October 2011

Volume III, Issue 6

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Deeper than Appearances For constant updates, go to bcgavel.com.

October 2011

(p. 12)

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News

Steve Jobs remembered: American iCon and innovator

By Meghan Smith Managing Editor Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, died October 5 at age 56, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. News of his death sparked mourning all over the world, as he is believed by many to be a great innovator and American icon.

In a statement from Apple, the company remarked on the important figure’s passing: “Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company only

he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”

Jobs founded Apple in 1976 along with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. After being incorporated in 1977, the company grew to compete with other computer companies, IBM and Microsoft.

Apple released the Apple Lisa in 1983, and it became the first personal computer sold to the public with a graphical user interface, or GUI. The first Macintosh computer was released in 1984. After experiments designing digital cameras, portable CD audio players, speakers, video consoles, and TV appliances, Apple focused on computers and released the iMac in 1998. By this time, Apple had grown into a $2 billion company with over 4,000 employees.

From the beginning, Apple tried to constantly differentiate itself from competitors. The iPod was released in 2001, marking the beginning of an era in digital music. In 2007, Jobs announced the release of the iPhone, along with the App Store and iPod Touch. On October 4, 2011,

Apple announced the iPhone 4S. Another campuses, especially at Boston College, innovative product, a tablet computer, the where iPhones, Macbooks, and now iPads iPad, was released in 2010. are numerous all over campus.

Jobs gave the commencement speech at Even President Obama issued a statement Stanford about a year after being diagnosed about the passing of Jobs, saying, “Steve was with a rare form of pancreatic cancer. He among the greatest of American innovators said, “your time is limited, so don’t waste it – brave enough to think differently, bold living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped enough to believe he could change the by dogma - which is living with the results of world, and talented enough to do it. By other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise building one of the planet’s most successful of others’ opinions drown out your own companies from his garage, he exemplified inner voice. And most important, have the the spirit of American ingenuity,” Obama courage to follow your heart and intuition. said. “He transformed our lives, redefined They somehow already know what you entire industries, and achieved one of the truly want to become. Everything else is rarest feats in human history: he changed secondary.” the way each of us sees the world. And there Jobs kept much of his private life separate may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success from his business life, but it is evident that he than the fact that much of the world learned has left a mark on many lives. His family issued a statement, saying, Reactions to Steve Jobs’ passing “In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he “Thank you, Steve Jobs, for all of the fun and amazing cherished his family. We are thankful ways you made our lives better….Sent from my iPhone.” to the many people who have shared -Jimmy Fallon their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve’s illness.”

“Thanks for showing that what you build can change Within hours of the announcement the world,” of his death, mourners went -Mark Zuckerberg online to share their grief and condolences. The trending topics “For those of us lucky enough to get to work with Steve, on Twitter included “RIP Steve it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.”

Jobs,” ‘’thankyousteve” and “iSad.” -Bill Gates His legacy is evident on college

Massachusetts leaves behind No Child Left Behind

By Geena De Rose Gavel Media Staff Massachusetts is one of various states looking to apply for a federal waiver to the No Child Left Behind Act this November.

School districts across the country have criticized the law for being overly harsh and now seek to benefit from a federal program, which will ease the punitive effects of the law and provide more flexibility in the pursuit of educational reform and improvement.

The No Child Left Behind Act, which President George W. Bush proposed early in his presidency, enjoyed great popularity in Congress and was passed quickly in 2001. The act aimed to improve accountability and performance within the public school system by allowing each state to develop standardized tests to be taken every year. The ultimate goal of the program was not only annual improvement in the test results but also a 100 percent rate of proficiency for all students in all subjects by 2014.

The stakes for schools who do not meet the benchmarks for improvement are strict. If a school fails to improve its scores for more than one year, the school is labeled “in need of improvement” and must put forth an improvement plan for the next two years. After missing improvement targets for four years, the school is

labeled in need of “corrective action” and will need to make major restructuring decisions. Ultimately, schools that fail to meet the benchmarks may be shut down altogether.

For educators, objection to the law comes not from the desire for improvement but from the unfair classifications and impractical standards imposed by NCLB. In Massachusetts, more than 80 percent of public schools in the state missed their benchmarks for improvement this past spring. Paul Dakin, superintendent of Revere schools, said, “We have the strongest schools in the country, as measured by national tests, but 82 percent of our schools are deemed as failing under [the federal law]. Something is wrong with the yardstick we are using.”

Amongst other concerns surrounding NLCB is the strong emphasis on standardized test results. Some argue that standardized tests may not accurately represent the capabilities of the students, their teachers, or their school systems. Such an intense focus on one test may also rob the students of the opportunity to learn more practical skills and develop their creative thinking abilities. Additionally, since the statewide tests are mandated only in math and reading, other programs are being cut or reduced to make way for an increasingly acute focus on the test material itself.

In a speech from the White House’s

East Room given September 23, President Obama introduced the possibility of a waiver for schools who meet a variety of requirements including college-ready standards on state tests, support systems for the lowest achievers, and evaluations of individual teacher performance. The waiver will provide more flexibility for the states by allowing them to set their own consequences for “failing” schools and to use federal money with fewer restrictions.

The waiver option is offered directly from the US Department of Education in response to Congress’ inaction in correcting the obvious inadequacies of the law.

“I’ve urged Congress for a while now, let’s get a bipartisan effort, let’s fix this. Congress hasn’t been able to do it. So I will,” Obama said.

Massachusetts is not the only state feeling the heat from the stringent NCLB achievement goals. Although the applications for the waivers are not due until November 14 of this year, there has been talk in a variety of states about the potential for the flexibility offered with the waiver. Amongst the other states possibly seeking waivers are Virginia, California, Vermont, Georgia and Minnesota.

Some have voiced concerns that the waivers will only lower the bar for schools and the waiver option itself represents an inability to challenge ourselves in the name of demanding but critical goals.

Jamie Gass, director of the Center for School Reform at the Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research, said “I think one of the noble aspirations of No Child Left Behind was setting an ambitious goal for 2014. Whether it’s children or adults, people tend to try to meet the level of expectation put before them.”

President Obama has been quick to refute such apprehensions, saying, “This does not mean that states will be able to lower their standards or escape accountability. In fact… if states want more flexibility, they’re going to have to set higher standards, more honest standards, that prove they’re serious about meeting them.”

Lynch School of Education at Boston College professor Lauren Saenz sees both the positive potential and the drawbacks to the waiver plan. “I think that the NCLB waivers are a first step towards modifying some of the more egregious policies codified in the original law. The waiver option returns some power to the states to make determinations about what constitutes proficiency.” Until the waivers are implemented, however, their efficacy remains uncertain. Saenz continues, “the waivers are conditional upon a fairly stringent list of demands from the administration, and it’s not clear that any of these demands (much as with the original law) are rooted in sound educational research.”

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Outdoor orientations for college freshmen grow more popular

By Geena De Rose Gavel Media Staff

Photo by Jillian Timko/Gavel Media

Otro Mundo: Service and Study abroad in Latin America

By Jillian Timko Gavel Media Staff In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Office of International Programs hosted a special presentation on Thursday, September 29th on community service and studying abroad opportunities in Latin America and South America. The event included a brief presentation by Elizabeth Goizueta, a study abroad advisor, on the variety of programs available to students in these areas of the world. It then focused on panel discussions with students who had been on service trips and studied abroad in Latin America answered questions about their experiences.

There is a wide range of programs available to students who wish to visit these countries, including service trips such as Arrupe or the Pre-Dental Society trip go to Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Summer seminars include programs to Buenos Aires, Argentina, Santiago, Chile, Quito, Ecuador and Nicaragua. Study abroad semesters offer students even more options in destinations, including two different universities in Argentina and Chile, as well as programs in Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico.

Students can also go to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama on a variety of pre-approved external programs. Ideally, the Office of International Programs encourages students to study in these countries for a full year, calling this their “golden standard,” but semester options are also available for all these locations. Language requirements also exist for studying abroad in some of these countries. For example, students cannot go to Brazil to learn Portuguese if they cannot demonstrate fluency in Spanish. However, choices exist for students of different Spanish proficiency levels.

The students who had gone on service trips to both Mexico and the Dominican Republic described experiences of total immersion in each county’s culture, important opportunities for service, and a widening in perspective on the people they were serving as well as themselves and their lives at Boston College.

Most service trips include a reflection component, which the students valued because it

made them think about what they were doing and how they could take their experiences back to BC. They also raved about the food they ate and the strong friendships they developed while on the trips.

The students on the panel who had studied abroad for a full semester were equally passionate about their experiences and strongly recommended their respective destinations to students interested in studying abroad in Latin or South America. One student went to Buenos Aires, Argentina, one to San Salvador, El Salvador, and one to the Galapagos Islands. While they all had very different experiences, they all felt they became more independent as individuals and enjoyed embracing a culture and lifestyle completely different than anything they were used to. Although they all faced challenges while living on their own in a foreign country, they agreed that challenges were an important part of the experience and could not say enough good things about the places and people they had visited. None of them wanted to leave when their semesters came to an end.

Students on both panels fielded common hesitancies about going on service trips or studying abroad with ease. Although research claims that money spent on service trips would be more effective in the form of donations to the developing countries, the students who went on such trips maintained that the personal connections made between themselves and the people they served were just as valuable to the people as monetary donations.

When students who had studied abroad for a semester were asked if they had felt like they were missing out on things happening at BC, they said that they were enjoying themselves so much there was no time to miss BC. They also felt that everything happening at BC was waiting for them when they returned.

All the students strongly recommended their service and study abroad trips to other students interested in Latin and South America.

For more information regarding service and study abroad trips in Latin and South America, visit the Office of International Programs Website or Hovey House.

At colleges and universities, a growing number of freshman orientations are conducted in an unexpected environment, literally. Instead of an on-campus, structured program which familiarizes the new students with their surroundings and introduces them to a variety of their future classmates, these untraditional orientations bring students outdoors to participate in a variety of activities. These so called “outdoor orientations” have grown considerably in number and popularity in the past couple years.

The concept of the outdoor orientation originated at Dartmouth College in 1935.

The Dartmouth Outing Club continues to run these trips every year for freshman.

The variety of trip options is extensive, with 21 trips ranging from “Nature Writing and Painting” to “Hiking 4- Most Difficult”.

Ever since Dartmouth introduced the outdoor orientation over 75 years ago, other universities have begun replicating the popular model in their own way. The past decade especially has marked tremendous growth in the number of universities offering outdoor orientations to its incoming student body. According to outdoored.com, a website whose goal is to provide common space for “professional outdoor and experiential educators” to collaborate, 123 colleges and universities currently offer some form of outdoor orientation programming.

It is important to note that these orientations programs are not usually obligatory. Even at Dartmouth, the DOC trips are offered to incoming freshman before the official, on campus orientation begins. Still, mandatory outdoor orientations do exists at some schools, such as Colby College of Maine. Another unique take on the model is the Brown Outdoor Leadership Program which is offered to sophomores or transfer students and includes an extensive application process.

The schools that host such programs may even choose to be a part of the Outdoor Orientation Program Symposium (OOPS).

This event is held annually at locations across the country with the goal to bring program leaders together to discuss “program development and growth, best practices, new program techniques, and nuts and bolts information that will help established and aspiring programs.” On November 2, the event will be held for the sixteenth year in Jacksonville, Florida.

The OOPS website also offers a compilation of research examining the effects of various outdoor programs. From 1971-2009, 48 research studies, newspaper articles, and informal reports are cited and summarized.

The research is conclusive: multiple studies reported higher GPA, better adjustment to college life, and increased self-confidence for program participants.

Although Boston College does not offer this type of experience for orientation, the Plex’s Outdoor Adventures program offers similar opportunities for student to partake in throughout the year. Kyle Davidson, program director for OA, is a huge proponent of the outdoor orientation concept. Davidson agrees that the BC orientation is effective at getting students familiarized with campus and each other, but believes that an outdoor orientation would provide a more powerful experience.

He said, “the big question is how are the activities on campus really helping to foster a sense of a true community? Removing students from the norms of society is an eye opening experience where the individual runs the entire gamut of emotions, senses, and ideas. Outdoor experiences help to foster a much stronger sense of community.”

At the end of the day, the outdoor orientation doesn’t appear to be in the forecast for Boston College. In defense of the current orientation model, the Office for the First Year Experience explained, “So much of what separates a Boston College education from others is the idea that this place is truly different from others and as such, ‘place’ plays a central role in our vision for the Orientation program. To take orientation elsewhere, for our intentions, would detract from our concept.”

Freshman opinions about the BC orientation versus outdoor orientations vary considerably.

Nick Leal voiced his aversion to the rigidity of the BC orientation while expressing enthusiasm for outdoor programs which would take advantage of the summer weather and provide a more dynamic experience. Margaret Lee was also in favor of the outdoor orientation, echoing Davidson’s opinion that the shared environment and challenges would allow for more camaraderie amongst the group and would foster more profound friendship development.

On the other hand, Courtney McMann says that the BC orientation helped her to get a feel for the campus. “At orientation,” she said, “you really feel like a part of the community and being on campus is a big part of that.” Brittany Owen agreed that being on campus is critical for incoming freshman but added that, if given the opportunity to participate in an outdoor program beforehand, she would definitely have taken advantage of the offering.

Even though the outdoor orientation is a growing trend for schools throughout the nation with many benefits to offer its participants, the traditional BC orientation continues to enjoy popularity amongst many freshmen for its conventional but effective approach. Although adventure seekers and nature lovers on campus might prefer the outdoor orientation to the current model, they are fortunate to have other programs on campus which can fulfill their outstanding venturesome desires.

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Massachusetts Senate race update: Is Scott Brown in the hot seat?

By Emry Remy Gavel Media Staff

For exclusive content on this story and others, visit bcgavel.com

Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons

Elizabeth Warren, Democrat −University of Houston −Rutgers School of Law – Newark (J.D.) −Professor – Harvard Law School (1992-Present) −Chairman of the Congressional Oversight Panel (2008-2010) −Special Advisor for the United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (2010-2011)

With the GOP 2012 race heating up, there is some doubt as to whether or not Scott Brown’s seat in the US Senate will return to the Democrats. His track record says no, but the Democratic candidates in the Senate race have other plans.

Almost two years ago, Massachusetts, which is popularly regarded as a Democratic stronghold, sent a Republican Senator to Congress.

Scott Brown, who won the Massachusetts special election in 2010 to fill the seat vacated by the late Ted Kennedy, has been representing the state since February 2010 after his upset over Democratic nominee and early favorite Martha Coakley. Many viewed Brown’s victory as a surprise given the circumstances of the race, such as inheriting the seat of one of the most powerful and influential Democratic figures in all of American history.

Scott Brown’s tenure in the Senate has had its ups and downs; however, most voters would claim that his term in office thus far has been a success. In a time where most, if not all voters, have negative views towards Congress, and President Obama’s approval rating has hovered around forty percent.

Brown has managed to keep his approval rating above fifty percent. More importantly, Brown has kept his disapproval rating around twenty-five percent. These figures say a lot in a time where many see our government as dysfunctional and most Americans view Washington with disdain.

Most incumbent Senators in this situation would be an almost sure-fire lock for re-election but oddly enough this is not the case for Brown. Despite his approval ratings and good track record, he is still a Republican representing a state with a solid base of Democratic voters. He is perhaps one of the most highly approved Senators in Congress, but he will be leading one of the toughest reelection campaigns in the nation. Brown is going against a talented and qualified array of Democratic candidates led by Elizabeth Warren, all of whom are eager to try and get Brown’s seat back into the hands of the Democratic Party.

Setti Warren, Boston College alum and Mayor of Newton, withdrew from the race on September 29th due to his belief that he would not be able to overcome the stiff competition in the race.

Several polls have been conducted by different groups pitting Brown and Warren against each other, each with varying results.

Some have Brown winning his re-election bid by a close margin, while others have Warren emerging victorious by similar margins.

Because of these discrepancies, many view this Senate race a virtual dead-heat, with no expected frontrunner to emerge until after the Democratic primaries, sometime in mid2012 before the general election.

As traditionally practiced with incumbents, Scott Brown will not face any serious Republican opposition in this election. The Democratic primary, however, will take place in January, leaving the Democratic candidates

about three months to make their final push towards acquiring the Democratic nomination. And while Elizabeth Warren is the favorite to capture the nomination, nothing in Massachusetts politics is a guarantee, as voters have seen over the past couple of years.

Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons

Scott Brown, Republican −Tufts University (B.A.) −Boston College (J.D.) −Lieutenant Colonel in the United States National Guard (1979-Present) −Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1998-2004) −Member of the Massachusetts Senate (2004-2010) −United States Senator from Massachusetts (2010-Present)

Soundbites from the 2012 election and Republican Party “It’s times like this that I need friends with me”

“I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, after great confirmation today, too, personally speaking, I know it’s the right decision” Sarah Palin announced her decision Wednesday October 5 in an Palin decides to opt out interview with conservative radio talk show host Mark Levin. In a Fox News interview that same night, the former governor said“I would go back and forth about whether now is the time, and if I say no to the opportunity that’s in front of me, running for office now, politically speaking, will I die? Will I be ineffective?” the same night.

Allen West discusses busincess success

Allen West, Republican from Florida raised $1.9 million this quarter, with his total warchest at $4.1 million. West gained media attention for a leaked email sent to Wasserman-Schultz calling her unladylike

“I think Ron Paul, when you look at everything, is an outlier” Ron Paul wins the Values Voter Ron Paul keeps on winning Summit straw poll with 37 percent. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, called Paul’s win inflated. He won the straw poll at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference earlier this year.

Michele Bachmann discusses DADT Herman Cain on ‘Occupy Wall Street’ “Don’t blame Wall Street. Don’t blame “Don’t settle for anyone less than a candidate that will stand up for our profile, the big banks. If you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself.” pro-family, pro-marriage issues,” In a conference call with Faith and Freedom coalition, Bachmann said “I would reinstate the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy... what it says is the issue of sexuality is one that doesn’t come up and people aren’t allowed to be open about it because the United States military is...not a social experiment.”

“When I was growing up I was blessed to have had parents. They didn’t teach me to be jealous of anybody.” He continued, “It is a person’s fault if they failed. And so this is why I don’t understand these demonstrations and what it is that they’re looking for.”

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Occupy Boston gains momentum among the ‘99 percent’

By Ricardo Sanchez Gavel Media Staff With most of the media focused on the “Occupy Wall Street” protests taking place in New York City, very little attention has been given to another set of protests, those known as “Occupy Boston.” Taking place in Boston’s Financial District, right across the street from South Station, Occupy Boston is a movement very similar to the protests taking place on Wall St. Dubbing themselves “the 99 percent,” the Occupy Boston movement consists mainly of lower and middle class citizens who feel that America’s richest “1 percent” are threatening our democracy.

Friday, October 7 marked the one-week anniversary of Occupy Boston protests.

There is no single issue or demand that defines the Occupy Boston movement.

However, the vast majority of its supporters feel that economic inequality in America has reached a point where it is eroding our democracy. The website states,“Our democracy is not for sale, and the Occupy protests aim to get it back. We are the 99% City Hall Plaza, or in front of the State of America who are not being represented House. These General Assemblies not only equally by our government and whose basic determine the movement’s agenda, but also needs are not being met.” Regardless of are very indicative of the way they want which issue they support the most, these American society to operate. protestors are dedicated to creating long Walking through the Occupy Boston camp, lasting change in the United States. one can see many signs, tents, and tables One of the defining features of Occupy where people promote different causes. One Boston is its use of “General Assembly” sign read: “Take The Banks Into Democratic otherwise known as G.A. Since there is Control,” while another read: “Stop The no official leader of the Occupy Boston War On Drugs.” Other issues included movement, General Assemblies are the poverty, homelessness and immigration movement’s way of reform. One protestor, allowing everyone to Kyle from YouLaws.org, voice their opinions, was sitting on the ground The message of the while at the same time markers and many sticking to an agenda. movement is not completely with large pieces of paper. The During each General clear, however the protesters papers read “What Law Assembly, a facilitator Would YOU Make?” with stands on a small stage, are dedicated to standing up a blank space beneath speaking into “the them for people to write for what they believe in and people’s mic,” taking down laws they believe questions and proposals making positive change in US should be implemented. from the audience.

According to Kyle, the government and society.

Each proposal is idea behind this was that known as a point of everyone has a different process, and can range viewpoint on laws and his from the smallest insystem allows them to give camp logistical detail, input into making laws to larger questions of that works for them. “I would love for the the fundamental problems of society and White House to use this and make this idea of their solutions. Each proposal then goes crowd sourcing laws obsolete,” he said. through a process of amendments and other In light of how quickly the Occupy protests considerations, before a larger consensus is have gained momentum, many labor unions reached. and other organizations have gotten involved.

To gauge opinion on a particular idea or The protests have even gotten attention from proposal, the speaker does a temperature Democratic leaders in Congress, as well as check. During each check, the audience from President Barack Obama himself, who uses hand signals to show whether or not hopes that the protests will energize their base they support an idea. To show their support, leading up to the 2012 elections. they lift their hands into the air, wiggling Much of this attention is unwanted by the their fingers. If they do not support an idea, greater Occupy movement, which largely they wiggle their fingers downward. For any wishes to remain free of political association. proposal to pass, it must have the support at There have been many signs, both in least three-quarters of the group. Reaching Boston and on Wall St, which read “Fire the that level of consensus is not always easy, Republicrats!” underlining the movement’s especially with regard to larger actions, sentiment towards both political parties. such as protesting on the Boston Common,

Did you participate in Occupy Boston? Tell us your story on bcgavel.com An impressive characteristic of the Occupy Boston movement was how well organized they were. There were many tents where people slept, but also much larger tents devoted to media, logistics and food. Food and supplies were made available to anyone who wished to set up camp in Dewey Square.

They have many different events planned for the upcoming weeks, including a march on

the Boston Common, speeches by members of labor unions and the Green Party, as well as a few concerts. Also held at Occupy Boston are workshops on cold weather safety, as well as an eye flush training for treating chemical weapons such as pepper spray, mace and tear gas.

Occupy Boston is involved with many local colleges and universities, including Boston College. There is an ongoing movement at BC to help and march with the occupiers and protest things like student debt and general socio-economic inequality Many students from other Boston area universities have already joined the movement and have organized marches and supplied drives for the Occupy Boston protesters.

Occupy Boston is not without opposition though. It has been criticized for being an aimless cause, just a group of unemployed people looking for a handout from the government. Though evidence of that image of the movement may have been true at the beginning the Occupy movement has stayed strong and even published an online periodical OccupyBostonGlobe.com.

The ideas being discussed within the Occupy Boston movement have no evidence of fading. Since starting during Columbus Day weekend the movement in Boston has grown dramatically. The message of the movement is not completely clear, however, the protesters are dedicated to standing up for what they believe in and making positive change in US government and society.

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December 7, 2009

Inside Features pg. 6 - BC senior launches a new brand, with ambitious goals of expansion in the coming months. pg. 6 - Simpley SEA, Student entreprenurs create Flat brims that fuse fashion and social concern pg. 7 - Caffine a Students Best Friend? Do college students drink too much of the brown stuff, and is it bad to? pg. 7 - Energy Drinks, Is it worth it for that 9am or late night in O’Neill pg. 8 - Guys Ask, Advice and wisdom on dating and relationships from the opposite sex pg. 9 - Occupy Boston, Becoming a major presence, with growing influence pg. 10 - Democratic Senatorial hopeful Alan Khazei on how to get involved, fight political polarization and how to best deal with the problems facing the country pg. 10 - Beer Review - A look at some good brews usually overlooked at Reservoir pg. 11 - BPD beefs up Patrols, Larceny and disorderly conduct becoming a growing concern in BC off-campus areas pg. 11 - Overheard at BC, Funny quotes from your peers

Features

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SoonisNoon/OZOK clothing line

By Allison Racciato Gavel Media Staff Any students out there getting sick of overpriced, low-quality clothing need look no further than the BC campus for a solution. An enterprising senior here at Boston College, Connor Corrigan, is launching a line of “SoonIsNoon” clothing this November. The clothing line is a derivation of the clothing line “OZOK” which won 2nd place in the 2009 elevator pitch competition sponsored by the BC Entrepreneurial Society. SoonIsNoon is a revamped set of products with a new focus on style, its name being based on the classic “How Soon is Now” by the Smiths.

Corrigan’s inspiration for SoonIsNoon is derived from his transitional life between SoCal and Boston and a sort of minimalist aesthetic which maintains a sophisticated vibe with clean-cut denim, fitted t-shirts, and tailored jackets. He saw too many of the same graphics and labels on poorly-made clothing.

SoonIsNoon strives to design highquality clothing that looks, feels, and fits great. The brand’s tailored shirts are a relief from the boxy, designedto-manufacture t-shirts that constitute many students’ wadrobes. All sizes up to extra-large maintain a fitted shape, so no wearer sacrifices comfort for fashion. To kick, the clothing can face the wear-and-tear of a college lifestyle. The webmaster and manager for SoonIsNoon, Cal Greene, shows off his shirt of almost two years which has retained a remarkable freshness due to meticulous attention to detail during the dying process. Customers who fear damage to their clothes by the stress of washing and drying can rest easy knowing these are designed to last and will maintain their original fit and feel. The entire production process, from the leatherworking and the stitching to the screening and the manufacturing for SoonIsNoon is done in Costa Mesa, California and then shipped

to Boston. It’s refreshing to see American craftsmanship at a time when so many clothing lines outsource their production to cheap manufacturers.

In Corrigan’s elevator pitch, he emphasizes SoonIsNoon’s mission to “create a clothing brand that would remind the consumer of the craftsmanship and love that was put into the garment every morning when they got dressed.” He describes the feel as both “old and new era Rock n’ Roll.” The goal is “having a good time but looking damn good while doing it.” Corrigan designed clothing

There will be a few separate videos for each line showcasing the origin of the garments and how each was created, “from initial design to packaged product.”

In person, Corrigan concludes that BC students should wear his line, “because it’s very different from the average BC-ware and it brings a unique style that you can wear to class during the day and out to a bar at night.

You can wear it and look nice, but also get loose.” Once launched in November, he has ambitious plans for SoonIsNoon to quickly expand its online presence to reach blogs

Photo courtesy of Connonr Corrigan founder of SoonIsNoon

that will appeal to college kids, looking to buy quality jeans, hoodies, and t-shirts that are classy, but with an edge. Prices are aimed to fit a college budget, with shirts for around $25, and jeans and hoodies at about $80.

For finely-made, long-lasting clothing, this is money well-spent. Corrigan enthuses in his pitch that “this is a movement that may only come once in all eternity…[we’re] taking something from the past and recreating it.”

He adds that the best way to learn more about products is SoonIsNoon’s Vimeo.com videos, where teasers for the lines will show consumers what moods and tones customers can expect from the summer and winter lines.

where clientele are active, create a network of college representatives to spread to other campuses, and appear in smaller boutiques like Bodega. (The line having its origins in the small store “Generic Youth” in Newport Beach, California.)

BC students excited for this new line can look forward to SoonIsNoon’s launch in mid-November. There will be more publicity around campus, in addition to an upcoming launch party. More information can be found at SoonIsNoon.com, the Twitter address @SoonIsNoon or @OZOK_apparel, or interested customers can like SoonIsNoon’s page on Facebook.

A SEA of supporters

By Jennifer LaConte Gavel Media Staff

Photo courtesy of simplySEA.com

Hunter rain boots and North Face jackets better make room for a new brand name on campus, one that holds a double purpose: style and service. Simply SEA, a company founded by two best friends who have since graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and Emory University, sells snapback hats to raise money for charity based on a concept called Colors for Causes.

By buying the SEA snapbacks for $20 each, students can support a wide range of charitable organizations. The project is called Colors for Causes because the different colored hats distinguish between the various

causes that the profits benefit. Global and domestic poverty, developmental disabilities, volunteer corps, teen suicide prevention, AIDS, and breast cancer research are among the causes funded by SEA, and more foundations may be added in the future.

Zack Kozlak A&S ‘14, first got wind of SEA when he went home to Minnesota last summer and saw his friend, a student at Duke, wearing one of the hats. “I asked him about it, and he told me about Colors for Causes. He got me in contact with someone who offered for me to be the BC representative.”

John Muller, A&S ‘14, recalls gaining interest in the project when he visited Kozlak in Minnesota over the summer. “I saw the Continued on page 8

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Gavel Media Health Blog: Caffeine, a student’s best friend

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

By Ailis Peplau Gavel Media Contributor Cof·fee: noun, often attributive - a beverage made by percolation, infusion, or decoction from the roasted and ground seeds of a coffee plant.

This is the Merriam-Webster definition of coffee, but we might be more familiar with the college-student definition: “A bitter drink made tolerable with large quantities of milk and sugar that helps us survive the semester, midterm exams,

Mondays and 9:00 am classes.”

But really, why the obsession with caffeine? According to the Food and Drug Administration, 90 percent of people in the world and 80 percent of American adults, many of whom are college students, use caffeine every day in some form. Students are already guzzling double-shot Americanos at Hillside and it is not even exam time.

Coffee is an all-nighter’s best friend, but you might be surprised at how quickly its effects catch up to you. Though it takes 5-10 grams of caffeine (the equivalent of 50-100 regular cups of coffee) to kill you, you may think twice about the amount you consume when you begin to feel jitters and heart palpitations after your 4th cup in a row the evening before an exam.

Besides helping students study for an Orgo exam or write an English paper, caffeine does more to our bodies than we think.

Coffee is known to raise your blood pressure, cholesterol and adrenaline level, which can have negative effects such as headaches and anxiety. Also, both regular and decaffeinated coffee contain acids that aggravate heartburn.

On the positive side, according to several sources including MayoClinic, WebMD, and Livestrong.com, caffeine has been linked to a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes, dementia,

and liver and prostate cancers (note that coffee is not proven to have cause-and-effect results; rather, these are potential ‘perks’ to consuming caffeine). In particular, the magnesium and chromium in coffee prevent against Type 2 diabetes because the minerals help the body use insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar.

Also, coffee in itself has only a few calories that is, until you start adding things that make it taste less bitter. Because let’s face it, Dean’s Beans just does not cut it for some of us. A 12oz cup of black coffee is only a hot, 14 calorie, bitter pick-me up but mask a hint of the bite with half & half adds 46 -48 calories, and a teaspoon of sugar adds another 23 calories.

You can see howthe calories add up, and this does not even include specialty drinks such as a caramel macchiato, which features extra calories due to the large quantity of milk and flavor syrup.

Even though the way we typically drink coffee fills us with extra calories, it can still be athletically. beneficial According to an article in the New York Times, studies have shown that drinking a cup of coffee one hour before working out increases the power output of muscles by triggering calcium release. According to the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise

Metabolism, caffeine also keeps you going harder for longer as it decreases the feeling of exhaustion and muscle pain by blocking the activity of a chemical called adenosine. The Times Online explains that caffeine before a workout makes your body burn stored fat which leads to weight loss (normally, it takes 50-60 minutes of steady exercise before your body starts using fat for energy).

Companies such as ThinkGeek, which offer a selection of caffeinated candies such as caffeinated gum, marshmallows, mints, and popcorn, make it easy for college students to get their caffeine fix during exam time without the taste of coffee. But be wary of these products! It is easy to consume more caffeine than your body can handle, especially when one NoDoz caffeine pill contains 200mg of caffeine! The US Food and Drug Administration classifies coffee as a mild stimulant drug and acknowledges its harmful effects when consumed in excess.

As much as we depend on coffee and other sources of caffeine, it is critical to be aware of our consuming habits. Just because coffee keeps us awake throughout the day, may prevent some serious illnesses, and improves the quality of our workouts, it is still a drug and should be consumed with care.

Energy drinks, bros and college students woes

By Michael Natile Gavel Media Contributor We all know it. It often comes in six-packs, usually in brightly colored readily noticeable packages with vibrant logos and obnoxiously large text that may as well read “College!”

And indeed, it has become a part of campus life, practically since its inception; a perennial favorite of college men and women desperate to meet increasing academic and social demands while retaining some sense of sanity.

Naturally, the preceding paragraph refers to energy drinks. They have become a strong presence on campus. But much like those other drinks you may have thought of, they are also more than a little divisive among the student body. Their appeal, beyond taste, is the energy boost they promise can help students meet the various challenges of college life; be they the tests, the extracurricular activities, perhaps even sports, and last but (truly) not least, social obligations. Amidst this torrent of activity, sleep is among the first things students sacrifice, and liquid energy can theoretically help mitigate the immediate drawbacks of said sacrifice—i.e. tiredness.

In the words of Jianan Shi, A&S ’12, “Sometimes, you aren’t going to get enough sleep; and you’d better make sure you love whatever it is you’re studying because that’s what’s going to keep you going those late hours.” But perhaps now, in addition to passion for the subject matter, beverages can help sustain us.

Although the drinks are popular on campus, they are not universally well liked.

“I don’t like the taste,” says David Thomas

Photo by Gillian Freedman, Gavel Media

Albares, A&S ‘14. He continues, “They’re not good for you…they’re filled with sugar, caffeine and other things.” Neville Maloney A&S ‘14 commented, “I drink them once a month at most. Some of them have got a nice taste. I’ll drink more during finals week when I need that extra push.” When asked why he refrains from drinking them regularly, Neville replied “I have friends who are pretty much addicted to it, which could be bad since they’re associated with crashes.”

“Define energy drink. Does tea count as an energy drink?” asked Annie Pates, A&S ‘14.

Green tea is often used as a supplementary ingredient in energy drinks. “I never felt like I needed energy drinks to stay on top of things,” says Annie. Pre-med student Matt Rossi says, “I’ve taken them maybe twice in my life.

Once was just to get through a party. I try to

avoid them for the most part because they’re unhealthy.” Other students commented that energy drinks go well with alcohol and that besides their alleged benefits; they are “fun.”

Red Bull (which boasts of its status as the first energy drink) distributors advocate use of their product for times when one needs to be awake and alert—driving, studying, playing sports—basically a menagerie of things active young people like college students love.

They claim to have scientific research to back their formula, that their product has been “proven” to work and that it’s alright to mix with alcohol like any other beverage; with the caveat that reckless alcohol consumption endangers lives. This could be taken as true from a certain point of view; however, some medical professionals contest the overall value of these beverages.

Obviously, most college students are not sleep psychologists, nutritionists, or even remotely experts. However, many of the concerns students voiced on campus were not far off the mark from what doctors caution about these drinks. WebMD notes that the FDA does not define what constitutes an “energy drink,” their respective distributors do and that most such drinks are hodge-podges of other energetically valuable substances—caffeine, sugar, the aforementioned green tea, vitamins—and even some compounds with no real energy value that could potentially be harmful in large doses. Aside from the potential ramifications of drinking too much—the distributors agree that consumption should be limited, if only based on caffeine intake—while mixing them with alcohol can be dangerous, since one is a depressant and the other a stimulant and both can cause dehydration, making you thirstier. In other words, energy drinks can both skew your sense of how inebriated you are and prompt you to drink more to offset the thirst they cause.

For more answers about energy drinks, consult your physician or your drink’s distributor. They are safe, but not strictly healthy, if you exercise common sense. It has been argued that they are not necessarily more effective than their substitutes for energy boosts. Your conclusion on energy drinks is one you will need to draw yourself, however, everyone—students, doctors and salesmen—seems to agree that they should be used in moderation.

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Guys Ask: XY expert advice A SEA of supporters, con’t “What is a great way for a guy to express his feelings to a girl he likes?”

It really depends on what type of girl you are dealing with. Some girls would rather skip the flirtatious remarks and get to the point; others adore the little games and hidden messages, and some like a little bit of both.

Figure out which one your beloved is. Give her some little clues as to how you feel. If she seems annoyed by them you’re probably dealing with the straightforward type. It is best to be direct with her. Tell her you’d like to talk to her about something, and just tell her how you feel. Do not text it under any circumstances. Pick a place where there are not many people, in case you get rejected.

If she is enjoying the double entendres, and is even returning them, then you have some time to make your move.

The third type is harder to put a finger on.

If you are not sure which category she falls under, she probably does not mind the games, but to a certain extent. You must be strategic with your games because she will probably get bored of them easily. If she is starting to be less responsive to your hints, it’s time to attack, as in talking to her about your feelings directly.

feeling to someone they may like but instead find some way to channel it by another emotion, anger, sadness, etc” Two main things can cause this: Fear of rejection, and the desire to be desired. What is more embarrassing than telling a guy you like him and getting a quizzical glance in return?

Nothing. Even if she has a slight notion that you may possibly return the feelings, the idea that she may be wrong is too difficult to bear.

Therefore, she tries to get your attention by acting in the strange ways you mentioned.

Despite the fact that we are in the 21st century some girls still like the idea of being wooed by the person they like. It may be too much Jane Austen in high school or the way they were raised but these girls think that men should be the one making the first step, always. In other words, she wants you to be Mr. Darcy. If you don’t, she may get angry and feel upset that you haven’t shown her any interest.

If you like her, and think she is interesting, make a move and talk to her. If you do not, make it clear that you have no interest in her so that she can hopefully find another victim.

Get answers by sending your questions to: advice.bcgavel@gmail.com

Kozlak expanded further on the origin of the name SEA. Simply SEA conducts business in an unconventional manner because its goal is to raise money for charity, as opposed to selling a product for the company’s benefit.

For this reason, SEA “allows people to see business in a different light.”

“Because it’s called Simply SEA, the founders wanted to make a simple product: simple logo, simple idea,” Lindo continued, describing the SEA logo stitched onto the front of the hats. The E is curved and has a loop at the bottom to represent a wave turned on its side. “Pretty much, when each person buys a hat, they become their own wave. An individual wave can only do so much, so when each person buys one, we become a whole sea and can get everything accomplished together.”

The easiest way to purchase a hat is to join the Facebook group “SEA at BC” and directly contact one of the campus representatives, or to go online to simplysea.com. Additionally, the AWOL Sneaker and Clothing Shop in Allston carries SEA products.

There is more to come from BC’s SEA representatives, although Kozlak was secretive about their plans for the future. “Tell everyone to be ready for November 3rd, the Florida State night football game,” he said. “I can’t tell right now. But it’s going to be good.”

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“Why do girls avoid expressing their

Continued from pg. 6 hats and wanted to help out, so I brought some home and sold them all in two days. It started to spread with my friends.”

The rest of their eight suitemates had a similar reaction when Kozlak and Muller returned to BC in September with a supply of SEA snapbacks. “All of them touched base with me individually about selling the hats, and our whole eight-man ended up getting involved,” explained Zozlak.

Now, Kozlak, Muller, and their roommates Brian Lindo, Matt Orozco, Tom Cenar, Austin Nissly, Bradley Klune, and Shaun Flint A&S ‘14 are all active SEA representatives on campus. “We have a list of 25 reasons for why we wanted to do this,” said Kozlak.

Lindo went into more detail about the roommates’ list. “We see it as something that will link us as a group for the rest of our lives, that’s probably the most sentimental reason.

We feel good about giving back, and we want to meet people. It’s a cool way to make connections.”

So far, they have been extremely successful in spreading Simply SEA throughout the heights. College students are prime customers for the trendy hats. “Not only are people buying the hats because they look good, but also because they want to do something good for others. People who don’t even like hats will buy them just to help out. Girls, for example, have bought a lot,” explained Lindo.

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The Occupy movement, making their voices heard

By Emil J Tsao & Cal Greene III Gavel Media Contributor & Featurers Editor Since Ronald Reagan and his main liaison to the business world, former Enron CEO Ken Lay, first petitioned Congress to deregulate America, the US has been on the path of rapid deregulation of any type of commerce palatable at that point in time. Big business embraced it. The right-wing loved it and deregulation sealed President Reagan in the hall of fame of US Leaders, at least for some.

The American people did not know what deregulation meant for them. The phrase was often paired with jobs, freedom, and wealth creation, but turned out to mean jobs over seas, fiscal uncertainty and the largest wealth disparity since President Eisenhower. Look down the timeline. Events like the collapse of Enron, the tech bubble and the housing crisis can all be attributed to, at least in part from, deregulationist policies. With every bubble, scandal and layoff announcement, Americans saw with their own eyes that they, and their country, are headed down a path they could not be proud of.

“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies... The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.”

-Thomas Jefferson Fast forward to roughly two months ago when the Canadian magazine Adbusters was running advertisements calling for supporters.

Its premise was interesting: advocating people to, “Take back what they took from us,” with the idea for people to, “Occupy Wall Street.”

It was an interesting and catchy idea, but at the time there was little momentum behind it. The idea made you stop and think, “How in the world could modern Americans ever become revolutionaries?” and “are there enough people out there really mad enough to protest over such a wide array of ideas?”

Even more of a question, “how does a group come together to address the broad topic of corporate greed?”

The country’s attention was turned to the movement after the seven hundred arrests in New York made headlines and Occupy Boston had set up camp in Dewey Square, near South Station. There seemed to be a media blackout of the protest with only grassroots-like coverage of the Occupy movement, and then a two or three day period when it exploded onto the national scene. Those events showed America two things: they were serious and they were growing. Ever since the Arab spring and the Wisconsin protests, where online presence had such a profound effect in shaping the

movement, people had been talking about the potential of social media being utilized to facilitate protests in the US. It seems now they were learning about how to conduct their own revolution.

To fully understand the greater Occupy movement, one has to see it to understand it. At least until more media outlets explore what the movement has become. Surely, they could not be arguing for structural change – a modification to the entire system? They are not. Would this movement be the allencompassing, justice-seeking event that Paul Hawken had envisioned in his book, Blessed Unrest, or would everyone be disappointed yet again by the American systems’ uncanny ability to stave off dissent?

After a visit to Dewey Square, speaking with protesters, and marching with them, the answer is neither of the latter. In fact, Occupy Boston’s ability to not be those things is what gives it success. All the time, outside observers ask, “But what are their specific demands?”

Well, there are not any group of demands the Occupiers are lobbying for in the traditional

relationship between profit and the the country where they do business.

In a system that is destroying itself, on multiple fronts, it is worth spending some time to think over these questions in order to seek alternatives. “What is the balance between profit and social welfare?”

“What is government’s role in providing common protections while fostering a healthy economic environment?” “Is there really any entity, corporation or person, that is capable on policing themselves?”

Even if you are on the fence, or an outright opponent of Occupy, you have to at least admire the way it Photo courtesy of Emil J Tsao had inspired people to dream and sense. Many believe a tax cut or policy change stand up for themselves. Maybe the change would simply be handed-down concessions will not come tomorrow, but everyday they from the top in a system meant to appease are down in Wall Street and the Financial the Occupiers. Invariably, the next question District, they refine their cause and show is, “So is Occupy an anarchist movement?” their representatives that their voices need No, but there are some people who are to be represented. Many claim they are just anarchists supporting the cause, but that is lazy liberal hippies who need to get a job, only one of the many ideologies circulating but in reality they are putting themselves out throughout the movement. The movement, there to act as their own lobbyists. This is the beginning of a change in consciousness. so far is about opening up a dialogue.

The American public is used to pinpointing America needs to move forward and realize and labeling: “environmental” movement, the dreams of our founding fathers.

Thomas Jefferson said it best, “If the the “feminist” movement, etc. but what the Occupiers stress is that all of the social American people ever allow private banks inequality and financial disparity may be to control the issue of their currency, first caused by the same root problem. It would by inflation, then by deflation, the banks make sense, then, instead of making demands, and corporations that will grow up around which might differentiate and diminish them will deprive the people of all property involvement in the movement, Occupy would until their children wake up homeless on the point fingers at the unsustainable system continent their Fathers conquered...I believe that produced the movement in the first that banking institutions are more dangerous place. They protest the general system that to our liberties than standing armies... The is sympathetic to corporate greed, the focus issuing power should be taken from the on quarterly bottom lines and beating analyst banks and restored to the people, to whom it estimates above maintaining a sustainable properly belongs.”

Visit our website for constant updates!

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Interview: Dem. Senatorial More than Oktoberfest candidate Alan Khazei

By Cal Greene III Features Editor Co-founder and former Chief Executive of City Year and Social Entrepreneur Alan Khazei is running for the 2012 Democratic Massachusetts Senatorial nomination. On Wednesday, October 12, 2011 I had a chance to sit down with Alan Khazei and discuss his views on the important issues of 2012, jobs, education, innovation, and politics.

Alan Khazei was born in Pittsburgh, PA and grew up in New Bedford, NH. He graduated from Harvard College with honors and Harvard Law, were he was a member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. After graduating from Harvard Law Khazei founded the nonprofit City Year which offers young people ages 17-24 years old the opportunity to engage in a ten month full time term engaging in community service. Though starting City Year was a large task, the outcome was an organization that is active in twenty-one cities, including Johannesburg, South Africa, and has given over twenty-one thousand young people their first job.

While discussing the formation of City Year, he explained how different the younger generation is from his. “Even people who liked the idea back then said ‘Well… yea… but its this really going to work?’… My generation was branded the “Me! Me! Me!” generation. We were the yuppies and we were written off because we didn’t care but the truth was that we did care.”

The reason City Year was so successful, in Khazei’s opinion is because “we tapped into a spirit that was deep inside but was probably always there.”

He sees young people as making a big impact in this country if they are energized and ready to give. “One reason I’m here at BC is I believe young people can change the world. I don’t think you’re a future leader. I think you’re a leader today.,” a call not heard since President Obama energized the younger generation in his 2008 presidential campaign.

Khazei looks at the future with optimism and with energy and passion rarely seen in politics. He supports a balanced approach of long-term social, educational, and infrastructure investment and shorter term policy remedies that he believes will steer the country back on track “We need to get people back to work and we need to do more to support small business. We need to rebuild our roads, bridges and ports with a massive infrastructure investment. We need to get people back to work and move into the 21st century at the same time. China is doing it.

There is no excuse we can’t do it.”

Khazei focused on bringing America into

the twenty-first century. In his opinion, this means building up America’s middle class jobs, clean energy industry, educational system, sophisticated manufacturing and technology sectors. He advocates programs that would help the average person such as, housing weatherization subsidies, solar on schools programs, clean energy manufacturing. “We can do manufacturing but its sophisticated manufacturing such as in life sciences, clean energy and others. But we must have the right policies that encourage research and development.”

Another issue Khazei is passionate about is combating poverty. He sees the biggest problem with solving poverty in the United States is not that there is no solution but that the numerous social entrepreneurs who are seeing progress and experiencing success in fighting poverty are not being connected to policy makers.

Education reform is one issue he sees as essential to America regaining the strength it once had. “We have to get to the place where we have the best public education system in the world again. There are innovations in education that work, they just need to be implemented. I am in favor of good Charter schools, I don’t want to dismantle the public school system but we need to take what we have learned from Charter schools and seek the best way to apply those learned techniques to under-performing schools.”

He also cites the need to make teaching a highly desirable profession again and to compensate teachers so that they can earn a comfortable living wage.

The key to many of Alan Khazei’s views is that the right ideas are out there and there are many people and groups on the ground, working ” on solutions to a lot of America’s problems but they are not being connected to Washington and therefore the ideas do not become policy. He said, “Margret Mead said ‘A small thoughtful group can’t change the world’, but indeed it’s the only thing that has. The ideas have never come from Washington it has come from people.

My job as Senator is to find those answers and bring them to the table in Congress.”

Alan Khazei is a “pragmatic idealist” and will use his grassroots work as a model to help solve many of America’s problems. He believes the best way to get the country on track is for the people to get engaged. “If you look at any cause in history, it was the people, not congress who demanded change, and it was the people who made it happen. We need to bring that back to Washington.” It is that kind of passion and vision that will foster the change America needs.

“One reason I’m here at BC is I believe young people can change the world! I don’t think you’re a future leader. I think you’re a leader today -Alan Khazei

Photo credit Cal Greene III, GAvel Media

By Cal Greene III Features Editor Note: all persons who participated in this review are of legal drinking age. All views and opinions are soley reflective of the author. Please remember to drink responsibly.

Its is October again, which means a new season of specialty Belgian ales and Oktoberfest brews are stocking the racks at Reservoir Wines and Spirits. In the first edition of the Gavel Beer Review we decided to sample five beers recommended to us by some of the people at Reservoir and a few good friends with a passion for a good brew. The five that made the cut this time were: Cap Cod Beer Blonde Ale, Shock Top Belgian Ale, Jacob Leinenkugels Oktoberfest, Dogfish Head Pumpkin Ale, and Stone Brew Pale Ale. The beers were all highly rated.

We based our comparison based on four criteria: clarity and colour, smell, taste and complexity, and mouth-feel, then we gave it an overall score 1 being poor, 5 being the best.

Stone Brewery, Pale Ale –This one had a great, rich dark amber colour that just looks great, and it had a slightly hazy clarity indicative of the types of hops used in the brewing process. It had a very pungent smell that hits the nose immediately. Right of the bat you know it is a beer with a strong taste despite its moderate alcohol content. The taste does not disappoint. The beer is full of rich complex flavours. It has a fairly bitter taste at first but a light citrus flavour towards the end that is truly unique. On the front of the mouth you feel the bitterness immediately then as the beer flows across the tongue the citrus flavour comes out. It has a very pungent flavour that many probably would not enjoy but to a seasoned beer drinker the taste is truly a unique experience. Overall: 4 Dogfishhead Pumpkin Ale – This beer is crystal clear and has an amber tint to it that is a little more on the reddish side. The brew has a fantastic pumpkin smell that fills the nostrils almost immediately. What is interesting about this beer is that it had a sweet pumpkin smell but a drier spiced pumpkin taste that was unlike many of its sweeter counterparts from Shipyard, Harpoon, and Sam Adams. It was refreshing and enjoyable.

The beer had a tingly feel on the tongue with no initial bitterness and had a clean feel to it with the pumpkin flavour really rounding out

the experience. Overall it’s a great beer! The only draw back is its price, which is $10.99 for a four-pack without deposit. A word of caution though, it does not taste like it has a high alcohol percentage but at 7% the buzz will creep up faster then many other brews.

Overall: 4.5 Jacob Leinenkugels Oktoberfest – The beer looks promising on the surface and has a great clear light amber colour, but the second it hits your nose a very underwhelming sensation hits you. It is like getting a package from your parents you hope is filled with you favorite cookies from mom and a few extra dollars for spending cash and then realizing it is a fruit cake from your aunt. It smells similar to a Miller Light but is three times more expensive. Of course smell is not everything but when the taste is mediocre at best with a lingering bitterness you just have to give up and move on. Overall: 1.5 Shock Top Belgian Wheat – This beer looks much more promising. Before you take a sip can not help but notice its light colour and hazy clarity, which is typical of the Belgian style ale beers. You also do not have to have your nose far from the brim to take in the rich wheat and barley smell and pungent citrus flavor. The yeast creates a tart citrus taste with a great balance between sour and sweet. As it flows through your moth it fosters a tingling feeling as it flows over the tongue.

Overall it’s a great beer. To sum it up, Shock top is Blue Moon’s blonde-haired blue-eyed all-American cousin who is a cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys. Overall: 5 Cap Cod Beer Blonde Ale – We heard a lot of good things about it so we were excited to try it for this review. On the surface its very different from the others. Its amber colour is very light, and is slightly hazy, but the second you take a whiff your nose is overwhelmed with the rich smooth smell of the American hops used and its slightly fruity aroma. The taste does not disappoint and it fulfills every expectation built up while you let the aroma flow through your nostrils. It has a full body taste, with many complex flavors that are hard to pinpoint but compliment each other well.

It is easy going down and the light bitterness tingles the taste buds in a way that makes the experience truly enjoyable. This is a great beer but we had to stubble on it during our last visit to Hyannis. If you ever run across it get a glass you wont be disappointed. Overall: 5

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Boston Police Department beefs up patrols in Brighton with a companion and in well-lit areas” to avoid muggings. Form the persective of maintaining student safety, increased police presence seems prudent.

Senior Mike Slovak who lived off-campus previously agrees, expressing, “I hope the Boston Police would make the area more safe. I remember there were a lot of thefts last year.”

Slovak paused to recall his former year, reminiscing, “I like the Boston Police.

They’re cool.”

Sal D’Amico, a BC freshman, suggests students might not notice, as “the BC police for the most part already do that so there won’t be any major difference.”

Regarding stolen items, Photo courtesy of Gillian Freedman/ Gavel Media students certainly

By Emily Akin support police Gavel Media Editorial Assistant presence. The contention resides in how much of the increased patrols are for Most students would expect Brighton to be student safety in the area, and how much is a haven from close police observation on the mere annoyance with what can delicately weekends. But over the past month, Boston be put as unruly behavior. Perhaps the Police have noticed an increasing trend of Boston Police are fed up with the social disorderly parties, public intoxication, and life in the area, or are reacting to resident larceny, and have reached their breaking complaints. Senior Kieran Mara explains, point. Students are warned that the Boston “I don’t understand why [non-students] Police Department will be dispatching units live in that neighborhood. They know what to patrol the Brighton area in response to said they’re getting into, living near college kids.” disturbances. Disruptive behavior will now be This could very well be a valid point, since punished by Boston Police officers, instead of residents in the neighborhood are well aware the Boston College units on campus. that many Boston College students live in Disruptive behavior has been major Brighton apartments. The new police patrols concern over the past few weeks due to may be a sign that non-students are fed-up expensive items being stolen from students’ with the local nightlife. Students like Mara apartments. Superintendent of the Boston believe it should be expected, as young adults Police Department William Evans warns enjoying the social aspects of university life. that “certain areas of the city experience Boston Police place heavy emphasis on higher levels of house breaks due to students disorderly behavior in students. Evans forgetting to lock doors and windows.” Many reminds that “those individuals…who reports of missing technological gadgets like continue to wreak havoc in the neighborhoods iPods and laptops have been reported, which of Boston” will be punished as fit. He further Evans classifies as “attractive targets…of declares that the Boston Police will “not young adults who assault students and take tolerate underage and public drinking and these devices.” Boston Police are urging intoxication” nor “loud and unsafe parties.” students to more carefully lock windows and Students will face full penalty of law and be doors, especially when windows with air held “accountable if [they] choose to disobey conditioners can easily be broken into if not the law and disturb [Brighton] residents’ properly fastened. Evans suggests “walk[ing] right to live in peace and safety.” This

insinuates that residents in the area lodge complaints, at least in the last month, with enough frequency to force a police response.

Evans further reiterates, “Police Officers will be patrolling areas where we have repeated incidents of [unruly] behaviors.” So, the areas in Brighton with the most parties and enough students to draw resident attention will certainly be observed more closely.

BC freshman Tran Than believes that the patrols are “an excuse for [the police] to crack down on parties.” Much of the police statement issued addresses student behaviors.

Could this be a sign of city police looking to infringe on college goings-on? If so, offcampus parties certainly offer an excess of opportunities for student citations or even arrests. Kristen O’Driscoll, the Assistant Dean for Off Campus Student Life, warns that students’ decisions to “engage in loud, disruptive and/or high risk community behaviors, especially involving alcohol, may

result in arrests or citations by the Boston Police Department as well as disciplinary action by Boston College.” Such enforcement appears far harsher than what one would expect on-campus.

Students like D’Amico see that there might be no change. Indeed, Slovak recalls some police patrols last year, though not as frequent as the new special patrols. Slovak mentions, “They told us to take our party somewhere else.” This suggests that the patrols might be a product of local complaints, meant to assuage irate neighbors, though they will not act as severely as they warn. Mara too chooses to end on an optimistic note, hoping, “Maybe with BPD the off-campus RA will relax.” Can students expect constant police vigilance and more arrests? Maybe. Perhaps no difference at all? That could also be a possibility. Either way, it would be best to keep a wary eye on the horizon.

Overheard at BC Overheard conversation between two bros at a D-arty (day party) Bro 1: Are you really tryna play this song right now Bro 2: Of course dude, this is my jam Bro 1: Why do you like to darty to Hillary Duff ’s, Coming Clean Bro 2: Nah dude thats kinda gay, this is the techno remix to one of her songs Bro 1: Right... because that’s way more massculine.

Bro 2: This is my favorite song to tailgate to, it took me so long to find this online Bro 1: I bet it would have been easier to find if you talked to my little sister Bro 2: Dude you need to make that connect happen man!

Overheard song echoing through the Mods Bros playing the Biggie Smalls remix to “Empire State of Mind” on repeat for a half hour Overheard song echoing through the Mods Bros singing along to “Suffolk State of Mind” remix Overheard in the study lounge in Fitzpatrick/Gonzaga Guy 1: Man im so over doing my own laundry and walking to O’Connell when it snows is gonna suck Guy 2: So i guess you didn’t know that theres a laundry room in the basement?

Guy 1: What!? Are you serious man, when were you gonna mention that Guy 2: I thought you knew, maybe you should have slept through the building meeting that first week of school Overheard conversation on the Comm Ave. Bus Girl 1: OMG when’s the last time we’ve had a roommate Newbury date Girl 2: hahaha you’re so random, I can’t believe you Girl 1: I know but it’s so much fun, and I miss Stephanie’s salads Girl 2: Haha your so right, we need to plan this outting this has to happen sometime soon

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Diversity has many different faces at Boston College

By Cal Greene III Features Editor General Electric (GE) is one corporation that has been on the forefront of adapting their company to modern times. The official statement on diversity from their website states: “By sharing information, bestpractices, education, and experience, we help one another develop the leadership skills and career-advancing opportunities needed to drive GE’s success far into the future.”

GE is dedicated to fostering a work place environment that is inclusive of all people, is accepting of differences, and seeks to derive synergies from their diverse work force.

GE’s commitment to diversity is based off of two main ideas: that the world is global, something CEO Jeffrey Immelt emphasizes every chance he can, and that diversity is a host of different traits that come together and influence the society, or workplace, in which we live.

Within a corporation, diversity mostly includes topics dealing with attributes and ancestry; at Boston College, it is much more broad because the school pulls students from all walks of life and corners of the globe with one common goal: the desire to grow in knowledge and spirit. At BC there is a large focus on diversity in terms of race, but students are more than skin deep. What defines a person is by no means skin deep. Students at BC have different religious backgrounds, different sexual orientations, are from different socioeconomic stratas, and are from many different places.

Every student’s experience at BC is different. Diversity is a topic still not widely talked about. In some ways, it is swept under the rug and discussed shallowly among those who are of like mind, but the issue israrely explored deeper. ‘What is it like to be gay at BC?’ ‘How does it feel to be one of the only people here from your high school?’ ‘How does your experience here change if you’re Jewish or Muslim?’

‘What if you do not dress like you walked out of the J. Crew store downtown? BC has little diversity in terms of states represented by students, religion, sexual orientation, race and socio-economic status. Students coming from a diverse background are affected by that lack of diversity in different ways. Some students have good experiences, some have bad ones and some are indifferent. As long as the conversation is swept under the rug, no progress can be made to make BC a better community.

One sentiment echoed by many students is that BC culture is kind of monotonous. In many ways it seems like BC culture mimics the Augusta National Golf Club. Some

students note that if you do not look or act like you just finished sailing or walked out of the Vineyard Vines store downtown you are more likely to feel like you are somewhat different than your classmates. This feeling held by the general population at BC is also supported by the degree to which BC’s stereotype of the general student population “looking like they walked out of a J. Crew catalogue” is true.

Since most people at BC are from New England or the New York Tri-State area, it should come as no surprise that the majority of the students are fairly similar in terms of culture. Senior Connor Corrigan from Corona Del Mar, CA commented, “I like that BC mimics that stereotypical New England culture, that’s kind of why I came here. I wanted to be in a different environment than at home.” Most students do not focus on the fact that there are few people from outside the East Coast.

Religion also plays a large role in a person’s life, but few realize that BC students are not just Catholic. Two big question that most

Photo by Gillian Freedman

non-Catholics ask at freshman orientation are “How religious is BC?” and “Do you have to be Catholic to go here?” Of course BC is rooted in Jesuit ideology, but the school makes it clear that they welcome all faiths and walks of life. That view is just as true for students and faculty.

“People at BC love meeting Jewish people.

Its makes the dedication to my position as President of the Student Coalition for Israel worth it,” commented senior Andrew Ferenczi. Most students will agree that religion at BC is what you make of it and student culture is fairly apathetic when it comes to topics of religion.

Being part of the broader Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community has always been difficult. There are many dimensions to sexuality and many false perceptions of LGBT individuals.

At BC, most LGBT students claim to be comfortable here despite BC being cited as an “LGBT unfriendly” school by The Princeton Review. In reality LGBT students see BC in two ways: the administration and the broader

BC student body.

“If you do not have to deal with the administration, then life at BC is very easy, but working with the administration is much less open. The majority of students are very open and accepting besides the occasional drunk kids making dumb comments but those are few and far between,” said Carolyn McCrosson, a senior and President of the GLBTQ Leadership Council. Many in the LGBT community at BC see little problems mixing with other students, and many share the feeling that BC students are very open and accepting.

Race has been an issue on BC’s campus for a while now and has been at the forefront in discussions about diversity on campus.

With 6 percent, 11 percent and 9 percent of the student population being of AfricanAmerican, Asian or Hispanic decent, respectively, it is not surprising that the lack of racial diversity and mutual understanding causes flares from time to time.

Racial diversity is not all difficult and many students who consider themselves AHANA have no problem making friends with those outside of their race. Some question the need of the Office of AHANA Student Programs and other culture groups. Those same groups are seeking to foster more open discussion and fun events that include the entire BC community. For example the number of non-AHANA students who attend the ALC Boat Cruise and Showdown show how the community is becoming more open.

What many students see as the biggest divide among the BC community is socio-economic status.

“BC seems like a very rich school and sometimes I feel like I do not fit in” said one junior who wished to remain anonymous. Socioeconomic status is the hardest barrier to combat because of the perceived embarrassment that could come from discussing it, but the conversation is happening. This is another area where it is what you make of it.

“I’ve never really thought about how much money someone has here. I do not really hear issues coming up. I can understand why some would feel awkward but at the same time I do not think anyone cares.

We’re all just trying to be chill here,” comment senior Sofia Martinez.

Like Seth Myers said at the 2011 White House Correspondence Dinner, “Donald Trump said he had a good relationship with ‘the blacks’, but unless the blacks are a family of white people I’m sure he’s mistaken.” Most at BC will not make the same mistake Donald Trump did in his exploratory presidential campaign. Despite

Photo by Gillian Freedman

all of the opinions at BC, the best part of the school is the general openness students have with each other. Students at BC see each other as people and although BC has little racial diversity, the openness of the student community makes up for it. There are not a

Photo by Gillian Freedman

lot of problems concerning the interaction of diverse students at BC with the broader community, but most students will agree that it seems as though students divide themselves along familiar lines and tend not to go out of their comfort zone.

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I love Drake but, not in O’Neill, turn your music down!

By Nora Jean-Baptiste Gavel Media Staff The yellow signs that seem to be at every corner of O’Neill Library are not bright enough for some students. Anyone who seeks refuge from a loud roommate, distracting friends or simply is dedicated enough to leave the comfort of his or her room for the sole purpose of studying has seen these bright yellow signs that say “Quiet Zone.” “People go to the library to escape noise, not to deal with it again,” said one student who has had enough. Although the “No Texting” bullet point (one of the many that defines what “Quiet Zone” implies) is quite frankly unreasonable, the general understanding is that students will respect each other by not listening to their music at the loudest possible volume, with as much bass as possible and most importantly by not talking.

Everyone loves Drake and Coldplay but unless Chris Martin will volunteer himself to take the exam that students are studying for, or Drake will somehow appear and finish the homework, the majority will agree that this is not the time to be distracted by them. “Dude, it’s like they don’t get it,” said a nursing student who needs every single second of studying she can get. The

problem may in fact be that they do not realize how incredibly loud their music is playing. With music that loud, one could probably go to the Park Street train station where trains are coming and going in every direction and still peacefully do homework without any distractions, the student went on to say. Why go to the library and disturb the other students who cannot work with

noise?

Even more bewildering is the fact that some students who have no problem boasting about their incredible SAT scores cannot associate “Quiet Zone” with quiet mouths. They do not bother using their inside voices. No, they are convinced that everyone in the library would be delighted to hear about their weekends, or how they

Photo credit wikicommons.org

got dumped by their boyfriends. There are a few, nevertheless, who do try to be more polite by whispering; except that does not actually work. The attempt is truly appreciated, but it is so loud they may as well be talking. When it does qualify as a whisper, not only are students already distracted by the soft hard-to-distinguish words, but they must make an effort to actually hear what is being said as it is often an interesting conversation.

Many of the students that I spoke with have tried to hint their annoyance by clearing their throat, or looking over repeatedly with the hope that the person realizes he or she is being rude. Others, however, choose to avoid conflict by gathering their things and moving to another part of the library only to meet another inconsiderate student. BC Libraries were foolish to think that yellow signs would capture everyone’s attention, and to think that having so many of them would actually work. Not for these Boston College students. So please turn your headphones down! Midterms suck and the music blasting from the side of your head is making my study session go a lot slower (not to mention the consistent thumpa thumpa is probably killing a few much need brain cells).

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Editorials

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Republicans’ Jobs Act fails to strengthen economy On Thursday, October 13th, Senate Republicans introduced the Jobs Through Growth Act. This bill serves as an alternative to the American Jobs Act revealed

by President Obama last month. The Republican plan seeks to repeal the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”), reduce the top marginal tax rate for individuals and corporations to 25 percent, repeal the Dodd-Frank regulatory reform act passed in the wake of the 2008 crash, prohibit the implementation of any new federal regulations until the unemployment rate is 7.7 percent or lower, and restrict the EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gasses through the Clean Air Act among others.

The implementation of the reforms advanced by this Act would have debilitating effects on the economy, the environment, and the middle class. The policies

invoked by this Act have been proven less effective at creating jobs than the types of policies adopted by Obama in his jobs bill.

The two biggest myths progressed and inherent to this bill are the notion of regulation killing jobs and of taxes burdening “job creators.”

In a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which examined the reasons given by business for mass layoffs between 2008 and the present, “government regulation” was cited as the reason for only 0.28 percent of the layoffs on average over the three and a half year period. Conversely, “lack of demand” was cited as the reason for 38.1 percent of the layoffs during the same time period. These statistics expose the inaccuracy of the Republican propaganda concerning this issue and are indicative of the need for aggressive

demand-side policies during periods of recession.

Also, according to the calculation of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau of Economic Analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, both employment and GDP increased at greater rates during the Clinton tax increase (August 1993-March 2001) than during the Bush tax cut (June 2001-December 2007). Tax revenue allows the government to found and expand programs that directly create and stabilize jobs. Taxes should not be viewed as a burden on society, but rather as a means through which individual citizens can contribute to the greatness of our country by helping support things such as schools, roads, courts, and copyright laws that provide the catalyzing framework for

individual success.

We at Gavel Media recognize that regulations and taxes are not the leading factors stunting job creation. We also understand that it is not just about creating jobs, but rather about creating jobs that pay a decent wage, provide reasonable stability, and mandate proper benefits.

The Jobs Through Growth Act fails as an attempt to strengthen our economy, as it structures itself around untenable policies and buttresses the exploitation of labor vis-à-vis decreased government regulation. Congress must instead pass the American Jobs Act and guarantee the creation of new jobs without subjecting the working class and our environment to further corporate-driven oppression.

Increased police presence must aim to help students Recently, much has been made of the increased presence by BCPD around campus. Students have voiced concerns that, while BCPD says that they have good intentions, the reality is that they are simply aiming to increase alcohol citations.

This increased police presence comes in response to a threatening increase in thefts around Boston College, both on and off campus. Due to this increase, it is obvious that some action must be taken to reduce criminal actions.

However, it remains undetermined whether or not this action is being made in the right direction.

In addition to the dangers associated

with robbery, the community is also subject to numerous sexual assaults per year. And despite the issue of the cancellation of the fall concert, students seeking help for alcohol related issues are an important concern for BC. The question that must be addressed, though, is whether or not increased police presence is actually aimed at helping students who are facing immediate problems due to alcohol consumption.

One thing to keep in mind is that increased police presence does not necessarily equate to increased arrests or documentations. One of the major objectives of any police force is to serve

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.

as a deterrent to potential criminals and violations. Having increased patrols and additional officers stationed at different locations on campus could serve as a deterrent to crime.

If BCPD is using this initiative to reduce rates of theft, decrease the prevalence of sexual assaults and provide assistance to students using the help-seeking policy, then their actions are noble and should be commended.

On the other hand, if this is a backhanded attempt at increasing alcohol violations for drunken party-goers, the increased police presence will not be having the proper effect. Rather than working on forming a better

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 HALFTERMEYER, Copy Editor GILLIAN FREEDMAN, Photo Editor JOHN MASTER, Assoc. Features Editor JONATHAN DAME, Assoc. Opinions Editor SOFIA MARTINEZ, Assoc. Culture Editor OLIVIA SIMONE, Assoc. Culture Editor

relationship with students, BCPD will alienate much of the student population that would normally support their efforts.

BCPD is a valuable resource for students to use – one that is not exclusive to students who have experienced crimes, sexual assaults or alcohol violations. It would be wise for both students and police officers alike to keep this in mind when making decisions.

The police officers are not only there for protection or citations, they are an important source of help on campus, insofar that they maintain this image through their decisions.

Video Department MEGHANA KUTHYAR, Video Manager ALYSSA SHAFFER, Assoc. Video Editor KATIE YAO, Video Assistant Business and Operations RYAN LEAHY, General Manager XIOMARA LOPEZ, Advertising Director DAPHNE WANG, Ass’t Advertising Director CHRISTIAN FIEDLER, Finance Director MADELINE BAEZ, Assoc. Finance Director ARUEM SHIN, Marketing Director TAYLOR MCELDOWNEY, Marketing Director ARUN PARMAR, Human Resources Director CHRISTIAN DE LOS SANTOS, Online Manager

Cover art by Gillian Freedman

Opinions

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‘Obamacare’ is good first start towards universal coverage

By Jonathan Dame Assoc. Opinions Editor The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. The Act and its stipulations are now more commonly referred to as “Obamacare,” a term that was created and effectively injected into the public discourse by Republicans opposing the Act. Despite having been signed into law over one year ago, the nation is still heavily divided and immersed in debate over the constitutionality, practicality, and necessity of the reform.

Most of the steps taken to repeal PPACA have been wholly symbolic, such as the passage of a bill to repeal the act by the US House of Representatives back in January.

However, it is becoming increasingly evident that the constitutionality of the individual mandate (the portion of the law that requires every US citizen to purchase health insurance or else pay a fine) will be determined by the US Supreme Court; just recently the Obama administration requested that the court overturn an 11th

Circuit ruling that declared the mandate unconstitutional.

Although the Act unfortunately does not establish a public health insurance option, the steps it takes towards improving our failing healthcare system are substantial and essential. Republicans often overtly or implicitly suggest that the 50 million uninsured Americans lack healthcare because of their own deviance. Adequate healthcare is not something that ought to be competed for in a country as prosperous as the United States. Here, access to affordable healthcare should be the right of every citizen regardless of class. Currently, we have a for-profit healthcare system that is becoming increasingly unaffordable and inefficient in serving the needs of the general public. For example, if the cost of eggs had increased at the same rate as healthcare costs since 1945, a dozen eggs would cost $55.

Similarly, a gallon of milk would cost $48.

Having a for-profit healthcare system means that the primary focus of health insurance companies is increasing profits for its shareholders, a

Although the Act unfortunately does not establish a public health insurance option, the steps it takes towards improving our failing health care system are essential.

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

defining characteristic of modern American corporations. When dealing with issues of life and death, it is reckless and outrageous that such a system is currently in place.

Nevertheless, let us ignore the 50 million uninsured Americans for the time being, and discuss the millions of insured Americans, who, despite paying hefty insurance fees, are still not receiving adequate coverage.

Insured citizens are being dropped from coverage upon the diagnosis of an illness, having to deal with lifetime and annual “caps” on the amount of coverage they are able to receive, and being denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions after being dropped by another provider. The reason for these injustices is clear: they allow the insurers to realize greater profits. The well being of America’s citizens is being valued below the profitability of some of its largest corporations. The PPACA takes instrumental steps towards fixing that. When the new law

takes full effect, insurance companies can no longer stop covering a patient for getting sick, will be prevented from imposing lifetime or annual caps on patients, will be required to accept adults and children with pre-existing conditions, and must cover preventative care and basic checkups without imposing copays.

Republicans love to demonize socialized medicine in all forms, especially the universal healthcare models of Europe and Canada.

However, according to the World Health Organization, the United States healthcare system ranks 37th in the world, behind most of Europe. Canada is ranked 30th and the number 1 and 2 spots go to France and Italy respectively, countries which have a singlepayer, universal healthcare model. It is also important to note that the U.S. is ranked 2nd in the world in terms of health expenditures as a percentage of GDP, with only the Marshall Islands spending more.

Our for-profit healthcare system is not working. We are spending more than any other industrialized nation, yet we are failing to ensure that every citizen has the right be healthy. The ultimate goal of health reform in the U.S. should be universal healthcare for all run by the government. The PPACA is a substantive first step towards such a radical reform, and must be vehemently defended

by Democrats to ensure that the universal model remains achievable.

‘Occupy’ protests give essential populist spark to the Left

By Kenny St. John Opinions Editor Populist political movements are sprinkled throughout American history. There is the Populist Party back in the 1890s that advocated for free silver and ran William Jennings Bryan in an unsuccessful bid for president. You also have the Progressive “Bull Moose” Party in 1912, led by Teddy Roosevelt. Perhaps the most famous populist movement was under Governor and later Senator of Louisiana Huey Long, whose “Share Our Wealth” program during the Great Depression was more ambitious than the New Deal in making higher education more accessible and putting people back to work.

In the current economic downturn, America has seen the unemployment rate stubbornly stay at 9.1 percent, while recent college graduates join ranks with veterans of the workforce recently laid off on the unemployment line. There is a huge problem with millions of able people out of work, especially when the average American CEO makes 475 times as much as the average American worker. In addition, the wealthiest 1 percent of the country are taking in more of the nation’s income than ever before, own half of the stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, and own 40 percent of the nation’s

wealth, yet only own 5 percent of the nation’s personal debt. These facts are both alarming and disgusting, and speak to the sad state our economy is in.

Last month, the “Occupy Wall Street” protest was started and organized via email and the Internet by several progressive organizations. On September 17th, the protests began in Zuccotti Park in downtown Manhattan, just a few blocks away from Wall Street. The protests center on the idea that they are representing the 99 percent of Americans that are at the mercy of corporate greed. Now almost one month since the protests started, they have spread to other cities throughout the country, including Boston, Washington, DC, and San Diego.

The “New York City General Assembly” serves as the protest’s governing body, and recently released a “Declaration of the Occupation of New York City.” The declaration outlines the aims of the protests, some of which include progressive goals, like raising taxes on the rich and corporations, ending corporate welfare, support for trade unionism, and preserving Medicare and Social Security in their traditional forms.

While no single leader has emerged, that might be the true beauty of the movement: that it is an organic, natural reaction of people voicing and airing their grievances in a public forum.

The reaction to the protests has been mixed. It has been praised and supported by many Democrats in Congress and notable progressive figures such as Michael Moore. However, conservatives such as GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain have proved to be oblivious of the effects of the recession on the American job market. Cain even stated, “Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks, if you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself !” He later claims that the protests were organized by the Obama Administration to distract people from its policy shortcomings, but then states that he has no evidence to back up this absurd claim.

Another criticism of the protests comes from the Tea Party, which maintains that tax cuts for the wealthy will create jobs.

However, the statistics prove this assertion to be utterly false. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, total US employment in January of 1993, when Clinton took office, was 109.7 million. In January of 2001, when George W. Bush took office and shortly after he passed his tax cuts, that figure was at 132.5 million. By January 2009, at the time George W. Bush left office, employment was at 133.5 million, but jobs were being lost at a rate of 650,000 per month.

Basically, 23 million jobs were created in the 8 years before the Bush tax cuts and

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

practically no jobs were created since the Bush tax cuts. The only job growth and employment growth since the Bush tax cuts occurred from 2003-2008 - but these jobs were due to bubbles in housing, credit, and commodities. How do we know the jobs were due to bubbles and not tax cuts? Because the jobs disappeared when the bubbles burst.

America needs protests and populist movements such as these to bring economic injustices to the forefront of public debate and into the national spotlight. The vast majority of protestors in the “Occupy” movement believe in the common-sense notion that capitalism is not fundamentally evil; it just needs to be regulated by the government in order for it to work fairly and effectively for everyone. “Occupy” may very well become exactly what the Democratic Party needs: a populist spark to counter the Tea Party, and by greater extension, the Republicans, in the 2012 elections.

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Administration misleads on concert moratorium

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

By Frank Rizzo Gavel Media Staff The Administration and Undergraduate Government of Boston College held a State of the Heights forum concerning the Concert Moratorium on Wednesday, October 8th. I was a first row attendee at the event, and needless to say, there are some things to report and opine on.

Three administrative officials were in attendance to take questions: Dr. Patrick Rombalski (VP of Student Affairs), Paul Chebator (Dean of Student Development), and Mark Miceli (Associate Director of Student Programs). Miceli, perhaps the most artificial of the aforementioned administrators, led the introduction to the State with a false statement: “At no point are BC officials searching for drunk students.” Miceli, you are indeed out of touch.

As made clear through a conversation I had with Kevin Wickersham, a vice president of Eagle EMS,“I talk to the officers at these events, and their policy is to assume that all students are intoxicated.” In other words, before students even arrive at Conte Forum, all of the officers there assume drunkenness. If you trip up the stairs and an officer sees you?

Expect a breathalyzer. Dancing in the crowd before the concert? Expect an officer to tap you on the back for a breathalyzer, for after all, you are assumed to be drunk.

But it indeed gets better, in that poor administrative policy sense. Towards the beginning of the talk, Chris Faherty, the President of Eagle EMS, entertained questions relating to the specific details of alcohol-related transports during previous concerts. The administration has based their reasoning for moratorium on the EMS transport average of 35. The number is the average amount of student transports from the concert by

Eagle EMS during the Kid Cudi and J. Cole concerts. Faherty made it clear to me that all students with a recorded BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) over .02 who have no available 21-year-old to pick them up, are indeed transported. In other words, if a student has had 1-2 drinks, he or she is sent to the infirmary, hospital, or placed in protective custody for the night.

Yes, the legal drinking age is 21, and I understand that the law determines those intoxicated and under the age at any level to be unfit to make decisions for themselves, but there are alternate solutions. The term “drunk tank,” has been coined to describe the quasi-waiting rooms at certain collegiate institutions where students under the age of 21 are placed, due to their low level of intoxication. These institutions have volunteers and trained EMS assistants on duty to assist students back to dorm rooms and to provide water and snacks. If these students prove to be at the bottom slope of their drunkenness, then there will be assistants there to help if a transport ends up being necessary.

With this in mind, my priority grievance with the administration is something different, although I do think “drunk tanks” should be looked into and eventually implemented. What is wrong with this whole concert moratorium debacle is that the administration has deliberately avoided a qualitative assessment of the transport number average.

The administration has claimed to be looking out for student alcohol abuse, and rightly so.

I do not blame the administration for transporting students that actually require medical attention. However, this is not what their number reflects. They have thrown this figure of 35 in our faces, portraying concert nights to include 35 transports of students who have engaged in “high-risk drinking.” It is simply not the case.

I personally know three students who were transported to the hospital, having breathalyzed below a .09. They were not vomiting and barely drunk, yet they were grouped into the statistic the administration has presented to us. The truth is that drinking levels are the same at concerts as they are at football games and normal weekends. Kids who get hammered are going to get hammered, and those that have a couple drinks will do just that too. My position is simple: the cancellation of this concert has not imporoved student saftey. The administration has been deliberately misleading with their data, and come concert night, students will be slamming shots in their dorm rooms and heading off campus.

Dancing in the crowd before the concert? Expect an officer to tap you on the back for a breathalyzer, for after all, you are assumed to be drunk.

Res Life: keeping us safe while taking our money

By Jenna LaConte Gavel Media Staff For many students at Boston College, Residential Life serves as the strict parents they had hoped to escape by coming to college.

Although we often see Res Life as the enemy, BC could not function without the RAs keeping everyone in check. Nobody wants to be kept awake all night by their next-door neighbor’s bass-pounding stereo, and for the scary nights when a student’s drinking has put him or her in serious danger, RAs are there to make sure the situation does not get out of hand.

Those who make the mistake of being in a room with loud music and visible alcohol while the RAs do their rounds will likely find themselves in a meeting with a Res Life employee, in which their fates lie in the hands of the almighty community standards matrix.

These meetings are an opportunity for dialogue in which a Res Life representative decides whether a student holds responsibility for the incident in question.

For students found responsible, sanctions usually include a level of probation and a form of educational retribution, such as a reflective paper. There is, however, one aspect of Res Life’s sanctions that even the strictest of parents could not justify imposing upon their children: fines upwards of $100.

Between the end of last semester and the beginning of this semester, I accumulated two separate alcohol-related offenses. I met with the Assistant Director of Residential Life, Monica St. Louis, who put me on housing probation, as dictated by the community standards matrix. As I scrolled through the email summarizing my sanction, I fully accepted the probation itself and the Alcohol and Drug Education referral towards the ninety-minute CHOICES class, which costs $50. My heart nearly stopped, however, when I read that I owed a fine of $200, meaning that the sanction would drain a total of $250 of my own money.

I stared at my computer in shock, thinking about my already-pathetic bank account.

To a college student, $200 is a significant investment; I cannot think of a single item for which I would be willing to pay that much money. I read through the email, which stated that if I felt that the fine posed “a significant and substantial financial hardship,” I could make a request that would be “subject to review through the Financial Aid Office.”

Initially, the mention of financial aid deterred me from arguing the fine. Seeing as financial aid relates to my parents’ money, the financial aid offices would not deem me unable to pay a $200 fine. But I began to question this. Does BC expect parents to pay the fine, in which case students are not the ones actually punished? Or, if BC does expect us to pay the fines ourselves, how can they fairly determine whether or not each student can personally afford a $200 fine?

I decided to email St. Louis and ask for an alternative option to paying the fine. Based on the first email I had received, I expected either a flat out denial or a referral to someone in the Financial Aid Office, which is why I was surprised by her response which described my request as “totally understandable” and offered that I could “convert [the fine] to community restitution.” She put me in contact with Corey Smetana, a graduate assistant in the Office of the Dean for Student Development, with whom I corresponded about the completion of 20 hours of community service to replace the $200 fine.

The statement that all appeals must go through the financial aid offices intentionally dissuades students from petitioning fines. Financial aid was not mentioned a single time throughout my conversations with St. Louis and Smetana, and once I realized this was the case, I spread the word to a couple of people who have also recently received housing probation. They, too, easily replaced their fines with community service without speaking to anyone in the financial aid offices.

It is completely unethical that Res Life fails to mention the opportunity for community service hours when sanctioning a student found responsible for an offense.

This is solely an attempt to capitalize off of students getting in trouble, when they could just as easily give the option of either paying a fine or enrolling in community restitution.

As a school that outskirts the city of Boston, BC has countless volunteer options readily available in places such as schools, hospitals, and shelters. By pushing problematic students in the direction of community service, such students could have fulfilling experiences that enrich their lives and give them activities beyond sitting in dorm rooms drinking. Unfortunately, Res Life is more interested in financially gaining from students’ misdeeds than sending students out to redeem themselves by giving back to the community.

Does BC expect parents to pay the fine, in which case students are not the ones actually punished? Or, if BC does expect us to pay the fines ourselves, how do they fairly determine whether or not each student can personally afford a $200 fine?

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Amanda Knox verdict Why Elizabeth Warren is raises uncertain questions the best senate candidate

By Michael Natalie Gavel Media Staff The most recent development in the legal battles following the murder of Meredith Kercher sent shockwaves of controversy throughout the world. In 2009, defendants Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito had been convicted and sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison, respectively. Now, in 2011, the decision was overturned on the basis of problems with the forensic evidence, allegations of police brutality, and the general unreliability of the witnesses involved.

Special mention goes to Rudy Guede on that front, as Guede is the only one among the three accused to remain in prison (with comparatively little controversy) and it had been he who had claimed to see Sollecito leaving the apartment within the time frame of the murder. Make of that what you will, but Sollecito had not generated anywhere near as much controversy and media buzz as Knox, regardless.

The anti-Knox camp claims that she has shown signs of sociopathic behavior and comment on her lack of an alibi for the time of the murders. They point at the fallacy inherent in discounting a possible presence at the time of the murder as, at a minimum, a likely accomplice. I would respond that attempting to discern someone’s whereabouts on the basis of circumstantial evidence is fallacy in itself; however, Knox and Sollecito’s contradictory testimonies regarding their whereabouts suggest to me they have got something to hide. Even then, it could be just as easily argued that they were simply frightened, which (perhaps too conveniently) fits well within the framework of the defense’s allegations of police brutality. The Kerchers themselves were understandably stunned and blindsided by the overturn of the verdict, and according to the U.K. news service The Telegraph, Sollecito’s parents commented that they do not feel the entire truth is out there yet.

Prosecutor arguments regarding Knox’s participation in the murder were rather weak; when trying to construct a motive they alternately argued for jealousy, ritual sacrifice, drug-induced rage or a bizarre sex game gone wrong.

Furthermore, the prosecution failed to demonstrate with any degree of certainty

Knox’ presence in the room of the murder, and to connect her with the murder weapon.

It is a matter of no small debate whether our commitment to the maxim “innocent until proven guilty” preserved the freedom of an innocent youth, or resulted in a glaring violation of common sense and justice. The spotty and inconsistent media coverage did nothing to improve the issue and even now, I can feel my own sympathies in a constant state of flux.

What bothers me is that the new verdict was heralded as a triumph of the legal

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

system and an effective demonstration of our commitment to hard evidence. It has been four years, and there are almost no clear answers. All that has really been established is Guede’s guilt. The Kerchers have little justice and less closure. On the subject of Sollecito and especially Knox, we know nothing and have decided that we cannot forge a conviction from nothing. Congratulations, now tell the Kerchers something they do not know. My question is why, in a society as supposedly advanced as ours, have we failed so miserably at gaining a concrete understanding of what happened? People are not perfect, but that is no excuse for stagnation. If you support Ms. Knox, you have to ask what kept her there for four years, and if you do not, you have to question how and why the prosecution went to trial so grievously unprepared.

The truth always exists for those willing to seek it, and indeed, this verdict does not mean people have stopped looking.

That said, will anyone find it in time to give this family the comfort it deserves?

The new verdict was heralded as a triumph of the legal system and an effective demonstration of our commitment to hard evidence. It has been four years, and there are almost no clear answers.

By Ricardo Sanchez Gavel Media Staff One of the most closely watched races of the 2012 elections is the United States Senate election in Massachusetts. This race will decide whether or not the Republican incumbent, Scott Brown, will get to serve a full six-year term in the U.S. Senate, after pulling off a major upset in a January 2010 special election to finish the term of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Though the election is over a year away, the race to choose the Democratic nominee to run against Brown is already underway. Considered by many to be the favorite to win the nomination is Elizabeth Warren, an attorney and Harvard Law professor from Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Born in Oklahoma City into a middle class family, Warren grew up facing many economic struggles. After her father died of a heart attack when she was only twelve years old, her family was left with mounting medical bills. Her mother was forced to work multiple jobs to pay their mortgage, and her family ultimately lost their car. Warren attended George Washington University on scholarship, and went on to study law at Rutgers School of LawNewark, where she served as an editor of the Rutgers Law Review. Married to Jim Warren at the age of 19 (they would later divorce), Elizabeth is a mother of two. After graduating from Rutgers Law with her Juris Doctor, Warren worked from home as a real estate attorney.

In 1992, Elizabeth Warren began teaching at Harvard Law School as a professor of contract, bankruptcy, and commercial law. She has authored nine books, two of which were national best sellers. During the financial meltdown of 2008, she was appointed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), also known as the Financial Bailout of 2008. Warren won great praise from both Democrats and Republicans for her work on the Panel, as she worked relentlessly to hold Wall Street accountable and, most importantly, to protect the interests of middle-class taxpayers.

Having won the 2009 Boston Globe “Bostonian of the Year” award for her work on the Panel, Warren was also named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2009 and 2010. Warren was a strong advocate of the

Photo courtesy of cop.senate.gov

creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which became a centerpiece of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, signed into law

by President Barack Obama in 2010. Warren was President Obama’s first choice to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, but with Republicans sticking to their policy of obstruction and blocking her nomination, the President was forced to choose a more centrist candidate.

A fighter for the middle class, Elizabeth Warren is a truly progressive candidate, gaining popularity for her views on economic policy, namely those of progressive taxation. Early polls suggest Warren is in a virtual deadlock with Brown, some even showing her to have a narrow lead over the incumbent. Those poll numbers surged after her admirable performance in the most recent primary debate on October 4th.

Having already received endorsements from Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (D-MA) and former U.S. Senator and progressive icon, Russ Feingold (DWI), Warren seems well on her way to winning her party’s nomination. This election may very well decide which party controls the Senate after 2012, and therefore will certainly impact which direction the nation moves in in the coming years. This will undoubtedly be a great race to watch, and at the moment, no candidate seems more qualified and more poised to win than Elizabeth Warren.

“I could use ten more progressives in the Senate—or one Elizabeth Warren.”

-former U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone (DWI)

Culture Culture

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European music streaming Software catches the American ear

By Olivia Simone Assoc. Culture Editor Attention music fanatics: there is a new search engine that deserves your interest.

Spotify, a Swedish music streaming software,

Atlantic Ocean making it available to the United States as of this past July.

The search engine prides itself on its social networking abilities making it virtually synchronized with Facebook and Twitter.

Photo courtesy of Spotify allows its users to stream music online from a library that boasts access to more than 15 million songs.

The users can then create playlists with the click of a button and can instantly share their selections with friends on Facebook. A hybrid of Pandora’s genre orientated radioesque capabilities and iTunes’ music library and playlist features, Spotify is a precious must-have for those who are in constant need of background music.

So what, you may ask yourself, is the deal with yet another music search engine? Simply put, Spotify is the gold music addicts have been digging for. Comparative to a mini iTunes Store, Spotify allows its users to browse through pre-made themed playlists, top albums and songs, newly released albums, and any musical artist of interest as well as related artists you might also enjoy.

While iTunes requires its users to purchase songs in order to hear them at full length, Spotify, downloaded for free off the internet, offers its users the rare joy of full length

songs at no cost. Yes, you can “download� these songs and compile a Spotify library of your own. Spotify even combines songs from your iTunes library and Windows Media Player with its own library for convenient collaboration of songs you already have. Be warned: this is a privilege only as good as your internet permits. No doubt, the streams are

great sound qualErik Stattin, Wikimedia Commons ity and nonexistent interruptions (except for the occasional advertisement between songs), but the second you leave the comfort of wireless internet and enter the dreadful “dead� zone your library is suddenly one third its original size in terms of songs you can play.

With the emphasis of portability in today’s world, Spotify in its simplest version has its limitations.

While the software limits your music library to internet access it also is not possible to upload your music to an mp3 player. Luckily, as with most music download software of today, if you upgrade to the premium version you can enjoy your library

at any time and with the pleasure of transferring your songs to your mp3 for $9.99 a month.

Spotify offers an effortless way to listen to music without having to compile your own playlist. The radio feature is comprised of 27 genres ranging from the twang of country singers to beat drops of house music to the rhythm of hip-hop beats, and everything in between. Unlike the frustrating limitations of Pandora, Spotify allows its users to skip as many songs as they like—yes, no longer will you have to endure clichÊ songs that you do not really want to hear because sixty minutes have yet to pass.

While Pandora is excellent in determining a music listener’s personal preference for a type of music, the Spotify radio has a much harder time distinguishing what you want to hear. For example, when you listen to Spotify’s 70’s radio station ready for the harmonica solos of Neil Young, you forget that

all rightly belong to the era—you really get it

Be part of the action.

all. Perfect for when you’re in that awkward mood of exhaustion when your classes are

home, and annoyance that you now have homework to do, Spotify also allows you to listen to multiple radio station genres for a mixture of different musical feels.

In one simple swoop, if you enjoy discovering new music, sharing new music, and listening to music at all times, then Spotify is a noteworthy musical search engine that would spark your interest. If you have a Facebook (and let’s be real, who does not have a Facebook) Spotify is for you. Then again, for those of you who feel oddly creepy by the amount of information you now know

years on Facebook’s new newsfeed, Spotify does not exactly help you out.

Spotify’s homepage permits access to any playlists your friends make public and when you listen to a song on Spotify it will instantly show up on Facebook as well. It is a music software built on a social networking platform. Of course, you could probably block Facebook from posting your music mood of the moment, but it does open up the opportunity to be introduced to new music from friends with similar tastes (at least that’s what Spotify says).

At any rate, in a world plagued with evil computer viruses and a general lack of unlimited funds necessary to legally download songs, what better than to fashion a library of songs you love that can be easily streamed?

That’s right, you spotted it.

Photo courtesy of Gulleditt, Wikimedia Commons

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# 1 ! &' ) '(% ' ## #%" %

By Ricardo SĂĄnchez Gavel Media Staff Manhattan Short Film Festival, one of the &' "#*" # 1 ! &' ) & &# "#*" as Manhattan Short, received nearly 600 en-

Tim’s dick,� the boy’s parents begin to question the boy’s sexual orientation. As they discuss the matter in private, the boy’s mother suggests that their son is simply becoming sexually curious and that it is normal for children to “experiment� with the same sex.

“David and Goliath,� made in the United States, was named the winner of the 2011 " '' " #%' ! &' ) 1 ! based on a true story, is an excellent example of human (and animal) compassion 1 ! & #(' * & ( ' ) ) being chased through the woods by police in Nazi Germany. Eventually he sees a smal farm with a barking German shepher and a doghouse in the yard. Goliath, the German shepherd, miraculously calms down as the fugitive approaches and lets the fugitive hide "& & # #(& & ' - # 1 %& $proach the cottage, the dog begins barking violently again, causing them to overlook the doghouse as a possible hiding place for the fugitive. The fugitive spends the night in the doghouse and the farmer even brings him food during the night. The next day, the farmer brings the fugitive to a safer place.

1 ! " & * ' " + %$' # " "' %view with David Bako, the actual fugitive, where he describes how the farmer and his dog saved his life. & 1 ! ' % &' !$ ' #" ! & it was a story of kindness and compassion.

The farmer risked his own life by not turning the fugitive in, saving another life in the process.

Manhattan Short was truly an enriching experience for me. After watching, I had a ) %, 1 ( ' ' ! ##& " !, )#% ' 1 !

I was very impressed by all of them, as they each contained a different message that had a unique impact on me. I highly recommend attending when it returns to Coolidge Corner in 2012.

Now Showing @ Coolidge Corner Theater Drive Action/Adventure/Drama The Debt Suspense/Thriller Midnight in Paris Comedy/Romance My Afternoons With Marguerite Drama 3 Documentary/Drama I Finally Did It Documentary/Action/Comedy

Photo courtesy of John Stephen Dwyer, Wikimedia Commons

tries from 48 countries worldwide this year. (' # "'% & #" , 1" &'& * % chosen to participate in the festival during the week of Sept. 23 to Oct.2. With its slogan “One World. One Week. One Festival,� " '' " #%' & % " ' 1 !& !#% than 700 times in more than 200 cities spanning 6 continents, using the viewers as judges. Viewers were given a voting card upon entry of a showing and were asked to choose #" 1 ! & ' % )#% ' The showings for the Boston area were held in the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline: famous for its old-style, “classic theater� atmosphere, the Coolidge shows very exclu& ) " $ " "' 1 !& ' ' % "#' "#%! , found at larger venues such as AMC or Regal. Founded in 1938, the Coolidge Corner '% & "#" $%#1' " " $ " "' , owned. Just quick train ride down the C-line from Cleveland Circle, the Coolidge Corner Theatre is easily one of the most historical and accessible venues in the Boston area.

It is not surprising that the theatre was the # # $ #% ' " '' " #%' 1 ! & #* " & 1 !& * % % " ' ' % of only 14 seats.

1 ! ! " (&'% * & among my favorites. Unexpectedly funny, ' & 1 ! #!$ & ) * %& '# #"& % ' * , in which a simple misinterpretation could drastically change people’s lives; and how something as innocent as a child’s drawing could bring out a person’s deepest secrets.

Running only 10 minutes, DIK is a story about a young boy who brings home a drawing of a close male friend and himself, with the words “I lik ribin tims dik� scribbled at the top. Interpreting this as “I like rubbing

She then pressures her husband into revealing all of the encounters he has had with the same sex.

Disturbed to learn that some of them took place during his adult years, she angrily reveals that she has been having an affair with her female yoga instructor. This leads the couple into a heated argument involving many homophobic slurs. They eventually '# " ' % ! %% 1 ! " & as the husband is moving out of the house and asks his son what the words on the drawing meant. The boy replies, “I like riding Tim’s bike.� The boy simply had his b’s and d’s mixed up.

1 ! . # '#%0& # / ! " %( certainly kept viewers on their toes throughout. It had a strong message that anything can happen in life, and how we deal with those situations determines the impact they ultimately have on us. This story is about a doctor who worked a side job as a taxi driver to help pay for his ailing mother’s medical bill. On one of his taxi routes, the doctor picks up a man who forces him, at gunpoint, to serve as a getaway driver for his friends involved in a robbery. The doctor eventually has to use his medical expertise to help one of the robbers who is wounded. In return, the wounded robber pays the doctor a generous portion of the stolen money. The doctor uses the money to pay off his mother’s medi & 1 ! & - %% #% * % &#"& First, the idea that a doctor, who usually commands a high wage, is still struggling to pay off bills. It is even more bizarre that the doctor was thrown unexpectedly into a dangerous situation, which ended up turning out for the best.

Photo courtesy of Gkullberg, Wikimedia Commons

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Album review: Wilco’s latest album “The Whole Love� " ! ' Managing Editor The Rolling Stones once labeled Wilco as “one of America’s most consistently interesting bands.� But with a predictable performance on their previous two attempts, some were beginning to wonder whether the band had run out of surprises. Sky Blue Sky and Wilco (The Album) were solid efforts – as evidenced by their popular success. However, both albums seemed to lack a certain creativity and willingness to experiment with new sounds that characterized earlier albums such as A Ghost is Born. They felt straightforward and upbeat – less like works that continued an experimental tradition and more like efforts that seemed resigned to its lack of ambition.

Wilco has always been a band that rode the line between the traditional and the experimental – combining the low-key elements of alternative country with the more exploratory sounds that have accompanied the twenty' "

succeeds once again by venturing into new territories while staying true to their sound – synthesizing the old with the new in a creatively impressive fashion.

And no song announces this reinvention more than “The Art of Almost.� Its gritty, electronic introduction is met abruptly by lead singer Jeff Tweedy’s patented melody and the haunting guitar work before joining the vibrant bass and keyboard elements of

the song. Even Tweedy’s vague yet thoughtprovoking lyrics blend into the song’s landscape – operating like an extension of the melody much like Thom Yorke’s lyrics in Radiohead’s OK Computer. Spanning over seven minutes long, “Almost� is without a doubt one of the most ambitious and experimental songs written by Wilco. And as the premier ' song is a celebration of their creative freedom as much as anything else.

While the rest of the album fails to match the same experimental fervor, the song list takes on an eclectic quality – mixing its Americana roots with the electronic development that the band has undergone over the past decade. “Capitol City� seems to tap into the group’s country origins as the clarinet complements the song’s waltz-like tone. The & ' # $ % # organ that lends it an upbeat tone characteristic of the band’s latest efforts. And while the songs following “Art of Almost� draw more upon the group’s folk-rock foundation, the experimental bent is obvious. Lead guitarist Nels Cline’s bellowing interludes and bassist John Stirratt’s haunting rhythm skews the traditionalist foreground of the album – lending the record “much of its prepiceteetering feel,� as Pitchfork’s Paul Thompson termed it. Stirratt’s chemistry with drummer Glenn Kotche deserves a mention as well as their tandem effort in the formation of the band’s unique and timeless sound.

With regard to the record’s lyrics, Tweedy

Calling ALL Freshmen, This could be YOU:

seems to have confused himself - delving into Yorke-like randomness at times, while lapsing back into a romantic clarity that characterized his earlier efforts. In pre-release interviews, Tweedy suggested that many of his lyrics on “The Whole Love� were formed from a Dada-like spontaneity. Lyrics like “sonic soul with a cold clean tote is a mother� $ % ' suggestions. But as the record progresses, Tweedy seems to lapse back into a more traditionalist mold – making use of the romantic clarity that was ever-present in his earlier songwriting efforts.

Nowhere else on the album is such lucid " & ' $

Sunday Morning.� With lyrics such as “I said it’s your God I don’t believe in/ No, your Bible can’t be true/ Knocked down by the long lie/ He cried I fear what waits for you,� the song shines as one of Wilco’s best recordings of their illustrious career.

Spanning nearly thirteen minutes, its length is

matched only by Tweedy’s gentle intimacy.

Contrary to the album’s opener, it feels very Wilco-esque in nature – as if it could have appeared on any of the group’s earlier efforts.

Just as it appeared that Wilco was fashioning itself a cohesive identity with their last two works, the alternative rock group surprises yet again. Though enigmatic and contradictory at times, “The Whole Love� continues Wilco’s long tradition of accessible, yet experimental alternative rock albums. With Tweedy’s intellectual yet heart felt lyrics and Stirratt’s unique yet catchy bass lines, Wilco ' of America’s most forward thinking rock bands.

Photo courtesy of Giò, Wikimedia Commons

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Need a study break? Boston College Faculty/Staff Art Show musical instrucontributed a piece entitled “Fragments fashioned out of wrenches ment #7 Bunkbed (1982-2020).�

It

by Dom DeLeo, )% % *!& , *!&#$ # !# associate direcis literally part of that Biology midterm in Bapst Library (sorry, tor at the Caa post from an old Professor Hitchcock) and are in desperate # ,% & reer Counseling need of a study break or two, go check out and Graduate bed that has been the faculty art show in the basement of Bapst sawed away from School. Shelley library! It exhibits artwork from members Barber, a library the bed. The wood of the staff here at Boston College who have and archives asis covered in Green #% $% % %$ !&%$ ! % # , sistant at Burns Peace and dinoor in it‌okay the exhibit is largely domiLibrary also saur stickers, with nated by the Fine Arts Department, but it’s Photo by Gillian Freeman/Gavel Media Photo contributed a a couple of Johnny still impressive. Some of the standout pieces set of three unBravo and Dexter include a series of photographs from India by titled photographs, which appear to be slabs cartoons taped on it for good measure. It will Natalie McClain in the Nursing School, and ( #! # % ,#$% " !- make you want to put on a backwards snaptographs upon closer, incredu- back and grunt “So college man.â€? Another lous examination. fun piece is “Fishbowlâ€? by Jeanie Foley from The art show is fun for a the School of Nursing. Ms. Foley took a holnumber of reasons, but proba- lowed out gourd and used a combination of bly the best part of the exhibit burned and dyed wood to create two realistic is trying to discover if any of Siamese Fighting Fish on the gourd.

Overall the Faculty Art show is worth a trip your professors are closet artists. It is exciting getting to see down to the basement in Bapst. The only another dimension of the fac- problem is the lack of advertising that the ulty and a nice little reminder show has received. Do not expect to see any to students about how lucky signs saying “Faculty Art Show this way‌â€? we are to have such a talented You just have to start walking around in the staff here at BC. For example, basement and you’ll stumble upon the show.

Ben Birbaum, Editor of the It is a nice little study break during midterms Photo by Gllian Freeman/Gavel Media Photo Boston College Magazine, though, so go ahead and start rocking out on

By Emily Akin Gavel Media Staff

Dom DeLeo’s “A Heart Wrenching Rendition,� an interactive xylophone made out of wrenches, to relieve some of that pent up stress.

Photo by Gillian Freeman/Gavel Media Photo

Soccer preview: Manchester United continues winning * # ( !, Managing Editor

in his refusal to come on as a substitute in a Champions League match against German powerhouse Bayern Munich. In the same match, fellow striker Edin Dzeko became visibly irate after being substituted during the same game. Tevez has since been suspended and will likely be transferred during the January transfer window. !( ' # $" % % # ! , $$& $ Man City has performed remarkably well. Led by youthful duo of David Silva and budding international superstar Sergio Aguero, City has had lit% "#! , % back end of the net. But as seen in their performance against Bayern Munich, their defensive ability can be suspect as fullbacks Gael Clichy and Micah Richards’ propensity to get forward can leave their opponents with miles of space for a counter-attack.

# #! , # # " # have seen their play decline over the past year. Even the 27 year-old Fernando Torres The more things change in the English has been a disappointment as his struggles to Premier League (EPL), the more they stay , % % ' ## !' # #! $% * # the same. # $%&# * , $ !& Following up on their nineteenth league & # % % %!" ,' , $ % $ $ $! title last season, perennial title contender But their aging stars up top will hold them Manchester United has continued their back from competing with the Manchester winning streak early this season – in spite duo. of a back line that has been limited by inFlush with cash under juries. Young center back, Phil Jones, has the new ownership of performed brilliantly in veteran Rio FerdiFenway Sports Group, nand’s absence. And Aston Villa transfer, manager Kenny DalgAshley Young, has paired with Nani to form lish marked his return to a dynamic pair of wingers. While the young Liverpool with a summer David De Gea has struggled in the goal at spending spree. Bolstertimes, his mistakes have made little impact % # , ( % as Manchester United cruised to the top of young British nationals the table. Despite a propensity to play down like Charlie Adam, Scott to their competition (as evidenced by a 3-3 Downing, and Jordan draw against Swiss side FC Basel in ChamHenderson, the Reds pions League play), United looked like one hope the additions can of the world’s best teams with English supervault them back into star Wayne Rooney leading the EPL with Champions League play nine goals. ( % %!" !&# , $ After being relegated to the league’s third However, early results tier just ten years before, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea follow have been a mixed bag.

United’s cross-town rival, was purchased close behind Downing has performed

by Abu Dhabi United in 2007 – placing After faltering last seawell on the wing, but the organization among the elite as far as son despite high expectaAdam and Henderson Photo courtesy of Jame, Wikimedia Commons , # $!&# $ # ! # &% % tions, Chelsea and their have struggled. And while rapid ascent to the top has come at a cost as new manager Andre Villa-Boas have begun striker Luis Suarez continues to impress, his manager Roberto Mancini has struggled to to retool an aging squad. Despite adding mate up top, Andy Gkullberg Carroll, has manage the egos of some of his top talents. young attacking talent such as Juan Mata "#! $ , % ! % % Elite striker Carlos Tevez fought for a trans- and Romelu Lukaku, Chelsea is beginning the duo has struggled to create the necessary fer during the entire offseason – culminating to see the effects of their age as striker Di- chemistry. While there is not much compe-

tition threatening their journey back to the top of the EPL table, their inconsistency and youth will hold them back from threatening the Manchester clubs for a league title.

North London clubs see their fates reversed Over the past decade, the North London side Arsenal has seemingly dominated their cross-town rivals, Tottenham – losing just once from 1999 to 2009. But a new decade has ushered in a new North London power dynamic as Tottenham took down Arsenal # # % $ ! % $" % , % # coffers over the off-season with the sales of star players like Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, manager Arsene Wenger had dif, & % * % %# $ # ( !( + ( % & % % , !&#$ %! $ $$ # % %$ New center back Per Mertesacker does not appear to have the speed to compete in the % $ $ ! , #$ Arteta and Yossi Benayoun have struggled to replace Fabregas’ playmaking ability. The Gunners’ leaky defense and inconsistent attacking play should make for a long season, as a Champions League berth looks less and less likely.

Meanwhile, Tottenham has only improved + " #$& , # & ! # %! drop his clamoring for a transfer to Chelsea while adding former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor on loan from Manchester City. With Gareth Bale rounding into form and Rafael van der Vaart scoring goals, the Spurs could upset the traditional hierarchy + ' & % !' # ' #"!!! !# %!" !&# , ish.

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EOTO Hits Royale: The new breed of electronic sound

By Olivia Simone Assoc. Culture Editor Thursday, October 6th, EOTO, literally meaning “good sound� in Japanese, once again reigned in their out-of-this-world musical vibe to perform at the Royale in Boston. One step up from their last year’s Boston performance at the more intimate Paradise Rock Club, EOTO’s set was yet again utterly indescribable. With Jason Hann manning the drumkit and Michael Travis mixing the analog and digital synthesizers, the duo works perfectly as an improvisational electronic jam band. Together their unique combo of bass guitars, keyboard, bongos, and drum and bass effects establish a funky beat that rapidly evolves into a complex intercession catalyzed by the energy of the crowd and the music that takes on a life of its own.

Unlike any other band, the three hour sets EOTO performs are unique, unplanned and their “songs� are undistinguishable. Not once does the band intervene with the ambience of the live music to stop and talk to their audience about the unusual weather or tell their fans to liven up. With their natural tendency to throw down nonstop jam-beats to the tune of their crowd this is anything but necessary—their communication with the crowd is innate. In fact, those that know

phrases that build endlessly upon each other as sounds they’ve never heard before. With the unpredictable nature of percussion kit,

" afar ready for a performance that will undoubtedly blow their minds. When their energy reaches its pinnacle and the music has built into an intense house beat, Hann will back off from his rapid drum progression and the moving crowd will have a few moments to catch their breath before the musical marathon is on again.

The two person electronic “triphop� twosome were both members of one of the funkiest bluegrass jam bands of the Nineties otherwise known as The String Cheese Incident, originating from Colorado. When EOTO’s improvisational band is before you, dishing out addicting

larly at lounges and clubs nationwide.

EOTO has expanded to incorporate a wide breadth of different musical feels making them impossible to categorize into one

During the second performance I had seen since that time, the wobbly bass tones made famous by the latest dub step revolution had crept into their drum kit set. If that’s not enough to keep fans on the edge of their seats, during their most recent performance at the Royale, Hann blew the entire crowd out of their hempthronged sandals when he literally rapped an entire verse by Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne, looping “Look at Me Now� into their rhythmic mix. Continuing their evolutionary rhythmic jam band tradition, EOTO continues their fall tour comprised of over forty dates as they head south to Florida and out west to Cali.

Although I enjoyed and perhaps, preferred seeing EOTO at the Paradise for the more intimate setting between both the band and the fans, the Royale was more spacious. For those Photo courtesy of Karina Dorantes/ Gavel Media Contributor who are of age, there are not one, but two bars right next to the

! stage. Service is quick and since the band perform in 2010 I had never heard of them never stops playing, nothing could be more nor knew what to expect: my friends said it conducive for a good night. At any rate, would be a performance beyond words, one EOTO is a must see for those who are inthat you absolutely must experience—and terested in true live musical talent. As they boy, were they right. Their set was heavily are growing larger than ever, EOTO is now weighted with drum and bass that kept the headlining their own music festivals such as crowd on their toes for the full three hours the Big Up festival held this past July in upand that is no exaggeration. state New York.

Photo courtesy of Karina Dorantes/ Gavel Media Contributor

EOTO insist on seeing them live. That is, their musical style of each performance is born from their fans. Their “songs� are not

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mood and never cease over the course of one show, as they lapse and pick up teasing their fans into a game of tug-of-war.

At folk-style festivals, for example, bongos are looped and relooped for a tribal feel; at late night shows and clubs, they free style heavier beats. What’s more, their albums are never heard live and any song they play live, they never play again. Their live performances are literally a raw experience that grips their audience as they hear rhythmic

beats with the most intricate and intertwining timing and the crowd bouncing around you is composed of the most friendly, welcoming (and occasionally dreadlocked) people, there’s no doubt that the former, twangy String Cheese members are so talented that they have the ability to attract such a loyal

! ing at Sonic Bloom in 2006, gained many !

continue to play around two hundred exceptional live performances a year and consistently stun the crowds at festivals including Rothbury 2008 and 2009, Camp Bisco, and Nateva among others. They also play regu-

Photo courtesy of Karina Dorantes/ Gavel Media Contributor