September 2012
Volume IV, Issue 5
Dear Reader, Welcome Back to Boston College!
I would be remiss if I did not use this opportunity to encourage you to join Gavel Media, Inc. As the current Editor-in-Chief, I can honestly say that The Gavel has been one of the best adventures of the BC Experience. As I enter my Senior year and begin to look back on the past few years, I realize how different it would have been without the Gavel. I encourage you to take a look at the issue, and then consider joining us to help with future progress. We’re always looking for more people, and would love for you to get involved. Happy reading,
Mason S. Lende Editor-in-Chief
Editoral Board MASON LENDE ROB ROSSI OLIVIA SIMONE JASMINE UDUMA MEGHAN SMITH MEIDEMA SANCHEZ GEENA DEROSE JILLIAN TIMKO ALLISON RICCATO JENNA LACONTE EMILY AKIN LAUREN LECKENBY KENNETH ST. JOHN MICHAEL NATALIE SARAH GARCIA ANDREW SCHOFIELD MARION HALFTERMEYER SHANNON COGAN KELLY SLATER GILLIAN FREEDMAN LOUISE SHEEHAN
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Print Manager News Editor News Editor Assoc. News Editor Assoc. News Editor Features Editor Assoc. Features Editor Culture Editor Assoc. Culture Editor Assoc. Culture Editor Opinions Editor Assoc. Opinions Editor Assoc. Opinions Editor Sports Editor Copy Editor Assoc. Copy Editor Assoc. Copy Editor Photo Editor Photo Editor
Video Department
MEGHANA KUTHYAR Video Manager
Business and Operations RYAN LEAHY ANGELA SONG ARUEM SHIN DAPHNE WANG CHRISTIAN FIEDLER
Executive Director Finance Director Marketing Director Advertising Director Business Developmt Dir.
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the GAVEL / September 2012
September
The Gavel / September 2012 / Volume IV, Issue 5
Table of Contents News 04 04 Pocketbook Issues
Economics 101 for the iPod Generation
Years Later: 08 Eleven 9/11 Memorial Marks Crossroads 2012: 10 Election October Debate Preview
12 Opinions They Stand? 12 United Internal divisions spell out doom for the Republican Party
is ready to change.... Are we? 14 BC Is the Administration changing faster than the student body?
16 Election 2012:
Romney is struggling with the Swing States
on the Fly: 18 Eagles [In] convenience stores?
20 Features more Chobani?! 20 No Changes in BC’s Dining Halls
2012: 22 Election Fact or Fiction: Campaign Ads
Update: Libya 26 International What is the situation like today? September Brew Review:
28 What are the best choices in fall beers?
Culture 30 30
No Oven? No Stove? No problem! Homemade Guacamole Recipe
Take a Stand 31 Celebrities Democratic vs Republican stars speak out
32 Artist Spotlight: Jack White Invades Boston 34 BC The Gavel journeys to SoWa Market College’s Hidden Gems 36 Boston Some of the things to do around Boston College
Sports 38 38 The Final Countdown
MLB Divisional, Wild Card races coming down to the wire as the season wraps up
40 The DeFilippo Legacy
Restuls from the past 12 years of a mixed legacy
Abramovich Effect 42 The Why spending in European soccer has slowly spiraled out of control.
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INSIDE: Story / Story / Story
September 2012
Pocketbook Issues
Econ 101 for the iPod-Generation
ez ch r an ito a S Ed em s eid w M . Ne c
so
As
a m r du to e U di in E sm s Ja ew By N
Taking aim at the economic issues of our generation, Gavel Media News has researched the financial profiles of young people and studied their effects on long-term career paths. We took a look at student loans and debt, healthcare, the rising trends in post-graduate career options, and the new-age “essentials” for the American consumer. Not meant as an answer key, guide to fiscal responsibility, or cause for high blood pressure, this news spread is meant as an apparatus for readers to become more informed about money issues that have invariably edited an entire generation’s credit history.
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Photo by Mason Lende/Gavel Media
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the GAVEL / September 2012
ng Pinchi
s e i n
n e PGetting creative with paying debt
Photo courtesy of Dori/Wikimedia Commons
Money Matters: The more you know about private loans It is a well-known fact that higher education is not considered affordable by those without the last name Kennedy -- or even Swift. However, some commoners like Jonathan Hood, a Ph.D. candidate at Auburn University, are able to find unconventional yet effective ways to pay their way through school. “Tuition for this semester was $4,500,” Hood, told Business Insider. “I paid over $2,500 of it with prepaid debit cards [from rebates] and a little over $1,000 of it with rebate checks.” As a computer programer, Hood developed a program to alert him when a rebate is past due, and only shopped online in pursuit of rebate deals. In total, he said that he put anywhere between 200 and 250 prepaid debit cards www.bcgavel.com
into the school’s online billing system. Hood, though unique, is among several other pioneers who have recently garnered attention for their avantgarde payment options. This spring, a Toronto man decided to pay off his student loans, which totaled more than $143,000, in cash. He withdrew money from the bank, walked to the bank that kept his loan, and proceeded to post his receipt on Facebook in a picture that went viral. In July, a Massachusetts man made his final mortgage payment with pennies. He carted more than 62,000 pennies — about 427 pounds of pennies at 145 to the pound— to the bank and dropped them off. While he may not have been a student, he demonstrated the oft-ignored creativity inherent in
the realm of payment options. As students who are struggling to both fathom and actually pay the amount of money we owe for our valuable Boston College education, it is time we take notes and think outside of the conventional payment-type box. Origami pigs anyone? The perpetuation of America’s debt crisis has inevitably reconfigured not only how we spend our money, but also how we borrow it. Characterized by its rise in need, private loans and the banks that distribute them have become an invasive species in the new found business within higher education. Private student loans are about oneeighth of overall student debt, clocking in at a staggering $150 billion in the student loan market. The difference between private and federal loans is that student aid will usually be less expensive with more flexible payment plans. Skyrocketing costs have changed not only the perspective but the entire conversation when it comes to affording a post-secondary education. Private loans have been seen as mimicking trends of the subprime housing crisis which helped bring about the Great Recession according to a recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau study. Some of this is due to a lack of information on government resources and blatant misinformation campaigns by big banks. Shockingly, a majority of private loans taken out by college students were not accompanied by the low-cost federal aid options available. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the U.S. Department of Education said that 40 percent of people who took out private student loans also used federal Stafford loans. Not all of those loans used their borrowing potential however, and that number
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rises to 54.5 percent when you include eligible students who did not use any Stafford loans before signing for a private loan. The breakdown of private loans versus federal loans has a lot to do with private institutions, like Boston College, versus public institutions. Students at for-profit colleges are four times more likely to take out private loans and twice as likely to default on those loans than students who attend traditional public and non-profit private colleges and universities. The Institute of Higher Education Policy found that the number of graduates defaulting on their student loans is on the rise and that for every defaulted loan, there are at least two borrowers who are delinquent in their payments. More than 25 percent of graduates are behind on payments, for both private and federal loans, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found. The average amount of student loan debt is $24,000 and some college graduates have student loan debt exceeding $100,000. Mark Kantrowitz, the publisher for Fastweb.com and FinAid.org, found that 36 percent of law school graduates and 49 percent of medical school graduates left school with six-figure debts to accompany their diplomas. Students who borrow from private student loan programs are more likely to graduate with six-figure student loan debt, Kantrowitz found. Private loans are providing 592 percent more in 2007-2008 than they did a decade earlier. “Unsurprisingly, students from highincome families are less likely to come out with these extreme student debt levels” said Kantrowitz. “Yet, low-income students are also less likely to graduate with six-figure debt levels than students from middle-income households. This is likely to have a connection to poor students being eligible for more need-based aid; including scholarships, subsidized student loans
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and Pell grants.” A law passed in 2005 makes it near impossible to discharge private student loans in bankruptcy, and young people are having to weigh their financial options with a bit more seriousness. As macabre as it sounds, financial experts are recommending to college students that they purchase life insurance as soon as possible. That way, in the unlikely event of an early death, the responsibility for that student debt is not left to a grieving family. Deanne Loonin, director of Boston’s National Consumer Law Center and and an attorney for the Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project, said that there is a death discharge that will allow the borrower’s survivors to be re-
vice yourself and your bank account that you absolutely need those new pair of shoes, that new article of clothing, or a Game of Thrones inspired toilet decal. The consumer mindset in this country is one that has evolved into some horrifying monster, threatening to eat up every paycheck, allowance and gift money at it’s disposal. But it is not our fault that clothing goes so quickly out of style, technology updates itself every six months and marketing campaigns have us feeling depressed until we give in and purchase that new thing we apparently need. Take, for example, the iPhone 5. In the first 24 hours of pre-sale, Apple said the iPhone 5 had topped two million,
Screenshot from apple.com by Jasmine Uduma
leased from having any responsibility for the debt.
Buying the “Essentials”
The most dangerous thing for a college kid with a bank account and a short attention span has to be online shopping. How many times have you or your friends been trapped in front of your computer screen trying to con-
more than double the record set by the iPhone 4S last year. Apple expects to sell 250 million new iPhones and a revenue at least $144 billion. The total cost to consumers however, including new accessories $411.80. Certainly a hefty price for only a phone but one that many see as not only worth it by necessary.
the GAVEL / September 2012
THE DARK SIDE
The Bright Side
2.9 million students currently have private loans, owing about $150 billion total.
Look for creative ways to pay off debt. For example, Niagara Falls, NY offers $7,000 to recent graduates to help them pay off student loans if they move to the city.
Student loans are the fastest-growing category of household debt. Mortgage, credit card, and home equity debt levels have all declined since the recession.
Technology can help. Tuition.io, for example, is a website which will tell you how much debt to pay each month, how to contact each lender and notify you when there are changes to a loan.
According to a report by Barclays, more than15 percent of outstanding student loan balances are held by Americans ages 50 to 59, and 4.2 percent are held by those 60 and older. And the average remaining debt balance for borrowers over 60 is $18,250. (Business Insider and anthem.edu)
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In order to take out a loan for large purchases (such as a house or a car), the borrower must have good credit. Paying off student loans helps build good credit. “I wouldn’t suggest a student take out a loan specifically to help build good credit, but if they use it wisely, then it can have a positive impact on their credit and on their ability to borrow in the future” Suzanna de Baca, vice president of wealth strategies at Ameriprise Financial, said. 7
Eleven Years Later: 9/11 Memorial Marks Crossroads By Geena De Rose Assoc. News Editor The 2012 anniversary of the Sept.11 terrorist attacks marked the first time those looking to honor the day at the site of former World Trade Center could do so. A visit to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City, located where the towers once stood, offers this novel and profound opportunity. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum, as it is known officially, project began in 2006 and opened to the public on Sept. 12, 2011. The completion of this national monument, in conjunction with heightened attention to teaching the legacy of 9/11, hints that the U.S. is transitioning from an era marked by painful memories of national tragedy into a period of peace, reflection, and poise. The physical elements of the memorial simultaneously reflect the themes of loss, remembrance, and survival. Large, black pools with waterfalls flowing into a dark void mark the imprints of each tower while a park lined with trees fills the space between the waterfalls. Additionally, the “survivor tree,” a tree which stood beneath the towers and was later rehabilitated, is the crowning achievement of the garden area. This tribute to resilience and life amidst the dark, deep abyss of the waterfalls demonstrates the balance between the initial sense of defeat and the lasting hope that country summoned in the wake of the tragedy. Visiting the memorial proves a profoundly moving experience to
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Photos courtesy of Johnny Schue
“the memorial represents the presence of an absence”
many of its visitors. BC student Johnny Schue, CSOM’13, visited the memorial in the spring for a Spanish class which examined national trauma and memorialization. “The memorial is completely silent. When you are in New York, the streets are obviously loud and full of energy, but the silence of the park is sudden and deadening,” he said. Schue touched on one of the major themes of the monument which is named Reflecting Absence and was proposed by architect Michael Arad in 2004. “What most struck me was that the memorial represents the presence of an absence. The water draining downwards provides a striking contrast to the height of the towers,” Schue said. While the memorial in New York inspires serenity, nostalgia and sorrow in its visitors, it also marks a significant step in memorializing the legacy of 9/11. Although other memorials throughout the nation have long been on the scene, the completion of the New York memorial comes at a time when national discussions about 9/11 have shifted in a major way. Instead of the fear, anger and despair that dominated the early years of post9/11 America, language surrounding this year’s anniversary seemed to view the event as a seminal historical moment being introduced to the annals of American history. The classroom is one critical place where 9/11 is being historicized. With a fresh student body, 9/11 has taken on new meanings even at the college
the GAVEL / September 2012
New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education, the memorial’s website offers comprehensive lesson plans, webcasts, and teaching guides for “Teaching 9/11” to kindergarteners and grades one through 12. The minds behind the New York memorial effort seem aware of this trend towards depoliticizing and historicizing one of the
“From their perspective, it really is ancient history.” seminal moments of American history. With any major national tragedy, there comes a point in time in which the world is able to transition from the weight of a sad memory into an era of respectful reflection, education and progress. Both the completion of the memorial and the discussions of 9/11 from a historical perspective provide essential foreshadowing that the U.S. is gracefully transitioning into an era of peaceful acceptance and historical Photo courtesy of Derek Jensen
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respect towards the Sept. 11 attacks. As the new One World Trade Center nears completion, booked tenants are ready to repopulate the long-vacant ground. “Clearly there is an assumption that life goes on,” Schue said. “It’s just a reminder that tragic events don’t stop history and progress will always continue.”
Photo courtesy of Cadiomals
level. BC history professor Seth Jacobs spoke about the changes he has observed teaching 9/11 over time in a New England Cable News segment on Sept. 11, 2012. “It’s an astonishing change from when I started teaching the subject matter, when emotions were so raw and people were so afraid and so angry and it was hard to have a rational discussion,” he said. However, as time has passed and a younger generation ages into college, the highly emotional discussions have died down. “This might as well have happened during the Jurassic period for freshmen in college nowadays,” Jacobs said. With this temporal distance from the day of the tragedy comes a more productive and composed academic discussion. “Now I find that... you’ll get a very thoughtful, cool, rational discussion because, from their perspective, it really is ancient history,” he said. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum is also aware of this move towards historicizing 9/11. In partnership with the New York City Department of Education and the
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Election 2012: October Debate Preview By Meghan Smith News Editor
With the presidential election fast-approaching on Nov. 6, the race is about to heat up in the classic form of political battles: the debate. These high-profile intense events are a last chance for a candidate to try to persuade voters. For voters, it is the last chance to see the candidates go headto-head on issues. During the 2008 election, over 50 million people watched each of the three debates between candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, so the pressure is on. Presidential debates play a critical role in elections and a bad performance can have a disastrous effect on the campaign. The famous example is the 1960 debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. In one of the first debates to be televised, Nixon appeared nervous and sweaty while Kennedy looked collected and vibrant. Nixon’s chances of winning the presidency slipped away. With Obama currently ahead in the polls by a slim but widening margin, the three October debates could be Romney’s big opportunity to win over voters. Romney’s main advantage is that he has recently participated in many debates. During the Republican primary, he participated in 20 debates, although none of these were one-onone debates. Obama, on the other hand, has not participated in a debate in four years. The winner of the 2008 debates was never quite clear, although many have said that debates are
Advantages/Disadvantages Obama Romney
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Advantage: He is going into the debates with a slight lead in the polls. Disadvantage: His long-winded speaking style is not well-suited to time-limited debate format. Advantage: He had a lot of practice during the Republican primary with answering tough questions. Disadvantage: He is going to have to face his flip-flopping on key issues and defend health care
the GAVEL / September 2012
Debate Schedule October 3: University of Denver, Colorado Theme: Domestic policy October 16: Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York Theme: “Town meeting” format where voters will question candidates directly on a variety of issues October 22: Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida Theme: Foreign Policy not Obama’s strong suit. “He’s got to speak shorter, that’s all,” senior campaign strategist David Axelrod told Reuters. “He just hasn’t had to do that for the last four years, so that’s a part of the discipline of preparing for these debates.” The format of debates, structured and time-limited, is not well suited for Obama, who tends to be very longwinded and thorough when answering questions at campaign stops and town-hall meetings. Concision has been one of Obama’s main focuses while prepping for debates. “The shorter format of the debates is not always conducive to somebody who gives substantive answers, as we know (Obama) tends to do,” Obama’s spokeswoman Jen Psaki told Reuters. A recent CNN poll indicates that most voters think that the advantage will go to Obama in the debate. According to the survey, 59 percent of voters think Obama will be victorious in debates, while 34 percent think Romney will be better than Obama. The Obama campaign has kept much of his debate prep secret, although we know that Sen. John Kerry has been used in practice sessions as a stand-in for Romney. The Romney campaign has been much more open about his campaign prep. He has been practicing with Ohio’s Republican Sen. Rob Portman playing Obama. Romney used the time during the Democratic National Convention to prep instead of campaign. www.bcgavel.com
Key issues to be debated • • •
The economy- With the current economic situation, voters will be making their choice based on the economy, so look for this to be the central theme. Who is the best candidate to fix the economy? Healthcare- Obama will most likely want to use his health care law as his great achievement, which puts Romney in the awkward position of having to defend the Massachusetts healthcare law he passed as governor. Social issues- Issues like gay marriage and abortion have received a lot of attention recently because of the Republican Party’s move to the right. Romney has to convince conservatives to vote for him while not alienating swing voters. 11
Opinions
September 2012
United They Stand? Internal divisions spell out doom for the Republican Party By Kenneth St. John Opinions Editor For the past several years, the political climate in America has become more divided and hyperpartisan than ever before. Conflict, rather than compromise, rules the day. Sometimes it seems like nothing can be done to erase these divisions and that politicians in Washington will never be able to sit down and work on fixing the problems that our country faces. The Democratic Party has been internally cohesive for the most part. The struggle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
for the presidential nomination back in the 2008 primaries seems to have been smoothed over, as evidenced by Clinton serving as Secretary of State in the Obama Administration and Bill Clinton giving the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention earlier this month. Needless to say, the Democrat-Republican battles are highly publicized and well-documented. Between Obamacare, how to com-
Photo Courtesy of Marc Nozell/Wikimedia Commons
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bat the debt, and taxes, the two parties rarely see eye-to-eye. And with the 24 hour spin cycle and around the clock media coverage of the 2012 campaign, everything will be nitpicked, analyzed, magnified and beaten like a dead horse. Minor soundbites have and will become major controversies in a matter of minutes and spread like wildfire thanks to social media.
Photo Courtesy of David Carkyon/Wikimeda Commons
the GAVEL / May 2012
However, it has become apparent, at least since the rise of the Tea Party in 2010, that the Republican Party is facing some internal strife. Back in the 2010 mid-term elections, young, upstart Tea Party candidates, dedicated to extreme fiscal conservatism and the gutting of social programs like Social Security and Medicare, upstaged and beat several Old School Republicans in the primaries. In fact, 2010 showed that within the GOP, moderates were losing ground and that the notion of a liberal Republican was heading towards extinction. In late 2011 came the Republican presidential primary season. After the gracious (or not so gracious) exits of some less serious contenders for the nomination like Michelle Bachmann, Rick Perry, and Herman Cain, the race narrowed down to four: Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, and of course, Mitt Romney. The Final Four, so to speak, represent different warring factions of the GOP. Santorum represents the social conservative wing, Gingrich is a relic of the 80s and 90s Clinton-era Republicans, Paul is a libertarian, and Romney, if anything, represents the interests of big business. Naturally, the different ideologies of the four Republicans were at odds with one another. The hawkish foreign policy views of Gingrich and Santorum were ripped to shreds by Paul at the debates. Romney and Gingrich sparred over immigration in a “he said, he said” tit-for-tat. Santorum’s
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belief that homosexuals should not get married and that abortion should be made illegal conflict with Paul’s libertarian beliefs of individual freedom and liberty. By the time the Republican National Convention rolled around in August, Santorum and Gingrich had formally bowed out long beforehand and Romney was essentially guaranteed the nomination. However, there was a huge uproar over the fact that the Paul delegates to the Convention were basically shut out from voting for the nominee, thanks to a last-minute rules change over procedure. This
With the Republicans constantly in internal dissent, it only seems logical to feel that Romney was the compromise candidate for the sole reason that he will do and say anything to get elected. So what does the long-term future hold for the Republican Party? Most of today’s young Republicans are socially liberal, committed to civil liberties and a non-interventionist foreign policy, but are fiscally conservative. This makes them more libertarians than anything else. My bold prediction is that in the next 10 years, either the Republican Party
...Romney is basically an empty suit with no principles, turning his sails towards what he feels are the favorable political winds at the time. left the libertarians with a sense of betrayal and disillusionment with the GOP. As for Romney, no one is sure what he truly stands for. He was for abortion rights and enacted a universal healthcare program as Governor of Massachusetts, yet has been against abortion and anti-universal healthcare in his bid for the presidency. As co-founder of the venture capitalist firm Bain Capital, Romney was heavily involved in companies going bankrupt, layoffs and outsourcing of jobs overseas, yet now he claims that he will take a hard line on the trading practices of China. It comes down to the fact that Romney is basically an empty suit with no principles, turning his sails towards what he feels are the favorable political winds at the time.
gradually sheds its older, socially conservative faction, and in effect becomes stronger and more cohesive as a result, or, the GOP will experience a schism that will tear the Party in two. Only time will tell.
Photo Courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons
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Photos by Louise Sheehan/Gavel Media
BC is Ready To Change...Are We? By Sarah Garcia Assoc. Opinions editor
Some changes BC has made are visible: Stokes hall, the disappearance of Chobani, and the hiring of a GLBTQ advocate. The changes that are not visible are those intended to create a more hospitable, diverse, and happy environment where students leave feeling more self-assured—not just educated. Typically, I am critical of my school. I love it, but the vibes need work. I complain that the institution of BC is too conservative, too slow to progress, too rich, too homogenous. It lacks a sense of community and it tries to find it through alcohol, sexual relations, and grouping along racial lines. Until recently, I assumed BC was blind to this. I thought it cared more about increasing its endowment and not losing enrollment than about how happy its students really were. I thought it could nev14
er understand the issues our generation faces. Attending the Legacy of Leadership event on Sept. 6 was eyeopening in a way that is usually unsettling, but in this case was surprisingly welcoming: I had to admit that I was wrong. The highlight of the evening was a speech by Patrick Rombalski, Vice President for Student Affairs, which brought down the house. The speech illustrated ways BC has listened and acted on student’s opinions. The Office of Health Promotion, a new Sexual Assault Resource webpage, and the incorporation of student spaces in the Master Plan are some examples. It felt like the administration almost wanted us to notice that BC is trying. At the end of his speech, Rombalski outlined his three ongoing concerns for BC, addressing my major resentments and in
one fell swoop, changed my mind about the BC administration. First, misuse of alcohol…this is true. Why are we knocking back Rubinoff when we could be sipping whiskey gingers and discussing Plato’s Republic? Second, an environment that is still uncomfortable for many AHANA students. This is real, and should be a priority of a university with a reputation like ours; diversity is the life blood of a good education. Third, Rombalski named the decline in self-confidence of women. This is perhaps my most central concern at Boston College. I comfort women who are crying about being alone or worrying that they are single because something is wrong with them. I watch them lose confidence, eat less and workout more. Rombalski hit on one of the major reasons I resent BC: its infectious insecurity.
the GAVEL / May 2012
It was in this moment it suddenly occurred to me. What is keeping BC from feeling welcoming, intellectual and progressive? The answer is us. Who are the perfect looking, overachieving,binge-drinking, rich, mean, ignorant, snobby, racist people we consider “so BC?” I argue that this group represents, at most, about 10 percent of the student body. Yet this group currently defines our school’s reputation and its overall environment. And the rest of us let them. We are the ones who change ourselves to “fit” this school. We are the ones who give them the power and the attention. We do it when we call a girl a “slut,” or when we watch each other and our food
the AHANA hotel, and when we stare at people who dress differently. We, the students, perpetuate these three problems when we ignore the people who serve us food, or we only let people into our parties if they bring conventionally attractive people. When we guilt each other into taking shots on a Tuesday. We do it when we don’t support our friends who think they may have been a victim of a sexual assault, or when we don’t participate in programs that BC created as a response to our own requests. We have to stop blaming this mythical group of people who define BC, this so-called 10 percent, and take responsibility for our in-
Photo Courtesy of Gillian Freedman/Gavel Media
and start talking about the football player who had a serious girlfriend for a year, calls himself an Artist of Life, and is a true Philosopher King in his own right. We need to start valuing a person’s passion over
BC lacks a sense of community, and it tries to find it through alcohol, sexual relations, and grouping along racial lines. choices like hawks. We’re doing it when we jokingly label Stayer Hall
Photo Courtesy of Clips/Wikimedia Commons
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volvement. We willingly hopped on this hamster wheel of pursuing “hotness.” We, too, glare first, smile later. We don’t let each other shine, we compete. It’s time to ask ourselves, are we ready to do our part in fostering a welcoming and progressive environment? Are we ready to stop judging each other for being too fat, too thin, too done-up, too sloppy, too butch, or too girly? Are we ready to drink less and talk more? Are we ready to stop the ‘BC Look Away’ and to just say hi to everyone, to smile at every person who walks by? We need to start giving the right people attention. We need to stop talking about the girl who slept with four football players,
their physical appearance. Whether we change our habits, friends, or our mindset, we need to try to make everyone feel more comfortable and more empowered every day. Together, we can change our school and it’s reputation. BC has placed the steering wheel in our hands. Our school has made it clear it wants to create a happy and supportive environment for all races, cultures, religions, genders, and sexual orientations. It just needs our help. For BC’s reputation to change and for it to truly be the best university it can be, we need to continue to give feedback, to support new programs, and most of all we need to support each other. BC is ready to change, are you? 15
Election 2012:
Romney struggling with swing states By Paul Baboc Gavel Media Staff Who will prevail in the ever-so-close upcoming election? My own prediction is not as sensational as many floating around seem to be. I do not think—at least not statistically—that Mitt Romney has any substantial chance of winning. Furthermore, that even a decent majority in the swing states could save him. But that possibility is barred him by a disqui-
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eting fact for the Republicans: the swing states this year seem to be positioned firmly in the Democratic spectrum, at least according to the latest polls. The bad news for Romney is that, out of the swing states, only North Carolina is substantially Republican. The other states, Iowa, Virginia, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Wisconsin and Colorado, with the exception of Florida and perhaps of Virginia, generally tend to side with Democratic nominees. The swing states are in no sense
different from states dominated by one party or another. The unemployment rates tend to be the same as in the rest of the country. The number fluctuates, but 8 percent seems to be the general point around which it hovers. So why aren’t the swing states going to vote for Romney, then? Romney’s a businessman. He is skilled in entrepreneurial matters and he has a strong pedigree. The answer is that Barack Obama has done well in his ten-
Photo Courtesy of cnn.com
the GAVEL / May 2012
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s Photo Courte sy of Y ahoo N ew
ure as president. Jobs have been made—not many, granted,but as many as the precarious conditions allowed—a process burdened by a general Republican inability to work together, and not entirely against, the Democratic reforms. Obama, for this very reason, has extremely strong chances of winning most of the swing states. I would venture to guess that Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio and Wisconsin will go to Obama. Florida, Virginia and Nevada will be a closer call, and might end up going Romney’s way. But even so, Romney will receive less swing states than Obama. What does this all mean? Obama will probably win the election (unless a Lewinskylike scandal somehow pops up within a month). But, like I said, it almost certainly won’t be a substantial win. I estimate Obama will get 2 to 4 percent more votes than Romney, and the Electoral College will go his way without a doubt. As far as the swing states are concerned, they won’t be all that important. Obama simply has too strong of an advantage as the incumbent, and even if he loses five out of nine, he will still win the presidency. These are merely prophecies, though. Time alone can tell if they will chance to manifest. But time is running out for the Republicans. And it is on Obama’s side right now.
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of sy ia e t ur ed co el M p v a M Ga al an/ r o t m lec eed 8 E Fr 0 0 an e 2 lli th Gi f o ot sh
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Eagles on the Fly: [In]Convenience Stores? By Mike Natalie Assoc. Opinions Editor
“Where’s Chobani?” “What happened to the Chocolate Bar?” “Where’s the Smart Water?” “I miss Chobani.” “What snacks?”
happened
to
the
“Why did the drinks change?” “Where’s my CHOBANI?” Your Chobani, Smart (for certain values of intelligence—it’s a huge rip-off ) Water and big bags of chips (the bane of my diet) are in the new convenience stores situated in the dining halls. The Chocolate Bar (a.k.a. the other bane of my diet) will be moved to Stokes Hall in January, so this particular wrong will be righted eventually. Originally I had thought (and some people still think, based on the snippets of conversations you sometimes catch between classes) the Chocolate Bar was just gone; which, in addition to denying us 18
chocolate and triggering our collective BC resistance to change, would have been a terrible business move, since the Chocolate Bar was a popular BC staple. I’m speaking more from my own perceptions than from an actual survey, but it doesn’t seem like the convenience stores, though certainly much more convenient than the various CVS around the area, haven’t really caught on. Just the other day I went in there with some friends—friends who actually hadn’t even heard of the new stores—and took a quick look around. I’ve never had much business sense, but my friends were quick to complain about the prices. I distinctly remember hearing: “Two dollars for a box of soup!?” Therefore, we quickly left. The muchsought-after Chobani is there, yet there doesn’t seem to be much business happening. “I guess you’re more than welcome to spend money there if you want to,” said Daniel Shams, A&S ‘14 “or you could take a five minute walk and get the same thing cheaper. I think this is sneaky…
taking advantage of lazy college students.” Between the relatively high prices Daniel pointed out and the low variety in relation to non-BC convenience stores, this thus far lukewarm reception isn’t altogether surprising. What may surprise you is that I think the stores should be given a chance. BC Optional Dining Bucks, Eagle Bucks, flex plans, and credit cards can be used, which again contributes to the overall theme of convenience: if you don’t have much cash, this may be a better option than off-site stores. Furthermore, it’s right here. Even if the items are priced in typical ion—this is to say, overpriced—that’s not a very big deal so long as you don’t buy in bulk. Furthermore, you will not be getting your optional dining bucks back no matter what, so if you have some to spare, this isn’t the worst way to do so. Also there’s Chobani there. Have I mentioned that? Tom Kelly, another junior in A&S, raises another counterpoint.
the GAVEL / May 2012
“They (the convenience stores) are a step in the right direction,” says Tom, “It’s important for students to have freedom and options in deciding how best to use their meal points…often the dining hall hours don’t align to students’ schedules and the stores can assist in remedying any lack of options during the interim.” Tom adds that such variety promotes “healthier alternatives to the dining hall foods….and Late Night in general.” It’s true that the probability of getting a healthy meal on campus dips pretty dramatically after 8:00-9:00p.m. (depending where exactly you are)with Late Night’s more fast food-esque menu. The convenience stores, with their deli meats, yogurt (meaning Chobani),
Photo by Gillian Freedman/Gavel Media
“Often the dining hall hours don’t align to students’ schedules and the stores can assist in remedying any lack of options during the interim.” cheeses, and microwaveable items could potentially fix this problem. Putting aside the issue of health, consider the possibility that you may at some point be hungry or not feel particularly inclined to eat at the dining hall. You now have another option, right here on campus. In short, if you don’t have a meal plan, don’t bother—your actual money is likely better spent elsewhere. But if you do have a meal plan, consider the possible benefits of shopping here as opposed the places your Optional Dining Bucks, Eagle Bucks, and flex plan points would ordinarily go. www.bcgavel.com
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Features
Features
September 2012
No More Chobani? Changes in BC’s Dining Hall By Alison Ricciato Assoc. Features Editor
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With the new dining plans altered and mini-marts in place, Boston College students are facing a lot of confusion. Many rumors and complaints have been floating around campus, so Gavel Media sat down with Helen Wechsler, the director of BC Dining, to clarify these issues. Wechsler discussed the now-absent prepackaged containers of fruits and vegetables, as well as individual yogurts. The decision was made to have the fruit and yogurt bar open all day, instead of having the prepackaged containers. The bar has more reasonable prices and students can still purchase the same fruits available as before, and any vegetables they might want from the salad bar. BC Dining responded to entreaties of vegan students and agreed to continue selling individual containers of pre-made vegan entrees, while the containers of hummus or cottage cheese formerly available are in the salad and fruit bars. “Nothing is written in stone,” Wechsler
assures, as proven by the reintroduction of vegan foods. Students can always speak to Wechsler about any food issues. Wechsler and the other planners are well aware that healthconscious BC students love their yogurt. While individual cups of yogurt are available only in the mini-marts, the fruit and yo-
said. While roughly 5,000 students are on the mandatory meal plan, about 6,000 students are on the flex meal plan and can use their regular meal plan money in the mini-marts. Moving individually packaged items into the mini-marts allowed BC to work with different vendors and offer the food at a lower price than it would be in the din“The alternative to ing hall. The school is catering to these changes is to the majority in offering students on the flex plan more competiraise the cost of a tive prices for these items. Wechsler pointed out that meal plan” obviously it is impossible to please all students, but dining gurt bars in all dining halls are services coordinates their data now open all day, selling Cho- so as to satisfy as many as posbani and Yoplait yogurts. The sible. These changes have taken flavors are rotated according to three years to come into effect, data the school collected on the and are not simply being done most popular flavors sold. Pur- in one quick motion. chasing and offering the yogurt Milkshake machines were in larger quantities is less expen- installed in response to stusive, Wechsler said. dent demand. The university Students must take into ac- knows that students are willing count why items like granola to travel to Stuart on Newton bars or individual yogurts were Campus just to buy milkshakes, moved to the mini-marts, she and added them to the other the GAVEL / September 2012
Features dining halls. The response has been positive enough and the volume of sales shows that students are consuming enough milkshakes that they are a viable moneymaker. There is still “ample opportunity at every meal period to eat well,” Wechsler said, since they consult an executive dietician before making menu changes. While milkshakes are not the healthiest item in the dining halls, students have been purchasing them in large volume. Anyone worried about nutrition has plenty of healthier alternatives. The mini-marts are a new source of revenue for BC dining. BC dining is self-sustaining as everything within dining is generated by its own profits— it receives no additional money from tuition or other BC revenue streams. The alternative to these changes is to raise the cost of a meal plan (comparable to expensive plans at Harvard and Tufts which do not offer the same variety of foods during the length of a day). “Change is hard, but our intention is to try to both give and take…we put a lot of thought into it,” Wechsler said. The dining executives have come up with various models to present to the boards over the past three years,
all in the hopes of maintaining the ability to be self-sufficient and avoid outside contracts. Gavel Media encourages students to consider BC dining’s intentions before criticizing the changes that have been made.
Check out Gavel Media Online for more information about dining changes, articles featuring the logistics of how students’ meal plan money is used, and a “State of the Heights” event that will be hosted by Helen Wechsler in October.
Photos By Gillian Freedman and Jillian Timko / Gavel Media
www.bcgavel.com
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Features
Fact or Fiction: Campaign Ads By Jillian Timko / Features Editor Alison Ricciato / Assoc. Features Editor
Screenshots of Campaign Ads by Jillian Timko / Gavel Media
With all the mud-slinging and accusations flying back and forth between the Romney and Obama camps, it can be hard to keep track of the facts. Here we debunk six campaign ads, three by Barack Obama and three by Mitt Romney, to help you figure out what each candidate is really about.
“I’m Mitt Romney, and I approve this message.”
1. Give Me a Break
Claims: 1. Obama used his healthcare plan to declare war on religion. Misleading. This statement is attributed to the San Antonio Express-News. It did not appear in editorial or news articles but rather in an opinion piece by wellknown Republican columnist Michael Gerson. The same columnist later retracted some of his criticisms of Obama’s requirement that all employers provide health insurance that includes free contraception when Obama provided an exemption clause so that religiously affiliated hospitals and universities could opt out by having insurance companies pick up the cost of contraception. Some say this means that religiously affiliated organizations will have to pay higher premiums, while others say free contraception is costneutral. The evidence on these claims is inconclusive. The ad also fails to mention that churches were always exempt from this requirement. Overall, the ad does not even identify the policy under criticism. 20
Claims: 1. In 2008 while Bill Clinton was drumming up support for his wife Hillary Clinton in the presidential primaries, he called Obama’s economic policy a “fairy tale.” False. This comment was directed at Obama’s accusations of Hillary Clinton supporting Iraq war policies and had nothing to do with the economy. 2. There are “23 million Americans struggling for work.” True. This matches up with the Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment data. 3. “The middle class is falling further behind.” Depends on your perspective. The statement comes from a CNN story about “the lost decade of the middle class” which covers both George W. Bush’s and Obama’s presidencies. The people surveyed in the report blame Bush more than Obama for their economic woes.
2. Be Not Afraid
the GAVEL / September 2012
Features Claims: 1. The ad lashes out at Obama for attacking Romney’s Bain Capital record and also tries to criticize Obama for awarding federal research grants to those who donated to his campaign. The ad uses the statements of three journalists: Bob Schieffer, David Brooks, and Mark Halperin. Misleading. Obviously, there have been lots of accusations made on behalf of both candidates. But this ad was made without the permission of any of the journalists. Schieffer has since made it clear that he is not affiliated with the Romney campaign and Halperin has objected to being used in the ad. None of the journalists’ comments were as pro-Romney as they were made out to be. Schieffer was criticizing negative campaign advertising in general and Halperin was speaking hypothetically at a time when there was no presumptive nominee. Interestingly, Obama and his super PAC Priorities USA action have spent $32 million on negative ads, while Romney and super PAC Restore our Future have spent $44.9 million, according to USA Today.
3. Hope and Change?
“I’m Barack Obama, and I approve this message.” 1. Facts
www.bcgavel.com
Claims: 1. The Romney/Ryan team will “undermine” Medicare and raise costs for old persons. False. When either candidate describes the other as “cutting” Medicare, he is not referring to actually reducing the benefits, but to slowing future growth of Medicare. The Obama campaign is attacking Ryan’s revised Medicare plan that provides a fixed federal rate for old people that could cost them a few thousand dollars more. Since then, the plan has been altered so old people can choose traditional Medicare. Ryan’s plan would not take effect until 2023, so it would not apply to Americans 55 years and older. Obama himself implemented some price cuts to Medicare, though he argued they cut out wastefulness and did not affect old people. The AARP released a statement about its unawareness of the ad, and senior Vice President John Hishta suggested that “the candidates owe voters straight talk—not just 30-second ads—about what their plans will mean for today’s seniors and future retirees.” Neither candidate has made any decisive moves that will raise costs for current old people. 23
Features
Claims: 1. Romney’s former company, Bain Capital, drove a steel plant into bankruptcy and subsequently caused thousands of workers to lose their jobs. Unclear. Obama is attempting to alienate Romney from the middle and working classes with this ad, pointing out the failures of private equity business to maintain all companies that get taken over. Romney did not deny the claims, but merely argued that he also created far more jobs in the private sector than he eliminated. Furthermore, the layoffs and bankruptcy of the Kansas City steel plant in the ad occurred after Romney had gone to work on the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. So while the plant did close after being taken over by Bain Capital, it is debatable whether Romney and his company are to blame. Some critics argue that the ad is unfair, as layoffs and closing companies are unfortunate but inevitable in a capitalist society. But others, particularly the steel workers, blame Bain Capital directly for failing to maintain their plant and jobs.
3. Swiss Bank Account
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2. Steel
Claims: 1. Romney, both as the head of Bain Capital and the governor of Massachusetts, shipped jobs overseas. Somewhat true. Obama is insinuating in this ad that Romney has a history of outsourcing jobs and would continue to do so as president. Bain Capital’s history does include laying off workers and, in some cases, shipping jobs overseas. The counterargument would ask what large companies in today’s globalized economy do not have at least some international employees. As governor, Romney was criticized for having a state food stamp service contract with a company that had a call center in India. However, Romney claimed it was a money-saving measure for the state for a necessary program. It depends on how one views Romney’s intentions behind the outsourcing. 2. Romney has a Swiss bank account True. Here, the Obama campaign suggests that Romney has shady bank accounts. Romney did disclose in February that he has an account in a Swiss bank that was previously unreported. His personal finances also consist of off-shore accounts and investments in the Cayman Islands and other low-tax countries. Romney’s campaign argues that his accounts are reasonable because companies like Bain Capital want to avoid snares within the U.S. tax system. But they cannot deny the presence of the multiple bank accounts.
the GAVEL / September 2012
Features
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Features
International Update
Libya
Above: Benghazi Skyline Right: Tripoli International Airport
By Jillian Timko Features Editor For about six months spanning the spring and summer of 2011, Libya’s uprising against dictator Col. Muammar Gaddafi was the spotlight of international headlines. After Gaddafi was killed on Oct. 20, 2011, the media became preoccupied with other stories— until a few weeks ago, when U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in an attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. The attack took place on Sept. 11, the anniversary of the 2001 al Qaeda attack on the U.S. Further investigation of the attack has led officials to believe that the attack was carried out by foreigners, possibly affiliated with al Qaeda, and may or may not have been planned in advance. The violence in Benghazi reportedly began in protest to a film called “The Innocence of Muslims” made in California by Israeli filmmaker Sam Bacile. The film depicts the prophet Mohammad as a fool and a fake. Violent protests against the film have taken place across the Arab world, including Morocco, Tunisia and Pakistan, with attacks on U.S. embassies in Egypt and Yemen and attacks on the German and British embassies in Sudan. In light of more recent information about the nature of the attack, many be20
lieve the perpetrators used the strife over the movie to cover up their true intentions. Regardless of whether the attack was intentional or simply a result of the riots, many may wonder why Libyans would protest against a country that helped them overthrow Gaddafi, as the U.S. did in conjunction with other Western nations in 2011. It is important to place this appalling event in the context of the current tense political situation in Libya, the history of U.S.-Libya re-
These groups see themselves as “guardians of the revolution” lations, and relations between the Muslim and Western world in order to understand the reason for and implications of the attack. Libya’s revolution was mainly carried out by local militias and loose bands of rebels. Since the liberation of the country almost a year ago, first the transitional Libyan government and now the General National Council (which formally came to power in August) have pressured the militias to disband, but these groups see themselves
as “guardians of the revolution” and believe they have the right to remain in control until a new national army is formed to protect the fledgling democracy. However, there have been many violent conflicts between local militias, and many worry that tension between groups could lead to civil war if the new government cannot bring the factions under control. Relations between Libya and the U.S. were very strained up until about 10 years ago. In 2002, talks were held between Libya and the U.S. to end hostilities over what the U.S. saw as Libya’s support of terrorism. Relations steadily improved after that, with U.S. oil companies returning to Libya in 2005 and full diplomatic relations officially restored in 2006. The U.S. answered Libya’s call for help to Western nations during its revolution through a multilateral UN Security Council authorization for a no-fly zone over Libya and NATO airstrikes to protect civilians. While the U.S. has fully supported the wave of new democracies brought about by the Arab Spring, there has been some concern about the rise of Muslim regimes and their sponsorship of terrorism. Interestingly, the most successful party in the July Libyan elections was the National Forces
the GAVEL / September 2012
Features
Alliance, described by Libyans as “liberal” (although not “secular”). Many Libyans appear to resent the presence of religious parties in their new democracy. In a July BBC article, the interviewees said things like, “Libyans do not need politicians to tell them how to be good Muslims” and would prefer if the government focused on more pressing issues like “education” and “healthcare.” Political analysts suspect that Libyans are tired of “preacher-politicians” after 40 years of Gaddafi’s semi-Islamist socialist teachings. This does not make Libyans any less fervent in their religious beliefs, demonstrated by the Sept. 11 assault on the U.S. consulate. While the attack and death of Ambassawww.bcgavel.com
dor Stevens is tragic, it is important to note that the mocking of Islam by Western nationals has incurred similar responses before. In 2006 a Danish newspaper depicting cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad created a storm of riots throughout the Arab world. The attack seems to be recognized on both sides as being caused and carried out by a small group of people. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton says that the US government completely rejects the contents of the film that sparked the riots, but says the film was no excuse for violence. Libya’s new Prime Minister Mustafa Abu Shagur says there was no reason (or justification) for the attack and is focused on arresting those responsible.
Libyan officials have arrested more than 50 people in their ongoing investigation. In light of these responses by U.S. and Muslim government officials, it seems unlikely that this attack will derail the advances made in U.S.-Libyan relations. Claims that the attack was planned in conjunction with the anniversary of Sept. 11 are still being investigated. The worst that could come from this attack is that the unrest in Libya could lead to a rebellion by Islamic militants, which could hurt oil exports for the U.S. However, security analysts think this scenario is unlikely because the U.S. has no military presence in Libya. Photos courtesy of Dennixo and Thierry Deutsch / Wikimedia Commons 27
Features
September Brew Review
Photo courtesy of Mohylek / Wikimedia Commons
By Christian Fiedler Gavel Media Staff Autumn is upon us, and with it comes a fresh year of school, a change of scenery, and a variety of fall beers to enjoy. This month, we reviewed a few traditional fall offerings including pumpkin beer, brown ales, and cider. Cheers! Reviews are conducted based on the appearance, aroma, taste, mouth-feel, and overall impression of the beverage. 20
1.) Woodchuck Amber Cider — Middlebury, VT — 5% ABV No autumn review would be complete without a hard cider, and we chose to try Woodchuck Amber for its availability and affordability. Woodchuck Amber pours a pale yellow color with a quickly vanishing, champagne-like head. One reviewer described its aroma as “a
rural New England orchard in early October,” with scents of earthy, woody apples wafting up from the glass. On the palate, Woodchuck Amber is full of apples, sweet fruit flavors, and a touch of white wine to finish crisply. Overall, the vast majority of our reviewers loved this cider, and it is a great choice for sweet-tooth, gluten-sensitive, or otherwise beer-averse drinkers. Score:
the GAVEL / September 2012
Features 2.) Post Road Pumpkin Ale — Brooklyn Brewery — Brooklyn, NY — 5% ABV For our first pumpkin beer of the night, we chose Brooklyn Brewery’s Post Road Pumpkin Ale as an alternative to the now famous Shipyard Pumpkinhead that reigns supreme in the Northeast. In the glass, Post Road is a slightly hazy, orange color and faintly smells of pumpkin pie, nutmeg, and bready malts. On the tongue, it is even less “pumpkin-y,” and one of our reviewers noted, “other than the label, I wouldn’t have known it was pumpkin.” Post Road stands up pretty well as a basic ale, but did not knock over any of the reviewers with pumpkin character. Score:
3.) Tumbler — Sierra Nevada Brewing Co — Chico, CA — 5.5% ABV Sierra Nevada describes Tumbler as an “Autumn Brown Ale,” so it fit right in at our review. Tumbler pours a rich, dark brown color with only a trace of light shining through the glass. In the nose,
Tumbler is full of roast-like, bready malts and a pinch of smoke, and hits the tongue with waves of deep chocolate, roast, and German malt flavors. Despite its complexity, this beer surprised us with its silky smooth drinkability; a fantastic choice for cool, quiet fall nights. Score:
4.) Indian Brown Ale — Dogfish Head Craft Brewery — Milton, DE — 7.2% ABV Indian Brown Ale has a bit of a personality disorder. Take the bitterness of an IPA, the malt character and color of a brown ale, and the brown sugar of a pumpkin beer, and you end up with Indian Brown Ale. The darkest of the beers we tried, Indian Brown Ale’s aroma is full of chocolate, stout-like malt (think Guinness), and caramelized sugar. In terms of flavor, Indian Brown Ale is up-front with its bitterness, transitioning into chocolate-y malts and ending with a distinct brown sugar flavor. Many of our reviewers felt this beer was unbalanced and too bitter, especially compared to a brown ale like Tumbler. Indian Brown Ale is a good choice for adventurous, hardy beer drinkers, but
All reviewers were 21+. Please drink responsibly
casual drinkers should probably stick to something less robust. Score:
5.) Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin — Shipyard Brewing Co. — Portland, ME — 9% ABV
Smashed Pumpkin was the group’s most highly anticipated tasting of the night. At 9 percent alcohol by volume, it is a monster of a pumpkin ale. Poured into a goblet, Smashed Pumpkin is a clear copper color with a small white head and a bit of lacing around the edges of the glass. After pouring, you can smell Smashed Pumpkin almost immediately; waves of cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, and pumpkin rise from the neck of the glass. On the tongue, it tastes remarkably like pumpkin pie, with a balanced blend of pie spices and bready malts. Smashed Pumpkin is moderately carbonated and drinks smoothly despite its high alcohol content (frankly, it drinks a bit too easily—unwary drinkers might end up as smashed as the pumpkins). Highly recommended to fans of Shipyard’s Pumpkinhead who
want to take it to the next level. Score:
Photos by Gillian Freedman / Gavel Media
“Frankly, it drinks a bit too easily — unwary drinkers might end up as smashed as the pumpkins.” www.bcgavel.com
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Culture
INSIDE: BC invades SoWa Market /Artist Spotlight: Jack White / Your guide to BC’s hidden gems
Culture
September 2012
No oven? No stove? No problem! Homemade Guacamole Recipe
By Jenna LaConte / culture editor
Football season is upon us, which means one of two things: celebrating a victory with friends, or drowning your sorrows from a loss by gorging on food. Of course, there is a third category of people who could care less about the game and only watch as an excuse to tailgate. No matter where you fall on the football-fan spectrum, proper game time munchies are a must. Sure, you can hope that your friend’s mom brings good food to her tailgate, but do you really want to leave something so crucial up to chance? Much like football, guacamole is a great American (via Mexico) pastime. Freshmen who are still trying to branch out, take note: if you make a gigantic bowl of guacamole, potential new friends will flock to your room.
Ingredients:
3 ripe avocados 1 lime, juiced 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 medium red onion 2 Roma tomatoes 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 1 clove garlic, minced DID YOU KNOW? The key to good guacamole is using ripe avocados. To test if an avocado is ripe, press down at the top stem. If it is squishy, you are good to go. 30
Photo by Jenna LaConte/ Gavel Media
Preparation: Peel and halve the avocados, and mash them in a bowl leaving some chunks. Put the pits aside. Dice the onion and tomatoes. Mix into the bowl. Stir in the salt, pepper, cilantro, and garlic for flavor. Squeeze in lime juice to taste as desired. Mix everything together, and put the pits back into the bowl. This will keep the avocados fresh and keep them from turning brown. Let sit for 30 to 60 minutes, and serve with tortilla chips! the GAVEL / September May 2012 2012
Culture
Celebrities Take A Stand
By Lauren Leckenby / assoc. culture editor By now, you’ve probably come to a conclusion on who you support in the 2012 Presidential Election, so see where some of your favorite celebrities fall on the political spectrum.
Democrats versus Republicans Cindy Crawford
Eva Longoria Longoria is a co-chair of Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. The “Desperate Housewives” actress is calling out to women and the Latino community for support of the President in the 2012 election.
George Clooney Clooney has hosted dinner fundraisers for Obama in Los Angeles and even Geneva, pulling in well over $15 million for the president’s re-election. Obama commented on their friendship in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, calling Clooney a “wonderful guy.”
Donald Trump
Trump endorsed Romney early on in the presidential race, even when he himself considered entering the election. The Trump Organization CEO told Fox News that if Romney “debates that well, I don’t think Obama will fare well against him,” in reference to the January Republican debates.
Trace Adkins
Gabby Douglas Douglas led the Pledge of Allegiance at the Democratic National Convention earlier this month after winning both the Individual and Team Gold medals in gymnastics this summer at the London games.
Oprah Winfrey
The beloved talk show host has made many public appearances with the President and First Lady. This past April, she told CBS’s “This Morning”, that she is ”100 percent behind our President. I actually love our President, and have the utmost respect for him and that office.”
Morgan Freeman
www.bcgavel.com
The country music star attended the NRA convention held in April and told Newsmax.tv in an interview that he wants to “be able to whole-heartedly support the nominee…It’s going to be Mitt Romney and I’m going to support him 100 percent.”
Bruce Johnston
Johnston expressed some fighting words for the President while signing autographs in New York this May, according to TMZ. The Beach Boys singer believes that “Americans will be f***ed if Obama gets reelected…unless you’re interested in never having any money and being socialized.”
The renowned actor has donated over $2 million for Obama’s re-election campaign, despite his controversial comment on Obama being America’s first “mixed-racial” president. Freeman believes that Obama has performed well under tough circumstances and has not received enough credit. Screenshots by Lauren Leckenby / Gavel Media
The supermodel has backed Mitt Romney this election, even though in 2008 she supported Obama according to Newsmax.tv. Politico reported that she aided Romney’s $10.25 million fundraising telethon in May.
Clint Eastwood
The Oscar winner drew in plenty of attention with his “oddball” speech at the Republican National Convention. Eastwood pretended to have a conversation with Obama while addressing an empty chair. “I think possibly now it may be time for somebody else to come along and solve the problem,” he proclaimed. 31
Culture
Artist Spotlight: Jack White
By Louise Sheehan / photo editor Jack White is working on a backyard project and sporting a slick tuxedo reminiscent of mid-20th century blues artists in the American South. The young guitar god’s hands work meticulously to assemble a crafty instrument from three nails, two pieces of scrap wood, a single wire and a glass Coca-Cola bottle. A pick-up attached to the Diddley Bow launches a deafening roar through the amplifier. White shrugs his shoulders, takes a puff from his blunt, and asks the camera: “Who says you need to buy a guitar?” The first time I ever watched It Might Get Loud, the ultimate rock and roll documentary, my perspective on music was chewed up, spit out, and transformed. In one compelling scene, White plays a rendition of “Sittin’ On Top of the World” on the piano. Behind him sits his 9-year-old self, his past and present pairs of feet stomping progressively louder as the beat builds up until passion ignites inside him, resulting in a swift kick sending a chair across the room. Such grip32
ping emotion is characteristic of the 37-year-old musician, as he believes the attitude behind a song is what matters most. White’s favorite song is Son House’s “Grinnin’ In Your Face”, a grueling 1930s American blues recording that paints a picture of an old soul pleading for more. “By the time I was about 18, somebody played me ‘Son House.’ That was it for me. This spoke to me in a thousand different ways. I didn’t know that you could do that to singing and clapping, and it meant everything; it meant everything about rock and roll, everything about expression, creativity and art... It didn’t matter that he was clapping off time, it didn’t matter that there were no instruments being played. All that mattered was the attitude of the song,” said White. And with this scene, my obsession with Jack White began. Jack White, born John Anthony Gillis in Detroit, Michigan in 1975, didn’t always dream of becoming one of the most respected musi-
cians of his generation. Raised as the youngest of 10 children in a family of devout Catholics, he served as an alter boy during his formative years and had hopes of joining a seminary to become a priest. Plans changed, however, when White discovered his love for music. He learned the drums in first grade, made his first recording before he entered high school and proceeded to remove his bed from his room at home in order to make space for his musical equipment. By 15, he recorded his first demo with a co-worker he met during his apprenticeship as an upholsterer. Shortly thereafter was his first live gig, playing drums for a local Detroit band, Goober and the Peas. The White Stripes, the first and probably most well known product of Jack’s musical endeavors, formed with the marriage of Jack and Meg White in 1996. In an effort to avoid excessive public attention on their relationship, Jack took Meg’s surname. For years, they had every major publication and fan convinced
the GAVEL / September May 2012 2012
Culture they were brother and sister. This deception, White believed, would force listeners to care more about the music itself, rather than caring about the people who were responsible for creating it. Though White and Meg divorced the year after the release of The White Stripes’ debut album, the band continued on their musical warpath, developing and shaping their unparalleled sound with each successive album. White says of the duo’s methodology: “Simple is not always better. For Michelangelo, no. For the White Stripes, simple is better.” The band was formed around Meg’s drumming, despite the fact that she had no prior professional experience. In fact, Meg went as far as to say she felt like a child playing the drums due to her pure lack of skill. Though The White Stripes have been heavily critiqued for Meg’s supposed incompetence as a drummer, as guitarist and lead vocalist, Jack White argues that Meg was the head and heart of the band while on stage. “It’s kind of funny,” White explains, in an interview with Rolling Stone. “Meg is the best part of this band. It never would have worked with anybody else, because it would have been too complicated... It was my doorway to playing the blues.” To the untrained ear, the garagepunk-blues rock of the White Stripes is perceived as anything but simple; the hammering sounds and emotional pull of the music combine with such a powerful mechanism that it could be the product of a rock and roll orchestra. What sets White apart from other musicians is his yearning, aching desire to embrace creativity. White lives as if life were an undefeatable challenge. Nobody will ever conquer all
that life throws in his or her face, so the most we can do is fight the good fight and battle against ourselves to end the nothingness. For White, the end to this nothingness is through music. He is constantly on the prowl for new and ambitious ways to convey emotion, whether it is through an instrument composed of raw materials or through innovating to create something beautiful using “three strings on a guitar instead of six.”
Gavel’s Pick: Top 10 Jack White Songs 1. Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground - The White Stripes 2. Missing Pieces - Jack White 3. Top Yourself - The Raconteurs 4. Ball and Biscuit - The White Stripes 5. You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do What You’re Told) - The White Stripes 6. Two Against One - Danger Mouse and Daniel Luppi feat. Jack White 7. I Can’t Hear You - The Dead Weather 8. Slowly Turning Into You - The White Stripes 9. Effect and Cause - The White Stripes 10. Love Interruption - Jack White 11. I’m Shakin’ - Jack White 12. Hotel Yorba - The White Stripes 13. The Weight - Jack White, Jimmy Page, The Edge 14. Inaccessible Mystery - Jack White 15, Consolers of the Lonely - The Raconteurs ‘The Big Three Killed My Baby,’ the third track off the 1999 debut album from the White duo, is lyrically symbolic of the travesty of today’s money-driven music industry. Taken literally, it is a political message that bashes the capitalist takeover of the automobile industry. However, one can speculate deeper meaning be-
hind these lyrics, given White’s views on the modern ways of music. “Technology is a big destroyer of emotion and truth. Auto-tuning doesn’t do anything for creativity. Yeah, it makes it easier and you can get home sooner, but it doesn’t make you a more creative person. That’s the disease we have to fight in any creative field: ease of use.” In the past, White openly resisted the cliché of going solo because he worried it would mean allowing himself to take the easy way out. When it really comes down to it, White isn’t going at this alone. He has two backing bands: one all-male, and one all-female. Only one of the bands plays at each show, and nobody, other than White, knows which will be taking the stage until he wakes up the morning of the show. To top it off, there is a strictly enforced no-set-list policy. Talk about unpredictability! In two weeks, I will be lucky enough to embrace my groupie nature and catch White back-to-back in Boston and New York City. If the stars are aligned, I will get to experience both of his backing bands and he will play his killer rendition of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” that morphs the mellow classic into a near lethal explosion of rage and jealousy. White hasn’t stopped outdoing himself since the day he started doing it at all. He is a renaissance man that won’t rest until he meets his grave. “I’m in the headspace now of being completely unrelaxed. And while that might sound bad, it’s not negative at all. A negative thing as an artist would be to feel satisfied,” he said in a recent interview. So please, Jack, I beg you: never be satisfied.
Photos courtesy of Masao Nakagamo/Wikimedia Commons, Screenshot by Emily Akin/Gavel Media, Bill Ebbeson/Wikimedia Commons, Scott Penner/Wikimedia Commons
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Culture
BC invades Boston: SoWa Market
By Emily Akin / assoc. culture editor
If you are looking for a way to break out of the BC bubble and explore Boston, here is your chance! Every Sunday this fall the SoWa Open Market offers a unique shopping experience for any Eagle who is feeling a little trapped within the confines of Chestnut Hill. The SoWa Market, which stands for “South of Washington” Street, is a vintage fair, farmer’s market and local artisan showcase in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. For those who orient themselves based on the T, that is the area around the Copley and Arlington stops. The actual marketplace is about a 10 minute walk away from the Arlington T stop. It is split into three main areas: the indoor vintage market, the outdoor farmers’ market, and the out34
door local artist street fair. The indoor portion of SoWa is set up in an empty warehouse, and is open year round. Inside, different antique vendors set up their hodgepodge displays in separate corners. You can find everything from cool vintage bangles to holographic Jesus posters and everything in between. It is like a highend flea market, except you don’t need to worry about the clothes having lice or bed bugs. The actual extent of the vintage market is staggering; vendors are spread over four different enormous rooms in the warehouse. If you are going to take the time to travel to SoWa, definitely plan on spending most of your Sunday there. It takes almost two hours just to comb through the antique
portion. Hipsters will love the 1970’s costume jewelry and grandpa sweaters that can be found at nearly every stall, while BC bros can find matching shot glass sets from the Mad Men era (which will inevitably be stolen at their next Mod party). Once you have exhausted the vintage market, the outdoor farmers’ market is definitely the next thing worth checking out. Everything in the market is grown at local farms in and around Boston. The SoWa farmers’ market is a big step up from the farmers’ market that we have at BC every Thursday. Not only can you buy organic fruits and veggies, but also locally grown flowers, honey, and tea. The bakery When Pigs Fly also the GAVEL / September May 2012 2012
Culture sets up a booth and offers samples of their delicious breads. Be warned, the chocolate bread is deadly. It is so dense that it weighs about five pounds, but don’t worry – you won’t have to carry it around for long because you’ll eat half of the loaf before you’ve even hopped the T back to BC. Some of the other booths also offer cool goods, like beef jerky, chai tea, sunflowers, and organic salsa, which you will not find at BC’s farmer’s market. A good tip for this farmer’s market: bring your own re-usable grocery bags to carry spoils around. After you’ve had your fill of free bread and salsa samples, it‘s time to venture into the artisanal market located in the parking lot right outside of the vintage warehouse. The lot is full of tents, each of which contain products made by Boston artists. The one drawback to this part of SoWa is that it is a little bit more expensive than the vintage market, but that is pretty standard for art stalls.
Out here, you can find everything from vases made out of Absolut Vodka bottles to custom painted iPhone cases to sweet graphic tee shirts. There is even one tent where a glassmaker saws the tops off of Corona bottles and molds them into glasses and lamps. While that is pretty cool, easily the best part of the local artists market is the food trucks, which line the market’s perimeter. The food truck selection includes LOBSTA LOVE, Kickass Cupcakes, Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese, The Taco Truck, and Grillos Pickles. The food is delicious and cheap, and there is plenty of variety! Definitely try the tacos from The Taco Truck, and the Thai Basil Limeade or
the Spicy Ginger Lemonade from the truck Bon ME. For those of you who are looking to explore Boston beyond Newbury Street and the Prudential Center, SoWa is an awesome way to get to know some local traditions. The outdoor portion of the market is open every Sunday through October 28 from 10am-4pm. To get directions from the Arlington T station type “460 Harrison Ave” into the navigator on your iPhone, and expect the walk to take about 10 minutes. Go explore Boston, BC!
Photos by Emily Akin / Gavel Media
www.bcgavel.com
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Culture Boston College’s Hidden Gems 1. On Fridays, members of BC Students for Sexual Health can often be spotted handing out condoms between McElroy and CoRo. 2. If studying abroad is on your ra- KEY dar, Hovey House should be as well. RESIDENCE HALLS ACADEMIC/ADMINISTRATIVE It is fully equipped with resources on LIBRARY the ins and outs of studying abroad. RECREATION/DINING PARKING GARAGE
PUBLIC PARKING 3. Located in the basement of Lyons, the Rat is a great place to grab BUS STOP (EAGLE ESCORT) BLUE LIGHT EMERGENCY PHONE lunch or do homework between WHEELCHAIR NEGOTIABLE PATHS classes. Unlike Hillside, it is fully ac- ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE ceptable to sit alone at a table in the ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPACE ELEVATOR ACCESS Rat and do work.
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MIDDLE CAMPUS 24
4. The Bean Counter in Fulton would be the ideal place to stop and grab a quick to-go lunch between classes, if only it were open during lunch hours. Instead, it is open from 3:30 to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. 5. Everyone has a favorite floor in O’Neill. Wherever you prefer to study, the first floor of O’Neill has the best vending machines hands down. From Oreo Cakesters to shockingly good coffee and hot chocolate, no all-nighter is complete without a trip to the first floor vending machines.
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UPPER CAMPUS
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6. In Voute and Gabelli, BC has 17 luxurious two-floored townhouses that put all other dorm rooms to shame. 7. The Educational Resource Center is a mini library located in the basement of Campion, the Lynch School of Education building. The ERC not only provides a sneaky study spot, but also allows for solid study breaks with a supply of children’s books. 36
the GAVEL / September May 2012 2012
Culture Whether you are a freshman who is getting a feel for campus or a senior who knows BC inside and out, adjusting to campus life in the fall is always a challenge. This map of BC’s hidden gems will help you to get back into the swing of things.
By Jenna LaConte / culture editor
8. The Loft at Addie’s is a sustainable, locally grown dining alternative located above Lower dining hall. Addie’s is open until 9:00 pm, which fills the awkward lapse between dinner and Late Night.
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9. Believe it or not, Alumni Stadium is accessible during the day when it is not in use. It’s a great location to catch some rays or get work done on a sunny day.
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10. The Plex may not be a hidden gem, but the complimentary fitness classes for students are. Whether you get your fix from sunrise yoga, spin, or Zumba, it is always smart to take advantage of BC’s free entities.
LOWER CAMPUS
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11. On Thursdays between now and October, BC’s very own Farmer’s Market sets up shop in the plaza outside Lower. The selection is limited, but it has a decent supply of locally grown fruits and vegetables. 12. Is there anything better than a late night sausage on a roll? ChiChi’s has proven time and again that the answer is no.
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13. The Brighton Campus has a dance studio that hosts open classes for students. In addition, if you are okay with a bit of a hike, it is a guaranteed spot for empty classrooms during finals’ week.
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14. On any given day, the Chestnut Hill Reservoir is swarming with BC September 2011 students running the loop. The reservoir is also an ideal location for Instagramming, because let’s face it — BC students love their muploads. Map screenshot of Boston College website
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SPORTS
SPORTS
September 2012
The final countdown
MLB Divisional, Wild Card races coming down to the wire as the season wraps up By Josh Forte gavel media staff With two weeks left in the inaugural season of the two-wild card system, Bud Selig must be ecstatic over the fact that 13 teams are legitimately in contention for seven playoff spots. The parity that currently exists is astounding. For example, who would have thought that the Baltimore Orioles would be one game behind the New York Yankees in the AL East in mid-September, while the Boston Red Sox fought with the Toronto Blue Jays to stay out of the AL East cellar? I am excited to stand witness to the spectacle that will be the final 20 games or so of the 2012 MLB season. How will the next two weeks unfold? Here are my predictions. AL East: The Baltimore Orioles are one game back of the Yankees. How can a team that was predicted by most to finish last in their division and currently has a minus-24 run differential be in a pennant chase? Yet here we are on Sept 16 and unbelievably the Orioles are jockeying with the Yankees and Rays 38
for the division crown. Baltimore seems to possess the intangibles that constitute a winning team. Somehow, this no-name roster who has been outscored over the course of the season finds a way to win close games. The O’s are 27-8 in run games on the season, which is astounding. Whether that can be attributed to luck, or a deep layer of team chemistry, doesn’t matter. In a sport that is more individualized than basketball or football, it is unbelievable that this team is filled with players who seem to perform their jobs exceptionally when called upon. But can they outplay the big, bad NY Yankees to win the AL East crown? Our prediction: Yankees win the AL East AL Central: When talking about the most surprising teams in baseball, the Orioles are undoubtedly the first that come to mind. Yet you can’t overlook the Chicago White Sox in
this discussion. After the Detroit Tigers picked up Prince Fielder to combine with Miguel Cabrera in the middle of the order, most were quick to crown the Tigers as the eventual AL Central champions. But unexpectedly, the Chicago White Sox are leading the Central with less than 20 games remaining in the season. Chris Sale has been in the Cy Young award conversation throughout the year, and the Sox offense has been surprisingly potent, sitting eighth in baseball in terms of total runs scored. Our prediction: White Sox win the AL Central AL West: Like the Orioles and White Sox, the Oakland Athletics are in the conversation for the most surprising team in baseball. The A’s, and their top-five pitching staff, shockingly possess the second best record in the American League. How does a team whose infield consists of Josh Donaldson, Cliff
the GAVEL / September 2012
SPORTS Pennington, Stephen Drew, and Chris Carter have 84 wins on the season? Well, it starts with the pitching staff. The 39-year-old Bartolo Colon, playing for his 7th MLB team, remarkably possesses a 3.43 ERA to lead the team. Even so, the Texas Rangers and their powerful offense, who have been the best team in the American League all season, still hold a three game lead over the A’s in the West. Our prediction: Rangers win the AL West AL Wild Cards: Oakland, Baltimore, Detroit, Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Angels are all currently scratching and clawing to secure the final two postseason spots, in addition to holding out hope for a division pennant. I truly believe the youthful and poised Orioles will take one of the wild card spots en route to qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since becoming baseball’s Cinderella story in 1997. Again, they just seem to possess the attitude of a winner, which can’t be taught or quantified. With 13 games left against the Yankees, Tigers, and Rangers, I believe that Oakland will fall out of the lead for one of the wild card slots. The Angels, who have six games left against the lowly Seatwww.bcgavel.com
Photo Courtesy of Keith Allison/Wikimedia commons
tle Mariners, will figure things out and continue the actualization of their unlimited potential as they clinch one of the wild cards. How can a team with a rotation consisting of C.J. Wilson, Dan Haren, Zach Greinke, and Jared Weaver miss the playoffs? Our prediction: Baltimore and the LA Angels take the two wild cards slots National League: The NL is much more cut and dry. Washington, Cincinnati, and San Francisco have all but locked up the East, Central, and West
divisions, respectively. Atlanta has essentially secured the first wild card spot, but the second one is still up for grabs. St. Louis currently holds a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers, while Milwaukee and Pittsburgh sit within three games of the Cardinals. Watch as our old friend Arian Gonzalez leads the Dodgers to a walk-off win on the final day of the season in order to overtake St. Louis for the second wild card spot. After last year, would anything surprise you? Our predictions: Atlanta and the LA Dodgers take the two wild card spots 39
SPORTS
The DeFilippo legacy Results from past 12 years a mixed bag Editor’s Note: This piece is reprinted with the permission of talkingsports.net After a fifteen-year tenure on the Heights, Boston College Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo has decided to call it quits. On Sept. 30, DeFilippo will formally retire and be replaced by current assistant AD John Kane. Since taking the helm in 1997,
DeFilippo presided over a tumultuous period in Boston College Athletics, but several marks he will leave on BC are positive. He spearheaded BC’s move from the Big East to the ACC in 2005, a bold gamble that paid enormous dividends.
Gene DeFilippo, Former BC AD Photo Courtesy of UserB/Wikimedia Commons
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By Kenneth St. John Opinions Editor DeFilippo also oversaw extensive, multi-million dollar renovations to athletic facilities, headlined by the 2004 opening of the Yawkey Athletics Center. He also kept Boston College among the select few BCS institutions that have never been found guilty of a NCAA violation (the others are Northwestern and Stanford), and the graduation success rates among student-athletes is among the highest in the country. However, the on-field performance of the Eagles has been mixed under DeFilippo. While the men’s hockey team has won four national championships since 2001, other sports have not been doing so well as of late. 2011 saw the Eagles break their football bowl appearance streak that dated back to 1998. Their troubles can be directly attributed to DeFilippo’s hiring of Frank Spaziani as head coach in 2009 following the controversial release of head coach Jeff Jagodzinski, who was charged with “insubordination” after interviewing for the head coaching position with the New York Jets. Spaziani, a career defensive coordinator with the Eagles, simply does not have what it takes to be
the GAVEL / September 2012
SPORTS 16 twice. However, after several subpar seasons in the latter part of the last decade, DeFilippo fired Skinner at the end of the 20092010 season and replaced him with Steve Donahue, famous for leading Cornell to the Sweet 16. While Donahue was a solid hire, and made the NIT as the one seed in his first year, the team currently struggles with relative youth and inexperience in the ACC. Overall, while DeFilippo ultimately did more good than bad at Boston College, Jeff Jagodinski, Former BC Football Head Coach he was often seen as Photo Courtesy of Keith Lovett/Wikimedia Commons overbearing and meddlesome in the day-tothe face of a college football proday affairs of the teams he overgram. Since he took over three saw, most notably years ago, the Eagles have gone in football. The from 8 wins to 7 to 4 each conseclast few years of utive year, and have been marked his tenure were by terrible a offensive game-callrough. The ining (for example, calling a draw troduction of play on 3rd and 23, constantly donor-based running up the middle, punting seating at footon 4th down, in the 4th quarter, ball games, plus down by 4 touchdowns) and a tweets such as porous defense. Tweets contain“Very impresing the phrase “#fireSpaz” have sive to see ALL been commonplace among BC Clemson fans students. in their seats 10 Men’s basketball has had its ups minutes before and downs as well. Under former kickoff, in time head coach Al Skinner, the Eagles for the National were perennial March Madness Anthem,” and contenders, reaching the Sweet comments such www.bcgavel.com
Steve Donahue, BC Basketball Head Coach Photo Courtesy of Pacoperez6 /Wikimedia
as “It doesn’t matter [what the fans think]. Spaz is the best coach we’ve had in the 15 years that I’ve been here” did much to alienate the fanbase, and contribute to his retirement.
Al Skinner, Former BC Basketball Head Coach Photo Courtesy of MikeUMA/Wikimedia Commons
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SPORTS By Andrew Schofield / Sports Editor
The Abramovich Effect
Why spending in European soccer has slowly spiraled out of control Not so modest beginnings sports, the path to success is not was locked away in his bottomRussian business tycoon Roman Abramovich became the owner of the Chelsea Football Club in the summer of 2003. Up to that point, the South London franchise had enjoyed moderate success throughout its nearly hundred year history, but nothing compared to that of the juggernauts of English football at the time — namely, Liverpool and Manchester United. The club had one league title to its name, won in 1955, and failed to find more success in the league’s two annual tournaments. Fast forward to today and it becomes almost inconceivable to think of Chelsea as anything but Premier League royalty as their performance in the season to date has earned them the pole position atop the league table. In most American 42
always the product of a simple equation. With salary caps and union regulations, the key to turning around a franchise comes down to factors like the development of prospects and exploitation of market inefficiencies. But for Abramovich, the solution to Chelsea’s remedial past
less bank account. During the summer following his purchase of the club, he invested more than 100 million pounds (over 162 million dollars) to bring new, “worldclass” players to the team. Since then, no Premier League team not named Manchester United has had more success than Chel-
Roman Abramovich, Owner of Chelsea F.C. Photo Courtesy of Marina Lystseva/Wikimedia Commons
the GAVEL / September 2012
SPORTS sea, with nine trophies to their name including three league titles and a UEFA Champions League Title. Abramovich saw the spending spree as a shortterm fix, even claiming in 2006 interview with BBC that “we will cut spending.” But not only did the spending not stop, it continued to spiral out of control. In January of 2011, Chelsea purchased Liverpool striker Fernando Torres for 50 million pounds — the largest transfer in Premier League history. Just this past off-season, Abramovich opened the coffers yet again —dropping millions of pounds on Belgian international Eden Hazard and Brazilian international Oscar. Obviously, Abramovich, who has operated Chelsea at a profitloss for the majority of his tenure at Chelsea, is not without his detractors within the sport. Karl-
Fernando Torres, Chelsea’s Fifty Million Pound Man Photo Courtesy of Ronnie MacDonald/Wikimedia Commons
petitive?
Keeping up with the Jones’ If the six years that have passed since Rummenigge voiced such legitimate concerns have taught
make Abramovich himself blush) have followed the Chelsea model — namely, finding a businessman with ungodly amounts of money who does not mind eating huge profit losses. But the Abramovich Effect has managed to find its way to the
“And if Financial Fair Play is not enough to cure European soccer of the economic ills that plague it, what chance do the hundreds of other clubs stand?” Heinz Rummenigge, chairman of famed German club Bayern Munich, voiced his frustrations when he posed this question in 2006: “Given what Abramovich does every summer in the transfer market, how can German clubs stay competitive?” Moreover, how can any team manage to stay comwww.bcgavel.com
the soccer world anything, it seems to be something along the lines of, “If you can’t beat them, join ‘em.” Other European clubs such as Manchester City (newly crowned champions of the Premier League) and Paris Saint-Germain (the new kid on the block whose transfer purchases would
very clubs that snubbed their noses at Chelsea’s meteoric rise. Consider Rummenigge’s very own Bayern Munich. This past summer, the club shattered the record for the most expensive signing in club history — inking Spanish midfielder Javi Martinez for over 30 million pounds. Even 43
SPORTS Manchester United, which has been able to maintain their success without pouring Abramovich-like amounts into the transfer market over the past decade or so, has begun to face reality – signing former Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie for 24 million pounds. The fee for Van Persie becomes even more absurd when considered in its context — as any club could have signed the Dutch striker for free next summer once his contract expired. And while the “profit be damned” strategy of Abramovich and others such as the Abu Dhabi United Group (owners of Manchester City) has certainly driven other clubs to increase their own transfer budgets, it has begun to wreak significant havoc on the little amount of parity the English league once had. Consider Arsenal for instance. Under the advisement of manager Arsene Wenger, the North London club enjoyed considerable success during the early portion of the 2000s including a ‘double’ in the 2003-2004 season when Thierry Henry led the Gunners to an undefeated season in the Premier League. But since then, hamstrung by a poor sponsorship deal and an increasingly archaic wage structure, the club has been forced to sell off many of its best players. 44
Henry left for Barcelona while teammate Patrick Viera joined Italian side Juventus. The situation has exacerbated over the past few years with several more top players leaving over the past two years — with Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas leaving in 2011 and Robin Van Persie and Alex Song leaving this past off-season. And
result in 18 years. Limited by an inability to pay out of pocket for world-class soccer players, even tradition-rich clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool have failed to keep up with the rampant spending that has been characteristic of European soccer over the past several years. And in response, administrators and officials within the sport have begun to take action. In September 2009, the Union of European Football Association (UEFA) announced the implementation of a set of regulations called Financial Fair Play. Set to take effect this year, the regulations essentially set out to stop clubs from spending more than they earn in pursuit of a shortcut Robin Van Persie sporting his new colors for Man U to the top of the table. Photo Courtesy of Wonker/Wikimedia Commons By imposing fines — and in extreme cases, while the club has still managed disqualifying clubs fr om Euroto find itself in the upper half of pean competition — UEFA will the table, Wenger has failed to attempt to use the incentive of make a legitimate threat for the international competition in an Premier League title for the past attempt to curb clubs from riskfew years now. ing financial ruin in the name of Liverpool has fared even worse sporting glory. But the question within the changing scenery of of whether Financial Fair Play is European soccer. Once the un- enough still lingers. questioned titan of English soccer, Liverpool has faded to the pe- What hope is there for the riphery over the past few seasons little guy? as they continue to be outspent by their rivals in Manchester and And if Financial Fair Play is not London — including an eighthenough to cure European soccer place finish last year, their worst of the economic ills that plague it,
the GAVEL / September 2012
SPORTS what chance do the hundreds of other clubs stand? Amid concerns that the competitive balance has been compromised, some of the smaller market teams in the Premier League have called for a salary cap and revenue sharing — borrowing mechanisms that structure the majority of American sports. However, the situation the Premier League finds itself in is not quite analogous to that of the NFL or NBA here in the States. Unlike most American professional sports leagues, the Premier League finds itself in competition with every other domestic league in Europe and viceversa. And if the Premier League were to institute a salary cap, player salaries would drop around twentyfive percent according to most estimates, leading players to jump ship and find work elsewhere in Europe. The implementation of a salary cap could only succeed if it is adopted by every league in Europe – a scenario that is effectively impossible. So if mechanisms like a salary cap are not feasible, the clubs of the Premier League who find themselves outspent year after year must look towards leagues that also lack a great www.bcgavel.com
equalizer like the salary cap for guidance. Take Major League Baseball as an example. Both the Oakland Athletics and the Tampa Bay Rays find themselves in a competitive position year after year because of their ability to spend smarter rather than simply spend more. For the Oakland Athletics, this involves the use of advanced statistics to find players that the larger market teams have rejected but all the while can contribute to a winning team. Similarly, the Rays invent tremendous amounts of money into scouting and youth development — earning them a trip to the World Se-
ries just a few short years ago. The Rays also do an extraordinary job of avoiding overpaying for talent – allowing them to maintain a significant amount of financial flexibility year to year as demonstrated by their decision to let outfielder Carl Crawford sign with the Boston Red Sox in the 2010 off-season. With a renewed emphasis on player value relative to cost and an increased commitment to youth development, there is no reason why clubs such as Arsenal or Liverpool should not be able to compete with the Chelseas and Manchester Citys of the world.
Michel Plantini, President of UEFA Photo Courtesy of Klearchos Kapoutsis/Wikimedia Commons
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