The Heights September 16, 2019

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THE

HEIGHTS For a Greater Boston College - Independent since 1970

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CENTENNIAL

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www.bcheights.com

Monday, September 16, 2019

Back on track

Acoustic alumnus

SPORTS

ARTS

Field hockey capped a successful weekend with a dominant win over Northeastern.

Stavros Piperis sets out to make his mark on the music industry with his upcoming album, ‘Chances.’

A12

A16

Environmental Science Launches Ph.D. Program 15 students will be admitted this year, with plans to expand By Owen Fahy Asst. News Editor

Jonathan ye / Heights Editor

BC Suffers Humbling 24-Point Loss to Kansas Kansas racked up 567 yards of offense, scored on seven straight possessions, and held BC scoreless in the second half.

AADS Recognizes 50th Anniversary The celebration begins with a lecture series & virtual walking tour By Jack Miller News Editor Created in 1969 in response to advocacy by the Boston College Black Student Forum, the initial African and African Diaspora Studies program—then “Black Studies”—offered only three classes: African Art, The History and Psychological Development of the Black Family, and African Nationalism Since World War II. “When [Black Studies] first started, it was very much focused on getting black students to BC and making sure that when they were here, that they had the resources to graduate from BC,” AADS professor Rhonda Frederick said. “They had courses, they had faculty, but it was more of a student support system.” Frederick said that the early Black Studies program was as much about providing faculty mentors and forging social networks as it was about writing papers and taking exams. It wasn’t until Cynthia Young arrived on the Heights in 2006 that the program grew into its current, academics-oriented form. Young expanded curriculum to include history from all around the African Diaspora—rather than just the U.S.—and

worked with other departments to bring in a wave of joint faculty hires. Now, 13 years after Young rebranded and revamped the program, AADS will finally offer a major. Hoping to spread the news of the program’s anniversary across campus, the AADS faculty has prepared a three-stage celebration. The first stage, organized by Frederick, is a “virtual walking tour” of black history at BC. So far, Frederick says she has scoured every source of campus history she could get her hands on: Burns Library archives, Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center records, and online issues of The Heights. To program the tour, Frederick has partnered with Stephen Sturgeon, a BC Libraries Digital Scholarship Librarian, and the final product is expected to launch in November. “It will look like an interactive map of BC’s campus,” Frederick said. “And as you scroll over sites, important events that took place in that area will pop up. And it’s going to be revisable, so at any point we can add more to it.” The idea to anchor the tour in location—rather than as a linear progression through time—is a consequence of the sheer volume of content, explained Frederick. The moments Frederick chose to highlight on the tour are wide-ranging, and include everything from protests to major BC figures to changes in University policy.

Frederick offered up the example of Alumni Stadium, which will tell the story of Lou Montgomery, BC’s first black athlete. Despite his consistent success as a running back, the football team benched him—including at home games—to placate Southern rivals. She added that there is also the possibility of transforming the finished product into an app to create a literal walking tour, which she compared to Pokemon Go and other augmented reality games. While phase one of the yearlong birthday bash is an entirely new endeavor, the remaining two are set to weave new themes into existing programs: the ongoing “New Directions” lecture series and the “Blacks in Boston” conference. Launching the 2019 New Directions series is Young—now the head of the Department of African American Studies at Penn State—who will give a talk titled “Black Study in the 21st Century.” “She did a lot for the program—we wouldn’t be a major without her—-so it’s nice to be able to honor her,” Régine JeanCharles, the AADS professor in charge of the series, said. “She’s also a scholar who cares a lot about institutions and institution building, which is why I’m excited to bring her in.” Her appearance is especially fitting, according to Frederick, because the series first

makes BC the place it is. “I want them to celebrate who they are, but also for others to learn,” he said. “I want all the cultures to come together to appreciate each other’s culture.” The event began with a procession of representatives from various culture clubs parading the flags of their respective countries, including Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Mexico. Representatives from each of the clubs then introduced themselves and presented the mission statements for their organizations. Marcela Norton, an employee relations officer for BC Dining Services—who has helped coordinate Hispanic Heritage Month since its inception at BC 10 years ago—spoke at the celebration. She emphasized that the goal of the event is to spotlight the various heritages at BC by exhibiting different aspects of their cultures, including food, dance, and music, and ensuring

that all the Latinx student organizations are involved in the celebration. Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Formation Tom Mogan and Vice President for Student Affairs Joy Moore spoke at the event and thanked those who were there for attending. Moore told the audience that the theme in the Division of Student Affairs for the year is “We Are One” and encouraged the various culture club members to support one another in all the programs, events, and activities they participate in. Davidson said he hopes that this Hispanic Heritage Month will encourage all groups, not just those associated with Hispanic heritage, to support each other and that it will be a time of “collective celebration” for the members of the BC community. This celebration of Hispanic Heritage

The Earth and Environmental Sciences Department has unveiled a new doctoral program that is set to enroll students for the 2020-21 academic school year. The doctoral program will join the master’s program, undergraduate major, and un-

dergraduate minor currently offered by the department. “We have had a master’s program for many, many decades that has been very successful,” chair of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department Ethan Baxter said. “We haven’t had a Ph.D. program, and we were the only science department that hasn’t had a Ph.D. program.” The department will expand to full capacity over a three- to five-year period, with Baxter hoping to accommodate 15 Ph.D. students and about six master’s students.

See Doctoral Program, A3

Liquor Law Violations Drop by 13% in 2018 Alcohol-related transports decreased by 24 percent By Abby Hunt Assoc. News Editor There were nearly 200 fewer liquor law violations referred for disciplinary action and a 24 percent decrease in the number of alcohol-related transports to the Health Services Primary Care Center and St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in 2018 compared to 2017, according to a campus safety report and Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Formation Tom Mogan. There were 1,264 liquor law violations at Boston College in 2018, compared to 1,461 in 2017 and 1,573 in 2016. The number of

See AADS, A3

drug law violations also declined—from 177 violations to 139—from 2017 to 2018. These statistics were published in accordance with the Clery Act, which requires all colleges and universities receiving federal funding to release an annual public safety report before Oct. 1 of the year. The report must also list statistics related to sexual assaults and other crimes committed on campus. BC’s 2018 report shows that there were three burglaries, one weapons law violation referred for disciplinary action, and one act of arson—which occurred in Duchesne Hall—on campus last year. The report only lists incidents that have occurred within BC’s “Clery geography,” which includes on-campus property, public property that is within or immediately adjacent to campus, and non-campus property that is owned or controlled by BC and

See Clery Act, A3

jonathan ye / heights editor

Career Fair Connects Hispanic Heritage Month Kicks Off Students to Employers Reps from culture clubs shared food, dance, and music By Madeleine Romance Asst. Investigative Editor Electric Latin pop and hip-hop music coursed through Gasson 100 for the Hispanic Heritage Month Opening Ceremony on Thursday afternoon. Originally scheduled to be held at O’Neill Plaza, the event was relocated inside Gasson because of rain—but nevertheless garnered a large student turnout. Rev. Michael Davidson, S.J., director of the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center (BAIC), who was largely responsible for planning the event, expressed that celebrating the different cultures at BC is fundamental to understanding what

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

FEATURE: Pumped Up Kicks

Henry Dunkelberger adds his pop of color to all-white Air Force 1s................................A5

See Hispanic Heritage, A3

The Career Center held classes to prep students for event By Brandon Kenney For The Heights and Haley Hockin

For The Heights The 2019 Boston College Fall Career and Internship Fair drew over 2,000 students and 152 companies to Conte Forum on Thursday, according to Associate Vice President for Career Services Joe Du Pont. Companies flock to the career fair to indicate their own interest in BC students—it’s not just a one-way street, according to Du Pont. There is a balance between BC students marketing themselves to employers

METRO: Brookline Food Market For 36 years, food and craft vendors have filled the lot behind Coolidge Corner Theatre..........A5

INDEX

and employers marketing themselves to BC students, Du Pont said. “They love the strength of the curriculum,” said Du Pont. “And there’s a lot of great social networking [and] liberal arts skills that are really important in a work environment.” Du Pont emphasized that the Career Fair is for all BC students regardless of their school or major. Compared to schools with less of a focus on the liberal arts, an education from BC equips students with a more diverse set of abilities, Du Pont said. In his experience, he has noticed employers place a high premium on “soft skills” such as good communication, teamwork, and leadership. He also mentioned the importance of being results-focused, working with integrity, and thinking critically.

See Career Fair, A3

NEWS.........................A2 MAGAZINE............ A8 Vol. C, No. 15 © 2019, The Heights, Inc. METRO....................... A4 SPORTS.................... A9 www.bchelghts.com OPINIONS................... A6 ARTS..................... A16 69


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