The Heights March 15, 2018

HEIGHTS

THE

The Independent Student Newspaper of Boston College

WWW.BCHEIGHTS.COM

THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

AN EAGLE ON ‘IDOL’ ARTS

THE NEXT STEP SPORTS

Will Supple, MCAS ’20, chronicles his journey from Needham, Mass. to the stage of ‘American Idol.’

Boston College men’s basketball won two games at the ACC Tournament for the first time since 2005-06.

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‘SPRING’ BREAK

Alum Killed in Napa Shooting Christine Loeber, SSW ’08, was director of Pathway Home

BY COLE DADY News Editor Last weekend, Maureen Turner had planned to head up to Napa Valley after a work conference in the Bay area to visit with Christine Loeber, SSW ’08, her friend of over 20 years. Soon after arriving, however, she learned that their anticipated girls’ weekend wouldn’t happen. Instead, she would be helping Loeber’s family prepare for her funeral.

Loeber, two of her coworkers, and the gunman who had taken them hostage, identified by Napa County authorities as Albert Wong, were found dead Friday evening at the Pathway Home, a program in Yountville, Calif., that treats troubled war veterans.

Wong, a veteran of the War in Afghanistan and a former program participant, had entered the campus with at least one loaded rifle and arrived at a going-away party for two staff members, according to Larry Kamer, a spokesman for the organization. The Heights was not able to receive a comment at press time from Devereaux Smith, the nonprofit’s director of development and communications,

See Loeber, A8

Combating Grade Inflation An internal report found inconsistencies in grading in CSOM. News Editor

AND CHARLIE POWER Asst. News Editor The Carroll School of Management (CSOM), seeking to understand whether grading standards varied among different professors teaching the same courses, compiled a report that ultimately demonstrated grade inflation within CSOM. The report—which Ronnie Sadka, CSOM’s senior associate dean for faculty, and Sam Graves, the chairman of the operations management department, led—will push professors to grade on the same standard across different sections of the same course.

Administrators in CSOM declined to give The Heights access to the report.

“We didn’t even know if we had a problem,” Sadka said. “They found that we did suffer from it.”

Sadka discussed the need for faculty members to be more consistent across different sections of a course, emphasizing that different professors

See CSOM, A3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

BY COLE DADY News Editor

AND AIDAN LATONA

Copy Editor A third powerful nor’easter in less than two weeks blanketed Boston College in 13.3 inches of snow as of 7:25 p.m. on Tuesday, forcing administrators to cancel classes for the day. Students around campus rejoiced because of the day off, which came only one day after

they returned from Spring Break. BC announced Tuesday night that the University would be open at 9 a.m.

Wednesday, a slight delay.

Numerous students gathered in the Mod parking lot for a snowball fight at 5 p.m. organized by The New England Classic. A group of students climbed a mound of snow, hoisting a BC flag, while others gathered around to socialize and enjoy the day off.

Approximately 20 minutes into the event, however, BCPD arrived to end the gathering.

The University announced its closing around 10 p.m. Monday evening via Facebook, Twitter, and its emergency notification system, following suit with Boston Public Schools and numerous local institutions, all of whom called off classes.

The decision to cancel classes was ultimately decided by University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., in consultation with Executive Vice President Michael

See Snow Day, A3

KAITLIN MEEKS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

6-PERSON APARTMENT SELECTION 6:45 PM

•IGGY: FULL

4 PM

•START

8 PM

•RUBY: FULL •ONLY 2150 LEFT

Source: @BC_ResLife Twitter Feed

Newton Passes Pot License Moratorium The city issued a hold on license applications for zoning reasons.

BY COLLEEN MARTIN Copy Editor

9 PM

7:10 PM

5:45 PM

•MODS: FULL •RUBY: 50% FULL •2150: ~10% FULL

•END

NICOLE CHAN / HEIGHTS EDITOR

BY COLE DADY

EST. 1919

2150 Remains Last to Fill During Selection Students cite distance from the rest of senior housing for reluctance.

BY CATHERINE CREMENS Asst. Investigative Editor In the fall of 2016, Boston College debuted its new 490-bed building at 2150 Commonwealth Ave., a dorm intended for upperclassmen. Since its construction, the building has not been as popular as other dorms during the housing selection process, particularly during the process of picking six-person apartments.

On Tuesday, the Class of 2019’s selection day for six-person groups, students had selected to live in all of the Mods, according to the Office of Residential Life Twitter account, before 5:45 p.m., with students saying all Mods were taken by about 5:30. By

NEWS: Union Coalition

Four unions have expressed support for graduate employees nationwide................A3

approximately 7:30 p.m., Ignacio Hall was full, and Rubenstein Hall was 50 percent occupied. In contrast, 2150 was only 10 percent full at that time.

Selection for six-person apartments was coming to a close around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, and the last building to be filled was 2150.

On Wednesday, during selection for four-person apartments, 2150 was also among the last to fill. ResLife tweeted around 5:45 p.m. that Ignacio and Rubenstein were completely occupied.

2150 filled up after that, though ResLife did not tweet out exactly when.

Some students attribute the lack of enthusiasm for the dorm, especially in comparison to older counterparts like Ignacio and Rubenstein, to its distance from campus and from the rest of the senior class. New renovations to certain apartments in Ignacio make the

See 2150, A3

NEWS: #Enough! Walkout

On Wednesday, the BC community joined the #Enough! National Walkout................A3

The City Council of Newton voted on March 5 to pass a temporary hold on recreational marijuana establishments applying for licenses. The ban did, however, include an amendment that shields Garden Remedies, a current medical marijuana facility, from being included in the moratorium.

The moratorium passed with 20 in favor, and four abstentions. This vote came after a previous postponement due to the absence of five councillors at the Feb. 27 meeting. The amendment, which was voted on prior to the moratorium vote, was passed 16 to four, with four abstentions. The temporary ban was suggested so that the Zoning and Planning Committee would have time to complete a planning process to consider in what districts and under what conditions recreational marijuana establishments will be allowed to open.

The temporary hold is expected to last until December 2018, when it will be lifted and recreational marijuana establishments will be able to apply for licenses. Councilors said, however, that the Zoning and Planning Committee will work as quickly and efficiently as possible on establishing regulations, so an earlier opening date may be possible.

It was stated in the meeting that a Cannabis Commissioner and the Attorney General’s office gave con-

INDEX

flicting reports about whether Garden Remedies would be automatically included in the moratorium. After this detail was explained to all of the present councillors, the floor was opened to discuss the pros, cons, and possibilities of the exemption.

Councillors in favor of the amendment argued that it could act as a sort of “guinea pig” for the Zoning and Planning Committee to learn from. They also pointed out that the projected revenue for one year of the business being open would be $450,000 to the City of Newton from marijuana sales tax as well as a 3 percent impact tax.

The Planning Department aims to release the regulation ordinance to the committee by the first week of September. Councillor Jacob D. Auchincloss expressed his doubt that there will be a sufficient amount of time between the July 1 start date for Garden Remedies to begin selling recreationally and the release of the report for the facility to serve as a legitimate and helpful test case for the committee, making its exemption seemingly worthless.

Others raised concerns that exempting one establishment could lead to complications down the road for procedures involving other establishments, and it might not necessarily serve to provide them with a comprehensive understanding of the regulations they should put in place.

Proponents of the exemption advocated for its implementation, saying that having a “soft-opening” could provide at least a look into the

See Moratorium, A4

NEWS.........................A2 OPINIONS................... A6

Vol. XCIX, No. 8 MAGAZINE..................A4 SPORTS......................B1 © 2018, The Heights, Inc. METRO........................ A5 SCENE.......................B8 www.bchelghts.com 69

The Heights

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things to do on campus this week

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Michael John Ring, the Irish Minister for Rural and Community Development will participate in a fireside chat with Robert Mauro from the Global Leadership Institute. The event will take place in the Burns Library Fine Print Room on Thursday at 2 p.m.

The event is open to all faculty, staff, and students.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

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The Battle of the Bands will take place on Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Vanderslice Hall Cabaret Room. The bands will compete for three spots at the BC Arts Festival. The six groups are Common Wealth, Funky Giant, Little Saturday, Phenom V & Xtremesouns, Shady Lady, and The Backyard Astronauts.

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Dina Hayes, Professor of Law at New England School of Law, will be give a lecture entitled “Retaliation Nation: How government action aimed at restricting immigration intrudes on foundational democratic principles.” The event will take place on Friday at 12 p.m. in Campion

NEWS FBI Director Headlines BC Cyber Conference BRIEFS

By Jack Goldman

Miles Selected as Corcoran Chair

John R . Miles , a professor emeritus of English and religious studies at the University of California, Irvine has been selected to be the 2018-19 Corcoran Visiting Chair in Christian-Jewish Relations at the Center for Christian-Jewish relations at Boston College.

While at BC, MIles will work on his book, The Greatest Translation of All Time, which studies the translation of the Old Testament from its original Hebrew and Aramaic into Greek. Miles also plans to teach a class and organize a conference.

In 1996, MIles won a Pulitzer Prize for his first book, God: A Biography, a nonfiction work that explores the evolution of God’s nature and motivations throughout the Old Testament. His second book, Christ: A Crisis in the Life of God, was named a notable book by The New York Times in 2002.

Miles received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1990, and won a MacArthur Fellowship in 2002.

He is also the general editor of The Norton Anthology of World Religions. He also worked as the book review editor at the Los Angeles Times.

A Jesuit seminarian from 1960 to 1970, Miles studied at Xavier before moving to Rome to study at the Pontifical Gregorian University. He then returned to the United States to complete his doctorate at Harvard. Miles is fluent in several languages, including French, Italian, German, Hebrew, and Aramaic.

Universal Child Care Benefits A study of Norway’s child care and education systems lead by Eric Dearing, a professor in the Lynch School of Education, has revealed that universal child care reduces achievement gaps between children of low- and high-income families and improves language skills among children, according to The Chronicle.

The team, which included Norwegian scholars Henrik Daae Zachrisson and Arnstein Mykletun, of the Universities of Oslo and Tromso, respectively, and Claudio O. Toppelberg of Harvard Medical School, published its work in AERA Open, a research journal.

Dearing is also a senior research fellow at the Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral Developement at the University of Oslo. The study is entitled, “Estimating the Consequences of Norway’s National Scale-Up of Early Childhood Education and Care (Beginning in Infancy) for Early Language Skills.”

The team’s study of more than 60,000 children found that Norway’s growing universal child care program has reduced the gap in language skills between children from high-income families and low-income families.

“This has very important implications for early education policy in the United States, where we are debating how early to start and whether preschool should be provided to all children or exclusively target low income children,” Dearing said to The Chronicle.

The study also found that beginning early education programs as early as age 1, as opposed to age 3, which is the practice in the United States, aids in reducing the gap in language skills.

Copy Editor

In recent years, cyber criminals have become increasingly more challenging to prosecute, implementing methods that law enforcement officials have trouble keeping up with. As such, the agents and businesses fighting cybercrime need to have higher technological proficiency and literacy.

On Wednesday, Boston College held the Boston Conference on Cyber Security (BCCS), where keynote speaker FBI Director Christopher A. Wray addressed how the bureau can serve this need by evolving with the ever-changing internet landscape.

His remarks centered around changes in cyber security since he left government work in 2005. As the internet has evolved to become the centerpiece of Americans’ daily lives, criminals have taken advantage of this, making it a much more dangerous and difficult space to police.

He disclosed that while the FBI received plenty of warrants in the past year to gain access to digital evidence on devices, the bureau was unable to access over half the information on those devices, which totaled 7,775, making it more difficult to prosecute the cases in which those electronics were involved.

“Being unable to access nearly 7,800 devices per year is a major public safety issue,” Wray said. “That’s more than half—more than half—of all the devices we tried to access during that time period. And that’s just at the FBI, that’s not even counting devices sought by other law enforcement agencies.”

Wray went on to say that although the FBI supports information security measures, intelligence agencies need programs working to protect the privacy of users to be thoughtfully designed to leverage the legal tools at their disposal. Otherwise, those programs get in the way of digital evidence gathering, which can compromise the foundation of an investigation if the information

being sought is sensitive enough.

BCCS, the second-annual cyber-security conference hosted by the Woods College of Advancing Studies and the FBI, was launched after BC established its master program in cyber-security policy and governance in 2017. Last year’s conference featured former FBI Director James Comey in the midst of controversy surrounding President Donald Trump’s claim that the Obama Administration tapped his phone calls, and Comey’s pushback against this claim — Trump fired him two months later.

Members of the cyber-security community both in the public and private sector gathered to listen to remarks from various speakers, including Wray; Harold H. Shaw, special agent in charge of the Boston FBI office; David Wajsgras, president of intelligence and information services at Raytheon; and Jeh C. Johnson, former secretary of homeland security. Other members of the BC community spoke at various panel discussions throughout the day.

By matching the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies with those of private organizations, Wray believes that the new task forces, specifically geared toward fighting cyber intrusions, will be greater than the sum of their parts.

“It’s a mindset much more of … what do we bring to the table, what do they bring to the table, how can we match strength with strength, how can we somehow put the FBI’s two together with our partners’ two to somehow equal more than four,” he said. “To get five or six or seven through synergies of one sort or another.”

The FBI and its partners are looking to take down entire criminal infrastructures rather than just the criminals that populate them. Last year, for example, the FBI and its partners shut down the largest illegal marketplace on the dark web, AlphaBay, by strategically coordinating action between different law enforcement agencies.

“We worked with the DEA, IRS, Eu-

Lee Pellegrini / University Communications

Rapid advances in technology have affected the way the FBI uncovers evidence. ropol, and a whole bunch of our partners from around the globe to dismantle that illicit business completely,” Wray said. “But, in a way that maybe was different from the past, we tried to be a little more strategic about it—we didn’t want to just rush in and lose criminals. So we waited patiently, we coordinated with the other agencies and we watched.”

When they struck, the agencies were able to shut the site down and many criminals, but those that got away went to another site where Dutch authorities were waiting for them, thanks to the coordination between each agency.

Wray continually pointed to 9/11 as the moment that changed the way in which intelligence agencies and the private sector worked together to investigate crime. He admitted that what he was doing 15 years ago was easier to handle than the online threads current FBI investigators have to untangle, but he believes that the digital revolution is shaking the foundations of the intelligence world again as more and more emphasis has to be placed on the actions taking place in the deep recesses of the Web. He closed his remarks by asking businesses to reach out whenever they think there is a threat or problem with law en-

forcement. Although there are times when that can seem difficult or problematic, the purpose of the FBI is to treat victim companies as victims, not perpetrators, and the bureau recognizes that the line can be thin when approaching cases. What is most important to Wray is that threats are dealt with, and the only way to do that is by having victims report what is going on.

After Wray brought his talk to a conclusion, Shaw was made available to reporters.

When asked if the bureau can monitor the web 24 hours a day, Shaw made it clear that it could not, since there are privacy laws preventing them from watching everything that is going on. He cited the work his offices do with the state police and other law enforcement agencies as how the FBI tries to cover the wide swath of material circulating through all the different social media sites.

Shaw also confirmed that Russia is an active adversary all over the country.

“It’s a concern,” he told reporters. “When you have the world-renowned colleges and universities that we have [in Boston], when you have the research and development that is happening in our backyard, you have Fortune 500 companies—you could expect that our adversaries are looking at any of that stuff.” n

Mitsotakis Grapples With Path Forward for Greece

By Abby Hunt Copy Editor President of the New Democracy party of Greece and Leader of the Opposition Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke to a crowd in Gasson 100 Monday as part of the Greek America Lecture Series, presented by the Hellenic Society of Boston College.

Mitsotakis, who could potentially become prime minister of Greece, depending on the outcome of the country’s next parliamentary elections, started his speech by pointing out the severity of the economic downturn Greece has experienced over the last eight years—the country lost 25 percent of its GDP, faced increasing social inequality, and saw 500,000 young people emigrate in search of a better future.

Mitsotakis stated that while today his view of the country, which has managed to correct most of the fiscal imbalance that initially caused the crisis, remains optimistic, he holds concern about recent trends of growing distrust towards elites, academics, politicians, and the political system in Greece.

“This breakdown of trust is very worrisome because in order to move the country forward, I think we’re going to need to unite behind a common narrative,” he said.

Mitsotakis outlined his three main priorities for the future of Greece: restor-

ing sustainable and inclusive economic growth, building long-term institutional health, and leveraging geopolitical opportunities.

Regarding economics, Mitsotakis said that if Greece is to achieve its desired growth, it needs a clear plan for doing so—one that is different from that which the current government has imposed on the country. He emphasized the importance of reducing taxes, creating jobs, and promoting an “explosion” of foreign and domestic investment.

“How do you achieve such an investment explosion?” he asked. “First of all, you need a government that is absolutely committed to a reform agenda, who will transform the Greek economy from a closed economy into an open economy, focus much more on exports of tradable goods and on services where Greece has a natural competitive advantage.”

Mitsotakis also emphasized the need for Greece to reform its justice system, take advantage of its tourism sector, and promote agricultural production on a greater scale.

“There are many other sectors where we have natural competitive advantage— logistics, for example,” he said. “We are an entry point for trade in the East, but also from the South—big opportunities that I think people can leverage. But again, there’s a big precondition for all of this,

and it’s … trust.”

Mitsotakis stated that Greece needs to demonstrate to the international community that it will deliver on its reforms. If it does not do so, the next government will be faced with increased borrowing costs, which would be risky for the country.

According to Mitsotakis, however, economic growth in and of itself will not be enough for Greece, as the crisis was a failure not only of economic policy, but also of institutions. He expressed his concern with populism in Greece, stating that populists build alliances with powerful oligarchs who help them control media outlets, use the media to attack their political opponents, and do not respect the branches of Greece’s government.

Mitsotakis said that building stronger institutions would be of great importance to the future of the country and noted that Greece’s main center-right political party, New Democracy, will place institutional issues at the center of its agenda.

Specifically, Mitsotakis said that Greece needs to amend its constitution to adapt to the country’s current needs, put in place a performance assessment system for members of the civil service, improve its public universities while lifting the constitutional ban on private ones, and, finally, emphasize the application of the rule of law—referencing to an incident Sunday in which a Greek oligarch stormed a soc-

cer field with a gun because he disagreed with a referee decision to demonstrate the importance of the last point.

“These things happen in other types of countries—they don’t happen in Western democracies,” he said.

Finally, Mitsotakis discussed his third priority, addressing Greece’s geopolitical opportunities, by first stating that Turkey, as an unpredictable, nervous regional power, is no longer a reliable U.S. ally, and that Greece should be the reliable partner for the United States in the region.

“There is an opportunity for Greece to upgrade its geopolitical status now that many of the traditional alliances in the region are unraveling,” he said.

He also emphasized that because Greece has close ties with Israel, it functions as an entry point for international trade, and remains a powerful force in the Balkans, the country has a role to play in the shifting geopolitics of the region.

“I remain fundamentally optimistic about Greece,” he said. We have gone through a crisis that would have destroyed other countries, yet we persevered.

“A lot of the hard work is behind us ... but there’s still a lot of work that remains,” he said. “And I hope, and this is my personal aspiration, that I will have the privilege at some point after the next election to lead Greece into what I consider to be a very bright and promising future.” n

CORRECTIONS How did you spend the snow day?

“I stayed inside the whole time and caught up on TV.” —Rachel King, MCAS ’20

“I went sledding with my friends on the Keyes hill.”

—Molly Huesto, CSOM ’21

“I played a game with my roommates where the loser had to make snow angels in their swim trunks, so I made a snow angel in my swim trunks..”

—Andy Lee, MCAS ’18 “I rested and caught up on work.”

—Colin Marsh, MCAS ’21

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

The Heights

Thursday, March 15, 2018

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Storm Blankets BC, Admin Cancels Class Snow Day, from A1

Kaitlin Meeks / Heights Editor

Students Walk Out to Protest Gun Violence Jack Miller Assoc. Investigative Editor Members of the Boston College community silently assembled outside Gasson Hall at 10 a.m. Wednesday as part of the #Enough! National School Walkout. The walkout lasted 17 minutes, a tribute to the 17 students killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., during the Feb. 14 shooting at the high school.

The walkout, part of the broader #NeverAgain movement, aimed to make the lives and safety of students a priority in Congress, and ensure that gun violence in schools and communities around the United States ends. Parkland students started the campaign in the days following the shooting. Since then, other organizations have joined in trying to create opportunities for students to share their voice more effectively.

“I saw on social media that a lot of my other friends at other schools posting things about the walkout and the march on the 24th,” said Quinn O’Connor, organizer of the march and MCAS ’21. “So I tried to see if BC was doing a walkout registered with the Women’s March Youth EMPOWER movement and saw there wasn’t one.”

Women’s March Youth EMPOWER boasts that over 3,100 schools registered their walkouts on its website, which also offers a virtual toolkit for participants.

In it, the organization provides tips on organizing a walkout, communicating

with school administrators, and addressing members of Congress.

Some high schools threatened disciplinary action against any students that participated in the walkout. Director of Undergraduate Admission John Mahoney, along with other university admission deans across the country, released a letter in response in late February that praised the actions of Stoneman Douglas students and said that there would be no repercussions for applicants who joined in the protests.

The movement’s website makes specific policy demands of Congress, including an assault weapon and high-capacity magazine ban, expanded background checks, support for the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act, and support for a gun violence restraining order law. It also voices opposition to legislation that would strengthen concealed carry laws or would introduce more guns to schools.

“I’m definitely going to try to post in the Facebook event group too and get signatures online for sending letters to representatives in Congress,” O’Connor said.

In a statement released Wednesday morning, March for Our Lives Boston praised the walkouts and the students who marched to the Massachusetts State House in support of the cause. Over 500 students and 25 state lawmakers attended this event and listened to the testimonies of four student speakers, who urged their peers to stay committed to advocacy. n

Carroll School Moves to Fight Grade Inflation CSOM, from A1 have different grading standards and ways of allocating grades, the result being that different students may take the same course with different professors and put in the same amount of work, but receive different grades.

“Each department will have a mandate to tackle this—consistency is key,” Sadka said.

Furthermore, the report found that students receive grades in various courses that are higher than they likely deserve to get. Due to the findings of the report, professors will possibly hold students to stricter grading standards.

“It’s hard to demonstrate excellence and feel great when everyone’s getting an A,” Sadka said.

Professors in CSOM asked by The Heights had mixed opinions on grade inflation, with some arguing the current trend is concerning, like Edward Taylor, senior lecturer in the accounting department, while others disagree.

“In my classes grade inflation has

not been a problem,” said Gerald Smith, associate professor of marketing. “I believe that CSOM is watching it and following it, but I’m not involved in those discussions.”

“I have not seen grade inflation in my financial and managerial accounting courses at all,” said Amy LaCombe, professor of the practice. “I think it would be interesting to look at the average GPA in CSOM and AP classes and SAT/ACT scores as there could be a correlation as it is much tougher to get into BC and thus the students are coming in with higher credentials and preparation.”

Students also shared their thoughts on grading inflation. Some felt that grading inflation is not a trend that affects their academic life, while others were upset at the thought that they would be held to a harder standard.

“I’m sure some students will be mad if it really affects their grades, but I feel like if you’re trying hard, most likely it will correlate to a grade that shows your [effort],” said Allyson Vanek, CSOM ’19. n

Lochhead and Dean of Faculties David Quigley.

BC’s Emergency Management Team provides information and insight to the administrators prior to any major storm.

The group helps the University assess the consequences of a decision to close school for the day and examine what precautions must be taken to ensure campus safety.

“The safety of the campus trumps all other decisions,” said John Tommaney, director of emergency management. “If there’s anything we’re concerned is a threat to the campus community, that’s going to take precedence over any other event on campus.”

With the storm approaching, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker made an appeal to the public to stay off the roads, which strongly informed the decision to close school, according to Tommaney.

Tommaney explained that Facilities Management follows an extensive snow removal plan and that its first priority is to keep major access roads on campus, such

as Campanella Way and Linden Lane, open in case of an emergency. Its second priority is to keep primary access into residential halls, health services, dining halls, and other frequently used buildings open, as well as prioritize routes for students with disabilities.

Another role of the Emergency Management Team during a University closure is to work with dining halls to ensure that students still have food options. As such, Lower, Carney’s, and Stuart dining halls were open for limited hours, closing at 9 p.m.

Michael Forcier, the managing director of McElroy dining services, said that this storm did not cause nearly as many issues for dining hall staff as previous winter storms have. A sufficient number of cooks, servers, and managers were able to find access to transportation and arrive on time.

Most recently, when Winter Storm Juno prompted a statewide travel ban in 2015, dining hall employees were prevented from returning to their homes and forced to sleep on portable air mattresses in spaces across campus.

But with Tuesday’s storm, members of the BC dining team may have just had to arrive to campus earlier than usual to prepare for the day.

Various on-campus dining halls, such as Eagle’s Nest and the Rat, had to close because there were not enough on-site staff members. Extensive foresight and preparation by BC’s dining services in addition to its staff’s dedication, however, allowed it to overcome these obstacles. “[The staff ] comes in, and they’re dedicated … and our student body often appreciates it,” Forcier said. “We’re here for long hours, and we really value when students come and say thank you. I think that’s why a lot of people are passionate about working here.”

Shuttle services were also suspended on Tuesday, but one van servicing both the Commonwealth Avenue and Newton Routes was running. O’Neill was the only library that remained open, for regular hours with limited services, and all campus recreation facilities and programs, in addition to a number of parking lots, were closed due to the storm. n

2150 Unpopular Among Rising Seniors 2150, from A1 the newly designed interior of 2150 less appealing to some rising seniors.

“It’s not surprising given that Iggy is newly renovated,” said Raj Singh, MCAS ’19. “I think that 2150 gets a reputation for being a little isolating, which may or may not be true. Also, the type of kid who’d pick 2150, possibly one who doesn’t want to host as many parties, probably turned people off by the idea of living there.”

Sean Kane, MCAS ’19, expressed a similar sentiment.

“It’s removed from every other senior, just like CoRo was, so I would rather live in housing that’s not as nice to be with all of my friends,” he said.

This reluctance to occupy 2150 was consistent in last year’s selection process as well. While all other six-person housing options were selected by approximately 8 p.m., six-person apartments in 2150 took about an hour longer to fill.

Though the hall is considered an oncampus living option, its distance from older and more traditionally popular dorms, such as the Mods and Ignacio Hall, has made the building less popular among rising seniors.

“I think the best part about sophomore year is that so many members of our class are really close by, so it makes BC seem smaller,” said Raj Singh, MCAS ’19. “Living in Iggy, Rubi, Vouté, or Gabelli does the same thing, plus they’re closer to class.” n

Campaign Launched to Aid Grad Unions Anthony Rein Assoc. News Editor Four unions began an “unprecedented” national campaign to aid graduate workers at private universities in attaining collective bargaining rights on Wednesday.

Consisting of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), United Automobile Workers (UAW)—of which Boston College’s graduate union is a chapter—the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and UNITE HERE, the campaign began with the delivery of letters signed by various union leaders to the administrations of Yale University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, BC, and Loyola University Chicago, as well as a press call on Wednesday afternoon announcing the effort.

“Despite clear votes in favor of unionization at your university, you have attempted to silence graduate workers by using the Trump National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to rig the system against them,” the letter reads. “Your refusal to bargain with a democratically-chosen union both ignores the value of RAs and TAs as workers and contradicts the fundamental values for which your university stands.”

The letter was signed by the presidents of the four unions: Randi Weingarten of the AFT, Mary Kay Henry of the SEIU, Dennis Williams of the UAW, and Donald Taylor of UNITE HERE. Williams and Weingarten were present on the press call, along with union leaders from each of the private universities.

Williams began the discussion with a statement: “At many of these institutions where the majority have voted yes, administrators have respected their decision and are now working cooperatively with graduate workers to negotiate agreements and ensure the best outcomes for the universities, the students,

and the educators.

“But that isn’t the case everywhere.

Some universities are refusing to respect the results of these elections and have appealed to the Donald Trump National Labor Relations Board. We don’t agree with that. We think that instead of trying to hide behind anti-union labor boards, they should acknowledge the voice of these workers who are so critical to the quality of our universities.”

Williams then mentioned the letters given to the administrations from the unions, whose worldwide membership combined reaches around 4.4 million workers, and their significance.

“I want to be very clear,” he said. “Today’s actions signal a new phase of our involvement and support of a academic organizing.

These workers are not going away, and we will stand with them for as long as it takes and and we will coordinate our resources to support them.”

Bryn Spielvogel, a third-year doctorate student in the Lynch School of Education, spoke on behalf of BC’s Graduate Employees Union.

“We won our union at Boston College last September with a clear majority vote,” Spielvogel said. “Of course, our fight for a union had started long before that because we believe that making improvements in our working conditions, for example securing fair pay, will allow us to focus on doing the best work possible rather than having to worry about whether or not we can pay rent.”

Spielvogel and the other members of the union had originally hoped that BC would voluntarily recognize the union following the election, as New York University and the New School had done.

Vice President for Human Resources David Trainor explained in a previous letter to the BC community, however, that the

union’s decision to withdraw its petition to the NLRB rendered the election held in September moot, meaning that there is no legal basis to require the University to bargain, and no intention on its part to do so voluntarily. BC maintains that its graduate student workers are students and not employees, and that unionization would fundamentally alter the collegial relationship between graduate students and faculty.

“As someone who has organized and fought for this for a while now, to have the results of our election discredited feels wrong, and so because of that and because this is coming together, we’re really thrilled to have the support of this coalition,” Spielvogel said. “It sends a very clear message that we’re not going to go away and that we’re going to keep building momentum in collaboration with other unions.”

Several of the union leaders stressed that collective bargaining for graduate student workers at public universities has been widespread beginning in the 1970s, and proves that collective bargaining works in the university setting.

“There is a long history of … collective bargaining at public universities that has been there for decades, and there some 60 university campuses where workers are represented around the country, particularly, mostly, in the public sector,” said Julie Kushner, director of UAW Region 9A. “What that shows is that collective bargaining works for graduate workers. And this idea that somehow private universities in the U.S. operate entirely different is just a myth, and in fact, it’s just been a basic way that these administrations have hidden behind the law to try and get away without having to bargain … There is no difference between a graduate teaching assistant at a research university like University of Connecticut and a private university like Columbia.” n

THE HEIGHTS

A4

THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

Around the World in 70 Years: Smith’s Career of Service

BY BRENDAN RUBBERY For The Heights Before Charles F. Smith Jr., professor emeritus in the Lynch School of Education, was born, his mother, born herself to the child of a slave, stood in the kitchen and heard a voice.

“Julia,” the voice announced, “your child will meet with leaders around the world.”

In many ways, that mysterious declaration has come true.

An undergraduate period at Bowling Green in the ’50s, and then teaching fellowship at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, were filled with what he calls “goodwill humanitarian missions” around the world.

Though he was very poor, Smith was able to undertake these international humanitarian missions through the charity of those who had the desire and funds to give back, but not the time. They would support him financially to serve in their place.

Upon hearing of a mission to Jamaica as a freshman at Bowling Green, he solicited

donations from nearby community groups to fund the journey.

Upon arriving in Jamaica, Smith met Sir Hugh Foot, then Royal Governor of Jamaica, appointed by King George VI. Sir Foot would have an outstanding impact on the path of his life. He became both a mentor and an advocate, returning to Europe and telling everyone of a young American named Chuck Smith. Soon, Smith began receiving humanitarian invitations from across the Atlantic.

One mission found him in Praunheim, just outside Frankfurt, Germany, in 1953, working with disabled German veterans.

While there, he also worked to find housing for girls, ages 11 through 16, who had been left utterly alone by World War II. “We knew, then, that we would be the leaders of the next generation,” Smith said.

The work placed him alongside young German men, his age, all getting to know each other. Building that sort of goodwill between former adversaries was integral in those times according to Smith, in a world still rebuilding from the most devastating

PHOTO COURTESTY OF BC.EDU

Smith travelled the world, seeking answers to lifelong questions about humanitarianism

war in history.

“We had beaten the Germans, there was no question of that,” Smith said. “But we had not learned to live together as allies.”

He considers the relationships he formed with the young Germans he met and worked alongside, the first post-war generation, to be the brick-and-mortar of international diplomacy. Smith believes today’s divisions could be healed by similar talks—the best way to find solutions is by joining forces and getting to know one another.

Another mission brought him in the Cameroons on a project called Operation Crossroads Africa, in 1958. Because the country was then an imperial property of France, this humanitarian mission put him face-to-face with legendary French statesman Charles de Gaulle. He asked de Gaulle why the French were torturing the Cameroonians. De Gaulle responded, “The French do not torture,” to which Smith responded, “Well, they do. It’s happening right down the road from where I’m living.”

De Gaulle then told him that it must have been “some zealous sergeant.”

Incensed at this encounter, Smith traveled to the United Nations immediately after his return to the United States and filed a petition for Cameroonian freedom.

“I highly recommend it,” Smith said of these missions, some of which formed the basis of what would later become the Peace Corps.

“You want to rub elbows with a diversified group of people who know who you are and what you’ve experienced.”

Smith considers it all part of his lifelong quest to give back.

“I have drank the water of six continents. Each has structures that I have built,” said Smith, “There was a 10-year period, probably eight of which I spent out of the country.”

He met with Eleanor Roosevelt, and was selected by former president John F. Kennedy to serve on a commission addressing minority education.

“It was somewhat selfish, because I gained more than I gave. Giving just makes you feel good.

“I have had a very, very enjoyable life,” Dr. Smith said.

After graduate school he spent several years as a professor at Michigan State University, which lead to a job interview at Boston University. When visiting, however, he felt that something required his attention west, at Boston College.

“I thought, ‘Let’s see what’s going on over there,’” Smith said.

He met with Rev. Charles F. Donovan, S.J., then serving as dean of faculties.

“That was the first job interview.”

He was offered an open position in the Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW).

Smith recalls there being “maybe one other” black faculty member on campus at the time. The sense of isolation was tremendous. He immediately found that there were many doors on campus closed to him, both literally and figuratively.

“The most devastating thing for minorities is isolation,” Smith said. “You don’t push too much because you don’t want to be rejected.”

He recalled one specific incident early in his tenure at BC to illustrate this divide.

Tired of eating his lunch in the car, the young professor decided to visit the faculty dining hall in McElroy Commons.

He purchased his lunch at the counter and walked, “as one does, with one hand on each side of the tray,” and looked around for an open seat.He approached two professors in Lynch that he recognized.As Smith came close, one of the professors looked up and without missing a beat, barked “Don’t you have any friends here?”

“I have been here for 50 years,” he began, “if you had seen what I had seen—walked in my shoes…” He trailed off.

An internationally celebrated figure who was repeatedly distinguished for his social work never experienced alienation as strong as that which he encountered at BC. At a 2016 event conducted by the BC Association of Retired Faculty, Smith sat in a room with more than a dozen former professors and declared that he considered each one of them a colleague of his, but he that did not know what they considered him.

They just looked at him.

Smith has been waiting for more than a year to hear from any of them.

“I have been here for 50 years, and in

that time, Boston College has been Boston College,” said Smith.

Former University President Rev. J. Donald Monan, S.J., even staged public appearances with Smith around campus to alleviate the racial animosity directed toward one of his only black faculty members.

They would eat lunch together in full view of the campus.

“I felt sorry for him,” Smith said of Monan. “He wanted to help me, but he couldn’t.”

Nonetheless, 28 years later, he retired as BC’s first tenured black faculty member.

Despite his long personal struggle against the racism of others, Smith still believes in solutions. In a 2016 lecture he gave at the GSSW titled “High roads, low roads and in between,” Smith decried the language with which we discuss race in the United States.

Smith’s granddaughter, teaching overseas in Taiwan on a Fulbright Scholarship was referred to by her students as “my chocolate teacher.”

Not “black” and “white,” each with its prescriptive connotations, but “chocolate and vanilla,” a far more productive racial discourse in Smith’s eyes.

“If you are this color,” Smith said in the lecture, holding up a stark white paper plate, “stand up.”

“We’ll have the doctor come take you out.”

According to Smith, our language of “black” and “white” is inherently divisive.

Human beings do not inherently belong to these categories. We need to recognize our differences, but not allow them to prevent us from coming together to discuss solutions.

Smith believes that in race relations, like in international diplomacy, conflicts must be talked through. Without the proper language, the strife will only continue.

Of his long and distinguished career, Smith said, “I’ve had my hand on the hand of the Lord.” That hand has taken him down high and low roads.He likens his life, and its many relationships and experiences, to the old patch quilts of an era long passed.

“One finds pieces here and there and looks to see how they might blend,” Smith said. 

I’m Not Interested in Seeing My Name on the Walk of Fame

JOAN KENNEDY I went to Los Angeles for Spring Break and I no longer want to be famous.

When I was a young, I strutted around with false hopes of easily attainable fame because of Hannah Montana. She made it look so easy, as she sang “Best of Both Worlds” in a killer outfit on stage, and then casually hung out with Lily, Oliver, and Jackson over cheese jerkey. I practiced singing in my backyard while shooting hoops—I think because I thought that was the place that no one could hear me (or maybe because I knew the whole neighborhood could hear me and was hoping to be discovered).

No matter my age, I was able to separate my hopes of fame from the everyday, but remained illusioned by the belief in fame as something I could fall back on if I failed at normal life. If I got in a fight with a friend, it didn’t matter because one day I would walk down the red carpet, burdened only by flashing lights and millions of fans chanting my name. My lack of understanding for algebra was not cause for distress, because when I was famous I wouldn’t have to know what time Train A and Train B would get to the station if they left at different times and traveled distinct speeds—I’d have a chauffeur, or at least three Ferraris.

My childhood illusions began to materialize in the seventh grade, when I was at my skinniest and prettiest (ask my five boyfriends from back then and my one boyfriend from now). I was asked to be the face of a new brand by one designer, told I would win a Seventeen Magazine modelling contest by an ex-model—who pushed me to enter and told me she would find me an agent—and was approached by various other people whose reasons I forgot.

I didn’t think it was the time for me to be a breakout superstar, so I ignored the requests and had those people talk

to my people (my mom), who replied simply and effectively, as I turned back to my food.

“She eats too much, I don’t think she’d last very long,” she said.

So, with the help of my mother, I put fame on the backburner, in exchange for unlimited chips and salsa, and I was content.

When I decided to go to Los Angeles with my friends for Spring Break, I figured I would probably get scouted for a blockbuster movie, or at least a hit Disney Channel series that would lead to a subpar breakout into pop music. After escaping the East Coast hurricane, or whatever torrential storm that was in Boston right when break started, I felt especially hopeful walking Los Angeles’ sunbaked streets and breezy boulevards.

I was greeted by all of my favorite things: sunshine, outdoor brunch, and a bounds of beaches. The sand felt good in between my toes—even when it was still stuck in my shoes days later, an itchy reminder that I was on vacation, and the cat-sized seagulls swooping didn’t seem as threatening as they should’ve.

I wore big sunglasses and hiked to the top of the Hollywood sign.

But soon the sand between my toes became bothersome.

We set out to visit Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, where the best of the best in cinema are acknowledged by putting their foot- and handprints outside in concrete slabs. John Wayne, Jim Carrey, Marilyn Monroe, Eddie Murphy, Steven Spielberg, Mel Gibson, Meryl Streep, and Donald Duck (to name a few) all are memorialized there—their presences documented by the ghostly emptiness of their palm imprints in stone.

The greyness of the courtyard was obstructed by the hordes of people running from slab to slab taking pictures—with their khaki shorts sagging and Oakleys somehow staying balanced on their sunburnt noses. I looked up at the tacky-looking theater in disappointment.

It was not charismatic or enticing, the way it looks with the right camera angle, and they wouldn’t even let us

JOAN KENNEDY

ANNA TIERNEY / GRAPHICS EDITOR

see the inside unless we bought a bag of popcorn. I was hoping to have been let in for free, but was even more sad to find that the theater so many strive to walk into for a premier quantified itself in terms of greasy kernels with charcoal centers.

For redemption, we headed to Dolby Theatre, because, although we failed to get invited to the Oscars on such short notice, we still wanted to see the venue. We walked through a shopping mall, where parking was free for under an hour with validation.

I peered into Sephora and Guess as we strutted past them and turned the corner to the epicenter of cinematic glamour.

“That’s it?” I said.

Dolby Theatre is in no way majestic. My Hollywood dreams were plastered over with cheap, rotten milk-colored tiles, and all big screen aspirations covered by used carpets Dolby had gotten on sale from Carnival Cruises.

Only the elite make it to Dolby Theatre for the Oscars. The theatre looks gorgeous when done up for the awards show, with its beautiful drapery and red carpet, which made its reality even more disgusting—I felt like I had been lied to. People spend their entire

lives pursuing their passion, only to end up in the same place as Auntie Anne’s pretzels. It’s a cheap theater in an ugly mall—the epitome of American consumerism—covered over with the illusion of glamour, dressed up in red, black, and gold for those sitting and watching on their couches, green with envy.

When I’m feeling optimistic, I like to think the movie industry’s purpose is to artfully document experiences so that we can live a thousands of lives instead of just one, but standing in the lobby of Dolby Theatre made me think it was all just one big scheme. The Oscars are an over-packaged item.

In their essence, the stars on the Walk of Fame are cool. But in reality, they’re just things people trample over.

They’re ironic—what’s a star on the ground? Not a star at all. What’s a star on earth? That doesn’t exist. You could be the biggest movie star in the world, you could “make it,” but you’ll just have your name walked all over.

As usual, I had an existential crisis, and this one happened to happen in Los Angeles. My mom always told me fame was a silly thing to want, a stupid thing to strive toward. I always gave her a “Yeah OK, you’re right,” and went back to dreaming, because I

thought people who hated on celebrities had just never become celebrities themselves. But being in the hotbed of stardom made me realize how artificial celebrity is.

“Everyone in L.A. has a story. And they always ask you what your story is,” I heard someone say over drinks with a couple of friends, shaking his head.

“Yeah, I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy,” said a guy.

The city is wack, and you don’t realize it until it hits you in the face, right when Dr. Dre’s son spills a drink on you. Everyone pretends they don’t care about celebrities, as if acting above it all makes them a part of it all, but when you’re sitting at Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills, you’ll notice that everyone is looking over their shoulder to see who’s sharing calamari at the next table. Even the celebrities—who probably called the paparazzi to let them know where they were—look around, scanning the horizon for some kind of validation, I thought, as I punched my friend in the arm.

“Isn’t that the girl from White Collar?” I said.

Joan Kennedy is the Magazine editor for The Heights. She can be reached at magazine@bcheights.com.

The Heights

Thursday, March 15, 2018

A5

With Empatica Wearables, Empathy for the Greater Good

By Alessandro Zenati Metro Editor Things are not often how they appear to the naked eye. The people we pass by on the street, the friends we share laughs with, and even the family members we claim to know inside and out have hidden histories. One particular story is that of periodic seizures.

As seizures become more common among college-age adults, advocacy and innovation must operate in tandem not only to inform the development of new forecasting technologies but also to dismantle the stigma associated with revealing one’s history of seizures.

Rosalind Picard, co-founder of Empatica, Inc., faculty chair of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Mind+Hand+Heart Initiative, and trailblazer in the burgeoning field of Affective Computing, sees the road ahead as a human-centered endeavour worthy of her life’s work.

As the daughter of a Navy pilot, Picard was a seasoned globetrotter by the time she was 7 years old. While native to Boston, she has lived in California, Florida, South Carolina, and even Keflavik, Iceland, for a period of time, learning to assimilate quickly into the worlds around her along the way.

She earned an engineering degree, landed a high-profile job at the worldrenowned Bell Labs in New Jersey, and went on to invest in numerous collaborative research projects and teaching positions at MIT. On the surface, this progression might feign linearity or even a lack of friction, with few obstacles in the way. Picard’s story, however, is one molded by dichotomous forces: intention and fortune, welcomed failure and unexpected success, stability and limbo.

“I was the unwanted pregnancy of a 17-year-old college student who thankfully did not choose to have an abortion,” said Picard as a smile began to form at the corners of her mouth. “I was adopted by a wonderful family …

[They’re] the ones I call my mom and dad. So I’ve come full circle from being born to a college student to becoming a college professor.”

Picard’s childhood interests did not provide any particular indication of the work she would eventually do in the future. In fact, she grew up with quite an aversion to science, preferring to in-

dulge in quiet moments of independent exploration above all else.

“I never imagined I would be a scientist, an inventor ... I did think I would be a teacher at one point,” Picard said.

“I liked to play with my stuffed animals and about one other friend. I was pretty much a keep-to-yourself child.”

After college and taking a job at Bell Labs shortly thereafter, Picard developed a fascination with research, particularly within realms of inquiry that had little precedent. She thought that school was often about acquiring information and insights that others already had, and this grew stale for her.

There was uncertainty as to the results of any given project, but that was precisely where the allure for Picard laid.

“I realized how much more fun it was to do research than it was to learn stuff that people already knew,” Picard said. “Suddenly I was doing research on things that nobody knew ... [Research] was more about exploration and discovery than it was about ‘Can you solve this problem that you can look up the answer to in the back of the book?’”

Fueled by this desire to push the boundaries of knowledge in her field, Picard, with support from Bell Labs, went on to obtain a master’s degree and Ph.D. from MIT. Without the added stress of grades and exam preparation, she found her research initiatives to be fun and satisfying, bringing her into close contact with lots of talented individuals from diverse specialties.

At the same time that she was up for tenure at MIT shortly after accepting a teaching position, Picard had been pioneering research in the field she developed called Affective Computing.

This field is concerned with research involving computing that relates to emotion, arises from emotion, or deliberately influences emotion and other affective phenomena.

Despite being a disregarded area of inquiry for most investigators, Picard believed that there was great value in understanding whether technology could be leveraged to measure emotion from faces, voices, and even human physiology.

This work in the realm of humanrobot interaction set the groundwork for Alexa and Siri to be developed later on, as stress and frustration—ignored by emotion theorists—are the most common emotions associated with

Alessandro Zenati / Heights Editor

Empatica’s Embrace writsband predicts that a seizure is about to occur and relays a message to the user’s paired phone. computer interactions. Few people latched onto the idea at first, but Jerry Wiesner, former president of MIT, offered Picard a timely piece of advice that would serve as a guiding leitmotif for her future work.

“I asked him what junior faculty should really be doing, and he said ‘Take risks.’ So I took the risk thinking ‘What am I doing?’” Picard said. “Was all my hard work to build a good reputation being flushed down the toilet?”

The transformation was gradual but steady, as more and more academics, researchers, and innovators began to look into Affective Computing as an insight into how best to design intelligent machines for interfacing with humans.

Years of research on stress in children with autism and continued collaboration with MIT Media Lab students began to point Picard toward an inevitable “next step” for success in the lab: commercialization of the resulting technologies. Altruism polished away any initial reluctance to build a startup that she harbored.

“I thought companies were evil,” Picard said. “I felt like I was going to the dark side. But we had to start it because we had so many people who could benefit from our technology.”

Co-founded by Picard, Matteo Lai, Maurizio Garbarino, and Simone

Tognetti, Empatica was born in 2011 out of the MIT Media Lab, translating what began as a research fascination into a wearable form factor similar to that of the Apple Watch. Empatica currently offers two products in the form of the FDA-approved Embrace wristband, which uses AI and machine learning to continually track, detect, and even forecast seizure episodes via physiological data sensed from the wrist, and the E4 wristband designed for researchers to acquire real-time physiological data visualized through a software.

When the Embrace wristband predicts that a seizure is about to occur, it relays this message to the user’s paired phone and sends an alert to all individuals listed as caregivers in the Empatica Alert App. While Empatica does sell its Embrace wristbands directly to consumers, the team is working with about eight or nine elite research hospitals in Boston and around the country to distribute them to patients in need.

Even though Empatica’s particular area of interest lies in seizure detection, it ultimately wants to provide a multifunctional and aesthetically sleek wearable device for everyone.

“We really want to make it a gorgeous device that people who just want a super high-quality measurement

watch can wear,” explained Picard. “It’s doing a lot that even people without epilepsy are interested in, such as tracking sleep quality.”

The human impact of Empatica’s work is significant, not only in helping epilepsy patients obtain the support they need from family and friends but also in creating a true community of caregivers for those with frayed social networks. Despite being relatively lowrisk incidents, seizures are proving to be problematic topic of discussion on college campuses where privacy is not always available.

There is often a stigma attached to talking about one’s own experience with seizures, but Picard hopes students will step beyond this obstacle and open up a dialogue about issues around seizures and depression. She encourages college students to talk with their roommates and friends about being informal caregivers or “buddies” should either of them have a seizure on campus. With the Embrace wristband and the Alert App, Empatica is in many ways trying to strengthen the essential human bonds that help us lead healthy and empowered lives.

“Only when you go through everything and ask questions do you learn about things that you weren’t expecting to find,” Picard said. “Always seek understanding.” n

The Secret to Success: Panel of Female Entrepreneurs Share Business Insights

By Keely Dickes For The Heights

Screenshot of City Council Meeting

Newton Passes Moratorium on Recreational Marijuana Marijuana Moratorium, from A1 problems they may face. Councillor David A. Kalis argued that even if it couldn’t provide all of the answers for zoning regulations, it could allow them to better anticipate the problems they will run into down the road.

Councillor Brenda Noel similarly said that the exemption could help them figure out what they don’t know, since the type of establishments being opened will be new to the city and its residents.

Councillor Joshua Krintzman added that the people of Newton have voted that they want to open these shops, and that this should be taken into consideration.

Residents had previously expressed that they were unhappy with the delay, as they had voted to have the establishments legalized and felt that their votes had not been heard.

Councillor Greg Schwartz spoke briefly before the final vote on the moratorium to remind the council that they cannot limit the number of recreational marijuana establishments to any less than 20 percent of its off-site liquor licensed establishments, meaning that Newton could see upwards of seven or eight marijuana shops.

“We know that that these establishments are going to open and they’re going to open in Newton,” Krintzman said.

Residents of Newton voted “yes” to Question Four on Nov. 8, 2016, which legalized recreational marijuana use for adults ages 21 and over, with 54.7 percent in favor and 45.3 percent not in favor, according to Newton Patch.

Approximately 90 other towns in Massachusetts have passed temporary moratoria on recreational establishments. n

On Feb. 28, three accomplished women gathered at the General Assembly, Boston for “How She Got There: An Evening with Female Entrepreneurs” The panelists consisted of Yuri Tomikawa, Bobbie Carlton, and Gina Nebesar.

They did not plan on being innovators—for each of them, an experience or inspiration drove them to the startup world. For Tomikawa, it was her own process of securing a therapist.

“I thought it was going to be this quick search of going online, and it was totally not the case,” Tomikawa said. “I took weeks looking for therapists, reaching out, leaving voice messages, not hearing back.”

Sometimes she contacted therapists only to find out they were not taking any more patients, or their fees were much higher than expected.

Tomikawa recognized that this period of seeking a therapist cou ld be critical for many people, especially those suffering from more serious conditions, and a way to accelerate the process was much needed.

In response she founded Zencare, an online service to match therapists with clients. Tomikawa’s focus is quality: All therapists undergo screenings and background checks.

Zencare.co is equipped with filters for insurance and therapist specialty, provides photos and videos of prospective therapists, and includes a free call with the therapist to help ensure a good match.

To navigate the creation of her product, Tomikawa acted as a therapist “matchmaker” among friends and acquaintances for free, learning what crite-

ria people were looking for in a therapist and the roadblocks to this actualization.

“I also never intended to be an entrepreneur,” said Carlton, who worked a corporate job for 25 years before becoming invested in the startup community when she saw an opportunity for growth.

She had been on the board of a museum that did Innovation Days, which displayed typewriters in a hardly current fashion, until she realized she could bring new, fresh ideas into the museum with the creation of mass.innovationnights. com. “A friend made me a super quick website, and I tweeted out ‘who wants to have a product launch party?’” said Carlton.

Two hundred fifty people showed up that night, posting pictures, blogging, and sharing on social media—in other words, generating awareness of local companies.

On March 14, Innovation Nights held its 108th event.

In the past, Innovation Nights has been hosted by Google, Verizon, and more—meeting once a month and helping launch around 1,000 new products, as well as serving as a hub for job seekers and hiring managers to connect.

As much as Carlton celebrated this success, however, she noticed an inadequate representation of women in the entrepreneurial world. To remedy this, she founded Innovation Women, an online speakers’ bureau that sends out 100 speaking opportunities a week. It is a completely self-service, online platform.

Her third venture, Carlton PR Marketing, provides services such as social media marketing, content creation, and startup counseling.

Nebesar’s startup story has a similar tone: When her cofounder, Alex Baron, and his wife were thinking of starting a family, it occurred to Nebesar and Baron

that the process could be made much easier. Baron was studying statistics at Harvard, and the two endeavored to use data science as a tool to predict fertility rates. With the help of Baron’s algorithm, they launched Ovia Fertility—Ovia Pregnancy and Ovia Parenting soon followed.

Ovia’s three apps have now helped nearly 10 million women and families through a healthy pregnancy and birth process. Ovia Fertility is more than just a period tracker: It includes an ovulation calculator and calendar, articles on conception and fertility, and predictions for irregular periods.

In addition, to support women with different fertility priorities, there is a “not trying to conceive” mode. Ovia Pregnancy is complete with real-time alerts for when symptoms could be dangerous—the app has helped women manage their risk of preeclampsia.

With Ovia Parenting, parents can see current development updates and connect with other women and families in an anonymous community.

“The most exciting part of my job is getting to talk to the users of our apps and knowing that we’re helping them—to hear somebody tell me that Ovia is her best friend, there’s nothing more rewarding than that,” Nebesar said.

What advice do these creators give others who are rising entrepreneurs?

“There are a lot of companies out there that are a solution in search of a problem,” Carlton said. “They are companies where somebody had a great idea but they never stopped to think if there was a true need for it.”

“Figure out what problem you are solving, what pain you are making go away. Also figure out if someone is willing to pay to make that pain go away.” n

The Heights

A6

EDITORIALS

Thursday, March 15, 2018

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Activism in Wake of Shooting is Commendable

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.”

- Stephen Hawking

Boston Public Schools were ing their displeasure with local students and faculty surroundclosed on Wednesday, but stu- politicians as they address such ing issues of gun violence in dents remained active none- a serious issue. institutions of higher education. theless. In solidarity with the At Boston College, about 50 Furthermore, similar incidents 17 victims of the shooting at students and faculty members involving gun violence have ocMarjor y Stoneman Douglas participated in an organized curred on college campuses that High School in Parkland, Fla., walk out on Wednesday. Those ought to have incited responses thousands of high school stu- who partook demonstrated the parallel to the thousands of high dents across the country walked necessary involvement in and school students across the counout of their classes for 17 try: In 2007, a gunman at minutes at 10 a.m. local Virginia Tech killed over “...more college students time. Although two feet 30 students and faculty of snow could have hinprompting the ought to follow in the footsteps members, dered demonstrations in third-deadliest shooting of their high school peers...” the Northeast, hundreds of in American history. Such students in Massachusetts acts of violence are not proceeded to march to removed from institutions the State House to contribute to awareness of gun violence that of higher education, and students the national march for stricter ought to be more prevalent on should be more aware of the dangun control legislation. Their college campuses. In the wake of gers of gun violence on college persistent action demonstrates the recent tragic shooting of a BC campuses. Additionally, more not only the students’ maturity alum, the University’s new, per- college students ought to follow and recognition of nationwide sonal connection to this conflict in the footsteps of their high issues, but also the responsibility suggests that the BC community school peers in taking action after they have assumed by display- should prioritize dialogue among recognizing these issues.

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Have an event that BC students might be interested in? Contact Alessandro Zenati, Metro Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or email metro@ bcheights.com.

Sports Events Want to report the results of a game? Have an athlete you think should have his or her story told? Call Anders Backstrom, Sports Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or email sports@bcheights.com.

Features Stories Is there a person at BC you believe has a story that should be told?

If so, contact Joan Kennedy, Features Editor, at (617) 552-3548, or email features@bcheights.com.

Arts Events For future arts events, email a detailed description of the event and contact information to the Arts Desk. Call Jacob Schick, Arts and Review Editor, at (617) 552-0515, or email arts@bcheights.com.

Photography Are you interested in photography? Do you want to take pictures for an event? If so, contact Kaitlin Meeks, Photo Editor, at (617) 552-1022, or email photo@bcheights.com.

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The Heights strives to provide its readers with complete, accurate, and balanced information. If you believe we have made a reporting error, have information that requires a clarification or correction, or questions about The Heights standards and practices, you may contact Connor Murphy, Editor-in-Chief, at (617) 552-2223, or email eic@bcheights.com.

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The Heights

Thursday, March 15, 2018

A7

Relaxing Spots for BC Students Imitating Our Idols 69

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Madeleine Hughes

When your professors cancel class before BC calls the snow day - We all knew for a while that we weren’t going to have school on Tuesday. Every other university in Boston had called off school hours before Boston College, but we really enjoy the suspense so it’s totally fine that BC waited until the last possible moment to announce its closure. Maybe, though, you were lucky, and you have a professor (or a few, if you’re really #blessed) sent straight from God who actually canceled your classes before 9:52 p.m. because some people have souls and care about your safety but mostly their own—what rational human being was about to drive in that blizzard? Maybe you wouldn’t have gone to class anyway. Or maybe you would’ve had to go because you’ve missed too many of your Tuesday classes already, and your grade has already dropped a letter grade or—more likely—two. I wish I could say that I am one of those fortunate students who chose professors with compassion, but, alas, I am not.

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When your professor reschedules class - Even if your professor didn’t email you before BC did, school was canceled. Snow Day Calculator gave it a 99 percent chance specifically for BC—it was basically guaranteed. So, joy—classes were canceled and school was shut down. But what happens when your professor sends you a survey to find a time when all of the students in the class are free so that he can reschedule class? The best you can hope for is that there’s no singular time when everyone’s free. At that point, though, your misfortune is so obtrusive that that would be highly unlikely. This monster—I mean professor—lets you take the day off.

But can you really enjoy two-foot mounds of snow when you know in the back of your mind that you have an extra class later this week?

Maybe you can. But, when you do have this class instead of a free hour to watch a handful of episodes of whatever show you’re catching up on, you’ll be completely overcome with resentment.

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Let’s face it: We are entering the worst part of winter. With break behind us, spring (and Easter) a faint whisper in the distance, and many gray, midterm-filled days to fill the chasm in between, winter in Boston stretches monotonously and bleakly ahead. Every day I walk to class, I can’t help but overhear the agitated groans of fellow winter cynics. Dismal grunts of “This weather sucks!” or “It’s so cold,” hang over the quads and infiltrate classrooms as students shove off heavy winter coats and damp rain jackets.

The pervasive cold colors the skies of midterm season grimly, sending my mood spiraling into constant complaint and negativity at the very moment that I hunger for the prospect of brighter days. There comes a point when enough is enough: Instead of resentfully accepting a world of biting cold and endless gloom, I turn toward cozy study spots and city hideaways that help me escape the din of winter.

When tests and papers devour my week, I find solace in the anticipation of new cafés I can explore and local spaces on campus that help me destress and emerge revived. Whether you prefer to nestle up with a book on campus or feel restless and want to adventure into Boston, I’ve discovered the best winter escapes that I will share with you. These are the places that I go to evade the dropping temps, get some serious studying done, relax, or just enjoy the adventures of winter.

I hope my ideas succeed in converting winter skeptics into admirers and reveal that even where there is cold, there also exists the opportunity to discover warmth and renewal.

On-Campus Hideaways 1. The Theology Library Where even is the Theology Library, you might ask? It is Brighton Campus’s best kept secret. Only a 10minute walk from Lower, the Theology Library sounds off-putting at first (cold concrete exterior, off-campus locale), but it is the quietest spot on

campus. The lighting inside the library is warm and inviting, boasting small study rooms and quiet reading nooks (comfy chairs included). The graduate students at the front desk are always friendly. Oh, and did I mention there is a room fully stocked with hot coffee and tea at all hours? Mind blown.

Sometimes they have cookies and brownies, too. The Theology Library is hands down the best spot to relax and unplug while getting some serious studying done.

2. The Sauna at the Plex I hardly ever work out in the Plex.

Most days, if you spot me there, I never leave the women’s locker room.

That’s because hidden among the rows of lockers and fogged mirrors lies the sauna. The sauna is the best relaxation tool Boston College has to offer—it is basically a free mini-spa. After a day spent running between class and the library and shuttling to and from PULSE, I grab a friend and some running shorts, and lock myself in a room full of warmth and peace. The temperatures soar, my friend and I catch up and begin to sweat out some toxins, and I emerge 20 minutes later sleepy, relaxed, and completely renewed.

3. The Bridge Between Stokes North and Stokes South Nine a.m. is the perfect time to grab a nice latte at the Chocolate Bar and settle into the comfy chairs overlooking Stokes Quad. Sometimes midterm season calls for an early morning study session, and the bridge is the perfect place to go. In the morning, the space is quiet, and you don’t have to compete for a chair. The sun shines through the large windows, creating a perfect peaceful reading space.

Off-Campus Getaways 1. Outdoor Adventures Trips For $15 you can escape the hectic BC scene and drive an hour from Boston for hiking, snowshoeing, or paddleboarding in the serenity of nature. Two weeks ago, I went hiking near Mount Wachusett. Along the way, I met six new friends and enjoyed a breathtaking view at the summit of the mountain. Chatting was easy (even though we were all strangers) as we picked our way through pine tree groves and around large boulders. I returned to campus just before 4 p.m. ready to tackle the rest of my Saturday and the looming week ahead. You

can sign up for the many fun outdoor adventure trips through the BC Plex website.

2. The Boston Athenaeum The Boston Athenaeum is one of Boston’s hidden gems. Located a block from Boston Common, this private library hosts George Washington’s complete private book collection and even a book made out of human skin.

Sunlit reading spots are nestled among the Grecian statues and shelves of books that stretch from floor to ceiling. During weeks when I know I have lots of reading for class, I love to nab a spot by the window with a hot cup of coffee and settle in for a cozy afternoon spent catching up on work and enjoying a spot surrounded by Boston history.

4. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum For some weekend fun away from the bustle of college life, look no further than this art-filled oasis. The many rooms of the museum are built around a central indoor garden. As you wander around admiring the many gorgeous pieces of romantic art, the delicate scent of lilies and other exotic blooms create a one-of-a-kind sensory experience. The museum is a great place to meander with a friend, sit at the cafe and read, or simply escape the chill of winter in a sunny outsidemeets-inside getaway. An added bonus: Admission is free for BC students!

5. Thinking Cup Located along Boston Common, Thinking Cup offers a chance for busybodies to disconnect. The café features amazing coffee (with pictureworthy designs etched into the foam), amazing food, intimate tables, and no Wi-Fi. That’s right. People are encouraged to read or catch up with a friend instead of remaining removed from the world on a device. If constant texting, endless emails, and people’s incessant Punta Cana pictures from Spring Break have you feeling down, turn off your phone for a few hours and recharge with a comforting hot drink and a little reading. A nice walk through Boston Common before heading back to BC is also highly recommended.

Madeleine Hughes is an op-ed columnist for The Heights. She can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

The Great Plate Caper Plaguing BC Austin Bodetti Back in my junior year, when I couldn’t grow facial hair—to be fair, I still can’t now—Boston College managed to lose 2,000 plates from one of its dining halls, Corcoran Commons, or, as the youths like to call it, “Lower.”

Granted, BC loses things all the time, such as any football game ever and all its rivalries with Boston University, which is actually in Boston. Still, I struggled to comprehend that number—and not just because I had almost failed math core. “How could BC lose 2,000 plates?” I wondered while stroking my stubble. “How many plates did it have to begin with?”

When I sought advice from my lover friend Chris Reynolds, known to fans of my country-spanning comedic email list as “Krispy Kreme,” he encouraged me to solve the mystery in the spirit of my two-part Mattress Firm investigation (1 and 2), which revealed that Mattress Firm’s name, contrary to popular belief, is not a pun.

Those columns had given me a reputation as “Mystery-Solving Austin,” The Heights’s only competent columnist. I had to uphold my good name.

Google informed me that The Heights had reported on the missing plates twice, first in October 2016 and again in February 2017. A reputable investigative reporter would have read those articles in full, but reputable investigative reporters get paid for their work, so I just read the first few para-

graphs, then texted some sophomores to buy me lunch because I had worked up a sweat. The sophomores declined because no one wants to buy food for a sweaty senior, not even for MysterySolving Austin.

I noticed in my initial “research” that The Heights, being The Heights, never followed up on the mystery of the 2,000 missing plates. I was in uncharted territory, much like the protagonist of the video game series “Uncharted,” which is about a protagonist in uncharted territory.

My first move was to email Jack Dunn, an associate vice president of something at BC and—as BC proudly states on its website—a man who once got into battle with a movie that won two Oscars and lived to tell the tale.

By the looks of it, the Dunnster was my kind of guy.

Rather than answer my email himself, the Dunnster, kind soul that he is, forwarded it to Megan “Meg” O’Neill, associate director of operations at BC Dining, and Derrick Cripps, whose surname—it must be observed—rhymes with “frips” and whose two LinkedIn profiles refer to him rather ominously as “general manager.” General manager of what?

We’ll never know. That’s not our mystery today.

Meg gave me the DL on what my two and a half friends and I had termed “the Great Plate Caper.” According to her, the tragedy started when BC Dining tried getting students to use plates instead of disposable containers to be environmentally friendly.

Because millennials in general and BC students in particular ruin literally everything, this strategy worked too

well, resulting in Lower losing 2,000 plates in a single month. “A very few students took it as a OMG moment, but in reality no one really returned any,” she said. “We were only able to recover by going to the dorms and doing a collection.”

Though BC managed to recover a few hundred plates, my conversation with Meg revealed the existence of a far greater mystery: “We have not implemented a new system though we have losses every year, which is pretty consistent. For example, Corcoran needs to replace over 22,000 metal forks every year. Yes, 22,000! We have brought it up with different student groups every year, though the loss rate is pretty steady year to year. … It is an ongoing struggle for us, and we ask all students to help us.”

“Shit: Who has amassed literally tens of thousands of forks?” I thought when I read that paragraph, given my tendency to swear in my columns to annoy The Heights’s Stalinist censors.

I strongly debated calling the A&E show Hoarders to pick up where this column leaves off, but no one deserves to be punished with A&E or—God forbid—TLC. I’m only mildly cruel and unusual.

Meg related that Lower is already missing 1,200 plates from this year.

This number is somewhat better than the days of the Great Plate Caper and pales in comparison to the Fork FiveFinger Discount, but still. We can do better. What happened to the good old days when BC students just stole laptops?

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

The opinions and commentaries of the op-ed columnists and cartoonists appearing on this page represent the views of the author or artist of that particular piece, and not necessarily the views of The Heights. Any of the columnists and artists for the Opinions section of The Heights can be reached at opinions@bcheights.com.

Matthew Kelly As I press the cigar to my mouth, I inhale, doubly, both the assuaging smoke and the consultation of my dear friend.

It is not often that you can revel in the brilliance of smoking indoors. Aside black coffee and constantly profound and challenging conversation, I find myself romanticizing the atmosphere. For but a moment, my colleague and I envelop the spirit of a past intellection as our actions mirror those of a young Sartre and Camus occupying a café in Paris, wrangling over the most abstruse topics in the most cursory of manners. It is a reflection that we seem to invite, and that invitation almost enhances the experience at hand. It is in this vein that we all pursue an image, or more than one at that.

And this glamorization and imitation of our idols in society is nothing to fear—it is rather something we should all embrace, barring any icons of undeniable ill-repute. At Boston College, there is a surplus of conformity in the decision to pursue nothing, to mold ourselves with a desire to fit in rather than to stand out.

We fear the social castigation that often accompanies seeking out an atypical image for ourselves. We fear failing to amount to the very image and mold we hold for our future selves, and thus we are suspended in our journey toward our apex.

Too often, BC students forge an image based on that of those around them— peers who, on the surface, seem to have firmly grasped life and all its challenges.

It is in this way that our student body yields so many synonymous figures, differing only by name. Instead of encouraging assimilation, we should each, as individuals, strive to emulate the people who we hold with high regard within society. Too often we are paralyzed trying to find originality when the inspiration needed to assist our formation resides in so many of the people we already idolize. George Bernard Shaw states, “Life is not about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself.” Thus, we must form ourselves in the image and likeness of all those we revere and all the splendid attributes they represent. We should not be afraid to echo the prose of our favorite writers, imitate the notes of our favorite singers, or embody the message of our favorite intellectuals. It is in the attempt to acquiesce the admirable facets of these people that we garner within ourselves the pieces of our most excellent self.

It is when our trepidation prevents us from chasing an image that our progress as individuals is truly halted. There exists a shrewd aphorism that goes, “All art has been contemporary.” In the same mood, all humans are individuals contemporary relative to those who have come before them. When we neglect the possibility of drawing inspiration from the personas and atmospheres that precede us, we refuse to acknowledge the splendor of any life before ours. There is certainly no need to “reinvent the wheel” but rather a pressing demand to develop and perfect it. Alas, we should not attempt to flourish without help, and we should not be weary of adopting the traits and features of the many great characters in this great story of life. When we are willing to do so, perhaps we will find that we did not transform into those we esteem, but instead we became someone esteemed by others.

As I drag the cigar from my lips, I exhale, doubly, both the alleviating smoke, and my careful rejoinder. I can feel the dichotomy of satisfaction in knowing that I am both chasing an image yet creating one at the same time. Thus, here we must all attempt to hunt down an image we admire—maybe even two or three or four—as it is in the summation of these images and values we chase that we find our true self. Never again will we have such access to resources, teachers, and, paramountly, time. It is here, then, at BC where we must decide what images we as individuals are going to chase, and how we plan to create ourselves. We must not be afraid to strive toward an ideal, toward a romanticized personality, and in doing so realize how the formation of ourselves has benefitted immensely.

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

The Heights

A8

Thursday, March 15, 2018

BC Alumna Among Victims of Shooting at Napa Veterans Home Loeber, from A1 who came in direct contact with Wong before being ordered to leave the room.

Wong exchanged fire with a deputy from the Napa County Sheriff ’s Office, and held the three employees hostage for a number of hours before killing them and committing suicide.

Loeber was a 2008 graduate of the Boston College School of Social Work and the executive director of the Pathway Home. Jen Golick, a staff psychologist, and Jennifer Gonzales, a psychologist with the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs, are the other victims of the gunman.

As news of the event spread across the country, countless individuals mourned the deaths of the employees.

Yountville Mayor John Dunbar told local reporters that the three will be remembered as beautiful people and called the gunman “one of our heroes who clearly had demons.” Many expressed their condolences and thoughts on gun control on Twitter, using the hashtags “#Younteville” and “#NeverAgain.” President Donald Trump took to Twitter to express his sadness over the tragedy.

The Heights received comments from various members of the Boston College community expressing their sorrow over Loeber’s loss.

“Christine was, by all accounts, a loving, caring and selfless individual who chose her career path after attending the School of Social Work so that she could help veterans who were struggling with mental illness,” University Spokesman Jack Dunn said in an email to The Heights. “She died doing what she loved and was called to do. The prayers of the entire BC community go out to the Loeber family.”

Additionally, Dean of the GSSW Gautam Yadama issued a letter to the GSSW community the day after the event occurred, detailing Loeber’s academic life at BC and professional life after graduation, as well as expressing his personal sadness that she was a victim of this tragedy. Personal friends of hers also took the time to speak with The Heights.

“From our perspective, being very good friends with Christine—she’s like a member of our family—we feel like we’ve had this charmed life until now, and we have young boys who have never been touched by tragedy,” said Tom Turner, husband of Maureen Turner. “This is unbelievable—both the person it happened to and the manner in which it happened.”

Prior to attending BC, Loeber received a degree in communication from the University of New Hampshire and then had a career in marketing, working with the New England Sports Network. She later transitioned to the health care industry, working for the homeless, and developed a passion for serving underprivileged individuals, according to Sharon Baker, a former coworker and the clinical director of the Women’s Integrated Treatment and Recovery Program at the Boston VA Medical Center. This inspired her to return to school in her mid-30s for social work.

“Being her friend, it was clear that she always had an incredible empathy with everyone,” Turner said. “It isn’t a surprise to me that she would do something that is more oriented toward helping people. You could just see her ability to do that simply because you were her friend.”

After Loeber graduated, Baker worked with her at the VA Medical Center, where she started her career as a trauma and addictions therapist.

She later worked as a social worker, specializing in trauma in the Men and Women’s Trauma Recovery Program at the Palo Alto VA and acting as assistant chief of mental health for the Community Based Outpatient Clinic, outpatient therapist, and military sexual trauma coordinator at the Santa Rosa VA. She most recently worked as the executive director of the Yountville Pathway Home program, the largest of its kind in the United States.

Vibrant, passionate, confident, and fun, Loeber engaged on a deeply personal level with each veteran or staff member she encountered and possessed an extraordinary work ethic.

One veteran who she treated at the medical center, Christina Fields, spoke

about how Loeber connected with her and helped her reintegrate into society after fighting in Iraq.

“Christine would make me feel safe and ease me into talking because I was shy in the groups,” she said. “Oneon-one therapy with her gave me the strength to think before reacting to a situation.”

In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle in November, Loeber discussed the methodology behind her therapy.

“When these people are in combat, their systems are programmed to keep them alive under incredibly stressful situations,” Loeber said. “Nobody helps them understand that when they get back they have to reprogram their nervous system to operate at a different caliber so they can be successful civilians.”

She also decided to experiment with complementary and alternative medicine, and began doing traumasensitive yoga with the veterans while working in Massachusetts.

This instantly became a hit, and she continued to do this wherever she had to relocate when she got a new job.

“Her true dedication was to working with veterans,” Baker said. “She had a strong interest in helping people

Santiago Mejia / The san francisco Chronicle

who’ve experienced trauma to have better lives. Her yoga and all her work speak to this.”

Loeber’s impact, Turner believes, will be that she inspired more people to take up the causes that she believed in and that her death underscores the need for people like her to pursue this work.

“The way I look at it, she was living her passion fully in terms of her work, and she ended up having that cut short,” Baker said. “But somehow, that

spirit lives on, and I think it inspires people. More than anything, it can be an inspiration to live fully, because you never know what might happen.

One veteran whom Loeber treated at the Massachusetts VA facility reached out to Baker, offering a powerful thought on her legacy.

“The pain may never leave us, but we can be dedicated to our purpose in life and capture the love and livelihood that Christine showed us with her life,” the veteran said. n

Josh Edelson / associated press

Ball and Buck Offers ‘Made in America’ Retail Experience Founded in 2008, it offers shoppers only items produced in the U.S., crowdfunded products, and a full-service barbershop.

By Joanna Yuelys

For The Heights

The tagline for Newbury Street clothing store Ball and Buck indicates that this shop is not merely a place to pick up a pair of boots or a flannel. “A hunting and fishing inspired clothing brand for the sporting outdoorsman” represents a full-blown lifestyle for its patrons.

Ball and Buck, founded in 2008 by Babson alumnus Mark Bollman, seeks to create a space for its customers to find items that fit a lifestyle of curated adventure. “[The mission at founding was] to create a sporting focused brand that combined prideful craftsmanship with quality that was the best in the world,” Bollman said.

Ball and Buck initially derived funding from friends and family, and from there the enterprise has worked hard to grow and adapt to the needs of its customer base.

The store on Newbury Street is not an ordinary clothing retailer. Toward the back of the cabin-like room is a barbershop where the customers, generally men, can come and get a service

while shopping for their items.

Zach Page, the store operations manager, discusses the growing trend where high-end clothing stores bundle in another service to keep customers coming into the storefront. This could include the aforementioned barbershop, a coffee shop, or even a bar.

“We’re seeing it as a way to keep people in a brick and mortar in an era where brick and mortar is dying down consistently,” Page said.

Ball and Buck emphasizes its efforts to make sure all of its items are produced in the United States. Even products like its New Balance sneakers are produced in U.S. factories despite New Balance’s tendency toward overseas manufacturing. Some of Ball and Buck’s product sourcing is outside of the United States but is carefully regulated, such as its use of Italian Merino wool. Additionally, some of its grooming products and headphones are produced outside of the United States, but the company works to make sure that these are regulated as well.

“We focus on researching and investing in the smallest details to ensure we are making products that

Joanna Yuelys / For The Heights

are going to last,” Bollman said. “Our customers have come to expect this quality from us.”

The efforts to keep the business model domestic allows the company to have oversight and control the quality of its products, and it produces results.

“We’re offering a product that is going to be better than pretty much anywhere else on the street,” Page said. “They’re coming to us and buying a shirt that will last them years.”

To further cultivate its brand, Ball and Buck has features on its website to allow loyal followers to see real-life uses of the products. The “Journals” section is a series of articles written

by Bollman and his team covering anything from recipes to the trips Bollman takes into the field to learn more about his customers and enjoy nature in the same way that so many of them do.

The Lookbooks come out biannually, once in the fall and once in the spring, and are series of pictures showing models in the field using the products.

The photos are romantic and evoke a sense of rugged authenticity—a sense that you too could be on these adventures.

Despite only having one brick-andmortar store, Ball and Buck partners with American Field and sets up pop-up shops across the country.

“We are always trying to find people who are invested in the brand and dedicated to the product,” Page said. “[We want to] bring this united vision of made-in-the-U.S. goods and long-lasting quality on the road.”

These stores have appeared in Charleston, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Washington D.C., as well as many other cities across America. D.C. is one of the companies’ biggest demographics, with their efforts there last September being their second-highest-grossing pop-up endeavor yet.

The College General program allows customers devoted to the brand to apply to become ambassadors and help spread

Joanna Yuelys / For The Heights

Babson alumnus Mark Bollman founded the store to combine craftsmanship and quality. the influence of Ball and Buck via word of mouth. This is program is unique because ambassadors also help out with photo shoots and American Field events, giving them a very hands-on interaction with the company.

“They’re people who have worked with us very closely and have watched the brand take place,” Page said.

When developing products, Ball and Buck focuses on its consumer with a meticulousness and intensity not typically mirrored by larger brands.

“The early execution was really a learning experience where we listened to our early customers to determine what would be the most popular,” Bollman said.

The Hatchery is another aspect of Ball and Buck that is rather unique, allowing patrons to crowdfund various products and get them at a discount before their limited release in the store.

As these products are generally those which loyal customers have been requesting, this practice allows them to have their voices heard, while ben-

efiting from the discount as well.

“Our wallets were originally crowdfunded—now they’re one of the most popular items in the shop,” Page said.

“In the end it helps us figure out what people actually want.”

While the brand caters to men, there are women who use the products, and are even featured in some of the Lookbooks. Most items in the store are unisex in practicality, so some female customers will buy them and get them tailored—a service offered by Ball and Buck. With items like boots, while the storefront might not stock their size, it is possible for women to request a smaller size from the manufacturer.

Still growing, Ball and Buck is moving promisingly forward with its mission. Bollman described the next steps for the company.

“We will be launching a membership program that enables our customers to become more connected with the brand and have access to early product launches, extra savings, and a personal stylist.” n

SPORTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

B1

@HEIGHTSSPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Western Kentucky Ends BC’s Season in First Round of NIT

BY ANDY BACKSTROM Sports Editor Boston College men’s basketball and Western Kentucky entered the NIT Tournament with two of the 50 most efficient offenses in the Boston College 62 country, accordWestern Ky. 79 ing to KenPom. com. Both teams looked the part for the first quarter of Tuesday night’s first-round

matchup, shooting a combined 19-of-34.

Then all of a sudden, the wheels came flying off the Eagles, who were playing their fourth game in the past seven days.

Quarter-by-quarter, BC’s field goal percentage continued to dip, as the Eagles recorded a mere 31.1-percent clip over the course of the final 30 minutes of play.

For the third time in the past four games, head coach Jim Christian’s team failed to make more than a third of its 3-point at-

tempts, dashing any hopes at a second-half comeback. But even if BC was on its game offensively, it still could have found itself on the wrong side of the box score.

The Eagles couldn’t buy a stop on the other end of the floor, allowing the Hilltoppers—a team that was a tip-in away from stealing the Conference U.S.A. Championship and punching its ticket to its first NCAA Tournament in five years— to shoot 55.4 percent from the floor. WKU,

which came into the game averaging 5.5 triples, the 18th-fewest in the nation, bagged six 3-pointers. Yet the Hilltoppers really asserted their dominance inside the arc, hitting 67.3 percent of their 2-point shots. Justin Johnson led the charge with 19 points and 12 rebounds, shoving a 7962 loss down the Eagles’ throats, ending BC’s storybook season.

Throughout the first quarter, the fifthseeded Eagles (19-16, 7-11 Atlantic Coast),

once again donning the Boston-themed alternate jerseys, resembled the team that upset NCAA Tournament-bound North Carolina State in the second round of the ACC Tournament six days earlier.

After missing its first shot, BC scored on its next five possessions, storming out to a four-point lead. Both Ky Bowman and Jerome Robinson were clicking, and Stef-

Floored

Murphy’s Law

See MBB vs. WKU, B3

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

BRADLEY SMART My family started doing an NCAA Tournament bracket pool a few years back, with the winner picking dinner and a movie—the latter is a particularly contentious topic each and every night when we are browsing potential choices, so it’s as good of a prize as you could wish for.

Despite watching the most college basketball, reading the most articles, and pouring over advanced stats for hours on end, however, I have never won. I haven’t been particularly close, either. It’s a painful fact that each year, without fail, I end up grasping at straws as my title pick is bounced in the Sweet Sixteen, or a particularly low seed catches fire at the right moment and leaves my bracket in shambles.

The tournament reflects a popular adage—Murphy’s Law. It states, in its simplified form (at least per Matthew McConaughey’s character in Interstellar), “that whatever can happen, will happen.”

Ask Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine, a player of the year candidate back in 2016, about that, and you’ll surely get a similar answer. His Spartans, picked to win in the second-highest amounts of brackets, were bounced in the first round by No. 15 Middle Tennessee—just the eighth time in 132 games a two seed has bowed out on the first day of games.

The Spartans are just one of countless teams that have seen their seasons end ingloriously, running into the kind of problems that haven’t plagued them all year until the bright lights and tremendous spectacle that marks college sports’ biggest event hit them. Then, turnovers, missed 3-pointers, and poor execution start to pile up—and that mid-major starts to look every bit the David to a Power Five’s Goliath.

Despite the struggles of facing the undeniable fact that things will go wrong, and an even mildly successful bracket is a tremendous reach, I still love it. Each year, I get incredibly excited as the conference tournaments wrap up and the selections come out, and then chaos descends in the form of noon tip-offs and 32 first-round games over the course of just two days.

Players see their draft stocks soar, coaches see their legacies defined, and teams look to be that year’s Cinderella at the Big Dance.

A quick recap of last year’s tournament: Northwestern made its first appearance and picked up a last-second win (and an iconic video after they lost), Middle Tennessee knocked off a higher seed for the second year in a row, Wisconsin stunned Villanova, South Carolina followed suit with an upset of Duke, seventhseeded Michigan rolled into the Sweet Sixteen, and even 11th-seeded Xavier went to the Elite Eight. Granted, blue blood North Carolina spoiled Gonzaga’s chance at a coronation, but it was still another tournament that left brackets busted at every twist and turn.

(The lesson, as always: You can’t predict basketball.)

Quick tangent: March is a tremendous month, if only because of the collective mania that comes over the country regarding college basketball. I’m biased because baseball also returns with the

Murphy’s Law, B2

INSIDE SPORTS

BRADLEY SMART / HEIGHTS EDITOR

No. 6 Ohio State shut out BC women’s hockey on Saturday in the NCAA Quarterfinals, marking the first time the Eagles lost back-to-back games all year.

BY BEN THOMAS Asst. Sports Editor It’s all over for Boston College women’s hockey. After suffering an unexpected loss to Connecticut in the Hockey Ohio State 2 East TourBoston College 0 nament last weekend, the Eagles fell flat on Saturday afternoon in the NCAA Tournament, failing to advance to their fourth-consecutive Frozen Four.

Previously 4-0 as the four seed in quarterfinal play, BC was overpowered by an Ohio State team that played flawless hockey, rarely giving the puck away. The Buckeyes were even more dominant on defense, as goalie Kas-

sidy Sauve posted a 38-save shutout, en route to a 2-0 victory.

Early on, neither team could find much offense. Less than a minute into the first period, Buckeye Charly Dahlquist was sent to the penalty box for checking, but other than a nifty move into the slot by Daryl Watts that led to a blocked shot attempt, No. 4 BC (30-5-3, 19-2-3 Hockey East) had nothing going on its first uneven scoring opportunity.

Still, the Eagles’ defense remained stagnant. The No. 6 Buckeyes (24-104, 14-6-4 WCHA) only managed a single shot through the first six and a half minutes of play, as smart clearing attempts from BC made goaltender Katie Burt’s job a lot easier.

But from there, things got ugly for the home team. On a Buckeye attack, Caroline Ross successfully stopped a shot tossed in front of the net, but when trying to gain full possession of the puck, she nearly conceded the first goal of the game. The sophomore’s stick inadvertently sent the puck back toward the goal, and if not for a heads up save by Burt, the Eagles would have been looking at an early deficit.

After Ross’s mishap, the Eagles were in free fall for the rest of the frame. Ohio State kept the puck in its offensive zone for what felt like an eternity and finished the first period with 17 shots—an impressive count considering BC tallied just seven of its own.

The period foreshadowed what was to

be a very frustrating afternoon for head coach Katie Crowley’s Eagles.

In the second period, BC got off to a slow start—recording just one shot in the first five minutes—while the Buckeyes maintained their aggressive pace. As the game remained scoreless, both teams grew impatient. With 12 minutes left in the period, a scrum in front of Burt led to shoving that forced both referees to intervene.

Even after things got chippy, Ohio State kept on chugging and eventually ripped twine. Back-to-back interference and cross-checking penalties on Burt and Toni Ann Miano, respectively, put the Buckeyes in a 5-on-3

See WHOK vs. OSU, B3

MEN’S HOCKEY

Eagles Hang on, Advance to Hockey East Semis

BY JACK GOLDMAN Copy Editor Boston College men’s hockey capped its Hockey East Tournament Quarterfinal series against Merrimack just the way it started it.

Merrimack 3 The Eagles Boston College 4 were outshot 70-35 in the two-night bout. In both games, goaltender Joseph Woll played like a superstar. In both games, when BC scored, it appeared as if head coach Jerry York’s team didn’t deserve a lead, but somehow found itself on top.

In both games, the Eagles (20-13-3, 19-6-0 Hockey East) beat Merrimack (1220-4, 7-5-12).

Saturday night’s 4-3 overtime victory wasn’t identical to Friday’s 1-0 final in every sense, though. Woll’s play was excellent, but instead of a shutout, the sophomore’s reward was a .916 save percentage. There wasn’t a single thing the netminder could’ve done about each of the Warriors’ three goals—all of them came off perfect deflections.

BC also showed significantly more offensive bite in Game Two than it did in Game One. In terms of shot attempts— which include shots that were blocked or went wide of the net rather than just shots saved or scored—Merrimack had the edge, 53-46, a relatively small margin and a much better representation of how well BC performed in the offensive zone.

What is strange about all those stats is they would seem to indicate this was an offensive shootout. That was certainly not the case through a period and a half.

The first frame picked up right where Game One left off: lots of Warriors chances, few Eagles scoring opportunities, and no goals to show for either team, thanks to excellent goaltending. Junior Merrimack goaltender Craig Pantano may not have the kindest save percentage to show for it, but he shut down plenty of BC chances. In the first, he was barely called upon, as the Eagles notched just five shots on goal, with the best chance coming from J.D. Dudek’s effort midway through the period—a shot that dribbled wide of the net since the puck bounced on the junior forward before he

JULIA HOPKINS / HEIGHTS SENIOR STAFF

Julius Mattila (right) tallied a team-high five shots and one of BC’s four goals on Saturday. could take a whack at it.

On the other end, Woll stopped nine Warriors shots, while his defensive corps blocked six more. It wasn’t until BC came out for the second period that the tide began to turn.

Pantano was up to the task initially, nabbing three quick saves in the first six minutes of the second 20-minute segment. Soon after, Eagles co-captain Christopher Brown

LAX: Eagles Extend Win Streak to Nine BASEBALL: BC Avoids Sweep Vs. N.C. State

forced Pantano to lunge across his crease to make a pad save, keeping the game scoreless.

But just as BC seemed to be seizing offensive momentum, Merrimack had its best chance of the game.

Warriors defender Ryan Cook got a shot off that David Cotton blocked for the Eagles, and the puck fell to Merrimack’s Derek Petti.

See MHOK vs. MC, B3

SPORTS IN SHORT............................... B2

Led by Sam Apuzzo, who recorded eight points, BC rolled The Eagles stole one game on the road against a top-25 MEN’S HOCKEY.................................... B3 over San Diego State on Saturday to remain undefeated......B3 Wolfpack team in their first ACC series of the year..................B2 MBB ACC TOURNAMENT................. B4

The Heights

B2

Thursday, March 15, 2018

BASEBALL

Offensive Outburst Helps Eagles Avoid Sweep in First ACC Series

By Bradley Smart Assoc. Sports Editor

After losing a pitchers’ duel and giving up 13 runs in an error-plagued second game, Boston College baseball came into the final game of its first ACC series of the season against North Carolina State looking for the all-important first conference win. After all, the Eagles had lost five of six and were looking for any semblance of momentum entering their home opener.

They found it, using a seven-run third inning and seven scoreless innings from Brian Rapp to take one of three from the No. 10 Wolfpack, topping N.C. State in the series finale, 11-3.

Just a few hours removed from the Eagles’ (6-8, 1-2 Atlantic Coast) pitching staff giving up a season-high 20 hits to N.C. State (13-3, 2-1), Rapp worked around two hits and five walks to pile up eight strikeouts in seven innings. Backed by multi-hit performances from Jake Palomaki, Jake Alu, Scott Braren, and Chris Galland, the Eagles tied a season high with 11 runs.

After RBI groundouts from Gian Martellini and Braren in the first, the Eagles broke out in the third. They batted around, chasing Wolfpack starter Scott Harrison after just 2 1/3 innings of play

Following a Palomaki double, BC loaded the bases with one out. Braren brought in a run with a single, Jacob Yish drew a bases-loaded walk, and Alu added two more runs with a double. Yish scored on an errant throw, and then Galland added an RBI triple.

Galland, who is hitting .514 through nine games, showcased his speed at the end of the inning. Jack Cunningham chopped a grounder to second and the throw came home, but it wasn’t in time to beat the speedy Galland—who is a perfect 10-for10 on stolen bases attempts, having swiped three this weekend alone.

The lead, at 9-0, was only extended in the fifth when Cunningham brought in two more via a double. Eagles reliever Thomas Lane gave up a solo home run to Brett Kinneman in the eighth and a two-run shot to Brad Debo in the ninth, but it was too little, too late for the Wolfpack.

This followed an impressive offensive performance earlier in the day from the Eagles—but the day’s first game didn’t feature the same quality of pitching. BC led 3-0 through an inning and a third, but N.C. State scored eight runs over the next three frames, en route to the 13-7 win, chasing Eagles starter Dan Metzdorf after just three innings of work.

It was another rough outing for the junior southpaw, who has pitched beyond the third inning just once in his four starts this season. Metzdorf was handed the loss after giving up six runs, five earned, on nine hits and a pair of walks.

The bullpen didn’t fare much better.

The Wolfpack scored four more runs in the fourth, then added added two in the seventh and three in the eighth to take the series win. Reliever Joey Walsh gave up four runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings, and the duo of Will Hesslink and John Witkowski combined to give up three insurance runs in the eighth.

The bright spot was that BC’s lineup woke up—Palomaki extended his hit streak to seven as he went 2-for-4, scoring twice.

Galland continued to rake, going 2-for-5 with a triple, while also swiping two more bases to run his total to nine. Martellini added a no-doubter of a home run to lead off the eighth and finished with three RBIs in the loss.

In Friday’s opener, Jacob Stevens hurled eight strong innings, but one pitch got away from him—and proved to be enough to hand him the loss in a 2-1 pitchers’ duel with Wolfpack starter Brian Brown.

Stevens and the Eagles were clinging to a 1-0 lead entering the eighth inning, the

product of a Brian Dempsey RBI double down the left field line in the fifth inning.

N.C. State’s Josh McClain reached via a oneout double, then Stevens got an important strikeout for the inning’s second out. On his very next pitch, however, Wolfpack shortstop Will Wilson teed off for the decisive two-run home run.

Stevens finished off the inning and ended with a career-high in innings pitched (eight) and strikeouts (eight), but he was handed the loss, his second of the year. It came down to three bad pitches all night for the junior right-hander—the razor-thin margins for a Friday game did not surprise head coach Mike Gambino.

“That’s a great ACC baseball game,” he said. “That’s Friday night right there. Bear [Stevens] made three bad pitches all night.

That’s crazy to pitch a game like that—he threw 99 or 101 pitches.”

Dempsey’s double was a tough break for the Eagles, as it had the potential to bring in two runs—instead skipping out of play down the left field line for a ground-rule double. The other real chance for BC came after Brown left.

In the eighth, Cunningham singled off the first pitch he saw, then advanced after a fielding error on a Dempsey bunt. Palomaki laid down a well-executed sacrifice bunt to

move them over, putting two runners in scoring position. Wolfpack head coach Elliot Avent opted to go to his bullpen, bringing in freshman right-hander Reid Johnston.

Johnston got a shallow pop-up from Dante Baldelli before Martellini lined out to third base—just inches away from a two-run double down the line.

Both opportunities—Dempsey ’s ground-rule double and Martellini’s neardouble—left Gambino shaking his head.

“We had a tough break where the ball bounces over the fence,” he said. “And then Gian had a great at-bat, barrels the ball, and it’s just inches away. That’s kind of your baseball game right there.”

The heart of the Eagles’ lineup struggled mightily throughout on Friday, with hitters two through seven finishing hitless, going a combined 0-for-21. This, followed by the pitching struggles in the second game, handed the Wolfpack its first series win against BC since 2013.

Still, the Eagles came away with a 19-18 edge in runs scored over the weekend—no small feat against one of the nation’s top offenses. The inconsistency with the pitching staff remains BC’s biggest problem, but when two of the three weekend starters are putting the team in a good position to win, it’s a promising sign. n

SOFTBALL

Softball Ends Road Trip With Three Wins at Easton Crimson Classic

By Andy Backstrom Sports Editor

Boston College softball entered the seventh inning of Sunday’s contest—the final game of the Easton Crimson Classic and the tail end of the Eagles’ seven-game road trip—tied with Fordham, only to watch the unlikeliest of heroes step up to the plate.

Jordan Chimento, who came in with just four hits all season, matched that mark in the five-game set with a single to lead off the frame. Allyson Moore followed with a ground ball to second base, giving Chimento enough time to advance safely. After C.C. Cook walked and a wild pitch followed, both runners were in scoring position. All Lexi DiEmmanuele had to do was lay down a suicide squeeze, and Chimento bolted home for the game-winning run.

Chloe Sharabba scored Cook with a

single to center field, just for good measure, and fellow senior Jessica Dreswick locked up not only her sixth complete game of the season, but also a 4-2 victory—BC’s third of the weekend, marking the first time all year that head coach Ashley Obrest’s team exited an early-season tournament or classic with a winning record.

Dreswick got off to a rocky start to say the least. The Eagles’ (9-12) ace walked Paige Rauch on four pitches, then gave up a single right up the middle to Chelsea Skrepenak.

She finally pulled herself together and forced Skylar Johnston to ground out, but in doing so, Rauch and Skrepenak advanced to second and third base, respectively. With a 2-2 count, Madi Shaw ripped a single through the right hole, bringing both Rams (6-14) home.

Slowly but surely, BC chipped away at Fordham’s lead. In the third inning,

Sharabba scored Gianna Randazza, who doubled, on a sacrifice fly to cut the Eagles’ deficit in half. It wasn’t until the sixth inning that the bats came alive again. That’s when Sharabba singled to shortstop and made her way around the basepath, thanks to a fielding error, lineout, and sacrifice fly. The run opened up the gates for BC’s seventhinning scoring spurt that was enough for the comeback victory.

The Eagles didn’t come from behind on Saturday afternoon, instead blowing a three-run lead to No. 13 Alabama, dropping their second game in as many days to the Crimson Tide, 6-3.

Right off the bat, Sharabba doubled to left field, and Carly Severini reached base on a fielder’s choice, setting up a three-run Cami Sellers jack, her team-best third home run of the year. Yet it was only a matter of time before the home team answered. In

the second inning, Merris Schroder walked, stole second, and capitalized on a pair of throwing errors. One frame later, Kaylee Tow hit a double and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly, drawing Alabama (17-5) within one run of BC. The Crimson Tide erupted in the fifth.

Bailey Hemphill took the second pitch she saw down the left field line for her fourth home run of the season. Then, Gabby Callaway blasted a double, chasing Dreswick.

Allyson Frei fared no better in the circle, walking both Peyton Grantham and Schroder. The redshirt junior got Sydney Booker to fly out into foul territory, but the ball was far enough to score another run. To make matters worse for BC, Demi Turner singled up the gut, bringing home Grantham, pushing the Crimson Tide’s lead to two.

Tow put the Eagles to bed in the sixth with a solo homer to right center, putting

a damper on BC’s 4-0 shutout win over Samford (5-18) earlier that day.

Frei was on her game the minute she took the circle, racking up a season-high eight strikeouts. The offense had her back too, recording five hits and four runs.

DiEmmanuele kicked it off as she drew a walk, swiped second and then scored on a fielding error. The speedy outfielder was back at it again in the ensuing frame: DiEmmanuele lasered an RBI triple to left field and then crossed the plate when Sharabba singled. Severini added an insurance home run in the fifth.

The Eagles split their first two games,beating Samford, 9-2, and falling 5-0 to the Tide to ultimately finish at 3-2, continuing their quest back to .500. Now the focus shifts to ACC play, where BC’s season will really be determined. n

Everything That Can Go Wrong Will Go Wrong In Your Bracket Murphy’s Law, from B1 excitement of spring training, but overall, it’s hard to argue that any other month works its way into the public eye so completely. June is excellent—with NBA and NHL finals alongside the World Cup some years—but when you’re sitting in class watching two back-and-forth basketball games when you desperately need your pick to escape with a win, there’s no comparison.

So, as an ode to March—despite the snow dump that New England just received—here’s four assorted thoughts on this year’s field, in honor of the disappointing fact that my bracket’s Final Four rarely has more than one team left standing.

1) It is so, so hard to look at the top overall seed Virginia and bet on it to win a championship. During his nine-year tenure, head coach Tony Bennett has developed an impressive pack line defense and recruited for his system exceptionally well, but he hasn’t been able to get his team over the hump. Time and time again, the Cavaliers let the country down—myself included—and each year I fall for it.

Last season, they flamed out in the second round, scoring just 39 points in a blowout loss to Florida. As the saying goes, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, like Virginia has, and I refuse to write your school’s name in the Final Four.

In all seriousness, the Cavaliers are so tempting. They’re first in defensive efficiency, 21st in offense, and steamrolled through one of the best conferences in college basketball. The question marks around UVA making a deep run never seem to go away, though, and the loss of ACC Sixth Man of the Year DeAndre Hunter for the tournament to a wrist injury definitely doesn’t help.

2) You never really know what you’re going to get from Syracuse and that’s easily one of the more frustrating things about the team that consistently slips in off the bubble. In the three years prior to this one, the Orange made one tournament appearance, bookended by years where it earned preseason top-25 honors, only to fall out of everything. That one year?

Syracuse was the 10 seed and unleashed its frustration on the tournament, crush-

ing Dayton and Middle Tennessee before taking down heavyweights in Gonzaga and Virginia—once again ruining brackets.

There’s no way this can happen again, right? The Orange is better on defense this year, moving seven spots up to 11th in defensive efficiency, but its downfall would be on offense—it ranks 129th, compared to 50th during its 2016 run. I think there were plenty of more deserving teams that should’ve been in over Syracuse this year, but that’s the same storyline when it wound up in the Final Four.

Overall, the Orange are easily the tournament’s biggest trolls. A quick sampling of tweets after the Selection Sunday show reveals that.

“Syracuse could go 0-27 and make the tournament somehow. What a clown show,” SiriusXM host Joe Dolan said.

Amateur bracketologist Jeff (for Basketball Predictions) chipped in with, “You can set your watch by Syracuse getting in with a crap resume. Every goddamn year.”

At the end of the day, Jim Boeheim has gone from taking teams loaded with talent to scotch-taping together a roster after NCAA sanctions. The Orange didn’t

deserve to be in this year, but it’s still not out of the realm of possibility that Syracuse turns in another upsetting (for fans, media, and other teams alike) run deep into the tourney.

3) Want an underdog to root for?

Meet the 12-seed in the West, South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits are making their third tournament appearance in as many years, and tend to be a tough out.

Last year, the 16th-seeded SDSU team trailed eventual runner-up Gonzaga by just four at halftime (they would lose by 20, but hey, they gave it a good shot). The year prior, they rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to give No. 5 Maryland a scare, losing by single digits. This year, the Jackrabbits have No. 5 Ohio State firmly in their sights—and I’m 100 percent in on them. Mike Daum has tourney experience and is averaging 25 points per game, so he checks a box as a star poised to break out (he’s been held to 16 and 17 points his previous two appearances, so this is it).

4) 0-132. That’s the all-time record for No. 16 seeds against No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament, but this year, quite a few people are convinced

that Ivy League heavyweight Penn will pull off an upset of Kansas. They’re convinced enough to have FiveThirtyEight write over a thousand words on the topic, hailing the Quakers (underrated mascot in my opinion) as the best No. 16 team in history, period. The numbers don’t lie: Penn enters having won eight of nine (the lone loss by a single digit) and has the highest ELO rating and smallest resulting difference in points. Still, the game is in Wichita, Kansas, and the Jayhawks are no slouch in the numbers themselves. Maybe if Penn was taking on Xavier—the weakest of the one seeds—it’d be just the fifth single-digit loss to a one seed in history.

Ken Pomeroy said it best: “Stop predicting Penn will beat Kansas. It won’t happen if people keep predicting it.”

Overall, good luck with your bracket, folks. Odds are definitely in your favor.

Bradley Smart is the associate sports editor for The Heights. He can be reached on Twitter @bradleysmart15.

SPORTS in SHORT MEN’s HOCKEY EAST STANDINGS Conference Boston College 18-6-0

overall 20-13-3

Northeastern

15-6-3

23-8-5

Providence

13-7-4

22-10-3

Boston University

12-8-4

19-13-4

UConn

11-12-1

15-19-2

Maine

10-11-3

18-16-4

UMass Lowell

11-13-0

17-19-0

Massachusetts

9-13-2

17-20-2

Vermont

6-12-6

10-20-7

Merrimack

7-15-2

12-21-4

New Hampshire

5-14-5

10-20-6

Numbers to know

.514

Batting average through 13 games for baseball’s Chris Galland, good for third in the country.

35

Number of shots men’s hockey recorded in its two-game sweep of Merrimack, half the Warriors’ total.

8.3

Rebounds per game that men’s basketball forward Steffon Mitchell averaged this year, the best mark by a freshman in BC history.

QUote of the week

“I feel like it’s just the first step for us ... I think we’ve earned a little bit of respect.”

— BC guard Jerome Robinson,

on his team’s run to the ACC quarterfinals, upsetting North Carolina State on the way.

hursday,

The Heights

March 15, 2018

B3

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Eagles Suffer Early Exit in First NIT Since 2010-11 Season MBB vs. WKU, from B1 fon Mitchell, who was just 1-of-18 from downtown in his past 10 games, drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing. The Eagles’ guards pushed the ball in transition, capitalizing on fourth-seeded WKU’s (25-10, 14-4 Conference U.S.A.) five first-quarter turnovers. Luckily for head coach Rick Stansbury’s crew, it was having just as much luck, if not more, from the field.

The Hilltoppers rode a three-headed attack, consisting of Lamonte Bearden, Taveion Hollingsworth, and Johnson, to 19 points in the first frame. Bearden and Hollingsworth netted a couple of long balls, and Johnson began to carve out space in the paint. Still, BC held its multi-possession advantage for much of the period. Just as WKU started to close the gap, Bowman rattled off five of his team’s final seven points in the quarter, banking in an off-balanced 3-pointer at the buzzer to put the Eagles up, 24-19, heading into the second frame.

BC was on pace to score 96 points—then it totaled a mere 20 in the following two quarters. A minute into the second period, Nik Popovic picked up his second foul of the night, earning himself a spot on the bench for more than half the frame, freeing up space in the interior. Johnson had more than enough time to take over the game inside.

On one possession, the 6-foot-7 forward drove to the hoop, evading his defender in the process, and finished at the rack with a two-handed slam. Moments later, he drew a blocking foul, setting up Hollingsworth for a lead-changing 3-pointer. By the end of the half, Johnson’s statline—13 points and rebounds—nearly looked complete. The Hilltoppers’ quarter-opening 9-2 run got the E. A. Diddle Arena rocking and forced Christian to call a 30-second timeout.

Out of the break, Robinson cashed in on a Mitchell offensive rebound with his lone 3-pointer of the game, but it hardly stopped the bleeding.

Soon enough, WKU retook the lead

and ripped off another 9-2 run to close out the half with an eight-point advantage and all of the momentum on its side. The Hilltoppers, who attempted the 27th-most free throws in the country throughout the regular season, drew 12 personal fouls in the quarter, reserving 10 shots at the charity stripe. On the other end of the floor, they were impenetrable, not only holding the Eagles to a putrid nine points, but also keeping them off the free throw line for the second-straight quarter.

Two minutes into the third frame, Bowman sunk BC’s first two free throws of the game, but it didn’t make a difference. It was only a matter of time before WKU strung together six-straight points—a stretch that was fueled by the Eagles’ poor ball security.

The Hilltoppers converted back-to-back BC turnovers into a pair of highlight-reel dunks, courtesy of Johnson and Darius Thompson, firmly establishing a double-digit lead. As a whole, WKU made a habit of running up and down the floor, scoring 13 more fast-

break points than the Eagles. Thompson, who recorded a team-high 11 points in the second half, was just getting started. The senior guard scored four more points in a row, before handing the keys to Johnson and Hollingsworth for the final minutes of the period.

BC erased five double-digit deficits for come-from-behind victories this season.

Tuesday just wasn’t one of those nights.

The Eagles finally regained somewhat of a rhythm offensively in the final quarter—at least for the first half of the frame—draining three of their first five shots from the floor.

The problem was, they were just as helpless when it came to protecting the rim. A couple of Jake Ohmer layups increased the WKU lead to 17, its largest of the game.

Attempting to swing momentum, Bowman broke free in transition, cuffed the ball, and threw down an emphatic one-handed dunk, igniting a 9-2 Eagles run that slingshotted BC into striking distance. But BC didn’t make another field goal after that,

failing to get a single shot to fall in the fina four minutes and 18 seconds of regulation The Hilltoppers hit a handful of free throws down the stretch to restore their substantia lead, securing a spot in the second round of the NIT. BC, on the other hand, said goodbye to the 2017-18 campaign—a season in which the Eagles logged three more wins than the past two seasons combined, knocked off two top-25 teams, including a topranked Duke squad, snapped a 23-game ACC losing streak, won back-to-back ACC Tournament games for the first time since 2005-06, and reached the postseason for the first time in seven years. Even i Jerome Robinson leaves for the upcoming NBA Draft, Jim Christian will be light years ahead of where he was las offseason. BC may not have made it to the Big Dance or even the second round of the NIT, but it earned respect—something it hasn’t garnered in more than hal a decade. n

MEN’S HOCKEY

With Sweep of Merrimack, BC Books Trip to TD Garden MHOK vs. MC, from B1 The junior, who registered four shots on the night, quickly got two off on Woll, who made back-to-back left-pad saves to keep Petti off the scoresheet. The second shot generated a rebound for Warrior Ludvig Larsson, but again the puck trickled away and prevented a forward from capitalizing on an apparently open net.

Yet it was only a matter of time before the puck bounced the right way—for BC that is. Mike Booth, inserted into the lineup for this game in place of an injured Graham McPhee, won a faceoff in the offensive zone, got the puck back from Logan Hutsko, and ripped a shot past Pantano to open the scoring with his first goal of the season.

Once Woll grabbed three more saves on his end of the ice, Dudek finally managed to control the puck. Following a faceoff victory, the forward received a pass from Christopher Grando, rung a shot off the post, and then put home his own rebound to give the Eagles their largest lead of the series.

It wasn’t long before Merrimack erased it.

The Warriors struck back immediately as a puck deflected off Merrimack’s Johnathan Kovacevic into the net to reduce the deficit to one. The Warriors kept the pressure on BC for the rest of the period, going on an 8-2 shots on goal run to close out the frame. That pressure eventually led to the Eagles’ first penalty of the game, as Cotton went to the box for roughing with 51 seconds remaining in the frame. It only took 20 more for Ludvig Larsson to deflect home a Sami Tavernier shot to tie the game.

The third period began quietly, until Hutsko broke out on a 3-on-1 opportunity, four minutes in, and his saucer pass to Julius Mattila restored the Eagles’ one-goal lead. A couple minutes later, Aapeli Räsänen was sent to the sin bin for holding, but this time BC’s power play held strong.

Räsänen would go on to hit the post, and Larsson and Dudek would force more saves from the opposing goaltenders, but it was a final deflection that would send the

game into overtime. Alfred Larsson picked out Tyler Irvine, as the Warrior cut to the net, tying the game at three apiece.

Overtime got off to a much quicker start, but again followed the same patterns the Eagles and Merrimack had established throughout the series. Tavernier found himself on a breakaway opportunity, and he drew a hooking penalty on Casey Fitzgerald.

Just as it seemed like the Warriors finally had the puzzle piece to take their first lead of the game and force Game Three, Connor Moore poked the puck free in the neutral zone, and Grando pounced on it, took a slap shot with defenders draped on him, and scored for the first time since Nov. 11.

Game over, series over. Somehow, BC topped Merrimack yet again, for the 12th time in 13 Hockey East playoff games.

Its reward? A trip to TD Garden to face off against Boston University. The Eagles may have dodged a bullet, but their next destination could very well call for an even greater escape. n

30

saves logged by Joseph Woll

4:20

time it took Christopher Grando to score in overtime

22

shots recorded by BC

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

No. 6 Ohio State Eliminates Eagles in NCAA Quarterfinals WHOK vs. OSU, from B1

Bradley Smart / Heights Editor

BC outshot the Buckeyes, 23-9, in the final frame, but still couldn’t light the lamp.

situation. After the Eagles’ defense stopped the toughest part of their penalty kill, it faltered in the 5-on-4. Juliann Iafallo found Lauren Boyle from the point, who quickly sent a wrist shot to the top corner of the net just past the glove of Burt. BC went up two skaters minutes later, but looked hesitant to send anything toward the cage without getting a perfect look. The Eagles recorded two shots during the extended advantage, but none came close to getting past Sauve.

Down a goal, BC became protective on defense, unafraid to put two defenders in front of Burt to block shots. By the end of the period, the Eagles’ backline had stopped nine shots simply by using bodies to obstruct the Buckeyes’ shooting lanes.

To end the period, BC capped a disastrous session with another penalty. A slashing call on Grace Bizal with just six seconds remaining meant Ohio State would begin the third period on another power play. Burt’s 31 saves would amount to nothing if the Eagles

couldn’t begin an attack of their own.

In the game’s final frame, the outstanding play observed from Burt was seen on the other end. BC finally got its offense going— to the tune of 23 shots—but still couldn’t beat Sauve, who notched her 10th shutout of the season. The Eagles’ best chance came from the duo of Daryl Watts and Caitrin Lonergan. Watts corralled a loose puck on her own end and fired a pass to her star teammate, who was left wide open on the opposing blue line. Lonergan was alone on a 1-on-1 against Sauve, but appeared to lose control of the puck as she approached the net, allowing the experienced goaltender to jump on a relatively easy save.

The Lonergan miss would end up being BC’s final chance to tie the game. With four minutes left, the Eagles had all the momentum, but the Buckeyes needed just one more offensive rush. Maddy Field pursued Burt from the left side of the ice and flung a puck toward the cage. Burt appeared to make a fantastic save at first, but the puck escaped her grasp and trickled toward the goal. The

rink fell silent as fans on both sides watched for a moment, and eventually, the puck crossed the red line, resulting in overwhelming applause from the Buckeye faithful.

The goal essentially put the game out of reach, and reality began to set in for the Eagles. Their inspired third-period play—a stretch in which they recorded more shots than the first two periods combined—was to be their last. As the BC skaters gathered around the ice one last time after the game, remaining Eagles fans began a chant for those that played their last game: “Thank you seniors.”

For Katie Burt, Kenzie Kent, Toni Ann Miano, and Gabri Switaj, the end came much sooner than expected, but if the third period proved anything, it was that BC’s effort was there. Crowley was noticeably dejected after the game, but acknowledged that she couldn’t have gotten a better performance out of her players.

“We certainly left it all out there, and that’s all I asked from this team,” Crowley said.” n

LACROSSE

Apuzzo Records 200th Career Point in Rout of San Diego State

By Andy Backstrom Sports Editor On Wednesday afternoon, No. 14 Southern California held Sam Apuzzo in check for the first 34 minutes of play. The junior failed to Boston College 19 tally an openSan Diego State 8 ing-half goal, and Boston College lacrosse entered the break trailing—both of which hadn’t happened all season. Eventually, Apuzzo etched her name in the scorecard, and BC rallied to win in overtime, but for a while its unblemished record was in jeopardy.

In the tail end of the Eagles’ trip out West, the nation’s leading scorer reverted back to her normal self, not only finding the back of the net in the opening frame, but also logging her fifth first-half hat trick of the season against San Diego State. When Saturday’s game was all said and done, Apuzzo racked up eight points, eclipsing the 200-mark in the process, and BC coasted to a 19-8 victory.

Apuzzo got on the board in a heartbeat.

Following goaltender Lauren Daly’s gameopening save, the No. 2 Eagles (9-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) cleared the ball out of their own territory, setting up shop on SDSU’s (5-3) side of the field for their first offensive possession of the afternoon. Less than a minute later, Emma Schurr dialed up a pass for Apuzzo, who flung a shot past Aztecs goalie Katy Sharretts. The scoring play was just the start of a 5-0 BC run.

Approaching the 25-minute mark, Emma’s twin, Tara, notched a goal of her own, cashing in on SDSU’s first of 20 turnovers. Ten seconds after that, Apuzzo won the draw control and relayed the ball to Kaileen Hart, who then dished a pass to Elizabeth Miller. The defender made the most of the opportunity, logging her fourth goal of the year. In what was practically an identical series of events, Tara Schurr converted another SDSU turnover into points and Apuzzo beat Sharretts in a span of 12 seconds, capping the one-sided scoring spurt.

Finally, the Aztecs’ Morgan Taylor put one past Daly, a bit more than nine

minutes into the game, to extinguish a potential first-half shutout. But the goal hardly built any momentum. In fact, neither team would score for the next 12 or so minutes. Back and forth, the teams traded turnovers and fouls, before Dempsey Arsenault scooped up a ground ball, and Sheila Rietano located Emma Schurr for her seventh goal of the season. Just about a minute later, Arsenault got in on the fun, ripping twine for the first time all day, upping BC’s lead to 7-1.

It appeared as if the Eagles were poised to increase the gap after SDSU’s Jill Haight was carded. Instead, the Aztecs, Kirstie Greenlaw to be more specific, scored, despite being a man down. The shorthanded scoring play jumpstarted a mini two-goal SDSU run. With under two minutes remaining in the half, Elizabeth Rourke assisted Taylor for her second and final goal of the frame. But, right on cue, the Eagles answered with a pair of goals in the final 30 seconds of the period, thanks to Tess Chandler and Apuzzo, to extend their lead back to six prior to intermission.

After recording a flurry of goals toward the end of the first half, both teams cooled off at the start of the second frame. In fact, the score stood at 9-3 for the first six minutes of the period. In order to regroup, SDSU head coach Kylee White called a timeout. Coming out of the break, the Aztecs drew a Miller foul, earning their first and only free-position shot of the game. Grace McGinty didn’t let it go to waste—the junior midfielder got the best of Daly, cutting SDSU’s deficit to five with her 12th goal of the year. All it took was a Hannah Hyatt ground ball, an Eagles clear, and an Apuzzo scoring play to restore BC’s commanding six-goal advantage.

Twice more, the Aztecs drew within five goals of head coach Acacia WalkerWeinstein’s team, but each time, the Eagles responded. Then, closing in on the 14-minute mark, Arsenault made her move, upping BC’s lead to seven—at the time, its largest of the contest. Greenlaw fired back with her second score of the day, only to see the Eagles rattle off six of the game’s final seven goals over the course

of the remaining 13 and a half minutes of regulation.

Just like the beginning of the game, a Schurr sister, this time Emma, and Apuzzo teamed up to log back-to-back goals, separated by a mere 63 seconds. Apuzzo found the back of the cage once more, sandwiched in between a pair of Arsenault and Chandler scoring plays. Freshman Cailee Perettine put the the finishing touches on BC’s sixth double-digit win of 2018, using an Apuzzo pass to score the third goal of her collegiate career.

In the waning seconds of the game, Greenlaw corralled a ground ball and whipped a shot past Daly to make the final score a bit more respectable, but the Aztecs’ margin of defeat was no less decisive.

The win marked the fourth time this season that the Eagles have outscored their opponent by five or more goals in the first half. Of those four games, they have recorded three double-digit victories. When BC—winners of nine straight—gets going early, it’s practically unstoppable. n

The Heights

B4

Thursday, March 15, 2018

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Three Days in March

Despite Late-Game Run, Clemson Prevails in Quarterfinals

By Andy Backstrom Sports Editor All of the talk surrounding Boston College men’s basketball the past two seasons, more so this week than ever, has been about Jerome Robinson and Ky Bowman—and Boston College 82 reasonably so.

Clemson 90 C o l l e c t i v el y, the All-ACC guards account for half of the Eagles’ total scoring output on a game-to-game basis. On Wednesday afternoon alone, the duo recorded 50 points in BC’s thrilling victory over North Carolina State.

But, for the first 28 minutes of Thursday’s ACC Tournament Quarterfinals, Robinson and Bowman were all but obsolete. Knowing that BC was playing its third game in three days, Clemson’s defense—the third-ranked unit in the conference—forced the Eagles’ ball handlers to run in transition and, once in the half court, take contested 2-point shots.

Over the course of the first period and a half of play, the strategy worked to near perfection: BC’s backcourt tallied a measly 10 points during that span, recording just two field goals in the process.

Eventually, the NBA prospects shot their way out their funk, exploding for

33 points in the last 11 minutes and 11 seconds of regulation, at one point turning a 15-point deficit into a two-point game. The scoring spurt was enough to further the Eagles’ mini-Cinderella run—their defense, or lack thereof, was not. With just over four minutes remaining, Anthony Oliver II, who coming into the day had only logged four 3-pointers all year, drilled a triple to jumpstart an 8-4 run that practically put the game out of reach. As expected, BC, namely Bowman, went out with a fight, racking up 16 points in the game’s final stages, but the Tigers hit 14 of their last 16 free throws and held on for a 90-82 victory.

Even without the help of Robinson or Bowman, the Eagles (19-15, 7-11 Atlantic Coast) opened up the game on a 9-3 run, scoring the first seven points of the contest. Nik Popovic kicked things off with a spin move and finish in the paint. Moments later, Steffon Mitchell netted a 3-pointer from the left wing.

Quite simply, BC’s frontcourt—which has arguably played its best basketball in March—picked up right where it left on Wednesday. It didn’t hurt that No. 19 Clemson (23-8, 11-7) couldn’t buy a basket on the other end of the floor.

Coming off a double-bye, the Tigers stumbled out of the gates, converting

just two of first their 11 field goal attempts, including one of their first five triples. That’s not to say BC was playing lockdown defense—Clemson had its fair share of open looks and recorded a pair of offensive rebounds during the first five and a half minutes of the half, setting up a couple of second-chance scoring opportunities. Tigers head coach Brad Brownell knew that it was only a matter of time until the shots started to fall.

Right on cue, Clemson knocked down eight-consecutive field goal attempts, rattling off a 23-8 run. The Eagles’ perimeter defense—the fifth worst in the league—came back to haunt them, big time. All five of BC’s starters had a hard time closing out on outside shooters, frequently gravitating toward the paint, only to find themselves flailing toward the arc, desperately trying to contest long-range shots. By the end of the period, six Tigers netted a trey, and Clemson, as a team, racked up nine total 3-pointers, recording a 52.9-percent clip.

BC, on the other hand, went cold from the floor. After the Tigers strung together their momentum-shifting run, the Eagles went nearly five minutes without sinking a single shot. Just as the game was slipping away from head coach Jim Christian and Co., Jordan Chatman

drained back-to-back 3-pointers—a sequence that revitalized BC’s offense.

Exchanging buckets down the stretch of the half, the Eagles trimmed Clemson’s lead to seven, prior to the buzzer.

The tide had hardly turned, though.

In fact, BC didn’t hit a shot for the first four minutes and 55 seconds of the second half. Meanwhile, Gabe DeVoe was feasting on the Eagles’ increasingly porous defense. The senior guard, who has emerged as one of the Tigers’ primary offensive weapons since Donte Grantham suffered a season-ending ACL tear back in January, scored from everywhere on the floor, notching a game-high 25 points. But he wasn’t the only one that had himself a day. Shelton Mitchell also eclipsed the 20-point mark, shooting 6-of-12 from the floor. Along with Marcquise Reed, the scoring tandem cruised to the midway point of the second half with a 15-point advantage.

But Clemson wasn’t going to get off easy—not on Robinson’s watch. The runner-up for the ACC’s Player of the Year award teed up a trio of 3-pointers in the span of less than three minutes, closing the gap to just eight. Then, his partner-in-crime came alive. Bowman scored 20 of his 23 points in the back half of the frame, working with Robinson to

draw within one possession of the Tigers on two separate occasions. Both times, Clemson answered.

Bowman went down swinging , hitting shot after shot to prolong the inevitable. Soon enough, he fouled out, and the Tigers put the finishing touches on their monumental victory, booking a trip to the tournament semifinals.

The loss drops BC to 3-3 in its final six games of the regular season—a stretch that Christian believes was the most formative of the season.

“In the last two weeks, the culture completely changed, the mentality completely changed, the attitude with which we played completely changed,” he said.

With an NIT berth on the horizon, there’s still time for additional growth, both individually and program-wide—at least as far as the fourth-year coach is concerned.

“We won 19 games, we won nine games in this league—the best league in the country—we beat nationally ranked teams,” Christian said. “Again, I’m not on a committee that picks teams for postseason events, but … I think we made a pretty good case for a team that’s worthy of playing in the postseason and able to do well.” n

Eagles Fend Off Roaring Comeback Attempt, Edge Wolfpack

By Andy Backstrom

Sports Editor Every fan, writer, and analyst that follows Boston College men’s basketball knew what was coming.

The Eagles were leading fifth-seeded Nor th C aroBoston College 91 lina State by NC State 87 17 points, less than a minute into the second half— typically a margin that all but guarantees victory. But, in reality, Wednesday afternoon’s second round bout was far from over. Head coach Jim Christian’s team has struggled to close out games all year, most notably down the stretch of the season. In fact, entering the midweek matchup, the Eagles had blown second-half leads in two of their past three road/neutral site games. Just 24 hours earlier, BC came astonishingly close to letting a once 20-point advantage go to waste against Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament opener.

N.C. State shot the lights out in the second half, knocking down 22 of its 30 field goal attempts in the period, chipping away at the Eagles’ substantial lead.

BC bent, but did not break, recording a respectable 50 percent clip from the floor in the final frame. Even when the Wolfpack orchestrated a 14-2 run to tie the game with just over four minutes remaining, the Eagles answered. Led

by Jerome Robinson, Ky Bowman, and Nik Popovic—who teamed up to score a total of 65 points—BC went toe-totoe with N.C. State in the final stages of regulation.

Of the three, Robinson, one of the five finalists for the Jerry West Award, stole the spotlight. The junior drilled one of the biggest shots of his career, forced a crucial turnover, and iced the game at the line after Wolfpack guard Markell Johnson went full-on Chris Weber and called a timeout with his team down two and seven seconds left in the contest—because N.C. State didn’t actually

have any timeouts in its pocket, the sophomore was administered a technical foul. Two years removed from losing all 19 of its conference games, BC held on for a 91-87 victory, marking the first time since 2005-06—the year that the Eagles joined the ACC—that the program has strung together back-to-back conference tournament wins.

Just like the teams’ first meeting back on Feb. 20, the Wolfpack (21-11, 11-7 Atlantic Coast) got off on the wrong foot. Not only did N.C. State turn the ball over on its opening possession, but it also missed seven of its first 10 shots.

BC (19-14, 7-11) capitalized, ripping off a 17-7 run over the course of the game’s first six and a half minutes of play.

The Eagles ran up and down the floor, recording transition buckets in bunches.

In the process, they regained their stroke from downtown. After converting a season-worst two 3-pointers against GT, BC connected on a trio of long-range shots in the span of just two minutes and 15 seconds. Bowman fronted the charge with back-to-back triples, logging eight points during the Eagles’ scoring spurt.

But what BC was doing in the paint was debatably more impressive.

Fresh off a career-high 20 points in the Eagles’ first round victory, Popovic was playing the best basketball of his career. The 6-foot-10 center, who has drastically improved on the pick and roll this season, cut to the basket and finished at the rim with ease. On one possession, he even brought the ball up the court, leading BC in transition.

Right when it looked like Popovic was about to take over, the sophomore hit the floor.

Following two-straight inside baskets, the big man found himself fighting for an offensive board. Simultaneously colliding with Bowman and diving for the ball, Popovic appeared to tweak a muscle in his shin, achilles, or ankle.

Whatever it was exactly, the sophomore was in pain, holding his the lower half

of his leg with trainers and head coach Jim Christian at his side. After a few minutes, Popovic got up on his own and hopped on one leg to the bench.

“The way he hopped off the court, I knew he was coming back,” Christian said, per BCEagles.com.

The medical staff wasn’t convinced.

Popovic went to the locker room for x-rays, and even though they came back negative, he still missed a handful of minutes on the floor. Since Luka Kraljevic was sitting out his secondconsecutive game with a concussion, Johncarlos Reyes was tasked with filling the void in the interior. Immediately, the redshirt sophomore embraced the challenge.

Playing what was probably the best game of his career, the backup center scored seconds out of the injury timeout and ended up going 5-for-5 from the field, giving Popovic a breather whenever necessary. As a whole, the frontcourt was more formidable than ever: Popovic and Reyes racked up a combined 25 points, and Steffon Mitchell hauled in a season-high 15 rebounds, six of which were on the offensive glass.

Toward the end of the period, Robinson made a habit of attacking the paint.

On multiple occasions, the 6-foot-5 combo guard turned on the jets and absorbed contact on his way to the cup, either getting the roll or the call—and sometimes both. Thanks to Robinson and the big fellas, BC outscored the Wolfpack, 26-12 in the paint in the first frame.

The Eagles polished off a complete half of basketball with a 7-4 run to enter the break with a 14-point advantage.

Aside from a few lapses on the perimeter, BC’s defense was practically flawless.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, that was far from the case in the back half of play.

Jordan Chatman got things going with a 3-pointer to up the Eagles’ lead to 17. But from that point forward, BC was playing with its back against the wall.

Frank franklin II / Ap Photo

Jordan Chatman (top) had a team-high four 3-pointers in the second round win.

Slowly but surely, N.C. State made up ground, riding a four-headed scoring platoon. Allerik Freeman and Sam Hunt caught fire from 3-point land, Torin Dorn made a living in the lane, and Omer Yurtseven asserted all seven feet of himself down low. Guided by the pass-driven Johnson, those four erased N.C. State’s double-digit deficit, tying the game with just over four minutes left.

That’s when things really got interesting.

With two minutes on the clock, Freeman crossed up Robinson and stepped back for a big-time 3-pointer to tie the game at 80 apiece. Moments later, Robinson tipped the scale with a triple of his own, only to watch Freeman drain his second-straight outside shot. After the opponents traded a few more points, Christian called a timeout with 33.7 seconds remaining.

Robinson milked the clock, infiltrated the arc, neglected a screen, reached his sweet spot, and pulled up from mid-range for the go-ahead

bucket. On the ensuing inbound play, the junior timed his jump perfectly, in turn, getting a piece of Freeman’s pass. Fortunately for the Eagles, the ball bounced Bowman’s way. Once fouled, the sophomore hit a pair of free throws to extend BC’s lead to four.

Caught in the emotion of the game, Johnson made a bee-line to the hoop for a layup and, without hesitation, called a ghost timeout, costing his team the game and perhaps a shot at the Big Dance.

The Eagles, on the other hand, are still alive. Up next is a Clemson team that’s lost four of its last six and barely squeaked out a four-point win in Conte Forum in January, prior to losing Donte Grantham for the year.

Christian’s attention has shifted to the Tigers, but he wants his guys to look at the bigger picture.

“I said this [Wednesday], they need to start enjoying these moments,” he said. “I want these guys to enjoy this moment.” n

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‘Collateral’ Details Binge-Worthy Murder Mystery

BY CANNON FEW For The Heights The beginning of the four-part British drama miniseries Collateral launches viewers straight into confusion with the shooting of a London pizza delivery man and winds its way through immigration and refugee reform, disputes between gays and the church, and an Olympic pole vaulting accident.

The intricate, complex web of associations that connects these things (among others) and the multiple dynamic characters it encircles are at the heart of Collateral.

Collateral is the brainchild of David Hare, the acclaimed English playwright, and is his first attempt at episodic television. In a way, the show is really about perspective. Here we have a murder mystery that doesn’t rely on a central detective with a conflicted past

or troubled psyche. Instead, it is one that finally admits the immense complexity of its crime by the revealing the situation through the lens of its many ostensibly unrelated characters, each with a backstory nearly as interesting as the main plot.

When a pizza delivery man named Abdullah is gunned down outside a London apartment, pregnant detective Kip Glaspie (Carey Mulligan) is called on the case (think of a British Marge Gunderson, but more aware of how badass she is). With help from forensics, Glaspie quickly understands the incident was planned and sets out to make sense of it. She tracks down the victim’s sisters, Fatima (Ahd) and Mona (July Namir) who are living in a storage container and who seem to know something they won’t admit. Connected to the incident are Laurie Stone (Hayley Squires), Abdullah’s manager at the pizzeria; Karen (Billie Piper), the defi-

TELEVISION

COLLATERAL S.J. CLARKSON DISTRIBUTED BY NETFLIX RELEASE MAR. 5, 2018 OUR RATING

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ant single mother who ordered the pizza that got Abdullah killed; David Mars (John Simm), the member of Parliament who also happens to be Karen’s ex-husband and the father of her child; Linh Xuan Huy (Kae Alexander), the high-on-ketamine sole witness to the crime; and Jane Oliver (Nicola Walker), Linh’s romantic partner and the parish vicar. After the first episode, these characters are a lot to process, and it seems impossible that the four-hour-long miniseries will be able to weave them all together.

But much of the excitement is in watching not only how Hare accomplishes it, but how he makes each individual a main character in their own right—as if this was one brief, modernized beat of Game of Thrones.

Collateral is atypical in that Hare breaks conventions and reveals the identity of the killer at the end of the first episode, and reveals the killer’s motives and co-conspirators shortly thereafter. Collateral becomes a murder mystery not so much about “who did it?” but why someone did a particular thing and how that connects to someone else doing another thing and so on and so forth. The interconnectedness of it displays Hare’s wit and storytelling ability and reflects his attempt to look at the localized crime from a much broader perspective, a difficult but important thing to do.

The big highlight of the show comes from the stellar performance of Mulligan.

She dominates every scene she’s in, carrying with her an infectious confidence and self-assurance. Kip’s character in general is terrific, though the constant inquiries in the show about her Olympic pole vaulting

accident don’t make much sense and seem like a forced way to deepen a character that’s plenty dynamic enough. Magnifying Mulligan’s role, along with the show at large, is the brilliant cinematography of director S.J. Clarkson.

The scene cuts and transitions are superb, as are the color and lighting of the frames. Just as the show presents different perspectives from its characters, it conveys how the impact of the murderous event can ripple through several different institutions. Hare’s characters say things like “people don’t believe in institutions anymore”—which is true.

The ways in which the murder echoes through the church, the police, the army, British Parliament, and Immigration Services help doubly reveal the people’s attitudes about the institutions and the attitudes of the institutions themselves.

Probably the most prominent institution in the show is that of Immigration Services, with the topic of illegal immigration being highlighted in particular. Present-day fiction is on the whole lacking stories pertaining to illegal immigration for how important and relevant the topic is in the real world. Hare has taken a big step, it seems, in centering his show around this issue. The ways in which he presents it are generally effective, though at times some of the dialogue can come off as fairly didactic, particularly through the character of David Mars. Either way, it’s worthy of commendation.

Collateral isn’t long, just four episodes of about an hour each. It’s available on Netflix, and it’s definitely worth the binge. 

The Neighbourhood Creates Self-Titled Sonic Collage ‘

BY KAYLIE RAMIREZ Assoc. Arts Editor The Neighbourhood combines the hiphop beats of its early EPs, grunge rock lyricism of its debut album I Love You., and airy guitar riffs of Wiped Out! for its synthetic self-titled third album. Having defined its individual sound, the Los Angeles-based band dances through tracks about love, loneliness, and change.The band released EPs Hard and To Imagine in September 2017 and January 2018 respectively, leaving the alternative rock group with plenty of songs to choose from for the new album. The band fills in the gaps with singles released in anticipation of the album and brand new tracks that give the album a cohesive, yet all too familiar sound.

The opening track “Flowers,” an upbeat song that uses excessive autotune to morph front man Jesse Rutherford’s voice, makes its first appearance on The Neighbourhood.

The beat twinkles during the chorus while a hip-hop drum line times chime-like keyboard tones. The track is underwhelming in comparison to “24/7,” an equally upbeat Hard track masterfully tailored to epitomize the band’s new synthetic sound that makes no appearance on the self-titled LP. Tracks “Scary Love,” “Sadderdaze,” “You Get Me So High,” and “Stuck With Me” are all borrowed from the predecessor EPs and prove to be some of the best on

the album. “Scary Love,” the second track, finds Rutherford and company walking through dangerous alleys while a strobe-lit electric beat illuminates the upbeat lyrics.

Rutherford sings “Your love is scaring me / No one has ever cared for me as much / As you do,” during the techno chorus. “Sadderdaze” appears later on the album and finds The Neighbourhood experimenting with classical elements. The group closes the album with “Stuck With Me,” a spacey track from To Imagine. Rutherford loops the lyrics “You are stuck with me / So I guess I’ll be sticking with” over a quick synthetic drum beat and Zach Abels’ interwoven electric guitar riff.

“Nervous” and “Void,” both singles from the album, fill in the space between “Scary Love” and “Sadderdaze.” “Nervous” opens with a haunting vocal from Rutherford accompanied by long, wavy guitar strokes and a breaking drum beat.The ’80s vibe carries over into “Softcore,” a hard-hitting pop song with spraying drum vibrations and pulsing bass. The song recalls some of The Neighbourhood’s earlier work, sampling the chord progression from “Wiped Out!,” the title track from its sophomore album that dissolves into a journey through techno beats and echoed lyrics. “Blue” also takes elements from the band’s previous works—the band speeds up the militaristic hard-stop beats of “Roll Call,” a Hard track.

“Revenge,” “Reflections,” and “Too Seri-

ous” complete the new material on The Neighbourhood. The band ditches its usual victim role for a powerful retribution track in “Revenge.” Rutherford’s voice twists in and out of autotune while invoking vitality, threatening “Coming for your heart / Every beat, when you sleep” over a quick techno beat. “Reflections” establishes a solid pop appeal with its catchy repetition and rhyme, but stays true to the band’s alternative rock roots with long, waving guitar riffs. The song’s title is telling of its obvious tribute to “Sweater Weather,” the band’s 2013 breakout hit, as it steals the fast drum beat for its chorus. The band quickly falls back into its

pattern of discussing depression over hiphop fused alternative rock beats when the broken record chorus begins “Now I feel like I’m broken.”

The Neighbourhood provides longtime fans with a scrapbook of familiar beats and themes and reinforces its techno hip-hop fusion alternative rock sound on its selftitled LP, but the band’s creative capability is crippled by the distinct sound. Potential hits “Sadderdaze” and “You Get Me So High” blur into a monotonous album and The Neighbourhood fails to capture the California cool of Wiped Out! or relentless angst of I Love You. when defining its sound. 

MUSIC

Arts Editor

It’s nice to know that after you ruin the character of The Joker in Suicide Squad, you can only go up from there. (“You” being Jared Leto, as he certainly reads these reviews.)

Instead of playing a literally insane person covered in makeup, tattoos, and tendencies toward abusive relationships, Leto stars as the main character of one of Netflix’s newest original properties, The Outsider.

The Outsider seems to be another one of Netflix’s attempts to appeal to both a domestic and foreign market. The movie takes place in Japan, and most of the characters, Leto aside, are Japanese. Japanese is also the primary language of the film. English is only

spoken occasionally, when characters speak to Leto’s character Nick, or when Nick has to say a sentence longer than one or two words—and it’s not often that he does, but this will be addressed later.

The movie opens in Osaka, Japan during the 1950s. Nick is a prisoner. He bonds with another prisoner, Kiyoshi (Tadanobu Asano), and eventually assists him in his escape. When Nick is released, he is offered a job by Kiyoshi’s family—the yakuza. Nick works as an enforcer of sorts for the yakuza, although the reason as to why the yakuza, an organized crime syndicate, need any more enforcing is never really explained.

The Outsider tries to brush this under the rug by claiming that Kiyoshi feels an obligation to Nick for helping him escape, but it’s

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‘COLORS’ JASON DERULO

Jason Derulo, acclaimed and famous musician and performer, is given the honor of singing the official song of the 2018 FIFA World Cup with “Colors.”

The beloved international soccer competition will take place over the course of a month this summer in host country Russia.

The song replicates the optimistic upbeat tempo of past World Cup songs while incorporating common themes of persistence, unity, and national pride.

Derulo’s single encompasses the spirit of the event, encouraging viewers all over the world with the outro that states “Represent your country / Raise your flag / Show your true colors.”

It is strange, however, that an American artist was chosen to sing the anthem given that America did not qualify for this summer’s World Cup. While Derulo may seem an odd choice for the prestigious honor, he proves his worthiness with his impressive vocal range.

Derulo cleverly includes backing and ad-lib “oh’s” to mimic the thunderous crowd chants soccer fans are known for, adding elements of the world famous event to the song.

The beat sounds similar to that of Shakira’s 2010 World Cup song “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)” with pounding drums that give the song a celebratory party mood.

The title of the song refers to national pride as Derulo encourages patrons of the sport to don their flag’s colors for the contentious soccer matches. 

MUSIC VIDEO AUSTIN HORD

‘DELICATE’ TAYLOR SWIFT

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Leto Delivers Empty Performance in ‘The Outsider’

BY JACOB SCHICK

SINGLE REVIEW

very unsatisfying to accept this as enough for a crime syndicate to employ someone that it clearly doesn’t like for an extended period of time.

Regardless, Nick begins to rise through the ranks and prove himself to the crime boss, who eventually accepts him as an honorary son. This is not until after a gruesome and overindulgent scene in which Nick cuts off two of his own fingers with a kitchen knife in order to make up for the dishonor he has incurred on his boss. The Outsider seems to be commenting on Nick’s extreme tolerance for pain and for a “cool” scene in which he truly proves himself a member of the yakuza, instead of an “outsider,” as he was previously labeled. Instead, this scene reads as a gratuitous use of violence and exploitation of the film’s R rating. This is not to say that movies shouldn’t or can’t be violent, it is only that such violence should have a real purpose or meaning—or at least be a part of a better movie. Good examples of highquality violent action movies include John Wick, John Wick: Chapter Two, The Raid, and The Raid 2.

Putting violence aside, however, leaves very little left in The Outsider. The story is sparse where it exists at all, and any attempts to humanize the characters feel false or unwarranted. At one point, Nick begins a relationship with Kiyoshi’s sister, Miyu (Shiori Kutsuna). Kiyoshi tells him to back off, he doesn’t, and then nothing of consequence actually occurs. Miyu’s

character has no depth either. She merely exists as an object or device to further the plot and to “humanize” Nick (where she does not succeed).

Leto’s performance can hardly be called a performance at all. He is wooden and unmoved by almost everything that happens.

He breaks out into destructive violence without real warning or prompt, and then recedes into utter apathy. He speaks perhaps 50 words in the entire movie—almost two hours in length. These types of performances can work, but not here. One point in Leto’s favor is that he does glide through the movie. Stylistically, his character works very well, but only after conceding all of the other faults of the movie. If everything wrong with The Outsider is put aside, Leto’s character cuts a striking figure in his yakuza suit, and he acts as an puzzling case of an unemotional stand-in for the audience members. But, putting all of the faults of the movie is nearly impossible, so this is really an exercise in futility.

The Outsider would be a fairly mindless period-crime movie that one might recommend putting on television while you did something else—like clean the house, for example. But the movie is probably 40 minutes too long to do this sort of job, and there isn’t enough dialogue to follow simply by ear. To understand what little happens in the movie, one must watch continuously.

But this movie is terrible, so don’t do that either. 

At one point or another, everyone thinks about what it would be like to be famous.

In Taylor Swift’s new music video for “Delicate” off her latest album Reputation, however, she’s wondering what it would be like to be just the opposite.

“Delicate” is about Swift finding a guy who loves her for who she is—minus the celebrity status—and this is reflected in the music video as she tears down her fake celebrity façade and sings, “My reputation’s never been worse so / You must like me for me.”

Swift seems dead inside at the beginning of the video, living the stereotypical life of a celebrity and flashing fake smiles at the paparazzi.

This part includes a stylistic routine in which her bodyguards box her in, matching her every step, and she realizes that she can’t do anything with true freedom. Swift tests the guards’ steps to find they are perfectly in sync with hers, hesitates for a moment, then continues her long strides in her dazzling blue dress.

As Swift stares at her reflection in the bathroom, though, she concludes that if she gives up on her fake image and acts like her true self, nobody notices her. The mirror scene features Swift testing her various expressions, working through the catalog of fake smiles and comical reactions. She goes on to dance on the subway and be invisible to the limelight, and she leaps around an alleyway in the rain before stepping into a dive bar to meet up with the aforementioned guy.

Her dancing isn’t amazing, but it’s not too bad considering she’s primarily a singer, not a dancer.

The video, directed by Joseph Kahn, features clever scenes and captivating camera angles that capture the essence of what Swift is saying with her music. 

THE HEIGHTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

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‘A Wrinkle in Time’ Needs to Iron Out the Creases Lessons

BY JACOB SCHICK Arts Editor Madeleine L’Engle’s classic book has become a cornerstone of fantasy literature since its publishing in 1962. The first book, A Wrinkle in Time, was followed by four other novels, completing L’Engle’s Time Quintet.

Almost 50 years later, director Ava Duvernay presents the first blockbuster adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time.

The film focuses on Meg Murry (Storm Reid) and her search for her lost father, Dr. Alex Murry (Chris Pine). Since her father’s disappearance four years ago, Meg has become withdrawn. She is bullied and acts out at school. It is clear that Meg is a very good kid, but she appears to have lost her way. She is buoyed by her younger brother, Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) and her mother Dr. Kate Murry (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). Charles

Wallace is a prodigious genius, as well as boundlessly kind and optimistic.

A Wrinkle in Time spends, ironically, little time on its initial set-up. Perhaps 10 minutes into the film, the Murry house is visited by Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), and in practically the next scene, Meg, Charles Wallace, and Meg’s friend Calvin O’Keefe (Levi Miller) are starting their journey across space to find Meg’s father.

They are accompanied by three astral presences, the aforementioned Mrs. Whatsit, along with Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) and Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey). These three have the ability to “tesser,” that is, to create a tesseract. This allows them to “wrinkle” time and space, facilitating travel across galaxies in the blink of an eye.

The group tessers to a faraway planet called Uriel, where the children are apprised of the danger that appears to have captured

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Dr. Murry. An evil presence is spreading throughout the universe, called The It. The It has taken over a planet called Camazotz, where Dr. Murry is imprisoned. The children are sent there in order to save him.

A Wrinkle in Time is a very good children’s movie. Unfortunately, it is a little too hollow for everyone else. The movie is wonderfully colorful and vibrant, full of interesting creatures and settings, but all of this seems to appear only to push the characters from one set piece to the next.

At one point, the group goes to visit The Happy Medium (Zach Galifinakis) in order to find out Dr. Murry’s exact whereabouts.

A Wrinkle in Time glosses over much of the apparent purpose of this visit so that the Medium can impart words of encouragement to Meg. Many other scenes are also apparently presented only for the purpose of advising or encouraging Meg while a spectacularly interesting set exists in the background.

This all goes to say that, while A Wrinkle in Time is 109 minutes, it could have done with more length. The movie doesn’t seem to have the time to connect its wonderful world building with the character development it is pushing. The performances are all very genuine and enjoyable, but they don’t have much to connect to or ground them.

Everyone does a very good job with his or her character. The child actors are surprisingly talented: Their emotions and actions are real and believable.

Watching A Wrinkle in Time, most of this isn’t readily apparent. Between the vibrant colors, the exciting performances of the actors, and the quick movement from

one scene to the next, A Wrinkle in Time flies by and is a pretty enjoyable movie. But, after exiting the theater and stopping to consider the movie, it becomes clear that there isn’t much else there. A Wrinkle in Time doesn’t survive anything deeper than a surface-level examination. For a children’s movie, this isn’t a bad thing. It is, however, a little disappointing to watch a high-quality fantasy book be reduced to this sort of essence.

Fans of the book will likely be disappointed by other things as well. The movie changes a number of things—some of these changes make sense, others don’t.

First, Meg’s other brothers, Sandy and Dennys, are entirely absent from the movie.

This might have been done to cut down on time, but it severely limits the movie’s ability to spawn sequels (the later books require these characters).

Charles Wallace’s psychic abilities are also absent, leaving him as a very secondary character, instead of in the prominent position he occupied in the book. There are removals that do make sense, however.

Many scenes from the book have been cut that don’t leave the story largely wanting.

Some include the “Aunt Beast” plot arc, as well as some of the character’s time on Camazotz.

A Wrinkle in Time is an enjoyable movie, and a great movie for children to see over its likely month-long theatrical run. Unfortunately, it did not do proper justice to its source material, and comes off hollow and a little moralizing. 

Reliance on Wackiness Dooms ‘Gringo’ to Mediocrity ‘

BY JACOB SCHICK Arts Editor Gringo is truly a MacGuffin movie for 2018. Audiences have been watching MacGuffins in movies from Rosebud in Citizen Kane to the briefcase in Pulp Fiction.

Everyone has seen and forgotten about a MacGuffin, even if they don’t know what one is. A MacGuffin is an object, a place, a person—anything really—that exists only as a plot device. In Citizen Kane, the entire movie hinges on the search to understand Charles Foster Kane’s last word, “Rosebud.”

In Pulp Fiction, the movie is driven by the desire to deliver or take possession of Marsellus Wallace’s briefcase. It doesn’t actually matter why Kane said “Rosebud” as he died, or what the briefcase really contains, and the audience doesn’t care either. It matters that it drives the plot forward. In Gringo, the MacGuffin is a marijuana pill. Truly a MacGuffin of the modern era.

Gringo weaves together the stories of many people through their attachments to a newly formulated marijuana pill. Parallel to this object as an axis point for the movie is the main character, Harold Soyinka (David Oyelowo). Harold is a middle manager for a large pharmaceutical company that has been developing this pill at a facility in Mexico.

There have been discrepancies in the inventory of the pills because the company has been selling the product off the books to

a Mexican cartel leader. In preparation for a merger that must go off without a hitch, Harold’s two bosses, Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Elaine (Charlize Theron), take Harold along with them down to Mexico.

While there, hijinks ensue. Harold learns that his wife is cheating on him and fakes a kidnapping to ransom himself back to his two uncaring bosses. Real kidnappings occur, along with a tangential plot about a would-be American drug mule, a romantic entanglement, cartel manhunts, and a hitman with good intentions.

If all of this sounds complicated, messy, or all over the place, that’s because it is.

Gringo is the cinematic embodiment of a person in a money blowing machine. It tries to grab on to everything, but it can’t focus on an individual object long enough to secure it. What this means for the movie, unfortunately, is that it’s sort of a wreck. This is disappointing for a few reasons: Watching the trailer, Gringo seems to be a funny (if slightly wacky) action comedy. Amanda Seyfried is featured fairly prominently in the trailer, but her character is simply dragged through the movie by her boyfriend, only crossing paths with Harold occasionally.

Gringo wastes other actors too:Thandie Newton (Westworld) exists to cheat on Harold, but isn’t really utilized at all. Joel Edgerton plays a quintessential jerk and does a good job with the part, but he feels very one-dimensional.

There are things that Gringo does right, however. Oyelowo does turns in a very funny and enjoyable performance as Harold.

His comedic timing is top-notch and he really shines as the star of the film. Theron’s character is also more than one-note. She has motivations and actions that feel more realistic than many of her counterparts.

Copley is very fun to watch, as always.

The interactions and scenes between Oyelowo and Copley are probably some of the best in the movie. At one point, Oyelowo is on his knees praying to God that he doesn’t die, and he and Copley proceed to have a humorously theological conversa-

tion about some of the contradictions in the New Testament.

The movie is funny, too. There are a lot of laughs sprinkled throughout the film, especially as Harold plays the straight man against the exaggerated performances of the others. The movie is enjoyable, or at least can be enjoyed. It only requires the audience to sit back and let the zaniness and lack of connection just wash over them. Gringo needs a lot to be forgiven in order to be the movie it wants to be. For now, though, there are better action movies, there are better comedies, and there are better action comedies in theaters right now. 

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‘Thoroughbreds’ Succeeds Through Weirdness

BY JACOB SCHICK Arts Editor

This movie is very weird. That is the first sentence of this review for a reason —it’s very important to understand that this movie is very weird. The trailer presents Thoroughbreds as a dark comedy. It is. But is also very weird. Very. Weird.

Thoroughbreds is a fairly short dark comedy about two teenage girls who plot the murder of one girl’s step-father. The movie focuses on the “friendship” (it can’t really be described as a friendship, but it’s probably the closest this movie gets to any sort of positive feeling between characters) between high school girls Lily (Anya TaylorJoy) and Amanda (Olivia Cooke). The movie

sets up this relationship as audiences watch Lily tutor Amanda for the SAT. Lily is a normal teenage girl—albeit a teenage girl who lives in a literal mansion with her mother and step-father. Her stepfather, Mark (Paul Sparks), is emotionally abusive toward her and her mother (Francie Swift). Lily is apparently very emotional, as she has been acting out since her father’s death. Amanda, on the other hand, has no feelings at all. She does not feel happiness, sadness, anger, or really anything else. She is very good at pretending she has feelings, but she has recently been kicked out of school for personally euthanizing her injured horse.

The initial interactions between the two are absurdly humorous. Lily is the stand-in

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for the audience, while Amanda is a sort of sounding board for this incongruous relationship. Both actresses play the characters extremely straight, Cooke impersonating a wooden Keanu Reeves (reactionless, monotone), while the comedy leaks in around the edges. The murder plot is also presented as would be expected. Lily and Amanda toy with the idea of killing Mark. Lily is initially hesitant and repulsed by the idea. Amanda doesn’t care either way.

After this, however, is where Thoroughbreds takes a huge turn. This turn will either make or break the movie for audiences—it’s very unlikely that anyone who watches Thoroughbreds will feel anything between absolute dislike and definite enjoyment. There is no real middle ground, and Thoroughbreds isn’t asking for it. Instead of spoiling it, this review will serve as a warning. This movie is not for everyone. It’s not even for most people. Thoroughbreds is great and really enjoyable and incredibly darkly funny, but it’s way too weird to gain any real traction with people who see movies only occasionally.

Audiences who were expecting a modern version of Heathers will probably be disappointed. This movie is not like Heathers. It is great in a very different way.

The performances in Thoroughbreds are very good, but not in the usual way. Most actors or actresses would be lauded for playing very realistic characters. These characters are not at all realistic. They are played so straight that they are almost wooden. The

actors aren’t winking at the camera through the absurdity of their characters. Each is deeply and seriously invested in their strange character. But their performances are very muted—they only seem to act when the script calls them to directly.

As an aside, Thoroughbreds does have the final appearance by the late Anton Yelchin. He plays a local drug dealer who the girls choose to commit the murder of Mark. Yelchin’s performance is probably the most realistic of anyone’s in the movie. He comes off as almost overexaggerated next to the muted and subdued performances of the two girls, but his character is a refreshing addition of traditional comedy to the movie.

But, like The Lobster or Donnie Darko, those who like it will like it very much. The movie is incredibly funny, but only in absurd and dark ways. The performances are great, but only because there is very little substance to them.

The story is very entertaining, but only because it is very simple and incredibly strange. Thoroughbreds is a different movie than it appears to be in its trailer, but it is not a bad movie. It’s just not a movie fore verone Thoroughbreds isn’t asking for the acceptance of wide audiences, and it definitely won’t receive. This movie simply is. It exists on its own terms and makes no concessions to those who don’t or won’t like it. Instead, Thoroughbreds tells its story incredibly well and very weirdly. 

Learned JACOB SCHICK

Hey! Welcome back from #springbreak2k18. Mine was great! It’s so sweet of you to ask, but yes it was very nice. No, no, I went home. To Orlando. No not Disney.

Yep. No. Yeah, I did go to the beach.

How did you know? Oh. Yeah, that’s why my face is peeling. I know, I know, I should wear sunscreen. Who are you, my mother? What else did I do? Well, let’s see.

I saw nine movies in theaters, and that was pretty fun. Yes nine. No, I had gift cards and points at Regal for free tickets. Well yeah, I do like movies a lot. Well yeah, it’s like my only defining characteristic. Heh, yeah … I mean … well what did you do?

Oh. That does sound exciting. Well … at least I learned things! Yes! Yeah-huh I did. Well fine! I’ll write a column about it, that’ll show you!

I spent my break in sunny Central Florida relaxing, driving to the beach to hang out with friends, and...you guessed it...seeing movies. Some of them I saw in order to write reviews, but most of them I saw just because I hadn’t yet seen them.

And because they looked interesting. And I learned a few things while spending so many hours drinking Coke slurpees in those nice reclining chairs.

These are my stories. Bum bum.

Lesson One: People don’t go to the movies as much as I do. Shocking I know, but seriously. I have a system down. If I’m buying my tickets at the theater (instead of on the mobile app), I walk up, ask for the movie, and then hand them my Regal Crown Club card and form of payment.

When they ask me to select a seat, I tell them the one I want. That’s it. That’s what they need. This way, they don’t have to ask me what I’m seeing, if I have the member card, if I want to be a member, or anything else. Swipe member card to get points, swipe debit card to pay. This works better for me, and it works better for them. At this point, I know most of the people who work at the box office (I go pretty often), and I’ve discussed it with them. I was astounded to learn that some people show up to the theater a) not knowing what movie they want to see (what?!) and b) not knowing what any of the movies are about at all (how do you know if you would even want to see it then?!). What. At least right now, most people are coming out to the movies for the first time in a long time to see Black Panther because it’s an amazing movie and everyone should see it at least three times. But that aside, what?! Why would you come to the movie theater without knowing what you want to see?

You’re forcing the underpaid box office person to try to explain to you what 10 or 12 different movies are about and determine whether or not you will like them.

Don’t do that. Come on.

Lesson Two: People don’t go to the movies as much as I do. The Regal movie theater near me has had the “select your seats when buying your ticket” thing for almost three years. Yet I consistently stand in line while people are flabbergasted by this phenomena. The open seats are in blue. Just pick.

Lesson Three: People don’t go to the movies as much as I do. A lot of theaters have begun to offer a wider selection at concessions. Don’t buy this. Soft drinks, candy, slurpees, and popcorn. These are the things that movie theaters do well.

Nothing else. I promise you, you are slowing down everyone (yourself, the concession workers, the people in line, and most importantly me) when you try to pretend like this is a restaurant. The movie theater has even streamlined the process by setting up a bar as a separate area so people who just want alcohol can order there and everyone else can order at the regular counter. If you want to eat “real food” at a movie theater, a Regal or an AMC is not the place to do it. Go to one of those cinema cafés. In Boston, that would be Showcase Superlux or Showplace ICON. Surveying this column, I really only learned one thing of “value”—people don’t go to the movies as much as I do. But I go a lot, so I know what I’m talking about.

I’ve made all of these mistakes (well except for not knowing what was playing, that’s ridiculous), and I want to pass on what I’ve learned. But most importantly, I did learn something. Which is pretty neat.

Jacob Schick is the arts editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@ bcheights.com.

ARTS

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THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018

@BCHEIGHTSARTS

Will Supple: An Eagle on ‘Idol’

BY JACK GOLDMAN Copy Editor Right now, if you take a look at Will Supple’s, MCAS ’20, Twitter account (@willsupplemusic), it’s a pretty fascinating study in how weird it is to go from being a talented singer involved in The Bostonians to an American Idol contestant. “a video with my face in it has OVER 12 MILLION VIEWS!!!!!! welcome to my actual peak in life it’s a pleasure to have you here,” his latest tweet reads.

Then, Supple @’s Katy Perr y.

Just an average day in the life of the Needham, Mass. native. He has to carefully create Instagram stories as his upcoming appearance brings him more and more publicity.

Just three years ago, he couldn’t have imagined he would ever be in this position.

“I have always been singing, but never really for an audience,” Supple said. “It wasn’t until my senior year of high school when I was in Guys and Dolls and I had a solo that went well.”

He played Sky Masterson, a gambler who sings in “Luck Be A Lady.” His performance was so good that as Supple began applying to college later that year, he was encouraged by his peers at St. Sebastian’s School (where I was also a student) to send in a sample of his solo.

When he was younger, Supple was a part of a few musicals, but those were the only performances he gave in front of an audience. Music was always a part of his life, but more in the sense that he sang in the shower, rather than on stage to adoring audiences.

Guys and Dolls was the beginning of a new chapter.

After gaining some a cappella experience at St. Sebastian’s and as Supple transitioned to BC, he knew based on his newfound excellence onstage that he wante d to ke ep singing in college.

“I came to BC, and I knew I wanted to be in an a cappella group, so I got into The Bostonians,” Supple said.

“Once that happened I was singing three times a week, which was more than I had ever really done before, and all of my best friends at school were singers because that was who I was around all the time and I got better from doing it all the time.”

By the time Sing it to the Heights came around in 2016, Supple had gained a lot of voice reps.

He had begun taking singing lessons

at the studio where he recorded his voice tape, he had the musicals under his belt, and finally his work with The Bostonians had sharpened his singing ability to the point where he felt ready to try his hand in the BC competition that’s former name is BC Idol.

“It’s weird how many talented kids we have at this school considering we don’t have a music pedigree, so I knew it would be competitive to get into one of the groups, and I thought The Bostonians were the best group. I was really excited when they took me.

But that was my real first validation that I was good enough to get in that group.”

He cited the tours The Bostonians go on as the highlight of his time with the group.

“We go on tour every year, and that’s always a blast, just a lot of singing at other colleges and different cities—we went to Canada my freshman year and it was a lot of fun, a lot of group bonding,” he said.

He cited a trip to Cape Cod as one of his favorite moments as well, but he had some reservations.

“One time we went on retreat in Falmouth, Mass., and we were all sitting on a ledge by the water and the sunset was the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen and it was the most special moment. That’s so sappy though.

“Just make it up honestly.”

Throughout the process of trying to make it onto American Idol, Supple made an effort to keep things light.

He saw countless people understandably losing their minds over the pressure of performing for Idol producers, so no matter what stage of the process he was at, Supple did his best to try to ease the fears of his fellow auditioners with his humor—partly because he felt bad for them, and partly because it was the only way for him to not lose his own.

Supple fell back on his previous experience when reflecting on how he wound up auditioning. Winning Sing it to the Heights served as his second validation.

“Sing it to the Heights was where I think things really started,” he said. “I knew I wanted to audition for it—that’s still the largest audience I’ve ever sung in front of, which is weird because I’m about to be in front of millions of people, but whatever, it’s, like fine, everything is great, and it’s like 500 to like 13 million, WHATEVER. Is that even a jump?”

He auditioned for Sing it to the Heights with “Forrest Gump” by Frank

Ocean, and then went into “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton, and aboslutely knocked it out of the park.

“It’s one of the best performances I’ve ever had—I don’t think I’ve ever sung it as well as I did there,” Supple said. “I won that, which was based on an audience vote. And that was just validating, and my best friend, who is also in The Bostonians came in second, and she killed it. So to win something like that as a freshman in a competition for all grades in my first solo performance was an important moment.”

It would appear that after his win, Supple was on top of the world, primed to jump to a new musical stratosphere. Unfortunately, that isn’t exactly what happened.

He struggled with trying to figure out what was next for him. He took a semester off from BC, worked at his craft, and then upon his return this fall, he came across the Facebook posts that inspired him to head for the city.

Supple didn’t even know about the Idol auditions, but as he scrolled through Facebook, he saw friends skipping work to go and try to live their dreams.

He figured he should give it a shot. Supple waited for hours in line, watching plenty of talented vocalists get cast aside because this was American Idol—this was the big leagues.

So when his time came, Supple had two goals: sound as good as possible, but also come across as interesting.

He realized that this was the show that made Kelly Clarkson famous. They had seen plenty of talented singers, but this was a reality show. In order to make it to any stage of Idol, he needed to stand out not just with his voice but with his personality.

This is where the intrepid author of this article could’ve predicted what was coming.

I was in a LOT of plays with young William from 2009 to 2014 when I graduated, just a few months before he began to fully understand how talented a singer he was and how passionate he was about performing.

Will Supple has never failed to stand out.

His humor is biting—on countless occasions our conversations have devolved into mocking our peers, our teachers, ourselves, and everything in between.

That was no different during this interview, when we rehashed countless memories in the midst of

SAVANAH KIEFER / HEIGHTS ARCHIVES

Will Supple, MCAS ’20, performs at the ‘Sing it to the Heights’ 2016 competition. celebrating Supple’s ascension to the point where he could, when I asked him for an interview, direct me to his PR representative.

“I’m really glad that I didn’t know that the auditions were happening until the day of, so I didn’t have time to prepare or psych myself out,” he said.

“There were a bunch of people before me—some of them were terrible, some of them were AMAZING, pretty much everyone was getting told ‘no.’

“So I was just standing there thinking ‘I really have nothing to lose, I might as well just do what I can.’ Some guy who worked as a security guard came over and said the best advice he could give was to make a ton of eye contact with the producer. So I literally just stared at this man while I sang three songs to him.”

Supple sang “Tennessee Whiskey,” “So Good” by Johnny Stimson, and “Golden Slumbers” by the Beatles. He put down as his fun fact that he could quote Mean Girls from start to finish, and less than a month later, he found himself in front of the celebrity judges in New York City.

“I tried to keep my personality on.

It’s more than a singing competition,” he said. “They’re casting for a reality show, so if I’m boring they won’t want me.”

Supple is featured in one of the promos for the show, talking about his and Katy Perry’s talents—his personality is just as much of a reason he made it to the celebrity judges as his tremendous talent.

As for how the audition went, Supple was predictably blown away by the experience.

“As soon as I walked into the room, there were so many lights, so many cameras, three of the most attractive people I have ever seen sitting in front of me,” he said. “And I was just like— knowing that everything that is filming me could be seen by the entire country— all that literally hit me my second step into the room.

“So I was like … ‘Hiiii!’”

Supple didn’t sing either of his songs quite as well as he had hoped, but he thinks the unique tone of his voice made a huge difference, showing off his potential.

In order to find out how he did and what the celebrity judges thought of him, though, viewers will have to keep tuning in to the show Sundays and Mondays on ABC. Regardless of how he does, Supple is planning on moving to Los Angeles and getting into the music industry at any level, with this experience serving as the inspiration for him to go into one of the toughest industries in the world.

He’s come a long way from the kid I knew roasting my existence as we navigated all-boys-Catholic High School Musical and the insanity that comes with that experience, but Will Supple has put in the hours and proved to some of the most renowned talent producers in the country how good he is. Although he couldn’t have imagined being on American Idol just a few months ago, it’s readily apparent why he’s gotten so far on Idol.

Supple’s passion for music has brought him this far—it’s what will fuel his efforts on Idol too. 

Student Talent on Display at BC Art Club’s ‘Spring Show’

BY JACOB SCHICK Arts Editor Tucked away in the first floor gallery of Carney Hall, the work of students in Boston College’s Art Club hangs on display.

These 13 pieces comprise the entirety of the Art Club’s 2018 Spring Student Art Show. Each piece hangs flat against the wall for viewing twodimensionally, but there is a variety of mediums present—from photography to painting.

The gallery isn’t tied together by a clear theme—aside from the recent creativity of BC students.

Right at the entrance to the gallery, past a clear glass door, is the first work of the Art Club’s display.

This piece, titled “HERMXPHRXDYTE” is an oil painting on canvas, surrounded on all sides by a wooden frame.

The painting , by Sabel Flynn, CSON ’19, depicts a human figure.

This person stands, backed by large red flowers, alongside a dog. The person has male genitalia and, on the chest, the artist has accentuated the curve of female breasts.

This duality is explained in part by the title, clearly meant to speak

INSIDE SCENE

to the figure’s nature as a hermaphrodite. The face of the person does not bely the sex, clearly painted this way intentionally. Criss-crossing the painting, forming a grid, are thin strings attached on either end to the large wooden frame.

In the center, these strings are arranged into the shape of an “X” and a “Y” to show the chromosomes that determine sex. The effect of this joining of painting and thread is quite striking and beautiful. The artwork accentuates the beautiful nature of a person many might consider to be abnormal.

In doing so, this painting solidifies itself as one of the more stimulating and interesting pieces in the collection.Further along the wall—the artwork covers only one wall of the hallway—is a piece called “Spurtle.”

This piece, a combination of watercolor and digital print, was created

by Emily Zhao, MCAS ’19. It depicts a colorful sea turtle floating in space.

On the turtle’s shell, Zhao has painted a stunning and bright half-globe. This is clearly alluding to a planet or other celestial body.

The turtle drifts through space, surrounded by the blues, greens, and purples (clear examples of the

‘A Wrinkle in Time’

watercolor aspect of the piece) of the universe. The title, “Spurtle,” is apparently a combination of the “space turtle,” the subject depicted here. While turtles as that which carries worlds through space have been depicted before, Zhao has provided a refreshing take on a classic idea.

In a series of three digital prints hung next to each other, Michaela Mark, MCAS ’21, presents an interesting trichotomy.

All three are untitled, but this is where their similarities seem to end.

The first print shows a young woman with her head tilted up toward the viewer.

Her eyes are closed, and her hair trails out behind her. She appears to be floating on top of water, as parts of her hair seem to be adrift under the surface, while much of her hair and face are dry.

Beautifully colorful flowers float on the surface, seeming to get caught in the woman’s long hair. The print conveys a decidedly peaceful feeling of relaxation and drift. The second print is more vibrantly colorful. In the middle of the frame are the bottoms of someone’s feet dusted all over with neon blue and pink colors.

As the eye of the viewer moves out

Director Ava Duvernay works to bring the classic fantasy story to the big screen, with some success.............................B7

‘Thoroughbreds’

KATIE GENIRS / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Boston College students showcase creativity in Art Club’s ‘Spring Show’ in Carney Hall. from this center, the print becomes less and less focused, as if there was a large distance between the outer edges and center.

Mark’s last print is the most realistic of the three. It is also a digital print, but it could easily be mistaken for a photograph. In it, a girl stands, obviously very cold, on a snow-covered bridge. Her hands clutch at her clothing, and her facial expression appears uncomfortable.

This print conveys a sense of loneliness and isolation, as the girl stands by herself, the only sign of life, in the

A teenage girl enlists her friend in a murder plot, resulting in a high-quality and extremely weird movie.............................B7

snow-covered landscape.

Each of the aforementioned pieces of art is very visually interesting, but they are by no means the best or the only interesting pieces in the gallery.

This spring, the Art Club at BC has outdone themselves in this display of artistic creativity.

Often, student artwork is overlooked by many BC students as they walk to and from class, or sit and study, but it is galleries like these that give a glimpse into the wealth of artistic talent that exists on campus for those who seek it out. 

‘Collateral’................................................ B6 ‘The Neighbourhood’...................................... B6 ‘The Outsider’.............................................. B6