Gavel December 2011

December 2011 Volume III, Issue 8 bcgavel.com follow us on Twitter: @bcgavel

News

2

INSIDE NEWS THE OLD BECOMES NEW How the return to barefoot running is easier on body pg. 2 READY TO LEARN A&S sees boost in enrollment pg. 2 BATTLE BREWING Key provision of Obama’s Health Care law challenged in highest court pg. 3 MOVEMENT OF THE AGES Occupy demonstrations on campuses spreads pg. 3 BC’s BRIGHTEST Ranked among top producers of Fulbright winners pg. 4 SOUTHERNERS SAY NO Toughest bill regulating women’s health rejected by voters pg. 4 WHAT WILL THEY DO NEXT? Liberals struggle in ‘underdog’ status pg. 5 All photos in the News Section are courtesy of Wiki Commons

New techniques improve running efficiency

By Geena DeRose Gavel Media Staff Although running may seem simple enough, new insights into the most efficient and painless ways to run have caused many to reevaluate the way they run.

The proliferation and severities of injuries to both elite and amateur runners has long been a disturbing trend. In a recent New York Times article, Stephen Messier, director of the J. B. Snow Biomechanics Laboratory at Wake Forest University, said, “The data suggests up to 79 percent of all runners are injured every year.. What’s more, those figures have been consistent since the 1970s.”

It is clear that common running habits are doing more harm than good. It seems that even those with the best of exercise intentions are easily derailed by accompanying pains and aches. The prevalence of injury seems especially ironic considering the constant cultural bombardment of advertisements for shoes and other equipment that promise to protect Americans from the dangers of exercise.

One trend that has become increasingly prevalent is barefoot running. Although many great athletes such as Abebe Bikila and Bruce Tulloh experienced success running barefoot on an international stage in the

mid-twentieth century, barefoot running has never been a common practice amongst either elite or recreational runners. Yet, interest in the concept resurfaced in 2001 when Australian physical therapist Michael Warburton published an paper professing the wonders of barefoot running, stressing the inefficiency caused by the extra weight of sneakers on the feet.

A variety of research initiatives concur with Warburton, providing evidence that modern, platform sneakers provide little to no benefit and may even aid bad posture and stressful strides while running. As a response to these findings, minimalist footwear has become a new fad for those seeking to avoid the complications that may be brought on by modern running sneakers. Vibram FiveFingers, for example, provides a variety of models for different training goals which frame the foot’s natural contours to simulate barefoot running but provide little other support.

Barefoot running has a sort of cult following within the running community. John Durant, founder of Barefoot Runners NYC, has been a very vocal presence as an advocate for both the hunter-gatherer lifestyle and barefoot running. In 2010, he co-founded the annual New York City Barefoot Run which, in its second event this September, attracted

hundreds of runners of a variety from backgrounds and countries.

Although Christopher McDougall, best known for his 2009 book Born to Run, has long been critical of modern running sneakers, he maintains that the trick to running without injury lies in technique rather than equipment.

The best running technique, McDougall argues, was created by W.S. George in the 1800s and is known as the “100-up”. This method emphasizes landing on the balls of the feet as opposed to the heels while maintaining proper knee height and balance. Mark Cucuzella, physician and professor at West Virginia University’s Department of Family Medicine, is just one advocate who of the 100-up metho.

In the aforementioned New York Times article, he stated that the 100-up method “makes so much physiological and anatomical sense.

The key to injury-free running is balance, elasticity, stability in mid-stance and cadence.

You’ve got all four right there.”

For those wishing to improve their running technique or attempting to avoid the common injuries associated with running, barefoot running and the 100-up method represent two unconventional methods that are both promising and feasible for the average runner.

College of Arts & Sciences reaches record high enrollment

By Emyr Remy Gavel Media Staff During the 2011-2012 academic year, BC’s College of Arts and Sciences achieved a new record high in student enrollment. 6,153 students are now enrolled, making it the largest school in the university. This new figure surpasses the previous enrollment peak of 6,137 students set during the 2009-2010 academic year. This increase in students is exciting for the university, but it is not completely unexpected.

In 2007 the College of Arts & Sciences surpassed the 6,000-student mark, a feat that took the university nearly thirty years to accomplish. In 1981, the university exceeded 5,000 students, and since then has expanded steadily to the point it is at today.

This record number of students enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences comes at

a most opportune time for the University, according to A & S Dean David Quigley, quoted in The Chronicle.

“Coming at a time when the College of Arts and Sciences has returned to its historic home,” said Quigley in reference to the completed renovation of Gasson Hall, “it is reassuring to see how the enduring power of a classic arts and sciences education continues to draw students. At a time of high enrollments across the university, the rising quality of A&S students is a testament to the way A&S departments and programs bring timeless ideas and principles into conversation with contemporary society.”

As the College of Arts & Sciences is the most popular division of the University, it naturally encompasses some of the most popular majors that Boston College has to offer. Communications is the most popular undergraduate major with 916 students. Next

is economics with 847 students and biology with 827 students.

Professor James Anderson, chairman of the Economics Department, stated in the report that the popularity of the Economics major usually rises and falls with the condition of the world economically, and its popularity now has a lot to do with the ongoing financial crisis within the United States and the rest of the world.

“If you look at, for example, opinion and editorial columns, economics has a larger share of the public intellectual space than in past. There seems to be a general rise in appreciation of quantitative social science, and economics is a big part of that trend.”

This increase in enrollment within the College of Arts & Sciences mirrors the steady increase in applications the university has received since the turn of the century. The number of applications Boston College

collects each year has grown from around 20,000 per year in the early 2000s to consistently over 30,000 applications in more recent years. For this incoming class of 2015, the University received nearly 33,000 applications from 2,250 places.

Due to this increase in applications, Boston College consistently ranks in the top ten of private school applications received, joining schools like New York University, The University of Southern California, Harvard, Boston University, Stanford, Northwestern, Yale, and Cornell. This number is expected to remain steady as Boston College has become popular with high school seniors in addition to the Boston College’s efforts to become more relevant and appealing nationally and internationally.

As a result, the acceptance rate for BC has steadily declined, and for the class of 2015 Continued on page 4

3

www.bcgavel.com

Supreme Court to hear Obama health care law challenge

By Meghan Smith Managing Editor

On Monday, November 14, The Supreme Court announced that it agreed to hear a challenge to President Obama’s health care law that was passed in 2010. The oral arguments will be heard in March and the Court will have a decision in late June.

Although the Court usually only allows an hour for oral arguments, it scheduled five and a half hours for arguments for this case. This change is an indication of the importance of the case. The issue the Court will discuss is the individual mandate, which would require all Americans to buy health insurance by 2014. The court will decide if Congress overstepped its constitutional powers in passing this provision.

The Obama administration has asked courts to uphold this provision, saying that this controversial part of the law is vital. .

The Court could keep the other parts of the law but strike down the mandate, however, the Obama side argues that this is the centerpiece of the plan. The Court must decide

whether the law violates the Constitution by exceeding the federal government’s power to regulate interstate commerce.

“We know the Affordable Care Act is constitutional and are confident the Supreme Court will agree,” said White House spokesman Dan Pfeiffer.

The timing of the decision could be crucial, as the 2012 campaign for the presidency will be approaching its final months. If the Court does rule against the law, it could be a big blow to Obama’s reelection campaign.

The health care law has been touted as the signature legislative accomplishment of his presidency.

Republicans have been adamant about their opposition to the law. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has said, “This misguided law represents an unprecedented and unconstitutional expansion of the federal government into the daily lives of every American.”

The Democrats who passed the bill said that they used Congress’s power in the Constitution to regulate interstate commerce and pass laws that are “necessary and proper.”

Opponents of the law have said that this part of the Constitution is not meant to require citizens to buy a product, which in this case is health insurance.

Most legal experts say it will be difficult to predict how the case will turn out. The four liberal justices on the Court are likely to hold that the commerce clause applies to health care because health care makes up about 17 percent of America’s gross domestic product.

Recently, there has been some controversy over whether or not certain justices should excuse themselves from the case. Republicans and conservative interest groups want Justice Elena Kagan to step down from the case, while liberals and Democrats want Justice Clarence Thomas to sit out the case.

Republicans have pointed to the fact that Kagan was Obama’s solicitor general prior to her appointment to the Supreme Court, saying that she was too involved in the legislative phase of the bill.

“The public has a right to know both the full extent of Justice Kagan’s involvement with this legislation while she was solicitor general, as well as her previously stated views

and opinions about the legislation while she was serving as solicitor general,” the House Judiciary Committee chairman, Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder.

Democrats are saying that Thomas has a conflict of interest because his wife is involved in several interest groups that opposed the health care legislation.

“From what we have already seen, the line between your impartiality and you and your wife’s financial stake in the overturn of health care reform is blurred,” 74 Democrats wrote Thomas in February.

Given the high-stakes and implications of the vote, both sides have been making an effort to improve the case on their side. The impact of just one vote could have a significant impact on the ruling. So far, neither justice has indicated that they will excuse themselves.

Much is at stake in this ruling, as it could affect the nearly 50 million uninsured people.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the federal government’s budget could lose $145 billion if the law is struck down.

Occupy movement inspires college activism in U.S.

By Meidema Sanchez Assoc. News Editor The Occupy movement, primarily directed against economic and social inequality, has spread far beyond Wall Street.

The protest movement has become international, reaching countries such as, South Africa and Ecuador. American college campuses are not immune to the movement, and are increasingly becoming focal points due to rises in student activism. Some historians argue that the Occupy movement on college campuses is accelerating quickly compared to the student movements of the 1960s and early 1970s.

While Occupy Wall Street protesters have a broad set of grievances that includes income inequality and perceived corporate greed, many students have more specific concerns: soaring tuition, campus budget cuts, and fear of heavy student loan debt and lack of job opportunities upon graduation. Although student protests related to these issues have broken out sporadically on U.S. college campuses over the past few years, the Occupy protests - and the police response to them – have swelled in the ranks of campus activities in recent weeks.

California students have regularly protested tuition hikes since the economy fell three years ago. Tuition for in-state students in the ten campuses of the University of California reached $12,192 this year, up from $2,274 just two decades ago. At 23 campuses of the California State University system, tuition this year is $5,472, up from $1,572 as recently as 2002-2003. A growing number of students now face large student loan debts in part because of such tuition hikes, mak-

ing it unsurprising that California campuses have become notably involved in the Occupy movement. The brutal police responses to protests on these campuses have made California’s involvement even more well-known.

Some earlier California demonstrations over tuition resulted in scuffles with the police that involved the use of pepper spray and tasers. One woman even underwent reconstructive surgery after a UC Berkeley police officer hit her with a nightstick. However, these incidents received far less attention than those more recently associated with the Occupy movement, such as the infamous pepper spray incident at the University of California, Davis.

Police lined up before nonviolent student demonstrators at UC Davis and doused the sitting group of protestors with pepper spray.

Police told Sacramento’s KTXL TV station that the students were given until 3 p.m. Friday to remove their tents from the campus.

When the students refused to leave, the pepper spraying began as the students sat down crossed-legged with locked arms.

During the incident, surrounding protestors gathered together and moved forward shouting “Shame on you! Shame on you!” repeatedly, eventually forcing policemen backwards.

A video of an officer spraying orange-colored pepper spray into the faces of sitting students circulated heavily on both television and the Internet, prompting outrage as well as a wave of cartoon parodies.

UC Davis chancellor Linda Katehi apologized for the police’s use of pepper spray before students, faculty and community members began chanting slogans and pressing for her to step down.

“I’m here to apologize. I feel horrible for what happened Friday,” Katehi told the crowd. “If you think you don’t want to be stu-

dents of the university we had on Friday, I’m just telling you, I don’t want to be the chancellor of the university we had on Friday.”

However, UC Davis is not the only college campus that has experienced chaos resulting from the Occupy movement. Harvard University, not too far away from Boston College, is experiencing it as well.

Harvard’s student protesters are primarily concerned with the roles the university and some of its alumni have played in the recent financial crisis. On November 9th, the students set up tents in Harvard Yard near the statue of school benefactor John Harvard to protest what they say is a growing wealth gap in the country, and the university’s perceived role in creating that inequality.

After being denied access to Harvard Yard, outside protestors made their way to the grounds of Harvard Law School for an Occupy Harvard rally. Some carried signs that read, “We Want a University for the 99 percent.”

University police and security guards have imposed a lockdown on Harvard Yard since the November 9 campus protest, which involved more than 350 participants supporting the Occupy Wall Street movement begun in Manhattan in September 2011. In an e-mail to the Harvard community, executive vice president Katie Lapp and University provost Alan Gerber said that even though the administration respects the right of community members to protest, the lockdown would continue as long as the students’ encampment— around 23 tents— remains.

“Securing access to the Yard is necessary for the safety of the freshman and others who live and work in the Yard, for the students who will be sleeping outdoors as part of the protest, and for the overall campus,” Lapp and Garber wrote.

New York University historian Robert Cohen said to the International Business Times that the Occupy movement on college campuses is accelerating quickly compared with the student movements of the 1960s and early 1970s which included rallies against the Vietnam War, and in support of minority and women’s rights.

Angus Johnston, a historian at City University of New York, noted, “What we have had up until now is something very similar to the early 1960s, where you had not a huge number of activists but a committed core who were working really hard but weren’t getting huge amount of traction from media or fellow students.”

Time will tell whether the notable rise in US campus activism and media attention paid to students will result in actual changes, or only Youtube videos and passionate blogs.

4

www.bcgavel.com

BC among top producers of Fulbright Scholars

By Meidema Sanchez Assoc. News Editor Boston College is nationally known for many things, including above average university cuisine, a noteworthy athletics department and an abundance of students wearing preppy clothing. However, according to statistics recently released by The Fulbright Program, these are not the only things Boston College is nationally recognized for. It is the eighth greatest producer of Fulbright winners among research universities in the United States, proving that its well-fed, athletic and preppy students are smart too.

However, being a “Fulbrighter” requires a lot more than just intelligence. While the specific qualifications for each Fulbright program differ, eligibility criteria for all include strong leadership ability in addition to academic prowess. It is no wonder then that BC students are so successful at attaining Fulbright grants, as leadership qualities are advanced here through an active undergraduate student government as well as several leadership programs.

Last fall, 21 BC students out of the 73 applicants for Fulbrights were awarded with substantial grants which supported a year’s post-baccalaureate study abroad. This total was the eighth highest among comparative institutions: the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor had the most with 29, followed

by Northwestern (27), Yale (26), Stanford and the University of Chicago (25 each), University of Washington (24) and Columbia

(23). Finishing off the top ten were Harvard (20) and Arizona State (18). BC also ranked 18 spots ahead of the University of Notre Dame, which had twelve winners.

The news was welcomed by the University Fellowship Committee, which helps BC students compete for Fulbrights and other prominent undergraduate and graduate fellowships and scholarships. It was a fitting end to the work of Slavic and Eastern Languages professor Margaret Thomas, who stepped down from her position as director of BC’s Fulbright program this past summer after 15 years.

“BC students continually impress me with their verve, imagination, cultural openness, and dedication to achieving their goals,” said Thomas in a release by the Office of News and Public Affairs.

This year, BC’s 14 Fulbrighters are studying in countries such as Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Germany, Korea, Nepal, Poland, Spain and Vietnam. They are engaging in activities including teaching English, exploring Spain’s art communities, examining Poland’s efforts to stop human trafficking, and learning about perceptions of immigration and Argentina’s ethnic heritage.

The current head of BC’s Fulbright program, adjunct associate professor of Political Science Paul Christensen, said to Chronicle Editor Sean Smith, “It really begins with bright and committed students, and all the faculty that work so hard to prepare them academically to apply for grants like this.”

Not only are the intelligence and leadership

abilities of BC students accountable for their success at attaining Fulbright grants, but also the resources and assistance BC provides to students that makes their accomplishments even more possible. As Christensen also said, “This is truly a collective effort, and one that the entire BC community can be proud of.”

In the near future, though, the success of the BC community may be terminated by forces beyond its control. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, President Barack Obama’s administration has asked for a $1 million dollar cut to the Fulbright program for the 2012 budget. Last year alone, the program suffered a $16.4 million decrease in funding and had to cut the number of grants awarded for foreign language study and for international students to complete their science or technology doctorates in the United States.

Despite economic difficulties around the world, foreign countries have been increasing their funding for the Fulbright program.

In 2010, contributions increased by a total of $10 million. According to the mission statement of the Fulbright grant program, founded in 1946, it “fosters mutual understanding, develops global leaders, and protects academic freedom worldwide through educational exchange and training programs that advance the vision of ‘Opening Minds to the World.’” Perhaps now it will take a global effort, rather than the efforts of individual colleges, to ensure that students will continue to receive the opportunity to change the globe through Fulbright grants.

Continued from page 2

the acceptance rate was 27.9 percent, one of the lowest the university has experienced since its inception. The number of available spots for incoming classes remains at 2,250, so unless the University decides to increase the size of incoming classes, the acceptance rate will continue to hover around 30 percent.

The School of Theology and Ministry has also reached a new high in student enrollment, with 342 students now in this division of the University. This represents a 45-student increase, significant for a smaller school within the University.

Graduate enrollment has increased in recent years as well, with the Lynch Graduate School of Education at 1,003 students, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at 864 students, and the Carroll School of management – Graduate Division at 839 students.

Voters in Mississippi unexpectedly reject personhood legislation

By Alison Ricciato Gavel Media Staff On November 8, Mississippi voters were presented with Initiative 26 which would have declared the definition of a person to begin at the stage of a fertilized egg. This would mean that a fertilized egg would legally be recognized as a human being. Currently in Mississippi, there are many restrictions on abortions that just one clinic in the entire state performs the procedure. The legislation was expected to pass easily for weeks in the highly conservative state, but voters ultimately rejected the measure.

Initiative 26 would have essentially relegated abortion and certain birth control measures to be murder. Almost any kind of abortion would then be illegal, including those used as remedies to incest or rape.

Birth control such as IUD’s and Plan B (the “morning after pill”) would also be banned, as they impede fertilized eggs from planting themselves to the uterus. Any and all stem cell research or other scientific research involving the destruction of embryos created in laboratories would also be barred.

Nancy Northup, the president of the Center for Reproductive Rights – a legal advocacy group – is quoted in The New York Times, calling Initiative 26 “…the most extreme in a field of extreme anti-abortion measures that have been before the states this year.”

Indeed, this proposal takes a far more radical anti-abortion approach than do laws in other states which aim to reduce access to abortions by forcing expensive regulations on clinics, requiring women to view ultrasounds of the fetus, or set the cut-off point for abortions as early as 20 weeks into the pregnancy.

Opponents warned voters that this legislation is not merely a measure to outlaw abortions, as many believed, but also a restriction in contraceptives, in vitro clinics, and medical procedures on women with life-threatening pregnancies. Doctors would also be subject to legal backlash from attempting to abort fetuses that endanger women’s lives.

Many members of the pro-life community, including Roman-Catholic priests, also disproved of this proposal, arguing that it is counterproductive to their efforts. Bishop Joseph Latino of MS said to the Times that the lack of church support is because “the push for a state amendment could ultimately harm our efforts to overturn Roe vs. Wade” in the Supreme Court. James Bopp, Jr., of the general counsel of the National Right to Life, pointed out in the same article that federal courts would most likely declare the amendment unconstitutional against a woman’s right to abortion in the early weeks of pregnancy. Bopp referred to the amendment as “utterly futile” in attempting to save fetuses.

Voters themselves appeared torn, as many supporters of the pro-life campaign feared

Photo by Louise Sheehan/Gavel Media Photo

the severe measures Initiative 26 entailed.

Though the vote was close initially, the voter rejection of the proposal proved that even this conservative Republican-dominated state found the law too harsh on other medical procedures and drugs other than abortion.

However, Mississippi voters displayed their usual conservative views in the matter of voting. They voted in favor of legislation which restricted voting procedures to require an official form of identification, approved by the government. This was seen by many progressive thinkers as a thinly veiled act of intimidation toward voters of color, which state congressional members denied.

Ultimately, Mississippi voters have rejected anti-abortion measures for now, but organi-

zations such as National Right to Life will continue to push for future legislation to prevent what they see as the destruction of human lives. Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union were glad about the vote’s outcome, which they viewed as an invasion of privacy and an interference with women’s rights. The vote also left many pro-life groups fractured, with some groups arguing for the moral backbone of the legislation in protecting innocent lives, while other groups saw Initiative 26 as a strategic failure in the anti-abortion movement and a wasted effort. Nonetheless, more proposals to outlaw abortion will continue to be produced as long as they retain popular support in states like Mississippi.

5

www.bcgavel.com

What the Left’s Fall means for next November

By Jasmine Uduma News Editor As the next election season looms around the corner, the same enthusiasm and excitement for the Democrats has notably waned from the public conscience. In November 2007, a year before the monumental presidential elections, fervor within the Democratic base was palpable and strong, only managing to increase as Election Day got closer.

With just a little under a year until the next presidential elections, the same cannot be said about the left. Factions within the Democratic party triggered finger-pointing and discontent on the same side of the aisle. Then the disastrous loss of control in the House during the 2010 elections left the party unsure and full of chagrin.

The 2010 elections marked and extreme deficit in turnout for democratic support.

Many of the activated voters from the 2008 elections either didn’t show up or were disillusioned with the Obama administration’s rocky start. The fact that Democrats were now the incumbents made them easier targets for Republicans to campaign against. A billboard in Florida reached the nation’s attention with the words “Now it’s personal...

America’s coming for you, Congress! Vote Liberals out in 2010.”

And vote them out they did. A total of 5 members of the Progressive Caucus lost their re-election campaign in 2010, but in general the huge majority in the House was flipped.

Long-time liberal in the Senate, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin lost his re-election seat; the almost-sacred seat of the late Ted Kennedy was stripped of Democratic control and given to a young Republican and alum of BC. Fire-breathing liberal Anthony Weiner’s promising career met an awkwardly tragic end, though the seat was still held within the Democratic Party.

What is most important to note is the loss of the liberal voice in American political discourse. Left-winged spearheads have been drowned out by the much more effective conservative base. Many democrats have been trying to keep their heads off the chopping block in their districts and thus have not trumpeted reforms the same way they started in 2007.

The number of liberal opinion-leaders willing to offer robust support for Obama’s policies and political strategy and tactics has steadily dwindled. Those who have still tried to speak from the Democratic platform only come off as being confrontational or at odds with the party as a whole, so much so that signs of any rank-and-file liberal Democratic “base” revolt against Obama have been few and far between.

The recent news of U.S. Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts not seeking reelection in 2012 has come as another blow to the liberal base in government.

It has started a national battle between Democrats and Republicans over a seat that, until his announcement, seemed safe and secured under Democratic control.

The redistricting by conservative majority in the house left Frank with many unfamiliar faces in his electorate - 325,000 more in fact, from much more moderate neighborhoods. The biggest blow to him was the loss of the liberal area, a labor union stronghold.

Frank also explained in his press-conference how the busy and stressful four years he’s had dealing with financial reform after the recession was a major reason.

Frank was the ranking member of the

coveted Financial Committee and has been seen as the most active voice on reforms, many of them seen as too leftist to actually pass.

In 2008 the Dodd-Frank bill that he coauthored in the wake of the financial collapse was successfully passed and he has said that he intends to remain active in public policy issues, including defending that bill. He added that though he was leaving the political arena, he wouldn’t be a stranger to it in the coming years.

His exit from the political stage though is still seen as a loss of one of the Left’s fiercest advocates for liberalism and the intelligent counter from conservatives in Congress. Some are hoping though that his retirement will serve to be strategic in the long run, as Frank may be a serious candidate for a Cabinet position in the Obama administration. Frank has expressed in the past his interest in joining President Obama’s Cabinet as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

This fall, those on the left, both fringe and moderate, have begun to grasp the scope of the political and intellectual disaster of the past three years. Their responses are an indication to the lack of organization and focus, leaving them immensely frustrated with themselves and the new face of politics.

The discontent on the left has been a growing impatience with Obama’s steady commitment to bipartisanship in the face of Republican obstruction. Frustration over his inability to side with progressive values and goals rather than constant compromise has helped the

Like what you’ve seen so far? Check out the Gavel News online for more.

factionalism within the Democratic base increase since the 2010 elections.

But so far, this profound unhappiness has not been transformed into any coherent positioning of the left. It defies precedent in the Democratic party. During his first term Bill Clinton faced regular revolts from congressional Democrats, losing a majority of House Democrats on NAFTA, GATT and welfare reform.

Despite threats over the healthcare public option, Afghanistan funding, and most recently, administration offers to “reform” Medicare and Social Security, congressional Democrats have yet to split from the Obama administration on any major legislation.

Liberals are trying their best to hide their anger over the lack of attention from the Obama White House. In less than three years, Obama has become viewed by some liberals as a politician just going with the flow and with whom liberals feel they have virtually no leverage, as opposed to his initial reverence as a transformative, rightly-guided president What democrats need to focus their attention on in the coming months is winning leverage over the electorate. Despite the negative mood of the Democratic Party, there are many voters still active in politics on their own in a more pluralist sense.

The occupy movements have all been grassroot organizations, and though the Democrats should avoid directly endorsing the movement the same way Republicans endorsed the Tea Party, they can take the opportunity to address some of the concerns of the protesters and develop potential policy reform around those discussions. The latest attacks on abortion, voting and financial rights have activated a segment of society Democrats could speak to and win over in time for the elections.

Interested in politics? Write for the Gavel News Election Blog online. Send an email to bcgavel@gmail.com

6

December 7, 2009

Inside Features Homelessness a looming problem in many cities for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth - page 6 Student club Relay for Life raises money for cancer research and support - page 6 After two months of protests and setbacks the Occupy Boston movement is still going strong page 7 Stuff BC Likes: Hating hipsters, a playfully saterical look at BC’s most “hated” group - page 8 Beer Review: For when you outgrow 2 dollar drafts. The Gvael Beer review returns with a new group of lagers and wines to critique - page 9 All studetns have stress during finals, why should everyone put up with the added stress of dealing with complainers? - page 10 Dealing with roommates and romance is difficult which is why NJB offers her advice - page 10 Sustainability has been in the advocated and debated since he 1970’s, but the true meaning of the word is still unclear - page 11 5 easy ways to stay healthy when exam stress encourages otherwise - page 12

Features

www.bcgavel.com

Homelssness a looming problem for LGBT Youth By: Ricardo Sanchez Gavel Media Staff One of the most important, yet overlooked issues nowadays is the issue of homelessness.

Perhaps even more overlooked is the issue of homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) youth. According to multiple urban studies, more than 20% of homeless youth consider themselves to be LGBT. This alarming demographic is largely due to LGBT youth being more likely to be kicked out of their homes than straight youth. If they are not kicked out explicitly, they leave on their own if the environment at home is too difficult to bear. In New York City alone, nearly 4,000 youth (people under the age of 18) are homeless every night, with a significant number of them being LGBT. In a society in which homosexuality has become increasingly common and accepted, many LGBT youth feel they can “come out” about their sexuality at an earlier age. However, this growing openness about homosexuality in society does not always translate into openness at home.

Though it is illegal for a parent or guardian to explicitly expel a child under 18 from their home, in many cases the LGBT youth chooses to leave on his or her own. In an interview with NPR, Carl Siciliano, the founder and executive director of the Ali Forney Center, a shelter for LGBT youth in New York City, said, “It has become clear to me that we are living in a societal moment, where kids are coming out at younger and younger ages, and there are so many parents who can’t be parents to their gay kids.” This familial rejection is largely due to “incompatibilities”

between parents’ customary beliefs, and the realities of their children’s lives. For example, many parents belong to religions or cultures in which homosexuality is forbidden (or highly frowned upon).

The gay rights movement, though it has gained significant momentum in the past year—with the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” which allows gays to serve openly in the military, or the legalization of gay

among LGBT youth.

In May 2011, U.S. Senator John Kerry, a Democrat of Massachusetts, has sponsored a bill known as the “Reconnecting Youth to Prevent Homelessness Act of 2011”, which protects children in foster care from ending up on the streets. This bill contains a section dedicated to supporting LGBT youth. If the bill were to pass Congress, the Department of Health and Human Services would be required to create special programs that focus on “reducing dejecting behaviors and increasing supporting behaviors and understanding among families to improve the chances of LGBT youth remaining at home.” The bill is currently under committee review, which is the first step in the legislative process. The likelihood of it passing Congress, however, is slim, as it would require bipartisan support, rare in what is now a very polarized Congress.

Photo courtesy of wikimediacommons.org It is to be hoped that as the country progresses to embrace marriage in New York State—has done little legal policies accepting of LGBT Americans, to address the problem of homeless LGBT popular views will evolve similar acceptance. youth. Many believe that this is largely due to Social reform will always faces hostility the movement’s focus on LGBT adults rather from those whose beleif systems are built than LGBT youth. As put by Carl Siciliano, on the antiquated views being reformed.

“We have framed our fight for inequality for Consequently, change is slow at the legislative in adult terms, and almost all the victories we level and often even slower at the social level. have won only really benefit the adults in our During this time of transition, many community.” Many of the recent legislative LGBT youth are protected by neither their victories underline this sentiment, as the government nor their families. Not only repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” only affects threatened by the fundemental hardships of members of the military (adults), and the homelessness, these young people are easy passage of gay marriage in many states does targets in hatecrimes which are growing in not affect LGBT youth. frequency. Unfortunate but understandable There have, however, been a few notable factors have led to tragic circumstance. The steps taken by America’s politicians to most vulnerable and voiceless of soiciety have mitigate the problem of homelessness been marginalized and their lives put at risk.

Spotlight on student clubs: Relay For Life building hope Relay for Life, a team event to fight cancer and raise money for the American Cancer Society, is off to a great start at BC this year, according Andrew DiChiara, A&S ’12, one of the event chairs for the BC Relay for Life.

The event is a 12-hour walk-a-thon that takes place at the Plex. This year’s Relay is scheduled for February 24-25, starting at 6:00 p.m. and ending at 6:00 a.m, and will feature an outer space theme.

“At the event, we have games and entertainment happening all night,” DiChiara said. “We have karaoke, ice cream eating contests, volleyball and basketball tournaments, Minute-to-Win-It games, and many more activities.” In addition to fun activities throughout the night, the Relay also includes meaningful tributes to individuals who have had cancer. “We have various ceremonies honoring those currently fighting,

those who have won their battles with cancer, and memorializing those who have lost lives battling cancer,” said DiChiara.

However, before the Relay for Life event, teams must assemble and accomplish their fundraising goals. This year, the BC Relay for Life aims to host 125 teams and 1500 participants, with an overall fundraising goal of $150,000. The money raised will go to the American Cancer Society and support their many programs, including cancer research efforts, public education about cancer and services for cancer patients.

One such patient service is the Hope Lodge, a place where cancer patients in outpatient treatment who live more than 40 miles from the hospital can stay free of charge.

Other services include a 24-hour hotline for Continued on page 8

Photo credit wikimediacommons.org

7

Occupy Boston

www.bcgavel.com All photos by Cal Greene III/Gavel Media

going strong despite adversity People’s Mic: Fact Check Frank Rizzo, Gavel Media Staff Cal Greene III, Features Editor Although the coldness of winter has begun to make its way to the New England area, the Occupy Boston movement has kept their operation churning. The tents are still pitched, the people are still there, and the passions are still present; but this is not to say that their progress has come without added pressure and adversity developing over the last couple months.

Back on November 14th in New York City, where the Occupy Wall Street movement found its fruition, Mayor Bloomberg ordered the New York City police to clear Occupy Wall Street protesters out of downtown Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park.

Protesters have been there for almost three months, protesting, among other things, what they see as the lack of equity in the American economic system, with 1% of the population controlling a vast portion of the wealth.

The tensions manifesting at the epicenter of the movement, New York City, have compelled the occupation’s counterparts in Boston to take action. On November 16, the protesters there were granted a temporary restraining order allowing them to continue occupying Dewey Square in downtown Boston. The group went to court to ensure that the city of Boston could not do to them what the city of New York did to protestors at Zuccotti Park just a day before — kick them out. The order was brought to the court by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) and will restrict Boston city officials, including the Boston Police Department, from breaking up Occupy Boston and evicting protesters from Dewey Square. The order also prevents officials from removing tents and personal property. After the hearing, Occupy Boston attorney Howard M. Cooper said, “The crux of the issue was the concern that they [Occupy Boston] will be kicked out before they have a chance to be heard .. . . Now, they have a chance to be heard.”

Washington D.C. has also experienced movement in the protesters’ favor. Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced an amendment on November 18th that would ban corporate money in politics and end

corporate personhood once and for all.

Deutch’s amendment, called the “Outlawing Corporate Cash Undermining the Public Interest in our Elections and Democracy” (OCCUPIED) Amendment, would overturn the Citizens United decision, re-establishing the right of Congress and the states to regulate campaign finance laws, and to effectively outlaw the ability of for-profit corporations to contribute to campaign spending.

Our visit to the occupiers came during a rainy day at Dewey Square. Things seemed to be still in full swing, as we saw several of the occupy participants and volunteers setting up tarps to divert the rainfall. We set up a temporary camp in the library, a medium sized tent replete with books and periodicals from many different genres, ranging from government and politics, religion, gender studies, philosophy, current events, health, sociology, and the arts. Greeted by a grumpy but eventually hospitable librarian, we sat down and listened to an exchange between two men involved in the Occupy Boston movement.

For the outside observer to fully understand the Occupy movement you do not necessarily have to participate but you do have to spend an afternoon walking around and talking to different people, because the movement is as diverse as its protesters.

We spoke to Chris, a 20 something former occupier and resident of Lowell, MA. He explained to us some of the reasons why the media has been troubled by the occupation’s lack of a single voice. “No one person can speak for the occupation,” he says.

“People rotate and occupy while employed.

Some who rotate feel guilty that they’re not here.” Chris went on to explain that the media’s requests for specific proposals and propositions fail to understand the movement. He said that the sort of society that has developed at the camp is an example of how the movement thinks a society ought to operate, and in this way, the movement is different from the stereotypical protest.

The end is not necessarily a series of laws passed in Congress, but the resurgence of political awareness and reflection that has been lost in American politics. Though other movements are coming to an end Occupy Boston is set stay camped out in Dewey Sqaure at least in the future.

Myth: The Occupy movement is made up of people who gave up on looking for a job.

Truth: The Occupy movement is made up of both employed and unemployed people, but the vast majority of the protesters are either employed or students. In Dewey Square for example, there may be 200 people living there at any given point in time, but the protesters have a sort of time share system where they trade off days or weeks. Also the Occupy Boston group often holds GA’s and marches on either weekends or before and after work to accommodate working individuals. Though the camp may be small, the number of people involved is estimated to be upwards of 2000 active protesters.

Myth: The Occupy movement is taking shifting funds away from more worth while charities like homelessness or medical research.

Truth: There is absolutely no way to support that. Donors give to the movement because they see it as important, just as another may see medical research as important. The only fair criticism that has recently come out is that all of the Occupy camps combined have cost cities thirteen million dollars, as reported by NPR. But many Occupy camps have created funds to help the city with clean up. The Occupy Boston Camp has raised $35,000 so far for the restoration of Dewey Square for example and though that seems small, its reasonanly proportional to the size of the camp Myth: Occupy protesters are made up only of a bunch of privileged college students with nothing better to do.

Truth: The Occupy movement is made up of individuals from all walks of life, there are college students that are a part of it, but there are also union members, laborers, professors, writers, small business owners, teachers etc.

Myth: All the protesters do is sit in drum circles and smoke weed. The movement is just the cool thing to do.

Truth: Again, the movement is very diverse.

You have just as many protesters that sit in drum circles and smoke weed as you do that are lawyers working in the legal or logistics departments, and doctors and nurses in the medical tents. Labeling the protesters cannot be done because there are equal numbers of people from every walk of life. Inclusive ness is something just about all protesters take pride in fostering.

8

www.bcgavel.com

Stuff BC Students Like: Hating the fixie riding campus hipster

Photo credit wikimediacommons.org

by Cal Greene III Features Editor You all know it when you see it, the vintage flat brim backwards hat, the odd flannel, the super tight skinny jeans, and the wayfarers that made form some esoteric brand because Ray Bans are too ‘mainstream.” I am talking of course of the hipster, one of the most hated beings of the typical BC student, next to Steve Montgomery and ethnic minorities. Evidence that the BC community does not tolerate hipsters is the fact that there are olny 7 hipsters in the entire college. The rest were either taken into a J. Crew and taught how to function as a normal member of society, forced to transfer to BU or simply denied admission from the get go. Why BC students hate hipsters is a

no brainer, they suck. Though the reason for hating hipsters will vary from person to person what will always be true is that hating hipsters will remain stuff BC likes.

The hipster is a strange hybrid of a hippie and a yuppie. They are typically fairly rich, which is how they were even considered for admission to BC, but they act as if all of culture is backwards. To them money is the root of all evil, the corporations are swallowing up everything and all media is too mainstream. While in reality they spend thousands at urban outfitters, their parents are high-powered lawyers or bankers, and their counter culture indie music blows.

Of all the things hipsters like, and there are many, they can all be boiled down into one main theme, their non-conformity is a ritual

effort to be cool by being completely opposed to whatever is popular or makes sense. The hipster believes that their opinions are original and their style is cool, when in fact their opinions are just opposite other opinions and their style was derived from every failed fad since the 1920s, when flappers were all the rage.

They thrive on being “in the know” or “ahead of the mainstream” but the only useful societal contributions hipsters have made in the recent past has been making being metrosexual not okay and discovering the band Vampire Weekend (though now that they are mainstream they are no longer cool).

To better understand the hipster let us examine things they enjoy, obscure news outlets like blogs, hating real music venues, and not being social. To the hipster blogs and the Daily Show are the only true forms of news because it has not been tainted by the oppressive social structure. They are not talking about rejecting fake news sources such as, FOX News, but actual news sources like Reuters and the New York Times (you know news outlets that fact check and have credibility). No, Reddit and the Huffington Post are not really news outlets, especially since the latter just reposts stories from “lamestream outlets” anyways.

They hate real music venues because basement stages in some abandon Brooklyn textile mill have such better acoustic and feature the most talented and entertaining artists. Finally they hate being social because standing alone in a bar with their other hipster friends complaining about the background

music is such a raging time. It is clear the hipster enjoys the most backwards things.

It just makes the average normal BC bro or girl want to scream (but of course you do not because that would be socially unbecoming).

The BC student spends a great deal of time refining their preppy New England or Tri-State style bro-ness or hotness, and it is offensive that after putting in such an effort that some individuals would not show proper reverence to the status quo. The vast majority of BC students have worked hard to ensure that when an outsider walks through O’Neill Plaza they automatically assume that every student either just finished hanging out at the country club (private of course) or about to dine at Stephanie’s on Newbury Street whilst shopping. BC students are men and women for others and in no way tolerate or advocate hatred toward a group of people who have no choice in who they are. But, the key point there is no choice in whom they are. The hipster is the counter-culture to the prep and as Confucius say, “the nail that pops out gets hammered!”

The hipster will always be a problem at BC but steps are being taken to ensure their backwardness does not corrupt the institution.

UGBC is sponsoring a “Hipster Awareness Week” in the spring to educate the community about the dangers or riding fixed geared bicycles, wearing skinny jeans in public (for guys) and what to do in case a BC student is confronted by a hipster for listening to Rihanna’s We Found Love on repeat, you know good music. Awareness is the first step, but its clear that hating hipsters will always be something BC likes.

For when you eventually outgrow $2 Busch

by Cal Greene III, Features editor, All photos by Cal Greene III/Gavel Media

Stay classy my friends I

n the third edition with the Gavel Beer Review we decided to change it up a bit by reviewing the same good quality brews but adding a few wines in the mix by request of the ladies of the Gavel Beer Review. This time around we decided to sample Winter Lagers and Affordable Red Wines. Here at the Gavel Beer Review, we love Lagers and expanding our tastes so it was only appropriate we picked some of our favorites to critique and share. Adding red wines was a change for many of us but we were all eager to try some. The five that made the cut this time were: Samuel Adams Winter Lager, Great Divide Hoss- Rye Lager, Yellow Tail Pinot Noir-Shiraz,

Samuel Adams Winter Lager, With its medium brown

crystal clear colour this brew looks like a typical lager at first glance. That all changes once you crack it open. The second you start to pour the smooth smell of this lager hits your nose.

It’s a strong but refreshing beer in terms of taste, smell and alcoholic content. Despite its complexity it is an easy beer to appreciate. The sharpness of the taste and clean nature of the beer make it easy going down and without the bite typical of many Ales. To the seasoned beer enthusiast the beer may not be the complex winter beer of choice but it is surely a beer that is enjoyable. It is a great chilling beer for whenever you enjoy roasting chestnuts on an open fire or for whenever you want to show others that you have more class than Chet Hammerton.

Overall 4.5 Yellow Tail Pinot Noir-Shiraz, We felt like starting off the wine section of the tasting with this wine because its known for its quality albeit affordability. There was not too much contention between us all as far as rating goes. The Yellow Tail was smooth, fruity and over all a great solid choice. The mix of the Pinot Noir and Shiraz wines took a lot of the bite that would normally be typical Shiraz. It is a great full body wine that is smooth and enjoyable for the average person who does not usually drink wines Overall it’s a great starter wine and an easy way to add class to dinner or small gathering before heading out on the town. Overall 4.

Gnarly Head Pinot Noir, This wine was a surprise to us as well. None of us had heard of Gnarly Head Vineyard out in California. It is a drier and bitterer wine, which is a little odd for a Pinot Noir but it was very good. The wine was around ten dollars per bottle but the quality was well beyond the price tag. This wine was the best bang for your buck. Everyone at the GBR agreed. Maggie even went so far as comment that, “finally we picked a drink that is not overly bitter, strong or expensive. This is the perfect mix of a good quality drink, that is highly drinkable and it tastes great! Overall 5

9

Winter Lagers and Red wine N all persons who participated in the review are of

Charles Shaw Nouveau, and Gnarly Head Pinot Noir.

As always the beers and wines were all highly rated and are from breweries and wineries that have pretty good products. Participating this time was Cal Greene III, ote Features Editor, Maggie Lawrence, Culture Editor and Sofia Martinez, Associate Culture Editor.

We based our comparison for the beers based on four criteria: clarity and colour, smell, taste and complexity, remember to and mouth-feel, then we gave it an overall score, 1 being poor and 5 being the best. Our critiques for the wines were similar but since that was out of our expertise we just gave it an overall critique and score.

legal drinking age. Please Drink Responcibly

Charles Shaw Nouveau, From the get go we had no grand expectations for the wine nicknamed “three buck chuck” by consumers and its creators. Surprise, Surprise the wine sucked pretty badly. At least that was my decision. Maggie and Sofia loved its fruitier taste and smoothness and overwhelmingly overruled me. The Nouveau is typically on the sweeter end of the wine spectrum but this one was more like drinking grape juice with 12% alcohol content. Overall it’s the worst wine of the bunch, even Maggie agreed. Overall 3

“he was

a good man who invented

beer”

- Plato

Great Divide Hoss-Rye Lager, Though we like to think that we’re all novice beer aficionados at the Gavel Beer Review we have to admit that we have never heard of this brewery before. W e were intrigued when we saw it was brewed in Colorado. We were unsure at first about how flavorful the beer was. It had a medium amber colour, somewhere in-between a porter and a wheat ale, but the aroma was so light that if I was not looking at it I would have guessed it was a Miller High Life. Once you take a sip all doubts are set a side. This beer is great. We were undecided about this though. Maggie was adamant that the beer was over the top in sharpness, but Sofia and I overruled her. There are very few beers with a similarly intensely sharp but refreshing flavour. Its not a beer for new comers but if you want a beer that is sharper, earthy, flavourful, and strong this one is it. Overall 4.5

www.bcgavel.com

10

www.bcgavel.com

You’re not the only one deal- Life Chat: Dealing With Roommates and Romance ing with Exams, Shut Up

Photo credit wikimediacommons.org

By Nora Jean-Baptiste Gavel Media Staff Exams are a very stressful event. Some students skip meals in order to study, others hide from friends and ignore phone calls and text messages. Many decide that doctors do not really know what they are talking about when they advise young adults to sleep at least 8 hours every night and instead, stay up the whole night armed with candy, a bottle of coke and a cup of coffee. That is of course for those who care. Those who do not watch movies all-night or go out and have a great time with their friends. The morning of the exam, they ask their friends for a brief summary on what the ten chapters were about, and hope for the best on the big test.

The most interesting time for the exam complainer is when they finally get their tests back. For a few students, it is the usual A, this group typically also never complains.

Another group is in the B range, this group will vent the occasional grievance or two. They are not too thrilled about a B but they have the next exam to make up for it. No big deal.

They know how the professor grades his exams and they can prepare accordingly. The last group is in the C through F range and within that group, there are two subsets: one that is not surprised (or is surprised that they managed to get anything higher than an F) and one that cannot comprehend how they were able to receive anything lower than an A+. These students are the typical exam complainers, notorious for unloading their disappointments on anyone who grants them the opportunity to rant.

Be wary of this group for conversation with them can be tedious, as they can get quite emotional. No one ever studied as hard as they did. No one read the entire textbook. No one stayed up as late as they did. They go on

and on about how they felt super confident about it, how they knew the material, how they could recite all ten chapters verbatim.

You, naturally, almost feel sympathetic -- that is until they unintentionally hurt your feelings with a condescending statement to make themselves feel better.

No matter what, it is not their fault and there is always an excuse in their back pocket for comfort. Everyone who did well went to amazing private school, and college is just a review for those people, they tell you. Their coffee machine was broken so they were tired. The professor did not give enough practice problems, etc. and the list goes on.

It is impossible for them to acknowledge that other people can study effectively when they were not able to.

These students are smart, and probably had high GPAs back in high school. But, this is BC not Blue Mountain State, so did everyone else. So if they are not getting good grades, they are doing something wrong, as hard as it may be for them to conceive.

Complaining will not do anything but make other people uncomfortable or irritated.

Blaming the professor achieves even less than complaining, I promise. He or she already has his degree; it really will not affect him or her to change the bad grade. Besides, there are undoubtedly people in the class who like his or her teaching style. Instead of trying to bring people down or have them share in their mediocrity, they ought to take that as chance to reflect. What did I do wrong, not the professor, but me, they should ask themselves. Or what did they, who got good grades, do right? We are all adults now so let us begin to take responsibility for our own actions. So if you got a D on your exams stop complaining and trade a Tuesday at Mary Ann’s for a few more hours in O’Neill.

What college pet pieve bothers you the most?

Let us know. Submit rant topics to feautures@ bcgavel.com

Photo by Cal Greene III /Gavel Media

By Nora Jean-Baptiste Gavel Media Staff My best friend barely speaks to me anymore. She only has time for her new boyfriend and the guy’s a jerk.

What do I do?

Are you worried for your friend or are you envious? Sometimes when someone we are close with meets someone new and does not have as much time for us anymore we get angry. We are jealous but we blame the new person to cover our own insecurities. Get to know the person before you judge them, and try to be happy for your friend. Some time in the near future you will probably find someone who you find yourself spending more time with than your friends, and surely you would want your friend to be happy for you as well. It is all a growing process.

Spend that free time finding a guy or girl of your own.

If you are confident the guys is a jerk, or if you start seeing unhealthy behaviors in your friend that started with the new friend talk to her. Don’t be surprised if you turn out to be the villain. It is very likely that your friend will get defensive. It will be tempting to scream out how blind she has become, but don’t. Be gentle in what you say because this is a tough situation and how you talk to your friend is more important than what you say. Think of her as being temporarily possessed. There is nothing you can do but wait it out. If talking does not work all you can do is continue to be a good friend and be there when the boyfriend goes by the wayside. Eventually she will come to her senses. When that happens, be there for her. In the meantime, expand you horizons, meet new people and do things with them.

My roommate and I are not talking, and it is really awkward. She gets on my nerves.

Part of being adult is having to deal with people we don’t necessarily like. Not talking will accomplish nothing. You are both sharing one living area; some form of communication is needed. Since this is getting under your skin, break the silence.

Tell her that both of you are going to be living together so the best thing for the both of you is to find a middle ground. Whatever the problem is between the two of you, the only way to get results is to discuss it. Most people will respond positively if they are spoken to respectfully. Although you might be angry, you must still be considerate.

Speak to her like you’d like to be spoken to.

Be willing to make compromises, and let her know if this discussion is to be productive she has to make compromises as well. If nothing is solved, suggest getting a third party involved, someone who is neutral like your RA. You will probably have to deal with much more annoying people in the future; so this is good practice. The best way to deal with, any roommate whether you’re best friends or hated enemies is the old adage, “Good neighbors build fences.” Set a few boundaries that signify mutual respect of property, sleeping habits and common courtesy and you will most likely be able to be cordial for a long time, or at least until the next break. College for most people is about being able to learn both inside and outside the classroom. At least this is one class you don’t have to buy books for.

Submit your life chat questions to features@bcgavel.com

11

www.bcgavel.com

The quest to understand Sustainability

by Jillian Timko, Gavel Media Staff Photo by Cal Greene III/Gavel Media

Simply defined, sustainability refers to conserving an ecological balance by avoiding the depletion of natural resources. Over the last few decades, however, sustainability has come to mean much more than simply conserving an ecological balance because of the expanding environmental movement. Many environmental groups emphasize that people must embrace a more sustainable way of life; however, living sustainably can take on a lot of various meanings and signifies different things to different people. Though sustainability has many meanings the underlying message is clear; to live in a way that rejects excess and promotes a thriving community.

At BC, the biggest supporters of sustainable living belong to the SustainBC network, a group of faculty, staff and students who share an interest in creating a more sustainable Boston College, especially regarding campus operations, educational mission and research areas. According to the SustainBC website, sustainability “is the ability to hold continuity and balance in a given system. Sustainability is achieved when all people on Earth can live well without compromising the quality of life for future generations. Achieving a sustainable human society requires the simultaneous and synergistic creation of economic growth and equity, conservation of natural resources and the natural environment and sustainable social development and social justice.”

Father Thomas Massaro, S.J., of the School of Theology and Ministry, says, “As a priest and a catholic theologian, [sustainability] means something about cooperating with what my church believes to be God’s purposes for the world, to provide for the poor who suffer most from environmental degradation, and to give glory to God by preserving creation as much as possible.” Robert Pion, the Sustainability Program Director of Facilities Management, says. “[Sustainability] means using our natural resources wisely; it involves accepting the reality that we have limited natural resources and have a responsibility to assure that those resources are preserved for future generations.”

In terms of implementing a more sustainable way of life throughout the world, Pion says, “We need to look at our own behaviors first, and figure out what is sustainable and what isn’t. Then each community has to take stock of their actions and how those affect the environment. Nations using large percentages of the world resources have a particular responsibility to assess the disparity between what they are consuming compared to those nations that have access to less of the resources and yet may be impacted greatly by environmental changes. Honest accountability seems key.” Father Massaro supports, “less consumerism, which puts into perspective the true purposes of life, and leaves a smaller [ecological] footprint.”

The SustainBC network serves an interdisciplinary function to bring together faculty, staff, and students of different on-campus organizations to share their ideas and work together to make BC a more sustainable campus. SustainBC has partnerships with EcoPledge, UGBC’s sustainability team, Real Food BC, GreenerLib, the Environmental Studies Program, Facilities Management, BC Dining Services, Boston College Law School, the Environmental Affairs Law Review, BC Energy and Environment Alumni Network, the Jesuit Institute, Center for Corporate Citizenship, Winston Center for Leadership Ethics, Arts and Social Responsibility Project, Institute for Liberal Arts, and the School of Theology and Ministry.

In terms of making BC a more sustainable campus, Pion says, “Facilities can focus on ways to make the buildings more energy efficient, have better insulation, install fixtures that use less power or less water. Those are significant steps. But as individuals, using and living in buildings, we can decide how those features installed are really used. Getting the message out to people across the campus and letting everyone know that many people on campus do care about sustainability and have taken steps to move the campus forward in sustainable practices is a critical piece in this vision.” Father Massaro also suggests, “Lowering our energy use, much of which is wasted or discretionary,” and also says that, “Recycling still has a long way to go.”

Father Massaro further emphasizes, “Student sensitivity to energy and material wastage is key, and needs to improve.” Pion urges students to “participate in the various efforts [regarding sustainability] on campus and in the community. Own the fact that we all use resources, and think of ways to make small changes in your everyday lives. Take some time to learn more about our environmental realities and the impact on society.”

Sustainability can take on a lot of different specificities, but the importance of living sustainably in order to preserve natural resources emerges as a dominant theme. Through the efforts of the SustainBC networks and all students, faculty, and staff, BC can become a more sustainable place to live and learn.

12

www.bcgavel.com

Apple, Google, taking down giants and changing the face of technology

By Cal Greene III Features Editor The mobile phone market is one of the most competitive in the technology world. Much of the complexity stems from phone carriers such as AT&T and device manufacturers such as Nokia and Motorola that worked together to offer a unified service. The carrier companies were for the most part solidified early on and competed for small percentage gains in popularity but the many device manufactures such as long time dominants Research In Motion (RIM), the makers of the first smart phone, Blackberry, LG, and Motorola thrived on creating innovating products. The device manufacturer world was much like the music industry, even though there was some stability between the companies every one was only as strong as its last hit. Ever since Apple Inc. (Apple) and Google entered the market, way people think of phones has changed and the two companies drastically expanded what

Screenshot view of an Andriod phone (Wikimedia Commons Photo)

a phone can do, leaving their competition pushing daisies.

Apple’s transformation is one of the most extraordinary stories in modern business.

There have been a lot of Horatio Alger stories out of Silicon Valley but none with as many highs and lows – though mostly lows until 2002 – as Apple. After going public in December of 1980, the company stock did not hit 10 dollars a share until 1987 and floated around 10 and 20 dollars until the tech bubble in 1999. It struggled to gain popularity and remained a pseudo-cult company for the better part of its corporate history as big players like Microsoft and IBM dominated the scene.

Despite the doom and gloom of Apple in the 1980s Apple still managed to innovate and create some of the most notable parts of the technology world to date. It created the software and later company that would become Pixar Studios, the creators of Toy Story and other computer animated movies. It also created the operating system that was a precursor to the current Mac operating system OS X Lion.

And it created the first personal computer that

was marketed solely to the average person.

Unfortunately none of these endeavors was a game changer and only Pixar generated the profit Apple’s endeavors deserved until Apple sold it to Disney.

Google was on the opposite end of the spectrum. It was a child of serendipity from the beginning and in a few years it changed the Internet the way Xerox changed copying and Kodak changed how the world takes pictures.

Google was the most talked about initial public offering in 2004 and maintained and grew its popularity and dominance ever since. It is no surprise that 1 in 5 young adults think Google is the most desirable place to work, according to a Wall Street Journal poll.

Apple and Google have revolutionized the technology world and brought innovative, mind-blowing products to the average person in a way that has not been done since Henry Ford brought the model T to middle class America.

For a long time no one thought companies like IBM and Microsoft could be toppled. Even anti-trust lawsuits from the Department of Justice could not breakup the traditional tech firms as well as Google and Apple did.

Of all of the technology markets, none is more competitive than that of the mobile phone, which has been the largest part of Apple’s and Google’s recent growth. They broke in when no one thought they could stand a chance and did so by doing what they do best, innovating better than any of their competitors. Apple and Google’s increases in popularity and brand loyalty are forcing big players like Microsoft and Research in Motion (RIM) to either change or bite the dust.

It is no secret that Apple started the trend when it came out with the original iPhone.

The product was described as “pure magic” and was a favorite of anyone who got his or her hands on it. Comedian Stephen Colbert endlessly bragged about the fact that he got one before anyone else in America and showed off his new toy for about a week on his Comedy Central TV show the Colbert Report. Despite its 2G speed, approximately 20 hour battery life, and slower operating system the phone was a hit, only to be outdone by its successors the iPhone 3G and 3Gs. The release of the redesigned iPhone 4 and 4s also enamored the public with a high-definition screen, amazingly fast processing, enough memory to store the majority of your music library. Even with the antenna problem consumers loved the iPhone 4. This is evidenced by the record sales even three months after the news of the antenna problem, which Apple fixed with their case program.

Though Apple penetrated the mobile phone industry by diving in headfirst with a device and operating system, Google went a simpler route that mimicked Microsoft’s old plan back when Microsoft first hit the scene in 1994: Make an operating system and give it out to device manufacturers. That plan led to the creation of the Android Operating System (OS), which functioned much like Apple’s iOS but with a different spin. Google used a smartphone, touch screen platform but added conveniences and specialization options that Apple did not offer. Being on the Verizon network helped make large gains in a market of customers left iPhone-less because of carrier loyalty.

The future outlook of Apple and Google do not paint a good picture for RIM. Google’s acquisition of the mobile phone manufacturing segment of Motorola, the largest user of its Android OS, will allow Google to expand its popularity more. The acquisition will allow Google to customize the Android phone like never before and allow them to better compete with phones like the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy that have similar control over its products.

All of this innovation between iOS and Android left RIM hung out to dry. As the iOS and Android phones were released with more innovation, RIM was releasing the Blackberry Curve, Bold, and Storm, which for consumers translated to a “lame with a trackball that lasts three months, a lame “touch” trackball that works on occasion, and the worst touch smartphone in the last decade” to many Blackberry users. Since 2004 Blackberry’s popularity has been in steady decline and are only buffered because a large segment of its sales are to corporations. Its corporate buffer both helps RIM stay alive and is its Achilles heal that solidified Blackberry as a “work phone” or more affectionately crowned a “Crackberry.”

RIM has already announced layoffs and cutbacks and its stock price is one quarter what it was only 11 months ago (from $71 per share in Mid February 2001 to $16 per share at the end of November 2011). This does not necessarily mean that RIM is down for the count. It still has a solid base of customers in the corporate world who are reluctant to change, and until it looses them RIM still has a fighting chance if it stops playing catch-up and innovates.

Of all the metrics for measuring the success of Apple and Google in the mobile phone market such as market share, net profit, yearon-year growth etc., none are as relevant as looking at who is buying these smartphones.

It started out with young adults and spread to

Typical Blackberry phone (Wikimedia Commons photo)

young professionals and middle-aged adults, most of whom were devoted “Crackberry” fans. Reuters News also released that iOS and Android phones have significantly higher brand loyalty (measured by he amount of users who say they would pick the same version of their phone) with Apple maintaining 84 percent, Android with 60 percent and Blackberry with 48 percent.

Apple and Google are maintaining their foothold in the mobile phone market and taking down established companies. RIM is becoming a dwarf of its former self. If the next Blackberry is released with the same menial level of new features and updates as the Torch, RIM might as well write its last will and testament.

The new Apple iPhone 4S, now availalbe in white and black (Wikimedia Commons Photo)

13 13

www.bcgavel.com www.bcgavel.com

Picture perfect.

Only the Gavel can capture photos this awesome.

Join GavelMedia’s Photography department and expand your skills or learn some new ones.

Learn more at www.bcgavel.com or e-­mail bcgavel@gmail.com

14

www.bcgavel.com

Staying healthy despite the added stress during exam time

by Cal Greene III Features Editor Exam time is always the most stressful time for students and it usually leads to ditching your normal healthier habits for time saving ones that typically are unhealthy and counter productive to studying. Here are some tips to staying in good shape for the final stretch of the semester: 1. Eat properly – A healthy diet is essential to keeping your body in functioning optimally.

All to often eating healthy is the first thing to go when stress hits. Students often trade their normal salad for a few slices of pizza or that soup for a hamburger and extra fries at lower and though these foods taste good they will make your body sluggish and you that much less likely to grind out a few hours in Bapst. The opposite can happen as well, where students who normally workout and run, drastically cut their caloric intake because their not burning the same amount of calories off. THIS IS A BIGGER MISTAKE. Suddenly cutting calories is proven to just decrease the bodies metabolism which forces the body to store all of that energy instead of using it. This should not be news but what you may not know is that the body also decreases its functionality making you much more tired. Which leads to the next point 2. Do not stop your normal routines!

Of course you may have to cut the plex time back an hour, or fit it in at 11 pm, but doing even 50% of your normal workout during

exam time will keep your body from going into shock and you loosing motivation.

Also working out has many positive effects when stressed with deadlines. Even something as simple as a jog around campus or the reservoir would decrease your stress, balance your seretonin levels and free your mind for a bit. A great way to incorporate workouts while studying is to use them as a study break instead of getting food or watching an episode of Family Guy on hulu.

3. Drink plenty of water. This one is frequently not thought of on a normal basis let alone when stress builds up but water is the body’s best friend. It flushes away toxins and keeps you from getting dehydrated while not introducing artificial preservatives and sweeteners into your system that body does not deal with as well. Next time your thirsty in the Fulton Honors Commons, turn 180 degrees while in the vending machines and grab a bottle of water instead of a vitamin water or soda. One of the other good thing about drinking water is that you can cut down on waste by bringing a reusable bottle. Just make sure to wash it out on a daily or bi-daily basis to avoid the possibility of getting sick.

Also note, Smart water is kind of a rip off and is no better than tap water or other bottled water.

4. Get a good night’s Sleep! This one is a no brainer and I am sure you have heard this since your first high school exam but it is true. Sleep is not only your best friend but is one of the ways your brain retains the information you just studied. Rest is also one

Relay for Life: Raising hope Continued from page 6

treatment who live more than 40 miles from the hospital can stay free of charge.

Other services include a 24-hour hotline for patients to communicate with doctors, the “Look Good, Feel Better” program, which helps women to cope with changes to their appearance caused by cancer treatment, and the “Road to Recovery” program, in which volunteers provide patients with transportation to their treatment.

The Relay committee is planning many events to raise money, including restaurant nights at Kelly’s Roast Beef and Applebees, bake sales, and an a cappella concert in the spring. “At Relay for Life’s Breast Cancer Awareness bake sales in October, the generous students and staff of Boston College helped us raise over $1,000, and our recent bar night at the Baseball Tavern raised over $650,” said Madison Aleksa, LSOE ’13, who is an event chair along with DiChiara. The dates for future events have not been set in stone, but the event chairs encourage all to be on the lookout for more information about these fundraisers.

Those interested in joining the BC Relay for Life can sign up online, either by forming their own team or joining

an existing team.

Each participant can set personal fundraising goals, and each team also maintains their own goals for fundraising. Participants are encouraged to ask family and friends to donate to the cause, as well as hold fundraisers of their own separate from the bigger events. “Even if you cannot attend BC’s Relay for Life on February 24-25, you can still join a team and fundraise for the cause,” Aleksa said.

“If you know a friend participating, you can also donate to their team or personal page on the website.”

Since the first Relay for Life event in 1986, it has developed into a nationwide program, with almost 4 million participants in 5000 communities in the United States and around the world. In 2008, the Relay for Life came to BC for the first time. Since then, BC students have raised $570,000 to support the American Cancer Society through this event.

“Relay for Life is a great way for friends to spend a night together, bonding through hilarious activities and fighting for a cause that touches us all,” said Aleksa.

For more information, visit the BC Relay for Life website at www.bcrelay. org, or check out the BC Relay page on Facebook or Twitter (@RFLofBC).

of the reasons why study breaks are important as well because the brain needs time to process the information it just took in.

Now many students will swear that an allnighter for a paper makes no difference and is also sometimes necessary. In many cases those students are right but the after effects of no sleeping will quickly catch up to them.

That cold that your immune system has been unnoticeably fighting off may win the battle and make you sick for a while or that steady hand you write with my shake a bit. The fact is that people need sleep, optimally a fulluninterrupted 8 hours, but at the very least one REM cycle, or about three to four hours.

5. Trade in the Red Bull and Adderall for natural sources of caffeine to stay awake. It is no secret that Red Bull, and other energy drinks, are very effective in keeping students awake but it is also no secret that that stuff is pretty bad for you. Energy drinks are filled with artificial stimulants that are bad for your heart and are they are loaded with sugar. They may be a great 8 am pick-me-up but to many of them will leave you jittery. It also is no secret that Adderall helps those without ADD or ADHD study more effectively but like a person with 20/20 vision where their friend’s glasses, taking your friends Adderall for the big paper is just as harmful. Like with glasses the body can adjust and every time you use Adderall your body slowly looses its ability to focus on its own and builds up a dependency. Natural coffees and teas, like Dean’s beans, are the better bet. Green Tea and coffee have many

added health benefits, do not put your body into shock and are typically cheaper. You still have to watch the amount of coffee or tea you drink. Too much will have you running to the bathroom every twenty minutes, which will not help you get done that paper, and too much caffeine will just make you paranoid and shaky.

Photo by Gillian Freedman/Gavel Media

Overheard @ BC: Special Harvest edition 2011 Overheard exchange between two girls in Lower Dining Hall 1 AM Sunday Girl 1: So like what can I eat that has like 300 calories Girl 2: Uhh… we’re at late night Girl 1: Well I guess the chicken fingers have protein Girl 2: Haha we need a long plex sesh, tomorrow if we’re doing late night tonight Girl 1: Yea, I mean, it wont be that big a deal, late night isn’t real food anyway Overheard exchange between two roommates in Voute Hall one Saturday afernoon Guy 1: Dude can I use your card I’m out of dining bucks Guy 2: Nah man I have like 50 bucks bro, why don’t you ask some lovely lady to go on a date?

Im sure the girls down the hall have like a grand left they never eat anything.

Guy 1: Haha so true great idea man! I love girls at this school Overheard exchange between two creepy BC freshmen Senior 1: Yo man you know class is the other way right?

Senior 2: Yea I’m not going. I’m beat dude.

Senior 1: Did you bring your name card? If you leave it he’ll know you weren’t there.

Senior 2: Haha I dont think that would matter for me.

Senior 1: Why not?

Senior 2: He’s going to notice if im there whether or not he takes roll. I’m the only black guy in a class of 60 people.

Senior 1: hahahahaha quote of the month right there.

have any funny quotes? Send them to features@bcgavel.com

Editorials

15

www.bcgavel.com

Federal subpoena is a threat to academic freedom Currently, Boston College is engaged in a legal battle to prevent the Department of Justice, acting on behalf of the British government, from obtaining oral history materials from the Belfast Project.

This subpoena, although it has good intentions, is an affront to academic freedom for several reasons, and we applaud BC for taking the issue to court.

The Belfast Project consists of interviews from paramilitary members from both sides of the Troubles of Northern Ireland — a conflict that spanned nearly thirty years and claimed over 3,000 lives. Participants gave these interviews with the promise of full confidentiality, with BC adminstration’s assurances that their interviews would not be released and published until the individual was deceased. This was done to prevent interviewees from being arrested or killed.

Now this assurance is under threat.

The subpoena centers around Dolours Price, a former Irish Republican Army (IRA) member, whose interview the British are hoping to obtain. She recently discussed in a Belfast newspaper the 1972 murder of Jean McConville. McConville was a mother of 10 who was killed by the IRA on suspicion of being a British informant. This murder, according to a 2006 report, was not investigated for over 34 years, and a chief constable of the police himself admitted that the murder was too late to solve.

Although Price’s interview is sealed, the British already have another interview concerning the McConville murder readily accessible: Brendan Hughes’s oral history was released after his death in 2008 in the book Voices from the Grave.

It is also apparent that the British are pursuing this subpoena through the Department of Justice with a bias and a vendetta: they are only asking for the IRA

interviews to be released, not the ones from the loyalist paramilitaries. Both the IRA and the loyalist paramilitaries were equally at fault during the Troubles of Northern Ireland and one side should not be singled out for the violence that occurred.

Why are the British not investigating the numerous unsolved murders that the loyalist paramilitaries, such as the Ulster Volunteer Force most likely committed?

If the British succeed in forcing Boston College to open the Belfast Project, academic freedom will be seriously in jepodary. Not only will people be reluctant to contribute their stories to oral history projects and hamper historical research, but it also creates a host of other legal problems. As a neutral site, Boston College was chosen as a document depository by both the British and Irish governments. This incursion by the British threatens the sanctity and the neutrality of Boston College.

In pursuing this subpoena, the British are doing too little, too late in investigating the McConville murder, and are needlessly putting a snag in Boston College’s honest pursuit of knowledge and historical research. A British victory in court would set a dangerous precedent for a foreign government to interfere in the affairs of a domestic institution.

The British are violating the Good Friday Agreement, which pardoned political prisoners from the Troubles.

They are tampering with the uneasy peace that Northern Ireland has mostly had for over thirteen years. Any release of these confidential oral history interviews will most likely lead to violence and a reopening of wounds that have long since healed.

Hopefully, Boston College will win its case in court, and peace will be preserved in Northern Ireland.

Pakistani border incident requires caution, transparency On November 25, Pakistani forces stationed along their border with Afghanistan came under fire from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) airstrikes — killing at least 24 Pakistani troops. According to American officials and the diplomats in Kabul, a joint NATO and Afghan force came under fire from forces across the heavily wooded and mountainous border. Following an attempt at contact with Pakistani forces, the NATO force, believing they were free to return fire, called in an airstrike.

However, Pakistani officials seem less than convinced. The Pakistani military spokesman, Major General Athar Abbas, rejected such an account in an interview with local media, claiming, “NATO forces should present proof if they were claiming that firing was started from Pakistani side.” Pakistani

officials claim the bombing continued for two hours — long after they alerted NATO of the situation. They have even claimed that the Mohmand tribal region in which the attack occurred was largely cleared of insurgents in an earlier operation – a claim that some American officials have disputed.

The facts in this case are anything but clear at this point. But the reaction has continued to intensify nonetheless.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has angrily protested the airstrikes and claimed in a CNN interview that “business as usual will not be there” in reference to his country’s quickly disintegrating relationship with the United States. Pakistani reaction has even extended beyond simple rhetoric. NATO supply routes running through Pakistan were shut down. An American base used for drone strikes has been evacuated. And Pakistani government officials have continued to fan

The Gavel is the monthly print edition of Gavel Media, a student-run organization. It is published with support from Campus Progress / the Center for American Progress — online at www.campusprogress.org. We are, however, editorially independent.

the flames of public opinion in response to calls by ordinary Pakstani citizens for a military retailation by Pakistani forces.

In a case with such little clarity, it is important for both American and Pakistani officials to not make a rash decision based on speculation and not fact.

However, it also important for officials in Washington to recognize the precarious situation that they find themselves in.

While Pakistan’s commitment to American operation against the terrorist operations in Afghanistan has always been tenuous at best, a healthy relationship with Pakistan is instrumental in achieving our goals in region. Until, more is revealed, our leaders need to proceed with caution.

Likewise, officials in Islamabad need to tone down their rhetoric — if not for own sake, then for their own. Without American support, the current fragile Pakistani government could be in even

Editorial Board MASON LENDE, Editor-in-Chief MEGHAN SMITH, Managing Editor ANDREW SCHOFIELD, Managing Editor JASMINE UDUMA, News Editor CAL GREENE III, Features Editor KENNETH ST. JOHN, Opinions Editor MAGGIE LAWRENCE, Culture Editor YANIRA REVAN, Copy Editor MARION HALFTERMEYES, Copy Editor GILLIAN FREEDMAN, Photo Editor MEIDEMA SANCHEZ, Assoc. News Editor JOHN MASTER, Assoc. Features Editor JONATHAN DAME, Assoc. Opinions Editor SOFIA MARTINEZ, Assoc. Culture Editor OLIVIA SIMONE, Assoc. Culture Editor Video Department MEGHANA KUTHYAR, Video Manager ALYSSA SHAFFER, Assoc. Video Editor KATIE YAO, Video Assistant

more danger of crumbling under pressure from extremists. The taking of 24 lives can never be justified. But more must be known before the correct action can be taken. In order to resolve the tensions that have developed over the past weeks, the truth must be relentlessly sought through a joint effort with full transparency. American officials have taken the first step in such a process — opening a formal investigation while inviting representatives from NATO, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to join them at the table. An investigation that is both timely and transparent will go a long way in warming America’s increasingly icy relationship with Pakistan.

And when such truth is found, both countries must act accordingly. But until then, both sides must step back from brink and reconsider the situation in light of how little is known.

Business and Operations RYAN LEAHY, General Manager XIOMARA LOPEZ, Advertising Director CHRISTIAN FIEDLER, Finance Director MADELINE BAEZ, Finance Director ARUEM SHIN, Marketing Director TAYLOR MCELDOWNEY, Marketing Director CHRISTIAN DE LOS SANTOS, Online Director ARUN PARMAR, Human Resources Director DAPHNE WANG, Ass’t Advertising Director

Cover art by Alyssa Shafer and Cal Greene

Opinions

16

www.bcgavel.com

Donation seekers in dining halls need to re-strategize

By Jenna LaConte Gavel Media Staff Every time I walk into Lower Dining Hall, I find myself diverting my eyes hoping to avoid eye contact with the people sitting at the solicitors’ table toward the entrance. I am more than happy to support the many causes that BC contributes to, and I am proud of our campus for having such a proactive, benevolent student body. However, I find the custom of soliciting blind donations out of our meal plans to be unusual. In most cases, students fail to pay attention to which projects they are donating to; instead, it has become automatic to donate, and not donating induces unnecessary guilt.

This particular arrangement does not seem at all appropriate or effective in earning money for such causes, and the system could use some reform.

There is nothing worse than when the people seeking money become confrontational in the face of rejection. I remember being a freshman eating dinner in Stuart, when a group of upperclassmen girls came up to my table to ask for donations.

I had never had this happen before, so I donated a small amount of money from my dining plan. The next night, another group positioned themselves at a table in Stuart asking for donations. I explained that I had donated to a different organization the previous night, and one student jumped down my throat telling me that I would have plenty of money at the end of the semester.

The interaction felt more aggressive than charitable, and I donated purely because I felt I had no choice. This was the first of many uncomfortable encounters that I would experience or hear about with the dining hall solicitors.

More often than not, the students at the tables are perfectly polite, as most people realize that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. However, even in such cases when the interaction is pleasant overall, I question the practice of daily solicitations of our dining dollars, which is money that our parents spend under the premise that it will go directly to our food while we are at school.

The concept that everyone ends the semester with loads of extra money is a myth. Last year, I had a final on the last day

The interaction felt more aggressive than charitable, and I donated purely because I felt I had no choice.

Photo by Gillian Freedman, Gavel Media

of second semester, and I ended the year with no money because I spent my week buying meals for every male friend that was still on campus, as they had all run out of money. Because it is impossible to predict exactly how much one will spend throughout an academic year, it is risky to frivolously donate away our dining dollars without any foresight on how much we will have left at the end of the semester.

Of course, student run organizations will always need to collect a share of donations on campus; the process, however, requires more premeditation and active fundraising than just setting up a table and hoping for the best. For example, making cheap meals such as pasta or pancake dinners is a logical way of collecting dining dollars in return for food.

Running simple fundraisers allows donators to feel more connected with the cause, and such engagement serves as a gateway for more students to get involved as opposed to blindly donating on the way to dinner.

As for students who find themselves with an overflow of money at the end of the academic year, this money should, by all means, go to student-run organizations for the following year instead of being sucked into BC’s operating funds. This is the most logical time to collect donations without running an active fundraiser because students can determine exactly how much money they have leftover to donate. The final weeks of the school year should be designated to housing the solicitors’ tables in the dining halls, and a list should be posted ahead of time detailing exactly which organizations would be posted on particular days. This allows for a more educated, personal decision regarding where we want to put our money.

Additionally, people are more likely to donate larger amounts when they understand how much they have to spend.

Although there is no question that the various BC causes could not survive without student donations, the process of earning such donations should be a more active process than the current system of passive solicitation. With all of the means available to us as BC students, it is time to reconsider our methods of fundraising.

The Supercommittee is not the only thing that has failed

By Michael Natalie Gavel Media Staff As of November 21, the congressional supercommittee has failed to reach an agreement over how to cut $1.2 trillion from the U.S. budget deficit. The cochairs of the supercommittee, Democratic Sen. Patty Murray and Republican Rep. Jeb Hensarling, both agree that this is not a problem the next generation can reasonably be expected to solve, and that it must be solved here and now. In spite of the overall aura of compromise the two speakers seemingly exude; they confessed that they ultimately could not “bridge the gap” between the two factions, resulting in this failure. They agreed on the problem, but not the solution. They are settled on action, but not what kind. They know what needs to be done, but not how to do it. They know they can’t count on my generation, but it looks like they are going to anyway.

Superficially, the failure of the supercommittee is the failure of twelve individuals. It is hard enough to get twelve people to agree on anything, least of all politics. Politicians do not act purely on their own will, so we must be careful not to bombard them with all of the blame. In fact, the ideal public servant hardly acts on his own will at all. They have their party

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

leaders and constituency to answer to, and it seems they have done precisely what they were elected to do.

Such is the American political philosophy; representatives abide by the will of the people. Here it backfired, because the means through which we communicate with our representatives — the parties — took their eye off the ball and concentrated more on their own agendas, destroying the spirit of compromise. One could say the party leaders failed us, but even then, they were roughly honest about their intentions. Democrats admit unabashedly that their preferred method of solving economic problems is raising taxes versus cutting spending—it is built into the party

platform. Republicans declare the inverse intent with equal boldness; cut spending, save taxpayer’s dollars. Though both ideals have their basis in the overall American philosophy, they are quite opposed and expecting them to reconcile over something this large in so small a time is simply preposterous. One might be tempted to say affording representatives greater job security independent of the public will would better enable them to resolve these problems, and perhaps it would, but such a system invites new kinds of evil.

It is a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. People are bashing the supercommittee now because no solution came of it. But if the supercommittee was successful, politicians would be criticized for not standing up for their principles and giving up too much for the sake of compromise.

Something has to give somewhere, but ultimately both sides give little ground. Who honestly wants Medicare cut? Nobody who depends on it. Who wants Social Security cut? Again, easier said than done. Who wants their taxes raised? Also, nobody — and if you would not want it for yourself, why would you wish it on someone who happens to be more wealthy than you? It may be necessary — that is not for me to decide — but the simple fact remains there

is no way out of this that makes everybody happy.

The law that created the bipartisan panel also requires that the failure of the supercommittee results in across-theboard $1.2 trillion cut to defense and nondefense spending in 2013, a frustrating and ambiguous situation in which there are no actual winners. Neither side is happy.

Think about this for a second: the “success” condition for the supercommittee was a compromise — since the two schools of thought are overall too difficult to reconcile.

Again, neither side would be happy with the outcome.

So, with this law, is there really a world of difference between this and the “failure” condition? It seems to me that the only real difference between the two is that in the “failure” condition we forfeit the right to cut where we will.

It is not the end of this country and it is certainly not the end of the world, but it is a sign that our approach to problem solving needs work. Politics may be a zero-sum game, at best — someone wins, someone loses, not only in elections but also in legislation. We cannot gain without loss, but it is possible for the benefits to outweigh the costs. In this case, we have created something else entirely: no matter how this plays out, everyone loses to some degree.

17

www.bcgavel.com

Andrew Cuomo should be Ron Paul is exception to Obama’s running mate the hypocrisy of the GOP

By Kenny St. John Opinions Editor With only a year left until the 2012 election, Americans are frustrated with both political parties and the direction of our economy.

Joblessness and balancing the federal budget appear to be the key issues this election cycle thus far. President Obama’s approval rating stands at only 44 percent according to one poll, with 51 percent disapproving. However, against prospective Republican candidates, Obama has leads of 5 to 12 percentage points against all except former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who holds a slim four point lead over Obama.

Judging from these polls, any lead at this point in the game is tenuous at best, and is subject to the ever-changing winds of public opinion. While the Republican Party is bickering amongst themselves over the eventual nominee, Obama needs to make a preemptive strike that will boost his credibility and poll ratings. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that Andrew Cuomo should replace Joe Biden as President Obama’s running mate in 2012.

Joe Biden has increasingly become a liability for Obama’s re-election chances. Although I do not have a problem with his political views, his frequent public gaffes have earned scorn from both sides of the aisle. Even during the 2008 election, Biden made numerous off-hand remarks on the campaign trail that prompted Obama to say privately, “How many times is Biden gonna say something stupid?”

Throughout his vice-presidency, Biden has been an effective negotiator and influential voice in the Cabinet, but does not resonate well with the American people and has made several embarrassing off-color remarks publicly. In April of 2009, Biden advised people to avoid taking subways and airplanes during the swine flu outbreak, leading the White House to issue an official rebuke of Biden’s statement. During the announcement of the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Biden was caught on national television telling President Obama that the signing of the Act was a “big fucking deal.”

These gaffes have made Biden a punch line on late-night comedy and talk shows, which, as Tina Fey showed on Saturday Night Live with her portrayal of Sarah Palin in 2008, can have an tremendously negative effect on his approval ratings.

In addition, the Republicans have done a good job painting Biden as an ineffective bureaucrat who is a symbol of massive government spending with little results to show for it, an image Biden has been unable to shake.

President Obama needs to meet these criticisms head on and take the wind out of the GOP’s sails by nominating someone who is trusted and well-respected, who is strong on fiscal issues and has the ability to attract independents who are worried about the budget.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons-Pat Arnow

Andrew Cuomo meets this criteria.

Andrew Cuomo comes from a prominent New York political family. His father Mario was the former Governor of New York. His younger brother, Chris, is a political correspondent for Good Morning America. A native of Queens, Andrew attended Fordham University and Albany School of Law. He was an aide and policy advisor to his father while he was Governor of New York. Andrew later became the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Clinton administration, building a reputation as an advocate for the disadvantaged by increasing the supply of affordable housing and expanding jobs programs.

He successfully ran for New York State Attorney General in 2006, and led an investigation which uncovered unfair student loan practices between lenders and universities, which led the reimbursement of millions of dollars back to those taken advantage of. In 2010, Cuomo defeated Republican Carl Palladino to become Governor of New York. As Governor, Cuomo legalized same-sex marriage. He also negotiated a compromise with public employee unions and signed into law a property tax cap to reduce New York State’s massive budget deficit. The latest polls in New York have Governor Cuomo’s approval rating at 66 percent, which show his broad appeal among a broad base of constituents.

Andrew Cuomo as a vice-presidential running mate would only help President Obama in 2012. Cuomo’s commitment to social equality and job growth, while at the same time closing the budget gap in New York, shows that he will be able to draw swing voters and attract socially liberal, fiscally conservative independents. Putting Cuomo on the ticket will help Obama court the independents that were key in getting him elected in 2008.

He has also kept his nose clean throughout his life, with no scandals or controversies. By choosing Cuomo, President Obama gives himself a better chance to win by showing a clear commitment to reducing the national deficit, while at the same time putting Cuomo in great position to be the possible Democratic nominee for President in 2016.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

By Frank Rizzo Gavel Media Staff There are many problems with the current state of American politics, but there seems to be one that underlies them all: shameless boldness. If you have kept up with the Republican debates over the last few months, you have seen clearly what I mean. Take Mitt Romney and Herman Cain, the two candidates leading the polls for the Republican presidential nomination.

When asked in the Dartmouth debate what he would be prepared to do specifically to address the country’s economics problems, Romney explained that he would “be prepared to be a leader.” Mitt went on to say that the current President is not a leader, for prior to having been elected President, Obama had never “worked in the private sector or actually had the opportunity to bring people together.” Romeny cannot actually think this; he knows that you do not have to work in the private sector to bring people together, doesn’t he? This is political effrontery, the problem with American politics.

Herman Cain was asked recently in an interview whether or not he agreed with President Obama’s actions in Libya; after an embarrasingly-long pause in speech, he concluded that he would have done a “better job of determining who the opposition is,” although he is “sure that our intelligence people had that information.” The interviewer then responded to Mr. Cain explaining that “many Republicans supported and congratulated the president on how he handled the situation, you would not be

among that group?” Herman responded with, “I would have been a more deliberate problem solver” due to his experience as a “businessman.” As both sides of the political aisle generally agree with Obama’s actions in Libya, it is clear that Cain is talking nonsense. He has no way of knowing whether or not Obama was deliberate enough in solving the problem, yet he has the chutzpah to say he simply would have been “more deliberate.” This, too, is the problem with American politics.

Ron Paul is a Republican political anomaly. I think the best example of this was revealed in a debate exchange Mr. Paul had with Rudy Giuliani back in 2007. Defending the idea that American interventionist policies in the Middle East instigated terrorist organizations to act against the United States in their 9/11 attacks, Ron Paul stated “we need to look at what we do from the perspective of somebody else doing it to us.” Rudy Giuliani vigorously responded, “That is really an extraordinary statement, that we invited the September 11th attacks because we were attacking Iraq.” Politicians like Rudy Giuliani would have you believe that Al Qaeda attacked the United States simply because they are radical, irrational terrorists; that their reasons for doing so have only to do with their hatred of America’s greatness. This type of talk appeals to the populace, it kicks into gear the patriotic blood pump, and it seeks to make America out as a nation of the highest moral standard. Mitt Romney and Herman Cain are from the same school of thought, in fact, Romney’s book, “No Apologies,” came in response to what many on the right consider to have been a so called “apology tour” from President Obama, that being his talks of the mistakes America has made in the past and the ways in which those mistakes affect our standing in the world. Giuliani wanted to avoid comprehensively understanding the causes and effects of the US government’s actions in the world.

Ron Paul, since running as a Libertarian candidate for president in 1988, has spoken in direct contrast to the Republican puppets that have come and gone in the last several years. He speaks with sincerity and it has failed to get him close to electability; but he does not care. I do not agree with Ron Paul on everything, but I do respect the manner with which he delegates himself in contrast with today’s political leaders. If only we had more politicians speak sincerely about the issues of our time, then just maybe we could start to see progress.

I do not agree with Ron Paul on everything, but I do respect the manner with which he delegates himself in contrast with today’s political leaders.

18

www.bcgavel.com

How is Herman Cain still a viable candidate?

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons-Gage Skidmore

By Jonathan Dame Assoc. Opinions Editor Last week, Sharon Bialek became the fourth woman to accuse Herman Cain of making sexually inappropriate, aggressive and manipulative advances against her while an employee at the National Restaurant Association. After receiving four sexual harassment accusations, Cain’s poll numbers imploded and he withdrew from the race—actually, not quite. In reality, Cain’s poll numbers are still at respectable, competitive levels and his campaign has persevered, seemingly unscathed. Some readers may be wondering how a man accused of sexually assaulting four women could still be a viable candidate for the presidency of the United States. Unfortunately, the answer is quite simple: he is rich; he is a man; and the accusers were, well, women.

It is eleven o’clock; the nightly news comes on and the anchor announces, “Jerry Sandusky, former Penn. State football coach, was arrested today and charged with sexually abusing eight young boys.” Although pedophilia is deplorable and inexcusable, why does it invoke such a visceral response in a way that violence against women does not? Former Governor Sarah Palin said she would like to see Sandusky hang “from the highest tree,” but told Cain that he needs only be “candid and quite truthful” about his accusations. The juxtaposition of those two sentiments is quite telling, considering that neither Cain nor Sandusky has been proven guilty. Now, I am not suggesting we adopt a laissez-faire attitude towards the sexual abuse of children—quite the contrary. However, I am asserting that we begin to address violence against women with the urgency, outrage and justice it deserves.

Violence against women is a deadly epidemic, yet is becoming increasingly trivialized and normalized in contemporary society.

This is truly a symptom of the even greater issue of sexuality and the portrayal of sexual

relationships in pop culture and the mass media. From an increasingly-young age, children are being introduced to sex through the lewd, violent, unemotional and heterosexist images of the pornography industry and shows like Girls Gone Wild. Contained in these images are explicitly-sexist messages, which sexualize women based on unattainable concepts of beauty, and eroticize male sexual domination vis-a-vis female sexual oppression, nonfulfillment and perceived enjoyment. In other words, the media — our most potent socialization tool — teaches women that their worth is inextricably tied to their (controlled) sexuality and teaches men that their greatest sexual pleasure can only be attained through the physical domination of women. It doesn’t take an uber-liberal, feminist, Boston College student to figure out this is a recipe for disaster.

The sexist ideology outlined above, coupled with other aspects of our patriarchy, promotes a culture wherein people’s socially-learned beliefs about male-female sexual relationships make genderbased violence seem expected, if not downright acceptable. Violence against women has become so pervasive and trivialized that Herman Cain simply needs to say, “I didn’t do it,” in order to convince the American public of his innocence.

How many women finally standing up and speaking out does it take to equal the word of one man? Apparently, some number more than four. While the accusers are being condemned as liars and attention-seekers, Cain has actually received some sympathy for his hardship.

The audience at a recent GOP presidential debate booed CNBC news anchor Maria Bartiromo when she attempted to ask Cain a question concerting the allegations. How dare she ask about that; doesn’t she know he already proclaimed his innocence?

Unfortunately, the type of sexual assault accusations Cain is currently facing happens daily to hundreds of thousands of women across the country. Cain’s celebrity status brought these particular charges to the forefront of mainstream news — at least temporarily — yet men all across the country make equally-unacceptable, socially-learned and violent advances against women without surrendering their positions as CEOs, executives, managers, doctors, lawyers, friends and husbands, and without enduring the proper amount of public attention and ostracism.

The issue of violence against women is real and ubiquitous; and Herman Cain should not be considered a candidate for our country’s most powerful office until his accusations are settled and he learns how to treat women properly.

Violence against women has become so pervasive and trivialized that Herman Cain simply needs to say, “I didn’t do it,” in order to convince the American public of his innocence.

Koch Brothers are dangers to American democracy

By Ricardo Sanchez Gavel Media Staff With the rise of the Occupy movements in the past few weeks, one issue being discussed across the United States is the influence of money on our political system. One cannot truly discuss this issue without mentioning the billionaires Charles and David Koch.

Commonly referred to as the “Koch brothers,” they are arguably the financial backbones of the modern conservative movement. Owners of one of the largest private oil and gas conglomerates in the country, Koch Industries, the Koch brothers have a combined net worth of $44 billion. They have used their enormous wealth and connections to finance right-wing political action groups, think tanks and individual politicians — advancing their ideological agenda of limited government and less regulation.

The Koch brothers are not your typical “special interest” group. Their wealth is used to promote their right-wing agenda on nearly every level of American government, and their influence is extensive and largely profit driven. With considerable holdings in the oil-and-gas industry, the Koch brothers have a lot to gain from cutting government oversight and regulation, thus explaining their major involvement in funding efforts to repeal health care reform, fight Wall Street reform, deny climate change, dismantle collective bargaining rights, fight reductions in carbon emissions, fight internet neutrality, and most notably, keeping corporate money in elections. All of these efforts serve the purpose of maximizing the profits of Koch Industries and other like minded and similarly situated individuals.

The Koch brothers’ involvement is in no way discrete. Their father was an active member of the very conservative John Birch Society and they have been funding rightwing efforts for decades. In 1977, Charles Koch co-founded the Cato Institute, a major libertarian think tank; in 1980, David Koch was the vice presidential nominee for the Libertarian Party; and in 1984 David Koch created the advocacy group Citizens for a Sound Economy, which would later split into two groups: FreedomWorks, and Americans for Prosperity, both of which are known for their active involvement with the very conservative Tea Party movement.

So exactly how much Koch money has gone towards the right-wing movement? A comprehensive and well-documented study conducted by the Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF) identified over $85 million the Koch brothers have given to at least 85 right-wing advocacy groups and think tanks over the past fifteen years. According to the same study, the Koch brothers’ main advocacy group, Americans for Prosperity, spent over $45 million in the 2010 midterm elections alone, largely to help elect Republicans. These two figures are a con-

Photo courtesy of pageblip.com

servative estimate (no pun intended), and do not even account for the private donations the Kochs made directly to 62 of the 87 Republican freshmen elected into the House of Representatives in that election. The Koch brothers have made contributions on the state level as well. Since 2003, they have donated over $5.2 million to Republican candidates and conservative ballot measures. In the 2010 elections, they donated directly to thirteen governors that won election.

They are excellent organiziers as well.

The Koch brothers hold conferences with other wealthy donors “to review strategies for combating the multitude of public policies that threaten to destroy America as we know it,” as Charles Koch wrote in a letter.

These conferences “organize the right wing, coordinate message, attract more donors, and mobilize voters to pursue their ideological agenda,” as written in the CAPAF report. In 2010, these conferences included major conservative political figures, such as Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, Governors Haley Barbour (R-MS) and Bobby Jindal (R-LA), Senators Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Tom Coburn (R-OK), Representatives Mike Pence (R-IN) and Paul Ryan (R-WI), and conservative media figures such as Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. This list demonstrates how influential the Koch brothers and their dollars are in America’s politics, and just how dangerous they may be to democracy itself.

By fighting collective bargaining rights, the Koch brothers seek to weaken unions so that corporations may more easily enact their agenda, which often opposes well-paying jobs for middle class Americans. They have fought vehemently to decrease oversight on speculative trading, which would allow companies to artificially raise prices on goods such as oil, which in turn leads everyone else to pay more at the gas pump. Koch Industries, which has a carbon footprint of over 300 million tons, has fought efforts to regulate and cut carbon emissions, all of which help protect public health. It is not surprising then, that the Koch brothers are major financiers of organizations denying climate change. Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of the Koch brothers’ influence is their strong support for keeping corporate money in elections. While this may be in their own best interest, it threatens democracy, as the voices of millions of Americans will be drowned out by the loud voice of corporate money.

19

www.bcgavel.com

So the lady in the meat suit can sing?

By Olivia Simone Assoc. Culture Editor

Culture Inside Culture Rihanna Reinvents Herself ?

20 Politics and Art 21 Get in the Holiday Mood 23 End of NBA Lockout 23 MFA Presents: Degas and the Nude 24

Lady Gaga. You hardly have to hear the name twice to envision a woman in a black cape hatching from a mammoth egg, or perhaps a blonde-hairednothing-but-Zorro-maskwearing popstar.

Many mothers find themselves shielding their daughter’s eyes (rather than ears!) at the sight of her long legs bearing nothing but fish net tights. Even David Letterman can vouch for Gaga’s excessiveness after his personal experience with her on his talk show—to make a long story short, she ate his paper of interview questions and said she was Batman.

Yes, we can all agree that Stefani Germanotta could make anyone gawk, but the inevitable question that needs to be asked, “is there a method to her madness?”

After watching her interview with Howard Stern from July 2011, many of the skeptical eyes quickly became fans of the woman who so uniquely showcased her assets in the past (dare we recall fashion designer Franc Fernandez’s raw meat bikini she sported on the cover of Vogue in 2010). Perhaps, the lady in the meat suit can sing.

My friend had us crowded around a laptop screen, convinced Youtube would bear witness to our conversion to the Gaga’s cult as we watched her performance on The Howard Stern Show. It did not take long, however, before I and the other nonbelievers felt guilty for ever doubting the Lady’s passion. In just a short clip of her longest public interview ever granted we witnessed an exceptional acoustic performance of “The Edge of Glory,” an intimate revelation of her personal interpretation of its meaning, and of course, Howard Stern in tears. In fact, “The Edge of Glory” details her and her father’s struggle with her grandfather’s death— the traumatic night when they sat alone together and mourned over shots of tequila, both grappling with “the edge of something final we call life.”

The sincerity of her words bleed through her powerful voice, shivers will run down anyone’s spine when this vulnerable live version is heard. “When you see her play the song live on the piano without digital background and on the verge of tears singing about her grandfather dying, how can you not be inspired?” asks Tori Soal, Connel School of Nursing class of 2013.

Lady Gaga has been trained on the piano for classical music and continuously creates unique performances taking liberty to improvise on solos and melodic phrases. How

could one truly claim the pop star is not talented?

But does “The Edge of Glory” really do justice to nullify the “Madonna rip-off ” disclaimer? Upon peering into the music videos of other songs, an intricate interpre-

Lady Gaga as Mary Magdalene in “Judas” Courtesy of

haps even a healthy exploration of Christianity as Gaga plays the prostitute-driven apostle, Mary Magdalene, succumbing to her passions—for both Christ her “virtue” and Judas, who betrayed her. Interestingly enough, the video comes from a well-educated individual on the matter, as Gaga is aware of its controversial implications, as she was raised a Catholic and remains devote, and even advocates religious tolerance. Gaga defends “Judas” as a song that makes a social statement, supporting those for honoring their inescapable, inner darkness in order to fully accept themselves: “you have to look into what’s haunting you and need to learn to forgive yourself in order to move on,” explains Lady Gaga.

Apparently, this pop star has more than enough complex issues to bring to the table—and in our day and age, who is to stop her? Why should we? Controversial as her messages may be, Lady Gaga has righteous inspiration driven from past musical artists such as Pink Floyd, Queen, and Bruce Springsteen. When she first heard Pink Floyd’s “Money” as a child, she was absolutely mesmerized by the innovative sound affects the band pioneered—the sound of the cash register in the intro of the hit captivated her and inspired her to explore elements unheard of in the musical world of her day. Many acclaimed artists support Gaga in her novelties: legendary Brian May, guiarist from Queen, accompanied her with a performance of “You and I,” while Tony Bennett agreed on a duet with the aqua-wig-wearing Gaga, performing “The Lady is a Tramp.” If this is not adequate, even her rivalry legend, Madonna herself has praised Gaga for pushing her limits in pop culture.

tation of the images of gay Nazi soldiers being raped by Lady Gaga in “Alejondro,” for instance is offered. Gaga’s use of outlandish and often, over the top, sexuality in her videos is an exaggerated extension of symbolism. While “The Edge of Glory” alludes to the pain of death, “Alejondro” illustrates “a woman’s desire to resurrect a dead love who can not face the brutality of her present situation. The pain of living without your true love” says the acclaimed music video director, Steven Klein. He even explained the questionable religious imagery included in the video—Gaga donning a latex nun robe and sucking seductively on rosary beads—as imagery that “represents the character’s battle between the dark forces of this world and the spiritual salvation of the Soul. Thus at the end of the film, she chooses to be a nun, and the reason her mouth Lady Gaga with Tony Bennett. Photo courtesy of Billboard.com and eyes disappear is because she is withdrawing her senses from Gaga describes her music as “a marriage the world of evil and going inward towards of electronic music with major metal or prayer and contemplation.” Okay, and rock ‘n’ roll, pop, anthemic style melodies what of the pair of sexual connotations and with really sledge-hammering dance beats.”

Christianity in “Judas” then? The video is If a middle-aged dad, a business owner and purposefully ambiguous, both Gaga and dieven a sixty year old biker have been enrector wanted to leave the interpretation up lightened after discovering genuineness in to debate for the individual. the unpredictable artist, perhaps anyone The video inspired debate indeed—percan be enticed.

20

www.bcgavel.com

Gavel Media weighs in on Rihanna’s latest Talk that Talk Whips and chains...again?

By Maggie Lawrence Culture Editor Miss S&M titillated audiences most recently with 2010’s LOUD. We know she’s not shy, but Rihanna’s raunchy lyrics and push-the-envelope stage presence are starting to show a lack of creativity, especially with the recent release of Talk that Talk.

As if we didn’t get the picture, Rihanna channels her inner dominatrix on “Cockiness (Love It),” featuring more sexually explicit lyrics than one would expect, even from RiRi. “Suck my cockiness, lick my persuasion.” At that level, what’s the point of wordplay? Half of the tracks on Talk that Talk are basically catchy presentations of less-than-original sexual metaphors, most notably “Birthday Cake” and “Talk that Talk.” “It’s not even my birthday—but he wanna lick the icing off,” degenerates into “I’m gonna make you my bitch” and “I wanna f*ck you right now.”

One can only imagine the brainstorming session that generated these gems. It sounds like the songwriters, including Rihanna herself, got tired of being cryptic towards the end and just came out with it. The Barbadian songstress has cited Madonna as one of her main inspirations, but with tracks like “Birthday Cake,” she misses the mark. “Like a Virgin” was certainly crystal clear in its sexual references, but even Madonna stopped short of declaring “I want you to be my sex slave.”

But it’s just that “like it dirty” attitude that keeps fans coming back for more. PostChris Brown media debacle, Rihanna has certainly gotten in the driver’s seat (“Shut Up and Drive,” anyone?) and established a powerful female image through her sexuality. She delivers with “Talk that Talk,” teaming up with Jay-Z to create a melodic collaboration destined to be her next big hit. Thankfully, Rihanna stays true to her chart-topping femme fatale persona, crooning, “you know what I like now get it right.

Boy, talk that talk to me all night.” It’s nice to see that Rihanna still knows what she’s good at.

Talk that Talk does feature a soft side of

Rihanna, as she dares venture beyond her established dominion of the bedroom. A match-made-in-heaven collaboration with Scottish DJ/Producer Calvin Harris produced the smash hit “We Found Love.”

This sweeter, more upbeat track still delivers when it comes to danceability but goes beyond the typical sexual subject matter that has defined Rihanna’s musical success throughout her career. Other selections from the album including “Farewell” and “Drunk on Love” delve into relationships beyond the raunchy, explicit façade that has become characteristically Rihanna.

“Drunk on Love,” featuring a sample from The XX track “Intro,” expresses a deep desire to find love and connection, “I wear my heart on my sleeve, always let love take the lead.” From first few lines, I was under the impression that Rihanna was taking the lead. “We All Want Love” pushes RiRi the furthest out of her comfort zone, an admission of lonliness and an open declaration of the power of love. The message is clear and something we’ve certainly heard before, everyone needs someone to love, but given her carefully cultivated dirty girl image, I’m not sure Rihanna’s the most reliable source.

A softer Rihanna might be a welcome development, but since she doesn’t embrace the idea fully, Talk that Talk lacks a clear direction as an album. For an artist who’s made mediocre progress since Rated R dropped in 2009, a feeble attempt to reinvent herself ends up being a waste of time. The incongruous themes of powerful sex symbol and goddess of love don’t seem to jive on Talk that Talk, which might simply be a testament to the fact that Rihanna, or women in general, just can’t do both.

The main problem with Talk that Talk is the stark difference between the animalistic sexuality of tracks like “Birthday Cake” and the earnest attempt to explore something deeper. There doesn’t seem to be a connection between the Rihanna we know and love pledging to be our one and only dominatrix and someone who “found love in a hopeless place.” As much as I’d hope that Rihanna is attempting as an artist to turn over a new leaf, I’d recommend sticking to the whips and chains, Talk that Talk ends up being just that, talk. And talk is cheap.

Talk that Talk about Love

By Mason Lende Editor-in-Chief

Rihanna isn’t quite copying her albums from Rated R and Loud, but she uses the same overall effect to satisfying results.

As Rihanna’s third consecutive November album, one might expect Talk That Talk, the pop icon’s sixth studio set, to be a continuation of her last highly successful sets. (One might also expect the set to suffer from rushed production and lacking artistry.)

However, she presents a deeper side to her than that featured on the raunchy “S&M” (which I found entertaining to dance to but not wholly inspiring on an artistic level).

Rihanna attempts to find deeper meaning on her album with “We All Want Love”, “We Found Love” and “Farewell.” In many ways, this album marks the return to the 80s that we have seen with albums from Ke$ha and Lady Gaga in the last two years.

The singer herself draws comparisons to Madonna; however, I’m not quite ready to make that announcement. (In fact, declaring that Rihanna as “the new Madonna” is mostly an insult to the Pop Queen’s crown.)

Albeit the fact that she is not, in fact, Madonna, Rihanna is working in a similar fashion to restyle her music and her image. Much like Madonna did before singing “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” in Evita, Rihanna is showing the softer side to her personality and artistry. (It’s still hard to imagine Rihanna in something quite as soft and vulnerable as Evita however.)

In fact, the major theme of the album is “love.” (It should be noted that it appears four times out of the eleven titles – sickeningly enough I may add.)

In addition to that, both the opening and closing tracks deal with romantic themes (“You Da One” and “Farewell”). More than superficial Diane Warren ballads (think “How Do I Live” and “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” – although I personally particularly enjoy both of these tracks), Rihanna’s new material shows meaning.

Both “We Found Love” and “We All Want Love” deal with a particularly vul-

nerable Rihanna, possibly showing a healing process following her disastrous end with Chris Brown, which appears to have turned her into a dominatrix (complete with whips, chains and the smell of sex).

Perhaps not quite the artist that Adele - or even Lady Gaga – is, Rihanna’s latest music certainly exposes a more sincere and accurate depiction of her talents and intents.

Although Rihanna was not involved in writing most of the album (she probably wrote the worst tracks on the album), it still shows a passage into what she is looking for at this time in her life.

Although the album does send a bit of a mixed message (juxtapose “Talk That Talk” and “We All Want Love”), this is a very real side of human nature – the idea of wanting one thing and being another totally.

The cover art and following booklet, however, still shows a completely different picture. Smoking a cigarette and exposing most of her derrière on the back cover certainly do not show a tame depiction of Rihanna (or even for that matter a particularly artistic vision). After all, cigarette smoke hasn’t been cool since Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (and if not that, at least since Erin Brockovich in the 2000 film by the same

Photo courtesy of Rihanna via Facebook

title).

Overall, Rihanna’s set delivers to satisfying, but not wholly unexpected results. She still has a lot of room for improvement – considering she hasn’t really progressed that much since either her monstrously successful second or third sets.

Rihanna would be wise to take some direction from pop divas (like Adele) that have featured their true artistry over their image.

After all, Madonna always saw herself as a ‘Marilynesque’ artist as opposed to simply a sex symbol in leather.

21

www.bcgavel.com

Artistic trends and political psychology in the world connect mankind through space and time.

The politician has long maintained the epistemic realism the artist rejects, chained to the belief that they have the perspective that A brief listen to the current state of the “cuts nature at her joints,” that gets reality right. While the artist has long rolled with the indie music scene or a few minutes at Urban punches, picking and choosing descriptions Outfitters paints a clear picture that the style as they seem relevant, the politician has of the 1980s, both synthpop and bad sweater designs, is in resurgence. As an artist – well, always turned against the skid, imposing prephilosopher – this modernization of old determined structure onto a changing society.

As a result, the politician finds himself in trends made me think about a static world that changes only through the patterns of movement in revolutionary shifting of paradigms. The the arts, and the purpose art artist sees himself as a part of a flowing serves in our lives. movement, engaged in a dialogue with Often we see culture – new styles gaining and loosing influence. painting, music, poetry, maybe As a result, the artist embraces change, the philosophy – as parasitic, but politician fears it. not vital to our understanding Aware of the transitory nature of all of more fundamental movements, the artist accepts momentary economic or political obscurity. Concerned with perpetual power concerns. But I am of the and control, the politician is unable to. He contention that the arts are not filibusters Congress, attacks his opponents epiphenomenal in this former character and is incapable of letting go to sense. Art may be removed the movement and demands of society. He from things likes economic or becomes increasingly willing to scratch, law, but they share the same claw and cheat, seeing any defeat as an structure, the same skeletal Peter Paul Rubens’ “The Judgment of Paris,” 1606. Photo courtesy Wikimedia feature as psychological and Commons.ultimate dismissal to history.

Perhaps it is something about the empirical social activities.

Thomas Kuhn came up with the idea that the politician by making arguments for nature of politics, the psychological nature science goes through paradigm shifts. After patient, welfare and unemployment rights. of art that causes this in attitude. The artist as such cannot cheat like the politician can. laboring away on one theoretical description These are practical, not artistic, activities.

The dissimilar enterprises of art and politics, In attempting to embody his psychological, of the data, some creative mind comes along and, based on new data, or based on the no matter their disparate goals, nevertheless perceptual, attitudinal dispositions, the artist accumulation of inexplicable anomalies, undergo a similar process of dialogue, knows when he is deceiving himself.

The politician can. His programme is much fundamentally changes the theoretical criticism and justification. Economists and politicians may reference empirical realities underpinnings of the discipline.

Art does not go through paradigms in this – inequality, efficiency, quality of life – and strict sense. Changes in the arts are better the artist psychological realities – perception, characterized as movements, movements attitude, interpretation – but both are a part that bleed into one enough, build and mock of a continuing development and evolution each other. Unlike the sciences, art doesn’t of their respective environments.

Movements like impressionism, abstract seek truth, but expression and description.

The arts in general are concerned with expressionism and minimalism in the arts what Nietzsche called “breaking souls,” are analogous to the pragmatic frameworks with expressing and connecting over “extra- that governed during industrialization, the personal, transpersonal feelings.” Visual golden age expansionism and the Cold artists do this by making manifest their War. They are not analogous because they share some substantive or methodological similarity – we may say that where art describes the milieu politics shapes it – but because they are both involved in the exchange of words, sentences and ideas. They are both recipients of the broader culture their exchanges create.

It is not surprising, however, that the assumptions of the practical and artistic disciplines are not the same.

The artist had, long before Gustave Courbet’s “Die Schleuse von Optevoz,” 1854. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia it was articulated by the Commons.postmodern philosophers, rejected the notion of an private visions for others to see. The poet, objective meta-narrative, rejected the notion emotions for other to feel. The philosopher, that there is some fundamental human condition that, if only discovered, would concepts for other to use.

By John Malato Gavel Media Contributor

Unlike the artist, economists and politicians are not concerned with sharing mental states, they are concerned with actualizing particular empirical states of affairs.

They reason, calculate and employ their theoretical schemes in order to materially alter the structure of social, political and economic relationships. The economist does this by making arguments for interest rate adjustments or changes in market regulation,

more susceptible to delusion and illusion, seeping into his consciousness through inheritance, conditioning and rhetoric. Being woefully adamant in actualizing consciously generated empirical ideals, removed from the perceptual and attitudinal, the politician’s ideals can dishonestly, disingenuously, inauthentically come to pass.

So the politician can learn from the artist, can learn from the expression of raw

Andy Warhol’s “Pink Marilyn,” 1967. Photo Courtesy of C4 gallery

conceptual, emotional and attitudinal dispositions without regard for some pre-determined, empirical end. The politician can learn from movement predicated on truth as social relevance, not power or control. The politician could really learn something from the artist.

22

www.bcgavel.com

BC Contemporary Theater continues to push the envelope

By Kate Lewis Editorial Assistant

he was selected for the directing position.

The action of Dark Play centers on a young man named Nick, who creates multiple identities on the Internet and uses these identities to deceive a naïve boy named Adam. Nick finds himself caught in a web of lies and finds his situation spiraling out of control when his online life and reality become dangerously entangled. The play includes many intense and even disturbing scenarios of violence and sexuality. McIsaac believes that this questionable content is necessary to the play’s experience.

“I want the audience to experience something, to leave the theatre with questions while feeling provoked yet satisfied. When it comes to dealing with intense and dark subject matter, I approach it like I would any other part of the text,” McIsaac said. “It exists because it is an integral part of the story, and as a director, it is my job to interpret it and Gillian Freedman/Gavel Media stage it in a way that makes sense and fits the production.”

McIsaac said that the actors of Dark Play handled the material with an impressive level of professionalism, making for a positive experience and a strong final product, which came

In the Contemporary Theatre program (CT), students run the show—literally. Students handle every aspect of CT’s productions, from technical design to onstage performance to directing and producing. Though the group’s origins are largely unknown, today CT is one of two student-run theatre organizations on BC’s campus, putting on one contemporary play and one contemporary musical every year, according to the group’s production manager, Alex Lucci, A&S ’12.

In the spring, members of the BC theatre community are invited to propose contemporary works to direct for the coming season.

“It can be a published play, musical, or just something new and exciting and experimental,” said Lucci.

“Our main rule is that the play or musical must have been written within our lifetime, so this year we chose pieces from 1990 and Photo courtesy of forward.” CT’s season this year includes two productions: Dark Play or Stories for Boys by Carlos Murillo, directed

by Korey McIsaac, A&S ’12, and Spring Awakening, a musical by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, directed by Kasey Brown, A&S ’12.

McIsaac began his search for the perfect play in last fall, considering several titles before finally settling on Dark Play.

Over the course of several months, he developed a concept and some more specific plans for creating the world of Dark Play.

“I wanted to direct Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons something that was going to be innovative, fresh, ex- to the stage in early November. “The first time citing, and challenging, and I felt Dark Play reading through a script with mature content presented all of these ideas the best,” said can be a bit jarring sometimes, but I had a McIsaac about his selection process. “It pre- fantastic cast that approached everything with sented a diverse and challenging opportunity an open mind and trusted me and my vision for designers as well as for myself and the for the play, which is always helpful,” he said. actors involved.” In April, McIsaac learned Brown decided on Spring Awakening for a that his vision would soon become a reality; variety of reasons, including its timelessness

and energy, but ultimately fell in love with the show for its “beautiful, intense honesty.”

“The songs in Spring Awakening create a safe space. [The characters] don’t have to be afraid or ashamed of who they are while singing; music is how they express them-

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

selves without fear of punishment or guilt.”

Spring Awakening, based on the 1892 play by Franz Wedekind, tells the story of several teenagers on the threshold of adulthood, whose struggles to come to terms with their budding sexual identities eventually end in horror and tragedy. “Spring Awakening illuminates the dangers of a society in which sexuality is not discussed, and in which young people are made to feel ashamed of their bodies and the sexual desires they are beginning to feel,” Brown said. “I think the themes in this show are extremely important topics to discuss.”

Brown believes that the subject matter of the show, which some may view as disturb-

ing or inappropriate, is important for sparking dialogue about topics that are relevant to college-age people. “Theater can provide the perfect means for expression and understanding of important human themes, and allow people to think and feel an experience that they can relate to, or which they’ve never thought about before.”

Auditions will be held for Spring Awakening in the first week of second semester. The show will take the stage in March.

Lucci notices the trend towards darker productions this year, but cites this as a coincidence.

“This year does indeed happen to be a year where both of our shows have dark tones, but typically they contrast a bit more,” he said. Such a contrast occurred last year, when CT produced The Pillowman, a dark, gruesome play, along with Reefer Madness, a comedic, satirical musical.

Lucci agreed with both directors about the importance of so-called “questionable” material in the productions that CT puts on, citing the relevance of these topics to the modern theatre patron. “With our audiences, we hope that students, parents, and faculty members are confronted by these themes and understand that they are pressing to our generation.”

Boston College Theatre and Dance

Other Upcoming Productions: Doubt: A Parable

by John Patrick Shanley Performance Dates: February 1-5, 2012 Lysistrata

by Aristophenes Performance Dates: February 23-25th, 2012 Rising Up: A Dance Showcase Choreographed by: Sun Ho Kim, Margot Parsons, Kirstin McKinney, and Robert Ver Eecke, S.J. Performance Dates: Marth 30-31 A Midsummer Night’s Dream

by William Shakespeare Performance Dates: April 26-29th, 2012

23

www.bcgavel.com

The wait is over: NBA returns for a new season this December

By Bill Stoll Gavel Media Contributor Undoubtedly, the NBA receives a grade F, as in Finally this Freaking lockout is over.

Due to a work stoppage that lasted longer than the NFL’s , the NBA season will have an opening day on December 25th, a full two months after it was supposed to have started.

It is scheduled for a 66 game season that will include at least one stretch of three games in three nights for each team. While there are certainly many negatives that were raised by this lockout, the new agreement does include several positives, so let’s take a look at the most notable improvements of the CBA. Last year, close to twenty owners reported losing money at the end of the season. Obiously the issue of revenue splitting was the main cause of the lockout. Under the previous CBA, the players received 57 percent of the total revenue, with the owners receiving the remaining 43%. With the new CBA, the players and owners have a much closer 51/49 split, respectively, resulting in a big win for the owners. This is good for basketball, as it will hopefully keep the league from contracting

and ensure that owners will be more focused on the improvement of their teams instead of trying to keep their finances in the black. Coupled with this is the increased amount of revenue sharing between teams, as it is tripled from the previous CBA. This is fantastic for small-market teams, and encourages owners from selling their small-market teams to a more lucrative area. This clause will hopefully prevent another Seattle Supersonics instance, where a team with a die-hard fan base and plenty of tradition is relocated due to finances.

My personal favorite clause is the Amnesty Provision, which improved on a similar clause that was included in the 2005 CBA. This provision allows each team to waive one person on the roster without their salary counting towards either the luxury tax or the salary cap. Then, any other team below the cap can put in a bid for the amnestied player, with the highest bidder receiving the player for that salary. Essentially, this means that a team like Orlando can waive its

Gilbert Arenas, Photo Courtesey of Wikimedia Commons

19 million-dollar man (Gilbert Arenas) without his atrocious salary counting towards the cap, and then if they wished submit a much lower bid for his services, they could potentially sign him for a much more reasonable amount.

Another excellent provision is the clause that stipulates restricted free agents will receive a qualifying offer after their rookie contract is up based upon their actual performance.

So, if a player drafted in the late first round outperforms his expectations, he will receive a much higher second contract. On the flip side, a high draft pick turned disappointment (Greg Oden, Michael Beasley) will receive a much, much lower contract. This clause ensures that young players will be paid based on performance, not on when they were drafted.

The other outstanding provision is the restructuring of new contracts aimed at keeping superstar players on the team they were drafted by. The new CBA allows younger, franchise players to qualify for the maximum salary much earlier, and this will hopefully prevent the recent trend of superstars leaving and alienating fans which we saw all of last year.

While the lockout was annoying, frustrating, and at times infuriating, hopefully the new CBA has fixed many of the problems that have plagued the modern NBA. We should be in for an exciting season, and I know I’m excited to watch real basketball in a month, instead of watching my roommates play it on Xbox.

Happy Holidays from Gavel Culture!

By Sofia Martinez We can certainly hear those sleighbells ringing. Winter break is just around the corner. Gavel Culture has put together some tunes to get you in a holiday mood and send you off caroling.

Or to the library.

Assoc. Culture Editor

1 “Father Christmas,” The Kinks 2 “The Christmas Song,” The Raveonettes 3 “Merry Christmas Baby,” Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band 4 “Donde Esta Santa Claus?” Guster 5 “Last Christmas,” Wham 6 “Don’t Shoot Me Stanta,” The Killers 7 “What Christmas Means to Me,” Stevie Wonder 8 “Hark!The Herald Angels Sing,” Weezer 9 “Santa Baby,” Madonna 10 “Angel in the Snow,” Elliott Smith 11 “Christmas at the Zoo,” The Flaming Lips 12 “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm,” Billie Holiday 13 “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” Michael Buble 14 “White Christmas,” Bing Crosby 15 “Carol of the Bells,” Trans-Siberian Orchestra

24

www.bcgavel.com

Museum of Fine Arts Presents: Degas and the N u d e one of Gauguin’s Tahitian women hangs, confronting the viewer over her shoulder with her back exposed. Responses from Picasso Edgar Degas is an artist widely known for and Matisse are also featured. “Degas the graceful depiction of adolescent bal- and the Nude” provides the viewer with lerinas and strapping young jockeys. For a clear perspective on art at the time, the first time ever in a museum exhibition, and the different interpretations of the his lesser-known body of work dedicated female nude by Degas’ contemporaries.

Beginning with his early explorations, to the female form is currently explored the subjects of which were later discovered in great depth at the Boston Museum of to be Parisian prostitutes in upscale brothFine Arts. “Degas and the Nude,” on view in the Ann and Graham Gund Gallery, els, Degas worked initially with monois a comprehensive exhibition of Edgar type, a printmaking process involving ink Degas’ interaction with the female body and glass. These brothel prints are small, across several mediums, his work spanning but detailed, and ignore the idea of clasfrom 1850 to the end of the 19th Century. sical idealism altogether. Rotund women “Degas and the Nude” represents anoth- couched in a dingy setting seemingly er powerful collaboration with the Musee provide a clear antithesis to the sprightly D’Orsay, a significant connection between young dancers Degas painted over and o v e r again.

Moving beyond the Parisian prostitutes, Degas began to focus on bourgeois women, preparing for the bath, drying their hair, and grooming themselves, often with maids in tow.

Taking a decidedly different view of Photo courtesy of Maggie Lawrence/Gavel Media the personal the two museums has brought a great deal of interesting art to Boston recently. Earlier portrait, Degas as an artist becomes an omthis year, the Museum of Fine Arts borrowed niscient viewer. The subject is clearly defined three of Monet’s Rouen Cathedral series from by the setting, soft boudoirs, simple wooden the powerhouse French museum for the sole and ceramic combs and water jugs. Perhaps purpose of juxtaposing the 19th century Degas is looking through a keyhole, because masterpieces with Roy Lichtenstein’s pop it is apparent that he is not an invited guest.

Moving through the 1870s and 1880s, Degas art interpretation. The MFA’s George T. M. shifts his medium first to charcoal. Numerous Shackleford, Chair of European Art, and charcoal studies of single women, their faces curator of modern art Arthur K. Solomon worked closely with the Musee D’Orsay’s intentionally hidden, begin to shape a career-

By Maggie Lawrence Culture Editor

curator of paintings Xavier Ray to put together the exhibition, which has been in the works for three years.

This is not hard to believe, the exhibit is comprehensive and thorough, chronicling Degas’ portrayal of women in various states of undress.

“Degas and the Nude,” comprehensive in the sense that it follows the artist’s progression through mediums and decades, also features interpretations of similar subject matter by contemporaries for reference.

Amidst Degas’ intimate pastels of the 1880’s,

the motion, stillness, balance, and tension of the body, moving as if no one was watch-

a powerful indication of the subject as a human and most importantly as a woman.

Most notably, in the 1880’s, Degas continued to repeat his subject, but with pastel.

Heavily influenced by the Impressionist movement, Degas uses the medium to create the appropriate softness and intimacy of the scenes he studied in charcoal. On view as part of the exhibition is one of Degas’ most famous pastels, “The Tub,” from 1886. This pastel features a break in the most popular of Degas’ repeated poses, the subject is crouched in the tub, balancing delicately on her feet. Again, the subject’s back and torso become the focus because her face is Photo courtesy of Maggie Lawrence/Gavel Media largely hidden. “The Tub” is ing, certainly not an artist. The drawings, simple, intimate, and soft in pastel. It embecause they focus solely on the subject, bodies the conventional, yet secret charm provide an excellent representation of De- Degas is able to achieve with his nudes. gas’ development in physical representation The positioning of these women in a parthroughout his career. The repetition of ticularly vulnerable setting could be interkey poses is powerful. Frequently women preted as crude, especially when observed are posed sitting, leaning forward, revealing by a man. Standing in a gallery full of nude their upper arms and back. Often women women in crouched and bent in compro-

“The Tub” Edgar Degas 1886 Photo courtesy of Wiikimedia Commons

are engaged in the act of drying or combing long hair. A particularly compelling pose is a subject carefully bent drying the sole of her left foot. In many instances, the subjects are frozen in the middle of a motion, their sense of balance is off-kilter and awkward, such as the first step in exiting the bath. The intense naturalism and intimacy of these portraits is reinforced by this awkwardness, it is certain that these women are simply engaged in a routine, an private scene of daily life. The poses are significant because they allow Degas to focus on the beautiful muscular tension created in the back. For Degas, the back Photo courtesy of Brandon Bavier/Gavel Media becomes an expressive vehicle, and object of grace and beauty but also undeniably hulong love affair with the representation of the man and conventional. The musculature in female form. The focus of these drawings is the back, since the face is hidden, becomes

mising, less-than-flattering positions, it is hard to ignore the “creepy” factor. Perhaps most striking in looking at Degas’ body of work with the female nude in one gallery space is the anonymity of the women portrayed. Unlike conventional portraiture, the subjects’ faces are almost universally hidden or turned away. Because the viewer is unable to identify these women by their facial expression, it becomes unclear who these women are, and if their individual identities even matter to the artist. If the subjects’ nakedness and vulnerability were not so softly and beautifully captured, “Degas and the Nude” would be dominated by the undeniable misogyny of the artist.

“Degas and the Nude” runs at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts through February 5th.