The Heights information session is Tuesday 9/13 in the Yawkey Center’s Murray Room Remembering 9/11
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features
SPORTS
ARTS AND REVIEW
Ten years later, students share their thoughts on the national tragedy, B10
The football team had a disappointing trip to Florida, losing 30-3, B1
Jam pack your calendar with the best of Beantown and BC’s art scene, A10
Fall arts preview
Monday, September 12, 2011
Vol. XCII, No. 27
Then & Now: Campus Reflects on 9/11
Then: Students, faculty, and staff mourn with nation post-attacks
Now: Ten years later, campus stops to reflect on tragedy
By Caroline Brancatella & Jim O’Sullivan
By David Cote Heights Editor
Heights Editors in 2001
Ten years and one day ago, America suffered a terrorist attack of unprecedented horror. The events on Sept. 11 left 3,000 dead, 6,000 injured, and millions more forever affected by the largest act of terrorism
This article first ran in the Sept. 17, 2001 special Sept. 11 issue of The Heights. As the world watched, stunned by the events of Tuesday, Sept. 11 that saw terrorist attacks destroy New York’s World Trade Center and damage the Pentagon outside of Washington, D.C., the Boston College community reacted throughout the week by gathering to share thoughts and prayers for the country and for the victims of the violent acts. Just hours after the attacks, more than 3,000 members of the BC community gathered on O’Neill plaza for a noon prayer
“What have we learned from it? Ten years ago, no one could have predicted what we’d look like today.” - Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center
“On this difficult day, we gather as a Boston College community. We gather for prayer and support, we gather in search of help from the one who gives us hope.”
- Rev. James Erps, director of Campus Ministry
service. “On this difficult day, we gather as a Boston College community,” said Rev. James Erps, director of campus ministry and S.J., to open the service. “We gather for prayer and support, we gather in search of help from the one who gives us hope.” University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., also addressed the gathering, which was announced via e-mail from the Office of the President shortly before 11 a.m., approximately two hours after the attacks. “We’re stunned, we’re shocked, we cannot believe what we are seeing on our television screens,” said Leahy. “And yet in the midst of all these emotions and confusion, we gather today as the Boston College community to support each other, to reach out in faith and to be present for each other
See Then, A4
kevin hou / heights editor
ap file photo
On the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the Boston College community reflects on the experience and what it means to live in a post9/11 world. Families and friends gathered together to remember loved ones lost at the Memorial Labyrinth (above) and at Sunday masses.
Student senate approves budget for 2011-2012 By Taylour Kumpf News Editor
Last Thursday, the UGBC Senate gave its stamp of approval on this year’s proposed UGBC budget, with 11 senators voting in favor of the proposal, one abstaining, and zero against. The total budget this year for the UGBC increased from $563,000 to a total of $583,000, a 3.43 percent increase in total funding. Broken down by branch, the budget of the AHANA Leadership Council (ALC) increased by 16.78 percent, the Executive Branch decreased by 2.5 percent, the GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC) decreased by 2.21 percent, and the Senate increased by 13.63 percent. Each year, a senate budget committee is formed to compile a report on the administration’s proposed budget. The chairperson of this committee is appointed by the Senate president. This year’s chair is Vanessa Gomez, Senate vice president and A&S ’13. The chair then chooses two other senate members to serve on the committee. Sam Gervase, CSOM ’14, and Molly McCarthy, A&S
’14, completed this year’s committee. “One of the greatest duties of the Senate is our fiduciary responsibility,” the report stated. “Students give much to the University with the expectation of much in return. Senate should hold the same expectation to our student activities money, especially when it comes to funding the UGBC.” After reviewing the 2011-2012 budget proposal and comparing it to the budgets of the past three years, the Senate Budget Committee noted certain discrepancies. The Executive department received $86,062 for the 2010-2011 academic year, whereas the department received $25,150 for the 2011-2012 academic year. This significant decrease can be attributed to the absence of the discretionary fund and the formation of a Mentoring Leadership department. According to the budget committee’s report, the Campus Entertainment department received $229,500 for the 2010-2011 academic year and $228,450 for the 2011-2012 academic year. As
See UGBC Budget, A4
in United States history. The nation was left in shock at an attack that was both surprising and confusing. In the years since that fateful day, the world has reflected on the response to the attacks and a world forever changed. On Sept. 12, 2001, University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. sent an e-mail to the Boston College community regarding the events of the previous day. “What has happened is so unbelievable; and, understandably, it has left us with feelings of sadness and concern for the future,” wrote Leahy. “Yet I have no doubt that our nation will work through this situation, and I know that the Boston College community will be sustained by its faith and strong sense of community.” At the time, America was a nation divided by political squabbling and the controversial 2000 presidential election. In a speech made the night of Sept. 11, then President George W. Bush hoped to unite Americans under a single banner, for what he called “everything that is good in our world.” Leahy echoed the same sentiments in his e-mail. “In the days ahead, we need to remind ourselves that we are one community, one world,” he wrote. “We cannot allow the hatred and evil that lie at the heart of
See Now, A4
SOFC reworks club funding procedures By Katherine McClurg Heights Editor
Though not often in the public eye, the Student Organization Funding Committee (SOFC) plays an important role in determining what events student organizations put on. “It’s the perfect example of economics,” said Jeff White, SOFC chairman and CSOM ’12. “We’re given a limited number of resources, and it’s our job to make sure each dollar we allocate adds the maximum value to campus.” The SOFC is a committee of approximately 20 undergraduate students who are responsible for appropriating a portion of what Boston College collects from the student activities fee. The $500,000 to $750,000 they receive is dispersed to stuMollie Kolosky / heights editor
See SOFC, A4
TopTHREE
The Heights
Monday, September 12, 2011
things to do on campus this week
..
1
Interrogations Ethics Panel Today Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Higgins 310
Attend a panel discussion focused on the debate over the ethics of interrogation tactics. Sponsored by the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, Glenn Carle, Sanford Levinson, and Kenneth Himes, O.F.M., will engage in coversation about interrogation tactics used in today’s world.
Freshman Volunteer Opportunities Service Fair
2
Tuesday Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: The Rat
Stop by the First Year Service Fair, sponsored by the Volunteer Service Learning Center, an opportunity for first year students to learn about ways to get involved in volunteer work.
OIP Study Abroad Information Fair
3
Wednesday Time: 6:00 p.m. Location: Conte Forum Thinking about studying abroad? Attend the study abroad fair to meet with representatives from the Office of International Programs.
the
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Duke University sued for use of flawed cancer testing method
On Campus New study by BC professor investigates artwork in advertisements A new study performed by researchers at Boston College and the University of Houston has found that artwork can be stripped of its meaning when used carelessly by advertisers. In an article to be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Henrik Hagtvedt, a professor of marketing at BC, and his colleague Vanessa M. Patrick, a professor of marketing at the University of Houston, have found that when art is used in a product-relevant illustration, it is no longer viewed as artwork. The duo performed three studies, which used wine bottle labels and advertising for soap and nail salons that featured artwork. In half the trials, the subjects were told the labels or advertisements featured artwork, and in half, they were told the labels and advertisements featured people. Products were viewed as equally favorable, but participants who had been coached to see the images as artwork were less concerned with the relevance of the image to the product than those who had not been.
Two cancer patients and the estates of six others are suing Duke University, its health system, and five doctors, according to a report by The Chronicle of Higher Education. The lawsuit accuses the university of knowingly entering the patients in a flawed system of genetic tests to determine who would benefit most from chemotherapy. Filed last week, this lawsuit is the latest development following the July 2010 announcement that the university was investigating the reliability of associate professor Anil Potti’s oncology work after discovering he falsified his credentials.
Local News Chestnut Hill Square construction begins along Rte. 9 in Newton Construction is underway on Chestnut Hill Square, a commercial and residential complex to be built on Route 9 in Newton, according to a report by The Boston Globe. The 24,000 foot space, which formerly featured Omni Foods Supermarket, will feature a grocery store, health club, medical offices, and restaurants. Demoliton began July 7, said Mark Stanton, site superintendent of John Moriarty and Associates, Inc. Utilities should be finished by the end of the year, then construction will begin. The project is expected to be completed in mid-2013.
By Daniel Tonkovich Heights Editor
Daniel lee / Heights staff
Students from Hardey and Cushing Halls on Newton Campus engage in a program by the Pathways program. to day lives of students.” This year, the number of RAs increased by 50 percent from eight to 12 RAs, achieving a student-toRA ratio of one to 25 as opposed to the freshman area range of 20-60 residents per RA. Residents also have Pathways graduate assistants and resident peer ministers as available resources. All project staff had additional training this summer with an emphasis on how to develop healthy one-on-one relationships in order fulfill initiative objectives. Pathways has been under development for the past two years, coming about after an effort by Patrick Rombalski, vice president of student affairs, and Henry
Humphries, former director of residential life, to foster greater integration of student formation within the residence halls. A committee composed of Cameron Smith, assistant director of residential life; Mike Sacco, director of the Center for Student Formation; and Joy Galarneau, former assistant director of graduate student life, formed in the spring of 2010 to formalize the program, increase stakeholders across campus, and explore funding mechanisms. The residents of the pilot halls were selected at random to accurately measure the impact of living in a community with a diverse set of residents. If the pilot is deemed successful, it
could be deployed to all freshman residential areas. Administrators emphasized the role of interdepartmental cooperation in getting the initiative started. “People were willing to breakdown walls and silos,” Rivera said. “People have been talking for years about doing so, but cross divisions has been difficult. People have wanted to see it succeed and are sharing the resources to make sure it happens. Nobody is fighting for ownership of it. They all want to see it succeed.” The pilot project, however, is not without a price tag. It is expected to cost several hundred thousand dollars, though exact budgeted expenses were not available. Costs for full implementation in all freshman residential areas, should the program be successful, were also not available. Both Rivera and Christopher Darcy, associate director of residential life, downplayed the cost, focusing instead on the importance of providing students with an impactful first year experience. “There is great assurance in knowing your floor is your main social connection and identity and then from there you have that comfort and security and you go out and plug into the university,” Rivera said. n
Police Blotter
Voices from the Dustbowl
9/07/11 - 9/09/11
“Where were you when you first learned of the Sept. 11 attacks?”
Wednesday, Sept. 7 7:29 a.m. - A report was filed regarding assistance provided to a Boston College employee experiencing chest pains in Creagh Library. The party was transported to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in an ambulance. 10:07 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a motor vehicle that failed to stop and damaged one of the traffic arms after trying to drive under it in the Commonwealth Garage. The vehicle was stopped. The operator stated that he drove under the traffic arm because it did not lift when he was exiting. Restitution may be sought. 10:29 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a motor vehicle with unpaid parking violations. The owner was identified and the overdue parking fines will be addressed. 7:45 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a BC student who reported that her debit card may have been stolen when she used it at an off campus establishment. An investigation revealed the card had more likely been lost. There were no fraudulent charges.
Thursday, Sept. 8 9:03 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a student who had passed out at the Conte
Forum bus stop. Upon arrival, she was observed to be conscious and sitting on a bench. The party was transported to the Primary Care Facility.
“In my fourth grade classroom.” —Ryan Smith, A&S ’14
3:19 p.m. - A report was filed regarding damage to an athletic van in the Beacon Garage. The reporting party believed it was the result of a previous hit and run. 6:51 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a student who had been stung by a bee. The student was transported to the Primary Care Facility. 8:13 p.m. - A report was filed regarding a student who was assaulted and battered by another student in Walsh Hall. The suspect was identified and a detective will investigate.
“I woke up for school and it was on the news.” —Michael Peterson, A&S ’15
—Source: The Boston College Police Department
“After school we were going to a cub scout meeting and my friend brought it up.” —Nick Bettencourt, A&S ’15
“I was in my third grade classroom.” —Sarah Mass,
A&S ’15
Mostly Sunny 61°
Tuesday
79° Mostly Sunny 64°
wednesday
79° Scattered Thunder Storms
67° Showers 50°
Source: National Weather Service
A Guide to Your Newspaper The Heights Boston College – McElroy 113 140 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill, Mass. 02467 Editor-in-Chief (617) 552-2223 Editorial General (617) 552-2221 Managing Editor (617) 552-4286 News Desk (617) 552-0172 Sports Desk (617) 552-0189 Marketplace Desk (617) 552-3548 Features Desk (617) 552-3548 Arts Desk (617) 552-0515 Photo (617) 552-1022 Fax (617) 552-4823 Business and Operations General Manager (617) 552-0169 Advertising (617) 552-2220 Business and Circulation (617) 552-0547 Classifieds and Collections (617) 552-0364 Fax (617) 552-1753 EDITORIAL RESOURCES News Tips Have a news tip or a good idea for a story? Call Taylour Kumpf, News Editor, at (617) 552-0172, or e-mail news@bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the News Desk. Sports Scores Want to report the results of a game? Call Paul Sulzer, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0189, or e-mail sports@bcheights.com. Arts Events The Heights covers a multitude of events both on and off campus – including concerts, movies, theatrical performances, and more. Call Darren Ranck, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or e-mail arts@ bcheights.com. For future events, e-mail, fax, or mail a detailed description of the event and contact information to the Arts Desk. Clarifications / Corrections The Heights strives to provide its readers with complete, accurate, and balanced information. If you believe we have made a reporting error, have information that requires a clarification or correction, or questions about The Heights standards and practices, you may contact Michael Caprio, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or e-mail editor@ bcheights.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE Delivery To have The Heights delivered to your home each week or to report distribution problems on campus, contact Dan Ottaunick, General Manager at (617) 552-0547. Advertising The Heights is one of the most effective ways to reach the BC community. To submit a classified, display, or online advertisement, call our advertising office at (617) 552-2220 Monday through Friday.
The Heights is produced by BC undergraduates and is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year by The Heights, Inc. (c) 2011. All rights reserved.
Friday, Sept. 9 12:04 a.m. - A report was filed regarding a supervisor speaking with an Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission investigator regarding alcohol enforcement which had been conducted at Copperfield’s Bar in Boston. They had received information through a Facebook posting of a promotional party hosted by a BC student being held there. Several BC students who presented false identifications were identified and will be criminally charged. The matter will be referred to ODSD for review.
80°
thursday
A new feel this year in Hardey and Cushing
grams and activities they choose to get involved with on campus, how they relate to their neighbor, what being at this university means to them spiritually and academically as well as how that plays out in their life. We want them to say ‘It was an amazing experience and I was changed for the better.’” In order to fulfill the initiative’s objects, Residential Life has increased staff resources to serve the Hardey and Cushing Houses. “A lower student-to-RA ratio will hopefully increase adult-tostudent and peer-to-peer interaction,” Rivera said. “They will help to guide and make meaning of freshman experiences by more fully immersing themselves in day
Today
59°
featured story
Life in the residence halls at Boston College could be much more intimate, at least to freshmen, if all goes well with a current pilot initiative by Residential Life underway in Hardey and Cushing Halls. The Pathways initiative is a live-learn community model deployed this year that is aimed at increasing student formation within the residence halls. The project emphasizes academic, spiritual, and social formation through more intimate residential settings that allow for frequent peer-to-peer and adult-to-student interaction. The program model is similar to the Shaw Leadership Program. Through weekly seminars with guest speakers, social events, increased interaction with faculty and staff, specialized educational opportunities, and frequent service in Boston, managers of the effort hope to create a more impactful residential community. “We are hoping to plant seeds, change mindsets, and set up students for learning from a range of experiences,” said CatherineMary Rivera, the Pathways program manager. “We want them to be more cognizant of the pro-
Four Day Weather Forecast
CORRECTIONS Please send corrections to editor@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.
The Heights
Monday, September 12, 2011
McCann to speak at First Year Convocation By Molly LaPoint Asst. News Editor
Colum McCann, author of the best-selling novel Let the Great World Spin, will be the keynote speaker at the eighth annual First Year Academic Convocation this Thursday in Conte Forum. Prior to the address, the Class
The selection of a common text, Marchese said, brings the new class together and sets an academic tone for the year. of 2015 will take part in the “First Flight,” a tradition in which first year students walk a procession across campus. The walk begins at Linden Lane, where the University’s Jesuit community offers a blessing. Members of the golden anniversary Class of 1962 will also be invited to the event. “We want to incorporate the students into the Boston College community – not only as students,
but along with faculty and administrators, welcome them into the larger alumni community,” said Rev. Joseph Marchese, S.J. ,director of the First Year Experience program, in a release from the Office of News and Public Affairs. The selection of a common text, Marchese said, brings the new class together and sets an academic tone for the year. McCann’s novel, a best seller on four continents, won the 2009 National Book Award, the Best Foreign Book Award in China, and the 2011 literary award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. McCann was born in Dublin in 1965 and began his career as a journalist for The Irish Press. He took a bicycle ride across North America in the 1980s, and worked as a wilderness guide for juvenile delinquents in Texas. He settled in New York after traveling to Japan, and he currently teaches creative writing at Hunter College. McCann’s books include Songdogs, This Side of Brightness, Dancer, and Zoli, and he has written for publications such as The New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, and GQ. He joins a list of past speakers that includes President Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. n
BC ON SEPT. 11, 2001: Most students will never see the full issue of The Heights released on Monday, Sept. 17, 2001, the first issue released after the Sept. 11 attacks. While our current student body was still in middle or elementary school, most likely surrounded by the familiarity of our friends and families, the students, faculty, and administration at Boston College in 2001 were left to rally as a community all on its own and figure out the proper response as a student body. That day, and its ensuing events at BC, was printed on the front page of that special edition of The Heights, leaving us with a rare understanding of the experiences of BC students on that day:
courtesy of the office of news and public affairs
Colum McCann will speak at this year’s First Year Academic Convocation.
Speeding cars on Beacon St. present hazard to University students Asst. News Editor
This week , the B CPD and Newton Police Department traffic officers are teaming up to enforce traffic safety on Beacon Street near the University’s campus, according to a release from the Office of News and Public Affairs. There are three crosswalks and pedestrian alert signs along Beacon Street adjacent to the main campus of BC, between Merkert Chemistry Center and Campion Hall, at Lawrence Ave., and at the Saint Jude Gate by McElroy Commons.
Drivers tend to go above the speed limit on this road, which can
“People tend to come down the Beacon Street straightaway in excess of the speed limits.” —Fred Winslow, BCPD Lieutenant make it dangerous for pedestrians,
Consider
This...
BCPD joins Newton to enforce traffic safety By Molly LaPoint
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the release stated. “People tend to come down the Beacon Street straightaway in excess of the speed limits,” said Fred Winslow, a BCPD lieutenant, in the release. “Our students are trying to get from the academic buildings to the buildings along Hammond Street or to the Chestnut Hill T stop. Sometimes they don’t get seen until they are four or five feet into the crosswalk. We have had several students hit by vehicles and a lot of close calls.” The Newton Police Department will put up special signs, and a joint team of officers will be handing out citations to drivers who don’t observe the crosswalk law.
“We have reached out to the Newton Police Department, and they are going to put up some flashing signboards reminding operators that they have to stop when there are people in a crosswalk,” Winslow said. University and city officials are considering installing flashing lights at the crosswalks to increase safety. In addition, Winslow said that the BCPD will help Newton conduct crosswalk safety campaigns in other parts of the city. “We just want people to slow down, pay attention, and make sure that our students and others are safe when they cross the street,” he said. n
8:48 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767 en route from Boston’s Logan Airport to Los Angeles International Airport with 92 people onboard, slams into the north tower, 1 World Trade Center. 9:05 a.m.: Approximately 17 minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175, also a Boeing 767 en route from Boston to Los Angeles hits the south tower, 2 World Trade Center. 9:21 a.m.: New York City Port Authority closes all bridges and tunnels in New York City. 9:24 a.m.: President Bush calls the crashes “an apparent terrorist attack on our country.” 9:40 a.m.: The FAA orders the entire nationwide air traffic system shut down. All flights at U.S. airports are stopped. 9:43 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757 en route from Dulles Airport outside Washington to Los Angeles crashes into the Pentagon. One of the building’s five sides collapses. 9:45 a.m.: The White House is
evacuated. 9:59 a.m.: The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses. 10:00 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 en route from Newark to San Francisco crashes just north of the Somerset County Airport, about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. 10:28 a.m.: The World Trade Center’s north tower collapses. 10:45 a.m.: Boston College’s Office of the President sends out an e-mail declaring a moment of prayer on O’Neill Plaza at noon. 12:00 p.m.: More than 3,000 members of the Boston College community gather on O’Neill Plaza. Counseling Services set up in Gasson 100. 1:02 p.m.: New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani orders an evacuation of Manhattan south of Canal Street. 1:04 p.m.: In a speech at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, President Bush announces that security measures are being taken and says: “Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts.” 1:44 p.m.: President Bush leaves Barksdale Air Force Base for Nebraska’s Offutt Air Force Base, home to the U.S. Strategic Air Command. 4:30 p.m.: President Bush leaves Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska for Washington. 5:20 p.m.: Seven World Trade Center, a 47-story tower, collapses from ancillary damage. 7:30 p.m.: More than 4,000 students gather in Conte Forum for mass. 8:30 p.m.: President Bush addresses the nation; the speech is shown in Conte Forum following mass. -Adriana Mariella n
The Heights
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Monday, September 12, 2011
Ten years later, students consider lessons learned A silent reflection on the past Then, from A1
Joseph Pasquinelli As writers, we often get bogged down in the need to say something new, something fresh. Ten years later, though, it becomes very difficult to say anything that hasn’t been said before. It becomes unfair to the reader and indeed to those whose lives have been affected by the tragedy to try to be creative with our commentary on the event. What I am attempting here is not to offer a new take on the events, but to offer some thoughts on the way we have talked about the attacks for a decade. Ten years later
“Ten years later it becomes very difficult to say anything that hasn’t been said before.” nothing has been left unsaid. Yet a decade later people are still attempting to be fresh and creative with what they write and say about the tragic events that changed our nation and lives forever. Perhaps this need to develop new understandings is due in part to our inability to comprehend what has happened. Perhaps the thought is that if we can say something new and fresh we may finally reach an understanding of the attacks that has eluded us for a decade, but we will not be able to understand no matter what we say and resay. Ten years later there is nothing left to say. When we write about the events in the way we have been, we – intentionally or unintentionally – may be exploiting the grief surrounding the attacks or furthering our own goals, political or otherwise. Pain has become profitable. In some cases, it has even become pleasurable.
and every one of us in this community.” Cheryl Presley, vice president of Student Affairs, also addressed the crowd. “This is an example of our community, how we care for each other and how we bond together,” she told the crowd. “This is really a test of our faith. “I want to encourage all students to stay on the Boston College campus and try not to go home,” Presley said. “We really do have to bond together. We don’t have any specific answers, but I will tell you this: By the grace of God, we will move together as a campus community.” With a large segment of BC’s student population hailing from the New York City area, the airplane hijackings and subsequent plane-to-building collisions left many members of the community in a panic over the well-being of friends and family members. “I was sitting in the [O’Neill Library] computer lab,” said Nolan Kelly, CSOM ’03. “No one went to their computer, everyone just huddled around the TV. A kid just walked into the computer lab, innocently getting his number, looked up at the TV, realized what was going on, dropped his bookbag, mumbled something like, ‘Oh s—, my parents work there.’ Then he fell on all fours, just crumbled to pieces. “Students would just walk in and then, in a rage of tears, go flying out the other door, cell phones in hand.” The University, which had a counseling command center set up in Gasson 100 by noon on Tuesday, also canceled all Tuesday classes after 4 p.m. On Tuesday night, more than 4,000 community members flooded into Conte Forum for a 7:30 p.m. mass led by Leahy. The set-up made allowances for the unusually large crowd by broadcasting the mass over the two large screens usually used to pump up hockey and basketball crowds and show replays. While the cameras meant for the big screens were of no concern to students, some were upset by the fact that Channel 5 WHDH Boston also had cameras and a reporter on the scene. A feature on the mass was shown on Channel 5 throughout the night. Although Leahy was the official celebrant, it was Erps who addressed the crowd with a homily. “Let not your hearts be troubled,” he repeated several times throughout his speech, a quote from the Gospel “You have faith in God, have faith in me. We believe that God can bring good out of such a tragedy, but sometimes God needs help from human
hands and human hearts.” The mass, which included a number of poignant songs, including “Amazing Grace,” and “Eagles’ Wings,” led by the Liturgy Arts Group, closed with several verses of “America the Beautiful.” Immediately following the mass, president George W. Bush’s second address to the nation, which had taken place minutes earlier, was broadcast over the jumbo screens. The exiting crowd immediately stopped and listened in silence to what the President had to say. At the end of his speech the screens read simply: “God Bless America.” Classes resumed Wednesday, but reflection upon the events, which included news that nearly 5,000 people have been reported missing to New York City authorities, continued via a candlelight vigil at 10:30 p.m. on O’Neill Plaza. Despite steady rain and lightning, approximately 350 students attended the event, which had been organized by the UGBC earlier in the day. The music of a single flute accompanied the brief remarks of UGBC president and vice president Amanda Jack and Richie Moriarty, both A&S ’02. Jack read the crowd a statement written by Chris Blanchard, A&S ’02, that had been sent out to several other Jesuit schools by UGBC. “Looking out onto uncertain horizons, we cannot know what tomorrow holds, but it is our hope and prayer today that when history casts its weathered eyes back toward these dark days, it will be said that this call rang proud, strong, and true from the Heights: United, we stand,” Jack read from the statement. The sounds of “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” followed two minutes of silence before the somber crowd silently dispersed. Friday, declared a national day of remembrance by President Bush, saw BC echo the noontime service that took place in the National Cathedral in Washington with an interfaith service in Gasson 100. The service, originally intended to be held on the Quad, was moved indoors due to rain continuing from the night before. The service was attended by an overflowing crowd of more than 300. It featured peace prayers from the Buddhist, Jewish, Muslims, Christian, and Hindu traditions read by students and peer ministers from a podium near the stained glass windows of the Irish Hall. A single bell and flute accompanied the words. The University plans an ongoing response to events as they unfold in the coming days and weeks. n
yesterday’s attacks and senseless loss of life to deprive us of our vitality and dreams.” Now, in 2011, the BC community reflects on the experience of Sept. 11 and the intervening years. While no specific service was held on Sunday, tributes and prayer petitions were made in all masses across campus. Twentytwo BC alumni died on Sept. 11, and their names were read at every mass. The memorial labyrinth outside the Burns Library was one of 18 Sept. 11 monuments from around the country featured by CNBC. Welles Remy Crowther, BC ’99, the lacrosse player who lost his life saving others on Sept. 11, was also the subject of an ESPN Outside the Lines mini-documentary titled, “The Man with the Red Bandana.” Furthermore, the BC Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life sponsored a project collecting reflections from present BC students, faculty, and staff answering the question: “What have you learned since Sept. 11?” The responses were compiled on a webpage, where students and others can access them and reflect on their own experiences in a post-Sept. 11 world. Alan Wolfe, the director of the Boisi Center, commented on the effect Sept. 11 has had on the U.S. and BC. He said he hopes that students reflect not only on what happened on that fateful day, or where they were when they heard the news, “but also what has happened in the intervening years.” “What have we learned from it?” asked Wolfe. “Ten years ago, no one could have predicted what we’d look like today.” He said that in the years since Sept. 11, BC’s “real emphasis on service” has become more important than ever. Boston College Eagle EMS also attended a tribute on Sunday to those who died on Sept. 11, especially the first responders, firefighters, and paramedics who gave their lives for others. More than 25 Eagle EMS members joined members of the Boston Fire Department and Boston Emergency Medical Services at a 10-year memorial
SOFC, from A1
ap file photo
Joseph Pasquinelli is a columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at editor@bcheights.com
Now, from A1
tribute to those first responders who gave their lives on Sept. 11. “It is our duty as citizens and residents of this country to pay our respects each year to those who have lost their lives or have been affected by the tragic events on Sept. 11, 2001,” wrote Seth Weil and Gus Godley, both Eagle EMS Member Services Co-Coordinators and A&S ’13, in an e-mail to members. “Ten years ago, thousands of civilians perished and hundreds of men and women just like ourselves lost their lives in an attempt to help those in need. Be it certified EMTs, First Responders, or even lay responders, we are a part of a brotherhood in our nation bound by the common goal for preservation of human life.” According to Eagle EMS President Chris Faherty, A&S ’13, 343 wreaths were carried in a ceremony outside the State House in downtown Boston, symbolizing the 343 firefighters who gave their lives in New York on Sept. 11. “No matter how big or small Eagle EMS is, it still affects each of us everyday,” Faherty said. “Though we were young at the time, it really could be any of us doing the same thing.” A reading of the play The Guys by Anne Nelson took place at 7 p.m. on Sunday in Gasson 100. The play describes the aftershock of the Sept. 11 attacks on a New York City Fire Department captain as he prepared eulogies for the firemen who died under his command. In the Sept. 17, 2001, issue of The Heights, Editor-in-Chief Jim O’Sullivan wrote a reflection titled “A palace once more.” “The Roman author Plutarch wrote that ‘The measure of a man is the way he bears up under misfortune,’” O’Sullivan wrote. “The measure of a nation is the same, and America has passed that test with colors flying throughout its history. Our greatness lies not in our brightest days, but in our darkest. Those days are here now; let us hope that we can prove our greatness once again.” Ten years later, the BC community and all of America reflects on whether or not we have. n
Funding process revamped
“Let us close our mouths, put down our pens, and respectfully remember those who have lost their lives and how people around the worlds’ lives have changed. The best thing to say - 10 years later - is nothing.” Often times media commentators and politicians have used the tragedy to further their own political agendas. When this is done (sometimes subtly, but more often not so subtly), we dishonor the memory of those who died. Their pain, our nation’s pain, has become their profit, their pleasure. The footage of airplanes flying into the buildings has been shown over and over again. It has been seared into our memory; the rest of our memories have been manufactured by the commentary we have surrounding the event. A longitudinal study in Sunday’s Boston Globe showed that not only do people not remember objective facts from the day correctly, but they are not even able to correctly remember their own feelings from the day. The media’s bombardment of our nation with images and commentary have prevented us from properly grieving and feeling genuine emotion. Ten years later, the attacks themselves are no longer the source of our feelings. What we feel is the result of the media not giving us an opportunity to feel. Let us close our mouths, put down our pens, and respectfully remember those who have lost their lives and how people around the worlds’ lives have changed. The best thing to say – 10 years later – is nothing.
photo courtesy of Chris Faherty
BC Eagles EMS (above) attended a tribute on Sunday to first responders who died on 9/11.
Nancy Gregory (above) hugs her sons at the National Sept. 11 Memorial during a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the attacks at the World Trade Center.
UGBC allocates $583,000 UGBC Budget, from A1 the Fall and Spring concerts have been removed from the budget, these funds – approximately $75,000 – have been reallocated to the following programs: BC to Boston ($20,000), Comedy Show ($25,000), Speakers ($20,000), additional Pub Series ($5,000), and miscellaneous small budget increases to various events ($5,000). The Student Life department received $9,550 for the 2010-2011 academic year whereas the department received $40,820 for the 2011-2012 academic year. While this increase appears large, BC to Boston ($20,000) will no longer be funded directly by the Student Programs Office. It will now be funded by Student Life, in collaboration with Nights on the Heights. Furthermore, Student Life will now fund the Breaking the Barriers Ball ($10,000) instead of the Campus Entertainment department. The University Affairs department, formerly known as the University Issues department, received $9,150 for the 2010-2011 academic year and $13,500 for the 2011-2012 academic year. The Community Relations department received $12,450 for the 2010-2011 academic year whereas the department received $21,195 for the 2011-2012 academic year. New events such as Global Justice Week and Taste of Newton account for the majority of this budget’s increase. The Mentoring Leadership depart-
ment, formerly known as the Mentoring Leadership Program (MLP) under the Executive department, received $8,500 for the 2011-2012 academic year. This budget directly correlates to the amount the MLP received for the 2010-2011 academic year under the Executive department. The Communication department received $13,530 for the 2010-2011 academic year whereas the department received $13,500 for the 2011-2012 academic year. The ALC received a total of $85,627 for the 2010-2011 academic year, whereas the council received a total of $100,000 for the 2011-2012 academic year. This increase is largely due to the new ALC Speaker Series ($10,000) as an effort to boost UGBC programming. Although the 2010-2011 ALC budget was not broken down according to department, the 2011-2012 ALC budget has been allocated to specific departments. According to the report, by breaking down ALC’s allocations by department, the Senate Budget Committee hopes to set a precedent for all branches of the UGBC to format their budgets in a uniform manner from year to year. The GLC received $32,110 for the 2010-2011 academic year whereas the council received $31,400 for the 20112012 academic year. The Senate itself received $22,000 for the 2010-2011 academic year whereas it received $25,000 for the 2010-2011 academic year. n
dent organizations across campus. Organizations ranging from club sports, to mission trips, to a capella groups, all rely on the SOFC for a majority of their funding. In total, the amount of money requested by clubs is eight times the actual available funds, leaving SOFC with difficult decisions to make. “When we release the numbers, no one is ever happy,” White said. “We have to make a lot of tough decisions, but we provide rational for what we’re willing to fund, what we can’t, and why.” According to their website, the goal of SOFC is to assist student groups in putting on enriching events for the BC community, without the group having to be overly concerned with funding the event. This year, the committee is implementing a new funding process and other changes to try to better achieve their goal. Formerly, clubs had to submit budget proposals at the end of spring semester for the entire next year, often leading to unrealistic and inefficient distributions of the funds. “It’s hard to realistically plan an event nine months in advance,” said Mark Zimowski, treasurer of SOFC and CSOM ’12. “Instead of only having events partially funded from what’s left of a group’s budget, the new funding process should help ensure that the important events are fully funded and budgeted for.” There are now two cycles of funding so
that organizations have to reassess their budgets and come up with a better idea of what they really need. Additionally, each club now has a representative who facilitates constant communication between the club and SOFC. This helps both sides to have a better perspective about what is necessary to the organization and to the community as a whole. The changes supposedly create more work for the clubs who now have to submit proposals twice a year. In actuality, allocating the money closer to the beginning of the fall and spring semesters makes it easier on the individual organizations to have more concrete ideas about their needs. “We do not want to tell the clubs what we think should be important to them,” said Anthony Giannobile, vice chair of SOFC and CSOM ’12. “Each club now has representatives to assist in budget planning so that the organizations are getting enough funding for the things that are most important to them.” In an effort to ensure that the funds they are distributing are really being used efficiently, SOFC is going to start tracking how the clubs are actually spending the money. “Organizations used to present us with a rough budget, but we never knew how the money was actually being spent,” Zimowski said. “The new funding process in addition to increased communication between organizations and representatives will help create more accountability on both sides,” White said. n
CLASSIFIEDS
A5
The Heights
Monday, September 12, 2011
Community Help wanted Babysitter Wanted for Sweet 6month-Old Newton parents and BC grads seek responsible, friendly BC student for babysitter. Must be available some weekdays and weekends. Car is a plus but not necessary. Please have references available. E-mail rcriccardella@gmail.com. Overnight Childcare for Middle School Girl Need companion for mature, independent 13-year-old girl while parents are traveling, overnight Thursday, Sept. 15, and Sunday,
HELP WANTED Sept. 18. Some driving required Friday and Monday afternoons, car provided. Other dates possible. Great pay! E-mail cbkahane@ comcast.net. After-school sitter needed Sitter needed for our 11-year-old on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3-6 p.m. Some driving needed, so a reliable car and an excellent driving record are a plus. Some light housekeeping, errands, or dog-walking of our very friendly chocolate lab as needed. References required. E-mail susan@nesson.net.
HELP wanted Have you thought about adoption? Loving and devoted married couple hoping to adopt. We hope you will consider us in your options. To learn more, please call us toll-free at 1-877-8413748, or visit our website www. roseanneandtim.com. Please be assured all conversations are held in strict confidence. With gratitude, Roseanne and Tim.
Directions: The Sudoku is played over a 9x9 grid. In each row there are 9 slots, some of which are empty and need to be filled. Each row, column and 3x3 box should contain the numbers 1 to 9. You must follow these rules: 路 Number can appear only once in each row 路 Number can appear only once in each column 路 Number can appear only once in each 3x3 box 路 The number should appear only once on row, column or area.
The Heights
A6
Monday, September 12, 2011
Editorials
Remembering Sept. 11 What does a childhood spent in the post-Sept. 11 world mean for the adulthood of BC students? Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of a dark day in modern American history, Sept. 11, 2001– a day that set off a chain reaction that continues today. It was an event that punctured our innocence, and set forth new concerns and challenges to be addressed. The current Boston College community has lived knowing two worlds: We were born into the pre-Sept. 11 world with a far less heightened sense of security, less of a sense of the geopolitical landscape, and less knowledge of the different forces at work that not only influence our safety, but also our economy. This world, however, is juxtaposed with today’s post-Sept. 11 world of constant vigilance and uncertainty. With the increased awareness, questions arise each day as to how completely we understand the problems before us and how comprehensively we can work to resolve the issues we face in a post-Sept. 11 world. Ten years after the attacks, we have spent over $1 trillion on security efforts and wars on two fronts, yet the same challenges to eradicate terrorism and ignorance exist, combined with escalating domestic, economic, and social crises. Our generation is better positioned to
understand and overcome the challenges that emerged after that horrific day. We have more information at our fingertips and are the most educated of any generation prior, but whether or not we use our knowledge to its fullest extent to resolve pressing issues – from terrorism to the economic crisis – remains to be seen. We cannot become too passive; we cannot become too comfortable and complacent. We cannot lose sight of our priorities, and we must focus on collaborating to resolve issues and ignore to petty partisan politics that make the nation even more politically and economically divided. Strong patriotism and the willingness to collaborate for mutual benefit cannot be weakened. In an op-ed published in The New York Times on Sept. 28, 2001, only a few weeks after the attacks, Tom Brokaw asked: “Will the surge of bipartisan spirit endure, washing away the pettiness that devalues public life and alienates voters?” We can only hope that on the anniversary of Sept. 11, a time for honest reflection, we not only remember those who lost their lives on that day, but also the need to come together and use our countless resources to triumph over tragedy.
Drinking culture extends beyond Conte Administration’s moratorium is intended, but may leave something left to be considered With the announcement that the UGBC will not be able to host a fall concert, Conte Forum will be devoid of a musical performance this semester. Citing high numbers of alcohol-related medical transports at the previous two concerts, the University placed a temporary moratorium on all large-scale events held in the arena. Concern for the safety and well-being of students should be among an academic institution’s top priorities, and the Boston College administration has made it emphatically clear that such is the case for its policies. The cancellation of the UGBC Fall Concert by the BC administration may have come as a shock to some students, but if it was received negatively, it has yet to be seen. Reaction to the news seems to have been relatively lukewarm and it brings to question whether or not this decision was the best course of action for administrators to take. While a large-scale events can certainly elicit heavy drinking from students, such behavior is not necessarily required for enjoying the event. Students have in the past, and will continue to consume alcohol with or without a central event. The Heights acknowledges and is in complete accord with the administration’s intent to curb binge
drinking and desire to prevent an excessive amount of medical transports. While we agree with the mission, we believe that, perhaps, a better way to address this recurring issue exists, seeing as how it continues to be a prominent characteristic of the drinking culture on campus. It is also important to consider that the transport statistics may be inflated due to the logistics of the actual policy. There have been, and unfortunately will be, cases where students will require medical attention as a result of heavy alcohol intake, but it may be that not all of these students need to be taken to a medical facility. If the administration insists upon calling off events in an attempt to deter students from drinking to the point where they require hospitalization, other popular events to which the BC community has grown accustomed to looking forward to may be in jeopardy. We hope that the cancellation of the fall concert does not set the precedent that if an event has the potential to encourage unusually prodigious amounts of drinking, the University will put it in on hiatus, whether permanently or temporarily, as a means to make sure that this does not happen.
Standards don’t always promise justice for all OCR letter adds new dimension to an already complicated issue The Obama administration’s spring letter urging colleges to expand their protections to women in assault cases has perked the ears of student life professionals - obliging them to beef up their conduct handbooks and, in the case of Boston College, establish a Title IX coordinator position to vet compliance issues. The letter, which was released by the education department’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR), discourages colleges from allowing cross-examination of the accuser by the accused in sexual assault cases overseen by campus authorities and conduct boards. This interpretation of Title IX does place more of an onus on schools to investigate their students’ transgressions – a noble motive. Still, issues remain.
The OCR’s letter also reminded administrators of some of Title IX more contentious provisions, such as the fact that administrators should evaluate cases on a “more-likely-than-not” basis (a slightly more loose method than the typical “clear and convincing evidence” basis seen in criminal courts). Also, here at BC, problems arise in conduct proceedings. A spring 2010 report by The Heights shows that cases sometimes spin off into “he said-she said” arguments, making it difficult for administrators to make judgments. Now that the accused lack the opportunity to cross-examine their accusers, those ambiguous cases can become more difficult to litigate – a weighty problem considering the typical punishment for a guilty ruling is suspension or expulsion.
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Editorial
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Penelope Wright / Heights Illustration
Letters to the Editor In accordance with the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11th, today’s collection of letters deal with campus reactions to Osama bin Laden’s death last Spring.
Striking a balance I commemorate the demise of Osama bin Laden as a moment for reflection, remembrance, and prayer. I take pause when witnessing his death as an occasion for festivity, particularly on college campuses. It worries me that future leaders of our country, weaned for 10 years on cultures of war and fear, know no other response. We must heed the difference between celebrating American triumph in a just cause, and reveling in one man’s violent death. As the last decade has shown us, death breeds nothing but more of the same. It was bin Laden, after all, who preached death and hatred, prompting war and retribution, and sewing the seeds of his own downfall. Great men and women truly committed to justice have taught us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. Thus, as members of a diverse student/alumni community brought together by a Jesuit institution, let us ensure that this historic moment is not perverted by misdirected emotion. Let compassion be the mark of our society, and let us hope that bin Laden’s death might bring our world one step closer to peace. John Landsowne BC ’07
No rules, just death
I write as someone who was in New York City on Sept. 11, and who watched the Twin Towers burn. I was deeply moved by the report of a “mob” of jubilant students rampaging through campus and invading the library with chants of, “U!S!A!” and “America can’t be stopped.” Indeed, with thousands of U.S. soldiers dead in Iraq and Afghanistan, and with between 100,000 and 400,000 Iraqis also dead (not to mention numerous infractions of U.S. and international law), I completely agree with the student who shouted “Osama’s dead! No Rules!” Hooray. Now we can add Osama bin Laden to the long list of people our government has killed. John P. Falcone STM ’16
Memorial always remembers
The story (Heights 5-2-11) of the students celebrating the news of the death of Osama Bin Laden did not mention the Sept. 11 memorial on campus. Plaques near the commemorative labyrinth, on the lawn outside the Burns Library, list the 22 graduates of Boston College who were killed in the attacks on Sept. 11. One of them had graduated the previous May.
The irony of finding joy in violence When I heard joyful shouts and patriotic music echoing from outside my window shortly after Osama Bin Laden’s death was announced, I felt sad. I was reminded of a short story called “The Snake” by Ervin Krause that I had read in high school. A farmer out plowing his field nearly crushes a snake under his tire; he stops just in time. The snake is unusually beautiful; its skin is shades of fire, but it is cool to the touch and very calm. Awed by its beauty, the farmer moves the snake out of harm’s way and continues his task. Some distance later, the farmer looks back across the field and sees a young boy fiercely stomping the ground and driving a stake downwards into something unseen. The farmer rushes over, but it is too late. The boy has killed the snake, its once beautiful skin torn and gray. The cruel boy is unrepentant. All snakes are “ugly and bad,” and so deserve to die. He has killed thoughtlessly and is satisfied with what he has done. The farmer is rightly overwhelmed with disgust. He flings the snake’s corpse onto the little boy shouting, “It’s alive!” and the terrified child runs screaming and sobbing away. The story concludes: “The little brute, I thought, the little cruel brute, to hurt and seek to kill something so beautiful and clean, and I couldn’t help smiling and feeling satisfied, because the boy, too, had suffered a little for his savageness, and I felt my mouth trying to smile about it. And I stopped suddenly and I said, ‘Oh, God,’ with the fierce smile of brutality frightening my face, and I thought “Oh, God, oh God…” Let me make a few things clear; I don’t feel sorry for bin Laden. And, unlike the farmer’s mean-spirited trick, our country’s response to thoughtless brutality was, in this instance, appropriate. Direct action against al-Qaida is justified. What I take issue with is the outpouring of joy in response to a violent necessity. I don’t believe that Sunday night’s celebrations were primarily fueled by the lifting of anxiety, or the glimmer of a safer future. The Boston Globe ran a story the next day describing the reactions of Sept. 11 families to the news of bin Laden’s death. Emotions of ‘comfort’ and ‘relief ’ are described; this is the reaction of someone with a heavy burden suddenly lifted. Judging by the fact that the song of choice was “America, F--- Yeah” and by the multiple choruses of “Nah nah hey hey goodbye” people were celebrating America’s ability to ‘kick a--’ and take revenge on our enemies. The revelers were celebrating the fact that a bullet entered the skull of the man who wronged us and tore his brain to shreds. Again, I don’t feel sorry for bin Laden; I’m concerned about our reaction. Some people call what occurred Sunday night on our campus patriotism. I don’t. Terrorists take pleasure in violence. Patriots, if they must be violent, do so to secure a better life for themselves and their children. They celebrate peace.
Matthew Panichello BC ’11
David E. Horn Archives & Manuscripts, Burns Library
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The Heights
Monday, September 12, 2011
A7
Opinions
A case for Twitter
Thumbs Up Posh Pops Performers – Get your jazz hands warmed up and your gaudiest evening wear at the ready, BC has finally announced that two Broadway heavy hitters, Wicked’s Stephanie J. Block and Julia Murney, will be the headlining acts for this year’s Pops on the Heights concert. These “wicked divas” are sure to cast a charming spell on the attendees of Parents’ Weekend’s most delightful evening. Abroad Fair – Sophomores, this week the world is your oyster. Literally. Wednesday’s study abroad fair will open your eyes to all the academic fun you can have in the time zone of your choice during your third year. For information on all the other sorts of fun to be had across the pond, consult the Class of 2012. A Stroll Down Involvement Lane – Though it was a nail in the coffin of the recently gone Dustbowl, last week’s “Involvement Fair” on Linden Lane was the start of a wonderful tradition and use of an often overlooked spot on campus—unless you’re a Newtonite or a Bapst freak, that is. Of course, any opportunity to be within sight of Gasson these days is fine by most.
Dineen Boyle There are three types of tweeters: frequent tweeters, those who have created an account but barely use it, and those who avoid the site because they assume Twitter is a self-indulgent land of trivial ramblings. I was once a Twitter-hater. I considered Twitter a place where people publicly emoted about the weather and shared inconsequential information like how the #WorstFeelingEver is when your sock slides off and you can’t fix it because you’re wearing boots. I stand (mostly) corrected. If you have dismissed Twitter, reconsider. For anyone still unfamiliar, Twitter is a free, online social networking site that allows people to “tweet,” or share 140-character, text-based posts. Once a member of the site, one can follow specific people, organizations, sports teams, designers, authors, bands, news outlets, etc. “Following” a Twitter account essentially subscribes one to all tweets published by that handle. The tweets appear in one’s feed, much like a news ticker. I am a news junkie. Nothing says “I’m kewl” quite like falling asleep at night while reading The New York Times app on your iPhone. And no service breaks news faster than Twitter. The inbound structure of the site allows me to prioritize, sort through, and seek out the news in which I am most interested. This efficiency allows me to read and to discover many articles that I may have otherwise missed. In
CJ Gustafson
Girl Power – Women may lead in percentage of college graduates in the United States, but all those brains, beauty, and brawn have yet to make a crack in a number of solid glass ceilings. Most obviously, there’s yet to be a lady seated in the Oval Office. On a lesser known scale, though, no one with an XX chromosomal composition has even held the title of Chess World Champ, been head writer for the decades-old show The Simpsons, allowed to join the Navy Seals, or served as general manager of a baseball team. Looks like math and science aren’t the only fields hurting for the feminine touch. Just Can’t Quit You – You think it’s weird you have to endure Intermediate Spanish with your ex (nothing takes the “romance” out of Romance Languages faster), but imagine this: A Dutch woman is currently being charged with stalking her ex-boyfriend. The prosecution’s prime piece of evidence? She called him over 65,000 times in the past year. 178 calls a day. A whole new meaning to, “Can you hear me now?” Get your daily dose. Follow TU/TD on Twitter. @BCTUTD
meaningful way with those around us, we have denied ourselves the most fundamental element of our education. It is important to note a caveat to the benefits of using Twitter: There is a distinct double-edged sword to participating in an online community. The trick is to cultivate a Twitter handle that strikes the delicate balance between personality, appropriateness, and readability. What do you bring to the table that others do not? Is what you are saying of benefit to others? Could it be offensive? Is it controversial for the sake of controversy or for the sake of sharing a worthy opinion? Your account should be genuine. It should not be fabricated for the sole intent of enticing employers. Tweet about things in which you are truly interested. Tweet about things that are funny. Tweet about things that fascinate or outrage you. Tweet about things that are beautiful. And, at risk of sounding hypocritical, don’t tweet at all. The act of informing oneself is in itself an act of participation. If you have nothing to say on Twitter, you will have something to say to someone later, in person, because of an article that you found and read through the site. So far, I have only 46 followers (13 of which are spambots) and my most retweeted tweet was “@dineenboyle: I hate when ppl try to tell me the ingredients in hot dogs. i eat them a total of 4 times a year. just let me bask in my hot dog ignorance.” I clearly have a ways to go in terms of heeding my own advice about educating oneself and tweeting about things that will impress future employers. But hey, it’s an evolving process. Dineen Boyle is a staff columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
Komodo Dragons eat a lot
Thumbs Down Sept. 11 Jokes – The presence of jokes that played off the tragedy that left an irreparable scar on our nation on Facebook and Twitter were downright tasteless and offensive. TU/TD is a fan of social media as much as anyone in the 20-something set, but that it has given people a forum where boundaries, decorum, and inhibitions are unheard of is disturbing to say the least. As your mother would say, if you wouldn’t want your actions on the front page of tomorrow’s paper, best not to perform them at all.
some ways, I consider my Twitter feed like the president’s daily briefing. It contains the most concise, important information from the sources I trust, but fortunately for me (and for you) my reading of it has absolutely zero bearing on matters of national security. In today’s competitive job market, Twitter is not used solely for news and recreational purposes. When utilized effectively, it can prove to be a dynamic tool for establishing a personal brand. By now, it is common knowledge that employers often perform Internet searches on potential employees. Hiring prospects with a history of tweets that demonstrate genuine interest and insight into their desired industry succeed in expanding their dimensionality beyond the margins of their resume. So much of what we are able to achieve and experience are merely matters of being conscious of all the opportunities available to us. One cannot apply to an internship or job if one does not know that it exists. One cannot see one’s favorite band if one does not realize they are playing an upcoming show. One cannot read the latest articles about the European debt crisis or, on a slightly less significant note, about the history of the high-five (thanks, @ESPN), if one does not realize that they have been published. Twitter streamlines what I consider to be at once the simplest and yet most important civic duties: being informed and participating. I have little tolerance for people who don’t make an effort to inform themselves. Being informed does not require pouring over newspapers for hours or engaging in the latest political firestorm. At its most basic level, it means taking an interest in the news that impacts your community, both hyper-locally and globally. Particularly as students, if we are unable to engage and converse in an informed,
Today I watched Komodo Dragons feast on unsuspecting pigs and deer for about 45 minutes. I was completely enthralled. But, believe it or not, I did not wake up this morning, roll out of bed, check my calendar and say, “Finally. The day I have a chunk of my time dedicated to learning more about the dieting and hunting habits of a rare reptile residing on an obscure island in the South Pacific.” My YouTube observations came to an end when I remembered I had a column to write. Actually, to be honest, the reason I was on the computer in the first place was to write this column. I started out by opening my computer and checking my e-mail to see when it was due. But I got distracted on the Yahoo homepage. How could I resist the headline “Large Moose Gets Stuck in Tree?” Apparently the elk got plastered from consuming one too many fermented apples. Then he couldn’t finagle his way out of the branches. Sounds like my roommate last week, minus the apples, plus a slightly higher oak tree. I reached my e-mail after a nice chuckle and saying, “Dude, check this out” to the five people closest in proximity to me. But I soon discovered an email notifying me that my friend from home had written on my Facebook wall. Following the link, I saw a surfing video. Youtube then gave me the ability to link to a video of a surfer experiencing a close encounter with a shark. Then, obviously, I took the opportunity to watch sharks hunting off of the coast of South Africa. Shark Week clips are the best. Well, they are the second best, following closely behind Komodo Dragon montages, which I eventually found myself watching after four more mouse clicks.
It must have been much simpler to complete a written piece before the Internet. I’m not willing to lock myself in a log cabin like Thoreau, mainly because he had to write by candlelight and I have an intense fear of knocking over burning chunks of wax and suddenly finding myself engulfed in flames, but the distractions and information available within seconds is overwhelming. Sometimes I ask myself if the privilege to access a deluge of information at the snap of a finger, some of it requested and some of it not, is holding us back from actually becoming smarter and more efficient. As a generation we have access to an unheralded amount of facts, data, videos, and music. Think of your parents in college. If they wanted to listen to the most recent Aerosmith album they had to drive to the record store and purchase it. If I want to listen to the new Lil Wayne album I know about five websites off of the top of my head where I can download it without dropping a dime. If your parents needed information for a research paper about medicine they had to travel to the library and open a thickly bound edition of Taber’s Cycolopedic Medical Dictionary. I barely know the difference between Advil and penicillin (I think one is a cure for pink eye and the other for athlete’s foot), but if I had a similar assignment I could check WebMD.com without getting dust on my fingers from the same book my parents used that is currently deteriorating in O’Neill Library. If they wanted to learn about Komodo Dragons they would be bizarre people. I’m still a bizarre person but I can do so from the comfort of my couch without a VHS tape or library card. In Spiderman the movie, Uncle Ben tells his superhero nephew, “With
Bazoomie Wagon | Ben Vadnal
great power comes great responsibility.” This statement coincides, albeit in a twisted, out of context manner, with the Internet and other technological resources we possess. Not only can we access more information than any person lived before, but we can do it at lightening speed. Not only is the world your oyster, but you can use Google Shopping to find the best deals on pearls. I’ve personally never purchased any, but I hear they are going fast this time of year. To be perfectly honest, I still have the YouTube tab open with Komodo Dragon videos. Next, I’ll probably watch the linking video, which details Pablo Escobar’s pet hippopotamuses. Is this in any way necessary to my educational experience? No, unless it’s trivia night at Roggies. But we as college students take for granted our ease of accessibility to the world outside. Even if we are not being productive, we still have the capability to fill our minds with information that past generations would toil to acquire. I’m not condoning a generation’s chronic procrastination problem, because people have delayed work for centuries. I’m sure there were multiple individuals who decided to throw rocks at the pyramids in Egypt rather than move another three-ton block in 110degree weather. I’m recognizing the fact that we have the ability to access and absorb more than anyone who has come before us. That, in itself, is something that must be taken advantage of. We are the Komodo Dragon generation. CJ Gustafson is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
The social spectator
James Kaberna Organization is important. “Everything in its right place,” screams Thom Yorke. See? Even the alternative folk think so. (But is Radiohead alternative any longer? That’s a discussion for another column.) If you’re an undergraduate at Boston College, then you’ve already been on campus one full week and you undoubtedly—and perhaps regretfully—are aware of this particular population’s heightened attention to social organization. I won’t waste the entirety of this column on the admonishment of cliquey girls or empty-headed bros. I enjoy—and understand—organization. Presently, I’m reclined in my offcampus bedroom. Beside me stands a neatly organized desk. I realize where I rest my preppy shoed foot on the BC social ladder. Living on Foster, I occupy a particularly sought after position. I can have parties and invite easily my impressed underlings—those confined to on-campus housing and my underaged peers whose weekend evenings inevitably involve foraging for beer and vodka—to “my place” for my own chilled rack of cheap alcohol. Oh, and I’m from Chicago. That’s interesting, right? I feel that the neatness of our campus’ social organization makes it easy for the aging undergraduate to select his or her own circle—like selecting the best cafeteria or near campus restaurant to dine at. Maybe that’s why each year at BC is better than the last. And being the social grasshopper that I feel I have become, I think I’ve constructed a fairly detailed flow chart of the institution’s larger student groupings. There is one body, however, that I have again and again had trouble arranging amongst its supposed fellows: the gay community! I’m using exclamation intentionally. It seems to me that this particular demographic has been corralled and set, in many ways, apart from the more widely accepted factions—those that are not defined by the sexual orientation of their members. At first consideration of the BC community and its subdivision, I thought the numbers simply weren’t there. Are there even as many gays on the campus to stand squarely beside the university’s smallest club? Well, yes. Like any wholesome and dignified American family, the odd cousin has been asked to sit quietly in the back bedroom. This can’t be accurate, can it? Of course, there are student organizations and resources on the campus. I am aware. But none yet have satisfied me. I’m very tidy, remember? And the respective mission statements of the GLC and Queer Peers have unfortunately not aided me in my attempts to fit the gay community somewhere alongside our campus’ trendy, preppy, jocky, artsy, and nerdy individuals. I’ve consulted the flyer in back hallway behind Eagle’s Nest—the schematic UGBC’s relationships with the GLC and the ALC—but to no avail. Is the GLC also an event planning, student-administration liaison? And if so, why are its members separate from UGBC? In my endeavors, I often feel like a very confounded freshman living on Upper mulling over the freshman Newtonian. (This is my third shameless analogy, in case you weren’t counting.) Newtonians are still freshmen, but it’s so much more of a hassle for them to integrate with their classmates living on Upper. Research has led me to conclude that there are gay folks on this campus. But before they’re gay, they are just your happy, everyday folk. They come from as varied walks of life as does every BC student. Gay students could not occupy just one bubble on my color-coded flow chart because they fit into many. “A person’s a person,” the grand and insightful Dr. Seuss tells us. And before a BC student is a jock or alternative or just decked out in so much of this season’s J. Crew catalogue, he or she is a real, live, brilliant human being. The Grammy trophy is only gilded in gold. James Kaberna is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at opinions@bcheights.com.
The Heights
A8
Monday, September 12, 2011
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R P I V E W E
A F L L
o season better draws a crowd than the fall. The air becomes alive with a crisp breeze and creativity fills the scene like autumnal foliage. Boston and BC play host to a number of sure-to-be rousing performances this season, and the fruits of fall are ready for picking.
By: Darren ranck, brennan carley, and charlotte parish
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Into the woods
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Auditions have just finished for this year’s musical: the morbid, tune-filled version of Grimm’s fairytales, Into the Woods. Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Jack (and the Beanstalk), all run amuck in a wood, connected by the original story of a baker and his wife trying to start a family. The fairytale characters are much more neurotic, nuanced, and realistic than their story book counterparts as Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine strove to illuminate the real people who could have lingered beneath the characters of ‘once upon a time.’
On Campus
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MarigoldS Directed by Marc Franklin, A&S ’12, this Pulitzer Prize winner focuses on a dysfunctional family of two teenage daughters led by a single mother, trying to navigate her way through her abysmal life. The mother, Ruth, is one of the most self-centered and abusive maternal figures around. The show first premiered in 1964, and has paved the way for countless plays today, most notably Tracy Letts’ August Osage County. It was then turned into a film in 1972, led by Joanne Woodward who took home the Cannes Film Festival Best Actress award. Owing much of its drama to the works of Tennessee Williams, Marigolds promises to be a fascinating picture of hopelessness.
first thing
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Nov. 4 and 5, the Contemporary Theatre of Boston College will take on the dark teenage drama by Carlos Murillo, Dark Play, Stories for Boys. The play centers around the stories, the lies that the lead character, 14-year-old Nick, spins while on the Internet. Seduced by the anonymity of the web, Nick begins a macabre game with the heart of a 16-year-old boy, Adam, who just wants to fall in love. Behind a monitor, Adam does not realize that Rachel and her whole life is a falsehood created by Nick. This new play examines not only what makes a person fall in love, but also what love means in the technology era when Internet deceptions are so easily done.
Continuing the tradition of strong female vocals, this year’s Pops on the Heights, entitled “Wicked Divas,” will feature Stephanie J. Block and Julia Murney. Block, a veteran of Broadway’s The Boy From Oz, Wicked, and 9 to 5, is also a Drama Desk Award nominee heralded as one of the hardest working actresses around. Murney has starred in regional and touring productions of Chess, Funny Girl, and Wicked, but is more known for her voiceover work on shows like Sex and the City and NYPD Blue. The ladies will accompany the esteemed Boston Pops in Conte Forum. The orchestra, led by conductor Keith Lockhart, joins the Boston College community for the 19th time this fall.
Mix Fest
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Though divisive, Jay-Z and Kanye West’s new album Watch the Throne tore up the charts this summer. Now the pair has reunited to bring their collaboration on the road. The possibilities for the tour are truly endless. People have speculated about opening acts for the pair, with names like Frank Ocean and Nicki Minaj thrown around. Regional rappers, like Drake in Toronto and Rick Ross in Miami, might appear along the way. Last month, rumors swirled about a feud between the rappers; shows were mysteriously moved to later dates with no explanation. Luckily, more shows have been added, ensuring that whatever beef the two had is behind them. The Watch the Throne tour arrives at the TD Garden on Nov. 21.
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The circus
Coolidge Corner is a miniaturized hub of arts with the classic Coolidge Corner Theatre and Brookline Booksmith. The theater frequently features lesser known and indie films, but occasionally is taken over by authors, brought in by Brookline Booksmith. During the daytime, this store – which is just a block from the Coolidge T stop – is two stories of book heaven. However, by night, Booksmith transforms into a center for authors to come and share their works. The selection switches back and forth between the unknowns of Brookline and the famous, between novels and memoirs. and poetry. foreign lanom a happy movie. With a two and a half hour running time, this film becomes a draining experience.
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Watch the throne
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first thing
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Peter Pan 360
An import from London, this production of Peter Pan is unlike any other you’ve ever seen. Using 360-degree technology, the production immerses the audience into the world of Neverland and surrounds the audience with giants screens depicting the magical land. Theatrical magic emulates flying, swimming, fighting, and so much more as the 35-person cast tells J.M. Barrie’s timeless tale. The show requires a large tent to be erected near Boston City Hall. For the inner child and the wonder of theater, buy tickets for this touring piece as soon as you can.
Off Campus
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Pops on the heights
On Saturday, Sept. 17, the Hatch Shell is going to reverberate with the power packed vocals of Sara Bareilles and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at this year’s MIXFest. Joining them on the banks of the Charles are the softer tunes of Lifehouse, Michelle Branch, and Javier Colon, the first winner of The Voice’s debut season. With such an amazing line up at one of the city’s most entertaining venues, this day long festival will be absolutely packed. Plus, to induce even more stampedes and hysteria, the concert is completely free. For the first time ever, local radio station Mix 104.1 is not selling tickets to their annual end of summer fest, but rather offering this musical gift to their listeners free of charge.
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The fine arts scene at Boston College burns brightly at the end-ofyear Arts Fest, but the embers flare up in the fall with groups putting on performances throughout the season. A capella groups from the all-female Sharps to the R&B flavored B.E.A.T.S. (Black Experience in America Through Song), storm the lecture halls and perform creatively arranged interpretations of classics and modern pop. Dance performances electrify Robsham as troops like Dance Ensemble and Dance Organization take to the stage. The Art Club will host new gallery showings sure to turn some heads, while WZBC brings retro and new age works to BC. There’s a lot to look forward to this fall, but it requires an audience to be a success.
The Dramatics’ Society returns with a new production of Patrick Marber’s provocative and torrid romance Closer. The play focuses on two couples who become curiously and dangerously entwined with one another. On its most shallow level, fans of teen melodrama like Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl will get a kick out of the sordid love rectangle. A movie version starring Jude Law, Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, and Natalie Portman capitalized on the glamorous affairs, making them at once beautiful and visceral. At its core, though, the play will emphasize the inherent strangeness, beauty, and horror of human intimacy and what intimacy truly means. A challenge for college students, the show should be nothing if not emotionally charged and worth admission.
dark play
On Sept. 17, the Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art of the Museum of Fine Arts will open to showcase modern acquisitions. Artist Josian McElheny crafted a grand centerpiece for the opening of the exhibit. Entitled “Endlessly Repeating Twentieth Century Modernism,” the piece contains translucent vases, decanters, and bottles housed in a display case that endlessly reflects the objects. They recede infinitely into the mirrors. The museum has already acquired multiple influential pieces to fill the new sector, including an Ellsworth Kelly entitled “Blue Green Yellow Orange Red.” Painted in 1968, the piece lends an air of sophistication and maturity to the Linde Family Wing, a sign of brighter and more innovative things to come.
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first thing
Every kid wants to run away and join the circus, but now is the time to watch the show through new eyes as Barnum and Bailey bring their tent spectacular back to Boston. While the clowns still bring equal parts fear and laughter and the trapeze artists still shock with their aerodynamic tricks, this circus is all about the animals. A cavalcade of majestic horses, a stampede of elephants, and the most playful cats you’ve ever seen are the highlights of the show and the humans are merely second banana. Here for only one weekend, escape to the circus before it slips away once again.
Ryan Gosling saves new Hollywood as an old kind of leading man Dan Siering For all the actors who are fortunate to beat out thousands of their peers to catch their inevitable big break, each one has taken a unique and usually tumultuous journey to reach the summit. Some such as Jennifer Lawrence and Rooney Mara, two critical darlings of 2010, become instant stars in their youth and were awarded high profile lead roles before they’ve even moved out of their parents’ house (Mara will be starring in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo this Christmas, while Lawrence will take the lead reigns in The Hunger Games next spring). On the other hand, some journeyman thespians, like 2010 Academy Award winner Colin Firth, do not catch the public’s eye of admiration until decades into their career. Ryan Gosling seems to fall somewhere in the latter side of this gaping age range.
The 30-year-old Canadian born actor has indeed flirted with commercial and critical success over his 14-year career, but 2011 marks the year in which Gosling will finally get to see the view from the top. After playing a few minor roles as a teenager, Gosling got his first big break at the age of 20 when he played Alan Bosley in the successful high school football film Remember the Titans. Four years later Gosling surprises a few critics and stole the hearts of more than a few teenage girls with his lead role in The Notebook. With a rather stable footing in Hollywood, Gosling went on to bolster his acting creditability by starring in Half Nelson, a film about a drug addicted high school teacher in which he was awarded an Academy Award nomination. Gosling once again won critical praises last year with his compelling rendition of a faltering husband in Blue Valentine, a role that many believed was also Oscar worthy.
With so many positive responses from the movie industry under his belt, it was only a matter of time until filmmakers looked to cash in on the Gosling’s acting prowess. The actor’s first dive in the commercial market in 2011 came in the form of a lead role in this summer’s rom-com Crazy, Stupid Love. Gosling delivers some witty one-liners and even a few heartfelt moments as Jacob, a suave and sophisticated womanizer. With generally positive receptions, Gosling showed that he was able to maintain his acting merits while he began doing more commercial roles. Now, as fall looms near, be on the lookout for Gosling as he makes a bid at expanding his film repertoire even further. First the actor looks to enter the action genre. This Friday makes the opening of Drive, a crime thriller in which Gosling stars as a Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver for various criminals in Los Angeles. This film has a
dynamite cast around Gosling, including rising star Carey Mulligan and acting legend Alex Brooks, as well as Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy), and Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), three television stars looking to make their own respective splashes. The film’s premise might not sound very alluring to movie buffs, yet Drive was one of the most acclaimed selections at the Cannes Film Festival in early May. The film is initially being described as a more artistic version of The Transporter series, and initial reviews are enamored with Gosling in a more dramatic role. Following Drive, Gosling will take one more giant leap into another genre with the release of The Ides of March, an intricate political thriller and an early favorite for Oscar nods. Written and directed by George Clooney, Gosling leads a cast that is bulging with acting talent, including Clooney himself, Phillip Seymour Hoff-
man, and Paul Giamatti. The film follows an ambitious and idealistic campaign manager, Gosling, who is quickly thrown into the turmoil of political deceit and corruption. Ides received glowing reviews when it opened the Venice Film Festival at the end of August, and the film will be screened this week at the Toronto Film Festival, which has quickly become the premiere film gathering of the year. With such positive initial feedback coming from Drive and The Ides of March, all signs point to 2011 as the year that Ryan Gosling with thrown into the category of bona-fide, A-list movie star. Also with his record of award flirtation, history points to 2011 as possibly the year Gosling hoists a golden statue.
Dan Siering is a staff columnist for The Heights. He welcomes comments at arts@ bcheights.com.
The Heights
Monday, September 12, 2011
A9
Film debut of ‘Bucky Larson’ leaves everyone unsatisfied By Darren Ranck Arts & Review Editor Some movies are so offensive in nature, so unrestrained in comedy, and so tasteless that they cross over into comedic genius. Think American Pie or Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Like those movies, Nick Swardson vehicle Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star is offensive, unrestrained, and tasteless, but it lacks a vital component – laughs. With a premise that inspires eye-rolling and groaning, Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star marks a low-point in a rather mediocre Bucky Larson: Born year of film. T h e f i l m’s to Be A Star eponymous Tom Brady Happy Madison protagonist (played with shallow idiocy by Swardson), lives an empty life as a bag boy at a grocery store in Iowa. His thick Midwestern accent and obnoxiously oversized front teeth give him an earnestness that is equal parts innocence and cluelessness.
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When he discovers his parents spent time as adult film stars, he decides to follow his destiny and goes west to Los Angeles. After failed attempts to break into the industry, Bucky meets down on his luck adult film director Miles Deep (Don Johnson), who decides to film Bucky after being snubbed by an industry hotshot ( Stephen Dorff ). Bucky’s shortcomings as an adult film star somehow end up being a star-making characteristic as men and woman use his performance to recognize just how good their own sex lives are. Can Bucky maintain his stardom and keep up a relationship with his love interest, Kathy (Christina Ricci)? The answer to that question is completely inconsequential. The shallow characterization makes you feel nothing for the characters, so even at the peak of Bucky’s success, no viewer actively roots for him. Swardson’s portrayal of Bucky is perhaps the film’s weakest point. While Bucky allegedly radiates likability, Swardson oozes shrillness. He’s simply annoying, and there’s nothing remarkable about his performance in the
least bit. Without any necessary charm or comedic timing, Swardson seems destined to always play second banana from this point on. To be fair, none of the actors escape unscathed, save a handful. Of the key characters, the only one who somehow shapes a decent character is Johnson. Miles obviously has something to prove, and Johnson makes that quality accessible. Similarly, in cameo roles as Bucky’s parents, Edward Hermann and Miriam Flynn are a likable comic presence, and it’s a shame they couldn’t have played a larger role in the rest of the film. That being said, more time would probably ruin what were likable small characters. Director Tom Brady and writers Adam Sandler, Nick Swardson, and Allen Covert have truly created a film that is full of flaws and devoid of comedy. Every moment intended for laughs falls with a thud, either because of sheer obviousness or ham-fisted awkwardness. This comes as no surprise for director Brady. His previous films include the Rob Schneider flops The Animal and The
Hot Chick. Brady seemingly doesn’t know the phrase “less is more,” and overstuffs every scene with crass antics. Sandler, Swardson, and Covert craft a script that is useless, barely following typical scene structure. It cannot be said just how completely and expectedly terrible this movie is and not
even in a possible cult-classic sense. It does give some much needed help to upcoming releases, though. Much like Bucky made less than ideal male sexual partners look good, Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star can make even Real Steel look like the next On the Waterfront.
Courtesy of Allmoviephoto.com
Nick Swardson and Christina Ricci lack chemistry in the shallow ‘Bucky Larson’ motion picture.
Cirque performs quiet journey ‘Quidam,’ from A10
Courtesy of Mcmullen museum
The McMullen Museum’s latest exhibit showcases famous works of art from through several British monarchies.
New exhibit showcases history and art of the Queen’s Britain McMullen, from A10 those who adore British art, as the antiquaries saved as many three dimensional artifacts as they did paintings or portraits. Possibly the most impressive piece in the museum is an original 1215 copy of the Magna Carta, but it is not alone. Turn around, and the antiquaries have also saved the scroll outlining the royal heritage of King Henry VI. Although the plaque points out the impossibility of creating an accurate heritage since countless people claimed to be related to the king in order to receive favors, it is a rather humorous relic because it claims that King Henry was also the descendent of Adam, Eve, and Brutus. Several large blocks of words adorn the walls of the McMullen and explain each of the nine sections. In particular, they all note that the Society of Antiquaries was an important society in London because the citizens feared destruction of these artifacts due to wars ranging from the 1600s civil war to both of the world wars. Throughout these wars, the Society of Antiquaries has fought to preserve antiques in order to represent history and inspire other artists. Not only would the expansive and beautiful drawings of Wells Cathedral have inspired Ken Follet’s Pillars of the Earth, but also
several pieces in the exhibit directly contributed to other books, as one case houses wood blocks that were used as the image prints in a copy of the ancient story Cupid and Psyche. And no exhibit of Britain’s history would be completely without an area dedicated to the mystery of Stonehenge. Several portraits of this infamous site line the wall of the downstairs exhibit, but the most interesting thing that Antiquaries in Britain offers about the mysterious arrangements of stones is a short video loop that outlines the history of the lost carvings of Stonehenge. As if there weren’t already enough conspiracy theories about aliens placing this circle in Britain, in 2003 laser scanning showed that there are ancient carvings almost unperceivable by the human eye. This technology showed a cross hatching of symbols across the surface of each of the stones, perhaps carvings by the original layers of the stones. There will also be a flurry of events associated with the exhibit, such as concerts of English composed music, a conference of Anglo-Saxon history, and a lecture on the Magna Carta by former Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice Margaret Marshall. For more information on just the exhibit itself, free group tours are available every Sunday. n
‘Contagion’ an infectious thriller ‘Contagion,’ from A10 famous actors. Matt Damon is a recent widower who must protect his daughter in an increasingly dangerous environment. Laurence Fishburne and Kate Winslet are doctors trying to make sense of the new virus. Marion Cotilliard is … another person trying to make sense of the virus. Truthfully, the individuals in this movie are heavily overshadowed by the event. Each actor plays a small but important role, showing how different people are forced to cope with the disaster. The big-name actors might be what draws audiences into the theater, but the virus itself will be the focus of post-movie night conversation. Contagion illustrates all stages of this epidemic, from f irst contact to worldwide pandemonium, in a mere 106 minutes, only 10 minutes more than Nick Swardson received to become a porn star this weekend. The action moves at a brisk pace and, with the exception of Jude Law’s “whining reporter” storyline, will have audience members biting their nails for its duration. Director
Steven Soderbergh, maker of the masterful multi-narrative film Traffic, knows exactly how to cut the different stories together to show the building desperation of the situation. The film uses a pulsating techno soundtrack to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Still, some might wonder how Contagion compares to the myriad of other disaster films that have been released in the past 10 years. The possibility of creating a knowledgeable PG-13 film about mass death might seem impossible to skeptics. With that said, the biggest surprise of the movie is how quickly and effectively it conveys a large amount of information about new viruses to the viewer while maintaining its thriller aspects. Unfortunately, the PG-13 rating is limiting and forces Contagion to gloss over some of its darker implications to keep it. Entire movies have been made about cities devolving into madness during a disaster. Contagion makes mentions of this, but often does so too broadly to take on any deeper meaning. Another problem lies in how the movie addresses grief. Being a thriller,
the film didn’t have to delve into this subject much, but it did. And for the most part, its treatment was ineffective. The dialogue surrounding the scene in which Matt Damon’s character reacts to his wife’s death is particularly cringe worthy. On a few occasions, however, the movie does touch upon raw emotions that are less commercial. In this regard, look for Kate Winslet to have the strongest and most emotionally draining storyline. In reality though, the less one thinks about the mature themes that Contagion left out, the more one will enjoy it. The filmmakers knew what storylines would hold interest with audiences and expanded on them admirably. Also, the sheer amount of time covered in the film (over four months) with so many different characters in play is nothing short of impressive, given the film’s runtime. This probably won’t be the seasoned moviegoer’s top “societal collapse” movie, but it’s also far from being the Valentine’s Day of disaster movies. In short, Contagion knows how to entertain while giving viewers some serious subject matter to mull over afterward. n
when it succeeded. Sadly, the group stumbled and tripped up more often than not. It was the one rough patch in an otherwise flawless series of feats. Two female acts commandeered the second half of the show with their f lexible and enthralling performances. The first, a lithe and muscular woman, emerged from the floor and proceeded to perch herself on balancing canes. There, she elegantly weaved her body through a series of intricate positions, completely captivating the silent crowd. Later in the show, another woman swung from the ceiling in a new breed of trapeze act. It was like watching gymnastics and acrobatics take place in the sky, a dizzying dance of spectacle that threatened to send the performer plummeting to the floor. Her final mid-air double back flip elicited near screams of worry from the crowd, but the smile on the aerialist’s face as she landed safely on her swing quashed any fears. A common critique of Cirque shows is their utmost reliance on a formula that inevitably involves inserting a clown to break up the action with some “comic relief.” More often than not, these one-note clowns fall flat, but with Quidam, Toto Castineiras actually stole the show. Demonstrating versatility in the face of some interesting audience interaction, the clown bordered on inappropriate at times,
which is perhaps what made his act so shockingly funny. His was a brand of humor that was mature enough for the adults in the room, but sufficiently farcical for the younger ones as well. The costumes and sets lent themselves to Quidam’s unfussiness. A pack of acrobats emerged in grey steampunk ware, while a pair of contortionists wore nothing but their (dangerously tight) skivvies. At times, set pieces would move while new ones were introduced, but all things said, they played a far more tertiary role than they do in most Cirque productions. It was pleasing; many of the troop’s shows jam-pack their stages with bright colors, flashing lights, and elaborate contraptions, whereas Quidam demonstrated its focus on the acts alone rather than the show. Director Franco Dragone also heeded the “silence is golden” rule in his scaled back use of Cirque’s trademark heart-pounding music. It permitted the audience to focus its rapt attention on the already breathtakingly beautiful acts unfolding onstage. The orchestra adeptly maneuvered through the understated tracks, including the Middle Eastern infused “Incantation” and the Franco-English title track. With some surrealist inspired imagery, grounded artistry, and altogether enjoyable moments, Quidam is a quiet gem of a theatrical event. Where others sink from heaviness, this show soars with subtlety. n
arts&review F L A P L E R I V W E
A10
Monday, September 12, 2011
Wicked Cultured
Biggest rivals, best friends Charlotte Parish
It’s a tale of two cities: Boston versus New York City. I’ve grown up with the rivalry. Usually it starts with natal conditioning, as babies are stuffed into tiny T-shirts declaring ‘future Red Sox fan.’ It grows into a full-fledged turf ware by middle school once wicked, frappes, and ‘cahs’ are the unthinking norm. By high school, I would have defended Manny Ramirez to anyone who wasn’t a Sox fan, even though I personally did agree that he was incredibly obnoxious. And the rivalry grew. In college, it has become a matter of culture. I have had NYC natives tell me that Boston is too small, the T is a ridiculous subway because it ends service at 1 a.m., that the people are homogeneous. In their eyes, New York is a wellspring for everything cultured: for Broadway and SoHo, Times Square and Williamsburg, the Met and the Strand. To top it all off, Boston College kids from New York refuse to even entertain the idea that my bagel heaven, Kupel’s Bakery, could ever stand up to the precious Big Apple bagels. After having spent time in the Big Apple with such a Boston skeptic, I am willing to admit that New York is astounding. The variety is what sets it apart from Boston, because while a Charlestown native can know the entirety of this turf, I doubt there is a single person who would claim to know NYC top to bottom. There is so much vivacity and energy in the city. Hearing the list of musicians and artists and actors hanging in and around New York City, I was amazingly jealous and very close to becoming a hobo in the city just so I could stay and see everything. Do not even mention Fashion Week to me because the list of shows makes me want to cry a little. So while I can argue about which subway is better (it may run later, but the metro is exhausting and over complicated) or which city has a better culture (you will never find any place with more loyal and proud residents), I am struck by how intertwined the two cities are even though they are incredibly different. Ten years ago, I had never been to New York – or to very many places at all. But I recognized NYC’s skyline second only to Boston’s after floods of images appeared on the TV after the events of Sept. 11. Nowhere was the tragedy as strongly felt as in New York. But there was a horror here in Boston, too, since those planes flew out of Logan airport, our airport, our city. I will never forget the feeling of walking into Logan for the first time after Sept. 11, knowing who else had walked there. It was only because we were a smaller city without as high profile a target that Boston wasn’t chosen for such an attack. And the failure to prevent it was the most harrowing sign that we were not prepared to stop anyone who wished harm anywhere in our country, including Boston. With a tragedy of this magnitude, one can only feel the shock waves in terms of what is familiar to them. I cannot even begin to imagine being in New York City when the planes hit. But now I cannot walk into Logan without thinking about them. It is a shared piece of history that unites our two cities without animosity for once. Ten years is a long time, but it went by remarkably fast. The Red Sox still heckle Yankee fans, the T still stops at 1 a.m., and stars sightings are still lacking in Beantown compared to New York. However, these are playful rivalries. An anniversary like yesterday’s helps put into perspective that the differences between our cities are completely superficial, and that the depth of sympathy coming from Boston to New York is incomparably deeper.
Charlotte Parish is the Assistant Arts & Review editor of The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights.com
Boston College shows and Boston events
McMullen opens exhibit By Charlotte Parish
Asst. Arts & Review Editor
Courtesy of Cirque de Soleil
Visual and physical tricks, such as body-bending acrobatics, wowed the crowd at ‘Quidam.’
Feats and flights light up Cirque’s ‘Quidam’ By Brennan Carley
Assoc. Arts & Review Editor The saying “a little goes a long way” is rarely adhered to anymore, in an age where bigger means better. On Friday night, however, Cirque du Soleil’s revamped revival of its famous Quidam allowed a sparse, minimalistic show to fill the cavernous Agganis Arena. It was an enjoyable departure from the bombastic troop, one that never sacrificed sheer delight while scaling down. The Q ueb e c-b a s e d Cirque rarely strives for coherency, but Quidam adheres to a fairly enjoyable storyline throughout its roughly three hour running time. The show follows young Zoe (Alessandra Gonzalez) and her quest to overcome anonymity in an increasingly busy world. She seeks to fill the void of her existence by totally immersing herself in the imaginary, concluding that
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creativity and individuality still exist. On her journey, Zoe encounters various acts, the best of which was titled simply “Statue.” A man and a woman (Laetitia Bodin and Remi Chal-Debeauvais), barely clad in anything, moved swiftly and imperceptibly, surely a testimony to the wonders of the human body. The two twisted themselves into stunning positions that made audience members audibly gasp. Entrancing and gorgeous, the act didn’t utilize music or lighting, but the pair didn’t need fancy theatrics, rousing the crowd to its feet for the only time that night. Quidam also featured, as Cirque almost always does, a diabolo act in which young performers partake in this art of the Chinese yo-yo. The four young girls on stage somersaulted, jump roped, and balanced precariously as they flung their wooden spools back and forth between their sticks linked by string. It was frothy fun, and mystifying, to watch. Other acts failed to make as large of an impression, but entertained nevertheless. A Tarzan-like man spun circles around the stage in the German wheel, an act in which he became the human spoke in a revolving, gravity defying act. Later, a pair of acrobats brought jump roping to a whole new level
See ‘Quidam,’ A9
Ryan Gosling at last comes on strong
Columnist Dan Siering makes a case for the man behind the year’s biggest commercial and critical hits, A8
They have a name for people who stockpile things from the past, who scour shops and find treasures in items useless to modern times. Not a hoarder, but an antiquary. Right now, the McMullen Museum of Art in Devlin Hall is host to Making History: Antiquaries in Britain and a whole score of artifacts, amassed by antiquaries in an impressive display. The entire collection is the work of the Society of Antiquaries of London, which is actually the oldest independent learned society (being over 300 years old) and is responsible for having saved each of the unique pieces now residing at
Boston College until Dec. 11. “The McMullen is pleased to share the distinguished and unparalleled collections of the Society of Antiquaries with a North American audience and to have the opportunity to celebrate the society’s contribution to more than 300 years of writing history,” says Nancy Netzer, McMullen Museum of Art director and professor of art history, to the Boston Chronicle. The hall is arranged into nine thematic sections that demonstrate how this writing in history has been transformed over the years due to certain finds or technologies. This exhibit is more for the history buffs than for those who adore British art, as
See McMullen, A9
‘Contagion’ spreads the wealth with star cast By Joe Allen Heights Staff
What would happen if Gwyneth Paltrow became really sick? The world would fall into chaos, acContagion cording to the Steven thriller ConSoderbergh tag ion. This Warner Bros. answer, while seemingly ridiculous in the real world, made for a fairly suspenseful and at times quite disturbing movie. Contagion begins with Paltrow (all right,
B
a woman played by Paltrow) already sick and unknowingly dying. As it turns out, she is one of the first people to come in contact with a new, fast-acting and deadly virus. Also, as the title will have you know, it is contagious. What follows is a combination of widespread panic and a desperate search for a cure as millions of people begin to die from this foreign illness that initially masks itself as the common cold. In this time, scientists, government officials, conspirators, and average Joes are introduced, all played
See ‘Contagion,’ A9
Courtesy of allmoviephoto.com
Gwyneth Paltrow facilitates the spread of a population-threatening illness in ‘Contagion.’
Bucky Larson lacks laughs and power
Nick Swardson vehicle brings little to the table in terms of comedy or box office, A9
On-Campus Events......................A9 Off-Campus Events......................A9
SPORTS The Heights
Monday, September 12, 2011
Section
B
Monday, September 12, 2011
Falling From Grace
By DJ Adams Heights Editor
ORLANDO—Since Boston College left the Big East Conference and joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2005, the Eagles football Central Florida 30 team has been one of the Boston College 3 University’s strongest athletic programs during the transition. Possessing a 30-18 conference record over that time, the best among Atlantic Division teams, BC has 54 overall wins and three bowl victories. After Saturday night’s performance, though, that dominance has seemingly reached an impasse. On the road against the University of Central Florida, BC turned in one of its worst performances in recent
program history, falling to the Knights, 30-3, after an initially close game spun out of control during a horrific fourth quarter. Looking anemic on offense and fatigued on the other end, the Eagles allowed UCF to score 30 unanswered points, including 21 in the final frame. For the first time since 1994, BC has now started its season 0-2. Though the loss was hard to cope with, defensive captain and junior linebacker Luke Kuechly asserted the necessity of the team’s putting the rough performance behind and moving forward. “You watch the film tomorrow, and once you do that, this game is in the past,” lamented Kuechly, who racked up 17 tackles. “You can’t worry about the past, because if you worry about the past, you are going to waste the future. You have to embrace it. Once tomorrow is over,
this game is over. We just gotta work on next week, and get a win next week.” If some important factors don’t change for the Eagles, however, a win will be tough to come by. In 2010, BC solidified an overall mediocre squad with a stifling defense that ranked first overall in the nation against the run. This season has been an entirely different story. Running the ball 45 times for 235 yards, UCF found success against the Eagles much like Northwestern did the week prior, by using clever spread packages and a rotation of quick tailbacks to wear down BC’s supposedly stout opposition. “We were just on the field a lot, and anytime you are on the field a lot, and they’re running the ball a lot on you, it’s
See Football Stunned, B3
Alex trautwig / heights editor
Humiliating loss to UCF is a new low
Field hockey
Eagles eke out win over BU BC rides early Moorfield goal to third straight ‘W’ By Paul Sulzer Sports Editor
The No. 10 Boston College field hockey team picked up its first four victories by outscoring its Boston College 1 opponents 22-1. 0 Boston Univ. Against No. 11 Boston University, the Eagles picked up their first close win of the year, 1-0, at Jordan Field in Cambridge on Friday. Junior midfielder Jacqui Moorfield scored the game-winner for the Eagles (5-1) in the third minute, with Courtney Tavener and Paige Norris providing the assists. The BC offense held the edge in shots (13-5) and penalty corners (6-4). Nicole Barry made three saves to hold
the Terriers (3-2) scoreless. “Jacqui won that game for us,” head coach Ainslee Lamb said. “What’s best about Jacqui is that she’s more happy that Courtney and Paige got the assists than that she scored the goal.” Moorfield won a penalty corner for the Eagles to set up the goal. Associate head coach Chris Clements called for an attacking play off the corner. Taverner provided a quality insertion to Norris, who made a clean stick stop for Moorfield. Moorfield’s shot glanced off a defender before flying over the goalie and hitting the backboard. It was her second goal of the season.
See Field Hockey, B2
Paul Sulzer
their opponent, moving the ball back and forth without any scores. Regardless, Maryland had the more dominant half, outshooting the Eagles 6-2. This one-goal lead was short lived, however, as the Terps flew out of the gate at the start of the second half. Once again, it was Jane starting the scoring with some good passing in the box. This time, he set up Mullins eight yards from the goal. Down 2-0, the Eagles were unable to put any shots on net, as the Terps defense proved impenetrable. Mullins added to his tally just after the 60-minute mark off an assist from sophomore Jordan Cyrus. The score came after freshman Alex Shinsky played a low cross and brought the ball down field. He then passed to Cyrus in the box, followed by a quick cross to Mullins for his second goal of the night. The Terps certainly saved the best for last when sophomore Taylor Kemp powered a shot from 30 yards out to make the score 4-0 in
Everyone who skipped watching the football game to go to Mary Ann’s on Saturday night made a wise decision. They missed the most embarrassing defeat the Boston College community has witnessed in a long time. I’ve been racking my brain for the past 24 hours trying to come up with a more humiliating loss, and I can’t. Falling by four touchdowns to a C-USA team is a new low. Central Florida knew exactly what to do. The Knights attacked the nowvulnerable BC run defense with end arounds and options that perfectly neutralized Luke Kuechly, even if he did extend his double-digit tackles streak. This Eagles team, like their historical counterparts, struggles to contain fast, perimeter-oriented rushing games. Jeff Godfrey, Latavius Murray, and Brynn Harvey bolted to the edge before turning up field to the tune of a combined 5.8 yards per carry. By repeatedly marching the ball down the field, the Knights exhausted a BC defense that already had to deal with playing for three hours in the Orlando humidity. Central Florida sustained drives throughout the game, wearing down the Eagles until they broke in the fourth quarter and gave up three touchdowns. The defense couldn’t get off the field, in part, because the offense couldn’t stay on it. BC ran a measly 20 plays in the first half, compared to 36 for Central Florida. The Knights limited what the Eagles could do on first and second down, which prevented BC from establishing a rhythm. It’s much easier to keep drives going when you’re consistently facing thirdand-fours than when facing third-andnines. Third down conversion rate is misleading when one team has to throw downfield to keep drives alive and the other can settle for intermediate targets. Knowing that the Eagles went 1-for-12
See Men’s Soccer, B5
See Humiliation, B3
alex trautwig / heights editor
Courtney Tavener (above) assisted Jacqui Moorfield’s goal in the third minute off a penalty corner.
Terrapins hammer overwhelmed Eagles By Chris Marino Asst. Sports Editor
alex trautwig / heights editor
Julia Bouchelle struck for the Eagles’ second goal moments after Patrice Vettori opened the scoring with a header.
Women’s soccer rolls past Colgate By Kim Schroer For The Heights
Following a 5-0 victory over Vermont last week, the Boston College women’s soccer team hoped to mimic its performance Boston College 4 in that game entering 0 Colgate Sunday’s match against Colgate. The Eagles achieved that goal, using two early score to power past the Raiders, 4-0, Sunday afternoon at the Newton Campus Sports Complex. The Eagles started Sunday’s game the exact
same way they started the Vermont game: with a headed goal by sophomore forward Patrice Vettori off a cross from junior midfielder Kristie Mewis. The Eagles struck again, quickly, when senior Julia Bouchelle cleaned up a loose ball in the box just one minute after the Eagles’ first goal. BC coach Allison Foley said she was pleased with the way her team opened the game following a week of changes in practice. “We had an excellent week of training,” she said. “We’ve been making some changes to the
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See Women’s Soccer, B5
The No. 8 Boston College men’s soccer team traveled to College Park, Md., with perfection on its mind. 4 Maryland UnforBoston College 0 tunately, the No. 2 Maryland Terrapins (5-00) proved to be too strong a force, as the Eagles (4-1-0) lost their first game of the season, 4-0. The Terps were led by forward Patrick Mullins, who scored twice on the night. Senior goalkeeper Will Swaim recorded his third shutout of the season, due in large part to a tough defensive effort. In five games this season, the Terrapins have only conceded two scores. The Terrapins scored in the first 10 minutes, when sophomore Sunny Jane was able to give senior Casey Townshend an opportunity in the box. Townshend set himself and booted a low shot past BC goalkeeper Justin Luthy. It was Townshend’s team-leading fifth goal of the season. After this initial score, the Eagles were able to keep up with
Run defense can’t contain UCF
The Eagles struggled for the second straight week to slow down the ground game............B4
Remembering Sept. 11
A Tri-State area resident reflects on the 10-year anniversary of the attacks..........................B6
ACC Roundup.............................B4 Point-Counterpoint..................B4
The Heights
B2
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Man in the Red Bandana was a true hero for the American people By Nick Loury “There has been an attack in New York City. Anyone with parents who work in the World Trade Center please come down to the office.” I still remember hearing those words and seeing my sixth grade classmates get up to call their families. As we soon found out, that Tuesday was the most memorable day of our lives. The terrorists attacked what they considered a symbol of American opulence. Instead of destroying our country, they created images of American togetherness and selflessness as so many ordinary people displayed extraordinary bravery and courage. The incredible pain from that day is still raw in the soul of the Tri-State area but we should not forget how much worse it could have been if not for the actions of real American heroes. About 15,000 people were in the Twin Towers at 8:46 a.m., with even more at the Pentagon, but only, a word I use extremely lightly, 2,977 people died that day. There are countless stories of ordinary people who went above the call of duty to help save the lives of others. One such person was Welles Crowther, a 24-year old Boston College lacrosse alumnus from Upper Nyack, N.Y., who was working for Sandler O’Neill on the 104th floor of the south tower. He was under no obligation to rescue anyone but still went further up the building several times, determined to help as many people as possible. He saved many lives at the ultimate cost of his own. It is startling to think that Crowther was only a few years older than I am now. I would like to think I could be as selfless as he was, but my doubt is disconcerting. In an environment of panic and confusion, he put the lives of strangers ahead of his own. My mom once told me a story about a mechanic in our area who envied one of his clients in 2001. The good looking, young man had a beautiful wife, two kids, a new BMW, and a comfortable job, all of which made
Courtesy of BC Athletics
Welles Crowther, a former lacrosse player at Boston College, has become commemorated as a national hero due to his selflessness on Sept. 11. the mechanic want to dislike him, except for the fact that he was such a nice person. That young man was Todd Beamer, a passenger on United Flight 93, famous for saying, “Let’s roll,” before overtaking the hijackers and crashing into a field in Shanksville, Penn. This story is a startling reminder that we do not always know what the future will hold. It also carries another strong message for me, one that is possibly the most important. While memories of that day evoke different, powerful emotions in everyone, hate must be put aside for the world to truly learn from such a tragedy. Blind hatred led to the horrific events of Sept. 11. If we reciprocate those feelings toward all Muslims, we will have
lost a crucial battle to the terrorists by stooping to their level. There are many more stories like this to retell and even more heroes from that day who will remain nameless to many, such as the man who implored my neighbor to continue evacuating the south tower despite announcements that it was safe to return to work in the building. By doing something as simple as speaking up, that man saved lives. Although little things like that may not make such a resounding impact on a day-to-day basis, stories such as these serve as persistent motivation to go the extra mile in helping others. We often look to athletes as heroes and role models when people like Crowther, Beamer, and other Sept.
11 Heroes are far more deserving of these titles. That being said, sports played an important role in our nation’s collective healing process. When the games resumed a few weeks later, it was an act of defiance against terrorism, proving that we could be staggered but would always remain the United States. Each game was a temporary distraction from thoughts of sorrow and the unsettling realization of our own mortality. I can still recall images of giant flags covering football fields or George Bush firing a strike for the first pitch of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, just 10 miles from Ground Zero. Fans around the country rallied around the New York area teams, loudly cheering when they
traveled on the road. In the aftermath of Sept. 11, Americans felt the rebirth of widespread and intense patriotism that inspired new emotion to each playing of “The Star Spangled Banner” or “God Bless America.” Instead of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” fans began singing “God Bless America” during the seventh-inning stretch, a tradition at Yankee Stadium that continues to this day. For our generation, the collapse of the Twin Towers symbolized the loss of national innocence, as we were confronted with true evil. The aftermath of the collisions created a strong bond among Americans and provided true role models to emulate. Alongside the gut-wrenching images of people jumping to their deaths are ones like the firefighters raising a flag at Ground Zero, or lines of volunteers pitching in to help clean-up the area. Sept. 11 was a terribly tragic day for our country, but Sept. 12 carried the hope of a better tomorrow. A lasting memory of the aftermath were the crowds of people that lined the streets leading to Ground Zero to cheer the construction workers and fire fighters as they headed to work on the debris pile. For years there was a gaping hole in the New York skyline that was startlingly noticeable to those accustomed to seeing the Twin Towers dominate the downtown skyscrapers. The new World Trade Center 1 has become the tallest building in lower Manhattan and serves as a towering marker for the site of the museum and Memorial. The Freedom Tower reminds people of Sept. 11, while also serving as a symbol of our nation’s resilience. This sentiment is exemplified in one last story from my hometown. Michael “Mickey” Cunningham was a 39-year-old vice president at Eurobrokers who died in the attacks. At his funeral mass, his baby son Liam was baptized. The Cunninghams, like the rest of the country, emerged from a terribly sad time with new life and a hope for a better tomorrow. Nick Loury is a guest columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@ bcheights.com.
Field hockey shuts out BU Clark, Eagles shine in local weekend tournament Volleyball
By Chris Marino
Field Hockey, from B1
SPORTS in SHORT
The game became a defensive grind after the Eagles’ early goal. The Terriers struggled to equalize because they couldn’t sustain attacks. BC disrupted most of BU’s possessions outside the circle. “Our ability to press the ball higher up the field allowed us to have a good defensive presence throughout the game,” Lamb said. “We weren’t dealing with a lot in our defensive circle – we were doing a lot before it even got to the circle, which was key.” BU threatened twice with penalty corners in the first half. The Eagles repelled the first attack, in the 17th minute, without allowing a shot. On the second opportunity, the Terriers fired the ball on target with one minute left in the half. Barry made a diving save to preserve the lead and ultimately keep BC on top. Lamb cited the team’s loss to Maine as motivation for its winning streak. The Black Bears defeated the Eagles 4-3 on Aug. 30. “As hard as the Maine loss was, the girls learned some valuable lessons from it and applied them,” she said. “They’re a group that wants to be successful. That desire has carried us through the last three games.” The coach also praised senior back Carla Tamer for “playing her best game yet” in helping the Eagles hold off their rival. “It’s a huge program win,” Lamb said. “It’s also a win for Boston College as an institution. We have a crosstown rivalry on a lot of different levels – athletically and academically. It makes us proud to beat them.” n
Asst. Sports Editor
ALEX TRAUTWIG / HEIGHTS EDITOR
Senior Brennan Clark currently ranks second in program history with 1,417 career digs.
ACC Football Standings Atlantic
Maryland Wake Forest Clemson Florida State Boston College NC State
Coastal
Georgia Tech North Carolina Virginia Virginia Tech Duke Miami
Conference 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1
Overall 1-0 1-1 2-0 2-0 0-2 1-1 2-0 2-0 2-0 2-0 0-2 0-1
After a tough first match loss to Wisconsin, the Boston College volleyball team came back to win back-to-back matches against Columbia and host Rhode Island in the Art Charmichael Invitational. On Friday, the Eagles dropped a threeset decision to Wisconsin in the first match. The Badgers proved a challenging foe as four players had at least eight kills. Despite several chances for the Eagles to come back, the team came up short each time. “There were times during the Wisconsin match that we played very well,” said head coach Chris Campbell of the loss. “Both the first and the third games were just two-point games. And we pushed them to game point in the third but just couldn’t quite close it. So there were positives that we took out of that Wisconsin match, and we’re just trying to build on those.” The following day, the Eagles tried to bounce back against Columbia. The game started off poorly for BC, as the team went down by two sets. However, the seniors stepped up to bring the team back in it. Leading the way was Brennan Clark, who had 26 digs, including the 1,400th in her BC career. “It’s been really fascinating to see her evolve as a player over the past season and into this year,” said Campbell of the senior. “Brennan’s challenge is different than a lot of players. Her challenge isn’t
Quote of the Week
Numbers to Know
24
The number of consecutive games that Luke Kuechly has recorded 10 or more tackles.
1,417
The number of career digs for Brennan Clark, putting her in second place for the program’s history.
197
The number of career wins for women’s soccer head coach Alison Foley.
getting good. She is already very good. Her challenge is going from good to great. And that’s unique.” Also having an outstanding performance was Tsvetelina Dureva, who finished the day with 16 kills, 10 digs, and an ace. The outside hitter finished the weekend with two double-doubles. “Lina is in a very similar situation to Brennan in that her challenge this season is to go from good to great,” Campbell said. “She established herself last year as a legitimate threat as an outside hitter, as she was top 10 in the conference in kills per game. Now her challenge is really to push through to greatness. And that’s unique.” The Eagles rode these two performances into the latter frame of the match, taking control in the fourth. Heading into the fifth set tied at two sets apiece, the Eagles kept up the momentum by starting off with a 4-1 lead. However, the Lions were able to tie the match at 10. BC was able to overcome this back-and-forth play to win the match, 15-10. “The pressure was really on Columbia,” said Campbell of the last set. “They had been up 2-0, and that’s just a difficult situation to be up 2-0 and then have the other team come back to tie it up. So, I felt like we had the momentum and we just had to continue to put pressure on them.” Later on that day, the Eagles faced off against tournament host URI. The team was successful on all cylinders, sweeping the Rams to finish the weekend on a high note with a 26-24 victory. n
“You can’t worry about the past, because if you worry about the past, you are going to waste the future.” Luke Kuechly on the football team’s 0-2 start —
The Heights
Monday, September 12, 2011
B3
Humiliating loss to UCF Humiliation, from B1
alex trautwig / heights editor
Rettig was harassed by the UCF pass rush throughout the night, getting sacked three times. He finished 10-of-23 passing for 70 yards and two INTs.
Blowout loss to UCF raises Q’s about program Football Stunned, from B1 just tough. It’s difficult,” Kuechly said. The Knights’ trio of Latavius Murray, Brynn Harvey, and duel-threat quarterback Jeff Godfrey, combined for three late touchdowns and numerous big plays that the Eagles struggled to contain all night, particularly in the second half when that fatigue and Florida humidity kicked into gear. “In the second half, they hit a couple big plays on us on third down,” Kuechly said. “We did a good job in the first half of eliminating that, but any time you let up the big play it’s going to be a problem for the defense. “In football, when you get the ball run on you, that’s the worst. Anytime a team runs the ball on you, it’s frustrating. For the second week in a row, we’ve kind of struggled with that.” Coming into the second half, though, BC had managed to hold UCF to just nine points. Every time the Knights came knocking into Eagles territory, the defense was able to make a key stop and force its opposition’s kicker, Nick Cattoi, to settle for three. Injury-free senior cornerback Donnie Fletcher stuffed a wideout once just feet in front of the first-down marker, and Kuechly even stopped a fourth-and-one dive to hopefully give the offense some
momentum. It proved largely inconsequential. For how frustrating the defensive effort was, the poor offensive showing was equally concerning. Having the chance to go ahead with a touchdown and the ball on UCF’s 33-yard line, the Eagles were a yard short of an essential first down, but came up short consecutively on dive attempts by Rettig and running back Andre Williams, ending any potential rally. “You have third and a yard, or half a yard, and you got two plays and can’t make it,” head coach Frank Spaziani lamented in disappointment. “You aren’t going to win any games if you can’t do that. We had a chance, and we weren’t able to do what we needed to do.” Glaring negative offensive statistics shone through the box score, as well. BC amassed just 141 total yards of offense, was held to one-for-12 on third-down conversions, and quarterback Chase Rettig was brought down behind the line three times and intercepted twice. Williams, who rushed for 122 the week prior, finished with just 59 yards on 12 attempts. “I’m not going to disparage what Central Florida did, as they played well,” head coach Frank Spaziani said. “But you have to do better than one-for-12.” “You guys were asking [Kuechly] all
these questions about the defense, and what he should have said, but Luke’s way too nice of a kid to say it, is that they had nothing to fight for,” Rettig said, fighting back tears just a few feet from his defensive captain. “We didn’t put any points on the board. A lot of times, the offense and defense survive off each other.” It was apparent on Saturday that the two units die together, as well. BC’s lack of offensive firepower led to just four drives in the first half, a measly 20 plays, and a UCF possession advantage of 19:52-10:08. It was this lack of ball control for the Eagles that forced the breath out of many BC defenders late in the game. “We’ve got to do a better job of putting points on the board, keeping the ball and keeping our defense off the field,” Rettig said. “They were on the field way too long. We need to have sustained drives.” With ACC play starting next week against Duke, a team that BC has been able to defeat with ease in the past, whether the Eagles can fix their apparent flaws will go a long way toward determining just what the outcome of this season will be. “Nothing changed since preseason,” Spaziani said. “We’re on thin ice. We have to help ourselves. I see some [positive] things, but we have to help ourselves a little bit more. We have to be a little bit more creative.” n
on third downs doesn’t tell us much other than that they can’t convert thirdand-longs. Most teams have the same problem. To make third downs more manageable, the offensive line has to start getting some push up front. Andre Williams was running into a brick wall every time he took a handoff. The speedy Knights went around BC’s blockers and tripped up the ball carriers for minimal gains. It’s like they knew what the call was in the Eagles’ huddle before Kevin Rogers even relayed the play to Chase Rettig. Better play calling would have helped keep Central Florida at bay. The Eagles failed to keep the defense honest with play actions. When the Knights were cheating forward, itching for the opportunity to upend Williams again, Rogers could have called a play fake to open up space in the flats and behind the linebackers for the tight ends and the slot receiver. The Eagles should run an offense predicated on short, quick patterns that allow Rettig to just drop back and throw. He’s spending too much time waiting for plays to develop—time that he doesn’t
have, given that the line is not playing well. Adopting the West Coast offense would make the team more aggressive on early downs, using the short passing game to create easier situations on the later downs. The West Coast offense is based on rhythm, and it would help Rettig’s confidence to complete a series of short passes before going downfield. Fixing the problems on offense is the key to saving the season. The Eagles can’t be afraid to try something new. What they’re doing right now isn’t working. They’re averaging 10 points a game. It’s too early to write off the season just yet. The Eagles haven’t even played a conference game. Virginia Tech went 0-2 to start the season last year before winning 11 straight going into their Orange Bowl beatdown at the hands of Stanford. A season-saving turnaround is entirely possible. But there’s a fine line between optimism and naivete. The Eagles have to wake up this week against Duke, or there’s a very real chance they will have their first losing season since 1998.
Paul Sulzer is the Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at sports@ bcheights.com.
alex trautwig / heights editor
Frank Spaziani needs to right the ship if BC is going to avoid its first losing season since 1998.
The Heights
B4
Point / Counterpoint:
Monday, September 12, 2011
Can BC football break .500 this season?
Three-game stretch will provide momentum
Injuries are unraveling a depleted roster
By Greg Joyce
By Chris Marino
Assoc. Sports Editor Though it may seem like it right now, all is not lost for the 2011 Boston College football team. Yes, the first two games of the season have been unimpressive and, in the case of the UCF game, embarrassing, but six wins is still a reachable accomplishment for the Eagles. First, you have to look at the schedule. For the next three weekends BC will be playing on its home turf. With home-field advantage comes three beatable opponents: Duke, UMass, and Wake Forest. These are three of the easiest games on the schedule, and the fact that they all come one after the other at Alumni Stadium is huge. The three-game stretch could prove to be a big momentum swing for the Eagles, as they have the potential to be 3-2 by Oct. 1. This feasible set of games, in addition to three more weeks of practice, will also allow BC to work out some kinks that have been evident through the first two games, such as the offense and the secondary. Chase Rettig’s stat line looked depressing on Saturday, but it was his first game without his favorite target, Ifeanyi Momah. Rettig had just one week to develop chemistry with his new-look receiving corps. Even though Momah was the only loss, that loss comes with a brand new game plan and approach for the Eagles. There is big-play potential with Colin Larmond, Jr., but he is still working his way back from an ACL tear and hasn’t had all that much experience with Rettig. In addition to the wide receivers getting some help with time, the running backs could be given a boost with time, too. Montel Harris could potentially return from his knee injury this weekend against Duke, which would be a huge spark for the lackluster offense. Though he might not be his usual self in the first game back, the three-game home stretch would be the perfect opportunity to work his way back. So if all goes right, there are your first three wins. Where do the next three (or more) come from? After the home game against Wake Forest, the Eagles hit the road for a stretch of three straight away games. If they carry enough momentum from the three straight wins, they could pull off an upset at Clemson to make it four in a row. If not, the only win in that stretch could be at Maryland. After a tough October on the road, BC will return to Alumni Stadium in November, where it will be greeted by Florida State, a nearly guaranteed loss. But the game after that is against NC State, and this could be a breath of fresh air. The possibility of four straight losses coming into this game is not out of the question, and if that is the
ACC Roundup
Virginia Tech scrapes by ECU By Tim Jablonski Heights Staff
While its unusually sluggish offense wasn’t up to par, Virginia Tech’s defense did just enough on Saturday to help head coach Frank Beamer pick up his 200th win. The No. 11 Hokies overcame 12 penalties and shutdown an East Carolina squad that is led by former Boston College quarterback Dominique Davis, 17-10. The normally dangerous ECU running attack never got off the ground, ending up with a miserable negative-15 yards on the ground, the second lowest total in team history. On the other side of the ball, Tech’s David Wilson racked up 138 on the ground, 26 more than the entire ECU offense. Deadlocked at 10 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Hokies embarked on a mammoth 89-yard drive that ended with tailback Josh Oglesby scampering 10 yards for the deciding score. ECU forced a Tech three and out, but their last ditch drive ended at midfield with three consecutive Davis incompletions. No. 6 Stanford 44, Duke 14 No. 6 Stanford had little trouble disposing of a desperate Duke squad that pulled out all the stops in a failed attempt to defeat their first ranked team since 1994. Last year’s Heisman runner-up, Andrew Luck, torched the Blue Devils for 260 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Cardinal to a blowout victory, 44-14. Duke cornerback Lee Butler returned an interception 76 yards for a touchdown to cut the score to 10-7 late in the second quarter, but Stanford proceeded to score touchdowns on five consecutive drives, putting the game far out of reach. The overmatched Blue Devils, who open ACC play in Chestnut Hill against the Eagles next Saturday, attempted an onside kick and a fake punt in the first half to try and keep up with the powerful Cardinal. Both gambles succeeded, but the inconsistent Duke offense squandered the subsequent scoring opportunities and allowed Stanford to break the game open by the middle of the third quarter. No. 5 Florida St. 62, Charleston Southern 10 The ACC’s highest ranked team had no problem winning its tune up fight in anticipation of next week’s heavyweight showdown with top-ranked Oklahoma. Florida State scored on a 45-yard E.J. Manuel touchdown pass 80 seconds into its match-up with Charleston Southern and never looked back, running out to a 34-0 half time lead in an eventual 62-10 win. The Seminoles held Southern to a mere 84 yards while amassing 647 themselves as they prepared for their showdown with the Sooners on Saturday night. Other scores Wake Forest 34, NC State 27; Clemson 35, Wofford 27; UNC 24, Rutgers 22; Virginia 34, Indiana 31; Georgia Tech 49, Middle Tennessee St. 21. n
case, the Eagles will be looking to take out some frustrations on the Wolfpack. The final two games are on the road, at Notre Dame and Miami. The Irish also have a goose egg so far in their win column, so it could be a matchup of disappointed teams. Anything could happen in that scenario. Finally, the game at Miami would usually be considered a loss. This year though, who knows what playmakers will still be eligible to take the field for the Hurricanes by the last week of the season? By no means is the road ahead an easy one for BC. There is, of course, the chance that the team is never able to get over the hump and tanks the rest of the season. But that would be an overreaction to the first two games of the season. With Harris on the way back from his injury and three feasible wins in the home stretch upcoming, six wins is completely possible. Three wins by Oct. 1, and then three more in their next seven games is all the Eagles need to accomplish to qualify for a bowl game. The key is the next three games, a time for the offense and secondary to come together, and a big opportunity to gain some much-needed momentum going forward. n
Asst. Sports Editor
Despite my highest hopes and aspirations for this year’s Boston College football team, the realization has just set in – there is a good chance the Eagles will have a losing season. The reason behind this can be explained by one word. This word is probably one of the most common threats in all of sports. It can turn a perennial playoff contender into a mediocre wild card team and a mediocre wild card team into a struggling cellar dweller. This word is injuries. Heading into the 2011 season, BC looked like it finally had a chance to be a true contender once more. While, defensively, the men in maroon and gold have usually performed well, the offense has always been a few steps behind. This, however, was supposed to change with the maturation of Chase Rettig. With one season under his belt, the sophomore seemed prepared to take over the helm while working with the first team this preseason. However, injuries to players around Rettig have hurt his game and left the Eagles with a 0-2 start.
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In the first game, against Northwestern, Rettig eclipsed 300 yards passing with help from senior wide out Ifeanyi Momah. Momah, who recorded eight receptions for 171 yards, left the game with a season-ending ACL tear. How important was Momah to his young quarterback? In the season opener, Rettig was 24-of-44 passing for 375 yards, while last game he only registered 70 yards on 10-of-23 passing. Rettig lost his No. 1 target and was unable to run the offense effectively. Probably an even more devastating loss can be dated to the end of the 2010 season. Montel Harris, after injuring his knee against Virginia, was held to the sidelines through bowl season. This loss proved significant, as the team relied on the young Rettig to lead the team. The coaching staff hoped that Harris could return this season and alleviate the pressure on the developing quarterback. However, the senior tailback had to watch his team begin the season without him due to knee surgery during the preseason. He just returned to practice this week, leaving the in-game rushing duties to sophomore Andre Williams and redshirt freshman Tahj Kimble. While both have been solid competitors, the loss of Harris, who was named the ACC preseason player of the year, has hurt. The Eagles have the tools to be a great team, but not this season. The injury bug has hit the veteran players, leaving their responsibilities to unproven freshmen and sophomores. This much was clear at UCF, as BC’s underclassmen were unable to move the ball. Rettig could not find any open targets. No receiver had more than three catches. The team totaled only 57 rushing yards on the night. These numbers will not win games. Your defense can only do so much, but if the offense is barely showing any signs of life, it is going to be a long season. Sure, the Eagles can beat ACC teams like Duke and Wake Forest, but a full season against teams like Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech is no easy task. This season should be seen for what it is: a rebuilding year. People are, for obvious reasons, afraid to say such a thing at the beginning of a season, but it’s true. The team has 24 freshmen, 18 redshirt freshmen and 20 sophomores. The number of seniors on the roster: 10. The Eagles are a young team whose veterans have been beaten up early in the season. While it is unfortunate for these older players to view their season as a rebuilding year, the start of the season has shown a number of flaws and inexperience that comes with young players in college football. The one positive is that this early experience could help BC to rise to the top ranks in upcoming years, if players can stay healthy and on track. n
Football Notebook: Run defense starts to look mortal By DJ Adams Heights Editor
ORLANDO—Last season, the Boston College football team fought off a rough start to finish 7-5 in the regular season, largely behind the efforts of a fierce, impenetrable run defense that ranked first in country. This season, though, in just two contests thus far, the run defense has been a destructive force rather than a crutch to lean on. Against Northwestern in the season opener, the defense surrendered 277 yards and added to its woes against UCF on Saturday by giving up 235 on the ground in BC’s 30-3 defeat. In 2010, BC allowed 82.8 yards per game. Currently, the unit averages an astounding 256 allowance per contest. “In football, when you get the ball run on you, that’s the worst,” junior linebacker Luke Kuechly said amid frustration. “Anytime a team runs the ball on you, it’s frustrating. For the second week in a row, we’ve kind of struggled with that.” The biggest issue this past Saturday for BC was the speedy trio of Jeff Godfrey, Latavius Murray, and Brynn Harvey for the Knights. The playmakers combined for 188 yards on 32 rushes. They also scored all three of UCF’s touchdowns. Godfrey, a duel-threat quarterback known primarily for his running ability, was able to surprisingly succeed in the passing attack, as well. It was this accuracy that prevented BC from stacking the box to clamp down on the run at any point during the game. Instead, the Eagles opted for zone coverage with containment schemes that the quick quarterback was able to evade for several long runs. Fletcher’s strong return Donnie Fletcher returned to action on Saturday for the first time this season, after fighting back issues during camp and practice. The senior captain and cornerback seemingly hasn’t lost a beat during his brief absence, and his performance, along with Kuechly’s 17 tackles, was one of the lone bright spots on the defensive side of the ball for BC. Though Fletcher recorded just four tackles, two of them were particularly important in the first half, as on both occasions he pursued and stopped oncoming receivers directly after they made catches that restrained UCF from recording key first downs when the game was still reasonably close. His sure tackling is something the rest of the Eagles can look to emulate when reviewing game film of Saturday’s defensive lapses. Welles-Crowther and family honored Boston College football team members wore red bandana stickers on their helmets on Saturday to honor Welles Crowther, a former varsity lacrosse player and BC ’99, who has been hailed as a heroic figure for the many lives he saved in the south tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. “Welles Crowther is a true American hero, and we
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UCF ran rampant against a once-dominant BC defensive front seven. The Knights racked up 235 yards on the ground. are very proud that he was a Boston College studentathlete,” said Gene DeFilippo, the Director of Athletics. “As Americans reflect in the upcoming days on the solemn occasion of the Sept. 11 anniversary, we are humbled by the bravery Welles exhibited that day.” Welles’ sisters, Honor Fagan and Paige Crowther, by invitation of DeFilippo, attended Saturday’s game at UCF as part of BC’s official team party. UCF introduced the two sisters during a game break in the third quarter. “It’s been unbelievable,’’ said Paige Crowther of the Central Florida crowd. “The response has been overwhelming and hopefully we can move from remembering Welles to celebrating what he did and what so many people did. There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t think about Welles in one way or another. Each year as we approach Sept. 11, it just becomes more public. The outpouring of respect for Welles really helps us get through it.’’ This past week, several UCF students who were
moved by a recent ESPN Outside the Lines video documenting Crowther, started a Facebook event page to hopefully spur UCF fans to wear red bandanas to the football game in remembrance of Crowther. The stands, as well as the aisles of the concessions, were lined with individuals supporting Crowther in red attire as well as fundraising for charitable causes associated with Sept. 11. Odds and Ends Kuechly has now tallied 10 or more tackles in 24 consecutive games, the longest active streak of doubledigit tackles in the country Sophomore Dominique Williams recorded his first collegiate start in the secondary, replacing the injured C.J. Jones. Jones suffered the injury on the opening kickoff, and initial reports do “not look good” according to head coach Frank Spaziani. UCF’s victory over the Eagles was the program’s first win over a team from a BCS conference at home. n
The Heights
Monday, September 12, 2011
B5
Improved mentality making a difference on the field for Bekker By Sean Hyatt For the Heights
After sitting out the season opener, attacking midfielder Kyle Bekker returned for his first action of the year against Fairfield. The first 45 minutes of play passed without any scoring. Fifteen minutes later, Boston College received a free kick. Bekker stepped up, 22 yards from the goal, to try to break the tie. He rocketed a shot around the defenders, only to see the ball bounce off the left post. In the 68th minute, Bekker finally capitalized, taking a pass from his roommate, Charlie Rugg, and striking a left-footed shot past the keeper. BC took a 1-0 lead. Shortly after, Fairfield notched an equalizer—putting the game back in jeopardy. After a long period with few clear scoring chances, a Fairfield defender took down an Eagle just outside of the box. The ref issued a red card, and Bekker had another chance to put BC up with a free kick. He stepped up to the ball, took a moment, and proceeded to blast it into the back of the net, giving BC a 2-1 edge with three minutes left in the game – a game-winning shot. This was a sign of things to come for Bekker, who has been on a hot streak to begin the season. In four games, he has notched three goals, two assists, and a team-leading 17 shots. In his first two games back, he took four free kicks: two bounced off the post and two went in. On the pitch, he is playing soccer with a bundle of confidence, and a smile. Off the field, he is a humble and likeable guy from a supportive and loving family. “[The hot streak] is confidence really –that’s the biggest thing at the end of the day,” Bekker said. “If you play with
confidence, things are going to work for you and shots are going to go in.” After he was forced to sit out the first game of the season due to yellow card accumulation in the last game of the season against Brown, Bekker came back with a desire to make up for lost time. “Sitting out that first game was eating me alive while I was on the bench,” he said. “You have no control if you’re on the sideline, but if you’re on the field you can do your part. You can win your battle. You can do something. But sitting on the side is brutal. When I came in I just wanted to do something.” His recent confidence has clearly made a difference, but other mental factors come into play as well, like having the right mindset on the field and simply having fun with the game. In his soccer past, Bekker has had slumps in both his play and love of soccer, during which he stopped enjoying games or had the wrong mentality. “There’s been times when I hated it. I remember when I was 14 I almost
“There’s been times when I hated it ... I just got back to what made soccer fun again.” wanted to stop,” Bekker said. “I wasn’t getting called into national teams, when kids on my teams were getting the call. I just wasn’t having fun. At all. My dad told me, other coaches have told me to go on field and play with a smile. And that’s something that stuck with me. I
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Maintaining a positive attitude on the field has helped Bekker’s performance so far this year.
just got back to what made soccer fun again.” Bekker adds that lately he has kept things in perspective and made sure to maintain a positive attitude in games. “When I was younger I definitely didn’t have the best work ethic,” he said. “I’d tend to get down on myself and sulk. If things weren’t going right in the game I’d almost quit on myself. Letting little things get to you, body language, they make a big difference. The one thing you can always control in the game is your work ethic. And it’s been paying off.” BC soccer coach Ed Kelly describes Bekker as a happy-go-lucky, social kid who is very passionate about the game. “[Soccer is] a major part of his life, so it shapes his personality,” Kelly said. “I think that’s something he would like to do with the rest of his life, so to speak—stay involved in the game. In playing, in coaching, or wherever else that path takes him.” While the mental aspects Bekker takes onto the pitch clearly prove irreplaceable to his play, it is important to remember that he is a naturally talented player. He has been invited to train with both Everton F.C. and Ajax youth programs and was a member of the Canada U-17 national team. He is also a current member of the U-23 Canadian national team, the team that typically participates in Olympic competitions. To put it simply, he has played soccer at a relatively high level from a young age. “Under 13, we have this Ontario Cup, which would be the equivalent to a state cup,” Bekker explained. “It was the quarterfinals and it’s the first time you get to compete in this tournament because all the regions first come together. It was 2-2, the other team had just scored with five minutes left and a ball just got laid back at the top of the box and I was in the right place at the right time and I volleyed it top shelf. We won the game, and we were playing at home and it was packed. That was fun.” Kelly understands Bekker’s talent and appreciates the creative approach he brings to the game. “He’s got a very high skill level,” Kelly said. “[He is] very talented and he’s got a lot of things going on inside his head. It’s like being an artist. He’s got different views of what the canvas should look like, and he’s very creative in that part of it.” In addition to all of the soccer accolades he has racked up and his impressive mentality, Bekker has an incredibly solid background and support system that boosts his play and personality. He had lived in the same house, in pleasant and quiet Oakville, Canada, for all his life before his move to Chestnut Hill. When asked who in his family he looked up to, he quickly listed his dad, brother, sister, and mom—his entire family. In one example of his supportive fam-
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Bekker has been on a hot streak for the Eagles, scoring three goals in his first four games. ily, Bekker described his dad getting him started with soccer and even offering support if he chose not to play anymore. “My dad’s always been a big part in my playing soccer,” Bekker said. “Ever since I was young he’s been in the back-
“My dad’s always been a big part in my playing soccer. He gave me the option.” yard playing with me, always. So that’s been good. It was never, ‘Oh, you have to do this’. He gave me the option. He even said, ‘If you don’t want to do it, you have the option.’” While confident and dogged in his approach on the field, Bekker exudes a humble, sincere, and grateful vibe in person. He rarely says much about his soccer career without some mention of how fortunate he is. When he mentioned the wealth of talent on the
BC team, he described fellow players as “unreal.” When he mentioned his goal to regularly be one of the better players, he clarified, “Whether it’s true [that I’m on of the better players] or not, I’m not sure, you need to ask someone else to give you the answer.” Bekker described a trip to Old Trafford, the home turf of Manchester United, as “unreal” and the skills of Paul Scholes (a Man. U legend) as “unbelievable.” Bekker is a humble person who regularly speaks highly of others. His teammates joke that his hot streak seems to have come out of nowhere, as he had not made a free kick in two full years of soccer BC until now. But realistically, the streak makes sense. Bekker is seems to be doing everything right. He has a wonderfully supportive family, a generally good outlook on all his success to date, a likeable personality, an upbeat attitude on the pitch, and a whole lot of talent. As to how far that talent will drive him in the future, who knows? But in terms of intangibles, he seems perfectly equipped for a bright future. n
Mewis’ offense and Mastroianni’s goalkeeping combine for 4-0 shutout Women’s Soccer, from B1 system to see how we could open up the attack and utilize Kristen Mewis,” said Foley. “It all came together today.” Mewis took advantage of the changes Foley made and had her best performance of the season, scoring two goals and registering an assist. Her breakaway goal off a beautiful pass from freshman center back Casey Morrison early in the second half effectively put the Raiders out of the game, giving BC a 3-0 lead. Foley’s changes appear to have paid off. “A lot of the system changes were for Kristen. She was dangerous in the attack,” Foley said. “Her decision-making today was the best it’s ever been.” G oalke ep er Jillian Mastroianni achieved a major career milestone Sunday, notching her 38th career shutout in the win. She now holds the record for the most shutouts by a goalkeeper in BC history. Although she wasn’t tested much on Sunday, she made an incredible save off a corner kick early in the second half to prevent Colgate from gaining any momentum to open the half. Foley spoke highly of Mastroianni after the game. “You’re only as good as your goalkeeper,” Foley said. “It was fantastic for her to break the record today. We’ve had a lot of good goalkeepers in the past, but Jill is definitely the best I’ve seen come through BC.” The Eagles dominated every aspect of the game against an aggressive Raiders team, outshooting them 28-4 and controlling the pace of play. But with a more aggressive offense comes more offsides penalties, and Foley is hoping to use the upcoming practices to correct the problem before the next game. “We were a bit ambitious in starting some of our runs,” Foley said. “We want to discuss that issue. But we are in a great stride offensively. When you increase your offense, you naturally draw more offsides penalties. Those penalties
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Through six games, Jillian Mastroianni has recorded five shutouts and allowed just one goal. will be more important in a close game though, so it’s still something we’re going to work on.” The Eagles received great performances from their younger players. Freshman forward Stephanie McCaffrey added great energy to the offense and started a play that eventually led to a goal by Mewis. Morrison played solid defense in the back while also adding an assist to put the game out of reach. The Eagles will be looking to continue their momentum heading into
Wednesday’s game against Dartmouth. Foley is optimistic that the team will put together yet another great performance. “This was so important for us to prove that our system changes have worked,” she said. “We’re in a great stride, and we’ve got the ball rolling now.” With ACC play starting next week, the Eagles hope that their offense continues to roll as they aim to end the season with a conference title and a national championship. n
Alex trautwig / heights editor
Luthy allowed four goals to No. 2 Maryland on Friday, and didn’t get any help from his offense.
Eagles drop tough ACC match-up at Maryland Men’s Soccer, from B1 the 71st minute. The Eagles really had no opportunities, as they were outshot 18-4 on the night. This strong offensive outburst comes with little
surprise, however, as Maryland is averaging 3.2 goals per game to this point in the season. This was the first ACC contest for both teams. The Eagles will next face off against Virginia Tech, while the Terps will visit nonconference foe UMBC. n
The Heights
B6
Monday, September 12, 2011
Different location, same enthusiasm Eager students express their interest in various extracurricular activities at Student Involvement Fair held in new location on Linden Lane By Marye Moran Heights Staff
Music blasted from the tables for Fuego and Boston College Radio, and neon fliers stuck out of pockets and Vineyard Vines bags. Students of all four classes wandered between stands, speaking to club representatives and signing up for listservs. This year’s Student Involvement Fair maintained its characteristic atmosphere of excitement and possibility, yet there was one critical difference: It was no longer in the Dustbowl. For over 20 years, the Student Involvement Fair was located in the Dustbowl. With the ongoing construction of Stokes Hall, though, a site change was necessary, prompting this year’s event to be held on Linden Lane. The Student Programs Office, in planning the event, decided to make the most of this change, thinking of it as a start of new traditions rather than a break with the old ones. Beginning with the fundamentals, the office changed the name of the event from Student Activities Day to the Student Involvement Fair, and made a motto, “Don’t be sad, get involved,” alluding to the initials of the original title. Knowing that the new, less central, location might need more publicity to attract visitors, advertising was amped up, including a full-page feature in The Heights. This ad included the line “#involved”, and Karl Bell, assistant director of Student Organization, says, “The hope secretly in this office is that students at BC will tweet ‘#involved’ in an effort to raise ‘involved’ to the level that it’s trending.” Aside from the increased media surrounding the event, the Student Programs Office also partnered with other organizations for the first time, working with the Senior Class Gift Committee and the charity Autism Speaks. Other changes included the addition of a dunk tank, leaving the soaked participants, Bell, Mark Miceli, associate director of the Student Programs Office, and UGBC President Michael Kitlas glad that the sun was shining for the first time that week. Bell was optimistic when planning the fair, noting that, “BC students are nothing if not involved.” This year saw a 20 percent increase in requests by organizations to take part. “There are over 225 organizations and offices signed up
for the involvement fair,” he says. “About half the university – at least 4,000 people – will be there throughout the day.” Despite that hope, those planning the fair were not blind to the issue of less natural foot traffic going through Linden Lane. “We were right by Main Gate, so all the freshmen going to Newton had to walk through to get to the bus, but if you weren’t going to the bus you probably wouldn’t pass by,” says Laura Goodell, A&S ’14, who was recruiting for the women’s water polo team. “It’ll be a test to see how interested students are in getting involved,” Bell says, noting that they would have to intentionally go to the location, not just happen to pass through. Participants in the fair had mixed feelings about the change in location. “It’s the best available option,” says Kudzai Taziva, AHANA Leadership Council representative and A&S ’13.He still prefers the way things once were, noting that “the Dustbowl’s shape lets you go around naturally,” which the Linden Lane location was less conducive to. Others reacted with a similar mix of understanding and disappointment. “I mean, the Dustbowl’s the place,” says Alex Angel, CSOM ’12. Many returning students felt the same way, recalling their memories as freshmen first encountering the organizations that would define their four years. Others, though, were glad to have the chance to explore a different part of campus. “I kind of like it,” says Kelly Bellaria, A&S ’12. I never came here in my four years, except for freshman convocation.” She was tapping into what Bell explained was one of the reasons for choosing Linden Lane. “It’s beginning a new tradition of welcoming students on Linden Lane and then on graduation they’ll gather there again,” he says. “This continues the tradition by First Year Experience with the convocation walk.” In recent years, the process of getting involved on campus has been changing. With the launch of MyBC, which consolidated club websites and news updates into one location, finding the information presented at the involvement fair became easier to access remotely. This, combined with the fact that students would now have to go out of their way to attend the fair, might lead one to expect that attendance would dwindle. “There’s something about an oppor-
tunity to be one with the community,” Bell says. Club representatives also saw this to be true. “I was pleased with how many came,” says Karli Saultzbough, A&S ’14, who was manning the table for the Society of Native American Peoples. The fact that this year’s event required some level of initiative on the part of students also was a plus to some club leaders. “People could just come to us, and we didn’t have to fight for attention,” says Rachel Fagut, a member of Women and Business, and CSOM ’14. Ultimately, the Student Involvement Fair is all about connecting people, regardless of where it is held. The history in the Dustbowl was significant for many in the BC community, and Bell speculates that, “there might be a return to that location,” depending on the size of Stokes Common. However, the constant flow of students in this somewhat out-of-the-way location showed that, as a community, not much will deter eager undergraduates. For example, many begin their time at BC on the Newton Campus, taking a bus to all their classes and events. We head to Appalachia or El Salvador for service and drive RV’s to the middle of a cornfield in the Midwest to cheer on our football team. At BC, the only things we love more than our traditions are being involved and being together, so not even the move from the Dustbowl from Linden Lane could stop students’ enthusiastic participation. n
Kevin Hou / heights Editor
Students wandered down a table-filled Linden Lane for this year’s Student Involvement Fair.
kevin hou / heights Editor
More than 225 organizations and offices registered to have their own table to recruit new members at this fall’s Student Involvement Fair.
freshman profile
campus chronicles
New students leave high schools Telling the same old story of behind, look toward new heights broken promises year after year By Alexandra Schaeffer
Zamin Husein
Heights Staff
The beginning of the fall semester not only marks the return to Chestnut Hill for three-quarters of Boston College’s student body, but it is also the scary transition from high school to college life for the 2,300 new students of the freshman class. Everyone remembers the anxiety-ridden and exciting weeks before his or her move-in day to college, and the struggles and experiences that followed in that first semester. No one has an identical start to college; everyone meets different people, does different things, and makes different choices. Strangely though, when people reflect upon those first weeks, some common threads emerge, a testament to the success of First Year Experience programs like 48Hours. However, pre- 48Hours and pre-lasting friendships is September of freshman year, a time of confusion and excitement dealt with differently by everyone. Malia Allen, A&S ’15, is among the members of the class of 2015 new to campus, “I went to a public school in Los Altos, Calif. that was a little more diverse than BC, but definitely still had an upper/middle class student body.” Knowing initially that she wanted a private school on the East Coast near a city, BC seemed like the perfect fit for Allen. However, East Coast weather came into play and Hurricane Irene prevented her from making it to orientation. “Even without the freshman orientation, my transition has been really smooth so far. All the girls on my floor have been really friendly and outgoing. We’ve kind of been doing everything as a pack, going to meals, the Plex, and into Boston together,” Allen says. This is a common occurrence among freshman girls new to campus. Chloe Rossin, A&S ’14, remembers the girls at the other end of her hall doing everything together last year. “On my hall of 60 girls, like 15 of them would do everything together as a group. It was a little intimidating, I remember. At one point, though, I went into Boston with them as a hall, and eventually I became friends with some of them. Now they’re my suitemates!” Freshman year is about going outside of one’s comfort zone, meeting, and getting to know as many people as possible. “Coming from a diverse, not nearly as well-off public school in Brooklyn, I was in for a shock at BC,” says Christian Von Gizycki, A&S ’14. “I was not used to people caring about how they did in school, or having the wealth that you often see at BC. It was really uncomfortable at first until I really got to know people and make great friends.” Von Gizycki still gets made fun of by his fellow classmates for not having a driver’s license, but it is
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all in good fun. His initial freshman apprehension has turned into a love for BC. “Coming to BC is not really that much of a culture shock for me, with the exception that the students dress like a more polished version of the kids in my high school,” notes Kate Wysocki, LSOE ’15. She attended a small non-denominational private school in Annapolis, Md. with a graduating class of under 100 students. “It’s the getting used to college life that’s weird. I miss going to bed early and knowing everyone in my classes! I always thought that I wanted a pretty big college, but being here, now I’m not so sure of that.” Wysocki’s lack of sleep could be related to the forced-triple living situation she finds herself in, a not uncommon occurrence. The class is overenrolled by 20 students and has even had to extend first year housing to rooms in Williams Hall, traditionally a sophomore dorm. However, there are still some lucky students out there, such as Zander Weiss, A&S ’15, who were placed in natural triples. “It’s so nice, we have our own bathroom and basically two separate rooms; it’s almost like an apartment. It’s made the transition to dorm life surprisingly easy for me,” says Weiss, a native of Westchester, NY who attended a predominantly white, Jewish public high school. As far as the upperclassmen go, Weiss has said he has had minimal interaction, with the exception of his women’s literature class. There he is not only the lone freshman, but also one of only two boys. “That class is kind of a nice break from dorm life; the conversation is, well, different than what I’ve been hearing on my floor the past week,” he says. Freshman year is an experience in contrasts, higher level academic work paired with constant socialization, close friends eventually formed from complete strangers, and a whole new environment that sometimes becomes too familiar. Von Gizycki’s parting words can serve as solace for many freshmen, “I felt completely lost and confused at first, but as a sophomore now I can truly say that I have grown to really appreciate and love BC.” n
This is the semester. This is the semester that I will write essays the day they are assigned. This is the semester that I will wake up every morning at 6:30 a.m. to go jogging around the Reservoir. This is the semester that I will explore Boston every weekend. I will go to office hours. I will get my 4Boston application in on time. This is the semester I will get that elusive 4.0 GPA. Well, I guess technically this was supposed to have happened last semester. And the semester before that. That was the speech I gave myself after I woke up on the first day of class last week. Also the speech I gave myself last year. And the year before that. But as a new school year rolls around, I will continue to believe that I can achieve all of those
“Make this semester different,
because this is the semester you made it past syllabus week. And then we can celebrate our success at the end of the semester...”
goals. Despite four semesters of anecdotal proof suggesting I will lose the fervor in about a month or so, I still choose to indulge these lofty goals. After all, this year is different – I am different. I am living on campus, Gasson Hall is complete, McElroy Commons is revamped. Even the Student Involvement Fair was upgraded to a gold panning adventure down Linden Lane where we got to sift through the array of student organizations to find those that we have convinced ourselves we are going to join. Even if they may just turn into annoying weekly e-mails and an uncomfortable request to be removed from the listserv. Then again, last year was different too because I was changing states and schools, and no one knew me … but still, this year is completely different. I remain encouraged. How could I not? Last week I did all of my homework on time, started on this week’s homework, had time to hang out with my friends, and most importantly went to
bed by midnight. They should hand out awards for this level of dedication. They should hand out 4.0s for this dedication. Perhaps this alacrity was due to the beauty of syllabus week – but hopefully not. Syllabus week is perhaps the most encouraging but misleading start to the school year. Professors haven’t had enough time to go over actual classwork because they feel as if we, college students, are unable to read a syllabus all by ourselves. Consequently, the first week passes rather quickly and easily, and it makes you wonder why you did so poorly last semester if classes are this easy. Then comes week two. This week. When classes literally transform from syllabus story time to 200-page anthologies and eight-page papers due within the week. It’s cruel, really. And all of a sudden we have lost the energy to write essays the day they are assigned. We have lost the energy to go jogging in the morning. We have no desire to go into Boston, and have nothing to say to our professors in office hours. When was that 4Boston application due again? The 4.0 can wait until next year. But before we hit that downward spiral, the time of the semester when three essays, two tests, the pinnacle of roommate drama, and your Appalachia meeting all coincide in the same week, we are going to try to be prepared. We know it is coming because it happens every semester. It is the time when the Plex is the emptiest it has been all semester, and the dining halls are the fullest due to the increased number of “study” breaks. And the way to solve that dilemma is by treating every week like it is syllabus week. Fake it. Despite being overwhelmed in all of your classes, act as if you are still being read the syllabus, being coddled, and that the weather is still nice enough in an effort to galvanize some work out of you. Don’t forget the mindset that you are in right now – that this is the semester. The semester that will change everything. One bad grade is often enough to push people away from their ready attitudes and into the same overwhelming cycle. Disregard that grade such that you won’t need to take a million study breaks to get over it and fall behind. Make this semester different, because this is the semester that you made it past syllabus week. And then we can celebrate our success at the end of the semester … or give ourselves the same speech next year.
Zamin Husein is a Heights Staff Columnist. He welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.
The Heights
Monday, September 12, 2011
the real world
B7
professor profile
Beginning Boucher is traveling on the road that leads to success a year like no other By Ryan McGuill Heights Staff
Francesca Bacardi Although senior year is supposed to be the last hoorah of what is considered to be the best four years of our lives, I would have to disagree – it is only the beginning. This column, “The Real World,” is going to be about everything that is not Boston College. I was told I could write about anything from politics to celebrities, basically whatever does not fall within the BC bubble i.e. Mary Ann’s, student life, etc. Regardless, this week’s column is about a certain aspect of BC that does fall under the category of the real world: senior year. After a phenomenal summer filled with jobs, internships, and nonstop fun, school comes out of nowhere and slaps us in the face with work. Now, we are all aware of syllabus week and what it means: no work and more fun. As a senior, the fun is always present, but accompanied by pressure. Throughout our entire lives, the first week of school has always involved a certain level of expectation. The first day is all about the outfit and the following days are all about discovering who is in your classes. The first week for seniors, however, is a little bit different. Take Kelsey O’Neill, LSOE ’12, who had a very different week from many other seniors in A&S or CSOM because she began her full-practicum at the Baker School in Brookline. Rather than attend classes all day like a normal college student, Kelsey teaches like a real person in the real world. Since she’s never on campus during the week, she says that she has become a “weekend warrior.” Kelsey is one of my best friends, and I can attest to the fact that she truly is gone from dawn until dusk. By the time she gets home, she’s too tired to socialize, hence her title “the weekend warrior.” In all seriousness, if that’s not the real world, then what is? Although many seniors have lax schedules because they are only required to take four classes, the amount of free time is minimal. When they aren’t in class, they can be seen preparing for the LSATs, the GMATs, the GREs, the MCATs … the list goes on and on. If they aren’t studying for those exams, they’re filling out job applications or graduate school applications. If they don’t fall under those categories, then they already have jobs, internships, or clinicals. Yes, I’ll admit, we’re still protected by the BC bubble until that horrendous day that is graduation, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’re not already a part of the real world. The academic pressures have, for the first time, been moved to the back burner as we all try to focus on our futures. Out of nowhere it seems we are being forced to answer that lifelong question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Even when we entered college we could hide behind the “undecided” option on the Common Application, but now we have to face our fears and enter the real world where decision-making becomes a full-time job. Personally, I can’t even decide whether I want to eat the turkey and Brie or the tuna delight from Hillside for lunch, so how am I expected to suddenly know what I want to do with my entire life? My mom would say, “That’s what growing up is all about,” but who wants to hear that? Once you’re in college no one wants to actually grow up. Sadly, though, we all have to face the music and actually join the real world. Protected as we may be, senior year is the beginning of a very short transition into reality. (I say short because we can all be honest with ourselves, nine months of school goes by in three seconds and college went by with the blink of an eye.) With all of the other work we are expected to complete on top of the work we’re supposed to do for our classes, there is hardly a moment to breathe, but what makes this year so special is that somehow we actually do make it all work. We fit the jobs, the schoolwork, the applications and everything else in while still making time for friends and football, even if it means we have to become weekend warriors. Like I said earlier, if doing all of that and somehow managing to graduate doesn’t mean we’re in the real world, then we really are in trouble for the future.
Francesca Bacardi is a staff columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.com
Under the sweltering Southern California sun, a recently published author with a banjo strapped around his back and his wife, guitar in hand, stared at their defunct 1972 Volkswagen Beetle. A faulty carburetor caused this vintage ride to kick the bucket no more than a couple hundred feet into their 2,000mile Pan-American journey. This scenario might sound like the product of a Jack Kerouac nightmare, but this past summer, it was indeed a reality for Chris Boucher, a professor of English and creative writing at Boston College. “It was a hiccup,” says Boucher, who proceeded to rent a car for his 16-stop book tour in promotion of his first novel, How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive. Boucher was born on April 2, 1972, in Longmeadow, Mass., a town of 15,000 located three miles outside the city of Springfield. While attending Longmeadow High School, Boucher, who currently teaches a freshmen writing seminar, literary themes, and a class on magazine editing, had different aspirations. “In high school, I
honestly believed I was going to be a theatre set designer,” claims Boucher, who went on to enroll in the B.F.A. Program in Set Design at Carnegie Mellon University. After discovering the works of playwrights like Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, and Caryl Churchill, Boucher’s focus turned to his own writing. At the end of his freshman year, he transferred to Brandeis University to pursue an English major. The switch in colleges was the spark to a career and a life that both revolve around the constant flow of creative juices. After graduating from Brandeis in 1997, Boucher received an M.F.A. in Creative Writing at Syracuse University and began teaching full-time as a graduate student in 2002. “Every morning, I wake up and write,” Boucher says. “No matter how uninteresting it begins, I always end up with more than when I started. It’s a magical process.” Boucher carries this philosophy into the courses he currently teaches at BC, where he challenges his students to think of essay writing as less of a process and more of an inquiry. If How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive was driven by inquiry, then one
could also say that its completion was undoubtedly a process. Boucher wrote a first draft as part of his third-year thesis at Syracuse, and now – almost a decade later – the final product has hit the shelves. Volkswagen tells the tale of a 20-something newspaper reporter that comes upon a 1972 VW Beetle with an intriguing secret. “Basically, it runs on stories,” he says. “The car will request them as fuel.” Interestingly enough, Volkswagen is loosely based around Boucher’s time spent working as a journalist in Northampton, Mass. “I bought a 1971 VW Super Beetle, and the owner of the car gave me a manual entitled ‘How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive,’ which eventually went on to be the title of my book.” Unfortunately, this specific manual did not give any guidance on the estimated gas mileage from that memorable deep-sea fishing trip with Grandpa a few years back. Boucher is no stranger to cars that need a little extra TLC. Since his highschool years, he has driven a Ford F150 sidestep pickup truck that lacked a key and had a wooden plank for a bumper, a VW Rabbit with a dangerously unglued ceiling cloth, and of course,
the cursed 1972 VW Beetle which he intended on driving cross-country on the book tour. When he and his wife Lisa, a schoolteacher, were married in the summer of 2010, a 21-window VW bus even served as their limo to and from the event. Now in his third year at BC, Boucher also serves on the editorial board for Post Road, a literary journal that publishes contemporary literature from some of the most acclaimed authors in all genres. Boucher urges students to lend their sense of creativity to the inner workings of Post Road. “We’re always looking for readers to review submissions,” he says. “And you can apply for an internship, which is a great chance to experience the world of magazine editing and publishing.” As for obstacles on the road, Boucher doesn’t look to encounter any in the near future. “The car I’m driving now isn’t very fancy, I’m afraid – I drive a 2003 Toyota Echo.” Let’s hope it won’t fail him on his next 2,000-mile book tour. Boucher will be speaking at Porter Square Books on Jan. 24, 2012 and signing copies of his novel, How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive. n
the real world
The home of the free and the land of infinite chocolate bars Dan Friedman This past Saturday, I did what most college students do after a Friday night. I woke up at nine in the morning to go with my family to our local synagogue. Following a thrilling couple of hours in which the Torah was read and the biblical commandment banning oxen and donkeys from being yoked on the same wagon was discussed, the service ended and the congregation gathered for Kiddush (lunch). My family ate with a fellow South African, and following a brief discussion comparing and contrasting South African approaches to education with American ones, the conversation turned to what appears to me to be the nation’s favorite hobbyhorse of discourse: namely, that America is on the decline. Even passionate and steadfast believers in America’s greatness, like my father, acknowledge the country to be on “a knife’s edge.” The conversation centered on education. My mother, sister, and our South African friend took the “two education system” approach, arguing vigorously that unless one could pay either the property taxes needed to live in a good neighborhood (and thus have access to good schools) or the tuition for a private school, the public school system in America – especially inner city schools – failed the kids it purports to support. My father argued that the bottom ten percent of people in this country are still better off than two-thirds of the rest of the world, and that opportunities abound in America for those prepared to work hard. Further, studies have shown that most successful students have strong adult influences; male and female – that parents should make it their duty to see their children
work hard. Ultimately, however, the details of this discussion are unimportant. Rather, the manner in which it was conducted was what I found most fascinating. On both sides – and mind you policy decisions and solutions (things that can really get people heated) did not even enter the discussion – there was a kind of jaded blankness in the reaction of the participants to each other. This revelation caused me to feel a kind of exhaustion. Perhaps it is that my family loves to argue, and we know each other’s views so well by now that most conversations almost resort to auto-pilot mode. But it occurred to me that perhaps this was a wholly appropriate analogy for the conduct of our politicians and leaders. By now the divides are set. No one was fooled by the rhetoric in Obama’s jobs speech this past Thursday. Everyone knew what was coming, and indeed he called for another stimulus package, even though he couldn’t say the word stimulus because it would poll badly. And no one was surprised (or shouldn’t have been) by the congressional Republicans who guffawed and smirked during the majority of the speech. We know what’s coming – we know what to expect. The two parties are like Antony and Cleopatra’s discussion in Shakespeare’s play by the same name right before Antony dies. He says, “I am dying, Egypt, dying. / Give me some wine, and let me speak a little.” Cleopatra denies the dying man his wish with a tactless, “No, let me speak,” in the very next breath. Two people interested only in what they themselves have to say, in what glory and power they themselves want to achieve – sound familiar (hint: Republicans and Democrats)?
allthingsd.com
This style of conversation, in which ideas and phrases are predetermined by what will poll the best, in which substance yields to form, no one listens to what the other side is saying. Yeats’ observation, “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are filled with a passionate intensity,” certainly seems relevant. I would posit that it is this kind of trying discourse that has caused so much of what now constitutes what Jimmy Carter would have called malaise. It may seem obvious, but people would be paying a lot less attention to politicians and the media if things were going well, if people had jobs. But they don’t, and in the interim they are forced to watch and despair at the circus/soap opera of national politics. But readers of this column (I like to imagine I have a following) know that I love America, and maybe because of this I refuse to subscribe to the view that we are just following the Romans and crumbling from within. And to prove this, I will share a brief anecdote. Having just been to Canada for my
cousin’s wedding, I noticed an article in the Globe and Mail, which asserted Canadians have increasingly begun to feel pity rather than envy towards their American neighbors. Perhaps the polls say this is true, but what is also true is that a friend of mine from Toronto came up this past weekend to visit his friends at Berkeley. He and I stopped at a convenience store because he wanted to buy some chocolate bars. While in the store, he would not stop telling me how much better the variety and selection was in American convenience stores as opposed to Canadian ones. One could see the joy on his face. And suddenly, the fatigue I had felt earlier in the day, listening to my family’s conversation, dissipated. Whatever any radio show host or news anchor or politician says about it, this is still America, land of the infinite variety of chocolate bars.
Dan Friedman is a staff columnist for the Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com
he said, she said I’m an only child and I knew coming into Boston College that I probably wouldn’t be the best roommate because of it. It’s really hard for me to compromise on much of anything and I know it has to bother the person I’m living with. I’m afraid to lose my friends and miss out on future friends, but I don’t know how to change. How can I be a better roommate?” - Ivana b. Better Being a good roommate, or at least a tolerable one can be pretty difficult, but it’s really just about being considerate. Wanting to be a good one is a good start, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to live with you right away. One of the first and easiest things to do, particularly this early in the year, is to sit down with your roommate(s) and cover some basics. Things like sleeping schedule, where you’ll be studying, and if you’re not at a Jesuit school, maybe even a policy Alex about overnight visitors. At least trying to lay T rautwig some groundwork for a successful living situation will be a step in the right direction. If you know for a fact that you’re being a weak roommate, or doing certain things that will definitely be annoying to your roommate, talk to them and ask them how they feel. Explain that you know there are things you need to change, and ask them what the biggest things are. Hopefully you will be able to have a somewhat open and honest conversation. If you don’t feel comfortable having that talk, I think a great rule of thumb is to just match what your roommate does. Going off their behavior gives you a great idea of what is “acceptable” or “normal” in their mind. If your roommate seems to like doing work in the room, than it should be assumed that not only will you respect that, but that you could also expect that same courtesy if you wanted to do schoolwork in your room too. This can really be applied to any aspect of living with a roommate.
Living in the tight quarters of a dorm room for four years in college presents a challenge for many students. It is always an adjustment returning to school in the fall and having to live with a person/group of people that you have not been with all summer. When it comes to roommates, the golden rule is “RESPECT.” You always have to remember to respect your living space and your roommate. For example, pick up your dirty clothes and don’t stay up until all hours of the night. Madeline Would you want your roommate doing that to you? Demoulas That being said, you should have good communication with your roommate. Roommates should be comfortable addressing one another about different issues. Having healthy conversations together will fizzle any tension within the room. Being a good roommate just means you have to be considerate. It can be as simple as tidying up the common room or doing the dishes. You have to think how your behavior will affect those you live with. Perhaps more important than worrying about your specific living habits, building a strong friendship with your roommate could be more effective. If you are able to forge a strong friendship, it will open lines of communication and allow you to discuss living situation issues more openly. I am not suggesting you must become best friends with every person you live with, but building a strong relationship with your roommate will only make your life easier. No one has a perfect situation, but it always helps to be open to suggestions. Always remember, the better your living situation, the more you will enjoy school—therefore, it is important to work hard at it.
Alex Trautwig is an Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at features@bcheights.com
Madeline Demoulas is a senior staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at features@bcheights.edu.
B8
The Heights
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Heights
Monday, September 12, 2011
B9
Boston College greets student body with a fresh face after renovations
A
Juliette San Fillipo | Heights Staff
rriving back on campus this fall for a new semester, Boston College students have plenty to take in as they settle back into life on the Heights. Besides moving into a different place, and beginning a full rank of new classes, students will notice other changes to BC’s campus and student life as the 2011-2012 year commences.
Among the most notable physical changes to the Chestnut Hill campus are the construction projects completed on McElroy Commons and Gasson Hall, as well as the considerable progress made on Stokes Hall on Middle Campus. As the University’s signature building, Gasson got the works this summer in terms of exterior renovation, and even received some interior renovation as well. The construction project on Gasson included new windows and the rebuilding of the east and west porticos and stairways. On the side adjacent to O’Neill Plaza, some new landscaping such as grass plots can be seen on each side of the newly paved road towards Linden Lane. In terms of the interior, Gasson Hall has refurbished classroom and office structures as well as improvements in safety and accessibility throughout the building. Scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2012, Stokes Hall and its construction continues to claim the Dustbowl from students, but its completion is well underway. Every four weeks, the construction on the north wing of Stokes Hall is supposed to move upward by one level, resulting in a four-story building; the larger south wing will rise one level about every six weeks in the coming months. Students can already notice that work on level two of Stokes is in progress, with steel erections and mock-up panels in place, which are signs of steady advancement in the construction.. Upon its completion, Stokes will be an 183,000-square foot academic building rising between Lyons Hall and McElroy, and will harbor offices for all things liberal arts, as well as 36 new classrooms, a commons area, coffee shop, conference rooms, outdoor gardens, and a plaza. Stokes is the first academic building to be constructed on the Middle Campus since 2001, and accordingly this construction will continue to affect students with its eradication of the Dustbowl for student activities and also for pedestrian traffic. Students traveling back and forth from Middle to Upper campus should be aware that the College Road staircase will be closed weekdays between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., making the trek to class a bit more of an inconvenience. However, students commuting through McElroy Commons to reach Upper and Middle Campuses will fortunately be able to enjoy the recently renovated Carney’s Dining Hall, which is replete with a new look as well as new dining options. “Carney Dining Hall got a facelift, and people are really enjoying it; we think it looks great and really highlights the food,” says Helen Wechsler, director of BC Dining Services. “Carney’s hadn’t had any updates since 2009. So, we took down the tents, put in new tables and chairs, a new layout for the servery, and added new window treatments so it’s brighter, airy and cheerful.” Students are certainly noticing and praising the difference in the dining hall, and not only lowerclassmen.“It doesn’t look like a circus anymore,” says Parker Armsby, A&S ’13. “It’s so nice now; I wish it was like this two years ago when I came to McElroy every day as a freshman.” In light of BC’s other renovations, like those on Gasson, that stood to make the campus a more atmospheric place, the University felt McElroy should be included in that plan as well. “[Carney’s] needed it; we needed to upgrade some of the electrical too so we could add things to enhance service. And it was time, and the students
told us that,” Wechsler says. Even Corcoran Commons saw some improvements this summer that upperclassmen and all BC students alike can enjoy. “In Lower, we painted and got new tables and chairs and a new layout. And, by October, we will actually have a working fireplace,” Wechsler says. According to Wechsler, BC Dining Services is making more of an effort this semester to let BC students be heard when it comes to their eating experience on the Heights. “We have a new way for students to tell us what they think about food and service; it’s called Survey On The Spot. It’s very cool; right on your smartphone, you can get the app, go to BC Dining, tell us where you are, and take our two second survey. We really want to know what students think; for example, if a student is having a bad experience, the app sends a txt message to the manager right away [to address the problem]. We want students to use it often because it really helps with our food and our service.” Students can access the app either by downloading it, clicking on a QR code provided by BC Dining, or by going to the website surveyonthespot.com/rvkgr. Wechsler hopes that the app will be especially useful in letting Dining Services know how students are receiving all the new meals, prices, and policies in the dining halls this semester – which are extensive. “We have a whole new set of value meals for students.
These value meals were based on popularity, and also based on value not only in dollars but also in what students actually eat. We think it’s a great deal and students should take advantage of it,” Wechsler says. Some of those value meals include a 10 oz soup and half sandwich deal for lunch for $6, or a 10 oz soup and a medium size salad bar deal for dinner for $8. BC Dining also adopted new policies within the food facilities in order to further appease students and their needs. “Dinner at McElroy is now open, with all lines, until 8 p.m., which is an improvement. There is a new self-serve salad bar at the Eagle’s Nest. If your meal comes with fries, chips, or fripps, and you don’t want that, you can now get a piece of hand fruit on the side instead.” BC Dining also continues to add new meals to the regular fare at each operation on campus, which have already met with considerable success among students. “We haven’t changed a lot of our [food] concepts, but, for example, Stuart is doing some amazing late night specials – they have a new special called the Newton Bus Burger that kids wait in line for like crazy. It’s two burgers, lettuce, tomato, cheese, two mozzarella sticks, onion strings, and chipotle sauce. It’s really popular. They’re also doing breakfast at Late Night [at Stuart], and hot dogs from around the world.” Students not on Newton Campus also get to enjoy myriad of new meals offered in each dining spot this semester, such as a Caprese salad in the Eagle’s Nest, taco salads and a crepe station in McElroy, apple-prosciuttostuffed chicken breast at Lower, and even Thai chicken lettuce wraps in the Grab-And-Go fridges. Wechsler says that they also got rid of sushi in to-go containers and will now debut fresh sushi more frequently in each of the dining halls. The best thing about all the new dining options at BC is that Dining Services will now even let students taste these new foods before they go and spend money on them. “Students can now try new food being offered to them before they buy it. For example, if the dining hall is running a new entree, students can sample it before they
kevin hou / heights editor
Campus Chronicles
This has really got to be a Modlife, a Mod, Mod life Aubrey Pringle The Mods. There’s something undeniably magical about that little red village. Freshmen are somewhat scared of the Mods, sophomores try to sneak into the Mods, and juniors pray for Mods. And seniors, after three years of wistful waiting, finally can call the Mods their own territory. No doubt about it, there is a lot of hype surrounding the Mods at Boston College. But what is it exactly that is so alluring about them? Having a backyard, a grill, and a staircase? Hosting tailgates and barbeques? Being part of a beloved BC tradition? There is no one correct answer. It is the unique combination of factors that make them so legendary. But, as they say, every rose has its thorn, which begs the question, is Modlife all it’s cracked up to be? With a few weeks of Mod living under their belt, I spoke with several residents – Taylor Costas, A&S ’12, Mike Francke, A&S ’12, Avila Stahlman, A&S ’12, and Danny O’Neil, A&S ’13 – to hear their initial reactions to life in the Mods. Q: It’s only been a few weeks, but so far have the Mods been as great as you had hoped? Francke: “I’ve wanted a Mod since I was a freshman, and it has definitely lived up to my expectations so far. And the weather lately has been great for hanging out in the backyard.” Danny: “Yes they have. I love being in an area of campus that’s more relaxed.” Q: How has it been different from what you expected? Taylor: “I feel like there’s something about the Mods that is just inherently dirty and messy and gross. And there seems to be very little we can do about that.” Danny: “I thought it would be an attitude like ‘party all the time,’ but then I have to remember that this is where I’m living. I don’t want to be sitting on piles of beer cans or anything. There’s a responsibility to keep the place clean, which is difficult.” Avila: “Well, there’s basically no lights in the Mods. I wasn’t expecting that. So we just got a ton of lamps.” Q: Have you had maintenance issues? Avila: “We’ve had a few problems, but we work-ordered them and the facilities staff came within a couple hours and fixed everything.” Taylor: “The fan in our fridge broke, and our food went bad. And our upstairs sink was leaking all over the bathroom floor … not fun. But it’s all been fixed now.” Danny: “Our upstairs toilet doesn’t work right now.
purchase – which is new this year, because previously if we had something new in the dining hall, students didn’t really notice it – and they should,” Wechsler says. Students will be pleased to acknowledge that BC ranked No. 7 for Best College Food Overall with Newsweek and The Daily Beast. “We’re very proud,” Wechsler says. In addition to new dining options, BC student life is different this semester also because of changes in the dorms. Sophomores living in Walsh will experience the sign-in desk that began as a pilot program last year in order to increase safety and security within the 800person dorm, BC’s largest. “It makes sense that they kept the program this year,” says Meghan Hughes, LSOE ’13, who lived in Walsh last year. “It wasn’t really as big of an inconvenience as it seemed, and it was nice feeling safe inside the dorm.” New to Vanderslice Hall on Lower Campus is a communal lounge in the Cabaret Room that students can use at their leisure. Previously, the space was often rented out and reserved for private functions rather than for student downtime. “The Cabaret Room in Vanderslice is totally redone and will now be exclusively a student lounge; it can be an informal meeting room, a study space, a lounge, etc. There was a sense [within the University] that we need to have more space for students to just hang out,” says Paul Chebator, interim dean of student development. Students should also be aware that The Loft at Addie’s is still in operation, and remains a popular, local, and sustainable eatery on Lower. The farmers market in front of Corcoran Commons will proceed to provide students with fresh produce through the first part of October on Thursdays from 3-6 p.m. Dining Services in collaboration with Student Affairs will also continue with the late night study spaces [around campus]; these will be at Hillside and the Chocolate Bar, Monday through Thursday, open until midnight. As the new semester begins, students are saying so long to the Dustbowl for now, saying hello to beautiful new facilities and opportunities, and off-campus students are definitely wishing they had meal plans. n
You have to get water from the sink and put it in the tank in order to flush. We should probably figure that out soon.” Q: What about the noise? Is that an issue? Avila: “The noise was something I expected going into this. And that just comes with living in the Mods, you just have to accept it. It’s not too bad.” Francke: “I actually kind of enjoy the noisy atmosphere. It’s mostly fun and friendly.” Danny: “My room is right at the gate by the Edmond’s corner. There’s a lot of traffic, so at night it gets pretty loud, but it doesn’t affect me that much.” Q: The Mod bedrooms are known to be pretty small. Is the lack of space an issue? Avila: “The sharing of a desk is kind of a pain, but my roommate and I have worked that out. And the closets are small. Downstairs you have a lot of storage room though, so you just make do with that.” Francke: “It’s not really an issue. The one desk is kind of annoying, but it’ll just force me to go to the library.” Danny: “Boys typically don’t have a ton of clothes … so it’s not a big deal. I mean, it’s small but not unbearable.” Q: Thoughts on the shower room? Avila: “The shower room is a little awkward. I don’t really know who thought of the Mod layout … it’s interesting to say the least. But it’s part of the experience.” Francke: “It was a pleasant surprise, I didn’t know we had a second shower. Better than only having one.” Q: Have you had to face any bitterness from other seniors who do not live in the Mods? Taylor: “Only in jest. No one has been legitimately mean.”
Avila: “There are some people who are upset that the majority of the Mods are girl Mods. But most of my friends are happy for me. I lived in a forced triple, then on College Road, and so now this is my turn to finally succeed in the housing lottery.” Q: Living in the Mods is notoriously expensive. Are you concerned about that? Francke: “Not that concerned. Big tailgates can get expensive, but it’s worth spending money on.” Danny: “Definitely concerned. It’s expensive to host people all the time, but I knew that when I signed up for it. It’s what I wanted. It’s a give and take.” Q: What has been the highlight of your Modlife thus far? Francke: “Waking up in the Mods on game day was kind of surreal. We had no idea what to expect because we had never tailgated in the Mods. The atmosphere was awesome.” Avila: “Being in the Mods on game day solidified what the Mods are to me. Especially after being abroad for spring semester, it was special to see the whole senior class back together.“ Q: At the end of the day, do the pros of Modlife outweigh the cons? Avila: “The pros by far outweigh the cons. I wouldn’t change it for anything.” Taylor: “It’s better than I expected. Our Mod feels like a home.”
Reflecting on the nation’s resilience Remembering Sept. 11, from B10
NYPD officer that lost his life while saving the lives of others. Even more notable than the inhumanity of the actual terrorist attacks of that day were the courage and selflessness exhibited by all the rescue workers. It was because of people like Driscoll that the American people were inspired to unite so strongly, and Murray felt such a rush of pride in her country. “I was really proud to be an American at that moment in time, particularly with all of the firefighters and police officers and just ordinary citizens, who risked life and limb to go and save people from the towers, and just in general to make sure that their neighbors were alright,” Murray says. “This is what America is about, but it’s the worst way to find out that that’s what we’re about.” Murray says that she sensed a strong desire among the American people to recover and that this resilience, combined with the willingness of everyone to look out for each other, was comforting for her. To this day, America’s resilience cannot be doubted. Ten years ago, the students currently studying at this university were mere children confronted by a grim tragedy. Many heard words that they had never known existed, they curiously studied their parents’ faces, wondering why they were so unsettled. Ten years later, equipped with a worldview shaped by years of study inside and outside the classroom, they are discussing the impact of that day on both emotional and intellectual levels. They are sharing Aubrey Pringle is a Staff Columnist for The Heights. their memories and their thoughts on patriotism and She can be reached at features@bcheights.com international conflict on the reflection page created by the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life found at www.bc.edu/911reflections. By reflecting on the events of Sept. 11, the student body is also memorializing the 22 BC alumni killed in the attacks. In the years to come, our generation will be the only one that will have experienced Sept. 11 firsthand. “In the future, you’ll see historians talking about Sept. 11, talking about the event’s significance in international politics, the profound changes that it had, but for someone to live through an event like all of us have, I think you just have a deeply emotional connection with it,” Kelly says. Even though the BC student body comes from all over the country and the world, a connection can be felt between the students and Sept. 11. There is a remarkable difference between when our generation watched the television 10 years ago on Sept. 11 and when it watches the memorial services now. Not only have the individuals in our generation grown stronger, but the nation as a whole has grown photo courtesy of hercampus.com in strength as well. n
features The Heights
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Monday, September 12, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
He was only 11 years old on the morning that forever changed the United States and the American people when his teacher pulled a classmate aside. The young boy’s mother was supposed to have been on the flight that crashed into the Pentagon. His teacher informed him, however, that for some reason his mother had decided not to board the plane that morning, and that she was safe. Tim Kelly, A&S ’12, was the 11-year-old classmate of this boy, whose mother’s life was spared, and he remembers that morning very clearly. For all of the narratives similar to this one that had a happy ending, there are even more that resulted in tragedy. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, and even though many seasons have come and gone, the impact of that day can be felt now and will be felt for years to follow. With the current freshman class being only in third grade when they learned of the terrorist attacks, that morning awakened them to the reality of the world. Although Cara Murray, A&S ’12, admits that she was raised having been overexposed to the news, she says that Sept. 11 served as a reality check. “I think it defined a better understanding of the way the world works, and that it’s not all rainbows and unicorns and candy and butterflies,” she says. “And that stuff happens.” Kelly agrees that Sept. 11 changed his worldview and pulled him outside the bubble that he lived in and the very sphere he thought the U.S. lived in as well. “I think that even adults had that framework of the United States being in its own place, but now, everything that we do is connected to the international world,” he says. Thinking about the vast international world in which the U.S. is embroiled can inspire fear in people, and especially after a day like Sept. 11, that fear can pervade ordinary citizens’ daily lives. Kelly recalls an event a few weeks ago that exemplified the fear that Sept. 11 instilled in many Americans. “I was just sitting in a conference room on the 24th floor [of a building in New York City] doing my internship, having lunch with the people around me, and the building starts wobbling,” he says. “No one really knew what was going on.” Though the source of the shaking was later discovered to be the earthquake that hit the East Coast on Aug. 23, Kelly says that people quickly panicked and many started running down the stairs in an effort to exit the building. “Because of Sept. 11, you always tend to think about the worst,” he says, explaining the reaction of many of his
co-workers. “It kind of shows how everyday life is affected by Sept. 11. With everything that we do, it’s sitting in the back of our minds.” One of the most rational consequences to the events of Sept. 11 might be a fear of flying, and with the Boston College student population hailing from all over the country and the world, many BC students had to confront this fear in traveling to Massachusetts. “I remember the first time I flew afterwards, I was terrified to fly,” says Abby Jones, LSOE ’13, who comes to BC from California. Also a resident of California, Claire Kennedy, A&S ’13, expresses similar feelings. “It made me really paranoid of flying into major airports,” she says. Though this fear has not stricken them to such an extent that they will not fly, it certainly renders the traveling experience far from relaxing. For Murray, though, she says that it is in situations of a smaller scale that she most recognizes the anxiousness brought on by the terrorist attacks. “If I’m on public transportation and someone leaves their bag, to go to the bathroom even, I think about that,” she says. “It’s the little stuff, like someone standing in a really weird place on a street, just staying there for a long period of time. I think about that, as opposed to any other time when I probably would have just walked past.” For all the fear and anxiousness that Sept. 11 has instilled in the American mindset, there is the sense of community and patriotism that is equally as strong, if not stronger. On the most obvious level, patriotism was demonstrated immediately after Sept. 11 through the mass of red, white, and blue that was strewn everywhere in little towns and major cities alike. Kennedy, whose father was born in Scotland and only got his American citizenship shortly before Sept. 11, says she was amazed by her father’s sudden display of patriotism, which is visible to this day. “When it happened, he went out and bought an American flag and my mom bought American flag stickers and put them on all our cars.” She says that every year he ensures that his family wears red, white, and blue on Sept. 11. Mightier than any material display of patriotism is the strong community that was felt following the tragedy. As neighborhoods came together, the nation came together, offering words of comfort and solace so that it almost seemed as though everyone were personally affected. Kelly remembers his mother comforting his neighbor, whose husband, Stephen Driscoll, was an
growing up with sept. 11 By Brooke Schneider
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mollie kolosky / heights photo illustration
Using insight from a dim past to look forward to a bright future I remember where I was on Sept. 11. I remember when my math teacher stopped in the middle of the lesson and announced what had happened. I remember being gathered in a single classroom with all of the other boys in my middle school Kris Robinson program, crowded around a single small television, watching the news, update after update pouring in as things developed. I remember being brought to a different classroom by my principal and being shown the dark cloud of smoke that was polluting the otherwise beautiful sight of puffy clouds in the sky that morning. I remember the looks on my teachers’ faces. I remember being forced to stay inside until
my mother came and got me from school, and seeing the relief on the faces of other parents once their children were safely in their arms. I remember walking home because no buses in New York City were running; and I remember being so confused about everything. I remember not fully grasping the magnitude of what was happening. I remember being frustrated that I couldn’t find anything else to watch on television besides anything and everything involving what I was trying so hard not to hear about. Most of all, I remember feeling like the world had stopped. Tragically, it did for a number of Americans. Ten years later, we especially remember those who lost their lives on that fateful day. While I did not lose anyone close to me on that day, I have lost people close to me before and so I can empathize with those who shed tears at the Ground Zero memorial and with those who shed tears all over the world. Writing this column proved to be incred-
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While you were gone
ibly difficult. Like any writer, I’ve suffered from writer’s block before, but the wall I ran into while typing these words was unlike any mental obstacle I had experienced before. What could I say that hadn’t already been said, that someone hadn’t already thought before? More importantly, what could I say that would address the gravity of the situation in a manner that was both decorous and honest? How could I make a column written by me, about my experiences, not about me but instead about the people that deserve to be honored? I can’t overtly, but I can talk about how the losses of those lives have shaped mine today. The Sept. 11 attacks both embodied terrorism for me and taught me how to be patriotic in a way that I’m not sure I would have otherwise. I was already a proud New Yorker, that was never a question. After Sept. 11, I became a proud American. We are not a perfect country. I don’t love everything about American society and I think that while we have made incredible progress collectively, we still have a long way to go in certain areas.
I hope that the memory of Sept. 11 and the unity that we displayed in the aftermath of the events of that day can drive us to make the changes we need in order to become a more perfect union as our forefathers once aspired us to be. In his speech at Ground Zero, President Barack Obama said that America does not give in to fear. If we truly wish to honor those who lost their lives that day, we must not give in to fear. We must push forward and show the same courage that the men and women who rushed to the aid of others did. As Rudy Giuliani said in reference to the event, “The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel a renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic, and religious freedom, the rule of law, and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom.”
Kris Robinson is the Features Editor. He welcomes comments at features@bcheights.com.
Learn about the changes that were made to the Boston College campus over the summer. B9
Campus Chronicles ......................B6 The Real World .........................B7