December 2014 Print Issue by The Gavel

theGAVEL December 2014 / Vol. VIII Issue 3

theGAVEL 05

news

Changes Coming to the Vatican?

Women in Business: Boston’s Start Up Community

The College Voter

December 2014

features

The Broke Student’s Guide to Holiday Gifting

2014: A Year In Review

Tell Us How You Really Feel

BC Theatre & Red

Holiday Drink Quiz

opinions

Revive the Book: The Importance of Pleasure Reading In College

26 20

Databases: Your All Access Pass to the BC Libraries

culture

Starbucks & the Holidays

Getting Trendy at BC

29 23

sports

Brighton’s Beacon of True Endurance: Women’s Club Rugby

Look At These Tight Ends: An Intermural Dynasty

Cover Photo: Amanda Ikard / Gavel Media

BC Gavel

On to New Heights December 2014

EDITORIAL BOARD

Staff

EMILY AKIN / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF TEDDY KOLVA / MANAGING EDITOR CHRISTIE MERINO / ONLINE MANAGER TAYLOR GARRISON / PRINT MANAGER JONATHAN REED / HEAD COPY EDITOR JAMES CODY / NEWS EDITOR AMBREY RICE / FEATURES EDITOR GRACE FUCCI / CULTURE EDITOR TIM COOGAN / OPINIONS EDITOR JAKE MILLER / SPORTS EDITOR CAROLYN GRIESSER / AUTHENTIC EAGLES EDITOR TEDDY RADDELL / AUTHENTIC EAGLES EDITOR ALEX KROWIAK / PHOTO EDITOR JING XU / ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR JOHN PARADISO / ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR GRACE DENNY / ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR KATIE CARSKY / ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR GILLIAN BURKE / ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR JULIA HO / ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR EVAN MARTINEZ / ASSOCIATE CULTURE EDITOR GEMMA WILSON / ASSOCIATE CULTURE EDITOR MADDIE WEBSTER / ASSOCIATE OPINIONS EDITOR JACKIE CARNEY / ASSOCIATE OPINIONS EDITOR MIKE KOTSOPOULOS / ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR ERIN MCGARVEY / NEWS COPY EDITOR AYA TSURUTA / FEATURES COPY EDITOR JONATHAN REED / CULTURE COPY EDITOR MIRANDA RICHARD / OPINIONS COPY EDITOR JOE CASTIGNETTI / SPORTS COPY EDITOR VICTORIA SOUTHWOOD / AUTHENTIC EAGLES COPY EDITOR KATIE TU / ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR MADELINE CORTES / ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR NEIL QUIGLEY / ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR JORDAN GROSE / ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR

DESIGN

OLIVIA VERA / DESIGN EDITOR ANDREW GROSS / ASSOCIATE DESIGN EDITOR ANNIE BELGRADE / ASSOCIATE DESIGN EDITOR VALERIE LIANG / ASSOCIATE DESIGN EDITOR ALEX FLYNN / ASSOCIATE DESIGN EDITOR

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS PHIL BACKUS / DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ALYSSA BIGGINS / MARKETING DIRECTOR BRAD GAZDAG / ADVERTISING DIRECTOR JEANIE LEE / BUSINESS DIRECTOR CHRISTIAN MORA / MARKETING DIRECTOR ANGELA SONG / BUSINESS DIRECTOR

SENIOR ADVISORS

ITZEL AYALA FRANKIE BERNARD SAMEET DHILLON CONNOR ECKHOLDT KATIE LEVINGSTON

VICTORIA PALMER DANEY RAMIREZ ALISON RICCIATO KATIE TOLKOWSKY FATIN YOUSIF

PHOTO TEAM

TORI FISHER SELLY SALLAH AMANDA ILKARD MEGAN FLYNN ANTHONY GOLDEN

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

ELIZABETH HLAVINKA MICHELLE LACONTE NICK OLIVES IAN PATTERSON DAN LEE EMMA POWERS KATE MCGIRNEY

PHOTO ASSISTANTS

LAUREN FLICK KATHERINE KERR DANIELLE JOHNSON KRISTEN MORSE SHANNON WEST

Letter From The Editor BANG. BANG. BANG.

Happy Christmas, Merry finals and Feliz Navi-New Year from The Gavel. This is the last print issue of the 2014-year, so you know we had to do a little reminiscing. This year has been full of high highs and low lows. Taylor Swift tweeted at Boston College. Blazing bowls, with the veggies cooked, were removed from the dining halls (#RIP). On a serious note, activism on campus has suddenly, and refreshingly, become a trend. Recent events in Ferguson and New York occurred after this issue was crafted—but it feels necessary to address the uncertainty and tension that have captured the attention of campus and the nation. Conversations about sensitive issues like race are important, lest silence out of respect be conflated with indiﬀerence. In 2014 The Gavel has been committed to talking with you about these inequalities. I have no doubt that this will continue to be the case under the 2015 Managerial Board as well. It has been a pleasure serving with this board and staﬀ. The Gavel will always be home to me. Happy holidays.

Emily

Published with support from Generation Progress / Center for American Progress (online at genprog.org).

INDEX

Be The Cutting Edge The Consumer Insights Panel is recruiting ALL BC students and staﬀ to participate in research studies!

Why Sign Up?

Participate in cutting edge research studies Earn cash for every study Learn about marketing in a fun environment

BC Gavel

I’m In! What’s Next?

December 2014

CHANGES COMING TO THE VATICAN? By Nick Olives / Editorial Assistant

]

ope Francis, Catholic celebrity, can’t seem to stay out of the headlines, most recently by reaﬃrming evolution and the Big Bang and attempting to eliminate the perceived contradiction between science and Christianity.

Photo courtesy of Catholic Church (England and Wales) / Flickr

NEWS

Pho

to c

our

tesy

of C

ath

olic

Chu rc

h (E ngl

and

Wa les) /F

lick

“The Big Bang, that today is considered to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the creative intervention of God; on the contrary, it requires it,” Pope Francis said. “Evolution in nature is not in contrast with the notion of [divine] creation because evolution requires the creation of the beings that evolve.” Despite the media frenzy that these “controversial” statements created, the Pope’s words are consistent with the last 60 years of Catholic tradition. In 1950, Pope Pius XII stated that there was no conflict between biological evolution and Catholic doctrine. In the 1980s and 1990s, Pope John Paul II stated that the truth of science can enrich theology. In 2007, Pope Benedict said that the debate between evolution and creationism was absurd. All of these comments are in line with those of Pope Francis. However, the reactions to these comments are due to a problem in the relationship between science and Christianity: many people simply don’t understand it. According to Professor Stephen Pope of Boston College’s theology department, author of Human Evolution and Christian Ethics, the reason Pope Francis’ comments caused such a media frenzy is because of the lack of understand-

BC Gavel

ing of Catholic tradition. “Catholics don’t know Catholic tradition,” the professor said. “The media headlines I saw tried to make it a shocking statement that the Pope made, and there’s nothing shocking in the least for those who know anything about Catholic tradition on this question” Many people associate Catholic tradition with being anti-science because of Galileo’s 17th century imprisonment due to his promotion of heliocentrism, the astronomical model that Earth and the other planets revolve around the Sun. However, the Church asserts that it recognizes the mistake it made in its handling of conflicts past. “The Catholic Church completely blew it with Galileo,” Professor Pope said, “but they decided not to blow it again with Darwin.” Despite the inaccuracies inherent in the views that Christianity is incompatible with science, this belief still exists. A recent Gallup poll stated that 42% of

Americans believe in creationism, the idea that humans were created in their present form less than 10,000 years ago. This belief, the product of willful ignorance of scientific evidence, points to a largely ignored problem within American culture: the abysmal quality of science education. “That’s horrendous scientific education in a tremendous scientific culture,” Professor Pope said. While Pope Francis’ comments are refreshing to hear, they largely fall on deaf ears. According to Professor Pope, creationism is mainly comprised of people who don’t really think about what it actually means, but assume the Bible is entirely factual.

December 2014

Photo courtesy of Catholic Church (England and Wales) / Flickr

The Pope’s comments don’t have the power to change their minds. This group only takes the Bible literally, so they are unaﬀected by the Pope’s comments, and many non-Catholics might think the Pope and all Catholics are going to Hell, so they fundamentally disagree with his comments. According to Professor Pope, the only meaningful way of correcting this belief is through education. “What’s important is improving the quality of science education,” Professor Pope said, “and especially important is correcting the way science has become politicized and used as a tool of political interest.” Concerning issues like climate change as well as creationism, the anti-science belief has proven to be far-reaching. Without proper education, this belief could be the cause of drastic, negative consequences in the future. Pope Francis’ comments are great evidence that religion doesn’t exist at the expense of science, but without proper education, his comments will not have the impact that many have hoped.

“

The Big Bang, that today is considered to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the creative intervention of God; on the contrary, it requires it. Evolution in nature is not in contrast with the notion of [divine] creation because evolution requires the creation of the beings that evolve. - Pope Francis

”

oto Ph esy

urt

co ckr Fli r /

lle

he gW

u Do of

NEWS

Lauren Flick / Gavel Media

Women in Business

Boston’s Startup Community By John Paradiso / Assoc. News Editor Design by Brett Biscoll / Staﬀ Designer

oston has recently risen as a hub for young development in the startup community. As a city, Boston has been trying to become more attractive to young people and those willing to invest in a future in their community. Mayor Marty Walsh has demonstrated his commitment to making Boston an appealing environment through late night T service and extended bar and restaurant hours. One of the ways Boston has become a younger city is in its growing startup community. Many Boston-based companies have filed IPOs and, as the Boston Globe reports, “Massachusetts was the top VC fund-raising state in 2013 at $5.5 billion.” Silicon Valley has long been recognized as the leader in technological advance-

BC Gavel

“Massachusetts was the top VC fund-raising state in 2013 at $5.5 billion.”

December 2014

ment, but this reputation has recently been challenged. A serious criticism of this region is the lack of diversity; startups in Silicon Valley have been mostly restricted to young, white and middle-class males. Moreover, the high rate of failure has been cited as a telling shortcoming. Meanwhile, Boston has maintained a reputation for serious scrutiny and

Measures have been taken to make Boston a more inclusive city. increased eﬀectiveness in its startup community. More importantly, measures have been taken to make Boston a more inclusive city. “In March, Governor Deval Patrick launched the Women in the Workplace Initiative that aims to advance women in all industries in the state; earlier this month, that initiative included a challenge to get 100 companies to agree to adopt women- and family-friendly policies,” reported The Boston Globe. Despite great strides toward inclusivity, there is always room for improvement. There is still a culture of masculine supremacy that women have not been able to breach. Moreover, women in the field suggest that the male-to-male partnerships outweigh the female-tomale or the female-to-female. “We could certainly use more women entrepreneurs,” says Christina Chase, a lecturer and entrepreneur-in-residence at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. For Chase, it isn’t enough for women to be involved in the process; they need to be leading. “There are no clear, easy fixes, but from my perspective, it means mentoring young women to know it’s possible, giving them the confidence to take riskier paths and the tools to de-risk that path.”

Another serious concern for women in business is the “glass cliﬀ.” Capable,

There is still a culture of masculine supremacy that women have not been able to breach

determined, high-powered women have recently emerged as an important player in young and developing companies; they have broken through the glass ceiling and reached the summit. However, there still remains a precarious “glass cliﬀ” as women struggle to retain their tenuous grip on these positions of power. “Female chief executives tend to be hired from outside the company, and outsiders are more often forced out than insiders,” reported Shirley Leung of The Boston Globe. Women who are brought in to handle struggling companies are usually among the first to go. In fact, Leung also reported, “Over the previous 10 years, a higher percentage of female CEOs (38 percent) were forced out,

compared with men (27 percent).” This cycle of bringing women in to only push them out is troubling and paints an incomplete picture. Women who are fired from top positions generally make headlines while those who retain these positions are under constant scrutiny. Women who are brought in to aid ailing companies bear the brunt of blame if the company can’t succeed. As Leung notes, “Take it all in, and it seems that female CEOs face a double standard in the way they are hired and fired.” The example that the city of Boston is trying to set in the world of start-ups is an effective start. By demonstrating that Boston is unique and offers a different opportunity as opposed to Northern California makes the community appealing to young men and women. If women have the chance to play a leading role in the genesis of a company, a chance Boston is beginning to offer, the story of the female CEO will begin to change. Progress and development were key factors in the dreamy image of Silicon Valley; Boston’s growing community of powerful women may just give it an edge.

Danielle Johnson / Gavel Media

NEWS

The College

Voter L

By James Cody / News Editor Designed by Andrew Gross / Assoc. Editor

ast month as citizens across the country went to the polls to vote for Senators, Congresspeople, Governors and other oﬃces, young people stayed at home. The 2014 midterm electorate was the oldest in more than a decade, as Americans 60 years of age or older made up 37% of all voters. Young people under the age 29 meanwhile comprised only 13%. Democrats nationwide—who as a party skew younger—bore the brunt of millennials’ apathy. Republicans picked up 7 additional Senate seats to take control of the upper chamber and added to their majority in the House of Representatives, riding the older electorate to victories in Massachusetts and elsewhere.

Percent of Voters Who Are... 65+

4564

3044 18-29

24 12 2010

16 38

27 19 2012

22 13 2014

Voter Turnout for 2014 Midterms

59.3% 54.1% 48.9% 43.7% 38.4% 33.2% Data courtesy Pew Research and ElectProject.org

BC Gavel

28.0%

December 2014

By Claire Jasper / Staﬀ Writer Designed by Annie Belgrade / Assoc. Design Editor

t is a universally acknowledged truth that all college students are broke. When the holiday season rolls around, none of us are ready to shell out cash on extravagant presents for our long list of loved ones. It’s the thought that counts, right? Here are some gifts that won’t break the bank for all the unique people on your list. Lauren Flick / Gavel Media

FEATURES

For Your Girl Friends: REUSABLE COLD CUP No girl wants a gift that will only last her a few weeks. It doesn’t have to be diamonds, but it does have to be forever. Buy her an over-sized reusable cold beverage cup with a plastic lid and straw to keep her awake for the finals season. These multi-functional cups can be found at department stores such as Target, or coﬀee shops like Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts. You can go faux-mason jar or multi-colored bendy straw, the choice is yours. Not only is this gift

e nv i r o n m e n t a l l y friendly, it will also save your friend money; if you bring a cold cup to any Boston College dining hall, you will be charged a cheaper, flat rate for any sized beverage. Make sure that the cup is dishwasher safe so she has to do as little maintenance as possible throughout the year.

For Your Guy Friends: PORTABLE PING-PONG SET Buying gifts for guys can be very diﬃcult, so why not have a little fun? Go for a gag-like present that he will actually want to use. A portable Ping-Pong set can be bought at any major retail store such as Target or Wal-Mart. While it will hardly cost anything, it will be a gift that can be

used wherever, whenever. The net can stand on its own, or be clipped to the sides of a table. Imagine the Ping-Pong possibilities: in the dorm, in the common room, back home, in Bapst—wherever he feels the urge to pong.

For Your Siblings: ICE CREAM SUNDAE IN A BOX For younger (or even older—no judgment here) siblings, an ice cream sundae in a box is a fun alternative to the usual gift card. Fill a decorative box with mason jars of gummy bears, M&Ms, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, caramel and fudge toppings in glass jars, disposable bowls and spoons and even some ice cream cones.

BC Gavel

This is even easier with multiple siblings, because each will get his or her own box of goodies. Make this delicious present better by stocking the freezer with your sibs’ favorite ice cream flavors, so that they can have an entire ice cream sundae ready to be assembled and devoured right then and there.

December 2014

4 5

For Your Parents: TOUCH SCREEN GLOVES Parents like to pretend they know what’s hip and cool with all things tech-related. With the colder months upon us, get a gift for your parents that they didn’t even know they needed. These “tech-friendly” winter gloves will save them from freezing their fingers oﬀ whenever they need to use their phone for pictures, texts or phone calls. These gloves come in a

variety of brands and styles, with a wide price range as well. Some of the best can be found at Target, or department stores such as Macy’s or Nordstrom. This is a gift that will remind them every time they take our their phone how thoughtful and smart their college kid really is. It will probably make them feel better about spending $60,000 on your tuition every year.

For Your Professor: ARTISANAL HOT CHOCOLATE Professors are some of the most inspirational and helpful people in BC students’ lives. Providing them with a small holiday gift can mean a lot to them, and never hurt a final grade. An artisanal hot chocolate mix is an inexpensive gift that makes a big statement. These fancy fixes can be found in any grocery store, or even retail locations such as TJ Maxx, HomeGoods or

Marshalls. If looking locally, Trader Joe’s sells European “Sipping Chocolate” in a beautiful aluminum tin, making even regular old hot chocolate look fancy and decadent. Other brands to look out for include Godiva and Ghirardelli; these brands know chocolate really well. To make this gift even better, wrap it up inside a shiny new BC mug.

After tying the bow on your final present, kick back and sip some hot cocoa in celebration of a successful and frugal season of gifting for all of your loved ones. To supplement whatever you buy at the store, include something heartfelt and homemade—even if it’s just a batch of cookies—to make even the smallest gift memorable.

FEATURES

T A

B A

By Katie Carsky / Assoc. Features Editor

S A

Your

All-Access Pass

BC Gavel

to the

bc libraries

ost students hear the word “database”

Library Materials > Research Databases.

and cringe, because it usually

While these databases are definitely useful

signifies one thing: research paper.

for classes, many of them may actually be of

This brings to mind countless hours miserably

interest to students outside of academic work.

spent cooped up in the library, which is not

The BC library system has implemented this

a pleasant association. But perhaps writing a

system to help students learn more about a

paper is not the only function that a database

host of topics, such as fashion, stocks, nature,

can serve.

literature and current events, among many

The library system at Boston College oﬀers

: S E

others.

an array of online databases free of charge

One database, Factiva, provides access to

to students. Many of these databases would

newspapers, magazines and other publications.

be extremely expensive to subscribe to as an

It includes over 32,000 sources in a whopping

individual, but students have access to them

28 diﬀerent languages from nearly any

year-round, and completely free of charge. To

country imaginable. Factiva was the product

access them, students must simply visit the BC

of collaboration between companies such as

University Libraries homepage and click Find

Microsoft, Oracle, IBM and Yahoo.

December 2014

Other databases, such as Ancestry Library and Immigrant Letters, can be used to explore more about a person’s genealogy. Ancestry Library has access to birth, marriage and death records along with records of taxes, crimes, land and wills. There are parish and school histories included among maps, almanacs and travel registers. Ancestry Library can even be used to find pictures, stories and memories of long lost family members. Nature is one of the most well known scientific journals in the world. Although the main audience of Nature is research scientists, articles are formatted so that the general public can better understand the research and its implications. The site is also a great resource for current events in the science world, such as business, ethics and breakthroughs. All About Strength Training may be of use to both Plex bros and anatomy students. The software is easy to download and can be used to identify individual muscles and muscle groups used in diﬀerent exercises. It is also a convenient study tool for those who are required to memorize muscles for classes. This database provides workout regiments, and can even be used to develop a gym schedule for those who are interested. If wildlife is your forte, Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia could be a good time. This 18-volume set includes every article from the print edition with detailed entries on any type of animal life that you could imagine. Articles can even be translated to a variety of diﬀerent languages. Descriptions include classification, evolution, physical characteristics, habitat, behavior and more. Maps, beautiful pictures and illustrations are included with each animal. Those with good fashion sense may benefit more from the Vogue Archive.

Ranging from the first issue published in 1892 to the current month’s issue, highres color page images can be viewed with every cover, page, advertisement and foldout included. Images can even be searched by designer, brand and garment category. The greatest fashion designers in the world can be found among these pages, and this archive acts as a record of fashion in society through centuries. Alexander Street Press’s database, Dance in Video, features documentaries, interviews and dance instruction videos with some of the world’s best-known performers and dance companies. There is a wide array of dance styles including jazz, tap, contemporary, ballet and improvisational, among many others. If you want to be a bit nerdier, the Statistical Abstract of the United States from ProQuest may be of significance to you. This database summarizes statistics on social, political and economic matters within the U.S. It compiles data from both private and government-funded sources. Topics range from health and nutrition to energy and utilities. BC subscribes to the 2014 edition, so the data is current. CQ Weekly is Congressional Quarterly’s Magazine on Government, Commerce and Politics. It provides reports and analysis on every congressional act. Weekly announcements of upcoming events in Congress are also posted. The previous week is always summarized with status on bills, debates, committee and floor activities and votes. The library system caters to an extremely diverse audience, and the librarians know that the resources oﬀered are not just for studying. Whether you are interested in fashion, science, current events, dance, exercise or any other topic, there is a database for you. You no longer have to fear the database system, for it could end up being a close friend. Danielle Johnson / Gavel Media

FEATURES

“Well, and most of the people who work here also went to BU.

–Trader Joe’s

Tell Us How You Really Feel By Katie Carsky / Assoc. Features Editor

Design by Emily LeoGrande / Staﬀ Designer

tudents at Boston College can often be found in the Brighton neighborhood of Cleveland Circle, waiting in line for coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts or grabbing toiletries from CVS. What do the people who work at such stores think of this frequent group of customers, though? Each BC student leaves an impression on the people who staff the businesses in the areas surrounding BC, but the question remains as to what exactly that impression is. Here are just a few responses offered in answer to the simple question, “What do you think of BC students?”

–Bill’s Pizza, Newton Center

BC Gavel

December 2014

Highlighting

2014 D rinking out of Star- part of the majority ready to bucks red cups, ref- sign their lives away on a new erencing someone’s year that brings with it new becommon cold as Eb(#soBC). Do not box this past Boston snow (which was really year up and place it in the back just half rain): these are the sad of your mind along with the rest sources of entertainment for of your elapsed collegiate expemany a college student during riences. Take a moment, even the bleak latter half of fall se- just so long as to read this artimester. Finals are upon us and cle, and reminisce on the many the only comforting thought unforgettable moments that on everyone’s mind is that win- constituted 2014 as the excepter break cannot come soon tional year that it was, here, at enough. While you are likely Boston College.

AT BC By Gemma Wilson / Assoc. Culture Editor Designed by Brian Kang / Staﬀ Designer

CULTURE

Feb

Kobe Bryant comes to BC

Febru a Liam Neeson tours BC with his son

y 23 r a

Debut of Authentic Eagles

ary 27 u r

BC produces “Happy” video— gets over 372,000 views

8 y1

Janu

Jessica Stevens and Joseph Palomba, 2 BC students, are invited to the White House for a Sexual Assault Task Force roundtable talk.

Februa

b r u ar y 1 e F

10 ry

Hockey Team wins Beanpot Champions for five years in a row

BC upset No. 1 Syracuse in men’s basketball

li 21

Ap r

r nua y 2

BC Gavel

The first Marathon Monday after the bombings in 2013

December 2014

Jun e

tober 6 c O

Bucket Challenge, started by Pete Frates to raise money for ALS, receives national attention

ptembe e S

Northern Ireland pushes for BC to release the controversial Belfast Tapes

BC Bystander begins oďŹ&#x20AC;ering bystander awareness training to groups on campus

Septe

er 1 3 b m

May Graduation, bye bye seniors!

Continuing the focus on mental health in 2014, What I Be comes to BC

BC beats USC at home and storms the field

er 2 8 b o

Oc t

y 22 a M

30 The Ice

Lead defender Steve Santini sidelined for the hockey season wit a wrist inury.

er 7 b m

Third day of Boston Calling gets delayed for three hours

CULTURE

bc theatre

By Ella Janek / Staﬀ Writer Design by Eleni Venetos / Staﬀ Designer

Kristen Morse / Gavel Media

s the fall season of football fanaticism comes to a close and we all pull out our hockey jerseys to represent our

winter sports Superfandom, it’s easy to see Boston College as a place where sports and academics are king. Yet while down the street in the Robsham Theater our own classmates wholeheartedly prepare more emotive, theatrical performances. The latest of many performances to grace the stage of the Bonn Studio, BC’s intimate, black box theater, was a student-directed enactment of Red. The play chronicles the artistic career of Mark Rothko, an abstract impressionist painter. His struggles with the everchanging trends of the art world and his unique relationship with his assistant

BC Gavel

and confidante Ken both establish a deep sense of reflection not only on the nature of art, but also on human interconnectedness. While at first the play may seem to be the biography of a troubled artist, its student director Joe Meade ,A&S ’15, would argue that its portrayal of the art world is a “microcosm of the real

world” which shows us that “as things are constantly changing and rolling, you must adapt.” For Meade and his fellow student actors and directors, working on such a thoughtful play has kept them occupied not just in a concrete sense, but even more so in a philosophical way. The intimacy of Meade’s partnership with his two (yes, two) actors has allowed them to not just scrape the surface of the play, but also delve deeply into its significance and, as Meade puts it, “flesh out every single page.” It’s not often that a cast consists of only two actors, so Meade is taking this unique opportunity to focus on the complex dialogue and language that originally drove him to choose the play, without the hindrance of having to coordinate a large cast. Beyond learning lines and setting staging, the trio has made exceptional

December 2014

eﬀorts such as going to the MFA to see Rothko’s works in person in order to truly understand the significance of his art. “Art needs to be taken with much considerate care,” urges lead actor Matt Consalvo, A&S ’15. “Our play can definitely speak to that.” Just as in Red where the two protagonists navigate the art of creation with one another’s support, so do BC theater students explore expression in the arts within the school’s tightly knit theater community. And while most people only think of theater as being acting or performing, Leo Bond (lead actor and first year graduate student) argues that, “of all the arts, theater is one of the most all-encompassing.” In this way, the BC theater department provides a niche not just for performers, but for painters, set designers, costume designers, lighting and sound engineers and even a treasurer. The student-directed nature

of many of the performances maximizes student involvement in the program, and gives theater students opportunities to experience every role involved in putting together a production. While faculty advisors and professional directors do direct several of the school’s performances, many others are entirely student run. The two student theater organizations on campus, Contemporary Theater (the group headed by Meade) and the Dramatics Society present one show apiece in the fall semester, and will collaborate on a final production in the spring. With this intense level of involvement, it is astonishing that most of the theater department’s most involved thespians have no intentions of pursuing acting as a career. But Consalvo explains, most theater students see the major as a “way to think that can be applied to whatever you want to do,” rather than a gateway

to a career in acting. In this way, theater at BC is an experience in expression, creativity and discipline that any student can learn from. Fortunately, with several performances ahead in the academic year, it is not too late to get involved in the theatrical arts here at BC whether by auditioning for an upcoming show, taking part in one of the student theater groups or just buying tickets to engage in the performance from a more observational perspective. So while BC sports fandom is very evident with its bright yellow Superfan shirts and boisterous crowds, Meade expresses that he has “always felt supported in doing theater here even if it’s not what people think of most at BC.” The intimacy, the diversity of projects and the opportunity for human connection - for Meade and the cast of Red, that is what theater at Boston College is all about.

Kristen Morse / Gavel Media

CULTURE

‘Tis the season to expand your palate beyond the likes of Franzia and Natty Ice. Which concoction will best put you in the holiday spirit? Take this quiz to find out! What winter break activity do you look forward to most? a. Shopping the holiday sales b. 25 Days of Christmas viewing parties—guest list: my couch and a pillow c. Hitting the slopes, shredding the “gnar,” etc. d. Catching up with family and friends at holiday parties Choose one of Santa’s reindeer: a. Vixen b. Donner c. Dasher d. Dancer

What tops your wish list this year? a. Cashmere—I have to prepare for the impending Boston winter and whatever Polar Vortex it has in store b. Enough new reading material to occupy me for the duration of winter break c. A GoPro—helmet mount included d. A new speaker system

What do you most look forward to munching on over winter break? a. Hershey’s kisses b. Homemade cookies c. Après-ski beer and chili d. Grandma’s Christmas roast

Mostly As: Candy Cane Cocktail You enjoy the glitz and the glamour of the holiday season, and this festive cocktail is as tasteful and fabulous as you are. If its sweet ingredients do not intrigue you enough, think about how great this drink will look with whatever holiday party attire you carefully shopped for and styled between finals study sessions.

Mostly Bs: Grown-up Hot Chocolate Nothing makes you happier than making time for yourself to unwind over your winter break, removed from the chaos of holiday festivities. Cozy up perfectly with a blanket, a good book and this adult spin on a cold-weather favorite.

Emily Olander / Staﬀ Writer

What is your favorite holiday film? a. Love, Actually b. A Charlie Brown Christmas c. Home Alone d. It’s A Wonderful Life

What is your favorite holiday tune? a. “All I Want For Christmas is You” b. “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” c. “Winter Wonderland” d. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”

Mostly Cs: Ginger Snap

Mostly Ds: Eggnog

Adventure summons you to the great outdoors each winter. Whether you ski, board or snowshoe, recover from a day on the mountain with a seasonal cocktail and a warm fire.

A true people person, your family and friends know you as the life-of-the-party, at Mod ragers and “Secret Santa” exchanges alike. You always look forward to holiday traditions, and cannot help but spread that infectious seasonal cheer, so why not laugh with your loved ones over this holiday classic?

Design by Madie Chadwell / Staﬀ Designer

BC Gavel

December 2014

Shannon West / Gavel Media

The Importance of Pleasure Reading in College

[

By Nicholas Reed / Gavel Media Staﬀ Design by Helen Formoso-Murias / Staﬀ Designer

Books became miserable a few minutes after I learned what an analytical essay was. The five-paragraph essay was the judge, the jury and the executioner of my interest in reading. Leave it to high school to turn literature into a soulless activity. I lost my interest in reading for pleasure and it wasn’t until this year, as a sophomore in college, that I found it again. Retrospectively, I don’t know what I did without it.

]

OPINIONS

A single excerpt from Verlyn Klinkenborg’s book Several Short a text on your own terms. Whether you

Sentences About Writing changed my perspective on reading. He wrote, “Prose isn’t validated by terminal meaning.” If what he says is true — which it is — the very foundation of my high school English education was fraudulent. If there is one thing I learned from English class, it was that every book had a magical “point,” which I was expected to understand and then formulate into a tidy and highly structured analytical essay. The teacher provided the “point,” begging the question: why read the book at all? Everything you needed was conveniently provided by the Sparknotes introduction. Needless to say, there were a few times when I didn’t read. High school made reading a chore, a sadistic and miserable hunt for significance with little attention paid to the merit of the work as a whole. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can enjoy and appreciate a great book

BC Gavel

without having to know the “point.” You can take many important things from a book and apply them to the world without having to establish a terminal meaning. If the book is well written, it will speak to you. Reading can be fun. What is pleasure reading? It’s a vague term, thrown around by parents and teachers, often meant to encourage learning outside of the classroom and foster development, which makes it sound terrible. In truth, it is encountering

choose Harry Potter or Infinite Jest is up to you. Pleasure reading is about enjoying the artistry and diction of a work of literature. It is reading great books because they are great, not to extract some arbitrary meaning. It does not need to be a critically acclaimed book. “Junk” pleasure reading can be just as useful and enjoyable; although I would encourage everybody to vary the caliber of texts they choose. Pleasure reading is not reserved for only prose. There are countless other mediums of writing that are interesting and worth reading. The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and even Interview Magazine have great content regularly, and many of them are short enough to occupy a few minutes of free time in between meetings or classes. In the ever-sowonderful 21st century, the Internet puts access to them at our fingertips.

December 2014

David Foster Wallace is renowned for his fiction writing, but his nonfiction also deserves to be mentioned. His essay collection Consider the Lobster is brilliant, and its amalgam of topics allows you to explore diﬀerent interests each time. These essays are a lot shorter than most books, making them manageable during our busy schedules. It’s an accepted fact that we as BC students have a lot of work. There are many late nights and early mornings, all intensified by countless reading assignments. Quite often, the assigned reading isn’t completed, so how could anyone have time for pleasure reading? The bigger question is why spend the free time I do have reading? Netflix is a lot easier, social media is ostensibly more entertaining and there are unlimited corners of the Internet to explore. The hackneyed argument is that all of this “screen time” hurts our brains and eyes. While this very well may be

true, the argument ignores the massive social importance of social media and other digital communication. Too much screen time is certainly bad, although a health-based argument may not be the strongest way to defend that. The real issue with these digital diversions is that they trap us in a fabricated world. When we have thousands of Facebook friends and Instagram followers, and even our Spotify habits are broadcast to the world, it becomes impossible to be true to yourself. You cannot be anyone if you are trying to be everyone. Reading is one of the few activities in our hyper-connected 21st century that allows this. When you sit down and read for no reason at all, there is an unmediated relationship with the text that allows you to engage on the most personal level. Better yet, save for a public emotional outburst (read: bawling your eyes out), how you feel while

reading does not need to be shared with anyone. It is this deeply personal experience that allows us to grow as humans, and to explore what we want to do with our life. Even Netflix, which you can certainly partake in alone, does not allow such an experience. To the latter point, I will say that I am a self-aware Netflix binger (all nine seasons of The Oﬃce in two months). But I’m also a regular reader. There is most certainly room for both, although I don’t recommend the aforementioned foray to anyone. Pleasure reading is important for a lot of reasons, but in the end you have to do it for yourself. It is an escape we all need from the mass amounts of information and emotions we process and compartmentalize every single day. A place that allows you to understand your life on its own terms is invaluable.

OPINIONS

& the Holidays [

]

How the coﬀee giant is extracting cheer from the holiday season By Tim Coogan / Opinions Editor

Design by Rachael Swensen / Staﬀ Designer

BC Gavel

Shannon West / Gavel Media

ollege students are excited to carry a new kind of red cup in their hands this December. They’re ditching Solo—for the meantime—and picking up Starbucks. The coﬀee giant has made its steaming mark on the season. While the mermaid hasn’t quite wrapped her tail around spring and summer, her seasonal drinks have begun to dominate the fall and winter. Emerging from pumpkin spice season and into the wide array of winter holiday flavors, it’s vital to wake up, smell the coﬀee and see how Starbucks is over-roasting our holiday spirit.

December 2014

Never forget what the Pumpkin Spice Latte has done to fall. Starbucks’s PSL captained the S.S. Pumpkin and that ship isn’t sailing away anytime soon. Aside from the PSL, the pumpkin flavor has made its way into every grocery store shelf, cheap vodka and worst of all, the hearts of millions of Americans. The company has transformed fall from a season about watching football and pretending to care about foliage, to a season about consuming artificial “pumpkin” flavor. Nothing even tastes like pumpkin: it’s all cinnamon, and it’s all a lie. If action isn’t taken soon, Starbucks will ruin the Christmas season, like it has ruined autumn, with its new Fruit Cake Latte. The Starbucks red cup campaign has already invaded social media. It’s a way for people to express that it’s Christmas season, and that they’re enjoying it with a freakin’ Gingerbread Latte. With all the winter symbols, the red cup can’t be the primary way that people enjoy the season. Just like relying on red solo cups to enjoy college, focusing your holiday cheer on the Starbucks red cup is a superficial way to experience winter. It’s ridiculous to let a piece of cardboard become a cultural icon. A current social media contest run by Starbucks encourages people to post a picture of their red cup that celebrates its “beauty and magic.” Beauty and magic? For a disposable coﬀee cup that contains an overpriced drink? It’s possible to see God in all things, sure, but trying to encapsulate the meaning of a season into a cup? That makes the time of year as cheap and disposable as the red cup itself. No one should suﬀer through burnt Dean’s Beans, and no one can tell you how to spend your money, but no self

respecting person would ever actively #redcup. Instagramming a picture of a red cup demonstrates one’s willingness to be a corporate pawn. It’s surrender of your soul as free advertising for the company. The hashtag doesn’t portray a superior “bougie” status, it suggests the level of ignorance that is necessary to pay five dollars for foamy syrup and milk. It’s difficult for people to speak out against the seasonal drink crisis that’s happening. People get defensive and call out “Pumpkin Spice Grinch” or “Peppermint Mocha Scrooge.” They claim that if you don’t like a Caramel Brulée Latte, then your soul must be as black as you like your coffee. But it’s this fear of criticism that has appeased the coffee giant into conquering all of the holiday season. People should be allowed to speak out against seasonal drinks. If we can’t, then all of the other aspects of the holiday season will drown in a sugary sea of peppermint extract and latte foam. November and December are about snow, overplaying “All I Want for Christmas is You” and spending time with loved ones. Binge drinking peppermint mochas or eggnog lattes extracts the true sweetness from the seasons. Just like the flavors within the red cup, they are artificial means to enjoy winter and fall. I don’t want a lot for Christmas, but there is just one thing I need: people need to calm down with the PSLs and red cups. Let’s take back the holiday season before the Starbucks mermaid replaces Santa Claus and starts leaving lattes under the Christmas tree. If you do choose to drink from a red cup this holiday season, please do so responsibly.

OPINIONS

66 °F

GETTING

64.0%

trendy AT B C

59 °F 48 °F

36.5%

26.4%

By Maddie Webster / Associate Opinions Editor Design by Alex Farrell / Staﬀ Designer

13.8%

Likeliness to Identify as a Feminist

28 °F

17.7%

34 °F

29 °F Time 2.8

Average Temperature in Boston 51.7%

Hours Spent at the Library

1.9

1.6

13.8%

17.0%

1.2

21.2%

9.5% Mon

53.8%

1.8

1.7

Likeliness to Get Late Night

Football Wins

0.6 Tues

Wed

Thurs

Fri

12.4% Sat

Annual Undergrad Tuition

BC Gavel

Sun

$43,140 $41,480

ur team gathered data from Boston College students, BC Dining and, of course, Google, to come up with the trends you see here. By displaying the trends side-by-side, we unearthed some surprising results worthy of an A on any statistics report. Only joking! Correlation is not causation. But random correlations are hilarious.

69.2%

$39,880 7

$38.530 $37,410 4 $35,150 2 2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

December 2014

BRIGHTON’S

B E A C O N OF TRUE ENDURANCE - w o m e n’s c l u b r u g b yBy Jake Miller / Sports Editor

Danielle Johnson / Gavel Media Design by Sara Pollei / Staﬀ Designer

SPORTS

“

THE BOSTON COLLEGE WOMEN’S CLUB RUGBY TEAM IS THE EPITOME OF THE WORD ‘RESILIENCE’

“

old, bruised and battered, they practice as long as there is still light in the winter night sky. Facing varsity programs fully funded by other athletic departments, they persevere and find a way to remain competitive. Banished to the smaller of two fields on Brighton Campus, the Boston College Women’s Club Rugby Team is the epitome of the word “resilience.” It’s a long-standing truth for many colleges around the nation that club sports are simply a neglected afterthought in the eyes of the administration. Spillover funding from varsity programs and whatever can be pitied out of alumni do not nearly cover the costs for a club team. Here at BC, women’s rugby is no different. “We are definitely aware that we’re at the bottom of the totem pole,” says Traea Vaillancourt, A&S ’15. “It’s frustrating, but it is all we get and it is certainly better than nothing.” To be clear, when Vaillancourt—the backs captain—says “all we get,” all that consists of is a small field on Brighton Campus that is shared with the Women’s Club Frisbee Team. In general, the bureaucracy overseeing club sports can be a little difficult to navigate, especially in the spring. “We have games in the spring, but we won’t always get field space to practice,” Vaillancourt tells us. “They’ll let us practice inside on the basketball courts. We go into games with new rookies who have never gotten the opportunity to play or tackle in a real situation before.” “We obviously can’t be tackling on hardwood,” adds Kaitlyn Hameister, A&S ’15, the forwards captain. “So there’s a whole set of skills that people need to have that we just can’t develop.” Strangely enough, however, the hardships faced by the women’s rugby team have only proved to harden the group’s determination and work ethic. As a club sport, they do not receive an influx of talented athletes each year on scholarship like the varsity programs they line up against, but not even that seems to faze these girls. Whether it’s being forced to draw from a very different pool of girls here at BC, or the fact that opponents such as UMass and UConn have a much larger population to pick from, the

BC Gavel

Photo courtesy of Sally Ames Vaillancourt

women’s rugby team has carved out their own niche for how they play the game. “We don’t have the size and the brute force of other teams, but the teams that have the size and brute force tend to not be able to keep up with us,” Vaillancourt remarks. Something you should know about the women’s rugby team is that they’re a bit of an oddity in their division. While there is a pre-existing stigma around rugby for the women to be massive, dominant forces, BC couldn’t be farther from that norm. The team is a mixed bag—littered with ex-soccer, hockey, track, cheerleading, wrestling, field hockey and cross-country athletes. Not being able to recruit like a varsity program severely limits the types of players the team can attract each year. According to Club President Rachel Harrison, A&S ’15, “Probably only one person in each class comes in knowing how to play rugby.” It is this, though, that has always been a characteristic of the club and helps define the team. Now seniors, it is something that Vaillancourt and Hameister have come to relish.

December 2014

because they have pre-prac for nursing or teaching,” Harrison notes. “Most of the team is made up of girls who can only fit this much commitment into their schedules.” Lose your identity or march on with insuﬃcient funding. It’s the deadliest of double-edged swords, especially for a team founded on principles of family and inclusion. Jenna Burgquist, A&S ’18, has only been on the team for a few months, but can just as easily speak to the communal attitude of the team. “It’s definitely a family at this point. My teammates are always there—advice with classes, helping you out, never leaving you hanging. It’s great, these are the best people on campus, hands down. The sport is fun but the people are even better.” Many teams at the professional level have trouble dealing with what they call a lack of chemistry. Sure, the players might be talented, but if they can’t mesh as a single, tightly knit unit, then team performance suﬀers. If there is any sport most centered around the adage of “team first,” it’s rugby. So, while becoming a varsity program is the far sexier option, Boston College Women’s Rugby seems pretty content with what they have now. Senior captains Vaillancourt and Hameister may not be on the team much longer, but they do have a sense for how BC will fare in the changing varsity landscape of the Northeast Women’s Collegiate Rugby Conference. “Smaller, shorter, faster, scrappier—BC Women’s Rugby, forever.”

“

“We tend to finish really strong, and we’re able to play our best players for 80 minutes, which is great,” says Vaillancourt, with Hameister adding, “That’s something that we take pride in, our fitness.” A pillar of the team’s philosophy is that they will, in the words of Vaillancourt, “take anybody on the team and we’ll teach anybody the game and try to get everybody excited about it and get everybody playing time so they can learn and develop.” New this year has been the addition of transportation. Previously forced to task seniors with going through Rent-ACar to procure a means of getting the players to away games, the team now has Club Sports vans at their disposal. What many would consider a bare necessity for any club sports program, these girls had been dreaming of for years. This brings into focus a very serious concern. Speaking with the seniors exposed the largest issue facing this tenacious group: playing in an increasingly varsity conference as a club program. “The league is encouraging more and more teams to convert to varsity,” Harrison says. “The perks of varsity seem so appealing: Title IX, teammates wouldn’t have to deal with the rigmarole of trying to get to games, etc. Athletics would do that for us. But, at the same time, I don’t know many girls, including myself, that would be able to be on the team if it was a varsity sport.” For a team that has to draw its own lines on the field before every home game, the tantalizing allure of becoming varsity is always in the background. To have all of their funding, organizing and management matters taken care of for them would be ideal, but it would have consequences. “There are already people who can’t make all the practices

SMALLER, SHORTER, FASTER, SCRAPPIER—BC WOMEN’S RUGBY FOREVER.

Photo courtesy of Sally Ames Vaillancourt

SPORTS

Look At These Tight Ends:

An Intramural Dynasty By Francisco Bernard / Senior Advisor Designed by Olivia DiNapoli / Design Staﬀ

Danielle Johnson / Gavel Media

p 19-18 against Back that Pass Up them. “He caught the ball, and when he with a minute and 50 to go, Look At

came to bring it in, he pinned it against my

These Tight Ends were on the brink hand,” said Gendron, using his teammate

of victory. They were here in the spring, up

Claire “Bulldog” Ritten to illustrate the

26-20. Cornerback Kevin Gendron replays interception. Gendron spun out and the heartbreak. “I was covering a kid and

seconds later, Gendron and the rest of

our legs got tangled up. I fell and the kid the squad were celebrating with a 25-18 was wide open. “Look at These Tight Ends

lead. On the final drive, Gendron batted

finished 2nd, their first loss since the spring the last pass of the game away, clinching of 2013. Gendron had his hands underneath

their

second

Co-Rec

Flag

Football

Championship.

the receiver’s arms when the ball got to

BC Gavel

December 2014

Look at These Tight Ends are one of the premier intramural teams at Boston College. Since spring semester of their freshmen year, the team has finished at least 3rd and has only lost twice. The team began to form the fall of 2012 on Newton Campus. Ritten, their linebacker, John Tringl, their starting quarterback, Pat Moran, and Maureen Barron, who is on BC Swimming, all went to the same high school. Spalding was roommates with Gendron. Ritten’s roommate was Ali Castro, who played flag football competitively at her high school in Florida. “One day Ali and I were grabbing lunch and said she saw there was a co-ed league (for flag football),” said Spalding. Sophomore year, they included other roommates, which included Powers. How did Look at These Tight Ends become their team name? “I had just heard a similar play on words and thought it was funny,” said Castro. “So I suggested it to the team freshmen year and everyone liked it.” Castro is the only one with legitimate flag football experience. “We all played diﬀerent sports in high school. We are pretty athletic,” said Ritten. “I actually played two years of middle school football and one year of varsity football my freshmen year in high school before it folded,” said Powers, who took over as the starting quarterback this past season with Moran unable to play due to a shoulder injury. In their first seasons, Look at These Tights Ends was formidable. They finished in

the top four in their first season before locking up with the experienced Just Loosening My Arm. “We got crushed,” said Gendron, speaking about the 37-8 thrashing. There were also different rules. “You could have contact on the field so it was literally shoving each other,” said Ritten. But just like their previous championship, their first championship was based on redemption, defeating a senior team as sophomores. “We found out that night that a mug holds 2 beers,” said Powers. One of the secret weapons is their unofficial head coach, junior Michael Giacone. Giacone is on BC’s football team. My roommate Janie is his girlfriend, said Ritten. “He’s a great boyfriend,” said Powers. “Since he can’t play, he helps us notice what we’re missing on the field,” said Tringl. Another weapon is their execution of the chair route. “He fakes out so they think I’m throwing out to him, then he goes up and I can throw it as high as I want,” said Powers. “Kevin’s our best receiver. ” Powers also said Gendron had a million interceptions this past season. BC Rec’s doesn’t keep statistics so The Gavel can’t confirm nor deny this. This upcoming season will be difficult for Look at These Tight Ends, however. Johnny, Claire, Ali and Pat are going abroad in the spring, taking away key components of the team. They will still have enough to play next semester, but it’s going to be a tougher road to defend their

title. You can catch Look at These Tight Ends in the spring, wearing pink t-shirts with their name embroidered on the center in navy blue at Alumni Stadium. Even without their star players next semester and a year left to go at BC, they’re looking to add more mugs to their collection. They think their biggest threat is 21 Jump Street, another junior team they’ve never played. But as they prepare for next season, Powers believes this team is one for the ages. “We’re a dynasty, dammit!”

SPORTS

On to N EW Heights

t’s always easy to put an emphasis on standout college athletes while they’re in college. But even after playing at a Division I school like Boston College, very few players have the ability to be a standout athlete at the highest level. Many former BC players, however, have defied the odds and have made, or are in the process of making, names for themselves. Currently, there are 48 combined active BC alumni in the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL. Many Boston College athletes have exhibited an astonishing ability to be successful beyond the likes of Chestnut Hill and into the professional leagues. Gavel Media

By Joe Castignetti / Sports Copy Editor and Mike Kotsopoulos / Assoc. Sports Editor Design by Alex Flynn / Assoc. Design Editor

10 Active, Relevant BC Players in Professional Athletics NFL 1. BJ Raji - Green Bay Packers 2. Luke Kuechly - Carolina Panthers 3. Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons 4. Andre Williams - New York Giants 5. Dan Koppen - New England Patriots NBA 6. Jared Dudley - Milwaukee Bucks MLS 7. Charles Davies - New England Revolution NHL 8. Chris Kreider - New York Rangers 9. Corey Schneider - New Jersey Devils 10. Brooks Orpik - Washington Capitals.

BC Gavel

8 2

7 lr

f Tu yo tes

co tos Pho

BC Athletes in the “Big Four” Sports Leagues

48 active BC players

27 in NHL 17 in NFL 2 in NBA 2 in MLB

December 2014