T he B oston C ollege
Chronicle APRIL 14, 2011
3
BC’s ‘Mile 21’ at Its Starting Line for Monday Collaborative effort by students and administrators seeks to build University tradition for Marathon BY MELISSA BEECHER STAFF WRITER
There’s no shortage of memorable spots along the Boston Marathon route: the starting line in Hopkinton, the “scream tunnel” in Wellesley, the dips and climbs of Heartbreak Hill and the din of cheering along Kenmore and Copley squares. If student leaders and University administrators have their way, Boston College will be the site of another storied tradition of Marathon Monday: “Mile 21.” Designed to be a comprehensive daylong program, “Mile 21” aims to organize the robust BC cheering section at the Heights and position students and alumni in front of the Commonwealth Avenue Gate to create a “golden mile” into Boston. The Office of Residential Life, Student Affairs, Undergraduate Government of Boston College, the Residence Hall Association, the Office of the Dean for Student Development, Student Programs Office, Athletics, Quality of Student Life Committee, Office of Vice President for Student Affairs, Dining Services and BC Police Department have all played a role and lent their support to providing positive Patriots Day activities. “This student-run initiative is working to create a cultural change on campus and get students involved in what can be a phenomenal event for not only BC, but for Boston,” said Office of Residential Life Director George Arey. “It is a great opportunity to change BC into an involvement
culture instead of a spectator culture on Marathon Monday.” The effort started when a group of students met with Arey and brainstormed ways to change the attitudes on campus toward Patriots Day from simply having a day off from classes to establishing a larger meaning of community. “I can’t think of a day that has bigger meaning in the context of BC and the larger Boston community,” said student organizer Justin Pike ’11. “The value of a new tradition is not just to get students participating, but highlighting the efforts of the runners – our peers, who, by Mile 21, are about to complete a truly admirable undertaking.” To that end, two film crews – one student, one professional – have created videos about Mile 21 and the athletes who run on behalf of the Boston College Campus School, which serves students ages 3-21 with multiple disabilities including complex health care needs. This year, 350 students are running to raise money for the school and other charities. “When runners on the route come over that last rise of Heartbreak Hill, the first thing they see is BC and know that the end is in sight. We want that image to be a truly memorable one,” said Pike. The most conspicuous representation of the day will be a large inflatable arch reading “The Heartbreak is Over” raised by the Commonwealth Avenue Gate. A number of panoramic photos will be taken of the spectators under the arch, including seniors, alumni
“Mile 21” co-organizers Justin Pike ’11, Matthew McCluskey ’11 and Katrina Lutfy ’12 discuss plans for the program’s debut on Marathon Monday. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
and the entire cheering section. Along with Pike, students who have led the “Mile 21” effort include Katrina Lutfy ’12 and seniors Matt McCluskey, Cliff Baratta and Will Rush. The festivities will start at 6 a.m. with the Campus School runner sendoff outside Campion Hall. The Campus School Pep Rally will follow at 10:30 a.m., along with a barbeque outside Corcoran Commons. Starting at noon, “Mile 21” giveaways and entertainment are planed outside the main gate of campus. Giveaways and events will continue throughout the day (see the “Mile 21” website, www. bcmile21.com, for more). “The Boston Marathon is one event that literally happens on our doorstep,” said Arey. “This group of student leaders has tirelessly worked across departments to establish ‘Mile 21’ as the next great Boston College tradition.” Contact Melissa Beecher at melissa.beecher@bc.edu
Rougeau Is Choice as New Law Dean Continued from page 1 cesses. His academic background, scholarship and experiences make him uniquely suited for the Law School and Boston College.” In accepting the position, Rougeau said he was eager to assume a leadership role in a Jesuit, Catholic environment that was so important to his own development as a teacher and a scholar, and one that would enable him to continue to be engaged in issues of social and economic justice. “I am thrilled to be joining the Boston College community and I look forward to participating in the mission of this extraordinary university and law school,” said Rougeau. “I have long admired the Boston College Law School faculty and feel very honored by the opportunity to serve as their dean.” While at Notre Dame Law School, Rougeau also served as dean for academic affairs for three years, and as a member of the law school’s appointments committee, including three terms as commit-
tee chair. “In this role, I was thoroughly familiar with the strategies that must be employed to recruit and retain the best possible faculty,” said Rougeau. “I am also personally aware of the challenges and opportunities a meaningful commitment to diversity presents to a law faculty.” Rougeau also has a longstanding interest in bank regulation, particularly as it relates to the protection of consumers. Much of his early teaching and writing focused on ways in which the law might check predatory behavior in the marketplace, as well as government regulation and intervention in financial markets. A graduate of Brown University where he majored in international relations, Rougeau received his law degree from Harvard Law School. He worked as an assistant and then associate professor of law at Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, before joining the faculty at Notre Dame Law School. He has also served
as a fellow at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame, and as a senior fellow at the Contextual Theology Centre at the Royal Foundation of St. Catherine in London. The author of a book and several book chapters, his latest work, titled Cosmopolitan Democracy, Religious Citizens, and Global Multiculturalism, is a part of an ongoing project called Contending Modernities, which will likely result in a conference next year. “Any successful search outcome is the result of the efforts of many,” said Garza. “I would like to thank the members of the search committee and all who assisted in the process. I am also thankful to Interim Dean George Brown and the Law School faculty, students, staff and alumni, whose commitment and dedication to their school and University have been evident throughout this process.” Contact Jack Dunn at jack. dunn@bc.edu
Marathoner Appreciates BC Boost He’ll be fighting fatigue by then, but count John Farrow among the Boston Marathon runners who looks forward to passing by Boston College on Monday. Farrow, a lawyer from Albuquerque, was so impressed with the reception he got at the Heights on last year’s Marathon Day, he sent an e-mail recently to Chronicle addressed to “BC Students” expressing appreciation for their support: “You were absolutely nuts! I like that 20-plus miles into a marathon — you really picked me up. Don’t ever change!” In a follow-up e-mail interview, Farrow said that while Wellesley College students tend to get most of the attention for their cheering (“They are fun,” he acknowledges. “There was a good Elvis impersonator there”), the BC students’ enthusiasm is a welcome sight by that juncture of the marathon. Given that he was fighting the heat of the day and a painful hip, Farrow said he really needed a boost as he crested Heartbreak Hill. “The crowds were getting noisy, high-fiving everyone, really yelling, jumping up and down, even running out into the street and screaming, some were in costume slapping people on the back...I just started laughing and it made me forget about my hip.” Farrow wound up finishing in a little over three hours and 56 minutes and qualified for the 60-64 year-old division in this year’s marathon, which will be his third in Boston. He’s lately been struggling with a hamstring injury and sinus infection, but aims to “do the best I can and enjoy how fortunate I am to still be able to be a part of this great event.” —Sean Smith
April 16 ‘BC Race to Educate’ Will Benefit St. Columbkille School In the spirit of the upcoming Boston Marathon and in celebration of the University’s ongoing partnership with the St. Columbkille School, members of the Boston College community are invited to participate in the inaugural “BC Race to Educate” – a 5-kilometer road race for runners and walkers to be held this Saturday to benefit the Brighton school. Saturday’s race events will start with a children’s 1K “Fun Run” at 9:30 a.m., followed at 10 a.m. by the 5K event for all ages. The start and finish line will be at the Yawkey Center, with the race course winding through campus and the adjoining Chestnut Hill neighborhood along Commonwealth Avenue. Among the sponsors of the benefit race are Boston College’s men’s and women’s varsity ice hockey teams. Players from both teams participate in a highly acclaimed student mentoring program at St. Columbkille and will work as volunteers at Saturday’s race.
“Our players seem to really enjoy the mentoring process at St. Columbkille,” said BC assistant hockey coach Mike Cavanaugh, who is overseeing Saturday’s event. “It has been great for them.” Cavanaugh, who says the event is aiming to generate as much as $20,000 for St. Columbkille, hopes to see even more BC students sign up to participate in Saturday’s fund-raiser. “The money is going to a great cause. Students here have been afforded the opportunity for a great education that puts them in the position to attend a school like BC. It’s all about giving back and appreciating the terrific opportunities that have been afforded to us in our lives.” Runners and walkers can register for the race on-line at http:// bcracetoeducate.com or at Alumni Stadium starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday. The first 400 people to register will receive a race t-shirt with a special logo designed by St. Columbkille students. —Reid Oslin