The Heights February 19, 2019

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Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Patu

Winning return

ARTS

SPORTS

Presenting Africa to You (PATU) provides its dancers with Showdown titles and a family on campus.

Nik Popovic and Jordan Chatman returned from injuries to lead the Eagles past Miami.

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Doe v. BC Files Briefs The $3 million lawsuit is scheduled for a jury trial on April 22.

By Jack Goldman News Editor The $3 million lawsuit filed against Boston College advanced another step toward trial this past week, as the plaintiff’s lawyer filed briefs on Friday to Massachusetts District Court arguing that the scope of the civil suit should be wide-ranging.

The University’s legal response is due this upcoming week.

In the time since BC processed this disciplinary matter, the University has overhauled its entire disciplinary process pertaining to sexual assault. In addition, it should be noted that when the alleged incident originally occurred, the plaintiff, identified only as “John Doe” in court documents, was reporting on an event for The Heights.

“All agree that the First Circuit narrowed the legal and factual scope of this case on remand to some extent,” the brief said. “But the claims before the Court on remand, and which a jury will be tasked with deciding, do not fundamentally change what this case is about: whether the University breached its obligations to John, and whether those breaches caused John to be wrongfully convicted and to suffer emotional, reputational, and financial harm that will endure long

Photo courtesy of jamie diloreto

Jefferson Crowther, Father of Welles, Dies at 73

The father of Welles R. Crowther, “The Man in the Red Bandana” and BC ’99, battled cancer.

By Jack Goldman News Editor Jefferson Crowther, known by most as Jeff and the father of Welles, the former Boston College student-turned 9/11 hero—“The Man in the Red Bandana”—died on Wednesday after a battle with prostate cancer, his wife Alison told The Rockland/ Westchester Journal News. He was 73. He’s survived by Alison and their daughters, Honor Fagan, BC ’01 and Paige Charbonneau, BC ’06.

“Jeff was a wonderful human being who delighted all of us in the BC community whenever he was on campus,” University Spokesman Jack Dunn said in an email. “He endured the tragedy of losing his only son to the most horrific act of hate, and then the joy of seeing what a heroic inspiration he became to people from all over the world.

“Welles was a special person, in part, because he had such wonderful parents. We extend our condolences to Alison Crowther, and her daughters Honor and Paige.”

The Crowthers sent all three of their

See Lawsuit, A3

children to BC: Welles graduated in 1999, Honor in 2001, and Paige in 2006. Jeff grew up in White Plains, N.Y., earned a business degree at New York University, and served in the U.S. Navy, according to the Journal News. He was also a member of the American Legion Post 310 in Nyack, N.Y. He met Alison on a blind date on Sept. 11, 1968.

Since Welles died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Jeff and Alison have shared Welles’ story—the Eagle saved at least 12 people from perishing in the World Trade Center’s South Tower—far and wide

Director Nick Gozik reports 70 percent received top choice.

Suffolk and Middlesex arraignments moved to March 25.

By Jack Goldman News Editor

By Jack Goldman jess rivilis / Heights staff

Michael Sorkin, CSOM ’21, the student accused of vandalizing Welch Hall with racist epithets last December, has had his arraignment delayed again until March 25, both in Suffolk and Middlesex County, according to Boston College Police Department Chief Bill Evans. This is the fourth time Sorkin has had his arraignment delayed in Suffolk County and the second in Middlesex.

Sorkin is charged with destroying property and falsely activating a fire alarm in Walsh Hall, which is located in Suffolk.

Charges have not yet emerged in the Middlesex County case, where Welch Hall is located.

The public BCPD blotter released when Sorkin was arrested noted that a hate crime was committed in Welch— if Sorkin is charged with committing a hate crime, that would be a part of the Middlesex County case. If Sorkin is charged with resisting arrest, that charge would be heard in Middlesex as well.

Sorkin remains on summary suspension from the University, which he was put on after his arrest. A stay away order is still in place, barring Sorkin from coming to BC’s campus, according to Evans. n

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

See Jeff Crowther, A3

OIP: Most Are Satisfied With Abroad Placement

Sorkin Trial Delayed

News Editor

to teach as many people what Welles and the Crowther family stand for. At BC, the Crowther family impact was felt in numerous areas: Jeff returned to campus every fall for the Welles Remy Crowther Red Bandana 5k Run, which raises money for the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust and the annual Red Bandana BC football game is now a University tradition.

Dan Ponsetto, the Welles R. Crowther director of the Volunteer and Learning

Osaghae, Brooks Win in UGBC Election Landslide Voter turnout was lowest in 10 years at 25.8 percent.

By Jack Goldman News Editor Michael Osaghae, MCAS ’20, and Tiffany Brooks, MCAS ’21, defeated Taylor Jackson, MCAS ’21, and Alejandro Perez, MCAS ’21, in the race for president and executive vice president of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College. The non-binding referendum calling on BC to divest from fossil fuels also passed.

“We are honored and excited to serve as your UGBC President and Executive Vice President for the upcoming year,” Osaghae and Brooks wrote on their campaign’s Facebook page. “We look forward to amplifying the voices of all and instituting changes that will advance the goals of our student body and improve our institution as a whole.

“We are both aware of the responsibility that comes with these positions, and will work tirelessly to ensure that UGBC engages our entire student body passionately and

FEATURES: Julius Harper

Harper, BC ’80, spoke out against the racial integration of Fenwick in 1978....................A4

adequately.”

Osaghae and Brooks received 1,838 votes, while Jackson and Perez received 576.

Each class and school’s majorities voted in favor of Osaghae and Brooks.

Sophomores cast the the most ballots out of any class, logging 827 votes. A total of 613 freshmen, 549 juniors, and 425 seniors voted as well.

The Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences boasted the most voters by school, with 1,528 of the voters hailing from MCAS. The Carroll School of Management had the next highest total with 485 voters. One hundred eighty-three Lynch School of Education and Human Development and 118 Connell School of Nursing students voted.

On the referendum, students tallied 2,005 “Yes” votes and 374 “No” votes. No majority of an individual school or class voted against the referendum.

Only 25.8 percent of the student population voted in this year’s presidential election, the lowest turnout rate of the decade.

Both campaigns centered their messages around creating conversation surrounding

Despite students publicly expressing disappointment over this year’s study abroad placements, Nick Gozik, director of the Office of International Programs (OIP), said that just over 70 percent of students received their preferred program and semester this academic year, mirroring past rates of satisfaction.

The Office of the Provost, specifically its undergraduate academic affairs office, is also responsible for managing the different demands on University life that the imbalance between semesters requires.

See OIP, A3

Charles Krupa / ap photo

York Signs Multi-Year Extension Through 2021-22

See UGBC Election, A2

NEWS: UHS Says No Norovirus

“In light of the growing imbalance in international study ([In 2017-18,] 72 percent of students requesting to study abroad during spring semester and 28 percent during the fall) we have worked with OIP to create options that will provide the balance necessary for our academic and residential housing needs,” said Akua Sarr, vice provost for undergraduate academic affairs.

“While we are pleased that 80 percent of our students got one of their top three choices, we recognize the frustration of those students whose top choices we were not able to accommodate. We are working to assist those students, and we want to reiterate to all of our undergraduates that they can study abroad if they are flexible regarding time and location.”

The University announced last

University Health Services quelled illness rumors, attributing symptoms to the flu........A2

The head coach is in his 25th season at BC. INDEX

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Vol. C, No. 5 © 2019, The Heights, Inc. MAGAZINE.................. A4 SPORTS.................... A9 OPINIONS................... A6 ARTS..................... A16 www.bchelghts.com 69

The Heights

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things to do on campus this week

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The Boston College theatre department is presenting William Shakespeare’s Hamlet this Thurs. and Fri. at 7:30, Sat. at 2:00 and 8:00, and Sun. at 2:00 in the Robsham Bonn Studio.

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

CAB is hosting “Family Game Night,” an event where students can play the games they loved while growing up, Fri. and Sat. at 8:30 in the Heights Room in Lower.

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This week, the McMullen Museum will begin offering free docent tours every Sunday from 2:00 to 3:00. No prior registration is necessary.

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NEWS Mod Vandalized After False Rumor Emerges BRIEFS

Bowman Endorsed for Sainthood

Sister Thea Bowman of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration—the namesake of the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center (BAIC)—is on the path to sainthood. With unanimous support, the U.S. bishops endorsed the advancement of her cause for canonization on Nov. 14 during their annual fall plenary assembly in Baltimore, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website.

The case will now be opened in Rome, according to the website of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.

The sisters have said that, as the process moves forward, they will follow the lead of the Diocese of Jackson, Miss., whose bishop—Rev. Joseph R. Kopacz—is the petitioner of the cause.

Bowman moved from Mississippi to LaCrosse, Wis. at age 15 to join her religious community, of which she was the only African-American member, according to the USCCB. Bowman became a teacher of all grade levels, and she eventually earned her doctorate and became a college professor of linguistics and English.

Bowman was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984, the same year both of her parents died. She vowed to “live until [she] [died],” however, and continued to attend to her extensive schedule of speaking events—where she would a arrive in a wheelchair, donning customary African attire and a head of no hair. At the U.S. bishops’ annual June meeting in 1989, Bowman urged the bishops to evangelize the African-American community and promote the inclusion and participation of African-Americans in church leadership.

The BAIC’s work is inspired by the life and philosophy of Bowman, “who helped people everywhere she went to explore their identity and to find their deepest humanity,” as Charlene Smith and John Feister wrote in their biography Thea’s Song.

Intercultural Skills Conference at BC Boston College will host the third annual Boston Intercultural Skills Conference (BISC), an event that gathers international education professionals, college and university faculty, and others who have a focus on promoting inclusivity and internationalizing college communities on March 1, according to BC News.

This year’s edition of the conference will explore the methods colleges and universities should use to react to the constantly changing characteristics of incoming students, as well as the effects of generational differences on international education.

The event—which this year will feature breakout sessions, such as “Making Technology Work for First-Generation College Students in an International Context” and “Preparing Students for a Changing Workforce by Leveraging Intercultural and International Learning”—will be free for all BC faculty, staff, and graduate students to attend.

“While BISC will benefit participants from a number of institutions around the country, it will also do much to feed into internationalization efforts at Boston College, which have taken off over the past several years and which are featured in the University’s most recent Strategic Plan,” Nik Gozik, the director of BC’s Office of International Programs, said to BC News.

Gozik—with keynote speaker Rachel Reiser, the assistant dean for undergraduate student experience and services at the Boston University Undergraduate Academic and Career Development Center—will give concluding remarks. Other BC speakers will include Craig Burns, the director of University Counseling Services; Régine Jean-Charles, associate professor of romance languages and literatures and African and African Diaspora studies; and Erik Owens, director of the international studies program.

By Owen Fahy Assoc. Investigative Editor

The circulation of a text message on social media that alleged that residents of a mod were “drugging women’s drinks” resulted in the mod being vandalized and threatened, which garnered a response from Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Tom Mogan.

The text message, which was screenshotted and spread across social media by students, resident assistants, and the residence hall association, alleged that incidents of drugging had been reported to the Dean of Students but that no action had been taken. It claimed that the mod was continuing to register parties and urged people to avoid going to the

mod and to alert their friends.

In response, Mogan sent an email on Feb. 5 to residents of the mods clarifying that “no one has reported [an incident] to [the Dean of Students’ Office] or to [the Boston College Police Department] that they were drugged at a social event in this Mod.” The text message went viral among students and on social media and led to the mod being vandalized during the early morning hours of Feb. 3. BCPD has confirmed to The Heights that three incidents of “suspicious circumstances,” as reported on the BCPD public blotter were listed in reference to the vandalism of the mod.

“This type of behavior will not be tolerated,” Mogan said in the email. “Stu-

dents found responsible for committing acts of violence or issuing threats will be held accountable through the conduct system.”

It is not currently clear where the text message originated from.

Administrators cannot speak about the ongoing investigation into the incident due to FERPA law, but BCPD Chief Bill Evans was able to explain the downside of social media being used to handle potentially criminal or unsafe matters.

“Social media can be good if used for the right reason,” Evans said in an email to The Heights. “It, however, can spread some misinformation which can be very harmful and serious.”

Evans cited his experience with

rumors emerging on social media during the Boston Marathon Bombing requiring quick corrections from the Boston Police Department (BPD). Evans was superintendent of BPD when the bombings occurred and ran the onthe-ground operations to capture the perpetrators.

Evans noted that while BPD was in pursuit, social media had already declared the perpetrators captured, causing potential safety issues. He also explained that during his career, he had to deal with people using social media and giving away the positions of officers in tense situations, unintentionally putting them in harm’s way. n Celia Carbone and Jack Goldman contributed reporting.

UHS Releases Public Statement on Illnesses

By Jack Miller Assoc. News Editor Following rumors of a norovirus outbreak—a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus—on campus, Tom Nary, director of University Health Services (UHS), sent an email to the student body titled “Update on Winter Health Issues.”

In the email, Nary debunked the reports, clarifying that UHS had not seen any cases of norovirus.

“Contrary to rumor, there have been no confirmed cases of norovirus on campus,” he wrote in the email. “As we experience each year during the flu season, several dozen of our 14,400 students reported to University Health Services this past week with symptoms related to gastrointestinal illness. The students were treated and all have recovered.

The number of visits to Health Services continues to decline each day.”

The Heights was unable to find any confirmed cases of norovirus among the student body.

In 2015, over 120 Boston College students, including 10 members of the men’s basketball team, were infected with norovirus. The outbreak was later linked to a Cleveland Circle Chipotle employee, though it did quickly spread throughout the student body. BC Dining and UHS sent out similar emails and engaged in similar procedures at that time.

Early last week, BC Dining took all self-serve options away and later replaced them with individually wrapped or packaged items.

In an email to The Heights, Beth Emery, director of BC Dining, explained

that the measures were in response to the flu-like symptoms across the student body.

“To avoid cross-contamination, Dining Services has closed salad bars and is limiting self-serve items in the student dining halls,” Emery said in her email. “These proactive steps are based on our training and industry best practices to ensure our campus community remains as healthy as possible during the flu season.”

In his email, Nary said that BC Dining had acted “consistent with guidelines from the Department of Public Health.”

BC Dining also began selling “Flu Buddy Packs” in Lower, McElroy, and Stuart dining halls. Priced at $14.99 apiece, each pack contains ramen noodle chicken soup, saltines, bottles

of SmartWater and Powerade, and hand sanitizer.

UHS and BC Dining asked students to take extra care to wash their hands, clean often-touched surfaces, and avoid sharing utensils or food containers.

Both emails also said that facilities staff had been disinfecting common touch-points, such as light switches, doorknobs, and handrails.

Word of the alleged norovirus outbreak began circulating following BC Dining’s restriction of self-serve options. “BC Memes for Jesuit Tweens,” a BC-centric Facebook group for the student body, featured several memes addressing the possibility of a norovirus outbreak. One such image pitted “40 % of freshman at BC,” a reference to Newton Campus residents, against an image of a norovirus viral spore. n

Osaghae, Brooks Discuss Their Tenure Priorities UGBC Election, from A1 diversity and inclusivity, as well as more successfully representing varying student voices on campus.

Osaghae has served the BC community not only as chair of the AHANA+ Leadership Council (ALC), but as a resident assistant, orientation leader, and compass mentor, as well as serving in the Student Assembly (SA) prior to becoming ALC chair. Brooks has participated in the Student Admissions Program, theatre, chorale, and Campus Ministry, in addition to serving as the music, arts, and performance senator for UGBC. Their reactions to being elected were slightly different—Brooks said she screamed when she found out they had won, Osaghae said he was shocked into silence. Both said they understand that winning is just the start of their efforts to try to implement their extensive campaign platform.

At the moment, Osaghae and Brooks are still concentrating on their current roles within UGBC and beginning to reach out to administrators to try to improve their relationships with as many people within the University as possible.

Their primary concern comes from the section of their platform titled “Intersectional Experience,” which covers improving the experience of marginalized groups on campus, particularly concentrating on the black and LGBTQ+ populations on campus. Expanding the Thea Bowman AHANA Intercultural Center is a major priority for the duo, even if that expansion may not be actualized during the year they serve in office.

They’re also trying to build on the work of prior administrations in order to re-energize interest in UGBC by bringing in different student groups to consult on what UGBC should be working on.

“Voices that haven’t always been heard at the table … [need the opportunity] to voice their opinion, voice their experience,” Osaghae said. “As UGBC, we’re advocating for different groups on campus, but are we bringing these populations to the table with us, side by side? That’s going to be a focus for us.”

Osaghae and Brooks said they learned from the campaign just how demanding a job leading UGBC will be—the closest experience to that is campaigning. Brooks said that she also learned how important both creating transparency for UGBC and

advocating for it among administrators will be during her tenure.

“When we were going around door to door, when I was in the mods … every door I was asking was what do you want to see, what would you change,” she said.

“A lot of the responses were just transparency—presence of the administration. …

Just being super open about what we’re doing and the process so that people are more informed [is vital.]”

Osaghae said he was particularly proud of his campaign team for engaging in “authentic, genuine” conversations with voters—he explained that he believes such conversations force him to consider what kind of leader he needs to be for all kinds of students.

All of their efforts are intended to try to re-engage students with UGBC through outreach and making sure students feel involved in what UGBC is working on.

Osaghae described the UGBC mentality as, at times, “insular,” which he said helped neither the organization nor the student body. Both he and Brooks are targeting the elections that take place at the end of the academic year for 2019-20’s senators as a prime opportunity to regain voters and fight back against apathy by working harder

to ascertain how UGBC can best make a difference for students.

Brooks said she’d be bringing back and making more prominent the “Senators in Residence Halls Initiative” that Ignacio Fletcher, current E.V.P. of UGBC and MCAS ’20, created last semester in order to improve the SA’s presence on campus.

In addition, she’s planning on working internally with senators on communicating with the particular student populations they’ve run to represent, as well as working on communication with the different student publications on campus in order to keep them more in the loop on what the SA is working on week-to-week.

Ultimately, Osaghae’s biggest concern going forward is actualizing the progress he and Brooks have endorsed.

“I think students have this perception that UGBC should be aiming for changes within a one-year span—something you’ll be able to see, whereas administrators are thinking about our University years down the line,” Osaghae said. “[How] we can grapple with both fixing things in the short term but also building more blocks for the long term, and trying to find a balance between the two is something I think we’re challenged with.” n

Saturday, Feb. 16

Sunday, Feb. 17

2:07 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding an underage intoxicated person at 90 More Rd.

2:59 a.m. - An officer filed a report regarding the unlawful possession of a dangerous weapon at Reservoir Apartments.

POLICE BLOTTER: 2/15/19 – 2/17/19 Friday, Feb. 15 12:21 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding a medical incident in Campion Hall.

1:12 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding found property at Main Gate.

1:49 p.m.- An officer filed a report regarding a fire alarm activation at Walsh Hall.

8:48 p.m. - An officer filed a report regarding an underage intoxicated person at Upper Dorms Roadways.

—Source: The Boston College Police Department

CORRECTIONS What is your ideal spring break?

“Catching up or going to a retreat with old friends.”

—Will Gajewski, MCAS ’22

“Cowboy boots and a big bowl of chili.”

— Thomas McHugh, MCAS ’22

“Getting to relax and not having to change my clothes.”

— Zach Hahn-DuPont, MCAS ’22

“Getting to see my friends and take a break from school for a bit.”

— Dante Cobelli, MCAS ’20

Please send corrections to eic@bcheights.com with ‘correction’ in the subject line.

The Heights

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

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New Suit Developments Lawsuit, from A1

Photos Courtesy of Jamie Diloreto

BC Community Remembers Crowther Jeff Crowther, from A1 Service Center (VLSC), explained that Jeff traditionally started each year’s edition of the 5k. Jeff ’s only requirement was that he be given the runner number 19—the digits Welles wore during his time with BC lacrosse. It matched the tattoo that Jeff had of a red 19 over his own heart.

Ponsetto worked closely with Alison on beginning the 5k when he first stepped into his position, working closely with the entire Crowther family in the early years of the run—before students worked on setting up the particulars, it was the Crowthers who as a group, alongside Welles’ friends, took care of organizing the event.

Ponsetto got to know the Crowthers well from there—he noted that he never thought of Alison and Jeff as separate entities, but as one unit working to continue Welles’ legacy.

“They saw what Welles was doing in the last moments of his life … that’s what I think gave them the energy to do this,” Ponsetto said. “[BC] has been the beneficiaries of that: Here it is, enacted in heroic fashion what we claim that we’re about.”

Tom Rinaldi, who wrote the book on Welles’ story, The Red Bandana, and penned an ESPN feature segment depicting Crowther’s heroism said he’d remember Jeff for the tight-knit relationship he shared with his son.

“Any father hopes and prays that the son that he raises has values and a code to live by which might serve the world—to help in whatever measure—to make it a better place,” Rinaldi said.

“That’s a pretty mighty hope for a parent. Jeff ’s hope was realized in Welles and in a way that more and more people have come to learn and respect and appreciate. That respect and appreciation was crucial to Jeff in his healing—in a way to try to face the grief that was such a core part of him after his son died.”

Ponsetto echoed Rinaldi’s sentiment, explaining that what stood out to him the most was the connection Jeff had to Welles.

The emotion Ponsetto witnessed Jeff experience whenever his son’s story was brought up as a part of his work stood out as a foundational part of Jeff ’s identity.

Rinaldi also noted the importance of the BC football program to Jeff. Jamie DiLoreto worked closely with the Crowthers as the annual Red Bandana Football Game became a reality.

“Over the last decade our athletics department was fortunate to work closely with Jeff, Alison, Honor, and Paige and their families to organize our annual Red Bandanna Football game in honor of Welles Crowther,” DiLoreto said in an email to The Heights. “In meeting Jeff and Alison I realized quickly why Welles was such a special person. The

Crowthers have provided me with some of my most special BC memories. I think many of our staff, students, alumni, and fans feel the same way.”

One of Ponsetto and Rinaldi’s fondest memories of Jeff is of his excitement and emotion in the locker room.

“You can question however much you wish with a lot of credibility what the value of a football game can be,” Rinaldi said.

“But whoever saw Jeff and Alison in the locker room with [head coach] Steve Addazio and with those players after the victories in the Red Bandana Games … the value is incalculable, it’s immeasurable.

“What those moments meant to Jeff in particular were a fraction of light and life that struck him so deeply, just the happiness in his voice the enormous pride that he felt sharing the rarified air of a locker room in victory. I think he looked out at all those players and saw reflections of his son—vessels of Welles’ legacy.”

Upon hearing of his death, the BC football program put out a tweet memorializing Jeff.

“Our BC family has lost one of our own with the passing of Jefferson Crowther, father of Welles Crowther ’99,” the tweet says. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Alison and the entire Crowther family. RIP Mr. Crowther.”

Drew Gallagher, BC ’99, was friendly with Welles during their time at BC and got to know Jeff and Alison as he worked on producing the ESPN feature of Welles’ story. He remembered Jeff as a passionate person who wasn’t afraid to show emotion over the loss of his son but retained his sense of humor and pride despite the tragedy. Gallagher went even farther than Rinaldi: He said he believed Jeff saw Welles in every BC student he interacted with.

Gallagher referred to Jeff as “the ultimate BC dad,” living vicariously through his son’s time at BC and, after Welles’ death, living through the experiences of the multitudes of Eagles he’d meet at the Red Bandana 5k or other BC events. Gallagher recalled that Jeff took such joy recounting the story of Welles ice skating through the mods in his underwear or cracking jokes to students on the steps of Lyons Hall prior to the 5k, but throughout his life he could not tell Welles’ story without becoming extremely emotional about what his son meant to him.

To Gallagher, that’s what defined Jeff: He channeled his grief into positivity, taking the opportunity to show the world what Welles’ story meant.

“He was a guy that when you were around him, you knew you were around kindness and compassion,” Gallagher said. “His greatest joy in life was to tell people about his son.

“I could tell you Welles’ story, but when Jeff Crowther talked personally

about what his son meant to him in the emotional way that only Jeff could, it resonated so strongly with people.”

Rinaldi said he’d always remember Jeff ’s laugh and sense of humor, and that he’d always remember that the mention of his son’s name could bring Jeff to tears—his emotional range was what made Jeff stand out as someone with complete confidence and faith in his emotional compass.

Ponsetto recalled that the last time he saw Jeff at a football tailgate, even though he had been battling cancer for over a year, he still wasn’t complaining—in fact, he was just happy he was getting to spend another weekend on BC’s campus.

Rinaldi points to one section of his book as a glimpse into the relationship Welles and his father shared. On graduation day in 1999, Jeff needed to get Welles attention in order to snap a picture of his son in the sea of graduation caps. The only problem was that every parent surrounding Jeff in Alumni Salumnitadium was screaming their child’s name for the same purpose.

Luckily, there is one noise Jeff had used Welles’ entire life that was sure to capture Welles’ attention: He made the noise of a siren.

“When the father signals, the sound cuts through all others like an arrow,” Rinaldi’s book said. “It pierces the din, dropping into the son’s ear: He hears and he turns back up to face the stands. He looks and then delivers the smile, aimed toward the sound, and at the father; and into the lens.”

Jeff ’s pride for what Welles did was boundless, as he told NBC4 New York in 2016, but always colored by sadness.

“I was so filled with pride you can’t believe it,” Crowther said. “But of course, I would trade every bit of that pride to have him standing with us here right now. But I was so very proud of him and I knew that the world was looking at him. And the world was seeing what a fine young man he was.”

Welles followed Jeff to Empire Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 in Nyack to serve as a volunteer firefighter. Jeff was the one who first handed Welles a white pocket square and a red bandana—white for show and red for blowing your nose.

The meaning ended up changing quite a bit. Jeff explained the importance of the red bandana during the ESPN feature through a Bible verse: John 15:13. “‘No greater love than one hath to lay down his life for his fellow man,’” Crowther said. “It’s all here in this red bandana for me.”

Jeff will be buried in his fire suit, Alison told the Journal News, and Empire Hook and Ladder will hold a firematic service before his funeral. The family has asked that donations in his memory be made to the Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust, P.O. Box 780, Nyack, N.Y. 10960. n

Admin Happy With Abroad Policy OIP, from A1 September that it was putting limits on “each semester and program for students studying abroad.” The change meant that students had to commit to one program in the fall on their study abroad applications, even though demand for spring placements is significantly higher.

“This has been a challenging time for all of us, including staff, students, and their families,” Gozik said in an email to The Heights. “We care about the students who come through our office, and it is incredibly difficult not be able to give all what they want.”

Gozik reiterated that this change was necessitated by the imbalance between fall and spring study abroad demand. He noted that OIP included the revised process details in individual advising meetings and Study Abroad 101 meetings, which students are required to attend in order to

study abroad.

Yet Gozik said he understood that no level of forewarning helps when students receive bad news.

“Our staff have lived and studied abroad, and we too want the same experience for our students,” he said. “Unfortunately, the University reached a point in which the imbalance between fall and spring study abroad could no longer be sustained. Students themselves were being affected due to challenges around housing and course registrations.

“The good news is that we do have enough spots for all students who meet the eligibility requirements and applied by the deadline,” Gozik said. “Not all may receive their first choice in terms of program and semester, yet there is capacity for all students.”

Placement is still ongoing, but Gozik said that the balancing between fall and spring semesters that was required by the

new policy has been achieved.

Eighty percent of students received one of the three choices they asked for on their application, according to Gozik. He went on to say that the majority of these students were “very happy with their placements,” but also noted that “more disappointment has understandably” emerged from the students who did not get placed at one of their top choices.

Those that did not receive one of their top three choices are able to apply again to the programs that still have spots available.

Gozik said he had not received any indication from administrators that the balancing policy will end after this year. He did note that the Office is generally hopeful that with more time to prepare and a better awareness of the difficulties, the balancing policy can create opportunities for students looking to study abroad, and OIP can establish an upward trend of satisfaction moving forward. n

beyond his time at the University.

“The University’s characterization of the factual scope of the remanded claims, however, is predictably and improperly narrow.”

This will be the first jury trial of a due process suit filed after the Obama administration reinterpreted Title IX doctrine in 2011, according to Brooklyn College professor K.C. Johnson, who chronicles Title IX litigation.

The plaintiff filed the lawsuit after the University would not reverse a disciplinary decision that went against him over an alleged sexual assault that took place on the AHANA+ Leadership Council Boat Cruise in 2012.

The investigation into the incident led to Doe being charged by the University for assault rather than sexual assault and a three-semester suspension.

Shortly after his suspension was issued, the criminal charges pending against him were dropped after exculpatory video evidence was found by the police. Doe’s two appeals of his University suspension fell on deaf ears, leading to his lawsuit against BC. BC has argued that the alleged breach-of-contract violation should only be subject to a review of whether former Dean of Students Paul Chebator’s and former Executive Director for Planning and Staff Development Carole Hughes’s interactions with the hearing board that handled Doe’s case were improper.

The briefs filed by the plaintiff ’s side last week argue more specifically in regard to how evidence in the case will be handled.

The University is arguing that the scope of the trial take into account only two pieces of evidence, both pertaining to allegedly improper communication between Hughes and Chebator.

The plaintiff ’s side said that far more should be taken into account in order to make the case comprehensible to the jury, according to the brief.

The plaintiff ’s side cites the appeals court decision that remanded the case back to district court as noting the importance of Doe’s original argument for his innocence: Doe said in his testimony that a student only identified as “J.K.” in court documents actually perpetrated the assault. The plaintiff ’s side is arguing that “Hughes’ refusal to even consider that J.K. might have committed the assault effectively deprived John of [a] defense.”

The BC Student Handbook guarantees the protection of fair student rights during BC disciplinary processes, which the plaintiff ’s side argues means that the University did not provide Doe with a fair procedure.

In addition, the plaintiff ’s side is asking to present evidence to the jury pertaining to information Hughes and others were privy to in the wake of the allegations emerging.

The argument given in the brief is that before Hughes communicated with Chebator, she “mishandled” the situation. The brief cites six examples of events that took place prior to Hughes’ communications with Chebator that the plaintiff ’s lawyers said they believe need to be considered by the jury.

The plaintiff ’s side is also citing Doe v. Amherst College, 2017 in its argument, where a plaintiff also going by “John Doe” in court documents won a lawsuit against Amherst for wrongly expelling him without fairly evaluating his defense.

The parallel to the BC case is that BC’s John Doe is trying to prove he made an “exculpatory and complete defense,” as the brief puts it—which would potentially provide a precedent for the judge and jury to follow.

The plaintiff went on to describe why BC is defending itself by trying to limit the scope of the trial.

If this case has to do with procedural errors rather than a more conscious effort to prevent Doe from exercising his rights at his hearing, that would mean the University was acting “in good faith.”

In such a scenario, that would mean that Doe was properly charged and properly found guilty—“[defeating] the purpose of the trial on the claims remanded by the First Circuit [Appeals Court].”

Doe is also requesting to submit

evidence based on “basic fairness,” an argument that hinges on “source of duty” and “the standard of basic fairness in the context of higher education discipline,” according to the brief.

The basic fairness claim covers the same issues as the breach-of-contract claim does.

The difference between the two issues is that, rather than appealing to the fairness promised in the BC student handbook, it appeals to an “implied covenant of good faith and fair dealings imposed on every contract in Massachusetts law,” as the Appeals Court decision vacating the prior District Court decision put it.

The plaintiff ’s side is bringing Brett Sokolow, a lawyer who founded the largest education-specific law practice in the country and typically works for and represents colleges and universities, in as an expert witness.

The University is arguing specifically against the admission of Sokolow’s testimony.

Sokolow submitted testimony as a part of the briefs filed by the plaintiff, arguing that Chebator; Joseph Herlihy, BC’s general counsel; and Nora Field, BC’s deputy general counsel all served “improper” roles in Doe’s disciplinary process.

Sokolow argued that Chebator steered the outcome of the hearing, despite operating as “the sole appellate officer.”

He also argued that Herlihy and Field executed the role the Title IX coordinator should have served. The Office of Civil Rights, according to Sokolow, explicitly stated that this may not occur due to potential conflict of interest issues.

“The conflict of interests arises because the interests of the University and the interests of the individuals operating the impartial process required by Title IX are no co-extensive,” Sokolow said.

He also argued that Hughes mishandled the case on multiple occasions outside of and before communicating with Chebator, echoing the plaintiff ’s side’s argument in the briefs.

In addition, Sokolow argues that the University failed to adhere to multiple aspects of Title IX requirements.

This included a failure to investigate, provide fair and meaningful notice of the charges, provide an appropriate and fair hearing date, provide adequate training for hearing board members, provide an unbiased hearing board, and document the hearing proceedings.

Sokolow also reiterated the plaintiff ’s previous arguments concerning mishandling of witnesses, failure of proof, manipulation of evidence, failure to adhere to the presumption of innocence, and gender bias issues.

The appeals court did not remand any gender bias claims back to the District Court—despite this, the complaints are featured in Sokolow’s arguments.

He said he believes that gender bias affects the entire outcome of the case, making it important to rehash some of the previously dismissed issues to give the jury context.

Sokolow also submits arguments pertaining to former Vice President of Student Affairs Barb Jones’ involvement in the 2014 review of the disciplinary proceedings, which was begun at the behest of University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., granting the request of Doe’s parents to give the situation another look. Jones found no issues with the disciplinary proceedings in her investigation, which Sokolow disagrees with, referencing his previous arguments for how various BC administrators acted improperly over the course of the disciplinary proceedings.

He also added further criticism of Herlihy’s continued involvement, this time in the review, despite an “additional, personal interest” from being involved in the previous outcome.

The briefs also include expert testimony explaining how much money Doe would theoretically be owed if the court finds that the damages Doe is asking for are appropriate. Doe is asking for both $3 million and expungement of his disciplinary record due to emotional distress, expenses incurred during his three-semesterlong suspension, lost earnings as a result of his delayed graduation, diminished earning potential, and reputation cost. n

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Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Integration or Isolation: After 42 Years, Harper Reflects on LTE

By Colleen Martin Metro Editor When Julius Harper speaks, people listen.

When he preaches at Santa Clara Christian Fellowship, his congregants listen. When he was an account executive at A&E Television and The Weather Channel, his coworkers listened.

And when he wrote a Letter to the Editor published in The Heights in 1977 about the integration of Fenwick dorm, students listened.

Harper, BC ’80, arrived at Boston College in the summer of 1976, ready to begin the six-week Black Talent Program (BTP) designed to attract students who wouldn’t fit into the typical academic profile of a BC student on paper but showed potential and a commitment to learning.

The BTP was BC’s first step toward affirmative action. The program was instituted in the spring of 1968 after $100,000 was given from the Michael P. Walsh fund. It was originally called the Negro Talent Search. Run under the guidance of Charles Donovan, senior vice president and dean of faculties at the time, the program was intended to recruit high-risk students from the greater Boston area who were economically disadvantaged.

The BTP had a rocky start. In 1970, the Black Student Forum held a protest for more than 500 students—they accused the BTP of being “tokenism.” Later that year, white students complained that too much of the University’s resources were being allocated to the program—at the time the budget for the BTP was $500,000. The next year, the director of the BTP, Phillips, was dismissed after he suggested that the Black Student Forum should take over his administration. In 1974, the BTP said that the University was not adjusting the program’s funding to match tuition costs.

Harper applied to the program, but not because he was dying to go to BC. “I didn’t really know too much about the school other than the fact that it was on the back of the SAT form,” he said.

When he was admitted, the Hartford, Conn. native decided that BC was the perfect distance from home, and he enrolled.

All of the freshmen BTP students were assigned to live in Fenwick, which was integrated in the fall of 1978. When Harper lived there, white male students lived on the first floor, black male students lived on the second, and black female students were on the third. At the time, Harper was concerned that having white students move in would mean the loss of the black community that had formed in Fenwick.

“Have you ever stopped to consider what the meaning of integration has

meant in the past?” Harper wrote in his April 25, 1977 Letter to the Editor for The Heights. If someone were to go to a company and ask if it was integrated and the answer was “yes,” it most likely meant that there was one black person there, he wrote.

“Let me make myself clear, integration is not what I am opposing,” the letter says, “what I oppose is the possibility of Black people on this campus losing a point of indentification [sic].”

Looking back, Harper said he thinks his concerns might have been a bit overblown. At the time, though, Boston was embroiled in a series of protests and riots about the desegregation of Boston public school bussing. At BC, it felt like an escape from whatever was going on in the outside world. It was safe and it was comfortable especially in Fenwick.

The black community isolated itself from the rest of BC, Harper said. There was a general paranoia about the rest of the school, something he now sees as unwarranted. So when the white students moved into the first floor of Fenwick, nothing really happened. Every floor just kept to itself. It wasn’t that black students felt unwelcome, Harper said, but that there was no reason to go downstairs.

They just had different social circles. The first floor listened to hard rock. The second floor listened to disco. The first floor had parties where you stood with a beer in your hand and talked. The second floor had parties where everyone was dancing.

“When we were youngsters, it was all about dancing and the music,” Harper said.

Harper’s activism extended outside the four walls of his Fenwick double when he entered into the Leonard persuasive speaking contest in April of 1977. He placed second for his speech, “Black Studies at Boston College Should be Expanded.” The classes for the black studies program at the time were very limited.

“I remember I took all of the black studies electives,” Harper said. “I think I exhausted the curriculum.”

So he spoke about how other elective options were extensive, but those for this program were limited. The only feedback he remembers getting at the time was from someone who told him he was very arrogant. At the time, he didn’t know what that word meant. Harper said he supposes that he could have seemed overly confident for someone of his age and background, but it was something he was passionate about, so Harper became the chairperson for the black studies committee.

The following October, he called for student support for the black studies program in a guest op-ed in The Heights.

“Black Studies needs your support,” he wrote, “not only verbally i.e., ‘Yea, I’m down for Black Studies,’ but physically and mentally. Come in and volunteer your help, offer ideas, get involved! Black Studies at Boston College can be a platform for change in the current system.”

He asked for students to get involved in the black studies advisory board, something that he wanted to ensure would promote communication in the best interest of the students. The only requirement is “DEDICATION to the continuation of Black Studies on BC’s campus,” he wrote.

Beyond the curriculum of the black studies program, there was a black studies library called the Black and Third World Studies Resource Center housed in Gasson Hall, of which Harper was the coordinator. He was comfortable speaking out about its importance, and he worked to organize a book drive to more than double the library’s holdings.

“The potential for the resource center is limitless,” Harper said to The Heights in March of 1978. “I anticipate that the library will be used by both Black and Third World students and white students in an atmosphere that is conducive to all parties.”

“He was very bright, very intense,” said Donald Fishman, a current professor in the communication department who had Harper in class as a freshman.

Harper didn’t fool around like some other students did, Fishman said. He was clearly dedicated to school and prioritized his time according to that and the student activism that made his name well-known on campus.

Harper grew into his high-profile status. When he arrived at BC, he wasn’t sure of himself academically. He kept to himself and didn’t develop relationships with professors because he wasn’t sure how he would be received—he said he worried about the hostility between ethnic groups. After his speech, Fishman gave him some encouraging words.

Harper said that Fishman’s reaction made him more comfortable speaking with professors and letting them know he was there, sitting in their classrooms and waiting to learn.

That opened doors—letters of recommendation and support for internships were there for anyone, regardless of background, Harper said.

Harper’s work led him to become a voice that people wanted to hear—so much so that when the new director for the minority student program, Don Brown, was hired, The Heights asked Harper to weigh in on the pick.

“In Don Brown we found standards which were excellent in all aspects relating to the degree of excellence required

HEIGHTS ARCHIVES

PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIUS HARPER

During his time at BC, Julius Harper voiced his opposition to the integration of Fenwick.

by Boston College and its minority population,” Harper said in November of 1978.

“From this point on I expect that we will continue to have administrators of the same quality.”

Forty years later, Harper and Brown found themselves eating chicken and waffles after connecting on Facebook.

Both ended up in California, and Brown has gone to Harper’s church a few times.

Harper said that he’s glad to hear updates about the AHANA program at BC. Its mission to attract more academically prepared students is more advantageous, he said. Sometimes it seemed that the BTP was looking for anyone, regardless of their intellectual prowess. Harper said that some of the people in it ended up doing well, but it wasn’t always a good use of the University’s resources. Despite some of his criticism of the BTP, Harper ultimately recalls his BC experience as an overwhelmingly positive one.

“Everything you did on Boston College’s campus was absolutely fantastic,” he said. “Boston College was very, very good to me.”

When he moved away after graduation, he didn’t find the city of Boston to be as welcoming as the 338 acres he had occupied for four years in Chestnut Hill. He was living with his wife—she worked for One Bank, and he worked for the John Hancock Insurance Company.

She told him that when she took the bus downtown to work, white people would stand up rather than sit next to her. The year was 1989.

Harper and his wife decided they couldn’t raise a family in a place where their kids wouldn’t feel welcome on a city bus, so Harper flew out to L.A. to see what it was like there. He went to the beach and saw everyone roller skating—he felt like he was watching something on TV. He went home, packed everything into his car, and drove cross country.

Neither he nor his wife had jobs lined up

in California.

“When I got here, the Boston College diploma was like gold,” Harper said. “They loved it.”

A few weeks after getting to the golden state, Harper landed a job at KIIS-FM, sparking his career in the radio and TV industries. He said that he divorced himself from the “segregated” world he had been a part of in college.

“If some of my friends could see what I was doing now, they would call me a tremendous hypocrite,” Harper said. “But you know, I just, faced reality after having graduated from college, there was much more to the world … so all that radical stuff disappeared.”

And when Harper got into his 40s, he said he was called to ministry. So for about 14 years he balanced being a pastor and a broadcast executive. He found it exciting to do both jobs full-time.

“I think that the desire to speak before people to influence people that has always been a part of who I am,” he said. “And I think that’s directly related to the roles that I chose to develop for myself, even as early back to the days when I was at Boston College.”

When he retired from being a broadcast executive at 55, he decided to stay on as a full-time pastor. His kids were grown, and he wanted to change how he spent his days. So he works on his sermons every week, helps with administrative aspects of running the church, and helps manage people’s relationships with each other. Harper said that moving out to California was one of the best things that ever happened to him, and attending BC was the other.

“It’s a great college, and it’s a true blessing to be a part of it,” Harper said.

“You can’t really understand, you can’t really realize the impact of that school on you and what it will do for you while you’re there. Take advantage of it. Enjoy every bit of it." n

More Than Your Core: AADS Makes Students Feel Welcome

By Isabella Cavazzoni Copy Editor Never before have students marched for more Romantic Literature courses.

Nor have they done so asking for more sections of Wolfman chemistry. But since before its inception in 1970, Boston College students marched with conviction and pride demanding the University—which prides itself on a multi-faceted liberal arts education—make room in its curriculum for black studies.

Nearly half a century ago, BC delivered what students had long been advocating for when the University’s first comprehensive black studies program was forged as the brainchild of BC’s Black Forum, which met with the University administration for eight weeks in 1969 to form black studies.

As a result, BC’s current African and African Diaspora Studies program (AADS)—a growing academic and social program only just reaching its full po-

COLLAGE ARCHIVES

tential almost 50 years later—was born.

In 1969, the Black Forum began by presenting demands for a sweeping education on black studies. It wasn’t until September of the following year that BC created a foundation for AADS with the approval of three University black studies courses: African Art, The History and Psychological Development of the Black Family, and African Nationalism Since World War II. These three courses turned into an established black studies minor in 1985, and the first independent black studies minor graduated from the University in 1990. Still, major progress in black studies education stalled until its transformation into the AADS program.

Enter Cynthia Young, hired in 2006 to revamp and reup black studies for the foundation of a University department.

Young, who is currently the department head of African American Studies at Pennsylvania State University, started her magnanimous undertaking with a few small steps. There was so much to do to grow AADS from the ground up as a grassroots effort of students who didn’t see themselves reflected in the University’s curriculum that “every change made a big difference,” according to Young.

“So, you know, when I got there, it was clear that it was a program that had not been very well attended,” Young said.

“I had the challenge, but also pleasure, of figuring out how to kind of create interest and excitement in the department or the program. … Pretty much anything any other department does, those are the kinds of things that I was considering when I first came.”

According to Young, the former black

studies program didn’t have the feel of a developed department—lacking an independent faculty and comprehensive courses to comprise of a department— making her work cut out for her. Her first step was changing the program’s name from black studies to African and African Diaspora Studies.

With this, Young launched herself into signing on joint faculty members with the AADS program. Theology and AADS joint professor M. Shawn Copeland was there from the beginning of Young’s overhaul, signing a memorandum to become a joint faculty member as Young began to reconstruct black studies into AADS. The focus of Young’s blossoming program expanded to include not just African-American history, but the entire African diaspora. Young’s outline began with more than just a superficial name change—she wanted the core of the program to be all-inclusive. “[Young] also had a real interest in diasporic studies, that is to say not just on the continental United States,” Copeland said.

To make her blueprint into the scaffolding of a sturdy program, she first needed faculty to teach the courses she envisioned. A major component of a comprehensive program consisted of faculty whose primary studies included diasporic research. Such a shift was necessary to move courses away from solely teaching African-American culture— Young saw value in African diasporic culture oceans away from BC. “She was very keen to make sure that there were people on the faculty who could teach courses about life in the Caribbean [and] culture in the

Caribbean—so, someone like professor Jean-Charles,” Copeland said.

Young brought in a number of faculty members, appointed to both an established BC department and the AADS program, to build the staff with instructors like professor Régine JeanCharles, someone who focuses primarily on African-francophone literature, and whose Haitian roots afford her valuable knowledge and expertise in diasporic studies. History professor Martin Summers—who studies medicine and public health in the African diaspora—demonstrates the academic value BC now places in diasporic studies across continents and composes part of Young’s vision for a more global AADS program.

The progress that AADS has made and the steps the program has currently taken to departmentalize would not have been possible without this first essential movement toward inclusivity—a fundamental difference from the former mission of the black studies program.

According to Summers , AADS narrows the focus of its mission statement and courses to include all of the African cultures and histories—not just African-American studies—making the program more comprehensive and interdisciplinary. A majority of the joint-faculty members that teach AADS courses concentrate their studies in a number of other BC departments. Since AADS is not yet an established department, faculty members are primarily based in another BC department while also collaborating with AADS courses and initiatives.

An interdisciplinary focal point is the core of the program, not only including

all African cultures, but a number of specific areas of study—Copeland’s academic lens tightens into theological studies; Summers’ primary appointment is in the history department; Frederick has an office nestled in the depths of Stokes South’s fourth floor at the heart of the English department. By grounding the program in pre-existing BC departments, Young and other joint faculty like Frederick institutionalize the program into BC’s academic curriculum.

Frederick watched the AADS blueprint turn into reality after she planted her roots in BC’s English department in 1998, far before Young came in to offer her joint appointment. Today, Frederick is a key faculty member in AADS. But when she first arrived and AADS was still black studies, the structure of her classes was much less interdisciplinary.

“Most of the faculty who taught in the black studies program were parttime faculty. So there was no full-time tenured or tenure track Boston College faculty who was like, affiliated with the program,” Frederick said. “Classes were cross-listed [with black studies], but they were English classes.”

This was an experience very different from the one that Frederick had as an undergraduate. As a University of Pennsylvania alum, the cross-listed classes that Frederick taught felt less rigorous and academic than the ones she took as a student.

This posed a dilemma, as many BC students failed to treat the black studies classes as serious, important courses, but rather as a quick GPA-booster.

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Tuesday, February 19, 2019

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Bookworms Celebrate Valentine’s Day at Whirlwind Romance Pop-Up

By Isabella Cavazzoni Copy Editor Clarissa Murphy pressed “post” on her Facebook status after just finishing the 10th book in one of her favorite romance series, not thinking anyone would seriously respond or anything would come of it.

That is, until Paul Swyden, owner of The Silver Bookstore in Acton, Mass., replied, setting her haphazard, unplanned idea for a romance-only bookstore into motion.

A Whirlwind Romance Pop-Up Store is a temporary bookstore located in the heart of Somerville’s Bow Market, alongside a kitschy ’80s après ski pop-up, a vintage boutique, and a vegetarian poutine restaurant.

For six days (Feb.13-18), Bow Market hosted A Whirlwind Romance, catering to all of the romance book lovers just in time for Valentine’s Day. “[I] threw it out on Facebook just sort of for kicks, you know, wouldn’t it be fun to do a romance genre only pop-up,” Murphy said.

“Paul sent me a message and off we went … it just kind of worked out perfectly.”

Murphy, a nonfiction children’s book buyer for MIT Press in Cambridge, and Swyden had fate on their side this Valentine’s Day after Murphy’s half-joking call to Facebook for a romance book pop-up came to

fruition.

A book buyer turned romance genre enthusiast and a bookstore owner, their combined force was unstoppable.

All they needed was a venue.

It just so happened that Bow Market had space available during a holiday dedicated to love for Murphy and Swyden to set up shop and stuff the entire room with romance novels.

But for Murphy, A Whirlwind Romance isn’t just about idyllic, starry-eyed portrayals of modern love and sex—rather, she saw a pop-up romance bookstore as an opportunity to validate romance readers, a novel genre Murphy feels often gets distorted and stigmatized.

As an avid reader, both in the romance genre and otherwise, and a professional book buyer, Murphy has recognized that the romance readership is often dismissed as not reading “real” books, a practice Murphy notices manifests itself in childhood.

“A lot of people, you know, they assume that the writing wasn’t good, or that it wasn’t worth your time, or wasn’t meaningful in some way, which isn’t true,” Murphy continued. “Sometimes if you, you know, are seen buying a stack of romance books, people will kind of poke fun at you. I’m like, why?

There’s no reason to.”

In the back left corner of the store, a life-sized cardboard cutout of a mostly

naked man stands tall—this man, named Fabio Lanzoni, has graced the cover of more than a few stereotypical romance novels, such as Savage Thunder and Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey, throughout the ’80s and ’90s.

Even as A Whirlwind Romance displays a shirtless Lanzoni and takes place during the year’s most lovey-dovey holidap. , Murphy was clear to point out that romance novels are not simply about sex, as the public has generally assumed—this has lead to the stigmatization of the entire genre.

Murphy went further to explain while romance novels can be the cheesy, stereotypically sexy variety—a la Lanzoni—they can also be a method of coping and healing, giving depth to the romance novel genre.

“Publishers Weekly has written a lot of really great articles over the past couple years, and several of them are articles written by people who worked through sexual assaults and other like emotional events by reading romance,” Murphy said.

One Publishers Weekly article, titled “In Recovery with Romance Novels,” gives no details of the author’s assault but affirms that she used romance novels to heal, sorting through her traumatic experience by rediscovering love and consent.

“To pick up a novel is an act of consent; to open the pages of a book is an act of consent; engaging in reading

IZZY CAVAZZONI / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Booklovers read romance novels at the Whirlwind Romance pop-up bookstore. is an act of consent,” author Robin Lovett writes.

“The romance genre offers three guarantees vital to my trauma recovery: heroines with agency, a happily ever after, and sex positivity.”

Lovett further elaborates that romance novels were her way to work through her issues when nothing else was effective—sometimes post-trauma programs and her support system could only go so far.

But it was reading romance novels that helped her process what had happened to her.

Like Murphy mentioned, the romance genre as a whole isn’t just about cliched, heteronormative novels.

Rather, romance novels are relatively political, and book publishers

and buyers like Murphy have picked up on that.

“I think a lot of people would— they kind of seem to assume that the romance genre was all like, big, burly men just having their way with women and there not being consent,” Murphy said, “When really … publishers have parameters that books have to meet in order for them to want to publish it.”

Murphy’s goal in building A Whirlwind Romance was unique: Not only did she want to bring in an abundance of mushy novels right around Valentine’s Day, but she also wanted to bring awareness to the advancements of the romance genre.

“I think I did a pretty good job,” Murphy said as she smiled. “It was fun.” n

‘Spamilton’ Takes on Miranda, Broadway

By Steven Everett President

EMERSON DEBASIO / HEIGHTS EDITOR

BC Alums Bring Playa Bowls to Comm. Ave.

By Mary Wilkie Asst. Metro Editor Play a B owls B o ston of f icially opened its doors on Commonwealth Avenue on Feb. 16. Nestled comfortably between Crazy Dough’s and El Pelón, the shop brings a taste of the beach—and a more nutritious dining option—to Boston College’s front door.

Customers lined up out the door to get a taste of the franchise’s creative acai and pitaya bowls.

This is the first Massachusetts location for the New Jersey-based shop.

Partner John Castiglione, BC ’05, lived with one of the company’s founders and got the opportunity to franchise the store about a year ago. After getting in touch with four friends from BC—Hung Lam, BC ’06; Dana Nentin, BC ’05; Sarosh Nentin, BC ’05; and Dave Swanson, BC ’05—the group jumped at the offer and, nearly 15 years after graduating, found themselves back at BC as business partners.

Considering the real estate options they had around Boston, they loved the opportunity that came with the space at 2199 Comm. Ave., a former real estate office, to gain a stronger connection to the BC community. Playa Bowls has already touched the student body: They’ve hired about 40 students, and in the few days they’ve been open, their social media has featured countless BC sweatshirts and familiar faces you might see around campus.

“We’re gonna have so much pride and love for this store,” Lam said. “If this place was open when we were students, we would have been here all the time.”

Playa Bowls is the brainchild of New Jersey natives Abby Taylor and Robert Guiliani. After seeing and surfing the beaches of coastal North and Central American surf towns, they wanted to bring home the one thing that all of these beaches had in common: acai and pitaya bowls.

While each town gives its own spin to their bowls, it’s a staple of surf towns that wasn’t common on the East Coast just a few years ago.

Since the company’s establishment in 2014, it has launched over 65 franchises across the East Coast and the south, with the latest being here in Boston.

The company’s slogan—“Welcome to Pineappleland!”—glows in the shop’s front window. Scrawled in purple script, the vibrant first impression quickly introduces visitors to the trendy aesthetic of the shop.

Designed to capture the beachy vibe of the surf culture that inspired the company, every Playa Bowls location has a similar vibrant look and relaxed atmosphere. The communal tables made from reclaimed wood keep it casual, while the chalkboard menu—offering a healthy variety of smoothies, smoothie bowls, juices, and oatmeal bowls—contributes to the playful aesthetic.

Soon enough, the beach theme will project even stronger in the décor, with surf boards soon to accompany the murals freshly painted on the walls.

Romona Schatzer, Playa Bowls’ regular artist, has painted most (if not all) of the stores with anchors and beach scenes unique to each location—Boston’s depicts Taylor and Guiliani selling their bowls from a small cart to a line of customers at the beach.

These connections across franchises demonstrate the company’s emphasis on continuous support and consistency in the Playa Bowls community to foster strong relationships within the company and with the communities they occupy. With Taylor and Guiliani in town for the opening day, the new store saw lines out the door for most of the weekend.

The Nentins, Castiglione, Lam, and Swanson are thrilled to be so close to the place they called home for four years and can’t wait for Playa Bowls Boston to become a part of the community.

“To see it come full circle—it’s been almost a year now—to see it finally here, it’s super exciting,” Sarosh said.

“To see it all conclude in something that you can see now, in something tangible, it’s a really cool feeling.” n

“Look, I made a rap,” announces Adrian Lopez-as-Lin Manuel Mirandaas-Hamilton to Chuckie Benson-as-Ben Franklin-as-Stephen “the Broadway Yoda” Sondheim.

Or, more properly, so goes the script of Gerard Alessandrini: Needham native, Broadway insider, and creator, writer, and director of Spamilton: An American Parody, debuting in Boston this week for an extended run presented by the Huntington Theatre Company.

If those sentences seem like they each could’ve been split up, you’ll just need to read a bit faster.

S p a m i l t o n , l i k e M i r a n d a’s historical-epic-in-a-play-turnedBroadway-phenomenon, moves at 100 syllables a minute.

But unlike Hamilton, Alessandrini’s revue—a favorite genre of his following the success of Forbidden Broadway— covers everything from West Side Story to American Express ads. In rap.

It’s this same style of (slightly) overpacked rap that leads Miranda, in a bitingly self-aware caricature of his MacArthur Genius, Pulitzer Prize, and Tony Award-adorned namesake to announce that indeed, “my syntax is horrendous.”

Lopez effortlessly keeps pace as a high-energy, Sondheim-fanboy Miranda while promising that he’s “not gonna let Broadway rot” (to the tune of “My Shot.”)

Miranda’s professional life is chronicled, as he casts Hamilton, drags Disney franchises (before finding himself invisibly starring in one), and shows his unwavering support for America’s small businesses.

But in Spamilton, Hamilton works best as a vehicle to take stock of contemporary Broadway theatre and culture.

It reminds the audience of theatre dorks that though Miranda might write

like it’s “going out of style,” Broadway’s never been hotter and is only getting more extravagant.

With an oversized “Spamilton” poster center stage and the now-iconic Hamilton star emblazoned on the actors’ pants, the play delights with an endless cast of character and talent impersonations, few of which are positive.

Alessandrini seems to be faulting the industry. Unoriginal reproductions like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (“Come with me, and you’ll see, a world with no imagination”) or past-theirprime productions like The Lion King or Wicked serve as the theatrical context for Hamilton.

He uses King George III (Brandon Kinle y) to deliver a f lamboyant , bedazzled “Message from a Queen” lambasting Broadway’s recent shying away from LGBT themes, decrying that “straight is back.”

But then, in comes Miranda: the Broadway savior; the genre-blending Renaissance man of histor y and Sondheim and Spamalot and shots, ready to reignite the scene.

In one of the more serious scenes— or, at least, one with fewer than a laugh per minute—Alessandrini shows a viral, successful Miranda, who can’t walk around his neighborhood without being stopped for signatures by street sellers or fans alike.

And Spamilton doesn’t really hate on him or Hamilton that much. Instead, Alessandrini takes a step back and reminds viewers that, despite the craze of “rich kids who are mostly white, spending their parents’ dough at night,” Hamilton is just another show.

Sure, Miranda sprays paint over a sign held by two toupeed men from The Book of Mormon that declared it the best show in decades.

But, somehow, that’s how exciting Hamilton remains, almost four years later—Broadway tickets still sell for hundreds of dollars, with seemingly no

end in sight.

Alessandrini’s actors, thankfully, embody that energy.

Ani Djirdjirian (credited as playing the “Leading Ladies”) astonishes with her dynamic range in both appearance and imitations from her sardonic performance as a single Schuyler sister (she speaks for the other two sisters, who are hand puppets of diminishing importance) to a dilapidated Barbra Streisand announcing Tony nominees (“Hamilton, Hamilton, Yentl, and Hamilton”).

Djirdjirian glides through her quick-witted, fast-paced lines in a show where, like Hamilton, the only job of a Schuyler actress is to “sing on pitch” she says, in a total monotone.

Djirdjirian is joined by Dominic Pecikonis as Daveed Diggs (and others), who’s far more than double-cast as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, alluding to what Alessandrini paints as a confusing decision by Miranda to cast the actor in two different roles in Hamilton.

Datus Puryear commands the show as Leslie Odom Jr., who played Aaron Burr in Hamilton’s original run, and as someone who can’t quite decide whether he’s jealous of Miranda’s success, or is the only adult in a room full of tomcats.

A daily double-level knowledge of American theatre, Hamilton, and Miranda himself will certainly aid in keeping the frequent one-liners and references from rapping past you.

But like the cast, you’ll be rewarded for feeling “in” with the crowd and Alessandrini’s critiques.

Following “The Film When it Happens”—a take on one of Hamilton’s best-known numbers “The Room Where it Happens”—the cast is visibly exhausted from the dance-heavy bit and the layered, mile-a-minute rap.

With accomplished grins they proudly announce in unison: “When the show’s over, my voice is, shot!” n

Petition Opposes MBTA Fare Increase

By Colleen Martin Metro Editor

Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu is circulating a petition to oppose the MBTA’s proposed fare hike.

“We are running out of time to transform our economy and society in the face of climate change, and the Greater Boston region is now confronted with the worst traffic in the nation,” Wu wrote in the petition. “The proposed fare increase represents a step in the wrong direction when we can’t afford anything less than aggressive progress forward.”

The price of a Charlie Card subway ride would rise 15 cents, from $2.25 to $2.40.

The majority of the proposed price changes go up by less than 30 cents. The largest

increase is for the monthly inner express pass, which would go from $128 to $136.

Wu recently penned an op-ed in The Boston Globe that called to make the T free for riders.

The petition asks the MBTA to take steps toward fare-free transit, beginning with free passes for Boston students and senior citizens and creating a low-income fare option for people who cannot afford the standard price.

It also called for “fare equity,” noting the distance-based fees for the bus and T exclude low-income people from getting a job far from home, and the zoning for commuter rail fares as it is now splits Boston into multiple zones and therefore multiple fares.

Wu also wrote that instead of installing

expensive fare vending machines at bus stations where most riders use cash, those routes should be marked as fare-free.

The MBTA should look to create a sustainable source of revenue for creating a fare-free system by implementing congestion and tolling pricing, supporting the surcharges for ride share services, such as Uber and Lyft, supporting legislation that would allow voters to “identity and raise revenues” for transit funding.

“Transportation planning must not exist in a vacuum, and fare hikes will only continue to exacerbate the inequities and climate and public health challenges facing our city and region,” Wu wrote.

“Please take action to strengthen opportunities for generations to come by embracing transit equity and access.” n

The Heights

A6

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Editorials

QUOTE OF THE DAY

BC Dining, UHS Communicated Poorly With Students Amid Illness After about a week of rumors, University Health Services (UHS) emailed the student body to assure the Boston College community that there were no confirmed cases of norovirus on campus.

The email was a week too late to completely quell notions of this specific illness. BC Dining had taken what it called “precautionary steps” against the flu-like symptoms experienced by some students. The measures included closing the selfserve salad bar and went so far as to individually wrap bananas, oranges, cookies, and single slices of bread in plastic. BC Dining is also offering “Flu-Buddy Packs,” which include ramen noodle chicken soup, saltines, bottles of SmartWater and Powerade, and hand sanitizer.

It was not until after BC Dining had pulled its self-service items that UHS sent an email denying the rumor. In order to avoid rampant and understandably concerning misconceptions, BC must better communicate within its departments and with the student body. BC Dining should have better coordinated a response with UHS, and UHS should have sent out an email addressing student illnesses on campus before BC Dining pulled the items in order to prevent unnecessary gossip.

The student body could also have acted in better faith. Spreading unfounded rumors was not cool in high school, and that fact has not changed in college.

BC’s faux pas echoes other communication missteps.

“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”

-The Help, 2011

The last time BC Dining took such drastic steps was in 2015, when there actually was a norovirus outbreak that infected 120 students. It is logical to conclude that current students would at least suspect that a disease of similar magnitude could be present on campus.

Rumors were so rampant that even the meme page was peppered with norovirus content, which only further served to perpetuate the same gossip.

BC must more effectively communicate with the student body if it wishes to stop rumors such as these.

There is no reason that the student body should have been so worriedabout something that, to a degree, would have been preventable had BC better communicated.

Please Capitalize The “B” in Black Guest Column - Kathryn Destin Please refrain from identifying me as African-American, it doesn’t make you politically correct.

Please refrain from identifying me as a person of color, it doesn’t make you “woke.”

Please refrain from identifying me as a minority, it doesn’t make you informed.

You can refer to me as what I identify as … Black. Emphasis on the B. I am Black. But to be entirely honest, even I’m not sure what that means.

If you look up “black” on dictionary.com, the first definition you’ll see listed is “lacking hue and brightness; absorbing light without reflecting any of the rays composing it.” Well, I am 99 percent sure we don’t describe people like that. Rather, we tend to use other adjectives, one-word descriptors, or a phrase, like “nice” or “funny” or “great smile.”

Sometimes, when we want to further emphasize a specific characteristic about a person, we might use other synonyms. For example, in addition to saying someone is “nice,” we might say they’re “kind,” too. So maybe the first definition of black as an adjective isn’t great, but looking up synonyms might help.

If you look up “black” on thesaurus.com, you’ll find a surplus of words like “dark,” “charcoal,” or “jet,” but you’ll also find “dirty,” “hopeless,” and yes, “evil.” From a purely linguistic perspective, these are perfect words to replace the “black” in your piece for your Writing Workshop: Flash

Fiction course. However, I’d like to believe you wouldn’t use these words as replacements for Black when talking about people. But I know this wasn’t always the case. The linguistic and definitive associations of black and blackness with words, such as “dirty,” “hopeless,” and “evil” have been the very foundation of an oppression against Black folks across the globe, particularly in America, and yes, even Boston College.

Think about it. Historically, Black people were viewed as inhuman beasts. This mindset was blatantly depicted during the silent film era of the early 20th century. For example, Birth of a Nation, released in 1913, portrayed a Black man as a predator who posed a threat to whiteness. During the reign of Jim Crow that some of my mentors and family members lived through, it was a compliment to be called a “negro” or “boy” because at least it wasn’t the n-word. And now, as I walk the halls of a university established two years before slavery was unconstitutional, I am alarmed by pictures of racist snapchats and anti-Black vandalism. For some reason, I still proudly claim this history, despite the pain, humiliation, and tragedy.

I am Black. But to be entirely honest, I couldn’t care less what it’s defined as, because I know the greatness Blackness entails.

Being Black ain’t easy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Why? Because when my ancestors were forced to convert to Christian-

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ity after being labeled as “heathens,” they created stories which turned into beautiful hymns and spirituals. Now, I sing along and recite the lyrical masterpieces of hip-hop, R&B, and rap that stem from these soulful roots.

When my female ancestors weren’t at the beck and call of Massa, they plotted their escape by braiding their hair into maps so they could know the route north. Now, I cornrow my hair to claim freedom from the beauty standards that tell me to hate my natural hair. When my ancestors weren’t allowed into universities, they developed their own academic institutions. Now, I read books written by historically black college and university alumni in a university they would have never imagined attending 100 years ago.

When my ancestors were barred from registering to vote, they took to the streets and withstood tear gas, water hoses, dogs, police beatings, and lynchings. Now, I keep an extra set of stamps in my desk drawer to mail out my absentee ballot. Like I said earlier, being Black ain’t easy, but from what I’ve been shown time and time again, being Black is beautiful.

Being Black is ingenious. Being Black is resilience. Being Black is perseverance. Being Black is powerful.

Accepting my Blackness is an ongoing process of moving past trauma, learning to love myself when society says I shouldn’t, and turning lemons into lemonade without a juicer, water, or sugar.

I am Black, and I am proud.

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The Heights

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

A7

M.R.S. Degrees Are Antiquated 69

Alexa Sarci

Rutherford B. Hayes

The young version—very attractive. Can you name a single policy of his? Nope. Will you google him after this? Probably. He likely aged gracefully, but you can’t tell with his beard.

John F. Kennedy

Our hometown hero. Massachusetts has never been prouder of a man.

Nixon never stood a chance.

Harry Truman

The “S” in Harry S. Truman does not actually stand for anything. Had his parents known how he would turn out, the “S” might have stood for “sexy,” or maybe “silver fox.

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Boston College’s acceptance rate last year was the lowest it has ever been. For every 100 applications only 27 students were accepted. Of those 27 students, about 15 were women.

As many of you already know, getting into BC isn’t easy. Your resume has to be practically immaculate.

Just like many of yours, my transcript was adorned with straight As and a perfect GPA—not to mention a vast number of extracurriculars.

My standardized test scores were far from standard and my work ethic was surely a strong suit. I was ultimately a thoroughbred, like everyone else that goes here. When I decided to come to BC, it was to expand my mindset and learn all that I could. I certainly didn’t choose BC to get my M.R.S. degree.

About one month into my freshman year, I was in class and talking to a friend who said she was at BC to get her M.R.S degree. I never heard this term before and thought she was on the pre-med track. I asked if it was hard being pre-med and she laughed in my face. Confused, I asked what a M.R.S degree was and she explained: An M.R.S. degree is going to college with the goal of finding a husband rather than getting an education.

It’s funny how oblivious you are to something when you’re unfamiliar with it. After that day, I heard the term far too often. It was everywhere—From students and friends saying, “I can’t wait to have kids,” “I don’t need to learn this to be a mom,” “I just want to be a soccer mom,” and “ring by spring.” I even heard these sentiments from some faculty members during orientation: “You know, one in five of you will find your husband here,” and “Look to your left, look to your right, you could be sitting

next to your husband.”

I thought that an M.R.S. degree was a antiquated title for women in the ’50s that went to Wellesley, but I was wrong. Although it may seem like a harmless label, I was bothered by it.

All the girls that have gotten into BC have spent countless hours studying.

“We need to stop teaching and perpetuating the stereotype that college campuses are the hunting ground for women to find their husband— college isn’t speed dating.”

They’ve shed blood, sweat, and tears to receive an acceptance letter, not to mention the amount of money in tuition spent every year.

It all seems like so much work and dedication just to be looking for a husband.

I know I’m guilty in this game too. Still, somewhere deep inside me I have the hope that I may find “the guy” in one of my classes or in the dining hall, or maybe he would find me. I, like many girls, hope and

cling to the unrealistic romcom-like expectations. The idea of finding a husband in college is apparently plain and simple. If you want one, college will lead you there.

I want you to understand that the M.R.S. degree is not my generation’s fault. After all, in the 1950s, there was an exorbitant amount of women going to college. For many of these women, a college eduction was a tool to become a better mother and to marry well. Whereas men were encouraged and expected to use their education to make a career, women were cautioned against doing so, and instead were encouraged to stay at home following marriage. There was an ulterior motive to to expand socialization and become more well-rounded, in order to better raise children.

Although we have moved farther away from publicly expressing this antiquated thought today, it is still present but simply closeted. College has become a training ground for women to become wives, but for men it’s training ground to become doctors and lawyers. You see, the concept of the M.R.S. degree trickled into the sexist preconceived notions and expectations placed on women since the beginning of time.

The bottom line is that a college degree isn’t a frivolous trophy just to be dusted once in a while in your suburban house on the Cape. We need to stop teaching and perpetuating the stereotype that college campuses are the hunting ground for women to find their husband—college isn’t speed dating.

I even have to remind myself that my parents have sent me to BC to get an education, not to find a husband.

As women, our motives for getting a college degree should not be fulfillment in finding a husband but fulfillment through expanding our minds through education.

Alicia Kang

Martin Van Buren

Crazy sideburns. He’d honestly look better if he adopted the style of Mr. Combover from Ned’s Declassified. Also looks like a Rock Hopper Penguin.

Lynd0n B. Johnson

Tinder bio: noted racist and notorious sexist, with the bone structure of a jellyfish. He’d probably also mention that he was over six-foot.

Chester Arthur

Unremarkable president all around.

Passed the Chinese Exclusion Act. Is a fifth child and looks the part. Terrible facial hair.

Last week in my Philosophy of the Person class, I learned about the 18th century Scottish philosopher David Hume. As an empiricist (a philosopher who analyzed the external world), Hume concluded that radical skepticism about matters of fact—or rather, anything you can observe in the world—is useless. In other words, there’s no point in indulging those crazy theories of “what if nothing is real,” or “what if we’re all being controlled,” because even if they were true, there would be nothing we could do about it.

While sitting in class, I was reminded of all of the conspiracy theories that came out after Black Mirror released its interactive Netflix Original, Bandersnatch. Though the episode had many different plots and themes, the one that stuck out to me was the concept of choice. Throughout the course of the movie, the watcher makes choices for the protagonist, Stefan, who slowly realizes that he is being controlled. In the episode, this realization led to him gradually fighting against the watcher, while in real life, it prompted questions of if we are, in fact, all Stefan. For me, it prompted radical skepticism about matters of fact.

Originality is essentially extinct in the 21st century, and that’s not a bad thing: Ideas need to build off other ideas in order to create truly thought-provoking stories. But the problem with this in fast entertainment is that the original source for such ideas—such as, perhaps, an 18th century philosopher—is not acknowledged. When you’re forced to analyze a novel in a high school

Henry Sun At orientation, we went through the whole spiel of our hometowns, what we are studying, and a fun fact. I came up with three of my main identities—Danville, chemistry, and baseball. Let’s go a little further into the first identity, Danville.

Danville, Calif. is my hometown, and I have lived there since I was born. It is about 25 minutes east of Oakland and according to the Fresno Bee, it is one of the most liberal cities in California. Oakland is also home to my favorite baseball team and Chinese restaurants (Panda Express is not Chinese food). The liberal dogma, however, is so prevalent that it forced me to stay closeted about my beliefs. Even though I knew that I was a Republican, I didn’t know why until I took a Carroll School of Management Core Class as an elective this spring.

Professor Wesner’s business law class taught me about differences between formalists and realists. Formalists believe that everyone is equal. Their reading of the “letter of the law” emphasizes how they love rules because they are stable and predictable. They also believe that markets give people jobs. Realists, on the other hand, believe that America is unequal, and that the the “spirit of the law” should be used to level the playing field. Thus, they really hone in on the emotions and stories of unequal citizens.

Most of my time throughout my precollegiate years was spent with family.

My father was especially influential. My father’s family immigrated to Berkeley, Calif. from Taiwan. He slept on the ground for three years because he could not afford a mattress. Even though he did not achieve initial success, he found his niche in the workforce and currently is very success-

Alexa Sarci is an op-ed columnist for ful as a sales manager for Cathay Pacific.

The Heights. She can be reached at My father’s journey led him to develop a opinions@bcheights.com. formalist lens on life. He led and still leads a frugal lifestyle and worked hard in the

The Fall of the Hume-anities English class, your teacher might focus specifically on mythological or Biblical allusions, but when you’re watching a movie by yourself in your dorm room, you do not have to consider any of the greater implications of the film.

There is, of course, a large audience of Black Mirror viewers who watch and love the series because it is so thoughtprovoking. Yet it’s not common knowledge where the inspiration for these ideas comes from, even though Black Mirror might be lauded as one of the most “original” franchises on Netflix.

That is not to say that Black Mirror writers are in any sense copying philosophers of the past or really that any show ever is not the original source of its own brilliance. Rather, I posit that the ideas that are appraised as authentic and creative today have already been contemplated centuries ago, and it is only our fast-paced, Netflix-centric world that does not know about them.

The resurgence of philosophical and psychological plots in modern television shows can mean one of two things for the humanities. The first would be that the liberal arts, which have become sequestered in the age of modern technology, will be fully appreciated as they once had been, in the time when philosophers like Hume lived. This is quite a far-fetched possibility, and therefore the less likely option, but it does not seem impossible.

Take, for example, The Good Place, a show about the afterlife and what it means to be a good person. The Good Place debuted on NBC in 2016 and has been renewed for four seasons now. The creator of the show, Michael Schur, specifically researched philosophers who contemplated virtue and vice.

It therefore makes sense that one of the protagonists is Chidi, a moral philosophy professor. From the first few episodes, Chidi teaches Eleanor about Aristotle, Kant, and Hume, and it would

Broadening Horizons

be difficult to argue that we as the audience do not learn anything alongside Eleanor. While the show is still fast entertainment, it provides a gateway for audiences that are genuinely interested in how to become better people.

The other possibility is that both universities and America in general will continue to disregard the humanities. The track of TV shows and instant gratification will continue without any care for questions about morality. Such a topic may be used as fodder for popular entertainment, but it will not, or rather cannot, be seriously considered because no one knows how to access the sources. And even if they did, no one would care enough to read through hundreds of pages about the meaning of virtue.

The reason why this matters at all is that common ideas from philosophy and even theology are the basis for the shows we enjoy most today. But if the actual source is neglected, then there can only be a proliferation of uninspiring, trite entertainment (Why do you think all movies are sequels nowadays?).

The idea of people “forgetting” the humanities is a projection into the far-off future. But even today, we can see implications of it in our world.

Boston College is one of the few Jesuit institutions in America, and just about every other college student assumes that means we’re all Catholic. But in truth, it means we have opportunities to contemplate things like the philosophical implications of the latest Black Mirror episode. Because such options are not open to everyone—and even if they were, few would take them—most people will watch an episode and think it through during the 15 seconds before the next one starts.

private sector to send me here. He did not have masses of welfare because Governor George Deukmejian cut that out from the California budget. There were no excuses not to work hard for my family, so why should others have them?

Although I lived a much different life than my parents, I have a formalist perspective from my indulgence in private companies to help exceed academically.

I always excelled at math because I went to a private enrichment program called Kumon. I learned calculus in eighth grade because my program believed I had the skills to do it. Yet it was not until junior year when I could take the course in public school. Instead, I had to follow public school’s fixed path. My parents saved a lot of money for my college tuition, preaching that I could be whatever I wanted.

My consultant raved about how private schools care about their students through their small class sizes and innovative curriculum that teaches to the soul. I spent my first semester at Boston College changing almost everything I thought I would not change. I dropped my biochemistry major and pre-med track in lieu of something more fulfilling to me: law. Law is a field were people make rational decisions and use impressive skills to persuade.

Through my schedule that only consists of humanities, I have seen my ability to articulate my thoughts improve tenfold. The motto of BC is “ever to excel,” and even though I have been here for less than a year, I have already reaped many benefits.

Even though formalism appeals the most to my identity, realism has some intriguing points of view. For example, its desire to build “bridges and communities” is very important to self-development.

Many of my extended family members are introverted and hate socializing. In fact, all they do is criticize what doesn’t seem right to their view of life. This is a very horrible mindset to adopt.

Accepting others is important to continue learning about others. Don’t we want to broaden our horizons and think critically? The first step is to hear and

Alicia Kang is an op-ed columnist for listen to conflicting points of views, from The Heights. She can be reached at which I have realized that realists and opinions@bcheights.com. formalists are the same people—we just

The opinions and commentaries of the op-ed columnists appearing on this page represent the views of the author of that particular piece, and not necessarily the views of The Heights.

Any of the columnists for the Opinions section of The Heights can be reached at opinions@ bcheights.com.

have different outlooks on life, probably from past experiences. And it is no reason to caricature the opposing perspective.

Henry Sun is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. He can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

The Heights

A8

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Initial Leaders in AADS Program Remember Early Stages AADS, from A4 Many black studies classes had been accepted to be easy classes, seeing as they were taught at night by part-time faculty with one foot out the door, as Frederick remembers—it became clear that the University did not yet prioritize black studies.

In one instance, a major miscommunication left students who signed up for a black literature class without a professor to teach them. Instead, the students were moved to a class of Frederick’s, who specializes in Anglophone Caribbean and African Diaspora literatures.

“So they asked if the students could come to my class, and they all did, and they all were there for one class. And they all dropped because they said it was too hard,” Fredericks said. “Apparently, there was a reputation when it was like at the end of black studies that the classes were easy.”

A few years prior to Frederick’s entrance into BC’s black studies program, the University reorganized the Core Curriculum, mandating a “Cultural Diversity” requirement for the first time for the incoming Class of 1997. The Cultural Diversity Core, started by Amanda V. Houston—BC’s first black studies Director—began as a way to get all University students to take black studies classes. But for many students, courses within the black studies program became easy As taken primarily to complete their Cultural Diversity Cores. In 1993, The Heights published an article entitled “Cultural diversity: The University’s newest crusade,” highlighting the difficulties of adding another Core requirement to students’ already giant list of must-take courses. This is a problematic manifestation that Frederick witnessed first-hand.

“That was [Houston’s] investment …

but over time, it got perverted, so that it just, you know, was something to check off for the Core requirement,” Frederick said.

For Copeland, equating black studies with the fulfillment of the Cultural Diversity Core became a euphemism for the inherent issues of race and racism. According to her, the responsibility of incorporating diversity into University studies does not solely fall upon the shoulders of AADS, but rather into the fabric of the BC’s educational foundation.

“I don’t want students to simply [say] ‘I’ve got my Cultural Diversity course, it’s out of the way, it’s done,’” Copeland said. “That’s not the approach in a Catholic university that I think we should have.”

When Young stepped in to change this, she was struck by the nonchalance of some of the University’s black studies classes.

In one example, Young recalled a course entitled “Eyes on the Prize,” a popular black studies class in which the professor screened a different episode of the civil rights docuseries by the same title every single session and discussed it. According to Young, the academics behind the program had become so nullified that a class like this—one that seemed to lack a strong academic basis—was harmful to the entire black studies program. The Heights was unable to obtain a copy of the course syllabus.

“There’s no other course you can think about on campus where, you know, someone could get away with [showing a movie every class] ... You would not think about that as a course that has academic rigor or [as] legitimate,” Young said.

Following Young’s makeover of the AADS program, Frederick has noticed that the makeup of AADS classes is more substantive and engaging. Instead of students taking courses solely to pursue a Cultural

Diversity requirement, more and more BC students are taking cross-listed AADS courses that fit neatly into their major or minor, emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of AADS. This ties hand-in-hand with the transition of black studies, as well as its shift from being a program centered around personal service to black students to AADS, which features more of an academic focus. At the dawn of black studies, the program was treated as more of a safe space for students of color, highlighting the welfare of black students at BC, according to Frederick.

Frederick said that many black students visited the black studies offices to simply spend time there, moving the program away from its initial educational purpose.

“We don’t expect political science to mentor students at a kind of personal level, or to, like, take an interest in them in terms of their kind of psychic well-being, or whether they feel welcomed on campus,” Young said. “But we do expect that of black studies programs or departments.”

This pursuit was a double-edged sword, as Young had to find a way to balance the service component with academic priority while forming AADS. So, she started a lecture series and hired joint faculty—like Copeland, Summers, and Frederick—to build upon the grassroots effort of black studies. The black studies minor was established in 1985, with the first independent black studies major—Joseph DeJames, a black studies, philosophy, and biology triple major—graduating from BC in 1990. Now, AADS is almost unrecognizable from its initial framework, and while AADS still isn’t a department, newly-elected Undergraduate Government of Boston College president and executive vice president Michael Osaghae and Tiffany Brooks hope to inspire the administration to build upon the work

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Joseph DeJames, BC ’90, was a triple major in black studies, philosophy, and biology. of Young and all of the pioneers before her to create a department and official AADS major. Still, it all began with an uptick of minor enrollment and Young’s program development.

“You could really feel the energy shift in the program, and you can see it in terms of our majors or minors going up, our minors were at a pretty low ebb by the time when I got there, and the number started to move …” Young said. “[We] had a curriculum that really reflected the energy and enthusiasm of the faculty in the field.”

AADS isn’t done growing, but for Young, the goal wasn’t to make AADS into a depart-

ment or a major, but just to lay a foundation. She wanted to start with developing a faculty, growing enrollment in courses, and graduating more AADS minors. Once those monumental tasks were complete, she believed that everything would start to click.

“If I could get us to the place where I could take off those boxes, then the other stuff would fall into place, right,” Young said.

“Like the next person would build on that foundation and, you know, grow us into a major and then grow us into a department and, you know, create a foundation for a Ph.D. program.” n

Mass. Lt. Governor Karyn Polito Speaks Politics, Personal Rise Polito, BC ’98, recalled her experiences at BC and linked them to her work with Governor Baker in politics.

By Hayley Rieman Heights Staff Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts Karyn Polito, BC ’88, spoke at Boston College on Monday about the importance of civil discourse in politics today and how it has contributed to effective Republican leadership in the blue state of Massachusetts.

Polito was first elected lieutenant governor as part of Governor Charlie Baker’s administration in 2014 and was reelected in 2018. She has worked to strengthen partnerships

within towns and cities across the Commonwealth, and her legislative priorities have been to prevent sexual assault and domestic violence, in addition to increasing access to STEM education.

“It is such an honor to be back,” Polito said. “I am very proud to be part of [the Class of 1988], and I can’t state enough how great this college is—and certainly was for me—in forming my thoughts about my future.”

She then brought up Walsh Hall— the building in which she was speaking—and said that it brought back a lot of memories for her, such as when

jonathan ye / heights editor

Karyn Polito reminisced on her time in Walsh Hall and her work on Gov. Baker’s team.

she made her decision about whether to study abroad.

She knew she really wanted to go, but was unsure about leaving BC, a place where she was very comfortable and involved in campus life.

Polito was a first-generation college student. As such, the idea of studying abroad was unfamiliar to her family.

Polito, ultimately deciding not to go abroad, said she sometimes thinks about the decision as a regret—but, in reality, there was no wrong answer.

“At that time I wasn’t willing to just get beyond my comfort zone … and that was okay,” she said. “But when I think about my life today as I come back to this campus and have a conversation with you, I don’t have many regrets. If that’s the only one that I’m pointing out to you, that’s pretty darn good.”

Polito told the audience members not to live their lives with regret.

“It’s all about trying to figure out when you have that opportunity that it really is an opportunity … and then be willing to step out and take it,” she said.

Polito discussed how, after BC, she went back to her home of Shrewsbury, Mass. to start a life attached to the community that had been good to her while growing up. Polito started

her law career there and eventually decided to run for positions in the town.

She served on Shrewsbury’s Board of Selectmen for three years and then ran for state senate in 1998, but she lost, bringing her to her second lesson.

“There’s never a loss in trying something and falling short,” she said. “The loss is [a] missed opportunity, that regret for not trying something.”

Polito said she never really had an interest in politics while she was at BC. “While you’re studying in certain majors and concentrations, and you believe that all the work you’re doing here is going to take you to a likely place, it’s more likely that you will find yourself in unlikely places,” she said.

Polito talked about the campaign she ran with Baker in the 2010 election and how their loss made them do something unlikely the next time around: They surrounded themselves not with people who looked and thought the way they did, but with diverse people of different political affiliations.

Polito and Baker went out on the road and met with people in communities that were unlikely to support the duo to show potential constituents

that she and Baker would be willing to work with everyone, regardless of the different political mindsets candidates exhibited during the campaign.

They thought that being advised by people with diverse backgrounds, thoughts, and political ideas was the only way their team was going to get things done.

“This is what I call—and the Governor call—‘the Massachusetts way’ … the idea of putting partnerships before partisanship, the idea of investing in all places of the Commonwealth, and investing in people, people being our biggest asset,” Polito said.

She concluded her speech by praising BC students.

Polito said she was encouraged to see that the those in the audience had made the decision to come out and be a part of something constructive, especially at a time where they were witnessing a lack of productivity on the national level.

“Take your talent, what you learn, your passion, and your commitment to helping this state be even better than it is today,” she said.

“And wherever you take it … lay your roots even deeper, begin your career—maybe [it will] lead to other careers—and then do what makes you happy in the course of your next stages and steps in life.” n

Anita Hollander’s New Repertory Play Can’t Be Knocked Down The artist does triple duty as solo actor, playwright, and composer in the one-woman musical show, ‘Still Standing.’

By Ally Lardner For The Heights The small space of the BlackBox at New Repertory Theatre is rendered smaller and more intimate by the apparently haphazard nature of the staging.

Unfinished wooden panels line all four walls, interrupted only by a halfcompleted window on stage left.

Furnished with two stools, a mat with a pillow, and a pair of bright crutches leaning upon a piano in the corner, the space resembles a half-built house—perhaps it’s the house of Anita Hollander, the playwright, composer, and sole performer, who spends one hour in front of an audience that is never farther than arm’s length.

Still Standing is Hollander’s musical life story, from the diagnosis of cancer in her left leg to the very moment of her performance. She strides onstage at the top of show, gives the

audience a knowing smirk—the first of many that she will share throughout the night—and reaches up her skirt to deftly unstrap her prosthetic left leg from her hip.

Her performance is punctuated with similarly humorous and unexpected moments, such as when she drapes her prosthetic over her left shoulder companionably. To borrow Hollander’s own word, she has a lot of “chutzpah.”

A theatre student at Carnegie Mellon when she was first diagnosed, Hollander is a seasoned performer and storyteller. Pre-recorded voices and accompaniment float from speakers throughout the show, but her expressive face and strong voice dominate the stage.

Hollander’s chameleon-like acting chops are especially showcased when she slips into the roles of two important characters in her journey: her older sister pressing her to find enjoyment

in life during chemotherapy, performed during “Lazy Day,” and her young daughter musing on the question of her mother’s unique appearance in “Mommy is a Mermaid.”

Hollander handles the painful elements of her story with a delicate, embodied remembering.

Following a matter-of-fact explanation of what phantom pains are, she sits on the mat and pillow placed up-center stage to revisit nights she spends in bed thinking over her choice to save her life and amputate her leg during “The Pain/The Choice.” During the piece, one light slowly creeps along the back wall, symbolizing dawn coming to her sleepless vigil.

Hollander displays an impressive range of emotion throughout the course of the night, from the tenderness of “I Want To Be There” to the defiance of “Difficult Woman Blues.”Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the performance is Hollander’s

Photo Courtesy of andrew brilliant / brilliant pictures

Alone, Anita Hollander acts out an autobiographical life story in song onstage. energetic physicality.

With her prosthetic, she dances nimbly across stage in an unmistakably catchy ode to physical therapy.

Without it, she perches on the stool or shuffles easily around it with a hand

for balance.

In a triumphant moment of immediacy, Hollander stands joyfully tall on one foot, encouraging the audience to utilize her “tools for survival” with an earnestness that cannot be ignored. n

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Tuesday, February 19, 2019

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@HeightsSports

A Lost Season

MEN’S HOCKEY

A MATTER OF MINUTES

By Peter Kim Assoc. Sports Editor Friday night against No. 3 Massachusetts, Boston College men’s hockey enjoyed the dream start.

Massachusetts 4 Casey Boston College 2 Fitzgerald found the bac k of the net with a blast from the right wing, Connor Moore doubled the advantage on the power play, and BC snatched a 2-0 lead just 17 minutes into the game.

Come Saturday, the story was much the same. With 11 minutes played at Conte Forum, Christopher Brown picked up the puck between blue lines, and skated into the offensive zone before dropping the puck off to Graham McPhee. The junior forward used Brown as a screen to drift down into the left circle, before wristing a drive low inside the right post to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Like Friday, though, BC simply couldn’t maintain the advantage. The Minutemen struck three times in the second period, twice on the power play, and again held off a late Eagles comeback to win, 4-2.

The tenor of the game quickly turned physical, with hits flying in on both sides. One par-

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Bradley Smart

ticularly nasty collision ended with Jack McBain in the box for elbowing, and Luke McInnis with hands and knees on the ice due to a hit that came just as the whistle sounded. The physical play afforded the Minutemen their first penalty of the game and a good chance to go ahead— UMass entered the game with a power play percentage of 30.1, best in Hockey East. On their first power play, however, the Minutemen couldn’t even set up a cohesive attack in the offensive zone, generating zero shots on goal, and turning the puck over in between blue lines.

That would soon change.

After heading into the first i nte r m i s s i o n t r a i l i n g a f te r McPhee’s tally, UMass struck with vengeance to open the second period. Helped by McBain’s second penalty, which came late in the first period, the Minutemen brought the puck into the offensive zone b efore John Leonard let fly a shot attempt fly from the right circle that Joseph Woll managed to redirect out toward the left

save by Woll after an odd deflection off the boards.

Later in the period, BC went on the one-man advantage after UMass’ Cale Makar was whistled for a slashing penalty. The Eagles were able to masterfully run their power play, a nice surprise from their usual stagnant special teams attack. J.D. Dudek and Christopher Brown combined to set up Connor Moore for a tic-tac-toe goal, with the shot coming with a quarter of the net wide-open after the quick sequence.

Just after getting out of the penalty box, Makar—the NHL’s No. 4 overall pick in 2017—redeemed himself and was quick to strike back for the Minutemen.

Makar was on a 2-on-1 with Chaffee and punctuated it by slipping a low shot right past Woll to get on the board.

Boston College men’s hockey has three weekends left before the Hockey East Tournament begins, and three of the remaining five games come against teams ahead of them in the conference table.

No matter the outcome of these matchups, though, head coach Jerry York and the Eagles have fallen woefully short of expectations.

When York’s contract extension was announced the afternoon of the Beanpot final against Northeastern, it was met with a mixed bag of emotions. York is the winningest coach in college hockey history, but BC is mired in its worst three-year run in quite some time, and optimism surrounding the program is slumping. Still, while the Eagles narrowly lost to Northeastern, the signs were there that the team was starting to come together. York even spoke glowingly of his team’s resilience, suggesting that maybe, just maybe, things were going to turn around. Instead, they’ve lost four straight—all games they conceivably could have won.

In terms of expectations entering this year, BC had high hopes to turn things around. On paper, all the signs were there for a strong year, with the Eagles returning 98 percent of their offensive production that ranked fifth in the conference in goals per game in 2017-18, a third-year starter in goal with Joseph Woll, and an incoming freshman class that featured the No. 11 overall draft pick in Oliver Wahlstrom—things seemed to be lining up for an impressive season. Even with a lengthy non-conference losing streak hanging over its head and back-to-back winless Beanpot showings to grapple with, BC entered with the second-most NHL Entry Draft picks on its roster—only trailing rival Boston University—and had plenty of experience up and down the roster.

The Eagles were picked as the preseason favorites to repeat and win the Hockey East in the coaches poll, narrowly edging out Providence by a point. They had a tough slate of non-conference games that had them poised to claim several marquee wins for their Pairwise ranking and dispel the notion that this powerhouse was sliding backwards.

Things have gone far from planned, as BC heads into this coming weekend in fifth place in the conference, having managed a lone non-conference win in nine tries. What’s most disappointing about the Eagles’ record, which is six games under .500 at 10-16-3, is the fact that the last three losses— to Northeastern and a pair to Massachusetts over this past weekend—have featured flashes of the talent that this group possesses but is unable to string together for a complete game, much less a few contests in a row.

York is the all-time winningest coach in college hockey, and it’s hard to doubt the tenured former BC alum, but the Eagles

See MHOK at UMass, A10

See Underachieving, A10

See MHOK vs. UMass, A11

Kayla Brandt / For The Heights

On both Friday and Saturday against the Minutemen, BC conceded two goals in a two-minute span, stretches which ultimately doomed the Eagles to a winless weekend.

By Paul Kellam For The Heights After faltering in the Beanpot Championship against Northeastern, Boston College men’s hockey entered a season-defining series against Boston College 3 No. 3 MasMassachusetts 4 sachusetts.

In the weekend opener of the home-and-home, in front of a sold out Mullins Center, the Eagles had a very strong showing in a backand-forth game—but it ultimately ended in heartbreak as they blew an early lead and eventually fell in the final seconds, 4-3.

In the midst of a crowded battle across the Hockey East standings, BC (10-15-3, 9-6-3 Hockey East) was close but unable to make a statement against UMass (22-6-0, 14-4-0), a program attempting to remain atop the conference table. The Eagles

jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but the Minutemen rallied and eventually retook the lead midway through the third period.

When BC seemed destined for a third-straight loss, however, its power play led to a great chance right in front of the net, and David Cotton—fresh off a strong performance against the Huskies—slipped one past Matt Murray and racked up his 17th goal of the season to even things up at three apiece.

The final 20 seconds came around, and BC had the puck in its own zone—it appeared as if it would send the game into overtime and at the very least pick up a much-needed point. After a few errant passes, UMass would make one final push, though. Two quick shots on Joseph Woll (26 saves), and the ensuing herd of players on the ice next to him left the goalie on his side without a stick, inept

and unable to shift over quickly.

Minutemen for ward Mitchell Chaffee gathered, curled around the net, and fed Jake McLaughlin who one-timed the puck past Woll, who’d left the right post exposed. The clock read 2.3 seconds left, and it left BC staring up at the ceiling after suffering a defeat by the slimmest of margins.

The Eagles came out fast, despite a hostile road environment—the reported attendance was just short of 8,000. It took just 3:54 for BC to get on the board, as Casey Fitzgerald cut in and beat Murray top right for the game’s first goal.

The Eagles looked to have momentum, backed by a decent forecheck and their ability to make zone entries difficult for UMass early on. Still, the Minutemen had their share of scoring chances thereafter, including one that warranted a frantic diving MEN’S BASKETBALL

Popovic, Chatman Combine for 32 Points in Victory Over Miami

By Ben Thomas Heights Senior Staff With Jerome Robinson in the house, it felt as if it was 2017-18 all over again.

As the former Boston College men’s basketball star Miami 57 took his seat Boston College 64 by the baseline—his first time in Conte Forum as a fan—all eyes rested upon him and his old teammate Ky Bowman, the latter reportedly battling a 102-degree fever as recently as Saturday afternoon.

Although Bowman still managed eight assists, his six points over 39 minutes were his lowest total of the season, snapping a 32-game doubledigit scoring streak that dated back to

INSIDE SPORTS

last year. Even then, though, the Eagles were able to use 32 combined points from upperclassmen Jordan Chatman and Nik Popovic to cruise to a 64-57 win over Miami.

Despite the win, it’s worth noting that both teams have struggled mightily in conference play thus far. BC (13-11, 4-8 Atlantic Coast) head coach Jim Christian has increasingly found his name in the “hot seat” conversation as of late, and entering Sunday night’s game, Miami (11-14, 3-10) had yet to win a conference game on the road.

On top of that, both the Eagles and Hurricanes have sustained conference losing streaks of at least four games this year, so it wasn’t much of a surprise when neither team could find a rhythm

in their own head-to-head match up.

Through the first three and half minutes of game time, BC held the Hurricanes scoreless but only managed two points of its own. Meanwhile, over the same time span, both teams lost the ball on three separate occasions.

For Miami, things were bad from the jump. Anthony Lawrence II stepped out of bounds on his team’s first possession, and, two traveling violations later, the Hurricanes seemed to be scrambling for answers on offense. Still, BC didn’t seem to care to take advantage of the opportunity. An alley-oop pass from Jared Hamilton to Steffon Mitchell that ended up in the third row of the student section proved this point, and it was nearly an additional 10 minutes

before the Eagles showed any real signs of life.

In fact, with Bowman locked up by the 5-foot-7 Chris Lykes (the roster swears by this height, but Lykes is certainly even shorter in person) in the first half—he recorded just two points in the period—it was Chatman who led the Eagles’ scoring attack.

The graduate senior brought the crowd to its feet with a corner 3-pointer with just over eight minutes to play, and less than a minute later he hit a runner on the fast break to give BC a five-point lead.

And, while Lykes frustrated Bowman for most of the first half, he himself was shut down by Chris Herren Jr., who has proven himself to be one of the

LAX: Apuzzo Helps BC Avoid Upset Scare BB: Eagles Sweep Tigers to Start the Year

Eagles’ best on-ball defenders at times this season. On at least four possessions in the first half, Miami was either beaten by the shot clock or was forced to heave up a deep prayer, much in part to do with the defense of Herren Jr. At the break, the Eagles held a 2521 lead, but it could have been much larger had Popovic, Chatman, Jairus Hamilton, and Bowman not lost the ball a combined nine times. BC had 11 turnovers in the first half—a reasonable total for an entire game, much less a half—but was bailed out by Miami’s 9-for-30 shooting mark.

To start the second half though, it was all BC. Perhaps energized by the

See MBB vs. Miami, A11

SPORTS IN SHORT............................A10 Despite falling behind, 7-2, the Eagles mounted a massive rally Sal Frelick went 6-for-11 in the first series of his collegiate WOMEN’S BASKETBALL.......................A11 to win their first ACC game of the season.......................A10 career, and BC got the season started with three wins..........A12 SOFTBALL.........................................A12

The Heights

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Tuesday, February 19, 2019

MEN’S HOCKEY

McPhee’s Two Goals Not Enough in Series Finale Against No. 3 UMass MHOK vs. UMass, from A9 goal line. Jacob Pritchard gained possession and sent a hard pass right back into the slot, where Leonard redeemed his miss from seconds prior with a tap-in past Woll. Just over one minute in the frame, the game was tied.

Not even 60 seconds later, the Eagles found themselves staring at a deficit.

Oliver Wahlstrom was sent to the box for boarding in front of the BC bench four seconds after UMass’s tying tally, and the Minutemen used their stellar power play to capitalize again.

Jake Gaudet won a face off in the the Eagles’ defensive zone, and the puck fell to the stick of Oliver Chau just outside the crease. The sophomore left wing pivoted before roofing a shot over Woll’s shoulder pad to give UMass the lead.

BC looked lost and chose to use its physicality to try and get back in the contest. Little scrums started popping up after every whistle, and things came to a head with 7:21 gone in the frame, as Colin Felix, Jake McLaughlin, J.D. Dudek, and McPhee were all simultaneously sent to the box after a fight behind the UMass net.

The hits didn’t turn into chances for BC, though, and instead it was the Minutemen who once again scored off a face off in the right offensive circle. Aapeli Räsänen won the draw, but the Eagles weren’t able to get the puck clear, and it squirted out to Pritchard on the right wing. The senior turned before sending a high shot that slid

just in between Woll’s glove and the right post for a 3-1 Minutemen advantage.

UMass’s speed seemed to be too much for BC to handle 5-on-5, so the Eagles turned to the power play to get back in the game. Bobby Trivigno was whistled for interference, and BC managed to set up on the power play in the offensive zone.

Brown dropped the puck below the goal line for Dudek, who waited a second before sneaking a pass to McPhee between two Minutemen defenders. The Las Vegas Golden Knights prospect didn’t hesitate, slapping a shot past Murray for his second tally of the game. After notching just five points in his first 20 games this season, McPhee has picked things up of late, recording two goals and two assists in the past six contests.

“His overall game has improved, and his goalscoring is coming with it,” head coach Jerry York said after the game. “I think he’s on his way back up to becoming the player we all thought he would be.”

From there, perhaps sensing a possible BC rally, UMass played solid defensive hockey, managing to put bodies in front of net, winning battles on the defensive boards, and forechecking to prevent clean buildup in the offensive zone. The defensive play made it hard to create chances, but the Eagles still came inches from equalizing, as McLaughlin cleared the puck off the goal line with Murray out of position to keep the BC deficit at one heading into the final frame.

Chances continued to be scarce in the

third period, but the Eagles had a good chance to equalize during a four-minute span with just under 17 minutes to play.

First, Anthony Del Gaizo was penalized for interference before Trivigno served a two-minute minor for tripping, giving the Eagles nearly four minutes with a one-man advantage and 20 seconds of 5-on-3 skating, but they couldn’t win the initial face off to maximize the opportunity.

Even so, the double penalties gave BC an extended period of possession in the offensive zone, and Brown and David Cotton forced Murray into a pair of saves, but the Eagles weren’t able to score. It was a missed chance that BC would end up regretting heavily. The Minutemen continued to be impenetrable on the defensive end, limiting the Eagles to just four shots on goal the rest of the way and sealing the win with an empty-net scoring play from Gaudet with 19 seconds to play.

The loss marks three straight games in which the Eagles have stayed within striking distance of a ranked team for the entirety of the contest but simply haven’t been able to secure a victory. This stretch has been perhaps the starkest example of BC’s biggest problem this year: The Eagles simply don’t put the puck in the net enough.

BC scores just 2.3 goals per game, thirdworst in Hockey East, and has just one player (Cotton) with over 10 goals. Until the Eagles address that weakness, these close losses will continue to occur, and BC’s chances of making a postseason run will shrink to nearly zero. n

ASHTON CARROll and KAYLA BRANDT / FOR THE HEIGHTS

In an incredibly physical game, UMass used a three-goal second period to defeat BC 4-2.

McLaughlin, Minutemen Hand BC Brutal Loss in Final Seconds MHOK at UMass, from A9 Momentum began to swing in UMass’ favor in the second period, as the Minutemen continuously pushed to keep the puck in their offensive zone and get quality shots. UMass had an 11-6 edge in shots in the middle period, and it ultimately resulted in a two-goal surge and, consequently, its first lead of the night.

BC nearly killed off a slashing penalty, but came up just short. UMass

was moving the puck with ease and eventually cashed in with the one-man advantage eight minutes into the third period. It was Makar again, setting up teammate John Leonard for a one-timer on Woll’s weak side.

A little over two minutes later, the Minutemen won a big face off in their own zone—UMass had a decisive 36-27 advantage in the face off circle—and instantly found offense with a quick pass and goal, as Philip Lagnov easily buried a point-blank one-timer.

The third period was defined by parity, with BC holding a slight 11-10 edge in shots, but the game seemed primed for overtime after Cotton’s late goal. Yet the Eagles cracked at the last possible moment, sinking nine points back of the Minutemen in the Hockey East standings.

In a season that has been defined by frustration and struggles to execute on the biggest stages, BC once again narrowly missed out on what could’ve been a stretch-run defining victory. n

POWER-PLAY GOALS 2 BC

18.4% SEASON AVG.

1 UMass

30.8% SEASON AVG.

2.3 SECONDS TO PLAY WHEN UMASS SCORED THE WINNING GOAL

Eagles’ Recent Progress Still Hasn’t Translated to the Win Column Underachieving, from A9 had all the pieces lined up for a successful season, and the fact that the last couple games have shown glimpses of a team that should be near the top of the league is all the more frustrating.

Against the Huskies, BC was without Logan Hutsko, who has generated his fair share of chances as the team’s assist leader, but it still looked the part of a dangerous team. A casual fan at TD Garden likely would’ve been surprised to know that the Eagles—even though they were down two entering the third period—entered the tournament the week prior having not won a non-conference game since Nov. 2016 and a Beanpot game since Feb. 2016.

Passes were crisp, opportunities on Northeastern goaltender Cayden Primeau were in abundance, and, while BC dug too big of a hole to get out of and eventually fell, 4-2, the Eagles decisively won the face off battle and were nearly even in the shots department. David Cotton, who has played well all year, looked phenomenal in the

final period, and Woll was largely on his game with several strong saves despite good looks throughout for the Huskies.

The defense had a strong forecheck at times, especially down the stretch when BC was looking for an equalizer—it was simply dominant in terms of the numbers of chances. Yes, the Eagles lost, but a good third period, even with Hutsko sidelined with an injury, seemed to bode well for the ensuing weekend series against the No. 3 Minutemen.

And, for much of those two games, BC looked the part of a team that could hold its own against the best of the best for once—as opposed to a 7-0 defeat to No. 1 St. Cloud State earlier this season. It held leads after the first period in each of the two games against UMass and nearly reached overtime in the first one in a resilient effort. Alas, as it has gone for much of the year, the Eagles fell in both games, dropping a heartbreaker on Friday night before struggling with penalties in the second.

Just like that, BC found itself on a fourgame skid, strong showings against good teams aside.

When the Eagles conceded with 2.3 seconds left on Friday night to watch any hope of a point—or multiple points—against the Minutemen slip through their hands, it was a fitting punctuation mark on what has been a tremendously disappointing season.

Just consider the amount of talent BC has done nearly nothing with: 11 NHL Entry Draft picks, one of which is the third-highest draft pick playing in college, and a plethora of experience up and down the lines.

To make things worst, further consider what next year holds for York’s side. Per usual, the Eagles have a plethora of high-end talent expected as two of the incoming prospects—left wing Matthew Boldy and center Alex Newhook—were slotted in the top 10 of The Athletic’s midseason draft rankings, and goaltender Spencer Knight is the best in his class. This year, however, has proved that just because you can recruit some of the best players, youth isn’t always the answer.

Rival BU has 12 NHL Entry Draft picks and it falls a point behind the

Eagles in the Hockey East table. This year, even, Wahlstrom has largely failed to live up to expectations and the other assorted freshmen—Marc McLaughlin, Jack McBain, and Patrick Giles—have been buried in the depth chart and have struggled to consistently contribute.

While an influx of talent should help, who’s to say that a group that is losing the veteran leadership of captains Casey Fitzgerald, Michael Kim, and Christopher Brown will perform any better?

Ultimately, even with back-toback missed NCAA Tournaments, BC entered this season with very few question marks in terms of the players returning—it didn’t lose any players to graduation and the only departure was graduate transfer Kevin Lohan. It had an established goaltender, all of its returning talent plus more in the forward lines, and an above-average defensive unit that even added a midseason defenseman in Ben Finkelstein. All of these things, theoretically, could’ve translated to another Hockey East regular season crown and the potential to play for more in March.

Instead, those questions will remain unanswered and another season will likely slip by without an NCAA Tournament appearance. York was given a contract extension, and the same NHL talent will come through the Heights as it always has under the longtime coach, but the fact remains that the student section is dwindling as national relevance has taken a back seat.

Sure, that seems harsh for a team that was in the Frozen Four in 2015-16 and won a national title in 2011-12, but the reputation as a prominent hockey school has been tainted lately, and it’s a weird feeling under York. Regardless of the results of the final few regular season games and, barring some improbable conference tournament run, BC will head into the offseason early once again, further creating a cynical outlook on a program that is just a few years removed from its pinnacle.

Bradley Smart is the Sports Editor for The Heights. He can be reached on Twitter @bradleysmart15.

SPORTS in SHORT ACC Women’s Basketball Conference overall

Louisville Notre Dame Miami N.C. State Florida State Syracuse Clemson North Carolina Georgia Tech Virginia Virginia Tech Duke Boston College Wake Forest Pittsburgh

10-2 10-2 10-2 9-2 9-4 8-4 8-5 7-6 6-6 4-8 3-9 3-9 3-10 1-11 1-12

23-2 23-3 22-5 22-2 21-5 19-6 17-9 16-11 16-9 10-15 16-9 11-13 14-12 10-15 10-17

Numbers to know

4

Consceutive games with a goal for women’s hockey freshman Kelly Browne, one of which was a game-winning tally.

.545

Batting average for baseball freshman Sal Frelick, who went 6-for-11 with a home run and a double in his first three games.

199 6

Career goals for lacrosse attack Sam Apuzzo after Saturday’s win over Syracuse, good for the all-time program record.

QUote of the week

“I feel more confident to make some plays, take some shots.

Sometimes they’re crazy, but I’m gonna make them.”

— Men’s basketball center Nik

Popovic, on his double-double against Miami.

The Heights

Tuesday, February 19, 2018

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

BC Rides Strong Defensive Effort to Victory Over Hurricanes MBB vs. Miami, from A9 jersey retirement of Bill Curley ’94, the Eagles came out of the break guns blazing. With 10 points in the first three minutes of the second frame, BC quickly found itself up double figures, yet stalled soon after, going scoreless for the next two minutes.

Again, though, it was Chatman pumping the gas back into the BC offense with another 3-pointer to end the drought. From there, the Eagles held a lead of around seven points through the eight-minute mark, not breaking the 10-point threshold until Herren Jr. snagged an offensive rebound that led to an impressive three-point play.

Playing the rest of the game from behind, the Hurricane’s biggest weakness—3-point shooting—was put on full display for all to see. In the second half as a whole, Miami went 1-for-13 from deep, and its game total of four triples was just one more than BC’s Chatman.

Fittingly, it was Popovic scoring a

second-chance layup—recording his 15th point and 14th rebound on the same play—with three minutes left to put the Eagles up 14, essentially ending the game.

“I feel more confident to make some plays, take some shots,” Popovic said.

“Sometimes they’re crazy, but I’m gonna make them.”

The past two games, Christian has proven his squad can win games with or without its star player in Bowman.

A single-digit output from your teamleading scorer isn’t ideal, but overcoming such an obstacle to get a win against a conference foe speaks volumes for a coach trying to avoid the pink slip at the season’s end. n

JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTs Senior Staff

Jordan Chatman led BC with 17 points, Nik Popovic contributed 15 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, and the Eagles held the Hurricanes to 36.7-percent shooting, en route to a 64-57 victory and an undefeated week.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Eagles’ Losing Streak Hits Five With Blowout Defeat to Tigers

By Marc Occhipinti Heights Staff After dropping its last game by 50 points to Notre Dame, Boston College women’s basketball took to Conte Forum on Saturday afterClemson 91 noon looking to Boston College 58 redeem itself in its penultimate home game of the season.

Clemson was coming in after losing four of its last six, albeit three of the defeats were against top-10 teams in the country. While the matchup might have looked easier on paper than against the No. 6 Fighting Irish, the court told a different story.

The Tigers rode their aggressive defense and hot shooting to a 30-point lead in the first half and handled BC with ease, 91-58.

The 33-point victory more than doubles the largest margin of victory for the Tigers in a conference game this season, besting a 16point defeat of Wake Forest. Aliyah Collier led the way off the bench for Clemson (17-9, 7-5 Atlantic Coast), pacing the Tigers with 18 points. The senior was one of five Clemson players in double figures, en route to a 59 percent shooting performance.

“I don’t think that we look like a confident

team right now,” head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee said. “Something that we’ve banked on is having confidence through our defense and through our grit and heart.

That’s what we have to get back to.”

Clemson’s defense held the Eagles (1411, 3-10) to just 30-percent shooting from the field, including a 3-for-21 performance from behind the arc, which was actually two more 3-pointers than they made on Wednesday against Notre Dame. Emma Guy was the only BC player in double figures, and she led all scorers with 19. With the Eagles playing from behind for most of the game, however, Guy’s impact in the paint was not nearly enough to get the Eagles back in the game.

BC came out battling on the interior in the first quarter. Guy found space in the paint for seven points in the opening frame, but the junior was the only member of her team able to find success. After taking a one-point lead midway through the quarter, Clemson turned on the defense. Tigers guards swarmed the backcourt and double teamed into the frontcourt, causing BC to cough up the ball—these turnovers were quickly converted into transition buckets at the other end of the floor. Clemson capital-

ized for a 10-0 run and established a lead, which it would only build upon throughout the rest of the half.

Coming in, it was expected that BC would have to hit a number of perimeter shots to have a chance at beating the Tigers.

While Guy was having her way in the paint, the Eagles could not establish a rhythm from the outside. Part of this can be attributed to Clemson’s contesting of nearly every shot, but the Eagles also appeared to be missing somewhat badly on open looks. BC shot just 2-of-11 from deep in the first half, while Clemson converted on five of its seven attempts from 3-point land.

One of those Tigers 3-pointers beat the buzzer in the first frame. With BC looking to cut the deficit to single digits before the quarter expired, the Eagles appeared to be holding the ball for the final shot. Instead, a Milan Bolden-Morris jumper banged off the rim with five seconds to play, and Collier hustled down the floor, lost the ball, but regathered it and drained an off-balance triple.

The lead was then 15, and the momentum sat squarely with the Tigers’ bench.

The second quarter began much of the same way the first quarter ended. Clemson was locking down BC ball handlers and forc-

ing turnovers en route to a pair of 3-pointers to open the frame. Guy, Sydney Lowery, and Georgia Pineau all got layups to fall to answer back with a 6-0 run of their own, but the rest of the quarter was all Clemson.

The Tigers used a coordinated and effective defensive effort to hold BC scoreless for over six minutes. On the other end, Collier notched 11 of her 18 points in the quarter and led a Clemson bench that outscored its Eagles’ counterparts, 25-8, in the half. Keniece Purvis and Camree Clegg each added six to this number, whereas BC’s bench combined to shoot just 3-for12 from the field.

Already down 30 points, BC clawed back in the third quarter. After a lackluster effort in the first half, the Eagles defense’ was forcing turnovers, and it was converting them into points. After missing her first six shots, Taylor Ortlepp was able to tally her first points since returning from an ankle injury that kept her out for three contests. The junior played 26 minutes in her return, and while her shot was not falling often, she was communicating well defensively and added an emotional leadership boost to the team.

The Eagles closed out the quarter on an

8-0 run that cut the deficit to 22, but they could not continue their defensive effort into the fourth quarter. While BC did a better job against the press in the third, the Tigers continued to force turnovers through their aggressive defense. BC coughed up the rock 22 times on Saturday, their seventh performance this season with more than 20 turnovers. Camreé Clegg caught fire in the frame, sinking a trio of 3-pointers, including a four-point play opportunity after Bolden-Morris tried to close out but caught Clegg’s hand in the process.

The loss marks BC’s eighth in its last nine contests, but a silver lining on Saturday was the success of the “Pink Game.” Both teams donned pink-infused jerseys and warm ups as a part of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund initiative. BC also honored the late Clare Droesch, BC ’05, who passed away this year after her long battle with cancer. An impressive crowd showed its support for all of those affected by the disease.

“I loved the turnout we had for our Pink Game,” Bernabei-McNamee said. “That’s the kind of spirit and love of the game and grit that we are trying to instill in our players, what [Clare] had.” n

LACROSSE

BC Erases Five-Goal Deficit, Escapes Upset Bid From No. 11 Orange

By Nicole Pla Heights Staff Following its blowout win over Boston University, top-ranked Boston College lacrosse quickly faced its first conference challenger in No. Boston College 14 11 Syracuse. AfSyracuse 12 ter last season’s last-second victory over the Orange, the Eagles found themselves up against a Syracuse team looking for a upset. But, led by a career-high 12 saves from Lauren Daly and seven goals from Sam Apuzzo, the Eagles bested their ACC rivals, 14-12.

The No. 1 Eagles (2-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) took control of the game right off the bat, winning the first draw and closed in on goalkeeper Asa Goldstock. Dempsey Arsenault was given a chance at a free-position shot within the first minute of action, but her bouncing attempt was saved by Goldstock. Syracuse (2-1, 0-1) was gifted a free-position shot of its own after Smith was pushed to the ground in front of Daly, but the experienced goaltender deflected the attempt with ease.

Despite the heavy offensive effort by the Eagles, it was Syracuse that drew first blood.

Five minutes into the game, Meaghan Tyrell

found herself on the doorstep and whipped a shot past Daly. It was only a matter of time before BC responded.

Syracuse made the mistake of leaving Apuzzo open, and the reigning Tewaaraton Award winner made the most of the opportunity and ripped a shot past Goldstock.

But, after a wraparound shot by Nicole Levy with just seconds left on the shot clock, the Orange regained its lead. Shortly after, Syracuse began to pull away, starting with a Sam Swart goal. Soon enough, Syracuse was given another opportunity when Cara Urbank was called for slashing. The Eagles held off the Orange for the majority of the one-man advantage, but with just six seconds left Emily Hawryschuk charged on Daly and extended the Orange’s lead. Growing frustrated, BC’s defense got sloppy and was whistled for another foul. The mistake awarded Levy with a free-position shot, and the senior logged her second goal of the afternoon.

Shortly after, BC respond in the same fashion. Following her earlier try, Arsenault was given a second chance to best Goldstock on a free-position attempt. This time, she found twine, cutting Syracuse’s lead to three.

The Eagles couldn’t build off Arsenault’s goal, though, as Syracuse answered with two

more goals of its own, handing the Orange its largest lead of the game at five.

After a media timeout, Apuzzo set the tone for BC’s offense and quickly recorded her second goal of the day. Following the scoring play, Apuzzo picked up a pass from Arsenault and immediately whipped a shot on Goldstock, tallying her second hat trick of the season. Once Apuzzo logged back-toback goals, the Eagles couldn’t be stopped.

After drawing a check, Taylor Walker charged on Goldstock during her free-position attempt and further chipped away at the Syracuse lead—all in all, BC rounded out the half only trailing, 7-5, courtesy of three consecutive goals.

After a first half riddled with sloppy passes that turned into turnovers and, ultimately, Syracuse goals, the Eagles had a lot to prove heading into the second period. BC came out swinging, preventing Syracuse from getting comfortable, as Arsenault ripped a shot past Goldstock just 47 seconds in.

After the Orange answered, Kenzie Kent found Sheila Rietano from behind the cage—the junior had no one between her and Goldstock. The Washington, D.C. native took advantage of her opportunity, and easily ripped twine. Then, Urbank cashed in

on a free-position attempt, and all of a sudden the Eagles were tied with Syracuse.

The comeback wouldn’t be possible without Apuzzo, who led the 6-1 scoring run—the Orange defense simply couldn’t stop her. Following her hat trick in the first, she took a shot while falling to the ground from behind the cage, and Goldstock wasn’t prepared. The ball whipped past the goalkeeper, and the Eagles claimed their first lead of the game. Apuzzo was just getting started. After receiving a pass from Rietano, Apuzzo recorded her fifth goal of the game, becoming BC’s all-time goals leader (197) in the process.

The Orange tried to respond, and took shots on Daly whenever it had possession, but Daly was also heating up and met every shot with a corresponding stop. With countless opportunities for the Orange, Daly wasn’t fazed by the offensive charge, keeping BC’s two-goal lead alive. Halfway through the period, Apuzzo put her foot back on the gas. After a few minutes of defending their cage, the Eagles assumed possession and headed toward Syracuse territory. Kent passed the ball to her teammate, and Apuzzo was able to fake out Goldstock and log her sixth of the game.

The drought was soon over for Syra-

cuse, however. Hawryschuk wound up on a free-position attempt and whipped it past Daly, giving the Orange just its second goal of the second half. A few minutes later, Hawryschuk came back with her fourth of the game, and the Orange was within one score of BC. Following an Eagles timeout, head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein’s team came out swinging. Rietano beat Goldstock with a free-position shot, Apuzzo set up Arsenault for a hat trick, and the Eagles regained their three-goal lead. BC wasn’t done, though.

With less than two minutes left in the contest, Apuzzo launched a shot from the air, and Goldstock couldn’t quite make the save, giving Apuzzo her seventh of the afternoon.

Two late goals by Mary Rahal and Megan Carney cut BC’s lead in half, but the Orange couldn’t close in on BC in the final minute, as the Eagles secured their first ACC win of the season.

It was an impressive seven-goal day from Apuzzo, who was quiet in the season-opening win over the Terriers but proved why she merited last year’s national player of the year award. The Eagles have plenty of depth, and it’s a big reason why matchups with tough, conference-ranked opponents will likely continue to swing their way. n

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Eagles Suffer Their First Loss of the Season, Fall to No. 18 Virginia

By Luke Pichini Asst. Sports Editor

Boston College women’s tennis has been riding an incredible high ever since the season began. After easily handling several non-conference opponents, the Eagles recorded one of the biggest wins in program history by upsetting No. 10 Syracuse on Feb. 3. It was an impressive win over an ACC opponent that showcased BC’s talent. It was only a matter of time before the Eagles’ perfect record was tainted, though—and No. 18 Virginia took care of

that on Saturday. In a close matchup on the road, BC fell to the Cavaliers, 5-2.

Just like they have done almost all season, the Eagles (9-1, 1-1 Atlantic Coast) started off the match well by winning the doubles point. Head coach Nigel Bentley continued to pair Yufei Long and Jackie Urbinati at the first doubles slot, and it once again paid off, as the duo triumphed over UVA’s (6-1, 2-1) Chloe Gullickson and Amber O’Dell, 6-4. Dasha Possokhova and Elene Tsokilauri did not fare as well at the second doubles position, falling to Vivian Glozman and Sofia Munera in a 6-1

blowout. But luckily for the Eagles, Natasha Irani and Kylie Wilcox brought the point home, beating Hunter Bleser and Meghan Kelley, 6-4.

It was a battle of two titans at first singles as No. 45 Kelley and No. 76 Long squared off. Kelley prevailed over the Iowa State transfer, winning in straight sets, 64, 6-2. No. 108 Wilcox fell as well, but she gave it her all against Glozman. Wilcox triumphed in the first set, 6-4, but she lost a heartbreaking second set, 7-5. By this point, Wilcox was gassed, and she was handled, 6-1, in the last set. Urbinati also forced a

third frame. The senior was crushed in the first set, 6-0, by Gullickson. She rebounded well by winning, 6-3, in the second set, but was unable to finish, losing, 6-3, in the third and final set.

Natasha Irani posted the lone win in the singles lineup for BC. Already building off an impressive doubles performance from earlier in the day, Irani beat O’Dell, 6-1, in the first set and came out on top in a tiebreaker in the second frame. Laura Lopez saw her winning streak come to an end, dropping a straight-sets decision to Munera. Maria Ross also suffered a similar

fate, this time losing to Bleser.

All in all, it was a tough defeat for the Eagles, but it was bound to happen eventually. The ACC boasts some of the top teams in the country, and there are many teams that simply possess more talent and experience than BC. Still, the Eagles have already hit a huge milestone by picking up nine wins so early in the season. At this point, it’s a matter of notching as many ACC victories as possible and further developing the young players on the roster. With the way the Eagles are playing right now, they are in a prime position to achieve that. n

The Heights

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Tuesday, February 19, 2019

BASEBALL

Behind Freshmen and Strong Rotation, Eagles Sweep Jackson St.

By Sam Bresnick For The Heights

Last season, Boston College baseball didn’t record its third win until the sixth game of the season. This past weekend in Mississippi, though, the Eagles already reached that mark.

They were nothing short of impressive, winning three straight games against Jackson State and even taking an early 6-0 lead in the series finale that was eventually ruled a no-contest due to rain.

BC (3-0) registered its first series sweep since May 2017, dispatching the Tigers (0-3) with relative ease behind stellar freshman debuts from Sal Frelick and Cody Morrissette in the lineup and impressive pitching performances from Dan Metzdorf and Matt Gill. It was a strong start to the year for the Eagles, as BC is a team that is looking to shake off a 2018 campaign that was defined by struggles and ended with just 17 wins.

The Eagles completed the series sweep on Saturday night, dispatching Jackson State, 9-5, in the second

game of the doubleheader. It was another strong offensive showing for BC, as head coach Mike Gambino’s team scored seven runs in the first four frames before ultimately piling up 14 hits.

The freshman duo of Morissette and Frelick led the charge, as Morissette went 3-for-4 out of the eight spot in the lineup, while Frelick went 2-for3 and drove in three runs. Frelick’s day was highlighted by a two-run single in the fourth, giving the Eagles a 4-0 lead. Jack Cunningham and Chris Galland both turned in multi-hit games, with the latter swiping two bases and scoring twice.

Pitching-wise, it was a group effort for the Eagles, unlike the previous two games that featured lengthy starts. Starter Zach Stromberg went three and two-thirds innings, working around five walks and allowing two runs. Stromberg was relieved by Thomas Lane, who threw an inningplus and got the win for the game.

Sean Hughes ran into trouble, but the bullpen closed the game strong by shutting out Jackson State for the

last three-plus innings of the game and spoiling any chance of a potential comeback.

The Eagles looked to build off their strong performance in the season opener versus Jackson State, and they did just that in the first game on Saturday: they followed their opening day win with a convincing 11-2 win. BC got off to a hot start early on offense and already boasted an 8-0 lead through five innings of play.

The Eagles continued to keep the Jackson State bats at bay, as they only scratched across two runs. BC got a dominant pitching performance from righthander Matt Gill, as he tossed seven innings of one-run ball. The junior struck out three and allowed just two hits, both of which came after he lost a no-hit bid in the sixth.

The Eagles’ lineup, similar to Game One of the series, was able to provide a generous cushion for their pitchers. They broke the game open in the fourth when they scored six runs, an inning that was highlighted

by Morissette doubling down the right-field line, driving in two—it

was his first hit and RBI of his collegiate career. Another key offensive performer was Jake Alu, who went 3for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and an RBI. The Eagles were wreaking havoc on the basepaths as they stole eight bases in the game, including three from Frelick.

Ryan Smith looked shaky out of the Eagles’ bullpen in his debut, though, as he allowed Jackson State to score two runs, but the outcome was far from in doubt. Joe Mancini needed just 16 pitches to cruise through the ninth inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced in his first appearance.

The night prior, BC got the season started with a 7-3 Friday night win over Jackson State. The Eagles were holding onto a 2-1 lead until they exploded for a five-run eighth inning, quickly putting things out of question to avoid spoiling a strong pitching performance by southpaw Metzdorf.

The senior tossed seven innings of two-hit ball, allowing one run, which was unearned, and four strikeouts.

Offensively, the Eagles were able to

back Metzdorf ’s strong performance.

BC was paced by Frelick, who went 3for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and two stolen bases in his first career collegiate game. This was likely expected by some, though, as Frelick had a successful season of summer ball playing for the North Shore Navigators of the Future Collegiate Baseball League, where he was named the top pro prospect in the league. Galland looked to continue to build off his strong season last year, in which he was named to the All-ACC Third Team, and he got off on the right foot by going 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. The game wasn’t without drama, however, as the Eagles faced some struggles in the bottom of the ninth.

Reliever Will Hesslink faced four batters in the ninth but was unable to record a out, loading the bases before giving up a two-run single to Raul Hernandez. Gambino turned to the bullpen, and John Witkowski came in and shut the door, striking out the first batter he faced and getting the next batter to ground into a game-ending double play. n

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BC ATHLETICS

The Eagles’ offense enjoyed a highly successful weekend in Mississippi, scoring 27 runs and hitting .306 as a team, as BC recorded its first sweep since May 2017 with three wins over Jackson State..

SOFTBALL

BC Splits With Illinois, Michigan State at ACC/B1G Challenge

By Bradley Smart Sports Editor

After a winless start to the season in the four-game Texas Classic, Boston College softball rebounded by splitting its four games in the ACC/B1G Challenge, beating Michigan State twice and losing to Illinois twice, respectively. The Eagles, after managing just six runs in their first four games combined, erupted offensively in the wins, beating the Spartans, 9-7 and 7-6 (10 innings). BC struggled against the Fighting Illini, falling, 7-3 and 12-3, but so did the rest of the field—Illinois went 4-0, and piled up 41 runs in four games. It was a successful weekend, all things considered, as the Eagles (2-6) got into the win column and will attempt to further that success next weekend in the Pirate Invitational, which features two games against No. 25 James Madison.

Illinois 7, BC 3 (Sat.) The weekend finale started on a high note, with the Eagles jumping on Illini starter Emily Oestreich for two runs in the first frame—Emme Martinez had an RBI single and Gianna Boccagno drove in a run

with a double—but things would unravel from there. BC starter Camryn Dolby was chased in the third inning and reliever Susannah Anderson struggled to get out of the frame, with Illinois striking for six runs and building a comfortable edge in what ended up being a 7-3 victory.

Despite matching the Illini in hits, the Eagles left five runners on base and largely failed to get much off Oestreich. The senior went the distance, with the lone blemish after the first inning a solo home run allowed to BC first baseman Kristin Giery in the fourth frame. Anderson settled down and spun three scoreless innings after the third, but Oestreich would do the same, using two double plays before inducing a game-ending flyout with two Eagles in scoring position in the seventh.

BC 7, Michigan State 6 (Sat.) A rematch of a dramatic weekend-opening win for the Eagles was similarly backand-forth, with BC needing to fight off a furious late rally from the Spartans to escape with a 7-6 win. The Eagles, behind a 3-for-4 day and three RBIs from Ellie Mataya, had erased an early deficit and built a healthy 7-3

lead on the strength of 11 hits.

Michigan State refused to bow out, though, scoring three runs off of Anderson to close the gap to just one. After BC, unconventionally, went one-two-three in the bottom of the frame—Lexi DiEmmanule was caught stealing after a leadoff single—the Spartans returned, desperate to avenge Friday morning’s loss. Instead, Anderson calmly set down the side in order, preserving the win for Dolby, who struck out six and allowed just two earned runs in four innings of work. Four Eagles had multi-hit days, including second baseman Jenna Ergle, who had a solo home run in the fifth that proved to be the decisive insurance run.

Illinois 12, BC 3 (Fri.) The first meeting between these two programs was one-sided, with the Illini needing just five innings to pile up 12 runs and send the Eagles home for the night with a loss. Illinois scored three or more runs in three of the first four frames, building an early 7-1 lead through two that was never tested. After a 10-inning affair earlier in the day, BC head coach Ashley Obrest gave Kendra Friedt the start, and the senior promptly

registered just three outs while allowing seven runs—six earned—on five hits.

C.C. Cook didn’t fare much better in relief, as she was chased after allowing five runs—only two earned, though, the product of three Eagles errors—in two and a third innings pitched. Anderson and Dolby slowed the rout by combining for a scoreless inning, but the damage was done, as BC’s offense was slow to start, managing just three runs on four hits against the Illini duo of Sydney Sickels and Taylor Edwards.

BC 9, Michigan State 7 (Fri.) The Eagles found their way into the win column on the back of a whirlwind comeback, erasing a four-run deficit in the penultimate frame before scoring twice in the 10th inning to claim a 9-7 win. Once BC tied the game up in the fifth after one of seven errors committed by the Spartans came back to haunt them, Michigan State erupted for four runs in the bottom of the frame. The scoring spurt chased Anderson—who, despite allowing seven runs, wasn’t credited a single earned run.

The Eagles made sure Anderson wasn’t a tough-luck loser, though, picking her up in

the sixth. Ergle doubled in a run, Martinez added an RBI single, and Giery tied the game up with a sacrifice fly. Momentum in hand, Dolby made sure her team would have a chance to win it by hurling five scoreless innings, walking six and striking out four. The freshman allowed just two hits, eventually setting BC up for late-inning heroics. An error scored Boccagno to give the Eagles the lead, and Martinez—who went 5-for-6 with three RBIs—added an insurance run with a single through the left side. Dolby retired the side in order in the bottom of the frame, and BC headed into the afternoon with its first win of the year under its belt.

Ultimately, it was a successful weekend for the Eagles. Yes, Illinois rolled past BC twice, but the Illini received votes in the latest top-25 poll. Michigan State, meanwhile, was a comparable opponent from a similarly tough conference and the Eagles demonstrated resilience to beat them two times in as many days. BC’s pitching still leaves question marks, but the lineup was able to shake off last week’s struggles and stitch together hits in a way that should lead to further positive results. n

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Eagles Win Fourth Straight, Cruise Past Maine on Senior Night

By Peter Kim Assoc. Sports Editor

Friday afternoon was Senior Day for Boston College women’s hockey and an opportunity for the Eagles to honor a group Maine 2 of players that Boston College 5 captured three Beanpots during their time at BC and are still gunning for a fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

As has been the case so often during their four years on campus, the seniors proved that they’re simply too talented for most opponents to handle.

Makenna Newkirk tallied three assists, Megan Keller notched her team-leading 41st point of the season, and BC never trailed in an easy 5-2 victory over Maine in the Eagles’ final home game of the regular season.

The seniors had their moments of brilliance in the victory over the Black Bears (14-15-4, 7-15-4 Hockey East), but some of the underclassmen also served a reminder that, even with so much talent departing, the future

remains bright for BC (23-10, 19-7) under head coach Katie Crowley. In fact, it was Kelly Browne, a freshman, who opened the floodgates.

With just under 17 minutes played, Caitrin Lonergan worked the puck over the Eagles’ offensive blue line and into the left dot, before whipping a backhand pass to Browne in the low slot. Browne, who’s now scored in four consecutive games and begun to develop excellent chemistry, particularly with Lonergan, converted the chance with a one-timer past Maine goaltender Carly Jackson to give BC a deserved 1-0 lead after one period.

The Eagles would double their lead just seconds after the interval, as Newkirk gained possession in the left circle before sliding a pass out to Keller, who was positioned at the blue line. The senior waited a second before unleashing a shot that seemed to confuse Jackson, beating her high to the glove side.

The goals kept coming for BC, which found the back of the net once again two minutes later. Maine’s

Teresa Vanisova tried to skate the puck out of her defensive zone, but Maegan Beres managed to deflect the puck back toward the slot, where Delaney Belinskas fought for it and gained possession. The junior quickly turned toward the cage before sliding a low wrister just inside the left post for a 3-0 lead.

The Black Bears desperately tried to respond, finding their first stretch of sustained pressure in the Eagles’ zone, as Kelly Pickreign, who got the start in place of Maddy McArthur, was forced to make four saves in the three minutes following Belinskas’ tally. The freshman stopped shots from Cailey Hutchison and Celine Tedenby, but Maine finally broke through with six minutes gone in the third period.

Vanisova took the puck through the slot before turning and shooting a long wrister. Pickreign’s view was blocked by traffic in front of the cage, and before she could locate the puck, it snuck through and crossed the line to get the Black Bears on the board.

The goal could have been the start

of a comeback, but the Eagles were simply too much to handle in the offensive zone. Daryl Watts and Cayla Barnes both had attempts stopped by Jackson, but the Eagles were handed a great opportunity when Maine’s Lydia Murray was sent to the penalty box for tripping with less than eight minutes remaining in the second period—she didn’t waste it.

Serena Sommerfield worked the puck down low to Newkirk, and the senior pushed it into the slot before firing a cross-ice pass to Watts , who had taken a position at the left dot. The sophomore didn’t hesitate, launching an unstoppable drive just under the crossbar to restore the three-goal lead.

The Black Bears cut into the lead again, with Ida Press slotting home a one-timer after a long pass from Vanisova 90 seconds into the final frame, but that was as close as Maine would get. Newkirk got the puck to Watts in the left offensive circle, and she centered for Lindsay Agnew, who finished off a tap-in for the Eagles’ fifth

goal of the game.

Maine was afforded one final opportunity to get back in the game, when Keller was sent off for hooking with nine minutes to play, but the BC penalty kill unit, which has been a weak point for the Eagles at times this season, stood strong, allowing just one shot for the Black Bears and executing the kill successfully. On three power plays Friday, the Eagles allowed a total of three shots and no goals.

Pickreign—who finished with 23 saves—turned aside three more Maine attempts in the final three minutes, and BC skated out a comfortable victory in its final regular season game at Kelley Rink. The Eagles have won 10 of their past 11 contests and are playing some of their best hockey at the right time, with just one more game before the Hockey East Tournament.

For a team that will likely have to win the conference tournament to guarantee a berth in the NCAA Tournament, momentum can be a difference-maker, and, right now, BC looks to have it on its side. n

CLASSIFIEDS

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The Heights

A14

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

‘Happy Death Day 2U’ Reflects Standard Horror Fare

By Megan Traudt For The Heights Christopher Landon’s new movie Happy Death Day 2U, a sequel to 2017’s Happy Death Day, manages to break through cliché and convoluted plotlines to offer a somewhat enjoyable viewing experience. The sequel struggles on two fronts: its reliance on exhausted horror movie conventions and a concept that is almost identical to that of its predecessor. Jessica Rothe’s lead performance and the genuine humor that made the first movie so refreshing, however, are Happy Death Day 2U’s saving grace.

In order to properly enjoy Happy Death Day 2U, it would be best not to

watch it as a standalone. Although there is a short recap of the first movie early on, actually knowing the context makes the sequel more impressive, as every aspect of the first movie is meticulously recreated throughout the second. The film begins by following Ryan (Phi Vu) to the quantum mechanics lab, where he and his two partners are working on a machine that will be able to slow time.

The dean of students soon barges in, complaining about the power outages the machine is causing on campus and decides to take it away.

It is here that he begins to receive pictures of himself in rooms where he believes to be alone. Ryan follows the supposed origin of these photos and is

film

happy death day 2u christopher landon distributed by blumhouse productions Release feb. 13, 2019 Our rating

Blumhouse Productions

soon murdered. He then wakes up in his car, indicating that he is stuck in the same time loop that Tree (Jessica Rothe) was in the first movie. He almost immediately enlists the help of Carter (Israel Broussard), his roommate, and Tree, as she immediately recognizes what he is experiencing. Together, they track down the murderer, who ends up being a shocking culprit from another dimension. In the next scene, Tree wakes up on the day of her birthday, mirroring the events of the last movie.

Somehow, Landon manages to fit all of this in the first 15 minutes of the move—and if this sounds complicated, it’s because it is. The first 15 minutes of the movie are crowded with complex science, and Ryan’s irrelevant plotline is sandwiched in as an almost reverse deus ex machina, an all too convenient explanation for the events that unfold in the rest of the movie. It is soon uncovered that Tree is stuck in the day she is meant to die, yet again, but in a different dimension.

In this one, she is not dating Carter, but her mother (Missy Yager), who in the other dimension died three years previously, is alive. Unlike the first movie, this presents a more interesting dilemma. Although she is still hunting for her killer, the real issue is whether

she will return to her original dimension or remain in a life that is not really her own, but with her mother.

She initially decides to remain in the new timeline in order to be with her mother. However, to remain, there are technical obstacles Tree must overcome. This is not so simple, as a bug in the coding of the faulty time machine could take weeks to track down. The only solution to this problem is Tree— she is the only character who retains memories from every loop reset. She then has to memorize algorithms and lines of code. Instead of being murdered to reset the loop—as she is in the first movie—she finds new and inventive ways to kill herself in a sequence that is definitely one of the more successful bits of the movie.

Most scenes, jokes, and scientific principles are trite and decisively make Happy Death Day 2U a less lively watch than the original. Additionally, the expansion and then immediate abandonment of Ryan’s storyline reveals a lack of continuity that makes it feel as if the director wasted 20 minutes that could be used for additional depth in a more relevant storyline. For those who found Happy Death Day to be lively and entertaining, the second installment breathes—albeit feebly—new life into the captivating plotline. n

‘Can’t Say I Ain’t Country’ Simply Isn’t Country

By Jillian Ran Asst. Arts Editor It remains to be seen if country can survive as a genre. Is it an authentic representation of some idyllic American heartland, or just an opportunistic way of rebranding pop for a certain subset of the population?

For the cynics who believe the latter, Florida Georgia Line embodies everything that is unholy about modern-day “bro-country.”

Stylistically, what it’s doing can hardly be labeled as country. The duo heavily borrows from mainstream pop and hip-hop and then inserts the requisite acoustic guitar and references to beer, trucks, and blue jeans. The result seems to be good enough for mainstream listeners. In Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, the tandem manages to find enough country tropes to span 15 tracks. These pass—barely—as country songs, but whether they’re actually good is another matter.

In the title track, “Can’t Say I Ain’t Country,” the duo flaunts its country street cred, taking pride in white trash trademarks like Mountain Dew and chewing tobacco. It’s vaguely repulsive, and things get especially bizarre in the bridge when Florida Georgia Line proclaims “You can say that the world’s flat / You can say we never made it to the moon / You can say we all come from a bunch of monkeys / But you, you can’t say I ain’t country, no.” According to Florida Georgia Line, flat-earthers and moon land-

ing deniers are on the same level as those whackos who believe in evolution.

“Speed of Love” is an unexpectedly fun track that, big surprise, compares a whirlwind romance to a NASCAR race. The lyrics are shamelessly corny—the duo uses the phrase “knocking boots” with no qualms whatsoever. The album is interspersed with skits featuring the hapless but well-meaning Brother Jervel who calls the duo and leaves a series of rambling voicemails about NASCAR, church fundraisers, and other hallmarks of daily life in the rural south.

Jervel is a cheesy caricature, but his pathetic attempts to get in touch with the duo become strangely endearing after a while.

Things get really terrible with “Women,” a collaboration between Florida Georgia Line and Jason Derulo. That combination works just as well as one would expect it to.

Dramatic piano chords ring out as Derulo’s obnoxious falsetto flutters around, and the men start giving details about their sexual awakening that no one wants to hear. Derulo and Florida Georgia Line come together for the chorus, a delightfully bland series of empty platitudes: “Women, God-given women / The reason we’re livin’ and lovin’ this life, Hallelujah.” The duo tries its hand at a political unity song with “People are Different.”

Unfortunately, the track’s title is as deep as the message gets. Florida Georgia Line throws out a barrage of clichés—“love thy neighbor,” “slip on a pair of another man’s

shoes”—yet none of them seem to stick. It’s admirable that the duo is willing to venture beyond country tropes and address the current climate, but the gesture feels forced.

“Small Town” is the album’s most blatant use of country tropes in place of actual substance. It’s essentially a list of so-called symbols of small-town authenticity without any context or purpose, except a declaration that if you own a John Deere tractor or have gone cow tipping, “You might be from a small town.” That’s a pretty uncertain claim.

The least that Florida Georgia Line could do is be sure of itself when distinguishing the small towners from the city slickers.

“Sittin’ Pretty” is Florida Georgia Line at its peak. The flirtatious lyrics are vapid, but

they flow well, the wordplay hitting home without coming off too cheesy. “I know you’re in the mood with literally nothing but each other on the to-do list” could be clunky, but Florida Georgia Line manages to breeze right through phrases like this adeptly.

If Florida Georgia Line is country, as they constantly insist in Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, the future of country doesn’t look bright.

The loss of country’s actual stylistic features parallels the disappearance of authentic, blue collar Americana, and neither of these bode well for the genre. If Can’t Say I Ain’t Country is what’s left of country, the right thing to do is put the genre out of its misery. Better it be immortalized in the past than perverted for the sake of selling records. n

music

Can’t Say I Ain’t Country Florida Georgia Line produced By Big Machine Records Release feb. 15, 2019 Our rating

Big Machine Records

Ken Jeong Talks Stereotypes, Love in Netflix Special

By Tonie Chase For The Heights Frankly speaking, if your Valentine’s Day gift to your loved one was not a dedication of a film special, then it probably was not a good gift. Ken Jeong returns to the club where he began his stand-up comedy career—and where his wife first saw him perform—for his first live-recorded Netflix Original comedy, You Complete Me, Ho. Ken Jeong’s fame rose from his authentic, comedic acting in the Hangover movies and Crazy Rich Asians. Comedy in stand-up and movies can be different, but this special will force a smile onto the sternest poker face. It can also be difficult to incorporate life lessons into comedy, but Ken Jeong’s UNC Medical degree brain cleverly found a way to leave the audience inspired.

In a slight departure from typical

stand-up comedy form, You Complete Me, Ho featured a variety of shots and did not just focus on Jeong for the entire time. He explicitly solicited participation from the audience, which allowed the production team to include panoptic shots of the audience and gradual zoomed out shots, a pleasing variation from the classic mid shot.

Typically, people would not want a “ho’” as their partner, but in the beginning and end of the special, Jeong explains the impact that his wife, Tran Ho, has had on him. As a Korean American physician, actor, and comedian, his play on words embraces his Asian heritage. It also reclaims the roots once watered down by Americans, considering how people with non-English names alter pronunciation or spelling to fit the English-speaking tongue. The first time Jeong refers to his wife by her last name, the audience may

COmedy

You Complete Me, ho Ken Jeong distributed BY netflix release feb. 14, 2019 Our rating

netflix

be caught off guard. It becomes increasingly romantic after realizing how popular culture’s traditional notion of being a “hoe’” does not match Jeong’s definition of “Ho” in reference to Tran Ho. Despite excelling in reinforcing his adoration for his wife through the jolting monniker, the overall set lacked a coherent structure. Based on the title and introduction, the audience may expect for most of the set to focus on Ho and Jeong’s relationship. Instead, Jeong mostly discusses his journey of following his passions. He implicitly thanks people who gave him a chance at breaking into Hollywood, but Tran Ho seems like a second-tier appreciation until the end of the show.

Since Jeong’s famous film roles have often been deeply-rooted Asian characters, his fans are conditioned to see Jeong as a champion of Asian representation in Hollywood. He shows love for the panAsian community since his own wife is Vietnamese American and he is Korean American. His expression of gratitude for people throughout Hollywood who allowed him to highlight his Asian roots can suggest that the “Ho” in the title also represents different people in the Asian community, as he is grateful for all of them.

Provided that the show is not structured around his wife, the themes of money and wealth string ogether the special better than a theme of unconditional love for Ho. Sure, Jeong was a general practitioner—an already lucrative profes-

sion that requires plenty of schooling— but his transition to Hollywood brought him even more wealth. In some sections of the set, Jeong humbles himself and acknowledges his privilege and renounces the “model minority” stereotype, while in others, he sets himself apart from average audience member. The constant reminders of Jeong’s proliferating wealth as a result of his blockbusters slowly become tiring and confusing—at times, it feels like the special was a promotion for Crazy Rich Asians.

Jeong’s stand-up comedy is effective because of his ability to relay jokes with jaw-dropping punchlines. His audacity makes the comedy enjoyable whether the audience can personally identify with the premise of the joke or not.

For his first stand-up special, Jeong incorporates some political commentary—initially seeming out of place, the remarks are short-lived and hardly overbearing. The Netflix Original is sure to be inspirational and relatable, as many people struggle to build the courage to follow their heart’s desire instead of their parents’ desires, which can sometimes even be determined prior to a birth, according to Jeong. It also spins commonly-demeaning stereotypes into self-deprecating jokes that embrace different aspects of human imperfections. The structure may blur toward the middle, but Jeong’s jokes are consistently entertaining, and, ultimately, he brings his journey full circle to show love and appreciation for his beloved Ho. n

Single review jillian ran

‘dinner and diatribes’ hozier

The latest single from Hozier’s upcoming album Wasteland, Baby! “ — Dinner and Diatribes” — aptly brings the same reckless energy summed up by the album’s title.

A relentless, twangy guitar is the backbone of the track, working with a stomping beat to create momentum.

The mood represents a new direction for Hozier, which has previously found a niche in introspective, downtempo ballads.

In “Dinner and Diatribes,” though, the musician is rambling and impulsive, antsy to be alone with his lover.

The soaring chorus is laden with choir-style vocals as Hozier hollers “That’s the kind of love / I’ve been dreaming of.”

The bridge finds Hozier back in familiar territory, with a more subdued and lofty atmosphere. The interplay between these two moods, mindless lust and something holier, shows that Hozier is capable of exploring new voices without coming off as inauthentic or tasteless. n

music video gio Lavoile

‘red room’ Offset

Since Migos burst onto the scene with their critically acclaimed debut album Culture, the hype surrounding the rap collective has never been weaker than it is right now. After a disappointing sophomore album—followed by the weak Quavo solo album and the stronger but far from breathtaking Takeoff album—people are wearier than ever of the group and the work they put out.

Offset, specifically, has hit a rough patch: He was in a life-threatening car crash in May; his album was set to be released in December, but he pushed it back for personal reasons; and he had a very public falling out with his fiancé Cardi B, which has now apparently ended with them reuniting. With things back in order, Offset returns with the music video for “Red Room,” the first single from his debut solo album. The scene transitions to Offset driving, then to an aggressive arrest of a young man in front of his friends, before returning to Offset behind the wheel and ultimately crashing his vehicle.

The camera goes black, and the music stops, replaced by ominous sounds as the scene shifts to the same kitchen table, now occupied with a young Offset, who was having dinner with his mother. The music returns, as the audience sees Offset stepping out of his green Dodge Challenger, the same car he was driving when he had his accident. Viewers see Offset, decked out in jewelry and designer clothing as he stumbles down the street, before the camera pans to an old man—who Offset confirmed is his grandfather—sitting on a chair in the street, playing the harmonica. As he plays, a crowd of men dressed in all black clothing, similar to that of the Black Panthers, march toward a blockade of officers before the video ends with the same scene it began with: Offset alone, contemplating his life in the red room.

This single and video is a triumphant return for Offset, showing how he’s matured in the past year while creating proper excitement for his next album. With “Red Room,” an emotional and lyrical rumination on the hardships of his past, Offset shows that he is far from some vain artist. He has a story to tell, and, if the album follows the same path as this single, it won’t be anything like the albums released by the other two-thirds of the Migos. n

The Heights

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

A15

‘The Vagina Monologues’ Champion Self-Love Out With

By Maddie Haddix

Opinions Editor

“If your vagina got dressed, what would it wear?” asked the performers of The Vagina Monologues.

The series of skits was performed by 29 women telling 19 different stories, focused around, well, vaginas. The play, written by Eve Ensler in 1996, was directed at Boston College by Michaela Chipman, MCAS ’19, and assistant director Anabel Johnson, MCAS ’20. The piece of comedy struck a funny tone, but also pointed out the discriminatory double-standards to which women and their vaginas are subject.

“Hair,” a skit performed by Bernadette Charland, LSEHD ’19, featured a recent divorcée’s struggles with her ex-husband.

While she was expected to change to suit her husband’s wants in their uncomfortable sex life, her ex was not ready to reciprocate.

With wine glass in hand, Charland relied on the classic wine-mom stereotype to make the conversation feel as if the performance was just another Wine Down Wednesday night talk. Her impression of her German therapist was particularly memorable.

Cassie Pearson, MCAS ’20, produced a fabulous New York accent for her skit, “The Flood.” She told an older woman’s story that had concluded long ago: After an adroit date, her sex life had reached its end. After being made to feel embarrassed about her body by her date—who apparently was very handsome—she never again even talked about her sex life, let alone participated in

it. At the age of 74, she confessed to the audience that she had never truly told anyone the real story of why she remained single.

The “They Beat the Girl Out of My Boy” skit featured the story of a transgender woman throughout the course of her transition. Samantha Ricci, MCAS ’20; Elyse Gaertner, MCAS ’21; Julia Barrett, MCAS ’19; Hailey Burgess, MCAS ’19; and Debbie Aboada, MCAS ’21, provided the different voices of the woman. There were cheers in the room when the voices announced that, despite initial pushback, it had in fact been the woman’s military father who had paid for her sex reassignment surgery.

“My Vagina Was My Village” was the tearful skit of the night. Chipman performed the story of a Bosnian woman in the early 1990s. Thousands of women across Yugoslavia were violently raped during the genocide that tore through the Eastern-European nation.

A crying Chipman, assuming the role of a rape victim, told the audience that she felt like her body was no longer hers, as if it had been taken from her by soldiers and became a foreign object over which she no longer felt ownership.

By the end of the night, the audience had gone from nearly crying because of laughter to almost shedding tears over tough stories like Chipman’s.

In keeping with the theme of celebrating women and bringing attention to women’s issues, 90 percent of the ticket proceeds were donated to Rosie’s Place, a women’s shelter in Boston that services more than 12,000 local women.

the Oscars Kaylie Ramirez

SAM ZHAI / HEIGHTS STAFF

29 women told 19 different stories during BC’s rendition of ‘The Vagina Monologues.’

Once again, The Vagina Monologues opened up a touchy conversation about struggles—ranging from body image to rape—too often encountered by women

on and off campus, but also stimulated a discourse that encouraged women of all backgrounds to celebrate their shared identity. n

OLAA Culture Show Celebrates Latinx Heritage

By Cassie Perez Heights Staff

The Organization of Latin American Affairs (OLAA) held its annual culture show, titled “Welcome Home,” on Friday night. The show, which highlighted the cultural traditions of Latin countries around the world,

is only the first event in the greater Latino Family Weekend, a three-day celebration of Boston College’s Latin American students, families, and alumni.

The show kicked off with a brief introductory video, presenting the night’s theme alongside a montage of traditional Latin American com-

KOBE HURTADO / HEIGHTS STAFF

OLAA assembled traditional acts to illuminate different aspects of Latin American culture.

munities in celebration. The first act to take the stage was Tristan Simone, a rapper and jazz artist from Berklee College of Music. Backed by a full band and three additional singers, Simone dazzled the crowd with Spanish classics like Jarabe De Palo’s “La Flaca” and his own original song, “El Escenario.” The group finished its set with a cover of Rosalía’s “Malamente,” a crowd favorite that was met with raucous applause.

OLAA’s younger e-board members took the stage next to represent Colombia through cumbia, a folkloric dance notable for its graceful simplicity. The pairs, ladies in vibrant polleras and men in a traditional knotted red shawl and reckless hat combo, circled each other to the steady sound of Colombian percussion. Their act was followed by Samba Viva, a Brazilian dance ensemble made up of three polished dancers and their background instrumentalists. The dancers strutted in from the theater entrance to the sound of drums, crowned with colorful and elaborate headdresses.

Grabbing the crowd’s attention with clean quick-step combinations, the dancers shimmied through the aisles, encouraging audience members to dance with them.

Following a brief intermission, Veronica Robles and her all-female mariachi, comprised of local musicians, took to the stage to deliver a unique musical performance, accented by her powerful vocals. Making it her mission to showcase the “autentica espíritu de Mexico,” Robles encouraged the audience to stand up and dance to

the beat of the music. A guest dance performed by Vida de Intensa Pasión (VIP) followed suit, with BC students tackling a dance choreographed by the latin dance group.

The Dominican Association of Boston College also made an appearance to represent palo, a form of dance with African roots that often falls in the shadow of traditional Dominican dances, such as bachata and merengue. Following a brief but important video about Dominican identity, the performers took to the stage in all black with flags mounted proudly on their shoulders.

A preview for Limbo, a short film written and directed by OLAA e-board member Alfonso Gonzales, MCAS ’20, premiered next. The film, an intimate look at the challenges and triumphs Latin American immigrants face, is set to premiere April 25 at the annual Arts Festival.

VIP closed the culture show with traditional Latin flair. Dancing to a mix of Latin hits from Gianluca Vacchi and Luis Fonsi’s “Sigamos Bailando” to Bad Bunny’s “Krippy Kush,” the group wowed the audience with its signature flips and dips, utilizing choreography that was equal parts sensual and invigorating.

In summary, the OLAA Culture Show was a moving demonstration that showcased the strength and resilience of BC’s Latin American community. Uniting the attendees through a shared appreciation and pride in their Latin roots, the event exemplified the love and unity inherent in the Latinx community at BC and beyond. n

Introspection Takes Root in ‘A Lily Blooms’

By Grace Mayer For The Heights

Lilies typically bloom in late spring or early summer, but in Stoney Conley’s painting collection, A Lily Blooms in Winter, the laws of nature do not apply.

Stirring beneath the ground, taking root, and against all odds, a lily blooms.

Filling a wall in the back of O’Neill Library, the collection is divided into three sections (14 - 28 - 14). Every piece— all 56 canvases—features a lily.

The majority of the artwork sticks to the same color palette: black, white, and gray, or a muddling of these three colors together, with layers of them on top of text. The canvases are all clean-edged pages torn from a book. Text and printed pictures lie beneath the layers of paper, paint, and flowers.

In one of the first pieces, the color introduced that breaks away from the black and white palette is a pinky-peach hidden under black paint and a white lily pressed onto the page’s surface. Muddy lilacs coat a few of the pages in the first

section of pieces, but the second section sticks to the resounding monotone palette—greys, blacks, whites cover the canvases. Some of the painted flowers, instead of being directly painted onto the pages, are cut out and pasted on top of the canvases and pressed into the pages, each varying in intricacy and imprinting life onto the pages of text.

The lilies evoke a nostalgic sense of pressed flowers between book pages.

Encased between old books, light can’t seep through.

It’s an act of preservation, but what’s being preserved isn’t so much the flower itself, but a memory of association. What the flower can represent is a memory: a gift, a person, a place, remnants of withering and wilting beauty.

Only in the last set of pieces, does color get reintroduced. Peach shines through—like the soft light emanating from the sun rising in the early hours of the morning—and is no longer hidden beneath black paint. The muddy lilac hue returns. Specks of yellow and streaks of greyish-blue are also added to the mix.

MAGGIE DIPATRI / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Various mediums compose the lily portraits in Conley’s ‘A Lily Blooms in Winter.’

These colors are linked together in the final piece: a print of Henri Edmond Cross’ 1892 canvas, The Golden Islands.

Not only is the book page mounting this last lily, but the patterns and grains of color—the yellows, blues, peaches, and lilacs—are all pulled from this work.

When color is reintroduced it’s as if the sun is starting to come up and

winter has finally reached its conclusion. The slow shift from black, gray, and white—from a long winter—finally transitions to light, color, and life. A lily can bloom, sharing its beauty, even in the winter when the world is in its most lifeless, desolate, and dark form. It’s an optimistic message, one that can tide us over while we wait for spring to come. n

For better or for worse, awards season has arrived. This year the Grammys saw an uptick in viewership from 2018 and the Golden Globes remained relatively resilient with viewership down just two percent from last year’s show, but should we even care about award shows in the first place?

Award shows often drag on for the course of three hours or more just for everyone to forget who won what and wait for keyboard critics to give an on-the-fly synopsis of a two-second moment on Twitter the next day. All of the debauched red-carpet highlights and tired skits beg the question: What do award shows actually do for us?

The host of an award show is often a huge factor in whether people will tune in—if announcing the actual winner only takes a overly ceremonious one-minute envelope opening, the show better have an A-lister with witty punchlines to hold viewers’ attention for the other two hours and 45 minutes.

Unfortunately, 2019 has been a less-than-great year for those looking for celebrity roasts between award announcements—Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg gave an unfunny, too SFW opening monologue at the Golden Globes, and while the Grammys certainly took a step in the right direction with its first female host since 2005, Alicia Keys took the show as more of an opportunity to highlight her own career rather than a moment to recognize the talent of today. And if you’re looking for any kind of host action from the Oscars, you’re going to be very disappointed.

Talent is presumably the biggest draw for award show viewers. People can easily become invested in competition (in re: American Idol, The Voice, Dancing with the Stars, the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the World Cup) and like the idea of rooting for their favorite actor or musician, even if the sound waves of their cheers simply bounce off a television screen in middle-of-nowhere America. But beyond garnering industry clout, titles don’t really say much about the intrinsic value of the piece or artist to which they are awarded.

Winning a Grammy is hardly a surefire indicator of cultural staying power. Kendrick Lamar was beat out by Macklemore for Best New Artist in 2014 and was cheated out of Album of the Year in 2018 when Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic took home the night’s biggest prize. (But the fact that the rapper won a Pulitzer Prize for DAMN. a few months after is a surefire indicator of his cultural staying power.) Other albums that never won Album of the Year on music’s biggest stage?

Purple Rain, Lemonade, OK Computer, Nevermind, The Dark Side of The Moon, Late Registration, and Abbey Road.

Not to mention, it took Leonardo DiCaprio over two decades to win an Academy Award, and when he finally did win, it was for a movie—The Revenant—you probably didn’t even like that much, compared to Wolf of Wall Street or Titanic.

When selecting winners, award show committees are inconsistent: Some years, a critically unimpressive blockbuster like Bohemian Rhapsody wins big at awards shows (Although I liked the film, I expect the Oscars’ results to differ from those of the Globes.), and other years a self-indulgent art house flick such as The Shape of Water beats out instant classics, such as Lady Bird or Call Me By Your Name.

Although the Grammys committee has consistently championed popularity over depth for Album of the Year in the last few years, the Academy seems continually torn between rewarding pop-culture rapport and intellectual (and sometimes esoteric) depth—two qualities that can be united in the best films, like Citizen Kane, another movie that never won an Oscar.

In an unrelated Rolling Stone column about the shifting legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., Matt Taibbi presents a deft explanation for our inability to reward the deserving few: “Conventional wisdom is almost always blind to moral greatness in real time.” Given the spotty hit-or-miss record of popular award shows, I wonder if this applies to cinematic and sonic greatness as well.

Kaylie Ramirez is the arts editor for The Heights. She can be reached at @ ohkaylienow on Twitter.

ARTS

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@BCHeightsArts

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

A Campus

EDITOR’S NOTE: Black students make up 4 percent of the Boston College student body. Despite limited representation throughout campus—in classes, in student organizations, and at events—black students compose a significant portion of the arts community at BC: 3 of 16 dance groups—Presenting Africa To You (PATU), Sexual Chocolate, and Females Incorporating Sisterhood Through Step (F.I.S.T.S.)—are historically black

Divided:

student groups, and Black Experience in America Through Song (BEATS) exists as 1 of 10 a cappella groups.

This featured story is part of a series that celebrates black students’ invaluable contributions to the arts community. These groups have exhibited distinct tenacity as student organizations intended to provide a space for black students to express themselves through art on a campus often divided by acts of racism and hatred.

PATU :

Winning Trophies With Traditions HEIGHTS ARCHIVES

By Emily Himes Assoc. Arts Editor

Presenting Africa to You (PATU) entered the Boston College scene in 1995 with two goals: to help build a community for African diaspora students and showcase its vibrant culture through hosting events and speakers, as well as providing academic and social support to its members. It later became a dance group, allowing students to exhibit their cultures. At BC, where black students make up only 4 percent of the population, sharing their culture can prove to be a unifying experience for the dancers and an opportunity for other students to embrace a culture different from their own.

This year, PATU has one of its largest teams to date. With 21 dancers, it has grown every year and created a bigger impact on the BC community.

Last year, the group won the culture category of Showdown, which raised lots of awareness for the team.

Showdown has a general competition and a culture subgroup. PATU is especially proud because it didn’t have to compete in the culture category, but it chose to do so in order to keep its ties with the African Student Organization (ASO).

of hard work—often practicing late into the night—and seeing all of the extra hours pay off filled everyone with joy.

“Putting in so much hard work takes a physical and emotional toll on our bodies,” Sall said. “But we had our friends there for support, and we never take that for granted.”

The group has branched out beyond Showdown, though. PATU often dances at competitions around Boston, such as a recent one at Northeastern University in which they took first place.

Kalkidan Tadesse, MCAS ’21, described the group’s enduring connection to ASO: PATU originally stemmed from ASO and still is a part of the organization, which provides funding, food for events, and different programs.

This deeply established partnership allows PATU to have an important role in race relations at BC: The group’s original mission statement announced its intention to introduce the African culture to other students, recruit prospective African students, and support A f r i c a n s tu dents through mentorship.

In a Letter to the Editor

(LTE) published in The Heights on Nov. 13, 1995, Nampeera Lugira, former

“We didn’t have to be under the culture category,” Fatoumata Sall, co-captain of PATU and

MCAS ’21, said.

“But we wanted to continue our relationship with ASO because the y ’re a nice extended family.”

Winning at Showdown meant the world to PATU. The team put in its share

INSIDE ARTS

ac tiv itie s coordinator of PATU and BC ’96, laid out the purpose behind the creation of the club: “The main objectives of the new club PATU are: 1.) to introduce the diversity of Africa

‘The Vagina Monologues’

and its cultures, traditions, customs and politics to the Boston College community; 2.) to have a commitment to the recruitment of potential African students to Boston College; and 3.) to provide support for students of African descent in the form of mentoring in the areas of academic and social issues,” the LTE read.

The group’s strong presence is truly making a difference, even outside of BC. PATU can be a huge drawing point for many students of color who are deciding whether to attend.

“I went to a lot of admissions programs this year and students would ask me about being on PATU,” Sall said.

“Knowing that our name is getting out there even beyond BC is really important to showcasing our mission and everything we’re about.”

PATU members are highly involved on campus, and the team embraces the individual skills and interests of each person. Tadesse is a Undergraduate Government of Boston College senator and campaign manager for Michael Osaghae, MCAS ’20 and Tiffany Brooks, MCAS ’21, and Sall is a part of the Muslim Student Association and working on a podcast for BC Alum.

“People have social media campaigns about health and wellness, some are athletes, others are very artistic,” Tadesse said. “But PATU grounds all of us, even though we’re all involved in different areas.”

For all of its members, PATU is a family and home away from home. The e-board members know it’s not easy to juggle school, work, and jobs, and they take their leadership roles very seriously.

What is most important to them is the personal growth and development of all the dancers on the team.

“It’s a dance group—we’re not getting credit,” Sall said. “We want the new members to feel supported.

We always practice what we preach, hold each other accountable, and treat each other with respect because that’s what keeps a family going.”

The group’s emphasis on emotional well-being is especially important to its identity. When you’re working around the clock with a group of people, without credit or pay, a certain connection is sure to form.

“We can’t perform to the best of our ability if we aren’t there for each other emotionally,” Tadesse said. “For us, it’s always that kind of energy.”

PATU prides itself on being one of the most dynamic teams at BC while keeping its traditional core values and style. The group is able to adapt to newer forms of African music and dance, such as Afrobeats and dancehall music, while still retaining aspects of traditional African dance. The addition of new members from various parts of the African diaspora allows for diversification of style and energy.

The team’s ability to broaden its base with members from different backgrounds and cultures is a huge benefit. Especially in something as artistic as dance, diversity allows for everyone involved and watching to expand their horizons and learn something new.

One of PATU’s most unique and important attributes to its members is its ability to provide a safe space for its members. While some of BC’s other dance groups might be made up of mainly minority students, PATU is the only group to consist solely of black students.

“People are involved in other groups on campus, but PATU is always our safe space, dance is our getaway” Tadesse said. “Whenever we feel like ‘Who doesn’t want me here?’ we know we’re surrounded by people who love and accept us.”

Throughout BC’s history, racist incidents on campus have divided students at BC. Three incidents have had

a particularly large impact on BC’s campus in the re cent years: the defacing of Black Lives

Matter signs in Roncalli Hall and racist Snapchat in 2017, and

‘OLAA Culture Show’

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the racist vandalism allegedly perpetrated by Michael Sorkin, CSOM ’21, in Welch Hall in December of 2018. Hopeful pleas among students were heard all around, but the administration did little to meet the demands made by students in the wake of these events.

In light of the several incidents that have taken place on BC’s campus over the past couple years, finding a supportive group is important. PATU knows how crucial it is to take a stand in lieu of these issues, so that black students know they have a place here.

“While somebody said some really hateful things which took a toll on all of us, we were all there for each other,” Sall said. “Everyone heals at a different pace.

We had to be patient with each other.”

Besides PATU, black students also frequently find a home in Sexual Chocolate and Females Incorporating Sisterhood Through Step (F.I.S.T.S.).

The sense of family and solidarity is likely why black students make up 18 percent of BC’s dance groups, despite accounting for such a small portion of BC’s total student population.

“Sometimes we don’t see people who look like us on a daily basis, sometimes we’re the only person of color in our classrooms,” Tadesse said.

“We tend to seek places where we can find people that look like us, because on this campus it’s very rare.”

Many students share these same sentiments, which is why Tadesse and Sall believe the

black dance community is so vibrant at BC. The teams are safe havens where each person is celebrated and respected. These makeshift families can totally turn a student’s experience at BC around for the better.

“When we’re all in sync and moving as one there’s a real connection,” Ta d e s s e s a i d .

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