s Express is while it’s intelligent and practiced, there’s constant play with tempos and it’s not afraid to have fun. In “We Begin,” the kick drum and guitar seemingly challenge each other, creating this competitive chemistry. It’s this dynamic relationship of guitar and drum pushing each other into the foreground that motivates the music and gives it an intelligence extending far beyond the relatively simple texture of the sound. A synthesized tonewheel organ intro sets “Take Me Too” in a cathedral-like space, (“The gods defend / what they think’s right”) but quickly, the proud electric guitar breaks the distant, religious current of the track, bringing it into what proves a far more grounded, jam band musical setting. One of the nobler aims of Parachute is to take reflection out of lofty spaces and into far more intimate rock hymns—how does spirituality inform a rock setting? How are the reflections of those entering their 20s distinct from the more ecclesiastical concerns of a religious body? Parachute is well aligned with the mindset of Boston College, presenting a detailed, and often cryptic, portrait of life at Chestnut Hill. It
looks to find profundity in reservoirs, and reconcile something crude and unwieldy like a relationship with the academic context presented to us everyday—it doesn’t always line up. In a far more urgent, and neurotic tone than the rest of the EP, “Reservoir” proves a triumphant love ballad, ridden with low fidelity harmonies, and complexly interwoven guitar
segments. It serves as a culmination of the EP’s themes, and a highlight of Parachute so far as range and diversity of sound goes. It’s reminiscent of Death Cab For Cutie’s “I Will Follow You Into The Dark”—it’s a purposely charged acoustic ballad, emotionally layered far thicker than its soft shell initially would seem to allow. Parachute ends with the EP’s title
track, which works into metaphor so much of what the first four tracks set up. “Parachute” motions that it’s “Down to earth to find out who I am.” It’s this sense of searching and adventure that motivates the EP, and in these moments of uncertainty that Seaver’s Express hits its stride. Parachute is quite the catch this fall.
PARACHUTE SEAVER’S EXPRESS PRODUCED BY INDEPENDENT RELEASED SEP. 30, 2013 OUR RATING B+
PHOTO COURTESY OF SEAVER’S EXPRESS
Local BC group Seaver’s Express draws musical inspiration from alternative rock bands like Vampire Weekend.
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts “Any Weather” Seven years after her latest music release, the rock and roll queen is still going strong. Her new single was released with an energy-filled new album full of guest stars. “Any Weather” maintains the simple, edgy guitar riffs Jett is famous for, with a piano track that triggers a feel-good vibe. The song is catchy, proving that Jett will always be a rockstar, be it at 15 or 55.
Moby “A Case for Shame” Moby’s style goes against the frenetic electronic music that we see nowadays. His single proves that electronic music is just as good when it is mellow. Carrying the familiar mood of his track “Porcelain,” “A Case for Shame” is calming, drawing on a synthesis of different sounds, all of which blend in naturally with the relaxed vocals.
B6
THE HEIGHTS
Thursday, October 3, 2013
1. Realize that wildfires burn more than 4 million acres every year. 2. Cut along dotted line. 3. Repeat this phrase: “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.”
9 out of 10 wildfires are caused by humans. 9 out of 10 wildfires can be prevented.
SMOKEYBEAR.COM
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THE HEIGHTS
Thursday, September 19, 2013
B7
THIS WEEK IN... BY RYAN TOWEY | ASST. METRO EDITOR
FITNESS POLITICS Flywheel Sports will come to Boston’s Prudential center on Oct . 8, providing avid stationary cyclists with a new opportunity to stay in shape with a favorite workout. Flywheel Sports has redefined the nature of a spin class, with participants simulating sprints and incorporating weights into the workout, all while Flywheel’s stateof-the-art Torqboard technology allows people to keep track of their progress and compare to the progress of other cyclists, which members can view on their own online “Performance Page.” “We’re thrilled to open our first Flywheel Sports studio in Boston,” CEO Jeff Galluzzo said in a release from his Manhattan-based company. “Our location in the Prudential Center makes us a fitness destination for commuters, students, Back Bay residents and even tourists and conventioneers visiting the Hub.”
In the mayoral preliminary election on Sept. 24, the victors, City Councilor John R. Connolly and state representative Martin J. Walsh, had some of their poorest showings in the precincts in which there are heavier minority populations. According to the Economic Justice Research Hub, in precincts where black voters account for the majority, both Walsh and Connolly managed to pull in only 9 percent of the vote. Both candidates have spent much of their time since the preliminary trying to improve their standings in those precincts. “Between the two of them, we’re going to have to see which can have the best message to the minority communities on what type of mayor they’ll be and can pull together that bloc,” said James P. McGee, who managed Charlotte Golar Richie’s campaign, according to The Boston Globe.
MBTA Mayor Thomas M. Menino and MassDOT Secretary Richard A. Davy joined officials yesterday to announce that the Innovation District is soon to be more readily connected to the rest of Boston by improving public transit and alleviated traffic congestion. MBTA Innovation District bus lines are slated to be improved by next fall, and signs with updated traffic information will be put in place by the end of this November. A $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will fund ferries to connect South and East Boston by the beginning of next year. This announcement of transportation improvements comes alongside the city’s already ambitious developmental goals in places such as Seaport Square. Menino said, according to BostInno, that efforts to connect the Innovation District with “the rest of Boston will make it even more attractive and accessible to companies, their employees, residents, and visitors.”
SPORTS AUTUMN The Bruins celebrated the start of their 90th season at Faneuil Hall yesterday. The celebration was sponsored by JetBlue, the team’s new sponsor. Bruins president Cam Neely presented JetBlue Airways with a Bruins jersey, and Br uins radio announcer Dave Goucher served as the master of ceremonies. Bruins captain Zdeno Chara took the stage at Faneuil Hall to answer questions from Goucher. “This [2013-14] team is the best one I’ve been a part of, this season,” Chara said, according to BostInno. The Bruins will start their 90th season with a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night at the TD Garden. The team will again begin its drive to bring the Stanley Cup to Boston for the seventh time, after losing it to the Chicago Blackhawks in game six of the Stanley Cup series at the end of last season.
One does not have to live here long to realize how much New Englanders love the fall season. Some autumnal activities are coming up in the Boston area throughout October. There is still one more week of Oktoberfest to go. Harp, a Boston bar, will feature a “Harptober” menu for the remainder of October, which includes options that are priced at 1993 levels—those that were present when Harp first opened. The Harpoon Brewery will be celebrating this Friday and Saturday with beer and live German music. Other fall events in the area include the Boston Book Festival, which is the weekend of Oct. 17 in Copley Square, and the 49th Annual Head of the Charles Regatta that starts on Oct. 19 on the Charles River—both of which are sure signs that the fall season is actually here.
RESTAURANT REVIEW
The Oyster House is an old classic
PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
BY ZACK COHEN For The Heights
HOUSE AD
It was Parents’ Weekend this past week, so many college students did what they do best— they located good restaurants and escaped from the all-too-regular dining hall food. The Union Oyster House, a place steeped in tradition, opened in 1826, and is the oldest restaurant in Boston and the oldest continuously-running restaurant in the country. As you walk into the place, there is no avoiding its identity as a seafood joint. The bottom floor features two bars—each decked out with paintings of oceans and boats, and adorned with paint-scratched buoys and heavily faded pieces of driftwood. One interesting cultural note is the number of celebrities and political figures that have visited the establishment—Bill Clinton, Daniel Webster, and the Kennedys are a few of the visits worth mention. The second floor is the main dining area and has more of a revolutionary-era feel, with antique American flags as well as red, white, and blue decor, fitting for a buildling that was built before the American Revolution, sometime before 1714. The Union Oyster House is a well-known staple in the area and is usually packed, so expect to wait. After being seated, the waiter got right down to business. For appetizers, the famous oysters and calamari were served—the mix of cool and hot created a well-balanced and palatable opening for the meal. It is wise to try seafood at the restaurant, given that such food is a part of the restaurant’s New England roots. Overall, the oysters had a clean taste that would please anyone, but given the restaurant’s identity as an oyster place, it seemed strange that the employees barely managed to properly separate the oyster from the shell, and therefore, the oysters could not be slurped easily. The calamari was spot on. It had a desirablly golden look and was lightly fried with a perfect consistency. The first entree was the classic blackened swordfish. If any readers are fans of sword-
fish, this is a must-have dish. It was cooked perfectly, retaining the meaty consistency that one can expect and enjoy from a fish of this kind. The seasoning was applied well, in a way that made it not too heavy nor too light. Served with satisfactory fries, this dish is good for those who have a taste for a fish that is generally firmer. Perhaps the best entree of the night was the sauteed shrimp and scallops. It was served with rice, but what made this dish superior was its delicious sauce. The creamy sundried tomato sauce mixed nicely with the ingredients to create an excellent eating experience. Be sure to ask the waiter for extra bread so that no sauce goes to LOCATION: 41 Union Street, Boston CUISINE: Seafood SIGNATURE DISH: Blackened Swordfish ATMOSPHERE: 9/10 AVERAGE MEAL: $20 OVERALL EXPERIENCE: A-
waste. This is the dish that everyone who visits should order. The final entree was the broiled scrod. This fish’s consistency was much flakier, which can be appealing to some people, but its taste was rather dry and bland and it was combined with a rather uninspiring baked potato, making it one of the less exciting dishes of the evening. An evening at the Union Oyster House is a pleasant one, but diners may get the vibe that it is more of a tourist trap than anything else. Still, the esteem that this restaurant has earned with its longevity makes it a place worthy of visiting at least once, so that it can finally be crossed off that bucket list that everyone makes when they move to Boston.
THE HEIGHTS
B8
Thursday, October 3, 2013
BOOKISH BOSTONIAN
Seeing it from the street level
Three new MBTA stations by 2017 RYAN TOWEY This weekend I had two distinctly different views of Boston. The first was from the Top of the Hub—a real novelty of a restaurant that sits atop the city’s beloved Prudential Center, one that I enjoyed courtesy of my parents. This view placed the cityscape of Boston before me, the John Hancock Tower piercing the sky, the smaller lights of Cambridge and South Boston in the distance, interrupted only by the darkness of the Charles River, the harbor, and the Atlantic itself. This view reminded me almost instantly of a scene from Teju Cole’s Open City, a compelling novel in which Julius, a Nigerian American in the final year of a psychiatry fellowship, wanders Manhattan, reflecting on his life and the human condition. It may be interesting to point out that Cole spoke at Boston College last February as part of the Lowell Humanities Series—he was excellent, and much funnier than one who has read his book would suspect. In the final moments of Open City, Julius wanders onto a fire escape near the top of Carnegie Hall, where he contemplates New York City and his place in it. He focuses his eye on a taxi, and then an ambulance, which he hears from four floors below, before it heads “toward Times Square’s neon inferno.” Viewing Boston from the Top of the Hub, has a similar effect— there is something about the sight of a city from above that people have collectively agreed is beautiful, inspiring, mysterious, humbling, glorifying—in a way, it is all things. Still, despite all of its power, this sight is not the ultimate to me. Because I had a second view this weekend. It was from the Bristol Lounge in the Four Seasons hotel—a perfect place for a very comfortable brunch at the street level. (Another meal with my parents, of course—just want to prevent any readers from imagining me alone in this rather sumptuous restaurant, smoking a pretentious cigar in the corner of the room.) The view from the windows of the lounge provided me with a much smaller slice of the city, with a view of the sidewalk and the trees of the Public Garden across the street. I watched people walking by on the street, catching only part of their respective days, like short movies as they passed by the wide windows of the Bristol Lounge. There was something so infinite, so human about the lives that I saw passing by me—words passed between friends, an awkward effort to hold hands, a stroller so packed with objects that watching the baby’s father push it was purely comical. There was something about this view of the sidewalk, the street, and the Public Garden that mattered more to me than the view at one of the highest points in Boston. In truth, it is this low-level view that Julius, the main character of Open City, mostly focuses on in the unfolding narrative. Mostly, he just walks—not only in New York, but also in Brussels, talking to people he meets on the sidewalk, on trains, and in restaurants. Julius is not an ideal person. In fact, a revelation that comes late in the story suggests that he has a dark past. Still, I admire his desire for the earthly, for the human connection that one cannot get when alone on the top of a fire escape. Both that dinner at the Top of the Hub and that brunch in the Bristol Lounge were filled with typical conversation I usually have with my parents—we discussed my classes, they asked about my friends, I asked about my sister, we talked about some weird dreams we had all been having, but at the end of the meal, my mother said something so obvious that it was important to say: “It’s just nice to be together.”
Ryan Towey is the Asst. Metro Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.
Green Line, from B10 to “greatly improve local and regional mobility, address longstanding transportation inequities, result in fewer automobiles on local roads, and help to combat greenhouse gas emissions and other components of air pollution,” as well as to “support municipal plans for sustainable growth and urban redevelopment and provide residents of environmental justice communities with faster rides to jobs and other destinations.” The project became an initiative of MassDOT and the MBTA in part to settle a lawsuit with the Conservation Law Foundation to alleviate increased automobile emissions that resulted from the Big Dig. In response, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts agreed to extend the Green Line northward. The project stipulates two branches, which will split just beyond the relocated Lechmere station. The Medford branch will become an extension of the “E” line Green Line branch, running along the Lowell Line right-of-way with stops at Gilman Square, Lowell Street, Ball Square and College Avenue (at the Tufts University campus). The Union Square branch in Somerville will become an extension of the “D” line Green Line branch, following the Fitchburg right-
of-way from Lechmere to a new station just south of Union Square. When the construction is completed, trains will operate every five to six minutes in the peak periods, allowing for fast and efficient service to downtown Boston. Stops are designed to be accessible to pedestrians and bikes or for cars doing drop-offs, but there will be no new parking areas. One of the most important consequences of the project is that it will bring public transit opportunities to suburbs currently underserved by the MBTA relative to their population densities, proximities to Boston, and commercial importance. The extension is projected to have a total weekday ridership of about 52,000, with the Green Line seeing an overall increase of 30,700 in boardings. On a larger scale, the MBTA system would see between 7,000 and 8,000 new riders. Phase 1 of the GLX includes preliminary construction work that already began this past March while the major components of the projects were still in final design. This first phase will continue into early 2015, with the main work consisting of the $15.3 million reconstruction of bridges that will hold the Green Line tracks travelling over Medford St. in Somerville and Harvard St. in Medford. Phase 1 includes the $3 million
demolition of an MBTA facility at 21 Water St. in Cambridge as well. The three new stations—the Lechmere relocation and the two terminals in Somerville— constitute much of the work laid out for Phase 2/2A. The GLX expects Phase 3 to be carried out from 2016 to 2018, and involves the construction of a new Green Line maintenance facility and related smaller buildings next to the current MBTA Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility near North Station in Boston. Phase 4, lasting roughly from 2015 to 2019, will see the construction of the remaining Medford Branch stations, as well as the relocation of the Lowell Line tracks, the construction of noise abatement walls for the Green Line tracks, and bridge, signal, and utility work. White Skanska Kiewit, JV (WSK)—a joint venture consisting of J. F. White Contracting Co., Skanska USA Civil Northeast, Inc. and Kiewit Infrastructure Company—has been approved to construct Phases 2/2A, 3, and 4. According to the Somerville Patch, the state of Massachusetts plans to seek $557 million in federal New Starts money for Phases 3 and 4. The fact that the GLX is allocated $393 million gives it much credibility as a strong project in the city of Boston. MAGGIE BURDGE / HEIGHTS GRAPHIC
Red Sox will face TB Rays at home on Friday night Red Sox, from B10 for 11th place in all of Major League Baseball and sixth in the American League. Lackey was not as successful in terms of wins and losses, as he went 10-13 in his starts, but he finished the season with an ERA of 3.52, lower than that of Lester. As for closers, Koji Uehara led the team in saves, earning 21 in his 24 opportunities. He finished the season with a miniscule ERA of 1.09. On offense, fan favorite David Ortiz leads the team in batting average (.309), home-runs (30),
RBIs (103), and on-base percentage (.395). The only major measured statistic that one of his teammates surpasses him in is hits, where another favorite, Dustin Pedroia, comes out on top with 193. As a team, the Red Sox finished the season with the most runs, the highest on base percentage, the highest slugging percentage, and the second highest batting average in all of MLB. The Red Sox clinched their postseason berth and the best record in the AL East by topping the Toronto Blue Jays on Sept. 22. Finishing the season with the AL’s best record, despite
losing their final two games of the season, they will enjoy home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. “It’s a tribute to the guys in uniform, the way they’ve come in and competed every day to put ourselves in position to secure home-field advantage,” Farrell said. “We’d have liked this game to finish up differently, but to know going into the postseason that every series we go into we’ll have home-field advantage and playing in front of Fenway fans and how comfortable and successful we’ve been at home, this is a good thing.”
On Friday, the Red Sox will face the Tampa Bay Rays who topped the Cleveland Indians in last night’s American League wild-card game. Farrell held off announcing the pitching rotation until midway through the week, and the suspense caused quite the buzz as Farrell plays his cards close to his chest, letting on only that he will keep 11 pitchers in the American Leagues Division Series. On Wednesday night, however, he announced the Lester would be starting game one of the ALDS on Friday night, as the Sox will be putting their trust in their winningest pitcher.
Over 8,000 Mass. workers on furlough due to shutdown Shutdown, from B10 the sites impacted. As one of the biggest tourist attractions in the state, the visitor’s center sees more than 1 million visitors a year, bringing business to the locals who set up shop in the always crowded Faneuil Hall Marketplace. While all privately owned businesses in Faneuil Hall remained open this week, traffic through the marketplace came to a screeching halt as a result of the national park visitor’s center closing. In Massachusetts, the shutdown locked an estimated 8,000 people out of their jobs on Tuesday and Wednesday. When the government shuts down, it furloughs all federal workers, meaning no work and no pay for civilians employed by the U.S. According to reports from the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Defense Department spends more than $500 million a year on wages and salaries for these 8,000 civilian employees. The 2013 shutdown has the ability to take away a whopping
$45 million from the workers and the Massachusetts state economy. For business owners, the economic impact is expected to be minimal—at least in the short term. The real problem, according to The Globe, will come in a short two weeks when Congress must increase the borrowing limit, allowing the U.S. to “technically default on its debt.” The last time the government tested the debt ceiling, nearly two decades ago, stock markets plummeted, causing global financial turmoil and setting back the already-struggling economic recovery. Now, economists fear the same fate if a solution is not eventually reached. “The government can be shut down for quite a while without doing serious damage to the economy,” said Nigel Gault, co-chief economist at The Parthenon Group, a Boston consulting firm. “Triggering the debt ceiling would very likely cause a recession. And if we go right up to the last minute, stock
markets will panic.” Massachusetts has already suffered due to governmental solutions to the 2011 debt crisis. With the concentration of hospitals, universities, research facilities, and development contractors, Massachusetts relies more heavily on government funding than most other states. While approximately 8,000 civil employees are furloughed this week, the Department of Defense records a whopping 45,000 workers are employed by the federal government in the state of Massachusetts. While businesses continued to function, Congress remained eerily quiet on Tuesday as the majority of Washington around the Capitol Building shut down. Reports from Washington said Congress was planning on not only continuing the shutdown through Wednesday, but indefinitely—at least until an agreement is reached. Polls throughout the country show the majority of Americans blaming the Republicans for the shutdown. The GOP refuses to consider any plan
of compromise unless cuts are made from President Barack Obama’s health care funding bill. This bill has already passed through Congress, been approved by the Supreme Court, and is now being implemented in early stages. On Wednesday, Obama released a statement concerning the shutdown: “My basic message to Congress is this: pass a budget, end the government shutdown,” Obama said in the Rose Garden. “We’re better than this. Certainly the American people are better than this. Congress generally has to stop governing by crisis,” he added. “It is a drag on the economy. It is not worthy of this country.” Federal courts will remain open for the first 10 days of a government shutdown before placing employees deemed “non-essential” to the workplace on furlough. The U.S. Postal Service will remain open, as will all prisons and the National Institute of Health. Active duty military personnel will remain on duty with pending paychecks.
‘Next Boston’ launched in order to smooth city transition Menino, from B10 preparing for natural disasters, helping put the city on a world stage, hugging a kid in a duck costume, breaking ground on housing and business developments, and holding up to three press conferences in a single day.” The NextBoston blog will be updated daily with information on various city departments and neighborhoods. The goal of the blog is to provide insight into policies, procedures, and fun facts. Videos, graphs, lists and other dynamically presented information will be included about the city and its work. Menino and his administration hope this will provide a way for everyone to better understand how their government works, and to assist in providing a seamless transition for the new leadership. “We’ve taken a look at how other cities, other states, and even presidential administrations, have handed things off to their successors and decided we’d like
to do things a bit differently than just a bound book listing departments and their functions,” the blog said. “My team is working hard to try and make this transition as smooth as possible,” Menino said. “This site is part of that work. Our hope is that our city—the best city in the world—doesn’t miss a step. As we begin our last 100 days, we hope the contents of this site will aid the next team in a successful first 100 days.” Recent posts on the blog have included information on the Waste Reduction Division of the City’s Public Works Department and its new five-year contracts with the residential trash and recycling contractors. The blog has also detailed the use of the “Mayor’s Hotline,” a call service that links constituents to live phone operators at City Hall who are available to answer questions and take comments 24 hours a day. The latest post examined municipal finance and provided readers with a colorful flow chart of Boston’s finance calendar. All of these posts act
to inform Boston residents of important municipal challenges so that they can understand where the city is headed in the next mayoral term. “We don’t believe that simply handing the next mayor of Boston a ‘transition manual’ on Jan. 6 will achieve that mission. And we don’t believe it will fully engage the people we serve,” Menino’s team wrote on the blog. “Over the next 100 days, we’ll work hard to provide daily content made up of the insight and information that will help the next mayor of Boston and his staff transition more seamlessly into a new administration on Jan. 6. This work is important to us because we love the city of Boston and we want it to thrive. We take pride in setting national standards, and we’d like to set another precedent with this transition.” The Menino administration is striving to present this information in a fashion that is engaging and straightforward, but also entertaining and humorous. Blog posts will range from serious policy briefs
and operations plans to the daily quirks of life on the fifth floor of City Hall. “It once seemed like Tom Menino would be mayor for life,” Boston Magazine wrote last week. After the surprising announcement earlier this year that Menino would step down, many people have taken time to look back on his achievements and legacy. His time in office has been characterized by strong support for GLBTQ rights and increasing financial stability. In addition, Menino has always been an avid supporter of technological advancement. Therefore, the NextBoston blog seems like a natural move for his administration. The Menino administration hopes that with the NextBoston blog, the new mayor will smoothly join a Boston community with increased awareness and support for municipal improvement. The administration is welcoming comments and feedback from Boston residents to make the blog as positive and helpful as possible, stating, “Here’s to a strong finish, and a stronger start.”
THE HEIGHTS
Thursday, October 3, 2013
B9
Former head of Boston FBI to plead guilty today Accused of violating federal ethics codes after retirement, Kaiser faces $15,000 fine BY MAGGIE MARETZ For The Heights
Kenneth Kaiser, a former special agent who was in charge of the FBI’s Boston office from 2003 to 2006, is expected to plead guilty today to misdemeanor charges leveled against him earlier this month for violating federal ethics codes. Kaiser, 57, worked for the FBI for a total of 27 years before retiring from his final position as assistant director of the agency at its headquarters in Washington D.C. in July of 2009. Immediately following his retirement, his experience as an investigator of white-collar crimes earned him a job at LocatePlus, a private Beverly-based company that manages an online investigative database system that allows users to access public and non-public records and information about persons or things or interest, including information about sex offenders, professional licenses, common residencies, relatives, and neighbors. In March 2010, he was given a full-time position as director of government sales. As an employee of LocatePlus, he was tasked with looking into the wrongdoings of
two former executives at LocatePlus—then CEO Jon Latorella and CFO James T. Fields. He was also tasked with raising the company’s government sales as the director of government sales. Within 17 days of assuming his new position, the Hopkinton, Mass. native had breached a law that prohibits retired senior executive branch personnel from making contact with the agency they were employed by for one year after leaving government service. Kaiser made several of these prohibited post-employment contacts in order to investigate the new company for which he was working. According to prosecutors, the former FBI employee made “numerous prohibited electronic, telephonic and in-person contacts with FBI employees regarding a then-ongoing FBI investigation involving LocatePlus.” Although Kaiser had been working in Washington at the time of his retirement, the agents with whom he had unethical communication were employees of the Boston FBI office, and prosecutors added that he had “additional improper contacts” on behalf of one of his clients who had requested help in
PHOTO COURTESY OF MASSLIVE
Kenneth Kaiser will plead guilty to violating ethics codes while employed at LocatePlus. dealing with a threatening letter in Gloucester during August of 2009. Furthermore, in order to generate sales for LocatePlus as part of his new role for the company, he used his FBI connections in order to estimate government interest in the company’s services. When reached for comment by The Boston Globe, Kaiser’s attorney, Anthony Fuller of Collora LLP, said, “It should be noted that the government does not allege any criminal intent on his part.” LocatePlus, nevertheless, will be listed as
a victim during the procession of the case, which prosecutors hope will help the public image of the company. While Kaiser originally faced the maximum misdemeanor charges of up to $100,000 in fines and up to a year in prison, he has now agreed to plead guilty as part of an agreement in which prosecutors advised that he receive $15,000 in fines and no jail time. The terms of this new deal were explained on Wednesday in U.S. District Court. Kaiser is due in federal court today for a change-of-plea hearing.
Candidate Walsh gives insight into his run for mayor Walsh, from B10 with young people from diverse backgrounds helped him understand the different challenges that they faced. “Being able to watch and learn from day students was a tremendous help,” Walsh said. Walsh also pointed to BC’s central role in the city as a whole. “BC is important to the fabric of Boston, the history of Boston, and the engine that drives Boston,” Walsh said. “I’m proud to say I graduated from Boston College.” This November, Walsh hopes to become the fifth BC graduate to be elected mayor of Boston, vying to succeed longtime incumbent Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who announced this spring that he will not seek re-election for a record sixth term. The field in the race for City Hall was narrowed from 12 candidates to two in a preliminary election held Sept. 24, from which Walsh emerged as the top vote-getter with 18.5 percent of the electorate. Following closely behind was the candidate Walsh will face in the final election, City Councilor John
Connolly, BC Law ’01, who garnered 17.2 percent of votes. With the election of either man, Boston will see a return to the city’s tradition of male, Irish-American mayors, a tradition broken for the first time since 1930 with the election of Menino—an Italian-American—in 1993. Walsh, who said he was “fortunate enough to top the ticket on election day” in the preliminary, is now looking to spread his message to all of Boston’s diverse communities in order to emerge victorious after the final vote. “The strength of the city is its people and its diversity,” Walsh said. “The next mayor needs to make sure everyone has the opportunity to be successful, and make sure Boston is not a city of ‘haves’ and ‘have not’s’.” To accomplish this, Walsh pointed to several key aspects of his platform that he will try to highlight in the upcoming series of mayoral debates. The candidates will face off four times in the month leading up to the Nov. 5 election Among these goals are some that will appeal to young Bostonians and college students, in particular. Increasing the supply of
housing and making it accessible and affordable for college students and recent graduates is one of Walsh’s top focuses, as well as facilitating continued growth of the Boston job market. The job market is solid right now, Walsh said, but the city must continue to encourage innovative start-ups and venture capital projects to create and support job opportunities for young people.In general, Walsh emphasized the need to keep college students in Boston beyond their four years of undergraduate education. “As mayor, I want to make sure all college students, whether they are from here or other places, see Boston as a place where [they] want to invest in [their] future after school,” Walsh said. An additional facet of his plan to revitalize the city is expanding the hours of public transportation services. A central question, according to Walsh, is “how we can open up Boston and make it a longer day.” He noted that Boston residents should have the opportunity to go out at later hours if they wish, but also acknowledged that some residential neighborhoods do not need to be
open as late. Walsh also intends to focus on education in the debates, stressing that every child should have access to quality schools. Education, Walsh said, is a key catalyst in solving the largest issues that plague our city, most importantly, poverty. His life experiences—in the work force and the legislature—and deep understanding of the challenges that the people of Boston face are his strongest assets as a candidate, Walsh said. Following in the legacy of Menino, he said, is a large responsibility, and the new mayor will be tasked with moving Boston in a new direction while building on the foundations Menino created. Walsh said he doubts that the next mayor will serve for 20 years, but does not deny the importance of this year’s election in the city’s political landscape. “This is the first time in 20 years that there will be an election for mayor with an open seat,” Walsh said. “With a new mayor comes new ideas, which will give the city a different feel.”
COLLEGIATE ROUND-UP BY BRENNA CASS | HEIGHTS STAFF
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
16-year-old receives Humanitarian of the Year award Harvard University awarded Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani girl who survived an attempted murder by the Taliban, with their Humanitarian of the Year award in a ceremony on Friday, Sept. 27. Yousafzai, 16, was an advocate mainly for education for girls in Pakistan, where the Taliban had banned them from attending school. She did this by bringing attention to the issue of girls’ education in Pakistan through her blog for BBC and a New York Times documentary made about her. Yousafzai also worked for human rights and equal rights for women. On Oct. 9, 2012, at the age of 15, Yousafzai was shot in the head and neck while on her way to school on a school bus in an assassination attempt made by the Taliban because of her advocacy of the education of
BOSTON UNIV. Boston University has filed a lawsuit against Apple and other tech companies, saying that the companies have infringed on a 1997 technology patented by a BU professor. The patent protects a type of nitride that produces blue LED light. The lawsuit was originally filed in July against only Apple, but in July the university filed more lawsuits against other tech companies, including Microsoft, Dell, and Blackberry. According to a statement from a spokesman at BU, professors at the school “developed and patented technology that is now widely used in products that include blue LEDs. As exclusive owner of that patented technology, only Boston University and those who have licensed our patent can make, use or sell products containing that technology.” Some of the products that the university claims use this patented technology include the iPhone 5, the iPad, the MacBook Air, Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite, and the HP Chromebook, among others.
women. The Taliban hoped to silence her voice that spoke up against inequality in education, but they were unsuccessful. Yousafzai has since made a full recovery and was recognized by Harvard as the recipient of the 2013 Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award. In receiving the award, Yousafzai joins the likes of Lionel Richie, Sharon Stone, and the most recent winner, Hans Rosling—all were recognized for their humanitarian acts. In her address to the crowd at the Sanders Theater on Friday, she spoke about her experience and the change that all people can make in the world. “Let us remember—one book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world,” Yousafzai said. “Let us stand up for our rights, and let us fight.”
EMERSON Emerson College has switched its provider of food services from ARAMARK to Sodexo due to the lack of composting done by ARAMARK in its final months of service to the college. The institution is committed to having a campus that is sustainable and green, and ARAMARK neglected to follow this ideal of environmentalism by not composting trash from food production and the dining halls. Although composting in general was not listed in the school’s contract with ARAMARK, the company and the college agreed that food services would take an active role in creating a sustainable campus, but allegedly did not inform the university when it stopped composting. As a result, ARAMARK was replaced by Sodexo in the end of July 2012. Students at Emerson and the administration hope that Sodexo will work to compost more than the previous company and will help make the campus more environmentally friendly.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF UMASS DARTMOUTH
SUFFOLK Suffolk University has just named Nicole Price as its first Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer. The position, which is within the University’s administration, will be the head of a new office of diversity and inclusion. The purpose of this new office and position is to improve diversity throughout the student body, as well as to help build a more diverse administration. Although Suffolk already has a reasonably diverse student population, the university’s size and downtown location necessitate Price to further develop diversity through the office of diversity and inclusion. She will also work to increase diversity among the student body and the faculty. “Nicole Price will provide solid leadership in advancing the University’s core value of building a culture of cooperation among diverse groups,” said University President James McCarthy in a university press release.
BOSTON UNCOMMON
Remember: college is the real world
SAMANTHA COSTANZO I’ve always been told that college is supposed to do more than just teach me information. Yes, I’m here to find out how to write well and do research and learn some straight facts about all sorts of subjects. But college, I’ve been told, is supposed to teach me something about the real world too. I’ll let you in on the secret of this this so-called “real world:” I’ve seen it, and it’s not all that different from life here at BC. Over the summer, I had an internship in Boston. I commuted to my 9-to-5 job every day, bought groceries, learned how to get three meals a day without relying on a prepaid plan, and paid for rent and utilities—all on my own. Granted, I didn’t have to deal with kids or mortgages that a rather large number of out-of-college adults do, but I did get a chance to live the way a recent college graduate might. Now that I’m back at BC as a junior, not much has changed. In a funny way, BC didn’t prepare me for the real world—the real world prepared me for this school year. I’m still trying to find time to buy and cook food, call home, hang out with friends, and just unwind after going to class all day. If anything, my schedule has gotten busier now because my work follows me home in the form of essays and readings. And yet, I’ve always been told that I’m so lucky to be spending four years here in the BC Bubble before I have to go to the “real world.” True, we don’t have to deal with all of the problems of the real world. I’m living on campus this year and thankfully don’t have to worry about paying rent anymore, and more than half of the other students living on campus have the convenience of a meal plan. For many of us, our job is to go to school—not to make money in order to survive. I still think that college life is a very good representation of what our lives will be like in the first few years after we graduate, because there’s a lot that won’t change just because we live in an apartment instead of a dorm room. In addition to the fact that my life now is far busier than it was in the so-called real world over the summer, I feel like I live in a miniature city. BC has a variety of media outlets that strive to keep us informed, just like any major city would. The students involved with Eagle EMS, our emergency medical service, provide medical care to students who then go to the infirmary—our very own miniature hospital. We cheer for sports teams that represent BC, the same way the Patriots and Bruins represent Boston. And speaking of representation, we elect a government to deal with the issues we feel are important. While BCPD isn’t staffed by students, we still have our own personal police force on campus. This city, like any other, doesn’t exist in a vacuum—its inhabitants regularly interact with those of other cities. Every time you take the T, go to a football game, or shop somewhere off-campus, you’re interacting with “real” people in the “real world.” Most of us are not oblivious to what’s going on beyond our little stretch of Comm. Ave. So yes, we’ve got it good here. For all of the craziness we have to deal with as college students, there are still many things we can avoid for now. I can tell you, though, that I’ve gotten a pretty healthy dose of this “real world” that everyone’s been telling me about, and it’s not quite as hectic as they make it sound. It’s not even as crazy as being a junior in college. Transitioning back into the swing of college life was actually a lot more difficult than it was to transition out for the summer. Believe it or not, we’re in the real world already.
Samantha Costanzo is an editor for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@ bcheights.com.
metro The Heights
B8
B10
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Candidate walsh:
Breaking Boundaries
Why should you care?
‘With a new mayor comes new ideas’
Tricia Tiedt Overheard in the Rat on Tuesday morning, between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.: “I hate the hand soap in our new dorm. It’s not scented. Why doesn’t BC buy scented hand soap?” “The lid on my coffee cup will just not stay on this morning.” “I really don’t like this bandeau under this shirt. It just doesn’t feel right.” Forgive me for being yet another writer to fall prey to the overuse of hashtags, but it’s begging to be said: #firstworldproblems. On Tuesday, our government shut down for the first time in 20 years. I sat, eavesdropping on fellow students and peers for close to three hours on Tuesday morning—and didn’t hear a single word about the state of our political system. Now, maybe I was posted up at an unfortunate table. Maybe political chatter was buzzing all over campus, and I just missed it. Maybe just no one cares. And you know what? I don’t blame you. Truth is, all of Washington is in quite the financial pickle, and nothing in our BC Bubble changed. The biggest scare we faced this week was the potential cancelation of our Homecoming football game vs. Army on Saturday. When Congress starts messing with day-drinking opportunities, that’s when you know it’s real. The city of Boston is about to be in a full political upheaval. Governor Deval Patrick is not seeking another term. Ed Davis, who has served as Boston’s Police Chief Commissioner for the past seven years, announced his resignation last week. Mayor Thomas M. Menino has been in office longer than some of us at BC have been alive. This is the first time the city will be led by a new man in 20 years. The election is a month from Saturday. The city we call home for the duration of our time at BC is going through one of the biggest shifts in political power of this century. And guess what? For the overwhelming majority of you, there’s not a damn thing you can do about it. According to our official University demographics, only 25 percent of the student body enrolled at BC in 2012 was from the state of Massachusetts. Of that 25 percent, how many are residents of the city of Boston? Did you know the grounds of BC actually span two cities? The Newton town line runs directly through Lower Campus. So, even if you did make the effort to register in Mass., your voting district depends on your exact residence. As an aspiring journalist, it’s my job to know what’s going on in the world. As the Metro editor of The Heights, it’s my job to know what’s going on in Boston. I wish I could tell you it’s your job to know all this too—but I can’t because it’s not. (Which, frankly, I’m okay with, because that means I probably wouldn’t have this job, and I really like this job.) Which brings me to the question of this column: Why should you care? Will the next Boston mayor change the leaky coffee cups in the Rat, or make your clothes fit better? No. But they will determine BC’s ability to remodel campus. They will make the laws that will be in place when you graduate and potentially stay in Boston. They will be in charge of one of the most popular cities in the country, a place that happens to be a few stops down the Green Line. What can you do about it? Well, for those of you that can vote, vote. You have the ability to make a difference. Do not let it pass you by. For those of you that can’t, all I ask is that you care—just a little bit. Know enough to be educated about what’s going on in the place you currently call home. Because to be frank, it’s pretty damn important.
Tricia Tiedt is the Metro Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at metro@bcheights.com.
photo courtesy of the boston herald
BC grad Marty Walsh points to life experiences, knowledge of the city’s people, and his big ideas for Boston as reasons he should be mayor By Julie Orenstein Heights Editor Marty Walsh, BC’ 09, knows that he did not take the traditional route in life. The son of Irish immigrants and a lifelong resident of Dorchester, Walsh followed his father into the trades after graduating from high school, working as a laborer at the Boston seaport. Rising through the ranks of his union, Laborers Local 223, Walsh gained experience working with city officials on large-scale construction projects and economic development initiatives, eventually becoming the head of the Building and Construction Trades Council
of the Metropolitan District. At the same time, Walsh established himself as an advocate for workers in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, first winning a seat representing the 13th Suffolk District in 1997. He has since been re-elected eight times. While serving in the legislature, Walsh, 46, earned a degree from Boston College through night classes in the Woods College of Advancing Studies. Walsh recognized his time at the University as vital in shaping his career and outlook as a legislator. The opportunity to be in class
See Walsh, B9
CAMPAIGN POINTS - Extend MBTA hours - Expand Menino’s services for senior citizens - Improve public schools - Create more affordable housing - Encourage innovation and job creation
Shutdown causes Mass. historical sites to close doors Economists fear for businesses and stock market should government shutdown continue B y T ricia T iedt Metro Editor After weeks of fruitless negotiation by a divided Congress, the United States government shut down Tuesday, furloughing over 800,000 federal workers. The shutdown—the first of its kind in
20 years—closed the doors of national parks, historic sites, and museums. Most notably, however, the shutdown has turned a spotlight toward the faltering political system in Washington. The overwhelming majority of those interviewed by The Boston Globe used one particular word to describe the state
of the government: “ridiculous.” In Massachusetts, the most glaring effect of the shutdown was the barred doors on national parks and historic sites throughout the state. At a time where fall foliage is reaching its peak throughout New England, the closing will affect a number of tourist groups as well as public school field trips. The U.S.S. Constitution at the Charlestown Navy Yard, the Bunker Hill Monument, the African Meeting House on Beacon
Green Line will expand Heights Staff
See Green Line, B8
i nside Metro this issue
See Shutdown, B8
Menino sees start of last 100 days
By Lauren Totino Last week, a Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) panel approved a $393 million contract for the construction of three new Green Line stations, to be completed by 2017. One station will be a new Lechmere terminal, located across the street from its current location in East Cambridge, and the other two stations will be located in the Brickbottom and Union Square neighborhoods of Somerville. According to Mary Ainsley, director of the MBTA Design & Construction Department, construction is expected to begin next spring. The addition of these three stops is the biggest financial commitment of MassDOT and the MBTA’s Green Line Extension Project’s (GLX), which has been in the works for years now. According to the MBTA’s website, proposals to extend transit service four and a half miles north of Lechmere have been around for decades, with the completion of the MBTA’s Beyond Lechmere Northwest Corridor Study, a major investment study and alternatives analysis, kicking off planning for the current phase of work. The MBTA cites its goals for the project,
Hill, and the Old North Bridge in Concord were the main attractions shut down starting Tuesday. The national park shutdowns alone affected more than 100 park service workers in Massachusetts. Cape Cod’s North Shore is also closed. Within the city of Boston itself, the National Park visitors center—located adjacent to Quincy Market—was among
By Shannon Inglesby Heights Staff
optimism reigned. Then came May, when the Sox went 15-15. A little less optimism, a little more reality, but that didn’t signify the end of a season. At the end of the regular season, the Red Sox were 97-65. It may not be the 69 percent winning percentage that the Sox had in May, but it was enough for Boston to finish the regular season at the top of the AL East, the nearest team more than five games back. Over the course of the season, pitching came into the forefront as one of the Red Sox’ biggest strength. Clay Bucholz posted the final win for Boston on Sunday, bringing his record to 12-1 on the season. His win total was surpassed only by John Lester, wwhose 15 tallies in the win column were enough for a tie
After two decades of running the city of Boston, Mayor Thomas M. Menino has reached his last 100 days in office. To smooth this transition and foster a positive environment for the incoming mayor, on Saturday, the Menino administration created a blog that catalogues the internal processes of Boston’s government. This blog, called NextBoston, is intended to inspire understanding, inclusion, and general awareness among Boston residents for the coming mayoral race and for the transition to new leadership for the city. The blog kicked off last week by launching a series of countdown posts that displayed pictures of the days ticking down to the new mayor’s term. One of the posts included a video by the Menino administration that detailed what the new mayor can expect when he assumes office. According to this fun, welcome video, the new mayor will absorb the tasks of “examining the budget, plowing the roads,
See Red Sox, B8
See Menino, B8
Patrick Semansky / ap photo
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, left, congratulates David Ortiz after a triple home run on Friday.
Red Sox enter postseason By Marly Morgus Heights Editor The Red Sox start was incredible: 18 wins in April, including two out of three against the Yankees to kick off the season. There were blips, such as a 13-0 loss to Oakland and John Lackey’s unsuccessful opener to what would be an up and down season for him, but overall, the Red Sox were back. The previous season had been a struggle. The Red Sox finished with a record of 6993—their worst in 47 years. Bobby Valentine, the manager who had taken the reins during the previous offseason, was fired only one day after the regular season ended. All of a sudden, the Red Sox faithful had their team back, and for the month of April
Collegiate Round-up
Highlights from other prestigious universities and colleges in the greater Boston area.........................................................................................B9
Restaurant Review: Union Street Oyster House....................................B7 Former Head of Boston FBI to Plead Guilty Today.......................................B9