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Students talk about on-campus jobs, social media, and entrepreneurship, B10

Free concert at the Hatch Shell draws music fans to the city this weekend, A10

The Eagles suffered another crushing defeat against Duke on Saturday, B1

Monday, September 19, 2011

Vol. XCII, No. 29

O’Neill opens newly renovated space Former reserve section of O’Neill Library re-opened and ready for student use By Anna Patrick Heights Staff

The former reserve room on the third floor of O’Neill Library re-opened on Friday, following a three-month renovation project. Friday’s re-opening revealed a large, naturally lit space filled with ample comfortable seating and, at the delight of many, an abundant supply of electrical outlets. With neutral earth tones and familiar

maroon and gold accented furniture, the new space is about 40 percent larger than the previous reserve section, and combined with the new study room in Gasson Hall, will add an additional 200 seats for academic study. “I think it’s great that they’re opening up new spaces, because libraries get so crowded. I like the group tables and chairs, I could see holding group meetings in here for six to eight people,” said Ryan Murphy, A&S ’13.

Daniel lee / heights staff

The newly renovated reading room (above) is now open for student use in O’Neill Library.

The additional seating in O’Neill and Gasson is a holistic solution to a 900-seat deficiency. Architectural metrics call for seating for about 30 percent of the undergraduate population, and the additional 200 seats will help alleviate seating pressure during examination periods. It will also boost library usage as a whole, which has already increased by 15 percent. “We’re trying to be a center for all things academic, and a good space does that. There are definitely lots of things that can happen here,” said Thomas Wall, University Librarian. The multi-purpose reading room includes long tables and booths for group work, as well as small tables and coffeehouse-style chairs for individual reading. “I think the booths will appeal to a lot of people. I like how it’s more open and inviting,” said Cara Kilroy, GCSON ’12. The arrangement of the space echoes the seating arrangement on the lower level of the building with booths along the side and individual tables on the opposite end of the room. Upon first glance the new reading room appears to be a hybrid between the seating area in the Chocolate Bar in McElroy Commons, combined with the lower level of O’Neill, but with an aesthetic all its own. “My philosophy is space. Get it going, see what happens. I hope it’s a place to see

See O’Neill, A4

First Year Convocation

Alex Trautwig / Heights Editor

Dan Sologuren (left) of BC Republicans and Nick Doffek of College Democrats on the year ahead.

Campus politicos plan to bring big speakers in 2012 By David Cote Heights Editor

As the new school year kicks off, the College Democrats of Boston College (CDBC) and the Boston College Republicans (BCR) are beginning a new semester of recruitment and events. Nick Doffek, CDBC president and A&S ’13, commented that the Democrats are “a very young club” with 1,700 listserv members and 25-30 active members. After a revamping and renaming of the club in 2009, Doffek remarked that the club has grown in activity and membership, much of it due to a program for freshmen, the Progressive eXchange Com-

mittee (PXC), which pairs freshmen with mentors. “The PXC spurs growth in the club and prepares freshmen for E-board leadership later,” Doffek said. “It’s a great way for freshmen to get involved in a club here at BC, which is sometimes a difficult thing to do.” As a part of their involvement in the club, the freshmen bring speakers or host events on campus, in order to gain experience in event planning and interacting with administrators and students. Furthermore, CDBC plans to host their annual Progressive Leadership Summit (PLS) which focuses on “how to foster a pro-

See Elections, A4

Campaign urges students to stay in ‘Green Zone’ Office of Health Promotion’s ‘Green Zone’ campaign promotes responsible drinking By Tanner Edwards Heights Staff

Daniel Lee / heights staff

Members of the Class of 2015 (above) take part in the traditional ‘First Flight’ procession before First Year Convocation last Thursday.

Author Colum McCann addresses this year’s freshmen By Maurice Jackson For The Heights

Best-selling novelist Colum McCann was the keynote speaker at the University’s eighth annual First Year Academic Convocation on Thursday. The Ireland native shared some words of wisdom with the freshman Class of 2015, “The thing is, that we failed is not the point, trying is the real courage.” McCann’s address followed the “First

Flight” procession across campus, an annual tradition that begins at Linden Lane where members of Boston College’s Jesuit Community offered a blessing and challenged BC’s newest students to answer the call to “set the world aflame.” During his talk in Conte Forum, McCann urged the freshman not to be afraid of the “f word” but rather to embrace it. He connected with the Class of 2015 by recognizing how much they value getting an ‘A’ and doing service projects to the

best of their abilities, but he also made it clear that there is true beauty behind failing. “Failure is vivifying,” he said. “Failure means you’ve tried something. The very best amongst you fail very well.” McCann used an excerpt from his Sept. 11 novel, Let the Great World Spin, where one of the characters finds a little light in the darkness, to encourage the freshman class to engage the darkness,

The newly created Office of Health Promotion is set to launch a “Stay in Your Green Zone” campaign for the new academic year. The initiative represents a multi-platform effort encouraging students to stay in their “Green Zone,” defined as maintaining a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .05 or less by the campaign. “The goals of the SIYGZ campaign are to: educate students about the definition of the Green Zone, inform students of how to calculate their BAC to set a limit in advance as the best strategy for staying safe if they choose to drink, and to implement strate-

gies for a lower-risk drinking style,” said Robyn Priest, assistant dean of Drug and Alcohol Education. The campaign will use a variety of tools and media platforms to reach students. Facets will include a Facebook page, vouchers for iPhone Apps on BAC info, signs posted in bathrooms to help assist students in deciding to seek medical attention or not, educational videos, and free Office of Health Promotion giveaways to inspire conversation about the “Green Zone” among the student body. The initiative brought together a diverse set of campus leaders, including Priest, Jack

See Green Zone, A4

mass of the holy spirit

See Convocation, A4

Student group teaches healthy living Peer Health Exchange reaches out to Boston high school students By Daniel Tonkovich Heights Editor

Increasing healthy lifestyle education for youth has been a focus of First Lady Michelle Obama, emphasizing the importance of exercise, nutrition, and accessibility to health resources. But what happens when health curriculum is absent in schools? For approximately 65 percent of Boston’s ninth graders, Peer Health Exchange (PHE) enters. PHE is a national nonprofit that partners with high schools in New York City, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles that lack health courses, and

where a majority of the students live at or below the poverty live. The organization – through local offices and chapters it funds at select colleges – recruits, selects, and trains college student volunteers to teach high school students a comprehensive health curriculum consisting of 13 inclassroom standardized health workshops. The curriculum includes instruction on topics such as healthy decision making, substance abuse, sexual health, nutrition, and mental health. Boston College is one of the 24 college sites across the country where PHE draws volunteers. In the Boston area, it is joined by chapters at Boston University, Northeastern, Harvard, and Tufts.

BC’s chapter, established four years ago and funded entirely by the PHE national nonprofit, boasts one of the largest volunteer bases in the nation with over 100 students teaching one class per week at area high schools, mostly in the Brighton and West Roxbury areas of the city. This year, the chapter plans to continue its wide reach in Boston high school health education, expecting approximately 160 applications and a realization of 120 volunteers. Rather than proposing regimented healthy lifestyles, PHE’s curriculum emphasizes healthy decision making to teenagers with the highest risk of engaging

See Peer Health, A4

Sara Davey / heights staff

University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., presided over the Mass of the Holy Spirit last Thursday, where the BC community gathered to begin the academic year.


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