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Recent price changes for the DVD rental company angers customer base, D1
After a strong first half, Boston College fell to No. 2 UConn, B1
From Gilda to Tina, ladies in comedy have been cracking us up for years, C1
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Vol. XCII, No. 30
C21 launches iPhone app for students
Students hold candlelight vigil for Africa
App allows users to connect and reflect
By Maurice Jackson For The Heights
Last night, Boston College students, faculty, and staff crowded O’Neill Plaza to show support for the millions of people dying in the Horn of Africa as a result of severe drought and famine. The goal of the candle light vigil, hosted and organized by the African Student Organization (ASO), was to spread awareness of the issues that happen outside of the BC community, not to provoke pity. Feven Alem, president of ASO and A&S ’12, expressed her feelings about the event. “At this rate, it’s not about being African, it’s not about being African American, it’s not about being purple, yellow, black, or red,” she said. “It’s about standing up for humanity.” Alem said that ASO has to be at the front line and needs to urge BC students
By Tanner Edwards Heights Staff
The Church in the 21st Century Center (C21) introduced an iPhone application earlier this month, becoming one of the first Boston College campus organizations to launch its own customized app. “We realized that what we have to do is completely re-energize, remarket, and repackage our resources and deliver them to a younger generation,” said Karen Kiefer, associate director of the Church in the 21st Century Center. “The best way to do that is through technology.” The app, downloadable for free, offers a bevy of tools to help connect to C21 and enhance its mission of catalyzing Catholic renewal in the 21st century. It features information on the Center’s mission, essays on Catholic issues, Agape Latte videos, and C21 magazine pieces. The app also contains a prayer map for recommended reflection spots on the Boston College campus and a unique feature called “Pray for Me,” which allows users to post prayerful intentions online for the broader community to consider. “We wanted to make sure we were being true to ourselves as a Center in the app,” Kiefer said. In addition to portions specific to C21’s core mission, Kiefer lauded the section of the app titled “Engage!” This technology aggregates data on student formation organizations, allowing for users to research service trips, volunteer opportunities, retreats, and more in one convenient locale. Computer science major Dario Baldoni, A&S ’12, played a key part in engineering the app’s “Engage!” module. “I thought this had the potential to be a great tool for BC students to find out about the vast number of organizations on campus,” Baldoni said. “It is definitely something I wish was around when I first arrived on campus.”
See C21 App, A4
alexandra gaynor / heights staff
Students gathered in O’Neill Plaza for a candlelight vigil to show support for and spread awareness about the famine in East Africa.
Underage students busted in Copperfield’s sting operation By Adriana Mariella Assoc. News Editor
Earlier this month, Boston’s Copperfield’s Bar, located on Brookline Avenue, held a Boston College student event which was broken up at the early hour of 11 p.m. Students in attendance at the event might be surprised to learn that they were playing a part in the beginning of a large-scale initiative – the kick-off of the 2011 “Operation Safe Campus” program organized by the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC).
signal to bar owners who might be tempted to serve underage customers,” Grossman said, in a statement. “Knowing that our investigators are out there in force will reduce or prevent alcohol sales to minors, and it could very well save lives.” The Sept. 8 event, of which the ABCC had not received tips from either the Boston Police Department (BPD) or the BCPD, appeared to have been organized by BC students older than those in attendance and popularized by both Facebook and word-of-mouth, according to the statement.
Of the estimated 100 students in attendance, 12 were cited for underage consumption of alcohol and possession of a false identification, while the rest left from the area. According to the Treasurer’s Office, those 12 students, identified with assistance from the BCPD, have had their names forwarded to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to determine whether they have driver’s licenses of their own, which can be revoked from any per-
See Students, A4
From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Hispanic Heritage Month will host cultural events Heights Editor
The interface for the new C21 app (above) allows students to navigate different features.
The program, according to a statement by the Office of Treasurer Steven Grossman, which oversees the ABCC, seeks to prevent “underage drinking and the associated of violence and injuries that often occur at the beginning of the college school year,” and will run until October. As a part of the operation, undercover ABCC officials will be investigating liquor stores, bars, and clubs in the Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Fitchburg, and Amherst college areas, that they suspect may be serving underage individuals. “Operation Safe Campus sends a clear
Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off this year’s events By Elise Taylor
photo courtesy of the office of news & public affairs
See Vigil, A4
Last Thursday, Boston College kicked off its annual “Hispanic Heritage Month,” an informatory celebration of Latino culture both at BC and beyond. Hispanic Heritage Month will last from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 on campus and will feature a slew of speakers, events, and other activities. This is the third year Hispanic Heritage Month has taken place at BC. The month is largely coordinated by the Hispanic Heritage Month Steering Committee, a group made up both of University students and faculty. This is a change from the past years’ Steering Committees, when students and faculty were separate. The 2011 Hispanic Heritage Month Steering Committee is overseen by Joana Maynard, assistant director of AHANA student programs. It also is lead by two student co-chairs, Stephanie Gonzalez, A&S ’12,
and Jorge Miranda, A&S ’13. Other groups that helped with the planning of Hispanic Heritage Month are the umbrella organization AHANA, the Organization of Latin American Affairs (O.L.A.A.), Casa Hispanica, and Bienvenidos. The Hispanic Heritage Steering Committee has a large breadth of responsibilities. “We make every effort to bring to the Heights academic lectures, distinguished speakers and cultural events,” said Marcela Norton, committee member and employee relations officer for BC Dining Services. Adding to that was Gonzalez, who specifically described her position as co-chair. “I plan events, make sure everything is in motion, put together the pieces, attend the events, and make sure we have other people to join the committee as well,” she said. Although the calendar for Hispanic
See Hispanic Heritage, A4
Graham Beck / heights staff
Victor Rios (above) spoke of the government’s need to support at-risk youths as part of HHM.
Quality issues allayed, Chobani to return soon By Daniel Tonkovich Heights Editor
alex trautwig / heights editor
Chobani yogurt (above) was pulled from shelves after several complaints, but will soon return.
Chobani, the popular Greek yogurt that was pulled from shelves of dining facilities last week, will be returning to campus by mid-week next week at the latest, administrators in dining services said. The yogurt was removed from dining halls after multiple customers returned unexpired yogurts with mold growing in the containers. “We got a number of complaints and food safety is our number one concern, so we pulled it all while we went back to Chobani for answers,” said Helen Wechsler,
director of dining services. “By next week, Chobani will be back.” It is unclear whether the mold originated due to manufacturing errors or inadequate handling of the product during the distribution process. Dining services has made adjustments in the hopes of preventing similar incidents in the future. “We will be using a different distribution channel when Chobani returns, so we are hoping it improves our success,” Wechsler said. Chobani, a product of Agro Farma, is a highly popular national product that currently leads in sales in the booming Greek yogurt segment of the yogurt market.
Consumers perceive Greek yogurt to be healthier than regular yogurt due to its thicker and creamier texture, as well as being higher in protein. Chobani has the same popularity with the Boston College market. Dining services sells over 10,000 cases a year through its dining hall and catering operations. “It’s a big seller for us, so we want it in the units as much as the students do,” Wechsler said. The yogurt also plays a key role in balancing BC product offerings. “We do not categorize food as good or
See Chobani, A4