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A junior and a senior head to Appetito for a mid-week venture off campus, B10
Katharine McPhee joined the Boston Pops and the University Chorale for the annual concert, A10
Jameis Winston and the Seminoles shut down an early upset attempt from BC, B1
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The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College Vol. XCIV, No. 32
HEIGHTS
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Monday, September 30, 2013
ANDERSON ARGUES AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE BC students pack lecture hall to hear and question Heritage Foundation fellow BY ELEANOR HILDEBRANDT News Editor
GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Students and other members of the BC community gathered on Thursday to hear Ryan T. Anderson speak during an event hosted by the St. Thomas More Society.
Students sat on the floor, wedged between backpacks and pressed back against the walls. Brightly colored “Support Love” t-shirts were sprinkled liberally throughout the audience in Cushing 001 on Thursday night, as students gathered to hear—and question—Ryan T. Anderson, the William E. Simon Fellow in Religion and a Free Society at the Heritage Foundation. Titled “A Case Against Gay Marriage,” Anderson’s presentation was arranged by the St. Thomas More Society (STM), a student-run group at Boston College. Rev. Ronald Tacelli, S.J., the group’s faculty advisor and a professor in the philosophy department, introduced Anderson, stating that the event would be more question and answer based, as opposed to the panel that had originally been planned. “When I see the size of the crowd, I think it was a better idea,” he said, eliciting laughter. The large turnout for the talk can be attributed in part to a Facebook event created earlier in the week by BC Students for Sexual Health (BCSSH). The event, formed in opposition to Anderson’s talk after an email about it was sent out to students on the philosophy and theology departments’ listservs, encouraged students to show up wearing Support Love shirts and to participate in the discussion. “This is not the type of programming that fosters an accepting environment for students,” the event description read. “This event is going to have to rely on the audience for any hope of a balancing
See Anderson, A3
Panel debates role of laity in the Church BY DANIEL PEREA-KANE For The Heights Last Thursday, Sept. 26, Boston College and the School of Theology and Ministry held a panel discussion on the role of Catholic laity in the Church as part of the Sesquicentennial celebration. The program, titled “Coworkers in the Vineyard,” placed special emphasis on the Second Vatican Council, public service, and scholarship. The panelists were Simone Campbell, S.S.S., a member of the Sisters of Social Service and executive director of NETWORK,
a Catholic social justice lobbying group; E.J. Dionne, Jr., a columnist for The Washington Post and a professor at Georgetown University; Thomas Groome, a professor at the School of Theology and Ministry and an expert in religious education; and Jane McAullife, the former president of Bryn Mawr College and an expert in MuslimCatholic relations. Timothy Shriver, a leading educator and the chairman and CEO of Special Olympics, and Mark Massa, S.J., the dean and professor of church history at the School of Theology and Ministry, moderated the discussion.
Each panelist gave an opening statement, beginning with Dionne. “Within the Church, there has been a horrible tendency to throw people out,” he said. “For the first time in a while, we are not dealing with a Pope who is trying to create a small, more orthodox church.” Dionne emphasized that reflection is important in the creation of a more open church, relating the story of a professor at Boston University who once said that people should make room for an attentive
See Vatican II Panel, A3
ROBIN KIM / FOR THE HEIGHTS
Participants in Thursday’s panel discussed, among other topics, Vatican II and Pope Francis.
Jacobs wins historical book award
MassChallenge finalists market better batteries
BY CHRIS STADTLER
Today, it seems that cell phones are limitless. They very well could be, if their collective battery life was more reliable. Thanks to a bit of breakthrough science no larger than a human hair, the era of dying batteries and frustration may soon be over. Meghan Zipin and Emily Fannon, both BC ’13, are on the verge of making the dream of a super-powered phone a reality. The two are finalists of MassChallenge, the largest startup accelerator in the world. Before these successes, Zipin and Fannon were MBA students at Boston College. Their journey began when a associate professor of chemistry Dunwei Wang visited a business class they were taking. His presentation induced a lot of interest and they approached Wang afterward. Soon they were teamed up in the pursuit of perfecting and marketing the lithium ion battery. In an age where cell phones surf the web, keep our schedules, play music, and capture photos, batteries are doing a lot, and dying much more quickly.
BY MELANIE FLOYD For The Heights
Heights Editor “I was confounded because the standard explanation didn’t seem to correspond to what I was finding in the archives,” said associate professor of history Seth Jacobs. “So if that’s not the reason it happened, then what happened?” Published in 2012, Jacobs’ work, The Universe Unraveling: American Foreign Policy in Cold War Laos, sought to discover the reasoning behind the United States’ treatment of Laos during the Cold War. Jacobs’ third book recently won the James P. Hanlan Book Award from the New England Historical Association. The nonfiction piece took five years of researching and writing to finish. The NEHA accepts nominations on any historical topic, time period, or geographic region. Th e Hanlan Book Award was established and first awarded in 1985, and 700 historians are a part of the NEHA. Every member is from New
EMILY FAHEY / HEIGHTS STAFF
Professor Seth Jacobs’ recent book won an award from the NE Historical Association. England. Th eir individual concentrations range over all periods of history. Jacobs chose the title of his book from Norman Cousins, the former editor-in-chief of The Saturday Review. Following a visit to Laos, Cousins delivered the famous line: “If you want to get a sense of the universal unraveling, come to Laos—complexities like this have to be respected.” The book, Jacobs said, “is about American foreign policy towards Laos between the two Geneva conferences. It addresses the issue of why the United
States ultimately elected to draw the line between communist expansion in Vietnam, rather than Laos. The standard explanation was that it was due to logistics.” The common account has been that Laos was not as attractive geographically or as technologically developed as Vietnam. “That had been the standard explanation before I did my research,” Jacobs said. “But I found out over the course of
See Jacobs Book Award, A3
Zipin and Fannon started EnerLeap, Inc., which already holds multiple patents on a new and improved battery design. Simply put, all batteries seek to maintain the potential between oppositely charged electrodes. The normal mode of construction elicits carbon black and a “glue” that connects the powder electrode materials in the device. Wang laments that this blueprint is far from sophisticated, “less like a form of art,” he said. That’s because the current powder binders are difficult to control and essentially inactive. As Wang said, the most exciting part is the practical application. For many, the average two to three hours required to fully charge a typical battery is glacial. The dilemma? More energy necessitates a slower charge time. The EnerLeap batteries can charge in a fraction of the time—a matter of minutes—while common batteries would be damaged if supercharged within such a short period of time. The solution is Wang’s nanonet, a conductive
See EnerLeap, A3
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New Journalist Program
Afghanistan After 2014
Monday, September 30, 2013
Dracula’s Bloodline
1 2 3 Today Time: 7 p.m. Location: Fulton 511
The Heights presents the final event of the fourth annual New Journalist Program. The event will feature a panel of recent Boston College graduates, including speakers from The Boston Globe and Getty Images.
Today Time: 5 p.m. Location: Higgins Hall, Room 300
Thomas Barfield, Director of Boston University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies and Civilization and President of the American Institute for Afghanistan Studies, will discuss his research on problems of political development in Afghanistan.
Wednesday Time: 4-6 p.m. Location: McElroy Bookstore
Radu Florescu, professor of history emeritus at Boston College, will be speaking about his new book, “Dracula Bloodlines: A Florescu Family Saga.” Florescu taught at BC for more than 50 years and studied Vlad the Impaler, better known as Dracula.
FEATURED EVENT
McPhee reveals the woman behind Bernini’s sculpture BY REBECCA MORETTI For The Heights When admiring an artistic portrait, one seldom takes the time to inquire into the life and character of the individual portrayed. However, Sarah McPhee did just this in her lecture, “Devouring Marble: Bernini and his portrait of Costanza,” last week in Devlin Hall. McPhee, who is the author of Bernini’s Beloved: A Portrait of Constanza Piccolomini, delved deeply into the inner and outer life of one of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s favorite women. A lot of mystery revolves around Costanza Piccolomini, also know as Costanza Bonarelli, and different historians have defined her differently. Born in Viterbo, Italy, from a family of modest background, she lived in Rome for most of her life and became educated and literate. Costanza was the unfaithful wife of the sculptor Matteo Bonarelli, one of Bernini’s assistants. She became Bernini’s mistress during a love affair that began in 1636 and ended dramatically in 1638. “Costanza was the great romantic passion of Bernini’s life,” McPhee said. “For the sculptor, she was model, mistress, and muse.” The lecture revolved around Bernini’s “Bust of Costanza.” “This work dramatically transformed female sculpture,” McPhee said. In 1636, Bernini created the mas-
ANDREW SKARAS / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Sarah McPhee, an Art History professor at Emory, presented her work on Costanza Piccolomini. terpiece for himself without a patron or commission, something considered highly unusual at the time. McPhee talked in exquisite detail of the “Bust of Costanza,” exploring the radical nature of Bernini’s innovation in portrait sculpture. She discussed the revolutionary aspect of the portrait’s frank sexuality as well as the suggestive and subtle beauty captured in Costanza’s gaze. “Bernini’s marble has the buoyancy of fresh dough,” McPhee said, “and the riveting individuality of the sitter.” “Bernini’s portraits are composite,” she
said, and “serve as both an exterior and interior portrait of the subject.” Bernini perfectly captured Costanza’s passion, wit, and mystique in his portrait of her. “He had a way of sending through the eyes the spirit to make the stone live,” McPhee said. She went on to say that Bernini was not only a great artist, but also a great reader. His private library suggests that a lot of his art was inspired by classical literature and poetry. The works of Pygmalion, Ovid, and Petrarch filled his shelves, inspiring beautiful and sensuous portraits
9/25/13-9/27/13
POLICE BLOTTER Wednesday, September 25 3:38 p.m. - A report was filed regarding found property in Lyons Hall 9:39 p.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a BC student in Alumni Stadium. 10:25 p.m. - A report was filed regarding general harassment in Fulton Hall.
Thursday, September 26 9:42 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a BC employee in Stuart Hall. The employee was later transported to a medical facility by a cruiser. 10:50 a.m. - A report was filed regarding found property on Upper Campus.
12:19 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a motor vehicle accident in the Lower Lots. 1:11 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a medical transport in Gasson Hall. 4:46 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a motor vehicle accident in middle roadways. 7:30 p.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a student in McElroy Commons. The student was later transported to a medical facility by cruiser.
7:34 p.m. - A report was filed regarding larceny in O’Neill Library.
12:24 a.m. - A report was filed regarding medical assistance provided to a BC student in Gonzaga Hall. The student was later transported by ambulance to a medical facility. 5:05 a.m. - A report was filed regarding police services provided in Stayer Hall. 7:30 p.m. - A report was filed regarding an underage intoxicated BC student in an off-campus location.
suspension, which currently prevents them from all activity until 2018, according to The Huffington Post. “While the club is suspended, it may not gather as a group on the campus, including at practice sessions and in competition,” UDel spokeswoman Andrea Boyle told The Huffington Post in an email. She also confirmed the suspension was a result of the Sept. 9 party. Two students—both members of the rugby team—were arrested on the night of the party. Five people in total were charged in connection with the incident, including a cameraman for “I’m Shmacked.” According to UDel police, more charges can be expected. UDel President Patrick T. Harker and Provost Domenico Grasso sent a campus-wide letter on Sept. 10 calling the mayhem an “embarrassing, dangerous and costly episode.” They warned in bold letters, “Make no mistake—this behavior will not be tolerated at the University of Delaware.”
—Source: The Boston College Police Department
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 This correction is in reference to the issue dated Sept. 26, 2013, Vol. XCIV, No. 31. The article titled “James Wood talks life, death, and the fictional genre” was incorrectly attributed. The author’s name is Soo Jung Rhee.
VOICES FROM THE DUSTBOWL
NEWS FROM UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
The University of Delaware club rugby team was suspended earlier this week for five years, according to The Huffington Post. A party was hosted at the school’s informally termed rugby house on Sept. 9 and resulted in thousands of students roaming the streets and, in some cases, jumping on cars. Newark, Del. streets were crowded with UDel students when the popular YouTube channel “I’m Shmacked” came to town to shoot footage of students partying. Students climbed on cars, cheered from rooftops, and knocked over trash cans, according to The Huffington Post. It took the work of the university, local and state police agencies to quell the rowdy students. The university has not yet announced whether any individual students will be punished, but decided to suspend the rugby team, which is a club sport not governed by the NCAA. The group is appealing its
Friday, September 27
7:30 p.m. - A report was filed regarding police services provided in McGuinn Hall.
College Corner BY DEVON SANFORD Assoc. News Editor
of the beloved such as his Pluto and Persephone statue. McPhee described the tragic end of Bernini’s relationship with Costanza, when he found out that she had been having an affair with his younger brother, Luigi. Consumed by his rage, Bernini ordered his servant to slash Cassandra’s face, a practice often inflicted on prostitutes as a sign of shame. He also broke two of Luigi’s ribs with an iron rod. McPhee hunted for six months in order to find evidence of a court case showing that Bernini had been punished for his actions. Instead, she discovered that Costanza had been forcibly sent to the Casa Delle Mal Maritate, a home for unfaithful wives, while Bernini was charged a large sum but spared from further punishment due to his connections. After the death of her husband, Costanza inherited his business and made a great deal of money selling works of art, including some by the French artist Nicolas Poussin, a friend of Matteo Bonarelli. Today, the “Bust of Costanza” is housed in Florence’s Bargello Museum and remains one of Bernini’s critical works. “It is important to acknowledge the revolution in portraiture that the bust of Costanza represents,” McPhee said. “Although he scarred her for life, Bernini preserved Costanza’s beauty in effigy for all time,” McPhee said.
A Guide to Your Newspaper
“What is your favorite BC Dining specialty?”
“Steak and cheese.” —Mitch Maloof, A&S ’17
“The burritos at Stuart.” —James Potter, A&S ’17
“Ice cream sandwich from Stuart.” —Claire Messina, LSOE ’17
“Garden burgers.” —Jenna Watson, A&S ’17
The Heights
Monday, September 30, 2013
A3
Grads develop new battery EnerLeap, from A1
robin kim / for the heights
The ‘Coworkers in the Vineyard’ panel was the last event in the Vatican II conference, put on as part of the sesquicentennial celebration.
Panel considers issues surrounding Church Vatican II Panel, from A1 society where everyone gives and receives help. “There is truth, but we should not give up on humility,” Dionne said. Shriver gave his opening statement next. “One of the questions we should ask is not what Catholics are looking for, but what former Catholics are looking for,” he said. “We can look at the expanse of the Church, but we should also look at why so many left.” Shriver argued that this crisis is a spiritual one. He then read phrases from the Pope’s highly publicized recent interview. Shriver focused on the reflection that he believes goes into Francis’s life and his interiority. “God is a question and the source of that question is within,” Shriver said. “I think we’re missing love. Yes, we love God, but no one told me to fall in love with God until my 20s.” McAuliffe followed, postulating that one cannot ignore the deep concerns that young people are grappling with from other religions. She said that in her experience, the three issues that young people are most concerned about are the environment, social inequality, and terrorism. McAuliffe then tied this concern back to Vatican II. “These are global issues,” she said. “Vatican II changed the discourse from declaration to the potential for dialogue. Roman Catholic interfaith dialogue is something about which I think we can be deeply proud.” Campbell gave her input next. “America and the Church are both about the sense of community, engagement, and being together,
but individualism is a problem in both,” she said. “It is unchristian to have a smaller church. We’re one body with all people.” Campbell offered advice too. “All you have to do is hold out your hands and listen,” she said. “It requires joy, which is surprisingly in short supply right now. The quote that I like from Pope Francis’ interview is that God is surprise. The spirit is alive and well and making mischief. The Church in the modern world is us together.” Groome delivered a more impromptu opening statement after saying that he had just thrown out his second set of notes. He emphasized the importance of Jesus as the center of the Church and that religious education could solve the problems raised by the other panelists. “Most catechism focuses on the Apostle’s Creed,” he said. “We skip his life when we say ‘born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate.’” Groome used a study involving word association as evidence that people tend to focus on the Church when talking about Catholicism. “The heart of our faith is not the Church or the Bible, but Jesus,” he said. “His pedagogy can teach us how to approach the questions facing the Church. Jesus invites us to faith, gets deep down into people, and listens to their stories. He is the best thing we have.” The panelists then engaged in dialogue with one another. Campbell addressed Groome’s point. “I think that one of the challenges of the post-modern world is that you sound too certain,” she said. “We have holy faith, but where is holy doubt? That piece is key to bringing us together.”
Shriver took up the same point, saying that the opposite of belief is not doubt, but certainty. He focused on the question of why so many people struggle to believe in the miracles of Jesus that the Bible describes. “There’s enormous post-modern doubt about God,” he said. “I think the reason people go to alternative spiritualties is not about disagreeing with Jesus, but rather not feeling it. In all of the richness of our faith is religious experience and discovering every day.” The panelists also addressed women’s role in the Church. “Women have always been the backbone of the Church,” Dionne said. “We talk a lot about bishops, but they do not make Catholics. Mothers do.” Groome proposed that the Church should make women cardinals immediately because cardinals do not need to be ordained. Dionne expanded on the issue of change in the Church. “I am not sure if everyone appreciates how much Vatican II changed the Church’s views about religious freedom and democracy,” he said. “John XXIII said not to be afraid of the modern world, that the church could learn from a dialogue with the modern world.” Shriver noted some shortcomings in Vatican II, however. “We still have not completely gotten outside the question of whether there is salvation outside the church,” he said. “I think the council invited us to see universal dignity.” Campbell echoed this sentiment. “The key is following our own paths and knowing God through prayer so that we may learn where we are called by God to be in relation to each other,” he said. n
alternative to the carbon additive that increases surface area, thus supporting the powder and conducting and discharging charge. This design not only makes for a fast-charged, longer-lasting battery, but a lighter battery as well. For this reason, the military is interested in the EnerLeap battery. Lighter loads and faster charges can mitigate risk for soldiers. With the innovation of an idea that has been four years in the making, Wang said, “In my lab we have done what we can.” Many of the developmental stages are now, as Wang said, “out of the Ivory Tower and into the real world.” When asked which route the battery will end up on, Wang had less to say. “In terms of application, I’ll leave it up to
the marketing people.” Wang stressed the importance of collaboration for this project. When talking of investors who had sat in his office and asked him about his business plan, he jokingly said, “What is a business plan?” “I just do what I’m good at and forget the rest,” he said. Wang , Z ipin, and Fannon keep in close contact. In fact, Wang will travel to MassChallenge next week as the competition enters the pre-final judging stage from Oct. 1 to 4. Zipin and Fannon will pitch to a panel of judges—26 winners will advance. From there, the 26 winning teams pitch to high-profile judges from Oct. 17 to 21. The winners will be announced at the MassChallenge Awards Ceremony on Oct. 30. Over $1 million in cash prizes in awards go to the winning startups. n
Jacobs honored for Laos book Jacobs Book Award, from A1 researching the book that that wasn’t true at all. If you read what people in the Defense Department were saying … Laos was actually a preferable battlefield to South Vietnam.” The driving reasoning behind America’s unwillingness to fight in Laos was far less logical or rational. “What I discovered, no matter what archive I looked at, was that the determining factor was really racism,” Jacobs said. “No Asian people were held in greater contempt than the Lao. “When I looked at the archival material, what I had been lead to believe was the driving force or rationale behind the American policy just wasn’t the case. I also wanted to figure out why American policy makers felt this way about the Lao. And I came to the conclusion that [this racism] wasn’t grounded in reality at all.” As Jacobs discusses in his book, Americans’ poor opinion of the Lao came from multiple factors. A difference in cultures was the most influential. For
charlotte parish / heights senior staff
example, the Lao were a people that had a different sense of masculinity. America’s inability to recognize the Lao’s true nature led them to underestimate their love of country and desire to fight. Despite Jacobs’ previous book appealing to an undergraduate population, The Universe Unraveling : American Foreign Policy in Cold War Laos is directed to a larger group, appealing to all people. “I’m writing for other historians, I’m writing for undergraduates, and I’m also hopefully trying to get an average reader who would hopefully like to know a little about this forgotten theatre of the cold war in Laos,” Jacobs said. With the award, The Universe Unraveling will reach a wider audience. “It’s tremendously flattering. It’s tremendously gratifying,” Jacobs said. Yet, it hardly comes close to his ultimate goal and vocation. “No award means nearly as much to me as the Phi Betta Kappa teacher of the year award,” Jacobs said. “I always consider myself a teacher before a researcher.” n
graham beck / heights editor
Nearly an hour of question and answer followed after Anderson concluded his presentation on Thursday. Students questioned various points of Anderson’s argument, frequently to applause from the rest of the audience.
Students question validity of Anderson’s ‘Case Against Gay Marriage’ Anderson, from A1 opinion presence.” After Tacelli’s introduction, Anderson began by running down a list of things upon which he would not be basing his argument: morality, sexual orientation/homosexuality, religion, tradition. “I think frequently people have an expectation of what they’re going to hear,” he said. “I make a philosophical and policy argument about marriage.” He then asked a question of the crowd. “From the looks of the t-shirts, this is probably a challenge for most of the audience,” he said. “I want to know what you think marriage is … that’s actually the question that people in favor of redefining marriage refuse to answer. And they refuse to answer that question by hiding behind what I think is a rather sloppy slogan: marriage equality.” Anderson said that everyone involved in the debate over marriage is ultimately in favor of equality. “We all want the government to treat all real marriages in the same way. The question is, what type of relationship is a marriage?” According to Anderson, advocating a redefinition of marriage “conflates the marital relationship with companionship writ large.” The increasingly common conceptualization of marriage as an intense emotional relationship with a “number one person,” he said, fails to explain the tradition of American policy and marriage law. Anderson listed the norms surrounding marriage in the U.S.: monogamy, sexual exclusivity, permanency, the involvement of the government, and the connection with family life. He asserted that each factor is not necessarily a precursor to an intense emotional connection, questioning why all are still widely accepted as martial norms even by those who advocate for marriage reform.
After posing this question to the audience, Anderson went on to present a summary of the argument articulated in the book What Is Marriage? Man and Woman: A Defense, which he co-authored with Robert P. George and Sherif Girgis. Marriage, he argued, exists as an institution not to legitimize adult relationships, but to ensure the wellbeing of children. “From the government’s perspective, marriage exists to unite a man and a woman as husband and wife to be mother and father to any children that their union creates,” he said. “It’s based on the truth that men and women are distinct and complementary, that reproduction requires a man and a woman, that children deserve a mother and a father. Part of this is based on the reality that there’s no such thing as parenting—there’s mothering and there’s fathering. Men and women interact with children in distinct and unique ways, and children do best when raised with a mother and a father.” At this point, Tacelli interrupted to inform the crowd that BCPD had requested that the event be moved to a larger auditorium, McGuinn 121. The audience left Cushing slightly before 8 p.m., and Anderson resumed his point on government interest in marriage less than 10 minutes later. “The marriage law in American history has traditionally incentivized men and women to commit to each other,” Anderson said. “Marriage is a personal relationship that benefits the public good in a way that very few other personal relationships do. It’s the least restrictive way that a political community has to ensure the wellbeing of children—it’s the least restrictive, least coercive way to ensure that someone raises that child.” He continued by asserting that the state could incentivize marriage between a man and a woman without criminalizing other
relationships. “Another one of the sloppy slogans that I think some used here was talking about legalizing same-sex marriage, or saying that a state voted to ban same-sex marriage, that they voted to criminalize same-sex marriage,” Anderson said. “Nowhere in the 50 states is it illegal for two people of the same sex to live with each other or love each other … One of the primary arguments you’ll hear is that we’re supposed to legalize same-sex marriage. Not having the government recognize your relationship is not the same thing as the government making your relationship illegal, and sloppy language normally reveals sloppy thinking, which normally reveals an error.” Finally, Anderson ran through possible consequences of redefining marriage. If marriage ceases to mean the union between a man and a woman with the goal of producing children, he said, then the norms against polyamory, short-term marriages, and adultery would break down. “I think it’s much harder to answer those questions correctly, about monogamy, about permanency, and about sexual exclusivity, once you say the male-female aspect of marriage is irrational and arbitrary,” Anderson said. “The only reason we arrived at monogamy, sexual exclusivity, and permanency was because of the male-female aspect, because it’s precisely one man and one woman can unite in the type of action that creates new life, and every new life has exactly one mother and one father, and deserves to be raised by that mother and that father. That bundle of goods, that group of individuals, is what created the marriage institution in the first place and what got the state in the marriage business.” Anderson then concluded his talk and commenced nearly an hour of question and answer, with Tacelli moderating. Nine students asked questions, with many
challenging Anderson on various aspects of his argument, to applause from much of the audience. Most questions focused on his central point—that children who were raised by a heterosexual, married couple were better off than those raised by same-sex couples. “If further studies came out that show these children are fine—they’re healthy, they grow up to be responsible adults and members of society—would you change your mind?” asked one student. Anderson replied that if the studies showed that there was no difference based on family arrangement, then he would not think that government should be in the marriage business. “I don’t think the government should be recognizing consenting adult love if ultimately it doesn’t make a difference one way or another to the common good,” he said. “If the science came back saying, actually, it’s a wash … then yeah, I wouldn’t care what the law or public policy would be about marriage. I would be surprised—and let me say that it wouldn’t change my opinion about what marriage is, that would just be a study of parenting arrangements.” Brandon Stone, A&S ’14, asked whether, if the end goal was providing the best environment in which to raise children, that would also necessitate defining marriage along economic or class lines. “The idea here is not that we should only recognize marriages that are socially valuable,” Anderson said. “The idea here is that marriage as an institution is a socially valuable institution, therefore the state tries to promote it. But when the state promotes marriage, it has to promote the truth about marriage. Poor people can get married, right—they can form the reality of that comprehensive unit. So it would be unjust to deny poor people the opportunity if they’re actually capable of forming a marriage.”
Further questions centered around legal rights, such as the transferal of property after death; the specific definitions of “mothering” and “fathering”; and whether a non-childproducing heterosexual relationship could be considered a marriage. After Tacelli ended the question and answer period, Alex Taratuta, chair of the GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC) and A&S ’14, stood up to announce that GLC would be hosting an after-event discussion for any students who wanted to keep talking. “Going into the event, GLC’s main priority was the mental health and safety of the students,” Taratuta said in an email. “This is one of the reasons that we held a post-event discussion afterwards; we wanted people to have some time to digest the conversation before going back to their dorms … I think it went better than I expected. I knew it would be well attended, but the amount of support from the student body for the GLBTQ community on campus and even the community as a whole, exceeded my expectations.” Mike Villafranca, co-president of STM and A&S ’14, stopped by the GLC discussion to speak with the students there. “I was concerned going into tonight’s talk because I knew nothing about Mr. Anderson, and I was worried that the student reaction would be visceral and angry,” Villafranca said later in an email. “Instead of that, I was impressed by the way that the students from GLC and BCSSH reacted to what Mr. Anderson said. It was clear that they came with ideas about what they wanted to ask, but that they listened to what he had to say, and they challenged him in terms of what he said rather than what they came expecting to hear. I’m glad that the Q&A stayed on an intellectual level and didn’t descend into emotional outbursts, which it easily and justifiably could have done.” n
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Enjoy the Professor recognized for book on bedside practices moments By Sara Doyle For The Heights
Brendon Anderson The thought of having a serious conversation makes me want to don my BC Snuggie and nap until it’s all over. Lately, though, I’ve been wanting to give some advice. The problem, however, is that I haven’t exactly known what to say. The thing is, sometimes I’ll see students and I’ll be really sad. So many people feel like they have to put on that whole BC air: smart, athletic, popular, good-looking, and involved. It’s like people tell themselves if they pull on a pair of salmon shorts, somehow everyone will think their life is okay. And then people go comparing themselves to everyone else, wondering why they haven’t figured out their life yet. But she’s that freshman who gets way too drunk at every party, and only winds up feeling more alone than she did before. And he’s afraid that his friends will judge him if they find out he’s gay. We’re all hurting and that’s okay. It’s just something that always kind of bummed me out, because I think everyone would be happier if they stopped feeling the pressure to be perfect. This might sound a little mean, but I swear I don’t want you to feel bad: you’re never going to be perfect. You do deserve to be happy, though. And I think you can be. See, I was there standing in the crowd at the FSU game. We had just scored our second touchdown and everyone went wild. We just seemed to be part of one body, moving and jumping and screaming and hugging everyone. And for just those couple of seconds, everyone was just happy—nothing more. It didn’t matter so much that everyone was hurting in their own way, too. For those seconds, things were good. We were happy. The thing, though, is that those little moments of happiness fade. They’re only moments, after all. When they’re over, the world and all its problems are there like always. After the moments are gone, you’re left with yourself, and nothing is scarier than that. But I don’t think it has to be that way. All you have to do is keep reaching for those moments and maybe one day you won’t have to be scared of being alone with yourself in the first place. I don’t know for sure, but I want to say that the little moments of joy build up bit by bit, and after a while, there’ll be enough of them so that you won’t have to return to a world that’s cold and sad and full of problems when the moments are over. Those moments of joy will be your world. So I guess my advice for all of us lost BC kids is to find those moments where we’re just happy and nothing more everyday. And I don’t think any of us are going to find our moments by comparing ourselves with how the rest of the world presents itself to us. That’d be too easy. I guess, in a way, I’m not being very helpful, then. I haven’t actually told you where those moments are found, but I think you already know. I mean, I can tell you some of my moments of happiness that I can always fall back on: that one time when me and my roommates sang “We Are One Body” at 10:15 mass and I felt lucky, the time we all sat together on the banks of the Thames and the only thing I could do was smile with love, that time she said yes on Dec. 15, 2012 on that bench in the Common, or maybe those times when the only things that mattered in the world were my mom and my brother and some chocolate-chip ice cream. I won’t go on, but you get the point. Your happy, and not just your little bursts of happiness, your this-is-the-thing-that’s-gonna-save-me-one-day happiness is right there and it grows every day. All you need to do is see it. So, in the end, all I have to say is be happy. You deserve it.
Brendon Anderson is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at news@bcheights.com.
Dorothy Jones, a professor of adult health at the Connell School of Nursing and a Senior Nurse Scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital, received the 2013 “Best of Book Author” award from Sigma Theta Tau International, for her recently published book Fostering Nurse-led Care: Professional Practice for the Bedside Leader from Massachusetts General Hospital. Jones, who co-authored the book, received the award along with her co-authors, Jeannette Ives Erickson and Marianne Ditomassi. Fostering Nurse-Led Care details a professional practice model based on a mutual trust and respect between the nurses and patients. According to Jones, this concept of a professional practice is one on which she, Erickson, and Ditomassi have been working for a long time. “Now with healthcare reform, nursing is looking for practice models to talk about how their work is affecting patient and families outcomes,” Jones said. “This direction was also one of the criteria that, as it’s evolved,
was essential for Magnet Certification, which recognizes excellence in nursing. We have now gone through three accreditations. It’s distinguished nursing care at the hospital.” Jones stated that she, Erickson, and Ditomassi used their experiences at Mass General to formulate the ideas in the book. Erickson is the chief nurse and senior vice president for Patient Care Services. Ditomassi is the executive director, Patient Care Services Operations and Magnet Program director. “Jeannette has implemented the professional practice model at Mass General for nursing, and embodied with in it that is a lot of the information covered in the book,” Jones said. “Visionary thinking on the part of Jeannette is essentially to some of this work. Marianne’s work supports Jeannette. She’s a close counterpart.” Dean Susan Gennaro of the Connell School and Pamela Grace, a professor of the Connell School, both contributed chapters to Fostering Nurse-led Care as well. Gennaro wrote a chapter entitled “Best Practices for Mentorship.” Grace wrote “Nursing Moral Imperative.” Jones
said that her experiences teaching at Boston College have impacted her approaches to writing Fostering Nurse-led Care. “Nurses educated at a place like Boston College come to practice at Mass General and find complementation between their training and a practical scene. It’s a great continuity,” Jones said. “Seeing that has informed my decisions in developing the chapters and contributed to the development of the ideas. The people who
photo Courtesy of dorothy jones
Dorothy Jones won a book award for her book on nurse-led care.
implemented this book were visionary thinkers. They look very carefully at their commitment to patients and the quality of care.” According to Jones, the BC nursing program has already begun to response to the new methods of nursing. “We have already begun to make changes in some of the graduate courses and expose them to some of the concepts in the book, around professional practice, relationshipbased care, and ethics,” Jones said. “Nurses play the role of advocates in a new way. The importance of speaking globally and the impact nurses can have on the global level ... These have begun to impact the way we teach. The work that went on can increase their exposure to these ideas.” Jones stated that she, Erickson, and Ditomassi have plans for another book about the impact of nursing research on improving patient care from a clinical perspective. Jones stated that Mass General’s center for the advancement of nursing research will be detailed in the next book, as well as evidence-based practice. Sigma Theta Tau International
published Fostering Nurse-led Care. The organization is the Honor Society for Nursing, and seeks to improve public health through the advancement of research. Jones said that she is honored to receive the award, and hopes that the impact on the field of nursing will be global. “The idea of having any work recognized by your colleagues, especially on an international level, gives an opportunity to have your thoughts presented on an international stage which gives people who might not have an exposure to this work think about patient care in a different way,” Jones said. Jones has published many articles in the field of nursing, as well as several other books including Giving Voice to What We Know: Margaret Newman’s Theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness in Practice, Research, and Education, which was also translated into Japanese. She is on the editorial board of The Journal of Nursing Research and a Grant Reviewer of both “Harvard Catalyst Grant Program” and “Clinical Innovations Awards for Partners and Harvard University.” n
BC chemistry professors find new form of synthetic carbon By Jennifer Heine Heights Staff Members of the Boston College chemistry department, along with faculty and researchers from Japan’s Nagoya University, recently synthesized a new form of carbon and published their work in the September edition of the Nature Chemistry scientific journal. “Carbon exists in two different forms in nature,” said assistant chairperson of the BC chemistry department Lawrence Scott, one of the five co-authors of the work. “In pure form, it exists as graphite, which is pencil lead—that’s just pure carbon—or as diamonds, which is also pure carbon.” In order to construct a new, synthetic carbon structure, the group altered the physical makeup of the carbon molecule. “It’s known that the carbon atoms in the graphite are all connected together, so each carbon atom is connected to three other carbon atoms, which are connected to three others and so on. They exist as a big sheet of carbon atoms that looks like a honeycomb,” Scott said. “All the carbon atoms are joined in hexagonal rings in this way, and at every corner there’s a carbon atom.” “What we’ve made is like graphite, so every carbon is bonded to three other carbons in the same way, but instead of having all six-membered rings of carbons, some of the rings have only five sides, so pentagons, and some have seven sides,” he said. “These odd-membered rings change the properties of the graphite completely. One thing they do is to make
it no longer a two-dimensional planar sheet, but actually cause it to warp. The new molecule that we’ve made has 80 carbon atoms all stuck together this way.” As a result, this new molecule boasts properties—such as its ability to oxidize and reduce and its solubility— different from those of natural carbon. These different properties allow for new applications, as Scott said, in the context of materials sciences. “Material sciences, broadly speaking, is that area of human activity involved with the development of new materials and their new properties,” he said. “Our specialty is synthesizing compounds and coming up with new methods for synthesizing compounds—designing and making new compounds, showing what can be done, extending the range of what used to be possible to what is now possible. “We’ve measured its properties and have shown that they’re different from what you get with previously known forms of carbon,” Scott said. “This is of interest to people who use carbon and other materials for various applications—for example, carbon is used in batteries, new forms of carbon are being used for making ultra-small transistors and other electronics and microelectronics, and by showing that you can make related but different forms of carbon, it expands the possibilities for what engineers can design and synthesize.” In addition to Scott, the research team included Qianyan Zhang, a Peking University postdoctoral researcher who recently returned to China after a two-year fellowship working in Merkert Chemistry Center under
Scott; Kenichiro Itami, a Nagoya University chemistry professor; Katsuaki Kawasumi, a graduate student under Itami who had come to BC on a fellowship to perform research for his doctoral thesis; and Yasutomo Segawa, an assistant professor at Nagoya. Being published in Nature Chemistry and especially having the article featured on the journal’s cover proved a great honor for the researchers. “Nature Chemistry is a very prestigious journal,” Scott said. “They publish very few papers and they’re very rigorous about which ones they accept and which ones they reject, so we’re very happy to be in it.” “We’re especially proud of this particular issue because, of the 10 papers in this issue, two of the other papers are also from Boston College,” he said. Scott hopes that this breakthrough is only the beginning of the development of synthetic carbon. “There’s actually a second student from Japan who is here working in my lab right now, he came this summer on a similar fellowship and he’s working on trying to make another one of these compounds,” he said. “Professor Itami and I are continuing to collaborate in this area, not just for this particular form of carbon, but we think now that we can make other highly contorted forms of carbon that have other properties. So this is a sort of beginning, opening up a new area of chemistry where we can make networks of carbon atoms like this that have five, six, seven carbon atoms in different arrangements, and each different arrangement will have its own different properties.” n
BC senior receives Genzyme award By Emily Gutelius For The Heights The Allston-based Genzyme Corporation gives out $25,000 in scholarships every year to students studying life sciences and living in the AllstonBrighton area. Samantha Prince, A&S ’14, received this scholarship in late August. Genzyme is a biotech company that is dedicated to developing therapies and treatments for people with “rare and special unmet medical needs,” according to their website. The biotech company was started in Boston, and continues to be based there due to the medical resources and biotech community. Genzyme is committed to supporting the dreams of the local community, those of students interested in the health sciences. Prince is one of those students— she is a nursing major at Boston College. The first moment that she remembered wanting to go into the health field occurred because of a BC student-teacher in her junior-year honors biology class in high school. One of the assignments that the student-teacher gave was to diagnose a patient with a rare genetic disease. Prince recalls becoming attached to her fictional patient and coming home one day after school, knowing that this was something she wanted
to pursue. “As you get older, the science classes get more and more interesting,” Prince said. They become more specialized. Starting off as a freshman there are a lot of general courses, like anatomy and physiology, but then there is a maternity-based class later on. Prince was able to complete one of her clinicals on a Labor and Delivery/Post-Partum Ward, which was “really awesome,” she said. Prince has done clinical work at Massachusetts General Hospital, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, Brigham and Woman’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and McLean Psychiatric Hospital. “You never forget who was in your first clinical,” Prince said. “You are all nervous and scared, and bond right away.” Clinicals have been one of Prince’s favorite parts of BC’s Connell School of Nursing. They allow for priceless hands-on learning and opportunities to experience different aspects of nursing. Another notable aspect of the nursing students’ programs is that they are not competitive, according to Prince. It is a very supportive community, and your fellow classmates want you to succeed, Prince said. Prince is currently co-instructing a Connell School freshman requirement
called Freshman Nursing Seminar. Maybe it is because she had her own BC mentor-type inspiration in her student teacher, but either way, Prince loves to position herself in mentor roles. In addition to the freshman nursing seminar, she is also a nursing “big sister,” and a member of the Big and Little Sister program here on campus. As Prince returns from a semester abroad in Brisbane, Australia, graduation is suddenly in the not-too-distant future. She is figuring out her plans for next year, which might be staying on campus to pursue her NP (Nurse Practitioner), or braving the work force. The Genzyme Corporation Biotechnology Scholarship has allowed a Brighton girl nicknamed Sam to pursue her goal of becoming a nurse. A goal that will—in less than seven short months—become a reality. Sophomore year, Prince learned a very important lesson: trust is part of learning. Of course, that came out of needing to practice injecting with needles, and the only willing participants are classmates who expect the gesture to be reciprocated. But still, the sentiment stands. Trust is part of learning. Trust in the students in the community with a scholarship. Trust in the biotech research to find a cure. Trust in students like Samantha Prince to become great nurses. n
Ex-CEO shares tech bubble experience By Mujtaba Syed Heights Editor “I chose to major in accounting only because I wanted to get a job when I graduated,” said Bill McKiernan, BC ’78, to a crowd of students, aspiring entrepreneurs, and faculty members at Thursday’s installation of the Lunch with a Leader series in the Fulton Honors Library. “Eventually, I decided accounting was not for me,” he said. “I felt like I was refereeing the game instead of being in the game.” McKiernan was invited to speak at the event by the Winston Center, an initiative housed within the Carroll School of Management that aims to help the entire Boston College student community examine the roles leadership and ethics play in business and society. Although the talk was structured around McKiernan’s defining entrepreneurial venture—CyberSource Inc.—he started by discussing the variety of positions he has held over the years. After graduating from BC, McKiernan moved to New York City to work as an accountant for Price Waterhouse. He quickly moved on, citing a lack of value and excitement gained from the position. His first experience with a startup came in the summer between his first and second years at Harvard Business School, when he worked for a firm in California that was eventually acquired by IBM. “I caught the bug there,” he said, alluding to the beginnings of the startup culture that would soon define the area now known as Silicon Valley. The summer McKiernan spent working in California was the beginning of a career in technology that is still at the core of his commitments. From 199092, he served as the vice president of a venture research firm before becoming president and CEO of McCaffee Associates, a computer security company that would go public under his guidance. McKiernan left this role in 1994 to build his own startup company, CyberSource Inc. “The original concept of CyberSource in 1994 was to start this online store called software.net,” he said. “We would distribute software electronically instead of off shelves. At the time that was sort of a novel idea.” Emphasizing adaptability by subsequently discussing how this idea evolved into becoming an ecommerce and payments solutions company, McKiernan focused on
the lessons he learned while running the company. “Things are never as good as you think they are. And they are never as bad as you think they are,” he said, referencing wild changes in CyberSource’s stock price following successful fundraising efforts through public offerings. After raising a total of $300 million through two public stock offerings in 1999, shares were being traded at $70 during the height of the dotcom bubble in 2000. Following the market’s collapse the next year due to faulty valuations of tech stocks, CyberSource endured a two-year period of dismal stock prices. “In hindsight, although the dotcom burst was painful, it was probably the best thing that could have happened to us,” McKiernan said. “Because what it did was eliminate all of our competitors.” Focusing on company values, long-term goals, and careful hiring decisions, CyberSource became profitable 10 years into its operations and hosted its billionth payment transaction in 2007. In 2010, with McKiernan still serving as president and CEO, CyberSource was acquired by Visa for approximately $2 billion. After describing his journey with CyberSource, McKiernan shared a list of the 10 most important lessons he has learned through his experiences as an entrepreneur. Not surprisingly, one of his core pieces of advice was to start early. Although his own venture began after he earned an MBA, he echoed the sentiments of numerous industry colleagues that have invited undergraduate students to waste no time in creating businesses they are passionate about. “Starting a company is about as hard a thing as anyone can do,” he said. “But it’s incredibly rewarding. And frankly, when you’re young, you have nothing to lose.” In a room full of students itching to make their ideas into reality, the encouragement of someone who had been in their seats showed them the potential of pairing their concepts with passion and perseverance. “People don’t work for startups for the money,” McKiernan said. “They do it for the mission. They do it for the joy of building something. You’ve got to make the mission real.” McKiernan said, giving the audience his most sincere pitch for building something they believe in. “At CyberSource we talked about our mission as being changing the world, one transaction at a time. And we meant that.” n
CLASSIFIEDS Monday, January 17, 2013
Monday, September 30, 2013
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THE HEIGHTS THE HEIGHTS
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The Heights
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Students show unity, class at ‘Case Against Gay Marriage’
Monday, September 30, 2013
QUOTE OF THE DAY A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read. -Mark Twain (1835-1910), American author and humorist
Controversial events like this one promote the free exchange of ideas that characterizes a university education Last Thursday, an event sponsored by the St. Thomas More Society titled “A Case Against Gay Marriage” caused significant controversy on campus. Ryan T. Anderson, a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative thinktank, came to Boston College to defend traditional marriage and to make a case against gay marriage on philosophical and public policy grounds, using arguments from his book What is Marriage? Man and Woman, A Defense. Many students were notified of the event by email on Monday, Sept. 23, when an invitation was sent to theology and philosophy majors, featuring large, red text that read “A Case Against Gay Marriage.” For many members of the BC community, this title was off-putting at best, and offensive to others, drawing the ire of a wide range of students. The email was the first mistake of the week, setting off a series of student responses on social media before Anderson’s presentation. Knowing the controversial nature of the event, the composer of the marketing email should have been more delicate with word choice and formatting. For example, a similar event at Amherst College this past week, also featuring Anderson, was titled “Making the Argument on Marriage.” The email urged BC students “to attend and participate in the discussion” and “urge other students to do likewise,” but these lines were mostly missed by many students who were immediately angered by the large, distracting title. The sentiments of these students, posted on social media and published in several campus publications, including this paper, were precipitated in large part by gut reactions to the event’s title. The marketing email caused many students to assume that Anderson’s presentation would be homophobic, offensive, and rude. While some students may have left his presentation feeling this way, many did not. Students jumped to conclusions about Anderson’s presentation without doing outside research and before giving him a chance to present his views in an educated, academic way. As an example, BC Students for Sexual Health created a Facebook event page titled “An Occupation Against ‘A Case Against Gay Marriage,’” originally intended to “shut the event down” because it failed to create a welcoming environment for students on campus, the page claimed. After some debate on the page, cooler heads thankfully prevailed and students instead decided to attend the event dressed in Support Love t-shirts, and politely yet pointedly question Anderson on his beliefs. The initial reactions to the event were, in many ways, inappropriate. Many students and recent alumni claimed through social media posts that they were embarrassed by BC for allowing Anderson to speak on campus, or that they couldn’t believe someone would profess such beliefs in a public forum in this day and age. These types of views stifle free speech and academic freedom and are antithetical to the free exchange of views and opinions as the starting point for educational conversations. So long as a speaker presents his or her views in a respectful and appropriate manner and does not promote hatred, he or she should be allowed to speak on campus—each and every one of us are lucky enough to attend college in a country where this is true. While Anderson argues against same-sex marriage, those in attendance at the event would be hard pressed to find a way in which he expressed hatred. A few clarifications are also necessary. First, many claimed that the University approved the event in some way, and that allowing the lecture to happen was a subtle endorsement by the University of Anderson’s views. Many brought up the University’s Jesuit, Catholic identity as if it were in some way related to Anderson’s lecture. Neither of these allegations are accurate. The University does not necessarily support the opinions of those who simply arrive on campus to speak, and to pretend that it does and then hold it responsible for everything a guest speaker professes is unreasonable.
Recently, the administration of Providence College canceled an event in which the speaker was to make a case for universal legalization of same-sex marriage. Would those who opposed Anderson’s visit want BC doing the same? Anyone who claims that Anderson’s visit should not have been allowed misses the point of bringing speakers to campus. One can only hope that, had the event with Anderson instead been a speaker supporting same-sex marriage, the University similarly would have allowed the event to happen in support of the free and open exchange of ideas on campus. In fact, the University’s allowing Anderson’s presentation to occur necessitates similar permission for future events advocating the opposite argument. Many also complained that the event failed to provide opposing views on the subject. Ironically, the event was originally intended to be a discussion on the topic between Anderson and Stephen Pope, professor of theology, but Pope had to cancel due to a scheduling conflict, according to Rev. Ronald Tacelli, S.J., the event’s moderator. While Anderson obviously argued only for his own side of the debate—that marriage should remain an institution uniting a man and a woman—the event invitation clearly and repeatedly encouraged audience participation. Tacelli moderated more than an hour of question and answer, and Anderson stayed afterward to discuss the event further with interested students. The GLBTQ Leadership Council also sponsored a discussion afterward to continue the conversation as a way of supporting those in attendance. While having two reputable speakers debate a topic is beneficial and should be encouraged, it is in no way a requirement for having an event with a guest speaker. Holding all student groups who hope to have guest speaking events to this kind of standard would severely restrict the ability to have speaking events on campus, and thus the number of events to which BC students have access. To his credit, Anderson behaved in a civil, respectful, and academic manner in the face of clear opposition from the majority of the crowd, and the audience responded in kind. Despite initially strong reactions against the event, “A Case Against Gay Marriage” ended up being a crucially important event on campus. By organizing so strongly in force against Anderson’s argument while remaining respectful, those students who opposed his opinion made their case all the more impressively. The questions asked of Anderson were well aimed and forced him to defend the more controversial parts of his argument. It is encouraging to see students on campus engaging in these types of discussions on an issue about which they are passionate. The size and unity of the crowd clearly exemplified the student body’s ability to join and stand for a cause. Such passion and engagement is often the key to making lasting differences in communities or fighting for social justice, and displays like this reflect a student population ready and willing to fight for their beliefs. Although initially turned off by the outcry from students before his event, Anderson tweeted after the event that he was impressed by those in attendance, with good reason. During a student’s time at BC, he or she is forced repeatedly and frequently to question his or her own beliefs on topics ranging from politics to faith to career choices. It is nearly impossible for a student to leave BC after four years without having their worldview modified by hearing new opinions or perspectives. Anderson’s event, though controversial, provided the perfect occasion for students to reexamine their own beliefs. For those who support same-sex marriage, hearing and opposing Anderson’s opinion may have solidified their position, making them more educated on the various arguments relating to the topic, and thus better able to respond in the future when their own views are questioned. Isn’t that the point of a university?
Heights
The
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
Leslie Snapper / Heights Illustration
Letter to the Editor The following letter is in response to “The wrong students get the stipends” by Austin Tedesco, originally published on 9/23/13:
UGBC executives deserve their stipends I had debated a number of different ways of starting this letter. Maybe adding to the “stipend” hypothetical myself and discussing a new “comedy group,” the “Journos” who have their own unique and expensive retreats, or maybe cracking a joke that some of the shows that the “Margos” have put on recently haven’t been all that entertaining. Such comments, however, would prove to be childish, and ultimately detract from the point I am looking to make. With that in mind, I start with a compliment. Austin Tedesco has written for The Heights for three of my five combined years at Boston College and BC Law School. Few writers, over the course of my time here, have been so consistently poignant and on-target as Austin. With his tenacity in following a story and pull-no-punches approach to writing, he has done more than his fair share in shedding light on the state of BC Athletics. Furthermore, I would be willing to go so far to say that, over his time here, few students, if any (myself included), have done as much as he in helping to shape how the Athletics department interacts with students. His work on ticket prices, fan attendance, and numerous other athletic issues, have resulted in such initiatives as the Gold Pass, as well as several of the other ways in which athletics has “stepped up” its approach to students. It is with this full acknowledgement and respect for Austin and his work that I wholeheartedly disagree with the sentiments in his column “The Wrong Students are Getting the Stipends.” The Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC), like any organization, has its fair share of faults. It frequently has bloated membership numbers, doesn’t always do the best job of communicating all that it does for the student body, and runs the risk, at times, of focusing on minutiae as opposed to important issues. It is, on the whole, an organization that receives, and deserves, criticism. A government, student or otherwise, must answer to the criticism and concerns of the people it is meant to serve. The UGBC is no exception to this rule. However, to criticize it via some vain comparison to Athletics at BC, or Athletics in general, ultimately causes this column to miss its target. My senior year at BC, instead of hitting the bars every night (though I did get out my fair share) I dedicated my time to working for my fellow students via UGBC. The hours I put in were horrendous, between meetings, making presentations, phone calls to make sure events were getting run on time, etc. I put this time in because I wanted to be the best president that I could be for my fellow undergraduates. There is certainly more I wish I could have done, but overall, I am proud of the work that I, and much more importantly the members of my organization, put in. Given the financial constraints I was already operating under (only able to attend BC thanks to financial aid), the fact that I stayed and worked over the summer prepping UGBC for the upcoming year (without housing being paid for), and the fact that there were enough nights that I fell asleep in the President’s cubicle that I began to keep a pillow and toiletry bag there, I really
have no shame in saying that I think I earned the stipend I received. The concern of the article that there are equally deserving students who should receive money ignores the fact that these vice-presidents within UGBC frequently are among the students who, until this year, went unjustly uncompensated. My tenure as President would have been nothing if it weren’t for the equally grueling hours that my fellow UGBCers put in to ensure that the best product was being put out for BC students. I readily acknowledge that even more students should be paid given the work that they do on campus. Great organizations like Eagle EMS, the various dance groups, the Quality of Student Life Committee, and many more all do lots to contribute to the state of the BC campus. I think the logic of the column is deeply flawed in suggesting that the way to show that more students deserve to be paid is by saying that those that do are unworthy. My final quibble with the article is the way it characterizes the work that the UGBC has done and does. I would hardly call an organization that sold out every “major” event the year before, had over 40+ events from the BC 2 Boston department sell out as well, and threw a free concert by an artist whose album has since gone septuple platinum “rooted in the distant past.” Nor would I call that same organization “irrelevant to the present” when it was crucial to reworking the core curriculum, has the only solid ties for student input to the administration, and contains the only two students who regularly meet with the board of trustees. The UGBC is irrelevant to the present in the same way that the NCAA is irrelevant to college sports, in that it’s not. Offhand comments regarding not generating a profit from events and belittling the goal behind “streamlining” illustrate a misunderstanding of how the UGBC operates, not a solid criticism of its efforts. As I have said, the UGBC should, inherently, have its critics. One of the most fervent critics should come from the “fourth estate,” media publications such as The Heights. However, such criticism loses its luster when it makes broad generalizations, refuses to acknowledge how the organization actually operates, and puts blinders up to any positive work that has been done. I find a small bit of hypocrisy in criticism being laid down from an editor of The Heights, when the newspaper itself refused to endorse a candidate in the past election. Such criticism is seemingly meant to be scathing and groundbreaking, when instead it comes across as elitist and impractical. Maybe I’m just channeling my inner Inception, living the life of an old man, filled with regret, typing from a faraway corner of the law school library. Or maybe I just want the hours that countless students put in to make that concert happen get their fair share. Either way, belittling the work that the UGBC does because some students get paid is akin to belittling all college athletes for Johnny Manziel signing autographs. And that’s no hypothetical I want to take part in. Chris Osnato
The Heights welcomes Letters to the Editor not exceeding 400 words and column submissions that do not exceed 700 words for its op/ed pages. The Heights reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and to prevent libel. The Heights also reserves the right to write headlines and choose illustrations to accompany pieces submitted
to the newspaper. Submissions must be signed and should include the author’s connection to Boston College, address, and phone number. Letters and columns can be submitted online at www.bcheights.com, by email to editor@bcheights.com, in person, or by mail to Editor, The Heights, 113 McElroy Commons, Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467.
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BC ’13, Former UGBC President
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The Heights
Monday, September 30, 2013
A7
Honey, let’s visit Mogadishu!
Ryan McGuill Satisfied Superfans - We’re just going to say it—the football team didn’t get demolished! Sure, we didn’t win, but I don’t think any of us really expected us to, except for maybe a few freshman parents who don’t follow college football at all but remember once hearing talk of BC in relation to winning football games, and mistakenly thought that was still the case. The fact that we were ever beating FSU at all is enough of a win for us, and so we bestow upon this loss a Thumbs Up nevertheless. Caught On Film - We love those people who have the presence of mind to take out their phones and take pictures at parties. It depends slightly on who that person is, but so long as they are not completely evil and use aforementioned pictures as blackmail, such photography usually results in nearly unmatched hilarity the next day. Even if you’re the subject of the photo and the hilarity is unfortunately lost on you, the joy it provides everyone else should be worth the sacrifice. Whenever we have the pleasure of flipping through our or one of our friends’ phones the morning after a rambunctious evening and laughing until we cry, we vow to ourselves that we will take pictures at the next party. Somehow, though, we usually seem to forget. Part ying With Parents - While we’re on the subject of football and shenanigans, let’s reflect briefly upon the fact that most parents love a good tailgate as much as their college-age offspring. Of course we always think to ourselves amid the revelry on Shea, “How could anyone not have fun here?” but then again, we always considered “parent fun” something quite distinct from regular old “fun.” And so, on Saturday as you clinked beer cans with your joyous mother and watched the drunchies overcome your father, inspiring him to respond, “Why not?” to the prospect of a third burger, you undoubtedly experienced that quintessential coming of age moment when you realize that parents are not, in fact, another species and enough PBR will make anyone act like they’re in college. And that is a beautiful thing. It Was Sunny this Weekend! - Since we’re on a Thumbs Up roll, why not comment on the weather, like we usually do? You, like us, probably could come up with no good answer to that question. So here we go: God smiled upon this grand celebration of familial love this weekend in the form of pleasant sunshine. And everything is better in sunshine, especially parents. Cheery Comedy- We’re not sure if our self-referential Thumbs Up/Thumbs Downs are annoying or not, but we just have to express gratitude about the fact that we are in such a good mood, we came up with so many Thumbs Ups. If your job is to be funny, like ours is (we’re basically professional comedians), it’s a lot easier to be funny about negative things than about the positives in life. Why is that? We’re not sure, exactly, but take a look at your favorite comedians: Louis C.K., us, maybe Dave Chappelle. A lot of their material is essentially complaining! Not that that’s a bad thing—it still manages to put us in a good mood—but its an interesting trend nevertheless. Perhaps today’s column is the dawn of a new age of comedy, all about smiles and good feelings and general happiness.
Although summer has come and gone, it’s never too early to start planning that next vacation. With Christmas, Spring Break, and graduation all on the radar, you’d be wise to start looking at potential destinations where you can kick back, relax, sip on a strawberry daiquiri, and casually flip through the pages of 50 Shades of Grey. And for that next dream trip, look not at the white sand beaches of the Caribbean or the cozy apres-ski havens of Aspen. This time around, make your everlasting memories in Mogadishu, the crown-jewel capital city of Somalia. WikiTravel.org provides the most detailed breakdown of what to expect from this elusive African getaway. Whether you’re traveling alongside your lovebird for a romantic honeymoon or you’re trying to avoid the frenzy and long lines of Disney World, Mogadishu truly has something for everyone. I’ll briefly summarize the essential points that will help to make your Somalian sojourn the perfect vacation. How to get there: Flights (are extremely limited, but run twice weekly from Istanbul to Khartoum/Djibouti via Turkish Airlines) land at the nearby Aden Adde Airport, simply a few kilometers south of beautiful Mogadishu. If you choose to drive (and risk being killed or captured by militants, you’d seriously need to employ a local, trustworthy militia to follow you) into the city, many roads link Mogadishu with Kenya and Ethiopia. Traveling by sea (is actually a suicide mission, the risk of being attacked by pirates is extremely high and the seas are ruthlessly rough) is not the preferred method of travel, but can be made possible through the Old Harbor of
Mombassa. Where to stay: The Sahafi Hotel offers self-catered food, highly hospitable staff, and cheap rooms (but safety is a nogo—two French citizens were abducted by gunmen and a BBC producer was shot in the back and killed in 2009 in front of the compound). The Safari Hotel, located in the heart of Mogadishu and only 15 minutes away from Aden Adde airport (in case you need a quick exit), provides one of the best restaurants in Mogadishu (and the security has never been compromised. You heard it here first, folks. The best bet in the city.). What to do: The Bakaara Market is a must-see, as it is the biggest market in Somalia with the widest range of goods and souvenirs (and ammunition and automatic weapons and falsified passports and anti-aircraft artillery … Bakaara is a thriving sub-market in the illicit category). What to realize: The actual WikiTravel page on Mogadishu is nothing like this, and I only added in the parenthetical caveats for dramatic effect. In fact, the real webpage boasts a giant “yield” sign next to a big red “WARNING” with the emboldened words “Tourists are strongly discouraged from visiting Mogadishu for the time being.” So why would I even be curious about traveling to Mogadishu in the first place? Well, I’m not. And you probably shouldn’t be either. But the horrific events that occurred in the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, Kenya last week should give us all a reason to be informed about the wellbeing and sanctity of different reaches of society. With 68 people confirmed dead and dozens more missing or injured, this tragedy cannot creep away from what Americans deem important or impactful in their daily lives. This importance derives from our imaginary destination: Mogadishu. The radical Islamist group that announced responsibility for the attack, al Shabaab, controls the majority of Somalia and
violently overtook the capital city as recently as 2011. Somalia hasn’t had a real president since Ali Mahdi Mohammed, as groups like al Shabaab and other anarchist splinters have violently wielded influence over the country. The UN and various transitional government organizations have tried to establish functional governments and overall peace, but the truth remains that Somalia is fully stymied in conditions that would qualify it as a “failed state.” The Westgate Shopping Mall attacks probably took place because of Kenyan attempts to establish a functional Somalian government. The al Shabaab Twitter account further verified this costly effect of foreign intervention when it claimed, “What Kenyans are witnessing at Westgate is retributive justice for crimes committed by their military, albeit miniscule in nature.” While most terrorist groups shy away from claiming responsibility for attacks, the downright confidence that al Shabaab demonstrated in their announcement of the attack speaks for the uneasy future of Somalia. Who knows if the Mogadishu WikiTravel page will ever be edited? I hope it drastically changes someday. I hope that we hear of peace conferences, democratic elections, and widespread equality throughout Somalia. But the rest of the developed world needs to be onboard with the underdeveloped world, a region so unfamiliar that most people don’t even know about a church bomb that killed 78 people in Peshawar, Pakistan—the day after the Nairobi mall attacks. And does anyone even wonder anymore about the Nov. 26, 2008 attacks on Mumbai that killed 164 and put one of the biggest cities on earth in lockdown? Passive involvement is not the proper cure for those countries that have been, whether knowingly or unwittingly, providing sanctuary to evil.
Ryan McGuill is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.
The fatality of selective attention Ben Miyamoto A trip to the hospital is about as safe as bungee jumping. This is not a statistic about the chances of being healed by a hospital trip—it is a statistic about one’s chances of being harmed. Data collected by the World Health Organization and the organization Healthcare Performance Improvement have exposed the startling regularity with which hospitals harm their patients. Selective attention in the high-risk field of healthcare allows for serious injury and fatality where it need not occur. Health systems and hospital administrators across the country have recognized this problem and have begun implementing programs borrowed from other high responsibility organizations like commercial airlines and nuclear power plants to break the stranglehold of selective attention to foster cultures of safety. The ills of selective attention are everywhere, and we have the capability—the responsibility—to eliminate them. Selective attention is a natural and necessary function of the human brain. In his book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman describes the two systems of the brain that govern how we think. One he calls System 1, which is fast, emotional, and intuitive. The other he calls System 2, which is logical, slower, and more deliberative. He presents the necessity of both systems along with the problems and cognitive biases that arise from the interaction (or lack thereof) between the two systems. The Selective Attention Test demonstrates this idea well—it is a video of three people in white shirts passing a basketball back and forth around and between three people in black shirts. At the beginning of the video the viewer is instructed to count the number of passes made by the team in white. The video lasts about one minute and the tally of passes comes to 15. Most viewers succeed in count-
ing the number of passes correctly, however, (spoiler alert: if you haven’t seen the video and want to test your selective attention, pause here and watch the video before I ruin the surprise) many people fail to notice the person in a gorilla suit stroll into the frame halfway through the video. By focusing on the movement and passes made by the team in white, the viewer becomes blind to the team in black. The viewer fails to see the gorilla because selective attention lumps the black fur in with the team wearing black, which is the visual information not focused on, and thus, not processed. The ability to focus and hone our attention is a vitally important one. Selective attention allows us to read, converse, and drive—allows us to interact with the world without being overwhelmed by sense data. The problem with selective attention is that we do not always choose the right thing to focus on. The healthcare industry is a perfect example of this. The health of the patient is the goal of the hospital and the medical staff that populates it. This goal is normally sought by attending to diagnosis and treatment— however, this focus cannot be the only focus if the patient’s health is to be realized. Attention to the things that need to be avoided has proven as important if not more important than the attention given to things that need to be done. A patient will be thankful if a surgery is completed and the inflamed appendix has been removed, but if the surgeon forgets to count his surgical sponges and stitches the patient up with a sponge still inside him, the goal has been missed. To avoid these kinds of mistakes hospitals implement practices learned from the commercial airline and nuclear power industries to foster cultures of safety. There are several lessons that can be drawn from the examples set by these industries. Success might require refocusing. Before a hospital sees a decrease in injuries, it records a huge spike. There are not more injuries happening, the injuries simply start being noted and reported. Before the focus is turned to the mistakes it seems that fewer injuries and deaths occur because no one is tracking them. Before a problem can be fixed, attention must be given to the prob-
You v. The Million Dollar Staircase
lem. Focusing on the problems we create ourselves, painful as it might be, is the only path out of a complacent cycle of self-harm. Focusing on the important issue is a dynamic process. After a hospital begins to record its mistakes, it can focus on creating a system that prevents them. This process is dynamic in that it requires constant attention and persistent improvement. Once past the spike in recorded injuries and deaths, hospitals often see a steady decline in these types of accidents. One or two years into the program, however, there is another influx of accidents. This is complacency. As the new system becomes routine, the hospital staff begins to lose focus, apathy sets in, and patients are harmed. The danger lies in seeing results and thinking the job is done. Constant, persistent attention is required in a dynamic process that continues to function properly. The task of focusing properly is a communal project. One of the greatest challenges in creating a culture of safety in a hospital is getting the entire staff’s support. Every nurse, physician, custodian, and administrator must invest in the project if it is to be successful. Leaving any one level of the hierarchy out of the process will create holes through which mistakes can slip, resulting ultimately in harm to patients. The entire system of individuals must harmonize on the importance of an issue before any action can be implemented effectively. Do we, as a society, suffer under the dominion of poorly placed selective attention? There are certainly a handful of topics in the public eye (Syria, socio-moral issues, healthcare) that receive an enormous amount of attention. It is our responsibility to continually assess our need to refocus, to tirelessly concentrate our attention on the issues we deem important, and to ensure that the entirety of the population is included in the discussion. Forgoing these practices will leave us in danger of cutting off the wrong appendage, prescribing the wrong treatment, and entirely missing our own mistakes.
Ben Miyamoto is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.
BY EMILY DEVLIN
Nothing To Speak Of.
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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.
Many shades of brown Saljooq Asif The first month of school is barely over, and yet it seems like everyone I know is suffocating from oppressive workloads. Let’s face it, we’re struggling and can’t wait for Columbus Day weekend to arrive—I know I am. But despite all the homework and all the studying, there are two classes that I look forward to every single week. They’re both two and a half hours long, but they’re by far my favorite classes of the semester. They’re taught by great professors, have a small class size, and on top of all that, the classes are writingintensive. I love writing, and I don’t think it would be wrong to say that writing itself is one of those activities that helps me unwind. That doesn’t mean writing isn’t challenging or annoying or that sometimes I don’t want to throw my laptop on the ground in frustration, but it is fulfilling. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my two classes, it’s that real stories, genuine stories, are found within yourself and among the people and events that surround you. And with that idea in mind, I looked inside myself and decided to write two different pieces, which I presented in my respective classes. And it did not at all go according to the way I had planned. My fictional piece for one class involved a wedding between two characters. At first, the presentation seemed to be going pretty well—until I mentioned the fact that the bride and groom were Muslim. Suddenly, everything changed. The class now saw the bride as an oppressed woman, stuck in an arranged marriage from which she wanted to escape. She was being forced and pressured on all sides to wed some arrogant man—because that’s obviously what all Muslims do, right? Needless to say, that is not what I had planned in the story, and that is most definitely not what I wanted my classmates to assume. But for some reason, the first thing they thought upon hearing the words “bride,” “wedding,” and “Muslim” was “arranged marriage.” Seriously. But wait—that’s only a part of the story. The piece for my other class was more of a self-reflective narrative, and yes, I vaguely mentioned Islam. And to cut a long story short, my classmates liked my presentation—because as I sat there in front of them, they admitted it was much more obvious to them that I was Muslim. Because I was brown. Obviously. Truth be told, I’ve never faced any sort of discrimination or prejudice at all. Growing up in a small town officially designated as a ‘hamlet’ and studying at a predominantly white university, I am more than grateful to have never legitimately blamed my skin or race for some sort of tribulation. But that doesn’t mean we’re free of misconceptions. The truth is, unfortunately, that stereotypes continue to float around in our heads and influence our opinions, thoughts, and lives. I’m not talking about anything as dramatic as Paula Deen and the destruction of her food empire. I’m not talking about how she wanted to use a “slave motif” for her brother’s wedding by hiring black servants in uniforms. Paula Deen’s situation and alleged racism were much more extreme and publicized. On the contrary, I’m talking about an undercurrent, a hidden habit that makes us pigeonhole and stereotype “other things.” I’m talking about the type of labeling that occurred in my two classes. These two episodes occurred in the same week—actually, they happened in two consecutive days. The fact that these events happened right after the other, not to mention involved fellow BC classmates, has to hint at something or at least mean something. And during both classes as I sat at my desk and pondered these issues, I felt a bit frustrated. None of my peers said anything prejudiced or discriminatory or intolerant. On the contrary, they were kind and receptive—as well as being, dare I say it, maybe a bit ignorant. No, most Muslims do not have forceful or arranged marriages. And no, being brown is not a qualifier for being Muslim, either. In fact, a 2011 Pew Research Center survey concluded that 30 percent of American Muslims identify as white, 23 percent black, 21 percent Asian, 19 percent other/mixed, and 6 percent Hispanic. But in the end, what does this all mean? Is this an example of racism or discrimination? I honestly have no idea, but at the same time I don’t think I was victimized or mistreated at all. You could describe or label these events whatever way you want, and while the unfortunate truth remains that stereotypes do come from somewhere, in no way does that mean stereotypes are authentic or universal. I don’t blame my classmates, and I’m not angry with them in any way. The truth is I’ve probably done the same thing to someone else in a different situation, and I’m responsible for that, too. So I’m going to continue to write for my classes, and I’m going to continue to look within myself for those real stories, those genuine stories—we all should.
Saljooq Asif is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.
The Heights
A8
Monday, September 30, 2013
Racing rivals go head to head in Howard’s solid ‘Rush’ By Cameron Harding For The Heights Ron Howard’s Rush provides audiences with a surprisingly dynamic film that involves just as much character study as it does thrilling races. The story focuses on the intense rivalry between James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) centered around the 1976 Forrush mu l a O n e Grand Prix. Ron Howard The film, Imagine based on a true story, uses a documentary-style format to depict the drama of these racers in their mission for supremacy in the racing world. Both Hemsworth and Bruhl are well-cast and offer excellent performances. Hemsworth is well-suited as the charming, Dionysian daredevil Hunt while Bruhl does a convincing job portraying the methodical, cautious, and mildly misanthropic Lauda. The credits even provide documentary shots of the actual James Hunt and Nikki Lauda—the resemblance between them and the actors is striking. The film is rooted in an epic clash of egos and personalities. Despite Hemsworth dominating the
B
cover poster for the film, Howard successfully balances these highly contrasting characters. James Hunt may be the more likeable and entertaining character, but Lauda gradually becomes a more inspiring character, providing the emotional core of Rush. The strength of this odd couple, however, resides much more in their juxtaposition than their individual stories. The personal lives of these two racers, especially when examining their marriages, are notably underwhelming. This wouldn’t necessarily be an issue had Howard not attempted to make these relationships emotionally impactful. For example, Hunt, at several points, is blatantly distraught over his failed marriage with supermodel Suzy Miller (Olivia Wilde). In the film, however, Hunt and Miller meet, talk for two minutes, tie the knot, and literally in their next scene have an argument that leads to divorce. In its defense, Rush is far from a romance, but sequences like this hardly have any believable emotional impact. Lauda’s marriage serves its purpose in its laughable juxtaposition, as evident in an extremely awkward and unromantic proposal, but itself is quite dull. This is problematic mainly because Lauda’s wife, Marlene (Alexandra
Maria Lara), plays a significant role in one of Lauda’s most momentous decisions in the entire film (further elaboration would involve spoilers). Consequently, Hunt and Lauda are entertaining characters, but not the most endearing or memorable. Fortunately their distinct personalities set the stage for an entertaining and effective script. Howard’s technique, for the most part, makes for a very balanced film. Although Rush is not exactly a masterpiece, it is very well put together. It’s safe to say that the various elements inherent in this setting are present but tastefully subdued. While there are definitely some gripping race scenes, they aren’t the main appeal of Rush, as some audience members may have expected. This film is thankfully a story with some racing in it, not a racing film with some story in it. The sex and action of the film are executed concisely and expressively, rather than relying on shock value. In addition, Howard uses some excellent cinematography that renders the action scenes engaging and intense without becoming too confusing or nauseating to watch. Unfortunately, Rush sporadically struggles with pacing and tonal issues. Some sequences seem unnecessary and underdeveloped. An
photo courtesy of imagine entertainment
Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl star as rival drivers in the 1976 Formula One Grand Prix. obvious example is when Hunt loses sponsorship and can no longer race. In an extremely short amount of time Hunt goes from being on top of the world to binge-drinking (the depressed kind) on the couch and playing with a toy race car set like a child. Before you know it, Hunt is back on track. The idea is fine, but its execution is so abrupt it has almost no impact. The climactic final race, while set up nicely, indulges in an overly epic tone that shockingly contrasts with the rest
of the film. The Hans Zimmer score complimenting this scene is a phenomenal piece but feels horribly out of place. Rush is a good film, not without its share of issues, but a solid release nonetheless. In addition to its intriguing take on a legendary rivalry, it transmits a positive message about the nature of competitiveness. Howard emphasizes how rivalry, rather than being a slugging match of egos, can be a positive and inspiring force. n
JGL’s ‘Don Jon’ has the full package
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Box office report title
photo courtesy of relativity media
With his directing debut ‘Don Jon,’ Joseph Gordon-Levitt explores themes of sex addiction through the prism of a romantic comedy. By Amy Chappelhow For The Heights It is rare that a film captures the dynamics of contemporary society—the last film to successfully do this being 2010’s The Social Network. In his directorial and written debut Don Jon, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is pitch-perfect in his portrayal Don Jon of the modJoseph Gordon- ern man. Levitt Jon Relativity Media claims he cares about few things in life: church, the gym, his apartment, friends, and last but certainly not least, porn. Jon is respected by his friends (Rob Brown and Jeremy Luke) purely for his skill at attracting good-looking women and getting them into bed before moving onto the next “dime.” Despite bedding a different woman every time he goes out, however, Jon can’t help but prefer porn to the real thing. He tells us exactly why and appears to have no desire to change his ways—after all, “every guy watches porn.” When Barbara (Scarlett Johansson) catches Jon’s eye, however, his lifestyle is tested by her initial refusal to sleep with him, followed by her controlling behavior and wish for a romantic relationship just like the ones in the movies (a poster of Titanic adorns her bedroom wall). Jon further questions his addiction when Esther (Julianne Moore), a middle-aged student at his night class, becomes intrigued by him. This is certainly
B+ A
not a “bad guy makes good and gets the girl” story, though—Gordon-Levitt may indulge our stereotypes about the guidos and guidettes that frequent New Jersey but he rarely allows the audience to feel at ease, testing the limits of what a romantic comedy can be. Yes, there is a proliferation of pornographic images because this is a film about a man’s addiction to porn, but with the opening montage of the sexualized images shown every day in music videos, advertisements, and TV shows, it is clear that Gordon-Levitt does not simply want an excuse to show sex on the big screen. This opening is just the first of many allusions in Don Jon to modern society and what has become acceptable in recent years. For instance, Jon initiates a relationship with Barbara mainly because he couldn’t convince her to have a one-night stand with him. But once he gets what he wants he appears to remain in the relationship because society has suggested to him that a stunning woman should be kept hold of regardless of their chemistry or personality compatibility. Johansson does well in playing a New Jersey princess, constantly chewing gum and believing she will find her very own Noah from The Notebook—and no, he won’t be watching porn. In other words, if you couldn’t stand Johansson in Girl With a Pearl Earring, you’ll respect her after watching Don Jon. GordonLevitt has also roped in some brilliant actors to support his interpretation of modern day romance: look out for Anne Hathaway and
Channing Tatum particularly. The star of this film may appear to be Gordon-Levitt, but Lauren Zuckerman’s editing is what makes Don Jon truly special. The story revolves around the pattern of Jon’s life: time and again we see him go to a club, meet his friends, leave with a girl, later confess how many times he has had sexual intercourse out of wedlock or watched porn, and then say his Hail Marys while at the gym—and then, most importantly, turn on his computer to hear the Apple start-up sound and find that perfect video. This repetition drives the narrative and the editing succeeds in not only making these motifs funnier each time the audience encounters them, but in giving each pattern in Jon’s life a significance when they are altered even slightly as his story progresses. This technique is certainly bettered by the decision to use a lot of face-on shots to tie in with Jon’s voiceover, making what should be an unlikeable protagonist complex and somewhat charming. Perhaps what makes Don Jon so brilliant is how real it feels. It plays with stereotypes, but those moments when Jon is simply interacting with his friends or family feel relatable and are hilarious. Many have compared Don Jon to Steve McQueen’s impressive film Shame because of the subject matter, but it could be argued that Gordon-Levitt has managed to create a more affecting narrative because of those touches of humor based in the everyday, not in the realm of the dramatic. n
weekend gross weeks in release
1. cloudy with a chance of meatballs 2
35.0
1
2. prisoners
11.3
2
3. rush
10.3
2
4. baggage claim
9.3
1
5. don jon
9.0
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6. insidious chapter 2
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7. the family
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3
8. instructions not included
3.4
5
9. we’re the millers
2.9
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2
4 photos courtesy of Google images
bestsellers of hardcover fiction 1. the longest ride Nicholas Sparks 2. the quest Nelson DeMille 3. thankless in death J.D. Robb 4. w is for wasted Sue Grafton 5. never go back Lee Child
6. bleeding edge Thomas Pynchon 7. the final cut Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison 8. deadly heat Richard Castle 9. The cuckoo’s calling Robert Galbraith SOURCE: The New York Times
Column
How ‘Breaking Bad’ broke the mold of modern television Ryan Dowd Fresh off its first Emmy win and what may have been the most anticipated finale in the history of dramatic television, Breaking Bad is the toast of the town. For those who’ve followed the show, television may never be the same. Breaking Bad represents the peak of the golden age of television, an era of television that produced characters and stories the movies have yet to match. In 2005, Lost won the Emmy for best drama. It was followed by Grey’s Anatomy in 2006. In a world where Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, and Homeland duke it out for best drama, it’s an injustice that Lost and Grey’s Anatomy own Emmys. Then in 2007 the tides began to turn. Between 2007 and 2009 AMC’s first hit Mad Men won three straight Emmys. It was followed by the admiral Boardwalk Empire and the dynamic Homeland, before Breaking Bad seized the throne just a week ago. Unless Game of Thrones wins the next seven Emmys (which could realistically happen), this eight-year arc from Grey’s Anatomy to Breaking Bad might end up the most definitive, medium-altering periods in
television history. The Emmys, like any award show, do not represent an exact science when it comes to measuring popularity and quality. For instance, The Wire, still heralded as the greatest television program of all time, was never nominated for best drama. Still, our tastes have come a long way in eight years. But how did we get here? How did Breaking Bad become the most culturally relevant show of the 2010s? Creator Vince Gilligan said after his first Emmy win, “Television has changed a lot in six years, and I have to credit it, I’m no expert on the sociological elements of it, but I think a big part of what
has changed is streaming video on demand, specifically with operations like Netflix and iTunes and Amazon streaming. I think Netflix kept us over here.” It was word of mouth that got us here, but not in the traditional sense. Apparently there’s this new thing called Twitter, and you can post whatever you want (as long as it’s 140 characters, though) straight to the web. Insane, right? So the more and more your buddies tweet about the show, the more you’ll want to watch some show about a meth-making chemistry teacher. When you scroll through the Netflix hub every night and
photo courtesy of google images
‘Breaking Bad’ has garnered a slew of Emmys while culminating a new Golden Age of TV.
continually see Breaking Bad as not only the top rated but most watched show, it’s another indicator that everyone you know is watching this show while you’re stuck in the dark ages watching Grey’s Anatomy. So through word of web, Breaking Bad became cool, which is all a show can hope for. Once a show is “cool” it cements itself in popular culture and can run for ages. Entourage got through eight seasons on the “cool” factor alone. But Breaking Bad could never run for ages. Walt has cancer, after all. Maybe that’s why people were drawn to the show. There was something about Breaking Bad that captured the imagination of a legion of viewers. Something made them stay in bed all day repeatedly pressing play. Last night and continuing into this morning I’m sure there’s been countless Facebook, Twitter, and blog posts that contain the following elements: disbelief that the show is actually over, a declaration of how much they love the show, and finally a sentimental statement like “Breaking Bad’s like will never be seen again.” Such is life on social media, but the last is just plain ignorance. Most saw Breaking Bad’s like long before the show was even conceived. It was called The Godfather.
It’s one of the most critically acclaimed movies of all time. It chronicles the rise, or fall, of a war hero into corruption and murder. Sound familiar? If not, swap war hero for high school teacher. I’m sure a lot people who saw The Godfather in theaters thought there would never be a movie like that again. Then we got The Godfather: Part II. Now we have Breaking Bad. Who knows what will be next. Therein lies the poetry of the golden age of television—an era when the best stories are told on television. When Grey’s Anatomy won its Emmy, there was no indication that eight years later the television equivalent of The Godfather would be drawing the curtain on five illustrious seasons of television. For five years, Breaking Bad has been the best story around. It’s made watching an ungodly amount of television cool. Like Gilligan, I’m no expert on sociology, but I think we’re in a much better place right now than eight years ago. I don’t know where we’ll be in another eight, but somewhere, somehow, someone will be telling a great story.
Ryan Dowd is a staff writer for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@ bcheights.com.
The Heights
Monday, September 30, 2013
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ArtWeek Boston is an ode to city’s creativity ArtWeek, from A10 fact, important characters in The Magic Flute. This event fully illustrated the elements of art that just make you gasp and go, “Wow.” If you are interested in the connection between art and the community, Still Running: An Art Marathon for Boston, would be a great event to check out. Launched in response to the tragedy at the 2013 Boston Marathon, Still Running is an interactive art project that works to bring members of the Boston community together through the cre-
Launched in response to the tragedy at the 2013 Boston Marathon, ‘Still Running’ is an interactive art project that works to bring members of the Boston community together through the creation of art. ation of art that celebrates the Boston spirit and helps the city heal through donating paintings to local hospitals and police stations. All were and continue to be welcomed to join this series of “free artmaking” events in which one could use the paint and brushes provided to create art without having to do so “artistically.”
(Although it is not guaranteed that all artworks will be displayed, one could always try.) On Saturday in the 808 Gallery, where the event was hosted, there was a giant semi-finished blue painting illustrating Boston’s amazing city landscape, waiting for Bostonians to add their own brush of paint. “You know, people seem a little intimidated at first,” said Taylor Mortell, founder of and artist for the project, “but everyone is invited to participate.” Speaking of participation, there is, perhaps, no better line than “Play me, I’m yours.” As part of the “Play Me, I’m Yours” Boston Street Piano Festival, 75 pianos were decorated and placed in public places around Boston for all pianists, wannabe or not, to play and enjoy. Serendipity is always desirable, and finding a painted piano on a random street corner could easily make one’s day. Or it could be walking into an outdoor concert by the youngest piano soloist ever. Brianna, a young girl from west of Worcester, earned rounds of applause from pedestrians who heard the hypnotizing effect of her fingers. When an encore was demanded, she was joined by her even younger brother in the articulation of the four-hand piano version of “Angry Birds.” No need for words, no need to feel shy or embarrassed, “play me and I’m all yours”—this is a great way to summarize ArtWeek, which was loosely modeled on Restaurant Week. One could not really do anything about food except making it and enjoying it, and ArtWeek seems to be promoting the same experience—the “bold, creative, and unique” experience of art, of Boston, and of the art of Boston. n
Graham Beck / heights editor
Conte Forum was packed for the annual Pops on the Heights concert, which featured Katherine McPhee of ‘American Idol’ and ‘Smash’ fame.
McPhee and Pops unite for Conte gala Pops, from A10 soloists’ musical personalities bleeding into the stream of sound. The evening’s arrangements were riddled with wanderlust, bringing the Conte audience the sounds of Western expansion, with the charming “Buckaroo Holiday,” from Rodeo, offering a liberal helping of home-baked country sound. Then later, the Pops took to the disco era, bringing the crowd to its feet with “Dancing Queen”—decorated alumni and squirmy children alike quickly discarded the austerity of the evening to stretch the seams of their formalwear, breaking the stiffness of the evening’s dress. Enter Katharine McPhee, American Idol runner up to Taylor Hicks during the show’s fifth season. The featured performer of this year’s Pops on the Heights, the Los Angeles native took to the Massachusetts stage with “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”—it took a couple numbers before the audience could really feel out where McPhee was coming from, but in time, she became quite situated in Conte Forum, working with a massive theatrical presence. The pop star was somewhere between Linda Rondstadt and Mariah Carey, sauntering about the stage in silver stilettos, pacing through a marathon
of runs and jowl-shaking vibrato. McPhee presented herself as a rich, sustainable musical resource for the Pops, sitting securely atop the orchestra’s swing on “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” Eagerly moving between eras, she transitioned from the 1966 James Brown R&B hit to a medley comprised of Rihanna’s “Stay” and Zedd’s “Clarity,” both songs released this year. Having attended the Boston Conservatory, McPhee described the city of Boston as a special place for her—at one point during her performance, she declared “I love Boston. I’m only doing shows here from now on.” McPhee’s portion of the program again spoke to the Pop’s versatility, the thick orchestral sound supporting the pop singer’s complex vocal work. McPhee examined her own career for parts of the night, performing “Heart Shaped Wreckage” from her now-cancelled show Smash, as well as “Unbroken,” a song from her solo career. She wasn’t beholden to that career, however, and she seemed eager to explore a more diverse repertoire, in one number combining John Waite’s “Missing You” with the Isley Brother’s “Shout.” McPhee’s performance had a playful confidence to it throughout the night. She was quite willing to push the scope of her songs,
back-phrasing liberally and singing well atop the traditional melody on songs like Katy Perry’s “Firework” and Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody.” The former Idol star ended the night with Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life,” in jest changing the traditional lyric “You’re running high in April / Shot down in May” to “You’re running high in April / Smash is cancelled in May.” It seemed a fitting closer for her part of the evening—in very many ways, McPhee has had a bittersweet career. If losing American Idol to Taylor Hicks isn’t a “that’s life” moment, I don’t know what is. And sitting atop an overlooked bed of talent, McPhee kept a good spirit through the evening, humbled by what proved a very warm reception by the Chestnut Hill crowd. As tradition goes, the evening closed with the “For Boston” fight song and John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” As glow sticks were passed around the dimly-lit arena, the crowd quickly transformed into a moving texture of waving blue light. The pomp and circumstance of the night quickly eroded as an uninhibited session of balloon popping took hold of the Conte floor—a youthful energy spread like fever through the crowds. Boston popped. n
English professor honored for latest novel Graver, from A10 professor at BC, where she teaches creative writing workshops, among other classes. A lover of traveling, she actually led one of her courses abroad in India for a summer. Although she finds both teaching and writing incredibly rewarding, Graver explains that it’s sometimes difficult to dedicate herself equally to both professions. “Teaching, if you do it well, is a time consuming, intensive line of work,” she said, “so you do have to deliberately think about the way that you’re spending your time in order to find time.” Folding her hands in her lap, she said, “I’m at a point in my life where I want to have a balance, but it does mean that you have to be kind of patient.” Being patient with herself was especially important in the completion of her most recent book, The End of the Point, a fictional story about a family who has summered at Buzzard’s Bay for three generations. It’s a complex novel exploring both time and place, according to Graver. “It was probably
my hardest and most ambitious project in some ways,” she said, “because this one covers more time and more points of view than my other ones did.” Writing this book was also different for her because she didn’t try to rush herself through the process. “I was in more of a hurry when I was younger. Something about the pleasures of middle age,” she said with a chuckle, “I don’t know, made me feel like ‘I just want to write the best book I can,’ so I let it come together the way it needed to. And I decided not to push it.” Despite the challenges that Graver had to overcome to write it, The End of the Point was well-received, one of the 10 books now on the “longlist” for this year’s National Book Award. When discussing the nomination, Graver was beaming. “It was a lovely surprise because you have no idea how these things work,” she said, jubilantly throwing her arms in the air. “I found out on the Internet, believe it or not, and I was in the middle of teaching, so I got to celebrate with my workshop.” Being nominated for the National Book
Award is a great accomplishment, one that Graver could not have achieved without years of ceaseless writing practice. To be a good writer, she explained that such practice is key. She also advised that students read, take a range of literature courses, and explore—“doing things that take you out of your comfort zone—making you see and decipher the world in new ways.” She said, moreover, that aspiring authors should learn to “let their creative process continue.” “So, if you’re gardening, walking the dog, or swimming, learn to open your mind,” she said playfully. “Swimming is actually great for my writing, but it’s kind of inconvenient—because you can’t write anything down.” Graver, lighthearted and passionate, offered one more recommendation. Quoting Henry James, she earnestly said, “Try to be someone on whom nothing is lost.” After a brief pause, she continued, saying, “This very sense of being open to the world—it’s just good advice—whether you’re a writer or not.” n
Photo courtesy of google images
The MFA’s popular exhibit ‘Hippie Chic’ (above) is one of the many offerings at Fashion Week.
Fashion Week shows off chic styles throughout Boston Fashion Week, from A10
tIFFANY lAW / fOR tHE hEIGHTS
Wild Nothing, the indie dream pop band from Virginia, appeared at Cambridge’s Middle East Restaurant and Bar for an intimate concert.
A ‘Wild’ night of music at the Middle East By Tiffany Law For The Heights On Thursday night, across the river in Cambridge and far from the confines of the BC Bubble, the Middle East Restaurant and Bar hosted an up-and-coming dream pop group. The Middle East is not your typical concert hall—consisting of an underground area with just a bar, a stage, and standing room, it’s more of an intimate venue. The band of the night was Wild Nothing, a Virginia-based, indie dream pop group, started by Jack Tatum as a solo project. The show was in support of its recently released EP, Empty Estate, and was a break from its tour opening for the Local Natives who played at Boston Calling this past month. This allowed Wild Nothing to play more songs in an intimate setting for a crowd more familiar with its music. First up was the local Boston band, Art Decade, which lent its instrumental talent on Wild Nothing’s single, “Shadow.” The already small venue felt even more cramped
as the eight-piece band stepped on stage. The self-described indie orchestral pop band had a whopping three violinists on stage along with a cellist. Art Decade had a unique sound, but as far as opening bands go, it was easily forgettable. Soon, before Wild Nothing was set to take the stage, a large amount of people filled the venue. It became clear that it was going to be a low-key, no-frills type of show as the members of Wild Nothing casually walked up right onto the stage before their performance and set up their own equipment. Fans of Wild Nothing’s albums Nocturne and Gemini may be skeptical as to how its music would translate into a live show. The dream pop, shoegaze sound they are known for does not typically inspire rambunctious energy. Rather, the term shoegaze refers to melodic sonic textures that rely on the heavy usage of effect pedals. This contributes to the image of performers looking down at their feet, or gazing at their shoes during performances. Distinctively, dream pop focuses on textures and moods, rather
than energizing guitar riffs. As soon as Wild Nothing walked onto the stage again and broke out into its title track, “Nocturne,” the band dispelled any fears. The music was relatively upbeat and the audience seemed to be enjoying themselves as people mouthed the words to the lyrics and swayed in tune. The band played several more songs from its album Nocturne, such as “This Chain Won’t Break” and “Paradise.” The fact that it was headlining gave Wild Nothing the opportunity to play older songs from its first EP, Golden Haze, which it hadn’t played live in years, according to Tatum. The smaller venue suited Wild Nothing fairly well. Throughout the night, one got the impression that its sound would get lost in a larger venue. To the dismay of some fans, the well-known single, “Chinatown,” was not played. Wild Nothing’s decision to do so was understandable, however, given the song did not mesh well with the rest of its set. Overall, the chill and laid-back ambiance of the Middle East proved to be a perfect fit for Wild Nothing. n
The MFA The Museum of Fine Arts is a great place to explore, especially for some great fashion. Open now until Nov. 11, the exhibit Hippie Chic transports anyone back into the 1960s and early 1970s. Created by Lauren Whitley, Tomomi Itakura, and Marlene Tosca, this exhibit is nostalgic with its harmonious wallpapers combined with bright purple, pink, and orange fuzzy circular stands to show off the revolutionary fashion. Most of the attire was remolded after its first creators such as Betsey Johnson, Yves Saint Laurent, and Ossie Clark. Not only does this exhibit explain how the counter-culture of the hippie revolution actually influenced the fashion houses of New York, London, and Paris, but it also gives back-drop to how the style categorized into different types including “Trippy Hippie,” “Retro Hippie,” and “Fantasy Hippie.” Even better, if you look really closely, you can see that most of the trends then now influence our style today, especially with the lace shirts and long flowery dresses. You can explore this for yourself and listen to The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and The Kinks on an actual jukebox, which completes your journey into the past. If the fashion isn’t for you, at least it is a great laugh to see what your parents or grandparents might have worn. Another exhibit coming in October is Think Pink, open from Oct. 3 to March 26. Using dresses and accessories from Oscar de la Renta, Dolce and Gabbana, Ralph Lauren, and Christian Dior, this exhibit explores the historical use of pink and its lasting popularity since the 17th century. It will illuminate a pink light on the changes in style, the evolution of gender styles, and advances in dyeing methods. The event will also honor the late Evelyn Lauder, who
was a pioneer in using pink as a color to represent breast cancer awareness. Plus, starting Oct. 2, the Museum will be illuminated pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To top it off, tickets are free as long as a student ID is shown at the front desk. To get there, take the D line, switch onto the E line at Copley Station, and get off at the Museum of Fine Arts station. Copley Center Remember when some people competed in a prom competition in which they made their dresses and tuxes solely out of duct tape? Well, The Massachusetts College of Art and Design has taken this contest idea to a whole new level. MASSART is hosting Wearable Art 2013 in the Center Court of Copley Center. As you shop at Copley you can peruse through the 23 different elegant, redcarpet ready gowns and other outfits made out of unconventional materials such as as window shades, VHS film strips, melted CDs, feathers, and plastic twisty ties from the grocery store. Later on, MASSART will present a runway of these outfits and much more during Copley Catwalk on Oct. 2. Again, take the Green Line. Piccadilly Square in New ton Centre How to get there? Take the Newton Bus back to Newton Campus and walk to Newton Centre. Stores such as Folorica and Talori Jewelers have some possible giveaways, and from Oct. 3 to 4 there will be a Trunk show from the CERI line. If you don’t find anything, you could always get some Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. These are only some of the events— in order to learn more about 21+ events and other fashion events, such as the ones on Newbury Street, go to http:// www.bostonfashionweek.com/. Enjoy Fashion Week and remember: Keep Calm and Shop (or Bargain ) On! n
ARTS&REVIEW THE HEIGHTS
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2013
STOP, POP, AND ROLL
THE FINER THINGS
Finding yourself in fiction ARIANA IGNERI Ever since I was little, I’ve been fascinated by fiction. My childhood was very much defined by the stories I read. I remember spending countless nights in my footsie pajamas, tucked away under my covers, reading my favorite books by the glow of a flashlight. I’d retreat into different realities, into places where wardrobes were portals to magical realms, where gardens were full of mysterious secrets, and where mice could heroically save princesses. The implausible elements of these worlds didn’t seem to faze me then. I never considered how bizarre it would be for a kind spider to befriend a little pig—that reality didn’t seem to clash with the one that I actually lived in. I believed E.B. White’s tale wholeheartedly, and that was all it took to make the story real. When I got older, though, and started reading “big girl books,” the author’s job became more of a challenge, because with maturity, came hesitation and cynicism. No longer was I quick to buy into narratives about rabbits with pocket watches and grinning cats that disappeared. This kind of fanciful fiction was asking too much of me. I couldn’t reconcile two opposed realities. So, instead, I started reading novels that I thought were more conceivable, more “real.” I fell in love with Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, and Ian McEwan’s Atonement—all novels that did away with talking animals in favor of romantic British plots. If I’m being honest, however, these books were really no different than the ones I had read before. What made me think that it was any more likely for a wealthy, proud gentleman to propose to an average, stubborn girl than it was for a man to be made of tin or for a lion to be without courage? It wasn’t obvious to me then, but these stories are all the same: they’re all fiction. I attended a lecture this Wednesday evening by book critic and writer James Wood—he spoke to this question of fiction, defining and exploring it in reference to his latest book, How Fiction Works. In one of the chapters, he writes, “Fiction moves in the shadow of doubt, knows itself to be a true lie, knows that at any moment it might fail to make its case. Belief in fiction is always belief ‘as if.’” As I understood it, Wood, at the lecture, was trying to explain that the beauty of fiction lies in our ability to believe it just as much as is necessary for it to be “as if” it were true. In other words, fiction is not asking us to truly accept the plausibility of a giant peach housing an orphan boy and his singing insect friends—it’s only asking us, rather, to believe enough to keep turning the pages, to believe in the story as a story. That is, after all, one of the many reasons we read fiction books. We read them to be taken away from the banality of our own lives and to be transported to a new, exciting reality—one that is “not quite” real, but is almost real. One that we can imagine ourselves being a part of. And if we can’t see ourselves in the world that the author constructs, if we can’t relate to the characters that the writer creates, well, then, there’s nothing stopping us from closing his book and tossing it out of a window. We have the freedom to choose what we read, to choose which realities we accept and which we don’t. So, even though fiction, by definition, may be one giant lie, it’s in fiction that we sometimes find the greatest truths. We find stories that mirror our lives. We find characters that reflect ourselves. We find that somewhere, either in this world or in that of our favorite novels, we fit in.
Ariana Igneri is the Assoc. Arts & Review editor of The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.
‘American Idol’ star Katharine McPhee performed in Conte Forum with the Boston Pops Orchestra on Friday evening for the annual Pops on the Heights scholarship gala.
GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR
BY JOHN WILEY
Asst. Arts & Review Editor With a few fluttering pounds of timpani, the Boston Pops hushed a crowd of over 8,000 saturating Conte Forum. The tinny percussion smoothed into a velvety fabric of horns, backed by a clamoring string section, eager to show off its playful energy. Leonard Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide” set the tone for this year’s Pops on the Heights gala, the 21st celebration of its kind held at BC in benefit of the Pops Scholarship Fund—this year’s event raised over $4.2 million to offer financial assistance to 170 scholarship recipients. The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, under the direction of Keith Lockhart, showed off the breadth of its repertoire at Friday’s benefit gala, with selections running the gamut from Copland to ABBA. In the first half of the evening’s program, the University Chorale joined the Pops
for two numbers—“Tolite hostias, from Oratorio de Noel, Opus 12” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The orchestral half of the program was a spectacle of the group’s showmanship, through a program strikingly balanced between intense emotionality and playfulness. The Pops are a rare find among the ranks of the musical elite, clearly adverse to the insular character of the orchestral genre. On the conducting platform, Lockhart showed no reservations thrashing his head along with the massive electric guitar pickup in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” following the melodrama of the ’70s rock ballad’s intro—Lockhart was cool, hitting his stride as he flaunted his bravado, back faced to the crowd. The injection of rock star ego into the Pop’s opening suite electrified Conte, allowing the audience to emote with the arrangements, and notice
See Pops, A9
Graver long listed for book award BY ARIANA IGNERI Assoc. Arts & Review Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
Open pianos scattered around the Boston area are a signature of ArtWeek Boston.
Local art takes to the streets for ArtWeek Boston BY YUNQING WANG For The Heights When we think of Restaurant Week, we think of a variety of gourmet foods offered at discounted prices—it could be Chinese or Italian, tacos or sushi, Michelin-rated or just well-known within the circle of regular patrons. ArtWeek takes a similar form, offering a variety of exhibits and events to satisfy the artistic hungers of Bostonians. Presented by Highland Street Foundation and coordinated by Citi Performing Arts Center, ArtWeek Boston aims to celebrate the creativity of local artists and cultural organizations and to make the creative experience more accessible to the public through a range of “prix fixe” events that run from Sept. 27 to Oct. 6. The event calendar offers an intriguing mix of musical performances, dance workshops, and interactive visual art displays. One could exclaim, “this is too artistic for me,” while participating in one event and personally engage in the art-making process in another. An event incorporating both experi-
I NSIDE ARTS THIS ISSUE
ences was The Magic of Mozart: Family Opera Day at the Boston Public Library, which was collaboratively presented by Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Public Library, Handel and Haydn Society, and Zoo New England. The show was inspired by Boston Lyric Opera’s English adaptation of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. The Handel and Haydn Youth Chorus performed the “Pa! Pa! Pa!” duet—usually sung by two professional soloists—beautifully, even though, according to the choirmaster, they “just learned the song a few hours ago … in German”. At first, a zoo might seem out of place in a largely musical performance, but its role was eventually clarified. The narrator hinted at the beginning that “the story begins with a snakebite,” but there was still a certain level of surprise in the audience when Pablo, a small desert rosy boa, made his debut on stage, followed by another snake who was much bigger in both size and spirit—spirit animals are, as a matter of
JGL takes on Don Jon
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‘Don Jon’ presents an honest narratative about relationships in contemporary society................A8
A neat pile of ungraded student papers sits on professor Elizabeth Graver’s desk in Stokes Hall. Her latest novel, longlisted for the National Book Award, rests on her bookshelf near other literary classics—quite possibly those of her favorite authors: Virginia Wolfe, Charlotte Bronte, and Toni Morrison. She has a colorful tapestry hanging on her wall as well as framed photos of her two daughters on display throughout her neatly organized office. In a way, it’s a microcosm of her life, exhibiting the things that are important to her, the things that she dedicates her time to—and being at once a teacher, a writer, a traveler, and a mother, balancing this time is not easy for Graver. The daughter of two academics, Graver always knew that she wanted to be a writer. “I kind of grew up on a campus, so it seemed like
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOANNA ELDREDGE MORRISSEY
Professor Elizabeth Graver’s latest novel has been longlisted for the National Book Award. a natural fit,” she said confidently, “I’ve been writing since I was young, very young. And if you asked me at age seven what I wanted to be, I’m sure I would have said a writer.” She smiled reflectively before saying, “So, I guess, in some ways, the pieces have all always been there.” Considering her successful literary career, there’s no denying that those pieces have certainly come together for Graver. Not only is she the author of four acclaimed novels (The End of the Point, Awake, The Honey Thief, and Unravelling), but she is also a highly regarded English
See Graver, A9
Boston Fashion Week brings a plethora of events to city BY BRIDGET GALVIN For The Heights Hear that? That’s the sound of countless heels tapping on catwalks, fabrics swishing, and shopping bags crinkling. Yes, Boston Fashion Week (BFW) is here. The event this year is in honor of the late Alfred Fiandanca and is open from Sept. 27 to Oct. 5. Sadly, not all of the glamorous affairs are consolidated to one area and some events may put a big dent in that imaginary piggy bank that we all cherish. Despite this problem, BFW allows the public to go exploring to different
Racing rivalry in Rush
Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl compete in thrilling race car movie .................................A8
parts of the city, and most events are free and some runways are under $30. Even if you say you are not especially fond of fashion, executive producer of BFW Jay Calderin, eloquently points out, “That’s not true. You are. You are wearing clothes.” The various events can be a lot of fun and it gives everyone the excuse to leave the coveted nest of Boston College. So, if you wish to hunt for great fashion events close by here are some locations to peruse through that leave your wallet nice and full.
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Bestsellers...............................A8 Box Office Report........................A8
SPORTS THE HEIGHTS
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Monday, September 30, 2013
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2013
BOSTON COLLEGE 34
FLORIDA STATE 48
‘NO MORAL VICTORIES’ Winston leads second half surge for Seminoles
Freshman back Myles Willis stands out in loss
BY MARLY MORGUS
BY AUSTIN TEDESCO
Asst. Sports Editor
Sports Editor
Jameis Winston took the snap just as the play clock ticked down to one second remaining in the half. As he dropped back the Boston College defense converged on him, but he kept searching downfield. Medhi Abdesmad was the first to lay a hand on Winston, attempting to hook him down with one arm but spinning around unsuccessfully. Then came Joey Launceford who lunged at Winston’s waist. He still wasn’t down. Running to the right side of the field, Winston saw Kenny Shaw downfield, and despite having Steven Daniels up in his face, Winston heaved the ball 55 yards. Shaw snagged into out of the air and his momentum carried him into the endzone for the score. “I’ve seen that same thing happen on tape where he spun out of a couple tackles, got his feet set, and threw a dart down the field,” said BC head coach Steve Addazio. This reaction from Addazio came in the wake of a 48-34 loss to No. 8 Florida State on Saturday during which Winston, after a rocky start to the game for the Seminoles, showed why he has already been singled out as a potential Heisman candidate this year as a true freshman. BC opened the game on a note that surprised many. Scoring on every possession that they had in the first quarter, the Eagles also held the Seminoles to only three points during the first 15 minutes of play, showing not only a competence on offense, but also confidence on defense. During the very first FSU drive, the defensive pressure that BC was applying seemed to be working as Kevin Pierre-Louis and Spenser Rositano both broke up passes from Winston. That drive ended as a three-and-out for FSU, and the Eagles immediately capitalized on the next drive with Chase Rettig’s first of four touchdown passes on the night. The Seminoles put their first three points on the board during their second drive. If BC’s defensive pressure wasn’t spot on, Winston would drop the ball effortlessly into his receivers’ waiting hands. There was one nearfatal mistake on the drive—another
David Dudeck looked surprised that he even had to say anything. Twice during the second quarter of Boston College’s 48-34 loss to Florida State, the sophomore kick returner casually trotted over to the freshman at his side as the ball hung in the air. Dudeck put his hands up, motioning for Myles Willis to secure the kick MYLES WILLIS and take a knee, but Willis had other plans. He lost track of where he was on the field. New to the kick return position, having just replaced Spiffy Evans last week against USC, Willis needed to slow down. “I’m just thinking, ‘catch the ball and run,” he said. Dudeck wouldn’t let him. “He kept telling me, ‘don’t be selfish,’” Willis said. A sense of urgency kicked in to Dudeck as he realized the rookie was about to try to return the kick rather than take the field position. He quickened his pace from a trot to a sprint and rather than just throwing his hands up he started waving them. Willis got the message, but barely. He narrowly avoided stepping over the end zone. “When you’re back there you want to go and you want to make an impact,” Willis said. “I can’t be selfish and then the next thing you know we’re at the 15.” When the next kick came to Willis five minutes later, his quick feet gained steam again, and again Dudeck had to shut him down—this time with noticeably more force and frustration. Willis put his head down and made his way to the sideline with his counterpart repeating the same message. “Don’t be selfish.” To start the second half, the ball fell into Willis’ hands four yards in front of the end zone. Now he didn’t have a choice except to take off, and GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR
See Football, B3
An FSU touchdown at the end of the first half from Jameis Winston to Kenny Shaw helped put the game out of reach for the Eagles.
See Willis, B3
Why can’t it all be just fun and games?
AUSTIN TEDESCO It took me almost two and a half hours to move. June 18 had turned into June 19 and somehow—by some miracle I both completely understood and refused to accept—there would be a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. The greatest event possible on my favorite sport’s biggest stage was about to come true for just the fourth time in my life, and I was too devastated to move. The second Chris Bosh tipped the ball to Ray Allen, I knew it was all over. Sure, there would be overtime, but that overtime was just a formality. Watch enough sports and truly terrible instincts like these start to kick in. Miami was going to force a Game
7 against San Antonio, and the Heat were going to win that game. So I just sat on my couch until 3 a.m. grew closer and closer, knowing five spaced out alarms waited for me very early that morning trying to keep me from missing work. Finally, Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose turned into Stephen A. Smith, and that was enough for me to call it a night. On the way to work the next day I kept asking myself: “Is this any fun?” Is it fun to, round by round, latch on to an NBA playoff team just to watch them fall at the mercy of another team I’ve arbitrarily decided isn’t for me? Is it fun watching Texas football and basketball climb into what feels like a bottomless hole as the tenures of Mack Brown and Rick Barnes come to a close? Is it fun hearing “Chelsea Dagger” over and over again? Not really. The series finale of Breaking Bad was on last night, and I can’t say watching that show is much fun either. It’sstunning and it’s exhila-
I NSIDE SPORTS THIS ISSUE
rating—but fun? Nope. It’s about as much fun as watching that ball leave Jesus Shuttlesworth’s fingers knowing the only place it can go is through the net. I watched the first few episodes of Breaking Bad’s finale season on the same couch that I watched the Bruins, Spurs, Grizzlies, Warriors, Pacers, Thunder, Bulls, and Knicks get eliminated, and the events incited the same feelings. It’s a rush, and there can be really extreme highs. Steph Curry can decide to change all of the sliders in a real game and redefine how fun basketball can be. Carol can stare blankly at Mr. Lambert and hilariously drop her groceries in the driveway. But those boats beat on toward the same end, and that end is dread. Somehow, probably just due to proximity, I’ve found a way to eliminate most of my bias to Boston College’s sports teams. It’s cool when
See Column, B4
Davies returns to New England
After recovering from a serious car accident, the former BC soccer star is back................B5
GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR
NCAA Tournament games, like Cincy vs. OSU, can carry the same drama as some TV shows.
Volleyball drops two straight
The Eagles opened ACC play this weekend, losing to Miami and Florida State..........B5
Sports in Short...........................B2 Football Recap...........................B3
The Heights
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Eagles fall in close contest with Maryland
BC defense blanks Providence
By Alex Stanley Heights Staff
By Chris Grimaldi Assoc. Sports Editor
Hoping to rebound from a heartbreaking home loss to Maryland, the Boston College field hockey team traveled to Northeastern for a crosstown duel with the Huskies. Sophomore goalie Leah Settipane and the Eagle defense delivered a brilliant effort yesterday afternoon, as they shut the Huskie offense down in a dominant 3-0 victory. The shutout was the fourth of the Eagles’ season, marking their eighth victory in their first 10 games of 2013. For the first 33 minutes of play, both squads were deadlocked in a defensive struggle. Yet BC’s offensive attack broke through late in a first half that had been poised to remain scoreless. Freshman midfielder Emily McCoy corralled a corner from junior Emma Plasteras and sent it into the Northeastern goal for the contest’s first score. The goal was the only conversion either offense could muster on a combined 10 shots throughout the half. With the second frame underway and McCoy’s initial score a distant memory, the game retook the appearance of a back-and-forth affair. Nearly 20 minutes passed before Plasteras again played the role of catalyst. BC’s junior goal-scorer dished the ball to senior Hannah Mulvey, who
Monday, September 30, 2013
Nick Barker / Heights Staff
Junior Emma Plasteras contributed a goal and three assists for BC over the weekend. stopped the pass with her stick before relaying it to McCoy. Once again, the rookie squared off with Northeastern goalkeeper Becky Garner and walked away with a goal. McCoy’s second-frame score was her second of the game and seventh of the season—tying teammate Plasteras for the most on a potent Eagle squad. Settipane continued her string of dominant play between the pipes, stopping both shots sent her way on a day when BC dominated ball possession. The ACC’s leader in saves per game kept Northeastern off the scoreboard while her team tried to muster some offensive execution of its own.
Although two goals were more than enough for Settipane and the BC defense, the Eagle attack was poised to tack on insurance three minutes after McCoy’s strike. Rookie Leah Froman received Plasteras’s team-leading ninth assist and sent a shot screaming past Garner for her first career goal. The veteran-rookie connection put BC up 3-0 and sealed a much-needed road win. While the Eagles’ record stands at six games above the .500 mark, they remain entrenched in one of the country’s strongest conferences. For head coach Ainslee Lamb and her BC squad, the best recipe for keeping pace in the ACC is to maintain another winning streak. n
As a tipped shot slipped between goalkeeper Leah Settipane’s legs, No. 2 Maryland took the lead for the first time that night. No. 9 Boston College had gained the edge early on from senior Virgynia Muma, who received a cross from AshLeigh Sebia, who had raced down the left side and crossed it to Muma. This sparked a back-and-forth scoring spree, ending in the Terrapins hitting two in a row, while BC was playing with two players down. The Maryland defense managed to keep the lead for the Terrapins at 3-2, as the BC field hockey team fell to 7-2, and 1-1 in the ACC at the Newton Campus Field Hockey Complex on Friday. The first half belonged to Maryland, but the BC defense proved crucial in keeping the score at 1-1, when the half ended. After Muma scored the first goal, the Terrapins notched a goal back quickly. They capitalized off of a corner, which was immediately sent to Ali McEvoy. McEvoy crossed the ball across the top of the circle to a wide-open Sarah Sprink, who ripped it into the back of the net. This was one of five corners that Maryland received in the half, while BC had none of its own. Maryland controlled much of the play, and had the better opportunities. A stellar BC defense, however, added to by six saves from Settipane, held the Terrapins back. “We knew we had to commit to creating great attack from awesome defense,” said
head coach Ainslee Lamb. She added that they had been preparing all week for the pressure that they knew Maryland would put against them. The second half saw play even out, as BC got more goal-scoring opportunities, including six corners. BC once more continued the trend of scoring first. On the Eagles’ first corner, Eryn McCoy fired a hard shot, which bounced off of the goalkeeper’s padding, directly into the path of Emma Plasteras. Plasteras slotted it right above a diving goalkeeper, to temporarily put the Eagles ahead. But, two yellow cards, 47 and 49 minutes in, set BC back two players. Both penalties counted for five minutes that the players had to sit out. Maryland scored its second goal 51 minutes in, and just a minute later bagged another. Sprink recorded her second goal on the night, with a laser of a shot into the lower left hand pocket of the goal. This was off of Maryland’s lone corner of the half. Then Hayley Turner finalized the game by giving Settipane a tough long shot to deal with, which slipped through the sophomore goalkeeper’s legs. Settipane was pulled with five minutes left in the game in order to add another attacker in the field, but it was to no avail. After the game, Lamb felt bittersweet of her team’s performance. “I’m really proud of their effort,” she said. “I’m really proud of their work rate. I’m really proud of the level of play they presented today, but the bottom line is that we didn’t win the game.” n
Westphal leads BC XC effort By Chris Grimaldi Assoc. Sports Editor
SPORTS in SHORT
Two weeks after a strong showing at the UMass Invitational, the Boston College women’s cross country team looked to gain momentum at the Coastto-Coast Battle in Beantown - BC XC Invitational. Friday’s race at Franklin Park saw the Eagles finish in fourth place out of 14 teams. Liv Westphal continued her strong junior campaign by finishing third out of 146 competitors. Although she led with a mark of 17:00, the BC squad enjoyed a number of impressive individual efforts. Junior Madeleine Davidson followed behind Westphal with a 16th-place finish, good for second best on the Eagles. Following Davidson’s 17:35 finish, senior Morgan Mueller and junior Brittany Winslow respectively notched marks of 17:54 and 17:58. Rookie Catherine Maloy’s time of 18:15 proved to be enough to complete BC’s top five finish in the invitational. Providence clinched the tournament’s first-place spot with 50 points, while Oregon captured the second spot. Yet the Eagles made a statement of their own on the stat sheet, clawing their way near the front of the pack by meet’s end. B C came within nine points of third-place Cornell, walking away with a formidable fourth-place finish to build upon. The competition marked the Eagles’ second top-five team finish in the past two weeks. n
Emily Fahey / Heights STaff
Senior goalkeeper Corinne Boyles looked sharp during the first period of Saturday’s preseason exhibition game, saving all nine shots that Western Ontario sent her way.
Freshman defenders excel in preseason tune-up By Steven Principi Heights Staff
The Boston College women’s hockey team showed why it’s ranked No. 2 in the preseason with a 2-0 win over the University of Western Ontario at BU’s Walter Brown Arena on Saturday. The Eagles used the exhibition game as a chance to play some of their freshmen and showed a physical, defensive style of play that they hope to carry over to the regular season. BC started off the scoring early, when freshman Haley McLean scored just 17 seconds into the game. McLean took a pass from junior Emily Field at the edge of the circle in front of the net and fired
ACC Field Hockey Standings Team Maryland Duke Virginia North Carolina Boston College Syracuse Wake Forest
Conference
Overall
2-0 1-0 1-1 1-1 1-1 0-1 0-2
10-0 8-2 11-1 8-1 8-2 9-1 7-3
a shot into the top corner. The Mustangs looked better after the initial let down, matching the Eagles in shots through the first period at 9-9. Senior goalie Corinne Boyles started the game for BC and played the first period, stopping all the shots she saw on her abbreviated day. The second and third period saw the Eagles completely dominate play despite not being able to add to their lead. BC missed on several good chances and Western Ontario never really threatened for the second two periods. After matching BC 9-9 in shots in the first period, the Mustangs were outshot 31-8 for the last 40 minutes and were lucky not to see the Eagles increase their lead.
BC did finally get its second goal with just eight seconds remaining in the game when sophomore Haley Skarupa netted an empty net goal to put the game away for good. Kelly Campbell played well for the Mustangs, stopping 38 of the 39 shots she faced while in the game. Megan Miller played the last two periods for BC and had no problems with the eight shots she saw on the day. Special teams were a mixed bag for BC, as they were perfect on the penalty kill but unable to cash in on the power play. The Eagles shut down Western Ontario on all seven of their power play opportunities but went 0-5 on the man advantage.
One storyline for the early season will be how the freshmen can play, particularly on the defensive end. Head coach Katie King Crowley gave a lot of ice time to Lauren Wedell and Julie Fish, the two players who will be tasked with stepping in for Blake Bolden and Dru Burns, both of whom graduated last season. The two played well for their first live action, helping to shut down the Mustangs offense for the game. The Eagles will return to action on Oct. 6, when they open up regular season play by hosting Maine. The Eagles had no problems with Maine last season, beating them easily all three times that they played. n
Numbers to Know
Quote of the Week
21
“What, do you think you coach or play to keep it close? What do you think we’re talking about here? We play to win.”
The number of unanswered points that BC football surrendered to FSU in the first half after building a 17-3 lead.
10
The number of goals scored by women’s soccer sophomore McKenzie Meehan in 10 games this season.
4 The number of shutouts recorded by BC field hockey over an 8-2 start to the 2013 season.
— Football
head coach Steve Addazio after Saturday’s loss to FSU
The Heights
Monday, September 30, 2013
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Graham Beck / heights Editor
key stats
5 3 2
Consecutive scoring possessions for Florida State 100-yard rushing games by Andre Williams this year
quote of the game “We came in with a great game plan, and that’s keep playing aggressive and get after the quarterback. If you do that a lot ... there might be a couple of holes in the back end.”
- Kasim Edebali BC defensive end
Interceptions by Chase Rettig
Standouts
Memorable Play During BC’s first drive of the fourth quarter, Rettig attempted to connect with Amidon but fired the pass too early and was picked off by P.J. Williams, who ran the ball back twenty yards for a Florida State touchdown.
Prime Performance Jameis Winston
Myles Willis Graham Beck / Heights Editor
Jameis Winston cemented his potential Heisman candidacy with a strong second half, and Myles Willis had a breakout performance including a 71-yard kick return.
Football Notebook
Seniors impressed by Willis’ quick feet and early impact Willis, from B1 after a 61-yard burst up the right side he had given his team excellent field position. “That’s why they put me back there,” Willis said. “Things like that can really shift momentum.” “He’s got sweet feet and he’s fast,” senior running back Andre Williams said. Willis emerged against the Seminoles as a welcome counter to Williams’ relentlessly bruising attack. “He has a lot of speed,” said senior quarterback Chase Rettig. “Our special teams did a good job blocking and he hit the hole. He had a big reception and some nice runs. “We know what he can be and what he can do on the field. Our coaches have done a really good job putting him in certain plays where we go to him.” Rettig and Willis hooked up on the freshman’s other highlight from the game, as Rettig hit the back on a wheel-route down the right side for a 52-yard touchdown. The Eagles had practiced that play
repeatedly during practice leading up to the game. Willis’ teammates kept telling him he was going to be wide open, so when it actually worked he said he felt numb. “I didn’t feel any extra emotions,” Willis said. “I just knew, ‘catch the ball and go score.’” Willis finished the game with 28 rushing yards on five carries and 69 receiving yards with five receptions on top of his 114 yards in the kick return game. “He brings me up,” said BC head coach Steve Addazio. “He’s got that look in his eye. I’ve seen that look in guys before. He’s got that look. He’s a competitive guy, he loves football, and he’s got talent.” It wasn’t enough to give the Eagles the necessary push to secure a victory, but for a team lacking depth and short on offensive firepower it was still a welcome sight. “Now we know that he’s a weapon back there,” Williams said. And he’s a weapon the Eagles will need when Williams and Rettig are gone after this season, leaving behind holes at some of the Eagles’ most important offensive positions. n
Jameis Winston exibited his dominance at quarterback and threw for 325 yards with four touchdown passes. He also rushed for a net 67 yards despite being sacked four times for a loss of 29 yards.
Winston holds off a late comeback by BC Football, from B1 pass was nearly picked off, but Florida State managed to hold on and kick a 40yard field goal. A Rettig to Jake Sinkovec touchdown pass gave the Eagles a 14-3 lead at the end of the first quarter, but it was then that Winston stepped up. During the Seminoles’ second drive, he took advantage of an automatic first down off of a pass-interference penalty against BC and threw the first of many long balls during the game, 56 yards to Rashad Greene for a touchdown. Then, after the teams traded punts, Winston got the ball back in his hands and fired off three straight completions for first downs. Switching it up a bit, he kept the ball during the fourth play of the series and rushed for 20 yards down to BC’s 23-yard line. Three plays later, he completed a wide-open pass to Chad Abram out to the flat, posting another six plus a good extra point. The touchdown marked the beginning of a five-series scoring streak during which Winston led the Seminoles to four touchdowns and a field goal. Going into the end of the first half, it appeared that the Eagles were going to hang in the game. They had an opportunity to make a final effort as they went on their final drive with just under two minutes remaining and the score tied at 17-17, but the FSU defense quickly shut
them down. Then came Winston’s clutch play as the clock wound down that made a commanding statement and gave Florida State a 24-17 lead. “He’s an athletic kid, he makes good decisions, he’s fast, but that couldn’t change our game plan,” Edebali said of Winston. The next half not only saw Winston’s skills on full display, but also a shut down of a major component of the BC offense. The Seminoles managed to close the windows that had allowed Williams to rush for 102 yards during the first half. Williams had been extremely effective, using pure force during his second efforts to gain extra yards for the Eagles. During the second half, however, the Florida State defense seemed more ready for him and he was held to just 47 yards. The Seminoles scored on each of their three drives during the third quarter, finishing the streak of five that had started before the half. Two of those scores came from a touchdown pass and a scoring rush from Winston and the third, which continued into the fourth quarter, was a 20-yard field goal after Winston helped drive his team 77 yards. In the end, as Addazio put it, it was the big plays that Florida State completed, many of them due to Winston’s on-field prowess, not necessarily errors from BC, that cost them the game. The FSU defense also contributed to a couple of the big plays. BC’s first drive of the fourth quarter was cut short when
Rettig was picked off at the BC 20-yard line and P.J. Williams ran the ball in for a Florida State touchdown. Rettig was picked off for a second time during the Eagles’ penultimate drive. On fourth and 13 from the Florida State 21, Nate Andrews was able to anticipate a play that had worked for BC on two other scoring chances and intercepted Rettig’s pass at the one-yard line. There were bright spots from the Eagles during the half—freshman Myles Willis ran the opening kickoff back 71 yards and had a 52-yard touchdown catch, and Parsons had another catch for his second score of the afternoon, but the offensive efforts weren’t enough to offset Winston, and they were forced to settle for the 48-34 loss. Rettig had a career-high four touchdown passes and Williams surpassed 2,000 career yards, but their efforts were not enough to counter the prowess of Winston’s offense. The Eagles far surpassed the projected 23-point margin, but Addazio didn’t regard any of what many would call those little victories as a positive note. “Don’t let people tell you ‘Oh boy, you played Florida State, you know, nose up.’ Who cares? I heard that crap earlier in the week, people asking me like, ‘What are you going to do to keep it close’ I had all I could do not to explode. What do you think you coach or play to keep it close? What do you think we’re talking about here? We play to win.” n
The Heights
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Monday, September 30, 2013
Eagles continue strong play at NC State By Tom DeVoto For The Heights Following a thrilling 1-0 victory against No. 9 Wake Forest, the Boston College women’s soccer team hit the road to take on the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Sunday. Each team desperately needed a win to remain in the hunt in the competitive ACC, in which there are five teams in the top 25. Thanks to two quick goals in the first half and a late go-ahead score, the Eagles were able to weather the storm and hold on for the win in Raleigh by a score of 3-2. The match got off to a fast start with the Eagles handily controlling the pace. Just three minutes into the game, sophomore forward Stephanie McCaffrey found the back of the net to give the Eagles an early 1-0 lead. The Eagles wouldn’t let off the accelerator, though, as 11 minutes later the ball bounced right to fellow sophomore McKenzie Meehan in the box and she easily tapped the ball past Wolfpack goalkeeper Karly Gustafson to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead. Midfielder Coco Woeltz assisted on the goal. As the first half continued on, momentum slowly started to shift in favor of the Wolfpack. Looking to extend the lead to three, BC had a prime opportunity when the team was awarded a free kick about six yards outside of the box. Junior defender Casey Morrison lined up to take the kick and just barely missed, striking the ball off the left post. A scary moment occurred in the 39th minute, as NC State defender Meagan Proper sent a ball into the box intended for forward Jackie Stengel. BC goalkeeper Alex Johnson, BC defender Zoe Lombard, and Stengel converged on each other and collided, leaving Lombard injured from the play. She left the field immediately after the injury, but would return to the match at the start of the second half. With just three minutes remaining in the half, NC State defender Shelli Spamer
launched a free kick from midfield that found forward Caroline Gentry, who headed the ball over the outstretched arms of Johnson for a goal. The score cut the BC lead in half, and it would remain that way as the clock ran out on the first half. Based on the stat line, one would have thought that BC dominated the half, leading in the overall shot count 12-3. The game was much more balanced than statistics would show, however, as the Wolfpack had slowly chipped away at the Eagles as time wore on. At the start of the second half, NC State came out with a greater amount of pressure, looking to use its momentum from the first half to even up the score. The Eagles held them off the board for the first 10 minutes of the half, tiring their opponents with strong defense. Just as their energy seemed to be running out, NC State forward Brittany Stanko
gained possession of the ball in BC’s half and launched a shot that grazed off of Johnson for the game-tying goal in the 56th minute. The Eagles wouldn’t wait long to respond, though, as Gibby Wagner sent a cross from the right corner near the goal line that was headed into the net by Meehan for her second goal of the game and her ninth of the season. That goal would prove to be enough, and despite a frenzied attack in the final minutes from the Wolfpack, BC was able to hold on for an all-important road victory within the conference. The win brings the Eagles to 6-5-0 overall and 3-2-0 in conference play, keeping the top tier of teams in the ACC within reach. BC hopes to carry momentum from the win into its next match when the Eagles travel to Tallahassee to take on the No. 3 Florida State Seminoles on Thursday. n
Graham Beck / Heights Editor
The Eagles have rebounded after three straight losses, winning their last two contests.
Meehan’s goal helps push BC past Demon Deacons By Erik Eppig For The Heights
Graham Beck / Heights Editor
BC pushed past .500 on the year with the victory over the Wolfpack after McKenzie Meehan scored the go-ahead goal in the second half of play.
With a swift first-half strike from McKenzie Meehan, the Boston College women’s soccer team may have turned its whirlwind season around. Blasting a shot past Wake Forest goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe in the 23rd minute of play, Meehan’s goal was the eventual game-winner in a 1-0 victory over the Deacons. “I feel like we have played this well a lot this year and it was nice to dictate the much of the play on a Top 10 team and walk away with a win,” said BC head coach Alison Foley. Coming off narrow defeats at the hands of Virginia Tech and Virginia, BC appeared ready to pull off an upset. The Eagles knew they would be challenged by No. 9 Wake Forest, but came ready to prove their doubters wrong. Unfazed by the series of results, BC didn’t adjust its game plan. Right from the beginning, the Eagles controlled the flow of play, maintaining possession of the ball in the attacking zone for nearly the entire first half of play. Wake managed only one shot on
goal throughout the course of the game, while BC peppered the Wake goal with nine. Seemingly unable to make it out of their own end in the first half, the Deacons gave BC a series of glorious scoring opportunities. Leading the way with three shots, Stephanie McCaffrey tested Bledsoe. In addition, Patrice Vettori and Rachel Davitt had chances, but all attempts to add to the early lead were stymied. Playing a cohesive, but simple brand of soccer, BC was able to pressure Wake into making mistakes. Almost completely circumvented at times, Wake Forest became visibly frustrated by the relentless team pursuit of the Eagles. The Eagles were able to crack through with Meehan’s goal following a number of close chances. Although she had a bit of a quiet game, BC goalkeeper Alex Johnson improved her record to 2-1 with a goalsagainstaverage of less then 0.5. Playing in front of a small crowd, the BC team made sure to take care of business on the pitch. BC now leads the all-time series against Wake Forest with a 6-4 record and snapped a two-game losing streak to the Demon Deacons. n
‘Breaking Bad’ incites the same emotions as a closesly contested game Column, from B1 they do well because it makes this job more fun, but when they don’t do well I don’t have any emotional reaction. I wish I could say the same for all other sports. Whenever a ball is tipped or kicked off, a puck dropped, or a first pitch thrown, I can’t help but draw some sort of irrational allegiance to one side. Michigan against Kansas basketball? There’s no way I couldn’t pull for Trey
Burke. A meaningless NFL preseason game? I’m definitely finding a few players who I desperately hope make the team because of a few random plays I saw them make in college. In a lot of ways, it’s an absurd way to watch the most impressive athletes in the world. A concept started floating around a few years ago, emerging with the prevalence of NBA League Pass, of the “enlightened NBA fan.” Someone who can sit back and watch the Raptors play the Blazers on a
Tuesday night in January and just appreciate the basketball being played. I wish that I was like that. A lot of times I try to be, but at some point during the game I’m going to get really pissed at Kyle Lowry for exploiting Damian Lillard’s poor defense, just like I’d get pissed at Todd for messing with Jesse on Breaking Bad. Pissed and anxious and worried and out of breath—that best describes me during a game or during this incredible show that’s about to end.
There are things that make me laugh and things that make me smile, like the ridiculous inflatable Raptors mascot, but that sense of dread will prevail unless the team to which I’ve aligned my allegiances comes out on top. So, am I actually having any fun? Probably not, but until I can become one of these enlightened fans, maybe that’s okay. Breaking Bad is a moving piece of art as much as it is entertaining television. I’m glad I’ve been along for the
ride, just like I don’t regret watching Game 6 of Spurs-Heat, even if that meant I was sleepy-eyed at work the next day. Some sports fans can enjoy every game. I can’t. They aren’t all fun, and that’s a little crazy. I’m okay with a little crazy.
Austin Tedesco is the Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@bcheights.com.
The Heights
Monday, September 30, 2013
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Davies eyes national team after enduring challenges at home and abroad By Alex Fairchild Heights Staff
Charlie Davies is home. After playing in the Netherlands, Sweden, France, Washington DC, and Denmark, the former Boston College striker is back in town fighting for a playoff spot with the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. Davies sounded happy in a phone interview, coming up on the fourth anniversary of the event that changed his life. As a youngster, Davies played for Brooks School, a preparatory school an hour north of Boston. There, Davies was a four-year standout and Independent School League record holder in goals and points. Upon his arrival at BC, Davies made an immediate impact. After leading the team with nine goals, he became Big East Rookie of the Year in 2004. Davies struggled with injuries his sophomore year but fought back in his junior season, scoring 15 times in 16 appearances before leaving the school to tryout with the Dutch giant Ajax. Davies said his parents were excited for him as he went out on his own. “I didn’t mind getting thrown into different cultures and different languages, because I wanted to go to Europe so bad,” Davies said, who stayed with a family during his trial period. The USA international incurred a new experience in Scandinavia. After failing to make the Ajax squad, the forward signed a contract with Club Hammarby IF of the Swedish Premier Division. Davies enjoyed his experience in Sweden, saying that it was a friendly spot in which a young professional could develop. In 2009, Davies made the U.S.’s Confederations Cup team. Bereft of points going
into its final group stage match with Egypt, the team was in need of a multi-goal victory to give itself a shot at advancing to the semifinals. After 21 minutes of play that night in South Africa, Davies gave the stars and stripes momentum. Jozy Altidore’s cross pinballed between a pair of Egyptian defenders, the keeper, and Davies. Although he was near goal, the angle was too tight for a shot, and the ball was trickling over the byline. Yet Davies would not give up. His left foot saved the ball, and his right-footed effort hit the keeper before deflecting into the net. The goal gave the Americans a 1-0 lead, and just like that, it was game on. Davies’ goal would help the U.S. along its path to the Confederations Cup Final. During those weeks in South Africa, Davies established his signature celebration—the Stanky Leg. The idea for the move stemmed from the partnership he formed with his strike partner, Jozy Altidore. “I’m an innovative guy and Jozy is one of my best friends,” he said. “It’s very rare that two forwards have such a good connection and complement each other so well.” The tandem was prolific in the tournament and presented an exciting prospect for a long-term pairing. Davies proceeded to sign with French outfit Sochaux following his sensational summer, which he finished off by scoring a picturesque goal against Mexico in the famous Azteca Stadium. “You had to speak French,” Davies said of his time in the European nation, “Training was more demanding. Competition was much stronger. “It was a business situation. It was ‘you do this or you don’t play.’ It wasn’t really a friendly environment. It was a workman’s environment.” After a successful start in France, the forward returned to the U.S. for the team’s
courtesy of the new england revolution
Davies has played all over the world but made his way home on loan to the Revolution.
final World Cup Qualifying match against Costa Rica in October. Just days before the game, Davies was out with friends at the Shadow Room, a DC area nightclub. That night, Davies suffered a horrific car accident, leaving him in an intensive care unit for days, changing not only his career but also his life. U.S. Soccer’s website reported that the player suffered a “lacerated bladder, fractured right tibia and femur, a fractured elbow, and facial injuries” in the tragic crash. Support for Davies was overwhelming. He said he received more than 15,000 emails in addition to over 9,000 letters. At the Costa Rica match after the accident, fans held up No. 9 placards in the game’s ninth minute. Jonathan Bornstein’s 95th minute effort ensured that the U.S. finished top of its group, and after the game players unveiled special shirts, many wearing his name and number under their jerseys. “It was the constant support that I fed off of,” Davies said. “I used it as energy and motivation.” “The mental challenges—going so far and then a set back, going so far and then a set back. It was never really feeling like you’re going to get there, and having to trick your mind into thinking that you’re much further along than you are just to push through the training sessions.” While in the hospital, many doubted that Davies would be able to recover from such severe injuries in just seven months to make the World Cup squad, but Davies was dedicated to his recovery. He would wake up at 7 a.m., train until 11 a.m., break for lunch, and then start working again from 1 or 2 p.m. to 5 or 6 in the evening. “By the time I got home at 6 or 7, I was ready to sleep,” he said. “I literally gave every ounce of energy I had—and that I could give—every single day for about six months.” He describes those six months in preparation for the World Cup as grueling, yet he sees it as a positive task. Davies used goal setting to battle the mental and physical demands of his difficult rehabilitation process. “I was working constantly, but I was happy,” Davies said. “It was a tough, challenging experience but it definitely made me better, so I’m a better person for it. I’m a better athlete, professionally for it, and it’s something that has shaped me into the man I am today, which I’m thankful for.” Davies nearly found his way onto the World Cup roster, but was deemed unfit to play by his French owners. Over the next few days, social media erupted with criticism. “One of the best things and the worst things was having the 2010 World Cup as a goal to get back for,” Davies said. “I was able to really push myself and give my all every single day, believing that I would be able to get there, but realistically knowing that there was no chance that I would be able to play at that level after such a short amount of time to recover.” After facing difficulties at Sochaux, the club loaned him to DC United in 2011. It was a fateful return for Davies, who would play for the city in which his life was altered by the car accident. In his debut, he
scored twice. His post-game interview was emotional, as his comeback was now in full swing. Davies’ loan expired after he helped the team gain the league’s last playoff spot. DC United did not extend the loan or sign the player, so he headed back to Sochaux. Davies was then transferred for free to Denmark’s Randers FC, but the switch to the Danish team has not worked out. He has not scored a goal for the club. Randers has replicated Sochaux’s move in sending Davies back to MLS for a reboot. Davies was loaned to the New England Revolution late in the summer. Coach Jay Heaps thought the player could help his team into the playoffs, just as he did at DC United, but Davies is in the midst of his recovery and has yet to find a starting spot. To be fair, his competition is strong, as he is fighting for playing time with future Stoke City striker Juan Agudelo, Saer Sene, Dimitry Imbongo, and fan favorite Diego Fagundez. Despite his struggle for playing time, Davies’ return has a very special feeling. New England is home for him, and this move has arrived at a time when his comeback has hit a standstill. Perhaps a homecoming will be just the fix. Davies sees it in much the same way. He loves having his family here and sees the situation as an ideal one. “Everything is basically perfect off the field,” Davies said. “The transition has been extremely easy for me. I have no worries.”
Nearing his prime, the striker is 27 and must make the most of his time at Gillette Stadium if he hopes to get back into consideration for the national team. After all, that is his aim. “Get back on the national team,” Davies said when asked what he has left to do on the pitch. “That’s my main goal. That’s the only thing left on my checklist—is to get back on the national team and once I do that, I think everything is kind of complete in my career in my eyes. “I need to get back to being on the national team.” If he does not, one thing is for sure— even though many believe Davies’ career is rolling out, it has looked that way before. He could have given up after being injured in college, and not a soul would have criticized him for retiring in winter 2009, nor would many have attacked him for letting that ball roll out in Rustenberg. But each time, Davies plays on. He may even coach after he finishes his playing career. Davies, who did not graduate from Boston College said, “I definitely would love to go back to school and finish. I’m very interested in becoming a college coach. One of my passions is coaching. My dream, obviously, would be to become the head coach at Boston College.” But Davies said that he hopes that is a long way off, as the local boy just wants to do what he loves—play soccer. n
BC continues ACC struggles
’Canes top Eagles in five sets
By Joe Stein
For The Heights After a tough five-set loss to open its ACC schedule against Miami on Saturday, the Boston College volleyball team faced yet another formidable conference foe on Sunday. The No. 17 Florida State Seminoles were in town, and the Eagles suffered their second straight defeat, this time in straight sets, to fall to 0-2 against ACC teams. The Eagles, who carried an 8-5 record into the game, put up a strong effort but were eventually overmatched by the Seminoles. BC and FSU battled back and forth throughout the first set, with the largest margin between the two teams being five points. The Eagles, led by graduate student Amanda Yerke, sophomore Katty Workman, freshman Barbara Gonzalez, and junior Kellie Barnum, were able to tie the game several times and take a late three-point lead. Their efforts were not enough to break FSU, though, and spurred on by key plays from senior Elise Walch and junior Sarah Wickstrom, the Seminoles were able to close the gap and take the set by a score of 25-23. The Seminoles carried their momentum into the second set. They took a commanding
By Marly Morgus
Asst. Sports Editor On Saturday, the Boston College volleyball team opened its ACC schedule with a game against the University of Miami. Both teams have had impressive starts during the first half of their seasons preceding ACC play, but it was Miami that came out on top in a five-set heartbreaker that saw the Eagles win the first two then drop three straight. Miami came into the game with a 7-3 record and had already been tested earlier in the season against LSU when it played two five-set matches, dropping one and winning the other. In last week’s AVCA Coaches’ Poll, the Hurricanes received top 25 votes, but not enough to merit a ranking. Despite the pressure of opening ACC play against such a tough opponent, the first two sets were tightly contested. In the first frame, the Eagles had a twopoint deficit at 13-11, but a service error by Miami, and then a kill from graduate student Amanda Yerke, who maintained eligibility after two seasons of play for Michigan, brought the Eagles even with the Hurricanes. Kills from Katty Workman and Courtney Castle solidified the lead momentarily, but the remainder of the set was a back-and-forth battle with BC coming out narrowly on top with a score of 25-22. The second set was even closer, but Workman came through in the clutch for the Eagles with eight kills and five digs. Two of those kills came late in the game when the BC was down 19-21, pulling the team back into it. After the teams battled back and forth past the regular cap of 25 with no team pulling ahead by two, Courtney Castle had a kill to make the
Courtesy of the New england revolution
Davies was a standout during his time at BC and has since played for six club teams.
lead early in the set, 12-4, and did not let off the gas pedal. The team racked up a total of 15 kills on its way to a 25-8 victory in the set. The Eagles fared better in the third set, as setter Barnum worked with Gonzalez and Workman to earn a total of eight kills. Still, they appeared to be outmatched by the Seminoles, who took control of the final set with a series of blocks. Ashley Neff and Sarah Burrington of FSU combined for a total of 12 assisted blocks. Boosted by their strong defensive play, FSU closed out the game with a victory in the third set by a score of 25-13. Workman had an uncharacteristically low kill count on the match with five, and was outpaced by Yerke who finished with six. Gonzales also had five kills on the match. On the defensive side, Workman totaled a team high six digs. Barnum turned in a strong performance, finishing with 21 assists. Sisters Nicole and Elise Walch paced the Seminoles offensively with 12 and 10 kills, respectively, and Sarah Burrington was right behind them with seven. The Eagles, now 8-6, have seen a quick decline since beginning ACC play. With a long season ahead of them, they will hope to redeem themselves against NC State next weekend. n
Graham beck / Heights Editor
Graduate student Amanda Yerke posted 10 kills for the Eagles in the five set loss. score 33-32, and an attack error by Miami closed the set for BC at 34-32. The third, fourth, and fifth sets, however, were different stories. Miami took the final three 25-14, 25-19, and 15-10, putting up efforts that BC was never able to counter offensively. In the third, the Hurricanes leapt out to a 14-3 lead that was never reeled in by BC. The fourth was more balanced to start, but once Miami pulled ahead for a 20-16 lead, the Eagles never fought their way back. The fifth set was another case of Miami taking an immediate lead that was too much to overcome. The Eagles
held the lead at only one point during the last three sets—early in the fourth. Workman had yet another standout performance, posting her seventh double-double of the season with 22 kills and 13 digs. Castle also had a double-double with 14 kills and 13 assists, the 24th of her career. Also contributing on offense for BC was Yerke. The former Michigan student added 10 kills to the Eagles’ effort. Top contributors for the Hurricanes were Savanah Leaf, who posted 17 kills and 12 digs, and Misty Ma’a who had 16 kills and 10 digs. n
Graham beck / Heights Editor
The Eagles struggled against Florida State and were overcome in a straight set loss.
B6
THE HEIGHTS
Monday, September 30, 2013
THE HEIGHTS
Monday, September 30, 2013
B7
Committee guides student grant proposals
HEALTH&SCIENCE
Obamacare for Generation Y
Fellowships, from B10
PATRICK EBBERT Obamacare has passed. It’s been deemed constitutional by the Supreme Court. Yes, this is old news. But open enrollment in the Health Care Marketplace under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) begins tomorrow, Oct.1, government shutdown or not, and this has quite a few people riled up. As Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has somewhat callously said of the persisting opposition, “Obamacare has been the law for four years. Why don’t they get a life and talk about something else?” The law never even came close to the socialist apocalypse that many feared (God-forbidden universal public health coverage), but one sticky point to the tome of a health care bill that ultimately passed is of particular interest to the primary age demographic at Boston College: the health insurance mandate, especially as it pertains to young people. Let’s be honest. We as BC students reside in a special place when it comes to these health care cost debates. All of us have health insurance right now, either through the Blue Cross Blue Shield Student Blue Plan that BC offers for about $2,400, by way of that pesky waiver that has to be filled out on Agora each year, or through some other health insurance that most of us probably get through our parents’ employers. Under the ACA, those of us lucky enough to have health insurance through our parents, myself included, are permitted to stay on our parent’s plans through our 26th birthday, providing a good deal of leeway to get our feet on the ground and find our own health plans through graduate school, employers, etc. So we’re covered … for now. But the situation starts to get tricky as we age, progress in our careers, and perhaps end up working for a smaller company that cannot provide the benefits that a larger organization can. And the crux of the debate often amounts to the question of whether someone young and fit really needs health insurance at all, or whether it should just be thought of as another optional safeguard, like an iPhone AppleCare protection plan. A common argument that I have heard against mandating health insurance for young adults goes something like this: “Why should a young and healthy person be forced to shell out a monthly premium for insurance that they don’t really need? They would be better suited having that extra couple hundred dollars per month to put toward more useful things.” While this may be sound logic, and while this mode of thinking certainly falls in line with the philosophic ideal of personal economic freedom, I think it is incredibly shortsighted. There is nothing more inherently valuable than a person’s health, so why would one forgo the peace of mind that comes from knowing that they would be taken care of in the case of a major unexpected health catastrophe, only for the sake of slightly more disposable income? The marginal benefit is minimal but the risk is colossal, and it would be far smarter to set aside personal funds for insurance of health than just about anything else, especially given the extremity of out-of-pocket health care costs in the U.S. The Affordable Care Act even especially tailors to young people in this way, according to healthcare.gov, offering those under 30 a choice of several “basic ‘catastrophic coverage plans’” from which to choose through the marketplace, granting lowerthan-average monthly premiums as well as the assurance that if anything goes terribly wrong health-wise, at least whole lives won’t have to be financially ruined as well. And by the way, if anyone really, really doesn’t want insurance they can pay a $95 fine for the whole year to get out of it, at least in 2014. And by the way, nobody even has to pay that fine if their premium would amount to 8 percent of their monthly income or if they are too poor to file a federal tax return. And by the way, if they earn an amount within the poverty line they would be eligible for Medicaid anyway. The best way to invest in the future of a nation is to invest in the health and security of its people. We certainly have an extra responsibility as BC students to really live out our call to be men and women for others by working toward ways to care for every individual, regardless of economic status, place of residence, or pre-existing condition. But the Affordable Care Act isn’t just about compassion. It’s smart, especially for the young adults who are the future of this country. And tomorrow people will begin to see why.
Patrick Ebbert is a staff columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.
COURTESY OF CATHERINE PUTKO
A variety of events are planned for ‘Espresso Your Faith Week,’ which are designed to encourage community faith-building among students.
Students welcome to express various faiths Faith, from B10 Sunday when receiving communion at mass. The project seeks the support of students and will be looking for donations in order to purchase the loaves. Attached to each loaf is a note with words of love, hope, and thanks to the recipients. Tables will be set up on Stokes lawn and will offer members of the student body a chance to write messages for the loaves of bread. The day concludes with sunset yoga on Bapst lawn, with Putko serving as an instructor. “The message I want to get across is that you can find something meaningful in all things—in nature, your surroundings, and in yourself,” she said. The final day consists of expression through gratitude. Putko explains how even the simple act of thanking and showing appreciation for something or to someone is a form of prayer, something everyone has the ability to do. Students will have the opportunity to send letters of gratitude or thanks to peers, friends, professors, or anyone on campus that they are thankful for. Notes can be written at the Rat and Hillside between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. These notes will build a greater sense of community as students reach out to those that are most important to them at BC. The week ends with a friendly game of frisbee on Stokes lawn with the Jesuits. Throughout the week, Dean’s Beans
coffee will be served while students “espresso” their faith at the various events, promoting the fair trade of the producers of the coffee. Enjoy some fresh brew as you discover what may perk your interest. Espresso Your Faith Week strives to bring together the community at BC and provide a safe environment to explore who each individual is and what is of value to them. Putko and members
of C21 invite all those experimenting with faith and beliefs to partake in the events of the coming week. She hopes to “engage students no matter what they believe and where they are in life.” Putko encourages all members of the BC community to use this week and its activities to help in the self-discovery process of the college years and to build a greater sense of community of the faithful.
GRAHAM BECK / HEIGHTS EDITOR
The first Agape Latte of the semester will kick off on Tuesday as part of the week’s events.
ology at the University of Pisa in Italy this past summer. DiRenno worked in a paleopathology lab gaining skills in bioarchaeological analysis. DiRenno’s work in the lab involved—among other things—determining the age and sex of individual skeletons from a medieval village cemetery excavated in Sardegna, Italy. “I really enjoyed my time working at the lab,” he said. “It was a great opportunity to work with historical skeletal material, something that would prove difficult here in the U.S., let alone Boston.” DiRenno, a history and biology major, became interested in the field of bioarchaeology after spending time at the Badia Pozzeveri two summers ago after his freshman year. His sophomore year, with help from faculty at the University, he continued to study osteology and bioarchaeological techniques independently at Boston University’s Medical School. To fund all of his experiences, he applied for Advanced Study Grants. “While the process can be stressful, it is well worth it, especially because the nature of the proposal writing process forces you to really think about what you want to accomplish, and how you plan to do it,” he said. “It also forces you to think about how your work will contribute to your future at BC and your career plan.” The University Fellowships Committee guided him in the application process and in shaping a proposal for a plan that the committee would be willing to fund. “They helped explain how the committee would support skill acquisition projects, especially skills I could not gain here at BC,” he said. “I also had help from a number of BC faculty, especially in editing my proposal, and really focusing on what I wanted to accomplish with the grant.” DiRenno encourages students to apply for fellowships if they are interested in research or developing certain skill sets. He also echoed the advice of the committee: it is important to get to know faculty members as they can help narrow down and edit students’ proposals. “Faculty have a lot of experience writing grant proposals, so any advice is very helpful,” he said. “Also, be sure to have a passion for what you propose, it really helps when writing a persuasive proposal.” Every major department at the University has a sponsor for fellowships as does every fellowship available to students through the University. For more information, students should go online and visit the University Fellowships Committee website.
CLUB SERIES FEATURING BC’S STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
BC Reads! partners with various campus organizations to promote literacy BY CAROLINE KIRKWOOD Heights Staff Many students might be under the false assumption that BC Reads! is simply a book club, but this two-yearold club at Boston College combines a love of reading with the promotion of literacy through its book reviews and community outreach. Chris Kabacinski, president of BC Reads! and A&S ’16, explained the goals of the club. “Our mission is to promote literacy in the Greater Boston area and for students to rediscover the pleasure of reading,” he said. “When it comes to literacy, it is more than reading and discussing, but also giving back.” BC Reads! maintains a website at BCreads.weebly.com, where book reviews written by students are posted on a regular basis. Jennifer Heine, chief staff editor and A&S ’16, described the breakdown of the book review process. “We have a staff writer program where all our staff writers are responsible for three book reviews a semester. They have the freedom to write on whatever they want.” BC Reads! encourages any student on
campus, as well as faculty, to send in book reviews, whether it is about a book that they really hated, a book published 100 years ago, or the newest hot release they couldn’t put down. Many of the book reviews also come with student-drawn illustrations. “We reached out to the art department and talented students who would be interested in illustrations,” Heine said. “Students will pick out a review they find interesting or a book that they like and do an illustration to go along with it.” Along with its online book reviews, BC Reads! produces a print version of its reviews each year. “At the end of the year we put out a publication, The Best of BC Reads!, which are the best books of the year,” Heine said. The club is attempting to foster faculty interaction through student-faculty reading nights where both groups can present and read their creative works. “We are partnering up with Stylus and Laughing Medusa for a student-faculty reading night on Oct. 22 and are looking for any interested readers,” Kabacinski said. BC Reads! also works with O’Neill Library through the Popular Reading Collection. “We give them input regard-
ing what books to add to the collection and these books receive an ‘approved by BC Reads!’ sticker,” Kabacinski said. Outreach at St. Columbkille Partnership School in Brighton, Mass. is one of the other integral components of BC Reads! “We go in three times a month to St. Columbkille’s 6th grade class,” Kabacinski said. “We present on anything that is culturally or historically relevant.” BC Reads! is extending its mission of literacy to beyond just reading books, by engaging intellectually on all grounds with young students. At the end of every semester BC Reads! raises money for its literacy effort through a book drive on campus. The drive is run through Better World Books, a company that sells the books collected though its book drives and sends the money right back to clubs, like BC Reads!, that help organize these efforts. “Better World Books provide us with the boxes and shipping material,” Heine said. “We set up outside the Bookstore and get many of the books that students can’t sell back. The money we get from the book drive goes right back into the community.” Fall semester of 2012, BC Reads! raised over $500. “With the Bookstore’s
help we were able to buy over 300 books for the Linden School, a local charter school,” Kabacinski said. The Linden School had lost funding for its library department, so BC Reads! found it a perfect recipient for their fundraising. “It was so rewarding to go in there and see the teachers and kids and how appreciative everyone was,” Heine said. BC Reads! is currently in the process of deciding what to do with the $1,156 raised through the book drive in the spring semester of 2013. BC Reads! made a lasting impact on Kabacinski, who explained why he became dedicated to this club. “After last year, I experienced all of the good that can come from this club. Giving back to the community is what made me stick around in this group.” The group was created just last year, but BC Reads! is already filled with enthusiastic members, like the sophomore president and chief staff editor, ready to carry out the goals of the club. “Right now we have a pretty young e-board. It is the people who got involved in the very beginning, but are really dedicated to this cause,” Heine said.
THE HEIGHTS
B8
HOW-TO
Monday, September 30, 2013
CAMPUS CHRONICLES
Take time for Living in the present, despite fears of being apart in future yourself this fall CAITLIN SLOTTER
MORGAN HEALEY Take a Walk: Whether it be around your neighborhood, the Res, down the street, or somewhere totally different, getting up and getting outside has innumerable benefits. Just keep moving, especially as the weather begins to dip, it’s very important to keep ourselves active and motivated, and open to the changes around us. Mentality is everything, and seeing yourself in relation to nature is important to keeping happy, healthy, and productive. Get outside: There’s nothing like releasing all of your cares, going apple-picking, or swinging blissfully among the trees. Okay, so even if this is a little extreme, you get my point. There is just nothing like being outside. Similar to the importance of taking a walk, being a part of nature is a happy thing to do, and quite important when it comes to de-stressing and feeling more connected and balanced. The fall poses the perfect opportunity to do this. Fly a kite, kick up the leaves, jump, play, ride a bike. Throw a football. Schmooz with some chums on a nearby lawn. Walk your dog. Hell, walk your cat. Gaze into the open, cloud-spotted sky, swim in some unspoiled body of water, frolic, and most importantly—BE. Yes, you heard me. It is totally okay to just merely exist on these brisk and sun-filled days. Invest in a Camera: We often take for granted the scenery around us. As a photographer, I never fail to stop and appreciate the moment—at times to a fault—and my friends certainly know this about me. They know me as the one who always creates and takes advantage of spontaneous photo ops, and random ‘Kodak’ moments. It has served me well thus far. Stopping to take photos has taught me to take things for what they are, to slow down in the hectic pace of everyday life, and appreciate the moment for all that it is worth. There’s beauty in the world around us, especially during fall in New England, and it is up to us to take advantage of it. I urge you to take photos, and really embrace what you see, for it only happens once a year. Take a jog, and bring a camera along. You might surprise yourself with your artistic abilities. I believe photography teaches us an important skill—to stop, relax, rejuvenate, and be mindful and present with what is in front of us. Take a Drive: Where? Anywhere. It doesn’t matter. Just get up and go. There’s nothing like rolling down the windows while you still can and embracing the beauty of the scenery around you. Better yet, take a friend. There’s always time for a good adventure. Fall is the perfect opportunity for exploration, discovering new things, embarking on uncharted paths, and breaking out of the comfort around you. Take in every bit of those moments this fall and make the most of them. Breathe: Something we all don’t do enough of, myself included. When we forget to focus on the basics, though, do you ever wonder what else we might be forgetting? It’s pretty simple. We need oxygen to live, just like we need water, and relaxation and enjoyment for that matter. So, why do we often neglect these simple yet principal things? Fall is the perfect time to get back in touch with this. Take a breather—literally—from the grueling tasks of everyday life. When you follow steps one and two by going outside, don’t forget to breathe while you’re at it. The good stuff in life is about what we feel, and I have personally never felt better than during these little but significant moments when I remind myself of this one, simple fact. Get Organized: Admit it. You can’t deny the rush and excitement you get when entering Staples for the first time at the start of the academic year. Your inner typeA self comes out among the shelves of planners and notebooks, and newly designed paper products, and you can’t help but take advantage and think, “Ah! But where do I start?!” In my mind, organization is key to a healthy and productive lifestyle, and serves to foster our busy, everyday lives. In the hustle and bustle of a university setting, it can be difficult to find time to set aside for our own personal well-being—let alone to organize our surroundings. But, I promise you, it’s essential. Almost every night before bed, I take stock of the day and organize my bags, my room, and quickly prep for the next 24 hours ahead. “Preparation pays,” is something else I’ve always been taught, and time and time again I have known this to be true. Frankly, without it, none of us would be able to accomplish all that we do. It can be as little as re-arranging your notebooks, or as big as overhauling your room. So, this fall, I urge you: take some time for yourself. And, more importantly, take time to set yourself up in a way that fosters harmony, ease, and productivity in your life. You’ll be glad you did.
Morgan Healey is a contributor to The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.
This summer I, like most of my peers, looked forward to my sophomore year with anticipation and high expectations. Yes, I was excited to take more upper level classes, to get more involved in clubs and on campus, and to meet new people, but I was most eager to move back in with my closest friends. Especially after spending the summer apart, I could not wait to be on the same floor with my favorite people at BC, seeing each other during stops back to the dorm between classes, hanging out at night, walking to Lower together, and simply knowing that we were all living in the same place. While these expectations have been met and exceeded in many ways, they have been disappointed by an unforeseen factor: the planning of junior-year housing. The enjoyment my friends and I have of living together has been underscored by the stress of already having to plan what we are going to do next year. I’m sure many sophomores are expe-
riencing the same stress that my group of friends are, with half of us living on campus, half of us not, half of us studying abroad a semester, half of us not. Many sophomores are struggling to find people to live with each semester, meet with real estate agents, tour apartments, and sign leases. All of this is made more difficult by the fact that it has to be planned a year in advance. Choosing who to live with and strategizing on how to best keep friend groups together has been overly stressful and dramatic, reminiscent of the freshman housing process only six months ago. Flashback to that mid-March week. For those who got the lucky Monday eight-man pick times, that week was great. For those like me, on the other hand, who had to suffer through the entire week as each pick time was denied, checking their phones relentlessly during 2 p.m. classes, frantically sending out mass texts to reconfigure groups, wondering what they did to deserve such terrible housing luck, that week dragged on in an endless agony. After I finally got a good pick time on Thursday and found out I ended up in 66 (ecstatic to at least be on
Lower), I decided that that had been the worst week of my BC experience. Upperclassmen warned me that it would be worse sophomore year, but I refused to believe them. I did not think anything could be worse than that week. Come back to the present, and I admit that I was wrong: the junior housing process is much more stressful. And it is not because leasing apartments and finding people to switch semesters with is complicated, although that certainly is part of it. No, the main reason is because we are forced to admit that next year, half of our friends will be gone. We have to come to terms with the fact that our ideal sophomore housing situation will be nonexistent next year. Between study abroad and on- versus off-campus housing, every junior will be missing someone next year. And because of that, it is hard to enjoy the time we do have living together now. Deep down we know that it is temporary, that there is a time, in the not-so-distant future, that we will not all be living together. Having to plan junior housing now has forced us to come to terms with the fact
that next year there will be no seeing each other between classes, no hanging out in one of our rooms at night, no walking down to Lower together. We will all be in different buildings, different neighborhoods, different countries. And that is just the point. Some of the people we are living with now will not be the people we are living with next year. So instead of dreading the future, we should be celebrating the present. Because our sophomore housing situation is temporary. This is one of the few years, if not the only year, that we will be living with our closest friends. So we should take advantage of it. Enjoy seeing your friends between classes, hanging out at night, walking to Lower together, and simply knowing that you are all living together. We all have a beautiful, perfect year of it, and next year, when we all go our separate ways, we will have those amazing memories to hold us together.
Caitlin Slotter is a contributor to The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.
PROFESSOR PROFILE
Vietnam veteran finds vocation in philosophy and Jesuit ideals BY CORINNE DUFFY
WHO: Paul Danielle Taghian WHO: McNellis, S.J.
For The Heights Upon entering room 257 of Stokes Hall North, dozens of books—stacked neatly within the several bookshelves that border a space otherwise adorned with framed photographs from Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and China and pictures of various Perspectives I classes—overwhelm any visitor. This ethnically diverse and thoroughly enticing office belongs to Rev. Paul McNellis, S.J., a professor of political philosophy and social ethics, a Vietnam veteran, and a man well-versed in the language and culture of numerous peoples. Although he was born in Miami, Fla., McNellis spent his childhood primarily in St. Paul, Minn., as the oldest of nine children. Following high school, he attended the University of Minnesota from 1965-67 for political science and thereupon left to enlist in the U.S. Army. McNellis joined the U.S. Army in 1968. He was commissioned through Officer Candidate School as an infantry officer and received Ranger, Airborne, and Special Forces training before being assigned to Vietnam in 1970 as an advisor to Reconnaissance Company with the 47th Regiment of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). McNellis’ military experience therefore differed greatly from that of many fellow soldiers in that he worked alongside predominantly Vietnamese soldiers and families of the Pleiku, Kontum, and Binh Dinh provinces. While in Vietnam he received three awards for bravery in combat: the Bronze Star for Valor by the U.S. Army, and the Cross of Gallantry with bronze and silver stars from the South Vietnamese Army. After completing military service and upon his homecoming in the U.S., McNellis became frustrated with the press accounts of events within Vietnam—the media wrote primarily on American soldiers, rather than on the struggling Vietnamese citizens
TEACHES: Perspectives Molecules and TEACHES: I Cells and Cancer Biology EDUCATION: Studied in FOCUS: Rome, The biology of Munich, and Oxford cancer as part of his Jesuit formation RESEARCH: Completed her postdoc at MassachuSERVICE: Worked with setts General Hospital in Cambodian refugees after Simon Powell’sserving lab his experience in EMILY SADEGHIAN / HEIGHTS STAFF the Vietnam War TOM BANFIELD / FOR THE HEIGHTS whom he knew best. “The war wasn’t over for the people I was closest to, and I wanted to see what was going on for myself,” McNellis said. Thus, he returned to Vietnam as a freelance journalist prior to covering the Easter Offensive of 1972 for the Associated Press. In 1973, McNellis became a television reporter briefly for an NBC affiliate out of Minneapolis, Minn., before he received a scholarship to study Vietnamese at the University of Southern Illinois. Meanwhile, McNellis’ passion for the ailing and impoverished citizens of Southern Vietnam instilled in him a desire to provide further aid—he had written to various nongovernmental organizations requesting return trips to Vietnam. When a positive response from Catholic Relief Services beckoned him to Cambodia in 1974, McNellis declined his grant from Southern Illinois. “I knew that if I accepted the offer, I would have contemplated being in Cambodia the entire time,” he said. After working with refugees in Cambodia until autumn of 1975, McNellis then returned to the U.S. to complete his under-
graduate studies at Cornell University, where he obtained a bachelor’s in Southeast Asian history and Asian studies in 1977. Quickly following graduation, McNellis decided to join the Jesuits of the New York Province, and, as part of his Jesuit formation, studied in Munich, Rome, and Oxford. Thereafter, McNellis gained his master’s in philosophy from Fordham, a bachelor’s in theology and a licentiate in philosophy from the Gregorian University of Rome, and a doctorate in political philosophy from Boston College, all by 1993. Following his numerous academic endeavors, McNellis pursued his truest passion: teaching. At multiple institutions, McNellis has taught varying courses in history, theology, and philosophy—he directed many programs and classes at St. Peter’s Prep in New Jersey, taught scholastics in Vietnam on general ethics and moral theology, led the Gregorian’s political philosophy program through which he offered many seminars, and has worked as an assistant adjunct professor within the philosophy department at BC since 2000. McNellis currently teaches the highly
acclaimed Perspectives I class to freshmen, which he considers a very special privilege. “They keep me young—or, their youth helps me to grow old slowly,” he said, and he enjoys the fact that he is able to watch their progression into young men and women. “In May, they really are not the same people as they were in September.” And, judging by the plethora of class photos and student-made gifts that enrich his office, it is safe to say that McNellis’ students appreciate his fatherly and vast wisdom. In addition to instructing freshmen, McNellis also serves as the faculty moderator for the Sons of St. Patrick, a society of Catholic gentlemen dedicated to fostering a community of virtue, character, and faith within BC. And, outside of campus, McNellis works with diocesan Project Rachel to help with post-abortion trauma and frequently visits the Pondville Correctional Center of Massachusetts. About BC, he said, “I wouldn’t rather be any other place. This is where God wants me to be.” McNellis desires to teach until he is no longer able, to which he said, “but then, I’ll have prayer.”
HE SAID, SHE SAID I’m a freshman, and my parents came up this weekend for Parents’ Weekend. I had finally started to get used to being away from home, but once they came to visit, I realized I miss them even more. Now, all I can think about is the next time I’ll be able to go back home. Does this cycle ever end? How can I learn to be happy with living on my own at BC without becoming too detached from everyone back home? Two words—grow up. It is understandable that everyone has an individual rate of growth, but college is the ideal time to cut the umbilical cord and psychologically and physically train for the independent life that lies ahead. It is normal and healthy to miss your parents and loved ones, but if you are aching to go home, then Boston College may not be the place for you or you may need to concentrate on building stronger connections with your fellow MARC FRANCIS classmates. You can learn to be happy at BC by understanding that you will never again have a four-year, $200,000 slumber party sponsored by mom and dad (for those of you whose parents are funding your education). Most likely, your only legitimate chore is laundry and cleaning your bathroom once in a while. Unless you move into your parents’ house after graduation, your “to-do” list will exponentially grow and your financial resources will probably shrink. Your parents sent you here to achieve your academic goals—if you get emotionally distracted, your time and money will have gone to waste. Furthermore, you should not worry about becoming detached from those back home. Your family is stuck with you forever—even if your connection with them diminishes throughout these four years, you have the rest of your life to rebuild it. On a final note, you do not want your family and others to perceive you as weak and dependent on constant emotional support. Learning to live without your family is a major step toward adulthood. Take this opportunity to prove to yourself that you are capable of functioning like a normal human being and growing up into the person that your parents paid for you to become.
Feeling homesick is pretty common across campus, so don’t feel that you’re alone in any of this. It can be really difficult to leave the nest, especially for freshmen, but there are some simple things you can do to help minimize any homesickness you do feel. First, try to set up a few times each semester when you know you will be going home. It’s good to put these dates on a calendar and book your plane/train/bus tickets ahead of time so you feel a sense of certainty about when you will see your fam- AMY HACHIGIAN ily next. Once you figure out your visiting schedule, think about what times you might want to call or Skype friends and family throughout the week. I know for me, I love calling my mom in the morning as I am walking to class. It gives me about five to 10 minutes to check in with her each day, but it’s never too much to make me miss her. Now and then I’ll also send some texts just to keep her updated on my life. I’d also suggest keeping a couple photos of your family around your room. For some people, this can be upsetting, but for others it can create peace of mind. Sending snail mail can also be a great way to keep some distance between your family and school, but also help stay connected. As a final thought, don’t get too caught up in how you feel. It’s okay to cry once in a while and seek out comfort from close friends. Forcing yourself not to be homesick won’t work. I’d suggest focusing on finding some activities you really like that can help connect you to some more students on campus and keep you busy. Remember, you can always go to therapy at counseling services, or talk to your RA or RD for additional support (they are trained to help you!).
Marc Francis is an editor for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com.
Amy Hachigian is an editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.
THE HEIGHTS
Monday, September 30, 2013
Seminar brings course themes to real world
EAGLE DATES
B9
EDITOR’S COLUMN
MEET THE DATERS:
Blissfully unproductive
Cross Currents, from B10 Hafner said. “We all share an interest in having Boston College students successfully bind together the intellectual, social and spiritual dimensions of their lives,” Hafner said. “The Cross Currents Seminars are an additional opportunity at BC where students can accomplish this.” Denise Ho, assistant director of graduate student life and Karl Bell, assistant director of the Student Programs Office, are the co-instructors of “Thinking about Race.” The class focuses on identity development, race in the U.S., and race at BC, Bell said. “We spend the semester talking about those three things,” Bell said. “So, for example today [Thursday, Sept. 26] we are defining race. And then we’ll spend the rest of the semester talking about race in America. How does it play out? What are the stereotypes, challenges? What’s our history behind race? How did we get here and where are we going?” The goal of the seminar is for students to bring the discussion on race outside of the classroom, Bell said. “[I took the seminar] for varied reasons I think,” said Rachel Laryea, A&S ’16, a student in the “Thinking about Race” seminar. “I struggled to kind of navigate the racial climate here at BC and so I made it a point to not only academically engage in conversations about race by being in the seminar, but also extracurricularly like joining FACES and other organizations that focus on your core cultural identifier.” Maria DiChiappari, director of the Neighborhood Center, and Resident Director Kate D’Angelo are instructing “Thinking about Leadership.” The theme of the class is leadership for social change, D’Angelo said. “We love the topic so we are sharing it and bringing it to undergrads,” D’Angelo said. Working with the social change model of leadership, D’Angelo aims to demonstrate that leadership is about much more than holding an elected position. “A leader is a person who has social issues in mind,” D’Angelo said. “They are knowledgeable about what communities need for change and that’s not a oneperson position.” The seminar is discussion-based, D’Angelo said. At the end of the course, students will propose a campaign for social change. “They’re not all in the same class so they are bringing different ideas and opinions to the group. We have students from freshmen to seniors,” D’Angelo said. “The discussions are really great. They challenge each other to think about leadership differently.” Women’s Resource Center Director Katie Dalton, and Peter Folan, assistant director of program management for First Year Experience, are instructing “Thinking about Gender.” Topics for the course include social constructions of gender, gender performances, sexuality, femininity, masculinity, intersections of gender and race and faith and gender, Dalton said in an email. Dalton hopes to build a community conducive to respectful discussion on gender issues, she said. “Peter [Folan] and I both hope to provide students with a safe and open forum to discuss issues that are so pertinent to their lives and identity but that they don’t necessarily have the script to broach on their own,” Dalton said. “We are also working to help students to connect what they are learning in their academic courses to their daily lives.” Prior to the seminar, students comment on and discuss their assignments on Blackboard Vista, whether it is a reading or video clip, Dalton said. “ This gives us the opportunity to move the discussion even further through the classroom discussion that follows the assignment,” Dalton said. “Peter and I pose questions to students and lead activities that help students to understand the depth and breadth of the issue at hand.” In the future, Hafner adds that the Cross Currents program is open to growth as well as to the exploration of new topics. “In talking with students and faculty, we have found interest in Cross Currents Seminars focused on topics such as social class, social justice and leadership ethics, to name just a few,” Hafner said. “We are open to all such ideas, and hope the Cross Currents Seminar concept can be extended.”
NAME: Dana Sarni YEAR: 2016 MAJOR: Communication FAVORITE HILLSIDE SANDWICH: Tuna Melt FAVORITE MOVIE: ‘Titanic’
NAME: Emily Lynch YEAR: 2014 MAJOR: Nursing FAVORITE HILLSIDE SANDWICH: Tuscan Cheese FAVORITE MOVIE: ‘The Room’
NAME: Matt Ulrich YEAR: 2015 MAJOR: Economics and Sociology FAVORITE HILLSIDE SANDWICH: Boston Beef FAVORITE MOVIE: ‘Dazed and Confused’
Two students share laughs and conversation at Appetito HEIGHTS: How did you prepare for your date?
HEIGHTS: How did you prepare for your date?
EMILY: I took a shower. I opened my heart and my soul.
MATT: I took a shower. I used all the clothes I had on and just put a sweater on so I could look semi-presentable. I got my roommate’s car.
HEIGHTS: How did your date begin? EMILY: He picked me up in his roommate’s car in front of my dorm and we went to Appetito in Newton Center. He suggested a bunch of options, and I chose Appetito.
HEIGHTS: How did your date begin?
HEIGHTS: What was it like when you first encountered your date?
MATT: I picked her up at Voute and we just started with the whole small talk and then we got to know each other a little better. I realized I could joke around with her.
EMILY: Good. He seemed really nice and friendly right away.
HEIGHTS: How was the conversation? What did you guys talk about?
HEIGHTS: How was the conversation? What did you guys talk about?
HEIGHTS: Were there any awkward moments?
MATT: She loves penguins. We made fun of the two 40-year-old women next to us talking about their broken marriage lives and how they complained for the entire dinner. We were like ‘Wow, I hope we’re not like this when we’re 40.’ We talked about pretending it was our 12th anniversary and seeing if the waiter would be confused, just to see what she said.
EMILY : It wasn’t awkward.
HEIGHTS: Were there any awkward moments?
HEIGHTS: What was the most surprising thing you learned about your date?
HEIGHTS: What does the future hold for you two?
MATT: Maybe a little, but we just kind of started talking and it flowed pretty nicely. I don’t know how much we have in common, but we both like to joke around which is a really easy way to have a conversation flow well. We basically made jokes for two hours and ate food.
EMILY: The sky is the limit.
HEIGHTS: How did the date end?
HEIGHTS: Is there anything you would have done differently?
MATT: We were in my car and she asked me if she could have an Eagle Date hug, which I thought was really funny. So we hugged it out.
EMILY: Anything and everything BC related. We talked about off campus a lot. We had a lot of random conversation, but everything just flowed naturally.
EMILY: We were both German and Irish … typical BC.
EMILY: Not really, it was good. It matched all of my expectations, my hopes and dreams.
RATE YOUR DATES NAME: Emily Lynch
NAME: Matt Ulrich
RATE THE DATE ON A SCALE OF 1-5 (5 BEING BEST)
RATE THE DATE ON A SCALE OF 1-5 (5 BEING BEST)
5
10
HEIGHTS: Is there anything you would have done differently? MATT: I would have brought money and actually told the waitress that it was our 12- year anniversary. HEIGHTS: What does the future hold for you two? MATT: We were joking and we said that we will be married in June. We’re getting married in Carney, if anyone wants to come to the wedding.
CATHRYN WOODRUFF Last weekend I was utterly useless, and it was amazing. After class on Friday afternoon, my biggest feat was doing laundry and painting my nails. I watched The Social Network and Bridesmaids and drove to Shake Shack with my roommates. The idea that “syllabus week” is truly a period of no assignments or any real commitments eludes me. In my experience, the first week of school is a somewhat stressful time. It’s a time when I realize that I have forgotten how to hold a pen over the summer months, let alone how to imagine myself tackling a multiple-choice exam. The beginning of a semester is a reality check and a whirlwind. That being said, it’s also an extremely exhilarating time of catching up with friends I haven’t seen in a while—swapping stories of summer adventures. As an English major, I was bombarded with reading the first week of school. I realize this is not so dreadful, and my love of books is in fact one of the main reasons I declared my major. I couldn’t help but feel (probably overdramatically) that I was already drowning in schoolwork, struggling to stay on beat with the syllabus. So last weekend I decided to embrace the syllabus-weeks-you-onlylive-once-mantra, and be completely unproductive for two solid days. I didn’t open my backpack until Sunday night, and even then I told myself I’d save the majority of my work for the weekdays. Somehow our society seems to have lost sight of the idea of the weekend as a break from the workweek. We carry our stresses and our school anxieties into the weekend, sometimes feeling like the only way to stay afloat with a five-course schedule is to head to the library on a Saturday afternoon. While thoughts about school obviously do not completely cloud the weekend, they do tend to make me anxious if I have an upcoming assignment or a huge chunk of reading to do. So last weekend I simulated my two days off of class as a sort of vacation. I allowed myself to laze around my house and watch countless hours of TV, to stay in bed until I felt like getting up rather than when my alarm clock screamed at me. I didn’t go for runs or head to the Plex, and I almost completely avoided cooking—relying on take out and trips to Cleveland Circle. I basically treated myself to a stress-free retreat. On Saturday, my friends and I headed to Newbury Street on the T, did some shopping, and had a nice brunch outside, enjoying one of the final weekends of warm weather (although who really knows in New England?). I had been feeling kind of claustrophobic, as I hadn’t really left campus since I had arrived at school. So taking the T into Boston to do something removed from school was a great way to break my routine and feel refreshed. A walk through campus is inextricably and unavoidably bound with thoughts of school and library cubicles. By removing myself from this environment for a day, I blocked these thoughts from my consciousness. It sounds silly and ridiculous, as if I have to trick myself into enjoying a Saturday afternoon. But in such a competitive environment and surrounded by people with so much constant drive and energy, it’s important to take a step back. Boston has so much to offer, and last weekend reminded me that it’s fun and healthy (also necessary in remaining sane) to take advantage of it on my days off of classes. It’s easy to preach about setting down the books and entering a stressfree weekend zone in mid September. Because in all honesty, school hasn’t even really heated up yet. Yes, I have reading and short papers, but it’s not yet midterm season. And most likely I’ll be swept up when that storm comes, and possibly forget again that Boston exists, and that weekends were designed to be a respite from work. I didn’t feel guilty for not unzipping my backpack. No thoughts of upcoming papers and exams loomed in the back of my mind. I was completely mindful of being in the present, and nothing school related seemed to matter. I was blissfully unproductive, and it was fantastic. I highly recommend it.
Cathryn Woodruff is the Asst. Features Editor for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com.
FEATURES THE HEIGHTS
B8
B10
Monday, January 24, 2013
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2013
Cross Currents discusses complex topics
BY KAYLA FAMOLARE For The Heights This coming week, Sept. 29 through Oct. 4, The Church in the 21st Century (C21), the center on campus dedicated to educating and discussing critical issues facing the Catholic Church, will be hosting their annual “Espresso Your Faith Week.” Sponsored by the same center as the “Agape Latte” discussion series, Espresso Your Faith Week is “one week to express and celebrate your faith.” Catherine Putko, co-chair of the student advisory board for C21 and A&S ’14, describes the event as an opportunity to discover who we are as individuals and what holds meaning to us in our lives and sharing this with members of the Boston College community. “Faith is how students connect to life at school, to each other, and to people of the world,” she said. “The purpose of the week is for students to discover and express where they find meaning in their lives.” Putko encourages all those, no matter what their religious affiliation may be, to join in this self-expressive week of activities. The group hopes to build a greater sense of community among students at BC, including all students of varying religions and stages in their lives, even students that wouldn’t consider themselves “religious.” Putko enforces the idea that everyone has something that they are passionate about, and C21 and the rest of the BC community encourages one to express this. The first day of Espresso Your Faith Week focused around the idea of sharing in the community of faith at Sunday mass. A special Parents’ Weekend mass was celebrated at 10 a.m. in Conte Forum, allowing students to share in the communion of the mass with classmates and family members. Regular Sunday masses were also held in Saint Joseph’s chapel, Saint Ignatius, and Trinity Chapel on Newton Campus. Sunday mass facilitates the building of a community of believers as they grow in solidarity with one another in prayer, Putko said. Monday’s events are titled “Espresso your faith through Art” and will showcase the ways students can demonstrate their faith through various art forms. Along with professor Mark Cooper and his classes, C21 constructed a largerthan-life coffee cup, which will be displayed on Stokes lawn. Students are encouraged to draw, write, or doodle images of their faith onto this impressive mug, which will demonstrate the collective perspectives and faiths of the student body. Prepare to be serenaded with an a cappella performance as you enjoy dinner in Lower dining hall at 6 p.m. Many different groups will be demonstrating how they express themselves through music and its varying styles. Tuesday gives students the opportunity to discuss and learn of others’ faiths. The highly anticipated “Agape Latte” series kicks off for the school year on Tuesday in Hillside Cafe where Rev. Jeremy Clarke, S.J., will deliver the first talk. Aimed to engage all members of the BC community in conversations of faith, the Agape Latte series allows students to listen to insightful members of the community and hear their own journeys of faith while enjoying coffee and treats. These discussions allow participants to learn from others’ faith journeys, while creating a sense of community. Wednesday focuses on the expression of faith in prayer and reflection. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be offered for prayer throughout the day. A prayer service and Ignatian Examen will also be offered at night, allowing students to develop the importance of faith and the meaning in participants’ lives and uncover his or her true passions and identity. The fifth day of the week allows the entire community of BC to express their faith and consideration through service with the organization “Spread the Bread.” Overseen by Karen Kiefer, assistant director of C21, Spread the Bread delivers loaves of bread, a quintessential part of most meals, to the hungry in our community. This sharing of bread symbolizes the breaking of the bread many participate in each
BY TED BERKOWSKI For The Heights Enabling students to further explore complex classroom topics, the Cross Currents Seminar program offers a platform to discuss gender, leadership, and race this semester. “The Cross Currents Seminars are one-credit courses open to students who are enrolled in regular academic courses that share a common theme, such as issues of race, gender and leadership,” said professor and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs Donald Hafner in an email. The Cross Currents Seminars were first offered in the fall 2012 semester, Hafner said. “The concept of the Cross Currents Seminars arose in conversations two years ago among faculty and the staffs of Student Affairs and Mission and Ministry,” Hafner said. “The goal was to help students explore the significance of their academic studies to the shape and direction of their own lives, through a collaboration between the faculty teaching courses on specific themes and the professional staffs of Student Affairs and Mission and Ministry.” This semester, the Cross Currents Seminars offered are “Thinking about Race,” “Thinking about Gender,” and “Thinking about Leadership.” Students enrolled in certain courses related to these seminars had the option to register for the seminars. There were about six or seven regular courses of varying disciplines linked to each of the seminars. “So for example, the students in the seminar on race are drawn from courses on issues of race offered in Psychology, Romance Languages, Economics and Sociology,” Hafner said. “Conversations that draw from multiple disciplines are certain to benefit all the students in the seminars.” Sarah Ganton, A&S ’14, was invited to enroll in the seminar because she takes Nannies, Maids and Mail Order Brides: Gender and Migration in U.S. History, a class in the history department. “I’m interested in gender and gender issues, so I thought that this sort of structured form would be a good way to discuss a lot of different things in a short amount of time with a lot of people who were particularly focused and willing to discuss,” Ganton said. Staff from Student Affairs and Mission and Ministry instruct the seminars, Hafner said. “These are complex and provocative topics, and the seminars are to foster candid conversations among students who are wrestling with questions and uncertainties about how the material they are covering in their courses connects to their own lives,” Hafner said. Ultimately, the Cross Currents program aims to bridge classroom themes with real life applications,
See Faith, B7
See Cross Currents, B9
MAGGIE BURDGE / HEIGHTS GRAPHIC
Fellowships Committee supports research Students apply for funding to study in the United States or in various locations abroad BY DANIEL PEREA-KANE For The Heights
PHOTO COURTESY OF FRANK DIRENNO
Frank DiRenno, A&S ’15, used his ASG to work at a paleopathology lab at the University of Pisa.
I NSIDE FEATUR E S THIS ISSUE
The University Fellowships Committee of Boston College helps students receive placement in such prestigious fellowships as the Rhodes, Fulbright, Marshall, Churchill, and Truman. BC is among the top schools whose students have routinely won numerous Fulbright Scholarships to spend a year pursuing projects abroad. Donald Hafner, professor and vice president for undergraduate academic aff airs, is the director of the committee, while post-doctoral fellow Jason Cavallari serves as associate director. The committee offers assistance to all students, from freshmen to seniors. Most students apply for fellowships as juniors or seniors, but sophomores sometimes
do so as well. The committee offers advice to students, placing special emphasis on students getting to know faculty members. “Show initiative and take command of your life, be imaginative, and cultivate connections with faculty mentors,” the committee website states. “The most important theme is that last one: cultivate connections with faculty.” The committee states that faculty members can provide not just information, but also wisdom from their experience, specific advice to the student, and later on, a letter of recommendation. In addition to offering advice, the committee also hosts the annual BC Undergraduate Research Symposium. During the symposium, students who have done fellowships share what they have done through this opportunity.
Health & Science A student argues for the benefits of having Obamacare among the younger generation......................................................................................B7
The committee also tailors its advice to students in different grades. For freshmen, it emphasizes getting involved in extracurricular activities, taking courses in a foreign language, and to make choices that draw on their personal strengths. The committee urges sophomores interested in fellowships to study abroad, review their options, and “resist the temptation to double major.” Juniors must meet with campus coordinators for fellowship opportunities during their spring semester. These coordinators help them through the application process that they will complete as seniors. It is often too late for seniors to apply if they have not already begun the process, but for those who have, the committee continues to guide them. One such student is Frank DiRenno, A&S ’15, who received an Advanced Study Grant from BC to study bioarchae-
See Fellowships, B7
Professor Profile................................B8 Editor’s Column................................ B9